Kouzakai entered the spacious space port and went directly to the hangar where his ship was docked. The slave remained silent althroughout, and this made Kouzakai wonder.

" What's the matter?" he said, bluntly." Cat got your tongue?"
The space ports were bustling with activity, even more so than that of the market. There were people walking around, people giving orders, and people wanting to get most of what was being offered to them. There were ship changes, ships that were ferries to other star systems or planets, and some slave traders here and there bringing their wares to the markets.

The hangar Kouzakai was docked in was owned by the Alliance, and the personnel quickly knew who he was the moment he walked into the hangar. They bowed corteously, and bought him in and ushered him into his ship.

" I do hope you put in the specs I ordered." he said.

The personnel bowed up and down at a dizzying rate, and soon the ship was prepped for launch. Kouzakai was doing a few final check-ups.

" Strap yourself in." He said." With luck, we may even get a message from your other master."

When Kouzakai asks her what's wrong, Triella just shakes her head in the negative. "Nothing, my lord. I just.. I apologize for forgetting my place there for a moment. I am yours for six months, it is not my place to question your plans."

When they get to the spaceport, the personnel will inform him that all of his requests have been filled to his specifications, and they will also notify him that one trunk of Triella's personal belongings had been transported to the ship from the slave market, and placed on board.

Triella will continue to follow KouzaKai, and will strap herself in like an experienced space traveler. "In fact, my Lord, I was given instructions to provide information for making voice-coded contact with him once we left atmosphere." Apparently, Star Dancer is quite paranoid - voice-coded communication would require not just the proper frequency, and encryption code, but would require it to be delivered by a specific individual -- in this case, Triella. It would be difficult to fake this kind of key, and the voice technology is sensitive enough that the stress of giving this information under duress would change a person's voice enough to fail the encryption. It is also VERY difficult to trace voice-coded contacts.

He may be paranoid, but the Dancer is also apparently not a fool.

The hangar's roof opens, and Kouzakai and the girl is offered a vantage point of the stars above, the vat expanse of space waiting to welcome them back. It is dark, and menacing, but yet Kouzakai feels at home in it whenever he rides to battle or just plain rides along the interstellar skies.

" Good. Remember your place, Triella, and that is by my side." Kouzakai sid as he made the final flight adjustments. " For what kind of a master am I, to willfully harm my own slave?"The ship began humming, and the hydraulic pylons hissed as they de-tached from the ship. It began to float on it's own, the Devourer's consciousness beginning to take control and finish it's job of ensuring the flight's safety for it's own rider.

There was a slight shudder as the assault cruiser took off, and a sonic shockwave escapes as the ship begins to leave the atmosphere. Kouzakai begins to prep his comm, finding the signatures in which he last spoke with the 'Dancer'.

" Your master is a wise one." he said as he concentrated on getting to a level vector before continuing to find the signature he was hailing. " He really made sure that no one would intercept, nor interfere with the comm."

Minutes later, lights flashed on the comm board, indicating an incoming signal.

" Think it's for you, what do you say?"

[OOC: I am sorry for the long delay in responding. I have been trying to think how I wanted to take this - and then got sick for the past week or so. I'm only now getting back on my feet - but I would like to continue if that's ok with you]

Triella smiles when KouzaKai refers to the Dancer as wise. "He is very good at what he does. I believe that is one reason you were seeking him, was it not?" she says with a playful wink.

When the signal comes in - it says simply "Code 2837" in the masculine voice you now associate with the Star Dancer.

Tria closes her eyes for a moment, and activates the comm.
"Lark Song alpha two nine four nine gamma psi three zero omega twelve eight seven"

The lights for the comm flicker for a few moments, before turning solid, indicating the secure comm line has been established.

"Greetings again, Lieutenant. I will say that I am impressed at the lengths you were willing to go to in order to do business. I assume that by now, Triella has given you my warning about the "Phoenix Rising"?"

[OOC: Oh, no, it's okay, glad to have you join me again. ]

This was turning out to be quite worth the pay, and even more so, now that he has the complete trust of an otherwise very rare and very important find.

" Well, it is...that powerful and wise men gravitate towards each other, and as such, the same it is with me and your other master." Kouzakai said with an evil smile, but otherwise kind.

A few more minutes later the flashing lights on the comm board indicated a code coming through, designating it as Code 2837 with the same masculine voice that he had spoken to earlier. He did not speak. He just let Triella go and do the necessary preparations she had to do in order for him to secure a direct line.

Minutes later, after the sing-song confirmation that came afterwards Triella's signature bounce-back, Kouzakai took the comm, and stood up. He felt as if he was speaking before an actual individual. He stood behind Triella, letting her do the job of handling the comm board.

" Speak." Kouzakai said in a calm voice.



Kouzakai could not help but smile.

" We are both after the same aim, are we not?" He said. " The only difference between us is that you work alone, and I, I just love the feeling of commanding an entire fleet of people waiting for your order. But I do trust we both share the same lust for power and prestige?"

He paced back and forth, as he spoke in a business like tone, the same he used with the traders and the kings that he made deals with.

" Now, about the Phoenix..." he said, " I am grateful for the information, but yet...I was wondering about what level this danger you are talking about is? Is it really worth my staying away, or just simply put, there are too much forces on board that ship that I should just scratch that raid altogether?"

Kouzakai stood there, waiting for the answer, before even thinking about his next course of action about the 'Phoenix'.

Triella remains quiet as she lets her two "masters" conduct their business - this is after all their affair, not hers. But she also knows that she may well be required to provide information or carry out other orders. And so she waits quietly, patiently, and without looking KouzaKai directly in the eye.



The voice comes back over the comm - "Personally, perhaps so. Although I care less about prestige, then comfort and security and the power I seek is the power of information rather than command. But make no mistake, Lieutenant - this is a business transaction, and not the only one I have. As such, my organization and yours may not always see eye to eye as it were."

"But my business also depends on my reliability and integrity - so I assure you that what information I provide is accurate to the best of my knowledge - and that I do not ever play both sides on a single operation."

"As for the 'Phoenix' - since I do NOT have all the details of your operation, I can not provide an estimate of the danger to your plans. What I can tell you is that I do have some new information since what I had last communicated to Triella. I have confirmed that there will be three ADD agents on board the Phoenix. In an attempt to still keep up appearances though, all of the listed guests will also be present. The agents have merely been booked on as staff to the cruiser. The primary family has been notified of the operation, although I do not know if all of the guests have been made aware of the ADD officers' presences. As such, whatever target you were seeking is likely to still be present on board.
I have also learned that the ADD will have one battle cruiser, and 2 light warships providing a discrete escort, and 2 more light warships as close escort. IF you are able to get past the close escort, you will have between 5 and 10 minutes before the cruiser would be able to engage. I leave it to you to decide on the value of your target and the risk involved."

"Now, as for the matter of my operative - you are free to use her talents as you see fit..." a comment which makes Triella flush a little as she sits there with KouzaKai standing over her. "I am sure you have already begun to realize some of her.. unique.. talents. If you are interested, I may still wish to use Triella as a contact point for other of my operatives. I would share all information that was acquired from such contact, but would have to insist on Triella having complete privacy for the meetings, so as to protect the security of my other operatives. Of course, this is entirely up to you - and can be decided as opportunities present themselves, but I wished you to consider the option."

"Anything else you are interested in at the moment, Lieutenant?"

Kouzakai thought hard and deep as he listened to the information that came through from the other side.

He knew much about ADD ships. They were decent; they had actually enough firepower to overcome a well-made counterpart of theirs in the Alliance, since it seemed that the Alliance only made ships which were something like a shadow of the best ADD battleships that they had captured. Since then, of course, the ADD had designed and re-designed their fleet, such that the versions which the Alliance had copied were already obsolete by the time they faced off.

Make no mistake, though...the Alliance WarLabs had come through leaps and bounds of humiliation to keep doing the same mistakes over and over, and a lot of anti-ADD ships had since come out, the pride and joy of the Alliance's fleet. But these were for the exclusive use of the battle group under the direct command of Archanius. As such, the only thing that was left to sub-groups and sub-commanders such as the Lieutenant were these ADD copies. Of course, in the hands of a talented commander it was at par with the ADD ships but only so much can be coaxed out of a mere shadow of an out-dated model. The ADD still possessed a certain edge.

There was no problem with these ships, although...

The problem lied with the agents. The Captain of the Star Dancer only designated them as agents, without even saying anything about their levels, capabilities, or even if they belonged to any core group of agents that possessed a distinct level of threat, which Kouzakai knew of. This was virtually akin to diving into a vat of toxic waste and hoping that the waste was not toxic to his kind.

Still...

Kouzakai began to look a little differently at Triella, paying a lot more attention to the last remark the Captain made before maintaining quiet air.

" Well, The only thing I need to know..."

Kouzakai remained silent before speaking up again.

" How much information had you said about us to the ADD?" He said. " You said it yourself, you're not partial to each side. And as such..."

A manic smile appeared on his face.

" Where and when will those ships appear?"

Triella notices KouzaKai's additional attention as Star Dancer speaks, and she shifts a bit nervously in the chair, even as a slight flush comes to her skin. She remains silent though, continuing to operate the communication panel between her two 'Masters'.

"When you say US, are you referring to the Alliance in general, or to your own operations?" the voice asks calmly. "I play both sides, and have never made any attempt to deny it. Have I informed the ADD about some Alliance operations in the past? Certainly - just as I am informing you of their operation now. But I have not, and will not, ever sell out an operation that I am currently employed within. In this case, I did not provide the ADD with any information about the Alliance plans for the Phoenix Rising. At the least, they discovered it on their own. I suspect they may have engineered the event entirely, but again that is only supposition on my part."

"Have I sold out any of your specific operations? I do not know, perhaps. Often I do not know the individual people behind these things. It is information that is risky to get, and dangerous to sell. People take it personally sometimes."

"And I have told you all I know about the ships. Two are in close escort - meaning they could respond to a signal, or a radar scan within 1 to 2 minutes. The cruiser is further out - maybe as much as 10 minutes. They are already in escort around the Phoenix and will respond at a signal from their ranking agent, or at the first indication of a firefight."

"I will say, that you seem to have a lack of trust or confidence in my information which I find surprising. Especially given the expense you have paid for it, Lieutenant."

" That is all I need to know." He said, settling back on his seat.

There must have been some chemical reation induced by this, because he was feeling kind of peculiar right now. And he was pertaining to the girl, the slave he had just bought. Because he was sure that he was feeling particularly okay when they first came here, but now...it seems there had been something he did not know.

He looked to his side and now, he noticed how those curves and those patches of skin that showed on her dress were affecting him. There was that something that he felt when he was chasing a prey, or when he was chasing after a particular agent or slave. That familiar feeling...

But not now, not yet. Because he was in the middle of a meeting.

" I just needed to be sure that we were on the same footing, and now that I'm sure, I can proceed to the attack without fear of anything else." He said. " I do thank you for that information, and if you'll excuse me, I have a battlegroup to coordinate."

He then gave the wink to his slave to finish the transmission.

Triella continues to just operate and monitor the communication board as her 'Masters' converse. But she will occasionally glance back at KouzaKai.. and shift a little nervously in the chair - but she says nothing about it - continuing with her duty.

She will visibly tense a little when KouzaKai mentions that he has a battlegroup to coordinate.

The Star Dancer responds to KouzaKai's clear conclusion to the discussion as well. "Very well, Lieutenant. That is your decision. Triella, what code sequence will you use for our next communication."

The slave answers then "Sequence 20, Response 17, Code 5, Master."

"Noted and accepted. Remember, Triella, to honor the contract. Obey the Lieutenant in all matters."

"Of course, Master." and then with one last glance at KouzaKai for approval, she'll terminate the connection.

"Will there be anything else, my lord?" she'll turn and ask softly.

" That will be all." he spoke. " Terminate the connection."

Kouzakai then lounged back on his seat, thinking about what had happened in the cockpit, about the 'Phoenix' and her cargo. No doubt, the Alliance had deep seated trust in sending him to secure the cargo and do this job, but he can't help but think if it is all a trap. The captain of the Star Dancer, being altruistic and neutral, might have been right in saying that attacking the Phoenix is like signing a deathwish.

Was someone in the ranks trying to sign his death warrant?

Ever since the creation of the Alliance, he's found out that there was a long history of betrayal and selling out to the other side on countless occassions. And more than once, the best men always ended up dead. The legendary monster Karn. Kraken Macshelby. Mard Fu'Alamako. Those guys who were pillars of the Alliance, all dead at the hands of the ADD.

He paused for a moment to think.

Then again, after all the numerous death traps set for him by the ADD, he had yet to find one that worked. Every agent ended up having a secret affair with him, one which ended with them at the end of his long, thick pole, and he walked away unscathed. There might be something watching over him, and he would like to find out if his luck would still hold.

And it was not his nature not to take risk. Risks were the main reason why his life was the way it was...full of danger, yet full of excitement.

Risks was the main reason why he felt alive.

When he heard his subordinate finishind up the call and closing the comm link, Kouzakai wheeled his seat to face the slave.

" You, Triella." He spoke. " What would your opinion be about my attack on the Phoenix?"

Triella slides out of her seat as you address her and kneels before you.

"My lord, I am yours to command. My opinion is of no consequence." she says in subservience, like any 'pleasure slave' would say. She pauses for a moment.. long enough that you think that is going to be her entire answer.

"You must weigh the risks and rewards as you see them, my lord. Without knowing what you have in mind, my lord, I can offer no more than that." and as she looks up at you, there is a spark in her eye. Oh yes, there is definitely a clever mind behind the sex-toy appearance that she presents.

It is not difficult to imagine how others have dismissed or underestimated her, giving up secrets to her.. and therefore to the Star Dancer.

Kouzakai continued to stare on ahead, pondering things that he heard just recently and the things that were either set to happen or will change in the next hour.

There was no doubt that the 'Phoenix Rising' was one cargo that he could not forego. Notwithstanding that there was a real risk of being captured and incarcerated, it seemed all the more inviting that it was guarded heavily by several platoons of elite ADD troops. Add to that the information he just received earlier, it was a confirmation of the weight and importance of the ship's inhabitants and most of all, the business end of the whole scene.

Yet, if you would think about it, there might be real danger involved as well, one which he thought he might've never experienced before. There were various dangers which he had come through but each one was getting harder as time passed by, and he thought, with the trend of things, eventually something was going to give and no sooner than he'd think, he might actually find himself in trouble or worse, dying.

Ah, the pros and cons of living this life.

" Well..." He started. " What the 'captain' might have said had an effect on my general course of action. Sure, I will still try and attack that crate but what he said might actually hold something true...I might have to see whether this is right or not."

He punched in the coordinates for a space station floating within an asteroid field some miles away from them, one where he was gathering the battlegroup he was about to bring into either glory or ruin.

" You talk to them." He said, as he prepared for a transmission. " I'll need to see if what we have learned changes things."

[OOC: Sorry for the delay - I wasn't sure how to respond to this, and finally decided that Triella probably shouldn't either then ]

Triella watches KouzaKai intently as he thinks about what to do with the attack. She remains kneeling in front of him, head slightly bowed, but raised enough that her eyes are on him constantly.

She watches him set course for the station, and then as he opens a communication line with the station.

"Me, sir?" she asks honestly surprised when he tells her to talk to them. "What do you wish me to tell them, my Lord? Or what is it that you wish to learn from them? Forgive me, but I do not understand your intent here, my Lord."

" Well..." the Lieutenant replied. " I want you to talk to them about what the Captain of the 'Star Dancer' said."

Kouzakai laid back in his chair, waiting for the girl's response.

Kouzakai wanted to try something, and see if the information they had received would change things. This was a big thing for him...everything, including his fleet's survival and the acquisition of the cargo, depended on what reaction the station would give out. Positive, or negative, he never could figure out. All he knew was that he must figure out what was more important...life, or wealth.

Also, there was something to this slave that did not sit right, nor did it feel right...

He remembered something about an ADD agent posing as a slave, luring captains and even admirals to their deaths...was such a thing possible? He would find out. As he usually said, 'spring the trap'.