You Wanna Watch a Fight?[Fringe]

[Lira Dajenn]

Darth Ilyena stood on a large balcony overlooking the gladiatorial pit known as the Cauldron. The expansive limestone outcropping was large enough for twenty or thirty people, and indeed that many seemed to be walking around on it. Half of it was made of glass, or perhaps transparasteel, it was difficult to tell. This modification had been made to easier see the gladiator fights below, something that Ilyena herself had insisted on for her new guests.

Each and every person on the balcony of course was a person of some moderate importance or fame, each invited personally by Ilyena and her silent Sister @[member="Evelynn"].

This gathering had been of the utmost importance to Ilyena for one reason and one reason alone. The two new Queens of Rattatak had gained fame and fortune in the Cauldron, but that was only on a planetary scale. Now they had to break out into the galaxy, and the first step was breaking out into the Fringe. This little party would accomplish that, hopefully.

She frowned slightly as she swirled the wine in her glass. She had no idea who most of these people were, but most of them seemed to be very interesting.

The Queen of Rattatak floated over the balcony, walking onto the transparasteel and looking down into the pits below. Gladiators began to assemble on the sands and a match was about to begin. It was only one filled with Slaves and renegades, no major entertainment yet but interesting enough to catch some attention. Ilyena smiled slightly as she took a sip of her wine and looked up at her guests once again.

She wondered if anyone of them would want to fight.

 

[Rozala]

Looking down at the brutes fighting it out over who had the larger muscle to show off, Rozala only watched for the sake of amusement to herself. She leaned over the rails lookign down while wearing her usual attire but with a leather jacket over her body and heels on her feet since she was not on any hunt or mission for today. These types didn't know how to truly fight. It was all a matter of raunning into each other and simply testing strength while kocking every possible body part at each other. The entire thing was just a mess of sweat and blood but still for her it was fun. Had she been in the pit she'd already know how to handle some oversized walking flesh mouttian like the types thrown in the Cauldron. A good kock to a pressure point and then a quick twist of the neck and they'd be down. Still it was fun to at least study both moves of the fighters before seeing who was the victor. If it ever came to her needing to fight she'd have to known enough strategies before getting in the ring. So she looked over and sipped her drink while simply enjoying the show.

@[member="Darth Ilyena"]

 

[Stardust Solus Skirae]

star sat down sippinh her beer watching the men fight, she giggled watching them

 

[Lucien Cordel]

Lucien stepped out onto the balcony accompanied by a tall lanky man, his Valet. Lucien lifted his arms a little and coughed His servant got the message and took his coat, depositing it on an appropriate rack. Lucien brought his arms back down "You will fetch me a glass of wine then you are temporarily released" He clapped his hands together shooing the taller man away. He walked over to the edge of the balcony and looked down on the fighters. He shook his head they were weak and stupid, it was mildly entertaining to watch them bludgeon each other but a part of him craved the skill of a trained fighter. His servant returned drink in hand, Lucien took it from him "Thankyou, you may go return to me in one hour" He stood up from the balcony rail running his hand across the stone.

The wine ran down his throat, he brought the glass back from his lips and moved through the crowd to his host "Your Majesty" He said with a bow, Years of practise allowed him to do this without any spillage of his wine "Your arena is most tasteful" He smiled

@[member="Darth Ilyena"]

 

[Lira Dajenn]

As the man wandered over to her Ilyena's eyes shifted to him, she inwardly prepared herself to hold in her anger. So many people annoyed her with their approaches, they were flat and arrogant, greeting her as though she were some flippant girl. Nothing had caused her more annoyance than those greetings, and they had driven her into rages. Evelynn had calmed her somewhat, coached her on remaining more calm, that was her aim today.

When the man came up to her however she was pleasantly surprised, so surprised in fact that her face lost its usual marble quality and broke out into a warm almost endearing smile.

“Thank you.” She gave him a warm nod to go along with her smile, a high compliment coming from her and about as close to a bow or a curtsy anyone would ever see from her. “My Sister and I have worked hard on creating something great here Master...I'm sorry, i'm afraid I do not yet know your name.”

She was as pleasant as peach wine, clearly she was pleased by how this man had acted so far and she intended to speak to him at length.
@[member="Lucien Cordel"]

 

[Darth Carnifex]

Another form was not far behind Lucien Cordel, a man dressed in extravagant silk clothes worthy of royalty. A vest of thick crimson embroidered with a blackened sword sigil on the left breast, a dark gray undershirt, a plain leather belt, black military breeches, and a pair of black leather boots made up the garb of this man. A crown of aurodium and onyx sat gently upon his head of raven black hair, and a multitude of rings with varying precious stones adorned his fingers. His hard gaze met both Nemene's and Cordel's, but his mouth was pulled back in a warming smile as if he had just seen long lost friends for the first time in years. He came to a stop a meter or so away from the two, and bowed deeply, "Your majesty. It is an honor to attend such festivities, I have all confidence that these bouts will be the best Rattatak has ever known." He said with another smile, before the lumbering hulk of a Vanr finally appeared behind him, obviously his bodyguard for this evening.

@[member="Darth Ilyena"] @[member="Lucien Cordel"]

 

[Lira Dajenn]

She was equally as happy to find another man with manners here on Rattatak and she turned her warm smile on him and regarded him with an equally gracious nod as she had given the other man. She of course had no idea who Kaine was, she had no way of knowing that this person was the man who had turned her sister to the darkside and had tortured her for days on end. If she had known, well her welcome would likely have been slightly different.

Still her warm smile greeted her and her soothingly soft voice spoke to him as well. “I thank you as well. Again I'm slightly embarrassed, I’m afraid I hardly know the names of any of my guests.”

She let out a small mirthful laugh, as if it was a funny joke.

None would have been able to guess that the laugh had in fact been forced, she was actually intensely annoyed with herself for not knowing any of their names. She chided herself mentally, reminding herself that such a thing could never happen again.
@[member="Darth Vornskr"]

 

[Darth Carnifex]

Kaine laughed and waved his hand dismissively, "Think nothing of it, my dear. You may call me Kaine. That's the only part of my name that matters in the end. Luckily I have heard much about you, milady. The things people say, all good things, rest assured. It is truly an honor to meet you." Oh, how his little ravens spoke to him at length of multiple going ons throughout this little corner of the galaxy. Nemene and Evelynn's take over of Rattatak was well documented in the Epicanthix's mind, which was why he had come to this specific public event. Of course, he came without even informing Evelynn at all, so if she would just so happen to show up, it'd be a rather humorous surprise. With his right hand he lightly brushed a few thick locks of hair that had fallen loose back to hook around his ear, and that's when Nemene would see. She would see that the entire right side of Kaine's face was a ruined mess of scarred tissue and bone, which was a horribly stark contrast to the handsome left side of his face. His friendly smile twisted the ruined flesh grotesquely, but he seemed not to care one bit about that.

"Forgive me, your highness. I'm afraid I might be selfishly keeping you all to myself, I shall retire to one of the balcony booths if that pleases you. Do not be afraid to come see me if no one else demands your attention." He smiled again, and turned sharply on his heel before politely striding off.

@[member="Darth Ilyena"]

 

[Lira Dajenn]

If the facial scarring did phased her at all she did not mention it or even show it. Her face remained a placid smile and as he begged his leave she simply inclined her head again in a favorable nod.

“I promise I shan't let the evening go by without seeking you out Lord Kaine.” She didn't know if the title actually applied to him, but he had been respectful enough that she decided it needed to be granted anyway. As the man walked away she made a mental not to find out more about him, there was something off about him that she did not like, and a slight hint of a frown touched her eyes, though only her eyes as she watched him go.

Then quickly she returned her attention to the other man, warmth beaming from her all over again.

 

[Lucien Cordel]

Lucien prided himself on his ability to be polite, some men may find bowing and speaking softly to any and all who styled themselves a monarch some what ... Degrading. Lucien took a different view it was a quick way to earn favour and it was the favour of self styled monarchs that had raised him to hold high station in the unknown regions. He had seen monarchs rise and fall ... infact one was stood beside him only seconds before, he had swiftly learnt that having many friends insured his foundations remained strong even when his royal friends fell.

He was taken aback when @[member="Darth Ilyena"] asked his name, he was not accustomed to being asked who he was, of course his face did not betray him. A polite smile was his only reaction. He pondered for a moment on whether to introduce himself in the formal manner but swiftly decided it would convey arrogance, this was not his desired image "My name is Lucien, Lucien Cordel" He gestured to the balcony "I can see much hard work has gone into this building" He sipped upon his wine again. Unlike the fallen emperor, Lucien didn't intend to easily share this monarch until he was sure of her favour. He was not fool enough to allow himself to be quickly forgotten. He inclined his head a little, he was bored with pathetic small talk, it was time to begin the process of connecting himself "Do you know much of the man with whom you were just conversing" He grinned fiddling with the signet ring that adorned the fifth finger of his left hand.

 

[Evelynn]

She wasn't exactly the sociable sort.

The silent sister was more than convinced that her personal involvement in this little meet and greet was for Nemene's amusement more than anything. Naturally of course, there was a practical nature to the affair, it was vital for those who considered themselves to be in the know to...well...be in the know. After all, two new Queens reigned and keeping up with the monarchy was really best for business.

However the mute girl really wasn't one for holding a conversation, pretentious or otherwise. Yes, there was her telepathy but Evelynn found that speaking through the Force often left a rather chilly imprint on the minds of others. She made people uncomfortable and thus left it up to graceful nods and pleasant smiles to do the talking for her.

This left her leaning upon the balcony, eyes leering down at the entertainment below. It wasn't exactly the most professional mingling seen this side of Coruscant but hey, at least she was there. Can't we get a medal for showing up?

In her hand she clutched a shuura fruit, the girl had picked it up absent-mindedly as if the act of holding something made her look busy. Truthfully she wasn't at all hungry. Which would explain why the Queen dropped the exotic produce off the balcony and into the pits below.

 

[Darth Carnifex]

"Quite the little niche you've made out for yourself, eh Apprentice?" Came a deep rumble from the darkness of the adjacent hall leading to the booth, followed shortly by the slow, meticulous stride of Kaine as he approached the small mute girl. The Vanr guardian had to haunch down and suck in his wings just to squeeze through the doorway, but he quickly filed in behind Kaine and stood silently at attention. Kaine's amused gaze moved from Evelynn to the spectacle below, his ears listening to the chaotic melody of brutality and carnage. It was a wondrous song to say the least, and one Kaine frequently enjoyed, but there was a slight dissatisfaction when it was not him who was making such glorious music. No matter, Kaine was here to spectate and mingle with choice individuals, not to throw himself into some arena and slaughter everything in his path. That wouldn't be fair to everyone else, and he did enjoy watching creatures murder themselves for the amusement of the masses.

"The Queen is quite the young jem, I can see why you're drawn to her."

@[member="Evelynn"]

 

[Lira Dajenn]

“A pleasure.” Her voice was soothing once again, cold water pouring on hot rocks. She smiled politely and listened to his question for a second, her eyes drifting to the man who had just addressed her and was now wandering over to her sister. She shook her head slightly, the placid smile remaining on her face. “I'm afraid I have no knowledge of him at all.”

As she spoke the sounds of battle could be heard below her. Swords clashing against shields, blasters ringing out, the roars of monsters and aliens alike. A chill went up her spine as the crowd roared with pleasure, drowning out all words for a few moments.

She smiled, this wasn't turning out too bad at all.

 

[Lucien Cordel]

Lucien nodded and was about to speak when a roar erupted from the crowd. A look of distaste crept over his face but he quickly dismissed it. Once the rabble had hushed down again he spoke "That was Lord Zambrano,former Dark Lord of the Sith Empire ..." He smiled clicking his thumb and index finger together and swapping his empty glass for a full one " ... It is strangely touching to see the mighty fall" he added in a slow grave fashion.

Lucien followed her eyes, believing for a moment that he was boring her. He was relieved to see it was merely to observe her sisters entrance. She was clearly not the socialite that her sister was. He smiled to himself Meret would have felt notably uncomfortable here as well, although it would be less the people and more the murder in her case. He just hoped she was okay ... she was probably planning the wedding. His attention soon returned to the sister queens.

 

[Ashin Varanin]

Ashin Varanin didn't want to watch a fight.

Rattatak's arenas were ancient tradition, and there was no changing them. Those who wanted to fight, fought. Those who didn't had often found themselves quietly relocated. More than a few from both camps wound up in the Fringe recruitment center.

It remained to be seen how the planet's new rulers would operate. Most Fringe worlds were democracies or traditionally led. Rattatak required a firmer hand, failed state that it was.

She sipped her drink, and strongly considered jumping down into the arena. Better a straight fight than all this socializing around.

 

[Commander Lusk]

Standing behind Ashin was Rolland, holding his rifle in a casual position the sling on him and the rifle hanging as his finger straight and off the trigger. He was here to observe and protect the former sith empress, not that she needed it. But he was mostly there just for show. Nothing said don't frak with me like a seven foot tall man covered in armor holding a rifle with the safety off. So there he remained silent and staying with his leader as her escort if trouble were to arise, ready to lay down his life for her and die without a moments notice if hers came into jeprody. "Ma'am." Rolland said letting his presence be known to her verbally.

She probably already knew he was there but at least now she knew Rolland could speak. He would speak back to her when spoken to, until then he would keep his mouth shut and remain silent keeping on the alert if something were to come up. He had his standard array of weapons. His IAS, grenades, Zealot sniper, and his knife that he had won on Kifu for doing his part against the protectorate. @[member="Ashin Varanin"]

 

[Lira Dajenn]

Ilyena's face remained placid and unchanged as Lucien shared his little tidbit of information, the only thing that changed outwardly for her was a small dilation of the pupils, something that she had no control over. Black orbs grew slightly, overtaking the stark orange of her eyes, and signifying...something. Though outwardly she remained perfectly calm and even seemingly happy, on the inside she was a raging torrent.

Pure unbridled hatred poured through Ilyena, hate so strong it threatened to burst from her and burn everything on this balcony.

It seeped through her like water through clay, like the finest sand through a net. Anger and rage were mixed in with it, but hatred was the strongest emotion, hatred for the man that held dominion over her sister. @[member="Evelynn"] would be able to feel Ilyena's emotions over the bond, the powerful urge and desire to kill, the overwhelming feeling and need to stab the man in the face.

“I see.” Her voice was soft and soothing, though how she managed that she herself did not know. “How strange that the former Emperor of half the galaxy would choose to come here.”

Her smile remained fixed on Lucien, giving nothing away.
@[member="Lucien Cordel"]

 

[Lucien Cordel]

Lucien didn't see a change in the queen but he felt on in the environment. He felt feeling slightly energised by the hate, of course he had no solid confirmation of the source of this current change but he had some theories. The queen spoke once again, commenting on the strangeness of meeting a fallen emperor He inclined his head and replied "Those who fall from power seek only to cling to something ... The fringe is his ledge and he hopes to sustain power through it" He drank once again and noticed the arrival of Lady Varanin. He looked again at the queen "Your Majesty, how would you like to meet the most powerful woman in the unknown regions?" He hoped that this would prove impressive as it would further cement an amicable relationship.

 

[Lira Dajenn]

The rage still flowed through Ilyena like nothing she had ever felt before. Liquid hot magma of hatred seemed to glow within her and the temptation to wander over to Kaine and pierce him through the heart with her own nails was strong. Somehow she managed to contain herself however and when Lucien spoke of meeting the most powerful woman in the unknown region she couldn't help but be slightly interested.

Her ears seemed to perk up slightly and her pupils once again grew smaller, momentarily the hatred subsided.

“Why, that would be lovely.” She said the words without a hint of sarcasm or mocking. She was greatly interested in this person for more reasons than she could count, and besides those obvious reasons she could really use a distraction before the anger got the better of her and she ended up stabbing somebody.

With a smile she waited for Lucien to move.

 

[Lucien Cordel]

"Very good, If you would like to follow me" He smiled and gestured in Ashin's direction before walking towards her . He was pleased to see the queen was somewhat excited by the prospect of Meeting Ashin. He offered Ashin a respectful nod before beginning "Your Majesty, may I present Her Excellency Master Ashin Varanin conqueror of a thousand worlds" He gestured from the queen to @[member="Ashin Varanin"] , then turned to face Ashin "My Lady I present Her Majesty Queen Nemene Athaem Talith one of the sister queens of Rattatak" He stepped back a little to allow all of them to see one another.

@[member="Darth Ilyena"]