The Tower of the Imperial Knights

Reading through the dossier Emperor Delvardus IV sends to her on the former Jedi he has elected to be inducted into the ranks of the Imperial Knights offered Faina little in the way of understanding her Emperor's reasoning, the events detailed in the file chronicling an unfortunate series of misunderstandings and mistakes in judgement leading to Kortos Vel's apparent willingness to join forces with his captors seeming to prove the old adage that truth is often stranger than fiction. It would not be the first time in the history of the Jedi Order that an unwillingness to trust, or at t he very least give the benefit of the doubt to, one of its own led to the very outcome that had given rise to the mistrust, and even had Faina not come to trust in her Emperor's judgement unreservedly, her loyalty to him would demand that she set her innate distrust of those who, as it seems to her that Kortos has done, abandon the ideals they swore to defend when defending them demanded greater sacrifice than anticipated. That Kortos has truly embraced the Imperial ideals espoused by the First Order seems unlikely to her, but Faina is enough a student of history to understand that unlikely is not the same as impossible, and so counsels herself to keep her mind open to the possibility that Kortos' appalling treatment at the hands of those he fought beside has opened his eyes to the possibility that his loyalty had been misplaced.

When informed that Kortos has arrived, Faina does not immediately head out to intercept him and subject him to the questions she has for him swirling around in her mind after having read through his dossier, instead allowing him to explore the Tower freely for a time as she pares down the questions in her mind to something more concise and organized than their present form.

After she gauges enough time has passed to allow Kortos to gain some semblance of a feel for those that make up the ranks of the Order he is to join, and for her questions to have been honed and refined to a fine edge, Faina goes forth to meet him, ultimately finding him in the training rooms with Knight Korr. Not inclined to read into situations more than required, Faina is oblivious to the subtext others might read into Charratha and Kortos' body language, and greets both in her customarily terse and somewhat dry manner, inclining her head in a bow as she says, "Knight Korr, Master Vel. For Kortos' benefit, Faina adds so that he has a moment to prepare for what she anticipates he knows has led her to seek him out, I am Grandmaster Nikulin, before addressing Charratha, as she assumes that her questions might be more openly and fully answered if Kortos does not have an audience, Would you excuse us for moment please?"

"Likewise, Master Vel."
Subtly winking to Kortos, Korr's lithe form made it's way out of the training room and up the stairs to her quarters, where she began preparing for that night's activities...

As Charratha left, Kortos turned his full attention to Faina then. The Grandmaster of the Imperial Knights wasted no time in getting right to the point. Sensing the stiffness with which she made her first point. He did not blame her for not being happy about the arrangement. The Jedi and Imperial Knights had never been the closest of allies in the past. And nothing about that relationship had changed in recent years.

He listened quietly as Faina continued to speak. Questioning him about his choice to become an Imperial Knight. It was a valid question. All things considered. From an outside perspective, he could understand how it would seem as if he merely chose them as a matter of opportunity. In fact. Maybe that was what many before him had done. Tried to escape death by swearing their blade to the Emperor and become one of his Knights. When at last she was done speaking, he took a moment to take a breath. As he briefly considered how best to answer her "I intend no offence when I say that you are indeed wrong. And I can certainly understand that you would believe I was left no choice. But that is far from the truth. Death is not something that frightens me like it does so many others. When my physical body dies, I will join with the Force. A fate I welcome... A fate which I could have met much sooner by the hands of those that sought to kill me in their attempt to rescue others. Or at the hands of the Emperor's justice when he brought me to his office. Or even by being sent back to the Galactic Alliance and Jedi Order... Yet here I stand..." The Force had provided many opportunities for him to die. Yet it had spared him each time "I do not pretend to fully understand all that has happened to me or how I found myself here... Nor do I think I ever will, no matter how much time I am given. The Force works in mysterious ways, converging fates across time and space in ways we would be fools to pretend we had any grasp of..." Turning his thoughts from such arcane matters, he focused his attention upon answering the question she had originally asked "I will make no assumptions as to what the Emperor may or may not have told you about my meeting with him. Nor would I wish to waste your time by recounting the same story... But to put it simply: if or when the First Order wins this war, I want to ensure that the Emperor and the First Order do not fall into the habits of old Imperials. By which I mean, burning the galaxy at the behest of some Sith or other Darksider..." Kortos still understood little about the true motivations of the Knights of Ren. He'd heard little of them before his capture, and had not been provided much more information during his internment. But like all Darksiders, he suspected they had some darker motive that would not end well for the Galaxy at large "The Jedi seek peace and justice for all through means of the Galactic Alliance. And while I am no expert in the ways of the Imperial Knights. What little I do know, suggests that the Imperial Knights share similar views. The only difference being the vessel through which they seek such means..."

Kortos smiled at the small inclusive correction Faina made to his statement, while noting her use of the title Master. It was not wholly unexpected. While she accepted his entry to the Imperial Knights. She was still wary of him. Something he hoped to change as time went on "My mistake Grandmaster Nikulin..." He listened intently as Faina continued speaking. Very much in agreement with her assessment that his beliefs and goals would be more in common than he initially believed. After all, he still knew very little about the Imperial Knights beyond the vague stories he had heard. And even then, he was fairly certain some of them were embellished by the author. No. The only true way to know anything for certain, was to study and become that thing. Which was what Kortos intended to do.

He nodded in understanding as Faina gave him his first lesson towards becoming an Imperial Knight. It was certainly an interesting concept and one he would think upon later some more. Though, he could already admit to some understanding of her statement. And perhaps finding some truth within her words already. But such things were thoughts for another time as Faina moved on to other matters.

Kortos wasn't entirely sure where his quarters were, but he was sure he could find them easy enough. And if not, he suspected that Charratha would be more than happy to help. But perhaps first, he would attend to the matter of his lightsaber and armour. After all, both things would be useful to his training and any missions he would undertake eventually. Which brought to mind some questions he had for Faina. Which she gave him an opportunity to ask a few moments later "I will certainly think upon what you have taught me today. And I thank you for the opportunity to one day prove myself an Imperial Knight... But since you do ask, there is perhaps a couple questions I have... The first being whether there is a limit on how many Lightsabers I am allowed for use? Given my training thus far has specialised me in such combat. And what sort of rules there are regarding armour? I have seen some variations, but considering the Galactic Alliance's desire to see me dead... I figured a helmet might go a long way towards warding off any undue attention..."

While he had suspected that she would give the responses she gave. He felt some relief to hear her confirm his suspicions. Better to ask permission, in this situation, than forgiveness. He was still new among the Imperial Knights. Only once he had earned their trust, would he feel more confident with taking risks. He gave a bow in thanks as Faina answered his questions. Knowing better than to press his standing with her any further "Thank you for those clarifications. I shall attend to meeting the armourer and meeting my new brothers and sisters..." Kortos collected the last of his gear from the floor, before making his way past Faina and out of the training room. Slipping it all back on, so he didn't have to try awkwardly carry it all in his hands. By the end of the day, he would be taking it all off for the last time. In a final farewell to his past life as Jedi Knight Kortos Vel. He would don his new outfit as an Imperial Knight inductee come morning. And when the time came, his new armour. Which would mark him as an Imperial Knight proper.

Kortos continued on his way through the hallways and turbolifts of the Tower, before at last finding the Armourer within the workshop set up for him. After going over his requirements, He stood and waited as the Armourer took his measurements. So that the armour he would wear would fit properly. The whole thing took fifteen minutes at the most. With promise of his armour being ready within the next couple of weeks.

With that matter dealt with. Kortos collected the pair of lightsabers and made his way off back through the Tower once more. Touring the facility. Taking his time to learn where everything was. Stopping every now and again to greet the Imperial Knights wandering the halls. By the time he finally arrived to his quarters, night was beginning to descend upon Harnaidan.

He opened the door and strolled into the room. Quite impressed with what he saw. A window that took up half the wall gave him a view out to Harnaidan. While a skylight was situated in the middle of the roof. He reached his hand out, activating the lighting controls. Kortos moved further into the room. Noting the rather spacious bed that sat against the opposite wall. Flanked by a pair of nightstands.

Off to his immediate left was a lounge room style area that was slightly sunken into the floor. Complete with a three sided sofa style seat. A coffee table was set in the middle of the space. While a large screen was mounted into the wall. Further in, was a door leading off towards a refresher room. It was tiled from floor to ceiling and contained both sonic and water variants of a shower. Alongside a spa bath.

Kortos made his way over towards the bed, towards the final set of doors upon his left. Which opened up to reveal the wardrobe. Something Kortos made immediate use of, as he removed his old clothes, armour, and lightsabers. Placing them neatly within a draw at the bottom of the wardrobe. Before he donned a new pair of pants and shirt, which bore the First Order emblem.

His attention was briefly drawn to the door set within the window, that lead out to the small balcony just outside his window. Something to see another time he assured himself. Before making his way over towards the padded bench situated at the end of his bed. Taking a seat there, as he examined each of his new lightsabers in turn. Trying to get a feel for their weight and design. It would take some getting used to, but he was sure it would not be too much of an issue

It had been a long and eventful day. He had arrived to Muunilinst and met the Emperor of the First Order. Before pledging his services and life to the man as an Imperial Knight. He had met Charratha Korr and spent a short time sparring with the woman. After which, he had met the Grand Master of the Imperial Knights, Faina Nikulin. The rest of his day had been spent wandering about and organising his new armour and sabers.

It had been nice to spend a couple hours alone, thinking back upon all that had happened that day. Taking some time to consider all that he had discussed with both the Emperor and the Grand Master. Both of whom had given him a lot to think about going forward. Then there was his training session with Charratha. The female Imperial Knight that had been wearing next to nothing when he chanced across her training.

While they had not discussed anything nearly as deep and meaningful. Something about her had caught his attention. And it wasn't that she had been nearly naked. Putting nearly everything about her on display for him. No. While she was undeniably beautiful. She was a strong warrior and had given him a decent sparring match. Even when she had thrown the match to get him in close. Whether to try get him to let his guard down or because she wanted to see how far he would go.

What ever the reason, he suspected it would not be the last he saw of Charratha. After all, she had promised to continue things later that night just before she took her leave.

He was drawn out of his thoughts then. Coming back to reality as he heard the faintest hiss of the door opening. And then he felt her presence in the Force. That same one he had felt within the training room earlier that day. Charr had decided to follow through on her promise to visit him that night. Causing him to lift his gaze from his lightsabers.

Travelling up along the thigh-high leather boots she wore. His eyes travelling further up across the brief expanse of bare skin upon her upper thigh. His gaze lingering as he examined the revealing pair of lingerie she wore. Showing off much more than what she had worn earlier in the day. Her lithe form perfectly accentuated her alluring lithe form. His gaze finally travelling up to her light brown hair, and settling upon her grey-blue gaze.

He watched as she seemed to float across the distance between the door and where he was seated. Quite impressed with the control she exhibited. But at the same time, the allure she gave off. Unabashedly putting herself on display so that there was nothing hidden from him. All of her was laid bare for him to see. And he definitely liked what he saw.

He did his best to keep his expression as neutral as he possibly could as she stopped right in front of him. Causing him to look up ever so slightly, so he might take his thoughts from her almost exposed body. Smirking as she complimented him, her voice as seductive as she looked right now. Her cheeks going flush as she then moved around behind him. Feeling her hand lightly run across his back.

He levelled his gaze upon a point on the wall opposite him. Calming himself as she sought to elicit a reaction from him with the way she moved, spoke, and touched him. All of which were certainly achieving the results he had no doubt she hoped they would. But he was not one to give in easily. And if she wanted what he knew she wanted. She would have to work hard to get it. And in doing so, prove if whether she was right for him or not.

He could already sense the conflict within her. But he was certain he knew which way she fall. She had come this far already after all. And even if it did seem like she was going to go the opposite way. He would provide her the motivation not to "How kind of you to say Charr... It appears my radiance has flustered you to the point of needing something more... breathable on. I'm curious... is this how you dress for everyone? I imagine it would certainly distract the enemy to gaze upon your own... luminous appearance..." Even when he had averted his gaze up to look at her face. It had still been hard to ignore her most obvious feature that had been situated at eye height for him

Kortos finally set the saber he was holding down upon the seat. His gaze settling upon Charratha once more as she moved into the moonlight. Once more allowing him an almost entirely unobstructed view. Her cheeks flush red from his compliment. As she was unable to hide her feelings towards his words. He rose from his seat then, meeting her face to face as she closed the distance between them. His deep azure gaze piercing her own as she spoke. Her voice emphasising his new official title. His expression remaining as impassive as before.

Adventurous. That was certainly one word you could use to describe her state of undress. Especially taking into consideration that she had entered the quarters of someone she hardly even knew. But then. Maybe she viewed the entire Tower as her own quarters. Allowing her to be more completely at ease garbed as such. While he stood within his own room still entirely dressed as he had been when they had met earlier.

He looked down ever so slightly as he regarded her. Wondering just what it was that had drawn Charratha here tonight. Was this still perhaps part of some game she hoped to play with him. Tempt him till the flames of lust were raging. Before brutally extinguishing them with a simple word or two. Or was this perhaps something more than just a game. Was she here with the intent to do more. To take things further. His muscles tensing beneath his bronzium skin as he crossed his arms across his chest “Is that so Charr... You felt adventurous, so you decided to get almost completely naked and come visit me alone?”

Kortos reached out and grabbed her left wrist. Pulling her closer to him. He did remember her promise from earlier that day to visit him, after he had said they should hold off. At the time, they had been in a public training room. A place where anyone could walk in at any time and discover the pair entwined in some hot, passionate tryst. But here and now. That was an entirely different story.

These were his new private quarters. No one else would be visiting. Meaning that they would be all alone. No one to interrupt them at any moment. Barring some surprise attack that would mobalise everyone. But that was a far off possibility. He lowered his voice, leaning his face closer to hers “Gave your word, eh? And you would always keep your word, wouldn’t you?” Kortos trailed his hand up across her ivory stomach. Catching his finger against each the thin strips of fabric that held the two sides together. Pulling gently out as he moved up her torso. His gaze falling to her barely covered breasts, noticing the shift in the fabric “dress for the occasion? More like you undressed for it... though, I would be lying if I said I did not wish to help you further... undress” Kortos moved the hand holding her wrist to around her waist. Planting his hand upon the small of her back as he pulled her closer. Pressing their bodies against one another as he snaked his other hand through one of the gaps in the fabric. Squeezing gently “what exactly do you hope to achieve here this night?”