Royal Proclamation

[R. S. Esalis]

Originally posted by Wulfgarn Schreiger
"I hope you are having a pleasant party. It's quite a large one, isn't it? So many interesting people in one place."

She said nothing at first, instead simply continuing her observations.

Finally, her silence seemed to break, and she brought her offhand around to cup the bottom of her champagne flute.

"It is interesting, to say the least."

She nodded in the direction of Davis and Ketterzau.

"Two decorated soldiers and pilots, both displaying their plumage in vastly different ways. Rather fascinating, I must say."

[Miranda Tarkin]

Palace guards waited stoically for the signal from Miranda to open the doors, but she took a few moments to admire her husband and offered a cheerful smile over her shoulder towards Sanya. Her closest and most trusted people were with her on this special day. It was perfect.

She faced forward again, ready to see her guests.

"Open the doors," she commanded.

The red armored guards that flanked the doors simultaneously stepped to the side at attention, force pikes perfectly tucked against their sides. One reach for the panel adjacent to them to open the doors. There was the usual loud clunk of the locks freeing before the whirr of machinery finished the process. Confident and elegant, she waited patiently for the doors to open fully and be announced.

When the doors clanked into place, the royal herald noticeably straightened, garbed in grey and black surcoat trimmed with purple and gold.

"Honored guests, may I introduce the royal family. Her Imperial Majesty, Empress of the Galactic Empire Miranda Tarkin I accompanied by Baron Gallus Tagge, Prince Consort to the Empire and Baroness Sanya Tagge of Bespin."

With a flourish, he turned and bowed as the entourage made their grand entrance along the red carpet, flanked by the Imperials Knights that walked on the floor next to them as proper with their station. It delighted her to see the Assembly Hall packed with dignitaries throughout the Empire who were eager to see the royal family...

[Wulfgarn Schreiger]

"You're focusing on the small pieces on the Dejarik board."

Schreiger frowned, dismissing the peacocking pilots out of hand.

"Pilots stump for war bonds and recruitment drives. They don't do much else. Not when compared to these other guests."

Indeed there were many conventional sycophants in attendance. Moffs, nobility, assorted power brokers. These people represented possibility. Schreiger's eyes twinkled, he was in his element.

"Everyone is so focused on being seen when showing fealty. It almost makes it difficult to focus on the dissolute."

[Sanya Tagge]

As she swept into the gathering with all of the majesty befitting of her station, all eyes were on the Empress. Sanya was no exception. She walked a short distance behind Miranda and Gallus, her gaze following the Empress’s as Miranda deigned to turn a glance or a smile towards one of her subjects. Between the three of them, they had a lifetime of experience in the art of public appearances. It didn't matter that Sanya walked alone; she carried herself with a lift to her chin and a straightness to her back that defied anyone who might see her as anything less than she believed she was.

[R. S. Esalis]

"Those small pieces are what drives this Empire, and carry out the will of the Empress."

Words spoken quietly, even as Empress Miranda Tarkin made her entrance. The Imperial retinue was always a sight to see, and now was certainly no different. With curiosity and a thin smile, Director Esalis watched. Every head had turned to lay eyes upon the head of their government, and the murmurs weaving through the gathered guests was palpable. They were mostly awestruck, with tinges of eagerness and excitement woven in to the fabric of it all.

Her next words were low, so that only he could hear.

"If you ignore those, then you will lose everything we strive for. Everything that our Empress hopes to achieve."

[Tatiana Renkl]

Among the many present guests, Moff Tatiana Renkl was observing the proceedings. After personally meeting the Empress a while ago, during her first official trip to Cloud City after her overseer roles had expanded form solely the Koradin Sector to now include the Greater Javin one, it had made even more sense for her to ensure her schedule allowed for traveling to Imperial Center for such official festivities. It was all the more meaningful for her that it was the annual Children's Gala. After all, the Empress and her had found common and specific interest in their understanding and support of education to build a brighter and stronger Empire.

The Duchess knew too well how partaking to appropriate events was not only a token of respect to their Empress; but also a potentially worthy networking time.

She had recognized certain faces at the gathering, both from the higher circles and others from what some might consider mere cogs in the grand scheme of things. Tatiana knew that "mere cogs" were more than that, for without the multiplicity of personnel that supported it, the Galactic Empire wouldn't be what it was, and what it could become. Loyalty had to be fostered, education had to be encouraged so greater minds would emerge in all branches of service.

Accepting a second flute of champagne, she took a sip right before the Empress made her entrance, followed by both Tagge siblings. While Tatiana had never met the royal consort, she had got acquainted with the Baroness Administrator of Cloud City. Sanya Tagge had already earned a significant modicum of respect from the Moff, and she was looking forward to working further with the Baroness.

Although most guests' attention remained on the Empress during her grand entrance, Tatiana's eyes wandered across the room, people watching out of habit, one that had been ingrained in her during her time at the academy and later when serving in the Navy during the war.

[Rigel Bismarck]

"Ah, Moff Renkl," an urbane voice spoke up from behind her to the right. Its owner stepped into view beside her, offering a gloved hand. "A pleasure to see you again."

With his free hand, Rigel Bismarck extended a small plate with several cheese cubes. "May I offer you an edible?"

[Tatiana Renkl]

Tatiana recognized the voice even before her fierce gaze felt upon Bismarck. Without hesitation, she accepted his handshake, and returned it firmly. As lady-like as she could be, she had had every reason to earn her Kinslayer callsign back in her days in the Imperial Navy. While their careers had diverged, she still respected what he stood for, even when he had a talent to have people hate him, something she did herself on occasions, and for what she wouldn't apologize.

"Likewise, Admiral Bismarck. It does take the Empress to bring some of us all the way to Imperial Center, doesn't it?"

She quirked a brow and smirked at his offer, before reaching out to fetch one of the cheese cubes.

"These don't look like gourmet ration bars, so I'll take the risk," she quipped.

[Rigel Bismarck]

"Oh rest assured, dear Governess, these are the finest in-" Rigel paused briefly to examine the plate at eye level, then continued. "Expensive non-meals. I look forward to the point at which they serve something of greater substance."

"I hope you are enjoying the festivities." Rigel commented, then chewed thoughtfully as he watched Miranda continue her grand entrance with Gallus, followed closely by the royal family. "I must admit, I was somewhat surprised to receive an invitation. Had I not, I might still be overseeing certain projects back on Sillesk."

[Jensen Par'Vizal]

Ostentatious. It was a word that wanted to peek up over the wall he had steeled himself behind for this assignment, and one that Jensen had to continue to batter down. There was a reason for all of this grandeur, after all. It was for the benefit of the Empress herself, for the benefit of her guests, for the benefit of those who would hear of this evening secondhand. It was not there in all its splendor to be judged by the likes of him. His mentor would have cuffed him upside the head and somehow Jensen felt the blow despite it's absence. He should be learning from this experience, studying those within the hall all while staying to his duty of guarding the Empress alongside Lady Vissica.

There was a nauseating familiarity to it all, though. Perhaps that was why he had been placed here. If he squinted so the shapes of those attending blurred he could just make out the visage of Colonel Caanan Par'Vizal and his wife, not prestigious enough to be within direct orbit of the Empress but lingering on the sidelines. The children wouldn't have attending an event such as this, they would have been regulated home, the eldest playing watchdog for the younger all the while an appointed nursemaid for the evening kept a watchful eye on the pair.

But no. Those times were in the past and this event, this operatic display was meant to celebrate the here and now. A show of the Empress rather than the Emperor his parents had served. Times changed. Far for the better, it seemed.

The Knight Cadet surveyed the room, trying to brush off the sensations of festivity and joviality that leaked towards him from the others in the room. It was not an experience he relished, but rather of necessity, of awareness. He was not here to partake, after all. Merely observe and act should the unlikely need arise. A figure then, a statue, a being representing the good the Empress had done in regards to those of his kind. Very well, let him serve as a silent and shining example.

[Matatek Sel Vissica]

Vissica moved along with the royal procession, her posture upright as the occasion demanded. A sea of sentient life awaited them in the ballroom, each person a cloud of emotions and motivations. The Selonian looked from guest to guest with cool dispassion, while ever wary for a threat that could come with a smile and a handshake in such a place.

Her eyes cut briefly to Jensen, and Vissica nodded once. He knew his duty as did she. There was nothing that needed to be said of it.

[Miranda Tarkin]

The route through the hall took them straight through the crowd that had long since been parted by Imperial Guards to make way for the royal family. Guests that were not closest to the procession tried to strain their necks to get a better glimpse as they walked by and were disappointed when it were bulky helmets blocking the view. Four guards walked ahead of the family, ready to intercept any threatening guest within seconds before reaching the Empress or her family.

The family's destination was the raised platform on the far side of the room. Red banners displaying the Imperial Crest hung down from the ceiling to flank the stage softly lit up by lighting that continued through the back part of the stage.

Miranda subtly tugged her dress up and gracefully climb the few set of stairs before taking her place behind the black podium. She casually glanced at either side to ensure that Gallus and Sanya had taken their spots behind her. Then blue eyes took to the full room.

"My honored guests - Welcome to the Annual Children's Gala!" Her smile was honest and bright. "It brings me joy knowing that every year since the gala was first launched, we have raised millions of credits each year for our children. Our future for the Empire. Just being here shows your commitment to providing quality services and education for our citizens that will one day follow in your footsteps. Either as political and military leaders that will ensure the safety and security of our empire. Or ... becoming leaders of industry to continue our robust legacy of trade throughout systems."

She paused and brought a hand up in a tight fist for emphasis. "All of this potential starts in childhood. And now more children will have the opportunity to join the Sub-Adult Group ... the Imperial Academy ... and the Tarkin Institute because they now have access to a fundamental education in their formative years."

Lowering her hand, Miranda's eyes softened as she fought her lips trying to tug back in another smile. "The gala is special to me since Sanya and I started it years ago." She took a moment to gaze towards her and then finally allowed the smile to take shape before acknowledging her with a nod.

Then she pulled her gaze away back to the crowd. "But this year's gala holds special significance for me and my family ..."

That was the signal for Gallus to step forward and take a place at her side. When Miranda felt his presence she took a moment to beam up at him before addressing the assembled. Her heart was racing with excitement for the formal announcement.

"... because we are adding to that future."

She smiled as she caught the glimmers of understanding with the nearest guests and soon filled in the blanks for the ones that hadn't caught on yet. "We're expecting our littlest addition in the spring and we're delighted that we can share this incredible news with you all."

[Gallus Tagge]

With characteristic lack of restraint, there was no attempt from Gallus Tagge to hide his grin as he squeezed Miranda’s hand in his own.

“Thank you all for being here this evening, to celebrate with us.”

Reporters whose presence was sanctioned, in all senses of the word, by the Empire captured the broad smile Gallus wore. The image of his joy streamed into thousands of TaggeCo offices and businesses around the Galaxy as part of a live broadcast, a way for employees to be part of the momentous occasion while still remaining productive members of the TaggeCo corporate empire.

“Please, give generously... We’re relying on your donations to put the kid through college,” Gallus said, his grin becoming a little crooked as he laughed at his own dumb joke. Of course there was plenty of polite laughter and applause from the galas attendees. Where there was no laughter or smiles, Gallus didn’t notice; he was far too swept up in the moment to feel anything but elated.

“Enjoy the party, everyone!” he said and then dipped his head to press a kiss to Miranda’s cheek, speaking low enough that only she would hear: “I know I will.”

[Charlotte Tur'enne]

If ever there ever could have been a shining example of being within the belly of the beast meant, this was it; and oh what a beast the Empire was. Perhaps not to many within the room, but to her, there was no greater monster, no greater adversary. Just as the Gala could have been used to describe one of the Corellian Hells come to life for the rebel, so too could Charlotte have served as a primary example of what happened to those who knew just how vile the Empire truly was; first-hand experience was the greatest of all teachers, after all. Her entire miserable life had seemed to make way for this very moment though; standing among those for whom the word loathe wasn't nearly enough to describe her feelings towards. It was sad in a way that she was not here as she once could have been proud to be, a member of the Rebel Alliance, a soldier with a cause. The Alliance of Free Planets saw an end to that. But Corellia wasn't free, Coruscant wasn't free, and Aalderaan had only found freedom in oblivion. It was no Alliance of Charlotte's.

The entire evening, as her and her associate - her closest living friend - had been among the unseen staff members of the gala, her heart had pounded so loud that Charlotte could barely hear anything save for the constant beat of her destiny. It wasn't the task at hand that she was apprehensive about, it was being unable to fulfill it. But here, her nerves, the anxiety edging at her, eating her alive... was an ally. To those dressed in the simple uniform of the aids and waiters, those that collected empty glasses and offer refills, each of their hearts beat out the same harrowed rhythm. After all - who would want to be the one to spill a fine bubbly wine on a Moff and the cause of the ruin of the Empress' big moment? Who would want to ruin a benefit for children?

Charlotte busied herself during the Empress' speech by refilling several crystalline glasses with beverages for those whose very presence was as poison to her. A fellow server came by to collect twin glasses that would be offered to a guest. Her and the other made eye contact, an unspoken toast that would only have an imaginary after drink shared between Charlotte Tur'enne and Dashiel Starborn. Here's to us. Here's the to death of the Empire.

[Dashiel Starborn]

It was more than just the starched collar and bowtie around Dashiel Starborn’s neck that made it hard to breathe. As an agent of Rebel Intelligence, he had been placed in plenty of precarious positions and operated in the unknown under immediate threat of danger - but this was different. He was standing inside the Imperial Palace, in the same room as Miranda Tarkin herself. They were moving among the enemy in plain sight. One misstep would be all it took to reveal who they were and in doing so, unravel everything that they had worked for.

When Charlotte met his gaze, a wordless understanding passing between them, Dash felt his chest tighten. They were rapidly approaching the point of no return, the moment when everything would change forever. All the things that he might have or should have said would now have to go unspoken. For an instant, he could see just a hint of the anger behind her eyes. The hatred of the Empire that had brought the two of them to this fateful moment. There was no time for regrets. He knew what he was signing up for in returning to Coruscant, there was no doubt about that. Knew that it was a once in a lifetime mission and that there wasn’t a snowball's chance on Tatooine that he was going to let Charlotte execute the mission on her own.

As the Empress’s guests absorbed and began to discuss the revelation that she was expecting a child, Dash watched the crowd, watched the movement in the room as people drifted from one social circle to another. Most important of all, however, he watched Charlotte. Watched and waited for her signal.

[Charlotte Tur'enne]

The point of no return, the event horizon, whatever you wanted to call it... it came. It came with the way that Tarkin moved from behind the podium, how she was in clear unobstructed view of the rebel's vision. Any point from this on she would be with others, shaking hands and having her royal arse kissed by those who found the bravery to approach. Given the Empress' joyous revelation, some may have had a change in heart, a change in target... Not Tur'enne. Killing the Empress wouldn't undo all the pain and hurt the Empire had caused the galaxy, it wouldn't bring back Charlotte's parents, nor Rask and the rest of the Infiltrators of the 5th, nor Xander, nor Glayde. It wouldn't undo time and somehow make everything make sense again. But it would make a point - The rebellion wasn't gone - it wasn't an Alliance anymore, but the spirit of revolution, of refusing to give in, wasn't gone. The fire would keep burning.

If she'd had her way, Charlotte would never have been in that room, but rather across the way, in a lonesome room with a lonesome gun and a single shot between her and the end. Here though, like this? This was where it had to happen. They had to see her, and if this was the last thing that a nameless blonde insurgent would ever be known for, then so be it. The rogue force user that the Alliance could proudly say they had severed ties with.

The concealed blaster felt heavier than it had any right to as she retrieved from where it had been strapped tight against her body. She looked back to Dash, a hint of apology in her gaze, of things that they probably could have done together, of the good that could have come rather than the imminent violence. But just like everything else, it couldn't be undone.

It was too risky to give any sort of verbal or gestured signal, an instant of time that one of the Empress' pet Force Users could have picked up on. She'd learned how to block them out, it was all that could be done from keeping the Monster that sometimes invaded her dreams from seeing this moment as well.

She kept her movements slow, the bottle of sparkling wine raised to fill more glasses, the bottle held snug against the blaster as it was raised, leveled towards the Empress and in one desperate breath, a cry of For Corellia came to her thoughts, and the trigger was pulled in rapid succession. One shot wasn't enough this time.

[Dashiel Starborn]

In a single heartbeat, everything changed. Dash knew the part he had to play. With his hands at last free of the tray he’d carried most of the evening, he fumbled for his concealed blaster and squeezed off a warning shot that scorched hole in the ceiling. While Charlotte trained her shots on Miranda Tarkin, he took aim at one of the crystalline chandeliers hanging high above the ballroom. A trio of bolts collided with the fixture holding ornate light fitting in place, sending a rain of dust and debris down onto the heads below before the chandelier itself began to plummet. Dash didn’t pause, didn’t wait to see the impact. He was already sprinting into and shoulder-barging his way through the crowd, vaulting over and scrambling under tables, letting off wild shots in every direction.

[Sanya Tagge]

A smile had remained fixed to Sanya’s features as Gallus and Miranda shared their good news with the gala. It was a bittersweet moment. To know that Miranda would at last have the heir that she wanted, the heir that had been key to ensuring her ascension from Moff to Empress in the first place… that was joyous. Though Sanya had come to terms with the envy that she felt, it would always be difficult to look at the happy couple and not wish that it was a different Tagge on Miranda Tarkin’s arm.

As she took a generous sip from a champagne flute, a blaster bolt screamed past Sanya. She gave a cry of alarm and someone tried to shove her to the ground. Some well-meaning idiot who wanted to protect her instead of the Empress. Fear lanced through her heart. Her glass had smashed when she had fallen, little shards of it biting into her palm with a pain that panic and adrenaline had completely overridden.

“No!” she struggled and fought against whoever was trying to hold her down, to put their body between Sanya and whoever was firing into the crowds.

Whether it was muscle-memory from her childhood in the military or something more preternatural, she found the strength to shove aside the human-shield - not seeing their face, not caring to, barely registering them as anything other than an obstacle. It wasn’t her job to protect the Empress, but that didn’t stop her from lurching towards where she could see Miranda in the crowd ahead.

[Gallus Tagge]

Gallus couldn’t stop grinning. As happy as he was to share their news with the Empire, it was all just a pale shadow of how he’d felt the day that Miranda had revealed to him she was pregnant.

“We have to-” he started to say, but never finished.

At that moment, a blaster bolt hit his shoulder. As his body twisted from the impact, another collided with his right eye. Gallus pitched backwards, falling against Miranda.

[Matatek Sel Vissica]

There was no alarm in the force until the first shot rang out. By the time that Vissica could put herself between the danger and Miranda, Gallus had been stricken severely.

"Protect the Empress!" She bellowed, as her gleaming white saber growled to life. Vissica lashed out towards a threat she felt before she saw, turning the drinks tray and the pistol in Charlotte's hands into slag in a broad swipe of her weapon. While her first instinct was to engage and destroy the assassin, the Selonian stuck to her mandate, standing over the royal couple as she shielded Tarkin with her lightsaber.