Ask [Kinyen] Of Scales and Ships...

[Celeste Stythani]

Kinyen...

Another new planet and another new mission: Negotiating terms of a possible trade deal, but this client was definitely different than most. The Trandoshan seemed very ambitious and very interested in what she had to offer, but Celeste came here to inquire about his true intentions and negotiate the details first. As she descended the ramp of her Nightsweeper Yacht she wasn't clad in her usual senator attire. She came here today to represent her company back on Kalist IV, that was still in the hands of her uncle right now because she had not managed to pay regular physical visits as she was way too busy for that with all the diplomatic business at hand after all, and so she was wearing a sleek black dress fit for the chosen venue and the kind of business. Her lightsaber was hidden in her purse. She was sure whe wouldn't have to use it, but you could never be careful enough...that was something she had learned quite a while ago.

The "Silvergrass Star" was a rather fancy establishment, and even though it looked quite pretty, it was too crowded for her taste and the hustling and the buzzing of the guests annoyed her a little, but as always she wouldn't let anyone notice her annoyance. Instead, she kept up her professional appearance, a slight charming smile on her lips as she approached the bartender that was serving some drinks in the atrium. She was sure that she would spot the Trandoshan as soon as he would approach, but until then she wanted to enjoy a chilled drink to calm her nerves a little. "What can I offer the beautiful lady?", the Nautolan barkeeper immediately asked her with a smug grin, checking her out from head to toe which she ignored for now. "A Virgin Mojito", she replied, a smile still on her lips, acting completely polite even if his look bugged her, but she let it slide for now in order to avoid causing a scene and it was a good thing that he refrained from starting any further advances afterwards. A minute later she had her drink and started sipping it casually, legs elegantly crossed on the bar stool while she attentively observed the crowd. She was not atvall expecting trouble here as Kinyen was neutral territory, but so was Bunduki and after the assassination she trusted no place anymore. "I'm off in about an hour, so I thought...-", the bartender's voice suddenly chimed in, his breath hot on her ear so that she immediately turned around, a firm grip on his chin while she stared at him warningly. "I'm not interested" she hissed dangerously and his slightly lustful eyes immediately shifted into fright before she let go of him. Why was she so on edge? Perhaps because this was her first business outside mission after the unexpected assassination on Bunduki, but she almost felt bad for her little intimidation of the bartender...She was hoping the Trandoshan would soon arrive so that they could start discussing their terms and get this over with.

@Issachar

 

[Rrodossk]

Rrodossk's two guards were prowling the floor, one of them was a tall Trandoshan dressed in a soft blue flight suit, patches of armor attached around key areas like the knees, shoulders, chest, and elbows. This obviously was not Rrodossk, as his pea green scales and rather lithe build were obviously of a younger generation. Beside him was a humanoid figure, head to toe covered in armor. The laminate armor was somewhat bulky, making a soft clatter with each step as it's plates pressed into eachother. This figure was a few inches shorter than the reptile, but both gave the same aura: two guards sent to retrieve someone. Both were unarmed when they approached Celeste, as far as she could tell atleast, but they still had a commanding presence. The unidentified humanoid leaned his elbows against the bar and leaned back slightly, his visor looking down at the female.

"Rrodossk sent us to bring you to his suite. Would you care to join us?" The somewhat metallic and modulated voice reverberated through the voice box of the helmet, a cool and soft voice trailing through. He seemed patient, but the Trandoshan already was getting antsy. His claws clacked against the ground as he softly tapped his foot, an impatient youth obviously wanted to get his job done.

 

[Celeste Stythani]

Celeste sipped her Virgin Mojito for only a short period of time until two men entered the atrium of the hotel. One was obviously a Trandoshan, but Celeste could immediately tell that that was not the Trandoshan she was supposed to meet. She raised a brow in curiosity, her eyes lingering on both, the Trandoshan and the armored humanoid who approached her until the latter raised his voice. She could feel this inner tension growing as she was naturally mistrusting and it was clearly not the best signal that this Rrodossk sent to aides to fetch her...

She took another sip before she sat the alcohol free cocktail down, her legs still elegantly crossed but even though a rather charming smile was on her lips, the men would be able to tell that there was something about her presence that would say 'do not mess with me'. She could not only sense but also see that the Trandoshan was somewhat nervous and it made her even more suspicious in a way, but their armor wouldn't stop a lightsaber blade..."A meeting in his private suite? That is indeed...interesting" she remarked as she got up, her eyes attentively scanning the floor again before she nodded. "But he surely has his reasons. Bring me to him...". It was a good thing that on the one hand, they would be able to speak in private, but on the other hand it was of course a little suspicious. She softly gestured for them to lead the way before she inconspicuously pressed a button on her watch that would inform her own guards that she was now on the move. She had purposely left them scattered in the building, but she wanted them alerted nonetheless. Everett, her broad shouldered bodyguard was positioned closest to her, still outside in the corridors but he could monitor each of her steps anyway. She wouldn't tell either of them, neither his guards nor Rrodossk himself that she also had additional protection as she normally relied on herself anyway, but she wasn't exactly pleased with having to follow them.

@Issachar

 

[Rrodossk]

The ascent to the room Rrodossk acquired for himself was not long, atleast comparatively to what one would think of for getting to a presidential suite. Outside the door was two Trandoshans who held the group outside for a moment, speaking in their native Dosh into a cooling before letting the trio in. In reality only the female would enter, the other two would be outside and doing other matters. The lights inside were dimmed, but not off, as a Holovid projector was outputting its data onto a large screen. It seemed to be an ancient film, a Spaghetti Mandalorian is what the genre was called, where a lone gunman defended a town from an oncoming group of bandits.

On a large, white, semi oval couch reclined a large figure. He was an old Trandoshan, with the yellow-green scales of his form wethered with age showing his years of combat. He wore only his best attire: a maroon tunic with gold trim that was a tapestry of his family history, long, flowing royal purple slacks, and of course his famous black Wookie pelt cloak. He had a repugnant reptavian sitting on his shoulder; the beast had long, thin legs which rested infront of its huge wings and long tail. It's thick, purple neck had a perfectly rounded head resting on it, with dull doll eyes, a wide, nearly smiling, beak, and a small topknot of red hair. And all of that rested on a fat little body.

"Come come, ssssit. I have recently purchased thus holovid for mysssself. But in a sssserious note, I have had you come here sssso we would have assss much protection as possssssssible, I would despisssse the fear of violence ruining our converssssation. Now, tell me, have you ever heard of a Jubba Bird?" His voice was very much like emotionless sandpaper, atleast at first. The emotions were deep in the words themselves, nuanced listeners could pick up on them. He was genuine with everything he said, and genuinely wanted to make the other comfortable. But there was more he needed to discuss beyond pleasantries.

 

[Celeste Stythani]

As they made their way up into the direction of the presidential suite they soon passed two of her own guards, dressed in a disguise, whom she casually telepathically communicated that they should stand down, but wait for further instructions if necessary. She tried to force the tension out of her muscles but her usual mistrust let her stay on her guard. She was not assuming that the Trandoshan senator had planned any funny business, but she couldn't tell for sure who else was lurking around in this hotel and she would make sure that history wouldn't repeat itself like on Bunduki...

When they arrived at the suite she could immediately tell that they had chosen their Native tongue to speak to one another, but from the few words she understood she could tell that their intentions weren't hostile. However, it was almost a little relieving that she was allowed to enter his suite alone and that it seemed like the four guards would ensure their safety from outside. Even though she came here in the name of her company, this was still a rather private meeting between two senators and with everything that was going on in the galaxy one could never have enough safety precautions. She entered the dim lit suite with a warm smile on her lips although she was fairly convinced that the Trandoshan senator wouldn't waste much time on unnecessary pleasantries, but that corresponded to her own views anyway.

"Senator Rrodossk" she greeted him politely with a respectful nod while she was approaching him, her gaze quickly scanning the room. Even though she had seen and met Trandoshans before, senator Rrodossk had an admittedly impressive frame and she was sure that he was probably around four times her weight, but after her attention was caught by his signature attire, of which she had heard before, her gaze landed on the Reptavian on her shoulder. "A Jubba Bird" she immediately remarked with a hint of amazement in her voice while she followed his invite and gracefully sat down across from him, her gaze shifted onto the Trandoshan senator, "Impressive. I've only read about them, but it's amazing to see one in real life. They are native to the swamplands of Dagobah, if I'm not mistaken". She wondered how he had come into the possession of such an exotic bird and even more how he tamed it, but those were perhaps questions for later. She hadn't payed much attention to the holovid in the background, but now that he mentioned it, she had to suppress a chuckling as this was an interesting choice of genre. She was, however, appreciating his safety precautions even though she hadn't assumed that she would meet him in a privately rented room, but it seemed like the senator had made himself quite comfortable here.

@Issachar

 

[Rrodossk]

The Trandoshan nodded at her assessment of the bird, one of his clawed hand went up to gently bat the little plume of feathers on the Jubba's head. The smiling beak let out a soft cooing noise as it closed its dull eyes, the ugly head turning back into the soft loving pets of his current owner. The creature seemed genuine in its enjoyment of its affection, and Rrodossk seemed to genuinely care for it.

"Thissss isssss from one of my mosssst recent Huntress. Asss you probably know, my ssssspeciessss are very adept hunterssss. Sssso, with my possssition, I organize exotic huntssss every now and again to go well beyond our home planet'ssss moon. That is why we choossssse Dagobah. Assss the group had began their hunt, I found thissss little creature in the treesssss sssstaring down at usssss. Many of the party wished to rip into it, but after convincing I had thisssss creature under my protection. My preciousssss Chocobo isssss an example of what I would like to do with thissss galaxy: essssstaish a military power of protecting much more than their own people." The leathery voice of the large lizard softly growled out its story. It was clear this was going to lead into his pitch, his reptilian brain cutting out most of the fat of the conversation.

"That I'd why I have called you here. To put it simply I require an upgrade to the FWA fleets. And I wish for you to construct some of these designs, as I see promise in your corporation. Are you interested?" His scaled eyebrow raised somewhat as he finally turned to the woman. He knew if things would go downhill he can always pull out the ace he had, but for now he did not wish to interrupt the holovid. Instead he simply waited for a reply.

 

[Celeste Stythani]

It was interesting to see that the former wild Reptavian had apparently taken a liking in the Tradoshan's gestures of affection. She had gathered a few information on the fellow senator and so his love for exotic creatures wasn't new, however what suprised her a little was how the tall, scaled figure seemed to have a soft spot for his pet companions and that almost warmed her heart. "I've heard of the Trandoshan hunts, but I'm curious now. How did you manage to tame it? It seems to genuinely enjoys your company and it doesn't seem to have a problem with staying in such an enclosed space..." she went on, honestly interested while her gaze lingered on the Jubba again.

It was fascinating how the Trandoshan was using the bird talk for a smooth transition into the actual matter at hand and she couldn't help but to chuckle slightly once he expressed his true intentions. "Of course I'm interested. I'm always interested in mutually beneficial trade agreements and I'm also fully on your side when it comes to the issue of protection. What we have seen on Kashyyyk and on countless other planets should never happen again. Too many innocent have died or lost their homes as it was violently taken from them...Of how many ships are we talking though?" she then replied, eyes meeting his. And of course the follow up question would be what he would have to offer in return, but she didn't want to rush with anything here.

@Issachar

 

[Rrodossk]

Rrodossk internally laughed to himself, his plan was unfolding much better than he had hoped already. He was already two steps ahead of this mammal, if he was alone right now he would be smirking. But now it was not the time for gloating, he needed to play his part.

"One does not tame animals, you cohabitate. You learn how to work together, how to accept eachother, and what the other enjoys and what they don't. See, it is very much like a buisness relationship, and I know if ours is to last for the amount of ships I need you will need serious payment. Let us just say I can give you enough credits and material to cover the costs, but I have a feeling it won't be enough. I can give you exclusive access to these designs, though they would have to be exclusive to us and your own fleets... but that can all be one. I wish to also offer you membership into the Free Worlds Alliance. That would give you enough tax breaks and write offs to satisfy for a whole." His other clawed hand tapped the seat he was sitting on almost rhythmically. He obviously wasn't talking small numbers of ships, he meant atleast a navy's worth. This was a bold move, but obviously one thought out and planned for a while. If he flew to close to the sun, Rrodossk's wings would turn to ask, he knew this. But he was no Icarus, it was clear he had a plan to fly just below that level.

 

[Celeste Stythani]

Now this was getting very interesting...and perhaps a little confusing. She internally frowned, and not just a little, but her fasssade remained perfectly well behaved and inconspicuous. It was obvious that cohabitating as he called it was the final solution, but she wondered why he left out the obvious part in which he had probably captured it first. It was a bit hard to imagine that he had simply convinced the Reptavian of joining him as a pet companion...But this was not the time to interrogate him. She would get her information if needed.

She continued listening attentively, nodding while she remained curious but in the end she couldn't help but to chuckle softly. "Enough credits and materials...why are you keeping it vague I wonder. I can still say that I am most definitely interested, but I need concrete numbers so that I can tell you how much time I would need to start constructing your fleet and also how much that would cost. I can promise you that the designs will remain exclusive, but before we can agree to this, we need to discuss all details. The things that concern the FWA are definitely interesting as well, but since there is no Prime Minister position anymore, I wonder now much you could influence the organization. Are you planning on putting in a good word for Rattatak?" she then asked him curiosly, tilting her head to the side. She was not planing on trying to read his mind, but his vagueness was a little suspicious. After all, all he said could just be empty words.

@Issachar

 

[Rrodossk]

The reptile grinned at the mentioned of how much influence he had. If his frame alone made many of the other Senators afraid of him, but those he could not intimidate he were either in good terms with or he could persuade them. The currency issue, on the other hand, now that was troubling. He knew he needed the backing and support of others as well as control of his planet to truly work on this, but right now he sat back and waited for those answers to return. He would gamble big right now, mostly focusing on the fighter program. He would use just about every credit he could get his hands on for this, but in the end it would be well worth it.

"Right now, I can invest twenty five million along with the rough plans I have for them. As more investors enter the picture, you will receive more and more credits, do not worry about that. I already have other Alliance members ready to hand over their checkbooks to build our fleet. As for the offer... oh well I am one of the more influential members of the Alliance. If they won't accept you right away, which would be stupid because you would benefit everyone in our alliance, I am on good terms with many senators. And those who will not welcome you I feel I can convince. A blooming corporation and planet like yours is what our alliance needs to thrive, and to show that we are not shaken by our detractors." He was still furious at the gaul of the New Republic for proposing to silence the FWA, but he knew he had to remain calm here to show his good side. The credits would flow, wether the others wished for them to or not, but currently Rrodossk needed proofs of concept for a new, modernized fleet. He was holding back a possible final bargaining chip... which would be shares in the missions the navy took. It would be a very promising item, but he wished to not play all of his cards all at once.

 

[Celeste Stythani]

His slighlty smug grin wasn't necessarily a good sign. She was pretty sure he was bluffing a little sie she was definitely careful with everything she would say and do here. However after he had seemed so sure about his influence, she sensed that when she mentioned the credits, he was getting less confident. It was probably hard to notice for most, but Celeste usually saw right trough her clients and the Force addionally supported her with that. There was the slightest hint of nervousity noticeable and that just told her enough. "Twenty five million credits? For the whole financing this would merely be a deposit but we could speak about prototypes, if all material costs are covered. I can assure you that we stand for quality and we would surely be able to develop something that will meet your expectations, but before we agree to any set terms, I would definitely need more information".

Her legs were still elegantly crossed and her back all straight while her eyes lingered on the senator. Even though her voice was still sweet and polite, and the charming smile was still on her lips there was something demanding in her gaze. "I truly feel like this is about much more than...protecting your precious own planet. To me it sounds like you and your fellow FWA senators are up to something bigger and I need to know exactly to what I would agree to. Also, I don't worry about them accepting me. I can be very convincing myself..." she slightly teased back, not to antagonize him but to simply demonstrate that playing games wouldn't work on her. She needed honesty and as he had mentioned the 'detractors' she could sense this hidden rage. She was aware of the tensions between the New Republic and the FWA, thus she knew exactly that every step had to be taken with the right amount of caution and circumspection.

@Issachar

 

[Rrodossk]

Rrodossk knew this woman, this mammal, had just thrown away all of his advantage in the blink of an eye. He was now reduced to being on equal footing, which meant he had to pull out his ace. His grin was gone, flashed for merely a few seconds, before his buisness like face returned.

"By no means did I expect an initial installment to be anywhere close to the total required, this is merely to see if these will work well for what we require them for. The entire purpose of our alliance is for economic reasons, and this fleet is for protection. So, combine the two. The fleets we construct will be hired out for protection to both corporations and planets alike, with a fully stocked crew. All they will pay for material wise is fuel, repairs, and munitions. Then, either in one lump some or in a payment plan with interest they hire the fleet. At this time the investors in this project are few because I do not have any ships to show them how effective this concept is." With this, the large humanoid reptile was beginning to make hand motions with his speech. Most Trandoshans did not do this, and in all honesty Rrodossk did not either, but he knew it was a way to relate to mammalians. He was rather good at it too, emphasising his points well with his claws.

He pushed any other emotion back into his cold blooded reptilian brain beyond confidence in his plan as be spoke, carefully calculating his words and what small push of emotion to release with them.

"Many of our fleets will be held in reserve for our own systems' protection, but we will ensure that none of our fleets will be used in anything but a defensive action. We do not wish to make enemies with potential clients after all." He seemed sure this concept would work, and be profitable. If she inquired more about it he can obviously say more, but then he would have to play his ace card. He would rather not to, to keep the ace in his back pocket unplayed, but if he had to he would.

 

[Celeste Stythani]

And with that she had him right where he wanted him to be. "You're cleverly dodging my question..." she remarked amusedly, but there was something slighlty icy and perhaps a little warning in her voice. She still didn't want to antagonize the Trandoshan, but she needed to apply a little pressure to make him talk and spill the details."Economic reasons and protections...sounds rather noble. I would never support any endeavors related to the war industry so I surely hope you're being honest with what you say. I understand your plan and it's remarkable that you're interested in such a long-term investment...those are clearly times of uncertainty when it comes to the future but I truly understand your vision".

She had done her 'homework' as thoroughly as possible, tried to gain as much information as possible about the Trandoshan senator but it still felt like their culture was rather foreign to her. All she knew that they were hunters and so she wasn't fully sure whether he was truly honest. She could not sense a lie right now, but perhaps the Trandoshan was versed in the arts of perception. With his last words he was reassuring her again, but even though she preferred words over actions herself, she would remain cautious. "But very well...if everything you say is the truth, let me see what you have envisioned. About what classes of ships are we talking? And which planets are already on board?" she then asked him rather cooly, yet there was a hint of curiosity in her voice. While her eyes had rested on the senator until now, she was now glancing up at the Jubba Bird that still sat calmly on his owner's shoulders.

@Issachar

 

[Rrodossk]

And the trap had been sprung. Yes, this was his ace, but the scheme worked. Rrodossk knew how to think one way but believe another... and it worked. He had done some reading on this mammal, and she is good at reading people. He knew she would push for it, to work for getting him to spill. This was a way to draw them in and intrigue them, a practice he surley was able to use on his other Senators. Perhapse this is why he is so good at making deals, he makes information he truly wishes to share look as if it was meant to be a guarded secret.

"I understand by the tone of your voice you were expecting more. There is. I wish to provide you an option for financing. We can promise you a percentage of all of our future profits from these fleets that contain your ships; in return we would hope you would give some... discounts. I also wish to inform you of another goal of this mission: to ensure the galaxy does not have an upset of power. If the Sith wish to rage into the inner core and become a power house, we will be there to stop them. If the New Republic wishes to absolutely strip all voices from their opponents, our fleets will blockade their systems. If the cartels wish to blackmail every major politician, our forces will ensure that plan does not happen. We will be the hammer of justice: nonpartisan and unbiased. If you wish to join this plan, then join the Alliance. You not only will get all the tax incentives and free-r trade than with other major organizations, but you will join those who wish to make equality a reality." Whenever he said hammer of justice, his closed claw softly hit against the coffee table infront of the lounge.

Everything had been let out, the trap had closed its jaws. Rrodossk just wished that his years away from the hunt had not blunted his skills, that the jaws of this trap was still strong. Inside, Rrodossk wished to have this whole plan work. That all the dominos would collapse exactly as he planned for them to. But he knew it wouldn't be exactly as he planned. But if he failed... he knew his jagannath points would suffer. May the Scorekeeper be smiling down on him tonight.

 

[Celeste Stythani]

Was that relief she suddenly started to sense? Perhaps. But it seemed like it was not purely dedicated to her expression of interest, but he seemed quite satisfied all of a sudden. She herself didn't react to it. She prefered to lean back a little and observe the show he was giving her, but it itbwas indeed interesting that the Trandoshan was quite versed in the arts of subtle manipulation himself. She attentively listened to his offers and outlines of his plan while her gaze shifted from the Jubba Bird back to the senator. "You talk about future profits...yet we are not fully sure if they will present themselves. We're still talking about long-term investment here and long-term proves itself rather difficult in times like this...yet we can keep that in the back of our mind right now. You have mentioned designs already, mind if you show them to me?". Even though he had clarified a few aspects, she still needed to receive something tangible and not just potentially empty words.

However before they could continue their talk about the actual business, he suddenly revealed his overall plan and if she wouldn't have been so good at keeping up her appearance, she would have possibly sent any kind of revealing sign. Even though he was talking about defensive purposes only, he mentioned the Sith, the NR and the cartels and then he even used this interesting trope with the hammer of justice. She kept a fully straight poker face when he slammed his fist onto the table in a rather softly way and she didn't flinch at all when he enlisted all of those factions. "Senator...whatever you are brewing sounds very risky. I hope you are aware that you are starting to play with fire. Openly going against any of these powerful factions can be dangerous and even the pure expression of those thoughts can also put a huge target on your back...", she paused for a moment, her tone still rather warm and polite but there was much more seriousness in it. If Celeste would have been a blind, loyal follower of the Empire, the huge torso of the Trandoshan would have probably been sliced in half by her concealed lightsaber by now. Good for him that she had never been like that...

"Right now I need to focus on the safety of my planet. I'm implementing severe changes and progress takes time, so I do not wish to sign myself in something so radical. It's honorable and surely noble that it is your goal to protect the whole sphere of influence of the FWA, bug my own vision is peace. Peace and nothing else and that's why I would disagree with your use of the term 'forces'. What happened on Kashyyyk and other systems was terrible and it should never happen again, yet I'm a firm believer that after the meeting between Chancellor Xerxes and former Empress Andruil we are finally approaching times that are more peaceful". She stopped her for now, letting her words sink it to ensure that he understood the crucial point of her argument: She would not invest in war business. She would support an endeavor that would aim at establishing protection for planets and system, but her ships would not be send into invasions. If Rattatak would join the FWA, there would definitely be more trade agreements and she would support other planets, but she would not shed more blood voluntarily.

@Issachar

 

[Rrodossk]

"Forcessss are all around ussss, wether itssss military or gravity. We all have forcessss... you, I, thissss reptavian. There are forcessss in everything. Forcessss are there to keep thingssss going or keep them from happening. Thesssse are not to be active offensssse, thesssse are meant to protect the galaxy from itsssself. To be the ultimate deterrent against an active form of aggressssssssion. Only with them do we have any form of peace, becausssse I have a feeling, in the pit of my sssstomach, there will be a time of turmoil within the near future." The Trandoshan went from firey not to cold and frigid in a heartbeat. He made no hand movements, simply leaning back and letting cold logic work itself. He was truthful, there were merely there to protect and ward off attacks by their presence alone.

"But for those dessssignssss, I have them all on thissss datapad. You may look, I have already sssselected a few dessssignssss that would ssssuit your company quite well." The datapad was already on the coffee table, simple and black in make. Rrodossk put his thumb claw against a button and unlocked the pad, handing it to the woman. There were plenty of designs, from interceptors to cruisers, and all of them were advanced and state of the art. Some were even down right experimental, but if they worked they could be the inspiration for how the galaxy built ships from then on out.

 

[Celeste Stythani]

His sudden talk about all kinds of forces was slightly confusing and she first assumed that it would serve as a distraction, but in the end he went back to the argument they were discussing and he reassured her that he was talking about defensive purposes only once again. Even though it could have all been a lie, there was at least some kind of insurance as her men were recording the words they were exchanging here anyway. Still it slightly amused her that he was talking about forces so much without even knowing that the one sitting across from him was able to control the Force that was everywhere around them. "Of course. I know you are right. The Force is all around us and inside each and every individual being anyway, yet there are also dreadful, strong forces that seek destruction and supremacy and I do not wish to add to them. I'm glad you see it similarly" she replied with another polite smile before his words sank in.

"And I dearly hope that you're wrong with that feeling. Even though I'm trying to stay optimistic, we can never tell for sure. Perhaps something is brewing in the background, perhaps you possess more knowledge than I do..." she then remarked with a hint of scepticism in her voice, as she was normally the one to collect all sorts of background information. She still couldn't shake the feeling that he was up to something else and perhaps he had more insights because of that, but she wouldn't go as far as to acquire them forcibly. For now, she wanted to shift her focus onto the designs he had prepared and so she took his datapad out of his claws while she pulled her own out of her bag. She oberserved them thoroughly, zooming in and out again until she answered him with a short nod. "It seems like you have done some research as well. They fit our style and they surely look promising. May I transmit the data to my own datapad? This way I could consult my experts asap" she then asked him curiosly, but before the words had even left her mouth she could suddenly feel a shift in the Force. Not inside this very room, but outside. There was something strangely familiar about the violent presence which made it even more unsettling.

@Issachar

 

[Rrodossk]

The former Bounty Hunter stared off at the door for a moment, seemingly stating through it and into somewhere beyond. His gut knew something was wrong, he felt it deep inside. That's how he knew something would go wrong before, every Bounty Hunter knew when to listen to their gut, and that's what told him that something was going to happen in the galaxy

That did not matter now. He knew something bad would happen here, in the hotel. It took a moment before the guards outside entered back into the room; they sensed it too. They gathered by the doorway, and slowly drew their own pistols and various melee weapons. Clubs, knives, and short machetes were common among the Trandoshans, though the Merr-Sonn Power 6 that was drawn by Rrodossk wasn't. The pistol was obviously well used and modified to fit the lizard's large hand. It's larger sight shone a blood red as he slowly stood, aiming it with one hand at the door as he slowly moved to block the female from line of sight

"I was going to say, before we were interrupted, that I have forces of my own. That bird I have, it can sing well. Well enough to calm almost anyone down. Yet I had not used it this entire conversation, and much like this future fleet it shall not engage unless provoked. Now I reccomend you stay behind me and stay quiet, things shall get messy soon." The raspy voice of the lizard was whispering for this exchange, his form slightly crouching as he obviously prepared for attack. His security detail had gotten into the security systems of the hotel easily, so those who had access to the cameras softly hissed into the comms the location of the intruders. They were close now, down the hall. But when they entered, nothing would be left but corpses and a few happy Bounty Hunters. Rrodossk smiled internally to himself, and he thought about how it had been to long being away from this thrill...

 

[Celeste Stythani]

The whole athmosphere had changed out of a sudden and it seemed like their conversation was about to take an involuntary turn. Celeste could sense the commotion, the upcoming turmoil and somehow she found it quite ironic that the senator had mentioned such a feeling just a few moments ago. Her gaze shifted onto the guards who had just entered the room readily and all of her muscles tensed. Was this indeed a trap after all, she wondered suspiciously, but his reaction seemed geuinely surpised. As details about the intruders locations were shared she suddenly realized why she was sensing this strange familiarity and that this was not at all a trap placed by the senator himself...

It was them. She didn't even had a single doubt. The sudden realization that what they had done on Ando Prima was apparently not enough hit her hard and it made her furious. Why were they still tracking her and what did this mean for the other senator who was targeted before as well? She swallowed hard when she could feel the rage inside her starting to boil. This was not good. Not at all. Not again...

Her heartbeat involuntarily accelarted while the Trandoshan senator moved to cover her. She was convinced that he was not acting out of altruism, but he was rather trying to preserve his deal or perhaps even believing that she was not capable of defending herself. Yet she kept her lightsaber hidden in her purse for now, her eyes fixed on the door while she reached out with the Force to sense the approaching attackers. The last time they had been equipped with advanced weapons and grenades filled with sedative smoke and that was why they had managed to catch them off guard, but at least they seemed slighty more prepared this time" I've got a feeling that I know those bastards. Tell your men to step away from the door. I'm pretty sure they'll have something prepared to us" she quickly answered before she took a deep breath to concentrate and coil the Force around her. If his guards would move aside she was prepared to hurl their grenades back into their direction with a precise Force Push, but at the same time her gaze quickly shifted back onto the Reptavian. She knew about their songs and she knew he was right about the effects, yet this was only a small prove of his true intentions, but this was not the time to focus on them anyway. Celeste would not reveal her powers unless necessary, but this meant that she had to be fully focused and ready to act if needed.

@Issachar

 

[Rrodossk]

Her command seemingly went on deaf ears as those inside rushed out. Even the Senator decided an advanced strike was the best, but it was not the only group moving on the potential assailants. A second group stayed at the opposite end of the room, incase the Senator required any additional muscle. These were mostly made of other species, several different species acting as families or what not in an act of a short term cover story. They held aloft similar weapons to Rrodossk's crew, the blaster pistols firing at those that would have anything similar to explosives or gas weaponry.

The Senator howled out a war cry as he skid ito the hallway, blaster aloft as rapid red bolts flicked out from the barrel. The hallway was screaming with blaster bolts and vibro blades, drowning out the battle cries of those Bounty Hunters who were hungry for blood and to make a name for their selves. Unseen by many of the other guests, but the mercenaries and even the Senator had worn thin energy absorbing vests under their clothing. The pads were to make sure the shot did not tear the one wearing it apart, but instead to push them over and most likely knock them out.

The Trandoshan Senator hissed into his comlink as several more Bounty Hunters unseen by the female rushed out of the presidential suite and piled into the battle, the numbers of defenders now atleast matching those who would-be assassins. The group went wide, filling the hallway lengthwise to allow no others to move past them. Blades and teeth and claws and blaster bolts were used to try and assault those who would have done harm to the Senator and/or his guest; no matter what would have been said here blood would most certainly be spilt here in this hallway.