Private The Senator and the Ambassador

[Adelle Bastiel]

Theed, Naboo
Tags: Anet Raine

Not far from the Senate chambers, there was a rather convenient if high end lounge that typically catered to the political, noble, and other elite interests. Usually Adelle avoided it—the innate snobbery of the clientele was an immediate turn off, even if the atmosphere was very nice. Today, however, its convenient location outweighed her dislike for its patrons. She’d been sitting in on a Senate meeting with Aurelian and Sibylla, trying to both learn about the Republic’s methods and stay on top of its foreign policies.

With the Republic in a state of war with the Sith Order, it mattered more than ever now.

Which meant that she couldn’t take too long seeking out refreshments while the Senate had adjourned for a recess.

Adelle sat down in a plush booth, smaller and cozier than the booths that housed groups of nobles and politicians. She didn’t even glance at the menu projected from the holo in the middle of the table, subtly embedded within the rich native wood. It would always be Corellian whiskey, Whyren’s Reserve, as long as she could find it.

She set her buy’ce down on the table, visor facing out from the partition wall next to the booth. Aurelian hated it but these days, she prefered wearing the beskar’gam as opposed to the fancier outfits he’d chosen. The Mand’alor’s recent moves and the Empire’s expansions hadn’t gone completely unnoticed by their client’s people. Rumors moved uneasily around the Embassy, although the DEFCON level was lower than it had been. Aether had insisted the armor be more present when she resumed her residence here. His trust in the Republic’s governance of the Jedi had completely been eroded by Jedi elsewhere.

Adelle leaned back in the seat and closed her eyes. Today was one of those days she just wanted to disappear into the galaxy again, living an uncomplicated life on a farm as a doctor.

 

[Anet Raine]

Adelle Bastiel​

Anet was always one for the classics.

For Anet's part, she wore a dark blue dress with silver trim. It was form-fitting and shoulderless, with an hourglass of fabric wrapped around her neck - sheer above the chest and along the mid-thigh until where the cut ended just past the knee. She paired it with a matching shoulder cloak, bracelets in gold and silver, and a pair of dark leather open-toed sandals that wrapped up around her ankles. Her makeup, on the other hand, was subtler than her outfit. A bit of foundation, highlighter, some lip gloss, and sharp black eyeliner.

She liked how she looked the last time she had the opportunity to dress up. That it reminded her of Kirie... Well. That was a bonus.

The senator escaped the clutches of the senatorial chambers and used every excuse in the book to ditch her aide, too. Space - that was what she needed. It had become increasingly harder to maintain the double life. It cost her a lot. Her time. Her passions. Her connection to the Force, which was locked within a mask she left on Coruscant. Every time she took it off became harder. Every time she put it on cut her deeper. The weight of existence grew heavier, and the desire to shatter it and reclaim her power in full was a constant scratching at the back of her mind.

As she approached the lounge, Anet first noticed all those nobles and politicians she wanted nothing to do with. No amount of information gathering or fire stoking could overcome her sheer disdain in the moment.

So she walked on, even ignoring a request by a colleague to discuss some bill or another, as she made a beeline for the quieter booths.

That was when she noticed a face out of the corner of her eye.

Anet stopped and smiled lightly.

"Senth," she uttered sweetly. "Now what are you doing here of all places?"

Yes, Anet was sure of it. This was the woman she had met in that club on Coruscant. She eyed her helmet and the rest of her armor.

'Interesting...'