The Rumor Mill Churns

[Breanna Volsh]

Bree currently had 10 slaves sleeping in one large open room below the main floor of the Palace. They had come in during the night through one of the ships that now were working for the railroad.

Bree laughed every time she said it. Railroads were antiquated powered by fossil fuels nothing as clean as what was used today. And yet this name worked, it gave a moniker of hope to those on the run. All they needed to do was get here to the criminal organization capital of the galaxy and she would be sure to get them food, sleep, showers, and a fresh start.

What helped their cause were the escapees, Bree would just sit and talk to them. Her pheromones would relax them to where their memories came easier, and their fears were quieter. They claimed there was an operation on Coruscant, but Bree could find no evidence to support the claim.

She had two courses of action to take now, one she was going to hire a slicer one that could look at the network of Coruscant and dig through all that digital traffic. The organization needed to know if the rumors were true, and if it was take action.

Second action go to Coruscant and see what she could find. What would be her pretense to go there? Bree walked across her office heading out onto the balcony, why would a Zeltron go to Coruscant.

No no Bree she thought to herself, the question is why does a business woman go to Coruscant, answer to set up another business. All she needed was a point of contact for Coruscant to cover her visit.

She smiled she had an idea, moving back to her desk her long pink fingers glided over the keys Tourist Center. She nodded as her fingers worked quickly through the links, Businesses.

Contact: My name is Breanna Volsh, I am the owner of the Pink Pleasure Palace on Nar Shaddaa I would like to visit Coruscant to see if there is an opportunity to open another location on Coruscant. Please provide name of point of contact for such an endeavor.

Breanna knew that there were times other businesses would provide information, and tours to entice development in their cities, or on their home worlds. She needed to wait now.

[member="Cryax Bane"]

 

[Cryax Bane]

​

//Begin Holomail Message//

To: Breanna Volsh
From: Info@CTVC.Coruscant
CC:
Subject: Coruscant: A Metropolis Like No Other!

Dear Breanna,
Thank you for your interest in the city of Coruscant, the Queen's Core, as a place to expand your franchise. The Coruscant Tourist's and Visitor's Center has fabulous tour packages for every type of traveler and every budget. Our tour bundles include excellent hotel accommodations as well as intriguing attractions and experiences including a guided tour of the Uscru Entertainment District. We offer a professional tour guide who will accompany you throughout your tour, as well as experienced speeder drivers to take you to many wonderful destinations in the outer sectors.

There's no better way to experience Coruscant! Due to the amount of tremendous interest, our tours sell out quickly so book an appointment with a representative today. We look forward to having you travel with us!

Sincerely,
Tomax Williams
Tour Consultant Manager
Coruscant Tourist's and Visitor's Center

//End Holomail Message//

[member="Breanna Volsh"]

 

[Breanna Volsh]

The one thing this tourist company was, fast. Before Bree had finished the morning paperwork a response was sitting in her mail blinking and demanding attention. With a quick press of her forefinger to the screen the mail opened up to reveal it's wealth of information. Bree leaned closer looking at the offer. Coruscant, not her first choice of places to go to.

The Sith still held the planet and for her to go there knowing that the killer of her parents could be walking free, breathing air, and living a high life made her feel rage that she did not need. She closed her eyes and let the harsh emotion go.

A single deep breath and a snap decision made, she booked their best package, to include a guide. Chills she already had chills down her arms. Zara was standing at the corner of the desk, "I don't know why you think we need a business there. I'd rather go to a vong infested planet with a sun going nova before that"

Bree laughed, "Wow Zara." But truth was Bree understood they had all lost family, they all suffered in some way because of the sith. "it will be fine, I've got tickets for the afternoon, I just need to get a note off to Jericho."

Zara rolled her eyes, "He offered no commitment to you, I don't understand why you feel like you have to tell him everytime you move. Move on already, he did you a great service one night. Let it go. I'm sure he has" Zara headed towards the door, "I know you won't listen to me, but really Bree" Zara turned, "I can guarantee you he's having pleasureable experiences whenever they present themselves. You should too" Zara stopped, "if its the intimacy you want with him, then remember that's all you get and take precautions we don't need no little mixed babies running around here" And with that she departed.

It was a harsh of her to say, and she knew she did it for all the right reasons. But still Bree felt that by telling Jericho she had hope, and someone who knew how to handle the evil in the galaxy knew where she was. Zara didn't understand Bree knew if she were in trouble Jericho would come. And as for her attachment that was her business.

[member="Jericho"]
Off to Coruscant this afternoon be gone, a few days need to check a lead if I can, cross your fingers for me. See you soon. Bree

Four hours later Bree was on a transport headed for Coruscant

 

[Cryax Bane]

Cryax Bane strode down the corridors of the basement level of the Coruscant Tourism and Visitor's Center, inspecting the tiny prison cells that lined the halls, and taking inventory of the CRC's very special merchandise. It was a fortuitous time for Ms. Volsh to pay the Center a visit, as it looked like the CRC was running low on sentient wares. A few voices cried out as he passed, men and women alike, tearfully begging and pleading for help.

It was obvious that the Non-Force sensitive sentients were painfully aware that they were most likely going to be shipped off to a slave fair on Zygerria. The Force sensitives, their necks choked by tight Force suppression collars, assumed they would be sold to Sith Lords. However, unbeknownst to them, it was altogether possible that some would end up being drugged as their organs were carved out of their bodies, and then dumped back on the Undercity streets. With so many midichlorian-obsessed Sith Lords on the planet, the market for Force sensitive organs was booming. Either way you sliced it, pun intended, the prisoner's fates were all but sealed.

Once he was satisfied that there was a waiting cell for Ms. Volsh and anyone that she might bring along with her, Cryax hid a blaster underneath his suit jacket, along with a few other accouterments, like a stun grenade and a syringe full of sedatives. He took the turbolift up to the cheerful, sunlit lobby of the Center, where he was greeted by Twi'lek tour guides with too-wide smiles.


The last thing he did was pin to his vest a name tag that read, "Tomax Williams." Then Bane took a seat behind the kiosk marked "Tour Guides," and sent a complimentary speeder taxi to pick up Ms. Volsh at the space port.


[member="Breanna Volsh"]

 

[Breanna Volsh]

[member="Cryax Bane"]​

​

She knew she should travel with Miles today he was hired for just these types of endeavors to keep her from falling into the wrong hands, but she had not done much at this time. She was looking around right now trying to figure out a pattern, if there were slaves here on Coruscant she would have to find out how they were doing it.

The trip to Coruscant took longer Bree liked to travel and this little trip would most certainly wear on her nerves and her emotions she should have waited for [member="Jericho"] to come he would have come with her. All of this was now neither here nor there, reality she was traveling alone. She just could not figure out why she was so uneasy with this trip, what would he say, intuition.

She wanted to be good, she wanted to be right. Within days they were landing the checks they went through before being allowed to step foot on Coruscant. it gave her the chills she had made arrangements to be met So where was this wonder of a guide who promised to make sure she saw everything she wanted, and make sure she got to her room.

She walked slowly off the ship onto the flight decks everywhere there were people. She could see how easily someone could be taken, everyone walked with the heads down.
A cabbie came in carrying a sign Breanna Volsh she walked over, 'I"m Breanna"

He nodded, and smiled, "This way please" Bree followed and listened he was very knowledgeable she felt very lucky.

 

[Cryax Bane]

While he sat in the information booth in the lobby of the Tourism Center, waiting for Miss Volsh to arrive, Cryax did what he did best, breaching her network's security. A brilliant slicer above all other things, the Chiss hacked into the mainframe of The Pink Pleasure Palace and installed a trojan virus called Blue Phoenix. Using Blue Phoenix, Cryax was able to take control of the Pleasure Palace's network and access secure data, like financial and personal records. He sifted through countless amounts of data unnoticed until he found his digital holy grail, Miss Volsh's email account.

With unfettered access to her personal mail, the Chiss accessed Miss Volsh's sent messages, sorted them by "most recent," and opened up one that was written that afternoon. The note was addressed to someone named [member="Jericho"] and it said that "Bree" was headed to Coruscant. The blue glow of his Datalogger glinted off his red alien orbs as he began to type another Holomail, also to Jericho:

//Begin Holomail Message//

To: Jericho
From: Bree
CC:
Subject: Change of plans

Jericho,
Changed my mind. Off to Chroma Zedd instead. See you soon -Bree

//End Holomail message//

"Oh, Miss Volsh," Bane said with a dark chuckle. "You really should learn how to make up your mind."

Cryax slapped a button on his vest that read "Ask me about our Friends and Family Discounts." Then the Chiss sat back in his swivel chair, clunked his boots up on the information desk, and waited.

[member="Breanna Volsh"]

 

[Breanna Volsh]

[member="Cryax Bane"]​

​

They were traveling relatively slow for Coruscant Bree looked up at the travel lanes watching the vehicles rush by she could not help but wonder where they were all rushing off to. So this was Coruscant it bustled with activity, could the Palace actually work here. She didn't know she wouldn't want to be located on the lower levels it would give the impression of dark rank unclean and if anything everything was clean about the Palace.

She was growing uneasy she looked down there was no message from [member="Jericho"] she bit her lip slightly he was taking care of some arrangement that were needed, that they had discussed. She also had not heard from Zara. Had everyone gone to sleep on Nar Shadaa before calling her she put the comm number in for Zara it would take time to go through no one would answer right off.

A sleepy short haired zeltron answered finally on the other end, "yesss" she said in a half drowsy state, "Hey Zara, it's Bree I made it to Coruscant ok, and it's busy goddess help us at how busy it is. If I can really find us a location this might be a good thing, but anyhow make sure you take care of the Palace while I'm gone, you promised and stop trying to bed poor [member="Miles Varden"] he's going to break out in zeltron hives soon"

Zara rolled over and laughed, "Yepp..ok...Night night" Now whether Zara remembered she actually talk to Bree that would be a test for the girl sounded completely out of touch.

As soon as Bree ended her conversation they were at the Tourist Center, "This is it huh..ok..." The door opened, and Bree slid out how very nice, well mannered. She smiled, "Thank you" She then headed inside, she imagined that this was where she would get the rest of her information for her visit.

She walked slowly towards a waiting Chiss, "Hello, I"m Breanna Volsh" Was that enough, or was more needed.

 

[Cryax Bane]

Cryax bided his time waiting for Miss Volsh by surfing the Holonet, checking on his invisible market trades, and placing some bets on garbage pit fights in the Undercity. Finally, the door opened with a hiss and Breeana Volsh stepped inside the bright and sunny lobby. A couple of colorful Twi'lek tour guides stood nearby, smiling as they clutched flimsiplast brochures, and non-threatening elevator music hung in the air.

Miss Volsh herself was a gorgeous thing with purple hair and soft features that would fetch a ridiculous amount of credits at the Zygerrian slave fairs. The Chiss racheted up his most charming grin a few notches and rose from his desk. As he strode towards her, he was a hit with an overpowering wave of Zeltron phermones that washed over his system like a euphoric drug. Doing bad things to a person who made you feel like that was going to prove a challenge.

"You must be Miss Volsh," he said, beaming, his teeth overly white against his blue skin.

There was the slight chance that the Zeltron club owner would recognize him. The former President of the Red Ravens criminal syndicate was still a wanted man on Nar Shaddaa, but his star had been falling on the Holonews since he hung up his Raven hat. Quietly doing dirty things on Coruscant, the Chiss' exploits, the slaving, organ theft, drug dealing, racketeering, were secreted away from the general public for the most part. Whether he had faded enough from the limelight remained to be seen.

"Welcome to the Coruscant Tourism and Visitor's Center. My name is Tomax. What can I interest you in today?"

[member="Breanna Volsh"]

 

[Breanna Volsh]

Bree smiled and cross to Tomax, "Yes I am pleasure to meet you" she looked at him and tried to see if she could sense anything but nothing seemed to catch her. "I am interested in" she sighed, "I'm a little tired I have reservations at the Coruscant Arms." She was pregnant and the twins took a lot energy from her already the trip had taken a bit of a toll anyone looking at her would think her a bit round but the description of pregnant might not come to mind.

"I am however interested in seeing a couple of locations that were sent to me for setting up a business." Bree handed Tomax the two addresses, "I understand they are not on the top level that these are more like the third or one fourth." She smiled, "My business does better when it is visible, not hidden away like something to be ashamed of. " It was then she realized she should have brought Zara with her. Zara would have been all over Tomax that she was certain of this Chiss was handsome and very well spoken.

Bree did not feel threatened or endangered in any form as she spoke with Tomax or that she could be in the process of being targeted to be captured and taken for a slave. A Slave the very practice that she was fighting against.

"Do you know if there are any other locations available?"

[member="Cryax Bane"]

 

[Cryax Bane]

The grin still plastered on his face, Cryax was only half-listening to Miss Volsh. The other half of him was floating along in a pheromone haze, wondering if maybe the Pink Pleasure Palace had a few Zeltrons that would be suited to his very specific tastes. He shook himself from his reverie as she asked him a question about locations.

"Well, we might have some that would be just perfect for your business. Could you tell me a bit more about your establishment? What is it exactly that the Pink Pleasure Palace does?" he asked, straightening his tie and dusting a bit of fuzz off his vest.

Just keep stalling her until the Twi'lek brings the tea.

"We might be able to find you a location on one of the higher levels," he added. "After all, you don't want to go too far into the belly of the Coruscant Underground. As you know, it gets rather seedy down there, and it could be dangerous for your customers."

A purple Twi'lek brought Miss Volsh a cup of peppermint-smelling tea and handed it to the Zeltron business owner.

"Please, have some exotic tea on the house. It's imported from the Bright Jewel system, and is said to be very good for your health."

"Tomax" smiled even wider and gestured for the Zeltron to take the cup.

[member="Breanna Volsh"]

 

[Breanna Volsh]

[SIZE=12pt]Hot tea, how nice Bree thought she reached out for the cup she could smell the peppermint in it. It was a soothing blend for certain the cup felt good in her hands it gave her a comfortable feeling just to hold the cup.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]“The Pink Pleasure Palace is staffed completely by Zeltrons, and we sell pleasure. Um not just the sex kind either, but of the senses. Imagine having someone take oil and massage your muscles, as you sip on either a glass of wine, or cup of tea” she gestured with the cup. “And then a tray of delicacies are brought in to tempt your taste buds, all while music plays softly in the background lulling you into a sense of relaxation…” she smiled, “pleasure isn’t just about sex, it is about your senses and what pleases them.”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]She smiled at Tomax she lifted the cup, “Oh a location on the higher level would be preferred, usually the asking price for such a prime setting is high, but perhaps a deal can be worked out” Bree smiled and looked at the cup again.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]It had been a long flight, it felt like a long flight and this cup of tea would certainly hit the spot, she thought about the twins, was the tea a good idea. It would be rude not to drink it, “Tomax I’m sorry but do you know if the tea is decaffeinated?” She wasn’t supposed to have it, and she was trying her best to do all the right things for her children otherwise [member="Jericho"] would find cause to fuss at her.[/SIZE]


[member="Cryax Bane"]

 

[Cryax Bane]

Cryax tilted his head at Bree, giving himself the airs of someone lending an interested ear. His smile oscillated between overly happy salesman and tight-lipped, empathetic professional. The master manipulator even flushed with a touch of embarrassment as Bree mentioned some of the Pleasure Palace's attractions. He was playing the innocent, little lamb who knew nothing about such things.

Zeltrons rubbing you down with oil? Sign him up, please.

Bane cleared his throat and gave her a sheepish smile. "The Pleasure Palace sounds, er, quite nice."

The Chiss sprang forward and pretended to do a quick Holo net search on one of the Center's computer terminals. In reality, he was calling for backup guards from the basement to stand ready just in case.

"I'm certain that we here at the Center can hook you up with a Real Estate Agent who can help you location scout. Just make sure that if your um, pleasure house is successful, you mention us here at the Tourism Center."

When Bree asked him about the tea, he nearly shot her an irritated glare, but quickly corrected the expression before it broke his mask. Did she want a pick me up? Or did she want something that didn't make her too jumpy. He didn't know which answer would make the woman just fething drink the tea already, so he simply blurted something out.

"The tea? Well it's herbal, so I believe it's decaffeinated, Miss Volsh."

[member="Breanna Volsh"]

 

[Breanna Volsh]

[SIZE=12pt]“It is quite nice” she replied when he spoke of the Palace. She smiled though.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]He seemed a little jumpy to her she wasn’t sure what it was that was making him seem so well ready to jump out of his blue skin. She thought it quite thoughtful of him to check so quickly on property.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]“you enjoy your job?”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]She looked at the tea again, it was finally cooling to where if she wanted to sip she could. She tilted her head down, all while her blue eyes rested on him. He seemed to be watching her rather intently.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]Perhaps he had never seen a zeltron before, Bree took a tiny taste of the tea. “Have you seen a zeltron before Tomax?” Her fingers tighted on the cup. [/SIZE][SIZE=12pt]She felt a bit odd. She looked at the tea was her pregnancy interfering with her taste buds? How odd, she smelled the tea and only smelled hot tea.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]She shook her head it couldn’t be, had to be her. She took another sip. Her mouth felt funny, numb almost.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]She rolled her shoulders it was like visiting the dentist.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]She reached out to put the cup down, “I don’t feel well. I think I should go lay down”[/SIZE]


[SIZE=12pt]She inched forward. Her eyes were growing heavy…”What kind of tea is that?”[/SIZE]

[member="Cryax Bane"]​

 

[Cryax Bane]

Did Tomax enjoy his job? Good question. One to which he could give a nice long answer.

"Oh, I love my job!" he gushed, eyes lingering on the teacup cradled in her lithe red fingers. "I get to meet people from all over the galaxy, so many different types of people! And then I get to share the the wonders Queen's Core with them. If I could do it all over again, I wouldn't change a thing!'

There was an microexpression of suspicion in her eyes for a moment, and he wondered if he had been staring much too intensely at her. His assumption was confirmed, when she asked him if he had ever seen a Zeltron before. That was the perfect cover.

Bane gave Breanna a coy smile. "Ah you caught me staring, didn't you?" He put his hands up, palms forward, in a mock-surrendering gesture.

"Ok, you got me. I've never seen a Zeltron before."

Her mouth made contact with the tea cup. Fething finally. The drugs must have acted fast because suddenly Breanna didn't feel well, and needed to lie down.

"Oh, my stars," worried the Chiss. "Perhaps you have hyperspace sickness? I have a couch in my office downstairs that you can lie down on."

With one hand at the small of her back and the other wrapped around her shoulder, Cryax began to escort her carefully to the turbolift. The tight-lipped concerned expression was etched onto his face like a mannequin.

[member="Breanna Volsh"]

 

[Breanna Volsh]

[SIZE=12pt]She laughed so that was it never seen a zeltron, and it felt like a lie then.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]Bree looked over at Tomax she had this feeling of being pushed in a direction she wanted to roll her shoulders but she felt heavy, “there was something in the tea”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]She whispered, I don’t feel…like myself” Her voice was getting a little lower and everything that was inside her began to scream. She was in trouble she knew it now, and no one knew really where she was on Coruscant, and they, wouldn’t be coming here until later, if at all.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]But.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]She knew that [member="Jericho"] would look for her because Tara would call him to tell him she hadn’t called in when she should have. Oh god she was going to have to listen to [member="Miles Varden"] and his speech.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]Feth.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]She looked again at Tomax. The rumors. Was this the cause? No can’t be..so..out in the open she he had his hand on her back and her shoulders. [/SIZE][SIZE=12pt]She licked her lips as whatever drug he gave her was making her mouth dry she blinked several times and then her left knee gave out she started to go down.[/SIZE]

 

[Cryax Bane]

When she awoke, Breanna Volsh, now Cryax Bane's captive, would find herself in a detention cell in a dimly lit basement. The lights in the corridor flickered on and off, a sign that no one truly cared about the basic maintenance of the place. The sounds of sobbing pierced the air, anguished, crazy weeping. The sounds of the damned. Breanna would hear footfalls on the checkered floor, starting softly, but clapping louder and louder and then stopping right outside her cell.

"Tomax" peered in to have a look at the newest merchandise. He had eschewed his cheerful red vest, and was now clad in a black tee-shirt and black pants. The biggest change about the Chiss was that his gentle and sociable demeanor was gone, replaced with vacant pools of blood red eyes.

"Miss Volsh," he said. "I hope that you're finding your accommodations here at the Tourism Center satisfactory." A dark smile crossed his face. The Chiss gave her a slow blink, letting the heady Zeltron phermones wash over him like a drug. His tone changed to one of mock-compassion.

"I know that you're probably not thrilled about your predicament, but look on the bright side. This godforsaken galaxy is full of some very lonely people. You're going to end up making one of them feel much less lonely."

What Cryax did not reveal to the Zeltron was that while she was sleeping, he had contacted [member="Kuryr"], a slaver from Primeval space to come to the Tourism Center to have a look at his new wares. There was no need to mention that bit of information as it would likely upset her further. Bane might have been a slaver, but he wasn't a sadist. Not in his mind anyway.

[member="Breanna Volsh"]

 

[Breanna Volsh]

[SIZE=12pt]She still felt groggy and her head felt heavy. Slowly as she tried to get her bearings she became painfully aware of the cell she was in. Peering through the bars she looked at her captor, it was obvious he had played her.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]She heard him spouting off words, she giggled and did not know why perhaps she remembered what [member="Jericho"] had done to the last person who had tried to hurt her.[/SIZE]


[SIZE=12pt]“I think you should just let me go and forget about your plans for me besides I have plans of my own” she was beginning to feel stronger her head was trying to be clearer. She took a deep breath she did not want to cry in front of this man.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]But what if he said no, no one knew where she was. Or where she was going. This was a very precarious situation for Bree.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]She reached for the bars, “Just let me go Tomax” She clenched her teeth tight..she wouldn’t cry, no she wouldn’t. Her fingers tightened on the bars her knuckles turned white.[/SIZE]

[member="Cryax Bane"]