Upscale

[Gunner Stahl]

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There arguably wasn't a single imperial soul who did not enjoy the fact that Lothal was now a member of the Empire, ever since Darth Evandrus took his rightful spot as Prince. The views in this lounge were spectacular as the high rise establishment was known for its candid waitresses, expensive but uniquely crafted cocktails, and breathtaking views of the city lights. It was also no surprise that the military would often have extravagant parties at this venue, typically only officers and above on the guest list though every now and then exemplary enlisted soldiers would also make a presence.

Several officers were gathered within the lobby area of the main room, some seated while others continued to mingle standing. As one would expect, dress code was extremely fancy and those who didn't make aesthetic qualifications were often times shooed away from the door. Connecting from the balcony was a staircase that led to the rooftop where a large Jacuzzi was in the middle along with a dedicated bar and tender for the top level. The Imperial military definitely knew how to party.

Claire Louise, one of the newcomers was instantly a hit amongst the male officers; absolutely stunning in her black dress, receiving compliments from many along with snobby glares from other jealous competitors. Many men would attempt to make conversation with her, though there would be a table on the perimeter of the main balcony that stood out from others. Appearing relatively secluded, the patrons gathered there did not seem to mingle much with the rest of the party populace. One such patron, was perhaps a soldier whose reputation stood in infamy as it did in accolades. He was dressed in a black suit, crisp white shirt and thin black tie. One of his eyes appeared abnormal, likely cybernetic while his left hand was gloved. For those that would talk of him, only whispers amounted.

Gunner Stahl, a previous IFL commander who no longer was commissioned as an officer. Some spoke tales of him, negative and positive. A dangerous soldier whose knack for combat and impeccable service record was tarnished in what appeared as a massive blunder in Ilum. For now though, he sat in solitude, eyes seeking solace with the breathtaking view in front of them.

@Dread

 

[Claire Louise]

It had been another tiring day and so Claire sought succor in one of the more higher class bars on Lothal. One suggested by many of her comrades. A few even offered to go with her but she wanted to go home and enjoy some time alone before heading out, so she declined to avoid setting a time limit on it.

Her black dress clung to her curves in a way that flattered her femininity and same with her high-heeled boots. With a few braids her hair was pulled back in a loose bun. A hair style she'd spent some time doing while enjoying a local news report. Though she was a solider, on her time off she enjoyed being dressed well.

Taking a sip of her drink, she overheard someone whispering about Gunner again. It annoyed her somewhat because it was the fifth time she'd overheard someone talk about him tonight yet no one was actually talking to him. The annoyance whirled around in her thoughts before she stood up, glaring at a pair talking about the man again before turning on her heels and walking to the table he was at.

Placing her drink on the table loudly, she sat down across from him with a straight posture and met the mans gaze dead on. "Everyone is talking about you," she began, breathing out in annoyance before continuing, "Yet no one has the balls to talk to you." She wrapped her hand around her drink again, bringing the straw to her lips to take another sip. "So you're a kark up. Planning anything to fix your reputation?" It was a bold question but so was her entrance. "Oh, and I'm Claire."

@Faded Truth

 

[Gunner Stahl]

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Gunner had grown use to the snickering comments behind his back; the imperial officer community was rather small still as the Empire hadn't fully broadened its recruitment and academic efforts. It was bound to happen though when he was initially commissioned out of Serenno, he never thought that he would be the target of these comments. It didn't really matter much, most of the officers were fickle and didn't have the brazenness to say anything to his face. Even if he was several ranks beneath all of them, the secret Shadowguard was still considered to be amongst the deadliest fighters in their ranks, and arguably the only one of the current group who had fought alongside the new War Master as equals in missions.

He couldn't help but burst into a joyful laughter at Claire's comments, shifting his attention from the gorgeous views in front of them to the hot blonde seated across. He motioned to the other soldiers at the table, all of whom wore the infamous Viper insignias on their uniforms denoting their status as operatives of the 91st airborne division. A special tactics units reserved for high risk operations and submersible aquatic missions, formerly lead by Gunner Stahl before his demotion. They nodded towards their former leader and departed from the table, leaving the private alone with the beautiful new Lieutenant.

"Well, you'll grow to see them as a rather fickle bunch at times." He stated, twisting his smile into a playful smirk. "Yes, I was planning to bake the Empress a new birthday cake, weasel my way into her good graces". He chuckled, extending his hand to gently grasp hers in introduction. Thumb circled on the dorsum of her delicate palm for a few more moments than Claire would anticipate, an affectionate but yet gentlemanly way to make his presence known. "Gunner Stahl."

@Dread

 

[Claire Louise]

The young solider found herself smiling somewhat at Gunners reaction to her entrance. It seemed he already knew about the gossip and didn't really care. That showed something about his character; a good something that she noted at the back of her mind. Even with his single failure, the man was held high in some peoples eyes. He use to be a commander and one of renowned so despite Claire's bluntness, she did feel a bit odd talking to the man this way. If he hadn't messed up, he might of been her commander. He wasn't much older than her but he was still older and much more experienced.

When he motioned her blue gaze leveled around the table, watching the other men leave. That was a bit odd but she decided to shrug it off, taking another sip of her drink which she was starting to feel a little buzz from. Her posture loosened somewhat as she relaxed.

"Bake a cake?" Claire laughed softly, allowing another smile to tug at her cheeks. "Might be a mistake. She might not like cakes. I don't, at least. I much prefer ice cream."

Claire extended her hand after he did, though the feeling of his finger circling her palm made her pull away faster than she usually did. At the same time, her gaze drifted away from his without thinking. It was an automatic reaction; over her years as a waitress Claire had learned to be wary of men. She wasn't sure about his intentions—if there were any at all—but she also did not want to be used if that was what he wanted.

But she wanted to get to know the man regardless so her gaze returned to his a second later.

"So do you hang out here often even with all this gossip?" she asked to continue the conversation. "It's a nice place but sometimes I enjoy loud, obnoxious music and a big dance floor." Claire admitted freely with a shrug, tipping her head somewhat as another soft laugh escaped her.

 

[Gunner Stahl]

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He chuckled at her humorous response though that brief moment of enjoyment was soon sullied as he could tell the unease evident on her face. It seemed that she was not receptive to his touch as he had hoped, perhaps there was a little more distrust in her backstory than he initially thought or that she let off. Gunner flagged down the cocktail waitress and ordered two shots of vodka for him and the beautiful lieutenant before closing out the tab. "You surprise me Claire, I would have pictured this as your ideal scene." He teased, playfully before motioning towards her. "Well, I've got just the place for you.."

He slowly stood to his full height, holding up the shot glass to cheers with hers when she was ready. "Want to see what this city really has to offer?" He inquired, a look of mischief evident on his face.

@Dread

 

[Claire Louise]

"Really?" A surprise? Well, Gunner didn't know everything about her so it made sense. Unless he read about her or did some sort of background check, he wouldn't know she use to be a waitress and not in a very nice area either. This place was nice though; it was safe, it made her feel good about herself, but sometimes vanishing into the crowd and just being another body moving to the beat of the music was what she enjoyed most.

Because her thoughts had wandered she hadn't notice that he ordered them drinks. When the waitress delivered a shot in front of her Claire was confused for a handful of seconds, blinking before looking up to see Gunner stand. He offered to show her a place she'd like which snapped her out of her stupor. She hesitated. Gunner interested her and it honestly sounded fun to her. She needed to let go to relax and being new she needed to meet people too so... she pushed aside her fears.

Grabbing her shot, she stood and held up her glass near his. "You know, that sounds fun," Claire admitted with a meeker smile than usual, her eyes betraying her curiosity about the place he mentioned. She drank the shot with him, placing the glass on the table before stepping up beside him and wrapping one arm around his in case the shot pushed her over the edge. "Lead the way, private," she teased.