The People You Meet

[Coratanni Cartel]

[member="Farah"]

Nikolas didn't even look at the datapad.

Whatever company it was, whatever it's name, whoever controlled it didn't particularly matter to him at all. What mattered was the proposal on the table. It gave him more insight into Farah than any conversation they so far had, more than anything he had observed. She was willing to use him, knowing full well the kind of person that he was. That alone was more interesting than he had initially thought, and he couldn't help but let a small smile grow on his face.

Without a word Nik slowly stood from his place at the table. The waitress who had been walking over to them with drinks stopped in her tracks, freezing slightly and staring at the Coratanni Executioners as he slowly rounded the table and made his way over towards Farah's side.

One hand came down on the back of her chair, Nikolas using it to support himself. The other brushed gently against her cheek and ran beneath her chin, tipping her head up. "Well."

His tone was filled with confidence and amusement.

"If you insist." It would add a few hours to the night, but maybe it'd be fun.

 

[Farah]

Farah watched him carefully for his reaction, brows furrowing as Nik rose from his seat and made his way over to her. She reached over for the datapad he didn’t seem to be interested in, keeping the man in her line of sight.

She looked up at him, scrunched brows quirking as his finger ghosted across her cheek before tapping her chin.

“I do.” She affirmed, sounding bemused yet pleased at the same time. She’d expected him to at least latch onto the details she’d given him, maybe even ask for more.

Still, he’d agreed to it without wordplay. Farah was not above using sex as a bargaining chip and found it boring when people fussed over a woman’s sexuality. Not that Nikolas was—there was no fussing on his end, and as long as they both got what they wanted, who cares?

Rising swiftly, she glanced at the glass of wine left on the table. “Can I get this in a to-go cup?” She waved the waitress over. “I like it.”

The waitress took the glass of wine, hesitating for a moment before disappearing somewhere into the back. This place wasn’t a McYoda’s, so Farah figured she wouldn’t come back with a paper cup and a straw. Not that she would have minded that.

“Let’s put your confidence to the test, then. It’s only a few block from the hospital.” She eyed the waitress as she returned with a durasteel tumblr.

[member="Coratanni Cartel"]

 

[Coratanni Cartel]

[member="Farah"]

He slowly rose up from where he had been leaning on the chair, reaching around to his back pocket and pulling out a small wallet. From it he plucked a piece of Aurodium.

The tiny chip of gold was in comparison to anything inside rather modest, but any jeweler who recognized the metal would instantly know that it was worth more than the entire restaurant. Without any indication of concern Nikolas placed the piece onto the table, glancing up towards the Waitress as she returned with what he could only describe as a contraption. Somehow the woman had grabbed a glass cup and fit it with a plastic top, sticking a straw through it to allow someone to drink from it.

The Thawne cocked an eyebrow, then simply shook his head. "Make sure this is split among all of you."

He pointed to the chip, though the woman hardly gave it a glance. Of course Nikolas didn't expect her to really understand, some random waitress likely wouldn't even know what Aurodium was, but that didn't matter. Without another word he turned, offering Farah his arm.

"Come on then." He told her. "Show me your little side-project."

A glance at the clock on the wall and he looked back at her. "I'd rather spend the bulk of our night making you hoarse."

 

[Farah]

Farah lingered by the table as Nikolas paid with some sort of chip, not bothering to ask why. If she started asking why, there’d be quite a lot of follow-up questions. This whole night was sort of a weird mystery, but far be it from her to walk away from the most interesting risk she’s seen in a while.

Sipping on her to-go cup of wine, she looped an arm around his and rolled her eyes. “Let’s put you to the test and see how good you are, then.” The quicker she got what she wanted, the quicker he’d get what he wanted.

--

One speeder ride later and they were back on the street, several blocks from the hospital as per Farah’s instructions. The headquarters of Cornerstone Scientific was a neat building located in a more corporate area, modern and clean and slightly subtle. With night falling on Coruscant, most of the business in the area had shut down but if there was one thing Farah knew about doctors and scientists, it’s that they were workaholics.

All it took was a knock on the door, a young man with dark hair in a labcoat answering with a tentative “Yes?”

Strange that they didn’t have some sort of security, but Cornerstone was a small, quaint company.

[member="Coratanni Cartel"]

 

[Coratanni Cartel]

[member="Farah"]

Nikolas didn't waste any time.

As soon as the boy opened the door he glanced at Farah, an inquisitive expression crossing his features for a moment before he simply shrugged and then reached for the small of his back. Half a heart-beat later, before the boy could even register what was happening, Nikolas drew a blaster and pointed it in his face.

"Open the door." His finger remained off the trigger of the weapon, though by his posture it was more than clear that he was ready to use the weapon in half a second. The boy began to stutter and stammer, but Nikolas pushed the door and he didn't resist. The young, what Nikolas could only assume, scientist stared at him, the fear in his eyes more than evident. There was no time for that however, and Nikolas pushed the boy back into the building by pressing the tip of his blaster against his forehead.

The two of them stepped inside, Nikolas motioning for Farah to follow and close the door.

"Shh." Nik said as he placed the finger of his off hand across his lips. "You be quiet now."

He glanced around the inside of the room, checking for cameras and other people. He found no one, though three separate hallways spread out from the lobby. "Unless you want another hole in your head."

 

[Farah]

Farah watched as Nik drew a blaster from the small of his back—so that’s where he was hiding it—and put it to the scientist’s head. He pushed the boy back into the building without hesitation, movements assured and practice without the slightest bit of hesitation. She observed him through this quick exchange, his confident posture and body language telling her that something like this was second nature and didn’t weigh on his mind or any sort of morality.

It was like being in the operating room for her. No second guessing, no pausing to see if you had it right. Just instinct.

She stepped into the building, shuddering slightly from the temperature change as she moved into the warmer interior. Her gaze took in the three separate halls and she frowned for a moment before turning to the boy.

“Excuse me,” It didn’t hurt to be polite. “I’m looking for Dr. Tso. Do you know where I can find his office.”

The boy stuttered but Farah was patient, staring at him silently until he lifted a shaking hand and pointed it to the left most corridor.

“Very good, thank you.” She smiled, eyes tracking back up to Nikolas. “Let’s go, then.”

[member="Coratanni Cartel"]

 

[Coratanni Cartel]

[member="Farah"]

Nikolas glanced at Farah for a moment, then back to the boy.

There was a sudden spike of fear in his eye as he realized the mistake that he had just made. He had given Farah what she wanted out of fear, and that meant he was no longer useful to either of them. Nikolas smiled at the boy, knowing exactly what was running through the young mans mind.

"You're not stupid." He mused as Farah urged him on.

Apparently the young man took that as an opportune moment, or perhaps the only opening he had, and began to make a break for it.

The scientist proved surprisingly quick, and in the moment that Nikolas looked away he scrambled and turned away from the Executioner. Within half a breath he was already three steps away from the intruders, though that meant nothing. A heartbeat past, and then twice the silent pang of his stealth blaster rung out.

With a thud the boy dropped to the floor.

Nikolas observed the corpse for a second, then glanced at Farah with a shrug. He offered no words, simply turning and heading in the direction the boy had indicated.

 

[Farah]

Farah had only turned half way before the young man had tried to escape. In an even smaller window of time, he was dead on the floor.

Pausing, the doctor’s eyes went from the scientist’s body over to Nik as he shrugged. Then she frowned. “Try not to kill anyone else. He could have been a bargaining chip.” She supposed things would have run smoother if they had a gun on both Dr. Tso and one of his own. There was another reason she was cross, though.

Heading down the hall with Nik, she sighed. “These scientists are all very skilled. I need them alive and I don’t want to go through the trouble of…hiring people.” She stuck out her tongue at the thought, washing it away with another sip from her thermos of wine.

They passed doors to various laboratories and miscellaneous rooms before reaching one at the end of the hall with Dr. Milos Tso engraved onto a small side plaque.

She knocked on the door once, a soft elderly voice giving an ‘Enter’. She shrugged and looked over at Nik, gesturing to the door.

[member="Coratanni Cartel"]

 

[Coratanni Cartel]

[member="Farah"]

Nikolas kicked down the door.

Ordinarily he wouldn't have done such a brazen thing, in fact he very likely would have done all of this as quietly as possible, but the combination of having to intimidate and not kill people meant that he had to take a different tactic all together.

This was that tactic.

The heavy wooden door went crashing in, the door frame splintering and cracking apart as the Nikolas' foot wrenched it from it's proper place. The good doctor jumped behind his desk, clearly not expecting such violent, and outright brazen action. He blubbered at stared, letting out a loud yell of insolence as he tried to understand what the hell was actually going on. Of course before there could be any sort of comprehension Nikolas pressed his way into the room.

Before the man could speak he found the tip of a blaster buried between his teeth. "Hello there."

There was something appealing about just being dramatic about things for once.

"We're going to have a chat." His finger slipped onto the trigger. "And you're going to listen and nod along."

 

[Farah]

Farah cringed as Nik kicked in the door but didn’t say anything about it this time—after all, he was the muscle.

Poor Dr. Tso had found himself set upon by the Thawne son, blaster in his mouth and a Zeltron woman coming into his periphery.

“Hello, Dr. Tso. I’m Dr. Navarro—big fan of your work. Your method on portal vein repairs is something I’ve been studying for a while. Truly groundbreaking work in your long career.” She seemed genuine, though not overbearing or gushing. Farah did admire the senior doctor and many of his accomplishments. “Which is why I think you’d be better off in retirement.”

She placed the tumbler down onto his desk, running a finger along the edge of the plastoid compound surface.

“Who better to sign your company over to than a driven young scientist like myself?” She smiled, pulling out her datapad. “Really, you’ve should spend what time you have left relaxing. Maybe take your wife on that trip to Bakura she’s always wanted.” She tapped at the device in a few different places.

“I’ll take good care of your company. So long as they’re compliant, staff will still have their jobs and you’ll have a nice pension.” She held the datapad out, screen facing him. “What do you say to a nice voluntary retirement?” The inflection of her words made it clear that involuntary retirement was also on the table.

That’s sort of what the gun in his teeth was for.

[member="Coratanni Cartel"]

 

[Coratanni Cartel]

[member="Farah"]

The man hesitated, an act that Nikolas thought more than a little impressive. Here they were, a gun between his teeth, a man smashing through his door, and a woman offering him reprieve from it all if only he signed over his company. Yet he didn't jump at the chance. He didn't take it instantly.

Nik wasn't quite sure if that integrity or something else, but he'd been in situations like this often enough to be somewhat astounded by the doctors restraint. He apparently loved his corporation enough that he actually had to think about this. It was remarkable. Nikolas had done this same thing to planetary Governors who had given up more quickly. If he had both of his hands he probably would have applauded this man, though that would have been unprofessional.

After a moment more of inaction, Nikolas leaned forward.

"Dr. Navarro failed to mention who I am." Mostly because she likely still had very little idea herself.

The doctors gaze drifted from the tablet to Nikolas. Most likely he had just assumed that he was some hired thug, a man that Farah had hired to intimidate him and nothing more. If that was the case then this was all just an act, but of course Nikolas was far more than just some random thug. "My name is Nikolas Thawne."

That would mean very little.

"I work for the Coratanni Cartel." The doctor's eyes widened, pupils growing to the size of saucers. "We have a vest interest in this little...enterprise."

At least he did.

 

[Farah]

Farah’s smile soured when the Doctor didn’t immediately sign out of fear for his life. Integrity, stubbornness, it didn’t matter what it was. It was in her way.

She glanced over to Nik as he spoke, brows arching then lowering as the name Coratanni popped up. Farah hadn’t interacted with them and in truth tended to stay out of the way of Coruscant’s criminal enterprises. Now it all came together—the injury, his incredible measure of confidence and ability to just push through whatever obstacle was in his way.

“I’ll give you another chance,” She gave the datapad a little shake and Dr. Tso a pointed look.

“Believe me when I say that your company will be in good hands. Should your employees not raise a fuss, they will be treated well.” Farah wasn’t saying this to persuade the man—well, she was—but it was the truth. The Zeltron had very little desire to change how things worked around here. Day to day operations would run as per usual. "So what do you say to that vacation?"

[member="Coratanni Cartel"]

 

[Coratanni Cartel]

[member="Farah"]

"Keep in mind." Nikolas freely added. "I have no intention of killing you until you say yes."

The implication behind his words was more than clear.

Though for the last few years the Coratanni Cartel had been primarily based in the outer rim, there had been a stark push over the last few months that saw them spread like wild-fire through the Coruscant Underworld. Casino's, brothels, and all sorts of criminal enterprises had rapidly been taken over by the cartel, and through it all rumors of the brutal methods by which this had all happened spread with equal zeal.

Most people had heard of the atrocities committed by the Coratanni Executioners, there had even been brief segments on the holo-news. That was why Nikolas had said it. The recognition in the doctors eye had been clear, and the little added threat was just enough.

With a shaky hand, Dr. Tso reached up and began to sign his name.

 

[Farah]

Farah watched with no small amount of glee in her eyes as Dr. Tso reached to put his signature on the digital contract. The Zeltron had no intent to harm anyone if she didn’t need to. Unlike Nikolas, she didn’t delight in hurting others. But she didn’t shy away from it if necessary.

Still, she appreciated his help in the matter. Things had run smoother than she imagined even with the fatality.

Withdrawing the datapad, she beamed at Dr. Tso and tucked a stray locke of red hair behind her ear. “Thank you. I won’t disappoint you, Dr. Tso.” Perhaps those words were meant to be condescending, but Farah was too pleased to work up enough of the necessary snark.

Turning to Nik, she eyed the gun that was resting in the doctor’s mouth. “We can go now, that’s all I need.”

She'd take care of the little details in the morning.

[member="Coratanni Cartel"]

 

[Coratanni Cartel]

[member="Farah"]

For a moment Nikolas lingered where he was. He knew that it was foolish to leave the man alive, particularly given the fact that they had both given their names. The smart play was to execute him right here right now, throw him off the edge of the nearest catwalk and then simply let the authorities think it had been a suicide. The method wasn't full-proof, granted, but it would be a heck of a lot better than if the man was allowed to wander free and go to the authorities.

He frowned for a moment.

Perhaps it wouldn't matter too much. If the man was at all smart he would avoid CoreSec like the plague for the next few weeks, though whether or not he was smart enough...Nikolas slowly withdrew the blaster from the doctors mouth, glancing at Farah before he slowly leaned towards the man.

Quietly, he whispered something.

What color remained in the doctors face drained away, and then he began to nod vigorously. "Good."

Was all Nikolas said as he wiped off the barrel of his blaster on the mans clothes, sliding the weapon back into it's place on the small of his back. Without another word Nikolas turned, tapping the edge of the broken door frame and glancing at Farah.

"You'll need to get this fixed." He told her.

 

[Farah]

Risky though it may seem, Farah needed the good doctor alive. She wasn’t laying when she praised him for a life of hard work and success. As skilled and dedicated as she was, Farah was still green in areas that only came with exposure.

She’d be picking his brain, both figuratively and…creepily.

Slipping the datapad back into her pocket, she watched Nikolas with a measure of fascination. She read the fear on the doctor’s face, part of her instinctively feeling sorry for him but another part—a larger part—of her reveling in the power.

Drifting after Nikolas, she tisked once at the damage to the door frame. It wasn’t too bad all things considered, something she’d probably get fixed in due time. “I will.”

As they made their way out of the facility and out of earshot from the cowering doctor, Farah murmured to him. “What did you tell him?”

[member="Coratanni Cartel"]

 

[Coratanni Cartel]

[member="Farah"]

The questioned amused him. Was she genuinely curious? Or was she concerned.

Nikolas guessed that it was likely a little bit of both. Though she had used him as a tool to get what she wanted, he was still very much a wild card. Without question Nikolas was a part of the equation that could go anywhere at all at any time. That was part of his appeal, part of what made him so dangerous and so good at his job. Of course, in a situation like this that could be both a good thing and...a very very bad thing depending.

He smiled, glancing at her. "I made it clear that I wouldn't tolerate him spreading my involvement in this."

Nikolas didn't particularly care what her reaction to that would be.

Farah might need Dr. Tso alive, but if he endangered the Cartel's operations on Coruscant? Well he'd very shortly find himself among the rakghouls in the underlevel. The same went for Farah herself, though he didn't feel the need to mention that.

"I'm sure he understands." He said, not seeking any form of argument.

 

[Farah]

She glanced back, brow raising just a hair before shrugging. “Of course.” He didn’t owe anything to her, he was just trying to get laid. Farah figured they wouldn’t be seeing much more of eachother after tonight.

Besides, she had plenty of work waiting for her in the morning.

“I’m sure he won’t make a peep.” Partially due to fear, partially due to the plan Farah had for him. When all was said and done, the good doctor wouldn’t have much free will of his own at all. So long as everything worked out in her favor.

“Now,” She looped an arm around his with a faint smile. “I’ve never seen an apartment with a pool in it before.”

[member="Coratanni Cartel"]

 

[Coratanni Cartel]

[member="Farah"]

"Oh I assure you." Nikolas said with a wide grin. "You will be suitably impressed."

That was certainly true.

A lot of time, and a lot of money, had gone into his home. Initially he had spent most of his time here on Coruscant moving from hotel to hotel. They were always on the nicer side of course, but as it became more and more apparent that he'd spend more time on the jewel of the galaxy he knew that he had to have something for himself. The apartment had been arranged and put together mostly by Felix and Mara, his siblings having more pull here on Coruscant.

It was not in his families own luxury tower of course, that was too conspicuous. Instead the apartment was located in one of the richer towers in the Senate District. Not too elaborate, but enough so that Nikolas could still have the luxury he was used to.

It wouldn't take Farah and Nikolas long to reach the tower, and shortly after stepping into the speeder they would already arrive.

 

[Farah]

“I hope I am.” She mused. “You’ve got quite the set of expectations to fill.”

After the free food and leverage into a company he’d given her tonight, who cared if the sex was subpar?

Still, it looked promising as they disembarked in front of a tower, similar to those spiraling skyscrapers that dominated parts of the Senate district.

Farah tilted her head back, taking in the building for a few moments. “Very nice.” Was her only comment before they stepped inside.

“Are you on an upper floor? We could work off that dinner just by climbing the stairs alone.”

They wouldn’t be taking the stairs, of course.

[member="Coratanni Cartel"]