Dominion The Golden Hand | EE Dominion of Empty Hex

[Sentiri]

Objective: 3 - BYOO - long overdue catch up with the family
Tags: Karisa
Equipment: dress

The elder Chiss sister smirked at her younger sister's quip. "I'm starting to wonder whether or not my vagrant ways have been as useful as I once thought. Those days may be coming to an end." Truthfully, she was starting to tire. Chasing someone who apparently didn't want to be found was exhausting. Settling down in a single spot sounded like bliss to her.

Sentiri grabbed her own glass of wine and sipped slowly away. She eyed trays of hors d'oeuvres but nothing struck her fancy. The others in attendance didn't hold her interest. She was there to support her sister. Nothing else mattered. The slightly older Chiss woman nodded along to Ari's comings and goings, taking particular interest in some of the surprising details.

"We do seem to have been dashed to the stars haven't we? From the Ascendancy to the First Order, back to the Ascendancy and once more into the galaxy. We do what we must to survive. And, if your title is anything to go by, I'd say you're surviving quite nicely." Not a tinge of jealousy passed her lips. Her sister deserved her success, no matter how the success came about. Her achievements spoke for themselves. And while Sentiri's recent string of failures stung, she felt nothing but pride for her sister-by-marriage.

"Yes. Malicar is a name I have heard, though I've not had the chance to meet him. He is a major shareholder on Denon, where I currently reside. He must be very successful to have such a reach between the Core to Chiss Space to the Outer Rim. But tall, dark, and handsome, you say? Charismatic, even? These are details that were not among what I have heard. Dear Ari, do I hear a hint in your description?" She couldn't help but tease. After all of her own exploits with which she regaled her little sister, she had always waited to hear something in return. After all, the heir to the House of Sabosen came with more than one pressure, more than one area that demanded success. And, despite all of Sentiri's trifles, that too, was just another failure.

Rather than feel the cold sting of her defeats, she warmed her heart with Karisa's successes. "Of course! I'd be honored to be your guest again. Remind me what a home really is. Though I must admit, you have me surprised to hear that you've found a home outside of Chiss space, and with a people not your own. How have you been adjusting?"

 

[Ben Craig]

Ben Craig
Director of The Military Department of Advanced Weapons Research; Vice-Secretary of State; CEO of N&Z Umbrella Corporation​

Location: Vexillium, Neutral Space
Dress: Link
Focus: Credius , Ingrid L'lerim , Open

​

Ben knew the chancellor would not outright discipline him publicly. It would be in his best interests to avoid the man at all costs after the event. Perhaps he should take that overdue vacation. Ben straightened his uniform, he could feel the tension brewing. Hopefully the chancellor would understand the director's intention and not see it as a rash decision. Ingrid was the Eternal Empire's heir should something happen to the Emperor, so it would be expected of Ben to introduce himself to the emperor's hand. He had made it his duty to integrate himself within the elites of every corporation, organization and faction he had come across.

Ben forced himself to look at the chancellor when he spoke. He cleared his throat and nodded, "Of course my lord." There was not much he could say. Ben stiffened when Credius gripped his shoulder. Ben knew he wasn't in any immediate danger. The chancellor wouldn't harm him...publicly. Ben then gave a slight smile. He was too much of a valuable asset to simply dispose of. Questions would be asked if he were to disappear. The director was the Chancellor's lead scientist afterall. All things considered it seemed the chancellor needed Ben more than the other way around. Or that was what Ben's inflated ego told him.

Ben replied with the same curt nod, "Of course. I would never mean to offend anyone." Ben thought of an excuse before he stopped and turned to Ingrid when she spoke.

​

​

 

[Karisa]

Objective: 3 - BYOO (Chat with Sissy, then go from there)
Tag: Sentiri
Attire: Dress, Hair

​

The two Chiss ladies slowly made their way through the patrons gathered to a table that was far enough away from the ballroom music so they could still hold a conversation. Karisa was getting less and less excited about attending such functions, but it was her duty as Barness of Verkuyl and a Loyalist to be seen. Plus if she was to make House Sabosen respectable and held in high esteem again, the self-appointed High Regent of the Chiss noble family would need to put in the work to see it through.

With her champagne gone, Karisa waved over a waiter and requested a bottle of their best Merlot and two glasses. It was her preferred red wine to drink.

"Perhaps... There are both pros and cons to setting down roots, but I tend to like stability and am more a traditionalist... Though you are already well aware of that, Tir. I have to be honest I do miss the old days. I wonder what if... a lot, but that sentimentality won't get me anywhere so I will make the best of this latest path afforded me after my two near-death experiences," she lamented, having survived as a prisoner of war and an assassination attempt. Obviously her work on this plane was not done yet. "I feel like this is my last opportunity to make a difference, if not for our people, the people I serve."

With her champagne gone, the Baroness waved over a waiter and requested a bottle of their best Merlot and two glasses. It was her preferred red wine to drink and knew Sentiri liked it as well.

The older Sabosen's query about Malicar made the younger squirm just a bit. To be honest, Karisa had no clue exactly what was going on between her and the Chiss shipping mogul. Their relationship seemed to be fluid. Ever since she'd made the proposition for him and her to have a child together, he'd been distant after the man had seemingly agreed with much zest. Men were fickle. It was either yes or no, there was no maybe.

"Malicar and I have been close off and on. He's been there for me since that fateful day. I don't know what else I can say other than the Chiss noble is in my life to some degree," she answered, then changed the spotlight on her sister. "Are you seeing anyone special? And Denon... Tell me about that?"

 

[Taozi Fuyuan]

Objective: Relax for once
Attire: Gown
Location: Garden area
Tags: Sterling Kinslayer
​

Normally Taozi enjoyed parties. Dressing up, meeting delegates from companies or planets, making connections... But this was not one she enjoyed. Too many people, too many Imperials, too much stress. She was thankful this luxury ship had a garden area, which was mostly empty it seemed. Apparently there were too many on this ship concerned with gambling and politics today.

At least no Imperials were bothering her.

Taozi was curious as to where her student had wandered off to, however, as she sat down on a bench. Sterling had insisted on coming along with her to this party, despite it being so far out of his usual excursions with her. No complaints would be heard from Taozi, however, as it gave her a familiar face to speak with. Someone she didn't have to keep on her toes with, and could speak freely around.

Oh well. He'd find her eventually, even if she had taken one of the more winding, almost hidden, paths through the ships garden space.

 

[Kessia Miran]

Kessia Miran
Chameleon, Knight Warden of the Wardens of the Shroud, Agent of Blackwatch, sithspawn, L’lerim’s right hand​

Location: Vexillium, Neutral Space
Equipment: Attire | Looks (yes, this time she is a he)
Tag: Loreena Arenais-Valhoun | Open

”Just remember, my Love, that the Emperor is a Darksider, so probably his disciple, too. Sometimes we can make quite… not very logical decisions if we let our emotions guide us. A raging Darksider would do anything to get what he wants. That’s why I’m glad she only uses imperial assets.”

She said the end rather grimly and seriously, and he thought so. Curtis smiled as Lori appeared behind him, looking at the HPI Corporation home page and the description of its subsidiaries on the datapad. Exactly what he said earlier is what he is reading right now. But when Lori hugged him, he put the datapad on the bed instead and turned back a little to see her face. There was nervousness in Curtis's face as he mentioned Kessia to him.

”How long have the Empire had shape-shifting agents?! Why didn't we know about this sooner?! I'm starting to feel my love that we are very far behind them…”

He thought thoughtfully as he hugged Lori's arms. He shook his head at the end and smiled reassuringly.

”No, they didn't find me, but if I knew that, I would have come back much sooner! I'm worried about you, my love. If she found you, why did she let you go… why didn't she take your place?” he asked anxiously.

​

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

Yes, the Darkside. Lori didn't think about the Force as often as she should. Nor did she use it as often either. Curtis had been helping her to harness some of her abilities and to control them. But in truth they had both been too busy to focus on that much. Especially her.

She leaned her head against his while he hugged her arms. "I don't know how long they've had shapeshifters, or what else they've got. Yet each time they reveal something like this, it makes us aware of what else we're dealing with so we can adjust our tactics."

Lori hadn't heard from the others in a while. Not since before the broadcast at least. No doubt they were laying low for a while. "She blackmailed me, Curtis. That's why she let me go. Or maybe it was just easier to let me live instead of covering for me. I don't know. But if people were to learn of my death, I don't think that it would scare people. Instead it'd be a rally cry." Lori was certain that Kessia Miran had far better things to do than to masquerade as herself. But it wasn't easy to be in Lori's situation. She was so used to being free to do whatever she wanted. And now she felt confined. It wasn't very enjoyable. "What else does she own? Where else wouldn't be safe for us to travel?"

 

[Kessia Miran]

Kessia Miran
Chameleon, Knight Warden of the Wardens of the Shroud, Agent of Blackwatch, sithspawn, L’lerim’s right hand​

Location: Vexillium, Neutral Space
Equipment: Attire | Looks (yes, this time she is a he)
Tag: Loreena Arenais-Valhoun | Open

Curtis still nodded grimly at Lori's words. Apparently he was really thinking and thinking about it a lot. She hugged Lori's arms even tighter and turned to the side and even put a kiss on her face.

”You have to be even more careful than before, my love. We don’t know what they’re up to and what they still have. I’m not going to convince you to give up what you’re doing, just promise you’ll take even more care of yourself than before!”

In the end, he even smiled, though the burden of trouble had not disappeared from his face. Apparently he was worried about Lori. After the girl's further words, Curtis turned and positioned himself to be able to completely hug the girl, not just his arms, and to embrace Lori. If this was left by Lori, he did and began stroking the young woman's back and hair.

”I will not let them hurt you, I promise this, my love. Don't even think about it, you won't have any trouble. I want to know what blackmailed you, or better not know about it?”

He asked curiously, but did not let go of her, but he stroked her face kindly.

”I don’t really know what could be done in this situation or what they want to achieve with it other than make you feel helpless. But we solve it somehow, as we have everything so far.”

​

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

Lori closed her eyes as Kessia Miran kissed her cheek. She loved being this close to him. He gave her comfort always and knew how to sooth her pain. "I promise. I'm not going to just jump into anything anymore. Now I'll need to think first." And act later. That wasn't usually quite her style, but she didn't really have much choice there.

As he turned to hug her, Lori hugged him back, resting her chin on his shoulder. She curled up beside him, drawing her feet up on the bed and tucking them underneath herself. Her eyes closed as he stroked her hair. She was comfortable and she wanted the moment to last.

"I don't know what she really looks like. She could be anyone, Curtis. And I don't feel helpless, I just feel... I feel...like I'm always being watched. It's just not fair, Curtis." But she needed to tackle this head on. In public she'd act differently. But here she could let out her fears. Curtis always kept her safe.

 

[Kessia Miran]

Kessia Miran
Chameleon, Knight Warden of the Wardens of the Shroud, Agent of Blackwatch, sithspawn, L’lerim’s right hand​

Location: Vexillium, Neutral Space
Equipment: Attire | Looks (yes, this time she is a he)
Tag: Loreena Arenais-Valhoun | Open

”Thank you, I don’t want you to put yourself in danger unnecessarily and recklessly.”

Curtis said softly. Nor did the Force need to feel and know how safe she feels at the moment and it is good for her that the man cares and deals with her that way. Now he was also starting to wonder where the real Curtis might be, because he thought it was strange enough that he was just gone.

He didn't speak for a few minutes now, just waiting for Lori to calm down. Until then, he kindly caressed the cuddling girl. He just nodded at her words to feel that they were being watched. He hugged her even tighter than this part. And she didn’t even know that this thought was not a paranoid statement, but essentially reality. But now he had to reassure the girl.

”I doubt they could always watch you, it would require a huge resource. They just want you to feel that way and worry about it. But! Now that you are calm and thinking more calmly, my love. It's time to decide what to do. Let’s stay, or now we’ll escape the ship pretty calmly, unobtrusively.” in the end, he smiled encouragingly.

​

 

[Sentiri]

Objective: 3 - BYOO - long overdue catch up with the family
Tags: Karisa
Equipment: dress

Sentiri saw her sister's discomfort when asked about her romantic life. The older sister understood perfectly even if she would never know the pressure that Karisa felt. Being the premier member of the family had perks, but there were also responsibilities. She could only imagine how many more responsibilities Karisa had taken on now that she was a Baroness. She sympathized with her little sister. In comparison, her own issues with her past partnerships seemed trivial. Still, her problems were her own. And they weren't diminished. If anything, the contrast between the sisters only served to strengthen Sentiri's resolve to figure out her part.

"No. Well. Not currently, I should say." The investigator sighed. The pair had strolled through the crowded biodome with ease. Walking next to a woman of power had perks and drawbacks. On the one hand, they had a nice bubble around them that felt quite private despite the number of people in the vicinity. On the other hand, Sentiri felt eyes on her. She was not used to being so public. Even though she had conquered her agoraphobia, she still wasn't one for the spotlight. Karisa was definitely in the spotlight.

Guiding their walk towards a quiet alcove, Sentiri prepared herself. What she was about to say, she had never talked about with anyone else. She had even gone so far as to hide all of this when she had returned to the Ascendancy the last time, which meant hiding things from Karisa as well. Sentiri had been afraid then. She still was. The words were like a chunk of ice in the pit of her stomach. She couldn't help but grimace as she started. Her hands nervously fidgeted with her empty glass and she found it hard to meet Ari's gaze.

"Actually, that's the reason I'm on Denon. There's something I never told you when I returned to Csilla. I never told anyone." She felt herself hesitating. So she just spit the words out as fast as she could manage. "I left someone behind on Terminus. Someone serious. I tried to cover it up by chasing other people but the fact is, I felt bad that I left them behind. Felt guilty for abandoning them. Even though I was so excited to come home, I was also running away. The closeness scared me. Especially after what had happened with my deceased husband.

"Anyway, when the Ascendancy started to splinter, I took it as an opportunity to reconnect with her. We had promised to keep in touch when I left but I hadn't heard anything from her in months. So I decided to try and track her down. I've been travelling the galaxy since, chasing clues and leads that have led to nothing more than dead ends. I found a solid lead on Denon. But that required me to gain employment with the government there. I'm hoping that I can uncover what I need to about her whereabouts soon so that I can be free of them, but I don't know how long it will take."

She sighed again. "I'm sorry I never told you. I was worried that some of the other Chiss might question my loyalty if they knew I left a partner behind, especially a human one. I didn't want to get you mixed up in that if it ever came to light." Tir looked into Karisa's eyes then. <Sorry, sis,> she added in Cheunh.

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

Lori didn't want to move. She loved the closeness that she felt in Kessia Miran 's arms; the beating of their hearts and the rythnic breathing of their lungs. She felt as though they were in unison and wondered if this was what her parents felt like before they decided to marry. That was something that she'd have to ask at a later time.

"The Empire has a lot of resources, and who knows what else? But you're right. It's probably too much for them to keep an eye on me all the time. I'd be safe in many other sectors of space too." Ones where the Eternal Empire had no allies had to be safe havens for her.

At the question of what to do, Lori pondered on it for a moment or two. "We can stay a little longer, just to see who else is here, and then we can leave. I'm sure that Arla would want us to do so."

 

[Kessia Miran]

Kessia Miran
Chameleon, Knight Warden of the Wardens of the Shroud, Agent of Blackwatch, sithspawn, L’lerim’s right hand​

Location: Vexillium, Neutral Space
Equipment: Attire | Looks (yes, this time she is a he)
Tag: Loreena Arenais-Valhoun | Open

Kessia was a sociopath, thanks to the fact that she became a sithspawn, so she was perfectly able to play what another needed so that her condition would never come to light. They were the best manipulators, and she took huge advantage of it at the moment. She played perfectly the worried, caring man in love, what Lori needed in this situation.

He continued to caress and hug her, even as he spoke, gently, caringly. As if she was the most important in the world, in the Galaxy. The woman had no doubt that Curtis would feel exactly that way, so there was nothing wrong with playing that. He just nodded at her words.

”Probably yes, but I love you precisely because you don’t run away from hardship.”

He grinned a little. When she said they could stay a little longer, especially that Arla wanted that too, a very evil thought came to her mind. It’s not exactly for him to look around to see who else is on the ship, but something completely different. Which, if it turns out later, could very well ruin the girl. But since she was trying to think with a man's head, that seemed the most logical thing to do.

”Or maybe, if you want, my love… we can stay here for a night.”

He began cautiously; he gently stroked her face, then her neck and shoulders. Meanwhile, he leaned over and kissed Lori gently if the girl had no objection.

​

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

Lori grinned as Kessia Miran spoke of one of the reasons that he loved her. She leaned back a bit and put on a goofball performance with a bit of a dramatic flair. "You know me, Curtis; I am Lori and I laugh in the face of danger. Ha ha ha ha!"

And as he proposed them staying the night, Lori couldn't help but feel her cheeks redden. Surely he was smitten because she was all dolled up this time, instead of being in her armour or spacer outfit. It made her wonder what things would have been like if she was still a Princess. Would she have even met Curtis Learchin ? Or would she have been set to marry some Prince or noble? Either way it didn't really matter. Curtis was perfect for her. He was kind, patient, respectful and protective of her. And she loved him a lot.

Lori kissed Curtis back, bringing one of her hands up to the back of his head, enveloping her fingers in his hair. "Alright. I sleep better when you're near me anyways. And as you said, they shouldn't try to come after us, right?" Of course Lori guessed that sleep wasn't quite on his mind. Yet their relationship was still an innocent one. So far, that is...

 

[Kessia Miran]

Kessia Miran
Chameleon, Knight Warden of the Wardens of the Shroud, Agent of Blackwatch, sithspawn, L’lerim’s right hand​

Location: Vexillium, Neutral Space
Equipment: Attire | Looks (yes, this time she is a he)
Tag: Loreena Arenais-Valhoun | Open

Curtis also grinned broadly at Lori's words. Anyway, he really wasn’t exactly thinking about what she was, at least not sleeping. But she didn’t seem to be really there for the idea, and that was very eloquent about the couple’s relationship. From this he already knew that they had probably not been together yet and Curtis had to be patient. And then he will do so.

When he received the rejection, he pulled back. There was no resentment on his face, just a little bit, but not enough to make that look guilty in Lori. Instead, he grinned, there was still a way to embarrass the girl more, hopefully it would work.

”Did I tell you how cute you are when you blush, my love?”

He asked, still grinning. He nodded in agreement to the next.

”All right, that will be what you want. And I really think we’re safe here.”

He promised that if Lori decided to go to bed to sleep, he would hug and take care of her until she woke up and left the luxury ship.


// I think this was our last round. Thanks for the great game! ^^ //

​

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

Lori couldn't help but blush even moreso as Kessia Miran told her that it made her look cute. She dropped her gaze as well as her hand from his hair, slipping it down to his hand so that they could interlock their fingers.

Tonight would have been a nice night to further their relationship, but Lori didn't trust that they weren't being watched. She wanted the utmost in privacy and being in the belly of an enemy vessel wasn't going to grant her that.

Lori slipped off her heels and lay Curtis down in the bed where she curled up beside him, using his chest as a pillow. She was content in his arms, enough so that she drifted off to sleep instead of worrying about what they had learned. Not every mission had to be a violent one, thankfully.