[Ark Trials] You can look, but not touch.

[Flamjetxx]

Finally retrieving the response Ark was hoping for, he was instantly satisfied. It would take getting used to seeing that she was new to the concept of dropping a message into another's mind, but she got her first try without any snags.

"Good. Follow me. We are getting closer, and we'll soon need to find to precisely where the artefact would be hidden away," Ark stated allowing the female to get closer to him as he weaved their way through a growingly thicker crowd.

They quickly approached a vender selling maps, and Ark addressed him in the middle of his sales pitch, "We are looking for a particular place. Preferably looking for someone that knows a thing or two about artefacts," Ark says as he slips a few credits to him.

It was no guess that Ark chose him. On their way through the crowds, Ark had spied a few others do the exact same thing, although Ark oculd only speculate what they were asking. All he saw was an abnormally large sum of credits being transferred for the vender to point them in a direction without the customers receiving a map in return. It become a bit obvious to Ark that he was a go to guy to find any of the shadier things going on around this section of the Station. A brief probe of his mind only confirmed it; However, Ark's stay there would be unseen and brief lest he figure out Ark's own tricks.

The vender cocked his head to his side and frowned, holding out his slimy hand. Ark sighed as he forked over a few spare credits, "These maps are getting expensive."

A crooked smile morphed his face as he responded in a hushed tone, "That's inflation for yuh. I wouldn't know anything specific about artefacts, but I hear you're looking for Taedey in the pawn shop right here," he says while pointing out the exact location on the map.

Ark snatched the map from his hands with an eye marking exactly where he was pointing and memorizing it while trying to figure out exactly where it was in relation to their current location. The map vender begins to complain about Ark taking the map until Ark looks down on him, removing the hood enough to bare his fangs. If there was anything a sleaze ball like him could understand was when he was about to het his entrails ripped out by an angry customer. Instead of making a fuss, he stepped back, "Hey! Enjoy the map! I'm glad I could help," he tried to make it look like he made a sale while looking around for other perspective customers.

Walking in the direction of where he assumed the shop was located before handing the map to Kathrin, "It's certainly no blue print, but there seems to be a lot of room for the bathrooms behind that pawn shop. I'm guessing there is a concealed room we'll need to get past. Many gangs tend to use concealed chambers as entrances to underground hideouts or raves. I'll leave it up to you to decide how you'd like to get in. Keep in mind though that no one can learn we are Sith."

Ark was always taking the lead on such missions. And that left his students mindlessly following his every word. It didn't really develop any sense of intelligence for knowing when and how to use the ability. This is the reason why Ark I allowing Kathrin to come up with her own plan to get in.

 

[Andrewza]

The market was packed and had a strange smell. Not bad, but strange as diffrent spices and fresh products melded together. Luckily Ark was rather big and dominating and this meant kathrin could easily follow in is wake.


When they reached the vendor she let Ark buy the information but stained close. Personally she thought it would have been better to rip it from his mind. But that may draw attention. Hopefully when the Sith round up the gang they ripe in to it then.


Looking at the map the room did look big. Big enough for a small lift.

With her new found telepathy kathrin responded. "Dont worry, if caught I am just a young slave girl forced in to steal for her master. I can be quite confinsing. But let's first find the place and you know Case the jointS as they say"

The porn shop was medium sized and rather bland on the out side. The Windows where blocked by thick metal bars. Preventing them from opening. But the main door was open and people could enter and leave freely. The guard at the door was not even really paying attention. In fact if the jacked he had on did not say security she would not have known he was any thing but a Patron.

 

[Flamjetxx]

Listening to her analysis, Ark nodded to the analysis. However, it wasn't very specific. It at least meant that she was paying close attention and was at least capable of devising a plan. All Ark had to do was indicate how she could practice her newly learned stealth and integrate it into her analysis. for Ark, it was an easy task completed more times than he could even count.

"Great analysis Kathrin. I suppose that we will have to use your newly learned ability to sneak into the lift," Ark stated. As Ark continued on through the crowd, towards the pawn shop, the crowds and bustle thinned significantly. The alcove the shop was located caused a natural thinning of the crowd as their paths would be interrupted if they were going anywhere but the pawn shop. It gave a very easy view of the crowds and individual approach to the shop, which would be rather ideal for any security that as any bit more attentive than this particular man.

Utilizing the thinning of the crowd, but still the relative cover, Ark allowed the Force to cloak himself from view. And in an instant, the following Kathrin would blink to find Ark gone. Ark was essentially non existent, allowing only his sensitivity to be a beacon of sorts for Kathrin to have a very vague sense of direction as to where Ark was located, and it also gave her a sense of proximity to Ark. By now, she'd easily be familiar with Ark's aura as he was familiar with hers. However, using the Force, Ark could see her perfectly.

Ark weaved in and out of the passing peoples. The crowd may have thinned, but bumping into a ghost would certainly draw unnecessary attention, and so Ark would make certain he wasn't touched by a single civilian. And finally, he would be inside of the shop where only the guard, a shop keeper, and a few other potential customers were located inside. Ark even managed to catch one of the patrons slip something into his pocket from the shelf in which he, for now, was not caught for. However, the security technologies on the outside of the shop would undoubtedly trigger the moment he attempted to pass. 'How dumb can they be' Ark asked himself.

Making his way effortlessly through the shop, Ark reached the lift with ease, however, he realized that though the lift was quite roomy for him alone, there was no one about to make it actually take them to their desired location. Not wanting things to come to a halt, Ark would wait for Kathrin too to be in the lift before he acted.

Even a glance into the shop would reveal several glass objects, and all it would take is a precise nudge for one of them to fall off the shelf. And so, with a minimal amount of concentration, Ark nudged a glass piece from a shelf next to the shoplifter, who surprised, jumped. Suddenly, the barely awake guard jumped to life to examine the situation. Ark waited for the shop keeper and guard to both be preoccupied with the discovery of the stolen goods to activate the lift.

Success. It would have brought a smirk to Ark's face if he had any less control over himself. However, there was no time for that as Ark sensed something he'd hoped he wouldn't... Other Force Sensitives...

With a mental message, Ark warned Kathrin of what Ark sensed, "Be careful Kathrin. We must conceal our Force signatures. There are other Forcefuls around. However, our cloak in the Force will no longer be necessary" Ark said while covering his own Force signature before anyone else could sense it yet, and unveiling his physical form.

As the lift rose, the sound of music began to fill the lift; It was distant at first, but as they reached their destination, Ark realized that the music was only just outside of the lift. And as the lift's doors pried themselves open, confused dancers looked at the opening to find the odd standing inside with dark cloaks covering themselves to conceal their identity. The scene of a dark club, dark music, and a particularly odd group of peoples was revealed to both Ark and Kathrin.

It was far from Ark's normal scene, and he immediately was uncomfortable by it. However, a thorough examination of the club would reveal that "business men" were sharing secrets here. It was likely a place in which people could sell and buy secrets from each other. The Artefacts were almost certainly here somewhere.

"Keep an ear out Kathrin. We are looking for stolen Sith Artefacts," Ark says mentally while he moves off to explore one half of the room, leaving Kathrin to her own half. After all, the more ground covered in less time, the better. And splitting p would do that splendidly.

 

[Andrewza]

The small size of kathrin gave her the edge in disappearing. In fact most people tended not to see her all ready, cloaked or not. even so she spent the time to time her vanishing trick. with out any fanfare she vanished. It then took some deft foot work to follow Ark and not walk in to some one. Though it was still child's play for a sith.

Inside it was clear that the security guard was not the shops primary form of security. It was clear that with out the aid of the force they would never of sneaked in side. standing in the lift Kathrin was wondering if they would have to wait till some one pressed the button. She did not know if she could stay cloaked long enough. But then Arks distraction kicked in. It was at that time Kathrin realized the only guard may not have been keeping a clear eye on the door, but he had a clear few of the lift.


As the lift started to move Kathrin could feel uneasy. Ark was more intune with the force and picked up the force sensitive. With out being told she dropped the cloak and masked her force signature. "Makes sense, probably some greedy acolyte stealing or aiding in the thefts of the artifacts."

 

[Flamjetxx]

In response to Kathrin's observation of the new Force sensitive, Ark wasn't convinced. The aura wasn't dark enough to be an Acolyte, nor was it light enough to be ay Jedi, "I'm not convinced Kathrin," Ark started to say through telepathy as he traversed the club, "I feel that it is more likely an independent Force Sensitive. A bounty hunter or mercenary in all likelihood. It means that they are probably not trained very well, so we don't have any worries about whether or not they will sense either of us through our cloaks nor will recognize that we are Sith in the first place. I'd make certain your lightsaber is out of view though," Ark warned her. It was obvious to hide the lightsabers, but he wasn't about to take any chances.

Ark danced gracefully through the club, keeping an eye on every group and party. Fraternizing, strippers, death sticks, drinking, drugs, and products. Ark could hear, physically and through the Force, many whispers of people bragging about their trophies. They tell potential buyers about their stolen 'Jedi Swords', their arms supply, and even.. yes... Stolen Artefacts, straight from Korriban itself. Ark searched for where he'd heard it, and he'd found it.

A chubby human sat waist deep in a stripper as he told her of scrolls, swords, and even an ancient vial of something. It was certainly his target. Ark sent another telepathic message to Kathrin, "That's our man. In the center of the room with the Togruta stripper taunting him with her breasts. Talk to him, and see what he knows. See if you can find out where the Artefacts are hidden; Pretend to be a buyer if you have to," Ark ordered Kathrin.

The moment, Kathrin made her first step towards the man, another man, the Force sensitive, stepped away from the side of the table where he stood. He was stern ad annoyed, and Ark could even hear his thoughts as he walked away, "That ugly old bastard takes al the credit, brags about the work I do, and spoils himself in strippers. Without me, he'd be nothing. Perhaps I will take the artefacts for myself and find another fence for them. Or maybe I should look into fencing myself. If all a fence does is sit in a club getting lap dances, I think I can live with that."

Suddenly, Ark peeled off to catch the forceful man before he reached the exit at the other end of the club as the lift. Acting as if he'd bumped into Ark, Ark shutters as he turns to him, "Best to be careful my friend," Ark placed a faked smile onto his face, "Ooh. You look like you're troubled. Having troubles finding a buyer I take it?"

The man cocked his head to the side, "Actually, I'm thinking about taking my stuff out f here. The place seems dead."

Ark nodded, "Maybe it isn't the club?" Ark suggested to him, "I personally, have made several sales today. Maybe it is your fence?"

 

[Andrewza]

The type of stealth needed now was different. Kathrin had to be some one she was not. Insuring her blade was hidden she decided to go for the route of a slave sent by her master to buy a artifact. It would allow her to be some one vague, powerful and rich well still stroking the mans giant ego. removing her hood She approached the man before bowing "greetings sir, i am K. I am here on order of my master. He heard that you where a master at getting hold of artifacts, old artifacts."

 

[Flamjetxx]

Kathrin's approach gave the impression of inexperience, likely real. How could Ark expect her to know that much about buying black market artefacts anyway? And the fence picked up on it, "I don't suppose that you often do this kind of thing? Perhaps you could bring your master here, and we can let the adults talk it out?"

It was degrading, and quite insulting to her, and Ark hoped that she could keep her cool.

Meanwhile, the real individual who'd originally procured the artefacts was hesitant to trust Ark, and he fully intended to leave the club all together. Ark' couldn't allow that to happen, or else they'd lose the artefacts.

"Kathrin," Ark sent a telepathic message to her, "I need you to find a place you can completely disappear, and follow this man," Ark said while subtly motioning to the man he was speaking to.

"You need to follow him, unseen, unheard, and closely to where he keeps the artefacts. Use a data pad to snap a picture of the artefacts, send them to the Sith database, and gain confirmation that they are indeed our Sith artefacts," Ark instructs her further.

Ark returns to his conversation with the theft, "Well. Perhaps you can point me to your fence. Perhaps I can work out a deal with transferring the business?"

The man shrugged with a chuckle, "Sure, whatever... He's flirting with those two whores."

Ark nodded, "Well, I'd best be off to my business then, and perhaps I can take on your business then?"

Ark let him head towards the back entrance of the club, where the product would be held, in order to switch places with Kathrin.

The door at the back, slid open by the use of a unique card, slid by the man. The card would certainly have been given to both him and his fence, for easier access to the products, no doubt kept safe by whoever is hosting this club. If Kathrin was quick, she'd be able to slip in right behind him while he leads the way to the artefacts.

Meanwhile, Ark sits down to make up some fake trade with the chubby fence, while he attempts to suck the face off the Twi'lek girl.

 

[Andrewza]

Kathrin was about to respond to his remark When Ark gave her a new mission "So be it, but i doubt he would bother with coming to see you" Before leaving Kathrin could not help but send a slight suggestion to the Twi'lek the man was enjoying. "that ear looks mighty tasty!" Sure it was brash and Ark would be most displeased. But it made her feel good.


Slipping away she made for the darkness where she vanished. Running fast she opened the background noise would mask her foot steps as she made for the door. Slipping through she made for the shadows. There was a strong Force aura from the room. It made it difficult to sense a specific item or person. The darkness was truly blinding. Still the man did not go to any crate, he seemed more interested on his datapad for now.

 

[Flamjetxx]

Ark watched as Kathrin got up, almost reluctantly, from the piggish man's location. And almost immediately, Ark moved in to the man for his own portion of the plan Ark had worked out. He'd need the thief to lead Kathrin to the stolen artefacts, but he'd need to leave, in order to give her a good look at them and confirm whether or not they were the real deal. For that, Ark would need something to pull him back with, and the fence was the best way to do it, assuming he had a com link to his thief.

Ark walked over, just in time to hear the female send a whisper into the prostitute's ear, and with that, Ark made quick work to belay the message with some intricate mind work of his own. The thought might actually come in handy later. Thankfully, the stripper was hardly competent, and that was likely the reason she was here instead of just about anywhere else. Hiding the memory and accompanying thoughts away was hardly a difficult task for Ark, someone quite familiar with traversing the mind.

He sat down next to the fence, and with an almost cocky attitude plastered onto his ordinarily reserved mentality, Ark leans in to him from underneath the shadows of his cloak. The cloak would hide his identity, but it would do nothing to conceal the bulk and even a bit of the definition of his muscles, and so starting something with a hulking man, as far as the human could tell, was not on the forefront of his mind.

"So, I hear that you aren't treating some of your clients with the attention they think they deserve," Ark started, grabbing the attention of the ugly man almost immediately. If there was anything Ark could smell off the man, it was his greed, and the loss of his clients meant a loss of reputation and the very idea of sitting I front of the expensive prostitute if it was a big enough client.

"Oh yeah? And what's it to you?" He asked with disgust in his voice, likely provoked by the idea that Ark was potential competition.

"Your boy happened to let it slip when we were passing. He somehow got it into his head that I could be a replacement fence. Truth is that I am an amateur at best... I think he'd be better off with you, but his heart is set elsewhere, because he thinks that you do nothing; However, if it is indeed true, I may be inclined to do whatever I can for him," Ark said with sincerity drizzled on top of his words. And effectively, the man smirked, and gave Ark a sideways glance.

"And do you think I do nothing?" he snapped back at Ark, "I have put credits so deep in that ungreatful bastard's pockets, he'd be sitting on the toilet when credits start to pop out!"

The vivid imagery was unnecessary, but the point go across, and he was primed to call his man in at the very whim of Ark's will, and with that knowledge, Ark sent a message to Kathrin, "Tell me the exact moment, he unlocks the vault, and you're able to access the Artefacts."

-----
Meanwhile...

The thief stalks the hallways of the club, towards the back, where a pin pad and thumb print allows him access to a back room. As he enters, he pauses a moment, and takes a deep breath, before opening the door. And ear was kept out, because he could have sworn to hear an extra footstep that didn't belong, or perhaps it was a sharp breath that wasn't his own. Either way, he was put off by something, and he could have sworn there was someone behind him.

However, his eyes best not deceive him, because there was no one behind him. With an invisible shrug, he continues forward, and allowing his memory to serve him, he quickly locates where he'd left his stolen artefacts. A door, and locked behind it was his prize, the prize that he firmly believed was to be squandered, if left here. Retrieving his own personal key for the room, and he opens to door, and gazes over several items; Among them was his artefact, stolen from some Sith temple or burial chamber.

 

[Andrewza]

Kathrin stalks the thief as he makes his way to a semi hidden door. As he turns around Kathrin moves behind some cover forgetting she is invisible. watch him turn around Kathrine quickly skims his surface thoughts to allowing her to remember the access code. Though not part of the mission it could come in handy, since then all they would need is the thief's hand to gain access.

Staying some distance away to avoid revealing her self Kathrin could only feel the force aura as the Thief removed it from the case. It was blinding and cold. It felt like the club was now some ice moon.

Sending a telepathic thought to Ark Kathrin informed him "Master, he has the artifact, i could get it from him but not with out a physical contacted. I promise not to use my light saber"

 

[Flamjetxx]

Ark nodded as he continued speaking to the fence, and he slyly pulled out a Data Pad, and glanced down at it, without wanting to cease eye contact with him.

With a simultaneous mental message to Kathrin, Ark responded to her with a stern tone, if there was ever portrayed on through the Force, "You can look, but not touch, Kathrin. We are doing reconnaissance, and that's all. We don't even know if it's the Artefact we're looking for, let alone a real Artefact in the first place."

Ark returns his attentions to the fence quickly, "You say that you're planning on selling his artefacts back to the people he stole them from? Sounds risky, don't you think?"

The fence cackles, "Only if they know that the artefacts were stolen from them in the first place, but he assures me that he got off without a trace, so I can only assume that the Empire won't even realize that the Artefact was stolen from one of their hidden tombs in the first place until the transaction is well over with. And what can you offer him that I can't?"

Ark shrugs, "I suppose that if I'm going to tell you, I may as well tell him in person as well. Do you even know where he is? Did you even consider that he's already left with the artefact you're trying to sell for him?"

Disgruntled, the fence sighs and gets on his communicator, and calls the unhappy-sounding thief from the store room, but eventually convinces him to leave it with Kathrin inside.

Meanwhile, with Ark having called the man from his artefact, Ark checks his Data Pad, but finds nothing, "I've called our little thief from the store room, and you should be downloading the item's specs by now."

Coincidentally, the store room's doors will have locked behind her, trapping her inside while she invisibly did her job.

 

[Andrewza]

Kathrin was disappointed, she really wanted to hurt the thief for daring to think he could get away with stealing from the empire. Later, she hoped she could teach them both to learn to respect the empire fear. But for now she watched as the mans communicator beeped to get his attention. He replaced the artifact before reading the message. As he walked out the door closed behind him.

Left alone with artifact Kathrin went to examine it. It was a large urn made of bronze. It was surly old and it radiated dark energy. Kathrin used her dater pad to take scan the object sending it to ark along with a telepathic message. "mission complete master, but i am now trapped. I need the thief's palm print to open the door."

 

[Flamjetxx]

The scanning of the artifact, retrieving files on the artefact's specs, and identifying the artefact was done on an offsite server controlled by some Imperial computer genius, but it took a fair amount of time. For most of that time, Kathrin would be stuck with a scanner held over the artefact, getting various angles of it, and examining it, without touching it, for different clues regarding its origins, etc. She'd also be free to look around the room for other artefacts that may have belonged to the Sith at one point, but the room would be surprisingly vacant of such things. It wouldn't stop her from looking for now.

Ark glanced at his data pad, seeing the readings being uploaded, and Ark was given cue, when the thief walked back into the club, to continue. For now, he'd need to stall him until the specs were completely uploaded.

Ark swiveled in his position to face the newcomer to the conversation with the fence, and the fence was quick to slander, "This imbecile thinks that you don't trust me to sell your artefact. When in fact, I've been waiting here for their contact."

The man seemed embarrassed by the situation he'd been caught up in between two potential fences for his artefact, but Ark could sense a feeling of overwhelming arrogance at the thought that he had two people fighting over him. Unfortunately, he was bound to be shackled by the end of the day, assuming that Ark could remove Kathrin from the locked room.

Ark simply created bickering between the two regarding their insecurities, with a mental nod in one way or the other, to help the bickering go on. If there was anything that Ark could do better, it was to provoke thoughts, even without the assistance of the Force. All Ark had to do was wait for Kathrin's indication that the scans were completed.

It wasn't long, considering the entertaining nature of their bickering that Kathrin's voice entered Ark's mind, indicating that their scans were completed, "Good Kathrin, sit tight. Poke around, and see if there is anything else. What did the scans say? Is it our artefact?"

Ark butted into their bickering, "Boys! What are we even working with? Is it even real? I don't even know if I want to be a part of this, if the Artefact turns out to be real, and we all know that I cannot take your word for it. Let me examine it. I am a Curator, and I'd be able to determine the true value of the artefact anyway. Not many fences can give a perfectly accurate read of an artefact like I can."

The fence looks at Ark with a spark of anger in his eyes, but with a mental nudge form Ark, he is able to convince him that he does want to see exactly how much the artefact was worth. And the thief was already more than willing to show the artefact, if not to brag, then for the same reasons as the fence. It wasn't long before they were heading through the hallways at the back of the club, towards the safe room in which Ark made a mental call to Kathrin, "Make yourself thin."

The lock quickly opened, allowing Kathrin to remove herself from the room with ease. All she had to do is reappear in the club somewhere and await for Ark to return soon afterwards.

Giving the item a close examination, Ark could feel how it was deeply infused with the dark side of the Force, and there was certainly something inside, "Oh," Ark stated while taking an immediate step backwards.

"An Urn!?" Ark exclaimed to them, "I may be a curator, but I'm a superstitious one at that. You stole the wrong artefact! Read the inscription along the edge, and you'll know exactly why. I'm sorry guys, but I simply cannot be aart of this," Ark says, looking at the other fence, "If I were you, I'd get rid of it as soon as you can, before someone decides to open that thing up and curse you all with Sith Magic."

 

[Andrewza]

Kathrin sent a simple feeling of affemtive. It seemed the scans said it was burial urn over 10 000 years old. No one had opened it since it was rediscoverd.

The room was filled with artefacts of all kinds. A ancient Gungan headdress, a wookie crossbow and all kinds of artefacts looted from tombs. Some people had no respect for the dead.

As the door opened kathrin was invisible and waited for the group to enter. Moveing out she bumped in to Ark but made no noise as she slipped in to the club and waited Arks return.

 

[Flamjetxx]

"Good," Ark responded as he left the room, still playing the part of the freaked out curator. The Fence smirked and let out a laugh at Ark's performance, and even whispered to the thief that his rates just went up. They were clearly not concerned about the supposed curse that Ark invented. However, with most Sith Artefacts as old and with such an aura about them, it was generally the best idea to make them believe that the worst thing in the world was opening it, and that was almost always the case anyway. Releasing a Sith Spirit or an illusion was never a smart idea in the first place, and plenty of Sith have discovered that enough.

Ark found his way out of the hallways of the back of the club, and managed to drop a tracking beacon underneath one of the lounge couches, in which he met up with Kathrin, and headed towards the exit, "Our job here is done. all we need to do now is get out of here, and activate the beacon. Then the Imperium can send in their strike squad, and take down the many criminals that sell Sith Artefacts here," he said to Kathrin through the Force, and Ark could sense that she was disgruntled about them not actually retrieving the Sith Artefact, "Trust me Kathrin, we'll get the Artefact and then some, but we've already played our part here. We were to look, but not touch," Ark stated as he activated the beacon as they exited the elevator past the guard.

The guard almost gave them a double take, having not recognized them, since they snuck in when he was dealing with something else. However, Ark pushed another item off a shelf, and the guard was instantly onto his feet, ready to beat another pedestrian, while Ark and Kathrin made their way back to the ship and off the space station, while at the same time, an Imperial Strike squad was already on their way to the club as they walked away.

//End Thread