Private Oh. You.

[Eira Talon]

Eira would be the first to say this place was hot. Unreasonably so. The young echani was a puddle of sweat by the time she made it off the streets of Geonosis and into her sister's office. Mercifully, the indoor climate was a far cry more livable than the hostile heat she found on the street.

Unfortunately, Srina had become unexpectedly occupied and was unable to come out for their arranged plans. Eira wasn't sure if her frustration was because Srina had fallen through, or more simply heat based. Regardless, she wrong out the end of her soaked training shirt, irritated.

It wasn't as if Srina had made it a habit of postponing their plans. Her sister had showed just as much of a dedication to her training as she had, and then some. It was just- She huffed, kicking at the corner of a lavish rug as she paced. She didn't know what it was. Something about it all just made her mad. Eira wasn't one to be in touch with her emotions, and the loss of the chance to express herself through a session only exasperated the block between herself and what boiled inside.

It would be time to head home then, there was surely no other reason to be out of their apartments besides training. If Srina had been concerned over her lack of dedication, that had quickly been proven needless. All work and no play applied to Eira entirely.

Still, she stalled in that hallway for some reason, not leaving. Pacing. And attracting an odd look or two, for the young girl resembled the older monarch to an inhuman degree. Genetic engineering and all.

Surely, none of the workers had seen Srina in echani training garb pacing up a storm in the office before. But that was a story for another time.

Darth Empyrean

 

[Darth Empyrean]

Maliphant ran his finger across the datapad with disinterest - news stories on stock changes, wars, flashpoints, and terrorism. It was drab, a growing bore on Maliphant’s waning attention - but at least he had some assurance that Cybele was taking care of the IGBC. He sighed heavy before his eyes glanced up to a situation rising.​

​

A few of the workers glanced to Srina’s office, and one motioned for Maliphant to intervene - only for him to notice the half naked Echani, that looked awfully alot like Srina. He sighed as he lowered the datapad, and walked quickly through the office with determination - suddenly commanding those around to avert their gaze;​

​

“Back to work!”, he said with a groan.​

​

Only in a flash, he slammed the door behind him, and closed the blinds. His golden gaze staring through Eira with a growing disappointment - because unlike those in the room, he knew it wasn’t Srina. Unlike the others - he could sense her through the Force, knew that the connection they shared wasn’t there…​

​

“Are you one of the Exarch’s family?”, he said, before his gaze narrowed.​

​

“... Or are you someone I should be concerned about.”​

​

Eira Talon​

 

[Eira Talon]

Eira turned on her heel, a sense of sharp wariness hitting her shoulders as she took a step back. The stranger slammed the door closed, closing the blinds in a manner that sent a wash of heat over her skin. Unease-based, this time.

Was it an attack? Her eyes skimmed him, reading his intentions in his posturing as he turned back to her and addressed her for the first time. The question made her blink and raise her chin, a small bit of indignation hitting her at the suggestion that she was anything but another Talon.

"Excuse you?" Was all she said, a bit of height to her tone. "Open that door."

Before she made him herself. Eira had zero patience for being spoken down to. Or cornered. Or made to feel vulnerable, and that was exactly how she felt in that moment-- locked in a room with a stranger barking things at her.

 

[Darth Empyrean]

Maliphant’s gaze was testing - though it wasn’t at Eira herself. He considered for a moment if the room had recorders - which it certainly did, but more importantly if by somewhat harming Eira he would be accosted for doing so. His eye twitched at the thought, letting the inevitable choice be Eira’s.​

​

“If you think you can, then open it.”, he motioned to the side with . His eyes challenged her, as if he wanted her to do it.​

​

“Until then, who are you - and what are you doing in Srina’s office…”​

​

He stood tall, and she could feel his presence slowly exude through the Force; even if she was only barely able to sense it herself. His brow furrowed, Maliphant crossed his arms - waiting for her response.​

​

Eira Talon​

 

[Eira Talon]

Eira narrowed her eyes in turn, her nostrils flailing as she held him in a long stare down. One of her sister’s goons? Likely. And while Eira did not activity think herself above or below anyone, his attitude made her cast him aside.

She had no intention of answering his questions, not only did she not have to —she was more than welcome here— she did not want to. Instead she merely snuffed at him, his sudden presence pushing down on her through the force in a way that made her want to lash out. Something told her lashing out on her sister’s staff would put a wedge between her and Srina’s thin agreement to take her on, so with a deeep breath she clenched her fist as started to storm out.

Body tense.

Alert for the fall out from that challenge in his eyes as her hand wrapped around the knob.

 

[Darth Empyrean]

Echani were well known for their affinity to fight. To sense emotions through physicality, to feel for combat as though it were conversation itself. To them; battle was their love, and to feel it with an opponent meant something - to the survivor, in most cases. Yet, Eira would experience none of that -​

​

There wasn’t time.​

​

Within a flash, the back of Maliphant’s hand had come across her face - hard enough to throw her from her feet. It wasn’t so hard as to harm her, but it would be enough to scare her; as the Force itself imbued it with a debilitating fatigue that’d course through her on touch alone. Were she to fall, a hand would over her - pressing her down firmly with the Force.​

​

Maliphant would kneel, and lower his voice to speak to the intruder -​

​

“You’re a lively one.”, he mused, “But you certainly can’t fight like Srina.”​

​

A hand lightly tapped his chin as he watched her struggle, despite herself.​

​

“I’ll let you stand up, if you answer my questions.”, he asked once more.​

​

It didn’t really matter, if she denied again he’d just have her face searched on the databases for Confederate Citizens. She’d show up then - despite her similarity to Srina.​

​

Eira Talon​

 

[Eira Talon]

She had been ready for it. Braced for it. She read his intention through his posture— saw his muscles clench and harden as her hand outstretched. His body spoke towards his motives, communicating what his words had not.

And she still hadn’t been able to respond in time.

She found herself on the ground, too shocked to be there in the fist place to truly feel any sting from the blow that landed her there. It had been years since Eira had found herself down so easily. Well... almost, years. There had always been the ease of which Srina had disposed of her in training, but that was different. That was Srina.

Who the hell was this guy?

The space for words was gone, ended by him the moment he lashed out. Her eyes flash with fiery as he knelt down over her. Perhaps he would read her intentions before she could move, Srina did often fault her for broadcasting her moves. Regardless, he got a yell of exhertion from the enchani, her core coiling to support the kick she sent rounding around towards his temple. It was a move to knock out— well aimed, going for the soft spot of the skull. The move broadcasted her desire to trick. To overcome. To control him instead. She did not like being downed easily.

 

[Darth Empyrean]

There was a certain flair Echani had - able to twist their bodies in odd ways to strike at vulnerabilities. The key of it, however, was to not be so predictable - Eira, however, didn’t have that carefully laid out subtly those like Srina did; at least not yet.​

​

Without looking back, his free hand moved over his shoulder and caught her training boot with an iron grip - one that hurt more than the slap he had given her a second before. His gaze didn’t leave her, and for a careful moment - she would see his eyes tunnel into her soul, piercing as it was.​

​

A second later, she would find her knees to her chest, and her ankle above her head. Maliphant sighed as his Force imbued strength held her tight to the floor - leaving him with the only available option of searching her face up through the Confederacy records. His voice came quick as Eira struggled -​

​

“Cybele, can you figure out who this is…”​

​

A small bloop over a nearby speaker was the acknowledgement, and another second later a waif like cyber voice responded -​

​

“Her name is Eira Talon, sister of Srina Talon.”, Cybele mused.​

​

Maliphant sighed at the thought - glad to know he had just assaulted his bosses, and loves sister. Yet, he couldn’t help but think Eira deserved it regardless - for all that ego didn’t mean much if she couldn’t back it up. A small frown and he leaned forward to speak again;​

​

“I’m going to let you go, and lock the door - and you’re going to calm down. Got it?”, he offered her, cool and collected.​

​

“In 3… 2… 1…”​

​

And with that, he let go - but the Force moved to the lock of the door. Maliphant backed up, and opened his arms wide - as though to show he meant no harm. Even if he had just slapped the daylight out of her…​

​

At least that made him smile.​

​

Eira Talon​

 

[Eira Talon]

His grip got a gritted noise of pain from her as he stopped her again, her muscles coiling to— the noise became an unwilling cry as the pressure of the force turned her into a pretzel on the ground. She strove hard to overcome it as he scanned her features, but her discomfort was unshakable. The girl remained trapped under the man, who so easily had made that way.

He identified her, which frankly she felt should have been obvious from the start. But his following words beguiled a hint vulnerability— a deflection he had placed on her that she would not let him live down.

She had been calm.

He was the one who started this.

His attack was an affront— of ignorance, negligence, or even just pure ego. It did not matter what drove him to it, only that she knew any attempts to communicate her displeasure would result in such an underhanded disposal of her again.

It wasn’t right, fighting with the force.

He held out his arms and she stood, practically bristling at the sound of the lock clicking back into place.

of all the things to complain about in this moment—of all the questions she might demand, only one thing was pressing enough to reach the enchani’s lips. She spoke it with such distaste, she practically spat it.

“That’s cheating.”

 

[Darth Empyrean]

“All is fair in love and war, Eira.”, he chided before finding himself a seat behind Srina’s desk.​

​

He didn’t go through her things, but for Srina’s sake he picked up a pen and found a piece of paper that wasn’t in use. Scrap, more than likely, but he thought it’d be the perfect time for a cute message -​

​

Srina, ​

​

I slapped your sister for acting up. ​

​

Hugs and Kisses,​

​

~ Maliphant​

​

He beamed at the message, and slowly slid it aside, but not before making sure a small heart was left. His smile turned back to Eira, who practically soaked through her training garb - much to Maliphant’s dismay.​

​

“Do you need a change of clothes?”, he idled, pointing to a nearby cabinet.​

​

“More importantly, why are you here? Srina is busy, right now.”​

​

Eira Talon​

 

[Eira Talon]

Honor was apparently not something Srina looked for during her staff hiring process.

Honestly, Eira didn’t know why she expected otherwise.

Her cheeks burned red. Be it anger, indignation, or the slap itself, it didn’t matter. The girl stood firm under the man’s demanding questions, fire burning in her eyes. Make no mistake, she yearned with every fiber of her being to reengage him. She was not done here. She had more to say and no intention to be undone so easily. It was ironic, how this nonechani opened up a path for her to communicate as she truly preferred, and here she was turning it away.

There was no expressing in pure defeat. No dance in being crushed into a pretzel on the ground.

He would see her struggle, her thoughts churning for words that would exude control like a wrist lock would. That was what she truly wanted to do to him right now— twist his thumb inside her grip until he went to jelly and moved at her whim.

Unfortunately, no words came to mind. They weren’t exactly her thing.

She very unwillingly settled with the truth, her voice tight and affronted. “She was expecting me.”

 

[Darth Empyrean]

It was more than obvious that Eira wanted to fight Maliphant now - the tenseness in her thighs, her back, the fist she kept squeezing; every inch of skin visible implied her intentions and there was plenty of skin showing. Maliphant sighed, and tapped a few buttons on the desk - the door he opened a moment ago sliding forth with a small, but full attire of clothes Srina had often used. Some casual, some more formal;​

​

“Again, you should change.”, he reminded her.​

​

“Being half naked in Srina’s office doesn’t seem like a good idea, Eira.”, Maliphant offered with a touch of chastisement.​

​

Yet, he wouldn’t reinforce it - the Echani seemed to hate their clothes enough, and judging from the sweat she wouldn’t do well in one of Srina’s outfits. Geonosis was a hot planet, and seemed hotter everyday. Tis the way it was.​

​

“Regardless, Srina got pulled into an emergency meeting regarding…”, Atrisia, was what he wanted to say, but he still wasn’t sure how much this Eira was even supposed to know.​

​

“... things. Do you want to wait around for her?”, Maliphant asked with a cock of his brow.​

​

Eira Talon​

 

[Eira Talon]

Eira snorted-- a huff of air catching almost soundlessly through her nose.

Why did he care so much about what she was wearing? What was with his tone? Eira had countless questions for this sudden barrage of... protective chastising. That was what this was. Her eyes pinched as she read his body in turn.

His gaze kept skimming over her-- too fast. As if he didn't want to see the plane of her stomach or the height of her thighs. They were all natural things to Echani, and it actively startled her to see the suggestion of embarrassment in his actions as he hurried to get her more clothes.

He was sexualizing her, but not because of her. Oh no.

Srina.

Her brow shot up. None of this was about her. He viewed her as a disturbance for her sister. For the first time, Eira took it upon herself to notice her sister's preferred attire.

Stuffy. Restricting. Heavily clothed.

Eira casted an errant glance down at herself, the situation in the office becoming clear to her. She withheld a sigh, a sense of disdain growing in her. If Srina hadn't forsaken their ways, Eira wouldn't have been accosted for shocking the common folk. Understanding did not breed forgiveness. She looked back up at Maliphant in pinched distaste.

"No," was all she said, the hard edge to her tone speaking volumes. "I don't think I will." Each word was spoken with individual intention, her nose turning up to the man and the clothing as she gestured sharply towards the door.

"May I?" It was not a question.

 

[Darth Empyrean]

“You may not.”, he answered her not-so-question.​

​

His brow now cocked to her however - as she gave off anger that wasn’t at him any longer. That predatory emotion he felt from her, a common occurrence for Maliphant, had turned into disdain for something else… Someone else, perhaps - though Maliphant couldn’t make assumptions. He hummed something soft as he pressed a few buttons and made the wardrobe fall away again.​

​

“You may sit, however.”, he motioned to one of the seats in front of the desk.​

​

“If you’re waiting for Srina, I’ll wait with you. Better that way regardless.”, he mused as he lifted himself from the chair. His gait was professional, his demeanor vaguely stoic; but he carried a sensation of his own danger. It’d send to Eira the familiar, hair raising sensation that one had just seen a predator stalking them…​

​

Like a Vornskr in the hedge grove.​

​

Maliphant always enjoyed that metaphor, and quietly thought about it as he poured himself a drink - of a bottle he had purposefully put in Srina’s office for himself. Yet he didn’t stop at one, pouring two before wandering back to the desk and placing a drink infront of Eira. His words were coy as he spoke;​

​

“Are you still mad about the slap?”, he said with a slight frown.​

​

“You really shouldn’t, I could’ve slapped harder.”​

​

Eira Talon​

 

[Eira Talon]

Eira held all the attitude of a irritable teenager, the man receiving all but an eye roll as he insisted she stay. Sit.

With him.

She did, not out of personal respect for him or his position, but out of respect for her upbringing. He had out dueled her, striked her— proved himself more capable than her. Granted, he had cheated. But she didn’t have to like authority to see it. Even Srina received a restrained level of resistance from her.

And practically none after a bout of sparing.

She sat hard, obeying purely because he had outclassed her. This remained fairly black and white to her. She pursed her lips at the drink, not taking it.

“No,” she answered honestly, not needing to consider his question. She was frustrated about many things, the slap not among them.

“I should have dodged.”

She eyed him for a moment, not liking the way she looked at her. Like she was food. She couldn’t relax under that gaze, her body coiled. He wouldn’t actually harm his bosses sister ..right? She sat up a little straighter, clearing her throat.

“Who are you exactly? Why do -you- care?“

 

[Darth Empyrean]

When Maliphant returned to his seat, he crossed his legs and leaned back - taking a moment to enjoy his own drink. The aromatic body of peaches, laden with a tasteful amount of sharp alcohol made for a good drink, and Maliphant couldn’t help but enjoy that - if even for the moment. It helped bring him a moment of peace in all… this.​

​

Yet, when he set it down, he sighed and crossed his hand over his lap as he watched her.​

​

“If you tried to dodge it, I would have just gone faster.”, he offered, as though it were so simple.​

​

“But you shouldn’t worry about that - I designed the droids that taught most of the galaxy how to fight.”, he chuckled before listening to her question.​

​

And it wasn’t an easy one, all things considered. He could state plainly, ‘I’m in love with your sister, and look out for her when I can’, but something about that seemed wildly inappropriate - so Maliphant reconsidered for the briefest of moments, his lips pursed as he made a quiet ‘hmm’.​

​

“I am Darth Maliphant.”, he offered with a smile, though softer - less coy than before.​

​

“I -care- because I am Srina’s advisor… And her friend.”, he added - feeling a strictly professional relationship was also lying.​

​

“Because I care for her, I care for you - and that involves making sure you don’t cause a scene.”, he said with a passive motion to the door behind her with his eyes.​

​

Eira Talon​

 

[Eira Talon]

Another person might have found the concept delirious-- I care for you, therefor I slap you.

Eira still struggled to see the correlation between her presence being a disturbance and the slap meant to contain her, but that meant very little to her in this moment. She often struggled to understand a number of things-- she thought it best to never linger on it. Alright, so he used force to control a situation-- that was understandable to the echani. The tightening of his lips as he spoke of his position with her sister was what drew her attention.

He was lying about something.

"I see," she commented, her thoughts were locked behind a stony visage. She had learned that from Srina and their mother both. It was a mask strove to maintain perpetually, but more often than not she only succeeded in moments of little importance. Such as now. Her next question came with no tick as to her intentions. No explanation. No tell.

"And have you trained with my sister before?"

Darth Empyrean

 

[Darth Empyrean]

Maliphant could recognize that cold stoicism Eira held from Srina; though Srina’s was far more constant, even to Maliphant himself. He abridged that emotional gap often through touch - to let Srina know how he felt through his hands, his lips, his embrace;​

​

He didn’t intend for Eira to know any of that.​

​

“Hmphf.”, he responded to her before moving to drink the liquor again. Decadent as it were - he recalled for a moment the vintage cost as much as a starship, and the thought was vaguely comforting. Wealth had that effect on people, and a smile crept across his lips as he glanced back to her.​

​

“In some words, yes - though she certainly didn’t teach me what I know.”​

​

Though, that was hard to say. Srina was a far more skilled practitioner of swords combat, of physical combat than Maliphant. Maliphant’s more exclusive advantage was the Force; plain and simple. It was where he was strongest, as Eira just learned.​

​

“Why do you ask?”, he said with a cock of his brow, curious why this was important for the moment.​

​

Eira Talon​

 

[Eira Talon]

She snorted softly, the sound light and airy as it passed through her nose.

"Oh, no reason. I was just sitting here wondering how a person who claims to be so close to be sister could appear to understand so little about her. But now I see it really is a simple answer," she told him, her legs uncrossing, then crossing again.

"You just don't know her at all."

Petulance tainted her tone, a small wedge of sass flooding the wave of words not usually given. It was a fair statement though, and a common one by echani standards. You can't truly begin to know a person until you fight with them. Show them your true self inside your every moment. Dance.

No fighting? No greater understanding. He was merely an acquaintance to her sister, or kept at the level of one-- walls up. Gloves on.

She put up her nose to him, finding it easy to look down on him in that moment. She reached for the glass and took an intentional sip-- eyes on him, watching his reaction.

 

[Darth Empyrean]

“Don’t understand her?”, he said with a quiet muse, choosing to play along.​

​

He swirled the pink liquid around in its glass, his eyes dancing across her face looking for emotion. Her wall wasn’t as strong as Srina’s - and while she posed herself as the same, while her features were identical to Srina, she lacked important, minor details that made Srina the Dread Queen. Eira was far more a… Spooky princess in the moment.​

​

“Praytell, what is it I don’t know about her, Eira?”, his brow cocked with the question.​

​

“If you’ve some grand knowledge I’ve yet to attain, please - enlighten me.”​

​

His smile grew cruel as his words mocked her, even without directly insulting her. The implication was there -​

​

“You know - if you fought me as well as you tried to insult me; you would’ve still lost, but at least you wouldn’t have been so disappointing, Eira.”​

​

Eira Talon​