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Mi'la didn't like to attend things like this, but she didn't have a choice. This was a charity for Kashyyyk, how could she not show? A charity for Jedi, how amusing. Yes, a small fund raising event, that...she turned out to be the only jedi in attendance. She was just glad she didn't have to wear a dress. Moving about, she felt a tad odd having to leave her sabers with the security gentleman, but it wasn't a concern. After all, this was a gala, not a warzone. She could do without the weapons for the time being.
Musing as she had to thank yet another overly friendly Nemodian, she had to ponder if maybe coming here was a mistake. At least, once they did the big speech, she could go and be on the way.
Mi'la Undari
wasn't the only one who hated affairs like this, Noah did as well. He was a soldier at heart so formal affairs like this where he had to brush shoulders and rub elbows with people who wanted to donated credits either to make themselves feel better, or in a lot of cases get some nice tax breaks, was not really his vision of a good time. His vision of a good time revolved around a battlefield, a gun and maybe some alcohol.
The fact that this gala was held on Cato Nemoida didn't make it much better either. He had traveled the galaxy from one end to the other and had met many different species and off all of them Nemoidans weren't exactly his favorite. While it might have been a tad speciest he often found Nemoidans to be...for a lack of better words, grating. Talking about business and credits seemed to be their go to for conversation.
It was for this reason that Noah had spent most of this gala at the bar, talking with some patrons about his company's and their ideals and how business was but for the most part he leaned up against it, dressed in a pair of slacks and a button up shirt, sipping quietly at a drink.
Unable to deal with having to share another 'Jedi' story, Mi'la retreated to a bar. Dodging handshakes, flirts, and that one Rodian investor that just could not stop trying to grab her headtails. She managed to arrive at the bar, cheeks colored and puffed from trying to calm herself from the current situation. It was utterly insufferable the torment that she was having to endure right now, but she tried to remind herself that it was for the greater good.
At the bar, she waved the man down, managing a tired smile, as she ordered herself a water; on the rocks mind you.
As the drink came to her hand, she glanced to the man aside from her, a worn looking man, who didn't seem to enjoy all this standing around; not unlike her. Smiling slightly, she took a long sip from her glass, nodding. "Not one for parties?" She asked softly, just a tad louder than the Jizz music that was playing on the stage.
Small talk wasn't the worst thing in the galaxy after all.
Noah continued to sip at his drink, Balmorra gin with some kind of diet soda, preferring not to drink sugar as it tended to disagree with him. He watched the events around him play out and shook his head, all he saw was a bunch of corporate movers and shakers, financiers and bluebloods who wanted to feel better about themselves.
His gaze was however drawn to something much more interesting, a lavender skinned Twi'lek. Not any mere Twi'lek however, judging by the outfit she wore she was definitely a Jedi. He watched as she was harassed in everything but name by the guests at the Gala, shaking his head that not even a keeper of the peace could ironically find some peace.
When she made her way over to the bar Noah turned around, not wanting to give her the idea that he had been staring. Quietly sipping his drink his eyes shot over to her when she sat down and he turned back to face her when she spoke, giving her a small smile. "Oh no don't get me wrong, I love parties...but this ain't a party." He stuck out his hand towards the woman for her to shake. "Noah Corek. And you are?"
The man she spoke with seemed pleasant enough. His eyes seemed to indicate he not only knew she was a jedi, but had seen it before. Well, least that was one less topic to discuss. As Noah offered his hand, Mi'la offered hers in kind, smiling faintly. "Mi'la Undari, a pleasure." She politely added, moving to sip at her glass once again. There was something in the air that she felt, faintly at the back of her mind, but enough for the knight to glance towards the backstage. Several emotions flashed, all quick, each of a different mind. The power and suddenness of them indicated something sinister, yet they vanished before she could fixate upon them.
Strange.
Was it a mere behind the stage incident? Possible, but for something so strong....
She dismissed it. She wasn't going to start investigating and worrying herself over a stage hand slip up. Returning her attention to Noah, she brushed her fingers across her brow. "Like you said, this is no party. Though, honestly surprised I'm the only one from the order here. I hope that doesn't speak ill of us." Frankly, she hadn't a clue what anyone was doing. Aside from Amani Serys
and Master Wu Yeoh-Mei
, she hardly had much contact with anyone else for some time. "What brings you here? A man like you surely has better things to do." She complimented, then felt another strange pulse of emotion again, this time from the front of the building. She furrowed her brow, again trying to ignore it.
Was the management for the gala just incompetent, or could there be something else amiss?
Whatever it was, Mi'la was hoping it wouldn't become a problem.
He gave her hand a good and firm shake when she returned the gesture, if she was observant enough she would notice that Noah's hand was rough and calloused, showing him as a man who worked with his hands or at least use to work with his hands. "Well Knight Undari it is very nice to meet you. I'll admit that it's nice to meet someone who isn't stuck up or rich here, also you are rather unique skin pigmentation, lavender correct? One of the rarer colors for your species."
Noah raised his own glass and sipped when she threw her gaze to the backstage, his own gaze following having learned that when a Jedi was concerned about something that he couldn't see or sense it was best to be concerned as well. When he gaze fell away from backstage as did his. "Honestly I think it'd speak bad for the Order if there were more of you here. In my opinion Jedi have a much more important job than coming to a fundraiser like this, not that I think bad of you for being here at all."
When she asked why he was here he chuckled and sipped at his drink yet another time. "I work for a defense manufacturing firm and a private military corporation, a job that requires me to attend a lot of these functions, no matter how dull or boring that they might be." The term 'defense manufacturing firm' and 'private military corporation' were the political correct terms for selling guns and being a mercenary, whether Mi'la would know that or not were questionable.
From the brief contact they had made, the man's hands were a story in and of itself. A warrior perhaps? She wondered what culture. Perhaps this talk would reveal it. She giggled into her glass as he commented on her pigment, clearly he knew a bit of Twi'lek culture. "Indeed it is, not many people know that." She was amused by this exchange, though the distracts she felt did make it easy to lose focus.
For a change, he didn't think it was horrid to see a jedi before him. So many people had issues with the jedi now a days, and it seemed every single person wanted to tell her. "We're not in the best shape truthfully, between bounties, and our temples being bombed, they'd probably beg me to go into hiding." She shrugged, knowing there was little she could do about the plight of her order.
When Noah explained what he was doing there, the Twi'lek tilted her head to the side, eyeing him up, and giving a small nod to herself. "Private security? Curious. I've done work with various members of such groups. You don't seem the type, if I might say." Again, another ripple caught Mi'la's attention, as the woman looked back to the stage, only to see a group of men walking out, armed with blaster rifles and holding what seemed to be a well dress Rodian at the front.
Startled, she fixated on what she was seeing, then turned her gaze back to the front, finding four men with similar armament starting to herd guests closer towards the stage. Knowing she didn't have her saber on her person, and it was only a matter of time until the men fixated on them, Mi'la began looking for a way to maneuver. "This isn't good."
Noah grinned when he noticed that he got her to giggle, yes Noah was married but a bit of harmless flirting never hurt anyone. When she mentioned that she was surprised he knew something about Twi'lek culture. "Not many people bother to study my culture, thinking it not worth their time since we're just a 'violent' and 'warlike' people. So to counterbalance that I've studied many cultures in my time, Twi'lek culture has been of particular interest to me...and not just for the beautiful women." He gave her a wink before sipping at his drink.
When she spoke about the state of the current Jedi Order he nodded in assent to her words. "I'll admit while my people and the Jedi have never really gotten along, but I'll also admit that a galaxy without a proper Jedi Order usually tends to be a much darker and more hostile galaxy." Noah was very careful to make sure not to mention who exactly his people were, only giving hints to the woman, it being well known that Jedi and Mandalorian's didn't exactly mix well.
When she mentioned that he didn't seem the type to work private security he chuckled. "I'm not, nowadays I'm more of a supervisory role. As for my qualifications well...thirteen years as a commando in the Republic Army, seven years as a contractor in the Omega Pyre security services, five years in the Alliance and New Republic and the rest of the time as a commander in certain military forces."
Noah's attention was also drawn to their rather noticeable disruption to the night. Much like Mi'la he had also been forced to relinquish his weaponry...most of it. Reaching to the small of his back he pulled a small dagger he had been able to keep hidden from security. "I count eight...rifles and pistols...probably have some grenades as well. We've got a knife between the two of us...we need to get one of their weapons."
She had to ponder from what walk of life Noah came from. There were a few 'warlike' cultures, namely Mandalorians, but it was a bit unkind to just assume someone was Mandalorian off of that alone. She clearly needed to do more study on human warrior cultures; so many things to study so little time. She gave an amused eye roll at his flirt, snickering. "So I've heard." She jested. Like she hadn't heard that before, but at least it was in good fun.
She wasn't surprised to hear that his people had issues with the jedi, at this point who hadn't? Again, that could be everyone. He had to be doing this on purpose. "I myself have my own problems with the order, again, who doesn't? But, I appreciate the notion Mister Noah. I apologize for any trouble my people might have inflicted on your own. I...the Force sometimes falls on the deaf ears of many masters, and I feel they react rather poorly far too often." She really didn't understand why the council the way it was at times. But so was the way of things.
Listening to what Noah said of his job, Mi'la found it rather fitting. He was a fit man yes, but he lacked the grace of youth to his features; not that she was about to tell him that. "Quite a colored back ground, though I imagine a blaster is never far from your hand." She smiled, though the conversation was quickly derailed by the uninvited guests.
Frowning, she looked to Noah, and caught the glint of his dagger. Aside from the fact he had smuggled a dagger into a charity event, she was on board with his plan. She calmed her expression, showing a faint smile as she reached out with the Force. "I think I can manage that, close your eyes." She stated, glancing towards the approaching men, and feeling for a grenade. Two of the men moved towards the pair, as the bartender was sent cowering under the bar. She took hold of two man farther away, seizing on the primmer for their flash grenades, and took in a slow breath. "Now."
As she spoke, the grenades erupted, blinding the two men, startling the men on the stage, and causing the two before the pair to turn back, giving an opening to move, as the rest of the audience erupted into mayhem.
Noah was happy that she didn't immediately jump to the conclusion that he was a Mandalorian, a nice change of pace since that is what people tended to do off of the cuff. The corner of his mouth tugged into a smile when she rolled her eyes, having enough social cognizance to realize that she was amused and not annoyed at his flirting, harmless as it was. "Though I mean, the beautiful women were definitely a plus to the whole experience." His smile growing a little as he winked.
When she apologized for the Order as a whole he chuckled and shook his head. "No need to apologize, it's not like you were involved personally with it. Besides my people weren't exactly blameless in our dealings as well...we did try to conquer the galaxy at one point in time." With that little tidbit he had laid out there would be no doubt that he was in fact a Mandalorian.
When she mentioned blasters Noah shrugged and shook his head. "I prefer slugthrowers over blasters. Slugthrowers are more versatile, can be suppressed much easier and are a lot more durable...doesn't hurt that the psychological factor is a lot worse when a slug hits you compared to a blaster bolt."
With their conversation cut short by the intruders and a inkling of a plan forming Noah waited for Mi'la to make a move and he followed her lead, closing his eyes when she said too. Closing his eyes didn't help with the deafening bang of the grenade going off, living up to its name of 'flash-bang'.
Opening his eyes he clutched the dagger in his fist, as one did with a push dagger, and stepped towards the nearest intruder and quickly stabbed them, dropping them to the floor in the blink of an eye. Quickly discarding the dagger he picked up their blaster rifle and immediately swiveled, taking down another pair before they had time to react.
Noah Corek
