Open Social Ceremony and Celebration

[Levik Karn]

Levik nodded and then winked at Lieutenant Dolan. It seemed like Cipher Seven at least knew discretion. That would become useful in his new line of work. "We do what we can to continue our efforts to better the Empire," he lied. After all, his excessive consumation of alcohol and his lingering habit of micro-dosing on glitterryll wasn't to be able to battle the stress of work. It was to attempt and suppress the double-life he's been leading in one of the most oppressive security regimes in the galaxy. Always assume you're being watched. That was the motto with which Imperial citizens survived.

"Well, we killed Darth Andruil. Our prisons have been turned into factories by Imperial Czerka and I have it on good authority-" he let it linger for a moment because he wasn't oblivious to the running joke among Blackout Fleet. He's supposedly very familiar with the Emperor's cheeks, after all. "-that Dathomir was just a test run."

When the two shots arrived he took them both and handed one to Lieutenant Dolan, "So, To this," he raised his glass as he motioned to all the uniforms that surrounded them and in particular the few pairs of Tiefling horns that were prominently visible. Altaïr Din and Astrid Al-Bahir. The Grand Marshal of the Imperial Armed Forces and the celebrated Imperial Knight. Aliens and Force-sensitive, the both of them.

Levik slung the shot backwards, giving himself hardly time to taste the whiskey before it burned down his throat in a familiar and much-needed sensation. Subconsciously he began to feel and tap his pockets, but it was a bit too long and it became obvious that he wasn't feeling the object that he was searching for. "A karking hells," he sighed as he pulled out a pack of stims and notably no lighter, "The Siren still has my lighter."

Siren Mothkari, heir apparent of the Mothkari Crime Family and the proclaimed prophet to lead the Droid Gotra into a new era of prominence and dominion over organic life. She took his lighter, promised to give it back and.. hadn't yet. "Can I lend yours?"

@Zay

 

[Cipher 7]

Levik’s wink elicited a shake of Seven’s head. He should have outed him. The Commander hit him with an auto-response and he took another sip of his beer. He’d give Karn the rest of his fancy pilsner before making a polite exit.

“So, I’ve heard,” Seven interjected during Karn’s pause. The droid returned and delivered the shot’s Levik ordered. He passed on to Seven, they toasted and threw back the shots. Seven turned, leaning against the bar while scanning the growing excitement rippling across the room.

Karn started patting himself down and Seven knew what was coming so before Karn could finish asking, he held out his lit lighter, “Puff away, Commander.”

Jacen’s gaze slipped from one party member to the next until he spotted someone worth watching. He found that familiar need to fight a smile from spreading across his face as Six ( @Sreeya ) strode gracefully through the crowd. It was clear she’d been given plenty of warning about this party, and he wasn’t mad at it. He might have preferred her crimson hair and power suit vibe from Bespin, but he was probably biased. He stopped himself from leaving the bar. There’d be a better opening later, right now, it would be fun to see who she was in this environment.

Who knows maybe he stood to learn a thing or two.

Seven took another swig of beer, “You said the Siren has your lighter, that some weird ass saying or are you being serious?”

@Eccles

 

[Astrid al-Bahir]

Music Playlist​

Astrid had moved along from various greetings and congratulatory phrases of varying sincerity, striding along the floor until another officer met her introduced as Commander Habrak. The man's bow was returned before she listened to everything he had to say, amethyst eyes meeting the man's own. She nodded back to the Grand Marshall when he joined them, but didn't interrupt.

"I'm not nobility, Commander. 'Knight' is fine," she informed him, unbothered. The Sith had liked their lordship titles, and a Sith she was not. Astrid shook her head. "You heard wrongly. Grand Marshall Din and Vanya, a native, struck the last blows." Spoken as usual, with straightforward calm. Glory wasn't her game. The Empire had won.

Habrak's ending question brought the Knight a moment's pause, but her answer was simple. "No, Commander. She was only a woman." Then she turned to offer Altair a bow, the room's lighting glinting off shining waves of hair and immaculately polished horns. Her tail's tip twitched slightly, despite the length being wrapped about her waist. Astrid turned so she was strategically facing both men, though moreso toward Altair as she spoke to him.

"Grand Marshall Din. Watching your skill in person was very impressive. I'm pleased to see you've recovered well." Suffice it to say everyone had a terrible time on Dathomir. Her machine arm gestured- a little stiffly, she was still getting used to it- toward the bar. "I was just heading to exchange my champagne. Will you join me?" Astrid asked them both. Champagne was nice but it may as well be fruit juice to a Tiefling.

If Astrid was to celebrate losing an arm, she'd do it with brandy.

@Sreeya @Morse

 

[Merian Sere]

Had she not concealed it well? Merian thought she looked normal enough. It helped that her face was always something of a brick wall, hard and plain, but visibly in this case it hadn’t sufficed. Merian didn’t mind the formality of interacting with superiors—in fact, she seized every opportunity to make a good impression—but this felt less formal than it did an inquisition. The Lord Commander. The Knight-Captain. A nightmare.

“Knight-Captain. Lord Commander,” she greeted each of them in turn with a dignified gesture, halfway between a nod and a bow. “An honor.” Professional despite the Knight-Captain’s friendly tone, and just cordial enough that they couldn’t accuse of her being cold. The Merian special. She fought the urge to furrow her brow at the Lord Commander’s question.

Is any of us? she wanted to say. Medals and applause make a poor balm for dead imperials.

“I’m doing fine. My condolences for Knight-Captain Winnz. I know you three shared the rank for a time.”

@LadyRen @Phoenix

 

[Altair Din]

Altair’s tail swished as she remarked that he had dealt the killing blow, “Well I mean..” He began as if it was a point to contradict. But it wasn’t. He had shattered the witch’s bones. Caved in her chest. He wouldn’t forget the sound of that sick crunch anytime soon. But he also wouldn’t forget how close he and Max had come to being vaporized if not for Astrid’s efforts, “She was only just one woman in the end,” He pivoted to agree as he regarded Venthis (@Morse ).

His tail moved again when Astrid complimented him, always finding it awkward accepting compliments. And it didn’t help that she always had such a blunt way of saying things. He knew Sephi were deadpan with emotions, but it was always jarring to experience. Altair gave her a nod regardless, walking with her to get a drink. As a full tiefling, it took even more for him to get a buzz. He got himself a whisky and brandished a packet of something she would recognize - sulfur. With a wink, he sprinkled some in his drink, offering her some if she chose. It was the only way they would get a real kick from their drinks without chugging the entire bar.

“So, you feel like trying out that new arm with a dance?” Altair asked as he leaned against the bar and took a swig of his drink.

@Mr. Teatime

 

[Levik Karn]

Levik took the lighter with a look of gratitude and was about to lit up a stim when the bartender droid once again rudely barged into their conversation; <Statement: You are not permitted to smoke inside.> Kriffing Empire and its rules. Levik looked at the droid for a second, flashed the little flame on the lighter and then pockets both his stims and the lighter, "Alright, I'll wait until I'm at the balcony," he all but sneered back.

His mention of the Siren had been more subconscious than a purposeful slip of the tongue and Lieutenant Dolan hooking into it surprised the commander for a moment as he looked the new Cipher in the eyes. The Mothkari Crime Family had held him against his will and threatened to rip off his limbs, replace his organs with cybernetics or kill him outright. The only thing that had kept him intact was the bribe he'd been carrying. All of it, however, was confidential as part of Operation Oracle. "I actually did have this nice lighter. Gold. Symbol of the Eriadu Naval Academy on either side," his expression softened as he described it and his eyes got a little twinkle of affection before it faded into what could only be regarded as sadness, "Memento from home. You wouldn't understand."

The stims returned to his hand as he motioned suddenly in the direction of the balcony, "She's real," he said as he stepped forward to pass Jacen on his way to the balcony, "Ringleader in one of the Crymorah Crime Families. You're familiar with them." It was both a statement and a bait. Before he became Cipher Seven, Lieutenant Dolan had been forced to pick up intel from an asset in Hutt Space. That asset, unbeknownst to both of them, was his twin brother and the presumed heir apparent to the Zaa Fenn Crime Family. Just like how the Siren was the heir apparent to the Mothkari. Both are Crymorah families and in many ways the reason why the Empire had put so much effort into indoctrinating Jacen with the Imperial principle.

Then Commander Karn simply walked off towards the balcony for a smoke.

@Zay

 

[Kalique Baize]

The Knight seemed at unease and while Kalique didn't even mean to intrude with her question, it seemed like an unfortunate coincidence for her that right as she decided to approach her, Varyn swept in from the other side. Had he seen it, too? Well, the poor woman was probably feeling like an interrogation now even if their intents were different.

"Thank you, Knight Sere". Just like Aadya, or the countless soldiers who had died for the Empire, Wiley had fought bravely. He was gone, but not forgotten, but they weren't here to mourn for those who had been lost, but still celebrate the victory, the bravery and the unrelentless dedication to the Empire.

"Good to see you too, Varyn" Merian didn't sound like everything was indeed completely fine, but this wasn't the best setting to dig deeper. "How do you like the new headquarters?" she asked Merian, already having talked about it with Varyn, but now that the Knights had officially been transferred to their new headquarters, they were probably both curious about whether the Knights were as happy as they had been.

@Volene @Phoenix

 

[Cipher 7]

Jacen scoffed as the Droid reprimanded the Commander again. Karn turned to look Jacen in the eye and Dolan held his gaze without wavering. He cocked an eyebrow realizing this might be the closest someone had been to something Karn didn’t want them to know. Now, there was blood in the water. Seven went on high alert.

Levik described his lighter like it was a mantra he used to get through something terrible. His revelry for the item made Jacen commit it to memory. Gold. Symbol of Eriadu Navel Academy on both sides.

“Uh huh.” said Jacen rolling his eyes at the Commander’s Orphan joke. Karn moved to step toward the balcony alluding to Jacen’s earlier question. Crymorah. Familiar. Dismas. Suspicion shaded his half lidded baby blues as he watched Karn move toward the balcony. He glanced in Six’s direction.

Then he followed Karn.

This was loaded. Levik had something up his sleeve, and Seven wanted to see his hand.

Once they stepped onto the balcony Seven said, “Lighter?” as he pulled out a pack of Corellian Spirits from his jacket pocket.

“What are you setting up?” he asked bluntly. They’d returned to the same balcony Jacen had come from. He set his beer on the railing and took a drag off his cigarra, “Better yet, what are you getting me involved in?”

@Eccles

 

[Varyn Atrix]

Varyn got the impression from the woman that she didn't really like him. It was the way she felt in the Force whenever she interacted with him, and wether it was true or not, he wasn't really sure. These days, it seemed like he got that impression from a lot of people owed to his title. Typically, however, those people who didn't like him were outside the Imperial Knights.

He filed the thought away but didn't pursue it as now wasn't the time or place. Instead, his face maintained a neutrality, though it took on a slightly graver look again at the mention of Wiley.

I'm sure the New Order will be feeling his loss, he said. They only had so many seasoned officers, and Wiley had been with the Sith for many years before the Imperial Knights.

As the conversation turned to the new headquarters, Varyn excused himself from the two woman and turned back to his original intention of hunting Six down amidst the crowds of people. Of course, that wasn't hard because she was gorgeous, so there was that.

He waited until a break in the conversation she was having with the others before speaking up.

Can I interest you in a dance? he asked, a genuine smile on his face as he saw her.

@LadyRen @Sreeya @Volene

 

[Cipher Six]

Six was in the process of draining her glass when she thought she caught Karn slinking off in the distance. She caught someone glancing her way and was about to make him out when Varyn approached her. She smiled at once upon spotting him, “Hey you,” She said as she clinked her glass against his non-alcoholic beverage, “Did you make a speech? I’m bummed I missed it,” Six admitted, knowing she was tardy.

“I’d love a dance,” She answered, throwing her drink back and placing her glass on a passing tray. Six allowed him to lead her to the floor. On her way, she caught a glance at all the Imperials and Knights that were mingling. Among them, she spotted Kalique Demici, the Knight the ISB had been assigned to tail and keep an eye on since the incident that led to her demotion. Because of how Six felt about Max, she couldn’t help but feel the slightest tinge of rage upon spotting her. If the two were assigned a mission, Six didn’t doubt that she would invent a scenario that resulted in an unfortunate accident of sorts. Others may have been able to forget Force users and their ways, but Six would remain forever cautious.

Which led her back to Varyn as she placed a hand gracefully along his shoulder. Could she move past her deep distrust of Force users? She met his gaze, “I’m impressed. I thought you’d prefer to be a wallflower at events like these,” Six laughed softly, wondering if she had an accurate read on him.

@Phoenix

 

[Max Dram]

General Max Dram sipped his whisky and watched silently from an upper level.

He had not gone down there yet, because he still did not know what to say.

Max generally always knew what to say. To his superiors, to the men under him, even on a date. He had even found the words to write to so many parents and families of those personnel they had lost on Dathomir. Words of courage and valour, of duty and service.

But what did you say to someone who had saved your life and at such cost? Thank you did not seem enough for what Astrid Al-Bashir had done for him. Max had dreamt about the sickly red bolt of energy many times. He had imagined it burning into his flesh, disintegrating him in a blast of blood and ash. He would not be here, should not be here. A woman who barely knew him had given her arm for him and gifted him a life he might never have had.

Max clapped vigorously when she was awarded the medal. He listened to the Lord Commander’s speech, but it was Astrid’s own that struck him hardest. Even now she paid tribute to the ordinary men and women who had given their lives on Dathomir, soldiers not Knights like her. Her new metal arm glinted in the light, impressive and sickening for the General in equal measure.

He drained his drink. He could not put it off any longer. Max made his way down the stairs, the healing burns on his own human arm bound and hidden by his dress uniform. He cut a tall, striking figure with his height and broad shoulders, his mouth forced into a tight smile that hid his tortured thoughts.

The sight of his friends and comrades provided some distraction. He spied Commander Karn (@Eccles ) plotting with some dude (@Zay ) on an outside balcony, grimacing at the memory of the former kidnapping from the poolside. Kalique (@LadyRen ) was there too, speaking with another Knight (@Volene ) and he even spied Six (@Sreeya ).

The sight of her twirling on the dancefloor with Varyn (@Phoenix ) actually made Max pause, her familiar figure wrapped in an elegant black dress. Six understood him more than most and part of him wanted to go over and seek some comfort in the familiar. But not yet.

He stepped quietly towards the bar, where the Grand Marshal looked on the verge of leading Astrid to dance.

“Apologies for interrupting, Sir” he said, saluting Altair (@Sreeya ). “May I have a moment with Knight Al-Bashir?” (@Mr. Teatime ).

 

[Altair Din]

Before she could answer, General Dram (@Alhon) arrived. Normally Altair would have told someone to take a hike if they tried to stop him from a dance, but this was a whole different ball game. The tiefling knew the man’s complicated history with Force users, and he had been there right next to Dram when they both thought the General was about to turn into a fine mist. There was a lot to unpack between Dram and Astrid. Altair smiled at the man, placing a hand on his shoulder, “I understand, General. Let’s share a drink later,” He said, turning to give Astrid (@Mr. Teatime ) a nod before he excused himself.

Altair grabbed another drink and made his way over towards Habrak (@Morse ). He had known the man to work directly with Renfry in the past, so there had to be some complicated perspectives there. The tiefling gave a nod to the man, “Haven’t seen you around in some time, soldier,” He mused, “What have you been up to?” In his role as Grand Marshal, he wasn’t as privy to the movement of all the soldiers below him. This one piqued his interest because there was a matter of where his loyalty remained. Even General Dram had a colored past when it came to the Sith.

 

[Varyn Atrix]

Oh yeah, I said a few words. I don't do speeches a lot, but she deserves all the recognition she gets, he said, referring to Astrid. He didn't envy her, and he knew that she had a hard road ahead. Even more than the physical damage and the limbs that had to be replaced, he knew from their conversation that the loss of her troops weighed heavily on her.

But he tried not to dwell on those thoughts, and instead smiled as she accepted his offer to dance. They headed to the floor and he placed a hand on her hip as they started to dance to the music.

I usually am, but sometimes I have to shake it up, he said. On the other hand, there's more than a few eyes on you and that gorgeous dress, he complimented, catching Dram and several others looking at her as they walked by.

For all his awkwardness, Six would likely be surprised to find that Varyn was actually quite an adept dancer. Even if he preferred the wallflower angle, he had attended several of these and danced both here and outside the social ring. After all, his skills as a duelist transferred well to this area and he had a natural grace to him that was honed on an entirely different type of floor than a dance-themed one.

@Sreeya

 

[Astrid al-Bahir]

Astrid nodded and continued on her way to the bar, ordering a glass of deep red brandy. Her lips faintly curled upward and her wrapped tail's tip adjusted its position around her waist, taking the proffered sulfur and applying it to her drink. She had to look down at her champagne glass to slide the empty vessel aside, carefully, as she didn't trust the machine now bolted to her shoulder. "Thank you," she said, having not brought her own sulfur today.

As she turned back to answer the Grand Marshall, pointed ears subtly raising at his question, General Dram appeared to ask after her time. Her eyebrows rose a little to join her ears; she was getting an unanticipated degree of attention since Dathomir. The Grand Marshal seemed fine with it and so was she.

"I do, after," she told Altair as he agreed to Dram's requested, returning his nod. Amethyst eyes fixed themselves on the General. Her machine arm rose in a stiff salute, unused to the limb as she was. "General Dram. Thank you for coming." She paused, deciding to settle down on a bar seat if she was going to be sticking around for conversation.

"Your burns are healing well?" she asked, referencing his concealed arm. Many of her own were still bandaged to some degree, although she gave no indication of being bothered by what injuries still remained. Astrid took a good drink of her brandy.

@Sreeya @Alhon

 

[Guinevere Delevigne]

Just popping out to a social outing was a terrible choice as far as Guinevere was concerned, but on some level this one would at least be respectful given the circumstances under which it was made. That alone was reason enough to slip into a pristine new uniform and mingle with the crowds.

During all the speeches, the agent had been quietly observing the attendees, for the most part unofficially and just for practice. It was going to be an enjoyable night, she declared, then sourcing herself a glass of white. Starting out by making small talk with those she knew nearby, colleagues and the like, she continued to hone her weaker 'chatty' skills by introducing herself to the various names and officials that were also attending.

 

[Cipher Six]

“Is that so?” She asked as he remarked that she had a lot of eyes on her, though her gaze didn’t shift to confirm who was looking or not. They remained on Varyn instead. To her surprise, he did a decent job of guiding her through the dance floor. She fell into step with him, allowing him to lead as she was effortlessly twirled and turned, navigating the floor on her tall heels with perfectly practiced steps.

Six wrapped her slender, bare leg around his when he dipped her during the song, a faint grin touching her lips. She moved back up, the two of them beautiful to behold as they commanded the floor. There were times where she led the dance and others where she surrendered to him, but it all came together seamlessly, as if they had practiced it.

“I’m impressed, Varyn,” She said as the first song began to arrive at its conclusion, “You handle yourself as well on the dance floor as you do in the field,” Six said with a smile. It was a genuine compliment - she had seen him operate on missions, so the fact that he was smooth here only made him more compelling.

@Phoenix

 

[Merian Sere]

Varyn excused himself after less than a minute. Merian found herself looking to him and back to Kalique with a quirked eyebrow that asked Really? Was I that bad?

She couldn’t deny she’d gotten what she wanted, though. She hadn’t wanted him to see her in this state, but as the Lord Commander walked away Merian knew deep inside she’d made a terrible mistake. It felt like dread, knowing it would come back to haunt her. Such a hostile first impression wouldn’t wash away for a long time.

“They’re… pleasant,” she answered Kalique, still stoic but the hint of a pleased smile in her voice. “Breathable. Room to run.” That was her effort to open up. In truth, she didn’t feel like talking to the Knight-Captain either, or to anyone at all. But when had she ever done what she wanted? Her life was nothing but a series of compromises in the name of duty. Like her attendance here, for one.

“I’m surprised they were granted,” Merian surprised herself adding after a pause. Surely some higher-up or some generous benefactor had been eyeing the facilities for private purposes, yet it had gone to them. Perhaps trust really was building. Not that she would see any of it.

@LadyRen

 

[Kalique Baize]

Varyn quickly excused himself and she had to admit that she couldn't fully blame him. Merian didn't seem to be in a talking mood at all and so maybe it was indeed better to leave her too it. If she needed time for herself, to reflect or center herself, maybe she'd find peace elsewhere, but Kalique still hadn't said hello to most who had gathered here and so she decided it was time to change that.

"We've been rather lucky for sure" she still replied warmly, a slight hint of concern still crossing her features. "I know this has all been challenging, but there's finally a silver lining on the horizon". They had to look forward and couldn't dwell on all the losses and the pain, not on such an occasion.

"If you ever feel the urge to talk, you know where to find me". She was her superior, obviously she'd keep am open ear for the apperently slightly troubled Knight. As she had interpreted the situation, she felt rather uncomfortable in this conversation and so with one last smile she turned. (@Volene)

She finally did wander to the bar to grab herself a drink before her gaze quickly scanned the crowd. Rhia was no longer with Altair, but she seemed fine for now, Knight Al-Bahir was engaged in a conversation with General Dram, there was Rhia again - for a moment, Kalique was confused. Hadn't she worn something diff- Guin. Guin was here too?! Now that was wild. (@Xorism)

An amused smirk immediately crossed her lips and she was about to walk up to her as her gaze drifted across another familiar face. As her gaze briefly met Altair's, she was immediately reminded of how she had once found him at a formal Imperial event, bored beyong belief, and even if he was engaged in a conversation right now, he didn't seem happy...she even spotted a faint hint of subtle desperation in his gaze and as she knew he didn't like a too formal, prim and proper, she knew what to do.

With a drink in her hand she made her way over to him through the crowd, right as the music changed into something far more cheerful that literally invited for dancing. The crowd finally began to loosen every here and there and Kalique swung her hips slightly as she moved towards Altair.

She patiently waited for his little exchange to end before she threw him a knowing smirk. "Would you care for a dance, Grand Marshall?". She doubted she even had to ask as she had seen this face before. He wanted to celebrate this differently and it seemed like the atmosphere was generally changing quickly.

@Sreeya

 

[Edward Haren]

"No no no no, none of that" A man in his forties, wearing a cheap suit told the barman as he was about to pour him a glass of whiskey. His eyes looked tired and his face looked far worse for wear underneath the big mutton chops that hid it. His odour was not much better, cheap cologne masking the smell of alcohol that didn't go away no matter the many showers he took "Not that brand mate, I am not going to revel in the taste, dont waste the expensive stuff on me." He said, his hand pointing at a different bottle of whiskey "That one, the cheap shit that will burn my throat, fuck my liver and warm my heart, give it here." Awkwardly, the bartender poured a glass of the drink the human had just asked for. He acknowledged the fact that the human knew his terrible drinks, for he had chosen one that had better use treating wounds than being served in any event at all.

As he took a sip from his drink, unfazed by the awful taste, Edward looked at the scene unfolding ahead. He was not one to care a lot about patriotism or...anything at all, really, but he felt the need to come to this event to honour the fallen. He had some respect for the people that fought against the former empress, it was not a task Eddie would've wanted for himself and, well...The least he could do is use them as an excuse to drink, is what he would've wanted, had he been the one among many to die on duty. So there he was, dedicating his drink to all the poor bastards that had to deal with some force voodoo bullshit with nothing but blaster fire and balls of steel.

While the event was quite boring at first, the music being played being some classic shit that would only be really enjoyed by people with older souls (unlike him, a total youngster), eventually some actual party music was played...Granted, not music from his prime time, he was not familiar with the song, the author or even that kind of rhythm, but a smile formed on his lips all the same "Oh, fuck yeah."

Edward made his way to the dance floor and started to bust some moves. His dancing was antiquated, yet energetic, somehow managing to keep his drink from spilling despite how his feet shuffled. From an outsider's perspective, chances are the people around just saw a sad old man embarassing himself, but Eddie? He saw himself murdering the god damn dance floor.

 

[Rhiannon]

Rhiannon was quite the nifty partier, having been proudly hosting the last three herself. Those were much smaller affairs, mostly with friends and family, and the most glorious decadent cakes. Oh, she hoped there would be cake here tonight also, even if it wasn't the same kind of party.

Slipping through the crowd skilfully avoiding any wayward dancers, she found herself approaching her mentor @LadyRen who also just happened to be whisked away already. Okay good, definitely not needed, yet she internally calculated. Spotting another unfamiliar face with a strikingly familiar look, Rhia could only dawdle as she struggled with conflicting thoughts. Electing to solve one problem with the other, she slowly approached the lady with whom Kalique was previously speaking. @Volene

Pulling her hands together in front, the little angel plied carefully. "Excuse me miss, It's not a party without some cake, but I can't see any. Can you help me find some?" In truth, the cake was a lie. But it was a convenient reason to drag the woman away and give her something else to think about.

If that didn't work, there was always plan b.

@Volene