For the Lions and the Roses

[Zeradias Mant]

Walton didn't make idle conversation with the man. He didn't know his real identity, nor did he need to know. All that mattered is that someone above him in the food chain wanted him out of the party and in their presence. Flanked by a the man and a pair of agents behind him, the senior agent led the way. They did their time weaving through hotel corridors, but eventually they came upon a metal door. On it, a sign: "Authorized Personnel Only Beyond This Point". After passing through it, the setting changed drastically. The lighting was no longer a warm incandescent, but a cold white. The floors weren't carpeted, and the walls undecorated. Walton opened a door and stood outside. This was their stop. Inside, the deputy director for administration.

"Thank you for your cooperation.", Kuril said. He was looking at the wall, his hands clasped behind the small of his back. As he spoke, he turned to face the man. He'd speak as little as possible; let Raijin lead the conversation.

Let's see where the night took them.

[member=Raijin]​

 

[Connor Harrison]

As the mood changed with the décor, it was of no surprise to Raijin; a man born into battle and brought up on codes, rules and procedure. This was the part where the eyes and ears of the First Order brought in those who they didn’t want to make a scene, or speak out of line or show anyone up before the eyes of Moffs, Lords or Grand Admirals.

Raijin passed through, not bothering with fake acknowledgement to the smaller fish as they stood back. He entered and saw the frame of man a little taller than he in height and larger in stature. He turned with an ominous welcome, showing and emanating the aura of a man who had seen enough in the galaxy to now not be afraid of who he was and what he could do.

Raijin stood near still, if it wasn’t for the adjustment of his left cuff.

”There is nothing to gain by playing innocent. My ruse got me where I need to be, and I’m glad you’re at least paying attention to the invite list.”

Now, he stood still simply using his words and conviction behind them.

”I urge you not to waste your resources on me tonight when there may well be others out there who are a threat to the Order. My name is Connor Harrison.” Now wasn’t the time to go into his complex past, especially not to a random agent. ”I am here alone and simply out to establish myself. Should you need some stronger, albeit uncertain, confirmation, contact [member="Samka Derith"] or the one known as [member="Ara Zambrano"] – they will know my face, but not my name. Not now.”

He was honest and confident in what he said; for once there was no under-hand motivation, nothing to gain from deception. Well, bar the whole pretending-to-be-somebody-else routine.

[member="Kuril Vehn"]

 

[Samka Derith]

A moment of pause.

Samka Derith had considered skipping the night's festivities. As much as she enjoyed the grandiose formalities, the music, the dance, she simply had better things to do with her free time now. For every moment spent outside of her duties, she ached to return to them. Even during her favourite hobbies, a voice whispered inside of her, reminding her that every last minute entertaining herself could be spent building a powerbase, becoming stronger. Either for herself or for her empire. They were the same thing after all.

But something had made her come tonight. Her presence was requested by [member="Veiere Arenais"], King of Commenor and perhaps the lone Jedi in the galaxy she did not outright detest. The others had shown their hatred of their ways time and time again. Hypocrisy flourished among the Jedi, only recently had she returned from aiding the Sith at Mirial from a surprise attack by the Silver Jedi Order, an incident which made her realise the Jedi were not just a threat to her own nation but any who were different. With each encounter, her feelings solidified.

Veiere had been different. While she held no true affection for the man, she was beginning to recognise a value to his existence, keeping Commenor in line. If hardline Jedi rose to power there and aligned themselves with the First Order's enemies, it would complicate matters. While Veiere had once been a barrier in an unsuccessful attempt to keep [member="Lady Kay"] on the Dark Side of the Force, the king was now invaluable as a way to maintain Commenor's neutrality. If he had matters to discuss, she would discuss them in person as a gesture of the deep friendship between their nations.

Decitus Ren looked as unassuming as ever that evening. Her hair had been dyed blonde and kept slightly scruffy yet presentably so, while the corrupted crimson irises were disguised as blue. She was still pale but the shade of her skin looked more like the girl had avoided the sun indoors rather than the eerie corruption of the Dark Side it usually took. It added to an appearance of fragility from the small, dainty youth. Her own dress was relatively simple, recycled from her gathering with [member="Ara Zambrano"] a few weeks before. Something to blend in with.

She walked through to the palace's main entrance way, not wishing to keep her friends waiting for her presence any longer than necessary, heels clacking on approach. She caught site of them, the King and Queen linked in one another's arms, appearing to address two other members of their delegation the Ren did not yet recognise.

"Ahem."

The Knight of Ren cleared her throat as she drew closer, flashing the entourage of Commenor her most charming smile. It was a warm smile. It was familiar and friendly. It was a lie.

She curtsied politely upon reaching the group. "Your Majesties," her gaze flickering between the pair of Kay and Veiere. "I'm so happy you could make it. And your friends too," her amiable smile greeting both [member="Kirie Ito"] and [member="Jairdain"] in turn. "It's always a pleasure to have company from Commenor."

Samka gestured further into the palace, "Shall we proceed?"

 

[Saffron]

[member="Valessia Creed"]

The slick, chrome shuttle gently set it’s landing struts upon the open landing pad. It’s aqua blue engine cones gave a silent hum as the engine cut off, snapping the cerulean sphere glow from existence. From within the comfort of the luxurious cabin, a young blonde woman rose to her feet.

Her gown was a pale blue hue lasha silk and glistaweb, the fabric barely whispering against her bare legs. Her hair was a gentle coif of blonde curls, pinned up with a few spare tendrils to frame her heart-shaped face. Coming up against a viewport, Saffron gave a hint of a smile to her reflection.

“We are here.” she’d murmur, her melodic voice dancing in the cabin. As a representative of Arcenaeu Trade and personally invited to attend, the Companion was looking forward to interacting at the soiree.

“If you require any assistance -””

“Shushh” the gingerly press of one soft finger pad came up to settle upon Carwen Dar’s lips. He was her personal guard in charge of her security.

“Why don’t you and the boys relax. Have a good time. Miz. Arceneau left something for you to enjoy,” a few bottles of Corellian Whiskey from Whyvern’s to be exact.

“I’ll be fine.”

With a curt nod, Carwen took a deep breath, escorting the young woman to the airhatch. There he saw the security detail of the ball standing in position.

“Welcome, Miz Saffron.””

“Oh, the pleasure's all mine.” her sweet drawl would offer, bright hazel eyes twinkling under the soft light.

 

[Kyrel Ren]

Kyrel smiled at the priestess at how she was still charming as ever, he had never thought that she had been this good at being sophisticated in social gatherings. Still, he had to admit he even was not surprised himself knowing that he had attended festivals held in her honor but it had been some time since he had witnessed such social graces from her. He then noticed the two handmaidens with her always clung to her side. He knew who Livna who immediately blushed and turned away from him as soon as he looked at her no doubt recounting memories of what happened when she was brought back to her Master and then to a new Master in the process.

When she had spoken of a proposition, He raised an eyebrow as if she had been thinking about it for some time. She then said about discussing it in private which made Kyrel a bit wary. What was so important that she had to speak to him in private of course, this was a time for celebration and merrymaking.

He looked at her for a moment and then spoke "Always a pleasure to see your servants can make it to such events... As for meeting people well, there isn't anyone of interest so far, but if you wish to go and discuss such matters in private I am open. Unless you want to participate in the festivities a little longer that is?"

@Ax'no

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay nodded while [member="Kirie Ito"] signed that she was doing alright. There was a darkness in her eyes, the kind that always comes with trauma, and Kirie had plenty of it after the attack on Kwenn Station.

Kirie soon pointed out [member="Bradshaw Ku"] and [member="Silfe Sosuri"] walking in together. Kay raised a brow as she watched the two of them. Clearly they were attracted to one another and she wasn't sure how she felt about that yet. She signed while she spoke so that Kirie wouldn't be left out of the conversation. "Well, I believe that they are on some kind of date. I hope that they behave themselves ..."

[member="Jairdain"] soon approached them. The lady worked for her now as Brad's tutor. So it was fitting that she was there now. Always on the clock. Some people were like that. Kay and [member="Veiere Arenais"] could both count themselves in that. "Evening Jairdain. Thank you for joining us. I do believe that this could be our biggest showing for a fundraiser." Again she was signing while she spoke.

The arrival of [member="Samka Derith"] came at no surprise, however it had been an age since they had seen eachother last. The young woman had grown with a maturity that was unlike most younglings to have. Kay knew that she was a Darksider, yet the extent of what she had done and is capable of was beyond her place to discover.

"Evening Sam. How lovely to see you again. The First Order, as always, really knows how to throw a benefit." Again she signed while she spoke. Whether or not Sam could understand Basic Sign Language was anyone's guess. Kay was well enough on it to get by, but wasn't entirely fluent.

At the suggestion of proceeding further inside, Kay bowed her head and tugged slightly at Veiere's arm. "Yes, I believe that we shall. So tell me, is the First Order in relative peace right now?" That would be a good thing for many if they were.

 

[Fiolette Fortan]

"Saffron," Fiolette called with a smile, "so glad to see that you made it."

The Grand Palace's opulence surrounded the two of them as did many of the esteemed guests she could hear the woman's drawl so clearly. "Allow me to introduce myself, Fiolette Yvarro." She dropped the rank but her uniform spoke for itself, a quiet white with gold, ribbons indicating her years of service and the campaigns she participated in. "How are you finding Halm so far?" It was truly a divine planet even if the temperatures seem to change rather drastically. The hotel was moderate and felt comfortable, music still played and she took a moment to look [member="Saffron"] over. "You look absolutely stunning, care to join me for a cup before the evening gets underway?"

She extended her arm, the creases in her uniform traveled as she held it out. Fiolette had been eager to speak with Saffron for a moment or two, the Galidraani wished to seek a contract for materials. There was a personal project she wished to conduct but needed to dish out her own funding for it. And as it so happened, Saffron was easy on the eyes the brunette looked the other woman over again for a moment and then turned her attention back to the crowd.

 

[Ax'no]

Ax'no had assumed that most of the Ren were less passionate than the Sith, but greeting Kyrel - who was all gentlemanly warmth and devotion, made her realize she’d likely mischaracterized them from the beginning. Still, she had reservations about falling into the chasm of blind loyalty.

While his scarlet eyes perused her handmaidens, he snapped back to attention when she told him that she had a proposition.

“Of course and no, I’d much rather talk to you alone,” she remarked and led him by the hand to a room off the beaten path. The Grand Palace was a hotel after all and there were many luxurious places where one could hide. While it was too early to sneak off to one of the rooms, the Caprine Priestess pulled the Ren Master into an empty lounge and settled on a velvet sofa, commanding her handmaidens to remain nearby but not too close.

“While I had misgivings, I would like to join the Ren.” She took a sip of champagne and set it down on a nearby table. “I don’t know what that entails, and how I can keep my standing with the Caprine if I’m seen to be in fealty to another. That’s what I’d like your guidance on.” She touched his face, her claws gently stroking the smooth cheek. “If I do join you, what happens next?”

[member="Kyrel Ren"]

 

[Bradshaw Ku]

Bradshaw watched as [member="Silfe Sosuri"] blushed, her cheeks glowing a hot pink. Her thank you to him for his little compliment was breathless, as if he had actually taken her breath away. Was she so unused to compliments about how she looked? He found it hard to believe. Yet, she reacted so strongly. As if she’d never experienced such a thing.

It only became more frantic after he pointed out his parents and [member="Kirie Ito"], who were a little way across the room. She gave his arm a teasing jab.

“You started it. And ouch. You can’t hit me, that’s high treason I’ll have you know. I could have you thrown in a dungeon for that." He threatened suggestively.

She may have become less comfortable, but, all this joking started to ease his own nervousness.

He started playfully fanning her face, but then something smacked into his lower back.

He spun around to see what had bumped into him, expecting to find a clumsy waiter, or maybe a woman not quite used to walking in high heels. Instead, he came face to face with a….cat woman?! He almost burst into laughter then and there from sheer surprise. When the woman started hacking like she was going to cough up a hair ball, it was too much for him.

He lost it, laughing so much he nearly sounded like he was going to cough up his own hairball at times. The galaxy was just too absurd sometimes, and he loved every moment of it.

“Don’t worry about it,” he eventually got out. “Really, I should be thanking you. This was the last thing I expected from a stuffy ball!” He looked over at Silfe. He hoped she thought she was ‘cooled off’ enough because they really should join his parents and the rest of the members of the CSA. It would start to seem odd if they kept mingling about by themselves.

“Name’s Bradshaw. Me and my lady minster friend here have to go join the rest of our group. Feel free to come along if you want.” Of course he’d invite the cat woman, how could he not? It was too good.

“C’mon,” he then encouraged Silfe, “You look great, really, nobody’s going to notice anything. I think they’ll become more suspicious the longer we drift here in the middle of nowhere by ourselves.”

Glancing over to the group again, he noticed a new addition. He let out a puff of air in annoyance. [member="Jairdain"], his new, so called ‘advisor’ had materialised out of nowhere. Now, he was regretting his previous eagerness to join the others.

- [member="Lady Kay"] - [member="Veiere Arenais"] -​

 

[Kirie]

Kirie was unused to such events. The luxury, all of the important guests, it was all a little bit overwhelming. Even in the first minutes after her arrival she was already meeting foreign dignitaries and friends of Commenor she'd never heard of. The Queen seemed comfortable, however, and Kirie was happy just to follow her lead. She would stay in the background and watch. It was best to ease into these things, she figured. Especially after what she'd been through. She tapped [member="Lady Kay"] on the shoulder, signing to her. My Lady, I'm expecting a message from the embassy on Balmorra regarding my parents. They know to contact me but if you hear anything from the Palace on Commenor please let me know. She'd been unable to make contact with her family since the incident on Kwenn. After learning that their neighbourhood had been all but derstroyed by clashes with local militia and the Controlled Ones, the search had turned frantic. Kirie had contacted police departments, hospitals, and aid centres, and found nothing. She retained hope, though. Perhaps today was the day.

The arrival of [member="Samka Derith"] sent a shiver down Kirie's spine. Something seemed off about the girl, as if she emitted a strange aura. She was cute, only a few years younger than Kirie herself by the look of it, but she held herself with a sense of poise and confidence that the girl from Balmorra had never posessed. She brushed her arm dismissively, trying to quell the goose pimples that had cropped up. She smiled sheepishly at the girl, signing the standard Hello, followed by Do you speak sign? A phrase recognized by most officials and diplomats across the Galaxy. She turned her head as [member="Jairdain"] joined them. How was she supposed to talk with a blind woman? She had no idea. If needed perhaps the Queen could interpret.

A voice came from behind her, a few centimetres from her ear. Despite her deafness, she heard it clear as day. "Don’t trust them. The blind one is a Force user, and likely has a saber. The other one is hiding something." Kirie gritted her teeth, and shook her head slightly. She took a deep breath. If she ignored it, it would go away. [SIZE=10.5pt]"I know you hear me, Kirie. You and I share a special connection. I am a part of you." [/SIZE]
She shook her head again, almost imperceptibly. You are not a part of me. She hung on to the thought. Whatever this was, she would drive it from her mind. "I think not," it replied.

Kirie blinked. Then took a step back, mouth agape. The room had darkened, she couldn't see the walls on either side, only dim points of light. Turning around, she saw that she was no longer in the Palace, but in the open air. The sky strenched infinitely above her, dark clouds scattered across it's length. She looked down at the ground, but instead of rich, thick carpet there was only dead yellow grass. She spun as black figures melted from the dimness, their black silhouettes shifting and changing in the cold, bitter breeze that now blew around her. In the centre of their heads, a pair of burning eyes. They surrounded her, tighening the circle. As one, they each ignited lightsabers.

The red blades hummed, crackling energy arcing through the air. They stepped towards her, raising the sabers above their head. As they swiftly brought them down Kirie yelped, covering her face with her hands, and dropping to the floor.

A moment later, when nothing happened, she cracked her eyes open. She was on the floor of the palace entrance hall. People still went about their business, nothing was wrong, nobody was trying to kill her. Wiping tears from her eyes, she stood up shakily. What was that? The vision had been so vivid. Was she losing her mind?

"Seems so." chimed in the voice.

[member="Lady Kay"] | [member="Samka Derith"] | [member="Jairdain"] | [member="Silfe Sosuri"] | [member="Bradshaw Ku"] | [member="Veiere Arenais"]​

 

[Silfe Sosuri]

"They would call hitting you justifiable. They all know how you are." Her answer was cut off by the accidental tail hitting incident and it all went downhill from there. Silfe didn't know what to think about the situation. She stood there smiling a little but not understanding why [member="Bradshaw Ku"] was laughing so much. She simply waited it out and let the heat of her cheeks fade away.

By the time he was done, she was ready to go join the rest of CSA representatives. She gave the Catwoman a smile that was welcoming and warm. If Brad was inviting her, Silfe wasn't going to protest for no reason. She took his arm and allowed him to lead them to his family and friends.

As they walked up and before she could say hello, her attention was drawn to [member="Kirie Ito"] as she yelped and dropped to the floor. "Miss Kirie!" She shouted in alarm and rushed forward to help the young woman to her feet.

 

[WolfMortum]

This was the way of such events, people pompous and entirely pious of themselves, marred in their distinctions of financial grandeur completely ignorant to the true course of the Galaxy for which all things revolved around, the power of the Force and in the center of this, there, envisioned Sieger Ren and his will for all. Everyone within the great facetious example of arrogance decorated in glamour were connected to his will in some way, all associates and peoples united by the banner of the First Order acted as but a piece of the puzzle, one that weren't to be completed but was slowly being taken apart, one piece after another until all that would be left was his hand for which Order would be held.

”Ara Zambrano, Arch-Queen of Panatha and the Pacanth Reach. A pleasure, Grand Moff.” ​

​

Brennan's gaze turned upon the men for whom she was greeting and introducing herself too, [member="Ara Zambrano"] of whom the Knight of Ren now walked with in stride towards whatever objective the First Order dictated necessary, his hand was the Supreme Leaders will, his eyes belonged to the Queen of the Panatha for whom he would stand before in the face of any threat, not because it was the wish of the Council but because in her, he had found something beyond his zealous faith in their leader, it had come in the form of personal preference and desire that he had thought to be rid of.

A piece of his former self that should have been long since dead and yet Ara had been stubborn about reminding him that he was more than a servant; against their many arguments over the fact and some even turning positively aggressive, she was slowly breaking through and had earned his complete and utter loyalty through the lives they had taken, the blood that had been spilled both theirs and their enemies as they fought side by side for the cause.

It was time they joined the rest of their peers, the First Order insistent in moving forward with this facade, Caehl Ren turned to offer Ara his arm as was customary of this sort of event. Typically the Knight of Ren would have stuck out like a member of the Galactic Alliance in a place such as this, inciting all kinds of derogatory comments and snide glances; yet he had a task to fulfill, not an order but an invested will to see that Ara Ren would not come unaccompanied not unprotected.

"Let us move on..." He spoke with a smile that defied the scarred left side of his face, the skin having long since healed over yet not enough so to miraculously hide the first degree burns that had engulfed him back on Bespin, the day that he had given everything to the will of Sieger in his attempt to take down the Jedi that had converged on him. The pair of them would soon leave their fellow Imperial guests and seek out the apparent life of the party. All the while Caehl doing his best to feign pleasure in this Force Forsaken event, thanking silently the will of Sieger Ren in that at the least he was in this miserable place with the one person who had earned his reverence and dare he say it, trust.

 

[Zerrak Windwalker]

Silence stood guard at the door nodding to the guests that walked in and occasionally looked inside to watch them before returning to his post and sighing

 

[Riamah]

Fully expecting to have upset the man when she hit him with her tail, Ailuros' ears and whiskers had started to droop, but her eyes were quite wide. Covering her mouth with the paw not holding her empty glass, she attempted to hold that hair ball in. His reaction was uncanny and he laughed it off, introducing himself and then inviting her to join the group he and his lady friend were going to join themselves.

She spoke with a slight lisp due to her canine teeth being slightly longer than a human's, "I'm Ailuros. Again, so sorry for hitting you." *cough*

Though he wasn't mad at her, the situation was uncomfortable for her and that hairball came up anyway. Luckily it was after Bradshaw and his companion had walked on. Depositing it in her glass, she set it on one of the trays for them and picked up another drink. Deciding to follow the other two, Ailuros joined the party against the wall.

Giving the group from Commenor a formal bow, Ailuros kept her tail up behind herself so not to accidently hit anybody else.

[member="Silfe Sosuri"] [member="Kirie Ito"] [member="Bradshaw Ku"] [member="Lady Kay"] [member="Veiere Arenais"]

 

[Zerrak Windwalker]

as silence stood guard he started dancing to the music while humming smiling under his helmet and drops his blaster and continues dancing

 

[WolfMortum]

As was becoming most often the case in his day to day caught up between two entirely different lives, Veiere found himself being a little caught up in all the attention that seemed to flow in his and his wife's direction; quite frankly he expected the two of them to be alone more so in this affair as they often had been in the former events, however with the Systems Alliance having become as large as it was today and the First Order's reputation spanning to all four corners of the Galaxy, he had to suppose that in the end it was only to be expected; this of course still didn't alleviate the sudden sense of discomfort in attending something so openly lavish compared to the likes of his life within the Jedi Enclave of Deneba or even at Home within the Eldlritch mountains of Commenor.

So much had happened of late, the recent attack upon Kwenn Station over shadowing the attack upon the Force Praxeum by those of the Iron Contingency; this Ball held by the First Order had come at the opportune time in a sense, to celebrate the victory those who had waged war in retaliation against the Galactic Threat, as well as to honor the lives of those who had been lost.

Veiere could still see the effects of those who had been involved within these hard times however, [member="Kirie Ito"] for example of whom he picked up more so upon his wife's concern for the younger woman, in turn inspiring his care and sympathy for her; while at the same time not entirely understanding her ordeal. Force bonds could be most confusing at times.

[member="Bradshaw Ku"] soon caught his eye and from the looks of it, his date and a familiar face among the Commenori, [member="Silfe Sosuri"]. For a moment there seemed to be some eye contact there before Veiere couldn't help but smirk to himself as Silfe seemed to avert her gaze, Veiere's soon glancing back to Bradshaw uncertain whether or not he approved for the fact that the lad was something of a...-How would you put it delicately, enthusiastic socialist among the opposite sex.

[member="Jairdain"] would soon take his and his wife's attention as she met with the small group to which Veiere smiled and acknowledged with a casual dip of his head, [member="Lady Kay"] speaking his mind in greeting.

It was then that [member="Samka Derith"] would make her appearance, the one whom Veiere had wished to speak with in more private an accord though there was plenty of time yet. "Miss Derith" Veiere greeted her formally for the sake of those that were among them.

In person he would have called upon her by a first name basis as he disliked formalities in general, not wishing to be seen on any level of playing field above or below others yet this was such an occasion where their meeting went beyond personal convenience and delved more into political representation for which, again, he liked nothing of.

"I'm glad to see you with us tonight, thank you.." he spared a glance to his wife, his thanks possibly seeming out of place to those whom knew not his request to the Master of the Order of Ren. Such a position that he would shed no light upon among those that needed not know such things. Soon to be led further on inside, he took the time to speak upon the more casual matters at present; "This truly is an impressive building, this ball is going to be most out of place with my typical scene of late" He chuckled softly under his breath.

'There are things I would discuss with you in private, Samka' his next words would be received telepathically by the Ren, she of whom would sense the concern behind the words and the seriousness of the nature in his wish to do so quietly away from the prying ears and eyes of others.

 

[Jairdain]

Jairdain was still new to the people of Commenor, having only met [member="Bradshaw Ku"] and [member="Lady Kay"] recently. Though a few years ago, she had met [member="Veiere Arenais"] along with Kay when the Silver Jedi were trying to reestablish the Embassy on the one or two others from Commenor. Not sensing them nearby though, she wondered if they were around somewhere and if they would remember the young Jedi they met that day.

"Thank you for allowing me to join. I've been to a few functions, but nothing like this."

In reality it made her feel good to be included. Giving her the chance to meet new people and get to be known by more than just a few. Her name might start circulating around and be known as the advisor of Bradshaw. People would learn to accept her presence with him in time. Only knowing Kay and Veiere, Jairdain gave a simple nod when the others were introduced.

Right after Kay spoke though, [member="Kirie Ito"] appeared to have some sort of seizure or attack of some kind and started to fall to the floor. Jairdain being closest to her at the moment attempted to catch her before the fall was complete. What the woman saw, Jairdain couldn't see, but it was distressing to her and when she went to stand, she couldn't do anything to prevent her from doing that.

Looking in the direction of Kay and then back at Kirie, the concern and curiosity clear on her face, "is that normal? Are you okay?" Not knowing the other woman was deaf, she spoke to her.

Brad and his companion, [member="Silfe Sosuri"] rushed over when Kirie fell and the woman helped her to her feet. Stepping back, Jairdain should probably remain close, but didn't want to intrude on the situation.

 

[Zeradias Mant]

Just as he'd thought, Kuril needn't guide the man into speaking what he needed to hear. Raijin. The name hadn't rung too much of a bell in the FOSB deputy director's head, but it didn't matter. As they stood in the room, with every word spoken, it was being recorded and researched by FOSB agents. Within moments, Kuril would have a plethora of data on the man before him. There was one thing that bothered him though - aside from the nonchalant confession, the man did not seem to show any degree of remorse or acknowledgment of wrongdoing. In fact, he tried to justify his illegal entry into the state-hosted ball by invoking the names of two Knights of Ren.

Unless they carried a get-out-of-jail free card, they wouldn't help him here.

"I'm not going to charge you.", Kuril said ominously.

"But I cannot allow you to reenter the ball. You've already committed a myriad of offenses and though I'm not inclined to have you arrested or worse, you've fostered an environment of distrust in which it is simply too early to allow you to rejoin the First Order's elite."

Though firm in his tone, he almost sounded sympathetic. Any trace of emotion though was vanquished when he finished his remarks. The door opened slightly and a crack of light entered the room.

"I'm sorry, sir. It's time for you to leave."

[member="Connor Harrison"]​

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay looked to [member="Kirie Ito"] as the young lady got her attention, signing about her worry for her parents on Balmorra. Her expression was full of concern for her assistant. She had gone through enough and to lose her parents as well would be just heartbreaking. She signed to her while she spoke so that the others around them like [member="Veiere Arenais"] , [member="Jairdain"] and [member="Samka Derith"] would understand. "I will keep an ear out and if there's still no word by the time we get back, we'll organize a team to find them. Alright?"

She gave her a reassuring smile, but that soon faded the moment that Kirie got that faraway look in her eyes and seemed to see things that were unseen. Kay didn't know what to think at first and it was [member="Silfe Sosuri"] that reacted first, running towards them quickly. She helped her Minister bring Kirie to her feet, letting Veiere walk off ahead with Sam as she looked to Jairdain. "No, this isn't normal. Let's get her outside for some fresh air."

Kay glanced to [member="Ailuros"] and [member="Bradshaw Ku"] before looking to her husband. With the use of their wedding rings, she was able to tap into his mind easier without giving away her secret. ~You go on ahead without me. I'll...come find you a bit later, dear. I have to help Kirie.~

 

[Alasdair Sitra]

The dress that had been made for her by the Grand Moff’s tailors was simply elegant. Simple in cut and design yet it held true to the Imperial Mythos without forcing her into yet another military uniform. For Kayrce herself it held an aura of command about it, her alliances to the Imperial’s Special Forces division discreetly patched through the uniform in the shape of red stripes across her right shoulder, a detail that would be missed by any who lay eyes upon her.

She was her on official notice, yet even though instructed to be a shadow of the Grand Moff’s security detail she had been given other terms. More personal terms that she had found a bitter pill to swallow on her first hearing them. The invitation that had been dispatched was for her father, Ileris Sonn, the once favoured designer of First Order weapons and ships of war. The Empire had insisted that the man who had once held a position of power within the Order and over their territories of Bespin and the Anoat sector as well as his home planet of Rothana would be unable to attend, however his daughter, a loyal member of the Imperial system would be a suitable replacement.

So replace she did.

It made an awkward moment for the commanding officer of Inferno Squadron. For the most part she was merely just Commander Kayrce Sonn; TIE-Pilot in the Imperial Navy, it was her cover that would allow her unit to be invisible within and without the Empire, yet here she was Kayrce Sonn, Daughter of Ileris Sonn and heir to the Sonn Business Empire. It would be a dangerous game mixing the two coves with enough delicacy to avoid connections. Then again how hard would it be to play herself?

She had passed through security with no hassles, and a few smiles had been offered around. Yet as she gathered in the people, the rich and the famous she came to a surprising solution. Playing herself would be the hardest assignment she would ever receive.