The Importance of Etiquette [Natasi]

[Greifen Ren]

[member="Natasi Fortan"]

The ominous, black shuttle touched down on the landing pad of Herevan Hold, torrents of snow cycloning around the pad as the sublight engines cut out. Inside the shuttle's cockpit, Greifen Ren pulled his robes tighter. Over the course of the last year at Starkiller Base on Eriadu, Greifen had accustomed himself to the cold and unforgiving climate, even when not in his thermal robes. The chill of the atmosphere gave him focus, causing him to stoke the embers of his dark emotions, his devotion to the God Emperor keeping him warm from within. It would be much the same today on the cold world of Galidraan as Greifen attempted to root out the traitor to the First Order.

Natasi Fortan expected his arrival, yet she would not know the purpose of the meeting. Nor would she know Greifen Ren himself; she was simply informed that a Knight of Ren had business at Herevan Hold, by orders of the Supreme Leader. Business that specifically involved Natasi herself, rather than the real owner of the property, Maximilian Jens. She would find out what that business was soon enough.

The shuttle's exit ramp hit the floor and Greifen's black form wafted down. Though his thermal undersuit kept his body warm, his cheeks were greeted by the stinging cold of a Galidraan snowstorm. It was late afternoon here at Herevan Hold, though the storm made the sky appear darker. He wondered whether or not the House's footmen and staff would be at the door to greet him as was their custom, even in this weather. Greifen was but a servant to the Supreme Leader, but a Knight of Ren regardless. He hoped that Herevan Hold would remember its manners today.

 

[Natasi Fortan]

The Inquisition, let's begin!​

Natasi was in her father's study, a pair of reading glasses perched on her nose and a half dozen briefing books spread out in front of her. She was reading the after-action report for Eriadu; the number of civilian casualties were fairly stomach-turning, but all in all it seemed to be a success. The die was cast as far as her involvement was concerned; she only hoped that she could come to have a moderating influence on future policies. Or, she said to herself as she pulled her glasses off her face and the bridge of her nose tiredly, at least that she could start sleeping naturally again. She reached for her water and took a drink just as a knock came at the door. "Enter," she called. Hendersmith, the butler, entered and favored her with a polite smile. Good old Hendersmith, who adored Natasi and detested her upstart cousin Maximilian Jens who had inherited Herevan Hold out from under her nose. "Lady Natasi, the shuttle has arrived."

The Inquisition, look out sin!​

"I don't suppose he sent word what he was doing here?" Natasi asked as she stood up. She gathered the confidential paperwork and locked them in the safe as Hendersmith answered in the negative. "Well, we don't want to reward people for inviting themselves to Herevan quite uninvited. But we shouldn't be rude, either, I suppose. Take a footman with you when you go down to greet him. And please get Mrs. Elmsworth to prepare afternoon tea. I'll take it in the library."

The Inquisition, what a show!​

Natasi walked down the stairs with Hendersmith and saw him off towards the stairs to the basement. She paused to admire the large waterwork that dominated the great hall; the Fortan crest was engraved into the front of the fountain. She wondered if it would soon be replaced with the Jens coat of arms -- if, indeed, the relatively junior nobility her cousin came from had a coat of arms. Or a coat, for that matter, Natasi thought spitefully. She examined her appearance in a mirror briefly before going into the library and settling into one of the plush crimson sofas that faced each other near the fireplace. The Lady was sitting on the table between them, one of the few periodicals that was still available in paper. She picked it up and flipped open the cover and leafed through it, so that she would not just be sitting there like an idiot when her uninvited guest arrived.

The Inquisition, here we go!​

​

[member="Greifen Ren"]

 

[Greifen Ren]

[member="Natasi Fortan"]

As he approached the expansive castle that was Herevan Hold, two figures emerged from the snowstorm to flank the front gate. Looking up, Greifen took the structure in. It was a majestic testament to the traditional architecture that dated back to the first Imperial era. As a devotee of the ancient Palpatine, elevated to God Emperor by the Knights of Ren, this pleased Greifen greatly. He wished to stay and look awhile longer, but the two men ahead drew closer and pulled his attention away.

There were only two; both servants, from the looks of them. One introduced himself as Hendersmith, the house butler, while the other dared not speak, due to his apparent status as a footman. Greifen grimaced visibly beneath his black cowl as the wind whipped up between the three men. They had clearly not summoned the entire array of personnel at Herevan Hold for Greifen's reception, but the real question was where the most important one of all was.

"Where is Natasi Fortan?" He questioned Hendersmith, his hands clasped in front of him. "I am instructed to speak with her, and none other. You will take me to her now."

 

[Natasi Fortan]

Hendersmith, for his part, did not like hearing his beloved mistress referred to by her first name without so much as an honorofic, as if she was some kind of... common person. He rankled and showed it. "Lady Natasi Fortan is inside. It is not her place to answer the door in such circumstances," Hendersmith declared haughtily. "Lady Natasi has asked me to show you in when you arrive, which I shall do once we have taken care of the... prerequisites." He scanned the horizon beyond [member="Greifen Ren"], eyes tracing back towards his ship. "Did you bring a valet with you, sir? Or even any luggage?"

When all was said and done, and Hendersmith had informed the footman to prepare a room... or not... as the case may be, Hendersmith led Greifen Ren into the library, where Natasi was apparently engrossed in an article on the galactic trade patterns. She was clad in a simple black pencil skirt and a gray silk blouse (with an attractive, jazzy bow at the neck, because she might have been in mourning for her dead father, she was still relentlessly well-dressed). She looked up for a moment, then finished the last sentence of the article before closing the magazine and setting it down. "Yes?" she asked.

[member="Greifen Ren"]

 

[Greifen Ren]

[member="Natasi Fortan"]

Greifen remained standing with his hands clasped in front of him. "I require nothing but the clothes on my person," He responded to Hendersmith. "I have no luggage; I require no nourishment, simply a room in which to meditate. My stay here will hopefully be short, and Herevan Hold may carry on with its usual business. Now, if you please. To Lady Natasi."

The Disciple followed Hendersmith and the other footman, who to Greifen's estimation had proven himself utterly useless thus far, and the temperate atmosphere inside the castle was a welcome change from the storm outside. Greifen kept his hood drawn up, as was his custom, and walked through the main hallway and into the study, noting the lavish architecture of Herevan Hold as he did. This place must be a thousand years old, he thought to himself. And maintained perfectly.

Finding his way into the study, Greifen Ren filled the doorway with his dark visage. He moved forward slowly, presenting his robed figure to Natasi.

"Lady Fortan," He said in a low tone. "I am Greifen Ren, Disciple of the Knights of Ren and sent here by orders of the Supreme Leader himself. I am ordered to speak with you privately." He looked over his shoulder at Hendersmith behind him.

 

[Natasi Fortan]

A footman entered with a tray of tea and cakes, which he deposited on a table near the window. When he went to stand behind the table to serve, as was his custom, Natasi stood and waved her hand. "You may go. Leave us, please. All of you," she said. The footmen and Hendersmith, Hendersmith grumbling under his breath about the visitor. Natasi couldn't help but feel the man cast a pall on everything. He had no social graces, it was fairly clear, not having removed his headgear on entrance or addressed her correctly. These people... she though.

"Who are you, and why have you been sent here by the Supreme Leader himself? I find it curious that I was not informed with more notice than an alert from orbital landing control," Natasi said. While her position with the First Order was not entirely clear, she had aided the general administration of Eriadu's government affairs and had felt that her performance was adequate. This was highly irregular. She went to the tea tray and poured herself some tea and placed a couple of small cookies in the saucer.

"Help yourself to some tea and sit down, if you like," Natasi said coolly as she took her tea to the sofa and sat down, smoothing her skirt under her legs as she did. "Now, you will kindly tell me what this is all about, please."

[member="Greifen Ren"]

 

[Greifen Ren]

[member="Natasi Fortan"]

"I will take no nourishment during my stay here, but I thank you for the offer," He continued as he sat down. For a moment his eyes lingered greedily on the tea in Natasi's hands and the pastries on the table between them. He could practically smell the sugar in the air. It had been so long since Greifen had been afforded the basic amenities of small pleasure - so long that he could not remember, in fact - though it was certainly before his life as a Ren. It took some willpower to suppress his instinct to accept Natasi's offer, but Greifen summoned it and instead looked into Natasi's eyes. His Master had ordered him to fast for the duration of his mission, and if Greifen disobeyed, his master had ways of finding out. Should that occur, whatever wrath lay in store for him was certainly not worth the momentary pleasure of eating a pastry.

"I should begin by telling you that the Supreme Leader is most pleased with your efforts to the First Order," Greifen's low, meditative voice carried across the table. "Your loyalty does not go unnoticed. Supreme Leader Sieger sees fit to reward you should your efforts continue."

Greifen shifted momentarily, his black cowl still obscuring part of his face. "However, the Supreme Leader has seen troubling visions. The Knights of Ren have been dispatched to deal with these ill omens. The God Emperor sees all, and we follow his signs."

He leaned in closer and extended a hand from his robes.

"Will you take my hand, Lady Fortan? I should like to communicate telepathically with you, to ensure that this conversation is between us and us alone. Walls have ears, especially in unfamiliar places. The process will not hurt, I assure you."

 

[Natasi Fortan]

Natasi took a bite of one of the small cakes and delicately dabbed at her made-up lips as she listened to the man. It started off pleasantly enough -- the Supreme Leader being most pleased with her efforts was no less than it should be -- but the moment she let her lips curl upwards in pleasure, exposing the beginnings of a perfect, if slightly predatory, white smile, she froze. Disturbing visions? What could he possibly mean.

When he reached a hand out from his robes, Natasi flinched. Her lips turned down in a frown and she raised her tea to her lips and took a sip -- a sip that she nearly spit out when [member="Greifen Ren"] asked if he could take her hand. She straightened even more than had before. "Abso-lutely not," she declared imperiously, her eyes widening as her nostrils flared. "You come into my home..." Glossing over for the moment that her useless cousin now owned the estate. "...and accuse me of being underhand? Allow me to inform you, since you are apparently unaware, that that is not how things are done at Herevan Hold."

 

[Greifen Ren]

[member="Natasi Fortan"]

Greifen met Natasi's declaration with a blank stare, his eyes in dark shadowy sockets unwavering. He kept his hand outstretched, as though her words had barely registered with him. Below his outstretched palm, the tea simmered in the cup.

"I understand your apprehension, Lady Fortan," The Ren said in his deep voice, "But these are the ways of the Knights of Ren, as well as the Supreme Leader, your Lord. My mission is to question you on matters sensitive to the First Order, and we have reason to believe that these premises may not be safe."

He reached his hand further, this time more insistently.

"We can do this here, or I can escort you to my ship where I can be sure the surroundings are secure. The choice is yours, Lady Fortan."

 

[Natasi Fortan]

Natasi stared into the hooded visage of her guest's face as the last straw fell upon the dewback's back. She was entirely tired of being commanded, and prodded, and pushed around by these inferior men. If it wasn't Cousin Maximilian then it was some fascist inquisitor. No. No! She would not tolerate it. She pointedly ignored his hand and raised her cup to her lips to drain the hot tea, then set it down without so much as a clatter of cup in saucer.

"Excuse me," she said quietly, her dark eyes glinting as she stared at him. "But I would like to see it in writing where you think you get the authority to escort me to breakfast let alone to some foreign ship for Balance-knows-what. Anyone can drop in claiming to have the backing of the Supreme Leader, but I have no way to know."

She stood and took her teacup over to the table by the window and poured herself another cup before turning to the Knight of Ren and asking conversationally, over the steaming rim of her cup, "So where does that leave us?"

[member="Greifen Ren"]

 

[Greifen Ren]

Greifen stiffened. He had not expected her to be this obstinate. Compared to his other missions, this one seemed like it would be a walk in the park; but of course, nothing could ever come easy.

"The Knights of Ren do not issue their commands in writing," Greifen explained. "We are a clandestine organization. We exist for the purpose of carrying out the most... sensitive matters of the First Order. The Force is our tool, and our orders come directly from the Supreme Leader himself. Sieger Ren commands and places us as he sees fit."

As Natasi stood, so did Greifen, and he watched her cross to the window, all the while folding his hands complacently before him. His patience was only tempered by the fact that [member="Natasi Fortan"] was an ally of the First Order.

"Should you refuse me then I will return having failed my mission. Not only will I be punished severely, but the Knights will not let this matter go unsolved. You will then be visited by my master in my stead, who is far more powerful than I. He will not be pleased at having to conduct the same mission twice, and will extract information by any means necessary."

He let his words hang in the air for a moment before finishing. "It is in both of our best interests for you to cooperate."

 

[Natasi Fortan]

"So let me get this quite, quite clear," Natasi said, her eyebrows furrowing with anger now. "You insist that I allow you to telepathically link with me, or be abducted to your ship, where Balance only knows will be done to me, or you will send your big, scary boss over to do the job, with the implicit threat that he will be less pleasant than you have been -- as if that were possible -- all without the slightest assurance that I will not be harmed in any way, aside from your word which, given that I have known you for all of..." She twisted her hand back to expose the underside of her wrist, where a delicate chrono clung, and peered down at it. "...forty-five seconds."

She returned her hand to normal operating pose and glared up at the Knight of Ren. "The Supreme Leader will hear about this if I have to bring him the report myself. How dare you," she seethed and set the teacup down. The fragile little egos of men seemed to cause her the most consternation in life; she reminded herself to ask a psych droid just why that was someday.

"You may take my hand," Natasi said stiffly, her eyes still burning with rage. "But I will have it notated that it is under protest, and the Supreme Leader will hear about how you have treated one of his loyal servants today. Mark my words." Natasi rolled back her sleeve and took off her bracelet and watch, setting them aside with a glance of pure disgust at the Knight, as if to have his hand physically touch her possessions would tarnish them forever. "Just bloody get it over with," she snarled.

[member="Greifen Ren"]

 

[Greifen Ren]

"Your complaints have been noted," Greifen said flatly in a tone as sincere as an automated holomessage, and immediately snatched her hand before Natasi could think about changing her mind.

His strong palm gripped hers, enveloping her dainty fingers completely and squeezing, not harshly, but firmly. And instantly, Greifen's voice was inside her head, a low whisper ringing through her ears, audible to [member="Natasi Fortan"] alone.

I will ask you simple yes or no questions, He began. You may answer aloud if you wish. The first question... your sister, Imogen Fortan. Is she here, at Herevan Hold with you, right now?

 

[Natasi Fortan]

"That's not a simple yes or no question," Natasi responded waspishly. Someone clearly had not done his homework. "I don't have a sister. I had a brother, Mathes, who is now deceased. I have a cousin named Imogen Fortan, and she is not present at Herevan Hold. I don't know where she is."

That much was true. Natasi knew that Imogen had defected to the First Order at the same time Natasi and Maximilian did, but Natasi had been so busy that she hadn't kept in touch with either of her cousins. Well, that was true for Imogent. She just didn't particularly care for Maximilian, and so keeping in touch had not been a matter of concern for her.

[member="Greifen Ren"]

 

[Greifen Ren]

[member="Natasi Fortan"]

"A simple yes or no will do..." Greifen said aloud, squeezing Natasi's hand to punctuate his point. He could not know for sure who was listening, although it seemed ever more doubtful that Imogen had thought that far ahead to install surveillance in Herevan Hold.

Regardless, Natasi had already spoken quite a bit, so there was no point in continuing the covert act. With an audible sigh, Greifen released Natasi's hand and bowed his head.

"I suppose there is no point in further secrecy," He said in his low timbre. "I am here because your cousin, as it were, Imogen Fortan, is suspected of high treason against the First Order and Supreme Leader Sieger Ren."

He paused, letting the weight of his words sink in.

 

[Natasi Fortan]

Natasi rolled her closed eyes and snatched her hand away from him after he squeezed it. "If you're going to barge into my home, the least you could do is some research. Tell me how you would have answered that question, which was badly phrased and factually incorrect? Honest to the Balance, this is the least effective interrogation I have ever heard of."

The young woman glanced irritably at her chronometer and then looked back up at [member="Greifen Ren"] as he spoke about Imogen again. This time, Natasi could not disguise her eyerolling. "That's preposterous," Natasi declared. "Even if Immy had it in her to betray the First Order -- which she certainly does not -- the leader of this family is a loyal member of the First Order, and she wouldn't betray him. It's not something our kind of people do," Natasi said imperiously. "What proof have you?"

 

[Greifen Ren]

[member="Natasi Fortan"]

Unfettered by Natasi's attitude, Greifen stood before her like a statue.

"You may find it preposterous, Lady Fortan, but the Knights of Ren have received clear visions," He replied. "The Dark Side of the Force grants us foresight. And it has seen fit to lead us to Herevan Hold."

He reached into the recesses of his black robe, and from it produced a small datapad, which he held towards the Lady in the flat palm of his hand.

"Under orders from the Supreme Leader, we followed up on our visions. And it has produced this."

When Greifen hit a button on the datapad, it brought up a small screen of text.

Starkiller Base is within my cousin's jurisdiction, as she is the de facto governor of Eriadu. If anyone is capable of obtaining the codes you seek, it will be me, as I deal with my cousin on a fairly personal and trustworthy basis. As it were, I will make them available to you - so long as your proposed compensation is satisfactory.

"This data transmission was decrypted by our analysts from a fake holomail address. A search of any other emails from the address turned up nothing. We are certain that it belongs to Imogen Fortan."

 

[Natasi Fortan]

Natasi took the datapad and scanned it. "Nonsense. This doesn't sound like Immy at all," Natasi declared resoundingly. "She would certainly not betray me, the family, or the First Order for anything so pedestrian as funds, the woman is practically made of credits, and she's engaged to a Marquess besides." Natasi reached for a packet of cigarettes and fumbled with the foil wrapping, snagging one from the packet and setting it between her pink lips before lighting it. It was a habit that she picked up at university, which reared its head in high-stress moments such as this. She took a long, slow drag and then exhaled. The smoke unfurled from her lips and her nostrils in luxurious silver waves.

"As a Marchioness she'll outrank us all, which is absurd when you think of it. I mean, Imogen. Honestly," she said before taking another drag. "Is that some kind of plant?" she asked, waving defiantly to the datapad with her cigarette. "You cannot expect me to believe that it is authentic. How have you authenticated it? Or have you?" Another troubled drag from her cigarette; the tip glowed menacingly.

[member="Greifen Ren"]

 

[Greifen Ren]

"It was decrypted by the First Order's Inteligence bureau. Have a look if you wish," Greifen assured Natasi by handing her the datapad.

Crossing his arms, he moved towards the window, partly to relieve himself of Natasi's demeanor, and partly to escape the smoke from her cigarette. "There are other bribes besides funds, Ms. Fortan," He said while gazing at the snow outside. "We do not know what she could be bribed with. It could be promises of power - perhaps from another galactic government. We simply do not have enough information."

Turning around finally to face Natasi, Greifen met her with his own stare. "We require more information. There's more, Ms. Fortan. The reason why we suspect your cousin is because the holomail was sent from a terminal here, at Herevan Hold. Transport records show that Imogen Fortan was indeed visiting the premises on the date of transcription."

He folded his hands again.

"We will require a full-scale investigation."

[member="Natasi Fortan"]