Faction [TSC] WELCOME TO 1313 | OPEN

[Tamsin Starfall]

Theme: Get The Party Started
Location: Club Cadaver
Tamsin Tag: Varin Mortifer | Iandre Athlea | Tatiana Sah | Ghruna

cough

Slight pound of her fist clutching her amulet to her chest.

"I could out drink you any day." She said glaring in Varin's direction deeply suspicious he had done something to taint her drink. Well in truth, only if the demon helped her game the system so at the moment it was, she was chit out of luck, and it was about to get worse.

She chuckled a little to herself at Iandre saying it turned personalities halfway down. "You can say I can handle a personality swing, but I can usually feel it coming." She carefully sat the shot glass back down the bar and the Tender started filling it with another different liquor from one of the shelves behind the bar.

"But in this case, I ordered Core to the Abyss, it's a random shot from any world from the core worlds outward so I never know what I am going to get." She should probably describe it futher not sure if anyone would understand. "You start with the world you are or were born on, but I am not sure where I was born though so I started with Coruscant then after that it's random." Oh, that was way probably too much information. "I….uh read about it on the holonet."

The hostile beverage conditions brought another chuckle to her lips. Her sights linger a bit follow Iandre's out to the dance floor as she posed her question. Tamsin was not sure if it was rhetorical.

"Oh, it's meant to overwhelm your senses, put you into a state of Euphoria. So, you lose all your inhibitions."

Her saying that was more than enough to answer the next sort of question about whether she noticed things. Tamsin returning her sights to Iandre a curious look crossing her face as she examined the woman before her. She half heard Varin's statement about drawing breath, he wasn't wrong, but Tamsin knew even when this form was gone the demon in her would create another so a part of her would always live.

"I…." She wasn't sure how to say it exactly, so she changed her mind. "Safer, the night is still young. So, what does bring you to a place like this Iandre, is it just study?" She avoided the question about the mysterious note for the time being, her other side was figuring out that mystery.

Demon Tag: Nunterc Trundiav​

The demon didn't even blink as the Mandalorian guards reacted to it. It even cackled a little as the bothan told them to stand down. It wasn't like any of them could really hurt something that wasn't fully real. Of course, they could make her disappear if they did enough damage but that hardly mattered to the demon.

"Well, you did send a note to someone, but not exactly me. The girl at the bar is me, but I am not her."

The Image turned slightly away from the bothan to look over the balcony out to the floor below. It watched all the ants dancing on the floor, those leering in drug induced states, and those drinking their lives away.

"I am intrigued. You were looking down there." Her head nodded down to the dance floor. "Looking for someone worth connecting with. Tell me what else do you see down there? I see children trying to play warlords."

 

[Nunterc Trundiav]

T H E - B O S S B A N - O F - P O R T - N O W H E R E

Nunterc allowed the amber liquid to linger on his tongue for a fleeting moment, relishing the burn as he contemplated the words from the specter of Tamsin Starfall . The Bothan possessed only a basic understanding of the force and its many mysteries, primarily because the arrogant Jedi had interfered with the Arms Trade in the Outer Rim.

Therefore, if the shadow asserted that it was not the individual it appeared to be, he had no intention of wasting his breath disputing it.

"If you say so," Nunterc replied, his voice a dry, hushed rasp. "I won't pretend to know how the Force works. In my line of work, I prefer things I can touch, lock in a vault, or shoot with a blaster." He redirected his gaze to the floor below, observing the physical Tamsin as she engaged in a deep conversation with Varin Mortifer and Tatiana Sah at the bar.

His eyes narrowed at the lack of information he had about the Sith Covenant; either of them could be formidable warlords within its ranks or just the lowest of the low, the bottom of the barrel. To his left, the Mythosaur Supercommandos remained motionless, though their sensors were likely recording every flicker of the orange-eyed doppelganger standing beside their master.

"A lack of ambition is what I see. Look at the boy Varin Mortifer , positioned next to your other self; he is robust in physique but completely lacking the commanding presence one would expect in a place like this. He seems satisfied to stay under the radar and evade the scrutiny of those in authority." He paused. The ice in his glass shifting with a sharp clack that seemed loud in the artificial silence of the VIP booth. He reached out with his free hand, his claws making a faint, scratching sound as he adjusted the position of a small, silver chronometer on the table.

 

[Acier Moonbound]

Location: Coruscant - 1313

Equipment:
Acolyte Robes | Lightsaber | Cybernetic Arm

In the mirror, Ace watched Lorn rise from the table without ceremony, then movement through the press of bodies. One seat down. Not adjacent or distant. Smart. Safe. He ordered a Corellian whiskey. Of course. Lorn never did anything halfway.

Ace let the corner of his mouth tilt faintly at that. Straight to business, no wasted time. He'd always appreciated that about the Jedi Knight. His gaze remained on the fractured reflection. He could see the shift in Lorn's posture even without turning his head.

A dry huff slipped from his nose, barely audible beneath the clink of glassware at the mention of his "higborn" friend.

"Seems to be her default state these days."

He didn't envy Sibylla. Naboo, the Covenant's shadow stretching across the Core, Mandalore and the Diarchy, all of it. Politics was pressure even in peacetime. Now? Concern was probably the least of what she was carrying.

Ace lifted the Scarif Slush and took a measured sip before setting it back down with deliberate quiet.

"They know there's a leak." He said, voice low, controlled. "Had to remove any risk. Their eyes are on me too."

He let that settle. Then, more pointed:

"I get why you were worried." Still watching the mirror instead of Lorn directly. "But I had to go dark. You coming here now isn't helping my odds of survival out here."

Lorn Reingard​

 

[Lorn Reingard]

Tags: Acier Moonbound​

Lorn lifted the whiskey to his lips and let it sit there a moment before he swallowed. He kept his eyes on the mirror, posture steady, breathing even. Ace's reflection didn't waver. He's changed, Lorn thought. Not broken. Refined. The sharpness in him was no longer youthful defiance. It was control. Compartmentalized. The kind that let you watch planets fall and still function the next morning. Sibylla had once known a version of him that still hesitated. That version was thinning out.

Lorn recognized the shift because he carried it too. Distance as protection. Silence as mercy. If you hold it all inside, it doesn't spill onto anyone else. "I understand," Lorn said quietly.

And he did. If the Covenant suspected a leak, any loose thread could become a noose. Ace removing the tracker was survival, not betrayal. Lorn gave a short hmph and took another measured sip.

"How do they know there is a leak?" he asked. "Did we mess up somewhere?"

His mind was already running through possibilities. Transmission patterns. Meeting points. Sibylla. Himself. Had he been careless? He prided himself on caution, but pride had buried better men.

He set the glass down softly. "I won't break your cover," Lorn added. "We both will get out of this just fine."

 

[Adelle Bastiel]

Club Cadaver
Tags: Anet Raine | Quinn Varanin | Reina Daival

It seemed like the line hadn’t been as stupid as Adelle had thought. Pride flared in Anet’s emotions as she answered. So flirting was an easy way to manipulate the Pantoran woman. She hated the word, but staying unnoticed left precious few options.

Adelle waited as Anet seemed to consider it, something like lust or longing bleeding through the arrogance. Her eyes darted back over Adelle’s shoulder before settling on hers once more.

"A favor for a favor," she considered it. "For someone I neither know personally nor by reputation, that is a lot of trust you're asking from me."

That was fair, and Adelle would have been suspicious if the offer had been accepted outright. But the grin that followed did not inspire confidence. And she was proven right when Anet invited her to join herself and the other women at the booth before flouncing away.

Adelle took a long drink of her ale before rolling her neck and steeling herself. A night among Sith had not been on her list of ‘Fun things to do at a club.’ But if Anet had the information Adelle wanted, it was a reasonable price to pay.

She had paid more for less.

Where Anet sashayed, Adelle slipped through the crowd, drink in hand, her much shorter frame needing to navigate the bodies with more precision than her potential information broker. Her mental shielding was up and locked tight, while Art of the Small kept her presence to precious little more than a non-Force User. Nothing that would attract the attention of the Firaxan sharks around her.

As she got closer to the booth, Adelle had to hide the flicker of surprise that threatened her face. Quinn Varanin, Queen of Eshan, Mandalorian Warden, straddled the lap of the red-headed mercenary that had worked security with Aselia at the coronation.

Of all the times for the galaxy to be small.

If either of them recognized her, she’d take that as a sign and leave the hunt for Krayt’s boss alone for a while.

 

[Tatiana Sah]

"You could. But I have learned it is sometimes necessary to risk embarrassment to further a conversation rather than to remain silent." Tatiana hoped he wasn't Human. There were many Humans. She enjoyed meeting new species -- there were so many. As for the databanks they'd already been poured over and were quite insightful, but every report carried a certain bend, angle, or bias to it. Tatiana wanted to corroborate direct encounters with written accounts.

"I have not," she replied readily when Varin asked her to verify her lack of direct experience with the region.

Varin then offered a glass, which the blonde took after he'd finished his statement. "Seize every opportunity. They may never come again." Many would add 'and it may be your last,' but that wasn't an appropriate thought by Tatiana's people so it didn't cross her mind to say it. Instead, she lifted the glass to accept the man's good cheer. "To meeting new people." In unison, the two tossed their drinks back.

"My people." Tatiana set her glass back down and looked straight ahead to the assortment of liquors on display. "We are... a unified collective of individuals organized and tasked with pursuing every advantage without unnecessary waste in support of our overall objectives." A soft laugh followed and she turned to look back at Varin. "They are as fun as they sound. Those like myself are unique in how we interact with others. You operate differently, and respond better to those that reflect your own values and mannerisms. Though, I still have much to learn."

"Ah," she added as if almost forgetting, "and my people have only recently become aware of this thing called 'The Force.' Apparently we are naturally gifted in it and have been utilizing it to a limited extent without being aware of its greater scope. An embarrassing oversight my people seek to correct." Was Varin a Sith? She didn't know. Were any Sith present? She still didn't know. But, perhaps, vocalizing it out loud one of them or their... assistants might convey a curious woman's inclination toward a common subject.

"As for your datapad, I would fix it using a technique other than the Force. Your technology is new, but well understood by my people."

Varin addressed Ghruna then, which drew Tatiana's blue gaze back to the towering woman. Her eyes darted to Varin and back to Ghruna as he made an odd comment about the drink.

"My people are eager to learn all there is to know. To understand the underpinnings of our existence in order to reach heights only dreamt of before," Tatiana replied to Ghruna without hesitation. "I would not call them Students of the Galaxy; only because my individual purpose is to become familiar with the galaxy and all that is in it. Theirs is to understand its construction and how to best integrate with it." From Tatiana's understanding of their way of thinking it was an important, if nuanced distinction.

Varin Mortifer | Ghruna | Iandre Athlea | Tamsin Starfall

 

[Nej Tane]

1313.​

Coruscant.

It was a twisting mess of alleyways, bodies on top of bodies. Homes stacked on top of each other like blocks, with little regard for safety, thoughtfulness, or comfort. It was the closest thing to hell that Nej knew. It produced the worst of the worst in the galaxy. Thieves, calloused workers, and-

Was home to the worst of the worst. While some lived beneath the shadow of Empires and Republics, changing hands above them, giant banners cascading over them and waving fields of blue, reds, blacks and every other color.... the people down here barely saw the sun that shone on the newest Empire. Light was a luxury, warmth was an oddity, and comfort was an afterthought.

Nej promised he wouldn't come back here. But he had a score to settle. He had a word to exchange with someone he'd given up hope finding, given up hope on making things right for himself. The galaxy was cruel, the galaxy was unceasingly violent. But she was good. She was good, she was his, and she was gone. But something existed, a fragment that he wanted to have, existed.

And it was here. It was down here in this cruel depths, in these dark corners.

Nej stepped off the platform, and zipped up his jacket. He had brought every tool he could think of, hidden under his jacket. He hadn't come to revel. He hadn't come to party. He hadn't come to gamble. He hadn't come to seize power. To steal. To make merry. He had come for revenge. He knew that revenge was a fool's errand, but Nej was always a stupid guy. And stupid is, as stupid does.

A foot moved forward, and Nej took one step closer towards his target. And not a soul in the galaxy could stop him.

​

 

[Iandre Athlea]

Iandre listened to the exchange with quiet attentiveness, her posture relaxed but alert, one elbow resting lightly against the bar as if it were an anchor point in the shifting tide of bodies and sound. She let Tatiana's explanation settle, let Ghruna's blunt honesty breathe, let Varin's increasingly unfiltered commentary roll past without interruption.

When Tamsin finally turned the question back toward her, curiosity plain despite the bravado, Iandre took a small sip of her drink before answering, as though choosing her words with care.

"Study would be…too generous a word," she said calmly, her voice steady beneath the music. "I think I would call it observation."

Her gaze drifted briefly across the dance floor, over the press of strangers, the flashing lights, the manufactured euphoria, then returned to the small circle at the bar.

"Some places are easier to understand from a distance," she continued. "Others only make sense when you stand inside them and feel how they move."

She shifted slightly, folding one arm loosely across her middle, not defensive, just thoughtful.

"This one feels like it was designed to make people forget themselves," she added quietly. "Or to remember parts of themselves they usually keep hidden."

Her eyes flicked to Tamsin's glass, then to Varin's steadily refilled one, then to Ghruna's careful composure. "I wanted to see which it would be."

At Tatiana's description of her people, Iandre inclined her head slightly, genuine interest there. "That sounds…disciplined," she observed. "And ambitious. Not many cultures are willing to admit how much they still do not know." There was no judgment in her tone, only quiet respect.

She glanced at Varin next, the faintest hint of dry amusement in her eyes. "And you," she said mildly, "are doing a remarkable job of demonstrating both courage and optimism tonight."

Then back to Ghruna, her voice softening just a touch. "You carry yourself like someone who belongs wherever she stands," she said simply. "That is not common."

Finally, she returned her attention to Tamsin, answering the question directly at last. "As for why I am here," Iandre finished, "I suppose I wanted one evening where nothing was required of me. No orders. No expectations. No outcomes."

A pause. "Just people. Noise. Light. Choices." She lifted her glass slightly in a small, understated gesture. "And so far," she added, quietly amused, "this corner of the bar has been the most interesting part of it."

Tamsin Starfall Ghruna Varin Mortifer Tatiana Sah

 

[Acier Moonbound]

Location: Coruscant - 1313

Equipment:
Acolyte Robes | Lightsaber | Cybernetic Arm

Ace listened without interrupting, eyes still fixed on the mirror. He'd said he understood, and Ace believed that. After the spat with Sibylla, that mattered more than the whiskey or the words.

When the Jedi asked how the Covenant knew, if they'd made a mistake, Ace's jaw tightened just slightly.

"I don't know." He said evenly.

His gaze flicked briefly to one of the Covenant acolytes visible in the mirror's far edge before settling again.

"They cornered me and someone else a few days back."

He let that hang a second, remembering Obulette, the skirtopanol filling his lungs, Madelyn Lowe 's interrogation. He'd handled it, but the vulnerability he felt during that moment, the loss of control, Ace's anger flared in the Force. He took another swig of the Slush.

"Fed me some truth serum, interrogated me, but I managed to keep my cover."

His thumb traced condensation along the side of the glass absently.

"But I know that's not the end of it."

When Lorn said he wouldn't break his cover, that they'd both get out just fine, Ace's expression didn't change... but something in it cooled.

"That's not the assumption I'm working with." He said quietly. "I need you to act like extraction isn't guaranteed."

His eyes met Lorn's in the mirror for the first time. He wasn't being pessimistic or dramatic, just realistic. The mission had to come first, he had to succeed - even if that meant being unable to walk away from this.

Lorn Reingard​

 

[Varin Mortifer]

Varin gave Ghruna a slight nod in understanding on her part. He knew what it was like to be far from home where connections ran deep into the marrow. He also knew the cold feeling of feeling that loneliness that came with missing home, but, he also knew the difference acknowledgement could make even with simple words. He tipped his empty glass to her as a response to her compliment. She had come a very long way since the first time they met in the crashed training ship, and he was happy to see her getting stronger.

He looked back at Tatiana and a chuckle left him as she spoke. He could feel the passion for knowledge running off of her, the amount of alcohol he had consumed left him less defensive than he normally would be, leaving him open to answer her questions.

She spoke briefly of her people which had Varin quirk a brow then he got a better look at her.

“You are of a very different origin than most as well aren’t you? I’m embarrassed a bit, here I told you I could be human and I thought you were this whole time.”

He turned to face her more as Iandre spoke to him of being brave and optimistic, a flat look fell upon him as his gaze flicked towards her.

“Now you’re just nicely calling me foolish.”

He jested, but normally that would be the simple words for it from others.

He looked back at Tatiana, his fingers tapping on his glass in quiet contemplation on how much detail he would give her, he was certainly tipsy and feeling good, but he still had a modicum of control over his mouth.

“My people were a very strong sort. If you look closely you can see I have influence of one race and a mix of another.”

He took his eyes from the glass and gave her a soft smile as he thought of home.

“My mother was Nagai and my father…well, I have suspicions but I’m not exactly sure what he was. He mostly wore armor any time he was out of his private studies. Even in his studies he was likely wearing armor. My people revered him almost like a god.”

His thumb gently traced the rim of his glass.

“Life on my home planet was difficult. We had very little tech except for military and transportation. Everything else was done by hand, by design. We believed technology made people lazier, weaker. Simply going out into the forests to chop wood became a ritual in and of itself. But it was a rewarding experience to come home with resources of survival.”

He sighed softly before looking back at her with a slight somberness in his eye.

“Like I said, there is not much anything interesting about me.”

He smiled gently as he poured another glass, the bottle now past its halfway point.

Tatiana Sah | Ghruna | Tamsin Starfall | Iandre Athlea​

 

[Quinn Varanin]

//: Reina Daival //: Anet Raine //: Adelle Bastiel //:
//: Attire //:

Quinn listened; it's what she often did with Reina. She wondered if it was what she had become that made her voice so pleasant to listen to, or if it was because of the care that Quinn felt. Either way, Quinn accepted the peppered kisses with a smile. Small reassurance that she was the one who was chosen, not the other one.

"Mm," Quinn mused as she nuzzled against the curve of Reina's neck for a moment, quietly laying her claim on the girl. "I don't care about her name." Quinn's nose wrinkled as she teased again, despite having had asked for Anet's name.

Hearing the connection she had with the 'higher ups' of the Covenant, Quinn raised a brow. If this girl was as connected as she claimed — why has she never heard her name or met her? Quinn knew two of the Triumvient, both of whom were working closely with her, seeing her as a connection to the TSO.

An annoyance bloomed again in Quinn's chest as she would need to question Mercy about the validity of Anet's claims. Not wanting to ruin things for Reina, Quinn smiled and let her thumb gently caress the bottom of Reina's lip.

"I'm glad you're doing so well. You've made quite the connections," Quinn let the woman's chin and lip go as her arms draped gently on her shoulders.

"But don't forget I'm a connection as well." Quinn quietly reminded her siren paramour. There was hope that Reina would pick up on and value her connection more than Anet. Though as much as she enjoyed the former Jedi, she could see the wheels churning in her head, and they were not in the direction Quinn had hoped… well, she did hope, but not at this exact moment.

As Reina mentioned, Brosi, Quinn's brow furrowed. Unlike the others, Brosi was a foggy dream. She remembered the Mors Mon and her intentions for what the plan was going forward. But after relinquishing the control, after giving whatever lived in her soul control, she stopped existing. Quinn closed her eyes and leaned forward, pulling Reina into a kiss in hopes of silencing the talk of Brosi.

As a Dark Councilor, the Echani was stuck in constant cycles of the war, and right now, even with the fading memory, it was too much.

Quinn pulled back, just in time as the others were wandering back to the booth. "I don't want to talk about that... but I'm glad you're safe..." Her nose grazed gently against Reina's as she smiled at the woman who held her, who had sworn everything but her own breath to her.

"It seems your friend has come back," Quinn whispered gently and turned her attention towards the pair that wandered back up. She didn't move, only remained close to Reina.

"Welcome back." Quinn gave a tight smile. Her eyes flickered momentarily over towards the woman who accompanied Anet. She recognized her, but gave no indication. They both knew what the other did. Quinn knew she was with the Mandalorian Empire, one of Aether's warriors. And Adelle knew who Quinn was — someone that, if things turned sour, had to be protected.

Tonight was interesting.

Her smile softened, and she addressed the woman beside Anet.

"Hello, I'm Quinn," she played with the ends of Reina's hair gently, "This is Reina, are you joining us?"

Quinn paused as she thought about the situation, wondering if it sounded more forward than she had anticipated, and had no intention of welcoming someone between her and Reina.

Ugh. ​

 

[Reina Daival]

Tag: Quinn Varanin Adelle Bastiel Anet Raine
Location: Coruscant Level 1313 Club Cadaver
The Fit

What? Quinn didn't care for Anet's name? Then why did she as-Oh. It wasn't...an actual question. By the Spirit, Reina still needed to get used to rhetorical questions. Either way, she leaned into the Echani's touch, a gleeful little smile on her face. No matter the teasing, Quinn was one of the few people in Reina's life that the Ersansyr couldn't bring herself to get annoyed with. Yet a thought came to Reina's mind, that she felt would be important to tell Quinn, instead of Quinn finding out from Anet.

"She's also helped me...learn more ways to make you happy. Practice makes perfect after all..."

There was no real feelings between what Reina and Anet had, not in the Ersansyr's eyes at least. It was purely a learning experience, one that she wanted to make sure Quinn understood. Anet was just a connection to her. Nothing more. Nothing like Quinn...which was why as Quinn called herself a connection, Reina pulled her head back for a moment to look Quinn into the eyes, taking a somewhat...serious tone.

"You're more than a connection to me. You're why I'm working so hard. For people to know who I am. You deserve someone special. Not a nobody."

Of course, Reina knew Quinn hadn't meant it in a negative way. Quinn was a connection, that could help Reina to meet high profile people, but at the same time, Reina didn't want to have to rely on the Echani that way. She wanted to prove that she could be someone without the Echani's aid. But the more she thought about it, the more likely that was to push Quinn away...which is the complete opposite of what Reina wanted as she held the Echani close, raising her hands up for a moment to cup Quinn's face and kiss her, treasuring Quinn as much as she could.

Yet another frown came to Reina's face at the fact that Quinn didn't want to talk about Brosi. Something must have happened that Reina didn't know. It did hurt Reina, somewhat. She needed to talk about what happened to get it off her mind. What had happened to her. The power she had felt coursing through her that had felt so wrong but so good at the same time. But it was something she respected as well, as she just gave a simple response.

"I'll always be safe. I've sworn everything to you. Everything I have and everything I am, is yours. And I won't let anyone take me away from you."

It was a promise. Perhaps one that Reina wouldn't always be able to keep. No-one knew what the future held in store, and as stubborn as she was, it was unlikely that the Ersansyr would literally be unable to stop death from taking her at some point...but she meant every word. With whatever strength she had, the Ersansyr would fight tooth and nail to always come back to the Echani.

With that, her gaze flicked back over towards Anet and Anet's "friend", a smile on Reina's face...though her brow did somewhat furrow. There was something familiar about Adelle. She couldn't quite put her finger on it though, as Reina had never actually spoken to the Mandalorian. She didn't even know Adelle was a Mandalorian.

"Oh hey, welcome back Anet."

At that, Reina snuggled more into Quinn ever so slightly, resting her head against the Echani's shoulder as she played with Reina's hair. The Ersansyr had thoughts about cutting her hair every now and then...but she enjoyed the feeling of Quinn's fingers through it, so she had always put it off.

"Gonna introduce us to your friend?"​

 

[Lorn Reingard]

Tags: Acier Moonbound​

Lorn listened without moving, eyes fixed on the mirror. Truth serum. Cornered. Interrogated. The kid had held. A low grunt slipped from him, barely audible. Could be random, he thought. Coruscant had fallen into their hands. Anyone who claws their way to power starts seeing knives in every shadow. Paranoia keeps tyrants alive.

"If they dosed you and you're still sitting here," Lorn muttered, "you passed."

From what he could sense, there was no tail. No active probe pressing at Ace's edges. The Covenant acolytes outside were watchful, but not locked onto this bar. If this was a test, it was a loose one.

He lifted the glass again, then set it down untouched. "What have you learned?" Lorn asked quietly. "Give me something to take back."

His mind was already shifting outward. Reports. Patterns. Leverage. Information was the only currency that mattered now.

"Sibylla is worried you're losing yourself," he added, voice even. "The Republic is concerned about the Covenant's growing influence. Coruscant is not a minor foothold."

He let that settle. "They won't sit on their hands much longer."

That was the truth of it. The Senate could posture. The Order could deliberate. But power consolidating at the heart of the Core would force action. And action meant fire.

Lorn's reflection looked older than he remembered. "Tell me this is worth it," he said quietly, more to himself than to Ace.

 

[Anet Raine]

Tags: Adelle Bastiel | Reina Daival | Quinn Varanin

Anet never once looked back to see if Senth had followed. That fact was confirmed when they arrived at the booth. When Anet finally looked at her again, it was with that same almost-too-hungry smirk as before.

She slid into the booth, unaware of whatever conversation Quinn and Reina were having. As far as she could tell, those two were very much into each other, which was as interesting as it was amusing for her. She looked back at Senth, patting the couch beside her with a little jerk of her head, as if to say 'Come on, don't be shy'. Anet collected her drink and took another sip.

"Welcome back." Quinn gave a tight smile.

"Oh hey, welcome back Anet."

"Thank you," She replied, smiling at Quinn and Reina. "I hope I wasn't interrupting anything intimate." A calculated tease.

Then Quinn introduced herself and Reina, asking Senth if she would join them. Anet's attention turned back to the latter, practically double-checking that she wasn't shy about sharing a table with not one, but three strangers. That they were all Sith (or at least, associated), or that Senth found the prospect uncomfortable, had escaped her senses entirely - of course, that had very much to do with the incognito Mandalorian's efforts to stay under the radar.

"This is Senth," Anet introduced her. "I met her at the bar. She bought me a drink." The half-pantoran looked at the two with a grin, then back to Senth. "So I invited her to come sit with us."

Back to them again. "That isn't a problem?" Her tone suggested the question to be entirely facetious. Of course Senth would be joining them.

 

[Arris Windrun]

Tags: Allyson Locke | Eira Dyn
Mentioned: Mercy

"Evening...morning? Afternoon?"

The new voice drew Windrun's attention away from Allyson. She tried to see who it was when suddenly there was a flash of light. A message appeared in her vision. Oh. Oh what the hell. Arris hated augmented feeds like that. That shit was supposed to be disabled, but apparently her eye swap toggled it back on.

If that alone wasn't annoying, she was confused (but not surprised) to see that it was from Mercy.

hey dck

i thot we were goin out to drink ourselves into a stupor 2gether

its 1 thing 2 go off 4 a "quick rut" (???) but this is just rde

if u think im payin 4 ur drinks youve got anothr thing comign 4 u

come bak or i start auctioning ur boots

To Eira, it might appear that Arris was scowling at her. But no, she was scowling because, despite dismissing the message, a transparent ghost of the image was now burned completely into her vision. Making an already incomprehensible mess more so.

"Sorry, got lost... in the partying. Am I interrupting some back alley fun? Not judging!" Eira laughed, then tried to think where she might recognise the two faces.

"Do I look like I'm having fun?" Arris replied coldly, then sighed. "Eh - it's not you," she attempted to recover from her foul mood.

If Eira were to recognize her from anywhere, it might have been the wanted feeds on the HoloNet following her involvement in Tapani. Or, perhaps, the Galactic Kaggath if she had watched that - which might've gone for Ally too, as they both competed.

The cyborg was about a minute away from ripping her eyes out.

 

[Tamsin Starfall]

Theme: Get The Party Started
Location: Club Cadaver
Tamsin Tag: Iandre Athlea | Varin Mortifer | Tatiana Sah | Ghruna

Tamsin listened intently to Iander's words as she explained herself probably overly so, but Tamsin didn't mind. Then she slightly listened in on Varin's conversation with Tatiana about himself. Any information could be a weapon, but mostly it was because she had no real history of her own that she knew of, so it was interesting.

She listened to them all talk; it was strange to Tamsin in some ways. The way they all talked of their lives, the places they came from, and the people they were. All she had was a time being a slave, a time with her adopted sister, and snippets of a life she didn't really live. Her thoughts returned to Iander as the woman turned the conversation back to her.

"Hmmm." She thought for a moment she really didn't have any of that in her life. No orders, no responsibilities, no one she felt she had to impress since her sister vanished. In a way she missed that, she was never good with true freedom.

"They might be interesting." She tilted her head slightly towards the others. "Me I am just an escaped Slave." She smirked slightly trying to push line between whether she was joking or telling the truth.

"You work here on Coruscant?" Tamsin was chit at talk she knew it but she had a purpose to this line of questioning. "I…I'm just asking because, if you want more freedom….I could get you a new job." This just seemed to have turned into a damn job interview, what kind of job would she even get Iander.


"What do you like to do?" This was not going well.

Demon Tag: Nunterc Trundiav​

"Even those who have mastered the force seldom understand how it works." The demon visage looked down to the floor following the bothan's eyes as he looked towards Varin Mortifer and Tatiana Sah.

She could feel the comando's that guarded the bothan, they were as good as any Mando's she met at hiding their emotions. On the surface calm and stoic but deep down they were ready to pull a trigger. She wonder for moment if she still had some Zombified Mando's on Rhand. She really needed to return there and take inventory. She pulled herself from the tangent thought and returned to the bothan.

"Indeed, he is all muscle. Brute force is great for the battlefield and intimidation. If you have the tactician who knows where to apply that force. Some never have the ability to rise above a good soldier." Though she was saying that looking down towards the boy, part of her wondered if maybe Varin could rise above it. Maybe one day he would be a great Sith Lord.

"Then again, maybe if he or even this covenant is pushed, they will exceed expectations." She watched as the bothan stretched his claws and reached for the silver chronometer. Then to the ice in his glass.


"What's that about?" She nodded to the chronometer. "Also, have one of your boys get me a glass of whiskey, top shelf." A trick no one ever thought a force aspiration could do, drink. "Then we can get down to business."

 

[Acier Moonbound]

Location: Coruscant - 1313

Equipment:
Acolyte Robes | Lightsaber | Cybernetic Arm

Ace didn't answer when Lorn said he'd passed, didn't let the word settle anywhere visible. Passing once didn't mean anything. Not here. He kept his eyes on the mirror, watching the room in fractured slices of reflection.

He continued to listen to the Jedi, asking him what he'd learned, that Sibylla was worried about him, the Republic was concerned about the Covenant. Ace let out a quiet, bitter huff and lifted the Scarif Slush to his lips.

"So now they're concerned?"

The cold sweetness cut sharp against his tongue. He swallowed and set the glass back down with deliberate care, fingers lingering against the rim a second longer than necessary. His gaze fixed on Lorn's reflection.

He didn't touch the comment about Sibylla. Didn't acknowledge it at all.

"It's worth it." His tone was flat but certain.

Ace leaned forward slightly, lowering his voice another notch, the ambient noise of the bar swallowing most of it.

"Did Sibylla send you the dossiers over? 'Bout Star-Arm, Windrun, and Tane?"

A small shift of his gloved fingers against the counter, the metal inside clicking faintly before going still.

"There's something wrong with Windrun. Not the fact that she's mentally unstable." He added, tone precise, clinical. "In the Force too. She's not… alive."

His jaw tightened faintly as he replayed the fight.

"When I fought her, I saw something. Inside her. She isn't the only one in that screwed up head of hers. She's... a wound."

He let that sit between them.

"And I think she's losing faith." Ace continued. "In the Covenant. In Mercy."

His thumb traced a slow circle through the condensation pooling beneath his glass, smearing the water into nothing.

"Last thing." He didn't look away from the mirror. "See what you can find on someone named Kirie Corsell. If you can."

There was a slight shift of his shoulder, almost imperceptible.

"Windrun wants me to train her. But the way she talked about her…" He exhaled lightly through his nose. "I felt some vulnerability there. I'm still figuring out what their relationship is. But Corsell could be important somewhere down the road."

Lorn Reingard ​

 

[Nunterc Trundiav]

T H E - B O S S B A N - O F - P O R T - N O W H E R E

Nunterc's whiskers twitched with amusement at Tamsin Starfall agreeing with his assessment about Varin Mortifer . There were plenty of criminal elements that could use such strength for debt collection but for a Major Power such as the Sith Covenant, strength could only get you so far without becoming a liability on the battlefield.

Although he had to concede that sustained combat was well beyond his capabilities, gesturing towards one of the Mythosaur Supercommando standing nearby. It would be rude of him not to offer the suitable drink for his prospective business partner. The armored figure soon departed to obtain the requested whiskey from the bar on the bottom floor.

"The chronometer?" His claws continued their deliberate manipulation of the device, angling it for the specter to see it more clearly. "It's a gift from a local crime lord, given in return for my organization's services. It accurately monitors time across different planets, from Coruscant to Nar Shaddaa. It's essential for ensuring my shipments reach the warehouses on time." He gently tapped the surface of the device. The Guild, similar to other criminal organizations, depended on a strict timetable to evade the scrutiny of Law Enforcement.

He let his hand fall away from the chronometer, his claws clicking rhythmically against the tabletop. His gaze drifted back down to the floor, tracking the physical Tamsin as she navigated her conversation with the others. He paused as the Supercommando reappeared at the edge of the booth, placing a heavy, crystal tumbler of top-shelf whiskey on the table in front of the specter.

"I can assure you that I did bring you up here for a lackluster proposal. Instead, I offer something that will allow you to gain an advantage over the Triumvirs of the Covenant. A partner who knows how to acquire things from across the galaxy without asking questions." Nunterc motioned towards the glass, a subtle, knowing grin tugging at his snout.

 

[Ives]

Club Cadaver
Untrue

Step after step, Ives continued down the hall in darkness guided only by the cold marble walls. The music echoed like a fractured mosaic, and its vibrations murmured through Ives' fingertips. Pillar, flower, lips, eye, pillar...he continued to recite the names of the shapes he felt carved into the marble while he stumbled forward half-awake. The repetition didn't lull him into sleep so much as it became a stable fixture of reality. Pillar, flower, lips, eye, pillar, flower, teeth

Ives was caught in a harsh white flare. He turned away immediately and brought his hands up to shield himself. The nerves stung in the muscles around his eyes. The light faded to the sound of creaking wood, then disappeared entirely with a loud clunk. Footsteps shuffled past Ives.

Reluctantly, Ives opened his eyes again, rubbing the pain away gently with his fingers. The source of that blinding flash had been a door just to his left. A faint glow shone through a small gap at the bottom. Ives moved across the hallway, reaching out toward the door. The handle turned easily, and so he cracked it open a little.

Fluorescent light-fixtures illuminated the stark-white tiling of a bathroom. A handful of stalls on one side, sinks opposite lining the wall in front of mirrors. No one else seemed to be inside. Ives pulled the door open a little more. The light flooded out into the hallway. The brief glance he gave it revealed the black marble he'd expected. But it was mostly smooth from floor to ceiling, save for one small alcove with a sculpture abutted by two pillars. It was a woman's face. Her hair was adorned with a flower on one side. Her mouth was closed.

Ives pushed into the bathroom, letting the door fall closed behind him. The music followed him, fighting to be heard over the drone of the light fixtures. It had been reduced to a cracked beat with the faintest slivers of audible cheers here and there. Ives settled in by a sink and ran his hands under cold water.

He looked like a mess. Black hair stuck to his forehead, muddying his pale skin with black streaks. The rings under his eyes seemed darker than usual. Probably just a trick of the harsh white lighting, and yet he felt an overwhelming sense of exhaustion hit him as he stared at that pallid reflection of himself. He patted around his pocket for a cigarette, but didn't find any.

Ives sighed. The light's droning together with the distant music were making his head pound. Likely dehydration. A little water should—his eyes snapped to the mirror. His reflection had moved a beat before him.

No, absurd. Transient visual lag. Dehydration, sleep debt, that's all it was.

 

[Adelle Bastiel]

Club Cadaver
Tags: Anet Raine | Quinn Varanin | Reina Daival

The lust in the look Anet gave her nearly overpowered the arrogance, but Adelle didn’t miss the hunger that laced it. That did not bode well for being able to slip away and tend to her personal business later. Still, when the woman patted the couch and motioned for her to sit, Adelle eased into the booth and leaned against the back, resting the arm that wasn’t holding the drink along the back. Like it was normal for her to join three random strangers in a club.

Recognition flashed in Quinn’s eyes, but she only asked if Adelle would be joining them. Kriff. She thought she’d escaped notice. The red-head had no such spark and asked Anet to introduce her.

At this distance, she could feel the presences of the other two more strongly. The red-head had a stronger presence, Dark mixed with Light. Quinn’s was weaker than she expected from the daughter of two notable Sith Lords. Considering she was also a Dark Councilor in the Sith empire, Adelle had expected a presence more like that of Empress Talon’s.

Adelle checked that her own was no larger than the average of the general populace.

"This is Senth," Anet introduced her. "I met her at the bar. She bought me a drink." The half-pantoran looked at the two with a grin, then back to Senth. "So I invited her to come sit with us."

Back to them again. "That isn't a problem?" Her tone suggested the question to be entirely facetious. Of course Senth would be joining them.

She nodded in greeting, still maintaining nonchalant body language. “I promise not to cramp your style.”