Ask Never an Honest Word

[Vizim]

The Corporate Sector was the intermediate point between the "civil" Core worlds and the "savage" Outer Rim. The corporations ran everything within the sector and the social stratification was extreme here. People came to these worlds to try to make a fortune by finding a place in the corporations, but perhaps 1 in 5 actually managed it. The rest turned to crime, robbing each other, falling into gangs, and ending up dead before their thirtieth birthday.

Of those who actually succeeded in joining the corpos, fewer still earned any real money. Worked to the bone at jobs that paid almost nothing, poverty was a constant burden.

On the corporate ladder, life couldn't have been more different. Executives lived in the pinnacle of luxury and hired corpo muscle to act as private armies and enforcers. Industrial espionage and bartering secrets was a way of life, and the only goal was to make the next credit.

All of this was why Vizim assumed he was in enemy territory the moment he touched down in the Faas City. Czerka owned virtually every block and every politician was in their pocket. When you were setting out to assassinate one of the Czerka execs, Wex Witt, you had to assume that any and everyone was your enemy.

Vizim's long coat covered the pistol and knife strapped to his thighs, and the remainder of his weapons were concealed as routine. Normally, he would have landed in his own ship, but today he didn't want his ship entering system. The corpo's tracked everything, and he didn't want the Hunter's RFID catalogued when this was all over. Instead, he'd come in on public transport and headed for the cantina designated for him to meet his partner. While he didn't typically like working with others, there wasn't really any other options on this mission. Accomplishing everything alone just wasn't likely to cut it when you were this deep in enemy territory.

 

[Edin Frost]

Edin kept his helmet clipped at his hip when he approached the cantina. While he was also the type that operated alone, he couldn’t deny that this job would require some set up. His blue eyes scanned over the cityscapes behind some sunglasses, the wind brushing through his slightly mussed hair. Like his contact, he wore a coat over his normal gear. There was a case in one of his hands which casually sported the weapon he would be using.

The other man would be able to hear cheerful whistling as Edin arrived, a single earbud in his ear as he listened to some tunes. He spotted the man in the cantina but paused to get himself a drink. There was a bewildered look on the bartender’s face as Edin walked away from the bar with a glass of chocolate milk.

The cheery whistling continued as he walked over and plopped down in front of the man. Edin waved to him as he set his case down, popped a bendy straw into his milk and eagerly drank from it. Once he had a satisfied amount, he pulled off the shades and glanced up at the man.

“Edin,” He said simply, reaching a gloved hand over to shake. He was unfazed by the other man’s getup. A bounty hunter was used to seeing all kinds of fashion choices.

“I have a spot I think that would work for me to take up a position,” Edin stated, “But will need you to get the target into my sights up in his penthouse.”

Witt kept a vast amount of guards around him from what Edin’s research told him. There was no way Edin could pull off the job from inside the building. He would have to set up at a building across, aim and take him out. They would both likely need to first find a way into the man’s personal space and penthouse.

 

[Vizim]

Vizim watched the man he was here to meet. He wasn't exactly what Vizim expected, but if he knew what he was doing, the hunter didn't really care.

Vizim, he said, shaking the other man's offered hand. He kept the fact that he was a Sith under wraps, but being a bounty hunter was a great cover for going wherever he needed. Add that to the fact that he actually did take all sorts of bounty contracts, and it was the perfect situation.

He glanced down at the man's drink, uncertain how he felt about his partner drinking before a job, and then he realized it wasn't actually alcohol. It struck him as humorous that the other man was drinking chocolate milk, but hey, to each their own.

He nodded as Edin said that he had picked out a spot already. The pair of them were quite a good combination, which was likely why they'd both been assigned this contract. Vizim did close quarters and stealth while Edin was a sharpshooter, able to reach out and touch their target from a vast distance. A perfect compliment to one another.

What kind of access do you have to your perch? he asked. Getting into a building across the way wasn't likely to be easy either. While not as heavily guarded as Witt's personal space, it was likely someone else's penthouse or the like.

Vizim's eyes glanced around the cantina. It was noisy, and no one was likely to be listening, but he was always uncomfortable. Always on alert.

I can track he and his security team as they move. Even force them into lockdown up there if everything else goes wrong, he said. Forewarned was forearmed, and would better enable the sniper to take his shot.

 

[Edin Frost]

Edin grimaced at the question, thoughtfully drawing from his chocolate milk straw. He leaned back in his seat, a pensive look on his face, “No idea!” He finally said almost cheerfully, “I know it’s a fancy restaurant up top so I’ll have to improvise. Probably dress as waitstaff or something,” He shrugged. Disguises were part of his gig.

He noticed how uncomfortable the other man appeared in the cantina. Edin couldn’t blame him - the man looked outright sketch even in a cantina packed to the brim. Edin idly ran his hand through his messy hair, considering the situation.

“Can you do your part alone or will you need my help?” In truth, Edin didn’t even know what kind of nonsense he would run into with the restaurant either. It was an executive corporate building with a lot of big wigs at the top.

 

[Vizim]

No idea wasn't really the answer that Vizim was hoping for. He preferred a methodical, planned out approach, but he also knew that there was only so much planning you could do. He also knew that there were many people who preferred to improvise. There were also many people who ended up dead in this line of work.

I should be able to cover it, he said, referring to his part of the plan.

Setting off a couple of alarms should force him to stay in his penthouse while his people sweep the area. They won't find anything, but that should ensure he stays up there, he said.

What's your timeframe? How long do you think you'll need? he asked. Do you need help getting into position? he asked. Splitting up may not have been the best idea, but it sounded like it was what both of them were thinking at this point.

 

[Edin Frost]

Edin quirked an eyebrow as the man fired off a bunch of questions. He finished up his chocolate milk, loudly pulling from the straw till it was done. He also ordered a sandwich that he quickly housed.

“Don’t need help, but it’ll probably take me an hour to get my ass up there nice and settled,” He flashed a fanged grin. Edin slid over a comlink to Vizim. It was one to trash after the job was done, but it would allow them to stay in touch throughout their individual operations.

He rose from his seat and gave him another grin, “Be a pal and cover my choccy milk and sammich, yeah?” Edin said before he took his things and casually strolled off in the opposite direction.

The building across leased out multiple floors to various different corporations. The top level was a restaurant, and he had to find a way to look as if he belonged there.

Edin looked around for a moment, thinking up a million different complicated plans before he spotted a janitor down a hallway. His face lit up at the sight. What other role could easily navigate any floor and anywhere?

 

[Vizim]

Vizim nodded as the other man mentioned the time he would need in order to get into position. He took the offered comlink and began linking it to his earpiece so that he could remain hands-free.

Fine, he said to the comment about the food. The other man had paid for the dump comlink, he supposed paying about three fifty for a drink and milk wasn't awful. He stood up to head outside and came very close to simply not paying, but paused before dropping the credits on the counter. No need to bring undue attention. Even the smallest amount could end up bringing chaos, and that wasn't an irresponsible complication they could afford.

His partner went right and Vizim went left, heading for the base of the building their target would be entering. The hour that Edin needed to get in position would be perfect time for Vizim to pull a little recon. He pulled the hat a bit lower to obscure his face a bit more, but left his mask low. That was just a bit too suspicious as he started poking around the base of the building.

Doorman out front complicates things, he thought to himself as he headed around the building. After a single lap around the building taking in every sight, he decided that the parking garage leading underground would be the ideal location for entry into the facility.

In the other building where Edin was stalking the janitor, the man whose nameplate read "Bud" was a relatively elderly man. He'd spent years working as a janitor at a dozen different facilities and looked like he should have retired several years ago. And yet here he was, working his fingers to the bone and wringing out the mop in his hand.

Look out there, kiddo. Floor's wet, he said, motioning to the sign that indicated there was a "slip risk."