VOICE » liberty is not dead yet

[officio]

Everyone who came to this planet in a drop shuttle, please listen. My name is Padmé Amidala, I am a former senator of the Galactic Senate. I know that means little to many of you... but there are people out there who want me dead. [ She pauses in her speech, her voice clear and calm. ] I am telling you this because I will not hide who I am, or what I know.

By now, you all know what we are facing, here. And until we can establish a connection to those who are out there, get the comms on the ship to work... in order for all of us to survive, we need to work together.

[ Another pause in the speech, for a speech it is -- it doesn't matter she isn't standing in her seat in the Senate, speaking to the Senators, arguing in favour of peace; she is arguing now, too, for what she believes. And she believes in unity. ]

I understand many of you will think you can't trust those you don't know, but down here, we only have each other. If we want to live until we get a chance to get out of here, back to those we've been taken from, our best chance is to combine our resources, our strengths.

Daryl was right. No one should leave the city without alerting at least someone else. Moreover, we need to know exactly who were on the ship, what you can do. If you want to hide your identity, I understand -- but don't hide what you can do for others. We are not each other's enemies... don't make the mistake of acting like we are.

[ It sounds like the end, but she has one more thing to say: ] I will be outside the hotel. Please come to see me, tell me only your name if nothing else. So we know at least how many of us are here.

[ The last sentence is softer than the rest, pleading when the speech itself was certain, carrying the sense of authority someone has when they're used to speaking like this, trying to convince people to see things the way she does. But the last bit is her asking, hoping that people will at the very least do that much. So no one ever goes missing without anyone knowing they should be there. ]

( ooc: open for action as well for everyone who wants to come to talk to her in person! )

Comments

action.

[pilot]

You really think sharing names is going to do anything?

[ arms crossed, leaning against a wall, cynicism on full…han's in a rare fair mood. ]

[officio]

It's not about the names. It's about having everyone show up here, so we know who is here, we know who we should be looking out for.

[ It isn't like Han has been very... low on said cynicism any other time they've talked -- she's assuming it's his default state. He seems to be doubtful of every idea like this, to appeal to people and their good sense... and with the state of the Galaxy, the Empire-- it's not a surprise that some people would lose faith in that.

She just hasn't. ]

If we know everyone here, in the case the city becomes unsafe, if we have to leave... we know we won't be leaving anyone behind by accident.

[pilot]

[ han scoffs. ]

City's already unsafe. [ his eyes run over their surroundings with a marked frown. ] Can't even be called a city.

Establishing a buddy system's not going to change that.

[officio]

It used to be one. And as long as it keeps the Walkers outside... it's the best chance we have.

[ But it won't hold forever, she agrees with him on that. ]

Establishing some kind of order here is better than nothing. That no one would even try to work together... I can't accept that. Not if it means innocent people could die because we didn't care enough to try and stop that.

Audio

[dirtyredneck]

Let me know what our numbers are when you think you got everyone.

[Daryl knew who he wanted doing the resource oversight from now on. A goddamn senator with the ability to talk like that needed to be doing the daily runaround, not him. She just needed support to make sure it stuck, far as he was concerned.]

[officio]

I will.

[ He is the one who knows what they're up against, the one going around and searching places -- he may be rough, but he is someone who knows the responsibility of being a leader. And they need someone like him. ]

It would be useful to know where everyone is staying, too... but I doubt everyone will be willing to tell us that. There are always those who are reluctant to trust strangers.

[ It is their job to convince them to do that eventually, though. ]

[dirtyredneck]

Yeah. I know. That's their choice.

[He knew there was only so much he could do to convince people to give them a chance. And if they didn't want to, he couldn't really press them. Hell, he understood that reluctance. He lived that reluctance on a daily basis. But he also knew how good a community could be. Best they could do was leave the option open.]

Thanks.

[strangelic]

You should ask people where they are living, too. Someone should know.

[ Clearly jumping to volunteer that information she asked for. ]

[officio]

I agree... I just don't think everyone will be so willing to divulge that information. Even though it would help them.

[ Not everyone trusts strangers that easily. And hey, at least she knows where he lives... ]

[strangelic]

No more unwilling to divulge that information than that of what they are, their powers.

[ A pause. ] I'm like them. Not a monster, but I'm like them.

[pinner]

I can help you make a list of the responses you receive. I'll keep it up to date for you too, so you don't have to worry about it.

[She sees an opportunity here to be useful and is going to run with it.]

[officio]

That would be a great help, thank you. Do you have a pen and some paper for that?

[ The offer is appreciated... and besides, Padmé knows how it feels to want to do something useful, no matter what it is. ]

[pinner]

I don't. But I can commit things to memory for now. I'm good at not forgetting.

[ action ]

[phaselocknroll]

[ Maya happens to be staying in the hotel, so she walks her way outside relatively shortly after Padme’s request. She offers the other woman a small smile. ]

Are you Padme? I’m Maya.

[officio]

[ It's only a short time after the broadcast, and Padmé isn't too sure of how well it is received, so to see someone show up, someone she's not spoken to before... is a relief. ]

I am. Thank you for coming here, Maya.

[phaselocknroll]

I was just upstairs. [ She indicates the hotel building with a nod of her head. ] It would be silly not to at least come down and introduce myself.

[Audio for now]

[zimasoldier]

Padmé, was it?

[Bucky's not showing his face yet. He's crouched in the window of a building with a clear view of the hotel, but he himself is out of sight.]

I'm James Barnes. You can add me to your headcount. I'd like to know why someone with a bullseye on her back would admit it so freely before I meet them in person. Either she can handle herself, in which case, she's dangerous. Or she's pretty confident her would be murderers aren't here.

[officio]

Yes, that's right.

[ A quiet confirmation -- as long as people are willing to talk to her, even if it's not face-to-face... it's still progress. Better than nothing. ]

Thank you, James. As for your question... if I'm not willing to tell who I am, what kind of experience I can offer, even if it comes at a risk... how can I ask others to do the same? [ For all she knows, others here might have similar reasons to keep their names secret, their abilities and pasts hidden from others. But if she's willing to put herself at risk? Perhaps she can show others they can do the same, too. That together they can defend against those risks. ]

(Apologies for the delay) [Audio > Action]

[zimasoldier]

Fair enough. Still, I think some of us might be in pretty hot water. Even with that olive branch, we're not all willing to divulge everything.

[There's the sound of shuffling if she listens closely. Movement flickering from room to room. Higher.]

Some of us might be dangerous to those around us, not just in danger, like you, Ma'am.

[If she's observant, she'll see a man drop from the roof--the distance should have broken something, but he didn't so much as miss a beat in his movement.

He hangs up the call as he approaches her. The metal arm is at his side while he extends his real hand to her in greeting.]

Never heard of the Galactic Senate, but you don't sound like any politicians I've met back home. They wouldn't know the truth if it kicked 'em in the shin.

Action.

[captain_america]

[Steve heads over to the hotel after he hears the transmission. He's been splitting his time between the hotel and the warehouse, trying to keep an eye on both groups of people. Padme was right, the only way to survive down here was to work together and to try and stick together as much as possible.

He had no reservations about telling her who he was. If someone down here was an enemy well, he wasn't exactly easy to kill.

He approached her with an easy smile.]

Padme, was it? I'm Steve Rogers.

[officio]

Yes, that's right.

[ She gives him a warm smile in return, both happy and relieved to see that her broadcast has been heard, that people are listening. ]

Thank you for coming, Steve. I wasn't sure how well my speech would be taken.

[captain_america]

You were right, if we want to survive this we all need to try to work together.

[This is what Steve was good at, helping gather people, get them to work together. If he could get people like his fellow Avengers who didn't easily trust anyone to work together than he could help get the survivors down here to work together.]

What kind of response have you gotten from people so far?

action

[finnamonbun]

[Finn gives her a small, slightly awkward wave.] Hey. I'm Finn, by the way. I don't think we got around to exchanging names.

[officio]

No... I don't believe we did.

[ She smiles back, gestures for him to join her. She looks different than she did, back when they first met; instead of a hospital gown, her clothes are a pair of jeans, a white shirt and an army-styled jacket, her hair up in a bun instead of open curls. ]

Have you settled in alright?

[finnamonbun]

[He shrugs.] I'm doing okay. Made a few friends, I guess. [A small pause.] You're a senator?