Private Of Gold and Blood

[T'zarna Khab]

Location: Centares, Maldrood Sector
Objective: Parley with a Siren
Tags: Reina Daival

Centares was a planet covered in sprawling cityscapes, not to the extent of Coruscant, but still a considerable planet. Historically it had been a small building block in much larger empires, now it was a jewel untouched by galactic powers. Centares was free to make its own future, for now...

Even now something bubbled under the surface. The Inquisition of The Imperial Confederation had turned one of the many spires of the city into a covert outpost. At the top of the spire, there was a high ranking inquisitor watching over the city. Not protecting it, but scrutinizing it with the unblinking eyes of The Inquisition. Nothing in this city happened without her knowing, and that meant danger for many.

Recently her people had discovered that one of the longest standing enemies of The Empire had, The Sith, had been operating near Centares. One of their agents, a mercenary of great renown, had begun making the bars of the planet a frequent haunt. Rather than try and turn the urban sprawl into a battleground, T'zarna had plotted a much more lucrative scenario in her mind.

Mercenaries were never truly loyal to one side, they could be bought. If this mercenary was willing to join with The Empire, then their considerable skills would be a boon. The Inquisition especially could use an agent to go deep behind enemy lines where most inquisitors would be slowed.

Already ideas were sprouting in T'zarna's mind, ways that this mercenary could serve the Empire. It was important to plan ahead when making decisions effecting the entire Empire. Now it was all about securing foundation for this future.

There was always the option of the mercenary turning her down. That would be far more complicated. After all, Reina had contacts in The Sith Order, killing her would be more dangerous than necessary.

Regardless, they would have to cross that bridge when they came to it. Soon, Reina would be here under the guise of business with the cover company of the Inquisitorial Spire. Currently, unless something had happened, there was little chance that Reina would know who she was meeting. That surprise would make this especially interesting for T'zarna.

 

[Reina Daival]

Tag: In Post
Location: Spire in Centares
Outfit

Yet another planet that reminded Reina of Coruscant. She had found plenty of those in her travels, and each one the redhead found herself with a distinct dislike for. In a way, that it was something and her former master seemed to have in common now that Reina was in a good enough mindset to think back on it all.

She hadn't taken many, if any jobs whilst in Imperial space. It was mostly a matter of distrust really. Reina trusted a handful of people amongst the Sith. A handful amongst the Mandalorians. And a handful amongst the Republic. But amidst the Empires? Reina found none she could recall ever trusting. It was something she was slowly learning. If you wanted reassurance, to know that you were going to survive, you had to work with people you trusted. But if she wanted to make a name for herself...

Bah. None of that was important right now. For some reason one of the companies on this planet wanted to get in contact with her. What was the job going to be this time? Delivery? Protection? She wouldn't put assassination past them, but Reina saved that avenue for select people nowadays. Doing the assassination jobs for the Sith had felt...disturbing might not have been the best word to use. But it hadn't been enjoyable. The pay was good at least. It let her get some good connections.

Either way, she made her way into the spire, being guided up towards the top of said building. Of course, she had to part way with her weapons, which is why she had left behind her important weapons. Whisperwind, her Lightsaber, the dagger. It was fine. Reina had the necessary martial training to use her own fists as a weapon if it came down to it, but she no longer simply thought of things in the way of fighting or not.

As she entered the room at the very top, Reina raised an eyebrow as she took a look around the room, letting out a small whistle before she threw herself into the nearest chair, turning her gaze over towards T'zarna Khab

"...You know there's something about you that just screams hatred."

Perfect introduction.
​

 

[T'zarna Khab]

Location: Centares, Maldrood Sector
Objective: Parley with a Siren
Tags: Reina Daival

"Your sense of judgement is impeccable. There is, in fact, much hate in me, a great disdain for those who stand in the way of The Hive," T'zarna said, reaching for a remote that rested on her desk. Her voice somewhere between a nasal whine, and an insectoid buzz.

As Reina sat across from her, The Inquisitor took in the features of her face, committing them to memory. Human faces were a fascinating thing, the way they aged so differently. This mercenary barely looked out of her teens, and yet she was still carrying a lightsaber and fighting with noteworthy prowess. It was truly a strange concept for the arthropod to grasp.

"I have done much research on the battles of The Mandalorian Empire. Tales of a young woman clashing blades on the side of The Mandalorians seem to be particularly pervasive. Your skills in combat are worthy of song from a Hive of great warriors. I have much use of such talents."

T'zarna wasn't hesitant to allude to the nature of today's meeting. She was here to study Reina, and to potentially make use of her talents. Her own hive was in need of strength, and strength was what Reina possessed. Empires maintained themselves through power, that much even a drone like T'zarna could sus out.

Pressing a button on the remote a holomap of the stars projected itself before the two. It highlighted in yellow the worlds currently under Imperial control. Each one was a building block of something greater, a network of nodes that made up T'zarna's hive, her reason to keep fighting.

"I can see you are a warrior with no hive, no "home" as you humans call it. I can offer much, a home is only the first part of what I can provide. This hive you see before you is The Imperial Confederation. The spire we stand in is a small part of that greater structure. Imagine yourself joining such a grand structure. Wealth, Power, Safety... Whatever your need, we can provide."

T'zarna smirked, before zooming the map towards the planet they were currently on. It was a neutral blue color, but some spots were glowing with that same yellow light. It was an infestation, slowly creeping across the surface of the world, growing and festering underneath the surface.

"Even the force could be yours, and all we ask is to have you spread our hive's reach through the stars..."

 

[Reina Daival]

Tag: In Post
Location: Spire in Centares
Outfit

"Well. That's your issue right there. Ain't much point in hating those who stand in your way. They'll do it whether you hate them or not. Something that I learned a while ago."

Hive. Reina didn't like the idea of that word. Even as her gaze flickered over towards the holomap, taking in all of the planets under Imperial control. Sucking on her cheek for a moment, as if in deep thought. She was in deep thought of course. But not whether or not to actually work with the Imperials. They wanted Reina's help to "infect" more planets. There were ways she could use that to her advantage. Hm...

"I've worked with the Sith before. I've seen what destruction they can bring to planets. How easily they can destroy "safety". How can I be your guarantee of safety will actually mean anything?"

She left out the part that she had been an instrument of destruction for the Sith themselves. Less a hammer and more a blade, surgically inserted to cut off the head of the Tof's hierarchy. Her gaze was still firmly fixed on the holomap, resting her chin atop her knuckles as she continued to think to herself.

"I've been part of a grand structure. The Alliance. The New Jedi Order. They fell. You think you can provide for me, but how true is that actually? You can't give me my every wish. My every want. That's folly to even suggest."

Reina knew the Imperials wouldn't be able to give her what she had wanted. She had a house of her own for a short period. Back on Corellia which might as well be forgotten about now. Family? She somewhat had that. Even if she barely saw them. What she had wanted so desperately was love. Affection. Things she had felt spending time with Quinn...That was the only reason Reina was even entertaining the conversation now. It wasn't rocket science, she had figured out what was wanted of her.

"If you can prove however, that you can give me something of value...I can give you some information about ex-Alliance planets. Temples. As a sign of good faith."
​

 

[T'zarna Khab]

Location: Centares, Maldrood Sector
Objective: Parley with a Siren
Tags: Reina Daival

There was a weathered shrewdness to the mercenary that belied her youth, it was interesting to hear. It meant that she was a more intelligent merc than the rest, refreshing as it was to hear, it complicated matters. T'zarna would have to be careful when navigating the troubled waters between them, it was going to cost more than just credits to cajole this woman.

"So you have information that may be useful to us, but you require a show of good faith. Your distrust is understandable, considering your background. If earning your trust is required, we may discuss additional incentives for your compliance..."

T'zarna raised a hand, causing an item to float to her hand from a nearby shelf. It was tarnished and old, but the shape was unmistakable. It was a Sith holocron, one from hundreds of years ago.

"This was found on Ossus, in the ruins of a battle between long dead hives. Thus far no one has been able to crack open the seals and decipher the information inside. Whatever is inside was worth quite a lot to the old Sith, it would make a nice bridge to build a cooperative future," T'zarna said as she ran her pointed fingertips over the crystal atop the holocron.

It was a gamble, but old relics like these were worth a fortune to the right party, especially those who could make use of them. It all hinged on whether or not Reina had interest in such expensive old trinkets. "There are more wonders on Ossus, it is currently an Imperial research world for those reasons. I could give you access, a bit of trust in exchange for trust."

With the hooks thoroughly baited, and the lines cast, it was time to wait. Their back and forth was proving to be a trying mental exercise, Reina was a worthy opponent, but T'zarna was confident in her abilities. The only real risk was in offering too much without oversight. Though so long as the ends were in Imperial favor, command would be satisfied.

There were too many enemies in the galaxy to turn down the help of one so skilled.

 

[Reina Daival]

Tag: In Post
Location: Spire in Centares
Outfit

"Necessary. My trust is necessary. Especially when you're using terms like "compliance". That implies chains. Fetters."

Her gaze flickered over towards the Sith Holocron as it was floated over towards the imperial, raising an eyebrow ever so slightly. Was this how they planned on bribering her? How they planned on letting her be chained down by a Master she did not quite care for her. The redhead folded her arms as she sat back in the chair, crossing her leg over the top of her knee.

"So. You're saying no-one's been able to open that. That it would be useful to plenty of "Old Sith", which assumingly are the exact kind of people you'll be sending me to deal with, considering the little spat between you two. Not to mention the fact that from what I heard, y'all are working with the Diarchy. Which then makes things mighty difficult for me with my Mandalorian employers."

She wagged her finger back and forth as if she was pointing at both the Imperials and Sith, letting the fact that her homeworld in a sense was somewhat involved in this spat. And she looked quite grim at the concept of having to go against Mandalorian forces in anyway whatsoever.

"And in exchange for these chains, you want to give me...a fancy paperweight. Do I look like a scholar or an archaeologist to you? Because I'm not. Your little research stuff has no real use for me. I ain't a scientist."

Reina had plenty of experience fishing. She knew bait lying in wait when she saw it. The Imps were trying to catch her in a net, and she wasn't going to make this easy for them if that was the case. There wasn't overly much, if anything they could offer her that would make her actually jump at the offer...but the more she debated, the more she bargained, the more...genuine she seemed. It would have seemed suspicious if she said yes from the get go.

"I might look like an idiot, but I ain't one. I'm really the only one who has something to lose out of this deal. I lose my jobs with the Sith and Mandalorians, in exchange for a group that is far too eager to put a chain on me. I don't really lose anything from refusing to work with ya."
​

 

[T'zarna Khab]

Location: Centares, Maldrood Sector
Objective: Parley with a Siren
Tags: Reina Daival

The knee-jerk reaction was frustration, deep frustration at the Mercenary's audacity. This sellsword was spitting back her generosity, making a mockery of the work it took to bring her here. However, anger would get her nowhere, she needed to remain calm. Only through a clear mind would the hive flourish from this meeting. Thankfully, she had prepared for this such contingency.

"What you call a paperweight is a part of ancient Sith history. But, I can understand your displeasure at my offer. It is only truly valuable to those who can benefit from the secrets within."

T'zarna lifted the holocron with a smirk, the light glittering inside the five red crystals of the pyramid. This was going to take just a little more coaxing, careful tugs were needed more than pure force.

"I know you have some very personal contacts within The Sith Order... People who would be very interested in the various treasures that this holocron could lead to. Perhaps, it could even earn you a place of favor within their Order..."

There was still more to address, and T'zarna would need to approach it with careful calculation. That was, of course, the Mandalorian issue. All of the galaxy had been talking of the tensions between The Diarchy and The Mandalorian Empire. Making it even more interesting, The Imperial Confederation had begun siding with The Diarchy, raising questions of if they would join the conflict.

Secretly, T'zarna had been making moves to push The Mandalorian War closer and closer. Her distrust and hate for those who stood against the hive would be hard to mask, but for the greater good, it would be done. If Reina would join their battle against Mandalore the Iron, then that would be another weight added to their side of the scale.

"Worry not of The Mandalorians, right now we are speaking between myself and you. Currently, should you agree to fight for us, your enemies will be dissenters, terrorists, rebels who seek to destabilize the order of the hive. Think of this not as chains, but an investment. An investment of faith from the powers that will secure your future..."

 

[Reina Daival]

Tag: In Post
Location: Spire in Centares
Outfit

"Worry not for the stickiness of my web, said the spider to the fly. Think of it not as an impeding doom, but as an investment. An investment of safety...for however long my future might last."

Reina was no fool. Whenever someone tried to change you from a specific conversational topic, you should focus on it as much as you could. It was a weak point. Something they wanted to avoid. In a way, that was what Reina was doing. Avoiding any confrontation about the "personal" contacts with the Sith Order. Focusing on what she saw as the bigger picture, as she kept her leg folded over her knee, interlocking her fingers, as she once again could sense frustration. Good. Frustration made it more likely for slip ups. For the truth to come out.

"How long until the Imperials see...lets say, the High Republic as dissenters? Terrorists? Rebels? How long until the Imperials start declaring that the people I care for are the very people I need to go after? It is only a matter of time."

She leaned back in the chair for a moment, contemplating things in her head. There was always the chance she could report things to the Mandalorians as well, considering how close she was to a select few. But...would she not be stretching herself too thin? The more people in the know, the more risk she was putting herself at.

"Faith is a chain. A restraint. When you put faith into something else, you accept that you aren't good enough to protect yourself. It implies loyalty. And I never want to give off the wrong impression."
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