Renala looks raises her eyebrows. "My prototypes failing?" she says with a mock tone of indignation. "Impossible. That never happens." The joke does little to ease her nerves about this working.
#RedrockAgency – September 26, 2019
The call interface's connecting status is replaced by a blank surface with a faint timer ticking up on it could be before Jason is able to voice any examples. "Hello?" says a tired feminine voice on the other end. The audio quality is clean so far, free of any background noise and interference.
Renala starts watching the statistics intently once the call connects, letting Jason speak for now. It was his idea, after all. It's a risk either way, though, as far as getting herself in trouble is concerned. Renala wants to set foot in Armali again in the not too distant future.
Jason seems about to say something just as the disembodied voice speaks up, pulling his attention back to the device. He certainly has no more intention of pissing off Armali Intelligence than Renala does. The goal is getting answers, not making more enemies. Keep things formal. "Am I speaking to Nari Aehan?"
Renala moves the call interface a bit out of the way on the terminal screen to study the lines scrolling by.
Jason shoots an approving glance Renala's way as it's confirmed the call has reached the proper channels. "Jason Wolfe." he responds, gaze turning to the terminal as well since there's nowhere else for him to put his focus. Not that it tells him much. Might as well be gibberish. "You are a difficult one to get ahold of, Ms. Aehan." he continues, deciding to keep from giving too much away just yet. See how she reacts to the name.
From his conversation with Va'ynna, he knows they've spoken about him. Keep it friendly and see where she goes with it.
"It appears it's not difficult enough, Mr. Wolfe," she replies, her tone not giving away a reaction. If anything, it sounds a bit synthetic even if it's without the characteristics of heavily compressed audio. "The software you're using was prepared for one specific person. How did you get ahold of it?"
Uvena opens the door just as Nari finishes speaking, looking at Jason and Renala curiously. Seeing the mess on the table being plugged in, she gives Jason a displeased look before closing the door behind her and moving to stand by the wall just beside it. She's wearing a gray turtle-neck sweater and black pants.
Renala jumps a little at the sound of the door opening taking her focus away from the readouts, but there isn't a shred of surprise to be seen on her face at Uvena entering without knocking. She gestures for her to be quiet when it's clear that she's not just going to leave.
Jason allows a small smirk to cross his features at Nari's reaction though he halts his own response as the door slides open, his attention shifting to Uvena. Great. An audience. Considering the topic of conversation is Uvena's daughter he can't exactly ask her to leave, so he merely mimics Renala's gesture. "Uhh-..." he stammers briefly as he tries to get back on track after the interruption, "...well, I might not be Armali
Intelligence, but I've got some assets of my own." he offers, giving a quick glance towards said asari 'asset'. "But that's not important, Ms. Aehan. I'm not gonna insult your intelligence and play stupid. You know why I'm reaching out to you. I'm not looking for trouble." he assures, giving a small shake of his head, "Hell, that's the last thing I need right now."
"Redrock Agency, I know," she says, her tone not giving anything away. "Just like I know you're not alone in the room." There is a brief pause before she addresses his main point. "Is this about the original recipient of this software?"
Uvena narrows her eyes, looking at the terminal screen. She doesn't understand what's on it, even if it weren't mirrored from her angle, but that's the closest she has to a face for the voice.
Renala stays quiet, even if she knows the chances are very low that Nari said that just because of the sound from the door rather than something that would have detected her specifically.
Jason lets out a deep breath as Nari makes it known that she's aware of Uvena's presence. His first reaction is to instinctively glance Renala's way, silently wondering if Nari could have somehow breached their security. But that worry quickly fades from his face as he considers the facts. It probably wasn't much of a leap for Nari to assume Uvena's involved with Redrock, after all. Nari did send people after Uvena right here in
town so it's not unlikely that she's keeping tabs on her. He finds himself studying Uvena for a moment before turning his attention back to the device before him. "Yeah. It is." he admits. No point in beating around the bush. That won't get him anywhere. "See, your step-daughter happens to be a good friend of mine. Unfortunately, she also seems to have gotten into the habit of ending up in the sights of some real nasty
Uvena is staring a hole in the terminal's screen. She refrains from speaking, though, even if it looks like she has much to say.
It takes a few seconds before Nari responds. "I did not make her a target, if that is what you think," she answers, her tone still calm, "but I am not going to involve myself in your agency's operations in any way. That would risk going against your wish for no further trouble."
Jason gives an immediate shake of his head despite Nari's inability to see him. "Didn't say that you did." he's quick to interject even before she can continue with her sentence, not wanting this conversation to take any sudden turns. "And I'm not looking to get my people involved in your personal business." he responds once she finishes, gaze once more darting Uvena's way for a brief moment. "But I'm also not about to just
stand around when my friend is in danger. That's why I'm approaching you directly, Ms. Aehan. Because, whatever is going on here? It, unfortunately, already involved us. It spilled over into our backyard and I'm just looking to clean this mess up. So-..." he draws in a breath, letting it out in a deep sigh, "...what in the hell is all of this about?"
A few seconds passes after he finishes speaking. "Information might find itself in capable hands, if and when that is necessary," she says. "I owe it to my daughter to do what is in my power, but comparing notes with you.... No, I don't see that as the right way forward."
Uvena grits her teeth at the word 'daughter', and a short-lived spark of biotics form around her right hand.
Jason bites down as Nari expresses no interest in sharing intel. The flash of blue out of the corner of his eye causes his attention to shoot Uvena's way and he raises a hand, palm outward in an attempt at halting her from voicing her own frustration. Nari could've stonewalled him. Could've just outright ended the call. She most certainly knows more about what's going on, but he has no reason to believe she's personally
responsible for the attacks Va'ynna suffered. Whether or not her line of business is what caused Va'ynna to get dragged into all of this? Well, that might be another story. But she doesn't seem to be a direct threat to Va'ynna. So getting on her bad side does nothing but hurt their cause. "I'm not asking you to compare notes, Nari." he says with a shake of his head, worrying his time to plead his case might be coming to an
end, "But it sounds to me like we both want the same thing. To keep V safe." It's the only route left available to him. Appeal to her desire to protect someone he can only hope that she still cares for. Her choice of words certainly seems to back that theory up. "Rellis Darennon? Sala Piros? Wenera Leren?" he lists, laying his dead ends out there as he reaches for a lifeline. He pauses before throwing a fourth name into the
pile, uncertain what her reaction might be, "Janysa Aehan? I just-... Whatever you know about them-..." he trails off, swallowing, "...Whatever you can tell me that might help me keep your daughter safe..." His gaze turns Uvena's way, almost apologetically so as if worried he might be losing Nari.
"Call it what you will, Wolfe, that doesn't change that you're trying to compare notes," she says, still sounding composed, though there is a brief pause before she continues. "I think you're able to make connections, figure out who their enemies are and those that have no part in it, but I cannot help you." The timer on the call interface stops and the blank video feed turns into a status indicator showing that it has
Renala studies the text scroll after the interface changes, which is possible now that it has slowed down. "We lost her," she says. "The VI inside this thing is still listening, but it's not transmitting anything."
Jason is quick to respond sharply. "Or you could just-..." he manages before Renala's words cut him short when he realizes he's only speaking to himself. It causes him to bite down and lower his head. With a deep sigh he regains his composure. "Well, that was a big waste of fucking time." he mutters as his gaze bounces from Uvena to Renala. "Sounds like she's not a threat to V, at the very least, so that's-... something." he
Renala pulls the wire going to the antenna before turning in her chair to face look between them. "And I didn't get the impression we'll be overrun by commandoes anytime soon."
Uvena folds her arms. "Vague answers is the best you're going to get dealing with her," she says, the anger very present in her tone. "I had to knock her out and run halfway across the galaxy with a stack of stolen datapads. And get shot at by mecrs before I had the documents and credits to hire you."
Jason gives a humorless snort at Uvena's words. "Looks like we're back at square one, then." he mutters as he glances Uvena's way. The frustrated look on his face softens as he studies her in silence for a moment. "We're going to get to the bottom of this, Uvena... I promise." he attempts to comfort, well aware that Va'ynna's current predicament probably doesn't sit very well with her. "But, for now, I think that the best we can
do is sit tight and hope to hear back from Wenera soon..." he continues with a small, apologetic tilt of his head.
Uvena sighs. "I know we are," she says. "I just... I just hate Nari Aehan so much. She knew the risks to when she adopted Va'ynna, because those are the same risks that made her leave me when she was promoted. And... and her past connection to me would be have been enough to deny the adoption. I just..." She lets ut a frustrated grunt and turns away. "And before you ask, she is not her father."
Jason blinks a few times, perhaps not particularly following. "Wait.. Nari adopted V after you and her split...? I don't-..." he stammers, clearly a bit confused about everything. Furrowing his brow he gives a small shake of his head, "Look... we've all got our fucked up family baggage and I'm not trying to dig into yours... But-..." he scoffs, shrugging his shoulders in frustrated defeat, "...I'm running out of options here,
Uvena. If you know something that might help us untangle this mess-... well, we're way past the point of you keeping it to yourself."
Renala listens with some curiousity to their conversation, but her main focus is turning off and disassembling the mess on her table.
Uvena tilts her head. "Va'ynna was born a little over three years after me and her parted ways," she says, the bitter feelings still present. "I thought she had more important things to do than to keep track of me, but... I was wrong. Maybe her intentions were good, but... she should have known it was stupid and dangerous, let alone sending her out here on her own... that must have been for a reason bigger than