Ask Unrest Breeds Opportunity

[Renfry]

She took another sip of her drink as he looked at her, enjoying the feeling of his eyes on her. It was a simple pleasure and one that she didn't spend too much time thinking about. She made no rebuttal to the statement about not taking her eyes off of him. It wasn't any great secret that she enjoyed him and was shameless about it.

She wiggled her eyebrows at him and smirked.

She sat in silence until he asked her a question without warning. She didn't say anything for a moment, considering her old life and new one. She thought about all that had changed and the power and knowledge she had gained. She thought about where she would be now if she hadn't joined the Sith. With those Jedi idiots? Back on Dathomir? Wandering around on her own?

And then she wondered why he asked. Did he actually care or was he just feigning interest? She guessed the former, though "care" might have been a strong word. Either way, it didn't really matter.

Yes, she finally said after a period of silence. It seemed to be a habit she'd picked up from him for better or worse.

I've learned a lot, she said. Her knowledge of the Force had expanded significantly more in this brief time than in the time she'd spent wandering alone after leaving Dathomir. And the Sith were very likeminded with her. The Sith weren't unlike followers of the Fanged Spirit but under a different name.

She stood and made her way over to him, putting her free hand on his back and letting it run over his bare skin. It was warm, heated from the sun, and she let it linger a moment. She stood next to him and looked out over the water.

Are you happy that you couldn't get rid of me? she asked, glancing over with a smirk. She had low expectations, but it was worth a shot. He liked her on some level, she knew, but she knew that level was... strange and laced with ice and detachment. Forever an enigma.

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc could see dolphins in the distance, their fins breaking surface as the pods traveled. It was a beautiful sight, and he briefly contemplated the vastness of the oceans. For someone that grew up on a space station, the concept was almost overwhelming to him. He took a swig from the bottle, vaguely listening to Renfry but still catching every word.

He turned and jumped off from where he was, stepping closer to her. He had a half grin on his face as he took another swig, “Why are you so concerned with what I think of you?” He said lazily as he placed a hand on the edge of the boat to lean against it. His gaze didn’t budge from Renfry this time, though silver pools were hidden behind the shades.

The line of question from her was simple enough but had a curious subtext. It came from an underlying fear of abandonment, or so it appeared. It was difficult to tell if Emryc’s own question came from a place of concern or simply clinical curiosity. Such was the case with him rather often.

 

[Renfry]

Renfry looked out over the water ahead, watching the dolphins make their way through the water. She could have spent hours out here easily without any concern for what happened anywhere else. She drank deeply of the sea air, and only broke her gaze from the water when he dropped down and questioned her, that same gaze that always tried to pierce her. And yet it was hidden behind his glasses.

She reached up and gently pulled the glasses from his face, setting them down on the deck so that she could look into those silvery eyes. She stared into them, the yellow fire of her own eyes a perfect dichotomy against the icy silver of his.

She was silent a long moment, eyes locked with his. The answer to his question was one he already knew. One neither had spoken aloud, and one she wouldn't speak now because she knew she was a fool.

You are the only person I've sworn allegiance to, she began. Of course the question lay also in why she had done that. It was... complicated.

You told me you could never give me what I wanted, she said, quietly. Her hand running down his chest and her eyes now following it.

What do you think I want from you? she asked. She didn't want to look him in the eyes now. It was far easier for her mind to run to other things than the answers to the questions they were asking.

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc didn’t stop her from removing the shades. His silvery gaze was even more piercing when the sun highlighted the golden flecks that were sometimes lost in the pools. The pupils constrict almost entirely, giving his gaze an even more ethereal look. He heard her words, taking another swig from the bottle without breaking eye contact.

He said nothing as he stepped closer, turning her so she gazed out at the water. Emryc set the bottle down in a secure spot before stepping behind her, his arms coming around her sides so his hands gripped the edge of the boat. He gently rested his chin on her shoulder, gazing out towards the sun.

“Everything,” He said as he pressed himself against her, hands still on the boat with her in front of him. His gaze was fixed on the waves as he drank in the smell of her and the feel of her skin against his, “You want everything from me, but you’ll be content if I even give you a fraction,” His actions were almost warm, but cold malice dripped from his words, “It doesn’t matter if I get rid of you or not,” He tilted his head so his lips brushed against her ear, “Because you will always come crawling back.”

 

[Renfry]

He never had any problem maneuvering her the way he wished and she didn't resist as he spun her out to face the water. She could feel his skin pressed up against hers, his chin on her shoulder. She was acutely aware of her longing for his touch.

His words were icy and harsh, in stark contrast to the way he touched her. She took a deep breath, pushing her mind off of the feeling of his touch.

You won't get rid of me, she said, a tone that almost matched his own. For all the uncertainty, that was one thing she knew. She didn't delude herself into thinking that he loved her, but the fear of being discarded had faded long ago.

She felt his lips and breath against her ear and her heart quickened, her muscles tightening.

She closed her eyes and she could all but see his face in her mind. He was wild. He was like Dathomir. Did she want everything? Perhaps, but she didn't expect that. What she really wanted was far more simple.

She spun in his arms, face to face with him. That same look of defiance in her eyes. She knew he wanted to dominate her in every way. She knew he enjoyed the control he exerted over her, but she didn't shy away from him. She'd made her position clear in the past.

Her hand came up and ran along the side of his face. She saw the entirety of the wild kingdom when she looked at him. Filled with all its own instincts and desires that would never be overriden. No one, not even a Nightsister born to the wilds, could subject all of nature.

Everything, she repeated the word quietly before looking up into his eyes again.

No, I'll never tame you. I don't want to tame you, she said. The wild side of him, the dangerous side, drew her to him as much as anything else. The truth was far more simple and far more base.

I want you to want me, she said. Perhaps on some level she wanted him to love her, but she wasn't sure she could ever expect that. If he was capable of love it wasn't in the sense of anyone else she had met. She wasn't sure what she was asking was even possible, but she'd done little to hide herself from him before and she didn't do it now. Her brought out the most basic of instincts and emotions in her and she allowed them.

She looked at him and awaited a response. An answer. She knew he was terrible about giving those at the best of times and the answer she would receive was probably not a kind one, but they never had been before and here she was.

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc watched as she turned to face him, the wild yellows clashing against the frosty silver. He said nothing as she spoke, her emotions simmering near the surface. He felt her touch against his face, no change in expression on his part. He considered the prospect of being tamed. In some ways, perhaps he was. He was measured and practiced, not wild and unruly. But certainly it was of his doing, and no one external. Or so he liked to think.

Renfry spoke of being wanted and Emryc’s face almost betrayed a grin. The eyes didn’t shift, always cold and uncaring. They were eyes that somehow invoked love and passion in spite of the chill they radiated. Perhaps others thought they could smother him with warmth, could make him feel something no one else could. They wanted to be different, that one being that could just plain get through each layer. And they would work so hard to peel layer by layer, thrilled at their progress.

And they would find nothing beneath it all.

“What I want..” He stepped back from her and unzipped his pants. He quickly pushed them down, having no qualms with being nude around her. His gaze remained on her as he grinned.

“...is to go for a swim,” He said simply as he sprang up on the edge of the boat beside her. He jumped high into the air, did a flip and splashed directly into the water.

 

[Renfry]

Renfry looked up into those eyes and there was nothing there. There was no warmth, no caring, and nothing to indicate that there was even the slightest desire beyond the simple and physical if that.

She gave a sad smile that he would see didn't reach her eyes, but it didn't matter. She watched him strip down, eyes shamelessly dropping to drink in all of his form. There was a quickened pulse as he moved toward her, hoping for words that... didn't come.

He moved past her to jump into the water. She didn't turn for a moment, eyes closing as she took a deep breath. After another moment she turned and picked up her glass once again, leaning against the side of the boat as she sipped.

She didn't care that he was naked - all the better - as she watched him swim, her mind now wandering far away to a dozen other places and questions. She really should have learned her lesson by now. For how quick of a study she was, she seemed to have made quite the fool of herself time and again.

She drained the remainder of her glass, head starting to feel lighter already, and stripped down the remainder of her clothes before flopping completely unceremoniously over board and onto her side.

The water swallowed her, its warm embrace seeming to carry her across the galaxy. She remained there, holding her breath without reemerging. Her eyes opened and were stung by the salt water for a moment as she looked down to the ocean floor. She didn't move, remaining there, frozen as she watched the creatures of the ocean move. Fish swam to and fro and other creatures she'd never seen or heard of before. Some massive and others far smaller. They seemed unafraid but unaggressive.

The seconds ticked by below the surface as she watched. It was all familiar to her somehow. Despite never before having been in the ocean, she felt at home, and perhaps that was why she remained there until her lungs began to burn and she could stand it no longer, breaking to the surface and bursting through with a gasp of air, pushing her hair back from her eyes and simply floating.

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc was having a grand old time floating in the water. He felt the warm sun on his skin, the cool water lapping against him and the breeze above. He floated on his back for a while before flipping and diving underwater. This was an environment he was more familiar with, having grown up in varying levels of gravity. They had used swimming to help prepare for the world terrains.

He didn’t come up for some time before finally emerging. He had a pearl in his hand, one that could be made into a veda pearl - like the ones worn by Queen Padme a long time ago. He inspected it for a moment, floating on his back silently.

Emryc decided to swim back to the boat then, climbing up the ladder in the back. He dried off and only put underwear back on before plopping down to catch some sun. He had limited time before it went from tanning to just plain burning and he wanted to take advantage of it.

 

[Renfry]

Renfry lay in the water for some time, floating aimlessly near the ship, letting the sun wash over her and the water creep along her skin.

After a short while she returned to the ship, grabbing a towel and wrapping herself up as she took a seat at the front of the ship. Even after all this time, her skin was pale and prone to burning. In fact, she was almost certain she'd be rather red tomorrow already.

She reached out with the Force and the glass and bottle floated over to her as she filled it again and began to drink. Seemed as good a time as any to get drunk. It wasn't like she was piloting the boat anyway.

And she kept drinking. She wasn't interested in thinking about... anything she was thinking about anymore. It didn't appear that they were going to be doing any work today anyway.

Drink, drink, drink.

By the time he was finished with his sunbathing, he would be able to see that the bottle was almost empty if he looked.

She set the bottle and glass down and stood, stumbling for only a moment as she blinked and walked over to where she had left her underwear before sliding them back on. Must have been the ship rocking that made her stumble. Definitely that.

So fer tomorrow, she said, plopping down next to him and looking at him.

What's the plan? she asked.

Since workz all you ever wanna talk about anyway, she mumbled very quietly, almost incoherently under her breath.

Start a rebellion? Viva revolution! she shouted, thrusting a fist into the air.

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc was enjoying his tan when Renfry stumbled over, clearly having gotten drunk off her mind. He eyed her calmly as she plopped down next to him, her words slurring and her behavior obnoxious. He could vaguely make out something about their mission, watching her thrust her fist into the air in a cheer.

Silver eyes took in sight of her for a long moment, his thoughts difficult to decipher as always. For a second it looked as if he were going to respond, but he simply blinked at her. After a while, he quietly rolled over to lay on his stomach instead, bringing his arms up beneath him to rest his head.

Emryc turned his head the other way and closed his eyes, allowing his scar ridden back to feel the heat of the sun. He wasn’t going to dignify belligerence with a response.

 

[Renfry]

She kept staring at him after she spoke and he kept staring at her. Then he promptly turned over and ignored her. It wasn't like this was anything new, he had a tendency to ignore her even when she was sober, and she most certainly wasn't now.

I hate you. You're insufferable, she grumbled before stumbling off below deck. She wasn't sure what she expected, but nothing ever worked out as she hoped. She sat hard on a seat below deck and just sat there through her drunken thoughts.

This had gotten absurd, hadn't it? What had she reduced herself to? It wasn't like anything about this situation was a mystery or hadn't been clearly laid out for her. All her injuries were self-inflicted and pointless.

You need to get your thoughts straight. But first you need a nap, she told herself. She laid back on the couch and let sleep take her.

---​

She wasn't sure how long it had been, perhaps a couple of hours, when she awoke again. Her mind was still buzzed but far more coherent than when she had gone down. She pressed out of the area below deck and squinted at the setting sun, looking around for where Emryc was or what he was doing. She had no doubt that he was more than capable of occupying his time without her.

Bad decisions were made, she grumbled to herself as she felt her head already beginning to throb.

With time and no more alcohol in her system, she could already feel her mind was more clear and she felt a bit embarrassed for acting like... well, she assumed it wasn't anything dignified.

Sorry about that, she muttered when she found Emryc, not that she particularly expected him to care. That was a side of her she decided she didn't need him - or anyone else - to see again.

She moved over to grab a bottle of water and began sipping at that at a more reasonable rate than what she had done earlier.

So tomorrow, she said, eyes gazing out at the setting sun on the horizon as she drank.

What's the plan? she asked, no more slurring of words or incoherent stumbling.

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc had guided the boat back to the docks by then and he was eating from a bowl of poke sushi, along with a glass of white wine. His sunglasses were back on, the setting sun casting a bright glow his way. His clothing was back on and his skin sported a bronze sheen. All in all, he had a solid day.

He heard Renfry come up, but before she even said anything, he pointed to a bowl of food set out for her. He quietly went back to eating his own, listening to her when she spoke. He reached over and took a sip of wine before answering, “The Vratix on this planet don’t have a voice or say in any political capacity. They have no say on how the bacta is managed and distributed. Over time it has become akin to direct oppression.”

Emryc paused to quietly eat a few bites. He had a habit of taking his time when explaining things. There was no rush and the food was entirely too good to stop. He took another sip of wine, “We want to gain favor with the Vratix and have them support a new seat on the Senate. It will begin by us making it clear we have the Vratix interest at heart. Once that’s done, we will offer the Vratix known as Jor Dilas, a leader within his community, a path to diplomacy. He will deny it, because he has no desire for it, but he will be humbled that an offworlder got him to that position and presented that choice. That is where we will step in to serve the role.”

He pondered for a moment before continuing, “I will then work to bring Blackwell in to have a stronger presence and monopolize what the other aggressive corporations have been doing for production manufacturing, but in a way that still factors in the Vratix interests instead of blatant exploitation. In the end, we have influence over the planet and Blackwell will be hugely indebted to us.”

Emryc sipped from the wine again, “Any questions?”

 

[Renfry]

Renfry hadn't expected him to get her food. It was a kind gesture and one that also managed to make her feel worse about making a fool of herself. But there was nothing to be gained by focusing on the past so she slipped back into her blouse and skirt, took the bowl, sat, and started to eat.

Thanks, she said, being silent as she listened to him explain the plan.

It seemed like a solid plan, though one concern stood out to her. She had little doubt that he'd already considered the issue, but it was worth bringing up nevertheless.

Do you have previous relations with Blackwell? They're opportunistic but how do we make sure they... pay their debts, she said, trying to pick the right word. She knew that "trust" didn't really have a place within the Sith or their allies.

She took another bite before sipping from her bottle of water. She was already starting to feel a bit better but could do with a shower, full night of sleep, and fresh set of clothes.

I don't feel like sleeping on my ship. I'm going to grab some things from it and get a hotel room if you want to join me, she said. Typically this sort of statement came with a coy smile or blatantly ulterior motive, but it didn't seem to be the case this time.

 

[Emryc Thorne]

“I have some,” He responded as he finished up his meal, “We will put someone in place to oversee Blackwell’s efforts to ensure the Sith ultimately call the shots,” Emryc was still toying with the idea of whether he would be the person or if he would simply install a puppet. His own ambitions went far beyond simply being the senator of one planet.

He cleaned up and hopped off the ship, helping her down if she needed it, “I’ve arranged for a suite already,” He waved a hand lazily, having thought similarly. The room in question was in a resort over the ocean. It took only a few minutes to arrive there, and he felt exhaustion in his bones.

Emryc led the way to the resort, a high end hotel that had a large lobby and classical music playing in the lounge. He went to a kiosk and checked them in, the machine spitting out keycards before he took a repulsorlift to the higher levels.

The room was a large suite that had a balcony that overlooked the ocean, along with a hot tub. There were fruits and wines on the table, soft music playing from the speakers in the ceiling.

Emryc walked over to the balcony, leaning against the railing as he pulled out a cigarra and lit it. The sun was barely setting over the horizon, the gentle winds brushing against his hair. He still felt the grainy sand against his legs and back. His thoughts were on the mission at hand and the Vratix they would have to meet.

 

[Renfry]

Renfry was not surprised to hear that he had already considered the same thing and was going to react appropriately.

What she was surprised to hear was that he had already arranged for a suite. Her eyebrows rose in surprise as he waved his hand lazily around and declared he'd already prepared for that as well.

Always the planner, she said with a snicker, though she certainly appreciated it in this case. She took his offered help, heading after him to the suite. She had become far more adjusted to the rest of the galaxy since leaving Dathomir, but there were still things she saw and did that left her in awe.

She walked over to the window and looked out over the ocean, knowing she could have sat there and looked at that view all day. She headed to the balcony next to him and stood there in the wind, taking deep breaths.

This has been nice, she said quietly, not clear whether it was to herself or to him. She could tell he was deep in thought, and turned to head back inside, washing up her clothes and heading to take a shower.

It wasn't long and the water was warm when she reemerged in one of the hotel's fluffy robes, wet hair still clinging to her neck, and went looking for him.

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc was meditating by the time Renfry came out of the shower. He had his rituals and prayers every night, and his prayers were done already. He slowly opened his eyes and rose without a word. The day had been long and he was exhausted. He walked into the shower and took his time unwinding there, coming out after a while.

He decided to let Renfry have the massive bed to herself, plopping down on the comfortable lounge sofa. Emryc knew she had likely not experienced much luxury in her life. While he only experienced it on the Sith’s dime, it was definitely something to be enjoyed. He loaded up a book he had been reading on his datapad and did so till he fell asleep.

---​

Emryc was up early the next day and meditating on the balcony. He had done his morning prayers. A droid had come by with breakfast for them. He walked over sit down at the table in the room, digging into his food and the caf provided.

“We will meet with Jor Dilas today,” He said quietly. Emryc still hadn’t put a shirt on yet, rather proud of the tan he managed. It wasn’t a look he had often considering life on a space station. His eyes were on the datapad as he reviewed his own notes before sliding it over to Renfry.

“Know anything about Vratix?”

 

[Renfry]

Renfry had been out almost as soon as her head had hit the pillow. The bed was wonderful, fluffy, and had led to an excellent night of sleep. She'd gotten up the next morning, dressed, and sat down to the breakfast brought in by the droid.

She sipped at her caf before digging into her eggs and nodding at his question.

Invented bacta. Very logic driven. They speak in clicks and basic, and rumor has it they have some mild telepathic abilities between each other, she said. Although she'd not spent much time around the vratix, she'd read a great deal about them and that part had stood out as particularly of note to their situation. If they went into any sort of a negotiation, the Vratix could very well communicate with one another without either of the Sith knowing about it.

In order to bring in Blackwell, we're going to have to find a way to remove the grip of the Bacta Cartel, she said. The Bacta Cartel was the colloquial name for the Zaltin and Xucphra corporations, which had completely monopolized the industry and caused the tensions between the humans and vratix in the first place.

But breaking that contract meant large penalty fees that would need to be paid, and that meant money.

If the contract breaks, could we profit off of their stock tanking? Use that to pay the penalties? she asked. Anything to do with business and stocks was far outside her wheelhouse, but if she understood correctly there should be a way to make money off of it. She also understood it was illegal, but that wasn't something that particularly bothered her if they managed to cover their tracks. It was worth floating the idea at the least. It was clear she had been doing her research before coming here.

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc was impressed with the answer, a faint grin playing on his lips to show it. He quietly sipped from the caf and finished up his breakfast as he considered what she said, though some of it was unclear.

“We will not monetarily profit from their stocks tanking,” He corrected her, “But you are on the right track about removing them. One plausible solution is to sabotage their supplies and letting the external customers complain. We need the public to lose confidence in the bacta they are receiving. Something in the supply must be corrupted and it must be obvious it’s from the Bacta Cartel and not the raw form of it from the Vratix. It will involve a PR campaign exposing them and then Blackwell will move in.”

He stood up from where he was, walking over to put on his clothing. Emryc turned to look at her, “You will need to get corporate civilian attire. I will handle the meeting with the Vratix if you can tackle the Blackwell angle.”

This entire job would be done much more efficiently if they played to their strengths and both took on different objectives. He wanted to see Renfry drive more things and this was her chance to do just that.

 

[Renfry]

Renfry listened to what he said, and she supposed it made sense. He seemed to have an idea for how to get the Bacta Cartel to be forced to break their contracts, and that left her with Blackwell.

Consider it done, she said with a nod. She drummed sipped at her caf and stood from the table, making her way over to the balcony and making her way outside as she thought about the best way to approach the situation.

By the time her cup of caf was gone, she'd decided on her course of action and made her way back inside. She punched some things into her datapad to make sure she knew where she was going, who she needed to meet with, and anything else she might need before packing up her things and prepping to leave.

I'll be back later, she said, glancing over to him to make sure he didn't need anything else from her before she headed out.

And then it was down the turbolift and off to the store. First things first, she needed to look like a business executive, and she needed to find something appropriate to wear quickly. She didn't have all day to spend shopping even if she'd prefer to do that.

Within thirty minutes, she was emerging from the store now dressed in a grey skirt suit that made her look downright respectable. She felt ready to do this.

 

[Emryc Thorne]

It didn’t take long for Emryc to come across Jor Dilas. Already there was tension among the Vratix and it was almost palpable. He thought of Emryc as yet another off worlder that had sought to take advantage of him. In some ways, he was right, but Emryc intended to smooth that over as much as possible. People were easiest to take over when they thought it was their idea all along.

“Mr. Dilas,” Emryc said smoothly, now dressed in a sport jacket atop his button down and pants. He felt strange sitting across an oversized insect, but the alien was considered a High Canir, despite the position not existing currently. A protocol droid was present to help facilitate discussions.

“I assure you that the proposal I offer serves your interests,” Emryc began, picking up on the skepticism, “I would see to it that the Canir position is put back into place. The current planetary leadership is represented by Zaltin and Xucphra. I understand they had completely uprooted Vratix hierarchies and no longer recognize them.”

He leaned forth in his seat, “The bacta trade is only as good as the integrity of its products, and that integrity is lost when the Vratix are not in positions of power or have the ear of someone in a position of power. Industries like Zaltin and Xucphra are notorious for diluting and adding chemical compounds that generate additional profit at the cost of a mediocre product. When dealing with bacta, that could amount to thousands of lost lives.”

“While I agree, any impurities in the bacta have not been identified…”

“When was the last time an impartial audit had been done?” Emryc asked, a faint grin on his face. He was met with silence. Corporations having a monopoly on the world and no Vratix in power meant there was next to no questioning of the product output.

“My associate is doing just that and I assure you we will get to the bottom of this and bring Thyferra back to what it should be.”