The Magrath Family White Tie Formal

[Zerrene Torran]

Zerrene's eyes widened when [member="Nefertari Sovint"] stated she was a Jedi. She scolded herself for not paying attention to her senses, which should have alerted her to the Force-User.
She forced herself to smile.
"Yes, please do. I don't find myself in the company of Jedi's often."

[member="Armand Temi"]

 

[Nefertari Sovint]

Nefertari could feel the tension coming from [member="Zerrene Torran"]

​"What would you prefer? Something recent, or would you rather an adventure that would probably be in childrens' history books?

[member="Armand Temi"]

 

[Zerrene Torran]

Zerrene chuckled.
"Something older might be nice. I find myself having to catch up with events beyond two years ago."

[member="Nefertari Sovint"]
[member="Armand Temi"]

 

[Nefertari Sovint]

[member="Zerrene Torran"] had requested something older. "Very well, I shall tell you of my final encounter with one of the more nasty Sith Lords of the time. Even though he was actually soft for a Sith." Nefertari then began "It had been 151 years since the battle of Yavin. I was on Naboo training under my Master. We had both recovered from fighting the punk and his apprentice a year before. It was then that Master Bari gave me an assignment to go to Tattooine to fetch something from there..."

[member="Armand Temi"]

 

[Zerrene Torran]

Hmmm. Tattooine. If Zerrene remembered correctly, that was a desert planet. What in the Force could be there of interest to the Jedi or the Sith?
These thoughts ran through her mind as she listened to the Jedi's story.

[member="Nefertari Sovint"]
[member="Armand Temi"]

 

[Armand Temi]

Armand listened in fascination. Tatooine, land of the twin suns ... such an exotic place. He wondered if the criminal element was still powerful there. As [member="Nefertari Sovint"] held his rapt attention, another thought germinated in his mind. Did she ever take on any apprentices? He hadn't a lot of exposure to the Jedi faction and wasn't sure how to broach the subject so he listened intently to her story.

[member="Zerrene Torran"]
[member="Nefertari Sovint"]

 

[Laguz Vald]

"Only three? You are merciless, milady," the tall man covered his smile with the glass in his hand, taking a long sip of the cool drink.

"But with a reward like that, how could I possibly say no?" His hazel eyes took in her figure then, properly this time, and despite his courteous demeanor, Cailin did nothing to hide his gaze.
"Well, then... my first try," he started when he finally managed to tear his eyes from the expanse of her smooth skin.

"I'd say, madam, that you are a member of noble house," the blond man finally stated as his lips brushed the edge of his glass.

[member="Darth Arcanix"]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Laguz Vald"]

"I'm afraid you are incorrect on the first guess," she said, not bothered at all by the man's gaze. Ever since she had gone elegant, she had had that distinct affect on men it appeared. A certain man drifted through her thoughts at that point, but she was able to keep herself from smiling too much beyond what she already had been.

"My family is not a noble one, you have two more guesses left," she replied, her smile growing wider. A twinge in the Force of discomfort from some other guest caught her attention, but she would ignore that for now.

 

[Laguz Vald]

"Ah," the sound left his lips without an ounce of remorse. He shifted on his feet and trailed his eyes along her toned arms. The muscles underneath her pale skin were a testament to a life much more demanding than that of a noble, and he chastised himself internally for such an amateurish mistake. I've been out of the game for far too long, it seems, he sighed and allowed a new smile to tug at the corners of his mouth.

"Very well, Lady Rae," his hazel eyes twinkled with mirth as his mind ran the gamut of remaining possibilities. "If you're not blue blooded, you must be an emissary of some sort," the tall man stepped a bit closer, a movement that could easily go unnoticed in the ebb of the crowd.

"Perhaps an envoy of a greater power?"

[member="Darth Arcanix"]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

"Closer, but not close enough," she replied, smiling over her glass. She noted his ever so closer step, her eyes flashing downwards then up, but she didn't retreat a step. It wouldn't do to show weakness to such a man. Even as he observed her, she was observing him. Calloused hands, possibly from gripping a blaster or blade? His mirth and manner denoted or hid someone used to hard work and dealing with people. His clothes were more expensive, so she ruled out a common soldier or even an officer. He had to have money, but as he had referred to nobles as blue-bloods, he obviously wasn't one himself.

"I'll give you a small hint, you are correct on the proper way to address me," she said, her eyes dancing with slight mirth as well. "Lady Rae would be the proper way that is."

Her Force senses were picking up a slight . . . wariness from the man, and she could feel that he had quite possibly scanned, then re-scanned the crowd. Even now, as he looked at her, he was keeping track of certain crowd members.

'How interesting. How very interesting.'

[member="Laguz Vald"]

 

[Zerrene Torran]

As she listened to the Jedi, Zerrene opened her senses up out of curiosity. Her senses promptly began screaming 'danger' in her head, the amount of Force Users in the building was simply overwhelming. She excused herself from the conversation quietly and speed-walked to the drinks, quickly ordering something strong. She needed to get drunk, now.

[member="Darth Arcanix"]
[member="Laguz Vald"]
[member="Armand Temi"]
[member="Nefertari Sovint"]
[member="Sage Bane"]
[member="The Cartographer"]
[member="Baroness Magrath"]
[member="Enigma"]

 

[Laguz Vald]

"Madame, you are quite elusive, I must say," the man chuckled softly, but his gaze gained an edge to it. His eyes turned serious, and the smile curling his lips became sadder, somehow. Cailin had ruled out the small amount of possibilities left, and the realization he'd come to wasn't a very pretty one. A soft sigh slipped from his chest as he averted his eyes, taking a moment to finish his champagne.

"Not a great many people besides the Galaxy's aristocracy use such titles, milady," he finally spoke again, the timbre of his voice laden with something akin to pity. Well, perhaps not pity, per se; whatever Cailin was trying to express was probably closer to compassion than anything else.

"I was quite fond of the Grand Opera house on Coruscant, you know?" the blond man said, shrugging dejectedly.

"Tell me, Lady Rae... what sort of performances do they show now? The Republic's Last Stand, perhaps?"

[member="Darth Arcanix"]

 

[Zerrene Torran]

Zerrene gulped down glass after glass of alcohol, trying to drown out her own subconscious. The bartender looked at her worriedly, but kept handing her drinks.
Well, at least she was over her social anxiety, now.

[member="Laguz Vald"]
[member="Darth Arcanix"]
[member="Armand Temi"]
[member="Baroness Magrath"]
[member="Sage Bane"]
[member="The Cartographer"]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

"As I have seen a few shows, I can say the classics are still preserved," she said, her eyes glinting as his question told her he had figured out, at least partially, what she was. A smart one there, always an intriguing trait for a person and one Taeli could respect.

"Before you leap to conclusions, Mister Sarkath, do note that I'm here acting cordially and for all the world a normal partygoer," she continued, taking a small sip of her drink. "I have never condoned what . . . others have done that I feel are excessive acts, even if I might be considered among their number. Perhaps a man such as yourself can understand the position that one cannot do much about . . . such things, even as they try and rise through the ranks to make things . . . more efficient and thought-out."

Something once again stirred in the Force, from the direction of the bar this time. Curiosity go the better of her, and as the Baroness was still busy, she decided she might go investigate.

"Think about what I said, and you'll have to wait for your dance a little later tonight, excuse me," she said, moving away from the tall man and heading towards where a dejected looking Chiss was quaffing down drink after drink.

[member="Laguz Vald"] [member="Zerrene Torran"]

 

[Armand Temi]

Out of the corner of his eye, Armand noticed the female Chiss slipping away and over to the bar. Again she looked nervous and almost distressed. While keeping his focus on Nefertari's tale he tried tapping into his Force sensitivity - something that he had not done in ages. It took a bit of concentration but eventually he did pick up that Zerrene felt in danger but from who or what he didn't know.

[member="Nefertari Sovint"]
[member="Zerrene Torran"]

 

[Zerrene Torran]

When she set her latest glass on the counter, Zerrene noticed a woman headed her way. She froze, a glass of whatever-concoction-she-was-drinking-at-this-point halfway to her mouth, her eyes wide. In a moment of panic, she switched to her assassin persona; cool, calm, and seductive.
She smiled at the woman and curtsied, distress radiating from her person.
"Good evening my lady. I am Zerrene."

[member="Darth Arcanix"]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Zerrene Torran"]

While the Chiss tried to appear calm and collected, Taeli could the levels of distress rolling off her Force presence. The fact it was so strong hinted that the woman in front of her might be Force Sensitive, but it was hard to tell. It didn't feel focused or trained at all, but the Chiss obviously had training in other regards.

"Nice to meet you, Zerrene, my name is Taeli," Taeli said, smiling and bowing. "Mind if I join you? You seem stressed about something. Perhaps I can help you in some way?"

She made sure to keep her Force presence concealed through her Vong seed, it would do to spook this woman when she was already interesting. Ordering a Dantooine spice tea, she sat down on a stool.

 

[Zerrene Torran]

Zerrene simply smiled. She did not sense the Force on this woman, and she relaxed. A little.
She stopped with her binge drinking, choosing to sip her drink instead.
"I don't get out to these types of parties often, I'm afraid." Not without having someone to kill, anyway. "I'm simply a bit nervous because of that."
Not to mention her senses going OFF THE WALL because of all the Force Users, but she didn't have to know that.


[member="Darth Arcanix"]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

"Oh I understand," Taeli said, nodding her head. "I hate going to these functions normally, so I try and avoid them as much as possible."

Noticing how much the Chis had already had to drink, Taeli gently placed a hand on her arm and lowered the glass back to the counter.

"Perhaps you can lay off the drink for a bit and we can talk? At the rate you were going, you'd probably be unconscious on the front lawn in an hour." She suspected that Zerrene had been drinking just out of pure stress, but perhaps something else lay within her psyche. She noticed ever so faitn scars on the Chiss's wrists.

"So, care to tell me anything about yourself?"

[member="Zerrene Torran"]

 

[Zerrene Torran]

Zerrene let go of her drink, embarrassed.
"Where even to begin? I was born on a mining outpost, near Corellia. Not the most glorified of beginnings, but it's mine."
The Chiss winced and stared at her wrists.
"I lived peacefully, I think. That all changed when slavers showed up, murdered the whole station, and slapped a collar on me."
Her eyes were filled with hatred, and her dug into the counter.
"I was owned by a Mandalorian by the name of Hordan Ordo. I was his little pet, his show-dog. He used to drag me to places like this, show me off. He taught me how to curtsy, how to look innocent, how to kill."

[member="Darth Arcanix"]