Ask Valley of Plenty

[Carrick]

Well now… he hadn’t been expecting that actually.

Even if it was meant as a joke, Carrick was surprised that she had spoken about a return to the Order. Most people tended to acknowledge that he was a Senator now and that was what he was, that was all he could be going forward as well. It made a nice change to have someone mention the possibility even if it was as a joke.

Thankfully it was a joke so he didn’t need to think too hard about the answer. He smirked wider and leaned in slightly to speak so that only she could hear him.

“I didn’t think you would take me back now that I’d dirtied my hands with politics.” He teased her, winking as he stepped away, “And by now? My hands are positively filthy with the stuff.”

The meeting between Harper and Zathria was… going about as well as he could expect. Simply put, the man was a staunch believer in the old Imperial views on race – that humans should be the holders of all power in the Galaxy. That they were, by virtue of being human, superior to other races and, well, Zathria was near-human but quite clearly different enough for Harper to treat her with an icy demeanor.

While Carrick approved of her more general vision for the future and how she had worded it, it seemed that Harper had not. Instead the racist human merely narrowed his piercing eyes ever so slightly.

"If you can see past the morals of your Order, perhaps you may even make some progress." he jabbed before nodding, "Cerberus will donate to your cause, Jedi, but don't think for one moment that we will be limited by your lack of ambition."

Harper actually waved to dismiss them and it rankled Carrick enough that he was worried it might do more than merely rile Zathria up so he gently began to lead her off away from the Cerberus table. As they left he whispered to her.

"If his head was any further up his own arse he'd burn his tongue with his cigarettes..."

@Phoenix

 

[Zathria]

Zathria got the general impression that there was more to his comment than she was picking up on, but couldn't be sure.

A shame, she replied somewhat cryptically.

Instead, her attention was forced back onto the man in front of her. Not a very nice man, either. His quips caused her to frown slightly in surprise for just a moment before catching herself again.

I appreciate your donation, she decided to say rather than dig in for a conflict with this man over this. She wasn't going to throw away her ideals or give up on what she was doing. Just because there were people who opposed her didn't mean she would be turned away.

As he waved them away, she almost started laughing at him. The level of pretentiousness knew no bounds. Have a lovely evening, she said with a nod, putting a little bit of distance from him before turning to Carrick.

Wow... was all she said with something just short of an eyeroll.

He's going to get lung cancer from all that smoking, she muttered. How many more people like him do I have to meet? she asked, shooting Carrick a sideways glance and hoping the answer was "not many" or "no more."

@Nefieslab

 

[Carrick]

Well Zathria hadn't done what Carrick had feared - and secretly hoped - she would do as Harper's face remained thoroughly un-punched. There were always some compromises when it came to politics he supposed and this was one of them. You couldn't always get what you wanted and this was just another of life's great disappointments... he would have to just keep his internal fantasies of punching Harper for himself he supposed.

She even politely said goodbye which was more than Carrick had done, though Carrick knew well enough that Harper hadn't noticed. Harper had only had eyes for the Jedi in charge of the whole affair - Carrick had just been her plus one to the conversation and he had never been more glad of it.

"Couldn't happen to a nicer person." he immediately shot back before adding, somewhat grumpily, "But the old fool has enough credits to keep himself alive longer than Palpatine across two lifetimes. Cerberus had... ludicrously deep pockets."

How?

The fury was out on that front.

By all appearances they were just incredibly good at the business that they did but they covered up the specifics of their business dealings better than the Republic secret service did. They were beyond tight lipped and even beyond paranoid; they kept everything in house and offered massive bribes to tax officials when the tax season came knocking. That they had offices and buildings on his own planet annoyed him.

"Only really one more - the rest will be fine having seen you from a distance." he assured her, "But yes, sod's law, she's almost as awkward as Harper in her way."

He started to lead her over to another table, this one quite busy, when one person stood from the table and made her way over to meet them halfway. Carrick internally groaned as the Pantoran woman, Tevos, immediately tried to take control of the situation by catching them off-guard with her quick appearance. In his experience, the woman appeared to be helpful... but really she was just very good at making people depend on her 'insight'.

As if she had any advice to give that her generations of older family members hadn't literally given to her. He spoke before she could, catching the hint of annoyance as he twisted the framing of the meeting again.

"Zathria, please allow me to introduce Councillor Tevos. She is an adviser to many different charities, businesses and governments."

Meaning she had her blue fingers in many pies. The Pantoran woman flashed a disarmingly beautiful smile.

"Oh Carrick you give me too much credit." she pretended to gush, rather convincingly, "And you, Zathria my dear, you did so well up on stage! Very earnest but I would say it was your first time really selling yourself like that? He did give you some tips, didn't he?"

She leaned in as though to tell a secret.

"He told you to speak to the room, didn't he?"

Carrick resisted the urge to scowl as Tevos tried to make herself more personable. Gods but he hated the fact that he had fallen for that same act for so long in the past.

@Phoenix

 

[Zathria]

She listened to his continued evaluation of Cerberus, and couldn't break free from a single question that plagued her mind: Are they the type of people we want supporting this venture? She wasn't typically picky about where the money came from if it was for a good cause, but there were some limits. She didn't want to be enslaved to some sort of madman. Not that she couldn't break ties with him if necessary, right? It left her just a tiny bit uneasy.

The next woman that approached elicited some gut-twisting from Carrick that he did exceptionally good at hiding except for the fact that they both had to Force. He probably wasn't fully in the habit of trying to conceal internal feelings from another Jedi. Probably.

Either way, it told her a bit more about what she needed to know about this woman. She... seemed nice enough. Saying that Zathria "sold herself" wasn't the Knight's favorite term, but perhaps she was being overly sensitive to wording tonight.

Given the intense discomfort positively radiating off of Carrick, Zathria was assuming there was some landmine here she wasn't picking up on. It had her a bit more on edge because... this woman seemed totally fine?

Zathria laughed slightly as the woman asked what Carrick had said to her before the speech. I would never speak to the room. I was speaking to each and every person here, she said. This political double talk was... interesting. She was good at not giving answers to things if only she could read people better. Of course she couldn't because most of the time she didn't really care what other people's motivations and intents were. That was a bit self-centered for a Jedi, wasn't it?

Somehow the uncertainty of what she was in the middle of here made her more uncomfortable than the outright semi-hostility of Harper. She was secretly hoping Carrick would get rid of her soon so she could ask him what in the galaxies had just happened.

@Nefieslab

 

[Carrick]

Were Cerberus the kind of people that Zathria wanted in her corner? Absolutely not. But to exclude them now was to risk the opposite problem that she hadn't realized she might have if she turned them down. If they were one of many benefactors they wouldn't have enough influence over the venture as a whole to really change it much. But if they decided to take offence he wouldn't be surprised to see them suddenly become a much more active problem.

"Not if they're one of many - they won't be able to push anything through." he assured her before adding the last part of his own thoughts, "Keep them close as wary investors rather than openly hostile towards the project."

They were just one company but they were big - after all, the Trade Federation had started as "just one company" and they had bloated to the size of a sector-nation state before the Clone Wars even began. Worse though, he could feel that he had been all-but projecting his emotions about Tevos in the Force... and Zathria could read that better than she could read a room of politicians. He wanted to groan and get a strong drink but he resisted both temptations.

For now.

Thankfully it seemed that Zathria had picked something up from his emotions because she didn't seem all that enamoured with Tevos. She wasn't as closeted-ly hostile as Carrick himself was but that was to be expected - few people could find it within themselves to muster the same level of scorn that he felt toward Tevos. Tevos laughed, seemingly with goodcheer, but it was clear to someone with the Force that she was a little annoyed.

More than likely Tacitus had heard them speaking and relayed some of it to Tevos so she could use it as a way into Zathria's good graces at the expense of Carrick. That Zathria hadn't bitten onto the bait irked ever ever so slightly, something that was present for only a second. Someone who wasn't looking for it probably thought it was nothing but Carrick was not so charitable when it came to the Pantoran woman.

"Just so! And why wouldn't you? We're all just so interested in you as a person and your passion that we all just wanted to be closer to you." Tevos seemed to agreed with Zathria's words, glancing at Harper's table, "I hope Harper managed to keep a civil tongue when you met him? I can't even remember what derogatory name he called me last time we met..."

Carrick piped up with a mask of polite engagement.

"Blueberry." he informed Zathria with a small nod to Tevos, "He called you a Blueberry, my dear Tevos."

Tevos' lips twisted into a small scowl before she smoothed her expression and turned her attention back to Zathria in earnest.

"As I was going to say - you should come to my table, my dear, meet some of my friends! I can introduce you, get you into their good books... and into their cheque books too!" the Pantoran joked before making a grab for Zathria's arm as she intended to thread her own arm through it to lead her on, "You don't mind, do you my dear? My friends and I have been at the helm of many charities - you can benefit from our wisdom."

@Phoenix

 

[Zathria]

The fact that Harper had apparently called Tevos "blueberry" made Zathria feel both better and worse. Better because the hostility wasn't directed only at her and worse because it meant he was just that insufferable at all times. Genuine scum as it were.

That is... could she make such a direct statement? Well, yes, she could. If she was going to abandon her principles for the sake of a large check then she might as well quit the entire project now.

Well, that's very rude, she said. He was not quite so rude to me, she said.

Oh dear. Zathria had no idea what was happening, and that couldn't be a good sign. She was being dragged off to a table and cast a glance back at Carrick for a moment that could very easily be classified as "nerf in headlights."

But she didn't have time to resist or do much of anything before she was being led away. Oh, well that's too kind, she said, walking along toward the den of vipers "investors."

@Nefieslab

 

[Carrick]

Yeah, Harper was a real charmer.

Carrick himself would have taken a lot more of an offence to the slur had it not been directed at Tevos – as it was he was still offended by it but he hadn’t been quite as vocal in his defense had it been directed at someone else. Call it a personal failing on his part that his animosity toward Tevos had compelled him to stay silent when she was the victim of such abuse.

But it was Tevos and she could burn in all seven of the Corellian Hells as far as he was concerned.

That she was trying to lead Zathria away was clear and even more clear was that Zathria was not exactly onboard with the idea. She gave him a Look over her shoulder that might as well have been a cry for help for all the emotion packed into it; Zathria didn’t want to go with Tevos and, quite frankly, the young woman wasn’t ready to fend for herself with such a bitterly skilled political figure as Tevos was.

Stepping forward, Carrick smiled a wide, bright, fake, smile to Tevos as he took Zathria’s other hand daintily in his own. The Force made Tevos’ own motions slightly harder for a second, slowing her enough for Carrick to pull it off.

“Now now Tevos; you cannot monopolize our guest of honor.” He teased her gently, “Not when she promised me a dance. You wouldn’t be so rude as to stand between dance partners, would you?”

Tevos eyed him with veiled suspicion before smirking as she seemed to find what she was looking for, releasing Zathria’s arm with visible amusement.

“Why of course not – do enjoy, you two.”

Carrick bowed his head with the eery, fixed, smile still in place before he led Zathria away with her hand still in his own. Once they were closer to the dancefloor, away from Tevos’ table, he let the fake smile disappear with a small sigh.

He wanted a drink but it was better that he explain to Zathria why Tevos had just given up like that…

“She thinks we’re having an affair.” He told the Jedi bluntly with a smirk of amusement, “Probably a rather tawdry one too.”

@Phoenix

 

[Zathria]

Zathria was so thankful when Carrick stepped in to save her. Thank you, you've been very kind, she said with a smile to the woman before moving off to follow Carrick with a relieved sigh.

They headed toward the dance floor when Carrick dropped the bomb on her.

What!? she said, trying to keep her voice down even as her eyes went wide with shock. But we aren't! Is that what everyone thinks!? she said, clearly quite alarmed. Not because he would have been such a terrible person to be in a relationship with (wait, what?) but because her honor was being impugned.

She had half a mind to march over and clarify things to the woman, and likely her glancing back in that direction would tell Carrick as much.

Wait, affair? You're not married are you? she asked, suddenly wary. Not that a "tawdry affair" had to be with someone married, but still. Zathria was reeling and it was evident in the Force. She was highly unused to being in the public light or having the rumors and lies that came with it.

@Nefieslab

 

[Carrick]

Ah she had been caught very flat-footed by the very idea of the affair hadn’t she? It amused him to no end that it was something so minor that caused the seemingly unflappable Jedi Knight to suddenly started getting so worked up. Though, he supposed, it was only a minor thing to him since he was used to dodging such insinuations due to his work.

Was he married? Ha, as if anyone would take him.

“No – an affair in the political sense is any kind of sexual or romantic relationship with someone you’re working with.” He explained with a slightly apologetic shrug, “It was probably because of how I came in there at the end – Tevos is known for rooting out affairs and having many herself. When all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail so everything reeks of sex to her.”

Not that he was bitter about the blue woman at all.

Though it had to be said that he did have a lover, though it wasn’t someone who was known to the public at all. Some people would frown at the idea of taking his head of security as a lover – many more would frown at the idea of taking a Mandalorian as a lover due to his nature as both Force sensitive and a non-Mandalorian.

It amused him to no end how flustered Zathria was getting, however, and he had a mental image of just how adorable she would look with flush cheeks.

“Why Zathria, are you checking to make sure there’s no competition?” he teased her with a smirk, leaning in slightly closer as he did so, “There’s no need to be nervous – or shy.”

He could feel what this whole thing was doing to her via the Force and he was deriving a great deal of amusement from it so he couldn’t help but add, in a whisper.

“I think Tevos is jealous, you know… that she thinks I got to you before she could.”

@Phoenix

 

[Zathria]

Zathria was totally flustered, just like he had hoped, and his additional comment forced a warmth into her cheeks despite her efforts.

Excuse me, Mr. Carrick?! she said. I am... a professional, she said, though even as she said it, a small part of her mind that she was not going to admit out loud and was now burying deep inside was asking her "what if?"

By the time he got to the final comment, she was starting to wonder if this was just in the hopes of making her uncomfortable. A laugh at her expense. She frowned and squinted at him.

And Tevos got to you once? she conjectured, turning it around on him. What else caused such an intense rivalry than a lover's spat? Perhaps it wasn't the case, but it could be.

@Nefieslab

 

[Carrick]

Scandalized Zathria was quickly becoming his favorite version of Zathria – there was a lot of fun to be had in teasing her and she looked cute when she was flustered. He was planning on telling her that last part as well if only because it was likely to get her even more flustered. Of course she was perceptive and she knew that he was taking some enjoyment from it.

“Nothing wrong with having some fun, dear Knight.”

It was that perceptiveness that had her bringing up Tevos again but, this time, her relationship with Carrick himself. Picking up that there had been a relationship to comment on would be impressive enough but knowing that it had ended poorly?

Well that was easy to see, neither of them made their disdain for each other a secret.

“We should dance before they get suspicious and try and drag you back in.” he urged her quietly, taking one of her hands in his own and leading her toward the dancefloor, “Nothing fancy, I promise.”

As they moved he spoke again, happier to discuss it now that they were further away from Tevos.

“Tevos was supposed to be my political tutor.” He explained after a moment of silence, his expression slightly strained, “Wide-eyed little Jedi Knight who’d never even lied very well before in his life, thrown to that she-wolf? She did what she was always going to do.”

It was… hard to discuss. People didn’t tend to know understand it even when he did discuss it so he tended to just leave it at that. An implication as to what had happened because no one ever really wanted the details. But he forced a small smile.

“I guess the moral is don’t go into politics, right? Stick to healing and making the Galaxy a better place.”

@Phoenix

 

[Zathria]

The Knight felt a measure of satisfaction about having apparently found the truth, and noted how he was now the one trying to change the subject. And back to dancing... ugh.

She hesitantly followed him as he led her to the dance floor. She assumed he was going to drop the topic, but as they arrived and he started leading the dance, he brought it up again. She could sense the pain there and opted to withdraw any further jesting or jabs. She wondered - just a small part of her - if it was all an act, but something told her it wasn't. The details weren't clear, he didn't offer, and she didn't ask.

She was quiet for a moment, letting him lead as they moved along the dance floor. As an Echani, she was naturally graceful despite having no real experience with dancing, and she simply followed his movements in time. It really wasn't so different from "Echani dancing" in a way.

Healing and making the galaxy a better place? she repeated. Sometimes that starts with the person right in front of you, she said. By the stars, that was a cheesy line wasn't it? Was that flirting? No... maybe? It was awfully close, wasn't it? And yet it was also possibly an offer of help. Oh, she wished she had just kept her mouth shut.

@Nefieslab

 

[Carrick]

She was a decent dancer, really.

Carrick had expected the Jedi Knight to either be terrible at dancing or find it beneath her, considering the reluctance he had felt from her before when he mentioned the activity. It seemed that she was better than she gave herself credit for and from what he could sense she was enjoying it more than she expected as well. She wasn’t discovering a new favorite hobby or anything but she liked it well enough he would guess.

Either that or she was just waiting for the part of the musical accompaniment would best suit an arm-drag so she could slide into her own style of dance. Well it would certainly be a first for him to be strong armed in that kind of manner at such a function so he was half-disappointed when she seemed to be invested in the dance.

Or, rather, the dancer.

He smiled a little bit more, feeling as though he was in more familiar territory now that she seemed to be flirting with him coyly with wordplay. It wasn’t vanity to say that it was more his speed than talking about his own past in an open and frank manner.

“I’m sure your bedside manner is impeccable when helping those in need.” He flirted back coyly, smiling a little more as he did so, “Well I’d be lying if I said it wouldn’t be a joy to see you work but..."

Carrick smiled a little less as he leaned in slightly to whisper into her ear.

"You can try and heal me anytime, Zathria."

@Phoenix

 

[Zathria]

Zathria was surprised by his response, but shouldn't have been. She assumed he was just being... political. Surely, he didn't actually mean that. And she was also sure that he didn't really realize what he was asking for.

Still, her heart beat just a little bit harder as she felt his breath against her ear. She was... well, this was not how she had expected this night to go. Was it getting hot in here? Definitely. Definitely getting hot in here.

She stopped the dancing and pulled back as the song came to an end.

I... uh, think I need a drink. Would you like a drink? she asked. Yes, a drink would be good. Not anything alcoholic, but just something to cool her down a bit. Or something. Yes. Yes, that.

She started heading in that direction, but her mind was now suddenly torn away from why she was here. No, she was a Jedi. Emotion didn't have a place in controlling her. She needed to be better than that. She needed to focus on why she was here, the people she wanted to help. Also she needed to not let him sense how... whatever she was. And yet her mind stuck in the "what if." Stop dreaming, Zath. This is dumb.

@Nefieslab

 

[Carrick]

Carrick couldn't help the smile that spread across his face - it was probably more accurately described as a smirk though. He couldn't help but enjoy just playing with her like this. Did he actually think she was interested in him? Not so much. Hence why he was playing, because he knew it wasn't likely to actually go anyway. She was far too invested in her cause to really go for such a dalliance... probably... so there was no harm in it.

Especially if it could, in a very roundabout way, be considered training. After all, he was flirting with her and getting her hot under the collar but he was doing it for very little in the way of selfish goals. Sure, he had selfish goals in getting close to her but they were harmless to her and her own goals.

It couldn't be said for others.

"I'd love one." he agreed to a drink with a sly wink, "Nothing too alcoholic of course. Wouldn't want anything to loosen my lips anymore than they already are now, would we?"

Carrick watched her walk away with a quick glance down before he pulled himself back in. He didn't want her to start sensing his... less than appropriate thoughts in such a public place as this. Considering her lack of experience with such matters she might actually take it as a bad thing too so he kept a tighter reign on it. Instead he didn't really notice it as a human with short-cut hair followed Zathria over to the bar. The human leaned against the bar as he looked to Zathria.

"Hey." he greeted her with a cocky smile, "Can I buy you that drink?"

@Phoenix

 

[Zathria]

Surely she was only getting this attention because it was her event. Either that or maybe it was the dress. Maybe the dress had been a mistake. Maybe she needed to get back into her "Jedi clothes" again. They seldom had anyone hitting on her like this... guy in front of her at the bar.

How about a ship? she said jokingly with a smile. She had absolutely no idea who he was, but if he was here, he probably had money, right? If he had money, he could invest?

She ordered two drinks - one for herself and one for Carrick - hoping the man might pick up on the hint. Not that she was with Carrick, but well you got the idea.

Zathria, she said, extending a hand to... whoever this was.

@Nefieslab

 

[Carrick]

The man seemed to grow more confident when it seemed that he could ‘help’ Zathria out with her quest for ships. Of course that wasn’t his only reason for heading on over to have a conversation with the young Jedi Knight of course. He was something of a connoisseur when it came to some of the finer things in the Galaxy.

Herself included.

“I’ve got one of the fastest ships in the sector but I doubt you’re going to be needing a fully equipped corvette on your mission.” He opened with a wide grin, “But I’d be happy to show you around my ship if you’re interested.”

Of course then he noticed that she had bought two drinks… he grinned a little bit more and took her hand before kissing the back of it. At the same time he accepted the other drink she had ordered for him.

“Commander Verner, but you don’t need to use my rank.” He took a sip of the drink, “Conrad Verner, at your service Miss.”

Having seen what she was enduring, Carrick moved over to the far end of the bar and just leaned against it as he took the chance to just watch. He had heard stories of the fabled Conrad Verner and he was wondering how he would manage to make this meeting so incredibly terrible that it was the subject of holonet memes for months.

@Phoenix

 

[Zathria]

Zathria was making another one of her faces again. A face that said "this is weird" combined with "what am I supposed to do." He took the drink she had ordered and even kissed her hand, which just... okay.

She proceeded to order another drink, careful to keep this one away from him when she noticed Carrick at the other end of the bar. Not helping. Maybe she should just take both drinks for herself, then.

A pleasure to meet you, Commander Verner. You have an interest in helping provide medical aid to the galactic needy? she asked, hoping to get at why exactly he was here. And why he was hitting on her.

@Nefieslab

 

[Carrick]

Carrick was waiting to see Conrad Verner crash and burn – it was a holonet pastime for those who had seen videos of his now infamous exploits in trying to pick up women. He managed to get a drink that required a straw just so he could sip it casually while he watched the hover-train wreck that was about to unfold.

Though why the bartender called it an Emergency Induction Port he would never know.

As was typical for him and how he lived his life, Conrad didn’t see anything was going wrong because, to him, nothing ever did go wrong. It wasn’t ever “wrong” so much as it was just a chance for him to turn things around at the last minute with some kind of hail-mary. He was just so good at snatching victory from the jaws or defeat!

That Zathria hadn’t fallen over herself to jump his bones just meant he was going to need to try harder – that was the Verner way!

“Oh yeah for sure, in my line of work – blasting space pirates and slavers to pieces – it’s always a good idea to have some great medical care to help patch everyone up.” He told her with what he believed to be a roguish smile, “Sorry Doc-Knight; I’m too much of a badass and it’s making your job harder.”

He eyed the second drink she had bought for him with a laugh.

“Trying to get me drunk? I’m not complaining – I like where this is going.”

@Phoenix

 

[Zathria]

She wasn't even really sure what he was talking about anymore and she got the impression he was so deep in his own ego that he didn't really know either. Not only that, but he just assumed that the next drink was also for him. Okay, time to spell this out real clearly.

Actually, I agreed to get my dancing partner down there a drink. He asked for one, she said, motioning to Carrick.

I'm sorry, if you'll excuse me, I really should take this over to him, she said, and she was slipping out of there real quick. All her Jedi skills came into effect as she smoothly was out of there as quickly as she could be without actually running from the man. He just gave her... creepo vibes. Not dangerous creepo that said "I need to take this guy down for the safety of women everywhere" but more "icky weirdo" vibes.

@Nefieslab