In between listening to her mother talk about how lonely life had been on Thessia, Marianna swiped a glance at the crowd that had now gathered around the bar. 'Hrm. Looks like some people from our little team have gotten themselves in a spot of trouble.' she thought to herself. Looking about the place nonchalantly from her vantage point on the second floor near the observation windows, Marianna could notice that Roland was no longer in the room. 'Huh. That's odd - I wonder where he's managed to sneak off to.' Her questions were not exactly answered by the incoming two guards with guns into the main hall. Out of the corner of her eye, Marianna saw her mother tense up slightly, setting down her glass of wine with one hand and her other hand straying towards her pistol that she carried at all times in self-defence. Knowing precisely what was going on in Lynessa's head, Marianna put her hand on her mother's shoulder and whispered "Don't even think about it. These guards are likely here to restore order - you open fire on these guys and-"

"Shut up, Marianna. I wasn't going to open fire, I was reaching for my gun to make sure it's there if something 'does' go down, is that clear?" Marianna expected the response long before Lynessa had finished the sentence. Her mother was lying through her teeth, and was doing a fine job of it too - it was a shame that lying to your daughter was not an easy thing to do. Marianna released her mother's shoulder, before turning back to look out of the window and view the majesty of the storm that was, for all intents and purposes, barely even affecting the ship. Hanar certainly knew how to build ships, even if they were sometimes 'big stupid jellyfish' as the humans sometimes derisively referred to them. Not to one's... well, Hanar didn't have 'faces' per se, but the metaphor would have to do. Marianna could still see Lynessa shifting uneasily out of the corner of her eye. "You're making it slightly obvious you dislike the guards' presence, mother. Look back out of the window if you have to. I need to make conversation with others about the boat."

"You do that. I'll just be standing here, lonely as ever..." Lynessa sighed wistfully. "If only I had another person in my life again..." With that, Marianna walked over to where a Turian was sitting at a table, looking at a spreadsheet on his omni-tool. He looked up at Marianna when she walked over and nodded politely to her. She gestured to the chair opposite. "Is this seat... occupied?"

The Turian shook his head. He seemed quite approachable - in fact, Marianna thought he was reasonably good-looking for a Turian, if that was at all possible. She took her seat and set down her glass upon the table. At the sound of the glass clinking on the metallic surface of the table, the Turian looked up from his omni-tool, switching it off. "Another investor, I take it?" He extended his hand for Marianna to shake, which she proceeded to co-operate with. The turian's voice was characteristically deep, and very well-spoken, as was the norm with Turian businessmen of this calibre. Not just anyone made their millions in the galactic trades, after all.
"Yes, you could say that. Marianna R'myr." She withdrew her hand. "I'm here on behalf of R'myr Security Corporation."
"Ahaha, excellent. I have had many dealings with your company. You're the Matron's daughter, aren't you? Oh." He clapped his hand to his mouth. "I do apologise for not introducing myself. I am Koros Thatian, I'm also a security man: Thatian Security Services, we're a contractor for Elanus Risk Control. ERCS often hires us out when it comes to major events and public speeches."
Marianna nodded - she'd heard of Thatian. He was not a man to be crossed, by all accounts. "Yes, I do believe I've heard of Thatian Security. You were the security team when Dr Gerstmann was giving that speech regarding... Dark energy and dark matter, was it?"
Thatian nodded. "Indeed. And as a matter of fact, the 'Gerstmann job' was our first independent dealing outside of ERCS - Dr Gerstmann had heard of us with regards to security, and in fact, when we were still fully sub-contracted by ERCS, we had acted as security during another of his lectures. It is truly something to be said about the galaxy, however, when a scientist giving a lecture requires armed guards, does it not?" Thatian took a sip of his drink. "So, how can I help you, Miss R'myr?"

Marianna heard the beep of an incoming message and opened her omni-tool. "Are you perhaps interested in a high-level task?"

Thatian leaned forward intently. "You have my undivided attention. Go on."

Marianna scanned her omni-tool for the new message - there it was, a job that RSC needed doing in the near future - Marianna wasn't sure if her mother had just made it up or if it was a legitimate job, but she appreciated the ammunition. Despite the hostile breakaway Marianna's email had left, Lynessa still cared about her daughter. "Well, here we have one for you. One of the Republics is currently undergoing an election, and one of the candidates is giving a speech. RSC was tasked with the job, but we are more than willing to sub-contract it out to you-"

"What will we need to do, and what is the salary. This is the important information."

Marianna took Thatian's interruption in her stride. "You are to act both as security guards for the speech that Matriarch Arminis is giving, and also as security for her skycar motorcade as it proceeds towards the speech site. The pay is 10.5 million credits."

Thatian's eyes lit up. "Well, then. And how much of that will be given to us?"

Marianna feigned thought. "About 85%."

Thatian leaned back in his chair and scratched his chin. "Hrm... It's a very high-profile job. Is it at all possible to push for 90%?"

Marianna really did think this time. 90% was not usual when it came to RSC sub-contracts - 85% was usually the figure, and less if the job was particularly dull and uninteresting. She'd seen one escort job go for 50%, which was comparatively low. "90% is quite a considerable amount. However, I am sure that circumstances will permit it."

"Excellent." Thatian extended his hand and shook to seal the deal. Marianna sat back in her chair and shut off her omni-tool, whilst the Turian reached for his glass. "Some very strange goings on at this party, don't you think? Bar scuffles, armed guards being called in to solve the problem..." Thatian jerked his head over towards the bar area. "Not exactly the most promising sight for an investor such as you or I, don't you agree?"
Marianna giggled slightly and took another sip of wine. "No, I have to say that it does make a rather poor impression on a woman when her host is using a Lancer to break up a scuffle. Though I have seen worse."
Thatian chuckled. "Oh? Have any good examples that spring to mind?"
Mari nodded. "One particular meeting in the Citadel Wards I had with a Volus proved rather interesting. He and I had sealed the deal, and much as we are now, we were chatting away, and all of a sudden, we hear this loud bang come from in the direction of the bar. We look over and this human that had... well, apparently complained slightly too loudly about the quality of the alcohol being served had just been shot by the bartender-"
"Good heavens!" Thatian cried out, almost in disbelief. "You cannot be serious!"
Marianna grinned. "I am being very serious - furthermore, the human, who was only injured," Marianna saw the look of realisation on the Turian's face, "no, he wasn't killed, the human kept on shouting about 'oh, you f***ing aliens, strutting around here like you think you own the bloody place'..."
"I know that reaction well." Thatian chuckled.
"Yes, well, this bartender evidently wasn't having any of it, so he called up C-Sec, and the human ended up behind bars whilst he sobered up and the nice little hole in his shoulder healed. Anyway, that was one of the more interesting stories I have. I have a more sordid one, if you'd like to hear that."
Thatian gave a roguish wink. "You've piqued my interest."
Marianna smiled. "Well, again it is in the Citadel Wards, one of the more... run-down areas. It was a meeting between myself and a human businessman, he was in the... armaments business, Rosenkov Industries, I believe. Anyhow, we're discussing a shipment of arms and the price in a secluded back alley when we hear this... well, we could hear two people in the throes of passion, let's put it that way. So we start looking around for the source of this noise and we find two humans in another alleyway, well, in the midst of whatever it is they're doing."
Thatian shook his head. "The nerve... It sounds like something you'd hear in a crime story, doesn't it..."
"Oh, but it gets worse. This human businessman ("I think I can see where this is going")... Well, he suggested to me that he could knock off 15% of the price if... oh, this is actually embarrassing, I'm so sorry." Marianna blushed slightly. "Well he suggested that he could knock off 15% of the shipment price if we replicated what the humans were doing."
Thatian smiled. "And did you?"
Marianna hesitated. "He was a very good-looking man, Slavic origin... It's a certain area on Earth with a certain facial structure. And... well, I was young and hot-headed. Yes, I gave in."
Thatian took a sip of his drink. "You were a Maiden - still are, in fact, I believe. From what I know of your race, that sort of activity is reasonably normal for your age."
Marianna shrugged. "I don't know if I regret it or not. Not really, I suppose."
"You shouldn't. You're young, youthful and full of energy and vigour. Enjoy it. Live life to the full." Thatian sighed. "If only I were youthful again. I'm 47, for goodness' sake, what have I done with my life?"
"Set up a very successful security company?" Marianna smiled.
Thatian nodded. "I'll drink to that." They raised their glasses.