Private The Eagle and The Hawk

[Adron Malvern]

KING & COUNT​

Tags: Lucien Dooku ​

Location: Illyria, Azurine City, Dragonne Palace
Time: Afternoon
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Serenno. A word that was synonymous with disaster. It was a ridiculous thought that at one time the King of Illyria wanted nothing more to return to his home. Reclaiming his Countship and the humble station that his family had held for thousands of years. The Force had taken him down another path entirely. He'd long since relinquished the thought of a life on Serenno and instead turned his eyes towards a new gem, one that he could faithfully shape as he wished. That was the dream of Illyria, a world of Aristocratic prominence where his wife and their young child could happily grow without the fear of danger or pain.

Still, the past was yet a factor in his life and he had found it recurring again and again in dreams and visions. These visions often held some relevance to Serenno and the various Noble Houses. The same Houses that conspired to murder his family in a pitless grab for power. Even now, remembering the coup caused his anger to flare to the point where he had to refocus his mind. He sat in the center of his throne room, surrounded by Lords and Ladies of his Court. The court had concluded it's business for the day, however there was always a small time after their meetings where member of the nobility may approach the King with his gripes or complaints. Often Adron was receptive to the pleas of his people, however today he had cut the meeting short for another appointment he was keen to maintain.

Lucien Dooku . By the surname he was a member of the House that once ruled Serenno with a firm grasp, he was also Adron's distant cousin through his paternal line. Shey Malvern had been a branch member of the Dooku family and Adron's Grandmother. Not that he was familiar with the woman or House Dooku. Although the marriage of Adron's grandfather, Asceriton to a member of the Dooku line was crafted in an attempt to bring the families together it never held much ground. House Dooku had often believed itself to be greater than House Malvern, which was something to be understood given the Dooku's line of planetary rulers.

When first Adron had heard of the Dooku scion he searched himself, wondering if a meeting between the two would be of any worth. After some light probing he found that this man, Lucien had also been banished from the world of Serenno which was yet under control of the Sith Empire.

It seemed Lucien and Adron had something in common.

A loud slam could be heard in the hall, yet Adron paid it no mind.

"All members of the Court will now exit the halls, per order of the King!" The Palace Chamberlain called out. The group of nobles would bow their heads respectfully towards the King before taking their leave.

With the hall cleared, the Chamberlain approached Adron who sat with his legs crossed, a hand upon his chin in thought. "Your Majesty, your guest has arrived, shall we bring him in?" Adron turned his eyes to the Chamberlain, nodding silently.

The man turned from the King while he rose from his throne. He wore a stunning suit of black and white crafted from a thinly woven silk. An ebony cloak fell from his shoulders freely as he turned his eyes to the great doors to the Main Hall. He was eager to see just what kind of man this Dooku was.
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[Lucien Dooku]

Adron Malvern
P O U N D C A K E
DRAGONNE PALACE // AZURINE CITY // ILLYRIA

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There were some meetings which seemed fated to happen, even when the eventuality of their existence would take years, if not more, to come true. One such meeting came far flung into the future of the exiled Prince of Serenno. In a time where his loyalties to his homeworld were as disconnected as himself, he'd grasped the hands of destiny with his own and carved a path out through the darkness that gripped his heart. Spurned onwards by rejection of the future his family provided, Lucien found himself wandering the galaxy for a time that seemed magical in hindsight. There were none of the worries of royalty and nobility which plagued his past. None of the tribulations that followed his entry into the Third-Imperial Civil War either.

There was only bliss in those earlier days. Ignorant bliss, but nonetheless all the same. He rejected his heritage during those initial years of his exile, cutting himself off from all but the one brother who still dared to defy his grandfather's orders. Nobility became nothing more than who he once was in the past, until his station within the Order demanded he put on the airs of his heritage for the implicit purpose of diplomacy. The marketable young Lucien proved a key tool in their propaganda machine, his face a common sight at the tables of diplomacy between nations. He disdained the tactic, considering it involved him at the center, but it proved valuable in connecting him back to the society he once inhabited. Socializing with the galaxy's elite had connected him across the galaxy, with one in particular leading to his fate finally intersecting with another of similar background.

Adron Malvern .

It was a name he'd never heard, courtesy of the family he left back on his homeworld. House Serenno-Dooku -- renamed after its ascension, dubbed the final one -- had shamelessly retreated to their lands after the Sith encroachment of the world. The ruling House Malvern were left to fend the threat off on their own, and with their failure came the opportunity that House Dooku's patriach had long awaited. Compliance with the Sith brought his family into power, provided it wealth, influence and the security of knowing that their dynasty had been solidified.

No longer would Serenno be subject to the game of the Great Houses. The power of the Crown demanded not just loyalty, but the unity of the Great Houses of Serenno. With the Sith's influence ever present in the shadows, allegiance was demanded for those who had not fled the planet. Wealth and influence was promised to all in return for that aforementioned allegiance, but fated to the SIth the planet would remain. It was the outcome of this subservience which tied together the fates of Adron and Lucien, not just the connection through blood which he discovered much later. Both suffered exile as a result of the Sith occupation of their home, and both eventually found themselves settled in lands far flung from their native Serenno.

The time eventually arrived where Lucien had found himself an opportunity to escape from his duties elsewhere in the galaxy. The war against the Sith had slowed down for a spell. His duties to Nirauan were safely delegated away to his team of advisors, and with it he was free to embark on a trip to the Confederate world of Illyria. His arrival came several weeks later, not a surprise given the distance between the two planets in question. Nonetheless he wouldn't waste time with settling himself in, instead choosing to venture to the court immediately upon his arrival to the world.

A short wait preceded his entrance into the royal court before him. He cracked a soft grin upon hearing the sound of a Chamberlain, a sound which he'd not experienced in the years since he resided in Serenno's own court. The great doors before him opened up at the be behest of their King, and with it he was given the permission to enter the halls at once. He sauntered forwards with confidence in his step, yet postured himself with enough grace to his host to show his appreciation all the same.

Lucien came to a halt a few feet shy of the King's throne, a hand moving across to his chest, resting it over his heart. Rising to his full height after the sign of respect, he took in the sight of Illyria's King fully for the first time since he entered the room.

"Greetings, and thank you for the invitation to your world. " Luc spoke up, still grinning all the same. Blue eyes remained forwards, analyzing the man's appearance and taking in the man's demeanor while he spoke. "Truth be told, I've been looking forwards to this meeting for some time. But I have to ask, given the circumstances of our shared heritage, would you permit me to refer to you as cousin? Or shall we maintain formalities instead." ​

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[Adron Malvern]

BLOOD OF DOOKU​

Tags: Lucien Dooku ​

The scion of House Dooku stood before Adron Malvern, pride and honor. The King took notice of the presence he brought with him. It seemed that the Force remained firmly tethered within the walls of Dooku. That was something that the King was not surprised to see as his own ancestor from the House of Dooku had been a practiced Jedi Knight in her youth. Even now the Illyrian King couldn't help but find himself amused that by the odds of the galaxy, once again the two Houses of Malvern and Dooku were before one another. When the man gave his greetings, Adron descended down the steps to his throne, speaking plainly. "I'll admit I have been looking forward to this meeting as well. Welcome to Illyria." He said before placing himself only a few feet from the man.

"Cousin is just fine. I would not dare dishonor the memory of my Grandmother by greeting you so coldly." Something that was rather unsuspecting would be that Adron closed the gap between them, wrapping his arms around his cousin in a welcoming embrace. After the brief hug, Adron pulled back and gestured to a rather extravagant bar cart resting in the corner of the room. "Come. You will have a drink with me." He insister, placing a hand on the man's shoulder as a guide towards the bar cart. The warmth that was offered came from a place of genuine appreciation for the man's blood. House Dooku had not stood beside House Malvern during their exile, however they had not taken place in the treachery that saw House Malvern nearly wipe from existence. "When I heard that House Dooku had survived the Sith occupation I was overjoyed. Oftentimes in history when the Sith claimed a world as their own they would execute those bloodlines of note, cementing a more iron rule. However, it seems the Sith, Darth Banshee instead sought to subjugate the royal houses."

There was some amusement that came from the mention of the Sith. The woman who attempted to buy Adron and Alessandra Creed patronage with land and title. The thought made the King chuckle softly. A beggar Queen who crossed the galaxy to ensure that the Illyrian King had no designs on usurping her rule. The galaxy was certainly an amusing place.

"Still." The man said as they approached the bar cart. The King took a fine crystal glass and set it before Lucien before taking a glass of his own. "Those on Serenno who still hold House Malvern in some esteem tell me that House Dooku enjoys a fine share of prosperity these days, and has from some time." The King began pouring two glasses of amber liquid. The libation offered a wonderful scent of maple and rose that drifted from the glasses as he poured. "So why is it that Lucien Dooku does not stand with his own blood in their time of prosperity?" He asked, taking hold of one of the crystal glasses and holding it out to the man. The expression behind the glass was one of pure curiosity and unmuted suspicion.
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[Lucien Dooku]

Adron Malvern
P O U N D C A K E
DRAGONNE PALACE // AZURINE CITY // ILLYRIA

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It was an odd sight, seeing this man who once called Serenno a home just like himself. Adron descended down from his throne with a regal poise to him that Lucien had long forgotten. The exiled Prince had long since casted away the air of formality that bled from his pores, adopting the free-spirited demeanor of the spacer he would soon become. But for the meeting at hand, Lucien chose to carry himself with as much grace as he could muster. He called upon his home training to present himself to the court of Illyria with much more grace than he did in the space of the New Imperial Order.

Those formalities were brought to a momentary halt as the King of Illyria embraced his cousin with open arms. It was unexpected, but welcomed nonetheless. He'd long been disconnected from the families of Serenno, and with it the concept of family had rusted away into a forgotten concept. He never thought that his relatives -- estranged or not -- would once again be visible from his own eyes. Even estranged as they were, Lucien couldn't help but smile nonetheless, relaxing in his posture by the time the two would settle near the bar.

Drinks were poured shortly after, and being the connoisseur he was, there was no chance that he would decline. He sipped at the expensive liquor with pleasure, pacing himself in order to prolong the taste of the drink. The topic shifted upon their shared birthright of Serenno, to which Lucien listened quietly as the man spoke. He touched upon the dark past of the world's subjugation briefly, a topic which Luc had assumed was a wound to the scion of House Malvern. It would've hurt him more than Luc, at least, as he was no more than a fledgling adolescent by the time the Zambrano Empire came knocking upon the world's doorstep.

He ended upon with a question that hit much closer than home than the former, but Luc did not dare to show any form of emotion in regards to the question. He missed his family and his home, but the war against the Sith had long steeled his resolve to return to his home without sorrow in his heart. The Order sat upon the threshold of Serenno as it stood, and that was more than enough to pay off for the constant trials of warfare over the past years.

Luc gulped down a mouthful of the drink's contents, sitting it down on the cart as he addressed his cousin in return. "I had two choices, cousin." A soft smile crept its way onto his face as he spoke, his eyes trailing down towards the shifting of the ice within his stationary glass. "Either I was to remain a Prince of my people, but submit to the schemes of my grandfather in his bid to court the favor of the Zambranos...or throw myself against the winds of fate, and see where I would end up in the galaxy."

He drifted for some time, wandering the stars with nothing but his starfighter and his astromech. Eventually he found another home, and a temporary family to replace the one he lost. He left them in aftermath of the Sith's blockade of the Pabol Hutta, resolved to no longer sit on the sidelines and avoid the cancer that plagued his birthright.

"I chose the latter option. I still believed in the ideals of our people; we did not bend our knee to those who offered us their crumbs in exchange for our compliance. Even the greatest of our line, the one who fell to the Sith as Tyranus, did not subjugate our people's ambition through the means of indoctrination, fear and threat of destruction. I love my family, but I did not and do not support the actions of our King, my grandfather. Our House has elevated itself above the others, and forced them to bend the knee."

"But at what cost?"

He shrugged.

"I avoided my fate, I suppose. I abandoned by loyalties to the Jedi, and to Serenno, and took to the stars for some years. Eventually I could not ignore what the Zambrano Empire had done to both my home and the galaxy and took the fight to them."

He picked up his glass, pausing to take a sip and give his cousin time to soak in his words.

"I serve the New Imperial Order, together with my half-brother Rurik Fel . We will free our home, after the extermination of the Zambrano's Empire. Only then can I consider returning home and make things right-- for everyone who's been wronged." ​

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[Adron Malvern]

F U T U R E​

Tags: Lucien Dooku ​

In another world Adron's story may have been just as Lucien's was. But it had not been so in this life. When the former Count of Serenno was driven from his home there were years, decades where all he yearned for was to return to the world and reclaim it for the people. That man had died long ago.

Had he given up?

Yes.

A bitter thought to sour a mood of reunion, but against the negative thoughts the King looked to Lucien with something bordering upon pride. "House Dooku is honored to have you as their heir. Regardless of where you stand, regardless of what a piece of parchment says, you are the rightful King to Serenno." He said, nodding slowly as he spoke. "I see it within your heart. Something within you that was not within me." He said. There was another bitter thought. However it did not matter his feelings on the subject. Adron was and always would be a realist. The reality was as he spoke it.

"My home has not been Serenno for many years and it never again will be." He raised his glass to the halls of champagne and gold that surrounded them. "Illyria is my home now." He stated, yet he looked to Lucien pointedly. "Yet there is much to be said for Serenno and its future is something even I cannot see clearly." He said before setting the glass down on the table and exhaling from the warm flow of the liquor.

"The New Imperial Order." He said in consideration. "With my ties to The Confederacy no longer standing then I have no reason to stand against this regime, so for you my cousin I wish you victory." He said, clasping a hand on the man's shoulder before pausing and gesturing down the hall. "Here, I would like to give you something. I believe it is time for it to return to proper hands." He turned to lead the man down the large chamber of the main hall, where the guards to the room threw open the massive doors to allow the two men passage. Moving through the corridors, Adron continued to speak in a plain voice. "I plan to bring the name of House Malvern to greatness. However there is still much i must do before my plans can be set into motion. I know the history of my House and I know it's future." The man's advance slowed as they approached a single wooden door.

"However there is another future we must see to. It is not for me to decide the path of House Dooku nor is it your uncle's. It is yours." The door before them opened to reveal a glorious library, several stories high filled with hundreds of books and tomes. The man strode past them all, instead he made his way to the back of the room. A set of stairs led to another chamber deeper in the library, elevated above all else. What laid before them was a pristine door of pure Phrik, under the Guard of armored Knight. The man stepped to the side as the King approached he let his presence through the Force sink into the door.

Without prompt or a noticeable gesture the door slowly slid into it's host. Inside was a white chamber that had several shelves embedded in the domed walls. Each shelf held a number of shining devices of varying shapes and sizes, however each one was quite obviously a holocron.

There was one in particular that Adron approached as he spoke. "Few know that our ancestor, Count Dooku forged his own Holocron. A device that held knowledge in more than just the arts of the Sith. Within are secrets and tales from the days of Serenno's glory." He plucked the crimson and ebony holocron from the shelf, gazing down at it before holding it out to Lucien.

"It belongs to House Dooku." He insisted.​