Private Riches to Riches

[Malcoma Hesse]

"Wynter, for once in your life, don't capitalize." She turned towards him. "If being in the Family is hard enough, which it damn well is, how hard do you think being in the Consortium will be?"

An increase in environmental noise broke her attention from him, drawing it to the source of the noise. A few slaves had begun mingling with the crowd furthest from the buffet. "No, no, you're right." With even part of a royal coffer, she might be able to buy all of these slaves, and put the focus on the Terephone government rather than her. As for what they offered her: "Nothing yet."

If Wynter realized the reason that her conviction had switched so suddenly, he'd agree that that was probably not the plan he had had in mind.

Malcoma all but ran out of the ballroom—up the stairs and out the door—where she found Kordolph retreating down the otherwise empty hall. No one else had a reason to leave yet. The clink of her heels, not quick but heavy with urgency, on the marble floor made him turn.

"You're happy you found me, right?" she asked rhetorically. "But you probably wonder why I'm here. It's a long, complicated answer, but if you want it, I need you to do something for me first. A sign of good faith."

"Anything, lady."

Letting out a breath she didn't know she had been holding, she approached him, closely enough to make her request in a hushed tone.
**
If he was looking, Wynter wouldn't notice Malcoma in the ballroom again until about an hour later. She walked back to the showcase stage, where she picked up a bidding card for Entani, filled it out then and there, and put it back. After that, she began scanning the room for him.

Wynter Rackham

 

[Wynter Rackham]

Malcoma Hesse

Wynter didn't immediately catch it.

But he was not blind.

First she said not to capitalize. Then she drew her attention to the slaves and it was almost like gears turned behind her eyes. Only a heartbeat later did she sing a different tune. Wyn sighed there, but nodded. "Of course I am right, but something tells me... we are working on parallel tracks here." His track was on the fortune of a planet behind her.

And his ability to draw from it as well.

What could a smuggler do with the sovereignty of a whole planet behind him? Quite a lot, he reckoned.

Either way-

While Malcoma went off to do her business, he found himself a quiet corner of the room to sit and smoke, while waiting. He noticed her a bit later, looking for him, and Wyn waved to get her attention.

"Darling," Gesturing for the seat next to him. "A smoke in between your conspiracy formings and plots?" Bemused there as his attention drew slightly towards the stage where the first slave was being auctioned off. "So, what did you discuss with your new friend?" There was a new tone to his voice however.

Jealousy? No, not quite.

It was concern lite.

 

[Malcoma Hesse]

She slid into the indicated chair and crossed her legs. In the same graceful movement, she took the lit cigarette from between his lips and slipped it between hers. One drag later, she returned it as she blew out the smoke angled away from him.

"This whole thing may not be reasonable," she began, "but Kordolph certainly is. He's going to make a purchase of the remaining slaves on behalf of a secretive organization in the Hapes Cluster." Something about the way she said that, her word choice, implied that she knew more, but as she continued, it became clear that further explanation was a thing for another, more private time. "Terephon, to be exact. Have you ever heard of it?" She hadn't.

Wynter Rackham

 

[Wynter Rackham]

Malcoma Hesse

Wyn snorted at the way she just snatched his cigarette.

"Something to calm yar nerves, hun?" Murmured bemused as he watched her sit down. "Say... what now?" Suddenly his own gift of the golden bar felt like peanuts rather than the perfect gesture it had been a moment ago. Wynter didn't like that. Going out of his way... then being shown up at the finish line by a dandy in tights.

Metaphorically speaking, of course.

"Terephon... can't say that I have." Thoughtful there. "But the Hapes Cluster is gargantuan. More than fifty star systems inhabited and represented by a single Queen."

Inside of it? Political mayhem.

Murder of rivals was a thing encouraged rather than the raised eyebrows it caused elsewhere.

"I am quite interested to hear more, darling, you got my attention now." He settled back down. To watch the show and see if this dandy would pay forward his promises.

 

[Malcoma Hesse]

She didn't say anything to lessen the sting of hurt feelings. He was being melodramatic and they both knew it.

"And you will in time," she promised. "Kordolph and his friends have done something for me, asking only that I keep their secret..." she looked about, "secret. For now, you can either stay with me to see this through or go prepare the Undoubtedly for two guests." Kordolph would transport the others. She shifted closer to him and wrapped her hand around the back of his neck again. "Since you've been so good with following instruction, captain."

If Wynter chose to stay, they would listen together as the auction's announcements commenced; if he left, Malcoma would by herself, but not before she slid the auridium bar from his pocket and into her lap.

Up on stage, the MC wrung out his hands as he waited for the ballroom to simmer down. When it did, he began, "W-well, ladies and gentlebeings, in response to an...excitingly unexpected turn of events for the night, we will be announcing our bid winners a little out of order." Malcoma shifted in her seat as a similar apprehension rippled through the audience in a more verbal manner. Chattering, ranging from hushed and unsure to pronounced and annoyed, started up again.

This time, the twi'lek simply spoke over it all. "First things first, the ownership of both Nonor and Entani goes to Headmistress Malcoma Hesse!" He gave an awkward clap which slowly dead out as no one reciprocated. He wrung his hands behind the microphone stand again, then rubbed his neck. "And the rest of our stock has transferred to a group of patrons that would rather remain unnamed."

Some of the audience members stood up in a huff.

"Well, that's it! So sorry, folks. Better luck...next time."

The curtains furled shut. The chattering rose to a fever pitch so quickly it would leave Malcoma's ears ringing for minutes after she had returned to the relative quiet of Wyn's ship. There were no notes of quiet discord now. More of the audience stood, and those who had been standing now rushed at the stage.

Taking the hint, Malcoma got to her feet. "Chit," she muttered. It was beyond time to go but, before she did, she had to find her new properties.

Wynter Rackham

 

[Wynter Rackham]

Malcoma Hesse

A soft chuckle when she brought herself closer to him.

He once again squeezed her knee and smirked. "Let's see if that inspires you to do the same." Then a little shrug as he withdrew. "If yar new friends are serious about buying out the whole place? Yeah, I am gonna get the ship ready, cus' I imagine we will have to exit pretty quickly." Before Mal knew it he leaned in quick and stole a kiss from her.

Then before she could response he'd already disappear into the crowds.

As always with Wynter's luck? His statement turned out to be prophetic.

Such was the way that when Malcoma realized what was happening Wynter had already found the two foundlings. Secured them. Made his way through the crowd and tugged at her elbow.

Risky perhaps with this climate, but Wynter would find it amusing to put her on edge.

"Yar cargo is secure, madam. We ought to go, before they realize there ain't chit behind the stage."

 

[Malcoma Hesse]

Before she knew that Wynter was metaphorically a step ahead of her, though he was physically a few behind, she rushed into the crowd. As she pushed her way towards the stage, a growl stopped her in her tracks. She turned around to see Onhan's slaver.

"Hesse!" he called out before crossing the small clearing that had formed in between them. "What—?"

WAM!

Blood immediately started pooling on his temple. It dripped down his face as he hit the floor, knocking over a few bidders on the way. She glanced down at the auridium bar in her left hand that had gravitated back to her side. One of its top, rounded corners was tinged the dark color of his life.

Wynter would find her in that moment.

When he grabbed her elbow, she choked up on the metal bar, stepped over the slaver's splayed feet, and followed urgently after him. "Go," she echoed. "Yes, please."

When they did get back to the Undoubtedly, she would seek out Nonor and Entani, to both comfort them and allow Wynter to work his escape artistry magic.

Wynter Rackham

 

[Wynter Rackham]

Malcoma Hesse

Wyn blinked.

"Wow, ya really got 'im good there." Bit of a shame he didn't leave a hole in him himself, but seeing Mal do that? Well, that was something special in its own right, now wasn't it?

He'd have to remember asking her where she got that left hook of hers.

With his gold bar even.

At this time Wynter went back into survival mode. The trip back to the Undoubtedly went okay. Partially because he had paved the way initially, mostly because it was chaos and nobody knew what was happening. The corpse of the slaver would cause a reasonable stir... and from there? Who knew what the kark would happen.

They were far gone by the time that hit in however.

While Mal took care of the slaves, Wyn took care of the ship. Bringing them in the air and then in orbit. He engaged the smuggler tech installed and blew past any precautions.

It wouldn't be long before Mal would feel them reverse into hyperspace.

That's where she'd find him too. In the pilot seat, lounging backwards and enjoying a glass of whiskey. Because damn if that hadn't been something.

 

[Malcoma Hesse]

"Well," Malcoma sighed out to announce herself as she came up behind his chair. She put one hand on his shoulder and began to slowly massage. "I suppose I had better not count on an invitation from Grorzi ever again." Her usual cool tone implied that she wouldn't mind that fate one bit. She was convinced that no one, not even the greasiest scumbag, in the all of the galactic underworlds liked Hutts. Somehow they all just grinned and bore it.

"Usually, these things aren't quite so...engaging."

For instance, she had never killed anyone at an auction before. Then again, she had never cleared house. Those two events were evidently linked.

"Kordolph asked us to meet him at these coordinates." She flowed past him, approached the nav computer, and bent a bit to insert a memory stick into an open port. "Can we make it, or is a pit stop in order?"

Wynter Rackham

 

[Wynter Rackham]

Malcoma Hesse

He hummed softly as she began to massage him.

"How are our guests doing?" Muttered as Wyn checked a few boxes, rechecked the status screen and then left it on auto-pilot. Didn't stand up however... he was walked out for the day.

Reaching out behind him Wynter softly stroked her hand.

"Come now, it was hilarious, great time." Then a squeeze. "You okay? I am sure that wasn't your first time putting someone down, but it's different to hold a blaster or holding a heavy brick and braining someone." As she injected the stick Wyn brought up the location and slowly nodded there.

"Yeah, we can go there. But not straight away. We might have a tail. No way of knowing for sure. So I have to make a few stops, make sure we shake them, before we go there. Sounds good?"

Then Wyn pulled her into the pilot seat with him.

"You know. When you invited me for the auction, I wasn't expecting this much excitement." Amused tone in her ear.

 

[Malcoma Hesse]

"How are our guests doing?"

"As well as is reasonable," she answered, considering, well, everything. It was already very confusing for slaves that had just transferred prehensile appendages to register that they had just been freed, for no reason immediately discernable to them to boot, let alone the state of their exit this time.

"You okay? I am sure that wasn't your first time putting someone down, but it's different to hold a blaster or holding a heavy brick and braining someone."

"It's...it triggered a memory. I'll forget about it soon enough."

Soft at heart, maybe, but guarded as always.

"You know. When you invited me for the auction, I wasn't expecting this much excitement."

She melted back into him. It seemed she was as tired as he was. "I appreciate your acceptance." Both to be her plus one and of her secret. "Don't say anything...Wynter-y and ruin the moment," she warned though a growing smile as she predicted a few of his possible responses.

Wynter Rackham

 

[Wynter Rackham]

Malcoma Hesse

"Memories are concerning things. It's why I try to have as little of them as possible." Wyn murmured as he reached out for another cup and poured her a shot of whiskey as well.

After that ordeal?

Oh, yeah, she could use it.

Then a chuckle.

"I won't, darling, not just yet." Promising her as he sipped from his drink and looked out of the viewport. The starlight of Hyperspace was mesmerizing. People often said not too look at it. You could lose yourself there. Wynter never had that problem. Maybe... that was a problem in its own right. He slowly squeezed his arm around her something tighter.

"Guy bought yar slaves like he promised." Wynter murmured softly. "That's either an expensive trap or he is serious."

He slowly stretched beneath her and then tapped a button.

"I took the liberty to look up Terephon. Look at the screen. That's the current Duch'a." The noble looked a little bit like Malcoma... but, there were clear differences too.

 

[Malcoma Hesse]

Namely, she had dark brown hair and light grey eyes, but otherwise her facial features echoed Malcoma's. The bone structure, nose and brow shape, and all weren't the exact same though the similarity gave credence to Kordolph's claim that there was room for one headmistress among royalty.

After taking the shot of whiskey, and straightening up in Wyn's lap, she read off the holo projecting from the console. "Betal Kri."

She sat back again. "A sister? Kordolph said I'm the spitting image of my mother, my real mother," she gestured to the figure, "and that doesn't fit here."

"He's also called me Hesse," she added before Wyn might be able to respond. "I suppose that makes me Hesse Kri."

Again, before he could respond, she tried to stand up against his arm. "This is still unbelievable," she sighed.

Wynter Rackham

 

[Wynter Rackham]

Malcoma Hesse

And before she could stand up Wynter already pulled her back in.

"Oh, I don't think so, you can sit right here. Primly and good." He murmured as he shifted to get more comfortable. His grip on her increased, so Malcoma wouldn't try and wriggle her way out of this one. She was good at that. Wriggling. Just as well, because Wynter was becoming even better at gripping her just right.

"Unbelievable yes. Do you want me to call you Hesse Kri now?" Teasing her lightly there as he poured himself another shot. After a moment of thought he refilled her cup as well.

"Or your Highness, perhaps?"

Now Wynter was positively smirking.

The idea of having a Duch'a on call was quite a fun concept. Of course, they'd have to murder the sister and throw her body out the window, but in Wynter's experience that wasn't too hard. Sure, she was royalty. And sure she had a planet's worth of garrison behind her. But she was merely human... and humans were so fragile.

"It's a shame the Hapan don't allow for male Dukes."

 

[Malcoma Hesse]

"Primly?" she repeated. "That's a strange request from you."

She took the next shot too, after which settling back into the smuggler again. "You know you're not helping," she stated in response to all the other things he had to say. "If the Hapes Cluster is as exciting as it seems, then a slave trader may not be out of turn..." Of course, she was only a slave trader in the descriptive sense, not like most whom also kept slaves, but that is and of itself was a reason to be worried. "But what if someone finds out that I am not my cover, so to say?"

Wynter Rackham

 

[Wynter Rackham]

Malcoma Hesse

"Gotta keep surprising you somehow." Wynter teased as he nursed his last shot. "To be fair, I pride myself in being exceptionally unhelpful, I even made a career out of it."

But then Wynter listened.

And shut up.

That was the most important bit, certainly.

Perhaps that was what made his presence okay in the end. He was a little shit. Murderous too. Potentially a sociopath, if you looked at his eyes when he executed someone. But... Wynter knew when to shut up and just listen. That was a pretty valuable trait in a man. In anyone really, but a man? Oh, yes, for sure.

"I think... darling, if we actually manage to yeet yar... sister, I guess? Out of the window and put yar ass on the throne? You dun' gotta worry much. You will be able to do whatever the kark you want. Maybe don't overthink things..."

Then he chuckled and shook his head.

"Except for the yeet'ing part. That's gonna be a fun pickle to do."

 

[Malcoma Hesse]

It was Malcoma's turn to shut up.

Think that over.

It wasn't like she wasn't not ruthless after all. Instead of a slave driver, she didn't mind ruining a piece from her very expensive wardrobe by killing one. Yes, with a change of word choice, that could do.

"Defenestrate, darling. We shall cross that bridge when we get to it."

"M-ma'am?"

Malcoma sat up, but didn't try again to get up, and turned towards the cockpit door, in which stood Nonor. She smiled. "Malcoma, baby, please. What is it?"

The evocii looked at his feet. Silence broken only by the soft beeping of the ship's mechanic lifeline enveloped the three for a long few moments. Malcoma reached over to put a hand over Wynter's mouth. She assumed the silence might make him uncomfortable and compelled to fill it, neither of which sentiments she shared. She simply waited for Nonor to find his words.

"We-we're not sure what to do."

"Anything you darlings would like." More silence. That normally jogged a few ideas, but evidently not in his case. "Maybe a game is in order? I'm sure Captain Rackham has a deck of something around here..." In fact, she knew he had. They had played pazaak by Nar Shaddaa rules a few times before. As she asked, she slid her hand off his mouth down to his chest if he had not already moved it away himself.

Wynter Rackham

 

[Wynter Rackham]

Malcoma Hesse

He slowly stretched and bit playfully at Hesse's hand, because really? Who knew where that thing had been in the middle of the slaver auction.

"Oh, I do, but-" Wynter casually turned and looked the big alien up and down. "Dun' ya want a hot shower, some food and rest? Must be hard being ferried from one slave auction to the next." He reached out and pushed a button. This brought up the map of the ship. Very handy with a ship this size.

"See here?"

And then Wynter walked him through how to get to the shower, the kitchen, a nook where he and the other lady could rest.

"But- if ya do wanna have some fun, entertainment room is on the other end here." Pointing towards it on the map. "Cards, some games, got a screen ya can watch on."

 

[Malcoma Hesse]

He listened intently. The gears could be seen creaking around and around behind his eyes with ideas of the things that he could do for himself, not others. When all was imparted, Nonor nodded. "T-thank you, ma-Malcoma. And Captain Rackham. I'll tell Entani."

Then he turned and shuffled down the hall to the Main Hold.

After a breath, Malcoma muttered, "My bad. I thought you'd be...yourself."

Wynter Rackham

 

[Wynter Rackham]

Malcoma Hesse

He waved the thanks away and as Nonor finished up with Hesse his attention drifted back to the hologram.

The wealth and power of a whole planet.

Hell, not just a planet, was it? It was a star system. Moons and asteroids and planetary bodies. Wynter had always considered himself a measured hedonist and greedy creature, but this was something he hadn't thought of before. In some ways Wyn was always content. A nice fast ship, a pretty lady or three, drinks and good food. The thrill of the kill.

He didn't need much to be truly happy.

But this was making his avarice work over time.

"Oh? And since when do ya get worried about me being myself?" Wynter muttered with a smirk as he booped Mal's nose. "Next time I will bite harder, darling, don't forget that."

Stretching there some more he twirled the planet hologram around wistfully.

"Yar making me think thingsss, Hesse. And I am getting more greedy by the moment..."