(no subject)

[silver_lucifer]

He noted the door opening to the inner workshop; Hahakiru waited quietly until he'd reached a safe point to look up from his work on the device covering the back wall. It was a slightly late hour of evening, albeit still not outside the activity cycle of the large part of Ul'dah's population prone to being out in the mornings and evenings when it wasn't the highest heat of the day.

"Sir? You have a visitor. A Hyuran man - he said he was here to thank you for a message. He refused to give his name, but handed me this as an identifier."

The lalafell held up a cloth peach blossom; it wasn't hard to guess, exactly, who would use something like that, considering the Sultana's fondness for the story of Lady Edvya, and he had been here long enough to be familiar with it.

"Send him to the outer workroom; I'll be right out."

Hahakiru shrugged with a sigh and no other comment on Kuja's lack of explanation; it wasn't really a rare occurrence even if he was privy to most of what went on there.

The door between the two workshops was visible, albeit made of heavy metal with more than one visible lock, a couple magical ones that were less visible, and wards set to turn on whenever he wasn't in the room; it didn't look particularly remarkable from the outside, at least, and the outer workshop was more typically what someone Ul'dahn would expect of a thaumaturge and craftsman, with bookshelves, worktables, and tools.

Jenlyn wasn't long after in entering, Hahakiru leaving with a bow at the door; the Sultansworn captain was out of armor, wearing a nondescript, ratty brown robe with the hood pulled down, shifting uncertainly and on edge seemingly more for the lack of guards.

"Captain Jenlyn." Kuja bowed with a flourish, motioning to one of the chairs by one of the tables before taking a seat himself. "I admit, I had not been expecting a visit."

"A trusted friend recognized your handwriting on the note - don't worry, only three people have seen it, counting myself; Papashan is trustworthy, and the other is already involved in shaking Monetarist influence."

He nodded, accepting that; it was known enough that Jenlyn had been recruiting some adventurers as Free Paladins, after all. "I take it things went well, then?"

Jenlyn nodded. "They weren't expecting us to be prepared for them." He paused, frowning. "How did you know the Death's Embrace was moving?"

He waved airily. "One of my superiors within the Mirage Trust placed a commission for enchanted goods; the stated purpose was infiltration of Garlean occupied territory, but the requirements would only have been suited for a short-term mission, not anything long or involved. There are only so many potential targets they could have been after, and the amounts suggested a number of targets; the Sultansworn were the only group that made sense given current affairs."

"And they trusted your involvement?"

"Well, I did fulfill the order as requested." He paused. "...Were there any survivors among the assassins?"

Jenlyn's frown had deepened, and he was studying Kuja warily. "None."

"Oh good; then there won't be any reports reaching back." He shifted papers to reach a box on the desk, opening it to produce a small charm with a couple colored stones on a bracer; Jenlyn's eyes widened, then narrowed. "This was the proof of concept I used for demonstration; you did come armed, yes?"

He stood, slipping the bracer on and motioning to Jenlyn; the paladin stood, still watching him warily, and shifted to draw his sword from under the robe through a covered slit in the side.

Kuja passed a hand over the charm, then beckoned. "Strike me, if you would."

Jenlyn's first attempt was a cautious test; the barrier spell stopped it easily. He stepped back, confused, and took another, harder strike that was similarly blocked.

Kuja tapped the other stone, triggering the other enchantment, and vanished; Jenlyn's eyes widened, and he shifted at watch with the sword.

"I added a failsafe to the ones that were actually sold." He deactivated it behind Jenlyn, a few feet back so that when the paladin jumped, the reflexive swing would fall short. "My clients were not informed of it, of course, but the enchantments were set to de-activate if they came within a certain range of the protections normally crafted into Sultansworn armor, among a few other notable signatures they might target."

Jenlyn looked between him and the bracer, then relaxed out of his defensive stance, letting out a breath and sheathing his sword; the sudden 'failure' of the cloaking and defensive spells probably wasn't hard to pick out, considering how confused the assassins had to've been. "...If they realize you rooked them, they'll be after you as well."

He shrugged, taking the bracelet off and replacing it in its box. "I am already prepared for that possibility. As it stands, I did warn them that I am still adjusting to Eorzea's aetheric patterns; it makes for a very narrow risk that more delicate enchantments might be... unstable." He smiled, and Jenlyn leaned back, raising an eyebrow at the ploy to delay realizations that he wasn't as cooperative as he acted.

"Pardon my bluntness, but for the sake of establishing where we stand - why are you aiding us?" The Captain was cautious.

"I have not been particularly secretive with the story of fleeing Garlean destruction of my homeland, yes?"

Jenlyn nodded.

"It's false. My homeland never encountered Garlemald; they destroyed themselves, via greed and the pursuit of power with little regard for the sacrifices made and costs so long as they could avoid immediate disaster." It was true, even if Terra never encountered Garlemald due to being on another planet. "I didn't travel this far to repeat that."

"And you still accepted the Mirage Trust's buyout?"

He shrugged. "I can do more from behind them while they believe me a leal servant than I could opposing them openly, particularly while I'm still building a foundation for myself."

The Captain considered that carefully. "I hope that your scheming holds to that."

He smiled. "I will not lie that my motives are not self-serving - I wish to be able to live in comfort and security; that will be much easier if Ul'dah is stable, able to fend off outside threats, and with the tensions they've been profiteering off reduced. The less reason there is for riot and revolt, the less risk there is of pointless conflict and the destruction of anything I may build."

Jenlyn gave him a shaded, tired look.

"What? Those who are doing well and comfortable are less inclined to seek fights; people that are taken care of are more loyal and cooperative than people who are exploited and bitter."

The expression didn't budge, and the Captain seemed to be weighing how to respond.

He took a moment to shift through for another box, passing it to the Sultansworn; Jenlyn opened it, keeping an eye on him the whole time, and held up the pendant within it with a raised eyebrow.

"A protection - it will block arrows and gunshots aimed at you, and will turn warm in the presence of magics and powers for concealment, if worn close where that will be easily noticeable. I am willing to lend what aid I can discretely to the Sworn and their allies, although it will need to be kept secret." He tilted his head. "And, if you can slip one of the masks or other tools used by the Death's Embrace to one of the members of a certain small band of gladiators, I may be able to craft more targeted protections." The band of various expatriates and refugees he'd sponsored into the arenas and adventuring were among his more solidly trustworthy agents, and the ones easiest to contact without drawing attention.

Jenlyn was holding the pendant up, still visibly weighing his options; he stayed that way for a minute before sighing, replacing the pendant in its box but accepting it. "Go back on that and you won't have long to regret it."

"I would expect no less." He gave an acknowledging nod. "Take care and do be careful, Captain."

Jenlyn muttered something in response, partly returning the nod, then pulled the hood down over his face more and left.