Mundane party in the Outer Rim

[Lady Sendrenis Autumn]

On Almania, the brotherhood military didn't have a strong presence on the planet itself. It's bases and facilities were located on the moons. On the main world, the civil population was handling all the public services and even the police force. Taxes were high, but the administration was efficient and fair to all. Overall, Almania offered pretty decent opportunities as the sector under Moff Autumn's control had been reorganized and deprived of nearly half of its useless military strongholds. Instead, she established a thriving economic area, exploiting the resources of its rich - and jealously guarded - moons. Focusing on industry and manufactures. Free shuttles were used to travel from the moons' industrial complexes to the workers' homes on Almania in a more rural environment. Very little to no incidents. People were treated fairly, nearly everyone worked and did their part. No bloodshed, no epic rebellion, nothing but a calm, improving, self-investing and quiet economical world. This was especially true if you considered the elite of the upper class of Almania...

It was this time of the year again. The official approval rating celebration ceremony. A lot of rich and/or powerful people enjoying some very expensive food, dances, drinks and congratulating themselves for managing to keep their people happy while they take most of the profits made by the said socially inferior beings. Company CEOs, political figures, diplomats from nearby worlds, rich aristocrats and a special team of highly trained soldiers disguised as civilians to act as waiters for the night. All males by the way. Early life hapan's habits.
Sendrenis glanced at her image in the mirror, inspecting her grey ceremonial uniform. Perfectly polished black boots, no fold anywhere from head to toe. The golden rope linking her hip with the opposite side of her chest, some dark patterns looking like flowers subtly added to her sides were shyly emerging towards the front, her sophisticated hair... just fine and... still nearly half an hour to wait.
She avoided sighing since she knew she wasn't entirely alone in the room. Her strict stare kept focusing on the security screens. Her untrusting nature prevented her from not finding anyone suspicious at all. How could she identify by herself the traitors that were in here. Ready to give even their life just to attempt to her days and destabilize her regime. She knew that her opponents were just like her. Hidden somewhere, scheming against her. Aiming for her seat. It was perfectly possible that none of them were actually here tonight, only some expendable cannon fodder sent to cause damage. At least that's what her intelligence said. Well... she was not going to hide in her own palace. She would have, a few years ago, but not now. Now she had allies. A specialist was on its way at this very moment.
A servant caught her attention :"He's here."

"Wonderful, she replied in her pleasant and soothing tone of voice, lead him here and bring in some water as well, we have a few details to discuss."
​

She double checked herself in the mirror and headed for a seat around the large table of the security room. Even this one was not different from the rest of the palace. Paintings on the wall, stone sculptures behind glass, bright yellow walls and lights. Absurdly long and large corridors. About thirty feet between the floor and the decorated arched ceiling. Warmly colored carpets. Huge tables to support the massive amount of food and drinks. To display such wealth and power was inherent to her way of governing. After all, she was leading by example on both social and economic domains. A few controlled media would be around to cover the event - after a careful selection regarding the images displayed - and everything had to look good. Which is why she had to make it clear that even if she knew that there was going to be some trouble ahead tonight, it would be a priority to keep it under control and avoid turning this place into a mess. Perhaps, if she played her cards well, she would be able to use the situation to her advantage.

​

@Wess

 

[Wess]

“Greetings, milady. Moff Autumn, I must assume?” The pale skinned, silver haired boy followed closely behind a servant, a sturdy looking yellow Twi’lek with handsome features. He shot a glance downward – the Twi’lek had a nice butt too, but the teenager digressed as he stepped past him, approaching a similarly styled purple specimen who stood in silence, holding a tray with several ornate cups and a pitcher of water. He gingerly twirled a finger, lifting the pitcher with the Force as he poured two cups and took one in his hand. The other floated over to Sendrenis, hovering in the air.

“Oh, how rude of me. Forgive me, milady. My name is Ylandis, but you may call me Eela if you so choose. Many do, as a matter of fact.” Should Sendrenis have taken the cup of water, that would have been the end of it – if she did not, he would instead replace the cup on the tray with a subtle flick of his wrist. Regardless, he followed up with a sip of his own beverage, lolling his tongue across his lips.

“I understand that I’m here because you have security concerns. Rest assured milady, you won’t have a problem. The soldiers under your command have already began scouting for potential threats; with my ability to tap into the minds of others, you shouldn’t have a problem, especially if anyone draws to close to you.” He smiled at her, then cocked his head to the side and paced for a moment, inching toward one of the marble support beams before leaning on it.

“Do tell me, is there a specific position you want me in? Nestled deep within the crowd, center stage, next to you? Perhaps in one of the balconies with a bird eye view? I simply must know milady – unless you’d like to leave it up to me. I trust that your men are competent, but in the event that anything goes awry, I believe it best that I be near, whether to deflect blaster fire or take you and flee into the night.”

“Perhaps I could pose as your date… Although, I must say…” He gestured at one of the male servants nearby, this time a rather chiseled looking human in a tight suit, clutching what looked to be an itinerary. “We do have the most similar of preferences.”

 

[Lady Sendrenis Autumn]

She noded slowly at the hearing of both her title and name. Using the little time she had to examine her new friend from where she sat. He didn't looked like a fighter. More of a dancer actually. Although it could have something to do with that sith's swordmanship she heard so much about. The fact that he did not, at the very least, appear to be a brute was not without pleasing her. She remained silent as he began toying with his environement, and caught the flying cup in front of her to take an elegant sip. She smiled at him when he mentioned the patrols. At least he knew what was going on in here, and already took the time to gather some informations and make sure the basic security mesures were in place. She chuckled slightly at his last observation.

"Well nice to meet you Ylandis. I see that talking to a Moff doesn't intimidate you. It's a good start. She whispered before taking another sip and raising to stand up. I already planned how things were going to work for tonight. You will officially be the sith ambassador supposed to represent your kind. Our special guest. That way, you will probably end up being a secondary target as well for the independantists. It should make your work easier." She smiled.​

Sendrenis slowly gestured at the screens all over the opposite wall. A large crowd was present in the hall, waiting for the ceremony to begin. Cheerful fancy people all around. Chatting, some of them drinking already. Who cared. There is no bad manners when you got so many credits that you don't even know the exact number yourself. She handed him a small electronic device. An ear bug.

"I do not expect this to turn into a battle. There should only be a few traitors in the room, and perharps around the perimeter as well. Obviously... they are not to be executed where they stand. This is a political move and we have to counter it efficiently. You will have to trick them into drawing their weapons first. If they don't pose a threat, ignore them for the moment. Or take them out where nobody can watch. Of course, you are granted free access nearly everywhere. If the situation gets out of control - and it shouldn't - she paused we'll retreat here."​

She dismissed her servants and started leading the way to the main room "Shall we ?" They walked for a couple minutes. She glanced nervously at him one last time once they reached their destination and had the door opened for them. She entered first, immediatly wearing that constant polite and charming smile she had to use in these moments. Some cameras were in the front, others on the sides, and the rest of the room was filled with people. Mostly humans. Alone, she climbed up the few steps to walk on the elevated scene with that giant holoprojector in the middle. She faced the guests and waited for a short moment. Once the silence was established, she finally announced :

"Good evening my friends, and welcome to the approval rating ceremony ! Round of applause, a couple enthusiastic whistlings, and silence again.
Before we start, i would like to thank you all for coming tonight, especially our sith friend and ally in the quality of ambassador of his Order. She waved at him in a friendly way. Round of applause. Some people nodding and gazing at Ylandis. Like most of you know, this special event occurs every year to reveal the official public approval rating of our citizens. This number concerns the overall satisfaction regarding the public services and global politic of our society. It always improved for the last five years. I hope we made a good job too this year. Or i'll have to bring in some of them in to point at the responsibles. She added with an ironic gesture. A few controlled gigglings answering the mundane joke. And now, let's look at the countdown.​

The giant projector displayed some floating numbers above her in a blue light. The room progressively went dark and she couldn't see anything but the time remaining before the results. She felt quite vulnerable at this precise moment. She probably was the only person anybody could clearly see, and she had to stay like this for a whole minute. Cowardly staring at the blue symbols changing every second. Despite all of this, she remained cheerful and apparently excited enough to make her a credible innocent victim in front of the cameras for when the troubles would begin.​

 

[Wess]

“Oh no, milady. I could never be afraid of a member of the Brotherhood; we are all connected, entrapped by the bonds with which the Jedi and Galactic Alliance want to shackle us. If I may say, it’s of the utmost pleasure to meet your acquaintance.” He turned, his clothing picking up from the sudden movement. Today, Ylandis’ Sith robes had instead been replaced by a black and dark red tunic with the train that traveled from his lower back to his knees. Loose, black pants were shoved into leather boots that trailed up his leg, stopping about halfway up his shins. All in all, he very well could have just been another party goer if it weren’t for the holdout blaster and lightsaber tucked into the dark red sash that looped around his waist.

“A secondary target you say? How exciting.” The words that left his lips were drenched in sarcasm, almost like he relished the very idea of getting a chance to prove himself in combat. Bayir had removed him from such a station when they had begun dating, although that didn’t stop him from going everywhere and seeing everything with him. Regardless, Ylandis trotted toward the chamber’s exit, but he stopped for a moment and turned toward the Moff, putting a hand on his hip and looking back towards her with a roll of his eyes. “I promise you, any harm that seeks to find you will face the full brunt of my wrath. No one will be safe. Security’s been working nonstop since I’ve gotten here.” He took a step aside and gestured toward her. “Ladies first.”

He quietly followed her down the hall, focused on securing the earpiece she had handed him. His eyes darted toward all corners as he touched every nook and cranny with the Force, leaving no room unturned as he sensed for anything that didn’t belong or held any remote malicious contempt. He couldn’t help but to let out a sigh. Nothing yet.

Ylandis said nothing as he stepped behind her onto the platform that gave rise to the main stage. The room itself was like a small stadium; almost like a grand auditorium, except for one important detail: Their backs weren’t to the wall. It made taking a defensive position much more difficult, and identifying a threat nearly impossible. He concluded that he would have to be on the watch constantly, and even the additional security on the platform didn’t make him feel any safer. He turned to her as the lights dimmed and the holoprojector started, the countdown broadcasted just above them. Sensing her fear, he stepped closer to her and put a hand on her back and leaned in, whispering in her ear.

“A Hapan, I take it?”

@Lady Sendrenis Autumn

 

[Lady Sendrenis Autumn]

She didn't really had enough time to be surprised or afraid when the hand made contact with her back. She immediatly recognized the voice whispering at her. Her attention shifted from the event, which had at least the merit of distracting her from her anxiety. She discreetly turned her head on the side to answer. Hands catching one another behind her as she waited for the countdown to end.

"You seem most perceptive... i wonder how you managed to determine that i was not just a human. Hapans are unknown to most." She declared with a spark of surprise.​

Then her sight wandered towards the hologram again, as she waited for his response and likely an explanation as well. She was most amused by the young daring sith behind her. And slightly unsure about him, too. She felt that way towards nearly every force user she met. That or people able to guess her species in no time too. Although it never happened. They always managed to gather that information before meeting her. She followed the numbers again, and frown. More than one day remaining ? What ?
She gave an embarrassed look at the audience.

"Well. Apparently there is so-..." Darkness. The machine suddenly went off with a short metallic purr.
​

Some incomprehensible yell resonated across the room. Then others, a lot more. Worried and scared ones. A flash, two more. Red lights moving and traveling from one point to the other in the blink of an eye. When she realised, she felt shocked and started to panic. They were aiming at the crowd first or guards or... someone, but not her. She knew it would be a matter of seconds before one of these lights would come for her so fast that she would barely be able to see it. By sheer instinct, she leaned down and pressed her hand on her opposite forearm to activate the small cuff hidden under her clothes. Soon, some vibrating energy would envelop her shape in a thin layer. She knew this thing would be just enough to deflect one bad aimed shot at her before it's battery would deplete entirely, but that was enough for her to gather her thoughts and keep a relatively cold head.

"I can't see !" She thought useful to mention. ​

Soon the security would intervene as well. After a small moment, there were so many blaster shots that she could nearly see the ground from all the red light emitted by the laser. So much for her intention of avoiding the bloodshed. She could have asked herself how it was that so many weapons could have been in there despite the mesures taken. Or why they didn't try to aim at her immediatly. But she didn't. Right now, she felt like in a trance. Something very primal. People fighting and dieing all around her, and there she was, nearly paralyzed. Unsure what to do or where to go. She had no weapon. She would probably not even be capable of using it properly if she had one anyway. She just shouldn't have been here... But she was.

@Wess​

 

[Wess]

“I too am a near-human, so in a way, we’re like cousins – the Echani and Hapans are primarily matriarchal cultures after all.” His hand massaged her shoulder comfortingly, although it lacked any gentleness. In fact, his fingertips practically dug into the root of her muscle, lest she batted his grip away. “However, I also felt your fear spike, milady. You are nervous – it is understandable. But you must relax, appear to the others that you are in control here, regardless of what may happen. Trust your guard, trust me, but most importantly, trust yourself.”

Ylandis gazed upon his charge for a moment before turning his eyes back toward the holographic numbers projected above them. He held his breath for but a moment, taking a sharp inhale as the blue light disappeared, replaced by angry streaks of red. He scowled and assumed a defensive position in front of Sendrenis as a concentrated beam of purple light flickered out from a curved, silver pommel clutched tightly in the Sith’s hand.

As the beams of energy drew nearer to him, Ylandis immediately began parrying, twirling his saber expertly around him as he protected the Moff. Occasionally, he would dash behind her, parrying a bolt that would nearly make contact with her shield before darting to another angle.

Despite primarily being a duelist, he was no stranger to deflecting bolts. In fact, as more and more of the thugs turned their aim toward him, he too produced a pistol and began firing concentrated shots in the dark, at least until one of his deflections went horribly wrong. He found himself sprawled out on the floor for but a moment: The gauntlets he was wearing were charred.

He scowled again.

Particle beams.

Ylandis recovered well and leaped off the platform, cleaving through two of the thugs who had begun to get a little too close for comfort. His shouting was loud. “Get the lights back on! Get the Moff to safety!”

Spoiler: OOC

@Lady Sendrenis Autumn
I'm sorry about taking so long to reply. Life hits hard and fast.

 

[Lady Sendrenis Autumn]

Somehow she managed to get off the scene without to make an embarassment of herself. Walking down the few steps without falling and nearly crawling under a table she quickly flipped over to get come cover. Or at least hide. Her heart painfully pounded so hard in her chest, she thought she could have a stroke any moment. She waited there for a while, as the battle was raging around her. Without being able to see them, two men went to help her escape the room. She wasn't even able to determine who it was friendly or not. Guided by them, she found her way out. A huge red flash blinded her for a few seconds. A buzzing sound resonating in her ear. She had been shot over the shoulder. She felt nearly nothing, but a numbing sensation as she glanced at herself. The shield was gone... and the next one she would take could perfectly be her undoing.
Running across the corridors, the lights came back. She could - not without an intense relief - see that the men escorting her were indeed guards. Or were they ? How did the insurgents managed to bring that many weapons inside ? How did they gained control of the lights even temporarly ? Where was she even going ?​

"Where are we going ? She inquired.

We have a ship ready for you Moff Autumn. We need to leave the place." One answered.
​

It wasn't that suspicious at all actually. Perhaps these two were trustworthy, but one scenario following the other in her mind, she grew uncertain and suspicious. She noticed a rebel laying on the ground a bit further, dead, his weapon next to him. She stopped, leaned down to grab it and didn't left enough time for the two others to figure out what was going on. Two deadly shots later, she was all alone. It was the first time she brutally murdered anyone not directly threatening her life. She had to defend herself before, but it was defence. Was it this time ? Was she going mad ? Was her paranoia getting the best of her ? Her heart missed a couple of beats. The adrenaline rush clearing her mind and setting her priorities straight. First, going to the security room to meet with the only person she could trust right now. The most daring sith. He was the only one stranger to all of this and she could not suspect him of being part of this mess. She remembered his words about trusting her men, well, perhaps her didn't have to know what happened here. No one had to.
​