Ask Coruscant Under the table

[Ceris Odrosess]

It wasn't often Ceris got to take a stroll through Coruscant, but she enjoyed the different atmosphere. A figurative atmosphere, as she wasn't Ceris, Captain in the New Republic Navy, on her free time. Recently in her free time she has decided to snoop around the lower levels of the planet; it mostly consisted of sitting around bars and clubs listening for any drunk thugs to open their mouth too wide. Most of the things she heard was just simple petty crimes, nothing that interested her. A bit ago she overheard a conversation talking about a 'Gareth Gin', who was apparently making some plans. Ceris wasn't able to obtain information about the details of the plan, but nonetheless any sort of plan made by criminals would be interesting to investigate.

Over the next few days Ceris collected some information on the man, slowly of course in order to not draw any suspicion. "Shady fighting arenas, petty offenses, and a ship.." Ceris mumbled to herself reading the information displayed on her datapad. An opportunity presented itself, but Ceris was stumped how to seize it. After a few more days she finally managed to create a form of contact. She had been visiting cantinas in the lower levels, in a disguise, asking bar keepers about the "White Lion". Eventually she met a petty thug who had worked a few jobs for the man, and this was her chance. She bought the man a couple drinks and handed him a note to bring to Gareth. There was a possibility the message wouldn't reach it's target destination but there was nothing to lose from trying.

The note would read:

Hello Gareth Gin, owner of 'The Getaway', or White Lion if that's what you like to be called. I know that you have been busy and have plans to be busier. I can turn a blind eye and make things a lot simpler for you, of course I expect some favors in return. If you are curious, contact me within one week; I'll leave some instructions. By all means if you aren't interested in the offer, then feel free to decline. I just hope you don't plan on leaving the planet any time soon.

The instructions on the note would lead Gareth to a direct, but secured, communication line through the holonetwork.

@Versok

 

[Gareth Gin]

This was certainly a new thing to happen to Gareth, he had been used to making deals with many people, but usually he was the one to start them. If he had to guess, his recent exploits and rise into the power as the enforcer that was leading most of the current operations of the Zaa Fenn had done quite a lot for his reputation...Which he didn't mind, even if that meant going undercover was a bit more difficult.

That being said, he didn't expect someone to come to him in such a bold manner, an anonymous note that told him that he could gain something from a new partnership, yet also threatening him in case he didn't accept it? Saying that to one of the most influential people within the 5S, one that prided himself in being one of the greatest warriors around no less...Took some serious balls, power or flat out stupidity, but the white lion of Zaa Fenn was amused and decided to find out.

So, just a couple of hours before that week ended, Gareth Gin contacted the mysterious person, deciding to use a private room inside a random strip club if only to make sure no one knew what the places he frequented usually were, about all he would get from that room since he literally couldn't enjoy the show like a normal person with functioning eyes would "So, you wanted some of my precious time to talk, eh? Let's talk then, the White Lion is listenin'."

@Altaria

 

[Ceris Odrosess]

Ceris had waited patiently for a response, and pondered on whether or not it was even delivered. For all she knew, that petty thug probably thought it was something important and ran off with it. Eventually she received a notification that the line had been connected to, and now business began.

A voice message would play for Gareth, "Hello, White Lion of Zaa Fenn." The voice was in a dark low tone and somewhat fuzzy; Gareth would know it has been put through a voice scrambler. "First, I must congratulate and thank you for your contributions in taking out Durr the Hutt. You have been a good kitten on Coruscant so far, but I get the feeling that will not last very long. Although I'm unsure of a way to prove it, I can help keep Republic security off your back, at least on or near Coruscant. All I would like in return, at least for now, is some information. Assuming my labor bears fruit, my help could eventually extend farther out from just Coruscant."

"For now, the only information I am interested in is about the AMS Virus, if you have any. Durr the Hutt was responsible for causing the outbreak, and I want to know why he did so. I assume you and your allies are searching for the creators of the virus, and I too would like to meet them. If you are curious as to why, I can't disclose it. However if my hypothesis is correct, then there is another potential asset that we can share."

There was a short pause but eventually the voice message continued. "As I mentioned before, you are clearly free to decline, but that is without consequence. At any point I can blacklist and even impound your space yacht under suspicion of criminal activity. That would only be the beginning. Any questions....... concerns?"

With the rise of Zaa Fenn, having an ally with some credibility within the group would be a major asset in the long run. For now there wasn't many things Ceris needed from the White Lion, but it was wise to start a relationship.

@Versok

 

[Gareth Gin]

Gareth listened as the person behind the meeting started talking, a glass of Gin in his hand as he pondered and let every single word settle in, weighing every single option and analyzing the way that person talked, trying to discern just what kind of person he was dealing with...And after Ceris said her piece, after she asked if there were any concerns, Gareth Gin...laughed. The White Lion of Zaa Fenn let out a small, soft chuckle in response to these threats.

"You are very new at this kinda stuff and it shows, friend." Gareth said before letting out a small chuckle and taking another sip, letting those words sink in for a couple seconds "Let me be straightforward with you: I've got a bounty on my head already, yet here I am, I have flourished as a known criminal in the galaxy, I'm one of the top dogs of the Five syndicates, do you think I fear what what you could do to me? I have fought alongside the most infamous gunslinger in the fucking galaxy, I know danger when I see it, and you...are not it"

Gareth leaned back on his seat, "looking" at the ceiling now, the man let out a sigh before continuing his explanation "You see, there are only two people that would take such measures to make sure the person they reach out don't know about them: Those with far, far too much power and influence that have mastered to work behind the scenes and those that desperately want it because they don't have it, and you're certainly the latter. After all, even if you take such measures to remain hidden, you've already told me three vital pieces of information: That you don't have enough power to be certain of a way to prove it to me, that your influence right now is only that of this planet, and that you need my help to change your situation"

Of course, this was indeed a planet she had an influence on apparently, but that didn't mean much to the enforcer of Zaa Fenn, whatever she could throw at him...He would recover from "So, I suggest you stop with those "if you decline my offer" threats, because I've got the strength and resources to deal with anything this planet could possibly throw at me, legal or otherwise...And I've got enough friends and resources to track you down and make sure you pay if you cross me, no matter how safe you think you are behind that voice changer." His tone became a more serious, menacing one, almost like a growl, the White Lion of Zaa Fenn wasn't one that could be threatened, not by someone that wouldn't even show their face, not when some of the best slicers in the galaxy were under his command.

"So, let me just tell you this: When you need the help of someone like me, you don't threaten them as if they were some kind of street punk; You are dealing with a top dog of the biggest fucking syndicate in the galaxy, show some respect." In the end, this was a warning, other syndicate people would have straight up ended the call and try to find her, but the White Lion could see some use in the mysterious person, no matter how bad the first impression was "So, for starters, we are gonna do this the other way around, you find a way to prove your usefulness to me first, tell me something you can specifically help me with, and then, just then ...I'll give you that information...Or you can call it quits and gain nothing from this conversation, understood?"

@Altaria

 

[Ceris Odrosess]

Ceris would laugh hysterically at Gareth's comments, going on for minutes. Tears rolled down her eyes from laughter. The voice would continue "Now I know why I've never seen or heard someone use the words 'smart' or 'intelligent' to describe the White Lion. You think the Republic actually CARES about your bounty?!"

"You are nothing without Preef. You were his pawn, his goony, his lackey, his underling. Don't bother trying to claim any of his accomplishments as your own. You were an underground arena fighting slave, Preef's slave, and the Zaa Fenn's slave." There was a short pause with laughter and music in the background "It's funny how the man who was simply used as muscle for jobs is trying to act smart. I don't need your power to extend my reach at all; I have others for that. I'm simply looking for side benefits. If you think I don't already have the power for my situation, then you can ask the people of Denon; they got a mere taste of my power. The fact that I stand to lose the most if this relationship goes poorly, is enough proof of it as well. You only stand to be arrested like a petty thug on the streets, or like a slave."

"As for your so called strengths and resources, well, I'm not worried at all. I would love to see you try, that way I can call you and laugh at you even more. Listen White Kitten, I'm assuming Preef and your other friends" The word 'friends' was said in a sarcastic tone "use to do the talking for you, so just continue being the muscle head slave that you have always been. I can tell that you are scared, that is why you sound angry. I truly do not care of your status, a slave will always be a slave, and I do not have respect for them. I can easily work with someone else. You are not the only one with information, you were simply the easiest to contact. The actual top-dogs are much harder to get a hold of."

"You are a novice trying to play a game with a master. You just shown your whole hand after merely seeing a single card of mine. How about I play another card to make it fair? The voice behind this scrambler, is not from the person you are actually speaking too." Ceris had brought a maid from her grandparent's estate to Coruscant in order to speak for her. The maid spoke from a strip club of her own. Ceris knew the fool would try to be intimidating "So White Slave of Zaa Fenn, if you truly have strength and resources, prove it to me, well, as in the person you are technically communicating too. He has offered two tests for you that you can pick from: The first is uncovering why Durr the Hutt created the AMS vaccine. The second test is to figure out the name of the person that is actually speaking right now."

The second test was entirely a trick, as the maid had no actual name. She was orphaned and nurtured into being a maid for the Odrosess family, just like all of the other servants. She was a nobody. The test's only purpose was to see how quickly the enforcer would try to strike. "You have a galactic standard week to complete whichever test you want. Surely a so called top-dog can achieve this with all of his strengths and resources. If you are scared, feel free to decline. That is all." Ceris didn't care if he was able to complete any of the tests in a week, she was more so interested in which of the 3 options he chose.

@Versok

 

[Gareth Gin]

It seemed like the captain was really good at striking right where it hurt. Slave, that word, that damn word, pierced his heart like a knife, to become someone's belonging, to have your life become something that's not your own, that was something Gareth knew all too well how it felt like...And here she just challenged everything Gareth stood for, she acted as if she was better than him, and the truth is, it was working.

Doubts had begun to harbor inside his mind not long ago, doubts regarding Preef and how, after his death, no one knew what to do, which forced the White Lion to step forward...Yet it was not the same, the Rodian's death was a great attack against them by the sith, but Gareth and those he led stood there and did nothing at all. As time went on, he noticed how the Zaa Fenn became more and more...lazy, there was nothing legendary about the people Preef Callo had brought together in the past, they didn't care about the challenge, the thrill of a good heist and to fight with courage despite all odds, they cared only about the money, they had gone soft...And so did he.

After all, the ISC also was taking jabs at the 5S now, weren't they? Strike after strike, blow after blow, everyone in the galaxy wanted them gone or put on a leash, the latter being the case of the mysterious contact that was now talking to him and disrespecting him in such a manner, it was pathetic, it made him sick...And it broke something inside him.

"As long as I am alive, my will is my own." Gareth stated, his voice tense, angry, yet not loud, the voice of someone who was really not screwing around "As long as I lead the Zaa Fenn, the likes of you will not put us on a leash...And for as long as I draw breath, the galaxy will learn to fear us. I will not do what you say, but you will hear from us soon."

With that said, the Zaa Fenn enforcer closed communications.
With that said, the White Lion went on a hunt.

/exit thread

@Altaria