The Tower of the Knights of Ren

Rolling his eyes he looked over at Brock before Katsumi had finished approaching them and spoke in a rather sardonic tone.

What was that about Stormtroopers probably guarding the area?

Watching woman approach he tried to judge her he remembered to remove his hand from his lightsaber. So far there was no need for him to use it and he hoped to keep it that way. Waiting for her to rise from the bow he choose to cross his arms and stand rather indignantly while she spoke. Or what he figured was a she, considering the way that her mask muffled and changed her voice.

I didn't know we warranted a welcoming party did you Brock? We figured we could come visit our cousins in the Force, I have never heard of an Imperial Knight visiting the Tower and we were curious what it was like inside.

The tenor of the unexpected encounter - despite Katsumi's efforts to conceal her personal disdain for their Imperial Knight visitors beneath a thin veneer of civility that she sought to cultivate less out of any inclination towards politeness than due to a penchant for slyness and deception grounded in the understanding that courtesy often leads to a lowering of one's guard that can be exploited - tips towards the openly hostile even before her brother, Harnan, enters the scene; the body language and vocal intonation of the Dressellian accompanying the thusfar silent human making it evident to Katsumi that, as one would expect, there is no love whatsoever lost between their respective orders. The Imperial Knights, Katsumi estimates, cannot be such great fools as to not have anticipated that their mere presence alone would be a provocation to any of the Knights of Ren they might cross paths with; making the true purpose of their visit something of mystery if that purpose is anything other than simply looking for a fight. As it is ingrained in her nature to deny, hinder, or otherwise impair her enemies, Katsumi's instinct is to pretend to be civil and open, denying the Imperial Knights a fight if that is what they seek. Such duplicitous subtlety, however, is not something to be found in Harnan's entrance onto the scene, and Katsumi idly wonders whether there could be, anywhere among her brothers and sisters in the Knights of Ren, a more fundamentally temperamentally and strategically opposed partner. The situation's odds of proving to be entertaining, if not constructive in any way shape or form for any involved, in Katsumi's estimation, have improved considerably.

Conflicting messages can be distracting, and so Katsumi does not allow Harnan's choice to verbally provoke the Imperial Knights to dictate how she chooses to play with their unexpected guests, instead maintaining her deceptive air of civility as she holds up her hands as though to suggest that all present take a proverbial deep breath while saying, without permitting any traces of the venomous sarcasm she feels as she speaks to be revealed in her tone or in her thoughts, which are zealously guarded and concealed out of sheer habit, "It would be such a great shame, yes, which is why we should all take a moment to remember that we are all devoted to the great task of sowing order. Let us not forget, as well, that we are all knights, and should therefore conduct ourselves with all of the chivalry that implies."

Pannos poker face nearly broke at the way that Brock spoke. He knew that he was a hot head and a jokester but he had been hoping for a little bit of tact. After all this was meant to not draw attention, yet they had not entered and already encountered two of the Knights of Ren.

Perhaps you should listen to your sister here. Both of us are Force Sects, two sides of the same coin here to serve our Empire and the Emperor, and help bring worlds under the Imperial banner.

Looking over at his fellow Imperial Knight he scowled at Brock.

Perhaps we should break down this barrier between us and our groups and thus avoid any unnecessary issues between us now and in the future.

Of course he had no real intention of doing so, and wished for the Knights of Ren to be expunged from the First Orders ranks. He was simply trying to avoid any issues in the here and now. He had no interest in fighting either Knight right here in the heart of the Empire.

Let me start at this point he held out his hand towards both Rens I am Master Grai'Tal

Katsumi finds the Imperial Knights an amusing pair; one prattling childishly and clearly intent on provocation despite his claims he wishes to be left alone even though it is he that has come to the Tower for whatever purpose it is that he conceals beneath his scorn fueled drivel, while the other speaks, truthfully or not, of breaking down barriers that are unlikely to be broken when they are born from such deep seated differences in ideology and purpose.

As pleased as she is mildly surprised that Harnan does not rise to the clown's baiting, Katsumi nods when her brother has finished speaking, addressing the human as she lifts a hand and gestures towards the direction the Imperial Knights had approached the Tower from, "If it is indeed your desire to extricate yourself from the conversation your presence has invited, that is, happily for us all, easily accomplished. Walk away, and I can assure you that we will neither bar your passage nor mourn your absence. Dismissing the human, Katsumi takes the Dressalian's offered hand and, after shaking it, tells him in a tone suggesting she regrets what she says even though she does not despite her belief in what she says, As what our friends have shared makes clear, Master Grai'Tal, I fear the barrier you so insightfully perceive exists between our groups is unlikely to be surmounted when so many in our respective groups are convinced of the innate duplicity of the other. Perhaps it would be best to follow the Emperor's wise example and take steps to see that we give one another a wide berth?" Though she suspects that Nicademus, in courting the loyalty of both the Knights of Ren and the Imperial Knights even though they are diametrically opposed in many ways, is in the end more pragmatic than wise, Katsumi can only admire the way the so-called Emperor has, thus far, managed to avoid encounters such as this simply by ensuring that they never operate in close proximity.

This went about as well as to be expected. Especially when you had a hot head on either side of the divide. In truth Panno did not truly believe the words he said. There would never be cooperation between the two groups, and if he was smart he would indeed keep a wide berth from the Knights of Ren. Perhaps though this woman could be reasoned with. His years of being persecuted for his race had made the Dressillian quite taciturn when confronted he would be able to talk himself out of a situation. Maybe he could talk himself into this one.

Maybe the two loud and angry people would like to leave myself and the Lady Ren alone? I for one would like to learn more about the Knights of Ren, if the Emperor indeed plans on us working together as sword and shield of the Empire would it not be better that we learn to trust one another? We may never be best friends, but we would be doing the Emperor and everyone else a disservice by keeping up this feud.

Reaching out in the force Panno opened one of the pouches on his armour and pulled out a few seeds he carried.

Do I really need to talk about what they seeds represent?

Executing a courtly bow, Katsumi tells Harnan, "Oh, why yes of course, dear brother," trusting that he will recognize the amused playfullness inherent in her use of a gesture that she, not known for her social graces anymore than she is for her consistent attention to personal hygiene, has never before employed even if others present do not.

Motioning in invitation towards the streets stretching out before the Tower, Katsumi asks Panno, "Shall we then, Master Grai'Tal, go off, you and I, to speak of seeds and what might spring forth from them if they find fertile soil and are tended well?" The Imperial Knights and their guiding philosophy and ideology are, unlike those of the Knights of Ren, relatively well known to most inhabitants of the universe, and so Katsumi doubts that her interaction with Panno will be particularly informative; and even though she harbors doubts as to how sincere the Dresselian is in his quest to plant seeds of trust between their organizations, Katsumi sees no harm in seeing where indulging him leads.

Walking away from the entrance to the Tower, Katsumi pauses as she nears the street leading away from it, looking over her shoulder to see if Panno will in fact choose to leave his hot headed companion behind to accompany her alone.

At least one of the Rens were not outright hostile. Looking back over his shoulder at Brock and then back at Katsumi he shrugged.

Right now might not be best Lady Ren, the temper between our two brothers are kind of high. What about we walk through the city in an hour?

This would have to do, Harnan had all but barred them from the tower for now. Even if there was no information to be gained from the duo talking it would show the public that the two organizations were working together. That the empire, the First Order was more unified than ever.

You wouldn't consider loosing the mask would you? I would love to look at your face while we chat.