Faction [TSC] WELCOME TO 1313 | OPEN

[Lysander von Ascania]

Naniti​

The Narcolethe did more than just hit him; it was more like being ambushed. Another wave rolled through his chest, and somehow, hotter than the first. His tongue went numb, fingertips sparked with sensation, and even the bridge of his nose buzzed strangely. Anywhere but this club, such symptoms would have probably sent him scrambling for medical attention. Something close to a laugh and cough escaped him.

Lysander’s eyelids shuttered closed then open.. a humble effort to keep Naniti from multiplying into twins.

Then a glass tapped his chest, and her words threaded through the haze again. The next time he looked at the Togruta, his brain felt too fuzzy to arrange his face into something clever. His eyebrows just did whatever they wanted, mouth hanging slightly open, the club lights catching the black pools of his eyes.

Out of pure reflex, fingers twitched toward the curved hilt within the folds of his jacket before that thought fizzled entirely, discovering the back of her hand instead. Some invisible force drew him forward before conscious thought could intervene. Miscalculating the proximity, his nose bumped against Naniti’s cheek. “Just.. stay with me a moment.”

He eased back just a little, enough to draw a fresh breath. The dance floor was close, more a rise of bodies than some distinct area. Something they could step into at any time.

The next laugh was helpless. “Alright.. I think I just leveled up.” Lysander glanced toward the crowds, then back to her face. “.. this is a little like Jurand. When you’re near, I can do anything.”

“Shall we?”

 

[Tatiana Sah]

Tatiana nodded. All individuals were unique. Well, mostly. Far more than one would describe of her people, anyway. It would be intriguing to meet such people. The same was true with Dark Side users in general -- namely the Sith. The Jedi? She had a lot of opportunity to converse with different individuals when it came to the Light Side, so Tatiana wasn't worried.

Iandre at first declined, but then mulled over the possibilities. Wide-eyed, the blonde listened closely to the other woman's inquiry.

"I am not entirely sure I understand your question, Iandre," she admitted without hesitation. "My people share an understanding that transcends vast regions of space, and an unwavering sense of purpose. Consensus must be reached on new issues, but can require more time than an ideal solution would permit. This might be similar to what you mentioned?"

"If forced to pick a single option before Consensus is reach then many factors are identified and the best option available is chosen. It is a very regimented process unlike that of galactic politics where the criteria can at times change and favoritism is a factor."

Her blue eyes took stock of their surroundings before they turned back to Iandre. "There are many differences between our societies. Not so many we cannot coexist, but there are understandings neither would ever be able to adopt from the other. The challenge of 'balance' is an inherent one to a system that favors freedom, individuality, and diversity."

Iandre Athlea

 

[Reina Daival]

Tag: Quinn Varanin Mercy Srina Talon
Location: Coruscant Level 1313 Club Cadaver
The Fit

Reina took a small step forward, as Mercy wrapped her hand around Quinn's wrist. Was there much she would be able to do if the Warlord actually tried something? Of course not. That didn't mean she would stand by and watch. The redhead had sworn her blade to Quinn and therefore would never stand by if the Echani was in danger. Though it seemed like she wasn't far too necessary, as the Siren took a step back instead once things seemed to have calmed down ever so slightly.

The comment about "sparring partner" coming from Srina confused her for a moment. If Srina was one to take things literally, Reina was likely to take things far too literal. It was like when someone would offer her desert, she was far more more likely to believe it was actual some form of cake or pudding as opposed to anything else. And thus, it was the same with sparring partner. Reina's mind just went to thoughts of Mercy and Quinn fighting each other, tilting her head almost in thought as she wondered how the fight would go. Physical strength would clearly go into Mercy's favour but the Force...

She was snapped out of her thoughts however, as Srina's gaze switched over to her, the redhead immediately adjusting her posture ever so slightly. She wanted to be at her best at all times, even if it didn't feel quite good enough. A small grimace came over her face as she was referred to as "little one". It didn't seem as if Srina was calling her that out of a place of malice. If anything, it would have made sense for an Echani to not understand the tone or words behind Reina's reaction. That was neither here nor there as she gave a short nod towards Srina.

"I will clear my schedule with my Master. It'll be my second time visiting the couple."

The first time had been for when Quinn had risen to join the Dark Council. It felt like an age ago, and part of Reina felt as if she had lost her confidence since then. She had still seen herself as a Jedi back then, but now? Now Reina didn't quite know who or what she was anymore. Sith? As much as she was being trained by some, she didn't quite feel like she fit that bill either.

Before she could say more, Quinn was pulling Reina off away from the group. She could feel that something was wrong, but Reina couldn't quite figure it out. Her own emotions were a struggle. All she knew was that it was something to do with that situation...That the smile didn't seem to be real. And that Quinn wanted to get away from her. The dancing could wait for another night as she kept a tight hold on Quinn's hand, taking her away from the club. Reina knew a few places to rent a room for the night, from her own time on Coruscant in the past...She just only hoped they were still around.

"I'll make you feel as good as you deserve Tárinya"

​

 

[Iandre Athlea]

Iandre listened without interruption, her attention steady as Tatiana spoke, allowing the explanation to settle fully before responding. When she did, her tone was calm, thoughtful, and measured.

"I understand you," she said quietly, her gaze steady. "And in some ways, it is similar but only at the surface."

She shifted slightly, hands folding loosely before her.

"Consensus, as you describe it, seeks alignment through shared purpose, while what I was describing lacks that certainty. There is no guarantee of alignment, only individuals moving toward something they each define differently, even when they believe they are working toward the same goal."

Her eyes remained on Tatiana, thoughtful but composed.

"Balance, in that kind of system, is not achieved through agreement, but maintained through tension. Freedom allows for growth, but it also invites contradiction, and individuality creates strength while resisting cohesion."

A faint, almost reflective breath followed.

"Your people resolve that tension before action. Ours rarely can."

The slightest softening touched her expression.

"So we adapt…not always well, but enough to endure."

Tatiana Sah

 

[Mercy]

Tags: Srina Talon | Quinn Varanin | Reina Daival

In truth Mercy did not understand, could not understand, what passed between mother and daughter.

Neither could she feel the hurt from Quinn when she stepped between them. Disallowing one to leave with the other. The Sith Lord thought she was performing an act of friendship- why ruin Quinn's date when Mercy could play the role of caretaker for her sister herself? Much better than anyone else could, after all, it was her responsibility.

And she was no mentalist.

So any concern in Quinn's mind was hiding from her on top of it all.

"Mercy… she's still my mother…"

"Indeed... and that is why I will take good care of her. You have my word." Mercy drawled with that smile, lazy and too charming by half. But perhaps now it would be infuriating, rather than charming.

How could the mountain smile, when she was being so cruel, after all.

Only then did Mercy's attention shift back to Srina. It seemed that Arris Windrun had other worries on her head and Mercy decided she'd address her rudeness another time. She'd never admit it, but it was worry infecting her mind. Seeing the Empress sway, seeing the opaqueness in her eyes, all her responsibility.

"You seem to take joy from being aggressive with me, dear sister." Mercy finally said as her arm settled around Srina's shoulders. Together watching as Quinn and Reina took their leave.

A bit of mirth in her own eyes at that. Good for her.

"Do you believe it was proportionate?" Gently guiding her away from the bar, certainly not the Empress' scene. "It was an accident after all."

Then her eyebrows lofted up.

"Or is it merely that there is no one else in your life that you can strike without worry... knowing there is nothing I won't survive... allowing you to quench the blood thirst soaked deep in your veins?" That last part whispered in Srina's ear as the cold bite of air hit them as they left the bar behind.

 

[Tatiana Sah]

"I see. Yes, if I look at it from the perspective of how my people interact with your own... In that case, the needs of the many apply. Analysis of the available data would be conducted and the most probable and beneficial outcome applied."

Tatiana paused and then shrugged her shoulders slightly. "That is what they would do. Though it is hardly convincing to outsiders. I have seen the vigor in which people debate matters. Some from wisdom, some from emotion, and some believing it wisdom but unaware of factual errors present."

Another pause followed as her blue eyes wandered over to the crowd of people nearby. "In a chaotic system, where variables cannot be controlled, and the optimum solution is not possible..." Tatiana's attention swung back to Iandre Athlea . "We would do much as you would. Pick the best worst option presupposing the consequences are fully understood and... hope." Not that they would ever use those words to describe it, but Iandre didn't want to stand there all day asking for definitions and clarity in the nuanced ways and means of her peoples' thought processes.

"Of course, if we can get ahead of circumstances and help others understand the optimum solution and its necessity, we would always strive for that outcome. Should time and resources be available to do so."

 

[Iandre Athlea]

Iandre listened without interruption, her attention steady as Tatiana worked through the distinction in her own terms. There was no impatience in her expression, only a quiet recognition of the effort required to translate one way of thinking into another.

"Then we are not as different as it first appears," she said at last, her voice calm and measured. "Perhaps we are simply more willing to name it differently."

Her gaze shifted briefly toward the crowd Tatiana had observed, following the motion for a moment before returning with a thoughtful clarity.

"You call it analysis, probability, and outcome," she continued after a small pause. "We call it judgment. There is no real contradiction there, only a reframing of the same burden. When the variables cannot be controlled, and no optimal solution exists, we simply choose the reality we can live with."

A faint breath followed, more reflective than heavy, as she considered the weight of Tatiana's perspective.

"That is where your word fits: Hope. Not as a strategy or a calculation, but as a tolerance for uncertainty."

Her expression softened slightly, not out of sentiment, but through the quiet click of understanding. She studied Tatiana for a moment longer, weighing the broader implications of their shared logic.

"And if there is time to guide others toward a better path, then we share one final similarity," she added with a slight, respectful inclination of her head. "We try. Even when we know they may not listen."

Tatiana Sah

 

[Naniti]

The glass clicked on the countertop. Naniti stared down at it for a second. Her blue eyes lifted to stare across at the bartender. "Don't water down the Gungan's drink." No command was issued. A simple statement followed with a small smile. It lasted only a moment before her attention swung to a little thing at her side. "Don't leave with him." This time her tone was more insistent, but still casual. And, once again, her attention turned away without providing clarity or humoring questioning looks.

Lysander had taken her hand and the violet Togruta had begun to turn toward him when his nose bumped into her cheek. Naniti blinked. "Only a moment?" she asked before a quiet giggle escaped her.

A thoughtful hum preceded the violet woman's sudden turn to face him. "Let's go!" Just to make sure, because she had to make sure because she wasn't already, but the Togruta's other hand fell over his own before she surged toward the dance floor. Couldn't leave him behind, right? Had to take his hand. Hold it. Pull him through the sea of people and bodies and colors. It was all rather sickening to look at, but somehow she didn't feel sick, which meant there was more time to... well, dance. It's what everyone else was doing. Could be fun!

Once she'd pulled him in far enough, she'd start by swinging side to side with his hand in her own. Laughter followed as she leaned back and then rocked forward again. "Show me your moves, Lys," she cried out.

Lysander von Ascania

 

[Lysander von Ascania]

Naniti
​

Lysander’s head swiveled sluggishly. His vision was like smeared wet paint, but he locked onto the bartender, follow wherever those blue eyes pointed. Strange, the sharp crack of her glass against the counter jolted him, but now he drifted again. Either way, he nodded sagely at the figure, playing his part, because they were a team. Whatever Naniti was saying must be correct; the galaxy seemed to bend around her words.

The giggle hit his system harder than any Narcolethe could. Probably could’ve folded him if something catastrophic wasn’t already lurking on his tongue. But then she pulled him, and whatever nonsense was about to escape died beautifully. Digits tightened and interlaced with hers. There was something incredibly uncomplicated about all of this. No need to articulate his words or statements while trying to navigate some social minefield. Just following his violet partner, which was foreign for one always on their own course..

The music transformed, more warm and inviting than when he’d first entered the establishment. When she began to move, Lysander wanted to draw on those combat reflexes that studied and sometimes mirrored an opponent. For a moment, he even achieved something close to it. Maybe not dancing.. but some kind of movement with purpose. A shoulder roll here, a delayed step there. Even a half turn that made zero sense.

A laugh of his own bubbled up from somewhere deep. “I’m doing my best. My best just looks like this!” he blurted.

 

[Tatiana Sah]

Tatiana smiled in response. It was a calculation, but sometimes the math worked out that the outcome was more or less 'even credits' as this galaxy put it. Hope wasn't a rational state, but like certain other sentiments or sayings it conveyed a state that took far longer to describe in its entirety otherwise. In short, it was as good a description as any other. Succinct, if nothing else.

'A tolerance for uncertainty,' on the other hand, was a good way to put it. It was possible to become paralyzed with indecision if only certain options were accepted.

A slight tip of her head followed Iandre Athlea also sharing in a desire to seek the better end through influencing other parties. "The only certainty is knowing nothing will change if no action is taken." Though that aphorism was not entirely true. There was always the possibility of an errant or unaccounted for variable altering the sequence of events and influencing the outcome. But, like everything else, detailing every conceivable exception to a rule made creating rules -- or guiding principles -- impossible. At least in social conversation.

Iandre would likely not appreciate the protracted discussions of her kind enabled by the rapid speed in which they could be held.

"If it's alright, what brought you here today?" Perhaps, if Iandre had come there to socialize, they could engage in the original activity of interest. Otherwise, Tatiana was more than happy to continue conversing on all manner of topics. Iandre seemed content to do so given Tatiana's earlier offer, but she felt like she should make certain her personal bias toward dialogue didn't keep her from exploring the other ways people liked to engage. It was possible Iandre was like herself which was also an acceptable course of action.

Iandre Athlea

 

[Iandre Athlea]

Iandre inclined her head slightly at Tatiana's words, the sentiment settling easily into place. There was a quiet agreement in her expression, not born of theory, but of lived experience. Action, even imperfect, had always carried more weight than hesitation.

"That is true," she said, her tone calm and measured. "Inaction is still a choice…it simply leaves the outcome to chance rather than intent."

At the question, her gaze shifted briefly, thoughtful rather than guarded.

"I came here to observe, at first," she admitted. "To understand how people gather, how they speak, how they choose to spend their time when they are not being directed."

A faint pause followed, her attention returning fully to Tatiana.

"But conversation has its own value," she added. "And I find I do not mind it."

Tatiana Sah

 

[Tatiana Sah]

"Inaction can be a choice. Choice implies a conscious effort or agency. Many 'choose' out of oblivious neglect, which lacks any purpose, desire, or even recognition. A rock no more chooses to be thrown than some people choose to do nothing."

Ah, was that too blunt? "I admit," she added after a second with a lighter tone, "my people do not understand such careless disregard. Such disinterest. The maths behind every motion, every decision, and every outcome is fascinating to us. Everyone has different priorities, but that does not excuse willfully turning a blind eye to pressing concerns."

"You came to observe?" Tatiana regarded Iandre with wide, blue eyes. "For your self, or a collective?" The woman sounded one a similar mission to her own with that sentiment. Was she from afar? Did she seek to understand these galaxy-occupiers to better interact or anticipation their reactions? That was a captivating idea. "It sounds so much like my own purpose," she explained, hopefully it might solicit more.

Iandre Athlea

 

[Iandre Athlea]

Iandre listened without interruption, her expression composed as Tatiana spoke, though a faint narrowing of thought behind her eyes suggested she was weighing the distinction. It wasn't disagreement, but rather the measured consideration of someone who had seen too many variations of "choice" to define the word so cleanly.

"Perhaps," she said quietly. "Though I have found that even neglect can be a kind of decision, whether one recognizes it or not."

She didn't press the point further, as it wasn't the purpose of their meeting. At the following question, her gaze shifted, turning distant for a brief moment as she reached back into a past that felt like a different world entirely.

"For myself," she answered, her simple words carrying a heavy, unspoken weight. "The last time I was here was during the Clone Wars."

To her, that was a lifetime ago—another life lived by another person. Her eyes returned to Tatiana, steady and grounding themselves back in the present. "Everything I once understood about this world belonged to that time, and it no longer applies. So I observe to understand what this place has become and where I stand within it. If that aligns with your purpose, then we may both benefit from the exchange."

Tatiana Sah

 

[Tatiana Sah]

"Clone Wars?" Tatiana tilted her head with wide eyes. Curious. Clone Wars... the only one in her memory was several centuries prior to the Galactic standard date. Humans did not ordinarily live so long. It was certainly longer than individual entities of her own kind lived.

A soft chuckle followed. "It does. My people arrived here in what this galaxy called a 'Planeshift.' We knew nothing at all about the many species occupying it, their culture, history, politics, and military disposition. Fortunately, those we first encountered were not interested in conquering my people, which gave us time to reorient ourselves and learn how to interact with galactic citizens." Probably best not to mention the Jedi Order or High Republic by name given the current location.

"If I might say so, the long-arc of this galaxy's history seems to largely remain the same. It is important to identify the various parties, but I suspect you will find many analogues to your own time, and be able to infer how best to interact based on that information." Of course, she was only speaking as an outsider. Someone whose entire understanding of that history came from historical records. However, even if history were written by the victor the unevenness over centuries largely flattened out in time; which was where her observation originated.

Iandre Athlea

 

[Iandre Athlea]

Iandre listened with quiet attention, her expression thoughtful rather than surprised. Tatiana's perspective carried the distance of an outsider, and there was value in that. Sometimes those who arrived late could see patterns more clearly than those who had lived inside them.

"Yes," she said at the mention of the Clone Wars, her tone calm though touched by an older weight. "A war from several centuries ago, by the calendar used now."

A brief pause followed.

"I understand why that sounds improbable."

She did not elaborate further. Some truths required too much explanation to be useful in casual conversation, and others were better offered only when genuinely sought.

Her gaze drifted briefly across the crowd before returning.

"You may be right about the long arc," she continued. "Governments change names. Borders move. Symbols are replaced. Yet ambition, fear, greed, courage, kindness… those remain remarkably consistent."

A faint trace of dry humor touched her features.

"It does make adapting easier when sentients insist on repeating themselves."

The expression faded gently, leaving a reflection behind.

"I have already found echoes of my own time. Noble causes used poorly. Corruption hidden beneath process. People trying sincerely to build something better. Others trying just as sincerely to profit from it."

She inclined her head slightly toward Tatiana.

"And individuals who arrive in unfamiliar places determined to understand before they judge. That seems rarer than it should be."

Her fingers folded lightly before her.

"Perhaps that is the true constant as well. No era is defined only by its institutions, but by the people choosing what to become within them."

Tatiana Sah

 

[Naniti]

Naniti had managed to remain on her feet with seeming focus, but by the time they were dancing things had become something of a blur. Alcoholic drink was not something she imbibed often. The room felt warmer than it had a second ago. And strangest of all, the room... seemed to come into focus. There weren't echoes of plausibility clouding her sight, which required considerable focus to distinguish likely from impossible and even actual movements. To some, drink offered a loss of inhibition, and while likely true with her as well it also offered her a chance to relax. To enjoy Lysander's company for more than forgetfulness or worry of what might happen, but because she couldn't see something coming.

The Togruta managed to smile and laugh as she gently poked or sought to 'guide' Lysander into doing more on the dance floor. Why? To what end? Didn't really matter. They were there, and that was reason enough. "Come on, then, Lys. Let's put on a show." Were his moves not the most gracious? Not the most outrageous or creative? Naniti hadn't noticed. Couldn't even begin to imagine what her own looked like. Nor cared.

Strangely enough, on a world full of angst and worry, Naniti bore none of it herself. Long as she was with Lysander everything would turn out alright.

Lysander von Ascania

 

[Tatiana Sah]

Tatiana smiled. Iandre seemed to take to that sentiment. Though it wasn't hard to see such talk held a certain... melancholy to it. A familiarity not her own, but recognized all the same.

"Time is short and opportunities fleeting. Everyone's either in a hurry or trying to stay out of trouble." The blond took a slow look around at the scene. "Ironic. They have more time individually, but less interaction. Isolated pursuits. Endless repetition. No shared understanding."

"Consistency is important," she agreed as her attention swung back, "but it also has my people concerned. The consistency of chaos. Betrayal. Inefficient. Wasteful. It would be better to find long-term partners to coordinate efforts and bringing about a revolution in culture and technological achievement."

A soft chuckle escaped her. "We mustn't let their shortsightedness deter us from our goals. What we cannot control, we must compensate for, and in time achieve what we set out to do."

Iandre Athlea

 

[Iandre Athlea]

Iandre listened in silence, her gaze steady as Tatiana spoke, though there was a quiet shift in her expression at the mention of consistency in chaos. It was not disagreement, but recognition of something she had lived through rather than studied.

"You are not wrong," she said after a moment, her tone calm and measured. "There is a pattern to it. Conflict, alliance, betrayal, recovery…and then it begins again."

Her eyes drifted briefly across the room, observing the individuals moving through their conversations, each one carrying their own purpose, their own urgency.

"But I have found that what appears inefficient from a distance often comes from something closer to fear, or uncertainty," she continued. "Most people are not choosing chaos. They are reacting to it."

There was no judgment in the statement, only quiet understanding.

"Long-term cooperation requires trust," she added. "And trust is not something this galaxy has ever been particularly patient with."

A faint pause followed, her attention returning fully to Tatiana.

"Still…you are right that it does not absolve anyone of responsibility. If the pattern is recognized, it can be broken. It simply requires more effort than most are willing to give."

The slightest trace of something softer touched her expression.

"Perhaps that is where your people differ. You approach it as something to be solved. Many here accept it as something to endure."

Her fingers folded lightly before her.

"If you intend to build something lasting, you will need both perspectives. Structure to guide it… and patience for those who are still learning how to trust it."

Tatiana Sah

 

[Nej Tane]

1313.


"JARROUL ZANDAL!"
​

He cried out again, as he kicked in the door. The lights were dim, cowering mixes of henchmen, dancers, hookers, lackeys. Some more brave than others, but the ones against the wall Nej had no interest in. Henchmen came out in droves, some quicker than others, but they all met a similar fate when Nej put a disruptor bolt through them. They were thrown violently against a wall before they fully disintegrated for the most part, leaving in most cases, a sick pile of carbon and organic material reduced to ash.

Nej ducked under a table, hiding in the darkness, reloading his weapons. Disruptors were handy for a lot, but the need to reload was a downside. He ejected both charge packs, but one pistol under his arm for each reload. He charged the weapons with a flick of his thumbs. Jarroul was in the next room. A barricade of goons, about ten.

His HUD couldn't register them in the smoke, in the haze, in all the interference. Wedge reached into his jacket. Primed a grenade. Concussion. It'd be sickeningly loud in this small space. Especially to anyone without hearing protection. He might as well have thrown a sonic grenade. The heavy grenade slammed into the ground, digging in with hydraulic spikes. It went off with such an effect and noise that it knocked mostly everything off the wall. Screams and cries let him know it was effective. His helmet filtered out the noise, and he was able to rise to a stand. He activated his boots, gliding in the air just a few feet, right in the middle of their makeshift barricade of card tables and chairs. His shots were accurate, deadly, and precise.

He took two out with his hands, driving his weapons into their necks, cracking breaking. He was angry. He wanted them to hurt. He needed them to hurt. They took it from him. They were all hiding it from him. He deserved what Jarroul had. And they were in the way.

After a few moments, there was silence. His eyes, clad in red light and red hate, loomed to the door. It was just Jarroul on the other side.

Just him, Jarroul, and revenge.

Nej breathed deeply, tucking his disruptors away, and pushed on the door.

​

 

[Tatiana Sah]

"We have heard of others that believed to have a way to settle such matters. This galaxy's history has been replete with it especially in the last century. Admittedly, my people have considered similar scenarios as a means to that end. Some still find their end most satisfactory. Yet, Consensus is far from established. We learn lessons from your history even if others do not. I feel there is something... strange to this galaxy. Perhaps a yet quantified variable resulting from the considerable diversity in life present here." It was true, at scale one could discern the behaviors and outcomes of a body of people -- the internal forces within a group tended to average out. However, Tatiana noted many cases when the average did not in fact prevail. Key figures that radically altered the status quo.

"Curiously, the more stress the people are put under, the greater the chance an outlier arises to counter act the stressors." The blonde smiled over at Iandre Athlea . "My people would not do to become the focus of an enduring and prolonged reprisal. So, I do not think extreme measures will be the outcome of Consensus." Of course, she couldn't be certain of that. It just seemed, mathematically speaking, the risks outweighed the potential rewards. The ultimate proposal must result in the complete stabilization of the galaxy or it would disintegrate back into chaos once more.

No small feat.

"That is where I desired to speak with the Sith," she added. "They have tried numerous times to reform this galaxy and its people to their designs. They must have learned a great many lessons I have yet to hear of. I suspect their characteristics prevent them from properly appreciating the value those lessons hold, however." People often described them as set in their ways. The Jedi could be said to be the same, of course.