Clothes of Sheep, Good and evil unwittingly meet attn;Shay

[Ziyado Idani]

Rumors. Rumors were fascinating things. The way they so often started with a truth, perceived accurately or otherwise, and blossomed out from there to any possible degree of transformation was mind-boggling. How exactly stories managed to twist and morph to such vast degrees without deliberate falsehoods being added was a matter of some wonder to the Miraluka. He was not one to put a great deal of stock in things he heard through the rumor mill, but nor did he ignore them outright. Often there was valuable information to be had if one was canny enough to sort through the layers of exaggeration and miscommunication.

These particular whispers were of interest to the Cult of Sadow as a whole however, not merely this particular member, and so it was not under his own impetus that he now found himself on Telos IV. It was a pleasant sort of place, veritably brimming with life, and by no means was Hush unhappy with his presence there, or the assignment that had dictated it.

Nia'ana—dear, sweet, slightly overbearing Nia'ana—had brought the situation to his attention, informing him that apparently several bounties had been posted on the heads of either specific members of the Cult or merely in general on dark Force users. Or so said the rumors. Presumably because he was one of the most subtle and potentially innocuous assets at her disposal, the Twi'lek triumvir had asked—well, commanded—him to look into the matter and ascertain the veracity of the gossip. Of course, showing the typical level of tact he'd come to expect of marauders, she also ordered him to kill everyone involved. His efficiency at such tasks was also likely a reason he had been chosen.

One issue he saw rather quickly with his investigations was how to go about them without making it readily apparent that he was a potential bounty. Disguises and cover identities had never really been a part of his repertoire of subterfuge, but there was an idea he'd been toying with and this seemed a prime opportunity to put it into effect. Firstly there were a number of items he'd need to acquire...

While originally he'd meant to simply find the cheapest bit of reasonable looking armor he could so as not to waste credits on accoutrements he'd rarely wear, he became somewhat enamored with a set of Baragwin shadow armor the Cult's black market contact happened to have. While the appearance of the armor was irrelevant, knowing that he would soon be scouting out a location or two where his presence absolutely had to remain undetected, the doubling up on his stealth prowess might not be a bad idea. Wouldn't do to let the little fishies know their property would soon go missing.

Of course it was possible that he went a little overboard, adding a Baragwin stealth unit and a shadowsuit to his order before he finally turned away from attire to see about purchasing some weaponry that a bounty hunter might wield. The sith swords obviously had to be left behind, but he had two other finely crafted if not nearly so splendid blades. Most (if not all) bounty hunters at least gave themselves the option of ranged attacks however, and if he was going to be masquerading as one who hunted Force sensitives, conventional blasters would seem like a foolish choice. Though they had nearly bankrupted him on top of all his other purchases, a Verpine shatter gun now hung at each hip.

Fully arrayed in his new aesthetic, Hush ironically looked far more menacing than he did in his typical mismatched outfits. The matte black shadowsuit covered his entire body with formfitting fabric, excepting his head as he'd pulled the hood back. Above that lay the muted gray plates of his new armor, the materials and circuitry hidden within and connected to the stealth unit on his belt providing him with the ability to become very nearly invisible without expending the great focus and energy needed to do so with the Force. Of course it wouldn't be quite as effective, but still with access to both powers, his odds of getting in, taking care of business, and getting out unseen were quite good.

With the pistols taking up space on his hips, the twin swords were placed much as his sith blades would have been, crossed over his shoulder blades to protrude a bit over each shoulder. He'd also had the presence of mind to tie a black—or at least he'd been assured it was black—strip of cloth around his head to cover his eye sockets. It felt odd, having been quite a while since he'd thus covered himself. The vast majority of his species did however—possibly every member but him—so it seemed a wise precaution if he were pretending to be aught than he was.

Now, sometime after crafting his (quasi)faux identity as Ziyado Idani, bounty hunter of Force sensitives, Hush walked casually down a main avenue just outside the starport. Since he'd arrived in the Telos system he'd been dampening his Force signature. Not making it completely undetectable, he merely made it shine perhaps only slightly brighter than the typical member of his species. He'd asked around after landing, not having to feign interest in the bounties, but the only solid information he'd managed to secure was that he needed to speak with a Brin Trell. While he'd been assured she was around there somewhere, no one seemed to be able (or perhaps willing) to say exactly where. Ah well, he'd find his target eventually. He always did.

[Shay Marin]

Shay hadn't found reason to be Brin Trell in quite a while. She still used the name often, but flashing false credentials didn't play the same as wearing one of her personas. Not that her absence from the acting game posed any problems in reassuming the role; living another person's life came easy as instinct to her by now. Like riding a speederbike. There came a certain level of personal comfort in reassuming Brin's identity. The Telosian 'independent contractor' had become one of the Jedi Masters favorite skins.

Even more time had passed since the Sentinel last passed through Brin Trell's home port of record. As the free trader's supposed birthplace, it made a portion of poetic sense as the stage for her 'return'. Under any circumstances, Telos IV was a pleasant place to visit. Didn't hurt that the planet teemed with business opportunities in these troubled times. A neutral port of call provided merchants from both side of the fence a chance to squeeze credits out of eachother without official scrutiny. Or at least any they know about.

A pity Master Marin couldn't stop by on a pure pleasure visit, really. But the Jedi couldn't ignore her duties--and 'Brin' couldn't afford to slack off on finding work. Running jobs for the Alliance kept her flying, sure, but it wasn't exactly a career anyone would call profitable.

The want of said profits had the tall blonde planting a hand on one leather-clad hip, striking a casual-approaching-cocky stance. Amber eyes narrowed in open irritation at the Twi'lek fidgeting a few meters away. Well outside of slugging range, I notice. "Just what kinda charity gig do you think I'm running here, Threk?"

The yellow-skinned humanoid raised his digits in a placating gesture. "Cool your jets there, Trell. I'm only doing my job, same as you." His voice worked towards the soothing but edged towards smarm instead. The tip of one lekku twitched, betraying the merchant's otherwise well-hidden nervousness.

The man had reason to be nervous--and not just because of the sleek-furred vornskr poised at the free trader's side, glaring at the subject of her master's ire. 'Brin' didn't tend towards gratuitous violence, no, but she didn't tolerate being cheated or betrayed either. Her end of the bargain involved not asking too many questions about her cargos, and she upheld it well. All her clients had to do to stay on her good side was pay her what they owed. Threk'nar didn't get that, or at least the cartel boss who pulled his strings didn't.

"Don't throw me that line," she sneered back. "We had a deal, all nice and pretty and done up with a bow even. Contract says twenty large. You're not giving me a decicredit less."

"Yes, well, you see--"

"Shove it."

If Twi'leks had body hair, it would be bristling right now. "Now see here! I won't be talked to like that. You know who I work for," he said, his tone trailing off in a not-so-subtle threat.

'Brin' wasn't in the least bit impressed by his theatrics, and it showed. "I do. Which makes me wonder whether they're really the ones trying to cut into my profit margin after all. You wouldn't be the first underling of theirs to try to skim some cream off the top."

Threk tried to play it cool, but Shay sensed he'd started to worry. "Throwing around those kind of accusations lightly isn't wise, Trell."

"Neither's trying to cheat me," she shot back. Arms folded across the front of her favorite brown nerf hide jacket in a display of defiance. The blonde didn't move one centimeter from her blocking position at the bottom of the Lucidity's cargo ramp. "Pay what was promised, or the goods stay in my hold. I'm sure I could find another buyer."

"You know, I could make business very difficult for you around here--"

"And vice versa. Cut the bantha crap, Threk. Twenty thousand or I walk. Last chance."

The Jedi Master watched the muscles beneath the sallow skin of the middleman's jaw flex as he gritted his teeth. Threk knew she wasn't bluffing, knew she wasn't desperate enough for income to accept something over nothing when she deserved it all. Transport captains with principles could be damned annoying sometimes. "Fine." Pulling out a datapad, he tapped out a rapid tattoo on the touchscreen. "The transaction has been authorized."

"You'll forgive me if I don't take your word for it." 'Brin' made no attempt to hide the bite of contempt in her voice. She retrieved her own 'pad from an inner jacket pocket. A few key presses had her connecting to the local extranet hotspot, then accessing the credit account she maintained for business purposes. "Looks good." Away went the 'pad, and out came the friendly smile. It would've been more believable if not for the hard cast to her stare. "Pleasure doing business with you."

Threk just barely restrained the urge to snarl at her. With a stiff-about face, he sulked away, waving with impatience at the waiting cargo droids to begin their work. Shay allowed a chuckle to escape, pitched loud enough for him to hear but quiet enough to give her plausible deniability should he make an issue of her laughing at him. She stepped aside at last, Kai rising from her seated position and trotting alongside her owner in the direction of the courier's bow.

[Ziyado Idani]

Hush liked Twi'leks. Of course, that was based solely on the one member of the species he really knew. Nia'ana was a wonderful creature, and she had a habit of assigning him equally wonderful tasks. He'd discovered that very few of the hairless beings were as beautiful as she, having yet to see one with as powerful a connection to the Force, especially one so violently kinetic and gleaming with such dark majesty. Of course he understood that this was a gross generalization and it was unlikely she made a good representative for her species anymore than he was a typical Miraluka. Still, that didn't change the slight warm feeling he'd quickly develop for any Twi'leks he happened upon.

Thus his initial reaction was to side with the Twi'lek in whatever little argument had broken out between him and a human female a short distance to his left, not that he had any actual intent of interfering. Petty squabbles between simple merchants and smugglers was no concern of his, so it wasn't until the name Trell floated to his ears that he took serious interest. He paused in his stride, angling his face away from the pair so that it would not be readily apparent he was listening. The conversation itself managed to remain of little consequence, not sounding as though it were about anything relevant. It was possible, though unlikely, that whatever goods they were discussing might either be used in the capture or murder of his brethren or even some prisoners themselves. He kept such a possibility open.

From what he heard, the assassin couldn't even be positive this was the Brin Trell he was seeking. All the Twi'lek ever referred to her as was Trell. Was Brin a feminine name? It was so hard to tell with these humans; it seemed they would name their offspring almost anything at all. She was probably his target, but it would be a simple matter to confirm once her current conversation ended. It sounded as though it would rather soon. If nothing else, he quickly picked up that she was exceedingly direct, even blunt. That was fine; he was accustomed to several terse members of the Cult. Funny though, they were an eclectic group and just as many of them seemed to enjoy using as many words as they could. He walked something of a middle ground himself, unfailingly polite and yet trying to be clear and descriptive without being overly flowery in his language.

Whatever the cause of their financial, verbal sparring match, she seemed to be the victor, the other alien relenting and retreating in a sullen mood that could be clearly read in his very dimly glowing aura. Hush's attention quickly shifted fully to the woman as she turned and headed casually the other way. Little of note stuck out, her connection with the Force apparently no greater than the average being. The creature at her side did warrant some concern however as it did seem to have a higher connection to the Force than he'd expect of a nonsentient beast. Perhaps less concern than curiosity, but still something to note.

Well, little else to learn without approaching and confirming that this is even the being I seek, thought the Miraluka as he turned toward her and began a quick stride to catch up. “Brin Trell? came the friendly mental call as he closed the distance between them. His gloved hands were held slightly out to the sides, palms forward and clearly empty. As many weapons as he visibly wore, he thought it might be wise to show he didn't mean to use any of them just yet. A warm smile graced what could be seen of his face, his lips holding the singular expression as he continued. “I believe there is a matter for which I seek your council.”

[Shay Marin]

With her business transaction concluded, the 'independant contractor' headed off from the cargo bay entrance at an unhurried stroll. Behind her came the thuds and clanks of the multi-legged droids ascending the now unblocked loading ramp. She didn't pay them any mind; all ways from the hold to the rest of the Lucidity were sealed and locked. Not to mention she'd sense the intention towards any attempt at breaking and entering on Threk'nar's part. He's not half as subtle as he believes, about anything.

The undercover Jedi stopped a few meters away from her ship, canting her head back as she examined the courier's outer hull plating. Mild annoyance resonated in her aura as she spied some carbon scoring aftwards of the cockpit. Seemed a few more shots had gotten through her shielding during that pirate attack downlane of Etti IV than she'd thought. The damage appeared cosmetic for the most part, but she needed to check on it all the same. Microfractures in the armor plating was about the last thing 'Brin' needed right now.

The spike of wary alertness coming from Kai pulled Shay out of her mental sidetrack. She'd subconsciously noted the 'lights' of nearby sentient minds, but the vornskr had an immediate reaction to the sight and psychic 'smell' of a stranger approaching her master. One of the many benefits of owning a Force sensitive animal. Since 'Brin Trell' possessed no supernatural version of eyes in the back of her head, she didn't turn right around to face her potential visitor. They hadn't gotten close enough for non-enhanced hearing to pick up over the general din of the spaceport.

"Brin Trell?"

Master Marin didn't need to fake her startlement at the 'sound' of the man's voice in her head. She let the genuine emotion occupy the surface of her mind, while in the deeper levels she pondered how this could be. While the signature of the presence behind her did indeed shine 'brighter' than the average sentient, there didn't appear enough energy to indicate an actual telepath at first glance. Shay considered probing deeper, but discarded the notion an instant later. Active use of the Force right now might register on the stranger's senses.

After the first split second of shock passed, the blonde woman spun about to face whoever it was who'd 'spoken'. In the same motion, the transport captain's right hand snapped down towards the heavy blaster pistol holstered at her hip. She stopped herself just short of drawing it, giving the impression of a survival instinct restrained at the last moment by reason. Amber eyes narrowed in a suspicious glare at the Miraluka she found standing several feet away.

“I believe there is a matter for which I seek your counsel.”

Right now, 'Brin' didn't seem much in the mood to be counseling anyone. "What the fracking hell are you playin' at?" She kept the volume of her voice down at a conversational level, but her tone was none too friendly. While Shay kept up the act of controlled antagonism, she increased her attention to the ambient flows of the Force. Even with her active Force capacity repressed, she could still pick up a great deal about the universe around her through passive sensing. "You want to talk all nice like? Get out of my head first."

[Ziyado Idani]

Her surprise was no surprise, but it did tell him at once that she was more perceptive than the average humanoid. Many beings, upon hearing his voice, did not even register that they were not in fact hearing him in the strictest sense, and only caught on upon noting how his lips never moved along with his words. He'd considered playing some sort of practical joke on some new hopeful within the Cult, always carefully moving his lips in accordance with his words—as best he could, since forming words with his lips and tongue wasn't something he'd ever actually learned to do as a child—and see how long he could keep them believing that he was actually speaking. Thus far the opportunity had never arisen.

The way the fair haired woman froze in her tracks for an instant before spinning on him with a degree of barely contained hostility however suggested to him that she had caught on immediately. It took a bit of effort on the trained killer's part not to go for a weapon himself as her hand went quite obviously for hers, but he sensed no direct will for his harm from her, even if the beast by her side did appear as though it would leap upon him at the slightest indication from its master. Two weapons then that she had ready. That was fine; he held supreme confidence that his were more numerous and of superior lethality. He did count the Force among them after all, but it was not yet time to reveal as much.

“What the fracking hell are you playin' at?”

His quick walk to catch up to her slowed and halted in an attempt to make it clear he was not meaning to attack her. To further emphasize the point, his hands moved slowly even farther away from his own holstered weapons, though they moved out—his arms nearly going parallel with the ground—rather than the traditional up. Such a move may lead her to infer he was going for the sword hilts poking up over either shoulder, which indeed is what he'd do if it came to that. There was no doubt however that, were she going to fire, he'd receive warning the instant before and have more time than he needed to react. For her sake, he hoped it didn't happen. For his, and for the sake of simplicity in his mission, he kind of hoped it did.

“You want to talk all nice like? Get out of my head first.”

At this confirmation that she was indeed aware of the nature of his communication, he gave the tiniest nod. Like so many others before her however, she did not fully comprehend that nature. A patient man, Hush took no offense at having to explain yet again. His smile took on a knowing glint as he pleasantly replied, “I'm afraid there are few other options for me if we are to 'talk all nice like,' unless you would prefer that I type out polite little messages on a datapad. I believe you misapprehend both my purpose and power. I am a Miraluka; I have no eyes but see through what you may have heard of as the Force, a sort of omnipresent energy field throughout the galaxy. Similarly, though not a universal trait among my species, I lack the necessary apparatus for speech, but have learned to communicate my words directly into anothers' mind without need of atmospheric material for sound waves to travel through or eardrum to detect them. I see you more than adequately regardless of ambient light, but the act of being in my sight does not put you in any danger.” This amused him slightly, as it was technically a lie given that very few creatures who fell under his scrutiny could unequivocally be called safe, but the sight itself caused no harm, which was his point.

“It is no different with my speech.” That was not all he had to say on the matter, and knew he hadn't fully explained it, but felt he'd already sent enough information that she may relent her mild aggression. If not, he could go on, but he had other business to attend to, and had not actually confirmed as of yet whether she was even the one he sought. “I'm sorry, but you are Brin Trell, yes?”

[Shay Marin]

'Brin' remained openly wary as her Miraluka visitor moved his hands away from any item in his rather considerable personal armament. No doubt about it, the guy was loaded for rancor, and he didn't care who knew it. In contrast, most of the weapons worn by the 'independent contractor' were concealed. Loose jackets, high boots, and pants with multiple pockets were all favorite components of her wardrobe for a reason.

Whoever this man was or whatever he considered his occupation to be, it appeared he hadn't come a-calling out of any immediate desire to do her harm. Shay did pick up a background buzz of danger from the Miraluka, but none of the potential threat he posed was aimed her way at present. All those who indulged in rich and varied displays of violence radiated such ripples in the Force, so for the moment she did not find it cause for concern.

The fact he'd managed to project words into her mind, however... that she did find worrisome. His mental 'voice' came through clear and strong, evidence of some level of training in the ability. Now the issue is where--and from whom--he acquired it.

“I'm afraid there are few other options for me if we are to 'talk all nice like,' [...] but the act of being in my sight does not put you in any danger.”

Master Marin allowed her empathic projection of irritation and suspicion to abate a few degrees during the offered explanation. The way the unknown individual phrased his 'speech' gave the impression of one who'd been obligated to tread and retread over this particular ground before. Shay received no warning from the Force indicating his words formed outright falsehoods, though her pragmatic nature made her reluctant to believe he'd given her anything close to the whole of the story right up front. Vanishingly few people in the galaxy were so open.

“It is no different with my speech.”

"I've dealt with Miralukas before," 'Brin' responded, her tone still suspicious but sounding more reasonable than before. "I get how you people see different. That's a far cry from hearing words with my brain instead of my ears, though." The Telosian's body language and surface emotions made it clear she didn't like the experience one bit. Someone who at least advertised herself as a hunter of naughty Force Users would have more than ample reason to feel so, after all.

“I'm sorry, but you are Brin Trell, yes?”

A small frown conveyed her continued reluctance to let the telepath 'talk' at her. That said, she also wouldn't much care for having to communicate solely through text. 'Brin' didn't possess so much as half the patience of Shay. "Last I checked," she quipped, shifting her posture to rest more of her weight on her right leg, one hand lifting to rest on the accompanying hip. She didn't unbalance her posture in any way which might impede her ability to defend herself, however. The 'independent contractor' wasn't that cocky or sloppy.

"At the risk of sounding cliche, who wants to know? And just what is it you want to 'seek my counsel' about?" The Sentinel mimicked the cadence of the Miraluka's words a bit, utilizing a subtle form of snark.

[Ziyado Idani]

“I've dealt with Miraluka before. I get how you people see different. That's a far cry from hearing words with my brain instead of my ears, though.”

His ever present smile took on a knowing sort of amusement. Clever girl. It made sense; if she was Brin Trell, and thus the one with experience at tracking down dark Force users, then it stood to reason that she would know a thing or two about what manner of abilities a raw adept could stumble to and what would take training. He'd need to give her more it seemed, if he was going to assuage the majority of her concern.

“Yes, you are correct,” he began, his smile returning to its benevolent neutrality. “The thought-transference I use to speak is not what you might call naturally occurring. A relative of mine who belonged to a Force-using organization taught me in my early years, wishing to grant me the ability to communicate with the ease less damaged children could.” It was the truth, though not he whole truth. Alice had been the one to perfect his mental training, but it had been his aunt who began it many years before. Pleased by the reduction in her negative emotions, he added a little more, an assurance he made often but that was rarely accepted fully. “You need not worry that I'll see something private. My training precludes any talent at extracting thoughts; I can only deliver them.” It was a limitation that had occasionally caused misunderstandings in the past. He'd learned that he couldn't simply inform others that he was telepathic; they'd often stop talking aloud and expect him to simply hear their thoughts.

“Last I checked. At the risk of sounding cliché, who wants to know? And just what is it you want to 'seek my counsel' about?”

Aha, he had his confirmation at last. Extract all pertinent information and execute, those were Nia'ana's wishes. As much as he'd have enjoyed getting to the second part, her Force signature didn't make the woman especially tempting, and he had yet to get any info beyond her name. His smile widened once more and his arms were finally relaxed, hands brought together as his fingers interlaced over his stomach. Reading nothing offensive—and honestly, the killer was exceedingly difficult to offend—in her echoing of his words, particularly since he'd done the exact same to her only moments before, he pleasantly replied, “Excellent. Then perhaps you may assist me. I have heard through certain channels that you are commissioning the capture of members of a certain, shall we say, subculture. In the simplest terms, I am here to sign up.”

Taking a few more steps forward, he extended one hand amicably. “And since you asked, I am Ziyado Idani. I enjoy spending my time hunting precisely the sort you are seeking.” Like everything else he'd said, it was technically true, if not a complete picture. He did quite enjoy being sent on “retrieval missions” when one low-ranking member of the Cult or other went missing.

[Shay Marin]

"Yes, you are correct. [...] You need not worry that I'll see something private. My training precludes any talent at extracting thoughts; I can only deliver them."

Even after Idani's explanation, 'Brin' remained skeptical, and she obviously didn't give a damn if the Miraluka knew it. However, the restrained aggression in her stance and aura did lessen. As for the Jedi Master beneath the 'independent contractor' guise, she sensed the words were true enough, if not containing the whole fact of the matter. He was correct in that transmitting thoughts was not the same thing as reading those of others. One could be talented in projective telepathy while remaining lacking in empathy.

"Excellent. [...] In the simplest terms, I am here to sign up."

Blonde brows rose at the man's declaration of intent. While he'd talked around the subject some, the reference to a 'subculture' caught the intent interest of both the real woman and the persona. "So that's what all this is about? You're here to talk business?" The hand propped on her right hip near her holster slipped down to rest at her side, another portion of the mercenary's guard relaxed. "Why the frack didn't you just say so to begin with?" A smirk accompanied the inquiry, as 'Brin' was well aware she hadn't given the man a chance to do anything but explain himself to her satisfaction before now.

"And since you asked, I am Ziyado Idani. I enjoy spending my time hunting precisely the sort you are seeking."

As soon as the Miraluka stepped closer, the previously silent vornskr sitting on the tarmac began to growl in warning. Shay looked down at her pet, forehead furrowed in concern at the animal's atypical behavior. While Kai did tend towards the protective when it came to those people she considered 'hers', for the canine to take an immediate dislike to a non-hostile individual was unusual. She'd have to take the creature's reaction--whatever it might mean--into consideration during further dealings with her new potential 'employee'.

'Brin' reached down and gave her tracker animal a few comforting strokes atop her black-furred head, bringing the snarling to a halt. "Don't worry," she said then, switching back to Basic and returning her attention to the armed man in front of her. "She won't attack unless I give her the signal." What said signal might be would remain her secret; Brin and Shay both could agree on the dire foolishness of giving away that sort of information to a stranger.

She now took her turn to step forward to accept the offered black-gloved hand. Shay made a deliberate effort to further tighten her shielding against any incidental psychic 'leakage' during the physical contact. While her current companion claimed he'd only been trained in broadcast telepathy, she wasn't about to risk Idani catching anythng odd about her. Some people had a natural talent for psychometry, even untrained. Others found it easier to 'read' others while they touched them, for reasons either spiritual or psychological.

A few firm shakes later, 'Brin' released the Miraluka's hand. "Ziyado Idani, huh?" Canting her head to the side, the 'independent contractor' fixed a speculative look on her potential assassin candidate. "Can't say as I've heard of you." Her tone made the words a statement of fact rather than an accusation. She'd been doing some research into who in the criminal underworld claimed to have offed a Force user at some point, all the better to eliminate two birds with one stone. The resulting list had been short--and then even shorter after she'd done some checking into the veracity of the claims. This man's offered name hadn't been on it.