Private Work The Angles

[Amea Virou]

Confederate space wasn’t a place where Amea usually operated out of. Once upon a time it had been out of habit, but given just how vast their territories had grown it got increasingly difficult to stay out. This time it was Eriadu, right on the edge between the Outer and Mid rims. The green grass and tall mountains mixed with the colorful wildlife painted a picturesque landscape that reminded her of why she could never truly give up the spacer’s lifestyle.

She had seen strife, she had known it instinctively. The soft bottoms on Naboo, Coruscant, Bastion, and Kashyyyk hadn’t seen these things. Undoubtedly there were many that had, but not the majority. They preferred to see the pretty reality that was painted before them and the illusion of safety that it could provide them with while the distant worlds starved beneath their ignorant eyes.

That was why she was out here, that was why Amea did the jobs she did. If no-one were to look after these people then she would make damned sure that she did the bare minimum. Eriadu was by no means a planet in need of fixing, but it was most definitely a place from where such change could be achieved, a stepping stone towards a better galaxy. In reach of those that needed help while still receiving enough attention to hold resources that could otherwise be… Borrowed.

Amea’s fingers spread out to point in all directions before she closed them tight to pop them in their sockets. One hand agreed, the other made no sound at all. For a mere moment her thumb brushed against the synthskin with a contemplative frown before she glanced up at the camp up ahead. This place was one of many she wanted to take a look at and gauge whether or not the crews she held at standby would try to sneak in and gather what they could get away with.

Sure, there was a refugee crisis, but there was also a lot of people who had needed this medicine out there before any of this was even a problem. She represented the people that had gotten by on their knees as they set up one corporate enclave after the other, left to gather dust — abandoned at first sign of declining profit margins.

Now came the part where she had to blend in. The furred collar on her leather jacket brushed against her neck as she stepped into the camp. If she was a tent full of resources, where would she be?

Taiia Mataan

 

[Taiia Mataan]

//: Amea Virou //:
//: Refugee Camp, Eriadu //:

​

At the center of the camp was a young woman with red hair who would seem to be leading the effort at least for the moment. Her outward appearance did not betray the fact that she was a force user, in fact, there was not even a lightsaber attached to her hip. She was dressed plainly as if she were just a civilian working to help the displaced masses. War and death were everywhere and so many needed help right now, in truth the strain that was being put on the Confederacy was growing by the day.

She had found a bit of peace with Allyson Locke first at the duel on Naboo, and shortly again after everything had absolutely gone sideways at Rhand during the invasion. So many lives were lost for nothing at all and the Confederacy had been left to pick up the pieces. She unlike the people here had a place of refuge she had somebody whom she loved to take solace in. But that was why she was here, to help and give the people somebody to look to for help.

Taiia was looking over a manifest of newly arrived supplies when she felt something. It was only slight but enough in the force for her to lift her eyes from the manifest. Green eyes swept over the crowds before falling on Amea Virou she offered a warm smile to her, and then simply turned back to the manifest. What she had sensed was definitely from that young woman, she couldn't quite put her finger on it not yet anyways but she certainly didn't want to spook her so she continued working for a moment before handing off the manifest to one of the supply officers.

​

 

[Amea Virou]

Taiia Mataan

Lying was almost second nature. As questionable as Amea’s heritage was, there was something in how she moved and picked up on the movements of others that struck her as odd. On top of that she could mimic voices with uncanny precision ability which to her indicated that Lorrdian culture was somehow mixed into it which in her line of work was more than just a little handy.

After all, the key to selling a lie was to instill some form of fake belief in what you were saying by mixing in the truth. Amea wandered down the path with a confident stride. This was her role, another day at the job, another day of doing her part in bettering this galaxy. That was her chosen truth to dilute as she expertly wove a delicate pattern to allow herself a conscious effort at deluding herself.

However, one of the staff with clipboard in hand -- a manifest, maybe? -- glanced at Amea with a smile that she refused to trust, and yet one that she returned with one of her own. Was this another worker? Had she been made already, or was Amea overthinking it? She knew better than to question herself this early, but only a fool would disregard it as a possibility. A careful hand reached into her pocket to withdraw a small device she had prepared to provide false work orders. Her thumb brushed against the surface of the small tablet-like screen to identify herself before the message began to compose itself without her input.

“I might have been made.” The digital echo bounced from the technomancer’s device and all the way to her accomplices that remained in the city beyond the horizon.

The game changed from light subterfuge into something more involved. The key was now to blend in and evaluate who this Clipboard Woman was and if she was truly onto Amea. The easiest way to do that was, quite obviously, to blend in even further. She had come dressed as a willing crisis worker, and in the end this was still a refugee camp. There wasn’t exactly a lack for places that needed her help.

She approached one of the other workers and sold them on the lie that she was there to help. In a sense she was, but it was definitely not the people that were here that were her intended recipient. Regardless, when she asked them where they needed her they pointed her towards the medical wing. Her knuckles paled as she pressed her nails into the palms of her hands.

Death. Now that was a familiar concept.

 

[Taiia Mataan]

//: Amea Virou //:
//: Refugee Camp, Eriadu //:

​

She had finished looking over the manifest and handed it off to one of the workers, and when she looked back toward the girl as she was gone. Normally she would have simply moved on from it, but curiosity as it tends to do got the better of her. Still, there were more urgent matters than satiating her curiosity. She grabbed a crate full of Medical supplies and made her way to the medical tent.

She hadn't seen Amea talking to the volunteers or sneaking off toward the main medical tent. That said, the force did like to make use of otherwise random encounters, it would likely be no different on this occasion. There was no awareness on the part of the redhead of what Amea was up to nor where she had gone.

She entered the main medical tent carrying a large crate in her hands, there were more patients than doctors around as one might expect from a refugee camp. She set the heavy item on the ground near one of the doctors. "This is the last shipment of bacta we'll get for a while Thyferra is having a few export issues at the moment." she shrugged. "Try to make it last as much as you can. We'll try to get you what we can in the meantime. If I have to go load it myself I will" she gave the doctor a small smile before turning away only to see Amea, this time she approached. "Hello there, you must be a new volunteer?"

​

 

[Amea Virou]

Taiia Mataan

Wait, that was the last shipment? Amea’s brows furrowed for a moment as she sneaked a listen. That was not what her papers had said when she went through them. The device in her hand spun as she withdrew it from her pocket to scroll through the shipment information that she had got. There it was, quite clearly, three shipments per week, enough to supply a small inner city hospital.

Was this a sick joke? Amea quickly pocketed the device as she continued to step away from the area, only to be stopped by none other than the Clipboard Woman. Game face on she turned around with a wide smile on her lips.

“That was my plan, yes.” She shone with excitement to help, a measured response. “Heard there were so many poor souls here that needed all the help in the world, so I figured I could do my part.”

Well, it was a lie. For the first time in a long time, Amea felt genuine remorse at a job she had planned to do. Kicking while someone was down was not how she operated.

“I couldn’t help but overhear,” She said and rubbed at her neck. “You lack supplies? Are the shipments not coming through?”

 

[Taiia Mataan]

//: Amea Virou //:
//: Refugee Camp, Eriadu //:

​

She maintained her pleasant smile and demeanor despite the deception from Amea, unfortunately, the redhead had a rather rare ability called perceive deception. Which was not exactly a lie detector but it may as well be, still she played it cool as she shook her head and answered her questions.

"Very noble of you to volunteer, you are right a lot of people here need help. Unfortunately, you heard correctly, it seems some sort of issue is occurring on Thyferra either a supply or export problem I really don't know the details as of yet but I'll get to the bottom of it somehow."

she sighed and folded her arms across her chest as she pondered the situation, on one hand, the woman across her was up to something on the other hand she had a very real problem with supply, thinking quickly she tried to find a solution for both problems. "Well, since you are here to volunteer, how do you feel about joining me on a quick trip to Thyferra? We can see what's going on and between the two of us, we would be able to bring back a lot more supply" she watched her gauging her response.

​

 

[Amea Virou]

Taiia Mataan

Her fingers brushed against the fabric of her pockets to compose a message on her device.

“Definitely been made. Abort.”

Satisfied with the message she let her hand lower just ever so slightly from the pocket. By all accounts she had just scratched her thigh for a moment while she listened to Taiia introduce herself and the area around them.

“I don’t know about it being noble, ma’am.” Amea’s eyes glanced away on instinct as she said it. “But, yes, I believe I can help with that.”

“Thyferra is roughly a day or two out. Are you sure the people here won’t need you?”

 

[Taiia Mataan]

//: Amea Virou //:
//: Refugee Camp, Eriadu //:

​

Some say that the eyes are the window to the soul, the redhead often found it to be true however she also found that most people were like an open book if you knew how to interpret body language. Anxious was the word she would use to describe her, based on the rapid desire to look away while talking to her. It made sense seeing as she was being deceptive she no doubts suspected she was onto her. She supposed dating a spy had its perks, and she offered a hand to Amea.

"I just realized I hadn't introduced myself. My name is Taiia Mataan. As for the people here, well they were here before me and will be after I'm just doing what I can for now. I am not running anything by any stretch of the imagination." she offered a genuine smile before nodding. "Do you need time to gather anything? My ship isn't very far." she wondered if she gave her an out if she would take it or see this through.

​

 

[Amea Virou]

It would seem her Lorrdian was slipping up. Amea caught herself and straightened herself out to pull her usual cloak over her shoulders only for it to falter for a moment. Names were a difficult thing when someone had so many of them. Tracey the Valley Girl, Alice the clumsy infiltrator, Kaili Talith the literal dead woman, and finally Amea Virou who was, well, her true self.

Her hand extended.

“It’s a long story.” She decided with a firm shake. “But you can call me Amea.”

And then, with that, she drew the cloak over her shoulders again to at the very least obfuscate the language of her body into that of a controlled sway, nothing told and nothing heard.

Her mind however…

“I’ve got everything at hand already,” And quite literally so. “I got dropped off here.”

They walked and Amea peered over her shoulder at their surroundings. There was small talk, there was the silent understanding that people here were in need. Amea for all intents and purposes was genuine in her dismay at the state of things, but that all disappeared the second that they stepped foot inside the ship. The loading ramp seemed to close by itself before she pulled Taiia aside.

“Alright,” She said with a hurried hush. “There are people who are going to try and rob you blind in an effort to redistribute what you have across the galaxy. I was the scouting party, you were the big obstacle.”

“If you leave now without somehow making security aware, they will send someone else.”

Taiia Mataan

 

[Taiia Mataan]

//: Amea Virou //:
//: Refugee Camp, Eriadu //:

​

She shook the woman's hand and smiled. "Amea pleased to meet you. Come on then we should hurry." and with that, they departed the tent toward the ship. She could sense the unease of Amea she was distracted it was easy to understand that part of it at least. The trip to her ship as she said was not long and since Amea.

The boarding ramp had barely closed and she felt Amea grab ahold of her to get her attention. Her guard was up for sure but she felt no immediate threat so she did not react beyond a slightly confused expression as she spoke. However once she was done speaking the redhead sighed even while suffering people would find a way to exacerbate hurts, instead of working to resolve the problems that created the suffering in the first place.

"So, there was more to you like I figured. So why are you telling me this then if these are your comrades?" regardless of her answer she pulled a small device from her pocket and placed it in her ear before activating the comm device. "All Confederate Security forces this is Lord Mataan." as she spoke the words she looked to Amea's reaction. "No personnel are allowed to leave without checking in with security forces. Additionally, any material transfers require verified documentation signed by a Confederate officer Captain or above. Bring the outer patrols closer to the camp. Anyone found outside the perimeter is to be apprehended. Lethal force is not authorized unless lethal force is used." she silenced the comm before looking back to Amea expecting some sort of reaction as well as answers.

"Clearly we were both hiding things. So let's cut to the chase. I am an Obsidian Lord from the Knights Obsidian. The Confederacy's force order if you are unfamiliar. Why have you come to cause trouble for these people?" she waited for the answer, she wasn't one to ascribe a motive but she did mention redistribute so it wasn't about wealth that much was clear.

​

 

[Amea Virou]

Taiia Mataan

Sighing, that was a good reaction. Workable reaction.

“Because I was not told who I was actually stealing from.” Amea said and rubbed her forehead. It was the truth, at least—

She stopped speaking. The color in Amea’s face drained as the word ‘Lord’ was dropped and continued to do so by the time the metaphorical chase was so-called cut. A blank stare fell over Amea as the fear and compulsion to run struggled against the foolhardy desire to poke the eye of authority. Maybe it was because she was caught red-handed, despite her admission, or the fact that she had been outplayed.

Anger.

Disgust.

Appreciation?

All three merged into a small ball-like knot in her stomach as she gently positioned herself at the ready, just in case. Her jaw clenched and unclenched, tongue ran across the back of her teeth as if they expected to find an answer before she opened her mouth to speak again.

“Well, chit.” She blinked it off. “Look, I am not a good person. I kill people, I steal from people, but I always prided myself on the fact that I never punched down, alright?”

“This... Job was sold off as me hitting a tax write-off on GalactaCorps’ tab, nothing more than maybe a few burns or scrapes and a massive stockpile of meds.” Amea said and shook her head. “I set foot on your grounds, aaaand— yeah, no, that wasn’t exactly the truth.”

“Now, I warn you that I am not beyond attacking a pretty face. But I really, really don’t want to be of any trouble. I just gave you the low-down on a plot against you. You’ve lost nothing, and if anything gained a little more than when I arrived.”

“In return, you let me leave. Do that, and you will never see me again.”

 

[Taiia Mataan]

//: Amea Virou //:
//: Refugee Camp, Eriadu //:

​

The obsidian lord watched as the color drained from her face knowing likely what was going through her head now, but in truth, she wished no harm upon her. She weighed her words, deception would be detected and she would deal with it accordingly however the woman had decided to be forthright and speak truthfully.

A smile touched the corners of her lips when she said 'Well Chit' a natural response in this situation if there ever was one. She allowed her to speak uninterrupted "Honesty is a good attribute, you should try it more. As far as Confederate law is concerned you intended to commit a crime yet you committed no crime that I am aware of. You rendered aid in preventing a crime so you have my thanks."

She turned slightly to reach up and lower the ramp from the ship only looking away from her for a split second before those same green eyes looked back at her. "I will tell you one thing. I was not lying about Thyferra, if you are truly interested in helping people if you care as you claim I could use a hand. No tricks I promise but if you feel I can't be trusted" she pressed the button to lower the ramp and stepped away from Amea. "The way is clear I will not stop you. As you said, you helped all these people today. Not the Confederacy."

The redhead turned and started walking toward the cockpit "Close the ramp when you leave please." she called behind her There was the tiniest smile on the redhead's lips as she moved to the cockpit of the YT-2400. Was it arrogance or confidence or even foolishness that allowed her to turn her back on a potential threat? None of the above it was a different thing altogether she was waging that she was sincere in wanting to help and so she had faith in her. Solving whatever crisis was on Thyferra would help everyone across the southern systems and beyond.

​

 

[Amea Virou]

Taiia Mataan

Wait, what, it worked? Amea blinked yet again and rubbed at her neck. This really wasn’t how she had expected this to go. Things usually ended up worse. That was usually how her brand of negotiation went. Her eyes wandered over to the open ramp. Taiia left and Amea began to descend the ramp with an almost nonchalant grasp at freedom until her eyes set on the sky beyond the ship’s hull and an errant groan of a sigh parted her lips as she came to a stop.

She extended her hand towards the ramp and it began to close again as she walked back inside. Amea waited for the screeching to end before she raised the device attached to her wrist and began a call. The sound of her voice carried itself down the corridors down to Taiia.

“Hey, sweetheart, so things have change— no, everything is— yes. Mhm. No I—” Sigh. “Evelyn! Listen. I—”

“Can I talk?” Amea waited. “Okay, look, things changed. I am going off-world, Eriadu is bust. We will meet on Thy— yes, I am perfectly safe. I am with… Well, it would take a while to explain. Just meet me on Thyferra. I will work this out.”

“Love you too, bye.”

Amea closed the connection and began to walk into the cockpit with an immediate recognition of where in the pre-flight check that they were. She had a better plan. Her fingers flipped at the gravitational boosters, lifted them off the ground and out of the blast range of the camp below.

“You are a bad person, and I hate you.” Amea muttered to Taiia as she continued to run through the basics of getting the ship off the ground. It would seem the rest of the switches also began to flick themselves into position as she went. “But you have a point, and I hate feeling like a kid who just got caught with their hand in the cookie jar.”

The ship blasted off into the sky and not too soon after that: hyperspace. As the blue streaks of dimensional travel wrapped around the ship, there was a moment where Amea stood up to approach the navigational console. First a blatant display of mechu-deru, and after that instinctive astrogation. The girl was going all out.

“Isn’t it funny how after eight hundred years we still recycle the same models of starships?” She asked and raised her brow back at Taiia before she grinned and shook it off. “I mean, I won’t complain. Just makes stealing them all the more easi—” Her eyes set on the console and then Taiia again. “I am not stealing your ship. I am adjusting the curves to give us a more direct and faster route to Thyferra from here.”

 

[Taiia Mataan]

//: Amea Virou //:
//: Refugee Camp, Eriadu //:

​

A small smirk played at the redhead's lips when Amea professed her dislike of her. She recognized the Mechu-deru for what it was and simply leaned against the bulkhead as she got to work a bit of an amused expression on her face. "I am not a bad person, nor are you I simply appealed to the good in you. Also do make yourself at home" walked past Amea and took a seat in the pilot's seat if she was in control or not it didn't matter to her. "Ah, this one is an original actually, just updated it to modern technology."

She let out a small laugh when Amea had realized she more or less highjacked the ship, yet she was not concerned in the slightest. Taiia folded her arms and watched the woman with interest. "If I thought you were stealing the ship I wouldn't be this relaxed. Besides I stole it first anyways it would be poetic justice."

There was very much a story behind the theft, perhaps she would share it if Amea was interested, "So if I may, why do you do what you do? Surely there are better ways to live your life than stealing from others." she could sense the force in the woman, also the void or scar that the carried in the force, it was something she had not encountered before.

​

 

[Amea Virou]

Taiia Mataan

Right, Amea was a good person. That one was always rich, no matter how hard Evelyn tried to push it. Good people didn’t do what they did, and yet Amea seemed to be the only one aware of this. Taiia went on to talk about how the ship was actually a refurbished original, and at that Amea just couldn’t help but give the woman a questioning stare.

“Okay, why?” She asked as her head recoiled in what almost must have been disgust. “I mean, I get the stealing part, but I don’t get why you would want an original when the CEC has already released later models. It’s like strapping a second barrel to a gun and going “It shoots faster now” and expecting anyone to buy it.”

“Not to mention that whoever you had working the systems overlooked certain aspects of the systems. They were very thorough, but for some reason seemed to have—” Amea stopped and touched a loose panel with a worried expression before she promptly tore it off and reached in to do what she had to do.

“I do what I do because I am good at it, because it is fun, but most of all because—” She grunted as she seemed to tear at something inside. All Taiia would see was the loose component fly over Amea’s shoulder. “Because if there is anything better than watching the high and mighty crumble under the weight of their own recently discovered insecurity, feel free to hit me up.”

She came up from her digging about and put the panel back where it belonged.

“I don’t care about the credits, or the possessions. I see a problem, I fix a problem. I see a man exploiting his workers, I make sure he understands why they deserve his respect. I see someone messing with the few people in my life that I would call a friend, I shoot them in the fething head.”

“Life is as complex as you make it, and I am more than willing to pay the price of that if it means that I am free from the oppression of some would-be Core Dweller, thinking they know better than me how to live my own life.”

 

[Taiia Mataan]

//: Amea Virou //:
//: Refugee Camp, Eriadu //:

​

Why. It was a valid question for the Obsidian Lord, she genuinely pondered the question for a moment, bringing a hand gently to her chin as she thought about it. She inclined her head slightly before she turned to reach out a hand and placing gently on the nearby bulkhead. "Simply put, because it has character. It has a history, while I may not have mechu-duru I can still appreciate that. Yes, I could get something new, but it would not be the same would it? So outward, it remains unchanged but beneath its modern." Taiia turned those emerald eyes back to Amea evaluating her slightly.

"If there are flaws, I'll happily pay you to correct them. And make any improvements you think would be helpful. I am no engineer, I just fly the ship and I can make small repairs when necessary." there was a small laugh before she turned back to the console in front of her, content to not interfere but she did see how long it would take to reach Thyferra.

When she spoke of her motivations Taiia let her speak uninterrupted but nodded along. "So for you, it's about justice." it was both a question and a statement the redhead folded her arms over her chest as she leaned back in the chair. "I can appreciate that, part of the reason I left the Jedi was their hypocrisy. They were happy to let injustice flourish and hide in their temples rather than act, rather than help those who truly need it." she let out a soft sigh "Perhaps we are not so different in that regard. I just do it at the point of a lightsaber and at the command of the Vicelord."

​

 

[Amea Virou]

Taiia Mataan

Oh great, personal history, that one thing that people clung to when they had nothing else. Everyone had that one thing that they clung to that 'reminded' them of what something had once meant, but to Amea it was just… A regular old and stupid ship. It would weigh Taiia down in the end, it always did.

"Just make sure that 'history' doesn't prevent you from doing the right thing when the time comes." Amea said and shook her head. "History ain't worth a single chit when it tries to kill you."

That much Amea had a quite literal understanding of. Sentimentality was a plague on those who used it to cling to a past that no longer held any meaning. Better just let it rest where it belong.

Taiia explained her reasoning for action. Why she left the Jedi and how they weren't all that different. It got an amused chortle out of Amea.

"Yeah, well," Amea shrugged and took a seat. "Hypocrisy and corruption is inherent in any and all hierarchies."

A quick glance fired down at the component she had thrown out of the navcomputer.

"That was a tracker. Whoever put it there knew exactly where to inject it in order to circumvent your security." She seemed to admire it for a moment as she glanced back at Taiia. "You're welcome, by the way."

 

[Taiia Mataan]

//: Amea Virou //:
//: Refugee Camp, Eriadu //:

​

A small chuckle emanated from the redhead at Amea's response it wasn't the first time nor would be the last that somebody might take her words the wrong way. "You misunderstand me. It's not my history with the ship. Far from it actually. It's a ship that has been in service for quite a long time. It has imperfections, flaws even damage leftover from wars ages ago. That said, you are not wrong" she offered a warm smile if she cared to look.

"Hypocrisy and corruption is inherent in any and all hierarchies."

She gave a nod in reply before speaking once more. "The more bureaucracy one layers on another only adds to the corruption and decay. You will not find me disagreeing with you on that at all" As she slid into the co-pilot seat, green eyes turned to the tracker then looked back at Amea regarding her for a moment. "Thank you, I'll make sure the ship is thoroughly swept by our intelligence teams when I get back to Naboo."

​

 

[Amea Virou]

Wasn't any usual tracker, either; off-market, for sure. Amea followed Taiia's eyes until she too looked down at the dead component on the floor. Someone had a vested interest in this particular ship. It wasn't Amea's business who that was, but she had already done her part. At least insofar as to cover her own trail. Call it a healthy business habit.

A sigh and Amea turned her back to the void of space as it streaked in blue lights across the viewport.

"Given what we just talked about, I'd argue the Intelligence teams are the last people that I would trust. But then…" She exhaled a self-deprecating chuckle. "I don't really trust anyone."


"I have a—" Girlfriend. "— Colleague who saved me once. But not before I had spent three whole days awake and on high alert after I got into some trouble."

Wait, why was she even talking about that? Her brows furrowed as she threw Taiia an indignant pout.

"Not that you needed to know that." She scoffed and turned back towards the controls of the ship and pretended to get busy. "I saw it more as an exception to the rule than the norm. Everyone has a price, nothing is sacred, everything crumbles eventually."

Taiia Mataan

 

[Taiia Mataan]

//: Amea Virou //:
//: Refugee Camp, Eriadu //:

​

A small knowing smile touched the redhead's lips as she too fiddled with the controls a bit. "Trusting nobody is quite smart, yet at the same time, it can be incredibly lonely. It's good you have a.." she paused again with a smile "..Colleague, you can rely on" Amea reminded her quite a bit of a certain brunette to be sure, perhaps that was part of the reason both of them were so comfortable with one another despite basically being complete strangers.

A quick glance to the side caught Amea's pout and her smile grew a bit. "I never asked to be fair." The last comment causes the smile to fade ever so slightly. "That is a rather bleak outlook. While nothing lasts forever, sometimes its best to enjoy what you have while you have it"

​