Sex with the amorphous creature was always messy. Goro was one being that Scorch could not trust though he had not yet tried to betray her only because it was clear that she was fair too cautious and cross checked his information.

Not that his information wasn't good it was merely safer to double and triple check her facts before hand. It was not a surprise to her that the slaver wished to acquire her though what he wished and what he did had been two separate things.

As she cleaned up in the shower she gets all that goop off her and out of her that she could though she was feeling a little sore. Transactions with that slime ball had always been thorough and lasted according to the value of the information.

She supposed she should feel attractive as Goro usually had people pay for his information but had taken to letting her pay in time that he got to use her. Then again she was probably just one of many convenient playthings that the alien acquired at least temporary.

Not that she particularly enjoyed getting information like this. She did what she had to for the sake of her sister and Mercer had required her services again. On Garron and artifact had been uncovered from a now defunct civilization. A statuette of an alien God of Fortune rumored to influence the wealth and luck of the possessor. These were stories that she had heard, rumors though there may have been some truth to them.

But she had been told that pirates had attacked the ship transporting it. The Iron Vultures … not a problem, right? Her old crew. She knew their hideouts and when she approached them they had told her that they had already sold the artifact and told her to whom and where. Fortunately it was not long ago so she had R-92 lay in a course as she considered the change in situations … she would have to see about what she could dig up about the buyer. Could she ask for it? Buy it? She still had quiet the sum of funds from her pirate days or did she steal it? Perhaps both. She could make a pitch to buy it then steal it if the offer had been rejected, but first things first she had to get to the planet Jaroon, near Garroon in a neighboring system to figure out what was going on here.

Balard was walking back and forth in his quarter's and he looked at his datapad of a ancient artifact he had been hired to buy it and he was paid half now and half upon completion of his task, as he was studying the artifact he instantly knew he was going to be able to get anything he wanted from this object.

He landed down on the planet of Jaroon and he made his way through the port paying the landing fee's and registering his ship with the docking master's, he made his way through the town and found himself in front of the building, the doors slid open as he entered and made his way to the top of the building, when he found the room he knocked on the door "Come in" a voice called to him as he entered.

Little did he know someone else was after it and that it would make his day even more interesting compared to his previous acquire and delivery tasks though this time he won't be delivering it as it was very valuable and sought after.

She seat the ship down after having 92 pull up what he could about the planet on one of the monitors. Her computers stored so much information after all and she liked to be appraised of what she was getting into.

So her search had lead her here to this backwater planet off the beaten path. The planet was corrupt though there was only one city on it founded by the infamous Sly Morrison, a crime lord.

Imports all sorts of things though drugs and slaves were a major export. This place was a simple point in the moving of slaves, Vanejin was the slavery hub of this part of the galaxy so she doubted that slavery was a major business here.

Bringing up the residential district via a map she looked over the layout. Sly would have sent one of his goons to get the artifact, one of his ships though this recipient that the Iron Vultures past the artifact too was someone named Balard, a new player on the scene though.

She considered where he was staying and after paying for her docking fees she supplied the dock workers with a little something extra for information. She was looking for someone, a Balard, and while she was able to determine his ship she still had to work out where he was staying. The fact that he took a cab there meant only one place if he were a visitor here, since most of the hotels were in easy walking distance there was one near Sly so he was either lazy or at that hotel.

It was time to pour on the charm or flash some more money as she called a cab to make her way there and would soon arrive at the hotel. She was armed with her plasma pistol and knife, her sword was left back at the ship, she was no good with it anywhere.

He stood in the office for a long time and he had managed to get the artifact from the previous owner, this time he decided to walk back to the hotel and he stuffed it into his jacket to keep it hidden, he made it back to the hotel and entered his suite it was a expensive room he had paid for but he wanted comfort as he did not know how long he would be staying here.

He sat the statue down on the desk and sat in the chair staring at it, he didn't know if all the rumor's about this object were true or not so he didn't touch it in-case if the rumor's were opposite of what they are meant to be, he continued to stare at the object thinking of who would be interested in buying it so he switched his datapad on and began to search for someone willing to pay for the statue.

He laid back against his chair and began to rest his eye's as it was quite a journey from his planet here and he had not really slept one bit.

She had acquired the information easy enough by slipping the desk cleric some money and finding that Mister Balard was intend still checked in. For another hundred she got the room number for him though he was suspicious that she was a bounty hunter or hitman.

Of course she was neither though she was interested in that artifact Though it was not for her own use though.

Using the elevator she got off on his floor and moved up to it depressing the chime that was there to announce her presence to the man inside.

He nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard the chime announce that someone was at his door, he got up and made his way to the door, when he reached it he opened it, at the door stood a woman he had never seen before and he asked her "how may i help you" he rub's his eye's a couple of time's and shake's his head to wake himself up, he just watched the woman waiting on what she will say.

“Mister Balard?” She confirmed first. She looked him over, appraising him in case that this wound up going badly. She would wait until he confirmed his identity so she knew she wasn't wasting time here.

“I have been told that you are in possession of something that my,” she paused, what to call Mercer? He was an ass and even in this situation referring to him as Master was out of the question.

“My employer would be most interested in.”

He nod's his Head "I am Balard" he beckon's her inside and he walks over to the couch and sits down on it "what is this object your employer is after" he ask's curiously, he was not sure who she is, but if her employer is after it then maybe he might be able to get the full amount of money and be able to get a few new upgrade's or even find a new ship to work on.

"well, i am thinking of selling it to the highest bidder, it is worth quite a lot of money to a few people, though i am not sure, i may even use it to get a new ship as mine is getting a bit old now" he get's up and walk's to the bar and pour's himself a drink and he turn's to Scorch "would you like a drink" he ask's her as he add's ice to his drink.

She listens to his plans about the artifact. He was willing to sell it but the bad news was that he was intending to sell it to the highest bidder. She mulls that over for a moment.

“No, thank you.” She denies the offered drink as she runs through the options in her head. She didn't want to steal it as a first option after all and would exhaust all other avenues first.

“What are you hoping to get for it? Realistically."

"well if you got something you want to trade, i maybe willing to listen" he say's to her as he moves over to the statue and pick's it up with a cloth and move's it to the small table near where they are sitting "i don't touch it, in-case it does something, it is a unique item that my boss wanted, though he was only going to pay me half the value, while he sold it for double the price" he say's to scorch as he take's a mouthful of drink and set's the glass down.

“A wise precaution. I have no desire for it myself,” this had been only partially true. She wanted it because she was sent after it for her sister's sake. Already it had cost her a sicking time with Goro and a few hundred in bribes so it wasn't as if she could brush it off.

“You mentioned a starship earlier. I could get you the necessary parts for one or a new ship altogether if that is your wish.”

Inwardly she cursed Mercer as this was probably going to cost her more than she'd like.

He got up and began pacing back and forth wondering what he should do with it, he didn't really need it but the ship sounded like a good idea, he turned and watched her a few time's and now saw that she was good looking for someone who does what they do, he continued to pace "i may consider swapping it for a ship or i may just pass it off for free, i am not really fussed as i have been paid half the total so far" he say's to her.

He paused and went to his desk and started looking through his document's trying to find something he remembered about the artifact and if it's true both of them wouldn't need their boss's a huge grin appeared on his face as he continued to search and he muttered every now and then "come on, where is it"

That was interesting though for the first time it appeared that he remembered that she was female given his stars or that might have been her own imagination. But it seemed to be that he really did not have much interest in the device at all.

“I would be interested in it nevertheless.”

Curious she waits as he starts digging around for something. “What is it?”