An Unscrupulous Undertaking: A Pound of Flesh

The palace is set up for a feast, a large banquet table and many bottles of drink. Imported dancers are present from some of the most respected schools in the galaxy. The Lorda is dressed in finery, his robe fairly shimmers in faint hues of green and red when the light catches the fabric right. His soldiers are dressed in clean clothing and hold their weapons at what passes for attention. Its not the best presentation. But some effort has been put in to make the arrival of the guest a bit of an affair. Nasiri is talking to some of the senior staff of the palace itself as he awaits the arrival of his slave trader sort.

This is the second time in the last week that Elias...or Alastar has visited the Pleasure Palace. The ambiance this time is considerably more formal. For once, his overly crisp, dressy attire looks right at home. In his right hand, the strange man carries a package; a tube about the size of a standard liquor bottle. As he enters he pauses a moment to appreciate the spectacle before tracking down the Faleen host who so politely invited him. Once spotted, the same purposeful strides as before carry his slender frame to the Lorda's presence. He offers a slight, formal bow. "Your invitation was graciously received, Lorda. Have you reconsidered my request?"

Nasiri turns a sparkling gaze on the man and smiles. "Absolutely not...why would I change my mind?" the Falleen turns his back on the man and heads for the seat on the dais. "But it has come to my attention that you may have something to present in the way of a threat or retaliation?" his robe flares as he makes way for himself up the stairs. "Granted, 11th hour notice and all." as he settles on the seat he smiles at him and lifts a hand to flicker fingers at him. "Please, have a drink. Help yourself to some food and do dazzle me!"

Alastar smiles broadly. Quite a brazen approach to the recent events. He's really beginning to like the Faleen's style. The man, raises a curious, thin eyebrow as Nasiri ascends to his prominent place. The banquet is laid out to the taste of a Hutts ego; the Lorda presiding God-like over his attendants. It's clear that Nasiri enjoys the benefits of this architectural choice. Eyeing the festivities, he considers indulging the request, but the distance between the seating and the Lorda's dais doesn't exactly promote conversation. He remains standing for the moment.

"I see you are rightfully aware of all that goes on in your house, Lorda. Unfortunately, your invitation was so kind, I didn't prepare any threats or retaliations for this event. Should you like I can come up with something clever." He smiles mischievously, the effect is usually unsettling, but from his lower position is just comes across as strange. He lifts up the package before continuing. The cylinder is wrapped in a sheen paper and tied on each end with a shimmering twine. "I did however bring a gift, and a message from my company's board about your recent termination of our agreement."

Nasiri flickers fingers at one of the attendants who approaches and takes the container, deftly opens it and reads. He moves up the dais to whisper softly to the Falleen. The Lorda finger waves the man off and turns his attention to the man. "I will give you points for an elegant tool!" he pronounces in a raised tone. "Assassination by Kohoun!" lifting a hand he flitters a gesture of salute to the man. "Please do fetch a plate, I promise no poison...killing you would be a waste on many levels."

"Thank you, Lorda. I shall." Alastar bows slightly again. His skeletal grin, shows how much he's enjoying this game. "My condolences for your girl." he adds as he makes his way to the nearest seat.

Nasiri waits until Alastar has a plateful of food. "Oh think nothing of it!" the falleen purses his lips as if it were a trifle and then claps his hand. "Only felt it proper that I counter expressed myself, seemed only proper in the wake of your employers temper tantrum for not getting his way." a half smile touches the Falleens face and a line of soldiers march in single file. a messy blade rests on each shoulder and is grasped by a bloody hand. In the other hand, held swaying by varied hair styles are the heads of the present staff in the pleasure palace below. Each soldier in his own turn, places a severed head one next to another on the floor before the dais. "Now, let me illuminate you Mr Alastar. Flesh is cheap." he unfolds his hand to gesture to the heads. "And further more...there is no action, you...your employers can take that impresses. Every concievable atrocity possible has been commited by someone somewhere, in very recent fresh memory. You dont know what I value, you dont know what I want." he takes up is goblet and sips it and then leans back into his seat. "This is hutt space my friend, if you wanted to play parlour games? All you had to do was ask."

Thin pursed lips stifle a snicker on the human's scarred face. This quickly gives way to full bellied laughter, and Alastar has to set down his newly acquired drink for risk of spilling it. As the gruesome display offends most of the guests, the slaver nearly falls out of his seat. He finally composes himself and applauds as he stands to get a better look at the faces to see if he recognizes any. "Very good show, sir. My colleagues under-estimate you. You have style, and you certainly know how to show your guests a good time."

Nasiri tilts his head in appreciation of the response. "I will assume that the temper tantrum assassination was not your idea?" he rises with his goblet and descends the stairs, stepping carefully past the heads so as not to topple any. "Its a typical tool of political assassinations...which tells me your employer knows very little about cartel syndicate moves." now safely past the organic hurdle, he moves to the table and turns a gaze to the staff who are horrified. "Oh please...don't be so delicate!" his eyes turn back to the food. "Now, we can continue this game...of kill destroy kill destroy. But anything can be replaced...flesh, finances, property. And I don't mean to be insulting and don't take it as such... but humans have, by comparison, short life spans to many species. So they prefer to express their distaste in immediate manners. You can kill and kill, and destroy and destroy. But I have hundreds of years to recover or rebuild."

Alastar's attitude is downright jovial now; life and death a big joke. Even if he would have normally played offense at Nasiri's philosophical condescension, theres little that can stifle his spirits when blood is shed so recklessly. He takes a large draught of whatever is passing for wine here. It's remarkably enjoyable. "As much as I enjoy these kinds of games, you are correct in your assumptions. My company's board is made up of core-world bureaucrats who fancy themselves mobsters. They have credits, but no real understanding of how business is done."

Nasiri takes a bit of meat and dips it in sauce before eating it. "And to be fair to you...Drax was here and I did have the chance to give him a chance to find you." he shifts his eyes sideways to the man. "But, I have enjoyed the exchange." he moves a bit further down the table to sample cheese. "Oh do try this one...it has a bit of bite!" his robe drags the floor behind him.

"Oh?" Alastar follows down the line and plucks up a piece the recommended cheese. "And he hasn't followed through? I've made other arrangements for him, but I hadn't counted on him knowing. Let's hope my friends are up to the challenge."

Nasiri chuckles softly and flickers a hand at him. "You do have a very distinguishing feature that is very easy to tag." he warns the fellow. "That and your....core friends. Do a very lousy job of concealing themselves. Because they can't keep from showing their power." another morsel of food is taken. "I imagine if you stepped back and looked at it all, and wouldn't die for pointing it out, you would see all the leaks and tell tale tags.

"My appearance? I consider it my personal brand. It's quite useful when you wish to be remembered." Alastar shuffles his way town the line as well, periodically taking bites of food and washing it down with the wine. "Leaks, imply concealment. Inner-Core and Bonadan aristocrats do tend to lack...finesse. And though these pampered types like to play at secrecy, everything BoLabSo is doing is above board and perfectly legitimate in this sector of space." He takes up another morsel and eyes it dubiously before trying it. "The obscenely rich and their games." he says trying to choke down the poor choice of this particular bite.

Nasiri smiles as the game goes on. "So, are we done with parlor games, or does your master require you to display more of his temper tantrum?" the falleen turns and smiles at the man. "I am fine with either action, and I will continue with my own views of things." he looks at his claws. "I have time and if they wish to continue to play, they will reveal more and more of themselves. And in time, as you well know being a player of these sorts of things, a point of strike back will present itself that will hurt." he glances to the heads. "I have my own values, and am in no rush whatsoever."

Alastar looks a little puzzled, and a bit offended. "I don't have a master." he says matter of factly. Then, muttering a bit to himself, " though sometimes the board does tend to treat me like it's pawn." He shakes it off before continuing. "If your referring to collecting further reparations from your property, I can assure you my board of directors is satisfied with the actions taken. They're a fickle lot after all."

Nasiri smiles and gestures to the heads. "Would you like to present them to them?" an after thought and he seems very pleased by the idea. "The clean up is going to take longer then replacing them all sadly." he admits a bit forlornly. "Yes yes, I see your position, gifted but under the boot of those with more then you. It is the way of the galaxy, those with the toys have the power." he gives a wink at the man. "Now I have a surprise for you!"

His mouth full, Alastar merely nods in reply. At the mention of surprise he arches an eyebrow in anticipation.

Nasiri spreads his arms to the table before them and is all smiles. "Can you tell which of the meat dishes you sampled were made from the lovely ladies arrayed over there?" he clasps his hands together eager to see if Alastar can guess. Almost giddy. "Please forgive my eagerness...Falleen by most standards are terribly reserved and I despise that sort of things. It comes from hanging around Hutts for so long."

Alastar spits out the mouthful of meat into his glass, turning a whiter shade of pale. Whole-sale violence he quite enjoys, but this is barbaric. Grabbing another glass from a nearby patron, he washes his mouth. His tone is no longer playful, but cold, low and menacing. "Your point, though excessive, has been noted. I applaud your sense for theatrics, but this is a level of offensive I cannot abide. I believe we are done here."

Nasiri tilts his head. "I thank you for your time Master Alastar." he now grants the man a tone of appreciation and respect. "Sometimes the extreme is needed to make the point, further business dealings will be possible, now that we have a mutual understanding and if not. So be it as well." he gestures to a slave to bring him a towel. "The measure of barbaric or evil is a liquid thing...based on culture. Know the culture, know the level of both."

Alastar snatches the towel from the servant and wipes his face furiously. His jaw is clenched tight, and his brows knitted in a burning anger. He stares down Nasiri as he cleans himself. If looks could kill he’d be burning a hole through the Falleen’s skull. Slowly the rage fades, the veins in his neck recede, and his stare turns to scrutiny. For a long while he scans the Lorda’s green skinned face, analyzing some unknown traits to make some unspoken decision. When he finally speaks, his tone is measured and calm. “You are an uncouth, treacherous, insidious, vile snake… I like that in a colleague. I believe we’ll have much business to discuss in the future.” He tosses, the towel back at the servant and turns to leave. On his way out the door he calls back over his shoulder “We are very alike, you and I. Don’t pull this shit on me again.”