A Common Courtesy

[Kay-Larr]

[member="Desmond C'artyom"]


Kay had been given a message just days ago that a representative from the Galactic Empire was going to be dropping by Commenor. No doubt it was just for formalities sake, than anything else, the one chosen for the task probably a person that drew the short straw. The Systems Alliance and the Empire were allies to be sure, but not in the way that involved military conflict. As always, the allies that she had were moreso for economic purposes and for the protection of the trade routes and hyperspace lanes in their respective regions, than anything else. War had yet to come to her doorstep and she hoped that it never would. Building ties with those around her helped to secure her people's safety and their future. There were some that didn't understand her methods, but that their issue. Let them launch their wars. She'll just be waiting in the background, quietly growing her own region while others were looking elsewhere.

In trade for granting the Empire access to the Systems Alliance trade routes, she was given 10,000 cloned troops of which had been divided up into two categories: the 191st clone-trooper infantry and the 191st clone trooper armoured division. The blueprints for some Imperial ships were also generously given. Yet the payment for that had yet to be decided. Perhaps this visit was to inform her of what that was? It was anyone's guess.

Right now however, Kay waited outside of the Royal Palace, standing next to it's own private landing pad that was commenly used by VIP's. She was dressed in a coat suitable for the colder weather and not too constraining. A half dozen guards in uniform stood at attention behind her, flanking her position. Although she didn't expect that she'd be needing them with this visit, it was good to have them for appearances sake.

Kay's eyes soon drifted upwards as she heard a ship breaking into the atmosphere above them.

 

[Desmond C'artyom]

Desmond felt the familiar rock and tumble as the ship broke atmosphere. Such turbulence was to be expected, but it always reminded him of battle. Being a navy man there were plenty of times when the Baron had flown under flak. But this was different. Today was strange for the Baron, he had never really been on any sort of diplomatic mission and so he didn't know why they had chose him.

He supposed as the poster boy of the Empire’s navy he would be a known face. Still it didn't explain much of anything. Desmond looked round at his retinue of two Stormtroopers and nodded to each of them. They returned the courtesy although none of them had spoken to the other. Desmond was told he would be inspecting the battalions the Empire had sent to aid Commoner in its military efforts.

Desmond expected it to be a relatively short visit. Really he hadn’t planned on staying long. The ship set down with a slight thump. The gang plank descended with a slight hiss and Desmond walked into the open sun of Commoner. He wore an Imperial naval suit and the sun glistened brightly on his rank bar, which marked him as a major. He bowed lowly to the queen before him.

Had she not been of such a high stature he might’ve taken her out for a drink. She was quite stunning really. Even so Desmond knew his place and would do little more than what he had been told.

“Greetings my lady,” He said as he raised his head from the bow “Shall we be under way?” Desmond asked the woman before him in his rich Imperial accent

[member="Lady Kay"]

 

[Kay-Larr]

Right on time. There was something to be said about most military officials; they tended to stick to a strict schedule. When a time was given to arrive, they were sure to be there on the dot, if not before. One could almost take advantage of that, if one was devious. Yet Kay wasn't the sort.

Kay watched as the ship came down, keeping her hands clasped in front of her as the landing ramp was lowered. [member="Desmond C'artyom"] was the first to appear, followed by his two Stormtroopers. She bowed her head, giving her guest a small smile as he greeted her in kind. His accent was as refined as his uniform, another Imperial trait to be sure, but not an unpleasant one.

"Welcome to Commenor, Major. I hope that your trip over was a good one." She stepped to the side and turned on her heel, gesturing for him to follow alongside her, Kay led him away from the landing pad towards the eastern wing of the Royal Palace. A landspeeder could be seen waiting for them, but they had a few minutes walk to get to it. "I think that this is the first official visit that we've had from the Empire. It's been a long time coming for sure. How is your Emperor doing? I haven't heard anything about him since I left Kamino."

 

[Desmond C'artyom]

Desmond C’artyom motioned with a hand for his retinue of stormtroopers to remain behind as he meandered forward. They saluted smartly and returned up the ramp. Lady Kay spoke to Desmond and he smiled at her briefly

“It was a little bumpy, but well worth the trouble,” He said simply.

Des took up a place at her side, as they walked, his polished military boots clicked on the soft tile floors. Kay spoke again and Desmond nodded along every now and then. His fiery gaze swept over the fine tapestries and beautiful paintings that lined the walls. Commenor truly was an educated place. Not like the Empire, whose own artist were forced to work under the vise of the dogmatic Imperial propaganda machine. Not to say they did not make good art, but simply that most of it followed a similar, well monitored, theme. An Imperial theme.

“I believe this is the first, yes.” Desmond said in his rich Imperial accent “I can’t fathom why. You own such a beautiful world,” Desmond paused as they passed a vase of flowers. He took in their aroma for a moment “Yes quite a wonderful world…” Desmond finished and walked a brisk pace to keep up with Kay.

Then she asked about the Emperor. Desmond had never personally met the man, but the holo droned on about the greatness of the Emperor for hours. “The Emperor is, as always,a very great man,” was all Desmond said. If he had said anything short of great it’d be treason. Desmond supressed a shutter.

[member="Lady Kay"]

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay watched from the corner of her eye as [member="Desmond C'artyom"] admired her home. It made her wonder just how often he had visited other worlds. Did he spend most of his time on ships? She wasn't quite certain. Maybe she'd ask him about that later.

For now though she just gave him his moment and listened to his words. However the ones that he chose were a little odd. So Kay just had to speak up. "I don't own this world, Major, no more than I own any other world in the Systems Alliance. In some ways, I suppose that they own me. I do what I can to provide for them, making agreements with other governments to ensure our ecomony flows, as well as keep them safe. I'm not just a figurehead, you know. I work very hard. But in one respect I agree with you. Commenor is a beautiful world and the architecture is stunning." She was rather fond of architecture and stone masonry. There was a craft to it that she admired fof some reason, yet couldn't figure out why.

His answer to her question on the Emperor gave her pause. It seemed rather...rehearsed. Perhaps the Major had never met him. "Well, he certainly is generous, I'll give you that. And very polite during our meeting. I'll have to give you some of my tea stocks for him, just in case he's running low." The two of them shared tea and conversation when she had seen him.

Of course her trust of the Empire wasn't very high, despite accepting the cloned troops that were given. There was a reason that she kept them away from her and her family. The old tales of Order 66 came to mind and she didn't want the Empire to turn those clones against her.

"How long are you given to stay? After seeing the Troopers, you could tour Commenor. If it's flowers that you like, you should go to the Valley of the Storm. There are unique flowers there that change colours with the levels of humidity in the air. We also have sea flowers at Rock Point Bay that are more like crystals. They glow a variety of colours in the dark."

 

[Desmond C'artyom]

Desmond listened to Kay intently as she spoke. Her words were foreign to the Chiss to say the least. She claimed to be a tool for the people to use, but, wasn't it just the opposite? Wasn’t a leader's people suppose to serve their lord with unquestioning loyalty? How could she keep her people safe if she allowed them to use her so? She needed to be strong and bend those around her to her will. Desmond shook his head, more than a little confused.

Even so he enjoyed listening to Lady Kay speak. Their was something soothing about her sing song voice. She agreed with Desmond’s admiration of the Commenori arts and he offered her up a polite smile as his gaze shifted from her own face to that of a handsomely crafted bust of some Comenori lord.

“Quiet exquisite indeed,” Desmond exclaimed at the sight of the gorgeous statue.

Then Lady Kay spoke of the Emperor again and Desmond’s back grew rigid. The Emperor drank tea? For some reason Desmond had always thought of him as some godly figure that needn't eat, sleep, or even use the restroom.

“Yes… Yes, i’m sure the Emperor would appreciate such a gift,” Desmond said, a little bit of doubt seeping into his voice.

Perhaps this woman was testing his faith in the Emperor… If he was found to be lacking it could easily mean the end for him. Desmond fingered his neck collar nervously. Kay asked Desmond how long he’d be staying and Desmond quit fingering his collar for a moment.

“I should be staying for at least the night. A tour of Commenor sounds absolutely lovely. Glow you say? How exotic!” Desmond exclaimed in delight, his worry easily forgotten over the prospect of investigating these strange plants.

If they glew in the dark he could only imagine what they might smell like.

[member="Lady Kay"]

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay found it a little odd. Each time that she spoke of the Emperor, [member="Desmond C'artyom"] grew stiff and almost distant. It was like he retreated into himself. She wasn't certain if he had ever met the man, but there was a certain fear there. Like the First Order, she knew that the Galactic Empire ruled with a heavy hand, yet to see one of their own acting this way was very strange to her.

The man was nervous. She expected the usual aloofness that came with Imperials. Yet this was different. It made her wonder how long he had served them. That was something for her to ask a little later. Right now she needed to get him comfortable again.

"Wonderful. I was hoping that you'd have more than a few hours. It sounds like you'll have plenty of time outside of what your duties allow, so that you may see the flowers for yourself. I also have a garden in the back, as you'd expect, including a hedge maze. I've always been fond of puzzles. Almost as much as tea."

She smiled as she led him to her office. It was constructed with dark wood panelling, large bay windows with dark curtains, comfy chairs, her desk, side table, book shelves and a spiral staircase to the second level. "Would you care for some tea? We could always cheat the system a bit and I can show you footage of the Troopers, instead of seeing them in person..." Either way was fine for her.

 

[Desmond C'artyom]

[SIZE=11pt]Desmond quickly tried to forget about the Emperor by reminiscing about the flowers Lady [/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]Kay spoke of, imagining them in all their splendor. But, despite his attempts at distracting himself he found his mind edging back to thoughts of the totalitarian regime and when they did, a sharp shiver of fear like barbs seemed to rake his very being. Desmond was proud to serve the Empire, who else could bring peace to the galaxy, but even so his station in intelligence meant that he saw in depth what the Empire did to miscreants and rebels. And it scared him. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]But, if fear was the key to galactic peace, Desmond was more than ready to deal out his fair share of terror. In fact he had already done so multiple times, but that was neither here nor there. Desmond snapped out of his angsty stupor as Lady Kay addressed him once more.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]"Wonderful. I was hoping that you'd have more than a few hours. It sounds like you'll have plenty of time outside of what your duties allow, so that you may see the flowers for yourself. I also have a garden in the back, as you'd expect, including a hedge maze. I've always been fond of puzzles. Almost as much as tea." [/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Desmond smiled and nodded along as Kay spoke. “I look forward to seeing such treasures. I’m sure your garden is equally as beautiful as everything else you own,” He said, a melancholy smile still splayed across his face.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]They entered a lavish study and Desmond appreciated the uniformity of the room. Windows let in a natural light that shined off the dark wood paneling, capturing it’s finish and accenting it’s quality with a beautiful sheen. Desmond studied the bookshelves that sat in the room and approached one timidly. He loved to read, but their was so little time with all the work his duties entailed. He picked out a book titled [/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]Red Rising. [/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]He skimmed through a few of the pages and then remembered Lady Kay sitting at her desk. He snapped the book shut and put it back in it’s shelf. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]“Apologies,” Desmond said, a little blush rushing into his normally blue cheeks. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]He marched over to the plush chairs in front of the table and took a seat in front of Kay. She offered him tea and talked of simply watching the troopers on the holo rather than live action exercises. Desmond shook his head. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]“Perhaps we can have our tea on the go. I’d only be doing you a loss by not properly inspecting your troops,” Desmond said matter-of-factly.[/SIZE]


[SIZE=11pt]He was still unsure whether she was testing him or not. The whole holo bid could have been another assessment. Desmond would not prove himself to be so inept so that others believed him unworthy of his titles and rank. He had to make sure he was always deemed worth his grain of salt[/SIZE]

 

[Kay-Larr]

There was ao much personality there. Yet [member="Desmond C'artyom"] seemed to hide it as well, most especially as he was reminded of his duties. Kay watched him as he looked about her office and was drawn to the books. Oh yes, Kay had a lot of books. She loved to immerse herself into stories, most especially mysteries. Those were her favourite. Desmond seemed to lose himself for the moment and when he closed the book and settled on a chair, she merely smiled at him. "You can borrow that book if you'd like, and any other on the shelves. I've read nearly all of them and would be pleased to share them."

Of course her request to remain in the office wasn't some kind of test. Yet Desmond was quick to remember his duties again and the Imperial officer personality in him showed itself. Kay got to her feet, albeit with a bit of difficulty. "Of course. I'll have a shuttle take us to them."

She led him back out of her office and notified one of her guards that stood outside of the door. "Have a shuttle ready. We're going to Eldritch Base." Already the request was being passed along through the commlinks. As Kay walked through the east wing towards one of the side entrances, she spoke to her guest. "I'm sure that you'll find them adjusting well, Major. They follow their orders and continued training to keep them in top shape. As we are not at war, I hope that they don't believe this to be a garbage assignment for them. An attack can come from anywhere, so we have to be prepared."

 

[Desmond C'artyom]

[SIZE=11pt]Lady Kay said Desmond could keep the book and he gave her a genuine smile. He immediately retreated back to the shelf and picked out several of her novels. They were volumes of all different kinds. From instruction manuals, to Kay’s favorite mystery novels, to ancient adventure books. Desmond grabbed as many as he could carry then looked to Kay sheepishly.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]“I hope you don’t mind if I take a few more?” He asked softly. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Desmond often collected books from all over the galaxy. He found that the one’s made outside the Empire often to be far more entertaining, as Imperial books were regulated strictly and edited heavily. Often portraying some prominent Imperial as the hero and the state's enemies as the villain. Even in children’s books there were stories of fictional characters that adhered to the call of their “leader”, which more often than not was some thinly disguised metaphor for the Emperor. All in the name of raising a loyal generation of Imperials, built on teachings ingrained in them since childhood.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Kay led the way through the halls with Desmond in tow. He turned to the guard Kay had just addressed and dropped a large armful of books into his hands. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]“Be sure these get to my shuttle,” Desmond said with a stern gaze. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]As they walked through the east wing Kay filled Desmond in on the state of the troops. It sounded as though they were fitting in nicely with the Commenori forces. Desmond merely nodded along as she spoke. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]“My lady, clones are trained to obey. They will accept any assignment given to them simply because it is their duty. As for war, fear not. For you have a friend in the Empire. These troops are but a mere taste of what we have to offer you in means of protection… That is should you choose to accept our gracious help,” Desmond said, his tone all business.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]He was of course hinting at deeper ties Commenor and the Empire might share further down the road. That is if Kay so choose to strengthen said ties… Desmond thought about the state of the totalitarian regime that was the Empire and wondered if an alliance with Commenor might cause some sort of benevolent change on the oppressive regime. Maybe if the Imperial people saw how well and happy the Commenori people were with all their freedoms they might push for reforms. But, Desmond reminded himself that such thoughts were borderline treason…[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt][member="Lady Kay"][/SIZE]

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay had to stifle a laugh as [member="Desmond C'artyom"] had collected himself a bunch of books. Whether he ever returned them or not, she didn't mind. It was probably easier for her to get new copies. Her staff had the list on hand, so it wasn't much of a problem. She wouldn't put anything out there that she'd worry about being stolen anyways. There were other places for her rare items.

The guard that was given the stack of books was quite perplexed. Such a thing wasn't normal. He just stood there, glancing to the books and then to Kay. She gave him a little nod, letting him know that it was okay. Leaving the other guard to follow them, he went off to get the books over to the Imperial's shuttle.

Kay turned her attention back to Desmond as they walked through the hallway, sipping her tea. She wasn't so sure about clones doing whatever they were told. There were downfalls of that. Of course the test here would be who they were loyal to, the Empire or Commenor. That was something that she had to find out. It would always linger in the back of her mind, the prospect of those troopers being signalled somehow and ordered to take her and members of her government hostage. For now though, Kay did her best to remain on their good side and tended to keep the clones at a far enough distance from her Palace and the Senate Hall, two buildings that she frequented the most.

"The Empire's help would of course be accepted. Their generosity has been welcomed. We keep up our end of the bargain, maintaining the trade route and ensuring that the Empire's goods have safe passage. They know of our neutral stance. We haven't particpated in any of the Galaxy's conflicts, nor do we wish too, unless of course one of them attacks us." Anyone of the major superpowers was capable of that.