Erinyes looked up from her datapad as the Upsilon-class command shuttle glided into the hangar, its wingtips wobbling ever so slightly. Never sober, never late, she mused. The pilot was someone after her own heart.

The passenger... well, they had their differences, but they also had an understanding.

The Upsilon's boarding ramp lowered, and a chin sharp enough to cut beskar emerged, followed by a mountain of a Twi'lek wrapped in heavy armour. He strode up to the much shorter woman, surveying the unfamiliar building as he walked.

"Emissary," Zentru'la rumbled. Calling her "Master", though technically her rank, felt far too subservient for the proudly independent mercenary. "You said you had a contract for me?" he asked. To Erinyes' Zeltron senses, the mild this-could've-been-a-holocall annoyance might as well have been written across his forehead.

"I do. Follow me." Erinyes turned and beckoned for Zentru'la to follow her. Zentru'la did so, taking in the environment. He'd been in his share of Taldryan facilities—more than one would expect of an autonomous operator who didn't wear the Clan crest—but this one wasn't familiar to him. There were fewer personnel here than he would've expected, too. He made a mental note to research it further later, in case Erinyes or the Supreme Chancellor asked him to operate here. It wouldn't do to look unprepared.

"I hope you'll forgive me for taking you on an errand," Erinyes said. "There's a matter of Taldryan business I need to discuss with you before we get to the briefing—something we could only discuss in person, and in private."

Zentru'la narrowed his eyes. Why would a Councilor and a mercenary be discussing "Clan business" behind the Taldryan leadership's back? "If this is part of some political maneuver against the Supreme Chancellor, I'll pass. I'm not interested in your power struggle," he reminded Erinyes.

"I wouldn't have bothered calling you about something I knew you wouldn't do," Erinyes said. They rounded another corner, before arriving at an unusually ornate door. "This is about something else."

"What, specifically?" Zentru'la had learned, over the years, to moderate his no-nonsense attitude to appease clients—but this level of vagueness was unusual for Erinyes. Something wasn't right.

"You." Erinyes thumped the control panel, and the door slid open to reveal a cross between a conference room and a reception hall. The Taldryan crest hung proudly opposite the door. The walls were lined with portraits, only some of which Zentru'la recognised.

Some of the people in the portraits were also present. Howlader Taldrya, the Master at Arms, as pleased as he ever was about... anything. Rian Taldrya Aslar. Cassandra Oriana Taldrya, the former Supreme Chancellor. Raistlin Taldrya Majere. Benevolent Taldrya Whiner. V.O.D.O, the holographic representation of the departed Vodo Biask Taldrya. And–

"Hi, Zen!" Aylin waved excitedly from one side of the room, where she'd been pointedly avoiding all the stuffed shirts.

Zentru'la offered Aylin a more enthusiastic head-bob than he would've given anyone else as he followed Erinyes into the room, both because he was genuinely glad to see someone he knew and trusted, and as a welcome distraction. The little details had added up enough in his mind that he guessed he knew why Erinyes had called him here, and he wasn't exactly enthusiastic about it.

"This is why you're here, Zentru'la," Erinyes said, crossing the floor to join the rest. "The Scions of Taldryan, after prolonged consideration, have voted to honour your service to the Clan by inducting you into our ranks."

Zentru'la frowned. "But I'm not–"

"Not a member of Taldryan? Trust me, we know." Erinyes rolled her eyes, and Cassandra chuckled in sympathy. Both were all too familiar with Zentru'la's insistence on the Vornskrs' independence. "Becoming a Scion only requires that you render exceptional service to the Clan and conduct yourself admirably while doing so. Think of it like that Order of... whatever planet that was whose grand duchess you saved from her son strangling her in her sleep."

Zentru'la grunted at the memory of that assignment. It had been... odd. "I've just done what you paid me to do. Nothing more or less."

"Everyone here gets paid." Erinyes shot a pre-emptive look at Benevolent, who grinned in lieu of his inevitable joke, then continued. "Not everyone makes exceptional conduct their standard. You and the Vornskrs have been nothing short of an institution since you arrived, and Taldryan has benefitted from your presence. It's only natural that we recognise you for it."

"Thank you." Zentru'la was a man of few words even at the best of times. He met the Taldrya's—the **other* Taldrya's—words of congratulation and welcome with his typical laconic nods. Even when Aylin let out a cheer and started a round of applause, Zentru'la was silent. It was only when the accolades had faded that he spoke again.*

"If we're done here, can I get back to work?"

Hi, everyone. I hope you enjoyed the fiction.

The Scions of Taldryan, or the "Taldrya" as we're often known, are inducted for exceptional service to Taldryan over a period of years. Zentru'la certainly fits this description.

In fact, Zentru'la has been one of the driving forces behind Taldryan's excellence since he joined the Clan on the cusp of 2020. He's one of the single largest developers of Taldryan's fictional sandbox, taking the Vornskr Battalion mercenary outfit and carrying it across the Brotherhood as his personal brand. He goes out of his way to provide a home for characters who don't really fit into the typical "loyal Clan member" mould, and his enthusiasm for telling those stories encourages others to get involved. In the process, he became a major part of Taldryan's resurgence in Brotherhood-wide competitions, with his Nova-winning performances contributing directly to Taldryan's competition successes.

Zentru'la also has a relentless focus on keeping members engaged. With his frequent reminders that he's not a diehard Clan loyalist and stays in Taldryan because it gives him the best storytelling opportunities, he acts as a barometer for the Taldryan Summit to judge whether they're giving their members enough opportunities to get involved. If Zen can't find a way to turn a prompt into an interesting story, there's a good chance nobody else can, either.

These qualities, we feel, make Zentru'la a fine example of—and role model for—the kinds of members who make Taldryan flourish. Today, it's my pleasure to welcome Zentru'la as the newest Scion of Taldryan.

Thank you for all your hard work, Zen.