Private Filling the Gaps

[Svana Neoma]

Queen Liviana​

TAG: Tyran Numeck


There had finally been a start to refilling the gaping holes that had been punched into the royal court of Naboo. Where not weeks ago the young Queen felt as if she would spend her time ruling as nothing more than a failure, now she finally felt as if she were making headway. She had already taken the first steps to filling in her court with another well known and more than able body, but now Svana needed eyes and minds that could concentrate fully on the offensive and defensive matters of state. It was not a task she considered lightly, and while she had debated many options, many possibilities, she had eventually turned to the only real friend she had left.

While Svana's relationship with Rixa Numeck was unconventional to say the least, he had done more to keep her alive and well than the entirety of her royal forces had ever done. He may have stuck to her side for shady reasons to begin with, for one scam or another, but that did not change the fact of the matter; Rixa had yet to fail her. So, she had spoken with the Mandalorian at great lengths, asking him questions, and asking what sorts of things his clan would or would not do, and finally she just simply requested for said clan to be called upon.

The Queen of Naboo needed new guards, new bodies to surround herself with that would fight tooth and nail to keep her alive and well, who better to do that than Mandalorians - if they agreed of course. Svana was not so arrogant to just assume it was a job they would take.

But she did not stand on ceremony as she waited for the arrival of this brother of Rixa. She had no love for the throne room when it was not necessary for her to be there. So instead she waited in the gardens, never quite sitting still as she mulled about to keep her nerves steady. There was nothing that really prepared her for this meeting other than Rixa informing her that his brother was an nerf herder. So while braced for at least that, she waited to meet this other Numeck, and to see if this was a total waste of everyone's time or not.

 

[Tyran Numeck]

TAG: Svana Neoma

"You spend years earning a reputation for success and dependability in the roughest circles of the galaxy. You spend your life trying to be the best of the best, the coldest of the cold. A true alpha predator among a world of killers where trust is a rare commodity. If you're lucky you eek out a tolerable existence, have some credits in the bank and a home to return to, maybe some kids and a wife waiting for you…or you commit to the world of violence, make it your canvas to work in and make a masterpiece out of it. You get a lot of credits in your bank account, the ability to afford a home on the most exclusive of planets, have any number of high-powered individuals always calling you to do the dirty work they aren't brave enough to do on their own. It sounds good but at the end of the day you really don't have much to really call your own, your reputation and the guns on your hips are about all people know and value you for." Tyran huffed as he sat in the pilot's seat of his ship.

Tyran had everything he had just spoked about, more money than he knew what to do with and a stellar reputation as a killer and a soldier. He had a family of sorts, each one a thug, criminal or killer in their own right. In any other circumstance this group of people wouldn't be able to stick together, but for one reason or another they had all remained a tight knit group through some pretty rough scenarios. Those people and this ship were all Tyran pretty much had now that the homestead he had dumped a lot of his resources into on Roon had been destroyed by a rival bounty hunter. At least the Tal'galaar was spacious, a one of a kind Nemesis-class attack frigate that he'd owned for the better part of a decade at this point. Instead of just rebuilding on Roon, a world that seemed doomed anyways. Tyran just decided to pack up and live life the old Mando way; move nomadically through space taking one job at a time. Usually Tyran did this kind of thing alone but now he had ten other people on the ship with him and it was an adjustment.

The fact that his ex-wife was among those people didn't make things a whole lot easier or comfortable, but Savah had shown up on Roon and become surprisingly helpful…even if she might have rubbed Anora the wrong way. Savah was sitting beside him, no doubt to just get a rise out of him at some point like she enjoyed doing from time to time. The blonde ran an armored hand over the top of her braided hair and sighed. "Well if you weren't such a miserable chakaar to begin with you might not have had to become someone valued for their gunhand only." Savah sighed as she put her armored feet up on the consoled of the ship and just stared at the stretched out lines of hyperspace in the viewport. "Why did you even answer Rixa's call Tyran? You know its just going to be more trouble than its worth and we both know you don't need the money."

It was Tyran's turn to sigh and run a hand over a face covered in days of unshaven stubble. "I know its going to be a headache no matter what the job turns out to be, with Rixa involved it always will be a headache, and no I don't need the money but some of the others do and I don't know about you but I'm getting tired of being inside this ship all the time. A stay on Naboo would be a good reset for all of us."

Savah scoffed. "Whatever Tyr'ika. We both know that the political situation on Naboo is blown all to hell, how many Queens has that place had in the last few years alone?"

"Three," Tyran said. "One was involved in the death of her predecessor. I'm not saying its not going to be a mess but from what Rixa had to say it just security work."

"Security work in a city with a bunch of back stabbing, two-faced politicians and a Queen who doesn't know what the hell she is doing."

Tyran had never met the Queen of Naboo and if Rixa was in her corner it was because he knew she was going to be an easy mark. That didn't mean that the Queen was a pushover though, Tyran would get a better sense of the woman when they met face to face. A few hours later Tyran was roused from his nap in the pilots chair by the beeping of the nav computer as the ship came out of hyperspace into Naboo. He nudged Savah and sent her to go and rouse the others while he dealt with the traffic controller and negotiated them a berth in the spaceport. It wasn't every day that you saw 11 Mandalorians debarking from an attack frigate and stalking their way down towards the Theed palace. There were guards there waiting for them but they weren't anything that would inspire even the slightest bit of fear in Tyran. In the center of the guards was that smirking face of his little brother Rixa. It didn't seem like Rixa was too interested in showing he was a Mandalorian right now as he was wearing high-priced Theed silks.

He smiled at Tyran and walked towards him in the group and even held out his arms for a hug but Tyran put a firm hand in his brother's chest and held him at arm's length. "Business first, then you and I are having a talk." Tyran said.

"Right this way vode." He said to the group after his smirk had slowly faded from his facial features. "Queen Liviana is expecting you. Buy'ce off if you don't mind." He said looking his shoulder at the 11 Mandalorians as they all traded looks with each other and began to slowly remove their helmets. The palace felt beyond empty to Tyran and that gave his finely tuned sense of preservation a rather foreboding feeling. The throne room was dark and barren as Rixa turned to Tyran and pointed to another doorway. "The Queen is out in the gardens."

Tyran looked at the door and then at Rixa and chewed on the inside of his cheek. "Anora, Savah, you're both with me. Garryn and Dyir you two and the others explore the palace, discretion would be appreciated. I want to know the full situation and I'm sure there are things that our host won't want to admit to us up front." With orders given the Mandos went about their task while Tyran followed Rixa, Savah and Anora following along behind him. He wanted to know what Anora got from the Queen, being a former Jedi was going to give her an leg up on that front and Savah also had an uncanny ability to read people in her own way. Rixa opened up a large doorway that led out into a large flowering garden, it must have been budding season because Tyran's sinuses began to buzz with the need to sneeze.

"Queen Liviana, this is my brother Tyran Numeck. I'd say it's a pleasure to introduce him but it remains to be seen if it will be or not." Rixa said and Savah slugged him hard in the shoulder with an armored gauntlet.

Tyran rolled his eyes at his brother and fixed his attention on the Queen. She looked small and frail, not like a queen he would have imagined. "Queen Liviana, Rixa was…vague in the details so why don't you give me the full picture of what you need from me and my people?"​

​

 

[Svana Neoma]

Queen Liviana​

TAG: Tyran Numeck

It was hard to miss the sound of approaching Mandalorians. Their movements made quite the distinct sound, and it drew Svana's attention well before Rixa could announce their presence and introduce this mystery brother to her. For a moment, the young Queen's brow pulled down and she looked the numbers over. The family resemblance was strong between the brothers for sure, and for the briefest moment she wondered if she and her own brother looked as much alike at any point in their lives. But she was quick to retrain her thoughts, though the crease of her brow did not ease as she took in the sight of the women on either side of her requested guest.

And then of course, she was spoken to, and that curios bend of Svana's brow became frustrated as she shot a look at Rixa. "You had one job." she stated in a huff. Perhaps she should have entrusted the job to Taryn instead. While she didn't know the other woman as well, the blonde at least seemed to get her jobs done, and done well.

Anora had stood quietly through all of this; arriving, approaching the palace, finding the Queen in her garden. Part of that was due to being distracted; her sister was on this planet somewhere, in Theed no less last she heard. But it was also due to having her senses open, making sure that there wasn't some ulterior motive behind this little request for their appearance. However, the Queen's quip made her smirk. "Failed before he even finished sending the message."

Svana however, huffed a sigh through her nose and then focused her attention back on the trio in front of her. "I need to fill the holes in my court." Tyran wanted answers, Svana would give them to him. "If you hadn't noticed, things are a bit barebones around here. The guards do their jobs well enough, but I have nothing any more in terms of personal guards. Nor do I have a Counselor of War, and from what I've come to understand from both your brother and his friend Taryn, you are the person I need to be speaking to about such things and perhaps even offering the position to."

It was straight to the point, but Svana had learned that she was no good at skimming around a topic. These were things she needed, things her kingdom needed, and dancing around a topic for dramatic effect just wasn't something she had the time or patience for.

 

[Tyran Numeck]

Rixa let out a scoff as he looked at the Queen and then motioned to his older brother. "You are lucky he answered the call long enough that I was able to tell him what I did." Rixa crossed his arms over his chest and tried to fix his older brother with an intimidating gaze that had no effect. Tyran just glared at him for a few seconds and then looked back at the Queen and he could help but let out a humorless laugh as she gave him the full rundown of what she wanted, or more precisely what she needed. How in the hell had things gotten this bad on Naboo? Tyran traded a glance with both Savah and Anora and cleared his throat.

"Well when it comes to personal guards, my people are more than equipped to handle that role. I can definitely promise you that you won't have to worry about court assassins or anything like that."

"We aren't cheap though." Savah added bluntly. "And from the looks of things you need us more than we need you."

Tyran wasn't much of a politician but Savah was even less so. He held up a hand to quiet her, though he didn't really expect her to. If she had something on her mind than the woman was going to speak it whether or not it upset anyone else in the room. "I don't know what your arrangement with Rixa and Taryn is, but my friend here is right one with me won't be cheap because unlike my brother and his girlfriend I'm not here to try and fleece you out of your money."

Rixa's head dropped just a fraction of an inch or so and he shifted his weight on his feet. Whether the discomfort was from being called out on his scam or Taryn being called his girlfriend remained to be seen, but Tyran knew he had struck a nerve somewhere with his little brother. "As far as being a councilor of war…we can discuss that further but you better know now politics is not my thing. If you hire me to run your wars and defend your city the things I tell you and the actions I take are what need to be done, I could give a damn about royal court theater and all that double speak. I'm a soldier, those things are left to people like Rixa."

"The hell does that mean?" Rixa spouted off, a look of offense coming across his face.

"It means you're a slimy, two-faced sneak thief more suited to the dishonorable methods employed in politics than honest soldiering." Savah cleared it up for him.

Rixa took in a breath and looked at the Queen. "I told you they were headaches…but they're not wrong. Pay them what they want, you won't find anyone better."

Tyran didn't expect that and it made him narrow his eyes at his brother for a few seconds. For what Rixa lacked in the physicality department, he more than made up for it with his intelligence. The man may have talked himself into situations he couldn't get out of quite often, but Rixa always had an endgame and never did anything randomly. Tyran had seen enough though, the Queen was a woman trying to keep things together and treading water but somehow making things run as smoothly as possible. Tyran knew that he and his people were just a bandage on a rather large wound, but if by providing her some stable security for once Tyran and his people might be able to give her a little more breathing room to work. "If you're good with my terms I'll get my people to work, that means Rixa and Taryn work for me now. Savah, you and Anora go and find her please, I doubt she'll be hard to find."

"Just check the divebars." Savah grinned as she turned and beckoned Anora to follow her. Tyran would have a private chat with Anora later about what she had felt during the conversation. Right now he just needed to get an idea on the tactical situation in Theed.​

TAG: Svana Neoma

​

 

[Svana Neoma]

Queen Liviana​

TAG: Tyran Numeck

There was a moment through all of this where Svana's gaze snapped towards the blonde woman in the room and she shot quite the heated gaze towards her. It was enough to make Anora's eyes widen a hair, and then narrow, and while at first she started to reach for Tyran's arm to tug on, she seemed to think better of it and held onto whatever thought she had, had for the moment.

The Queen however, did her best not to huff and drug her gaze back to the older of the Numeck brothers currently in her presence. Honestly, did they really think she was stupid enough to follow Rixa's advice if she did not have the means to handle the help? "I will do what is needed to make sure a price is negotiated and worked into the budget." she stated simply, though it did not ebb the clip in her tone any.

And when both Anora and Savah were dismissed, Nora glanced over her shoulder at the Queen once more before frowning a little and glancing at the blonde. "Am I the only one who realizes just how familiar the Queen looks?" she asked as the pair rounded the corner and then were out of sight.

A slow sigh was huffed though Svana's nose once the other two women were gone. Just seeing the pair of them, she wondered how this lot got anything done. There was an air of barely contained hostility in the air between them, even she could feel that. "For starters, Rixa and Taryn have never worked for me, so that is between the three of you." the young Queen stated with a shake of her head. "Second, as I said, I will work the budget, and I am very willing to compromise so long as the same can be afforded to me. And no, that is not me trying to weasel my way into offering less than what is deserved."

She knew how business deals worked, she had seen enough of them in her time with her family. Her father running his own business affairs and what not. This needed to be a partnership as much as it needed to work. "And I have no plans to step on toes when it comes to matters of war and defense," Svana added. "As long as my people are protected at the end of the day, the means of how that is done matter little." she paused and then frowned. "So long as it does not become some hostile environment to do so. My people come first. Their safety comes first. But I do not want militant fear beaten into them in exchange for that protection."