Westjer Airijac
Character
Seven years. Every year, for seven years, the corporate elites of Denon and the senior echelons of Denon's corporate security forces met in the comfort of the Denon spires to toast, to dance, to celebrate the year's many successes, and to both raise and donate dizzying amounts of credits to some of the galaxy's leading charities and philanthropic organizations. Senior Inspector Tynnith couldn't help but muse on how this was less of an overt deception and more of a careful omission of the truth as he exchanged greetings and shook hands with the many well-dressed guests as they steadily flowed into the rooftop mansion. There was certainly no shortage of guests to speak of; luxury airspeeders gently landed and took off from the landing court at the far end of the rooftop, where well-dressed CorpSec hosts dressed in crisp red and black formal uniforms opened doors and assisted guests down from their seats. Many guests took a moment to enjoy the authentic grass and trees that decorated the courtyard on their way to the entrance of the mansion, some even enjoying the imported greenery with equally expensive imported wines and spirits. After all, no expense was spared to ensure there was much to enjoy about the sky-high courtyard and its view over the luxurious [District 19].
Senior Inspector Tynnith bowed his head to yet another guest as the protocol droid beside him offered the guest a copy of the itinerary, which the guest politely declined. Tynnith's high collar had begun to irritate his neck half an hour ago and his polished silver mask felt cold and impersonal compared to his traditional bone mask. The battlefield for high society felt nothing quite like the field the Kaleesh naval officer was used to. At first, all those years ago as a mere ensign, he felt vexed by this duty. What place did CorpSec have entertaining merchant princes and robber barons with debutants, dancing, and fine dining? Yet before long, he grew an appreciation for ball and its true purpose. While credits certainly were raised in no small amount, only as much of this as CorpSec needed in tax breaks was truly donated. The rest, "generously" donated by the myriad corporate patrons of Denon, would contribute to the annual budget of CorpSec for the year to come, where it could purchase anything from wages to weapons. Naturally, these generous patrons of CorpSec would enjoy the benefits of their patronage until the next ball, including "priority" CorpSec response times, the potential for lucrative trades, and influence within the militant arms of CorpSec, to only name a few. Tynnith did not dare even speculate on what deals were struck in the back rooms of the mansions, but he did know one uncomfortable fact for certain: that the men and women of high society in attendance tonight would determine the fates of more lives in an evening from the halls of a mansion than he would in his entire career at the bridge of his ship. It was an ominous feeling, one that twisted and knotted in his stomach - but it was one he ignored.
Senior Inspector Tynnith bowed his head again and welcomed yet another guest to the mansion, his sheen silver mask doing much to conceal his thoughts. The protocol droid handed a copy of the itinerary to the woman in a beautiful, flowing blue, black, and gold dress. Reminding himself how insignificant he was in the whole affair did much to appease the gnawing knot in his stomach. After all, what was one man following orders in the grand scheme of the evening?
While many of the guests dared not mention it, one thought was silently shared between them: the terrorist declaration. Many well-connected executives and officers had reached the same conclusion: that CorpSec was preparing to go to war. But no war could be fought on will alone. Money was one concern, one that the ball historically did well to address. Another was belief and morale: if the men and women of CorpSec did not believe that this hypothetical war to come is just - if they did not truly believe in the cause - then the bottom line may well fall from an unfortunate reduction in efficiencies. So the decision was made that assorted officers from across the breadth of CorpSec would be offered invitations to the ball, with express direction to their superiors that non-attendance was not an option. The intention of this was twofold. Firstly, to try and curry the support of officers in several units. With any luck, they would bring this back to their teams, and if it didn't, their leaders could be replaced. The second was to encourage the corporate patrons of Corporate Security to be a little more generous. After all, these lovely CorpSec officers may well be putting down their lives for the bottom line in the coming months, so what're a few extra credits donated in good faith?
Despite the perhaps higher-than-usual stakes, the itinerary for the evening was very similar to the seven before it. The president of the Corporate Security Ball committee, a well-respected retiree from Corporate Security, would deliver his opening address in the main hall after allowing ample time for mingling. Guests would be invited into the east hall, where they may observe the evening's debutantes - young scions of the wealthy corporate families of Denon and even further abroad, each partnered with another young scion from an often suspiciously well-matched family and escorted by a well-dressed member of Corporate Security. The stage would then be made open to guests to dance as they desired. Food and drink would be made available throughout the evening, as well as lounge room retreats should a guest desire a more comfortable place to enjoy a drink with good company or to discuss business. To the well-connected, CorpSec close protection officers have already extended invitations to private rooms in the back of the mansion, where more sensitive business can be discussed away from prying eyes.
Many eyes were on the seven-third Corporate Security Ball, from elites to terrorists to media outlets alike. If it went to plan, it certainly would be one to remember.
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