1. Plans Within Plans

"Sounds like a good plan to me. While you're working on the meet-up with Kendon Ordway, I'm going to see whether I can learn anything about House Bakhtiar's plans concerning the smugglers. Maybe the House already have someone embedded in the smugglers, maybe I can get some kind of a lead on who that might be."

"And I'll also tap my local informant network to see if they have anything useful information for us concerning Kendon."

Sandstorm Cantina
Dim glowglobes light the sparse interior of this bar that serves the Carthag locals. The vibrating notes of a rebec's strings play throughout. Quiet conversations take place at the different tables. Curious, suspicious, spice-blue glances take in any strangers who enter the moisture seal. The yeasty, cinnamon aroma of baked spice biscuits competes with the telltale odor of stillsuit-reclaimed water.

You enter, Marcus, Rook, and Hural, and quietly find a table. Rook blends easily, his mannerisms and movements naturally mimicking the others. He knows that this is one of the places in Carthag that Fremen frequent, and are approachable in ways not available on the open street, or desert, where they are much more likely to be closed off to outsiders.

Rook sees Shadran Korr at a small table with a single other empty chair, reading a small, side-to-side rolling scroll.
How do each of you approach this encounter?

Marya's Information Network
There is in the note below one course of action, but otherwise, lead the way in scene building and I'll follow.

Rook allows his eyes to adjust to the dim light as he seeks and finds his contact and friend, Shadran, sitting alone. Seeing only one chair he felt it best if Marcus and Hural found another spot until Shadran was ready to include them. It was a mark of respect even if Rook was already sure that his friend wouldn't mind the the others.

He approached and bid hello, sitting down at Shadran's table. After the usual pleasantries and catching up, Rook got down to business.

"I'd like to meet with Kendon Ardway if you could arrange that and I am also curious if there have been any mutterings about Admago Bakhtiar and his house Bakhtiar?"

Marcus understood Rook's reasoning to talk to contact Shadran alone. He sat at a table so that he could keep an eye on them and survey the room for any potential trouble.

The contact looks up, and asks first, "You with them? Let's get a table, always nice to meet new people, especially ones that don't like like they smell." He heard Rook's questions and is considering, buying time to think it through.

Soon all four of you are at a table. "I can introduce you to him, that's easy. Bakhtiar is something else. They were hiring a few days ago, I can tell you that. Headknockers and kneebreakers."

Hural at first joins Marcus, then follows to sit with Shadran Korr. "The meeting is most appreciated," he says, "and in regards to House Bakhtiar, that info is useful. Have they done similar hiring in the past, that you know of from within your circles?"

Shadron fingers a small knife he is toying with, and looks at the mentat with some disbelief. Many haven't seen one of you, other than in vids. "Sure they do, yeah. Not unusual for a house to hire people to do their dirty work. It's lucrative work, much sought after, and people talk when they receive such fortune. This time, it was urgent and they paid handsomely. For enough solari, I could hunt them down, find out who took the job."

"How much is enough?" Hural asks, waiting to gauge the man's response.

He names a sum that is likely triple what you think the job would be worth. It's clear that you are a new element, and what kind of freelancer would he be if he didn't open a negotiation to his own advantage?

"I see," Hural says, thinking "Expediency warrants a higher sum, and for that we could offer half of what you're asking for, which is half again what the job is actually worth. We both know this. Would that be worth your time, Shadron Korr?"

Rook lets the negotiations play out with the only input from him being a raised eyebrow and questioning expression directed toward Shadron. A sort of nudge in their quiet parlance. The kind that the two have engaged in numerous times before.

Sandstorm Cantina
Shadron negotiates and it goes back and forth rapidly, before you settle on Hural's final offer of half of what he originally asked for. He agrees to communicate with Rook (who he already knows).

Shadron Korr agrees to make the introduction to Kendon Ordway, to look into the Bakhtiar mercenary hires, and report back to Rook within two days.


Marya

Marcus silently watched the negotiation between Hural and Shadron. The back and forth exchange of offers, counteroffers, feints, and reveals wasn't all that different from two swordsmen engaged in a duel. In his opinion, the mentat won this exchange.

Hural nods. "A pleasure doing business with you, Shadron. We will look forward to your report."

He looks to the others, "Do either of you have further questions for our friend?"

"I do not and I thank you, Shadran." Rook waits to see if Marcus has any questions.

"I do not."