Down Where it's Better [CIS + allies]

[Paragon of Virtue]

N A B O O​

O T O H - P A R T A H​

​

It had been over a year since Naboo was brought into the welcoming and protective fold of the Confederacy. While by no means a planet that was in any sort of need save potential military assistance one in a blue moon, the joined efforts of the Scientists of Naboo with the Confederacy's Ministry of Science had brought on a breakthrough that many had thus considered a mere fantasy - a device that would allow people to walk beneath the water as they did on land.

While rebreathers already existed, and the protective bubble domes of the Gungans did as well, this new device permitted those who wielded it to walk normally, as though gravity affected them the same while they were at the bottom of lakes and oceans.

However, for some unfathomable reason, the device had no effect on hair, rendering its users to perpetually have mermaid hair while they used it. Hardly a bad weakness, all things considering.

Additionally, the device could be set to allow its wearers to swim as they normally would, while still being able to breathe normally.

To celebrate this new technological breakthrough, the Confederacy and the Monarchy of Naboo (both human and Gungan alike) decided to throw a party, and all those who were part of the Confederacy, including their friends and allies, have been invited.

The invitation included a warning against wearing clothes that turned transparent when wet.

​

The device is small and discreet - a small button that is placed against the lungs (whether on one's chest or back is of no consequence). It works by changing the lungs' operation, enabling them to breathe the air that is in the water, not unlike the manner in which gills work. Additionally, it removes the 'float' effect of being the water, enabling the wielder to walk around just as though they were on land. Jumping up and swimming is possible, but require massive amounts of physical strength.​

​

POINTS OF INTEREST​

Celebrating this era of progress and joy, the Gungans have agreed to reveal their Water Dancers, a near-sacred group of dancers who up until now have performed in Gungan-only affairs. Surprisingly enough, the group is comprised of both Gungans and Humans, and they have improved their routine for this event, including now not only gravity-affected moves on a hard floor, but a beautiful combination of swimming and floor-dancing, all for the viewing pleasure of those gathered at the celebration.

At the underwater brewery of Otah Partah, party goers will be able to find various different liquors and booze from all around the 'verse, as well as something new and unseen before -

Archeologists on Naboo have found old pottery from the Gungans who lived on the planet five thousand years ago. With careful bacteriological probing, they managed to remove just enough of yeasty bacteria to recreate the yeast used so long ago to make mead and beer. Local brewers immediately set to buy this special yeast, and the competition to recreate beer of times long gone had begun. You will find various beers made of this yeast, bringing forth tastes and flavors so long gone that not even a written memory of them remains. Come and have a taste of the past!

Of course, not everyone is required to either drink or see others dance. Mingle! There is a dance floor in the center of the area, seating areas, beautiful paths that go by miles upon miles of corals, and guests are invited to swim in the water as well. Delicious things to eat can easily be found, both in a restaurant corner and by waiters who are walking around with trays of finger food, offering special underwater cuisine. Hang with your friends, introduce yourself to new people, or turn yourself into an outcast so that you can enjoy the beauty that the underwater has to offer - you're free to do as you please!

​

Anyone from the Confederacy, Silver Jedi Order, Outer Rim Coalition, Core Imperial Confederation, and those invited, are welcome to come and participate in this thread! In two weeks, all those who participate will receive the device to add to their list of equipment ♥​

Spoiler: CIS Tag List

[member="A'Runda"]
[member="Adelle Bastiel"]
[member="Akabane"]
[member="Alden Akaran"]
[member="Alkor Centaris"]
[member="Alora Fae"]
[member="Alwine Lechner"]
[member="Amarant deWinter"]
@Amaya Cardei
[member="Amelia von Sorenn"]
[member="Amethyst Atreides"]
[member="Amethyst Sovereign"]
[member="Anya Malvern"]
[member="Arabella Darkhold"]
[member="Ari Zanareth"]
[member="Arlox"]
[member="Aston Jacobs"]
[member="Aya Clarke"]
[member="Azmodan"]
[member="Bandit Six"]
[member="Caesar Kenway"]
[member="Callisa Asran"]
[member="Cardinal Vi'dreya"]
[member="Carith Thelcar"]
[member="Cerria Rene"]
[member="Chikako Liona"]
[member="Cim Salro"]
[member="Corvus Dravere"]
[member="Daisy Americus"]
[member="Damsy Callat"]
[member="Danger Arceneau"]
[member="Daniel Americus"]
[member="Dalton Kenway"]
[member="Darth Tacitus"]
[member="Darth Timorem"]
[member="Darth Novus"]
[member="Daxton Bane"]
[member="Destroyer 2873"]
[member="Dhakarta"]
[member="Dianah Vi'Dreya"]
[member="Drauchir"]
[member="Ecthelion Aiglos"]
[member="Efried Halbrecht"]
[member="Ella Nova"]
[member="Erin Tenel"]
[member="Evie Miramat"]
[member="Fawn Alzi"]
[member="Gerwald Lechner"]
[member="Gray Venasir"]
[member="Hajrah Marjanah"]
[member="Havoc (CT-375)"]
[member="Holt"]
[member="Ingrid L'lerim"]
[member="Isarn Apis"]
[member="Ithiel Vi'Dreya"]
[member="Jayce Pryde"]
[member="Jennifer Blanchard"]
[member="Jorco Czeku"]
[member="Jorge"]
[member="Josh Dragonsflame"]
[member="Jyoti Nooran"]
@Kalee Bladesworn
[member="Kaptan Americus"]
[member="Karlie Lynn Destat"]
[member="Kaross"]
[member="Kasca Fen"]
[member="Kathryn Foster"]
[member="Katrine Van-Derveld"]
[member="Kayla Wylen"]
[member="Keva"]
[member="Kiff Brayde"]
[member="Kingsley"]
[member="Kip Ridel"]
[member="Krest"]
[member="Krystal Estain"]
[member="Kurayami Bloodborn"]
[member="Kurenai Yumi"]
[member="Kwelin Orlov"]
[member="Kyber"]
[member="Kyrinov"]
[member="Lefwen Claskier"]
[member="Lemongrass"]
[member="Lirka Ka"]
[member="Luna Terrik"]
[member="Luna Vega"]
[member="Lyla Quinn"]
[member="Mallory Bash"]
[member="Maple Harte"]
[member="Marek Starchaser"]
[member="Maur"]
[member="Mauer"]
[member="Minerva Vessia"]
[member="Muad Dib"]
[member="Nine Lives"]
[member="Oax Ordo"]
[member="Orion Trex"]
[member="Osintrium"]
[member="Petra Cavataio"]
[member="Pom Stych Tivé"]
[member="Qaarssk Roark"]
[member="Razelle Breuner"]
[member="Riley Reese"]
[member="Roy Americus"]
[member="Rylan Kordel"]
[member="Samantha Jade"]
[member="Scherezade deWinter"]
[member="Shalita Vi'dreya"]
[member="Sola Marr"]
[member="Sor-Jan Xantha"]
[member="Srina Talon"]
[member="Talon Rahl"]
[member="Taramaz Laurs"]
[member="Tex Americus"]
[member="Teyla Ee'everwest"]
[member="Thalira Kiing"]
[member="Tmoxin Temi"]
[member="Traveler"]
[member="Treiades Rhoujen"]
[member="Valencia Hadley"]
[member="Vanric Dannon"]
[member="Varick Lechner"]
[member="Veronika Fleischer"]
[member="VildarnTentoria"]
[member="Voph"]
[member="Vyra Silara"]
[member="Zhai'ellev"]
[member="Zorok Rane"]

 

[Alwine Daye]

Wearing: Dress​

Tags: Feel free to join!​

Alwine stared at the deep blue waters of the sea. She was no stranger to water; back on Stewjon, she had often swam or bathed in the lakes and rivers that hid behind the Lechner house, deep within the forests. Sometimes she had done so in her human shape, and sometimes in her wolf one. She had always enjoyed it.

Yet not once since leaving what had been a poor excuse for a home, had she gone for any sort of a swim. Even during her brief visits to Kamino, she had looked at the deep waters and had felt nothing but fear. These were not lakes or rivers, but death traps, bottomless tombs made of water. Rivers and lakes were fun. Seas were… terrifying.

But here they were now. Once again, the Confederacy had created a breakthrough, this time of the technological kind. The device she had been given by the booth a mere few feet away was already pressed to her chest, though she could not say that it felt any different to her than normal breathing. Other party-goers had already stepped into the waters, their heads disappearing beneath the surface, never once appearing to be struggling in any sort of way.

Could she do the same?

Alwine stepped forward, the waves causing the fabric of her mermaid dress to pool around her, and took a deep breath. The wolf within the Lupine was unhappy about this, but the human… The human was thrilled at this new opportunity, this new experience. Perhaps… A smile formed on Alwine's delicate features. Perhaps, once the human was adjusted to being under the water, she would be able to set the wolf free.

With a grin, the petite blonde took a few steps, and then a few more. Soon enough, she was entirely submerged beneath the waves, her feet steady on the ground, and her chest full of pride.

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

​

Wearing: Dress​

Tags: Feel free to join​

​

​

​

Rhaina was pleased. It had been nearly a year since she'd joined the Confederacy by order of the one to whom she had freely given her life and her soul. A year during which she had spent being the Viceroy of one of their planets. For all intents and purposes, her data files now stated that she had been bumped up to work directly with the Vicelord and his Exarchs. Truth mixed with lies. It was the perfect combination, as always.

And yet with her new official yet secretive position, Rhaina had decided to do something she most often dreaded doing – meeting other Confederates outside of the confines of the hospital she worked with. A top neuroscientist, the human meat shields that decorated the faction which was otherwise solely operated by droids held little to interest to her outside of what their minds held. The brains… They were fascinating. So much to learn from, even when her subjects were still alive. The Confederacy gave her the best grounds to operate on.

So she did.

Accepting a beer brewed from yeast of thousands of years ago, the tattoo-less Kiffar took a sip, yet her face betrayed no emotion. It was… Interesting. Yet to throw funds on something so base was nothing if not barbaric. A waste of resources. She would not have granted consent to something so juvenile.

No.

Violet eyes scanned the area. She would definitely have not.

 

[Chikako Liona]

​

Tag: N/A

The world of Naboo, lush, green, yet to be fully trained by the hands of others, it's clean air and flowing water being a sight to behold. She still remembered the memory of waking up in it's dark moist forest after the crash. Though an unpleasant time due to the amnesia the young Echani was still able to admire the natural beauty of the world while navigating through the wilds. Now she once again returned, but not as some small lost child, but a Viceroy of one of the most powerful galactic entities. It was a very big step up, but even so she was not lost to the challenge it took to get here, the struggle through the galactic underworld and the many problems along the way. It was a small reminder she used to understand the plight of those she ruled over when problems were brought forward, an aspect of her that gained the respect form her subjects.

Still, a ruler, even on from the ground up such as herself still deserved a nice break, Naboo once again catering to her needs, but in a different sense. The prospecting of seeing these water dancers in action exciting the young princess through out the entire trip to the green world, an almost giddy expression across her face as the new water breathing tech was given out. It made Chikako feel like a child once more going to see a movie or play for the first time. After all this was her break, nothing wrong with getting in touch with your childhood, one that had unfortunately been dashed in her case. Just more incentive to enjoy the time on Naboo and make the most out of it before going back to work.

As of now the princess patiently mingled with others near the set dancing area, hoping to make small talk before the show started, entertainment was always more enjoyable when you have one to share it with.

 

[Setter Ryburn]

​

​

Wearing: Black Formal Attire
Tags: [member="Rhaina Tira"]


Water.

Setter wasn't exactly the biggest proponent of water. Too many risks involved with it, at least- in a tactical sense. In a recreational fashion well- well he liked it just fine. Minus how it sort of was weighing down the suit he was wearing, an all black two piece, minus any necktie. He hated ties. But this little button thing? Creeped him out. Made him full-on fish mode. He was invited, and out of the three options, it only made sense that the man who spent his whole life otherwise in crappy situations headed for the brewery. Alcohol, after all, killed the bad brain cells.

Which, Setter knew was a total myth and fabrication- alcohol didn't kill brain cells.

But he liked to play the part of the dumb trigger puller to get people away from him. He particularly had a disdain for force users, what with most of them being responsible for the tragedies that plagued the galaxy. He disliked them almost as much as he did Mandalorians.

Almost.

He sauntered through the brewery, glancing to and fro. His hair, relatively cropped short- stood up only slightly comically. He scanned the room. Scanned waistlines, sightlines, security, security measures, cover, exits. Everything that would keep him alive if everything went south. If. But he was a man of practice, a man of action. He had seen pleasant times become horrible nightmares in the spaces between seconds. It was during this scanning that he spotted one [member="Rhaina Tira"]. Normally, his heartbeat was steady, rhythmic and well-timed.

But for a moment-

Thud thud.

He stared for a while, sizing her up from across the room.

Then, he set down the crappy beer he was drinking, and began to walk over to her. She could probably feel him in the force. The force always moved darkly around those prepared to, or who have killed.


Setter was pitch-black, practically.

He adjusted the cuffs on his suit as he walked over to her, suppressing a smirk.

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

​

Wearing: Dress​

Tags: [member="Setter Ryburn"] | +Feel free to join​

​

​

To say that Rhaina had been bred to have a better than thou attitude would have been an understatement. She still remembered her parents, her clan. Her origins. And she recalled being taken away by those whose names she would not know until a much later age. Yet where children often cried and wished for their parents to be back, Rhaina's reaction had been entirely different.

She had become angry and furious with her parents. For being weak. For not being strong enough to keep her. For her clan to not have enough resources to demand her immediate return. Within days, rage had made way for disappointment. The Aeshma had been surprised when there was little to no doctrine required with the child. She had reached the correct conclusions herself – her parents did not deserve her. Her tribe did not deserve her. And after asking whether she would be ground up for food, which had earned her more than a few raised eyebrows by those surprised that such a small child would even have the gall to ask it, her training in earnest had begun.

In short, Rhaina had been born to one life, but gifted one that was so much better than that.

Her skin, which thanks to her removal from her home planet, had remained entirely clean of tattoos, seemed to almost glow in the water, the rays of the sun falling through the waves casting a certain light on it that she could not replicate on land.

Rhaina took a sip of her beer and decided that she enjoyed it.

The gaze from the other side of the room had gone… Well, pretty much unnoticed. Rhaina's entire physic had been primed to look as good as it possibly could, regardless of her age. Women who had the same starting kit at her rarely looked half as good. It was a matter of personal investment and grooming, yet she turned heads quite easily in many places she visited, and as such, there was no point to note every head that turned in the first place.

Yet while heads did turn, it was rare that those who turned them had what it took to approach her. The first steps of the man had gone unnoticed as well, but shortly enough, Rhaina became very aware of his approach. Coldly calculating, she waited until he was exactly five steps away, at which point her head snapped towards him, her ruby covered lips frozen like a statue in time.

Her violet eyes focused on him, the only bit of her body that moved at all as pupils almost scanned him from top to bottom and back.

And Rhaina said nothing, but continued to very pointedly look at him.

 

[Setter Ryburn]

​

[member="Rhaina Tira"]​

​

When her head snapped towards him, Setter smiled. A wolfish, cruel grin. A stark contrast to the manicured, well-put together woman before him, Setter was- well, to put it mildly- scum. He was born into poverty. Cut his teeth selling guns, drugs, what have you. It took the harsh reality of a world-burning to make him realize that maybe he wasn't where he was supposed to be. So he left, heading upwards through the dirty Corellian streets and into the stars as a member of the Republic Infantry. Soon enough, he got noticed for his tenacity, hyper-lethal attitude to combat, and his comfort with interpersonal violence. It landed him in Havoc squad.

He went from scum to a killer, in a matter of years. A professional, well-rounded killer. He done things. Seen things. Heard things. A lot of them pretty bad. But his moral ambiguity, his total dedication to the mission of the Republic- that's what made him successful in all things related to the harsh art of reaping souls- it was radiant around him.


Between the two, she might have been a painting, but he was a sketch. Rough, hardened. He was a product of his environment and the choices he made, she was a product of genetics and good timing. He stood before her, a respectful distance for two strangers meeting, but close enough so that she could tell that he was at least, interested. He glanced around for a long while, re-evaluating his position in the room. He was constantly ready for a fight, and even unarmed, he had the presence of someone who was armed. He carried himself that way- like a killer.

He finally spoke, deep and gravelly.

"Not sure how much they can water the drinks down here, at least."

He smiled that handsome, wolfish grin again.

"I'm Setter. Setter Ryburn."

 

[Vyra Silara]

​

​

Attire & Aesthetic || Iridescent Waters​

​

Currently || Exploring The Coral Reef & Ocean Floor​

​

Tags || Open​

​

​

Against a backdrop of deep, endless cobalt and crystalline white sands spread a kaleidoscopic forest of coral, crowding across rock formations and seagrass beds, shimmering incandescently. It was an exquisite sight, each startlingly different than the other, from the delicate, lacey umbrella-like yellow claufora to the towering, proud red staghorns and every shade and species in between, the reef stretched for hundreds of miles up and down the coasts, teeming with equally vibrant marine life. Small schools of tiny razorfins darted in and out of the rocks, their silver scales flashing like swords. The solitary shinsae, long slender bodies of greens and yellows, wove themselves through the gaps in the coral, hunting for blackfish. A pack of doo patrolled the tops of the reefs, sending the smaller fish scrambling to get out of their way, and drifting walls of iridescent jellyfish bobbed lazily near the surface, painting the world below them in prismatic patterns.

The Queen Viceroy of Relovian wandered in the thick of it, little puffs of sand around her ankles as her bare feet disturbed the ocean floor, pure joy on her face and wonder in her eyes. Walking paths had been lain through this dazzling alien underwater world, careful to move around the ecosystem so as not to disrupt. With traffic heavily (and rightly) regulated over the reefs, no one save the Gungans saw much of the warm underwater shores. There were tours, of course, with rebreathers and weighted gear, but it wasn’t the same. There were always adjustments to make or weighted boots to turn on and off, instructors in your face and limits on your time.

This, though… Vyra lightly touched the small device attached to her chest, breathing deeply of the ocean as she disengaged the gravity locks and rose ever so slightly, hair billowing and gown streaming in the gentle currents. She stretched out, leaning back, arms to the sides like wings as she tipped her head. Down was up. The ceiling was a world of color.

This was incredible.

Nothing separated her from the ocean save her clothing. No masks. No gloves. No heavy boots. And yet, she could breathe almost better than she could on land! Even the pressure was somewhat regulated, though she suspected if she ventured into the Abyss, she’d surely feel it more severely.

Oh, the Abyss…

Naboo’s giant monsters of the deep rarely if ever ventured so near the surface. But every so often, divers would find their skulls in the shallows north of Otoh Gunga, though how they got there, no one knew. She’d seen one, once, long ago, and there were rumors that whenever one DID surface, it was quickly covered up, dragged to Aiapo Cliff and thrown back into the black Abyss.

The delight on the brunette’s face flickered. Curiosity bloomed in the depths of her eyes. It didn’t take her long to decide she couldn’t waste the opportunity. Vyra had every intention of socializing with her peers and enjoying the party, but… she was home, freed of (most) inhibitions, alone and unsupervised for once, and it couldn’t be too far from here.

It would just take a few minutes.
No one would miss her.
She’d be back before the show started!
There’d never be another chance like this.
It was at the top of her ‘bucket list’, after all.

She simply must.

And so, the Naboo native reengaged her gravity, cast a glance to make sure no one was watching, hefted her glittering skirts above her knees, dug her toes into the pure sands, and took off running along the paths further into the coral reefs, a wild grin on her lips. They said monster bones littered the cliffs that arched over the Abyss.

It was time to find out the truth.

 

[Vidalu Na'an]

Attire: Well, what else would one go swimming in?
Goals: Explore, Do Not Get Caught
Tags: Whoever wants to try to catch me

She shouldn't be here.

Na'an stood at the crest of a sandy cliff, her bare legs breaking out in gooseflesh in the cool Naboo air. The small button in her hand blinked once, twice, three times, the light in its center winking in and out like a friendly eye in her palm. Her hair stuck to the nape of her neck, strands of it tangling in the strap to her patch as she looked over the cliff edge into the pool below.

She shouldn't be here.

Nobody knew she had left. She hadn't told Leigh she was leaving the ship tonight. Not out of deception, but because she hadn't planned to leave until she was already halfway out the door. Powered down, the ship was too quiet to sleep in easily, especially with Doc out for the night. She was used to some kind of sound--the hum of machinery, Leigh's and the ship's--the sound of another human breathing somewhere close--
But the ship was grounded. Leigh was powered down for her recharge cycle. And Doc, full of the same strange mood she'd been in for weeks now, had announced she'd be out all night and wouldn't want company. So all the warm, homey noises Vidalu Na'an normally slept to were absent. The corridors of the Hawk were all cold metallic silence. Would anyone be surprised that she'd never gotten to sleep at all? Was it any wonder that she'd found herself slipping out in little more than her nightshirt? Star's End, if she was doomed to be this restless tonight, she might as well do a little running wild of her own.

But she shouldn't be here.

She'd wandered for a good hour in the moonlight, focusing on the feel of the grass between her toes and the brilliance of the stars overhead, when she'd come across the little party at the shore--members of the Confederacy, by the colors they were flying. One of the must have been drunk enough to mistake her for an attendee, because he'd approached her, face red with mirth, pressing the small red button into her hand. It'd taken her several minutes to get a coherent explanation of what the thing even was; when she finally understood what he was slurring about, she'd taken off again before he could get a chance to sober up and realize his mistake in giving it to her.

This little button was a rebreather--better than a rebreather. Better even than the ones the Jedi had, back in the day. With this tiny button, if it worked as well as the drunk had promised, half a planet's worth of possibilities had suddenly opened up. As Na'an had ran, she could see them as clear as if she'd already been there. Secret grottos, carved into strange organic shapes of stone and rainbow coral. Vast oceans, teeming with riots of life that surface-dwelling Naboo couldn't even imagine. Endless reefs. The iridescent golden bubbles of Gungan cities. Wild currents sweeping a body through the depths as powerfully as air swept birds into flight.

Floating, effortless, in an emptiness as vast as space.

Seeing the moonlight and the rain hit the water from the other side of the surface.

Learning what whalesong sounded like to the whales.

She shouldn't have this button. She shouldn't be here. But now that she had it, now that she was here....

How could she not?

So here she was. Bare-legged, in only her nightshirt and a stolen rebreather, on a sandy cliff looking over the edge, into a pool of midnight blue that faded into black. Na'an had been to this pool a few times over the years, swimming between shipments, and she knew the inkiness at the center of the water was no trick of the night. Even Leigh hadn't even able to estimate how deep the pool went, although from the salt they'd guessed that it must be fed into by the ocean somewhere below. Where those connections were, where those connections went...neither of them could say.

But she could find out tonight.

...just as long as she didn't let her eyepatch fall off.

The button in Na'an's palm winked encouragingly; she winked back with her good eye, and affixed it to the collar of her nightshirt and flicked at it with her finger. When she felt the sudden tightness of her chest--her lungs suddenly screaming for water instead of air--she simply leaned over the side of the cliff and let gravity take over, plummeting into the water below.

The shock of the sudden plunge forced her mouth open before she was ready. Na'an gasped, gagged on saltwater, flailed momentarily, fighting back the horrible sensation of her throat filling up with liquid-- then the liquid hit her lungs as sweet as air, and she found herself coughing bubbles. She'd found herself laughing at the bubbles, then laughing at the strange gurgling sound of her own laughter, then laughing more as it finally hit her exactly where she was.

She was here. In the pool. She was under the surface, breathing. That damned button worked, and here she was, limbs drifting in some gentle current, floating as easily as a small white fish.

Floating. Effortless.

Na'an paused for a second, luxuriating in the sensation. Then she turned on her head and kicked her legs powerfully, swimming straight down into the dark.

Time to find that tunnel...and see where it led.

 

[Srina Talon]

​

Objective: Underwater Dancers​

Tag: [member="Aryn Teth"]​

What's Up: Performing over giving a speech. The lesser of two evils.​

​

On Eshan, her Mother, had once been a cornerstone within the military. Srina had followed in her footsteps despite holding a desire to follow in her Father’s footsteps. As it turned out, she excelled at combat, and stuck with it. Like mother, like daughter. Just like so many other things in her life. When instructed to attend, or at the very least, make an appearance at a watery festival on Naboo she had initially railed against it. Whilst she enjoyed the planet and occasionally called it home…

There were certain things that kept her, recently, from returning.

Memories, perhaps. Good memories. Pieces of peace and gentleness that…She knew she didn’t deserve.

Between the notion of giving the traditional Confederate “Speech” to show how much they welcomed their allies, and respected the treaty between Nabooian citizens, and participating? She chose to work. Srina would rather dance through the water, a slip of white a pearls, over hold an actual conversation with real words. Some might think her rude. Antisocial. Wrong.

She was Echani. Words were just about as useful to her as a book was to a Miralukan. They left her feeling as if she had spoken incorrectly. Stumbled, over syllables, that failed to convey what she needed to. Dance was close enough to combat that she could recognize the similarities between the two. Body movement, the simple way to pirouette, to express herself, was leagues beyond giving a boring speech.

Lightyears better, really.

She could speak underwater if she wanted to but what was the point? She picked up the movements from the program easily enough, ivory hair floating in a white cloud, and found there was a slightly different way to move. She compensated for the water. For the first time in a long time she almost found enjoyment in something other than bringing vast amounts of violence.

Little fingers held on to the hand above her while she spun carefully, noting, the highlighted blue veins that ran down her partners bare arms. [member="Aryn Teth"] was…Still recovering. Still adapting to being less connected to the Force than he once was. Srina had not stopped blaming herself, this far, for many things that took place on Kuat. He swore it wasn’t her fault…But there were details that would never leave her.

Srina landed neatly on both feet and fell into a sway that was made all the more mysterious by the way fabric moved in the water, with small, iridescent gems tacked about her person.

It was a celebration. She should be happy. This…It was as close as she could get.

No one needed to know that she was miserable and cracking at the seams. Not her Master, not Aryn, or Adron.

No one.

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

​

Wearing: Dress​

Tags: [member="Setter Ryburn"] | +Feel free to join​

​

​

There was no reaction upon her features as the male smiled. But the way he held himself, she could easily tell that he was not of good upbringing. Some people simply carried themselves in certain ways. What was he then? Rhaina supposed she could pretend to care for a handful of moments. It was not a face that was similar to her, and she decided not to pull her datapad out and scan him.

There came that wolfish grin again, and at last he spoke. Corellian, by the accent. Rhaina did not particularly like that accent. It reeked of low class and lack of care for some of the more important things in life. She'd had the pleasure, more than once, of putting needles into Corellian brains. The first time, she had expected something new and adventurous to find among the neural brain waves, something that would entice her passion for neuroscience and enhance it.

But there had been nothing. Like looking into the brain of one worker ant or another, there had been nothing that stuck out and interested her. Her little biohazard bin had filled with under-used Corellian brains those year, her boredom rising, and still she had aced each and every one of her related exams on the matter. It had been one of her easiest academic years.

"The wine still tastes like cheap vinegar," she replied at last, after permitting a long and bordering uncomfortable silence to reign between the two, just to see if he would turn around and walk away. "Rhaina Tira. Confederacy."

 

[Darth Metus]

Tag: [member="Áine"]​

Wearing: xxxx​

She pulled a fast one on him.

In the wake of Mechis III, Hisashi found that he was no longer alone. Up until that point, he had been a blade in the service of various lords. Whether they be actual monarchs or simply purses with a cause mattered little. In time, his travels brought him to the southern systems, where he found a new lord known as the Confederacy. But even whilst standing alongside their Knights and their Droid armies, the quiet moments of Hisashi's life had been characterized by solitude. When the battles were won and it was time to return home, the quarters the warrior frequented were silent. But that all changed when Mechis III spontaneously combusted. The calamity of the industrial world's creations running rampant upon the surface was enough to have many of the Confederacy's finest take up arms.

But as the Titanic droids began to crumble and Purgatorio itself thundered down, Hisashi found that he was no longer alone. Amidst the soot and rubble, he found something that he had never had before - a companion. Between their troubled histories, it took quite some time for their monumental walls to lower around one another. But in the present day, Hisashi's free moments were spent learning more about the opulent world frequented by Áine. She was a creature of far refined tastes. She loved gowns and dresses. She thrived amongst nobles and politicians. She seemed to carry herself with such grace that her footsteps seemed to glide. The stark contrast to his own world was fascinating...when it didn't involve his being dragged in.

He loved to observe and learn. Loved to be around the fiery-haired woman. But when it came to donning opulent clothing and drowning himself in expensive colognes, Hisashi was not exactly the most willing participant. It had taken a Confederate operation to see him slide into exquisite attire for Wroona. This day? It had taken the stretching of the truth. You see, Naboo had devised a new creation - one that would allow oxygen dependent beings to breathe underwater. And to move underwater as they would on land. On paper, the possibilities for one such as Hisashi were endless - for infiltrations could be made all the more easier. Of course, the only way to acquire one such device was through attending the celebration thrown in honor of its release.

Or so, Áine told him.

In truth, Hisashi could have had the Knights Obsidian requisition one for his purposes if he asked nicely (or loudly) enough. But, in the moment, he took the fiery-haired woman's word at face value and "suffered" in the name of tactical advantages. For the occasion, she opted to select for him something a touch more conservative than their last outing. Perhaps she had taken to heart the look on his face when he first saw the Atrisian robes that had been specially ordered for Wroona. Or, perhaps she wanted him to wear something that would look fine even underwater. Whichever the case may be, the warrior delved into the crisp depths of Naboo's waters in a crisp, black suit. The style was Atrisian cut, but overall it was very similar to most suits found on the dance floor. And, as promised, Hisashi was able to breathe - though his hair seemed unaffected by the technology.

Once his feet settled upon the solid ground, the man looked up and offered his hand to the descending form of his companion. She, like always, wore something that showed she belonged to this particular corner of the world. Where his attire was simple, hers was certain to have the intended affect of drawing the eye and turning heads - a fact that Hisashi was slowly becoming accustomed to. Nonetheless, as the hum of music reached his ears, he motioned his chin towards the source. "We should test how well these things move." he said, with a small degree of excitement. The fact that he could freely move, even now, was awe-inspiring. And if he could move at a pace that was combat effective, as advertised?

Woe to his enemies. But for now, he did not have a blade or his kit in hand. What he did have was a resplendent partner and the closest thing to martial arts that Naboo had to offer: Dancing. Hopefully Áine didn't get any ideas about future events from this.

 

[Setter Ryburn]

​

He could only smile when she scanned him with the datapad.

If she pulled up anything from anywhere, there were a few articles from way back when of certain news outlets questioning the activities of Havoc Squad outside of Republic space, and in one unfortunate instance, Setter standing over the dead body of an arms trafficker.

Minus his head, of course.

But, her suspicions would've been confirmed. Street-walking scum. A rap sheet from the Corellian government as a youth, as long as the Jedi and Sith had been pissed off at each other. Petty larceny, assault, attempted arson- minor offenses, but he seemed straight edge since his enlistment into the military. Then again, anything he might have done was blacked out, crossed off, and written off as fiction. For long periods of time, the former street-scum known as Setter Ryburn didn't exist, months, years at a time. Before and after the collapse of the Republic. A few shockboxing venues, brutal showings of combative prowess. He had a penchant to only stop hitting them when they were on the ground. He only lost two fights out of thirty.

Suffice to say, she was an uppity-class woman. He was street-walking scum with a talent for reaping souls.

And he liked what he saw.

He turned to the wine being passed around- and stopped a waiter by placing a hand on his chest. He grabbed a glass, and sarcastically raised it to her in a cheers. He downed it like a shot, rather than sipping at it, like the other dignified, happy-go-lucky people around here were.

"This whole planet tastes like vinegar and high-class assholes." He turned to stare back at one of the guests that heard him. He stuffed his left hand in his pocket, using his right to accent his words when he spoke. He was confident, and unafraid of her, and not remotely off put.

"And what does Miss Tira do in the Confederacy?"

[member="Rhaina Tira"]

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

​

Wearing: Dress​

Tags: [member="Setter Ryburn"] | +Feel free to join​

​

​

There was absolutely no need to look deeper. Many grunts took on the odd jobs, became small time terrorists who ultimately mattered to no one and not a thing. The man offered no threat to the Confederacy or the Aeshma, which meant that by proxy, ignoring him was a perfectly acceptable thing to do, and those above her in the hierarchy of both governing bodies would not claim otherwise at any point. Besides, she had more than a few ways of finding out things that were redacted from records. There was, after all, a reason the Ministry of Secrets held its own records, cut away from any external network system, accessible only by physically arriving at certain places.

She remained unmoving as he collected a glass of wine, moving forward to mock-salute with the glass, her own features frozen in the water as though they were being perfectly preserved. Were it not for the gentle sway of her skirt's fabrics and her hair, she could have been a statue. "This planet is full of nuances you shall never be able to comprehend," she corrected him at last. Her voice was cold; talons of ice, shaped into words. It would be easy to believe it was a voice incapable of warmth and compassion. It was, most likely, true.

A closer inspection would have revealed that she was not using the back of her seat. Rhaina's back was straight; perfectly so, as though a stick had been hidden, replacing her spine. And yet, perfectly parallel with it. At last, she finally moved, only to extend her hand forward to accept another drink from the bartender. Whyren's Reserve this time, the deep golden honey color of the liquor beckoning in the blue background of the water and waves. "I am part of the Vicelord's staff team," she answered the question. After all, far be it from her to be outright rude. At least on the surface.

And now came the part where she had to feign mutual interest. "And yourself?", she asked, not even looking at the man.

 

[Áine]

Wearing: [xxx] | [member=Hisashi]​

At first, Áine had struggled to picture how such a simple looking piece of tech could change the way she breathed. The idea had seemed laughable in the beginning, but after half a millennia of life she should have known better. Humans were capable of so many wondrous things. They were forgers of great technology, discoverers of the unknown, and the possessive cultivators of great knowledge. The experiment found herself consistently surprised by human nature, by their tenacity and by their will to not only survive but to truly live. Which in all honesty was rather ironic, given that their life span was incredibly short short, but perhaps their awareness of their own mortality was the driving force. Much like her surprise at their nature, Áine found herself pleasantly surprised by the human who's arm she hung from.

He had been above and beyond for her. In the short span of time they'd known each other he'd saved her life more than once, both knowingly and unknowingly. Rather reluctantly, she had come to terms with the fact that she was indebted to him. There was only one other she owed her life too, and since his departure she had refused to allow any to do the same. Hisashi had been given the chance to do the same by pure luck, but she still owed him just as much as she did the man who breathed the very air into her lungs. Hisashi cut a fine shape in the robes she had picked out for him. Less opulent and detailed than the ones she had chosen for Wroona, but they still sat well on his muscular frame. He wasn't ordinarily one for such glamorous affairs, but the crimson haired maiden belonged there.

Save for the caves on Yavin 8 she had been born in, nothing felt more like home than the centre of a party. This one, however, was a little unusual. It was entirely underwater, for the benefit of displaying and offering a chance to test out the new and exciting breathing technology. As her creator had used the Melodies as a base for her genetic makeup, Áine was a natural in the water. The sheer blue fabric of her dress caught the gentle current that cut through the water and clung to her slender legs with each step she took. Surprisingly, and as promised, Áine found little resistance as she moved. The implications of the tiny little piece of technology pressed against her skin were certainly proving to be interesting. It was ashamed it came with the loss of weightlessness though, that had always been her favourite part of being underwater.

Focusing her green gaze on her partner, the crimson curls adorning her head moved as she nodded. 'I'd love too! But I'm surprised, Hisashi. I had no idea you could dance.' Áine smiled, making her face glow beyond the fragments of white light that danced across her face as the water moved face. In one graceful motion she curled her willowy fingers around his own and directed him to the dance floor. The scenery was beautiful, the music was spectacular, and the company was perfect. Áine couldn't have been happier.

 

[Setter Ryburn]

[member="Rhaina Tira"]​

​

The Ice Queen. That's what he was gonna call her. He set the glass down on one of the passing servers trays, sneering off to the side for a moment. He turned his head back to her. He stared at her for a while, cocking his head- only slightly. Barely broke the 20 degree mark in terms of cocking. He always evaluated people in terms of their ability to inflict harm. After all, Setter didn't care for scholarly pursuits.

He was a killer. Books, knowledge, that didn't matter to him. Knowing the velocity of his rifle did. Knowing which charge to use on what type of material to breach a door or wall. Knowing where to strike someone, no matter the species. Knowing how to walk silently. Knowing how to hide the whites of your eyes in pitch-black darkness. Knowing how to reload one-handed with an injured arm. How to take out sentries. Conduct reconnaissance missions. Conduct surveillance. Move undetected in mountain, tundra, arctic environments. Ship-boarding.

That sort of thing.

All the other things in the world, knowledge, science, philosophy- ultimately were dictated by who was in power, who was in control- and who wasn't trying to kill them. Setter wasn't capable of waxing poetic words to woo women. He wasn't unable to examine science, charts, read journals, publish articles. Have his findings read by committees for this and that. Write a dissertation. It was simply that Setter didn't care- and he was perfectly good at killing people.

He could smell the apathy coming off her. It was an ugly thing to wear.

"Mostly kill people." He said with a slight smirk. That was the main thing he did lately, Jedi liking it or not.

[member="Rhaina Tira"]

 

[Bella Rosewood]

The Serpents were there to play for the crowed at the brewery. Being underwater was an added bonus, as the band was going to be able to get some awesome publicity for it. The band started up as Bella took the mic and started to sing.

You and I go hard at each other like we're going to war
You and I go rough, we keep throwing things and slamming the door
You and I get so damn dysfunctional, we stopped keeping score
You and I get sick, yeah, I know that we can't do this no more​

She whipped her hair around and continued to sing while the band played behind her. The lead guitar player was on point and the drummer was doing well. When the set ended there was a round of applause.

"Thank you. The band is going to take a break but we will be back for our next set soon."


Bella jumped off stage and headed for the bar. She was thirsty. Singing all those cords was a workout!

 

[Vidalu Na'an]

Attire: Well, what else would one go swimming in?
Goals: Explore, Do Not Get Caught
Tags: Whoever wants to try to catch me

Quiet waters, Na'an found quickly, were an entirely different kind of quiet.

As Na'an swam downwards towards the tunnels, she found herself feeling strangely sharp-edged. She'd left the ship that night because it was too quiet; the silence inside a dead, empty ship was like trying to sleep inside somebody's grave. Na'an much preferred the quiet of the open fields, where she could still hear the rustling of grass in the breeze, the distant songs of crickets and night birds, the scratching of her own toes against the dirt. Outside, even empty space felt a little more alive, and sometimes a little bit like having company.

Underwater, though.

Na'an cut through the water, feeling its resistance against her arms and legs. The fancy rebreather hadn't reduced the sensation of being immersed at all, just made it livable. The liquid pressed against her skin, against her ears and against her good eye, pulled at her hair and her nightshirt so they billowed around her body. The pressure seemed to muffle sounds coming from outside of her--she could barely hear the swoosh of bubbles as she pulled with her hands--but it wasn't like being deaf. Rather, it was more like all of her hearing was suddenly directed inwards. Her heartbeat seemed so loud down here, and as she twisted her hips to match the curve of the pool's depths she could hear the crackling pop, pop of her own joints.

And her skin...the cold that had been such a shock on first dive, the pressure that enveloped her now, that effortless sense of being swallowed up by the water, it all seemed to wake every inch of her up. She could feel everything, it seemed, right down to the tiny currents that indicated the flow of water through a tunnel. Her fingers were hypersensitive, her legs oddly fluid; her ears seemed to register the feel of a sound before the sound itself. It was by touch that she found the narrow opening at the pool's bottom, not by sight. It was by touch that she picked her way through the tunnel, feeling her way past the sharp turns and rocky outcroppings, detecting openings just wide enough for her to squeeze through.

It was touch that led her, after several long, strange minutes, into where the tunnel finally led to some light. Na'an had almost begun to wonder why fish bothered to have eyes at all, if their sense of touch was as sharp as this...

Until she found herself out in the bluest open ocean she'd ever seen, looking back at the hole from which she'd popped out--a small dark hole in the midst of a riot of brightly-colored coral and anemones.

In that sharp underwater quiet, only Na'an would hear the sound she made at the sight.

Gods, no wonder the CIS was holding some kind of party down here.

 

[Luca Donskoi]

Location: Otoh Partah, Naboo​

Objective: Underwater Mingling​

Tags: Anyone​

---

---

---

​

---

Well this was certainly a change of scenery wasn’t it? For once Calum had managed to pull himself away from duties as Viceroy on Druckenwell and with that, meant that he would be able to venture out and mingle with others in the Confederacy. People had come from all over the Confederacy’s sphere of influence to Naboo it seemed, and even from outside of it too. And all for this gathering under the water of one of the planet’s many great lakes.

It was and amazing at the same time, this new technology that had seemingly come out of nowhere. It let him breathe underwater as he would naturally on the surface, however he couldn’t refrain from the occasional clutch toward his throat and nose. He’d reach into his pocket for a rebreather to no avail as it was something he’d left intentionally back in his starship docked back in Theed. It just seemed unnatural and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t seem to get used to this new sensation.

His hair, what little bulk to it there was, lofted to and fro in the current of the water that wrapped all around him. His white button down shirt proven to be a translucent hue in its saturated state. It was unbuttoned to a point, but nothing to induce any kind of provocation. His pants were dark and his shoes carrying and polished, black appeal.

His head dashed around to the left and then to the right, just taking in his environment around him.

 

[Aryn Teth]

Aryn Teth

---

---

​

---

Watching the Underwater Dancers, Naboo, The Mid Rim​

Attn: [member="Srina Talon"]​

​

Aryn could influence the force no longer. The powers he had once held to manipulate the world around him were gone and at first, the device he wore upon his bare chest, allowing him to breathe clearly and control his movement easily deep under the water was a simple reminder of that. A device which replaced the power he had once had, a power taken away by yet another device. That reminder had plagued Aryn when they first came here, it had made Aryn doubt whether this was truly the place for him, a place where yet again cold technology seemed determined to sap away the power and peace of nature. When he came, he came not because of his own desires to test such a technology, but because his beloved had wished to. For Srina, he would go to the ends of the galaxy and the deepest pits of the netherworld after all.

In part, that was the problem.

Yet as time had passed and they flowed beneath the waves in their dance, his mind had gradually wandered, slowly guiding him towards lessons, things that were to be learned in the darkness of the ocean that perhaps he would not have otherwise. Aryn could influence the force no longer, but he could feel it. The currents and eddies of it, the flow and shift as it passed through and around him, through Srina. It shifted and changed around them both in that same familiar way that made it clear to him that it was not simple the flow of water. Influence it he could no longer, but he was forever attuned to it.

He had felt the absence of the force after touching it and now, however briefly it returned. It was like standing atop the summit of a great mountain with winds tearing around him, to suddenly find himself buried alive - trapped, helpless and alone. - It was knowing what he wanted to say, yet never finding the words. It was a chorus replaced with silence. It was to hear teachings without meaning. It was like having the energy of youth, only to feel the cloak of years fall upon him, and to know he was weak, fragile and a thing easily discarded. It was all of these things, and it was none of them. For though he had lost the force, he could feel it still.

It was a cloud, a mist drifting from creature to creature - set into motion by those currents and eddies. The eye of the storm, the passions of all living things turned into the lost chorus. It was the rising storm at the end of life. For everything he had felt in losing it, he felt a new sensation in its place equally comforting as it had once been. Though his movements were a dance, in his mind it was a meditation. He moved slowly with Srina, his fingers laced in her own as they moved. Whether she could feel the attunement he had touched, the once-lost sensation that had returned to him at least in part, he did not know and he would not speak of it yet.

For now, he simply wished to feel the moment. As long as it would last.