Rolling In The Deep

[Arage Bao]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Maremere.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]There was a lot to say about this world, but most of it came back to a variety of resources that one couldn’t just ignore like that. Stygium was the most important one with things like Trihexalon only adding towards the interest one could have for this planet.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Rumor had it that the Protectorate had attempted to exterminate the threat of trihexalon, the question was raised if such a thing was possible or even plausible, but Khal didn’t really concern himself with that particular resource. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]It was far too… [/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px]destructive[/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px] to be of worth in any commercial sense.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]But the stygium was certainly a worthwhile addition to what they were catering here, few people knew why the crystals could be located here - some said it had to do with some kind of deep-ocean volcanic activity, whilst others said something about a super cargo hauler crashing into the planet a long time ago, not that it really mattered though.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Which is why a shuttle was currently holding [member="Ariadne Van'Shelaq"] and Khaleel, traveling towards Maramere to establish some deep-ocean installations. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Mining.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“How are our expansion efforts in the Protectorate space going, any progress?” Khal would ask over his datapad to Ari.[/SIZE]

 

[Ariadne Van'Shelaq]

"Fine."

A definitive answer, if there ever was such a thing, that fell from the lips of a woman far more inclined to refuse silly offers to go exploring than accept them. Alas, when Khaleel came knocking, promising a grand old time on a planet far far away from Nar Shaddaa, the perpetually stoic half Fierrerron found herself offering hima shrug of her dainty shoulders and a swift nod at his odd request. A moment of weakness perhaps? No, not that she'd ever admit to such a thing if it were true anyways. It all simply fell together in a neat little coincidence, all tied up prettily in a bow for Ariadne to unwrap in the crucial moment that urged her into going on this little expedition. Of course, Ariadne would not give her scruffy courtier the satisfaction of breaking her apathy and convincing her to tag along...she was merely present because the opportunity was something worthwhile. It was a time to expand her horizons and dip her toes in an ocean of possibility. Khaleel just happened to be accompanying her along the way, a merry companion who offered conversation and cigarettes.

Stygium was the treasure the ambitious man sought, reason enough for his dark haired accomplice to tag along for the ride to Maramere. Its properties conjured various entrepreneurial ideas, armours and weapons of a higher caliber than whatever clunky paraphernalia tarnished the store fronts of her beloved moon. Stygium opened another window for business, for the niche buyers who could afford such things. Even then, the young woman found herself mulling over the upgrades it could give her own property.

Her mind toyed with these ideas during the longer part of their journey, amber eyes occasionally flickering from Khaleel to the surrounding scenery and then back at sleek data pad clasped between her slender fingers. Numbers swarmed the shimmering glass panel, trickling down the monitor like an endless waterfall. It was there to make her look occupied, keep her distracted and 'busy'.

Distracted from what? Who knew.

"Steady progress, surprisingly. Don't like surprises, I expected more resistance." The young woman uttered from her seat, only briefly looking away from the object in her hands to furrow her sharply contoured brows. Clicking her tongue, Ariadne flashed a glance at the man before pursing her lips, muted curiosity painting her icy features.

"What of you, Underlord?" She purred quietly, doing little to hide the amusement in her feline tone. "How goes your new playground?" Amber eyes gazed at the blonde haired man, a sliver of enjoyment flashing through them like lightning in a thunderstorm before disappearing behind the veneer of stillness and calm.

[member="Khaleel Malvern"]

 

[Arage Bao]

[member="Ariadne Van'Shelaq"]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]The Protectorate was weakening.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Of that there could be no doubt whatsoever. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]But the question remains what one could do in the aftermath of a decline of an Empire, because an Empire the Omega Protectorate had always been, a [/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Benevolent [/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Dictatorship was a still a dictatorship at the very end of a day and it was no different for the Protectorate.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Used to be a day that one couldn’t get through any of check-ins without getting pushed against a wall and strip-searched until every single one of your civil rights were violated. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]But those days are long gone.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Decay had settled in, most people would claim that the Netherworld had settled that corruption in - with the conflict at Eriadu only finishing off the remnants. But Khal figured that it had been even longer coming, just a delay of the inevitable; people who didn’t want to let go of the glory of old and give other entities a chance to shine.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]What a waste.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“Quite well.” the [/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Underlord[/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px] would reply himself. Ever since the Ravens were breaking down, Khal’s own organization was flourishing. It was the laws of the Jungle that the strongest would prevail and in this regard?[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Well, with Chiasa disappearing Khal had managed to pull in most of the efforts and operations of the Ravens and the Exchange into his own crime syndicate. He had factorized it, made it efficient and working as smoothly as clockwork.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Some whispered of the true Black Sun rising up once again.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Just as promised.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“We have managed to acquire the assets of the Ravens and incorporated that of my own. The Hutt Cartel is trying to creep up again, but they will die down again eventually. They always do.” [/SIZE]

 

[Ariadne Van'Shelaq]

Loss of morale. Weakened security. Abandoned way stations.

Brief reports cascaded down the woman's data pad, all relaying the same information from the day before. It was true, the protectorate was slowly crumbling and it would only take a decisive swing by any discernible organization to completely take over that region of space. It was a big venture, reckless if handled by anyone else, and bloody ripples would quake the galaxy regardless of who won or who loss. As long as there was a profit to be gained then Ariadne was content, satisfied even considering how ambitious her scruffy haired accomplice was.

Entering in the coordinates of a smuggling crew she'd ordered on to Malastare, the raven haired woman found herself blankly staring at the impressive numbers and figures that swarmed the gleaming monitor. It was all so clean, crisp and easy. As if the safeguards taking care of the Protectorate no longer bothered to interact with the various unpleasurables swarming that side of the galaxy. Ariadne was almost disheartened by the lack of a challenge, how else was she to harden those working for her if no risk was involved?

Perhaps it was excursions for everyone, the Baroness and her faithful cabal striking gold as they saddled themselves with Khaleel and his new found influence.

Ariadne wrinkled her nose at the thought.

"Who would have thought. Plucking out the Ravens feathers was that easy." She quietly mused, pursing her lips before glancing at the gentleman opposite her. "Ah yes, those Hutts. Of course, just ignore them. Unless they come scrambling for your affection, although...not many can successfully do that. But still, ignore them." Ariadne smirked, the glint of her sharpened teeth flashing beneath crimson lips as she briefly imagined those vile slugs bellowing out empty praise for the tobacco scented human. How quick they'll be to strike out if their fabled pride was marred.

A silence followed, the young woman's eyes glazing over the figure in front of her.

"Tell me, who else was on the guest list for this venture before you came knocking on my door?" The woman purred, cocking a finely shaped brow in his direction.

[member="Khaleel Malvern"]

 

[Arage Bao]

[member="Ariadne Van'Shelaq"]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“You wound me.”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]The Underlord would reply with a smirk which told more tales than it ought have. Blue eyes woven with steel brushed across Ari, pondering and wondering, before returning back to his own datapad and reviewing the new updates coming in by the moment.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Whilst Ariadne had picked Malastere his own efforts were currently focused on Yag’Dhul, a world that was on the crossroads between the Rimma Trade Route and the Corellian Trade Spine. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]A very important world to have influence on if you wished to have any goods moving back and forth the two superlanes with minimum problem. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Punch of the button and his men received their updated orders.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“I wouldn’t have anyone else here by my side.” [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Was Khal speaking the truth?[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]A subjective question and perhaps not entirely a fair statement to make, because there weren’t exactly a lot of other people around him that he could [/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px]trust[/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px] to a degree. Which automatically made her name pop up on a very short list of people that Khal could have around him - without having to overly worry about getting a shiv sticked up wares.[/SIZE]

 

[Ariadne Van'Shelaq]

The shadow of a smirk slipped past the woman's crimson lips as she cocked a brow at Khaleel, finding a moment's reprieve from the dull scenery beyond the large ovular window. Regardless of how conflicted this little excursion initially made her feel, Ariadne was content with company.

At least he managed to keep his humour.

"How touching." She uttered dryly, flicking a stray strand of inky black hair from her porcelain facade before returning her attention to the holo that protruded from the gleaming data tablet. It was a egg sized model of Maramere, rotating in the dim light of the projector, glowing numbers swarming it's spherical figure as the woman entered in the co-ordinates of the port they were to land in.

'The Haunted Straits', a title that had the baroness sniff in amusement.

"Well at least we know tourists won't be around." She said quietly, speaking to herself as she enlarged the infamous body of water from levitating hologram. Graphs of the air pressure, water pressure and trihexalon residue scrolled past the static image of the Haunted Straits, large enough for Khaleel to see. was this his most daring venture? Far from it, so much so that the young woman gave the information presented a dismissive blink. This would be an in and out job, nothing more than an expedition for Stygium.

They could have sent some grunts to do this work.

Shaking the thought from her mind, Ariadne waved the hologram back onto the screen before shutting the device off and glancing at the cigarette scented man. How odd to think she'd be going to Maramere with the Underlord after all these years...

[member="Khaleel Malvern"]

 

[Arage Bao]

[member="Ariadne Van'Shelaq"]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Don’t let grunts do the work you can do better.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]A rule of the thumb that had made his criminal syndicate grow as large as it did, or at least that was what Khaleel liked to believe when looking over all the operations growing, at all the influence gaining and the numbers flushing in from the side.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Perhaps it was just plain luck, perhaps it had nothing to do with him.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]But he liked to be around when things were happening, it somehow felt as if they had a larger percentage of success - at least when it was something critical, and the establishment of deep underwater facilities on a world that had been firmly in the grip of the Protectorate for all this time? [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Definitely a critical operation in his own eyes.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“I aim to please, miss.” Khal would reply smoothly.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Part of him wondered if they would ever be able to remove those masks they had both brought up, break away the walls and be more [/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px]genuine[/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px] with each other - or at least more than they already had at her home. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Perhaps it was just a fancy, a fleeting thought induced by nostalgia.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Their shuttle would break through hyperspace and enter the system, whereupon Khal would activate an encrypted link that would get them in charge with the silent operations that were already in progress.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]So far so good.[/SIZE]

 

[Ariadne Van'Shelaq]

Pocketing the data tablet and offering her limbs a stretch, the dark haired woman proceeded to cracking her knuckles before rhythmically drumming sharpened crimson nails against the side of the metallic seat. For a planet hopping excursion this was definitely more amusing than the standard drug run across the outer fringes, the scent of sweat and spice not clogging the conditioned air with it's sickly sweet aroma. Whilst she was lacking in the company of her crew Ariadne did little to make the Underlord's trip anymore awkward than it could have been.

They were business partners, bound together by an unspoken mutual agreement and much like the rest of what was left unsaid between the duo Ariadne was quite content with her silence.

Contemplating the caveats and contours of the man's presence was for another day, a long while away with some plethyl nitrate to keep the thoughts down.

Shaking the thought from her head the woman's attention once more flickered over to the glowing monitor near the blonde haired man. She knew enough alread to not care for whatever was being sent between Khal and his team on Maramere.

In and out.

Whatever opposition or obstacle that may lay in wait for them didn't lessen the woman's resolve, it only added a level of intrigue to this little expedition. No doubt there would be some remnants of war due to the presence of Trihexalon. Armies were left decimated and entire cultures have seen their histories erased because of that weapon, one that lingered in the midst of Khal's treasure. Alas, Ariadne did not come to gawk at ruins, nor did she come to waste time playing footsies with the authorities guarding the planet from any would-be thieves or conquerors.

The Underlord knew her well enough to not subject her to such a droll occurrence.

"How many of your team are down there?" She asked quietly, leaving the comfort of her seat to stride over next to Khal and peer at the flashing numbers and symbols dotting the translucent map of the Haunted Straits.

[member="Khaleel Malvern"]

 

[Arage Bao]

[member="Ariadne Van'Shelaq"]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]There were more than ruins there.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]During the aftermath of the Netherworld the Protectorate had been forced to retreat from the world of Maramere, they had found themselves overextended and with too few resources available to keep all their worlds protected.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]The whole southern territory had been lost to them.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]But with the Fringe rising up from their graves - at least temporarily, the Protectorate had decided to ignore Maramere’s plights towards the extension of their reach further south. Trying to cut off the Fringe, before they could enforce their grip and turn the southern colonies into true Fringe states. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]With that the remnants that had been left on Maramere, the remnants that had been left as a skeleton crew to monitor the situation and protect the interests of the Omega… well, they hadn’t been exactly thrilled to say the least.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]So it hadn’t been strange that when Khal had sent a few scouts beforehand, that they had encountered a rogue mercenary presence there. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Troubling, but not overly so.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“Vanguards, Ari.” the Underlord would reply. “They are covertly scouting the oceans for good places to start the mining process.”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“But we ain’t going there, we gotta… figure out the mercenary group that’s currently breathing heavily in our neck.”[/SIZE]

 

[Ariadne Van'Shelaq]

Oceans.

The mere mention of the word summoned a disgruntled sigh from the feline woman, the corner of her lips curling back in mild disgust as she thought of that wide, wet expanse that awaited them down on Maramere's tortured flesh. Ariadne wanted towers scratching the stratosphere and the constant drone of traffic and the occasional scream to keep her senses alert, not the lapping of waves or the creatures within. Nar Shaddaa was her rumbling beast, scars and all, and the young woman discovered a certain tranquility amidst the polluted chaos that the infamous moon offered.

Clicking her tongue, Ariadne's amber gaze flickered over to the glowing holo relaying bits and pieces of the planets environment into the corvette's database before letting out a shrill beep once it was finished surveying the churning oceans below.

Beep.

-Water Pressure-

Beep.

-Unidentified Life forms-

Beep.

-Hostile Presence-

It was distracting, for a moment anyway, and just enough to ease the young woman's overactive hearing before her courtier's voice broke her still trance.

"Oh but what's an excursion across the galaxy without a few queue jumpers?" She mumbled, feeling a familiar elation at hearing about the newfound opposition. Alas her face remained unchanged, only blinking at the news with the interest of a man plucking lint from his coat. Leaning against the monitor, slender hands gripping the metallic frame, the raven haired woman glanced up at Khal before offering him a light shrug of her shoulders.

"So what are we going to do with them?" Simple enough, a hint of a grin following the remark before her gaze settled on the man's stubble.

He needed to shave.

[member="Khaleel Malvern"]

 

[Arage Bao]

[member="Ariadne Van'Shelaq"]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“We are going to [/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px]negotiate[/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px] with them.”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Negotiation could mean a variety of things when the Underlord was involved, sometimes it meant sex, sometimes it meant honest to Force diplomacy and sometimes it meant violence. Very rarely did it mean all three things at the same time, which Ari would probably be very familiar with, but that was a discussion for a different time.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]But what did it mean in [/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px]this [/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px]situation?[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]A shrug would appear. “We will make ‘em comfortable, they are pretty desperate at this point. Short in supplies, medicine and foodstuffs. They haven’t resorted to raiding yet, but that ain’t too far off in the future.”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“So we can either make ‘em work for us or we sneak our way into their trust and then betray them.”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]He met her eyes.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“What’s your flavor for today. Deception of pragmatism?”[/SIZE]

 

[Ariadne Van'Shelaq]

The key word was negotiate, the sort of strategy that buttered the limbs of anyone trapped in a tight occurrence waiting for an escape. There was no point denying how effective Khal was at speaking his way in and out of trouble, the young woman having faced the brunt of that silver tongue in more ways than one, and it was proof enough of how far the man had gotten without that much bloodshed. She could've been another corpse in that endless trail of bodies Nar Shaddaa thrived on, but she had her wits and her ways...and a certain man to convince her not to squander them.

Sometimes the greatest weapons were sweet words and wholesome promises.

Ariadne rolled her eyes.

"Mercenaries..." She whispered aloud, to no one in particular. Swayed by the scent of wealth and the promise of glory, the nameless gunslingers and rogue warriors were mere specks in the larger scheme of things. They were a nuisance, a distraction, a pest when left to their own devices and unless they were granted credits with the proverbial slap on the back then they would stick around like a bad smell.

An eyebrow cocked at the thought, crimson lips pursed in a thin line.

"Who said you can't be pragmatic with a little deception?" Ariadne stated, brushing a strand of inky hair from her porcelain facade. Another moment passed, the click of a tongue sealing the silent contemplation.

"If they have nothing to offer then we'll relieve them of their burden." She uttered coolly, tracing the hologram of Maramere with a sharpened nail.

[member="Khaleel Malvern"]

 

[Arage Bao]

[member="Ariadne Van'Shelaq"]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Mercenaries.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]It wasn’t a coincidence that Ari had her doubts about them, most people these days were pretty skeptical when it came to soldiers of fortune. They were lechers, lazy and only worked when the prospect of figural gold overcame their inflated sense of self-preservation, they made promises quickly and ran away at the first sign of real trouble. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]That was the common perception.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]But the Omega Protectorate had been different, and these men and women? Were much the same in that regard. They were professionals, specialists in every field you might imagine, cold blooded killers that finished the job by the standards of the Protectorate. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]The old standards tho.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Which was all to say that if Khal managed to convince them to sign-up with him? Well, that would be a boon for everyone involved. They got their steady paychecks and didn’t have to worry about hungering anymore, the syndicate grew larger with a big force of operators and professionals that could solve problems before they even began.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“Mhmm, sometimes you make me all hot and bothered, [/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px]love[/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px].” the Underlord would reply with one of his grins.[/SIZE]

 

[Ariadne Van'Shelaq]

It was an achievement in itself to get a genuine smile out of Zen, a young woman infamous for her general air of apathy and stoicism. What could be said about her deadpan gaze and her penchant for disgusted sneers could not be done so for whatever shred of playfulness she outwardly utilized. It was a rarity, a fleeting gem in the midst of all the eye-rolling and disdainful sighs and such a moment came and went like a flicker of light after the Underlord made his little quip.

A smile. Swift and simple, red lips and white teeth all perfectly lined up in the briefest show of amusement she could offer him.

Ariadne cared not whether the man saw it or not, he'd been privy to more than the occasional simper over their time knowing one another and once the little of glimmer of approval disappeared her face returned to its typical look of nonchalance.

"You can do better than that." The raven haired woman stated with a click of her tongue, lightly shaking her head before returning her attention to the large monitor in front of them. They were nearing the drop point where her scruffy blonde haired courtier had planned to meet the mercenaries, the monitor glowing with a dull blue hue as it hovered over the shimmering expanse of water beneath them.

Pursing her lips, the young woman cocked a brow, a curious thought entering her mind as she steadied herself against a slight bit of turbulence as they neared the landing point.

"I hope you have a plan. I don't want to get messy for nothing you know." Ariadne mused quietly, flicking a speck of dirt from beneath her fingernail before glancing at the man next to her. How many mercs were down there? Was there an effective getaway? How many contingencies had been made in the planning of this rendezvous?

Was she worried? Of course not.

[member="Khaleel Malvern"]