Metalsmith's Guild Headquarters, Vandelhelm
The world of Vandelhelm had caught Ashla attention a long time ago during a Cadre assignment. At the time she had simply visited the planet to secure funds for her Cadre-master, but had noticed what he had missed, the potential the planet offered. Now that she finally had the authority to do so, she had returned to tap that potential. The Metalsmith's Guid welded tremendous power over the planet, and their leaders, the Vandel and Helm families after whom the planet was named, were royalty on the planet. If she could get her in her pocket then the planet would likewise follow.
The plan was simple, get close to the leaders of the two houses, win their favor, and convince them of the benefits of working for the Sith. And claiming the planet was vital for her grander schemes, plans that if brought to fruition would give birth to a new shipyard that the Sith could call their own. But this, this was step one. She had managed to procure invites to the annual ball thrown by the Metalsmith's Guild, an event where Prince Eadwulf and Princess Kiara, heirs to Houses Helm and Vandel respectively, would be present. All she needed to do was win their favor. But of course such high brow events weren't her speciality, so she had brought along an expert, someone who had grown up surrounded by such opulence.
"How do I look? She asked Vahliri with a sideways glance as they rode the turbolift up to the ballroom, adjusting her own dress one last time. There had been a time, what seemed a long time ago, when she would have refused to dress like this. Pragmatism she had called it, but now she knew it to be nothing but her own attempts at childish rebellion. The graceful gown she wore might not be something she would have normally worn, but it was something the Lady Alia would wear, the alias under which she had been invited. The wealthy heir of a shipping conglomerate, the Lady Alia and her similarly wealthy friend were just the sort of person the Vandelhelm elite would swoon over, and while the identity ISB had helped build for her would stand up to any scrutiny, it would amount for nothing if she couldn't play the role herself.
@Altaris