Ask Serenno A Noble Cause

[Kalique Baize]

Serenno - 2100 hours

Ever since the Empire had lost vast pieces of its former territory, tensions had erupted all across the galaxy. Kalique - having been an busy as always - had received the chance of checking on the current state on her home world, Serenno, after having received a rare day off, but she had not entered the coordinates in an attempt to simply pay her family a visit.

It was not that the Knight had allowed herself to spend some purposeless, lighthearted time with her family at all as her top priority had been to ensure that Serenno was no subject to political unrests, yet she had found how the Council now found itself under immense pressure as not all Civilians of the elected monarchy found themselves in agreement with how the former Imperial planet and simply turned its back on the Empire.

Ever since Kalique had been a child, she had gathered first hand experience on how the Empire had helped the planet flourish, keep its economy stable and the territory safe. While there was no real Civil War, the overall mood of the Serennians wasn't particularly good and so Kalique had invested huge efforts in securing a meeting with the Executive Council the next day.

The government had recently decided to turn to independence, but in Kalique's eyes, it was nothing more than a decision that had resulted from insecurities deriving from the wars all around. It was not that Serenno was necessarily pro Sith, but they had accepted the religious fanatics as part of the Empire, but it seemed like the Empire now had to prove that without the Sith, it was still as strong as ever and finally free to follow its own interests.

The Knight herself derived from one of Serenno's noble houses, but while the Demici's generally agreed with the Knight, others didn't, so Kalique had immediately intended to seize her chance. Kalique had reported back to the ISB and had been rather happy about who had picked up her information and chosen to take on the endeavor. Levik was an experienced soldier and while she assumed he wasn't necessarily the most diplomatically versed man, she knew he was a good fit for the position as one of the leading Commanders who'd oversee Serenno's safety if they'd choose to deliberately join the Empire once again.

Kalique had already said her goodbyes after the brief visit at her family's estate before she had made her way over to the spaceport to receive the Commander. While he had been as courteous as to offer her a space on his quarters back on Taris, she was intending to return the favor today as her family owned enough property to provide them with manor for them to stay in.

While today was still a free day, she wasn't sure whether Levik wanted to familiarize himself with the capital already, so she had a rather luxurious speeder readied for them, regardless of their destination. While her parents had urged her to wear her robes, the Knight had refused for now and was thus adorned in her regular uniform. She might have to reconsider her choice her choice for the upcoming day as her valuable background could prove itself useful for the upcoming negotiations, yet she was waiting for the Commander to share his thoughts on that.

@Eccles

 

[Levik Karn]

Commander Karn sat in the co-pilot chair of the Imperial shuttle as it came of out hyperspace. Lately he had been missing his former position in the Eriadu Navy and ever since he has been using interplanetary travel as an excuse to at the very least co-pilot the vessel that transported him. The planet in front of him didn't interest him much. He knew Serenno as an ancient Sith bulwark going back so far as to the first Sith Empire under Darth Andraste. It's people were usually stuck-up, their nobles annoyingly indifferent to any form of hierarchy where they didn't automatically be considered at the top of, and.. well, there was one Serenno noble whose presence he didn't really mind. Kalique Demici was a Serenno noblewoman, after all. She had helped him get rid of a Sith Champion deep in the sewers underneath the Taris capital and arrest the governor of Namadii for treason. All without the attitude that Levik always associated with Serenno nobles and the Sith.

"Commander, we're to start our approach of the spaceport now-" the Imperial pilot relayed between his procedural chatter with spaceport control and that prompted Levik to nod, remove the headset and switch control back over to the pilot. "Thank you, lieutenant."

The shuttle held Imperial Diplomatic Codes and as such it wasn't allowed to transport Imperial peacekeepers in their signature armor, or indeed have weapons ready and onboard. As such, Levik only wore the black Imperial uniform of a Commander -them only becoming white with ranks supervisor and up- and had begrudgingly left his pistols at home. Kalique had instisted on the Empire trying to convince the Serenno Council to re-apply for membership of the Empire, but Levik really only came because she asked him to.

For a second he wavered, but as the shuttle landed and the ramp lowered so he could descend it and see Kalique for the first time since Namadii; he was glad he had come. "Knight Demici," Levik smiled and for a moment realized that the Lieutenant General had for some reason recognized the former Sith as being trusted enough to hold proper military ranks again. Something he vehemently disagreed with, but then again, the warmaster was a former Sith himself, so perhaps it was to be expected.



@LadyRen

 

[Kalique Baize]

While Kalique walked the last hundreds of meters, she was scrolling through the media, wanting to be as informed as possible about ongoing developments here on Serenno this would all be of potential help for the upcoming talks the next day.

Serenno was a important planet and their strong economy and valuable factories would help the Empire, if they'd manage to reach a mutually beneficial compromise. For now, it looked like Serenno had chosen to retreat for security concerns, but potentially there was more to it.

The night air was chilly, but still rather pleasant and the nightsky revealed the bright, crescent moon overhead. The stars above were also clearly visible and there wasn't a single cloud in sight, which made Kalique assume the air was about to cool down some more.

Kalique watched the shuttle descent and not much later, the Commander was already walking up to her. A slight smirk immediately crossed her lips as their last missions had been rather pleasant and she had noticed how the Imperial had slowly gained trust in her.

There were still strong resentments throughout the military and Kalique couldn't blame them per se. Years under the Sith had made them lose faith in force users, but it was good to see how some were already reconsidering their notions. Kalique was still used to being treated with more than subtle disdain, even if her past looked differently than most and she would never refer to herself as an Ex-Sith, but that was a different story.

Levik already seemed to have enough faith in her and that was all she needed to know for this endeavor. "Good evening, Commander. It's good to see you again". Through the formal greeting, their was a trace of genuine warmth bleeding into her tone. "Welcome to Serenno" ,she gestured towards the street to their left which would guide them towards speeder that would then take them the mansion they were staying in - a piece of information the Commander didn't have just yet. "I would offer a quick tour, but I'd understand if the journey left you a little exhausted and you'd rathee get settled. It's up to you though". He was a gues here, after all and Kalique didn't mind playing the host. "In case you haven't had dinner yet, we can either drive somewhere or order something".

@Eccles

 

[Levik Karn]

Levik was immediately confronted with a choice where his two worlds conflicted. As an officer in the Eriadu navy and now as an Imperial Commander, he was expected to enjoy a certain etiquette when it came to dinners. Fine dining was important and there was a lot of similarities between higher imperial ranks and the aristocratic status of these Serenno nobles. Then again, when was Levik more himself than when he was gorching on some synth-meat burger and slurping down Tarisian ale at the Freem Cantina? To Kalique he was Commander Karn and it was that formal relationship that had allowed him to keep his other business ventures on Taris away from the eyes of the Imperial Security Bureau.

Kalique was a noted Imperial loyalist. If he dropped his guard around her then she'd no doubt rat him out to the Director, or in her absence, the lieutenant-general himself!

Levik straightened himself and his tunic, "Good idea, Knight Demici-" he replied, finding his voice to be losing a bit of the warmth he did feel towards the knight, "-it is a smart move to be spotted by the nobles as we enjoy dinner. We'd be the perfect symbol of an Imperial Serenno." Her a Force-sensitive, but Serenno noble, and him an Imperial of rank.

Before he moved towards the speeder she had just gestured to, Levik paused for a moment to look at her. She had been put forward by the Lord-Commander of the Imperial Knights to be promoted to Knight-Captain. Her rise was remarkable. A true postergirl with which to show that Imperial Loyalty was the trait that got you promoted. Her file also noted she had been attached to the lieutenant-general for missions. Levik was beginning to think that for his own safety it was probably smarter to distance himself from her.. before someone decided to look into him, too.

@LadyRen

 

[Kalique Baize]

She immediately replied to his answer with a warm, "Very well. I already got a place in mind if you don't mind me choosing". He was still not entering the speeder as suggested but his gaze lingered on her for a whole while, which made her wonder what he was thinking about.

"Does the uniform surprise you? Have you excepted me in fine robes?" she couldn't help but to ask rather directly, a hint of playfulness in her voice though. It wasn't accusing, however she was indeed curious what detail startled him.

Once he would enter the speeder, she'd do the same and as she didn't need to type in any coordinates unless he wanted a specific restaurant, she could immediately start the engine and start heading towards the place she had in mind.

"This is your first time on Serenno, right?" she'd ask after a moment before they'd pass the first right turn. "There on the left you'd find the botanical gardens, if you're into flowers and plants that is" she obviously didn't take him for a plant guy, yet decided to lighten the mood a little as they could have a casual night here and his voice had lacked that hint of familiar warmth a few moments ago.

@Eccles

 

[Levik Karn]

"No, it's better in uniform," he replied and then started walking over to the speeder. Back on Taris -when he was wounded- he definitely preferred her out of her uniform, but then again that was before her remarkable loyalty to the Empire had been noted specifically on her file. He couldn't picture her out of it now, simply because he liked to be breathing more than he wanted to sleep with her. "A Serenno noble choosing the Imperial uniform is a powerful statement," he smiled, but in a professional way as if he knew that he had to accompany his statement with a smile and yet didn't necessarily feel the need to.

Commander Karn got in the passenger seat and out of habit made sure the window was up. The worlds he frequented were city-worlds and driving across those didn't always mean you drove through the nicest smells. Kalique -probably unaware of his predicament- was warm in her approach and seemed eager to have some smalltalk and get to know him a little better. Levik appreciated that, but at the same time he would appear to brush her off. "Yes, first time." he replied to her question whether he'd been on Serenno before and then as they passed the botanical garden he didn't seem to react at all. He just stared out of the window and only after they had already passed the gardens did he offer he a short, "I'm not."

Then -suddenly- he did turn towards her, "What is the lieutenant-general like?"

@LadyRen

 

[Kalique Baize]

While his answer did surprise her, she didn't show any of it. He did even care to elaborate just a moment later anyway and obviously, he had a point, but what was still in the room was what he had been looking at then. "Surely". They were probably both aware she could draw attention if she was recognized, but she didn't mind it as she was a promoter of this exact message. Serenno had been Imperial for ages and it soon would be again. But what was bothering him today?

He didn't seem to care about her explanations about what they were talking about either, so she ceased it. She focused on the street while he gave her the briefest and most cut off replies he could probably muster, so after a while she did raise a brow at him. "Are you alright?". It wasn't reproachful, but she was rather a little concerned. Did he have news she was yet to receive? Somehow, it was as if a lot had changed and he wasn't so pleased after all.

She focused back on the road as they crossed a little bridge that would reveal quite a beautiful view to their left and right with the city's lights reflecting on the little canal below. It was right then as he suddenly blurted out a question that didn't just catch her off guard as it was so unexpected, but also made her a little suspicious. Was there some tensions between him and the Warmaster?

She turned her head again, her expressions hard to decipher as she was trying to figure out was he was up to out of a sudden. She still choose to give him a honest reply, even if it was a little shortened as well. "I admire him. His ambitions are unbent and he's unrelenting in his pursuits. He's the strong, just leader we need and despite his position, he doesn't shy away from stepping right on the battlefield himself. He acts in the interests of the Empire".

He had risen from the ranks and always cared a lot about his soldiers which was just another trait she appreciated in him. She had full confidence in him and had even gotten to figure out what was behind his facade so far. "I take it you haven't worked with him directly yet then? Any concerns or why are you asking?", she then faced him with a more quizzical, however still not accusing look. "Don't worry, you can be honest". Was he concerned about her loyalty or was she the one to have a reason to be concerned? She truly wondered what she had missed all of a sudden...

@Eccles

 

[Levik Karn]

Don't worry, you can be honest.

Well, Kalique. I've always been very much against giving Force-users any authority in a goverment, let alone one that spans multiple planets. I despise those that decide to turn a blind eye to impulsivity and the noted self-interest these Sith always show. I participated in their pointless wars and invasions, I've lost countless of friends because of it, and time and time again I see them using this mystical power to carve out literal Kingdoms for their own. So, following their example, I've done the same. For years I've been misappropriating Imperial goods, mostly small-arms, and sold them through the Freem Gotra and the Troig Eccle'baal. As the commander of law enforcement on the planet Taris I've been able to ensure no one investigates my friends and business partners while I see the secret compartments on my shuttle and in my apartment fill up with illicitly-gained credits.

Altaïr Din was a Champion of the Sith Order who simply fought with the Imperial Armed Forces. He killed other Sith Warlords, claiming their Kingdoms and waited. Now his Kingdom is one that is notably not part of Imperial space, he managed to oust the ones in the Sith Order that tried to stand above him and some of his friends and underlings have conveniently become Imperial Knights, an Order that while initially under strict supervision due to the fact they're all Sith, now is once again allowed to have its members hold authority and military ranks.

"Haven't had the honor to meet him, no" he replied, "-but since he is the presumed new Emperor it can't hurt to hear about him first-hand right?" Levik smiled and for a moment directed his gaze towards the canal and the beautiful valley below.

Her answer had been nothing short but utter devotion to the man. If she hadn't been an Imperial Knight -a fellow Force user- then that had probably meant something to Levik. He would have to reconsider how close he'd allow Kalique to come if he were to protect himself and his partners from persecution and most likely certain death. Forcing himself not to let it all show, he tried his best to resoften his countenance, "Figured you'd not give me the same dribble the Imperial Broadcasting Service feeds us." It was a risk to say the latter, perhaps, but they both knew that the Imperial Security Bureau heavily curated and selected what news made it to the eyes and ears of Imperial citizens. "Sounds like our Emperor is a good man that's devoted to the Imperial principle," despite keeping his own kingdom out of it.

@LadyRen

 

[Kalique Baize]

Obviously, Kalique had not expected him to voice criticism openly if he had any of it. Still, they had definitely reached a more personal level already and there was nothing wrong with discussing points of view, even if they weren't all pro-Altair. Despite her loyalty to the Empire, she was no lapdog of the Warmaster. She fought for those interests she viewed as right and agreed with Altair's course, hence the dedication.

The way he responded though made her realize that he was definitely keeping something to himself. She was always careful when it came to the ISB, yet it was new to her that he was that fake. The smile and tone he gave her in response was simply not geuine. She answered his reply with a perfectly faked smile of hers as she said, "Absolutely. It's always better to build one's own opinion instead of following rumors".

She was surprised by how directly he critized her opinion and there was something cautioning glistening in her gaze as she faced him again. "That's the point, Commander. I didn't believe the information that was just passed to me. He convinced me in person, hence I do really believe he's a good man". Actions always spoke louder than words and she wasn't relying on how media or the ISB framed things.

Levik was tough, but what she had learnt was that he sometimes cared too little about his soldiers, which was why she saw him in a slightly different light until then. However, some things better remained left unsaid for now. "There, up ahead on the left. The restaurant with the fountains". She let the conversation move on for now and pulled the speeder over when they arrived at the place with a warmer smile again. "Shall we?". Maybe she could at least bring him in a better mood.

@Eccles

 

[Levik Karn]

Her intonation changed. Her words were more matter-of-fact, more accusatory. Levik was able to pick it up after almost a decade of criminal investigations on Taris. She wouldn't have been able to hide it from him without extence training from the Imperial Security Bureau. Something in his reply had struck a nerve and it was most likely his line about not expecting the same words as the Imperial propaganda machine. Levik knew to be more cautious now, and more importantly, he'd have to dodge her calls for a while, too.

"A good choice, Kalique," he appreciated that she had followed her instruction. Judging from the parked speeders and the general air and exclusivity of the location, this was the exact establishment where they'd be noticed by the Serenno nobility. "Looks almost like a palace," he remarked as he exited the speeder and -over the top of it- shot her smile, "I promise to not level this one from orbit."

Pulling his uniform straight, he waited for the valet to get into the speeder and drive away before Levik took Kalique's arm. Serenno's customs weren't so different as the one's from the Imperial Officer's club, so when they reached the one that was supposed to point them to a table it was paramount that they made an impression that would cause the nobles to gossip and spread around before their meeting in the morning, "Imperial Commander Levik Karn and the Baroness Kalique Demici." having the latter wear the uniform of an Imperial Knight was tantamount to elicit the gossip Levik was going for.

@LadyRen

 

[Kalique Baize]

Again, she took his silence as if she had edged around territory he preferred to keep to himself. Regardless of her curiosity, she knew it was unwise yo push. Maybe she'd mellow him sooner or later and would figure out what he was hiding, but she knew she couldn't risk being direct about it. He'd either deliberately choose to let or in on that or she'd remain much more cautious with him - either way she wasn't going to piss any one of.

She alighted as gracefully as it would be expected of her from her family, because she was still playing two roles here after all. It was still a little weird how he suddenly used her first time to adress her and as it would fell weird for her to adress him with his first name as well as she was absolutely not used to that and there was still this official aspect to their dinner, she decided to stick with a more formal way of adressing him for now. "I'm glad then, Commander".

He surely possessed the fitting etiquette and she obviously didn't resist when he didn't ask, but just took her arm, but knowing that there was something else in the air left a bitter taste in her mouth. She let him introduce them and the concierge's eyes widened instantly as his eyes darted between the two before he regained composure.

"Follow me. I might have just the right table for such honorable guests". As they were led through the restaurant, they had all attention on them, which was just perfect for their endeavor. She politely smiled at the partly known, mostly unknown faces as it was just natural that they were here. She even relished in the partially shocked expressions they were receiving as for them, it was surely scandalous that she was not adorned in her family's attire. It was, however, part of the ploy. They'd gossip all night and the sign they were setting was obvious.

---
After a still relatively casual dinner the pair was headed back to the speeder and Kalique was heading for the manor. "Do you still need anything while we're on our way or are you fine with heading to our residence for tonight?". The moon was shining down on them from up above and the busy life of the city had already died down by the time they were back on the road. If she didn't have any objections she'd bring him towards the tall, delicately carved yard yet which would upon automatically upon their arrival as it recognized the speeder and Kalique, so that they'd then be led up a little drive through an avenue of expensive trees before she'd pull the speeder over again. "Here we are...I'd say we're even after tonight but I'm afraid the residence is a little more spacious than the Commander's quarters" she teased with a smirk before she got out the vehicle to lead him up the grand stairway towards the entrance.


@Eccles

 

[Levik Karn]

During dinner they had both consented to smalltalk. They had to for the symbol of unity between the Empire and the Serenno nobility to work, so Levik had shared much about his childhood back on Eriadu. Told Kalique the story of his mother sobbing when he told her he had enlisted and thrown away the corporate career his parent's had toiled for. How his father had secretly been proud because, while he was just a mechanic at the spaceport, his son would be training to fly the biggest ships of the Eriadu navy. Ofcourse it had an happy ending when both parents beamed with joy at his graduation from the naval academy at 22.

There had barely been a year between that moment and the Sith taking control of the planet. What did they style themselves back then? A cult, or brotherhood, lead by an impossible fright called The Eternal. So much had changed in the years since. Levik only told about the good things, afraid that the Serenno nobles overhearing might get the wrong idea if they heard the entire story. He told her about the formation of the Empire through his eyes and how he eventually left the navy to join the Imperial Peacekeepers. The arrests he was most proud of. The adventures all regailed with exaggerated detail of Imperial valor.

By the end of the night the food and Serenno-made wine had made the Commander slow, satisfied and a warm comfort fell over him as they left the restaurant and felt the only marginally cooler night air.

"A dessert wine and a comfortable bed," he said with a gratified sigh, "it had been too long since I dined so well." Most of the times he sustained himself with ration packs or synth-burgers. The fate of a man that was always working in one way or another. "Let us go to our residence," he nodded, finding the wording a bit curious but deciding to let it go.

The ride was cooler with the windows open and Levik regained some of his normal focus as he watched how Kalique's speeder was waved through gates and passed by meticulously well-maintianed gardens. "This is something else," he agreed with himself, thinking that it made more sense for someone like Kalique, who grew up here, to be a devout believer in the Imperial principle. Her fallback was luxury, while his, if you ommitted the illicit fortune he'd made, was to share a cramped apartment with his aging parents. Without the Empire, Levik had nothing.

Again, he allowed himself to be surprised by the Imperial Knight's words. "Even?" he repeated trying to figure out how having her bunk in his imperial barracks room was on the same level as her saving his life and allowing him to spend the night in a residence of such splendor and decadence. "We'll never be even," he reiterated as they climbed the grand stairway together, "not until I can properly make up for you saving my life."

Before entering the residence he made sure to correct any possible imperfections to his uniform. Usually after a prolonged speeder-ride a crease could appear and Levik couldn't allow that to happen while on official Imperial business.

@LadyRen

 

[Kalique Baize]

Kalique had learnt a lot about Levik's past, even if she was well aware he had only chosen to offer information that was to be given in public space. She herself had talked about her childhood and her early ambitions and how her parents hadn't been pleased with her at first as they had wanted their only child to become a proper noble lady of Serenno, but even back than Kalique had followed her driven ambitions.

She didn't take it for granted that she had grown up in a wealthy environment, but knew that was only because the Empire looked after the planet. Her story tied in perfectly with the arguments she was about to present tomorrow, but as the meeting wasn't scheduled until noon, they still had the night off to do whatever they've wanted.

"Wine for dessert? Now you sound like the noble" she jokingly replied, his further comment and the way he said it making her chuckle. It was obvious that the good food and the wine and changed his mood, or he was at least pretending to be much more relaxed and soon he was already observing their place for tonight in awe.

From the meticulously cut trees and hedges to the perfectly polished staircase, the Demici residence was a testament to countless hard working servants and their efforts. Despite being used to it, Kalique was way too modest to care about such things at all and she had never fully ceased to question the exaggerated luxuries that came with her name.

They made their way up and inside as he made her chuckle again. It was not like she was drunk - otherwise she wouldn't have chosen to drive - but her tongue was a little looser than usual. It surely wasn't about calling it even for her, but she did like joking about it for sure.

He made it sound like he surely considered himself in debt to her, but Kalique just waved it off. She didn't need to be the literal Knight in shining armor but it was still good that he remembered how a Knight had saved his life. The relationship between Imperials and force sensitive Knight still wasn't the best and Kalique found herself trying to embellish their reputation wherever she could.

"I'll fetch you your wine and will guide you to your room later. For now, follow me into the lounge". She'd take the lead and they'd pass through the expensively decorated atrium before she took a left turn. They'd then find themselves in a vast chamber with fine satin curtains, comfortable lounge chairs and sofas and a tall chimney right across from the door. "You can take a look around if you want. I'll be right back". While leaving him to look around, she was disappearing through a different door to fetch them two glasses and a fine way from the wine rack in the kitchen.

@Eccles

 

[Levik Karn]

"You're playing my kind of music now, Baroness" Levik grinned as she lead him through an expensively decorated atrium and into a vast yet warmly furnished room with lounge chairs and sofas. The chimney that ran upwards already had a lit fireplace underneath and yet the two chairs closest to it weren't the Commander's first target. Instead he walked over to the window and for a moment admired the view. "Could you imagine," Levik sighed, thinking that marrying into a Serenno noble house would have him retiring from the Empire within the week. He'd sign his resignation the second the marriage would be finalized. He couldn't help but chuckle to himself, while Kalique was still absent, at the thought of putting himself in harm's way while having all of this. And that while he was acutely aware that 'all of this' was just a fraction of what a noble house of Serenno actually owned.

Before she returned, Levik walked over to what seemed to be a fancy music player and hit the button for.. well, regardless of how well dinner went.. he had decided not to pursue the knight further to better maintain his distance, so he opted for calm music better suited for an evening with a colleague.

As she returned he lowered the volume a bit and smiled, "You must have stellar astronavigators among your house's members," he remarked, knowing that the tune in question was from an opera about an exploration voyage into the Unknown Regions. "I must admit to have listened to this music for hours while studying astronavigation at the academy." he chuckled suddenly, seemingly aware of how dull that sounded, "It was the only thing that got me through that horrid class."

@LadyRen

 

[Kalique Baize]

Kalique was hoping his wine drunkenness wouldn't instigate him to shenanigans of any kind but even if he would bump into a sculptor or whatsoever, it actually wouldn't matter much. The wine rack was right where it had been the last time and fully stocked with a broad selection of imported and regional wines.

She went with a regional wine as she found it most fitting and chose a mild, sweeter flavor she herself usually preferred and was curious to see what he thought of it. Even from the kitchen she could hear a slightly epic, yet calm kind of music that made her quirk a brow before she gathered two glasses for them.

She then made her way back to the saloon where Levik was waiting for her. She set down the glasses and slickly opening it before she began pouring themselves to half filled glasses. His story made her chuckle as she offered him one glass before she took a seat on one of the lomg, comfortable, crimson sofas, her gaze still meeting his while she took a sip.

"Generations ago I did have a great-great-great uncle who was indeed a famous navigator..." she trailed off, her gaze scanning the room as she was looking for a specific picture, but she soon figured it was above in the hallway. "I can imagine how it helps while studying...I do have to admit that I've never drunk some wine while having it playing in the background though" she amusedly added, swirling the wine in her hand.

Something about his chuckle made it seem as though he was a little nervous, so while she met his gaze with a little smirk again, she directly asked, "What is making you nervous today?". He seemed off track today and she couldn't tell why and this was still bothering her. Perhaps it was the residence now, but for her it was amusing to watch.

@Eccles

 

[Levik Karn]

Levik took the glass of wine with an appreciate nod and for a moment seemed to forget she was wearing the uniform of the Imperial Knights. She wasn't a mere noble to woo, or simply the descendent of an errant explorer. She was an Imperial Knight, who Levik knew to have all the signatures she needed to be promoted to Knight-Captain, although it was not his place to notify her of this fact. She would be summoned by the Lord-Commander and with a representative of the Imperial Security Bureau looking on, would receive her new commission. Ruining that for her was like.. skipping his naval graduation and robbing his parents of that moment of beaming joy and pride.

Instead he smiled slightly, his mind returning the moment where thought he could simply 'woo the noble' without any consequences and tasted the sweet red wine, "Ah," the sound escaped his lips involuntarily, "a sweet wine is perfect."

Her line of her getting drunk to this particular kind of music was.. well, understandable. He hadn't either, "There's a first time for everything, Kalique," he took another sip and sat down on the same couch, slightly turned towards her. "First time sleeping together, first time dining together and a first time getting drunk to this kind of music," he paused, taking another sip as he looked at her with a playful smile, "together."

There were a lot of plays to be tried. A lot of excuses to be made. The truth was that whatever made him nervous wasn't just the one thing. Faced with incomporable luxury, envisioning a life that was never supposed to be his and doing all that while with a woman he knew would either love him or be the cause of his destruction. "I have more to be nervous about here," he placed the glass of wine on a nearby table, "than I did back in those sewers."


@LadyRen

 

[Kalique Baize]

She crossed her legs as elegantly as she had been taught back then- sometimes those noble airs and graces just came up. Maybe it was because she was back on Serenno, or maybe it was the expensive fabric underneath. She watched him almost squirm under her gaze, knowing that she usually had this effect when she wanted to, but with him she hadn't even really started.

She wasn't entirely sure whether he really agreed with her choice of wine, but softly added, "It's from the wineyards on the countryside not far off...it's such a cliché but you'll never find a Demici residence without any wine". Why? She wasn't sure whether it was pure tradition, but what she found interesting was how he deliberately chose to drink more wine, which again made her wonder what his plans were.

He wasn't swaying yet, but as he walked over she realized that he was indeed much looser thanks to the wine. Was it a good idea to get a peacekeeper drunk? This also remained to be seen. "Hmm...looks like you're helping me to a lot of firsts...I've indeed never fallen asleep in someone's quarters in a freshly ironed uniform...". She deliberately trailed off, facing him with a sly smirk before she brought the glass to her lips again, not breaking eye contact.

It was easy for her to be flirtatious, especially with some wine, but there had rarely ever been someone who made it past those usual barriers. "And why is that? You are being very secretive again" she asked him rather bluntly, somehow reveling in his tension that lingered in the air.

While he was surely aware of her powers, she assumed it wasn't that. There was something in his gaze that reminded her of the way prey looked into a predator's eyes while walking into its trap. Was this a trap for him though? For now it was a game she enjoyed. Now he didn't have any more excuses as no one else is around. He'd see it in her gaze: she really wanted an answer that was at least halfway satisfying. "You're in a beautiful manner, in all friendly company with no one else around, what are you afraid of?".

Was it that he was a man of many secrets, potentially spicy information even and he was afraid of letting her in because of that? Naturally, Kalique was curious and inquisitive by nature, but while she didn't actively intend seducing him, she found the prospect of finding out what it was tempting.

She sat her glass down as well before she removed the first layer of the uniform she was wearing. She'd make it look casual and she was obviously wearing a top underneath, but she was curious to see whether he was sensitive to such provocations. In her defense, it was indeed relatively warm in this room and they didn't had any more formal business to attend to, so as she met his gaze again, curious to analyze his reaction, a smirk was crossing her lips again.

@Eccles

 

[Levik Karn]

"Secretive?" Levik asked with a lighthearted chuckle before inhaling sharply as Kalique, too, put down her glass. He didn't know how it worked among Serenno nobility, but if two people were drinking wine on the same couch, but then both put their glasses aside then..

"You really want me to spell it out for you?" he said as she started removing the outer layer of her uniform. Regardless of their circumstance, removing part of your uniform in the presence of a superior officer without explicit consent to do so was a clear violation of protocol. The Empire didn't abide well with people not following its protocols and yet.. Levik didn't take his eyes off of her. Subconsiously he replied her provocation by wetting his lips as she looked away for a moment. Well, it was hardly subconscious because he only had the one thing on his mind suddenly. Call it wine, or pheromones, or simply that it had been awhile, but for a moment the Commander didn't think about the dangers of letting a devout Imperialist getting close, but rather had his mind on getting too close.

He looked her in her eyes and moved a little closer. "Why don't I show you, instead-" he leaned in and -in utter breach of protocol between a superior officer of the Imperial Security Bureau and an underling whose promotion was still being processed- closed his eyes and pressed his own lips onto hers for a kiss.

@LadyRen

 

[Kalique Baize]

Perhaps it was a little devious that she was toying with him like that and exploiting this whole irresistibly temping setting to her advantages. He had not only made her curious, but somehow in her mind she was even viewing it as a challenge. He protected information she wanted especially because somehow it seemed like he was hiding something major.

While she wasn't assuming he had his true loyalties elsewhere, there was something in the air and she simply knew that informations were a valuable asset. With him coming from the ISB there was no doubt he knew about the perks of leverage as well, but while this wasn't her trying to rat him out for whatever, she was still trying her best to assess safety concerns. It simply was her duty.

"Mhm" she did want him to spell it out. It wasn't hard to tell that he desired her, but how far would he go? Well, after slipping out of her it seemed like she had him right where she wanted him within no time thanks to her little show and probably also the wine. Apparently, she was too tempting for him to resist and so he slowly leaned in for a kiss. It didn't come as a surprise, yet her mind was racing at she had only planned for getting him into this position, not what came after.

She didn't pull back out of politeness and closed her eyes as he pressed her lips onto hers for a short, surprisingly soft kiss. Who was she to disrespect him anyway? It wasn't like he had forced her to do it, yet she also couldn't just refuse after having brought him that far. Slowly pulling back after, she couldn't help but to ask, "Now that's violating protocol. Maybe that's something the reports should leave out". It was not she would ever do anything to risk her career and also, he had officially started it, but as he was involved like her, she was convinced this would stay between them. "So you've been nervous because you've been meaning to kiss me?". And she had purposely mellowed his natural defenses...

@Eccles

 

[Levik Karn]

She pulled back slowly and as she talked about protocol, Levik started to fear he had made a mistake. "You're right," he smiled apologetically and turned his head towards the wine glasses on the table. "I," he seemed to be searching for the right words, "I think I wanted to do that since I got out of the shower on Taris." He shook his head, afraid that this could hurt his career just now that he was in the position that he had always wanted.

When he relived her words he realized she said to leave it out of the report and party confused and partly hopeful he turned his head back towards Kalique, "Maybe I should," he paused, trying to gauge and predict her reaction. She hadn't left in a hurry, she hadn't berated him, although chances were she was so devout to the Imperial principle that she wouldn't attempt to berate higher ranked officer regardless of circumstance. As the music entered a new section and went in overture, Levik's eyes drifted down. She looked very much as fit as she had laying armorless on his bed back on Taris. He had wanted her then, despite the wounds that had taken roughly two weeks of kolto-baths to recover from, "violate protocol further?" he leaned in as she said, but stopped short of kissing her again.

@LadyRen