This floor of the octagonal building was further fashioned to the likeness of an eight-pointed star. A golden Flanish throne sat high upon a pedestal at the opposite end of the entrance, and the other six wide triangles boasted grand seating in the custom decor and banner colors of six other cultures. Kess followed Saffron's lead to do the rounds about the room, standing in the backdrop with the others to practice her hippy walk and kiss-blowing while she took in details of all these guests. There must have been a hundred people in here already, and only half of those high seats were currently occupied.
This one must be Secretary Woody of Helmba, for his shaggy blonde hair and crooked smile was unlike anyone else's. That one had to be Vice President Tesseoni because she looked like a twig in a suit with an extra stick up her butt. Saffron seemed to have the plan mapped out. She led the group of girls around the room in clockwise fashion. She paused to chat warmly with each special guest and introduced whichever one of her ladies was being greedily eye-balled.
Secretary Woody was high as a kite, smiled hungrily at Freida, and waved the girl over to sit on his lap. Kess instead sauntered over to Assistant Clarissa and wrapped her arm around the uncomfortably prim woman.
Clarissa put a palm out with a shy smile and shook her head. But Kess met her eyes with a big, friendly smile and began to groove to the music. She took the woman's hand and lifted it into the air, jiving gently to the tunes, just making fun until Clarissa flushed a real smile.
"It's just a party," Kess crooned. "It's your job to have a good time."
Clarissa nodded but patted Kess away politely. As the group began to move on to the next guest, Kess stomped up to the assistant to hug her with laughter—and dropped a datacard down the back of her blouse.
Clarissa's eyes bulged as if she'd goosed her, but Kess smacked a big kiss on her cheek and whispered into her ear. "The Alliance sends its regards."
With that, she sauntered to the next big chair.
She peaked back to see Clarissa adjusting her blouse and clasping her hands behind her hips, but the woman's shoulders seemed to roll back with a little more confidence than before.
Vice President Tesseoni of Tyrona lounged gracefully with a hot cup instead of an alcoholic drink. She had several male assistants with her, over which the prostitutes fawned whether the men liked it or not. Tesseoni herself gave Saffron a polite smile and tried to wave away the services. Saffron continued for a moment more, so Kess moved fast.
She plucked the card from her boot and rushed up like fanatic. She grabbed Tesseoni's hand with both of hers, exaggerating the endeared handshake. "It is such an honor to meet you."
Tesseoni blinked back. Her chin shifted, but her eyes did not.
Kess continued the hero worship like a loony. "You're a hero to all womankind. And I know I speak for women all across the galaxy . . . that your efforts and your successes are a boon to us all."
Tesseoni's hand shifted, just a little, and curled her fingers around the card hiding inside the handshake so Kess could let go.
As her hand returned to her own lap, she eyed Kess directly and dismissed her with a nod.
In the next chair was Ambassador Danje of Cagharten, currently looking quite impatient with all this. He waved Saffron off long before the group managed to approach him. And Kess noticed several the gang had already been pulled away by the interest of real customers.
Danje wasn't one of them. In fact, he was trying to order a drink server to go find Petra before he smashed the droid to pieces. Sensing this man was in no mood for games, Kess flicked her eyes to Saffron for an idea. Saffron nudged her ahead anyway.
Kess stomped up the steps to his formal wingback and sat herself in his lap before he noticed what was coming. The man blanched back and spread his arms away, grimacing, and cussing and tried to push her off of him. Kess grabbed his shoulders hard and tried to look sexy when she hissed into his ear. "Quit your bitching and take the damn datacard."
Danje reared his head back so he could look at her, squinting for recognition. Kess wiggled her plastic eyebrows, grabbed his face, and planted a big long smooch on the lips. "Sometimes Jedi just wanna have fun."
Danje blinked at this, stunned, and Kess tucked the datacard between his knees as she slithered off his legs.
As she moved away, Danje gave her a dark grin of humor, and crossed his legs—hiding the card further.
Prince Petra was in his throne now, eyeing everything at once, and ushered Kess over to sit in his lap for a moment. "How are we doing?"
Kess cuddled in him and whispered sexily into his ear, "Four down."
"Keep on it." He patted her rump and shoved her away.
Baron Flintob of Kein didn't really fit the description, but he was the man in the chair, so Kess calculated her approach. Laha was already up there, licking his ear, and eyed Kess to come on over and do the thing, but the moment Kess moved that direction, she felt a hard spike on the Force.
Her feet stopped mid-step. Her eyes shifted cautiously to search the room.
The Force seemed to focus a fish-eye view on Vanech standing cold and quiet in a back corner. His eyes said 'no.'
Kess looked at the others lounging around this wedge of the star, trying to determine to whom she was supposed to deliver the card, but that sharp spike pulsated a 'negative' every time she aimed for any Keinish-looking individual.
The moment passed. The three remaining ladies slipped away and moved on. The Force discipline gradually released when Kess moved on with them.
But they didn't move on to the next big chair, in fact, they avoided the last two entirely. It didn't take but a moment to realize this one was adorned in the black and gray decor of the Empire itself. This chair was meant for a Moff who, thankfully, wasn't in it right now.
The last one seemed just as unapproachable. Despite the all the swirling crowds of the party, this corner of the room was entirely empty save for a single, meditating woman. Kess watched the rest of the whores disburse to other groups. She struggled for a moment.
And decided to handle this one like a true Jedi.
Her Holiness Ro'Salia of At'Bintar sat with her hands on her knees and her eyes closed in prayer. Kess centered herself in front of Her Holiness before approaching, boldly stepped up to the throne alone.
Ro'Salia opened her eyes and Kess immediately dropped her gaze with veneration. She closed the distance and dropped to her knees, bowing until her head nearly hit the ground, and kissed the woman's finely-slippered feet.
With a timid plea, she said, "May Her Holiness grant a blessing upon this humble servant?"
Pleased by this, Ro'Salia touched the back of her head. "May the Force of God be with you, my child."
Kess looked up, and tucked the datacard under the toe of a slipper. "And May the Force be with you."
Ro'Salia looked at her for a beat, reflected a hidden grin, and bowed with reverence.
With that, Kess backed up before fully standing up. The whole thing looked like a prostitute begging forgiveness for her profession.
And then the prostitute got back to work.
To keep up the ruse, Kess sauntered over to the corner and fawned over stiffly-standing Zach Vanech. This was incredibly uncomfortable, not because she didn't like the man, but because she did. "What do I do with the last one?"
He looked down at her and put his hand out.
Kess hesitated. "But—
"Give it to me," he ordered, not taking 'no' for an answer.
Kess checked for onlookers and gave in, plucking it out of her boot to slap it into his hand.
Vanech didn't even try to hide it. He pulled a pad out of his back pocket and read the card as clearly as though he was reading a drink menu. . . . Until he glanced up at the entrance.
Grand Moff Jakobi, followed by whole unit of Coruscant Troopers, marched into the room.