Kaboom

[Mythos]

While the One Sith crumbled into dust by the might of the alliance and other conflicts surrounding it on all sides the alliance territories were expansive and a tad thin spread for it's current size. The massive and rapid expansion of the Galactic Alliance had encompassed the home of Mythos, the planet of Naboo to which he recently was visiting to have a chant and a date with a former associate and Assassin @Asajj. Just like he did with the dominion of the Techno Union when they took over Naboo Mythos was planning to put up a resistance...but not the way he did last time.

When he fought in Naboo he confronted the armies of the Techno Union with the grand gungan army in an open field, it did not end well... he learned from that mistake. Instead, he contacted his old associate Wilo Shultz. Wilo was a gungan that he had made leader of a special unit of gungan demolition experts while he was still the king of Atrisia. Needless to say.. Wilo was still more than Loyal and his unit of one hundred gungans that had returned to Naboo were more than prepared and geared ready for any subterfuge action... yet there was Another variable.

The Sith Assassins.

Deep inside an office complex in the capital of Naboo was [member="DHK-51"] posing as some mundane droid Mythos did not know the specifics of... but sometime during this night that assassin droid was about to release key Intel that would lead the assassins on their mission which was to cause the single greatest cataclysmic event Naboo had ever seen in recent history. It was common knowledge Naboo held beneath it's core one of the biggest reservoirs of plasma in the galaxy, the volatile substance was embedded in every riverbank and creek in the main continent of the capital and it was accessible through special tunnels and heavily guarded entry ways that no doubt the alliance had secured. The plan? To cause one big Boom. Mythos mentally groaned at the thought of the amount of briefings, saftey progresses and holographic slides he had to sit through while in the Nabooian air force about the damned plasma reservoirs.

His motives were his own... he needed to show the alliance that Naboo was not to be held without blood just like he did to the Techno Union and he was not above hurting his own people to do that. The sith in him died hard...but it was dying none the less.. without the power of the dark side Mythos was begining to show signs of remorse, compassion and serenity yet the thirst for destruction and battle was like a hard drug that he could not quit.

Several weeks before the Gungans along with the help of the Jar'Kai and Sith Assassin operatives had devised a cluster bomb capable of igniting the plasma reservoirs once it came into direct contact with it, however the device was massive and it needed a great effort to even get it to the tunnels beneath the city. That's when Mythos came in, a former fighter pilot and officer inside of the Nabooian royal Air force and a native of the city itself he knew the plains and the streets of the city like no one else except for maybe the palace guards. Mythos awaited nightfall, casually dressed in civilian clothing for now but carrying a battle rifle along with his signature weapons and a kark ton of thermal detonators he walked the lonely streets of Naboo, yet above him in the rooftops were the Jar'Kai and beneath him in the sewers were the gungan demolition force along with Wilo himself and the bomb.

"Assassins... Report"

[member="The Gray Assassin"] [member="Darth Ferus"] @Abyss

​

 

[Jamie Pyne]

​

There was one thing that Naboo had that many worlds did not, natural beauty complimented by architectural beauty. Of course, Jamie hadn't been to too many worlds on her own quite yet, but she'd still seen nothing quite like it on HoloVids or in her travels. Rolling hills, endless streams and marshlands, modest yet formidable buildings, each with their own history and story behind why it was built there generations ago. Naboo was something of a hidden gem in the galaxy. Most sought out bustling cityworlds, others criminal havens, and some were after desolate wastelands in search of isolating themselves from the galaxy, disappearing off the radar.

Theed itself had its' own charm. Even after dark and the city streets emptied, the nobles, commoners and the like returned to their abodes, the city had a life to it. The glow of the street lamps, the quiet rolling of wind between buildings. It was serene in a way, calming. Walking about at this hour was rarely of concern, the crime rate was rather low in comparison to most other places. It gave the blonde time to think aloud, to speak without anyone listening. Most of all, it gave her time away from her crazy family, in particular her mother. Gosh could that woman work Jamie into a tizzy.

The few people that meandered through the streets gave a smile, and Jamie waived politely back as they passed one another. Most everything was closed at this hour, though a small handful of bars remained open for patrons who needed that extra bit of comfort after daylight hours had passed. Rarely did the girl ever venture into these types of places, as they were often loud, either due to music or obnoxious patrons. Instead she occasionally stood by the window, peering in to do a bit of people watching, before continuing on her way. Though ever since she'd recognized her connection with the Force, sometimes she got strange feelings, either of joy, or dread, or chaos. They were near impossible to make out what exactly it was until it was generally happening, but she nevertheless felt them.

On this particular evening, as she stood peering through the window of The Salty Gungan, a feeling of dread washed over her, making what felt like a void in the pit of her stomach.

[member="Mythos"] | [member="The Gray Assassin"] | [member="Darth Ferus"] [member="Abyss"] | [member="Marcello Matteo"] | [member="Gideon Raith"]

 

[Gabriel Sionoma]

Eyes of burned honey narrowed as he shuffled around the moss and patches of sedge, hugging the riparian bank. The sound of water was rhythmic and gentle, carrying over the eroded cobble of grays and blues and whites. The reflection of the sun shined against the moving water like a geographical map, patches of light blotted out by deciduous broad leaves. Big fat leaves, magnolia shaped and interspersed with needles of hemlock and the sharp edged leaves of birch and alders. Occasionally, the wind would cast a stubborn push through, sending evergreen needles across the shimmering river top. Small fish, running the stream, bobbed and gulped at the surface, searching the fallen leaves for insects and food.

Gabe narrowed his eyes again. A deep pool on the bend, water nearly still on the surface as undercurrents carried the momentum unseen. Riffles and wakes formed against the silty bed as the water pushed along, bypassing the fallen branch of an ironwood. Along the submerged bark, serrated leaves still shivered attached to the stem, waving continuously as fish collected in the newly formed habitat. Shade, debris, and insects left for the foraging. Taking the forested line through, he dodged dead branches against a massive hemlock trunk. As the plant focuses resources towards the upper canopy, the reduction in fluids through lower branches causes them to harden. He recalled telling Tyler Hitchens that, as they hunted for Nuna through Lianorm Swamp. That was a mighty haul, he recalled. How abruptly it had been interrupted as the planet was attacked during an otherwise peaceful negotiation.

Finally circumnavigating the edge of the line, he entered back into the low lying grasses on the rivers edge. Spanning 30 feet in width, undulated as it might be, he was satisfied with the spot. Searching his footing, he found just the right stump for sitting. It was an odd location for such but he wasn't one to look a gift horse in the mouth. Sitting down, he unraveled the long linen wrapped staff that he had used for guidance. Setting the reel seat, he strummed the line to determine the test. Satisfied with the result, he cast the hook into the water. Reeling back just a hair, he felt the slightest resistance as the pole curved towards the end.

"Oi!"

He tried to reel again. Feeling the drag give, he shook his head and yanked the whole pole. Seeing the trunk of the ironwood shift, just out of the water, he sighed. Realizing that the hook was caught on the branch, he jigged the handle back and forth. To the left, to the right, up, down, up, down, up, down. Left and right one more time. Putting as much force on it as he could, he didn't catch the Slug-beetle that landed on the vibrating line. Before he knew it, a long fish jumped from the water. Capturing the Slug-Beetle and line in his beak, the line snapped. Gabe let out a huff as he fell backwards over the stump, tumbling into the moss and grass. Taking the fall with all the grace he had, he felt the moss with extended hands and watched the clouds.

"Might be more of a napping sort of day..."

[member="Mythos"] | [member="Gideon Raith"] | [member="Jamie Pyne"] | [member="Darth Ferus"] | [member="Abyss"] | [member="Marcello Matteo"]

 

[Kael Rose]

While the Sith Assassins might have planned an attack or been starting an attack, and several of the Naboo and Galactic Alliance important persons were around diving bars or fishing in the swamps or being king Kael Rose had other things to do. Namely business. Though working as a proxy for a Hutt he had entered the planet legitimately, getting all the proper permits and going through all the proper channels and going through all the of the checks. He still wore a blaster at his hip, but it wasn't anything tough. Sub-military grade, barely stronger than most hold-out blasters, but it was better than nothing. Heading out of Theed he raised his hand to raise a cab. It wouldn't take long for someone to notice the human, he had a decidedly offworld look, and that normally meant some good credits for a cabbie.

"Where we off too boss?" A young chocolate-skinned human asked him. He could see the boy's 'Applications of Underwater Botany' Datacron peering out of one of the side compartments. Kid was probably payin for school as a cabbie. Poor kid.

"Gungan Trade Quarter." Kael said as he stepped in, took his seat, and buckled up. "How're your studies going?"

"Sure thing, we'll get there in thirty, it's a bit outta town." He said at first, before letting a blush escape his face. "Uhh, I'm sorry. Lemme stash that." He said before putting away the datacron.

"No, it's fine man. I'm sure you have minutes where you're stuck without a call clients. Long as you don't study and drive." He said with a smile. "Do yourself a favor and keep up with those studies. You don't want to end up stuck in a job you're too smart for." Kael said, a bit from experience. He laid somewhere in between 'too qualifed for gruntwork yet not qualified enough for an office job.' So he did odd jobs for the Hutt that weren't important enough for his lieutenants and were too delicate for gruntwork. It was a life, but it sucked some days.

But not today. Theed was beautiful, the city, the architecture, the culture, the dress. It'd be nice to live a place like here someday. Maybe when he got a little more under his feet, Akala help him.

[member="Gabriel Sionoma"] | [member="Mythos"] | [member="Gideon Raith"] | [member="Jamie Pyne"] | [member="Darth Ferus"] | [member="Abyss"] | [member="Marcello Matteo"]

 

[DHK-51]

Theed. Capital of Naboo. If DHK had emotions it would probably be amazed at the architecture or something. But it didn't. It was there for a very special reason, find the codes for the plasma reservoir and cause the biggest explosion possible. It would maintain the facade of a protocol droid, keeping radio silence until it could either hack the mainframe to get the codes or find someone with them. Both were possible, neither was easy. Walking through the halls of the office building, DHK continued until it was stopped by security.

"You lost droid? This area is restricted unless you have the proper authentication codes." The guard said.

"Statement: Apologies, my master must have forgotten to give me the codes needed. I shall return with them." DHK responded, heading back the way it had came. "Filthy meatbags." It muttered. Needed codes to get codes, typical.

 

[Marcello Matteo]

Royal Palace
Theed

Glacier-blue eyes gazed at the holographic image of [member="Kiskla Grayson"]. "I feel like you need to just embrace your inevitable fate, Kiskla. You can't be a care-free freedom fighter forever." Leaning back, Marcello smiled thinly. "At least my stint in purgatory will end in four years. Otherwise I don't th--" The large Naboo native's attention was drawn to the door before his eyes darted to survey the time. Exhaling softly, he opened the door with a subtle wave of his hand. "Ah, Cerysi."

The young girl's eyes immediately registered with whom Marcello was speaking before she waved enthusiastically to Kiskla. "I'm sorry, Your Majesty. Lord Renault is being rather insistent."

Marcello rolled his eyes before shifting his gaze back to Kiskla. "I'll have to call you back, Princess." A smirk lingered over his lips as Kiskla glowered at him before terminating the connection. A soft laugh escaped his lips as he redirected his gaze at Cerysi, the new Governor of Naboo. "I swear I spend almost as much time talking to him as I do my own fiancee."

Cerysi nodded her head slightly. "I tried to deal with him myself, but he's rather insistent on having access to his elected official."

Marcello smirked at the derision in Cerysi's voice. He understood. Her position was an elected office as well. Adjusting his tunic, Marcello nodded to Cerysi as they exited his private office and made their way towards the throne room. The moment they stepped into the hallway, they were joined by the Captain and one other guard.

[member="Mythos"] | [member="Gideon Raith"] | [member="Jamie Pyne"] | [member="Gabriel Sionoma"] | [member="Azar the Mystic"] | [member="DHK-51"]

 

[Kael Rose]

On the Road with a Cabbie

"So what kinda of business do you have with the Gungans off-worlder?" The cabbie asked as they sped through Theed traffic. Small talk, hospitable, good things for a cabbie he guessed, especially in an upper class place like Theed. A reason why people like Kael always had to have a couple cover stories. After all, there was no reason to make this kid's life more difficult than it had to be.

"I represent a pharmaceutical firm. We want to make a deal to acquire some roots and flowers and such that have some medical applications." Kael responded. Best way to tell a lie was to layer it with a few modicums of truth after all.

"I see. They do have a lot of cool plants. They use the Bubble Spore to make these little balls that burst on impact, and disable droids with ionizing goo. Some of their plants even harvest plasma, but all that's taken care of in the palace." The kid replied, before stopping himself. It seemed like he could go on a little more, but he didn't want to go into larger details. His book did say 'underwater botany', this was probably his passion.

"What is your name kid?"

"I'm Baren Triest Sir." The kid responded a bit slowly. Twenty something was still awkward about asserting himself.

"Well Mr. Triest, how far are you in your studies?" Kael asked, sensing a possible business association. If he managed to sell it right of course.

 

[Aerion Ivelisse]

Normally on a night like this I'd be flying.

But he wanted a change. Shoving his hands into his pocket, the Jedi Padawan walked the streets of the city in silence.

Born on Tython, he was trained to be a Jedi like most people that were on the planet. He was a Padawan for a long time, he still was, but when the Galactic Republic had gone to Korriban to put an end to the Sith Empire, his mother was slain, gone forever and his Father had never been the same since. He had even gone off and disappeared in the Outer Rim Regions, probably fighting slavers and trying to bring down the crime rates. A vigilante of sorts he guessed, until he returned in the form as he was now, as some armoured titan by the name of 'Bishop.'

Regardless, after the Protector of Tython had fled from the planet after Tython was taken by the One Sith, he had brought him to Naboo. Trained him. Provided for him.

But he didn't care about that, he hadn't ever needed someone to tell him what to do with his life. Hadn't ever wanted someone to. His actions were his own, his desires were his own and no one would tell him otherwise, and no one could shame him for them.

Through the quiet streets of Theed he wandered, whistling lowly until he spotted a certain [member="Jamie Pyne"] standing outside of some pub and raised a brow in question. before he shook his head and continued on walking. But after a few steps, he stopped and sighed to himself and said, "You know you can walk in there right?"

[member="Mythos"], [member="Gabriel Sionoma"], [member="Kael Rose"], [member="DHK-51"], [member="Marcello Matteo"].

 

[Jamie Pyne]

Sometimes Jamie lacked the sort of attention span that would be expected of someone walking city streets after dark. That lack of awareness might one day catch up to her if she wasn't more careful. The sudden unexpected words startled the blonde, causing her to flinch and quickly turn her head to the man, [member="Aerion Ivelisse"], who had just spoken them. "Oh!" She didn't recognize him, but he didn't look like a native of Naboo, that much was certain. Past that though? She hadn't the slightest idea of where this stranger might have been from. "I know." She finally said. "I just like to people watch. It's a bit too loud in there for me though." There was also the fact that she was an awful lightweight and felt silly after a single drink, but that was beside the point.

"It's quiet at this time of night. I just enjoy seeing the city while it rests. Well, mostly rests." No city ever truly rested. There was always something going on, whether it be folks drinking at places like The Salty Gungan, or throwing gala events at the palace, or even children sneaking out with one another to play some game under the cover of darkness. "What about you? You're not from here, are you?" He didn't carry the accent, that was the clearest tell, but there was also the dress, the facial features, Jamie had become very apt at identifying visitors to her home.

[member="Mythos"] | [member="Marcello Matteo"] | [member="Gabriel Sionoma"] | [member="Kael Rose"] | [member="DHK-51"] | [member="Gideon Raith"] | [member="Azar the Mystic"] | [member="Darth Ferus"] | [member="Abyss"] | [member="The Gray Assassin"]

 

[Kael Rose]

"I have three more semesters before I graduate." The cabbie became a little more assertive in his voice. He was gaining confidence, and he knew why someone would ask a student how long they had before graduation. Job opportunities.

"In Underwater Botany?" Kael asked.

"Well, Botany in general. There's certainly a focus for aquatics at Theed University, but I'm comfortable with growing, cultivating, and studying most plants." He said, fluffing out a bit.

"Any research experience?"

"I interned as a research assistant for a summer, we did a project crossing differing Naboo flowers and recording the effects of the offspring." His reply was quick, eager to show himself. Kael smiled.

"You might be what I'm looking for kid." Kael responded as the speeder slowed down, they were at the Gungan Trading outpost now. "Wait up for me will you? I'll be twenty minute or so."

 

[Aerion Ivelisse]

People watching.

That's a thing?

Dark brown eyes looked past [member="Jamie Pyne"] and towards the interior of the place. That wasn't the sort of place that he'd go into either, not unless there was some other reason for him to other than drinking. Curiosity maybe? It wasn't that enticing, besides it didn't like the sort of night you'd go drinking. Not that he ever did but, people had that sort of feeling right?

"There's a part of you that wants to go in all the same, no?" There was a slight curve to his lips, as he spoke in his deep, yet pleasant voice. She could be people watching in all sorts of places, plus if her words were anything to go off of she had been passed this place before.

"Haven't been home in a long time," he said with a shrug of his shoulders. "Suppose you could say Naboo's been a stand in, at least, until I can get back to my homeworld." he explained with a shrug of his broad shoulders.

"Ever left this place?" It was beautiful, probably the most beautiful place he'd ever been. Who would want to leave it? It was peaceful, almost as if nothing could ever go wrong.

 

[Jamie Pyne]

"I've been in there a few times with my family." Jamie gave a slight nod to [member="Aerion Ivelisse"]. "During the restaurant hours, anyway. At night it turns into a sort of party scene I suppose you could say." She turned back, pushing her finger against the glass to point towards something. The glass itself was partially frosted, making it a bit difficult to see particularly well, but one could make out at least a bit of what it looked like. "The Salty Gungan is a place for nobility to get drunk together. Intoxicated folk like to talk, and sometimes listening to them is interesting, especially when they say the wrong things."

She had actually been in there hundreds of times, but she didn't quite want to give away the idea that perhaps she was one of those nobility types. At least not right away to a stranger on the street who may or may not immediately begin to treat her differently. "It's pretty nice inside." Admitting that was rather easy, given the chic look of the place. Or the fact that they had 200 year old wine sitting in their basement that cost 50,000 credits just to open and pour a glass. That wasn't even for the whole bottle! Yikes!

Turning away from the window the blonde leaned back against the thick transparisteel, placing one foot just in front of the other, her hands down at her side just atop the small sill of the window.

"As for me? Yes, I've been to a few other worlds. Some beautiful in their own ways, others not so much, but I can appreciate every planet for what it has and does not have. Naboo will always be my home though. Maybe I am just biased because I was raised here."

As the two exchanged words a couple pushed open the door of the Salty Gungan, the music from within growing exponentially in volume until the door once again silenced the sounds. "Loud, see?" The owner did a rather good job of ensuring that the disturbance to the outside world was as minimal as possible, which was one of the only reasons it was permitted to remain open so late in the evenings.

"Why can't you go home, if you don't mind my asking?"

 

[Kael Rose]

In the dead of night not many Gungans roamed the normally lively trade wuarter. There were some policegungans, policedroids, and a few homeless, but that was mostly it. Kael himself probably looked somewhat conspicuous. Tall offworlder wandering in the dead of night? But he was careful, and his arrival was planned for. He'd have a specific set of roads and alleyways to travel on to avoid patrols, and there were gungans here and there ready to cause distractions if need be. After six turns and three alleyways Kael would find his contact, a redshirted gungan with a black lip ring leaning on the wall while taking a smoke. Kael walked over and leaned on the same wall about a meter and half away and lit up his own deathstick.

"Yousa da guy?" Lip-ring asked as he let out a puff of smoke.

"That's me. You got the sample?" Kael asked, and the gungan tossed him a bag. Kael pulled the drawstrings to see a collection of flowers. Millaflowers, a powerful hallucinogen. It wasn't spice, but with a good chemist or botanist, perhaps it could be.

"Enough gawkin, where's the creds?" The gungan asks with a gruff tone, before Kael tosses him his own bag.

"Rekali Silver. Only physical currency that isn't replicateable. Not some imaginary number in a datapad." Kael explained. "That work?"

 

[Lord Ajihad]

Moenia​

​

While his compatriots were off trying to nuke the Royal Palace, Ajihad's fondness for material stability had gotten the better of him once again. No matter the mission, he was incapable of passing up a perfectly wealthy casino right in the middle of town. Blowing up some Alliance royalty sounded fun and all, but a man had to make his living somehow.​

​

Ajihad waited on the roof of a nearby building, eyes scanning the empty streets below. He was looking out for the owner of the casino. His plan was to kill the man, shift to mimic his exact appearance, steal his voice, and rob the place dry. The establishment was sure to have millions inside ripe for the picking. If he played his cards right he should be able to walk away substantially richer than before.​

​

He saw an expensive-looking car pull up on the curb. The assassin's eyes narrowed. His prey had arrived.​

​

[member="Kael Rose"] l [member="Jamie Pyne"] l [member="Aerion Ivelisse"] l [member="Marcello Matteo"] l [member="DHK-51"] l [member="Gabriel Sionoma"] l [member="Mythos"]​

 

[Aerion Ivelisse]

One would say they had a foreboding feeling about this night. Was that the reason he wasn't interested in going into the... Club? But beyond having a sour feeling in his stomach he could only assume this wasn't the sort of night you'd go and party on.

Not for him anyway.

The Force didn't seem intent on letting himself do that.

Anyway...

A few times with the family.

For nobility.

"So you're rich."

Not that there was a big deal about it. Many people were rich, whether they had done so from legitimate reasons was another question that could be asked, but that wasn't Aerion's business. Not unless the New Jedi Order made it his business. From the pockets in his jacket he could feel the lightsabre hilt that was underneath his clothes. It sort of gave off a calming effect on him.

"I like Naboo. Wish I had been born here," he said as he shot a look to the interior The Salty Gungan.

There was a confirming nod when she had mentioned its loudness.

But then there was the question about why he couldn't go home.

"The Sith have it. Tython."

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

 

[Jamie Pyne]

Well that was rather forward.

"My family is. I'm not, individually. It's a long lineage and history."

Her eyes glanced past [member="Aerion Ivelisse"] to the couple as they continued to saunter down the street before turning down an alleyway, presumably to go home. She continued to watch them silently until they were out of sight, then returned her attention to the man standing a few feet away.

"Naboo is nice. It's a remarkable place for people who enjoy nature." Plus it has underwater cities! "Also relatively safe, all things considered and comparatively to other worlds."

Her head lifted up, looking at the sky, lost in thought for another minute. "Tython..." Her nose wiggled, pulling her lips from left to right until the light flickered on in her mind. "That's a Jedi world, is it not? Or, was, rather."

Is he some kind of Jedi? He looked well enough the part physically, though that wasn't saying much. He could just as likely be a mercenary, or bounty hunter. Still, she was curious.

"What's someone from Tython doing here? Hiding from the Sith?"

 

[Aerion Ivelisse]

"That much was obvious."

Mean? It'd probably be construed as that. He had been of the mind to say plenty of other things. How she didn't look like she worked a day in her life, or how to take care of herself, and those were only off the top of his head. She looked... Dainty. As if she could be broken if held too tightly.

But if there had been one thing taught to him by Zaren Bouqi, other than how to fight and the history of the galaxy, it was how to put things as they were. Even if people didn't like it at first, they'd realize they liked the honesty one came to them with. Not that she had asked him a question, but he thought it important nonetheless. She hadn't need to tell him it was her parents were rich, it was merely simpler than saying she had grown up rich, in lavish houses. That her family was the type who'd go into the Gungan.

"It was," he said simply.

"Hiding from the Sith is, what it looks like, doesn't it?" If he was more open with his emotions he perhaps wouldn't have needed to force that smile that spread on his lips. "Some would say it was better than being dead."

"Oh, uh, sorry. Name's Aerion."

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

 

[Kael Rose]

"Mando-credits? What yousa taking us for?" The Gungan replied, almost spittingly.

"They'll work most places. Galactic Alliance'll take it. The Sith and Republic probably won't convert it for you, but do you really have any business there?" Kael put on the persuasion as the Gungan spun a Rekali Silver coin along his fingers.

"Some on Naboo enjoy watching the Colo Claw or Opee Sea killer against the Firaxa shark." The Gungan replied. An aquatic animal fighting ring? That would be a sight to see.

"The Mandalorians will be on Kashyyyk within the next four days. How long do you think it'll take after that for them to go after the Kolto on Manaan? Month and a half from now that silver'll go a lot farther than Republic credits will, I can promise you that." Kael responded, and he could see the idea fumbling around the gungan's head.

"How much do you need?" The gungan asked, and Kael gave a smile.

"A ton."

"We can arrange-"

"Every month." Kael finished.

"A ton a month?" The gungan repeated a bit in shock. "I'm not sure we can-"

"Their's a number in the bottom of that bag." Kael pushed, and the Gungan gave a small sigh, before digging it out.

"I . . . Alright. Let me make a call." Kael smiled as the gungan vanished, before taking a whiff of the millaflower he was presented with. Such a sweet aroma.

 

[Jamie Pyne]

"Yeeeah." The word came slowly and the silence that followed lingered for some time.

It wasn't as if she'd never been treated abrasively merely because of her existence and upbringing. Certain folk just had a distaste for anyone like her. She had her moments, but she always tried to be mindful of how others perceived her. [member="Aerion Ivelisse"] seemed to be of that mindset; A silly rich girl wandering around worrying over rich people problems while the rest of the galaxy struggled in turmoil. But that just wasn't true! She knew well about the countless worlds suffering from famine, disease, oppression, slavery, and war. Her parents were often away lending whatever aide they could. The only reason she wasn't there with them was because she was forbidden from doing so, not for lack of desire. Still, that was an argument she'd had on numerous occasions, one that was usually thrown back in her face as simply being a 'cop out' to doing anything.

The backhanded conversation didn't stop there though. Aerion continued to remind her that being alive was a better alternative to being dead, as if she hadn't known that already. This was one of those times where regardless of the intent of her words they were going to be used as redirected jabs towards her. And if there was one thing she was particularly proficient with, it was reading body language. That smile was oh so fake. the posture, the way he looked at her with a modicum of condescension, it was similar in a way to how nobility treated one another when they quarreled among themselves. Even giving her his name sounded as if it was being wrestled from his lips.

"Mine is Jamie." She finally managed to get out after what could have been an eternity. "I'm sorry...About your home. Are you here alone?"

In her head she could already hear the next snarky remark about her supposed pretend sympathy, or why she was asking if he was here by himself. Perhaps the man who stood half a foot taller than her was somehow worried that she had some ulterior, nefarious plan for him. Maybe she stayed rich by swindling men like him out of their credits. Maybe there was another man already picking his pocket behind him!

Or maybe she was being genuinely empathetic and wondered if any of his family had managed to escape Tython before the Sith arrived.

 

[Marcello Matteo]

Royal Palace
Theed
[member="Jamie Pyne"] | [member="Aerion Ivelisse"] | [member="DHK-51"] | [member="Gabriel Sionoma"] | [member="Mythos"] | [member="Kael Rose"]

Marcello exhaled softly as he settled into the throne and activated the holocom on the desk in front of him. There was a brief delay before the figure of Lord Renault appeared over the expansive table. Feigning a smile, Marcello greeted the man as pleasantly as he was capable of at the minute. "Lord Renault. What might I do for you?"

"Your Majesty..." The respect more or less ended there. "This is just ridiculous. Here am I trying to enjoy a night out in Theed and you and your jackbooted thugs are running training operations in the middle of the night. The middle of the night!"

Marcello's expression dropped immediately as he leaned forward and a waved a dismissive hand. "What are you talking about, Lord Renault?"

"I am talking about the forces you have roaming rooftops in our beautiful city. No doubt part of some 'war game' inspired from your days on the battlefield. Guess what, Your Majesty? YOU'RE NOT ON A BATTLEFIELD ANYMORE!"

Laughing now, Marcello slowly came to his feet and briefly adjusted the folds of his official robes. When Marcello spoke, however, it was in a far more congenial term than the arrogant noble deserved. "Lord Renault. You need to pump your brakes. I am not one of your servants or children that you, so often, are seen berating in the streets, a reality I have overlooked for the last time mind you. I am your elected Sovereign and regardless of whether or not you agree with my policies, they exist, as does training of personnel, to keep you sleeping soundly at night." A knowing grin spread across Marcello's lips at that, knowing the man was calling because apparently his respite was being disturbed. "Is there anything else?"

Lord Renault opened his mouth to reply. "How da-"

Marcello terminated the connection with a wave of his hand. His glacier-blue gaze immediately found the emerald eyes of Cerysi. "Get the General on the holocom, please."

Cerysi frowned slightly. "It's not a training exercise, is it?"

Marcello only smiled as he resumed his seat. "Please."

Cerysi needed no further clarification as she pulled out her communicator to carry out her King's request.

In a matter of moments, the figure of General Deveroux appeared. "Your Majesty."

Marcello did not miss a beat. "What is happening in Theed, General?"

The General visibly deflated. "I was just about to contact you, Your Majesty."

In a matter of minutes, communications rippled through controlling entities on the planet's surface as established sentry and roving patrols were ordered to deliver status reports. Hasty descriptions of the individuals foolishly walking around rooftops, silhouetting themselves against the emanating glow from the large city of Theed reached even the most distant of Naboo towns. No obvious changes to posture were made - it was unnecessary. As much as Naboo prided itself on being a world of peace and tranquility, the current leadership was not blind to the many threats existing in the galaxy.

Exhaustive, yet discreet, defensive measures had saved the planet more than its fair share of strife recently. The defensive forces were only doing their job properly when the people of Naboo rarely saw the action, being informed only by local news sources in the following days. Anyone traversing the sewers of the city would find they in no way connected to emergency tunnels underneath the Palace, that would obviously create more of a vulnerability than anything else. Likewise, the sewer system ended roughly four hundred meters from the palace where the initial underground defensive perimeter started. Above-ground, all of the buildings within said range of the Palace were owned by the Crown, leased out to high-ranking officials and made available for visiting dignitaries as necessary. The purpose for this was because they too would fall within the inner perimeter of defensive measures should the Palace ever drift to an even more elevated state of readiness.

------
Aerie Hotel and Casino
[member="The Gray Assassin"]

Empty streets was not a term that probably applied to any medium to large-sized town containing a major casino...anywhere in the galaxy. The reality was no different in the artistic paradise of Moenia. Petty fights and other domestic disturbances were a rather common occurrence in the vicinity of the Aerie Casino, so local law enforcement were rather routinely on alert. Certain specialized units remained on standby in the event they were called in by Aerie Security as well.

The expensive-looking speeder that pulled up to the front entrance of the casino was definitely not the owner but rather a wealthy patron. No, the owner split his time between residing in the Hotel itself in a specialty penthouse permanently assigned to him or at his estate in the Lake Country. If the owner was arriving from somewhere else, it was always in a shuttle as he found the length of time it took to transit from Moenia to anywhere else in a speeder...a complete waste of time.

If someone wished to get at the owner, they'd have to physically investigate his location.