Ask Friends Everywhere

[Elina Zelle]

Elina found herself on Cato Neimoidia and surprisingly, she quite liked the atmosphere. It was completely covered in fog and the cities seemed allergic to natural life as it was just a jungle gym of metal suspended over the ocean. But for some reason, she still liked it and the breeze of the vast ocean below. She wasn't there for personal reasons however as she was supposed to meet with another Sith on the planet. Apparently, one of the senators had shown interest in their Order or they showed interest in one of the senators; It didn't really matter anymore as the Sith were here.

To pass the time, Elina made her way to the nearest bar she could find and decided to enter. She wasn't really the biggest of drinkers but she preferred the relaxed attitude that normally permeated in those types of locations. She was once again dressed in her merc outfit, a tank top, jacket, pants, and her hair put up in a long ponytail. Most Sith loved their armor and such but she dug comfort and it showed. Elina had sent only one message to Renfry, 'Red'. When the woman actually she arrived, the word would make much more sense.

The firrerreo remained at the counter, her nails lightly tapping against the smoothed wood as she waited. She caught a couple of eyes staring at her as her red hair practically shone like the sun once it was in the light. The bartender slid her a drink and she tossed a pair of credits at him with a nod before drawing the glass to her. She didn't drink from it instantly and instead just had her index finger circle around the rim of it and waited.

@Phoenix

 

[Renfry]

Renfry thought that this was a strange world. Not unpleasant, but different. The cities were built onto bridges over nothing but ocean and some were even inverted so looking up one saw the water if the fog cleared.

Renfry had planned to come here to begin getting leverage with one of the local Senators because future plans may require that, but she didn't think he'd be overly excited about complying with them. That was why they were here: to make him more amenable for future operations.

Because it was a relatively covert operation, she, too, wore no armor or military garb that marked her as a Sith. Instead she wore a pair of jeans, t-shirt, and jacket with her purse-backpack on her back. She headed for the bar that was indicated by her partner, and pushed her way inside.

Indeed, the message "red" made sense as soon as she saw the woman. She was fairly certain she'd seen that bright red hair at Sullust before as well, but the two had never crossed paths before.

Elina, I presume, she said, a small smile appearing in greeting as she ordered a drink from the droid behind the bar.

I hope you're ready to cause all kinds of trouble for our host today, she said, always ready to get up to mischief. She was curious to see if her new partner was the same way.

 

[Elina Zelle]

The wait wasn't long and Elina could sense another presence through the force and that could only be one person. She turned slightly to see the woman enter, dressed in a similar fashion as she made her way over to the counter. The firrerrero smiled brightly at her as she extended her hand out to be shaken. "That is me, in the flesh. You must be Renfry then. Pretty name." It was unique and one she hadn't heard before.

When she was asked if she was ready to cause all kinds of trouble, something flashed in her golden eyes and a smirk touched her lips. "I'm usually the one who has to ask those questions. I think we'll both enjoy this thoroughly." Elina already liked her, she seemed much more open compared to the other Sith and it meshed with her snuggly. When the bartender turned away, she took a quick peek before leaning over the counter and picking up an expensive bottle. "They love to serve swill."

Without asking Renfry, Elina grabbed both of their glasses and simply emptied both of them behind the counter without anyone noticing. She then picked up the bottle to top off both of their glasses with the actual good alcohol but not enough to make them already get tipsy when they haven't even started. It was more of a celebratory drink to a possible successful mission. "So, who are we specifically going after? Or should I ask, what are we specifically going after?" She knew they were here for leverage at least but she didn't know what the actual leverage was yet.

 

[Renfry]

Oh, Renfry already liked this one. She had a feeling the two women were going to be of one mind on a great many topics. She took the offered hand and shook it.

Thank you, she said, smiling at the compliment about her name. Yes, these two were going to get along just fine, though she reminded herself that they were still Sith and not all things were always as they appeared. Just like Dathomir.

She watched Elina reach over and grab some of the good stuff, smiling broadly at an action that practically came right out of Renfry's playbook.

As she asked about the plan, Renfry nodded and flicked her head toward a corner booth, making her way over where they were less likely to be heard.

She slid into a seat, taking a drink of the good stuff and raising her eyebrows in surprise at how much better it was than the other stuff.

Senator Danthar, she said. We need influence over him, and there're plenty of rumors already that he's corrupt, she began to explain. The trick would be finding something dirty enough that he'd do whatever they wanted.

Someone with flexible morals could serve us well, so our job is to dig up something on him to hold over his head. Something that could put him in prison, for instance, she said. The rumors about his "extracurricular activities" included but weren't limited to prostitution and gambling. @Orbit

 

[Elina Zelle]

Renfry wanted them to talk in private and Elina had no problem. There were ears everywhere and ones that were always out for their personal gain. When they slid into the booth, that's when it was revealed who they were after and what he has gotten up to. Elina would arch her eyebrow with interest as she listened to the briefing of what to expect. Senator Danthar, it was a name she hadn't heard before but would become quite familiar with it.

She leaned back in her booth with one arm stretching out along the spine. "So our boy likes his women and his money. Sounds like every other single senator we could meet." It was quite predictable for a Senator. They were beacons for their people and what they represented but that spotlight came with restrictions. It worked out for them that the Senator couldn't help his cravings and that would play perfectly into their hands.

"Sounds like a simple reconnaissance job, follow him until he does something naughty and we collect it for evidence." But as the words left her mouth she realized that almost sounded too easy for them. They were two Sith after all and this could have been done by operatives over them. "That's not all, is it? You seem like the girl who is full of surprises, Renfry." Elina's gaze met hers, her golden eyes sparkling as she waited for more information if there was any.

 

[Renfry]

Renfry had made quick work of studying galactic politics in conjunction with several of her recent operations and it hadn't given her a good impression of politicians. Most seemed to be conniving creatures that were more interested in themselves than anything else. They were like all the worst parts of Sith ambition without any of the power.

The trick is that he's more careful than most. There's a reason no one's caught him yet. Body doubles, speeder switches, you name it. Things to throw people off if they try to follow him, she said.

These Neimodians are surprisingly slippery, she said. Plus, Renfry didn't have operatives. That was another thing that needed to be done, but right now she got stuck doing her own legwork.

We can try to follow him, turn one of his advisors or guards, or just break straight into his estate and steal his records, she said. There were several options laid out before them. Being unseen was their greatest strength. As long as they remained unknown they could try multiple routes if one failed. If they weren't careful, though, they could lose all of their options. @Orbit

 

[Elina Zelle]

Renfry then revealed the surprise that the senator just wasn't careless like most other senators. Well, that made things more interesting, especially with the body double. The only time Elina saw things like this were in the movies and that made it even more exciting. "Once I catch his scent, he won't be able to get away." Everyone had their own unique smell that was just for them and once she caught it, there was no letting go. It was one of the perks of her kind. She took a sniff then, catching Renfry's scent and it was quite pleasurable even in the room filled with sweats.

The woman across from her filled her in on the options they could choose and Elina chuckled as she thought for a moment. "Let's walk and see how we're feeling." There was a lot to choose from but they didn't have the details to make a full-on and secure decision of what to do. As much as Elina liked to have fun, she liked to make sound and reasonable decisions as well and wanted to check everything first. With a quick flick of her wrist, she emptied the glass she poured herself before slamming it back down on the table.

"Let's get going, Renfry. I want to see the sights of the city." She gave her a smile before making her way to the door and then outside. The streets were relatively packed but the two could easily walk through the street without running into people or each other. Passer bys would stare at Elina, mostly her scarlet hair and golden skin before switching to Renfry. Both of them were a unique sight and one people had to take a glance at before they moved on.

"So, how did you become an infamous Sith?" Each story was intriguing to her. Some were just born into it, some were found like herself. There was always something that persuaded them to join and she wondered what the reason was for the Nightsister.

 

[Renfry]

She could sniff people out? That sounded simultaneously like a neat trick and a constant affront to the senses. Even Renfry could tell that this place didn't smell great, and she didn't have some heightened senses. Still, she couldn't deny that she found the woman's species fascinating.

She watched the woman finish of her glass and slam it down and Renfry drained her own as well. She stood and made her way out of the cantina and into the fresh air once again. She walked along the street, noting the many gazes they attracted.

We might have to be a bit careful, I don't think we're exactly blending in, she said with a smirk. Not only were they not Neimodian, they both had enough unique features about them to draw gazes even on worlds with more humans and near-humans.

An infamous Sith? she asked, raising her eyebrows.

You flatter me, she said, shaking her head. Her story was a convoluted one and there were several things she had done of note already. In fact, several of them were before she'd "joined the Sith" properly.

I came looking for other Force-users. The Sith recognized the natural state of the galaxy, she said. Knowledge drove her and she had already learned so much. Her power had expanded exponentially since joining their cause.

I fought at Ajan Kloss among other things, and here I am, she said. No point in oversharing, she decided.

And what of you? Tell me about your people and how you came to the Sith, she said.

 

[Elina Zelle]

When Renfry commented that the two weren't blending in, she chuckled softly, "Usually that means a good thing." She wasn't a stranger to people having a look at her, she had grown used to it after the first time she glowed a slight gold. Renfry then repeated and questioned Elina's choice of words with infamous Sith. She had really meant the Order as a whole with the infamous line and worded it wrong but she didn't mind leaving the woman think she meant the other way. It was still partially true. "My pleasure."

She came looking for force-users. It was a story she had before but it was more interesting coming from her. Did mean she reject the teachings of her planet in order to become a Sith? Or did was she exiled from the planet for some other reason that she wouldn't share? It increased her curiosity in her partner and reminded herself when they had more free time to ask. When Ajan Kloss was mentioned, Elina glanced at her with a look that said, damn, but nothing past it. That had been quite a legendary attack and spoke to her strength.

When the questions turned to the firrerreo, she simply shrugged, "I don't know much about my people. I was abandoned on Corellia of all places or at least I think so, could have been born there too." The thought never really crossed her mind because she never drudged up her own story to remind herself. "I left after a while and ran with a crew. After he killed my coworkers, I threw him into a tree without raising a finger. He took an interest in me after that." It had been a weird interaction, one where the Sith had appeared proud of her for what she displayed.

The two weren't far from the richer section of the city for the businessmen and politicians as the speeders became more elaborate and the trash along the street was picked up. Before they fully entered the district, however, Elina stepped to the side for both of them to be out of sight. "You have an address? I've hunted politicians before, they like to have eyes and ears everywhere. This is when we should proceed with caution." On these types of planets, someone was always in another person's pocket.

 

[Renfry]

So the Sith had found Elina. That seemed to make sense. In Renfry's limited experience, she got the impression most people didn't approve of the Sith. They tried to deny the way that the galaxy actually worked and covered it up with social constructs and lies. Their target today was a perfect example of that, but she was losing herself in her own thoughts.

"He?" she asked, wondering who it was who had found the woman. She also found it interesting that the woman's attunement with the Force was discovered on accident. Renfry had been taught from birth and told what she was, but Elina had begun not hearing - or at least not knowing she was hearing - the call of the Force. She wondered what that was like.

She looked around at the streets as they grew nicer, but she still sensed the same malice below the surface. Just because it was better disguised here, she could still feel the greed, envy, and other things below it all.

They ducked into a side street and Renfry pulled out her datapad, pulling up the address and punching it into the GPS. They weren't far away, but the distance wasn't the trouble.

It's on its own bridge, she said, showing her the display and the fact that the address was for a very lavish home that had its own offshoot from the main route. This was why it was so difficult to get inside of, but if they managed it it would have a much greater chance of getting them the information they needed without having to directly interact with the Senator or his staff until later.

 

[Elina Zelle]

"Mhmm, he was a he." The images played over in her head. Her fellow mercs, either simply ripped apart by the force or cut open by a lightsaber. A lot of those images had been shut out but one kept coming to her head. She had been on her knees, covered completely in blood, her eyes practically shimmering with the Sith in front of her and his weapon raised. Elina shook her head, clearing her mind of any more reminiscing as she just focused on the task at hand. "He wasn't kind, to say the least." She didn't mean in the typical Sith way.

She pulled out her datapad and pulled up the address of the senator's abode. They had a location now and that was something they could work with. "Hopefully you can keep up darling." Elina gave her a wink before she turned towards the wall and simply leaped up in the air and all the way to the roof. With her natural abilities and the force, dexterity and agility were no hindrance to her and in fact, were easier compared to others in the Sith.

When she landed on the roof, she waited for Renfry to join her. Elina, instead of just walking alongside her, smiled, and slowly bent her knees as she got in a stance. Without much of a warning, she bolted off, the force and her strength helping her as she simply leaped from roof to roof. It wouldn't bother her if Renfry didn't partake in the race. It was just for a little fun and to stretch their legs.

Elina finally stopped when she reached a roof that overlooked the lavish estate of the senator. She breathed hard as she straightened out her posture as she tried to force air in her lungs. "Well, I think we found our boy." When both of them were able to view the manor, they could see the front gates open before a few transport speeders filed out and joined into the oncoming traffic.

 

[Renfry]

Renfry was still curious, but she could tell the other woman didn't particularly want to share about the man. She was interested, but decided to drop the issue and not press it any longer. They had business to attend to right now.

Renfry watched as the other woman leapt to the roof. She had always done a great deal of agility runs in the jungle of Dathomir, but she had a bit of flash herself, and she wanted to show off.

She flexed her hand and began to disappear in a green flash, reappearing moments later on the roof beside Elina. Fine, so it was showing off, but she could show off every once in a while! No harm to it!

It was only a moment later before Elina tore off over the roof and Renfry smiled, moving at a decent pace but hardly a full sprint as she leapt from roof to roof. She wasn't too terribly far behind and caught up only a bit later as they came to the roof with a better overlook.

So it would seem, she said, looking down at the array of speeders on the manor's property.

I think we should hit the manor first, she said. It was guarded, but not as heavily as she'd feared. And if they failed at the break-in they could still approach one of the members of the entourage later, could they not? @Orbit

 

[Elina Zelle]

With Renfry a Sith, she sort of expected her to use the typical powers that they used but it was completely different. Instead of just leaping like her, the Nightsister simply teleported and it was a move she hadn't seen before. Elina was becoming more impressed with her and her power quite often. She wondered what else the woman could do and figured she was hiding her true abilities until the time was right.

Elina's line of thinking followed Renfry's and she gave a nod, "Perfectly fine with me." Her eyes sight allowed her to scope out the situation much better from their vantage point. There was a gate that surrounded the entire building but that wouldn't be a problem for them. Guards remained at the entrance and probe droids floated around the perimeter. She had a feeling that they were there to help call in the big guns they had stashed away. There were quite a few of them and their patrols seemed erratic.

Her eyes scanned to the right and she noticed a small river that flowed through the fields towards the house. There was a bridge over the middle of it but over then that, it appeared vacant. Eline perked her eyebrow and turned slightly to Renfry as she got on one, "Do you mind going for a swim?" She turned her attention back to the manor afterward and contemplated for a few moments. Elina returned her attention to Renfry and shrugged, "Or are we lucky enough that you can teleport the two of us?" She had been paying attention and it could save a lot of time. Renfry's powers were still a mystery to her.

 

[Renfry]

Renfry looked out over the distance, and though her eyesight was not as good as her partner, she could see that there were guards and perhaps droids patrolling the estate. She looked for the best route in and then her partner mentioned swimming.

Her eyes fell on the river that ran through the estate. Boy, Renfry needed to get an estate with a river running through it some day. That sounded lovely. Perhaps it could be a large plot of land with animals and wildlife and... she was getting totally off topic.

When Elina mentioned teleporting them both inside Renfry's face scrunched up. I'd prefer not, she said. She had teleported another person before and knew she could do it, but it was incredibly draining and something she actively avoided. Sure, she'd grown significantly in power since that time, but she still disliked putting herself in that vulnerable of a position.

Swimming it is, I think, she said. She moved to the edge of the building and glanced over the side to make sure there was nothing and no one below. The path up to the river was... not outstandingly covered, but they would have to make due. Cloaking was always an option. That was a useful trick.

Shall we? she asked, planting one hand on the roof ledge and vaulting over, dropping the distance to the ground below. It was cushioned with the Force and she ducked quickly behind a parked speeder. She could hear the sounds of the river already and knew they didn't have far to go to it. @Orbit

 

[Elina Zelle]

Well, swimming appeared to be the choice of the afternoon. The thought of teleportation was quite intriguing to Elina but based on the reaction Renfry gave, it didn't appear as it had gone all too smoothly. "By all means." With the conclusion of the water, both of them made their way to the edge before simply dropping down. When they got cover behind the speeders, Elina peeked over to make sure the coast was clear as she sniffed and listened for anything that would stand out of the ordinary but nothing did.

When a probe droid passed by, she gave Renfry a nod before bolting for the fence. She didn't stop in her stride as once she was close enough, the force was used again to propel her from the ground. Elina landed in the grass with a roll but they didn't have time to stop and talk with the patrols. More probe droids would start heading around this path and she dashed toward the river before they could be caught. As she approached the bank, her speed slowly decreased and she waded through the water before just fully diving into it. There were going to get wet anyway.

The firrerrero hoped that Renfry made it in time as she submerged herself completely and could see a group of probe droids pass above. She stayed in the water as long as she could before eventually, her lungs called for air. Elina floated back to the top and gasped as oxygen rushed into her lungs once more. Renfry hasn't been spotted yet and Elina glanced around, either hoping to find another head pop out of the water or to see her still behind the speeder.

 

[Renfry]

She paused, looking over to watch as her partner sniffed the air, searching for anyone that might be a threat but finding no one. The whirring of a passing probe droid reached Renfry's ears and she moved step for step behind her partner as they made their way across the clearing and over to the river.

This time she used the Force to leap over the fence and land gracefully on the other side before leaping toward the river. The frigid water swallowed her up, sending jolts of cold all through her body. It was... exceedingly unpleasant, she decided.

She went underwater, swimming quickly to try to stay under the droids and off the radar. She popped up a moment later, gasping for air and trying to keep it down as she did so.

She pushed herself out of the water and took cover behind a bush as she pushed the wet hair out of her eyes.

That wasn't too terrible, she grumbled, not enjoying being now cold and wet, but it would have to do. We can get in that window, she said, pointing to the upper floors that would normally be inaccessible to those who were without the Force. @Orbit

 

[Elina Zelle]

The water was cool but Elina's natural heat helped her deal with the temperature. It was still cold but bearable at least. When she caught Renfry had joined her in the water, she dived as well and began to swim up it with her. When they got close enough to the manor, both of them finally popped out and both were drenched but they made it. Elina ringed out her long hair as she out a chuckle, "I don't suppose you have any type of magik to dry us?" It was a stretch but she could hope.

Renfry pointed out the window the too could approach through and she gave a nod. "Good eyes dear." Elina silently crept forward and when she reached the wall, she took one step back to align herself with the window. The force built up underneath her feet and she launched herself upwards and into the air. She landed on the window stool and balanced herself there for a few seconds before she was secure. Elina crouched down and ran her fingers along the edge until she could find the lock.

She smiled before flicking a finger up as the lock disengaged. With that, she pressed both of her palms against the window and it opened quietly. Elina reached out with the force down to Renfry, and viola, we are inside darling. She slipped a leg in first before the rest of her body. The furniture and just the state of the building were incredibly nice as she could even see her own reflection on the marble floor. "Well shit." She mumbled to herself as she took cover by the shadows, waiting for Renfry to join before she proceeded.

 

[Renfry]

Unfortunately, no, she said. Magick had a lot of uses, but not one that was an insta-dry. It would have come in quite handy sometimes.

Renfry moved along behind Elina, standing below her as she leapt up and went to work on the window lock. Renfry hoped she was quick with it so that they wouldn't be caught out in the open, and her wish was granted. She watched the woman slip inside and used the Force to launch herself into the air and land on the ledge a moment later.

Nice work, she whispered, sliding into the nice room. Unfortunately, she was dripping all over the floor, so there would be no hiding where they were and where they went in the building. That... could be a problem.

There wasn't much they could do about it right now, though, so Renfry moved forward, slipping open the next door and poking her head out. There was no one outside, and a hallway that stretched onto another open room, but one that was empty of anyone or anything. It looked like it was some sort of an art room. There were several paintings of mediocre quality, an easel, and a place for a model to stand. Portraits? That struck Renfry as odd as well, but she pressed on. Fortunately, the house was big and relatively devoid of... well, anyone. @Orbit

 

[Elina Zelle]

When Renfry joined her and complimented her work, Elina offered her a smile but remained silent. Both of them were soaking wet but it was a small price to pay and they would eventually dry off. It was only water. The two of them moved quietly through the lavish estate and Renfry took lead. She followed her into an art room, at least at what it seemed to be intended for. As they crossed through the room, Elina couldn't help but stop about halfway, her eyes drawn to the paintings that littered the wall.

Some weren't impressive at all but others actually were and she couldn't help but admire them. Elina was always drawn to beauty and she couldn't help herself when she came across it. Everything had beauty in its own way and she loved to figure out what that special thing was. But they were on a mission and she couldn't let herself become distracted. Elina quickly tore her gaze away before joining Renfry outside of the room.

Elina spoke through the force to her, taking the extra precaution, I'll take upstairs. You stay bottom. Cover more ground. Splitting up was always the recipe for disaster but both of them were Sith and in an empty house. If she was proven wrong then she would just accept it and roll with whatever was thrown at them. Meet back here in a little? Not really waiting for an answer, Elina turned and made her way towards the marble stairs, it wide enough to have about ten people stand side by side on one step.

When she reached the top level, she was greeted with more and more hallways. Elina never thought she would one day dread how a building was constructed. Not really knowing which door was which, she simply reached out with the force to make sure no one was inside before checking each door.

 

[Renfry]

Renfry had failed to notice the paintings for more than a moment, and she also didn't notice that Elina had stopped until she made it to the far side of the room and glanced back. She started to move to catch up and Renfry waited.

She heard the woman's voice ring out in her mind and Renfry gave a nod. She had confidence that either of them could deal with whatever they might find. The toughest thing would to be avoid being seen. They didn't want to kill anyone and it was easier to remain hidden alone anyway.

As Elina crept up the stairs, Renfry moved under the marble staircase. She doubted that an office or anything with information would be on the lower level, but you could never be too sure, and it was certainly better to check. She pondered cloaking herself with the Force, but decided it was better to wait it out than start hiding when there was no one nearby yet.

The first room she came upon was a kitchen that was just... excessively large. It looked like it was supposed to be used to serve massive banquets, and when she made it to the dining room, she realized why. It was huge and probably was intended for entertaining large groups of people. Surely, the two of them would be running across employees or servants at any moment. @Orbit