Private We Meet Again at Last

[Varos Ignacious Korvan]

Location: Acherin
Tags: Mischa Korvan

---

It had been some time since Varos had been on Bastion. His last visit was actually... quite pleasant, notwithstanding a few errands his father asked him to engage in on his behalf. Mischa Aiden... he had not expected to run into her then, but he was glad he did. It had been a while since he was in the company of a woman outside of the line of his inquisitorial duties. He couldn’t really explain why he kept thinking about her, and about that evening. The two of them hardly knew each other, and seemingly had little in common.

Varos was the son of one of the most prestigious men in the Empire; educated in some of the finest universities on Serenno. Mischa was a career soldier, who looked as much in place on the battlefield as she did in a nightclub. But he couldn’t deny how pleasant it was to be with her, nor how easy it was to converse. But now was not the time for such idle fancies. He stood on the terrestrial planet of Acherin - its fertile soil softly compacting beneath his feet as he stood vigil atop one of its many plateaus. Acherin was home to a few Imperial settlements, and the entire planet had fallen under the veil of the upstart Chiss Reclaimationists in their bid to seize the entire sector from Imperial control.

As the rebellion had been defeated and the participants in the Chiss uprising were either arrested or fled Empire space, it would seem Acherin would remain rather quiet compared to the other worlds... something Varos considered a bit of an oddity. He spent considerable time investigating the absence of any real Chiss activity on the world when some of his brethren within the Imperial Knights had disappeared after being dispatched on another mission to this world nearly a month ago - never to be heard from or seen again.

Something wasn’t right, and it was a part of his mandate to draw whatever was hiding in the darkness out and into the light. But he also wasn’t so foolhardy as to consider his abilities above those who had ventured onto this world and disappeared. He sent in a call to the sector administration, which as it happened was under the authority of his lord father. The response time to the request was almost perfect - so much so that he hadn’t really had time to see what unit was being dispatched to provide him with support until now, when he had arrived at the rendezvous point given to him by the garrison attache’.

The unit shown brought a faint memory from the back of his mind, and it only came to the forefront as he felt a familiar presence through the force.

‘Oh...’ He thought to himself. ‘Looks like we’ll be seeing each other again after all...’

 

[Mischa Korvan]

RAVEN
THE EMPIRE
SOMEWHERE | ACHERIN
TAG: Varos Ignacious Korvan

BLACK HOLES​

Finally cleared to get back into the field.

It took forever, but she was finally assigned to a new unit within the 501st. 3rd Squad within the 6th Platoon, known as the Boomers under command of one Rose Dorce, a Chiss loyal to the Empire despite all the controversy around her species. The Platoon's artillery cover was something of a legend within the Legion. Mischa just hoped that the squad she was assigned to didn't get a ship crashed on them as well, otherwise she would hang up her armour for good.

She hadn't done much drills with this new unit before they had gotten deployed to Acherin to provide support to a search and rescue - nothing glamourous, but it was probably better that way so that she could settle into the new unit properly.
"We're not going in guns blazing, ladies. We're under command of some Inquisitor, so behave, got it?" their Sarge, Gerard Hales, briefed them before they would step off the ship to meet up with the Knight.
"We know who the Knight is, Blue?" asked Viki Calsey.
"No clue. They're all the same to me." said Gerard. "Now shut it and let's get going."
They all meekly complied and filed out of the ship.

The moment they approached the Knight, Mischa knew who it was. She'd spent enough time around him to know the figure any place, even without seeing his face. She had dragged that figure onto a dancefloor after all.

In that moment, as he turned to face Gerard, who reported them for duty, she was very glad for the helmet on her head to hide the shameful blush creeping into her collar. She never expected to actually work alongside him at any one point. How embarrassing is that?

She remained toward the back of the squad, trying her best to stay inconspicuous while Baby Blue took all the shine as squad-lead. Viki's helmet gave her a glancing questioning look, but to her credit remained silent. Mischa just gave a slight shake of the head.

The unspoken Not now... was loud and clear.

 

[Varos Ignacious Korvan]

Location: Acherin
Tags: Mischa Korvan

---

As the squad approached, Varos' eyes appraised the helmeted forms of the troopers who approached. All of them wore the same field gear as the other, meaning he couldn’t depend on his corporeal senses. He reached out - gently at first, for he did not wish to arouse the suspicions of those sent to help him. Speaking of which...

“Welcome to Acherin, Sergeant.” Varos began, his voice pleasant yet professional. “I am Knight Inquisitor Varos Korvan. Have you already been briefed on the situation?”

As he awaited the sergeant’s response, Varos kept reaching out with his senses to skim the surface thoughts of those around him. For the most part, he felt the faint intimidation and reticence one might expect on the part of a trooper making the acquaintance of a member of the Imperial Inquisition. But there was something else mixed within...

A certain level of... was it anxiety? Embarrassment?

His expression remained stoic and impassive, undoubtedly in part due to his genetics and his upbringing in Imperial high society. Yet deep down, he had a feeling what - or more precisely, who the source of those feelings was. But he wasn’t here to embarrass anyone; Varos was here to do his job. Embarrassment could come later.

<“I must admit, I’m surprised to run into you so quickly.”> A disembodied voice would echo in Mischa’s mind. <“Of all the Imperial worlds likely harboring enemies of the state, in all the quadrants on the fringes of the Empire, who would have thought we’d run into each other here?”>

Varos surprised himself a touch. Was that sarcasm? Clearly she had an effect on him already.

 

[Mischa Korvan]

RAVEN
THE EMPIRE
SOMEWHERE | ACHERIN
TAG: Varos Ignacious Korvan

BLACK HOLES​

She watched as Varos spoke with Hales.

And Hales being the typical anti-Force soldier. He didn't waste time to tell Varos that he had already been briefed and that his team was up to par as well.

What caught her off-guard was the disembodied voice within her mind. Her helmet snapped toward Varos immediately. She should have expected it. He had toed that line during her debrief. But it was still jarring.

But true to who she was, she didn't remain unseated long.
<You just had to go there, didn't you?> the thoughts rebounded back to him after a heartbeat. But what would have been clear, is that the thought held some joking sarcasm. <Might want to focus on the Sarge over there, though. He doesn't like Forcies.>

"What are you doing, Misch?" Vicki whispered next to her.
Mischa's helmet snapped back to her friend. "Just watchin' 'em. Why?" Why the hell would she ask that?
"You staring too hard." she whispered back.
"It's a helmet, Vick. Chill." Mischa answered back.

But she was probably right.

<Can we get this show on the road, Varos?> she thought. She had no idea if he was still listening, but it was worth a shot.

Anything to her teammates' gawking eyes off of her.

 

[Varos Ignacious Korvan]

Location: Acherin
Tags: Mischa Korvan

---

“I’m sure you all are...” Varos responded to the sergeant, with an amiable tone in his slightly accented voice. His eyes would drift once again over the group of soldiers as a friendly smile covered his face.

<Might want to focus on the Sarge over there, though. He doesn't like Forcies.>

<“Clearly.”> He responded mentally. His eyes would linger for but a moment on the person he surmised was Mischa, only remaining fixed with her eye lenses for a few moments before breaking off and returning his attention to the sergeant. “While awaiting your arrival, I have continued my efforts to gain some idea of where to start. The planetary governor has proven to be... passably helpful, but upon further examination and inspection, I have reason to believe he is hiding something within his Estate. I have surveilled the estate over the preceding days, and I believe we can penetrate its security quietly so as to confirm my suspicions before directly confronting the governor. Tell me, Sergeant - who among your squad would you recommend to accompany me? I will need a young woman who could accompany me in disguise as my guest to the Governor’s manse. Preferably someone who could fit into an evening gown, but who could also fight if things go poorly.”

His faint smile would flash a bit broader as he uttered the last bit, but it returned to normal as he added: “The rest of your team will need to be on standby to assault the estate at a moment’s notice. Hard incursion, potential extraction under duress.” He arched his brow, and nodded to the sergeant. “I trust your squad is up to the task?”

 

[Mischa Korvan]

RAVEN
THE EMPIRE
SOMEWHERE | ACHERIN
TAG: Varos Ignacious Korvan

BLACK HOLES​

Hales chewed on the request for a minute.

He didn't like splitting his squad if he could help it. And for the person the Forcie was asking for, there was only two candidates that fit the bill in his team and both of them were valuable enough to not want to sacrifice them. But unfortunately he had to make a call before this Knight lost his patience.

Vic had served longer within the squad, so he would honestly want her by his own side if they had to breach than the newest addition. That, and Mischa had got a reputation of bad luck where squads are concerned.

"Aiden!" he barked in response. "Get over here!"

Mischa's heart missed a beat. What the hell now? Vic looked at her, the question mark shining through her visor. Mischa could only pull up her shoulders slightly in answer before she walked toward the two men.
"Sir?" she asked as she reached them.

Hales turned back toward Varos.
"This is Corporal Mischa Aiden. She's fairly new in my squad, but one thing I do know is that she can pass off a gown - she ain't ugly. And she's 501st, so you can be sure of fighting if it comes down to it." he told the Knight.
Wha-?
Mischa gaped behind her helmet for a second.
"Sir?" she asked respectfully after clearing her throat.
"Just do what your told, Corporal. You'll get briefed." he told her before he started taking his leave. But he turned back briefly. "My squad can do what needs to be done. We'll be standing by in undisclosed hiding just outside. Give the word and we'll breach - it's what we're good at." he told the Knight before he went to round up the rest of his squad. If the Forcie had done his homework, he'd know that they were part of one of the most renowned artillery platoons in the 501st. They were there for a reason

Mischa stared after him for heartbeat before fixing her face and removing her helmet. Varos would most likely pick up on her confusion, but the rest didn't have to see it written all over her face.

"Ok, what was he on about?" she asked in a low voice.

 

[Varos Ignacious Korvan]

Location: Acherin
Tags: Mischa Korvan

---

"Ok, what was he on about?"

“I’m taking you...” Varos began, matching Mischa’s low tone with one of his own: “To dinner.” A coy smile played upon his lips. He was clearly enjoying this.

He let the moment hang for several seconds before he finally gave in. “I suspect the planetary governor has something to hide in his estate - and coincidentally, he is hosting a gala within the grounds. You... will be my date for the evening - and fire support if the need arises. You didn’t think you could subject me to a night out at your favored haunts without me returning the favor, did you?” His tone took on a mildly taunting air before he nodded over to the rest of the squad. “Your squad will be our backup.”

“Now...” He extended a hand to his landspeeder. “Shall we? We need to see to your... attire for the evening.”

 

[Mischa Korvan]

RAVEN
THE EMPIRE
SOMEWHERE | ACHERIN
TAG: Varos Ignacious Korvan

BLACK HOLES​

“I’m taking you...to dinner.”

Mischa snorted.
"What a way to whoo a girl, then. Take her to a warzone to be able to ask her to dinner. No one can accuse you of predictability, Korvan." she quipped right back at him, knowing full well that there had to be more to it.

And sure enough, he settled to tell her the real reason after a moment of them both trying to stifle chuckles. Not that he eased up on the quips in the least.
"Oh so this is revenge then, hey?" she smirked slightly before he started moving to the speeder.

“Now...” He extended a hand to his landspeeder. “Shall we? We need to see to your... attire for the evening.”

She looked down at her armour.
"Since when is this armour not considered sufficient?" she teased, but she got in the speeder all the same, placing her helmet on her head once more for the time-being do as not to raise too much suspicion - especially with her squad.

"I better be able to move in whatever gown you put me in." she warned him from behind her visor.

Having to fight in a dress - not ideal.

 

[Varos Ignacious Korvan]

Location: Acherin
Tags: Mischa Korvan

---

"I better be able to move in whatever gown you put me in."

“We’ll opt for the armorweave option to be safe.” Varos matched the playful tone in Mischa’s voice as he settled into the driver’s seat of his speeder.

At that, they were off - making their way to the market district of the nearest major city, wherein Varos would utilize his prior preparations to spirit her into a certain boutique without attracting too much notice so they could make their selections in attire.

---

Later that evening...

Once they had finished their day of shopping (much to Varos’ relief, of course), the pair would retire to a small, modest villa Varos had procured in the weeks prior. It was kept in a clean and orderly condition, and was large enough to afford them both some privacy as they prepared for the evening’s events.

It was still a miracle that Varos had managed to keep the presence of an Imperial trooper as his date somewhat of a secret - it helped of course that he knew the shop owner, and had helped him out of a particularly sensitive bind in the not too distant past. A pensive smirk played itself upon Varos’ lips as he thought about the predicament the shop keeper had found himself in, what with being an unwitting accomplice in a planetary smuggling ring. Normally such a thing would fall well below Varos’ purview as an Imperial Inquisitor, but one thing his father had instilled within him (despite his own personal efforts to resist such ministrations), was to never pass up an opportunity that one could leverage to an advantage. It did not take long during Varos’ presence here for him to realize a more subtle course of action was warranted; particularly as his suspicions of the good Governor began to rise. When he put the call in for support, and suspected who would be dispatched to provide said support - well the temptation was too much.

His smirk grew into a rather feral smile of satisfaction as his rudimentary plan appeared to take shape, and be off swimmingly. He put the finishing touches on his hair and inspected himself in the mirror of his room. He wore a fine, high quality blue Serennan tunic, with a sable half cloak that draped over his left side. His pants were of the same hue of black as his cloak, which presented a bit of a flowing, disappearing effect all the way down his form. He tested the mask over his face (for the governor, in his hubris and decadent level of indulgence, decided to style tonight’s affair a ‘masquerade’), and let out a soft sigh as how ridiculous his conservative choice in such an accessory still made him look.

While he halfway enjoyed using this situation to ‘get a rise’ out of Mischa, he couldn’t escape the feeling that he had also inadvertently played an equally effective prank on himself. Despite himself, he emerged from his room and strolled into the common room of the villa where he would pour himself a small glass of water. He took a prolonged sip from its contents, and began running through the plan in his head as he awaited his ‘escort’ to emerge from her room.

 

[Mischa Korvan]

RAVEN
THE EMPIRE
SOMEWHERE | ACHERIN
TAG: Varos Ignacious Korvan

BLACK HOLES​

A fucking masquerade.

Mischa wasn't above dressing up where necessary - the Empire enjoyed its galas, after all. But a bloody masquerade? She would sooner shoot the idiot that initiated it than wear a mask. She may be conflicted on a few things, but she was still Imperial. And she was still 501st. You only hide your face when that uniform white armour was necessary to instill fear in hearts to get results. She had reservations about the amount of that fear, but she still wore the armour with pride.

It's been a shit road lately. But be that as it may, she had been cast into the 501st for a reason. If ever there was two pieces of oneself at war with one another, it was now. But pride wasn't brought low by just a short series of unfortunate events. Now she had to hide her face because some pompous ass decided it would be nice.

"I'll fucking kill him." she grumbled as she finally pulled on the elegant filigree mask past her half up-do. She did look the part, however, as she was cast in a royal blue, glittering gown, looking like the night sky come alive. And the gorgeous design was in such a way that you would not notice the blaster and phrik blade strapped to her hidden thigh. Thank goodness there was only one slit.

Finally emerging, she felt out of her depth in a way. Despite it being an op, it felt different somehow. Ever since that debriefing so long ago, there had been some kind of chemistry between her and Varos, and this made it even more awkward in a way.
Focus on the op, Misch, she thought to herself as she headed downstairs to the common room of the villa.

Not that that was easy when she caught sight of him.

He definitely looked better in a suit than his father, that was for sure.
"You...." she cleared her throat. "You look like a peacock, son." she teased before grabbing the whiskey decanter and pouring herself just enough for one shot. Taking another glance at him, her brow furrowed.
"How the hell do you function on just water?" she asked in mock disgust. Forcies were weird sometimes.

Knocking back the shot of whiskey, she then drew herself up to her full height before ensuring that the inner-ear comms where fitted right, although they weren't active just then.

"We get this show on the road, then? This mask is pissing me off. I want my helmet back ASAP."

Ever the soldier.

 

[Varos Ignacious Korvan]

Location: Acherin
Tags: Mischa Korvan

---

Varos could hear the shuffling in the back of the villa both he and Mischa occupied. As he heard her emerge from within the changing room, he turned with the grin still plastered on his face to make a remark, but was stopped in his tracks at the sight of her. He had to give the dressmaker credit - he knew his craft well. Mischa’s occupation as a stormtrooper was all but forgotten as she stood before him in the royal blue gown, with the mask adding a sort of regal appearance to her normally mischievous expression. His smirk disappeared, replaced by a neutral expression as he searched for the words to say. Whatever joke or jab he had imagined was gone completely from his mind.

"You...."

"You look like a peacock, son."

A faint smile reappeared on his lips at her remark. Her words couldn’t have come at a more fortuitous time, as he himself was slightly dumbstruck by the vision before him. But thankfully, her return to humor had given him the time he needed to mentally collect himself. “Sorry, for a moment I confused you for a lady.”

His words may have sounded comical and jovial enough, but he certainly felt different internally. He had always looked at Mischa as a tomboy - somewhat of a pleasant distraction when their paths had crossed. But he had to admit, she was able to look the part of a lady. What was the expression? ‘Find a woman who can do both...?’

"How the hell do you function on just water?"

"We get this show on the road, then? This mask is pissing me off. I want my helmet back ASAP."

Well, at least there was the illusion of being a lady. He shook his head softly, but instead of answering her question, he grabbed something from the desk by the door. As she finished her drink indicated her interest in moving on, he approached her with an ornate golden comb. The smile he gave her had a warmer, kinder texture to it as he spoke. “I thought these could add a certain je ne sais quoi to our outfits. Plus, I shudder to think what you could do if you decided to use this as a weapon.”

Delicately, he slid the comb into the base and side of her updo, just behind her right hear, and ever so slightly caressed her hair around it under the guise of simply ensuring he did not ruin her hard work. He appraised it for a moment before pulling out a matching brooch for himself. He handed it to her. “Would you mind?”

 

[Mischa Korvan]

RAVEN
THE EMPIRE
SOMEWHERE | ACHERIN
TAG: Varos Ignacious Korvan

BONES​

She had watched as the smirk had died on his face as he looked at her.

Mischa had long since learned how to read a face from behind her own mask. Mostly because fear was the emotion you looked for from behind your expressionless visor. If you saw fear, you were successful. If not, your blaster did the rest of the talking - whether it be singly or within a firing squad. But his expression held neither fear nor defiance. It was carefully neutral, but something else shone in his striking eyes.

Until he opened his mouth.

No wonder she had made a beeline for the whiskey.

But before they got going, Varos approached her with something in his hands. As he entered her personal space, she stilled - almost like a wild farthier getting ready to bolt the moment a fast movement was made. If her skin could twitch, it would have.

Until a different kind of smile graced his chiseled face.

“I thought these could add a certain je ne sais quoi to our outfits. Plus, I shudder to think what you could do if you decided to use this as a weapon.”

As he reached past to place the comb in her hair, her breath caught and her heart starting to slightly race at how close his tall, strong frame was. Her dark eyes from behind the mask looked up in his face as he adjusted her hair slightly, sending a slight shiver through her body.

He finally withdrew his arm, but remained as close as he was - only to withdraw a matching golden brooch from his pocket and holding it out to her in the small, almost intimate space between them.

“Would you mind?”

Breathe, Misch....she thought to herself as she made herself take the brooch from him. Speak, you idiot....she prompted herself, his closeness overwhelming most of her rational thought.
"You just had to go all tacky with accessories, hey?" she remarked brilliantly as she slowly fixed the brooch to the lapel of his tunic - slowly as to not peg herself in her fumbling.
Great...can you ever be normal around hot guys, Misch...? she grumbled to her inner self. First Aiden Rennek and now the third most powerful lad, next to Barran and Varos' own daddy, in the Empire. What was it with her and good looking guys? Then she shut herself up. The probability of Varos catching onto some of her inner babbling, was good. Damn Forcies. She was trained in killing 'em, not keeping them out of her head when caught off guard.

After fixing his accessory, she stepped back a step to just clear her head some, drawing a deeper breath than she intended. She for sure needed a clear head going into this op. More weighed on the success of this night than two inconsequential, opposing soldiers' lives. Not that she ever considered her or Aiden's lives inconsequential - they were just worth less than an entire Empire's - defintely less than the man in front of her now.

Oh, who was she fooling? Definitely not herself. Damnit! Just focus on the op, for fuck's sakes. Keep them both out of your head. Especially Varos.

Easier said than done.

She bristled, almost shaking herself like a dog would, coming in from the rain. Her inner blah's just wouldn't shut up.

"Can we go now, Romeo? The squad is probably already in place." she said, sharper than she intended.

Shit.

 

[Varos Ignacious Korvan]

Location: Acherin
Tags: Mischa Korvan

---

He could feel it - the shudder that ran down Mischa’s spine as his hand brushed her cheek and by her hair as the comb slid into place. He wasn’t trying to probe her emotions; in fact, he had stopped trying to do that when they ran into each other on Bastion. Even still, he didn’t exactly need to be force sensitive to feel it, even though it was hard to miss with his abilities. When her breath caught, he could feel his own lungs doing the same. Somehow, some way, they were connected. As her hand attached the brooch upon his chest, his eyes met hers for but a second, but with an intensity he knew they both felt.

He wasn’t sure what it was.

Love? At first the very idea felt ridiculous. They had only known each other for a few months at most. Varos had always been of the understanding that love was cultivated, like one builds upon a campfire - slowly, and with great care. But as Mischa took a step back and took in another breath, he couldn’t help but feel a fire burning within his heart.

‘This was a mistake.’ he thought to himself.

At first, he was a bit amused at the thought of dragging her here to Acherin, and teasing her as they proceeded through this operation together. But as the reality of where they were about to go into, and the possibilities of what they were going to encounter became more real, he felt his heart become divided upon itself.

The Jedi of antiquity had rejected attachments for fear of compromising their judgement when it counted. The chapters of the Imperial Knights did not have such restrictions, but he began to see the slight wisdom the Jedi of old had in their thought. There was a real possibility they could be going into a dangerous situation tonight, and the thought that he was bringing his only real friend... or maybe more than a friend...

...into a situation of very real danger was something that made his heart race.

Whether fortunately or otherwise, he did not have long to fixate on his emotions, as her voice broke the silence that prevailed between them.

"Can we go now, Romeo? The squad is probably already in place."

Reflexively, Varos recoiled slightly at the sharpness of her words. It was slight, and almost imperceptible (he was well practiced in hiding his emotions of course), but he wouldn’t be surprised if she had picked up on it.

“You’re right.” he pushed through it, and turned to the door. “We’re going to be late.”

Location: Acherin - Imperial Governor’s Estate

The pleasant trill of violin music filled the estate grounds, which could be described as a near-perfect marriage of Imperial austerity, and regal flair. A large, stone-like wall surrounded the grounds, which spanned dozens of acres of land on the outskirts of the capital city. A massive dual gate was the singular point of ingress and egress as far as Varos could tell as their speeder approached the entrance. Both he and Mischa were seated in the back of the speeder, with a droid piloting in front. The speeder they rode within was among the finest his father’s money could purchase - a show of status that was expected of course when Varos Ignacious Korvan himself made an official appearance. While he was secretly here for the reasons stated to Mischa and her team; to the Governor, Varos had taken great pains to promote this as a stately appearance in the stead of his father instead.

They were only delayed for a moment until the guards waved the droid pilot through, and their speeder smoothly pushed forward at a leisurely pace. All manner of natural flora flanked the pathway, with the same classical music playing from hidden speakers laced throughout the grounds. Within minutes, the flora would part and reveal a massive clearing, with the main building of the state coming into full view. Lights washed against the exterior walls, casting the baroque architecture of the building into a light which undoubtedly reminded all of the Governor’s guests of simpler times from bygone eras. The path rounded into a circle in front of the entrance, which then fed back onto another path that led to parking facilities for the numerous drivers of tonight’s guests.

A speeder in front of them had just deposited its passengers, a planetary official with a laughably ornate mustache it would seem, along with his trophy wife who had clearly undergone far too much plastic surgery. The preceding couple had made it halfway up the stairs and approached the main door when Varos’ speeder pulled up, and the door slowly hissed open. A human servant, adorned in a neatly pressed and manicured suit, welcomed the pair. “Lord Korvan, you honor this household with your presence. Please, allow me.”

He bowed his head and extended a hand outward, which was Varos’ cue to emerge from the speeder. As his feet touched the ground, Varos turned and offered a hand to Mischa. His eyes met hers, and he gave her a reassuring nod, as if to subtly communicate ‘It’s going to be fine, just one step at a time.’

 

[Mischa Korvan]

RAVEN
THE EMPIRE
SOMEWHERE | ACHERIN
TAG: Varos Ignacious Korvan

BONES​

She had seen his slight recoil at her words.

She felt bad about it - really bad. But the truth was that she was scared about what she was feeling for the man right next to her as they were driven to the governor's manse. And it was easier for her to lash out than admit her fear - falling for a man who's father could have her executed on a whim for the slightest possibility of treason. But she still felt bad.
"I'm sorry I snapped at you earlier." she said softly, looking out the window of the speeder. "I didn't mean to." She couldn't admit more. She just looked back toward him, hoping the apology would be enough. Admitting anything now would jeopardise the entire operation. Well, on her end at least.

Finally, the mansion came into view and it was absolutely gorgeous. Lights and flowers and music and the scent of jasmine in the night air. I was hard to think that they were here on an op.

Pulling up to the entryway, they were met by a servant but Varos seemed to ignore him for the moment as he turned to offer her a hand out of the speeder. Her dark eyes found his and held a moment longer than his message lasted. She realised she trusted him more than she realised. When her hand slid into his and she got out of the speeder, she felt oddly safe with him - for the first time since she had gotten back to the Empire months ago.

Her arm automatically hooked into his as they ascended the steps to the foyer. Knowing that she was safe with him, her mind was already running with plans. This place was huge - where the hell would you start looking? If the politician was dirty, there was no way he would hide information where anyone could find it.

As they followed the servant, leaned ever so slightly closer to Varos.
"What's your immediate plan?" she asked him softly, her voice not carrying at all as she kept a smile plastered on her face. Keep up the pretence.

Would it be blending first, then slip away for the information hunt or what?

 

[Varos Ignacious Korvan]

Location: Acherin - Imperial Governor’s Estate
Tags: Mischa Korvan

---

"I'm sorry I snapped at you earlier."

"I didn't mean to."

While he tried to hide it, Varos did find himself skulking a bit on the ride over to the Governor’s manse. When Mischa offered her apology, his eyes met hers from behind his mask, and he gave her a gentle but genuine nod. As they disembarked from their speeder, the full timbre of the music began washing upon them from all sides. Varos offered Mischa his arm, obviously intending for her to hook into his as they ascended the steps to the main entrance of the manse.

"What's your immediate plan?"

Her words were soft, even delicate as they reached into his ear loud enough only for him to hear amidst the classical music shrouding them both. “For now, we play the part of honored guest and his beautiful escort.” He smirked as he gave her a sidelong glance. They finished their ascension up the stairs to the main entrance doors, which parted inwards. The warm light of the circadian luminaires glimmered high above from the vaulted ceilings, casting the interior below into a dim glow, setting the mood of an elegant and romantic event amongst the Imperial elite.

While the gravitas of the event would not compared to those conducted upon the more well established worlds like Bastion or Dantooine, the Governor was not without his clout as demonstrated by the presence of several important regional figures could be discerned - even from the thin obscurity afforded by their masks. Naturally, it also helped that Varos could sense them all, and could feel the familiarity he associated with several of them. ISB Directors, Adjutants, even a Moff who was responsible for the planet’s Imperial presence - nearly all of their senses would heighten as Varos entered the room.

Just as their masks did little to disguise their identity to him, Varos’ mask was equally as ‘transparent’ to them all. When one was accustomed to navigating Imperial high society, one did not need the force to know when to raise or lower their guard. He met the gaze of several as he made his way into the manor, giving a handful a curt nod in acknowledgement before he continued with his thought in a hushed tone to Mischa. “Once we’ve settled in, and everyone’s attentions have died down from us as the new arrivals, we can then look for an opportunity to break away. Perhaps even by making a show of imbibing a few too many libations.”

He couldn’t have timed it any better than when a servant walked within arms’ reach with a tray of champagne flutes. Varos made eye contact with him, who in turn approached with a well practiced smile as he lowered the tray to make it easier for them to reach for the glasses. Varos grasped both flutes, and handed one to Mischa. “It might be prudent to check in with your team to see if they are in position.”

He gave her another warm smile, and took a sip of his drink.

 

[Mischa Korvan]

RAVEN
THE EMPIRE
SOMEWHERE | ACHERIN
TAG: Varos Ignacious Korvan

BONES​

“For now, we play the part of honored guest and his beautiful escort.”

Mischa caught his smirk and glance, being close to him like she was. Her eyes narrowed at him from behind the mask, but the pull at the corner of her mouth would tell him she wasn't serious.
"Honoured guest, hey? If only they knew." she jabbed quietly.

Upon entering the reception area, she was almost overwhelmed by the people. She was no Force User, but even she could not miss the charged air as eyes turned to appraise them. It was only then that she truly realised who's arm she was hooked into. It was almost intimidating that that there was something between them. Her - a nobody of low rank.

She wrenched her thoughts away from that. They now had an op to focus on. So she was listening when he continued talking, letting her know some more of his plan. She couldn't help but grin as a waiter appeared with a tray as if on cue. As Varos handed her a flute, she shook her head while smiling.
"You sure you didn't conjure that guy out of thin air?" she asked. But she tapped her ear as she took a sip for pretence sake.

<Blue this Raven. We're inside. You guys in position yet?> she asked while keeping eye contact with Varos to make it seem like she was talking to him.
<Raven this Blue. Affirmative. We'll move on your call. Blue out.> came her Sarge's reply.
Mischa nodded at Varos. "They're all in position and waiting if things go south." she told him softly before taking another sip. With the amount of attentive Imperials in the room, she had to play her part very well. Normally it wouldn't be too difficult, handsome man that he was, but his title wasn't normal and neither were the guests here.

Talk about being someone you're not.