Ribbons and baubles and trinkets.... OH MY! (Security Office)

[Sal'in Irridin]

The INDIGO GEM docked at Jovan and Sal'in made sure her papers were in order for a long term stay. Once she had cleared security and offered her cargo up for inspection, she smiled and took her papers inside.


Her papers were really a data stick with her info on them. Her name, ship, cargo and even her path from Corellia to here were all in order and verifiable. Though what they wouldn't find was her departure from Tatooine almost half a cycle ago. Ok, so her departure was perhaps a bit hasty, and maybe it was in the dark of night. But middle of the night was cooler for packing and departing. And haste, well that term was relative. She was in a hurry to get to Corellia because she had something to pick up.


That was all there was to that.


The young woman moved through the station towards security and wondered where she could get something decent to eat. Her own cooking wasn't horrible, but she desired something more than rations stirred together in a warmer and poured onto a plate.


As she walked through the station, taking the long way of course, she noticed several places where establishments hadn't been established yet. She had certainly come tothe right place. Pushing an errant ebony hair behind her ear, her coif perfectly pinned and balanced on her head with no shift or shimmer as she walked. Her makeup so expertly done, no one would know her true lineage was half Diathim. Without the makeup, her skin glowed like the fabled fish that lit the depths of the Naboo oceans that allowed sailors to see late at night despite no moon or stars. She had learned to hide that part of her. And she had learned well. Only her previous Hutt employer had known her identity.


Of course, the Hutts had known because her Diathim mother had been sold to them as a child. Like a pretty bobble that pleased them. Only her life of complete obedience and loyalty had allowed her to be bred to the man she had come to love, Sal'in's father, and the child allowed to live. Sal'in had grown up as obedient and loyal. She had learned, at a very early age, that if she allowed that lineage side of her that was rare to SHINE... she could acquire all kinds of baubles and rarities. Most of the time, she did it at the order, and then request, of the Hutts who owned her. Later, she hid away her own personal stash of pretties.


When the opportunity arose, she departed. On Corellia she made a contact who bought her acquired ship, which had been stolen before she had stolen it again, and given her the papers and a legit ship that was beyond reproach, from which to begin again.


Which brought her full circle back to where she was... here on Jovan. And as she entered the security offices, she put on her smile, smoothed her black dress and asked the woman at the desk what the protocol was for the acquisition of a tenancy at the station and how to get her cargo cleared for sale.


She was told to have a seat as the woman took her ident stick and data stick and disappeared into the other room. Sal'in straightened her dress once more and took a seat against the wall where she could see everyone coming and going with equal ease.

[T'yeellaa Meorrrei]

Lieutenant Ollo Weck of the Jovan Security Force was having a bad day. The occasional petty thefts, vandalism, and public intox write-ups were par for the course. Then there was the matter of one Tamera Beck and one Aijorree Utaarrarri...damned Cizeri names. The balding human security officer tapped his stylus against his datapad with frustration. Assault and battery - both give and take. She was nursing a black eye with a cool pack. Two seats down, the male Cizerack had a kolto compress on a nasty cut to his forehead. They kept flashing each other dirty looks.

Then there was the matter of Mrs. Maillanaarro and her, uh, boy toy. They both sat a few seats further down the line, and Ollo wasn't sure how much longer he would be able to put them off.

"Okay...Miss Beck. How about I go ahead and get your statement on this incident first."

The Cizerack flipped his tail, muttering something that Weck didn't comprehend, but was pretty sure had a Cizeri curse word buried in it.

"Cool it, wise guy. Ladies first, figure you'd know that rule."

Another woman filed into the office. Clean, fancy hairdo. Su'taun'rrou Haassinee handled the paperwork, getting her out of his immediate concern.

"Lady, take a seat by Mrs. Maillanaarro, over there."

He jerked his thumb in the direction of the portly, splendidly-attired woman wedged into a narrow seat. Names helped here. Wouldn't do to say go sit by the fat, loud lady.

[Kalleeiha Maillanaarro]

"jIt'ss Madame Maillanaarro, Ljieutenant." The tea shop owner snapped pointedly, the bangles on her earrings jingling as her long ears flicked. "And jI want asssjisstance now!"

She patted a plump hand on the knee of the man she was with, some boyishly-handsome Cizerack perhaps half her age with a dancer's build and perfect eyebrows. He kept his mouth shut, averting his belladonna eyes from the new arrival.

[Sal'in Irridin]

Sal'in couldn't do many things. She was no cook, was lousy at politics, and even worse at any of the chance games played on such stations as this.

But Sal'in did excel in one area, and used it to her fullest. She knew people. Everyone wanted something at some point. Finding out those wants, those desires and those needs had made her very rich. And if settling in beside the portly alien and her little man was a good way to start, who was she to argue with the Fates?

She sat next to the woman as instructed, her eyes roamed up and down the scantily clad young man beside her, but as his eyes were averted, she pointedly ignored him. “Madame Maillanaarro. A pleasure. I am Sal'in, Sal'in Irridin. I just wanted to say I absolutely adore your outfit. You will have to tell me where you get the fabric from!” She was giving the woman a gentle smile to not seem overly eager or complimentary. People knew sincerity when they heard it, and false sincerity as well. Sal'in was not one to use the latter unless extreme circumstances warranted it.

“I was wondering, while you are waiting, would you mind telling me if any of the establishments here are vacant and available? And if so, would love to have your suggestion on the best place to place my new shop.” She smiled and leaned a bit closer so not many would overhear, “And I will of course be happy to make you a preferred client as well, for helping me of course.” She sat back up and smiled. “I am a purveyor of things that are hard to come by. And have a beautiful collection of rarities as well.”

As she waited in hopes the woman wouldn't brush her off, she began to take in the others around the room. The two who looked so angrily at one another, she would remember and give wide berth to if given the chance. The man who glanced at her from across the room seemed to be of rank of some kind here. And despite him currently ignoring her for the problems he had at hand, she had the feeling he was someone who might have a desire worth investigating some time. Men with power always had something they wanted... even if it was merely a home cooked meal and some peace and quiet.

As long as the home cooked meal was negotiable, she was certain she could find nearly anything else he would desire.

[Tamera Beck]

Tamera stewed. Well, she stewed with a heck of a shiner, at least. Making an incomprehensible face at Aijorree, she silently cursed him and his mean right hook. Least he knew that she had just as mean of a left jab. Each showed the signs of one another's passions.

She gave a hrmph, then a scowl as her eyes looked away. Ears picking up the conversation of the newcomer, Tamera couldn't help but bluster through whatever answer the Madame might've had.

"Hey! If you can get me some Seetai Ne Sajoi, I can pay you top dollar!"

The thought of reclaiming her precious snack was forefront on her mind, as was the idiot Cizerack she'd had to duke it out with. She'd been at the vendomat first, and that last bag was hers. Not his! So they'd gotten into a scuffle. So she'd cut open his face and he'd given her a black eye. It was how things went when one was so devoted to a beloved snack food. It was the circle of life, dammit.

Tamera leveled a finger at the new woman, ignoring Weck for the time being as her face fell into a look of utter seriousness.

"You get me those, and I'll make it worth your while."

[T'yeellaa Meorrrei]

Ollo's facial expression went slack with incomprehension.

"Seetai Ne Sa..."

His voice trailed off. That wasn't any kind of explanation at all.

"Narreeya! You get any of this?"

Su'taun'rrou Haassinee's head popped into view from the back room, ears askew from being pulled in two directions of two different tasks. She didn't have time to translate every little thing for her human boss, he was going to have to get a phrase book one of these days.

"Sshe'ss asskjing forr junk food."

"Thanks Narreeya."

"jI'm not a prrotocol drrojid, ya'chaaia!" came Haassinee's reply, already withdrawn into the back room once again.

"You're the best!" Weck buttered the Su'taun'rrou up half-heartedly, turning back to the matter at hand. Looked to the girl. Looked to the guy.

"You two...got in a fight...over junk food?"

[Kalleeiha Maillanaarro]

The newcomer decided that merely sitting in silence wouldn't do, but instead wanted to cheerily converse, as if they weren't at the security office at all, but rather milling around the market concourse. Kalleeiha turned to Sal'in with barely-restrained surprise. That sort of thing was normally the Madame's raison d'être, but she was having an exceedingly rotten day, and so it could be understood that her social graces were a little slower than usual.

"Rrou jIrrrjidjin..." Kalleeiha began with a somewhat pinched expression, "thank jyou forr the complement, but jI'm...rrealljy not jin the mood forr bussjinesss untjil jI get jusstjice."

The last part of the sentence she had hopefully said loud enough to be heard by the human security officer and his Cizerack helper in the back room. Kalleeiha flicked an ear nervously, then decided to remove her hand from her companion's knee, and laced her fingers together in her own lap.

"jI'm ssurre once mjy grrjievance hass been ssettled, jI can arrrange a meetjing wjith the sstatjion'ss bussjinesss councjil, of whjich jI am a memberr."

[Sal'in Irridin]

Sal'in listened as the woman across the room made her request. Though as she raised an eyebrow at the pointed finger, she had the feeling it was a bit more than a simple request.

“I will see what I can come up with. I think, perhaps, I may have some on my ship.” She nodded and laughed as the Security Officer realized that some people would kill for anything... even a bag of snack food.

She wasn't surprised and leaned back in her seat. If people didn't pine and ache for such items, she would be out of business. She mentally went over her ship manifest and guessed there might be a bag left of the snack the woman wanted. It wouldn't be a big one, and more than likely older than was probably acceptable, but it would give her the ability to barter time for a much better cache.

She was contemplating this when the woman beside her spoke up. Whatever the woman desired, she obviously wasn't going to leave without it. And as Sal'in settled in for what she guessed would be a bit of time, she nodded her head in respect and acceptance. “Of course, Madam. One must always see to personal business as a main course.” She then smiled a bit brighter at the woman's offer to help with the business council. “Oh, that would be most helpful. I would certainly appreciate ANY help you could offer. It is good to know there are such capable women on the station. It makes my desire to stay all the more strong.”

She wondered how the man behind the desk would feel about that statement as she crossed her legs and leaned back to make herself comfortable. Just watching things from this perspective could be useful to her. She now knew that such things as simple snacks could be an investment worth making. Perhaps she would speak to the ones who filled the machines. If they split the cost of the shipments and both profited, perhaps a larger pool of the commodity could be procured. She also knew that anything that helped make the Lt behind the desk happier on his time off, if he ever got time off, would be well worth acquiring as well. She wondered if the rare bottle of Tatooine Whiskey she had stashed in her private collection on the ship would be well received.

Her hand went up absently to replace an errant strand of hair from her perfect coif as she made mental lists of things she needed to do... and people she would need to garner friendships with.

[Tamera Beck]

Aijorree looked down at her in mild shock, his mouth open as if to deliver a sharp retort, but Tamera shifted her attentions as quick as a whipsnake, rounding on him.

"I saw her first, Aijoree," a finger from her free hand came up to poke his chest. "That bag she's got is mine."

The burly felinoid blinked, then swatted her hand away.

"Sshut up, Beck."

[T'yeellaa Meorrrei]

"Shut up everybody!" Weck went over the top of Aijorree, raising his voice in a nasally and exasperated timbre. He glowered at the bickering snack food junkies, deciding that if there was a bottom to his priority list, he was going to have to dig underneath that, then drill a deep well, and then throw these two yahoos down there.

"Unless the Katorrian Famine is happening, we shouldn't be having brawls over the vending machine. Full stop. You want me to call your mistress about this, big guy?"

Ollo flicked his finger along the glinting kaa'rri dangling at Aijorree's shirtline, causing the Cizerack to withdraw from the officer's touch, shielding the token with his hand. The look on Aijorree's face was all the reply that Lt. Weck needed.

"Didn't think so. And you, Beck? Do you want this kerfuffle getting back to Contractor Servicing? I can make this bad for both of you, but I really don't want to waste the time. I'm willing to let you two idiots off with a warning if you promise to play nice."

Ollo glanced back to the only person in front of him who hadn't been acting like an ass, and he sighed.

"Customs transfer? What's your point of origin and departure, ma'am?"

[Sal'in Irridin]

Sal'in felt bad that her offer of the rather inexpensive snack food was causing so much trouble. She felt a stab of pain for the man in charge. His job was hard enough and then she walks in. Some people were sticklers about first impressions and she worried some of his anxiety was over just that, her first impression of him and the station.

She didn't have long to consider it as he looked at her and made his demand. Walking over to him, and nodding, she answered. “Sal'in Irridin. Call me Lin, please. I am from Corellia," she said and handed the data stick to him, "and desire to remain here, perhaps open a shop.” Knowing that wouldn't endear her to him, she smiled. “And if you demand it, I will simply have to find it impossible to acquire anymore of the treat these two argue over. I wish nothing amiss here to be of my doing.” And as she glared at the two who were causing her problems without even knowing it, she looked back at Weck and smiled. “And if I do happen to have a bag of it left, I will be more than happy to turn it over to you. Since it seems to be such a delicacy here, surely you deserve whatever little can be obtained.”

She wasn't being sarcastic, merely polite in a way she knew. She hoped he would understand she meant no ill will and would abide assuredly in any limits he placed on her stay here. The last thing she wanted was to alienate the one person who may be the difference between her and bodily harm if something happened here.

[T'yeellaa Meorrrei]

"Corellia, huh?"

Weck's posture changed, from one of irritation to one of cool wariness. Suddenly the newcomer's bubbly demeanor wasn't just grating, it was a little suspicious.

"Okay, um, we're going to need to move you to residency application three-eight-esk. I'll get those forms drawn up for you, but I'm also going to need your itemized inventory, star log of your last six departures and arrivals, and I'll need to conduct a search of your ship."

[Sal'in Irridin]

Sal'in had been prepared for many things, but the change in the reaction of him to her as she mentioned Corellia was certainly not amongst them. She frowned slightly then simply stated. "The inspection of my ship and clear inventory are no problem. But the rest is. I moved from Tatooine to Corellia less than a year ago and this was my first destination. The ship was purchased on Corellia so it has no history with me. Once I have my entire inventory inspected and approved, you are, of course, welcome to rip its deck plates out and take charge of anything else you happen to find. And I say this not as challenge but to reaffirm I offer no lies or subterfuge. I merely wish to begin a life here." Her eyes didn't look away in shame or even in attempt to cover a lie. She saw something in Weck she thought she could kindle to a friendship. But if this was how others were treated here, perhaps she would simply remain aloof and professional in his presence and leave it at that.

"As to the comings and goings of the INDIGO before I acquired her, I can neither say nor confirm. I am sure your techs can get into her wiring and figure out precisely where she was before that if you truly wish it." There was no challenge or even cockiness in the station. If he was capable of reading emotions or even slight voice nuances at all, the best he would gather is she was hurt by the change in him and didn't care what happened to the ship as long as she was allowed to life her life and set up shop.

"Is there anything else you require, Sir?" The friendliness gone now and the business side on full force, she wanted to be sure she didn't miss anything he was going to ask for. Her eyes would hold nothing but disappointment in them now as she realized that out here, no one cared anymore for you than they did anywhere else.