Military Gifts

[Alice Di Scarra]

It had been a few days since Alice had arrived on Onderon, having traveled with King Varyan to meet with Queen Basillie. Her first impression of the monarch was very good, even though she was still eager to discuss in private their Force gifts, for there was no denying it was the case, given that split moment of recognition upon their first meeting.

She had made the best of her spare time to get to know her new grounds, so she would be familiar with them easily enough, so she could perform her duty with greater efficiency. She was dreading the presentation before the court. Political stuff was Varyan's specialty, not hers. Yet she understood why the nobles might want to question her before she was formally appointed as Commander of the Royal Guard. She would do what tradition and protocol demanded, but she wanted to be able to get to work. Being idle never suited her.

Of course, she always did her best to remain in best shape possible, and honing her secret skills away from prying eyes, or hidden in plain sight sometimes. While she had returned to her first love so to speak, given her military background, she had learned so much while working for Tainarian Intelligence for several years. She made for a more accomplished predator at this point.

For now, she was heading back to the landing pad. Her King and friend had decided to send a dozen new recruits from all the Tainarian system to join the Royal Guard, as a token of gratitude. Alice hadn't been involved in the selection; but she trusted her home world's military higher ups.

She had obviously volunteered to personally welcome the soldiers. While she could have worn the full armor, she had opted to simply wear the red and tan outfit that the Royal Guard used underneath the armor for the time being. It was a semi-off duty occasion, and she hadn't been formally approved by the court yet, so she was careful not to ruffle too many feathers. She knew it was an outstanding opportunity, and she wasn't going to mess it up.

Hands clasped behind her back, she stood at the edge of the landing pad, unmoved by the roaring ship that was touching ground before her.

[Rodrik Praji]

The Albaryn transport ship's boarding ramp lowered and one soldier came down first. He wore the traditional grey's and blue of his home system on armor that fit his muscular frame. Blonde hair was well trimmed and styled back to keep it from hanging over blue eyes which briefly regarded the acting Commander of Onderon's Royal Guard.

"All right. Party's over. Everyone out and present yourself!" he ordered and one by one eleven other selected men and women filed out of the ship and lined up before Alice, standing at attention. The one that ordered them to line up follow right behind the last to take his place. He was Rodrik Praji, the only son of Adela and Justus Praji, a minor but notable house that oversaw the gem mines on Hural Prime.

When Alice approached, Rodrik brought his right arm across his chest and bowed his head respectfully. "Ma'am. Sergeant Rodrik Praji reporting. I hope you and Queen Basillie approve of my squad joining the Onderon Royal Guard."

They were handpicked out of dozens by King Starfallen's request for the best to be presented for the queen's protection as a gift of the growing relations between Onderon and Albaryn.

He produced a datacard. "Our orders and files for your review, Ma'am."

[Alice Di Scarra]

The group descending the boarding ramp were all unknown to Alice, but she was looking forward to seeing them in action. While she strayed from the military for several years, gaining more skills to her arsenal, it had made her stronger. Of course she also drew special talents from her Sith training that had begun in her adolescence, a safely kept secret for not all worlds were as tolerant towards Force users as her people.

The Tainar military academies were demanding and produced remarkable soldiers; and she was proud that more would represent in the Queen's Royal Guard. It was also a lovely token from Varyan to give her a little bit of home in her new life. He hadn't told her as such; but she knew him enough to know that there were multiple reasons behind his decision.

Seeing the Albar colors brought her more delight than she would ever admit. She was proud of where she came from and she was going to ensure the thirteen of them would represent with pride and greatness outside of their home system. The Queen deserved excellency, and they would provide it, along with the outstanding Onderon-born royal guards.

Her impassive blue eyes fell upon the sergeant, her cybernetic implants taking in way more details than a human eye could, while her Sith instincts cast out like a tangled web around the unit, picking on emotions and surface thoughts. She was a predator, having been molded into a deadly one by the various aspects of her life, and she took her new role with utmost seriousness. She would not let her guard down.

Praji was a name she recognized, especially given her years at the Academy on Hural Prime. It was something she liked, that many noble families, from minor like her own or the sergeant's, chose to serve the crown in a military fashion. It was a good tradition to keep.

She retrieved the datacard he handed her, and then scanned the whole group once again.

"At ease, Sergeant."

Fetching a datapad from her pocket, she inserted the card and reviewed the document. Nothing unexpected was present, and all looked in order, as it should be.

"A vehicle awaits us to get you to your barracks. Follow me."

Without further ado, she turned on her heels and led the way.

They would speak more once at the garrison attached to the palace compound.

[Rodrik Praji]

Rodrik did as command and with a quick nod to the group, they followed suit. Then his attention was face forward as the commander looked over the offered orders.

He dutifully followed Di Scarra and the rest of the squad followed behind until they reached the transport vehicle waiting for them not too far off from the landing pad. He and the squad said nothing, noting that expediting their arrival at the compound was the priority. Further orders would be handed down then.

Each one of them strapped in after ducking inside the back of the vehicle and Rodrik purposefully sat across from Di Scarra in case anything needed to be discussed along the way. The position made for ease of conversation instead of awkward head turns. For now, his attention was on his squad who had taken to quietly talk among themselves the architecture and landscape of Iziz City, all in a positive light.

[Alice Di Scarra]

After years spent operating mostly on her own, whether during her secret Sith training, or as a spy, easing back into military life had proven a lesser challenge than Alice had expected. She loved leading people more than she had ever wanted to admit. She had no idea whether she would ever take an apprentice should she find a worthy candidate; and she had only reluctantly trained a couple of new agents. Yet the military life was a welcome change, a return to older t times, although she brought all her experiences and battle scars, even though most were invisible.

As she sat with the soldiers, she felt good, eager to see how the plan that had been decided would unfold.

There were things to discuss once they were at the barracks, but the quiet chatter from the other soldiers reminded her of something.

"I will present myself before the court in a few days, so they may vouch for my position as Commander of the Royal Guard. The Queen has agreed for you and your platoon to be present, as well as King Starfallen."