"Deals Made, Alliances Forged"
By: Minn Starcrash
Reinrich Tas
Master D'Amara [NPC+]

Location: 'Nocturnal Delights', New Plouton
Date: Vadris 16, 5 ABY

***

By daylight, the outside of the club was unassuming and revealed none of the secrets hidden away from prying eyes. It nearly looked abandoned without the lights or people vying to get inside. It was a mystery that the place could stay in business with the Jau occupation. Some secret deal had to be made, something to allow the club to cater to the needs of the New Plouton population.

Minn Starcrash approached the door of the establishment. She knocked once and waited. It took several minutes for the door to open before she was let inside.

"You'll need to be searched," the guard said as he indicated where she should put her hands for him to make sure she carried no weapons. Minn placed her hands against the wall with a wary glance for him. He looked human, but a thick ridge that ran over his brow indicated something not-so-human.

"Don't you have a scanner," she asked as he felt his way up the outside of her thighs.

"Where's the fun in that," he drawled as he shifted his hands inside her thighs and began working upwards.

He wasn't ready for the elbow Minn threw at his nose, but apparently the bone that ran across his brow also protected his nose. A spike of pain worked its way through her nerves. Undeterred, she spun and thew him back with Force-assisted strength. Fear filled his eyes as her crimson lightsaber ignited and snapped into a lunge that stopped just before his chest.

"I think I will go in and speak with Mister Tas now," she said. "From now on, when I arrive, you will pass me through regardless of what weapons I carry."

"Right," he growled, but the fear kept him back.

Minn's blade flashed and the man screamed. He stared at the cauterized stump where his hand should have been. "A lesson," she said. "I am sure you will remember what I said from now on."

She deactivated her weapon and strode toward the back rooms where Reinrich Tas' office waited. She banged the door once, but didn't pause to wait. She pushed her way into the office.

"Guess who's back," she said with a grin.

Reinrich met her smile with a cocksure smirk and rose smoothly from his chair. "That was fast. I knew you couldn't stay away for long." He ran the back of his palm across her cheek when she was near.

"I would have stayed away longer," Minn said as she held up a holo-disc, "but my Master requested I return. A message for you about a possible future, and a dramatic rise in power. If you are interested, of course,"

"You don't know me well at all," he commented smugly. Reinrich accepted the cube and transferred it to the reader atop his desk. In moments a holographic image sprang to life, relaying the message sent by Minn's master.

The holographic figure appeared to be wearing some sort of dark, ominous looking armor. A long scar ran down the left side of his face, curling his lip into a permanent snarl.

"Mister Tas," the man began. "I am Darth Tarkul, or more casually known as Jax D'Amara. You are a man of influence within various circles on Tae'Karada, specifically within the metropolis of New Plouton. I have need of such influence. Those who stand as my allies will be greatly rewarded for their loyalty and service. I can assure you, that your rewards will be far greater than you can imagine.

"If you are willing to swear your loyalty to me, to become my agent, I give to you Minn Starcrash, my apprentice. She will serve you well and loyally. If you have issue with her, you need only speak to me and I will ensure her obedience. On occasion, I will still require her service while my new apprentice is trained, and ask only that you allow her to continue her work for me when it is required, which will benefit us both.

"In the matter of the Jedi, you must cease your inquiries and attempts to capture them. They will be dealt with in time, and when I have finished with you, I will grant to you the one you desire, with my thanks for your loyal service."

The hologram seemed to close in on him then, making the Sith Lord appear even larger, looming above both Minn and Reinrich. "Do not think that you can cross me and accept what I give only to turn against me at a later time. I will not think kindly upon that, and am well-educated in all manner of torture. Remain loyal, and all you desire shall become yours."

The hologram ended.

Reinrich was pensively silent, though there was a fiendish glint in his slitted eyes and a nearly ravenous grin on his lips. He glanced aside at Minn. "My loyal servant," he echoed in delight. "And all if I give up Talara." Reinrich shrugged and offered his hand to Minn. "An easy trade. You're far better in bed, anyway."

Minn had managed to conceal her surprise at her Master's message well enough, or so she hoped. Adjusting her gaze to his eyes, she placed her hand in his. "Of course," she whispered, and then added, "Master."

Chuckling deeply, Reinrich backed towards his couch to introduce his apprentice to the many ways she would be expected to serve him.

***

Minn's breathing had finally returned to normal as she lay on Reinrich's couch with him just behind her. He had made sure when her clothes came off they were out of easy reach, though with his arm holding her possessively around her waist, it would have been difficult to retrieve them anyway. She could feel his thumb tracing the outline of the brand on her shoulder.

"Shortly after Master D'Amara claimed me as his slave, before he named me as his apprentice, he put that there. It was his mark, his claim to me as his possession. It hurt like hell."

"Do I get to give you one of my own?" Reinrich smirked but quickly forgot the idea of branding Minn as his hand moved on to her nape, moving aside her hair to kiss the downy flesh it had been concealing. "If you're his possession, why was he so willing to give you away? The Jedi can't be that important."

"I don't think it's the Jedi specifically," Minn answered. "He didn't discuss any of this with me before he requested I return here to you. I think, though, that he wants me with you to ensure that you get into the position of power he wants you in. That way, when he's ready to make whichever move he's planning, you will have the power you need to support him. I am also a tool to him, and right now, I think he believes the best use of my abilities in helping to empower you."

"By performing as my sex companion?" Reinrich shook his head slowly, reluctant to believe things were so simple. "What is it your master wishes me to do for him?"

"Become someone important, powerful and influential here," she said. "And, when he needs your support, to give it to him. You do want to be rich, powerful, and able to decide the fate of others' lives, don't you?"

"I do," he answered slowly, "but not if there's a price. And I'm sure there is one, isn't there, Minn?"

"You give your allegiance to him, help him to achieve his goals," Minn said, "and I become your servant to help make you more powerful. Failure to support him would lead to your death. There are no hidden prices or secrets. Unlike my master's master, he always treats his allies fairly and justly, especially after what happened at Endor."

"Endor? What do you mean?"

"The battle between the Empire and Rebellion, the one where the Emperor was killed, took place there. Rumor's say that Darth Vader was the one who slew the Emperor. My Master doesn't want his allies turning on him or betraying them, so he treats them well and reserves the betrayals and other nastiness for his enemies, like the Jedi."

Reinrich laughed while pushing himself up onto one elbow. "Is your master a fool? The kinder you appear to your allies, the weaker you seem in their eyes. It's a vulnerability. Does your master not know this?"

"The fool would be anyone who acts against that seeming vulnerability," Minn said, a slow, almost wicked smile curling her lips. "Seeming vulnerable is by no means being vulnerable, and I have seen more than one man make that mistake. I've capitalized on that many times. I can play the cute, helpless girl act very well, and when someone falls into that, they're very easy to destroy."

"Then don't you for one second," Reinrich growled, clutching a fistful of Minn's hair and jerking her head back, "believe I'm buying that act. I may love women, but I don't trust them. And I don't trust you."

There was no fear in Minn's eyes as she gazed up at him, and a smile curled her lips. "Good for you," she said. "Though, you don't have anything to fear from me, it's a wise precaution. But, you're going to need to decide whether you're accepting Master D'Amara's offer or not. And if you do, I need a place to live. I've been living in this hotel in Yallder with roaches the size of reisacats."

Reinrich bared his teeth in a hungry smile. "You'll stay with me." Loosening his hold on Minn's hair, Reinrich dragged his fingers over her cheek as he added, "Where I can keep an eye on you."

"I'll need to get my belongings," Minn said. "And, if you want me to wear any pretty outfits for you, you're going to have to buy them for me."

"You're going to be an expensive acquisition, aren't you?" he quipped. "You'd better be worth it."

"I'm worth it," she said with an impish grin. "Though, if you have a test to see how good I am, just let me know. And, by that, I mean a job other than satisfying you in bed."

"Really?" he mused, and immediately his mind began working. There were so many tasks Minn could be useful in completing, but which first? Did he use her to finally capture Analesse for himself, or did he focus on more immediate business concerns? "I may have a job for you," he decided finally, "but it requires delicacy." This said while his hands kneaded her breasts roughly from behind. "Can you be delicate, Minn?" he whispered thickly against her throat.

She moaned softly and nodded. "When I need to be," she said. "I can be very good at not being seen and I know when to draw my weapon and when not to. I can be delicate."

"Then," Reinrich murmured, entering Minn from behind, "this is what you need to do...." And as Reinrich exerted his dominance over Minn the best way he knew, he divulged his plan to her. At last all he had hoped to achieve would be gained with the aid of his newest employee, and with it all the power he could ever have dreamed of.

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