Take Off The Mask

[Alric Kuhn]

“A Titan?” He mused on her words.

Perhaps she had meant to say a Tetan, but for some reason he doubted that. It was a fitting name really, he was after all the owner of Titan Industries, still, the title brought a small smirk to his lips.

“I'm not so foolish just to up and leave everything.” He mused to her. “Plus, it's not like were publicly traded.”

She would well know why that was important. If a company had shares, and those shares were owned by the public, and the head of that company went missing it was very likely that the public would lose faith in that company. With the loss of that faith would come a massive selling of stock, and suddenly the company would plummet in value.

Simple economics.

“You're right though.” Alric said quietly, it was time to go back.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

"Well, that is what you are." she'd say, confirming his internal thoughts about the term said purposefully. She would bring the cup of tea to her lips, taking a large sip. Off in the distance, the rising mists would start to drape the desert in a sort of a hazy fog. No one knew exactly the rhyme or reason why after the Twin Suns would sink, water would rise in the form of these mysterious mists across the canyons and terrain. To be fair, most folk now a days didn't question it, especially the moisture farmers.

It just was what they needed to survive.

"A Titan."

Her chin would unconsciously lift. His departure would bring to fruition what she had originally desired at the beginning all along; Alric Kuhn off of her planet, her world. Her home.

Funny how that thought would settle after everything that had occurred since then. Yet there in the back of her mind were the unfinished business to be had. It wasn't just the Alpha Red.

It was the matter of keeping quiet. Of keeping her secrets. Of keeping them safe.

"What about the Alpha Red?" time to go down the list of things to talk about. And her momma done told her that the important things were best done quickly and with a forthrightness.

Besides... it wasn't like the man could get out of her stronghold and on his way without her say...

 

[Alric Kuhn]

He frowned.

“We hunt it.” There was a sternness to his voice that told her there was no choice. “No one knows but us, no one finds out except those we trust. “

That was a simple true fact, a simple thing to say, but harder to do. Alpha Red was notoriously dangerous, notoriously deadly. There was no way that they could let it float around the galaxy, no way they could simply let it move about from hand to hand.

“Three days.” Alric said quietly.

That was what he would need. Three days and he would be able to get a clue, a hint. Photographic memory would help and with Titan and ATC's resources working on it they would surely turn up some clue, something that they could follow together.

“Three days we meet.” He said to her, taking a sip of the tea. “That should give us enough time to find something.”

 

[Danger Arceneau]

"And what of that vial?" she would ask plainly. Well there was no going around that; they had taken it. Now her facilities at Pharma Tech could potentially do something about it -- but she was no Titan Industries. This also specifically would deal with an anti Yuuzhan Vong biochemical agent. It was one thing to already have one vial out there -- another when the man before her who would have all manner of interest to ensure it didn't get out have it in his grasp.

He was, after all. Titan -- the main distributor of war technology that had seen the success of the One Sith span across the coreworlds.

Oh they had their bouts of losing themselves in the other... but come today or tomorrow when he would step foot off of Tatooine? What then?

What of the rest of those secrets that she had a keen interest in making sure he did not tell. A thought would come to her, a small crystal and copper pendant dangling from a long chain between her breasts. It was something she also had some interest in carrying. A method to avoid everything. To ensure that he wouldn't remember a thing at all.

A way to flash his mind and scrub his memory.

But choosing to do that was going down a path she knew well she could never come back from.

 

[Alric Kuhn]

He frowned for a second, noticeably chewing his lip.

“Keep it.” Alric said, before quickly adding on. “For now.”

He was none too eager to simply give the vial over to Titan Industries and let them run with it. He was well aware of certain elements within his corporation that had yet to be purged. Remnants of the One Sith Voice that had once been in charge of his company, watchers that ensured Alric did not get too far out of line.

It was too dangerous to simply hand over the Alpha Red.

“Three days is enough time for me to find scientists I can trust, maybe a few shapers. We can set up an independent lab outside of One Sith Space and they can work on it there.” That was the best choice, the only choice that they had. He was well aware of Danger owning Pharmatech, but that came with its own hazards as well.

Trust didn't come easy, but the two of them had learned that already.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

That brought her to a pause. Danger didn't expect that. Maybe it was just due to her past experience with men.

All men have some percentage of bullpoodoo in them, was the saying. An echo from a few hours earlier on that turbolift just prior to sinking in those oceanic pools that held a knowing promise.

Was he lying? There came that level look, that deadpan stare. Exaggerating a tall tale?

Alric Kuhn was not exaggerating. When it came down to business, he knew what he was doing. It was built into his biology. And something about that drove straight into Danger's core. Alric was staring at her, and there was a honesty there that shone. For the first time, she dropped her eyes from his.

For a second she seemed to consider his offer. Biting her lower lip, she studied the ground.

"Alright," she finally said, lifting her gaze. It was a gamble. A pretty big gamble. That she was willing to go along with it saying more than words could.

"Rydonni Prime." This was a planet in the Namaryne Sytem and home to the highly xenophobic sapients. It housed Rythana, a very little known company that had only recently seen public eye under the watchful gaze of her Highness, Arielle K'ntarr. It was also within the neutral area outside of One Sith Space.

The queen rarely allowed any entrance; but a tit for a tat is how Danger operated. The woman would be amicable to her.

There was still the other matter... the one that started all of this. Truth be told she found herself at odds at how to exactly breach the subject.

Her fingers would lightly tap upon her cup, the soft steam of peppermint tea rising.

He didn't quite have the best reaction the last time around the subject of his silence had been discussed...

 

[Alric Kuhn]

For a moment he lingered.

That was all they had to talk about, at least everything that he could think of. There was so much to do now, so much that had to be planned, so much that they had to work on. He shook his head slightly, frowning, his eyes casting out towards the massive desert.

Somewhere out there was Mos Eisley, where he had first arrived and left his ship. The vessel would be okay, he had paid on credit to keep it safe, plus he had left his pilot there was well. There was also the fact that his ship was an ancient Lambda Class Shuttle, not exactly something that most people would find worth stealing, though of course this was Tatooine.

He frowned, shaking his head again.

Part of him wanted to linger, wanted to stay here, but he knew that wouldn't work. He knew that they had work today. She had ATC to run, he Titan. Even though they had breached moments of horror with pure pleasure, and even though just a few hours ago her taste had been on his lips, he knew that it had to change.

It was time to go home.

His body turned, as if he was about to leave, then turned to her again, stepping closer. “Not a word.”

Alric pressed his lips against her own, a deep kiss that followed through with a grasp to her hip before slowly falling away. It was a promise, as much as it was a command, and with those three little words said, Alric took his leave.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

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R Y D O N N I P R I M E​

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R Y T H A N A L A B S ​

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Three Days Later

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Rythana Labs was a military research and development subsidiary of Rythana, Corp. Their focus was originally bio-chemical warfare and due to the a curious state of events in the wake of the Gulag Virus; cloning.

In a bizarre twist with this dystopian world, the Gulag Virus left 90% of Rydonni Prime's population dead. A planet wide quarantine came to effect; not a single offworlder was allowed entrance nor was any citizen allowed to leave. All the survivors came to inhabit New Ryell, the new Capital City of Rydonni Prime in the aftermath of the 'cleansing' of the previous capital. (In the form of napalm explosion equivalent)

The survivors of Rydonni Prime found themselves having a secondary blow to their population as the scientists of Rythana Labs attempted to find a cure. What had appeared to be promising only sealed their fate. While it did not cure the Gulag virus, the repercussions of the high demand and output to the remaining population gave way to a disastrous side effect; infertility.

As such, Rythana Labs, under the directive of the surviving Princess Elleira K'ntarr, drew their focus into cloning using the Empire's previous cloning methods, to include the Spaarti cloning process, creating vast underground cloning facilities. Every single citizen on New Ryell is actually a clone of recycled DNA, with the dead constantly being reborn into new individuals with their memories wiped.

Arielle K'ntarr, is the clone of the first Princess, one of the few besides her direct council, to retain all their memories. They have taken a great xenophobic and humancentric standpoint in regards to other governments and worlds.

The Clockwork Rebellion changed that. With the threat of OMNI neigh destroying Corellia, the closest planet to them, fear and paranoia at their survival became tangible. The looming threat of the ever expanding Republic appearing to drive their own Manifest Destiny along with that of the Sith Empire caused the Queen to weigh her options. With Rydonni Prime already under the influence of the Omega Protectorate, she had little choice in the matter.

She had to act before her people truly suffered extinction.

Her allowance of support to the Omega Protectorate in small scale research and development and minor cloning contracts went relatively under the radar. A large orbital station would ensure that the Xenophobic inhabitants of the planet would remain undisturbed -- it was in this orbital station that Danger Arceneau would use the transponder codes that would identify her and her would be partner to be allowed rare entrance planet side.

The Queen and Danger had a small understanding, and in that came the brokering of an assurance she would have to discuss with Alric that the planet, were it to ever be captured within One Sith's sights, would be swayed to be left be.

How fascinating to realize that three years later, this single favor would be paid in kind when the Corporate Giant would find himself overseeing the entirety of the Corellian System.

As it was in the present, Danger's small sleek nubian K-Type luxury craft would touch down upon the circular landing pad at a Rythana Labs center.

Rare were visitors indeed; rarer still for those with a purpose like Danger Arceneau and Alric Kuhn.

 

[Alric Kuhn]

Alric arrived in the same ship that he had used to reach Tatooine. A single, ancient, Lambda class shuttle that looked like it had been seen better years.

Why the Titan, a man who was astronomically rich, chose to travel in a ship that looked like it had seen better years about a millenia ago was a complete mystery. Suffice it to say when the odd tri-wing vessel folded its way down onto the landing pad, it was Alric Kuh who stepped off of the ramp and onto the planet.

Of course he was not alone, but those who he brought with him traveled in a smaller more inconspicuous vessel.

The Titan stepped off of the boarding ramp and onto the planets surface. It was a world that he had never been too, at least not in his own memory, but he already found it much more agreeable than he did Tatooine, for one his skin wasn't melting off. A slight frown formed on his face and his eyes twitched to the upper right of his glasses, tracking a small message that popped up there.

He nodded to himself, then began to wander.

Danger was at the lading pad just to the left of him, it would be best to start looking for her there.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

Alric would find her there.

Alongside her would be the familiar cerulean Rutian that Alric Kuhn would remember with or without fondness from their initial meeting back at the Expo.

That same cocky swagger would amble down the ramp, mild amusement along with a notable amount of curiosity. Danger hadn't told her much, but this... this was a whole new level of interesting happenings.

Especially with how things had ended up with her boss leaving abruptly...

Danger would gesture for Alisha to continue on into the facility, while she herself would turn to face the Titan as he would come her way. Her expression was guarded; well as guarded as one would figure her out to be. To a degree, she was out of her element, and she had not quite been one hundred percent sure he would show.

Color her surprised when he did.

A slow blink would come to her, and when he was close enough to hear, she gave a slight incline of her head. Then promptly would ask a single question.

"Where is my Human Replica Droid, Mistah Kuhn?"

 

[Alric Kuhn]

Alric didn't answer for a few moments, he simply smiled and kept on strolling towards her.

There was a certain smugness to that smile, a certain hint of something, as if he had done something very clever and no one else realized it yet. For a few moments he simply kept walking, the buttons on his finely tailored suite reflecting some of the light from the odd sun that hung in the air. It felt good to be in good clothing against, nestled comfortably in place in something that fit well.

His beard was trimmed back once more, his glasses back on his face. His lips were less chapped and broken, and his hair was tussled in that odd perfect way.

Alric looked like himself again, confidence and cockiness completely restored.

“She's on the ship, Danger.” He tread on that name like he owned It, his tongue practically flipping over as he spoke. “I wouldn't want there to be any confusion if other people see her.”

How considerate of him.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

Her eyes would narrow. Cocky arrogant son-of-a-

"How magnanimous of you, Alric." She said with a touch of bite, her chin lifting as her green eyes would glitter with the desire to slug [member="Alric Kuhn"] right on the jaw.

He was lucky they were out in public. Very lucky. The tight smile she gave him made that crystal clear.

"I do hope you brought more than a sharp suit and your usual arrogance." enter the sugary smile just before she took a step towards the facility.

Let us not forget why they were here to begin with; the severity of the situation.

"What did you discover?"

 

[Alric Kuhn]

“I always bring more to the table.” Alric said with a smirk. “You should know that by now.”

They began to walk in tandem, Alric shooting one last glance at his ship before they began to wander. His eyes flickered to her briefly as she broached the subject, though he assumed that if she asked about it then it was safe to talk here, at least cryptically. “I learned it wasn't any government.”

That had been his first step. The Sons had investigated thoroughly and had concluded it hadn't been the One Sith, the Republic, or any other major government black ops group. How they had done that Alric didn't know, but he suspected that they had infiltrated more than one of these organizations. That or they had contacted their sister organization, The Valkyries.

“I also learned it wasn't any Sith cult.” Alric continued, that had been one of his other assumptions.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

"Nor was it a company, either." Danger would relay, her voice low enough for only Alric's ears to hear. They would come to the threshold, where two guards would allow them entrance.

"Nor a local criminal syndicate." came next, just as a tall darkskinned woman like liquid mocha would come striding over to their direction.

"Ms. Arceneau," the voice was crisp, cultured and refined. She wore a dark bronze coloured dress that would slink across her body like a second skin, with matching cuffs along her toned arms and a torque around her slender neck. She had wide almond eyes, black as the night and high cheekbones that gave her an air of high-born superiority.

"Your Majesty, as always a pleasure." Danger would come to a halt, giving all due process in greeting Queen K'ntarr. Thereafter, she would introduce the man beside her.

"Thank you for allowing us the use of your laboratories."

 

[Alric Kuhn]

There was only one thing left.

It had been a rumor. A small snatch of information, nothing more than a fleeting conversation overheard by one of the Valkyries, Aeri. A passing mention of something long dead. The Zeltron had told Alric it was likely nothing more than a hoax, but all information had been requested, and all information had been passed along.

Star Cabal.

Alric had never heard of such an organization, but apparently it had been quite the entity thousands of years ago. A group of galactic elite. Corporate Heads, galactic traders, Political figures, all dedicated to a single cause.

The thought that it could be a legitimate threat turned his stomach upside down.

“Greetings your Majesty.” Alric said with a proper bow, putting on his best false smile. He would share his revelation with Danger once they were alone again.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

Small talk would only take a few minutes; it was rare for outsiders to visit the Xenophobic world, and there was a desire to ensure that the native population would have no outside contact.

None the less, a favor was given, and in this Alric Kuhn and Danger were soon led towards a section of the laboratory set out for their use. Discretion was paramount, and this was the best solution for both of them.

Once inside, the slow hiss of the door sliding shut behind them would grant them some privacy. At least, until the requirement for the synthesis and research for a viable counter to Alpha Red could be discovered by the select few lab technicians and researchers.

For now, laying the cards on the table was paramount.

"Then what do you have?" she would ask, curious. She didn't come empty handed, but she wanted to see if what she had discovered lined up with what the Titan had.

 

[Alric Kuhn]

“Have you ever heard of something called the Star Cabal?” Alric thought that he sounded ridiculous saying that name. It sounded like something out of a bad holo-movie, or maybe a trashy romance novel that a fourteen year old girl would read.

Yet it had existed, in the very least, some thousands of years ago.

Was it so far fetched that something like that could exist in this day and age? That the entity had not only survived, but thrived during the chaos that was the Gulag Plague? His stomach turned at the thought of that. A shadow organization so well hidden that all his experts could find was a single rumor in a Nal Hutta Tavern.

That meant resources.

That meant connections.

That meant planning on a scale that Alric found difficult to even begin to comprehend, and if an organization like that had gotten a hold on Alpha Red...it could mean the death of millions.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

It had been mentioned before. A mention in databanks here and there, even the mention of a supposed occurrence of the organization within the 'verse, one that had sunk into oblivion like a brief flash in the pan. The true Star Cabal, however, now that hadn't seen hide nor hair. Nor of the Black Codex.

Not in the manner that one would reckon would cause waves.

Danger would arch her brow, crossing her right leg over her left as she draped herself within a nearby seat. "Depends if you mean the small little group the Red Ravens and Ession have been playing around with, " she began, bringing a small platinum case from her clutch.

A flick of her thumb, and the lid would flip to reveal a neat row of rolled cigarillos.

"Harmless, but extinct." They hadn't gone far with that at all. "Why?"

 

[Alric Kuhn]

He frowned slightly. Either he was about to come off like a genius, or Danger would very much start questioning his sanity. Of course he didn't have any reliable information, all he had was a rumor and a string of loose connections based off of that rumor.

His hand reached into his inner suit pocket, pulling a datapad from it.

“They used to be not so harmless.” Alric said sliding the datapad over to her with information from the past pulled up on it. “In fact they were very dangerous.”

Stalling for a moment Alric considered how to exactly put what he wanted to say. There was of course little to no evidence to his theory, but he knew there was something to it. The gut that had made hundreds of billions of credits for him told him so. Instinct was a powerful tool. “And I don't think they're extinct.”

 

[Danger Arceneau]

Wide green eyes would study Alric Kuhn as if he had grown two heads. His internal musings would be right, she did look at him as if she was questioning his sanity. Afterall, the original Star Cabal had existed millenia ago. The one she has been referencing now was nothing more than a collection of two-bit yoo-hoos; at least rumor had it.

She gave a slow blink, canting her head to the right as she regarded him with an expression that said she clearly thought he was messing with her.

"They are harmless. Didn't do anything of note beyond what their small plots desired to conceive -- and word has it that they couldn't do even that." she told him, bringing the vice up to her lips. It sat between them, right at the corner of her mouth, laying limply while she shut the lid of her case close.

He would have to be a bit more clearer than that to relay what he really meant.