Wage Slaves and Cubical Monkeys

[Sasha Santhe]

Already the slick sheen of sweat covered her exposed flesh. Her chest rose and declined with a steady pace and her heart raced with anticipation. Sasha Santhe, Darth Acentia, waited for the program to reset on the four EA-9 Hunter droids. Wearing nothing but athletic trainers she was relaxed. She wasted no time and as they reset back into their positions she stretched her limbs. [member="Darth Carach"] had just arrived, but she ignored him. She wasn’t exactly sure what was going on with him lately. Jared Ovmar had talked to her much more frequently and been her CEO for some time. The truth was she missed her wage slave cubicle monkey.

The droids activation was announced by the snap hiss of lightsaber blades. The four combatants moved to surround her. Sasha took another deep breath letting the taut muscles in her exposed abdomen tighten before lashing out at the northern droid. When facing multiple opponents it was best to strike hard and fast neutralizing as many as possible as quickly as possible. And besides that there was also the fact that the darkside favored the aggressor.

Sasha slashed down and reversed as the froid blocked fluidly changing motion and striking low. Footwork was key, or so she had been told. She was no duellist by nature. The droid moved to intercept but became tangled in Sasha’s feet as she swept across the side. Her training sabre sliced the droid registering a hit and shutting the mechanism down.

Three more to go. The second came at her from behind and she skillfully bent back in an impressive display of flexibility allowing the momentum of the droid to bring it within range for her strike. Like a whip she flexed and moved her body releasing coiled energy and hitting the droid with a force that knocked it back. It didn’t matter that it had blocked her blade because now it was off balance and she was able to quickly dispatch it just in time to dodge a blow struck in unison by the other two droids.

The force aided her in jumping out of the way to avoid the blows and she landed softly on the ground. She could easily have disabled the droids with either her mechu-deru skills or a quick shot of lightning but that would defeat the purpose of the exercise. Instead she counter charged the droids using the force to propel her body at a rate much faster than was normally humanly possible. The droids matched her speed and the trio clashed violently. A whirl of red sabers blinded any viewers as the duel commenced in earnest.

In the end Sasha was victorious. Sweat covered her body and she turned and stared at [member="Darth Carach"]. “There is a towel over there,” she pointed, “Would you mind helping wipe me down?”

 

[Jairus Starvald]

[member="Sasha Santhe"]

Carach was leaning against one of the durasteel walls watching the show unfold, he wasn’t particularly subtle about watching either, it was one of those things that really didn’t concern him anymore these days; a sense of propriety. One of the things that Ovmar still had tried to cling to, but he didn’t really see the need anymore after embracing his broken and shattered self. This was who he was and be damned with it, besides… she was actually pretty decent with the lightsaber.

Time on the Field of Blades had honed his own experience somewhat, but he was still nothing compared to the true masters of the blade in this Galaxy. It was a thing that would have to be remediated at some point, but not exactly now. Seeing as the Santhe girl was about done with her exercise, a portion of him pondered if she was doing all of this on purpose, the outfit, the training, the fecking towel hanging next to him.

In the end he decided that it didn’t really matter either way, neither was he particularly skittish about her request. Wasn’t like him to be. So he shrugged, big shoulders moving up and down in a sign of agreement, before his big hands took the clothing and the Sith casually walked over to where she was.

Casually, but there was a slight caution too. He wouldn’t be surprised if her request was all a prequel to an attempt of major asskicking when he started wiping her off.

‘Sure.’ his baritone buzzed as the Sith finally was within arms-reach of her, if she wasn’t swinging her saber, arm, foot or head at him right about now, he would start wiping the sweat off her body. Sigh. The things Carach got to do these days, one would almost wipe away a tear.

He wondered what Adekos would say.

 

[Sasha Santhe]

Sasha didn’t make a sound as the man directed the towel across her body wiping up sweat. She directed him to start at her exposed midriff and then guided his efforts up her body. She turned and lifted her arms to allow easier access guiding his movements with her own. Face to face they stood and finally Sasha lifted a leg up gently rubbing her foot against the man's thigh, chest, and finally letting it rest on his shoulder.

With her foot she began to push him down her leg moving up his body as she did so. It was a slow and deliberate movement ending only when [member="Darth Carach"] was on his knees and her leg was draped across his shoulder at the joint. “Make sure you get everywhere,” Sasha said looking down at the man.

“We are going on a bit of a trip,” Jared Ovmar had changed. Before he was much more demure than he was now. “We have a task to fulfill and I could use someone of your skills along. Many artifacts have been lost to time, we are going to reclaim them my old friend. If you’re up to the task.”

 

[Jairus Starvald]

[member="Sasha Santhe"]

Careful, meticulously and above all unwavering the Sith helped his friend at her special request, who was he to deny her such a simple and small matter? She hadn’t asked him anything impossible, perhaps somewhere it was even a matter of benefits for the both of them, maybe. At the end of the day there was just so much skin to go over and eventually Carach run out of it, returning back to his erect pose the Sith pondered on the proposition she voiced to him. The pondering did not take very long to go through, of course, simply… because it was in his nature to be curious.

Santhe knew this and played into it, but Carach did not mind. There were few things that could really get a rise out of him these days, passionate in some forms, detached from others. Such a curious evolution from his old self one could say.

‘I am always interested in a game or two.’ he finally replied with a smirk, his eyes wandering for a little while, before turning around to return the towel where it had come from. ‘Tell me more about these artifacts.’

In the circles they danced Carach’s reputation as a lover of ancient knowledge was undoubtedly known. His agents circulated far and wide to find him things of old to add to an ever-growing collection, the Sphere of Ancient Knowledge would not reconstruct itself, no?

 

[Sasha Santhe]

Sasha smiled as she removed her leg from the mans shoulder and turned away. There was a screen which revealed her silhouette as she stepped behind it. She appeared like a shadow as she began to strip out of her exercise clothing. A slender leg slipped past the screen for a second revealing its naked form before she turned and grabbed a datapad. “The information is here,” Sasha said placing the pad on the opposite side of the screen.

Calculated maneuvering. It had the information she wanted him to know but left out crucial details. She hadn’t interacted with [member="Darth Carach"] as much recently and found him much changed, it paid to be cautious. “As you can see,” she said continuing to change behind her screen. “We are looking for a Lady Pirate. She took over for Marco Paolo a collector of rare Sith Artifacts. We need to board her ship and take the relics for ourselves.” Or me, Sasha thought, but then again she believed Carach would get something else out of this arrangement….

 

[Jairus Starvald]

[member="Sasha Santhe"]

His head slightly tilted as if he listened to something very amusing, lips curled into a smile and yet they did not form words. Instead the Sith Lord quietly read the datapad and the information currently laid on it, a cursory look would not reveal anything out of the question, but when you were as entrenched into the notion of artifact gathering a man has a rough idea and concept of certain things. It was this concept that allowed Carach to spot the small voids within the story at large. Part of the amusement turned into perhaps the idea of pride.

Santhe had come far and would only rise further, this pride was a callback to the times of old when Ovmar and her had been more closely affiliated. This was no longer the case and he only held vague memories, but it was enough for the purpose of this emotion. His ears picked up the term artifacts and that made him grin just slightly.

In his experience it was always better when there were multiple treasures to be found, it meant that both contenders could find something that they wanted. It meant that they could part both with things earned and egos unbruised.

‘I will help you in this endeavor, Santhe.’ the Sith Lord finally stated in finality.

 

[Sasha Santhe]

Sasha smiled to herself as she changed behind the screen. “I am glad that we can work together. I worked very closely with [member="Jared Ovmar"], and I’d like to work with [member="Darth Carach"] too I think.” She shrugged a little, her shadow on the screen mimicking her movements. It only took a few minutes before she was changed and she stepped out from behind the screen. “But right now I need [member="Darell Irani"].”

She wore a shimmering dress of blue. Sasha liked blue. There was a strange sort of container standing up the height of a man. Sasha opened it to reveal an impeccable suit. “I need someone presentable.”

The smile on her face remained. “We are going to party at a mansion of an old trade company executive. In his computers he has route lists for their transports. Our pirate has been raiding said transports. It reeks of an inside job. We need to see where she will strike next.”

 

[Hira Mitsae]

[member="Sasha Santhe"]

Head tilted slightly as lips pursed and pondered the request, a shrug was finally delivered as an acquisition of acceptance. Irani would be the man for this particular job, Carach was too… intense, too heavy with his emotions at time and that would be detrimental to the job- Ovmar was too light, far too busy with making jokes and laughs. No, this was definitely something that Irani would be doing best and so Darell nodded.

‘We can do that, miss Santhe.’

The changes were subtle, but they were there. Posture change, a slight angle in the chin and the syllables pronounced differently. Were the changes inherent to the man, was he just that good of an actor or was there perhaps something more involved here?

Good questions, but perhaps not the right questions at the proper time.

‘I will need a wardrobe change.’ and the businessman turned around and was just about to leave the room, but then he paused. His palm rested on the wall and with a silk-smooth delivery Irani then said.

‘Or do you have something I can fit in behind that screen?’

It was clear he wasn’t talking about clothes.

 

[Sasha Santhe]

Sasha rolled her eyes. “There is,” Sasha said with a smile. “Don’t worry I got your measurements right,” Her smile turned into a smirk. “I sized you up from the moment we met.”

It only took a few moments for the man to put on the clothes. An impeccable black suit with a red dress shirt underneath and vertical pin stripes. It made @Darrell Inari look taller. “Better. You clean up well.”

And then they were off. The party was… well dull. Sasha didn’t normally attend these sorts of things. They were for Functionaries. She was not a functionary, thats what [member="Jared Ovmar"] was for. “We mingle for a little bit, and then find a time to step away and get to the computer systems.” She wished she had Emerald and Jenn around. This was their job, but then again neither of them could have gotten invited to this party. It was an exclusive type event.

 

[Hira Mitsae]

[member="Sasha Santhe"]

Darell Irani was a man of manners, a man of old money and respectable upbringing, a man who was right at home with the people, mingling and backstabbing politics that played all behind the laughing smiles. Santhe on his arm, a glass of expensive drink in his hand; these were the moments that he really felt alive.

‘Noted.’ he replied, just before taking a sip from his drink.

His eyes went over the attendance, a few corporate bigwigs, politicians and judges, folks like that. The elite of this particular sector, but only this sector, it seemed that Santhe and him were the only ones that were slightly more important in the galactic scene though.

Which brought its own complications with them.

‘Oh yes, Ty’rel Holdings does produce those particular brands of modifications, m’Lady.’

A very serious nod followed.

‘Of course we could discuss some appointments and contracts, my assistant will contact you forthwith.’ which was followed by the real fat woman disappearing back in the crowd, she had been hoping for some… thinning aperture.

Irani looked sideways to Santhe.

‘That was… something?’

 

[Sasha Santhe]

“It was nothing,” Sasha said. “that… person… you were talking to is a functionary. I know a functionary when I see one.” Sasha Santhe, sticking her nose up at the meandering ladder climbing bureaucrats. “

She looked around. “We need to get to the computer systems.” All eyes were on her. And why not? She was Sasha Santhe, and she rarely came to these sorts of parties. “Unfortunately I can’t get there. I’m too high profile.” Or maybe it was just her dress, with the long slit revealing the entirety of her leg. “If I divert everyone's attention do you think you can manage your way in?”

[member="Darell Irani"]

 

[Hira Mitsae]

[member="Sasha Santhe"]

Irani pondered the question for a moment, he himself wasn’t exactly stealthy inclined, not with the huge frame and posture. But sometimes a man needed to explore new avenues of character development and why wouldn’t he start at trying his hand with the stealth fields? If some lame purple pony with a lightning-fast tailwhip could do it, he probably would be able to do the same.

‘Of course.’ Darell replied positively, before disentangling his arm from her hand and walked over to the drinking table under the guise of pouring himself something to drink. In the meanwhile he would wait for Santhe to do… whatever she wanted to do to take all attention.

Then he would probably craft a very subtle force persuasion web around him, one which would allow him to blend into the scenery itself.

Make him unremarkable and positively boring, that would probably make sure that folks stopped trying to get his attention.

 

[Sasha Santhe]

Distraction. Sasha sighed. A few years ago she would have just acted like a drunk sorority girl throwing up her hands, splashing a drink, and grinding up against some millionaire. But she’d tried her best to cultivate a new mature… okay slightly more mature, image. She sighed as she looked at [member="Darell Irani"].

There was the host. He was a well known idiot. Sasha walked up to him with a smile and lusty look. [member="Darth Carach"], proved what Sirella Valkner had always told her, men are idiots who only think about pollination.

Sasha smiled at the man with a beckoning look. His focus was entirely on her. It didn’t even take the force to influence him further. The man started working his way across the room, Sasha licking his lips to entice him further. That is when the waiter with a tray walked by and he slammed into it. The drink spilled on Sasha. “What do you think you’re doing?” she said angrily. The anger was real. She liked her dress. “Well?” she directed her rage not at the waiter but at the bumblinb gentleman, “Well what are you doing? You slimy toad spawned homunculus. You miserable accountant,” Eyes started to turn to her. “This dress costs more than half a years pay for you.”

Sasha Santhe tantrums were the best sort of entertainment in the upper crust of society….

 

[Hira Mitsae]

[member="Sasha Santhe"]

Carach would have said that was a very rude and short-sighted observation to make about the entire male race, but whilst he was pretty proficient in the matters of the mind and probably would have been able to read her mind about such affairs, he currently hadn’t been busy with what was playing around in her mind. No, instead he was busy trying to dodge the attention of most party people, so he could do the things he had come here to do.

In the end the Sith Lord in him sighed and carefully, very carefully started weaving in a little magicks here and there, it would show as the barest of shimmers in the background. Until finally the action had been executed, namely… he was suddenly not interesting anymore.

Not at all.

Just like that he blend into the environment, average height, average face, average everything. Eyes glassed over as they looked at him directly, people automatically without realizing started walking around him, not quite sure why.

All of which was the perfect situation for a man to simply walk towards his destination to get the info that they needed, after that? They would see what come after it.

 

[Sasha Santhe]

Sasha watched with a measure of respect as Carach, Darrell, [member="Jared Ovmar"], changed into a bland being. Sasha had never find him too terrible interesting, especially in his Darrell Irani facade. “I’m so sorry,” the man said reaching out a hand and wiping at her breast….

Oh right Sasha had made him spill on her dress. Well he was a pervert anyways. She remembered when she was younger, much younger, his leering stares. “You toad spawned homunculus,” she began once again, “Who are you even? You’re a nobody. The dredge of society. You aren’t fit to the lick the boots of a proper gentleman.”

And then her hand reached out and slapped him. That felt good, so good in fact that she did it a second time. Why not afterall, she had to keep the distraction up for Carach/Darrell/Jared. Although unless the man was incompetent it would only take a minute or two more...