Hoth: Blood and Ice

"Okay so, you know that mercenary captain Bozr Thesk?" she calls out to Aurilie, wherever she was at current. Riss wasn't too concerned to keep that much track of her while she bounces around her cabin. Right now she was sat in front of her personal mirror doing a few touch ups to her makeup worn, ever making sure she was always putting her best foot forward even in times such as these.

As Riss was moving around, Aurilie was situated at the end of the hall and sitting down at a spot that constituted the common/living/rec room on the Rimma with her legs crossed. While her friend was moving around, she would have normally kept up but a ship left little space to stand. At times, she could easily get in the way.

At the mention of the name, she rose her brows and made her way over to where Riss was finally, standing at the doorway. She crossed her arms and looked a tad preemptively disappointed. "Riss...I might have seen him in passing here or there. I can't say I've ever spoken to him at length."

Seemingly satisfied with her face she sets aside a nearby bottle, the sound of glass sliding across metal- albeit very small glass. "Hot right?" she calls out, giving it some volume to make sure that her voice carried appropriately. Which wasn't much volume considering the distance wasn't obscurely large, but still enough corners and such she wanted to make sure.

Giving how she started her sentence with 'Riss', Aurilie had a good gut feeling about where this was going but she found herself willing to play along for now. She was going to let Riss finish rather than assume, her friend was more than just a walking habit of bad choices. At least, she'd like to think so! She gave a few nods at the question. "He's not exactly my type...but I suppose he is good-looking with a bit of swagger to him. If there's some sort of fountain of handsomeness he found while being a mercenary that bounced from place to place in the galaxy, he's making good use of it. You don't make a living catching bullet while looking like that so easily."

After a beat, she would add in, "So...I take it that you've talked to him more lately?"

"Suspicious of him already, mm?" her voice rang from down the hall. A couple items pushed across a table top and the sound of Riss' feet hitting the floor. Coming out toward Aurilie Riss hooks herself around the corner of door frame of the hallway into the central room. Snapping to Aurilie as she knew where she left her with a touch of a smile, "Anyway, yes. Shady sort as you can imagine so-" she gives a look, and Aurilie certainly didn't need to know more. Definitely her type, could maybe use a tattoo or more though.

Using that hanging position she slides into the room, "Enough about me-" she says, and crosses over toward Aurilie. Squatting down in front of her she rests each forearm over her knee, "Not only are you getting involved with everything but- Cynella? I'm.. okay, before I say too much what are you thinking.. feeling there?"

Aurilie closed her eyes momentarily as she explained herself. "I'm not suspicious of him exactly but he is literally a mercenary. I'm surprised, but happy, that a few of them have remained with us during these trying times. They likely have the freedom to run off as they wished when things got difficult around here. So, the few remaining are likely just hoping for a bigger payoff in the end...or are actually here for a bonafide reason. All of us in this base, including the Sith, likely have a good idea of each other by now...but I would still be careful around anyone you haven't known for at least a year. Subterfuge can run deep, I suppose."

She smirked faintly when Riss situated herself in front of her. However, that only lasted so long until she brought up Cynella. She tilted her head with a bit of concern and confusion. "What of her? I do make a point of sharing with her everything I'm involved with around here."

"Certainly could have always put their lot in with the Maw," she did comment on that first bit. Though only lingering slightly on it with the ease of a smile back to the new angle she'd introduced. Raising a brow slightly with slightly cocked head, "Yea- I expected you to share our happenings well enough but.. bringing her along onto the vessel of the White Maw? How did that one sit with you, Aurie? Both of you in that place was... unexpected."

"Yes..." Aurilie said slowly at first with a few nods. "I understand it might look a bit awkward but funny enough, that's something I think could happen more often. Despite being happily married, we don't get too many opportunities to work together, outside raising Ashley, Carlotta, and Susette. Our family together is everything...but not literally everything. I know we both have gone off doing different things professionally but I would be lying if some small involvement in this mission was getting more chance to work alongside Rhia. She is every part of me, after all."

She smiled sheepishly after. "Only when she wants to, of course. I was merely just saying that I welcome these opportunities."

"Have you thought about what happens if something went wrong?" she asks, the question coming down with that preparedness like she'd had it in the back of her mind since. Riss' eyes locking onto Aurilie's seeking the deepest bit of sincerity in a way best suited to friends who've known each other for years. Riss wasn't judging, just concerned.

Aurile grew serious at the question and she frowned for a few beats before she took a breath in and answering. "Of course, I have thought about what would happen if it went wrong. It would be irresponsible of me to think that her presence was something of fancy or satisfy some sort of desire. Not that anything went wrong but there were some pirates that were hassling her and I felt the need to step in. Disguises were all well and good but I won't going to allow them to insult her like that. I digress but...We also have to agree that Rhia is hardly a damsel here far from that. We're all taking risks by coming here, already, and continue to do so everyday."

She shook he head and looked directly at her. "...What is this about, Riss?"

"I can't cover you both," she says as if it were an admission of guilt. Giving herself a little more of a stance, propping up a a bit, Riss' hand goes to her forehead. Placing her thumb above her temple she rubs to coax out the words.

"I woulda said something earlier if either of you were damsels, and neither of you are but- you guys don't know this kind of lifestyle. Kriff.. you've got it written on your every expression that.." she smirks up humorously a bit, "well, honest? You've got sheltered written into you bones pretty much. Folk know to take advantage of.you at a glance- and that could go double for Cyn. Just-"

"I only know really how to take care of myself, ya know? You on the job.. I could at least make sure if the worst came I could help you get back so you could get back to Cyn, right? But.. with you both there," she shrugs, "I'm kinda at a loss on how I'd take care of more than one person Aurie."

Aurilie closed her eyes at that and let out a pained sigh as she considered Riss words, perhaps begrudgingly tempering her response to that. "...I'm not quite sheltered, Riss. I'll admit that I've gone through my life with great comfort but not one that was without hardships. I think I've done fairly passable, all things considered..."

She wasn't talking about her acting specifically.

She opened her eyes to look at Riss again. "...was I really so obvious? I didn't think I walked into that situation with bright eyes and smiles."

"How much did you pay for the information on Beezlediz?" she asks, cocking her head.

"Pardon?" She said as she narrowed her eyes on that note, wondering if there as a detail she forgot about. "I more or less stumbled into it when I had a very brief audience with the queen and paid my fee. Regarding his association and wanted status by the Hutts, that was also making an acquaintance with another person at the right time, I suppose."

"You wound up in the cantina. Where we met. Standard practice in those parts, you give a little to the barkeep for information- I figured you got that far since you knew were Beezlediz is. Just need to know how much he asked from you," she says, breathing in and letting her shoulders rise a little.

"If it was anything more than 50 credits you seemed like a easier target than I did to rip off a little. I coulda laid less myself but," she waves her hand. "I'm not above being drained a little."

"Just.. I'm not saying you're sheltered completely, Aurie. You're just stepping into a whole different game that you don't understand. You're an outside in the circle, and folk pick up on that- you're good at what you do, you'll probably be fine just be careful, alright? You and Cyn both. Don't trust anything."

"Oh, right," she said in realization. "I suppose I forgot at first as the transaction seemed rather insignificant to me at first, as was the money that was exchagned for the information. I gave him 100 credits. The credits don't mean anything to me and far more to these scum, so I thought it was just the right amount to grease some wheels in thoe parts. I hadn't known that the amount meant something, it's not like he hassled for me after..."

She frowned after some further note. "But I can see how the small act is enough to indicate that I don't think much about money, I'll give you that. Rhia might have been more in the know here with her bartering skills. I'll have to be more careful next time, with people and money."

After a moment, she let out a sigh, knowing this was still related to Cynella. "Look, I do apologize about being a burden...It was our intention to help each other, help you. I know that I put myself into this but we're all in this. However, I'm not going to risk giving you a busted wing over this matter if you feel you're getting sagged down. If you want something to happen with us, you should just come out and say it...more so than you already are, of course."

"I just-" she bites her lip, leaning back until she can sit firmly on the ground. Twiddling her thumbs while staring at the space between. Breathing in deep she lets out a long sigh, "I'm just scared, Aurie- I'm not used to this whole.. caring about the other people on the job thing?"

"Kriff, when I did stuff like.. kind of like this before, it's not like I cared for anyone else. If someone else got caught holding the bag? Well, at least I got out- I'm just worried about you both. About your beautiful little family that you deserve cause you're both amazing people," she scoffs a little, inwardly.

"Just never worried about kriff like this before. Maybe I do care too much," she says, chuckling inwardly as well.

Aurilie found it a tad awkard to have Riss sitting on the ground while she was sitting down on a a seat while they talked. She slid of her seat and joined her on the ground, placing an arm around her shoulder. "So we get a bit more to the heart of the matter here...I'd say that you're absoultely right to say that I'm a bit sheltered in the line of work when I hadn't even considered that. Here I was thinking that Rhia and I would be more or less on equal footing with you as capable people. I hadn't considered you shouldering our participation in a mostly solitary lifestyle, with little honour too..."

She sighed and gave a few weighted nods of her head. "'I'm not of the belief that the weight of the galaxy is in the balance with my involvement in the heist. It's likely they'll go chasing to find me on the day of, so they probably won't miss me at all. If this will be easier for you...and better gurantee your chance of coming back here, I will respectfully sit out and drop my involvement in this criminal venture."

With that, she looked to Riss for her response.

Riss didn't respond right away, taking what she could and leaning against Aurilie a little more. Letting the sigh shift noticeably in her frame, the shoulders rise and fall. Softly, she shakes her head," No. Come with us.. like- Bozr said, it's good to have someone who might not stab you in the back. We can make it kind of a strength, ya know? First criminals to truly all trust each other.." she chuckles faintly, warmly.

"Just- when we're in there don't worry about me too much, okay? This is a life I've lived well. You're both good, you're both capable, I just gotta learn how to worry and not let it get to me," she says cracking a grin. "But.. in there, I need you to just worry about you- and Cyn, if she comes. I can figure my way out in the worst of situations, okay? Just be safe. Trust no one."

"And.. especially not that sexy mercenary captain who is actually an Imperial spy, but probably isn't going to double cross us."

"I can't say that I've found myself with the status of criminal yet. Are we so much criminals when we steal from thieves who deserve it? Or that we'll likely not get prosecuted by Republic law? Well, I digress. I imagine that my contribution to the criminal world would be a bit of honour and prestige. Putting the honour in honour among thieves. Hm, yes, I think thieves is a better term because I won't deny that we are doing that." She nodded soundly to herself after her personal debate.

"I suppose I did put myself in this first but it is my intention to look out for you too, Riss. I know you're in no need for it but the circumstances are a bit different here, for all of us and everything. If I am to be some extra weight on this ride, then I should try to repay in some manner. Please allow me to do that, or try. Supposedly part of this venture is my fault, right?" She said with a sheepish smile.

She raised her brow at that. "Probably? How did you get that out of him? And is there a chance he might go rogue?'

As Aurie responded, sheepish smile and all, she could help but get up close with her and cuddle a little. Much as Aurie would allow at least, wrapping her arms around her old friend she douses her in that big but unspoken affection, "No- I don't think so? Maybe. I don't trust him.. but I'd like to, mmm? I think.. I think I understand him, and he might be able to understand me.." she shakes her head a little. "Anyway, important bit. I caught him in the act on the last job, and he told me how he was doing something for the Empire but not against the Republic and also didn't wanna divulge what he was actually doing-" she lets out a deep sigh, "uggghh. Anyway, men."

"I'm telling you mostly so you don't get caught out by surprise, alright? If you notice something. Guess.. just let him do his thing? We focus on our thing. With the Eternal Empire looming like it is- well, not much else matters mm?"

Aurilie chuckled at the cuddle and happily accepted it with a hug returned of her own. It was little things like this that made her think back to her younger self with Riss. She was admittedly a little less serious and less princely back then. She did hold that affectionate gesture for a moment before she pulled slight to look at her as they addressed the topic with the spy. "He might have held back ...I suppose the fact that he didn't kill you on the spot for knowing too much is at least an optimistic sign that you have some favour with him. You'd think that most spies would want to avoid being caught at all costs because the penelty for being caught on either side isn't so kind...But yes, I suppose the fact that he's here is at least something."

"Right?? I mean.. he coulda, and even.. kriff, you know the Merc I was at the cantina with? Red Blade? Same guy soo," she sits up a little, shrugs. "He clearly doesn't have too much hesitation about the killing bit, mm?"

"Which does mean I was different for some reason, or the situation was, but," she shrugs. "Who knows, eh? We'll.. see. Not like I have all that great of a record with guys- which Kat reminds me often," she chuckles, but there's a little edge to it.

Aurilie listened to her with an obvious gleam of concern in her eyes. "I'm not so sure if he could be considered a 'guy'. While he didn't see it necessary to kill you, I'm not so sure if that means fondness in the slightest. Maybe you were better to him alive at the time. I'm not so sure. Is it the danger that makes him intersting? Because I can't shake the feeling that you're flirting with a bit of danger here...You'll be careful, right?"