Nesert

3.14

Her efforts were slow, with the speed capabilities of her tel'tak nearly unbearable, so she started investigating the new power structures of the galaxy after the loss of the Goa'uld Empire. From what she gathered at the planets she visited, stopping into bars and chatting up the locals, the Lucian Alliance was the new power to be feared.

A group of criminals, essentially - mercenaries, thieves, smugglers - they'd taken control of enough ships and planets to make themselves rich and powerful, especially since they'd become the drug lords of the galaxy with their highly addictive kassa, a corn-like crop.

A man named Netan kept coming up and the repetition confirmed his leadership position to her. She wasn't interested in aligning with them, though, just acquiring a ship, so she looked more closely into the territory she was currently in and found it was run by one of Netan's Seconds, Anateo. He was considered fairly brutal, but Nes had skills that usually ensured good treatment, even by men like those involved in the Lucian Alliance.

"So where would I find this Anateo?"

"Depends why you're looking for him, sweetheart," the bartender gave her a wink, but his face shifted to a warning. "He's not the kind of man you'll want to find without a clear purpose."

"I'm simply looking to acquire a ship and it seems the Lucian Alliance owns most of the ships in this area."

"That they do, but they're not for sale."

Nes smiled Sekhmet's smile. "Everything's for sale for the right price. Our souls themselves can be bought if someone offers us something we can't refuse."

"I wouldn't recommend selling your soul to Anateo."

She laughed. "Fortunately for me, I don't have a soul left to sell."

The bartender chuckled as he poured her another drink. "So what were you offered that you couldn't refuse?"

"Oh, I didn't sell it. I destroyed it piece by piece. Murder does that." She slammed the drink back. "So how do I find Anateo?"

"You've been asking about him enough that I expect he'll find you."

"And is it alright if he finds me here?"

He narrowed his eyes, but finally gave a curt nod. "I have a few rooms for rent upstairs if you need a place to stay."

"Lovely. How long do you think he'll take?"

"Word is he's been in the area and I expect your description will get his attention."

Nes smirked. "Beauty - a key that opens doors for saints and sinners alike."

Fortunately for Anateo, he did not try her patience for too long. He arrived at the bar with a few men two days later.

Nes had paid a young boy to come find her as she walked through the village if the Second arrived. He came plunging through the crowd to grab her hand, dragging her back towards the bar as if his payment were dependent on the speed with which he pulled her through the streets.

Nes walked in and saw the group of men, immediately picking out the leader by how he carried himself.

He was fairly tall and lean with dark short hair, dark eyes that locked onto hers, and a scruffy beard that gave him a bit more authority than his youth would normally garner. She liked the look of him far too much and wished her plans included more torture and less bartering.

He approached her with both a swagger and a seductive smirk, not bothering to hide how his eyes ran up and down her body.

"You must be the stranger asking far too many questions." His accent made him all the more appealing, reminding her somewhat of an Earth German.