Pervicaciousness

[Gaja]

It was just another day on Nar Shaddaa for a lot of people. Sun in the sky, a moon peeking over the horizon and announcing the night, speeders and people everywhere. The planet, as always, was teeming with life and it would continue to do so for centuries to come... However one of the inhabitants of the planet wasn't in for 'just another day', as she would soon find out. A bit of a newcomer to the Hutt Cartel, and planet in general, this individual was gaining quite the reputation at twice the speed. An expert hacker, and all around tech wizard Gemma O's future was certainly looking bright judging from the last couple of months. Standing to make a lot of money if she proved capable to meet the demands of the Cartel, she would today meet one of the big bosses.

Her comm unit would ring out of the blue, like it always did, but unlike most times the caller ID would simply show an 'Unknown///' sign. Perhaps the device needed repairing, or perhaps someone didn't wish to disclose their identity. Of course if she had the means, and desire, she could find out who was calling without answering, and investigating this mysterious call. Or she could just as well see who it was...

A ringing phone has to be answered, doesn't it?​

On the other side of the line awaited someone who could very well change her life, for better or worse. What she'd do was entirely up to her though. One thing was for certain, she'd gained the attention of a dangerous and powerful man...

 

[Symbiot Spider]

It was almost night time again on Nar Shaddaa, Gemma was hard at work tinkering yet again within the her temporary home of the Dust Runner, her freighter. The workbench was getting more cluttered than usual by electronics and wires, and Gemma was about to wipe it off and start over, but Glitch came online unexpectedly.

"Ma'am, I would suggest answering this call. It appears that, despite the lazy attempt to cover their identity, I was able to identify that isn't just another job, but another important person within the Cartel. Ignoring this would be stupid."

It was only then that Gemma had realized what was driving her nuts, a call was coming in and she hadn't even noticed. Her red hair was quickly pulled from her face and fastened back in place with her goggles before picking Glitch, her datapad, up and looking at the display. It wasn't a name she recognized, but she answered nonetheless.

"Hello, this is the Ace of Diamonds, I could figure out who you are but that would be rude seeing as you called me, so simply put - who is it?"

There was a slight tinge of annoyance as she spoke the last part of her greeting. The slicer would much rather be working on the component on her workbench. It was always simpler to Gemma to work things out in person, her hands would be free and she could still be of use to something else.

 

[Gaja]

That was an odd greeting for a human, the machine on the other end of the line deducted. Rather than the man himself Gemma was greeted by the voice, and possibly image of a droid. Unassuming for the most part, MOSAIC acted as Yuri's personal assistant droid. Although in his own humble, and objective, opinion he was much better suited for "field work" than this type of work.

Spoiler: MOSAIC

"Greetings, Miss Ace of Diamonds. I am MOSAIC, the personal assistant droid of Cartel Captain Yuri Sharp. I hope I've not caught you at a bad time, but my owner has something he'd like to discuss with you, in person. It is a matter best discussed in private so if you're interested please come to the coordinates in the attachment. There is also a second set of coordinates in case you can't make it to the first location by midnight. Commander Sharp sends his regards and looks forward to meeting you.

Good-bye."

Straight to the point MOSAIC delivered the message he was tasked with and waiting the appropriate three seconds hung up unless Gemma said something to make him do otherwise. The droid had other tasks, that according to his programming had higher priority, like putting Yuri's daughter to bed in time... If he could the machine would have shook it's head, one of the premiere assassin droids in the galaxy, and he had become a nanny and personal assistant... Oh how he longed for the days when Sharp Commander would task him with being his sniper support on dangerous missions, now that was what his programming was designed for...

As for Gemma, she could see two sets of coordinates. The first, should she be able to get there in time, would lead her to a high end Cartel district where Yuri Sharp, and some of the other Captains and Enforcers, lived. At the very least they owned apartments in that district. Yuri for example owned an entire floor in one of the buildings, and used part of it for business meetings, both legitimate and the less legitimate kind. He was in there right now discussing business with his partners around the galaxy and planet. Yuri Sharp was a busy man... As rich and powerful men tended to be...

In case, however, that the hacker couldn't make it there in time the second set of coordinates would lead her to a night club called 'Afterlife' in the Pattaya district where Yuri could be found later on. He was welcoming some guests from... out of Hutt space and needed to show up. Either way Gemma had all the information she needed, where she'd decide to meet the legendary mercenary, if at all, was up to her... Maybe tinkering with weapons and gadgets was more appealing to the woman.

 

[Symbiot Spider]

"Greetings, Miss Ace of Diamonds. I am MOSAIC, the personal assistant droid of Cartel Captain Yuri Sharp. I hope I've not caught you at a bad time, but my owner has something he'd like to discuss with you, in person. It is a matter best discussed in private so if you're interested please come to the coordinates in the attachment. There is also a second set of coordinates in case you can't make it to the first location by midnight. Commander Sharp sends his regards and looks forward to meeting you.

Good-bye."

This completely caught Gemma off guard, she wasn't expecting a call from a cartel member let alone one who she hadn't met yet. It would make sense for Mjolla to have called, but somebody new? Was Gemma getting some recognition for her part loyalty? She wasn't sure and knew not to let this go to her head. She slight shock was all that was needed for the droid to close the call. The silence then bringing Gemma out of her stupor. She glanced at the chrono before panicking briefly; it was already ten and Gemma would much rather meet this Champion of the Cartel in a more secluded meeting. With this in mind she quickly ran to the bathroom of the Dust Runner and cleaned up as best she could.

She ran around the Dust Runner like a caged Rancor; it was nearly eleven before she left the was able to leave with all her usual things. She managed to flag a taxi down before jumping in. Instead of giving the driver droid the address she only mentioned the high end cartel quarters. As the droid sped off, Gemma reached into the pouch at the small of her back and took Glitch out. Without saying anything to it, she manually began to open up the hacking program she called the 'Jaw Breaker' she was going to take this droid for all that it had and be off before they noticed.

The taxi came to a stop and droid beeped and whirred before a translation crept across the back of his seat; not that Gemma needed it, but she could understand why it was needed. She gave the droid her fake account card and the droid swiped it, shortly after, it beeped and whirred once more before the door hissed open. It didn't notice anything and this put a huge smirk on Gemma's face. The taxi sped off and Gemma eyed the datapad.

"Well, how much did it have?"

"Thirty-six thousand, four hundred and two credits. I must express my disliking for taking a droid for everything it has like this. Do you know the trouble it will receive now, Ma'am?"

"It's a droid, Glitch, it barely had any AI to it and was just moving through its commands. It won't even notice the memory wipe it gets."

Gemma slipped Glitch back into the pouch before walking up to the estate buildings. She looked again at her transiwatch and noted the time. She still had a half hour before midnight, which she was unsure about if it would be enough time to get whatever this man wanted out. She walked up to the proper co-ordinates and knocked on the door firmly. Meeting new faces no longer scared her, but that didn't mean that she wasn't nervous slightly. This man was a champion and she had already experienced a vast difference between Mjolla and Tylas and could only help but wonder which personality this person played to more.

 

[Gaja]

~ Melrava Memorial Apartment Building​

Named after Lorelei Melrava, one of the pioneers of the Ona'bak Retrade and one of the three original Cartel Captains of the late Vero the Hutt. It was a staple of Hutt Cartel accommodations and named appropriately so, Lorelei Melrava was the epitome of class, elegance and success. This particular building was reserved for the Captains, or Champios, of the Cartel, and fell under the same protection grid as the Calrissian Hall Casino. In short, the people who lived here were big shots. But to everything in life there were levels...

Even here not all who lived here were equals, despite their title. Along with Lorelei and Jack Tamblyn there was another man who was part of that original trio of Captains. The man who enjoyed the reputation of the champion gladiator who just wouldn't die and a legendary mercenary. And he was also the man that Gemma was on her way to see.

Entering the luxurious lobby of the building Gemma was greeted by an Echani receptionist who confirmed that Mr. Sharp was still in the building and would see her. Directing the tech wiz to a certain elevator Gemma enjoyed the company of a rather imposing Trandoshan gentleman, so she wouldn't get lost. It was a rather spacious building after all.

The ride was quiet, the muscular green lizard not saying anything and simply doing his job in leading the human female to the next set of doors. Pressing his hand against the scanner on the door the Trandoshan whispered something in his own language and stepped away. The door opened and Gemma was allowed access.

Impressive was the word most people would think of when having to describe the space. Quality materials and style it was obvious why Yuri would spend time here. Although to be fair he did use this place more as an office than anything else. He didn't live here. Approaching Gemma this time was the droid that she spoke with earlier, MOSAIC.

"Good evening Miss Ace of Diamonds. I am MOSAIC, we spoke earlier. If you would please leave any weapons and other dangerous devices with me and please take a seat..." It was then that the man himself made his presence known. His voice deep as it reached Gemma's ears. "MOSAIC, how many times have I told you. There's no need for that." Those damn Hutts and their security protocols.

A tall and muscular man entered the room. Impeccably dressed, wearing a dark suit with a dark gray shirt and a black tie, Gemma was introduced to Yuri Sharp. Long black hair tied in to a pony tail and an unshaven face turned towards the woman as he made his way to greet her [Link]. The comm unit attached to his face was actually part of his armor but it served just as well as a comm device so he developed the habit of wearing it even when he didn't wear his armor.

"Miss Ace of Diamonds, I'm glad you've made it. Please..." Offering her to walk inside it was up to the woman whether or not she'd leave her possessions at the door or not. "Can I offer you anything?" Yuri didn't miss the fact that MOSAIC hadn't had a chance to offer her a drink, so being a good host he took it upon himself to do so...

Walking to the center of the room Yuri took a seat on one of the couches, the one he liked the most, leaving Gemma to pick out any of the other three. There wasn't much that the office lacked, a giant screen, plenty of gizmos and booze. It was here that Yuri welcomed other high ranking members of the Cartel when it came to business, like Tylas and Vica for example...

 

[Symbiot Spider]

It was yet another weird bodyguard with a forgotten voicebox situation as Gemma and her new Trandoshan besty rode the elevator together in complete silence. The knot in her stomach kept turning; she hated awkward silences. She glanced up at the lizard man a couple time only to be caught once and given a slight grumble, that wasn't it, growl maybe? The escort finally hailed the scanner with his scaled hand and hissed something into the transmitter. The door slid open and Gemma half eagerly jumped the threshold, but not before turning to the escort.

“Well, that was fun, maybe on our next date we go for dinner first?”

She offered a relieved half smile and a wink for the trandoshan as the elevator door slid shut. Gemma turned and only then had realized the highly polished finish of the room. She didn't much care for the things that the consisted of, but rather the trinkets and gizmos the room held within itself. She looked for seams in the walls to potentially give away the rooms secrets. When she finally scanned the room and brought her head back forwards, a droid stepped up to her.

"Good evening Miss Ace of Diamonds. I am MOSAIC, we spoke earlier. If you would please leave any weapons and other dangerous devices with me and please take a seat..."

It was then that over the tall droid's shoulder, Gemma watched a man in a sharp black suit step into the room and immediately steal the not quiet established spotlight.

"MOSAIC, how many times have I told you. There's no need for that. "Miss Ace of Diamonds, I'm glad you've made it, please... Can I offer you anything?"

She fought back the urge to ask for whatever the most expensive thing to drink; she had never been in a room this pristine before and knew that it may very well be her last if she didn't behave. She gave a warm, cheerful smile and shook her head.

“Not this time, just seeing the room is satisfaction enough. I must say, I love... all of this.”

There was a flick of her hand as she gestured the entirety of the room. Gemma placed her blasters on the counter in a completely visible spot from anywhere in the room; a usual precaution. She failed to mention the hidden dagger, again a precaution, but slipped Glitch out of the pouch resting on the small of her back.

“His name is Glitch, and I will have to decline giving him up if I don't have to. Its a hard thing to ask a slicer to give up. Say hi Glitch.”

“It is a pleasure, MOSAIC, Sir.”

She walked across the room and sat on one of the couches with the man; leaving one between them though for yet another precaution. She had no clue who this man was or what he wanted her here for and she just offered up her blasters. Not like it was too much of an issue with Glitch on her lap, but she wouldn't say this man fully had her trust just yet – but the fancy toys were a start.

 

[Gaja]

One could only wonder whether or not Gemma liked it here, not just the apartment but the whole building was state-of-the-art, and being someone who appreciated all things technology Yuri would assume that the slicer would appreciate it as well. It turned out his assumption was correct as the woman expressed her 'love' for everything around them. A warm smile resonated of Yuri's face in response to her statement. "I'm glad you like it so far."

With both of them taking a seat Gemma wasted little time in introducing Yuri, and MOSAIC, to Glitch. Tilting his head sideways MOSAIC gave the datapad a curious look before walking outside the room. Yuri on the other hand eyes the datapad curiously. "Likewise Glitch. Would you like anything? A charger maybe?" Not sure if the joke was appropriate or not Yuri leaned back and smiled once again. "I'm sorry about that. We don't have too many AI's sitting in on meetings."

Dedicating his full attention to the woman sitting across from him the man studied her for a second. She gave the impression of a smart woman, dressed for work right of the bat and not too bad on the eyes either. "So before we move on any further what should I call you, I mean what do you prefer? Ace, or Diamond? And are you sure I can't get you anything?" They might just be here for a bit and it was perfectly fine to order anything really. That was what the liquor cabinet was for. After all Yuri heard some good things about this woman and wanted to meet her and see for himself if she would work for and with him.

The office itself was polished but not without some small personalizations made by Yuri. On a wall there was framed picture with two medals in it. Clearly something Yuri was proud of.

And that was just one thing stood out and told what kind of person Yuri Sharp was and what he'd seen so far in his life. Like the ring of the Granee Lorda... or if it were more to Gemma tastes, some of the other toys he had outside the office...

 

[Symbiot Spider]

After the pleasantries, the man had offered Gemma and Glitch the small joke about offering Glitch a battery. Gemma chuckled sightly when it came off as his own playful nerves. She then waved a hand when he offered his apology. She smiled brightly and looked straight at him.

“No need to apologize, Glitch is used to far worse than insults”

She patted the datapad as she set it down on the table. She found herself looking around again at different things each time. She was still finding seams that hid potential ports or even mechanical arrays from laying about the room at all times.

"So before we move on any further what should I call you, I mean what do you prefer? Ace, or Diamond? And are you sure I can't get you anything?"

“I am sure, thanks. You can call me Gemma, or wheels.”

She offered her hand out for the man to shake and it seemed weird that they hadn't done this at the door, or at the very least, when they first met; instead this man offered her drinks and a place to sit. He was either being very hospitable or he was completely confident in his own skills if things went south quickly.

“I don't mean to be rude, but why have I been called here?”

There wasn't an easy way around the question without sounding a little abrassive. Gemma turned a slight pink in the cheeks when she heard it outloud and hoped that it didn't come across as badly as it did to her.

 

[Gaja]

Yuri was pleasantly surprised by the offer of a handshake. It was a little piece of culture that seemed to go missing when you mixed a wide variety of cultures, like Nar Shaddaa did, and people. The reason Yuri was so pleasantly surprised was simple however, he liked to shake hands and greet people in that manner, but out of respect for Gemma's personal space refrained from doing so previously. Not knowing whether or not she was familiar with the custom he simply welcomed her inside, but now that the offer was there the muscular tattooed man extended his hand and like he used to do introduced himself properly. "It's nice to meet you Gemma. Feel free to call me Yuri. No need for titles here."

As the hand shake concluded the Cartel Captain took his seat once again and as he did so got to know Gemma a bit better. Straightforward as a bullet after being fired but polite nonetheless Yuri also noted that he preferred to call her by her name, if that was indeed her real name. "Hm, please don't be silly. You're not being rude. MOSAIC, bring me the company datapad." Even though the droid was out of Gemma's sight once the man had issued the order metalic footsteps could be heard in the background of the apartment. "The reason you're here Gemma is that I've been talking to Mjolla and your name came up at one point in time. I've been told you're a capable woman with a rather unique set of skills. So I wanted to meet you and see if maybe we could help each other." It was at that point that MOSAIC returned to the room with a datapad in his left hand, a logo of some kind on the back of the device, which he directly gave to Yuri.

Taking the device in to his hands Yuri didn't use it right away, instead he looked at Gemma and added. "So tell me Gemma, are you interested in earning a lot and developing new inventions? Because I have a few in mind and the funds to see it through." As straight of a shooter as Gemma may have been Yuri was equally as straight forward. He wished to get to know this woman and see if she was capable and willing to develop and work on high-end technology and gain the favor of one of the most well known and powerful man in the Cartel, and by extension known Galaxy...

 

[Symbiot Spider]

The man's name was Yuri, there was something pleasing to the way it sounded; or it was the man's voice, she wasn't sure. She studied him and then the surrounding area, making sure not to stare at him. His rugged features and voice seemed to only add to the charisma of the man, and this man knew how to hype it up. Gemma distracted herself by looking at the table itself; it was an attempt to block out the rising heat in her throat.

"The reason you're here Gemma is that I've been talking to Mjolla and your name came up at one point in time. I've been told you're a capable woman with a rather unique set of skills. So I wanted to meet you and see if maybe we could help each other."

Mjolla was the reason she was here? That was unexpected. Gemma was sure that their meeting was going to be kept off the records given Mjolla's sensitivity to the subject matter. Gemma could hear the clang of the droid as it walked up to Yuri and handed him the datapad that he requested. Without looking at it he had turned back to Gemma. She still couldn't wrap her mind around that cartel champions were talking about a lowly prospect, and she couldn't tell if that was a good thing or not.

"So tell me Gemma, are you interested in earning a lot and developing new inventions? Because I have a few in mind and the funds to see it through."

“That sounds like fun to me, but I want to make some of my own too.”

There was an immediate dumbfounded look on her face as she realized she didn't think at all about the answer and just spit it out instantly. That wasn't tactful at all.

“I mean to say that, yes, I am interested in something like that and would love to create my own things if given permission as well. I have been working on some ideas. Like Glitch here, and...”

Without making too sudden a move, Gemma reached up to her head and removed the goggles that sat holding her hair, which in turn fell slightly in front of one of her eyes. Pulling it behind an ear with one hand, she tossed the goggles to the cushion next to Yuri, not wanting to startle him with it being thrown at him. She didn't know this man and wasn't sure how he would react to certain sudden moves.

“... my goggles. Just a fancy pair I liked in a market. What makes them special is the thin layer of holo-film that I have modified. It has been programed to act like any other HUD system, but with some other features. For example, Glitch can interact with it and display things I may need... wiring schematics, security camera feeds, electrical panels and so on. I modified it so that they also carry a sensor for touch commands given through calibrated pads on my gloves. They scale to an appropriate level of lighting even if there isn't any. Give them a try.”

She then moved glitch towards the centre of the table.

“Glitch, open voice command to Yuri here.”

 

[Gaja]

There was something delightful about the change in Gemma's behavior, her instincts were what seemed to guide her actions, at least that was the impression Yuri got so far. When he was a kid the elder women at the palace would call that, her tongue being quicker than her brain. The reason it was so endearing was that they also often said that very same thing about the once little Yuri too. The man could tell that they touched on a subject Gemma liked to talk about when it came to technology and gadgets by how quickly Gemma shared her thoughts on Yuri's proposal.

The man wasn't the least bit offended, quite the opposite actually. It was refreshing to see someone exhibit such enthusiasm and interest for their profession. But as refreshing as it was, it was the change in her behavior that made Yuri's smile. Going from a relaxed and proactive participant Gemma went all 'business', which Yuri didn't say much about. Actually seeing her pull out her goggles as slowly as she did Yuri realized that she may not have been entirely comfortable just yet, something he forgot people tended to get... Seeing Gemma lose the goggles Yuri noted that she looked cuter without them, though he kept that bit to himself. Rather he merely caught the goggles in mid air and studied them for a second while listening to the woman sitting across from him.

Finding out some of its added features Yuri was beginning to think that maybe Gemma was right for the job he had in mind, and with that also became more and more glad that he had MOSAIC arrange this meeting. Bringing the goggles closer to his eyes the Captain looked through them and at Gemma. "How silly do I look right now?" He asked jokingly. After a second or two he also added. "MOSAIC, shut the light of for a moment please. So is the scaling function automatic or do I have to say something for it to work?" Still seated the man held the goggled to his eyes with his hand as the lights went out and for a brief period of time the two Cartel members were in the dark.

Gemma would simply have to adapt and walk Yuri through it a bit. It wasn't total darkness however as light from the outside world offered some visibility. She'd be able to see that the Nar Shaddaa native was still comfortably seated and looked in her direction, perhaps. When it came to Yuri he was liking the innovative thinking that went in to this device, surely the hacker would bring similar ideas to the table...

 

[Symbiot Spider]

Gemma smirked slightly at Yuri's question as he held the goggles on his nose. She watched him a bit and still couldn't comprehend that she was actually here; it all seemed to be very dream-like. She had been with the cartel only a few months and has met all three of the champios, met several of the enforcers and apparently made a name for herself in some capacity.

“I wouldn't say you look silly, because then that would insinuate that they look silly on me. When the lights go off, I believe they are set to a second of adjustment time. They are not like night-vision where everything is a wash of green, but rather greyscale which is easier on the eyes and less demanding on the tech.”

She secretly watched in eager anticipation, but only showed her patience as MOSAIC clambered over to the lights and shut them off. She counted in her head and could only imagine the look on his face as the goggles did their trick. She then glanced to where Glitch was on the table and held a hand out.

“Glitch, bring up a schematic of this room. Let's show off for the man.”

“Yes Ma'am.”

The datapad ignited a small holo-projection of the room about six inches in every direction. Knowing that Yuri was watching and wanted to show how the datapad now worked in the dark, she fanned her fingers away from her palm and the holo-projection quickly scrolled to a size that was more around the size of the table.

“This always gives me the warm and fuzzies. If you look, the blue from the projection doesn't affect the grey from the night-vision, rather it blends together almost seamlessly. Look at the edge of the table and see if you can see where the blue ends and the grey continues... It should be about a foot given the size of it now.”

 

[Gaja]

Well being the self deprecating kind of man Yuri couldn't allow himself to overlook his new look. Hence his reply to Gemma's statement would go along with that kind of attitude. She was cute, and could pull it of. Yuri just felt weird rocking the goggles with the suit he had on, not that it stopped him from trying them on but that was just how he felt. But then again he did have a certain suit of armor that it could go with, or not...

Either way as the lights went out the man leaned back and enjoyed the show. For a second everything went dark but true enough, much like Gemma said, the goggles did their thing and the man was presented a new form of vision. Although it was rather colorless, or rather offered several shades of gray the man was still very much impressed. It wasn't straining on the eyes, like the usual green night vision was... and then there was the sharpness and clarity. The man didn't say much, but to be honest the device simply seemed to take away the colors but in exchange he saw almost perfectly in the dark... Meanwhile Gemma couldn't help but show of some more as she brought up a holo image of the schematics of the room they were in. Perhaps even more impressive than the image, it's scaling option and the clarity with which Yuri could see it was the fact that she had the schematics in the first place.

There weren't a lot of people with those. Or did she make one by scanning the room as she walked in? "That's impressive Gemma. I really mean it..." Taking the goggles of Yuri held on to them for now as he looked at the holographic image of his room. "MOSAIC, the lights." Not two seconds later did the lights come back on and the polished apartment could be seen by both humans. "So tell me, how did you get those?" Gesturing in the direction of the image itself Yuri's expression showed genuine curiosity.

"Not a lot of people can get a hold of those. And I'm curious about one more thing. Are as good an engineer as you are a hacker?" The desire to learn more about this woman was starting to grow. She might just be the person that could help him out with his newest project. Teaming up with her seemed like it carried a lot of benefits, but so did teaming up with him. A lot of doors could open for her if they decided to join forces... Especially with everything that was in the works...

 

[Symbiot Spider]

Gemma had to blink once or twice from the again sudden change in lighting. She offered a smile and a genuine laugh; there may of been some nerves in it, but she tried to hide it. Her hand reached over and pushed the datapad closer to Yuri, suddenly feeling like her decision was a stupid one. Why would she do something like replicate here of all places... a Cartel hideout.

“Its not what you think. It isn't a schematic, or a proper one at least... look at the goggles from the front. Right between the eye frames there is a camera; again mini for ease and secrecy, mostly my protection during negotiations. Glitch as you know is connected to those goggles, he takes in what they see and is now able to create a layout, but wouldn't be able to tell you what is behind closed doors for example.”

She gestured to a closed door she spotted when entering the flat. It was just as pristine as the rest of the flat and those things did lead Gemma to her own form of curiosity, what else was within these walls? What else could be tinkered with?

“It also doesn't see where you came from down the hall there.”

She leaned back into the soft cushions of the couch and breathed a silently relieving breath. There was a moment where she thought that he was going to begin interrogating her for her idiotic safety habits. When Yuri moved on with his questions she sat up again.

“I have various knowledge in engineering, biology, mechanics, chemistry. Basically, I have knowledge in all the proper areas in order to take something apart, learn it, put it back together, learn that part and then create a stronger if not better version of itself. Take those goggles and Glitch for example. I am currently working on getting my hands on weapons tech and making some of my own blasters and rifles... if you must know.”

As Gemma spoke, she became faster and with a lust for her desire. It would be clear to anybody that she was in it for the gizmos, gadgets and other various things that needed to be tinkered with. She took a second to realize the probably funny face of a person easily lost with passion and cleared her throat.

“What is it that you are looking for? Maybe I can help you more if I understand what it is you want.”

 

[Gaja]

With every second and every word Gemma picked up speed, or rather her talking did. It was actually quite funny because Yuri didn't think he could talk that fast, or maybe he could and did sometimes without even realizing it. Though for him it would have to be a different subject... Listening to to the woman talk the Nar Shaddaa native put the goggles on the table in front of him, and took the datapad MOSAIC previous gave him in to his hands.

"Indeed. Let me show you something." Swiping his finger across the screen of the pad Yuri focused on it for a few seconds. Opening an application, and then finding the appropriate file wasn't hard but when you had dozens of projects in development picking the right one could be tricky, especially after as many meetings as Yuri had today. Finally finding what he was looking for the massive TV on the wall came to life and on it several pictures could be seen sliding across the screen, one after the other.

Spoiler: Image on screen

Yuri placed the datapad on the couch and explained what it was that he wanted help with. "Gemma, I own a company that mainly deals in the production of speeders and swoops. It's R&D department has been expanded to develop combat gear and weapons. What you see there is the Minuano K-series power armor. An exo-skeleton suit designed for me personally. It's existence is a tightly guarded secret and I want to keep it that way until it's combat ready. It's still a prototype, so it hasn't seen much field experience but I'd like someone with your calibration skills to take a look at it. My people are good, they can spend my money and get the materials I want. They can forge them in to the shape I asked using the machines I bought. But when it comes to calibrations, power delivery and consumption I am not satisfied with the end result. You see I have another power armor, but it's much like the Kushari models. Bulky and offers good protection, brutal power and flight capabilities but not very good speed."

The images switched and and it was slowly becoming clear that Yuri wished to be more mobile, use a sword, and be faster and stronger. It was almost like he wanted to match force users on the battle field...

 

[Symbiot Spider]

With an eager grin on her face, Gemma watched the TV screen and scroll through several pictures of schematics. Her hunger for tech was now at its all time high. This man wanted her to build him a suit, or more accurately, put the final touches on a suit his men couldn’t finish for some reason. The suit itself looked very fluid, clearly built for speed and agility. She smiled to herself at the appeal of a sword; something she wouldn’t trust herself with, but to each their own.

“I will admit that I am not familiar with the Kushari armour, but I will take a look at it before looking through whatever you want to put in front of me. Secrets are safe with me; you can verify that with M if you haven’t already.”

Her eyes never left the TV screen as she spoke. She was already studying it as much as she could from the still pictures. She tried to see the suit for what it was instead of what she would make it. This man put a lot of hours and money into it already and she didn’t need to worry about overhauling it. Her job was to look at the innards and see why they weren’t working as requested.

“So, when did you want me to take a look at this? I don’t exactly have anything to work with or the suit.”

It was another blunt, yet honest question she couldn’t stop. She furrowed her brow before turning to Yuri.

“I’m sorry, I’m excited to get started… please don’t mind me.”

“I never do, sir, it’s easier that way.”

 

[Gaja]

Yuri's face lit up with a smile as Glitch chimed in offering a bit of unexpected, but appreciated, comic relief. Gemma's eagerness to get started was a good sign, as far as Yuri was concerned. But despite Mjolla mentioning her she wouldn't quite get to work on the newest power armor that she was just shown, as it wasn't close by. It wasn't even on the planet at this time, as a certain someone read some reports on it. The Cartel Champios didn't seem bothered by Gemma's straight forward, some might say even blunt, nature. It was different but he wasn't bothered by it, as long as she did what she said she would do, Yuri didn't mind if she wore a clown outfit, though that would be pretty creepy...

Adjusting his position Yuri inhaled once and smirked. "Hmph, well you won't get to work on that one just yet. It's being worked on, I'm told but since you seem confident in your abilities I have something that you could work on right away. Come with me." Standing up the suited up Cartel Captain motioned for her to follow, for he was about to show her something she'd enjoy. With his datapad in hand the muscular human with the long hair wondered if there were ways to improve the suit he was about to show her... After all he wasn't an engineer, so he could only venture guesses. But leading the woman in to a different, separate, room Yuri swiped his hand across door and, with a hissing sound, it slided open.

Lights flickered once or twice before turning on permanently and illuminating the room, revealing it to be some kind of armory. Yuri's private armory actually. "I've been thinking about having someone take a look at this one for a while now, so if you feel up to the task you can work on it. Of course any expenses are covered and I pay overtime and dental." Obviously kidding about dental it was obvious that Yuri paid well for the services he expected, and Gemma's discretion. Of course Gemma didn't need to be reminded about that. "There it is."

Before the two a massive set of power armor stood, dark colors dominating the plating with a helmet placed on a table next to it. Putting his datapad on a random shelf Yuri crossed his hands as he showed of the set of armor that helped him get through thick and thin. Floods, fires, gunfights, wars. He had it for a long time and even though he made sure to maintain it properly, it was time to have an expert take a look...

"That's the 'Solaris', the power armor I would call... well mine. I've had it for over 10 years now. Always maintained it properly, but it's time to see where it stands. Feel free to take a closer look at it. And..." Taking the datapad in to his hands once more Yuri made a few swipes and sent Gemma a file that she would find quite helpful, and informative. "Here's the data I got about it from my guys. I'm not sure who made it exactly so we won't be able to look up the manufacturer I'm afraid. You said you wanted something to work on. This is my favorite piece of armor, so show your stuff Gemma."

MOSAIC joined them for some reason, though Yuri already knew what it was. Motioning for the droid to wait a second he awaited the woman's reply...

 

[Symbiot Spider]

Eagerly, Gemma followed Yuri into the next room. It was just as clean as the previous one, and again, Gemma couldn’t peel her eyes away from their search for seams within the walls and curiosity they triggered. This was of course before they noticed the armour on the table. She walked over with a quiet intrigue, her eyes making quick work of the armour; searching everything she could with her hands before pulling out Glitch and getting his input.

"That's the 'Solaris', the power armor I would call... well mine. I've had it for over 10 years now. Always maintained it properly, but it's time to see where it stands. Feel free to take a closer look at it. And here's the data I got about it from my guys. I'm not sure who made it exactly so we won't be able to look up the manufacturer I'm afraid. You said you wanted something to work on. This is my favorite piece of armor, so show your stuff Gemma."

She idly took the datapad in hand while placing Glitch on the table. She scanned it quickly and could see that some of the assumptions she had on the materials were almost spot on. The armour was clad in fun stuff and things that could be tinkered with to improve, but it was mainly upkeep work; something not exactly what Gemma was figuring he wanted from her. She then thought about the suit and its capabilities and thought more about what it would need instead of how it could be better.

“Glitch, compile pieces into a ragdoll visual and keep up with me here…”

There was a quick beeping pattern as Glitch did as commanded. The pieces were cloned into a holo-projection and shrunk to almost a foot in total height; something easily seeable from anywhere in the room.

“They suit is fine. Could use some update on parts, but that isn’t a needed thing right now. Its been well treated over the years if I say so myself. Glitch, ready. I would recommend a simple mag-shield to increase the amount of durability you can hold onto while in the field. By adding a separate power cell for just the mag-shielding would mean that you could produce a shield that would reflect blaster fire like swatting flies.”

The entire time that Gemma spoke, highlighted in the holo-projection was a power cell and required cabling in order to develop what she was talking about. Glitch was listening to Gemma and projecting the simplest, but most effective way possible to get the job done.

“I would recommend enabling it through on of the gauntlets instead of from the body glove. It just means that you have more control over where the shield will project. Depending on the size of the shield desired you could cover your entire body and possibly survive a flame, but nothing more, or you could confine it to maybe a foot in diameter and deflect and Jedi-thingy…”

She waved her hand at the thought of Jedi-thingy, clearly unable to recall the word ‘lightsaber’. She handed the datapad back to Yuri to finish her initial report.

“You could tie in the mag-shielding into the rest of the systems and allow your HUD to pull power from the rest of the suit into the mag-shield or vice-versa, but I wouldn’t recommend doing it too often as it would drain the battery faster than normal. I could also through in some simple slicing upgrades to what you got, but that will come down to if you know what your doing in the field and not exactly the tools at hand.”

She offered a playful smirk as she sat against the table and took Glitch back into both hands, resting the datapad on her lap while watching Yuri for his reaction.

 

[Gaja]

Listening to the woman talk Yuri had to admit that he was impressed with her way of thinking and resourcefulness. After all not a lot of people had the knowledge and nerve to examine a new suit of armor that quickly and make a solid suggestion. Yuri had never seriously considered installing a mag shield, or investing in that kind of protection on the simple account that he felt the trade of in terms of power supply wasn't worth it.

It wasn't that he thought himself invincible, but knowing how long his missions sometimes lasted, he wasn't sure if an energy based shield was a good idea, given that he had limited energy to power the suit. "That's an interesting idea. Would it be possible for you to create a projection of how much energy a shield like that would roughly consume, and how that would influence the..." In the middle of his question however his watch started ringing, as well as his phone. Interrupting their conversation, as fascinating as it was Yuri took out the phone and cast a serious look its way.

"I'm sorry Gemma, I have to take this." Obviously it was an important matter for him to cut their conversation short and pick up the phone. "MOSAIC, entertain our guest while I'm away." Begrudgingly the droid walked closer to the woman, while the muscular human answered his phone and took a few steps to get some privacy. The droid who now joined Gemma didn't seem very thrilled with his newest task, deciding to simply stand next to Gemma and do a formatting of his own memory, hopefully frying it in the process if it were up to him. He didn't like doing this kind of stuff... and at times like this felt like he developed human emotions, anger and frustration mostly.

Gemma and his time together would be short lived though as Yuri returned fairly quickly, but by the look on his face it was bad news. Looking at Gemma the man shook his head, assuming a more serious attitude as he spoke. "I'm sorry but we'll have to continue this conversation some other time. There's a situation with the Bounty Hunting Guild, there's been a murder. I have to look in to it and take care of it... Again, thank you for coming on such short notice. I'm sure we'll talk more soon. MOSAIC will escort you out. Unless..."

Looking at the droid, and then at the woman Yuri had an idea, a potentially risky one. "Or maybe you would like to come with me and assist in solving this situation. Not for free of course, but as part of the Cartel. Hm?"

 

[Symbiot Spider]

Gemma flicked a finger against Glitch to signal that he should work on the question presented to them. Numbers were never something she liked to guess at, not when it came to projects anyways; they needed to be precise.

“If calculations are accurate, a shield spread out to cover your height, width and provide nearly forty five degree coverage, could be sustained by the average power cell for nearly an hour, if the shield doesn’t take hits. But sir, if the shield doesn’t take hits…”

There was an abrupt second click against the datapad and Gemma cleared her throat apologetically.

“You can give attitude to me, but not clients… scrap for brains.”

She turned only to be caught off guard by the droid MOSAIC who had replaced Yuri. Apparently he had taken a call when she wasn’t listening. It was an awkward silence, but Gemma couldn’t help but reflect on the difference between MOSAIC and the bucket of bolts Arok tended to keep around; this one knew that it didn’t need to talk at all times. She nodded as Yuri entered the nonexistent conversation again.

"I'm sorry but we'll have to continue this conversation some other time. There's a situation with the Bounty Hunting Guild, there's been a murder. I have to look in to it and take care of it... Again, thank you for coming on such short notice. I'm sure we'll talk more soon. MOSAIC will escort you out. Unless, or maybe you would like to come with me and assist in solving this situation. Not for free of course, but as part of the Cartel. Hm?"

She wasn’t sure about how well she kept her face impartial but the shock was most likely evident. She glanced back to the datapad as if it held her answer, but she took the time to instead evaluate her position. She could accept the offer and continue to better the relationship or kindly decline and potentially have it bite her in the ass at a later time.

“Sure, we could discuss the specs for the ray-shield on the way over to the Bounty Hunting Guild. Assuming this is a mission where I get to hear the details as well, you could let me know what they are on the way as well. Shall we?”

She collected her things and took one last look at the armour before tucking Glitch inside her pouch and allowed herself to be escorted back the entrance. She waited a couple minutes for Yuri to collect whatever it would be that he needed for the mission and then they were off. There was a good feeling behind the forming of this bond, but she couldn’t tell where it would lead her just yet.