A Crow in the Unkindness

[Chiasa Kritivaas]

An interesting message had arrived, and one Chiasa was not sure how she felt about, but it most definitely fell under her jurisdiction. A member of the Primeval, a faction that had made overtly aggressive moves towards the Ravens until their mutual ally the One Sith and Darth Vornskr in particular had decreed that they would be allies, was coming over to lend his aid to the Ravens. Apparently they thought he had qualifications and skills that would be useful to her. And, having gone over his dossier, she supposed he did. It still left a rank taste in her mouth. If Vornskr had approached her, perhaps, but the whole thing had been strong-armed using Vornskrs.. sway over Cryax. At least that would be dealt with very soon. Still. She didn't trust the Primeval and she didn't trust this [member="Tyro'din"]. They sent her an assassin and a spy and expected her to hold him to her bosom and greet him as a long lost comrade? Pah.

Better an assassin she could see than one she couldn't however.

A brief flicker of annoyance passed over her face before it was once again schooled into impassiveness. She was too busy for this. Damn Vornskr and damn the Primeval. A bunch of zealots. Chiasa, being motivated by self-interest did not understand or have patience for religious zealots of any kind. Still, perhaps he could be of some use. He'd surely want to prove himself before trying to stab her in the back or making off with the secrets of the Ravens.

So. All she had to do was stay once step ahead of him. Well and good. This should be interesting..

She steepled her fingers for a moment, before sipping from the glass sitting on the table of the booth she was currently waiting in. It had a state of the art privacy field, and so would meet the dual requirements of being public enough that if he was an idiot he couldn't just stab her, what with all the Dragon Palace Casino's security, and there was little to no chance of them being overheard. She wasn't certain she wanted the headache of having the general populace of the Ravens knowing what had been brought into their midst.

 

[Tyro'din]

[member="Chiasa Kritivaas"]

Tyro'din walked with large strides into the casino he had been told to arrive at, the Dragon Palace. He was wearing his usual leather tunic and trousers along with his belt that was covered in pouches but they were hidden beneath the extravagant, purple Shell Spider Silk robes he was wearing over the top. On his thighs his blaster pistols and knives were holstered as normal but his rifle was left back at the apartment he was currently renting and not on his back like usual.

Sweeping over to the bar off to the side he ordered a high proof drink and downed it straight away and ordered another before returning his mind to the reason he was here. Recently he had been feeling bored and stagnant as such when the task came for an alliance meeting with the Red Ravens, a crime syndicate the Host was in an uneasy alliance with, he had jumped at the chance. Right now he was at the casino to meet the Minister of Diplomacy and Vice President of the Red Raven to sort out the details. He cast his eye around, looking for the orange-skinned Twi'lek he had been told to find. He finally spotted her, sitting at one of the booths around the outside of the grand room. To most it looked like she was entirely open to attack and observation but a feeling in his gut told him he was wrong.

Slowly he made his way over, sweeping his one eye over her, analysing her. He trusted almost non after all, and definitely never trusted those he had never met. She was doing a remarkable job of hiding her emotions and thoughts from her face and body language but Tyro'din had been trained in reading body language and microexpressions since he was five and as such could see the very, very minute signs of irritation and annoyance, feeling he himself was now feeling due to how long it had taken him to spot those emotions. Of course, he too hid his feelings behind a mask, unlike her's though, his mask contained emotion, small levels of obviously faked joy.

"You must be Chiasa." He greeted as he slid into the seat opposite, scratching below his empty eye socket. "The name's Tyro'din, Agent of The Bleeding Sun, as I'm sure your well aware." His eye flickered around for a moment taking in all of the security precautions he could see. "Please do ignore the robes, I just returned from a job when you gave the time and meeting place an I didn't have a chance to change." He took a sip from his drink, "Shall we straight down to business and be brutally honest with each other? We both know you don't like this, so there's no point in hiding it." Tyro'din leant back and stared at the Twi'lek, wanting to observe as much as he could of her reaction to add it to the profile of her he was creating in his mind.

 

[Chiasa Kritivaas]

Chiasa had inclined her head slightly in acknowledgement of his greeting, and to confirm that yes, she knew who he was and where he was coming from. At his blunt declaration one brow rose slightly. What that signified he could decide for himself, but it was clearly calculated.

"I don't recall establishing a dress code."

She commented with a half shrug and a small smile, choosing to address his previous statement first. The robes also left him plenty of room to conceal things. If the Casino hadn't been outfitted with the very best sensors credits could buy that was. If he hadn't been on the approved list, [member="Tyro'din"] would never have got in the door with the weapons he was carrying. For non-Ravens, the Casino was a strictly demilitarized zone.

"And no. Perhaps understandably I don't like being forced to have an assassin stand at my back from a group I was forced to ally with. You can perhaps see how any reasonable being let alone one who so many would profit from the death of would find that a not particularly comfortable situation."

"I suppose your Masters would like me to send them a thank you note now."

That last was delivered with dripping sarcasm and venom. It was near enough to how she felt, but she was overplaying it a little. He wanted brutally honest, how would he respond to it? She wasn't actually nearly as threatened by him as she was pretending. Perhaps she ought to have been, but quite frankly the Twi'lek was a canny beast, and had taken many steps to ensure the safety of her own skin.

 

[Tyro'din]

[member="Chiasa Kritivaas"]

Tyro'din let a feral smirk cross his face, exposing his canines, before he gave a short bark of laughter. "I definitely like you." He said before chuckling for a few moments. "No, I don't think they want a thank you note, although you could try a box of chocolates, they might accept that. And you are right when you say that many would profit from your death, there's a big, big bounty out for you." Even as he talked in a slightly jovial tone, he was meticulously detailing her every reaction, every twitch and compiling a profile on her. The first thing he noticed about her was that she was confident, not arrogant but stone cold confidence from knowing how well secured your safety was, he could respect that. She knew he could hide all manner of weapons on his person under the robes, she knew and had probably thought of multiple ways he could be neutralised if he became a threat.

"So, how can this humble servant serve the mighty Ravens and strengthen the alliance between our to sides, hmm? I do so hope the task includes something that requires me to work hard, I'm extremely bored." Every minuscule of information he released was carefully judged and decided to be expendable and a necessary risk if he wanted to achieve the best possible outcome.

 

[Chiasa Kritivaas]

"Who wouldn't accept a box of chocolate?"

She returned with a smile and a loosening of her shoulders. Her, for one. They might be poisoned, and in any case, sweets were for the weak willed. On Ryloth being fat was considered a sign of prestige, but the plain fact was that in the big wide galaxy it was more convenient to be sleek and svelte. A well maintained body was just one more weapon to have in ones arsenal. Hopefully he was right, and the leadership of the Primeval would welcome such things though, it would mean they were not as much of a threat as they might be. Likely though, he just thought he was being clever.

A big, big bounty? Really. The brow rose slightly at that. She hadn't been aware. It was certainly possible. In all truth, although she'd given up on staying entirely under the radar, being just too memorable, it was usually the Chiss that people went after. They didn't seem to realize just how many strings she pulled and how well she'd entrenched herself in the Ravens. Perhaps someone finally had. It would be gratifying if it wasn't so inconvenient. Ah well, such was life.

"Mighty?"

The Twi'lek sounded amused. In fact it was a subtle warning. Don't lay it on too thick. What are you to us? What are we to you? What do you know about us and our might? As it turned out the Ravens had gone from a simple criminal ring to a force to be reckoned with in the Galaxy, but they weren't Mandos, they didn't go flying about starting galactic wars. They did on occasion however, finish them.

"I suppose that depends on you however. I was informed you would be joining us and provided a dossier. It did not include what your willingness. Could I put your skills to use? Certainly, however if you were one of mine I would have watched you from the moment you joined and would know precisely what you were capable of and willing to do. Some people have codes. Some have none. Some see tasks as below them."

"We will also need to decide how to handle your.. relationship with the other Ravens."

How much information about him they were given. If they knew his background.

"And along those lines I will ask now. Where you involved in any of the kidnappings or attacks against us? If any of my.. Unkindness are going to pull a blaster on you at first sight I would like to be prepared."

[member="Tyro'din"]

 

[Tyro'din]

[member="Chiasa Kritivaas"]

Tyro'din nodded his head at the Twi'lek, acknowledging the warning. It seemed to the Bothan that no one appreciated his humour any more, he sighed before taking another sip of his drink. It wasn't like he was being rude, he just liked to lay the supposed humility on too thick in a game of jest, a game no one seemed to want to join.

"If you want to know more about my skills than what a piece of paper can tell you, then by all means, test me." He leant forwards, a smirk on his face. "Give me a challenge to do, a job to complete, a risk to take. Test me how ever you like. Watch me, observe me, see how I do things. Would that ease your mind, my dear?" He pulled back his lips in a feral imitation of a smile, showing his teeth, before he leant back and returned his content and slightly happy mask back into place. "After all, I'm willing to work with you and others to make this work." He smiled softly now no hint of the viciousness from before.

"No, I was not part of any of the kidnapping nor the attacks against you and yours." He said softly, finally answering her question. "And if I did, do you think I would be so unprofessional to show my face? You wound me." He leant back, over acting a shot to the heart while smirking on the inside. He hadn't been a part of anything against the Ravens, this was his first contact with them, but the way he had worded his reply may have planted a seed of doubt within the beautiful Twi'lek's mind. And if it did not, oh well.

"As for what should be revealed to them. I say, nothing. Let the grunts see me as a grunt. Let the superiors see me as another piece on the board. Let only the higher-ups see me as who I am. I see no reason not to do this."

 

[Chiasa Kritivaas]

It was unfortunate he could not be trusted, she rather liked [member="Tyro'din"]. Or at least, she liked the glimpses of him that he let through every now and again. While she tended to drift through refined circles, for a criminal in any case, and played diplomat all day long, there was something refreshing about spotting another predator. Most people did not actually require her to pay attention or engage any but the topmost layers of her mind, leaving the rest free to wander. How sad that those who actually made her sit up and take note tended to be decidedly dangerous.

She laughed at his offer to complete a test.

"Ease my mind? Hardly anan. Either you will prove incompetent in which case it will be a trial to have you about, but to send you back would be an insult I can ill afford at this time, or you will be competent in which case you are a threat."

Her eyes danced with amusement, this was a good joke. Ease her mind indeed!

"But I will find use for you, all the same."

His assurance that he'd not been part of the actions against the Ravens was accepted, largely because she didn't care one way or the other, and it had been more of a warning that if he had been, those affected would not have forgotten and would not have forgiven. If he'd lied to her and later got himself shot in the face for it, well, that was hardly her fault and she could not be held accountable. She'd checked, he'd said no, she accepted it. Surely her allies didn't expect her to distrust their peace offering? Machinations within machinations.

"We are in agreeance on this. If you are found out for who you are it will be because you and yours have failed to cover your trail adequately. You are allying with criminals. We have slicers and those who would like to think they're spies and almost all of them are tenacious. Give them reason to dig and they will. So let that be your first and ongoing test. Fit in."

This was dangerous. She did not particularly want him winning allies over to himself and he would. Of this she was certain. Though it was implied that if he was found out she'd leave him to hang, the truth was she would likely step in. At this precise moment, she did not want to deal with a conflict with the Primeval, which could become a conflict with the One Sith. Still, the Republic was insulating the Red Ravens from any more dangerous enemies rather effectively at the moment.. A point to consider and keep in mind.

 

[Tyro'din]

[member="Chiasa Kritivaas"]

Tyro'din nodded when he was given his orders, however he had to smirk slightly as he saw the complicated place this all put Chiasa. "Are you sure that is wise? Allowing me to make and gain allies from within your ranks? Especially as you have expressed a dislike to having to deal with me and the Host." He tipped back the rest of his drink before sighing and deciding to let the masks fall ... partially.

"I must admit, my dear, that I am disappointed that this meeting must draw to a close. I have enjoyed this, it is rare that I meet someone who requires me to actively use a majority of my focus on them and the conversation, it is refreshing to say the least. It is also nice to know that not all people are half-brainless twits who can be so easily manipulated into dancing to a tune of my desire." The masks which he had lowered immediately snapped back into place. "So, where is my first location to be on my task, my lady?"

 

[Chiasa Kritivaas]

She shrugged lightly at his question.

"Is it wise to be a criminal? It is wise to rise above the rank and file at all? Very few things are wise, but how boring my life would be if I only did what was wise."

Her life was decidely not wise. It was a series of calculated risks and gambles. She would have rather not had to deal with the Primeval at all, but she did have to, and she did have to deal with [member="Tyro'din"]. It was as it was, if she could profit from it, she would.

"I am sure there will be more in our future.."

Was the response with a slight smile half hidden as she raised her glass to take a sip before lowering it to the table once more.

"There's to be an event on Nar Shaddaa at the Golden Nautolan, to celebrate our recent rise to power there. That would be a good place to start. Then we're moving on to Aduba III, I'm sure your skills will come in use there."

[member="Tyro'din"]