Unseen Corners

[Aela Talith]

Nar Shaddaa - Circuit
[member="Aver Brand"]

Elizabeth Castille sat rather contentedly on the upper balcony of her club, eyes wandering over the crowd of dancing people as the music blared and reverberated off of each and every wall. She watched with a pin point glance, almost as if she were surveying a kingdom.

It was in the middle of the day here on Nar Shaddaa, if there even was one, but Circuit was still packed to the brim. It wasn't too uncommon for such a thing to happen, people either lost themselves or just didn't care. This planet was a filthy place, full of refuse and refugees, but it was profitable. That was a lesson that Elizabeth had learned within the first few hours of coming here, something that she had quickly learned to exploit and use for her advantage.

She shifted slightly in her chair as one of the guards approached her, the muscled man leaning down to whisper in her ear.

For a moment Elizabeth simply nodded her head, reaching up and gently adjusting her glasses before running thin fingers through her dirty blonde hair. As the man took a step back she gave a slight nod, curiosity growing within her chest.

She was hardly the most established or even connected criminal here on Nar Shaddaa, but being the owner of this club gave her certain...advantages. She had set Circuit up as a safe haven for criminals, a place where deals could be struck and barters could be made without fear of safety from either side. The ploy had been a huge success, and many criminals and their organizations now came to Circuit simply so they could work together without one betraying the other.

That had allowed Elizabeth a certain amount of...discretion.

When larger organizations wanted to set up a meeting at Circuit they didn't just go there, they contacted her directly. She set things up, becoming a liaison between organizations. It was something that had proved to be rather successful, not to mention profitable.

Quickly Elizabeth was finding her place within Nar Shaddaa's Underworld. "Bring her up here, no use having her pal around with the rabble."

Her voice was a low rasp, a drink quickly drifting to her lips as she finished.

 

[Aver Brand]

The guard at the entrance gave her a long, wary look, but Aver was already pushing past him. Meandering between glass tables and luxurious leather sofas, the merc eventually picked her way to the woman at the far end of the balcony.

The remains of an animal draped over her shoulders in fluorescent colors of the throbbing lights – the same erratic changes reflected in her wide glasses, in the amber drink perched upon the table before her. She was lank but tall, posture that of a relaxed lioness in the depths of her den. Surrounded by teeth and claws, the blonde had no need to show off her own.

Didn’t mean she couldn’t use them, though.

Always better to overestimate and come overly prepared. The alternative often brought about… unpleasant results.

Aver found her seat across from the woman, just forward enough on the plush couch that she could spring to her feet with ease. Given the locale – given the contact, even, the merc had made the necessary adjustments to her presence. The VF made sure she appeared more like a lightly armored bounty hunter than anything else.

Her borrowed face… well, some random brunette, ten days dead in a Nadir ditch. The merc would get some use from it, at least.

“Gorba tells me you’re the gal can set me up with some info. That true?”

[member="Elizabeth Castille"]​

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Aver Brand"]

She bristled slightly at the title of 'gal', a brief reflection of a frown appearing on her lips as she looked at her opposite.

Normally she would have corrected the woman, but that wasn't the way to start off a negotiation. Gorba the Hutt had sent this one to her, and while the slug was a disgusting little creature he did have weight with the others here on Nar Shaddaa and Nal Hutta, that mattered. She needed to make inroads, connections, and if helping this Mercenary do just that? Well then she had no choice but to comply.

The frown on her face fluttered into half a smile.

"Of course." Her voice was tinged with honey. "But first..."

She gestured to one of the waiters that walked along the edge of the room. "A drink?"

Business was all well and good, but first she had to know what and who she was dealing with. That was all part of this game, knowing your clients as well as they supposedly knew you. Elizabeth wasn't knew to that part of it, but in the Underworld the game became all the more dangerous. One wrong move and you ended up with your head cut off. Here in Circuit she was safe, but the Club only allowed her a limited range. Eventually she'd have to venture out, and when she did Elizabeth would have to make sure not too many enemies were lurking.

 

[Aver Brand]

[member="Elizabeth Castille"]

A hand rose in a calm gesture, palm open. “Not when I’m workin’, thanks.”

Aver propped her elbows on her knees, leaning forward over the glass table. The disco music blaring through speakers installed every three meters made it a hassle to hear the other person. Made it a hassle to record conversations or eavesdrop, too. Imperfect measures.

“So. Network Access. What can ya tell me?”

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Aver Brand"]

"How droll." Elizabeth countered, taking another small sip of her drink.

She didn't actually drink that much either, but of course she liked to ply her clientele with as many intoxicants as humanly possible. It was always better when the person sitting across the table from you was drunk. People who didn't know what was going on around them were far more loose with their tongues, something that worked out quite nicely in this business.

Elizabeth leaned back in her chair. "Nothing."

A shrug rolled over the young womans shoulder.

"I can tell you where it is." She wasn't an information broker after all. "And a nice place to stay nearby."

Beyond that, others would have to be contacted.

 

[Aver Brand]

[member="Elizabeth Castille"]

The fake face shifted around in a brief attempt at a smile. It didn’t look natural – it wasn’t meant to be. This was hardly the time or the company to offer sincere emotions.

“Really. And how nice a place is it? Got a nice view, too?”

Staking out the joint. How quaint. Aver couldn’t recall going through this much preparation since… what? Not even Coruscant. Earlier still – Contruum perhaps?

It didn’t matter. A good plan was of the essence when fortified structures were put into play. Urban warfare was a fickle beast, but one she’d learned to tame over the years nonetheless. You are what you eat?

Aver allowed a private smirk behind her faceplate, holding the woman’s obscured gaze.

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Aver Brand"]

Elizabeth kept her smile, confidence brimming, she was getting good at this.

"Oh simply divine." The young woman purred.

Nar Shaddaa wasn't really all that great for real estate. Everything either looked at some sort of skyscraper or a refugee camp. Most buildings were falling apart and the streets surrounding them were covered in garbage. She had gotten lucky with Circuits location in the Promenade, though that was only because of her connections. The Network Access had been more difficult, but through her dealings here at the club she'd been able to contact a rather friendly drug dealer.

She'd never thought the man would be useful for this particular task, but one of his dens had overlooked the Access quite well. "I'm sure you'll love it."

A frown dotted her lips for a moment.

"It isn't furnished." She took another sip of her drink. "But I can find you an air mattress."

 

[Aver Brand]

[member="Elizabeth Castille"]

“I can take care of the furniture myself, thanks,” she returned right quick. No need for this girl’s meddling beyond the initial setup. Even then, she’d probably move a couple doors down from the apartment this arrangement provided.

Best keep your choices open ‘round these parts. Nadir had a solid foothold on Nar Shaddaa, but nothing Aver was keen on exposing given the current climate.

Running under the radar suited her just fine.

“How much’ll you be wantin’ for this place?”

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Aver Brand"]

She smiled. "It's not me."

Sure she was the go-between in this situation, but Elizabeth would only be collecting a small side fee from the man Aver was actually purchasing the apartment from in the first place. That was how these things worked, though fortunately enough the fiend liked her well enough to give a reasonable price.

Even if it was rather creepy.

"Ten thousand credits." It was actually kind of a bargain. The building was run down, infested with rats, and smelled of corpses but...well it was the perfect place to do exactly what Aver wanted to do with it. "Then it's yours."

 

[Aver Brand]

[member="Elizabeth Castille"]

A brown brow quirked up a tanned face, straining a scar the girl’d used to have. Well. Her corpse still did, along with a new hole in her chest.

But that didn’t matter.

“That’s a steep price, lady. I reckon your… friend can’t be convinced into sellin’ just one apartment, can he?”

Aver didn’t need a whole damn building and besides, purchasing one flat was far less obvious than buying the whole damn building. Not that many people kept books on owners and occupants in a place like Nar Shaddaa, but it paid to be cautious.

No use scouting ahead if you were gonna give up the game.

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Aver Brand"]

"No." She said, slowly crossing her legs.

"He's a rather interesting man." Elizabeth slowly reached up and tapped the side of her head. "Not right in his mind."

The Dealer had been a little bit too far into his own stash one too many times. He was nice enough to speak with, though a bit erratic at times. She wondered briefly if she was taking advantage of him, but then remembered that was the way of things here on Nar Shaddaa. A frown pulled at her lips for a moment, the thought scaring her somewhat.

She shook her head. "It's all or nothing I'm afraid."

Not like there were many other options.

 

[Aver Brand]

[member="Elizabeth Castille"]

This time, a frown etched her borrowed features. The scar coiled again, swooping up her cheek and around her brown eye in a half-arc.

“Right.” Lips pursed as she considered the blonde opposite. She was smiling just off, her posture that fake relaxed that most criminals adopted after a life of looking over her shoulder.

“You’ll hafta excuse me then. Need to run it by the boss,” she shot her a tense grin, gesturing to her datalogger as she stood up.

There was no boss, of course, though perhaps the woman would assume she was talking about Gorba. Whatever she conjectured would be wrong, and that’s just how Aver liked it. Shallow nod, and then she moved a couple meters down, bringing up a call.

But so long as she looked irked enough and moved her mouth right?

All about pretenses, around here.

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Aver Brand"]

Elizabeth didn't presume anything, but she did watch. Her eyes followed the other woman, the glasses on her face shifting as she gently pushed them up the bridge of her nose.

The business that Aver, or whatever she called herself, was conducting was her own. Sure she was working for Gorba, but what did Elizabeth care? There was no one here that would harm her, at least not inside of Circuit, and whatever the Hutt was planning had nothing to do with her.

So she just sat, quietly observing.

It was odd how useful of a skill that had become here on Nar Shaddaa. People were always so hectic, rushing and running about to do whatever this Crime Lord or that Vigo told them. No one ever just sat and watched. You could learn so much by being silent, by observing. It was interesting that those criminals on Nar Shaddaa who often had the most to gain simply just refused to do what was easiest. She wondered for a moment if that was what the 'Collective' did, or intended.

She had no idea, but she did know they were likely about to run into unfortunate opposition.

 

[Aver Brand]

[member="Elizabeth Castille"]

There wasn’t much to it. A bit of jowl flapping, a bit of frowning, a bit of pacing. Could act well enough – and besides, the VF did its job well. In the flickering lights of the club, nobody would ever know.

Maybe a minute later, the mercenary returned, leaning against the sofa instead of taking a seat. “Boss says yes. So who gets the money, if it ain’t you?”

Aver crossed her arms, trailing her eyes over the girl’s getup. Extravagant. That’s what too many credits and too much time got you. And who the kark whore glasses inside?

Fashion.

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Aver Brand"]

She smiled.

"Here." From beneath her fluffy coat Elizabeth pulled out a small datapad. The thing was barely bigger than the palm of her hand, something that had clearly been custom made just for her. It carried no insignia or special branding, something that was odd for a device like this.

She leaned forward and gently placed it on the table.

"The account is listed on that." She gave Aver a brief smile before leaning back. "Simply transfer the funds there."

Simple, easy. "My fee will be paid by the client."

That was how it worked.

 

[Aver Brand]

[member="Elizabeth Castille"]

“Handy,” she quipped, getting out her datalogger again to punch in the number. A few moments passed as the request parsed – drawing on local credits was always the better choice. Pooled together a few of the liquid assets they had on Nar Shaddaa: a casino, a couple bars, an undertaking business.

Aver gave her a lifeless grin. “Done. Enjoy the rest of yer day, miss.” The merc tipped her head in greeting and turned to find her way back out through the maze of furniture and people.

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Aver Brand"]

Strings overlapping string.

That was what the Underworld was. Everyone was connected, everyone did business, and everyone knew who everyone else was. That was how this all worked. Everyone did something for someone else, and if they didn't then they were at war. It was almost a cruelty really, but as Elizabeth leaned forward and picked up the small datapad with her finger tips she couldn't help but smile.

"What an excellent evening." The Underlord said as she slipped the datapad back into her pocket.

She really was getting good at this.

Maybe too good.