The Assassin, the Jedi and the Wardrobe Update *

[Adia Issoris]

Adia took the mug gratefully, and sipped at it for a moment while Lianna sat on the couch.

“Unfortunately, you’re going to have to watch more footage of your sister to pick up on her mannerisms and tone.” Adia said quietly, between sips. “I can coach you on some of them once you start.” she had spent enough time around the Tarkin girl to know them.

“But not right now.” She added. “Want to go through the brochures and see what most people would do for fun?”

[Lianna Mal Pannis]

Lianna nodded, determined. "I understand."

The initial shock would wear off but the Jedi was thankful for Adia's compassion. Some enjoyment would be welcomed after the long day they had together.

The brochures that the older woman was talking about where fanned neatly on the coffee table. Fancy lettering and bold discounts flashed brightly to warrant attention. One by one Lianna picked them up with curiosity and learned what Umgal had to offer.

Gambling. No.

Drinking. No.

Exotic restaurants that went beyond her comprehension of the word expensive. No.

Plays and Musicals; Human and Alien. Though this did spark some interest, it really wasn't what the Jedi was in the mood for. ... Maybe.

Then her eyes lit up. They offered rock climbing! Adia had mentioned that they could go hiking tomorrow but this was something Lianna could focus on to regain her center.

She flipped the pamphlet around with a victorious smile to show her companion. They did buy all that outdoor gear after all; it would be shame to do nothing with it.

[Adia Issoris]

Adia and Lianna hung off the side of a nearly vertical cliff face, already thirty meters above the valley’s forest canopy. A nearby waterfall made roaring background noise. Adia stopped to set their safety line into one of the pre-existing mount points. She laughed.

“I don’t think they expected me to do that at the beginner wall.” Adia said, looking down at Lianna trailing behind. The place had required that your skills be assessed before being allowed to undertake certain walls, such as the one they were on. Adia wasn’t about to tell them that she had trained ARC Troopers and Clone Commandos for the Clone Wars, and climbing was one of her areas of expertise. Bounding up the wall with no equipment had irritated them, but she had climbed halfway before the Official Expert Rock Climber was able to properly tell her to get down. Adia had wedged her feet into the artificial holds and hung upside.

“Are you sure?” She asked, eyebrow raised.” He gave up at that point and told the two of them they could do whatever they wanted.

“Come on Lianna, I’m getting hungry.” Adia said, still giggling. Lianna, while not an expert climber, was moving along at a more normal pace.

Adia’s immediate goal was a cliff another five meters up, with more than enough room for two to eat lunch.

[Lianna Mal Pannis]

She wiped her brow and grabbed the closet hand point and pulled herself up. Adia was providing the safest path for them to take, not to mention the quickest. Lianna wouldn't have made it up this far without her expertise.

The five-kilo climb went smooth and it offered the peace that the Jedi was searching for. Every doubt and fear she had about her twin sister was left at the bottom of the cliff the moment she grabbed the first mounting point.

With a grunt, she used the rope to her advantage and scaled the vertical wall. She saw that Adia was already setting up lunch and waved her on over, but there was still three yards of distance between her and the cliff. Making sure the line was secure; Lianna planted her feet against the rock, aligned herself properly, and pushed off. Lianna dangled in the air for a few seconds before landing safely, bending her knees to account for stress.

She unlatched the line and secured it around a hook that Adia had planted. Pulling off her gloves, the Jedi knelt down on the blanket that was laid down and took a generous drink of water.

"Mmm." Lianna felt invigorated. She could have probably gone none stop up the wall but that wasn't being fair to her system. Water and food were necessary in order to not pass out in the afternoon sun. "Did you need help with anything?"

[Adia Issoris]

Adia bit into a sandwich and shook her head.

“No.” She said after chewing, and handed Lianna a sandwich from her pack. Adia was intent on eating. Lianna, too, was hungry, and they finished most of the food without speaking.

“I think you’re taking to this more than shopping.” Adia winked. Lianna giggled.

“I’m glad you picked this. I haven’t gone rock climbing in a year or so. I used to do it almost every day.”

[Lianna Mal Pannis]

“I think you’re taking to this more than shopping.”

That was an understatement. Lianna could tackle physical exercises with ease. Standing around looking pretty was another thing entirely.

“I’m glad you picked this. I haven’t gone rock climbing in a year or so. I used to do it almost every day.”

That widened her eyes. "Everyday?" She covered her mouth and swallowed. "What would warrant climbing rocks everyday?"

[Adia Issoris]

"Training ARC Troopers and Clone Commandos." Adia replied.

[Lianna Mal Pannis]

"Ah." Lianna frowned, dropping the topic and went to refitting her line since they were done eating. It wasn't that the Empire was a forbidden topic, the Jedi just wanted today to be fun. Adia already hinted that they would begin 'work' tomorrow, which would include enough information about the Empire that would make up for today.

[Adia Issoris]

The two finished lunch with mostly jokes and small talk. It was clear that Lianna didn’t want to talk about the Empire or the events that lead to its creation. Adia didn’t really mind, but Lianna would need to know sooner or later.

Adia coiled and sprang nearly two meters vertical. She grabbed a crevice, pulled herself up next to the anchoring, and latched the safety line into it. She planted her feet against the wall, coiled again, and sprang upward, grabbing another set of handholds.

“Only another one-fifty meters to the top. Don’t follow me exactly. I’m going to be skipping a lot of normal holds.” Adia instructed. She wanted Lianna to figure out how to read the cliff-face. She looked more like a cat climbing a tree than a person climbing a near-vertical wall of stone. It was the combination of speed, quick scrambles, tests of solidity, and jumps with economy of motion.

[Lianna Mal Pannis]

Adia was serious about not following her exactly and Lianna watched slack jawed as the older woman bounded up the cliff with natural ease. It took the Jedi much longer then Adia to scale the cliff, but time was shortened by how the redhead anchored the safety line.

With much patience and determination, Lianna was able to figure out which holds to use and how to plant her feet for maximum support and leverage. At one point, she found herself stuck without any holds to continue the climb and had to backtrack several meters down and realign her ascent.

Three hours later, the Jedi pulled herself up towards victory kneeling. She looked over her shoulder and smiled. The expansive landscape she saw of Umgal was simply breathtaking. The natural beauty of the land was far more appealing to Lianna then the congested tourism she was introduced to yesterday.

[Adia Issoris]

Adia helped the Jedi to her feet, appreciating the view.

“I think I like the valley from this side better.” Below, birds called and dove from one side to the other. Nearby, the stream tumbled down the cliff side, rushing against the rocks and wearing them smooth. She approached the stream, a mere 30 meters away. Adia cupped her hands and dumped some over her head, and then her face. It was cool and invigorating.

It was a fantastic way to end the day. Unfortunately for Lianna, tomorrow would not be so kind.

She had booked them into a nice restaurant. Not especially expensive by expensive restaurant standards, but still pricey enough to send the young woman into shock. That would be after they purchased an evening dress and shoes. Lianna would loathe the shoes. Adia had bought a practice pair for the young woman on the first shopping day, and she would be wearing them all day. Lianna’s etiquette lessons would begin in the morning. She would only be drilling her on what was the standard in Imperial courts, and leaving out the region-specific rituals.

When Lianna woke the next day, the table had been set properly. Adia was seated at the other end, and sipped a cup of tea. An array of breakfast fare dotted middle of the table.

[Lianna Mal Pannis]

After sleeping for two days, coupled with strenuous physical activity, most of the Jedi's hair had lost is shine. Adia had bought her hair care products but Lianna had stood in front of the mirror for ten minutes wondering what to do with the white puffball of goop.

She had a similar expression on her face now. Her brown eyes bore the innocence of curiosity, unsure of why the Assassin had set the table in this odd manner.

"Morning, Adia," she asked somewhat reserved as she walked over to the redhead and bowed in greeting. "Did you sleep well?"

[Adia Issoris]

Lianna looked at Adia like she had gone mad when she was told no when she reached over to grab a namana from Adia’s side of the table.

“Lianna, you need to learn proper etiquette if you want to pass of as your sister, even briefly.” The Jedi looked bewildered.

“When you want something on the other side of the table, you need to ask the person nearest to it to pass it. Would you please pass me the eggs?” Lianna, still somewhat taken aback, complied. Adia explained what she was doing as she did it, and why she was using that fork or this spoon. When they had finished breakfast (and Adia’s running instructional commentary between bites), Adia told Lianna to take a shower but not to wash her hair. Armed with a pitcher and various hair care products, she had the showered Lianna sit with her shoulders against the top of the large bathtub. She used the detachable shower-head and wet her hair again with warm water, for good measure, and then set to work with the shampoo, massaging it through. She rinsed and applied the conditioner, repeating the same process. Adia set to work with the brush and infrared hair dryer, ensuring her hair was neat, and then produced a modest makeup kit with the correct tones for Lianna.

Lianna was obedient, but uncomfortable.

“You have to blend in. You’ll get to see your mother.” Adia reminded her. Lianna’s features were a smidge sharper than Miranda’s due to her lower body fat. Adia didn’t bring them out quite as much. If you had portrait photos you would have simply figured Miranda had lost a few kilos.

She handed Lianna some of the casual clothes she had picked out on the first day here. When she returned, Adia handed the Jedi the high heels.

“You have to learn to walk in these.”

[Lianna Mal Pannis]

Her face fell into an almost pout but caught herself. The Jedi had never worn anything but boots for all of her twenty-two years. She begrudgingly took the pair of high heels from Adia. The four-inch pumps were gorgeous, slick and black to match almost any ensemble.

She held the shoes up eyelevel as if they were diseased. "Am I going to have to wear these all day?"

Lianna looked at Adia quizzically because the thought of stumbling outside for all to see wasn't an appealing one since she was supposedly pretending to be some high affluent young lady. The pain she could deal with.

[Adia Issoris]

“All day.” Adia nodded.

“You can get away with pouting. Your sister does sometimes, to great effect.” She added. Lianna slipped the shoes on and moved experimentally. The Jedi wobbled, but was steady enough.

“You’ll get used to it in an hour and move gracefully by the end of the day. If you take them off and stretch your toes every few hours your feet won’t hurt too terribly tomorrow, either.” Lianna looked down at the shoes covering her feet. She seemed to be questioning their very right to exist.

“I don’t have anything planned till the afternoon, so you can get used to them by moving about the lodge.” Adia left Lianna standing in her room. She was going to clean up from breakfast and pack the leftovers for later.

[Lianna Mal Pannis]

As told to do so, Lianna moved about the lodge with her heels on, inside as well as outside. Whoever invented these contraptions surely just wanted to punish women. There was absolutely no reason for these shoes to exist. It seemed their only purpose was to make someone taller but her boots had done that just fine with the two-inch flat heel that was water resistant. Far more useful.

Maybe it was a balance lesson? Lianna was able to right herself well easily after some practice but this couldn't be for everyone. While she was outside resting her feet, which were quite sore as Adia had warned, she dangled the shoe off the tip of her foot and pondered why these abominable footwear were so popular. Maybe she was thinking about it all wrong. Maybe it was the aesthetic value of seeing a woman's slender foot when coupled with stockings.

She rolled her eyes and tossed the shoe off. Flat shoes could offer the same odd beauty for men. It still made no sense, even after five hours of painstaking practice.

[Adia Issoris]

At lunch in the lounge, Adia had again quietly drilled Lianna about the correct way of doing things. She had insisted it go on her tab, and Lianna was a little distraught at the cost of the things on the menu, until Adia reminded her that it was on the company’s bill. After lunch, Adia began to dress and primp the undomesticated Jedi.

The end result was stunning. They were dressed to the 9.9s. Nines would be inadequate. Adia’s dark purple evening dress with green trim was designed to minimize her shoulders. It did, however, bring out her green eyes. Her hair was up in a simple braid. Her heels were not quite as high as Lianna’s. Unfortunately (fortunately?), they only made her more intimidating at nearly 1.8 meters.

In contrast, Lianna’s dress accentuated everything desirable about the young woman. Her brown eyes shone brightly with the natural bronze accents brought out in her skin. Lianna’s dress clung to her slender figure like thin wet cotton. She had concerns about the low neckline, which was slightly more liberal than Adia’s.

The pierced ears had been a point of contention, but a combination of Jedi relaxation and Assassin’s precise, quick hands made it a very nearly painless process. The simple blue stones were only visible when her hair shifted.

They fit in perfectly at the restaurant. The rented speeder was a luxurious coupe, and Adia insisted on driving it too fast. Lianna was a little surprised when the valets opened the doors and offered her a hand getting out. She took it, even though she was now perfectly capable of easing out of vehicle, even in heels. Adia handed the valet the keys and Lianna followed her inside.

[Lianna Mal Pannis]

Two finely suited men opened the doors to the establishment for them and Lianna had to fight politeness. She wasn’t rude by any means, but the Jedi highly doubted her Sister was kind enough to say ‘thank you’ to people who were only doing their jobs.

Upon entering, Lianna had to also fight looking around the place with big eyes full of wonder and shock. This restaurant was now the most expensive place she’d ever set foot in. Yes, the Empire was paying it for, but such lavishness still made her feel uncomfortable … But that was on the inside. Outside, she showed indifference, acting as she was used to such opulent furnishes and cuisine.

They only waited a few seconds before the maitre'd welcomed them warmly to Adassioa. He led them to a cozy table towards the back of the establishment and pulled out a chair for Lianna and Adia in turn. The Jedi nodded politely and crossed her legs in a lady like fashion before setting her purse on the side of her place setting. A waiter came by to pour them some water with a slice of lemon as the maitre'd produced two menus and opened them before handing one each to the two ladies.

Again Lianna had to rein it in because the prices here were ludicrous. 150 credits a plate??? Mad people ran this restaurant.

[Adia Issoris]

Lianna was projecting the correct amount of haughty. Adia was pleased. This would work, but one of the tests came when she picked up the menu. Her shock was not completely hidden. Fortunately, no one was near enough to see it, and Lianna recovered her composure quickly.

They ordered after four minutes of running through the menu and the wine list. Adia picked a well known and respected merlot and a sauvignon blanc. Theoretically, they could get smashed, but she would simply take the overpriced bottles home with them instead. For an entrée, Adia ordered an aquatic crustacean with a light sauce and vegetable tempora as an appetizer. Lianna ordered a sesame based salad and another vegetable dish as her main course.

“Which of your wines would you like first?” The waiter asked.
“The sauvignon with the appetizer and the merlot with the main course.” Adia instructed
“Very good.” And it was so. The service was excellent, and the wait staff, while conducted with an air of snotty, was actually attentive and adaptable. It was why Adia had chosen the restaurant and not many of the other options available.

Adia picked apart her food with practiced precision. Lianna ate carefully, but there was some hesitation regarding the correct instrument. She got it wrong only once or twice, and quickly corrected with a tap on the table from Adia. Things were going swimmingly.

[Lianna Mal Pannis]

The appetizers melted inside her mouth as spices tingled her taste buds, and the vegetables were so fresh and crunchy. When dinner arrived, her nostrils took in the delicious scents of garlic, butter, and her basinberry vinaigrette.

Their server set down their plates and Lianna couldn't believe just how pretty the dish looked. It almost seemed wrong in eating the beautifully arranged salad. Three types of lettuce served as the based of the meal as watercress and snow peas were chopped in halves to outline the plate. Shredded carrots and sesame seeds flourished the center of the dish with a topping of grilled salmon strips.

During their meal, they engaged in small talk, mostly discussing their vacation and how it was amazing to see some play that Lianna had never seen before, which was more acceptable here then talking about hiking and climbing rocks. She took in it stride, not missing a beat and enjoyed the meal without gushing over how good it was. She did notice that several polite stares were coming from the other patrons. They were far subtler then the obnoxious stares and ogling that the teenagers were throwing there way several days ago. She didn't keep eye contact with the other guests for that long, merely keeping up the act of knowing she was that damn gorgeous, of course people would stare, attitude. Yet deep down inside, she was blushing as red as Adia's hair.

After they were done, Adia paid the check and left a generous tip. Gracefully Lianna stood up, retrieving her purse, which she almost had forgotten about, and departed with Adia. The same two greeters opened the door for the pair and quickly the valet jogged to Adia who placed the ticket in his hand. A few minutes later, the speeder pulled up and the valet opened the door for the two of them before bowing respectfully, thanking them for coming to the Adassioa this evening.

When they were safely on their way, Lianna kicked off her shoes and sighed, leaning against the door for support, "I can't believe I made it through the night."