Prologue: Vos Nescitis Quidquam

[Valessia Brentioch]

Valessia threw on the electrical suit, stepping into it. She zipped it up, and fixed her helmet on looking over to Sumiko, "shall we?" She says while slipping goggles over her eyes, "always wanted to wear a hard hat." She walks toward the exit which is the back of the locker area and steps down onto the site. The sun was now starting to slip behind the many glasteel frames of Brentaal IV's skyline.

Though its light might still be bright, even that was now starting to fade if only ever so slightly. Mid afternoon and it felt like it, "think I'm cooking in this suit, and I thought the jacket was bad," she comments as they walk straight ahead toward the main construction area. "Which way?" She asks her space wizard girlfriend.

[member="Sumiko Tanaka"]

 

[Darth Libertas]

[member="Valessia Brentioch"]


Sumiko slipped on the electrical suit and zipped it up. It was nice enough, but she found the goggles rather awkward. She followed the Scion out of the building and back onto the site. Outside the sun was slowly starting to fade, though the construction workers were still busy labouring all over the site. The Atrisian felt rather hot inside the suit...and not in a pleasant way. She suppressed the urge to make a corny comment about how she could make Valessia feel a different kind of hot. Why? Because lame flirtations were a very Siobhan thing to do.


Instead she stretched out with her senses. "That way," she said softly, directing Valessia with seemingly unerring precision down the site. Space wizard senses came in handy, even though they defied logical explanation. There were plenty of folks on the site, even so the cops were not hard to spot. The arrogant swagger so common to uniformed thugs was a dead giveaway. Their auras reeked of greed and a cruelty that was supposed to make these plebs feel relevant.


"Seriously, what the feth are we doing here?" one of them grumbled. "I swear our damn Captain's lost his mind. I'm busting arse here when I could be havin' fun in Omega." Evidently he liked to complain a lot.


"Yeah, no kidding," another opined agreeably. "You remember that hot Twi'lek bird? Blue was very...giving, once I knocked some sense into her. Sure she'll be even more obliging. And that damn sissy boy will know his place this time."

 

[Valessia Brentioch]

Valessia followed Sumiko regretting the choice to put the goggles on she slipped them back up, and wiped the sweat from her eyes. She kept quiet as they walked through the site. Occasionally, Valessia would say hi to someone ask how they were doing, ask how their family was, as if she'd been working this site for a long time. When asked, she'd say they came from a different shift or they were here from labor ready. They were soon walking underneath the blues, they could their conversations above them through the waffled iron floors above.

She only looked at Sumiko once, then turned away to go 'play electrician,' while Sumiko did whatever it was she had to do. Admittedly she had thought about creating an electrical problem but. Having a force user was going to make things a lot easier than having to do it the old fashion way. From here they'd have to track down the other four officers which didn't look like it could be a problem. Val wanted to get all this done before dinner, so they could have a lovely meal at her place followed by some black curtain entertainment.

[member="Sumiko Tanaka"]

 

[Darth Libertas]

[member="Valessia Brentioch"]


It all began with a simple suggestion implanted into the mind of one of the cops. Nothing more than an idea, a thought, an image. Suddenly he would be looking at his comrade in crime in a new light. With every moment that passed, her invisible tendrils ensnared them more and tightened their grip around the coppers' minds. "You were gonna rat me out to the Captain, weren't you?"


"What? No?"


"I knew it. You want a promotion, is that?"


"Dan, stop talking chit. Don't think I haven't noticed how you look at my wife, you bastard!"


"You can't give her what she needs. If you think you can go scots free, you got another thing coming! I know all about your deal with the Atrisians. You've been behind my back."


"Yeah, because you've been doin' jobs for the Rodians on the side without sharin'. You think I'm stupid?"


Dark side sorcery was complex; it attacked the psyche in ways that were difficult to explain and even more difficult to defend against. Especially if you were an utterly mundane human without any special magical abilities or racial traits that made you immune to mental manipulation. Feelings of paranoia, anger and rage would flood both policemen. Soon they were at each others' throats, both succumbing to a violent psychosis that pulled them into a frenzy as if they were rabid dogs.

 

[Valessia Brentioch]

"Next," Valessia remarked as she walked through the site, after hearing the evidence of Sumiko's wizardry. She dropped her pace a bit to walk alongside Sumiko, looking over her shoulder she noticed someone. "We're being followed," she whispered and kept her eyes forward and nudged the Atrisian to follow her into the open part of the construction site. Her fingers felt tingly as she felt a trickle of electricity as they walked closer to a power unit that was generating lights for this part of the building. Or rather, the cultural center that was being built. Banners of unity were parallel to them and the big hulk of a man following them seemed to be gaining.

She headed toward the power generator and knelt down to the gauges as if she was checking them. Keeping the man in her peripheral vision, she placed a hand along the generator and a small spark could be seen going to her fingers. Valessia hissed at it but looked back to the man as he withdrew a blaster pistol. "Feth," she whispered, "and here I was hoping your space magic would mean we'd get through this a bit easier."

To the guy, the two broads looked highly suspicious and he didn't like seeing them here. This was his construction site and he wasn't about to let some broads from who knows what gang or mafia come up here and do whatever it was they were doing. He didn't close enough to press the blaster to the lady's head, all he knew was the feeling of being paralyzed as jolts of electricity brought him to his knees and then down to the dirt, and all he could do was watch as they kept along their way.

"About those force lessons," Valessia quipped as she climbed the stairs up to the next set of police officers.

[member="Sumiko Tanaka"]

 

[Darth Libertas]

[member="Valessia Brentioch"]


"I'll put them high on the priority list," Sumiko said dryly, climbing up the stairs alongside Valessia. The poor fellow would not be going anywhere after being paralysed by a couple jolts of electricity. Electronic manipulation was such a useful skill. A certain Darth Nox had been fond of electrocuting annoying people.


As it turned out, our ladies did not have to travel far before they happened upon the next police officer. However, this one was alone. He'd just finished munching on a donut and was presently smoking. This was a clear violation of regulations on the site. That alone merited punishment.


"Andrei, stop being a wet hen," he spoke into his comm, sounding a bit irritated about his smoking break being interrupted. "Svante's got enough dirt on the Captain to muzzle him. He knows all about his dirty little schemes."


Sumiko pulled Valessia away so that they were outside the man's field of view. Then she stretched out with the Force, putting all her focus upon the policeman. The man was slightly overweight, a quick mental diagnosis informed her he was a chainsmoker. There was spice in his blood stream. Her focus narrowed to his heart and she pulled the Force into it, drawing upon her will to induce cardiac arrest. Help would not arrive quickly enough to save him.

 

[Valessia Brentioch]

"Three more," Valessia whispers as they head away from the officer who was now falling into cardiac arrest. The heat was getting to her and she unzipped the suit a little and decided to stop alongside a set of port-a-loos to take off her helmet. Tussing her hair out of the helmet she seemed a little disgusted with it, "feth I need a shower." Tugging at the suit she pulled it a few times to get some air down into it, "which direction?" She asks Sumiko and looks at her fingers little sparks of purple electricity flooded between them like conduits. "And how do I turn this off? It feels weird."

[member="Sumiko Tanaka"]

 

[Darth Libertas]

[member="Valessia Brentioch"]


Truly, it was bloody hot inside these suits. Suffice to say Sumiko appreciated the view when Valessia unzipped her outfit a little. However, they had serious business to attend to for now. Only a few cops remained. "It doesn't just have an off switch. The Force is swelling up inside you. It must be unleashed. It wants you to command it," she advised quietly. Conveniently, there was still a certain fellow called Svante wh needed to be killed. Fortunately, they did not have to walk long before they reached the last three squad members. These particular police officers were sitting in a room and playing cards. After all, even they needed a break.


"Well, gee, fellas, looks like I...won," one declared with a note of smugness. His two buddies looked dismayed.


"Feth it, three times in a row. Admit it, you cheated."


"You're just being a sore loser."


"Relax, Andrei, he'll probably lose all his creds the next time...," suddenly the policeman's features contorted into an expression of pain and horror. He no longer saw the faces of his comrades. Instead, he saw nightmarish, demonic ghouls that seemed to have been spawned by the laboratory of a demented Sith alchemist. "Get away from me, you bastards!" he yelled.


"Trask, what the hell's gotten into you? Put the gun down!" Two red bolts exited the policeman's blaster pistol and his buddies slumped to the floor. The remaining police officer looked shocked at the sight, as if he was only now just realising what he'd done.


"What...what have I done?" he stammered, committing unintentional plagiarism. He trembled and glared towards the two ladies, who were standing further away in the corridor. "W...what did you...," he raised his hand, moving it as if he were a puppet pulled by invisible strings. Sweat dripped down his face and back, but though he tried to struggle against the mental rape, it was futile. He pushed the blaster's barrel into his mouth and squeezed the trigger. The crimson bolt fried his brain and blew away a good portion of his skull.

 

[Valessia Brentioch]

"Swelling up inside me?" Valessia asked with a cheeky grin, "oh, command it, huh?" There was a wink that followed as she followed Sumiko toward their last set of targets. It didn't take long before they offed themselves and Valessia was leading Sumiko back toward the main building. She put her hair back up and zipped the suit up again, "certainly, hope you'll help me to... unleash the force." She couldn't help herself the Atrisian had just left these innuendos out for her to pick at. She slipped her hands inside her suit pockets as the sun continued to beat down on them.

Back inside the building, Valessia was quick to dress out of the suit. "six down, one to go." She comments and grabs her jacket and thinks about putting it on, "on second thought." She just puts it over her arm. Her body was slick and covered in sweat, the brunette's eyes wandered a moment. Taking Sumiko's body all in, Val bit down on her lower lip. She wanted to hurry this up and spend more time getting to know her 'business partner,' as Brentaal IV liked to call their respective partners and spouses. She looks around them to ensure no one else is about and steps a little closer to the Atrisian. Her lips go up along Sumiko's jaw line and then to her cheek before nipping at her jaw again.

She turns on her heels and heads out the locker room and backup the old gritty hallway.

[member="Sumiko Tanaka"]

 

[Darth Libertas]

[member="Valessia Brentioch"]


It was just Sumiko's luck that her 'business partner' was terribly corny. To be fair, the Atrisian had given her an opening. Why do I get the feeling you and Kerrigan got on very well with your mutual corniness, Sumiko thought to herself. The idea that the two women might have been close at some point bothered her more than she was comfortable with.


Regardless, back inside the building, she quickly rid herself of the annoying electrical suit. She was feeling rather sweaty and crinkled her nose at the scent. Her hair was a tousled mess. She felt like she could use a shower. Valessia's lovely lips travelled across her jawline and cheek. As the Scion turned on her heels, Sumiko took ahold of her shoulder to pull her around and plant a quick kiss on her mouth. Then she walked out alongside her. Svante could not be far. You only needed to follow the scent of primitive cruelty, self-entitlement and puerile macho behaviour.

 

[Valessia Brentioch]

"He should still be at the station," Valessia informed Sumiko as she got back on the bike, and the sun began to dip just a little lower behind the horizon. The hoverbike sputtered on and wheezed as it moved. Patting the side of it, she knew she'd have to get a new one soon. It worked, it made it back toward Bruno's block and there she shut it off taking the keys with her. She didn't forget the kiss from earlier and just as soon as she could, she pulled Sumiko into another one. It was short, but it was enough to remind the Atrisian that what Valessia felt for her was all too real, and quite intense.

The Eye was the first district to begin to truly see darkness, for while the horizon might still hold the light, the Eye always shut first. Grungy neon signs populated the street. The polluted cool air from earlier could now be seen in it's hazy-green, gray coloring. Slick streets wet with everything but water forced you to be careful as you walked about. The police station was easily recognizable and as they walked toward it, they could see the Captain, who perhaps gave a look toward Valessia and nodded he gestured around the back. And that's where they headed, and for some reason, Val's hand went for Sumiko's.

To any other person, they simply looked like an ordinary couple walking down the street, the meat hook inside the bike rested at the butcher's parking lot where they had walked from.

[member="Sumiko Tanaka"]

 

[Darth Libertas]

[member="Valessia Brentioch"]


Grungy neon signs lined the area. Pollution clogged the cool air and made Sumiko wish for a breath mask. Soon they reached the police station. The Captain was friendly enough to discreetly direct them towards the station. Valessia's hand slid into hers and the Atrisian gave it a soft squeeze. Just two ordinary women walking down the street as the sun set. One could consider it almost romantic. Unless you considered that they were here to carry out murder. Then again, that might seem romantic and sweet to them. By Sumiko's standards, this probably counted as a date.


A cop passed by them. Not Svante, just a run-of-the-mill gendarm. Sumiko made a gentle wave of her hand and by the time he'd passed them, he'd completely forgotten what the two looked like. Sometimes ignorance was bliss. As they approached the back of the station, there was a tinge of electricity across her palm when she stretched out with mechu-deru and played with a security camera. It was not offline, but would be broadcasting a static image. No one would be meddling in their business. She could sense that Svante was close. Time to end him at last and then move on to better things.

 

[Valessia Brentioch]

They'd have to lure Svante back to the butcher shop, and rather than go into the police station. Val needed to satisfy her own urges as she planted her back against the wall adjacent to the back door. Her arms went around Sumiko's neck, and as our 'camera,' pans away. The police sergeant was getting ready to head home, he was gathering his things and decided that he'd head out the back to his personal vehicle. As he steps through the back door he notices the two women but doesn't pay them any mind.

Val's hands were tangled in Sumiko's hair, nails starting to dig in and then the back door swung open and the sergeant emerged, she placed another kiss on the Atrisian's lips and looked at her, as if to say, 'now.' They'd have to get him into the back of the butcher shop. As luck would have it Bruno did it for them, a call was placed, and a corporal yelled out the back, "yo! Svante! Bruno's got some thugs at his door, you wanna take care of it?"

"Yeah, yeah tell that big nerf herder I'll be there in a sec," Svante curses and slams his door shut and walks toward the path to head around to the butcher shop.

The brunette kept her focus on her lover, her hands moved around and she waited before nudging Sumiko forward to tail the police officer.

[member="Sumiko Tanaka"]

 

[Darth Libertas]

[member="Valessia Brentioch"]


Tailing was one of the first things a spook learned. It was vital for them, and also a lot less fancy than certain holovids would suggest. Contrary to popular belief, the methods of Bond were not applicable to real life. Sumiko still watched Jane Bond movies sometimes. They were a guilty pleasure, even though the inaccurate portrayal of spycraft annoyed her.


Anyhow, she followed Svante across the streets, keeping a good distance though. She only glanced at Svante often enough to make sure he was still in her line of sight, shooting Valessia some glances. The Force came in handy and so she needed used to muffle the sound her boots made on the dirty pavement. The polluted, foul air made her want to cough, but she suppressed that. Personally she felt like ending the problem right now by just giving Svante a heart attack or arranging for a passing bike to 'accidentally' run him over, but Valessia wanted to go along with her pet's wishes, so she restrained herself. The butcher's shop was getting closer. She did call upon the Force to make him think he heard shouting and a gunshot coming from the shop though.

 

[Valessia Brentioch]

Valessia untangled herself from Sumiko to fetch the hook from their bike. She watched as Svante entered the back of the butcher shop, Val grabbed the hook and shut the bike's seat down and headed for the back as well. Waited for Sumiko to go in first before locking the door behind them, and descending the steps into the basement of the butcher shop. There was a chair and the set of tools laid out for her by Bruno, he'd cleaned out his actual meat locker, or so Val noticed as she peeked inside of one of them. "Svante Barroga," She calls out and watches as he turns on his heels, and his heart races, "on behalf of the Rufigioni family, I'd like to give you my regards."

"Rufi-" Svante says a little confused and then he remembers, "oh yeah, Rufigioni." He says it like he owns them, "you mean those sweet girls and that thing you call a boy? Buncha sick-" Whatever he was going to say, stayed in his mouth as Valessia let loose a fury of lightning from her fingers, it brought Svante to heel. His knees on the ground, and when she let up his hands were on the floor. "What in-"

She hit him in the back of his head with a hammer, not hard enough to crack his skull, just enough to knock him out. Val panted and looked at her hands for a moment and then up to Sumiko, "it wanted to be unleashed, didn't it?" There was a curl of her lips, a smile even, "let's get him into the chair."

Svante comes to and looks at his arms, they're bound, so are his legs, "what's the big idea?" He demands to know, and then sucks in a breath, "and what kinda shamanistic poodoo did you hit me with." The police officer growls as he feels like parts of him are on fire the electrical jolts from earlier still stung when he tried to move. He watches as the Dolcezza grabs a drill, "hey, hey wait, wait a minute."

"Mhmm?" Val asks, "did you wait with Cote? Did my girls get to wait?" She asked him, and he gives her a look, he's guilty as sin, but he wants to barter. "No, I don't think so." She takes the drill and presses it to one of his hands, "so tell me Svante, did you really think you could get one over on me?"

There's a yelp but no one can hear, Bruno's turned everything up full blast. "It was Parokovic! It was Parokovic! He says Deivani brokered a deal with him for your girls and wanted us to deal with Cote, said Cote was making Articio weak!"

That was the wrong answer, however; that would be useful for later on. Val took the drill out of Svante's hand and changed the bits out for a clean on. "Keep talking," she told him plainly, "what else did your Captain say?" It would certainly explain the Captain's behavior earlier in the day, and why Deivani suddenly wanted things to change. "C'mon little bird, you've already sung this much. Why, leave me after the first verse?"

"Listen, listen, I'll tell you everything, just please."

"Please what? You tried to kill Articio's partner, he'll never be the same, and I've got girls who won't be able to work, and our bosses still want you dead," She explains to him, "and it was you who committed these acts wasn't it?"

He nods, "yeah okay sure I did it, but it was Parokovic, he's takin' money from the rackets a cut of his own that's why they're lookin' elsewhere."

"Care to say all that again, for the record." She moves handing the drill to Sumiko as she walks across the basement and grabs a recording device. Valessia holds it up over Svante, "now say that again."

Svante looks between Sumiko and Valessia and caves, singing sweet, sweet melodies.

[member="Sumiko Tanaka"]

 

[Darth Libertas]

[member="Valessia Brentioch"]


"There, I told you everything I know. I swear it," Svante stammered pathetically after the device had finished recording.


Sumiko stepped forward. Her eyes were cold. There was a glint of malice in them. "I believe you. You're speaking the truth." Her lips curled into a cruel, twisted smirk. The look was enough to send a chill down his spine. "Now it's time for judgement."


"Hey, wait a minute, I'm sure we can talk about this. I told you everything. Parokovic is the big fish. I'm just a..."


"Insignificant manling who lives out his power fantasies by hurting those weaker than him?" Sumiko asked rhetorically. Her voice dripped with mockery and scorn. "The human brain is a Pandora's box of electrical charges we can only begin to understand. Have you wondered what happens when you open the box...and don't leave hope inside? Have you wondered how your victims felt?" He cried out in pain when she assaulted his psyche.


"I can show you. I can put you in their shoes. I can drive you mad with terror and make you beg for death." Every blow, every act of humiliation he'd inflicted upon Cole, the girls of Club Omega and everyone else he'd wronged was now unleashed upon him. However, it did not end there, for he was stuck in a time loop. There was no escape for him, not even in the deepest recesses of his mind, for it splintered like dry wood. His cries of terror became animalistic howls as his sanity was ripped apart. One could compare his mind to an egg that was being smashed against a wall.


"P-p-please," he begged pathetically, barely coherent at this point. By now he was openly sobbing. Tears dripped down his cheeks. If he could have moved his hands, he would have tried to claw his eyes out. Before his eyes, the forms of Valessia and Sumiko blurred with those of horrifying demons, reapers who'd come to take him into a nightmarish Netherworld hell. He was foaming at the mouth and his bound limbs convulsed wildly. "I-I'm s-s-s-orry..s-to..." There was no mercy to be found in Sumiko's eyes. The former Inquisitor watched him for a moment or two, then picked up the meat hook and ended his life with it. It took his last breath.

 

[Valessia Brentioch]

When Sumiko had ended Svante, Valessia went about moving him into the locker. From there she put her arm in with the Atrisian's and led her out of the basement. Bruno was going to take care of everything else. She was tired, and with the final deed of the day done. Everything else was going to put off for the next day. She had to make the calls, to let them know the deeds were done, and she did. The scion used the burner cred stick to make the last few calls of the day from the public holo. Walking out of the terminal she leans her head against Sumiko's shoulder, "let's go home."

The sun was still sinking behind the horizon, only now had the colors in the sky begin to change. They were going to swap rides with Edra somewhere beyond little Atrisia. It was a district called the Cauldron on account of that's where a lot of the working class smithies lived and worked. If you thought the Eye was bad the Cauldron was probably going to make the Eye look more hospitable. No one came to fix things around the Cauldron as it was assumed the smithies would fix it themselves, even if they were all too tired to do so.

Edra took the bike and handed them off to Paddy and her private speeder. "Your worships, so glad to be of service, and I must thank you, your ladyship Tanaka for fixing me." He begins, "and as I understand it you two are to be partners? Well, that will be just splendid."

Val only smiles as she snuggles up to Sumiko after she throws down her jacket and disarms herself. Paddy navigates the speeder up to the seventh level of traffic where you can see most of Cormond around you. "We are indeed," she says to her personal droid, "and you are going to be there at the press conference when we announce it."

"I do hope you'll take good care of the mistress, your ladyship," Paddy remarks, "she's been my personal charge ever since she was a young girl of four."

The brunette's eyes are a little heavy, "three and a half I think, you were supposed to be a present but I found you before that."

"Ah, yes, you are correct, mistress," he agrees, "and miss Edra informs me you wish to go home?"

"Please," she replies, as the speeder slides up to the eighth and one of the faster lanes to where she lives. Which is on the other side of Cormond. Far from the slums and working-class districts, you could see the Trade Hall and the varying Guilds that surround it. Parks were more common now, the Museum of Art and the Commerce Academy struck up as the beautiful landmarks that they were. Paddy had not spoken much to either one of them since they had gotten into the vehicle and simply put on a little bit of soft jazz. Val had fallen asleep somewhere between the Heights of Cormond which was settled just north of the Museum of Art., and Taruso Park which was northeast of the Heights. The sun by this point had lowered quite a bit, the sky was now awash with color. The tinted windows of her speeder and her down to earth looks, allowed them to blend in with everyone else around them. Soon they approached the outskirts of Cormond a little suburb called Verdant Bluffs, or simply the Bluffs as people around here tended to shorten things.

Trees littered the Bluffs and you could see where it had gotten its name and while the natural body of water that had carved them was no longer there, an artificial one was. Maintained to a level that was both asethtically pleasing and environmentally friendly. Valessia's home sat somewhere below some of the more luxurious homes and high-end real estate properties of the area. In fact, it was in a more modest subdivision, "the Oaks." Although there more pines than Oaks, no one cared to dispute the name. Paddy activated the garage door once he was within range of the house. "Mistress Valessia, we have arrived," he calls out, and it's enough to rouse her from her slumber.

Valessia stretches, "ooooh, okay," she yawns, "oh, excuse me."

The droid comes around to the passenger doors and opens them up, Val climbs out and leaves her jacket and weapons in the car. She motions for Sumiko to follow her as they walk through the door and up onto the stairs outside of the garage. Leading to the back door "blessed be we're finally home!" The brunette exclaims, running her hands through her hair she stands at the back door's entrance and takes off her shoes and gestures for Sumiko to do the same.

After a few minutes, say seven, Paddy arrived via the backdoor as well. He had taken care of their jackets and weapons and was now setting into the kitchen. "It does feel good to be back, mistress, should I prepare your bath?"

"No, no it's fine, we'll probably grab a shower and be back down for dinner," she tells him, "do we have anything to eat?"

Paddy wanders into the kitchen, "our stocks are alarmingly empty, should I call for grocery delivery?"

"Yeah, do that call them in and make sure it's fresh," she tells him, "okay so grand tour, dining room, kitchen and living room, and through here." Valessia walks through the doorway, "entry, my little closet office and there's a half bath right in the stairs and up here."

She heads up the stairs, "guest bedrooms, guest bathroom, study, and then my bedroom, or I should say ours." Which reminded her to call the hotel and have them do away with Sumiko's stay there, "if you like I could send for your things to head to the penthouse and then we can bring them here." There were exactly three other, well four other people who now knew where Valessia called home. Mr. Horne, the family lawyer, Paddy, Edra and now Sumiko. "You are exactly the fourth person to know where it is I consider home, I bought this house after I graduated from the Academy. The neighborhood wasn't as fancy then and I've remodeled it here and there."

Her bedroom was fairly modest, in fact, it was most likely half of the size of the one she had in the penthouse, and the bathroom was also a lot smaller. It was compact, and you can see where Valessia managed to fit a small compact tub with room enough for just two people, barely. The shower was the main feature here everything else was just enough, but not enough to show others. The scion ran the water and began to strip down leaving her clothes on the floor as she slipped into the steamy shower, fear not, all her assets were duly covered by said steam.

[member="Sumiko Tanaka"]

 

[Darth Libertas]

[member="Valessia Brentioch"]


Sumiko liked it posh, but at heart she was a woman with simple tastes. She had not grown up in the lap of luxury and preferred classy to ostentatious. Valessia's lodgings were less grand than those of her neighbours, but she didn't mind.


The Scion's suggestion to bring her things over gave the former spook pause though. Were they, like, moving in together? Anyone who made a joke about U-hauling would get mind raped and turned into a vegetable with extreme prejudice.


"Yes, that's a good idea. There's a...special package beneath the bed in the hotel room. Whatever your minions do, don't take it out of the bag, don't remove the resin coating around the weapon. Or respond if they hear a smug voice in their head." It had taken some effort and a few illusions to smuggle Souldrinker past Customs.


She followed the Scion into the bathroom, giving it a good one-over before she likewise stripped down. By now her clothes needed a wash anyway after she'd spent so much time amongst the dregs, so she did not bother fold them. Leaving them lying on the floor, she strode into the shower. The conveniently placed steam was so thick that it obscured all her assets. "You're so beautiful," she pulled the noblewoman into a kiss.

 

[Valessia Brentioch]

[member="Sumiko Tanaka"]

A days time had passed, and the Scion had yet to deal with Curovao but had arranged to meet with him in a public place near the Cormond Museum of Art. As it stood now, she and Sumiko were on their way to meet with the Scion's parents, Aruhl and Carmina Brentioch meeting with them eventually would be Mr. Horne, a lawyer who represented the family but in truth represented Valessia. The revelations from the night before still weighed heavily on Valessia's mind, learning that [member="Siobhan Kerrigan"] had somehow sired her child bothered her, tremendously. Add to this her own force awakening and one can imagine the mix of emotions she might have. Something that no doubt Sumiko might feel as well - through both the force, and perhaps simply being there with Valessia.

Her goal was to cement her own power and to do that she needed her parent's seat at the Trade Hall, and for that she needed Sumiko. She needed to show her own stability and having a partner was a very, very easy way to do that. Valessia ran her thumb along her knuckles as she looked out the window of her private car. Paddy was driving, and so smooth jazz was playing filtering into the back seat. She was starting to have doubts, her mother was a powerful woman, her father? He was a doormat who pretended to be more than he was. Her nerves were getting to her and it was starting to show.

 

[Darth Libertas]

[member="Valessia Brentioch"]


Time had passed, now they were on the way to meet the Scion's parents. Sumiko's face was a mask when she looked out of the window. Smooth jazz was playing, but she was not really paying attention to it, lost in her thoughts.


Wheels within wheels, the gears were moving. After having become privy to the mind-boggling revelation that 'The Kerrigan' had sired Valessia's child, they were back to playing house. All part of the plan for Valessia to ascend to Trade Hall and make a bid for power. Sumiko was not nervous about chit-chatting with two arrogant blue bloods who probably considered themselves more relevant than they actualy were. After all, they were mundanes.


But the whole Kerrigan affair bothered her more than she was comfortable admitting. She was not used to dealing with emotions. They were...messy. Throw in the fact that she was also dealing with the mix of feelings inside her lover. She pushed these thoughts aside. Insecurity was for lesser women. It was a weakness she could not afford, especially since she had her own schemes. They involved a bloody return to Atrisia, power and revenge.


"Control yourself. Don't let doubt creep into your mind. You're meant for great things," she spoke at last. Probably not a particularly encouraging pep talk, but hey, points for effort, right? Or maybe not.