Introductions

[Rozalyne Kurganova]

Hyperspace, enroute to Gallinore, Hapes Consortium

A sleek star yacht broke through the boundary of the Transitory Mists along one of the trade routes that led into the Hapes Cluster, then began making the winding route toward the interior. Gallinore was the final destination, a world that sat right at the gate of the to the interior region where Hapes itself could be found.

Inside her personal cabin, Rose was still preparing for the upcoming meeting with Hapan nobles. She had settled upon a navy blue dress that struck a balance between being stylish and professional. Her chocolate hair was pinned up in an intricate bun, not a single lock of out of place. She was now applying the finishing touches to her makeup before an inbuilt vanity, a light job meant only to cover up some blemishes.

She spent more time than she needed on such a minimal application, but the routine kept her from dwelling too much on the growing knot in her stomach. Rose may have agreed to become more involved in Caridanian efforts under the integration of Andrini, but she would have never imagined such a pledge would have her playing emissary inside of Sith territory. It was bad enough keeping the vipers within her own house at bay, now she was dealing with foreigners that she had no history with at all. If this request had come from anyone aside from her friend or father, she wouldn't be here right now.

There was a small bit of solace, as an Atrisian Jedi had joined her crew. The Jedi had seemed to go through great efforts to hide that fact, as she dressed normally and even went without a lightsaber, she having once seen the other woman fiddling with all manners of small arms with her Berkut security detail. Normally you'd couldn't part a Sith or Jedi from their glow sticks. A sensible Jedi? That was a new one.

 

[Relina Zhan]

[member="Rozalyne Kurganova"]

Location: Gallinore, The Palace of St. Clavelle
Time: 1347 hours.

Could You Believe (ATB)

Relina had little notion of whom she was meeting. She knew there was a rare foreign dignitary on the way and rumours of Very Important People from Hapes meeting at her residence. Her House Staff hurried to complete their tasks, making the Palace of Saint Clavelle ready to receive visitors, as if the Queen Mother herself were coming. Music filled the halls of a lively EDM variety. The alabaster white floors and walls were spotless, guest quarters prepared, the kitchen staff already preparing a three course dinner fit for nobility. The food could be smelled cooking near the grand dining hall while a softer, more floral smell filled the rest of the residence. Security personnel were on high alert, as well. There seemed nothing amiss from what she could tell.

Relina was, at this point, looking for her handmaiden [member="Quinncolson"] . She was dressed in an elegant lavender gown with rosegold trim, cut to reveal her shoulders and a little hint of cleavage, but otherwise acceptably modest. She accessorised with a rosegold belt fastened loosely around her waste made of a chain of hexagonal links , the excess length of which hung from the clasp loosely at her side. She wore only small rainbow gem earrings set into gold and a relatively simple necklace of gold. Her modestly short nails were freshly painted purple just the day prior. Her dainty feet wore white, flat sandals that slung halfway up her lower legs. Finally, her hair was styled in an updo that would compete with high-end fashion models. The Ducha of Gallinore wore her favourite perfume, incidentally called "Angel", which coincidentally was the name of the Royal Navy fighter squadron she was a leading member of. For that matter, the military tattoo on the small of her back was partially obscured by her dress.

Her commlink in hand, she waited near the giant statue of the city's patron saint and her family's most ancient progenitor matriarch. She was alone in the main hall, save only for a couple of armed security personnel stationed at the Palace's entrance. "Gods, where is that girl?", she mumbled in Hapan.

 

[Persephone Callas]

[member="Rozalyne Kurganova"] [member="Relina Zhan"]

Landing at a small discrete pad:

The small Selab Tree had two floating lights to replicate the day and night cycle of Selab's sun. Within the confines of the small, stealth craft, Duch'a Callas of Selab and Charuba would quietly observe the small gift she had taken from her own garden. The Hapan Senator was bedecked in a more subdued attire, done so as she would not garner too much attention. The bright, corseca gem colored hair was plaited in a thick braid down her back, with small jewels decorating it here and there.

She wore a maroon dress, snug at around the torso with a rather daring decollete. The attire was by far, as modest and humble as any Hapan Lady would dare dress herself down and still maintain a presence. This was, after all, like many others, another Dejarik board. How she would play would depend on the players.. and just how well she would be able to discern their intentions and any combination of advanced moves.

Wide aquamarine eyes would settle upon one of her handmaidens. "We are here, your Grace."

 

[Relina Zhan]

[member="Persephone Callas"] | [member="Rozalyne Kurganova"]

Relina's commlink buzzed in her hand with a windchime-like ringtone. She first looked at the screen, the holodisplay reading in the brushstroke style Hapan calligraphy that the caller was from Gallinore's port authorities. Her eyes, the colour of the Ceres Ocean beyond Dimitor Bay, then raised toward the Saint's Hall's skylights at the sunlight gently filtering down to the polished alabaster floor to complete its 9 lightminute journey. She lifted the device up to her partially revealed ear and slid her thumb across the holodisplay to answer it in the mellifluous local language of Hapan Space.

"Zhan." She said.

"Ducha Callas's ship has arrived and is on final approach to Gallinore. Shall I direct the ship to land?" Came a female voice over the comm.

"Yes. Pad 2 is available. And when our foreign dignitary arrives, Pad 3 is reserved as well." Relina replied.

"Acknowledged, My Lady." The woman replied.

Relina then disconnected the channel before turning toward the landing area near the Palace's hangar. Incidentally, the hangar was one of the more recent additions, which Ducha Zhan herself made use of with her personal airspeeder and her Type-M 808 Terminus Starfighter. Employing Royal Navy technicians to maintain the ship, it served a sort of local militia support role as well. Further, it helped free up space for private spaceports. To reach the landing pads, she'd have to go out through this hangar.

When Relina reached the hangar, her starfighter lay in a diagnostic drydock state. For a moment, she inspected it with a scrutinising eyes, a dainty finger reaching up to skim the underside of one of the forward-swept S-Foils. The silver-on-cyan paint was fresh, re-coated only a few days prior. Near the opaque cockpit's vacuum seals was the name, "Major Relina "Edge" Zhan". Her R9 unit chirped out a brief greeting as she continued with her diagnostic and optimisation task. Beneath the fuselage were two racks carrying the detached rotary cylinders that contained the ship's concussion missile ammunition. Each cylinder was filled with five live, but unarmed ordinance. "Sallan, R9." she greeted the droid back.

Concluding that things were well with her 'baby', she strode out to the open hangar doors and waited for the VIPs en route. Not one for gathering large crowds, she stood alone for the moment, although her twin sister and handmaiden, she hoped, would be along shortly.

Lady Alessandra Zhan appeared just as Ducha Callas's ship was touching down. "That's one... Selab's national markings." She commented, seeing indication of which Consortium member world the ship hailed from. The Ducha's twin sister looked like a mirror-image of Relina. She was even dressed similarly, except the colour of her dress was a light blue with silver trim. This might have been, to most people, the only way to tell them apart without close inspection, as well as the fact Alessandra had no tattoos and no direct military background. She was a politician, for the most part.

 

[Rozalyne Kurganova]

The yacht dropped out of hyperspace above Gallinore. The captain made contact with local air control to receive directions for landing, while the rest of the cautious crew was on the lookout for targeting sensors. They were directed to land at Ducha Zhan's private port, on landing pad three.

By this time, Rose had finished her primping and was now standing near landing ramp with her security detail. It consisted of the Jedi and three Berkut commandos having been tasked to protect on this diplomatic mission. She was pleased to see that the Jedi had donned tasteful white dress instead of the silly robes her kind seemed to favor. Her own men were smartly dressed in expertly-tailored suits made of light fabrics for warmer weather.

"Miss Kurganova," Arisa started. "If you would allow me, I'd like to make a sweep of the area before you depart from the ship. I can do it more quickly than your men without things appearing awkward with our hosts."

Rozalyne took a moment to consider. To say she was worried about her well-being inside technically hostile territory was an understatement, but she didn't want to give the perception that she was being skittish. Plus, if the Jedi wanted to put her neck out on the line for she and her men, then who was she to refuse.

"Very well," she answered with a noticeable accent common among the people of Andinri. "I will take your lead."

Arisa nodded, already reaching out with Force to detect hostile intent as they approached the landing pad. She felt no obvious disturbance, but she knew it was possible to mask one's signature. The best time to make a grab would be when they far from the reach of the ship anyway.

The yacht landed, and she was the first off the ramp, taking a position at one side as if she was an attendant awaiting her Princess. She focused her scan upon the immediate vicinity, but again felt no sign of danger. She looked up toward Rose and her guards standing at the top of the map, giving a slight nod to clear them to proceed. The three Berkut exited first, mirroring Arisa's motion by taking a stand at the bottom of the ramp, two to make it a pair on either side. Then Rose finally strutted down the ramp last, looking around for any sign of their host.

[member="Relina Zhan"] [member="Persephone Callas"]

 

[Relina Zhan]

[member="Rozalyne Kurganova"] | [member="Persephone Callas"]

Relina stood with her twin as her own local security operatives came along on their patrol circuits. The security at the Duchal residence was tighter than normal for obvious reasons: The Hapes Consortium had a notable reputation for violent political intrigue. it was the very thing that lead to the death of Relina's mother, the former Ducha Anastasia Zhan V. While Ducha and Lady Zhan were presently unarmed, and for the former, this was uncommon, the tighter security made up for what was otherwise an unwise vulnerability. As for air security, the incoming ships had been tracked on sensors from the local military base, RNAC Hierlark. Fighter squadrons were sitting alert in case anything were to go south on this visit.

"And here comes our foreign guest of honour, no?" Alessandra asked in Hapan, leaning toward Relina's ear.

"So it would seem." Relina replied. in the same language.

The ship had landed and the diplomats emerged. Relina quietly cleared her throat, knowing she would necessarily have to switch to the notably harsher Basic language common outside of the Consortium's territory. Hapan still wasn't well known beyond the Queen Mother's borders. Still thinking in her mother tongue, she would prepare herself to use her third language for a time once again. She would then approach a few metres.

"Welcome to Gallinore and the Hapes Consortium." the Ducha greeted both women, although the Ducha of Selab was a national in her own right. Relina's accent was also quite notable, posh, elegant, and to a foreigner, perhaps downright sexy. Hapan was, indeed, a romantic language in its mellifluous flow. The accent, in Basic, softened the latter language's notable harshness dramatically, but was still intelligible to foreign ears. To Persephone, Relina would offer a deep, slow nod of formal acknowledgement.

"Ducha Callas, it is a pleasure to see you are well. Welcome." she said, greeting her peer formally. She offered a dainty hand as well, which if taken, would firmly, but gently, grasp the other woman's forearm. While on the surface it seemed cordial and professional, in actuality, the gesture was reminiscent of the general distrust Hapan nobles had for one another that lay beneath tolerance as mandated by the Queen Mother. True, like a rose has its thrones, a beautiful people with beautiful cities had their sordid dark sides steeped in conspiracy and intrigue. House Zhan was no exception, despite Relina's preference to stay out of such matters. However, she was also not fool enough to show weakness and naivete to one who could become a rival at the drop of a hat.

Her attention soon shifted to Rozalyne Kurganova. She would offer a hand in a similar manner to her and said, "Welcome. Princess Kurganova, I presume?" she asked of her, meeting the woman's gaze. Relina's pupils, like those of most Hapans, seemed slightly narrow compared to other Human breeds. Perhaps it was as if they had trouble dilating in the same range. Hapans, of course didn't know what true night was if they had never been outside of their territory before. It was common knowledge that they couldn't see in the dark very well and this may well have been a visual sign of this adaptation to the local environment. "I trust this is your first time in the Hapes Consortium, no?" she asked.

Behind Relina, Lady Alessandra Zhan offered a courtesy to Ducha Callas. Despite the woman having been born five minutes after Ducha Zhan, that minuscule age difference was enough to determine who would inherit the style of Ducha. While socially inferior, it was she who handled the political dirty work and was slightly more of the Noble stereotype than her sister, despite appearances. This was due in no small part to Relina's long time involvement with the Royal Navy.

 

[Rozalyne Kurganova]

Rose accepted her hand in a manner mirroring what she had just witnessed between the Hapans as a matter of courtesy. Meanwhile, it had been ages since she had even hugged one of her siblings. There was little love between the competing rivals of the throne.

"Yes I am, and it is indeed my first time here. I was able to take a gander of Gallinore and your estate on the way planetside. A most beautiful world."

That wasn't the only beautiful thing she noticed. Rose considered herself a woman of decent looks, but right now she felt downright homely in the presence of the Hapans. She was not well versed on the history of the Consortium, but one well-known fact about Hapans was the attractiveness of their women across the board. The fruits of centuries worth of selective breeding between the ancient pirates that used to inhabit this space and their pretty victims. Interesting eyes between them all, just like a cat. Fitting, as the Hapans were also renown for making a sport out of politics.

"It looks even nicer down on the ground. You tend to your domain well."

[member="Relina Zhan"] [member="Persephone Callas"]

 

[Relina Zhan]

[member="Rozalyne Kurganova"] | [member="Persephone Callas"]

Incidentally, Hapan men were also considered more beautiful than other Human men, also possessing the same nightblindness that was less of an issue within the confines of the Transitory Mists shrouding the Hapes Star Cluster. Relina's eyes seemed to have a subtle epicanthic fold near the bridge of her dainty nose. She kept her gaze on the Princess, seeing that this may very well be the first time she met one of her kind in person. She secretly enjoyed the varying reactions foreigners had when seeing a lady like herself.

"Thank you." she said, lowering her head ever so slightly in genuine humility, albeit subtly. "I am Ducha Relina Zhan of Gallinore. May I introduce my twin sister, Lady Alessandra Zhan?" she asked, gesturing to the woman who was a mirror image of her, apart from the colours she wore.

"A pleasure." Alessandra replied with a small courtsey.

Relina then looked to Ducha Callas expectantly. it was her turn.