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Post by kharivestra on Oct 8, 2011 14:33:12 GMT -5
Some considerable time later, and looking a little disheavaled, Anara and her company, that now consisted of three, were disembarking the shuttle that had brought them to the former imperial transfer port. From there they were to make their way to the waiting vessels and give the word that they could finally depart for Bespin. For Anara, this visit was a strictly political one, she highly doubted she would have much time to spend in cloud city's myriad casino's and up market cantinas enjoying the spectacular sunsets the world - if one could call it that - had to offer.
No doubt the man beside her would object to that, he'd already insinuated she was something of a kill joy when it came to things like that lately, but there was good reason to do so this time.
Once the work was set aside, perhaps she could make time for a tipple or three...stars only knew what Khari would think of that, but it wasn't up to her daughter. Or it shouldn't be. Things were going somewhat awry lately, and now with the reintroduction to Tress' grandfather into her life, they looked set to go off on a wide tangent. The two Knylenn heir's were easy enough to deal with, find something to hold their attention for a few moments and she might just be able to make that report. They were, though, just another obstacle.
What she desparately needed was a moment to herself, one in which she could assure privacy with which to make a swift communication.
Boarding one of the star destroyers was uneventful, during which even Viqtor and Rufus managed to behave, obviously they had worn themselves out aboard the shuttle, because the younger of the two was lagging a little behind, dragging his feet in a way that would surely scuff his shoes with the irritating scff scff sound that accompanied his lacklustre. Sighing dramatically, Anara paused, turned around and then surprised everyone present by picking him up - herself. He and his brother had cost her a small fortune in damages at that cafe back on Kuat, she wasn't adding to that bill.
"I hasten to say it, but I think these two finally ran out of fuel." She commented with amusement to the anonymous man accompanying her. They had gotten that cover story straight aboard the shuttle, Tyber was in agreement and an old hand at this, so it wouldn't cause them too many troubles. What was going to be the issue was the not so small matter of her daughter's new husband - she hadn't counted on him in all of this and it messed with her plans. That just wouldn't do.
Of course she knew better than to openly express those plans to Tyber, he would remain happily oblivious for as long as possible, perhaps even until the last moment, but his blood tied him to Tress and that could get messy in the long run...for him.
"You should go on ahead and inspect the quarters assigned to us, I doubt they made them child proof, much less Knylenn proof." When he seemed quizzical, she waved off any insistance he might have with a brief hand gesture and a shake of her head. She wasn't hearing any of it. "I need to make a communique, to Khari, it won't take me long...mother daughter things, that's all." He certainly wouldn't wish to be present during that, lie or not. He simply couldn't know.
But Anara had no intention of speaking to Khari, at least no more than a heads up that they had finally arrived and were ready when the crew was. Tyber might have suspected that she would take the time to get in contact with Rhy, but that, as ever, was a subject she was forced to tread around lightly, and she wasn't in the mood to rankle him today. No this was all business, just as she had intended, and a pre warning to the person on the other side of things. He wasn't going to be happy, but let him concern himself with something for once, she'd carried things this far and hadn't broken.
Doing her best not to wake the now sleeping Knylenn youngster in her arms, she handed him over to Tyber, relieved to be rid of the burden for a short while, some might have said it was preferrable to her new one, but she didn't look at it that way. "I'll be along as soon as I am done."
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Post by tress on Oct 9, 2011 22:50:48 GMT -5
They had landed by the time he walked out of the cargo hold and had met the pilots and two knew charges of Anara. Seemed they had fun and had wore themselves out which was something good he had to say. He had been to the Imperial transfer point a couple of times in his life, so he knew his way around. Walking with the small group that had grown by two was fun. The looks Anara got walking with children in the mix was hard to believe he assumed.
He kneeled beside Rufus and winked, "You boys ready to go on that trip?" a yawn and a nod was the other thing he got.
"Seems like it." he said over his shoulder to Anara. "Better for them....and us." the look he gave her was loaded and pointed, but it was time to leave. Standing he nodded at the pilots and walked to the exit ramp. "Lets get going then, shouldn't be to much further and we can finally get going." The trip to Bespin would be fun as well as the company, full long hours of nothingness at some points.
"Ok, dont be long then. Will put the nerfs in bed and have a look around to see what i find." he said amused after looking at her questioningly, there was something he was planning. She would see later so he wasn't going to tell her now even if she asked.
He surprised her by leaning over and kissing her publicly there for all to see. " Hurry.." with that he walked down the corridor with a sleeping child in his arms and the other tiredly walking beside him holding his hand.
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Post by kharivestra on Oct 10, 2011 13:15:27 GMT -5
Little more than a momentary rise of one eyebrow was the response to his pointed answer. Oh she had understood it, but deigning to respond to it in kind in full view of everyone who was milling around at the moment would have been a tad foolish. Their group had already drawn more than the usual ammount of attention simply because she did have two children in tow. The news of Rhy's departure and her doing him this not so small favour wouldn't have reached out this far just yet, if ever. What the upper classes did on Kuat rarely affected the military, so what was it to them if a Senator who was pushing the boundaries of middle age happened to be seen with two kids in tow? But even so, she didn't like the odd glances it drew from one or two passing officers. Anara was concerned that this could be off putting to potential conquests, therefore she would be purchasing them a nanny droid for those times, as now was the case, where her telbun was too preoccupied to be looking after the Knylenn boys.
"So it seems." She replied at last, wryly, but not enough to have been picked up on by passers by. Why was he taking all these chances? And only one look at him told her why, he was enjoying this.
Affording him her best 'I'll get you later' glare, she kept things publically cordial, "The trip will be an eventful one, I expect great things to come of this. But about that communique..."
That was curious, and yes she did wish to know, but she could hardly ask him here in the open, needless to say she would find out eventually, it was just a case of having patience. Patience was one of the things afforded to her over the years, at least now she understood it's prudence. Her plans had taken time and meticulous concentration to get this far, it wouldn't be good to lose her head over things and throw that all away. Tyber could be a problem though, his relation to Tress not withstanding.
"See that you do, I would hate to have to explain to the Admiral why one of his fleet's mess halls has descended into a food war." She wasn't paying for the damages again, not on her watch, and her deliberate ignorance of what Tyber had implied wouldn't be lost on him. Seeing what he would find would be half the fun, and she had that to return to, and she would.
"I will rejoin you later, then."
Having handed the youngest Knylenn over, Anara was suddenly wide eyed in surprise when a strong arm slipped around her and pulled her back before she managed to get too far away. Before she could so much as exclaim a word, he was kissing her. And Anara, too stunned to do much but stand there, didn't have time to react before he'd stopped and begun walking away, leaving her wondering if that had just happened, if he really was going to raise the bar that bit more....well he just had, hadn't he.
Glaring indignant daggers at him, she stood there, fists clenched like a petulent child on the verge of throwing a tantrum. Jaw set tensely, she debated all manner of profanities to yell his way and yet none of them seemed to fit the bill. Tyber was gone out of sight before she managed to regain sense and move. Ignoring the looks that had earned her, she hurried off down one of the long corridors in search of a quiet spot she could use to make that call. With the crew heading to their stations, she would have a relatively undisturbed time, and Tyber would have a difficult time looking for her if he chose to do that. She had a few moments before she risked getting caught unawares. Her first call was to Khari, just letting her know that they had arrived and the fleet could depart whenever they were ready. But the conversation never went further than that, the girl was probably still sour about the scene caused at the spaceport, as if she had any rights to be so, leaving her own mother there with those two....gundark infants! The very nerve of it after all she'd done for the girl was enough to leave her seething on it's own. The Senator let the blame for all of this rest firmly on Tyber's grandson's shoulders, if he hadn't been in her daughter's life, much left managed to coerce her into marrying the man, none of this would be happening now in such disarray. And she still had another to keep up to date.
At least the journey here had allowed some of her stress to dissipate a little, she had needed to get that out of her system in order to think clearly.
Tired, but far from needing respite, she rearranged her headwrap, for what seemed like the eleventh time in an hour, and made that all important other communication.
The wait for an answer was considerable, presumably because of all the interference where they were stationed, perhaps she should have waited until they passed out of the system, for all she knew this could have been monitored, but she had been insured that this was a secure channel, wherever she might choose to utilize it. When a familiar voice answered, Anara breathed a sigh of relief, at least this had gone through.
"I understand it is late where you are, but you did ask to be kept informed of any...interesting developments." Forging the greetings went without saying, if he had company he could make the appropriate excuses and accuse her of not knowing what she was talking about, a crossed connection and simply cut them off. When that did not happen, she continued, "There have been a few that could be problematic to our plans if not dealt with soon." He could well have some suggestions of his own, he'd had plenty initially, had it all planned out to the enth degree, so much so that Anara had to wonder if he'd eventually try to foist her out on her ear one day. That would never happen, not while she still had all her claws dug into the situation.
"It appears that my daughter has more of her father in her than I originally thought. She has gone and done something supremely stupid, but no matter..." It really was no matter, everyone had a price, it was a case of working out just what it would take to prize one from the other, "...it is not irripairable."
Did she tell him what had happened in as plaintive form as possible? That knowledge could be damaging to the plan were it to get out, cause a scandal, then few of the ten would have confidence in Khari's ability to do what she had been tasked with. Why not, he would find out anyway.
"She has acquired herself a lover, one who seems intent on getting his grubby little claws into everything we are working so hard to achieve. That won't do, but nor will she see reason, not while he's still feeding her this rediculous idealism." That was all it was to Anara, idealistic and foolish, she had once thought that way, but it only ever ended in tears, what was the point? You could have what you wanted but it came at a price. She had caught on fast that there was a way to have everything you desired, but none of the pain nor drama that came with it, it just required a certain level of compartmentalisation. And like most Kuati women her age, she always had her cake and ate it.
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Post by tress on Oct 11, 2011 16:05:40 GMT -5
"Yeah, I will leave you...got two wards of yours to care for it seems since your to busy." he said as to her needing to contact her daughter and an added dig at her. Let her do what she wanted, she was on a ship going somewhere with him so he would keep an eye on her. He needed to contact Tress anyway and settle the kids in a room somewhere near by their room. "I will see you soon, then."
The kiss he planted on her shocked her no doubt but that was the point, he left her like that glaring angrily at him. He disappeared around the corridor and found the first officer he could to get a room assigned to them. One of the diplomatic quarters was what they were given. Room to spare if alittle sparingly furnished.
***
No, small talk just straight to the point he thought smiling. It had been sometime since he heard from her and thought she had changed her mind. Things were looking up if she was calling him back no matter the time. "I had wondered if you changed your mind, I'm glad you haven't if thats what your calling about....?" He heard the rest of what she said and wanted to know more.
"Problematic?" that was bad if she needed to tell him about it. "Tell me more then."
He had no idea what she was talking about. What could have her daughter done to mess with the plans they had in store? This wasn't anything to be worried about, but then again if it had worried her enough to have called him then it bared looking into. "Just lay it all out for me then, Anara. What has she done?"
"He knows about our plans?" What had been happening down there anyway? "Who is this lover of hers? What exactly has he gotten his fingers in?" he was getting frustrated with the half answers.
"Where are you I shall go meet you?" he told her in his authoritative manner. He had not time to waste if she wasn't going to tell him everything. "Besides I feel like seeing you...."
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Post by kharivestra on Oct 11, 2011 19:22:31 GMT -5
At least he wasn't griping about being woken up this late, or early as the case may be. Changing her mind wasn't ever an option, she was far too deeply embedded in this arrangement to back out now, even if she had wanted to. No, if she changed her mind now it would be to her own detriment, he knew it, she knew it also.
"That's what I said." Anara responded plaintively, her voice deadpan serious, he was getting irritated by her shortness, she could tell, but she had expected to put some of the facts together. Well she'd just end up doing it for him anyway. It was natural he'd be unsettled by this, but perhaps not see the cause for concern quite the way she did, their attitudes to certain things often clashed, sometimes badly, but for the most part this worked in their favour, it kept them on their toes.
He wanted plaintive? She had given that to him shortly after, it didn't come much plainer than that, the bare bones of the matter. And as she had explained to him, it had to do with Tress. Tyber was an issue she could take care of herself, though he wasn't to be underestimated in the slightest. He might be older, but that just meant he'd had more time to learn new things, sneaky little tactics she wouldn't be wise to. Perhaps she should have mentioned him too?
"I have tried to make Khari see sense, it's fighting an uphill battle, however. And she had so much promise, still does, were it not for that Zann boy. He's doing his best to ensure I am pushed out of the equation, and we can't have that now."
Ah, now he understood, and it was about to get a whole lot worse.
"He knows very little of them, and nothing of your involvement. I can only assume at this stage that he knows or suspects I have anything to do with them. I am, for the meanwhile useful to them both, but day by day he seems to be sinking his claws deeper into Khari and that will do neither of us any favours. She's far from hanging on his every word, if that's what you think. And who? You're going to love this...he's the grandson of Tyber Zann." He would have heard the sneer in her voice, there was no love lost where Tress was concerned, she could appreciate him as something pretty to look at but the man was detrimental to their plans and therefore she had to be careful about this. Whereas she might have talked anyone else round, by whatever means necessary if the mood took her, he was a different cup of caf. A real pain of a problem.
"This is one weed that needs tearing out at the roots, if you follow."
She was caught surprised when he asked her location, much more incredulous when he said he simply felt like seeing her. Why that surprised her she wasn't entirely sure, their meetings in the past had been mutual agreements, but not once had he ever said he just 'felt' like seeing her.
"I'm currently aboard a ship bound for Bespin and then Corellia, all part of the plan so far. The meeting with the Ten went well considering, and if sources at the GNN are correct, then the Corellian government should be easy to coerce into seeing things our way. Not least of all because our friend Corey Dooku put in appearence there, too, but because their relations with both the GA and RGE are fraying by the second. The independence party may be a small issue, but that can be negotiated as we learn more." He couldn't meet her here aboard this ship, that would raise far too many eyebrows for her liking, and her daughter would ask questions. Anara shook her head, though he wouldn't have seen it, her negativity came from that, no less a desire to see him or not, they met regularly to keep ahead of things, a meeting was inevitable.
"I have some unexpected company at present, communicating may become an issue. It's a long story, but nothing I cannot deal with. Bespin is a large place, there's only so many places they can look for me before they give up and wait elsewhere." Even that had her paranoid, looking around to see who was wandering the halls and access points. No one aside from the occasional officer, but they paid her little more than a glance now and again, looking away before she managed to make eye contact. "We can meet there. But since I am here now, what brought this on? You're hardly the 'caring' type." It was in her nature to be pointed, let people know she was always suspicious, alert really.
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Post by tress on Oct 12, 2011 4:17:57 GMT -5
He was in no mood to waste time as she was prone to do, it was early and he was having his caf before starting the day. Was tucked away in his office looking over reports from operatives around the galaxy working for what they had in mind to do. She like many were part of the higher echelon of things.
The problem was her dramatics and beating around the bush and not just coming out and telling him. "I know what you said, now clarify what you said plainly so we don't waste each others time." he was irritated and snippy but she had only herself to blame this early it was all anyone would get.
Ah, seemed things were worse than he thought. Here was a Senator that had promised things to the cause and couldn't bring those things to fruition. Her own daughter no less, she had spoken as if she was under her thumb and did everything she said. "No, we can not. Things are riding on the support you promised..."
It was this other person that worried him, who was he really and what sort of power did he have with Khari. Anara was making it seem like a lot and she was being pushed away, but that could be a strong dislike for the person she was. He felt that sometimes himself and if he didn't need her, he would have done the same. That brought a smile to his lips.
His hand closed tightly around his warm cup of caf as he heard the name. He should have put things together when she had said 'Zann' earlier. The grandson of Tyber Zann...
He had meet both a time or two in his life from the opposite sides of the bargaining table or the criminal battlefield. At least their plans were still secret from him, it was a point in their favor. "Oh, i agree this weed is a problem that will have to be dealt with. Not with us being so close to our goals." he was up pacing now, Sithspit, this could go wrong in so many ways.
Bespin? Then off to Corellia? "What is on Bespin that is so important?" he could see and even agreed Corellia would be easy to sway with recent events and if they struck while the iron was hot they could forge an alliance of sorts. Corellia could be a flaming hot point, he would rather have her be there seeking favors and whispering into ears about the change that is coming. "Bespin?" he whispered with something close to being lost.
"Don't mistake 'caring' for need, Anara. There are things we can only talk about in person." he said with emphasis on a word. "So be it, I shall meet you there and arrange a private place for us to be alone and....talk."
He didn't wait for her answer, but cut the line and woke up his household to make things ready for a trip. He and some of his bodyguards would start off now and be there before them he hoped. Set things up to his satisfaction and to check the lay of the land.
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Post by kharivestra on Oct 12, 2011 6:06:13 GMT -5
The small tonal change in his voice was telling, was he reconsidering his choices right now? He had better not, or he'd find she wasn't so easily removed as he might have first thought. When she had explained the situation with Khari, she had known that the girl would do much of what she said, if she twisted her arm in the right direction, she knew things that could ruin her, should she so wish. It might be time to remind her of that fact.
"And I aim to deliver, don't concern yourself with that." She replied curtly, sounding almost hurt that he'd think she could do any less, "I meant what I said she was malable, it might take a little more pressure now, but I am confident between us we can come up with a solution."
What that solution was, Anara had no idea, but she wasn't about to be ousted by him either, she needed to claw back some ground.
His pause was telling, and she waited tensely in silence while he collected his thoughts, knowing exactly what was going through his mind, it had gone through her own some days ago, when she had realized that Tress wasn't going anywhere, not so long as Khari wanted him there.
"He seems impervious to the charms of others, so we can rule out the honey trap." And she wasn't just talking about trying to tempt the man away either, he would never go, his reaction to what she'd done in that hotel lobby was telling enough. No, but they could make trouble for him some other way, but how? It bore a lot of consideration.
A click of her tongue pensively, and she was shelving that thought for the time being.
This was proving to be a fun conversation when he spoke up the next time. He was going to positively beam at this little revelation.
Anara wondered if he could hear the predatorial smile in her words, because right now she couldn't help but grin, this was the coup de grace.
"Not what, my dear, but whom." He would be getting irritated again, so she continued, "Khari has scheduled a meeting with the Grand Master of the Jedi order, to discuss what occurred aboard the KDY construction docks. I won't lie to you, she's going after this one like a rancor to the kill, this could spell our split from the GA for good. Not to mention the potential to see conspiracy between the Grey Jedi and the Empire."
This would mean great things for them, everything had been kicked up a notch, their plans might well come to fruition early.
"I am there to give things a nudge in the right direction, after all, where else would I be but seeing to the wellbeing of my planet wide constituency?"
The sarcasm dripped from her words, but she was smug with good reason. But it was best not to get ahead of ones self.
She laughed almost musically, it always got interesting when he engaged in banter like that with her. That was how she saw it, banter and perhaps a small measure of the need to put the other in their place, which naturally made the opposite chafe under the weight of such words. Now was no exception.
"Have a care, you're going to need that to get through the next few days." She quipped, "It won't be for the faint hearted. However I digress, I look forward to being able to speak more openly, then."
When he said nothing else, and shut off the transmission his end, she pocketed that comlink and picked her way back the way she'd come, in search of her temporary quarters. Tyber should have gotten the Knylenn boys off to sleep, and she needed to discuss what had happened earlier...if he didn't get to her first.
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Post by tress on Oct 12, 2011 18:04:30 GMT -5
He didnt know what to make of that, she promised she'd deliver so he held her to her word. Why wouldnt he? If she didnt he would get rid of her simple and without a thought. "Not us, you, Anara. You promised things, YOU, will make them happen now." was all he had to say about that.
So he was if he remembered correctly. Thats the thing about the Zann's they thought so highly of their own importance in things. Egos had driven them to the top of the criminal underworld and now they thought it applied to everything they touched. They used underhanded means in the business world, just as they had in their criminal activities.
"We might be better served if we bring them into the fold, but again first try to keep things you promised to us. If not we can always fall back on them joining us and keep them powerless until its to late." That could really work, have them help and in the end give them nothing.
The Jedi? This would help them out more than he thought. "I see. This could greatly help us in things. How do you which to play this?" the Corellian matter and those Grey Jedi would help, but a tie between the RGE and the Greys would sever some connections in their favor. "Seek to point out their connection and maybe more systems would break away in the end and we shall court them.."
He heard that as he cut the line..... within the next hour he was gone and on his way to Bespin.
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