Ask Fatherly love

[Tristodd Brentioch]

A dirty cantina on the suburbs of Thyferra was the last place where someone would wait to see a member of the nobility of Core World. However, here was Tristodd. In a cantina, surrounded by drunk beings. It wasn’t even like the famous Cantina Viktorius Vixen from Tirsa. This place was like one of these that you see in the holomovies, a hive for the scum of the Galaxy.

Never in his entire life had he thought that he would visit such a place. If his family discovered that the Brentalaan was there, they would be furious. He was also certain that if some of the people that were around here knew who he was, they would probably kidnap him. Trying to avoid this possibility, he had come dressed in a way that no one would be able to to identify him.

Even if he felt out of his environment in a place like this, Tristodd knew that what he was going to do there was of extreme importance. Recent events had made the Brentaalan notice how important it was for him to have a bodyguard. Through some searching in the Holonet, he had found someone who seemed to be perfect for it.

Since no one could know that he was hiring this bodyguard, Tristodd couldn’t meet him in places where he could be identified. Due to that, he had proposed to meet the guy at this place, where no one would imagine that a noble like him would visit.

While he waited for the guy to arrive, the Brentaalan had asked for a drink. The bartender had given him one that was so full of alcohol that the man could barely drink it. He was staring at the ice slowly melting inside the glass. Since he arrived there, Tristodd had the feeling that he was being watched. Any people that passed near him would be enough for him to become tense.

He hoped that the guy would arrive soon, so he could get out of this place. Trying to give another try at his drink, Tristodd picked the glass and sipped some more. However, he grimaced with the taste of it.

@Altaris

 

[Zaid Durmaz]

Zaid felt entirely at home within the seedy cantina. The familiar thrum of the music, the narrowed glances from shady individuals and the hypnotizing smell of spice in the air. It was a hive of scum and villainy, and it was exactly the kind of establishment where the half-Orcolan frequented - both for business and for pleasure. Tonight, it was where Zaid was scheduled to meet his newest employer.

The half-Orcolan casually strode through the entrance of the cantina, bending his torso forward to avoid smacking his head against the doorframe. As per usual, Zaid had come dressed rather plainly – opting for a pair of simple trousers, a utility belt where his blaster hung and nothing but

shoulder-armor made from Sullustian Leather fitted across his muscular torso. Quite literally towering over most of the crowd, Zaid immediately began to scan the cantina in search of the man he was looking for.

Naturally, it didn’t take Zaid very long to locate his would-be employer. After only a few seconds of casual scoping, the half-Orcolan’s gaze settled upon the only figure that looked entirely out of place – the man hunched over the bar wearing some ridiculous raincoat, glasses and hat that made him look like some character out of an old mafia Holomovie.

He couldn’t help but wonder how much spice the Brentaalan had smoked in order to think his current attire was a good idea. Whether the nobleman realized it or not, the budget-mafioso vibe was quite literally the opposite of discreet. If Tristodd felt like he was being watched, it was because that was exactly what was happening – with his outfit earning him extra scrutiny from patrons at the bar.

Zaid shook his head a bit. The half-Orcolan could never understand why people went through such trouble – often unsuccessfully – to mask their appearance so dramatically. Quite frankly, unless you were Emryc Thorne or the galaxy’s favorite adult film star, most people didn’t give a shit who you were enough to recognize your face in some seedy cantina.

Whatever. Crowns are crowns.

Putting the entire thought behind him, Zaid finally began to make his way towards Tristodd – casually weaving his way through the cantina in order to reach the busy bar where the Brentaalan was seated. Once again, Zaid couldn’t help but wonder why the man hadn’t opted for a private booth if the goal was to be discrete.

Zaid squeezed past a particularly grumpy-looking Gamorrean, taking his place just to the left of Tristodd at the bar. “I hope you’re feeling generous enough to order another one of those,” He rumbled in that low baritone, gesturing to the drink that the Brentaalan clearly couldn’t handle. He knew his would-be employer was loaded, and Zaid wasn't about to buy his own drinks.

@LouJoVi

 

[Tristodd Brentioch]

Tristodd nursed the glass in his hands, while trying to ignore the sensation of others watching him. He was probably being paranoid, he was totally inconspicuous with these clothes. No one would be able to recognize him there. Trying to calm himself, the Brentaalan sipped some more of his drink. Once again he grimaced, there was so much alcohol on it that he doubted that his liver would survive a refill of it. He was so distracted by it that he didn’t even noticed the huge figure of Zaid sitting near him.

When he heard someone talking to him, the Brentaalan jumped on his seat and turned to face who the person was. The man stared wide eyed at the huge figure in his left. He knew that Zaid Durmaz was an Orcolan, but he never thought that the guy would be this huge. Tristodd thought that Zaid’s body was probably close to that of President Thorne.

His shoulder armor also allowed Tristodd to see how the Orcolan was built. The guy probably could crush him like a twig. So far Zaid's physical appearance seemed to be perfect for what the Brentaalan needed him for. He needed someone strong and the man in front of him seemed to be this way. His exposed muscles seemed to testify it. Very nice exposed muscles.

Coughing to recover his composure, Tristodd nodded. “Of course.” then he turned to the bartender asking for another glass. “Mr. Durmaz, it's a pleasure to meet you. I hope that your trip to Thyferra has occurred without problems.” Zaid would notice how the Brentaalan talked as if they were in a conference room. It was the result of being born on a planet that breathed trade and commerce.

“As I told you during our call, I need a strong and competent bodyguard. I’ll pay you 150 crowns per hour. To receive this payment, you will need to protect me and do other things that I’ll explain after you accept and sign the contract.” saying that, Tristodd pulled his Datapad where the contract was. He didn’t care if the Orcolan thought that he was strange for bringing it with him, he needed this bodyguard as fast as possible.

“Mr. Durmaz, if you decide to work for me, you are going to receive accommodations under your name in both Thyferra and Brentaal, both close to my penthouses. You will also receive a room in hotels when I’m visiting planets and need your services.” he offered his Datapad for the Orcolan to read. “There is the contract with all the information about Social Security, vacations, free days, life insurance and the health plan that you will receive. There are more things in the contract, but you can read calmly.”

Looking directly at Zaid, Tristodd would remove his sunglasses. He would give a tired smile to the Orcolan, who perhaps would be able to notice the distress on the Brentaalan’s glasz colored eyes. “I hope that his arrangement is satisfactory to you. Your services are very necessary.” the Brentioch man didn't know if he would have time to arrange the meeting with another possible bodyguard if Durmaz refused. He was really desperate.

@Altaris

 

[Zaid Durmaz]

Zaid cracked a sideways grin, a clear look of amusement etched into his features as the Brentaalan noble practically jumped out of his skin upon being spoken to. Either the oddly-dressed human was suffering from a particular rough spice-trip – which Zaid could at least sympathize with – or the man was just downright paranoid from the environment.

Not that it mattered to Zaid either way, of course. The paranoid types were often all-too-eager to pay for his services, regardless of the price he set.

He crossed his burly arms over his chest, arching a brow ever-so-slightly as Tristodd proceeded to eye the half-Orcolan’s mostly bare torso. Due to his towering size compared to most, Zaid was certainly used to the lingering looks and stares he got from strangers, and clearly the Brentaalan was no exception to the rule. In response, Zaid simply gave the gangster wannabe a quick up-and-down before jutting his chin to the bar.

“That’s more like it,” He remarked when the bartender was finally flagged for another glass, flashing Tristodd a tusk-filled, satisfied grin. The Toydarian behind the counter returned a moment later, sliding the alcoholic beverage in Zaid’s direction. It was only once his glass was in hand did Zaid finally turn back to Tristodd and give the man a slight nod of greetings. “Good to finally meet you face-to-face.”

The half-Orcolan gave a casual shrug of his shoulder in response to the question about his travels. “Nothing to be concerned about.” An unenthusiastic answer to an unenthusiastic question. It was exactly the type of meaningless pleasantries that Zaid didn’t have much of an appetite for.

Luckily, it didn’t take Tristodd long to skip the bullshit and get straight to business. The Brentaalan seemed almost impatient to lay out the terms and get Zaid’s signature on the dotted line, but the half-Orcolan was pointedly in zero rush. All while his would-be-employer spoke, Zaid casually brought the glass to his lips, gulping down the drink that Tristodd had seemingly been shunning the entire evening.

What Tristodd laid out was a fair offer. More than fair, to be honest. It was a competitive hourly rate, and it came with all the cushy bells and whistles like housing accommodations, benefits and health plans. Hell, there was even a clause in there for vacation time. Who the hell offered vacation time, these days? It was all the luxurious add-ons that Zaid expected from bluebloods like Tristodd, and it was a massive leap from the deals he was getting from the petty crime lords and corrupt executives that the half-Orcolan usually worked for.

Nevertheless, Zaid looked entirely unamused by the offer.

“Not interested.” He muttered flatly, proceeding to gulp down the last of what lingered in his glass. “Not for one-fifty, anyway.” The half-Orcolan drummed his fingers against the bar countertop, gesturing for another glass from the Toydarian bartender before turning to face the Brentaalan noble. He allowed his words to linger in the air for a long while before continuing.

“My services don’t come cheap, pal. If I’m gonna sign a long-term contract to be your security, you’re going to need to make it worth the additional business I’m gonna lose by setting up base on Thyferra and Brentaal for the duration of that deal. And, you’re wanting me to agree to mystery services I'll learn about after I sign the contract?” He shook his head.

“Three-hundred per hour.” He said without an ounce of shame, casually demanding double the original offer. “And, I want an additional sign-on bonus once the contract is squared away. A clean thousand should cut it.” He flashed a tusk-filled grin, eyeing the Brentaalan for several additional seconds before lifting his newly-acquired glass to take a drink.

It was an absurd demand, and yet Zaid was fairly confident that Tristodd would consider it. The half-Orcolan was especially observant of his would-be-employer, and he clearly noted the distress that was etched into the man's lightly colored eyes. Combined with the rushed desire to get that contact signed, it all screamed desperation - and it was practically music to the half-Orcolan's ears. While some might've felt sympathy for the Brentaalan and his situation, Zaid saw nothing but opportunity to milk him for every credit of daddy's allowance.

"That's my offer. Take it or leave it." Zaid said with a faint shrug. Business was booming now-a-days, and there were plenty of other opportunities if Tristodd found his terms too steep to stomach. The half-Orcolan wouldn't lose a single night sleep over the contract falling through. After all, the Brentaalan was the desperate party in all this.

Satisfied that he made his point abundantly clear, Zaid finally took a seat and began to relax into the music and seedy environment - leaving the decision entirely up to his would-be-employer. If Tristodd accepted his terms, Zaid would walk out of the cantina a thousand credits richer, and with a more favorable deal than most would've hoped for. If he didn't? Zaid would simply enjoy his paid-for drink and take his services elsewhere. It didn't matter to him either way.

While Tristodd considered, Zaid promptly turned his attention away from the Brentaalan noble and his dollar-store Capo disguise, instead focusing his gaze upon something far more interesting. For the moment, that just so happened to be one of the twi'lek dancers at the far side of the room.

@LouJoVi

 

[Tristodd Brentioch]

Tristodd became choked when Zaid said that he wasn’t interested in this job. The young man had thought that the agreement was very good and would impress the Orcolan. He was even giving annual vacations, a luxury nowadays. For example, he didn’t even have vacations, being explored like a beast of burden by Sibyl. The Brentaalan thought that it would be another attractive for the job that he was offering. He really couldn’t believe how someone like this guy, an obviously poor guy, could not feel interested.

Then the Orcolan said the reason, the salary. The Brentaalan became cold with fear. Did Zaid discover who he would need to protect Tristodd and the others from? The green-skinned man wasn’t the first one that he contacted seeking their services. He had contacted several respected agencies and when he mentioned that they would need to protect him from the “Viper of Brentaal”, they asked for values so exorbitant that he couldn't have without drawing attention. Due to that, he started to search for people from the Mid and Outer Rim. Places where the rumors about the Viper didn’t reach.

When Zaid said that he wanted 300 crowns, the aide became relieved. He had thought that the man would ask for more than 100.000, like how the agencies asked. Tristodd wondered if the Orcolan knew how much wealth the House Brentioch had. The Scoundrel probably never heard the Brentaalan saying: “What came first, Brentaal or the Brentioch?”

This saying is related to the doubts that exist about the origin of these two names. Some say that the Brentioch family came from Coruscant and discovered Brentaal, giving to the planet a modified version of their surname. While others say that the family was one of the first to arrive on the planet and adopted this surname to celebrate it. What matters was that his family had a fortune that was accumulated for ages, coming from even before the foundation of the Galactic Republic.

For him, what Zaid was asking for was nothing. Tristodd could still pay him with what he received from working with Sibyl and it would still remain some money to be used for other things, such as buying that collection of Thorne and Altair Starfun POP! figures that he saw at the Holonet. He was such a big fan of the two.

“I accept.” he said, noticing that Zaid was staring at a Twi’lek dancer. It made him remember something important. “I forgot to mention that the health care service offered in the contract also covers medical care for another adult and two children, for the case of you having a significant other and children.” it was good to be the greatest investor in the company of this health plan. He could always make these promotions.

Suddenly, Tristodd had the sensation that they were being watched. It wasn’t like how it was early, the manifestation of his paranoia. No, now he was sure of that. Discreetly looking around, he saw two people watching at them. One was a huge Pantoran, with nearly the same build as Zaid. The other was a female Devaronian. They could pass easily as a common couple, but he knew them. They worked for the Viper. Of course she would not believe in what he told her.

He turned to the Orcolan trying to remain calm and not wanting to scare him. “If I increase it to 350, are you going to accept it?” the Brentaalan said, his voice lower than before. He wanted Zaid to sign it as fast as possible, so they could get out of here. Tristodd would need to find a way to outwit these two before he could return to his place.

@Altaris