Wonderland | The Collective & Friends

[Evoros]

The sounds of laughter and voices ran through the building, a growing crowd safe from Arkania's icy cold. Alcohol flowed freely amidst conversation, and cheerful music guided guests to a spacious dance floor, two by two. All through the hallways, creatures of every kind flocked--the different backgrounds of the many different guests were surely countless, but they were all dressed ready for a ball, hostilities forgotten for another time.

On the outside, it was every bit the respectable social affair it had been billed as.

The noble men and women of Arkania had organized a ball, just as they'd sold, just as they'd been asked to. And the fact that the idea hadn't been theirs originally, well--nobody knew, and frankly, nobody cared. There was no catch, just a slightly more full house than the guest list might have indicated. The night was never intended for politics. Only for entertainment, for the chance to forge new friendships amidst a good time.

Making friends simply had a tendency to come with considerable profits.

Not, of course, that it mattered.

Bars stocked with Arkania's finest drink, tables lined with rare dishes of every variety, the nobles smiled as they welcomed their guests. There was no catch- only the chance for a good time.

__________________________​

Guests:​

| [member="Gerard Lussk"] | [member="Darren Torran"] | [member="Zeke Farthen"] | [member="Ivlyn Mecetti"] | [member="Amelia Sorenn-Syrush"] | [member="Claire Organa"] | [member="Jyoti Nooran"] |​

 

[Orn'om]

Benefit One of being part of a Mandalorian business: You were paid well.

Benefit two of being part of a Mandalorian business: You got paid to to find parties and make friends

Benefit three of being part of a Mandalorian business: Drinking on the job was encouraged.

Zeke moved through the party as a liberated man, drink in hand and suit pressed, edges creased. A beskar mythosaur pin on his breast indicated who exactly he was and with rumors surrounding their recent expansions and deals and the Galactic War beginning there were many a illicit arms dealers, governors of small Outer Rim territories, and others interested in the sort of things MandalMotors was selling and what pots they had their fingers in. Teases of new cruisers, fighters and weapon tech slipped from his mouth as food and alcohol made its way down into his gut.

It was the most fun he had had in a while.

 

[Whisper]

"This is the stupidest chit I've ever done in my life."

Kitten Roice crossed her arms in the passenger seat of her mother's speeder, staring out the window, an angry expression on her face. The older woman driving chuckled, shaking her head.

"Oh, don't be such a grump, Kitty. You look great!"

The teenaged slicer groaned, covering her face with her hands.

"Moooommm! I told you not to call me that! Oh my Force, we are in public!"

Her mother just smiled at her teenaged daughter's antics, and kept driving. They were on their way to an Arkanian noble's ball. Deborah Roice wasn't too sure why her daughter had gotten an invitation, but she wouldn't question it too much. It was good to see Kitty out and being more social.

"I look like a dressed up doll!"

"Now, now, honey bun, your father and I worked very hard on your appearance, tonight, so please try to have some fun, and don't mess it up. Who knows, you may even get a boyfriend at this ball!"

Kitten screamed in embarrassment, her face reddening as she slouched down in the seat.

"MOOOMM!"

"Here we are!"

And there she was. Standing outside the ball in a pink dress, in make-up. The teenager really wanted to be literally anywhere else at that moment. But, she entered the ball, and immediately hid behind a potted plant, heart pounding, hoping no one saw her like this.

[member="Evoros"], [member="Zeke Farthen"]

 

[John Locke]

It was a struggle, on an occasion like this John always found that he struggled not to resort to his old characteristics, to slip his hands into his pockets and drop his shoulders into a hunch. He might be successful now, but the stigma he felt when people looked at his hands never seemed to go away. He had made the choice to stip off the synthflesh himself, a statement to throw in the face of the galaxy but...sometimes when he saw the partygoers, so sure and so confident with themselves he could feel the eyes tracking him. Although, the man felt a smile touch his lips as the hover limo started to lower down towards the designated landing area, sometimes that wasn't such a bad thing. After all, the more people that looked at him, the more chance there was for him to make an impression, to find a potential customer. Besides, the engineer held up a hand to the driver as they settled down on the lawn, slipping out of the car and slowly padding around the vehicle as his fingers reached up to tug at his jacket, smoothing out the fabric, there were other reasons that he'd like people to watch him. Shoulders back and a confident smile on his face John reached for the door handle, pulling it open as he held out a hand, "Ready to trip the light fantastic?"

[member="Jyoti Nooran"] | [member="Darren Torran"]

 

[Ghorua the Shark]

LOCATION: THE BEST PARTY THIS SIDE OF ANYWHERE, ARKANIA​

EQUIPMENT: PARTY NECESSITIES​

CURRENT MOOD: IMPRESSED​

​

For being an enormous, battle-hardened bounty hunter, the Shark cleaned up well.

With all the gusto and confidence in the world, Ghorua strode into the gala. He wore a rather expensive white three-piece suit, the fine clothing stretching against the muscles hidden below. His teeth, sharp and dangerous, were shining like pearls, displayed in a large, warm smile. What weapons he had on him were hidden, giving off the impression that the Shark was here for the champagne, and nothing else.

He seemed to pause at the entrance, taking in the entire party happily. Rarely did he have the chance to grace such extravagant scenes, instead forced to spend his days in the armpits of the galaxy. He didn't get to break out his white suit very often, and it felt good. Ghorua gestured behind him, to a hidden figure, coming into view.

A little human girl, maybe six or seven, stepped out from behind the giant Herglic, a seafoam-green summer dress twirling around her legs. This was Minna's first upper-class get together, hopefully one of many more. She needed to learn how to make friends, and nothing beat on-the-job experience. She seemed to be in a state of bliss, dancing around in circles, greedy eyes soaking up every detail.

"Enjoying yourself?" Ghorua scooped up the little girl, placing her on his shoulder.

"Yup." Minna adjusted herself until she was comfortable, then took a full sweep of the room. "Ten guards, no, twelve, covering the exits. At least two undercover... Seven cameras." She folded her arms triumphantly, patting Ghorua's bald head.

"Good job, kiddo. But," he said, placing her back on the ground, "you missed a camera." His deep voice was light and teasing. Minna scolded herself, sticking close to the hems of Ghorua's suitcoat.

The Shark had to admit, the Collective had been careful, careful as their rather secretive reputation projected. He'd done his homework, he hadn't found a single thread connecting the faction to this party. If he hadn't been invited personally by them, Ghorua wouldn't have made the connection at all.

But that was fine. He'd came to make friends, and learn more about what this 'Collective' had in mind for their new agent.

"No drinks, Minna. We're on the job."

"Also, you're underage."

- [member="Whisper"] - [member="Zeke Farthen"] - [member="Evoros"] - [member="John Locke"] -

 

[Evoros]

Evoros was not going to this dance expecting to relax. Tonight she couldn't relax- as far as she was concerned, she couldn't ever relax. Nobody who got paid to prey on enemies' lack of caution would make the mistakes they'd exploit in another, but Yvonne Evoros wasn't just trying to stay safe. She was trying to stay hidden. Her craft was deceit, and she shielded herself with the lies she wove. Another falsehood, another face that wasn't her own. Loosen her grip for a moment, there was potential for error. For giving someone the ability to predict her moves. For giving someone importance.

She'd resolved it years ago--when caring too deeply had nearly killed her, when she'd thought herself invincible until she felt the knife drive through her. Never let anyone in. Never let anything out. And never drop your guard.

She supposed she'd been testing herself, then, when she'd invited Mara Kellarov to the ball.

Like she wouldn't have enough reason to be on guard tonight. She'd gone ahead and done it anyway, because- because what? The Yvonne Evoros that Mara knew would want her as a plus one. She was used to wearing a mask, delicately crafting personas so the real Evoros could remain unknown and unpredictable. What she wasn't used to was wondering if in treading that line so finely, she had already dropped her mask.

Too fething late now.

There was no tension to the smile she gave Mara as they reached the entrance to the building, nothing to indicate the worry running through her brain at a hundred miles an hour. She was impossibly aware of herself, doubly alert of everything she did--tonight she had to deliver flawlessly. It wasn't for long. It would be fine. Look alive.

"I've got to admit, they certainly know how to throw a party," Evoros murmured, moving down the hallways alongside Mara. "Should we bet now on how long before someone gets shot, or wait until we've gotten drinks?"

| [member="Mara Kellarov"] |​

| [member="Zeke Farthen"] | [member="Whisper"] | [member="John Locke"] | [member="Ghorua the Shark"] |​

 

[Mariya Fleischer]

All the food and drinks had been served to her expectations. The ball was been thrown at Arkania, an icy cold planet. It was also the location of her company's manufacturing plant which specialised in pale lagers. Crates of them had been shipped directly from her factory into the ballroom. And then there were the wines from Alderaan, including fifty of the best bottles reserved for the Collective and guests on Evoro's list. Speaking of Evoros, Mariya had little interaction with the new lady boss ever since she joined. Everything was just a tad mysterious throughout the organisation. Perhaps it was just how people of the trade worked. Whatever the case, tonight might be a good time to interact with the others.

As the last deliveries of food came through the door, the blonde finally found the time to relax. This was the first time she had sponsored such an event, so nerves were definitely there. Messing things up would have looked bad for her company, so the little extra attention was worth it. Now that the food was done, the next pressing matter was security. No, her company only dealt with food and drinks. The security was clobbered together by the nobility of Arkania, but approved by the Collective behind the scenes. On paper, everything looked fine. Mariya came prepared though.

Her black dress was ordinary and flirty enough, but she was still decked with equipment from head to toe, courtesy of some last minute purchases of accessories for such an occasion. A stealth pistol from another manufacturer fitted smugly at her thigh, concealed by the fabric. She was certain there would be at least several others who came prepared for any incidents to occur. Not that she actually wanted a firefight to add in the excitement, but you never know what could happen when people start to get tipsy.

She walked out into the hallway, her eyes catching sight of some people immediately. [member="Evoros"], [member="Ghorua the Shark"], [member="Minna Balin"] were already present. [member="John Locke"] had just entered by the door. [member="Whisper"], dressed in pink and trying to hide behind a potted plant. A guest, [member="Zeke Farthen"] who appeared to be a Mandalorian, judging by the pin.

If luck permitted, she would had spoken with most of them by the time night was over, including a [member="Dr. Aes'ona Terrani"] whom she had invited.

 

[Prennis Keeoli]

Aes’ona had been almost literally pushed out of her own hospital by a handful of her staff as soon as the news that she had been invited to a party disseminated about the office. They seemed not to actually care about the heightened workload that banishing their director for a time meant, even after hearing that the dance-in-question was almost on the other side of the known galaxy.

Maybe the reaction just meant that Doctor Terrani worked too much. It was true she would often pick up shift after shift for her colleagues, and they were probably using the situation to repay the many favors.

For once, she was dressed in something other than her medical uniform or surgical scrubs, giving her shimmering grey dress its best (and first) use thus far in her career.

She slipped in in an attempt to make her entrance as muted as it could be. Admittedly, she did not know much about this ball--[member="Mariya Fleischer"] had not explained much in the grand scheme of things. Aes’ona was under the assumption that she had nothing in common with a bunch of Arkanian nobles, but maybe there was more to this gathering.

In any case, she acquired a glass of room-temperature water, not wishing for anything similar to the temperature outdoors, and found a place out of the way to station herself until her confidence mounted.

[member="Evoros"] / [member="Ghorua the Shark"] / [member="John Locke"] / [member="Whisper"] / [member="Zeke Farthen"]

 

[Mariya Fleischer]

Mariya saw a grey dress popping out from the distance, coupled with strawberry blonde hair. It appeared that [member="Dr. Aes'ona Terrani"] had made it, all the way to this icy cold planet which Arkanians loved to call their home. Luckily for them, the interiors were warm enough for people to put on their fancy clothes. Mariya remembered that the doctor had known her as "Mary Rehcsel" when they first met, an obvious reference to her real name. She walked over, feeling thankful that the so called "Force imbued heels" that she had grabbed off the market made the strides easy. Heels were always a pain to wear. No matter how good they looked.

She took a better look to confirm that it was indeed the doctor, having to make a double check. Aes'ona was clad in her white robe when they met with minimal makeup, so today she was looking different, but in a pretty way.

"Hello, life saviour. Glad you made it. Nice dress!"

The blonde offered a friendly hug to Aes'ona, glad to see the person who had operated on her arm. Her left arm, to be precise, was still held together by the metal alloy inserted in. It felt slightly different after the cast was removed, but nothing serious enough to stop her from continuing her line of work. The ball invite was her way of saying thanks for all the hard work the doctor had performed on her. As for how she was connected to this whole event... well, she decided that she would explain the situation when the doctor asked.

"Do you want a drink?"

She waved at a waiter nearby, who approached them with a tray of beverages with fancy glasses.

 

[Mara Kellarov]

Mara was not much of a ball person; and no - not in that sense. It was more the fact that if she wanted to go somewhere to relax, she would've preferred going to a bar and have a few drinks.

But this was different, she had been invited.

Invited by Evoros, of all people.

She liked to think she knew the other woman somewhat well, as much one could when dealing with another Agent-type. And yet this still surprised her, and not at the same time. Mara was familiar enough with their line of work to know, to understanding that they all had their own different masks and personas. It was impossible not to form personal ones, an easy escape to hide behind when things got tough.

Part of he believed she had seen beneath one of them - but there were more times than not when she doubted that fact.

The thing between the two of them? Mara wasn't entirely sure what it was, other than the fact she enjoyed it.

"Oh, I don't know. It depends on how much has already been drunk." She mused, walking by Evoros side. Mara had dressed up for this occasion, which wasn't that rare - unless you're talking outside of missions that required it. While she preferred sticking to something simple as a shirt and trousers, Mara wasn't too adverse to wearing dresses. Especially when it had a specific goal in mind.

Which in this instance; with the particular blue dress she had selected, was to tease Evoros.

| [member="Evoros"] |​

| [member="Zeke Farthen"] | [member="Whisper"] | [member="John Locke"] | [member="Ghorua the Shark"] | [member="Mariya Fleischer"] | [member="Dr. Aes'ona Terrani"] |​

 

[Janeth Farr]

Janeth found herself once more called into action.

Only this time she wasn't expected to assault a base, assassinate a dissident, or defend and outpost. No, she was to attend a ball. And for what? Her instincts told her not to go, but the money was too good and the job too easy. She was sent by the board to sniff out potential tags... Tags being the sort of men and women worth including in the Collective's cause.

She showed up in the great room dressed not for a party, but for a mission. She wore her armoured uniform minus the helmet; her only concession for the evening.

"This is stupid." She muttered under her breath.

Janeth eyed some familiar faces in the crowd, and decided to make a beeline towards Mara and Evoros. "This is stupid." She said more loudly for them to hear, now standing between them.

[member="Mara Kellarov"] | [member="Evoros"] | [member="Dr. Aes'ona Terrani"] | [member="Mariya Fleischer"] | [member="Ghorua the Shark"] | [member="John Locke"] | [member="Whisper"] | [member="Zeke Farthen"]

 

[Jaya Tandris]

Jaya always liked to say she wasn't one for fancy parties, and for the most part that was true, but in the end she always showed up. Not because of the setting, or the music for that matter, the music was generally quite terrible in her opinion, the real reason was very simple and could be summed up in two words. They always managed to get her attention without fail and this time was no exception, even if dressing for the occassion wasn't her thing in the slightest.

Free.
Booze.

Whenever the drinks were on the house, the woman would show up. She would even try to fit in, even if she already knew that she would still look completely out of place. This meant wearing something that actually looked dignified, which posed a slight problem: She had nothing for the occassion. The last time she was in this predicament she borrowed Zoey's new white sneakers without telling her, only to find out they were multiple sizes too small when she got there. It was safe to say her feet were killing her when the night came to a close, a mistake she made sure not to repeat this time around.

At least, that's what Jaya thought she would do. Instead, she completely forgot about that and on her way there suddenly remembered her current outfit would probably lead to her not even being let in. Now, just buying the booze herself and going back home would've most definitely been cheaper, but she had gotten this far and she wasn't quitting now. Quickly making a stop at a clothing store that seemed chic enough to her and picking out the first outfit that wasn't completely ridiculous (Why would anyone ever want to wear a dress?), silently scolding the in her mind ludacris price tag while checking out, she managed to look surprisingly passable at the last minute.

---​

Now that Jaya was many credits lighter she stepped out of the speeder that had brought her to the ball, a slight wave of panic washing over her as she frantically started checking her pockets look for her invitation. She was quite certain she had forgotten to take it with her, but her heartbeat slowed down again as she pulled it out of the final one she checked. With her way in clenched in her hand she made her way out of the cold and into the building, already looking forward to forgetting that moment with a nice glass of whatever drinks they served.

That was also the reason she immediately looked around to find the bar. Once her eyes locked with her target there was nothing stopping her from making a beeline towards it. The server had just poured out a drink for someone else and was about to put the bottle back when Jaya walked up. "I'll take a glass of that as well, actually." In all honesty, she hadn't paid attention to what 'that' was at all. Luckily for her, she didn't actually care what it was however. A glass was put on the bar, the liquid was poured in, and handed off to the woman who had ordered it. With glass in hand she took off as quickly as she came, looking for anything to keep herself occupied. Chances were that meant meeting other people, so that was what she was going to do.

[member="Mariya Fleischer"] | [member="Dr. Aes'ona Terrani"] | [member="Evoros"] | [member="Ghorua the Shark"] | [member="John Locke"] | [member="Zeke Farthen"] | [member="Whisper"] | [member="Mara Kellarov"] | [member="Janeth Farr"]​

 

[Orn'om]

Zeke's slightly tipsy eyebrows arched at the sight of the large Herglic. A trade empire sure, it was common to see them at events like this, but something about him tickled his memory. And then he remembered and his eyes twinkled.

"Excuse me, pardon me." He wiggled and sidestepped through the crowd to get to the large beast of a man. Shining teeth, strong chest, yes. There was no doubt about it.

"Ghorua The Shark! What a pleasant surprise!"
[member="Ghorua the Shark"]

 

[Evoros]

"Drinks it is, then. Let's find the bar."

She wasn't planning on getting drunk. She wasn't even planning on drinking. But they'd stand out if they were the only ones without a drink in hand, and the goal tonight was blending in. There was extra profit if she found somebody useful to the Collective and sweet-talked them for a little while, but her goal was to look as though she had no other place to be that night at all.

Clear surprise crossed her face as a familiar Mandalorian intercepted the two just as they reached the bar. Apparently Janeth wasn't having fun either. And apparently she was less vested in hiding it than Evoros was.

"Nice to see you too, Janeth," the brunette remarked, eyeing the other agent with intermingled mirth and bemusement. "Cheer up. We're getting free drinks out of this, remember?"

With that, she found them seats by the bar and called over a bartender.

"What'll it be?"

"I'll have a martini," she smiled, and the barkeep nodded as he turned to the other two. He moved off promptly once he'd taken their orders, unsure why he wanted to bring Evoros water in a martini glass but certain it was a very good idea.

| [member="Janeth Farr"] | [member="Mara Kellarov"] |​

 

[Ghorua the Shark]

Large Herglic and little child forded the growing crowd, the former with words and gentle nudges, the latter simply dancing around their legs. Ghorua tried to be as gentle and deliberate as possible as he played the complex game of navigating a party. It wasn't an easy game for him. One wrong step, and someone ended up with a broken foot.

That was when he realized someone was pushing their way towards him.

Ghorua turned as [member="Zeke Farthen"] walked up to him, flashing a grin and an upturned brow. He scented the air, surprised at how much alcohol was in circulation around the gathering. He didn't recognize the man, but Ghorua did recognize opportunity.

"Ah, that'd be me," the large Herglic said, feeling the slightest amount of pride. "My reputation precedes me."

Minna returned to Ghorua's side, looking up with innocent eyes. She stayed silent as the adults spoke, simply absorbing information.

"I don't believe we've met, Mr..." Ghorua waited for the man to respond before finishing. "What brings you to an Arkanian ball?"

- [member="Evoros"] - [member="Jaya Tandris"] - [member="Janeth Farr"] - [member="Mariya Fleischer"] - [member="Dr. Aes'ona Terrani"] - [member="John Locke"] -

 

[Darth Athora]

A slick black hovercar slid into the driveway in front of the building, it's design was greatly pleasing to the eye and it's windows were so tinted one could not see who was inside. Then, the doors lifted open, revealing Gerard Lussk, heir to House Lussk of Adumar. He stepped out from his hovercar and tossed his keys to an awaiting valet. "Be gentle with her, kid." he mentioned to the valet as he walked past him and into the building.

Gerard noticed the overly extravagant decorations done to make the party almost look gaudy. But, he did appreciate the Collective's handiwork. Gerard was wearing a black tux and a pair of black Gunray-Bans on his face, which he removed upon entering the building and slid into a pocket hidden within his jacket. He wasn't too overly dressed but he did look good. He was greeted by some nobles who knew of his family. He shook a few hands then made his way to a table.

From there, he looked around at all the patrons of the ball. He could feel each and every one of their presences, one by one. Their heartbeats were a symphony in his ears. He smiled to himself and returned to normality as he continued looking about for any faces that might interest him.

 

[Orn'om]

"Farthen," he grinned and pulled out a business holo card, "Zeke Farthen, CFO of MandalMotors and the Shriek-Hawk Mercenary company." Ghorua was much, much larger in person than when he was looking at him on a holo vid. To be honest, it was quite intimidating, but he was here now and the alcohol seemed to be doing its job.

"I'm here for the same reason you are," he paused to pick up a glass of something as the server walked by with a tray full of somethings. It didn't matter what it was at this point. "Know enough people in enough right places you get dropped in these things. How has work been since the war started for you? The Shriek-Hawks have been very, very busy if you get my meaning." He winked at the large mammal.

[member="Ghorua the Shark"]

 

[Prennis Keeoli]

Aes'ona happily received [member="Mariya Fleischer"] in a short, friendly hug. As she did, she laughed, "Nothing about your condition was life-threatening, but I'll take the praise anyway." She stepped back. "Thank you. I rarely get to dress up.

"Oh, I don't drink." As the waiter approached, Aes'ona held up her fancy tall-glass of water. "This doesn't--actually, I won't dampen the mood for those of you that do." She flashes an apologetic smile. "I am alright, thank you."

 

[Delsin Kessler]

The ship worked find for now. It didnt had enough fire power but the speed, acceleration and spinning was on its best. He entered with only a black pants and a white shirt (He hated that kind of clothes, but he needed to make friends). As always, he only had his cards with him. No weapons to be find for the guards in the entrance "Alright...lets make friends"

He didnt grab a drink. Not that early, he just walked to present himself to [member='Evoros'] "Hi there. Im Delsin, newest member in the Collective. Owner of a little workshop Nix in Lothal" said smiling. If this went right, it would mean an improvement over his company comercials limitations "I wanna have a deeper entry into the commecials bussiness and other affairs in the Collective. I wont talk about work any longer, just wanted to introduce myself"

[member='Mariya Fleischer']

 

[Delsin Kessler]

Deleted