Ask Coruscant Grand Opening

[Felicia Harlow]

Coruscant, near the Senate District, 2100 hours
​

Coruscant. The capital of the Republic. The capital of the galaxy, really. At the center of star systems too immense to be counted, the ecumenopolis had in times past and continued in times present to play a pivotal role in the stage that was the galaxy. Even with the New Republic crumbling away to pieces and the death of Supreme Chancellor Ro, Coruscant stood as a beacon of perseverance and viability. The whole planet was alive—with commerce, wealth, hope, and excitement.

Felicia was positioned high above the rest of the city, perched along the edge of a rooftop atop a high-rise building. The wind whispered against her long white hair, her silver eyes aglow with the reflection of the city's lights. Beneath her fingertips, she could almost feel the very pulse of the city—fast and steady with each and every racing speeder along the skylanes and the distant sound of music. These were her old stomping grounds, the city she had known and loved since her childhood. She never felt more alive than when she was roaming its rooftops, searching for her next big score.

Tonight, there was no need to search. This time, her next big score had found her. Below her, Hipori Motors celebrated its grand opening. The gala was in full swing by now, with senators, Coruscanti CEOs, and businessmen from the Corporate Sector in attendance. An exclusive shindig, and one that Felicia might have attended with her mother's business connections.

But this evening she was not Felicia Harlow. This evening, she was the Noir Cat, and this was business, not pleasure. Well, maybe a little of both. Felicia always inevitably blended the two. How could she not? She loved her work.

@LouJoVi

 

[Jason Hipori]

Jason needed to admit that the gala was a success. Not only the food and drinks being served there were being praised, but the decoration too. His mother was right, these rich people loved fancy things. A place filled with fancy and expensive decor that reminded them of how rich they were, was like paradise for them.

Unfortunately, Jason still thought that all of that was boring. He was able to maintain a facade of a good host, giving smiles and getting to know the important individuals that were going to be investors and clients of his company. However, after talking with all of them, the young Hipori started to be overcome by boredom.

While he sipped some expensive champagne, Jason contemplated how long he should have this gala going. The young man knew that he could simply interrupt the band and announce that it was over. However, it would be bad for his image and destroy all the good relations that he forged today.

Still, the only thing that he wanted to do right now was to change the suit that he was wearing for something less formal and go to a nightclub. He also wanted to drink something stronger than this champagne, like the Corellian whiskey that he had in his office on the last floor of this building. Jason wondered if someone would notice if he went there for a few minutes.

Since the guests seemed to be busy with other things, Jason thought that it was the perfect moment for him to escape a bit from this boredom. He walked toward the elevator, leaving his glass of champagne in the plate of a waiter that had walked near him. Once he was inside it, the young Hipori pressed the button for the floor of his office. He sighed, feeling relieved for leaving this place.

@llamallove

 

[Felicia Harlow]

The middle-class working man was considered the backbone of any manufacturing industry, and Felicia counted herself among that number. Corporate espionage, the true inspiration behind technology, the reality of business dealings behind closed doors.

Hipori Motors was in the process of developing a a new speeder bike, one that improved upon current repulsorlift technology. It was no secret that the speeder bike industry prioritized speed and maneuverability over stability. Hipori Motors, however, had set out to inovate the status quo. Evidently they were getting close, too. Close enough for a rival company to hire the Noir Cat to steal the blueprints.

It would be an easy job, like taking candy from a baby. The blueprints were stored in an office safe on the top floor of the building, away from all the party-goers down on the first floor. With so many high-ranking guests in attendance, building security would, naturally, shift their focus to the gala. Hipori Motors was practically begging her to break in and steal.

Felicia worked silently, with the agility and grace of a feline, gliding toward Hipori Motors with her grappling hook and landing on the top floor's ledge. Hipori Motors had been under renovation for weeks, allowing Felicia to enter the building unnoticed, disguised as a construction worker and install a bug in the computer system's mainframe a few days ago. Portable in hand, all the Noir Cat had to do now was access this bug, bypassing security's firewall and deactivating the alarms on this floor.

"Childsplay," she smirked, tossing her hair back and extending her claws. Once she had sliced a hole in the glass pane, her slender fingers slid inside and opened the window latch. As the window swung open, she slipped inside the office, as quiet as a cat.

@LouJoVi

 

[Jason Hipori]

The elevator had barely reached the floor of his office and Jason was already removing his tie. He always hated wearing this thing, it made him look like a dog with a collar. Were few occasions that the young Hipori would use one of these, only in galas and when he wanted to impress other businessmen.

After the door of the elevator opened, Jason walked toward his office. At this point his tie was already out of his neck and stuffed in his pocket. He would put that cursed thing back when he returned to the party. If he returned, because he was probably going to end up too drunk with his Corellian whiskey to even be able to enter this elevator without help.

He knew that he was right in keeping this whiskey for a special occasion. This had been a gift of his father from the last time that they saw each other. He had contemplated using it in one of the parties in his apartment, but had decided against it. It was too expensive and good to be wasted with a bunch of guests. This one was something that only he would drink.

Due to that, Jason had decided to add the bottle as part of the drinks that were going to stay on his officer. After all, he knew that working in a company could get boring sometimes. He would need to have something to distract himself. Beyond a compartment full of alcoholic beverages, his workplace also had some other interesting things.

When he finally reached his office and started to open the door, Jason could only think about the whiskey that was waiting for him and hours that he would have to relax inside there alone, without any of these annoying politicians and rich guys.

@llamallove

 

[Felicia Harlow]

It was Felicia's customary practice to investigate her targets once she had accepted a job, and the heir to the Hipori fortune had made for an interesting (and colorful) study. Jason Hipori's office lived up to his reputation—ambitious, self-indulgent, and spoiled. Two or three settees lined the wall, divans arranged in a square, perfectly symmetrical around a large, flat screen monitor. Across the room, opposite of the desk, stood a wet bar, shelves behind it lined with every alcoholic beverage imaginable.

The gala could have been held here instead of the first floor. Crossing the room in the dark and pulling up the HUD in her goggles, she activated its thermal imaging. Silver eyes swept over the office space, searching for areas with concentrated heat signatures.

"Bingo," she whispered to herself, a smug smile settling on her lips as she stared ahead at a painting hung in honor. "And behind a portrait of his mother, too. How touching." Gloved fingers ran along the frame of the portrait until a faint click was heard, the painting swinging open to reveal a wall safe.

Before Felicia could get to work, however, the doors of the elevator began slid open. Unexpected company. The Echani ducked behind a partial wall for cover.

@LouJoVi

 

[Jason Hipori]

As soon as the door was open, Jason rushed inside his office. Now he could do anything that he wanted. Humming some music that he heard during one of his visits to a nightclub, the young Hipori moved toward the bar. He already waited too much to taste something stronger.

Once he arrived there, the young Hipori picked the bottle of Corellian whiskey and a glass. After putting some ice inside it, he poured some of the drink. When he finally sipped it, Jason stopped to appreciate the strong taste that spread on his mouth. It was so much better than the champagne. Perhaps he should have served it at the gala.

While he calmly drank the whiskey, Jason noticed that some of the curtains were moving due to wind. It was strange, all the windows should have been closed. Frowning, he walked toward it. To his surprise he discovered that this one wasn’t only open, but it also had a hole in it. He wasn’t alone there.

Still sipping his drink, the man walked back to the bar and started to make another glass. “You must be the one that placed the bug on the system. I need to congratulate you. This took so much time for my slicers to discover it.” he was impressed how someone could do it for the team of professionals that he had hired. “This nearly passed without anyone noticing, but I learned to have the systems checked twice. Even more if I was going to have a bunch of politicians visiting this place.”

“I was curious about what you wanted. Then, going against the desires of my slicers, I asked them to leave the security of the windows down.” he placed the other on a table, before sitting on a nearby couch. “If you were an assassin and wanted to kill one of the people down there, well, my mother’s security would have you killed in a flash. Now, what do you think if we talk and have a drink? Maybe I can even have a job for you.”

“By the way, I hope that you don’t mind our conversation being recorded.” he gestured to the cameras on the ceiling. “I only left the security of the windows down. The rest is still very functional.”

@llamallove

 

[Felicia Harlow]

Arrogant, too. Add that to the list of Jason Hipori's growing attributes. Felicia's mind was racing a thousand different directions, to the unopened safe to her only exit—the open window across from her. Escape was within her reach, as easy as this job should have been. All she had to do was leap through the window, and she'd be gone. Disappeared. Like a ghost. Like a scaredy-cat.

Never one to run away from a challenge, Felicia ambled out from behind the partition wall and came face to face with Jason Hipori. Good thing she was wearing her mask. The heir to the Hipori fortune sat comfortably against one of the sofas that dotted his office, his face and posture natural. As if entirely unmoved by this situation.

Silver eyes didn't remain on him, moving instead toward the security cameras on the ceiling. They should have been deactivated, but they weren't—he'd made sure of that. Felicia turned her back to the camera and traced a finger along the edge of the glass Hipori had left for her, leaning her frame against the bar.

"This has never happened you know," she would eventually reply, silver eyes snapping back to evaluate him. "Getting caught."

@LouJoVi

 

[Jason Hipori]

While he waited for the invader to reveal themselves, Jason continued to calmly sip his drink. He wondered if they would accept his offer or try to run away from there. If they really tried to escape, the young Hipori would give the recording of the invasion to the police. No one refuses an invitation made by him and escapes without any type of punishment.

He didn’t need to wait much time for the invader to appear. From behind a partition wall emerged a white-haired woman. She was wearing a black mask that reminded Jason of something that you would see coming from a superhero holomovie. He smiled, she had sparked his interest. Who was this individual?

The young Hipori watched her walk toward him and the glass that he had left for her. “There is a first time for everything!” he said playfully, while gesturing for her to sit in front of him. “I was taught that we should always start a conversation by saying our names.” Jason made a pause to sip more of his whiskey.

“Since you put the bug in the system of this company, I believe that you know who I am. However, I’ll present myself properly.” he smiled and offered a hand for her to shake. “My name is Jason Hipori, it’s a pleasure to meet you, miss.” the man expected that she would identify herself.

“I’m really impressed with what you did. But tell me, why did you want to invade my office?” Jason brought his hand to his chin, as if he was deep in thought. “Do you want to steal my collection of drinks? Oh! Perhaps you wanted to see me! I know that I’m very attractive, but you could have asked. I don’t mind talking with a cute person like you.” he said playfully, while winking at her. He suspected that she wanted to steal something, but it would not stop him from joking about the situation.

@llamallove

 

[Felicia Harlow]

Arrogant and talkative. Jason Hipori's list of characteristics was growing exponentially by the minute. Fitting, that he should be situated so close to the Senate District, where everyone loved the sound of their own voice. He fit right in with the rest of them.

Felicia was silent as he spoke, silver eyes never settling for long on any given point in the room. The Echani swirled the contents of the glass around and took a whiff before turning her nose up at it and replacing the glass back on the wet bar. Drifting across the room, Felicia settled on the back of the divan opposite of Jason Hipori, dangling her legs over the cushions. She didn't want to get too comfortable, just in case she needed to make a quick exit.

The corners of her lips twisted upwards when he suggested that she introduce herself. Naturally, he couldn't expect her to give her actual name. That defeated the purpose of the costume and mask. Felicia would accept the hand Hipori offered her, albeit with caution, but she wouldn't give her name. Hipori had been handed everything in life. If he wanted her name, her mantle even, he'd have to work for it.

"Humble, aren't you?" she would reply, silver eyes sparkling with passing interest behind the mask as she stared at him. She tilted her head toward the portrait of his mother, still swung open with the wall safe exposed. "For a man of your confidence, it should be obvious why I'm here, shouldn't it?"

@LouJoVi

 

[Jason Hipori]

Jason watched every movement of the woman since she appeared from her hiding spot. The young Hipori wasn’t an idiot, he knew that she could want to kill him. Even if this conversation was being recorded, it could not stop her if she decided to do it. He planned to live for many years.

With some disappointment, Jason noticed how she seemed to dislike the drink that he had offered to her. Not everyone knew how to appreciate a good Corellian whiskey. Well, it meant that there would be more for him. She lost some points with him because of it. He wondered if there was something more on her that would compensate for her lack of good taste for drinks.

With his eyes always following her, Jason saw the woman sit on the divan opposite to where he was sitting. A smile appeared on his lips when she started to talk. “Of course, I’m! I was taught to be a good boy!” the young Hipori said, his voice was full of irony. He wasn’t going to feel offended by her comments.

However, he was a bit annoyed at the woman for not saying her name. Perhaps she would say it later during their conversation. “Of course that I already know, but I wanted you to explain it. After all, you were the one that invaded my office.” he paused to sip some more of his drink. He didn’t know how she couldn’t like the whiskey. It was delicious!

“You came here because of the projects of the new vehicles of the company. If I’m not wrong, someone paid you very well to steal it and bring it for them.” he looked directly at her, raising an eyebrow. “Am I right?” then he crossed his legs while calmly drinking what remained of the whiskey. “Tell me, would you be interested in working for my company?”

@llamallove

 

[Felicia Harlow]

One eyebrow shot up. Did this playboy's arrogance know no bounds? Apparently not. "A good boy? I've heard you called many things, Jason Hipori, from spoiled bon vivant to worthless heir, but 'good boy' was not among them." Not even close.

"I doubt even your own mother calls you a 'good boy.'" Felicia glanced at the portrait of his mother again. "Perhaps Mama's Boy is more fitting."

The cat burglar extended the cold, dark claws at the end of her gloves and made a showy, passing inspection of each. Felicia was unwilling to allow this spoiled brat the upper hand, even if he had caught her red-handed in the middle of a heist. It was embarrassing, sure, but the Noir Cat had faced larger setbacks before. She'd risen the victor then, and this time would be no different. No matter how many smug smiles passed over the lips of Jason Hipori.

"Work for you?" Felicia echoed, silver eyes raking over the heir in a critical inspection. This was rich. "And why should I do that?"

@LouJoVi

 

[Jason Hipori]

Jason laughed with what the woman had said. Perhaps someone else would have gotten mad, lost control or even tried to kill her. However, the young Hipori was educated to pay attention to the insults of others, even less to those said by filthy and lowly criminals. Her bold attitude only made him even more interested in her.

When he finally calmed his laugh, Jason looked at the woman. “I think that you are right.” he pointed to the portrait of his mother. “I would be an idiot if I wasn’t. She not only carried me for nine months, but she is also one of the most influential people of the Galaxy. Obviously I like to be Mama’s Boy.” he had no shame in saying it to her. The young Hipori’s voice was full of admiration for his mother.

“It’s also because of me being Mama’s Boy that you are going to work for me.” his smile changed to a nearly diabolical grin. “If you refuse, this recording is going to my mother. She would be furious with your presence there, threatening her poor son.” the wrath of Julia Hipori was terrible. Jason was happy for never having been the focus of it. “I doubt that there will be any place in the Galaxy for you to hide and that your mask would be able to protect you from her.”

“However, if you accept to work for me, I’ll add you as one of the employees of the Hipori Motors. You will have the same benefits, but receiving a bigger salary than the others. It’ll be double of what your employer promised you to steal from me.” his smile had returned to be friendly. “For all that, you would only need to do occasional jobs for me. Nothing too serious, only some stealing and sabotage. With your talents, it would not be a problem. What do you think?”

@llamallove