Private Zero Pressure Smuggling

[Kivah]

Tag: Sidonia
Location: Gala
Ship: Reaper Kai
Gear: Goggles, Jacket, Udyr Biosuit, Lightsabers, Autoblasters x2

Like most Cathar, Kivah hated the Mandalorians. It wasn't anything personal, she even got along with a few of them, but when your homeworld has been subject to their rule, and bombings, and occasional 'hunting party,' going on generations, you start to build a chip on your shoulder. Kivah had returned the last time the Mandalorians had bombed the forest she'd grown up in, personally stamped out the embers. So when an associate of hers had asked her to take advantage of her old ident chip to run a sensor shroud into his friends on Gala, she was naturally grumpy. More so than usual. But she let him talk her around, the credits were good, his people did need the shroud to convert a new smuggling ship, and the drop-off was a shot hop from Cathar itself. Which to Kivah was the only reason to even visit Mando space.

The trip in went easy, she cut in from galactic south, bypassing that stupid arm the Mandos had conquered out to the Sith Holy Lands, and staying in unclaimed territory ever since leaving Etti IV. Gala was reasonably built up and civilized, so she wasn't aiming for a clearing, or worse, following some idiot's heading through mountain passes to find a lake a thousand klicks from anywhere. Her local credentials let her touch down in the capital's spaceport with minimal fuss, the bored looking official doing a double take when he saw her. Probably didn't see many Cathar, especially one with her size and build. Or maybe it was the dark skin-tight biosuit she wore as armor, she only tossed on her jacket after paying the docking fee and kicking him off her ship. The jacket hid her sabers in their sheaths under her arms and she buckled on a pair of auto blasters and a few reloads as well. They were a bit much most places, but she'd stand out more in Mandalorian space if she wasn't visibly armed. If anything, she figured they were a bit understated in a land where people went around with missile jetpacks and other weapons coating every inch of their armor. But having them also gave her something other than her lightsabers to fall back on should the need arise.

Hefting the crate stuffed with all the little bits of tech and wiring needed to fit a freighter with a sensor shroud out of its hidden compartment, Kivah lifted it to her shoulder, made sure everything else was back in place, and walked down the Reaper's ramp, leaving instructions to the in-built co-pilot to watch the ship. As if he ever didn't.

It was as she was heading out of the landing zone and to the port's taxi stand, that she noticed a slight bristling on her tail. Head cocked, she gave it an experimental flick to feel the slight stiffness running its length. Changing plans, she made a quick stop at the rental lockers where she stashed the crate in exchange for a magnetic key. After that, she hailed a speeder to take her into the city to a little dive cantina she was supposed to do the hand off at.

The Drunk Ronto smelled like its namesake, and Kivah found a seat in a round booth near the back where she propped herself up as if she hadn't a care in the world before ordering a drink and settling into wait.

 

[Sidonia]

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Tag: Kivah​

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Sidonia had noticed her long before Kivah ever stepped off the ramp.

She didn't approach at the port...she didn't need to. Places like that were for watching, not acting. Crimson Dawn always acted in the shadows. Though they were part of the Mandalorian Empire, working in alliance within it, it also didn't...the relationship between the organization re-established completely on a more personal basis of Sidonia and Aether. At least, that was how she had become the Matriarch of it. She had been trying to find allies, find people to support the organization's cause since she took over, and it was through this search that she learned there was a lot more that called upon a leader than she had originally thought.

And that was why the sight of Kivah had sparked intense curiosity.

By the time Kivah reached the Drunk Ronto, Sidonia was already there.

She didn't blend in; she never did, and never tried to. Light blue hair fell clean over her shoulders, striking against the dim, stained interior of the cantina. Her black dress, elegant and severe, trailed behind her like a shadow that refused to be left behind, the fabric catching faintly against the grime of the floor. Silver heels clicked softly when she moved, utterly out of place in a room that smelled like spilled liquor and bad decisions.

At the bar, she sat with effortless poise, one leg crossed over the other, a glass resting lightly between her fingers. She wore no armor, had no visible weapons. Power didn't always announce itself loudly; sometimes it simply was, and the room adjusted around it without understanding why. Her gaze found Kivah easily, studying her through the reflection of a cracked mirror behind the bar.

Sidonia let a few moments pass before deciding. And then she rose. from her seat.

The soft rhythm of her heels carried her across the cantina floor, unbothered by the noise, the stares, or the subtle shifts of attention that followed her movement. Conversations didn't stop; but they changed. When she reached the booth, she didn't hesitate. One hand rested lightly against the edge of the table as she leaned just enough to be present, just enough to be felt.

"Waiting on someone," Sidonia said, her voice smooth and measured, cutting cleanly through the haze of the room without ever needing to rise, "or hoping they find you first?" Her eyes flicked briefly toward the weapons hidden beneath jacket and posture, then returned to Kivah's face.

She slid into the seat opposite her without asking.

"Because if it's the latter," she continued, settling back with quiet ease, crossing one leg over the other as if this were a far more refined setting, "this isn't the place for it." She let a small pause settle in before continuing, "You made an entrance whether you meant to or not. And in a city like this…" Her gaze held steady, sharp beneath its calm. "…attention rarely comes alone."

Her tone sounded more hushed as she uttered her next words, "Tell me, should I assume you're here for business, or trouble?"

 

[Kivah]

Tag: Sidonia
Location: Gala
Ship: Reaper Kai
Gear: Goggles, Jacket, Udyr Biosuit, Lightsabers, Autoblasters x2

Kivah had been studiously ignoring the overly dressed lady at the bar. A woman like that was either emotionally drinking away relationship troubles in the first place that served alcohol she found (not likely given the lack of tears), trying to make themselves a target, or was so confident that she didn't believe she had to worry. Like the darling of some Mandalorian warrior can. Any one of them would make staying below notice trouble for Kivah and had her silent alarm bells ringing. Still, she lounged back in the booth, one arm casually resting along the top of the seat's worn padding, acting and looking as bored and disinterested as anyone coming off a long haul, mostly full drink in hand.

Then the poised woman stood and made her way directly to Kivah. Frack.

And from her words, it sounded like she knew Kivah was waiting for someone to show, double frack. Make that triple frack as she sat down.

Kivah's mouth twisted in a snarl of dismissive disdain as the woman continued speaking, having now invited herself to sit at Kivah's table. "You're the only one looking for trouble," she replied, a bit of edge seeping into her gruff spacer's accent. "As for the rest of it, you can shove it. Am I meeting someone or waiting to be met? That, and everything else you said sounds ridiculous. This isn't the place to be meeting a friend?" She scoffed, disbelief and scorn evident in her tone. "Who are you trying to be cool for?"

Having made it evident that she wasn't going to be awed or pushed around by insinuations, Kivah waited for this stranger to either make her move or kark off. Saying she wasn't there to make trouble was the only peace offering she was going to make, everything else about her made it clear that she wasn't the type of person to back down a micron if trouble did start. She also didn't play the innocent, denial and accusations were a fool's game and gave the power to the person being asked to believe them. Kivah would rather force the burden of evidence onto this woman. She could be law enforcement or just another con artist playing a confidence game, the smart play was the same and meant giving nothing away.

 

[Sidonia]

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Tag: @​

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The edge in Kivah’s voice, the dismissal; it passed over her without resistance, like it had nowhere to land. She simply leaned back into the booth, composed and unhurried, crossing one leg over the other as the dark fabric of her dress settled around her. Even here, in a place that smelled of stale drink and rough company, she carried herself with quiet, deliberate control.​

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“You’re right,” she said evenly, as though conceding a minor point. “I did come over here.” There was the faintest trace of something in her tone, something akin to that of calm and quet. “And I imagine that makes me the one inviting trouble,” she added.​

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Her gaze held on Kivah, steady but not pressing, as if she were simply observing rather than probing. There was no flick toward hidden weapons this time, no pointed acknowledgment of anything beyond what was plainly visible. Just a calm, assessing presence.​

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color=red]“But you don’t strike me as someone who startles easily,”[/color] Sidonia continued after a moment, her voice quieter now, blending more naturally into the hum of the cantina. “So I doubt a stranger sitting down is what’s bothering you.”​

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Around them, the chatter, laughter of the other patrons continued, no one paying the two of them any mind. Sidonia rested her hand lightly against the table, fingers relaxed, posture open in a way that didn’t demand anything in return.​

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“If I’ve interrupted something,” she went on, “I can leave.”​

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A small pause followed, long enough to make it clear she meant it. “But if I haven’t…” Her head tilted slightly, just enough to soften the line of her gaze. “…then we’re just two people sharing a table in a crowded place.”[/volor]​

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Sidonia would wait for Kivah's response to this, watching the woman closely. As though catching an afterthought, she gave a small smile, a smile that showed friendliness on the exterior, but definitely held a deeper meaning behind it. “For what it’s worth,” she said casually, “I wasn’t trying to impress you.”​

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Her icy blue eyes continued to stare into the other woman, measuring her and watching every small particle of facial expression. She wasn't trying to intimidate, although some would argue that the look on her face now would say otherwise. “Just deciding whether the conversation might be worth having.”​

Kivah​

 

[Kivah]

Tag: Sidonia
Location: Gala
Ship: Reaper Kai
Gear: Goggles, Jacket, Udyr Biosuit, Lightsabers, Autoblasters x2

Kivah rolled her eyes, "Yeah, you think? It's a stranger butting into my business while I'm waiting for someone that I don't like." She bit off about the part of knowing the other woman was trouble. This whole meet was likely blown, even if her contact showed, they'd hopefully have the brains to just buy a drink and get out without drawing attention to themselves. Which, if Kivah wanted to look on the bright side, meant she was free until whatever this was blowed over.

Returning the other woman's lingering gaze, Kivah noted the tight evening dress, the way it showed off Sidonia's curves as she lounged back in the booth, the shift of her body visible above the table as she crossed her legs. Probably leaving one of those heels that had clipped across the floor dangling in air.

Already leaning back in her seat across the booth, Kivah left her arm stretched out across the back of her padded bench, her expression softening slightly. "But, seeing as we're the only ones here, what conversation would that be?" Kivah asked, raising the drink in her other hand and taking a drink, green eyes never breaking contact with Sidonia's blue across the top of the glass.

 

[Sidonia]

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Tag: Kivah​

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At Kivah’s question, her fingers traced a slow, absent line along the edge of the table, thoughtful rather than idle. “A fair one,” she said at last.​

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She leaned back slightly, composed, her movements as measured as ever. “That depends on what you’d prefer it to be.” Her gaze dipped briefly to the glass in Kivah’s hand before returning, steady and intent.​

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“We could call it nothing,” Sidonia continued, voice smooth, almost indifferent. “A stranger with poor timing interrupting an already unpleasant wait. You finish your drink, I leave, and whatever this is…” a faint gesture between them, understated, “…never mattered.”​

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She let that option breathe for a moment. “Or,” she added, quieter now, “we could call it an opportunity.” she paused for another moment, “Because you’re not just waiting on someone you don’t like,” Sidonia said, her head tilting slightly as she studied her. “You’re carrying something valuable enough to make you cautious… and walking into a place where caution alone doesn’t keep it yours.”​

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A faint smile touched her lips; not warm, not cold. Knowing.​

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“I represent an organization that survives by understanding moments like this,” she went on. “By making sure the right people walk away from them… intact.” A small pause, then, more pointedly, “And better off than when they walked in.”​

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She let the implication hang just long enough before continuing.​

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“Crimson Dawn,” Sidonia said simply. “If your current arrangement is as fragile as it looks,” she continued, voice low, controlled, “then you’re gambling your time; and whatever you’re delivering; on someone who may or may not show, and may or may not be worth it when they do.”​

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Her fingers stilled against the table.​

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“I’m offering something cleaner,” she said. “Some reliable work, if you will. Better pay than whatever you’re about to settle for. And the kind of backing that makes sure you don’t have to second-guess every room you walk into.”​

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Sidonia leaned back just slightly more, giving Kivah space to breathe, to think... “You don’t have to answer now,” she added, almost casually. “You can finish your drink, meet your contact… see how that plays out.”​

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She paused, took a small breath and crossed her arms on the table.​

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“Or,” her gaze sharpened just a fraction, “you can decide you’d rather not keep working jobs where you’re already expecting something to go wrong.” Her eyes held Kivah’s, steady and unreadable. “So,” Sidonia finished softly, “this conversation can be nothing…or it can be the moment you stop working alone.”​

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[Kivah]

Tag: Sidonia
Location: Gala
Ship: Reaper Kai
Gear: Goggles, Jacket, Udyr Biosuit, Lightsabers, Autoblasters x2

Kivah held her tongue, finishing her drink while waiting for the other woman to get through whatever she thought she had to say. At first there was nothing new, more empty prattle that meant nothing, guesses in the dark, at least until the end. "Well, how about that? You finally say something worth listening to," She drawled, leaning forward over the table as this woman turned from a dangerous irritation to something interesting. Her green eyes narrowed, reassessing the woman across from her, taking in the rich cut of her dress and how the light played across her hair, the lack of dirt or other grime. A deep breath pulled in her scent, the aroma of her soaps and skin products along with the lingering traces of a chemical smell, one Kivah knew well from back-ally drug labs on Denon and Etti IV. Probably not some type of law-enforcement then. "So, tell me more about Crimson Dawn and how you're going to make me rich." Kivah wasn't sold, but she was starting to believe that this out of place lady was what she claimed. Now she just had to see if this was real.

 

[Sidonia]

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Tag: Kivah​

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She let Kivah lean in. She let the change in tone settle, let the question sit between them without rushing to fill it. There was no flicker of triumph, no visible satisfaction at having caught her interest; only the same composed stillness, as though this had always been the natural direction of the conversation.​

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“Rich is a byproduct, not the pitch” she said calmly. The woman held Kivah's gaze confidently as she continued, “Crimson Dawn deals in leverage. It deals with three pillars: information. movement and access. It's the kind of work that sits just far enough outside the reach of most organizations that they either can’t touch it… or won’t admit they need it done.”​

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Sidonia rested her hand lightly on the table yet again, “We move goods that don’t exist. We make problems disappear before they become someone else’s responsibility. And when necessary…” her tone lowered slightly as though to put emphasis on the last part of her statement. “…we decide who gets to keep what they’re carrying.”​

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She allowed a brief silence to set in to her words, watching Kivah's facial expressions closely. “You wouldn’t be taking orders the way you are now,” Sidonia added. “You’d be taking contracts. In essence, you are your own boss of sorts. Although you work for Crimson Dawn, it's more of a blanket statement..." she crossed her arms, as though mulling over how much more information she would divulge. "The only thing that we ask of you is that you embrace our organization's fundamental rules....and act on occasion under our banner when you are needed..." Sidonia deliberately did not elaborate. She wasn't hiding anything from Kivah, but more so choosing not to specify things too quickly. It would be up to Kivah if she wanted to know more.​

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“No guessing. No hoping your contact is competent. No wondering if you’re about to be undercut, shorted, or followed the moment you leave.”​

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She waved her hand around in the air. “What I’m offering,” Sidonia went on, “is consistency. You keep your independence...your methods...your… preferences.” She shifted slightly in her seat, crossing her leg again with that same effortless elegance and grace from when she first approached the woman. “And if ‘rich’ is the part you care about,” she added, almost as an afterthought, “then it tends to follow when you stop wasting time on unreliable work.”​

 

[Kivah]

Tag: Sidonia
Location: Gala
Ship: Reaper Kai
Gear: Goggles, Jacket, Udyr Biosuit, Lightsabers, Autoblasters x2

As the woman talked, a few things became clear to Kivah, and she leaned back again, satisfied. She'd heard these sorts of pitches rather frequently before. They always promised high and were light on details, and the more you tried to find out, the more they thought they had you. Kivah also knew that this woman misunderstood her on a fundamental level. But that was her weakness. A smile tugged up the corner of her mouth, revealing sharp teeth. "You make it sound like you could be among those preferences. And yes, I care about credits and my freedom, so..." She finished off the remainder of her whiskey before continuing in her husky, disinterested drawl. "What are these few, but oh so important rules you'd have me abide?"

 

[Sidonia]

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Tag: Kivah​

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“Simple,” she said.​

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Sidonia adjusted slightly in her seat, not enough to draw attention, just enough to settle more comfortably into the space between them. “There aren’t many rules. We don’t need many.” Her gaze stayed on Kivah, “First, loyalty, when it actually matters. If you take a contract under Crimson Dawn, you see it through the way it was agreed. No side deals halfway through, no quiet changes because someone else offers more. You don’t have to like who you’re working with. You just don’t compromise the job.”​

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She let that sit for a moment before continuing. “Second, discretion. What you see, what you carry, who you deal with… it doesn’t leave the work. The kind of things we handle are not to be repeated elsewhere. We also don't parade what we do, which I presume you already know since you're obviously here to do work that's not being publicly broadcasted.”[/color]​

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Her fingers tapped lightly once against the table, a small, absent motion. “Third, competence.” There was the faintest hint of something behind her expression now, something new. “We don’t build around people who create their own problems. If someone becomes a liability, they don’t stay. It’s that simple.” Sidonia mulled over what was going to be said next, choosing her words carefully. "Fourth, we operate as part of the Mandalorian Empire. This doesn't mean that if you operate with Crimson Dawn, you have to swear allegiance to the Empire. However, we don't do anything that compromises the relationship we establish with them..." She allowed her voice to trail off then, as though there was more to the statement than she was willing to disclose.​

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“And the last one…” Her tone softened slightly, though her eyes didn’t waver. “When Crimson Dawn calls, you answer. Not constantly, not without reason. But when it matters, you don’t ignore it.” She stopped talking for a moment, letting all the information set in. “That’s it,” Sidonia added. “You’re not owned. You’re not micromanaged. You take the work you want, live how you want, keep your methods exactly as they are… unless you decide otherwise.” Her gaze flicked briefly to the empty glass in Kivah’s hand, then returned to her face. “You keep your freedom,” she said quietly. “We just make it more reliable and more worth your time.”​

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[Kivah]

Tag: Sidonia
Location: Gala
Ship: Reaper Kai
Gear: Goggles, Jacket, Udyr Biosuit, Lightsabers, Autoblasters x2

Well that was almost disappointing. Kivah flicked her tail under the table at hearing the special rules of Crimson Dawn. They were basically the same as any other group she'd ever been a part of. A dozen special bonds of friendship and loyalty. Keep your word, don't blab, dont become a problem because the group comes first, help your new friends. Only thing special was the bit about Mandalorians, and Kivah let her hackles raise at that, no Cathar was friends to the Mandalorians, for all that they were part of the Empire. Too much shared history and pride on both sides of that street.

Her tail flicked again, light and full of energy, anticipatory. Kivah made her choice. "Remember that last bit." She grinned, showing teeth and pointing a finger from the hand still holding her glass. "I do what I want, when I want. And you can trust me on the rest, because despite the games, I've still held true to the rest for the people I'm not meeting here now." Sure, Kivah knew there was more to it. Knew that Sidonia was going to use her, that loyalty was a one-way street for someone like her and that it'd dead end at the human's earliest inconvenience, but she wasn't really the read between the lines kind of girl. The insinuations, hints that there might be some deeper meaning were wasted. Kivah didn't care, it'd all be lost in the churn.

"That's the important part. The freedom, and making it all worth the trouble. Guarantee that, and I'm in."