Experts

[Darth Tagus]

A wretched hive of scum and villainy would probably come across as slightly better than most of Tatooine if he was being honest with himself. Travelling on his own but with confirmation that Inheris would be arriving to meet with him, Tagus had rather enjoyed the journey but the destination left a lot to be desired as far as he was concerned.

He HAD seen a Gungan slave get electrocuted to death for it's clumsiness and that had been... rather morbidly amusing to watch but the twitching had ended hours ago so he was bored of that pass time for now.

Sitting in the main area of a cantina in a private booth, Tagus sipped idly at the drink that had been served to him as he kept his eyes and senses open. Certainly he was waiting for Inheris but in a place like this?

Well who knew who was going to decide, out of the blue, that they didn't like him and he would be forced to cut off arms?

@Nightfall

 

[Darth Inheris]

Now why would any expert hide themselves away out here?

She wasn’t even sure of the name of the port, a Mos of some sort apparently, at the bottom end of Galactic nowhere. Well, it was true, the kind of people they needed were an unscrupulous sort, and where else would one hide a lack of scruples but somewhere like this.

It made sense, in a roundabout sort of way. And when you wanted to keep something under wraps, roundabout ways we’re ideal for throwing others off the scent.

Scents. That was something she was drinking in full out in the open air of Tatooine. Unwashed, sweaty and covered in all sorts of unspeakable matter, much of the local area forced Inheris to avoid breathing it in.

She knew she had been raised away from all this, she knew it had left her with certain sensibilities. But to accept something like what she saw around her required a whole new definition of unsanitary that she had not quite prepared herself for.

Still, entering the closed off cantina, she found at least a break from the sun and the stench, of not the sweat of the patrons that filled the place. Tagus has smuggled himself away in the rear, a private booth away from the masses. A good call, for the conversation they were about to have,

“Can’t say I’ve ever visited this part of the galaxy. At this point, can’t say I’d be excited to return either” she spoke dryly as she took a seat, waving down a drink,

“Tell me our contacts are close?” She looked to Tagus as she asked, a mug of some kind of milk drink being dropped in front of her. Inheris adjusted her hair and breathed deep.

Time to get her game face on.

@Nefieslab

 

[Darth Tagus]

To Tagus, Inheris was a waste of space.

She was a Darth and she was now a member of the Dark Council, the same as he was, but there was not an ounce of darkness in her compared to himself. Hells, even Victress had more Darkness in her heart than Inheris. At her heart, Inheris was a political creature and that sickened Tagus. Someone like him, someone who had sacrificed time and time again to grow stronger and honour the Dark Side itself?

He didn't think she deserved to stand alongside him.

But she had her place and it was not his place to dispatch of her. He had dispatched of one other unworthy of the position and it had come at a high cost. Considering the state of the Empire as it was now? Well he supposed a warm body was better than an empty space.

"Our contacts are close." he agreed simply, "Some of the locals here - contractors who work exclusively with slave teams on construction projects. They get results out of even the worst slaves."

Which their gungan slaves were likely to be.

"The problem is that we are not their only job offer; a local Hutt, Gyrop, is going to be attending the meeting. Wants them to work on his palace instead." he grinned darkly, "We have to... undercut him somehow."

It was pretty clear that Tagus just wanted to off the slug but he recognized that this talk, as an extension of politics, might be something that Inheris was actually good at.

If she messed it up her way, they could always just swap to his way afterwards but they couldn't do it the other way.

@Nightfall

 

[Darth Inheris]

Watching Tagus closely as he detailed the situation once more only solidified in her mind the possibilities for how the day would run. Tagus's own plans would work if they became necessary, she had no doubt of that. But risks presented themselves in violence, especially when used in scenarios that had an implicit assumption against it.

But, perhaps any meeting with Sith and Hutts had the implication of violence by their very nature. In which case, no one was allowed to be surprised.

Still.

Empress Andraste, the progenitor of the Empire, had been as shrewd a diplomat as she was warrior, so Inheris understood. It stood to reason there was a time and place for both in the skillset of every Sith,

"I'm sure we'll find a way to seal the deal" Inheris replied, pursing her lips as she straightened her back and cleared her mind for the talks.

As the curtain to the booth was pulled back, the contractors arrived first, how much time they would have alone without Gyrop she couldn't say, but it was valuable time nonetheless, a chance to speak a little more freely before words had to be chosen more carefully,

The pair introduced themselves as Inheris rose to greet them,

"A pleasure" she added following the pleasantries, gesturing for them to take their seats "I've no doubt you both want to see certain things from today, from us, or from Gyrop" she moved her eyes between as drinks were brought to the table for them, a simple gesture but one that was nearly always appreciated, made them feel comfortable,

"I'm certain we can accommodate them" she finished with a smile as she raised her drink to them. Hopefully the contractors would be a little more favourably disposed to them even now as Gyrop slithered through to the booth.

Time to sell themselves.

@Nefieslab

 

[Darth Tagus]

Tagus might be a more stereotypical Sith than Inheris but he was not rude; he introduced himself to the newcomers at the same time she did and was polite in doing so. It would hardly be a worthwhile use of their time to annoy the ones they were here to impress. Killing the slug and it's men would mainly just serve to back up anything they had to offer the men in the first place so he didn't count that as rude.

The two men who sat down were...

Not what he expected.

Then again he wasn't sure what he expected from a pair of men who spent their days bossing around slaves and torturing them until they were able to meet whatever insane deadline their employers had decided they needed to meet. Tagus, as a former slave himself, was already certain he wouldn't actually like these men but their appearance was doing very little to sell them to him either.

"Delighted to meet you, gentlemen."

Not that he would ever let his personal opinion get in the way of a deal.

The taller of the two looked between Tagus and Inheris quickly with his beady little eyes darting too and fro. He looked nervous and he had the mouth to explain why, it seemed.

"You're not gonna try any of them Sith mind magics on us, is you?"

By the Gods they were stupider than he thought.

@Nightfall

 

[Darth Inheris]

If Inheris could have rolled her eyes she might have, but even as thick as they seemed they'd pick up on that. Still, perhaps it didn't take brains to keep others in line,

"Of course not, I'm sure you'd see through it even if I tried" she replied to the tall one "one with a reputation like yourselves, wouldn't be tricked like that" Inheris was stroking the mans ego a bit, trying to settle him down. Open with a compliment, it always helped to make the other a little more pliant as you went into the discussions.

And, from the looks of them Inheris didn't imagine that they would exactly get many compliments anyhow. It was a game them, butter them, and flutter your eyes, all before the slug could weigh in at all,

"She makes a good point Toby"

"She does Les"

"Cause I know last time I saw a magic man, he pulled a porg out of his pants, but I knew he'd had it down there the ol' time"

"Don't miss a thing does Toby"

Force. This was going to be a long day. But if nothing else, she knew to keep the offers simple and direct, hopefully that'd keep them clued in. For now at least, they were both smiling, initial nerves gone, Inheris laughed quietly at their remarks and smiled back at them,

"I'm certain. And I'm certain you'll like the offer we have for you both" she began slow, building a little tension for them, theatricality it seemed would suit their tastes. Both seemed to put their hands together expectantly, but before she had time to proffer a figure, a voice came from outside,

​

"Whatever it is, I'll double it!" came a harsh, gravely voice like someone who puffed too many cigaras. This was Gyrop.

The competition.

@Nefieslab

 

[Darth Tagus]

If Tagus had allowed himself to roll his eyes, they likely would have rolled clean out of their sockets and he would have waved them off happily since it would have meant he wouldn't have to sit here looking at these two clowns who were supposed to be important experts. Honestly, he supposed it made sense considering what kind of job they were actually experts in; no one ever said you had to be intelligent to beat a slave into working well.

Still, he imagined this meant that they weren't going to be too hard to trick. They already thought that they were being tricked and they showed their nerves rather quickly. It led Tagus to believe, honestly, that they were weak willed little men who would respond rather well to the mind trick should he wish to employ it.

Tagus nodded along with Inheris.

"Mind tricks only work on those with weak minds..." he smirked as though sharing a joke with the two men as he gestured to Gyrop with a thumb, "Like the kind of person who throws out an offer like that without hearing what the first offer is, am I right?"

The two sniggered and Tagus smiled benignly at Gyrop.

"Oh Gyrop! I didn't see you there."

@Nightfall

 

[Darth Inheris]

Gyrop slithered in behind the curtain and joined the negotiations. The hulking, sweaty worm wasn't exactly a pleasant addition, but their eccentricities at least made an already absurd scenario even sillier. Perhaps there was some enjoyment to be taken in that, even as both she and Tagus found themselves ready to knock them all about and get it over,

"I wouldn't try it... My Lord" Gyrop said in her shaggard voice, playing with her words as she did "But still, a weak will or a weak offer, I can hear what you've been saying and all there's been is talk of goods, nothing real" Gyrop lectured at them before swinging their mass in the direction of Toby and Les,

"See now this" she passed over a datapad to the pair "is the kind of figures I'm talking to keep you here" words dripped from her mouth like honey, sticking clearly in the minds of the two twits in front. Faces lighting up, Inheris could tell they were impressed by Gyrop's opener, so then, how to respond when she didn't know the figure?

"And yet Gyrop would do exactly that, keep you here, far away from the life of the Galaxy, sweating in the desert" Inheris replied in turn, trying to turn their minds beyond simple credit sums,

"We could have you off planet by the afternoon, personal flight" she dropped to them, looking into their eyes "and there'd be more where that came from if your work is as good as I hear it is? A bit of luxury that doesn't eat into your paycheck.

@Nefieslab

 

[Darth Tagus]

Tagus hummed in agreement with Inheris.

"A large sum is always nice - but that means you're getting into bed with a Hutt. A Local Hutt at that." he shook his head, "You sign on with Gyrop and you gain some credits and you get yourself stuck on a dusty rock."

He gestured to himself and Inheris.

"We on the other hand?" he smiled, "Sign on with us and you get credits, you get the chance to work wherever you like in the Galaxy and you have the backing of the Sith Empire. Which, I don't need to tell you, has more weight than a single Hutt, no matter how large."

Said Hutt growled slightly.

"An Empire diminishing by the day."

Tagus tilted his head and smiled as Force Fear began to leak out, giving the two men nothing more than a slight chill while sending a chill right down the Hutt's non-existent spine.

"And it would take centuries for the Empire to diminish to the point that you could ever rival it for power."

@Nightfall

 

[Darth Inheris]

Their point, it seemed, had been made.

Inheris looked back of to the slavers, slack jawed and bug eyed, what they'd even taken in from the conversation was uncertain. Hopefully hey had at least followed the gist of it. It would make the two Sith Lords jobs much easier here today, and by the Force were things seldom ever easy in her experience. Even the simplest orders to issue came with some level of backlash. It kept on prepared, prepared for the inevitable attempt at being deposed. And that happened at all levels of Imperial life, even if Varyn had attempted to cut it down.

It was in their blood, it wouldn't change so easily. If it should change at all,

"Which I should think you gentleman can understand" she said, looking back to them even as Gyrop sneered in the corner at her and Tagus,

"Plenty of time to not only do this, but move much further up in society. The Empire is a place of merit, show it now, and it won't be long until you're singled out for something even better" Inheris played with the last few words, trying to tantalise the men into signing on. It didn't matter what they took her meaning to be, so long as they were persuaded.

Leaning forward to them, she made her offer,

"Does that sound like a deal, gentleman?"

@Nefieslab

 

[Darth Tagus]

The two men pulled at each other insistently and left the booth to whisper to each other about which offer they wanted to take. As soon as they were gone, Gyrop turned to Tagus.

If he had to guess, he would say that the Hutt had been about to make a threat.

Tagus got their first.

Pinching the Hutt's throat almost entirely closed with the Force, Tagus choked the creature as he glared at the thing with his yellow eyes. He didn't say anything for a long moment. He left the Hutt feel itself being choked, feel itself getting closer and closer to oblivion with no rescue in sight... before he released the hold and let the disgusting creature take a breath.

Knowing he had the Hutt's attention now, Tagus narrowed his yellowed eyes.

"If you insult my Empire again one more time, I will spend an afternoon here." he told her with a cold smirk, "That's all I will need to dismantle your operation and have you, and your family, slowly roasting over an open fire. Do I make myself clear?"

Gyrop swallowed so thickly he wouldn't be surprised if everyone in the cantina heard it before she nodded in agreement. Fixing a smile in place as the two men returned, Tagus' smile widened as one of the men pointed to Inheris.

"We like the cut of your jib luv - we're in!"

@Nightfall

 

[Darth Inheris]

A slip of the tongue and a firm grasp, that's all it took to secure what you really wanted in this galaxy. Whether Toby and Les were what she 'really wanted' was beside the point, they were certainly what the Empire needed, and it seemed on their end it had worked.

While she worried that she and Tagus were to be at cross perspectives, that one might have hindered the other, she didn't doubt that the Miralian's strength didn't do wonders when, well, how to put it: When negotiations got tough. Perhaps she could see the wisdom now in simply stopping Gyrop's chance to have bargained at all, the meeting might then have been little more than a formality. It wasn't far off though. A few empty promises, a bat of the eyelids, and Tagus' harder touch, and here they were,

"In which case" Inheris' eyes wandered to Gyrop, the strain behind the Hutts eyes showing as their windpipe scarcely survived Tagus grip, clearly shaken too by his words,

"Let us celebrate" she said clearly and triumphantly to the pair, leading them from the corner booth and pushing them to the bar, a little drink to seal the deal would do the trick, she had no doubt. Taking one last look back through the curtain, she looked to Tagus,

"Anything else you needed, Tagus?" she said it with a hint of humour, curious to see if Tagus would end things the way she expected. It didn't worry her what happened now, deal was done, but it was always worth finding out a little more about her allies on the council, just in case.

@Nefieslab

 

[Darth Tagus]

Did he need anything else?

A dark part of him wanted to kill the slug.

He very nearly went ahead and indulged himself but he decided against it. A cowed Hutt was more useful than a dead one in many ways and one of them was that Gyrop was then very unlikely to stand against them in the future; but was actually more likely to assist them in the future instead. It was a strange quirk but Hutts tended to follow those with power and the easiest way for them to understand how powerful you were was to feel it overwhelm their own.

So Tagus may have just choked himself an ally - how strange some cultures were really.

Instead of doing what his darker impulses urged him to do and, no doubt, to the surprise of Inheris, Tagus didn't attack anyone but instead clicked his fingers and getting the attention of the bartender with no small amount of the Force to push his control onto the weak willed man.

"A round of your finest drinks to us all!" he smiled magnanimously at Gyrop, "Victory shall not make us poor hosts, shall it Inheris?"

@Nightfall

 

[Darth Inheris]

Inheris had to smile as a buzzing young waitress darted past her with a tray of what looked to be a surprisingly high quality bottle, brushing against her as she poured out glasses of the liquor to each, keeping her eyes low in the presence of all. Tagus had indeed surprised her, and that wasn't something she was used to. But it made sense, she supposed he wouldn't have made it so far if he was just some jarhead with a lightsaber,

"No it shan't" she replied, joining the two at the table, gathering up her glass. Gyrop's head sat cowed and low, as low as a Hutt could sit it, anyway. They knew the game now, no doubt 'humbled' by the days turn of events, and were ready to play their new part,

"But I wouldn't worry Gyrop, we can be generous. Take a glass" Inheris gestured to one of the three sitting on the table, before raising her own as in a toast,

"We have plenty to discuss"

@Nefieslab

/EndThread