Corporate Betrayal

[Sierrien]

Coronet City, Corellia
​

Astra sat nervously in the front foyer of Dynamic Network Software - which, for being a company she had never heard of before, apparently had a skyscraper all to itself here in Corenet city - as she waited for someone to come and inform her that whoever she had come to meet was ready to see her. She should probably have done more investigating on just what this company was. All she knew was that it seemed to be a shell of a much larger conglomerate, and that no one really knew what it was that they did. Somehow she had nonetheless thought that it would be a good idea to inquire about a job and then come in to an interview as well. It wasn't like it was a job that was usually posted up by a business - they were looking for 'security', but the requirements were for two very different sorts of people. When you got through the technical mumbo jumbo, it had basically worked out to them wanting a sniper and a scout. Not really what most people would call security, if you asked her. All of it seemed fishy, but she felt that she had the skills to get out of here if things went sideways. Her train of thought was interrupted by a secretary coming to retrieve her, then leading her towards an elevator.

They rode up for a solid two minutes before it finally stopped, herself and the secretary the only two on the elevator but as she stepped out she was met by two rather heavily armed guards. She stepped forward slowly, and then came to a stop as the walls starting flashing red. It turned out they were reacting to the pistol she had strapped to her thigh, and the security guards did not like it very much that she had thought it a good idea to come here armed. She sighed and put her arms up like they told her to, having to undergo a fairly rude pat-down as they took her pistol and checked her for anything else. Once she was declared 'clean' they motioned her inside, so inside she went. "Am I going to get that back?" she asked the secretary, who simply shook her head and informed her that any gear she would need for the mission would be provided for her. Just like a giant company like this; throwing money at an issue that didn't need to have money thrown at it. Her own gear worked perfectly fine.

She sighed and sat in a second foyer, this one apparently inside the security checkpoint. It wasn't long this time before a different secretary retrieved her and brought her to a large office that was seemingly devoid of anyone else. Instead of moving to sit she moved over to the large window and looked out - seeing she was quite high up. Perhaps it wouldn't be so easy to get out of here if she needed to anyways. With a shrug she turned and moved to sit, deciding to wait until whomever it was came to meet her, to discuss this new 'job'.

 

[blstrgmr]

Tyler Prospero, crack sniper of the Rebellion...was reduced to some contracting to make some living money. At least his talents weren't going to go to waste. Apparently this company had some connection, one way or another, with the Cartels. It was the only way they'd be able to contact him if they weren't affiliated with the Rebellion. It was nice to know that his previous handlers were playing fast and loose with his contact information. But, he couldn't really turn down the job.

After a flight to Coronet, an awful commercial shuttle, he'd arrive in the vast city, finding public transport to speeder him over to the large skyscraper. Entering, he was immediately submitted through the process. He had brought his own gear with him, just some survival stuff and usual things. However they would take his personal marksman rifle. While Prospero hated to give it up, it was an old warhorse. Maybe they'd loan him a slightly nicer and newer one. They at least let him keep his armor, which had never failed in the field as of yet.

Trying to talk to the secretary and the random handlers that hassled him through the system served to be rather...ineffective. They would deflect his questions, or his concerns with contractual jargon. How he hated businesses. The Cartels were much simpler to work with. They told him where to shoot, how to shoot, he shot, then he was paid. No nonsense to go through. Finally being brought through another security checkpoint, Prospero was ushered in through to an office. As soon as he entered, the door closed behind him, leaving the secretary gone and away. Great now Prospero could be comfortably alone and not have to interac-, wait. Who was that in the room? Panic!

Within a flash, the sniper was immediately located behind a sparse display of leaves from an office plant to the side of the room, opposite from the Mandalorian woman who would be his partner. He assumed it was his partner, but his social anxiety and ineptitude was setting in. Professionalism, he thought. Be professional. Like a burst of machinegun fire, he would speak out a quick: "Tyler Prospero. Call me Prospero. Professional marksman and private contractor."

 

[Sierrien]

Her eyes shifted towards the door when it opened, and then she studied the man who came in for the few moments he was standing there. Before she could say anything, however, he had quickly fled to hid behind a potted plant. That was - well, certainly odd behavior. Not only was he hiding, but when he spoke his words came out so quickly that she could barely make them out. She had to sit there thinking over them for a few moments in order to put the spaces in the right places to make what he had just said make sense. Tyler Prospero, then. A sniper. So she would likely be working with him, here. That would go super well since he already seemed to be afraid of her. "Astra. Scout and melee combatant, I suppose. Also private." She would have extended a hand as she returned his greeting, but he was across the room and hiding behind a plant of all things. Before she could say anything, a side door open and a man in a business suit walked in.

"Greetings, operatives. Let's get straight to the mission, I've got limited time." Astra shifted her eyes to study the man - he looked to be in his mid-forties, and was in decent shape. He had the general look of a business man about him, but what he then went on to lay out for them was decidedly not very business-like. He flipped on a holo projector, and a different man's face appeared. "This is Ormus Wrayburn. Among other illegal activities, he is known to be involved with human trafficking. Among those he has 'collected' for sale was one of our covert operatives. She has already been located and secured, but my employers are understandably upset by his actions. Your job is to neutralize him. His 'enterprises' will fall apart without him at the head, and the galaxy will be free one more human trafficking outfit." He paused then and pressed a button, causing some cases of various sizes to rise up out of the table.

"On top of the ten thousand you will each be paid for your successful completion of this mission, you will be allowed to keep any gear you are provided with. This is not true of the ship you will be loaned, as we will be expecting it back lest we have to put a bounty out on the two of you." He gave them both a pointed look, before continuing on. "You will find dossiers with all the information we have on his home and what we know of the guards he keeps on premises on the ship that we will provide for you. If you have any questions after reading them, the holo on board will know how to reach me. Someone will be by to show you to your ship shortly; in the meantime, acquaint yourself with the gear provided." With that - barring any immediate questions, though he clearly wasn't going to be sticking around to hear them, the man left without ever even giving them his name. Astra brought her hand up to run through her short blue hair before she reached out and opened the smaller of the two cases that had been set before her.

A sleek and elegant pistol waited within, along with a holster. It made her let out an appreciative whistle as she picked it up and shifted it in her hands, before picking up the holster that had been supplied and strapping that to her thigh where the last one had been. "That's a lovely little upgrade." she let out, picking up the spare battery packs and sliding them in to the slots on the holster provided as well. Her eyes shifted towards the largest crate - she assumed it must have a sniper rifle in it for her new co-operative, then back towards the other crate that had been in front of herself. "Seems these guys don't skimp on anything, hey?"

 

[blstrgmr]

Prospero was suddenly much calmer and exited his hideaway behind the shrubbery. The job was officially started. As a professional, he didn't have time to be afraid of people and social interactions while he was on the clock. It was as if there sudden and new personality within the sniper's head. The hired overwatch would listen to what his employer would have to say as he moved to his own crate of equipment that was laid out for him. It was rather large, even for a rifle. As he cracked its top cover open, he slid it off and his eyes grew wide at what he was staring. It was possibly the largest anti-material rifle he had seen. Hoisting the weapon and observing its ammunition, Prospero read the side of the magazine. The metal of the mag was marked with red paint, "M491-1 SLAP". Prospero raised an eyebrow at this. "So, does our mark happen to be a literal tank?" The rifle was rather...overkill for the job. It's nature wouldn't do anything special against infantry, but it would come in handy if they had, well...tanks. For whatever reason.

With no clear response, Prospero just slung the rifle across his back. It was much heavier than his usual choice of weaponry. At least he'd get to keep it. A sniper's job was to make sure the target went down in one shot, and his allies at the forefront were safe. This might hinder that, so he was a little uncomfortable using the weapon. The sight would be rather nice, at the least. Thermals, night vision, the works. "They certainly paid the extra credit for all this...but I think their logistics department needs to be a bit reworked," He responded to Astra's rhetorical question. Retrieving from the crate the same handgun as her, he holstered it and placed the ammo that came with it in his vest. It'd be a good holdout weapon. The heavy rifle wouldn't work very well if it came to distances any closer than 500 meters.

Getting comfortable with his gear setup, he did a quick check, then returned everything to its crate, picking it up by its carry handle. No point in gearing up before they hit the ground. "Sorry about early. Just my nature. But, we're on the clock now." His face slowly turned to a smirk. "Should be nice working with you." The two looked like opposites at first glance. A mandolorian versus somebody who worked to save lives in the long run. The shaved head versus the blue hair. The toned masculine musculature versus her more feminine form. Not to mention his odd choice of facial hair. "I'm ready to get flying whenever you're ready. We'll put a plan together along the way. I've already began forming some basic preliminary ways of approach in my head, but I'll save them until we see the dossier."

 

[Sierrien]

Her eyes roamed over the giant rifle he had pulled out of the case, staring at it as he mentioned using it against a tank. "That is an excellent question. I haven't seen one of those in a long time." She shook her head slightly as she reached down to pull out a simple yet clearly effective vibroblade out of her own crate. Instead of setting it back in like he had, she simply held it in her left hand and gave a soft chuckle towards him. "Seems they got my stuff well enough, though depending on how sneaky I'll need to be I may need to leave the sword behind." She noted that he seemed to be more talkative now, and he even pointed it out. She gave a simple shrug to tell him she didn't mind, then nodded to his sentiments. "On to the ship it is, then." she let out, as a door opened and a secretary waved them through a third entrance in to the room, one that they hadn't come in through and the executive hadn't used as well.

This one also seemed to open up on to a dock of sorts, complete with a ship ready to take them wherever it was they were going. Whatever else this company was, they seemed to be efficient. As soon as she and the sniper boarded the hatch closed and the ship started its take off procedure automatically, though it moved out in to space at a slow enough space that they didn't even need to be sitting for it. "Hyperdrive engaging in thirty seconds." a feminine voice rang through the interior of the ship, and then some lights lit up a small area where they could store their gear. She set her sword in to it and then moved to find a seat; they had walked in to a fairly comfortable lounger area. She sat and picked up a datapad, quickly finding it to be the Dossier of their mission. It looked pretty straightforward - the man they were going to kill, and all of his known habits and hangouts. There was his office, which was heavily guarded and the dossier did not advise attacking him there. Astra looked up as the ship announced they would be moving in to hyperspeed, and then with a slight lurch they would do so.

The ship then announced that they were eight hours from their destination and Astra blinked at that. Some world decently close, yet still not very close at all, she mused as she looked back to the dossier. From what she could see, his home might be the best spot to take him out. Though it was almost like a fortress, there were plenty of points where a sniper would be able to take a shot through the glass and hit him. As she focused on the glass, she noticed a small note that said it was made to stop sniper fire of just about every type. Well, maybe that was why he needed such a heavy sniper rifle. The glass also blurred any kind of sensor enough that you couldn't be sure who you were looking at. So it seemed she had been recruited to sneak in and confirm the man's whereabouts. And of course there were weapon sensors all over the bloody place so she'd have to go in unarmed.

"This sure doesn't look easy. What do you think?" she asked, looking towards her new partner as he had mentioned possibly having a plan already in the works, curious what it would be.

 

[blstrgmr]

The sniper looked at Astra retrieving the vibroblade. Bladework was a skill worth learning, but it never quite suited Prospero. It was nice to have somebody capable in tight spaces on the job. Following Astra out to the ship, he saw that it was a rather large transport, perfect for planning and being comfortable en route to the target. Typical corporate over-budget.

Following her up the ramp and to the lounger area, he pulled up a seat behind her and looked over her shoulder as she scrolled the datapad. Speaking up, Prospero would start working through the planning. "They suggest not hitting the office, hm? Well, I suppose our target and his folks would not be expecting a hit on their most well guarded area. It might do us good to disregard our benefactor's advice and retain an element of surprise." Of course that was a bit of a stretch, depending on how the discipline of the guard was. Eight hours. This would be a rather long flight, compared to the usual distances he was used to traveling. Looking at the plans a bit more, he noted that they seemed to suggest hitting his home. Lots of set-up points, but hard to penetrate. Good thing they had the rifle. Maybe logistics had actually done proper research. "Can't use thermals to ID a target. Typically the targets aren't as armored, so they'd be slightly cooler than their guards. Of course, this doesn't matter since the walls would jam it up. So, we'd need a spotter inside. You'll probably be that role."

As for the plan, he supposed he had one now. "We'll have to get inside first. Or at least, you will. We could break in steathfully, or just charge in with me providing cover fire. Either way, you communicate to me who to kill and what the timing needs to be. Or, we could try something that might be more...tried and tested. I don't like the idea, and I'm sure you don't, but you could always pose as an...er...escort. Typical guys like these, I've noticed, like to have women brought around frequently. Could dress you up in something a bit more...revealing. You've got the form for it. Could still conceal your weapons a bit. Get close to his chambers, spot him for me, and I can make the shot. Not an original plan, but it's worked before. I'm understanding if that's something you wouldn't be up for."

Then there was the external approach. "Bypass the building shot altogether. You rig something to explode rather loudly and violently. Stage an attack of sorts. When the man tries to run, he'll need to leave the protection of the house. From my angle, I take the shot when he's moving to transport, or inside of it. With my gun, it shouldn't matter." That was his last plan at the moment.

Prospero leaned back in his seat, slouching slightly behind Astra. "Well...at any rate, we have plenty of time to figure this out. I'm sure any of those three plans have an inkling of success."

 

[Sierrien]

She continued searching through the data pad as he spoke, going over his ideas and thinking about which would be most likely to succeed. Unfortunately the one that seemed the least risky seemed to e the one where she posed as an escort. She searched through a bit more before sighing and passing him the data pad so that he could search through it for anything she had missed. "Well, shooting him in his house seems to be the option that is the least like suicide to me. At his office there's no guarantee I can get out afterwards. At least at his house the guard will be slightly more relaxed." At least, she hoped they would be. At the office, they would look at everyone suspiciously; at his house there was a chance she could go by unnoticed.

Which meant that posing as an escort was her best chance at being successful. "If I just sneak in, if they see me at all they'll throw up alarms and shoot at me instantly. I'd rather not fight my way through all of them. Posing as an escort.. As much as I don't really enjoy the prospect of them looking at me like I'm a prosititute, I can at least just play the 'dumb bimbo' and maneuver my way past most of them. We should probably go with that plan. With all the sensors, I don't think I'll be able to bring a weapon in with me though."

She considered for a few moments, then nodded her head. "That will be fine. I'm skilled enough to take out a couple unarmed and steal their weapons to use on the others, if it comes to that. And you can watch my back from outside, and keep an eye on anyone coming up on me, yeah? We'll have to make a stop on the way - I don't exactly own an 'escort' outfit." She let out a soft laugh as she looked back towards the data pad. "Seeing any good places you can set up without being disturbed?" After a moment's pause, she blinked and looked back towards him. "Also... Thanks. For the compliments, I mean." She winked at him before looking back at the data pad, where they could quickly finish planning out the job. She took a moment to download the schematics of the house in to her eyes, so she wouldn't get lost, and also would mark where he wanted to set up so she could triangulate if need be.

 

[blstrgmr]

Tyler looked at the datapad as she handed towards him, surveying the layout of the area a bit more closely. The entrance and the adjacent sides of the building would be plenty of spots to fire from. The house was rather isolated, being in a mountainous and rocky area, save for a train that would run by on a tram. At an even closer look, the spots in which to shoot through the window were...awful. The angles were all wrong, and the suddenly jagged terrain in that area would limit his area of operation. Unless the target was staying still, he wasn't going to be making that shot very well, at least not at first. Outside the jagged area, it was perfectly clear and flat, meaning if he did set up a bit farther, he'd be spotted fairly quickly. An idea began to form, a very difficult one.

Prospero would continue to look and make small marks and movement lines on the pad. "Yeah, sure, we can make a stop in the closest city. I'll help you pick it out," At this point, the sniper was hardly even thinking about what he was saying, just saying whatever came to mind first as a response. His brain was hardwired into focusing on the logistics of this plan. Prospero was in his own little matrix at the moment. "Eureka. Can't hit him from the window side without terrible angles or getting spotted, but I can support you from either of the sides of the building. I can use thermals to hit through the wall. Now...every hour, like clockwork, a commuter tram runs across the side that his usual windowed spot would be. Just before that happens, I need to be in position to jump onto its roof. It'll be around a rather sharp bend, so the tram will have to brake and then speed up quickly. This gives me a window of just enough speed to get a shot off. At that moment, you need to quickly ID the target so I can make the shot. If my judgement is correct, I should be able to tuck-and-roll off it back to the other side of the building without breaking any major bones to cover your escape if I need to." He set the datapad down after making a very complex series of marks and lines.

"I can make that shot, but we both need our timing to be absolutely perfect and without flaw. It's our best chance," he said, finishing his summary of the plan. Slumping in his chair, mentally exhausted from trying to figure out the timing, his head managed to catch up with all the rather unprofessional things he had been saying. Prospero was searching for the words to retain some professional honor. "Er...yeah. Somebody has to say them, hm?" Close enough. Interacting with people was hard. Being alone for days on end in a sniper's perch was much easier for him.

 

[Sierrien]

Her eyebrows rose as he mentioned helping her pick it out. Well, she supposed it wouldn't hurt to have a male opinion. At least then she could be sure that it would have the desired effect on any of the guards she came across inside the building, and the target himself as well. Mr Wrayburn, she noted, memorizing the name for future use. She should probably know who she was there to 'escort'. She shifted her eyes back to the datapad as he looked through it, and then quickly formed a plan. She noted the two buildings and she nodded, also making note of which side that would mean she would have sniper cover from. Then he mentioned the train and she looked towards it, seeing it was a commuter tram and hearing his plan to jump on and get a quick shot off. There was just about literally the exact amount of time he would need for it; it would mean she would need to get there a bit earlier than she had initially planned so that she could be sure to spot Wrayburn in time for him to make the shot.

He insisted he could make it but said they would need perfect timing and she nodded. "Alright. We'll go with that plan. And don't worry..." Her eyes shifted towards him and she smirked. "I'm aware I'm attractive. I was engineered specifically to be so. No need to be all.. nervous about it."Her hand gave a light wave as if to push the thought away, and she finally reclined back in her seat. "I'd say that's the best we can do, planning wise, until we are actually there and can see things with our own eyes. You can keep the datapad to look through; I've copied it all over to my own storage so that I can go through it with a fine toothed comb. In the meantime, I'm going to rest up, if you don't mind." She rose with a light nod, then turned to go off and find one of the rooms this freighter had, thankfully finding that it had a bed. Perfect. She moved to lay on it and stared at the ceiling, though she was really going over all the information they had on their target and all of his known relations and friends as well. Not much seemed to be known about his associates or family; she found that odd. She put that thought aside for later.

The rest of their trip would likely pass without much to say about it; it was only when the console in the room she had chosen beeped to tell her they would be arriving in thirty minutes went off that she woke herself up, going in to the ships cockpit and activating the navigation equipment. She noted the city they were going to, then accessed the holo to find if there were any clothing stores near to the spaceport they were landing at. After finding a couple that looked promising she downloaded the map to the city in to her cybernetic eyes and highlighted their locations in it before moving back in to the main lounge of the ship, calling out to the sniper as she went just in case he wasn't aware. "We'll be landing in fifteen minutes; we can go buy what supplies we need and then return to the ship for our gear, yeah?" Her eyes shifted around, looking to see where he had got to.

 

[blstrgmr]

Prospero waved her away after she left to rest up. "Yeah, yeah. Don't mention it. Go get some rest; you'll be working hard when we get there." The taunting smirk got to him just a bit. It wasn't so much that he was embarrassed, more so that he did his best to keep people at a professional distance. The last thing he needed were potential clients not wanting to hire him due to random reports of him being a womanizer of sorts. As Astra left to bed, Prospero set to work. On the data pad, he ran through numerous equations regarding ballistics that might make their job easier, but found no better angles. Mentally exhausted from the calculations, he cracked his gear case open and disassembled the weapon provided for him.

Making sure to keep it quiet, Prospero inspected each part of the weapon and cleaned it. Slugthrowers weren't like blasters. They needed constant care and love. The trade-off of this was that a slugthrower wouldn't break down when you most needed it. Blasters were unpredictable. The environment could be hell on them. Re-assembling the parts quietly, Prospero chambered a dummy test round and checked the bolt. Everything was in order. Pulling the bolt back and ejecting the round, he placed it back in its maintenance case and closed everything back up.

As much as his body wanted rest, Prospero would be staying up for quite some time, only taking brief fifteen minute naps in random increments just to restart his head. There wasn't time for sleep while on the clock. Somebody needed to be awake in case something went wrong. Checking his time, it would be about an hour before they hit the port. He made a quick meal that was demolished in a total of ten minutes, then searched around the ship. In one room, he would find a small workout area. It was cramped, but it had a punching bag. That was all he needed. Shutting the door and making sure not much noise would escape, he set about his usual workout. Placing some low-profile headphones on and removing his restrictive travel shirt, he'd key his music loud enough to drown out distractions and would spend time striking the bag.

Glancing at his watch, it was almost time to get moving. He left his personal case in the usual room with his clothing he'd be wearing in the field. Well, his shirt at least. Walking out, headphones still on and unaware of his surroundings, he wandered into the small lobby where they were planning and came face to face with Astra. In what seemed like an eternity of an awkward pause, Prospero quickly grabbed the shirt he was after, covered his body, and retreated to his closet of a workout room all the while rambling in a run-on sentence that could be interpreted as "I'm sorry" repeated over and over. In a quick minute, the sniper emerged dressed and ready. He held himself and his expression as if that strange event didn't just happen.

"Right. We shouldn't need to much in way of supplies, possibly just water and your...new outfit. My plan allocates for ample time, so there's no rush to get anything and get out. Depending on when we arrive at his house, we may need to draw the operation out a bit until the train comes round...but that shouldn't be a problem."

 

[Sierrien]

Her eyes shot back towards him as he mentioned her 'working hard' when they got there - okay, this one earned him a bit of a flat look. But then she was shaking her head and soon enough out of the room entirely. And yet when she had come back all those hours later, she had come face to face with him - and he hadn't been wearing a shirt. Well, at least it hadn't been her shirtless, but still... It had been more than a little bit awkward. He had apologized profusely and backed out, getting dressed in a side room before returning to the main room. He acted like him being there without his shirt on hadn't happened, so she just went along with it. No need to dwell on his embarrassing and awkward moment, now was there? She didn't see one. "I'm sure I can draw it out as long as needed, yeah. Water should be easy enough to come by as well." She smiled softly, moving to sit as the ship finished its landing procedure.

She stood then as the ship docked and the hangar door opened. "I've got a few locations picked out already; come with me." And with that, she would lead the way through the city. It would take about ten minutes of walking for them to reach the first location, or at least it should have. Along the way they had to make a detour for some construction that was being done, though she couldn't see the cause of it, but eventually they had made it through to the first clothing store she had picked out. As soon as they moved inside, though, she saw that she had been wrong to pick this one out - it was much too low class. The clothes all looked second hand, and since she'd be posing as a high end escort, it wouldn't do at all. She motioned Prospero back out quickly and then brought up directions to the second place she had picked out.

This second walk would only take about five minutes, and then she found that this one was exactly what they were looking for. It was high end clothes, and the women's section was expansive and had clothes in pretty much every style imaginable. The price tags would be ridiculous, but as she wasn't exactly planning on paying for any of it, she didn't really care about how much they would cost. Her eyes scanned a few racks quickly before she looked towards Tyler again. "Okay, we'll spread out. Find some things you think would look good and meet me over at the changing rooms in fifteen." She told him her measurements and nodded to him, then went about finding a few outfits herself. With how big the store was, it would certainly take some time to go through all of it. So she just picked out some outfits quickly as she made her way through.

She made it to the changing rooms about two minutes late, with a dozen outfits in her arms. She winked over at the lady who worked in the store, then shifted in to a changing room and dumped her pile off, before waiting until she could wave Tyler forward when she saw him to do the same. "Alright. Lets see if we've got any winners."

 

[blstrgmr]

Prospero sat still as the craft plunged into the atmosphere of their target world and began its descent. They were choosing to leave and venture unarmed. That was something he wasn't used to or comfortable with, but it couldn't be helped much. Prospero hadn't done much in the way of planning the shopping, so he followed Astra closely. At least, he tried to stay as close as allowed. It would be easier for them to wander about looking more like a couple as opposed to two mercs on a kill mission. It wasn't like anybody was after them or actively looking, but it never hurt to be careful. Any attention was bad attention.

Following her around, it was clear that she was moving with a purpose and that she'd marked the stores. The first one was a bit of a bust to her, and he'd agree. He wouldn't want to meet a company CEO in any of these things. "Eh. You're better than this anyway. Try the most expensive place, we can probably just charge it to our benefactors." Thankfully, that seemed to be her plan. While on the walk, Prospero couldn't help but take in the variety of buildings and stores around the area. There were random odds and ends hobby stores and electronic shops that he'd love to go if he weren't on a mission. His only solace was that Astra might've been as bored as he was. He didn't take her to be the kind of woman to put clothing on such a high and fanciful priority.

Entering the next shop, it was clear even by the ads and setup that things were high class and pricey. They hadn't been given a company credit chit, so Prospero assumed that it was his job to pay for all this until the company evened up. Oh well. At least it'd keep up their public image. Astra had already bolted off somewhere to gather potential outfits. He memorized the measurement numbers quickly and walked off rather unenthusiastically do the same when she was out of sight. At this point, it would be counterproductive to the mission for Prospero to have any shame in what he was doing. Making to his way to another section of the store, he began neatly piling some outfits, plus what would be worn underneath, in a cart. Never knew what the situation would call for.

Prospero was very timely in waiting by the changing rooms, a modest pile of clothing in the cart. He never quite stood there waiting, just orbited waiting for Astra's go-ahead. He approached her with a bit of a sigh. Compared to his three or four outfits, she had a dozen, if not more. "And to think that I was worried that you wouldn't have fun with this," he commented and let out a bit of a smirk. That was probably the first sign of comfort out of him since takeoff. Comparing his pile to her pile, it was rather apparent that Prospero had chosen things that were either on the spectrum of very classy and modest, or absolutely revealing. And of course all the pieces meant to be worn under that were on the latter end of the spectrum. "Never know where the situation will go. What next, hm?" Prospero hoped she wasn't going to try every single one of them on, but he wasn't really in a place to complain; after all, he had suggested this plan of attack.

 

[Sierrien]

Her eyes quickly shifted over the clothes he had brought; a few black dresses and then some rather revealing underwear as well. Her eyes roamed over it and then looked up at him as her eyebrows rose slightly, as if to say 'Really?'. Then again, he did bring up a good point. She just might have to show it off to some lecherous guy. Was it too late to rethink this plan? Of course it was, they were here and hadn't really looked at alternate plans. She let out a low sigh as she looked over what she had grabbed and what he had. "Hey, what girl doesn't like shopping?" she winked at him teasingly, then she reached out and picked out a set of rather revealing underwear, making a mental note to knock people unconscious rather than take off whatever she would be wearing over it. "And you do bring up a good point.. but I am not modeling the underwear for you." A teasing grin was sent his way this time as she closed the door, quickly changing.

She tried on the four that caught her eye the best before finally deciding on a rather short black one. It was so short that it just barely succeeded in covering her rear, yet it was tight enough that there was no fear of it rising up on her when she moved. It also showed a bit of cleavage. She let out a sigh as she looked at herself in the mirror, and then she stepped out to see Tyler's reaction. If it made his jaw drop - and she was showing a fair amount of skin, so she imagined it might with how shy he seemed to be at times - she would call it good and move back inside to change back. Once that was done, she would grab a pair of shoes on the way out. She would let him pay for it, in order to keep up appearances of course - assuring him that she'd back him up on getting their employers to reimburse him. Then they could be off, back to the ship they had come in on in order to get their gear after a quick stop for some water.

She herself would leave her weapons behind; he'd have to carry his and hope that no one thought he was being weird. "I'll change in to the dress now, and we can walk most of the way together. It should keep most of the eyes off of you and your gear." Because really - who wouldn't be staring at her? Most everyone would. And she found that highly embarrassing, but at least it would be useful for the mission. So while he went to get his gear ready she again went to change, even putting on the black high heels she had bought and quickly re-learning how to walk in them. It had been a while, to say the least, as she hadn't exactly had many occasions to wear high heels in the last.. well, most of her life. Still, it was a skill that came back to her easily enough, and then she was back out and looking to see if he was ready or not.

"Looks like it's go time. You ready?" It was getting to be the evening and the sun would be setting in about a half hour; just enough time for them to get to the mansion. Or at least for her to, and for him to get to his vantage point that he had picked out.

 

[blstrgmr]

Prospero rolled his eyes to both of the following comments. His rather uncomfortable and irritated expression at the moment was perfect for keeping the cover of an annoyed boyfriend. He really couldn't have done it better if he tried. The sniper sat there, tapping his foot and keeping an eye out, always scanning the people coming and going. Hearing a few footsteps from the changing room, he turned and observe Astra walk out. His face probably showed the reaction she wanted, but he managed to find some words. "Yeah...yeah, that'll work. We good?" After her confirmation, they went to checkout. Beforehand, she assured him she'd help the company reimburse him. Hopefully that happened. The woman at the counter began to speak: "You're total comes to-". Prospero held a hand up and responded with a: "I don't want to know, just swipe the credit chit." He was sure the price would be astronomical.

As they came to re-arm at the ship, Prospero listened to Astra's brief outline. It would work. He didn't envy her, and felt like he owed her one after this job was done. It was his plan, after all. His gear was already prepared from the night before, all he did was pick up the large gun case. It would be easily deployed on sight. When she emerged, he tossed her an earpiece. It would at least be hidden by her hair. Scanners might pick it up, but it's not like they weren't common. He placed his own in his left ear, tested it and gave a thumbs up. "Alright...let's move out."

Heading out of the ship, it would be a bit of a drive, then a short walk. With Astra following, Prospero hailed a taxi speeder and told them to go to the 3/4 point to their destination. It was fairly short. The driver went fast, talked angry, and generally just ignored the two in the back. Getting out, Prospero swiped his credit chit once again and pointed subtly out at the silhouette of the estate belonging to their target. Just outside of city limits, they'd be getting getting into a slightly suburban area. The sniper turned to Astra. "This is where we part ways. You can talk to me on the comms if you get the chance. If you can't, make a peace sign with your fingers where I can see it through my sight. When you do this, I'll kill whatever is standing in front of you. Use this to mark the target or just as an SOS." Opening the case and setting it to the side of the road, he quickly assembled the rifle and slung it across his back. He sighed and looked at the rocks he was about to move up to. "Good luck," the sniper would say and disappear into the night.

 

[Sierrien]

They took a cab most of the way, which was good. She might have died if she had to walk that whole way in heels. The cab driver ignored them, which was also good - they didn't talk much, so the driver wouldn't have them stick out in his memories. Then the can ride was over and they were standing on solid ground. Her eyes moved towards the sniper and then towards the building he had subtly pointed out, as she listened to him explaining how she could get him to kill someone. She took the comm and stuck it in her left ear as well, giving a light nod.

"Just in case I can't make a peace sign, if I call someone 'dear', I need whoever is near me dead." That was the only addition she had to make, and then he said fair well and went off to climb rocks in the darkness. That certainly wouldn't be much fun. Neither would what she had to do, though. "You too." she responded to him wishing her luck, and then she turned to start walking towards the mansion. She got a few whistles from the people she was passing by, but she was already getting the feeling that escorts tended to walk up to this particular house fairly often. Now that she thought about it, she wondered if calling escorts up to the house was how they got some of their slaves to sell. Well, they'd be in for a real surprise if they tried to take her, she promised herself.

She made the rest of the walk in private, stopping when she was a hundred meters shy of the front gate to signal Tyler through the comm that she had arrived and would be entering shortly. Then she finished the walk and put on her best dumb-yet-sultry smile as she approached the guard at the gate. He took one look at her and didn't even ask any questions; he motioned for her to walk through a detector that checked her over for weapons. When it didn't go off he simply brought a thumb up to usher her inside. Well, that was almost too easy, she mused. Could this be a trap? Another guard met her inside the gate, and with a curt 'this way' turned and led her in to the compound. Soon enough they were at the front door, and then she was inside and looking around with wide eyes, as if amazed at everything inside and not like she had memorized every detail about the house.

The door swung closed behind her with an ominous click and she was alone in the house, for a mintent at least.

 

[blstrgmr]

As Prospero got himself in position at the correct side of the house, he nestled himself into the rocky and fairly vegetated terrain. It would be bare on the target's side of the building, but that was what the tramway would be for. Sighting in, Prospero peered at Astra and followed her up, clicking with the dials on the sight every time she hit a milestone where the distance would affect the ballistic drop. It wouldn't be too much at their range, but precision mattered here. He noted each time somebody whistled at her. The sniper keyed his comms. "Looking good. It's the right kind of attention you're getting it...just what we need. I'll do you a solid and remember their faces, maybe take a few potshots on the way out." He joked and cut the line.

The crosshairs centered on the guards ushering her in. His breath was near stopped when they scanned her. The whole ordeal was incredibly stressful. When she passed through, he moved his position further along the ridgeline. Reaching up to the sight of the heavy rifle, he turned the thermals on. The walls were thankfully not very insulated, so he could see a bit clearer than usual. Still, if she ventured out of the area she was in, Prospero would probably lose her. "You're coming in clear. You've got about...forty-five minutes. Do what you've gotta do. I'll be waiting here. You got me thinking though. Dear, for a kill shot. Honey, for a rifleman. Sweetie, for a pistol. Anything else for a civie. It'll help me take priority with shots, if you can manage to remember that."

He waited a minute or so, observing her. Prospero would've hated to be in her shoes. The socialite infiltration deal wasn't his thing, or ever would be. "Update me."