Taldryan OSI - Dasha

Participants: Dasha and Vodo+Son

Chryon
Taldryan Sector

It hasn’t been a few days yet and Dasha had already set up an elaborate glitter-bomb trap for Appius in his office. Little does she know, there has been a change in Quaestors in the very short amount of time since that fateful day.

The young Sephi had started to explore the halls and buildings, mostly avoiding others for now due their stern glares. Though, what was expected of her? She does not yet know.

Her delicate ears picked up conversations here and there as she passed through the halls quietly. The conversations seem… casual enough.

Today, she decided to visit another area near where she was housed. All she knew was that there were probably offices and the like there. Her ears twitched as she picked up a conversation and she slowly and quietly approached to eavesdrop. Perhaps she could figure out what his area was for.

Vodo Biask Taldrya sat behind the desk. It was not the same as he remembered. Last he’d occupied the seat of the Quaestor it had been on Taruma, over a decade ago. Back then the Clan had been at the peak of its supremacy within the Brotherhood and he one its chosen elite. He reminisced fondly on those early days as his own ascendancy was still skyrocketing. Being Quaestor of House Ektrosis had been a great honor but looking backward it had only been a stepping stone. He’d gone on to the Pronconulship and then assumed the helm of the Clan as its Consul. Later he’d schemed his way onto the Dark Council and served Darth Ashen as his Voice and his spymaster. To find himself here again seemed-- diminutive. It was not the same office, of course. Here on Caelus things were different than they’d been on Taruma. The Kr’Tal System had been steeped in the Dark Side, an ancient and mysterious place with untold thousands of years of history. Caelus was, by comparison, a youthful upstart on the galactic stage. Vodo couldn’t help but feel sour.

A datalink on his terminal blinked, seeking his attention. He lazily cast a hand over the answer button and was unsurprising to see the angular yet handsome face of one particular Cipher Agent. Richard Hehd was no friend of the Warlord but something more of a useful tool, a sharp blade, and for all his indifference to the Sith’s demands for respect and decorum, a damn fine operative.

“I got that thing you wanted”, Hehd said before Vodo could speak.
He knew just how to get under Vodo’s skin and knew he was good enough at his job that the Twi’lek Sith would likely never seek to have him disposed of, “Good.”
Richard smirked into the hologram recorder, “I trust you’ve deposited my fee?”
“I have”, Vodo hadn’t but it would be taken care of, “but have you taken the item to Zero Section for analysis yet?”
“Ah, no”, Richard pretended a sheepish smile, “There was an issue in obtaining it. The Arconan didn’t want to part with it. Its-- how would you say…”
Vodo drummed his fingers impatiently, “How damaged is it?”
“Quite”, the Cipher answered.
There was a tense silence for a moment as Vodo collected his thoughts, “Hold off on delivery then. Collect the second item, intact, and then you’ll recieve 3/4 of your fee”.
“Hey! That wasn’t the deal”, Richard snapped.
“Pray I don’t alter it any further.” Vodo cut the line and leaned back into his chair with frustration.

He needed a drink. Without locking his terminal screen he rose from his chair and noted his assistant hadn’t yet transferred the wet bar from the Karufr Knight to the office yet. It was a short walk to the hangar, one worth making he decided. Leaving the Office he stalked to his ship where he would find the good Corellian stuff. The terminal screen sat there, casting a gentle glow on the empty seat in the empty office.

‘Jala’ tilted her head, wondering what exactly that conversation was about. It didn’t take her long to hear the footsteps walk away and the lean figure dared a peek with a small mirror to make sure the coast was clear before treading lightly down the hallway.

The open door to the office caught her eye before the glowing terminal. ‘It should be safe enough to see what was inside now the area seemed empty.’ she thought to herself before stepping inside to take a closer look. After a few steps she assumed the terminal would be locked yet was pleasantly surprised to see it wasn’t. Should she explore a bit? It could definitely solve the mystery of this building after all.

As per training, she found a storage closet of sorts in the office to use as a hiding place should there be the tenant returning. A peek out the door and it seems she’d have a mere 4 seconds to clear the office should the man that was in this office returns.

The Sephi then slid on a glove before fiddling with the paperwork on the desk and replacing them exactly as she found them yet leaving the ones sealed with confidential tape alone as she didn’t have replacements. As she sifted through parchments her ears twitched here and there to listen for anyone returning. Lastly, she’d carefully fiddle with the terminal.

Vodo had made it most of the way to his ship when he stopped abruptly. He was a methodical man and didn’t often make careless mistakes. He realized he’d left his terminal unsecured and the thought had frozen him in his tracks. A reasonable part of his mind told him that this was the Clan headquarters and the OSI counter-intel branch hadn’t identified any pending threats, he should get his drink. The part of his mind that won out however was the one that was constantly suspicious, always scheming, and could think of the worst case scenario even in the best of times. He spun on his metal heel and strode purposefully back the way he’d come. Several personnel who encountered him in the hallway saw the set of his jaw and the glower on his face and immediately diverted down adjoining hallways or pressed themselves against walls to make way for him. He hardly noticed.

Returning to the office he entered. There was a small seating room where he would eventually place a functionary to handle his calls and paperwork but for now remained empty. He entered the room beyond, the office-proper, and saw that everything was as he had left it. He sat in the chair and tapped the keys necessary to lock the screen and secure the device from unauthorized access. He was about to rise when he felt it. The skin of his lekku prickled, goose pimpling down the length of them. He knew this sensation and had, over a lifetime, come to trust it. His eye’s darted around the office but everything was as he’d left it fifteen minutes prior. The Warlord took a deep breath as he rose to his feet and reached for the Force. It squirmed away from him as though repulsed but he seized at it and grasped it.

His sense’s sharpened; The room’s colors grew more vibrant, the hum of the HVAC more pronounced, and the smell of the air became more distinct. That was his first clue. There was an unfamiliar scent in the air. Vodo would never have described his sense of smell as one of his strengths but with the preternatural powers of the Dark Side he could smell himself and the lingering trail his passage had left through the volume of the room as he’d entered. There was a lingering stench that was different. It was faint, it was feminine, and it wasn’t his. His hands balled into fists as he felt power surge through them, preparing for the worst. There was a closet to his left, a coat room and place for minor supplies. With a wave of his hand the pad beside the door activated and with a gentle hiss the door slide aside.

‘Jala’ was well away from the office after discovering the access levels that terminal has. It crossed her mind to delete her files yet it’s more likely to cast suspicion on her if there were backup files.

She backtracked away from the office and headed for some large building. Inside, there were various vehicles and many people moving parts, equipment, and supplies about.

Her ears flicked about as she made her way through the hangar quickly learning the traffic patterns. Eventually she was able to pick spots where she’d stop safely off the main path to stare at some ships in complete awe. Granted, it earned her a few raised eyebrows since not only was she obviously child-like, but she was still somewhat in the way.

A couple of workers were chatting about getting a drink nearby. Jala’s ears perked up as she eavesdropped enough to learn of generally where the location is. After all, cantinas are the best place she knows of for random pieces of information!

At the assumed location, various workers were enjoying their drinks during their break. It was moderately busy much to her relief, so she went to order herself some juice before seating herself in a corner where she could keep an eye on the door. Her sensitive ears picked up on various conversations, most of which were complaints about backbreaking work.

Things she saw on the terminal in Vodo’s office swam through her mind. Just how dangerous are some of these people? Can I really call this place home? What exactly is home?

Eventually, she sees someone familiar walk through the doors; someone she hasn’t seen for days! Her ears perked up as she recognized Appius. Where has he been all this time?!