Shell on the Credit

[Farlon Orbit]

Orbit had slept most of the way to Commenor on the shuttle, he hadn't received much sleep at night since his inhibitor chip had been removed by a Jedi Knight called Quinn Colson. Something about the process had sent his sub-concious mind out of control, forcing Orbit into nightmares of experiences that weren't his. Each one more mortifying than the last. The only time he could sleep without such nightmares was when he substantially drugged himself into nearly a mini-coma, like he had done before boarding the shuttlecraft. And it took a long time for the attendant to wake him, but eventually, foggy eyed, and groggy voiced, he stepped off the shuttle on the planet of Commenor.

Rubbing his eyes, he began looking around for his cargo. He had some equipment for the job he had been hired for, a security job. Although he had cut down on the mercenary work, after doing a few jobs to far, he still needed money, and war fighting was all he knew. After ten minutes of arguing with the spaceport luggage administrator, he was tugging along his repulsor lift cargo crate. Finished with his time at the airport, he pressed a button on his communicator, signaling to [member="Lady Kay"] of his arrival.

 

[Kay-Larr]

Usually [member="Darlyn Excron"] handled the hiring of security. But Kay had been known to do a bit of it herself. She had hired him in the first place, afterall. Mercs tended to make some of the best security officers. Afterall, they knew many tricks that ither mercs might try to utilize in order to achieve their goals. So what better way to keep them at bay than to hire them?

Kay had poured over a bunch of files in her search. She didn't want someone that had a big name going for them, as that would only increase attention from the wrong crowd. So instead she picked out someone that was a bit different. [member="Farlon Orbit"] was his name. There wasn't much written about him. That could be either good or bad. Only a face to face meeting would allow her to figure that out.

Word had gotten to her of Orbit's arrival through her assistant Olivia. The older woman gave him directions to the Palace. The guards there would handle the rest once he got there.

 

[Farlon Orbit]

Orbit received the directions within no time, and set off with his personal effects without delay. The planet of Commenor was a pretty place, the result of a good economy and stable law and order. He had done some research, he always had ever since that job on Hoth, and Commenor seemed like a fine enough place, not a planet he would have to be watching his back the entire time. He didn't know much about the Queen, such information wasn't very public, only that she had once been a president up until a recent coup, which worried him, but he used her good reputation from the Republic as his reason for taking the job. He didn't take a job unless he knew he wasn't doing something bad.

As he neared the palace, Orbit wiped the sweat from his brow, the heat of the midday sun beating down on him. He should've just gotten a porter to take it, but he decided he had to push it all. His age and injuries were catching up to him, or at least thats what he told himself as an excuse. Finally, near the outer entrance to the palace, he stopped pushing and approached one of the guards, "I'm Farlon Orbit, one of the private contractors hired for security."

 

[Kay-Larr]

The guard looked his datapad's list of expected artivals in the coming days. [member="Farlon Orbit"] was on there. Given that he was on the list and a potential hire for security, any weapons were not taken from him. "I'll take you in."

He led Farlon into the Palace and through the hall. The ceilings were high and the walls a mixture of carved stone and dark woods. It may be a bit old fashioned, but there was no need to give it an upgrade. Most of the people there thought that it held a certain charm anyways.

The guard took him over to Kay's office, where he knocked a few times before opening the door. He stepped aside to let Farlon walk through. "Farlon Orbit, M'Lady."

Kay was at her desk, tea in hand as always while she went through some paperwork. She looked up as her door was opened. "Ah, welcome. Please have a seat. Did you want any water?" She could see that he was sweating, either by nerves or he was hot.

 

[Farlon Orbit]

Orbit followed the security guard without protest, pushing his repulsorlift cargo crate ahead of him. He gazed at the decorative palace around him as he followed the guard deeper into the building. He wasn't much for fancy places, and he'd rarely been inside any building as well decorated as this without gunfire raging throughout the halls. He never had worked for royalty before, but this didn't seem too dangerous, nothing like Bakura.

When the security officer stopped, Orbit pushed his crate aside and carried himself with stature, in respect for the Queen. With a short bow, he greeted [member="Lady Kay"], "My Queen." In response to her words, he took a seat and spoke clearly, "Thank you, a glass of water would be excellent." He kept eye contact with the Queen, his upbringing as a clone had always made him direct, he made no difference for the Queen today. But something felt familiar, her face, he recognized it, he wasn't sure from where, but he had seen Queen Arenais, somewhere, sometime.

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay smiled and bowed her head. She set down her papers and tea as she got to her feet and walked over to the side galley to pour [member="Farlon Orbit"] some water from the pitcher. It wasn't ice cold, yet it wasn't room temperature either. It was just cool. She handed it to him, watching him to gauge his reaction on being served by a Queen. It still surprised her that so many thought that she was born into the role, when in fact she had only acquired it a year ago.

After returning to her desk she sat down, picking up her tea and had a sip. Did she recognize him at all? Not really. But there was certainly something different about him.

"I hope that your journey was a pleasant one. So tell me a bit about yourself. Any good habits or bad ones? I like to be able to put a story to people's faces and know something about them. We are all a team and everyone on my staff are important." Kay especially preferred to know her security staff, those that accompany her at times and protect her home and those inside it.

 

[Farlon Orbit]

Orbit gave up on the search to put a name or even a place to the Queen's face, it might have been some sort of news report, or holonet image he saw, so why distract himself from the matter at hand? With a small tilt of the head, he showed a small, and subtle notion of gratitude for the water. After extensive training of not only the body, but the mind of by several trained bounty hunters and even a few Mandalorians had kept him from expressing too many emotions, he didn't like it anyways. Orbit nursed his glass of water, waiting for the Queen to finish,

"About myself? I am a clone, I've experienced over twenty two years of life, but physically I'm somewhere in my early forties, due to an accelerated age process. I've been a private military contractor for six years, after a rich career in the Grand Army of the Republic, I am honest in saying that I've seen a few fights from the Outer Rim to the Inner Colonies. I'm not sure how you would classify them, but my only habits include reading and care-taking of equipment, I haven't really had the chance to 'branch out'."

Orbit wasn't familiar with interviews, most of the jobs he had taken just required him to sign up and start shooting, high profile stuff like this had been out of his purview until he started getting picking about his jobs. Without the financial security to let him fight the good fights, he needed to start raking in the larger jobs to help fund such ventures.

[member="Lady Kay"]

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay sipped her tea while [member="Farlon Orbit"] spoke, keeping her full attention on him. So he was a clone? She couldn't imagine what that was like. But then he probably couldn't imagine what it'd be like to not be a clone either. If his aging was accelerated, then how long before he died of old age? Her knowledge of clones wasn't that extensive.

The mention of reading brought a smile to her face. There weren't many that she knew that favoured partaking in such a quiet yet fulfilling activity. "I enjoy reading as well. It's my escape from everyday stresses. Some people find it dull and boring, yet I love it." She could already imagine the two of them reading away at one of her hideaway cottages. That was a good sign.

"Commenor has no enemies as a whole, but as a Queen, that doesn't make me less of a target for some unsavory individuals. We are fully neutral, so there are all manners of people here with different affiliations. So don't be surprised with who you may encounter." She wasn't sure if he had any racist biases or not. Having them was normal though.

"Any questions?"

 

[Farlon Orbit]

Orbit listened intently, although he had formed no emotional attachment to the job, the person in need of protection, or even the planet he would be spending most of his time on, but from professionalism. He was already putting his mind to the job, even if he didn't take it it would be nice to be prepared regardless. Being a personal bodygaurd would require him to--. She stopped talking, [member="Lady Kay"] had asked him a question, but he was more than ready to answer,

"Two, if I do take this job, I will need total access to your kingdom's archives as well as any personal logs so that I can defend your person properly in any and all situations. I need to know if you will grant me this permission. Second, will this transaction be done via contract or shake of hand?"

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay blinked at his requests. What would [member="Farlon Orbit"] want with the archives? And her personal logs? Well fortunately she didn't keep a diary or journal, yet she did have messages sent back and forth between people. They were mostly all business though. Mostly.

She decided to answer his second question first. "Either a handshake or a contract works. Whuchever you are most comfortable with. Room and board would be taken care of, as well as full healthcare. There's no need for insurance for that sort of thing here." Now for his first question. "Why would you need to look at Commenor's archives? It's centuries long dating back long before the old Empire's days. That would take you ages to go through. And as for personal logs...I don't usually share them with others. Most of my visitors come from other governments across the Galaxy to form alliances, or people wanting us to have business contracts. Commenor has no enemies..." But that didn't stop some from trying to gain her affection or to blackmail her. Only ones had she ever been abducted. Security had been increased since then.

 

[Farlon Orbit]

Orbit listened intently, he was happy with his end of the deal, it was more than fair and already in his mind he had decided that if he was accepted, he would take this job. But back to the matter at hand, the Queen was doubtful about his first request, he wasn't surprised. Prying open your private as well as national documents for some gunslinger to learn was not a usual thing to do. But he knew what he was doing, and he was prepared to answer,

"I understand your concerns for the secrecy of yours and your planet's archives, but this information is required for me to properly protect you. Commenor may not have enemies, but you do, as I said a few minutes earlier, I've done some research on you. You made a lot of enemies in your illustrious career as a public servant of Commenor, specifically in the crime world. If I have this information I will be able to know what areas are safe or can be compromised, I will be able to know what factions or organizations have in the past or present have shown animosity towards your person or your family. I need your private documents so that I can properly assess all of your personal contacts to ensure what their position is towards you, regardless of past contracts or relations. If you would like to deny me access, I understand, but I have no intention of using any of these documents for any other purpose than to do my job better."

[member="Lady Kay"]

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay furrowed her brows as [member="Farlon Orbit"] gave his reasons for wanting all of this information. They were sound reasons, but still, such information wasn't meant to be given out freely. That required a lot of trust and she didn't know him.

"With all due respect, I don't know you well enough to reveal all of my secrets and personal information with you. That will take time. So instead I will give you information in stages. The more that you prove to be trusted, the more information that I will give you. As it is, the lists of factions and governments that are friendly to us are available, as well as individuals." She was a stubborn one, and usually very trustworthy. Yet recent attacks on her, the traps that she had fallen into because she was naive, had caused her to have to be more cautious.

 

[Farlon Orbit]

Orbit understood her reluctancy, he knew his request was far too much to ask a new employer, especially one with so much to lose. He nodded slowly as she explained her situation, followed by a compromise. Orbit took a deep breath before responding,

"I understand your concerns with my offer, as it is a very trying one, and I am willing to accept your compromise. It will enough to start my research in preparation of my services towards your protection." Orbit ran his hand through his regulation cut hair, its small bristles tickling his palm. "I believe that covers the majority of my questions about employment. Do you have any queries about myself, my owkr history, or my abilities as a mercenary?" Orbit stared directly at [member="Lady Kay"], his stern expression solid as a rock.

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay was glad that [member="Farlon Orbit"] agreed with her and didn't press the issue. It let her know that he was more on her side instead of his own. Unless of course that was all a ruse. Only time would tell.

She held his gaze, but only for a moment, that hard stare proving to be a bit intimidating. She sipped her tea, dropping her gaze to her cup as she did so. Then when she raised her eyes she answered his question. "Yes. Where do your skills lie? Sharpshooting? Hand to hand combat? Strategy?"

 

[Farlon Orbit]

Orbit paid close attention, the queen was starting to ask some real question related to his work. Without much thought, he answered,

"I'm a trained rifleman, and a small arms marksman." As he waited the queen's reply, hopefully filled with satisfaction, he pondered the history of his skill set. He had been trained as a rifleman from birth, but he had not always been a good shot with a pistol. After so many years of cantina shootouts and urban jobs he had become accustomed to using pistols, but he always preferred his rifle. Orbit took a deep breath and broke his line of thought, bringing himself back to the conversation at hand.

[member="Lady Kay"]

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay nodded as she heard hus answer. Already she was planning ahead as to where [member="Farlon Orbit"] could be used best. Perhaps at the coming celebrations. Although she doesn't expect there to be any trouble, a person with an eye for detail from a distance would do well.

"Your skills would be an asset to us. How long do you intend to stay? There are some that have used their employment here as a stepping stone for work elsewhere." It wasn't as though they had a high turnout rate. But there had been some that moved on.

 

[Farlon Orbit]

Orbit did not hesitate to answer [member="Lady Kay"]'s question, "Ma'am, I have no obligations, personal ties, or other currently. My stay would be indefinite until I find it appropriate to resign from my services, which may not be for a long while." Orbit paused, "There isn't much work for an aging mercenary unwilling to take any dirty jobs out in the galaxy." Orbit sighed as he finished his answer, hoping it would be satisfactory, not only did he want this job, but over the conversation, Orbit was starting to realize he needed it.

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay offered [member="Farlon Orbit"] a polite smile. His answers were good ones. She had a habit of picking up the underdogs and those people have been the most loyal and kind to her. So they were valuable. Hopefully the information on her that he will gain in the future wouldn't compromise her in any way.

"Age doesn't matter. Older ages bring a vast wealth of experience and knowledge. You seem to have good morals and I like that. So, consider yourself hired. I'll see to it that the heads of my staff know of you and meet with you soon. Is there anything else that you'd like to go over?"

 

[Farlon Orbit]

Orbit tried to smile in return to [member="Lady Kay"]'s nice gesture, but it simply came out hanged and rather unpracticed. In all honesty, he hadn't smiled in over eight hundred years, but to him it had felt more like a decade. Orbit was satisfied, if not enthused in his own somber way about this new position, he felt good for once in his life, good for doing something not for personal greed, but for what he believed to be the greater good. Orbit held out his hand,

"I do not believe so, but I'd like to thank you for this position."

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay set her tea down and got to her feet, holding her hand out and placing it in his. [member="Farlon Orbit"] 's smile, although not very practiced, was still genuine. She hoped that he would like working for her.

"You're welcome. Thank you for applying. I'm sure that in time, we'll be good friends." Being on good terms with her employees was important to her. She'd rather not be confrontational with them all the time. It made life easier that way. Much easier.