Ask Korriban Hedging Bets

[Vizim]

They're too busy worrying about trying to survive, he said. That's backwater Outer Rim for you, he said, though he had no room to judge. He'd grown up with the Legions beyond the edge of the Unknown Region.

By the time Vizim was finished up, he'd grilled up a mixture of chicken and rice for the two of them and they sat down to eat.

Time ticked by and they each mostly kept to themselves, which was fine by Vizim.

---​

The ship set down in docking bay 9 of the Black Spire outpost, and Vizim decided that keeping his Sith nature under wraps was probably for the better. Though he had his saber hidden within his coat, the blaster on his hip was what most people would notice. It was no accident that most of Vizim's cover identities had him working as a bounty hunter: it was not so different from the real job he did.

Same general goal, he said quietly to Wodan as they walked. Get in, upload the data, get out. Might get messier, though, because we have no authority or rank here. Sabers away, though, he said.

He moved over and came to a stop at an outdoor stall selling food. It also gave them a nice view of the data tower... inconspicuous recon and a bite to eat all at once.

@Braden

 

[Wodan]

Luckily the ISB had thought far enough ahead to supply Wodan with some casual clothes which would allow him to blend in more as a bounty hunter or smuggler than a Sith. He also wore a single blaster at his hip and another in a chest holster. His lightsaber was secured in the same holster on the other side, a thick dark brown jacket covering the pair from peering eyes.

“I have less of a quorum with killing Non-Imperials, so it's easier with me.” He replied as they stepped up to the food stall. None of it looked particularly appetising, but he couldn’t really expect michelin style food this far out of the galaxy. It was pretty much just a stall which deep fried anything you could think of, from chocolate bars, to the private parts of vicious animals. You had it all here. Wodan ordered a deep fried Monke trotter, though he had no plans to eat it. It would at least give the pair enough time to give the data tower a good look over whilst it was cooked.

Once he had his deep fried meat, Wodan walked over towards a nearby wall where they could watch both the vendor and the tower. “Five guards, two on the door, a pair walking on the perimeter and one up there.” He said nodding in the direction of a small overlook as he took a bite into the fried trotter.

@Phoenix

 

[Vizim]

Vizim's mind was working as he looked to the tower. On the one hand, killing people made the job easier. On the other, it left a lot of evidence and questions that he'd prefer to avoid. If and when this contingency ever went into effect, having people looking at a bunch of dead bodies could be... problematic.

At least if those dead bodies were at the comm tower.

If we turn this into a shootout, we need to make it look like it was centered around something other than the comm tower, he said.

Nearby robbery gone wrong? Local security come out to investigate, shootout unfolds, at some point I slip into the tower and upload the data? he suggested. In the Outer Rim, that would be far more expected than a targeted attack against a comm tower. Particularly if there were other casualties and an actual robbery took place.

@Braden

 

[Wodan]

Woda nodded along as Vizim explained, it seemed that Deep Fried Monke trotter was actually quite tasty and the Firrerrian had almost demolished the entire thing in the time it took them to do a quick survey of the area.

Licking the juices off his fingers Wodan had an idea. “I think I can get you that distraction.” He replied, before pushing off the wall and heading in the rough direction of the Data Tower. He would take his time, slowing his walk as his head began jolting around from side to side, purposefully looking a little shaddy to anyone who checked the camera footage in the future. It would also give Vizim some time to get into the position he needed to react.

About two minutes into looking shifty Wodan pushed his plan into action. Advancing on a nearby stall selling electrical components, he pounced over the register grabbing a large handful of credits before sprinting off. As the vendor and those around cried foul, Wodan made sure to run in the direction of the Data tower. Clipping the shoulder of one of the two patrolling guards as he went, knocking the man flying and Wodan stumbling down the road. Hopefully that would be enough of a distraction to get at least these two and the surviving guards eyes away from the tower.

@Phoenix

 

[Vizim]

Wodan was the king of distractions, it seemed, but that was good for Vizim. It made his job easier, and ultimately, that was all he cared about.

He watched Wodan for a moment before moving off toward the comm tower himself. In short order, the guard that Wodan had bumped began a pursuit as he heard the sounds of accusation and shouting from across the market where Wodan had just made his grab.

Freeze! the man shouted, drawing out his stun blaster and beginning to bring it up to aim at Wodan. Vizim found himself actually hoping Wodan would kill the man, since gunfire would give an explanation for why multiple bodies ended up around the area. Death caused chaos, and chaos was good for jobs like this.

For his part, the attention was already being pulled away and Vizim quickly looped around the back of the tower, looking for an entry point that he could use to access and begin the upload.

@Braden

 

[Wodan]

A wicked smile appeared on Wodan’s lips as he heard the man shout freeze. Using the momentum of his collision with the other guard, Wodan swung himself around to face the man shouting at him. Wodan had already pulled his blaster in the turn and quickly raised it to send a pair of shots straight into the man’s chest. The guards light armour would have protected him from a longer range shot but this close, it did nothing but melt onto his chest.

With one guard dead and the others ready to chase him to the end of the galaxy and back, Wodan turned away and began running away from the clash point. The Firrerrian made sure as to not move too quickly so the guards could keep up with him and slowly be pulled out of the area around Vizim and the Data Tower. Aiming a couple of wayward blaster shots over his shoulder to keep them interested.

@Phoenix

 

[Vizim]

Vizim's eyes scanned over the area before locating a window on the second floor that would suit him nicely. He pulled the Force to himself and leapt upward, planting one foot on the opposite wall and pushing off until he could grab the ledge with his fingers.

Some elite climbers probably could have held on by only their fingertips with just their physical skill, but Vizim had the Force. It caused his fingertips to cling to the wall and poured immense power into the muscles, supporting him as he hung there for only a few seconds.

He reached out with the Force, letting it slip into the electronic lock to spring the latch open before hoisting himself inside.

He could still faintly hear the sound of blasterfire in the distance, but that was only more proof that his partner was doing his part of the job.

He slipped over to the console and plugged the datacard in.

Upload's been started. Standing by, he said into the encrypted comlink.

@Braden

 

[Wodan]

Rounding a corner, Wodan jumped over a nearby crate and turned, blaster held in both hands. It took only a few moments for the first guard to round the corner, they had been running for a while and the foolish man didn’t check before he charged forward. Wodan let fly a trio of shots, the first missed as he miscalculated how quickly the man would turn, but the second hit him square in the face killing him instantly the third ended up just smacking into an already dead carcass.

Two guards down, at least another two were chasing him, probably just the guy in the overlook left at the data center. Wodan would need to remove the last two chasing him before more local law enforcement arrived. Vizim’s voice came through the commlink in his ear, ok that was good by the time he wrapped this up Vizim should be finished and on his way out.

Both of the trailing guards had caught up by then, but were hiding behind the corner, peaking around and firing a shot every now and then whilst Wodan returned fire keeping them pinned as he began backing away and moving down the next street.

@Phoenix

 

[Vizim]

Vizim tapped his foot impatiently as he watched bar on the data terminal creepy up slowly but surely. He had learned a long time ago that whatever his personal feelings about it, he had to be patient. It was a necessary and critical component of his job.

So he stood there, checking back out the window periodically to see the people who had begun gathering out there. A few had come to see what was going on while others had scattered to the wind, fleeing back to their homes.

Nice work, he muttered to himself. An unsettling feeling prickled at the back of his neck and he leapt before anyone had even come into the room. His hand reached down and snatched the knife from his belt and he leapt at the door just as it opened.

He brought the pommel around and slammed it into the side of the man's head to knock him off balance. He needed less of a mess than someone stabbed inside the comm tower. Too hard to explain.

He yanked hard, dragging the man to the ground and shoving a knee into the man's chest before pulling out his pistol and slamming it into the side of the man's head.

Ah, kriff, he groaned as the man went still and unconscious. This complicates things...

@Braden

 

[Wodan]

His sporadic and purposefully shoddy aim, kept the guards at bay long enough for Wodan to be able to turn out of the side street and flee once again. Shouting in the distance seemed to signal that this was about to get more hairy than just a pair of part time guards, the Firrerrian would need to slip the net quickly before the entire station came down on him.

Turning another corner in the dirty backstreets, Wodan began to pull The Force around him and into his muscles. At the same time he pulled a small metallic cylinder from his belt, one of the Stun Gas Grenades he had grown accustomed to over the past few weeks. Priming the mechanism, he moved into a narrower alley. One the guards would be overconfident in trapping him in. As soon as the pair followed him in, Wodan threw down the grenade sending waves of noxious fumes out.

At the same time he used The Force to propel himself upwards out of the range of the fumes and up onto the roofs of the nearby buildings. Checking back to make sure both guards were caught in the gas, it looked like it had been successful, as two bodies were now slumped on the floor. Holstering his blaster, the Firrerrian made quickly for a nearby stairwell to get back onto the streets and into the crowd.

@Phoenix

 

[Vizim]

Vizim's eyes flicked up to the readout display as the status bar crept up, finally filling up to completion.

He let out a throat growl that wasn't particularly "happy" about how things had gone, but ultimately pulled the data stick out and slipped it back into his pocket.

Upload's done, cleaning up a loose end, he said into the comlink. He dragged the body toward the window and dumped it outside into the "alley" before pulling the covering up over the lower part of his face. He dropped down to the ground and pulled out his pistol, lifting the man's body with the Force and firing a single shot through his chest to alter the forensics so it wouldn't look like he was shooting someone on the ground.

This alerted a whole new wave of people, though no guards were around now that they'd been drawn off by Wodan.

I'm out, heading to the ship, he said, only to round the corner into a squad of battle droids that began opening fire.

Kriff, he leapt back, quashing the urge to pull his lightsaber out and instead running in the other direction.

I've run into a snag, may be late, he said.

@Braden

 

[Wodan]

Trying to act natural in a place you have never been before after killing two men and comatosing another two with noxious gas was well not easy. The fact the entire area seemed to become more and more erratic by the moment didn’t help, the sound of distant blaster bolts had brought on a panic in most of the people. Heads spinning in all directions, shop owners locked doors and windows and the streets began to clear.

Crap he needed to get to the ship before he was found. Wodan began power walking in the direction of the port, inconveniently it was parallel with the Data Tower and the interactions from earlier, so he was walking in the opposite direction to most of the traffic.

The sound of metallic feet began echoing down the street as he heard Vizim call out over the Holo. The unknown warning gave Wodan enough time to duck into a side street as battle droids began marching down the street, people panicked and ran in all directions as the death machines began their search for anyone out of place. “Not good.”

@Phoenix

 

[Vizim]

Vizim darted back down the alley he'd just come from and past the dead body of the man he'd killed. He twisted his body to fire shots down the alley at the pursuing droids. One of the rounds slapped off the armor plating of its shoulder, slowing but not stopping it as the others continued to pursue.

Really, he probably could have made short work of them, but he needed to remain discreet.

Another blaster shot and two more quick turns, a burst of speed from the Force, and he'd left the droids mostly behind. He pulled the Force through him again, leaping up and landing on the roof of a nearby building, hunkering by as the droids ran by below.

I'm concealed. Holding position until I have a straight shot back to the ship, he said.

 

[Wodan]

Hunkered down behind some crates in a side alley, Wodan listened to the metal feet crash on the floor, walking death to anyone who wasn’t a Sith or a Jedi. His right hand fumbled at the shard around his neck, his mind desperately trying to fight back the urge to grab his lightsaber and fight his way free.
“Shit.” He needed to stay undercover, their mission would be all but useless if Sith were known to be on the station.

The sound of a creaking door forced his head to spin rapidly to the side, half-drawing the blaster before realising it was just a husband and his wife. Pushing the weapon back in, he noticed that they were both waving to him. Neither looked armed and even if they were, Wodan could probably destroy them both with little effort. “Come on.” The man called.

Inwardly shrugging, he made the quick dash across the street and into the home, the man shutting the door behind him as soon as he stepped through. Fear shot through the Sith for a moment and his eyes quickly surveyed the room. Relaxing quickly however as he saw it was just an empty living room. “Those droids don’t care who you are, if they get in their way they will take you out.” The man said bolting the door behind them. “They should be gone in about ten minutes, you can wait here till they pass.” “Thank you.” Wodan replied.

@Phoenix

 

[Vizim]

Vizim hunkered down on the roof as the droids milled around. He leaned back and slunk down into a crevice on the roof, closing his eyes and crossing his arms over his chest. He could still hear the milling around below, but he let himself slip into meditation, his consciousness spreading out in the Force to the area around.

He wasn't sure how long he stayed up there... probably even a couple of hours if he had to guess, but ultimately, he let his mind snap back into his body and opened his eyes. The sun was starting to go down, and Vizim peered off of the roof, over the side, and down to the alley below. It was now well clear of droids, and he could hear the market bustling beyond.

He stood and dropped to the ground, heading in the direction of the docking bay and heading aboard the ship.

Another job well done, he said with a snicker, heading inside and grabbing a beer and heading to the cockpit to take off when Wodan was ready.

 

[Wodan]

Wodan spent an awkward thirty minutes in the couples front room, everyone was on edge both of each other and of the death bots walking around outside. Finally the sounds of the metallic feet were far enough away that they could all relax. Not wanting to spend any more time in the house than necessary, Wodan unbolted the door, the man half moved to stop him, but realised it was probably better that the stranger was gone from his home.

Pulling the credits he stole from the shopkeeper out of his coat pocket, he placed them on the windowsill next to the door as he slipped out, closing the door behind him. “I’m on my way back.” He called through the comm as he stepped out onto the main street. It was still quiet, but slowly people were returning to their normal daily lives.

About twenty minutes later he stepped onto the bottom of the loading ramp, which quickly rose behind him. The ship left only a few short minutes later.

_________
End Thread

@Phoenix