A Common Gathering

[Kay-Larr]

Kay looked over to [member="Darlyn Excron"] as he spoke to her. She raised a brow as he informed her that he had something private that needed to be discussed. Was it a good thing? Or a bad one. She wasn't sure.

Just as she was about to follow him to find out, [member="Bradshaw Ku"] went to the stage. Well...now what? At least he hadstarted talking again instead of just...observing. Bits of his past self emerged a little earlier while he interacted with his two younger half siblings, [member="Caedyn Arenais"] and [member="Loreena Arenais"] . Kay raised a brow again as he claimed to have some news. But what was it? The answer to that question came shortly thereafter. Brad had proposed to [member="Jairdain"] ? When did THAT happen? While he was away? And only NOW did he decide to tell her about this?

Kay was speechless. For once. And she wasn't sure if she needed to sit down. Maybe not. Of course she was happy for them, happy that her playboy son was settling down. But there was a hint of sadness in her emotions too, knowing how tragic her own two marriages have been. Hopefully they would have better luck.

"Congratulations. If you need any help with the ceremony, just let me know."

She caught the sight of [member="Silfe Sosuri"] out of the corner of her eye. She had returned? The engagement news was obviously a shock to her. The poor thing.

Kay had plenty of people to see and speak with. But first she needed to see Darlyn. She quietly excused herself and then headed over to where the drinks were being served, which was exactly where he had wandered off to. "I hope that you don't have bad news for me."

 

[Jairdain]

There was a time and place for everything. After Lady Kay made her own, Brad took to the stage as well before everybody lost interest in what was going on. While Jairdain knew their relationship would become known, she did not know when. The moment had come now though. As Brad spoke, revealing the news of their engagement, she sensed the emotional turmoil of Silfe.

At one time, the two of them had started to form a friendship, but then Brad had come to her and she had taken him away. During their time away, training and being one on one had brought them together. Now for better or worse they would stay that way.

Hearing the whispered, "no", of Silfe and sensing the movement of Amelia, Jairdain wondered just how this all was going to resolve itself. She had known of the budding romance that had happened between Silfe and Brad. However, she had never known what happened after they left together. Having the sudden feeling it might become clear, she turned to face them.

Even with Brad returned to her side, Jairdain could tell he had yet to notice her presence.

Silfe is here.​

Sending this to Brad, she wondered how the reunion was going to go.

 

[Bradshaw Ku]

She radiated in a gown like the night set ablaze.​

Her pain cut through the Force. She was unmissable.​

Yet he missed her.​

If it hadn’t been for the shadow cast by [member="The Whispering Tyrant"] who moved swiftly to stand over [member="Silfe Sosuri"], blocking the clear line of sight Bradshaw would have had, his eyes would’ve met the stricken gaze of the first woman to begin to tame his playboy spirit. The only other serious relationship he’d had other than his fiancée.

But as it happened his gaze lingered for only a moment on the back of the figure blocking her, then moved on as he walked back to Jair, his Mother, and the others.

Unsurprisingly [member="Lady Kay"] was the first to congratulate him, as it should be. He was glowing from the announcement; happy, hopeful, even proud of his little improved speech. Awkward and clumsy as it may have been.

“Thank you Mom and I think we should have it under control,” he said glancing to Jair for a moment then back to her, “It won’t be anything big. Just simple, like our living the past few months.” Then, timidly, now feeling a little bad for having not told her sooner, “Sorry we didn’t tell you earlier. We weren’t exactly planning to announce anything today.”

​

Silfe is here.​

At first, the words [member="Jairdain"] spoke telepathically to him just confused him. So unexpected were they. A name he hadn’t heard for over a year now echoed in his mind like the reverberations of the past coming to the surface.

Silfe… Silfe is here? He thought for a moment. And then it all hit him at once. The presence he’d been too distracted to notice shivered up his spine, the agony Silfe flooded into the Force stung at his chest, so severe was it.

Silfe had been here, with the government when he had left with Jair to train. When he returned, she’d been gone for over a year. Nobody knew where she was. Nobody knew what might have happened. He thought she’d maybe taken another position somewhere else. But now that he thought about it more, that explanation made no sense. She would’ve never just disappeared without word. Should he have looked for her? That question made the burning in his chest intensify as the needling of guilt stabbed through him. So much had changed in the nearly two years they’d been apart. But she was here now. She was safe, he thought. Maybe she had just been away at another job…

He caught sight of black dress, a red bow, hair pushed back from features that could only be hers.

“Silfe,” he called out to her from across the ballroom. With evident desperation, as if she might evaporate before his eyes, he began striding toward her, weaving between other guests. Memories of desert nights thinking about her, wondering what she was doing. Did she miss him? Bubbled up from within. He walked faster, “Silfe!”

| [member="Caedyn Arenais"] | [member="Shoden Moz"] | [member="Darlyn Excron"] | [member="Darben Skirae"] | [member="Loreena Arenais"] | [member="Stardust Bloodstone"] |​

 

[Silfe Sosuri]

Silfe's mind felt like it had simply stopped. Oddly time did not stand still though it felt like it did. She could see movement, but everything moved so slowly for her. She blinked as a hooded and cloaked figure obscured her view of her boyfriend...former boyfriend. Her mind drifted from the vision in front of her, this perspective of time giving her a moment to consider this idea with confusion. Then the figure slipped closer and Silfe turned her gaze up to see the familiar face.

The words registered, "not here, come with me." And Silfe realized belatedly what kind of scene she would make now if Brad saw her. He was engaged. An ex girlfriend showing up the night he announces his engagement reeked of crazy ex drama. How would anyone look at her after this if she let that be the perception? Amelia was right. Originally she had thought there would be great joy in seeing her returned once more to her home. She had never expected to come home a jilted lover. She nodded. This was not the scene she had had in mind when she had planned on attending. Her presence could potentially ruin [member="Bradshaw Ku"] and [member="Jairdain"] wedding announcement. They were celebrating. She nodded more emphatically and turned to go.

Silfe heard Brad's first desperate shout of het name and cringed. How could she get away now. She knew.... just knew he was on his way to her. His second, more loud and desperate made her close her eyes to gather herself.

 

[Darlyn Excron]

Look away for a moment and quite literally all the drama happens. Well, it wasn't like Darlyn didn't notice someone arriving late, though admittedly it took him until Brad began to go after her to realize who exactly it was, but the arrival of Silfe did catch Darlyn off guard. Well, complications abound. Brad going to her, which was certain to start a scene, and Kay now coming to talk to the man as he practically downed drinks like shots. This was exactly why the man drank, this place couldn't stay normal if it tried. Ah well, he'd multitask then, offer Silfe support. He was fairly certain now was not the time for a heart to heart, considering one just broke no doubt, and Darlyn had his own business with Kay to discuss.


"Bad news? When do I ever have that?" He gave Kay a grin and quietly began to reach out with the Force for something with wheels, or easily moved. "No, it's a lot of good news actually. Mostly about Shoden, she's growing up quite fast. And ah, well I'm starting to worry I won't be able to keep teaching her at the pace she needs, you know? Not to mention I've gotten a few tips about my doppelganger, where he might be laying low and what not. And I've little in the way of connections to help teach her, besides maybe Ghorua if he's not too busy."

There, that would work. Without looking away from Kay or the conversation, he slightly tightened his grip on one of the serving carts moving food and dishes in and out of the room. It would move rather suddenly between Brad and Silfe, if the Prince wasn't paying attention anyways.

[member="Adron Malvern"] | [member="Lady Kay"] | [member="Darben Skirae"] | [member="The Whispering Tyrant"] | [member="Caedyn Arenais"] | [member="Loreena Arenais"] | [member="Rys'sya"] | [member="Rahn Haaku"] | [member="Jairdain"] | [member="Bradshaw Ku"]m | [member="Stardust Bloodstone"] | [member="Silfe Sosuri"]

 

[Amelia von Sorenn]

"He never was a silent one that damn man..."

Amelia sighed and grumbled under her breath as she stood in front of [member="Silfe Sosuri"] . That night she was sure that many within the ballroom had known of the events surrounding her death and that the knowledge they thought her dead had been a comfort. She had planned on revealing herself alive to the Queen and only her, to let her know that an old friend was the head of the Dimean Order and had restructured it as such - though it seemed her desire and what the galaxy wanted were two separate things - and now she had a choice. Keeping those golden hues upon Silfe, she offered a small smile, already feeling the turmoil that raged within the young woman.

"It seems tonight is a night for drama."

Slowly she brought her hands up, grasping at the hem of the heavy hood of her cloak. With another deep sigh, she slowly drew the hood down, her raven black locks slowly cascading down her back as the hood was released. Her left hand slipped down to the clasp, unhooking it and permitting the cloak to puddle at her feet as she stood in her gown, a pair of lightsabers hanging at her hips. Carefully smoothing out the wrinkles, she slowly opened her eyes to reveal the golden hues before slowly pivoting upon her hind foot.

Carefully her golden hues slowly moved over the crowd - and she made it a point to ensure that Silfe remained behind her - as her focus settled upon [member="Bradshaw Ku"] and [member="Jairdain"] . Taking a moment to collect her words and let a few gasps subside as the woman whom had been declared dead now stood there quietly. Her attention shifted for a moment, spotting [member="Lady Kay"] in the corner near the drinks with [member="Darlyn Excron"] - before once more returning her focus unto the Prince. If he approached, she would hold a hand up slightly, an attempt to keep some distance between him and his former lover whilst also taking a single step back towards Silfe.

"Not Here..."

She mouthed, enough so that he could easily read her lips before she opened her mind for a moment. With a little luck and if he were not too focused on keeping his mental defenses in place, her voice would slip into his mind. Either way, she also ensured to mouth the words as a precaution.

"Compose yourself your highness. There is a time and a place for this reunion and it is not this moment."

Closing her eyes for another moment, she let out a heavy sigh, still coming to terms with her own newly found powers of the force. Slowly her golden hues fluttered open again before she spoke.

"Congratulations are in order to the couple - and I see a few of you are surprised to see me alive."

A soft smirk crossed her lips before she continued.

"This is apparently a night for revelry and enjoyment and thus let us not ruin the evening."

She would offer a small bow of her head before turning around, a hand gently coming to rest upon Silfe's shoulder once more. Carefully she would guide the young woman out of the ballroom and towards the balcony she had once been residing on earlier that night. Her eyes focusing upon the decanter that remained as she poured herself another glass of the sanguine liquid. It was likely though that others would follow - which was part of her own plan - a means to ensure the night wouldn't be ruined with drama by taking it outside.

Leaning back against the railing, she took a small sip of the liquid before setting the glass down next to the decanter. Her eyes shifting to Silfe whilst also watching the doors that lead back into the ballroom.

"Its been a while my dear..."

 

[Jairdain]

The young woman stood as her news reached the brain of Bradshaw. Softly spoken words congratulating them on their engagement were all but lost after she pointed out Silfe was here.

Her fiancée did nothing unexpected by her. A past flame had appeared and he felt torn. While it was not something Jairdain had intended to do, she had essentially stolen him away from Silfe. At his request for help, she had taken him away from Commenor, made him for a time, put what he was to the side and it had brought them together.

She was faced with a choice of her own. Thoughts filled her mind and a sense of not quite jealousy rose in her. In her turn, she was confused as well. Not about her own feelings for Brad or Silfe, but at the situation. One thing was secure in her and that was her love for Brad. She let him go. Not in the sense of her being over what they had or ending their relationship. They had been through too much for something like this to rock that foundation for her. There was a risk in doing this, he may not come back.

That was something they would deal at another time, if that happened. Right here and now though, the news Kay had brought along with their own, was shadowed. Allowing him to reach Silfe first, if he continued after Amelia attempted to stop him, she would then approach as a friend of the other women and companion to Bradshaw.

When Amelia revealed to Brad she could use the Force, Jairdain picked up on that true surprise. She didn't know what it was caused by though. The motions of him to stop weren't entirely missed by her. Anything unspoken was though and the mouthed words were not seen for obvious reasons. As Amelia spoke, it almost brought Jairdain to a halt, her steps slowed and she listened to what was said.

"Thank you, Amelia. I never thought I would hear that from you."

Her words could be hear​d from a few different perspectives. Amelia had been thought dead by most here. It may also be interpreted as how she meant it, genuine surprise at hearing them.

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay breathed a sigh of relief to hear that [member="Darlyn Excron"] didn't have bad news for her. There was hardly a time that he did, which was true. Still, most of the news that she had gotten from people was bad news lately, so it was starting to become a habit with expecting it. Plus she'd been in a glum state of mind since the trial and exile of [member="Veiere Arenais"] . Any moments of joy felt emptier than before, with the feelings quite fleeting.

"Shoden's going well? That's great to hear. I'm not sure what Ghorua's up to. He has his daughter [member="Minna Balin"] that he's been training." It had been quite a time since Kay had a visit with [member="Ghorua the Shark"] . The Herglic was one of her longest and most trustworthy friends. Just like Darlyn, he was family to her. "I could send a message out to him if you'd like."

And now onto the doppleganger. In truth, Kay hadn't thought about that situation where someone tried to frame Darlyn in quite some time. "What leads do you have on the doppleganger? Any idea who it is?"

The commotion behind her with [member="Bradshaw Ku"] , @Silfie Sosuri and [member="The Whispering Tyrant"] was...well, behind her. So she didn't have a good sense of the drama that was unfolding.

It was never a dull moment when the lot of them got together.

 

[Bradshaw Ku]

Was he running?

It felt like it as he weaved through the crowd of guests. Every step forward bringing him that much further from his training and that much closer to losing his composure entirely. Forward progress became a backward mental slide threatening to devolve him into the Bradshaw that [member="Silfe Sosuri"] last knew; a rash and irresponsible Prince who took little heed of his stately responsibilities. Always acting with haste in favor of passion or entertainment, whatever the situation.

Funny how quickly so many months of intense training could melt away with ease. He could meditate for hours upside down on a mountain peak all he wanted but staving off starvation, thirst, tribes, and desert sandstorms was not at all, as it now turned out, like wrestling with one's emotions, not like this. So sudden and unexpected was it. So much learned wisdom, wasted.

He only wanted to see her up close.

Was it really her?

Wanted to talk to her.

Where had she been?

He wanted to say the goodbyes to a relationship that never had its proper closing scene. He was supposed to return more powerful in the Force and a more dignified Prince, he was never supposed to return engaged. That wasn’t what any of them expected.

Everything else in the world bled together like dripping paint on the edge of his vision. The only image still defined against the messy background; a black dress, a red bow, and hair pulled back from features that could only be hers…-

He jerked out of his tunnel vision only a moment before an errant serving cart rolled suddenly into his path, skidding clumsily to a stop just before making a messy collision of it all.

When he looked up from the cart and across the room, he couldn’t see Silfe anymore. Where she had been, there was now an imposing cloaked figure. For a split second his hand reached for the lightsaber hidden beneath his jacket. But then the cloak fell to the floor to reveal the walking dead — in more than one sense.

Amelia?

"Not Here..." she mouthed, and then very unexpectedly, he heard her voice in his head.

She was supposed to be dead. Killed while he’d been away training. But here she was, as plane as he’d seen Silfe. He could feel her in the Force too. He was baffled. Was this yet another trick of her mysterious race?

He cautiously continued forward. She took a step back.

"Compose yourself your highness. There is a time and a place for this reunion and it is not this moment.”

He stopped as she held up a hand, more from confusion than anything else.

Yes… she really was speaking to him telepathically, her silent voice carried through the Force to him. Since when was she Force sensitive?!

What the karking hell was going on?!

He looked around to see if anyone else was seeing what he was. First Silfe, then a supposedly killed minister. Was he dreaming? Had he gone mad? But those worries were at least short lived when he saw others react to Amelia’s reveal.

He still couldn’t see Silfe. Was she behind Amelia?

Why wasn't she walking to meet him? He wondered with a heart growing heavy, when the formerly deceased minister then spoke out loud to congratulate Jair and himself on their engagement and then pleading that it remain a happy occasion.

He didn’t speak. Words felt too hollow in this situation. When Amelia turned and placed a hand on Silfe, guiding her away, his gaze lowered along with his sinking heart.

She had to have heard him, but She didn’t even say so much as a hello.

He had, it turned out, grown during his training. The old Brad wouldn't have let anything, or anyone, stop him from moving forward, cocksure, to grab Silfe by the shoulders to get the answers to the questions that were now weighing down his heart. Everything else be damned. If it turned into a scene, all the better.

Instead, he stood alone, watching Silfe be walked away by [member="The Whispering Tyrant"]. Not even so much as having registered [member="Jairdain"]'s own comment to Amelia. There he would be -- with clenched jaw, unsettled thoughts, and anguishing soul -- when his fiancée caught up to him.

​

| [member="Lady Kay"] | [member="Darlyn Excron"] | ​

 

[Darlyn Excron]

There, everything was settled for now. Which meant Darlyn could focus on [member="Lady Kay"], and her alone. He paid [member="The Whispering Tyrant"] little heed, aside from reaching to his flask to take a drink of the vastly stronger whisky to comfort the fact he once again expected some sort of drama from the revealed not-so-dead Amelia and everything it entailed. The man was more at risk of alcohol poisoning than being shot these days with this group. Well, with more alcohol in his system he felt a little more capable of getting through the evening without throwing something at someone to relieve tension. That something very probably being another person.

"I would like that. I'm not exactly sure if my channels still work and I do need to work on following up those leads before they go bad. Speaking of which, I don't exactly know. Who it is, I mean. From what I've got all I can guess is it's not someone particularly young, or experienced as a pirate. Leaves quite a lot of footage behind, along with very little killing or destruction of ships. Seems like he wants to play the noble bandit if you get what I mean." He sighed a bit and tucked his whisky flask a way, before continuing. "Really though that's, all we know about him. Unless its some highly advanced robot it seems to be some man playing the noble bandit. We think we might know one of his contacts but they're... not exactly within our space. I'd tell you more but..."

 

[Silfe Sosuri]

Why had she not gone to him regardless of the scene it could have caused? Because Silfe had always been the more cognizant of the two. Had she known that she would be causing more of a scene than a happy reunion, she would not have come and merely visited at another time. As it was the longer she remained, the more likely her presence would cause more of a stir. [member="Lady Kay"] was always even tempered about drama of this nature, but Silfe could not bring herself to be any more of a distraction of the celebration than she had already. There was no way to have known she was walking into the announcement of [member="Bradshaw Ku"] and [member="Jairdain"]'s engagement.

Her eyes drifted to watch Brad walking swiftly towards her but before he reached his long lost girlfriend, a cart and Amelia stopped him. She was right of course. This wasn't the time for a reunion of this nature. Back from the dead plus happy equals added celebration. Back from the dead plus anguished lovers and complications of all sorts subtracted from celebration. Simple. Yet it didn't seem to help as she caught a glimpse of the man she had loved before he was blocked from her vision.

With monumental effort, she bowed her head to Jairdain and then turned to begin going in the direction Amelia had indicated before. Once Amelia left Brad on the ballroom floor, Silfe would let Amelia steer her where she will. She was numb. How long she stayed that way was hard to know. She couldn't ask those typical questions yet like Why, How, When, etc. She could only move where directed, in a fog that lifted only briefly enough for her to speak to her friend, ever aware of politeness and social cues, "Thank you Amelia. I hope I am not taking away from your planned evening."

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay furrowed her brows as she listened to [member="Darlyn Excron"] while he explained what he had learned so far about the imposter. "Are you sure that he's leaving footage and clues behind because he's inexperienced? Or is it that he is baiting you into following him and finding him? He tried to frame you, remember? So he's obviously got some sort of vendetta against you." It must've happened long before him and Kay had met all those years ago on Bespin.

"You'd tell me more, but what? Are you afraid that I won't let you go? It's better to have this dealt with sooner, rather than later. Trust me...." Sometimes people or things tended to haunt her if she didn't deal with them straight away. Or they'd come back to ruin things for her.

 

[Amelia von Sorenn]

"If anything you've brought a measure of excitement to my planned evening - though I believe that revealing myself alive rather than dead had its own shock and awe added upon the evening."

Of course she hadn't planned any of this; rather having only the desire to reveal to [member="Lady Kay"] that she were still living - though perhaps it was a heaven sent boon that she was not able to do so at this moment. Perhaps in the long run it was best that Kay thought her dead and believed that the others had seen a ghost or otherwise were seeing things that were not there. With a soft smile upon her lips she brought her glass up once more, taking a sip before setting it down between herself and [member="Silfe Sosuri"].

"I would offer you some though I do not believe you'd be able to handle it."

Amelia spoke as she looked to the glass and decanter that sat quietly upon the railing of the balcony. Her golden hues fell upon the young woman again before she peered towards the doors back into the ballroom. Surely they had shaken up the evening between the various reveals and announcements; though for now it was best they remain away from the crowd and allow them a time to compose themselves and think upon what had happened. Of course she had to see to Silfe and thus the young woman was her priority in that moment.

"I'm sure you have plenty of questions and I'll do what I can to fill in the blanks that would otherwise have arisen. I've not been upon Commenor for sometime though since my death; thus I'm not sure what the current status of its politics is or whom the current movers and shakers are."

Keeping her attention upon Silfe, she offered a soft smile, her hand lightly caressing the young woman's cheek before she turned and leaned forward. Her arms resting on the balcony railing as she looked out upon the property beyond, permitting another smile to cross her lips. Though it may not seem it, she was indeed waiting and listening with all her attention and focus upon her old companion.

[member="Bradshaw Ku"] | [member="Jairdain"]​