A job you say? You have my interest....

[Darsha]

“I wish the king pieces could fight each other…they should change that rule.” Kira said to himself. Moving his knight to the side. Sitting in his penthouse office playing a game of chess with himself. His computer lied on the desk next to him, a local chat room was open so he could keep records of everything happening in this city. But lately there had been no real notifications. A regular day for the most part. Honestly Kira found it funny how he went from a poor orphan to a big time info broker no one knew anything about. Regardless his services haven’t been requested in a while and he was starting to get bored. He was hoping trouble would stir up in this city eventually. Moving his pawn forward he smiled grimly. “And that’s checkmate.” He said, twisting his chair to the window.

He stood out of his seat and skipped over to the large view and stared down at the city. So many humans…so many possibilities of chaos. Kira was not evil or a bad guy but he did enjoy conflict between others. He simply liked to see others in different circumstances. Therefore he used them as pawns in his game, setting them up against each other so he could observe how they reacted. This city…was so entertaining.

 

[Cira]

@[member="Darsha"]

The bounty was a simple one.

One information broker who managed to tick off the wrong Hutt. Really, it was the occupational hazard. Tip the wrong person off about their dalliances and karma comes to get you. What goes around comes around.

For once, it isn't Patches. That along drew enough amusement to cause the normally stoic Red Blade to quirk her lips in humor. She'd gone through Patches's data-files, seen what the proverbial Mr. Universe had on this particular information broker with no name.

Ah, an alias. Well, everybody lies and no one is who they say they are.

Normally, she wouldn't have done a job that required turning in another information broker. That was bad business. However, money, as always was tight. Not to mention that particularly insatiable need to eat was a mighty big motivator. She had the Knight's Helm drop her off planet side; they had their own missions to do of course.

Rain began to fall, beading over the well worn Mandalorian armor she wore. Over her right eye, the cybernetic ocular ran various bits of information and data. While Patches databases were not infallible, at the very least, he was able to pick up a few things. The signal goes everywhere, and Patches well... goes along with it. He'd spent more than a decade building what he could as the galaxy once again reconnected with other worlds; folk knew about @[member="Jonathon Patches"] but none knew how he looked like. The Master of Disguise, as he liked to harp of himself.

Clearly the virtue of humility was not one Patches practices.

None the less, The Red Blade took note of what information she did have. Various pings. Chat logs. And hits based on previous jobs in the last year taken on by the particular infochant slicer. He hadn't gone off world; there had been no indications that he.. or she, worked off planet. No, the majority of the hits were in one particular city.

That's where she would start.

All she had to do for now, was wait. She'd submitted a request for information by any information broker willing to garner a deal. She made it sound relatively desperate and rage filled, something along the lines of single white near human searching for information about her no good skirt chasing nerfherder of a boyfriend running off with her money.

From what she'd seen in holo-films, it was apparently ok to go on a murder spree when the significant other ran off with a busty Twi'lek dancer.

 

[Darsha]

@Skye Mertaal



Kira continued to stare out the window. So many races all bumbling about their own business in this damn city. “I wonder what today has in store for me today.” He asked himself, looking at his desk and the laptop that was stationed on it. After a few seconds of him looking out the window the chat box seemed to be going crazy. “Ohhhh somethings happening?” Kira asked himself, walking over to his chair and taking a seat in the chair.

“Have you all heard about that bounty on the Info Broker?”
“No. And why an Info Broker? Not like they are any threat.”
“With the right information they can be.”
“Yeah. I heard a hutt hired some bounty hunters to take him out. First one to bring him in gets a juicy reward.”
“Uggg, I hate the hutt.”
“A lot do but they ballin!”

Kira narrowed his eyes at this conversation. Seemed like Jiro the hutt was up to no good again. He had sent several assassins after him before and all times had resulted in failure. He sighed and logged into the chat. Using his hacking he kept his IP and everything else hidden as he decided to mess with them.

“The hutt are gangsters. They think they can buy anything they see fit, this is one of the very reasons it was easy for me to gain information on them. Besides, he has sent bounty hunters out for me before. Each time ended badly. This time is no different.”

Once that was said he logged out and erased all the information. Pulling out his cell phone Kira dialed in a number and held it to his ear as it began to ring. Then it picked up.

“Hello.”
“Hello Vaas. Its me.”
“Kira…whats up? You normally don’t call this number.”
“I need some help. Apparently the hutt Jiro is out for my head again. He hired a new gun. I wanna know who. I wanna know where he or she is I wanna know where they sleep what they eat. This guy sneezes I wanna know about it. Can you do that?”
“Yeah…yeah sure. Give me a sec.”

Kira walked back to the window and stared outside. Soon within about five minutes Vaas came back to the phone.

“Hey Kira you there?”
“I normally am.”
“Good. Get this, I hacked into Jiro’s mainframe and took a peak into his security camras. I got the gun. And it’s a girl!”
“Ohhh, change of pace I see.”
“Yeah, I actually saw her before. We did some work a while back. Her name is Skye Mertaal. Looks like she has a few upgrades. I can patch you through to her head gear if you want to talk to her.”

“Mmmm, alright. Patch me through as Kira.”

“Alright, its ringing.”

Kira smiled as the phone rang. This would be the first time he ever got to talk to one of his hunters. He loved humans.

 

[Cira]

@[member="Darsha"]

[ What do you want? ] came her abrupt reply as the internal comm of her headset clicked automatically through. The Red Blade had no friends. Only contacts. Only a few of those could determine if she was male or female, and she liked it that way. It wasn't from the encrypted line Patches used, so while terse and cryptic, she didn't bother with pleasantries. She wasn't paid to do so.

Her investigations led her to pin point a bit more. It would be a bit. But that was the name of the game. It took time. Not everyone knew everything.

As much as Patches likes to think he does.

The half smirk that drew across her mouth was hidden behind the dark tinted tee of her visor. She'd taken to a small perch among one of the taller buildings, helped connect to the holo-net and keep a good open relay to any chatter. Apparently, the infochant knew what was up. Cocky as well. What was it with every infochant being arrogant? It aggravated her nerves.

 

[Darsha]

@[member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""]Skye Mertaal


The call immediately clicked through. And he was met with a rather rude greeting. ‘Pfft, bounty hunters. So hard to play games with them. I wish they could be more polity…like me.’ Kira thought to himself. On the other end he could hear Vaas talking to him. Sense he was on a secure connection Kira could hear everything but Skke could not hear anything Vaas was saying. Nor could she track his location.
“Kira, she doesn’t like to play games. Once she gets paid nothing else really matters. Shes a cold queen but if you can talk to her perhaps you can convince her otherwise. Watch yourself. She isint one you wanna mess with.”

Kira chuckled. This was certainly interesting. He wondered what she looked like face to face. He went to his laptop and hacked into the insurance mainframe. Anyone who had a birth certificate would be easy to find. He typed in Skye Mertaal and quickly got a picture and bio.

“Meh, I don’t want much. Just wanna chat. I hear your out for my head, and while I could ask why I’m going to assume you would answer ‘because it’s my job’ so ill cut straight to the point. I’d like to meet…face to face. No games and no tricks. I’d like to talk…if you still see it nessesary to kill me after. I will not try to stop you.”

He said calmly, looking at her face he smiled. “Also…I like your hair Skye. Brown makes you look pretty.” He commented.

 

[Cira]

@[member="Darsha"]

Oh, if only the powers that be knew that what he'd find about Skye Mertaal... was not much to begin with.

Skye couldn't blame the man. Ballsy, he contacted her first. Slowly she stood, the rain still misting down over her armor, clouds rolling overhead. Her cybernetic eyepatch went to work, patching the comm through and starting to use voice filters. Oh he was clever. She'll give him that. Encrypted line. Guess you aren't too arrogant to not clean up after yourself, she mused.

[ You realize... I'm not the only hunter after you? ] she was blunt about it, not like it really mattered. [ Sure you want to make yourself so visible? ] she countered, her internal data processing whirling through file after file. If he found her... meant he had to do some digging of his own.

Less than a handful knew her name and her direct line personally. Especially in this planet. Which left... her eyes narrowed. [ Tell Vaas I am going to gut him from groin to nose. ] The manner which she said that suggested she was quite serious. Or was she?

Then again, her reputation had a tendency to be bathed in blood. In more ways than one.

The comment about pink hair almost made her snort. Almost. Clearly, Patches did his work at placing a fake picture of herself in various databases. She never took off her helmet after all while on a job. Worked well in her favor. Ugh, but PINK of all things?

[ Where and when? ] was her terse response after.

 

[Darsha]

@[member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""]Skye Mertaal

Kira smiled at her response. After a few minutes of digging he had information that not even the government had. Searching through old Mandalorian files lost after the info was destroyed. But funny things about lost information. If you had the right tech it could be easily recovered. After a while of her talking he laughed and talked to Vaas.

“Now that sounds brutal. Vaas buddy she knows your there. Best watch yourself.” He joked. Pulling up some security camras around the city and making face and helm matches until he found her.
“Damn, shes getting better. Tell her I said hi.”
“Vaas says hi.”
“Kira, south street. The market.”
“And im aware there are others after me. But honestly I don’t care. The hutt has sent bounty hunters after me before and all attempts failed. Jedi, sith, hell even the military seems to have a bone to pick with me. But it won’t be an issue, if they come they come. I can’t stop them. I’m not invincible, nor do I claim to be. But I am confident in the abilities I have learned just as I’m sure you are.”

He explained, honing in on her location. He soon got a visual and he smiled.
“Oh…and nice armor. I like the Mandalorian helm, makes you look like a legitimate badass.” He complimented.
“I am currently at home…just chillin. Just follow the ill guide you, take a left at the next street.”

He wasent going to just give her a location show she could show up without him knowing.

 

[Cira]

@[member="Darsha"]

A brow quirked at the compliment. So he could see her. Someone had an eye in the sky. From under the dark tint of her visor, her vision swept around her, the cybernetic ocular patch whirling and zooming in as data began streaming through. She located the security camera's soon enough.

"Groin to nose." she repeated, taking a step back into the shadows of the building. Security camera's were one way of keeping an eye on her. But there were also other ways to travel in the direction he so wanted her to go without him catching sight of her. Muting the comm, she went to work to pull up the blueprints of the area. He could be either in a warehouse, home, or really any building. Feth, he could be underground as well. Whatever he called 'home.'

A detailed diagram of the underground system came up in her HUD. She could work with that.

She turned on the comm anew, "Flattery gets you no where." she said, making her way down the building with a short burst of her jetpack. "But why am I not surprised an infochant would try?"

 

[Darsha]

"My dear you underestimate me. Cameras are not the only way i can keep an eye on you. Ever hear of nano tech? Almost every electronic device is a transmiter. Clever hu? I can see almost everything everywhere. I wish i could apply my skills to something more fun but this is all i have to work with for now." Kira stated, yawning a few times. "And why are you so angry? You seem to be scared from something...i can hear it in your voice. Something had to of hardened you up after all these years." Kira said making friendly chat.

Kira looked at his laptop a few more times.

 

[Cira]

@[member="Darsha"]

The sudden bark of laughter would sound through. "Scared?" her eyes rolled a 180, "You presume too much."

Course, there was no denying the slight widening of her eyes. It had hit home a bit, but stoic as she was when on the hunt, she gave no indication of it.

This would have been a great opportunity for @[member="Jonathon Patches"] to show up, perhaps, chirping smugly into her earbud, asking if she needed any help with her current situation.

All you have to do is ask, Miss. Mertaal. Nicely. Sweetly. Like you mean it. He'd likely say. Oh she could imagine the smirk on his face too, the bastard. She gave a grimace, but other wise continued on. Left on the street... That's when she gave a pause.

In the words of a famous Admiral, this could all be a trap! She'll have to double check things to see if she could get the upper hand on the infochant. Not like she hadn't had practice in the past three years.

The guy was smug. Cocky. Clearly the power that he gained in his little hill had gone to his head. Ok, maybe that was a bit harsh, but information brokers had a tendency to let things get to their head. Must be from having access to databanks; lording it over the peons of society, giggling with glee at the so called power of being able to find out a piece of information that one thought would be kept secret forever.

Thankfully, not all secrets were so easily discovered.

Underground now, she made headway, using a matching path to turn to the left on what would be the street he'd directed her about.

"You're not the first information broker to use that bit of detail, infochant." she boldly tossed back. "However, you'd be looking a long... long time trying to slice into every bit of nanotech in this area. Even a 5 block radius will take you days..." it was a direct challenge. She wanted him to try. To do so.

Arrogant informants rarely could turn her down when she did that.

 

[Darsha]

@[member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""]Skye Mertaal


Kira laughed. "Yeah apparently i hit a nerve. You were quick to react to that assumption." Kira tested, sitting back in his chair. She suddenly tested him with nanotech and he chuckled. "My dear i already have. Been doing it for years, plus im not even the one doing it. Vaas is already on it." Kira said looking at her nails. "Regardless...im kind of bored. So let speed this up shall we?" He asked, standing up and putting on his jacket. Stepping to the window Kira spoke again. "70 degrees south 60 degrees west. fortieth penthouse. Look forward to seeing you." Kira said hanging up. Looking at his laptop he saw that she had already gotten underground. Methods been used already but ok.

 

[Cira]

@[member="Darsha"]

"Apparently you assume too early." came her retort with an obvious scoff, "Likely not the only thing that arrives early."

Oo burn.

It didn't take long to figure out which penthouse; less to get where she needed to be. The time underground gave her plenty of time to figure out and plant explosives on lines of power.

A bit much? Perhaps. None the less the penthouse building went completely dark.

She was already in it.