Ask Serenno National Treasure

[Thalia Windraider]

It was an unusual setting for Thalia even if it was easy enough to get inside. The air smelled sweet, a mix between perfumes and tobacco and those who were in attendance did not smell like they had just crawled out of the sewers of Nar Shaddaa. It was certainly a class that Thalia could get used to and the event itself was one based on educational purposes. However, from what Thalia could gather, someone went broke and now things needed to be auctioned off to pay collectors. The rooms in the hall were lined with paintings and documents many still believed to be an accurate history, one that was based on the fantasy the Empire had created over a century earlier. However, there was one item present that Thalia had taken an interest, a tome, whether real or not was among the collection that spoke of religious woo and the Force. The very stuff she was struggling to better understand in herself, but knew others would pay a nice sum of credits to have their hand on it.

Thalia was dressed to fit in, though she did not quite feel the confidence to wear a dress and instead opted for the feminized black dress suite that still gave the chic, but business look. Thalia slowly walked around the showing, taking in what she saw, heard, and of course what she could not see. A server droid walked by and the girl grabbed a flute of champagne and took a sip as she pretend to take interest in the painting of some long-dead officer. Her target item was just a few exhibits further and she would take her time wishing she could down the champagne in order to have at least a dozen more glasses. The girl had to keep reminding herself to keep calm.

It was a tricky situation, one she would have to adapt quickly as soon as the auction was over. Her mind went over the vague steps in her plan once the tomes were auctioned and sold, it just all depended...who...got them.

@Orbit

 

[Darth Invictus]

These weren't the normal type of functions that Ender usually found himself in. Not that he didn't mind the nice food and drinks, he just was never considered wealthy enough to attend auctions like this before or even get close to them. The only difference this time, he knew more about himself than ever before and he had abilities that could help him in numerous ways. There still weren't enough credits in his bank account to buy anything at the auction but he wasn't looking to buy anything at all.

Ender was dressed in a tux for the occasion, having enough to purchase one that fit well enough that it didn't make him appear as a fool. He walked down the hall and had a keen eye on each exhibit. There was something specific that he was searching for, a tome, one that he didn't could help his situation or not. There were stories of the book that said contained religious aspects to it and the reason why it had such value but Ender was hoping it could do more than that. Nothing he's done has been able to lift the fog that has been clouding his memory for all his life. This maybe could be the solution to his problem but it was sort of last-ditch effort he was trying.

There would be an official auction later in the night where everyone would gather in the main hall to actually vote on the items. He would need to reach the tome before the night progressed to that point or it was pretty much good as gone unless he could improvise on the spot. Ender pulled up to a random exhibit, crossing his arms over his chest while stroking his chin, his eyes glancing around the same time as he assessed the layout of the building and the security. Guards patrolled in pairs up and down the main hallways, talking amongst themselves while inspecting each potential buyer that passed. Ender waited for one pair of guards to pass before stepping away from the exhibit he was at and heading further into the building, hoping to find the tome soon.

 

[Thalia Windraider]

Thalia placed her empty glass back on the tray of a passing service droid and immediately picked up a second one, taking one more glance at the painting before moving on to another exhibit, or more so moving out of the way of an older couple who seemed to have possibly be over a hundred years old. She skipped a few paintings, a feeling stirred in her center and she instinctively glanced at her champagne, but instinct told her it wasn't it. The blonde glanced around slowly and took a sip eventually settling her gaze on a rather tall human in a tux; her thoughts spin as she tried to place him, certain she had seen him before. Then again he may be one of those who just looked familiar to everyone.

She turned to look at a vase and then back over her should to the man in the tux, of course her view was obstructed by another buyer present who seemed to suddenly treat her like an exhibit. Speaking huttese, the human tried to compare the beauty of the vase to some things in the galaxy and then to her, it was cheesy, but she tried to push through the distraction and looked over her shoulder again, the man in tux was now gone. Thalia pursed her lips together and took a sip of her champagne and handed it to the woo-er who seemed surprised by the gesture. Excusing herself, he seemed to get the picture, a look over her shoulder back at him confirmed his scowl was that of disappointment and failure.

Thalia kept her steps slow, but purposeful, a tug of the mind to seek him out as she slid between groups until she reached the hall. With only one direction to go, she followed, standing tall, chin up, confidence shown, as though she knew where she was going. The halls quickly emptied with guests, but for her luck, he was probably one of the tallest people present and it was easy to spot him and so she kept on his trail, until she was able to get close enough to catch his attention.

"Hey, you look a little lost." she spoke, but also tried to keep her voice down.

@Orbit

 

[Darth Invictus]

The crowds started to thin out as Ender went deeper through the building. He was thankful for the reprieve though it would most likely last a few moments. The crowds were enamored with the pieces that were displayed out front and making their introductions with the wealthy. They would eventually grow bored before flowing to the back to see the rest of the pieces up for sale and that at least gave him some peace to search for the tome without any disturbance. He wondered if the tome was sensitive to the force and he began to reach out with it, hoping to find a slight connection to locate it and simplify the process.

The search didn't last long as he was interrupted by a voice behind him. Ender opened his eyes and slowly turned around to find a woman standing there and questioningly keeping her voice down. He didn't know who the person was but he had managed to sneak his vibro-blade underneath his clothes and was ready to pull it out in case she was a plant by security. "No, I'm doing fine, thank you though for your concern." Ender gave her a smile and was about to turn away from her to continue on his way.

But as he was about halfway turnt, he spun around back to face and peered at her face for a few moments. Something about it was familiar then a memory flashed of the warehouse flashed through his mind and made him remember clearly. His attitude change, losing the natural ease of someone who was just moseying around to purchase and turned into the Legionnaire that he was. "What are you doing here?" The tone of his voice changed as well, turning slightly colder as he began to think that she was following him.

The last time they met, she interfered in Legionnaire's operation and added enough fuel to the fire to draw police to the site and foil the whole thing. Ender flicked his eyes toward the crowd and the potential peeping eyes towards the two of them. He stepped toward Thalia before slipping his arm in the gap of her's and pulled her towards a nearby doorway. When they stepped past and away from the crowd he took his arm away from hers and whipped her around to face, "Why should I not kill you right now?" Usually, he wouldn't have been this cold but he drew heat from what happened at the warehouse and was sore spot for him.

 

[Thalia Windraider]

He had stopped when she spoke, but it looked as though she was disturbing some train of thought when he turned to address her. She studied him as he gave his response and smile, her cheeks reddened believing she probably gave him some dumbfounded expression back while she was unable to still place to where she had seen him before. She sighed and her shoulders relaxed as she tried to push the thoughts out of her head, never to bother with trying to place him as she decided to just return to looking for the tome.

Though it seemed she had stirred something in him, never minding the girl, the guy turned his attention back to her, she saw his features harden, almost irritated to her presence. Thalia felt a swirl of confusion and the thought returned that she did know him from somewhere, his words were sharp as he questioned why she was present. Thalia opened her mouth in protest as he stepped to her, taking her arm and moving to a doorway out of the sight of the guests and the guards. She should have shouted in protest as he whipped her around, inquiring why he shouldn't kill her.

Thalia lifted her chin and gave a nod, so it was that kind of meeting that they had previously, "Hold up..." she said softly and as calmly as she could. With her free hand she pressed her fingers into his chest to get him to give her some space to breath without him breathing down on her. "You do look familiar, but..." Thalia paused, studying him, her eyes narrowed as she tried to rely on her memory, but there was something off with her own mind and she winced at some invisible pain. "Ok, I dunno what I did to offend you," she gave up on trying place him, shaking her head, now working to soothe over what had made him offended by her, "Let me make it up? You're looking for something, right? I'm good at not being heard or seen." she gave him a small grin, hoping he would a little less threatening.

@Orbit

 

[Darth Invictus]

Ender arched his eyebrow at her in confusion, did she really not remember what happened at the warehouse? Clearly it seemed so, as she squinted at his face trying to discern either how they met or where they met in the first place. He remembered them staring right at each other when he managed to at least lift one datacron from the fire that was the operation. Maybe she just playing a game but she putting a rather convincing performance about not recalling what happened. When she asked to make it up and if he was searching for something, Ender cursed under his breath before turning away slightly and back to facing her once more, "You're looking for it too."

He glanced around for a moment before turning and away and starting to walk back down the hallway, already having wasted enough precious time speaking to Thalia and lowering his window of finding the tome. "Now, give me a real reason why I shouldn't do anything to you." Thalia was a competitor now and after what he witnessed at the warehouse, there wasn't a lot of trust between them and he trusted the fact more that she would shoot him in the back if they helped each other to get it, it's what he would do if it wasn't for the fact he wasn't trying to draw attention to what he really was. As he continued to walk further to the back of the building, he found an entrance with two guards standing out front a small flow of people went in and out of it, flashing a white and fancy laminated paper as a pass.

Ender hadn't managed to find the tome so far and he wondered if it would be stowed away in whatever room that was. He sighed softly before turning around to suddenly face Thalia, "You really don't remember do you?" He waited a few moments before just shaking his head slightly, "You want to make it up then?" Gesturing behind to the people that were getting in, "Prove you can't be seen or heard, get us an invitation to get in that room. If it blows up in your face, I don't know you."

 

[Thalia Windraider]

His response to searching for searching the same thing as her was generally the appropriate response. Or anytime she showed up, that was generally the appropriate response most gave, though there were some that seemed more cheery to see her around, it was rare and possibly her just reading signals wrong. He released her arm and stepped back into the hall, Thalia was more cautious but stepped behind him, hearing him ask for a reason not to do anything to her. She quirked an eyebrow and shrugged, "Well, I dunno, maybe because you might be a decent human being?"

She followed, more in part she didn't trust what he would do if she turned her back to him, but she was curious and knowing he was after the tome too made this situation a bit more complicated for herself. He stopped, and Thalia saw what he saw why and observed the guarded door with people entering and exiting, revealing a white pass of some sort that allowed them inside. The man suddenly turned to face her, questioning (probably rhetorically) to her remembering him, he certainly remembered, but that feeling was there for her also, just she couldn't put her finger on it without stinging pain required to break through.

Thalia shook her head and opened her mouth to speak, possibly to explain more of herself, but Ender continued, taking her offer to make it up. The task of course was to get them both in that room, Thalia quirked an eyebrow, her thoughts turning as to why he included both of them, generally in thieving it was all about the "I" and never "us" or "we".

"Deal...but if this is just a trick to get me out of your hair, you'll regret it, I'll promise you that." she said pointing her finger to him and turned on her heel, her own demeanor changed and Ender would feel it. She walked back to the gallery with a feeling of more than trust in herself, it was something she couldn't explain or comprehend quite yet, but has helped her several times over and it will help her again now. She recognized how it felt, an intuition or instinct that seemed to paint her reality in a different tone, it came as pulls or urgencies, but now she just needed to know who her target would be.

She walked over to the crowded bar to pick up another flute of champagne, men and women alike were speaking loudly and laughing, worries of the harsher realities outside this building were far from their mind. A perception of safety that shielded Thalia as she picked up a glass, then a clutch, a napkin, and then set her glass back down. She opened the small purse removing the invitation, replacing it with the napkin before setting the clutch back on the counter all before the distracted socialite realized her mistake - if she even realized a mistake was made.

@Orbit

 

[Darth Invictus]

Thankfully, Thalia accepted the task and got Ender out of a lot of work to get one on his own. She threatened him if he left her and he gave her a grin, "Of course not." He felt her demeanor change but it didn't frighten him, it made him curious about what she would do to him if he did just leave and did this on his own. The thought flashed across his mind but she was getting the invitation and he did need that and having at least someone by his side would make his cover more passible.

When Thalia was finished retrieving the invitation and came back to where they last spoke, she would find Ender leaning against the wall with his arms crossed just waiting for her. He sensed her and glanced over, "You're quick, I'll give you that. Let's go." He started to make his way to the velvet entrance and hoped the prize was somewhere either in there or nearby. When the pair approached the guards, he would wait for the invitation to be produced as he stood there with Thalia. They would give the invitation a quick glance over to make sure it wasn't fabricated before stepping to the side and allowing them to go through.

Ender gave them a nod, "Thank you gentlemen" He stepped past them and strode towards the door with Thalia, ready to finally get his hands on this tome.

 

[Thalia Windraider]

He didn't leave her, in fact he stood where she last saw him and Thalia would admit to herself that she was impressed, and probably a bit shocked that it wasn't some trap to get her off his back. He seemed slightly impressed with the efficiency of completing the task and Thalia grinned, feeling a bit proud of talents that have served her well over the years. She walked beside him as they approached the velvet entrance, not only the floor was covered with a carpet, but dark red velvet curtains draped over the entry way. Thalia put on the face of an eager guest, stumbling over herself to get the invitation from her pocket and handed it to the guard. They both looked it over and handed it back, Thalia in her fabricated giddy state, stepped into the guard with the invitation, clumsily accepting back the item as she bumped past him, squeezing between Ender and guard to get into the entrance of the tome.

Once past the door and inside, she was clearly more serious about the job as she tucked away the invitation and clipped on the security pass she had swiped from the guard. Inside though was clearly a show to obviously get guests in the mood to buy something that seemed so precious. The room was dim, more velvet curtains draped along the walls along with holo-images from the time of the Empire flickered as they told their stories. No windows, just the door they entered and a door on the other side that either was an exit or another entry way to other areas of the building.

The room was overall quiet, a couple others were inside looking at the exhibit before examining the tome that hung on the wall on the other end of the room. The pages were sealed behind duraglass, clearly for protection of its age and to ensure it was not an easy grab for thieves like Thalia. Glancing at her newly acquired partner...or competitor, she walked up to the tome slowly, something clearly bothered her about it, but she couldn't quite understand what it was as she tried to see if there was anything recognizable on the artifact. Though she knew she should have been looking for a way to remove them, there was a call in the faintest whisper in the Force that caught her attention and held it as she stared at the writing on the pages.

"Its an odd piece..." she managed to softly speak before willing herself back to the present to see what Ender had thought.

@Orbit