A Deadly Game: The Last Hurrah

[Baros Sal-Soren]

| Corellia
| Coronet Artificial Atmosphere Zone
| Rebuild Ball

Corellia was a proud world, and the Corellians an extremely proud people. They were not willing to let go of their world easily. They were determined and persistent in their quest to reclaim their world. Part of this determination was signified by the aristocratic events within the bubble that was Coronet City.

Baros stood looking out the window of his apartment. Corellia, a wreck, lay before him both in the land far below and in the chunks of land flying outside the atmosphere of the 'world'. It broke his heart. It angered him. It motivated him more than ever.

He was dressed in the latest Glitterstim suit, making for a unique visage. His company tonight were his employees, nothing flash, no one coming home for the night. Turning, he caught the eye of one of his spokesmodels, Greta Keo.

"You look better in that than I had imagined," he said to her, "well done."

"You can thank my parents if you ever met them," she said, demure and softly spoken as usual.

"Maybe some day," he said as he walked towards the door. Atara was somewhere in the apartment finishing off her preparations.

The door slid open, as he noted Atara's approach at the top of the stairs. She too made the gown look better than ever. He took Greta's arm and stepped through the door, to find himself face to face with someone he had not expected to see just now...

"Teyla..."

Had he agreed to meet her here?

She looked...really good.

He could sense Atara walked up and taking his arm.

"...hi."

[member="Atara Themis"]
[member="Teyla Ee'everwest"]

 

[Atara Themis]

It was a heartbreaking scenerio. Really it was. To see something so valued, so loved...so broken. There would be no fixing it, not now. It saddened Atara, slightly angered her, but she knew of an alternative to the dilemma. Picking up the remnants of her broken lipstick from the bathroom floor, she tossed it in the wastebasket with little fanfare. Digging around in a handbag she retrieved some petroleum jelly and applied a thin coating to her lips. Next up was a selection of eye shadow color, a light pink. Dabbling her finger into the palette and then on her lips. Voila! Crisis averted.

Taking one last look at herself, she was pleased with the results of Baros' choice for evening wear.

The low cut neckline was a little much for her own personal taste, but the length helped accentuate one her dmore distinctive features. It was a Glitterstim design for sure. Atara could only imagine that whatever Baros had chose for Greta was equally...form flattering. Eye candy for a people who had little good to look at these days it seemed. It was war torn galaxy however, tragedy was everywhere. Even on the Alderaani's homeworld.

Exiting the bathroom, Atara headed downstairs. Her gaze found first her coworker and rival Greta. Attached to Baros' hip of course in all her busty splendor. Tramp. Her mind said one thing, but her smile said another as she hitched to Baros' otherside. Two can play....where the frell did three come from?!?!

Blue eyes had finally found Teyla. Baros had never said anything about a third spokesmodel. Why was there a third girl? Atara suddenly felt a great deal more threatened, it was suppose to two women enter one woman leaves. A third made things tricky. Pulling intimately close to her boss, Atara forewent professionalism. Turning, Her soft feminine voice coo'd into the Corellian's ear.

"A friend of yours...Mister Sal-Soren?"



[member="Baros Sal-Soren"]
[member="Teyla Ee'everwest"]

 

[Amz]

Teyla liked to think she was capable of handling anything, it was part of her job to remain composed even during the most stressful of situations. Normally she could rise to the occasion. She thrived under pressure, able to accomplish whatever her mission entailed successfully and without question.

That mentality was still the same, but the playing field had changed...somewhat. Rather than avoiding nasty gunfire or explosions, she had to contend with a new challenge...social gatherings.

Even though Baros’ had given her some tips on how to conduct herself tonight, so she could blend in a little more seamlessly, Teyla was still feeling worried about her ability to walk in heels.

Hopefully, Teyla thought, I won’t look like a prancing gundark tonight.

Standing outside of Baros’ apartment, she took a half second to compose herself. Teyla hadn’t relayed that she’d be meeting him before the party, but she thought it'd be good to just go over the plan one last time before diving in. That was logical, no ulterior motives in that.

With a small data pad pressed against the bosom of her ebony gown, Teyla went to reach for the buzzer.

...But then the door slid open, and it didn't take long for Teyla to realize that she was in a predicament.

Really, it should have come as no surprise that Baros would plan to take another woman with him, but... it had. Not only that, but two? Really? Her eyes widened slightly, and she tried to hide her shock as the girl on his right slinked in more closely to Baros, seemingly threatened by her appearance.

This was the very definition of the word, awkward.

No one needed to tell her where she was in this setting.

She was only here because of duty, because this was still a job. I'm a third wheel, basically. Teyla thought, subtly clearing her throat.

“I just wanted to stop by to go over the details of tonight for one last time, Mr. Sal-Soren, but...I can see that...I must have caught you at a ‘bad time’.” For a split second the bitterness of being blindsided came out in her tone, and Teyla had to mentally beat it back into submission before that evolved into something else.

Still. Why did he not tell her about them?

...Why did she think he needed to?



[member="Baros Sal-Soren"]
[member="Atara Themis"]

 

[Baros Sal-Soren]

"Miss Ee'everwest is my..."

My? She wasn't Baros' anything. He had kissed her once to prove a point, but she wasn't his 'girl'. She had saved his life a couple of times, but she wasn't his heroine. She had been there when he had no idea who to call, but she was not his support. They had a common enemy, but she was not his compatriot. He could not put his finger on exactly what she was...

...but she was definitely not nothing to him.

"...security..."

He quirked his head trying to get a read on her, or some help as to what he should say.

"...con...sultant?"

He stepped outside, with women in tow. He was very aware of how she must have felt about this situation. He had to alleviate her trouble expression as quickly as possible, but why did he really care?

"This is Greta Keo," he said hand waving on his right, "and this is Atara Themis." He waved his hand to his left. "These ladies are employees of mine...spokesmodels for Glitterstim."

He began to awkwardly try to find his way around Teyla, while also indicating that she would walk with them. "I am not sure I have enough arms for all of you," he said with a wicked smile, but his words came out oddly disjointed, "but do walk with us...you can ride our speeder with us to the gala."

[member="Teyla Ee'everwest"][member="Atara Themis"]

 

[Atara Themis]

The tension was palpable, so much so that Atara had half expected Baros to introduce Teyla as Mrs. Sal-Soren. Then again, he might should have. It would'be been more believable than whatever it was he had fumbled out. So long as Teyla wasn't another contender for Atara's desire to be Glitterstim's alpha female then the Alderaani could rest easy. That didn't mean she was going to stand down however. It was clear if not to them, then at least to Atara and maybe Greta, that there was a history here. Maybe an exploitable one. There was only one way to find out.

Atara slid her arm down the length of Baros' and gave him a playful slap on the shoulder, "Don't be ridiculous Baros!" She used his first name purposely. It was more personal. "Greta and I can share." The Alderaani looked to Greta and motioned with her head for the two of them to take the lead and allow Teyla free reign to her associate.

"She has business to discuss afterall," Atara added with a flirty wink towards Baros but clearly meant for Teyla's eyes. She gave the security con...sultant a cagey grin before turning to try and pry conversation from Greta.

[member="Baros Sal-Soren"]
[member="Teyla Ee'everwest"]

 

[Amz]

A prickly silence grew outward from Teyla, who was unsure what to do with the strange and awkward situation. The tension only rose with Baros' words that ended up making her heart sink further, coupled with the transparently obvious flirtations from Atara. Teyla wasn't very happy or comfortable with any of this, but somehow managed to keep her emotions in check.


"Here," she said, completely avoiding the conversation of the recent encounter and placing a small ear piece from her purse into Baros' open palm, once Atara and Greta were a small distance away. "So we can communicate. And.." she passed along a wrist chrono. "That has a tracking device installed, I have one as well. It's just a precautionary measure in the event that either of us run into trouble, then we can find one another."


"So. Yeah. That's it, should be good to go." Teyla gave a nondescript smile.


"Oh, and thank you for the offer, but I'm taking my own speeder tonight. I'll just see you there. "


And before another word could be said, she was gone, apparently having forgotten about whatever it was she was going to say to him.

There is no frelling way I'm putting up with that all the way to the Gala.

[member="Baros Sal-Soren"]
[member="Atara Themis"]