17 BBY - "Lothal, the Pryce Homestead"
"Look, Arihnda, here's the reality..." Arik Uvis, ambassador of Governor Ryder Azadi, began. "Now that Pryce Mining has a Doonium vein, you need support. Protection, even." He added on. "Protection, Uvis?" Arihnda Pryce asked. "Or do you mean takeover?" "There are a dozen ways a big corporation can take over a small operation like your family's... Or bleed it dry." Uvis replied. "If you would consider selling the Governor another twenty-one percent of Pryce Mining..." "What!?" Arihnda asked in demand, almost shouting. "Absolutely not! You're not getting a controlling interest." Uvis sighed heavily. "It's the only way to keep some predatory mega corporation off your back." He said.
"You need to at least tell your mother about the Governor's offer. As the General Manager, she needs to know..." Uvis began. "Which part of no is confusing you?" Arihnda asked mockingly. "I think you should get off our property." She then said. "I own thirty percent of Pryce Mining." Uvis declared. "You can't just throw me out." He continued. "The Pryce family owns the over seventy percent." Arihnda replied. "And the guard droids answer to us." "For now." Uvis said, slowly turning around to leave the Homestead. "Goodbye, Miss Pryce. Inform me when you're ready to see reason." He added coldly, fully turning his back on Arihnda. Arihnda scoffed, turning her back to Uvis and heading back inside the Homestead. Governor Azadi won't have his controlling interest. Arihnda thought to herself. None of it.
A few days would pass, and Arihnda soon caught notice of her father, Talmoor Pryce, sitting on the sofa, hands buried in his face. "Father? What is it?" Arihnda asked, walking up to Talmoor. Talmoor sighed heavily, soon locking eyes with Arihnda. "Your mother... She's been arrested." He replied. "The complaint came from the Governor's office. They're charging her with embezzlement!" He continued. Arihnda stood there silently, her mouth agape. She couldn't believe what she was hearing; first Governor Azadi sent his ambassador asking for another twenty-one percent of Pryce Mining, and now this!? An arrest, followed by charges of embezzlement: charges that Arihnda and Talmoor both knew to be false.
17 BBY - "Lothal, Senator Renking's office"
"I'm sorry, Arihnda..." Senator Domus Renking of Lothal began. "As matters stand, I can't lift the embezzlement charge." He continued. "But Senator Renking, you have influence here!" Arihnda exclaimed. "Can we at least get her out on bail?" Renking sighed heavily. "You really don't understand what this is about?" He asked in reply. "This is Azadi's attempt to take over Pryce Mining. There is a way I can help your mother... But I don't think you'll like it." Renking added on. "I can get the charges dropped, but you'll have to sign Pryce Mining over to the Empire." Arihnda stared at Renking longingly, her eyes already wide with shock. "You're going to lose the mine, Arihnda; whether to Azadi, or to the Empire." Renking said.
"Because of the Doonium." Arihnda whispered softly. "Remember, Coruscant could take it by fiat. Right now, they want to play nice in this part of the Outer Rim." Renking said. "The question is, what exactly do you want?" He then asked. "I want to go to Coruscant." Arihnda replied. "You must have a hundred good assistant positions you can offer. I want one." She continued. "I assume a new Doonium vein is worth the trouble?" "As it happens, there's an opening in one of my Citizen Assistance offices." Renking replied. "You, Arihnda, would be representing the interests of Lothal citizens either visiting or temporarily working on Coruscant..." He continued, stroking his beard with deep thought. Finally, after a few minutes, Renking locked eyes with Arihnda, standing up and shaking her hand. "Welcome to the Empire, Arihnda Pryce." He said.
15 BBY - "Coruscant, the Alisandre Hotel"
"We're going to hit a lot more parties before Ascension Week is up, right?" Juahir Madras, one of Arihnda Pryce's close friends, asked. "As many as you can handle, Juahir." Arihnda replied. "Or at least until we get thrown out." She continued. "Will they all be as fancy as this one, Arihnda?" Juahir asked. "I feel very underdressed for the occasion." "You're the guests of a lowly Senator's aide." Arihnda remarked. "You're not expected to have a thousand-credit gown." At that moment, Arihnda's second friend, Driller MarDapp, pointed to Senator Renking, who was speaking with three different Imperial Officers. "I've never seen anything like that before." Driller said, his gaze darting towards one of the Officers, who was a Lieutenant with blue skin and red eyes. "What is he, a Pantoran with an eye condition?" He asked.
"Now that's just rude." Juahir said, slapping Driller across the shoulder. "I'll go over and ask." Arihnda said, walking towards Renking and the Officers. Renking soon turned his head, expressing a warm smile towards Arihnda. "Ah, Arihnda! I hoped to run into you!" Renking exclaimed, before shifting his gaze back to the Officers. "This is Arihnda Pryce, one of my aides." He began, gesturing to the three Officers. "Arihnda, this is Colonel Wullf Yularen of the ISB, Senior Lieutenant Thrawn, a rising star in the navy, and Ensign Eli Vanto, the Lieutenant's aide." He added on. "I'm honored to meet you, noble sirs." Arihnda said, bowing in front of Thrawn and Vanto. "Colonel Yularen was telling me about an operation Lieutenant Thrawn and Ensign Vanto were involved with." Renking said. "Remarkably, the Lieutenant single-handedly saved a valuable shipment of Tibanna Gas and a group of Imperial Senators that had been captured by pirates."
"It was hardly single-handed, Senator." Thrawn said. "Ensign Vanto is too modest about his and the others' contributions." He continued. "Well, congratulations to the two of you." Renking replied. "Both for that mission, and for living past Headmaster Gentis's rebellion. I assume you're here on Coruscant for commendation?" "Not exactly..." Yularen replied. "There are those who.. Dislike Lieutenant Thrawn's methods. But I'm not worried." He added on. "I was an Admiral during The Clone Wars, and still have friends in high places." "And no doubt making a few more tonight." Arihnda remarked. "Very perceptive, Miss Pryce." Yularen said, exchanging a smile to Arihnda. "That's why I'm putting the Lieutenant through the Coruscant social grinder; in my eyes, he did a remarkable job. And I wish to make sure as many Senators know about it as possible."
"Well, I'll be sure to look into the details when I get the chance." Renking said. "In the meantime, I need Miss Pryce to run an errand for me." He continued, grabbing a data card out from within his Senator robes. "I need you to deliver this to Moff Ghadi." Renking said, his gaze shifting towards Arihnda. "You do know who he is, right?" Arihnda nodded her head. "Of course, Senator." She replied, taking the data card from Renking's hand. "I shall deliver the card to him at once." Arihnda finished, turning around and walking away from the four men. Renking looked towards where Arihnda was walking, seeing her approaching Juahir and Driller, before looking back at Thrawn, Vanto, and Yularen. "Tell me, Senior Lieutenant.." Renking began, peering directly into Thrawn's crimson-tinted eyes. "Why is it that you have joined the Empire? Hm?"
15 BBY - "Coruscant, Moff Ghadi's estate"
"So Renking has you working tonight, does he?" Moff Ghadi asked, as he led Arihnda through the halls of his estate. "Yes, your excellency." Arihnda replied. "But I'm sure he wouldn't have interrupted you if it wasn't important." She continued. "My secure datapad is in my suite. It'll just take a minute, then you can get back to enjoying yourself." Ghadi said, gesturing towards a nearby sofa in the living room. "Get yourself a drink, if you'd like. The droid can fix anything you name." He added on. "Thank you, your excellency." Arihnda replied, her gaze shifting to one of the paintings that hung from the wall. "I've seen you in my office several times, usually playing Courier." Ghadi remarked. "Tell me, have you enjoyed working for him?" Arihnda nodded her head slowly. "It's been very interesting." She replied.
"Of course..." Ghadi began, staring at the data card in his hand. "..'Interesting'. The most diplomatic word possible. And the most insipid." He added on, handing the card back to Arihnda. "Here you go. You may take it back to him now." Ghadi said. Arihnda's eyes darted to the card, noticing that the markings were orange and not blue like they were on the card Renking had given her. "I think that's the wrong data card, sir." Arihnda said. Ghadi sighed heavily. "A shame, Miss Pryce... If you had just taken it back to him..." He began, reaching down within the pocket of his pants. "I suppose now we'll have to do this the hard way." Ghadi declared, reaching forward and firing a cloud of orange-coated dust from a small dispenser in Arihnda's face. Arihnda coughed rigorously, shielding her eyes from the dust. "That, Miss Pryce, is Polstine Spice." Ghadi said. "Highly prized, highly expensive... And highly illegal." He added on, staring at the data card in his hand. "And you, my dear, have enough of it on you to guarantee that you spend the rest of your life in prison.. Unless you do exactly as I say."
Without saying another word, Arihnda, now coated in Polstine Spice, took the card from Ghadi's hand. A smile briefly crept across Ghadi's face. "It's good to see you understand your position here." He said. Arihnda soon turned around, walking out of the estate. Placing the dispencer back in his pocket, Ghadi unclipped his comlink from his belt, activating it. "Senator Renking, do you copy?" Ghadi asked through the comlink. "Of course, your excellency." Domus Renking replied. "I trust that Miss Pryce is on her way with the data card I tasked her with?" He then asked. "Precisely, Senator." Ghadi replied, the smile on his face growing. His gaze briefly shifted to the estate halls, noticing that Arihnda was already gone. "However, while she was there, it would appear that there was.. An incident in my estate." Ghadi began. "One involving such elements as Polstine Spice." He continued.
15 BBY - "Coruscant, Senator Renking's office"
"Some allegations have recently arisen of financial and corporate discrepancies coming from my office..." Renking began, whilst all of his aides talked amongst themselves, before falling silent. "While these allegations are categorically false, I must nonetheless address them as quickly as possible." He continued, his gaze shifting between his many aides, Arihnda in particular. "As I will be returning to Lothal for a time, I have no choice but to close several of my outlying offices." Arihnda's eyes widened with shock, as did the eyes of the other aides around her. "My apologies to those of you I'm no longer able to employ. I'm certain you'll find other positions soon." Renking finished, hanging his head low as he said this.
Arihnda and the other aides turned to leave, but before Arihnda could exit the room, Renking spoke again. "Miss Pryce, if you'd stay a moment?" He asked. Arihnda stopped dead in her tracks, looking back at Renking, who had a stern look on his face. "I hope you're proud of yourself." Renking said angrily. "I didn't have any choice!" Arihnda protested. "He said he would have me arrested!" "And you honestly believed you were important enough to waste even the time of a single police call on?" Renking asked in reply. "We could have done great things together, Arihnda. I'm sorry I couldn't reply on you." He continued. "Whatever you were trying to do, you must not have disguised it very well." Arihnda replied. "I'm sorry I couldn't trust you either." "Trust?" Renking scoffed. "Don't be a fool. There's no trust in politics; never has been, and never will be." He added, pointing towards the exit door. "Now get out. I'm sure you'll be very happy back on Lothal."
15.5 BBY - "Coruscant, The Pinnacle"
Six months have passed by since the incident in Moff Ghadi's estate. Arihnda, now working in a computer position on a pricier part of Coruscant, sat alone at the dinner table, patiently waiting for her meal for tonight. "Hey, stranger. How are you doing?" A familiar voice asked. Arihnda's gaze shifted from the floor, seeing Juahir and Driller now sitting at the opposite end of the table. "What are you two doing on this pricey end of the planet?" Arihnda asked. "We had dinner reservations at this exact table." Driller replied. "Though it looks like you beat us here." He added. "I dusted off my old martial arts stuff and got into bodyguard training." Juahir said. "I have a job at the Yinchom Dojo now. We do civilian training, but we're also licensed to train government bodyguards." She continued. "Like the Emperor's Royal Guard?" Arihnda asked.
"Well, maybe not that high up, but definitely Stormtroopers that wish to apply for that position." Juahir replied. "You should come in for some self-defense classes sometime." She then said. "I'm still running for my advocacy group. That's the real reason why we're here, actually." Driller said afterwards. "We have a position for an expert in mines, mining, and refining. You'd be a perfect fit." A smile quickly crept across Arihnda's face. "I'm definitely ready to move onto something else." She said. "Where and when do I apply for the job?" "You just did." Driller replied. "Seriously. I've already floated your name around, and the rest of the group vetted on you. If you want the job, it's yours." He continued. "Just so you know, it doesn't come with apartment. But Juahir's got a decent-sized place near the Senate building. And I know she'd love a roommate." Arihnda leaned closer to the table, listening intently. "The hours will be long. If you're our mining expert, that means you get all the mining-related jobs."
"Go on." Arihnda said. "Licensed advocacy groups have prestige, if not power." Driller replied. "You'll also get more notice than when you were delivering data card packets for Senator Renking." Juahir said. "Best part is the pay isn't bad either." Arihnda leaned back against her seat, deep in thought. If she got this position in Driller's advocacy group, she could very well get her revenge on Moff Ghadi. Even better, she could get Pryce Mining back from the Empire on lothal; both of these were goals she had dreamt about for months since she lost her position as Senator Renking's aide six months earlier. After a few moments, she stared into Driller's eyes, the smile on her face growing wider. "I'm interested." Arihnda said. "Excellent!" Driller exclaimed. "Now we'll see just how much Coruscant still has to offer for you."
