Ask Beggar's Call

Zarine Bashere

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Fortress Infernum, Bal'demnic

She had been warned that the approach by bridge was not safe, that arriving by sea was the more reasonable option. Yet she had chosen to approach from the mainland, across the wooden bridge that few dared to cross. In anyone else it might be taken as a sign of bravado, of a tendency to take risks, but that was far from being the case for her. She saw it as a test, as a means to push her abilities further. She rarely had opportunity to use her powers in such a manner back on Serenno, and the only way to grow stronger was to push yourself to the limits. An opportunity like this, where she could push herself to the limits didn't present itself to her that often, and it would be foolish to ignore this opportunity.

So she was walking across the bridge, the Force wrapped around her, holding the wooden planks stable under her as the bridge swayed under each step. After what seemed like an eternity, she reached the other end of the bridge, drenched as much in sea-water as her own sweat. The thick cloak that she had used to conceal herself was now begining to weigh down on her, soaking wet as it was. But she didn't take it off till she was inside the fortress, keeping it wrapped around herself with the hood pulled low over her face till her host revealed himself.

"Damask?" She called out, standing in what was probably the main foyer of the fortress, water dripping down from her and pooling around her feet. "I am here," she said before continuing in a softer voice, with words meant mostly for herself, "I hope you have a fire in here somewhere."

@Malon
 

Melkor Damask

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"No fire, I'm afraid," the Muun Melkor Damask said peeling his body away from the shadows of the far wall to step into the moonlight. He was holding a simple glow lamp for light. In the pale light of Bal'demnic's moon, the Muun appeared devoid of color—as if something had come and drained it all out of him, leaving him a cold, colorless thing much like the tower he called a home. "This way, my dear. It is warmer upstairs, and there will be something to dry yourself with."

He ushered her into the turbolift at the far side of the chamber and they rode it silently to the second level of the tower, which contained his office. The ride up the lift was filled with uncomfortable silence. Melkor was deep in thought, sizing up the smaller human. She was strong in the Force, he could sense that much. And trained, too, if she could make it across the wooden bridge in front of Fortress Infernum. Yet, her features were deceptively soft. A good cover. Few would expect the darkness he sensed coiling like a nest of vipers in the pits of her being.

The lift stopped on the second floor and Melkor wasted no time fetching her a towel from the refresher, which he then, kindly, draped it over her shoulder. In anticipation of her arrival, he had brewed a jug of hot caf and now set a steaming cup down on her side of his desk. "I expect that this will warm you up." He then shuffled around to his own chair and lowered himself into it, steepling his fingers to look at his guest, "Now tell me, my dear, what brings you all the way from Serenno to see me? I'm afraid I don't get the HoloNet out here. I trust all is well?"

But he already knew. All could not be well—or soon would not be—else why come all this way? @Wit
 
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Zarine Bashere

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Zarine spun around at the hearing the Muun's voice, years of reacting to all sorts of dangers in the slums having honed her reactions. He forced herself to relax as the Munn Guardian emerged from the shadows, a lamp in his hands. She pulled back her hood, revealing her face and taking in a better look of her host. She nodded in response to his suggestion, following after him towards the turbolift. The ride up was spent in silence, broken only by the tipper-tapper of droplets of water falling off her clothes onto the floor of the turbolift. She used the time to bring her breathing under control, going through the old breathing techniques Maighdin had taught her. By the time they stepped out into his office she had calmed her nerves and was breathing easy again.

Stepping into the office, she pulled off the cloak as Melkor went to fetch a towel, taking in his office and trying to glean what she could about the man. You could learn a lot about someone from the environment they worked in, though it made her wonder what working in a literal hovel said about her. As he draped the towel over her shoulder, she murmured a soft thanks, drying herself as best as she could before taking a seat at the table. She was probably leaving a trail of water for him to clear up, but with where he lived he was probably prepared for that. The impression she had got so far, as a cup of steaming hot caf was placed in front of her, was that he was the sort of man who was always prepared. Good, so he wasn't one of the foolhardy brutes who seemed to be filling up the ranks of the Eternal.

"Yes, all is well," She replied after taking a sip of the caff, feeling its heat spreading through her body, "more than well actually." She took another sip before lowering the cup, but not returning it to the table, instead gripping it in both hands to let it the cup heat her hands up. "Or at least it is for us, same can't be said for the House of Anzag unfortunately." She slipped a hand into a pocket and retrieved a datadisk that she slid across the table to him. It contained what information she had gather about Anzag. An insignificant house, but with the distinction of having sired a member of the Sith Eternal, one of the several Serenno elite who seemed to have followed that path. The planet had given birth to the surprising number of followers of the Eternal. The privileged upbringing of the wealthy forged more followers of the Eternal, how surprising.

"They say you can set things in motion, help forge connections. A man such as you would be a good friend to have, which is why I'm here." She ran a finger around the cup's rim, an idle distraction as she carefully thought her words through before speaking. "That datadisk contains information about a vault that few know about. I am hoping to expand my operations on Serenno, and the contents of the vault could help sponsor that expansion. What I lack is the manpower to pull off such an operation, at least without blowing my cover." She placed the cup back on the table, no longer bothered by the cold now that the matter of business was at hand.

"I have the means to gather information like this, and with more funding I can acquire much more, whatever my friends need." And that was the crux of the matter, trust. If her information was true, if he really was able to help her out, with two simple truth they could both show their worth to the other. This could be the beginnings of a profitable alliance for both of them. "I am sure we could be of help to each other, if we can come to trust each other."

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Melkor Damask

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"Ah, yes, that is always the crux of the matter, isn't it?" Melkor replied with a thin smile. He took the data disk and slipped it into a port on his desk. Immediately, the dark room was illuminated by holographic displays. Various charts, bits of data, and Melkor studied them leisurely while occasionally glancing back at Zarine. "You require plausible deniability. As it happens, so do we all. My... former apprentice, Myr Khandros, has seen to it that we have such at a moment's notice."

Melkor went silent a moment. The Knights of Ren were a secret he shared with only a few. They weren't his operatives, so much as the cult's, but he was their contact within the cult. One of the few that even knew they existed, which allowed him to... manipulate things, if only slightly, in his favor. But it seemed that they were a perfect fit for what Zarine was proposing. They hit the vault and plundered it—one of their specialities—and then the resources would belong to Zarine.

Were he an operative of the Five Syndicates, he would perhaps have asked for a cut of those resources, but Melkor was not the type to care about credits. Money was a means to an end, and he was already beginning to put in motion a plan to secure a source of money. What he needed was information. A network of spies that could help him to set future, much larger, plans into motion. Zarine's operation was small from the looks of things, but with resources, it could grow. And if it grew, so too would his influence. Risky, but a profitable risk.

"I can supply you with the means to connect with a contact of mine," the Muun said after thinking a moment longer. "The Master of the Knights of Ren. He and his knights are, as I understand it, pre-occupied in the Outer Rim; but he might be able to spare some manpower. The Knights of Ren are marauders. They pillage in service of the dark side. Breaking into this vault may result in an increase in their notability." He stroked his chin. "But have you thought about what happens after the vault's resources are in your possession? After all, a wealthy family being robbed only to see a—forgive me, dear—beggar queen suddenly become rich... questions will be asked." @Wit
 

Zarine Bashere

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Beggar Queen? She liked how that sounded, another alias to hide behind, another layer of defense to add to the web of lies that she hoped to surround herself. As someone who appreciated the power of information, she also knew the potential of misinformation. As, she was sure, did Melkor.

Which was why she reacted to his mention of the Knights of Ren with raised eyebrows and a tilt of the head? Was he being honest about this or was this another test? She knew the tale of the Knights, every Guardian worth their keep knew about them, and their apparent destruction at the hands of the cursed Skywalker brat. If this apprentice of Meklor's was attempting to revive the group then they would definitely play a good role in keeping the heat off of her. Who would look at a beggar off the streets when legends were returning from the dead?

"The contents? Oh I'll be keeping but a fraction of the take." She definitely needed the resources inside that vault, but she didn't need all of it, far from it. No, more important was the opportunity to forge alliances that such an operation presented. And if what Melkor offered was true then it would be a much bigger prize than she could have ever hoped for. The Knights of Ren?! Just the possibilities made her head spin. "I need but enough to train a few more birds, and pay off the right people, can't have an overeager copper taking them off the streets when I need them there. The rest, the vast majority really, can go to anyone you can put me in touch with."

"Who," she continued after taking another sip of the caff, "seem to be even more impressive than anything I could have hoped for. I recognize the trust you place in me by sharing what you have with me." She was hesitant to even saw the name again, it was one of the reasons why she was so good at her job, she always assumed someone might be listening. "So I only ask this because I must, do you trust this apprentice of yours? This Myr Khandros?" The name was already given to memory, another trait of her profession, she never forgot a name or a face.

She waited for a moment before continuing. She had come here with the express purpose of building alliances, and by questioning those that Melkor trusted she might be putting that at risk. But her allegiance to the Eternal, and the need to stay hidden was stronger than any personal ambitions. "Are you sure sufficient precautions are being taken to ensure this will not tie back to us?"

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Melkor Damask

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The thin smile on the Muun's face ticked up an inch, revealing a row of jagged teeth. The woman was shrewd and would indeed prove a valuable ally... if she could succeed in this operation. Typically, Melkor liked to test those who might prove to be future allies or apprentices. But Zarine had already set up the nature of her own test. He simply needed to sit back and watch what happened.

"Myr is as blunt as any tool can be," Melkor confessed. "But, as a tool, he does his job and he does it well. I will instruct him to select the Knights he trusts to be... discreet to carry out the job. They are unaware that he answers to me, but an extra layer of security can't hurt us." The Muun stood, turned to face the dark viewport which looked out over the roiling seas, and clasped his hands behind his thin back. "We can speak more of our relationship going forward when the contents of the vault are safely in your possession. By then, I believe I will have acquired even more resources that will be useful to your operations on Serenno."

He was dangling a hook, he realized. The bait had yet to be decided, and the size of the fish he would catch was not yet determined, but the potential of a higher reward would lure the fish back into the pond when the time came. He saw no issue in offering her such things. If her operation failed, he will have lost nothing. And if she succeeded, he would be more than willing to make good on his promise.

"And with that matter decided, I believe the problem of the vault is momentarily behind us," Melkor continued. "I shall speak to Myr first thing in the morning and provide him with your secure comm channel so that you two may arrange the specifics of the operation. In the meantime, is there anything more I can do for you, my dear?" @Wit
 
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