Ask Traitor's Smirk

[Thel Xeros]

Coruscant

Thel had initially been unsure about trying to take on the contract when he heard about it. But the number of credits was too tempting to turn down. Fortunately, no one else seemed to have taken up the opportunity.

The contract involved obtaining a rather strange object from a wealthy collector on Coruscant. He wasn’t sure why someone would want it, based off the description of it, but then people do say that art is subjective…

It had taken some work to prepare the heist. First, he had managed to secure the cooperation of a disgruntled security officer working in the building that contained the object. His name was Dyspen Sybul. He had the perfect combination of gullibility and greed. Thel had tempted him by promising a large share of the 100,000 on offer. It was a promise that Thel had no intention of honouring.

The inside man wasn’t enough. The other important factor was hiring a mercenary who could help with completing the heist. He had been somewhat vague in the job description he placed, but he did make it clear that the job would involve stealing an object of considerable value. He also made it clear that there would be a reward of 50,000 upon successful completion of the job. Unlike with Dyspen, Thel had no intention of double-crossing the mercenary he hired. They would get paid. He hadn’t given any clear indicators as to his identity, except that he was called Xeros. Contact was soon made with someone by the name of Aska Ryun and they eventually agreed to take on the job.

Ryun was instructed to meet at an address in a rather rundown part of the lower levels on Coruscant. A small shabby apartment belonging to Dyspen. Completely different to the grand tower on the upper level, which housed the object they were after. Thel stood waiting by the window. He was dressed in his black robes, cloak and leather boots. His lightsaber was concealed by his cloak. Dyspen was sat on a couch, near the door.

“So, when is the other one turning up then? Thought you hired a professional.” All Dyspen seemed to do was complain. “They’ll be here soon. Don’t worry.”

@Tulos

 

[Aska Ryun]

Bare knuckles rapped against the steel door of the apartment as Aska Ryun stood in the street, her trademark green leather jacket draped over a shoulder whilst she wore her usual white tank and cargo pants, puffing on a cigarra. Her SE-45 was hung clearly on her hip, as was one of the daggers she could often be seen with.

Coming back to Coruscant was never exactly an easy task, the clone chuckled how she had gone back on ‘never returning to this shithole planet’ more times than she could count. In the end, credits were king and she’d go wherever she was needed if there was money to be earned.

Details were sparse, an increasingly common attribute to many of the jobs that were cropping up in recent months, but the clone knew that whatever it was she was trying to steal was here, on Coruscant, and would require little more than her time and her expertise. 50,000 credits in exchange for a few hours of her day? ”No brainer,” she mused silently, drawing on her cigarra one final time before dropping the filter to the ground and stomping it out with her boot just as the door slid open.

As she stepped inside, the door sliding shut behind her, she saw two individuals. One man, standing near a window, dressed in long black robes with an air of authority. The other, a stout bowl of lard who’s face suggested one of his parents had a bit of Gamorrean ancestry in there somewhere. Her eyes lingered on the tubby one for a moment before shifting to the other, acknowledging him with an upward nod.

”Which one of you is Xeros?,” Aska queried as she circled around the couch, situating herself between the two men. She couldn’t help but hope it was the tall and lanky fellow, though if it was Tubbz then at least she had someone to hide behind if the blaster bolts began to fly.

@DMCK

 

[Thel Xeros]

Fortunately, Ryun didn’t take too long. It meant he didn’t have to listen to Dyspen’s constant complaining. When the door opened, he turned around and surveyed the woman as she moved into the room. She was slim. Fairly tall. A blaster and a knife near to her waist. He acknowledged her nod with a slight bow of his head.

“That would be me. A pleasure to meet you Ryun,” he stated politely.

“You took your time, didn’t you,” Dyspen chimed in; his comment aimed at Ryun. He heaved himself off the couch and patted down his scruffy suit and tie. His white shirt was rumpled.

Idiot. Thel resisted saying anything and instead shot a look at Dyspen. He seemed to get the message, and he didn’t continue with his moaning.

“I apologise for being vague in my communications. However, I felt discretion was important. This is Dyspen. He will be assisting us.” He gestured to the overweight man.

“If you don’t mind, I will just give a brief overview of the job and then we can proceed.”

@Tulos

 

[Aska Ryun]

As Tubbz moaned about her punctuality, Aska turned her head ever so slightly to shoot him an icy stare though her lips twisted into a smirk. It was hard not to laugh at the amount of effort it took for him to push himself back to his feet, the bead of sweat descending along the pudgy section of face where his cheek bone should have been.

”Not everyone can get rolled around on a forklift, pal. Some of us walk,” she quipped in response.

Xeros proved to be the more prim and proper of the two, an almost equally annoying attribute in the clone’s eyes though one that at least warranted mutual respect.

”Details would definitely be nice,” Aska replied plainly to Xeros as she tossed her jacket down on the seat beside her before plucking the flask of whiskey from one of its pockets. Twisting the cap and taking a quick swig, the clone took a step in front of the same chair and flopped down in it, kicking one foot up on the table ahead of her. ”So what is it that you’re looking to steal, Stretch?” she asked, tilting the flash towards him in an almost certain to be denied offer.

If there was one thing that could be said about the merc, it was that couth would always remain elusive from her demeanor.

@DMCK

 

[Thel Xeros]

Thel was glad that Ryun didn’t seem willing to put up with Dyspen’s whining. Dyspen seemed to now realise that it was better to keep his mouth shut. Thel watched as Ryun sat down and made herself comfortable, stretching a leg out on the table.

“An object called the Traitor’s Smirk. It is an aurodium bust of the once representative Jar Jar Binks. Admittedly, it is an unusual object. But it is very valuable. My client wants it.” Thel waited to see if Ryun would ask any questions, before he then continued.

“The object is held in a private collection here on Coruscant. Dyspen works as a security officer in the building that contains the object. He helps us get in, and then we steal it.” Dyspen stood by the wall, seemingly disinterested until his name was mentioned.

“Just remember, I can get you in there; but the upper level of the building have an extra layer of security. You’ll be on your own when you get up there,” he stated, trying to avoid eye contact with Ryun. Presumably he didn’t want to be on the receiving end of another scathing remark. “Yes, I do remember.”

Thel looked over at the mercenary. “Do you have any other questions? If not, we can get going.”

@Tulos

 

[Aska Ryun]

Aska listened as Stretch elaborated on the bare bone details of the job, pondering if he had taken the time to truly look into the security measures they would be up against. Stealing art, specifically art with substantial value, was rarely so cut and dry. Then again, she supposed that was where the gargantuan goober came in. When he made his mention of the added security, purposefully avoiding the clone’s eyes, the clone leaned forward and glared at him as she snapped her fingers in his direction to garner his attention whether he wanted to give it to her or not.

”Extra security sounds like something important that we all would benefit from knowing, wouldn’t you say?” Aska rebutted as she spun the cap back on the flask in her hand. It seemed that Xeros was in the know on what these ‘extra precautions’ were, but she certainly wasn’t about to barge into some art gallery only to be left behind as a scapegoat. "And then what? We just lift it and high tail out? Swap it out with a counterfeit? Maybe a little note? And what's the get away plan? Tubbz over here isn't going to be in his element if we have to leave on foot if we're found out,"

There were still a great deal she wanted to know and she would give him the chance to explain. At this point, it wasn't too late for her to back out. Scoundrels code dictated she didn't narc on them if she did but the potential payday was big and she wanted her piece, but not if the risk outweighed the prize.

@DMCK

 

[Thel Xeros]

Thel did want to get on with things, but he understood why Ryun insisted on more detail.

“By extra security, he refers to the fact that the upper floor has its own separate surveillance system. He should have been more specific. He can get us into the elevator which would take us to the floor below the top floor. But we’ll have to access the service tunnels through the elevator shaft to infiltrate the upper floor undetected. Those in the surveillance room will then need to be neutralised before we proceed to stealing the object. As for our escape, there will be a speeder ready to extract us.”

@Tulos

 

[Aska Ryun]

As Xeros finally provided the degree of detail that he had neglected from the beginning, Aska was still left curious and suspicious of their chances of success but she had enough to go on. If things fell apart, then she could always slip away and let these two deal with the aftermath. ”Well, why didn’t ya say so,” the clone joked as she sat up from the couch, draping her jacket over her shoulder. A fat security guard, a privileged aristocrat and a merc walk into an art gallery. Sounded like the beginning of a bad joke.

In time, they would find themselves standing behind the towering structure that housed not only the aurodium bust but likely a plethora of other valuable works of art, safely kept away from the prying public eye. As the clone took a drag off her cigarra, staring upwards towards the clouds that shrouded the peak of the building as speeders zipped past, she wondered at just how much wealth was within that could be harvested and distributed along the channels of the black market. Unfortunately, professionalism dictated that getting greedy once they were inside was likely to result in failure. For now, she would focus on the job she was hired to do.

”Y’know, something we didn’t consider,” the cloned remarked, still staring upwards as she and Xeros remained at the back entrance to the tower. ”It could take hours for your man to waddle to the door and let us in. Game of sabaac while we wait?”

@DMCK

 

[Thel Xeros]

Thel was glad that Ryun seemed convinced. He was slightly wary of her, though she was needed for the heist to be successful.

The three of them made their way to near the tower, and then Dyspen moved ahead. “Remember, time is of the essence. Send the signal as soon as you have control of the security room,” Thel reminded him. “Yeah, I know.” Thel watched as he slowly walked off into the distance. The Sith looked over at Ryun as she spoke. “Dyspen serves his purpose. Now, follow me.” He had no intention of trying to walk in through the front or back entrance. There was a walled off landing area for speeders on one side of the building. An entrance there, used by the building staff and those making deliveries, would be the way in for Thel and Ryun.

It took a while but eventually they made their way over to the side of the building. The walls around the landing area were at least 30-foot high. He looked up, towards the top of the wall. “There are trip sensors along the top. Dyspen will shut them off. Then we can move,” he explained. “Do you have a grappling hook or some other means of scaling the wall? If not, I can help you get up there.” Soon after, Thel’s comlink began to bleep. “I’ve got control of the security room and shut off the sensors. The landing area is clear except for three guards near the entrance, so get moving,” Dyspen said over the comlink, a slight hint of nerves in his voice. “Good,” Thel replied. “Let’s go,” he stated calmly, to Ryun. Looking up at the top of the wall, he bent his legs and then leaped up. Using the force to propel himself, he grabbed hold of the ledge and pulled himself onto the top of the wall. If Ryun needed help, he would reach out and use the force to lift her up to the top of the wall. If not, he would wait for her to make her way up.

Thel took a brief pause and then looked out over the landing area. The entrance was in the distance, on the other side of the landing area, and he could see the three guards sat around a small fold out table next to it. It was difficult to see what they were doing. Presumably playing a card game of some sort. There were various speeders parked in the landing area, which would provide cover as they tried to move closer. Thel leapt down from the wall and would help lower Ryun down, if necessary. “Ok, we need to deal with those guards quietly. Then we can get inside. I’ll follow your lead.”

@Tulos

 

[Aska Ryun]

”Right. No sabaac. Got it,” the clone replied, rolling her eyes as she followed Xeros to the place he had elected to be their infiltration point. Internally she muttered at the lack of detail he imparted, instead expecting her to operate blindly on nothing more than his word. There was nothing the merc hated more than going into a job blind, but because she had little to go on, she had opted to come prepared.

Beneath the drab cloak she tossed over her shoulders was her custom armor, as well as her ever trusty SE-45. As Thel explained that they would need to scale the wall once Tubbz managed to deactivate the security system, she was more than ready. The man would offer his assistance in getting her up and over but she would simply smirk in response. ”Any merc worth their weight in crowns isn’t going to be stumped by a wall, Stretch. I’m more curious how you-”

As Stretch launched himself into the air with nothing but his own two feet and the elasticity of a Gungan, she stood in silence for a moment as she peered upward. ”Oh,” she muttered in realization, scowling. ”See, and now all the fucking cloak and dagger makes sense,” she groaned, shaking her head before activating her jet boots and propelling herself to his side.

”Quietly,” she repeated. ”Where’s the fun in that?” With that, the clone slid down the wall and touched down silently, sneaking from speeder to speeder until there was nothing between her and them but the speeder she hid behind. Glancing inside the driver’s window, Aska proceeded to reach a hand in and flicker the headlights, illuminating the guards and their game.

“Oy, wha’s tha’ all abou’?”

“Probably just someone fiddlin’ with their fob. Pay it no mind,”

“I mean, isn’t it our job to check that sort of thing out?”

“Well than you ‘an go on and look, ‘antcha?”

“Lazy pieces of shit…”

The only competent guard stood from the table, retrieving his flashlight from beside his chair whilst grumbling as he walked towards the speeder.

The other two paid little attention to the fact that he hadn’t returned right away, though curiosities peaked as his voice called out, trembling.

“Guys, you need to see this!”

Quizzical expressions abound, the other two stood and made their way to the speeder in question, walking around to the far side. The muffled sounds of metal on bone could be heard briefly before Aska poked her head up, flashing the now bloody flashlight in Thel’s direction.

@DMCK

 

[Thel Xeros]

Thel watched from a distance, crouched behind a speeder, as Aska made her way towards the guards’ position. They were dispatched of in short order. Seeing the signal from the flashlight, Thel stepped out from cover and moved towards it. “Dyspen, are there any guards near the elevator,” he asked, speaking into his comlink. “Only a couple.” Things had been straightforward so far. He clipped the comlink back onto the back of his belt. “I’ll take care of the guards near the elevator,” he remarked to Aska.

The entrance was left unlocked by the guards Aska had just disposed of. Entering the building, a small corridor led to a more open area, with a staircase to the right and the elevator to the left. Thel peaked around the corner. There were two guards stood talking, near the entrance to the elevator. He stepped around the corner and reached out with both hands. The force coiled around the throats of the two guards, lifting them off the floor. Their legs flailed, reaching for ground that was no longer there. Approaching them, he slowly clenched his fists until their necks snapped. He allowed the bodies to drop to the ground. “We can dump these bodies out in the landing area with the other ones.” Once the bodies were hidden, it was just a case of returning to the elevator to move on towards their objective. “Dyspen, we’re about to get into the elevator. It’s time you left.” Stepping into the elevator with Aska, he pressed the button to take them up to the highest floor the elevator went to: the floor below the top level.

“There is an entrance to the service tunnels at the top of the elevator shaft. That will be our way of accessing the top level.” As the elevator ascended closer to its destination, Thel reached out and used the force to push open the hatch on the roof of the elevator. “After you.” He jumped up onto the elevator roof, and hastily dragged the hatch back into position. “Up there at the top of the shaft. There is a platform to the left. The entrance should be there.” It would be easier for Aska to get up there, with her jet boots. Thel waited until the elevator was close to stopping, giving himself a shorter distance to cover. He leapt up onto the wall on the opposite side to the platform, covering around half the distance, and then pushed himself upwards off the wall. Reaching out, he grabbed onto the side of the platform and pulled himself up. “Once we make our way to the upper level through the tunnels, we will need to take care of the security room up there first. If we so much as set foot on the floor above without doing that, we’ll be spotted by the surveillance cameras and an alarm will be sounded.”

@Tulos