Novgorod: A Comedy of Errors

[Meiers Brecklin]

"If you've got a better idea, I'm ready to hear it."

Brecklin knew the rather played approach that High Command had envisioned was somewhat stereotypical, but in this he was only the messenger. Of course, if Dan had other thoughts and recommendations, then it was entirely possible that an alternative would be allowable.

"I realize the situation this puts Loklorien in, and I understand her refusal, but you know as well as I that if we're to gain any headway and support for the Cause, we need to take it."

[General Dan]

Dan knew the best way to deal with the Hutts was to bargain with them. The trouble was, with the Rebellion barely able to hold itself together, they didn't really have anything worth bargaining.

"I've heard the uncomfortable part. It might help to know how that fits in with a larger plan. Yeah, you can get us in a palace in a barely-believable cover story, but where do we go from there?"

[Meiers Brecklin]

Now things became a bit touchier, and as Loklorien had resoundingly put her foot down before he'd even gotten to the actual mission, now was the first time he was able to elaborate.

"Well," Brecklin closed his eyes, leaned forward to rest his elbows on his desk, and steepled his pointer fingers. Extending fingertips met at the spot between his eyebrow, and without looking up, he explained further in a voice that lost volume just in case Loklorien was listening.

"You're going to have to 'sell' her to the Hutt. After that, she'll be able to get close enough to what's happening in there and provide entry for more of our men."

[General Dan]

Dan's face met his palm in an exasperated show of emotion.

"I had a feeling you were gonna say that. I get the feeling she does too."

Setting aside his own frustrations, he continued.

"What kind of backup are we able to expect?"

[Meiers Brecklin]

"Once the deal is made, myself and the Etrigan will be en-route to meet you."

The General cast apologetic eyes to his fellow Rebel Commander.

"I'm truly sorry about the circumstances, but this is our best chance to interrupt a significant supply line of Wookiees that the Empire depends on. If we can begin garnering their favor, their presence in the Rebellion will be invaluable."

[General Dan]

With a long sigh, Dan nodded.

"If it's framed in that respect, maybe. But I don't know if you're prepared to be in debt to her as much as you're about to be."

He shook his head.

[Meiers Brecklin]

"I'd rather not think on that," was the resigned sigh. Brecklin knew the less than dignified position Loklorien was facing, but there was little he could do.

"Your orders should be arriving soon in an encrypted comm packet... "

There was an uncomfortable pause, and the General - glad for once that he was no in the same room as the Jedi - pursed his lips and nodded.

"... General, thank you."

[General Dan]

Dan shrugged, a slightly cynical tone to his voice as he replied.

"I wouldn't exactly thank us, General. We both have long memories and a memory this messy will take a bit of scrubbing to get out."

He glanced over his shoulder at the little stormcloud that waited for him.

"But...I'll get it done. Dan out."

With that, he killed the comm.

[s'Il]

She stared at him as he talked with Brecklin, willing herself to bore a hole through the comm screen. It was disappointing that her efforts produced nothing fruitful, and when Dan shut the link off, she shifted her one-eyed blue glare to him.

She'd not heard all that'd transpired between the two, and grumpily, the Lupine didn't care to know. Instead, she stared angrily; still propped up on the kitchenette countertop, eyes peaking out from over the top of her folded forearms.

"I'm not doing it," she grumbled.

[General Dan]

Being as diplomatic as possible, Dan tried to get her to see the other side of the coin.

"The Wookiees the Empire's using are treated like disposable slave labor. They're either working them to death, or until they can sell the emaciated ones to pelters, Lok."

He spread his hands wide with an implorative look.

"I wouldn't even go near this if it wasn't life or death on the highest level. As bad as any of us have had it since the Empire's put it's boot down, the Wookiees have had it worse."

[s'Il]

She knew he was right, but her dignity still demanded... something.

"It's demeaning, to do what they want."

Her brow furrowed, and she relented in the whining way that was - despite her eccentricities due to species - decidedly female.

"Do I really have to do it?"

[General Dan]

"Have I ever forced you into anything?"

He laid hands on her shoulders in an act of empathy.

"The orders are mine. Not yours. I'll understand if you don't."

[s'Il]

She would do it, and he knew that she would. Still, she sighed rather heavily, rising from her slouched perch. Her hands went to rest over his, and the Lupine leaned against him.

"You know I'll do it," she murmured, eyes closing as she leaned her head against his chest.

[General Dan]

And he did, that much was certain.

But he dare not say that.

"I'm sure when it's all said and done, we'll both need more than a few drinks to get it out of our system. I'll make sure to stay on top of that."

He stooped down a bit, and kissed her cheek.

[Luscious]

Baroonda

Luscious pouted. He would have thrown a mild tantrum if he thought it would've helped things, but alas. It would do no good, and so he lounged along the length of his sofa, enjoying what he could of the warm Baroonda afternoon.

Beyond the balcony's railing, tropical jungles stretched out as far as the eye could see; a tantalizing landscape of colored foliage, with the scents and sounds of paradise.

"I wish you would reconsider," he mumbled boyfully to his employer while reaching over to pluck up a jama melonfruit cocktail.

"I mean, you have enough palace slaves as it is."

[Okar the Fabulous]

"And none of them steal my eye quite the way that you do."

Okar sipped at at a namana-tini, placing it on a tray held by a well-oiled manservant, and retrieved a pair of scissors, which he then maneuvered toward the waiting model in front of him. Her garment, still in a metamorphosis state, awaited his judicious snipping to trim away excess. He paused, holding up a wand with a pair of eyeglass lenses at the end, designed to give him a much closer look. A quick decisive snip, and a ribbon of red silk floated toward the floor, intercepted before reaching bottom by another well-coiffed slave.

Even with Luscious out of direct eyesight, Okar could practically smell the plaything sulking. He rolled his eyes and gave a big huff.

"Honestly, you'd think I didn't make you the envy of my entire retinue. Besides, it's just a dancer"

He gestured in the air with one hand flippantly at the term, as if it was less than nothing.

"A change in season, a change in scenery, don't you think?"

[Luscious]

Another little downturn of his lips, and Luscious wormed himself over to stretch out along his stomach, exposing the naked skin of his back to the sky. He wore a light blue linen around his lower half, tied into an artful knot at his waist, and for a few moments he toyed with the delicately embroidered gold swirl patterns. Okar had given it to him on their last anniversary, and the blonde loved to wear it every chance he could.

"I suppose," he droned, watching as the Hutt went about his snipping.

"But, is it a woman dancer? Or a man dancer."

[Okar the Fabulous]

"Siarta, be a dear and turn around."

The model complied, having her back face the Hutt. Okar wet his lips with a broad swipe of his thick tongue, leaning forward slightly to take a measurement. With tape in hand, he addressed his majordomo.

"I didn't ask, and the seller didn't say. Honestly I'm open to either. I've got about as many hens as I do roosters, wouldn't you say?"

The measurement on the tape told Okar something he didn't at all care to see, and he harrumphed, pulling the tape away from the model's hips with a bit of force.

"A thousand insults to a thousand more, you're a quarter inch wider since last measure, Siarta."

With exasperation, Okar tossed the measuring tape in the air, and began to fan himself with a stubby hand.

"Is your ass becoming self aware? Other than growing a second head down there, I have no other explanation for your derriere's crimes! Go away!"

Near panic, the Hutt reached for his drink again, and drained it in one go. As the model scampered off, he shook a fist at her.

"Don't you even look at me until you're a size one! Ithorian silk doesn't buy itself!"

[Luscious]

With a wave of his hand, Luscious ordered that another namana-tini be brought for Okar, and propping himself up on his elbows, the majordomo gave a sniff, watching Siarta scurry off.

"Don't be so hard on her," he mumbled into his own drink.

"She's never been dedicated enough to your visions."

With a lithe motion, Luscious swung himself around, his legs coming over the edge of his sofa as bare feet touched the immaculate stone flooring. He pushed upward to stand, stepping over to retrieve the measuring tape from where it'd fallen, and knowing the best way to soothe the Hutt's sensibilities was to press on with matters ahead, he changed the subject back to its' original topic.

"When is your new prize to arrive then?"

[Okar the Fabulous]

Okar's talents weren't in details like that. What visionary's were? He glanced to a nearby protocol droid.

"The humanoid services associate will arrive within the quarter hour."

That was a polite way of saying slaver. It kept a veneer of civility in a world that was otherwise populated by knuckle-scraping barbarians, including some of his own kin. Okar liked to think that he held evolved sensibilities.

"Sooner than I imagined. Well, I suppose this bit of work will have to wait."

He set aside the scissors entirely, gesturing for a retinue of attendees to make sure he was suitably oiled and perfumed.

"We can make it a quick half hour, wrap it up, and be on the beach in another half. We do have that holo-shoot today, don't we?"