Nar Shaddaa

Sylvain received a reply from his Palawan acquaintance asking for an opportunity to meet. He was more than willing to accommodate and offered to have breakfast with her near the Jedi Enclave. He arrived on time and waited for his partner in a private booth.

Yslane arrived a bit distracted, having spent the morning dealing with disconcerting facts....mostly about information learned last night....but also that there was a costume contest and she was going to be in it....

"Ah...good morning Mister Torsin." Yslane took her seat, "...sorry forgot about the formalities." She was dressed in a most mundane fashion...fully dispensing with the stylish suit of the bureaucrat. "It seems that we always end up eating when we meet." The Jedi observers dryly, though her lips quirk up a bit into a tired smile.

He arose, "In another life this would be yet another meal-date with a lovely woman, but I doubt you asked me here to talk about sharing meals for the rest of our lives." He smiled teasingly and sat when she did.

"I hope you are well? Sorry about the bit of trouble at luncheon yesterday. Must have been a headache for you."

"I would prefer not to discuss it, suffice it to say mistakes have a bad tendency of cascading." She sighs and leans back to stretch, "And its been rather busy, apparently the Foreign Office still thinks I work for them. They certainly haven't dropped the workload they are forwarding me. Then there is all the associated mess from the peace talks."

"Oh and Master Yulani wants us to go to this Huttcon as....The Super Justice Team Warriors of Justice who bring Justice to the Injust....or something. I grew up in the temple, the last show I remember watching was about some really nice gentleman who lived in a really nice neighborhood and taught children lessons....when I was five." Yslane frowns, "Thy's idea requires choreography and matching outfits and.....I'm trying desperately to avoid it."

"Anyway, silliness aside....have you learned if anymore else on your side supports peace?"

Sylvain laughed warmly at her comments about Thy and nodded, "Sounds like Thy..."

He then tilted his head at her last question, "I'm afraid the list than I can confirm is relatively limited. Me, Shaisha Vreysk, Kristal Serasai, Hala Moraal, Jo'ren Rath and his master Vengean.... are all I can confirm. Frankly I cannot even confirm my master is behind them anymore... and apparently he is dead if we are to believe the reports."

"Baras? Dead?" Yslane can't hide a bit of shock, but quickly covers it, "I wasn't aware that there were rumors of that sort....did a rival....." She makes a throat slitting motion, "Or is it just the usual hearsay that surrounds the famous and powerful?"

He shrugged, "It's difficult to tell... but perhaps he just wanted to come to Huttcon without being noticed."

"A fan of Verra Hawke?" She pauses, "I could dress as her." Yslane pats her chest, "No too small for that...."

"Sorry... he's your Master.... what do you feel? Do you sense his presence in the Force."

He tilted his head, "Baras is a crafty man. If he doesn't want to be found he won't... not even by me."

"I meant more in a general sense....just alive as opposed to dead," Yslane frowned in thought, "I don't think he is dead myself, but its hard to describe why....I suppose it would just be anti-climatic."

"Anti-climactic? You have something in the works?" He said with a smile.

And then shook his head, "No, I do not believe he is dead."

"Do your holovids often end with the villain dying in an offscreen accident?" She retorted with a teasing smirk.

"So we agree....Baras has probably faked his death....but why?"

"Perhaps you could help enlighten me... I recently heard of a plot to remove Baras which has the support of the Republic. Any chance you know something about that?" He asked with a warm smile.

"Are you about to accuse the Republic of meddling in Sith politics?" Yslane raises an eyebrow, "...granted these sort of shadow wars are not uncommon, no matter what both our governments say publicly. I'd wager elements of the Empire are plotting much the same against members of the Republic's government."

"Regardless....is such really a good topic to discuss here." She taps the walls, "Secrets are a premium commodity, and we both know the Hutts and their underlings lack scruples and love money."

Certainly not a firm denial... Perhaps this is one of mother's people...

Sylvain nodded and smiled, "Very true. Perhaps in a different venue later then... it is a topic that I have a vested interest in."

He then pulled up the menu, "So what are you in the mood for this morning? I doubt this restaurant makes the same type of things available at the Jedi temple in Coruscant."

"I'll tell you a secret." Yslane grins more amicably, "I am enjoying not having to eat just what's available at the Temple. Its not bad by any means but let's just say distractions hurt meditation. So very nourishing, and very bland."

"Hmm let's see," Her eyes now turn to the menu. "I usually just pick something at random, trying new experiences."

"May I suggest the Nexu sausages? They are quite delicious." He offered.

"I once had a meal of Nexu meat after my friends and I accidentally crashed a speeder into a group of them. Quite enjoyable... the meat, not the encounter."

He smiled, "Perhaps some Magpie eggs to go along with it?"

Yslane smiles, "Neither sounds appetizing..."

"So then I take it your intelligence service knows our codenames. I am sure the cryptos will go nuts when they find out."

She sighs, "So what do you think I know?"

He shook his head, "Know? I really was advising the nexu meat... the eggs could be from any avian creature you'd like. I ascertained enough to know what we could discuss in private later like you suggested from your response."

She waggled her finger. "True, true."

Yslane frowns and reads the menu, "Hmm omlete perhaps....with sausage. Against my better judgement I will try nexu."

He smiled, "I'll have the same then."

He closed up his menu and looked across the way, "It should be a 'new experience' like you like. Tell me, if you will, what new experiences are to be had on Coruscant? I assume it's quite the active place."

"I...spent most of it in the Jedi Temple." She blushed at that, "But on the times I was out....well it had its corruption, its vices, and other things." Yslane nodded toward the door, "Nothing as bad as here, that I saw. And more beauty, in fact much of the surface is a lovely bustling cacophony of lights and sounds and movement."

"The lower levels....well there are issues. Anyway, the Jedi Temple is not too far from the Senate so I did have some exposure to the center of the Republic as it were. Spiritual and Temporal."

He nods, "Which perhaps explains your devotion to it and its institutions. Any friends growing up? Or more of the lone wolf type?"

"I had quite a few friends....all were trainees like myself." Yslane chuckled softly, "One of them is here actually: Lady Cortess. I am unsure if you have met Alys, but she is....something else. Probably not what most think of when they think Jedi."

He smirked warmly, "I met her only in passing. How is she different?"