The Rolling Tides [Open To Galactic Alliance Members]

[Jamie Pyne]

​

[ Naboo ]​

Objective:

Spoiler

This thread doesn't have a definitive objective, aside from proceeding with a new election for the royalty of Naboo. If you are a member of the GA feel free to join however you wish, do your own thing or come mingle with me!

Time had passed since the terrorist attacks that would test the resolve of Naboo and its' citizens. Attacks at the very core of democracy. Attacks that sought to strike a blow against the sovereign world, its' leadership, and destabilize both the economic and cultural foundations for which it stood for. The starport's civilian bays had been bombed by a fugitive still on the run by the name of Suravi Teigra, a former Republic commander with known ties to the Sith regime. In her wake, several thousand lives were lost, as well as costing the crown a substantial sum of credits to repair the damages done. That was in tandem with the cleanup of trade routes that Nabooian freighter captains frequently utilized which had been peppered with mines by the previously named terrorist. Though a bounty had been set, no concrete leads had yet to be discovered on the woman's whereabouts.

Following that attack, a Sith by the name of Vrak Nashar proceeded to terrorize the citizens of Theed by detonating a remote explosive device in the center of a busy market, killing several and wounding dozens. The attack itself was an apparent attempt to draw out one of the royal delegates of the court, further escalating the situation by subsequently abducting the noblewoman by the name of Jamie Pyne. Upon her escape the Sith became the subject of an intergalactic manhunt, which, upon his capture, saw him returned to the crown of Naboo to face justice. All was well until that fated day where, in collusion with several other Sith, Vrak managed to free himself from the highest level security prison Naboo had to offer, and by the skin of his heels, escaped into the vastness of space, leaving one very perturbed woman behind in his wake.

Fast forward several months to the arrival of a woman by the name of Joon. A corrupted agent of the dark side that likewise, attempted to disrupt the balance of democracy among the Naboo. Attacked on the very grounds of the palace, in similar fashion to the Sith Pureblood, the Jedi guardian and noble wound up injured for her efforts, though managed to uncover a bit of valuable information during their scuffle. It seemed a new empire was on the rise, one that sought the domination of the galaxy in its' entirety.

Present. With the upcoming elections, Jamie had been busy transferring documents of importance for the upcoming transition, as was standard procedure. Hundreds of hours of collaboration between the various resources within the royal court needed to take place before an election was held to ensure safety of the planet, the people, and the palace was maintained throughout the process. The noble houses would also convene to discuss the potential candidates and elecorals for the crown, councils, and courts. It was a daunting, and drawn out process to say the least, but one of obligation.

Due to the recent turn of events, Jamie's own parents had stepped out of the limelight of the courts for personal reasons, thus in their stead Jamie had taken on a great deal of their former duties, as well as her own prior to their departure. Their work was now mostly philanthropic, funded by the crowd to deliver relief aide to impoverished and war torn worlds. It was better that way, given the distance Jamie had set between herself and her family, after the revelation that she in fact, had a sister now. "Lady Pyne? Lord Belistair wishes to convene with you alongside Lords Tarsen and Martchek" The steward's voice called out to Jamie from the double doors opposite the room. The blonde stood, acknowledging both the man and his message. "Thank you. Please send them in." A slow nod followed the shifting of the man's body, clearing the doorway so that the three men could enter the room that served as her office within the palace. A respectful smile adorned the young woman's face as she bowed her head to each in greeting, her hand then gesturing for them to take up a seat. "It's rare to see you three outside of the galas." The remark was hardly rude, but in fact true. Jamie rarely had much business with the other noble families, that had always been her father's work. As of late, she was beginning to see the full gravity of his daily life. She did not envy him. "And we wish to keep our meeting short, my lady." Tarsen's voice was about as baritone as could be, with a thick drawl about it. "We've watched you carefully, your demeanor, your conviction, your dedicated beliefs and desire to see the people of Naboo prosper. All people." Not all of the noble houses on Naboo wished to see the rise of their lower class. The men surrounding her were some of the few she trusted, as her father had. "I appreciate your flattery, Lord Tarsen, but wh--" The man held up his hand, stopping her mid-sentence. "My dear, we're not here for idle chat. We wish to see you as Queen of Naboo by the completion of this election cycle."

Several moments passed in silence. She hadn't the faintest thought of how to respond to such a request.

 

[Kaiden Rohn]

Security on Naboo. A break. That's what the Alliance higher-ups told him. A break from the mud, from the dirt, from the cleaning of weapons, from the constant grime and wear and tear of warfare. A break from having to life on caffeine pills and back-aching bunks, sleeping bags. No watches in the middle of the night. Just pretty princesses, lakes, rolling green plains, and the occasional overzealous fan. Nothing that would require him more than maybe smacking someone with a baton a few times. It was a welcome change of pace for the aging commando. With Havoc Squad a faded memory, he was more or less just a shell of his former self, and even less useful to the Alliance, and to any military that he knew.


So when he got to be one of the more senior security advisers for the once-kidnapped [member="Jamie Pyne"], it was no secret that he was elated. As much as he liked the tranquility, on some sort of level, the peacefulness bothered him. So, he dedicated himself to every contingency. Sith attacks. Poisoning. Chemical attacks. Rabid dogs. Rabid cats. Overzealous gungans. A flock of angry flying creatures. Star destroyer landing on the palace. His briefs and plans may have begun to annoy everyone in the palace, but damn if they weren't prepared.

That being said, he wasn't prepared for bombshell political moves.

Even he was surprised. But outwardly, he shifted his weight, and leaned over to whisper into another security guard's ear. He told him that he lost a bet, but to everyone else, it probably looked like he was doing important security team stuff.

 

[Ashin Varanin]

Lady Ajira Cardei, retired civil servant, had not been heard from in some time. It seemed seclusion in the Lake Country suited her well. Her loyal aide, Amari Shambleau, was known to keep in touch with her, even now that Amari was a roaming Assistant Director in Theed Hangar's Strategic Security Branch. No surprise, then, that Amari was the one to deliver certain letters on Cardei's behalf. In short, Cardei was throwing her modest support behind the young Lady Pyne for the upcoming electoral cycle. Other senior Theed Hangar personnel, such as the fungal master shipwright Tavassem, appeared to be issuing similar endorsements. In recent years, Theed Palace Space Vessel Engineering Corps had become one of the galaxy's most advanced and powerful shipbuilding firms, and its senior people had some clout worth using.

 

[Ugohr Poof]

For the first time in years, the first time since he committed those crimes on Chandrila, Ugohr could return to Naboo. He was dealing with the funeral of [member="Marcello Matteo"]'s predecessor and, prior to that, a crazy Zeltron: [member="Amari Shambleau"]. But he had one day with his Gungan family in Spinnaker, as per the terms of his probation. He arrived on Naboo, with tracking devices on his boots that he could take off only for a short time (and that was for hygiene purposes that he could do it). His family was most interested in the relationships of the Naboo government with the Gungan Rep Council and other items that might be important when dealing witht he Gungans on a political level. The talk of the town was [member="Jamie Pyne"]'s electoral campaign for the royalty. His family was overjoyed to see him back into the family bubble house, which was above-ground. In Spinnaker, much of the built space was filled with overland hydrostatic bubbles, and his family lived overland; however, part of the city was underwater, as was the case for several of the Gungan cities that were close to Naboo settlements. Ugohr's grandfather took him into his arms right when he arrived.

"Itsa mui good for yousa to come back home" Ugohr's grandfather told him.

"Mesa can sense dat yousa have some preoccupations about how da Naboo and theirsa royal candidates will treat usen on a political level"

"Yousa know dat several Gungan nobles comen through hair recently, but wesa in da early stagen of da campaign"

"Also, on da galactic stage, wesa Gungans representen diplomatically by da Naboo Crown, and not by oursa own Gungan Rep Council: if da queen or king not careful about usen, a disaster can result"

 

[Jamie Pyne]

"I--" Her eyes shifted to the floor for a moment, searching for the right words to respond to the lords before her. The blonde had never aspired to become queen. It just wasn't something she was after. The desire to see her world flourish, grow, and prosper was always at the forefront of her mind, never the rewards that might come from such work. It was all very surprising to hear that they wished for her to take the throne. Perhaps it was her blind devotion to the world and her people that inspired such confidence in her ability to lead. But with that appointment came a great many things that Jamie would have to come to terms with, one being a hindered ability to travel as frequently and freely as she had in the past. Though Jedi Knight she may be, her allegiance would have to fall to Naboo over all else, including the Alliance and the Order, not that it wasn't there already. Her ongoing training with Aela would have to be adjusted in certain ways as well. "Thank you, all of you." She said through genuine smile. "I am at a loss for words. Truly."

"You have the full support of our houses, and no doubt the citizens themselves. We believe there is no better suited to replace the King, though there are a small handful of ambitious lords and ladies likely to run, though we are confident that the majority of the nobility will side with us on your nomination. We also have here documents signed by Lady Cardei, delivered by [member="Amari Shambleau"] that echo our sentiments." Lord Tarsen handed Jamie the letters for her inspection, though the young woman had full confidence that they were legitimate. She would need to remind herself to thank both Amari and Ajira personally, though for now she would ensure a message be sent with a formal acknowledgement and gratitude.

"In the mean time, Lady Pyne, we've assigned you a small security contingent for the forthcoming elections. The senior officer is [member="Kaiden Rohn"] and should be along shortly." The blonde nodded, "I appreciate that." Jamie was entirely confident that she could handle herself, after all, she was a Jedi, but she was not so conceited to believe that she could watch her back around every corner all of the time. More eyes couldn't hurt, especially when it came to things with triggers. She couldn't shoot a blaster to save her life, literally.

[member="Ugohr Poof"]

 

[Jamie Pyne]

Several days later...

Preparations had been made in anticipation of the forthcoming elections, mostly discussions and meetings with other noble houses to understand concerns, expectations, her vision and beliefs, and to knock out any potential shortcomings she may face when the time came to call for the vote of the people and nobility. Jamie's resumè included her work with the YAFCIN, her time spent learning and understanding the democratic and monarchy processes, the laws and ethics surrounding the crown and its' subordinate offices, and her time as an acting delegate both in place of and replacing her parents in those roles.

The blonde had also tactfully handled the attacks on Naboo by the recent terrorists, even despite their ongoing investigations. Even the royal family had thrown their support behind the young girl. To Jamie, this was something of a dream, she had never really aspired to be queen, even joked about it at times with her boyfriend and Jedi mentor. As a small girl she had imagined being a princess, but those were simply the starry eyed dreams of a girl, not a serious ambition.

Though it seemed now there was no turning back. Even before she had agreed it appeared that the houses had spoken, or at least most of them.

That morning the stage before the palace grand staircase had been set for Jamie to formally accept the nomination and to give a speech to the people of Naboo, much like she had done several times in the recent past for a variety of other reasons. Some good, some bad. A small sea of people had gathered beneath the steps, stretching out as far as the closely nestled buildings would allow her to see.

Jamie stepped up to the microphone, and for a few moments simply looked out at the people with a warm glow about her, blush cheeks and chipper smile.

"Great people of Naboo, today I come before you not as Lady Pyne, not as the heir to House Pyne, nor as a delegate. I come before you as a servant. Your servant." Her hand extended outwards, gesturing in slow motion towards all of those gathered. "That is the duty of all civil delegates. To serve the people, to protect and guide them, never to rule them." Her hands fell to either side of the podium. "We are a free people, a democratic people. We elect our officials and expect that they will protect our interests, our planet, and our resources. We expect that they will lend not only their ears to us, but their hands as well. That they will lead us in times of strife. That they will be held to the highest degree of standards, and be equally accountable for their actions. That is the belief which keeps our people strong, our government trusted, and our minds open. I challenge each and every person to always search for ways to better our future, for ourselves and our children, and even the galaxy. To never forget these beliefs, or be blinded by corruption or greed. There will always be challenges, but we must overcome these challenges if we are to survive as a people."

The girl paused, taking in the sight of the crowd once more. "I give you, the people, my solemn vow to protect each and every one of you, our way of life and our planet, as long as I breathe, and as long as you will have me. I am young, but I will grow with you, to better serve you all. I will never waiver from these duties, even if elected, when I am no longer queen. I will never cease my devotion to you. Thank you."

The thunderous noise that poured forward as she gave her thanks and stepped down was nearly overwhelming. For several minutes she remained on stage, smiling towards the people and the assembled cameras, bowing her head, before turning back and making her way for the inner sanctums of the palace once more.

 

[Kaiden Rohn]

He had to rethink a lot of his security concerns now. God damn [member="Jamie Pyne"] was a friggin' Queen now. The aging soldier ran a hand through his hair, observing the crowds. Crowds made him nervous. Reminded him of the swarms at the Dark Harvest and the destruction at Coruscant. The hell-bent fury scarred him still.


He stood behind the Queen, [member="Jamie Pyne"], solemnly. Clad in his Havoc Squad uniform fatigues, he was the semblance of order and security on Naboo- who had recently, become a target for whatever reason. Perhaps it was the tranquility. Perhaps it was arrogance. He couldn't harbor a guess to why any of it happened. Her speech was nice and true, as speeches went- but the painful thing is that she believed in it all. Politics turned him bitter. Politics nearly got his squad ripped apart. Tore his beloved Republic apart. Hopefully the bitter reality of the galaxy wouldn't tear this girl down. Like it did him.

He stood at parade rest, watching her take the oath to her people. He had to be stoic. Had to look the part. She turned and made her way into the palace.

He walked several paces behind her, hand thumbing over the sidearm in his waistband. Big events made him nervous. It was starting to show.

"So, does work get easier for you, or harder for you now, ma'am?"

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

 

[Hemmrie the Bum]

The Intergalactic Space Hobo hadn't been to a planet this beautiful in many, many years.

The city was alive with activity, celebrations following the crowning of a new Queen.

Theed was the name of the city, he guessed. Impressive it truly was; yet everyone felt TOO nice. The homeless adventurer wandered about on his own for an hour; two hours; three hours.

Something was wrong.
He hadn't seen a SINGLE cantina in the city streets; Nothing but fine cafes and celebrating Gunkles, the water species that looked and sounded more annoying than a screaming baby bantha.

He continued to wander, wearing a ragged, unwashed uniform of unknown origin (it bore the Ranking plaque of an Imperial captain, though he didn't realize this this), and feeling like a complete fool. This planet was garbage.

He walked for the tallest nearby building, an impressive, gated citadel he guessed to be the Spaceport.

And before Hemmrie knew it, he was standing in the throne room of the Theed Palace.

Where the feth was he?

 

[Jamie Pyne]

Queen. The woman's cheeks puffed, exhaling audibly enough for [member="Kaiden Rohn"] to hear as they walked through the grand halls of the palace. She had been given a great deal of responsibilities as of late, even before ascending to the highest office on Naboo. Jamie had insight to most things, but there were still agenda items, meetings, discussions, files, and reports that she was not privy to before. Things that were just above her need to know. But now? Everything was in her lap. Even as the two, along with the other members of her accompaniment walked, others were busying themselves making adjustments to her authorizations, preparing her for the role of queen.

"I imagine it will become harder than I ever imagined."

It was her honest gut reaction, something she learned to trust more and more as of late. "My role as a Jedi Knight will have to take a back seat to the responsibilities of Queen of Naboo. My will to explore the galaxy and embark on other dangerous activities will need to in some cases, cease entirely, while others are greatly diminished." Those were just the basic facts. "As for my duties here? I must assume all that I did before, and more now. I will have a council of advisors, but the weight of these decisions now rest on my shoulders." She smiled, passing a glance to Kaiden. "I must ensure they are always the right ones."

When the small group finally arrived within the throne room, which was in the process of being prepared for the official coronation, Jamie came to find a rather raggedy looking man wearing what looked to be the garb belonging to an old imperial soldier of some kind, though what age, or which exact imperial she wasn't too sure. Her knowledge on the subjects were rather iffy. The otherwise relatively empty throne room, save for those making the arrangements, made the man stand out rather prominently. That, and the smell was a bit potent.

Though the others gave the blonde a curious look as she began to approach, likely giving Kaiden a bit of cause for alarm as well, Jamie paid them no mind.

"Hello there!" Her chirpy greeting echoed through the grand hall, as she addressed [member="Hemmrie the Bum"].

 

[Ugohr Poof]

A few days after Ugohr returned to Naboo to see his family in Spinnaker, he was back on Sullust, with his family reunion not lasting very long, if only because of the conditions attached to his probation. News were that the queen-elect was [member="Jamie Pyne"]: although her predecessor on the throne, Marcello, ended up being mostly preoccupied by internal affairs, Ugohr held out little hope that he would be able to travel freely off-world. The time has come to meet with the additional younglings that he trained in economics for their weekly economics lesson. Understandably, because most Jedi wanted nothing better than to fight the dark, do policing/bounty hunting or go on the battlefield over doing diplomacy or engage in forensic accounting, his crop of apprentices would be best described as diminutive: the more advanced course was semi-private because there were only two younglings taking it. But he was teaching the half-year, introductory course this time around.

"Lady Pyne issa now da Queen: are there-sa other younglings from Naboo hair?"

"I'm afraid not, master"

 

[Hemmrie the Bum]

Hemmrie turned suddenly to the sound of footsteps, and the golden voice of a woman who had just greeted him.

She was magnificently beautiful. In fact, now Hemmrie thought about it, he had never seen a more beautiful human woman in his life. She wasn't the most beautiful thing he had ever seen, though; he owed that to the Twi-Lek women he would dine and dance with on... uhhh... one of those planets far off. They all seemed to blend together.

Sure, this woman was immensely beautiful, and she was dressed nicely, but that didn't mean he should go soft on her; he was not happy! He was unimpressed with the lack of cantinas and drinking establishments in the city of Theed! And he was about to voice his opinions, openly, and loudly!

"Right, aye, 'ello there! I'm here on a mission from the... uhh..." he cleared his throat. "... the Imperial First Remnant Order, that's right! Cap'n Hemmrie, here on a diplomantic mission to find the finest Cantina in th' galaxy!"

He was impressed with how brilliant his plan was. Poking a finger towards the man in armour, probably a soldier of sorts, behind the beautiful woman, Hemmrie continued.

"I demand to speak to the man in charge! This city ain't got any form of bar that an Empire man can sit down at!"

In reality, Hemmrie was hesitating. A lot. To the eyes of those watching, he looked like a madman, an imperial who had been lost in space for too long. That was, if anyone believed he was an Imperial.

Not to mention he was unarmed, and his only belongings were hanging from his shoulder in a bag fashioned from an old pair of piloting pants.

He was obviously homeless, thirsty, and certainly clueless about any forthcoming situation he has just placed himself in.

 

[Kaiden Rohn]

"A real Imperial Officer would never let themselves be presented like that. I know that for a fact because I've killed at least ten of them."Kaiden looked around, seeing that they were away from the cameras. Reaching into his pocket, he removed a pack of snuff. He packed it with his fingers, cracking his neck as he put it into his mouth. The nicotine rush was great- especially in a high-stress situation. The hobo had broken his security protocols. He stared him down, a hyper-lethal soldier to...a homeless man. He couldn't feel angry. He wanted to shoot him, but in reality, what was the point? The Queen would've freaked.

He ordered some fatigues brought to him, and him to be bathed- whether he wanted to or not. The soldiers grinned- they rarely got to knock the crap out of anyone nowadays. If the hobo resisted, burly Commando types were going to lay him out.

"That'd be me, sort of. I don't want you talking to the good Queen here until you're more presentable- and go ahead and try me. This place is nice and quiet, and sometimes nice and quiet makes my killing parts twitchy."

[member="Hemmrie the Bum"][member="Jamie Pyne"]

 

[Jamie Pyne]

The woman listened to the old man ramble, his words partially stumbling as he spoke. Clearly he was not a native born citizen, that much she could gather by his accent, clothing, and overall attire, though perhaps the latter was due to his apparent homelessness, an act of scrounging for attire, food, and shelter being commonplace. That, and Jamie knew there was no such government as the Imperial First Remnant Order. To her, it seemed as though whatever musings the man was putting forward was likely the culmination of excerpts from other folks' stories related to the Imperial Remnant, and the First Order.

That, and she was doubtful that any government entity would assign a man dressed as a vagabond to scour the galaxy for cantinas and brothels. It just didn't quite add up. The more likely scenario was that he was intoxicated, stowed away on a ship that landed at Theed Hangar, and was now searching for a way to continue his day drinking, yet somehow managed to stumble his way through the palace and into the throne room. Then again, this area of the palace was generally available to all for the purposes of voicing concerns, grievances, and communal meetings of the people to the crown, so it was to be expected that he was granted permit to the room. Where he had come from, or where else he may have gone in his exploring though was possibly another story altogether.

The blonde held up a hand to [member="Kaiden Rohn"], a polite smile on her face. "There's no need for enmity, Kaiden." Her hand lightly padded the man's shoulder before taking several steps towards [member="Hemmrie the Bum"] and offering him a small bow of her head. "My apologies, Captain Hemmrie. My name is Jamie Pyne." She left the title of Queen out for the sake of keeping things relatively informal. "I believe what Kaiden here meant was that we would like to extend an offering of clothing, a bath, and a meal, if you would allow me the honor of being my guest this evening. Perhaps we can speak of your concerns then?"

 

[Hemmrie the Bum]

Bath? Clothes? An actual meal!?

Hemmrie slowly reached up with a soft, shaking hand, to the bandana around his head. Slipping it from his brow, seemingly sliding off with difficulty through his long, knotted grey hair, he looked to the eyes of the beautiful young woman who had introduced herself as [member="Jamie Pyne"] , and deep within his eyes was a sign of eternal, even emotional gratitude. And Jamie would easily see it within his suddenly bright, warm eyes.

"I... ahem," he cleared his threat and nodded, a soft smile curling on the edge of his lips. "I reckon that sounds alright, young lady." He sent his gaze towards the big man in the armour, [member="Kaiden Rohn"] , and his smile soon faded. "Your boss, uh, he don't like visitor's, does 'e? I suppose I better make 'im happy."

He turned to the two servants who had approached him, and with his arms folded behind him like an Imperial's, the hitchhiker marched away towards what would be a painful, cleansing, and ultimately confusing bath for the homeless hitchhiker whose last bath was spent in chlorine rain.

The stench of year old alcohol was still lingering in the air, though the hitchhiker's own breath didn't seem to reek of it. Poor Hemmrie had been dry for weeks now. It would be the unkemt stench of his clothes.

 

[Kaiden Rohn]

Kaiden rolled his shoulders as the man was taken away to be cleaned up, and changed out of the terrible-smelling clothes. Though, Kaiden would never get the smell of a burning city out of his mind. He spaced out for a moment. He was back at Coruscant. A tower collapsed and fell into the undercity. The squad in front of him was caught in the debris. Sithspawn poured over the debris. Hungry. Aching for blood. He looked down at his hand to make sure the scattergun wasn't there. He began to tremble. Nervous tick. He turned on his heel, fixing his hair. Calmed him down. He turned back to face [member="Jamie Pyne"] and the bum. Specifically, [member="Hemmrie the Bum"].

As he was hurried away to be changed, shaved, and cleaned up- Kaiden turned to face the Queen. His posture indicated an unhappy soldier. He pointed a single finger at her."Ma'am, with all due respect to position, status and all that- this is a major security concern. Jedi stuff aside, we don't know who he really is. So stay on your toes with him- especially since you just invited him to dinner."If it were up to Kaiden, he would've been cleaned up and given a good hot meal- after getting his teeth kicked in by him and a few of his burly Commando friends. Kaiden rolled his shoulders forward, turning his head as the bum was carried off.

"Call it instinct, but I don't like the idea of a stranger being so close to you."

 

[Jamie Pyne]

The soft features of the woman remained ever present as [member="Hemmrie the Bum"] spoke. The way his eyes shone like small shimmering stars within the voids of space, and the small trembling of his hands as he pulled the dirt laden bandana from his head was more than enough to give her the impression that he seemed a genuine man. Jamie, for all her naivety, was quite proficient at understanding someone's base emotions like sorrow, anger, joy, and fear. The newly elected queen gave Hemmrie a nod, "The palace staff will take excellent care of you. No need to worry."

As the man was guided off towards the bathhouse Jamie turned back to [member="Kaiden Rohn"], the security adviser that was clearly not overly keen with her decision to allow the man relatively free access to areas of the palace without an escort. Jamie had seen terrorists in the flesh before, however, and this man did not give her that impression. Still, she had been wrong about people in the past. Hopefully this decision wouldn't be one where she had to acknowledge that.

"I appreciate your council, Kaiden. I will remain conscious of your advisement. If it would ease your mind, assign additional guards to the palace and feel free to join us as well."

 

[Hemmrie the Bum]

Hemmrie didn't mind being watched as he bathed.

The bathhouse was comfortable and well attended, with servants here and there to hand you a towel or a bar of soap.

And it was the most heavenly cleansing that Hemmrie had had in many, many long months.

His hair was long, and shined like silver around his head, and his beard showed wisdom instead of uncleanliness. His eyes sparkled about rough but clean skin, and his smile could now be seen. They had taken, and probably disposed of, his old rags now, instead leaving for him a clean, beautifully made tunic that was like velvet or satin on his skin. He looked respectable, and very happy, though he had to insist to the servants that he didn't want to shave.

Hemmrie returned a clean man after his wonderful bath, smelling not of Tatooine dumpsters, but of roses and the fresh fruit of Naboo.

And he still didn't know what planet he was on.

He emerged into the Throne Room some time later a clean, and absolutely wonderful looking old man, wise and worth beyond his years.

And then he opened his mouth.

"That was some frackin' good bathin'. I smell incredible! Only the servants in there couldn't stop touchin' me; must show how great I look now, as a wise shaman of Theed! Hahaaa! Thankyou, Jamie, lass! And you too, Sergeant Crank!" He smirked as he approached the Queen, and actually HUGGED her. Out of the blue. A tall, warm, well received hug; he didn't know how else to give his gratitude.

And he didn't realize how bad it would be viewed by others present.

 

[Kaiden Rohn]

Oh like he wasn't going to do that anyway, your highness.


Is what he didn't say outloud, because he was such a good boy. He nodded at her words, and placed a single hand on his hip. The Queen would notice a new feature about Kaiden- a fresh knuckle tattoo. It was a compass, and beside it on an adjacent finger, his middle one, was the symbol of the Republic, from which he had served for many of a year, until it's tragic downfall. The fact that he got it so many years after the fall of the Republic- meant that he still cared and wanted it back, but, as the galaxy was- what was old and dead would very much stay that way, no matter how much any one person wanted it back. Things that were brought back rarely matched what they were reviving. It was always hollow, always a shell- much like Kaiden himself was. He was the embodiment of an idea, the living proof of willpower alone keeping someone together. Truthfully, he had little to live for- no family, no love, only a couple of friends left.

But somehow, being with [member="Jamie Pyne"] brought him some semblance of happiness.

He frowned at the idea of dining with the man, but, she was the boss.

Then the bum returned, albeit cleaned up. The clean-cut Kaiden, despite his horrific facial scars, was a well-groomed man. His uniform was neat and orderly, his boots shined, his teeth white, his face neatly shaved- a stark contrast to the unkempt man before the Queen and the Commando. He shot a glare over to the Queen when he returned. Then- he touched the Queen. Kaiden seized the man by his bicep, not a grip enough to shatter bone or leave a bruise- but enough to make his point across. He dropped his tone to where the Queen wouldn't hear him.

"Touch her again and the only thing people will remember you for is how awfully you died."

He released him and turned to the Queen, awaiting her reply, and ultimately, dinner.

[member="Hemmrie the Bum"]

 

[Jamie Pyne]

The man's return some time later brought a small, pleasant smile to her face. in the mean time she had busied herself with getting accustomed to some of the changes that would be happening now that she were more than simply a delegate of the court and a Jedi Knight. Even more responsibilities would be laid at her feet. Diplomatic, mostly, but also the oversight of the protection and well being of the people, its' economy, and the defense of Naboo itself from threats.

That being said, she was also still a girl of nineteen, and not quite one to follow what [member="Kaiden Rohn"] would feel as proper protocol, especially when dealing with a person of [member="Hemmrie the Bum"]'s type. The blonde had always been used to physical contact, namely with the children of the youth group she volunteered for during much of her free time before becoming queen. So when Hemmrie pulled her into an embrace, strange as it may seem, she was rather comfortable with the acceptance of gratitude and simply patted the man's back lightly, before her security adviser rather forcefully parted the two for the sake of her safety. Jamie understood of course his hesitation in allowing the man that close to the newly elected queen, but she was also perhaps somewhat of an anomaly for Kaiden. How often did he have to protect a person such as herself who was also a trained Jedi? Not that Jamie was one to broadcast that information openly in front of others, she also did not go to great lengths to hide it either.

"You are quite welcome, Hemmrie." The woman gave a nod to the elderly man. "Come along, I asked for the staff to prepare a braised nerf roast, with five blossom bread and Domaine de la Maison sur le Lac wine."

 

[Hemmrie the Bum]

Hemmrie parted the hug feeling like a new man, for his time on this planet, having only been a few hours, had indeed changed him. He felt wonderful, clean, and... Loved.
Upon [member="Jamie Pyne"] 's mention of dinner, however, Hemmrie felt his old self kick in again, and he grinned with delight as he took a step away from the Queen, though he was mostly dragged back by the Grumpy soldier who seemed to have a dislike for the old bum. He simply smiled gratuitously and bowed for the queen, then to the soldier, [member="Kaiden Rohn"] , out of respect.

"Such an honor, to dine with ya, my lady. And you too, Soldier, whose name I dunno yet," He almost laughed, his hands feeling the pockets of his garments as he looked about the Throne room in complete bliss. Then a thought kicked in, and he quickly turned back to Jamie, his eyes bright with surprise.

"Wait... Miss Jamie, you ar-" He quickly dropped to both knees and held both his arms out to her. "You are the Qu- You're th' Queen!" His eyes went wide with fear as he looked to Kaiden with a similar look of fear, and he stood up carefully, as if he were about to be attacked. "I-I had no idea. Please, forgive this ol' fool, I didn' think I'd be dealin' with royalty when I got 'ere! This truly is, TRULY an Honor!" He jumped up, his old, grinning self returning, and he bowed deeply to the Queen again. "A feast! A feast we shall 'ave! WHOOPEE!!"

The bum leaped into the air in celebration, a strange sight for such a grizzled, wise looking old man, and he quickly turned and moved from the Throne room, in hope of beating them to the kitchen.

The bum had no idea where he was going. But if he could smell it, he would find it.