Star sat restlessly in the driver's seat of her 1935 Deuce Coupe which she had parked under a bridge. She'd already made her way through half a pack of cigarettes as she watched the traffic trickle by. Though she was shaded by the overpass, the road in front of her shimmered in the sunlight and it seemed no one wanted to be out in the searing summer heat of Philadelphia. Impatiently she glanced at her watch and rolled her eyes, frustrated that it was only eleven in the morning and she wasn't due to meet Tara till one. Out of necessity, Star had been up and out of the house by 7:00 but now that her business was finished, and the flat she shared with Kittie all the way across the other side of the city, she was bored and shiftless and wiling away the time by doing a rather good impression of a house fire. 

With a frustrated sigh, she turned the key to her car and put it in gear, pulling back onto the road. The car behind her honked and swerved and she waved it off with a decidedly unladylike gesture. Maybe she could do some work at the HQ. She had been shifting much of her office into boxes, preparing herself for the inevitable move to her new base of operations, but she had run into a few logistical snags along the way. That was the reason Tara was going to meet her later so they could go over the plans and maybe strong arm the few holdouts that were blocking her ability to make the move. The building was there, and already had the capability to run a speakeasy and club, but the people who had wrested control from its previous owner upon his death were being iron-fisted and "didn't think a little lady could run such a business." Together, she and Tara were going to show them just what a little lady could do. 

Tara was sitting at her desk, working her way through a mountain of paperwork and mail. She was just about to sigh and dive back in when she noticed Star in the door of her office.

"Star! Come in, sit down. Nope- none of this is important. Well, not time sensitive anyway. Why don't you tell me about this job you have in mind?"

Star leaned against the doorway for a moment, waiting for Tara to invite her in. As Tara looked up and waved her over, she entered and sat primly on the edge of one of the comfortable chairs in the office. She sighed and rolled her eyes as she spoke softly, though there was a menacing growl behind her words. 

"Alright so, you know that when ShoNuff left this thing of ours, he left behind his lounge? See the thing is, it's got great structure and class and it's situated in some prime real estate. With his vacancy, however, a few guys moved in and took claim of the building. They don't own it and they don't even have the deeds but they think that just because they have guns and a couple big strong fellows, they can move right in. They're making an absolute mess of the place Tara, it's completely gutted! Anyway, through a few of my own dealings, I've managed to get the rights to the building but because I'm a lady, they don't think I'm capable of owning it. The long and short of it is this, You know I've been in the bakery for a while now and it's going well for me but it doesn't offer much of a nightlife. I mean, unless you think a slice of cherry pie and coffee at midnight is a great social life. I uh, I recently acquired a telescope and I'm not talking a little one. It's going to be here in a little over a week and I need a place to put it. I'm thinking you and me, and maybe your brother, if he's not making love to a pot of coffee, can do a little barnstorming?"

Tara had slid the papers out of the way as she leaned back into her chair and listened to Star. When she answered, her voice was dry and contemplative.

"If you know my brother, you're aware that whiskey is more likely to be the object of his affection; coffee is just for the momentary occassions when he decides he needs to recover. So what are you thinking for a play here, Star?"

Tara, pondering, running through their options as she saw them.

"Well, I suppose the two of us could go in there and try to play it straight. Persuade them to leave. How's your trigger finger? I've been... training... but I'm not exactly ready to mow down a room of bad guys. So I guess we could have the two of us try to persuade them to leave- the question then is whether we have Gavin up front with us... he could certainly provide more intimidation... or if we leave him ready to spring a trap. He's a damn good shot with a rifle. We could always try to do it our way, then have him as a fall back. But it might be easier to intimidate them if he's there too. What were you hoping for- a deal? Or threatening them to leave?"

A third finger is counted off.

"Although I suppose all three of us could try to stay hidden, take them down incognito. Not exactly my skillset, but I'm game if that's what you want."

Tara shrugs.

"If it were me, I'd try to find something they want- try to buy them out and point them in a direction that helps us. Gavin would have already started shooting at this point. What are you looking for out of this?"

Mentally, Star ticked off Tara's suggestions in order of plausibility, trying to figure out which avenue would suit them best. Sure, going in guns blazing sounds like tons of fun but realistically could two women really take on more than a half-dozen heavily armed men? The answer was a resounding no. The problem was, other than the building, she wasn't sure what they wanted. The men occupying the building weren't from Philly or at least any family she was familiar with and they had moved in shortly after the previous occupant had died. 

"I gotta say I'm kind of at a loss? I mean I could offer them money, I could try to find another place for them to base their operations, or like you suggested I could try to buy them out. I mean money talks for almost everyone so that seems like the most plausible suggestion but we should have our guns at the ready just in case. I could bring Kittie into all of this too, I mean it's not a lot more but four against six at least raises the odds of our survival?"

Tara drummed her fingers on her desk as she thought.

"Why don't we have a conversation, then? If this can be a business opportunity, we shouldn't escalate. You can certainly bring in Kittie if you'd like, but these guys might see three women as basically the same as two."

She shrugged.

"Why don't you, Gavin, and I just go talk to them? If Gavin is standing next to us, they're less likely to try something. And honestly, they should know you're- we're- connected enough to dissuade them from anything too rough."

Standing, she grabbed a light jacket with a wink.

"Lead on, Star. After all, you're the boss."

Star nodded, biting her lip in thought as she pondered the choices. Tara was right, talking was their best bet and bringing in anyone else was just putting more people at risk. She'd keep Katherine out of it and follow the wisest choice of trying to talk it out. Money was, no doubt, going to be a large part of the persuasion but she knew that if that was what it would take to get back what was rightfully hers, she would do it. 

With a sigh, she reached around Tara and pulled her own jacket from the hook, hanging it over her arm as she grabbed the keys to her car. Together, they made their way towards the street where her car was parked, passing by Gavin who followed his sister silently. Once in the car, Star checked her handbag for the thing she'd need including her pocketbook and her gun. 

The drive to the tall brick building didn't take long and the good company of friends helped keep Star's mind from wandering into anxious thoughts. She talked about some of the changes that were happening within her own crew, mentioning offhand that her own crew leader had recently put in a well earned bid to take over the operations of the whole city. 

"I can't believe this is happening so quickly but that's why I'm trying to get all of this taken care of before that happens. Even though I'll probably have my base of operations in the HQ still, I want to open a speakeasy but I want something legitimate as a front. I've already purchased the telescope but I can't have it installed until these mooks get out of my way."

She pulled the car to a stop and put it in park, yanking the keys out of the ignition. As she got out of the car, she took one more deep breath to balance herself, smoothing out the front of her skirt and blouse as she locked eyes with Tara and Gavin. 

"Ready?"

Tara and Gavin flashed identical smiles at Star as they moved to support her- one on either shoulder. They were both ready, in their own way. Tara was trying to plan out particularly effective phrases, while Gavin simply clicked the safety off his gun and made sure he could get to it quickly. 

Star didn't bother knocking on the door of the tall brick building; instead, she just pushed her way through. Perhaps this gang assumed no one would be stupid enough to crash their territory. There was a flurry of movement, however, as Star, Tara, and Gavin made their way to an open space in the floor. They simply waited as four or five thugs lurched up and grabbed their weapons. Some of them were pointing guns at them, while some were just staring at the newcomers with confusion in their eyes. 

Gavin spoke up first, letting Star stay quiet and run her eyes over the men. They seemed young, mostly. Upper teens, maybe low to mid twenties.

"We're not here for trouble. Want to talk to the boss."

A man older than the rest of the group, perhaps in his early thirties, emerged from a makeshift office. He crossed his arms and stood tall as his men gathered around him.

"You're talking to him. Who the fuck are you? What do you want? And what the hell do you mean just walking into our headquarters?"

Tara clicked her mouth shut, catching the words before they could escape her. She'd chime in later, but this was Star's place to talk. 

Star had the physical evidence that backed up her claim to the building, but the young boys who flanked her and her friends didn't seem like reason was something that was high on their list of priorities. They were young, inexperienced, and at least two of them looked very unsure when faced with three poised adults who meant business. 

As the boss arrived, his sourpuss expression remained as he questioned them angrily, his hand inching closer to his concealed piece behind his jacket. Star stepped up and squared her shoulders, leveling a firm gaze at the man who was only a year or so older than she was. 

"I'm Star and this is my turf. I own the deed to this building which you are occupying and I'd like to offer you a deal to get out. You see, you're not the only operation in town and you've been making quite a mess that my family has had to clean up lately but if you'll do the smart thing and take the cash and get out of here, I'll make it worth your while."

She paused briefly, giving the opposing boss a chance to ponder her words. When he spoke, it was all Star could do to keep from flaring her nostrils and rolling her eyes. He was going to make it difficult wasn't he? It figured, she was a lady and as much as she didn't buy into the whole "women are less than men" thing, she'd seen it time and time again where she'd had to prove herself by outsmarting, outmuscling, and outshooting her competition. Today she was hoping the money would make an enticing fourth option but the man was looking mighty intractable. 

"Suppose...suppose I don't think what you're offering is enough?" He asked, his fingers tracing the outside corners of his mouth, his stance aloof and defiant in opposition to Star's stick straight authoritative posture. She took a deep breath in and smiled as serenely as possible.

"I don't think that's a possibility. I'm being more than generous in offering to buy you out of a building I legally own, if I were you I'd take the money and run but if your greed exceeds your good sense, then I'm sure we can come to a different agreement."

Gavin stared calmly ahead; at least a few of the younger members seemed thrown by the way he looked at them with steady, empty eyes. Tara moved closer to Star's shoulder, supporting her. 

The opposing boss crossed his arms as he approached Star, moving slightly inside her personal space. Tara stopped Gavin from doing anything with a look. When the boss spoke, his voice was not entirely unreasonable, but he did seem a little too amused, considering the circumstances.

"Look, sweetheart. I get that you own the building. And I get that you've got a decent pile of money for us. But we grew up around here- this is our turf. You just expect us to what? Leave the city?"."

Star swallowed hard, her internal irritation hiding just under the poised surface of her preternaturally calm facade and yet, Tara could see that Star's finger was twitching ever so slightly as the boys made their rather weak case for staying put. There was nothing she would have enjoyed more at that moment than to wipe the smug amusement off of his face but she was supposed to be setting an example here. 

She wondered, briefly, if the boys were aware of just how much backup Star actually had. Even though she was only flanked by Gavin and Tara, she, like them, had the support of the whole of Philly behind them. The boys here had no idea just how much trouble they would be in if they made their removal any more difficult than packing up their bags and leaving. Still, that wasn't much hope now, seeing as belligerence seemed to be their modus operandi. As her opponent asked his manipulative question, Star pasted on yet another serene smile, her tone light albeit slightly stressed at the end.

"Of course not, I wouldn't dream of kicking you and your boys out of the city. I might even have a place for you fellows to land. It's not quite as large as this place, but it's a decent start for such a small operation. Listen, I know you want to make this into a big deal. Little lady barging in here, kicking you out of a building she legally owns, it's all a bit much to take in isn't it? But the thing is, you have a couple options and none of them involve you staying here. If you choose to do the safe thing, you get a building free of charge to hang out and smoke cigars and call your home turf as well as a comfortable enough chunk of change that will allow you to happily buy you some amenities as well. If you choose the route you're already heading down, there won't be enough of you left to walk out of here calling yourself anything more than an ambulance. I'm not a hard woman if you work with me but I've reached the end of my rope in terms of negotiations."

With her final words, the smile from her face dropped and she leveled the gang with a disturbing glare. It was the type of look that a mother could give to her child and instantly make them feel guilty. The ball was in their court and many of the younger men were already sweating profusely, having already taken several small steps backwards, hoping their boss would take the money and run.

One of the young men just laughed, but he was the only one. After a look from the gang leader, he shut up too.

"If this new building of yours has a few blocks to go with it- our new territory- then that'd be a good thing for us. We can manage some territory."

The simultaneous look in Star and Tara's eyes caused him to raise his hands.

"Look, I'm asking here- not demanding. Working with you, just like you said. If there would be some territory involved, we'll move tonight. Even clean the place up. Once we're up and running, we'll kick you up your fair share. That's good, yea?"

Star stood their stonily for a moment, internally relieved that this fellow was starting to turn the corner on his attitude. He was negotiating for a bit more than she had originally intended and yet, his request wasn't unreasonable as he did make a promise to kick up his fair share. She looked left and right, nodding to Tara and Gavin in silent approval before speaking. 

"I think your request is fair as long as you make good on your promise. The building is yours, it's about 4 blocks west of here and it's set up in a prime little spot with enough daily action to make it worth your while, and mine. Now, lets talk numbers."

She spent several more minutes negotiating, finally shaking hands with the young man as she slipped him a bank note. As he turned, he motioned his men to follow him and soon they were all gone, the door slamming behind them down below. Star's shoulders slumped noticeable and she heaved a huge sigh, moving to the window to watch them boys leave. Once they were gone, Star turned to Tara and Gavin and thanked them again for backing her up, hugging Tara firmly. 

"Let's go get drinks, I'm going to need about a fifth of whisky to deal with what just happened."

The three of them made their way downstairs and to the nearest bar where Star was finally able to show them the plans she had for her newly vacated space. The construction would take a few months to finish but it would be done up in the latest Nouveau style and would feature an observatory on the top level where patrons could peer through several telescopes including a large one that was capable of showing the rings of Saturn with clarity. On lower levels, there would be an art gallery and, if one knew the right people, there would be a hidden speakeasy as well. The plans were grandiose but well thought out and together, the three of them toasted to the future success of The Observatory.