Curiosity and Wine

[Doyle]

Octavia wasn't new to the many hallways and floors of the Spire on Zakuul. On the contrary, she had wandered them for years. During the time of the First Order's occupation, both herself, [member="Jareth"] and the other Scions remained quiet like shadows. Of course they were plotting among themselves, biding their time before the future caught up with their visions.

And it did.

The First Order lost their power, Zakuul was on it's own and they had a new Empress to restore the Eternal Empire's power to greatness. They were well on their way towards that.

Sipping her wine from her glass, Octavia casually strolled through one of the halls adjacent to the War Room. Her robes were a deep red, decorated with gold that accented her blonde hair. She had made it a habit long ago to always look her best. Those looks had a purpose. It made some men weak and eager to give away their secrets.

Curiosity led her to seek out [member="Sentus Olan"] . His future was harder to see than most. It was complicated and went along different paths. So now she took it upon herself to be sure that his path went in the direction that she chose.

A small smile touched the corner of her lips as she saw him heading towards her, probably only meaning to pass her by, but Octavia made sure to get into his way. "Sentus. Mind if I call you that? Could I have a word with you?"

 

[Thom Naudir]

Sentus had just got out of a last minute meeting he had not known about until three minutes before it started. It had been a minor gathering of individuals, mostly civilians of low rank and a single naval Captain. The topic itself was covering the economic recovery initiative being planned for some of the poorer regions of Zakuul. In truth it was a wonderful thought, however few members of the local nobility truly cared. Despite the Empress's best efforts, many on Zakuul still held to the belief that economic wealth and prosperity entitled them to being a different level of citizen, one not beholden to the plight of others. Due to this there were not many who took notice or supported the plan. As the Empress was busy, she herself could not attend. In her place, she sent Sentus.

The shock on everyone's face when the highest ranking military leader in the Empire entered the room was funny for a time. His presence lent credibility and support to the initiative, and already new backers were stepping forward to help the plan. It was all well and good, but it had been a dreary meeting. He thought his battle plans were complex. Listening to the primary points, sub points, secondary options and tertiary support items for just the first step of the fifty step plan had well taken an hour. He had been in that small room for nearly nine hours when it was finally called to an end for the day, with promise to pick up again tomorrow. Sentus had shook some hands, smiled to the cameras, and left quickly.

He needed a drink.

He was currently pulling the blue gloves that matched his blue and gold uniform off, and tucking them into a small pouch underneath the short cape that covered his right shoulder and most of his arm. He came to a halt however as a figure stepped into his path. He looked up quickly, his eyes narrowing before he straightened himself. Octavia Ameliai, Scion of the Eternal Empire. He had little interaction with her in the past. Their two spheres of influence did not always overlap in the ways of this world, but he knew of her. Knew enough to know he needed to be very careful what he said. He did not like people knowing too much about him, and he was aware of Octavia's ability to finding things out at the slightest slip.

He let a smile briefly cross his face as he dipped his head in greeting. "Scion Ameliai, a pleasure to see you again. You may call me what you wish ma'am, and if you are quick, we may speak. I have some...plans for the evening."

[member="Octavia Ameliai"]

 

[Doyle]

Ahh there it was; the kind of look that she was used to. It was the one of polite caution with a hint of distaste. The hesitation in his sentence was more than enough to hint at the false truths in his statement.

Octavia merely smiled as she stepped in beside [member="Sentus Olan"] and linked her arm with his so that he couldn't get away so easily. "Well then, I shall walk with you and we can speak before you head off for your...plans." She hesitated in the same manner that he did and with the same tone of voice. Was she mocking him? Maybe slightly.

"Where do you see yourself in ten years? People carry a lot of ambition. I'm curious as to where yours lay." His future was clouded, so many paths lay at his feet. What Sentus saw himself doing would give Octavia a hint of which path held higher odds above all others. It was important for her to know.

[member="Jareth"] would expect it of her.

 

[Thom Naudir]

Sentus flinched slightly as [member="Octavia Ameliai"] linked arms with him, though he quickly hid the reaction as best he could. He did not do well with physical contact. He had not for many years, ever since the death of his wife and the separation between him and his children. He felt a brief flash of shame cross his mind as his body reacted in such a way, showing weakness when he had spent so long building walls to shield him. He would not let it happen again.

"In ten years, I intend to still be in service to our Empress. Beyond that, I have a few personal goals and objectives. I wish to see my children raised on a peaceful world, where their education can proceed unhindered. I desire to take some vengeance out against the Jedi and Sith who see the galaxy as nothing but a toy in their games. And perhaps most importantly, I desire to get drunk enough that I forget this conversation." The smile that crossed his face was filled with some humor, something he hoped would cover his earlier mistake.

To an extent everything he said was true. He had outlined major plot points on what would become the story of his life. It would be up to her to decide what to believe.

 

[Doyle]

Octavia nodded as she listened to [member="Sentus Olan"] answer her question. Of course she had caught his flinch when she touched him, but made no move to address it. She knew well enough of what to point out and what to not.

"I'm afraid that there won't be peace here for some time. Not until the power and influence of our Empire grows. There are other worlds nearby however, ones that may soon join us in our endevours." Octavia sipped her wine. "As for vengeance against the Jedi and the Sith, I fully agree. It needs to be done. They flaunt their laws over those that don't want to be a part of their conflicts that they themselves have created. There are times when their actions have backfired on them. And those times will come again." She gave him a cunning and knowing smile. "With a little help."

As for his final comment on getting drunk, Octavia had something to say about that too. "I could use some more wine. Shall we head to the parlour? There are plenty of different liquors there to help you forget."