Hunting a Bane

[Sage Bane]

As Sage spotted his brother's red-haired boytoy, he smiled widely. It was obvious that Jalek didn't share in Sage's enthusiasm, however, and although his face wore a smile, the slicer was full of spiteful comments. Sage simply rolled his eyes. “Drop the innocent act, Jalek. Last I checked you were the one who kissed me first, remember?” said Sage with a roguish grin on his face. He ordered a Sonic Servodriver at the bar and downed half of the enormous drink in one gulp.

"What do I want eh?" he asked moving closer to the Morellian, still smiling sweetly. "Let's see." Sage let his eyes linger over Jalek's slender frame and reached out to play lightly with the other man's fingers. "The better question is, what don't I want?" With his other hand, he put something in Jalek's. It was the cherry from his drink. The stem had been tied in a knot with his tongue.

[member="Jalek Sathora"]

 

[Jalek Sathora]

Unable to stop from rolling his eyes at Sage's little trick, Jalek took the cherry stem without comment and put it in his own mouth, working at it for a moment before he presented it to the other man, this time with the original knot untied and two new knots on either end. "That's an old one. I've had seventy years to get it down just right. You're going to have to do better than that." The teasing remark was accompanied by a crooked grin, and he sat down in one of the bar stools, spinning around absently for a moment before he faced Sage again. Right when he'd stepped onto the floor of the casino he'd sensed something off about him, an almost benevolent tint to his aura that hadn't been there before. "So, you a Jedi now?" The question was posed without any formality, asked as simply as if he were inquiring after the weather.

It was true that he'd more or less instigated the kiss sure, and there really wasn't a point in denying it, even in his mind. That didn't mean he wanted to talk about it any more, however. "Don't get your hopes up. That was a one time thing, pretty boy." He smirked, perching an unlit cigarette at the corner of his mouth, keeping it that way for now. "Besides, don't you have a boyfriend now, or something? That's the word on the street, anyway. Wouldn't want to lose him so easily, would you?"

Bringing out his lighter he lit the cigarette before tucking it away in his pocket again, blowing smoke into the air while keeping the cigarette at the corner of his mouth. "I'd watch where you put your hands. I was under the impression that you wanted to keep all of your fingers."

[member="Sage Bane"]

 

[Cryax Bane]

"Drinks, of course," was his immediate answer. Crossing to his liquor cabinet, Bane dismissed his droids to their corner and poured two glasses of fine Corellian whiskey for he and his new Raven. He gave her the glass, and then raised his with a grin. "To new opportunities, Zenva," said the Chiss. Then as he drained his glass, the Chiss flopped down in his chair with a sigh, raking his fingers through his blue-black hair. For a moment, the President looked haggard and beleaguered, like something heavy was weighing on his soul. Then he smiled again, and poured himself another glass.

Leaning back in his chair, his feet up on his desk, Cryax nodded in response to Zenva's question about his tailor. Then he flipped Zenva a holocard. "The best in Antecedent." he pronounced. "We can discuss business if you'd like." He shrugged. "I just mostly like to get to know my new faces here in the Red Ravens. I like to find out what makes them tick. What makes you tick, Zenva?"

He leaned in almost conspiratorially, his glowing red eyes dancing as he leveled a question at her. Well, more like a challenge. "Do you like work that's high risk or do you like to play it safe?"

[member="Zenva Vrotoa"]

 

[Zenva Vrotoa]

Zenva raised her glass, "Cheers." Though it was said in Zabraki, she smiled and took a small sip of the whiskey. The glass swirled lazily in her hand as she eyed the liquor. Returning to basic she continued, "That's quite nice. Thank you."

She took up the small holocard and studied it briefly before slipping it into her corset. Resting her glass on a knee, Zenva brought her eyes back to the elder Bane. "I have a terrible habit of mixing business and pleasure Mr. Bane. I have no intention of changing that habit. The whiskey and company are rather pleasurable. Yet we are here to discuss furthering our business relationship." She said with a smirk. "I'm rather simple, I'm afraid. My people are hunters, Mr. Bane. All our children are taught to hunt and kill from a very young age. I happen to enjoy it more than most. For some seven years I run with mercenary groups. I even had my own for a few years. It gets old though. Pulling comrades off a field so you can bury what's left of them." Her eyes lost focus as her mind cycled through her lost allies.

She paused to taste her whiskey again. "Of late I have taken to bounty hunting. Not to say there is less risk. Why your brother had a pistol on him during our little scuffle, not that it did him any good. It's just simpler to turn in a body when compared to digging graves."

Zenva tossed back the last of her drink but kept the glass. Business didn't mix well with being drunk. "So I think it best to offer you my usual deals Mr. Bane. I have a few rules but they are simple ones. I don't kill children. Period. If you want bodies returned to you for identification, expect a closed casket funeral. Simple work, like retrieving your brother, comes at a cost of ten percent of the agreed payment up front. Long term engagements such as occupation and large scale military actions come at a cost of half the agreed payment up front. With reimbursement for the costs of food and additional equipment with the conclusion of said contract. Failure to provide mission critical information, such as the target bounty is a force slinger, is grounds for immediate termination of a contract. In the event I require a support team, I will select the team. That is not negotiable. Ever. I won't tell you who to have watching your back, so please don't tell me who watches mine." Zenva paused than to examine her glass before setting it on the edge of the Chiss' desk. "As to the matter of payment, I accept the standard credit, clearly." She offered another smile here. "I will also take payment in open market weapons, equipment and even starships. I'm not a smuggler Mr. Bane. I don't deal or even use drugs, so please don't try to pay me with narcotics or illegal merchandise. I want things I can sell or use on the field. That's all my terms really."

Zenva's head tilted to one side. A mildly embarrassed expression on her face. "I'm sorry Mr. Bane. Here I am rambling on about how I run contracts. But you had said work for you not work a contract. Did you mean work exclusively for you?"

[member="Cryax Bane"]

 

[Sage Bane]

Sage took the cherry from the Morellian slicer and, inspecting the man's handiwork, dropped it back into his glass. “Impressive,” he said. “I guess I need to up my game there. Perhaps you’d be willing to help me practice my technique?” At Jalek's question about his joining the Jedi, Sage merely smirked. "It's not like I had much of a choice. I was given an ultimatum by Ession authorities. Jedi or jail. Which one would you choose, pateesa?"

When the slicer mentioned his boyfriend, Sage frowned and then shrugged. “Well, given the fact that he hasn’t Holocalled me in a while, I’m guessing that it’s safe to say I’m single again. Shocking isn’t it?” There was clearly an edge of disappointment in his voice that the half Chiss couldn’t hide. The man Sage had been dating had been handsome, rich. and best of all, didn’t seem to mind his drug habit. It wasn’t like he hadn’t been dumped before, but he never quite got used to the feeling, even if he was half expecting it.

“You and I, on the other hand. That didn’t seem like a one-time thing. Not from the way you looked at me. What would have happened had my brother not walked in? Don’t tell me nothing, leeah, cause you know that’s a lie.”

[member="Jalek Sathora"]

 

[Cryax Bane]

Cryax wouldn't admit it but he was only half-listening to Zenva's terms. What he was keen on finding out about the bounty hunter was just how loyal she'd be. Not only was Cryax always looking to protect Raven interests from galactic rivals like the Black Sun, but the paranoid Chiss was also worried about a coup from inside own his organization. Frankly if the Zabrak were loyal to him, she could have anything she wanted in the Red Ravens, no questions asked.

Once she was done, the Chiss spread his hands."You're a shrewd business woman, Zenva. I like that." he said with a tight smile on his face. Bane didn't generally let his employees dictate their terms the way Zenva was, and if she were anyone else, he would have had droids march her right out of his office, but the Zabrak had a no-nonsense quality about her that was rarely seen in his line of work. She didn't seem the type to screw people over. If she could get her to be loyal to him. Trust took quite a long time to build and seconds to break so Cryax held his tongue about her demands. He sipped his whiskey slowly and shook his head. "As I am the organization's figurehead, I don't deal with the down and dirty contract negotiations directly. You'll have to talk to our treasurer for that. But I see no problems with the things you're asking for."

"However, I do want you to work for me, Zenva. I want you to take on personal jobs of mine, ones that pay a ridiculous amount fo credits for a ridiculous amount of risk. How does that sound to you?"

[member="Zenva Vrotoa"]

 

[Zenva Vrotoa]

Zenva smiled widely, a mouth full of sharp teeth and bloodlust. "I think that sounds rather enjoyable Mr. Bane. Provided you keep my rules in mind, no children and closed caskets. I would be happy to act as your executioner."

Zenva stood, all smooth lines and graceful movements. Taking her glass from the crime lord's desk and setting it near his. She retrieved the bottle of whiskey and refilled his glass before pouring herself another drink and settling back into her seat to sip her drink again. Her smile returned, "What did you have in mind, Mr. Bane? Assassination? Abduction? I'm certain I would be happy to oblige either. Of course ridiculously dangerous tasks sounds like I would need a ridiculously dangerous extraction once I complete any of these personal jobs for you. If your willing to finance my crew than I would happily provide an assault vessel for these personal jobs of yours Mr. Bane."

[member="Cryax Bane"]