Some Things Never Change [Mikhail]

[Nisha Decrilla]

Coruscant
The Senate District
The Golden Girl

A stark contrast from many of her other clubs and bars, The Golden Girl was a high class club with an enforced dress code. Anaya watched her customers from the safety of her office, two stories up its indoor window looked down upon the club and its well dressed inhabitants. A live band played happily in the corner and the room was full of laughter and chatting.

Dressed in a backless black gown Anaya had made some effort to at least look the part, yet she hadn't yet brought herself to descend among the pretentious people that believed themselves above everyone else. Typical guests included politicians and well respected business men and she hated all of them. Still they were her customers.

"Are you going to stare at them all day, or are you going to join them, my lady?"

Anaya smirked. It was often she permitted Captain Crowley to join her in her business trips, most of the time she made him remain with the ship, but for some reason she had felt the need to bring him along. He brushed up rather nicely, in his dark tuxedo and bow tie. "You go down and relax Captain. I'm not yet ready to join the mass of snobs. Keep your eyes open for anyone interesting."

The Captain snorted. "So by go down and relax, you mean go down and do some work."

"Of course Captain."

There was a moment of silence between them, where he battled with the urge to give her a snarky comment. his fear of her got the better of him and he finally saluted and left her alone. A sigh escaped her and she began to pace slowly across the window. She had come here for one reason only, and that was to find someone to be her tool. Someone who could be easily overpowered and used in her grand scheme.

 

[Lord Ghoul]

Politicians, nobility, and all those wine-drinking, cheese-eating, upper-class chauvinistic elitists frequented the Golden Girl. And this day, so did Mikhail Shorn. The raven-haired Sith Lord stood right in the middle of a group of these snobs. And, oh, how they loved him. They only saw the rakish appearance and disarming grin, not examining those pale eyes of his; so cold, and full of mischievous malice. He adhered to the establishment's rules, a rarity for him, and wore a black suit with a silver button down. No tie or bow held down his open collar. He held a glass of wine in one hand and sipped from it occasionally.

The well-dressed man opposite Mikhail seemed particularly interested in this newcomer. Well, they all were. Nobody seemed to have heard of him! Oh the mystery! He didn't like the way his wife was looking at the man, though. A cold shiver ran down his spine. She couldn't know about his affair with Tricia, could she? No.... impossible. This wasn't retribution, it was just... what? Infatuation? Clovus sighed mentally. Perhaps they were all a bit enthralled with the mystery man, Lord Kaos.

Clovus cleared his throat, "Ahem, yes, well Lord Kaos. Do tell, you said you had holdings in Tapani?"

The raven-haired man turned pale eyes on Clovus that sent a second shiver down the man's spine. Those eyes, so cold. Clovus followed up his question with a weak smile. Just who was this Lord Kaos? He seemed to have been everywhere and knew a bit about the workings of many governments. He even knew the inner turmoils of the Lords of the Fringe, that shadowy outsider nation.

"Among others," replied the stranger smoothly, lips curving into a benevolent smile. Kaos' eyes moved away from Clovus and fell on a stately looking gentleman. "Severis, did you say you are a Senator?"

"Ahem, why yes, why do you ask?"

Lord Kaos gave a single shouldered shrug. "Oh, no particular reason. I just find it fascinating. You wouldn't happen to be able to let guests in? I've never seen the Galactic Republic in full session. A few times with nothing important going on, but... full session. That has to be impressive."

Severis nodded, smiling. "Why yes, it certainly is. So many hundreds of senators present. I think that could be arranged, certainly!"
"Fantastic." Kaos replied, once more flashing that smile. His pale eyes drifted past Severis to Clovus' wife, who smiled coyly at him. He gave her a wink. "My lady what are you doing in such a lowly establishment?"

"Lowly?" Her laugh was the ringing of silver bells. "This is one of the finest bars on Coruscant."

"On Coruscant, yes," Kaos replied. "But you've never been to the fountain room of Fanatolia?"

The blonde-haired woman shook her head once. Clovus watched her carefully. It could just be his imagination, but she seemed far too interested in this Lord Kaos. "Never even heard of it."

"Well then, excuse me gentlemen, I must buy the lady a drink while I describe to her the wonders of the crystal fountains."

Lord Kaos, Mikhail Shorn, smiled for effect as he moved away from the group with Clovus' wife, but behind that snake's smile hid all his intentions, but none knew his purpose save him alone. And oh, what a purpose. Violence unimaginable. He closed his eyes briefly. The galaxy would reel and at last understand: no one controlled Mikhail Shorn.

@[member="Anaya Fen"]

 

[Nisha Decrilla]

Most people flitted through Anaya's life and were forgotten, for few could hold the lethan's interest. The few who did, were the few who kept coming back. They slipped away out of her life and when she least expected them, they reappeared. She caught him, in the corner of her eye whilst exchanging pleasantries with the Senator of Naboo and the rest of the room dropped out of existence in her mind as she watched him.

"Lady Apoleia?"

"Hmm?" Anaya's head snapped round to look at the Senator, realising he must have asked her a question and was waiting for an answer. She flashed him an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry Senator, will you excuse me." She slipped away, moving through the crowd to his little gathering of new groupies. She caught the end of his conversation and moved behind him so as he turned to move away he would find a smiling Anaya in his path.

"One cannot give the crystal fountains credit with just words." she said smoothly, glittering red eyes locking with icy blue. "You need to actually see them, to truly appreciate their beauty." She shifted her gaze to his admirers. "Severis, how lovely to see you again." The senator bowed slightly, a sly smile on his lips his cheeks reddening slightly as he recalled their last encounter. "Clovus," she said softly "I do not see Tricia here tonight?"

He spluttered, and the woman on Mikhail's arm whipped round to look at him, her anger refreshing in the force. "Who is Tricia?" she barked at Clovus who was avoiding looking at anyone, let alone his angry wife who had lost all focus that she had on Mikhail. Sensing the rising tension Severis stepped forward, placing a hand on the small of her and Mikhail's back moving them a few steps away from the couple. "Lord Kaos," he said softly "May I introduce the owner of this fine establishment, Lady Apoleia."

Anaya's smile curled into a mocking one as she met his icy gaze once more. "Lord Kaos and I know each other from another lifetime, Severis, perhaps you can encourage Clovus and his wife to take their argument elsewhere for me?" For a moment, the senator looked like he was going to disagree then he caught the gleam in Anaya's eye, a gleam that said that wasn't a request and she wanted to speak to Lord Kaos alone. With a kurt nod he left them.

"Why are you in my club, Shorn?" Anaya said softly.

@[member="Mikhail Shorn"]

 

[Lord Ghoul]

Shorn watched as his fan club dispersed, eyes narrow. He had plans involving them that would be accomplished at a later date. Severis in particular. Fire and madness and vengeance, he couldn't wait. Poor fool, he'd just made an acquaintance of a madman. A very, very powerful madman. Mockingly, his attention turned back to Anaya, flashing her a pouty expression, with downturned lips. "What a wet blanket," Shorn thought. "Sometimes I really wish I'd just killed her."

He blinked lazily. "Your club?" He raised his eyebrows, lips parting slightly. "Ooooh, so this is what you do in your... exile." Shorn glanced around at the various accoutrements of the bar. "Interesting. You used to be so high up there." Shrugging, the Sith Lord took a sip of his drink, now wondering if it was poisoned. But poison wasn't exactly Anaya's way. She preferred more direct methods. That was part of the reason why she was here and not Empress. "Well, Tyrin's gone now. Not dead. Probably running some sort of car dealership. Maybe you two could go into business together." He smiled at her; the smile of friends with knives in their hands, winsome, but just a nice looking facade for the masses, like a glass full of liquid, which one did not know was venom until it was tasted.

@[member="Anaya Fen"]

 

[Nisha Decrilla]

Anaya had played the façade game for some time now, so if his offhand insults had any impact on her it did not show in the smile on her face. Instead she allowed a small chuckle to escape her lips. "How adorable you are Shorn, to make a suggestion like you actually know and understand what's going on in the galaxy around you. Here was me thinking that you were too self absorbed to truly know about anything beyond your adolescent obsessions and petulant actions."

She drew slightly closer to him, her voice dropping to avoid those around them hearing her. "Being exiled was one of the better things to happen to me. What you see, is not what you get so before you make any more foolish assumptions about what my business is or how big it is I suggest you do your homework." A finger moved to a com link in her ear sending a single click to the bouncers, asking them to make themselves seen. Beyond that, the bar and waiting staff also had their eyes on Anaya and Mikhail while they worked. Anaya turned her back on Mikhail, her eyes catching that of her Captain. A slight shake of her head was all it took to have them know not to attack unless she gave another signal, before someone crossed into her line of sight.

"Clovus and his wife have left. You're not likely to see them again." Severis looked between her and Mikhail. Despite the sweet and friendly smiles they had on their faces the tension between the pair was readable to anyone with a brain. Luckily, Severis was not the sharpest in the bunch. "So, Lord Kaos," he said, eyes drinking in Anaya's form as he spoke, "How do you know the beautiful Apoleia? A wonder, isn't she?" He brushed her arm as he spoke, and Anaya could only smile into her drink, as she turned to see what Shorn would have to say for himself.

@[member="Mikhail Shorn"]