Private Where One Hapes to Be

[Brandyn Sal-Soren]

​

Wearing: Standard Jedi Robes
Equipment: Standard Lightsaber [confiscated]
Location: Hapes, Queens Official Residence
Tag: Kha'la Daaray | fyi, Valery Noble


Brandyn was torn between two emotions, awe and annoyance. The annoyance was due to his saber being confiscated when allowed into the Queen's meeting room at her residence. Awe was due to the impressive nature of the room. Neither experiences really surprised the Jedi. Hapes was a wealthy and treacherous place for those in power. The Queen's staff had done a good job on decor and protection. Even now, two armed guards still stood at the door keeping watch over the Jedi.

Brandyn offered the guards a subtle smile. They did not flinch. Typical.

His hand ran across the long boardroom table that was the centerpiece of the room. It was of a fine polished dark wood, probably native to the Cluster. Brandyn had arrived in Hapes a week earlier, and had enjoyed some quality time with the family but he had to admit he was getting little restless. He had experienced an independence from his family in being with the Order, and then an independence from the Order in being out on mission. Being back under his parents watchful eye and his sisters more grown up forms of sibling-rivalry felt like two giant steps back.

And then just as he was trying to break the news to his family that he would soon be leaving, he got a message that the Queen of all people wished to speak with him. This was most curious, and again Brandyn wondered if his mother's hand was at work.

"The Queen will not be long. Her call to the foreign minister has taken a little longer than expected."

The voice of the protocol droid made Brandyn jump just a little. He was losing his edge, and was not as alert as he had been while on mission.

"Thank you," said the Jedi, but he noted the droid was already on their way out of the room without awaiting his response.

Droids.

​

 

[Kha'la Daaray]

​

Location: Hapes | Queen's residence​

Tag: Brandyn Sal-Soren ​

​

Even though her meeting with the foreign minister had been important, Kha'la still felt bad that she had kept her guest waiting so long. Normally, it wouldn't even phase her but she had personally invited Brandyn Sal-Soren to her residence for a meeting, and one that was quite important to her as well. So by the time she made it to the meeting room, it was easy enough to tell that there was some haste in her steps.​

​

Her long dress waved along behind her, and without wasting any more time, she quickly turned her eyes to the guards who were stationed there, "Please leave us."​

​

"But-" One of the Guards began before he was interrupted.​

​

"Leave us," she said, her tone alone making it clear she wasn't accepting no for an answer. The two guards just looked at each other for a second or two, and quickly decided to leave. Kha'la was perhaps still too patient and kind for a Queen Mother of Hapes, but that also meant the moments she did get serious were not taken lightly at all.​

​

"Apologies for the wait, Padawan Sal-Soren," Kha'la began when she finally stepped into the room and looked over at the Jedi. Her gaze lingered for a moment before a gentle smile tugged at the corners of her lips. "Please, take a seat and we can get started."​

​

​

​

​

 

[Brandyn Sal-Soren]

​

Wearing: Standard Jedi Robes
Equipment: Standad lightsaber [confiscated]
Location: Queen's Residence
Tag: Kha'la Daaray


Bowing in deference to the Queen as she entered, Brandyn felt his muscles tighten in preparation for the discussion to come. Talking to royalty was his father's role, as Hand to the Queen of Naboo Baros had become quite adept at all this. Brandyn rued his lack of attentiveness in his childhood now.

The dismissal of the guard brought a quirked brow. Now this was unexpected.

"Your majesty," Brandyn said, "it is an honour."

He did not speak again, not until he had purpose to do so. He decided a less is more approach would be in order.

​

 

[Kha'la Daaray]

​

Location: Hapes | Queen's residence​

Tag: Brandyn Sal-Soren ​

​

Kha'la offered Brandyn a gentle smile and sat down with a sigh heavier than she expected herself. She was exhausted after everything that had been happening on Hapes recently, and all the extra security that was being forced around her didn't exactly help either. Privacy offered more peace of mind than she would have ever thought in the past, but now that she was given very little, it was really starting to hit her hard. The only reason there wasn't a whole army of guards around her now was because she was in the company of the Jedi.​

​

She had managed to convince her staff that he alone would be able to offer more protection than a whole squad of her own guards. While somewhat reluctant about leaving her without Hapan protection, they ultimately agreed.​

​

"I'm sure you wonder what this meeting is about, but it wasn't safe to cover it through messages," she began after a moment. "To get straight to the point, I'd like you to become my personal guard. There have been numerous assassination attempts recently, not particularly against me, but several noble families have been targeted already, and I've been... encouraged... to accept more protection." It was clear by tone alone that she wasn't very fond of it.​

​

"While I agreed, it was under the condition that I could arrange it myself if I desired to do so, and I want you to be my guard."​

​

​

​

 

[Brandyn Sal-Soren]

​

Wearing: Standard Jedi Robes
Equipment: Standad lightsaber [confiscated]
Location: Queen's Residence
Tag: Kha'la Daaray Kha'la Daaray


The request made Brandyn's head recoil a little in surprise. He did his best to hide his incredulity towards anyone want him to be on something as important as a security detail for royalty. "Your Highness," he said, mouth gapping for words, "I...uh...thank you...for the offer....but me?"

Hapes was a place of extreme political intrigue, and assassination attempts were only a little more common than actual assassinations. "You do realize that I am not...a Jedi Knight. I am still in training. Merely a Padawan learner," he said, putting his rank ahead of his recent experience being undercover in the criminal underworld.

To be fair, he wondered if he might be close to being promoted, but a meeting with his master to check on his progress was still to be had. His had been a different sort of training, one largely removed from the normal temple based solitude and formality. Perhaps he was lacking the standard Jedi composure, but he certainly did not lack calmness under pressure - not anymore.

"Also...I still have a responsibility to the Order. Trips I must make away from Hapes to continue my training, and my work in The New Way Taskforce."

Was he really saying no to spending more time with royalty? Gorgeous royalty? The first part would probably frustrate his mother. The second part failed to live up to his father's early years reputation.

​

 

[Kha'la Daaray]

​

Location: Hapes | Queen's residence​

Tag: Brandyn Sal-Soren ​

​

Kha'la raised an eyebrow at his rather surprised response to her proposal but remained quiet so he could explain why. She understood the reasons he offered — he was a student of the Jedi, one who to some extent still relied on the approval of Masters and the guidance to make the right decisions in some situations. But she also knew that he was nearing the end of his training, and from what she heard and read, Jedi must pass through trials to prove themselves worthy of the rank of Jedi Knight.​

​

What better way to be tested than this?​

​

"I'm aware that you're a Padawan, yes. You're not suggesting I'm an ignorant fool, I hope?" She asked, her expression dead serious because she knew it could likely spark a bit of fear. But after a moment, she couldn't suppress her amusement anymore and felt the corners of her lips tug up into a faint smile. "I need someone I can trust and you're very skilled. Perhaps not like some of the renowned Masters of your Order yet, but that doesn't matter. Trust is everything for this position."​

​

"Also...I still have a responsibility to the Order. Trips I must make away from Hapes to continue my training, and my work in The New Way Taskforce."​

​

Kha'la simply nodded, "You won't be required to be here constantly. I will also permit other Jedi to come here for your training, and when you must leave for an assignment, you may do so as long as you communicate it to me directly."​

​

​

​

 

[Brandyn Sal-Soren]

​

Wearing: Standard Jedi Robes
Equipment: Standad lightsaber [confiscated]
Location: Queen's Residence
Tag: Kha'la Daaray


"I would never...dream of suggesting such a thing," Brandyn's eyes opened wide at the suggestion. He instantly felt very much put in his place.

While he listened, he could not for a moment allow his wide-opened eyes to relax, because what she said next truly astonished him.

"Your highness...your trust is...I am honoured," he said stammering for words. He was trying to pull on all the training that his mother had drilled into him in his younger years, but given the shock he felt it was more than a struggle.

"I am honoured," he repeated, "where would you have me start?"

​

 

[Kha'la Daaray]

​

Location: Hapes | Queen's residence​

Tag: Brandyn Sal-Soren ​

​

For a few moments, Kha'la just studied his reaction to her comment, but finally offered a faint but still noticeable smile in response to what he said. At his gratitude for her trust, however, she began to speak again herself. "No need to be so surprised, Padawan-" she paused mid-sentence and looked at him for a moment, "Is just Brandyn alright?" she asked before she continued her original statement, "My trust was not given to you."​

​

"You've earned it."​

​

It was an important distinction to her because she knew better than to place her trust in anybody without them having earned it. For him and his family to have done so was a significant thing.​

​

"First, I'm going to need you to get your lightsaber back, and you'll be permitted to wear it wherever you believe it necessary. As for your task, I will have you start as a personal guard close to me, so you can memorize the terrain and learn how security works for the royal family. Once you've been here for some time, perhaps you can manage the security efforts as a whole too."​

​

"How does this sound to you?"​

​

​

​

​

 

[Brandyn Sal-Soren]

​

Wearing: Standard Jedi Robes
Equipment: Standard lightsaber [confiscated]
Location: Queen's Residence
Tag: Kha'la Daaray


Brandyn shifted uneasily in his chair. How closely were they to be working together if she were requesting to call him by his first name alone? That degree of familiarity was usually only reserved to those within the family, that is at least how it was among the nobility of Naboo. "Brandyn is fine," he said, how could he say otherwise.

He tilted his head with a wry smile coming unbidden to his face. To know he had earned her trust implied that she had been watching him more intently than simply a background check. If she were any other woman, in any other role, he would probably have attempted to flirt right about now. Instead, he held his natural Sal-Soren inclinations in check.

"How does it sound? Intimidating, if I am being honest. But I have faith in your assessment of my abilities...or at least my potential. I should probably be privy to your schedule. Vette any guests you have visit you. Does Your Highness currently have a consort...or prospective consort?"

​

 

[Kha'la Daaray]

​

Location: Hapes | Queen's residence​

Tag: Brandyn Sal-Soren ​

​

She was glad that he'd allow her to call him Brandyn, but what satisfied her, even more, was his thought process after she asked him how he felt about it. There was an understandable amount of nervousness in his tone, as this position came with a lot of responsibility, but he was already thinking about how to make it work as well, and that attitude alongside the trust she had in him was exactly what made her feel that this was the right decision.​

​

The question he had for her, though, got her to perhaps smile a little too sheepishly for a royal figure, "No, I do not," she said with an attempt to keep emotion from her tone. "The only regular visitors I have are family, and I'll make sure you receive all their names. Other guests will have to be run through you as well."​

​

She then paused for a moment, as she remembered something.​

​

"Soon, we'll be hosting a large Gala here, open to invited guests and all Jedi. I'll have the details shared with you but it will be an opportunity for you to show what you can do in the field. I'll be attending and many other important figures will be too. Nothing can be allowed to disturb it."​

​

​

​

​

 

[Brandyn Sal-Soren]

​

Wearing: Standard Jedi Robes
Equipment: Standard lightsaber [confiscated]
Location: Queen's Residence
Tag: Kha'la Daaray


"Thank you," he said calmly in reply, trying not to note the sheepishness in her demenour. Perhaps he had been a little too forward there.

He was intrigued by the idea of the Gala, and with the Jedi attending it seemed that the Queen was positioning herself apart from the anti-Jedi sentiment of many of Hapes previously leaders. He decided to press on the moment to see if he could add something to the event. "If it pleases you, I would suggest also some aspect of charity be involved in the evening. Something to denounce the recent spate of terror attacks claimed in the name of the organization known as The New Way. They are not merely anti-Jedi mind you, but seek to bring all Force Users under the control of a central bureaucracy. The people of Enarc are still suffering. Perhaps something can be done to establish the Hapes Cluster's stance regarding The New Way. Though, it is not without risk, of course."

​