A New Start on the West Side

[Kay-Larr]

Things were tougher here on Zakuul than they were on Commenor. The dangers were more real and there were more enemies. Which also meant that she needed more people that she could count on; those that wouldn't betray her trust.

One of those people was [member="Ghorua the Shark"] . He was a top notch bounty hunter, a protector, and a great mentor and father. They both helped eachother on so many occasions. Now she needed that help again.

Kay quickly typed up a message on her datapad:

Ghorua,

I hope this message finds you well. I am in need of your help. I've got a long story to tell you, but you'll find me on Zakuul, in Zakuul City. If you are able, please come and see me. I've provided the co-ordinates for you, as well as the verification code that will allow you to bypass the heavy security in orbit and on the ground.

Hope to hear from you soon.

Kay

 

[Ghorua the Shark]

LOCATION: The Balin Cabin, Bakura
EQUIPMENT: IN BIO
CURRENT MOOD: Overjoyed

When the First Order collapsed, Ghorua and Minna rejoiced.

The resilient little girl had grown up on Bakura, had known nothing but the First Order's rules, and her father's distaste for them. She'd blossomed into an intelligent woman and deadly hunter in the back woods, reared off of Sapir tea and a resentment toward the unjust authority figure. It would be an understatement to say that the Balins had given the troopers of the Order "a bit of trouble."

Ghorua couldn't remember a time he had been more pleased.

It had taken some time for Minna to come back planetside. She'd taken the ship on an errand, came back with a smuggler in the hold. Ghorua couldn't have been more proud. It had been an appropriate time to drink.

"Try it," Ghorua said coaxingly, sipping a light brown fluid from the porch of their house. He looked more weathered. A hunter past his prime now, as much as the Old Shark would protest. Still dangerous, still sharp as a tack, just old. "It's some good whiskey."

"Really?" Adamina shot back, since changed from her armor to comfortable clothes. Despite the time, she still looked so very much like the first day Ghorua saw her. "My first alcoholic beverage, and we're going with whiskey?"

Her offended front was just that; a front. A teasing, knowing front.

Too much like her father, that one.

"Yeah," he smiled, enjoying their little game. "Unless you'd like to go back to tea?"

"In your dreams, Dad."

They toasted, and drank. Ghorua felt the frown on his lips before he tasted the terrible drink, and Minna spat out the fluid. She wrinkled her nose, examining the glass with a critic's scrutiny. "Gross!"

"Remember why I stopped drinking alcohol, now," Ghorua surmised, pouring the rest out on the deck.

He stood up, grimacing slightly at the strain. He was getting older, but he wasn't that old. He had a sneaking suspicion the science experiments performed on his body were beginning to lose their charm. He plodded inside, checking his holopad as easily as one might look in the mirror. Then he took a double take.

'bout time.

Ghorua smiled, and returned a curt reply.

//I'll be there.//

He placed his holopad back on his belt, and went into the garage. There, he found his armor, pristine and well-kept. He still used it, after all. No retirement would ever take Ghorua the Shark.

"Minna? I'm headed out for a few days."

From the other room, Minna tried the drink again, and tried not to gag again. "A'ight. Happy hunting, Shark."

Ghorua put on the armor, enjoying the fit of it. "Stay safe, Fish."

He headed for the Jawsome, giddiness building inside him. His oldest friend needed his help?

He'd be happy to provide.

- [member="Kay Arenais"] -

 

[Kay-Larr]

As soon as Jawsome arrived from hyperspace and the appropriate security codes given, Kay was notified. The co-ordinates she gave him would bring him to her own private landing pad.

She stood out there waiting, dressed in almost a military uniform, though with a billowing skirt instead of slacks. A dozen Eternal Knights stood with her, but behind her. She didn't need them to surround her. Merely to keep watch.

As [member="Ghorua the Shark"] would land his ship and step out, Kay would smile and greet her friend with as big of a hug as she could muster. He looked a bit older, but then again so did she.

"Good to see you again. How are you these days?"

 

[Ghorua the Shark]

As Ghorua descended into the atmosphere of Zakuul, he gawked at the security measures. Kay had learned a lot since the first time they met, on Bakura. Clearance codes, a small squad of security, private meeting place...

Ghorua had a good guess what this 'help' was about. But that could wait. Today, he was meeting with a Lady. Maybe tomorrow, he'd go to war for her.

The Jawsome touched down on the private landing pad, a large, heavily-armed ship for a large, heavily-armed hunter. Ghorua saw them through the ship's viewport as he landed the star yacht; Kay, dressed in millitary colors, a strange look on her, accompanied by a contingent of Eternal Knights. Ghorua had scanned through a few files on the relatively short flight over. He didn't know what to make of the situation, save for one glaring problem.

Kay wasn't the only one vying for the Eternal Throne.

The Shark stepped off his ship, enjoying the air. It had a different, more briny flavor to it than Bakura, though tough to describe. Layers of life and death, held together by bog water and jungle. And civilization, of course. An empire.

He was wearing his armor, although his disguise suite was active, changing nothing but hiding his obvious weapons. Perhaps it would put the knights at ease. Or, if they saw through the complicated holograms, prove their worth.

But Kay didn't wait for the veteran hunter to be searched. She walked right up to him, and gave him a hug. He couldn't feel it through his armor, but all the same, he felt it warm his chest.

"From Lady to President to Queen to Empress," he stated, the joke on his lips before he could stop himself. "I'd be surprised if you never made it to Goddess."

He pulled away, more than smile lines wrinkling his face. "I've been good. Real good. But I'm more interested with what you've been doing."

He looked behind Kay, perhaps a silent worry in his eyes. "Shall we talk inside?"

- [member="Kay Arenais"] -

 

[Kay-Larr]

Her Knights didn't make any moves as Kay hugged [member="Ghorua the Shark"] . GIven her stories about him, her trust in him put them at ease. Or at least at a lower guard. The Herglic was an intimidating figure, even for a friend.

Kay laughed at his joke, the very idea sounding quite ridiculous. "Goddess? I doubt that very much. Perhaps only in a painting? Or in the name of a ship?"

She nodded at his request that they talk inside. It was probably better that way. Kay took his arm in hers as she led him inside the Spire, a start contrast to how they reacted to eachother in their first meeting, where she was his bounty and he was taking her to be in the hands of her enemy.

The Spire wasn't as decorated as her Palace was on Commenor. It's walls were tall, the colours more stark. Certainly it held an Imperial feel. But Kay wasn't about to change it to suit her own tastes. She had her apartment for that, and soon a vacation home as well. [member="Veiere Arenais"] was good enough to bring her some of her possessions from Commenor and she was sure to make her apartment in the Spire make her feel more at home than the rest of the building did.

And it was to her apartment midway through the Spire that they were walking to. "A lot has happened since I saw you last. Some of it...not so good. But there are silver linings, of course. Veiere is with the Silvers now, and both of our children spend some of their time with them. I have yet to see my son since Commenor was liberated from the Sith. Lori has come for a visit, though she won't be staying. It's probably better that way. They'd be less of a target, for as you may or may not have heard, I've got some enemies breathing down my neck." And they were waiting to pounce. One of these days they'd be striking down hard. Kay knew that. And so she was making preparations for it.

 

[Ghorua the Shark]

Ghorua decidedly didn't like the interior decorating of the Eternal Empire.

The place reminded him too much of First Order Facilities. Much more room in the hallways, which was a big upside, but the geometric, hard-corner shapes and the muted colors made the backs of his eyes itch. He tried not to let it show as he was led through the halls by Lady Kay.

Or, perhaps the more proper term was Empress-Elect Kay? He was never going to keep that straight. Lady would do.

The large hunter was quiet as Kay spoke, intent on absorbing as much information from her as he could. Most of it he knew, had pieced together from watching news reports, and doing his own digging. Some, he was glad to hear. He hadn't had much interaction with Kay and Veiere's children, he was glad to watch them grow up from a distance. Lori was certainly taking after her mother in many ways, although in others, she couldn't be more different. Cayden was a Jedi already, but Lori could make a good bounty hunter yet.

Oh well. A Shark can dream.

"I have heard," Ghorua muttered, not hiding his distaste for Kay's enemies. "First Order Remnants. Sith." Tacitus.

Ghorua had done his research.

"I'm glad Veiere is doing well," he said, pivoting away from the main conversation for now. Why couldn't they just have a normal conversation, after all? "I always liked that man, and I always liked the Silvers. Something tells me Veiere has a lot of good left to do in this galaxy before he's done."

Another moment of silence. Ghorua took a long, low breath.

"I saw your resignation. Heard about the imprisonment. Your work here." Maybe she expected the Shark to be angry. He had been before. But now, he simply smiled. "This? Right here? It's good work. No matter what got you here. These people need stability, and I can think of no one better to give it to them than Lady Kay Arenais." He'd pieced together that Kay had killed the Elders long before she announced it. That was part of the reason he had been so enraged with her on Bakura. But that wasn't her. As long as she led Zakuul, Zakuul would flourish. Maybe she'd even come and help Bakura, when time came to it.

"That's why I'm here. I want to help you give these people stability. Hope. Without the Jedi or Sith breathing down their necks."

- [member="Kay Arenais"] -

 

[Kay-Larr]

"Yes, Veiere is a good man. Even in his darkest days, there was still some good there, enough to pull him through." Although he didn't quite approve of what was going on here, he also held faith in her abilities to turn things around. But Veiere had reminded her that she was an escaped convict. Laws were broken and people were injured and killed to get her out. There would be some people that wouldn't be able to see past that, which was unfortunate.

Kay did expect [member="Ghorua the Shark"] to be angry with her for what was going on, but thankfully he wasn't. Instead he seemed rather hopeful. And that made her smile. "Thank you. That means a lot. There are some that have lost their faith in me. And with the threats and terrorist attacks on my people, I'll just have to look for ways to stem the violence and give myself some breathing room to build and prepare. This will be different from Commenor. I can't be hesitant to strike back. Not this time."

She led him into her apartment, which was designed with the Commenori touch. Many items were brought from her estate there. And of course there was the aroma of Sapir tea. "Come and sit, make yourself at home." Kay had a chair brought in earlier in the day. It was big enough for the Herglic and easily made her own chair look quite small. "Are you still bounty hunting? I hope to be made aware if there are any placed on me."

 

[Ghorua the Shark]

Ghorua smelled the tea long before they went into the room. It tasted like first hunts. Like cold winters in the cabin. Like meetings with old friends. He immediately smiled, nostalgic for days long past.

He ducked into the apartment, noting the Commenori influence. She wouldn't forget her roots. But Ghorua had heard the iron in her voice. She was tempered by fire now, something that Ghorua could appreciate. Kay offered him a seat, and Ghorua chuckled, looking at the seat some poor fool had to fir through the door. "Don't mind if I do," the Shark said, placing himself daintily in the seat, happy with the construction.

The Shark took a large whiff through his blowhole, enjoying the scent for a moment longer before responding. "If I had, I would tell you. So far, my contacts haven't heard anything. But," he continued, becoming less joyful for a moment. "You've made plenty of enemies when you said you'd sit on that throne. Wouldn't be surprised. In the past, you've had a bad track record with bounty hunters. They've certainly seen the pattern by now."

But this was a new Kay. "Real question is how you change that." Ghorua smiled, sure she already had.

"I'm still hunting," the Shark said, pride coloring the declaration. "I've told you before, I don't think I can give up this life. Been doing less, but I'm still as sharp as they come." Ghorua was getting older, sure, but he was still the Shark. That name held weight, and so did his punches.

The veteran hunter appraised his Lady yet again, thinking back on what she had said. "You said 'strike back'. What does that entail?"

What does she think that means?

- [member="Kay Arenais"] -

 

[Kay-Larr]

Before sitting down herself, Kay poured [member="Ghorua the Shark"] a large mug of tea, followed by a cup for herself. She then carried it over to him, handing him his.

"I didn't intend for it to create such hostility. I didn't know that the man who's escaping fleet that I had stumbled upon years ago would later become a Sith Lord that is very quick to genocide people. I didn't know that he claimed the title for himself on a woeld on the other side of the Galaxy." Kay sat down and sipped her tea. "People tell me what they want me to know. Even my advisors and friends apparently.
The Scions foresaw this, they got Lord Morcus to free me from prison and bring me here. I didn't just come here and take the throne. It was given. So many people are finding it difficult to understand that." Most people, actually.

"I have more protection now. Both in skills, armour, and I even have a young Krayt dragon. He won't be big enough to fly or anything yet. One day you can meet him."

She leaned back in her chair a bit as she pondered on his question. Especially when Ghorua let her know that he was still hunting. "Striking back entails going after those that hurt both myself and Zakuul. There are First Order terrorists that hit us when they can. And with Tacitus and his threats...if he starts to act on them, I'll need some help hitting him back."

 

[Ghorua the Shark]

Ghorua took the tea, hefting the large cup in his hand, testing the weight. Satisfied with the amount, the Shark took a large sip, enjoying every last drop. It was his favorite tea, and tasted just as good as the first time it touched his lips. A lazy smile pulled up his lips.

He listened to Kay, sympathetically bobbing his head. He himself hadn't known that Morcus had offered the throne, he had simply assumed she had seen the opportunity, and took it. From what Ghorua had heard, the Baron was one of the more decent Sith Lords in the galaxy. He wouldn't mind meeting with the man some day, perhaps over tea like this.

But when Kay leaned forward, Ghorua sensed the change. The sudden focus, the drive, that iron again. The Shark subconsciously leaned forward as well, watching and waiting. He considered her, thoughts playing behind his dark eyes.

"You want to hit back? But that's far too dangerous for an Empress alone." The hunter feigned a concerned face, but the smile pulling at the corner of his face was unmistakable. "To hit a Sith Lord with the backing of the First Order in Exile would require armies! Vast legions of soldiers and knights. An armada the size of which Zakuul has never seen!"

The Shark broke his facade, smiling openly. "Or a large man who's very good at his job."

"How big of a punch do you want me to throw?"

Ghorua had a few ideas on how to hit them where it hurt already. But he wanted the Lady's imput.

- [member="Kay Arenais"] -

 

[Kay-Larr]

[member="Ghorua the Shark"] was quite the performer. She knew that it was a part of his childhood. So when he gave out his fake concern for such a dangerous future, Kay couldn't help but grin. This was what she loved about him. He could make her smile, no matter what situation they found eachother in.

Kay sipped her tea as he asked her about what she wanted him to do. There were a whole host of ideas going on inside of her head. But not all of them would work. Not all of them were smart. She was efficient in the political arena. But when it came to battle strategy, her expertise wasn't up to par with the best military minds out there. In sone ways that made her unpredictability a successful tactic of it's own. But in other ways it made her fall short.

And lose...

"The First Order seem to be working on their own. They are a threat, but perhaps not as much of a threat as the Sith are. But...the First Order are the closest. They seek to punish the Zakuulans for returning to their religious beliefs instead of the Imperial docturine. So I propose that you hunt down their agents and bring them in for questioning. You can almost say that it is a bounty, but one for you alone to take up. How does that sound?"

 

[Ghorua the Shark]

Ghorua had suspected he'd be harassing the First Order for Kay. They were crafty opponents, masters of not only warfare and strategy, but setting up supply lines, coercing the loyalty from planets, and sowing discord. This was where Ghorua disagreed with Kay; In many ways, the propaganda engine of the Order in Exile was more dangerous than any Sith Kay could face.

Kay could face Sith on an open battlefield, with the chance to come out on top. It's tougher to face a well-crafted lie.

Might as well let him handle it for her.

Ghorua took another sip. "I do like the sound of that. In fact, I've already started." Ghorua had suspected she would want justice for what happened to her people. A very specific First Order Admiral had been the face of that strike. He had some very interesting ideas already formulating in his mind.

"I'll take this personal bounty for you. Do you have anyone specific for me to focus on? A list for me to check off?" Ever the confident soul, that Ghorua the Shark.

- [member="Kay Arenais"] -

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay raised a brow as [member="Ghorua the Shark"] spoke of having already starting the mission. Did he anticipate all of this beforehand? Perhaps he was watching over her, or at the very least had seen her broadcast to her people and the follow-ups by both [member="Darth Tacitus"] and [member="Robogeber"] .

She sipped her tea as she pondered on his questions. Of course she had a name on the very top of that list. "Carlyle. He's the only one with a name. The others..." Kay gave a slight shrug. "...I don't even know their faces. They are spooks and infiltrators. My security has been beefed up to better secure the planet and myself, but still...this was First Order territory for some time. They know where to go and where to hide."

Carlyle used to be kind to her. The two of them shared conversations over tea long ago. Kay had thought that he was on her side, but no longer. She wasn't certain how she'd react if she saw him again face to face. Hopefully when that time came, she was the one on the side of victory.

 

[Ghorua the Shark]

Ghorua nodded knowingly, recognizing the name. He didn't know how exactly he could pluck the Grand Admiral from his high perch. He would likely only have one shot, and if that shot went askew, there would be no second chance. Men like that were only caught flat-footed once.

"I'll do what I can, considering Rausgeber," Ghorua said, giving a reassuring smile. "It'll be a tall order though. Might require you to dip into those Empire funds for me. Breaking into a First Order Dreadnaught is no small feat."

For his plans, he needed a-grade data spikes, portable holograms, explosives, the works. No going half-way, not with Kay.

"As for the others," Ghorua said, scratching the back of his head, "I'm sure I can sniff up a few for you. But I do have to warn you. The second the First Order catches wind of this arrangement, they're going to use it, to spin it. 'The corrupt empress doesn't trust her own people to kidnap us, so she gives the responsibility to an off-worlder'. I don't know how you're gonna deal with that."

"But even if I fail to get a single officer for you, I'm sure I can at least teach them to fear you."

- [member="Kay Arenais"] -

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay nodded to [member="Ghorua the Shark"] when he proclaimed that he needed funds to do his work. That wasn't much of a problem for her. "You'll have the credits you need. Don't worry about that."

And then he got into the reality of the propaganda that the First Order was quite good at. She hadn't really had it directed at herself though. And if they looked into why she was sent to prison, they'd use that against her too. As Veiere reminded her, she was an escaped convict. That won't sit well with some.

"You won't be the only one looking for them. I'll have some of my own. I hope to be able to convince [member="Einon"] to come here. He's good at hiding. But he might be too loyal to Commenor to come here. For all that I know, he could have been one of the ones to turn me in. Maybe you could convince him otherwise?"

Right now Kay needed as many loyal people as she could. Dark days were coming and she needed to be as prepared as possible.

 

[Ghorua the Shark]

Ah, Einon.

Ghorua had met with the man exactly twice. Once, aboard the Chimaera, and the other while the Shark was saving his life. The Commenori officer had always struck Ghorua as an honorable, if somewhat cool, man. Ghorua could see why this man might have more interest in keeping Commenor above water than follow the perceived political outlaw to her new empire.

"I could try..." The hesitation was clear to see in his face, showing his doubt. If Kay couldn't convince him, no one could, him included. "Doubt it'd be very effective, though. I'm not exactly a diplomat-for-hire."

He smiled, taking another sip of his tea, enjoying what little material indulgences he allowed himself these days. The room was very Commenori. Perhaps the Lady and Einon had more in common than she thought. Specifically, an unbreakable connection to the former galactic superpower.

"So, assume I'm successful," the Shark continued, trying to pry a little further into Kay's mind. "A safe assumption, I know. I get some officers for you. Maybe even the Admiral. You do what you will with them. Then what? Where does the Empire go from here?"

An unspoken question lodged itself in the back of his mind. How imperial would this empire be?

- [member="Kay Arenais"] -

 

[Kay-Larr]

[member="Ghorua the Shark"] was thinking along the same lines that she was. Einon probably couldn't be convinced. Not even for a temporary mission. But she didn't fault the Commenori man for his loyalty.

Kay sipped her tea as she pondered on Ghorua's question of the future of this new Empire of hers. She didn't take long to think on it though, so the silence was just a matter of seconds, enough time for her to swallow her mouthful of tea. "I was brought here because the Scions foresaw that I'd stabilize the region as I did around Commenor. So that's what I'll do. It'll be a tougher task, but I'll get it done in much the same way. The only difference is that I won't hesitate to hit back when our enemies attack. My personal guards will not show mercy to those that come after me." Weakness was not going to get her far here. Her weakness had allowed Commenor to be conquered. She wasn't about to let that happen again.

 

[Ghorua the Shark]

"Nor will I," said the Shark, referencing mercy. The time for mercy went up in flames at about the same time Zakuul did. There was a feral glint to his eye, something not entirely alien to the Lady. It displayed freely how much mercy he would give the First Order.

"You've changed."

There was no anger in the phrase. Not a hint of sadness, either. Not happy, that wasn't quite the word for it. It was simply a statement. Neutral, passive, even.

"I think the galaxy's finally calloused you. I didn't think that would ever happen." He sat back in his chair, ordering himself to stillness. "What finally did it to you?"

Maybe he was a bit saddened by it. He'd always thought of Kay as a being comprised of mercy. She was a paragon, the face of a better galaxy that Ghorua had thought impossible.

Maybe it was impossible after all.

- [member="Kay Arenais"] -

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. What changed her? What was the final straw? It was hard to pinpoint an exact moment. In all seriousness, the change had occured over many momentsover time.

"The deaths of eight million innocent people in a second did it. Followed by the near execution of my husband. Following that is the threats of genocide of the good people of Zakuul whose only crime is to exist. And finally these acts of terrorism by the First Order that has killed many others in our main square."

There was also her time served in prison. It wasn't a good time and if it weren't for the help that she had, Kay would probably be dead or severely injured. Mercy in the eyes of the enemy showed weakness.

"Ghorua I'm not going to become like Palpatine or Carnifex or worse. I'm not going to slay or punish the innocent. Only those that are deserving will be faced with violence. We will defend ourselves as well as our allies."

There were many that didn't support her. And she wasn't so sure that Veiere did either. He warned her to be careful of who to trust. Betrayal like that which led to the occupation of Commenor would hopefully never happen again.

"I'm sorry if I've disappointed you. But you're not the first and you certainly won't be the last."

[member="Ghorua the Shark"]

 

[Ghorua the Shark]

Ghorua was pretty good at listening.

It came with the profession. Listening to people became a necessity. Not just hearing what they were saying, but understanding the meaning behind what they were saying. Ghorua was no slouch when it came to listening.

Yet, Kay's words were hard to listen to.

Not because of what she said. Ghorua knew all of this. He wasn't new to the tragedies this galaxy heaped upon them all. He'd lived through a few of them. It wasn't that. It was the context.

Ghorua was quiet, but he stared at Kay as she spoke, absorbing every staccato, every unsure pause, every fervent note in the symphony of her voice. There wasn't sympathy in his expressions. There was no need. When she finally grew silent, Ghorua waited a moment, deciding how he wanted to proceed.

"I'm not disappointed," he said, somewhat cautiously. "But the fact that you think I'm disappointed is, respectfully, disappointing."

He flashed a smile, not expecting it to be reciprocated, before growing serious again. "I've never been one to put stock in the "good" forces of the world. Jedi, well-intentioned senates and parliaments... Destined to fail, in my opinion."

"Being nice doesn't equal doing good." Ghorua emptied his tea, and set it down quietly. "Being nice is relieving a war-torn planet. Being good is making sure it doesn't happen again. Even if that means not being nice."

"I said it when we walked in here, and I'll say it again. You're doing good work here. Maybe not nice work. But good work."

- [member="Kay Arenais"] -