Interviewing Who?

[thegreatbeyonder]

Roviane was no sweetheart of the core, the distant and rather remote world found itself only on a few star maps. Yet it had gained notoriety due to the number of high profile companies which currently -- or have in the past -- operated on the icy world below. Renowned for its particularly intent focus on high technology, including A.I. research, it has also become a hotspot for business ventures regarding the subject.

Of the people doing business here, Arian was not the most appropriate person to fit into the niche audience of Roviane. No; the spacer was far from 'business-like,' and if anything, he was a scoundrel and a two-bit smuggler. His modest starship touched down on the world below, landing inside an unoccupied hangar of Mondal's starport.

The pro-human settlement was ran by a particularly militaristic administration whom had little do with the business-centric affairs of Blue Station. Yet it was the only place anyone could land without special permission, and served as a popular stop for hopefuls trying to get an audience with the Chiss administrators who were involved in business-centric affairs.

As his landing ramp fell, Arian stepped out of the vessel and eagerly made his way over to the nearest cantina for a drink...

 

[Yasindra Quorr]

Memories flooded back to Yasindra as her ship approached the icy planet, of years past and prospering. She had heard of this planet and what it had to offer through various sources, though never dealt directly with them. There was no need for such ...- Why would she deal with big, private, and remote companies, when she could simply leech off her neighbours? Well ... the fact her neighbours would now rather wish her dead would be one of the few ...

She was quickly plucked from her trance-like state as her craft entered orbit, maneuvering itself towards the Mondal starport, settling its luxurious grandeur within one of the empty hangars. Recollecting her thoughts, she set out of the ship, and began her quest; a quest to seek an outlet for her talents and skills. She yearned for that desperately ever since she left, having tinkered with her ship to keep herself busy, but one can only busy oneself so much.

No, it was time to set out and find a guide in this wretched place, and make a name for herself ... again. Though she lacked proper social skills, she knew the bars would have plenty patrons in it, ready to help her out. Surely! Why would anyone refuse to help out such a beautiful and highly intelligent lady, after all? Well ... a whole list of reasons could be given, but -- conveniently so -- none of those would come to Yasindra's mind.

She walked towards the closest bar, swung its doors open, and had a good look around at its patrons.

 

[thegreatbeyonder]

Arian found himself in a corner booth with a bottle of brandy, and a metallic tumbler. His amber eyes moved from the glass bottle and onto the face of the entering Arkanian. He rolled his eyes at her elegant appearance, which not only suggested her apparent wealth, but screamed of arrogance. As much as he wished to ignore her presence, she was exactly the type of mark he was searching for.

Stepping up from the booth, and topping off his tumbler, the man swaggered his way -- drink in hand -- towards Ysindra, passing a glance to the attractive waitress who walked by him on her way to a nearby patron.

"Can I help you find what you're looking for?" Arian's smooth-talking, low-key tone intended to give off attitude. He sized the woman up head-to-toe, before settling his gaze into her pale eyes.

Bringing the tumbler to his lips, he took a generous sip of the brandy. By appearance, Arian dressed in the typical fashion of a spacer. He wore dark brown pants, a grey t-shirt which held tightly against his somewhat muscular frame, and open brown jacket with a popped collar. His disciplined posture suggested a military background to any keen observer.

 

[Yasindra Quorr]

Yasindra's visage scrunched up in distaste at the sight of the bar, filled with far too much casual folk to her liking. It was made very clear to her immediately the fact she would not find what she was looking for here. Not directly, at least ...

Her disdainful expression shifted towards to her neutral, arrogant gaze as she looked up to Arian. Though intimidated by the man's posture, she hid it well behind the veil of her features. "Perhaps you can ...- I'm intending to enrich this cold place with a bit of my own warmth ... and intelligence. I can see it is clearly needed here ...", she said in her usual arrogant tone, giving a glance around the bar to further her point. "All I need is a gentleman to guide me around here. Might that be you, dear?"

She realized very much her tone might not be the most comforting of kinds, but she couldn't simply talk any more low-key to a lesser being like this man. And that man over there... And the woman in the corner ... Well, every person on this planet, really. Still, she felt a bit more of a charming touch was required to convince Arian, as she placed her hand gently towards the man's chest, as she had seen other, more alluring women do in the past. This, combined with her cold stare and arrogant demeanor, resulted in a rather off-putting and quaint gesture, though she did not realize it herself.

 

[thegreatbeyonder]

Arian's own expression seemed far more lighthearted than his thoughts.

"You came to the wrong place. Mondral may be on Roviane, but you seem far too important to deal with spacers and the mining industry." He began to elaborate briefly on the nature of this starport, he almost recoiled at the bizarrely timed physical contact of Yasindra's touch. He took one or two steps back, not trying to offend her as much as he could.

To brush it off he continued, "...You seem to be looking for connections within Blue Station. I can help." His tone started off awkwardly, but when he said, 'I can help,' he did so as smoothly as possible. In the same sense a man would when trying to seduce his lover. Even before she provided any answer, Arian was confident she'd accept.

A subtle smirk tried to escape his carefully constructed expression of neutrality.

 

[Yasindra Quorr]

"Right, right ...", Yasindra uttered quietly, retreating her hand after the failed attempt ..- Or was it succesful? Of course it was succesful! A confident smirk yet again painted her features, as she gestured she'd follow the man. "Very well then, lead along, sir."

"I am Yasindra Quorr, by the way ..", she decided to utter afterwards, to hold up the conversation. This man seemed to know quite a bit about this place, and the one she intended to go to, so she was hopeful she could pry off more from him. Would it require another of her sensual touches? Perchance ...- Without much hesitation, and with a burst of confidence, she'd wrap her hands around the man's right arm. Yes .. this would work.

 

[thegreatbeyonder]

Arian yielded his arm to her hands, walking her down the starport and through short crowds of citizens at a relaxed pace. "You can call me Arian, Miss Quorr," he stated confidently as he maneuvered them from the cantina and towards the service area of the district.

Reaching into his coat pocket as they approached a security checkpoint, Arian retrieved an ID which was presented to the armed guard. Offering a silent nod, the guard pressed a button which lowered the security system for just enough time to let the two through. "Tell me--Are you looking for something in particular? You don't seem like someone who came here to drink in a shoddy cantina like that one." He titled his head towards her briefly as he spoke, before returning his attention to the path ahead.

As they continued walking, the amount of strangers around them dwindled as they entered the next district, this one far quieter and less oriented to services and shopping.

 

[Yasindra Quorr]

As she was lead along by Arian, she visibly grew more comforted as the amount of strangers and folk dwindled in numbers. For someone with a big voice, and who loved to hear it, it was nothing short but bliss to be able to hear oneself more clearly.

"Indeed I am, dear Arian. I have been told this planet houses corporations of a grand level, specifying in all the tools and crafts I hold dear. Why, I may seem a noblewoman to you -- and I am -- but I pride myself in my technical skills quite a bit. I'm sure the businesses here could use a technical savant like myself, though I hold my standards high. Perhaps too high for the denizens of this planet, but I must search regardless."

She looked to the man with a hopeful glance, praying she might finally find a release for her pent-up frustrations and desires in him-- No, not that kind, but her yearning for grandness!

 

[thegreatbeyonder]

"You're not wrong... Yet, you're far off." He didn't care to elaborate just yet, his movements hurried slightly as they went to turn the corner.

Now the two would've found themselves standing in front of a rather modest, yet large entrance into a private area of the district. Going to pull his arm away from her, should she let him, he'd turn to face the woman, continuing with his suave demeanor. "What you're looking for isn't something they'll offer to you, but I can... My employers are very influential people, and if what you say is true, they'd be more than happy to offer you a deal." He placed his hands in his pocket.

The building they stood next to didn't seem to hide any secrets. It was practical, defensible, and sturdy. Sporting all the necessary details of any property in a place such as this one. By now there was no one around them, but in the corners of the street security stations were visible, as were cameras and automated defenses.

 

[Yasindra Quorr]

"A deal, hm?", she let that course through her mind. It was vague, and reeked with the potential abuse of her talents, though what was left? Yes, she held herself incredibly high, and for a good reason, but sometimes even the grandest of beings must buckle in order to rise.

"I do suppose I could look into it, yes. I have no doubt they would be interested. I need only a few tools and some time to work to impress them, I'm sure." She gave the man a curt nod, though her head had already pivoted to look at the defenses put up near the place. It both comforted her and alerted her. Yes .. she knew that here she would be safe, though would she be? What if, by chance, someone recognized her? No .. this planet was too far off, and she had ensured all contact to be lost.

Turning her head back to the man, she awaited his answer.

 

[thegreatbeyonder]

"Good. Because we're about to meet with someone who has connections that.. Run deep." He turned to the building, punching in a combination on the keypad which caused the reinforced doorway to slide open. Inside a far more surgical appearance could be seen. It was both high-tech, and simplistic at that. Inside a lone table with a secretary behind it could was present, guarding another doorway which seemed less secure than the main entrance.

Whether or not Yasindra followed, Arian entered the building with his hands still in his pocket. "Good to see you, Mister Lenar," the secretary addressed his name with a rather polite smile. She was human, and looked to be more than in her mid twenties. She was also dressed surprisingly well--at least when compared to Arian. Her stature let off a sense of efficiency, and professionalism. Her blonde hair was kept neatly in a bun, and her emerald eyes eagerly maintained a connection to the spacer.

Arian walked around the outskirts of the room before resting his elbow on the edge of the desk, forcing the woman's head to turn with his movements. "I brought a guest, a potential business partner for my boss." He spoke softly, leaning in a bit as he did. "Do you think we can have an audience?" He'd tilt his head so that he could see what Yasindra was up to.

 

[Yasindra Quorr]

She followed eagerly, and a wide grin appeared as she saw the insides of the house. This ... this was true comfort to her. The technology of the place, the professionalism ... -The secretary's behaviour and clothing topped it all off, as well. She offered the secretary a nod, before she pivoted around to get a look around. Perhaps this little dare of hers would pay off after all ...

With her hands clasped on her back, and having had a good look around the place, she waltzed up to the desk, placing her quaint little hands on top of it, and giving the man a nod in approval of his question. "Ensure him that this would surely be in his best interest. For the both of his, for that matter ...", she chimed in confidently to the woman, looking forward to meeting this mystery boss.

 

[thegreatbeyonder]

Without further words the woman reached under the desk, pressing a button which caused the door to slid open behind her. Arian gestured with a wave of his ahdn for Yasindra to follow, and began to walk through the cozy corridor ahead. Just as the room behind them, the corridor was equally surgical in appearance. There were several doorways on ether side of them as they passed, but the one he seemed to be going for was directly on the opposite end.

"Before we enter, I need to discuss some ground rules," he turned to her as they stopped just outside the doorway. "My boss is just a middle man. Those he communicates with make the real decisions. Only we're not allowed to talk with them at all. In fact; I don't even know who they are personally. So don't ask questions. They give you a job, you do the job, you get paid. Got it?" He tried to make sure she understood this first.

 

[Yasindra Quorr]

Despite the aura of the place comforting her, her lips coiled downwards in a grimace of displeasement, if ever so slightly. "Hmph ..", she huffed slowly as a first response. "I suppose that will have to do ... for now."

She had trouble hiding her disappointment. Here she was, thinking perhaps she had struck gold, and found herself a stable job in a beautiful company, but this was turning out a lot more sour than she had imagined. Her? Some freelance-agent that mysterious forces called upon? It sounded ridiculous to her, but in the end ... a job is a job, and she needed to entertain and busy herself, lest her mind started to wander the wrong places.

She gave Arian a curt nod, and followed him through the door, should he enter.

 

[thegreatbeyonder]

Arian nodded, before approaching the doorway which slid open to accept them. This one was less surgical, a small garden with waterfalls lined the edges of the room which curved in a half circle behind the desk. Sitting in the large, comfortable-looking chair was a Zarian; unpleasant--looking, toad-like humanoids. His rather large eyes were squinted slightly, and bloodshot. "Arian, you didn't tell me you had a guest." The man grunted with an annoyed disposition.

Stepping closer, and geturing for Ysaindra to follow he took a seat in one of the two chairs opposite the side the Zarian was on. "Trust me. She'll be worthwhile," he responded with the short statement. Continuing with his relaxed, 'care-free' attitude that seemed to be working out for him thus far.

 

[Yasindra Quorr]

She followed Arian, pleasantly surprised at the next room's aesthetic, the sound of the waterfalls like music to her ears. It calmed her considerably as she laid her eyes upon the toad-man. "This can't be him, right ...?", she muttered to herself, incoherent to others. Regardless, she sat herself down next to Arian.

"Why, hello there," she spoke to Zarian in a more pleasant tone than others were used to her. With a nod, confirming Arian's response, she chimed in after him. "Indeed ... I assure you, my skills are of the highest quality. Me being worthwhile is nothing short of an understatement."

She crossed her legs comfortably, sitting straight in her seat. With a roll of her shoulders, an under-desk readjustment of her dress, and a sly grin across her features, she awaited the man's response, eager to show off her skills at long last.

 

[thegreatbeyonder]

The Zarian scrutinized Yasindra for a moment of time before shaking his head. "Sorry, lady. I got out of the brothel game long ago. I'm sure you can find work elsewhere, though. I can see why certain species might find you... Adequate." He spoke bluntly, with a bit of a rasp before shifting his full attention over to Arian; pretending that she wasn't even there.

Quickly the spacer attempted to mend the situation. "No, no no!" He chuckled, passing off his boss's comment like a jest. "She is here because she's a brilliant technophile. Someone you have been begging for recently." He elaborated, feeling somewhat responsible for not having done so earlier.

Although he assumed she would've seconds ago. Sighing to himself with some semblance of self-pity, Arian leaned forward, placing his hands on the desk in front of him before glancing over to Ysaindra, awaiting her reaction.

 

[Yasindra Quorr]

She blinked at this comment, and jumped from her seat with a snarl. "ADEQUATE!?", she yelled at the toad, her face contorting into one of anger. It didn't even come to mind yet that she was mistaken for a maiden of the night, so furious that this man would think she was not the central attention of every man's dreams.

"I'll have you know I've had plenty to court me, and would be willing! As is expected from a beautiful woman such as myself. In fact-!", only then did it hit her. Did she just, unwillingly, lead the toad on with his delusions? She reddened at the thought, in embarrassment and anger both. "I'm not some-", she was about to yell, as Arian mended the situation with his words. And so there she stood, having been embarrassed by some toad, and then embarrassing herself to top it all off. She shook quietly in anger, muffled cursing emanating from her, as she went to sit back down, her once-there grin replaced now with a scornful grimace.

"He had better be begging at this point ... Hmph!", she huffed at the toad, crossing her arms with a pout.

 

[thegreatbeyonder]

"Hrm. Alright, you can get a trial run... Just know that some of our research isn't exactly... Legal in the eyes of most galactic governments." The Zarian took a cigar from a synthwood box on the table, lighting it with an electric lighter, the invisible heat igniting the end with perfection. His tired eyes then turned to Arian, silently demanding that he explain instead of him.

Leaning back into his chair, and swiveling it towards the direction of Yasindra, "what he means to say is, our research is entering the unknown. It's not exactly legal, because the subjects haven't been explored before. Or at least not successfully. Understandably, there's fear placed into the concept of the unknown." Again, he maintained his mannerisms, and frequently used his hands when talking, to pitch the idea to her for approval.

At the very least he believed his way of speaking was far more attractive than his boss's.

 

[Yasindra Quorr]

Her grimace slowly turned back to the neutral gaze as the men stirred from the topic of whoring, and a slight hint of a grin appeared on her features again. Whatever these two men were talking about, it sure did peak her curiosity.

"Pft ... that does not matter for me. I have threaded the unknown plenty, and whether what I will do is legal or not is the least of my concern. All I care about is that these hands and this mind is kept busy, however difficult that could prove." She nodded to herself in self-approval, her facial features back to her confident and arrogant self.

"It is in the unknown that we find progress, after all. And in progress, bliss. So ... what's this research about, if I may ask."