Location: "The Spire"; Moonveil Inc. Headquarters
Tags:
Ivory Stroud
,
Marcella Fiora
,
Skorvek
,
Mairéad Solus
,
Jai'galaar Gred
,
Dominik Borra
,
Dedata | Celty Ree
,
Stardust Solus Skirae
,
Saraiya Darkstar
,
Niki Priddy
,
Diocletian Kahmen’’a
,
Nyx N1X3
,
Ragos Terrek
,
Arturo
,
Aurelius Baldor
Prologue
Samuel and Ela Exel had been employed under the direction of Phaelix at the Star Lounge for some time now. Day in, day out, they became the new 'regular' tenders of the place. It became routine, as close to normal as one could get. And yet, the Mandalorian-battered escapade on Lyran did not leave his memory. Once again, that damnable culture gave them yet another frightful imprint of just how violent they could be - performing the equivalent of a planetary genocide, from what he could tell. While to him, this imprint was of little consequence in the grand scheme of things, he was moreso concerned for his significant other, of which he believed would be overburdened by these multiple experiences. A majority of time spent directly after the daring escape from the Mandalorian (of which he was now certain was merely holding a polite facade) was in comforting and protecting Ela during the equally horrific escape conducted by the mercenaries, then Dominik. Upon which, a multitude of things had been made obvious to him. For one, the business he worked for, was more than likely not the most scrupulous establishment around. As bloodthirsty as he knew Mandalorians were, he was certain they yet had an objective they intended to complete. And whatever that objective was, it involved the unfortunate 'business meeting' that he had the supposed pleasure of accepting the first invitation, and subsequently acting as vanguard for when said Beskar-clad marauders came bursting through the windows. Once he was inside the escape van, he admittedly did not provide much assistance in the getting away asides from making sure there were no Mandalorians encroaching from the sides - for others were far better suited at fending off their pursuers. That was the second thing he had come to notice; these 'others' were a colorful crowd. Not just one, but
two force-sensitives of unique abilities comprised this, and that piqued fear and curiosity alike within the former Hunter. This was not-to-mention the Kyber Crystal that Ivory showed off upon her neck - for while this may have been a display of wealth for all to see, it did not stop Samuel from leaning towards the idea that she, too, was a Force Sensitive as well. The others were not uninteresting either - Dominik, for one, had roused a sense of respect with his actions. The saving of that family, it was something Samuel wished he would have assisted in had he not been in a protective stupor from being thrust into combat for the first time in a long time.
If I ever meet that man again, he thought to himself,
I will commend him for it. Diocletan, an Ubese if his knowledge did not forsake him, did not quite strike him as an unsavory individual, and gave him vague recollection of his time as a Bounty Hunter (though he was never really one for long-barreled rifles). Ubese weren't very sociable by his recollections, but Samuel would not mind speaking of such topics with them if the situation permitted. And it had been made abundantly clear the Star Lounge was something of a front for this darker crowd.
A holopad glowered in the dimly-lit room of the ship. Finished for the day, with his significant other already ushered to rest with a promise of him following soon after, Samuel Exel was taking inventory of his varied possessions before coming across the holopad. And when he approached the glowering device that was laid upon the table, his gaze peered apprehensively. Yet another invitation, to yet another meeting. True, this one was at least on Coruscant, and at what seemed to be some fancy business-juncture, but that did not ease his worries after the previous incident happening at a place just like it. It was then he noted: this was by Ms. Ivory Stroud herself, the proprietor and supposed leader of whatever shady organization was behind all of this. Worry had dogged his mind then - perhaps his antics during the escape were noticed? Who was he kidding, of course it was noticed. A 'normal' bartender would not seize a moment like that, would not keep their cool in the midst of a battleground as he had. And now there were more than likely wolves at his door, testing to see if they could put his old skills to use, or testing to see if they could easily silence him from speaking of what he has seen. And yet, despite this, he was not all reluctant to do so again. Perhaps it was a yearn for thrill sparking once again, or merely curiosity to see how well he would fare in (preferably smaller) encounters. Or perhaps a fear of what would happen if he refused. Regardless, he decided to accept this invitation, despite it crying out to him of trapped rooms and foul play. He would spare Ela from whatever this was going to be, despite knowing she will likely be upset with him over this later. She need not more 'thrills' of that particular caliber after the escapade, for he worried of a day where she was as hardened as he was to such things.
Now
He had arrived early - far earlier than the others - for he was still charged with tending to the drinks of the guests whilst 'participating' in this meeting. Given some of the highest clearance from what he could tell, oddly enough. But the man would by no means willingly walk into the den of a crime syndicate without a good dose of his usual paranoia - for all he knew, he could be walking into an execution. Ivory and Marcella already knew of his habit of bringing his sidearm and equipment
somewhere on his person at all times, so he assumed they would understand his bringing it to this shadowy meeting as well if they were not already expecting it, seeing how the last one turned out. He went unprepared to the previous one, and it was a mistake that he did not intend to repeat. For his attire, it was no different than it usually was - a fashionable, yet strongly woven attire complete with concealed plates for protection and countermeasures against that which would typically reveal this. He frankly did not have all that much else that was able to be worn to such an event, and even if he did, he would never opt for anything other than what provided him some semblance of an armor upon his frame. Similarly to
someone else at a later point in time, the man spent a while some distance from the Moonveil Inc. building known as The Spire, ensuring he would not again be surprised. His sleeve had been pulled back, and his gaze fixated on his wrist, where video-recordings came from a cloaked probe droid of his design (though this is its first usage in a long while). Having affirmed what exits, what comings-and-goings there were before the meeting had ever neared being started, the probe was dismissed, and he made his way through the entrance. The masked guards he had done his research on, and there were none as armored and equipped as a Mandalorian to his knowledge. His equipment was not detected due to the scanner-blocking material threaded into the clothing, but it was without purpose as the clearance seemingly let him pass without fuss. Of course, he made sure to further case the place as he went, his eyes flitting to and fro as he tried his best to memorize the layout for the possibility of escape later.
With some time, he was among the first of the guests to enter the pent-house, arriving shortly after Marcella and her usual posse which he by now recognized. Giving polite and brief acknowledgements to Ivory and Marcella, he surveyed the area for a moment, spying the open bar on the side of the room similar to that of the Star Lounge. He assumed that would be his station, and thus made his way to it to familiarize himself with it whilst remaining wary of his surroundings. Ironically, his nerves were aflame the most as he verified the layout and prepared to serve all manner of folk. Steeling himself with a soft sigh, he went the extra mile and checked the drinks, too - for his own comfort, and for the comfort of anyone else who might appreciate the added insurance against poisons and micro-explosives. And once done with that, he shifted to a stand, folded his hands in front of him as his eyes would scan over the suite for, perhaps hidden slots for turrets, gas dispensers, and other such death-trap like devices.
The Guests Arrive
When people began to file into the meeting room, he went mostly unnoticed or unheeded (for the moment). In earnest, he preferred that in the face of meetings like this, as it usually allowed him to slip away or make a favorable move when no one was looking. Alas, most of the individuals present may recognize him from a previous venture - for Samuel certainly recognized most of the individuals here with his keen eye, and the rest he would make sure to note.
Keeping his gaze at his work, yet gleaming information aplenty during this facade,
Mairéad Solus
made herself appear most obvious, being pert and eager to please. Her efforts and status as a Force Sensitive were not forgotten for him, and he noticed her supposed mentor was not present. She was among the first to approach the bar, asking for a drink of nothing in particular - he prepared for her something akin to a tropical blend, as he had a feeling she may prefer something more lively with less bitter undertones, and delivered it to her with a small nod of his head, though she seemed more fixated on Marcella as she tasted it and expressed what appeared to be approval of the beverage.
Jai'galaar Gred
was next to arrive at the bar guided by one of Marcella's goons, in which he gave a polite expression in acknowledgement, and swiftly gave him a drink that might've been to the individual's liking - certainly being 'different' through these new mixes he had access to, and not the greatest idea of what mingles best with what. By his recollection, he had seen the man speaking with Marcella in the Star Lounge previously, so he assumed he was a bit more well-versed in this whole business, though his figure seemed nonetheless a tad out of place. As such, Samuel gave him a drink that was equally out of place, which was more along his own preferences for things with a bit of a kick to it.
Important to him was the familiar frame of the man who got them out from the Mandalorian's Maw -
Dominik Borra
. The words he had thought to himself however many times in reflecting on the incident echoed in his mind. Samuel's gaze lingered a tad longer on him than the rest, ensuring his memory was correct, before it returned to his work. Being a bygone armorer himself, he may have noticed the armorweave and synthmesh of his suit glint in just the right light of the room (though, wearing similar attire, he saw no issue with it anyways). He hoped the man would come for a drink sooner or later, for it would be awkward for him to go out of his way during this meeting to speak with him.
There were a few figures he had not seen before - The Anubian (
Skorvek
), for one, stood tall in regal attire, though seemed mildly displeased at the disturbance despite being among the first to arrive. An odd woman bearing a helmet as well as a dress (
Dedata | Celty Ree
)- one meant to impress despite the occasion, he noted, though who she was attempting to show off to he could not say. A green skinned twi'lek (
Stardust Solus Skirae
), which to his instinctual displeasure appeared to be wearing something of a traditional beskar'gam, and thus likely a Mandalorian, if not someone overly fond of the culture's armor. Another woman who held a nervous disposition yet politely masked such in front of her (seemingly newly-met) peers (
Saraiya Darkstar
) - of which he did not blame her, for he felt he would be feeling similarly in this situation, if not for the fact he had been in it before. She made her way towards the bar afterwards, giggling to herself and commenting on the Fiora brand, in which the man gave a soft murmur of,
"Yes, they really do not spare much expense in these parts…" in response, and bowing his head in response to the smile she gave.
Another woman had made an arrival (
Niki Priddy
), and again he may have noticed a similar gleam of armored threads in her step, though by no means could tell it was the same as Dominik's. She seemed as observant as he, and the two might've even caught each other rapidly looking over the other in the sparse seconds of her first appearance in the room, though Samuel would provide no further comment on such unless pressed. She started a conversation with Dominik, which he would make note of later. People of good disposition (at least by his own standards) had a tendency to get along with other people of good disposition. The conversation she was having with Dominik seemed to be ushering them closer to the bar, much to his appreciation, only to be interrupted by the serving droid (
Nyx N1X3
) (much to his frustration).
The Ubese (
Diocletian Kahmen’’a
) that quietly slipped in, however, he also recalled. 'Dio,' assumedly a nickname for the individual, was the Bounty Hunter skilled in Marksmanship. When the hidden visage looked and lingered on the bar for some moments before turning aside to attend to the meeting, he wondered if the Ubese also recognized him, or if he was merely debating grabbing a drink before it all commenced. Regardless, he would like to give his compliments on the individual's rifle, when the chance permitted.
Next was an odd individual - looking as out-of-place as Jai'galaar, entered
Ragos Terrek
. Another gruff-looking man, focused on the women at hand as he made his way towards the front. Either in a show of self-confidence, obliviousness, or a crippling Cigarra addiction, he outright asked if he could take such a thing, and it was offered. It was an amusing interaction for Samuel to watch from the sidelines of the bar, and could later prove to be indicative of the man's character. When he approached the bar, he preferred the energizing drinks of a caf (along with a handful of donuts), which Samuel could not fault. The woman, who seemed mostly unacquainted with everyone else, did however seem acquainted with this man, and struck up a conversation.
A Devaronian (
Aurelius Baldor
), too, made an appearance, moving with a certain swagger and poise in his stride. This man seemed well-acquainted (perhaps
too well-acquainted) with the in's-and-out's of whatever was going on here, for he knew exactly what was offered and what to order. With a polite acknowledgement, Samuel served this Fiora Mogano bourbon in swift manner, not having to be overly creative with such a request and promptly setting it down next to him. He spoke sidelong to Ragos in what could've been a condescending manner, but Samuel preferred not to get involved in situations he did not fully understand.
Unfortunately, the Donna made her announcement, and people were sure to stop bustling about the Bar and such to listen. He straightened himself and his hands would again return in front of him to fold together, quiet as he also listened. Despite not being the most obvious participant of this meeting, he was regardless one.
