Faction Pride of the Party

[Viken Dobson]

Viken too, was a little surprised at seeing Loreena Arenais-Valhoun approach their table so soon. He figured that if anything, it would have been Var-Sulis that would have brought her. But oh well. He was ready to adapt.

And it seemed like Dorthea Dobson wished to adapt their game as well. He caught her raised brow and responded with a tug of his earlobe before having a sip of his drink.

The agent responded to the Queen, even going so far as to complimenting her dress. However it didn't take much for them to see that he was holding back. It seemed as though there might be a ring of truth to the rumour mill afterall...

Viken shot Dorthea a cautionary look as she inquired about the Empire keeping things from their security staff. She had to be careful if she didn't want him to lump them in the same pile as their father.

"Or maybe that's just what he wants you to believe..."

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

Lori smiled to Dorthea Dobson , knowing full well that she wasn't fond of surprises. There had been many times where she had caused the woman to rub her temples in dismay, especially while she was in political meetings. But hopefully this time she wouldn't let her down.

Her eyes drifted to Var-Sulis as he gave her a bit of a toast, followed by words of admiration of her dress. Lori dipped her head slightly in thanks. "Yes. I just hope that the Empire doesn't lose it's way. At least now there is less...political interference." And by that she meant the senior Dobsons. "And thank you, Var. You clean up nicely yourself." There was no way that they'd hold a sparring match in those outfits though! Although it would be hilarious if they tried. Especially for her.

Lori turned to Viken Dobson next. "Secrets and politics go hand in hand. Much like your work in the lab. And is it just me or does the atmosphere seem to be a bit different in the station? It's not through environmental controls, but something else that I can't put my finger on. Or maybe it's just me?"

 

[Aculia Voland]

The opening of Damascus Station was supposed to be a relaxing party full of mirth and merry for all, but for those who labored behind the scenes to organize it, the only thing they had plenty of was headaches. Aculia was pacing through the station in her typical white, gold, and black wedding robes, making sure everything from the wine, to the people, was flowing smoothly. After all, Voland Military Enterprises was funding some of the festivities, and it was a way for her soldiers and their families to blow off steam. It would go down without a hitch if she had anything to say about it.

Considering the men and I will have to depart for Tython soon, this may be the last chance many of them get to enjoy their lives.

Fortunately, one way or the other, everything seemed to becoming together. People were having fun, and as she watched many a couple drunkenly stumble back towards their rooms, “fun” as well. As she rounded a corner, her eyes caught the assembled group of Elysian notables, and for just a moment, she looked startled. She had been so focused on running everything, that she had let her senses drop.

Kimiko Taiyou the Akarun Empress with her plethora of cute and fluffy tails was there, along with the two Dobsons, Dorthea Dobson and Viken Dobson she had made the acquaintance of. Var-Sulis , the hunky, yet quite possibly mentally deficient head of intelligence was there as well-she hoped he remained in that position, since it made her own little machinations much easier. Finally, Loreena Arenais-Valhoun was there.

Things had been a bit…tense…between the two ever since the former had dressed Aculia down in public. She had later found out that Loreena had helped to pay for the meal that the stupid boy had ruined and Lori had been basically saved from certain death by her, but they had not had the chance to have an extended conversation since then. Her opinion on the Queen had softened somewhat on her end, but she would definitely not call it anything close to a friendship.

Since she would have likely been seen by the assembled crowd, she inwardly sighed and moved towards where they gathered, although Kimiko had already moved away from the table to head towards the dance floor. She nodded at Dorthea, Viken, and Var-Sulis, and gave a slighter-better-than perfunctory bow to the Queen.

"Gentleman, lady, your Majesty...I hope you are enjoying the festivities here today."

 

[Var-Sulis]

Her eyes drifted to Var-Sulis Var-Sulis as he gave her a bit of a toast, followed by words of admiration of her dress. Lori dipped her head slightly in thanks. "Yes. I just hope that the Empire doesn't lose it's way. At least now there is less...political interference." And by that she meant the senior Dobsons. "And thank you, Var. You clean up nicely yourself." There was no way that they'd hold a sparring match in those outfits though! Although it would be hilarious if they tried. Especially for her.

I nodded at her compliment and smirked a bit as my eyes continued to scan the room. Something did seem off a bit. The atmosphere. Or was it the fact that i wasn't used to things happening without a hitch? Hell, the last time I tried to relax I dealt with a boy and his gang trying to pull a prank. Lori asked about it and it definitely had me thinking.

"The room seems full of content individuals. Nothing I can sense out of the ordinary..Then again..I'm no Pompous Jedi." I said with a chuckle. I then shot a quick glance over at Dorthea Dobson . "Everyone has secrets.....Some more valuable than others..But even security within the Empire only has clearance for but so much. Authority goes as far as it needs to...Not trying to be cryptic..But in other words...There are things that make me feel like Theres something i should know...and I don't..." I said with a brow raised and taking a sip of champagne before noticing the approaching Aculia Voland . I nodded to her respectfully. "Festivities are...on the move....Looking forward to the main event! The Queens announcement!" I then looked back at Lori and gave a wink.

Tag: Viken Dobson

 

[Dorthea Dobson]

Dorthea let a small smile light up her face as Viken took up the bet. She felt like they were kids again. She missed this.

Viken shot Dorthea a cautionary look as she inquired about the Empire keeping things from their security staff. She had to be careful if she didn't want him to lump them in the same pile as their father.

"Or maybe that's just what he wants you to believe..."

Dorthea caught the look from her brother and the slight edge in his tone as he spoke. She smirked in response and rolled her eyes. She wouldn't argue propriety with her baby brother right here and right now, but she secretly wanted to remind him that out of the two of them, she was the trained diplomat. She knew how far to push someone to get certain results before it went too far. And right now, she was only probing to Var-Sulis to see how he would handle a "move" in a social setting. As the head of security to the greatest political leaders of the empire, how he handled himself in the court of diplomacy could spell safety or doom for the whole nation. Any other information he offered up would simply be a bonus. And Dorthea liked bonuses…

Lori turned to Viken Dobson Viken Dobson next. "Secrets and politics go hand in hand. Much like your work in the lab. And is it just me or does the atmosphere seem to be a bit different in the station? It's not through environmental controls, but something else that I can't put my finger on. Or maybe it's just me?"

Dorthea could see that Loreena Arenais-Valhoun 's question was directed at Viken Dobson but Dorthea honestly felt more qualified to shed light on this topic. That, and she knew that Viken was never keen on these kinds of discussions anyways. So she chimed in, "there's certainly something new in the cultural air on the station if that's what you mean. I actually sent you a report on my investigations into a weird… cult that has been growing recently. Although, even I at the time didn't expect you to read it, honestly. It was included in my expense reports and I know you're too busy to read those." She chuckled lightly before continuing. She decided to address the whole table for this part, "if you want, I can give you a quick run down on this phenomenon. It's actually quite fascinating!"

"Gentleman, lady, your Majesty...I hope you are enjoying the festivities here today."

Dorthea grinned back at Aculia Voland as she made her entrance and replied, "It's good to see you Admiral! Why don't you pull up a seat and enjoy a drink with us before you have to depart for Tython?" Dorthea certainly hoped she got a chance to properly thank Aculia for the transport that she gave Dorthea a few months back. It was solid and reliable, which she needed for her work.

I then shot a quick glance over at Dorthea Dobson Dorthea Dobson . "Everyone has secrets.....Some more valuable than others..But even security within the Empire only has clearance for but so much. Authority goes as far as it needs to...Not trying to be cryptic..But in other words...There are things that make me feel like Theres something i should know...and I don't..." I said with a brow raised and taking a sip of champagne

Despite Dorthea's pride, she chose to heed Viken's subtle warning and pull back a bit. She shot Var-Sulis a quick, professional wink and dropped her tone to a casual low level that rarely drew attention and kept the volume of her voice between the two of them, "well, if you need to compare notes, or get anything off your chest, we can certainly talk later. You and I might help each other out, if you're interested. The Chief of Security should not have a blindfold on in my opinion, so I'm happy to help."

Dorthea took a moment to enjoy the music and appreciate her setting. She personally hated social settings much in the same way her brother did. But diplomacy was always fun. She was actually kind of enjoying herself…

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

Lori bowed her head as Aculia Voland greeted her. "The festivities are wonderful so far. Thank you for all of your help in that. The music is pretty wicked." It certainly got a bunch of people dancing, including Kimiko Taiyou and her entourage.

Her attention turned to Dorthea Dobson and Viken Dobson as they spoke, most especially as she referred to a weird cult. "Sorry, Dorthea. I've been a bit pre-occupied with tonight's planning to have read your report. But I'd love to hear about it. It's not one of those death or blood cults, is it?" No doubt Dorthea would have put a stop to it if it was.

She then looked to Var-Sulis as he seemed quite eager for her announcement. Lori just wasn't sure of how well it would go down with everyone. Some would probably love it, while others would hate it. Regardless she was glad to have both Dorthea and Var there with her. And maybe she should have let Dorthea in on it, but Lori didn't really want to be talked out of it if it was a bad idea. It shouldn't really affect the Empire at any rate. Or at least it wouldn't affect it directly.

"I'll have my announcement soon. But first I'd love to hear about this cult thing."

 

[Viken Dobson]

Viken was getting a little uncomfortable with the fact that more and more people were coming to the table. No doubt it was because the Queen was there. Regardless, he still had his bet with Dorthea Dobson going on and Var-Sulis seemed to be pretending to be more occupied with work than with his rumoured infatuation.

"Lori...." she preferred him to address her as that, even though she outranked him in a few ways. "...why don't you get the announcement done first. This way work will be done and then it'll be time to play. I'm sure you all could cut loose on the dance floor, as they say." And maybe he'd get the table back to just him and Dorthea again. Of course he may also get to leave and go back to his lab after winning his bet.

Aculia Voland Kimiko Taiyou

 

[Var-Sulis]

"Indeed." I replied with a quick nod and gave a glance to Loreena Arenais-Valhoun . I needed to talk with her, but away from an audience. It would have to wait until the festivities were done and the informal conversations could begin. I took a look around the room in observation of many more individuals coming in. Surely they were on the "guest" list..If there ever was one...Or perhaps those that were in attendance knew it would be out of respect, with no ill intentions. I leaned into the table we have gathered around and cleared my throat before addressing Dorthea Dobson .

"Elysium Intelligence Agency. Small team..Handles operations, extractions and recon...On and off the table. For me in particular. I can't run a unit without the proper resources...And by that...I mean...It would be good to discuss contacts and options for an arsenal upgrade. There's something I believe I can share with you later." I said to her lowly while then looking at Viken Dobson . "Hey....You engineer things am I right?" I asked while thinking to myself..Inspite of the rumors..All Dobsons weren't entirely unapproachable..And it could be good to get to know the two at the table in front of me.

 

[Dorthea Dobson]

"Sorry, Dorthea. I've been a bit pre-occupied with tonight's planning to have read your report. But I'd love to hear about it. It's not one of those death or blood cults, is it?" No doubt Dorthea would have put a stop to it if it was.

blah blah blah

"I'll have my announcement soon. But first I'd love to hear about this cult thing."

Both cult questions quotes:

"Well," Dorthea exclaimed in a rather stately tone. Clearly, she was eager to share, "thankfully, the nature of what's going on isn't malicious in nature. At least, not in a prevalent way." She made sure to look at everyone at the table to make everyone, Aculia Voland Viken Dobson Var-Sulis Loreena Arenais-Valhoun , were all included in this discussion. She was also ok with @Kimiko overhearing this as well, but since she was dancing away, Dorthea doubted that she was paying attention, "as all of us know, the roots of the Elysium Empire are nomadic and naval. Many who came to live with us at the time were prone to a life of spacing and travel. Oftentimes, these types revere this lifestyle with a mild sense of superstition.

"It's not uncommon for hardcore spacers to have weird quirks," she continued, "some spacers have a specific brand of underpants they wear for dangerous hyper lanes, some keep spice cloves in their helmets for luck, others sing shanty songs while reentry burns start… the list is endless. The point is that hardcore spacers are a breed of their own.

"Ever since we started building Damascus Station all those years back, the spacer population of the nomadic fleet started settling here and brought those quirks with them. Since there were many different cultures and backgrounds in that group, their collective quirks and superstitions were rather muddled and inconsistent. But slowly, people started coming together and sharing their… beliefs with one another. The very fact that this station hosts a massive shipyard and it builds ships is becoming part of the thought process they all share, and the ships that are being built are being revered as holy, or alive. They believe that the more respect you pay to a ship, the safer it will be when it travels.

"The finer specifics of rituals, and chants are not yet made ubiquitous, but they are coming together slowly. It hasn't become a problem… yet… but the people still seem lost. They are starting to call for some kind of guidance and clarity, as they are starting to take these customs more seriously. I have to admit, I'm a little fascinated by it, but no one seems qualified to step up and guide them. I'm just a bureaucrat, myself."

She briefly wondered if anyone would weigh in on this discussion…

"Lori...." she preferred him to address her as that, even though she outranked him in a few ways. "...why don't you get the announcement done first. This way work will be done and then it'll be time to play. I'm sure you all could cut loose on the dance floor, as they say."

Dorthea frowned suddenly. What was her brother playing at? To dismiss Lori from the discussion would remove her from Var-Sulis sphere of conversation and might give Dorthea a stronger chance of winning the first bet. That was quite odd… it concerned her. What was his plan?

"Elysium Intelligence Agency. Small team..Handles operations, extractions and recon...On and off the table. For me in particular. I can't run a unit without the proper resources...And by that...I mean...It would be good to discuss contacts and options for an arsenal upgrade. There's something I believe I can share with you later."

"Well," Dorthea responded to Var-Sulis , "amongst many skills, I am a talented logistician. I can help you acquire many things if need be. But I too do believe that we should hold a meeting. Are you free to meet me in my office tomorrow?"

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

Lori knew all about spacers having weird quirks. She was one of them and had some of her own. She knew of many others that did as well. But each quirk seemed to be more individual in nature. However what Dorthea Dobson was telling them seemed to be more as though those quirks were being shared. Not only that but she seemed to hint that they were looking for a spiritual leader? Or was it just a leader on the station itself that they were looking for? "How interesting..."

She chewed the inside of her cheek a little. Although Damascus Station was within Elysium Space and funded by Elysium companies, it wasn't a planet and not all of the residents were citizens. They were nomadic visiters. Now Lori'll really have to go over that report. But later. After the evening was over. Right now she had other things to do.

Lori turned to Viken Dobson as he suggested that she get her announcement done. She nodded a little in agreement. For a she knew, he could be just as curious about it as Dorthea and Var-Sulis were. "Alright. I'll get to it then before people drink too much that they won't remember. So please excuse me for a moment."

Maybe they'd carry on the conversation as she got to the stage where the band was finishing up the song, maybe not. But Lori patiently waited at the side steps for the song to be over until she made her way up there. The lights bounced off her dress making it glitter all the more and reflect it's light all around her.

After approaching the mic she cleared her throat and then started to speak. "Good evening, everyone. Thank you all for coming. I'm just interupting the dancing for a bit of an announcement. Years ago MandalArms was created by my second mentor and cousin Kaine Australis. He built himself a powerful weapons and shipbuilding company whose products helped to win many conflicts and protect a lot of people. But...Kaine had his own vices, his own Mandalorian stubborness that those that know me know that I share. But it was those strong personality vices that gained him many enemies. He was killed for his convictions, however flawed they may be and perhaps he thought that his death would be the end of it after he had given MandalArms and everything left of his to me as his next of kin. However it didn't end. His enemies swore to destroy and erase his legacy. They attacked and destroyed the facilities where MandalArms operated. Much was lost, from schematics to microchips. With the help of the Elysium Empire, MandalArms began to grow again. I converged the names of the two to reflect that partnership, and to cement both legacies. But I've found out that my own Mandalorian stubborness to preserve the past will only bring new ruin. There are many of my vode that no longer recognize me as Mandalorian because of my ties to Kaine, and there are some that won't even allow me to know the locations of their Clans that helped to raise and train me."

Lori paused for a moment. Maybe she was making the speech too personal and going in too deep into her personal life. So she decided to pull back a little. "Someone close to me said to follow my heart. Well, a few did actually. And I have taken steps to do so. I am embracing being an outsider more than ever. So I'm here tonight to announce that..." She looked towards the technical crew and gave a nod. Behind her an image was projected of a new logo. ".....Mandal-Elysium Arms is no more. Dar'manda Industries has taken over and is branching out to more than just weapons and ships, but to amazing innovations that the Galaxy has yet to see. It has complete ownership of the real estate market here on Damascus Station, leaving a portion of the shipbuilding in Elysium's capable hands. Science and technology will have an equal partnership here. And I can't wait to show you all what Dar'manda Industries can do. I hope that you will all join me at the future expos that will be held here for all of the businesses and companies that have a place here. You all have a place here and I thank you for helping me to see this through. Thank you."

She smiled and bowed her head before exiting the stage. Music began playing as soon as her foot touched the floor. After all that talking and being center stage, Lori just wanted to have a drink and hide away from what was sure to be a number of questions, especially from Dorthea. Hopefully her mentor wasn't disappointed or mad.

Lori went to the bar and ordered a tall glass of tihaar. As soon as the glass was in her hand, she gave a silent salute to the dead before having a sip of it. Both Jaster and Kaine taught her that tradition and it was because of the dead that she was where she was today. So it was oy right that they were honoured.

After giving herself another moment, Lori made her way back to the table where the others were, glass in hand. Now it was time to face their reactions and see just how many wished that they could have talked her out of this.

 

[Holly Starstorm]

Location: Outside Party
Objective: Leave Planet and Submit The Announcement for HNN

NOT LIVE:
“Yes thats right. Make sure you check the spelling. Perry will kill us if we get it wrong.”

She was on her comm unit talking to one of the copy boys at HNN. Holly had taken notes during the announcement and was trying hard to ignore the fact that once again her night had been all work and no play.

“When can we run the story? If I type it up we could probably make the evening edition and we could have it broadcasted on the evening news.”

“Better hurry. We go to copy in two hours.”

“I will leave now.”

“How was the party?”

“It was great. I danced and had fun.”

The copy boy laughed. “No you didn’t. You skulked around listening to conversations and ran out here to call me the second you had a story. Its not a crime to take the night off.”

“Its not a crime to love your job either. Just get ready. Im going back to my ship to type it up.”

She nodded towards the security team as she left the party. Why her colleagues insisted on her having a social life was beyond her. It was so much easier to be a reporter.

She managed to return to her ship and submit the story in time for the nightly news. She was a great reporter but why did everyone insist she be more? The question puzzled all the way home.

 

[Var-Sulis]

The music was qued and very fitting for the announcement. My eyes were glued on the band that took stage as my thoughts ran rapid. Dar'Manda...Heh...New policies..Industrial aquisitions...New..opportunities..New everything. As Loreena Arenais-Valhoun came over to the table I looked over at her. She seemed relieved and nervous. I stood up from the table and bowed to her slightly while raising my brow with a smile.

"I must say...That was quite an announcement. Congratulations are in order in my opinion. Never underestimate the voice of a Queen." I said with a smile and took my flute of champagne. Raised it to her and took a sip.

There wasn't alot I knew in the area of politics, or what Lori was personally going through, but I got a pretty good idea...Epecially after the announcement. I wanted to give her all the room to speak and or vent..Whichever her choosing.

Tag: Dorthea Dobson Viken Dobson Holly Starstorm Aculia Voland

 

[Viken Dobson]

Var-Sulis seemed determined to have smalltalk with him. Wonderful. Just wonderful. Hopefully Lori would be a good distraction. "Yes....I engineer...things. For our industrious Queen, no less." Fortunately for him, Lori took his suggestion and went off to the stage.

Viken was a little taken aback by the announcement. His first reaction was to look at Dorthea Dobson and see how much of it that she knew of beforehand. Something this big surely didn't slip under her notice, did it? Not Dorthea...

And then it was over. The announcement anyways. Music started playing again and there wasn't a lot of fanfair or applause. Maybe everyone was either too shocked or had too much to drink already. Either way Lori made her way back to them.

Var was on his feet, bowing and toasting her, though it was hard to tell whether or not he understood the implications of it all. Viken certainly did. And he couldn't be happier, even if he didn't show it at all. Inside his head however, he was doing a victory dance. "Science, technology and innovation? Now I see why you've given me a bigger lab, Lori. Thank you."

 

[Dorthea Dobson]

Dorthea stared at the stage with a slack-jaw look just as Loreena Arenais-Valhoun uttered the word “Dar’Manda Industries”.

Lori then bowed and left the stage to rejoin them at the table.

Dorthea’s face remained the same as her eyes locked on the stage.

Var-Sulis congratulated Lori for something.

Dorthea kept staring.

Viken Dobson spoke to Lori something about a lab.

Dorthea’s eyes remained locked and her jaw hung open still.

Her datapad began chiming rapidly with a million notifications and inquiries as the news was clearly beginning to spread. Word travelled quickly on the station.

Dorthea’s eye twitched.

A waiter walked by and stumbled a little, spilling one of the drinks he was carrying on Dorthea’s head. The fluids dripped down the sides of her face.

She showed no visible reactions.

Then, wordlessly, she stood up, thanked everyone for coming and walked out of the party like a petrified zombie.

The name change had been the one thing she hadn’t predicted.

Every single document she had would now need to be updated.

Mandalorians…

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

Lori smiled a little as Var-Sulis approved, even giving her a bit of a toast. Yet she wasn't sure of how well versed he was in business and politics. Perhaps all that he needed was just enough knowledge to get by. But that might not be the case anymore.

It came as little surprise that Viken Dobson approved. The man loved working in his lab and what she gave him was a big clue in that he'd have plenty of more work on his plate. So she knew very well that he'd find no trouble with this announcement.

And then there was Dorthea Dobson . Lori swallowed a lump in her throat as there was no movement from the woman. Not even when a drink had spilled on her. There was an eye twitch but nothing other than silence for what felt like an eternity. It was agonizing.

"Dorthea?...."

Lori watched as Dorthea stood up and left the table, leaving her to watch in silence. No doubt she knew that there'd be a lot of work for her too, but Arla had already prepared much of it. Once Dorthea would get to her office, she'd find a note at her desk which read:

~Dorthea,

I know that my announcement came as a shock, but I didn't want it leaked out beforehand. A lot of our paperwork and contracts will need to be altered. Arla has gone ahead and prepared a lot of it on the mainframe. All you need to do is enter the command: 770-312-64-115. Once that is turned on, a lot of the files should have the company name changed.

I hope that you're not mad. I know that you have a lot to do already. I'll come by and help out tomorrow.

I promise.

Lori~

She took a gulp of her tihaar and let it burn down her throat. "I hope that she's not too mad. Viken, would you mind...?" Lori knew that Dorthea probably needed to vent and her brother was the safest option for that.

 

[Var-Sulis]

My word....Not only was she nervous, but she could barely think of what to do next... Dorthea Dobson left the table abruptly, and I noticed the grave look of concern on Lori's face. If I were in her position I would be too. Was she cornering herself with the announcement of Dar'Manda? And why were there none of her Mandalorian friends present? And who the hell are those people with the third eye at the table in the corner?...Focus Var. You need to help her..relieve some stress...Here we go.....I said to myself as I approached her quickly while speaking loud enough so Viken Dobson could hear.

"Excuse us for a moment Mr.Dobson. Loreena and I have something to discuss in private." I said as my eyes stayed glued to hers. I took the flute she held and placed it on the table and quickly welded my hands with hers. "The night is young...Your choices are right...And you need to breathe...Even if just for a moment under the stars...Let it go,," I said as I led her to the dance floor near the stage where she stood previously. She had no choice...I wouldn't let her be a nervous wreck all evening. Besides, what's the worst that could happen? People talk? I would let a smile part my lips as I slowly began to dance with her. "Talk to me...."

Tag: Loreena Arenais-Valhoun Holly Starstorm

 

[Viken Dobson]

Now if only Viken could have predicted this...

He watched as Dorthea Dobson retreated into herself with the announcement. This had happened a few times before in his lifetime and never was it good. In some ways it was comical, especially as the drink spilled on his sister's head. However when it came to Dorthea, her silence was never a good thing.

Lori tried to get her attention, but it didn't work. Nothing did before his sister up and left the table. Only when Lori spoke again did Viken slip out of his own thoughts. "Yeah, I'll check up on her."

As he got to his feet to leave the table, Var-Sulis excused both himself and Lori for a private discussion. That was a little odd. But it wasn't as though he was one to argue. So Viken nodded to them and waited for them to leave before he went off to trail after Dorthea. "Oh Deedee?....Guess who won the bet?....."

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

Lori looked from Viken Dobson to Var-Sulis as she was approached. She almost felt cornered, but she wasn't. It made her glad that she wasn't seated at the table, otherwise she really would have felt trapped.

Var seemed to have picked up on that so quickly, for right away he was grabbing hold of her attention as much as he was taking hold of her hands and leading her out in the open of the dance floor.

On the way there she let out a breath that she wasn't aware that she was holding, and followed his lead. He said to let it go and so she tried to do just that. Lori met his gaze, a little encouraged by his smile. "Well I...kinda thought it's go a little differently. I thought Dorthea would get a good laugh out of it for sticking it to those that turned their back on me or snubbed me. I didn't expect her to react that way. If she thinks it'll be more work for her than she'd be wrong. I had Arla take care of most of the changes. I wouldn't just dump a bunch of stuff on her like that without notice. I hope she understands that." Dorthea was the latest mentor that she tried to make proud of her. But Lori was afraid that she had screwed that up.

 

[Var-Sulis]

My eyes scanned the room as they normally would by default. As she spoke, I absorbed what she told me about Dorthea. Looking at her I decided it was time to ask....Of course, by doing this I was diving into the life of another besides my own...Different from the version of me five years ago.

"Dorthea will be Dorthea. I don't think she's as upset as you may think. Arla is taking care of what you need her to. I'm sure you have more support than you may realize. Speaking of support, Where is the Mando party?"

Tag: Loreena Arenais-Valhoun Viken Dobson

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

Lori nodded as Var-Sulis seemed to put her a little more at ease. He was right, of course. Dorthea would be Dorthea, and Arla was helping out.

When he asked about the Mandalorians, she glanced around while they danced. "Out fighting in some conflict or another, I imagine. The last time that I saw one was on Commenor when our Embassy was under construction. A lot of Mandalorians are mercs for hire or hunters. The Galaxy is far from being at peace. So I'm sure that they are quite busy." That was how it tended to be for her. She only saw them when they wanted to be seen.

Lori let out a little chuckle, changing the topic. "I guess that it comes at no surprise that you're a smooth dancer, given how well you are in a fight. Well...except when you're pitted against me of course." She winked after her little jibe. Var had yet to beat her in a duel, but that surely didn't mean that he wouldn't do so some day.