Brina Thalin

The paperwork and payment was all in order, and the only thing Brina added was a request for Black Sun to change the name. She went as far as to suggest the Golden Sun Casino, but left it up to the new owner. She signed it, got Zara's electronic signature, and just like that, the Link was many credits richer, but no longer owned the Golden Link Casino. It felt momentus, and Brina spent the next few hours walking the station, remembering. There had been a lot of good times here. Bad times too, she thought, remembering a very successful heist in particular. But overall, good. Finally, she shook herself. Time to move out, close up shop, and move on with her life. -- It took most of the next three days for Brina to transfer everything, pack everything, and wipe the computer systems. Black Sun would have a completely fresh start. The vault was emptied, being completely transferred to their Coruscant offices. The employees were taking the move in stride, mostly, although Brina knew they were hoping that Black Sun would hire them to stay. For now, once the week was up, they'd be suspended with two weeks' pay. In the meantime, they were put to work, wrapping everything up, packing things, and removing Link logos from everything. Finally, Brina was leaving the casino for the last time. She sat in the cockpit of her ship, and impulsively touched her forehead in a mini-salute. "Thanks for all the memories." And the Crazy Mynock lifted out of the hangar bay and into the stars.

Brina raised a hand. "I'm not worried about any blowback to the Link by selling to you. The Link and the Black Sun have always had an understanding, sometimes more formal than others, and we have no wish to change that." She was thinking quickly, trying to find any loopholes, and after a moment, was satisfied. There was no reason not to sell the Casino--nothing but sentimentality. She had always felt more at home here than any of the Link's many other properties. But it was a good business move, and both sides knew it. So after a moment, she nodded. "Alright, send over the paperwork. I'll sign the bill of sale and we can transfer ownership a few standard hours later, once the payment goes through."

"Hello Zalis," Brina answered, matching the other's tone. "My name is Brina Thalin, co-CEO of the Link Corporation. I was approached by your agents yesterday with a very generous offer to buy our property, the Golden Link Casino. I'd be very interested to hear more about your interest in our Casino and why you are interested in purchasing." For a moment, her mind flashed back, so many years ago, when business talk like this had been foreign to her. She had just been a common smuggler back then, doing runs for credits, not caring about the legality of what she was doing. If she had told younger Brina what she would be doing in 20 years, she would have laughed. And yet, here she was. The galaxy sure was a funny place.

Brina nodded, and the two agents were escorted out after a few pleasantries. She then informed the staff who had been waiting outside the door that she'd take the Crazy Mynock and be at the Casino in a standard day. -- True to her word, Brina arrived at the Casino the next day. Upon arriving, she headed straight for the office that she normally shared with Zara. She had commed her co-proprietor on the way here, and Zara had agreed with Brina's assessment--as long as the usage questions were answered satisfactorily, it made good business sense to sell the Casino. Especially at that price. The Black Sun comlink was sitting on her desk. Picking up, she called.

Brina nodded. "I would be happy to speak with K at their convenience, then. Hopefully we can both reach an agreement that is mutually beneficial." She wasn't surprised that these agents didn't have all the information. Black Sun always operated at a high level of secrecy, and was always very top-down. Clearly, that hadn't changed. It was interesting, however, that the orders were no longer coming from Mr. Diasku. Smash had had control of the Black Sun for many years. He had had a great mind for business, as well as the skill necessary to run his own personal empire of spies and criminals. She wondered idly what had become of him. The galaxy certainly was a different place than it had been in the past.

((If I'm messing up your storyline, feel free to let me know and I can delete this...but when I saw you had posted that, I felt I wanted to stick my nose in it.)) When they announced their business, the Black Sun agents were immediately escorted to the most high level conference room the Golden Link had to offer. They were served refreshments and informed by the station's AI Idarah that she was connecting them with a Link executive immediately. --- Brina Thalin, co-CEO of the Link Corporation, sat at her desk dumbfounded. A message had just come through on her urgent comm link stating that two Black Sun agents had just showed up at the Golden Link Casino offering to buy the property in it's entirety. It was, on the face of it, preposterous. But the Link and the Black Sun still had a tenuous agreement, and Brina thought it only fair to hear the two agents out. To be honest, while the Link Corporation still represented a significant investment, the Golden Link Casino was getting too expensive to keep running with the Link's diminished assets. Back in the company's heyday, it had been their biggest source of income, but over the years, interest in it had declined in favor of the more relaxing Kat Nargal Memorial Resort. She shook herself and headed to the comm room. Once there, she established a holographic link with the station. -- In the conference room, a life-sized hologram of Brina flickered to life. "Greetings," she said to the two agents. "I'm sorry I can't be there with you in person, but both Ms. Nargal and I are currently on Coruscant. I hope you'll forgive me if we get down to business." The two agents immediately laid out the particulars of the pecuniary transaction they wished to make, on behalf of this mysterious Mr. K. Unfortunately, they refused to say more, even when pressed for information. Brina was hesitant to sell the casino to someone so mysterious. It would be irresponsible. Who knew what this Mr. K had planned? "I admit that your offer is very tempting," she finally told the agents. "But I need some guarantees before I can consider it. I need a guarantee that the money you are offering is good, first of all. We're talking about a massive amount of credits. I know your organization has had access to those kinds of resources, but at the same time, you've been very quiet in the galactic community as of late. Secondly, I'd like to inquire what Mr. K intends to use the station for. Will it continue in it's role as a casino, or does he plan to gut it?" She smiled politely. "The Black Sun, you see, have been known to take drastic measures in the past, and if I were to equip one of those, say, against an ally of the Link, well, that would be very bad for our business, now."

A few days after Dr. Makaryk had sent his message, a Link transport shuttle arrived. The pilot, following instructions from Jedi Grandmaster Trevelian, showed up at the hospital in Iziz, asking for Dr. Makaryk and saying that he was here to provide the doctor transport to the Jedi at his leisure. The pilot would get paid either way, so it didn't matter to him if his layover on Onderon was short or long.

Given the man's cooperation through the procedures, once he had passed through he was granted a room in Alpha Wing. "Enjoy your stay," the woman behind the desk told him. "And if there is anything you need, don't hesitate to ask."

Exavior was granted clearance to land after several longer checks and scans. The Link had always been cautious with members of the Black Sun, and their suspicions had only increased since their director had been forced on the run by an unknown force. Many employees had no doubt that Black Sun was after Ms. Thalin, and so security was quite tight. Once the shuttle landed, security guards greeted the two passengers to escort them through security and confiscate their weapons.

A refugee ship traveling from Chandrila arrived over Ryloth and landed, taking a different berth on a more northern part of the planet's twilight zone than it normally would have. Brina slipped off the ship with a good majority of the rest of the refugees. She moved quickly and quietly, tense and alert for any attack. But no attack came as she made her way though the spaceport. She didn't dare to hope that Slicer had lost her trail somehow, but began to hope that she would make it to her rendezvous point in one piece. She stuck to more crowded areas and doubled back several times, but saw no sign of pursuit. Clearly, Slicer was just biding his time. Eventually, she arrived at the small building that constituted the Link headquarters on Ryloth. She slipped in and was greeted warmly by the staff. She spared them a smile and a few commendatory words before insisting that she had to leave. "Did my ship arrive?" she asked. "Yes, Director. It's in the back." She wasted no time and when she rounded the corner, there was the Crazy Mynock, as good as new. She smiled. "Excellent work. I'll make sure you all get a raise." The staff thanked her and bid her good luck. A few minutes later, she had the ship prepped and ready to go.

The refugee ship traveled through hyperspace. On board, Brina finally relaxed after a long while. She didn't think the bounty hunter had followed her, although she knew he'd be waiting at their destination. She did let herself stop roaming, however, and grab some food and rest. The conditions of the ship were not too bad, but it was a refugee ship after all, and it was crowded and naturally a bit rank. She settled down in between a Twi'lek family and a family of humans. After eating and taking a nap, she began to make some comm calls and pay some visits. First, she went up front and asked to speak with the captain of the vessel. The guards were naturally hesitant to grant a refugee speaking rights with the bridge crew, but they were satisfied when Brina showed her credentials. Once on the bridge, she spoke to the captain. "Thank you for seeing me, Captain. I'm sorry to have to involve you and your ship in this mess, but there are a few things you need to know for your safety. I'm being pursued by a bounty hunter, who I have no doubts will be waiting when we arrive on Taris." The captain looked alarmed and would have spoken, but Brina continued. "I do not know what means he will take to capture me, but I know he is dangerous." She had gotten a glimpse of the man earlier, and was pretty sure she knew who he was now. "Would it be possible to adjust our time table at all? If we can get there before him, or slip in unnoticed somehow, it would protect a lot of potential innocents onboard." The man slowly nodded. "I'll see what I can do. It might be possible for us to come in at another spaceport on the other side of the planet. I can't make us get there any faster, but that might give you just the edge you need." She nodded in return. "Thank you. I appreciate your willingness to help me in this situation. Here, take this as a measure of repayment." She handed him a credit chit of a fairly large denomination, then slipped off the bridge. On the way back to her spot, she called the Link headquarters and got one of her most trusted mechanic-and-pilot teams. She gave them implicit directions as to where she left the Crazy Mynock and what repairs it would need. "When you have it fixed up, bring it to Taris. I'll be waiting there." As she ended the comm, she knew that her ship would be alright. Really, she was lucky that she was the head honcho of one of the largest repair and transportation companies in the galaxy. She knew that she could trust this team to do excellent work and take care of her baby. She then settled in for the duration of the ride, keeping her guard up but allowing herself to get some much needed rest. It was now a waiting game until she reached Taris.

Brina didn't stop, despite the fact that she was quite short on breath. If it was Faust chasing her, like she assumed it was, then he would never give up. Her senses were alert for anything that might indicate a trap, and she kept changing her direction, passing through crowds, and moving through small shops in order to lose her pursuer. She checked her chrono. Gotta hurry if I'm going to make it. As she finally began to near the destination that she had been aiming for all along, a man with a cart suddenly went down in front of her. At the same moment, she felt her legs go out from under her. She turned the fall into a roll forward. Little did she know that the roll protected her from being hit by the tranq darts, as the hunter had aimed higher and to the right of where she ended up. She came to her feet and was buffeted by the suddenly panicked crowd. Instead of fighting them, she slipped to the right and used their momentum to cover her as she regained her composure from the fall. A stun bolt exploded to her left and she glanced back as she ran, zigzagging back and forth, to see an armored man charging at her. But it wasn't the hunter she expected. Before she had time to think more, she had ducked into a store. Running through it, she exited out the back into an alley. There was the road and the entrance. She bit her lip and put an another burst of speed, cutting through foot traffic as she did so. When she reached the terminal, she leapt over the short security gate, slapped a credit chit down as she ran past, and charged up the boarding ramp to the second refugee ship in the line at the depot, scattering humans and aliens alike as she did so. The ship was already getting ready to take off, and a few seconds after she was onboard, the boarding hatch shut and the lumbering ship pulled away from the spaceport. Brina kept moving until she was in the heart of the ship. She wasn't sure if the hunter had been able to get onboard, but it would be easy for him to find out the destination of the ship from the port officials. If he wasn't here, he'd be waiting at their first stop. She knew that she might have the police after her now too, but that didn't bother her. In fact, they might help her. She kept moving through the densely crowded ship, not settling in until she was sure she was safe. ((OOC: Also as part of my defense, I'd like to cite that a person trying to lose someone in a crowd would not head to an open beach. In my last posts, I clearly stayed among the streets and alleyways.)) <>

Brina lingered at the cafe for a while. She wasn't really sure what to do next. All she knew was that she needed to keep on the move. Finances didn't worry her; she had access to several accounts if she needed them. What did worry her is that since leaving the Resort, she had seen no sign of the bounty hunters that she knew for sure were following her. For a second, she wished she was a Force-user so she would at least be able to sense if someone was watching her. But she pushed the thought away. She would have to just be smart. Hopefully, the lack of bounty hunters meant that she had lost them. But she didn't really believe that. As she often did, she wondered who had put this bounty on her head, and what they wanted her for. It had to be for some nefarious purpose, for she believed she was quite approachable as a businesswoman. She sighed and drained the last of her lemonade. Her only idea was that it was Black Sun again. But why had they targeted her and not Zara? She was keeping careful tabs on the holonet, making sure there were no new bounties on her friend. So far, it had all been quiet. Brina was at least grateful for that. She paid her tab with an untraceable credit chit and began to stroll back to the hanger. As she did so, her mind turned to the saddening piece of news she had seen just that morning on the holonet. Kheldar was retiring. Brina felt it was the end of an era--Kheldar had been an information staple and the head of a massive organization. Not only that, but he had been a secret partner of the Link, and Brina knew she would miss his input and advice into their company. When she reached the hanger, it was empty except for a small droid. She stepped over to the hatch and keyed the security code. There was a small red light on the pad that wasn't normally lit. She frowned and tapped some keys. One of the features of her state-of-the-art security system was a passive scan that mapped the shape of her hull. In active mode when the ship was powered up, the scan was used to ensure that there was no hull damage from any type of combat. This was the same scanners in passive mode, drawing power from backup batteries. The results of the security sweep indicated something new near the ship's engines. But when she asked for it's mass, it turned out to be quite small. In fact, it wasn't much bigger than a thermal detonator. But she knew that it couldn't be a bomb; the bounty had been for her alive only. No sane hunter would risk killing his target. She shook her newly-blonde head and entered the ship. She'd run a few more detailed scans once she got inside. She headed to the cockpit and dropped her bag in the copilot's seat. Slipping behind the yoke, she keyed for warmup. And it was then that the dets blew. The explosion rocked the ship, and Brina was tossed onto the floor. "SITHSPIT!" she cursed. "Kriffing bounty hunters!!! No one attacks my ship!!" She immediately dashed back to survey the damage. It didn't take a practiced eye to see that the engines were completely crippled. Brina's years of experience told her that there was no way they would be repaired. They'd have to be completely replaced. She cursed again. The injury to her ship was like an injury to her. But common sense pushed through to the front of her mind. The hunter that had placed this trap would surely be now alerted to it's being triggered and on his way. She couldn't stay here, not right now. She bit her lip. "Sorry, baby," she said, placing a hand on the bulkhead. "Guess it'll be a while before we fly together again." She went back to the cockpit and grabbed her satchel, then headed to the cabin and grabbed the rest of her belongings, strapping her blaster to her side and muttering curses under her breath all the way. Heading down the ramp, she hit the button to lock it all back up. She turned to leave when suddenly she heard a clanking alarmingly close to her. She spun and saw the worker droid lunge at her. She ducked and rolled out of the way, but the droid kept coming, it's appendages reached out as if to grab her and squeeze her to death. But it was just a labor droid, no fancy weapons or programming, and old and slow. She maneuvered until she had a little room, then drew her blaster and made a clean, glowing hull in the droid's main processor. She tossed a credit chit on the ground to pay back the hanger owner for the droid's loss and hurried away, her blaster back in it's holster but her hand never far from it. She wandered aimlessly through the streets for quite a while, doing her best to put as much distance as possible between herself and the hanger, deliberately zigzagging and doubling back at times to lose any pursuit. Eventually, she had a destination in mind, but she wanted to make sure she wasn't being followed before she headed there.

A YT-2400 approaches Chandrila, smoothly inserts itself into traffic, and lands in the heart of the planet's capital city. Brina, now in new clothing and a blonde, steps out of her ship and locks it up tight. She began to stride through the city, knowing that she needed to refuel the Mynock and get restocked on some supplies. What I really need is a place to lay low for a while, she thought. I should have stayed a bit longer on Nar Shaddaa. I could go to Coruscant, or I could go to my family on Corellia... She frankly didn't know what to do. Or I could just take the Mynock into space and sit there until I need to restock. The last idea didn't seem very attractive, despite the fact that the Mynock was as much a home as she'd ever had. She finally stopped at a small cafe not far from the hanger. Food in her stomach would help her think clearer.

A YT-2400 known as the Crazy Mynock appeared out of hyperspace over Nar Shaddaa. Brina had been here long ago, back when she had been young and careless. She hadn't cared for the hell hole back then, but it had been useful, a smuggler's haven, a place to lie low and avoid detection from local law enforcement. And that was why she was here. She landed on a shabby looking platform and changed into attire more appropriate for the dingy streets of the vertical city. Stepping out, she encountered a welcoming committee. "This dock is private!" the Dug at the head of the party announced. Brina grimaced. She had never liked Dugs. But she knew how to deal with their type. "I'm sure I could pay your for the inconvenience of letting me land here," she said smoothly. The Dug's eyes lit with greed. These low-life types were very predictable. "I'm expecting important visitors later. It would be a great inconvenience indeed for me to have to tell them to land elsewhere." At the same time, Brina reflected, it was nice to be among beings who put up no pretenses. "I'll give you 200 credits." "Five hundred." "Four." "Agreed." She handed over the credits. "Any idea where I can find a good mechanic?" The Dug motioned. "Down the block to the right is a Sullustan named Jax." She nodded and tossed him another hundred credits before strolling away. She found she was having no trouble fitting back in here, something which amused her. Her years as a smuggler had been long ago. But she was glad she still remembered how it had been. She found Jax the Sullustan at work in one of his hangers. "You Jax?" she called. The alien climbed down and shook her hand. "What can I do for you?" "I need a new paint job and some new IDs for my ship." The Sullustan had received requests like this so often that he didn't bat an eye. Which of course was why Brina had come to Nar Shaddaa in the first place. "What type of ship?" "YT-2400." He nodded. "It'll take six hours." "If you make it four, I'll pay half again." "Alright, four. But you pay half up front." She nodded. She had expected that. She handed him the credit chit. "It's on landing platform HYT8." As much as she wanted to stay and make sure they didn't scratch her baby, she had other things to do while here. And that included a new look. And a drink. Three and a half hours later she had some new nondescript clothing and a dye pack for her hair. Even aliens would have little hardship remembered a human with her bright red hair color. She deposited it all in the Mynock and then surveyed the Sullustan's work. The ship had been repainted a grey with green splashes, and all identifying markers had been covered up. When the Sullustan saw her, he approached. "My crew found two tracking devices on your hull." He handed them to her. "Thought you'd probably want those taken off." She felt like an idiot. So that's what that light was saying! "Thanks, friend." When she paid him, she made sure to give him a little extra. Everything complete, she boarded and installed the first of her new IFF IDs. A few minutes later, the newly christened Heaven's Fury took off and headed back out into space.

The receptionist, a blue female Twi'lek, looked at Quintus curiously, then chuckled. "Come on, tell the truth, what can I help you with?" Her coworker, a human female with blond hair, overheard the conversation and glanced critically at Quintus for a moment. "I think he is telling the truth," she told the Twi'lek. "If he was telling the truth, he wouldn't have told us!" the Twi'lek replied. "Unless he knew that you wouldn't believe the truth even if he told you," the woman replied. It was clear she thought little of the Twi'lek. She turned to the bounty hunter. "Sorry, but information on Director Thalin's whereabouts is classified at this time. Is there anything else we can help you with?"

The Crazy Mynock popped out of hyperspace just long enough for it's pilot to plot a new course, then vanished again.

As soon as the E-wings began to patrol the area behind her, Brina's hand went to the hyperspace button. Another ten seconds and she'd be clear. But in those ten seconds, two things happened. The first was that a flashing warning light appeared on her board. She frowned. What did that light mean again? She remembered it coming on a few times before, but that was back in her smuggling days. She knew it had been bad, and that the ship had a method of dealing with the situation, but couldn't remember what it meant. She'd have to check it later. She knew it couldn't be very important right now, since it hadn't gone off in years. The second thing that happened was right when Brina was about to jump into hyperspace. Spiders erupted out of every nook and cranny of her ship. She yelled in fright and jerked forward. The jerk caused her elbow to bump into the control panel, which jabbed her fingers forward onto the hyperspace trigger. Starlines formed and the ship flickered and disappeared into hyperspace. Meanwhile, Brina had stood up on her chair, firmly trying to get ahold of herself. There was no way that these things could be real, she repeated over and over. She took amazingly good care of the Crazy Mynock, and there was no way that she wouldn't have noticed nesting critters. But a moment later, the spiders vanished as quickly as they had come as the ship got far enough away from the Resort to break Brina free from Slicer's interference. She heaved a sigh of relief and slumped down in her chair. Must have been a bloody Force user. She shivered. At least I know one is on my tail now other than Faust.

Quintus was greeted by the standard security teams and ushered towards the security station, where he would be required to turn over any weapons before passing through the scanners and being allowed to enter the Resort proper. *** As she entered the hanger, Brina's comm buzzed. She frowned and checked it. The message was extremely interesting, another wrinkle in this plot. To think he was a friend of Durose... She ignored the reference to her working for Durose. The man obviously didn't know too much about the situation. And he certainly didn't know the thin ice that her and Durose had tread together. She hesitated only a moment before sending a reply on the same frequency, letting the man know an affirmative to his proposal. She hit the button and lowered the ramp to the Mynock. On her way down she had debated taking one of the company ships, but in the end, it felt wrong to not take the Mynock. It was an excellent ship, fast and maneuverable, hardy and dependable. If she was going on the run, it would be the perfect ship for her. Besides, it had a few leftover relics from her smuggling days that could come in handy. She plopped her things down in her on-board quarters. "Well, baby, looks like we'll be spending some serious time together," she said, talking aloud to her ship like it was the old friend that she considered it to be. "You'll take good care of me, I'm sure." She headed to the cockpit. She knew from the tight beam of the transmission that Sairdonga had to be ready to go, so she wasted no time. A few minutes later the ship was warm and ready to go; she could practically feel the eagerness of the ship to get off the ground. Her green eyes swept the hanger. She didn't know when she'd be coming back again, but she swore that she would. When it was safe, she'd be back. She lifted her chin, set her jaw, and lifted the ship off the decking. As she left the station, she saw another ship come in. Part of her wondered idly if it was another bounty hunter come looking for her. After a moment's thought, she punched in the coordinates for the destination she had decided on. As tempted as she was to jump into dark space and just sit there for a few days, she knew it would probably be best to jump from port to port, never lingering longer than a day or two. Before letting the Mynock jump, however, she waited for confirmation from Sairdonga to ensure that he had gotten her return message.

Faust did not give her very helpful information. She had hoped to be able to buy him off. That was the best thing about bounty hunters--they had no loyalty towards their employers. They were only out for money. And Brina was quite wealthy. Although she didn't live the lifestyle of the rich, being one of the owners and CEO's of the galaxy's biggest transportation and entertainment corporation meant that she had access to vast resources. As Faust brushed past, her fingers closed on the commlink he had slipped into her hand. She pursed her lips. She wanted to trust him, but given his history, she knew he had a streak of madness in him. Who else would do the things he had done? As Cyrus approached her, she folded her arms across her chest. "Yes, I remember you," she replied. She remembered a mission to Myrkr where Knight's assistance had been very welcome. He continued to speak, telling her things that she already knew now, but his suggestion was interesting. She frowned. "Do you really think hiding is the best thing I could do? Hiding won't make the bounty disappear. And if it's already drawn the likes of Vladimir Faust, I have to assume that it will draw others as well." She was well aware of Faust's implication that Knight might be looking to cash on the bounty as well. Frankly, she decided she didn't trust either of them. This was one of the most secure places in the galaxy--Brina had seen to that personally. But Knight was right in that every bounty hunter in the galaxy that cared to go after her would know exactly where to find her. She glanced up at Knight. "Thank you for your warning and your suggestion, but I've made up my mind. If you wish to stay here, then I hope you'll enjoy yourself. It was good seeing you again, Mr. Knight. Speak with Captain Zan and he'll see to it that you receive a small sum for your assistance here." She turned and walked away, her bodyguard droids a few steps behind her, their sensors alert for any threat. She might have told Knight that she had made up her mind what to do, but it had been a lie. As she headed into the Resort's restricted zone, she weighed her options. One, she could go with Faust and hope that he remained true to his word. But she didn't know if she could count on that. He had an honor code of some sort--or so she had heard--but he was also a mass murderer. Something little like going against his word meant nothing when compared with that. But if she didn't go with him, she'd be risking the Resort and many others if he decided to pursue her with violence. Cyrus Knight's suggestion was another alternative. She could find someplace to lay low for a while, to try to throw the bounty hunters off her trail. But if they were really determined to get at her, would she ever truly lose them? Would she simply be signing herself up for months on the run? And what if they did catch her? Faust and Knight had both said that the bounty specified she be taken alive. She dreaded what that meant, but it was still good to know that the bounty hunters that followed her wouldn't be out to kill her, just capture her. And in Brina's experience, it was better to be alive than dead. But if that was the case, wouldn't it be better to just turn herself in? Heh, maybe then I could get the prize, she thought with a touch of amusement. Suddenly she thought of Zara and the girls. The bounty would put them in danger. The hunters wouldn't care if they hurt others to get at Brina. And Zara would vehemently oppose her surrendering. She could see her friend's shocked face if Brina told her that. With that thought came clarity. She couldn't stay here. Her footsteps carried her to her private apartment. There, she began to pack, taking only essentials. She didn't know how long she'd have to be on the run, but it was the only way to protect Zara. At least that would draw the bounty hunters away from the Link. Once everything she thought she might need was ready to go, she sent a message to Zara, informing her of everything that was going on and Brina's decision. "Hopefully this will all blow over soon and I'll be back before you know it," she finished, trying to end the message on a positive note. She looked around her apartments one last time. They hadn't even begun to feel like home since she had only been there for a few weeks. She wished for a moment that she was back on the Casino, where her real home was, but she shook her head. It was a silly sentimental thought. Gathering her luggage, she headed down towards her private hanger.

The captain frowned at Knight. "If you were here before the fingerprinting protocols, then we should have a retinal scanner brought down. Give us a minute." But when Cyrus continued to pressure him, he scratched his chin. "Wait, you don't want to reinstate your employment? If you wanted to warn Director Thalin, then your job is complete. We are aware of the situation and are taking steps to secure the area. Director Thalin will be safe. If you have no other business here, then you are free to leave." It was clear that the man had suddenly grown suspicious. Why was he insisting on seeing Ms. Thalin, when it was only very few who ever got to see her in person anyway? If he had only come to warn her about Faust, as he had said, then why was he still insisting when his message had been relayed? *** Brina arrived at the security area just in time to hear Faust's proposal. Her eyes darkened when he said that he was here to collect a bounty on her. She stepped into view, her guard droids flanking her. "Who has placed this bounty on me, and why?" she asked Faust directly, mistrust clear in her green eyes. "And how large a bounty are we talking about here?" Brina wondered if it could be Black Sun acting up again, but they had always been more interested in targeting Zara. The thought caused her to tap a message to her friend on her wrist comm, sending her a warning just in case. She had no intention of going with Faust, but she still believed that there was a diplomatic solution to this mess. Something that preferably didn't end up with the destruction of this entire resort.

She had just fallen asleep when her comm buzzed. Cursing, she answered it. "What is it?" "Sorry to disturb you, Director." It was her chief of security. "Vladimir Faust is here, requesting to see you privately on a matter of business." That woke her up. She cursed again, but this time to herself. "I'll be there in a few minutes." She got dressed in her favorite jumpsuit, knowing that it would be too casual for a standard business meeting, but would do fine for meeting with the infamous hunter. With a whistle, she called her two personal Lyger security droids to her side and headed down towards the hanger. *** The security guard that Cyrus had spoken to was immediately alarmed. He turned away and pressed his ear comm, requesting that the security guards at Faust's station keep him there until they received further word. The captain then accessed the Link's database and began a search for Cyrus Knight. The computer beeped an affirmative after a short minute, and the guard read that the man had indeed been employed for the Link in the past. He strode back over to the armored man. "It appears you did indeed work for the Link as you claim. Welcome back. We will inform Director Thalin of your return and verify your accusations against Mr. Faust." He ushered Cyrus over to the security station. "If you'll just come over here, we will need a fingerprint check to make sure you are indeed Mr. Knight." He smiled apologetically. "Standard procedure. But then, you know that from your time with us before. Then we can get you set back up working for us. That is why you are here, is it not?" *** Meanwhile, the security guards near Faust had been alerted. They still had all of his weapons, and thankfully there was still a blast door between them and the rest of the Resort. One approached the infamous bounty hunter. "I'm sorry, but there has been a complication. We've just been informed by a reliable source that you are a liar, and are really here to capture the director." Several blasters appeared, pointing in Faust's general direction. "What assurances do you have to offer that you are here in good faith?" They were clearly suspicious of him, and given his track record, it was not surprising that they would not hesitate to believe the word of the their captain. It was just as logical that the captain himself would believe the word of Knight, who according to the database had proven himself by defending Thalin and several other Link employees on a dangerous mission to Myrkr.

It had been a long day, and Brina was exhausted. In fact, it had been a long few weeks. But she couldn't complain. The peace summit had gone well, the launch of this new resort had been met with enthusiasm, stocks were up, and business was booming in the new era of peace that the galaxy was ushering in. All in all, she thought, it was a good time to be alive, and a good time to be a businesswoman. The Link would no longer have to work so hard to stay neutral. All factions were now more or less united under the GA, and the only ones they really had to be concerned about now were Black Sun and the Hutts. She decided to pull up their old treaty with the Hutts and make sure that it was still valid; it would be worthwhile to considering renewing it if not. And even Black Sun had thankfully been quite quiet recently. As "evening" fell on the space station, she found herself eating a quiet meal in her quarters. Zara and the girls had long since returned to the Casino, and it left the place a bit lonely. She smiled as her whisperkit jumped up onto her lap. She stroked the kit as she thought. "I'm feeling good today," she said aloud. "That Jedi sure worked some magic." It was so wonderfully nice to be healthy again. She decided to work out after dinner. She had gotten really thin during her sickness, and was working on rebuilding some of her muscle tone. When she could go no more, she headed to the hanger. The Mynock had been quite neglected recently, and a little TLC was just what the ship--and pilot--needed. Finally, as midnight approached, the redhead returned to her cabin in the heart of the station, sleepily planning on returning soon to the Casino, but for now, focusing on getting a good night's rest.

The man--or monster--was nothing less than Brina expected, but was still vile enough to make her grimace. She stood in the background as a security person approached the Mouth. "Welcome to the Kat Nargal Memorial Resort," he said. He hesitated, then offered up the small complementary gift basket that all patrons received. It contained mostly lotions, bubble bath, and various sweets, and somehow the employee couldn't see the Mouth using any of it. "You have been assigned suite 522a in beta wing, one of our Force-free zones. You are free to visit in alpha or beta wings, but we ask that you restrict yourself to those two areas." Brina had issued those orders personally, knowing that no one was left in alpha wing save for the remnants of the Imperial-Republic delegation, and those would not mind the Mouth's presence. "Enjoy your stay at the KNM Resort, and if there is anything we can help you with, just say the word," the man finished. "If you'll just step over to our security station to deposit your weapons and pass through our scanners, you will be free to go." The Mouth was ushered over, where he was to turn over all weapons and pass through the scanner before being allowed into the resort proper.

As she strolled, she discovered how very pleased she was with this project. Kat would be proud, she thought. This resort is a fitting tribute. As she entered the next wing of the station, security pinged her comm. She frowned. The only reason for that would be if they were being approached by someone who security was concerned about. She hoped Faust hadn't decided to return. She turned her steps to the security and landing clearance sphere, her ID letting her pass all the secure doors inbetween. When she arrived, she was informed of the situation. "Ma'am, we believe that the 'other guy' he mentioned is Sith Master Ar-Pharazon," her security chief told her. Brina bit her lip. "Unfortunately, we have to let him aboard. Send an extra security detail down there in case he decides not to surrender his weapons. And...it might be a good idea to restrict him to the Force-less areas of the station, just in case. Give him a private wing and encourage him to stay there. We don't want him scaring off our other wealthy patrons." She knew that Ar-Pharazon's abominations could never be underestimated. In truth, she was surprised that this one would be allowed to take time off for a vacation. She hadn't even thought they had much free will. It made her suspicious, but she knew she had little choice in the matter. It was also interesting that he had chosen to come here; she would have thought the Casino would be a more appropriate place for someone like this. But if he could pay, then it was his choice. Curiosity drove her. "I'll be down there if you need me." She turned and headed towards the hanger as the Mouth was given clearance to land. She planned on staying in the background, but wanted to make sure everything went smoothly in person, much as she had done with Faust. As she walked down, she forced herself to bite back the memories of what Ar-Pharazon had done to Zara. Strangely enough, that had always bothered her more than the fact that he had vented her out of an airlock. While this is his servant, the servant is not the master. Despite that however, she had heard that this Mouth was a disgusting creature.