Jealousy: A Means to an End

[Saarrreeaa Meorrrei]

Saarrreeaa felt like chewing on her tail all the way down the hall towards Sasseeri's office. But here was a way to get into her aunt's good book, and rid herself of a nasty complication at the same time. She hesitated, stopping in her tracks, and debating about turning around, but she was too late. Sasseeri was walking towards her office from the other direction.

"Saa! We have an appojintment, jI beljieve?" Her bastard accent rolled off her tongue, and Saa again fought to flinch away as her aunt beckoned to her. "jI'm rrrunnjing a bjit behjind, please, come jin." Sass was being cordial, and that was never good.

Saarrreeaa entered into the office, nicknamed "The Lion's Den" for many different reasons, but they all centered around the enigmatic creature that was settling behind the large expensive desk near the center of the room. Sasseeri motioned towards a seat, and Saa took it, tenetively. "Now, what was jit you wanted to talk to me about?" Sass looked towards her chrono, and Saa was once again reminded she was only an inconvienience to her aunt's schedule.

Saa remaind quiet, and simply tossed a datapad at Sasseeri, who caught it deftly in her slim, un-striped hands. She looked up sharply at Saarrreeaa. "When was this holo taken?"

"Two njightsss ago." Saa took a deep breath, squashed her misgivings, and smiled. "jI know how much jyou hate herrr, and ji sssaw them togetherrr agajin. jI thought ssshe wasss dead...?" Saa let her voice trail off inncently.

"She jis dead!" Sass smacked the datapad to the desk, and looked at her niece. "Do you know wherrre she jis?"

Saarrreeaa hesitated. "jYesss."

[Sasseeri Reeouurra]

Sasseeri flung the datapad across the room for good measure, and snarled, "What do you know?" She tried not to make the "you" too condescending. Saa did tend to get overly emotional about ...family and krasst like that. Sasseeri forced her body back into her chair behind the opulent desk, and then leaned forward.

Saa's ears were back, but they began to slowly perk up again as Sasseeri took a few calming breaths. "jI know that ssshe..." Her voice trailed off. Sasseeri stared at her, almost wildly.

"She what? What!?" She snapped at her niece, the facade of calm gone once more. Daleethria was the thorn that tore Sanis from her side, and now the elaborate ruse of her death was over. Sasseeri admitted, it was cleverly done, and completely believeable. She still was not sure how much her niece had seen, when she had come back from her business trip she had refused to talk about the death of Sanis' partner.

Apparently nothing but a small pile of ash had been left. Which really only meant there was no body. Her voice lowered dangerously, "Saa....?"

[Saarrreeaa Meorrrei]

Saa swallowed hard, and plucked up her courage. Revenge would be sweet, after all. "Ssshe jisss on Corrrussscant. Wjith the Jedji."

Sasseeri looked like she'd swallowed a sour prrr'anjit fruit...whole. "The Jedji?" Saa nodded.

"Dalee jisss a memberrr of the Jedji Councjil. Ssshe jis vjirrrtualljy untouchable." She sounded genuinely sympathetic to her aunt's agrravations. "Ssshe goesss bjy the name 'Navarrrjia,' now."

Sasseeri screeched in rage, and grabbed a heavy ashtray from her desk and hurled it at the wall behind Saarreeaa. She tried not to flinch. "Sanjis has ljied to me all thjis tjime! He wjill rrrue the day he crrrossed me!" She sat back in her chair, seemingly spent. "How long have you known?"

Saa's ears went back slightly. "jI have known he hasss had sssomethjing gojing on wjith a female forrr a few monthsss now. jIt wasss onljy rrrecentljy that jI found out who jit wasss." Or, to be exact, it had only been recently that she had cared about his extra-martial relations. She was well into her plans against the other woman, and now she was past the point of no return.

Saa hesitated, and then added, "jI could arrrange a meetjing wjith herrr. Ssshe trrrussstsss me, to a pojint, at leassst."

Sasseeri leaned forward, ears pricked up. "Tell me morrre."

[Sasseeri Reeouurra]

Saarrreeaa had been more than helpful, although at first she'd seemed a little...unwilling. But she'd warmed up to it, and Sasseeri sat staring at the back of the office door long after her niece had departed.

Soon, Sanjis, you wjill be mjine agajin. And only mjine. She tapped the comm, and contacted the receptionist. "Get me a ljine to the ShadowFaene Forrrtrrrress. jI need an experrrt's opjinjion."

[DarthHERA]

Hera paused, ceasing the toothbrush's erratic and agressive assault on her teeth, and a frown crinkled her brow.

Sector Rangers

This was odd. It wasnt from Wednesdaydale, though she wasnt expecting to hear from him..but he was her only contact with the SR organisation.

It was a puzzle.

Resuming her brushing once more then, another pause.

Who's S. Reeouurra? Sounds like a Cizerack name.

With that thought, she stepped back into the bathroom and quickly finished up. Exiting the ensuite into her main room, Hera once more read over the message that had come to her direct personal line.

She keyed in a code, switching from an already sterile line to a SFF redline secure chanel. A precaution to not only keep outside eyes off the communique, but also eyes from within. Nasseerri was privy to alot of SFF operations because of Hera's arrangement with the Pride..but many things the Faene MIstress kept from her. And this was going to be another one, she decided.

After a few access commands and ID recognition codes, Hera heard her transmission connect. With in moments, she was viewing her new contact on a small holovid screen.

"My name is Hera. I believe you wished to speak to me?"

[Sasseeri Reeouurra]

Sasseeri smiled as the holovid of the human Hera DrenKast appeared. "jIndeed jI djid. jI have a small...busjiness prrroposjitjion to make to you." The half breed Cizerack steepled her fingers beneath her chin, manicured nails barely touching her tawny skin.

"jI am Sasseerrrji Rrreeouurrrrrra, CEO of the Sectorrr Rrrangerrrs." She wondered if the woman had even heard her name. Probably not. ShadowFaene was...a small time operation. Definetly not in the same circles as the Sector Rangers. "And you arrre Herrra DrrrenKast of ShadowFaene. jI beljieve we can help each otherrr."

It didn't do to let on that she had knowledge that Sasseeri desperately needed. Or even.... help. Dalee was a slippery woman and hard to get rid of. Sass needed to know how to make it stick. The felinoid raised her eyebrow and awaited the blonde's response.

[DarthHERA]

Hera dispensed with any formal pleasantries and the usual deal-parlaying rote that often attended such meetings.

Instead, she opted to get immediately to the heart of the matter, looking directly at the SR CEO.

"And how do you think you might help me, Ms. Reeouurra?"

[Sasseeri Reeouurra]

Sasseeri allowed herself a tight little smile, almost smug. This human was going to play right into her hands. "ShadowFaene jis a rrrelatjively small operrratjion. The Rrrangerrrs have overrrlooked jit so farrr, but jI couldn't help but notjice yourrrr Cjizerrrack entanglements. Beljieve me, jI know what you'rrre gojing thrrrough.

"The Sectorrr Rrrangerrrs wjill be escorrrtjing a convoy thrrrough yourrr system. Orrr...close enough. The convoy jis carrrrrryjing weapons bound forrr the planet of Fey'Dann. Tjimes and dates arrre yourrrs, forrr yourrr assjistance jin a small matterrr." Sasseeri steepled her fingers under her petite chin, and awaited Hera's response.

[DarthHERA]

The payoff wasnt exactly jingling Hera's chain. Sure the Cizerack presence on ShadowFaene was inconvenient to say the least, but Hera beleived it a reasonable agrivation for the leverage having the Pride's favor lent her. Running roughshod over their supply convoy and snatching up their hardware could be detrimental to their current arrangement. Hera wasn't sure it would be worth such a risk. The Rangers CEO would have to sweeten the incentive more than that..

Sasseeri did not seem as informed as she would pass herself off. SFF, while not a large enterprise compared to some, had some weighty connections that not only included the Pride, but the Trade Fedoration and in general the CIS.

Sass's veiled threat that the SR may take a closer look at her operation was not a smart way to get Hera to be inclined to come to her party, whatever it may be.

"I got lots o' guns Ms Reeouurra - and no need to raise the Pride's angst against me at this present time."

A bored wave of her hand, that was more for dramatic effect to prompt a more lucrative offer, than it was to relay her actual state of mind.

"What else ya got?"

[Sasseeri Reeouurra]

It was a shame the human wasn't stupid. Things were always easier when dealing with the mentally deprived. However, it was also refreshing to talk to someone who knew what she was on about. Sasseer smiled, "Well, let me be frrrank. jI need a cerrrtajin Jedji female. jI need you to help me trrrap herrr. And when jI'm done wjith herrr, you can have herrr."

There. The cards were out. She settled back, watching the holo of DrenKast for her reactions.

[DarthHERA]

Hera's brow deepened.

"Now, what would I want with a Jedi?"

[Sasseeri Reeouurra]

"You'rrre rrreputedly crrreatjive. jI'm surrre you could thjink of somethjing." Sasseeri quirked up a nearly invisible eyebrow. "The Jedji jI have my eye on seems to mean somethjing to the otherrrs...she jis one of thejirrr...Councjil memberrrs."

Internal Jedi politics had meant almost nothing to Sasseeri before she'd started researching them. But she was pretty sure this smuggler female knew something of their importance.

[DarthHERA]

Hera was unconvinced.

This whole proposal still seemed more trouble than what it was worth. The Cizerack needed her help badly..why, Hera wasnt exactly sure except for the fact that to catch a force-user one had more chance of success by using a force-user to do it. Especially if said force user was a Jedi Coucil Member - one not easily culled from the herd. It was clearer now why Sasseeri had approached her.

This now all made evil sense, and Hera smiled.

But the attractive felinoid had yet to name a price that interested Hera.

So Hera named her own.

"Ms. Reeouurra - I require no less than a fully complemented Battle Galleon as payment. (Cizerack crew for essential operation only). Delivery up front."

It was Hera's turn to steeple her fingers and do the "Contract Negotiator" pose. She allowed a placatory smile.

"You can give me the dates and times of the Fey 'Dann convoy upon my delivery of your Jedi."

[Sasseeri Reeouurra]

Sasseeri's ears twitched as the ambitious bitch named a ransom for her services worth...well worth more than what Sasseeri was willing to pay. In a few seconds of silence, as she appeared to be mulling over the demand, the Vigo calculated the risk of acquiring a Battle Galleon from the Pride. jImpossjible.

"jI can gjive you a Seeva frrrjigate, mjinus a crrrew. jYou would have to supply jyourrr own pjilots and crrrew." Sasseeri made a few notes with her fingers on a datapad just under the sight of the holoprojector.

[DarthHERA]

Hera dropped her eyes, her hooded lids hiding the pleased gleam that had appeared in them.

A Battle Galleon of course was an outrageous request. Both women knew it. But the Vigo had compromised in a most satisfactory manner...despite the withholding of a full crew. That was nothing that could not be handled.

Hera levelled her gaze once again, sabaac face in place, as she accepted the offer.

"Very well. The frigate will suffice."

She smiled now.

"Consider the Jedi yours, Ms Reeouurra."

A shifting in her seat, and Hera took on a less rigid posture, now that the price had been settled.

"I trust you have a name for me, and any pertinent information. You Cizeracks, if anything, are at the very least meticulous when it comes to details."

[Sasseeri Reeouurra]

"Of courrrse." Sasseeri pressed a few buttons on her comm, and uploaded the information she'd gathered on Navaria Tarkin. "My assocjiate, Saarrrrrrrrrea Meorrrrrrrrreji, knows thjis Jedji. She jis the contact between you and jI. At no pojint arrre we to meet. jIf you need somethjing, talk to Ms. Meorrrrrreji."

The Vigo steepled her fingers once more, and added, "Saa came to me today wjith an offerrr. She told me she could get thjis Jedji alone, and away frrrom the otherrrs. Afterrr she does so jit wjill be, of courrrse, up to you to close the deal." Sass leaned forward. "jIf Saarrrrrrrrreeaa werrre to meet an unforrrtunate accjident jin the meantjime, jI would not complajin." The half breed's eyes glistened, and then the female leaned back again.

"Her comm numberrr jis jincluded jin what jI just sent you. "

[DarthHERA]

As the data scrolled up on Hera's screen almost instantaneously as it was transmitted, a slow incredulous smile crept to the Sith's lips.

Well, well, well. Aint that something..

The target was known to Hera..in a manner of speaking.

Navaria Tarkin - Jedi Knight, Council Member.... And what the Vigo didnt know...ROS Clone of Dalethria Mal Pannis

Hera had heard rumors of the ROS clone surviving and confirmation of the clone's existance as a Jedi at the Order came during a chance meeting with Marc Tarkin - Dalethria's brother - at a bar with an old friend and fellow SFF operative, Callista, some time back.

Seems things were to come full circle. Hera via the ROS, was to a large degree responsible for the clones creation. And now, she would - given any luck - be the catalyst for its destruction. Things had come full circle.

Aint that somethin... she mused again.

Turning back to the Cizerack, her last ominous comment on her felinoid counterpart was not missed. Ruthless bitch.

"We'll see what we can do"

Pressing the button to seal the transmitted information she received and to send details for immediate delivery of the Frigate to the Gyron shipyard coordinates in the Isor Sector, she leaned forward to the holovid screen.

"I'll be in touch."

And pressing a button, the connection was severed and the Siths image was gone.