In sarcophagus heels

[Stephen]

It was just a flashing one on the dash of his ship. He could have missed it. Wouldn't have been the first time he skipped a business opportunity because he was confused, or scared. Or Drunk. Everything seemed so much easier for him when this restaurant was just a flashing one. The quality of the restaurant however, did quite a bit to assuage his urge to run. He had no idea if Lidah was paying or not, but if he had to take a loan out against The Wayward Light then so be it. He hadn't heard of most of the planets these wines were imported from, he'd just have to order food then beg ignorance on the the poor waitress for her choice.



The little voice in the back of his head was alive and rattling around behind his eyes however. This was a lot of money to shell out for a business proposition that was anything close to normal. He was getting flexed on, and he could practically feel her muscles tighten. She could be thinking of buying him out, or muscling him out of the neighborhood. She could want an exclusive deal of some kind, making him some kind of subsidiary. He had heard she ran with the exchange these days, after her execution didn't take. This could all be an incredibly subtle infiltration by the empire on the exchange, although it didn't take much to believe that the empire legitimately wanted to kill her. If you were one to take a bet on your average Sith's thoughts, the odds on murder would be less than 2 to 1, with a handfull of baser urges lining out the top ten. Perhaps combining to make a truly heinous bingo card.



The other side of the coin was that Lidah had an chance to invite someone who actually knew who she was to a restaurant and hope that the curiosity of the offer and the quality of the food was enough to lure him into a death trap. He tore a tiny pinch of bread off of the greeting spread and stuck it in the corner of his mouth. If she thought this was good enough bait to catch a wild Janus, then she had the measure of him much better than he had of her. So if you are sitting here consigned to die hungry so close to food, Then why are you here? Surely there was something pressing in the inner rim for him to be doing. His head turned as he lost his train of thought. Something underneath a silvered dome past by him in a practiced hurry that smelled like the loving embrace of a father cooked in butter and garlic. Death trap or no, he vowed to not not die hungry at least.



He recollected his thoughts. Perhaps he was here on hope. Maybe she had against odds made a clean break and actually needed something. Wouldn't that be the absolute strangest thing in this strangest day. Maybe she saddled with the exchange to make her a harder target? Maybe she needs out of town in a hurry. If it was some truly heinous evil, then at least Janus had a chance to hear that before he scarpered off to bluer skies to do... something with this information. And if it wasn't evil, maybe it was just business. Wouldn't that be the bitter end, to go to a business meeting and just talk business. Still it seemed he wouldn't have to wait long. He quickly wiped his sweaty palms against his suit jacket and stood. He extended his hand out and bowed his head slightly

“Ma'am”

[Neology]

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Finally, a meeting that catered more to her schedule. It was late in the evening, well into the dinner rush. Lidah had pulled rank to get a table on such short notice, but after the disaster at Fork and the abortive meeting with Ms. Firians at the Solstice Tea Room, she was determined to have a nice meal and enjoy it. The company, though … That she was a little less sure of. Janus Yarloc was a particularly skittish man, hard to read or predict beyond that hard shell of surface level fear. She hoped that wouldn’t matter. It shouldn’t, in this case. His shipping business was half-way legitimate. Third party and not too entangled with any one criminal enterprise here on the Smuggler’s Moon. Perhaps affordable even on an undercover Jedi’s anemic budget – or so was her idea, just in case Nemsee was required to produce a paper trail at a later date. A personal meeting, in such a setting, was really more of her time and money than such a contract deserved. The master of a middling transport company should not have to be seduced with wine and rich food. But Janus knew her. Or of her, in a past life. If he was going to lose his nerve, she wanted to know it in advance, well before she entrusted him with anything more than the implied offer of work. Lidah surrendered her coat, trimmed in tawny fur, to the doorman and found her dinner guest directly. Her fingers were cool and dry, his very warm. ”I’m so glad you could make it, Mr. Yarloc. May I suggest the Nabooian emerald wine? It’s been devilishly hard to get a hold of lately.”

[Stephen]

Oh thank god, a recommendation for wine without prompting. He could skate by on that issue without looking like an idiot. Janus had never had any major dealings around Naboo so this would be a bolt out of the blue surely, but he at least heard of Naboo. He was pretty sure they had humans on that rock. “You may suggest that in fact. That sounds delightful.” After seating himself he pulled himself flush to the table and began the negotations.

“I prefer to lay out the proposition in broad strokes now, before we get too far in.” He offered. He honestly had no idea how much business acumen Lidah had, but Janus at least felt at home in a business dinner. At least this one didn't have incredibly loud music or sad eyed sweaty twi'lek dancers. “That way we can get through an course or two and few drinks while we chat and mull things over. Then when the meal arrives proper, then we can get into brass tacks.” He generally felt this approach was more or less fair to both sides, assuming the wine wasn't too strong. Most business deals never really felt like one person getting on over on another. It was much more two people with similar interests trying to coalesce on one unifying idea.

“If that seems amenable then I invite you to start anytime you like.” he took a glance around quickly. “Although if you want till the waitress clears our first orders, I would understand that as well.” It was strange not knowing what level of secrecy they were operating on. Still, Lidah had actually shown up in person, seemingly with no ill intent. They had both dressed well, Lidah perhaps better than him, so might as well give this a try. He wasn't sure walking away at this point was a good idea anyway.

[Neology]

What a strange man. All nerves one moment, then wrestling for verbal control of the conversation in the very next. Lidah settled down across the table from Janus with a slight nod of acquiescence, surrendering for now. These opening stages were not too important, especially since they were already introduced. She wouldn’t mistake it for trust, but he likely would have stayed nervous if this was an ambush. ”As you wish. I want to hire you and your principal ship for one or two jobs. Transport, obviously, and some very hands-on tech support. Emptying consoles before they can wipe themselves, that sort of thing. Possibly while people shoot at you.” Lidah browsed the menu in a disinterested sort of way. She already knew what she wanted. Ordering the wine, she watched the elegantly dressed waitress drift away on a cloud of floral perfume. Strange. Organic staff was either a sign of extreme wealth or dire poverty, mostly replaced by touch screen menus and serving droids throughout middle class establishments. The Blind Eye employed a fair mix, happy to relieve any class of guest of their hard earned wealth. ”I expect it will be very dangerous, obviously, but you would be working with me personally. No risk I would not face myself and so on. Your ship may need some refits – covered before any fee we agree upon, of course. I would like to see it, tonight if it can be arranged.” The waitress descended once again, pouring several finger widths of dark green wine into crystal glasses. She left them the bottle. Lidah stared at it thoughtfully, wondering if Locke and Vance had ever managed to track down a new source. ”Still interested, Mr. Yarloc?”

[Stephen]

It was the kind of work he excelled at, and it came with new toys for the Light, so it was a tempting first offer. Janus knew his own weakness. Target his restlessness, target his need to appear hyper competent, target his ship. She did all three with a unreadable face. If it was a trap, it was the right type of bait. She didn't promise too much, she didn't let information slip, and she pushed a hastened time table. He expected her to know how to deal with freelancers and this was just about right. Intriguing enough to want to know more, careful enough to not seem out of place. He was on the hook, he could feel it, he just needed to check a few things.

“So I know you can't give me details yet, but let's make a few assumptions about me.” he took a long drink of his wine. “Let's say I have the moral and ethical concerns of your average Correllian businessman. Would this work be offensive to me?” Janus was perhaps a bit farther from standard than an average businessman, but it was hard to describe what could be offensive to him. “Correllian businessman making a living on Nar Shadda.” He corrected. If it wasn't a nominal tax cut on high end earnings, it would offend a businessman of his means back at home.

Janus felt this was a nice and tidy way of asking if this was a hit, or a terror job. Can't really ask that over dinner in a crowded room. Can't really ask a near-stranger that either. She didn't seem the type for terror, but she probably could be persuaded to kill under the right circumstances. Neither one sounded like fun. Not at least if they were going in looking for that. Lord knows Janus had killed before, but he never went into a job hoping for that.

[Neology]

Lidah listened attentively and without comment as Mr. Yarloc asked his question, seemed to think better of it, and supplied clarification. She appreciated the concern and perhaps respected Janus more for it. It was still very strange, though. He knew who she had been – if not who she was now. Did he think a former Dark Lady of the Sith wouldn’t or couldn’t lie to him? Or had he simply fallen into a familiar set of motions now, the low art of the shady business deal? Lidah couldn’t sense any mental intrusion, or at least not yet. ”You’d be on the side of the angels, I promise.” Her lips thinned in an ironic smirk, sure that so bold a statement only invited greater doubt. ”Someone tried to kill me, in most spectacular fashion, several days ago. Their efforts demolished several blocks in the vicinity of the Blind Eye, killed several, wounded others. My accountants still haven’t settled on a figure for the purely monetary aspects of loss. I want your help following up on the people that did that.” The waitress made yet another return to their table. Lidah ordered nerf steak very rare and tender vegetables, all imported to the Smuggler’s Moon at great expense. When they were alone again, Lidah continued on. ”As for the other job … Well. The target is a slaving spicetrader, one that’s been making his neighbors very nervous lately. His business and property is wanted, not his life.” A momentary pause, hesitation. Mr. Yarloc did not know he was talking to the Compeer of the Exchange right now, of course. This idea of dealing with Dova the Hutt was still in the earliest stages of planning, but she rather expected it would get bloody one way or another. Not for Janus though, not unless she and Locke screwed up and needed a way off world in a tearing hurry. Always possible, that. Lidah drummed her fingers on the table and downed her wine with a smile. ”As you see, nothing that would keep you up at night. Unless I misjudge you?”

[Stephen]

Janus raised an eyebrow a moment. “Yeah, I heard about that. Locals couldn't figure heads or tails out of that attack.” It was a high ordinance hit against a at least somewhat civilian ripe target. Closer to terrorism that an actual op, which said something on Nar-shadda. If she was involved on the receiving end of that, it'd make sense to want to even the score.

Janus ordered some type of ocean dwelling bug that came to the moon from Onderon. He liked the idea that he'd somehow ended up in a high end restaurant where they let him smash shit with a rock. He could punctuate points with smashing motions. It seemed suddenly hilarious to him. Lidah could try to convince him of something, and he could interrupt her with sharp savage cracks. The fun was slightly undercut by the knowledge that he already mentally had put himself on board for whatever this is.

Disrupting a slave plantation ground side didn't sound like anything he'd sweat over either. This was an easy enough yes at this point. It was weird that it was picked second, although he had to take the setting into account. A bombing raid on a casino was probably more offensive than a slaving plantation when on Nar shadda. “Nah, I don't think you misjudged me. You probably have me just about pegged.” He slammed the left grasper of one of his bugs against the table with a snap.

“But lets talk tech for a moment. What kind of refit would we be talking here?” His freighter was a pretty adaptable ship, but he probably didn't have the power draw for anything that adjusted his hyper-lane envelope. Cargo space wasn't at a premium, but live animals were always a trick. Whatever it was, Janus found himself on familiar footing. Hammering out the details of another job.