A Den of Gilded Vipers [Komad Industries]

[Wanderer]

A Den of Gilded Vipers

Abbaji. A beautiful, untamed jungle paradise. It was a world untouched by the problems of the galaxy and technology, completely inhabited by sentient life. So naturally Aden Komad built a big ass palace there. The planet appealed to Aden, he wasn't exactly a sociable person to begin with and he liked the solitude. The palace was known as the Retreat. It had been suggested that Aden should get out more and interact with the galaxy. A palace on an uninhabited world was his answer. At least it was a small step in the right direction. It had recently been finished and it's christening was to play host to a group of wealthy patrons who were interested in either investing in Komad Industries or purchasing some of their technology. Millionaires, billionaires, princes, princesses, CEOs, crime lords, and many more powerful figures would be invited to event. It was a party combined with a meeting along with just an escape from the elite lifestyle, legal or otherwise.

Aden didn't normally deal with parties or guests. But his company had gained momentum very quickly. They had just received several large deals and contracts with plenty of others interested in them as well. Komad Industries was now on everyone's lips. They offered some of the most advanced technology of the galaxy and they were quickly inserting themselves into several markets. No expense had been spared for this event, as it was suggested it should be annual. It would be good for the company and company relations.

Of course there would be massive security, luxury items, the finest delicacies, and even games. Yes it would be an even to remember, if one didn’t drink too much that is. Aden was already starting the party…a few hours early, much to the chagrin of many of his advisors; Sarianna Ro in particular. He was drinking his favorite alcoholic beverage, Corellian Wine, and a bit of it. Also there was the fact that he was walking around after his shower in nothing but his ripped pants and some underwear. He looked exactly as he had ten years ago. His apparent agelessness was a mystery to even his top advisors. His black combat pants were also sagging on his waist letting a bit of his boxers show. He was barefoot and his scarred chest was still glistening with some water. His silver hair was a mess and he was walking, half-running, from some of his advisors carrying clothes as he drank.

“Stop chasing me dammit!” Said Aden as he turned a corner and nearly slipping.

“But sir!” Said one of the men. “Your running around half naked and the guests will be here soon!”

Aden snorted as he ducked past one of them. “It’s my bloody house. I can walk around however I want! Besides we have hours before the party, which wasn’t even my idea. All these rich, stuffy people coming. Ugh! Just to look down their noses and compare how big their…ships are. I hate politics and elitists. Cut me some slack!”

As they all rounded a corner into the kitchen, he stopped and held up a hand. They all stopped, some breathless, all speaking at once; some begging for him to put on clothes and for his approval on dishes. His eye twitched and he sighed heavily. Where was Sarianna when he needed her? He hated all this stuff. He preferred solitude, working on technologies yet to exist, and otherwise goofing off. He found some social crap annoying. But he understood some of it was necessary. He held up his hand again, this time to silence them and they did.

He hesitated a few moments before smirking, “You’re all fired.”

They all stared with shock and then burst out loud; some yelling, others crying, pleading. His expression was deadly serious, but inside he was desperately trying to maintain composure. Then he could maintain no longer. He burst out laughing, merrily and musically. He laughed so hard he doubled over, even as his employees looked on in silence. He had tears coming from his eyes he was laughing so hard. He laughed even as others slowly began to realize he had been teasing them…and Sarianna appeared behind him.

 

[Darkwasp]

Sarianna heard the commotion from down the hall. Quickly checking the time, she decided to head off the calamity at the pass. Her silver strappy stilettos clicked loudly, as she rushed down the fancy hallway. Her strides were long and strong, advertising her focus and frustration. The various wait staff swerved and dived out of the way to prevent from being bowled over by the rushing Echani. She turned the final corner, stopped, and stared down at her doubled-over CEO. His stewards had a combination of shock and anger, one of them had even tossed an ivory suit jacket, apparently meant for Aden, to the marble floor.

She was dressed in a black strapless cocktail dress that hugged tightly to her curves, and stopped 2 inches above the knee. Black chiffon fabric draped over her left shoulder, and wrapped around her waist hanging just below the knee; like a flowy waist-wrap. The chiffon was clasped with a glittering silver brooch that rested on her right hip. The wrap added a bit of modesty, elegance, and class to an otherwise sexy dress. Her hands immediately moved to her hips.

”What is going on here?!” she exclaimed, with a stern look on her perfectly made-up face. ”Pick that up, and put that away… in fact, give it to charity. Mr. Komad will never wear it.” she order, pointing to the suit jacket lying on the floor. ”Now go! I’m sure you all have other work to do. The guests will begin arriving soon.”

Sarianna placed a hand lightly on Aden shoulder, and smile gently; as if trying to appease a petulant child. She didn’t know why the man insisted on hiring help that continued to try to dress him in stuffy suits and fashionable trends. It was almost as if he enjoyed the tussle, as they tried to force things, which he would never wear, on the eccentric millionaire. In fact, looking back on all of her dealings with him, she was quite sure he enjoyed it thoroughly.

”Come, Mr. Komad. Let’s find you something comfortable, yet appropriate for the evening.” she said softly; trying to coax the man back to his room.

 

[Wanderer]

"Ah, Ms. Ro." Said Aden straightening up and looking to his Ambassador. He smiled warmly. "You know me so well. But you couldn't let me have just a bit more fun at their expense? I mean why else do I hire those people? I have you for all the important things. I just find it incredibly funny to watch them fret and worry over their crazy CEO."

"Though to be honest, you may have rescued me from them as much as you rescued them from me." He laughed a bit. "But please, I know I'm...what's the kind word? Eccentric. But I'm your age. You don't have to treat me like a spoiled child. Even though I do act like it sometimes! Come on though, it's got to be boring being so serious and mature all the time. As your boss and friend, we are friends right? I like to think so anyways, as your boss and friend I order you to have some fun sometime. Let's start tonight. Hopefully this won't be so very tiresome."

He smiled, almost laughing at her trying to keep a stern expression, at her and sighed. "I suppose you want me to get dressed now don't you? Can I at least make the cook panic by telling him he didn't cook my favorite dish when he did?"

 

[Darkwasp]

As the two Echani walked through the busy halls of the compound, Sarianna made a point of glancing at herself in one of the decorative mirrors. She sighed heavily. It was just as she thought. Her wildly untamable frizzy hair was beginning to return to its form. She had spent the last hour and a half flattening her mane, and pouring enough product in her hair to keep it that way. It appeared that the ball of fuzz that rested on her head was immune to all know forces of the universe. She was close to believing that it could even be used to deflect blaster fire, in a pinch.

The fair-skinned Echani chuckled at the notion that she had rescued both sides in the chaotic situation. She looked the eccentric man up and down. She liked when he wasn’t bragging or flaunting his power. In fact, he was actually quite charming when he wasn’t.

”You know that I’m going to eventually get you in a tuxedo, right?” she said in a teasing manner and a sly smile.

She laughed at the image that he portrayed of her; a stogy stuck-up woman, who was incapable of having a good time. Had he known her outside of business, he would know just how serious she wasn’t. Perhaps if the guests tonight refrain from discussing business, she’d let her hair down and show him who she really was. Her hair?! she remembered. She had to get Mr. Komad dressed, so that she had time to restyle her hair. She gave him a quick hip bump when he questioned if they were friends; just enough to give him a tease of how fun she could be outside of business affairs.

”Come on, Mr. Komad, we have to hurry. We don’t have much time before guests begin to arrive.” she said, accelerating her pace, and keeping a hand on the CEO, so that he would be forced to match her speed.

 

[Wanderer]

"By all the stars in the universe! Can you imagine me in a tuxedo?" He tried to keep a straight face, but between her hip bumping him and trying to hurry him along he couldn't help but flash a perfect smile. He ran a hand through his shining hair. "And why must people always show up early to these things? Everyone always try to one up each other, just wait to we see the gifts they bring. Some will no doubt be very extravagant, but a hundred credits say the Imperium representative brings something practical. Like a noose."

He laughed jokingly and winked at Sarianna, "At least then I could hang myself to get out of this. I swear, being a millionaire, people act like I'm so different. Sometimes I just like to goof off and be treated normally. Contrary to popular belief, ass-kissing gets old. Along with people tiptoeing around me instead of saying what they wish. Which is one of the, many, reasons I hired you. You aren't afraid to hit me. I still have a bruise by the way, you work out? Anyways, I suppose you're right. As usual."

They finally neared his room and he opened the doors being shepherded in. He jumped onto his bed, laying down on his back as Sarianna rummaged around. "Are you sure I can't wear my normal attire? I think ripped pants and combat clothes are still in. Plus I like my hat."

 

[Ender]

In direct contrast to Mr. Komad's need to dress formally, the Aliit leader of Clan Marren came in Mandalorian Beskar'gam, the orange armor was freshly painted. The paint was still a little chipped around the knuckles, but Elliot liked it that way. It was good to be back among the socialites of the galaxy, even if he did realize they were superficial. Then again, he'd always known that. When he and his beautiful wife, Akira Ven, entered the entirety of the room stared at the battle clad Mandalorian. He grinned and waved, and guided Akira through the crowd. "Don't worry, Akira, they won't hurt you. Nor are they capable of doing so, even if they could. Well, there's me." Elliot smiled and winked, taking a glass of wine from a rather dumbstruck looking waiter. "Thank ya, mate." Taking a sip, he took another and offered it to Akira. "Care for some, my dear?"

 

[Allu'rah Danan]

Unlike her heavily armoured Mandalorian husband, the tall, slender Togruta was elegantly dressed in a long, sleek dress of unadorned, purest white chiffon. The garment fit close in the skirt before floating away from her knees and pooling around her feet on the floor in a graceful trumpet style. The top of her dress featured a draping cowl neck with a flattering yet respectful amount of cleavage peeking from the folds. The back however was what really made the dress outstanding, or rather the lack of a back. Instead, the dress plunged down, draping much as the collar did, just around the small of her back. The white of the dress paired nicely with her orange skin and natural white markings. She'd even applied a milky lipstick atop her typically lavender hued lips. A silvery eyeshadow beneath her brows and in the corners of her eyes was meant to accentuate her argent irises, while the mother-of-pearl pink gracing her eyelids paired nicely with the pearls beaded alongside long, triangular teeth on her necklace and headdress. While some might have found the accessories to be barbaric in a setting such as this, matching them with such a simple and elegant gown on a woman such as Akira only made her appear even more exotic. This was fortunate, as there was no way Akira would have accessorized with anything else. In her right hand, she held a sizable clutch handbag, and the other hand held onto Elliot's. Wrapped twice around her husband's wrist was a bracelet of teeth in a similar style to her headdress, less the pearls.

No amount of chiffon, makeup, or exotic jewelry could hide how agitated the woman seemed though. Even though they softened the overall image, and she merely looked willowy at a glance, anyone who truly looked at the Togruta on Elliot Marren's arm could see that she really was thin. From her slender arms to her prominent collarbones, from the visible spine and ribs in her back to the gauntness of her eyes and cheeks, there were signs of wear-and-tear before one even began to notice the yellowish battle scars from years past. And even if they somehow missed all that, the thousand-yard-stare that kept sweeping over the room and somehow seemed to be seeing something beyond it was unmistakable by any warrior. The Togruta wasn't all there, and just seemed to float along as the Mandalorian guided her through the room.

Her head bobbed as Elliot tried to reassure her, but it was only when he asked her a direct question that she finally looked at him and responded. "No, thank you," she responded in a lilting, accented voice a few hairs above a whisper's volume. "If there is water, I like that better." Her slender hand tightened its grip on Elliot's as she continued to look about the space with her unfocused eyes. "Elliot, why do we come to this place?" she asked for what must have been the third or fourth time. She knew she had already asked, but she just couldn't seem to come up with an answer.

 

[Ender]

Elliot offered her a sad smile, a certain kindness in his eyes. He wrapped his wife in a hug, being careful because of his armor. "I hate seeing you like this, Akira." he whispered into her ear. He took her hand gently in his and lead her to a quiet corner of the room. "With the war winding down, the Mandalorians will be out of the job. That means, I've got to start converting the Marrens to a peacetime alternative. What is it that Mandalorians do best?" he asked, smiling. "Fighting. But, we also enjoy a bit of farming. And if we are to start farming upon Concord Dawn, we're going to need both protection and farming equipment." he squeezed her hand. "Everything is gonna be alright, my dear. Just...try to enjoy yourself."

 

[Allu'rah Danan]

"No," Akira said simply. "The future still holds blood and fire for us, Elliot. The fighting is not over." She was not attempting to be dramatic and grim. It was merely the vision of the future that she'd seen. In a failing war to defend themselves from the Sith and servants of the Dark Side, her vision was clouded, and she could sense the turmoil of the galaxy. Just because the war was over didn't mean that had all gone away. Even with her prodigious skill at blocking out the negative sensations and shielding her mind, there was too much darkness overwhelming her to be able to fight it all back. It was a struggle to keep out as much as she could. It was so much easier when she had something to focus on, but this ambling and idle chatter didn't occupy enough of her attention. The journey here had been even worse. Nothing to do, nothing to see, only the vast emptiness of space. This little gala held little promise for a better future for Akira.

 

[Darkwasp]

Sarianna chuckled a bit. ”Can I see you in a Tuxedo, absolutely not… But it WILL happen.” she said in a teasing manner.

She forced the eccentric CEO into his room, placing him in front of a full length mirror; putting heavy pressure on his shoulders, as an inaudible hint for him to stay. Moving to the closet, her hands flitted through a row of shirts with blinding speed. She finally settled on a light, airy dress shirt made from comfortable materials. Sari pushed the shirt onto Aden, leaving the top two buttons unfastened, as well as the cuffs of his sleeves.

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

The alarm on her CIS went off loudly. Glancing at the device on her wrist, she released a heavy sigh. If the young executive didn’t think Sari could move any faster, he was wrong. The frizzy haired Echani sprinted to the closet, grabbing a black suit jacket that cinched at the waist; similar to the military jacket that her boss was so fond of. She tossed the jacket over the man, pushing up the sleeves ¾ of the way up his arms and then folded the cuffs of his shirt up to hold them there. Quickly she pulled out the shirt collar and laid it loosely on top of the jacket. She looked for a second, and then nodded confidently. Diving back in the closet she produced a nice pair of slacks, belt, socks, and the most comfortable dress shoes that she could find.

”Come on. Off! Off! Off! Off!” she commanded, pushing him toward his bed and point toward his ripped pants.

Tossing the remaining items on the bed and the shoes on the floor, Sari retreated to the mirror where she fussed and pulled at her hair. Unable to find a suitable style, she undid all of her work, and let her silver hair flow freely over her shoulders.

”Let’s go Mr. Komad. The first guests have arrived.” she said, releasing another heavy sigh and looking at her CIS. ”Two hours early.”

 

[Wanderer]

Aden looked very uncomfortable in the formal wear. It was casual compared to some of his other clothing, true, but he still tugged at the collar of his shirt. What he wouldn't give to just walk around in his pants as he had earlier. He smiled as he saw Sarianna let down her hair after fussing over it for a few minutes. "Hair fighting you again today Ms. Ro? I wouldn't worry. I think wearing your hair down is flattering. You look lovely. And why must people always show up early? I was looking for to being very drunk before we began so I would be...uninhibited or, to put it simply, to muddle through this event."

 

[Darkwasp]

”It’s much more so a war than a fight.” Sarianna answered, chuckling at his question. ”Thank you.” she graciously accepted his compliment, as her focused moved from her hair to Aden’s.

Rushing across the room her hands shot towards the CEO’s hair, vigorously pushing it in various ways. Some of the styles that she came up with made the man look absolutely dapper; however they simply just weren’t him. Giving up on his hair as well, she merely ruffled his mane and plopped his favorite cap on top of his head.

”You must remind me to thank our prompt guests later. It sounds like they saved me from chasing you around the room all night, putting out firs, instead of having fun. You know; that thing you accuse me of not having?” she said with a teasing smile.

Turning on her heels, she nearly sprinted down the hall toward the main stairs. She stopped and waited for Aden, so that they could descend the elaborate stairs together and greet their guests in the main hall. As she waited, she fidgeted self-consciously with her clothes and hair; making sure she was presentable for their first arrivals.

 

[Wanderer]

"Don't fret so much Ms. Ro, you look stunning." He smiled slyly. "But then again so does everyone standing next to me! In all seriousness, I wonder who could have arrived so early. I hope you will be able to entertain them. As we both know, I'm hardly sociable. Up until now I was perfectly content hiding away in the unknown regions."

A mischievous gleam entered his eyes and sarcastic flair entered his voice as they descended the elegant stairs to the foyer where the guests waited. "Oh why did I have to be such a charming and charismatic man, that you drag me from my comfort zone to be paraded for strangers for money. I'm so humble as well, but back to the point. You should be ashamed...or praised. It's either a blessing or a curse that you work for me. I like to think it's a little of both."