There Came a Tapping (Pre-Game Evening)

[Sylvain Torsin]

The young lord of House Torsin stepped through the streets of Varas point alone. His hood covered his appearance from most passers-by as he calmly walked toward a collection of luxury apartments.

He continued to walk in his methodical and precise manner until the destination he sought appeared right in front of him. He walked up to the door and gently tapped on the steel, knowing quite well that his presence was already known. He removed his hood and ran a hand through his brown hair before looking up at the door and awaiting for it to slide open...


---

(Expecting)

[Dapper Dog]

A protocol droid opened the door and said, "Master Torsin, welcome. This unit is to direct you to the parlor. May this unit pour you a drink?"

[Sylvain Torsin]

He nodded cordially to the droid and followed it inside. “That would be lovely. Do you have any recommendations? Something Lady Torsin has recently been fond of?”

[Dapper Dog]

The protocol droid understood and departed to get the proper drink after depositing Sylvain in the parlor which had a long window that overlooked the cliffside and he sea. At a holo-station he could see an image of his mother relaxing on a beach elsewhere. She rose and put on a robe and said through the comm system, “I wasn’t expecting company, so I took a last-minute trip to Makeb, the weather is gorgeous.”

She sat in the holoimage and said, “This would be a good place to take a honeymoon.”

[Sylvain Torsin]

He smirked slightly and nodded, "If only the Steel Valkyrie had such time..."

He smiled a bit brighter after a contemplative moment and looked out at the beach that sprawled out in front of him as he replied, "So you go from one beautiful beach to the other right before your son arrives after not returning home for years. I hope this doesn't mean you won't be here for the wedding. Your son will think you're trying to avoid him."

He offered one of his teasing and charming smiles that she'd undoubtedly be familiar with.

[Dapper Dog]

“It depends on where you have me seated, preferably near the front away from anyone… disreputable,” she said cheerily.

“I would not miss the wedding for anything, I am retired now… basically, and I do need to stay active. As long as you are not thinking as doing something foolish like try and be a Dark Councilor, no good can come from that. Better to deal with plagues and outer region politics than that nest of vipers,” she said in.a stern, motherly tone.

“Plus I do enjoy seeing my grandchildren, they are just so adorable.”

[Sylvain Torsin]

"Sitting away from the disreputable would take you away from my side mother. Something I am most set against." He said with a smile and a chuckle.

"If you have a list of 'undesirable' table-guests you can send it to me anytime. Our home is big enough for even the greatest animosities to have space." He thanked the droid as it arrived with his drink and turned back to his mother.

"I certainly have no desire to put such a target on my back for now. My 'humanitarian' mother will be my example for the time being. Solving the issues outside this bloody playhouse are of greater importance to me than who sits on the Dark Council. If Kris survives it means there is one more voice of reason in that collection of... eccentrics. But there are other people who can help the Empire here that need to be convinced of the need for action."

He then smiled widely and shook his head in a congenial manner, "You truly are more resourceful than anyone has ever given you credit for. Let's not bring up to Kristal that you knew of the girls before this... She'll think I told you... And that won't go over well."

He smiled and paused, "But... I am pleased that they will finally get to meet you in person. They've lived on that cruiser long enough. The time for them to realize what can be theirs is here."

[Dapper Dog]

“Secrets are my life,” she said thoughtfully. “I promise to act surprised when you reveal this secret in person.”

She changed topics, “So what will you do to fix the situation on your world, Governor?”

[Sylvain Torsin]

He tilted his head and then took another sip of his drink.

"Simply put... we need more resources. We have quarantined, restricted, combated and controlled the best we can. We need a boost in resources and research. The rest of the sector is battling with similar problems, but there is little consensus or cohesion between the different players. I seek to change that as best we can... Use the resources the various actors here available to resolve the issue and assuage greater loss of manpower and resources that would accompany a purge wide enough to uproot the problem."

[Dapper Dog]

“I may know people that could help, but… you seem to walk in different circles now so it may be best if you find your own way. But they could help,” she said calmly.

[Sylvain Torsin]

"It of course depends on the type of help they can provide... If accepting their help would exclude me from other sources of assistance and thus prevent the job from being accomplished, then perhaps I would not be as interested. But I am not one to be picky over methods. Whatever is effective in getting the job done is most important." He replied as he gently swished the drink around in the glass.

"Is there anything that would prevent me from seeking their help?"

[Dapper Dog]

“When I am back on Ziost I can pass along the details, better to do these types of things in person. Failing their help, do you think you can get these disparate players to work together?” she responded.

[Sylvain Torsin]

"One way or the other... I truly believe so. I will follow every path available to me, be it political, scientific, economic or otherwise." He replied.

"The peace we brokered with the Republic was never meant to be anything that would last... Merely a chance to gather our resources together again and strike out from a place of strength like last time. But our divisions are frittering away our resources. We are getting weaker when we should be gaining strength."

He shook his head, "This plague is merely a symptom of greater maladies... but one that if suppressed can show the path forward. To some degree it is not a question of 'can' it be done. I must head this off now... or our future is in jeopardy."

He took a long drink, finishing out the liquid in the glass before adding, "It's why I came back at all. I had learned much in my travels... gained in power and knowledge. If this were not necessary I would still be out there..."

He seemed to drift away for a moment as thoughts of his journey came to his mind. "I wish there had only been more time... more power to be gained."

[Dapper Dog]

“Only the Emperor has eternity, we have to make do with right now,” she said ion a motherly tone.

“Your father enjoyed saying that.”

[Sylvain Torsin]

He nodded, "Father set a powerful example to follow... You knew him in ways I never will... For both good and ill no doubt. I plan to do my best to make the most out of what both of you have given me. I know you and I did not truly see eye to eye the last time we met... But I would not be who and where I am without you. I was not myself on Nar Shaddaa. But I feel more like myself now than I ever have been. I have you to thank for that."

[Dapper Dog]

“You were who you are, and even if I did not agree you stayed true to that course. It’s the curse of any parent I suppose, we want what we feel is best, but what is best is really for you to determine. It’s not an easy lesson to learn either,” she said wistfully.

“You’ll see when my grandchildren are of that age.”

[Sylvain Torsin]

He chuckled and nodded, "Through that at least I hope to gain a greater understanding of who you really are."

He smiled and leaned back on the chair, "And I hope you'll be there to supplement my observations with your own interpretations of our past as well. Your story is a secret I would one day love to hear."

[Dapper Dog]

“Then it would not be a secret, it would simply be information,” she said.

“Best you forget about that and focus on protecting your new family from your new rivals.”

[Sylvain Torsin]

He nodded and chuckled, “It’s obviously not as important as other things on my docket, but there’s nothing that says I can’t keep a passive interest in the life story of my mother.”

He smiled and added, “But I’ll take your answer as a ‘no’ for today.”

[Dapper Dog]

“Maybe one day,” she said thoughtfully.

“I can’t promise it will be soon, going over my life is not an easy adventure. There are regrets, poor choices, and anguish… why put such on another if they can be spared it.”