Private Legitimate Business

[Amani Serys]

Investigating missing goods felt like a decidedly old-fashioned notion to Amani; From a time when her duties were more aligned to that of a galactic peacekeeper. When she was a Jedi.

Then again, maybe that’s just because it had been so long since that was the case. But as it turns out, Jedi was a title she was willing to accept again, and her work organically broadened in scope to accommodate. Just another thing to get used to all over again.

A community on Rishi was where the tip had pointed her to. Amani scanned dully over the information; A tropical world? Sounds nice. A haven for pirates and smugglers? That earned a groan. Still, it was a sign she was on the right track. It only makes sense she might find stolen supplies in a place like this. Her ship touched down, and in short time Amani was hoofing it to her destination.

Force willing, this would be a quick one.

Alina Tremiru​

 

[Alina Tremiru]

"Well that's a familiar scent."

Dressed in the fine clothing of a business woman at a beach the pale woman's voice carried far enough. Alina stared at Amani, datapad passed along to one of the security guards she'd brought along. Aurora Industries. The gold of her eyes were absent. The pale of her skin now a healthy tan. Even her oddly vampiric features were completely gone.

But there was no denying who it was.

She flashed a friendly smile, one that revealed the sharpened fangs that couldn't be hid with some make up or contacts.

"Small galaxy, if you're the Jedi that was sent. I assume your here to help with the missing property?"

Amani Serys

 

[Amani Serys]

That voice.

Amani did a double take. The getup had made for an initially dissonant combination of sight and sound, but there was no denying that voice.

“A-Alina?” She reached for her hip instinctively, but drew no weapons, “That's what I was called for...”

The baring of fangs brought her safely to the conclusion that this was a simple disguise, rather than a genuine redemption. Which only made her more suspicious. Some kind of trick? No explanation made much sense to her with the information she had.

"What is this?" That was about all she could come up with at the moment.

Alina Tremiru​

 

[Alina Tremiru]

"This? Work. After.. I reclaimed that Lightsaber I decided to listen, some. Find a different life I can live." She paused before looking herself over. And laughed.

"Unless you mean the look. Sangnir are naturally pale with glowing eyes. Easy to mix up with Sith under judgemental eyes. So I decided to look how I used to, before the change." She lifted her arms, casually striking a pose.

"What do you think? Do I look better like this?"

Amani Serys

 

[Amani Serys]

“I…” Amani found herself staring, and genuinely considering the question for a little too long, “Honestly there was something exotic about the vampire look.” She half-joked, then shook her head.

“But, I mean, seriously?” The mirialan stepped closer, her gaze returning to one of suspicion, “You just… gave it up?” She regarded one of the Aurora security officers from earlier, “Aaaaand just established an entire industry in the meantime?” A skeptical raise of her eyebrow.

She didn’t really buy it.

Alina Tremiru​

 

[Alina Tremiru]

Alina's coy grin only grew as Amani seemed to think it all over. Eventually though the Vampire lowered her arms, laughing. Nodding. "There is something exotic about it, isn't there?"

Then the grin faded. Turned to a more.. Sad smile. She turned her gaze back to the workers here as they set up a base camp and prepared to go find the stolen shipment. "Aurora Industries is far older than I am you know. But.. I met someone here who showed me that what my mother did to me doesn't define me. That I don't need to live the life I thought I had to." Not a lie in the slightest. Her Sith Master showed a completely different path from the brutal warfare of the Empire. She had no intention of stopping being a Sith. Just, went about it differently.

Not that she needed to tell Amani that.

"I suppose you could say she's more like a mother than mine ever could be. But! We're here on business. Come along, I'll fill you in on the way to the main tent."

And just like that her smile returned as she motioned for the woman to follow.

Amani Serys

 

[Amani Serys]

“Uh huh,” Amani hummed, still dubious of the vampire’s intentions. “I thought I had been telling you the same thing…” There was a person more influential to Alina than her occasional Jedi dancing partner? Makes sense, but it wasn’t very satisfactory for her compulsive need to save others.

The whole experience still kept her on edge. Frankly Amani wasn’t sure why she continued to even follow, yet she never stopped. “So, someone is stealing your supplies. And you, you, needed a Jedi’s help? What for?”

Last time she checked, Alina could rip someone apart with her bare hands.

Alina Tremiru​

 

[Alina Tremiru]

" 'I can just rip them apart with my bare hands' was what just went through your head, right?" Alina had an all too knowing smirk about it. She opened a nearby flap to the tent in question, motioning for Amani to step inside. No threats, no hostility. Aurora couldn't have such things. "I could, but you were the one who said there's a better way. You Jedi don't believe in coincidence, right? Then think of this as the Force giving you an opportunity to show me while I'm still willing to see."

Then she paused, glanced into the tent herself.

"I love to fight. But I don't want my life to be war like it was. Too many people keep telling me it can be different, so why not listen and see?"

Amani Serys

 

[Amani Serys]

Amani scoffed, and followed, giving the space a once-over before confirming that it was devoid of any threats.

She placed her hands on her hips, with just a slight twang of sass, “Alright, Alina, I’ll play along. Tell me the game plan; What are we dealing with?” Stolen supplies were still quite the ask for a Jedi’s aid. Whatever the catch was, Amani waited for it expectantly.

Alina Tremiru​

 

[Alina Tremiru]

"Chemicals. Bring life to a planet when used correctly, kill a planet when not, kind." Within was the typical layout of a quickly made headquarters. A holoprojector flashed in the middle as several security experts of Aurora stood about. One in particular, a blue skinned man, gave Alina a nod.

"This the Jedi?" Alina gave a nod.

"Ayup! Bring her up to speed, if you would." Mathew nodded once before flicking on the screen. Displays of the chemicals, the freighter that had been stolen. The make shift bunker the pirates in question were using.

"The ships heavily fortified, so the crew's been safe. But the pirates are.. Dipshits. I doubt they know what's inside or realize trying to literally cut their way in with plasma torches can set the whole thing ablaze. That's why you're here, Jedi. There's no room for error in making sure they don't try to blow the ship up."

Amani Serys

 

[Amani Serys]

"Oh. Great." Amani deadpanned. All of a sudden, this was a bigger deal than she thought. Her attention regarded the security officer once, then glued to the array of data across the holoprojector.

After all the information had been relayed, the Jedi stayed silent a few seconds before speaking, "Mmmkayyy…" She ran a hand over her face "If a plasma torch might screw everything over, I'm not exactly sure how a lightsaber is going to be of much use to you all." Sure, Amani wasn't a dipshit pirate. But it wasn't hard to see why the idea made her a bit nervous.

"Any idea how long it might take them to set things off?"

Alina Tremiru​

 

[Alina Tremiru]

"That so."

The Chiss shot a glance towards Alina, who just kept the same smile she'd been sporting the entire time. Seemed he wasn't as sure a Jedi was needed. "At the rate their going, an hour. Whether they have the patience for it or not is a different subject. Worse case, they try explosives." It was a godsend they hadn't tried such yet.

"So, Master Jedi, how should we proceed?"

Amani Serys

 

[Amani Serys]

“...Fuck.” Amani whispered under her breath, now busied with thoughts on how to handle the mission. Tactician had never really been her role as a Jedi, but it wasn’t a completely foreign concept to her.

“Well, the response team needs to be as small as possible. Quiet, too, if that’s an option. More firepower is just going to up the chances of things going south. Should probably send an evac warning to any communities within immediate proximity, too.” Would they risk a problem like this getting out, if they could help it? The thought didn’t really cross Amani’s mind, as she was more concerned about the lives at stake than the corporation’s bottom line.

“With that in mind… Who’s coming with me?” She offered herself up as the first volunteer.

Alina Tremiru​

 

[Alina Tremiru]

"Well, you heard the Jedi. Start on evacuation. I'll go with her." So spoke up Alina, with the ever present coy grin on her face. The Chiss raised a brow, but the Sangnir gave him a small nod and he just let out a sigh and nodded in turn. He left the two, barking out orders to start evacuating the nearby settlements.

Alina hummed, turning her gaze to Amani.

"Didn't realize you could give orders so clearly, miss Jedi. You want others or just us two?"

Amani Serys

 

[Amani Serys]

"Didn't realize you were so inclined to take them." Amani replied, taking a moment to make sure all her things were in order before she spoke again, "...Just us. Between you and I, we shouldn't need more than that." As small a team as possible. A Jedi, and a Sith-who-may-or-may-not-still-be-a-Sith.

Amani spared another wary glance at the Sangnir before leaving the tent, expecting her to follow, "...What aren't you telling me, Alina?" There was something. She knew that much.

Alina Tremiru​

 

[Alina Tremiru]

"Go fight some pirates and stop an environmentally destructive chemical from exploding and poisoning a planet with just the two of us? Is that how Jedi often take a girl on dates or just you?" Alina hung by the entrance to the tent, having made her way there to wait for Amani to get her gear all set. Alina's need for gear had.. Diminished over the years.

Grant it, she also had a blaster on her hip and a datapad sort of thing on her wrist.

As they left the tent though her smile faded. Replaced with a frown. "That this is a trap to get you alone and kill you so no one remembers my face as a Sith. Is that what you're hoping this is all to be?" That would make things easier, in the long run. And yet she let out a sigh, crossed her arms over her chest.

"I eat people. Their blood. They don't die from it, usually, but people aren't exactly willing to y'know, donate. .. A life time ago I would've followed you, when you asked. When I was still this." She motioned to her still disguised self.

"Here I can get the blood I need to not loose my mind. I don't go die without it. It's worse. I stop recognizing people. I forget little things, like what I was doing. Then where I am. Who I am. I can't stop being what I am. I'm still going to fix what my mother did to me. People are still probably going to die." Fake blue eyes turned back to the Mirialan.

"If you feel you still have to stop me, that's fine. Just know I do actually want to stop the pirates here, and I'd appreciate if we at least did that first."

Amani Serys

 

[Amani Serys]

Amani scoffed, "Most Jedi don't know what a date is," An obvious exaggeration at the expense of their more old fashioned traditions, "But don't look at me, you're the one who set this up."

As their little chat continued, Amani eventually stopped in place to make her point, "I'm not hoping for anything, Alina. I just want the truth." The Sangnir's story continued, and she listened. It all sounded terrible to her. Having no choice but to live like that. Amani frowned. There was no real bright side to it all. Either stop consuming blood, and lose her very being, or continue to do so, and risk hurting others.

After a long pause, Amani sighed, and seemed to relent, "You really know how to annoy me," Her tone was almost more teasing than it was a genuine complaint, although in truth the two went hand in hand. She continued walking, "Don't suppose you have a way to get us there?"

Alina Tremiru​

 

[Alina Tremiru]

Alina blinked.

Then laughed. Not a hauty or sarcastic kind, but a surprised, amused giggle. "I can settle for annoying." Was all she said before shrugging her shoulders. Pirates first. Business first. Her gaze shifted to the makeshift compound in the distance, studying and watching.

"Mmm.. Nope. Not that you'd be able to follow, anyway. Or one you'd not stop me from doing."

 

[Amani Serys]

“Guess it’s gonna be a bit of a walk then.” Amani sighed, already trudging ahead. Alina’s explanation elicited a snort, “Stop you? Unless your plan to get there faster involves ripping someone’s head off, I can’t imagine I’d be that opposed.”

She shot a wary glance at the Sangnir.

“...I-it doesn’t, right?”

Alina Tremiru​

 

[Alina Tremiru]

"What? No." Alina frowned and glanced off, scratching her cheek. "Like I said, you'd stop it anyway."

It would be easier. For Alina at least. After a moment she sighed. Impatience was already creeping into the back of her mind. It would be faster, on her own. Actually.

"I could just carry you."

Amani Serys