An Audience With Her Majesty (Completed)

[Mariya Fleischer]

[member="Lady Kay"]

The Melting Pot.

The three words conjured an imagery of a food paradise. Anyone who stepped foot into Chasin City would soon find the delicious smell of food floating out of the eateries. Bakeries putting out loaves of freshly baked bread. Pipping hot stimcaf brewing in the cafes. Succulent seafood captured from Rock Point Bay grilled and served in the restaurants, including the famous Plenty's. Even if you were on a budget, you could find something to your liking in a local cantina.

Which brought us to a familiar blonde sitting in a cantina, nursing a cup of stimcaf while having a nice plate of bread with grilled sardines. An economical meal, but Mariya was on a budget. In the past, she was a prominent figure in an Underworld cartel. Not an ordinary mobster, but a mercenary who had tight connections with a red hair pirate queen who ran the whole place. Saede Taggart of Velusia was so infamous that her mere name would conjure up fear among the other criminals.

But that was the past... a long time ago. The good old days where credits ran freely. Now, the mercenary lived a simpler life. She had came out of retirement after the whole Underworld cartel collapsed to make a living. The galaxy holonet had recently announced the birth of twins from a certain Queen of Commenor and there were calls for increase in security. Mercenaries like her were flooding the city, trying to find a way to be hired for providing security services.

The blonde finished her meal, tossed her credits on the table and left the noisy cantina. Her next stop was the long queues that seemed to stretch infinitely from the Royal Palace's main foyer. She found herself admiring the magnificent architecture, the off white marble walls and ornately designed decorations. The palace was certainly a place of beauty, although the noise level from the crowd drove her nuts. Citizens were trying to pay their respects and well wishes to the queen's newborns. Mercenaries were (surprisingly) lining up in an orderly fashion to report to the Justice department or the Security Office.

She moved to the end of the queue where the other guns for hire were. Most of them were talking among themselves to see how they could get themselves hired, so none paid much attention to the newcomer, other than an occasional curious glance trying to figure out if Mariya knew what she was doing. She knew that look at times. People judge her appearance and think she could not wield a weapon. Blonde jokes still existed in this day and age.

Not that it mattered to her. What mattered was the chance to offer her services to the queen, hopefully for a good fee. She stuffed her ears with earphones and tuned in to her music selection. A soothing orchestral piece to match the mood of the grand palace. She prayed that the queue would hurry up. Or perhaps the queen would somehow call for her.

"Fat chance, Mariya. She doesn't know a commoner like you."

Mariya sighed at the silly thought popping in her head and dismissed it quickly. This was going to be a long day.

 

[Kay-Larr]

What may seem like a long day for [member="Mariya Fleischer"] while she waited in line, it felt like a much longer day for Kay. The twins weren't at the Palace, of course. They couldn't be expected to be there all day while people came by, giving their well wishes an occasional gift. Even [member="Veiere Arenais"] wasn't there. He was dutifully looking after their newborns, sharing in some bonding time away from the public eye. In some ways she was jealous. But there were some things that just had to be done.

A line of hopeful mercenaries and bodyguards had also made their way into the elaborate hall that she used for the day. It made Kay wonder if she should have summoned [member="Amelia Sorenn-Syrush"] to attend to meet them. But it wasn't as though they were all expected to come by today. There must have bern some kind of mix up.

As Mariya approached the front of the line, Kay bowed her head to her and shifted her weight a bit in her chair. "Afternoon, miss. And what's your name?"

 

[Mariya Fleischer]

The line moved slowly but in a steady pace. The mercenary had no idea how much time had passed, but she was on the sixth song of her orchestral playlist when she was allowed to step into the palace hall. The security became tighter as she made her way to one of the many halls, an indication that she was about to meet someone important. A red carpet lined its way from the hall entrance to a rather fancy chair stationed at the end of the hall. The chair was occupied by someone who carried herself with some form of unspoken nobility, a long hair brunette who was busy talking to one of the well dressed attendants standing next to her.

"Next up, a mercenary from Nar... ahem... Miss, please step forward."

She winced slightly, knowing that the speaker had being courteous enough to avoid mentioning her birthplace. Nar Shaddaa was notorious for drugs, crimes and criminals. She was born there and became an orphan quickly. But as some wise man once said, the person's birthplace would not determine his fate and status in society, but his actions. And so for these precious few minutes, her actions would determine whether she was going to get a deal from the queen herself. She raised her arms to the side and did a improvised curtsy since she was not wearing any skirt, remembering her etiquette when meeting royalty.

"My name is Mariya Fleischer, your Majesty."

Emerald eyes met the dark greys of [member="Lady Kay"] sitting on the chair when she recovered her posture.

"Please accept my congratulations for the newly born prince and princess. I understand that your Majesty is on a lookout for new people who could booster security."

She took out a data file and handed over to a attendant in waiting, who presented the files to Kay. She started off with a brief resume, summarising her previous experience in military operations and bodyguard for a chancellor years ago. Interestingly, she also mentioned her ties with the Underworld cartel which had collapsed, but empathised her role as a mercenary and business owner of a cantina branch for intelligence gathering. It was a gamble to put such information upfront, but she decided that there was nothing much to hide. If she were to win the trust of the queen, she would need to be vulnerable and tell the truth.

"I know there are lots of people you still need to meet, so I will keep things simple. I wish to offer my specialised services in intelligence."

Her initial proposal was to offer her services in bodyguard and protection, but her observation to the palace's security details were satisfactory. Besides, there were probably tons of others in the queue who could offer similar deals. Intelligence, specifically black ops and spycraft was her greatest asset.

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay raised a brow ever so slightly as [member="Mariya Fleischer"] was introduced. A mercenary from Nar...well, that could only mean that she was from Hutt Space, an area that she was all too familiar with. At least in her past. For a few years she foiled the plans of the Hutt Cartel, freeing many slaves and ambushing raiding parties. But that was in the past. Now she had other jobs to do.

"Thank you, Miss Mariya. And yes we have been. You're quite resourceful." She took the datapad in hand and looked it over, really reading the files instead of just glancing at it. Intelligence gathering, bodyguard for a Chancellor. It was no wonder she found word of her call out.

Mariya's proposal was the first such proposal that she had heard all day. Kay got to her feet and stepped forward, handing her back her datapad. Her eyes looked to the others in the room. "If you'll all please excuse me for a few minutes, but I need to stretch my legs. I know that you've been waiting long already, but I promise to get to each and every one of you shortly." She then looked to Mariya again. "Walk with me, please." Kay gestured for the young woman to follow along to a side door. It led out into one of the hallways. "Information is a valuable commodity, especially in times of turmoil. Yet sometimes the wrong intelligence is put out there to bait others into a trap, or to distract them from what is really going on. Do you have the know-how to differentiate between the two?"

 

[Mariya Fleischer]

The queen spent quite a considerably amount of time looking over her resume, more than just a customary glance. Mariya had her hopes up with each passing second, knowing that the queen seemed interested and might consider to talk to her a little more about her skills. After a minute of waiting, she got her datapad back and was greeted by a sentence she was keen to hear.

"Walk with me, please."

The crowd groaned a little, talking about themselves as [member="Lady Kay"] got up from her seat and gestured for Mariya to follow her. The blonde nodded her head in response, knowing that she was now the center of attention. Thus she followed the queen quickly, wary of the other mercenaries' stares who were all wishing to be in her position. The two of them exited the room by the side door and walked along the another hallway, decorated with lush plants and exquisite paintings. The mercenary was not a connoisseur of the arts, but she found herself discretely admiring a couple of pictures along the way.

"...Yet sometimes the wrong intelligence is put out there to bait others into a trap, or to distract them from what is really going on. Do you have the know-how to differentiate between the two?"

The queen paused after tossing out her concerns to her. It was a valid question, one which any sovereign or leader would ask about when it came down to intelligence. The wrong information could have huge repercussions in a turmoil galaxy these days. It was also a difficult question, no doubt asked by Kay who wanted to test her mettle.

"I understand your concerns, your Majesty..."

Her mind raced, trying to organise her thoughts into a coherent explanation. A deep breath. Another one.

"... the reliability of good intelligence depends on the strength of the spy network. A good spy network needs to be inconspicuous, yet far reaching. Spies are a good source of information, and they can be classified into five categories. Local spies refer to locals living in enemies' locations. Insider spies are officers from enemies who are typically disgruntled. Converted spies are the most valuable, as they are enemy spies who have changed sides. Doomed spies are spies used to spread deception, a main source of false information. Lastly, handlers are the ones who carry out the liaising and bring information back safely."

She figured that a brief outline on how a good spy network works might be useful to the queen. In her experience, none of the factions or empires had put enough focus on spycraft. The value was just difficult to gauge. Why hire a bunch of people trying to dig up information when you could spend the credits on a new starship?

"It is only when you have multiple sources of information from locals, insiders and converts... you will then be able to compare their information against other sources from the underground community. This is not the job of any of the spies, but a separate group of intelligence officers tasked to perform such analysis."

A pause to let her long explanation sink in.

"So to answer your question, I do not have the means to differentiate information because I do not have access to such a network. Only a faction or an empire who devotes enough resources can develop such a system, not an individual."

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay nodded as [member="Mariya Fleischer"] gave her explanation. She couldn't tell of the young woman was speaking from plenty of experience, or from something that she had read on the holo-net. For the moment, she decided to choose the former.

A spy network was something that she was lacking. She had people that she knew from other corners of the Galaxy, friends even, but when it came to the superpowers, her contacts were few and far between. Given that the Galaxy was at war, there were not a lot of people that were out of the action, that were focused elsewhere outside of Galactic Alliance space. The right information was scarce. Biased reporting was all over the holonet, supporting either one side or the other. Which side would claim victory? She didn't know yet. But she had to find out for the betterment and safety of her own people.


"I have some access to such a network, but not as much as I'd like. We haven't had to worry about such things before. But tensions are high in the Galaxy now, and our little corner of it is slowly getting encroached upon. We don't mind sharing borders. But what we do mind is if it halts trade. And in this day and age it's hard to know who to trust."

She paused in an alcove of the hallway, turning to face Mariya, studying her with a slight tilt of the head. "If you were in my position, what would you do?"

 

[Mariya Fleischer]

"If you were in my position, what would you do?"

Mariya wondered if this was some sort of test, or just the queen being difficult. She guessed the former, since she was a stranger to [member="Lady Kay"]. They had met for less than ten minutes, and she was already being asked to walk with the queen. It was clear though, that the queen had valid concerns when it comes the welfare of her citizens and subjects. The Commenor Systems Alliance laid smacked in the middle of the galaxy, surrounded by multiple factions. The Free Worlds Coalition above, the Metal Lords to the left, the Galactic Empire below and the Order of the Silver Jedi to the right.

"Commenor is strategically placed in a bad position, in the middle and surrounded by factions. The good news, however, is that trade is probably the most profitable in this region and the other factions show no signs of aggression... yet."

She empathised the last word to get her point across. Mariya had obviously done her homework before she came. She knew that Commenor was on friendly terms with the Metal Lords and the Galactic Empire and the other two were neutral. A notable mention was the Galactic Alliance, while big, was currently struggling to defend itself against multiple attacks from other factions. From a political point of view, Kay had done well to secure alliances on the south and left borders. But in terms of strategic placement, Commenor was destined to be dragged into wars. Aggressive factions would want to gain access to the middle part of the galaxy to expand. Also, alliances were never lasting and could be broken when the winds changed.

"I understand Commenor currently has set up superior communication lines to request for multiple sources of aid when an invasion happens. Defensively, it will only be as strong as the alliances Commenor can build upon. I also think your Majesty has a preference to defend your borders rather than expansion, judging from the military budget breakdown. So I would suggest your Majesty to find more allies and bind them in alliance agreements. I predict that they will agree."

A pause to let Kay digest what she had said so far.

"They will probably agree precisely because Commenor is strategically valuable. Everyone wants a piece but no one wishes to see another take it. As long as your Majesty play your cards well and avoid having the factions ganging up on you together at the same time, Commenor will survive in the foreseeable future."

Somehow the conversation had evolved into strategic discussion. Mariya had no qualms about it, although planning strategies was not really what she had originally signed up for. Intelligence involved gathering of information and was simpler to execute. Deciding how to react with the information was more difficult and such decisions usually laid in the hands of a capable commander or a military adviser.

"Of course, this has nothing to do with intelligence gathering, so I think your Majesty should plan with your advisers accordingly."

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay clenched her jaw as [member="Mariya Fleischer"] brought up the subject of the other factions not showing no aggression towards her people...yet. As others kept telling her, it was only a matter of time. But they've said that since day one and nothing has happened. No large scale attack had come to this sector of space since before the Galactic Republic fell. And that seemed like a very long time ago. It wasn't really, but considering all that had transpired since then, it was.

Mariya continued on, and so Kay listened. Yes there were communication lines open, but agreement or not, she had little faith that others would heed their call. After all, the CSA has so far not signed any military pact, having not been able to spare their men nor any of their fleets. The superpowers in the Galaxy had the numbers to back themselves up, whereas the CSA will have to rely on strategy, both in the political arena and at the battlefront.

A brow was raised as Mariya told her that everyone wanted a piece of CSA space. That was the first that she had heard about that. This was what made intelligence gathering so vital. It made her wonder what else she was missing in their isolation from the goings on in the Galaxy. According to Kay, no one was really bothered about them. Trade was going well and they didn't stick their noses in anyone's business. They didn't hold anything of value that raiding parties would go after either. For that she was thankfull too.

"Your comments are duly noted, Miss Mariya. I value certain points of view as they open my eyes to things that I normally don't see. And that's where you'll come in. You say that others want a part of our territories, yet none wishes to make the first move? Well, see what more information you can dig up on that. Even rumours have a hint of truth to them. You'll get a good salary, room and board while you're on Commenor, universal healthcare and of course bonuses."

 

[Mariya Fleischer]

"You'll get a good salary, room and board while you're on Commenor, universal healthcare and of course bonuses."

It appeared that [member="Lady Kay"] had somehow been convinced of her suggestion to beef up on Commenor's intelligence. However, Mariya was slightly taken aback by how fast things developed after just a mere discussion. She had come to offer her services for intelligence gathering, sure. But how it would be achieved was something that she had yet to decide upon. Would she join Commenor on a part time basis? A full time job? Or would she be passing down the knowledge to someone closer to the queen? Whatever the case was, Kay seemed to have taken an assumption that she would stay at least for a short while.

"I thank you for your kind offer, your Majesty. Although I must ask, why would you offer something so quickly to a stranger like me?"

That was the most burning question in the mercenary's mind. The details on what the offering would entail could be discussed later, but the question of trust had to be asked first. Frankly, she did like what she saw in Chasin City. The place was bustling with a quality of life that was different from other worlds like Coruscant, Alderaan and Kiribi. Coruscant was always busy and modern looking, with tall buildings. Alderaan was beautiful, with rolling green hills and vallies. Kiribi was high tech and clean.

Commenor had a vibrant and artistic atmosphere. Mariya had definitely an interest to stay for a while, even if it was temporarily. There were sights to explore and things to learn while she was on her assignment, if it panned out well. It was always the details that mattered in a contract. How much loyalty was she expected to give? Would she have to join Commenor? What happened if The Collective and Commenor had a disagreement?

That would be a pretty big dilemma that she had no wish to be in.

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay gave a bit of a smile. [member="Mariya Fleischer"] had a good question. It wasn't often that Heads of State would just go out and offer a stranger a salary position. But she wasn't a regular Head of State. Her reasons were her own, as was her motives. There were many secrets that she held, even from her husband. But that didn't make her a bad person.

"I see something in you that I like, Miss Mariya. I've hired many individuals from all across the spectrum. I have friends in many different places that have different points of view. You offer a different perspective. That's quite an invaluable thing. At least in my own experience, anyways." There were oy a handful of people that would stick around, which was fine. Kay never forced anyone to stay, never forced them to serve. She preferred others to want to do so on their own accord.

"It's all up to you, of course. There's no rush in making a decision right now. I will have to head back to the other guests shortly. I hope to get through all of them by the end of the day."

 

[Mariya Fleischer]

"Thank you for the offer, your Majesty."

There was no need to probe [member="Lady Kay"] any further but to accept her current explanation. Like it or not, that was the best answer for now, She came to look for work and the queen had made an offer. Admittedly, a vague offer but still something, given the duties that awaited Kay. It should be something that most people would be happy about.

But Mariya's mind worked differently. Suspicious in nature, thanks to years working for gangs and gathering intelligence, she was always pondering about the possibilities behind each major decision. Could the queen be trusted? Mariya made a mental calculation which leaned towards yes, but even then she would want to sit on the offer for a while. Besides, the queen had allowed her to do so. There was no reason to rush into things when time was still available, though the queen could change her mind later.

She knew that her indecisive mind needed the extra time to make a good call. Deciding that it was best not to delay Kay's time, she agreed to come back later.

"I will like to request a day or two to think about it. Perhaps I can come back again in a day's time, when the crowds are lesser in the evening."

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay nodded as [member="Mariya Fleischer"] seemed to have started to accept her offer. But she knew that there'd be some kind of 'but' in there. The woman was more hesitant than most. She didn't blame her either. Not a lot of people trusted politicians. And for good reason. There were plenty that were conniving and cruel. She wasn't though. But that isn't to say that she didn't have an overall goal in mind. There were reasons that she made the decisions that she did, withholding fighting in other people's wars and maintaining neutrality. Reasons that only she knew.

Others just wouldn't understand. They just can't see the bigger picture.

Mariya asked for a day or two, to which Kay bowed her head in agreement. "Of course. Take the time you need. I'd only want you to take the position if you were comfortable. I know full well of what it's like to not feel at home somewhere. It's quite distracting, even to work. And if you decide not to, then that's alright. I won't hold it against you. We aren't the right kind if place for everyone. The notion of long lasting peace scares some people." It even makes them paranoid. Sometimes too paranoid.

 

[Mariya Fleischer]

"Peace. I like the idea of that."

Mariya took a glance at the crowds below the palace, her eyes stretching out to the horizon. The busy market district. The arts square. The technological skyscrapers. Everything had required time to build. And yet there were always individuals who would love to see everything burn into ashes. Just because they wanted to. Commenor had managed to survive against such odds to allow such prosperity, so that was another consideration.

"Thank you for the discussion, your Majesty. I will like to ask for my leave and come back when I have a reply."

She curtsied to [member="Lady Kay"] and was escorted out by security through the winding corridors. The dim from the crowd grew longer with each step, till she was basking in the sun outside the palace doors where everything had first began.

"Well, that was definitely something."

She made her way down the steps and found herself next to a row of clothing stores. Blue was in the rage, the nation's colour. She walked down the street for a while before her eyes caught something of her liking. Putting on her best Commenor accent, Mariya walked into the store and engaged into some small talk with the sales assistant. A cornflower robe was soon added over her kiribi outfit and the receipt was given to her, indicating a preferred customer discount of 30%. Satisfied with her deal, she made her way back into the seas of blue, blending in easily. She had other things to do before tomorrow evening, a time which she would stick to.

For timing was everything to a good spy.

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay bowed her head as [member="Mariya Fleischer"] had asked to leave. It was strange then, for someone to ask her permission to go. She wasn't that type of ruler to have everyone ask for her permission for every little thing. It was unnecessary. She wasn't even a stickler for titles. But not everyone knew that.

Once Mariya had left her, Kay returned to the throne room and once again received her guests. It was going to be a long day, but it was needed. The Commenori were grateful for heirs to have been born, leaving a direction for the world to go in if something bad had happened to both Queen and King. Hopefully nothing like that would happen in quite some time. But there had to be plans put in place for it, just in case.

The twins would have a regular life, that much was certain. Veiere had made sure of it when he had built their Estate in secret and off the books. Keeping them hidden made them less of a target, and to have them growing as normal people gave them a better view on life. It was their hope that the twins would become a good reflection of their parents.

But only time would tell for that.

 

[Mariya Fleischer]

The mercenary spent the rest of the day touring the city. She wanted to find out more about the place, see what the queen was like. How the people thought about her. The sort of stuff that most people would gossip about in their daily work. Shops remained open. Works of arts were on display. People from other worlds coming in to take a peek at royalty, even though most of them would return empty handed.

She worked her way through different groups of people, who all carried varied opinions when the conversation led to the queen. Today was a good time to mingle with the crowd, to grab a beer or a wine and make some toast. Most of them were too polite to say anything that would get them into trouble, but certain themes emerged by the end of the day. The queen seemed to have been treading between the dark and the light, labels which Mariya sometimes questioned. The universe did not exist in pure black and white. The Jedi, she reckoned, were wrong in certain ways. So were the Sith.

Another interesting tidbit arrived in the form of rumours about [member="Lady Kay"]'s links with the Mandalorians. Another line of diplomacy, or threat to handle in the far future, but not something that would change the current power structures in the galaxy. Besides, Mandalorians were known to disband just as quickly as they grouped together.

******​

​

She found herself back at the palace's gates the next evening. Somehow one of the guards on duty recognised her and let her in, escorting her to a guest room. The queen might be busy, so she was told to wait. She poured a cup of tea for herself and scrolled through the latest news from her hololink. Another day of reports flowing in from Alliance space. A three way attack was nothing to sneeze at, and there were chances of the Alliance losing ground.

But Mariya simply did not care. She had no wish to participate in battles she had no more belief in. The Force always balanced itself out, proven throughout the centuries. Someone else could be the hero, just not her.

 

[Kay-Larr]

The next day rolled in with a blur. Not only did she spend most of it with [member="Veiere Arenais"] and the twins, but she had work to finalize at the Palace too. Construction was underway to create another Warehouse District to accomodate anither trade contract with a world in Galactic Empire space. The problem was that possible historical artifacts were found, so the construction was halted. Now Kay had to have a meeting with both the archeologist department at one of the universities, as well as the presudent of the construction company. A middle ground needed to be reached between them and it was up to her to find it.

After an hour of negotiating, a deal had been reached. That took less time than she had figured, but still even longer than she had wanted. Just as the two men left her office, Olivia stepped in. "My Lady you have a Miss [member="Mariya Fleischer"] waiting to see you. She's been here for nearly twenty minutes now."

"Oh? Well if I'd of known that, then I would've tried to cut the meeting short."

"Was the meeting successful?"

"Yes, I believe so. Construction will be halted for a couple of weeks. Until then, the crews will be compensated."

Olivia nodded. "Good. I'll be sure that it's taken care of. I'll not let anything more be added to your schedule today. You need to be home with your family."

Kay just smirked, nearly ready to spout out a retort, but she held her tongue. "Which meeting room?"

"Number eight, My Lady."

"Thank you." Kay left her office and walked down the hall to the western wing of the Palace, tea cup in hand. She counted the doors, as none of them were marked at all, untill she came to the eight room and knocked a few times before opening the door and stepping inside. Mariya was found entertaining herself with tea and some reading. "Sorry to keep you waiting. Welcome back." No doubt the young woman had come to a decision. Kay didn't really need to ask if she had. She merely needed to hear what it was.

 

[Mariya Fleischer]

The mercenary was busy scrolling through the newsfeed when she heard the door being knocked. She turned around and sure enough, [member="Lady Kay"] had entered. Mariya had yet to discover the queen's preference for simplicity instead of fancy court manners., so she stood up and did the courteous curtsy as usual. Court manners or not, it would have been rude for her to remain seated anyway.

"Your majesty."

She had done her work on the ground to find out what she was getting herself into. She knew the strategic location of Commenor in the overall galaxy layout. She had also talked to the queen, briefly but was enough to determine that Kay was probably someone who seemed well... nice enough as a potential boss to work for. Still, she needed to find a way to offer her services that would satisfy her own whims. To do so, Mariya decided that it would be best to propose her services on a temporary basis.

"If your majesty permits, I will like to join Commenor, a least on a temporary basis. A galactic year for a start, with an option to renew if you think my services are worthy."

She was not certain if the queen would consider that a possibility, but decided to propose it anyway. That would allow the queen to have room to monitor her performance, while allowing herself sufficient time to test the waters. There was also no position in Commenor's command structure that offered a head of intelligence or spymaster role. Not that she wanted a fancy title anyway for a contract job.

"I know there is no intelligence officer role in Commenor. But I don't need a fancy title or recognition. I haven't done anything yet and things that makes me too noticeable might not be the best option. Also, I would suggest a direct line of report only to you. Apologies to the head of security and defense department in advance, but intelligence can be sensitive."

She had made her request across. All that remained was for the queen to think about it.

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay bowed her head to [member="Mariya Fleischer"] as she was greeted, then clasped her hands in front of her as the woman began to speak. A trial basis wasn't unheard of. She has had such an offer proposed by others as well. No doubt Mariya had thought hard about this, yet was quick to make her decision in any case. She had arrived at the earliest of the time that she had given herself and that displayed a real desire to be in her employ.

The time that Kay needed to think over the proposal wasn't long. A direct line of communication, no official title or otherwise means of recognition. It was a little unorthidox, but she understood the reasons why. Mariya's position had to be kept secret otherwise it could compromise the intelligence that she means to gather.

Olivia was a slight hitch in that proposal. The older woman was Kay's personal secretary and Head of the House. She knew the Royal Palace inside and out, plus she handled her schedule and messages. The woman could be trusted. She just had to convince Mariya of that fact.

"A year contract. I can live with that. However when I can't be reached, you can have trust in my secretary, Olivia. She handles my affairs when I am away. Is that agreeable to you?"

 

[Mariya Fleischer]

"Olivia is your secretary? That's not a problem as long as she is trusted."

Mariya knew that a personal secretary, also commonly known as a personal assistant or P.A., was someone who typically wielded enormous power in an organisation. He or she was the one to look for to arrange for meetings, to find about the boss' schedule and could make things difficult if you got into the bad books. In this case, Olivia was [member="Lady Kay"]'s shadow and Head of the House. In terms of hierarchy from both official and unofficial capacities, Olivia was more than just an assistant. It was a position that Mariya would do wise to avoid stepping on her toes.

With the reporting line agreed upon, the next item to discuss was her salary.

"I guess... the another thing to discuss would be regarding remunerations. I need to declare that I currently have a company running cantinas in Kiribi, Alderaan and Akania. If your Majesty agrees, I would like my payment to be a business license to open up a branch here in Chasin City. As a side note, Alderaanian wines certified "protected designation of origin" labels can be provided to Commenor court."

Ultimately it was a business contract, but Mariya had somehow squeezed in her salary demands in a different format. Her original plan when she approached the queen was to request for a salary, sure. But that changed when news of her company being approved and listed for operations reached her hololink. She was glad that she did not suggest her payment option to be credits, but it depended on how Lady Kay would view her business. Last she knew, Commenor had culinary schools but did not specialise in wines.

The mercenary had no idea if she was pushing her luck with this proposal. She prayed in her heart but maintained a straight look on her face.

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay nodded. "And of course there is my husband [member="Veiere Arenais"] . You can trust him as well." He was the King, however he limited his duties as politics just wasn't his forté. He was a great leader though. It didn't take much for people to follow him.

She raised a brow ever so slightly at the proposal for payment. Instead of a salary [member="Mariya Fleischer"] wanted a business license to sell wine. While Commenor tended to export brandy, wine was something that they had only brought in. The conditions on the planet weren't right for growing the grapes.

"That'd be fine. But protected designation of origin? What's that? I can't say that I've come across it before...." She wasn't much of a drinker anyways. Her husband tended to prefer whiskey.