Rest and Recreation

[Oncaro]

[OPENING POST THEME]​

Halbegardia City, Halbegardia, Adumar​

It had been five years since they had arrived. Those from the stars which his people rarely traveled through, from a region unknown to them. They with their strange religion and hardened veterans of a terrible war which had almost destroyed their way of life.

Those who had saved his planet.

Five years, most of which had been spent fighting against the expansionism of the Perator of Cartann, once the mightiest state on the whole planet. It was still powerful now, but weaker than it had been once after she had carved up some of Perator ke Foth's own demesne. A warrior-angel sent from the heavens, a woman whom he was certain was the avatar of the Daughter. No other woman he knew of held such a commanding presence while at the same time seeming so kind and gentle. Like the mother he had lost, only stronger. Much stronger. Sickness could never take this woman, he was sure of it. Nothing could. Not his empress!

And she was coming to visit Halbegardia City, coming all the way from Cartann! The city had been abuzz with activity ever since the news had arrived, and they had had plenty of time to prepare-- she had insisted on using horses after passing into the state of Halbegardia; much slower than speeders, but from what he understood she had done it both to enjoy the beauty of the planet and because horses were an ancient, traditional method of travel where she had come from, often used for recreation.

Inside the city, hundreds of nobles of varying status gathered; and even the commoners who worked inside the vast underground mines had come up to see and partake in the festivities that were to commence. People took their places as the woman's retinue approached through the main, huge primary street of Halbegardia City which led directly to the Perator of Halbegardia's palace.

Moving his way to one of the front lines as people lined up in either side of the street, he could indeed see horses moving up along; dozens of them, with figures clad in armor, vibroswords at their sides. He could see that several of them held banners flapping in the breeze, banners depicting a stylized golden bird, an eagle, emblazoned upon a red field: The sigil of House Tyris, the ancient and noble house which his empress belonged to, and of which she was the last of a main line which had been unbroken for millennia.

Looking further down, he saw a number of figures also clad in clearly ceremonial armor. One was a young man, around thirty, with flowing blond hair. Another was old and weathered, but looking none the weaker for it. And between those two was a repulsorlift carriage drawn by horses. Quite an odd combination, but it seemed all the carriage did was keep itself afloat and push itself along to ease the horses' burden. The convoy came to a stop, and two attendants moved immediately, one placing steps at the carriage door, another opening said door. They immediately knelt down in respect, as did the boy and everyone around him; those who could not kneel simply bowed their heads. All those who had gathered here, thousands of people, gave their respect to the woman whom had saved them.

And then she was there, stepping out of the carriage and descending the steps, looking radiant as always. The ravages of war seemed incapable of touching her, as she looked just as stunning now as she did when he first saw her five years ago. Red hair flowed down past her shoulders, framing a face that looked like it was chiseled from Durosian marble. Sharp, intelligent green eyes looked around at those gathered. She did not wear her crown, but she was dressed as beautifully as one would expect an empress to be dressed, with a fine blue dress made of the finest silks the Adumari people had. An ornate lightsaber, a foreign weapon more dangerous that even an Adumari blastsword, hung at her hip, signifying her status.

Helin Tyris, Empress of the Adumari people and Grand Master of the Holy Order of the Paladins of Mortis, began walking towards the boy.

---------​

As Helin stopped before the boy, she made a subtle motion with her hand for him to rise. He looked up to her, and stood as commanded. And then everyone else followed suit. For several moments she looked down at him, and then her face broke into a warm smile; a rarity, such as it was.

"Serion..." she said, and the boy, Perator Serion ke Endil of Halbegardia, smiled back, before hugging her tightly. Chuckling, she hugged back in return. The last time she saw the boy he had been the one to put her name forward as the sole ruler of the Adumari. That had been a few months ago. But the last time she had really seen him was further back than that.

"You've grown at least a head taller, since the last time I got a good look at you. How old are you now, boy? Twelve?"

"Thirteen, Your Grace," Serion said, and he looked to the retinue behind her, waving toward the two Marshals and the scarred young man who served as Helin's personal bodyguard. "Halbegardia City is yours, my Empress."

Helin still wasn't comfortable with that title, in all honesty. She had not sought it, and in truth still contemplated simply dissolving it and allowing the perators of Adumar to continue running their own affairs, because the title of Empress, by her own decree, did not matter outside of the Katorrs system. But it was many of those same perators who pressured her into that position in the first place, and it was Serion himself who started it. Not that she blamed the lad.

"Almost a man grown," Helin chuckled, ruffling the boy's hair. "Come, let's head to your palace. I'm starving."

Putting a hand on Serion's shoulder, she guided him toward her retinue; most specifically toward Marshals Leonatas Belisarion and Cotan Sar'andor, the men who, when it came to the Paladins, were effectively her right and left hands now. But they were not the only members of the Order brought on this visit; she'd brought at least one Scribe, a few Cavaliers-- several of whom were Adumari natives, because the Adumari revered fighter pilots-- and several Warriors as well. She didn't like the position she was now in, but it was over and done with, and she was going to make the best of it. A break from administration and politicking in the very city where the Order had received their first allies was a good idea.

@Chask274
@Elijah Brockway
@Tristar
@TheCalmOne
@StandbyRanger
@Jacano

Spoiler: NOTE

Posting order will be decided in this first round.

Spoiler: OTHER NOTE

Leo and Cotan are at the front of the carriage, both visible to Serion which is why he described them in his POV. Solaire is positioned at the back of the carriage, on the side Helin got out on, which was her left-hand side. Rouslyn is behind Leo, but was obscured from Serion's sight because Leo was on the side Helin didn't get out on. And Johann and Eve are behind them all in the procession.

 

[Chask274]

Marching along in front of the carriage, Leo kept his head held high and shoulders squared as they approached the palace. It had been a hard fought war, but they persevered and had finally earned a place in their new home. Leo remembered with a scowl the day he'd heard that Perator ke Foth intended to conquer the world. He'd been livid that after finally finding a new place to live after losing their original home, some pompous fool was threatening to ruin their new home as well. He'd fought as hard as he had during the conflict with the Blackguard, and it had paid off. They came out victorious, and the Adumari selected Helin as their Empress in the aftermath. Unlike her supposed claim to Grand Master, Leo had no issues with her new position, and gave it the respect it deserved.

As Helin emerged from the carriage, Leo snapped to attention and bowed slightly, before standing straight again. Catching sight of Rouslyn in the corner of his vision, he reached out through the Force and spoke into her mind. 'Remember, we're here as part of Lady Tyris' official entourage. Keep your posture proper, and try to behave, alright?'

 

[Elijah Brockway]

As Helin exited the carriage, Cotan did as all the others around him and quickly knelt, shaking off the hands of the attendants who wanted to stop him from kneeling (or, at the least, help him down); had he been doing something other than kneeling, he might've snapped at them for assuming with his age came a lack of ability, something he could easily disprove. As it was, however, he had to be quiet and respectful, so he did so. After a moment he rose back to his feet, quickly (if a little stiffly), still slapping aside the hands that tried to pull him up. Grumpily walking away from the younger people around him, he made his way over to Leo. The only other Marshal to have survived the last war and the escape from their former home systems, Leo was the third of the semi-triumvirate leading the Paladins...and one of Cotan's more respected allies, even within their order.

"Quite a ways she's come since first taking the reins, don't you think?" he asked his fellow Marshal, nodding towards Helin. "Had to learn to grow up fast, with the war and all that. As did you, it seems." He shrugged slightly, the ceremonial armour he was wearing not fitting as well as his normal, battle-worn armour. His lightsaber hung on his belt, though, ready as ever to be pulled out and used should it prove necessary...and given the fact that there were still some on Adumar who did not appreciate the Paladins' arrival, he was thankful for that. As Helin approached them he nodded to her, before giving a respectful bow to the young man with her. "Perator Serion, it's good to see you again," he said to the young man. "How go your studies? Not just the academics, of course; You have to learn how to use that blastsword your family left you as well, after all."

 

[StandbyRanger]

''Behave,' says the man who detests our Grandmaster's supposed usurpation of the position,' Rouslyn quipped telepathically, 'I'll be sure to keep up appearances, my Lord.'

Did that sound too hostile, perhaps a bit too willful from a lowly squire? Perhaps, but it's not like anyone but Leonatas could hear her. Rouslyn knew that her lord would take the joke in stride, perhaps breaking his formal bearing to shoot her a nasty look. It all didn't matter to her in the slightest; what truly did matter was the fact that the ceremonial armor she wore was very poorly fitted, and put her in a foul mood since before the beginning of the procession. The blacksmith had claimed that once she had fully recovered all the muscle mass she had lost over the course of being adrift in space for all those weeks that she would fit perfectly snug in it. What a liar.

It had been a full year and some change since she was deemed healthy enough to leave her hospital bed, and only a few months since she was formally accepted as Lord Leonatas's squire; her muscle mass had begun to peak at the current levels of her training, and this useless set of armor still clanked and jangled too much as she walked. At least she could wield her sword during training without her arms shaking uncontrollably from its immense weight.

Said blade rested in the sheath slung to her back since Rouslyn refused to accept the ceremonial weaponry provided for her; she never went anywhere without the huge slab of sharpened metal; and besides, there was still opposition to the new Adumari world order. If any of their remaining enemies were looking for a chance to make an attempt on the newly crowned Empress's life, this would be the moment Rouslyn was most expecting it. Despite the misgivings about the Grandmaster Rouslyn had picked up while training under Leonatas, Helin was still her leader; she wouldn't want to be caught in the middle of an assassination attempt with nothing more than a tinfoil-ceremonial sword.

As the higher-ranked nobility and Paladins conversed, Rouslyn scanned the crowd; her back remained near parallel to Leonatas's. The onlookers eyed the procession with mixed emotions. Awe, respect, doubtfulness; all were present among the crowd. Rouslyn noticed some of that awe directed towards her; probably because it was shocking to witness such a skinny young blind woman lugging a massive blade around on her back without making so much as a complaint. Rouslyn leered at a small group of young adults from behind the cloth covering her eyes who seemed to whispering amongst themselves about her; they covered their mouths and shot hurried glances towards the young Paladin. Rouslyn frowned as she tried to cross her arms, but found the ill-fitting armor was preventing her from doing so.

Rouslyn sighed audibly enough for Leonatas to hear, 'I hate being out in the open like this. Too many eyes, too much judgement. How long are we here for?'

 

[Billbo Swaggins]

Solaire Thyria stood in stark contrast to the rest of the nobles around him. Instead of ceremonial armor, he instead wore his regular battledress, although it had been cleaned up substantially since he had last had use for it. His father's helmet rested upon his head, a testament of all the struggles that the Paladins had faced up until this moment.

He smiled under his helmet as the door to the carriage opened and Helin emerged from within. Stepping up, he offered a hand to support the new Empress as she descended. Leaning in close, he whispered,
"We've come a long way, haven't we?"

He let her continue onwards, marching close behind her. Glancing around, he couldn't help but feel pride swell up in him. All around him were people, Helin's people. All of whom now looked to his liege, the new Empress, as their ruler. They looked at them then to each other, whispering in awe at the group of Paladins. Among these people were those who looked upon them in admiration - Solaire felt several pairs of eyes on him, for some reason - and those who looked upon them in worry or in disdain. There were still dissidents, which was not unexpected. He would just have to continue to stay on his toes.
He sighed tiredly. It had been a long, hard, 5 years. Five years in which Solaire couldn't let his guard down once. He was weary, but it seemed as if it was all worth it.

Solaire gave a brief nod toward Serion, knowing that it was not in his place to address the Perator, at least for the time being. He would catch up with the young boy later, in the privacy of the palace. He had taken a liking to the boy when they had first met. The young Perator reminded him of himself, for some reason.

 

[Jacano]

Eve couldn't see much from where she stood but was thrilled with the fanfare of the procession nonetheless. She had been told to stay near the front of the parade, as she was here as an official Scribe of the Order. She had no idea how Garec, the Scribe she trained under, was able to convince the other Scribes to send her to document this momentous occasion.

She was trying very hard to pay attention to every detail that was going on around her. She had made sure to note which of everyone who was in attendance as a guest of the Empress. Marshals Leonatas Belisarion and Cotan Sar'andor had looked so proud and confident as they escorted the carriage through the stream of polished cobblestone. She had been told that her duty to document this procession was just as important as theirs and that she should treat it with the same respect the Marshal's have for their jobs; however, as they had walked through the stone streets of the glimmering city, Eve had been distracted by a local Admuri woman who had fainted on the side of the road as she watched the Empress' carriage go by.

Eve rushed over to her, and though the young Scribe had little medical training and didn't do anything more than holding her head while she drank some water, the woman was grateful and offered to adorn her hair with a silver ribbon which danced like a Echani warrior in the light of the sun. She was honored but was also now quite a ways behind the carriage that held the Empress. Luckily it had stopped and Eve began to push her way through the crowd, sweating as she imagined the events that were now unfolding ahead of her, events she was supposed to be documenting as a Scribe of the Order.

 

[Tristar]

The skies looked absolutely brilliant on the world of Adumar; for the first time in the five years he had spent on this planet all the skies had to offer was flak, enemy fighters and more flak just in case Cartann decided they were feeling generous. Johann looked down from his cockpit and surveyed the living city below him. It certainly looked grand: the Grandmaster certainly deserved it. She'd made the decision to help out the underdogs, and turns out the underdog had a lot ways to show their gratitude. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat and looked outside.

His three wingmen flew their own craft with pride and dignity that befitted a pilot. Members of the planet's air corp were revered for whatever reason (although he didn't questioned it after the first 'show of gratitude'.) but they lacked the skill to back their tradition. He just about- with the help of his status as a Knight- saved them from obsolescence by assuming direct control over the corp and launched a multitude of harsh, yet necessary reforms. Quite a few resigned in protest, a very serious act when you consider the level of training and public opinion of the pilots, but after the first few public victories they came back, looking sheepish but all the more eager to redeem their status.

Johann liked to think he was a merciful instructor, if not the best: he had them flying bombers first and fighters next after they survived their first bombing run. It wasn't anything about skill, although that was the 'official reason' for the papers. He just wanted to see them humbled- and possibly dead by flying the biggest target in the skies. Yet they lived, if not by skill of flight, then luck of the draw. There was no more protests afterwards and he managed to turn the motley airforce into something worth mentioning.

"Alright gents," he spoke with confidence over their personal radio channel. "Ve're approaching ze destination. You've all run the drills, so this izit: execute Omega flight pattern on my mark. Mark!" His wingmen replied with a slight bob and flew off.

------​

Flying overhead the procession, the four aircraft arrived with a sonic boom as they accelerated, sending a gust of wind that threatened to lift the ladies dresses and rip hats off of a gentleman's head. Lead by the infamous black steed of Johann Kaas, the four fighters separated just before the palace. Their appearance briefly stole the attention of the commoners as they executed their display of skill and prowess, maneuvering past each other by the skin of their teeth.

When all was done and the streakers emptied aboard the four horsemen of the skies, the trails finally revealed their shape and brought a cheer from the spectators; formed with the coloured smoke trails of the jets, the Mortis symbol hung solemnly over the palace to welcome the new Empress of the Adumari people.

It was a symbol of hope and victory for the natives of the planet and brought fear to those who had cause to bring upon the wrath of the Paladins, relief to those who called for anyone, anywhere to help them.

​

Staying behind just to return to formation, the fighter pilots did one more lap around the procession grounds before booming back towards the palace, where a private landing pad awaited the four pilots. Drinks, food and joys as well, but they had to wait for the Empress to finalize the ceremony. Johann leaned back into his seat, the flow of blood returning to his limbs; even the suit couldn't help him keep his consciousness if he tried to pull that trick any longer.

Long live the Empress, may she reign just and fair: Kaas would keep that part to himself. It was too much to ask for these days, what with tyrants and despots that still remained to this day. All he could ask was that the new management would at least serve with the people's interest at heart.

 

[Oncaro]

Helin looked to the young perator as he smiled to Cotan, Serion's youthfulness shining through.

"It's good to see you as well, Lord Sar'andor! My studies are going well, but I don't want to learn to use a blastsword! I want to use a lightsaber, like you and Ser Leonatas and the Empress!"

Helin smiled at this, motioning for Serion to lead the party along the street toward the palace he called home.

"Perhaps one day, dear lad. But you have got quite a few years before you reach that point."

Glancing up, she watched as Johann and his Hussar Squadron performed their stunts, and her smile widened. The crowd was getting more excited, but not in a bad way-- they were happy, impressed by their empress' entourage before them and the pilots above them. She turned back to those in her party that were still on horseback.

"See to your steeds, men! We've got a feast to attend to shortly, and I am sure none of you want to miss it!" she said to them, unable to keep the festive air from her tone or from her beautiful face, and her men seemed to take this to heart as they moved off. Satisfied, she turned back around, and motioned for the closest Scribe, Lady Eve Tsula, to come closer to her, speaking to her and everyone who could hear her.

"Lady Eve! I hope you are writing down the proceedings with appropriate prose! Twelve years! Twelve years of war for our people, about four for those around us, and we have all gotten few enough respites as it is! Let's all have some fun today, shall we?"

This was greeted by cheers, particularly from the commoners whom had little enough cheer in their lives as so many of them toiled in the dangerous mines underground. And indeed it was almost as if the stoic, grim, and determined Grand Master whom had been elected empress of a planet she had first seen in visions was gone; here she was replaced, at least for these precious few moments, by a young woman who was basking in the good cheer that so many around her had. She even beamed at Leonatas, whom she was usually curt toward at best. Here she thought not of politics or courtly duties, or of the need to produce an heir for her line to continue; she didn't even let the eventual threat of the Sith enter her mind as she strolled elegantly down the pathway and up the steps of the perator's palace.

The palace itself was large and well-designed; while not as large as the one in Cartann City that now served as Helin's home, it was still quite spacious, filled with expensive drapes, paintings, with windows of stained glass in the large audience chamber where Serion-- or more usually his regent-- held court. Said regent, a thin, balding man who looked somewhat harried, hurried to Helin as she approached and he immediately bowed, taking one of her hands in his own and bringing her fingers to his lips.

"A splendid afternoon to you, my Empress," Arron ke Merric said to her, and Helin nodded. "We've been working quite hard to prepare for your arrival. I hope everything will be satisfactory for the days you'll be visiting."

"I am quite sure it will be, Lord Arron, thank you," Helin replied, and looked to her entourage. "Please, see to my men. Show them to their quarters, give them servants to help them out of their armor and change into something more appropriate for the feast. In the meantime, I should like a better look around the palace. Solaire and the perator will accompany me."

"At once, Your Grace, though you may not have much time to look before the feast," Arron replied, bowing to her and beginning to bark out orders. Young Serion took Helin's arm, beaming.

"You'll love the gardens in the courtyard, Your Grace!" the boy said happily, and Helin smiled warmly.

"I should hope so, Serion. I have always been fond of greenery," the Grand Master said, and she let the boy lead her off, her heels clacking along the floor as she gracefully sashayed. "Come, Solaire. Perhaps a tour will get you talking."

Spoiler: POSTING ORDER

@Oncaro
@Chask274
@Elijah Brockway
@StandbyRanger
@TheCalmOne
@Jacano
@Tristar

Feel free to interact with each other and/or NPCs for a round or so, guys, and I'll do a timeskip to the feast. Then the "Recreation" part of the thread will start.

 

[Chask274]

Leo gave Rouslyn an irritated look and eye roll before looking at and replying to Cotan. "Indeed we have. Although fighting at the frontlines of war for nearly twelve years straight will do that to anyone." He then returned his focus back to Helin and the others. Giving both Serion and Helin a respectful bow as they approached, Leo responded to Rouslyn's questioning. 'We'll only be in the open for a short while longer, but we're staying in the city for a number of days.'

As the party proceeded towards the palace, Leo followed a short distance behind and to the left of Helin, looking ahead to the palace with interest. It truly was a stunning piece of architecture, though Leo found that his attention was being diverted by an even more breathtaking sight. The silk dress Helin was wearing did a commendable job of showing off her figure, and he couldn't help but admire the view while everyone was distracted by Johann and his flyboys. Then she turned and smiled at him, and he could've sworn his heart skipped a beat. 'By the Father...As if the view of her wasn't enough, she actually smiled at me!'

He smiled back happily, only for a look of horror to flash across his face as he first went pale then beet red. In his surprise at Helin's smile, he'd neglected to take his usual precautions to keep his thoughts private, and so Rouslyn had more than likely heard everything he'd just "said". For once, he was happy his helmet obscured most of his face as he did the mental equivalent of awkwardly clearing one's throat. 'I'm going to pretend you didn't hear a word of that, and you're not going to mention a word of it to anyone, understood?' With that hopefully settled, he entered the palace with the others, and waited to be shown to his quarters.

 

[Elijah Brockway]

"It will indeed," came Cotan's somewhat sober reply, after Leo came and rejoined him while they followed along behind Helin and the Perator. He was characteristically disinterested in Johann's flying - mainly due to his own dislike of flying - so he didn't miss the look shot from Leo towards Helin. With an air of graceful nonchalance, he promptly ignored it entirely, allowing Leo's private glances to remain just as they were. It was not something that Cotan should intervene in, the way he saw things. So, instead, he calmly walked in the entourage, overlooking the palace around them.

When he heard Helin suggest she go walk in the park, with only herself, the boy, and Solaire, however, he was quick to speak up and react. "My lady, surely you don't intend to travel with so minimal a guard?" he asked quickly, moderately incredulous...and likely talking so familiarly with her that the Adumari around them would be profoundly surprised. "There are still those on Adumar who don't appreciate our presence, likely even in this area, and we can never be sure how far they might have infiltrated. Your own life, as well as that of the Perator and Solaire, are being put in needless risk." He looked around at other Paladins, being led off to be helped out of their armour. The thought was tempting, but Cotan had other duties. "Take Leonatas and I with you, please. I would feel much more secure in your and the boy's safety if the two of us were also to come along."

 

[StandbyRanger]

Rouslyn hung her head, her mood further soured by the mention of several more days spent in Halbegardia. It wasn't that she didn't enjoy the sights the city had to offer, as this was one of the few cities she never had the chance to visit during the part of her childhood before enslavement; she just didn't like social situations, and she knew all the prying eyes upon her and the rest of the entourage would only continue the longer they were here.

Yet, when the Grandmaster mentioned a feast, Rouslyn’s mood completely flipped. Her stomach immediately growled, and she could already smell the wonderful assortment prepared in the Order’s honor, I guess it wouldn't hurt to stick around for too much longer…

Her mood continued to rise as the fighters roared above. She was fascinated with such majestic machines, and she was hoping to step inside the cockpit of one relatively soon. For one who had been locked away for more than a decade, the freedom that came with high altitude flight would be the ultimate. Hopefully her blindness would not pose too much of a problem; she figured being able to see through the Force itself would actually be a wonderful boon for a fighter pilot.

Then, just when Rouslyn thought the day couldn't get any better, her Lord turned from the hardass she’d always known to being nothing better than a hormonal teenage boy. Rouslyn actually snorted as Leonatas mentally gushed about the fact that the Grandmaster had done nothing more than simply smile at him, and give him a reason to spend a few minutes alone in his room. She covered her mouth, her entire body shaking as she simultaneously walked and tried to suppress her laughter, ‘Oh, my lips are sealed. Just don't stare too hard; you may go blind, my lord.’ The ensuing walk into the palace seemed to last mere moments to Rouslyn due to her thoughts being fixated on how to turn this into wonderful blackmail material. Maybe the next time Leonatas tried to give her extra study hours, she'd threaten to tell the Grandmaster about the time his eyes almost shot out of his head from looking at her behind.

Once inside the posh palace, and released from the bonds of official duty, Rouslyn booked it away from her superiors; she didn’t even wait for the discussion between the Marshals and Grandmaster to end, nor did she give Leonatas any notice beyond dashing past him and into the hallway. She had been allowed to remove her horrid ceremonial armor, and she planned on doing just that.

Turning down any offer of assistance from several servants, Rouslyn took it upon herself to occupy the nearest guest bedroom; it was rather spacious and well furnished. A two person-sized bed sat in the middle of the room with a night table on either side; a dresser occupied the far wall alongside a dressing station with a mirror; there was even a reading nook with a chair, coffee table and a shelf stocked to the brim with various books, novellas and other reading material. One large window filled the whole of the entire far wall, bringing in wondrous natural light from the afternoon sun. Rouslyn couldn’t care less about all that.

For the next few moments, Rouslyn ripped off her armor piece by piece; piling them in an unfurnished corner in the room along with her sword. She stripped down further, leaving nothing on but her undershirt and boyshorts. Finally freed from her jangly, clanking burden, she promptly sat down on the window sill and took in the gorgeous view of the palace garden. She figured she’d be there for a while, probably until it was time to prepare for the feast.

 

[Billbo Swaggins]

As they entered the Palace, Solaire let the tension leave his body. They were out of the dangerzone. the mass of people both loyal and disloyal to the new Empress was a variable that Solaire and the other guards could not predict, and thus had been labeled as a potential danger. He glanced at the other Blades, unlike the other Paladins, their jobs were not finished. Being commoners, most of them would be continuing their duty throughout the palace. Just because they were in the relatively safe confines of young Serion's palace's walls didn't mean that those assigned with guard duty could take a break.

This, however, didn't stop him from raising an objection at the older Marshall's suggestion. While he didn't dislike the man - he even felt a small amount of camaraderie with him due to their shared commoner origins - he was slightly offended at the implications of the phrase.
"Surely, Marshall Sar'andor, you aren't suggesting that I am incapable of performing my duty?"

Perhaps it wasn't even that. Perhaps it was just because he had suggested that Leonatas accompany them. Over the course of 5 years, Solaire's opinion of the younger Marshall had changed slightly. He wasn't questioning his loyalty anymore, despite his rhetoric. No, instead, he felt that Leonatas was perhaps too loyal. It made him uncomfortable, for reasons he would never admit to himself.

 

[Jacano]

The way the Empress addressed Eve swayed the fears she hadn't been able to put away since she had received the invitation to join the procession. Her voice was light but with a strength underneath that assured the young Scribe that she wouldn't have been chosen if there weren't more than a few Knights who were fans of her work. She had actually forgotten the words that the Empress had said to her, Eve realized as she entered the palace and found her living quarters, but that wouldn't be an issue. Her tablet had recorded everything that was said. Her job was to document the things that went unsaid: the festivities of the evening, the warmth the Empress displayed, and any insights she could gain from the Marshals who were used to noticing the secrets hidden within the chaos of the party.

As she walked across the walkway that led to the appropriate wing of the palace where he things had been sent, she saw one of the Marshals, Leonatas, ahead of her on the path. His golden hair and glittering armor looked like a fire had been set to one of the bright purple trees that lined the polished stone that she quickened her step on. Hopefully she could catch him before he reached his room.

"Marshal Leonatas!" she called out as she caught up to the famed swordsman, though she was sure his Force sensitivity alerted him to her presence before she even noticed him. "Might I inquire a word from you for my documents. You received a much better view of the procession than I. How do you gauge the reception of the locals we have received? Do you believe they are all thrilled at our presence or do you think some might resent the extravagance?"

 

[Tristar]

Open skies and smooth landings always made the man thirsty, who leapt out of his cockpit and leaving his ship in the care of the maintenance crew. He walked pass several teams who ran with boxes and hoses in their arms, for the people of Adumar were nothing if not loving in their duty. He could leave for five minutes and readily expect a brand new sheen on his steed, a shame that he had a gala to attend. He sniffled as he let his wing men depart after a short debrief: he needed a shower.

Johann allowed himself to be lead by the palace servant to his quarters, humble it was not: pilots always had the better service when it came to Adumar. "A good policy," he muttered to himself as he walked past the extravagant bed to the showers. His suit was hanging by the wardrobe. He undressed himself, leaving his weapon bandolier hanging with his formal wear. He tentatively stepped into the shower and tested the water; the gentle patter was cool, a welcomed sensation from the stuffiness of leather clothing. It didn't matter how freezing the cockpit was, he always felt like he was baking in his suit during each flight.

The reception hall was filled with the dresses and gowns of the noble folk, sipping tea and chattering away in excitement over the day's proceedings. The pilot's entrance was noted with great approval from the women who giggled into their paper fans, eyeing the foreigner with great interest. Johann returned their gaze with a lazy wave, smiling smugly as he proceeded past the gaggle of ladies into the hallway leading to the courtly gardens. On the way he noticed a harried looking woman approaching the back of Marshal Leonatas; perhaps another fan of the swordsman? He suppressed a chuckle as he walked pass the duo, flicking a thumbs up at the man briefly.

Surely the man had other concerns than to parlay with a fan and Johann had all night to entertain his fan club: but he was thirsty, and the drinks were being served at the gardens. That was- this way? He paused, his smile frozen on his face: Oh mein gott.

 

[Oncaro]

Helin stopped mid-step as Cotan spoke out his objection to her plan, and as she turned to look to him she felt a flash of annoyance. This dissipated quickly, however; in the time since she had appointed Cotan as her advisor, the elder Paladin had treated her... almost like a daughter, or at least that was how she thought of it. And considering her own lord father had died during the last Blackguard war, such attention was... worthy of appreciation. But those around her didn't seem to think so; Serion shared a look of surprise with all his courtiers at Cotan's lack of decorum, Solaire bluntly asked Cotan if he thought that his own abilities as Helin's bodyguard were insufficient, and the room was silent even while Lady Eve Tsula, in an attempt to do what had been asked of her, tried to interview Leonatas, perhaps as a way to break tension.

Helin lifted up a hand, and the room fell silent.

"Marshal Sar'andor, I appreciate your concern," she said evenly. "Though I feel I must remind you that the Halbegardians were our first allies on this world. I, personally, doubt that there will be any attempts on my life in this city that would warrant both of my Marshals accompanying me-- Or any attempts at all, for that matter. However... If it will make you feel better, then I will allow this. Now, with that out of the way, let us depart to the gardens. Marshal Belisarion, I hope your squire hasn't wandered off and gotten lost-- and it appears Lady Tsula would like to speak with you."

She gave the slightest smirk at this, and turned back around to let Serion lead her off, her hips swaying in an almost deliberate manner as she walked toward the palace courtyard.

 

[Chask274]

At her reply, Leonatas glared daggers at Rouslyn, and continued to do so until she'd ran out of sight. Looking back over at the others in time to hear Cotan's comments on the safety of Helin, he suppressed the urge to snort, and had begun to step forward to give his own opinion on the matter when an approaching scribe diverted his attention. Turning to face her, he gave a slight bow. "I'd be happy to, Lady Tsula. As far as I could tell, the-one moment..." Seeing that Helin had called for silence, he turned and listened to what she had to say, simply nodding when he was directly addressed. Gesturing for Eve to follow along, he moved with the others towards the gardens. "With respect, Your Majesty, Rouslyn is a capable girl, I'm sure she's fine. As for Lady Tsula, I was just beginning to speak with her."

Turning back to face Eve, Leo respectfully inclined his head. "My apologies, Lady Tsula. Now, as for my observations of the crowd, I'm inclined to agree with Her Majesty. The Halbegardians welcomed us to Adumar, and their greeting was much the same today. However, I wouldn't go so far as to say absolutely everyone in the city is so happy to see us. There's always a few sour grapes in the bunch, in my experience. Is there anything else you'd like to discuss?" While he waited for her to respond, he "sent" a message to Rouslyn. 'Have you found yourself a room? Need anything to be sent your way?' While he stood by what he said to Helin, he did want to check in just to be safe, as he knew Rouslyn hadn't been to this particular city before.

 

[Elijah Brockway]

Cotan resisted the urge to very obviously roll his eyes at Helin's comment about their allies on the world. He knew it just as well as her - having been there when they first arrived - but he'd at least wait until they achieved some manner of privacy to bring up the comment. Still clad in his own armour, he walked along with Helin, Serion, and Solaire, a mildly discontent expression on his face. Once they reached the gardens, however, he let his carefully-held tongue have a bit more freedom when he began to speak with the group again.

"Helin, my apologies if you were offended by the outburst, but you know just as well as I do how poorly changes in the status quo will be received. Even here, where the people are primarily our allies, there are those who still wish us dead - and any others from the rest of the planet could easily have made their way in." His tone was mildly chiding as he spoke, though not so much so as to be considered distinctly improper in any way. "Nor, Solaire, was I questioning your abilities; you've made your skill abundantly clear." He stepped forward quickly, turning and stopping at the front of the group.

"After everything we saw in the last war, you shouldn't let your view that an attack is unlikely take precedence over your sense of caution, regardless of the scenario or setting. It's still to early in our time on the planet to do that. Nor," he started to add, with a somewhat-jocular glance towards Solaire, "Should we allow our pride to govern our tongue. That can be more dangerous than complacency, at times." He stepped back, about to turn and continue walking along the path in the gardens. "I would appreciate it if the both of you would devote a bit more thought to being cautious and ensuring your well being, regardless of where you are; I'm getting too old to keep up with you, after all. I can't manage it forever."

 

[StandbyRanger]

As Leonatas's mental message filtered into her mind, Rouslyn (from her garden-side perch) caught sight of the cadre of the upper-echelon arrive in the gardens. She couldn't tell if the group had noticed her, but Rouslyn gave a small wave for when Leonatas caught sight, "Don't worry, my lord; finding myself a room was easy enough. Though, in my rush to get un-armored I didn't tell any servants where they could find me. If you could find someone to send my clothes for the evening my way, it'd be greatly appreciated."

Evening wear; seeing as how Rouslyn came to the Paladins with nothing but the armor on her back and her sword, she had to be provided with the basic necessities for daily life. This meant that she had been fitted for not only her ceremonial armor, but everyday clothing and the evening gown she would be wearing to the gala tonight. Luckily, the tailor had been much more competent in their job than the blacksmith, so Rouslyn was actually looking forward to wearing the dress for the first time. Despite being a rather... robust female, she actually enjoyed wearing dresses whenever she could. A slight sense of elation washed over her as she began imagining what the night would be like.

It was then that she felt a familiar, yet unacquainted presence in the hall outside her room. Her curiosity piqued, she hopped off the window sill and made her way over to the mish-mash pile of discarded armor and clothing. She picked out her baggy pants (which also played a part with making her armor ill-fitting), and after donning them as well as putting her hair up in a high, messy bun, she stepped out into the hallway.

As she exited her room, Rouslyn almost ran into Knight Kaas, who had been stopped rather close to her door. She managed to avoid the collision, stopping just short of the man who stood a half foot taller than her. She let out a small eep as she stopped. Her face slightly flushed from the near-collision, she addressed her fellow foreigner to the Order, "Ah, Knight Kaas," she said with a bow, the bun atop of her head jostling slightly "Is everything alright? You seem... confused." Rouslyn had never had the chance to be properly introduced to Johann, despite the five years she had spent recovering among the Paladins. She did manage to catch a few of the man's training exercises along with the local Adumari pilots, however; this played a part in her sudden interest to fly.

 

[Billbo Swaggins]

Solaire grunted his begrudging acknowledgement of the older Marshall's opinion - he had lived to be so old for a reason, after all. With age, comes experience, his father had told him - always listen to the experienced.

Thus, instead of retorting more at the slight insult to his pride, he lightheartedly returned the joke,
"Yes, tell me that next time we meet on the practice field."

Perhaps not the most formal of things to say, but they were in relative privacy and Cotan didn't seem the person to take offense to such clear humor.
"Still, if you are so concerned with security, know that I have full faith in the Halbegardian Guard, for what it's worth."

Of course he did - he had met with their Captain and Sergeants when they first pledged their loyalty to Helin. They were honorable men. Minor nobles who owed much to Serion and the new Empress. The men were capable and loyal - he almost trusted them as much as the Tyrisian men-at-arms.

 

[Jacano]

Marshall Leonatas was a beautiful man, there was no denying it. She had, like most women in the order, heard of his beauty described in various ways. Hair like golden rivers. Cheeks like stone mountains. A smile that would outshine binary stars. However, it wasn't the hair or the cheekbones or the smile that gave her pause. Rather, it was his confidence. The way that Leonatas delivered his statement to Eve, the manner in which he carried his body. All of it was delivered with an air of extreme confidence. The man could have both eyes plucked from his sockets and men would still follow him into battle and women would line up to see him in person. So, as he spoke, Eve listened. She took down his statement and denied his gracious invitation for a follow-up question. She smiled at him and made sure that the recorder she carried accurately inscribed her formal ledger and followed him as they walked towards the garden.

However, even as she began to hear the music being played in the distance and smell the aroma of wonderful foods that were cooking, she couldn't shake the thought that if this was a night of celebration, why then was there so much tension in the air?