We Like Balls [Galactic Alliance Fund-Raiser Gala]

[Lord Ghoul]

[member="Choli Vyn"]

“I dunno,” the boy smacked his lips and looked off into the distance at nothing in particular for a moment, thinking. “Some sort of liquor? Hmm, hints of sugar cane… light, very light. White rum? Hmm, Western Galaxy. Fondor made.”

It really was fruit punch. And he really was pretty sure that that was white rum mixed in with the punch, though he couldn’t even remember the last time he’d employed those taste buds, but some training you never forget. Even if it did come from a bunch of snooty uptight blowhards.

Doe brown eyes glanced away from the ceiling and found her olive toned features. “Was already in the punch when I grabbed a cup,” he smiled. “Never too young to enjoy life. I’m Luce by the way.”

 

[Dayn Wren]

A fire burned within him. It was hard to contain himself, but he did. He didn't want to come off as too intense or anything. All he really knew in this moment was that she felt like kissing him. Did he even know what he wanted? Thinking took a background priority. It felt like things were just happening. Perhaps they were, or perhaps she was just that smooth.

Again he smiled - he seemed to be doing a lot of that at the moment - while his hand stroked her back. Even as things transitioned into conversation, he seemed reluctant to let her slip outside of arm's reach. There was nothing stopping her, of course, but he had a clear preference.

To her answer Aedan nodded understandingly. It hadn't been the answer he had hoped for, but that was just how things were. Ideally it would have been something along the lines of 'oh, actually I live right around the corner'. He had almost let out a chuckle when she slipped back into conversation mode. To him it had been a slightly classier way of asking 'do you live nearby'. Enough to hint at his agenda, but subtle enough so he could maintain some deniability. Maybe it was a Jedi thing and she wasn't used to it, or maybe she had picked up on it, but was trying to avoid the question. Which meant he probably had to be more direct if he wanted an answer to the unasked question. Aedan felt the nerves again, but he couldn't stop now.

"Yeah. Command got us set up at this fancy hotel, actually. You should see it." No, Aedan, that won't do. Kark he hated this. Things were easier just seconds ago. "There's a nice take-away place right outside if you're hungry. We can make it into an afterparty." he almost added a comment about being able to go crazy on the hotel mini-bar, seeing as it wouldn't be on his bill anyway, but decided against it. It was a meant to sound like a casual suggestion, not like he was building a case and holding a speech to argue in favour of it.

[member="Lilin Imperieuse"]

 

[Marcus Lok]

"Marcus Lok, did you hack your way into another party again?"

Oh... Had he really been found out that quickly? He supposed in theory they might notice the discrepancy eventually, but he hadn't expected it to take them only minutes...

"Well you see..."

Very much expecting to see around three or four security guards on his heel when he turned, it was all the more delightful to see [member="Sylvia Nuru"] in her short cut blue dress. The last time he had seen her was in the small apartment he had been renting on Soceras. It had been a refuge for a recluse and had turned into a room for two quite unexpectedly. That had also been the last time they had spoken before he had set off for Mandalorian space.

"Sylvia! I didn't expect to see you here."

And he didn't! If he had expected to see her again, and that had been a spotty topic in itself, he thought that he might have had to venture deep into First Order space and into some stuffy officer's ball that seemed to fit the members of that organization so nicely. The fact that she was here at an Alliance ball in a dress that was appropriately non regulation made him even happier to see such a beautiful face. With a brisk motion to the bartender, a fine new pair of glasses were deposited on the bar, and he offered one to her.

"I didn't know the First Order let their aces fraternize with the Alliance..?"

[member="Sylvia Nuru"]

 

[Alexandra Porte]

"A perfect spot to enjoy some of Corellia's finest," [member="Lucius Varad"] said, letting his lips curl into a mischievous grin. "Well done."

Alexandra glanced around them and nodded agreeably looking directly into the man's violet eyes, which fascinated her. "Mhmm, yes. Yes it is... and I intend to enjoy it to the fullest as well as the whole night for that matter. I hope you do too," Alex answered with an equally mischievous glint in those brandy-brown colored orbs of hers.

The Silver Fox pulled out a chair from the chosen table in a very gentlemanly fashion. She liked the gesture. In a time of war, manners like that seemingly were few. It was good to know some forms of chivalry were still around.

"It's yours if you want it, Alex."

"Why wouldn't I, Lucius… I like nice men, especially when we are about to share in something equally as nice, not to mention rewarding," she answered flashing the well-defined Rogue a warm smile before sitting down gracefully upon the padded chair, then crossing one long, toned leg over the other and allowing the slit in the golden gown to show off the silky smooth bared skin presented.

Alleycat's taste buds were nearly dripping wet at this point with the anticipation of what was to come… She opened the bottle of Whyrren's Reserve and poured out equal proportions of the richly-colored amber spirit into the two tulip-shaped glasses on the table, then offered one to her handsome companion.

"Here's to clear skies, my friend," the brunette toasted, then clinked her glass with his.

 

[Dayn Wren]

NPC Post - Ailish Lochlan

It didn't take long before she was walking with a drink in her hand. An observant waiter had planted it there. Or rather, she had picked it off his plate, but she sounded much more innocent when she said it like that. Her light blue eyes scanned the room while she enjoyed the taste of her drink. Ooh, bubbles.

So far she hadn't found her mark. The place was so much more crowded than she had expected. At least she knew who she was looking for. He would be tall, in his early thirties, and have black hair with shaved sides. She had done her research. He ran a freighter company together with his brother. As far as she could tell their business was legit. So many when she thought she had found a good fit for Lochlan Apparel she came to realise the people she was looking up were smugglers, or otherwise involved in legal activities. The Allerti brothers seemed promising, however.

Ailish had made a clear path around the dance floor - she wanted nothing to do with that now. There was a chance her man would be hiding in there, but she wanted to rule out the other options first before she got locked in with the bouncing masses. Her slow walk turned an imagined corner, and she soon found herself by the bar. Looking down at her glass she noticed it was nearly empty already. Time to refuel? Not quite yet.

Ailish stood another few moments, on her toes every now and then to scan across the heads of the crowd. Nope. Man, how much it would blow if she didn't find him. Right now it felt like she was looking for a needle in a haystack. In any case, she tried telling herself, the trip to Sullust wouldn't be a waste. The capital was the capital, there were no shortage of opportunities or things to do here. And on the flip side, even if she came up empty handed on her task tonight, she did find herself at what was likely the grandest party within the Alliance lands at the moment. She might as well enjoy herself. Time to refuel? Yes. Yes it was. Ailish caved and headed for the bar.

 

[Liam Quez]

Parties were something that he never could really get used to, but Ibaris was determined about attending this one. The farm boy assumed it was because the girl had a soft spot for the old man who was close to her parents. Yawning slightly, he adjusted the collared shirt he wore along with the bow tie. Liam wasn't the dress clothing biggest fan, but he wore it to please the blonde who looked fabulous in the red dress. A grin swept his face as his body relaxed in the fitted shirt.

The girl never showed the affection she had for him, but when she did he relished in the moment. It had been a long time since he had first showed his affection towards her and of course she rebelled against it and nearly melted his mind. Knowing boundaries was a lesson he quickly learned that day.

Blue eyes fluttered as he caught himself day dreaming, the smile she gave him over her shoulder made him catch his breath. Sexual tension was one hell of a situation. The grin returned upon the dumbfounded boy's face and he made his way up to her. Knowing her dislike for PDA, he still stepped over the line only to antagonize her, because that's what he did. Coming behind the smaller girl, he slipped his arms under hers and hugged her from behind. He kissed her cheek as his larger frame enveloped her. "I think everyone will be surprised, I see a few familiar faces." [member="Ibaris Varanin"]

 

[Silara Varis]

Balls.

They weren't something she was into. Since graduating flight school and serving with the Republic Navy she'd attended a grand total of zero. Even as a former CAG and flight instructor, petty politics didn't interest her. However being of an inquisitive mind she had decided not to sit this one out.

Instead of her old dress blues, or tired black flight suit with the cloak she'd gone with a black lace dress. It was cut along the sides up to her knee's to display a little leg and get people interested. Because after a few drinks the interested ones always spilled secrets, and secrets were her side business. As a pilot she was a natural. As an intelligence agent? Even better.

Piloting was simply a cover up. Something to do on her off time whilst she wasn't inciting mutinies and creating sedition in some backwater enemy world.

Yes intel was good.

She slipped across the room silently and laid her brown eyes on the bartender.

"Doubleshot of whiskey, best you got."

"It'll cost ya, that's house reserve."

Her eyes wrinkled in a sinister smile.

"I'll take it anyways."

 

[LT-137]

As I slid the chair beneath my companion's shapely form, my violet gaze had gravitated towards the split in her dress, bidden to bear witness to the Silken skin that revealed itself under the parting folds of golden fabric. The flesh was luminous and smooth reminding me of my own before the lash had marred it. Suffice to say; there was a slight sensation of jealousy that surged through my veins as I took a fleeting moment to gaze upon her figure from up close, but that envious feeling was swiftly tossed aside as her hands had reached out and grasped the first of the paired set of crystalline glasses. I had no reason to be insecure around her when a rare vintage was eagerly waiting to be sipped, and thus the notion itself was cleared from my thoughts as I took my seat opposite of my fellow pilot.

I could feel my mouth water in anticipation as she poured the amber liquid into the second glass, and offered it to me as she took the other for herself. With a subtly trembling hand, I felt the electric thrill of connection as my fingers had briefly caressed hers in the exchange. It seemed the spell that had bewitched my courage was slowly beginning to fade, and my mind eagerly demanded that the numbed sensation returned. That was when she offered a toast, one that caused my eyes to sparkle with interest. Clear Skies. What a beautiful thing to be toasting too! When our glasses had come together and forced the spirit within to swish and swirl, I decided to add to her toast - hopefully, something that she too could appreciate.

"And may it never be taken from us!" I added, before bringing the elxir towards my nose and sniffing its elegant bouquet. The scent held a crisp wooden aroma, flecked with things my mind reeled to discern. This, just by the fragrance alone, was worth more than the starfighter I flew for the Alliance - something that a lowly Pilot like me should never taste. Bringing the Glencairn to my lips and tipping a small portion of its contents into my mouth, I no longer cared about the ramifications that would befall my comrades and me. We were the lives of the party, and through us - our superior's would be more than willing to refund our benefactor for any damages or missing inventory that would arise after this Gala was said and done.

The fire that came after my first sip was what surprised me back into the present. It burned going down, but the pleasing numbness that came after was well worth the scorching agony. My tongue tasted the ashen echoes of Corellia, and it was almost like I could see the ghosts of men and women long past working in the distillery to produce such a divine vintage. I was enthralled by the taste and thus took another before placing my crystalline tulip down upon the table.

"An excellent vintage, indeed." My lips had commented before my mind could formulate the words. Instinct had become my paragon virtue, it seemed, and while I would possibly come to regret my actions at a later date - it felt too damn good to allow my mind to ruin the pleasure for me.

"So, Alex," I started, "I'm curious. What did you do before being assigned to the Rogues?"

| [member="Alexandra Russo"] |

 

[Ibaris Varanin]

She stiffened when he enveloped her in his embrace without warning. Every time he did this, pouring his affection onto her when she wasn't looking, she was never ready, but she'd learned her lesson about handling his impulses some years ago. It wasn't until recently that she had begun to try and not force things to go exactly as she ordained, because he would never be her, and if he was, then he wouldn't be what she had developed feelings for. He had his own fear of her, and she had that same fear of herself, that she would cross that line again if she didn't take a deep breath and think before reacting. Those thoughts were ones of reasoning with herself, self-assurance that this wasn't going to hurt her, that it was okay to let it happen even though she wasn't in control. It wasn't just the control, in this particular instance, but the memory of when, at fourteen years of age, she had been nabbed by a man that had some beef with her parents. From behind. Tranquilised.

She breathed out, letting the tension bleed out of her shoulders and settling them against, sinking them almost into the broadness of his chest. Her eyes fluttered shut and a hand slipped over one of his arms as she tried to simply accept the honesty of emotion that was being given. Another held breath was loosed, and she found herself nodding, more to herself that she managed this time, but the panic of being stared at in this position was simply too strong to keep it up; she squirmed out of his grasp, gracefully or not, and tried as much as possible to not shoot him a nasty look for the sake of maintaining her composure.

"First though, drinks," came her voice again after several moments and a few steps backwards and out of his reach; a thought occurred to her, knowing something of the mind of [member="Alen Na'Varro"], "but stay away from the Vaapad Lessons. I don't doubt that Alen's pulled out the all the stops and has those things flowing, judging from how drunk some people are, already."

Though, it felt like home to have that stuff around, a home that seemed like a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. Her glance darted away, as she knew she was skirting the issue that was always present when they weren't alone, then tracked slowly back to the handsome face of the man she had resisted letting in for so, so long, the urge to strike him losing to reason as it had been more and more over time. She pinched the bridge of her nose.

"I'm sorry, Liam," she whispered, then releasing her nose, her brows knitting together, apologetically, "I'm trying."

She only hoped that her efforts spoke the volumes they were meant to, to him. She needed them to, because it was the best she could do, for now. She held out a hand to him, knowing she could at least manage to be okay with that.

"And I'll keep trying, okay?"

[member="Liam Quez"]

 

[Liam Quez]

Liam felt the tension in her shoulders, but he knew he needed to help her get through it. He did soften his grip as he held on long enough for her to relax. Her body wiggled free and he just stared at her with that stupid dopey grin of his. This was something he had dealt with when it came to Ibaris, the girl was always so closed off from him. It was frustrating at times, but when he imagined and when he tried to be with other people - it just didn’t feel right. Sighing softly he took her hand and moved to stand beside her as he glanced around at all the drunk people. Tilting his head, he pulled out his comm mostly to check the legal drinking age of the planet.

The grin returned to his face as he shoved the comm back into his pocket. “We can drink. I’m not staying away from these Vaapad Lessons they sound like fun.” Giving the girl a wink he began to make his trek towards the bar. Pausing, he looked back over at her and held up two fingers and grinned. Yep, she was getting one as well. The important thing was that they had fun, it seemed they had been so busy training and doing work outs. Glancing over he watched as one of the waiters walked by with a tray of drinks, instead of having to wait for the specialty beverage he snagged two and returned rather quickly.
\
Holding out her glass, he shoved the pink straw into his and sucked as hard as he could. The liquid tasted pretty fantastic and he didn’t taste the concoction of the alcohol. Pausing after he had taken almost half of the beverage he grinned. “This is really good!” And then the second half was gone. If Ibaris didn’t snatch her drink fast enough, that too would soon be gone. [member="Ibaris Varanin"]

 

[Ibaris Varanin]

'Oh, no...' she mouthed as he walked off. She was not couldn't drag his lumbering mass back to the ship once those things wore off, but when [member="Liam Quez"] got some damn fool idea in his head, dissuading him wasn't the easiest of pursuits. Sighing, she raked through her hair with the ends of her fingers, while finding the silver lining in all of this - she might not always hate to see him go, but she may have always like watching him leave. No, Ibby, she chided inwardly, shaking her head, now is not the time for that, and she managed to abandon her thoughts for a smile as if nothing had been going on inside of her head by the time he came back with not one, but two of the worrying concoctions and put one in her hands.

"Liam..." she began, staring into the drink, then finding his face while she idly stirred it with the straw, though the words were more of a rhetorical question than anything she wanted the answer to, "...you didn't even think to ask why I said to stay away from these, did you?"

The look on her face was one of pity, not irritation, at the sort of circumstances she was going to find herself in once the fifteen minutes passed, but worse, what was going to happen to any inhibitions that he might have and what tipsiness looked like on him immediately, as his stomach absorbed the details of the drink into his bloodstream. She looked down at the drink again, then as fortune would have it, one of the service staff passed behind her; she wasted no time in passing the untouched drink off to him while Liam was sucking back the second half of his glass, though it may well have been a futile effort to stem the trouble that Liam so willingly dove into with little thought as to the consequences. For the second time in so many minutes, she pinched the bridge of her nose, and for the first time that evening, felt frustration begin to take root. Her brow knit, her hand fell away. She had to do something about this.

"Liam," she said, her voice risen above the mild rhetoric of before, as she steeled herself and drew close, putting a hand to his chest, looking up into the strange innocence of his face, "one of those is more than enough," her fingers curled, bunching what little fabric they could with the snug fit over his pecs, "trust me," and her lips went to his chin, then her head dipped, the anxiety of being surrounded by so many people and doing what she was going to do just screaming in her bones; the other hand, lightly shaking, took to his face and moisture burned at the corners of her eyes as she fought with her own psyche to stay right where she was. Her eyes lifted, she guided his face to hers, and gingerly put her mouth, her lips where so many others had no fear of going - and kissed him for what was her first time doing so in public...

...hoping to whatever gods there might be that this was enough of a distraction for his simple, driven mind... or she just might kill him.

 

[Liam Quez]

The thought behind the Vaapad Lessons was something he was unaware of. The dangers that Ibaris had spoken of flew over his head as he was so focused on obtaining another one. As soon as the straw left his lips, he felt the word begin to sink in towards him. Blue eyes fluttered as he tried to focus on something as the room around him spun slightly, but nothing too bad. His nose wrinkled as he chuckled, with this effect he knew they weren’t flying anywhere. Probably would be a good plan to find a hotel room somewhere near by. He didn’t look at the world anymore and found his eyes focused on the blonde girl in front of him. Rapidly blinking again, he made a mental correction. The girl in front of him was far from the girl that he had originally met on was it Nar Shaddaa? Or was it Corellia - either way, she wasn’t that bratty entitled girl that he called princess.

No, she had grown into a young woman who knew for the most part what she wanted in this Galaxy, where she wanted to go and how she wanted to change it. There were more blinks as he caught her gaze, feeling it more concerned than angry. This made him ponder his actions a bit more, she never looked concerned for him, especially when he had done something moronic. There was happy Ibaris and ‘damn it Liam’ Ibaris. Her words went into his ears and became jumbled up as he tried to figure out why her face looked concerned and why she was suddenly so close to him. Usually he would try and attempt to move away, knowing how she was about public displays of affection, but something kept him there. He shook his head in weak protest of what she was doing.

Logic was out the door in an instant as she drew closer. His eyes wanted to dart around to see if anyone was watching, but they remained focused on the woman that clung to him. There was a hiccup in his breath as he inhaled one last time before she pressed her lips against his. Liam Quez didn’t move just accepted what he was being given. Usual cases, he allowed her to kiss him letting things move at her pace. He had experienced her emotions and had been at her side for years. She needed time and he had to give it to her despite any desire that he had himself. This moment though, Liam couldn’t hold back, he couldn’t just accept things on her consistent terms. Growing tired of the threads she casually threw to him when she was good and ready, he felt the cup slip from his fingers and land on to the ground. Was a good thing they weren’t the glass type of cups and the hard plastic just rolled away with a swift kick of his toe. Strong arms wrapped around [member="Ibaris Varanin"], pulling her closer than she was. A hand moving from her back to the back of her head and threading his fingers through her blonde hair while his other hand rested in the small of her lower back keeping her close.

The necessity to breath forced him to break the kiss, but instead of just stopping there he kissed the corner of her lips, then began to trail along her jaw line. Stopping, he pulled away realizing and coming to the point where his brain decided to kick in. Still, not wanting to let her go he just pulled away slightly and sighed.

“I’m sorry.” As he finished, his hold on her began to loosen. Every fiber of his being hoped that she wouldn’t tear away from him, but he knew the action was inevitable and he possibly ruined any progress they had achieved.

 

[Liliane]

Of course Lilin didn't get the reference or the intention the man had in mind. She was drunk. Drunk of alcohol, drunk of passion. She was everything but sober at that moment, but she thought once a year she could afford herself that. Jedi life was difficult and it was awesome to unwind every once in a while. If it needed alcohol, then it needed alcohol.

"Oh, an afterparty?" the girl didn't really know if she would want to leave the gala just yet. Maybe there was going to be something awesome. Maybe there would be some crazy drama later on, maybe there would be an amazing singer. There were just so many things that could happen while she was away, enjoying herself with Aedan.

Oh wait, now she realised what the man had in mind. Oh kark, how could she have been so stupid and not understand it earlier? It wasn't rocket science or anything, just flirting basics.

"Definitely. If you know a nice place, we can go," she said, very subtly winking her eye. She thought the man would notice that, though, and understand that Lilin had realised what he had in mind.

[ [member="Aedan Lochlan"] ]

 

[Asher]

There was no denying the grin on Owen’s lips as he turned in the direction that Loske was pointing herself in. There he was, the man of the hour with his lips against the insanely hot woman. He didn’t make the slow clap but he would have if his pie-carrying hand had allowed it. Lips pursed with his head bobbing back and forth in a nod of approval. It certainly deserved a clap, that much was true. It was at that point that Owen could rest easy knowing he had done his duty as wingman to ensure that his buddy at least got something mildly interesting out of his pursuit.

The unspoken hero turned to Loske and shrugged.

“I can’t take all the credit.” He tsked as his grin started to thin out. Part of him had to wonder what went on inside Loske’s head and what she thought of someone so near-desperately trying to get someone else to first base with a stranger. He didn’t care what she thought, but he had to admit he was at least curious about it. Was she amused, disgusted, both?

Yeah, no, his track record wasn’t the best with these things.

Hadn’t brought him down ever though. More fish in the galaxy and what-not.

“And yes, I bleed only the purest of denim blue. I thought this was natural?” Owen said as he remembered Loske’s comment before the night’s great event. “Though my sisters insisted there was more of a sapphire kind of tint to it.”

“... No, for real though. Blue bloods. Dad ran patrols around Theed before retirement.” Stars seemed to shine in Owen’s eyes as he talked of his father. “I always wanted to be a security officer myself, but uh… Naboo was far too small. Just wanted to get out there, you know?”

“What about you? Why did you sign up?”

[member="Loske Matson"]

 

[Allyson Locke]

[SIZE=10pt]There was a sign of relief on Allyson’s face when Asmus took the news of Kaili being Allyson’s significant other. Like Asmus, Allyson never saw herself as the settling type. Yet, there was something about the Talith girl at her side. As much as Allyson didn’t want to sound cliché about the whole thing, she really couldn’t help it. The more and more she thought about the matter, she realized there was just something special or different about Kaili that made her stick around. There wasn’t much to really think about when it came to the girl, Allyson just couldn’t quit her. Kaili Talith was a drug and Allyson was hopelessly addicted. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Catching the very subtle looks from Asmus, she gave the man a look that stated her understanding. She knew it was a weird situation, she never in a million years thought she’d say the words of boy/girl-friend in her life. It was just something she didn’t do. Following Kaili, who had taken the lead in finding some seats, she scooted towards the girl. Seeing that the other two had drinks, Allyson caught the attention of a wandering wait staff and ordered. The inebriated Kaili continued to talk as she waited for the others, Allyson placed a hand on the girl’s leg, just under the hem of the dress she wore. Chuckling, she looked towards the blonde then back at Asmus. “She’s had a shot and whatever this little mixed drink is, she’s not one to uh dip into the poison too much.” Allyson couldn’t help it, Drunk Kaili was entertaining. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]“But yeah, I applied, I don’t see a reason why I wouldn’t get in. Ha, I do look forward to seeing what I look like in those fancy dress uniforms.” Allyson wasn’t much for uniform codes, but to fly with the Rogues, she’d obey command. Her drink arrived and she brought it to her lips. A nice neat whiskey was all she needed. After a quick sip she placed it back onto the table and looked towards Asmus. The Corellian was curious to how this conversation would have ended up if she hadn’t had met Kaili. A mental shrug and Allyson began to poke fun at Asmus. “So since you’re Mr. Smooth and easy on the eyes, how many of these poor lady rogues have you slept with” A grin and another sip of her whiskey followed the question. [member="Kaili Talith"] [member="Asmus Janes"][/SIZE]

 

[Asmus Janes]

[member="Allyson Locke"] [member="Kaili Talith"]

"We're not here a minute and such wild accusations Locke!" Asmus replied through a tight smile that betrayed his amusement. He had to bite back a comment that wouldn't have been appropriate in current company. He watched Kaili for a moment, saw the distant stare, with expressions varying between confusion and amusement. This was going to be amusing to watch. Baser pursuits could always be undertaken on another occasion. Long trips through deep space always led to lots of bored individuals looking for a distraction, and Asmus could make himself quite distracting when the occasion called.

"Actually we tend to keep the squadron itself free of complications. Admittedly I did have my eye on that [member="Aedan Lochlan"] over there," Asmus said, jabbing his thumb towards the bearded rogue. He didn't know Kaili's sexuality, but knew Allyson would appreciate the view. "I know right? But seems he's fairly straight laced and found himself someone very pretty."

"Tales shall be told come the morning," Asmus sighed theatrically. "So!" he said, emerald eyes full of mischief. "Another round?" he asked, holding up his glass.

 

[Kaile Vera]

The shenanigans on the dance floor were not missed by Kaile. A faint nibble on the fullness of her lower lip would prelude a passing thought. Galas and fancy balls were never really her thing. Oil and water. While she could mimic the best of them, Kaile always felt a bit out of place.

Maybe because to her, it just seemed like another world.

The fancy dresses. The shiny medals on pristine uniforms. So many different colors; all the ladies were like decorated flowers. Some with the nice frilly lace she so coveted, while others wore slink as if it were a second skin.

Twenty five percent done with the facial recognition algorithm. They had quite the fancy attendees. She got a hit. A few well known CEO’s of various shipyard companies. Huh, not just shipyards, she thought as she caught a few hits on minerals, ores, and resourcing owners.

With so many different holographic screens, one would say that it was difficult to keep up. Not for Kaile though. The cybernetic stim allowed her to register and trace everything in conjunction to the powerful security suites in place.

“Shiny.” she said low. It would be nice to be down there. Have some fun. Laugh and drink a little bit. A thought came then. A whisper of the past. An offer to be taken to a Ball. The half smile slowly froze. Not in this lifetime at least.

​

“Okay, let’s see what is there.” One one screen to her left, each registerd participant would bring up a file. That file would be common place data along with a picture. Those with more information on hand would detail more. Leaning forward, Kaile began to tap through the files.
On the ballroom floor, holocameras would scan and transmit the data. One in particular close to [member="Asmus Janes"], [member="Allyson Locke"], and [member="Kaili Talith"]….

 

[Kaili Talith]

That was a hand leisurely gallivanting dangerously close to the inner thigh! Kaili’s eyes opened wide for a split second before her teeth sunk deep into the skin of her lower lip. Eyes lazily followed the stares of her drinking buddies and set themselves on Lilin and Aedan again. They seemed to be tongue deep in each other and Kaili couldn’t help but grinning. From afar, amidst the blurry oasis of people, she swore it seemed to be a whole different Lilin than the one that Kaili had once met. Or well, that was really unfair considering they had only met once, but she still considered the Jedi to be a friend of hers. And as such, during times such as these, Kaili was pretty certain you cheered for you friend.

But quietly so. There was no need to make things awkward for Lilin. Instead Kaili looked at both Allyson and Asmus with a very happy look to her.

“Oooo, look guys! Lilin is totally making out with that bearded dude!” She said referring to Aedan Lochlan. “Good on her.”

But then came greater news. Asmus proposed getting more drinks, more shots, anything. What did Kaili care? Not much.

“Yes! More drinks!” She exclaimed with perhaps just a little too much excitement to her. Like a kid in a candy flavored vomit-making store. She raised her empty glass along with Asmus. “Three-two-one-GO!”

The glass put to her lips and flicked for the ceiling but nothing came out. Eyebrows furrowed in frustration as she lowered it in front of her.

“It’s empty.” She muttered, “Need to fix that.” She then added as she stared Allyson with unease. “We need to get back to the bar.”

[member="Asmus Janes"] // [member="Allyson Locke"]

 

[Dayn Wren]

The suspense was killing him. His heart was currently attempting a prison break, his ribs being the prison bars. While she was considering, he at least concluded that once more no drinks would be thrown in his face. Why was he so worried about that again? Man she was doing things to his mind.

'Definitely'. When he heard that, he had for a moment felt like his knees were about to give way. Nope, he was still standing. Grand. He had indeed caught that inviting wink of hers. At this point he didn't even try to contain his smile. Aedan could feel the nerves fly away again, being replaced with that warm feeling. Now he could go back to relaxing and enjoying the moment once more. Man, she was beautiful.

The response he gave to that was the only one that came to his mind, and that was to plant another kiss on her inviting lips. The hand that had been on her back travelled a little lower on her dress than perhaps appropriate, but not unseemly so. They wanted to be all over, but he managed some measure of self-restraint. Desires were running high. He needed to be alone with her.

What a splendid event this gala had been.

"Alright. Let's go" with a playful smirk and flirtatious eyes he took her hand, this time guiding her away from the dance floor. He didn't plan on any detours for goodbyes. The only people he knew coming in were his fellow Rogues, and they already spent way too much of their time together. He'd see them soon anyway.

[member="Lilin Imperieuse"]

 

[Alexandra Porte]

"And may it never be taken from us!" [member="Lucius Varad"] added to Alexandra's previous toast as they clinked their two glencairn whiskey glasses together.

"Here, here!" Alex replied with a most agreeing smile, then the brandy-eyed brunette gave a little swirl to the amber contents in the tulip-shaped clear crystal before bringing the glass to her pink-glossed lusciously full lips; pausing only to nose the rich bouquet briefly with a soft mhmm noted.

The glencairn offered aficionados of fine Corellian whiskey a special vessel to appreciate its nuances. Comfortable in the hand with a stable base, which was especially good for patrons who were getting tipsy or planning to drink the night away, the full bowl tapered to the rim to enhance the color, body, taste, and finish. By giving the whiskey a little toss around the circular bowl before drinking it only added to the enjoyment as the motion added oxygen to the liquid bringing forth the full pleasure of the delectable spirit. And tonight was all about pleasures, right?

Alexandra took time to savor the full experience of the fine whiskey as it tantalized her taste buds after smelling the aroma, then the Taanabian swallowed the amber liquid letting the slow burn warm her from the inside out. It was a familiar warmth that the pilot often experienced, but not on this level in a long time. It was exquisite and dare say flat out arousing.

"Gods you have to love the Corellians, hmm? They certainly know how to make whiskey, and hopefully will do again in mass quantities so we can drink it with passion once again," she expressed wholeheartedly with a slight waggle of her arched sienna brows.

Aleycat's longtime wingman and best friend, Kyle Torchwood, had been from Corellia. RIP amongst the stars, my friend, came a silent acknowledgement to his passing. He had been killed in action over Coruscant as were thousands of others in the task force she served with that faithful day several years ago when the One Sith invaded the Republic's capital planet.

"So, Alex," the silver-haired fox sitting across from her started, "I'm curious. What did you do before being assigned to the Rogues?"

Hmm… Where to begin? Another sip of her drink was taken to give time to think on how best to answer. Skipping over the depressing parts would be best, right? Family killed, dear friends and comrades lost, her near-death experience, the nasty breakup… I mean after all this was a party and things should be kept upbeat. Anyways there was a lot centered around one man and she didn't want to think about him anymore. Over, done with, goodbye… Bitter, maybe a little still.

"Well that is a good question. To begin with you should know I'm a farm girl at heart, born and raised on the agri-world of Taanab. My first flying gig was that of a crop-duster when I was just a teen. As soon as I was old enough though, I applied to the Republic's Academy and Flight School. I've been career military ever since except for a short stint as a freighter pilot and my downtime when recuperating from a rather gnarly EVA. I had command of my own squadron for a while too, but I'm perfectly happy being just a squad mate now in Rogue Squadron. I get all the prestige and honor of flying with the best of the best without all the headaches and paperwork. Smart, huh?" Alex winked with a soft chuckle to follow before bringing the whiskey glass to her lips again. A refill would be in order soon.

"So how about you, Lucius… What brought you to the Alliance and becoming a Rogue?"