Desert Sand & Power Plays (Fringe Dominion of Sabarene)

[Manu Xextos]

The mist settled on Abha's early morning. Dew had begun to collect on the fountain's aqualines, in truth it was condensation from the subterranean water pumps bringing water from the underground aquifer, but the condensation had begun to flow each morning and get soaked up by seeds in the sand to sprout a moss-like herb along the water lines. Since settling on Sabarene, the refugees and officers of the Sv'Yato Fleet had combined their cultures and dreams to create a new land of Echani, Nelvaani and then Epicanthix. Warrior cultures steeped into the sand and ocean.

"The arena set? When does the High Council of the Fringe arrive?" Manu asked [member="Livia Maddox"], his Second in Command. An arena had been set up for the celebration, highlighting the best warriors in the Fringe. For those who were not in the fighting mood, the good Captain Maddox would be in the state room negotiating industrial and commercial deals for the good of Sabarene.

"I'll be in my box. Hey, someone find out where my wife's got to, please. And tell [member="Darth Vornskr"] the Royal Box is ready."

Tournament of Sabarene:
@Mention @Manu Xextos to enter in the free for all. Weapons allowed. No warheads. No Umbrakinesis. Have fun.

Winner's Prize:

• A home in Abha.
• Prize Money courtesy of Gunderson's Nuts
• Mad Props.

Second Place:

• The Contents of Manu Xextos' pockets
• Kudos

Third Place:

• Semi-mad props & Kudos
• The delight of knowing you rock slightly less than the winners, but more than the folk who didn't try.

List of Fighters:

• [member="Ahani Najwa"]
• [member="Rave Merrill"]
• [member="Khaleel Malvern"]

 

[Ashin Varanin]

There had been a time, and not long ago either, when Ashin would have jumped at the chance to fight in one of these. Even with the planet's development and cultural unity at stake, though, she opted to keep her name off the lists. So far as she was aware, this was for three reasons. First, she couldn't avoid the expectations game - she could either do as anticipated, or embarrass herself. Second, there wasn't much within ten thousand light years that was capable of posing a genuinely interesting challenge, apart from people she'd no real desire to fight. And third, she rarely fought for sport anymore because, when she had to fight someone for real, she didn't want them to know what she could do.

 

[Ahani Najwa-Zambrano]

Where others were less likely to put their fighting on display, Ahani Najwa did so with abandon. The Echani Master loved a good battle, and a fight with others was just a big show to her. Ahani had that luxury, she wasn't Empress and Legend. Ahani was just the mom who stuck around and as she waited for her competition, Ahani stretched in the ring.

"Where's [member="Lucianus Adair"] at? He's always good for a fight. Tell him he can keep his shirt!" Ahani called up to the Royal Box.

 

[Velok the Younger]

[member="Manu Xextos"]

For her part, Rave was after a change of pace. Sabarene had little to compel AEI/ICE's attention, which made it easier to put business on the back burner for once. Instead, she'd signed up for the tournament. Varanin might turn up her nose at it, but Rave had been around long enough to know that a Forcer conquered according to self-knowledge, according to how well skillsets were internalized. Many, many people claimed to know everything (and Rave had picked up her share of tricks and then some) -- but not many of them were genuinely effective. Her skills were growing, her talents broadening, and she had no desire to become one of those people.

Not above making her own statement -- this was meant to impress the locals, after all -- she opted to leave her apex creations out of the equation. Entropy, the sword that shredded offensive Force powers; the Witchmaster armor, capable of shrugging off everything from Shatterpoint to sonics to disruptors; Second Skin, a biological equivalent to powered songsteel armor; a dozen other things she'd made. She wore a simple garment of tikulini leather that covered her from hips to neck and shoulders, a long tight shirt or minidress. Good for mobility, in its way. Her weapon was similarly basic, at least in appearance and ambition, a proof-of-concept training instrument that she'd never used in serious combat before.

A wooden bokken. An alchemized bokken, to be precise, with contact paralysis emitters along its leading edge -- emitters that ignored both shields and armor. The senshi teima Masamune-Merrill, her coworker had called them.

 

[Garith Darkhold]

As much as the thought of combat brought a gleam of pleasure within Yokuni’s eyes he knew better. No he could not join, that brought him displeasure as he walked to a booth he was assigned too. His displeasure, anger was the very reason he could not join. At some point in one of the duels it was a fact he would lose control. A very fact that would cost lives of many spectators within the stands.

 

[Darth Carnifex]

The Emperor of Panatha was dressed to impress this evening, his body covered with extravagant silks and linen clothing from across the great wide galaxy. His hair had been allowed to fall freely, although it was pulled backwards slightly and kept snug by the circlet of onyx and ruby that encircled his head. His eyes, one emerald and one lilac, shone brightly to all who he would look upon with his dark piercing gaze. A gaze, some would say, that looked deep into your very soul, and plucked apart all of your secrets and insecurities and brought them forth to the material world. However; as mysterious and positively macabre that sounded to the Emperor, it was only a little bit of mental probing through the Force to gleam further intelligence on who he was dealing with, and at this festive occasion he was doing quite a bit of that. Not towards anyone who actually had the abilities to detect and deter such probings of course, but those individuals who lacked such defenses were easy prey for him.

Trailing behind the Emperor were his two most trusted servants, Xander and Baleric, whom had served Kaine Zambrano for many years, and were widely considered to be the first individuals to join Kaine back when he was a lowly lieutenant of Imperial Intelligence. Their loyalty would not waver throughout the many trials and tribulations they and their Lord underwent, and in return they had been rewarded with many dark gifts that had made them into savage, yet precise and efficient, warriors that would throw their lives down for the glory of their Lord. They both were dressed in the iconic crimson-variant of the Vornskr'ei Blackblade combat armor designed and commissioned by Kaine himself for his soldiers, and both wielded unlit lightsaber pikes in their armored grip. The Emperor hardly went anywhere without them, although in reality he truly did not need them to protect him, as the Emperor was quite skilled and powerful enough to dispose of any would-be assassins that might come his way.

However; they remained at his side for looks, as what self-respecting dictator would be caught dead without his feared bodyguards?

A fool, that's who.

Anyways, the Emperor was busy perusing the tournament grounds when he received word that the Royal Box set up for him and his gracious host, Master [member="Manu Xextos"], had finally been prepared. Wasting no time, the Emperor and his entourage quickly made their way for the royal box. He would arrive in only a few short moments, and would greet his host with a respectful bow and shake of hands.

"My my, my dear Master Xextos, what a magnificent festival this is. I must tell you that I am enjoying myself to the fullest, although I hunger for the tournament to commence."

 

[Livia Maddox]

Location: Business Tea & VIP Spectator Box (1 Level Under the Royal Box, but connected via a short stair)
Objective: Coordinating Commercial & Governmental connections for Sabarene
Second Objective: Wincing a lot as [member="Rave Merrill"] beats up [member="Ahani Najwa"] & whoever else tries.

"Presently, Sir. I am expecting the High Council and the Dignitaries anytime. Their escorts will bring them directly here." Waved off, Maddox let the click, click, click of her cane be the only noise of her departure as the crippled Captain descended from the Royal Box.

Captain Livia 'Fury' Maddox was dressed in her dress uniform with her boots shined and her Officer's cap perched pristinely atop her well braided hair. Coiffed, cosmetically applied and cleanly pressed, the Captain looked the model of efficiency. Her dour pout didn't disappoint either. Glancing over the timetable, Captain Maddox scanned the tables set, checked on the tea and hors d'oevres and let one of her officers pour her a glass of blossom wine.

It was time to see that all of the non-combatant VIPs got their places and were able to begin making connections here on Sabarene. She looked up and to the right to see [member="Manu Xextos"] greet [member="Darth Vornskr"] and knew the Admiral had his task at hand well tended at the least. Scanning the crowd, she saw [member="Ashin Varanin"] and hoped that the invitation for Ashin to come up to the VIP box had gotten to the woman. Seeing [member="Togashi Yokuni"] sitting in the stands, Livia made certain to send a young Atrisian Ensign to go collect the Clan Lord and bring him to the VIP box as well.

There was an excellent view of the festivities and as the stands filled up, Livia hoped the Council and the Business Delegates would arrive soon.

High Council: [member="Lucianus Adair"], [member="Lucien Cordel"], [member="Anders Sivas"], [member="Jared Ovmar"], [member="Lady Exedō"], [member="Sargon Vynea"]
Business Delegates: [member="Marek Starchaser"], [member="Seanna Vel"], [member="Danger Arceneau"], @Any other business interests who wish to attend and possibly do business with Sabarene.

 

[Manu Xextos]

[member="Darth Vornskr"] 's arrival was met with the crisp salute from Manu's own Honour Guard, as the two Royal Houses came to share the same Box. Having imposed his own right to rule as the Progenitor Royale of Sabarene, Manu's silver hair had upon it a crown of fine crafted metals twisted and wrung together from platinum, bronze and Desh-Terenthium. Each of the metals carried their own symbolic natures: Platinum was as precious as the memories the Royal kept, it was a metal of luxury and tradition. The long-standing beauty of time. The bronze signified the struggle of bringing copper and other metals together in an alloy which although not original or elemental bonded the Houses of Chandaar, Xextos, Najwa and Keth who pledged their allegiance to the Banner of Xextos. The Desh-Terenthium was but a sleek piece of hull taken from the belly of a damaged destroyer in the Sv'Yato Fleet, during the long escape and journey from Tythe and Nelvaan to Sabarene. Stones from Nelvaan and Tythe were inlaid in the crown by the Nelvaani refugees, and although many were quartz or semi-precious (if precious at all), each stone was hand polished and placed in the crown as the Nelvaani placed themselves in the Monarch's hands. Woven together in panels and figures denoting Manu's daughters Divya and [member="Chiara Viren"], son Lochan Indra, wife [member="Erryn Xextos"], sister Dahlia Najwa, battle brother Kavi Raste, mother [member="Ahani Najwa"] and one figure wrought as the anthropomorphic figure of the Force itself, the crown was a work of Mastercraftsmen and although as new as the settlements on Sabarene, was as comfortable a possession on Manu's head as his silver and white Armour he had worn for centuries in his encasement in crystal: the armour of his station as the Echanar of the long dead Kae.

Regal was the head that bore the crown, for Manu Xextos had been a Royal centuries longer than Kaine Zambrano had been alive. Originally hesitant to call up such fancies, upon discerning the temperament of his fellow leader Manu agreed with his Council of Elders that in order to keep strong the roots laid on Sabarene - roots of peace and not of surreptitious Epicanthix take overs - Manu must become who he had once been and rule both galactic skies and planetary sands. His mind touched each of his Padawans, impressing upon [member="Token Waters"] and [member="Siyndacha Aerin"] his pride in their accomplishments and the desire for them both to attend.

Standing side by side, the two monarchs were antithetical and brazen in their mutual dichotomy. Once again Manu was in a place where the Darkest of souls resided in concert with his unquenchable Light. Manu clasped Kaine's hand as both equal and (dare he say) friend. "Emperor Zambrano, welcome! Welcome, yes I am also eager for the festivities to begin. While the main event continues to grow and muster its' competitors, we have a display of Echani hand-to-hand combat skills for our amusement. I trust your settlement is to your liking. How are my engineers suiting your needs for water processing? I hear they're enjoying their time embracing our cultures in both hands."

 

[Asher]

I followed [member="Anders Sivas"] and Bucket along the hallways. At least this time I had dressed for the occasion and a gray suit with a black shirt would have to do for now. In any case I wasn’t here as a friend as much as I was here to help Anders with their business. Granted, they had Bucket for that but having two assistants wouldn't really hurt would it? Not like it really mattered to Bucket either, or at least so I hoped. Over the course of the few weeks since the party me and that bucket of bolts had developed a form of, well, call it a friendship. A really odd one at that.

“...- and except for that you’ve been placed in the ‘Business Box’ along with Captain Maddox and the rest of the High Council.” A deep breath to get a break from my running rant on what was up. “Oh and we’re also expecting a select bunch of ‘business delegates’ to join us in there as well.”

I stashed the datapad away for now and continued in silence. There was that feeling in the air. Something had gone unsaid and we all knew it. A few awkward moments of silence came to pass, but before long the familiar static that I’d grown used to over the last few weeks sparked up in a comment.

<<“You know I could have summarized that a lot better, meatbag.”>>

And the silence was broken, again.

“I’m sure you could, bolts.” I turned my attention to Bucket. “Though I don’t know if handing the pad to Anders would count as much of a summary.”

A smirk grew on me as I returned to keeping quiet. We approached the doorway to the ‘business box’ and the doors slid open while broadcasting their hissed screech for all to hear. I nodded at Anders to enter first. They were the higher-up, it would've been inappropriate for the 'assistant' to enter first. It simply was the right thing to do.

“Well, at least 'Captain [member="Livia Maddox"]' is here already.” I waved at her in a greeting. “I’ll let you do the business-talking-thing from here on, Anders.”

 

[Ashin Varanin]

Ashin examined the invitation with a flat smile. From her place in the stands, she watched the entries and exits to the VIP box, and the royal box above it. Her staff murmured something indignant.

"Let the Echani have their day," she said. "Let them put the crowns a level above the High Council if they want."

Which wasn't the thrust of her staffers' critique, and she knew it, but this wasn't the moment to press one's imperium.

Then again, her throne wasn't the only one ignored. She glanced over at the Queen of Eshan. "You could go up there, though. Make nice or something."

[member="Spencer Jacobs"]

 

[Velok the Younger]

For all the blood she'd spilled, the monsters slaughtered and Masters humiliated, Rave had never participated in a fighting competition before. Not for sport, anyway; the bloody elimination training on Dathomir and the Sith academy didn't count. So she just...waited, bokken across her shoulders, a little unsure of what happened next.

 

[Arage Bao]

[member="Ashin Varanin"] [member="Spencer Jacobs"]

Titles, circlets and casus bellis aside a lone Sith Lord found his way to the area of action. Ovmar had already seen the distinct placement of the boxes, his invitation curled up in one of his pockets and as he walked over to where Varanin and Jacobs were there was only one thing on his mind.

Well, there were really two things on his mind, but one had to do with food, which wasn’t nearly as relevant right now. Jared Ovmar, billionaire, title claimant and holder of several others, business-man at times, but foremost a Despot alongside Varanin and the other members of the old crew.

He was this and more - but who really cared about such fingerprints? When you are in a room with the Conqueror of a Hundred (Thousand?) worlds, a Superweapon in a cocktail dress and a half-dozen other powerhouses in their own rights? Your own accomplishments weren’t nearly as interesting.

At any rate.

‘Varanin, Spencer. Seems the Royals have it cushy up there.’ he said in greeting to his old Masters, the implication was probably noticeable.

 

[Allyson Locke]

Spencer ripped into a cloud of cotton candy, she watched the boxes and listened to the two that were standing beside her. Frustration was in the air around her as she watched the royal box with distinct hazel eyes. There was a bit of flash, which was something her time as the Echani’s current Queen, hadn’t seen from the people. Tearing into a bit more of her cotton candy, she looked towards Ashin. “Why is a royal who isn’t even on the high council above them? The Fringe aren’t some sort of lap dogs or the type to bend on their knees praising someone.”

Frowning at Ashin's comment she shook her head, "You know that would just end in disaster." Spencer filed people into two categories, threat or not a threat and her mind was quickly making changes to the names in those categories.

Swallowing the dissolved sugar, she noticed Ovmar. A smile spread across her face as she waved and offered a bit of of the cloudy sugar. “Why aren’t you up there, Mr. Money-bags?”

[member="Jared Ovmar"] [member="Ashin Varanin"]

 

[Arage Bao]

[member="Spencer Jacobs"]

‘I still remember the ol’ days, Spencer.’ he replied smoothly and it was true. It didn’t matter who was up there, because the people who mattered, really mattered? They were here, at the cheap seats, and yes in his hubris the Sith Lord counted himself amongst them.

 

[Ashin Varanin]

[member="Jared Ovmar"] [member="Spencer Jacobs"]

"Comfort has its implications," she said, steepling her fingers. "But I considered at least going up to the VIP box as invited. I hate to seem aloof."

She reconsidered, visibly.

"Or maybe I don't. I think my staff would have a collective coronary if I accepted that invitation. It's all I can do to keep them from adding a crown to every outfit I wear in public."

 

[Allyson Locke]

“I remember them as well, you were quite lost in the galaxy weren’t you?” Jared has his ways to place a smile on Spencer’s face. Though her smile turned into laughter as she looked at Ashin and imagined the comment of the crowns. She pulled off another bit of the cotton candy and played with it between her fingers. Glancing towards her wife she smirked. “So they would make you wear your hubris like a hat. I can’t say I don’t enjoy the look, but you might break your neck.”

Spencer adjusted herself and looked back up towards the boxes. Narrowing her eyes she could feel the people there, but when she counted the figures there was an extra person. “Who else is up there besides the royal and the high council?”

[member="Jared Ovmar"] [member="Ashin Varanin"]

 

[Arage Bao]

[member="Ashin Varanin"] [member="Spencer Jacobs"]

Ovmar considered the question briefly, until he finally disconcerned the signatures standing proudly within the box. Both of ‘em were known to him, one through his less savory dealings with the Sith of the Galaxy, the other through his slightly more savory dealings during the time that the CIS was still a thing, or more of a thing than it was now at least.

‘Xextos and Zambrano with the royals, seems one of ‘em got hitched. Maddox in the VIP-room and a few others I don’t know.’

Still, this was awfully strange and he voiced the strangeness of the situation to both of them.

‘I wonder. Is this a not-so-veiled insult, staggering ignorance or a mixture of both?’

 

[Ashin Varanin]

[member="Spencer Jacobs"] [member="Jared Ovmar"]

"Two mistakes. Faux pas. Pretty basic." She frowned over her steepled fingertips in contemplation. "Maddox...the captain that's being transferred to the Levantine Sanctum. His Majesty is seeing to it; she was...something to him. First officer maybe. Honestly, I forget. I should have brought the Grave Wind's officers down for some sunshine."

She went into a sidebar with her staff for a moment -- business of the Hand and of the Fringe's military -- and emerged with a flat and unamused expression.

"And meanwhile we sit on Sabarene while Vassek, Lorta, Lanteeb, Ryoone and the rest keep Thakwaa and Seoul dependent on a couple of easily interdicted routes right beside the Protectorate. I believe I'm going to head south once we're done here."

 

[Allyson Locke]

Frowning Spencer looked down at her finished cotton candy. Looking over at Jared she waved the bald cardboard cone at him. “Doesn’t the high council vote on the planet targets?” Listening to what Ashin had said there seemed to be bigger targets south which were prime for the picking and placing them in good range of the other factions.

Spencer shrugged. “Well at least there’s a plan to go south. Jared could provide the news to the council once we’re done here on Sabarene. Hmm, we should build a small place here Ashin, you think Ibaris would like it?” Remembering the things her daughter enjoys she sighed. “Though if she likes it, that means there are giant creatures that could swallow her whole.”

[member="Ashin Varanin"] [member="Jared Ovmar"]

 

[Arage Bao]

[member="Spencer Jacobs"] [member="Ashin Varanin"]

Ovmar shrugged.

‘No problem.’

And yet he kept studying the higher boxes, there was calculation behind those eyes, plans being shaped, discarded - repeated over and over again, eventually he looked back at his companions and spoke again.

‘Vacation houses aside, do we provide an example?’

Coming from anyone else it could have meant anything, coming from this man, in this particular situation, at this time? It meant one thing only, both of ‘em would know what the Sith Lord meant.

One from her unique position as his Master, the other through her own experiences in empire-building.