Bring out your Vatou [D4, MM]

[Layne Hoshin]

Layne got straight to the point. "What have you uncovered thus far? If you could provide a target, that would be most useful."

[Niall Organa]

Niall's lips twisted. "Unfortunately not. I rather hoped you could provide one." He hesitated a moment and then when on. "We have learned that they are targeting Force-Sensitive children for capture. Unfortunately, they use intermediaries, which makes tracking them down difficult."

"What about you?"

[Layne Hoshin]

She rolled her eyes.

Useless.

"Have you not even apprehended at least one of these intermediaries? Surely you have more than that to go on."

[Niall Organa]

Niall's lips thinned just a little. Don't you roll your eyes at me, young lady! He managed to avoid saying. "We have. They don't know much. And some of those we apprehended were... well, nevermind." Garrick Lorne had only just barely left some in one peace.

"We have identified one of the drop off locations, based on interrogation of one of them." He nodded. "I'd like to hear what you have, too."

[Layne Hoshin]

"Nothing you haven't already stated," she said, allowing her to hide the fact it was actually even less than what he'd said.

[Niall Organa]

"Okay." Niall grimaced. "Layne, you're not giving me much, here. And I don't just mean for the investigation. You came to us. What do you want, and why?" His tone was calm.

He gave her the ghost of a smile. "If you like, I'll answer a question of yours. I'll even go first if you like."

[Layne Hoshin]

"I already told you what I want. I wish to put a stop to these attacks. They are inconvenient to associates of mine. Associates I need for purposes I will not be sharing with the republic. As for why I came to you..."

She turned to Vatou again.

"...I didn't. I came to him. My associates established him as a person of interest. A lead."

Layne hadn't outright spilled Vatou's arrangement, but presumably the Selkath would understand that she was hinting at it.

And she turned back to Niall. "Then you showed up. Perhaps the Force brought you here. Or perhaps it was just coincidence."

[Niall Organa]

"Well, you got us, too." Niall said. His expression grew more curious, more thoughtful, as she spoke.

He chewed his lips thoughtfully for a few moments. "If it turns out you're working for slavers, we're done. But I rather think that you're not." He gave her a slow nod. "If you want to pool resources on this, I'm willing. If you're willing to work with me."

[Layne Hoshin]

"I don't work for slavers," she said, and something about the hatred in her voice suggested there were quite a few personal feelings loaded into that statement. "Though if I have anything to say about it, they *will* be working for me."

[Niall Organa]

Niall gave her a steady look. "Okay. That's good enough, I think."

He nodded. "Well then. I just need to send a servant to pick up my dry cleaning, and then we can be off. Sound good to you?" He said blandly, his lips pressing firmly together.

[Layne Hoshin]

"Dry cleaning?" she cocked her head.

[Niall Organa]

"Sorry. Nobility joke. I rather thought you'd enjoy it. I've got others." His lips twisted. "I suppose, as the saying goes, I shouldn't quit my day job."

"So." He spread his hands. "When did you want to start?"

[Layne Hoshin]

"Let's give it a few hours before moving on this," she said, thinking it over.


((I can do EA, or MA))

[Niall Organa]

Niall nodded. "Agreed. Here, take my commcode. We'll meet up later."

((both work. Can you make? I'm juggling already))

[Layne Hoshin]

"Tell me the location, and I'll meet you there."

[Niall Organa]

"Right." Frowning, Niall called up some data on his datapad. After a few moments, he flipped it around, showing it to her. "This is where it is. Give me your info, and I'll send it to you, too."

[Layne Hoshin]

"Or I could just memorize it and keep my contact info to myself," she said, apparently insistent on putting in another jab. Nonetheless, his communication device would soon enough find itself with a new contact listing through whatever passes for near-field communications in this era.