Parties & Pleasantries

[Aela Talith]

Coruscant
[member="Jamie Pyne"]

Aela shifted slightly, her dress swishing as she moved.

Her hair was tied back into a tight ponytail, her face was smeared with make-up, and a set of fancy ear rings hung from her lobes. She appeared ready for a fancy part, which was a good thing since she was attending one.

Coruscant was a planet that in recent years had seen turmoil. A decade ago the world had been conquered by the One Sith, it's people turned to slaves, it's resources taken to fight a war, and it's city nearly ravaged by invasion after invasion. Several months ago the world had finally been retaken by the Galactic Alliance, it's populace freed and it's government reinstated. Since then however things had gotten...well complicated.

In a world of nearly one trillion residence there were always complications.

Though most of the One Sith had been completely cleared off of the planet certain more stubborn elements still remained. Cells of assassins, spies, and even Sith had remained deep within the city world, hiding and biding their time. Even with their government now defunct these groups still operated with near impunity, moving through the muck of the underworld and surviving with practiced ease.

It was these groups why Aela was at this party.

The event was hosted by a former Senator of the Republic, a man that now had taken it upon himself to take up the cause of the lower levels of Coruscant. Cirl Naevarin, a Human man who by all scrutiny seemed to only have an eye for good. The man was doing his best to raise funds and clear the lower levels of scum and villainy, a difficult thing to do on the wealth of one man alone. Thus this part was being held to raise funds.

Of course cleaning up the lower levels was bad news for the remaining Terrorists, and thus they wanted nothing more than to stop it. The SIS had received intelligence that an attempt would be made on Senator Naevarin's life, and thus, Aela and Jamie, along with a small contingent of 5th Legion soldiers had been sent to assist CoreSec with security arrangements.

"Jamie." Aela said as she gently touched her ear. "All set?"

The Jedi Marshal asked her Padawan as she slowly wandered across the party, her eyes darting slowly from person to person.

 

[Jamie Pyne]

A brilliant and sparkling sky blue dress clung tightly to the slender woman's form as she navigated the massive function hall that would serve as the fund raiser and ball for the senator's event. Hundreds of people were in attendance, if not more. The sea of bodies made gaining an exact count rather difficult. The main floor was open and inviting, marble flooring with spiraling columns six by six on either side supported the upper levels that served as both seating and balcony overlook. Both spaces were generously filled with party goers. Whilst Aela wandered about the lower level, Jamie stood on the balcony, passing her eyes through the crowd until she spotted the Jedi Master.

"I'm here. Above. To your left. Second balcony."

She had to keep her message brief, as by the time Aela would see her a man in a tuxedo with two glasses of champagne approached Jamie, offering the girl one as a conversation opener. A single eye caught her master before shifting to the man, accepting the glass graciously.

"Thank you." She said with a chirpy tone and a warm smile. "And you are?" The man returned a glistening white smile, lifting his glass to her as a symbolic toast to a new acquaintance. "Lord Aiden Styles, Miss Pyne." Jamie raised an eye in surprise. One thing she hadn't expected was for someone to identify her here on Coruscant. "You know me?" The curiosity in her voice sprang forward as she sipped from the glass. "But of course my lady. A brilliant speech you gave regarding the recent terrorist attacks. And my many condolences as well. I heard of the tragedy and the loss of so many lives."

It was in that singular moment that she realized a lot more people may very well recognize who she was now that her face had been all over galactic news channels.

[member="Aela Talith"]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

That was a fact the SIS hadn't ignored of course. They had monitored Jamie's communication with the galaxy and registered it in their files. It was the reason that they had been selected for this particular mission. Much like Jamie, Aela was also somewhat famous, at least here on Coruscant.

Though the idea had never really registered with the older woman Aela had been one of the leading charges during the Liberation of Coruscant. She, along with the 5th Legion, had reclaimed the Senate District for the Alliance, taking it through a brutal day and a half of fighting. That had earned her more than a little renown. A few people had already spoken to Aela because of it, either thanking her or attempting to discuss some sort of politics.

The fame was why they were here.

Though it was fairly well known that Aela was a Jedi, Jamie really wasn't.

That little 'secret', along with the general presence of two trained operatives meant that Aela and Jamie were valuable as security. They would see things that regular people wouldn't while still interacting within the confines of the crowd. It was like being being half-way undercover. They were acting as security, but ostensibly they were here simply to enjoy the party. Aela as liberator of Coruscant, and Jamie as the activist from Naboo.

Made sense really. "Careful now. He has stars in his eyes."

Aela said with amusement as she wandered through the main floor.

 

[Jamie Pyne]

If only she could have responded to that little comment in her ear. "I appreciate your concern and sympathies, Lord Styles." Jamie lowered her head for a moment. "We are working closely with the Alliance, as well as our planetary defense force, and our network of contacts to locate and apprehend the ones responsible for these attacks. Sadly it is a slow and arduous process." The man nodded, taking a small sip from the small glass flute. "It would seem as though each time we stand atop the precipice of peace, another great darkness befalls us."

It was poetic, but Jamie had lived her entire life with the sort of people Aiden Styles was. The facade of empathy and compassion was a mask worn just as commonly as the clothes on his back. Small tells gave away his true lack of remorse, not out malicious intent, but out of ulterior motives. She'd seen it before, loosen the tongue with alcohol, lower the guard through kind words and gestures, and then make the move. The move of course was one of gathering information, or the other more nefarious: lust.

This was the aspect of nobility she despised. Smooth words and a sharp tongue were what allowed most people like Aiden and she to get away with things others would find themselves in chains for. Turning back she leaned forward, resting her forearms on the balcony railing, the glass of champagne in her hand just over the edge. She turned her head as Aiden stood abreast of her, his hand finding its way on her lower back. Jamie did not enjoy his forwardness nearly as much as she pretended.

"I hope to bring peace, and a sense of security back to my people."

[member="Aela Talith"]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

Aela wandered through the main floor until she found the man she was looking for. When she reached him the man gave her probably the warmest smile she had ever seen. "Senator."

She bowed her head in respect. The man reminded her in an odd way of her father. They both had a sense of education about them, like they knew something that they were more than willing to share if you just asked. The kindness in his eyes added to that. Aela, oddly enough, found herself liking this man before he had even spoken a word. There was simply something genuine about him.

"Lady Talith....or is it Master? I never know with Jedi I'm afraid."

"Either or will do fine, Senator." She said with a smile. "I believe you knew my father, Senator. Soliael Talith."

The man's face broke out in a wide, beaming smile.

"I did indeed! That man. How is he?"

Aela was glad to see that the Senator remembered. Her father had been...somewhat notorious during his time in the Senate. He had apparently added a bit of flare to the proceedings of most regular Senate meetings, outright insulting some Senators and calling others fools. Some of his colleagues had enjoyed these antics...others not so much. It appeared that this man had been a part of the former group, something that Aela was rather thankful for. "My father is well, he and my mother have decided to take a trip through the Rishi Maze."

The Senator nodded with some interest, smiling and asking a few more questions.

 

[Jamie Pyne]

The man shifted, his hand moved notably lower on her back. The instant that happened she shot up, the champagne nearly spilling over the edge of the glass, threatening to fall on the head of some person below. Her eyes told all the words she needed to speak. What a terrible, terrible time to make a pass so incredibly forward. Jamie was already not in the best of mind states, coupled with the last few weeks of rather traumatic experiences, this man's hand copping a feel of her bottom was overboard.

"Apologies, Miss Pyne. I-" Jamie didn't even give him the chance to finish his thought. Her wrist flicked forward, the glass in her hand tilting and cast the contents of the sparkling crystal stemware all over the man's face and tux, dousing him in the sweet aroma of champagne before she stammered off towards the grand staircase that lead down to the main floor of the room. Aiden remained where he stood, cursing her name and hopelessly attempting to dry himself off.

"He just grabbed my ass!" She whispered quite angrily into Aela's earpiece as she made her way down. "The nerve!"

[member="Aela Talith"]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

"It's really a fantastic cause, the Coruscant Underworld isn't hopeless..."

Aela tried to keep a straight face as the Senator kept speaking, Jamie's voice echoing in her ear as she told of what the boy had done. It was incredibly difficult not to burst out into laughter, but somehow she managed to keep it together. Jamie had been through a tough few weeks as of late, Bastion, Dxun, everything that had happened with Kurt, he couldn't blame her for throwing a drink in the boys face....but it was still funny. Eventually she had to put her hand in front of her mouth, acting as though she was simply scratching her upper lip as she gave a wide grin.

As the Senator finished speaking she gave one last nod.

"Excuse me Senator, there's some things I must attend to. I hope we can continue this conversation later." The Older man nodded, giving Aela another smile and a few pleasantries before saying that he would like her to greet her father the next time she saw him. Aela nodded her head and then turned away from the Senator, scanning the room to look for Jamie.

She spotted her padawan angrily tromping down the nearby stairs.

Aela smirked and slowly wandered over to her padawan, trying to keep her expression stoic but failing horribly.

 

[Jamie Pyne]

Aela thought it was just hilarious. Jamie could see it in her eyes. She could read it on her lips. The blonde could feel it resonating from her.

"It's not funny." She said with such indignation. "Who just does that to someone you've shared all of five minutes with?"

Clearly some forms of nobility were a bit more forward with their style of pleasantries or suggestive behavior. Jamie was neither fond of nor amused by such.

"Is that him?" The Padawan asked, nodding with her head towards the senator Aela had been speaking with shortly before Jamie interrupted. Unsurprisingly public events and things like this were quick to be targeted by assassins, terrorists, and other nefarious types. Blending in was much simpler, as was escaping when a crowd of panicked people stampeded their way through anyone attempting to corral them. That was the assumption here as well, someone would take advantage of a vulnerable moment and try to kill the man. That was after all why she and Aela were sent here.

"Does he know he's being targeted?"

Jamie wasn't certain whether or not the Alliance had found it prudent to inform the man or if he had actually been the one to reach out to them.

[member="Aela Talith"]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

"He knows." Aela said with a nod. "He doesn't know about us however. They thought it prudent he and his security remained uninformed. Only the Director of Operations knows that the Alliance has tasked additional forces to help out."

That had been done mostly to stop any leaks of information.

The trouble with a place like Coruscant was...well accessibility. It was the chief concern about this world. The airspace, streets, and pretty much every other area of this world were difficult, if not impossible to regulate. Almost anyone could get onto the planet if they wanted to, and that usually meant people with money. That money could be used for bribes, like the ones that had probably gotten to the Senators security team by now. It was an unfortunate, and quite disgusting fact of this place.

"I'm going to head to the roof." She told Jamie quietly.

There were still prying ears nearby.

"Keep an eye out here." Aela cast a glance towards the man that had grasped Jamie's ass. "Do you want me to throw him off the balcony on my way?"

 

[Jamie Pyne]

"I almost wouldn't object." She said with a shrug. "But no. I think I made my point abundantly clear."

Of course if he decided that he wanted to bother her again, well the next time might require a bit more force to get the point across.

"I'll keep watch. Besides, there's food I hear somewhere in this sea of people. Wouldn't stay up there too long though, it's terribly cold." Cold enough to see the cold air create the small clouds with each breath. Too cold.

It wouldn't be too difficult for Jamie to look out for the man they were sent to protect. For now he was mingling with large groups of people at a time. No assassin would take quite a large risk as to murder someone surrounded by a group of people. While there were certainly plenty of windows, they were all far above the main level, allowing only a modest viewpoint into the building from any point outside. If killing was going to be done, it would have to be from inside.

Jamie was however, curious about what Aela was going up to the roof for. As much as she wanted to ask she didn't want to be seen chatting under breath too much with the woman, lest they risk giving away what they were really doing on Coruscant to someone with a trained eye or ear.

[member="Aela Talith"]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

She nodded to Jamie.

Though the two of them had, in the grand scheme of things, really only met recently Aela had become rather protective of her Padawan. It was true enough that such a thing was natural, but she found that their relationship was...well similar to what she held with her own siblings. Perhaps it was so natural because in age she and Jamie weren't all that far apart, or maybe it was just how Aela had decided to fold herself into place. Either way, she sometimes felt like an older sister to the younger girl, though she had no idea if Jamie felt the same way.

The Marshall passed by her Padawan, heading up the stairs she had just gone down.

As she passed by the man that had grasped Jamie's buttocks Aela couldn't help but notice he was still fussing with his jacket. The man desperately attempted to shift and move the material to make it at least appear as though it wasn't drenched. Aela frowned slightly, and then subtly yanked her hand down. The force would suddenly grip the man's palm, and he would find himself applying a bit too much strength to a shift in his jacket.

A tearing noise rang out, the man's jacket ripping lengthwise. A surprised looked crossed his face, quickly followed by anger.

Aela smiled smugly, looking away from the boy before heading over towards the elevators.

On the roof she would meet up with Ian, who along with four other 5th Legion soldiers had taken up scouting positions throughout the area. She would have contacted them via radio, but she wanted to see the layout of the roof for herself, just in case.

 

[Jamie Pyne]

If Jamie had seen what Aela had done she wouldn't have been able to contain the laughter. Instead she moseyed her way over towards the wonderful looking spread of hors d'oeuvres, various fancy cheeses imported from across the galaxy, fresh fruits and an abundance of incredible smelling foreign carving stations, each with an individual chef to cut and serve guests as they passed by. Jamie hadn't eaten a meal quite this fancy since the last time she stopped home.

Now is the time to indulge your inner demons, Jamie. Just go for it. What have you got to lose? Look at your life, it's in shambles. Kurt knocked up his roommate.Your dad had an affair and a secret love child, you nearly died on three different planets, and here you are, at another fancy party wondering when someone else is going to make another attempt to assassinate someone. Just be fat for once.

She caved. Grabbing a pair of plates the girl went station to station, taking a sample of just about every item that was on offer, including somehow managing to balance a full glass of wine between the two plates, before finding her way to a table that provided adequate coverage of the rest of the room. As she sat down and looked at her plate she realized just what state of living she was in. She wasn't happy with herself, but she was happy now. And now was all that mattered.

Without another thought she began to eat, eyes rolling back, wallowing in self indulgence and food ecstasy.

[member="Aela Talith"]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

"Ian." Aela called out as the Elevator doors snapped open. The Marshall instantly learned that Jamie hadn't been kidding about the temperature, the wind pressing at her skin and nearly threatening to tear off her dress. She shivered slightly as she motioned for the Soldier to come over her. The man wasn't dressed in standard armor, instead wearing the same outfit as a CoreSec officer to try and fit in better. "What's going on?"

She shivered slightly.

The roof seemed to have three officers on it, two of them with heavy blaster rifles and Ian with a small datapad. There were several sensor systems set up across the roof, and she marked a few ways that this place could be used as a landing zone for.

"Not much, Ma'am. I don't think the threat will come from the outside, building is too secure."

She nodded her head and wrapped her arms around herself. What Ian said had been exactly her fear. The intelligence they'd received had said there would be an attempt on the Senators life, more details than that had escaped them however. They had done all they could to secure the building, and at this point one would need an entire army to gain entrance. That meant the Assassin was either warded off, or was already inside among the guest and Staff. "Don't relax, keep a look out."

Ian nodded, and then Aela slowly stepped back inside the lift.

A bundle of nerves began to form in her stomach. She had a bad feeling about all of this.

 

[Jamie Pyne]

Jamie munched away at the food in her two plates, earning more than a few looks from several others as she sat alone enjoying what looked to be way more than her petite frame could handle. She kept a watchful, yet cordial eye on the senator as he made the rounds, shaking hands and introducing guests to one another, thanking them for attending and bidding others a farewell as they took their leave. It all seemed rather familiar to her. Back home she would have been in his position. She didn't envy him this evening. No, right now it was just her, her two plates of food, and the towering glass of wine she had filled to the brim. Everything else seemed in place. There had been no sign of shady characters or people with ill intent, save for Mr. Grabby Hands back on the balcony.

Speaking of. She lifted her eyes to see the man making his way towards her, torn, soggy jacket and all.

With fork in hand she plucked the small halved potato from the utensil with her teeth, chewing as the fork lingered off to the side, idle in her hand. Blue eyes raised to meet his hazels. "Back so soon, are we?" Clearly this man did not get the hint. Would she really waste another drink on his attire? It seemed hardly worth the effort of having to get up to refill another glass. The man pulled free the chair beside her and sat down abruptly. She recoiled a bit at just how wet his tuxedo was, and the size of the tear in the jacket.

"Dance with me." He said rather demanding. Jamie cocked her head to the side, raising an eye before setting down the fork. "Dance. With you?" She leaned a bit closer and whispered. "Get Karked Aiden."

[member="Aela Talith"]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

The elevator doors popped open, Aela rubbing her arms as she tried to get a little bit of warmth back into herself.

For some reason she had always imagined Coruscant to be...warmer. Perhaps it was because most of the planets weather was entirely artificial, but then again it made sense that sometimes they had to make the world cold, maintaining heat at all times couldn't have been an easy thing. She shifted slightly, moving her hands back down to her side so no one stared at her. Her eyes flicked towards the balcony, looking for the man that had accosted Jamie, as if checking to make sure he had stayed put.

When she saw that he had left she shook her head, wandering to take his place on the balcony.

She came to the ornate railing in a few moments, leaning forward and taking in the sights of the main hall below.

Aela caught sight of the Senator first, watching him as he chatted with one of the attendants. Her gaze cast over the rest of the room, eyes eventually falling on Jamie...and then the boy. She frowned deeply, her eyes staring holes into the back of his head. Even from here he could see the tear in his jacket. "Punch him."

She quietly said into her radio.

 

[Jamie Pyne]

Is she being serious? Jamie wondered. For a long second she nearly acted on that suggestion, though thought better of it considering what they were here for. Instead she ignored the man and set her eyes around the room to find where Aela was. Clearly she'd made it back inside and had spotted her, and the man that was incredibly determined to pester her for the length of the evening. Finally she saw her, up above where she herself had been a few minutes prior. Their eyes lingered on one another before she returned to the man's demand.

"I suggest you do as your told, my dear." His voice suddenly turned oddly cryptic and subtly threatening. The blonde adjusted her posture, eying him with suspicion. "And why might I do that?"

The man ran his tongue over his lips, as if savoring the moment. "My friends here are going to crash this party soon. They know all about you as well. Two birds, one stone." He leaned forward, taking her glass of wine for himself. "You needn't have to share senator Naevarin's fate, so long as you do as your instructed from this point on." A scowl fell over her as the man leaned in uncomfortably close, brushing back the hair covering the comm that she had hidden away in her ear. With a smile he pulled it free, taking it into his hand as he teased her hair before sitting back in the chair. "Ah. Much better!" He exclaimed. "Now. How about that dance?"

[member="Aela Talith"]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

How did these people keep figuring out their plans? Perhaps the SIS had a leak of some sort. She frowned for a moment. Perhaps they didn't know that Aela was working with Jamie...maybe...hopefully. She frowned slightly and tried to act naturally. She'd luckily been able to pick up what the man had said, at least bits and pieces, but it wasn't even to really do anything. 'His friends' could still be anyone here, the list wasn't exactly narrowed.

"Sorry Jamie." Aela said quietly.

Her padawan would just have to suffer through dancing with the man, perhaps try and get more information. Aela panned her gaze towards the Senator, then across the room once more. She tried to see if anyone would call attention to themselves by looking at Jamie and Aiden, but when she found nothing she let out a curse. "Ian."

She spoke quietly into her comm.

"Get changed and get down here." She needed someone else. "Jamie just met one of our assassins."

Aela frowned slightly, and then looked at her padawan. She wanted to get a message to her, tell her...her gaze flicked to the bracelet around her wrist. They had never tried it before...but...she frowned and closed her eyes. She tried to send an impression to Jamie, not a thought exactly, but and idea, a simple one really. Question.

 

[Jamie Pyne]

Did he know about Aela? Or just that she was working with someone? Perhaps he and whomever he was with had spotted the two chatting earlier. Perhaps they hadn't, and just saw her talking mysteriously to herself earlier in the evening. Regardless there wasn't much she could do at the moment. All that could be hoped for was that Aela had heard at least part of the man's words. Her lips were dabbed with the napkin before setting it aside on the table. Jamie then pushed back on her chair, standing in tandem with Aiden as she offered him her hand.

The man in the torn tuxedo led her to the floor, taking Jamie into a close embrace. They stood eye to eye, though Jamie's expression was far less enthused to be a part of this. In the next moment the blonde blinked which prompted a momentary pause in time as Aela's transferred message projected into her mind by way of their paired bracelets. It was simple, but oddly cryptic. Question?

"Who are you? Why are you doing this?" Pretty simple and straightforward questions. The man's hand slid to the small of her back, lingering dangerously close to what got him a flute of champagne thrown in his face earlier. "Credits, Lady Pyne. Credits run the galaxy." He almost looked proud of that response. "One man's political gain is paid for in credits and favors. We are the delivery of that gain."

[member="Aela Talith"]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

If there was one, there had to be others. They knew that none of the assassins would come from outside the building, so they had to be infiltrators, like the man that had seized Jamie. She frowned for a moment as she studied everyone in the room.

The smart thing would have been to just cancel the party.

If they got the Senator out of there and back to a safehouse there was no way anyone could get to him. The plot would be foiled and everything would be set, but that also meant they wouldn't catch the conspirators, nor would they be able to stop any further plots. She frowned for a moment, and then heard the chirp of the Turbo-lift open up behind her. She turned her head and saw Ian, dressed in a neat tuxedo though looking as though he'd just come out of a warzone.

"Jamie is down there with one of the plotters." She said quietly to the Marine. "I need eyes on anyone that would be watching them."

The marine didn't argue, just took her place on the balcony.

Aela meanwhile turned and left, wandering down the stairs and back down the main hall. There had to be something she could do, something that she could look for. Her lips thinned, and slowly she made her way through the small crowd that had gathered on the base of the steps. As she reached the main hall the music slowly began to switch, turning into something more classical but quick.

 

[Jamie Pyne]

"You didn't answer my first question." She reminded Aiden. "Who are you?" She hoped that pressing him for answers and seeming helpless would open him up a bit more. "We are nobody. A passing breeze. Ghosts." He spun her around before pulling her back close to him. "You'll not have heard of us. We hold no name. No titles. We simply are." More cryptic nonsense. "So you're just mercenaries. Hired killers. Blights on the galaxy."

He smirked, seemingly enjoying her tenacity. "We help to shape the galaxy in favor of those who can afford to be at the helm."

The music changed, though it seemed as if by design. He matched the tempo, shifting into a more modern tango with her. "And if you were paid to abandon this endeavor instead?" If they were after credits it meant there was an angle to work perhaps. "Not that simple, doll." If this hadn't been one of the most uncomfortable experiences she'd ever shared with a man she might have complimented Aiden on his dancing. "We were paid to shift the balance. To shift the power at the helm."

Mercenaries and their code.

[member="Aela Talith"]