Public Long Live the Queen! (Hapes Consortium + Open)

[Nova Casamyr]

"What in the stars am I doing here?"

Nova Casamyr looked out from a second story balcony at the party floor below, filled with fancy people in fancy clothes who were eating fancy foods and drinking fancy wines. The freighter captain leaned against the balcony railing and wondered what kind of mess she had gotten into this time.

This had all started out as a simple job. She'd been in the Abregado system after a job. The prospects for another run were pretty dry and she had been applying to every local ad she could find and coming up empty. Then she had gotten a ping from an unfamiliar contact. Apparently she had come recommended by Blub, Nova's nickname for the Mon Cal friend of the family, for a long-term commission. A star cluster had contracted outside developers to update their tech capabilities, being especially in need of starship retrofits, and Blub had thrown in Nova's name as a capable starship mechanic.

So obviously Nova had said yes! This was the kind of job a tech-minded spacer such as herself dreamed about getting. She'd get a monthly stipend, work decently normal hours, get to tinker with ships most of the week and still have a few days to herself for sightseeing. The job was scheduled to last until complete with a minimum of two months devoted to the task. How awesome was that? She'd made for Terephon straight away and after a one week orientation, she got cozy and got to work. Sure, leaving Oasis parked planetside for awhile felt pretty strange. But that was a small price to pay.

And then she'd been "seen."

Hapes was a weird kind of place. Gossip seemed to be everywhere. That was fine with Nova. She liked trading stories. But this was different. All of the stories were about Hapes and its illustrious leaders and court politics. Even general workers seemed purely interested in the upper echelon of their society. And not just the Queen. People seemed to be intimately aware of the royal happenings throughout the star cluster.

Nova had dropped a story to some Hapan techs one afternoon while taking a break and had mentioned her family name as a part of the story. Generally, no one was interested in her stories. She told them anyway to feel like she was taking part, but the others politely listened and then moved on to more pertinent stories immediately after. She wasn't offended. They had their interests and that was fine. But this particular story, after she had said "Casamyr," suddenly piqued someone's attention. They asked her to repeat herself and her name, which she did. The next thing she knew the tech was on their datapad furiously typing away and then running off somewhere in a hurry.

That was weird. What was weirder was when a politician-like person approached her at her station later on and Nova was asked to follow. After getting to a conference room, Nova was asked all sorts of questions about her parents and her lineage and her upbringing. The politician left in even more of a hurry than the worker from earlier. Later that night, while she was getting ready for bed on her ship, a message marked urgent pinged on her console. Therein was an invitation to a party with the instructions to wear her best gown and be prepared to meet with representatives from a world called Olanji.

So there Nova stood: at the party, wearing as nice of a dress as she had, and wondering just what in the stars was going on?

 

[Romi Jade]

She kept eyes on Johannes and Rowen's exchange, knowing others would too. She carried herself with strength, someone with intention...it was just a matter of figuring out what side of the spectrum they were on. True allegiances were hard to gauge amongst the members of polite society.

But what Jade was feeling...was--

"Master Jade."

Her head whipped around -- curious

"Oh the New Jedi Order had representation here?" She wouldn't have known; she stepped away from her Watchman role a bit ago. But good, it was good to see more organizations looking to protect to the equity this cluster held. "I thought you looked familiar, nice to meet you Dagon."

She got a whiff of the apprehension, his face spoke to some sort of discomfort "Something wrong?" She repeated. Albeit she didn't feel anything off in the air, but she'd been tunnel vision trying to maintain appearances and on Rowan that she likely could have overlooked something. Since she wasn't here necessarily as a Jedi per say, she wasn't as on heightened alert to other more subtle issues.

She strayed off for a second in thought.

Bouncing around from face to face; her eyes settled on Adron Malvern someone she'd seen Rowan conversing with when she walked in. He was a looker, easily fitting amongst this crowd per say...but she hadn't noticed him at other events of this caliber before. And most of these guest were nobles from around the cluster...most of which she was familiar with.

She wasn't sure his connection to Rowan if any at all, but often the more mysterious guest had a perspective of the room unlike those who'd frequent it.

She swung out in front of Dagon, "At 12...that man there. We should find out who he is and where he came from. Walk with me?"

She began a slow glide, "I'm off duty tonight," she was undercover sort of, "But in crowds like this...everyone has an ulterior motive. It's all plot after plot."

Dagon Kaze

 

[Acantha Malvern]

O O P S
Adron Malvern - Xobos Yakieer - Lady Rowan Vale - Romi Jade - Kuxirra Tano-Bonteri - Dagon Kaze - @Anyone else I may have missed!
Wearing | [X]​

Acantha was far too invested in getting whatever the hell she had sipped off her tongue to notice the disapproving gazes and mumbled complaints. It was only when Xobos appeared at her side that she noticed anything was wrong at all.

Smiling sheepishly at the reflection of her face in the shiny mask, Acantha shook her head. “I don’t wa-…” Her words were cut off without warning. She did not need to turn to know who was currently picking his way through the crowd with nothing short of fury. Panic briefly crossed her eyes, before it was replaced with an eerily calm expression. “I’m in trouble.” She mumbled to the Mirkaluka, just in time for her Father’s dominating shadow to fall over her form.

Before she could say anything else, Adron’s grip caught her arm, and Acantha found herself stumbling over the hem of her dress to keep up with him. “It’s not my fault…” She pleaded with him in a childlike tone riddled with dismay. She knew it was fruitless to even try to explain it to him. So instead, she had the decency to look slightly embarrassed by herself as he chastised her. When he finally walked away, leaving Acantha with nothing but a slightly bruised ego, she let out a deep sigh.

“Well.” She admitted to the Miraluka, her words full of relief. “That could have been a lot worse.” A small smile cracked on her face, which was the last thing she gave the Miraluka before she disappeared into the refresher to attempt to fix her dress. From experience, red and white often did not mix well together. That was, in part, one of the many reasons why she was grateful for her feathers being black.

Even when she turned the water on and scrubbed at the scarlet stains, they simply wouldn’t shift.

 

[Lady Rowan Vale]

Rowan found that she couldn't get a read at all on Prince Johannes' mood as she spoke to him. Like any Hapan of his stature, he had a carefully cultivated and practiced Sabaac face. He would be inwardly breathing a sigh of relief, or readying to call his personal bodyguards to have her executed and Rowan knew that she would never know which until it was done.

After a moment of silence, the Prince responded with a simple. "We are glad to hear it."

There was no shift in the resonant tones of his voice to indicate whether he believed her or not. He simply kept gazing at her, his piercing eyes seeming to penetrate into her very soul. A lesser woman might have adverted her eyes, or shrunk in some kind of contrition at his look but Rowan stood tall and firm. She held his gaze with one of her own, not defiant, but adamant. She had done nothing wrong and she would not be made to feel as if she had.

The moment continued for what seemed like forever and then, just as quickly as it had come, it was over. Prince Johannes blinked and turned his eyes to follow the form of his fiancé Romi Jade as she walked with another Jedi toward the where the King of Illyria, Adron Malvern stood chastising his daughter, Acantha Malvern.

"Our sister," The Prince continued, his tone now somewhat distracted. "Will hear your words at the appointed time. Ensure you are not late."

And with that, he walked away, leaving Rowan utterly dismissed. She watched after him for a moment before taking a sip of her wine once more.

"Yes, majesty." She muttered softly at his retreating back.

***

The party proceeded for the next half hour as one might expect. Rowan stayed mostly to herself, occasionally speaking with this person or that. A couple of times she was able to make eye contact with the young Togruta Kuxirra Tano-Bonteri , and each time she offered the uncertain looking teen a smile. With any luck tomorrow her position would be solidified and she wouldn't have to worry much about being seen in the presence of aliens. Until then, a smile was all she could give the young girl.

The imminent arrival of the Queen Mother was signaled at first but a sudden hush in the crowd as a set of two dozen royal guards began to make their way into the room. Each was dressed in ornate armor and carried finely polished weapons at port arms. Any person who thought that these guards were simply a ceremonial show had only to think of doing the Queen Mother harm to learn that they were, in fact, highly trained warriors carrying the deadliest of disruptor rifles.

Following the guards came the Queen's majordomo, a some of such beauty that she even outshone the rest of the Hapans here. She spoke, her voice being amplified via vox recorder to reach every nook and cranny of the giant ballroom.

"All in attendance!" She called. "You will bow and advert your eyes in contrition and respect to our beloved Queen and Mother, Her Majesty, Ta'a Chume Merci Inkari Djo of Hapes."

The vast majority of those in attendance made a show of bowing deeply, some even going to far as to prostrate themselves on the floor in supposed adoration. Rowan lowered her head and rested one arm on her stomach and the other on her back in the officer's bow that all those in uniform were required to give.

There were several moments of near silence and then, another voice spoke. It was grave in tenor, and yet somehow still musical in tone. "Please, my children." Merci said, now standing at the center of the formation of guards. "As you were. We want to thank you all for coming to our humble palace. We do hope you have been properly attended to thus far." There was a pause, ostensibly for anyone in attendance to air a grievance about the party. Wisely, nobody did. "We come to stand before you now to deliver the greatest of news! We have come to an agreement with delegates of the Silver Concord on Commenor. One that will solidify the Consortium as a major contributor to the Concord in both troops, ships and resources to counter the grave threat presented by the Bryn'adul. In exchange, Hapes will enjoy an unprecedented level of trade with the worlds of the Silver Sphere."

The revelation shook Rowan to her core and only her military instilled sense of discipline stopped her from gasping aloud.

"We know some of our nobles have already taken it upon themselves to ready their worlds for the coming conflict," Merci now gazed at Rowan, making eye contact for a long moment before continuing. "We commend them on their foresight and initiative. Know that the Consortium as a whole will stand with you when you are called to battle."

Rowan blinked and felt her cheeks warm with the sudden rush of validation. She had truly realized just how alone she'd felt these last few weeks until this moment, when her Queen informed she was not.

"Tomorrow, the official agreement will be put before the Hapan Royal Court, though we expect that it will be ratified. We will also be showing our gratitude to a woman who had the foresight and courage to ready her people to defend us, even while we were chiseling away at the finer points of political negotiation." Merci then raised her hand to indicate Rowan, surprising the Duch'a even further. She stood for a moment, frozen in the spotlight, before she had the presence of mind to bow to her Queen. "Lady Rowan Vale, Duch'a of Terephon and Commodore in Our Royal Navy, has readied her forces to meet this threat. It is because of her that We are in a position to commit forces to a strike in the coming weeks, rather than months. Some of you have been whispering disparaging things about this woman. We expect that will will stop immediately. Should it not, we will be most...disappointed."

This wasn't always how things were done on Hapes. Often, when the Court voted it was up to the Queen Mother to follow along. But today, Merci wasn't having any of that. She had explicitly told her nobles how they would vote. Any who chose to defy that tomorrow, would do so at their own peril. Rowan, for her part, would be the first in line to vote for the new initiative.

Normally the whispers would be starting, even now. But the room was so silent that Rowan could probably have heard a com go off on the other side of the cavernous space. She struggled against the impulse to check and see that she had, in fact, turned hers off. That was the last image she wanted to send to all those who were suddenly looking at her, not only as one who was vindicated, but now as one who was favored by her Majesty.

"With that said," Merci spoke. "We will leave you to enjoy the festivities, in moderation of course. Tomorrow I expect the Court to be clear eyed and in good health for the vote. Until then, We bid you good night."

With a nod from the Queen Mother to her Major-Domo, and with a single hand single from the Major-Domo to the columns of royal guards, the entire group turned as one and began to move back the way they had come with the Queen Mother at the center. Rarely in her life had Rowan ever seen such a display of power. It was clear that Her Majesty had put all of her political chips into this one pot. Should the venture fail, then it could very well spell disaster for her and her house.

Nearly breathless, Rowan straightened herself and watched her Queen as she neared the entrance to her personal chambers. Each stride the Queen Mother took was purposeful and full of grace and then....they weren't.

At first, Rowan wasn't even sure she'd seen it when the Queen stumbled and fell. She had to blink her hazel eyes once...twice...thrice even until she believed what she saw. The Queen had fallen, face forward, onto the floor of the ballroom. There was a collective gasp as her guards rushed in to her. The whispers turned into shouts. Had Merci tripped? Was she alright?

Rowan found she was holding her breath, waiting for the Queen Mother to get up. But she didn't. She simply lay there while her guards gathered around her and closed ranks. Facing outward, with faces that were masks of stones, they levelled their rifles at the partygoers, prepared to respond to any threat with deadly force. From somewhere inside the closed ranks, the voice of the Major-Domo spoke once more.

"All those in attendance will exit the ballroom immediately. You will be taken into custody and searched for weapons or any other instruments of harm."

And with that...all hell broke loose.

 

[Kuxirra Tano-Bonteri]

With all the confusion, Kuxirra found herself right next to Lady Rowan Vale as she left the ballroom. "Can't kriffing do anything in these things." She muttered. She had wanted to try wearing something new—a dress and heels—and now she regretted it. She had had the sense of mind to leave her blaster and quarterstaff at the Silver Rest, and since she didn't have a lightsaber yet, she had nothing to fear when it came to being searched for weapons.

 

[Xobos Yakieer]

Location: Royal Ballroom, Hapes
Equipment: Sieur Formal Wear
Time of day: Evening
Tags: | Adron Malvern | Danielle Mueller | Acantha Malvern | Lady Rowan Vale | Kuxirra Tano-Bonteri | Dagon Kaze |

There was absolutely no point in trying to quell her master’s fury by this point. Like Acantha, Xobos felt him picking his way through the crowd, and before he reached the group Xobos moved to take a step back, allowing the king in. Enough time had passed as his apprentice to know that when he was furious like this, there was no reason at all to step in the way. Nothing would change, and there were only a few people in this galaxy that could truly temper the flames. Despite being a knight and his most trusted apprentice…she was not even close to being on that list.

Still, as he started to drag the young Malvern off with him, Xobos was close to follow behind. Her gaze fell upon any of the guests that gave the group and odd look, unsettling enough that they all seemingly parted the sea or quickly thought that their drinks were much more interesting than the scene behind them. Good decisions all around. No reason to engage in the scene, just go about your drinks and enjoy the wonderful atmosphere.

The king’s request was met with a soft nod from the knight, not allowing the hissing tone to break her typically collected mannerisms. Acantha’s voice caught her attention, turning to look at her with the slightest of smiles peaking at her lips. “You have absolutely no idea.” She agreed, watching the woman dash off toward the refreshers. Xobos took more of her time getting over there, giving a nod toward anyone that might’ve been pushed aside from Acantha’s dashing. It was harder to get them to focus back on the party, but more pointed glares from a mask wearing woman who had the uncanny ability to stare into ones soul still proved to be effective.

Xobos was silent as she stepped into the refresher with the bird, raising an eyebrow at the girl’s efforts at cleaning herself up. Obviously, it wasn’t going to well, so she stepped forward and gently placed a hand on Acantha’s wrist. “Breath. Allow me to help.” Her pant leg stretched slightly as she knelt, grasping the piece of lace between her fingers. Flecks of transparent gold seemingly began to flicker from her fingertips. They would float in the air for a moment, eventually landing upon the stained areas. Lingering there, any soft movement from the knight would have them moving, revealing the stainless white underneath. It was a slow process. Xobos wasn’t exactly adept at alchemy in any way, but this was a trick she had learned recently, a reversal spell of a sort.

 

[Lady Rowan Vale]

True to the Major-Domo's words, squads of heavily armed Royal Hapan Marines appeared from various secret passages, preventing anyone from leaving. Rowan found herself next to the teenaged Togruta. Her lips quirked in a slight smirk as she overheard the young woman fighting with her shoes.

"Can't kriffing do anything in these things."

"I agree," She told Kuxirra Tano-Bonteri in a low voice. "That's why I prefer my officer's uniform to dresses and the like. Far more practical." Despite the fine elegance of the uniform, it was also made of blaster resistant fabric designed to stretch to allow for full range of motion. It wasn't the best time to make introductions, but Rowan suspected that she would not be able to make them afterward. She would likely be detained longer by the Palace security than the obviously innocent young Jedi.

So she held out her hand to the girl and smiled. "Commodore Rowan Vale," She said. "Duch'a of Terephon and general noble troublemaker at your service."

Kuxirra Tano-Bonteri

 

[Kuxirra Tano-Bonteri]

Kuxirra allowed herself a small smile at Lady Rowan Vale 's words. "Padawan Kuxirra Tano-Bonteri," she said, shaking her hand. "I'm a bit of a troublemaker myself." The Togruta gestured to the chaos around them. "But I had nothing to do with this."

 

[Lady Rowan Vale]

Rowan smiled and nodded. "I doubt anyone here believes you did," She told the young Padawan Kuxirra Tano-Bonteri . "Just comply with the guards and I'm sure you'll be allowed to leave as soon as possible."

She spoke with a calm assurance that she often affected while in command of her Battle Dragon. It was the nature of any good leader to keep their composure in the face of danger and uncertainty. From inside the formation of Hapan Crown Guards, Rowan could see signs of movement. Palace medical staff were working on the Queen Mother, moving quickly and efficiently to stabilize their Monarch. Watching actual medical professionals work was nothing like it was in the holo-vids. Nobody yelled at one another, nobody ran. Everyone was calm and polite as they worked. Mistakes were correctly quickly, but gently and the goal was always to keep working.

Eventually, a pair of medical droids arrived with a repulsorlift stretcher. With the aid of the paramedics on scene, the Queen Mother was quickly loaded while one of the droids began to run several IV's into different ports in both the Queen's arms and in her neck and leg. As the stretcher lifted, Rowan was able to see that nobody was doing hand compressions. That was good, that meant that the Queen's heart was still beating on its own.

A tube had been placed in the Queen Mother's throat, moving through her airway and down her trachea to her lungs. That was called intubation and it was used to keep a patient's airway open to receiving oxygen. Attached to the end of the tube was an auto-respirator, a kind of miniaturized ventilation machine that breathed for the Queen. That, in turn, was connected to a small oxygen tank.

Though Rowan couldn't see it, she also knew that the Queen Mother would be hooked to a cardiac monitor which would give her medical staff real time information concerning her vitals. They would also likely be running normal saline, keeping her fluid levels up and starting the work of flushing out whatever toxin may have contributed to her collapse.

With the Crown Guards still in perfect formation, the entire group marched quickly out of the ballroom perhaps ten minutes after the Queen had fallen. Rowan knew they would be destined for the in-palace hospital wing, which was every bit as advanced as Fountain City General Hospital, the leading trauma center in the area. The best doctors from around the Consortium would already be on their way to consult on her case and with any luck, she would pull through.

Rowan knew that the Chaos that would come from this event would be felt in every corner of the Consortium. Even if the Queen Mother recovered, her family's grasp on power would be called into question. If she died...well Rowan didn't want to think about what might happen then.

***

Kuxirra Tano-Bonteri was taken into custody a few minutes later, as the palace security worked their way through the guests. She would be searched, and like the other Jedi ( Dagon Kaze ) in attendance, would be released soon after.

Rowan herself was held a little longer, answering a longer list of questions concerning her recent military build up. That the Queen Mother had literally collapsed while exonerating her from the rumors of sedition did much to rule Rowan out as a potential assassin.

She didn't know what became of Jedi Master Romi Jade , or her paramour, Prince Johannes. Likely the two had been whisked away to a secure location for their protection.

When finally she was released, Rowan was led down a long hallway filled with dozens of interrogation and interview rooms. As she passed by one in particular, she heard a slight raucous and a few raised voices. One of them was a man's, Rowan was pretty sure, but she couldn't hear what he was saying. Another, a woman's, she heard a little better as she passed by the door.

"King Adron Malvern , of Illyria. You are hereby being placed under arrest for the attempted murder of our Queen Mother, Merci Inkari Djo of Hapes. You have the right to maintain your silence. You have the right to appoint your own counsel and participate in a vigorous defense. If you are unable to secure counsel, the Royal Court will appoint such for you. You will be held under guard until the evidence is heard and a verdict rendered. Your daughter, assistant and bodyguards have been cleared and released. They will be provided residence in the City for the duration of the trial. Be advised, any attempt to escape or conspiracy to engage in acts designed to escape carries an automatic death sentence by order of the Royal Court. There will be no warnings. Do you understand the charges against you, your rights and the consequences if you attempt escape that I have laid out for you?"

Rowan didn't startle easily, but as she was led passed, she couldn't help but gasp a little. King Adron?! If the allegations were true, not only would this shake the Consortium to its core, but it would place the current truce between the Silver Jedi Concord and the Confederacy of Independent Systems on very shaky ground indeed!

(OOC: So that's going to be the end for this thread. Thanks to all who participated in the Hapes Consortium's first faction thread as a minor faction! This story will be continued in a follow-up thread taking place in the Hapan Royal Court. I'll be sure to tag anyone who's expressed interest! Special thanks to Adron Malvern for volunteering to play the part of the (wrongly?) accused. Stay tuned for more Hapan Drama, right after these messages!)

 

[Adron Malvern]

M U R D E R​

Tags: Xobos Yakieer | Acantha Malvern | Lady Rowan Vale | Rowena Arenais | Kuxirra Tano-Bonteri | Romi Jade | Nova Casamyr ​

Now this was interesting. As the Queen Mother collapsed the Illyrian King's amethyst eyes gazed towards her with a careful, but interested expression. He let out a small sigh of frustration.

He'd already considered murdering the current Queen but such a path to political unrest had been deemed as too public. No, for his political influence to spread through the territory of the Jedi he must be focused and patient. A half cocked plan of assassination would not do. However, it seemed he was the only one with such inhibitions. As the Queen collapsed against the ground the King prepared himself for what was to follow. The elite soldiers of the Hapan Crown Guard took control of the chamber. With two rifles leveled against him the King's calm expression turned to one of annoyance as he lofted a brow at the men.

He thought of calling onto the Force to snuff out the pitiful existences that were before him. He decided against it. With Xobos Yakieer and Acantha Malvern within earshot the words he spoke next were general, yet obviously aimed towards them. "Illyria has no quarrel with the Hapes Consortium. We will comply." He assured the Crown Guard.

The King was relieved of his ornate walking cane and searched before he was separated from his party. He put up no fuss and gave them no cause for disruption. A routine interview post a murder attempt was to be expected.

"A halfcocked assassination such as this managed to slip past the Hapans? How curious." He mused aloud as he was escorted down the hall. He was led down the hall to a room crafted for interviews and interrogations. The King was escorted inside and left to his thoughts for some time. Rather than take a seat in the chair he'd lowered himself down to a kneeling stance, focusing on the Force and meditating to gather his thoughts. Who could be so foolish as to attempt a murder on the Queen before all of her subjects? He searched the Force but he could not see the woman's fate.

Finally a pair of representatives entered the room, causing the King's eyes to open. "Finally. I assume you would like to hear of all that I saw?" He asked, rising from the ground below. However before he could say another word...

"King Adron Malvern, of Illyria. You are hereby being placed under arrest for the attempted murder of our Queen Mother, Merci Inkari Djo of Hapes. You have the right to maintain your silence. You have the right to appoint your own counsel and participate in a vigorous defense. If you are unable to secure counsel, the Royal Court will appoint such for you. You will be held under guard until the evidence is heard and a verdict rendered. Your daughter, assistant and bodyguards have been cleared and released. They will be provided residence in the City for the duration of the trial. Be advised, any attempt to escape or conspiracy to engage in acts designed to escape carries an automatic death sentence by order of the Royal Court. There will be no warnings. Do you understand the charges against you, your rights and the consequences if you attempt escape that I have laid out for you?"

Silence.

So the assassination attempt was not as halfcocked as he originally believed. His hands came back to the small of his back while his lips curled into a rather amused smile. "I understand." His mind went to the words ushered before him as he turned his back to the two. "A native of my own world will represent me. I shall make a dictation requesting such." He turned to the table where a piece of parchment and a pen rested. He began to pen something on the paper before ultimately crafting his signature at the bottom of the declaration. "I will need my seal." He told the guardsmen who had collected his official seal. They returned it to him for the purpose of his dictations. He spoke softly as he wrote...

"The High Court of Illyria and the Court of Summer are to take no action against the Hapes Consortium. We will cooperate with this investigation and in the end this ridiculous accusation will be dropped. I am innocent of any and all crimes and shall see it revealed in the Hapan courts...

...and until the time I regain my freedom, I name Princess Saraya Arenais of Mnemosyne Dame Régente. Lady of the High Court and acting Monarch of Illyria."

"Vive Illyria." ​