Private Tales Money of Clandestine Means

[Inara Irren]

He pointed an accusing gloved finger at her.
"If I answer that, we're not going to be tolerating each other for very long at all. I'm going to keep my promise, and to sweeten the deal, I won't say another word for the whole rest of the ride, deal?"
His pointed finger turned into an offer to shake on it.

Inara was actually surprised that he wasn't willing to answer her. He had so much disdain that she was sure he would jump on the opportunity. She was not going to take that deal though. She would not be able to go into the deal without knowing. The underboss looked at his hand and crossed her arms across her chest.

"No. I want you to tell me. If you don't tell me then it will be on my mind and I will be distracted. I can have them stop this carriage right now if you do not start talking."

She raised a single brow at him and waited. She was not going to let this go. Oh no, it made him far too uncomfortable to let go now.

 

[Max Kouser]

"No. I want you to tell me. If you don't tell me then it will be on my mind and I will be distracted. I can have them stop this carriage right now if you do not start talking."

He lowered his hand.
So they were really going to do this? As if the greedy bitch didn't already know exactly why he hated her... He didn't take her for the sensitive type that cared when people didn't like her, she was certainly in the wrong profession if that was the case.

He wasn't the sharing type when it came to his feelings and he didn't want her to have the upper hand in that regard or to see it as weakness... Even if she did have the upper hand and she probably knew it too.

He scoffed and leaned back in his seat.
I guess we're doing this...

"Fine. You really want to know why I hate you? Fuck you, that's why."
He took a deep breath to calm down... it didn't work.
He leaned forward in his seat again.
"You know what? Yeah, let's do this! Why do YOU think I hate you? I'm curious if you actually don't know exactly why I hate your guts, as if you didn't orchestrate everything from the beginning to benefit yourself using your father's newfound soft spot for family."

 

[Inara Irren]

"Fine. You really want to know why I hate you? Fuck you, that's why."

Inara blinked and gave him a pure what the actual fuck look. That was quite possibly the most immature answer to anything she had ever heard.

"You know what? Yeah, let's do this! Why do YOU think I hate you? I'm curious if you actually don't know exactly why I hate your guts, as if you didn't orchestrate everything from the beginning to benefit yourself using your father's newfound soft spot for family."

She opened her mouth to interrupt Max a few times but by the end of his tirade she was stunned silent. Inara was not even sure where to start to unpack that.

"I was going to say because I have no idea what I am doing but you answered the question for me. I didn't even know I had a father until Tal put the clues together so he could get something from Marcus!"

She probably should have left the blackmail out of the story.

"I did not ask for this job! I was put into it because my daughter will be the next triumvirate and you do not say no to Marcus!"

 

[Max Kouser]

"I was going to say because I have no idea what I am doing but you answered the question for me. I didn't even know I had a father until Tal put the clues together so he could get something from Marcus!"

She probably should have left the blackmail out of the story.

Tal? He didn't know who that was, but if he managed to successfully blackmail Marcus using his daughter... Max made a mental note to have this Tal identified and watched... Later.

"I did not ask for this job! I was put into it because my daughter will be the next triumvirate and you do not say no to Marcus!"

Max was about to laugh her off, there was no way that was true.
But he froze before he could disregard what she said...

She couldn't lie...

He blinked and immediately calmed down, looking at her with a new expression... A mix of curiosity, concern... And, as other facts fell into place... Regret.
Waves of conflicting thoughts warred in his head, trying to make sense of everything.

"Fuck..."

His voice was low, almost a whisper, and he couldn't look her in the eye.
"Miss Irren... Before you showed up out of the blue, I was about to take my place as the right hand of Marcus... I figured you were some brat returning from a failed marriage and wanted to take the spot despite my efforts..."
There was nothing more enraging than learning that the object of your hatred was actually innocent of your accusations... But he had thought he had her figured out and didn't double check his facts like he normally did.

He bowed his head and ran his fingers through his hair... It wasn't her fault, not even a little bit... The hapless tool of blackmail, the heir of her father... He couldn't blame her for his problems, it all originated from Marcus... And he couldn't fight Marcus.

"Fuck!"
He shouted as he slammed his fist into the wall of the carriage.
"Is there something you need, sir?"
The driver called back into the cabin.
"Shut up and drive Andy!"
The driver said no more and Max continued to curse under his breath as he wracked his brains for solutions. His knuckles were bloody but he didn't seem to care or notice.

 

[Inara Irren]

"Fuck..."

His voice was low, almost a whisper, and he couldn't look her in the eye.
"Miss Irren... Before you showed up out of the blue, I was about to take my place as the right hand of Marcus... I figured you were some brat returning from a failed marriage and wanted to take the spot despite my efforts..."

Inara had no idea. It made sense why he was so upset. Not only did she swoop in and take his promotion but he was also assigned as her bodyguard.

"Fuck," she echoed his words.

"Fuck!"
He shouted as he slammed his fist into the wall of the carriage.
"Is there something you need, sir?"
The driver called back into the cabin.
"Shut up and drive Andy!"

Inara flinched when Max hit the wall and then proceeded to yell at the driver.

"I am so sorry, Max. I had no idea..."

Honestly, Inara wasn't sure what else to say. She couldn't change anything. She wasn't going to abandon the only family she had or had ever known. She was stuck.

 

[Max Kouser]

"I am so sorry, Max. I had no idea..."

He looked up at her fiercely.
"Don't...!"
He couldn't finish... She couldn't lie, she really was sorry, she really had no idea...
The hardness left his eyes, and he just shook his head, bowing it again.
"Please... Don't... Don't apologize. Evidently, it's not your fault... None of it is your fault..."
He swallowed hard.
"Miss Inara Irren... I'mmmm..."
He pursed his lips as if strangling the start of that sentence, he took a sharp intake of breath, almost biting his words as they came out.
"I... Am... Sorry..."
He gritted it out, as if it caused him immense pain to do so.

It was indeed extremely difficult for him to do. To apologize after hating this woman for so long, and to also find himself solidly in the wrong for doing so when the facts were unknown, and he made no effort to learn them.
"I apologize... For the way I've treated you because of the actions of your father."
He took another deep breath and massaged his jaw, trying to get it to relax before he busted any teeth from clenching too hard.
He couldn't look her in the eye, not for very long at least... To think he had plotted ways to kill her without investigating everything first... EVERYTHING... His hatred blinded him, and he did none of his regular procedures such as researching his enemies.

 

[Inara Irren]

Inara just sat there looking at him sadly as he went through a range of emotions and tried to to say I am sorry for awhile. He eventually did say it and she just nodded at him.

She was not sure if she could forgive him or say that it was okay. It was not okay. He had prejudged her and he had treated her like absolute shit for something that she had no control over. It was fucked up. He had not even had the decency to come to her and voice his concerns. He had just been so angry and so rude to her.

"I apologize... For the way I've treated you because of the actions of your father."

"I appreciate your apology. I only wish it did not have to come to this in the first place. You have made these last few months a living hell for me..."

It was her turn to look away. She was ashamed to admit that he had gotten to her but it was the truth. She had thought about having him killed more than a few times and he would have deserved it.

 

[Max Kouser]

"I appreciate your apology. I only wish it did not have to come to this in the first place. You have made these last few months a living hell for me..."

He forced a bitter laugh. That was an understatement, he'd gone out of his way to make every moment of her job as difficult as possible.
"I don't expect forgiveness. This is all on me and I deserve whatever punishment you think fits... There's no excuse for what I did to you."

He stared at the floor, his mind still running a hundred miles a second.
His brow furrowed.
"One question... Boss."
He paused as he thought about and confirmed his question to himself.
"Who the fuck is Tal?"

He felt pain and looked down at his knuckles.
"Fuck."
He took out a handkerchief and clumsily tried to wrap up the bleeding appendage with one hand.

 

[Inara Irren]

"I don't expect forgiveness. This is all on me and I deserve whatever punishment you think fits... There's no excuse for what I did to you."

"Good, because I am afraid that is not something I can offer right now. I do not think a punishment in the tradition sense will be good for you. If I punish you, my father will catch wind of it and that would not be good for you."

Why did she care what happened to him? If Max was gone, she would have an easier time doing her job. However...he knew what he was doing and she could use him. Like she was right now.

"You will continue to work for me and you will do it without making me miserable. You will be respectful and you will help me grow and learn. Do you understand?"

This was probably the most boss like Inara had been since she started.

"One question... Boss."
He paused as he thought about and confirmed his question to himself.
"Who the fuck is Tal?"

Inara was really hoping that he would have forgotten her words about Tal. Max had not though.

"Tal is the underboss for the part of the Syndicate that does smuggling and drugs..."

He was also her savior in multiple ways. He was the reason she was alive, free, and had a family.

"Fuck."

Inara leaned forward and took the handkerchief from Max's hand. She was not going to let the poor man struggle and look like an idiot. She used both of her hands to tie the fabric around the wounds.

 

[Max Kouser]

"Good, because I am afraid that is not something I can offer right now. I do not think a punishment in the tradition sense will be good for you. If I punish you, my father will catch wind of it and that would not be good for you."

She was right, and that was probably the most terrifying thing about his current position. Marcus was terrifying, and the only one he respected enough to not fight against or resist... Could he even let Marcus kill him though? The survivalist in him vehemently disagreed with that notion.

"You will continue to work for me and you will do it without making me miserable. You will be respectful and you will help me grow and learn. Do you understand?"

He instinctively bristled at this, but again he calmed himself... This was her mercy, but also her wrath.
"Yes, miss Irren. I think I can do that now."
Now... Now that he knew that someone else was at fault for his dreams going up in flames.

Tal, a damn underboss... He had the idiotic balls to blackmail Marcus. Now HE was someone Max could lash out against.
How did he use Inara as blackmail against Marcus? Did he threaten her? Did he know some secret behind why Marcus and Inara were separated in the first place? Was it something she did that would have reflected badly on Marcus?
Well, the blackmail wasn't important in itself besides the offense.

He silently watched as she took over bandaging his knuckles... That was definitely unexpected of her.
"Miss Irren... If I can ask... What did Tal gain from his blackmail of Marcus? What did he want from him?"

 

[Inara Irren]

Inara was satisfied with his answer. She would see how this went and hopefully her father would never have to know.

"Miss Irren... If I can ask... What did Tal gain from his blackmail of Marcus? What did he want from him?"

She tied the handkerchief gently as she thought about his question.

"I am not sure. It was a tube of papers. I was more in shock of being told oh hey here's your dad to pay much attention."

She waved off his concerns as she sat back in her chair. Tal was Tal. He played dirty but he got shit done. He kept the docks in order and that branch of the Syndicate in check. Inara rubbed her leg absently as she remembered that first time they met when he burned her with his cigar for information.

"He is no one to worry about. He worries about the Syndicate and himself. That is about it..." And I also still owe him two favors.

 

[Max Kouser]

She tied the handkerchief gently as she thought about his question.

"I am not sure. It was a tube of papers. I was more in shock of being told oh hey here's your dad to pay much attention."

"Thank you."
He muttered under his breath as she finished bandaging his fist, half hoping she wouldn't hear the words as he bit them out through a clenched jaw.

She waved off his concerns as she sat back in her chair. Tal was Tal. He played dirty but he got shit done. He kept the docks in order and that branch of the Syndicate in check. Inara rubbed her leg absently as she remembered that first time they met when he burned her with his cigar for information.

"He is no one to worry about. He worries about the Syndicate and himself. That is about it..." And I also still owe him two favors.

Max had to disagree with that... Tal, blackmailing the boss AND displacing him from a position that was all but guaranteed to be his, sending him back down several rungs of the syndicate ladder to the role of a highly effective and influential but low-ranking bodyguard.

In his mind, Tal was VERY dangerous. He doubted very much if Marcus would be disappointed to hear about Tal's demise... To blackmail THE boss was an immense insult, and one Max took personally because he got caught in the crossfire.
He will learn who Tal is, and once he did, Tal will have to watch his back and keep an eye open when he sleeps.
"The content of the blackmail isn't important, not in the grand scheme of things. It's the affront to our boss, Inara. An underboss had the balls to tie Marcus' hands for his own gain, so the punishment should follow that those same balls be taken from him as a lesson to others."
He had a cold look in his eyes, but for once it wasn't directed at Inara.

 

[Inara Irren]

"The content of the blackmail isn't important, not in the grand scheme of things. It's the affront to our boss, Inara. An underboss had the balls to tie Marcus' hands for his own gain, so the punishment should follow that those same balls be taken from him as a lesson to others."

"No," Inara said simply. "You will not go after Tal in any way, shape, or form. Do you understand?"

She had a feeling that she was going to have to go into the story of why she was loyal to an underboss in a different branch of the organization. There may have been three branches under a single name but they were far from friendly. They played nice when they had to and that was it.

 

[Max Kouser]

"No," Inara said simply. "You will not go after Tal in any way, shape, or form. Do you understand?"

Max narrowed his eyes at her.
Why the hell was she telling him no... Then his expression turned thoughtful.

Tal had something on her as well.
The boss AND his daughter under Tal's thumb... Tal was going for the bosses seat. The two most powerful people in the Syndicate are being used by an underboss, he's making bold moves and they can do nothing but watch.

Either Inara was deep in Tal's pocket and she knew it, or she wasn't experienced enough to see it. But he most certainly was not going to let some fourth party screw him over and get away with it.

"Miss Irren, if Tal-"
The carriage came to a halt. The driver called into the cabin, "We've arrived at Lord Clydus' public office, sir."
Max opened the door of the carriage, before he stepped out he stated,
"No, Miss Irren... I don't understand."
Then he stepped down and held the door, offering her a hand to help her down.

The public office was generally an upper class home, where merchants and nobles with assets and businesses conducted their operations in the city while keeping their main abodes on prime realestate in the upper residential districts or manors out in the countryside.
There was a servant out by the front door, apparently expecting them and ready to greet them.

Max turned to her and politely offered his arm to escort her.
"Well, Miss Irren, are you ready?"

 

[Inara Irren]

"Miss Irren, if Tal-"
The carriage came to a halt. The driver called into the cabin, "We've arrived at Lord Clydus' public office, sir."
Max opened the door of the carriage, before he stepped out he stated,
"No, Miss Irren... I don't understand."

"You are going to need to understand, Max, because you are not going to touch him. I will kill you if you do..."

Yep, she was going to have to tell him everything if she hoped to keep Tal from killing him. Inara took his hand and climbed out of the carriage like the proper lady she was not. Conning rich men out of their money for years had taught her some things.

Max turned to her and politely offered his arm to escort her.
"Well, Miss Irren, are you ready?"

Inara looked at Max's arm for a second then looped hers into his. "Yes, I am ready," she said with a small smile.

 

[Max Kouser]

"You are going to need to understand, Max, because you are not going to touch him. I will kill you if you do..."

That didn't help him understand any clearer, it only made him more sure that Tal was holding something over her head making her loyal but he would learn more first opportunity he got. He'll do some research, ask some questions, make inquiries to the right people... He'll figure out what Tal's after even with Inara protecting him.

For now, his job was to make sure she was safe from external threats, he can worry about keeping her safe from herself and the syndicate later.

"Yes, I am ready,"

That smile... It was a strange sight, it held surprisingly little malice or sarcasm. It almost seemed genuine.

He escorted her to the door which the servant opened for them.
"Lady Irren? My lord bids you welcome. He is expecting you in his office."
The servant smiled as he let them in... A little too wide, Max observed...

They were let in to the building. It was a nice house and much like their own offices, footmen walked too and fro carrying messages and packages for various accountants and lawyers to process.
They were led up a flight of stairs.
Max took note of each guard and where they were stationed... There were an awful lot of them around, but nobles tended to be the paranoid sort.

"Lady Irren is here for her appointment, Lord Clydus."

"Please, let them in."

The servant showed them into an office with a large wooden desk in the middle of it.
A window showing a view of the port was in the southern wall to the right of the desk.
A portly man in noble attire stood from his seat as they entered.
"Welcome, Lady Irren! It is a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance! I am Lord Clydus. Please, have a seat and I'll have some refreshments brought!"
He looked at Max and seemed somewhat put off by his presence, but he remained tactful.
"And you are? I don't believe we've met before."

Max led Inara to the seat and pulled it out for her before turning his attention to the Lord with a smooth smile and extending his unbandaged hand to shake.
"Sir Arthur Vince, at your service sir. I am the accountant of the client and am serving Lady Irren in the same capacity."
They shook hands, he hated shaking hands with nobles, they were so soft he pitied them. They were men but never knew a hard day in their lives.

 

[Inara Irren]

"Lady Irren? My lord bids you welcome. He is expecting you in his office."

Inara smiled and nodded at the servant. It immediately felt off and she did not like that feeling. Too many guards, too wide of a smile, too perfectly set...

She kept the smile on her face as she and Max followed the servant to the office.

"Welcome, Lady Irren! It is a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance! I am Lord Clydus. Please, have a seat and I'll have some refreshments brought!"
He looked at Max and seemed somewhat put off by his presence, but he remained tactful.
"And you are? I don't believe we've met before."

She couldn't even respond with the normal the pleasure is mine because that would be a lie. She just smiled at Lord Clydus and took a seat in the chair that Max had politely pulled out for her. She stiffened ever so slightly when Clydus asked who Max was.

The lies started now.

"Sir Arthur Vince, at your service sir. I am the accountant of the client and am serving Lady Irren in the same capacity."

"He is here to make sure the best deal is struck," Inara said. It was not a lie. She left out any details that would make is a lie. Mentioning his name, the client, or confirming he was the accountant. It was the little things.

"We are here today because we have a deed for a fleet of fifty trade frigates and we believe that may interest you, Lord Clydus." Inara was all smiles. The perfect face and posture of a broker who had come with a great deal.

 

[Max Kouser]

"He is here to make sure the best deal is struck," Inara said. It was not a lie. She left out any details that would make is a lie. Mentioning his name, the client, or confirming he was the accountant. It was the little things.

"We are here today because we have a deed for a fleet of fifty trade frigates and we believe that may interest you, Lord Clydus." Inara was all smiles. The perfect face and posture of a broker who had come with a great deal.

So far so good, she knew her script, now let's hope the noble bought it.
He took a seat himself after the Lord sat down.
"Ah yes, you are well informed! I wish to get into the trading business you see, and to be quite honest with you, it is cheaper in the long run to simply buy a fleet premade than to build a fleet up one ship at a time."

Max reached into his satchel and pulled out the relevant pages. The deed, the receipt and the contract.
He placed copies before Clydus and Inara so they both could see the same information.
The contract itself should give Inara plenty of wiggle room. While many of the things on the pages were falsehoods, it shouldn't be a lie to declare that the paper says those things. Again, a lie of omission.

"Yes, the client is very excited to be able to hand off his fleet to someone capable and retire. His goal is to retire into a quiet life so he wishes his name to be kept out of our dealings here. Honestly I don't see much wrong with having his name involved, but it is on the request of the client. I'm sure you understand."

The Lord examined his copy of the paperwork.
Max caught the sound of a small thump outside the door, as if someone accidentally hit the door with their sword scabbard...
It was quite enough that he could have imagined it, but regardless of how he presented himself, he was increasingly growing more and more on edge.

 

[Inara Irren]

"Ah yes, you are well informed! I wish to get into the trading business you see, and to be quite honest with you, it is cheaper in the long run to simply buy a fleet premade than to build a fleet up one ship at a time."

Inara simply nodded in agreement with Clydus. "Yes, it is cheaper to buy a fleet premade and it is faster. Ship building can get so tedious and one mistake can set the whole ship back months."

She watched as Max placed the stack of papers on the table and she looked at him with a thankful smile before turning her attention back to Clydus.

"Yes, the client is very excited to be able to hand off his fleet to someone capable and retire. His goal is to retire into a quiet life so he wishes his name to be kept out of our dealings here. Honestly I don't see much wrong with having his name involved, but it is on the request of the client. I'm sure you understand."

Once Max was done speaking again, Inara leaned over and pointed towards on rather large number that sat among other various numbers. "Here is the selling price that is being asked for," she said with all the confidence of someone who knew her shit. She, in fact, barely knew her shit.

Inara did not hear anything as she was talking to the Lord and nodding at his various questions or comments.

 

[Max Kouser]

"Here is the selling price that is being asked for," she said with all the confidence of someone who knew her shit.

Clydus looked at the number she indicated.
"Hmmm, quite a steep price indeed. But for the future rewards I'm sure it is but a trifle."
He looked over his own copy of the details, nodding from time to time as he read through it.
"Of course, I trust that this fleet is still in peak condition?"

"No less than can be expected of your average long voyage trade vessels. Some routine drydock cleaning and maintenance and they'll be good as new!"
Max put in.

The more the man talked, the more Max became convinced that they were being played.
Clydus played along well, but he didn't quite manage to sell the innocent buyer act and it was tripping alarms in Max's brain like crazy.
He nudged Inara's foot with his toe, a silent signal to be ready while he continued to amicably smile at the cunning young lord with the fat belly.

"Well, I suppose that's all I need to know. If it's all the same to you, I'm ready to close this deal..."
Max heard the rasp of a sword being drawn from its scabbard behind the door, he casually put both hands into his pockets.
Clydus picked up his quill and raised it over the paper.
Max tensed.
"... No deal, you scamming pieces of scum!"
He dropped the quill, and on que, the door burst open under the boot of the lord's personal guard, and several men entered the room.

 

[Inara Irren]

"Hmmm, quite a steep price indeed. But for the future rewards I'm sure it is but a trifle."
He looked over his own copy of the details, nodding from time to time as he read through it.
"Of course, I trust that this fleet is still in peak condition?"

"No less than can be expected of your average long voyage trade vessels. Some routine drydock cleaning and maintenance and they'll be good as new!"
Max put in.

Inara stayed quiet as Max answered the questions of the Lord. She could not answer that last question so she did not even bother since he was here. That was why he was here after all.

It was only a second or two after Max finished talking that he nudged her foot but she was only half paying attention. It certainly did not warn her like he intended.

"Well, I suppose that's all I need to know. If it's all the same to you, I'm ready to close this deal..."

This time she heard it. The sound that anyone around weapons would know. A sword being drawn from his sheath.

Oh fuck, she thought. She did not have time to do anything though.

"... No deal, you scamming pieces of scum!"

Inara jumped from her seat and drew her dagger as the men rushed in. She really hoped that Max could talk them out of this mess because she couldn't. Fuuuuccckkkk.

 

[Max Kouser]

Yyyyeeeaaahhh... Talking was the farthest thing from his mind at the moment, and especially once Inara had her dagger out, talking went out with it.
He already had his fingers in his knuckledusters, he just gripped tight and stood up withdrawing his hands from his pockets.
The knuckles were black and shiny, blending in well with his gloves so a cursory glance would have an unobservant opponent assuming he was unarmed.

"... Seems your mind is made up, Lord Clydus."
Honestly, dragging out the charade was just desperate, so he didn't put a lot of effort into it. But DAMN he was pissed! How had news of the fleet reached the Lord ahead of them? They had jumped on it almost out of the horse's mouth!

He still had his back to the guards, he glanced behind him and counted six private guardsmen out of the corner of his eye.
He pivoted slightly and caught the edge of his chair with the toe of his boot, with a sharp kick he flipped it from the floor and sent it flying at the group, to their credit they were light on their feet and avoided the chair, but it was quickly followed by Max charging directly at them in spite of their drawn swords.
He caught the first man off guard as he sidestepped the chair, he'd just recovered and turned to face them when his next sight was of a gloved fist smashing in the nose guard of his helmet, driving the metal into his face. the force of the blow, along with the injury to his face, dropped him instantly like a sack of potatoes.

Max then quickly jumped back as a sword sliced the air where he previously stood. Seems this lord wasn't exactly fond of prisoners or a fair trial, these men were ordered to kill.
He quickly backed up and presented himself as an obstacle in front of Inara.
In spite of the flurry of action he remained composed and even his clothing remained un-disheveled.
The five remaining guards recovered and fully faced them, the office was spacious enough, but only barely, it would be tight to maneuver around.
No doubt Inara was good with that dagger, so he could rely on her to watch his back... Or so he hoped.
Two moved in to strike, he ducked one slash, but the other was taking the opening the first created. The room was filled with the sound of a loud clang as he blocked the blade with his fist, catching the edge between the grooves of the knuckles. With a twist he snapped the blade, but he was quickly put back on the defensive as the other attacker brought his sword around for a backswing.

Another guard took advantage of Max's distraction and went around the desk to flank them.
All this time Lord Clydus remained seated, watching and smiling evilly as he awaited the first blood to spill.

 

[Inara Irren]

Apparently talking was not going to happen and that sucked a lot. Inara was raised on the streets and she could use a dagger like the best of 'em but they were outnumbered and out weaponed. The guards swords had a longer reach than her dagger and Max's knuckledusters.

Max easily knocked one of the men out and that left five now. She only half paid attention to Max as he fought two of guards and she took the one charging directly at her. She ducked and struck with her right hand as she moved. She felt the dagger connect but she did pay attention to the damage. As long as he was still standing, he was still a threat.

He did stumble back and she saw the red that he started to form under his uniform. He looked down at it and she took advantage of his distraction to kick him in the wound. He stumbled back further and doubled over as, she assumed, the pain overwhelmed him.

There was no rest though because the next guard came forward to attack. He kept his sword low but she still managed to dodge it. Well...she thought she had dodged it. She felt the sword slice into her side and she cried out as she flipped the dagger in her hand before throwing it at the mans throat. It struck home and his hands immediately went up to try and stop himself from dying. It was too late.

 

[Max Kouser]

Three remained, one with a broken sword, one moving around the desk to fight Inara who had just taken out both of his companions, and one currently trying to take his head while his partner was drawing a dagger to replace his broken sword.
Max heard the cry of pain and could guess that Inara had been cut... And that meant death for him if Marcus found out he had let his daughter get so much as a scratch on her!

Damn it all!

He caught the wrist of the guardsman as he performed his backswing, the benefit of knuckledusters is that he still had use of his hands, he quickly pulled hard and struck, dislocating the man's shoulder and dropping him to the floor to meet the dagger of his companion.
He thrust quick and short, keeping his knife hand back so Max would have a harder time gaining control of the knife... But that still didn't stop Max and his quick hands. He caught the knife hand as it lashed out, like a bear snatching a fish from a creek.
With a quick twist he snapped the wrist and made him drop the knife, then he delivered a punishing blow to the nose guard of his helmet, smashing it in and dropping the man like a fly...

... But there was no victory in this...

More guards were entering the room.

He looked back at Inara as she dealt with the final guard, she was indeed bleeding and that wasn't a grazing wound. Lord Clydus had taken the opportunity to position himself at the far end of the room in order to watch, out of reach of the fighting.
He gritted his teeth, no hostage to get them out of this.

The window... That was the only way out. They could survive the fall; they'll land in a canal and be swept away, it wasn't ideal, he'll ruin his suit, but Inara needed to get out of here immediately.
Before she could fully engage with the last guard he heaved and overturned the lord's desk onto his foot, causing him to stop and deal with the heavy desk breaking his toes while Max vaulted himself over it and put him out of the fight with his metal clad punch.
"Apologies."
He looked at Inara, didn't wait for permission, put his arm around her and forcefully led her to the window where he proceeded to quickly punch out the glass, lift her unceremoniously in his arms, and dump her out the two-story window into the canal.

The guards were moving in on him, Lord Clydus was now frantically screaming as he realized his prey was beginning to slip away.
Max turned to face them and feinted to create a little space... He watched as a spear thrust forward to meet him, he stepped back, his legs met the edge of the windowsill, and he fell unceremoniously out the window himself to splash into the canal.

As soon as he recovered, he came to the surface and immediately looked around for Inara... Or more accurately, listened for his name being cursed to every god in every pantheon known to Arethil

 

[Inara Irren]

Everything that Max did next happened too fast for her to really process until the she felt the sting of the cold water rush over her. She struggled to get to the surface of the water so she could breathe even as she felt the sting of the water in her would.

As soon as she breached the surface, she took in a long breath and looked around her. That was when she finally let herself process the events of the last few minutes.

Inara had been cut and she had been bleeding.

He grabbed her and threw her out the window.

Out.

The.

Window.

That motherfucker had thrown his boss out of the window. She was going to murder him. Slowly.

"MAX!" Inara called out with a slight panic in her voice.