The Scorpions Tail (Invited only)

[Salem Norongachi]

Tick.

Tick.

Tick.

The clock upon the wall, ancient and outdated, marked the seconds in the Lord Commanders office. It was the only sound one could hear as Norongachi poured over the datapad in his hands, his feet propped upon on his desk and the small table light providing meager illumination for his studies of the information he had gathered. It was a habit for the emerald eyed Salem to know those around him, to know that which they didn't wish others to know. It saved lives, it furthered his ambitions, it made the galaxy turn and the suns keep shining.

Everyone had a price, he had learned that as he danced through the scheming upper echelons of the Corporate Sector Authority. Loyalty was bought and paid for like any other commodity, sometimes the price came in the usual monetary fashion, sometimes a favor given would be one received and other times...well, no pain, no gain, as they said.

What had been his saving grace in his foray into the CIS was the great stretch of time that separated who he was from the man he claimed to be at this moment. He thanked lady fortune for the Gulag, for the 400 year Darkness, if they hadn't transpired while he slept the cold sleep of stasis his task would have been all the harder. As it stood, the slate was clean and his path was as clear as the day he'd set eyes upon the Confederacy.

A finger flicked the data up again to the beginning and checked it over once more, there could be no room for error; Dot the I's, cross the T's and carry the one as they said in the CSA. He set the device down and then slid a secondary slate into it. The image that came to life upon the screen was of his space station, Exis, already repaired but still in a vulnerable position too far from where he'd like it to be. That was his in, his guise. A few clicks and some fancy slicing and the information on the station ghosted over the other on the datapad, only a set combination of keystrokes would reveal what he truly had in mind.

Tick.

Tick.

Tick.

Norongachi's gaze slid to the clock and he slipped his feet from the table, grabbed his dark suit jacket from the back of his chair and secreted the datapad into its pocket. It was time to pay an old drinking buddy a visit.


* * *

Lianna, Santhe Corporation Head Quarters.

The sprawling city world would be the backdrop to his meeting with [member="Jared Ovmar"], a window long and wide that took up nearly a whole wall in the waiting room showed the megatowers and skyscrapers that all but obscured the horizon from view. Norongachi stood at this window, eyes drawn to a hovercar here or a passing freighter there as he idly awaited the companies owner to make his entrance. A cigarra rose and fell in his right hand, while the left rested in his black trouser pocket, his raven hair swept back with an application of product in his usual style.

The board was set, the first move had been made.

 

[Arage Bao]

[member="Salem Norongachi"]

I had met Salem once during a traditional bar fight, it was pretty fun. Still can’t believe I kicked a door in the face of a fat guy who ate babies and had a parrot on his shoulder. Sometimes I wonder if my wodka is laced with hallucinatives, and that this is all just a big dream.

Now that would be amusing. At any rate, he asked me for a meeting. Ain’t sure what he wanted, but with Salem.. it could be anything. Maybe he wanted a favor, needed a job done, or maybe he had some info.

I ain’t sure, but we would see. I didn’t keep him waiting, moment my secretary told me he had arrived. I sent an escort to.. well escort him into my office.

‘Twas a pretty place, spartan look. Clean white walls, and a big window behind my table that offered a brilliant view of the Lianna skyline. One wall was decorated with a bookcase, filled with.. well books. What else?

About it really.

As he would enter the office, he would see me, smoking a cigar and holding a cup of something.. alcoholic. Probably wodka if you knew me.

I’d give him a nod, and then a welcome greeting.

Something in the lines of: “Salem, welcome. How can I help you this day?”

 

[Salem Norongachi]

Norongachi turned at the sound of the door opening and let a smirk play across his features at the sight of [member="Jared Ovmar"], he spied the glass in his hand and motioned his head toward it.

"I hope you brought enough for the entire class." And then slipped the datapad from his pocket. "I have a space station, an old one, that I have begun repairing but its position is problematic. I need it moved closer to C.I.S space but outwith our borders. Lets just say its my own private retreat and leave it at that, shall we?" He handed the datapad to Ovmar which detailed the location he had in mind, as well as the specs of the station itself.

 

[Arage Bao]

I looked over the datapad, while taking a sip from my drink. I would offer something to Salem, but we can do that after this whole deal was done. Sometimes men like to discuss business first, before drinking their sorrows away. One thing caught my eye though.

"I don't see a pricetag here."

[member="Salem Norongachi"]

 

[Salem Norongachi]

A brow rose, almost in embarrassment at Ovmars comment, Norogachi took the data-pad back muttering apologies for the oversight and then, as he had previously set it up to do he inputed the correct combination and the real information rose to the surface. A castle could be seen, its defenses and also a list of known objects of interest interned there.

"That should be equally sufficient, wouldn't you say?." He smiled, if Jared read the documentation he would see only two stipulations. One regarding information, should it be found, that he would very much like to obtain. The other was a paltry 15% on any profit made from the sale of the aforementioned items.