Pinnacle Banquet Hall - Clan Plagueis Headquarters Aliso City The night of the GJW XVI results announcement
TuQ surveyed the large room. It wasn’t often that the Ascendent Clan gathered like this. In fact, as long as he had been a member of the clan he didn’t think it had. But, he had taken it upon himself to gather the esteemed members of his clan here tonight in anticipation of the Council revealing the final results from the war and letting the entire population of the Brotherhood know just how much of a force to be reckoned with Plagueis truly was.
The tables were set, food was out and the bar was nearly open. Knowing the clan’s tendency to imbibe and fight, TuQ made sure that there was a ring set up for combatants to settle their arguments with an audience. Also on that side of the room were tables set up for Pazaak and Sabaac, sure it looked oddly similar to a casino, but TuQ did spend most of his time in those. In the centre of the room, visible no matter where one stood was a set of displays ready to show everyone in the room the live reveal of the scores.
As he looked around the room TuQ sighed as he saw one of the clans battle droids carrying a box of rum towards the Pazaak tables.
“Hey! No, that doesn’t go there, put it behind bar C over there.” He pointed at a bar off to the side of the room. Sometimes he missed the Subjugates.
“Roger, roger.” Was all the clanker had to say in response as it spun around and headed in the correct direction.
TuQ nodded in satisfaction, everything was ready. Determined to be a proper host, the di Plagia walked over to the main doors, straightened his hat and threw the double doors wide open to greet his clan mates.
Pinnacle Record Room
Aliso City
It had been years since Doku stepped into a facility that housed massive amounts of information. Being away from the Ascendant Clan for so long he had forgotten the wealth of information the clan collected over time. From battle reports of the engagements with the One Sith to as little as historic information of the city, he had spent days and nights without much of a restful sleep.
After placing some of the records back in their locations a message displayed on one of the terminals closest to the area he was working. A notification that the most recent Great Jedi War had concluded and the results were to be posted soon.
“Have I lost track of time that bad? How did I miss the entirety of a war? Maybe its time to put these tomes aside and meet some of the clan again”. He thought to himself as he put the last of the tomes up before closing the terminal out.
Leaving the record room, he could hear music and what sounded like the shuffle of droids coming from the banquet hall. From the door he noticed a familiar face, one of the di Plagia and fellow Quaestor TuQ’uan standing by the door. Brushing his tunic as to have an attempt of dressing standards he approached the hall with curious grandeur.
TuQ watched as Plagueians begin filing i through the doors to partake in the festivities. One person in particular caught his attention, as the Sith cleaned off the jacket he appeared to have been living in for god knows how long TuQ approached and clapped him on the shoulder.
“Doku! Good to see you could make it, where have you been hiding yourself?”
The sudden clap on the shoulder startled him even thou he could see it coming. TuQ was one of the first people that welcomed him back so it was good to see a familiar face. He chuckled a little bit at the question realizing there was truth to it.
“Living under a rock apparently, wanted to catch up on old times but I seem to have missed quiet a bit in a short amount of time. Do we know when the results go live?”
“Should be soon, but first, can I offer you a drink?” He spread his arms wide gesturing at the nearby bar staffed by a pair of droids. “Their cocktails are…passable.”
His eyes scan the bar, copious amounts of liqour bottles setup behind the bar with the smell of fresh food hit the senses. A loud grumble could be heard as Doku grabs his stomach and looks over at the bar.
“Think Ill take you up on that offer, I see a couple bottles of rum calling my name. Ill take a seat at the bar.”
Mirin tugged at the hem of her jacket and ran her hands down her perfectly pressed sleeves. The had been on Aliso for quite some time, but this was her first interaction with Clan Plagueis in any official capacity and the feeling of the Dark Side emanating from the room just ahead of her had the Kiffar’s nerves on edge. All of her interactions with the Clan had been handled through TuQ’uan, and he didn’t have a lick of the Force in him, let alone the powerful feel of the Dark Side the rest of them had.
Okay, you can do this. They’re normal people, just like you. Normal, power hungry, blood thirsty, evil Force users. Just one foot in front of the other, that’s it. Just go in and grab a drink and keep your head down.
Mirin shoved her hands into her pockets and took a deep breath before joining the crows of people entering the party. She was struck by the sight before her, the room was decorated like a Canto Bight casino, with people laughing and drinking all around, Plaguian banners adorned the wall making it official, she was now a part of the clan. She quickly made her way over to the closets bar she could find and ordered the strongest drink she they had.
The party hadn’t been underway long yet she saw someone passed out at a table right in the middle of the room already. This was certainly going to be an interesting night.
A clawed, robotic hand yanked with the unseen power of the Force, resulting in the passed out individual being forcibly ejected from the seat they had occupied.
Zuser Whuloc stalked over, a frosty mug of wheat ale in his off-hand as he barked at a Pazaak Dealer.
“There. I cleared off the table. Can we play now?”
“Y-yes Milord.”
Obeying the rules of an official casino that would be found on Canto Bight, the Savant stood back while the dealer set up the table, cards and chips. Once he was ready, Zuser stepped in and sat down, unloaded a fistful of credits on the table and set his mug in the appropriate beverage holder after taking a pull of the amber liquid.
Even at an organized party, he always made sure he had his weapons: his blaster at his left thigh and his tonfa lightsaber at his right hip.
His clawed robotic fingers drummed on the felt card table, the scar on his right cheek bending as he grinned.
“Let’s play.”
Mirin took a swig of her drink and squeezed her eyes shut, it was strong. Perfect. Looking around she saw a Pazaak game in play. Making her way over she figured if she was going to make some new friends, she might as well earn some credits while she was at it.
She sat herself down in and empty chair at the table and eyed the human beside her drumming his mechanical fingers on the table before pulling out a small stack of credits.
“Room for one more?” she asked, raising her drink as if to cheers.
The party was in full swing, drinks were flowing, some clan mates met for the first time in a while, some settled old scores. In the centre of the room the screens showed footage of the red carpet event on Arx, Dark Councillors filtered past the camera, some getting roped into an interview, at the moment Darth Renatus was mumbling something about who had designed his robes. A small timer sat in the corner of the screen counting down to the big announcement. As the timer reached one minute the lights in the room dimmed and a spotlight focused on TuQ.
“Plagueians!” he addressed the crowd, a hush fell over the room as everyone diverted their attention to the Kel Dor with the microphone. “Thank you for joining us tonight to celebrate both the lives we’ve lost and the power and influence we have gained. We fought hard, we fought well, and no matter the results tonight remember, we fought for the glory of Plagueis!”
Cheers erupted throughout the room.
“And now the moment we have all been waiting for!” TuQ gestured to the screens above him as the spotlight faded. The countdown reached 3, 2, 1. Starting off the ceremony was an in memoriam for Darth Nehalem, who was lost in the Ethereal Realm and presumed dead, or at least that’s what Dacien had told the Brotherhood.
As the tribute ended the video feed switched over to a smiling, youthful face.
“Darth Nehalem, you will be missed.” he spoke without any indication that he believed the words. “Now, let’s get down to it…” The man on the screen began down the list of results, starting at the bottom and working his way to first place. “…and in second place, the one, the only, the ascendent clan, CLAN PLAGUEIS!!! Which means…”
The cheers from through the room drowned out the man on the screen. No one in the room cared about what he was saying, they had taken second place, better than they had done in quite some time! This was a time to celebrate. TuQ singled to have the lights flashed in the room to bring a bit of a sense of order. There were still important results to hear. The energy in the room was electric as everyone finally settled down.
“And now,” the man on the screen continued. “I am happy to announce our top three War Heroes. In third place, the Dread Lord, Selika Roh di Plagia!!” Once again the roar of the crowd drowned out the speaker as he announced second place. All eyes were locked on the screens, silence filled the room, not even the droid servants made a noise. “And now, I am pleased to announce, in an absolutely stunning performance that set themselves apart from the rest. The myth. The legend. Plagueis’ own, Alaris Jinn di Plagia!”
The crowd couldn’t be controlled, a cheer of Adapt, Ascend, Avail rose up. TuQ glanced around the room looking for Selika and Alaris to congratulate his clan mates.
Selika swaggered into the room brandishing a new Diamond sword, the blade waving before her in such a way that spoke to just how much pre-party imbibing she had probably done. Flanking her were her two remaining Death Troopers, ostensibly there as her bodyguards but, at this point, doing more to keep any of the various onlookers away from the pointy end of the blade she wielded.
“Stabitha and I are so proud of you, Plagu-ies!” Selika bellowed, butchering the pronunciation of her own Clan’s name. “Adapt and send a pail!”
With the latter, she seemed to lose her footing as her legs slid out from under her, dropping her to the floor in the manner of an animated cartoon character. Helped back to her feet by the two accompanying guards, Selika then shooed them away with exaggerated, inebriated motions.
“To the ass-cendant clan!” she yelled once more as another drink was handed to her before she headed unsteadily for a well appointed table that was located near the bar.
Two figures strode through the door, arm in arm. The taller individual, an orange skinned Togruta, was slightly leaning on a Ruby Scepter, while a shorter crimson skinned Togruta stood much straighter and had a bright smile on her face. They walked slowly towards the Pazaak table where Zuser and a female Kiffer was playing.
Glancing around, Tahiri waved at Selika, and then looked around for TuQ. Spotting him, she nearly made her brother stumble as she didn’t fully unhook her arm from his, she waved and called over, “Hey TuQ!”
Then settling her brother in a seat at Pazaak table, smiling at Zuser, and the other woman at the table, “Been a while Zuser. Mind if we join the game?” She motioned for one of the server droids to come over, “A round for the whole table please.”
Nora sauntered into the grand Pinnacle Banquet Hall, where Clan Plagueis had gathered to celebrate their remarkable achievements. Her entrance, as always, was a captivating spectacle. The room seemed to hush momentarily as her alluring presence cut through the revelry.
Nora’s gaze sought out her mentor and Master, Alaris Jinn di Plagia, who had just been declared the War Hero, his extraordinary prowess acknowledged by all. With a warm smile, she moved gracefully toward him, offering a respectful bow of her head. “Congratulations, Master Alaris,” she purred in her velvety Zeltron voice. “Your victory brings honor to our Clan.”
As she continued her journey through the jubilant crowd, Nora couldn’t help but notice Selika Roh di Plagia, her commanding officer and boss, who had just stumbled with a touch of inebriation. A mischievous twinkle gleamed in her green eyes as she approached Selika, her cerulean hair cascading like a waterfall. “Selika, you never cease to entertain,” Nora chuckled, extending a hand to help the Dread Lord regain her footing. “Adapt, indeed!” The Zeltron’s laughter was infectious, and it was clear she appreciated Selika’s unique flair.
Finally, Nora found herself near her co-worker and fellow Quaestor, TuQ. Her eyes sparkled with camaraderie as she raised her glass in a toast to him. “To our collective success, TuQ,” she declared, her Zeltron charm radiating. “It’s a night to remember and celebrate our resilience.”
The Savant took another deep pull of the wheat ale as he gestured at one of the empty stools at the table, inviting Mirin to join him at the table.
“More the merrier, but no hard feelings if I end up clearing you out.”
His clawed hand reached out and pulled his newly exchanged chips toward him as the dealer began doling out cards.
After a few hands, Zuser felt a couple familiar presences approach and he grinned.
“Well, well, well. Tahiri Tarentae and her brother have generously decided to grace our table with their presence! Please, join us! But just as I warned Mirin here, no hard feelings if I clean you out of your creds.”
His grin became wider at the mention of more alcohol.
“Well alright! Let’s have us some fun then!”
TuQ reached over and grabbed a drink from a passing server droid and lifted the glass to clink with Nora’s.
“It truly is. To the ascendent clan,” he replied, his voice full of pride. As the Zeltron downed her drink TuQ looked at his and set it down on a nearby table. His mask would leave him sober for the night, and looking around the room of partiers he realized he’d probably be the only one.
“You can certainly try!” A sly smile crept across her face. She emptied her glass and flagged down a droid to bring her another. Her muscles relaxed as the drink did it’s job of calming her nerves.
Tahiri and Ro-Tahn exchanged a look, smiling at each other.
Tahiri laughed as she sat down, “Of course, there’ll be no hard feelings.” A coy smirk played on her lips as she placed a handful of credits on the table, “Just so long as you’re ready to loose some creds yourself.”
“Ooooh, kriff,” Ro-Tahn’s grin spread wider as he saw the challenge being issued. “Man, Zuser, you better watch it. Hiri can get pretty competitive when she wants to be. And believe me, she beaten me a few times at this game. Kark it, I can’t even use an Idiots Array on her.” Taking a drink from the server droid, he downed the glass, before motioning for the droid to bring another. “This is going to be fun.”
“Yes,” the Elder tapped the table for the dealer to start the next round. Once the dealer finished dealing the cards, she crossed her legs as she sat back in her, looking at her hand, “this will be fun.”
The revelry had died down and the harsh lights lifted to reveal the carnage left behind in the Pinnacle’s banquet hall. The Plagueians had partied hard and those who hadn’t stumbled back to their own beds could be found passed out at tables, slumped in the corner, really wherever they were when their bodies had told them it would be dangerous to party much longer.
The loud crash of breaking glass pulled TuQ’s attention over to a droid attempting to clean up after the Dread Lord. Someone would need to program some common sense into these buckets of bolts, the thing had blown out the servos in its arm attempting to carry each and every empty glass Selika had left in behind in her wake. The Kel Dor shook his head and waved over a pair of B-1’s.
“Clean that up,” TuQ said with a sigh, he pulled his hat from his head and wiped his brow. “And please don’t wake the guests,” he looked over at a human resting face first on a sabaac table, a pool of drool collecting on the green felt surface. The clan members deserved their rest, the war was hard fought and each and everyone had brought their A game, showing the rest of the Brotherhood just what it meant to be a Plagueian. War would come again, it always did. But for now? For now the Ascendant clan would be proud of what it had accomplished.