What You Don't Know, Attn: Maris!

[Rusis Borinth]

“And this will be your new office, Grand Admiral.”

Rusis Borinth had been touring through the Confederation capital’s more restricted areas for most of the day, and he just wanted to sit down and enjoy a nice cup of tea at this point. Even so, he felt that he had to humor the silver protocol droid that had been his guide. Only top members of the Confederation were allowed in the areas he had been shown and most of them were too busy to show him around themselves. Russ – as many humans were wont to call him – moved through his new office very deliberately. It had been somewhat adjusted for him, humidifying the air so that he would be comfortable. However, it was still very much alien and uninviting to the Mon Calamari.

Though the room appeared to be decorated in warm woods, the newly appointed Grand Admiral was smarter than to believe that. With the current level of humidity in the room it would warp any natural woods that were not heavily protected against moisture. Of course, he could be wrong, and it could be a wood from Thyferra, which was naturally very warm and humid. Sturdy woods like those found in the tropical zone of the bacta producing planet would stand up well to the humid conditions of the office. Granted, it would make the room uncomfortable for anyone not from a tropical planet. Russ did not intend on having many visitors anyhow.

Moving around the office, he ran his webbed fingers over the desk and found that the wood was indeed real. Apparently the Confederation spared no expenses when it came to extravagance. Keeping up appearances was everything, it seemed. Propaganda was as commonplace in the Confederation as clubs and cantinas were to Coruscant. Showing any sort of weakness – be it military, financial or otherwise – was not a wise thing when you were the most influential government in the galaxy. Grand Admiral Borinth knew that while he may not agree with everything the Confederation did, he was still a member of it and was bound by its rules. Speaking of which…

“Thank you. I wish to speak with the former Grand Admiral’s personal advisor. I believe she went by the name of Maris? There are some things that I will need briefed on that only she will know.” The protocol droid politely excused itself and started to turn away before Russ stopped it. “One more thing, if you will. I wish to have some Calamarian C-tea brought before Miss Kala’myr arrives.” Finally the droid made its leave and Russ was left to explore his office once more.

There was a comfortable looking chair set behind the desk, several chairs and a couch lined along the walls as well as a pair of chairs in front of the desk. Various plants adorned the room as well, and a few holograms lined the walls, depicting images of Mon Calamari. Those he had not asked for and he frowned slightly at the site of the home he had been ostracized from; though it was not as if he didn’t appreciate the attempted sentiment. After all, the decorators were taking into account that he might be homesick after all these years and might appreciate having a piece of it with him. In one corner was a large fish tank filled with various small species from various planets, all very colorful.

Making his way to the chair behind the desk, Russ sat down and picked up a datapad, turning it on and scrolling through it. Various reports lined the small screen.

“We will have to step up patrols along the Rimma,” he mused to himself. “Sluis Van will be endangered if we do not push back the rebels.”

For the time being, he scrolled through the various datapads until the protocol droid returned with the tea and two cups. Russ thanked it and sent it on its way before going back to making himself look busy as he waited for Maris.

[Maris Kala'myr]

Had Maris in her possession a possessive nature, she would have not taken kindly to the C3 variant protocol droid giving the new Grand Admiral of the Confederation of Dolomar the grand tour. In a continuation of her duties due to the untimely and tragic passing of Grand Admiral Stone, Central Command had assigned the unique culmination of synthetic flesh and steel bone to the sentient stepping into the late grand admiral's shoes. Luckily Xira Stone was not fond of stilettos and preferred flat, sensible shoes. Maris knew this. There was perhaps not a single item concerning her previous master that Maris had not assimilated over the years of servitude.

The death of Xira Stone was taken with feigned sadness appropriate for someone who had lost a master, employer, confidant, and most of all, friend. Of course, it was unlikely that the now ex-grand admiral saw Maris as anything but a weapon to wield against her enemies. But Maris had regarded Xira as a friend and treated her as such. She hoped that the new grand admiral would be her friend too.

Returning to the restricted levels of Central Command with a quick and forceful gait, she was determined to take back the situation from the usurping C3 unit and make her introduction to her new master. She had been monitoring the events through the numerous security feeds and surveillance equipment strewn throughout the guarded hallways and quickly found the silver menace. Maris approached the droid in the small kitchenette as it duteously prepared a pot of Calamarian C-tea. Terse commands were issued in a data-burst with overriding security encrypts. The protocol droid stopped what it was doing and left silently after acknowledging in a similar fashion.

Continuing where the protocol droid had left off, Maris observed the new grand admiral in his humid office, apparently appreciating the artwork she had selected. Although Grand Admiral Stone's office had always been a sparse and utilitarian space, she had a few choice holo-lithes on the walls of the Dolomarian wilderness and under-ice cityscapes.

Maris' assignment was straightforward and more than within operational parameters. Grand Admiral Rusis Borinth was new to this echelon of Central Command and with his promotion came the laurels of political power. Given the hitherto unused political potential residing within the Mon Calamari, Maris had been commanded to act as his personal attaché and provide whatever support her expansive databanks could offer and make Grand Admiral Borinth's transition from a rank and file officer to a true leader as painless and smooth as possible. Luckily for all involved, she was well versed in such a task, her experience reaching back to her original master, a particularly vicious and cunning senator. Maris had learnt much from him.

Moving along the pristine off-white corridors of Central Command, Maris carried the china pot of C-tea with matching cups and saucers, cream and sugar on a silver serving tray. She looked at epitome of formal elegance in a simple black jacket with sharp lines that tapered at her waist and flowed into a short skirt. The black was offset with a simple white blouse with the top buttons undone and the lapels invading the sleek black lines of the jacket. She entered into the muggy inner sanctum of Grand Admiral Borinth with a quick rapping on the door.
"My sincerest apologies, Grand Admiral Borinth, I had not been informed that you would be taking office today," said the droid with a beaming smile that lit up her face like a lighthouse in the fog, "Such an oversight on my part in unforgiveable. It will not happen again."

She kept eye contact with the bulbous eyes of her superior through tuffs of short black hair and stylish spectacles that served no medical purpose. She placed the silver platter on the corner of the elegant and expensive wooden desk and took a step back, folding her hands neatly before her.
"Please allow me to introduce myself, sir. My name is Maris Kala'myr, your assigned attaché and personal secretary. If there is any way that I can be of assistance, please do not hesitate to make use of me at any time of the day or night." Maris paused and moistened her lips, allowing the organic to take in the information she had supplied. Her expression became a little more serious. "I have transferred a file to your data-slate. The clearance is Black Omega. Please familiarise yourself with the contents at your convenience. I would be more than welcome to answer any questions you have."

Removing one of her hands from the light grip before her, she cordially indicated to the teapot.
"Shall I prepare the tea now or when your guest arrives?" She asked, referring to the two cups and not processing for a single second the second one was for her.

[Rusis Borinth]

As he scrolled through the various datapads that were set before him, familiarizing himself with fleet numbers and formations, Russ was interrupted by a rapping on the frame of his open door. Unlike many doors in the galaxy, this one was not automatic and required you to turn a primitive mechanical knob and push open to enter the room. It was not something that the Mon Calamari necessarily minded, as it allowed him to keep with his “open door” policy. Granted, there were not many that were given clearance to be back here, and he had set up a messaging system for those that wished to speak with him and could not gain entry to his office. Turning his attention upwards towards the door, the Mon Cal saw a younger woman in a black jacket and skirt combination. It was very formal, though the skirt was perhaps just pushing the boundaries of acceptable uniform wear.

“Please, please… Just call me Rusis, or Russ, as your species is so fond of doing so. There is no need to apologize,” the Mon Cal said with an equally bright smile. Both eyes were upon the woman approaching with a tea set. Apparently she had intercepted the service droid and had wished to bring it herself. “Do not be so harsh on yourself. We’re only sentient after all. Things slip my mind more than I would wish to admit. It is part of growing old I am afraid.”

Russ watched as the young woman approached the desk and sat the tray down on a corner before taking a step back and standing with her hands folded in front of her. Though he was not fluent in what humans found to be attractive in their species, he imagined that the woman before him attracted a lot of attention. Her face was framed by black hair, and she wore a pair of glasses that seemed to accent her features. Perhaps she was aware of her features and took advantage of them. That would certainly explain her choice of attire, though any attempts to seduce the Grand Admiral were completely moot. Aside from the fact that he was not attracted to humans, he had only one love in his life and since then had focused completely on his work.

“A pleasure to meet you, Miss Kala’myr,” Rusis said as he rose from his seat, extending a webbed hand. “I have heard much about you, though I have yet had the chance to meet you personally. While I will certainly keep your offer in mind, I would hardly wish to impose upon you. No doubt you have a life outside of the service.”

When the woman paused to moisten her lips, the Grand Admiral returned to his seat, indicating for her to do likewise. He watched as the woman’s face became more serious and she began to speak about a high-priority and top secret file. Russ nodded softly as she informed him to familiarize himself with the contents of the file, but that he could do so at his own leisure. Well, perhaps leisure was not the correct word for it, but he could at least take his time with it. That would never happen though, and he knew that if he did not get to it sooner, rather than later, he would end up burying it under several other files and would never get around to doing it.

After a moment, Maris motioned to the teapot and inquired as to whether or not she should prepare the tea or wait for his guest. Russ could not help but to chuckle and blinked his bulbous eyes at her. “You are my guest, Miss Kala’myr. Please… have a seat,” he said as he rose slightly and poured them both a glass, handing Maris hers. “I do hope you are not too busy to join me for a cup?”

[Maris Kala'myr]

“Please, please… Just call me Rusis, or Russ, as your species is so fond of doing so. There is no need to apologize.”

Such a thought was highly informal. It took Maris a mere handful of processor cycles to determine that she had never, ever, called the former Grand Admiral by her first name. Their relationship had always been a formal one that had never slipped into the realm of informality or pleasant dialogue. It was an odd request for Grand Admiral Borinth to make of her but not one that Maris was in any position to object with. If anything, she was intrigued by the offer and wished to explore where such informality would lead. Would their working relationship shadow the familiarity she shared with Constance or Memory.
"As you wish, Russ," said Maris with a assertive nod of her head.

“Do not be so harsh on yourself. [...] It is part of growing old I am afraid.”

It was doubtful that Rusis would hold such an amiable outlook when he learnt the specifics of the young woman standing across from him and the large wooden desk. Things did not simply slip their mind as occurred with organic brains. The only reason that she had overlooked the coming of the new grand admiral was because of the spontaneity of the event and its lack of entry into any of the many systems and scheduling databases she resided within.

“A pleasure to meet you, Miss Kala’myr,”

"It is a pleasure to meet you too, Russ, and please, call me Maris or whatever you wish," the droid uttered sycophantically after a statistically quantified pause to not make her words seem too quickly computed, "I hope many years at working under your command." He stood from behind the broad desk and Maris watched him closely, her eyes tracing his route and analysing the body language displayed.

“I have heard much about you, though I have yet had the chance to meet you personally. [...] No doubt you have a life outside of the service.”

The steel rending strength that the droid had displayed aboard The Atonement was restricted to a mere pittance of possible as she delicately grasped the webbed appendage of her superior and master and shook it gently. Her senatorial time and protocol subroutines showed as she maintained the shake and accompanied eye contact for optimal amount of time. Releasing her grip and returning her hand to its relaxed place at her lap, Maris watched the grand admiral return to his seat and indicate to the chair opposite. Her eyes followed his gesture and paused in contemplation. Another few clock cycles clarified that the former grand admiral had never invited her to sit.

“You are my guest, Miss Kala’myr. Please… have a seat,”

"Thank you, Russ. The verbal clarification had confirmed the invitation and there was little doubt of the offer. Gracefully taking her seat and folding one leg over the other at the knee, she took a moment to parse her new master's statement.
"Please do not think it as an imposition, Russ, your needs are my only concern. I am at your command any hour of the day or night. I do not sleep," she said with a reassuring smile.

“I do hope you are not too busy to join me for a cup?”

"Of course not, sir. My schedule is your schedule." She took the cup and saucer from Rusis and cradled it in her hands. "Thank you," Maris said, yet to take a sip, and waiting for the grand admiral to retake his seat.

[Rusis Borinth]

Russ could not help but smile a bit wider as the woman before him used the extremely informal name that many of his own crew often used. It helped him feel more connected to the men and women that he served with. Where as the former Grand Admiral was quite content with keeping her subordinates at more than arm’s length, Admiral Borinth was one who wished his fellow service men and women to feel like they could come to him at any time with concerns or questions. Not many who held such a position as the Grand Admiral would wish to have anything to do with their subordinates, but Russ had learned long ago that unless you were willing to listen to the majority, you would end up the minority in a revolt. Right now the last thing the Confederation needed was a civil war. With the Alliance running amok in the galaxy and the Mandalorians hunting and harassing them at every turn, the Confederation needed to remain strong and defend its citizens. Of course, Russ didn’t believe that propaganda was the way to do this, but he was sadly outnumbered in that view.

Maris stood for a moment while the Grand Admiral continued with the formalities and expressed her feelings on meeting him as well. Russ nodded at her offer for him to call her Maris and when she mentioned she hoped that she would have many years serving under him. Russ wasn’t sure how comfortable he was with that statement but did not express it to the young woman before him. What he felt about the Confederation and his own position within it was something of a personal matter. Sooner or later he would either be dead or the war would be ended, hopefully with a peaceful negotiation rather than utter annihilation. That was probably more wishful thinking than based in any sort of reality.

“Maris it is then,” the Mon Calamari said with a nod of his large head. “Though you will have to forgive me if I slip once in a while. It was not so long ago that I would have had to address you in such a formal manner, and old habits are hard to break I am afraid.”

Shaking his hand, Maris’ grip proved to be gentle and delicate. Perhaps she was used to dealing with fragile senators and the like, considering her position within the Confederation. Even so, the hand shake could have been firmer in the Mon Cal’s mind. Still he did not venture to say anything for fear of insulting the woman and he watched her hands return to a folded position at her lap. For a moment after gesturing her to sit, Maris seemed to be confused. Had Grand Admiral Stone never offered her a seat or a polite talk while she held the position before her death? That was most unfortunate, though Maris did seem to finally grow comfortable with the idea of seating herself and thanked him before doing so.

“Not at all,” he said with a warm smile. “It is the very least I could do. I could imagine that you have been fairly busy since the former Grand Admiral’s death, preparing for her replacement. Taking a break for a cup of tea every now and again is something that I do quite often. It helps to clear the mind and make room for more thoughts, plans and similar.” And as soon as his smile had appeared, it turned into a frown at the comment Maris made. “Indeed… It seems that very few of us sleep these days.”

Listening to the woman in front of him as he sat, Russ brought the cup and saucer to his lips and took a long, slow sip of the warm liquid. “You are most welcome. It was good that you could join me for tea,” he responded, the smile returning. “I make it a point to learn as much about those that I am to work with as possible. So please… tell me about yourself. I promise that I will answer any questions in return, though no doubt you have already read through my file, or at least skimmed it.” After a short pause for another sip, he looked expectantly at Maris with both eyes and nodded his head softly. “If you do not enjoy the tea I will not be upset. I have found that it can be rather strong for those unaccustomed to its taste.”

[Maris Kala'myr]

“Though you will have to forgive me if I slip once in a while[...], and old habits are hard to break I am afraid.”

"Of course, Russ. And please, consider calling me Maris as a mere suggestion," said the droid with a comforting smile. She would have never held an organic up to the standards that she held herself to. They were prone to mistakes of varying degrees of grandeur on a daily basis. It was not her place to comment if the new grand admiral referred to her in a more formal fashion or the latter. She would not have uttered a sound to the contrary if upon learning her more intimate and secretive details, Rusis decided to address the droid with her true name or any of the offshoots from it.

“Not at all, it is the very least I could do. [...] It helps to clear the mind and make room for more thoughts, plans and similar.”

It was true that she had been occupied with Grand Admiral Stone's passing and preparing the former's position for new blood. The Confederation had lost a major asset on that fateful day in the skies Praesitlyn and it was only by odd luck that Maris had not joined the grand admiral aboard the shuttle. Maris and the grand admiral had been inseparable before the tragic assault and many made mention of the stoic calm and reserve the seemingly young woman showed through the aftermath of the terrorist attack. Maris had made sure to pepper her displayed emotions with a reddening of the eyes and cheeks and adjusted the tenor of her voice to display a shaken quality. It was all a ruse, however, a carefully constructed facade to convey the quantifiable emotions for the given situation.
"Yes. Grand Admiral Stone will be missed. She was an inspiration to us all. But I do not have any doubts that you are more than qualified to take her honoured position and lead the Confederation towards glory."

“Indeed… It seems that very few of us sleep these days.”

Maris blinked and smiled. Her simple attempt at trying to alleviate the worry in calling upon her any time in the day or night had failed. It was obvious that the new grand admiral had not reviewed the file that she had pushed to his data-slate. The conversation would be much more productive if conducted after the file had been read.

“You are most welcome. [...], or at least skimmed it.”

The droid had taken it upon herself to know all that was practically possible about her new superior. She knew the ins and out of Grand Admiral Borinth's service record and perhaps more than was healthy about Mon Calamari culture and language. She simply nodded to his assumption. Although the discussion concerning her would be more productive if the grand admiral had first reviewed the primer. It would cut straight to the point and avoid much of the doubt and scepticism from such a revelation coming vocally.

“If you do not enjoy the tea I will not be upset. I have found that it can be rather strong for those unaccustomed to its taste.”

"Oh no, sir," Maris was quick to say, raising the delicate porcelain cup to her lips and taking a sip. She smiled as she swallowed, placing the cup back into the saucer and resting it on her knee. "Perhaps such a discussion would be better suited until after the grand admiral has reviewed my file." The file contained a heavily redacted specification sheet, giving the grand admiral the basics of Maris' operational statistics and detailing her abilities and specialties. Assassination, search and destroy, infiltration, and espionage were mentioned at length. The redacted file also held a service history that spanned many years, far more than she looked capable of holding comfortably even with the latest medical procedures. Hologram files detailed security footage obtained aboard The Atonement during the Mandalorian assault and showed the grand admiral better than any words could describe the weapon he had at his disposal. There were hologram stills from a lab that showed Maris in varying states of undress, including epidermis and musculature and gave the reader the slightest notion of what lurked beneath the blue eyes and immaculate smile.

[Rusis Borinth]

“Not at all,” Rusis said with a smile in return for the one that Maris flashed him. “I prefer to get to know the people that I am working with on a personal level. While I find that it helps me to remember names and similar, I also find that it helps with productivity. Knowing someone on a first-name basis tends to lend to the trust that I value with my crew. I do suppose that in the political ring that may be much different however. Unfortunately I am rather new to this sort of arena, and yet I feel that my usual tactics may prove useful in this field as well.”

For a moment the Mon Calamari mused on this for a moment, sipping quietly at his tea. Politicians often employed various tactics to get their own way and were often rather sneaky about the whole issue. Russ knew from experience that the same could be said of commanding a fleet in battle. Your tactics had to constantly change and adapt to your situation as well as try to confuse your opponent. Russ imagined that the political ring was much the same, only you weren’t out to kill your opponent, only to make them look bad. While he wasn’t exactly use to playing word games, the Mon Calamari knew that he would have to learn; and fast. Luckily he was a quick learner and he had a feeling that Maris would prove to be a competent teacher.

Russ watched Maris’ carefully acted reaction to his statement and narrowed his eyes slightly. Having been around as long as he had, the Mon Calamari had been good at judging when humans were being sincere or not. Maris seemed to be acting in a way that was expected of her rather than out of any sort of real disappointment or sorrow. “You need not put on a show for me, Maris. I had the room swept for bugs before my arrival. Grand Admiral Stone was a respectable leader, I would hardly say that she was an inspiration to all. What would be a closer assessment is that she was a tyrant and was feared by all. As for my own credentials, I am glad that at least one of us is confident in my ability,” he said with a smile and a warm chuckle before taking a sip of the strong tea. “Needless to say, however, I will be trying my best to make the Confederation to a force to be respected rather than feared.”

Upon hearing his comment about it being hard for people to sleep recently, Maris simply blinked and smiled, further enforcing his assumption that she had been putting on a show for him a moment ago. When she did not bother to share with him about herself he said nothing, his facial expression never changing from the impassive look he normally held when on duty. It was more reflex to switch to it than anything else. He continued holding the expression as she nodded to his comment about her having read up on him and then took another sip of tea before setting it down upon hearing her express that the tea was not too strong for her. Then his impassive look took on a bit of a smile as she told him that he should really review the information that she had pushed over to him.

Russ nodded softly and said nothing as he picked up his datapad. What he had assumed to be fleet numbers and statistics was instead a very different set of statistics, all dealing with the woman before him; A woman that was far more than a woman from what he was reading. Assassination, search and destroy, infiltration, espionage… all were mentioned in detail and at great length. Instead of looking surprised, the Mon Cal simply hummed to himself at the knowledge of what - No, whom he thought to himself - it was that sat before him. Droid or not she had enough of a personality to pass as a living thing, even if she was not in the traditional sense.

There was more to the file, however. Several holo images of the droid aboard a ship, presumably the Atonement as that had been Grand Admiral Stone’s flagship. Now it lie in dry dock awaiting someone who would command it. Personally, the current Grand Admiral wanted nothing to do with anything that had been personal property of Stone. What she had done to the Confederation - what she had turned it into - was something that Russ wanted to avoid at all costs. Though it was doubtful that the Alliance would ever consider a peaceful resolution to the war, the Mon Calamari could always dream.

Last on the file were images of the woman in several stages of undress, down to the musculature. Russ was not a prude by any means and did not even shift at the sight. Instead, once he was finished looking over the information, he gently placed the datapad back on the desk and took another sip of his tea. Learning the truth about what Maris was had been eye opening, but at the same time he was careful to keep his expression impassive. Instead of being shocked by the revelation he absorbed the information and lowered his cup to the saucer, which he held in the opposite hand before smiling kindly at the woman before him.

“Thank you for sharing this information, Maris. I have no doubt that it will be quite useful in the future, though I do hope that I will never have to activate your assassination protocols. While I have no doubt you are quite good at what you do, I would much rather find more peaceful solutions to my problems. Having been around as long as I have, fighting as long as I have, you grow quite tired of killing and watching your friends around you be killed.”

For a moment the Mon Calamari continued to absorb the information provided and attempted to sort out what it was that he would find for Maris to do. After a moment he seemed to snap out of a trance and smiled warmly once more. “How terribly rude of me. How is the tea?” It was more a formality than anything else, as he was unsure if Maris was able to taste anything at all.

[Maris Kala'myr]

“You need not put on a show for me, Maris. [...] Needless to say, however, I will be trying my best to make the Confederation to a force to be respected rather than feared.”

The newly appointed grand admiral's words rang solid for treason. Xira Stone was being lauded as the best of the best, the pinnacle of Confederation virtue and achievement. There was even talk of a domineering monument dedicated to the woman being erected beneath the ice. Maris looked a little disturbed by the candour the conversation had brought out of Rusis. To hear the woman that she had worked under for so long described as a tyrant and a figure to be feared was new indeed, especially coming from one at the apex of command. Of course the underlings and midshipman feared the now crispy remains of Grand Admiral Stone. They had good reason to fear someone that could make or break their career on whim or fancy and Maris had heard their complaints in passing on more than one occasion.

The conversation turned smoothly as the mon calamari brought himself under the spotlight. The previous treasonous statements remained in memory for a moment longer as asynchronous cross searches dragged fragments of a conversation held above the planet of Telos with a true traitor to the Confederation. He too had described the Confederate machine in the same terminology moments before his death at her hands. Of course, Rusis had nothing to fear from Maris and she wasn't about to toss the heavy desk aside and make fish paste of him on the wall. But certain connections were being made within her cerebral processors that meant one of two mutually exclusive statements. Either Grand Admiral Rusis Borinth was in league with the enemy or Admiral Kiiran had been right. Neither bode well for the Confederation at large.

But whatever complex constructs that formed thoughts within her artificial mind told her, she said nothing and kept her expression neutral and non-judgemental. There was a simple smile on her lips as she broke eye contact with Rusis and brought the teacup gracefully to her lips and sipped the piping hot liquid without preamble.

“Thank you for sharing this information, Maris. [...] Having been around as long as I have, fighting as long as I have, you grow quite tired of killing and watching your friends around you be killed.”

She watched him closely as the information contained within the data-slate was hastily absorbed. She watched for signs that the news had not been taken well. Maris understood her fragile place within the world far better than many gave her credit for. She understood the tentative nature of sentient emotions and how quickly they and illogically they could change. She looked human and for the most part acted human. But she was not and many would argue that Maris fell into the uncanny valley of robotic imitation. The relationships she held with those that knew her true nature were irrevocably altered and she was suddenly less than human in their eyes.

To Rusis' benefit, he took the news well. Few could have remained so well composed when faced with the news that the attractive young woman sitting opposite was a construct of sentient design and entirely manufactured.
"I was ordered to share this information to you. You are required to know of all the tools at your disposal." Because that was what she was; a tool, owned and operated by the mighty Confederation of Dolomar. Her face did show a hint of confusion and her head slowly rolled to the left as the grand admiral made claim to not wanting to utilise her lethal functions. It was illogical. Maris had been designed to kill and it would have been a misappropriation of assets to have her linger so. But she did not openly question her master's orders. Whatever conclusions she came to concerning her use, Grand Admiral Borinth overrode them. "I understand if this changes our relationship. In fact, it would be unprecedented if it did not. Please feel free to address me as Fourdee or simply Dee. I will respond to all monikers my masters have used in the past."

“How terribly rude of me. How is the tea?”

She took a moment to process the question. The chemical and olfactory analysis systems that consisted of Maris' sense of taste and smell began a furious study of the liquid. It was correctly identified as C-tea and fell within all predefined parameters. She slowly smacked her lips in thought.
"The tea is sufficient given the ingredients and preparation methodology. However, if it is not to your liking, I will make it again."

[Rusis Borinth]

Maris’ quiet had not gone entirely unnoticed by the Grand Admiral and he simply continued to stare at her from across the desk. While he had made sure that the room had been swept for bugs, he had not done the same for Maris. Though she was currently assigned to him, her allegiance was to the Confederation at large, and he was not the one that she ultimately answered to. Perhaps he had given away too much of his personal feelings on Xira Stone. Ultimately Maris could have him assassinated or simply kill him herself. Either that or she could have him arrested for treason. Xira Stone was a woman who had been feared by nearly all who had worked under her, whether they wanted to admit it or not. At least that was the way it was in the Mon Calamari’s eyes.

Though he was not an advocate of violence the Grand Admiral found that he was wishing he had his Telltrig hold out blaster on his person. Maris was likely not going to kill him for his comment, but he would have liked the added security in case he was wrong. Rusis did not change his demeanor and instead continued to stare levelly at the droid before him. Instead of commenting on what had been said, Maris simply smiled at him and took a sip of her tea. That was for the best at this point, and it was a sign that she wasn’t about to kill him yet. Russ thought to himself that he would have to keep certain comments to himself from now on.

Upon hearing his thanks for her having shared the information, she simply stated that she had been ordered to do so. Rusis nodded softly and gave a slight shrug of his shoulders. “Whether or not you were ordered to do so, I am grateful for the information provided. Perhaps I am an old sentimental at heart, but I feel as though you bringing the information forward about yourself is a bit more intimate. Also, I would like to think of you as more than a tool. A co-worker and eventually a friend, perhaps,” he said with a smile as he took a sip of his own tea.

“However,” he said as his smile faded, “I would like to apologize for my earlier assessment. While it had appeared to me you were forcing yourself to show the emotion you did regarding Grand Admiral Stone’s death, I realize now that may have been very real for you. After all, the two of you did serve together for some time, if memory serves correct. So if you will forgive my ignorance, I will make sure that I keep my personal opinions to myself from now on.”

Russ did notice her confusion as he explained that he did not wish to utilize her assassination protocols. For one such as her, designed as she was to kill as well as blend in, it must have been rather unorthodox for a superior to tell her that she wouldn’t be used for her primary programming. Though he understood of her confusion, he was not about to change his mind simply because she did not like the idea. “This does not necessarily change our relationship. What it does is offer me some new insight to my current position. As far as what I call you, I remain resolute in my decision to call you Maris,” he added with his smile returning.

Hearing Maris comment on the tea, he nodded softly and continued to hold the warm smile. “Oh, no… The tea is excellent. I am glad that you find it passable. You did a wonderful job preparing it. So tell me,” he said with a pause as he set his saucer on the desk before him. “You have been with the Confederation for some time now. What are some of the places you have been to?”

[Maris Kala'myr]

To put the newest grand admiral's fears to rest, Maris did not make it a custom to assassinate her superiors without direct order. He was giving the droid far more credit and influence in higher circles than she could reasonably sway. If the given data converged to a point where Maris could no longer be confident of Grand Admiral Borinth's allegiance to the Confederation, she would raise the issue with him and take matters from there. He was her superior and that fact alone garnered a vast amount of respect and admiration from the droid.

While she would not object to Rusis sporting a Tellrig blaster for his own security, it would serve little actual defence against her if the order came. Considering she had almost singlehandedly destroyed a Mandalorian clan, Rusis had little hope of overcoming the terrible weapon assigned to him with a holdout blaster. Maybe the thought that this droid was assigned to his entourage by High Command out of a need to keep their new grand admiral in line must have come to mind. But surely they would have kept Rusis ignorant to her qualities if that was the case.

“Whether or not you were ordered to do so, I am grateful for the information provided. [...] A co-worker and eventually a friend, perhaps,”

Smiling politely, Maris nodded with enthusiasm. She would like to be Rusis' friend. Maris had considered Xira and her friends; however, they had never been close. The knowledge and control Xira possessed over the droid always seemed to keep the pair at arm's length. In fact, in all the years that Maris had worked under Grand Admiral Stone, she could only recall a handful of conversations that would have passed as between friends. Maris frowned.

“However, I would like to apologize for my earlier assessment. [...] I will make sure that I keep my personal opinions to myself from now on.”

Her frown deepened as it slowly dawned upon Maris that she had done something to offend the newest grand admiral. She had not intended to childe Rusis for his comment and force the Mon Calamari to keep his views to himself. While a disturbing development, she was not about to question his reasons and shook her head a little.
"Of course, sir, whatever you feel necessary," she paused and looked away briefly. It would have been erroneous to deny that Maris and the Xira Stone had grown close, at least in a spatial sense of the word. The droid had been at the grand admrial's side for years and every aspect of the domineering woman's personality and quirks were taken into account on a day to day basis. Maris had done everything in her power to mould herself to Xira's unwritten specifications. It would take time for the profile to adapt to her new master.

“This does not necessarily change our relationship. [...] As far as what I call you, I remain resolute in my decision to call you Maris,”

"Of course, Russ," Maris responded with a curt nod. Either it didn't occur to the grand admiral that Maris was willing and able to be anything or anyone he wished, or for some reason that Maris couldn't grasp, he was unwilling to change her for his benefit. Either way, she was pleased that he would continue to call her by the most familiar and well known name she possessed.

“Oh, no… The tea is excellent. [...] What are some of the places you have been to?”

"Thank you, sir." She said, blinking twice in recall as locations were pulled. The list was substantial. After taking another token sip of tea and replacing the cup on the saucer, she began to list the name of every planet she had visited. Just why this information was pertinent, Maris didn't know. But she was more than willing to answer any and all of the grand admiral's questions.

[Rusis Borinth]

For quite a while the droid across from him remained silent. No doubt her processors were running on overdrive trying to come up with a basic assessment for the new Grand Admiral. It was not often that one spoke so openly about their former superior, nor so bluntly. While he had every reason to be afraid of the woman sitting across from him, he knew that she would not attack unless she was given the order. Hopefully he had made sure to cover himself enough that High Command would not give her such a task. Should Maris be ordered to hunt him down, Rusis Borinth knew that there was nowhere in the galaxy he could hide from her. Being a droid meant that she would hunt him to the ends of the galaxy and back if she had to in order to complete her task.

There was no doubt in the Mon Calamari’s mind that Maris would never forget what had been said about Xira. While this normally would not bug him, Maris was assigned to him by High Command. Ultimately it was they she answered to and they would not take kindly to treason. Russ would have to keep that in mind from now on when he dealt with Maris. After all, he could not ask her to keep what was said here strictly off the record. That was not his call to make.

Maris seemed to show quite a bit of interest at being considered a friend and Russ smiled in kind. Though it was not a common practice among other commanders, the Mon Calamari liked the idea of getting to know his subordinates on a personal level; at least as much as he could. Russ knew that there was no way for him to get to know everyone under his command on a personal level. Not only because off the sheer number of people that were now under him, but because not everyone wished to open up on that level. While he pondered that fact, Maris frowned and the Mon Calamari fixed his gaze upon her. Further the frown deepened and Russ attempted to not appear too concerned about it. Should Maris want to speak of it, she would.

“You have my permission to speak freely, Maris. If we are to be working together there is no reason to hold anything back.”

Amazingly, for the first time in the conversation, Maris seemed to shy away from the Grand Admiral’s gaze as she turned her own line of sight elsewhere for a moment. It was brief, and she returned her attention to him rather quickly, but it had not gone unnoticed. Maris had indeed been fond of Xira. Russ felt a twinge of guilt at having spoken so ill of the woman in front of the droid. Most people would have simply ordered her to suck it up and move on. Luckily, Russ was not most people. Though she was a droid, Russ believed that even they were capable of emotion and developing personalities. Especially if they went so long without a memory wipe.

Humoring the Grand Admiral, Maris began listing off names of all the planets she had been to. Russ was rather impressed with the length of the list, though he knew that he probably shouldn’t have been. Obviously neither High Command, nor Xira would have simply left Maris to sit and rust aboard the former Grand Admiral’s ship. While the droid may not have known exactly why her superior wanted to know such a thing, he felt it helped him to understand her a little further.

“That is quite the extensive list, my dear. I cannot say as I have been to more than a quarter of those planets. Granted, during my time with the Confederation I have been stationed in very few places and had little use for vacationing during my down time. I thank you for sharing that information with me. Please… if there is anything more you wish to know about myself that you believe has not been covered in my dossier, feel free to ask.”

Offering a kind smile, he took a pause in the conversation to add,

“If you would like to talk about her passing, you may. I realize that after losing someone close that people often wish to speak about it. Perhaps it makes them feel better and earn some sense of closure from it. Unfortunately I have not had much of a chance to speak of such things to anyone, and all such instances have long-since passed. However, Admiral Stone’s passing is a fresh wound, and maybe talking about it will help the healing process.”

[Maris Kala'myr]

“That is quite the extensive list, my dear. [...] I thank you for sharing that information with me.

"My work takes me to many places," the droid said instead of the more literal truth of, 'I have brutally murdered someone on each of those worlds.' She was detecting a reoccurring theme in the new grand admiral that his predecessor lacked. Maris would have classified it as compassion or a friendly openness. His reluctance to use the tool at his disposal to its fullest potential was proof of his convictions. The droid failed to understand the reasoning behind this. By her logic, it was most efficient to terminate those which threatened the Confederation.

Please… if there is anything more you wish to know about myself that you believe has not been covered in my dossier, feel free to ask.”

"I have no questions at this time, sir," she replied simply. His dossier had been very complete and all other information was either unimportant or she would assimilate the data in time and contact with her new master.

“If you would like to talk about her passing, you may. [...] However, Admiral Stone’s passing is a fresh wound, and maybe talking about it will help the healing process.”

"I was not with Grand Admiral Stone aboard the transport when she died. I am uninjured. But I thank you for your concern, " she said with a warm and open smile. Truthfully, she had no reason to talk about the grand admiral's passing. Xira Stone was dead; simple as that. She had mourned the death, but only as far as maintaining her cover went. Which, as with any military organisation, was very little indeed. There was no crying in the Confederation. It could have been said that Russis' enquiry stood testament to what a good human facade she had constructed.

She sipped her tea as weighted graphs outlining the conversation and probable routes it would take were calculated. Many edges were approaching terminal vertexes. The droid did not have much more to add to the conversation. She had made her introduction and the new grand admiral had been made aware of her uniqueness.
"If there is nothing else, sir, there are duties that I should attend to."

[Rusis Borinth]

“As I could imagine,” Russ offered with a slight nod of his head. Obviously the woman sitting across from him – Still he could not see her as a droid – had held back something in her statement. Likely it was something about her assassination protocols, and he was quite glad that she was aware of his unease towards said programming. Though she kept a straight face it was apparent from her mannerisms that the woman was still trying to figure out her new superior. With time it would sink in that he was not the ruthless sort and that he preferred to work things out diplomatically. Considering her programming, she probably thought he was insane not to utilize her assassination protocols.

Maris commented that she had no further questions and the Mon Calamari nodded his bulbous head slowly in response. There was little to speak about he was sure. No doubt those in a higher position than himself had seen to filling out his dossier quite completely. Likely, she wouldn’t have any other questions about him, for they would be seen as unnecessary. A shame since he knew that the conversation was coming to a halt. There wasn’t much more to talk about at this point.

“Of course,” the Grand Admiral offered with a slight nod. Maris obviously had not been present when his predecessor had perished, otherwise it was unlikely that she would be here talking with him now. “I had quite forgotten that you are not completely as you seem and that the need for grieving is probably quite unnecessary. You are most welcome, however. If there is anything you ever need from me, please feel free to come to me. I keep an open door policy.”

Taking another sip of his tea, the new Grand Admiral found it chilled, but not to the point of losing its taste. Maris had indeed brewed it quite well. Several moments passed as the two sat in silence, drinking their beverages. No doubt Maris was only continuing to drink it to appease the Mon Calamari, as it brought her no nutritional value and he had asked her to join him. Ah well… no harm done to either side in this case. However, she did stir after a moment and made to excuse herself. Russ smiled kindly and placed his saucer on the desk in front of him as he rose from his seat.

“I am sure that there are. As there are duties that I should be attending to, I am sure. Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to meet with me and share this information. I will be sure to read over the file you gave me during the next few days. In fact I will make it top priority when I do not have more pressing issues at hand to deal with. Thankfully I don’t think that anything will need my direct attention in the immediate future. It was a pleasure, Maris.”