[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/Pl0CmbX.png[/img]
[color=f7941d][h3]Jaessih Suard[/h3][/color]
[color=f7941d]Interacting with:[/color] [color=B30000]Talik Gida[/color] [@JessieTargaryen][/center]
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[b][u]Mandalore, The Tower
Year Four, After Re-synchronization[/u][/b]

Already well on alert with the Founding ceremonies alone, much less with the arrival of so many other foreign ships, it was fortunate for this one in particular that a signal had been sent ahead of their tumultuous arrival. Still, the fleet reacted and the battered Lucrehulk was flanked by Imperators as it was maneuvered into a position to dock and resupply. All hands had been called in order to remain vigilant, even after the identity of the captain was made known. They watched the descent of the shuttle carefully, ARCs disembarking from the ring to follow it all the way to the Promenade and the tower which served as the beating heart of the Mandalorian Republic. Only when it had docked and released her passengers did they return to their patrols, handing off duties to yet another group to follow Talik on her way to make her plea.

Silent footsteps through the halls, careful observation. A mountain of a man bound in beskar maintained his distance from the woman, keeping to the shadows and in the blindspots of the security the entire distance. It was a task he was not taken to, that of watching their own, but he had been given the order from his alor. There was no refusal, no arguments. While he did not like this task, he did understand the necessity of it and why Deathwatch were the ones trusted to undertake these assignments. Few cared for them among the Mandalorians, as despite being united fully under the Paladin there were still resentments for the Civil War as well as their part leading up to the rise of the new Mand'alor. Again, it was something he understood and accepted, even if he did not agree to it.

The turbolift doors closed and their guest was on her way up to Jaessih's office, cutting line of sight between them for now. It was no matter, as he took a different route up, slipping into a hidden access corridor and taking an express lift to the office where he awaited the meeting. There, secreted in the shadows across from the desk he would wait, and the knowing glance from the secretary was all he needed to know that she would call on him if needed.

Jaessih did not however, respond immediately to the arrival of Talik in her office just outside the Mand'alor's chambers. Her fingers moved across the keypad in front of her, typing out a report for the Jedi Enclaves marked urgent, yet another request from the Paladin and only somewhat listening in to the girl's demands. When she was finally finished, her plea given and awaiting an answer, that was when she made her move. The fine fabrics of her suit shifted with the motions of her standing from the rolling chair at her desk, stopping just short of the stand that held her beskargam behind her. There, reflected in the silver and blue armor, she addressed Talik shortly.

[color=f7941d]"Transmit the relevant information to this datapad,"[/color] She began, stepping around the desk and offering the one in her left hand to Talik. [color=f7941d]"Then I will take it to the Paladin for consideration."[/color] There was but a moment between her offering the pad, the information transfer and her glancing over it, a scowl on her lips as she thought about what would be required to carry out such a mission.

[color=f7941d]"Remain there."[/color]

And with that, she turned and entered into the Mand'alor's chambers, the door securing itself behind her and leaving Talik nominally alone in the room. Her watcher remained silent, observing her actions as instructed and doing nothing to call attention to himself, though he was once more beginning to doubt the necessity of this particular mission. While she was not personally known to him, he did know of her second-hand from a Skirata on the watch. Her and her sister had been raised in their ways, taught what it was to be Mando'ad, and given the armor that for many was a second-skin. In contemplation he thought to look over at Jaessih's own armor. The silver claw marks across the chest plate represented her own struggles before the rise of the Paladin, of how her clan Suard had nearly been destroyed by the Civil War some decades ago. All that was left of them now was her by his own reckoning, and she had yet to declare any intention of securing the clan's future. For some, that was the way. To accept and endure as Mandalorians and await one's destiny. He could respect that... As well as her strong left hook.

Neither of them had much time for contemplation though, as the door slid open once more, and Jaessih appeared before Talik bearing the same datapad as before and an envelope.

[color=f7941d]"Ceph."[/color] She commanded and he stepped from the shadows, practically melting from the wall and coming to kneel before her. All eight feet of beskar-clad Mandalorian moving with all the grace and silence as the wind itself, head down in respect to her. "Madam Secretary."

[color=f7941d]"I have orders for you and the Deathwatch."[/color] The envelope was handed to him, the seal clear in the confidentiality of the orders within. [color=f7941d]"We have taken into consideration the provided information, as well as consulted archived data on the potential opposing forces. You are to gather the necessary personnel and execute Fireplan Haran."[/color] Then her attention was turned to the twi'lek before her. [color=f7941d]"Report to Anchor 1313 in six hours with a dozen of those you wish to bring with you and no more. There you will be met by Vicar Braegg of the Banner Dral'kad, who will be running the operation. You are both dismissed."[/color]

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[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/iYa225I.png[/img]
[color=f49ac2][h3]Sena Alleron, The Seer[/h3][/color]
[color=f49ac2]Interacting with:[/color] Koren Omi-Ren [@Sep][/center]
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[b][u]Mandalore, The Citadel
Year Four, After Re-synchronization[/u][/b]

Mandalore, The Citadel

To most force-users, chaos was something to be avoided. It was the moment before death, the collapse of well-laid plans, a single misstep spelling disaster, or perhaps more mildly end of a string of good luck. Most Jedi disliked chaos because it disrupted their focus on the Light and allowed them the potential to slip into darkness. The Sith disliked it because it could easily put to ruin their scheming and allow their prey to escape. Yet, to some it was different. To the seers of the seer council, they had come to see chaos as an infinitely blossoming flower. Each petal a potential future, a potential past, a potential present. A myriad bloom of cascading colors and arrangements, never the same again and always more beautiful than the last.

That was how Sena Alleron saw chaos, not as a thing to avoid, but as something to study and understand. It was how she had risen through the ranks at a pace that left many wondering. Were it not for the brilliance of her aura and her devotion to the light, there would be doubts about her indeed, but even if there were, she wouldn't have paid them any mind. They were but another petal in the flower that was chaos. She was high up in the Citadel that day as she was for most, interpreting the bloom with her fellow seers, trying to pierce the dark clouds that still remained looming over the future. Despite the shifting of currents following the end of the Clone Wars, the rise of multiple Jedi orders and some relative stability finally settling in, it had been concerning how those dark clouds first scried several decades ago were still there. Her lips pursed as once more she had been denied, and rather than attempt to push through, she chose to let it rest for today.

[color=f49ac2]"That will be all for today, please return to your normal duties."[/color] Soft spoken and gentle, she was ever the mirror of her twin sister, thin fingers grasping the edge of her seat as she pushed herself to stand. Her robes cowled about herself, she had to take a moment for her force-sight to slowly draw back from scrying, feeling and hearing those around her dispersing from the room before being able to see them as vague outlines against the background noise of the force which surrounded them. Unlike Solace, she had been born without eyes, a veil about her face obscuring the empty sockets that betrayed her Miralukan genes just as much as the pointed ears betrayed her sister's Sephi genes. It had only ever been a burden in moments like this though, when she had spent so long looking into the future that one had to take the time to root themselves in the present.

Slowly the colors returned, soft whites of the stone walls, the red carpeting beneath her bare feet, a gentle brown tone of her own Jedi robes that made her look much like every other Jedi in the order. Now, that was better. She nodded to herself as she could finally feel herself rooted, and began her journey. It was still early in the day and she knew her sister would be busy, what with first the Imperial and then a Corellian, not to mention a long-lost comrade of the order from the Hapes Cluster. Or had the order been different with those last two? Sena was not quite certain, a certain irony considering she was the head of the Seer Council and one of the few able to pierce through the veil over the future. For a long moment she simply stood lost in thought, wondering whether to consult with her sister herself and if it would be worth drawing her away from whatever insights she might have to respond to her. Their bond let them communicate effortlessly telepathically across vast distances, so she didn't necessarily need to be nearby… Just a peek might be enough for now.

Sena glimpsed through their bond, reaching out to feel out where her other half was, guided by the force down the winding corridors of the Citadel and to the very base of the structure. Distantly she could feel the yearning within the durasteel bones of their home to once more ply the stars, it was a sensation that many of their more gifted members felt when they were too unfocused in their sensing of the force. It had a name once, [i]Battalion[/i], a name that belied the explorer's nature of the vessel's heart. She shook her head, a cascade of colored strands enveloping her features for a moment as her bands came loose around her hair. Focus had been lost and she found herself dwelling on things that could be, and had been rather than what was. Solace was… Ah, there she was. She was with Airus and two others on the ground floor. While the other two she barely glanced across, there was enough reason to leave her be with just Airus alone.

Those two often had strange thoughts revolving around each other when in proximity, thoughts that she tried not to intrude upon for the sake of their own privacy. At one point she recalled feeling something different when she saw them together, consistently spending time with each other, taking on missions, training among other things. It was an unusual sensation, one that was suppressed and forgotten until… Sena wondered on things, finding another within the lobby heading towards the main desk. This one was unique, he had a different aura than those of the Citadel. A stranger. Her focus shifted to him, seeing where he had come from, who he had spoken to just before, why he was here. The Prince. Of course, he was here for Solace and would likely be waiting for a decent bit considering…

[color=f49ac2]"Kimryi, Soldan."[/color]

At her beckoning, two figures shifted from the shadows at the back of the council chamber, silver armbands prominently displaying the wings and staff of the Jedi Enclave's Medical Corps. Her shadows in a sense, the two knights dedicated to being at her side since… How many years had it been? She had known them since an early age, almost since joining with the order. Both were among the premier defensive duellists in the Enclaves, and single-minded in their purpose. After nearly twenty years though, there was a bit of a bond between them as more than simply being their charge.

"Yes, Lady Sena?" Soldan came forward first, saberstaff gently coming to a rest before him as his mask turned to regard her. He was the eldest of the two, brothers from the old order, and tended towards being more pragmatic and thoughtful. Many times she had quietly confided in him her troubles, knowing she could count on him when her sister was not at hand.

[color=f49ac2]"There is a guest in the foyer down below, I am going to speak with him."[/color]

She was moving before there was any room to counter her intentions, bare feet transitioning from the carpeted floor of the council chambers to the cool metal of the hallway beyond. Her attendants followed, their auras showing their concern as they maintained their proscribed distance at all times all the way to the turbolifts. All three crowded within, Sena smiling as she found herself before the doors and feeling the gentle breeze through the crack in the door of the many floors passing by. So rarely did she speak with those from outside the order. Never before one from beyond Mandalore, and so this opportunity was one she was willing to risk the disappointment of the master's for.

"My lady, you know how the Council feels about you making trips to the ground floor and the public areas."

[color=f49ac2]"The Council will understand, afterall I am going to speak with an esteemed guest of our order. Would it not be rude to leave him waiting all on his own in a hall of strangers while my sister is busy with other matters?"[/color]

The brothers exchanged glances to each other, the opaque lenses of their eerily human-like masks staring into the other for a long moment. They both shrugged in defeat, knowing that in the end it really wasn't their place to stop her from doing anything in particular, but rather to protect her from whatever may come of it. It was their entire purpose. She knew that, and tried not to depend on it all the time if she could help it. The vague shimmering of a force-barrier around her body showed that, a gentle blue tint over the pale Arkanian hues of her skin. With a gentle thump the turbolift came to a stop, the doors opening to reveal the milling people beyond. Some saw her and gave a wave, but her focus was singular.

With determined steps, her attendants in lock-step behind her as she made her way to the desk where a somewhat lost looking Hapan stood with his own attendants. The receptionist was attempting to convey that Solace was currently engaged in other matters, but stopped dead in her conversation when she spotted her on her way towards the two. Hood up and covering much of her face in shadow, Sena offered a smile as she dismissed outright those who seemed to be the guards of this man, instead hearing his thoughts as shouts in the wind. So many questions, of this place, the people and what may be. He seemed concerned about something, perhaps… Ah, she pressed just a little into his aura and found what it was. For her it was effortless, second nature like breathing. Yet, the moment she had her answer to her own question, she remembered how she had been counseled for reading into someone's thoughts and desires without their permission.

So, she thought to try this the correct way, calling to his attention by clearing her throat, waiting for him to turn before addressing him properly. With a bow that had long strands of vibrantly colored hair spilling out to rest against her chest in braids bound by numerous colorful braids, she smirked as she called him by name and title.

[color=f49ac2]"Crown Prince Koren Omi-Ren of the Hapes Consortium, I do hope that the Citadel has been welcoming to you so far. While my sister Solace is a bit occupied at the moment with one of our Imperial friends, I would be most pleased to speak at length with you of our ways, as well as hear of yours."[/color]

For a short moment the woman at the desk paled, seeing the head of the seer council at the ground floor, confused as to what she should be doing before looking to the attendants who both slowly shook their heads to her. "V-very well, I will let Lady Sena handle this from here, honored guest." She offered, before slowly backing away, all the while Sena smirked over towards the Hapan and his entourage, wondering on how he might react.

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[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/VklJuVP.png[/img]
[color=a187be][h3]Verra "Solace" Alleron, The Diplomat[/h3][/color]
[color=a187be]Interacting with:[/color] [color=f26522]Dra'kal Sherom[/color] [@Lmpkio], [color=LightSteelBlue]Airus Vel Aath[/color] [@Apollosarcher], [color=F79130]Ila'Iri Orini[/color] [@rusty4297][/center]
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[b][u]Mandalore, The Citadel
Year Four, After Re-synchronization[/u][/b]

Red light reflected from her eyes, suffusing her naturally pale skin with an eerie glow as she watched on with a mixture of curiosity and horror at what had been unleashed. The holocron had opened. It had called her by name, and more than that it had decreed that she was of the correct bloodline connecting to the master who once owned it. Flares snapped out from the pillar of light in the center of the room, making manifest the shape and form of the occupant, the spirit coming into being before their very eyes. Dra'kal was accusatory in his tone, quickly countered by Airus and of course Ila was not quite concerned either way but was preparing for battle regardless. This only worsened things, as the spirit saw their preparations for violence and the pressure of the force around them began to intensify. Its aura was terrible and dark, almost seeping with malevolence as the creature within stared back into her eyes.

There she found herself the doubts deep within, of her own slightly dark aura that had so many times brought her into question with others in the order. Her own eyes stared back at her, a face that was hers within those depths. This one was hardened by years of life among the Sith, dozens slain by her own hand, a hollow reflection of her own inner potential. Bit by bit, the light bound itself into defined form, staring to show the others what she too saw.

"You see an enemy." The voice spoke from the holocron, a hardness to the synthesized voice that was becoming more and more organic as it awoke from its long slumber. "Yet…" A long pause, free thought one of the first things to be restored to the spirit as it came into being. Its gaze turned to Airus first, looking upon him and his robes, reading his aura. Then to Ila and finally to Dra'kal. That one was a curiosity, as he was not of the same order as Solace but… The form of the force spirit flared again, the red deepening as the distinctly female shape of it came into focus.

"I do not see enemies."

Now [i]that[/i] put her off balance for a moment. All of them except for her had leanings towards the light side of the force, and even her aura was more so grey than anywhere close to dark. For it to recognize them not as enemies had her wondering about the information they had been given. Was it actually a Sith? It certainly looked the part, what with all the red and the gaudy pyramid of black and gold. Not to mention the place it had been found all those years ago, in the depths of Sith Space. More and more questions came, ones that she did not have the answer to, and doubted very much the Council would acquire or share with her all things considered. If the holocron even deigned to speak to them.

[color=a187be]"Airus, wait."[/color] Solace started, holding out her hand to pause him in his motions for sequestering the holocron for later study. [color=a187be]"Something's not quite right with this holocron, I have this feeling about it."[/color]

For a moment its attention turned to her, the image of the force ghost finally clearing to give them all an understanding of the woman before them. She was her in nearly every way. Fiercely intent eyes green in hue and showing the terrifying intelligence that had once been a living person. Facial features that belied a nobility not just given through birth, but earned through deeds over a lifetime far longer than one such as her deserved. The dress alone, delicate and refined, clearly showing her position within the higher echelons of one society or another. Her thoughts on her would have continued, this long dead ancestor of hers, but then she spoke and the longer she went on, she knew she had to act.

"Remnants of the Jedi Order it seems… A shame your fate was shared by that of my own order, as while our downfall was inevitable yours was a tragedy of fate. Some have inherited the spirit of the old Jedi though, for better or worse it remains to be seen but that your order at least seeks to correct the failings of the old does provoke confidence. I wonder about your Shadow Council though…"

Her palm slammed against the underside of the table, pressing a hidden button that reacted just as quickly as it was intended. All around them the walls shook with the motions between layers of durasteel, the floor and ceiling too vibrating and if there was any doubt the look the force ghost gave Solace spoke volumes. The displays on the table went silent, going dark and error messages showing no connection to the Citadel's mainframe. All around them the force was cut off from the room, the walls dark to force-sight and preventing anyone from looking in or out. A multi-point security and privacy barrier, securing the room so that nothing could listen in to the conversations within.

"Ah… Precautions. You've cut my access to the outside world, and thus the flow of information about the current era. That is acceptable, though I have enough at hand now to understand that each of you are at the least not an enemy of myself or my holder."

Solace stood, narrowing her eyes at the image of a more human reflection of herself, standing smug atop the table and meeting her gaze. The ancestor within was clearly one who had been quite clever and insightful, knowing to ensure that her legacy would not fall into the wrong hands. First, a biokeyed activation sequence in order to verify that only those of her bloodline would be able to even open the holocron. Then a determination of the alignments of those around the holocron, and at first she thought it might be a test to see how they might react, but now she knew that it was something else. For whatever reason, this 'Sith' seemed to be an ally of the Jedi, or saw them as such. That particular thought would have to be discussed [i][b]at length[/b][/i] with Airus later, but for now there was the matter that the third layer was passed as well. That they were in fact of the Jedi Order specifically, even if branch chapters. She had more questions than answers, but for now she had but one to ask.

[color=a187be]"Who exactly are you?"[/color]

"Ah, there it is. I am Her Imperial Majesty, Empress Acina's most trusted adjutant, Marisena Alleron the Dark Lady. Though in certain other circles, I have other titles."