Mereel, Besany, consent, and polite confrontations
Because fandom doesn’t always know how to look past the “ladies’ man trope” and see the external forces impressing upon a moment that the characters, themselves, would be aware of and acting upon.
Fandom also has a hard time understanding Besany as a character, and as a result finds difficulty grasping what she does, exactly.
But also because fandom has the (very, incredibly backwards) incorrect impression that Mereel is the type of man incapable of accepting no for an answer ... when the narrative shows us that he is the far opposite. Mereel is the type of person to go out of his way to ensure the other person is comfortable enough to say no and feel free to walk away.
And ... because this is so long ... I’m going to make multiple posts. So.
Part One: Where the hell are my clothes?
One of the more apparent scenes that sticks out in fandom’s mind wrt Mereel is the one with Besany. This is also one of my favorite scenes across all of the books, because of how clearly it defines both Mereel and Besany in the moment, shows how their personalities (and their professional strengths) come up to engage in a moment that goes so quick it’s nigh impossible to catch everything that happened on first reading.
Mostly, I love spy novels and stories to do with espionage, and both Mereel and Besany operate in the field of very high-profile espionage (albeit the risk levels and repercussions of their successes are very, very different). ARC Null-7, Lieutenant Mereel, is tasked with the more glamorized spy life that is usually associated with large-scale militarized conflict ... but Agent Besany Wennen operates in the field of Republic Internal Affairs, and Corporate Espionage, with the backing of the Republic Treasury.
Her skills, and the way she processes/reacts to things, are often overlooked, undermined, or overshadowed either by who she’s playing off against (in this case, Mereel), or by narrative inconsistencies.
We’re gonna go piece by piece through that first encounter so you can see how Mereel first:
tests boundaries
uses humor and flirtatious charm to diffuse tension
notes where the boundaries are, and
doesn’t cross them again
We’re also going to address the things people tend to miss about Republic Treasury Agent Besany Wennen:
Sharp attention to detail
the Friend/Foe assessment and why that’s relevant
what her job actually is
Let’s begin.
[Besany] wasn’t even aware of someone walking behind her. But a hand touched her shoulder, and she gasped. Guilt made her spin around to find she was staring into the reflective riot visor of one of the CSF cops.
Her stomach churned. Oh no no no—
“Agent Wennen,” he said. The accent was familiar. “Long time no see.”
But she didn’t know him, she was sure.
--- Republic Commando: True Colors, pp 37
Here we have the very very first 1 to 1 moment. For context, before this passage, Besany had been talking to the CSF officers at a checkpoint, and had noted that there are protesters outside her workplace. A different officer (not Mereel in disguise) offered to escort her through the crowd of protesters, but she refused.
She was very absorbed in her thoughts, ruminating about helping Skirata’s people and giving them unbridled security access which tread some very blurry legal lines --- to the point that she didn’t realize someone was following until he got within arm’s reach.
So. We have Mereel touch her shoulder, and Besany’s reaction is immediate: gasp (startle response), spin around (startle response), internal monologue that we can assume reflects on her expression.
All three point to an exaggerated startle response from a single touch on her shoulder --- something, I’m going to point out, usually flags that the person in question is under some kind of stress. It’s also an indicator of high vigilance (technically a good thing for Besany, since her job alone is dangerous, and then the added danger of assisting Skirata’s clan and getting involved).
Also note that Besany Wennen makes it clear, internally, that she does not know him. Recall, briefly, that back during Triple Zero Besany was able to ID Ordo-in-disguise-as-Corr as Ordo, when she had only met Ordo once (twice?) prior to his infiltration --- and had given no prior indication that she ever suspected the switch. Her ability to discern people, to go so far as to tell clones apart with next to no additional information, is some of the sharpest of any of the characters across the novels.
It’s also necessary to note that a touch to the shoulder is something that people tend to do when the other person they’re trying to speak to doesn’t realize they’re there. Nothing in the moment gives us the impression that it was anything more than to physically get her attention (again, it’s noted someone was following her, but it’s presented in a way that had Besany not been distracted, she would have noticed being followed).
Second thing to note is that Mereel is not in standard issue clone ARC armor. Mereel to Besany, and to everyone else in the vicinity (note that they are in public area with pedestrian traffic) looks like a CSF riot cop.
“Why is that important?” you might ask. Three reasons:
sets the precedent on how Mereel is allowed to approach Besany without drawing undue attention to them
how he’s allowed to speak to her and what they can actually speak about
if anyone is monitoring her, will not bring the kind of suspicion on Besany that absolutely would be placed on her if he was in GAR clone armor
What follows is:
“You have the advantage, Officer.” Men hit on her a lot less than most people imagined. She knew she was striking, but she also knew that she was a daunting prospect because of it. Even Ordo—hugely confident, recklessly unafraid—treated her warily. Her good looks were a curse most of the time. “What can I do for you?”
The cop stood with his fists on his hips. He didn’t look like he was going to draw his weapon.
--- Republic Commando: True Colors, pp 37-38
Everything about this moment points to a rising tension:
Besany knows from personal experience that people do not just approach her on the street (don’t get stuck on the reason, pay attention to the fact that a stranger’s cold approach is framed as a red flag)
She immediately sizes him up, from the riot gear to ID him, and then to his hands to see if she’s under attack
How is this relevant?
Well, for one, Besany (for whatever reason) has “officer may draw his weapon on me” at the top of her checklist. It’s glossed over quickly here, but Besany notes this specific potential action.
Someone who has never had to think about responding to a hostile officer with a weapon would not be aware enough to note if a cop intended to draw their weapon on them or not --- especially if they trust cops and have no reason to expect they would ever respond violently without clear cause.
Noting that he doesn’t look like he’s going to draw his weapon also means that if he intended to draw his weapon, she is prepared to respond in some way. Not necessarily aggressively (it’s made very clear she’s a civilian and a non-violent one), but all the same she is prepared to respond.
Secondly, it’s relevant because Mereel, if he is any good at his job, will have noted that she’s now:
tense
anxious, possibly fearful
checking to see if he intends to accost her
will respond accordingly to the very next thing he says, so he better pick his words very carefully
“But that’s a lot to take in in such a short time, Izzy. Don’t you think you’re reading too much into the details?”
Well, firstly, any conversation in which Kal Skirata is present and working to find a person’s weakness, is always contingent on the most minute details --- details exactly like these, so no. The narrative already sets the precedence that details matter.
Secondly, IF it were any other two people (not including Kal), then idk, maybe. But, these are not any two people --- it is a brief, tense engagement between two very detail oriented people who operate in espionage.
To rephrase: This is a conversation between two trained spies.
“Besany isn’t a spy, though?” Well, actually ...
Quick digression, but necessary. You can skip down to the next break (”How does Mereel respond”) if you don’t want a recap on how and why Besany Wennen is, to put it simply, a spy.
Triple Zero specifically defines her job as corporate espionage with her acting as a spy for the Republic central government. It is VERY easy to miss and confuse because we are never given her POV, we don’t even know what she was doing there, or why she was there --- it was assumed she had always worked in the administrative position Ordo encountered her in.
It was only when she literally goes to interrogate the target and gets pulled up in the crosshairs, and then shot by Etain, that it’s revealed she’s:
undercover for the government
planted in that specific office to
investigate personally the discrepancies noticed by the Republic Treasury
which includes gathering information (gathering intel), and
moving on suspicious individuals employed by the Republic
Also important to note: she’s not scared after she’s been shot. She actually IDs Ordo, which should not have been possible, and THEN SHE THREATENS HIM. All while severely injured on the ground.
These are not the actions of an untrained government paper pusher. I need this to be absolutely clear. A general accountant will not have the gettse to look down the barrel of a live weapon that already shot her once and insult, then threaten, a person who she knows (she makes it absolutely clear in that moment that she knows) has every intention (and possibly the power) to execute her on the spot.
An untrained accountant will not have known to say “You’ll be in a lot of shit if you kill me, and my Agency will hunt you down for it.”
She may have barreled right into Skirata’s investigation, but also note that Skirata’s clan also barreled right into hers --- she was not far from discovering the terrorist plot on her own, and she had far fewer resources and way less knowledge on her side.
So. In light of the above, is Besany a spy? Yes, because there’s many different kinds of espionage. Her’s is just far less glamorous, and is mostly focused on enforcing government regulations and civil service.
And no ... she’s not on Mereel’s level, it’s true ... but her work is still dangerous, and she has to be good at reading people to be good at her job. She’s also clearly prepared to be shot in the chest point blank, and not be fazed by it.
So, how does Mereel respond to Besany’s clear and obvious distress?
“Well, I know I’m not quite as unforgettable as my brother, but I thought you’d at least say, Hi, Mereel, how are things?”
“Oh. Oh.” Mereel: one of Ordo’s five Null ARC brothers, Lieutenant Mereel. Besany’s gut lurched in a different way, and she didn’t bother to hide her relief. “I’m sorry, Mereel. Out of context ...”
"So you didn’t recognize me with my clothes on, then?” A couple of passersby turned to stare. He chuckled to himself. “I mean, the armor. Makes a guy look different. Anyway, what kind of covert operator would I be if I was that easy to spot? Come on, can’t stand here getting funny looks all night. Walk this way and I’ll make it worth your while.”
--- Republic Commando: True Colors, pp 37-38
So. I know this moment always sticks out in people’s minds. I will break down the quote to more easily dissect the moment, but I also need the full moment here for my next comment.
“This!” people often say to themselves with fervor, “THIS is how we know that Mereel is a womanizer!”
To which I reply ...no, not really. I mean, yes, he’s very flirtatious and charming, we can see that without a shadow of a doubt. But this isn’t a confirmation that he’s a womanizer ... this is a confirmation that Mereel is excellent at his job.
Mereel is a fucking genius. I might be am definitely biased but damn.
And to use this line just as a confirmation he’s a “womanizer” is to ... ignore everything skillful about this moment, and about Mereel in general. And it’s so easy to miss it, but you’re doing a disservice to Mereel.
Listen. Mereel is a solo covert operator. A spy. Part of his job is to get close with a target (or targets), infiltrate their organization, and either dismantle them from the inside, or turn the leader to whatever side they need them to be aligned to. Often Mereel has to do this alone, without any immediate backup, and work with some very, very dangerous people.
What Mereel is doing, here, is diffusing a tense situation with a disarming charm, framed as a self-deprecating joke.
“How is it tense?” Look at Besany’s exaggerated startle response. She’s flighty, alarmed, visibly panicked --- in a place where there are notable passersby, not far from a place packed with protesters and CSF riot cops, whose uniform Mereel is currently wearing.
What would the average citizen walking by remember in that moment? A lone, terrified woman cornered by a riot cop not far from a protest.
And he’s fully aware they have an audience. He’s working with multiple handicaps in this moment, but look at how skillfully he navigates them:
“Well, I know I’m not quite as unforgettable as my brother, but I thought you’d at least say, Hi, Mereel, how are things?”
“Well, I know I’m not quite as unforgettable as my brother .... ”
He IDENTIFIES himself to her immediately by relation and name.
This is huge, not just in the world of espionage: it’s a clear sign that he trusts her, entrusts his identity with her, and is also making clear the connection they have between each other. It acts as a way for her to recognize him as not a threat, and related to someone she trusts, and therefore can trust him in turn.
And he does so in a way that the audience they’ve attracted can discern that they know each other, and that she is not in any immediate danger.
The other thing people miss is that he’s also making fun of himself.
“I’m not quite as unforgettable as my brother” is a type of self-deprecating humor. Self-deprecating humor operates a little like physically disarming one’s self. It’s a verbal signal that he is not a threat, and is inviting her to laugh at him with him. It is an invitation to let her guard down around him --- and it works.
“Oh. Oh.” Mereel: one of Ordo’s five Null ARC brothers, Lieutenant Mereel. Besany’s gut lurched in a different way, and she didn’t bother to hide her relief. “I’m sorry, Mereel. Out of context ...”
Besany’s reaction to it is incredible: relief, and then an apology. He is so effective at knowing exactly what she needed to hear to relax, and then gave it to her, while also masterfully responding to the people watching them in the same line.
Also, Mereel is the one who startled her, so technically he should be the one apologizing --- yet his humor is so contagious that she does, in fact, allow her guard to not just drop but plummet to the center of Coruscant and bridge a connection with him immediately, and apologize when she shouldn’t have to.
And then ... what does he do with that apology?
“I’m sorry, Mereel. Out of context ...”
“So you didn’t recognize me with my clothes on, then?” A couple of passersby turned to stare. He chuckled to himself.
He gently rebuffs it, with another joke further flagging himself as a victim of his own apparent easily forgettable quality.
And not only does he rebuff it, he’s also inviting their audience in to engage with the joke and respond. He has effectively disarmed himself twice, flagged himself as harmless, to everyone in the vicinity.
There’s so many layers to this.
Most people, that I’ve seen, have taken it completely at face value. “THAT’S how you know he gets around!” But it’s ... not that at all.
The biggest thing about this line is how most people tend to completely miss the fact that he is directly responding to the wording of her apology. His flirtatious suggestion is taking the “out of context” that she says, and gently turns it into a euphemism that takes them out of context. It’s meta, lmao.
And by doing that ... they also miss, completely, the nuance of her response. While Mereel is masterful at playing with words and phrasing, Besany is masterful at addressing a situation indirectly, and she’s doing so in a way he understands.
So, when she says, “Out of context,” multiple meanings are conveyed:
she didn’t recognize him in his disguise (out of context)
she thought he was a cop (in context)
she’s out in public in a place she didn’t expect to meet (out of context)
she wasn’t expecting to be contacted in person (in context)
All of this can be inferred in the build-up to this moment: her preoccupation with Ordo (and the rest of the clan) to the point of distraction, the way she sizes up the riot cop in the breadth of a few seconds, the way she readies herself to respond to an escalation, her immediate and obvious, clear, relief upon learning who he is, and the exact words she uses: “out of context.”
It’s not a natural phrase to use in the common person’s conversation ... but, it is an appropriate one to use when one needs to allude to the fact that there’s both an in-context and and out-context to the situation at hand, one that cannot be addressed in present company.
And Mereel ...
“I’m sorry, Mereel. Out of context ...”
“So you didn’t recognize me with my clothes on, then?” A couple of passersby turned to stare. He chuckled to himself. “I mean, the armor. Makes a guy look different. Anyway, what kind of covert operator would I be if I was that easy to spot? Come on, can’t stand here getting funny looks all night. Walk this way and I’ll make it worth your while.”
Mereel takes her “Out of context,” and immediately addresses both her apology and some concerns she has:
he acknowledges he looks very different from when they last met (both in and out of context)
he rebuffs the apology by explaining he’s not meant to be recognizable (in and out context)
The fact is, he’s skilled enough to know how to pick the right disguise to be hard to spot (riot cop during a protest both conceals his identity behind the visor and allows him to disappear into the sea of uniforms, literally making him indistinguishable from the scenery), and he’s aware he’s not recognizable.
The fact is, he’s effectively saying You don’t have to apologize, it was a joke; I’m not supposed to be recognizable and I definitely wasn’t expecting you to recognize me.
And, on top of that, as I’ve said before: he’s invited their audience into their joke --- and he laughs to himself about it. He genuinely finds the situation funny, and he finds his own joke funny. Look at this nerd, laughing at his own jokes.
It’s also, again, a self-deprecating joke. He’s once more alluding to the first part of the interaction where he’s admitting that he’s easily forgettable --- but this time, he’s positioning himself to be objectified, as opposed to just forgotten. It is, again, a way to verbally cue himself as non-threatening, to everyone in the vicinity --- it’s also a subtle way to acknowledge that they have an audience.
The line just doesn’t work as a one hit wonder of womanizing confirmation because he’s specifically playing off of an earlier theme (she didn’t recognize him), and responding directly to her comment. Had she said something else, the line just wouldn’t work --- and it wouldn’t be funny.
To rephrase: he’s catering his response to maximize de-escalating the situation on multiple fronts, while also taking the position of “don’t be afraid of me, I’m virtually harmless.”
And further ... he’s also handing power over to Besany.
“What do you mean, Izzy?”
Let’s go over what he’s done so far:
he identified himself by name and association
he’s arranged for them to meet in public
he’s called attention to their audience, reminding Besany that people are watching them
he met her apology with an inferred apology
he joked, twice, in a way that deflates his own ego and importance
he phrases the reason he came to meet her as a request, instead of a demand
Identifying himself by name and association is always regarded as a potentially dangerous thing to do, in their world of covert ops. It doesn’t matter that Mereel most likely trusts Besany, it is still handing over to her what little of his autonomy he has for her to use against him, should she choose to do so, and trusting that she won’t.
The next bullet point is another thing people miss. They’re currently in public, in an area that has pedestrian traffic, not far from an area where there are more CSF nearby.
Shortly after this conversation, it’s noted that Mereel knows where she lives. Note that Besany does not actually know that he knows, in this exact second.
But even though he knows where she lives ... he picked a place where:
they have many witnesses
she’s within shouting/running distance of CSF to assist her if she needs
he’s called attention to her that they have an audience
And then he ... politely asks her to walk with him.
“Come on, can’t stand here getting funny looks all night. Walk this way and I’ll make it worth your while.”
But it’s more than just asking her to walk with him --- he’s indicating that he has information to discuss with her that cannot be shared with the people who may overhear it. And it’s all implicit in the phrasing. I’ll make it worth your while is a euphemism, to be certain --- but it plays off the expectation of their audience who has noticed them and can hear him: that he’s hitting on her because they have history between each other, nothing to see here folks.
But the meaning hidden within the request is clear to Besany: he has some things to tell her that he can’t discuss with their audience in hearing.
AND HERE’S THE THING THAT GETS ME:
Besany, in this moment, has the power to decline his invitation.
Not only can she decline his invitation, but if she does choose to say no, he has to walk away. He doesn’t have a choice, lest he cause a scene.
Yes, he is still in CSF uniform. He might be able to arrest her --- but that will cause a scene, because they have witnesses that he’s already called attention to and given material to bite him in the ass with ... and Besany is familiar with the CSF tasked with guarding the building she works in, and they’re only a short distance away. Take into consideration also that a person like Mereel does not put in all the above effort to then cause a scene and ruin it. That’s like ... the opposite of the goal.
Mereel’s modus operandi is literally finesse. It’s insulting to think he would resort to anything less, frankly.
So, again. To reiterate: Mereel and Besany are specifically in a place where Besany can say no and walk away.
I need to be very clear here, because this seems to be a thing that is obscured somehow when it comes to Mereel.
Mereel specifically chose to approach her in a public place. He assuages her fears and acknowledges her apology, even giving an unnecessary explanation in return. Then he frames his request as a yes or no question, and positions Besany in such a way that she has all the power to decline his invitation and he has no power to stop her from walking away.
This moment, this conversation, could not be more focused on Besany’s comfort.
And I know, she is in a tough situation, and a no here is a dangerous rejection because of how she is entangled with Kal’s clan ... but I also need it to be understood that Mereel has gone above and beyond courtesy in a way that has not been done (and will not again be done by anyone else).
There is literally nothing stopping Mereel from simply showing up at her apartment, or showing up at her workplace, or accosting her when she’s in a less busy, less open, less trafficked street.
Instead of doing that, he still chooses a place that gives her the most opportunity to leave him with a no. SAFELY.
But people, even reading this scene, still somehow misinterpret him as someone incapable, or having an issue, with accepting no for an answer. And a big part of that, I think, is because they fixate on what he says, but not the why, or the how, or the where --- or the who.
Mereel is also in a tough situation --- he clearly wants to extend courtesy to Besany. He even greets her by her title right at the start.
“Agent Wennen,” he said. The accent was familiar. “Long time no see.”
--- Republic Commando: True Colors, pp 37
“Agent Wennen” instead of Besany. It’s a clear, immediate, sign of respect while at the same time letting her know that he knows her. He is respectful, not using her first name even though he knows it. “Agent Wennen” is another verbal cue, it is inserting professional space between them.
He is, in every. single. way. possible. in every feasible way he can, extending as much professional courtesy and implied space that he can possibly offer to her, with them still being trapped in their shared situation. This is, quite literally, out of his way.
A person like this does not set up this kind of meeting to then have a hard time accepting no for an answer. That’s ... literally the antithesis to all of the effort involved in this conversation. That kind of thinking employs no logic to understanding his character.
And the fact that it appears so effortless is another shining example as to how Mereel is just that fucking good at his job..
That he offers her some incentive to walk with him is just that: it’s an incentive. But he limits the appeal of the incentive in such a way that she can still consider it as not that important --- and also not divine anything important from his request, so that everyone in question remains (relatively) safe.
To rephrase: Besany doesn’t learn anything new about them in their conversation and can safely walk, and Mereel extends every courtesy to her without endangering anyone but himself.
And, the funny thing is ... he goes through all this effort, puts in all this finesse, arranges everything to make sure she’s COMFORTABLE, and she ............... doesn’t even think about it. lmao
“Okay.” And there she was again, just dropping everything and wandering off to do the bidding of a black ops unit. This wasn’t how the Treasury investigation team worked. She had rules. “Can I ask—”
“Ordo’s fine and sends his best wishes. He’s doing a little job with Kal’buir at the moment.” ....
--- Republic Commando: True Colors, pp 38
She’s just like “yeah ok let’s go, but also ... I got questions.”
In a way, she’s both agreeing to go for a walk, but she’s also returning his courtesy --- “Can I ask” is a way for her to politely impose terms on their engagement, setting up rules for their conversation. It’s not an empty yes, it’s a yes that comes with limitations.
And Mereel, just as he’s done before, graciously responds to her rules of engagement --- going, once more, above and beyond in their following conversation to answer her questions and give her everything that she requires, without endangering her, him, or anyone else.
But this is already long enough, so I’ll get to that in the next part.