Catching Up

[Gillian Rel]

The previous year and a half had flown by. The Exchange had spread across the Outer Rim and they had become actual players on Nar Shaddaa. Things had progressed with Cait. For the most part, things were looking up for Gil.

He had recently caught wind of Tasha setting up shop on Ord Mantell. He was surprised when he heard it. Most didn't make it out of the life, but Gil knew if anyone stood a chance it was her. He decided that he would look her up the next time he was out that way for business.

The next several months went by, and he found himself wondering more and more after the woman. He hated to admit it, but he actually missed her. The very thought of it made his eyes roll. So he created a reason to travel out to the other side of the Galaxy.

His "Business" was conducted quickly and he found out where she had set up at. He had to make an appointment to see her, which was amusing to him. Even that spoke of how far she had come in a relatively short time span. He approached the building, it was nothing too extravagant, but all things considered, it was impressive enough. The sign on the side of the building read "Blackwell Enterprises"

He walked in the front lobby of small office building and straightened his jacket as he approached the receptionist. He gave the man a polite smile. "Hi. I am here for a meeting with Ms. Blackwell. Name's Gil." he said. The man looked down, checking the appointments. "Ah yes. Here he go. Please take a seat." he said gesturing to the small waiting area. "Ms. Blackwell will be with you shortly." he said.

Gil took a seat in the waiting area.

The sign, the lobby, the receptionist. It all seemed so out of place for the Tasha that had walked out of that alleyway.

 

[Tasha Blackwell]

Tasha had been busy ordering new office supplies and furniture to set up the front facing business premises. The upper levels had terminals and engineers that were hired to set up the supply chains and invoices. She had enough of an investment to get he building and hire initial workers, but she had to acquire several different facilities to really kick things into motion.

She recently had a lead on a weapons warehouse that had been taken over by a Hutt that managed to hire a few Imperial operatives. It had been some time since she had dipped her toes back into combat, and she didn’t miss the life. However that didn’t mean she was completely out of touch, as she constantly kept up with her training in case those skills would ever be needed again.

When she saw the name that popped up on agenda for today, it had given her pause. Tasha stared for a long moment, smiling. He hadn’t even supplied a last name - just Gil. The exec admin had escalated it to her and she had to vouch for him to even get on the calendar. She briefly thought back to her days as a dancer and how they had crawled through sewers. She had said goodbye to him not too long after, and hadn’t thought about him much since. There had been a few memories in passing, and she wondered about that idiot hero wannabe with the pointy ears. She assumed he managed to get himself killed.

When it was time to see him, Tasha finally commed the receptionist to guide him in. By the time Gil stepped in, she was in her office in front of her desk, adorned in an expensive business suit. She wore a tailored jacket and skirt, her slender legs revealed and her feet adorned in brand name heels. There was no glitter on her, and she looked like an entirely new woman. When she saw him, she couldn’t help but smile.

”Monkey lizard,”She muttered quietly, walking over to open a cabinet and bring out a bottle. He would recognize it immediately, though this time she had bought it with her own cash. Tasha poured him a glass and took one for herself, ”I’m offended it took you this long to come investigate,” She grinned. She knew his curiosities would have burned at him on whether or not she had stayed true to the promises she made.

 

[Gillian Rel]

He was fetched by an assistant before being led back to a suite of offices, the assistant knocked, and then opened the door to the largest of the offices. Gil stepped inside the room, and...was blown away. Gone was the glitter laced dancer. While she locked different, the demeanor was exactly the same. She had always carried herself like she owned the world, only now she dressed the part as well.

"Look. At. You." he said with a smile. "Corporate suits you." he added. She made her way to a cabinet and pulled out a bottle of alcohol. His smile widened when he saw the label "450 Imported Tevraki..." he said, clapping his hands several times "Well done..". While he didn't remember this exact part of the evening, Tasha and himself had killed multiple bottles of some of the expensive drinks the Lusty Lekku carried.

He took the glass, holding it for the moment. "and what about you? You never called, never wrote. If I was a more self-conscious person, I would be hurt." he said, the joke obvious in his tone. "How have you been?" he asked before taking a seat in one of the leather chairs in front of the desk. He crossed on leg over the other and adopted a relaxed position before taking a sip from the glass. This time actually sober enough to taste it.

"This is quite an impressive set up you got here." he said looking around the office.

 

[Tasha Blackwell]

Tasha was still in disbelief from seeing him here, even as she poured him a drink and he marveled at her new status in life. She clinked her glass against his before taking a sip, taking a seat herself as he made a quip about not writing, “Admittedly I took all of Lusty Lekku off when I took off my dancers dress,” She looked down at her glass, watching the amber liquid for a moment before sipping again, “Unfortunately that also included you. It was easier to stay mad at you for being an idiot than anything else,” Tasha grinned at him.

It was surreal for him to be sitting in her office. It was small and cozy, but it was still hers. She had a long way to go before her company became significant, but she knew she had the drive and willpower to see it through, “I’ll tell you what, I actually smile more now,” Tasha paused for dramatic effect, “Turns out bossing people around was always my calling.”

Even now, if a particular song came on, it took her right back to her dancing days. She couldn’t say she had despised that time in her life, but it certainly paled in comparison to the much more respectable work she was doing now. The best part was that she was still center stage, even if she had to ensure her investors were getting what they wanted.

“And you?” She met his gaze, her eyes as fiery as ever, “Are you still doing the same shit at the Lekku or did you finally crawl up to become important?” Tasha gave him a grin again. They had far too many rough edges between them for her to ever truly be nice, "And how did you just happen to be in the neighborhood?"

 

[Gillian Rel]

"I'll try not be too hurt by that." he said with a grin. He took another drink.

She was right, she had smiled more in there couple minutes together now than he could ever remember on Nar Shaddaa. "I don't know..." he said studying her for a moment. "That cold, stern stare of yours..." he said with a shrug. "It kind of did it for me." he said with a chuckle.

It made sense she would be happier here. In general, the life she had led on Nar Shaddaa was not really conducive for a happy life. For some, it was the best they could do, but for those with potential like Tasha, it would never satisfy them in the long term. If this building was any indication, The Exchange had missed out on involving her more but there was no sense in regretting the past.

"I am still a kriffing hero." he said, smile widening. "If that's what you mean." he said taking a drink. "but I try and fit in business when I am not busy saving the day."

"Speaking of..." he said pulling a tiny vile of glittery white powder and placed it on the desk in front of her. "brought you a little something." he said. It would be similar to the high-quality spice they had found while fleeing the rival gang. Gil had gone to great lengths to come by the recipe and had their Spice manufacturing operations produce some. It was expensive to make, far more expensive than a more common form of the drug that was sold almost everywhere on Nar Shaddaa.

"Consider it my contribution to your office holiday party this year." he said leaning back in his chair. "As far as why I am here.." he said thinking for a minute. "Isn't seeing an old friend enough to travel clear across the Galaxy?" he said.

"So what's your game here?" he asked in regards to her business. He had gathered that something was going on here, but had not been able to put a finger on what exactly. She was far above doing something like just owning a legitimate business...

 

[Tasha Blackwell]

Tasha grinned at the comment about her stern look, “If it makes you feel better, you certainly invoke those from me more than most,” She took a sip from her glass, hearing him speak. She couldn’t help but roll her eyes at his admission of still playing hero. Truth be told, she couldn’t picture him doing anything else. He always put faith in everyone, even when he shouldn’t have, but he always came out in the end no matter how much it broke him in the process. There was something to be said for that kind of willpower, as Tasha certainly didn’t have it.

She quirked an eyebrow as he brought out the small bag, and it took a second for her to realize what it was. Tasha had to chuckle softly, shaking her head as she took it, “Damn it, Gil, I’m trying to run a professional operation here,” But the grin on her face made it clear she was joking. She gazed at the bag of spice, briefly reminded of how completely gone they were from the spice they stole from the facility. That night seemed like centuries ago, and she was more than happy to leave days of going through sewers behind her.

When he finally asked what she was doing here, Tasha drank some more, having been waiting for that question, “I’m starting up a tech firm,” She explained, “I’m going to be taking over suppliers and manufacturers to produce weapons and other merchandise all throughout the galaxy,” Tasha thought for a moment about all the work she had ahead of her, “I’m going to have a science branch, a weapons and technology branch, a research and development branch, public relations and security branches,” There was no harm in telling him all this, though she doubted it mattered to him.

“I’m going to be operating all over the galaxy and trading with Sith, Mandalorians and the Alliance,” Tasha took another sip, grinning, “It’s an ambitious goal, but I’m confident I have the perfect people for it. Do I sound crazy?”

 

[Gillian Rel]

He held his hands out as she fake protested the drugs but she made no moves to reject it either. Gone were his days of dealing drugs on the side of the streets of Nar Shaddaa. Now he had people to do that for him, that didn't mean he couldn't enjoy providing a temporary escape to someone every now and then. Judging by her plans, Tasha would eventually have a need for such things. Too much work was bad for one's health.

He tapped the top of his glass with a finger as he listened to her plans. It was not what he had pictured the woman getting into, but it could certainly be a lucrative field. "Well, yes." he said leaning a bit closer in "but I thought that about you long before today." he said leaning back again.

"The sooner you can help them blow themselves all into the next life, the better if you ask me." he said, nodding. He hated dealing with the politics of the Galactic Superpowers. He could deal with the constant struggle for power on Nar Shaddaa. That made sense to him, but when it was governments fighting against governments it was a whole other ball game. "If done right, I suspect you find yourself extremely wealthy in the process." he added.

"Well." he said holding up his glass to her "Here's to ambitious, crazy goals." he said before downing the rest of its contents.

"How long do you think before you will be up and going?" he asked as he set the empty glass aside. He was just making conversation, but he was actually intrigued by the concept. He was always looking for ways to spread himself out, diversify his own assets. The Exchange had made him wealthier than he had ever thought he would be when he was growing up on Corellia, but he still needed more. Perhaps there was an opportunity here for him.

 

[Tasha Blackwell]

Tasha grinned at his words, “Oh I have no doubt you’ve had a wide variety of thoughts about me,” They had quite the rough start, and she had even tried to kill him at one point. She wondered if he still had the scar from where she had thrown a knife at him. His next comment resulted in a raised eyebrow.

“Oh no,” She said, “I want them all to thrive and prosper and make me a whole lot of credits,” Tasha was done drinking by then, setting the glass down after she jokingly raised it in toast to herself. She rose to stand and opened the doors to her office, “Come, let me give you a tour,” It was the first time she was giving an actual tour of a place she owned. The very fact appeared strange.

His words suggested he was genuinely curious about her operation. Why was he so interested? Half of her wondered if he simply wanted to test out any competition, but she knew she was running an entirely different operation to what he worked with. Tasha’s heels clicked against the smooth surface of the marble floor as she led him around.

“Over here are the accountants that’ll be managing the financing and invoicing,” She pointed to rows of workspaces filled with employees. They were walking around and some were chuckling and laughing near a caf machine, straightening up in respect as she passed.

“The senior managers have offices down this way,” Tasha began to walk down a hallway with large offices on the sides that let in plenty of sunlight. She walked with purpose, coming to a stop across a specific one. There was a woman inside it, and she rose from her desk upon seeing Tasha.

“Oh! I’ve been meaning to get you these files-” The woman dropped all the folders in her hands. She turned to look at Gil, her eyes wide and her mouth hanging open.

“G-Gil..” The woman managed to choke out, her eyes suddenly welling up with tears. She rapidly closed the distance and flung her arms around him, pulling him into a tight embrace. Tasha simply stood back, grinning at the sight. The woman that embraced him wore formal business attire and had her hair perfectly done. But there was no mistaking it.

It was Jade.

 

[Gillian Rel]

He grinned at the offer of a tour. He stood and waited for her to lead the way. From the outside, the building looked like the average office building, and the inside, looked basically the same. He wasn't sure what he was expecting. It seemed a little..mundane to him.

"Holy. Kriff." he said, one of the accountants looking up, clearly not approving of his language before she went back to her work. "You're...boring now..." he said as he turned to her, laughing. "This is fantastic." he continued poking fun at her as the tour continued. It was amusing that one of the most exotic dancers the Lusty Lekku had ever had now worked in a place like this. There was nothing wrong with it at all, it was just amusing to him.

They continued walking past various offices until Tasha stopped in front of a random office. Gil looked around, assuming Tasha was just attending to business as they were passing through. He turned around after hearing his name. He looked the woman over, taking a second to recognize her. Like Tasha, she appeared to be a different person altogether. She rushed him, nearly knocking him over as she embraced him.

"Heeyy...love" he sad still trying to process what was happening. To be honest, he couldn't remember her name, it was likely not her actual name anyways. There were always new dancers coming and going, and he had moved passed handling security at the Lusty Lekku as he moved to more profitable endeavors. He knew it was one of the girl's he had gone to rescue that night after they had been attacked she had been shot in the leg that night. "How have you been?" he said, patting her on the back as she continued the hug. He looked to Tasha. She had set him up, likely enjoying every second of it.

Tasha had wanted to leave her, and the rest of them behind that night. It was odd that he would now find her here, in a managers office none the less. The woman finally let go and took a step back. Gil smiled genuinely at her. "You look great." he said honestly. He picked up the dropped files and handed them back to the woman. "I imagine she's a taskmaster of a boss, I doubt you will want to be losing those." he said nodding over towards Tasha.

 

[Tasha Blackwell]

Tasha had to laugh as he called her boring, “Of course I am,” She gave him a playful wink, “How else am I going to play all sides of the war? Can’t have too much obvious dirt on me,” It was true. She wanted to appeal to every major player in the galaxy, and she couldn’t do that if her bullshit could be sniffed out from a mile away. Her past experiences had taught her exactly what not to do, and she aimed to play things smarter on her own.

Jade drew back from Gil, smiling through the tears, “I-I guess you only knew me as J-Jade..” She said quietly in between sniffles, “My real name is Kyra,” Kyra stared at Gil for a long moment, smiling at him, “I-I’m only here and alive today because of you. I can never thank you enough for what you did for me. It allowed me to go far beyond anything I ever thought possible and leave that old life behind.”

She chuckled softly as he handed her the files back, looking at Tasha as he spoke, “Nah, just likes to come off like that. She’s taken real good care of us,” Kyra turned back to Gil, “All of us. Alisha, Zula and Naria are all here… though you knew them as Diamond, Emerald and Crystal,” She laughed, “It’s really so good to see you again. I will never, ever forget what you did for me,” She was sincere and genuine in her words, emotions betrayed on her face.

After a bit more of small talk, Tasha was finally able to pry Gil away. They continued the tour down towards where there were the beginnings of an adjacent building. It looked like a facility of some sort, and droids were wandering around piecing together assembly lines. It would be a large expansion to the building, but it would be some time before it was completed.

“Why are you so curious?” Tasha finally asked bluntly, gazing ahead of herself, “You never do things just because,” She turned to look at him, “Why are you really here?”

 

[Gillian Rel]

JADE! That was it. He would have gotten there eventually. Tasha would probably call him an asshole or something for not remembering every person's name who had ever worked for the Lusty Lekku. Luckily Kyra had come through for him. "Kyra suites you better." he said smiling.

He really didn't know how to respond to gratitude like this. He had just been doing what he thought he needed you. "You don't need to thank me." he said looking down at the floor for a moment. "I am really glad you are doing well." he said smiling at the woman. She mentioned the other girls. Tasha had picked up the whole gang. There was a time when she couldn't stand those women, willing to let him die without a blink of the eye. Now, she was providing them all with jobs, well-paying jobs from the look of it. "It was good seeing you as well." he said, Tasha finally leading him away from the office. He looked once more back at the woman, smiling briefly before looking back to Tasha.

"Boring...and a big ol' softy." he said holding a hand over his heart. "You're adorable." he said with a laugh.

They moved to a part of the building that was clearly more warehouse than an office. It was loud here as droids assembled machinery. Tasha asked why he was curious, some of her cut and dry personality returning. He turned to her, met her pure golden gaze. "I've come to invest." he said turning to face her. "I have the credits, I also have resources that would be beneficial to you." he continued, adopting a more business-like tone himself. "You said it yourself. You need to be boring, being able to appeal to all sides. I can help with tasks that could be...hurtful to that reputation." he said.

 

[Tasha Blackwell]

Tasha gave him a look of pure disgust as he gushed over her and called her adorable, “Ugh,” She grumbled, “Adorable and I never belong in the same sentence,” She said gruffly before she had asked about his intentions.

When he spoke, she couldn’t deny she was more than a little surprised. She turned from the droids and faced him, her eyes narrowing slightly suspiciously. Since when did he have enough money to invest? It only proved that he had grown considerably in whatever he was doing over the time they had been parted. For a moment, she said nothing, drumming her nails along the railing that overlooked the production facility being set up.

She wanted to say that all of her operations would be legitimate and legal, but that would be a lie. He did have a point about keeping face, and having the option of deniability. That could only be achieved if she had the help of someone that didn’t directly work under her. Tasha tapped her nails for a moment longer before finally speaking.

“I was looking for some help in that regard,” She finally admitted, “But I don’t want the Exchange involved,” Tasha looked at him sternly, “I can’t have any connections to anything that far up the Sith’s ass,” She knew the dangers of shifting too deep into one side or another, “I would be willing to work with you independently, however.”

Provided he agreed to the terms, Tasha would speak once more, “What do you know about Outlaw Tech?”

 

[Gillian Rel]

He let the adorable comment go. Maybe it would eat at her later, even scoring a moment's annoyance was worth the effort. He was surprised how easy it was, falling back into their endless game at scoring jabs against one another.

He nodded as she spoke. He assumed something like that couldn't possibly operate entirely within the law. He had found the Galaxy's powers were often far less worried that if their products were obtained legally, and more so concerned if they appeared to be obtained legally. That is where to big money was, that's the spot Gil wanted to live in.

He nodded. "Done" he said, not explaining further. He had his own doubts about the exchange. Even as he sat at its highest levels, he was unsure of its future. He wouldn't go back to square one because Cait refused to see the dangers the Sith Empire put their organization in. Gil needed a fallback plan, a lifeboat, in case everything went to shit, and it almost certainly would eventually go to shit. "I accept those terms." he said holding out a hand to shake on it. If she pressed for more information on his motives, he would possibly reveal some, but he had found the closer you played your cards the chest, the better things turned out.

"I know they make some of the best, and some of the most illegal tech money can buy." he said. "I know they will be a tough nut to crack as well."

"What did you have in mind?" he asked, assuming she had brought them up for a reason.

Tasha explained her plans. It was risky, it was ambitious, Gil loved it. "I suppose this means I am extending my stay here then." he said. Gil had planning of his own to do if they were going to pull this off.