The Spider and the Storm

Zee and Thalassa walked side by side a little ahead of him, heads tilted together as they spoke but making no secret of what they discussed. Zee, despite Thalassa's assurances, had clearly been somewhat wary of Sirejj for the first few days. As it became obvious that he posed no threat to Thalassa, however, she had opened up a bit more and the cheerfulness with which she approached every situation became something more than a front. She treated Sirejj with reserved familiarity now, not quite as casually as she treated other employees and Thalassa herself, but getting there. The Nautolan, despite her age, was full of boundless energy and often circled ahead and behind of Thalassa when they weren't talking like a moon orbiting a planet. They were slightly more distant in the presence of less trusted business partners, but never was Zee far from Lady Motti's side.

"This would be a great chance to get on good terms with the Hutts," Zee was saying. "They're unpleasant, I know, but they control some vital hyperspace lanes and they could open up some new markets for us."

"Granted." Thalassa had her arms behind her back as she walked, her dark blue skirts swishing around her ankles. "But I have yet to meet a Hutt that hasn't made a deal with the intention to go back on it or find a loophole as soon as possible. The Desilijic clan is a host of brutes and backstabbers who cater to more of the same. Our clientele is more refined, dear."

"Drugs are drugs and customers are customers," Zee said with a shrug. "If we treat the Soobars as annoying insects and just brush them away, we're losing a potentially extremely lucrative connection. You don't want use the Soobars to put Jabba in your debt?"

"Why should I? It's a waste of time, Zee." Thalassa reached up to straighten her hair, which was piled atop her head with a tiara holding it all in place. "The Treacle's dealings in the Outer Rim are limited to the gentry. Jabba the Hutt caters to the bastard nobility--those with ill-gotten gains and bad table manners. He's too close to the silt for my taste."

"It's the silt that our products trickle down to. What, you think the bluebloods use delia themselves? Sometimes, maybe, but mostly they have distributors that send it out to--you know this, though. You're just being stubborn."

"I'll think about it," she said airily.

"Think about it fast; the Soobars are probably already here."

Sirejj's bright eyes followed every movement of the two before him. What a contrast their conversations were to the sneaking words of the crime lords or the double edged, stiff communications of the Imperials. There was an almost familial sense to it.

"Even if they are...questionable individuals as you say, any opportunity has the chance to be beneficial." Sirejj said when a pause took place in the conversation. He chuckled a little at his own words. He was beginning to sound the part. "Even if somewhere down the road we're required to "cut ties" with them," he allowed a soft tap on the ground with his staff, "in the meantime, why not take advantage of whatever assets an agreement might provide?" His tone portrayed more of an honest question than a challenge. He had adapted to the mood of their conversation, his movements and posture relaxed and open, while still maintaining the reserved respect he always had around Thalassa.

"I can afford to let opportunities pass me by," Thalassa said with a shrug. "Cutting ties with the Hutts is a death sentence, anyway--they're long-lived beings with excellent memories. I would much rather the Treacle didn't get involved with them at all."

"Long-lived means a secure investment, though." Zee retorted. "Think about it, Lassa--what's one risk of being a crime lord?"

"Committing oneself to endless weeks of meetings?"

"Dying. Hutts rarely die violent deaths, and they almost never get sick. They stay in their compounds all day and usually their allies visit them, not the other way around. They set themselves up to be powerful, near indestructible forces. If you secured a partnership with Jabba, you could ensure a steady partner for the Treacle with a set way of doing things. That would mean decades of predictability, and by the time you pass on and leave the Treacle to your successor...who would that be, anyway? Surely not Conan?"

Thalassa barked out a short laugh.

"No, I didn't think so. Well, whoever it is, they'll have gotten to know the Hutts and they'll be working with the same people you worked with. It's ideal, right?"

"You're forgetting my previous argument about trustworthiness."

Sirejj knew enough of the Hutts to have never dabbled in their business or anything involving their allies. He'd avoided the guilds and the tighter knit clans up until this point.

He was amused at their bickering as it went back and forth. There was no anger between them. He put in a few words every so often but for the most part, he listened. He studied. If he was to work closely with either of them, he would need to understand their individual mannerisms and ways of communicating.

Thalassa and Zee were the sort of people whom one could tell had known each other for decades. Their mannerisms mimicked each other and their tones rose and fell in tandem; when one moved the other made way for her almost unconsciously. They predicted each other's thoughts and movements so perfectly that they could have been of the same mind.

Zee never guarded her thoughts around Sirejj, either. She seemed not to care, even when Thalassa warned her in front of the Zabrak that she ought to take care. The Nautolan was as open as she could be, and whenever she was with Thalassa there was such a deep and profound affection and love for her that permeated into her innermost thoughts. The pair had known each other since they were twelve, and they had spent more years in each other's company than not--even after Thalassa had married Wilhuff Tarkin.

As closely linked as they were, though, they made room for their new companion in their conversations. Zee asked occasional questions of him and both took his thoughts into account; Thalassa seemed even more endeared to him than before because of this.

At last they came to the door of one of Thalassa's many conference rooms, and Zee touched her arm briefly before falling back to flank her like Sirejj was doing. Thalassa straightened her hair one more time.

"This meeting's about power," she said to the two of them. "I want you both on either side of me when I sit down; we're establishing the pecking order the moment we walk in. I don't want them getting comfortable."

"Righto." Zee glanced at Sirejj with a grin. "These are some of my favorite meetings--when the little fellows get too big for their breeches, Lassa's got to set them straight."

Spoiler

Thalassa has scary dog privileges x100 at this point nOBODY messing with her with these two nearby.

Sirejj allowed a sharp-toothed smile. "I've been told I'm intimidating once or twice before." He took a step to the side so that he and Zee both stood behind a shoulder. This should be simple. If this group of individuals had any sense, they would mind their tongues and he and Zee would only have to stand and glower. He almost hoped one of them was foolish enough to have an attitude. Let them try.

Spoiler

Dang straight.

Thalassa returned the smile with a smirk, then turned and opened the doors.

There were five people standing in the room at one end of the long wooden conference table, murmuring among themselves. Three were human, one was a Weequay, and the last was a stout Ithorian. All were dressed in clothing that would be considered expensive in many of the poorer Outer Rim planets, but here they appeared as ragged as peasants. The Ithorian peered at Sirejj, narrowing his eyes.

"Kairo Soobar," Thalassa said by way of greeting, holding out a hand for the leader of the group to shake. "Welcome to Phelarion." The leader, Kairo Soobar, was a short human male with suntanned skin and a hairless head. A short and meticulously groomed goatee grew on his chin.

"It was an honor to be invited, Lady Motti," he said in accented Basic. He shook her hand firmly, and Thalassa noted that he was sweating. "May I introduce my partners?" He pointed to a female human, a male human, the Ithorian, and the Weequay in quick succession. "My wife Nessa, my brother Dori, Dado Codug, and Sheila Quarth. All of whom are necessary for this meeting to continue."

"Of course." Thalassa dipped her head to each in turn. "Shall we sit?"

Spoiler

remember that scene in clone wars where somebody threw a knife at Maul and Savage stopped it right before it went into his face and Maul didn't move an inch? at some point, there's a cool scene to recreate. It'd be funny bc if the three of them are there, sirejj could do it so subtly that it'd be hard to tell which one of them was using the force and confuse the heck out of everyone.

Sirejj's bright green eyes followed each member of the visiting party with sharp observation. He met the Ithorian's gaze for a moment and raised his brows ever so slightly, indicating that there was no room for a challenge. He would do well to avert his glare somewhere else.

His stance was open, his left hand relaxed by his side and his right holding his staff. Sirejj studied the company, beginning to pick up their fleeting thoughts. Not immediately allowing individuals to know he could read their minds had its advantages. They could not hide from what they didn't know was hunting them.

Spoiler

Ooooh you're right!! We gotta write that down.

The two groups seated themselves at one end of the conference table. A droid entered with a bottle of wine--one of the cheaper vintages.

"I admit it was surprising to receive an invitation to speak with you," Kairo said as he accepted a glass. "Someone of your station taking notice of the likes of us, well...it's not something you expect, is it?"

"On the contrary." Thalassa waved the droid away, clasping her hands in front of her. "When someone starts muscling on my market, they should most certainly expect my eye will be caught. Do you know how many syndicates, families, and other organizations sell delia, Mister Soobar?" The honorific carried a hint of disdain.

Kairo swirled the wine in his glass, appreciating its color with a small smile. "I hardly see--"

"Six," Nessa Soobar piped up. "Crimson Dawn, the Lithius Syndicate, the Stygos family, the Regarsus family--both of which are allied with the Treacle--the Motti family, and us. It's a very narrow market, my lady."

Thalassa raised an eyebrow. "So it is." This was the one to watch--Nessa and the Ithorian, Codug. She wasn't sure about the Weequay yet, but Kairo and his brother Dori were a pair of blowhards. She'd seen it in the way they carried themselves. "Narrow markets drive the prices up, my dear, so I'd like to keep it that way."

"But we--" Kairo tried to cut in, but Thalassa held up a hand.

"You, Mister Soobar, are liable to bungle. If you want your little group to have a fighting chance, you had better let your wife do the talking."

Kairo turned red, blinking, then looked at his wife. Nessa gave him an anxious glance, seeming unsure of herself, then patted his arm and cleared her throat. She was young--maybe in her early thirties--and dark skinned with her curly hair pulled back in a pony tail. There were stress lines around her mouth and eyes that made her look older than she actually was.

"As you wish, my lady," she said. "You say you'd like to keep your market narrow--I completely understand. We don't want to compete with you. We couldn't even if we did want to. Look at your resources!" She waved a hand, gesturing around the room and sweeping it toward Zee and Sirejj. "We didn't even come with bodyguards."

Thalassa tapped her chin. "Then why, pray tell, are you manufacturing delia on Motti-owned planets and selling it to the peasantry on Tatooine? By all accounts it's economic and possibly genuine suicide, and not just because of me. You have your mucous overlord to contend with."

Spoiler

Crimson Dawn is Maul & company right

Sirejj refrained from showing his amusement at Thalassa's wit. It wasn't the time to appreciate her joke.

He watched the woman carefully. She seemed to be of some intelligence. Surprisingly enough, the Ithorian's mind was more carefully guarded than the others. He could sense Zee was also reading their company. He maintained his silence. There were plenty of thoughts to uncover. He did not yet sense any ulterior motive.

Spoiler

Yep.

Zee's head tresses shifted against her back.

"Fair enough." Nessa dipped her head. "Frankly, Lady Motti, we aren't attempting to encroach too far. We want to bring delia to the working class in our region, and you clearly have a focus on Core and Outer Rim nobility. We have no delia groves ourselves, but we thought once we made enough money we could buy one from you."

"How generous." Thalassa's tone had gone cold. "Buying one of my groves with money you've stolen from me. You see how that sounds, don't you?"

Nessa, cowed, looked down at her hands.

Zee leaned down to Thalassa's ear, whispering, "the brother's getting angry. His pheromones are a bit strong for my liking--he might do something impulsive." Thalassa nodded but didn't reply.

"You've caused me offense by going behind my back instead of approaching me about the delia outright," she said. "I understand your position, though--Hutts are possessive, and they don't like to be undermined. How are you to start your own endeavors with them hovering over you? I sympathize, I do." She steepled her fingers. "But I can't be of any help when you disrespect the pecking order so blatantly and show me and my company such disregard. What am I to do? How am I to support up and coming entrepreneurs when they don't understand basic etiquette?"

Sirejj's eyes were suddenly drawn to the fellow called Dori, the brother. He hadn't moved, but Sirejj sensed his frustration slowly boiling beneath his attempt at an unbothered exterior. His grip tightened around his staff ever so slightly but he was motionless otherwise. Try.

He wondered if their visitors truly grasped the concept that they stood on a knife's edge. One movement in the wrong direction spelled their swift demise.

It was then that Dori spoke up even as the Ithorian, Dado Codug, grasped his arm to calm him.

"How else are we supposed to get your attention?" he snapped. "You're sitting up here all high and mighty with your hundreds of proxies and your bodyguards and you're astronomical prices. You're untouchable for people like us! There's only one thing you leeches care about, and that's when someone is stealing from you."

Thalassa ignored him, addressing Kairo and Nessa. "The Hutts control a substantial part of the Outer and Mid Rims. To offend them by accepting any sort of alliance with you would spell war for the Treacle." She narrowed her eyes. "I support ambition, but not foolishness, and certainly not theft from my own groves. So here's what I'll do--I'm willing to compromise."

"We're listening." Kairo sat up a bit, clearly surprised. Dado Codug's two mouths turned down in a small frown; his mind revealed mild suspicion and distrust.

"I want shares in this operation, first off--I'm not selling you a grove just to put my own money back in my pocket, but you can have jurisdiction over a manufacturing and distributing operation. I want eighty percent of the profits. But." She held up a finger. "Before any of that happens, you need to pay off your bosses or cut them in. Jabba can't be left out of these negotiations or it'll be everybody's heads on a plate."

"Is...is that all?" Nessa's brow furrowed.

"Not by half." Thalassa smiled. "I don't like the leadership in this little group you have here."

"That's not your problem," Dori growled.

"On the contrary--if I'm investing in your little project, I should have a say in who's running things."

Lady Motti again pulled the situation into her court. Her presence alone, even without her guards, dwarfed that of her visitors. Sirejj was reminded again how important it was that he had not made her his enemy as well as the Empire.

The corner of his mouth upturned slightly in amusement, but that was the only shred of emotion he expressed.

"I..." Kairo spluttered for a moment, taken aback. "You've not even seen how I run my--"

"I've seen enough." She pointed at Nessa. "You. You're not perfect, but you're a far cry from that drydak of a husband."

"Wha--"

"I imagine you came in here thinking this was going to be a negotiation on equal footing." Her sharp brown eyes turned toward Kairo. "That you might have some measure of control here. But by accepting my invitation you've actually enabled me to kill two birds with one stone. I can stop your thieving and I now have a means of speaking with the Hutts."

Zee glanced at Sirejj, giving him a self-satisfied smile. She was clearly pleased Thalassa had taken her advice.