The Magrath Ball

[Yoru Shakou]

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The Magrath Estate​

Avidon​

Neutral Space​

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Lights flickered among the massive trees, giving off just enough so that the land speeders carrying the guest could make their way down the paved gravel pathway towards the looming mansion. The large trees hung over the path, covering it in shade during the day, making for a pleasant path to stroll during those few hours. The front of the house was framed at the end of the long walk, the doors of the opulent mansion peering out towards the wrought iron gates that framed the very edge of the massive wall that surrounded the property. ​

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The gates that evening were left open, allowing for the free traffic of those whom arrived. The guests coming in droves for it was the first time in a long time since the house had been opened. It was only a few months back that it was closed and left alone, no one having come or gone within the residence during that time, until now. It had been unexpected for a member of the family to arrive, to even return, though they did. ​

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In the few hours since their arrival the house had been returned to normal. Furniture and furnishings returned to their proper place. The entirety of the house was just as it had been before the family fled for their safety at the behest of rumors. Now though they were back, and something was different, as there was a surprise waiting for many of the guests. ​

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"Are they arriving?" ​

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"Yes Mistress." ​

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"Good." ​

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The voice rang out softly as the woman behind it ran a hand along the dark purple gown, pushing the wrinkles away. At least two of the guests, nay, three had known of her return. Many of the others had not, or wouldn't even expect to see her, at least those that had known of her. Golden-yellow hues drew deeply into the glass before the fiery haired woman, a moment later she pushed herself from where she sat, moving towards the doors that lead to the outer balcony.​

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She stopped short, not stepping out, not wanting to ruin the surprise. Her mind was a whirl, and she remembered her pet Nisal. She had been told that the beast had been taken care of, that the young woman entrusted with it had seen to its needs, and it had in turn protected her. Then the thoughts of that girl's mother pushed into her mind, bringing a tear upon her cheek. ​

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Swiftly wiping it away, she held by the flurry of emotions. How her friend must have felt in those final moments known that her friend hadn't truly perished as it had been reported. Though she could not think of that at that time, she would grieve on her own accord when it was more appropriate to do so. ​

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For now she had guests to wait to arrive, and to watch. A soft smirk crossing her lips as she moved from her room. It was as if the house had never been empty as she moved down the hall, the members of the Dread Wolves were thicker than they had been before. She still needed to apologize to the good Colonel for deceiving him that way, she was sure though that he would be one of the few to understand her intentions of her actions. ​

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Slender fingers came to rest upon the balcony railing as she sat quietly in the dark. Her eyes peering down upon the front entrance, watching as her quests arrived. Now all she could do at that moment was to wait, and watch. ​

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[member="Sempra the Hutt"]​

[member="Kara Avoyos"]​

[member="Lady Kay"]​

[member="Darth Venefica"]​

[member="Kenshi Mitsumoto"]​

[member="Lucien Cordel"]​

[member="Tmoxin Temi"]​

[member="Enoch Zambrano"]​

[member="Darth Zarrah"]​

[member="Darth Vizios"]​

[member="Faith Balor-Organa"]​

[member="Mantic Dorn"]​

[member="Joshua DragonsFlame"]​

[member="Felicity Mason"]​

[member="Owain"]​

[member="Lucien Shorn"]​

[member="Darth Noxia"]​

[member="Thais Kallisto"]​

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay was one of the first to arrive. And though she didn't know the hostess at all, she saw the invite and thought that it couldn't hurt to attend. Besides, odds were that she'd end up knowing at least one person.

She walked through the path, looking in awe at the beauty of the trees and how they framed it perfectly. The mansion was elegant as well, but the fact that it was nestled in nature made it all the more beautiful.

The invitation said to dress formally and so she did. Kay's only hope was that it was formal enough. And with the invitation clutched in her hand, she approached the mansion, knocking on the door as soon as she stepped up to it. Hopefully she had arrived to the right address.

[member="Duchess Magrath"]

 

[Kara Avoyos]

Balls were a necessary part of interplanetary politics. Large bodies like the Republic Senate made decisions that effected things on the grand scale, but there was a far more intricate game played between individual planets. This game was especially important to planets that existed outside of larger government structure. Gaining an invitation and being present was essential to show that the planet you represented had pull. Making a favorable impression could lead to trade negotiations or other official relations.

With all of this in mind, Princess Kara Avoyos of Kirima walked stepped out of her transport in front of the Magrath Estate. She was suitably dressed for the occasion, of course. Mother had ever convinced her to wear a circlet from the royal treasury. Formal wear and good manners were their own sort of armor. If one dressed richly then her planet was also seen as rich. Courtesy foretold productive negotiations. It was all masks and posturing, naturally, but it was what was expected. Everyone had to do what was expected or they were suspect.

She didn't see too many familiar faces as she made her way up the walk and presented her invitation. There was a Republic Senator that Kara knew by reputation. [member="Lady Kay"] had been elected from Commenor and was a vocal opponent to the Hutt Cartel. Kirima had never had any positive relations with the cartel, to it might be advantageous to speak with the senator at some point during the ball.

 

[Faith Organa]

[SIZE=12pt]Faith stood quietly onboard the Eternal Light standing once again before a mirror preparing to go and meet new people, and try to garner support for Alderaan and perhaps for a new world that she was looking for. The world where her mother had been ship wrecked with her father, where for all intent they fell in love and lived happily.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]A place that was as her mother described idyllic so much like Alderaan, and hints of Corellia that it could have been a sister world to them both.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]Oh such were the musings of the Princess of Alderaan. She wore a gown that would show that she was an adult the color played beautiful with her skin, and her hair once again piled up high, and a tiara. She smoothed the skirts and gave a deep sigh, there were no protests this time no complains of color or anything.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]Faith was slowly accepting her role again.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]She was doing something that some would not approve of but it to her was time.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]She stepped out to see [member="Mantic Dorn"] she smiled “So what do you think Jedi Dorn am I presentable?” She tried to smile as she waited hesitant on what he would say.[/SIZE]

[member="Kara Avoyos"] [member="Lady Kay"] [member="Duchess Magrath"]

 

[Mantic Dorn]

The bright corridors of the Eternal light were kept in good order and Mantic had spent time to both polish his boots and bring a robe without too many visible stitches or holes for this trip.
Senator [member="Faith Balor-Organa"] was to make a diplomatic journey of sorts to a rather unknown part of the galaxy. Well, at least unknown to Mantic.

Standing outside her door he had made sure to connect with her presence inside. It was a way to know that she was alright and apart from that nothing much was happening at the moment. He nodded and greeted bypassers, crew of the ship, who were all to accustomed with many different guests on board. Few raised an eyebrow about seeing a jedi on board, and that made the jurney so much easier for him.

As the door finally opened Mantic tooka quick breath. She was beautiful as ever.

"You will dazzle the guests of this ball Senator." he replied with a smile and took a bow.

"I belive it has started." he then added and nodded toward the exit. He himself ready to fall in behind her. Wherever she went during the ball he would be there keeping an eye on her.

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

Another day, another Magrath Ball. Was this the 2nd one he'd been to? 3rd? He wasn't sure. But the former Republic Grand Admiral, as he'd been introduced in the past when he arrived to prior gatherings, would gaze around the area with a sense of familiarity as he walked in. He'd received the invitation, but he was pretty sure it was [member="Lady Kay"] 's idea that he actually show up. Well, he supposed why not, it'd be nice to have someone he knew here for a change. And so he showed. In a decent black suit and of all things, a red bowtie. A little bit different from the usual black long tie he wore to these gatherings. Had to have a variety. And Kay had recommended it, though he couldn't fathom how or why. He swore to the Force gods if there were Force gods, if she made a remark about the bloody tie....

Still, at least he looked clean. And for some reason his hair smelled distinctly like strawberries. He'd probably used too much of the flavoured shampoo in a bid to have clean hair as shiny as possible when he showed. For impressions, of course. He didn't want his only impression here to be "That guy who was dumb enough to take a bullet head on for a kid" after all.

Finally, his gaze found who he was looking for - Lady Kay. At the entrance, simple enough. He made his way over, and laid an elbow on her shoulder, shooting her a cheeky smirk. "Nice dress" He remarked. "Didn't think the Senate paid you enough to afford one that nice" The Jedi joked with a cheeky smirk changing to a cheeky grin in an instant.

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay was so glad that she was allowed entry. Imagine if she was denied? Walking back the other way while the other guests were arriving would have been embarrassing. But that wasn't the case, so she had nothing to worry about. So far at least.

She stayed not far from the entrance, her hands clasped in front of her as she didn't know anybody. Kay smiled and bowed her head to Princess [member="Kara Avoyos"] . Gosh, was this a ball for royalty? Maybe she should've dressed better?

But then came an elbow resting on her shoulder and a familiar voice. She smirked at his remarks about her dress. "Why yes...It took me a year to save up for it." She then elbowed his ribs and got a little bit more serious as she spoke, but her voice was still soft. "Thank you for coming. You clean up well."

[member="Joshua DragonsFlame"]

 

[Via Dolorosa]

The last time she attended a Ball, or extravagant display, was the day her friend had died; or rather was led to believe she had died. She had aided the royal family in their escape from assassins and dissidents, only to discover now it all had been a ruse. She had underestimated her friend; and found her respect for the woman had elevated in status. During those dark times, Darth Venefica hunted down known dissidents and executed them; displaying their corpses in the streets as a message.​

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Months later, she had learned to steady her killing hand. She no longer felt killing served a real purpose to her other than vulgarly displaying her power. She had grown distaste for those that exhibited constant use of abusing their power; hence one of the reasons she had abandoned the One Sith and was now a hunted traitor by their decree. She didn't care if they hunted her; if they needed to narrow their view further by laying fabricated blames at her feet, then she would wear them proudly.​

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"I suspect you and Duchess will get along," she said to her companion as their speeder passed through the gates.​

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"The woman is wise beyond her years...and it is our duty to protect her."​

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The two disembarked from their hovering transportation vehicle, and silently entered the massive mansion. From first impressions, she saw that the Duchess had spared no credit to redecorate her home. The last time she stood between these walls, the place was void of all forms of comfortability; whereas the only inhabitants were the voices and screams that lingered around like ghosts from that dreadful day in the past. Darth Venefica led her companion into the main room of the mansion, placing a hand on a shoulder of one of the guards whose job was to ensure no hostilities reared it's ugly face.​

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"Notify the Duchess I have arrived," her voice whispered into the guard's mind.​

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[member="Darth Zarrah"]​

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

Josh felt as though he sensed something familiar, for just a fleeting moment... He could almost swear it was the Sith that had been at the first Magrath Ball he had attended.... As well as having met and spoken to for a short period of time at a bar, though it was a little too brief to get to know them. But he supposed if [member="Darth Venefica"] wished to come say hello, she would, and if not.... Well, that was her choice. If not, he'd enjoy himelf anyway.

[member="Lady Kay"] elbowing his ribs didn't get the Jedi's arm off her shoulder though. "Maybe they should be paying you more for dealing with the Hutt Cartel while they're sitting on their butts trying to think about how to enslave the Jedi Order without getting their arms cut off with lightsabers" The Jedi Master would joke cheekily.

"Don't mention it" He spoke in response to her thanks, and smirked a bit. "And do I now? I don't do this near as much as people think I should" He cracked, still not seeming as serious as Kay was in the situation. Or perhaps he was on guard and just not showing it?

 

[Kay-Larr]

Ahe smirked at his remarks on the Senate. "Now, now, we are against slavery, remember? Or at least I am...But I think almost everyone wishes to be paid more." Kay had given up an even larger salary, and all because her gut instinct and conscious got the better of her.

She then shrugged her shoulders, even while his elbow was still on one of them as though she was a fence to lean on. "Getting dressed up all the time is over rated. If you do it often, it could get rather boring..." Kay wasn't a huge fan of getting dolled up, but it was all a part of her job as a Senator.

[member="Joshua DragonsFlame"]

 

[Grima Volitu]

"Protect her we shall Lady Venefica." Zarrah entered the fancy building a step behind the younger Sith Lady. By appearances only it would seem the younger of the two woman was the one that held the power - while the older craved it. It was untrue of course. Zarrah was by far the more powerful of the two and the Togruta was never the type to inflate her own ego by stating such nonsense. Zarrah let the Lady Venefica to enter first because it was afterall her friend they were coming to see. "Appears all walks of life have gathered for this event," she announced feeling the different touches of the Force.

Zarrah caught sight of a buffet table - with an assortment of different vegetables neatly placed on trays. "Excuse me Lady Venefica." The Sith Witch walked over to the buffet and picked up a small platter. With a method that bordered on compulsive disorder began to choose only those vegetables that were bright in colour and shaped like ovals. "Odd to see a Togruta eating vegetables," a voice from a guest pointed out. "'Tis rude to make assessments without knowing the facts. But I forgive you."



[member="Darth Venefica"]

 

[Faith Organa]

[member="Mantic Dorn"]

"It has" Faith walked with confidence, she was here representing her home. She wanted them to see that Alderaan was not as dead as they galaxy thought and that time would always bring them back to life.

She looked back, "Mantic walk with me, please I feel odd always walking in front of people. I know it's protocol but, I'd prefer you up here. Your observations are helpful" She smiled and nodded as they walked.

They walked in and the room seemed to be breathing with importance, "well now, let's mingle" She rubbed her hands on her skirts, calming herself. She saw [member="Lady Kay"], "ahh look a familiar face. Shall we intrude?" She grinned with a mischievous look in her eye. Who was she standing with, let's find out.

[member="Joshua DragonsFlame"]

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

"Sometimes I think your Senate forgets that" The Jedi would joke, chuckling a bit. "Everyone wants better pay. Advancement is a goal in life no matter how high up you are, no?" He would inquire. "Without goals, where is our motivation? Without motivation, where is our rhyme, our reason... For existing? Without reason for existing.... Is there really a point to us being here at all?" Josh would ask. It seemed he had deferred back to a Jedi pastime - dealing in riddles and rhetoric that generally just confused people. Good fun and all that.

"Speak of the devil" He remarked as he noted a peculiar sight heading toward them. A Jedi and a Senator together - just like them. It was funny, really. A Jedi and a Senator about to meet a Jedi and a Senator...

"It's certainly a pretty dress. Probably a little too expensive and rich for my blood, but you have good taste at least" The Jedi would crack cheekily. "Dressing up has never been my thing.. I like to be casual"

[member="Faith Balor-Organa"] [member="Lady Kay"] [member="Mantic Dorn"]

 

[Mantic Dorn]

Mantic inclined his head in a short bow to acknowledge [member="Faith Balor-Organa"] s request.

"Of course senator." he replied with a reassuring smile. He knew many felt uncomfortable with a body guard shadowing them around. But with the recent threats, real and imagined, the order had been given clear instructions to help safe guard the senators. He could fullfill that duty walking next to her. His only concern was that people might consider him a guest and he was more interested in keeping an eye on things then engaging actual conversation at the time being.

As they approached another pair, Mantic nodded his head at [member="Joshua DragonsFlame"] and [member="Lady Kay"] and placed himself next to [member="Faith Balor-Organa"] as she had requested.

 

[Kay-Larr]

[member="Joshua DragonsFlame"] [member="Faith Balor-Organa"] [member="Mantic Dorn"]


Kay smirked as Joshua commented on her taste. His earlier musings were left alone. His was right about it all of course, but this was a ball and she wasn't quite sure what kind of discussions were supposed to be had.

And then Faith and Mantic arrived. Kay smiled and bowed her head to them. Maybe then Joshua would stop using her like a fence post. He was like an older brother pestering his little sister, which was a new experience for her, but not exactly an unwelcomed one either.

"Evening Senator and Mantic. Lovely to see familiar faces here." Faith had so many titles that Kay wasn't sure which to use. "Joshua, allow me to introduce you to Senator Balor-Organa and her friend, Mantic." She had no idea if the two Jedi knew eachother or not and she wasn't about to call them out on what they are here either.

 

[Kara Avoyos]

There was an interesting mix of people in attendance. Senators, Jedi, Sith, and even the odd royal. Hopefully everyone would remember their manners and this evening would not end in violence. Fighting in a dress this fancy would be near impossible without ruining it, which would be a minor tragedy. The dressmaker had been very proud of this creation, and Kara did not want to bring it home tattered.

Currently she was holding a small plate and eyeing the buffet table speculatively. Each dish had been thoughtfully color-coded according to dietary restrictions, and everything safe for human consumption looked delicious. If she wanted her dress to fit at the end of the night, it would be best to choose food carefully, or at least make liberal use of the dance floor.

The man standing to her left had obviously visited the table holding drinks early and often. Who came to an event like this and made such crass racial remarks? The point was to cultivate contacts even if that required telling polite lies through gritted teeth. Kara tutted softly as she arranged a few pieced of fruit on her plate. The Togruta woman politely set the man to rights.

“These look delicious.” Kara said politely as she began picked up one of the vegetable tongs and began to put some onto her plate. She wasn’t nearly as picky as the other woman, but still took care to not pick anything that looked like it had been cooked for too long. Mushy vegetables were a crime against the culinary art.

[member="Darth Zarrah"]

 

[Felicity Mason]

Felicity had been up in a room getting ready for the past hour and a half, but she was having trouble. Not in getting dressed. She managed that just fine on her own and with help from Owain. Not her hair either. She was wearing that down today, simple, just a few flowers weaved in here and there. What she was having trouble with was, well, herself.
She kept looking in the mirror and seeing someone else. When had she grown up? That was so scary. Only a few months ago, she still felt like a teenager. Now she wasn't. She was an adult and that terrified her.

"Owain, we're late," she sighed, "And I still can't decide if I should wear this..."

It was one of her mothers gowns. It had been Felicity's favorite. Simple. A pretty emerald color with light beading. It was one of the only gowns Felicity had been able to fit into without extensive alterations. And with the ring [member="Owain"] had just proposed to her with (or rather, she proposed to him, but he had the ring on standby) she felt like it might be in bad taste.

 

[Faith Organa]

“Evening Senator, and friend” Faith smiled. It was better to have someone by her side rather than behind her, and as for the guarding her. Faith held out her hand to [member="Joshua DragonsFlame"] she tilted her head as if trying to recall something. “Do you know my Tia Rianna?”

She just knew she heard this name.

Well. He was a Jedi with danger sense, surely he would know if she were in danger. She knew [member="Mantic Dorn"] was there and it gave her a sense of security knowing.
“By the way [member="Lady Kay"] I love the dress” It was beautiful blue.

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

[member="Joshua DragonsFlame"] [member="Faith Balor-Organa"] [member="Mantic Dorn"]


Kay smirked as Joshua commented on her taste. His earlier musings were left alone. His was right about it all of course, but this was a ball and she wasn't quite sure what kind of discussions were supposed to be had.

And then Faith and Mantic arrived. Kay smiled and bowed her head to them. Maybe then Joshua would stop using her like a fence post. He was like an older brother pestering his little sister, which was a new experience for her, but not exactly an unwelcomed one either.

"Evening Senator and Mantic. Lovely to see familiar faces here." Faith had so many titles that Kay wasn't sure which to use. "Joshua, allow me to introduce you to Senator Balor-Organa and her friend, Mantic." She had no idea if the two Jedi knew eachother or not and she wasn't about to call them out on what they are here either.

“Evening Senator, and friend” Faith smiled. It was better to have someone by her side rather than behind her, and as for the guarding her. Faith held out her hand to [member="Joshua DragonsFlame"] she tilted her head as if trying to recall something. “Do you know my Tia Rianna?”

She just knew she heard this name.

Well. He was a Jedi with danger sense, surely he would know if she were in danger. She knew [member="Mantic Dorn"] was there and it gave her a sense of security knowing.
“By the way [member="Lady Kay"] I love the dress” It was beautiful blue.

Mantic inclined his head in a short bow to acknowledge [member="Faith Balor-Organa"] s request.

"Of course senator." he replied with a reassuring smile. He knew many felt uncomfortable with a body guard shadowing them around. But with the recent threats, real and imagined, the order had been given clear instructions to help safe guard the senators. He could fullfill that duty walking next to her. His only concern was that people might consider him a guest and he was more interested in keeping an eye on things then engaging actual conversation at the time being.

As they approached another pair, Mantic nodded his head at [member="Joshua DragonsFlame"] and [member="Lady Kay"] and placed himself next to [member="Faith Balor-Organa"] as she had requested.

So they had company. Joyful. Hopefully this wouldn't be awkward. He was fully aware that the Sith ran the show here. He figured that out two balls ago. But it'd be impolite not to attend. Alas, he would hail the two approachers with a polite smile and a bow before shaking the Senator's hand. "Ahh.... Rianna. Organa, right?" He would inquire. "A pleasure to meet you, how are you two related?" He would inquire.

Don't mention the jello wrestling. Don't mention the jello wrestling.

The other Jedi hadn't said anything. Was he waiting for an invitation?

"I was just talking about Lady Kay's dress. It's a beautiful blue, no?" Josh would remark with a cheeky smile.

 

[Kay-Larr]

[member="Joshua DragonsFlame"] [member="Faith Balor-Organa"] [member="Mantic Dorn"]


Why was her dress being the icebreaker for a conversation? She started to turn a little red as her cheeks were beginning to flush. It was like a spotlight had been trained on her.

"Thanks. I hope that it isn't too much, but the invite said formal wear. Your dress is lovely too. And this....house...is huge!"

It was quite obvious that she hasn't been to many residences like this one.