The Path to the Truth is Most Twisted

[Cora Passek]

Questions, like rain drops Cora had a million of them. A million of them about her past, her father, her family, and what had ultimately led to the need for their assassinations. So much didn't make sense. Some did sure. But far too much just didn't add up.

It was the old Sith Empire (not this new thing that's out and about these days) and they weren't exactly the most kind to failure, or betrayal, or looking at them wrong. Could have just been a Sith with a temper problem on a bad day and her father in the wrong place.

But then why go all scorched earth on her family? That was a little more than a Sith with a bad temper and a fit of rage. No, that was cold and calculated. It was a show of strength, of power, and likely a warning to all others to never do what her father had done. And the word traitor had been floated by her enough times that Cora had started to believe there was a lot more to this story than she knew. That there was a piece to the puzzle, or a few hundred that were missing.

Unfortunately this was going to require going back into territory that was less familiar these days, the criminal underground. After all, that was where the best infochants were, and right now she needed one, or at least someone with the proper ties that Cora no longer held.

Sure, she could have worked through Firemane and their Intel head but the woman had shot her last time. And she was still a little sore about that fact - even if it was for her own good. There were other reasons too. Cora had no idea where this road was going to lead. No idea what kind of people she'd run into, or what she would ultimately find at the end of the path and wasn't sure she wanted her new found friends to know what she'd discover. After all, Cora's loyalty once upon a time had been solely to the Sith and she never dreamed of a day that would change. Cora just had no clue how quickly in her life that was going to change and she would find herself loathing the ones she had once been so loyal to.

Now, truth be told, Cora was afraid of what she was going to find on the other end of this. And she didn't want to get anyone that was even remotely close to her involved in this until she had a little more certainty about where this all was going to lead. Right now all she knew was a simple phrase her father often told her 'Nothing is ever as it appears to be'. Somehow she had a feeling those words were going to apply here.

The unfortunately thing was Cora needed a name. A person still on the inside she could work with. Well, there was always the money launderer that owed her a few favors. You see whether you're a spice dealer, a thief, an arms dealer, or a spook, you need someone to clean your money. Which make a good money launderer the closest thing to the yellow pages for criminals. Favors were owe and she needed one called in. And so her dear money laundering friend passed the needed info along to Cora with little question.

Passek sat down and typed a quick message to Miss Blonde, requesting a meeting in three days time at the Dragon Palace Casino on Antecedent to discuss some business. She chose not to elaborate further than that. She just hoped that the Passek name still carried some weight, at least enough to avoid any nastiness. After all, Cora kept her word and kept her deals to damn near a fault. With luck they'd both have something to gain out of this.

Three days later, always on time Cora arrived Antecedent and soon made her way to the Casino. There she found her way to the bar, ordering a simple scotch. Just a little something to cool her nerves while she waited.

[member="Miss Blonde"]

 

[Miss Blonde]

The name Passek meant next to nothing in the criminal underworld these days, a fabled rumor here, a whisper there about some legendary jobs that were blown way out of proportion by word of mouth. But at the end of the day the name meant nothing more than those whispers, just something to tilt your head and say "hmm that's interesting." To not be rude. But the name was still slightly interesting to people who were around during the reign of the Sith Empire, all these younger kids these days not knowing what it was like during the Great War.

People who lived it like Miss Blonde wouldn't shy away from having an older soul around, especially if they wanted to do business. These days every kid with a lightsaber or a fancy sword not tied to a force order wanted to be the next Tony Montana and play criminals, more often then not Blonde put them in shallow damp graves on Enigma Prime so it would be refreshing to not have to do that this time around.

Miss Blonde herself however normally wouldn't be caught dead at the main bar where the peasants drank "luxury imported craft alcohol" really that was just a placebo effect, cheap liquor with a different label strapped on it arranged under fancy lights marked up a thousand percent then sold to the drooling masses who wanted to drink and gamble. Was it a bit unethical? Yes. But hey they were criminals after all.

Cora wouldn't get that sort of in and out service industry treatment, she'd be invited by a half naked female Twi'lek cocktail waitress to join them in the back lounge where the high rollers were. And if she chose to follow she'd be privileged to the sights of what she had long missed.

Governors shaking hands with gangsters, overpaid hitmen laying on sofa's with beautiful servants caressing them, armed guards dressed in fine suits toting assault rifles openly at marked doors, and last but not least, the drugs. Pro athletes to holonet show hosts smoking, snorting, shooting lovely lovely drugs into their bodies off the backs and privates of various nude bodies of various genders.

And it would all lead to one table where a woman who looked as if she were no older than twenty three had a pair of reading glasses on as she stared at a tablet with one hand and picked at an expensive salad with fork in the other. The blonde woman wore a black suit and skinny black tie as she ate her lunch and continued to read up on current events and news stories.

[member="Cora Passek"]

 

[Cora Passek]

In truth, Cora knew her name was likely to be nothing but rumors on the wind. It was something akin to smoke in the air, there one moment and gone the next with little notice at all. Her deeds mostly forgotten since she'd got out of the business as it were. But at least even entertaining rumors were enough to get you in the door. After all, if they didn't ... Well there was going to be one very dead money launderer. No one would miss him. Not a soul to mourn him at his funeral, just the way she liked it. People who were unattached to family, without people to miss them, were much easier to be rid of if they got in the way of the goal. Well, easier to get rid of without creating some poor child who down the road would nobly seek out revenge.

Now, that half naked Twi'lek, what girl could complain about that that kind of beauty. She followed behind, with her eyes flitting about on the way carefully, seeking out exits, counting the out the numbers, the guns, the men, gangsters, crimin ... er politicians - Old habits never died as she easily slipped back into her old role. Just like a favorite pair of heels, so comfortable, so right. These habits had kept her alive this long in this type of seedy realm and she wasn't about to let that go. No, she liked that breathing thing a little too much.

At least Cora's needs were so much simpler than the fresh pups out there, still wet behind the ears. She'd been around the block, perhaps one too many times, with the scars to prove it. The lovely blonde came to the table with all the confidence of of a women who'd been around the block, who held little fear, cared little for her own well being and would do anything to get the job done. For today she had a job that needed to be done, and a goal she wanted to reach. "I hope you don't mind if I join you, Miss Blonde, is it?" She smirked a little, "I'd hate to have come all this way only to find this is the wrong place, and you are the wrong woman."

This game she was getting into, could be dangerous. She knew that. But so was anything to do with her past, with the Sith. Most folks would think it was a foolish errand and hardly worth reentering the criminal world to try and solve this one mystery that left her the very last of her line.

[member="Miss Blonde"]

 

[Miss Blonde]

[media] https://youtu.be/Rve03u7oEvI [/media]​

On stage there was a full band and singer playing a very classy rendition of underground Coruscant street music, it was oh so Miss Blonde and it helped set the scene that Cora was within. The woman didn't immediately respond to the woman's questions and statement, she was busy chewing some leafy green imported from Oberon where the palace got all of its produce within wild space. Once she swallowed the woman looked over to Cora and tilted her glasses down to get a good look at her, and at first glance she was pretty sure she wasn't working for some narc. Once she had a feel for her the tiny blonde woman set the data pad down and pushed it aside.

But she didn't speak yet, she was rather impressed. Most of the little thugs running around popping pistols and posting their drugs to social media wouldn't of bothered to ask about if it was cool sitting down or joining in. The woman gave a soft professional smile in response then slid her salad down the table with the datapad. Once the table was clean enough the woman finally spoke to Cora.

"So the legends are true." Miss Blonde said with a little chuckle afterwards.

" yes I'm Miss Blonde, please sit." Ushering her arm forward towards the opposite seat in the booth, then the woman would snap her fingers towards a waiter who would make their way towards them.

"Cora Passek, man that name brings me back. From one criminal scumbag to another gotta say I'm a big fan. Tell me your message was quite vague when it came to what exactly it was you wanted. But we can get you anything for the right price, what are you looking for? Darth Nihlus' mask? Boba Fett's armor? Spice? Women? Men? Consensual of course, rather despise slavery. Forgive me I'm rambling, what can I do for you?" Blonde was about to wait for response but before she could commence with said waiting the waiter arrived to take their order.

"Good Afternoon Miss Blonde, what can I get for you and your associate?"

"I'll have a Cosmo, and get whatever Miss Passek wants. None of the cheap stuff either." Blonde said with that same smile before looking back to Cora.

"Please, it's on the house." It would be insulting if she didn't indulge a bit, after all when your host offered you food or drink you accepted.

Especially if it was within the criminal underworld, respect traveled a long way there and people had been killed for less. It was a sign that yes you were indeed welcome here, please partake of my home and kingdom and be happy. So to reject that would be a slap in the face.

[member="Cora Passek"]

 

[Cora Passek]

"Legend? I hardly knew I'd reached that status. I thought I was just a forgotten myth, that few ever knew or set eyes on." She sighed thinking back to older days. Days she wasn't exactly the most fond of. She'd been reckless, cruel, and unmerciful in getting her revenge back then. A shame to learn now that she'd been the very thing she'd loathed so much - a force user. But that was a tale for another night, after a whole lot of liquor. There were standards in her generation of criminals. If class and decorum wasn't properly held, a person might find them on the wrong end of a blaster and in a shallow grave without ceremony and no one to remember them. Cora took her seat at the woman's invitation.

Cora smiled as she leaned back comfortably in her chair. She then turned and looked to the server, "Just a Scotch on the rocks and I'm content, thank you." At that point, she turned her chair just slightly so she could watch most of the room with her peripheral vision. Habits. Old habits. "Well I must admit, I'm surprised. I figured I'd be completely forgotten since I retired from this world." She said with a wave of her hand to the room around her. "Most are quick to forget, and if truth be told I'm grateful for that. Fewer problems to worry about in the future."

Then she took in a deep breath composing herself. "I'm not accustom to stating my business over the holonet. You never know who could be watching or could intercept the message." Paranoid, sure. Smart move in the underworld, most definitely. The paranoid survived much longer. She chuckled slightly, "If only what I wanted was that simple. However, I fear it's not." Her happiness seemed to fade from her face at those words, all joy gone. This was dead serious to Cora, absolutely no joke.

"I'm looking for information. It's going to be hard to find and dangerous." She sighed, "I don't have the contacts I once did, or this might be easier." She shook her head realizing she was getting off topic. "It's a bit complicated. It was years ago, and what actually brought me into the Underworld to begin with. My entire family line, save me, were assassinated by Sith from the old Sith Empire. Not that new one that's recently popped up. My father had been a high ranking government official back then." The woman shrugged, pushing the pain to a place deep within her so it could not, would not bother her.

"The word traitor was floated soon after. But," Cora frowned and sighed, "The more I've pieced together what happened, I've only been left with more questions than answers. I mean sure he may have been a traitor, but he'd been so loyal, instilling loyalty to the Empire in both my sister and I. So that never made sense that he'd betray them. Though, I know everyone, and I mean everyone has a price at which they'll betray what they love. Still, I never believed this to be the case."

"And if could have been just a Sith that he pissed off. Which makes perfect sense, except those Sith back then had class. Standards. Going all scorched earth right down to a six year old girl wasn't what they'd do. They'd take out the problem but not an entire family line, cousins, aunts, uncles, even a few family friends were pulled into that."

Cora sighed so heavily. This had been a weight on her shoulders for years. "I just have a feeling what has been told and floated through the Empire back then and people loyal to them has not been the truth. I need answers. I need to know what really happened. Something tells me this is far more complex than anything I imagined. I simply need help finding the information. As I'm sure you've got eyes and ears just about everywhere. That and knowing my father I've little doubt this will take us to some truly dark places, along with deadly people. It would be unwise for me to make these kind of journeys alone. And I'm more than happy to pay and pay well for assistance." Another heavy sigh, "I know it must seem like a fool's errand but it's something I just can't quite let go of."

[member="Miss Blonde"]