Golden Link Casino

[Vothe Kyrik]

Vothe could tell that Idarah was studying him carefully as she continued her work. He was perfectly accepting of the scrutiny, which was well within reason when interviewing someone to join a security team, someone that could potentially do a lot of damage if they turned out to be a traitor. Of course, he had no intention of getting into this position for an easy look into the vault and time to study the encryptions protecting it. Indeed, Vothe cared little for money, as long as he had enough to provide for his daily needs, which were few. No, he was driven by deeper things, things that resided at the core of his being. Some might call them values; few would after they knew the specifics.

 

When she asked him about putting his loyalty with the Link, his answer came easily. "Of course," he said. "I'll not attempt to deceive you. My most recent employer was shady and had questionable standing with the law. It was also a perfect environment to get the skills that I'll need in a position here.

 

"By hiring me, you're putting faith in the fact that I can put my old loyalties behind me. All I can give you is my word that this is the case. I owe my old employer nothing; our debts are settled. I wouldn't be here if I wasn't willing to put them behind me." It was the truth. Vothe didn't drop the name Black Sun, for that might cause a little bit of undue alert from his interviewer. But Vothe felt no loyalty to Black Sun--they were a means to an end. And now the Link was the next step.

[Black Sun Operative[s]]

Sometimes, plans changed. Other times, even when the people, the locations, and the shape of the galaxy all went to hell and back, the plan remained the same. Which of those it was did not concern the Gholam as he still was given orders that he had to fulfill, though its systems acknowledged things had changed somewhat.

 

Loyalty in a droid, particularly a construct as singleminded as Aginor's Gholam was an iffy thing. Its "instincts" made it happy to kill, just as its instincts, its root level program made it subservient above all to Black Sun, even over its desire to kill. What it would feel about someone leaving the organization out of the blue, abandoning killing for Black Sun's cause for killing on his or her own or even at the beck of another might cause it come as close as it could feel to shock or the less murderous kind of outrage. That would be the kind of thing it would kill for.

 

Of course, plans, can change. The Gholam thought about his orders and the minute changes that took place on its initial test run as he passed through security. No weapon was found on its being, though its body structure, appearing human for all intense and purposes was a weapon in its own right being able to loosen its form and move with a celerity and strength that was all but superhuman. Being able to choke the life from a man, or snap his neck, or give a chopping blow of the hand to the face, or should the occasion present itself, severe a head from the top of the spine with a pull and twist couldn't be taken away, not without disarming a creature such as this in the most literal sense of dis-arming.

 

Not without a steely smirk, the plain looking human, still moving with its uncanny grace, moved into the Casino proper.

[Zalis Krales]

Zalis couldn't help but find his old friend of Corellian rum in the cantina, as most bars carried it, and sat down watching some podrace on Tatooine. There wasn't much in the way of illegal activities these days, as the Hutts went off the radar and Black Sun wasn't really into supporting all of the Outer Rim vices. But it wasn't like his job was ever at risk, smugglers were always needed. And the fact that he didn't really care how close he got to the law, and was more than willing to pull his weapon normally meant that a lot of big time holders of illegal needs contacted him. For now he just had to wait until the senate pushed through the legalization of expanding CorSec's jurisdiction so that it would require a stealthier smuggler. So until then, he would divulge in his other passions. Drinking and woman.

[Idarah]

--=== Before the droid could move into the Casino proper, it would head through a couple of metal detectors and a droid arch, that is set to disable any outside droid. No outside droids are permitted in the Casino unless under the explicit permission of Mrs. Nargal or Mrs. Thalin.

 

If its signature wasn't dimmed or deactivated by the droid arch, then security measures would be taken against it. ((Let me know how that would turn out and we can roleplay it if you wish, but don't assume you can get in that easily. The Link has been around a while and was at one time, extraordinarily profitable. Our security systems aren't anything to scoff at. )) ((And before you ask, Idarah was crafted within the Casino limits at the express permission of Zara.)) ===--

 

Idarah was reassured by the man's admission. Mainly because, at the same time he confessed his loyalty, her scanners picked him up in a previous Black Sun employment registry. Idarah didn't really have access to the full Balck Sun registry, but she had access to some of it and was in possession of a pseudo registry that the Link recorded on its own, which compiled data from Smash's visits to the casino, Smash's and Black Sun's public appearances or recognitions, and when an affiliate of the link recognized or established someone as a member.

 

The membership didn't seem to phase her too much though, due to the aforementioned admission and because everything that Idarah could glean from the man's body language told her internal processors that he was earnest in his employment request. She was a machine, but part of her thinking was organic, which made her thought patterns consist of a lot more than 1's and 0's.

 

She put the man's previous employment records down and documented them in case they were needed, filled out a few nearby forms and fleshed out the remaining digital work, before turning back to Voethe with a 'smile,' and saying, "We only have a couple more things to do and then we can get you set-up in your office. I do have to warn you though, as I am a provisional supervisor, I don't hold complete permission. You are allowed security privileges like other security officers, but you are what I like to call, 'employment probation.'" Idarah said, redundantly emphasizing her words with air quotes.

 

"It isn't because of your previous employment, but because I am not an actual supervisor I can't admit full employment. However, if you are still a probationary employee after two weeks ((let's say 3-4 days irl)), and nothing happens then you are allowed full employment. However, if something goes wrong during this probationary period or you do something wrong during that time, your employment is immediately terminated without any other chance." Idarah said, taking a moment beat before continuing her oration, "It is harsh, I know, but as I am not a full supervisor, I can't admit full employees right and left even if I think they are safe. It represents a large security hazard that I hope you can understand."

 

Idarah paused for a moment and then began unplugging herself from the Link mainframe and all the other computers at her desk. "If you don't have anything else to add though and wish to continue, we'll be on our way to finish the rest of your employment."

[Vothe Kyrik]

"I understand," Vothe immediately said when told about the conditions and the probation. "You don't want to take undue risks when dealing with a security position." It made a lot of sense, actually. Giving a complete stranger access to the security systems was a risky business move. Giving someone who had time to prove themselves as a loyal employee made a lot more sense, and the Link had decided that a few weeks was appropriate. Vothe tended to agree that it would be enough to scare away the petty criminal who was trying to make some quick cash. No, infiltrating a position like this would take a patient man who both had the skills to succeed in the position the Link gave him and never make a slip that gave up his game.

 

People like that in the galaxy existed, Kyrik knew. As a security employee of the Link, it would be his job to catch those that slipped through the cracks. He was pretty confident in his ability to sniff out a crook, though, and his experience as a con man for Black Sun meant he had good instincts in finding another one.

 

"Yes, indeed," he said, "I'm ready to continue. Once we finish onboarding, maybe you could take me on a tour so I can learn what I need about the turf? Maybe start with taking a shuttle around the outside of the station, get an overview and see the external weapons systems, then work our way inward?"

 

Vothe was an efficient man, and he loved to use his experience to optimize anything he could. The more he knew about the station, the better he could serve and protect it. And maybe he would notice a flaw in the network and have suggestions on how to tighten up the defenses. Most importantly, it might help him make a good impression by immediately putting his analytical skills to use. "You're programmed to do that stuff, right?"

[Black Sun Operative[s]]

The Gholam's smirk stops as it steps through the droid arch, taking all of what its circuits called willpower to avoid reacting. A hand and a foot passed the threshhold, quickly withdrawing. The droid holds up its hand, which appeared fine, but it felt numb, as if it was somehow crystalized. Unable to move it, the droid steps back and massages it carefully till what passed for feeling in its sensors returned and it could move again, shedding the damaged flecks of nanites like a person would skin. Permitting only the briefest of frowns, it retreats back to its ship, a tattered X-wing with the air of someone who changed his mind. The ship lifts off and leaves, its not opaque hatch snapping shut, leaving only an oily stain to mark where it touched down.

[Zara Nargal]

Zara lifted her head to look at the chrono up on the wall. Time seemed to be racing by though the pile of paperwork on her desk had not seemed to diminish any. On her desk monitor she swiped a number of files over to the folder her secretary handled then brought up the file on Idarah's progress. Since the droid creation of the scientist Ida had taken over from her "construct brother" Idejjen, Zara had not had to worry about a thing. Everything she had set the droid construct to do was done quickly and efficiently. The Dathomiri Witch had come to rely on Idarah as she had once relied upon Idejjen.

 

Giving herself a mental shake so that her thoughts wouldn't turn melancholy, Zara rose from her desk. She would take a walk through the Casino and mingle for a while. Her youngest daughter, Mellanie, was still in her classes while Kalyani was in the simulators. Her elder daughter and a group of her friends were always going into the simulations to test their skills against the computers. Of course Kali loved to play the part of either a smuggler or a pirate”¦

 

Nodding to her secretary, Zara smoothed down her forest green tunic and left the office. She would mingle while she looked around for Idarah”¦

[Zalis Krales]

There was a moment of brief mind drifting as Zalis suddenly found himself thinking of Idarah. He still had a few drinks left from the credit line she transfered over for him, and he was going to take advantage of it. But there was the little something extra she had said at the end that made him wonder. He wasn't one to flat out abandon a strong connection he had found with Kaldena, although she had suddenly disappeared from his sight and contact on the Outer Heaven. Carefully nursing a drink he already had in his own grasp, he turned his head from the podrace over to people watch those who walked past the cantina. For the most part from what Zalis could see, the Golden Link held a vast majority of rich people as it's visitors. Hopeful for him that would mean lots of people who were dabbled into questionable things, things that would require a smuggler of his skill. He would have to slowly talk people up to figure out who were the ones that would offer him such a task. But until then, he would have to finish his drink and maybe talk to Idarah... just to see where things went.

[Idarah]

"I am not only programmed to do it, but its one of my specialties," Idarah said with a bright expression. Her servos metaphorically jumped for joy at the offer, because she really did enjoy her job.

 

Idarah was in the process of getting up though when she heard a small noise emitting from her internal comm. The noise wasn't particularly loud or pronounced and wouldn't really mean much to those around her, but to Idarah, it made the day that much better and this situation that much easier.

 

"On second thought Mr. Kyrik, I have a better idea. First, we will meet your boss, then we will take the tour. It appears one of the proprietors is finished with her work and is now up and about. So, please follow me and we will be on our way."

 

The appearance of Ms. Nargal out of her office was welcome news and wasn't something to leave alone, especially when the communication Idarah was sent indicated that Zara was looking for her.

[Vothe Kyrik]

Vothe smiled at Idarah's response to his suggestion. He found it amusing how droids took such pride in the things that they did the best. They were still little more than many thousands of lines of code, but the AI of this age was enough to convince one that they were truly sentient, thinking beings. Idarah seemed to be something more than an ordinary droid, though he couldn't quite place his finger on it. Regardless to how he thought droids really compared to organics, Vothe could enjoy working with an individual like Idarah. The nice thing about programming was that it was reliable.

 

Presently he gave her a gracious nod. "I would be happy to meet her," he said. He imagined that it was going to be Brina Thalin or Zara Nargal that he was going to meet, two of the big names around here. The latter, he had been told--though it wasn't common knowledge--was a Force user who had never really aligned with the Jedi or Sith. Indeed, it would be interesting to meet her. No doubt she would sense the Force in him, tempered and trained in the ways of the light side. Indeed, she might take him to be a Jedi, if he encouraged it. But he would remain passive, and more likely she would recognize a kindred soul--someone not bound by the titles Jedi and Sith, someone who had found his own way.

 

And then the tour. Vothe had accomplished much since his arrival, and he was quite ready to accomplish much more.

[Zara Nargal]

Zara took the elevator to the Force section of the Casino and started to mingle with both staff and clientele alike. She stopped with one of the concierge' and spoke for a time about some of the patrons, also if Mara had had any trouble with anyone... she hadn't.

 

As the Dathomiri glanced around the room she noticed Idarah's shiny head over the other side of the room. Zara headed through the crowd towards her security/general purpose officer... noticing that Idarah was talking to someone as she neared the droid construct. She inclined her head towards the man in acknowledgement, having sensed that he was a Force user before she looked to Idarah, saying hello to her during a break in their conversation.

[Idarah]

((My apologies for the wait.))

 

Idarah's expression brightened considerably when Zara found them. With a small motion the construct motioned to give Zara a big hug and although she had to brush against the man on her way to do so, she didn't push very hard. She made sure to mitigate the pressure so neither her nor the man's body was damaged in any way.

 

"Hello Mrs. Nargal. This is Mr. Kyrik, Vothe Kyrik in fact." Idarah said to Zara, then she turned to Vothe and did a similar introduction of Zara. "He is interviewing to be our new security chief, because of the recent gap. His credentials checked out and I have done what I can to ensure his employment. Still, it is kind of his introductory day and I was wondering if you wanted to help? If not, it is completely understandable and I will do my best to give him a tour of the Casino, but you are more than welcome to participate."

 

Idara's spritely voice slipped back into a lowered, more mature voice in the presence of Zara and the mention of the gap in security chiefs tweaked her a little bit, because she could still remember Idejjen for the small amount she knew of him. His absence and memories of him still made this situation a little more emotional to Idarah than she let on. They needed a new head of security though and that much wasn't going to change unless she could move on, which she was actively trying to do.

[Vothe Kyrik]

It was indeed Zara Nargal about which Idarah had spoken. Even now Vothe was being introduced to the well-known businesswoman, and her scent was strong in the Force, confirming what Vothe had heard about her. And indeed, he found in her a like mind, a gray Jedi, someone not bound to either the Jedi or Sith Orders. He wondered briefly if she carried a lightsaber within her own station, or if even she bound herself to the security rules. Which actually raised another point--he presumed that, as a security member, he, too, would be allowed to carry his few weapons on the premise. He didn't expect he would need to use them unless someone got it in their head to attack this place for credits again, but for someone of his line of work, it was a comfort to know that he could fully defend himself as needed.

 

Presently he gave a slight bow to Zara. "It's my pleasure to meet such a distinguished businesswoman," he said. He personally didn't care if she came along for the tour or not. It would just be another variable in the matter, perhaps affecting the way he carried himself. It would probably make the event a little more formal, which he could handle as necessary.

[Zalis Krales]

Zalis sat around at the bar for a short while, making small mental notes of those that were consistently placing bets on the podrace and losing, just so he could come back to them and take advantage over them and earn a few credits during his stay. But there was some time that he reached out and made his move for contact. He quickly had some staff send word to Idarah that he would like to meet up with her and talk of things outside of the Casino.

[Idarah]

((It would seem that Zara is caught up with a great many things, so she has allowed me to post her actions for her.))

 

Zara's reception was warm and when the offer to accompany them on their tour was made, despite the modesty of the request, it was rejected due to Zara's busy schedule. She did take a copy of the prospective client's documentation though for her own personal perusal and then left Idarah and Vothe on their own, heading toward where her children were to check on them.

 

After Zara left, Idarah perked up and took Vothe by the hand and guided him toward some shuttles. Her metal hands, although hard and metal were warm and adjusted to the temperature of the person they were touching. They also articulated themselves like real hands, with internal metallic joints at each knuckle and several smaller internal metallic joints helping the hand move akin to most humanoids species' hands.

 

"I figured we would start with an external tour and see the outside structure first and then work our way inside."

 

A soft beep emitted over her internal comms as she entered the nearest shuttle to her and as Idarah was filled in with all of the information, she felt conflicted. She couldn't leave Vothe, but she also could leave Zalis hanging.

 

The last time they spoke though Zalis didn't really seem that interested in something he couldn't flirt with though, even though Idarah really did enjoy his attempts. Mainly because it made her feel more human than machine. Still, as soon as the thought popped into her brain, she sent a notification off to another part of the casino and decided to let them handle it. Then she entered the launching sequence into the shuttle's computer and prompted Vothe to get in.

 

____________________________________________

 

((I hope you don't mind me nabbing my NPC back ))

 

A buxom blue haired female with full business attire walked over to the bar where Zalis was resting and perched herself on a nearby bar stool.

 

"You know, we have got to stop meeting like this Zalis," Said the woman with a beautiful alabaster smile accented by her red skin, "people will start to talk."

 

Kaldena smiled warmly to see a friendly face, because it had been a while since she'd seen anyone she knew. To keep her identity a secret, she cut all of her ties to Dordjooba when he retired; Jaerahn went off to his home planet and hung up his rifle for a while and the Doshan brothers wandered the galaxy ever since.

 

So, it was really nice to see at least someone she could talk to from the old days.

 

"I hear you are looking for other work in the casino and I have been asked to consult with you."

[Vothe Kyrik]

Vothe bowed again as Zara departed. He completely understood that she was busy running this station, which was likely a tireless job for a tireless businesswoman. Time for things like tours was not set aside for her, and indeed they were intended for beings exactly like Idarah. Which suited Vothe just fine.

 

He thought it was exceptionally unprofessional when Idarah started to lead him by the hand, but while he slipped his hand away from hers, he didn't protest verbally or make any other outward sign of his displeasure. She was just a droid, and someone had seen fit to put such gestures in her programming, and protesting wouldn't help him at all. He continued to follow her and nodded when they reached the shuttle, boarding as indicated.

 

Sitting down in the copilot's seat, he went through a mental checklist. Things were going well so far, and he knew the next step to take. Under the principles of the possibility that this was still a part of the interview process as far as making a good impression, he prepared questions to ask during the tour. Behind all that, though, as Idarah boarded, he started to explore her interior with the Force, trying to get a feel for her systems and internal layout. She was quite a magnificent droid, and even that brief touch of her hand had revealed sophisticated circuitry. She was... somewhat interesting to him.

 

For the most part, though, he sat quietly and waiting for the tour.

 

((I'd like to get at least one post in during the external tour, so don't do the whole thing at once. ))

[Zalis Krales]

Zalis almost feel over backwards upon turning to see the one woman he had almost given up any real plans of a career with. Kaldena now was right next to him, her beauty the same as when he first met her. With a giant smile, he leaned in closer to her.

 

"My Kaldena, fate is pushing us together. I would say just embrace it, but I think we both already have."

 

Turning his body to fully face her, he smiled wide, or rather, he grinned really wide. His grin was somewhat of his trademark, one that he would embrace to his death. Hopefully death wouldn't come until he was old and ready for it.

 

"My work has expired ever since... Our last meeting. Although I do know a few buyers who would gladly buy up the remainder of the stock, I figured it was time for a change of scenery. But I do have to admit, I am enjoying the... current scenery before me."

 

With that, his grin did turn into a full blown smile. He was good at flirting, and he was sure that most females happened to enjoy it. Kaldena on the other hand, never really tipped her hat one way or the other. For all he knew, she hated that trait of his.

[Idarah]

The next few launch vectors were made simpler due to Vothe's help and when the little shuttle was ready to go, Idarah secured herself in her seat, grabbed a hold of the yoke and the vessel pushed off into space. From the initial point in the tour Idarah would have pointed out the various ships coming and going, indicating that it was a usual thing, but the ships were mostly cargo freighters nowadays.

 

Once Idarah and Vothe made it farther out into space, the droid turned the ship around to look at the entire Casino proper. It had only been a few months since Idarah's own Golden Link tour, but something about the experience of seeing the roulette wheel in space was always mesmerizing to even her droid mind. Idarah couldn't help but pause herself as they crested the huge shiny metal point of the facility and stopped to gaze once more at each shining bauble.

 

Idarah could see each section of the Casino and imagine the blueprint in her mind. There were places she couldn't access obviously and because Vothe was a probationary employee she would have to use some discretion, but she trusted him.

 

When she felt it was okay to do so, Idarah let the ship idle and waved a little toward the structure. "Here is the Link's exterior facility. It was made to fit the shape of a large Roulette wheel and be extraordinarily catchy and appealing to all who would venture near."

 

Idarah took a beat and moved them in a little closer.

 

"There are a series of holo emitters and floating signs on the outside of the facility broadcasting any number of holonet broadcasts, ads or whatever is scheduled at the time. People can pay to be eligible for this time or these signs, but it is usually very expensive."

 

Idarah moved the ship once more and this time rested it within reach, but not too close to a rather large hangar.

 

"There is ample docking space in the Link that can fit up to two capital ships. Measured in all dimensions, there is no ship that is too big for our main docks, which was an intentional design choice. There are droid service and repair services just inside, but you must provide certification of the droid, identification for yourself and you cannot take your droid inside unless it is deactivated and even then the security guards may confiscate it. If you are caught with a foreign droid inside the perimeter of the Link, you will be asked to leave, or your droid will be confiscated." Idarah orated. "I am a special case and am provided with link certification. I have bio-organic parts that allow me to bend the rule a little, but on top of that, I have a Golden Link employment registration number. All of the Golden Link droids have them."

 

Idarah showed the logo of the Link that was inscribed on the underside of her wrist joint and the small barcode that followed. She had a security code that accompanied it of course, but she wasn't going to disclose that information.

 

"Anyway, getting back to the hangars, the Link has more hangars located in the lower part of the facility that are for the cargo ships and freighters. The lower part of the facility is also where the tractor beams are located. Tractor beams that help the Link get rid of excess debris in space and other uses typically attributed to tractor beams. There are other security measures put in as well with docking security; such as: a person to person docking request station, bio/metal/chemical scans of the vessel as it clears the dock and heads to land, and a security authorization code given to the vessel from the docking crew. In order to launch from the hangars, you must have the docking codes provided to you by the docking staff or you will not be able to take off. This is to prevent theft and in some ways, other incident. As to the other security measures, we will get to them when we return to the facility's interior structure, but as of now we have just finished this portion of the outside tour. We will be visiting more exterior areas for while, but at this time I am to ask, Are there any questions?"

 

Idarah's face lit up a little with prolonged excitement. She hoped, from the man's expression or body language that he was having an enjoyable time.

______________________________________________

 

The Zeltron's blush was virtually invisible through her exotic red skin, but she accommodated by putting a hand to her lips in mocked shock and then fanning the air around her mouth. "Oh, flatterer... Its nice to see you too."

 

Kaldena loved to flirt. It was all a game to her. The art of conversation and the emotions that thrived in the heart of the word and, it seemed, that this particular Nautolan loved to push her conversational buttons all the time.

 

Still, even though she was caught up in a fit of nostalgia, she had a job to do, even if it kind of soured the milk.

 

"So, I hate to ruin a perfectly good flirt with business, but I feel if I don't cover this now, we'll never get there." Kaldena said with her mouth poised in a pouty expression. Her eyes followed suit, but there was something playful behind them that she was holding back.

 

With nothing else really to say though, the Zeltron removed a clipboard from her grasp and gave it to the Nautolan. "I was told that you were looking for work, so when I was asked to come down here and find you, I took the liberty of finding a few things for you to do for the Link if you wanted. It isn't as dangerous or glamorous as intergalactic thievery, but its a safe job with plenty of regular salary credits. One of our cargo runners was in an accident a few days back and not only have we lost his shipment, but we don't have anyone to take his place. These are routine cargo runs, so nothing particularly special, but you are more than welcome to take any outside jobs as well, as long as the Link gets your shipment."

 

Kaldena spoke the whole agreement with little difficulty, and after she was finished, she set herself upon a barstool and began to fiddle with her black-blue hair.

[Vothe Kyrik]

Vothe continued to play his role perfectly. He appeared to be interested at each thing that Idarah said, his mannerisms full of energy to indicate that he was not the least bit bored by what she was saying. And indeed, although he was over one hundred years old, he was a very curious being, and chances to learn about what was cutting-edge in the galaxy helped him stay on top of his game. A mission where he was required to act a certain way became easier when the character he assumed shared commonalities with his own true character.

 

Of course, the front he had put on was not quite his true self. He was nowhere near as talkative as the person that he had put on, for one thing, although being personable was critical to selling most deceptions. The second major break from who Idarah now thought he was involved his desire to work for the Link--there actually wasn't any. No, Vothe Kyrik was a Black Sun assassin, and he was willing to go to any lengths to set up the perfect circumstances so that he never had a failed attempt. Thus he donned personalities as easily as he donned clothing, and he was as good at acting as he was killing.

 

And he was exceptional at killing. Having been probing Idarah's systems with the Force since the shuttle ride started, Vothe had a pretty good idea of her internal layout. Finding her power core, he reached out with that same Force and, making a subtle gesture, pulled as many wires as he could all at once. Then, making a much more overt and sharp movement, the Anzat rose in his seat and delivered what looked like a punch to her head. Bearing the full weight of a highly-focused Force push, it was much more than a punch.

 

Hopefully, the attack was so sudden and so unexpected that Idarah would be completely off-guard. Things had proceeded according to Vothe's plan perfectly, and he had Idarah alone, away from prying eyes (onboard monitoring cameras did not maintain a constant feed to the station due to unnecessary costs), trusting her new employee. If it continued to go according to his plan, the Force punch would take her head clean off, and even if that failed, between her lack of combat functionality and broken power lines, she would be helpless against him.

 

And the station would be none the wiser. Even if they noticed Idarah went out of commission, he could bluff his way out of it.

 

<>

 

((I cite my previous post as setup. Also, Idarah's character sheet specifically notes that a strong blow to the head should incapacitate her. Finally, it's nothing personal, Alex. Just a contract executed in true Vothe style. ))

[Idarah]

As soon as her wires were cut, the absence of her constant communication to the Link's database sent the Link's security system into a frenzy. It wasn't extraordinarily quick, but as soon as the signal was lost the actions were put into motion. She didn't have a back up unit, but a missive was sent electronically to Ida on Coruscant in the case that the technology might be repaired.

 

A small electronic message was sent to Zara as well, in the chance that she would want to hear it and just in case she didn't hear the security alert.

 

Security personnel would be mobilizing to the hangars and any Link owned shuttle, including the one that Vothe and Idarah were in, would shut down and be towed in with the facilitiy's tractor beams. ((That I did mention in my previous post and were mentioned in the first thread of this forum. Idarah's connection to the mainframe is also well known as I have said it multiple times; both when she was and wasn't wired into it.))

 

Meanwhile, on the shuttle, when Idarah felt her insides give way, the organic parts of her brain triggered her small range EMP, disabling everything in the shuttle including life support.

 

Then the droid slammed to the console and would need repairs to regain consciousness. In the meantime, the tractor beam had already locked on to the shuttle and due to its inanimate state, it wasn't going anywhere else.

 

<>

 

<>

[Vothe Kyrik]

The attack went as planned, and his contract was complete, Vothe noted. However, the extreme measures that followed admittedly were far greater than he'd anticipated, as the moment Idarah shut down, the entire ship was disabled and grabbed by the Golden Link's tractor beam. It was a ridiculous amount of overkill in his eyes, but he was far from being dead. No, it was clear that there would be safety systems in place to make sure that the company didn't kill everyone onboard one of their shuttles every time one of their droids misfunctioned or, say, someone turned on a comm jammer.

 

However, with his commlink fried along with the rest of the electronics, he didn't really have much he could do at present. He would wait for the tractor beam to pull him in, then figure out what to do from there.

 

For now, he reached into Idarah's chassis and, after making certain that she was entirely dismantled, started to dig around a little bit. Being over 100 years old, he knew a thing or two about droids from his extensive studies. She was extremely sophisticated, but the fact that he had been probing her for some time helped him find what he needed. First, he found an ID chip, which would be useful as proof of his accomplishment when he returned to Smash Daisaku. Second, he dug out Idarah's internal comm with its battery backup. It was in perfect shape, as Idarah protected her interior from her own EMP blast. It would take a few minutes of wiring and some other technical skills to interface it with his own commlink so he could actually dial a number, but he wanted to have a backup plan.

 

Even without life support, the ship had enough residual warmth and air to keep him going for a few hours, especially by himself. But he doubted that the Link would take that long to pull him in.

 

<>

 

((However, I do not submit to being taken all the way to some sort of holding cell in one post. Looks like no mod ruling is required.))

[Zalis Krales]

Zalis smiled warmly upon hearing the news that Kaldena was once again going to offer him a job. He couldn't help but take notice that this would indeed be the second time she was directly involved in providing him with work. A bit more surprised that she would find her way into work before he did after the two parted ways on Outer Heaven. Carefully reading over the clipboard that was handed to him. It seemed to be worth the price of his traveling again, but it also removed some elements of the danger that he loved to run into. Looking back up at her, he offered her a smile.

 

"It seems that you have once again convinced me to work."

[Vothe Kyrik]

((Three days later.))

 

The Link was as efficient as Vothe had suspected regarding pulling in the shuttle. Although it was completely disabled, there was plenty of warmth and breathable air to sustain the Anzat until the shuttle was safely on board. He wasn't certain what imperssion the employees were under given the drastic measures they had taken to ensure that a potential droid-killer about the shuttle couldn't escape, so he was prepared for whatever eventuality.

 

What he found when they finally managed to get the powerless door open was a few concerned-looking employees with a small escort of armed guards. Meanwhile, Vothe pulled off a perfectly-executed look of bewilderment.

 

"What happened?" one of the Link employees asked upon seeing him.

 

"Idarah malfunctioned, and then everything shut off," he explained. "Efficient system, I must say, though a bit inconvenient."

 

One of the guards stepped into the darkened shuttle with a light and took a look around. When he saw Idarah's dismembered body, he turned quickly to Vothe, his hand on the butt of his blaster rifle. "This doesn't look like a malfunction," he said in an accusatory manner.

 

Vothe casually reached out in the Force, brushing the mind of the guard and the rest of the employees gathered around. It was an ability that he'd had even before he'd been trained in the Force, an ability that was natural to Anzati. Only with training had he come to identify it as a mind trick. "I didn't do this to her. There must be another explanation."

 

The guard looked back at the droid. "You're not even armed. You couldn't have done this. She must have just malfunctioned."

 

"I'll forgive the inconvenience and be on my way."

 

"See you around, then," the guard said.

 

Vothe smiled gracefully and slipped through the small gathering. He didn't bother going back into the station proper, but headed immediately for his own ship, which had his weapons and such onboard. He had successfully pulled of an assassination without them, even in what was considered to be one of the most secure stations in the galaxy. He had proven again the effectiveness of hiding in plain sight, using legitimate authorization to get himself places that not even the most skilled could reach through intrusion techniques.

 

And... it had been easy. There had never been a moment of doubt that he would succeed. He slipped aboard his own vessel, had no problem getting clearance to leave, and then did so. Soon, he was entering hyperspace, headed back to Black Sun space after a few precautionary jumps.

[Idarah]

((My apologies for the wait, and since you didn't bother wiping Idarah's memory, I figured I would take advantage of that.))

 

Idarah slipped back into production after her connections were re-established and her external and internal structures were repaired. There were a series of upgrades installed that helped to smooth the process and all in all Idarah seemed roughly the same when she came out of the proverbial operating room. The odd part though, was that when anyone was questioned about her "death," no one could really gather together a coherent answer. This puzzled Ida when she came to work on the cyborg and even more as she saw the amount of damage. However, after a day or two of work, Ida managed to locate and download the mechanical part of Idarah's memory storage which held a slightly corrupted data file.

 

The file showed the front of the shuttle, that Idarah used to taxi the potential employee around, as it neared the station. Then, as the film rolled on and the shuttle drew ever closer to the station, the droid looked over at the passenger and a sharp hit was delivered to her chassis which cut the recording short.

 

After a few days of investigation, the man responsible was determined, but he had already left the station and found outside transportation. Seeing this as a potential hazard, any and all men or women linked in any way to liable and functioning criminal organizations would no longer be allowed to register as employees aboard the Link Space station. This was of course not an immediate policy and would require Zara or Brina's approval before it was passed, but Idarah drew up the paperwork herself and routed a copy to Zara and Brina for processing. Considering the affiliation of the culprit and his underhanded tactics, this would be a very good move to keep the station safe.

 

___________________________________________

((I hope you don't mind me writing your actions a little bit Zal. Just a few small little things. ))

 

Kaldena smiled, revealing her sparkling pearly whites and beamed at the Nautolan. Her hand almost dropped the electronic pen before giving it to the Nautolan for his signature, but she maintained her grip enough to keep the transaction successful.

 

However, as Zalis grabbed the data-pad from her open hands, she leaned in carefully and grasped softly at the back of the Nautolan's neck. She slipped her soft crimson skinned hands through his head tentacles and brought him in a little closer, until her fiery golden eyes were directly in front of his large black ones. Then, with no provocation, but plenty of optical hints, she drew him the rest of the way and carefully pushed her lips into his, drawing on all of her pheromones at once.

 

After a few moments of intimate "discussion," Kaldena drew her head from Zalis' and winked her big black eyelashes at him as if to say, "thank you."

 

Several male onlookers stopped for a moment out of envy, some of them drooled and even others were drawn to move in her direction due to the overwhelming amount of pheromones that were released. This was of course until a series of seemingly miscellaneous female figures, grabbed their respective men by the collars and dragged them away from Kaldena's nexus of attraction.

[Zalis Krales]

The kiss, while not expected, was gladly welcomed by Zalis. In some regards, he would have believed it to be the very kiss of death, as the last smuggler friend he knew that accepted a kiss from an employer ended up dead. But if such a kiss would be regarded as a gamble, it's one that Zalis would gladly take on. Now that the two had parted, and the every so beautiful Kaldena walked away from his sight, he looked back down at the datapad in his hand. He now had work to do, and so he got up from his seat in the cantina and walked back towards his ship, Nimbus to prepare it for it's first run operating under the Link's banner.

 

((Short, but giving room for others to post before I'm on the move again.))

[Idarah]

Years passed and the Link fell into disuse. Idarah's servos began to wear out and soon the Link's bright and perky cyborg secretary fell into disrepair. Ida, her creator, was called back to check on her, but the amount of work required to rebuild her was going to be too much. Zara Nargal, the establishment's leading proprietor, was going about her daily business as if on a monorail and some say that they could still find her children running about the Link from time to time as if their existence was held perpetually within time. Brina, Zara's business partner, had not returned to the Link for a while and it was a wonder where she went in the first place. The lack of attendance only pushed more nails into the Link's coffin and the space station lingered silently in space over Coruscant.

 

Ida muttered to herself with a melancholy lean and she couldn't help but sigh ruefully at the pitiful sight of her cyborg strewn out before her. She only had a few years of life. About half the life that Idejjen had before he died and he didn't have any real machine parts.

 

The scientist held Idarah's head in her arms, examining the brain degradation over time and it was clear that, even if she could repair her, the organic part of her brain would have eventually deteriorated and died. It is so sad, she thought. If only I found a way to... That's it.

 

Ida couldn't reach her comm link fast enough. She immediately started sending out signals to all of her friends and brought them to the Link as soon as they had time.

 

Days, weeks, and even months passed before they all gathered and by then, most of the scientists were a getting a little antsy. Not all of them were scientists though. Some were engineers, architects, astronautics and mechanical experts. They were some of the top minds in their fields and Ida had gathered them all into a large conference room with Ida's cyborg body lying across the table.

 

"I have an idea," she said aloud, facing all of them with a look of sheer excitement glittering in her eyes. "I have an idea to bring the Golden Link into the future. I have been given permission by the proprietor to do what I can to generate more attendance." Ida did have a small discussion with the proprietor, in which Zara said that she seemed okay with any changes done, as long as each change didn't destroy the foundation of what the Link was and stood for. "I have a plan that will reinvigorate the technological side of the Link and as a result, have an idea that will generate more buzz."

 

Ida unfurled a large amount of paper and pushed it to the table with a large grin spreading from one ear to another. She leveled each edge with something heavy on either side and stepped back, her arms outstretched.

 

Her friends looked at the paper with a series of varying looks. A few of them seemed as excited as she was, but a few of them seemed skeptical. They doubted that this work was paid and all of them admitted that that was one of the bigger problems, but when Ida re-phrased her proposal again and again, they all eventually agreed.

 

Any guests that tried to get in after that meeting would be turned away. There was a large electrical sign that said, "Link under construction, please do not disturb."

 

______________________________________________________________________________________________

 

After two years, the curtains and white cloth that blocked off the massive windows and furniture were ripped back to show the outside of the Link looking much the same as it did. The inside was similar too, but a lot of the metals were polished and all of the software was updated. The computers were brought up to beyond the galactic standard and a large supercomputer was erected in the core of the entire station. Idarah, the once loving and caring cyborg care taker had been assimilated into the station's systems and was now the new A.I. She had taps into galactic mainframes all throughout the system and was essentially the Link itself. Her feelings were more programs now and although scientists of the day still couldn't intricately understand the human brain, they did well in their imitation of her personality and mannerisms. Her voice was now integrated into every digitally enhanced game and P.A system in the entire station. (The randomized hyperspace jump system is now integrated into her programming and she can activate it whenever a threat to the link presents itself.)

 

A series of combat droids were constructed to take commands from either Zara, Brina or directly from Idarah and they would replace the normal flesh and bone security teams. They would no longer have to branch out for help with their security teams if they didn't have to. However, new concession opportunities were open and flesh and bone employees were still required. The swoop tracks, gaming tables, and almost every other piece of the Link had been updated or renovated in some small way.

 

Everything gleamed with a newness that showed everyone inside, that the Link would be around for a very long time.

 

_____

 

A hologram of Idarah, still serves in her role as secretary and offers daily tours around the facility.

 

There are new rules about criminal's ability to register as an employee and any employee that was a former criminal that had already been checked out, is free to stay. New droids still need to be registered and other than that, anyone and everyone is welcome as long as they surrender their conflict at the door and are ready to have a fun and exciting ride in the world of the Golden Link.

 

On the anniversary of Idejjen's death, a ceremony is being held to commemorate the opening of the new Link.

 

Any and all are welcome to attend and stay to enjoy the hospitality.

 

_______________________________

 

Kaldena whistled quietly to herself, enjoying the comfort of her new black dress with the glittering gold letters, 'G' and 'L' on it. It wasn't as slinky as she would have liked, but she didn't really feel like griping about it either. After the changes, there didn't seem to be much room for debate and unless Zara expressed any truly detestable objections, nothing was really changed.

Edited November 6, 2016 by Guest

[Zalis Krales]

Under strict and quiet orders, two Black Sun agents showed up with a large sum of credits worth the Golden Link Casino three times over and offered to buy out the owner no questions asked. The paper work was brought up to have offered up the owner three times the amount of the costs, fifteen precent of the public income to continually be given, and conditions to have overturned over within a week of settlement, along with the perilous owner vacating the premise within the week as well. No name was given as to whom the property would be sold to, other then the letter K.

[Brina Thalin]

((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."

[Zalis Krales]

The two agents listened to the holo transmission of Brina Thalin as she expressed some concern over the deal. After she had paused, clearly leaving them room to respond, the more well dressed agent stepped forward to speak.

 

"You are in a position to question things. Quiet frankly, I was hesitant to even come here myself, as I have never even heard of this K person before. My orders always came from Smash. But my orders were to buy the Casino from you, and such information was not given to me on what the actual plans are for this facility. And yes, our activity has been quiet as of late. But over the last month, small batches of new orders have been handed out. I can promise you some things though. The credits are good, the same ones we would have given you under Smash. As far as guarantees, we were left with a direct commlink to HQ. I'm assuming that K can answer your question far better then the two of us. I have never met this K before, but from the sounds of it, they may have taken over all operations for Black Sun."

 

It was sadly the most he could offer up to her.

[Brina Thalin]

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.