Discretion is not my strong point [Popo]

[Simone]

Coruscant had fallen. It was plastered across the holovids before her as news reporters from every planet gave their own twist on the events. Simone silenced them all, but let the images play on unable to put a name on what she was feeling. She spent months trying to discredit the Jedi and the Senate. Gathered each of their atrocities togetehr so she could launch a full scale publicity attack on them. The fall of Coruscant had taken the wind out her sails. Who would she be to attack them now?

She looked down at the datapad before her, its chip containing the months of her work. footage from Korriban, from Metalorn. Information on all those who had left the Repubic during its descent into a false democracy. A message flashed on the screen:

[Are you sure you with to erase all data? Y/N]

She told people that she had back ups, and back ups of her back ups, but in truth, she didn't. The stuff that she held close to her heart she kept exactly there. A necklace with a locket on it, large enough to fit a datachip inside. Coruscant's fall, was the Republics punishment for its sins, it was a wake up call to everyone within the Senate and the Order. Her finger moved without hesitation.

[Erasing....Data erased. Datachip empty.]

That did not mean that Simone was about to let them off the hook entirely. A new Supreme Chancellor had risen. Popo, former junior Senator of Nar Shadda, an old crime lord, thought what hutt wasn't? She hoped, that she had made an impression on him in the Senate, because she was counting on that impression today. She deactivated the holovid screens and snatched up her her satchel and slinging it over her shoulder. A quick glance in the mirror to make sure she looked ok and she was out the door of her apartment, hailing a passing speeder cab for a lift to the Senate.

***

"I'm sorry ma'am, I can't let you in."

"What?!" cried Simone as the guard handed her back her ID. "I was here like, two days ago! You let me in then! Why not now?"

"Because you're a security risk." Simone gave the second guard an incredulous look as the sharp featured woman brought up a datapad. "Simone Denning. Citizen of Zeltron, known Slicer. Known security breaches to date; forty." Simone threw up her hands in dismay and began uttering a stream of curses "Most recent: the hacking of the Jedi Temples broadcast system."

"That was months ago!"

"Miss Denning-"

"Don't call me that."

"-we are in a state of war-"

"I know, I was here when the Supreme Chancellor declared that!"

"We cannot afford criminal such as yourself with such fickle dispositions as yours to enter a high security building."

"High fething security my ass." She snapped walking away, pulling her datapad out of her satchel as she went. She sat down halfway up the Senate Buildings steps. Picking up signals was easy, latching onto them was not. The guards kept half an eye on her as she sat, furiously typing at her datapad, working through firewall after firewall. She let out, another stream of expletives when she was booted out, but she was not about to give up. The Supreme Chancellor would no doubt have been alerted that someone was trying to bypass the security network to set up a direct line of communication with his office.

Another ten minutes passed and she let out a whoop of delight and pulled a holoprojector from her bag connecting it to the datapad. A smiling Simone would appear on the Chancellors holoprojector. She cleared her throat "I'm aware I've just broken a lot of laws and upset your security team, but I would very much like to speak with you, Chancellor."

[member="Popo"]

 

[Popo]

Popo the Hutt had been up a good long while reviewing reports and approving production products. The Republic had been caught flat footed, sleepy, and fat, and yes this was coming from a Hutt. Security was at an all time high and everything from public buildings to military bases were on high alert. Everything was being monitored, which was why Popo was glancing up at a young officer in the doorway.

"So a young reporter by the name of Miss [member="Simone"] Denning is outside and wants to speak with me," the Hutt stated plainly. "And you told her no because she sliced databases that really should have been better protected? Honestly, we should be-"

At that point Popo heard his comm go off and Simone's voice cut him off. After a moment, the Hutt replied.

"My security team will get over it, but you have broken a fair amount of laws. That said, I'd like to hear what you have to say. I'll have security bring you up, though they'll obviously check you for weapons, just in case. You understand."

With that, he waved the officer out of his office to retrieve the woman. This would be interesting.

 

[Simone]

Simone couldn't keep the triumphant smile from her face as she disconnected from the system and returned her datapad to her satchel. Coming to her feet she met the hard stare from the security guard and winked. She was no doubt receiving orders to let her pass.

Simone paid for her hubris with a thorough search. The contents of her bag were spilled onto a counter as she was subject to a rather rough pat down. She took her punishment in silence, rubbing salt into a wound at this stage was pointless. Collecting her satchel she followed, or was rather, escorted to the Chancellor's office by a small security detail.

"Chancellor, " the officer said as they entered his office "Miss Denning-"

"Simone." Corrected sharply behind him. The officer ignored her.

"Miss Denning, as you requested." Simone made a mental note to alter her files and eradicate her family name from it permanently. Stepping round the officer she moved forward with an extended hand.

"Thank you for seeing me, Chancellor."

[member="Popo"]

 

[Popo]

"Not a problem, Miss Denning," the Hutt stated politely, taking the outstretched hand. "I'll hope you forgive me for being blunt, but could you explain to me why you breached several secure, government systems and the Supreme Chancellor's personal commlink during a state of war out on the steps of the very building said Chancellor is residing in?"

It wasn't hard to put that much information together, really. She had bypassed several firewalls, she had to in order to slice his commlink, and all were secured very well. On top of that, Popo's commlink was also secured, and encrypted, so for her to do all that meant that she was very good, Republic security measures weren't the greatest, or both. Popo intended to find out and, if necessary, increase cyber security immensely. Information was ammunition and the Supreme Chancellor was dead set on making sure he had all the ammunition.

[member="Simone"]

 

[Simone]

Simone smiled past her irritation at being called by her surname. "I can give you a number of reasons, but the main one would be because I'm an obnoxious little brat. When someone tells me I can't do something I tend to go out of my way to prove them otherwise. But if you want more; because your security system needs up dating and because I beleive that citizens need to know whats going on inside our senate, now more than ever and if our senate isn't willing to let us see whats going on then its my job to find a way to expose it."

She tilted her head slightly eyes twinkling with mischeif. "But its mostly because I can and I wanted to get your attention."

[member="Popo"]

 

[Popo]

"Whenever you desire my attention, Miss Denning," the Shell Hutt started. "You have but to ask and arrange an interview with my staff. I'm always happy to speak to the media."

Popo cleared a few files away on his desk to make room for his folded hands. Just like on the Wheel, he preferred hard copies instead of holograms, info streams, and datachips. There was just something nostalgic in hardcopies. That, and they were harder to steal and easier to destroy in an emergency. Old habits died hard, it seemed.

"As for the Senate, I'm working on making deliberations and decisions more transparent to the Republic, though I hope you understand that some things must be kept from the public eye, such as battle plans, security measures, and the like. As for Republic Security systems and your personal drive to do the things others say you can't do, I'm sure the GIA would find your help invaluable in redesigning our cyber security measures."

[member="Simone"]

 

[Simone]

"I'm sure the GIA would, and I be delighted to give them my insight." Simone replied with an almost dismissive tone as she sat in front of the Hutts desk, depositing her satchel on the floor at her side. "I understand the need to keep certain factors out of the limelight, I also am aware that you and the Senate are doing everything in your power to deal with this threat, so do not take it as me being ignorant when I say the public see nothing."

She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Right now, the holovids a playing footage form the battle, and replaying your speech in the Senate. Over and over it goes, with the occasional break to a reporter for them to speculate on what might be happening, on how a threat like that landed on our doorstep without warning. Your people are terrified, and they are left swimming in their own nightmares about what could be, looking towards the Senate and the Order to show them that your doing something and right now, they see nothing." She paused for a moment, organising her thoughts.

"I want to help you change that. You're a busy person, and while you say you always have time for the media, in a crisis like this, that is far from the case. If you give me access to the Senate, to your military bases and the Order I can keep your people in touch with what your doing. Battleplans and the like exempt, although if you do have a mission that isn't high security I would be more than happy to come and record it, the footage would be amazing and would work wonders..." she found herself getting excited, caught herself and cleared her throat. "Sorry." she said softly.

"What do you think?"

[member="Popo"]