Post by Kayura on Oct 2, 2007 22:34:14 GMT -5
It was a day for putting on the right face. It was a day to be what every self-respecting Sith should be while in public--a chameleon. Darth Kaa'li was not what she seemed as she wore the mein of a businesswoman. Waiting in the lobby, she was ready and waiting to unleash her ploy to bring to her sway the largest and most powerful banking and brokering force in the galaxy. Bringing this organization under her control would take cunning and skill at the negotiating table.
For all outward appearances, she was a vision in deep hunter green. Her face was painted moon white and her eyes appeared to be the darkest black. Long black hair was neatly folded and elaborately decorated. She was almost a walking work of art for her meticulous apperance and the exotic beauty of it. For all outward appearances, she was patient, going over her business proposal less as someone nervous or frantic, but more as a woman nearly memorizing her business proposal.
Under the surface, she was a woman at war. She fought every specter and every phantom that tried to force its way to the fore of her mind. There was one in particular that was persistent. Even if her eyes didn't see it, there was an image forming in her mind, a dark shadowy figure that seemed to hover about her even through the negotiations. She was haunted by the dark figure with that seemed strange horn-like projections stemming from a helmet. Shaking it away, she continued on making offer and counteroffer. It was a dizzying ebb and flow of offers and other proposals.
Finally, after some time, there was headway and in a final move, there was the use of a cleverly-timed and ill-expected mind-trick. She was sucessful in manipulating the minds of the guild to her favor. It was toward the end of the negotiations that a datapad connected to the Holonet began to vibrate. The low buzz was just enough to get her attention. Rising to her feet, the asked, "So unless there are any other questions, I do believe the matter is settled. We are in agreement, yes?"
There were only nods of the head and muffled uninteligable words, the mark of people whose minds had been sufficiently muddled. Wearing a deceptively warm smile, she bowed and said, "It's been a pleasure doing business with you."
Freed from the strenuous negotiations, she was finally able to read the odd, cryptic message. "PROBLEMS WITH RECENT ACQUISITION, TROUBLE AHEAD... DO NOT INVEST IN CORELLIA AT THIS TIME. PLEASE PAGE FOR MORE DETAILS.--AJ."
She'd need time to disappear to a ship before she could. There was no use in shattering the illusion.
--------
An hour later...
She was in the privacy of her own ship. Finally alone save the many nagging, envious dead, and finally she was able to answer a carefully veilled page.
Aboard her own craft, she put through to an encrypted frequency. There was a reassuring burst of static that she had known as long as she remembered. It lasted all of a split second before there was a figure that appeared in mineature on the other side of the cockpit. It was a figure in a black uniform, the transparent figure was washed in an electronic blue for the holographic generator. There was a salute and the same professional greeting she expected of her Grand Admiral.
"Ultra One, your reply, however delayed, tells me that you have recieved my page."
"That is correct Admiral Javus, I am a little curious as to what you meant specifically by problems with Corellia."
He nodded, even if his face looked to have been carved from remnant stones from the old stronghold. "Yes," he answered without showing the first hint of worry or fear, "there has been a report. The...opposition has been spotted by a man on the ground. We recieved a recorded voice burst transmission from Corellia after the intial action."
She nodded understanding, even if the language was as sterile as it came. She also knew why his face was wooden as it was. That was enough to draw a sigh.
"Ma'am, we could not have foresee--."
"That is actually to be expected. It corroborates some other actions taken by the opposition, certain forms of provocation. As negotiations have gone to plan today, I am incomming. At this point, I believe a sound debriefing is in order upon my arrival."
The wooden expression changed in a brief flash of relief and surprise before returning to the usual closed face. She was more a professional than her predecessor and it was time that the military supporting the ultimate mission understood that. There was no need to kill a perfectly qualified man for simply doing his job. Without hinting at the surprise, he simply said, "Yes ma'am, you're right. When you RTB, you are advised to rendezvous with the Revenge."
"Understood, I'm making course corrections as we speak." Her fingers flew over the keyboard as she manually entered in a new set of Hyperspace equations. Seconds later, she added, "I have an estimated ETA of six hours."
In six hours, the Admiral would know of the massive Force storm caused by the Jedi and others like them. The dead were still reeling and fuming over the storms in the Force. On the way back, there was that nagging presence now looming over her, watching and angry. Standing behind her was her next major battle and she knew it.
For all outward appearances, she was a vision in deep hunter green. Her face was painted moon white and her eyes appeared to be the darkest black. Long black hair was neatly folded and elaborately decorated. She was almost a walking work of art for her meticulous apperance and the exotic beauty of it. For all outward appearances, she was patient, going over her business proposal less as someone nervous or frantic, but more as a woman nearly memorizing her business proposal.
Under the surface, she was a woman at war. She fought every specter and every phantom that tried to force its way to the fore of her mind. There was one in particular that was persistent. Even if her eyes didn't see it, there was an image forming in her mind, a dark shadowy figure that seemed to hover about her even through the negotiations. She was haunted by the dark figure with that seemed strange horn-like projections stemming from a helmet. Shaking it away, she continued on making offer and counteroffer. It was a dizzying ebb and flow of offers and other proposals.
Finally, after some time, there was headway and in a final move, there was the use of a cleverly-timed and ill-expected mind-trick. She was sucessful in manipulating the minds of the guild to her favor. It was toward the end of the negotiations that a datapad connected to the Holonet began to vibrate. The low buzz was just enough to get her attention. Rising to her feet, the asked, "So unless there are any other questions, I do believe the matter is settled. We are in agreement, yes?"
There were only nods of the head and muffled uninteligable words, the mark of people whose minds had been sufficiently muddled. Wearing a deceptively warm smile, she bowed and said, "It's been a pleasure doing business with you."
Freed from the strenuous negotiations, she was finally able to read the odd, cryptic message. "PROBLEMS WITH RECENT ACQUISITION, TROUBLE AHEAD... DO NOT INVEST IN CORELLIA AT THIS TIME. PLEASE PAGE FOR MORE DETAILS.--AJ."
She'd need time to disappear to a ship before she could. There was no use in shattering the illusion.
--------
An hour later...
She was in the privacy of her own ship. Finally alone save the many nagging, envious dead, and finally she was able to answer a carefully veilled page.
Aboard her own craft, she put through to an encrypted frequency. There was a reassuring burst of static that she had known as long as she remembered. It lasted all of a split second before there was a figure that appeared in mineature on the other side of the cockpit. It was a figure in a black uniform, the transparent figure was washed in an electronic blue for the holographic generator. There was a salute and the same professional greeting she expected of her Grand Admiral.
"Ultra One, your reply, however delayed, tells me that you have recieved my page."
"That is correct Admiral Javus, I am a little curious as to what you meant specifically by problems with Corellia."
He nodded, even if his face looked to have been carved from remnant stones from the old stronghold. "Yes," he answered without showing the first hint of worry or fear, "there has been a report. The...opposition has been spotted by a man on the ground. We recieved a recorded voice burst transmission from Corellia after the intial action."
She nodded understanding, even if the language was as sterile as it came. She also knew why his face was wooden as it was. That was enough to draw a sigh.
"Ma'am, we could not have foresee--."
"That is actually to be expected. It corroborates some other actions taken by the opposition, certain forms of provocation. As negotiations have gone to plan today, I am incomming. At this point, I believe a sound debriefing is in order upon my arrival."
The wooden expression changed in a brief flash of relief and surprise before returning to the usual closed face. She was more a professional than her predecessor and it was time that the military supporting the ultimate mission understood that. There was no need to kill a perfectly qualified man for simply doing his job. Without hinting at the surprise, he simply said, "Yes ma'am, you're right. When you RTB, you are advised to rendezvous with the Revenge."
"Understood, I'm making course corrections as we speak." Her fingers flew over the keyboard as she manually entered in a new set of Hyperspace equations. Seconds later, she added, "I have an estimated ETA of six hours."
In six hours, the Admiral would know of the massive Force storm caused by the Jedi and others like them. The dead were still reeling and fuming over the storms in the Force. On the way back, there was that nagging presence now looming over her, watching and angry. Standing behind her was her next major battle and she knew it.
