"Do you need us to have any specific abilities or would you take anyone who is interested?"
"Now That is an excellent question." Kurik glanced towards the clumsy pair of humans, and the crude asari, then back to Del Castillo. "I am definitely interested in your offer, but I would prefer not to work with anyone who may end up shooting me in the back." He looked back at the twins. "Even if it happens to be by accident."
There was a glint of mischief in Arcadia's eyes, which darted around towards the recent speakers, then she replied. "Not articles on Stormhammer. I meant more if you were familiar with the Alliance, you may have been familiar with Reith's name. If not, there is no need to be, outside of what we are discussing here. Don't worry, there will be no marching," she said alluding to Becks' comment, "But you can tell if we follow the CCW that this isn't an opportunity for pillaging and burning. Quite the opposite in fact. This offere isn't necessarily open to anyone, but it is open to anyone here in this conversation now. As time goes on, we'll determine roles that we need, but there are plenty of gaps to fill currently. We'll get them filled. No shooting another company member in the back, though. That's at least a five credit fine..."
It was clear the last part was a joke, though Arcadia's delivery was dry. She pulled her left arm upward and activated her omni-tool. "I'll transfer to you our agreements so you may read through them at your leisure, although there is nothing to sign. Your word is what matters here, and if this is something for you, enclosed is the location for our suite that we are operrating out of here on The Citadel. Be there tomorrow morning at eight o'clock and we'll get on with work"
The asari waitress came back around. Arcadia waived her off again, but motioned for her to attend to everyone else sitting.
Del Castillo began wrapping up her pitch. "In the meantime, as far as entertainment goes, the day is yours in Purgatory, expenses covered by Stormhammer. We won't bail you out of C-Sec, though, so try to keep it within legal limits." There was a flash of a smirk, then she was calm. "Whatever you choose, I am glad you attended to listen. I hope you consider the hire seriously while you take advantage of everything this club has to offer."
"Dude as long as im not bored and i get to shoot stuff im in." Becks said takeing to her feet.
"As for this place call me when it gets better management. " she joked joining the breakdanceing Krogan.
Kurik rose from the table
"I'll be there." He gave Del Castillo an affirmative nod, before stepping away. Having no interest in club activities, he headed straight for the exit.
Darya busied herself reading the documents that Arcadia had forwarded on her laptop. Nothing to sign, but still want to know details. Being a fast reader, and highly intelligent, she finished the document and the fine print.
"Your boss wrote straight forward agreement. This is good sign," Darya said. "I see you in morning."
She closed her laptop, and the waitress arrived with her dinner. Darya moved so that her back was to a wall and she was able to see out into the club. She noticed that the Asari in black had been paying a little too much attention to their group. That one is either people watcher, criminal, or police. She is leaving. Good.
Her omni-tool communicator rang. Caller ID - mother.
"Hello, Mother."
"Hello, Dasha. Where are you?"
"I'm on the Citadel in a club having dinner. How are things?
"The usual. Your father is running around again chasing girls your age." her mother sighed.
"It's been 10 years, why do you even care anymore?" she asked. "It's his life. Let him do what he wants. I love both of you, and that will never change."
"It's that he looks ridiculous."
Darya sighed. "Mother! Stop it. We talk about once a month, and all you talk about is Father. What else are you doing?"
"I had to sell one of the horses. They're a lot of work, and I can't do as much as I used to."
"I'll send you some money. Not problem. Hire someone to help," Darya said.
"I can't accept. When are you coming home again?"
"Not for a while. I just took a new job with security firm here on the Citadel," Darya said, "Good pay and benefits."
"You had good pay and benefits in the Alliance, and a promising career, Dasha. Why didn't you stay?"
Darya gritted her teeth and sighed again. "I don't want to talk about it. Why do you always bring that up?"
"You could have been a Captain by now."
"You don't understand," Darya started fidgeting. "I have to go, Mother. It was nice talking with you. I love you."
She disconnected after her mother said goodbye.
"Hey, if they pay for everything here we should take advantage of it!" Naomi stood up and looked around.
"Or you leave now, head back to our apartment and get some rest", Chris said. "You've had enough alcohol for today!" He reached underneath the table to grab the bottle Naomi had thrown and place it onto the table.
"Maybe you also want me to read through the agreements?", she smirked.
Chris nodded although he doubted that his sister would read a single word of them. He was probably going to find her watching TV or sleeping in his bed.
"But maybe your right." Naomi stretched out before giving a yawn. "I have enough for today. If things won't get better tomorrow I will kill someone." With these words she winked at Chris and left. He leaned back and turned to the others. The turian had left as well while the asari was on the dance floor, the two woman were still sitting at the table.
"Sorry for that flying bottle earlier", he apologized to Arcadia. "My sister sometimes is a bit...ahm...well, she can be somewhat...unpredictable. If you don't mind me asking; what exactly are your tasks for the stormhammers? You mentioned that you have a nose to find the right people for your thing."
Darya sat at the table eating her dinner while Chris and Arcadia spoke. The filet mignon had gotten a bit cold while she was speaking with her mother, but it was still edible. She was used to this.
Arcadia put one leg over the other again, leaned back into the couch, threw her arms out to rest along its back, but put one thoughtful set of fingers to her chin. She studied the brother of the twins, furrowing her brow at first, then lightening her expression and giving a playful chuckle. "I have a nose for these things so I am told, but I have had people prove me wrong. If I dare say, with some effort on their part."
Blue-eyes flickered to the food in front of Darya, and there was a look of scorn not at the woman eating, but the meal. With a quick gesture, Arcadia had the waitress over, and she was instructing her to bring another of the same dish to Darya. " 'Sin tentacion no hay victoria,' which is to say, 'Without temptation there is no victory.' Eat a good meal, and do not settle for less. Forgive me if you prefer your dish cold, for I presume you do not."
Then Arcadia turned back to Chris. "So I am not sure if you speak of me directly, or if you speak in general of the tasks of the Stormhammers. To speak for the latter, we will do what we must for now. Each of our tasks, no matter how small, must build us. And we must start with that which we can succeed at, before we become a name that is sought out on its own. But if you speak of my personal tasks, as with any organization with humble beginnings, I must be prepared to handle many matters. I am, as Reith sees fit, that who he has entrusted to be second in command. It is a more romantic sounding title than the duties I must perform, I assure you. Often I am simply doing what Reith cannot, and in this case, it means recruitment. But I have other aspirations. And I admit that I share Reith's vision in creating something greater. Not just in size, or wealth, but I believe there is a place for our kind in this galaxy.
"I hope, of course, that this company becomes something more for you, and that there is a way for you to fulfill whatever ambitions you have." Arcadia gently pointed a finger to Darya's plate, and then up to where Becks was dancing. "Food is a worthwhile reason. So is entertainment. Maybe family." She laughed with her eyes to Darya. "But also, if there is something once you have those things. We could all do something else for a living, right? Something that has less risk of...death and injury. I do not want to put something on you, I beg you to believe. But I want something more for us all, whatever that is, if we can find it."
In a moment of self-consciousness, Del Castillo said, "Perhaps I talk to much. But I want you to have answers, if I can give them."
Del Castillo read Darya correctly. Cold food was not something she enjoyed. It was something she suffered through. When she was growing up there were the dinner time arguments between her parents, and they used to upset her to the point where she would just sit there and play with her fork. By the time one of her parents left the table, and she could eat, her food was cold and she didn't want it but had to eat it or be punished.
Darya looked up at Del Castillo. "Spasibo. Thank you... for ordering me another meal.
"I don't know what I can tell you about me that you don't already know. If I were in your shoes and you were in mine, I would know how many times you wake up at night especially if I were to have selected you out of all the people available in the galaxy for hire. So let's see how good your information is. How many times do I wake up?"
Darya stared at Del Castillo and then laughed. "You drink vodka, Ms. Del Castillo? and may we dispense with the formalities and I call you Arcadia? In my country, no deal is sealed without vodka."
Arcadia grinned broadly, "You call me Cadi. And perhaps I will have one drink after all. Vodka is fine. But I will likely not partake in more as I have work to prepare for tomorrow and must keep my wits. Still, martinis?"
The asari waitres was on hand to immediately take their orders. Apparently, she was being paid quite well.
"Okay, Cadi, Martinis. Mine with a twist, please," Darya said and smiled. "And please call me Darya."
Presidium Commons, Later.
Aside from an occasional twitch of the mandibles, Kurik sat completely still as he stared blankly across the water. For the first time in over ten years, he had a little time to himself, and he had absolutely no idea what to do with it. It had been several hours since he'd last moved.
"Waiting for someone?"
Kurik looked up at the human who had appeared in front of him. In each hand, she held a cup of fresh coffee.
"No." He answered flatly, while making eye contact. Much like his own, her eyes were a lighter shade of green, a trait fairly uncommon in darker-skinned humans.
"Here." She held out the cup marked with a red band. "Go on, take it. It's dextro."
Kurik reluctantly took the beverage in his hand. "Thank you."
The human took a seat on the bench next to him. "Erica." she extended a hand in greeting.
"Kurik." He shook her hand, and released it, before staring back across the water.
They sat quietly for the next few minutes, before Erica eventually spoke up. "You don't say much, do you?"
"It is not often that I have time to socialize." Kurik looked back to her. "I am not particularly good at it, either. Please, accept my apologies."
"No need to apologize. There's nothing wrong with being a little shy." Erica smiled. "You just need a little practice, that's all."
Kurik just nodded. Thus, beginning another bout of silence.
"Well, I should probably get back to work, now." Erica stood. "It was nice meeting you, Kurik."
"Likewise."
"See you around."
Kurik set his untouched cup of coffee aside, and resumed staring into space.
The waitress looked over to Chris. "Martini as well", he said.
Then he turned to Darya. "You said Vodka is typical for your country so I assume you're from Russia, right?"
"Yes, I am from the Republic of Tatarstan. My family lives outside of Kazan, the capital. It is a place rich in history," she said taking a sip of her drink, "One legend surrounds the great Sujumbike Tower. It is said that Ivan the Terrible built the tower for Queen Sujumbike in hopes that she would marry him. She climbed to the top of the tower and leaped to her death instead. It was a very Russian."
Chris chuckled. "There should be a painting that shows the look on his face when the queen killed herself. I wish I'd know such stories or legends. My sister and I grew up in Vancouver and to be honest, I never had the feeling as if there was an own cultural identity. I could hardly tell you anything interesting about the city or what is typical for the people from Vancouver."
"Leo Tolstoy also lived and wrote in Kazan. There must be something about this region and death. If you read any of his novels you would understand. None of them end well," Darya took a sip of her drink, "And then there was Alexander Pushkin, a poet who lived quite an interesting life. He married Natalya Goncharova, but not until she received assurances that the tsarist government would not persecute the libertarian poet. When the Tsar gave Pushkin the lowest court title, he became enraged, because he felt that Tsar wanted to humiliate him by giving him that title for the sole reason so that his wife could properly attend court balls."
Chris started to interrupt.
Darya put up her hand. "Wait, this gets better. Pushkin fell into greater and greater debt and faced scandalous rumors that his wife was having an affair, and so in 1837, he challenged her alleged lover, her brother-in-law, to a duel that left both men wounded. Pushkin, however, was shot through the spleen and died two days later. His home is now a museum. It was a very Russian ending.
"So now you know where I am from, Chris. Let us hope our missions do not end in a Russian manner."
Becks got bored whith the Krogan and walked over to the others she was supossed to be working whith.
"Sup? names Beck's former.. uh i do a little bit of this an that." she addressed no one in particular.
"Seems like the russian stories are quite somber. But I totally agree", Chris said with a nod. "I certainly do not plan to die during the missions. Of course there is always a risk when being in combat but my sister and I are capable of handling ourselves. We both served in the Alliance military for several years and know how to work with others, even if that turian seemed to be a bit sceptical."
"I did not mean to bring you down, Chris. It is why we have vodka," Darya laughed.
Chris shrugged his shoulders and grinned. "Sorry if I sound like being depressive. The last few weeks were no fun for us but maybe things will change now."
When Arcadia left Chris emptied his glass and thought of leaving as well. He was a bit worried about what Naomi could be doing in their apartment. "Are you going to be at the meeting point tomorrow?", he asked Darya.
Darya finished her drink. "I will be there. I need to see what kind of work these people do. And my bank account is starting to run a bit low."
"Well, I guess we will see us there." With a nod to Darya and the asari Chris stood up and left the Purgatory. He took a taxi back to his and Naomi's apartment.
...the next morning
To Arcadia, it felt as if the next morning had come all too soon. She had been up late, making sure everything was prepared for the new arrivals by hand, and speaking with Reith or Vihaan Devi. There were a few hours of sleep, for which Cadi was thankful for, and she was sharp, but would need to catch up later on the loss of rest.
Arcadia had opted for something more comfortable than the suit of armor she often wore, certainly out in the public area as she was always ready. She had donned a tank top and fatigues, both in olive drab, and black combat boots. Black, too, was the simple ‘webbing’ she had on over the tank top, carrying gear she felt she could never do without. That also included a holster on her hip with her heavy pistol. Lastly, her left forearm was covered in an omni-tool bracer and a set of her old dog tags were around her neck, along with a simple, white gold cross that was an heirloom. One might get the wrong idea about Del Castillo’s devotion from the heirloom, perhaps, but she refused to ever part with the personal treasure.
What was exposed, too, was the mural tattoo of Del Castillo’s right arm. It might draw questions, but she did not care. What was important was that this was a room to dispense information from, not to wander around in some hulking suit of armor. She needed to feel comfortable with the others and let them see her as she was, a person on their side, not a wall against them.
They would come in when they arrived, through the suite entrance of the professional building they were within. Stormhammer’s modest facilities were secure, like any high risk business would be, yet unobtrusive, blending in with the office area that occupied the other half of their floor. Vihaan would meet them in the comfortable foyer and bring them back through the short hallway that led to the first four rooms of the facilities. One was the room Arcadia was in, the ‘control room’ for lack of a better term. The crates of supplies and ammo had been cleared out and locked up in one of the other four rooms. Each of the three sizeable computer display screens was still there, but there was no critical data display, with only one of the screens streaming current news (volume off). Two tables had been brought in, with chairs for anyone who wanted to have a seat, and in front of the chairs were enough datapads for each of the arrivals. The datapads held another copy of the terms, and now contract data for three prospective clientele. A long built-in shelf on one wall held an unassuming array of various beverages and snacks, should anyone come wanting.
Arcadia used her omni-tool to interface with one of the idle display screens. On it, she brought up a presentation menu with titles she created of the three prospective clientele and their missions. They were:
The Escort
High-End Delivery
Show Security
“Hmmn,” Arcadia murmured. Perhaps not the most creative names she could come up with but they got the point across.
Kurik arrived at the specified location a whole 30 minutes early. He took several steps inside, eventually stopping in the middle of the lobby. It was empty, save for a single salarian.
"Mr. Trudas, I presume?" The salarian approached. Kurik nodded in the affirmative. "You're early."
It was not uncommon for Kurik to be extra punctual.
"Vihaan Devi." The salarian extended a hand.
Kurik shook his hand, but said nothing.
"Right this way."
Kurik followed Vihaan to the room in which Arcadia was waiting. Forgoing any refreshments, Kurik quietly took a seat at one of the tables.
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