Private An Evening on Carlac

[Adrikobe Kellrule]

Carlac: Small, Cold, Peaceful, and a wonderful place for a quiet meeting.

Adrikobe sipped his warm tea, giving his thanks to the Ming-Po whom served him, the steaming liquid pouring from a hot kettle gently grasped by the server's delicate hands, topping him off.

The small inn Adrikobe was staying was a cozy place, and rather unassuming, much like the rest of the planet.

Worlds like Carlac were where Adrikobe discretely vanished to when he wanted peace, or maybe to pretend he wasn't whom he really was. Carlac provided a sense of escapism he could scarcely find elsewhere.

However... Tonight was different. He had company.

"The Owners are lovely people." He commented, looking up, making direct eye contact with the Twi'lek woman across from him. "I've known them for about a decade now." He continued, his tone almost nostalgic.

Adrikobe seemed lost in thought for a moment, before forcing a smile.
"Well, enough about the old days, we have business to discuss."
Reaching under the table, he retrieved his datapad, placing it on the center of the table, though, not yet turning it on.

"Firstly, thank you for coming out here to speak with me. Typically I conduct these things in my office, but I felt you might appreciate something cozier."

Taking another sip of his tea, he spoke again:

"Your record is good, got a hearty laugh out of me as well. That said, I have some questions before we continue, if you'll humor me."

Leaning backwards just slightly, his voice containing a hint of curiosity:

"Why work for me?" With that, he gave her the floor.

Rheyla Tann

 

[Rheyla Tann]

When the wealthy aristocratic man by the name of Adrikobe Kellrule contacted Rheyla for their meeting, the blue-skinned Twi'lek had indeed expected some dull, clinically sterile office to do business. But as she entered the small inn on Carlac, she had to admit, she hadn’t expected this level of cosiness.

Rheyla had seated herself where Adrikobe had offered, listening to the aristocratic man with one leg over the other and crossed arms.
“Why work for you?” she repeated, voice dry. “Maybe because word is you actually pay what you promise. And because you don’t waste time sending someone like me after pickpockets and drunks.”
Her gaze lingered on the untouched datapad between them. “You’ve got a reputation, Kellrule. I’ve got mine. That’s reason enough.”

She let the silence stretch for a moment. One hand lifted to her lek, holding the tip between thumb and forefinger as though weighing her own thoughts.

“Besides,” she added, giving the lek in her hand a slow roll between her fingers, “I’ve got time to kill and you look like someone with expensive problems. Expensive problems tend to pay well.”
Her smirk was brief, gone almost as soon as it appeared, leaving only the steady weight of her gaze on him.

She leaned back, letting go of her lek and letting it fall against her shoulder. Her arms uncrossed, shifting into a more relaxed sprawl as she angled to the side. An elbow found the chair’s armrest, her cheek resting on a fisted hand while her honey-brown eyes stayed fixed on the aristocratic man before her.

Adrikobe Kellrule​

 

[Adrikobe Kellrule]

Her response brought a smile to Adrikobe's face. "You'd be correct on both accounts." he replied, referring to problems.

"There are always problems when it comes to my line of work, though, the question is: What are you willing to solve?"

"I need someone to sabotage a slavery ring on Er'Kit, 'acquire' some research files from Kamino, and collect some plants from Ord Mynock." He left the details intentionally vague.

Reclining, Adrikobe smirked: "It's up to you whether or not you wish to tackle one, or all of the above. Either way, I'll have them handled one way or another. They all pay well."

With that, he gave her the floor.

Rheyla Tann

 

[Rheyla Tann]

Rheyla listened to him offer a couple of jobs.

"Sabotage a slavery ring on Er’Kit, okay, sounds doable.” She hadn’t been to Er’Kit before, but she’d heard from passersby how it was infamous for its illicit dealings, slavery among them.

Mentioning 'acquiring' some research files from Kamino caught her attention for a moment. She hadn’t been to Kamino in some time, and the blue-skinned Twi’lek wondered if one of her 'friends' still operated on the planet.

Then came the last part. “Plants?” she echoed, one brow lifting. In truth, she didn’t really care why or for what reason Adrikobe needed plants for.

Rheyla straightened in her seat, resting both elbows on the chair's armrest.
“Alright,” she said, eyes steady on him. “Er’Kit, Kamino, Ord Mynock, all different kinds of heat. So before I start picking targets, or them all, tell me, how deep are your creds, Kellrule?”

It was a rather straightforward question: what would he pay her for each job.

Adrikobe Kellrule​

 

[Adrikobe Kellrule]

"Er'kit would earn you twenty thousand. Assuming you come back alive from Ord Mynock, and harvest the right plants? Fifty to seventy thousand. Kamino is the highest paying venture, and should you come away with what I need? One hundred thousand."
He paused briefly.
"The payment scales with each, of course. Though I'm willing to haggle the price on some, should you be concerned. Though, do not mistake my generosity as something for you to exploit." His tone sunk slightly as he finished his statement, though, his warmth was quick to return.

His reply was as straightforward as her inquiry. Though, there were also complications.

"You should note there's more to each of these jobs than you'd initially think. The intricacies of which we can discuss later, all I need to know is if you're interested. Though, since you seem to be, I imagine we'll cover them here anyway."

Taking another sip of his tea, Adrikobe reclined.

"I suppose what's important for you to remember now, and into the future: Never doubt the depths of my coin purse."

He allowed the words to linger. His statement held more than one meaning, much like a coin. Adrikobe was certain she could infer what both 'sides' meant.

Continuing again after the brief pause and lingering eye contact, Adrikobe spoke once more: "Trust is sacred, yes? So, as long as I can trust you to handle what I need done (and not flock to a competitor of course), and you can trust me that I'll ensure your continued protection and proper payment? Then we'll have a healthy business relationship after all, will we not?"

He had a certain 'savvy' to him, as if he'd gone through this same song and dance with previous 'employees'. Though there was a bit of a cutting edge to his tone, he clearly had little intent of actively threatening his guest. Instead, Adrikobe simply wanted to remind her to make sure she was ready for new commitments.

Adrikobe paused, before once again turning to the server.

"How about some pie?" He spoke with a bit of eccentricity, before glancing back at Rheyla, seemingly awaiting her input.

Rheyla Tann

 

[Rheyla Tann]

Rheyla almost choked on her drink if she’d actually been drinking anything. Her brows arched high for a brief second before she caught herself, masking the reaction behind a slow exhale and a faint smirk.

“Well,” she said after a beat, tone dry again, “that’s more zeroes than I expected to hear tonight.”

She leaned back, regaining her usual poise, lekku resting against her shoulders as she listened to Adrikobe elaborate further. The talk of trust and professionalism made Rheyla’s brow lift, a hint of a smile tugging at her mouth.

“Listen, Kellrule. If you've researched me enough, you'll know I don’t break a contract or ask questions. Bottom line is, I don’t care what you want, what you need, or how you crave things returned. Not my business. You’re not paying me to play Officer Morality. As long as you’re paying me for the agreed jobs, we’ll be the best of friends,” Rheyla said, giving the aristocratic man a charming wink before leaning forward. “And sure, pie sounds like a fair start to a working relationship."

With a piece of pie on her plate, Rheyla leaned back once again, settling into her relaxed posture.
“I’ll take all three,” she said, cutting off a bite and tasting it before continuing. “Any of them time-sensitive? If not, just tell me where to find what you’re after and whatever details matter for each job.”

The blue-skinned Twi’lek took another bite, clearly unfazed by the weight of the deal she’d just accepted.

Adrikobe Kellrule​