When they had first met on Onderon, the palace was tranquil, peaceful and orderly. When they last met on Onderon, the palace was partially destoyed as it served as the tragic center of a brutal Mandalorian attack. This time was different too. Scaffoldings and construction cranes littered both the Royal Palace and the rest of Iziz. It was noisy, not only from the busy construction crews, but also what appeared to be ad hoc training grounds for the defence force and the Royal Guard. Despite the new King's reputation of being passive and doing little more than the bare minimum, it would appear that things ran smoothly - and the Onderonian defences seemed to have improved.
In addition to the humid Onderonian air swweping inside the Jedi's ship came the clatter of steel, instructors barking commands at their troops and blasters bolts hitting their mark at a temporary firing range. Somethings may very well have stood out to the keen observer: Numerous circles were drawn on the grounds where soldiers dueled against each other. Many of the troops carried jet packs and compared to last time, remarkably many wore heavy armour. Clearly, the Onderonians had not shied away from anything Mandalorian - it could even be said that they were leaning into it.
Vince found himself inside the cirle nearest the landing pad. The elegant whites and golds which had formerly decorated his apparel had now been replaced. The black robes he now wore, while regal in their own right, looked simple. Wherever the royal funds were going, it certainly was not to the King's wardrobe. Vince had changed too: Although he retained the athletic appearance of the past, rigorous training had made his steps heavier and his strength considerably more pronounced.
He was locked in combat with one of the Royal Guards. Both seemed to have been fighting for a while already. The Monarch's blue eyes were quickly drawn to the guest as she descended down the ramp. It was an opportunity which his foe pounced on with a charge. Vince grunted in pain as his foe's side hit him - but he was quick to shift his footing: From loosing balance, he now leaned into the new momentum whilst grabbing the Royal Guard by the belt. With one switft motion, he produced enough strength to thrust his foe out of the circle. The price he had to pay was that he fell down too - but at least he remained inside.
Victorious, he bowed his head to his guard whilst standing back up. It had only been a few moments since she stepped off of the ramp but he still walked with hurried steps to greet her.
"Master Noble" he said, approaching her with long strides and a warm gaze.
"We are so glad to see you" he did not quite smile - but it was the closest he had been to letting one form in a very long time.
"We hope your journey here was safe. Things have been unstable lately. These are perilous times."
Vince
