The Serpent Emerges

[Alric Kuhn]

Silence.

That was the most important thing when it came to his work. Silence. It meant everything. If one could remain silent, they could remain unnoticed, if one could remain unnoticed, then the task was so much easier.

He had always found his job to be most simple when he was working within the crowds. Following somebody was easy when they were surrounded by a hundred other people. The task was even simpler when the target was high profile and tended to attract attention. People staring and looking often detracted from him. This assignment. This was too easy.

His employers had trained him well for this.

Though he didn't quite understand why he was following this wench, he would do it without question. [member="Danger Arceneau"] was apparently of some value to the people that he worked for, though he didn't understand why. As far as he could tell she did nothing save for run a corporation. She was neither a Sith nor a Jedi, and she was most definitely not working with either party.

So why even bother with her?

He didn't understand, but he obeyed nonetheless, blending into the crowds.

 

[Cira Cat]

The Twin Worlds
T A L U S -- Nashal

A r c e n e a u T r a d e C o m p a n y


Talus and Tralus; The Twin worlds that were part of the Five Brothers. Sweeping valleys, and rolling plains, and deep blue seas. In the wake of Corellia merging and breaking into two halves, the last of the four brothers were a representation of all that would likely be left of Corellian Traditions and ingenuity.

Danger had a reason to ensure that it would survive.

Humanitarian aid did not only span Corellia in it of itself, but the Twin Worlds as well. Contracts with CEC, Whyren's, Omega Star Corp (Omega Pyre), BlastTech, Nastass-Tech, Incom, and the Red Lady meant that Danger had a heads up on just who was still around and who would likely want to continue to stay.

At least, Danger would have normally taken to this herself.

Instead another took the lead; one who was as good as her.

Six; her Human Replica Droid that lived and seemingly breathed Danger Arceneau save for those who knew her intimately enough to know the difference.

Work had begun on Talus in regards to the quiet survey and potential acquisition of former CEC facilities, to include the Gus Treta Inner-System Market Station. Needless to say, the results of the Void opening up and spilling the dead along with the near destruction of Corellia and the disappearance of the CEO of CEC made things a bit... tense.

However, this was as much for the security of Talus citizens as CEC in it of itself. While certainly the former Lady Protector and Danger didn't see quite eye to eye, Danger knew that CEC held a special place near and dear to the galaxy.

The rumor already ran rampant -- just what was going to happen to it under One Sith rule and the thumb of Titan Industries?

If anything, Six was here to take the place of Danger in talks and discussion in neutral ground on Nashal.

Walking in place along with Aeri towards the building, neither the duo or their Darkwater guards were observant of the one who had such a keen interest in the supposed Trade Queen.

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

He moved so quietly, so unseen, that many would have called him a ghost.

That was silly of course. He was not a ghost, just a very well trained agent. The woman moved with another girl, thought he had no idea who she was. He was sure that others in the organization did, that others were more aware of the situation that stood around this woman.

That was how it worked. Everything was kept apart, everything was kept secret. Only the higher ups knew everything, and they never divulged that to anyone. It was to keep things safe, it was to keep things secret. If he or one of the other agents was captured then they could reveal nothing in the interrogation. Cells operated individually from one another, each one collecting its own data, each one garnering its own rewards.

He worked alone.

It worked better that way. He got his orders and then he followed through with them. More often than not he carried out assassinations, but on this day he had to stalk this woman. He didn't understand, he could have just killed her, it was so easy.

Yet instead he followed.

Through the crowd he moved, one slow step at a time.

 

[Cira Cat]

The Twin Worlds
T A L U S -- Nashal

A r c e n e a u T r a d e C o m p a n y


"What is the status of the Gus Treta Inner-System Market Station?" came the low question from Six over to Aeri Vyn, the Zeltron assistant walking alongside her. There was a light bounce of step as they would ascend the stairway, moving closer towards the entrance of the building.

"There has been some damage to the fueling ports," Aeri would relay the report, the pixie like female keeping up in pace to 'Danger's' stride.

"Initial reports state that debris from the breaking of Corellia were flung past the gravitational pull of the planet, some of which hit the station and the moon."

The two Hergalics accompanying Six and Aeri would keep a careful watch out. After the last incident, they were not taking any chances.

"Reconstruction of the station, however, would be reasonably more affordable than constructing an entirely new station. Expansion costs is also included in this assessment, beyond the public opinion of retaining a piece of Corellian history that the inhabitants of the system would prefer."

A pause, "That isn't the most interesting bit of news." An arch of Six's brows in a mirror of what Danger would have done came next.

"They found gravitational anomalies on the Gold Beaches." Aeri said. "Now they know why." Enter a dramatic pause.

"Isotope5."

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

The man moved more carefully, quietly. The two herglic bodyguards were a threat, there was no denying that. Yet thankfully there were other ways to move around the situation, to dance around what needed to be doing.

For a brief moment he disappeared.

It was impossible to say how he did it. Repulsor lift? Jetboots? Hard to say really, but after a moment of being gone the man found himself located atop a nearby building. A pair of macrobinoculars on his face and a small listening device pointed towards Danger Arceneau, the wench that he was supposed to be following.

The holster at his side itched.

He could have killed her now and be done with it.

Why keep her alive? Why follow her? She was talking business, the reconstruction of stations, stations that would likely be used by the Sith. A scowl appeared on his face at that thought, but he remained still and unseen.

 

[Cira Cat]

The Twin Worlds
T A L U S -- Nashal

A r c e n e a u T r a d e C o m p a n y


That prompted a pause.

"Are you sure?" she queried. "Double check it." if this was true, then things could become even more difficult with the One Sith.

"As for the station, are they willing to sell?" came Six's subsequent question. They went past the threshold of glassteel windows and doors, polished velmstone echoing the clipping of the seemingly Trade Queen's heels.

Aeri, ever meticulous, would quickly relay, "No contact has been made with the owner of the station. Initial reports from our investigation state that the likelyhood that the owner was on Corellia during a business meeting is high."

Danger's form would continue the purposeful swaying stride, heading towards the turbolift that would take them to the thirty eighth floor.
"A last will and testament? What about heirs?" came her next question.

"We are in the midst of getting that information, Miz Arceneau."

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

He was getting annoyed.

Why did any of this matter? Why was he following this woman? Why couldn't he just kill her? Even with the Herglics it would have been easy. Had his employers allowed him to take his rifle, had he been allowed to simply finish this she already would have been dead. His macro-binoculars focused on Danger for a moment, her voice distorting through the link in his ear.

They were still talking about the station.

Then suddenly a small ping occurred on the screen located on his arm. For a brief moment he glanced at it and away from Danger.

://Target location?\\:

A simple message. He quickly replied.

://Talus. Nashal.\\:

It was another question that he didn't really understand. Why did it matter where she was? Anger began to surge in him. None of this made any sense!

 

[Cira Cat]

The Twin Worlds
T A L U S -- Nashal

A r c e n e a u T r a d e C o m p a n y


"In either case, submit a proposal for Arceneau to assume reconstruction and ownership rights. In turn, they will maintain at least 20% of the Trade Station's trade profits for the next twenty five years." For a station that would be the main source of trade beyond the original trade station set up by ATC, that was still quite a bit of fixed income.

"Also offer them the retention to continue overseeing the trade station in it of itself as an employee under Arceneau Trade. Discounts to our products of at least 10% and the full benefits there-in" it was about given the Corellian a measure of still being able to retain their pride and ability to make a living.

Fair was fair after all.

Aeri and Six would enter the Turbolift, leaving one Hergalic at the entrance while the other would duck and manage to squeeze himself inside.

A shudder came, then the lift would start its ascent.

 

[Alric Kuhn]

://Break away from contact. We have what we need.\\:

He stared at the order.

What?

He had been following this woman for half a day for no reason? They simply wanted him to leave? Right when she was arriving at her destination? That made no sense. Why would he leave now? If he was following her for some purpose then that purpose should have been to see where she was going and what business she was concluding there.

His eyes cast up at the building.

He didn't understand.

His employers made to sense to him. A second of thought passed, and he realized that he was grinding his teeth. With a massive force of effort he stopped himself from continuing to do so, halting the grind and looking down at his datapad.

://Roger.\\:

The message was sent back, and with a scowl he began to leave.

 

[Cira Cat]

The Twin Worlds
T A L U S -- Nashal

A r c e n e a u T r a d e C o m p a n y


"It will be done, Miz Arceneau," Aeri would tell her. The next instant, the Zeltron would press her hand to her ear. A low murmur would follow as the assistant would relay the instructions from the would be Trade Queen.

In the meantime, Danger Arceneau would flicker her emerald cybernetic oculars would drift beyond the glassteel walls of the turbolift. As they would ascend, the HRD would process the upcoming meetings purpose.

Corellian Engineering Corporation.

Corellia wasn't the only place the well known starship manufacture held its shipyards. The Lord Protector had seen to its expansion, information she found out during their initial meeting at the first Southern Systems Business Bazaar.

Six afterall had a list, and she was checking it twice.