Private Two-Faced

[Sycorax Laveaux]

The last to arrive was a server droid carrying their drinks on a metal tray. Sycorax sipped at her martini, her attention fixed on Aldric as he gave a short summary of his backstory.

“I hope that wasn’t the unabridged version,” she joked, mirroring his smirk for a moment. “I was a rebel too, although I was born right here in the good ol' Alliance. My parents weren't farmers, they were complacent fat cats who left me with a lot of money I've been using to do things they wouldn't have dreamed of." Her gaze briefly darted past him, taking notice of the gawking blonde and her clueless mate over at the other table. She and the woman were probably around the same age, give or take a few years. Sycorax stared at the blonde's emerald green dress, then glanced down at her own pale green gown, her expression unreadable.

When she looked at Aldric again with her big dark eyes, her tone had changed, losing its flippancy. "Was it a particular incident that caused your crisis of conscience, or a series of injustices that piled up over time until you couldn’t bear to lug the weight of them anymore?”

This was probably not a conversation that should be had while gorging oneself on a fifty-cred buffet. On the other hand, she had a feeling it was she who risked losing her appetite while listening to him tell the tale. Best to eat while she still could, then. She took another generous bite of her steak.

Aldric Laurent​

 

[Aldric Laurent]

"Oh really?" Aldric's brow piqued with curiosity, or skepticism, "And what did a rebel like you get up to?" He watched her eyes dart about, but didn't turn to see where they landed. Nonetheless, he seemed to know what she was looking at. He'd already given most everyone here a cursory casing on the way in, and it was watch everything without ever removing his gaze. "It always starts gradual. A few controversial changes in policy, a tighter leash, but nothing unbearable. For some it even seems preferable. But over time the leash tightens more and more. Little by little so you don't even notice it, until suddenly, you try to take another breath, and you can't." He took a long drink of his water, "Dissenting voices get quiet. Those who don't, disappear."

"I tried to ignore it for a good long while. Figured it wouldn't affect me. There's nothing about me that paints a target on my back," He shrugged, a sardonic smile touching his face, "That's what they all think. Sooner or later, I just… woke up to it all," There was something about the way he spoke that indicated there was more he wasn't saying. But he took a bite of his food to keep himself occupied.

Sycorax Laveaux​

 

[Sycorax Laveaux]

"Oh really?" Aldric's brow piqued with curiosity, or skepticism, "And what did a rebel like you get up to?"

"Wearing a lot of eyeliner and listening to necropunk music, mostly." She joked at the expense of her naive and self-absorbed teenage self. "By the time I grew up, I had realized that there was evil and corruption everywhere. Especially our government. The rulers played at benevolence while they fed on the poor and the desperate. So I decided to spend my life fighting them. Cutting off their tentacles of influence, knocking out their sharp teeth. No matter what it cost me."

The cost had been high. She had lost the person she cared for most as a result of her crusade. But the alternative would be to stand aside and do nothing. She couldn't do that, knowing what she did.

"It always starts gradual. A few controversial changes in policy, a tighter leash, but nothing unbearable. For some it even seems preferable. But over time the leash tightens more and more. Little by little so you don't even notice it, until suddenly, you try to take another breath, and you can't. Dissenting voices get quiet. Those who don't, disappear. I tried to ignore it for a good long while. Figured it wouldn't affect me. There's nothing about me that paints a target on my back. That's what they all think. Sooner or later, I just… woke up to it all."

His experience wasn't so much different from hers, then. "When I found out the truth, there was a moment where I thought, 'yes, it's awful that this is the way things are, but it won't ever happen to me'." She speared a piece of meat on her fork. "I was cocky even when I started fighting back. I had always been untouchable due to the accident of my privileged birth, and I thought that invulnerability would continue. Until it didn't. They almost got me, too."

She put the steak in her mouth, chewed, swallowed. But she didn't taste it.

Aldric Laurent​

 

[Aldric Laurent]

Aldric chuckled at Sycorax's admission of her youthful lifestyle. "Literal tentacles and sharp teeth in this case, I take it?" He piqued an eyebrow. Darting did have an eccentric population.

"When I found out the truth, there was a moment where I thought, 'yes, it's awful that this is the way things are, but it won't ever happen to me'."

Aldric nodded deeply, "Exactly." She understood it after all. A point reaffirmed by her final statement, laced with history. Aldric finished chewing his food, waiting a moment as he weighed whether or not to ask. "…What happened?"

Sycorax Laveaux​

 

[Sycorax Laveaux]

"Literal tentacles and sharp teeth in this case, I take it?"

"Some of them."

"…What happened?"

She met his eyes from across the table, debating how much she should reveal. So many times she had tried to explain how things were, and was met with disbelief. Mockery, even. As for the ones who took her seriously... They soon began to distance themselves from her, afraid for their lives. But Aldric didn't seem the type to only look out for his own skin. Perhaps he could be trusted.

Leaning toward him, her voice dropped to a whisper. "Dahrtag is ruled by vampires. Most people going about their daily lives have no idea that there are predators among them looking for prey. Most turn to organized crime to get their fix undetected, but the most powerful ones are paying off the police, the judges, the politicians..."

Sycorax leaned back, a grim smile curling the corners of her red mouth. "Once I found out, they tried to pay me off. I refused. So they threatened me. Instead of being cowed into silence, I got cocky and fought back. Ended up crossing a guy you don't want to cross." She touched her fingers to one of the scars along her jawline. "They came for me on my wedding night. I survived, barely. The groom wasn't so lucky. I still can't believe I ever thought we were safe..."

She reached for her drink, taking a deep gulp of the bittersweet martini. "I learned my lesson, not just about my own vulnerability, but to not let people get too close in this line of work. Or I thought I did. Dr. Lanyon was... a regrettable slip-up, but still of no great loss to me personally."

Aldric Laurent​

 

[Aldric Laurent]

"Some of them."

Aldric hummed amusedly.

"Dahrtag is ruled by vampires."

And yet, for some reason that statement took him aback. Aldric listened intently, as though he were being briefed on an important mission. Sycorax spoke plainly about the dark underbelly of Dartaghian politics, and the consequences she faced for standing up to it. "I'm… sorry to hear that," He said, finding himself staring at the scars she traced.

He noted her cold dismissal of Dr. Lanyon's betrayal, "You just take it on the chin, hm?" No doubt a result of what she had already faced, "Still you stand. Guess they couldn't keep you down."

Sycorax Laveaux​

 

[Sycorax Laveaux]

He listened. She recognized the look on his face, all ears, at attention. A military man's intent stare, absorbing information as he prepared to receive orders. But she had no orders to give, and as she told her story in all its tragedy and woe it became more of a confessional than a debriefing.

"I'm… sorry to hear that."

Yet his apology took her by surprise. It struck her that it was rare she gave people enough time to offer their condolences whenever she spoke of her past. She had always figured that she wasn't worth feeling sorry for, and she had no use for other people's pity. "Thank you," she murmured, looking down at his hands again with just a little bit of yearning in her gaze.

"You just take it on the chin, hm?"

"That's what the cleft is for," she quipped, tapping the dimple in her chin with a finger. Her smile faded. "My mistake was thinking that I could let the doctor have my body, and still keep my soul protected. I am cold because... I don't know how to be hurt. The scar tissue has no feeling left."

"Still you stand. Guess they couldn't keep you down."

"I'm not sure I ought to stand." She gestured to her now empty glass. Maybe the alcohol was making her more transparent than usual. She certainly didn't feel like some immovable object. "Aldric," she said his first name for the first time. "Can you help me?"

Aldric Laurent​

 

[Aldric Laurent]

Aldric managed a smile, though it fell again as she spoke more deeply of her pain. Or rather, her lack thereof. "Physical and metal pain are two very different animals," he spoke from experience. His lives personal and professional had their fill of both.

"Can you help me?"

"I would like to," Aldric answered, "What do you need from me?"

Sycorax Laveaux​

 

[Sycorax Laveaux]

"I would like to. What do you need from me?"

“It’s not a long term assignment. I wouldn’t ask that of you. In fact, I hope it will prove unnecessary.” Sycorax took a deep breath before continuing, “If anything should happen to me, there’s someone I would need… taken care of. Someone who will do a great deal of harm for their own personal gain. I don’t care how you handle it, just that I don’t go to my grave without justice being served.”

She was asking him to assassinate someone. Before she gave him the name, she softly added, “I hope I haven’t misunderstood your line of work, Aldric.”

Aldric Laurent​

 

[Aldric Laurent]

Sycorax, somewhat brazenly, was asking for Aldric to assassinate someone. He was taken aback by her trust. But not immediately dissuaded.

“I hope I haven’t misunderstood your line of work, Aldric.”

He paused, clearly formulating his words before he attempted a response, "…Well, it is a part of my line of work. When it's found necessary." Aldric leaned back, "But it's not simple contract work. I'm going to need details before I can agree to anything."

Sycorax Laveaux​

 

[Sycorax Laveaux]

"…Well, it is a part of my line of work. When it's found necessary. But it's not simple contract work. I'm going to need details before I can agree to anything."

Sycorax nodded. “Of course.” If he had agreed to kill someone without question, she’d be having second thoughts about asking this of him.

Wiping her hands with her napkin, she then took out her personal datapad and pulled up the dossier on Marya Werdegast. She turned the pad around to face him. A photograph of Marya stared back at him. She was pale of skin and dark of hair, with high aristocratic cheekbones and a cold, almost hypnotic gaze.

“I can give you a full report,” Sycorax said. The dossier traced Marya’s history all the way back to the time of the Gulag Plague, through the Three Hundred Year Darkness to the present day. She was the worst kind of Necropolitan vampire: an ex-warlord trying to claw her way back to power from the shadows she’d been forced into a century ago. “She’s going to run against me in the next election. But it’s safe to say she’s a threat to more than just my position.”

The report included evidence—though sadly not enough for a conviction in a court of law—that she intended to introduce seemingly benign legislation for nefarious purposes, from exploiting war refugees as a vampiric food source under the guise of housing them, to gaining ownership of private companies that provided medical necessities like bacta and biomolecules so that she could control who had access to them. There were even whiffs of a bizarre plot to murder (or seduce) the Jedi wife of the King of Alderaan. Marya evidently anticipated that Alicio Organa would become the next Chancellor, and she likely wanted to limit the influence of the Order on him.

“Do you have room for dessert?” Sycorax asked, as if they hadn't just been discussing an assassination.

Aldric Laurent​

 

[Aldric Laurent]

Aldric took the data pad and studied its contents thoroughly. He etched Marya's face in his mind, and he mentally recorded each of her unpunished crimes, as though he were weighing her life against the threshold at which he might see this through. "So, more than just a political rivalry, then?" He noted, partly a statement, yet partly a question. He didn't think she was trying to trick him, but he wanted to make it clear he wasn't interested in doing dirty work just to advance someone's career.

“Do you have room for dessert?”

"…Sure." Aldric glanced up at Sycorax from behind the datapad.

Sycorax Laveaux​

 

[Sycorax Laveaux]

"So, more than just a political rivalry, then?"

"Much more." Sycorax's eyes darted down to the datapad screen. She had memorized the file as of late, burning the words into her mind, familiarizing herself with this new threat. One which she feared was far worse than any she had faced before. Marya's crimes certainly far outweighed those of her father, whose worst excesses seemed quaint in comparison. "She's long past overdue for a reckoning. I'm going to fight her on my turf, of course, but if she gains the upper hand... or defeats me and takes my place, she'll wreak havoc." She tapped a fingertip on the edge of the datapad. "And if you're interested, I've included a list of her known associates. It's a real rogues' gallery, lots of variety. Petty thugs, corrupt officials, even a few evil sorcerers and cultists."

Aldric glanced up, catching her eye. She gave him a little smile and pressed the button on her device, summoning the waiter to their table. "There is one thing on the dessert menu worth trying. The flaming basque, please." After the droid had rolled away to fulfill their final order, she rested her chin on her hand. "You know, I didn't invite you to dinner for this."

Aldric Laurent​

 

[Aldric Laurent]

"You're not kidding," Aldric said as he looked at the list of Marya's associates included. The corruption ran deep, and seemed to involve every class of criminal around. "Have you brought this to the Alliance? Have they done anything?"

He eventually handed the datapad back, letting himself fall back into the present moment. Sycorax ordered them a fancy sounding dessert, and hinted at a secondary motive this evening, "Oh really?" Aldric smirked, "Then what did you bring me here for?"

Sycorax Laveaux​

 

[Sycorax Laveaux]

"Have you brought this to the Alliance? Have they done anything?"

“Everyone always asks me that,” she said with a sigh. “No, I haven’t asked for the Alliance’s help. You left the SIA because their methods weren’t enough, and you realized you were better off cutting yourself loose. Well, I’ve been doing this for over ten years now, all on my own—and I haven’t held back. If I were to get the GA involved now, they’d audit me first. Executing criminals without a trial for ‘personal reasons’ isn’t a defense that will hold up in court.”

She shrugged. “Besides, I’m an Isolationist Shepherd. I don’t believe in big government. It’s why I’d rather help revolutionaries depose their tyrants than advocate that the Alliance simply come in and remove them.” When the Alliance wasn’t propping up said tyrants and killing off the revolutionaries to serve its own interests, that is.

Aldric handed her her datapad back. The waiter reappeared not long after. It laid a plate in front of them containing a generous slice of flaming basque. It looked a little like cheesecake, crustless and sprinkled with sugar. The droid held a smooth silver goblet in its metal hand containing a spiced liquor. Then it flicked open the forefinger of its free hand, which functioned as a lighter, and set the booze on fire. The flames burned blue as it tipped the goblet forward, pouring the burning liquid onto the basque. The cake was enveloped in fire, the sugar caramelizing and hardening as the alcohol burned away, leaving only the aroma and flavor of its spices. After this impressive little show, the waiter bowed at the waist and left them alone again.

"Oh really?" Aldric smirked, "Then what did you bring me here for?"

“To get to know you better,” she said, picking up a fork. “And maybe, to seduce you. After the sting of the doc’s betrayal has faded, and if my asking you to kill someone isn’t a turnoff...”

Aldric Laurent​

 

[Aldric Laurent]

"Well, it is your career on the line," Aldric responded. If she wasn't worried about possible consequences, then he wasn't going to lecture her on due process.

The droid waiter brought out their dessert, making an impressive show of the flambé before leaving them once again. Aldric grabbed his fork, and cut into the basque, revealing its contents. He took a piece for himself, bit in, and nodded agreeably.

“And maybe, to seduce you. After the sting of the doc’s betrayal has faded, and if my asking you to kill someone isn’t a turnoff...”

Aldric chuckled, "Do you always include contract killing as part of your romantic schemes?" His tone was almost playful, clearly not shutting down the proposal, "And what has little old me done to enrapture a powerful woman such as yourself?"

Sycorax Laveaux​

 

[Sycorax Laveaux]

"Well, it is your career on the line."

My life too, she thought to herself. After giving Aldric the first bite, she took a forkful of the basque. The crystallized sugar on top was similar to hardened caramel candy, while the cake underneath was soft and creamy. A perfect balance of flavors. She savored the taste, pressing her tongue against the prongs of the fork to make sure she got it all.

"Do you always include contract killing as part of your romantic schemes?"

"No, but dinner and dessert usually is involved," she replied, licking her lips. He didn't seem completely put off by her directness or the tonal whiplash, which was promising.

"And what has little old me done to enrapture a powerful woman such as yourself?"

"You're tall, handsome, and practically the same age as me—what's not to love?" She smirked, though her gaze was sincere as she met his eyes. "Plus you've listened and even agreed with me. Not everyone has the capacity for that, you know. Most people shut out the world, ignoring its injustices, unwilling to leave the safety and ignorance of their comfortable little lives. I spend my days trying to talk them into it, but they usually just slam the door in my face. You haven't. Your door is open. Not to belabor the metaphor, but I think I'd like to come in and... make myself at home."

Aldric Laurent​

 

[Aldric Laurent]

Sycorax did not meander around the point. Aldric took another bite of dessert, his eyes locked onto hers as she spoke. He smirked, "You're quite forward, Sycorax. I'm used to people being a bit more subtle in my line of work."

The agent leaned forward slightly against the table, "Don't take it the wrong way. It's a refreshing change of pace. Believe it or not, I was never much a fan of subterfuge."

Sycorax Laveaux​

 

[Sycorax Laveaux]

"You're quite forward, Sycorax. I'm used to people being a bit more subtle in my line of work."

It sounded like it may have been a criticism at first, but as he leaned forward it became clear he wasn't put off at all.

"Don't take it the wrong way. It's a refreshing change of pace. Believe it or not, I was never much a fan of subterfuge."

"Life is too short to waste time beating around the bush," she agreed, leaning forward as well. Their faces were close, but not so much so that he wouldn't see it coming when she moved to kiss him. It was brief, more of a promise of what was to come than a true first kiss.

Aldric Laurent​

 

[Aldric Laurent]

Aldric didn't move away, his eyelids shuttered, his lips pursed ever so slightly in response. It was a fleeting taste, but satisfying, "Hm." He said, almost as if assessing the quality. He looked up at Sycorax, "I agree. There's no telling what comes tomorrow."

The agent stood up, laying a few credits on the table, "But tonight it certain. So why don't we get out of here?"

Sycorax Laveaux​