Senate Offices

[Ryra Kain]

Ryra once again took Lorrimer's hand, this time giving it a proper shake. ”And with you, Senator. Thank you for having me.”

She would have quipped back something along the lines of not doing business with him again either, but an almost imperceptible look in his eyes stopped her from doing so. Instead, she just smiled before releasing his hand and following Karrde out of the office.

The trip down the hall was quiet and Ryra felt subdued for some inexplicable reason. She couldn’t tell if it was the weight of what was about to be done, her Force sensitivity trying to tell her something, or fragments of both.

Whatever it was, she pushed it to the back of her mind to be stored and analyzed later.

”I’ve been meaning to ask,” she began quietly, looking at Karrde from the corner of her eye. ”What made you come to your decision?”

She knew he would hear the unspoken question of ‘out of everyone who could have done this, why settle on me?’ and reply in kind. There wasn’t anyone around that she could see, but it was better to appear to be discussing a topic as inane as the weather or the latest style of boot.

”Or am I just that charming?” She couldn’t help but throw in a joke. For her own comfort if nothing else.

[Dav Man'Sell]

Talon gave her that sly look that he so often turned on one of his associates, one that said 'I know a great many things about a great many matters, more even than you realise', then turned back to face front, walking in silence for a dozen meters longer down the corridor.

Finally, with a soft-voice and an averted eye, he leant in and answered her.

=Talon Karrde=
"I'm a big supporter of talent, dear Ryra, and like to encourage associates and members of my organisation to develop their natural affinities." He threw her an appraising glance."You have the immediate skills this task needs, for certain, and in addition, I suspect that some of your less-obvious talents might find this to be a... shall we say a conducive endeavour for their expansion."

They reached a turbolift, where he stopped and turned to her, even as he hit the car-call button. The lift may well have suited him, but the plaque beside it made clear that it didn't service the areas she needed to reach, which judging from the way he paused before it, he knew. He looked at her, though his eyes had a slightly distant gaze to them.

=Talon Karrde=
"In a way, you remind me of a protégé I nurtured many years ago. Just a little." With a small smile, his eyes seemed to focus back in on her. "She went on to achieve some pretty incredible things. I think, given time, given a chance, you will too."

With nothing more than a slight nod, he turned, stepped into the waiting turbolift car, and disappeared behind the closing doors. There was just a momentary glance back at her from him before the doors whipped closed, and the lift whisked him upwards into the higher reaches of the Senate Offices.

[Ryra Kain]

Ryra watched as Kaarde entered the turbolift and was whisked away. Moving further down the corridor and finding the turbolift that would take her out of the offices and away from the Senate, Ryra pursed her lips as she reached forward to press the call button.

He’s definitely doing this on purpose. she thought. ”Natural affinities.” “Less-obvious talents.” If what he just told her wasn’t a hint, she didn’t know what was.

In hindsight, Ryra knew she shouldn’t be surprised. Kaarde wasn’t stupid. Far from it, she knew his reputation—she did work for the man. Did it really matter if he knew anyway? As Jyn would say, there were lots of “Force-people” out there and there was no doubt in her mind that Alon had been talking to Kaarde.

But he wasn’t really trying to nudge her in the direction she suspected he was, was he? Or was she just being paranoid? She scuffed her shoe against the floor. Well, even if it was the case, there was no way that she’d consciously go along with it. She was quite happy where she was, thank you. Despite this, she did allow a smile to grace her lips at his final words.

The door to the turbolift opened and she stepped inside. Hitting the desired floor, the doors shut and she felt gravity take effect as the turbolift descended.

Time to get this show on the road…