JIRA: A Centurion at Samayus

JIRA: A Centurion at Samayus was the billing title used for a concert performed by the Kasci Centurion Jira Zaffrod at the Samayus Palace of Opera in 153 ABY.

History
Trained in classical music since childhood, Jira possessed a powerful soprano voice and a five-octave range. Though she rarely sang publicly, a number of beings who had heard her spoke highly of her to others, and stories about her angelic voice spread throughout the musical circles of the Empire. Eventually, the Director of Samayus heard so many rumors that he asked Jira to sing for him. Encouraged by Prefect Eskol Kaartinen, Jira did so, and the Director asked her to perform at Samayus.

Jira was initially reluctant, not wanting to both appear vain and depart from her actual duties as a Centurion. She changed her mind when both Kaartinen and Queen Rin Sakaros urged her to accept, agreeing to perform on the condition that proceeds from the concert be donated to charities which assisted disabled veterans of the Royal Navy (Jira's husband, Wyro Zaffrod, was a naval officer).

Like most Samayus performances, Jira's concert was sold-out. Among the fifteen hundred guests were Consuls Noelle and Rensi Shal-Shatir; Wyro and their daughter Terra; almost the entire Royal Family, including Rin, Phoenix Prince Tariun Sakaros, Prince Nagarian Sakaros, and Princess Jasmine Auroras; and Yezzi-Yuzz-Yum Recording executive Balerio Nispas, Jr.

Backed by a symphony orchestra, Jira sang a variety of songs from pop music to operatic arias, as well as several patriotic songs. Her performance received rave reviews, and Nispas offered her a five-hundred-location tour over three years for sixty million credits, although Jira turned him down.

Secretly, the concert was the first performance at Samayus which was ever recorded. The Palace's director granted that concession to Rin as a personal favor; she considered Jira like a daughter, and wanted a record of the night for the inevitable future when Jira was no longer alive to sing for her.

Score
Among the songs Jira sang at Samayus were:
 * "Flame Eternal"—Jira opened the concert with the Empire's anthem
 * The Royal Navy song
 * "The Centurion Song"
 * The theme song to The Adventures of Fuego the Phoenix, which she dedicated to Delliak Sakaros, who was in the audience
 * "Lament for Nairasho"
 * "Stars Will Burn Out (Before I Stop Loving You)"
 * "The Cannons Roared on Shest Minor"—Several veterans of Shest Minor were present and gave Jira a standing ovation for her rendition of the song
 * "We have reached our final parting"
 * "A Mother's Eyes"—A song written by Jira herself, which she performed as an encore, and which was privately dedicated to Rin