5 the epic: Greater Courtier Marius
When Eva arrived on Coruscant, she already knew about Marius, a prince in his own world and already well-known beyond his Greater Courtier posting. She was determined to not be predictably awestruck by his suave good looks and charismatic personality. But he turned out to be disarmingly warm, clever and interesting. He was a refreshing departure from the other lot of stodgy courtiers and Eva might have thought herself equal relief to Marius, except that he had a whole slew of outside acquaintances. By appearances, he was incredibly inappropriate for his posting but Eva had seen how he could make himself invisible. No one turned up without being extremely well vetted.
The brilliant structures of Coruscant's Federal district lay towering beyond the walls of the former Jedi temple turned Imperial Palace. Eva stood four steps from the base of a magnificent courtyard staircase, with Marius at the foot.
"It would be wise, if you readily acknowledge their decades long ties to the Emperor." he added referring to the Grand Vizier, the Imperial ruling council and Aloo. Marius glanced in the direction that had caught her interest then he approached and said, "You can go out there, but they don't want you to want to. But at the same time, they don't expect you to not want to, when you don't know what it is..."
Later with more insight (and Marius would much help with her acquisition of insight), she would understand his meaning as, 'Aloo and the rest know you're from the backwater and would love to indulge in this planet's fine offerings, but the more you go out there, the more security expense will be undertaken (which is affordable, but don't make a glutton out of yourself) and the more likely you will divulge those precious Imperial secrets. And you won't like it out there, as you will be hounded. Or at least if we appointed you, you're of the kind who shuns attention.'
Eva laughed at Marius as he handed her a blossom poached from the Emperor's garden. The first time she had been shown the garden, just off the tower Throne Room, Eva had also pinched a bloom much to Aloo's dismay. He then informed her that the Emperor himself had designed that garden, and to please take flowers from elsewhere. Eva had been dumbstruck at the idea of the Emperor's interest in gardening- He supervised the design of Lord Vader's armor and the garden? My my, a man of many talents.
"It's a just a city," Eva chided.
"No, it's the city. Marius countered. "Next day we're both off, I'll take you out on the town. Nothing but the very best."
It was the long history of Coruscant that most interested Eva, but she'd happily go along and experience what life long privilege had to offer. She had been out on a few errands for herself, and a museum, all with six guards in tow (a seemingly small number to overpower for the properly motivated, but the strategy was that four troopers fend off an attack long enough for two to execute their charge). Eva did not care to be played up to, as Marius's acquaintances would be bound not to do.
And when that day arrived Eva showed up at Marius' private apartment richly dressed in civilian clothing, but with a veil. (Actually a souvenir Jaanue Naya religious garment with a veil added.)
"What exactly is that for?"
Eva seated herself on one of his high design chairs. "I don't want my likeness available. 'Eva' is not my birth name. The Imperials assigned it for their record keeping. To disassociate my identity, as they do all operatives. My family… they don't know what I've done. They have no connection to me anymore, so no threat to themselves. They only know I'm still alive."
"What is your real name, Eva?"
But she would not answer. Marius felt a tinge of embarrassment that he had gone into much detail offering procedure for hosting her guests on the premises. He would learn no one would visit Eva. She was the antithesis of himself - disconnected from her world and very much alone.
Mere hours after she had been taken by Imperials, they had taken her name away. The order in which it was encompassed, was issued by Vader the first time she'd laid eyes on him. And though he'd not selected her operative name himself, she'd think of it as such - an anointment of sorts. It practically chafed her, to again use her real name while entrenched with the Rebel Alliance. She had looked into the official Imperial tally at Echo Base. Her birth name was among the dead.