Tactical Symposium and Gala (Levantine Sanctum/Academy or PM for invite)

[Judah Dashiell]

Etti IV , Levantine Sanctum Space
The Tactical Gala




Adjusting his tie, Judah scanned the room from his position off to the side. Keen blue eyes searched the crowd and immediately came up empty. No, wait, the scruffy CEO did recognize one person. A Miss [member="Mya Jesel"] , a representative for her planet. A bit far away from her homeplanet but maybe the woman was looking to get tips from the Levantine Sanctum on keeping a loose alliance of planets. A group of cadets passed him, looking as if they spent all night polishing their medals and boots.


There's something I don't miss about the military....


Having no business to attend to, Judah made a bee line towards the tables laden with food. Prawns wrapped in a crispy bacon-like meat would have to be his companion for now. Given how much [member="Thessa Kai"] loved sky battles and tactics in general, it surprised him she wasn't here. Or maybe she was. It was hard to miss a stunning woman graced with scales though. Popping another prawn into his mouth, Judah took his little plate of spoils and did his best to blend in with the sides of the grand hall.

 

[Jorus Merrill]

“Master Merrill,” she said pleasant while completely disregarding the fact that he was talking to Seydon of Arda, although she did give him an appreciative look. “My name is Sasha Santhe, I’d like to thank you for the invitation to this event.” And then she withdrew her hand and looked between both men. “Or am I interrupting something here?” She quirked an eyebrow at the two.

Giving Jorus a nod, she headed towards him for now, noting that he was speaking to another man... Seydon of Arda? The other fit the description, anyways. When she drew close to the pair, she cleared her throat politely. "Captain Merrill? Anija Ordo. Good to see you again, Sir." She gave Seydon a polite nod then.

Glancing between Ms. Anija and Ms. Santhe, there wasn't a thing Seydon could proffer as conversation. He stole a platter of club sandwiches from behind Jorus and clapped the butt of his palm across his shoulder. A wordless good luck. Silently, he bowed out from the two ladies and sauntered off to find a quiet corner.

Seydon's gesture might as well have been a tacit 'welp, good luck with that.' Helpless, Jorus watched the Dunaan drift off, then refocused on Santhe and Ordo. You couldn't build a galaxy-spanning corporation without a decent smile, so he dialed that up and did his best to slip back into formal-speak. "Good to see you again, Anija. Lady Santhe, a pleasure. And no, you weren't interrupting. We're just having a bite to eat before we go wrangle monsters." He gestured offhand at the panel table and the guest seating. "Mine are a little less real than his -- that was Seydon of Arda, the finest monster-hunter there is and one of the Sanctum's best. He used to do some work for my sister. He's the one that took down the Akure Leviathan on Manaan with nothing but a sword."

[member="Seydon of Arda"] [member="Sasha Santhe"] [member="Anija Ordo"]

 

[Captain Larraq]

Planet: Etti IV
Location: Levantine Sanctum Symposium



Rygel Larraq arrived with little fanfare. His invitation to come to the Levantine Academy's Symposium had been a bit of a surprise, but being invited to appear as a guest speaker had been more so. Beskar and leather boots adorned his feet and a uniform made of high quality beskar armorweave covered the man nicely. Its sharp edges and coloration standing out nicely against the more common blue or green uniforms worn by many militaries. Then again, the Mandalorian military was not an official thing. The men and women of the Mando'ade simply appeared in armor and with weapons any time their Mand'alor demanded it. No, the uniform he wore was not an official thing to the clans. It was the uniform of Hyperion Security, the private military that Rygel Larraq wielded to protect the interests of Mandal Hypernautics. The uniform was designed to appear aggressive and to challenge the traditional viewpoint that privateers and mercenaries were little more than thugs and criminals with a piece of paper.

He arrived armed. A beskad saber adorned his left hip and was accentuated by a trio of pistols. Two along his belt, one strapped to his left thigh. The Galaar Shuttle he arrived upon remained on standby at the landing pad, powered down but ready to move should the need arise. The galaxy was not as safe as it had once been.

The Conference Center looked and sounded only slightly more professional than a science fare field trip for children. Young cadets mingled and laughed and spoke loudly to one another among dozens of displays arranged throughout the building. Pictures of stars and nebula moved in holographic glory over their heads as moving videos of ships and fleets played out at various displays. Full color animations played back rough outlines of famous battles and tactics with cartoon arrows showing fleet movements and tiny bursts of light showing weapons fire. Here and there, a display focused upon a famous ship or a single daring individual. For a moment, Larraq had the fleeting thought that he should be selling his wares to these people.

A young woman appeared before Rygel Larraq and greeted him by name. She was small, blonde, and wore a crisp uniform from the academy. Her age, the glasses upon her face, her stance, the way she glanced between herself and her datapad as she spoke... She was the assistant of one teacher or another, likely a senior student that had yet to excel outside the classroom. "This way Mr. Larraq." She had said before leading the Mandalorian businessman through the crowd of students and displays. A drink found its way to his hand as they passed a table of snacks and drinks that was clearly divided by adult and children appropriate beverages. A set of large, double doors was passed and Larraq found himself walking through a large, dimly lit auditorium. The young woman stopped by a set of stairs that led to the stage. Glancing at her datapad once more before looking the Mando'ad in the eyes, a slight blush upon her face, "You may sit anywhere you like." She said as she gestured towards the stage and then pointed her eyes towards the ground.

A polite nod was all he gave the young girl before ascending the stairs. He had a feeling the frail thing would have fainted had he actually spoken to her.


(OOC: Why hello there [member="Jorus Merrill"])

Spoiler

 

[H3xle]

Symposium

'If only my parents could see me now...' Sam thought to himself as he pulled and straightened and pulled more on the uniform he wore. It didn't fit anywhere near like his normal light armor did, he wasn't sure if he liked it or not. As for his parents, the pair were back on Kal'shebbol teaching Teras Kasi to those who will pay their large prices. They would definitely be surprised to see Sam in a uniform, being as he had been raised in the smuggling/pirating life. Sam enjoyed that life, and he had an open invitation to return to Outrider-1 at any time to captain her for a run at something or other, but he always felt that he should do more. He always loved ships and loved flying, so when he heard about the Levantine Academy opening up to teach about flying and naval topics, he really couldn't resist.

Even if the uniform made him feel like he had a constant wedgy. The young woman who had been handling the uniform specifications had seemed to like him. He had intended to go back and ask her out at some point. Now he wasn't so sure, as he wasn't sure if his uniform was supposed to fit this way. He pulled a little more, then gave up. The pants were just tighter than he was used to. He buckled on his new leather gun belt, he had specifically asked about wearing arms while in uniform and had received permission. Not wanting to stand out entirely, he'd gotten a new nerf leather belt and holsters to complement his new uniform. Finally feeling mostly ready to face the world, Sam stepped out of the bathroom and down the hall. He could hear the soft music, laughter and talking coming from the Gala, but he was here to be a student, so he stepped into the Symposium hall. He looked around and saw [member="Seydon of Arda"], [member="Friedrich Stahlmann"], [member="Anija Ordo"] and [member="Jorus Merrill"] near the front of the hall, a myriad of other cadets were sitting and chatting, but he didn't know any of them.

He walked down to the front, his uniform immaculate, if a bit awkward feeling for Sam, and he sat down near where the group of instructors were speaking. He listened in only peripherally, wanting to hear things of import but not wanting to eavesdrop on personal stuff, if that is what they spoke of.

 

[Camellia Swift]

[member="Jorus Merrill"]

Symposium

Well Camellia actually felt a little nervous, partially contributable to the fact she believed she have been just a tad late, but at the same time she was quite eager considering what would supposedly going on. THere wasn't much for her to do nowadays outside of her home system, and while she was more than happy to keep an eye on its stability, she still wanted to expand Rendili Stardrive's business and find a few things to do for herself now and then. She was rather happy to have decided to participate as a teacher with the Levantine Academy, although she still wasn't quite accustomed to the process and procedure yet. Hopefully she could adjust fast, it would be easier if she lived within the Sanctum's domain, but she had no intention of leaving Rendili.

Not for long anyway. On days like this though, when the academy was apparently supposed to do a special panel or some such event, she knew she had the time to step out. So here she was, dressed in her usual Rendili Defense Fleet Uniform which she had worn proudly as a Republic officer as well, looking for where she was supposed to be. However, she saw a familiar face first and wasn't sure if she should approach or avoid him altogether. In the end her curiosity won out on top to say hello, so without pause she walked over to where [member="Friedrich Stahlmann"] was standing. "Well Admira, I thought I heard you were in on this too. How has the galaxy been treating you? I don't think we've interacted since Rendili fell."

 

[Arrbi Betna]

[member="Jorus Merrill"] [member="Anija Ordo"] [member="Mirshko Betna"]

In the Gardens

Arrbi walked through the garden and enjoyed the atmosphere and plant life all around. It lacked the wild allure of the forests and land around the Betna homestead, but it made up for such with a cultivated beauty of veteran gardeners and dedicated horticulturists, each a master artist in their own right. It wasn't often that he could enjoy such things in person. Usually when he was among wildlife it was to hunt or fight or seen from a starfighter canopy as he strafed enemy positions among the foliage. But today was different and, though Anija was currently meeting with other instructors in the tactical rooms nearby, he still had someone to enjoy the gardens with. Namely, the six year old holding his hand as they walked.

"What do you think, Mir'ika?" he asked his daughter with a smile as they walked. He gestured to the gardens with a free hand. Normally, he'd have worn his armor to such an event, but had instead opted for a clean and brand new deep red flightsuit at his wife's urging complete with Mandalorian and Mandalorian Protector tags.

 

[Jsc]

Symposium
Finding a seat

Karen Roberts entered the hall with a grand smile. She'd never been to Sanctum Space before. Never even heard of it really. But to have the opportunity to gather amongst the most talented pilots of the universe was the real treat indeed. She'd even heard that the legendary Popo would be speaking today. This was simply a gathering that she just couldn't miss. Dressed in her black combat body-glove from neck to toe, she decorated herself down to the waist in a bronze shawl of Tetan silk. Clasping it's long gleaming and illustrious folds all together with a large golden pin about her left shoulder. A chaotic blend to be sure but her powerful body did most of the work.

[member="Grant Pherson"] stepped to her side and nodded. Dressed in a simple gray business suit and just passing a few centimeters taller than Ol' Blue. Pherson could always be counted upon to be present at Karen's side. Mild, mostly mannered, and just as easily impressed with a view. He spun about and marveled at all Sanctum space had to offer tonight,

"Well. ...Um. Yeah. This is. Whoa. Nice."

"You can say that again. Oh my. Look. It's lovely. Ah. And just gasp at all the cadets. Ooo. I could just pinch their bright little cheeks, they're so cute. All the new officers gathered like cute little ducklings. All their uniforms lighting up like chicks in a row. Ooo. Just, wonderful. I love it." Karen beamed.

"Um. Yeah. ...It's uh. Mm. Very nice."

Karen sighed audibly at his lack of enthusiasm. Leaving Grant to smirk sheepishly and shrug at himself. Karen just shook her head at his lack of civilized culture. Good heavens. Was she married to a lumberjack or a retired Jedi Knight. Oh bother. Sometimes she just couldn't tell. Grant coughed to lighten the mood and pointed to the seating arrangement nearby,

"Ahem. Well. Come on Karen." He smirked and eyed the stage, "Let's grab a chair and a pamphlet. Time to see who's on the menu for the panels today. I mean. I hear good things. I really do."

Karen rolled her eyes and forgave his rural mannerisms. Scooping up one of the booklets into her hands and letting her husband usher her along towards their seats. Rushed along by a long stride and the happy flutter of her glittering cape. Roberts and Pherson grew even more excited with every long step they took towards the bright blue stage. Oh my yes. This, was going to be fun.

 

[Thessa Kai]

Tactical Hub-bub

All the new up and comers were milling about. For the first time the snub-nosed captain veteran felt...old. She went for a carrot stick and munched on it thoughtfully as iced-azure gaze took in her fair share of people-watching. She smiled hints of recognition to her fellow levantines [member="Seydon of Arda"] and [member="Jorus Merrill"] as she made her way to [member="Judah Dashiell"]'s side.

"So...what's this I hear about Makai getting a free fighter from some woman?"

 

[Anastasia Rade]

Corporate Sector - Etti IV
Defense Conference Center
Symposium


"There are," she smiled as she continued to walk inside the building."One of the other speakers is [member="Captain Larraq"] whom is a Mandalorian Field Marshall. I never have met him but I have heard much about his work. They have a good line up for tonight." Ana was happy that they could enjoy the same things together as a couple. The symposium was a place where ideas were put forth, friendships and alliances were made. These were all good things for the Mandalorian and her dashing tramp freighter captain.

Glancing around the room she noticed [member="Anija Ordo"] which didn't surprise her as Ana had thought that was Arrbi she saw in the garden. "Your secret is safe with me, darling. I won't be able to keep whom I am quite as under wraps. I have a feeling there will be quite a few Mandalorians here. " She hadn't chosen her armor to wear as she thought that could send the wrong message so she had dressed up. She could enjoy the Symposium in peace and just take in the sights and people.

"We already saw Arrbi in the garden with his daughter so I'm not surprised to see his wife in here. I'll introduce you to them later." She felt [member="Orick T'ane"] would like that, he did always enjoy meeting other members of her family, other Mandalorians. Anija looked a little preoccupied at the moment so later.

Glancing around the room she looked for someone they could meet and talk to whom was on their own. Ana didn't know many of the people here so really she was happy to meet anyone or just enjoy her time with Orick.


[member="Arrbi Betna"] [member="Jorus Merrill"]

 

[Judah Dashiell]

Just having popped another prawn into his mouth, Judah was off in his own little world. It was bad form for a CEO of a major company to be sitting against a wall, eating bacon wrapped prawns as if the ocean was running out of them. All of his trips to Etti IV meant an incredible amount of work given the expanding Levantine Sanctum operations. Tired couldn't even describe his feeling at the end of the day...then throw this Gala on top of it.


So when [member="Thessa Kai"] saddled up next to him, Judah nearly jumped a foot in the air. Choking on a half-chewed prawn, the scruffy CEO coughed for several seconds before regaining his breath.


"Hello to you too" Judah half-chuckled and gave his wife a quick kiss. Yes, he was delaying the entire Makai situation for a few moments. Trying to buy a bit of time. The woman was like a shark, probably smelt his fear anyways.


"It....actually isn't a fighter. I won those in an SSB auction and paid for 'em already."


Judah took a deep breath. Time to face the music.


"You know I took Makai to the last South Systems auctions. Anyways....we come to the paying part and Makai gets this tablet. First I thought he bid on somethin' while I wasn't looking. No...a...woman named [member="Danger Arceneau"] gifted our son a speeder company. A three million credit speeder company.......which,uh, is a little odd. I tried to talk her out of it after the auction but she really took a shine to our boy for some reason..."

 

[Kyrana Gould]

[member="Camellia Swift"]
People were filling the hall, which was good. He saw [member="Captain Larraq"] and gave the other man a nod. The Mandalorian was an acquaintance but his advances in the field of 3D mapping had been exceptional.

Others he noted as being people he’d seen before, that was good.

And then Camellia appeared. The Admiral’s eyes narrowed, his right fist clenched.
“Commodore Swift,” he said, deliberately using her former Republic rank. “I am well. You, I can see, have found profitable new employment,” he said sourly.

He could not understand someone who put one planet above their allegiance to their ideals and their nation. His own homeworld of Kuat was under Sith control, but he had not gone cap in hand to beg for appointment there.

“The discussion is about to begin. I suggest you take a seat,” he said coldly. He had no more time for her, and rather than cause an incident he took a seat next to Larraq, as far away from Camellia as possible.

 

[Camellia Swift]

[member="Friedrich Stahlmann"]

Ah, well it seemed his was angry at her now for some reason. To be truthful whatever the reason was undoubtedly awful if it had anything to do with sticking with her homeworld through its surrender. After all, he himself had even spoken to her before the negotiations and he had even supported the decision to lay down arms occurred if it saved the most lives. Plus if he were to note she had insured loyally to prevent the Noblesse and advanced designs that Rendili Stardrive had designed for the Republic out of Sith hands. If he was upset at her after she had done so much as that then her opinion of him would certainly drop. Her homeworld always came first, and the Republic had abandoned it in its plight against the Sith as well. He himself was no longer with the Republic anyway as well, so the Croa woman was vastly disappointed in her former commander's attitude when he had left by choice while she had stuck to her beliefs and her people until the very end.

She very much wanted to shout all those things at him, see how he responded, see if she hit the mark. He was already leaving though. and away from her for certain. She felt like being the bigger person. . . . .but couldn't when what he said struck her as being far too hypocritical and without good standing considering his opinion of the past. "Not very profitable really. Can't sell them anything like the Noblesse since I made sure to keep it away. Anyways you're right, but it was nice to see you again too sir, another time perhaps."

 

[Anija Betna]

Etti IV
Defense Conference Center
Symposium


She'd seen [member="Arrbi Betna"] and [member="Mirshko Betna"] heading off towards the gardens and the thought brought a smile to her face for a moment. She was glad they had come along, and that neither of them had worn their beskar'gam. It was a strange feeling really, to be without it. But, she felt it necessary. Her glance briefly went to the windows that looked out over the gardens before she turned back to [member="Jorus Merrill"]. "Ah, I've hear a lot about him.." she said to Jorus, looking after [member="Seydon of Arda"] for a moment. Perhaps a bit later she'd find time to speak with him. Jorus' comment made her chuckle slightly, but she could hear the truth in it as well. Shrugging slightly to herself, she reached out to clasp Jorus' wrist in a warrior's grip before excusing herself. "If you need anything tonight, just let me know.." she said quietly in his ear. She could tell he was a tad bit uncomfortable under all the attention, and she smiled slightly as a thought occurred to her to get him a bottle of netra'gal later. She wasn't sure if he drank the stuff, but she hoped he would appreciate the gesture.

As she turned away, she spotted [member="Captain Larraq"] heading towards the stairs to the stage. Her eyebrows rose in surprise. She hadn't expected him here, but then, considering the purpose of this little shindig, she supposed it shouldn't have been a surprise. He was.. a bit of a legend in the naval community. She'd never personally seen him in a naval battle, but she'd heard the stories and seen the recordings. She was certain they didn't do it justice at all. She moved away from Jorus, and after a moment's thought headed towards Larraq. She too had come armed, but had barely thought about it. Doing so was habit by now. Her twin rippers rested in their holsters at either hip. She'd hardly remembered she even had them until she saw Larraq's beskad.

 

[Sasha Santhe]

Sasha smiled at [member="Jorus Merrill"] and gave a polite little nod to the rest of the people there. They didn’t really matter although she had met [member="Anija Ordo"]’s husband before. She thought she did anyways… maybe, she met some guy named [member="Ordo"] to make a business deal with. That meant they were related somehow right? Whatever it didn’t matter. Her eyes narrowed as she examined the woman as she left, judging as Sasha did.

“Master Merrill,” she said finally free of interruption. “I’d like to thank you for the invitation and extend an invitation of my own to tour a Santhe facility and look at the newest vessels to come off the assembly line.” Polite. You catch more flies with honey than you do vinegar. Of course Sasha prefered to catch flies with honey and a brick… still. “You would be my guest Master Merrill, for a night or two, enjoying my hospitality of Lianna and examining the newest merchandise. Oh and bring that adorable little Kushiban I’ve seen with you in holovid recordings. He seems just darling.” There was a briefest of pause, “In either case do come…”

 

[Orick T'ane]

Corporate Sector - Etti IV
Defense Conference Center
Symposium

Orick smiled as they walked in the symposium hall, "[member="Captain Larraq"] is here? I know that guy. We had some business a few years back, right when the galaxy went to hell." He chuckled a bit to himself as he thought about what Larraq would think if he saw him at this gala. He only knew that Orick was a smuggler and a bit more. This was definitely turning into an interesting evening.

He tried to follow the names that [member="Anastasia Rade"] was mentioning as they walked, but his eyes were scanning the room, looking for people he knew, or that he could recognize by appearances alone. He saw [member="Friedrich Stahlmann"] and [member="Camellia Swift"] chatting, but it didn't look like a happy reunion. He recognized [member="Anija Ordo"] from briefings, [member="Jorus Merrill"] he knew, but only from meetings on Rebel One. [member="Alec Rekali"] and [member="Coren Starchaser"] both looked familiar, but he wasn't sure where he had seen them before. He immediately recognized [member="Cade lee"], the Republic senator and reminded himself to get an introduction. He was sure by the end of the evening he would know many more of the people here, and hopefully get some interesting information out of the night.

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

Defence Conference Centre
Symposium Hall


Her shiny leather boots, polished to perfection, made little noise on the ground as she passed through a hallway and entered the great symposium, though there was the tap-tap of her cane, which she was still forced to carry with her. Well, on the bright side at least it was a nice looking cane, with elaborate Eldorai runes engraved upon it. Vanity, perhaps, but still!


The Vice President of Firemane Industries and noblewoman had been busy as of late. But upon having received an invitation to attend the gala on Etti IV within the halls of the Levantine Astronautical Academy, she had made time. It was sort of convenient because Tegaea was also in Levantine space, though not on Etti. Maybe after the symposium and gala were over they could...catch up. After all, due to reasons they had not seen each other for a long time. Clearly something to rectify by doing things this writer cannot describe due to the risk of upsetting the kiddies.


So she entered the symposium hall. Needless to say Siobhan arrived armed. A lightsabre was strapped to her silver belt, though the weapon was more ceremonial than practical since she was an abysmal duellist. A far more practical weapon presented itself in form of a pendant worn on a chain, in actuality a hold-out bolter. The sort of shiny toy she handed out like candy to new members of her 'family'. Of course, her true strength lay in the Force and in her telekinetic prowess, in the event that it came to a fight. Not that she was looking for one, she had just learned to be prepared for one. The vicious scars etched into her features were a constant reminder of that. She had considered wearing uniform, but then elected to instead choose a magnficient sheer black dress that reached down to beneath her ankles but left her shoulders and toned arms exposed.


Her Mirien liked her in it! By the time she arrived the hall seemed to be already filling with people. Several she did not recognise, others she did. [member="Anija Ordo"] she was familiar with from the Mandalorian Protectors, which reminded her that she had to congratulate the woman about becoming a Field Marshal. Thinking this made Siobhan tense for a moment when she thought about what had happened to Ordo, before she clamped down on the feeling. [member="Friedrich Stahlmann"], now retired, had been served under her as OP's admiral at Gehenna when she had been Exarch, cleansing the stars of the Bando Gora fleet while she carried out an exterminatus on the ground. Moreover, they had both served at Druckenwell, more recently. [member="Jorus Merrill"] and her had caused lots of carnage back in the day and boarded battleships a lot, which had included lots of antics involving shotgun-fu and her 'making doors' in said battleships. [member="Sasha Santhe"] she was familiar with from an adventure involving rogue technobeasts and an, ahem, after party.

 

[Jorus Merrill]

SYMPOSIUM HALL​

[member="Anija Ordo"] got a smile and nod as he returned her wrist-to-wrist grip. "Just be gentle in question period, Field Marshal." She'd been a ship's engineer on the Companion Esk mission, and chief engineering officer on the Wild Space survey that had located Echoy'la; they'd served together quite a bit. As she moved off, he focused back on [member="Sasha Santhe"] -- not that his focus had ever really left her.

"I'll have to take you up on that sometime," he said with as much sincerity as he could muster. An invitation to Sasha frakking Santhe's private lair was nothing to sniff at -- but it also invoked unknown quantities on a really ridiculous scale. His sister had told him very little of Tion, but even reading between the lines, the impression he'd gleaned tended to make him warier than...just about anything these days. He'd met few power players he couldn't outwit in one way or another, but Sasha Santhe had a reputation. His eyes tracked up past her shoulder and widened. "I'm sorry -- I think Admiral Stahlmann and Commodore Swift may be about to tear each other's heads off. Excuse me. Very nice to meet you, Lady Santhe."

***​

​

SYMPOSIUM HALL​

THE PANEL​

​

While the gala continued in the next room, the symposium was about to begin. The Mandalorian [member="Captain Larraq"] and Admiral [member="Friedrich Stahlmann"] were here, as was [member="Camellia Swift"], whose current rank actually eluded him; as for the other speaker, his chair was empty. Still in the throes of arrangements, Jorus' face brightened as he spotted his old friend [member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]. She'd been his first choice for the panel, but between family life and running Firemane...well, frankly, he hadn't thought she would be able to make it. That, and this was supposed to be a naval tactics symposium -- though she could probably have given a riveting lecture on boarding operations. He had one of the cadets slip her a note requesting commentary, and plenty of it.

With a look around for his third panelist ([member="Arrbi Betna"]), Jorus took his seat at the table and turned on the voicecaster. "Evening, all," he said, his voice settling the room. "We're waiting on our final panelists. While we wait, I'd just ask you to finish raiding the excellent fruit and cheese platter and take your seats." Surreptitiously, he sucked a bit of pulp from between his teeth. "I'm Captain Jorus Merrill of the Levantine Frontier Corps, formerly of the Omega Defense Force. I'll be moderating the panel tonight. I've asked our guests of honor to introduce themselves and give short presentations on topics of their choice, focusing on our theme: evolution of naval tactics and strategy in the past decade. After that, we'll have a round table discussion, with questions and comments from the audience. We have distinguished guests with us tonight -- Exarch Emeritus [member="Siobhan Kerrigan"], Field Marshal [member="Anija Ordo"], and others -- and I hope they'll give us the benefit of their experience. Admiral Stahlmann, would you start us off?"

 

[Jsc]

Symposium
The Panel Begins

Karen and Grant took their seats and listened as Moderator Captain Jorus Merrill began. Flipping through their booklet they nodded at all the names and speakers given. Well well. This was going to be a grand meeting indeed. Especially with so many honored guests and veteran commentators. Grant waggled his eyebrows and Karen did likewise. Even without the popcorn, they were in for a show.

Karen also suddenly realized that [member="Siobhan Kerrigan"] was also present. As such, she quickly looked up at the ceiling and measured it's immediate strength with her eyes. Mm. (Just checking.) It would have to do.

 

[Anija Betna]

[member="Jorus Merrill"] | [member="Captain Larraq"] | [member="Popo"] | [member="Arrbi Betna"] |

Etti IV
Defense Conference Center
Symposium Hall

Anija chuckled to herself at Jorus' parting comment. He knew her well. Both expeditions she'd been on had spanned months. And, she wouldn't have traded those experiences for anything. Both were nerve wracking in their own way, but she had enjoyed every minute.

Tugging a bit self consciously on the lower hem of her LAA uniform, she smoothed the wrinkles from it. A glance at the panelists' table on the stage told her they were starting soon. Swiping a drink from the tray of a passing serving droid, Anija sipped at it for a moment. A glance, around the room told her there were quite a few people here that she knew. More than she expected. Even if some she only knew by reputation.

She caught [member="Anastasia Rade"]'s eye and gave the younger woman a smile and nod, angling towards her and her companion. The man she didn't recognize, but it didn't much matter at the moment. When she reached the pair, she gripped Ana's wrist in a warrior's greeting before pulling the younger woman into a hug. "Good to see you here..." she said quietly as she gave [member="Orick T'ane"] a nod.

It was as she was speaking to them that Jorus Merrill's voice echoed through the auditorium. They were starting. Clearing her throat, Anija tugged her uniform straight again and turned towards the stage, looking for a seat. Her gaze swept the room again and she smiled slightly as she saw quite a few of the LAA cadets in the room, along with others such as [member="Siobhan Kerrigan"].

 

[Anastasia Rade]

Etti IV
Defense Conference Center
Symposium Hall

Oh? What sort of business? He is speaking at the panel today along with a few other Mandalorians. I’m sure he will be surprised to see you here.” Ana was just curious as to what type of deal he and [member="Captain Larraq"] had going on way back when. It would sure be interesting if they all crossed paths tonight. It was always interesting to come across an old business partner but now Ana was in the picture. That would probably cause some raised eyebrows.

“It’s good to see you as well,” Ana lightly smiled at [member="Anija Ordo"] . She was about to introduce [member="Orick T'ane"] to her when she heard the call that they were going to be starting soon. If she got a chance after the event she would but she didn’t want to miss the panel. “We should go find our seats, they panel is starting.” She turned with a smile at Orick as she led them into the hall.