Things In The Night

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Seraphina Shel'tah"]

"As I recall, you're more than okay with my taking charge." Vrak said as she opened the door, his head never turning away from the glass, though a small smile touching his lips.

As soon as the door closed behind her Vrak's gaze floated towards the Muun.

The creature was practically quaking, the orange jumpsuit he still wore already soaked with sweat. The Pureblood frowned in disgust, watching as the alien began to wring his hands upon one another, his nerves quickly fraying as Seraphina spoke to him. There was something in the creatures eyes besides fear however. Perhaps it was guile, the search for opportunity? Vrak frowned just slightly, his eyes falling over the creature as he quietly tried to figure out just what it wanted.

"Y-yes."

The Muun stuttered out, leaning back slightly as if trying to get further away from Sera.

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

The woman glanced around the room lazily, as if she was thinking on what to say. Her fingers curled towards her, green eyes cast down to observe her dirtied nails from the escape before dismissing them back to her side. "Good." Her tone suggested approval of the word, even if he struggled to say it. Pink lekku curled around the back of her head, lightly rubbing against one another.

"As a banker and financial mastermind you meet with a great number of people. A Muun's specialty after all, is finance." It was a statement, not a question.

Her jaw shifted, cracking simply from the adjustment of her bones. "A great number of said people, have wound up--" She paused, head tilting to the side so that her eyes fell on the Muun. Her tongue clicked against the roof of her mouth. "Dead." Her nose wiggled as she studied the man for any particular tells, or signs of nerves he might have. "Why might you think that be?" Ever so slightly she narrowed them. "And remember!" Her voice was almost sickly cheerful. "Don't upset me."

[member="Vrak Nashar"]

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Seraphina Shel'tah"]

"I-I-I..."

The Muun stammered for what seemed like an age.

"I-I don't know, I'm just a Banker!"

Vrak supposed it would have been a bit too easy if the man had just given up everything about his clients, the ones Sera had executed. It would have made matters simple, but also highly suspicious. The Pureblood frowned slightly, watching the Muun as he kept on wringing his hands.

It was clear that he knew more than what he was saying.

"I just handle accounts, that's all."

Vrak perked an eyebrow. The man was now speaking without being asked, that was a sign if he ever saw one.

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

The womans face turned to a scowl. Ever so slowly she drew her legs back, pink feet setting on the floor as her hands came forward to settle clasped together on top of the table directly across from the Muun. The side of her lip curled back in a sneer. She blinked a few times in silence, studying his face.

"We're not off to a good start." Her voice had shifted to a terrible growl. Right hand released its' hold on the left, fingers curling as the Muun felt invisible hands wrap around his throat, applying enough pressure for him to choke on his next breath before she released him from his struggle. "This will be the last time I repeat myself. Do not upset me."

Her tongue pressed along the length of her inner bottom lip, grazing against white teeth as she reconsidered her approach.

"You handle accounts. I am going to read you a list of names of accounts you handle. You will tell me why these names all came to see you. And you will think very carefully for an answer as to why they might have all mysteriously" she used air quotes on the word, "wound up dead. Your life hangs in the balance of your answer. I will warn you that claiming to know nothing will end your life."

[member="Vrak Nashar"]

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Seraphina Shel'tah"]

As Sera began to read the names, the Muun blanched.

Vrak would have thought losing color was impossible for the creatures, their skin almost always being a drab brown, but as Sera continued to read the list of people that she herself had killed The Banker seemed to lose all hope. He frowned slightly, watching the Muun as he attempted to shrink back into the chair, almost as though he were about to disappear. The Pureblood shifted slightly, moving a bit closer to the window to get a better look at the man.

"I-I-i..."

Again with that stutter. Vrak's impatience grew, his fist slamming into the window. There was a loud clatter, the Muun half jumping.

"I DON'T KNOW WHY THEY'RE DEAD!"

The Muun suddenly burst out as the window shook, his eyes darting from it to Sera and then quickly back.

"Someone wanted them killed! I just gave out their information!"

So Vrak's assumption had been right. The Muun was nothing more than a pawn, a cross section that could be leaned on. Sera's employers had very likely picked him simply because he was easily plied and his clients were of the more...questionable sorts.

"The-they came to me because they knew I represented only certain interests in The Core. That's all! I swear! I didn't have anything to do with their deaths."

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

The sudden pounding against the window even gave Sera a small startle. The lekku draped over her back shivered, curling almost instinctively as her head turned ever so slightly back, more so to check if the Sith had actually broken the glass or not. With a sigh she turned back to face the Muun. He had at least given her something this time.

"Who are they?" She asked, leaning forward, now much more interested in the conversation.

"Names. Species. Descriptions. Ships. Organization. Everything you possibly have and know of these people. I want."

Her hand lifted, thumb pointing back behind her. "He's getting impatient. And he is far less accommodating than I."

[member="Vrak Nashar"]

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Seraphina Shel'tah"]

"I DONT KNOW!"

Panic ripped through the man like Vrak had never seen before, his head dashing towards the side, looking at the window in total and torrential fear. The Pureblood smiled, just slightly. Perhaps he wouldn't even have to show his face. The Muun was quite literally shaking in his boots, clearly more afraid of what was unseen than seen. He now saw Sera not as a captor, but as a lifeline, something to be looked at to save him rather than damn him.

"ALL I HAVE IS A LOCATION!"

Vrak perked an eyebrow.

"Whenev-whenever they want information....th-they call me and I go to there. Where the symbol is!"

Symbol?

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

"Where is the location?" She rattled off question after question. "What symbol? Who meets you there? What kind of information?"

The Twi'lek leaned forward, her eyes burning into his. "Tell me, or you'll wish we left you in that prison."

As entertaining as it would be to see his face reel in horror at the realization that she had been the one to kill each and every person on that list, the fact was that him not knowing was in a way more convenient. It gave an aura of mystery as to why they had abducted him, and why they were after the information he was brokering to whoever these others were in the background.

"The person you meet with, is it the same voice on the comm?"

[member="Vrak Nashar"]

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Seraphina Shel'tah"]

"I-it's always the same man."

Muun were cowards.

Vrak had known this going into this little escapade, but this man, he put an entirely different meaning to the word. The Pureblood could practically see the man sweat, panic falling over him, despair. It was disgusting really. The creature had no self respect for himself. Vrak slowly shook his head, looking towards Sera instead of the Banker as if he couldn't stand the sight of the begging cretin anymore.

"The symbol...it's...it's a spiral with horns. Always drawn in a park near m-my home. I've seen it other places though!"

A spiral with horns?

He frowned for a moment, and then slowly pressed his hand on his communicator. "Bring the prisoner a piece of flimsy, and a pencil."

If the Muun could draw the symbol it could turn into a lead.

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

"What does the person look like? Surely you've seen them?"

The game of twenty-one questions was beginning to sour on her. But before she could speak another word the door opened, and in came one of Vrak's men, placing on the table the writing implements before silently leaving the room, abandoning the Muun and Seraphina.

"Draw it." She commanded, her finger pointing towards the items brought to him.

The woman stood from the chair and headed for the door, turning back once more to look at the banker. "I will be back in a moment."

Opening and closing the door behind her she looked to Vrak, arms crossed. "Spiral with horns? Does that mean anything to you?"

[member="Vrak Nashar"]

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Seraphina Shel'tah"]

"I will have to see the drawing." Vrak said cautiously, watching the Muun as he slowly fiddled with the piece of flimsy.

The man was slowly going about drawing what he had described to Seraphina, taking careful measure to make sure that he got every single little detail correct. One could practically sense the nerves of the man beginning to fray, fear emanating from him more than anything else. The Pureblood thinned his lips slightly, glancing towards Sera.

He looked her up and down, then continued on. "There are a few that sound familiar though."

Mostly syndicates.

Some were newly minted, others were a bit older.

Vrak had more dealings with Criminals than he would like to admit. Most of them were more than willing to deal with whoever, as long as the money was there, and that meant they made fantastic proxies for his activities. It also meant however that he had to watch himself. Criminals were beyond untrustworthy.

"I wouldn't be surprised..." Vrak frowned slightly as the Muun finished his drawing, holding up the symbol to the window for both of them to see. "...One of the core syndicates."

Anger flared within him as he saw the symbol, his lips turning into a snarl. It was the same as the syndicate that he had contracted upon Coruscant.

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

Sera listened quietly as Vrak spoke, turning her head only when the Sith did, to observe the Muun's drawing. She didn't recognize its' origin, so to her it was meaningless. Though judging by the sudden shift in Vrak's demeanor and momentary hesitation in his words, it likely meant something to him, or, at least he knew where it came from.

"That look tells me you know."

The banker set the picture down and began to fidget with his hands at the table, wondering what would become of him now.

He likely didn't have much more information. She was content just leaving him wherever their next stop was.

[member="Vrak Nashar"]

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Seraphina Shel'tah"]

Vrak practically seethed with rage. Somehow his expression remained neutral, but Sera would be able to feel the loathing that came from him in droves. His lips thinned, his fingers curled into tight fists. Half of him wanted to kill the Muun, half wanted to return to Coruscant and snuff out the entire syndicate.

Slowly he turned to Sera.

"The symbol belongs to a Syndicate I worked with on Coruscant." He told her plainly, though it was clear that he was more than displeased. "They operate upon several worlds., though they're based from the Moons of Vulpter."

He scowled. "I've met their leader."

A weasel of a man if Vrak had ever met one. Human of some sort, though what particular breed he was Vrak couldn't tell, they all looked alike to him. His fists tightened, his eyes slowly turning towards the Twi'lek and then back towards the Muun. His thoughts would be obvious to her by now.

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

The Twi'lek followed Vrak's eyes from herself to the man sitting nervously in the room through the one way glass. She knew what he meant by the gesture.

She sighed. "You don't always have to kill everyone, you know." The woman felt some measure of pity for the Muun. After all, he hadn't exactly been a part of this whole scheme outside of being the middle man for information and credits. It was hardly the most abhorrent crimes one could commit. Still, she knew that once he had his mind set on some course of action it was a fool's errand to try and sway him otherwise. If he was the one to do it, it would likely be far more painful of a process.

The woman shook her head and turned towards the door, closing it behind her.

[member="Vrak Nashar"]

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Seraphina Shel'tah"]

"Well." Vrak began as she turned away. "I'm leaning towards not killing you."

There was no hint of amusement in his tone, it was a bit of a miracle that he managed to say anything like that at all in the moment. Considering the rage he felt he should have just gone in the other room and snapped the Muun's neck. It was obvious to him now that the Syndicate had played him. He had thought them petty servants, but it was clear that they'd simply used him to get information on the Senator, information that they could then feed to Sera to use her to kill him.

It was a complex scheme, but one that had succeeded for them. The Senator was dead, they had his journal, and Sera was still their little assassin. So they thought anyway.

"Set a course for Vulpter." Vrak said into the same communicator he had held earlier.

There was no discussion to be had with Sera. This was where the next clue lead, to the Syndicate. The Pureblood frowned slightly, his eyes floating Towards Sera as she wandered behind the Muun.

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

It was cute that he still thought he could kill her. The woman spoke nothing for the time being. The Muun had to be dealt with, lest Vrak become more upset.

Quietly she picked up the drawing, observing it once more as she paced around the room, stopping behind where the Muun sat and setting the drawing back down in front of him. A single pink digit pointed to the drawing. "We know where this symbol came from. You've been most helpful. Thank you." As she looked over the man's shoulder she offered him a wide smile. The incredibly nervous man offered her a nod and half a syllable in response before a violet lightsaber pierced through the chair and the Muun's heart. A single, brief look of surprise struck his face before the man was no more.

As she deactivated the blade the body fell limp to the floor.

With a sigh she stood up straight once more and exited the room, turning to Vrak as she caught his eye again.

"You won't kill me. You're not strong enough." She grinned, knowing how it irritated him to hear that.

[member="Vrak Nashar"]

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Seraphina Shel'tah"]

He frowned for a moment, his lips thinning as he watched her impale the man. His own method would have been slower, he would have taken him time killing the Muun. A frown settled on his lips as Sera wandered back through the door, the now deceased Banker falling onto the table in front of him. Slowly Vrak dragged his gaze away from the dead man, turning towards Sera and regarding her as she smiled at him, her lips parting to hurl another taunt.

The Pureblood scowled.

She knew exactly what she was doing of course, pushing, prodding, seeing where the knife would best slip into him. In his seething anger Vrak almost lashed out at her for a few moment, his fingers curling tighter at his side. He took a single step forwards, his eyes falling down on her as his back stiffened slightly. She knew exactly what buttons to press, how to press that ball of rage in the right direction, how to push him to the very edge.

His hand floated up and reached out.

Fingers curled gently around the tip of one of her lekku, raising it slightly and letting it roll within his fingertips. "For now, my little Pink Pet."

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

[member="Vrak Nashar"]

Every small movement he made, from the clenched fists, to the fire burning in his amber eyes, to the straightening of his back as her words dug beneath his skin she watched, basking in. Getting under his skin was a delightful game to her. The Muun's quick and unaware death had displeased him. That pleased her. He had ordered his death, not how quickly he should be killed. If he wished for some kind of slow, torturous death, he had been better to do so himself.

After all, she was an assassin, not a butcher. Timing was everything. Deaths had to be quick. She was not an interrogator either. It had only worked with the Muun because he was such a weak minded pawn. A truly strong willed person would have seen her tactics, known what their fate was, and negotiated terms for the conditions of their information to ensure their survival.

Hearing his response to her though made her eyes widen unexpectedly. It was a cheap tactic, one she knew he wasn't above, but hadn't thought the courage to use so quickly and brashly. As a number of servants wandered past the two, likely to clean up the body in the room, she went immediately to work as if she and Vrak were the only two present.

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Seraphina Shel'tah"]

The trip to Vulpter would take several days, mostly because it's location in the core made travel to the world more difficult than one might think. The world had no direct hyperlanes passing through it, and that meant travel there was a bit more difficult.

This wouldn't have been too much of a difficulty ordinarily, but Sera was still on an odd time table. Eventually her employers would call her, either for a job or to simply check on where she was. Once that happened she could stall them for a little while, but he doubted that it would be for long. That meant things would soon be sped up exponentially, something that annoyed Vrak to no end. He frowned slightly, his finger slowly sliding over Sera's neck and down her spine as she laid besides him.

The touch conveyed no love or affection, only possession.

"Armin Nirn." Vrak's voice was cold. "That is the name of the man who leads the syndicate."

The man who just might have the answers both Vrak and Sera were looking for. "Human."

The Pureblood stated with not little amount of disgust upon his tongue.

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

The crimson finger glided down her back, sending a small chill through her body and a curl of each lek behind her shoulders. She would be expecting a communication in the next two days. Typically she then had twenty four hours to eliminate the target, unless her next location was outside of the timeframe that she could reach within those twenty four hours.

That was what made this move dangerous. They would still be expecting her in the Coruscant system, meaning they would likely be targeting another core world, and thus, the twenty four hour time frame would probably apply. Hopefully they would reach this man before he got the tip off that they were on their way. Hopefully this was who they were after. And hopefully they got to him before he disappeared, otherwise her life would be on a very short clock.

"Doesn't surprise me." That he was human, of course. "Humans are as equally corrupt as Hutts."

What she was surprised about was how well he had hidden his tracks from her to begin with.

[member="Vrak Nashar"]