Nar Shaddaa

Back aboard her ship, the crew was given leave to settle in and relax once they were in Hyperspace. Their mission was complete and the day done.

Kristal, however, had a few final matters to attend.

Walking into the comm room she got herself a connection to Darth Marr. In the moment the connection opened she said it simply, effectively...

"It is done."

Marr replies, “I had no doubts, my apprentice. The Empire’s secrets are safe once more and you have been more than my sword in battle but a Champion for the Empire. I shall name you a Champion of Marr, a grave responsibility and honor.”

“Now Champion we must turn our eyes to the infighting. Your role in this is simple, I need to know if Darth Baras is truly dead. It pains me to say this, a grave injury, but we need him alive. Ascertain the truth of this, Champion.”

"It is an honor to serve as your Champion, my Lord," Kristal says, accepting the honor with a bow of her head.

Listening to Marr's commands she allowed herself the moment to see how this could play into her hand. "Understood," she said, accepting the charge. "I shall find the truth of his purported demise and if I might avert it becoming true I shall intercede."

"It changes nothing of what you have commanded me. However, it is my suspicion that Darth Baras is ultimately behind a great number of the tragedies that have befallen the Empire of late. As I have no proof I have not brought this to you, nor would I act on it in any good measure. However, I feel it is something of which you should be aware."

“He is behind many great treacheries in the Empire many for his own gains and many for the good of the Empire. I would see him dead if it would not destabilize the balance in the Empire. He is a worm that must be suffered to keep greater wolves at bay,” Marr replies.

"I would ask this of you," she says, squaring her shoulders. "If we are to protect Baras today to keep the Empire together. When the time comes that he answer for his crimes against the Empire you allow me the chance to verify those that involved my family."

“You are my Champion, if such comes to pass you may do as you see fit,” Marr replies passionately.

"Thank you, my Lord," she says bowing her head once more.

"I shall contact you once again when I have ascertained the condition of Darth Baras," she affirmed before preparing to cut the channel once Marr gave his leave to do so.

Marr gives her leave and turns from the screen.

Cutting the communication she paused for a moment, a long moment. Giving herself plenty of time to think alone before she went to track down where Bur was in her ship. For the moment, she stood silently.

Only to stir once she felt she had processed everything.

Kristal passed Biggs and Wedge playing cards while Weaver did system checks.

Bur was sitting in the cargo hold sitting on a crate looking at the pieces of his blaster sitting on a crate turned into a table. He was cleaning the weapon quietly.

"Bur," she said his name to announce her presence. Approaching to address his.

"You performed admirably today, especially for a former prisoner."

Bur looks up and says, “It takes all kinds, Sith. You kept your side of the bargain I figured I could keep mine. We tracked down Fisk, got a little vengeance, got my stuff… well some of it. Enough to get me far from here at least.”

“Never seen a Sith in action before either. That was fun. Not sure what to do with myself now though. Assuming you let me go as you said you would.”

"I do not recall making it a promise to let you go," she said starkly. "Only that it was a possibility."

There was a pause, just long enough but not too long and she added, "Which I desire to make abundantly clear so that when I say you earned this you know the extent of what I mean, how it feels. So that when we arrive on Nar Shaddaa you know you are a free man from the moment you step off this ship. Of course, I would not suggest using the name Bur any longer. You surely know that better than I."

"There is," she grabbed the silence before the opportunity slipped away from her. "however, another alternative. Once you reach Nar Shaddaa you could take yourself, your life, and walk away from all of this. Everything. Find someplace to retire and live out the rest of your days in peace. Or, you may choose to serve me, serve the Empire that could be. Utilize your talents in my service and you may continue to earn that which you may truly be proud of."

"Regardless of your choice you will walk from this ship a free man."

“I don’t serve anyone, Sith, but if you are trying to add me to your crew we can talk. What’s the cut and and what is your angle?” he asks giving her his full attention.

Spirited in all the ways that would make any Serasai woman roll her eyes. Regardless of the semantics, she continued, "I require people, good people, with skills that I may rely upon when the time comes. You would be compensated through standard Imperial connections. Which would invariably link your name to my own. Needless to say, your days of skirting Imperial law would need to be at an end. However, you would have my protection and every other benefit there is to working directly for a Sith."

Bur thinks on it and rubs his chin and says, “I can work with that. You got a good crew here, and a good ship. If it means banging around the Sith and having a fun time I can manage that.”

He adds with a confident smirk, “I have worked with worse people. None had your killer instinct or deadly looks.”

"It must be a curse that I must have my beauty mentioned in the same breath as that of my prowess on the battlefield," she said, shaking her head in a reserved manner. "I will expect you to show the due respect my crew has earned."

"If there are no concerns, I shall formally welcome you aboard."

“It’s only a curse if you let it get to you. The real curse is when the wrong people get obsessed with just your looks. Not me, I appreciate the whole package,” Bur says as he puts his weapon back together.

There were a few responses that came to mind. Each one satisfied her in one way or another.

However, the one she finally settled on was simply, "Welcome aboard, Bur."

Bur holsters his weapon and says, “I think this will be a great partnership, Sith.”

A laugh that was little more than a huff of air and Kristal departed. Back toward her quarters where she could have a moment alone. A moment to consider what she might do with the memory core that still rested with her, and just how to properly access any information it might contain.

/scene?

/scene