Onslaught of the Empire

[Cale Darksun]

Having sorted his cape out, Cinn noticed Danika admiring her own appearance.
"It seems you are adjusting rather quickly to your lot in life." The Sith stated, almost mockingly as he checked his lightsaber and made sure it was affixed to his belt. "Interesting how a few baubles can win a weak will over."

 

[Darkened Angel]

Danika didn't turn her attention to Cinn right away, as she was still lost in the moment with what he had given her. " They're beautiful. " she said finally, then walked up to him and kissed him. Immediately after, she snapped out of it and realized what she just did. Blushing, she took a step back. " Forgive me, Master. I don't know what came over me. " She looked off to the side and down towards the floor, unable to look at him in her current state of embarrassment.  

[Cale Darksun]

Cinn stared at the embaressed woman as though she were ill, then turned away as though nothing had happened.
"Come. Our guests will be arriving any time now." He said as the door slid open before him. "It is time we should go greet them."

 

[Darkened Angel]

" Y-yes, Master. " Danika said, composing herself as best she could, then followed Cinn. It took a few moments, but she was able to focus on the task at hand. She opened herself to the Force and let a sense of calm wash over her. She knew she would likely feel intimidated when faced with a number of Sith, and did her best to prepare herself for it as she continued to follow her master.  

[Cale Darksun]

Hours later and with everything in place, the first of the Guests started arriving. The Observation deck of the Space station had been lavishly decorated with Holostatues of Cinn's accomplishments, as well as physical trophies taken from the dozens of worlds he had conquered in the Empire's name. Server droids bustled around the room offering food and drink and Guest after Guest was checked and screened by a pair of Sithtroopers and a protocol Droid attendant. At the fore of the room, standing on a raised platform was Cinn, with Danika at his side. His yellow eyes took in the Room's occupants, studying each one in turn as he took a mental tally of all who attended.

 

[Nelowulf]

Lieutenant Warren McJump
Location: Minos Cluster - Regelia system
Personal Location: Cargo Hold of the Wesom II
Accompanying ships: None

Knight-errant Jian Yakamura
Location: Minos Cluster
Personal Location: Travnin, Minos Cluster
Accompanying People: Warren, The Gundark
Current Attire: http://jujika.deviantart.com/art/STAR-WARS-Character-Sheet-17527802 - right

The stolen shuttle traveled the blue lanes of hyperspace as Jian stared at the "costume" he was to wear. This wasn't the first time he had been dressed up like an odd doll. But he gave thanks that it wasn't a dress or some form of female garb. Warren had already dyed his hair a different color and applied a fairly realistic scar across part of his face. Jian wouldn't question where he got the skills as the young Jedi looked at his clothing. Grey and red, the clothing went well with the maroon boots, coming up to his knees. With red pant hems with an elaborate ceremonial belt, it matched the long sleeve shirt and it's shoulder cuffs. The oddest thing he was to wear was a strange cloth skull cap that hid his eyes through a series of orange bulbs, but here on the rim there were bound to be odd fashions for certain folk abound.

Jian reluctantly put on the outfit, wondering at what point Warren had managed to not only find something that would fit the boy, but also in a style of the rim, when he turned towards the Lieutenant and began to gawk. In the time he had to dress himself, the Lepi had done his ears up and tied off with a bow, with leatheris pants with treadstomping boots. An eyepatch over one of his eyes, perhaps the weirdest thing was the fake chest which he had somehow managed to achieve. Covered up by a set of armor, Jian tried to form words to describe it. He didn't know what a female Lepi looked like, but he was sure that something that... Ugly... would pass through inspection.

"What?"

"N-nothing..." Jian said, utterly stunned.

"Focus," Warren said. Jian mouthed a couple more times like a fish gulping water, before Warren waved the young man off. "Did you want to change costumes? Your face is feminine enough to pull it off."

Jian shook his head. "No, I find myself in women's clothes enough... Thank you, though..." Warren said something about checking up on the Gundark, as Jian took a deep breath to relax and thought back. As if Danika's attempt to disguise him just shy of a couple months ago wasn't enough...

~~~~
Nine Years ago… 3690 BBY
Eshan System

Jian found himself in the parlor he had sparred at for almost a year, only now was different. This wasn’t training in any form, but rather one of the final marks which would separate him from being just another student who failed to being the apprentice which upheld his master’s boasting. He felt the pressure of the world on his shoulders, and though he had never had trouble necessarily learning techniques or movements from Master Li, Le’wenna was not as skilled in being such a tutor. She had been less willing to let him go at his own pace, not as rewarding, and generally came across as being more distant. Months had passed where he thought that Li would have been better, joking with Jian and gently prodding him towards an answer, stepping in with words of encouragement when he didn’t make the cut, and praise when he did. But what Jian had been slowly coming to realize was that he was just a big fish in the small pond back on Caamas, a center of philosophy and not that of combat. All the pressure to compare came from Le’wenna’s more competitive spirit and her desire to help him learn the ways of the shadow. From the stories he had heard (and to some extent, ignored) they weren’t people to be messing with. From his master’s tutelage and wisdom, he had found that there was more and more every day he didn’t know. And now, the time had come for him to prove his worth. Standing across from him was Saiyani. The two had never gotten along all that well, and while Jian was distracted through much of his training by the coming of age, this was not a fight he could afford to lose. Saiyani, however, was more than a match for him, and had wanted nothing more than to get him out of their life.

“Okay, I understand that this match is special. I understand they can predict movements. I even understand fighting is special to echani. But why do I have to wear this?” Jian said, protesting the outfit he had on. Le’wenna had managed to find a loose-flowing robe for his lower half, and a leotard for his top. Regardless, Jian disliked the outfit as much as he could. “Can’t I wear some pants like I did back home instead of a dress?”

Le’wenna looked onward to her student, shaking her head. “Focus on the fight.”

Jian looked at his opponent, who had begun to point and laugh. She must have heard the comment, and now probably saw it as the first weakness in his defenses, the psychological one. Jian’s shoulders dropped as he looked towards his master again, and then back to his clothes, then back to his master. “Do I really have to wear this? It feels… girly.”

“Be mindful of your feelings. It’s more of a warrior’s uniform than you give it credit for. The threads are soft and slippery, as the insignias are all about the hearts of the warriors. Plus, what’s wrong with being a girl? You’ve been surrounded by them for the last several months.”

Jian folded his arms in indignation, pouting and looking to the side. “I just wanted to show how strong I have become so they can take me seriously. Not be laughed at.”

Le’wenna put an arm on his shoulder and looked the young boy straight in the eye. “It isn’t about strength. Remember what you have been taught and you will understand, power comes from many places, not just oneself. Plus, you look cute.”

Jian was almost encouraged again, until the last line left his master’s lips. Stepping forward to the mat, he gave his opponent a bow, before Aeryn stepped to the side of the mat. Jian slightly wondered if she wore the same thing every day of the year, the red robes and feet wraps as per her usual custom, but his thoughts would be quickly quelled when she began to speak. “This spar will be limited. No weapons. No force powers. No higher level styles. No killing blows. You will go to three takedown blows. Opponents, whenever you’re ready.”

The two of them stepped forward, putting their weak foot forward in the opening stance. Their left hands rested ever so lightly against each other as the two stared at each other in silence. Jian tried to look at Saiyani, but keeping eye contact with her fierce glare wasn’t easy. A fire burned in her that was absent in his own mind, and he could feel the unsettling feeling in his bones shake them. Jian made his first mistake by looking to the side; if he hadn’t sensed the motion in the peripheral of his vision, the fist flying at him would have connected with his jawbone, instead of connection across the tip of his nose. His left hand went to swat the fist away only to find his opponent giving him a strong push against his chest, causing the Jedi child to take several steps backwards. As he looked back up, his opponent had already dropped her stance, causing Jian to look down and note that his foot had left the training mat which he stood upon. An eye twitch as Jian felt annoyed. Saiyani tossed out a quick verbal jab of his training, but Jian wasn’t thrilled to being beaten by an upstart girl.

“Jian, revenge is the way of the sith. Do not let your emotions control you,” Le’wenna stated calmly, giving him a gentle push back into the ring. He stepped several times forward, before he had reset himself into the fighting stance against his opponent. He got the feeling of powerful auras watching him in the ring, and his opponent was more than strong. As the command to start came about, Jian went for the first blow this time, only to see Saiyani twist to her side. As her hand swung in a strong chop, Jian went to block it, only to find that her blow pushed his block towards his face and throw him off balance, as he twisted around. Her foot pushed him out of the ring, a strong bump on the small of his back the reminder of it all. As Jian stood up, Le’wenna was there looking back at him. She had called time for him, and kneeled down on one knee to inspect his back as well as his pride.

“What is most important in a fight, Jian?” she asked, rubbing his arm out and not looking at him. “Don’t mind Saiyani’s taunts, answer my question.”

“Strength… and technique probably. Experience is good-“ he had begun, only to be lightly bopped on the head by his master.

“Courage, Jian. You are lacking courage. You must calmly observe for the weaknesses in your enemy’s defenses. Remember how simple it was back in the cave on Caamas? You acted with courage and defended admirably. This is but a weak girl, not a robot for knights. Use your courage, and remember the basics.” And with that, Le’wenna gave him a slight pat on the back and sent him back into the ring. Jian gave a deep breath, remembering the experiences he had. Calmness and serenity was not something he could command, but he could relax in the Force. While at Caamas, he had been given private tutorship, but the students were on his level. He had lost, but not incredibly badly without some expertise to back him up. Here, he had been thrust into a different environment, something he knew and yet was so foreign. He was a physical outsider and unlike many of the kids, far behind in the training. He had been letting himself worry over something, which he hadn’t known. Instead of trying to figure it out, he let himself just go with the flow.

Setting himself up again, he put his hand against Saiyani, who had continued her verbal taunts. Jian just gave a small smile, and as the match went to commence, he recalled the basic techniques he had learned. Saiyani had been reading his motions like an open book, but now she seemed to quiet up as his eyes narrowed and focused. Moment after moment passed, as Saiyani grew more and more impatient. She threw a punch, but with Jian he had waited and the opportunity came. He pivoted on his back foot, appearing at her side with a successful step. A simple move, as his stance had reversed hands. Saiyani’s instinct was to change direction again, and as the blow came, Jian repeated the move. He resisted the urge to avoid the attack, knowing it would only place him into a more dangerous position, instead pushing forward and then stepping out, leading him into a more advantageous area to her side. Another blow was dodged by Jian, who left his foot out and used his arm to throw Saiyani to the ground out of the ring.

“That’s it!” Le’wenna said. The echani girl, however, did not share the master’s enthusiasm. As she got up, Jian had already begun to swell with accomplishment. An exploitable weakness she saw as she stood up and headed back to the starting position and lifted her hand. Much to her surprise, though, Jian’s weakness disappeared with a sudden glance, remembering his Jedi training and pride. A single blow did not mean victory, and as the command to start came again, the two opponents squared off. Jian launched a quick jab, connecting with Saiyani’s forehead with much surprise as she rebutted with an open hand strike, only to find her motion predicted by Jian. The young jedi went for a high blow, with his opponent pushing it up and spinning around for a chop. Saiyani’s attack would hit only air as Jian ducked under it and gave a two handed shove to his opponent to force her from the ring.

Things were heating up in the ring, as the tie between the opponents lead the next blow to be the deciding factor. Jian and Saiyani stepped forth for the last time, putting their hands together and settling down, calmly, each opponent waiting to see the other move. Each had only an inkling of what may come as they tried their hardest to predict the other’s motions. Jian took a deep breath and for a moment, he could feel it. The motion, the pace of the fight at hand. Saiyani launched her attack with another open palm, as Jian used his arm to block by deflecting it to the outside. A single step forward allowed him to push forward, as Saiyani stepped back to dodge his counter, an elbow to the jaw. Her left hand went for a hook, only to have his right arm bend down and block it. The young girl tried her best to push him with the left palm, only to feel Jian bend back, exposing her arm wide enough for him to grab. With a combination of his right hand and a strongly planted stance, Jian used the fulcrum of her arm to throw her up and down upon the mat behind him, using the momentum to lock her arm up and gently land the touch on her cheek with a winning hit.

Jian naturally felt quite relieved, the fight over and stood up to bow.

“Fault,” Saiyani stated out loud, still on the mat. Jian’s celebration and exhilaration were short lived. “No Force powers allowed. There’s no way you could have picked up my movements.” If true, the match which Jian had been fighting could easily be a loss, as the color faded from his face while his heart raced and his ears heated up from the possibility of failing such a simple task…
~~~

"We're coming up on the station now," Warren announced as the group felt the ship lurch back out of hyperspace. "Time to see if those codes work. The ship is Sith enough to at least get us to dock."

The coms were raised with station command. "Wesom Two, requesting permission to dock. Authorization codes are being sent currently. Acknowledge."  

[Cale Darksun]

NPC
Regelia Station Control

The Station Traffic commander, looking over a datapad, just happened by one of his Traffic Controllers just as the Stolen Shuttle requested docking clearance.

"What do you have?" He asked the controller, who turned in his seat to acknowledge his superior.

"An incoming Shuttle sir."

"Do they have proper authorization codes?"

"Aye, sir. I was about to clear them."

The Commander stroked his chin as he studied the make of the shuttle as it appeared on his subordinate's monitor.
"Check to see what they're bringing aboard."

"Aye, sir." The Controller returned to his console and radioed the incoming craft. "Shuttle Wesom Two, what is your cargo?"  

[Miss-Pandemica]

Nova remained at Lady Nightwind’s side ignoring the offerings of food and drink. Instead she cast her eyes outwards to the others that had been invited but the moment her eyes settled on Lord Cinn and the woman beside him she automatically gripped her saber ready to attack. But she resisted the urge to do so knowing that such an action would not only ruin her reputation but also Ilia’s. She was completely confused at the sight of the dressed up Jedi she had encountered on Ruuria only months ago and wondered if her mistress also recognized the woman.

Nova took a breath to steady her emotions but did not loosen the grip on her weapon. It was difficult to think that this Jedi was some sort of prisoner without wondering is there was another motive in play. If there was she wasnt about to let herself be caught off guard should the situation turn sour while they were on board.  

[Cale Darksun]

Taking a glass from a server droid before turning back to the crowd, Cinn spoted movement out the corner of his eye. His free hand twitched reflexively as he casually turned in the movement's direction and there he spied Lady Nightwind and her apprentice, who had dipped her hand to her saber, the movement that had drawn Cinn's eye. Tracing the Sithling's eyeline, he saw that the young woman had just about bared her fangs not at him but at Danika, and the realization of that made the Sith Warrior chuckle darkly in amusement.

 

[ElladanKenet]

It had taken a bit before the party got underway, but once it did, Ilia Nightwind was in her element. Cinn might be the host of this event, but this was her element. Ilia had been born and bred for situations like this, and it was here where she thrived.

The woman had taken a moment to inspect the hoers devours, when she sensed her apprentice tense up. Quite aware she had already warned her apprentice about such behavior earlier, she paused and adjusted her gaze to the young woman, purple eyes glinting. "What is it?What're you.."

But then she paused, following Nova's gaze. Looking up, she saw Cinn, standing next to someone. Dressed as the woman was, Ilia knew she was a slave, and then- wait, a slave? Cinn had no such slave.... unless this was a new one. But then who?.... And then it clicked. Nova recognized her, and now that Ilia eyed the young woman, she did as well. She could feel the woman's nervousness and subserviance. And she also felt the force, clamped down, but still there.

A jedi. And not just any jedi, but the female jedi who fought her on Ruuria. Her mind instantly buzzed in alarm, but she quickly squashed down all emotion and averted her eyes back to the food. "Ah... I see. Turn away, and pay her no mind."  

[Miss-Pandemica]

Nova did her best to avert her gaze. She hadnt realized she had been staring so blatantly until Ilia’s voice snapped her out of it. Pulling the hood lower over her eyes she managed to release the tight hold she had on her saber and stiffly dropped her hand back to her side. “Yes..milady...” Nova responded trying to keep the anger out of her voice. Normally she would’ve made a rebuttal but this was not the place to do it, so she consigned herself to the task at hand and allowed her eyes to drift elsewhere around the ornately decorated room.  

[Darkened Angel]

Danika continued to let the Force keep her calm as much as she could, but her natural Zeltron empathy could feel the sudden tension in the room, making it difficult to stay at ease. After a moment, she heard Cinn laugh, and slowly shifted her gaze to him, expecting it to be amusement at her internal struggle. However, the Sith was facing one of his guests.

Looking in the direction Cinn seemed to focus on, she saw a pair of Sith. She didn't recognize one of them, but the other seemed familiar. As the tension died down, she was able to open herself to the Force again, and could sense the girl's presence. She finally recognized her as the Sith she briefly fought on Ruuria, who no doubt remembered their encounter. Remembering what Cinn instructed her to do, she immediately took her gaze off the Sith and looked downwards. " Perhaps I shouldn't be surprised. " she thought.  

[ElladanKenet]

Ilia felt a disturbance in the force, a very light one. Had she not been looking in the direction, she would've missed it entirely, as everyone else in the room did.

But she did not.

Cinn detected Nova's anger, and spotted them in the audience. The Jedi girl likely saw them as well, and if she wasn't an idiot, likely remembered them. She would be sure to tell Cinn. Keeping her emotions masked as much as possible, she smiled and took a glass of Kaas Blood Wine and gingerly sipped from it, as she turned away, heading in the opposite direction, toward some of the holoproj displays. "Nova... you've ruined us."

It was a simple statement, said in the softest, most casual of voices, but she bared it like a dagger, aimed precisely at the girl's heart. She was most displeased.  

[Cale Darksun]

"It seems you have crossed paths before." Cinn quietly observed, speaking to his slave after a sip of his glass and smirking at Nova and Nightwind's discomfort. "That is the current Darth Nightwind and her most recent apprentice. Nightwind is supposedly the theater commander of the Minos front, but lately her attentions have drifted, and so I was brought in to help reinforce her, and no doubt replace her when she Inevitably fails."

Cinn finished off the contents of his glass and set the empty vessel upon a passing droid serving tray.
"Let us go speak with them," Cinn told his slave, "It should prove most amusing."

Moving towards the duo and expecting his slave to dutifully follow, Cinn approached them and gave Nightwind a polite bow, as decorum required.
"Illia Nightwind." He said in a charming tone. "I am pleased you could attend this demonstration, given your busy schedule. How goes the War for you?"

 

[Nelowulf]

Lieutenant Warren McJump
Location: Minos Cluster - Regelia system
Personal Location: Cargo Hold of the Wesom II
Accompanying ships: None

Knight-errant Jian Yakamura
Location: Minos Cluster
Personal Location: Travnin, Minos Cluster
Accompanying People: Warren, The Gundark
Current Attire: http://jujika.deviantart.com/art/STAR-WARS-Character-Sheet-17527802 - right

The station wanted to know their cargo; a fair move, if not predicted to some extent.

"Wesom II here, we are carrying entertainers and supplies for the gala, over."

As far as anything went, it was rather true. Foodstocks, communicators, and other gala essentials were on board, as well as random parts and spare details that could easily be brought up as a backup bluff.