Apologies

Inara was sitting in her office when one of her servants entered appearing quite nervous, "Mistress?" The Achuran just looked up from her paperwork expectantly, "I-I'm not sure what protocol is for this.. but." The middle-aged Brutor holds out a folded piece of paper while bowing slightly.

Frowning at the lack of proper channels being taken, she snatches the note and quickly glances over it. The frown marring her features turns to one of barely contained rage for a moment, clenching her jaw and taking a breath to calm herself she bites out, "Where did you find this, and who else knows about it?"

Immediately, as if expecting the question, he answers, "No one outside of this room knows, except whoever wrote it."

Inara surprised the man, grabbing his chin and pulling up till their eyes met, "I'm sorry." The shock on his face was quickly replaced by one of pain as a short blade was slid in through his stomach and into his lung. Keeping the man from falling, Inara embraced him, whispering another apology as he drowned in his own blood.

Laying the body out on the floor respectfully, she kneels and takes a moment to grieve. Wiping the tears from her face, she calls in someone to clean her office as she exits through the rear.

`'~._.~'`'~._.~'`'~._.~'`

"Ahh, Mistress Subaka. A pleasure to have you back in Curse." Inara nodded a greeting to the Cartel Medical Staff as she stepped out of the clone vat, taking the offered towel.

"I'm not here, and you never saw me." Her voice is cold, mechanical, the tone she uses when doing unpleasant business. Not sparing the people around her a second glance, she makes her way to clean up.

Exiting the secure medical facility, she makes her way to her quarters. Not long after, she leaves there wearing something that would be typical of the 'Underground' in the State. Long coat hiding her figure with a hat pulled low, mixed with the change in posture... it would be hard to point her out as 'Mistress Subaka'.

There was an easy pace as she made a direct path towards the farthest InterBus terminal on the station. They never asked any questions as Yanido Komoni asked for transport to the Kingdom.

`'~._.~'`'~._.~'`'~._.~'`

Two days later, she was sitting in an unassuming bar frequented by the dock-hands. A fair mix of Kingdom locals and State workers, none of them seemed to care about the woman in the corner.

She was finishing her second glass of water and was preparing to leave when a tall Amarrian stepped into the dark pub and scans the patrons. Inara doesn't seem to take note of the new arrival till he approaches the table, speaking in clear Achur, "Please, take a seat, Mistress."

The calm demeanor she had been showing slipped for a moment, unbridled hatred flashed across her features momentarily as she sat back down, "You have me at a disadvantage, care to introduce yourself, or do I find myself forgetting the last couple days?"

The man seems unaffected by her threats as he takes a seat, "You can call me Oni." Under the table, Inara's hand twitched towards the pouch attached to her leg, "I believe we have business to do, no?"

Waving for another glass of water, Inara nods, "What is your price?"

Chuckling, he orders a glass of the local rotgut, "Straight to the point? What should I call you, 'Mistress' is liable to call attention."

"Inara will suffice, I just want to get this over with."

The Amarrian made a face as he tried the drink placed in front of him, "Wretched stuff, I can't believe they actually make money selling it." Leaning back and making himself as comfortable as he could, his features turned pensive, "Ghost Festival... PRETA... Naraka... Death, evil spirits, hell... Tell me, are you a monster?"

"I'm not here for your philosophy questions. What. Is. Your. Price." Each word was bitten off bitterly.

"Ah, but that is my price, answers to my questions. Isn't that your most valuable commodity, information?" His ease with her native language, and the relaxed nature he was showing, was beginning to unnerve her.

Taking more than a small sip of her water, she seemed to calm down slightly, "No, I'm not a monster. Are we finished?"

He chuckled slightly, "Far from it." Several hours of questioning Inara on philosophy and her views of a variety of seemingly unrelated and inane topics he asked again, "Are you a monster?"

By this point, Inara seems resigned to answer his questions, "I've answered this already; no, I'm not a monster."

For the first time since sitting down, his features turned stern, "Don't monsters kill others, without regard to the lives they are ruining?" The change in tone caught her attention, as she looks up from her boredom, he continues, "Perhaps, killing my sister and allowing my brother-in-law to be murdered in front of my niece?"

It took a moment before Inara's eyes went slightly wider, "Jall'n." He nodded in response, "No, no, no." Inara started to stand as she was speaking.

He never moved from his seat, just motioned for her to sit again, "I'm not going to take her," He chuckled slightly, "I couldn't if I wanted to. Just over half my life savings went to making sure that note was delivered, I don't have the resources to take on a capsuleer, I'm not suicidal enough to make enemies of the Cartel, and my sister was disowned for marrying that worthless excuse for an Amarrian." Inara just motioned for him to continue as she retook her seat and calming considerably, "She is however, blood."

"You're going through a lot of work, simply to gain visiting rights to someone who, by law, doesn't even exist in your family. It's not as if you could welcome her home, or admit to contacting her." Sighing, she rubs the bridge of her nose, "Just tell me why, so I can get back to my normal life without having to stain my hands again."

"I've done my research, Inara, you are someone who sees reason when it's presented. Of course I won't be taking her home, no one even knows I arranged this meeting." He seems quite pleased with himself, "All I ask for is monthly progress reports, and a few thousand ISK to keep my lips shut to the authorities who would remove her from your custody."

Inara looks like the entire world came to rest on her shoulders, "Let us go for a walk..."

`'~._.~'`'~._.~'`'~._.~'`

"Have you ever been aboard a Capsuleer's ship?" Inara glanced over her shoulder as she was typing at a console. When the man shook his head, she smiled, "You're in for a treat today."

The man seemed quite intrigued as she finished up her transaction and started leading him towards the Hangar Array, "Just like that? You spend more than I likely have in all of my assets combined... Ahh, to be a capsuleer must be invigorating."

"It loses it's awe inspiring ability after a week. They should have it assembled and fit by the time we get down there." She sighs, "It's a shame the crew won't be mine."

`'~._.~'`'~._.~'`'~._.~'`

Less than ten minutes later, the man known as Oni was in the crew observation lounge looking across the stars. Inara's disembodied voice echoed in the room, "I hope you're comfortable?".

"Marvelous design, for Caldari anyways."

About then, the filters were forced to turn on the windows, as the local star came into prominent view, "Crew, please follow order 962 immediately." Glancing around, the Amarrian saw the two crewmen drinking coffee quickly leave the room, "I'm glad you are enjoying the hospitality."

Panic crossed the man's face as he bolted for the door, only to find it locked, "What's the meaning of this?!"

Inara's voice is heard once more, "You made one mistake," There's an almost sad tone as she continues, "You didn't tell anyone where you were going to be when you made efforts to extort me and stick your nose in the business of my family." The lights start to darken, fading to pitch black, "You and all evidence of you will be erased by the star, we are less than 40 kilometers from the surface, and without me in place... the shields will quickly fail to compensate for the radiation and heat." The man was pounding on the doors by this point, "I'm sorry."

Capsule Ejected.




((This is a piece of fiction that explains my recent absence IC. The details would be unknown, but with some digging an interested party would find that Inara Clone-Jumped to Curse, only to 'disappear'. Her pod never activated, no official communications were sent or received, there's no sign of her existing for a while, until a frigate was purchased in Tash-Murkon lowsec.))