The Slicer and The Dragon

[Erden Tarkhan deWinter]

Planet: Coruscant
Time: 3:15 pm
Venue: The Beauty Queen Bar

The elders sat at the table and looked at the man who took a seat behind them, one of the remaining nominees for the next Chairman. Erden Tarkhan glanced back at them, his dark eyes scanning the faces of the bunch of people who were much older than him. It was a diverse group with different humanoids and aliens, proof that the Society was not restricted to merely the Artisians. Erden knew all of them, some more familiar than others. A red skinned Twi'lek who went by the name of Ikimruko. The blue faced Duros was Dazil Lailt. The beady eyed Hutt was Zudeek Qed.

"Everyone is here? Sit then and let's start," Zudeek waved his grubby hand and motioned for the election to begin.

"Is there even a need to do this? Hehe," Ikimruko laughed, her voice filled with sarcasm. "Little Star Kid has fled the Society, hunted by the police. And who is this other nominee? Never heard of him."

"Whatever! Let's not waste time and just vote," a scarred face Mandalorian gestured impatiently.

"Wait," Zudeek raised his hand again and stared at Erden who remained quiet. "Let me get something straight..." Beady eyes glared at the Artisian for a moment, trying to gauge his behaviour. "Are you sure that you did not murder Zok? Swear it before the God of Honour!"

The younger man stared back at the Hutt, emotionless. "I didn't do it."

The Hutt kept silent for another moment, before nodding his head and wriggled back to his seat. The election continued.

"I choose Erden," Dazil Lailt nodded his head at the Artisian. Ikimruko smiled and raised her right hand to follow suit. The rest of the elders followed the crowd, leaving Zudeek with no choice but to reluctantly raise his hand after a few seconds of hesitation. The results were in. Erden Tarkhan was the new Dragon Head, the Chairman of the Heaven and Earth Society.

The new Dragon Head stood up and walked over to the table. "I know some of you don't like me. Well, it doesn't matter now. You can choose another Chairman in the future after three years."

"Hold up," Dazil stood up. "We have another proposal, Erden. The election process is getting tiresome and constant leadership changes are not good to the Society. I propose that we let you lead the Society permanently. If you mess up, we have the rights to nominate another Chairman."

"This is madness! You guys are breaking the rules!" Zudeek furiously slammed his fist on the table, breaking his glass of wine. He looked around the table for support, but most of the Elders kept quiet and merely ignored him.

"I agree. Erden boy is the best person to lead the Society. Other Societies have permanent Chairmen who run things more effectively, so why shouldn't we do so as well?" Ikimruko smiled, knowing that the tide was in the new Dragon Head's favour.

********​

The meeting was finally over and he found himself heading out of the restaurant. He needed to thank someone special who had been the key to his success, someone who pulled off the impossible against all odds. His speeder flew across the streets, joining to the rest of the traffic to head towards a luxurious restaurant at the top of the magnificent Kingston Hotel. A table was already reserved for him in the VIP room and she had said that she would turn up.

"Mr Tarkhan. Please, follow me." The manager of the restaurant guided him to his table, his bodyguards tailing behind and staying put outside the room. Erden got seated and ordered a bottle of wine for himself while waiting for a certain [member="Aren D'Shade"].

 

[Aren D'Shade]

The young woman had been contacted by Erdan some months ago. They had communicated via the holonet through this entire process. He made sure to pay her for deeds when it became clear she wasn't going to be a failure.

What had started out with small assignments to slice into certain things, Aren had easily accomplished these deeds. As time passed, he brought her more work and things were going well for her. She knew what he was trying to accomplish and hid their hands in the business. Leaving false leads, trails and hints behind, it would take a slicer better than her to break.

These things came naturally to Aren and Erden was the man to make the most use of them.

Before he had entered into his meeting to make things final on his end, they had agreed to meet for a celebration dinner. Leaving her companions behind, she dressed for the place, but still carried her bag. It was full of the tools she used in her business. Now instead of the more crude and homemade items she had before, they were now high quality and had hardly started to show use.

Wearing a dark, but quite formal dress. It was dark, almost black metallic purple that matched the sheen of her hair. Over the dress was a shawl that barely covered her shoulders and the tattoo on her upper arm could be seen. Arriving just a few minutes after Erden, she was guided to the private room he had reserved for the two of them.

Not having to touch the door, it was opened for her and she walked into see the face of the man she had been working for. Though Aren was young, she had matured into a woman since leaving Zakuul. Confident now in her ability, she still wasn't as confident when dealing with organics. Erden was certainly one of them. Attempting to brush aside her apprehension about meeting him, she walked into the room.

Brown eyes met the black of his and she nodded as she advanced to the table.

"Good evening. Thank you for hosting this dinner. Aren D'Shade."

[member="Erden Tarkhan"]

 

[Arekk]

Coruscant, The Core Worlds​

"The nightmare was always the same. Violent shapes moving in darkness, old and ugly. The killer's mad laughter was a riddle filled with wicked innuendo."
——————————————————————​

[member="Aren D'Shade"] ~ [member="Erden Tarkhan"] ​

The city on the verge of greatness. A new type of city, based not on the man, but on wealth. Credits, symbol of freedom and vitality. Where every man can own his own home and have room to breathe and not be overlooked by his neighbors. A city where a man's home is his castle. A quarter acre of the dream made possible by the victory. A city of opportunists. A city of dreams where Coruscant will shape the thoughts and desires of the entire galaxy. A city of pioneers. A city of dreamers. A city of undercurrents, where not everything is as it seems. A booming city that will and has become a model for the world. A city that has no boundaries, that will stretch as far as the eye can see.

Arekk was back in his homeworld once more, even after swearing he would never set foot in this forsaken place ever again yet here he was. His reasons were justifiable this time considering that his current partner, [member="Tava Del Nove"], continued to reside here ever since their childhood growing up in the gutter trying to fend for their lives. From time to time, painful memories and flashback flooded the fallen Jedi's mind to which he liked to make disappear with long walks under the lights of the city.

Family. It was always about that despite his null contact with Aren after long six months, she was the only family he had at all. A message found its way to her datapad earlier that day, telling her that he'd be in the city should she ever want to visit. It was worth the try, he missed her tons.

Disappearing into the depths of Coruscant, Arekk began his quiet walk...

​

——————————————————————​

 

[Erden Tarkhan deWinter]

"Aren. There you are."

The man tilted his head towards the newcomer who had entered into the room, dark eyes meeting hers for a moment. The slicer was dressed in a formal dress for the occasion, instead of her usual attire. It was the first time they actually met face to face, always through the holonet and never in the flesh. It suited [member="Aren D'Shade"] more than Erden, who preferred to meet the person first before agreeing with hire. The only reason he did it was because she had shown her capability since the beginning from the smallest assignments. For now, it seemed that the trust had definitely paid off.

"It's good to finally meet you in person. Have a seat."

He got up from his chair and shook her hand, while the waiter hovered nearby pulled out the chair for the young woman. Tea was poured for the slicer while Erden sat there, recalling the times they spent talking online. It was as if they knew each other, with her breaking into certain systems to pull out certain sensitive business transactions. With the records, Erden was able to convince some of the Elders who were sitting on the fence to vote for him. Other dirty work was done by Erden's men.

Strangely enough, there was another set of utensils and an empty chair next to them.

"Dinner will be served. It's a eight course meal cooked by the celebrity chef Martin Dip. Your brother should be coming too, I have invited him."

The Dragon Head did his homework. [member="Arekk"] should have received the invitation by now, with a speeder sent to fetch him. There was no reason for her brother to say no.

********​

Zudeek was furious when the meeting was over. He had supported the previous Chairman Zok to continue running as the Chairman, but Erden had won after cleverly dispatching his ally. None of the other Elders were keen to pursue the matter since Erden's business in the spice trade was racking in the dough. Not him. Not the Hutt, who had backing from the Hutt Cartel and had keen interest to support the previous Chairman.

Aren had cleverly sent the communications archival between Zok and the Hutts to two specific people indicated by Erden.

Ikimruko aka "Red Mercy", Elder

Dazil Lailt aka "Scar Face", Elder

It was the perfect strategy. To "Kill With A Borrowed Knife".

 

[Aren D'Shade]

The young woman had no idea Erden knew of her brother. They had been born here on Coruscant, but Aren had quickly been adopted and taken away to Zakuul. Her brother had remained behind and grew up on the streets here. Everything had been provided to her and Ar'ekk had needed to work diligently to get where he was now. Two totally different lives, but yet they had found each other again.

When Erden mentioned he had invited Ar'ekk, she tensed up. Not because she didn't want to see her brother but because she had not mentioned him to her employer. How had he learned of him? It was the thought that crossed her mind and the only answer she could come up with was he had other people like her working for him. That was not totally surprising though.

She thought she had wiped all that information away. Of course, there were always backups somewhere and he must have gotten access to them. Shaking the hand he offered, she took the offered seat and nodded at his words.

"How did you learn of my brother?"

Old enough to know better, there were times when her thoughts still burbled out and this was one of them. Chewing on her lower lip, it was a nervous habit she had picked up. Another one she had was sticking the tip of her tongue out when she focused on something. On more than one occasion, Erden could have caught her with that expression if they had been on holocall. As it was, he knew too much about her, but she also had an equal amount of dirt on him. If either of them ever tried to blackmail the other, it would become a long war on information. Doubting very much that would happen, she sat down and waited on his answer.

[member="Erden Tarkhan"] [member="Arekk"]

 

[Arekk]

Coruscant, The Core Worlds​

"The nightmare was always the same. Violent shapes moving in darkness, old and ugly. The killer's mad laughter was a riddle filled with wicked innuendo."
——————————————————————​

[member="Aren D'Shade"] ~ [member="Erden Tarkhan"]​

Everybody knew someone in the underworld. The Champion of the Kajidii was once vastly known in the Smuggler's Moon, his name carried a heavy reputation that many feared but everything about that had faded four years ago. How did Erden knew of his whereabouts let alone inviting him for dinner had come about was not something he sought to dig into further.

The fallen Jedi's watch beeped and a small holographic message popped up from it that read Erden's invitation to meet him at the Kingston Hotel, transportation had already been arranged. Surely, Erden and whoever else Arekk was meeting wouldn't mind he was carrying a custom K-16 Bryar Pistol in the depths of his leather jacket.

Arekk was oblivious of Aren's presence at the meeting considering it wasn't mentioned in the message nor the details of said reunion were disclosed. He didn't mind, of course, it was a common tactic to avoid being detected by law enforcement and be obviously be trapped in criminal activity.

Once the arranged transportation had located and allowed the slicer to enter its luxurious interior, Arekk laid back on the seat and watched Coruscant's skyline in the distance. Booming as ever, the city that never sleeps. It always had something going on, regardless of location of time... It was home for him, one way or the other, whether he liked it or not.

The Kingston Hotel looked marvelous from the outside. A luxury not many could afford, that he could, though he was more eager about the meeting rather than the expenses.

"Mr. Daesharacor? You're being expected. Please, follow me." The butler said while guiding the fallen Jedi to the nearest elevator, taking him to where Erden and Aren were. "Have fun."

——————————————————————​

 

[Erden Tarkhan deWinter]

"How do I know your brother?" The man was amused by the question, slowly picking up his glass of wine and taking a sip. Information was power and [member="Aren D'Shade"] probably knew that. She might have access to information through the holonet and could hack her way through security, but some information could only be found through whispers in the shadows.

"Your brother was an infamous criminal in Nar Shaddaa. But yes, there was no link between you and him at that point of time. It took some digging to find out. Lots of digging about you actually. I needed to know you were trustworthy. The fact that you were his little sister was some side information that we came across."

Erden explained the logic to the younger woman and noticed the biting of her lips indicating her nervousness. "You did a great job, so I won't exactly worry if I were you. Please, sit back and relax..."

The door behind Aren slid open, revealing a rugged looking newcomer who was none other than @Arekk.

"And that's your brother. Welcome Mr Daesharacor. Please, have a seat and join us for a celebration dinner. Your sister has done excellent work for me."

The waiter pulled out the empty seat for Arekk while Erden stood up with open palms to indicate he meant no ill intention.

********​

"I will watch out for the Hutt if I were you, Ikimruko," the Duros leaned his head over to whisper to the Twi'lek who was sitting next to him at the lounge. "He's definitely not pleased with the result."

"Maybe, but his attention is probably more focused on Erden boy for now. Let's hope he turns out alright and survives long enough."

"Not going to help him? I thought you fancy him."

"I have already helped him enough. The rest is up to him."

 

[Aren D'Shade]

Nodding at the straight forward and honest answer Erden provided, she had learned a great deal about her brother in her line of work. Marks and traces of him were pretty much everywhere, but hers were much less. His additional words did not fully relieve the tension she held, but they did help. Accepting his invitation to sit back and relax, she took her first drink of the wine in front of them.

As she set her glass down, her brother came in and both she and Erden stood up. Giving him a familiar smile, she remained standing in her spot until he might get closer.

He would notice some changes within her from the times they had met. Aren had grown up a great deal and no longer had on her headset of music. She was able to carry herself with a bit more confidence and that showed in her stance. Still not much of a fighter, she was learning different methods of fighting. In a way, she could be thought of as an information broker and could forge, slice or do almost anything that was needed to be done.

"Hello, brother. It has been too long since we saw each other last. How are things?"

[member="Erden Tarkhan"] [member="Arekk"]

 

[Arekk]

Coruscant, The Core Worlds​

"The nightmare was always the same. Violent shapes moving in darkness, old and ugly. The killer's mad laughter was a riddle filled with wicked innuendo."
——————————————————————​

[member="Aren D'Shade"] ~ [member="Erden Tarkhan"]​

"Good to see you again, little sister. I'm as good as I can be."

Arekk's demeanor oozed confidence and his walk style totally showed that, waltzing into the restaurant with practiced bravado and in a manner that you'd think he owned the damned place. It was years of building a reputation amongst the scum of the Smuggler's Moon and then Lithios, Coruscant had heard of The Champion of the Kajidii as well. He was well received by the common thugs and several reputed organized crime figures, acknowledged by his past doings. Erden was one of them, or so he thought, even if they never crossed paths before.

"Mr. Tarkhan." He said with conviction while moving over to take a seat where he was designated, removing imaginary specks from his leather jacket. "Is that so?"

There was no doubt in telling that Aren was Arekk's sister considering their similar facial features and expressions but also their prowess at excelling in their work, showing their capabilities to develop themselves in any kind of enviroment or situation without pressure. It certainly made his heart sink that Aren had taken the very same path as his brother, to mingle with criminals and not strive for something better.

But he couldn't do or say anything, it was her life now, she had grown up so fast too.

"Cool outfit, sis. I didn't take you for someone that wore dresses and earrings."

A faint whisper found her ear, followed by a playful grin. Some things never change...

——————————————————————​

 

[Erden Tarkhan deWinter]

"Well met. Just call me Erden, and I'll call you [member="Arekk"] in return. Makes things easier," the dark haired man took his seat beside the two siblings and waved at the waiter. The menu was already selected in advance, a fusion cuisine offering Artisian and Coruscant dishes. The chef Martin Dip was one of Erden's favourite and he was positive that the meal tonight would be worth the credits. He took a couple of nuts from the snack plate while sipping on his wine while the waiter poured a new glass each for his guests.

"If you don't like wine or tea, feel free to order any beverage," Erden pointed to the blinking holopad containing the menu. "And here's the food."

Two new waiters appeared, serving the first dish which consisted of a fine selection of cold platter and placed a roast duck on the side. A middle aged chef strolled in and waved at Erden warmly, "Erden! Long time no see! Glad you bring new friends to my restaurant." The chef proceeded to pick up the sharp knife and started slicing the duck into smaller bite size pieces. Each piece of crispy skin was accompanied by a piece of juicy duck meat, vegetables and sweet sauce to be placed on top of a thin flour pastry before being wrapped up.

"Famous crispy Jar'Kai duck from Artisia. Enjoy..." the chef beamed at his guests as the waiter placed the wrapped duck meat in the middle of the table. Erden smiled and offered his guests to taste his food from hometown when his holodevice rang. He excused himself, leaving the room and picked it up along the corridor, deciding to take it as a holocall instead of the usual video function for some privacy. All [member="Aren D'Shade"] and Arekk could hear were his own replies.

"Boss, this is Ah Nam. I have bad news."

"Speak."

"The Dragon Rod... it's not in the shrine. Someone stole it!"

"No? Okay noted. Keep me updated by end of the day."

"Okay boss."

The call ended and Erden forced himself to smile when he entered back into the room. "How's the food? Martin here is a fantastic chef, hope you are enjoying it."

 

[Aren D'Shade]

There was a change in Ar'ekk from the previous times they had met. He now carried himself differently. To her it a sign they had both changed. What she did not know was this was a mask he was wearing. She had yet to develop one for herself and what was seen as the real Aren. What she was, was a person coming of age and learning her spot in the large galaxy. Where her abilities fit into the grand scheme and just what they offered to her.

Maybe it had been their meeting that opened the door for Ar'ekk to also get into slicing. He hadn't been one that day they tripped across each other when she tried to steal his ship on Zakuul before they knew of their relationship. Her own skills had just been budding then and since she had worked her way up the ladder and might be even better at this than her brother.

He asked for clarification from Erden though on his comment that she had helped him greatly. This she already knew and nodded slightly in agreement. Answers would be given to any questions she was sure and wanted to hear from Erden of their future plans. The whisper her brother gave her brought about a slightly dirty look from her.

When he sat down next to her, he might notice a few other changes. The two largest were an absence of her companions and the lack of the bag of tools she always carried. Not to mention her missing headset. Aren really was a changed woman from the girl he had met.

Erden got a holocall as their food arrived and excused himself to take it. Only hearing his half of the conversation, she had the feeling her work wasn't done for him. From one job to another, Erden was keeping Aren busy and it looked like that would continue. She was happy with this development but did not comment on it as he rejoined them.

"This food is wonderful. Thank you again for this."

Accepting more wine, she also started eating the small portions of food in front of them. This was going to be a large meal and she only took small portions so she could try everything that was brought out.

[member="Erden Tarkhan"] [member="Arekk"]

 

[Arekk]

Coruscant, The Core Worlds​

"The nightmare was always the same. Violent shapes moving in darkness, old and ugly. The killer's mad laughter was a riddle filled with wicked innuendo."
——————————————————————​

[member="Aren D'Shade"] ~ [member="Erden Tarkhan"]​

"Marvelous food. Not really my thing but enjoyable."

A small lie to the chef to not hurt his feelings wouldn't kill anyone as the fallen Jedi's own plate was even barely touched, if at all. The mean mug given by Aren made his childish grin beam once more, shaking his head while her eyes darted against his own with the same intensity worthy of their bloodline.

Everyone grows up, including Aren. She was a woman now and not the kid he had met on Zakkul, his own little sister had become an adult now. Despite all of this she would continue to be small in his eyes because that's how siblings went about things, there was no other explanation.

"Very well, now." Arekk leaned forward in an attempt to impose his own presence, well aware that Erden had one of his own. A clash of egos, sort of speak. "What's the reason for my invitation, Mr. Tarkhan?"

The tone in his voice wasn't of defiance or arrogance but rather honest curiosity and awareness, knowing very well that Erden wasn't involved in certain legal aspects of this line of work. Arekk's reputation was known and there was only one reason why he would be summoned: A job that involved both sister and brother.

"Highly doubt this is a social call, well, at some extent. It's a celebration." He paused for a moment while thoroughly pondering what his next words would be, savouring the wine from his glass. "A great one at that."

——————————————————————​

 

[Erden Tarkhan deWinter]

[member="Arekk"] was a poor liar when the food on his plate remained mostly untouched. Martin Dip noticed that as well, nodding his head in acknowledgement that the newcomer was probably more interested in something else more suited to his taste buds. The chef smiled again, excusing himself for a moment and came back with several loaves of bread and some additional ingredients. "Erden, why you never say your guest like other cuisine? Don't worry. Uncle Dip give you new food..."

He flashed his trademark smile at the man and his knife moved again, cutting up the bread and filling it with familiar ingredients that Arekk would probably recognise. Mini "Hungry Hutt" sandwiches appeared on the dish, topped up with crispy duck meat on the side.

Meanwhile, Erden flashed a smile and nodded, knowing that he had indeed made a mistake. At the very least, [member="Aren D'Shade"] was more adventurous than her brother and seemed to enjoy the current menu. He thanked Martin for his hard work and whispered a few words in the chef's ear to make some changes to the original menu. "No problem. Enjoy," the chef smiled and left the room hastily to tell the cooks under him to prepare new dishes based on a more traditional Coruscant cuisine for Arekk. With that done, Erden turned his attention to Arekk who had asked him why the invitation was made, pausing for a moment to gather his thoughts.

"As I said, Aren has helped me with some work to let me win the election within the Heaven and Earth Society."

He let the words sink in, deciding that Arekk would have heard of his organisation before but probably had no idea what he meant by an election.

"The Society Chairman is won by a voting process decided by the senior members. I have just won the majority vote and have been given the title, and that means new leadership and new changes. I need people who are willing to help the Society. Payment is not an issue. I trust that Aren is more than happy to continue helping me if I ask her."

He made a gesture towards Aren who had obviously been making good use of the credits he had paid her, showing that he was willing to pay. Now the only question was whether Arekk was keen to join in.

"How about you? Some people prefer credits. Others prefer power. And yet some like information. If you are willing to help, name your price and we can reach a deal. I am very sure I will need the help soon."

Erden made no mention about the missing Dragon Rod. He needed to finish the meal first, or at the very least to obtain the agreement of the two guests to continue helping him before he revealed anything more.

 

[Aren D'Shade]

The young woman was already working for Erden, even if her current job had been completed. As long as he kept giving her missions to do, she would continue working for him. So far, no danger had come her direction, but in her line of work, that possibility hung over her head. A time might come when hired thugs or gang members turned her direction. Tonight was not one of them though or at least not here while they were eating dinner.

There really wasn't much Aren could contribute to the conversation going on. Plenty of food for her to eat though. When the chef created something special for Ar'ekk, she had to try it too. Reaching over to his plate, she snagged a few of the sandwiches and put them on her plate.

Looking at her brother with a mischievous glint in her eyes, she dated him to try and stop her from taking them. She was quite curious about his answer though and kept silent, waiting to hear it.

[member="Erden Tarkhan"] [member="Arekk"]

 

[Arekk]

Coruscant, The Core Worlds​

"The nightmare was always the same. Violent shapes moving in darkness, old and ugly. The killer's mad laughter was a riddle filled with wicked innuendo."
——————————————————————​

[member="Aren D'Shade"] ~ [member="Erden Tarkhan"]​

"Credits aren't an issue for me so that's out of the question. Let's talk about power."

Arekk had been feeling the temptation to leave out the criminal life once and for all, with a justified reason such as Jyn's death, but something kept dragging him every time his mind thought of such thing. One last job, one last everything. When it would be the last one for real? Maybe his time would come soon until there were no more things left to do.

He didn't want to think about that, not now. Aren had already been associating herself with the same common thugs that he did and as an older brother he disliked that tenfold but one's got to survives somehow. She had that Daesharacor blood that calls you to do thing on your own, to take risks and be willing to take matters into your own hands.

"I want to know what would you be able to offer me. I'm a considerate person, Mr Tarkhan, so don't think I'll ask for something outrageous." A classic way of negotiating a deal without beating the bush around, straight to the point. "All ears."

Arekk's blue pools darted on his little sister's as if he was going to swallow her soul as her hands reached out to grab food out of his plate, a robotic hand engulfing her own in an attempt to stop her. The metal was cold just like he was during 'business', it practically screamed for her to stop.

The glint in his eyes showed the void that Jyn had left behind, the scars that continue to bleed and that are invisible to the natural eye.

——————————————————————​

 

[Erden Tarkhan deWinter]

More food was served from the kitchen, breaking the momentum of the conversation that the trio were having. Chef Martin had indeed been working hard to push the kitchen, creating dishes that were suitable to everyone's taste buds. A large plate of seafood delicacies for [member="Arekk"] to munch on and for [member="Aren D'Shade"] to steal some if she wanted to, while the rest was served with a fresh Dantooinian garfish that was swimming in the tank less than an hour ago. Erden noticed the squabble between the siblings and made considerable interest in studying the brother's cybernetic arm, wondering how he had gotten it.

"Power huh."

Erden picked up his chopsticks and easily placed some of the fish meat on his plate, chewing for a moment to decide what he could offer.

"You know what is the difference between a normal gang leader and a shadow leader? A typical gang leader owns a gang, recruits members into his group and shows his face around. He leads his people, he motivates them and he is openly acknowledged as their boss. That is a straight trip to the jail. A typical criminal."

A pause and more chewing.

"A shadow leader is different. He spends his time talking and interacting with his social circle, owns stakes in businesses and gets people to work for him. His friends and acquaintances include politicians, policemen and other leaders from similar organisations."

To prove his point, he picked up his holodevice and showed the latest holomessage from the police commissioner congratulating him as the new Chairman.

"So what do you think, Arekk? Enough connections to make life smooth."

 

[Aren D'Shade]

It was good to know her brother had made enough credits to not need more. She was still working on that herself. Erden had certainly helped her make a start in saving up and the young woman was thankful for that.

Ar'ekk asked for power and she found that interesting. It seemed he and her employer were similar. Both of them wanted power. For what reason though? What would her brother want with more power?

When he attempted to stop her from taking a couple of sandwiches from his plate, she focused for a moment on his hand. He was part cybernetic and her ability in the Force allowed her to control electronics. However, she did not need to actually use her ability on him and he let go before she did. It would have been nice to show him just what she could do now, but it was a failed attempt.

Carefully listening to what Erden said about power, she knew what kind of leader he was. He was the kind of person she wanted to emulate and in time just hoped to be able to. To run things from the shadows was a safer bet than in the spotlight.

[member="Erden Tarkhan"] [member="Arekk"]

 

[Arekk]

Coruscant, The Core Worlds​

"The nightmare was always the same. Violent shapes moving in darkness, old and ugly. The killer's mad laughter was a riddle filled with wicked innuendo."
——————————————————————​

[member="Aren D'Shade"] ~ @Erden Tarkhan​

"My reputation's good enough to live a smooth life, Erden. Your offer pleases me, however."

Keep your dogs on a leash and they will not come back to bite you, Arekk was well aware of the risks that conveyed with taking over another group of like-minded individuals hungry to make money ever since the downfall of The Hawk's Circle. This time he would keep a good grip on them and at the first minute of issues he'd put things down quickly without hesitation, that was for sure.

Nobody would meet with him personally or know who he really was unless you were part of a very, very exclusive group of trustable people.

All he could ever want was to have family to his side, someone like Aren to run a side of the business in a way that both could stay away from the public spotlight and live their lives without having to worry about a thing. It'd be a hard thing to request to Erden but hopefully they would be able to come to an agreement.

"I'd like Aren to be my right hand on this. That's my asking price."

——————————————————————​

 

[Erden Tarkhan deWinter]

It appeared that [member="Arekk"] was probably not interested in what he had to offer. Erden could understand though, having seen some criminals who had tried to leave their past and not to return to their old ways. The ones who could succeed and avoid slipping back into the darkness were generally those who had enough willpower and determination to do so. The Atrisian could respect that. The crimelord had nothing else to offer for the moment, simply nodding his head upon hearing Arekk's words.

"I don't think Aren has any wish to leave any time soon. I have never forced her to stay, isn't it?"

Erden shot a smile at [member="Aren D'Shade"] who seemed to be agreeing with his view.

"That said, feel free to be there for her when she does her stuff. I won't stop a brother looking after his sister, especially when there are risks involved."

A pause to allow him to think, while he tackled the food on his plate and took a sip of his wine.

"Now to business, shall we? I may be the new Chairman of the Society, but I am lacking something important that supports my claim. This important object is called the Dragon Rod, a symbol of power within the Society and it has been stolen. Now you may ask, what is the point of possessing such an object? The problem is tradition."

Erden sighed, not sure if the two guests sitting around the table would appreciate what he was explaining.

"The Society is an ancient organisation that could trace back more than twenty thousand years ago, with its own set of rules and tradition to follow. I may be calling the shots now, but anyone from the Society who had laid his hands on the Dragon Rod could easily present it to the Elders and claim that I was not fit to be the Chairman. Tradition would dictate the Elders to nominate the person who was wielding the Rod as the new Chairman."

More wine and another pause to let the information sink in.

"Someone within the Society is going against me. I need to get the Rod back and-"

Those were the last words he spoke when blaster shots were heard outside of the room and unknown assailants kicked down the door. The Atrisian tossed his chopsticks at the leading attacker, imbuing the wood with enough force to pierce through his body. He flipped the table up, using it to block the blaster shots and dragged Aren away towards the wall to protect her.

"Puk gai. The traitor acts quickly..."

Erden cursed in his native language and wondered who was the betrayer. Zudeek the Hutt seemed to be the most suspicious, but it could also be any of the elders or his competitors who had returned.

 

[Aren D'Shade]

While Aren was a few years younger than her brother, her own reputation was growing and soon she could also say she lived a smooth life. That is until a service she provided came back to bite her. She might be the dog of Erden, but she had no intention of biting him.

When Ar'ekk said the price would be her to be his assistant, she just about choked on her bite of food.

"What do you need me for?"

And the question was out before she could stop it. Looking at her brother, she pounded at her chest to ease up on the coughing from that bite of food. She also took a few sips of her drink to try and wash it down.

Erden made a point in saying she could leave any time, it was partially true. She knew full well what leaving entailed, but she did not wish to leave. He also brought up a point in that he was missing a certain item to make his claim legitimate.

Pulling out her datapad, Aren typed in a few words and pulled up some additional information he had not provided. Just as she finished, the door burst open and she found herself getting dragged away. It was probably a good thing she had left her bag in her room or she would have needed to go back and grab it.

She would not be able to do anything to any of the attackers themselves until she got a better look at them, but she could short out their blasters. Anything that had to do with technology she could control. Reaching out with the Force in a spur of thought, the weapons stopped firing.

[member="Erden Tarkhan deWinter"] [member="Arekk"]