This was a good start, but not what he wanted. This girl could be swayed, if only he pushed just a little more, there was real potential for not just her but for the whole region. If he played his cards right she could become a valuable lynchpin, and her loyalty to the Empire was also important. It was obvious that she valued loyalty, if he could gain her trust somehow, perhaps she would open up a little more. Right now he hadn't built the trust needed with her, but in time he might. No one will know. You and I are meeting right now in a public space, you don't seem to bothered by that. No one will know you are working with me, and they will care less about the information you send when you start getting information back. I promise you, nothing is going to happen. But I understand, maybe you need a little more time, or perhaps you are not fully convinced that I can provide what I say I can. So, right now I will make you a deal. To show that I'm serious, ask me a question, any question and I will answer it truthfully. It was a risk, but he needed to show her he was as willing to put himself at risk as she was, maybe it wasn't the same, but it was as good as. She could ask about the Government, Steiner, the Outcasts or Rheinland, she could even ask about him personally, he was curious to see what she would ask about. Just one question.
The corsair was not sure to continue this meeting. She stood up, grabbed her bottle of whiskey. "You are right that I need more time before to make a decision. And because we are here means nothing. We are on a neutral ground."
She walked toward the man. Whispered in his ear. "What if I decide to make you our prisoner right here and right now?" She backed off a bit looking at the man. She was not stupid. She perfectly knew that kind of meeting could lead to a terrible end to one party or to the other one. But the reason why she asked this question was mostly to know what Skirka will say.
He smiled at her, a sly and teasing sort of look that hid well his initial confusion at the question. He offered her the answer to any question she wanted and she chose to ask that? He drummed his fingers on the table before replying You really think you can hold me? He asked, a playful voice creeping into the question, he was unsure whether it was an offer or a trap, but it seemed like the safest answer given the circumstances.
She smirked. ''Wanna bet?'' She was serious but she was also kidding. ''But being serious, I will probably not work with you. If I was a freelancer, maybe but otherwise, no. I don't trust you enough.''
As soon as she said this, she returned to her place and sat. She took a sip from the bottle. ''If you want to gain my trust, you will need to prove us, corsairs that you can be trusted. It will be hard but someone like you will be able to do this, si?''
He smiled, as he expected, something of a setup but nothing too nefarious I believe I can it was, after all, his job to build relationships, the Corsairs were a group he had some understanding of although they were as a rule, highly individualistic and proud. He would need to be careful and work hard to uphold whatever arrangements he had made with them. More importantly, he needed to ensure that his contact with them was quiet, few people needed to know what he was doing. So, how can I help you? She was young but not stupid, it would be better if he danced to her tune for a while before he really put the screws on.
The corsair looked at Skirka. Right now, she did not know what to say. What could he do to gain her trust? It was hard to think. ''You know, right now I have nothing to say. I suppose we can say we are finished here. However, I might contact you if I need you to do something.
It was all she said. She then stood up waiting what the man will say. If he had nothing to add, she would depart.
![[Image: wRlzTev.png]](https://imgur.com/wRlzTev.png)