Private Always a Need

[Kay-Larr]

It wasn't too long ago that Kay had reached out to Noah Corek for suggestions and possible options for a bouncer for her shoppe, as well as a bodyguard for herself. Given that some of her teas contained spice and other ingredients that weren't very legal in some jurisdictions, some of her clientele were of the shady variety. Of course Kay could handle herself for the most part, but having that bit of muscle there was a good deterrent. It also gave her a bit of a piece of mind. Out here on Altiria, she was on her own. But it wasn't as though she was reaching out to everyone. No, she was being very selective about who she told of where she was and what she was up to.

Many times people had told her that when she retired from politics, she should sell tea. So that's exactly what Kay was doing. Her tea company was mostly making a name for itself in the underground market, but that was due to the nature of some of her products. In truth she needed them as a way to beat her enemies. With her teas she could find out information on their movements and plans. With her teas she could kill them discreetly. With her teas she could take the Force away from them and leave them vulnerable.

As it stands, her shoppe had one employee besides herself. Doyle . He was loyal, trustworthy, but a bit skittish. And given that he was a former spice addict, he was forbidden with having any of those special products. His people-pleasing-attitude did little to dissuade trouble too. Already there was one attempted robbery that a customer had stopped, as well as bounty hunters snooping around. So having a bouncer on hand was needed.

Kay also needed another resource for credits. With adding another employee, she needed a way to get more income. With her divorce from Veiere and her incarceration before that, she had decided not to touch the Arenais family fortune and leave that to her children. It was better that way. Kay was used to scraping by, having done so a few times in her life. She could manage. Oddly enough her thoughts dwelt on her clone on Commenor. That girl made a lot of credits just by dancing. Kay could sing very well and she had done so in public before. Perhaps there was some way that she could mix the two and bring that entertainment to her shoppe.

Hmmm....

 

[Gunther Corek]

Gunther sighed as he slung his duffel bag over his shoulder and stepped off the transport from Saluecami to Altiria. He had been all over the galaxy during his time in the Marines but he could safely say that this was a planet he had never been to nor had even heard of before. As to the reason he was here, well it was simple, family. Not that any of his family were on the planet, more that his cousin Noah had tipped him off about a bodyguarding job he had got from a friend of his wife.

Collecting the rest of his luggage, aka his blasters since aruetiise had something against carrying blasters on public transportation for whatever reason, Gunther pulled out his datapad and read his message from his cousin. It was pretty straight forward, go to the Sphaera Tea Shop, meet this woman 'Kay Larr' and become her bodyguard. Usually this type of contract was mundane and he'd pass on it but his cousin had made it seem like there was more that the eye to this woman and her shop.

Shrugging to himself he quickly hailed a speeder taxi, threw his bags in the back and hopped in after. After a quick and terse exchange between him and the driver they were off to the address he had been given. Thankfully the small spaceport he had arrived at was not to far away from the shop and they arrived rather quickly and with another just as quick and terse exchange between the driver and Gunther, Gunther stepped out of the taxi and towards the shop.

Stepping up to the front door he rolled and his and opened it. The first thing that caught his eye was the woman behind the counter. She looked to be about a head shorter than himself and a good amount of kilos lighter, her hair a dark brown though he couldn't see her eyes. 'Not bad from the back.' He thought to himself before clearing his throat to get her attention. "Excuse me. I'm looking for a Ms. Larr? I was told she might be in need of my services?"

 

[Kay-Larr]

Gunther Corek

It was the door chime that alerted Kay that there was a customer. She was busy behind the counter, restocking some of her teas. There were popular ones to be sure. "Be right there." she answered without even turning to look. Her hands were full, yet she skillfully slid the boxes into place. Fortunately tea didn't weigh very much.

After dusting her hands off on her apron, she turned and started around the counter. A brow lifted as she caught sight of Gunther. He was tall, imposing in stature to be sure, and she'd be lying if she didn't say that he was a good looking man. Still, she couldn't let that muddle her thinking. At least not at the moment.

Kay held out her hand to him when she approached. "Please, call me Kay. I take it that Noah sent you? Would you like any tea or a light snack? On the house of course." By the Force she was rambling. That was more of a habit of her daughter's than herself, which made it all the more confusing. Maybe she wasn't quite able to focus as easily as she thought.

Tea would help. It always does.

 

[Gunther Corek]

When she told him that she be with him in a sec he nodded and set his bags down on the ground, taking the time to look away from her and at the shop he'd be guarding. The front door led straight to the counter and bar, typical for this type of establishment. Off to the side there was a small seating area with a few tables and some chairs around them. Finally in the far corner there were a set of stairs that lead to what he was guessing were some kind of guess rooms and Kay's personal quarters.

Gunther resisted the urge to smirk and raise an eyebrow as Kay turned around. 'Just as good from the front as the back.' The thought to himself. When her hand was extended he extended his own to meet her. "Nice to meet you then Kay. Yes, Noah is my cousin. Said you needed someone big, smart and strong but most of all trustworthy. I guess that means he thinks I'm your man. Some tea and a snack would be nice, thank you."

 

[Kay-Larr]

Gunther Corek

Kay gave his hand a soft yet firm shake. You could tell a lot about a person by the way they greeted another. It was a trick of the trade in politics and business circles, the latter of which she found herself in now.

She gave him another smile at his remarks, her gaze never leaving his as she studied him. Noah said that he was trustworthy? Kay hoped as much. "Let's hope that Noah is right. Have a seat and I'll get you your order. It'll take but a few minutes. Then we can discuss what this job entails." Hopefully it wouldn't be too boring of a job for him. He looked like a man of action, moreso than one that was sent for her protection and that of her shoppe.

Kay let go of his hand and headed back behind the counter to prepare Sapir tea and some biscuits. She spoke while she worked. "I didn't catch your name...Care to throw it my way?"

 

[Gunther Corek]

Gunther had expect the handshake to be soft yes but not as firm as it was, it was obvious that this Kay Larr was a different kind of woman than she appeared on the surface. Looking towards the tables he took a seat at the nearest one and turned his chair towards the counter so he could watch Kay.

He snorted when she mentioned that she hoped Noah was right. "Many within my clan question my cousin and his judgement, especially after he married that aruetii woman. But I can tell you that if he gives you a promise or a guarantee then it is worth it's weight in beskar...unless he's been drinking then you should be more skeptical."

Leaning back in his chair he nodded when she asked his name and smiled. "Of course not. If I'm to be working for you it'd be prudent for you to know my name. My full name is Gunther Gaius Corek IV, though you may call me Gunther or Gun."

 

[Kay-Larr]

Gunther Corek

Kay laughed a little as Gunther remarked on the weight of Noah's word when it came to drinking. Hopefully he wasn't when he sent Gunther to her. But something told her that he wasn't.

The water was already boiled, so all that Kay needed to do was crumple the leaves in the cups and pour the water. She set it all on a tray, complete with honey and cream if that was to his liking, and of course the biscuits. "Gunther it is then."

Kay carried it all over to him, sliding it onto the table before she took a seat. "Well, where to begin..." She picked up her tea and had a sip, letting the hot liquid sooth and comfort her. She didn't require any additives, preferring to have her tea black. "...As you can guess, this is a tea shoppe, though if you look at our menu, there are many teas that are far from ordinary. Some would be illegal in many jurisdictions. As such most of our clientele are from the underground market. Not to worry though, I've only given you Sapir tea. It's side effect is only that of calmness." Kay found herself gazing into his eyes again. There was something about them that she couldn't quite put a finger on. Perhaps it was due to the fact that he was a relative of Noah's. But she couldn't be sure.

"I need you to protect the shoppe, our supplies and also myself...I don't exactly have a rosey history."

 

[Gunther Corek]

Gunther had to admit that when Kay laughed he felt something pang in his chest, something that he couldn't quite identify. He mentally shrugged shifting the feeling and thoughts aside as she began to speak.

He picked up the tea Kay gave to him and sipped it. Making a slight face he put some cream and honey in the tea, mixed and took another sip, now satisfied in the taste. Taking a few more sips and then set his cup down to speak.

"Yes. Noah made it quite clear that this would be a atypical place of business. I took the liberty of looking at a menu my cousin had the foresight to send me and indeed it seems some...less savory characters would be attracted to your goods." Stopping his talking he took another sip from his tea and broke off a small part of a biscuit and ate it. Swallowing the biscuit he chased it down with a sip of tea. "Your choice of tea to give seems to be pre-planned if you don't mind me saying. Though I don't mind the calmness. I don't travel in space well."

He nodded to her final words and took a sip of tea. "Sounds like an easy enough gig. And no need to worry about your history, we all have skeletons in our closet. Any thing else you wish to share?"

 

[Kay-Larr]

Gunther Corek

Her eyebrows rose as he mentioned that he already studied the menu. Well that was good. He had the foresight to do research. Such a thing was important, especially if it came down to special meetings taking place there. Plenty of casinos and crimelords have quarterly shipments on order and Kay did her best to be sure that they were fulfilled.

She laughed a little once again as he remarked on her choice of tea being pre-planned. "Sapir tea happens to be my favourite. It soothes me and comforts me like a nice warm blanket." Kay lived alone. She didn't even have a pet. There was only her tea and mystery holonovels that she looked forward to. And after looking after customers each day, she didn't mind the loneliness so much.

Kay took another sip of her tea, losing herself to thought for a moment as she tried to figure out the best way to bring up a subject that she wasn't entirely certain that she'd go through with anyways. But....Gunther may be able to help her come to a decision. He wasn't exactly biased as of yet.

"The tea shoppe is doing well, but I need to bring in more income so that I can purchase my own ship some day. And hire a pilot. I used to be in the spotlight a lot. Out here it isn't so easy. Perhaps if I were to entertain the guests by singing or...something...maybe that could help."

 

[Gunther Corek]

He smiled as her eyebrows rose at the mention of him studying the menu. "Didn't expect me to do some research before I came? Well time in the Marine Corps tends to drill things like that into your head." Taking another sip of his tea he looked her up and down with a critical eye.

He nodded his head at her mention of Sapir tea being her favorite. "My mother use to brew a specific type of tea that was native to Mandalore that we grew in greenhouses on Saluecami. It was rather good." When Kay spoke of other incomes source asscociated with the shop Gunther nodded, it was clear she was fishing for advice.

"Something like a gimmick I would assume. A drink and a show tends to get customers in. On the business end of things it also means you can raise your prices since you are providing something that others are not. Though I am admittedly interested in hear what this 'other' you have in mind is."

 

[Kay-Larr]

Gunther Corek

Kay couldn't help but give Gunther a sheepish grin as she sipped her tea. He caught her by surprise and he knew it. It wasn't as though she figured him to be all brawn and no brains. The man was smart. He had to be. He was Mandalorian.

And then came the prodding. No doubt Gunther was able to pick up on her slight hesitation. Kay also saw him looking her over. But just what he was looking for, she wasn't certain.

"Back on Commenor, there was a clone of me for a time. One of my friends discovered her by accident, or so they told me. Anyways she was a dancer at a club that later went underground as I tried to shut it down. Apparently she was quite popular and made a lot of credits. I wonder if perhaps I'd be able to pull that off. Or would I be considered too old?" That clone was now dead; murdered by an A.I. that in turn captured Kay and had her sent to Purgatory. She couldn't make use of that clone now.

 

[Gunther Corek]

When Kay revealed what the 'other' was Gunther raised an eyebrow and took another sip of his tea. Standing up he said nothing but walked over to Kay and looked her up and down from multiple angles, often switching sides and looking from another perspective. Satisfied with his examination he sat back down.

Taking yet another sip from his tea he eyed Kay and then chuckled and shook his head. "You look great for you age Kay. Which is forty-eight. My cousin also gave me your dossier. But onto the question of the hour? Yes I think you could easily pull that off. You'd have to cater to a specific clientele but that'd be rather easy. I have some underworld connections that might help in that sense."

 

[Kay-Larr]

Gunther Corek

As he got to his feet to study her even moreso, Kay remained perfectly still. Her back was held straight and her posture was perfect. Years of being a Queen would do that. She needed to be graceful and balanced at all times. It was only here that she was able to dress more casually and be just a regular civilian again.

"Noah has a dossier about me?...Whatever for?" She shook her head a little before sipping her tea. It didn't really matter anyways.

"Well I'm not so sure that there's enough room for it down here. And I'd still like this space to be accessible to a younger crowd. Perhaps if I converted one of the bedrooms upstairs, that could work. I live in one of them and rent out the rest. You can have one for yourself if you'd like." Kay was a private person in some respects and as such, there were certain things that she didn't need the whole Galaxy to be aware of.

 

[Gunther Corek]

He chuckled about her question of the dossier. "If it makes you feel any better he keeps a dossier on most people he meets. It's a weird quirk of his that he picked up during his time in the army. I've yet to seen any of the others but the rumor around the clan is that they are all physical documents to prevent digital theft." He shrugged, moving on from the conversation.

When she brought up the idea of converting one of the rooms up stairs he nodded. "A room for me would be nice. We can convert one of the other spare ones into a private dance room. Chairs or a couch, a pole, maybe a small stage..." Unbeknownst to Kay, Gunther began to formulate things in his mind, absently sipping his tea and biting at the biscuits.

 

[Kay-Larr]

Gunther Corek

He looked nice when he smiled. It sort of lifted him up. More than likely she wouldn't see him smiling often when he was on duty. But off duty was another story...

Kay decided that she couldn't be too surprised to hear about that particular quirk of Noah's. Everyone had them. For her, it was her addiction to tea. This shoppe and company did very little to help break her of that habit. But that wasn't really the point. She knew tea, and it was about as far away from politics as she could get.

"A pole?...How about some silks instead. We could use them to decorate the room as well. After we're finished with our teas I'll give you a tour of the shoppe and you can see for yourself."

 

[Gunther Corek]

He chuckled and shook his head when she seemed hesitant about the pole. "Yeah I'll admit the pole might be a little much or a little low class for the type of clientele you are trying to attract. Silks would probably be a much better idea."

Much like his cousin Gunther had his own quirks but it would take Kay a little while to learn them but he was sure that a woman on her intelligence and prowess would pick up on them rather quickly. Taking the last sip of his tea and last bite of his biscuit he placed the cup down gently on the table with a small smile toward Kay. "No better time than the present eh?"

 

[Kay-Larr]

Gunther Corek

Kay breathed an inward sigh of relief as the whole pole idea was out of the question. Her clone didn't use one of those either. More than likely the draw was that she looked like a popular Queen. In any case, it wasn't as though she was unattractive. She had just gone through a lot of terrible luck and had shut herself away from everyone.

Including family.

She finished her own tea and then got to her feet. No doubt Gunther would follow along without being prodded to do so. Kay took him first to the back room behind the counter. Flicking on the switch, they were greeted by a lab of sorts, complete with a greenhouse and various equipment. "This is where a lot of the teas and goodies are made and processed." Walking further along, she bypassed a fake door and went to a hidden one behind a shelving unit. The door was wider than a normal door. On the other side was a warehouse partway stacked with crates. "Here's our stock and where we pack everything up for shipping. Most people don't know that this exists. The hillside hides it well." As did the trees. "Any questions so far?"

 

[Gunther Corek]

Kay was anything but unattractive, well at least in Gunther's mind. In his mind she looked very good, her grey eyes he could get lost in and her hair was-'Get it together old man, this is a job not a romantic situation.' He popped the joints in his neck before indeed standing to follow Kay as she walked behind the counter.

He looked at the lab and greenhouse of sorts in the room behind the counter. It wasn't surprising to find something like this in a establishment of this type but he was surprised with just how well stocked and well cared for the plants and equipment seemed. "You seem to take great pride in your work, good a lot of people don't do that anymore."

He had to admit even he was fooled by the fake door and whistled when Kay opened the hidden door and showed him the warehouse. "Smart idea. Keep your more...volatile stock hidden from the normal customers is a good idea. I take stock of the foundations of it and such and see if anything needs reinforcing. Shall we continue?"

 

[Kay-Larr]

Gunther Corek

Kay lightly shrugged her shoulders. "I like my tea, what can I say? It's an addiction, one that doesn't really bother anyone." That was the truth of it. Her addiction maybe annoyed some, but it didn't really bother anyone.

She smiled as Gunther seemed impressed with her operation. Kay didn't exactly just throw it all together. Being a target for many times in her life taught her how to be cautious.

"There are a couple of passageways for escape, hidden of course." She pointed to a couple of the crates which weren't really crates at all but again, hidden doorways. Nor were they at the back of the warehouse like some would expect.

Turning around, she brushed past Gunther on her way back through the lab. Kay removed her apron as she walked, dropping it on the countertop in it's usual place before leading Gunther upstairs. There was a half dozen rooms, most of which were the same size except for her own. Each had a bed, small bit of furniture and of course a refresher. The walls were of stone and wood beams, continuing the characteristics of the shop downstairs.

"What do you think? You can have your pick of rooms. All are vacant at the moment."

 

[Gunther Corek]

Gunther nodded along with her words and then shrugged. "Admittedly it is a better addiction to have then most other have, not bothering people is also a good thing." He was indeed impressed with her operation.

It was clear that she had taken care when putting the operation together and that gave him no small amount of comfort about this job. "You obviously thought you're operation here out very well, that gives me a healthy amount of confidence."

His eyebrows raised when she mentioned that there were some escape tunnels. Walking over he moved the crates and peered into the tunnels, satisfied with their size. "It seems that you've thought of everything. That gives me a lot of confidence."

Once Kay brushed past her he followed her, his eyes inspecting the rest of the shop and Kay herself. Following her up the stairs as they came to the bedrooms he took a look inside and nodded, they were definitely cozy and warm looking. He turned to her when she spoke and gave her a small smile. "Their very nice. Well if I'm to be your bodyguard it would be smart to take the closest room to your."