Not So 'Commenor' Anymore - The Power of Industry Grows

[Kay-Larr]

Chasin City was one of the cities that Kay frequented the most when she was on Commenor. When she had worked for the Republic as a Senator, it was a great place to meet with dignitaries and business leaders due to the fine restaurants that made the city famous. However she no longer held her seat, no longer worked in the Republic government, or for any government at all. Occasionally she was hired as a mediator or diplomat by some, but it was never a full time thing.

Today she was a guest like any other business man or woman at a tea luncheon in one of the more lavish (and expensive) restaurants. Commenor was a world rich in trade commerce, so it was the perfect setting for companies to build contracts, alliances and even competition. There were private rooms set aside for closed door meetings, though not every deal was done in secret.

Kay was recently hired by [member="Romeo Sin"] to work as his CEO, overlooking all five of his companies. Together they were now to be known as Covetous Enterprises,a name far better than some of Romeo's other suggestions. With her connections to many companies on this world and elsewhere, she could think of no better place to be to start off her new venture.

Though it was expected by everyone to dress to impress, she still kept an air of modesty about her, and still carried her well worn satchel with her wherever she went. A tea cup and saucer were held in her hands as she made her rounds, greeting those that she knew and those that she didn't. Kay had to keep herself distracted for the moment from the ongoing wars and diplomatic affairs that she had been asked to participate in. Today it should be all about business. But then expectations and reality were hardly ever the same thing.

[member="Jorvan Hatha"]

 

[Kyoko Ike]

[member="Lady Kay"]

Standing there in her finest attire Kyoko had a small look on her face going to meet and well get more contracts.. you never could go wrong with such an endeavor while her attention went to some of the larger things they had. All over she let the polished to a near mirror finish look of her outfit shine as it wrapped around her neck and hugged what little she had. Her tail and yellow eyes the only thing really alien about herself but hidden a little when she spoke. "Beautiful place." [member="Lady Kay"] was considered a friend to her family and that meant she was to be respected but it also meant she was someone with a lot of trust as she knew a lot of her family were open but careful.

 

[Jorvan Hatha]

[member="Lady Kay"]

Jorvan wore an elegant yet simple robe as he showed up at the restaurant. He wasn’t invited to this event, but he knew the right person. As he strolled through the front doors, his immediate instinct was to turn around, but he knew he had a job to do. This wasn’t about how much he disliked the rich elite, this was about business.

As Lady Kay made her rounds, Jorvan watched her from the background. There a variety of ways he could approach her, but none of them felt good enough at the moment. He was going through a shortlist in his head, when he felt a hand on his shoulder, and he looked over his shoulder to find the owner of the restaurant smiling at him.

“You showed up after all,” Amanda smiled.

Jorvan only shrugged his shoulders in response. “I was bored.”

“Sure. Sure.” She followed his gaze. “Don’t tell me you’ve found another victim?”

“More like another obstacle.”

Jorvan confided in Amanda about his desire to gain Lady Kay as an ally. Normally he didn’t have a problem with seducing politicians to his side, but Lady Kay struck him as a person who wouldn’t fall for his normal machinations. He had to think outside the box, is what his gut told him. Make a strong first impression, and chip away at that armor of hers slowly.

He had to come at this proper.

“Kay darling, let me have a word with you for a minute.”

What the kark? Jorvan looked at Amanda like she had lost her mind as she looped their arms together, and she dragged him off.

“Didn’t I just tell you-”

“Oh shut it, Jorvan, I’m doing you a favor. Now stop frowning before you scare her off.”

“Amanda…”

“I said shush.”

When they stood in front of Lady Kay, Jorvan tried to force a smile, but he felt like his perfectly laid plans were about to go up in smoke. Amanda seemed to read his thoughts, because she let out a peculiar chuckle before she patted his chest and said, “Kay, let me introduce you to one of my friends here…” There was a pause while Amanda looked Jorvan in the eye. There was a silent discussion going on between them that Kay had no way of knowing.

I swear if you kark this up, Jorvan told Amanda with his eyes.

And you’ll do what? Amanda responded with a crinkle of her nose.

She looked at Kay and said, “This is my dear old friend, Jorvan.” She patted his arm like they were the best of friends. “Jorvan was just telling me about some of his adventures actually, and I suddenly thought of you. You see Jorvan here-”

As Amanda began to talk, Jorvan slowly went from being irritated and annoyed, to mildly impressed and downright amused. He always knew Amanda wasn’t the honest person she pretended to be, but the lies she began to tell were downright ridiculous and out of the ballpark.

She made Jorvan seem like he was some type of vigilante caped crusader who went across the galaxy rescuing slaves and helping out the poor. And it wasn’t just that. She even used the scars on his face to add to the story, referencing specific scars for specific battles. She was very thorough, and even though the things she was saying were flat-out lies, she made them seem believable with her energetic tone and her animated hand gestures.

She really went to bat for him surprisingly.

“Sorry, I got carried away,” Amanda blushed, when she had finished speaking. She tugged on Jorvan’s arm with a chuckle, “I tend to run off at the mouth about him because he’s like a brother to me,” she said, with a sincerity in her tone. Someone called her name, and she looked over her shoulder at the person was who waving at her. “I’ll tell you what, I’ll get back to you two in a few minutes. Can you two play nice until I get back?”

It really wasn’t a question because she left before either of them could respond.

In her absence, Jorvan looked at Lady Kay with an awkward expression. “Well, I really don’t know what to say after that embarrassing introduction, but-” He offered her his hand with a more confident smile. “-it’s a pleasure to meet you either way. I’ve heard some interesting things about you, and I have to say that I’m a big fan.”

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay spotted [member="Kyoko Ike"] , not knowing her at all, but recognizing the outfit. She bowed her head to her. There was plenty of mingling going on as per usual. She was glad that she wasn't hosting the event, for it gave her more freedom.

And then her name was called out, but not just by anyone. It was Amanda. That Lady was one of the best businesswomen on Commenor. She knew almost everyone and made it her priority to learn as much as she could about her patrons. No doubt such information was being used to serve her own ends. There was a lot of that in political and business circles, so Kay was certain to keep her secrets well guarded.

She watched as Amanda and [member="Jorvan Hatha"] approached. The manner in which they walked reminded Kay of one of those holo-movies, where the guy is too shy to talk to a girl, so his best friend drags him over to talk him up. And sure enough, that seemed to be exactly what was happening. She listened to the slave rescue stories, as entertaining as they were. Her eyes would shift from one to the other as she worked on trying to figure out which parts of the stories were true, and which were embellishments. It was odd to feel as though one was living in a movie that they had seen a few times over. That made Amanda's sudden departure seem almost predictable.

But there was no time to respond or get a word in edgewise until after the Lady had left. So now it was the two of them. And he says that he was a fan? She hardly felt herself to have done anything to deserve a following. Not all of her plans had worked, afterall, and at times she was reminded of her failures.

Kay took Jorvan's hand and gave it a firm, yet soft shake to go along with a polite smile. "The pleasure is all mine, Jorvan. I can't say that I've come across many that would go to such lengths to free slaves. Plenty of people have told me that it is a lost cause, that others would only become enslaved in their place. What would you say to people like that?" She sipped her tea while she awaited his answer. If he was passionate about it, then she would know that there were some truths in the stories that Amanda had shared.

 

[Kyoko Ike]

Kyoko was looking at all fo them and seeing Lady Kay speaking to another she moved quickly the blonde hair bouncing as she came to a rest with a bow. "[member="Lady Kay"] thank you for having me." She looked up at the two of them and heard some of the conversation but well she wasn't part of the conversation. Adding to it seemed strange but the idea of abolishing slavery and freeing all of them across the galaxy was.. hard. She knew from some things that slavers would just look for someone else, there was usually always another species out there that was underdeveloped that could be beaten with basic applications of their technology to beat them back.. or take advantage of them. It sucked but she had not seen many people who didn't want to exploit someone somehow.

 

[Jorvan Hatha]

[member="Lady Kay"]

Was it a good thing that she had accepted Amanda’s lies so easily, Jorvan wondered. He tried to search her face for an answer, but her polite smile gave nothing away. Common sense told him that he was in the clear; this woman gave off an innocent vibe that screamed “come take advantage of me”, but Jorvan had met his fair share of innocent women who really weren’t so innocent when you got on their bad side. It was possible that she was only humoring the lie to play along. But truth be told, Jorvan didn’t have much time to dwell on it.

Her question was an easy one to answer, but Jorvan had hesitated in giving her a reply. It wasn’t because he couldn’t find the words, but rather his mind had took him back to Serenno. Back to Korvos where his father had plunged him into that darkness.

He remembered the dark days he spent in the Aveal.

He remembered the torment.

He too had once been the property of another, but he had gained his freedom. He had the broke the chains with his own hands – like his father had wanted. Kay wanted to give the slaves hope that there was a helping hand out there, but Jorvan thought it was better drown them in complete darkness. How else would they learn the valuable lesson? That it was better to help yourself than rely on the aid of another.

He pretended to think thoughtfully on her question and said, “Well, you are certainly right. There are many who would laugh at what we do, but you must remember that there were also those who laughed at the idea of a Republic. Of Democracy. The problem with the people you speak of is that they only see things in the short-term, instead of looking at things in a wider scope. They expect results now, but true change takes time. True change takes perseverance and commitment. What me and you do on our own might be insignificant to some, but every freed slave is a testament that injustice will never be tolerated. Whether it’s a losing battle or a winning one is irrelevant. We simply do what’s right. But-” There was a shrug of Jorvan’s shoulder. “I personally don’t care for other people’s opinions to be honest. Let them think what they want, I’ll still do what I please.” Jorvan looked at her with a curious expression. “But are you asking me this because you’re having a moment of doubt, perhaps? I imagine it must be taxing to be on the Hutt Cartel’s monthly naughty list.” It was a joke but Jorvan was slightly serious.

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay raised a brow slightly as she listened to [member="Jorvan Hatha"] speak. It wasn't so much what he said, but how he said it and how he moved. This was a man that seemed to get whatever he wanted in whatever manner he chose. There was some truth in what he said, about the Republic and Democracy, yet it didn't fully seem as though it was a truth that he believed.

There was something of her that he was after, that was for sure, but what that was remained to be seen. He seemed to not even notice [member="Kyoko Ike"] as she approached them. Kay had come across others like him before and she denied them the chance to label her as one of their conquests. In time his purpose would be revealed.

Jorvan's question caught her off guard, however. She wasn't expecting such a thing with regards to her character so soon. Kay regained her composure, sipping her tea as she did so. "I merely asked as I was only curious as to how others felt. Some people free slaves for selfish reasons, while I do it to contribute in the fight against oppression. It is just one way to gain freedom. Some chains and cages aren't visible, afterall. And as for the Hutt Cartel, they are no longer in power. There are no bounties on my head for me to worry about, no enemies seek to hunt me down. I think that after losing my political power, I was no longer deemed a viable target. And that has given me more freedom to do as I wish, with far less oversight and worry over being investigated." Perhaps she said too much, but what she had said was public knowledge anyways. Details were left out on purpose.

Kay looked to Kyoko and gave her a small smile. "Afternoon. I am not the host of this event. That honour goes to Amanda. I am merely a guest like most here. The new Senator could be arriving soon." Some guests were already filtering to the private rooms for closed door contracts and deals. At least there was no trouble, no attacks. Never a bad thing in meetings where plenty of credits were exchanging hands.

 

[Jorvan Hatha]

OOC: Sorry Kyoko for not mentioning you in my last post. For some reason I thought she hadn't approached them yet, lol.

[member="Lady Kay"] [member="Kyoko Ike"]

Jorvan listened attentively while Kay answered his question. She said she was only curious of how others felt, but Jorvan thought that curiosity was slightly dangerous. He had seen people full of zeal and energy, lose their spark because they had surrounded themself around negative people. What was the point in seeking out a difference of opinion? Would you let another person sweet talk you away from your goals?

He continued to listen to her, and he wondered if she was the type that settled for a middle ground rather than seek out domination. It was a foolish question the longer he thought about it; she clearly wasn’t like the cutthroat politicians he remembered from Serenno, or even the ones he was acquainted within the Republic.

Whether that was a good or bad thing, he wasn’t quite so sure.

"Afternoon. I am not the host of this event. That honour-”

When she began to speak again, Jorvan’s eyes had found a distraction.

When had this other woman approached them he wondered? Or rather, why he hadn’t he noticed her before? He looked at her curiously and noted her tail and her yellow eyes. Was she a friend of Amanda’s? No, from the way Kay spoke, she seemed to be someone who was just here for business.

He waited for the two of them to finish speaking, and then he would offer the woman his hand with a friendly smile, “I don’t think I’ve met your acquaintance, yet? My name is Jorvan Hatha. And yours…?”

After the woman would introduce herself, if she chose to, Jorvan would turn his attention back to Kay to respond to her earlier statement. “You say some curious things, Lady Kay.” He looked at her with a peculiar smile. “Because you aren’t a senator anymore, you think the slavers you’ve crossed have simply forgotten you?” Jorvan let out a small chuckle. “I’m afraid the game doesn’t quite work like that. You see people have long memories. Long grudges. It doesn’t matter if you’re a senator or a normal citizen of the Republic now. People will remember what you’ve done in the past and they’ll seek retribution. But of course, I’m in no position to tell you to be careful. I also tend to live life without looking over my shoulder, although there have been some consequences along the way.”

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay blinked as [member="Jorvan Hatha"] seemed to find her words amusing. Maybe she wasn't answering his questions in the way that he expected, but it was all her own perspective. Everyone was different. Did she take offence to it? No. But she did take note of it. It was almost as if he thought that she had the mentality of a child when it came to the way the Galaxy worked. Yet he had no idea of the evils that she had faced, just as she didn't know of his own experiences.

She sipped her tea. "I am fully aware that people hold grudges, yet the Cartel is no more. Some of those slavers are dead while others seem to have disappeared. They were never afraid to try to stop me, and they put bounties on my head to try to bring me in. But as I lost my position, so too did they lose their supply of credits. I am but merely a memory of a time gone by." Kay shifted her weight on her feet a little. "I had to stop my missions for a time, as I lost everything for a short while in a bid to try to prevent a war. But recently I did manage to get a slaver to change his ways and treat his workers with respect and even a good wage. It quelled the uprisings in his mines and he learned that he got better work from them now than when he ruled them with fear."

And she wasn't without her protection. There were always people around to help her out, especially when she needed it the most. Yet she could rely on herself as well. Kay had her own secrets, her own way of doing things. Sure it meant that she couldn't let anyone get close, but it was better that way. She had already lost her husband and their adopted children over ten years ago. There was no way that she was going to allow that to happen again.

Now to change the subject and draw attention away from herself. It was always more comfortable for her when she wasn't the centre of attention. "Outside of freeing slaves, Jorvan, what else is it that you do?"

 

[Grrwunhoooll Agaburry]

Was wonderfully stunning but compared to Korun it was lacking. Korun was home and nothing compared to home. Dressed nicely in a fine formal suit Tyrone shifted his glances from one person to another. Carefully examining and just enjoying the various types of personalities. Tilting his head slightly Tyrone shifted his hands behind his back and straightened his back. His hands were locked and his walk was how you could say... Well practiced. This was not his first visit to a event like this. Oh no this was one of many. Stopped by another Gentleman standing near two others [member="Lady Kay"] and [member="Jorvan Hatha"]. The man asked Tyrone his name and greeted him with a bow.

Taking a step back and bowing in return Tyrone responded.

" I am Tyrone of Family Verd." he answered with his tainted Korunnai accent and smirked. Verd was a well known family to all and for good reason. The Zambranos and Verds were related by marriage, Someone was bound to recognize the family name at some point.

[member="Kyoko Ike"]

 

[Jorvan Hatha]

[member="Lady Kay"]

She heard his words, but she didn’t hear what he was saying. It was true the Hutt Cartel was gone. Out of power. Out of favor. Out of whatever else was used to describe an ignoble defeat, but what of the people that made it up? Were they gone? Were they all dead or locked away?

They weren’t and Kay had admitted herself.

Jorvan looked at her and he wondered if she had ever had something taken away from her. Not something petty, but something real. Something close to the heart. Something that would gnaw at her mind until she got even.

She didn’t seem to understand this type of hatred. She didn’t seem to know the type of pettiness that drove men to lash out at the world when they had lost everything.

She thought she was safe because she lost her position, but Jorvan knew of whispers in the underworld. Not directed at her specifically, but at people just like her. People who didn’t know how to stay in their lane and mind their own business when it came to the slave trade. He could tell her about those whispers, but it wouldn’t benefit him in the slightest. Right now, she didn’t believe his words. It didn’t matter what he said, she would be stuck in her ways. But Jorvan had a way to change that. Maybe he would get close to Kay in the same way he got close to Amanda?

Manipulate her into a dangerous situation, only to rescue her at the last moment.

It was food for thought as she told him about her mine story.

When she asked him what else he did for a living, Jorvan blinked, and then there was a slow smile.

“Well, where do I begin? Let’s see. I guess we’ll start with troublemaker number one.” Jorvan pulled out a datapad and started up a hologram. It was a picture of his oldest daughter, Aria. Infectious smile, braids down to her shoulders, hands up to no good while she made a mess in the kitchen. Jorvan rubbed his forehead with a chuckle. “Well when she isn’t learning to be the Top Chef of Denon, my daughter Aria here, likes to keep me on a tight schedule.” He told Kay about the daily antics Aria put him through. The constant accidents she caused around the house. The tea parties. The grav-ball games she whined about until he got them tickets.

She was a handful, but she was only one half of the trouble duo.

“And meet troublemaker number two.” He pulled up a hologram of a similar looking girl to Aria. “Her twin sister,” Jorvan explained. While Zuri didn’t cause as many problems as Aria, Jorvan explained that Zuri was a handful in her own ways. She was extremely shy. To the point where she wasn’t comfortable around strangers. If Jorvan or her sister weren’t around, she’d simply stop speaking and pretend she was off in her own world, which was a problem when Jorvan tried to send her to school.

“Of course, when those two hell-raisers aren't occupying my time, I could also tell you I’m the CEO of a few companies. But between me and you I don’t have much to do with the day to day.”

He told her a little about Hatha Industries, and how it was a building design & construction company that sometimes did charity construction for war-torn areas. And then there was Lusha; his entertainment agency that specialized in taking unknown talent and catapulting them to stardom.

He was about to ask her a question of his own, but the conversation going on beside him had caught his ear. He kept his eyes on Kay, but his ears had picked up on the name of [member="Tyrone Verd"].

He didn’t know the man personally, but he had heard the family name before. Mainly for their connection to the Zambranos because Jorvan’s come-up story had started in Coruscant, where the Zambrano name was well-known, but Jorvan knew of a few Verds who were making their name known across the galaxy.

He was curious why the man was here, but for the moment Kay held his attention. He didn’t want to introduce himself and give off the impression to Kay that he was just here to make business contacts with whatever powerful name, when he was trying to get her to lower her guard.

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay was quite glad that the subject was changed. She looked at the pictures that [member="Jorvan Hatha"] produced and listened to the stories about them that he told. It made her wonder about their mother, given that their personalities were opposite of eachother. She sipped her tea which was nearly finished, if only to distract her from thinking of her two adopted children. They were taken into hiding shortly after her husband was killed, hidden to keep them safe. No doubt their names were probably changed. By now they were 17 and 20 standard years old. At times she wondered if they even remembered her at all. They were a part of her family for only two years before tragedy struck.

It came at no surprise that Jorvan was a businessman. He was here at this get-together afterall. Kay smiled a little as he spoke of not handling the day to day activities of his companies and offered up her own guess as to why that was. "Well with two daughters, it is no wonder that you are rather busy out of the office. Being a good Father is your most important job. They'll appreciate it when they grow up, I'm sure."

[member="Tyrone Verd"] also caught her attention, but merely because his was a voice nearby. She had heard of the Verd family, but only through rumours. As far as she was aware, she had nothing to worry about with regards to them. But one can never be too careful.

Her tea was finished now, and she handed off the empty cup and saucer to one of the servers, bowing her head a little to Tyrone as she glanced his way. Kay then returned her gaze to Jorvan as she clasped her hands in front of her. "How long have you known Amanda for? I know that she's been hosting these lunches for quite a few years now. I have only come to a handful of them, due to not always being in this part of the Galaxy. But she certainly knows how to make everyone feel welcome."

 

[Jorvan Hatha]

[member="Lady Kay"]

"Well with two daughters, it is no wonder that you are rather busy out of the office. Being a good Father is your most important job. They'll appreciate it when they grow up, I'm sure."

Jorvan smiled at her statement, although there was a bit of guilt. He didn’t like to incorporate his daughters into his lies, but he suppose he purposely mislead Kay into thinking his daughters were the reason he stayed away from the office. It wasn’t that of course. He had a criminal empire to run, but it was true that he would stop whatever he was doing to fly back to Zuri and Aria if it was needed.

He thought of how she said being a good father was his most important job, and Jorvan admitted to himself that he still had a long way to go. He tried to be there for his daughters when he could, but there were times when his ambition clouded his judgement and kept him away from home longer than he should have been.

It was happening a lot lately, but fortunately Chacha was always there to give him a friendly slap upside the head to remind him of his priorities.

He closed the hologram when she asked about Amanda, and his eyes searched out for the woman in question. “Me and her have a bit of history,” Jorvan admitted. He thought back on the rude way Amanda treated him when they first met. “She was one of my wife’s friends but we never really got along. At least not until recently,” Jorvan chuckled. He started to remember all of the instigating Amanda did whenever she would visit District 9. Him and Julia rarely had problems, but whenever Amanda was around, there was always something he was all of a sudden doing wrong. He looked at Kay and added, “But you’re right. She does have an innate talent for this. Too bad she’s not so good at other things. Like keeping promises.” Jorvan paused to look back in Amanda’s direction. As she smiled and mingled with some of her guests, Jorvan explained, “You see, she’s been promising to show me around Chasin City to help me scout out some locations for a new branch office for Lusha. But every time I make the time to come out here-” Jorvan opened his arms in a gesture to reference the luncheon. “-this happens. Sometimes I think she does this on purpose. She knows this isn’t the type of crowd I normally hang around, but she insists on dragging me here anyway. She thinks I don’t have enough friends in the right circles, you see.” He paused to flag down a waiter for a cup of tea, and while he brought the cup to his lips, he casually said, “But since we’re on the subject. You wouldn’t happen to know any good locations in this city, would you? Perhaps a location with a scenic view? Nice restaurants around? Not too far away from a transportation hub?”

It was a innocent question, but of course, there was an intent behind Jorvan's words.

 

[Kay-Larr]

Amanda -was- one of his wife's friends? That could mean either one of two things. The two ladies weren't friends anymore, or his wife was no longer alive. Kay hoped for the former.

She would follow [member="Jorvan Hatha"] 's gazes towards Amanda, allowing her to also glance over to [member="Tyrone Verd"] to see if he was perhaps just listening in to gather intel on either one of them, or if he was waiting to speak to one of them.

Yet when Jorvan spoke of not having friends in the right circles, she raised a brow slightly. Just what kind of crowds did he hang out with, then? Perhaps he kept with the Underground, in order to infiltrate and free slaves. Or perhaps all of this was a ruse and he was a part of the criminal Underground, himself.

His questions of wanting to find a good office location pulled her out of those thoughts, however. "The central part of Chasin is good for most of those things, but the view. My office used to be there, in the Government building. For a good view of the mountains, you'd be looking more towards the west side in one of the taller high rises, being sure that you have your windows facing the north-west. As to whether or not there are any vacancies, you'll have to research them out." Another glance towards Tyrone was given, before she looked to Jorvan again. "Chasin City is a safe city, and there are plenty of people that want to keep it that way. With a world relying heavy on trade, it's easy for some to try to use it as a place for funnelling illegal goods. Some have succeeded, but they are always stopped in the end." Perhaps she was speaking to the both of them. During her time as Senator and even on her missions in Cartel territory, there were plenty of criminal business owners trying to swing deals to have the authorities and government look the other way with regards to their illegal goods. It was a request that was usually denied. But there was a good chance that she could be wrong entirely about their purposes here. It wasn't as though she could read minds.

 

[Jorvan Hatha]

[member="Lady Kay"]

As she told him about the different areas of Chasin City, Jorvan thought his intent had gone unnoticed. He had no interest in opening up a branch here -- Lusha was fine, Lusha was big enough. What Jorvan wanted was an excuse to call her again, in case today didn’t go as he planned. He wanted to leave this restaurant today, knowing that Kay would be on his side if he ever called her for a request or favor, but he was prepared to put in a little more work if it was required. He was already plotting and scheming on how their second meeting would go, and how he would manipulate it into an outing that would make her lower her guard and warm up to his words. He would invite her out to help out with the building search, was what he was thinking. Continently get lost. Conveniently mishear a detail. Call her up and play up on the fact that he was new to the town and short on friends.

There were ways to approach this he knew, he just needed to be patient.

"Chasin City is a safe city, and there are plenty of people that want to keep it that way. With a world relying heavy on trade, it's easy for some to try to use it as a place for funnelling illegal goods. Some have succeeded, but they are always stopped in the end."

When she said this, Jorvan looked at her in peculiar way. He was still smiling, but there was a question that started to stir inside of him.

Did she know, he wondered? Who he was? What he was? It was a stupid question because there were very who did. Not even Julia knew what sort of things he did behind the scenes when she was still alive and they had lived together.

Of course this woman wouldn’t know.

But that question lingered in the back of his head, as his smile became thin, “But they are always stopped in the end? That sounds like the making of a good story that you’re letting rot in the dark,” he smiled. He got a little closer to her. His smile a little more devious. “You’ll have to tell me this story sometime. You can’t tease things like this and not explain.” Jorvan brought the teacup to his lips and he closed his eyes pretending to savor the taste, although Aria’s daily tea parties had ruined any love he had for the beverage. He opened his eyes and said, “Well, your advice is certainly noted. The west side seems like a desirable place if it’s as you described. I try to set my people up in places where they can work comfortably, but in places like Denon, that’s hard to come by.” He complained a little about how they were buildings and skyscrapers in every direction in District 9. He handed his empty teacup to a waiter and said, “How’s the nightlife in this city? I have to look out for my younger employees too, you know. I know you’re a former senator and fun probably doesn’t come to you easily-” He paused with a light chuckle. It was clearly a joke. “-but if I just got off work from a long nine to five, where would you tell me to go? Or better yet, pretend like I’m not a boring father of two, and instead a single young man fresh out of university. It’s Friday night date night, where am I going?”

 

[Kay-Larr]

There was something in [member="Jorvan Hatha"] 's eyes as he stepped forward. They gave off a different vibe than what his words did. It made Kay wonder just who exactly he was and what he was really doing here. It wasn't as though she had any real influence on Commenor anymore after losing her seat. But she did know a lot of people, hence why she was here to set up contracts for the companies that she was currently overseeing. Perhaps whenever she tells him the tales, she'll be sure to only tell the ones where security was successful.

When Jorvan closed his eyes while sipping his tea, it gave Kay the opportunity to take half a step back. She wasn't entirely comfortable with people getting too close. They either wanted to capture her, hurt her, or try to add her to their list of nightly conquests, something of which she denied all of them. She had no interest in being anyone's one night stand. Such a thing would in no way provide her with what she had lost when her husband was killed almost 11 years ago.

Kay listened as he spoke of District 9. She too preferred a good view and Commenor was lucky to have such high mountain ranges. It made for a higher percentage of buildings with a view. But she was more comfortable outside of the cities.

Kay looked to [member="Tyrone Verd"] for a moment. She wondered what line of work he was in and whether or not the two knew eachother. Perhaps they were in competition? And then Jorvan caught her attention once more, commentating on the lack of 'fun' in her life. People had different views on what they considered to be fun. Kay just didn't follow the masses and go to get herself drunk. "The Commons is a popular venue, I hear. Gambling, bars, dance floor and entertainment. You could direct your employees to go there on their nights off. It's on the south side of the city, right near one of the transport hubs for convenience."

No doubt people would think that she was stuck up or something, but she just considered herself as being careful.

 

[Jorvan Hatha]

[member="Lady Kay"]

The Commons sounded like a place his men would enjoy. Although he had no intentions of expanding Lusha here, the Red Wave were another story. Already, Chacha and Flex were preparing the sects for another conquest. He knew they wanted to shoot it out in the streets like they did in Coruscant, but Jorvan thought he would take a low-key approach and play it safe. Maybe take over the streets of Commenor in the same way he took over District 9; by staying in the background and playing the different factions against each other.

There was no need to go all out in a place like Chasin City, he thought.

When he noticed that she had taken a step away from him, he chuckled a bit. She was cautious. Not bad. It could be more fun that way, but Jorvan was accustomed to getting what he wanted. He resisted stepping closer.

“Well The Commons certainly sounds like a place I-” He coughed abruptly with a laugh. “I mean my employees would likely enjoy. And you say they have gambling too?” Jorvan nodded his head approvingly. “They’ll feel right at home then, especially for the ones who’ll transfer over here from Denon. You see we have a big culture in District 9 around taking risks and going all in. Our sports teams are the same too. You haven’t seen a grav-ball game until you seen the Rampaging Giants break out the tricks and the fancy plays.” Jorvan stroked his beard while he regarded her with a curious expression. “But I just was joking before when I said that senators didn’t know how to have a good time, yet from your wording…” There was a small pause. “It would seem like you’re recommending this place to me on another’s recommendation and not your own. That’s fine of course, but-” There was another pause, while Jorvan’s eyes traveled below her neck to examine how she looked in her dress. “Pardon me for saying this, but you don’t strike me as a person that would lack for male suitors. Is there a particular reason for why you haven’t been to this place yourself? I mean I’m sure you would have had the opportunity. Is it just because of work or….”

Maybe he was digging too deep, too soon, but Jorvan didn’t mind the risk of a touchy subject. He was quick with recoveries. And anyway, he was genuinely curious to find out the answer.

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay smirked a little as [member="Jorvan Hatha"] suggested that he, or rather his employees would enjoy visiting The Commons. Most people would and she figured that he was the type to go. And then he spoke of his culture. They take risks and go all in? It made her wonder if there was a hidden meaning in that phrase. His real purpose still wasn't clear to her, though it was quite possible that she was being overly cautious for nothing.

He was digging, searching for an opening as he tried to figure out her reasons for not going to The Commons herself. Jorvan's gaze of her body did not go unnoticed either. Perhaps this was why Amanda had sent her to him? Out of pity? Kay shifted her weight on her feet uncomfortably, yet she kept her eyes on him. "I have gone to places like it as some meetings on other worlds were held in them. I just never chose to have meetings in The Commons. And I have been too busy with everything to go there myself whenever I was on Commoner. I travel quite a bit."

She dodged his talk of her and suitors or lack thereof. Sure she could consider herself to be a little pretty, afterall she had a wonderful marriage, though it was short lived. But she took her husband's death very hard and as she had no kingdom of her own, no large fortune to be had, she had little to offer anyone. Her recently discovered Imperial family connections also lessoned her chances, she thought. Or at the very least it made it more complicated. Things were constantly changing in her life, dangers always popping up. The last thing that she wanted was to lose another husband due to her choices and defiance of her enemies.

 

[Jorvan Hatha]

[member="Lady Kay"]

The work he would have to put in with this one. She was guarded. Too guarded for him to figure out how his words were affecting her. He knew of people like her of course. Always poised. Always calm. But they had a reason to be on guard against him. They knew his nature. They knew the cruelty that lie behind his eyes.

He looked at Kay and wondered what was her reason? Was it something he said they made her refuse to lower her guard? Was it his presence? He knew he looked intimidating to some because of the scars on his face, but Kay struck him as a person who wouldn’t judge him because of his appearance.

Then was it that then. The thing he had expected earlier. Did she know who he was?

He stroked his beard and tried to shake off the thought. He didn’t think it was that either. His gaze strayed off for a moment and he was suddenly reminded that this woman was a widow. It wasn’t that he forgot, but rather he just assumed she took the loss of her loved one in the same manner like he took his.

He moved on. He had to. He had two daughters to raise, and moping around in depression would only hurt them. He had responsibilities.

But he honestly didn’t think this was the reason for why she was being so guarded.

He tried to remember how many years Chacha told him that Kay’s husband had been dead for. Was it ten? Eleven? Twelve? He knew he was in the ballpark. Even if she hadn’t remarried, Jorvan doubted if she didn’t have flings from time to time. It had to be another reason for why she was being so cautious with him.

Yet, he pushed these thoughts to the back of his head. It was pointless to look for a reason for why things weren’t going his way. All he had to do was be himself and things would work themselves out eventually. There was a reason why he had made it this far.

He smiled at her, noting she didn’t acknowledge his subtle compliment, “I see. And you travel quite a bit?” Jorvan nodded. “I imagine you would, especially when you were a senator.” Jorvan decided that he wouldn’t let her off the hook so easily. She wanted to shift the conversation away every time he delved into something personal, but Jorvan wouldn’t let her have her way this time. He would start with a simple question first and then work his way towards the questions that would hit home. “Speaking of your time as senator, what made you take the plunge? I mean politics is a nasty business from what I noticed. Have you always wanted to serve the public, or was it a desire you simply acquired along the way?”

It was an easy question, Jorvan thought. Nice and generic. Simple and plain. A perfect set-up question for the things he really wanted to get to.

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay nodded in response to his rhetorical questions on her travelling. Sure she did some travelling for Senator business, but there were a lot of Senators that only travelled from their worlds to the Capital and vice versa. And that was it, the full extent. Whereas she travelled to many, many other worlds, both for slave rescues in Hutt Cartel territory, and helping out other worlds try to prevent invasions and attacks. There was a reason that she had never bought a home, besides not always having the money for it. And it wasn't until recently that she even got a ship of her own. Her methods of travel were complicated in order to thwart the bounty hunters and others that would be on her tail. Thankfully for the moment, she didn't have to look over her shoulder everywhere that she went.

And then [member="Jorvan Hatha"] began asking her the same types of questions that she had gotten from the various news sources before, as well as some of the Sith Lords and Dark Jedi that she had encountered. "I heard that there was an opening a few years ago for a seat in the Senate and so I put my name in. My late husband and I used to do a lot of travelling and negotiating disputes on some of the worlds in both the Inner and Outer Rim. We helped to prevent a few wars. With him having a strategic and warrior mind, and with me being the caring and diplomatic one, we could see various angles in different situations and be able to find some great solutions. It was....Well, we made a fantastic team."

She took a moment as she cherished the memory. It didn't quite make her sad. She was just holding onto the feelings of the time when nearly everything worked out correctly. It was a nearly perfect time. At times she wondered if their adopted children remembered them. But it had been over a decade since they were hidden away. No doubt their names were changed and each off doing their own things.

It was a brief pause before she continued speaking. "After he was killed I didn't do much of anything for a long while. It just wasn't until I ran into one of my old friends from back then, that I figured that I couldn't be selfish anymore. People seemed to have forgotten about us, so it was a good time to start something new. So when the position came up, I figured that I would try. I may not be liked by our new Supreme Chancellor, but I do get asked to help out with disputes and rescuing refugees, just like before." Only she didn't have a partner with her this time. Kay handled everything by herself.

Time to switch tactics away from herself. "What about you, Jorvan? What got you onto your career path?"