Bargain and Barter

[Naadia Demici]

There was rarely a passion in this universe that surpassed that of an agile collector; Naadia Demici inhereted love for the arts from her father, a noble patron, count and historian. In the well lit halls of her home on Serenno, the bronze skinned woman grew up surrounded by paintings and sculptures, artifacts and crafted items that represented not only the heritage of her own blood line, but also that of the entire galaxy. During the times of Imperial reign, many pieces of art were salvaged from the wrecking hand of the Inquisition by the Demici, storing them and preserving for less perilous times.

Thus it was not peculiar to witness the young Countess arrive to Empress Teta where another auction was scheduled. In the highest tower of Cinnagar, in the most prestige district of the ecumenopolis that spanned across the surface of the entire planet, the pentaannual royal auction was to be held, attracting the affluent from all over the known universe. The amount of arrogance sickened her, but it was a small price to pay concerning what rumors announced regarding the art that would be displayed that night.

In order to avoid any unnecessary mingling, Naadia seated herself in the last row of the spacious hall, willingly isolated in the far corner, a white hood concealing her fine features. Dark eyes glanced up briefly to observe a crystalline, completely transparent ceiling, the iridescent dome only amplifying starlight to complement the faint, profound lighting that illuminated the entire chamber in a golden glimmer. Patiently sitting there, the daughter of Demici watched the room fill with aristocracy and commoners alike until an elderly scholar stepped up to the stage, the spotlight following him.

‘’Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the annual Empress Teta auction. As you all know, our beloved empress was a great patron of the arts and as such, we organize this event in her honor every five years. I am especially proud to announce that you will be given the opportunity to bid over Ventan Chassu (http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Venthan_Chassu)'s last piece of work – Palpatine Triumphant. Remember, a part of our revenues goes to charity, so please don't hesitate to be generous.'' the man announced, a dampened laughter from the audience following.
Naadia allowed her gaze to roam the auditorium when the auction finally started, as if looking for somebody familiar, but at the same time, opting not to be seen or even more so recognized...

[Lykaios]

"Is this information accurate?" The deep-bassed-toned-upper-class-accented voice echoed through the room in disbelief.

"The source swears for it to be so, my liege." The officer made sure to choose his words carefully, ensuring to not take full responsibility of the intel's credibility.

With his raised eyebrow back in its normal position, Lykaios spoke into his comm-link. "Mixtli, ready The Chimaera, we leave immediately."

All during the trip, he kept staring at the datapad, his thoughts dwelling on such a valuable item and what it carried. It had to be his, it would be his, no matter the price...in credits or otherwise.

He looked at his chrono, the event was no doubt just about to start and they were at least another half a standard hour away. It made him midly annoyed; hopefully and for his sake, the source of the information better be right and the item in question not be presented at the start, otherwise he would have to pay for the misinformation.

[Naadia Demici]

Quite unexpectedly, the main item for the evening was presented early, much earlier than the Countess anticipated. A small smile curved her fleshy lips as she witnessed the painting installed on the exhibition rack, a loud pound of the hammer announcing the beginning of the bidding process.

With eyes reinstalled on the auditorium, the brunette carefully observed all the occupants and their body language, searching for any sign of interest or gesticulation that would indicate other potential bidders. With a considerable amount of experience in these matters, Naadia knew she had to remain silent for a while and let men flaunt their offers and credits for the sake of their ego.

Thus the countess remained serene in her seat, casually noting one late arrival that complemented the audience, her hands folded over her lap, the fine white fabric of her dress enveloping her curves in alabaster softness. The price spiral soared into unimaginable heights with every new bid, as every ask was parried by a higher offer by one particular gentleman who seemed to discourage every other bidder. It seemed as if, though he did arrive late, he was just in time...

[Lykaios]

As he entered the auction, Lykaios made a mental note to himself about contacting his source. While the item's veracity was without question, the timing of the item had been flawed.

As he took a seat in the back, he noticed a woman glancing about the room, sizing the opposition perhaps? It mattered little, she wanted something, hopefully (for her) it wasn't what he was after, otherwise she'd be rather disappointed.

As Lykaios took his seat he noticed a rather peculiar individual who was not holding back on his bidding.

Watching, he patiently allowed for the auction to continue as his trusted HRD confirmed his number to him, ensuring he was enrolled in the list of buyers with an alias.

[Naadia Demici]

The painting induced quite a lot of interest within the audience, as the price soared even further up with every passing moment. Naadia just sat there, patiently waiting for the quoted amount to reach a physchological limit where all bidders would give up. With hands still folded on her lap, she gazed at the picture from under the large hood, admiring the realism in which it was painted. Ventan Chassu was indeed talented; but he was also dead, giving the art he produced additional value amongst collectors.

''Seventy million credits!'' the scholar announced, scanning the audience for takers. Only Naadia's hand rose, the Countess of Serenno being one of the richest individuals in the galaxy.
''To the lady in the white...'' he said, eyeing the rest of the auditorium -
''Once....twice...''

''Oh, come on... End it.'' she murmured to herself, her face sinking into the depth of her hood.