Episode 1: Not A Tavern

[BanksAT]

Vice listened intently, twisting a mousy brown dreadlock absentmindedly. "I said I was in, so in I am. Hard figuring what I can do to steal a starship, though. I can't drive a speeder. ... Could hotwire one, though. Can you hotwire and Imperial Star Cruiser?"

[T-Prime]

[Melissa Richards]

Stalker was not amused at the little by-play between Azaria and her friend. She moved a little bit from the wall and spoke softly.

"I have a hunch that most of us are here for a specific payout, not hopes and dreams of a gold chamberpot or simply doing you a favor. If cyborg man there wants to do the job, he's welcome to it." She looked at him. "Overconfidence is a weakness that brings death as much as arrogance brings betrayal." She paused then spoke again. "Define the terms of your contract for this job, not half explanations and trivial words. You wouldn't have put the word out for such as people like us if you could do this yourself, or even with mechanical man there.." she smirked. "So, give the details of what we all really want to hear.."

tags

[Sjet]

Dexon coughed into a closed fist and smiled as he took over for Azaria.

"Ahh but gentles all, we do not need to ride off into the sunset with the Interdictor cruiser: all that is required are the technical read outs and schematics. We supply them to the Rebel Alliance technical types, and maybe they can find some weakness that will see this new toy negated. These ships will control where people go, and who can go there: it is utter control of freedom." He looked at Krusk "Is that enough rhetoric for you?"

The Bothan groused something under his whiskers.

"As for rewards of the mortal form, instead of the cheery glow of a job well done, it just so happens I know a fellow at SoroSub: the ship wrights of Sullust that just so happen to be KDY's main competitor for galactic ship production. As it stands during our operation window SoroSub will be making some very...covert shortings of KDY stock on the Courucant Exchange. Any damage we do on the way out should see their stock plummet, and SoroSub's shorted investment returned with interest. It is an investment that would see us all amply rewarded, monetarily."

Dexon then spoke a rather impressive number, with a fanciful amount of zeroes on the end of it. He looked at Shadow Stalker and bowed his head respectfully.

"Does that figure assure us of your continued interest for the duration of this job? Does it assure the rest of you the potential for profit in this venture?" He asked, before turning to look at Azaria "If so then I will let my beautiful assistant sketch out the bare bones of the plan we have assembled over a bottle of Corellian whisky. There will be holes in the plan, but that is why we are discussing it now instead of discussing it in Kuat orbit."

TAG-Shadow Stalker, one and all and Azaria.

Caleb Dexon
Commander
7th ASOG

[T-Prime]

[KendleRJ]

Boomer watched the continuing farce as it blossomed to its near full before her. Azaria couldn't even answer the wannabe 'droid's question about why he just didn't do the job and cut out the rest of the talent sitting in the room. The lady with the weird vibe spoke up and said her piece, talking about over-confidence and arrogance. It seemed that those who spoke of such things might even be a closet worshipper themselves. Or so Thrace had found in her numerous dealings with groups of do-gooders with bad intentions and evil-doers with the best of them. It was funny that the 'Droid guy thought that this was a negotiation. The conman had already made it abundantly clear that it was not.

Then the smooth talker with the fancy jargon spoke up; confidence trickster no doubt, and suave with the ladies. She'd driven more than a few of those with fares of the feminine persuasion out to the deepest darkest recesses of Coruscant with pretty words and phrases as they gave up money, jewels and some bedraggled thing that most of them could swear was their honour. He juggled it around a bit, smoothed out a few of the creases... And then passed it back again to the Azaria woman who didn't even have an idea as to why they just didn't use 'Droid boy. Oh, her confidence in this little game was slowly dissipating like a gaseous misty morning on that infamous Sullust. Deferring the question to the con man put her in the bait category when swimming with sharks. 'And when we smell blood in the water, that's when things get interesting,' she thought. Like that blonde haired dandy sprawled on the ground. She must have hit him with the door. She would have smiled, but that would give too much away. With each new exchange, she was learning something more about those around her.

The quiet boy had many good uses. She was sure if he hadn't spoken up when he did, part of her mind would have simply dismissed his presence as non-threatening or easily overcome. Perhaps it might have been right, but it wouldn't be right to underestimate any individual they were standing with in this room. It wouldn't be right to trust any of them either if it came to that...

The amount that the con man had mentioned to weird vibe lady would do, she guessed. Boomer hoped that was per person and not to be split in so many ways; that had... very bad ramifications in previously disbanded groups. Mostly dismantled. Forcibly. With heavy weapons' fire and a few well-placed explosives. It was like the last one standing got the whole shabang. Funny how there was a 'bang' in that word.

The fact that she had travelled halfway around the Galaxy, leaving a world that was in bed with the Rebellion to end up in the same set of pajamas wasn't lost on her either.

"Does that figure assure us of your continued interest for the duration of this job? Does it assure the rest of you the potential for profit in this venture?" He asked, before turning to look at Azaria "If so then I will let my beautiful assistant sketch out the bare bones of the plan we have assembled over a bottle of Corellian whisky. There will be holes in the plan, but that is why we are discussing it now instead of discussing it in Kuat orbit."

Boomer looked straight at him, gaze unwavering; her aquamarine eyes particularly more blue than green at this moment. She was still standing in the room with the rest of them, a damned threat and an even more damned promise holding her here amongst them. She cocked her head sideways, waiting for more. Because, well, there was always more wasn't there?

And there it was as the Wannabe 'Droid piped up, repeating himself as though no one understood him in the first place. Trying to undercut them all as though bidding for the job... talking over them instead of waiting for the outline. She'd seen his type before; chomping at the bit, hardly waiting to act, trying to suss everything out without getting all the facts. If they'd get words out that might actually deal with understanding the full scope of the job, he might have his questions answered.

"Either you have completely misjudged the assets required for this task, or there's something you're not telling us. Something big."

"Kuat shipyards not big enough for you?" she asked with some amusement. "It'll take more than brass balls and a fancy transporting device to get you in and out from that place in one piece." She wouldn't have hit such a place with a crack team of her most trusted people. How the fuck were these jokers without an ounce of cooperation between them going to pull this shit off?

Shifting her gaze back to the conman, she kept the mild amusement on her face. "Corellian whiskey," she said. "I can see why there'd be holes after sharing that swill." She looked around, her eyes settling on the Bothan. The conman and Azaria deferred to him, so he must be, in one way or other, the one in charge so to speak. "Don't see anything else to drink though. Might be a bit more forthcoming if there was. Not very hospitable of you, is it?"

Tags All the Soggies

[Azaria]

"Does that figure assure us of your continued interest for the duration of this job? Does it assure the rest of you the potential for profit in this venture?" He asked, before turning to look at Azaria "If so then I will let my beautiful assistant sketch out the bare bones of the plan we have assembled over a bottle of Corellian whisky. There will be holes in the plan, but that is why we are discussing it now instead of discussing it in Kuat orbit."

"This isn't going very well," she murmured in Dexon's ear as she stood back up. Sure enough, the 'talent' all got yippy and put in their two cents before she could finish.

"Either you have completely misjudged the assets required for this task, or there's something you're not telling us. Something big." Declared Kid Cyborg.

"Kuat shipyards not big enough for you?" the explosives girl asked. "It'll take more than brass balls and a fancy transporting device to get you in and out from that place in one piece."

"Corellian whiskey," she said. "I can see why there'd be holes after sharing that swill." She looked around, her eyes settling on the Bothan. The conman and Azaria deferred to him, so he must be, in one way or other, the one in charge so to speak. "Don't see anything else to drink though. Might be a bit more forthcoming if there was. Not very hospitable of you, is it?"

Krusk's ears flattened and hair bristled, "I'm not the quartermaster, nor a server. Bring your own or take a hike. This operation has been approved by the Bothan council AND Alliance command, and Dexon here has been placed in charge. When in house, I'm your XO. When in the field, Azaria is your man... so to speak, though she still operates through me."

He heaved himself to stand before the crowd of miscreants assembled, eyes lingering for a few seconds too long on the bumpy parts of some of the more alluringly clad females in the room, and smoothed down his fur with an overused handkerchief. "So you can all sit down, shut up, and listen to the plan before deciding if you want to be a part of this or not." He turned a stern glance towards Jarion, "and for some of you, the alternative to doing the mission is significantly less desirable than empty pockets."

tags Jarion, any others

Azaria coughed, "well, yes... so.... if you're all ready to listen, here's the deal: The Moff, while being a stickler for security protocalls, is also - Surprise!- a pompus windbag who likes to show off his new toys to the Kuati Nobility... sure, it might be to overawe them and keep them in line, but behind the political motivation is a pubescent human with a shiny new speeder, and he wants to rub it in their faces. So, to do that, he's hosting a ball to celebrate the launch of the Night Witch, and the laying down of seven more of her type."

She picked up a handheld holoprojector and the image of a man in Imperial army uniform jumped out in pinpoints of blue light. "Good Day General, I am Colonel Veers, Moff Kuras' aide de campe. On the occasion of this triumph of engineering's launch, the Moff has requested the pleasure of your company at a gala to commission the newest ship-of-the-line, the Night Witch. The celebrations will be held on the Kuat Drive Yard's construction platform 33." The Colonel's voice was drab, he evidently did not enjoy his position, and not in the least being a messenger. "Please join the Moff as he introduces the architect of this feat, Dandmar Beswick, and other key members of the design team who created the newest weapon in the Emperor's arsenal. RSVPs may be sent to..."

There Azaria cut the message off and returned the holoprojector to the table.

"The bit about the seven other ships is new information... as well as that the designers will be there," she tapped a button and another holo projection rose behind her, this one a layout of the Kuat construction yards and icons indicating various vessels under construction. "So we have been given the unique opportunity to not only acquire the plans for the Moff's new toy and smash it up, but to also eliminate the minds behind its construction. And by a stroke of luck, the tech centre where the plans are kept is in the same complex."

"So to make a long story short, we will be splitting up into two teams - team 1, comprised of Tass, Boomer, Vice and myself will be laying explosives on the Night Witch, the sister ships, and a liberal dousing across the rest of the platform. team 2, lead by Dexon, will infiltrate the party posing as a guest and his entourage. While Tavlia distracts the company, Dexon and O'Raka will steal the plans, plant explosives, and eliminate anyone that might give them problems. This Beswick fellow will need to be lured away from the party and taken care of..." She gave Tavlia a loot. "You up to the challenge?"

With her lekku, she signed to the other Twi'lek "and no, no I am not a slave. Just indentured at the moment. You?'

TAG Tavlia

"I say, this all sounds well and good," Othar once again interjected, clearly offended "but what will I be doing during all this? You seem to have left me out!?!?"

TAG Dexon

[BanksAT]

Glancing around the room, Vice's gaze settles on Dexon and Azaria. "Seems you've chosen us purposely. Maybe you tell us how you see this bunch fittin' together, we'll feel a mite more confident you know what you're doin'?"

[KendleRJ]

Krusk's ears flattened and hair bristled, "I'm not the quartermaster, nor a server. Bring your own or take a hike. This operation has been approved by the Bothan council AND Alliance command, and Dexon here has been placed in charge. When in house, I'm your XO. When in the field, Azaria is your man... so to speak, though she still operates through me."

"Relax, Fluffy; I wasn't implying you were either. And apparently not a host in any sense of the word." Boomer pursed her lips together, folding her arms across her chest and leaned. She seriously hoped that he wasn't going to expect her to supply the explosives for this little jaunt; by the sounds of it, that would seriously cut into her take and that was something she wouldn't look too kindly upon.

He heaved himself to stand before the crowd of miscreants assembled, eyes lingering for a few seconds too long on the bumpy parts of some of the more alluringly clad females in the room, and smoothed down his fur with an overused handkerchief. "So you can all sit down, shut up, and listen to the plan before deciding if you want to be a part of this or not." He turned a stern glance towards Jarion, "and for some of you, the alternative to doing the mission is significantly less desirable than empty pockets."

Boomer coughed. "That's a load," she said softly. "You can't possibly expect me to believe that after you tell us the mission that opting out would result in anything other than 'undesirable'." She waited a beat. "This is the Rebellion. And being here makes us liable for treason, which has significantly upped the bounty on each of our pretty little heads." She shrugged. "Backing out now is only an option for the seriously suicidal."

Looking directly at Othar, she smiled. "Or idiotic."

Glancing around the room, Vice's gaze settles on Dexon and Azaria. "Seems you've chosen us purposely. Maybe you tell us how you see this bunch fittin' together, we'll feel a mite more confident you know what you're doin'?"

Maybe if she believed that they might be able to work together, that might make her more confident as well. Who the hell they all were, well, was anybody's guess. Naming names for teams meant nothing to her. Except she was on Team 1. Who the others were was anybody's guess.

Tags

((OOC - And I shall stop drinking coffee... now. ))

[T-Prime]