In a Darkened Corner

[Sorsha Kasajian]

:: Sorsha sat waiting for Molly to arrive ::

[Molly Black]

Molly Black, waitress without compare, inforchant extraordinaire - was damned happy to be off the clock for the night. Things at the Cloud 9 had picked up considerably in recent days and nights.. Her feet hurt like nobody's business and as she slid into the booth opposite Sorsha, she kicked her heels off and wiggled her toes beneath the table.

She had brought along two glasses, one was her own fizzy drink topped with a cherry and the other was a match, for the boss lady.

"Hello there.. brought you a little something sweet.", she slid the glass over and leaned back into the comfy padded seat.

[Sorsha Kasajian]

"Thank you."

:: Sorsha sipped the drink and smiled ::

"So tell me, how has business been?"

[Molly Black]

Molly could answer that in all honesty, without hurting her relationships with either Mu or Sorsha.

"We've been through a slow spell lately, but things have been picking up. At the moment, there is nothing on the horizon that you are not already aware of I'm certain.."

Walking on the daggers edge was getting increasingly hard to do, slipping in either direction would be disatrous for Molly. She had already made her assurances to Mu that the more elite of their clients, those with access to 'the back', would retain their privacy, but.. She was also in the employ of Sorsha and that was her whole reason for taking the job at the Cloud 9, to be Sorsha's Bespin ears..

So any bit of news Molly did happen to come across, she kept in the back of her mind, and made sure to loop the same info to other sources, namely the Casino levels where she had her own little sets of ears..

"So are we having business or pleasure?"

[Sorsha Kasajian]

:: Sorsha had the unsettling ability to sense apprehension. She learned at an early age to never take anything, or anyone, for granted. In this business, everyone was a predator ::

"Really?"

:: She sipped her drink pleasantly as she held Molly in a cobra's gaze ::

[Molly Black]

She felt any longer under those eyes and she'd be turned to stone for sure. Cloud City tourists woudl stop by the Cloud 9 to have their picture taken sitting with the stone idol of the first waitress, who'd gone missing...

Molly gulped, but it was the truth. She didn't know anything worthy of note to pass on at the moment.

"Same in's, same outs.. nothing new." Clearly this was a buisness meeting, not a personal call. She should have known, Kasajian always took a vested interest in her own affairs.

[Sorsha Kasajian]

:: Sorsha canted her head to one side and let a smile play on her lips again ::

"I have a big suprise for you. Would you like to see it?"

[Molly Black]

A look of shock crossed her features, but was quickly masked. A surprise? That could either be very good, or very bad..

"I'd love to.." Molly quickly patted her lips with a linen napkin and slid her drink out of the way, all her attention on the boss lady. She had no idea what to expect.

[Sorsha Kasajian]

:: Sorsha took one last sip of her drink before rising from the table ::

"Follow me, if you please."

:: She made her way out of the bar ::

[Molly Black]

Intrigued, Molly did as she was asked, sliding her feet back into her uncomfortable heels and following Sorsha out of the Cloud 9...

[Sorsha Kasajian]

:: Sorsha led the way to her personal starship. The Xiombarg was an Ubrikkian Minstrel-class Star Yacht. Once on board, they were free to talk more openly ::

[Molly Black]

This was not the ship that Molly and Hadrian had first arrived at Cloud City on. Oh no, they had been in hiding then, transported like stolen good by a couple of disreputable looking Falleen. This ship was larger than most of the other docked personal transports, typical of the owner herself..

Molly followed, slightly wide eyed with interest..

[Kallum Romanoch]

Kallum lied with half of his body submerged beneath an upturned section of floor. Sorsha had taught him a thing or two about system maintenance on their way to Bespin and he promised to stick strictly to her instructions. A few short circuits and some narrowly averted chemical fires later; his fingers were burnt and thick with oil, his face charred black and his eyebrows were singed. So much for promises. Someone kicked him in the shin.

"Ow! Bloody 'ell!" he hissed, scrambling up from the floor. He wielded the hydrospanner with menace.

"'ow about yeh take de rest o' me bleedin' leg wit' yeh?"

When he laid eyes on the woman who'd nearly tripped over him, he was dumbstruck and fell silent with embarrassment.

[Molly Black]

Molly quite nearly went down in a heap. she was saved only by the fact that she fell forward, into Sorsha and managed to grab her esteemed boss around the hips to keep from landing on her face. She immediately straightened, as soon as she realized she was basically groping a crime-lord, or lady as it were..

Cheeks red with embarassment, she was about to scold the ears off whoever was laying around on the floor, bbut stoppped short at the gutter talk that spilled out of the...

'Scamp' ..was the only word that came to mind..

"I'm guessing you are not my big surprise, then...?"

[Sorsha Kasajian]

:: Sorsha gave a yelp of surprise, then spied the cause of the trouble. She grabbed it by the ear ::

"Kallum."

[Kallum Romanoch]

"Alright boss," he said, his face scrunched with discomfort.

His head tilted as she pulled at his ear but he still tried to maintain his composure. He smiled.

"Done a crackin' job on dose power couplins, if yeh wanna check 'em out?"

[Molly Black]

Molly didn't think that Sorsha had any children, but this boy was apparently in her care in some capacity as he'd called her boss. To think that they were coworkers, rather stunned Molly speechless. She didn't know what to say..

"Charmed, Mister Kallum.. I'm Molly."

She spied his grubby little hands, but knew better than to offend the kid, holding out her own hand in greeting. She was washable, if nothing else..

[Sorsha Kasajian]

:: Sorsha leaned down with a smile ::

"Kallum dear, what in hezmana have you done?"

[Kallum Romanoch]

"Molly?" he repeated, puzzled, "Dat's a real name?"

He shook her hand and felt Sorsha's sweet warm breath against his face. Enchanted, he directed her towards the open maintenance port he'd been working on, she held fast to his ear and it was difficult to illustrate his work.

"As yeh can see, I did every'in' yeh asked o' me... an' de hyperdrive modulator."

[Molly Black]

Molly just blinked. "Well.. actually it's Molina, but no one calls me that anymore."

Since the other two were taking a keen interest in peering into the little hatch in the floor, Molly leaned over too, absently wiping some grease on her skirt.