Ask Who Still Believes in Kings

[Cipher Four]

Location: Eiattu VI, King's Palace — 21:48

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Cipher Four, during the last several days, media attention has had Altair Din in the spotlight for potential collusion with Sith elements. You are to attend the upcoming social event being hosted at Altair Din's palace on Eiattu VI, discern the validity of these claims, and submit all related documents within the designated timeline.

You will find your identity for this operation attached.

Should you be caught, I.B.S. will disavow any knowledge of your assignment or your existence as a Cipher.

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Naori was a wholesome, sweet woman. She was a career lady and the breadwinner of the family, who loved to scheme about taking over her entire company as she sipped expensive, vintage wines. But deep down, she was a kind, sentimental woman who only wanted the best for her family. She owned an emporium for fine jewellery on Verona and had recently come to Eiattu VI to look into expanding the business.

That's what everyone here believed, at least.

Nobody had even an inkling of a suspicion about Naori's identity, which was exactly how it should have been. She blended in seamlessly into the crowds of stuffed-shirt royalty and ostentatious decadence, even when those things stirred a sense of revulsion deep in her heart. They peacocked around, flaunting their wealth and status, without even a modicum of an idea about what transpired in the galaxy. Showboating was all they knew, and it proved that ignorance was bliss. None of them could make it in the real world, and they'd be nothing more than babes mewling for their mother's milk when she was long dead and gone.

The woman named Naori sifted through the mulling crowds to the far side of the room, making her way towards a large glass door that opened into an expansive balcony overlooking the palace grounds. She needed a break. There had been nothing of interest or value so far, despite her best efforts to keep eyes and ears for anything remotely related to her purpose coming here. As relaxing as the soirée had been, she couldn't help but feel her time had been wasted. She had nothing to show for it, which was both a boon and a bane in equal measure.

Naori opened the doors and stepped onto the balcony, wine glass in hand. With a sigh, the woman removed a pack of cigarettes from her dress and slipped one between her lips to light it and take a long drag. There was still some time before the party would end, and as much as she wanted to leave now, she knew it wasn't an option. All the more reason for her to step away and take some time to herself. Besides, she had discreetly placed nigh invisible eyes and ears all over the place. She would know if anything important transpired.

 

[Altair Din]

Altair was dismayed by the turn of events. He wasn’t surprised by the usual media potshots demonizing him for being a Force user officer within the Empire. What stung was that the Emperor didn’t have his back. The Emperor remained notably silent after all the accusations came out, suggesting that it was likely propaganda to begin with. He shouldn’t have been surprised - after all, he was a threat to the Emperor with the loyalty he commanded from his men. However, his years of work put into the Empire only to still be cast in suspicion irked him far more than he would admit.

He returned to his own planet to allow a bit of distance. After all, he didn’t want to make PR any worse by hanging around those that saw fit to use him as a scapegoat. It was yet another soiree on a planet that didn’t concern itself with the affairs of Jedi, Sith or the Empire. Eiattu VI was thriving under his rule and the council he had established in place.

Everyone was mingling and enjoying themselves, and he eventually stepped away to get some air. The tiefling was adorned in formal attire that was a nod to his military bearing. He had his elbows folded over the railing, gazing over the vast cityscape before him. His pointed tail lazily swung back and forth and he was deep in thought, his massive, four horns sitting proudly atop his head.

He looked over when he heard someone else arrive on the balcony, noting a woman he hadn’t met before. Altair offered a polite smile and a tip of his head to greet her before glancing over the horizon again. If he sensed she wanted privacy, he would shuffle off without protest.

“A little stuffy in there, isn’t it?” He asked casually. As if he wasn’t the King of the planet himself.

@Remileah

 

[Cipher Four]

Naori glanced up at Altair as he greeted her, tendrils of smoke puffing out between her lips. She hadn't seen him on her way out, likely thanks to the curtains obfuscating her view. Her time away from the gallivanting may not be as leisurely as she would have liked, especially when the source of her presence here stood directly before her.

"The king of Eiattu VI thinks the social event at his own palace is stuffy? Say it isn't so," she tittered melodically, adding a comical, melodramatic flourish of holding her arm to her head. With a smile, Naori lowered her arm back down to her side. "Forgive me, Your Majesty. If this area is off-limits, I'll go back inside," she said, gesturing towards the door she had come through. "I didn't mean to so rudely infringe on your personal time. Don't worry, though. Your secret is safe with me," Naori finished with a sly wink.

Despite the potential complications from close contact with Altair, she felt no apprehension. Her understanding of the Force went as far as informational databanks went, and those databanks clearly detailed that people who were Force-sensitive could sense the feelings of others if they chose to do so. It was better to remain aloof, mirror his casual demeanour as best she could manage, and treat this situation like any other social interaction. She projected an air of calm collection and maintained her composure, raising the hand that held her cigarette.

"If I may ask, is it all right to smoke? It hadn't occurred to me to ask," Naori inquired. "A bit of a bad habit I have to indulge occasionally, but some places aren't particularly understanding of that."

@Sreeya

 

[Altair Din]

If he was the same man as when he first joined the Empire, he would have been absolutely smitten by this woman. Mainly because of the very flattering dress, the adorable ears, and that tail. He had grown entirely too used to being the only humanoid with a tail. But no, he had done a lot of growing up since then. He was a single dad, and was worn from the burdens of a crown and responsibility. He was no longer swayed so easily by a pretty face. Nonetheless, he chuckled to himself as he sipped from his drink, “Heavy is the crown,” He said simply.

He shook his head simply to indicate the smoking didn’t bother him. It wasn’t a practice he picked up, though he had done his fair bit of spice. In fact, he planned to snort some later when he got away from the infernal attention he had on him at all times, “Can’t say I’ve met you before. Think I’d remember a fellow lady with a tail,” He snickered, his own playfully swaying from side to side. He had never met one of her kind before, but many could say the same about him.

“I’m not so pretentious as not to introduce myself,” He said as he turned to her, extending a hand, “Altair Din,” He said simply. He could have tagged on a billion titles after that, but he left them all off, flashing her a kind smile.

@Remileah

 

[Cipher Four]

"Heavy is the crown, but better to be the head of a dog than the tail of a lion," Naori replied. "No, we've not met before. It's my first time on your planet," she continued, sashaying closer to the man as their conversation blossomed. Her eyes drifted down to observe his tail swaying, and a smile creased her lips. The woman lifted her cigarette back to her lips to take another drag, the embers of the cherry flaring up in response.

"I had the feeling you weren't pretentious when you didn't bark at a stray guest stumbling into your privacy. You could have run me off or called the guards that I'm sure are waiting everywhere, but I'm still here," Naori stated, blowing the smoke away from Altair to retain courtesy and respect. She reciprocated as he offered his hand, taking it in her delicate grip. In stark contrast to Altair, Naori's hand was small with slender fingers and sinfully soft.

"Naori. Just Naori," she returned the introduction. "I'm a Fiani. In our culture, children can choose whether or not to inherit a surname. I chose not to," Naori elaborated, releasing Altair's hand from her grip once their greeting had been exchanged. "Not that I don't love my family, but I enjoyed the simplicity of just being called Naori, as opposed to being called Naori Glimmerkeeper," she added, punctuating the end of her sentence with another mellifluous laugh.

As she finished speaking, Naoi moved up to take a place next to Altair at the edge of the balcony, setting her glass of wine on the bannister.

"I don't suppose I could tempt the prestigious ruler of Eiattu VI with a smoke?"

@Sreeya

 

[Altair Din]

He wondered if he agreed with the sentiment. After becoming one of the most powerful individuals in the Empire, he honestly missed the lowkey life of being a farmer. His days used to consist of picking fruits, vegetables, cooking said food, taking care of animals and bickering with his family. He would give anything to have those simple days back instead of carrying the burden of the empire on his shoulders.

Altair smirked at her baseline for what was considered a polite individual, “Why, are you used to people finding your company insufferable?” He asked with amusement glinting in his amethyst eyes. Altair didn’t mind her moving closer to smoke off the edge of the balcony. His gaze flicked back over the horizon as he nursed his expensive drink, his tail lazily swishing side to side.

When she offered a smoke, he almost declined, “I only ever really smoke when I’m in battle,” He mused aloud before extending a hand to take a smoke, “But I suppose I’m in one right now,” Altair didn’t elaborate further. She likely would think he meant kingly combat regarding Eiattu VI. But no, it was the political turmoil he faced with the media and an Emperor that was always jealous of the loyalty he commanded. If he wasn’t careful, ISB would find ways to remove him by force.

Not that he expected Glimmerkeeper to know anything about that, “You waste your time here,” He said after a moment of silence, allowing smoke to plume from his nostrils after he took a drag, “The real fun is down in the towns,” He said as he gazed out past the wall of his fortress, “The harvest festivals are happening now and they’re incredible.”

@Remileah

 

[Cipher Four]

"You could say that," Naori answered with a grin punctuated by an amused chuckle. Many people found her insufferable, even if Altair's assumptions might be inaccurate. The presence of a Cipher seldom meant anything good was happening, often causing the people around her to be disgruntled. Of course, she couldn't admit those things to him.

As Altair agreed to accept a cigarette, Naori retrieved one and passed it along with a lighter to him. As cryptic as his statement about being in a battle was, she knew exactly what he meant. The thoughts going through his mind were the same as hers: I.S.B. spying on him and attempting to gather intelligence. Colluding with the Sith was a serious accusation, not something they would take lightly.

"You're telling me," Naori said, shaking her head. "Not that the party hasn't been lovely, but I haven't quite achieved what I originally came here for," she continued, picking up her wine glass to take a sip. She had told many lies since arriving here, but that statement was sincere. Naori hadn't found anything worthwhile related to her operation, and it had yet to be seen whether or not Command would be satisfied with her results. She may be in a battle of her own before much longer.

"I'm not here for the fun anyway," she said, waving her hand dismissively. "I came here for business. There isn't much room for 'fun' when you live a life like mine, but you're familiar with that sentiment, aren't you?" Naori asked, casting a sidelong glance towards Altair as their exchange continued. It was a peculiar feeling, but she sympathised with Altair more than she felt suspicious of him. As he spoke of the festivals in town, her attention turned down towards the city.

"If they're anything like the festivals we had on my homeworld, I'm sure they are," she said, taking another drag. "What kind of festivals are they?"

@Sreeya

 

[Altair Din]

Altair wasn’t the particularly nosy type, and thus didn’t ask her about her business. If she was so inclined to share, she would do so of her own volition. He continued puffing on the cigarra, his thoughts briefly wandering back to war. He only smoked before a battle, and doing so now instantly took him back. He could see the horizon over Dathomir and he could see the corpses of his soldiers coming back to life because of the Nightsisters and their twisted magick.

The tiefling was anchored back to reality when Naori posed a question, “I make plenty of time for fun,” He admitted with a grin, “I’d have gone crazy years ago otherwise,” He didn’t take himself that seriously, after all. With her being ISB, she would know that he was even a two time Huttball champion on top of his current roles.

Altair’s face visibly brightened when she asked about the festival, making it obvious he cared little for stuffy royal engagements, “They have competitions where people bring out pies and other foods to judge. And of course, lots of dancing, music and people from all over the galaxy setting up shops to sell their crafts,” If he wasn’t king, he would probably be out there performing for the crowd. He couldn’t remember the last time he picked up his guitar - at least four of them were collecting dust in his chambers.



@Remileah

 

[Cipher Four]

"Maybe I'm crazy and don't know it, then. I can't recall when I last took time off for fun," Naori replied with another dry chuckle. At this point, she spoke less like Naomi and more like Aimi. More like Cipher Four. She knew she was a workaholic. The life of a Cipher was a busy one, and didn't afford much time for vacations or relaxation.

As Altair began elaborating about the festivals in the city, Naori saw the man's face brighten. His explanation of the celebrations on his planet reminded her of home, with competitions for cooking and merchants hawking their handmade wares. More than that, she could see he had smaller, more humble things on his mind than the life of royalty or conspiring with the Sith. Naori elicited a quiet chuckle and turned her attention back towards the city. She took in a deep breath and sighed.

"Yeah, that reminds me of my home, Fiana," she confessed. "It sounds like you would enjoy what we call sidlian," Naori continued. "It isn't a festival, but it's a type of cooking you'll see pretty often at them. They make a big spectacle of it," she said, emphasising her words by moving her hands in an arcing motion. "You'll see the chefs juggling knives, tossing ingredients through the air, stoking their flames to rise higher than you are tall."

Recalling this was making her reminisce.

"One of the festivals we have regularly is called shetan. It's on the smaller side, but it happens often," Naori began again. "It's a naming festival. You see, Fiani children aren't named until they've lived for a month. After a child or several children have lived through that first month, and the parents are ready to name them, they get the community together for shetan. There are songs, dances, drinking, games for the young ones, and riddles and stories around bonfires.

Eventually, the families announce their children's names, and everyone cheers, celebrates, and congratulates the family on their newborns. The community gives them gifts. They all come together to celebrate all the little things, and there's never a moment taken for granted there."

The entire time Naori told this story, a smile was apparent on her delicate features. She had forgotten about the cigarette between her fingers, letting it burn down to the filter, a pillar of ashes drooping from it. Eventually, the woman looked down at it and flicked the ashes off.

"Anyway, I'm rambling. If you can tolerate sub-zero temperatures, I'd give Fiana a visit sometime and see it for yourself. They'll welcome anyone with open arms if you abide by their rules."

 

[Altair Din]

The description of sidlian sounded fantastic, and certainly something he could see himself participating in, “Cooking is actually one of my passions,” He admitted sheepishly. It wasn’t one of those super heroic skills that men boasted about, but he truly enjoyed it. He had grown up with a massive family, and to this day he enjoyed cooking for others. Having an entire culture around cooking and making art out of it made him envious of the kind of lives people led on her planet. Would they be prejudiced against tieflings like the rest of the galaxy? It was curious that Naori didn’t flinch at the sight of him. Had she come here to seek him out specifically?

“It sounds very communal,” He observed after she finished her relaying what Fiana was like. Altair turned to regard her, “It sounds like you miss home. Why haven’t you been back?” He could already guess it had been some time - the times he fondly spoke of home were when he missed it the most. Bandomeer felt further away than ever and his heart yearned for the family farm and even his crotchety neighbors.

Altair looked back over towards the city, “Well it’s no Fiana, but if you’re up for it, we could take a tour through the city.”

@Remileah

 

[Cipher Four]

Altair's confession of being passionate about cooking caught Naori—no, it caught Four unawares. The dossiers and reports she had read regarding Altair varied drastically from one to the next. She expected many things because of them, but Altair had thoroughly circumvented all those expectations. It seemed the Empire wanted to paint a deliberate picture of him, truth be damned, but they did that with surprising frequency.

"That's Fianese culture for you," Four said with a sigh as she set the butt of the cigarette on the railing. "It's very communal. They all know diversity makes for a rich tapestry, and they understand all the threads are equal in value no matter their colour," she continued. "Their mythological heroes don't stop blaster bolts with an outstretched hand. They bleed, they bruise, and their powers are as simple as listening and loving. They're ordinary people who know that even if their lives are impossibly knotted, they can untangle someone else's."

Even with that explanation, it still didn't serve to do their culture justice.

She remained silent as the tiefling pointed out her apparent longing to return and inquired why she hadn't. Four chuckled and shook her head.

"There's a story for another time," she said as she stood straight. The woman smiled as Altair offered to take her into the city to see the sights. Her arms lifted to cross under her breasts. "The king leaving his royal soirée for a night on the town with a pretty girl? That sounds like a tabloid headline in the making," Four said with another melodic laugh. "King Altair seen with beautiful Fiani jeweler from Verona! Is this woman the king's secret muse?" she stated with a dramatic flair, her crossed arms embracing herself in a mock hug intended to mimic a sultry, steamy embrace from cheesy holovids.

The absurdity of the claims caused Four to laugh again, louder and with more amusement than before. As the woman's tittering stopped, a cheeky smile creased her lips.

"It sounds like a great time. Let's go."

@Sreeya

 

[Altair Din]

Altair turned to regard her as she did her little theatrics, unable to bite back the soft chuckle. His days were always serious and full of work, and very few people in his court cracked jokes. Despite her gestures blurring slightly into flirting, the tiefling maintained a respectful distance and polite smile.

“Well you won’t be joined by the king,” He said with an amused grin, “I will be Tai for the night,” It was his nickname from back home, and it meant he was going to pose as just some other tiefling as they went into the city, “Meet me by the east gate,” He said simply as he finished his drink. It was the gate he knew wasn’t guarded presently, and he knew the ways out of his own fortress. His people would know to tell everyone the king retired to his chambers and nothing was out of the ordinary.

If she waited where he indicated, she would spot him emerging dressed in casual civilian clothing. This meant a very simple, but form fitting t-shirt that certainly showed off his athletic frame. The pants were grungy like he once used to wear. He even had his guitar slung over his shoulder in case he felt like strumming for the public. He had no intention of being King tonight.

“Shall we?” He asked with a playful smile before he started walking down the path that would take them out to the city.

@Remileah

 

[Cipher Four]

"Oh, do I get to see a side of you that few others do? Exciting," Four smiled, polishing off the rest of her wine as she watched Altair walk away. Once he was gone, unbidden thoughts entered her mind. If she went with him, was she doing it for the operation or for herself? By all accounts, the mission was a success. She had collected ample information to discern the allegations against Altair were unfounded. There was no reason to stay.

Four cast her gaze over the city again. Much to her surprise, the conversation she had delighted in with the man opened her eyes to many things. When was the last time she did something for herself? What was the latest instance where, even fleetingly, she stopped being Four to be Aimi? The woman inhaled deeply and hung her head, resting her elbows on the bannister to mull things over silently in her head. A long sigh passed through her nostrils.

Minutes passed. Four pushed herself off the railing and retreated discreetly inside. There was no reason to continue her mission.

---

— Her Choice

She went to the location Altair told her to go. She had taken the opportunity to get a change of clothes, deciding that her dress was too extravagant to wear in town without standing out. It was too fanciful and would only draw undue attention to herself and Altair.

As Altair approached and asked if she was ready, she offered him a smile. She was dressed in a hempen tank top that rode her sinfully tapered midriff and showed her cleavage, accompanied by a simple pair of trousers and a white jacket hanging off her shoulders. She turned to walk with him towards the city, offering her arm to him it he pleased.

"Lead the way, Tai," Aimi said with a subtle, melodic undertone of happiness. She wasn't doing this for operation, she was doing this for herself.

@Sreeya

 

[Altair Din]

Altair smiled as she approached. He half expected her to bail - hanging out with Altair was unsettling for most people now. They couldn’t get past the ‘king’ title, and he couldn’t blame them. The tiefling’s tail swayed to express his contentment even without words. It pleased him to hear Tai as a name again. He didn’t see his family much these days and he believed his friend Cairo to be long dead.

“Sticking with Naori, or do you feel like being someone else tonight?” He asked with a grin, “Only fair you get a chance as well,” He said before he started walking.

Their path curved and led away from the fortress palace. Altair took in sight of all his surroundings, pausing now and then to engage with the locals. There were a couple of very poor children running around blowing bubbles. Altair took one of the sticks and joined right in, blowing a huge bubble. He chuckled quietly to himself before extending one to Naori, “When was the last time you tried this?” Altair asked as the kids giggled at his bubbles and popped them.

Music resounded from the main square up ahead and the aroma of delicious food wafted all the way out here. Naori would notice the city was entirely friendly with all races and species, a rare occasion where humans didn’t eye other races with suspicion. There were countless numbers of mixed families and laughter and warmth all around.

“It was terrible when I first took the crown,” Altair said very quietly as he finally stepped away from the bubbles, “The entire planet was in ruin and the last king was a Sith Lord that went mad. He had the entire council and Priamsta executed. The planet was on the brink of collapse and millions of citizens starved.”

@Remileah

 

[Cipher Four]

___Would she like to be somebody else tonight? If only Altair truly understood the depths of irony that question fell into. Unlike him, Aimi had spent her entire night as somebody else already and was only now choosing to drop the façade.

___"Aimi," she answered his question. "Call me Aimi," the woman insisted, looking up at the man with a smile. As they walked together, she paused any time Altair stopped to engage with the locals, patiently waiting for him to conclude his business. She would introduce herself if asked and partake in idle conversations with no begrudging attitude when invited. Aimi remembered her home on Fiana, a swelling feeling of homesickness rising in her breast.

___When they encountered the children playing through the streets, her face lit up with a smile. She watched as Altair blew a bubble for them, unable to stop herself from giggling with her amusement at his antics. Aimi took the wand in her hand and lifted it to her lips.

___"Too long," she answered, slowly, carefully blowing into the open end to produce a bubble of gradually increasing size, rivalling the one Altair made. It swelled bigger and bigger until it eventually parted from the wand, drifting lazily through the air for the children to admire and pop at their leisure. Satisfied, Aimi returned the toy to the children and fondly watched as they hurried away to continue playing.

___"You've done an amazing thing," she said as Altair explained the planet's origins and history. "It's beautiful. It reminds me so much of home, seeing the children running and playing in the streets, all of these races intermingling together without a single show of xenophobia. You truly have a gem here, Tai," Aimi mused, glancing up and over at the man as they resumed walking together. "You brought them back from that brink, which is no mean feat. You've cultivated a peaceful, almost idyllic city and community, and that is a beauty no words could ever hope to do justice to."

___She paused. Her eyes swivelled to scan the city again.

___"You're the best thing that happened to them." And her, even if she didn't realise it yet.

@Sreeya

 

[Altair Din]

Altair watched in awe as Aimi blew a massive bubble that languidly swayed through the air. To their surprise, none of the children managed to pop it, so it rose through the sky and continued to coast past the festival. Altair watched it for a long moment before finally breaking his gaze. They arrived closer towards where the food stalls were set up along with lots of sweets and desserts.

The tiefling paused when Aimi gave her thoughts on the history of his ascension. Truthfully, he was left with heat rising to his face after it. His tail swished energetically as he ran a hand through his hair, “Aw shucks, Aimi, I ain’t all that special,” He chuckled, some of his homely accent slipping out. Altair didn’t mind that slip so much - it was part of who Tai was. She didn’t know him as some galactic warlord that overthrew an entire regime, usurped a king and was deemed the defender of Korriban. All of those lofty titles were heavy and it was nice to be a nobody right now, even if she knew he was a King. She didn't know the other bits at least.

The music was cheerful and basic, nothing like what played at the clubs or streets in the Core planets. A live group started playing something more lively and some of the locals started dancing right there on the street. Altair smiled at the sight, “Now that’s something you won’t see back in the palace,” He said, his foot tapping and tail swinging to the rhythm. It was clear he was the type to bust out dancing for any given excuse, but for now he just watched others doing it. This reminded of the harvest festivals back on his home planet and it always filled him with joy.

@Remileah

 

[Cipher Four]

___Aimi scoffed almost indignantly.

___"Not all that special?" she asked with a toothy smile, glancing at Altair as they continued their stroll. The subtle shift of colour in his cheeks hadn't escaped her notice, the display—no matter how small—causing her chest to flutter with childlike glee. "I'm sure every person in this city would disagree with that as much as I do. You're quite special, even to me," Aimi tittered, raising a hand to lay her fingers over her lips.

___The woman's ears flicked toward the band as they played, her tails swishing. Her mouth fell open as some partygoers started dancing, more memories of Fiana rushing back to her all at once. The music was similar to those played during some of the festivals on her homeworld. Aimi's hand began to bob in time with the song's rhythm, her tails excitedly flicking behind her. Without thinking, she reached out to take Altair's hand.

___"Come on," Aimi said, turning to face the man and taking a few steps backwards toward the dancers. "Join a girl for a dance? It would be a shame to miss a song like this," she asked, seeing if he would join her, though she wouldn't tug too hard to force him against his will. As she waited to see if he would join her, her tails continued to bob and weave behind her, bouncing and swaying to the beat of the music as it played.

@Sreeya