Ask Giving a Helping Hand

[Xylan Shrialla]

Xylan rhythmically tapped his leg with his left hand, while he held his datapad with the other. The Senator was reviewing his schedule for the day, which had been carefully crafted by Zanah. His Morellian bodyguard/chief aide/babysitter was standing next to his seat in the shuttle that was transporting them to the spaceport of Entralla, one of the planets chosen to settle refugees of the attack of monsters on Coruscant.

While he had little consideration for the Force and to those that used it, Xylan needed to agree that the creatures that this Darth Raze had created were very competent in causing havoc. Leaving so much destruction to a planet like Coruscant wasn’t easy, even if it wasn’t part of any government.

He also needed to thank that individual for giving an excellent opportunity for the Empire to show that it cared for the people of the Galaxy. Even if their Emperor was an old man, Xylan still admired him for being clever in offering to settle some refugees in Imperial Territory. And since the Tionese wasn’t an idiot, he was eager to offer himself as part of a welcoming committee.

Even if he hated dealing with the poor and the rabble, Xylan knew that it was too good an opportunity to not capitalize over it. This would not only help the image of the Empire, but would also help solidify the image of the caring and sweet politician that he had created for himself.

When the shuttle finally landed at the spaceport, Xylan passed his datapad back to Zanah. “Since we arrived, our first appointment is to meet the Imperial Knight Kalique Demici. She must be waiting for us at the spaceport.” he said to Zanah, while getting up from his seat. “I wonder how she is going to be.” the Senator had a dreamy tone on his voice, giving the impression that he was excited with the fact of dealing with the Force users of the Empire for the first time. However, he was pissed with the fact that he would need to deal with one of them.

If it was only Zanah here, Xylan would have voiced his discontentment. However, he needed to maintain his act of sweet boy for the Imperial troopers that were in the shuttle with them. Regarding the Knight in question, he had already searched about the woman. Apparently, she was close to Altair Din himself.

To make the situation easier, he hoped that at least she had dressed properly, like how he did. He would only know once the door of the shuttle opened. As always, Zanah was already behind him, like a shadow. Different from the fancy outfit that he was wearing, the Morellian was dressed in her classic yellow turtleneck sweater, black dress jacket, black pants, and black medium-heel shoes. Her glasses and black hair pulled back in a bun were also present. Sometimes he wondered if it was possible to convince her to use something else.

@LadyRen

 

[Kalique Baize]

Entralla. Kalique had many memories connected to this place. The dark spirits that had once haunted this place had been banished by her very hands, but it had almost costed her life if it hadn't been for Jon. It had been their third mission and it had changed everything, but what had mattered in terms of their mission was that the planet had been saved, the vanishing of citizen had stopped and the government still remembered what the Empire had done for them...

Today Entralla was part of the Empire's wester dominion. In fact, it was even one of those planets that offered refugees of the Core that was currently engaged in chaos to evacuate to. It was the very reason to why Kalique had been called to Entralla: She was supposed to assist the refugees' transfer and additional ensure the safety of the Senator of Centares, Xylan Shrialla, who was also there to welcome the refugees and assist the process.

Kalique wasn't entirely sure whether it was the place to be for such an important politician, but as always, she'd make do with whatever she was tasked with. Her shuttle was already approaching the familiar surface and while she hadn't gone for her armor, her lightsabers were clipped to her hips over the Imperial Knight-Captain uniform.

Once her ship had landed, the woman was welcomed by Imperial aides who guided her to the Senator she was supposed to meet. She wore a polite, yet professional smile on her lips and respectfully inclined her head as she reached him. "Senator Shrialla" she extended her hand, "It's a pleasure to meet you".

The unlike duo had the same task here: Help ensure that the incoming refugees safely made it to the camps and assist whereever needed, but what was a little ironic about this meeting was that Kalique had been the very Knight who had ensured that Centares rejoined the Empire in the first place, so she was convinced the Senator knew a lot about her already.

@LouJoVi

 

[Xylan Shrialla]

When the door of the shuttle opened, Xylan was welcomed by the sight of more Imperial soldiers, members of the local government and Knight Demici. The first thing that he noticed was how the locals were dressed like a bunch of beggars, to the point of making the Senator wonder if they were the refugees that he was going to help. However, it wasn’t a surprise. What he shouldn’t have expected of a planet located nearly in the Unknown Regions?

Regarding Demici, Xylan was annoyed with her. The woman that made Centares join the Empire by defeating a bunch of cultists looked so plain and boring with her armor, like any other Imperial Knight that has no other purpose than to serve the Empire. He needed to concede that the woman was attractive, but the outfit didn’t help her stand out.

The Senator walked down the ramp, with Zanah following behind him. He was sure that the Morellian had already scanned the area after any possible threat and had already planned different ways of protecting him. The knowledge that she had her there to protect his back allowed Xylan to walk more carelessly and to assume the role of sweet politician without needing to fear for his safety.

Burying his disgust for Force users deep inside himself, Xylan happily accepted Kalique’s hand, shaking it while smiling at her. “Hello, Knight Demici! It’s a pleasure to meet the responsible for bringing Centares to the Empire.” he snapped his fingers and Zanah had come forth, passing a small jewelry box to him. The Senator opened it in front of the blonde woman, revealing a brooch.

“When I heard that you were the one coming to help, I knew that I should give you something as thanks for ridding Centares of that terrible cult.” he smiled sheepishly, while looking everywhere except at Kalique. He even made his cheeks get a bit red. Xylan thought that he deserved a trophy for being able to act so well. “This is in my name and all those that had their lives saved by you after your efforts.” the politician would leave the circumstances of how she could have saved his life open and to be explored in future conversations.

Whether Demici accepted his gift or not, he turned to point at the Morellian behind him. “This is Zanah Covos, my Chief Aide and bodyguard.” the woman in question only nodded, prompting the Tionese to approach the blonde and whisper. “I’m sorry, she wasn’t very talkative.”

With that presentation finished, the Senator turned to look at the other individuals that were present. “It’s a pleasure to be here in Entralla. What we are going to do today will help several individuals that are suffering without their homes.” he smiled at the Entralans, before walking toward the vehicle that was going to bring them to the refugee camp.

@LadyRen

 

[Kalique Baize]

The senator greeted her just like she'd expect it from a politician. She senses the subtle discontent behind his friendly facade but didn't even question it. She was used to it, to a point where it didn't even bother her anymore, but she was obviously keeping it just a polite.

Even if it was predictable for her that he did know her to some extent, as he suddenly snapped his fingers and let his aide fetch something for her, she was a little surprised. With curiously raised eyebrows, she took the gift appreciatingly, her smile melting into a wider one before she replied, "Ooh, it's beautiful. Thank you. That's a kind gesture". Of course it was a calculated one, perhaps nothing more than a common pleasantry, but a nice gesture after all.

"I hope everything is going well on Centares? Have the citizen recovered from the dread the attacks had caused to spread?" she asked curiously, realizing that she hadn't kept herself as up to date as she had used to. Her life was terribly busy and she couldn't keep in check of everything, but she assumed the situation was finally stable as there hadn't been any distress calls after all and apperently the senator could afford a quick trip to the western colonies.

She respectfully greeted the bodyguard with a nod, not minding her silence. Zanah was subtly glaring daggers, which was good, because that meant that she was watching the senator and so Kalique probably didn't have to be too cautious to keep the senator safe as well. Four eyes were always better than two, but she preferred if this day would commence without any incidents in general.

"I do hope so, senator. The people seem tired...they need a safe place to rest" and they obviously had deserved it after having experienced the horrors of Coruscant. "Is this your first time on Entralla?" she wanted to know, meeting the senators gaze.

@LouJoVi

 

[Xylan Shrialla]

”Oh, I’m happy that you like it!” Xylan smiled, his bright eyes giving out a sense of happiness for the woman’s appreciation of the gift. At least she wasn’t dumb in refusing it. That brooch was probably more expensive than anything that Demici ever saw during her entire life. It would be stupid of her to refuse it. After all, the Imperial Knights didn't have a poverty vow.

“Centares is thriving after your efforts to help it. If it wasn’t for you, that cult would have made our lives impossible.” at this point the Tionese was being sincere, Kalique’s interference in his homeworld had allowed the industries of his family to thrive under the Empire far better than it was doing when Centares was independent. For the increase of money coming to his pockets, Xylan will be forever grateful.

“The people are recovering, but the attacks left wounds that are going to take time to heal.” Xylan said, his demeanor changing to a sad one. Then, he turned to look at her with a weak smile. “But I’m helping them. Some of my funds are being used to support those that were most affected.” giving money to the poor was a small sacrifice, if he wanted to win their hearts.

Xylan watched the interaction between Kalique and Zanah. As he had expected, the Morellian didn’t say anything, but she also nodded at Demici. The Knight was wise in not expecting anything more than that. The last time that his bodyguard had a proper conversation with someone that wasn’t him was when he was still a kid and she needed to manage his properties.

“Yes, I never had the opportunity of visiting Entralla before.” he never had the desire to do it, either. The planet was located at the other side of the Galaxy, basically where the void and nowhere meet. “When the locals contacted me to tell that you would come, they said that they knew you. Did you visit it before?”

@LadyRen

 

[Kalique Baize]

Even if the senator seemed to turn more genuine, Kalique remained a little wary, which was a general precaution measure for politicians she usually sticked to. Xylan thanked her for her work, and while Kalique was glad to hear that order had returned, she wondered whether he was sugercoating it. "I'm happy to hear the Lord Commander and I could be of service".

He mentioned the funds, and while she didn't doubt he was investing parts into restoration, he had a point when he mentioned the time factor, too. As they started walking, the senator's bodyguard followed him like a shadow, still carefully watching out which was why Kalique let her gaze wander across their surroundings. There was no imminent danger, yet they had to be careful.

"I have been here before...the city had been hunted by a dark spirit which with the help of the troops, I had been able to banish" she explained, gaze shifting back to him. "Some wounds also remain, but to me it seems like Entralla is finally beginning to thrive again, thanks to the Empire". It had been years ago, but she vividly remembered the haunting nightmares the spirit had caused.

"Have you accompanied such resettlement measures before? I'm happy to see diplomats showing presence, yet I was a little surprised when I found out about how the senator of Centares would attend", she admitted, not at all accusingly but genuinely curious.

@LouJoVi

 

[Xylan Shrialla]

Xylan smiled at Kalique, showing his appreciation for her efforts in Centares. However, he secretly felt annoyed for needing to owe anything to these Force users. The Senator believed that it was dangerous for the Empire to maintain the Knights and the Lord Commander around for so long. They could start to have ideas about taking over.

Unfortunately, the Emperor seemed to not share this vision. The old man still maintained Din in a position of power and the Tiefling could easily topple their ruler if he wanted. The Imperial Knights had the resources to do that. This conclusion made the Senator think that perhaps he could be more amicable to the Force users. They could be useful in the future.

“I see that you are always helping our citizens. You are an admirable person.” Xylan didn’t believe that the woman really fought spirits. It probably was something that a Sith did, perhaps using the Force to create monsters like Raze was doing. However, if she believed in it, the Tionese was going to play along. “Was it difficult? I mean, to get rid of these spirits.”

When the conversation returned to their visit at the refugee camp, Xylan immediately felt glad. He couldn’t give her much opinion about situations involving the Force. “Nope, this is my first time.” he said, looking at her a bit nervously. The Senator was sure that he could go into it without any problem, but he wanted to win her sympathy. “Did you participate in something like that before?”

“When I heard that so many people were suffering and needed help, I knew that I needed to help them.” he only saw it as an opportunity to win the sympathy of the people. The only other person that knew this was Zanah and she wasn’t going to tell anyone.

@LadyRen

 

[Kalique Baize]

The senator kept complimenting her which gave off the impression that he was indeed looking for a way to stay on her good side. She didn't sense fear, yet there was most certainly nervousity, it was simply hard to tell whether it was directed at their task ahead or her specifically.

Her features betrayed no emotions, the polite smile on her lips never ceased. "I thank you kindly, senator. I do what I can". Her tone was continously kept friendly and as they kept walking along the camp premises, she politely met his gaze every now and then as they continued their conversation.

"It was no easy task. Fighting abominations of the Force never is. Not that he understood. But it didn't matter. There talk was regular smalltalk and she didn't mind sharing her honest experience regardless of whether he understood or not.

"I haven't directedly worked with refugees either, no" she admitted, despite having worked with and helped citizen countless times before. "I'm a little surprised by how calm the people are right now. They've escaped hell, yet it's remarkable there's still so much order" she noted and shared her additional thoughts with the politician. She was convinced it weren't those noble reasons that kept him here, but she was nonetheless glad the diplomatic corpse showed some presence.

They soon passed the Eastern end of the settlement premises and suddenly there would be many eyes on them. The groups that had already been led in were a little more restless, partly also just curiously glancing around, but some were watching them wide-eyed.

It were mainly children and elderly refugees and it didn't take long until a small Twi'Lek child bolted over, glancing up at them from down below before it tugged at Xylan's expensive fabrics. "Are- are you a Jedi?", he wanted to know from the politician, clearly oblivious to the fact that they were on Imperial ground and that Xylan's robes were not a Jedi's. A smirk immediately spread across Kalique's lips while she waited for him to answer.

@LouJoVi

 

[Xylan Shrialla]

While Kalique talked, Xylan studied her. Since they started to talk, the Senator had been trying to understand her reactions, but it wasn't easy. He had been proud of being capable of reading other individuals, an ability important for a politician. However, the Knight was proving to be more difficult than he had imagined.

He was sure that her polite smile was hiding something, but he couldn’t understand what it was. Was that beautiful smile real? Was it fake and she was hating being here with him? Not being able to identify it frustrated him. However, the most frustrating for him was the fact that he was starting to care about not being able to decipher it.

Wait, did I think that her smile is beautiful?

“Maybe that 's because they feel safe.” he said, while they entered the refugee settlement. The place was filled with poor people, more than Xylan ever saw during his whole life. It was going to be a long day. “But being honest, I think that they are only trying to forget what happened and start anew. These events aren’t something that you would like to stay thinking about.”

He would say something else, but felt someone pulling his robes. Xylan turned to look and saw a Twi’lek boy holding them. It was necessary all his willpower to not scream to the little thing to release it. He could see that the child had dirty hands and it was going to leave stains in his outfit. The Tionese wondered why Zanah didn’t take the boy away.

Unknown to him, the Morellian was thinking that the scene was amusing. Even before the Twi’lek touched Xylan, she had sawn that he wasn’t dangerous. Besides that, the Tionese deserved a small punishment for complaining constantly because he was needing to deal with an Imperial Knight.

Xylan smiled at the boy and kneeled next to him. Being compared to a Jedi really got on his nerves, but he would complain about it later. “No, dear. I’m Senator Xylan from Centares.” he pointed at Kalique. “And this is Imperial Knight Demici. We are here to help.” he snapped his fingers toward Zanah, who gave the Politician some candy. She always carried some of those for cases that he needed to interact with children. “Do you want some? You can give it to your friends, too.”

@LadyRen

 

[Kalique Baize]

She was not reading his mind, but the emotions she sensed from him kept telling her a lot. At first, there was frustration again before it suddenly ceased until it was replaced for a quick moment in which he almost seemed a little flustered. A faint hint of color rushed into his cheeks and a smirk tugged at Kalique's lips. Perhaps he was trying to appear composed, but the Knight-Captain, despite not knowing the reasons behind his emotional rollercoaster, knew more.

"You're right. It's more than understandable if they want to put it past them...but" she lowered her voice a little and stepped a little closer, so that no passengers would be able to understand, "I believe our presence is helping, too. The Empire's reputation is finally changing for the better after all those years and even Core citizen start trusting us a little". She had noticed it before that the attitudes towards the Empire had improved and especially opening the borders to refugees was a great step.

It wasn't hard to tell that it was hard for Xylan to handle the child appropriately, but Kalique had to admit he did a good job. When he mentioned her, she gave the kid a little, friendly wave. The senator seemed well prepared as his guard had some candy with her, so that a genuine smile was planted on Kalique's lips. The sun was shining from above, the sun rays warming her face but it seemed like work was right ahead of them. This day could become a long one after all...

The child was happy for now and gleefully went its way - whether or not he'd actually share his treats was hard to tell, but Kalique noted that some bystanders were relatively happy by the exchange. "Miss! Miss!", a Zeltros woman loudly called for her, disdain dripping from her voice and Kalique immediately turned to look at her.

"This man over here went through my stuff while I was-" she began, but the accused man cut in sharply. "Oh please, as if I-" and the bickering began. Kalique raised a finger, gesturing for Xylan to give her a minute while she'd try to resolve the conflict, but while Kalique tried to mediate in her case, a tall, broad-shouldered, grim looking Duros approached the politician. "Why are we still waiting to be let into our new quarters, huh?!", it was fairly obvious that he was more than displeased already and he didn't hesitated a second before reaching for the politician's hem. "Do you have anything to say here?!".

@LouJoVi

 

[Xylan Shrialla]

Xylan watched the child walk away with a smile at his lips, relieved that the use of candies had worked. Unfortunately, the little Twi’lek had left stains of whatever his hands were dirty with. The Tionese was sure that he would need to send his clothes to be disinfected. At least his actions were able to win Kalique’s approval, as he could attest from her smile. He wasn’t all sure about the reasons that it made him smile back at her, simply dismissing it as pleasure for winning her trust.

After all, having an ally in the Imperial Knights was something good.

The Tionese remained behind with Zanah, while Kalique walked toward a Zeltros woman that was calling her. “Do you know, she wasn’t so bad for a Force user.” he whispered to his bodyguard, while watching the Knight talk with the refugees. The woman was normal, not talking with an air of ‘I know more than you because of the Force’. He always thought that those involved with the Force were crazy mystics that talked in riddles. It seemed that he wasn’t completely right.

Of course, he still believed that groups of trained Force users were unnecessary for a civilized Galaxy, being remnants of the Dark Ages of civilization. However, perhaps he found one that he didn’t mind if she still existed.

Zanah’s fake cough made him stop his musing. “What?” Xylan turned to look at her, while raising an eyebrow. The Morellian had an expression that he couldn’t decipher. Before Kalique, she had been the only other person that he never was able to read. “Did I say something?”

No answer came, because Zanah had already moved in front of Xylan, hiding him from the Duro that had approached them. The way that the refugee talked made the Morellian throw a deadly stare at him. The Tionese felt annoyed for being treated as a simple servant, but a friendly smile appeared at his lips. “Don’t worry, sir. I’ll solve that immediately.”

After saying that, he turned to one of the Entrallan workers. “When will these people be able to enter their quarters? Don’t you think that they deserve some time to rest?”

@LadyRen

 

[Kalique Baize]

The little bickering was nothing big, but before the two managed to let a wave of unrest spread through the crowd, Kalique intended to snuff out the raging spark right there.

Kalique began to wonder whether she could have sent the senator instead, as actual diplomacy and a lot of patience was needed right there before the conflict could be solved - it turned out that the woman had simply forgot to zip her bag and nothing was missing - the documents she had thought she lost had only been stored in a different pocket and so the man was also freed of all charges - not the classical Knight task, but as she returned to Xylan, she was rather relieved.

The guards would guarantee Xylan they'd be able to move in within the next 20 minutes, but the Duros didn't seem particularly happy about those news. Kalique's eyes slightly narrowed as she realized there wasn't just one refugee pushing for a quicker entry, but as long as things didn't truly escalate, she saw no purpose in interfering just yet.

"Do you think you can talk them down? I assume you have the silver tongue of a politician- it worked with the Twi'Lek child after all" a little smirk tugged at her lips as she motioned for the group of refugees that was continously getting louder with their discontent. "I'll back you up".

@LouJoVi

 

[Xylan Shrialla]

Even after he was able to make the guards reassure the refugees that they would soon be able to enter their quarters, the people were still getting restless. Now there wasn’t only the Duro, but a small crowd was starting to form around him, and they weren’t happy. Xylan wondered if they were going to lynch him at any moment. Although with Zanah there, he doubted that they would have any chance.

The Morellian was still maintaining herself between him and the refugees. If any of them tried to do something against her ward, they would suffer.

When Kalique returned, Xylan became calmer. After all, the Imperial Knight was there to help protect him. He nodded, agreeing to what she had said to him. The Tionese was a politician, he could deal with a mob of poor like this one. He doubted that they would be capable of resisting his rhetoric skills.

“Please, you need to calm down.” he said, his voice louder than that of the people around him. “I know that you are tired and the trip here was very long, but you’ll soon be able to rest.” Xylan smiled at them, trying to pass the impression that he really cared for them. “You only need to wait for twenty minutes.”

“While you wait, I’ll ask the workers to bring some food and refreshments for you all.” he gestured at the Entrallans, wanting them to do what he said. It would probably help calm them down. Poor always liked free food. “I’ll also stay here with you, until you can enter your quarters.” he smiled at them, wanting to show that he was their friend.

@LadyRen

 

[Kalique Baize]

She was hoping the senator would be able to contain the spark, yet the people - despite listening - remained a little unsettled. They were tired, exhausted even, now they had to wait for another 20 minutes, given that everything went smoothly, but the idea about the food and beverages was helpful.

Some were still muttering, yet the majority awaited the offerings provided by the Imperials. Good PR. Finally good PR. Kalique faked a polite smile until Xylan started amusing her again. "With that last sentence you offered a free voucher for them to approach you", she couldn't help but to remark, smirking, before she continued obverse again.

She knew she was forbidden to use the Force against Imperial citizen, and those refugees now counted as such, but this one particularly aggressive man kept elbowing his way to the front and so she was tempted to interfere verbally. For now though, she hoped the situation would solve itself.

"So before you've been appointed senator of Centares, what have you done? Have you been an Imperial politician before or did you join with your planet?" she wanted to know out of sheer interest. As Knights didn't often work with the diplomats, she assumed networking was a good idea.

@LouJoVi

 

[Xylan Shrialla]

”I don’t mind it. This way they will see that the Empire cares for them.” Xylan smiled at Kalique, but he obviously cared about being surrounded by refugees. Unfortunately, it was a small price to pay in his quest to win their trust and to maintain the peace in the refugee camp.

Xylan was taken aback by the Knight’s question, but didn’t express it. He thought that she would have searched a bit about his past before this mission. It seemed that he was the only one that came prepared, gathering knowledge about the woman. He couldn’t understand why she didn’t know about his past, much of it was public knowledge. Did she really lack any ambition?

This only made the Tionese more curious about Demici.

Even then, Xylan eagerly answered her. “I attended the Imperial Academy, but politics was my passion.” he really loved the possibilities that it could open to him. “Before the Imperial Academy, I was her ward.” he pointed at Zanah, whose eyes weren’t leaving the man that was approaching the front of the crowd.

“My parents were pro-Empire, so it runs in the family.” he gave her a weak smile, purposefully avoiding to give more details about his mother and father. The Tionese needed to maintain the image of a poor orphan, after all. “And you? What you used to do before joining the Knights? Were you a Sith?”

@LadyRen

 

[Kalique Baize]

Again, she doubted his intentions. Was he doing this for the Empire, or trying to claim some reputation himself by showing presence? Her features betrayed nothing, but she had never been too warm with politicians before, assuming they all held up some kind of a facade.

She was surprised that he had attended an Academy, but appeared rather positively surprised. Had he really pursued his passion or hadn't it worked out at the Academy? If he had received basic training, he couldn't have been defenseless and yet she had a feeling that if it came down to that, she'd have to carry his politician ass out of here - if his bodyguard didn't do that already.

He was her age, so maybe..."Now that's interesting. Maybe we've crossed paths before then. I have never been with the Sith - I had formerly pursued a military career, but knew to serve the Empire best, I had to switch to the Knights once they started forming, so I've been there since the beginning" she elaborated, however having noted the subtle change in his voice as he shared some information about his past.

"Well...you know my name, so that part we also share". The noble house of Demici wasn't what it had once been, but she had also received political education.

@LouJoVi

 

[Xylan Shrialla]

While Kalique told him about her life before becoming an Imperial Knight, Xylan couldn’t avoid feeling pleased with the fact that she never was part of the Sith. He could despise the Force users as relics of a dark age, but he hated even more those that were part one of these cults. He had the impression that they always tried to bring the Galaxy back to a time where mysticism dominated the minds of the masses.

”Perhaps we really saw each other.” during his time at the Academy, the Tionese used to have a close group of colleagues. All these individuals came from important families that could help him in his career. For some reason, he didn’t include the woman in it. This without any doubt was an error on his part. Having contact with a Demici from Serenno wasn’t that bad, even if its influence had decreased recently.

Now he had the opportunity of changing it.

Xylan was going to say something, but he was interrupted by screams coming from the crowd. The man that had approached the front of the crowd finally reached it and had pulled what seemed to be a type of blaster. The Tionese was already prepared to curl in a ball, but Zanah had acted even before the man had revealed the weapon.

In a flash, the Morellian moved toward the man and disarmed him by breaking his arm. Immediately after that, she threw the assassin wannabe in the ground, while holding his other arm. To immobilize him, she placed her right feet over his back. The man could only scream in pain.

Meanwhile, Xylan was hyperventilating and close to having a nervous breakdown. It was his first assassination attempt. Usually it was him who arranged for others to be conveniently removed.

@LadyRen

 

[Kalique Baize]

Had they seen each other? Perhaps even shared classes? She tried to recall his face and was usually quite good at it, but so far it didn't ring a bell. Kalique had mostly stayed away from noble family members as she knew most of them had only attended the academy for prestige and it had been during a time in which she had wanted to get away from nobility as quickly as she could - never having wanted to turn into the heiress her parents had expected.

While keeping in mind that he was a trained fighter then (or at least had been), the tension in her muscles faded a little, but it wasn't for a long time as suddenly, a scream erupted from the crowd. Internally sighing, Kalique spun and focused the crowd, analyzing the events quickly and wanting to defuse the situation right away, but as the blaster was pulled and she curled the Force around her to stop the bolt, the senator's bodyguard was already at the shooter.

Kalique's eyes widened in shot, internally cursing herself for not having been able to stop her, as this probably hadn't been the best move as it frightened the crowd. She noticed that Xylan was already curled up in panic, and if the hadn't been sp shocked about the turn of events, it would have drawn a smirk.

She knew she had to suffocate the unrest quickly though, so she quickly went over to the crowd, raising her voice, yet letting pure calmness of her as she adressed them softly yet firmly. "It's okay. No harm has come to anyone and there's no reason for panic". She squatted down to reach the man, placed her hand on his side and a split second later he was unconscious. She rose again.

"You've been asked to hand over weapons, for safety reasons. We're welcoming you warmly, but we do not tolerate violence in the camp. If there are any more unauthorized weapons, please hand them over now". The wild muttering died down and Kalique eyed the crowd carefully. No one else budged, so she assumed it was individual, not an actual act of organized terrorism. "You'll be admitted shortly, please remain where you're at". The shooter would be taken in for questioning, but Kalique's heartbeat slowly calmed down.

Zanah meanwhile seemed busy picking the man up and transferring him to the IAF guards who'd load him into one of their speeders, which gave Kalique time to approach the senator. What a solider. She wondered whether he had bought his way through basic training..."You're okay. Do you want to get up?". She offered him a helping hand, still suppressing a chuckle.

@LouJoVi

 

[Xylan Shrialla]

While Kalique controlled the situation, Xylan remained curled in the ground. Every sense of plotting and pride that he had were thrown away and replaced with self-preservation. He had never been in this type of situation before. All his training in the Imperial Academy was forgotten as soon as he saw the blaster being pointed at him. He was a politician, not a warrior.

His panic attack only stopped when he heard Kalique’s voice. Xylan turned and saw that the Knight was offering a hand for him to get up. The Tionese felt his face get hot and the woman would be able to see him become red like a tomato. He felt ashamed for having acted like a coward in front of her, even if he usually didn’t care what a Force sensitive would think of him.

“I’m fine, thanks for your concern.” he said, accepting her help to get up from the floor. For some reason, feeling her hand made the Tionese get even more red. “The blaster scared me, it was my first assassination attempt.” he faked a cough, not wanting to give more details about it.

By now, Zanah had already dispatched the assassin to the IAF guards and had returned to his side. She had brought a cup of water for him, making Xylan wonder how and where she picked it. He started to drink the liquid, while the Morellian turned to look at Kalique. “The man didn’t want to kill the Senator. He was from Serenno and was after you.” she said, while looking at Kalique.

Xylan choked with the water, prompting Zanah to hit his back with so much strength that he thought that it was lucky that he didn’t spit his heart out. Sometimes he wondered if the Morellian felt pleasure torturing him under the pretense of helping him. However, he had more pressing things to do.

Such as despair with the fact that he had a panic attack with something that wasn’t even for him while in front of a beautiful woman.

Wait, what?

@LadyRen

 

[Kalique Baize]

Xylan looked as though he was fine, but obviously the politician hadn't been prepared for such accidents at all. She helped him up and his bodyguard, just like a shadow, was already back at him, which made Kalique smirk a little. The color had first completely vanished from his face, but it was suddenly returned a bit too quickly.

His face went from neutral color to bright red in seconds and while it amused her, she didn't comment on it. Zanah suddenly raised her voice, addressing Kalique specifically, and told her the assassin was a Serennian. What? "Well...how can you tell?", she asked, hiding the suspicion from her voice but on the inside, Kalique was really concerned about his bodyguard having such information.

Why? Because why would anyone from Serenno want her dead? "See, that means you're fine though" she did at least try to soothe Xylan, who was clearly still freaking out. Kalique tensed up and met Zanah's gaze again, waiting for her reply. Also, where had the water even come from? Kalique was suspicious and her eyes slightly narrowed before her gaze flicked to Xylan. "Do you trust her?" she mentally protected the question onto him, so that only hear could hear her in his head.

@LouJoVi