Different Paths

[Riamah]

As Ra thought about those missions, there was a sense of accomplishment that came into her. To know she had done the job to her fullest ability and been successful made her feel good. Not quite filled with pride or ego, but something along those lines.

"When I did get involved like that, it usually dealt with the nobility of Serenno. The kind of people where discretion was needed and expertise a regular field operative may not have."

Not meaning to belittle Brent in any way, her words might offend him. That thought didn't cross her mind though.

"I'll show you that room once you know which one you'll be staying in while you are here. Also if you find yourself drawn away by duty, I'll give you code to provide when you return. If you don't have those, the turrets will attempt to shoot you down before you can land."

Listening to his answer and advice on the definition of love, she couldn't help but give half a smile.

"I know I would never mistake lust for love. To me lust would be a physical attraction and giving into that form of passion."

With those words, her eyes would asses him, giving Brent a clear opinion of her knowledge on lust. However, at least for now, a line had been drawn and Ra would respect that.

"There is a little girl on Coruscant, my servants and clan sister I protect. That little girl is well cared for and stays at the orphanage I thought I had grown up in."

Not sure how much to tell him, Ra left it there. If he wanted to know more about her past, she would tell him if he asked.

[member="Brent Smith"]

 

[Brent Smith]

Brent understood. There were too many amateurs in play with the Intelligence field. He had been one. Big businesses and governments were doing the best they could to protect their assets, and a lot of that time it meant hiring on half trained throw away agents. He wondered sometimes if he had been expected to die in the field on his first mission, or his first few. The training he had was nominal at best, and if he could go back there was a lot of advice he would have given himself to do differently.

"Anyone can go out and do a little sabotage, it takes a real expert in the field to make it look like an inside job," Brent agreed, "And that only comes from experience."

The thought of staying or a return voyage hadn't crossed Brent's mind. Of course he had spare clothes on the Bishop along with his armory and his tricks of the trade. That was just part of the business of course. But he couldn't learn everything he came here for in just one day or probably even in a few weeks. Especially if they kept on getting distracted by topics of love, family, and their personal lives. He wasn't complaining either.

"That's very gracious of you," he said, "Especially the part about me not getting killed for pulling into your drive way. Thank you."

Brent pulled his comm from his pocket, thumbing it on to his astromech droid waiting out in the Bishop. "Gates, power it down. We are here to stay. Clearance: Evergreen."

If he was going to stay, there was no point in wasting fuel any more.

"I know I would never mistake lust for love. To me lust would be a physical attraction and giving into that form of passion."

Her attention certainly didn't go unnoticed. Ra was a very attractive woman, he could appreciate that. He gave a chuckle. It did feel good to be noticed. Things had been hard since things ended with his last relationship. He hadn't really considered anything romantic and sex outside of a relationship just felt cheap and dirty to Brent, something he wasn't ready to do with his life or to someone else. He wasn't ready, Brent knew himself well enough to know he hadn't fully healed from what had happened to him. But it felt good to know that he was actually noticed.

"Oh really? First a key to your place, now a room? Don't you think your moving a little quick for just a romp in the sack?" he teased. The man raised his eyebrow, "Remember when you asked if I thought you were bad? I think I want to change my answer."

Ra said there was a girl she was taking care of, an orphan. There seemed to be a lot of those these days. It was sad. But at least they were getting some good attention, and Ra was paying it forward. It wasn't lost on him that she was an orphan taking care of an orphan with someone else. Brent decided that either she was really bad at understanding what attachment was or she was rather wary with who she told about those she was attached to. It could be both, with her past.

"She is a lucky girl then," Brent said picking up his glass of wine and giving it a sip. "You thought you grew up there?"

 

[Riamah]

"As I said, I only had to personally get involved when it had to deal with the nobility. However, just because I was more often behind a desk that doesn't mean I was always there. There are some interesting stories I'm sure we could share. But both of us know we can't."

That is just how it was. General details would be fine, but names would have to be left out. When Brent thanked her for giving her clearance to come and go as he needed, Ra just sort of waved it off with her fingers.

"Take it as a sign that I don't think you'll use it against me and bring a force down on my head sometime."

While her tone was a little flat, there was honesty in it. If he could read people, Brent would tell Ra was relaxing more. Showing more expression in her tone, body language and especially her eyes. She leaned forward as he spoke, the look in her eyes showed an intensity very few had seen. Her previous look had faded, having done it more to make a point of what she felt than anything else. Hopefully, he would tell how much control Ra actually had over herself.

"When we met on Umbara and I offered my hand for you to take, I didn't mean for a single day or even a few weeks. A rump is and was the farthest thing from my mind actually."

When he finished that statement, Ra had the feeling he could read her far better than most. Could see through her control and almost peer into her. He then asked for clarification on her statement.

"I grew up on a backwater world with my master. As time passed, he set himself up in the government there and slowly worked his manipulations from the shadows. Time came and he made a move to take over the small world. People rebelled and there was a civil war, he died that day and told me I was now a sith lord. I was able to escape death, but in the process I lost my memory. Next thing I remember was waking up on Coruscant and thought I had lived there my whole life at this orphanage. That is where that girl is, her name is Xian. I had my memory returned a couple years ago."

Playing with her now empty wine glass, Ra set it down to sit on the table. Looking across at him, "you are the fourth person to know that much about me."

[member="Brent Smith"]

 

[Brent Smith]

But both of us know we can't."

It was true, and tragically ironic. Brent wasn't even allowed to see a counselor about his flashbacks and PTSD because his missions were too sensitive. He wasn't allowed to share them. Of course there were good reasons. If anyone traced his work back to him, Brent could die. And if anyone traced his work back to the First Order, there could be war, and innocent people would be hurt.

"I would never," he agreed when she spoke of making her regret it. "I am nothing if not a man of my word," he smirked and shrugged, "Besides you know how to find me, my family. I would be the worst of fools to try anything like that."

He had a good feeling about Ra. She may have been a Sith, but that didn't mean she hurt people for fun. Some may have, but she was different from them. She wasn't going to hurt him or his family, and Brent knew that. She was relaxing. Maybe it was just the natural course of things, but from what he had learned Sith generally didn't do that, and they didn't relinquish self control. She was doing good to hold on to her's. Brent could tell when a woman had a pretty strong interest in him. Part of that was because it happened so rarely. It was clear to see that Ra was pretty bound up in it. Especially the way she talked about how she was interested in more than just a one night stand.

"I'm not sure what you see in me," he said with a half shrug. Maybe he was the first, or just one of the first, people to give her a fair shake. His best guess was that no one really did that for her. Brent tried to give everyone a chance. Even his enemies he gave them a choice between dying and getting out of the way when he had that luxury. He pursed his lips together. There was no denying that there was something special about Ra. She wouldn't have gone through all this effort if there wasn't. It wasn't fair to judge her off his past, Brent knew that and he didn't want to. He wanted to give her a fair chance. He reached across the table for her hand, if she would allow him to take it, he gripped it gently. "I'll try."

She gave him that bit of information, it was a very unique, almost puzzling story. She was like one of those dolls that had other dolls in them. Once you thought you reached the last one, there was always another inside it. He had remembered playing with as a young kid. He was one of the few children with the patience to take them all apart and put them back in order.

"And people think my life is complicated, just because I am a spook," Brent said wrily. "Sounds like you really know what complication sounds like."

 

[Riamah]

Closing her eyes for a moment, Ra opened them again and nodded at what he said.

"I trust your word. Also anything you tell me, I will keep to myself. Won't blackmail or try to hurt you or yours. If a word is what it takes, then you have mine there."

Brent didn't know what she saw in him and she gave him a half smile with a gust of breath from her nose. Pointing a finger at him slightly as she thought of the words to say. When he reached out his hand to take hers, Ra did allow it.

"I see potential and a future."

It was phrased​ that way on purpose. Potential the First Order had missed and while it was too early for the last part to be known for sure, but she felt they had future together. Even if it never did turn romantic, they would make a powerful team. Better if that future had a union, but even without they could be strong.

"What makes you say you're a spook?"

She also wondered why he kept his glasses on, but would ask about that later.

[member="Brent Smith"]

 

[Brent Smith]

"I trust your word. Also anything you tell me, I will keep to myself. Won't blackmail or try to hurt you or yours. If a word is what it takes, then you have mine there."

"No need for that," Brent said with a wave of his hand, "But thanks. I hate blackmail."

She said she saw potential and a future. He didn't see either of those things. He wasn't faster, stronger, or more agile than other agents or other people. His grasp on the Force was tentative at best. He was just a little smarter than most, he managed to see the smallest things that others missed. Sometimes it was too much info at once. And as for future, he was pretty sure she meant them. It made him smirk. "Alright. Fair enough."

"Old habits die hard," he said, "When I was a Storm trooper we used to call FOSB agents that all the time. They had a horrible tendancy to pop up at the worst times. Usually what came after were disciplinary measures for small infractions; forgotten passcodes, doors that weren't locked, gear that wasn't quite up to code. It seems like a small thing to most, and agents would get a lot of hate for it, but those small things add up. I never got tagged for those measures, I've always had the eye for detail."

 

[Riamah]

He said he didn't need her word on and it she nodded. Smirking at what she said, the message was clear he heard the message hidden within her words. There were times when Ra spoke in such a manner, but preferred to be able to speak things openly. Brent would learn this if he hadn't figured it out already.

"Ah I see. Now you're one of them. I wonder if my agents called me anything behind my back..."

Placing the hand he wasn't keeping his hold on up to her chin, there was a glint of humor in her eyes. Tipping her head out to the hall, "want to see where you'll be sleeping while you're here?"

Ra would show him personally and it gave the servants the chance to get their food.

"You may not feel you're special, but hey we all are in own ways. You have the eye for detail."

[member="Brent Smith"]

 

[Brent Smith]

"Ah I see. Now you're one of them. I wonder if my agents called me anything behind my back..."

"Oh guaranteed," Brent bantered back with a serious face. "We call my handler Wingnuts. The female agent who's been to bed with him says its an incredibly accurate nickname."

Brent supposed that would be a good idea. If the paranoid agent side of him had been active at this point, it would have thought the same thing, but for very cynical reasons. He rose from his seat, pushing it back in place and offering to help Ra out of her seat if she needed or preferred it.

She said his eye for detail made him special, Brent tilted his head slightly to the side. He wanted to protest, but there weren't many people who could see what he did. Even those who were trained in observation couldn't pick it up as well as he could, it was natural, maybe even special in that way. He fell in step with Ra as they moved down the hall.

"That's what these are for," he said removing his sunglasses and offering them to her. "It all gets overwhelming sometimes. The light, the colors, the details. I can get overly distracted, it just makes it all more manageable. The long sleeves," he said motioning to his trench coat, "Help to mute out other things; the wind, temperature change, barometer changes, things like that. The coat here is even temperature regulated," he unbuttoned part of the side and opened it partially so Ra could see what he was talking about, "I keep it at 65, it helps me think," he buttoned the coat back and replaced his sunglasses, "Tools of the trade, or I'd have collapsed at this point already."

 

[Riamah]

She couldn't help but laugh when he said he was sure her people had nicknamed her something. When the Dominion had fallen, those people had lost their jobs or been taken in by the Sith. Ra knew what had happened to many of those people that had been loyal to the Dominion. It was rather sad to have wasted those people, but within the Empire, she was nothing and at that time couldn't have done anything to save them.

Not long ago, she had a meeting with Darth Carnifex and the unspoken threat under his words had been clear. She was tolerated as long as she didn't stir up trouble for him. Rise up against his leadership, so Ra waited patiently like her master had. When the time was right, she would strike. Until that day though, she was nothing to the sith. Just one of a number.

Accepting the offered hand, Ra stood up and went to lead him from the kitchen.

"Am I that stimulating?"

Saying this totally in fun, the information about his items though interested her.
​
"Hum, maybe I'll have to look into getting something like that."

[member="Brent Smith"]

 

[Brent Smith]

"Am I that stimulating?"

Brent chuckled. He probably found it funnier than he should have, he couldn't remember the last time he had laughed. Ever since he had rescued his family from the hostages situation, things had been somber, nothing had seemed worth laughing at or humorous.

"Let's just say I'm glad I'm wearing a trench coat," Brent bantered back, placing the sunglasses over his eyes once more. "It helps concealing certain things a little easier."

He was partially joking, partially being serious. She was a good looking woman after all, and he was a red-blooded man.

"The coat is custom made," he said when Ra stated she would have to look into getting some, "It has other tricks up its sleeve as well. Blaster proof, slug thrower proof, vibroblade-proof it moves rather easily, and its got a lot of storage capacity for gear. I designed it myself," he was proud of his creation, and what it was capable of. When the time came and he had the tools to do so, Brent would make a second, with more improvements and greater capacity for what he needed. "This is just the prototype."

 

[Riamah]

Liking to see Brent chuckle and laugh a little made Ra feel pretty good. Life for both of them was pretty serious with very little opportunity to show humor, to have it now felt nice.

"Sounds a bit like a cloak I have. Nothing seems to harm it. Just not temperature controlled or have a bunch of storage, it's saved my hide more than once."

That cloak went hand in hand with her past. When she woke up in the orphanage, she had thought it was her mother's. When that memory returned, Ra learned it had been hers. Along with the double lightsaber hilt she had. When her memory came back, the knowledge had too. So both what she had learned on her own and from her master on fighting, had made her into a strong opponent. She carried herself as such as well.

Letting the flirting part of the conversation end, as he had requested she not do it. She started moving down the hall to where their rooms were. She had turned the castle into a home, decorated it the way she wanted to and while it was still chill at times, it was rather welcoming.

"I have had a room set up for you. You've already met Vincent so if you need anything else, let him know. My rooms are a little further down."

She would have added that her door would be open for him, neither one of them really wanted or needed that right now. Brent knew how she felt so could probably figure it out anyway. He wasn't dumb.

[member="Brent Smith"]

 

[Brent Smith]

They reached his room and he stood there for a moment awkwardly. He wasn't sure what exactly what to do here, or what the protocol was. He noticed she told him where her rooms were. The idea of paying her a midnight visit did cross his mind, but he put it in check rather quickly. That wasn't what he was ready for and it was no way to respect her. She was interested, and he was as well, but that wasn't a reason to just go into something head first that Brent knew he wasn't able to commit to long term.

"Thank you," he said to both statements with a nod, "You are very gracious."

He stepped into his room, closing the door behind him. Brent leaned against it, removing his sunglasses and rubbing his eyes in the pure darkness. He let out a sigh, tossing his glasses onto the bed. Even though it was all but pitch black, and a room he had never been in, the man could sense it out all as good as if it was perfectly lit.

"Wow," he muttered to himself. He didn't know what he had just got himself into, but Brent had a feeling his life was about to have some radical changes.