A Dangerous Lead

[Sebastian Thel]

Im Rauch - Bohren & Der Club of Gore​

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The elevator beeped with every level Sebastian passed, his finger tugging nervously at the bright red bowtie he had worn for the occasion. The Confederate Minister of Secrets had invited him to dinner far above the lower levels of the restaurant, where they could converse in a private booth, designed to prevent any unwelcome ears from listening. When the elevator pinged on the ceiling level, Sebastian took a breath and strode out of the doors apprehensively as they opened.

In a black tuxedo and shirt with white buttons, he looked quite the snappy nerd in his formal getup, which he was pretty sure he hadn't worn since his graduation gala. The feint chime of a piano rang through the elevated booth, leading Sebastian down the entrance corridor with it's slow tune. As he stood in the doorway, he flattened down his jacket and stepped forward, where he saw a Ortolan playing a jazz melody on a piano.

In front of a glass window which covered the entire wall, sat the Minister of Secrets herself, elegant and poised to kill at the opposite end of the table. As soon as Sebastian walked in, the musicians took their cue to leave and exited through the back, while the music continued to play on the sound system. Sebastian released his breath, which he had been holding for quite some time and walked to the other end of the table where Veena sat.

"Hello Miss Reshma." Sebastian said plainly, his eyes shifting from one end of the room to the next. He was clearly awkward about the situation, tugging at his bowtie and fiddling with his clothes. "I'm Sebastian Thel, but you can call me Bas." He offered her his nickname and sat down.

"Can I have a drink of water?" He asked, his throat dry. With his mouth hanging open, Sebastian sat with back his perfectly straight, his posture stiff and too afraid to move. He folded his hands and sighed, pouring over the information which Veena had employed him to encrypt in his mind, as well as the methods he would use to safeguard it as she desired. "I can encrypt the databanks where the money is being hosted, but I need access to the accounts that are going to transfer it so I can isolate them from the confederate network." Sebastian cut to the chase, disinterested in making small-talk.

"That way, I can give them the key to their own server, where they can exchange money with the Umbarans without the risk of being sliced." Sebastian explained his method, which required Veena granting him access to the accounts that the ministry of secrets was using to transfer money to the Umbaran crime syndicate. He did not know if they were puppet accounts, or operated by individuals, but it made no difference to him. The light of the chandelier reflected in his glasses, shifting beneath the glass as he tilted his head, avoiding Veena's gaze.

All Sebastian knew was that Veena was sending money to an Umbaran crime syndicate, which she wanted to keep a secret from the Confederate government. He did not know why and he dared not ask, he only needed access to the accounts that were going to send the money. Running a hand through his hair, which he just realized he had forgotten to comb, he messed it up even more and looked down to see a glass of water being poured in front of him.

"Out of curiosity." Sebastian began, taking a sip. "How did you find out about me?" He asked, welcoming the ice cold water against his parched throat.

[member="Veena Reshma"]

 

[Veena Reshma]

"Of course Mr Thel, help yourself to any amenities present, after all, it is paid for by the ministry," she offered a slight smile, gesturing with her hand for the analyst to help himself. The minister wore a simple maroon cocktail dress, the sort of attire she was loathsome to use but casual occasions like this called for it. It wasn't some low brow interrogation after all, and she did not want to make the asset any more unsettled than he was.

Veena studied the man with an almost casual gaze, which hid the serpentine mechanical like the way she often regarded assets to the ministry. It was second nature to the Mandan female at this point, years of FOSB training had not betrayed her yet, and she knew as well as anyone that everyone had their uses in this galaxy, how long they were useful often decided to what end their relationship with the ministry was.


"I will provide you with the intel needed to access the money, and of course the accounts our friends are using."


Sebastian knew his worth to the ministry, and so did she, it wouldn't prove beneficial to the long term goals of the CIS if she had the asset before her liquidated. In her own quaint little way, she found the man amusing to no end when it came to actual social interaction.


"I'm sure your methods are proven Mr Thel, after all you have quite the prestige behind you."


She briefly diverted her gaze from Sebastian, dark eyes settling upon a half-empty glass of Corellian red, catching her reflection in the shine of the ornate cup for but a short glimpse. When Seb spoke again, she turned back towards him, cradling the wine glass in her left hand as she met his gaze once more.

"Does that matter Mr Thel? you have your sources, and I have mine," Veena remarked matter of factly, lips slightly pursed in surprise at his bravery in asking before she continued onwards, "I am but an instrument of the government and serve a purpose like you do too Mr Thel, but sometimes one must seek out the services of another."

[member="Sebastian Thel"]

 

[Sebastian Thel]

When Veena invited Sebastian to help himself to a glass of water, the mathematician said nothing. There was no "thank you", merely the the flow of water as he poured himself a glass and took a sip. Lapping his tongue, he welcomed it against his parched throat and set down his glass, all the while suppressing the uncomfortable feeling that Veena's eyes were following his every move. The minister acknowledged the method he had put forward in regards to encrypting her databank, which earned her a meek smile from Sebastian.

In that moment, the mathematician was lost for words and avoid Veena's gaze as he struggled to form a response. She was willing to hand over valuable sources to ensure that he could do his job to the best of standards and for that, he was grateful, at least for her willingness to cooperate.

"Thank you." The words were meek, barely uttered from behind the glass Sebastian held in front of his mouth. It was not often that he verbally thanked others, but in this case, it seemed like the only appropriate way to respond. "With access to the accounts, I can ensure that the line of exchange is secure and impenetrable to adversaries." The cryptographer nodded, already looking forward to the challenge Veena had offered him. Setting down his glass with a chink, he folded his hands and fiddled with the cuffs of his sleeves, his eyes baring directly into the table.

The compliment Veena offered him was not unexpected. After all, she was playing the courteous hostess, although it still made Sebastian uneasy, as though she was attempting to disguise the lack of information surrounding her profile with flattery. Then again, Sebastian interpreted most compliments in a negative light, even though they made him feel special, which made him too embarrassed to accept them at all. Letting his shoulders drop, he smiled and revealed the two of his top teeth which sat above the others at the sides of his mouth.

"Eh." Sebastian laughed slightly. When he realized that Veena could see his teeth, he scratched his nose to hide them, before taking another sip of water.

"My degrees are in maths and crypto, but I taught myself most of the stuff I know about computers." Sebastian blushed. His qualifications were modest when compared to older, more experienced mathematicians in the intelligence network, but he had done well to land a career with them in the first place. Looking up, he caught Veena's eyes moving away from him and exhaled with relief, avoiding the woman's gaze as she sipped her glass of wine. After asking Veena about how she had come to find out about him, the minister answered vaguely, which riled Bas' unease.

"Uh, yeah it does." Sebastian asked, rather dumbly, as he thought it was only natural to wonder about how this mysterious individual had accessed his details. The worse case scenario was that her operatives had sliced the intelligence network to scrounge up any information they could find out about him, which could land him in trouble if intelligence knew that it was him the adversary had been after. Recoiling in his seat, he tugged at his bowtie, the feeling that he had spoken out of turn creeping up on him like an shadow.

"For all I know you could have sliced the Imperial database, that could get me in a lot of trouble if they know I'm who you were looking for." Sebastian shrugged.

[member="Veena Reshma"]