Eyes on Target

[Progflaw99]

Mid Rim \\ Halm Sector \\ Halm​

Commercial District \\ New Heliopolis​

​

" A stunning oasis amidst the dune sea - welcome to New Heliopolis where your future awaits you. Filled with exotic cuisine and cultural wonders, New Heliopolis is a desert jewel. Whether you're here on a business trip or simply want to enjoy the stunning sights..."​

​

*Who writes these things anyway.* thought Val, absentmindedly as her eyes looked past the brochure in front of her. Taking a moment to enjoy the light breeze blowing through the street past the tiny cafe she had taken respite at, she laid down the brochure on the table. Reaching for the tall glass next to it, she closed her eyes and sipped. A calm citrus flavor, accented by a spice local to Halm and a touch of liquor, she smiled. Work never seemed to end, but it was these brief moments between the action she seemed to enjoy the most. Nothing had truly been the same since the Alliance's last assault on the worlds of Hoth and Bespin.

The thought sent her eyes glancing down at her opposite hand, an amalgamation of metal, electronics, and advanced circuitry, her prosthetic fingers slowly closed to form a fist before opening once more. It had been at the Hilikan Incineration Facility on Bespin - or rather above Bespin that her arm had been taken from her. It was a regrettable experience. During the Alliance assault, she had been present at the facility - oddly enough it had become a target of interest. Whatever the reason was, Valerie had been in the wrong place at the wrong time. They'd done their best to hold off the intrusion but to put it frankly - they were out of their league. Given their equipment and lack of support, they'd fought off the intruding Jedi, if that's what they were, just long enough to prevent major damage to the facility but it had come at a cost.

Val herself had almost been thrown into the smelting pits below the complex network of catwalks but had managed to pull herself back up at the last moment. *Not that it mattered.* thought the Special Agent wryly. Only moments later the blaster she'd been firing at the intruders mysteriously exploded in her hands - there was no denying that it had been one of the Jedi who'd caused it. The resulting explosion had mangled her hand and forearm, pieces of metal and circuitry blended with flesh and pulverized bone. It had sent her flying but that was the last she could remember. After that, she'd awoken on Dosuun.

With a sigh she set her mind back on track, the painful memories fading as she looked around the small outdoor cafe. Umbrella's and silks blocked the harshest of the rays of sun, small misters creating a very enjoyable environment. Coupled with the live music coming from within the building it was relaxing. It was a shame she wasn't here merely for pleasure, but such was the life of a woman married to her job. Today the Bureau had her tracking down a possible recruit. While most recruits were chosen from the citizens of the First Order, there was the occasional freelance scouting done by some of the senior agents, this was her latest assignment. To follow up on a possible lead. Intel had suggested the target, a woman, frequented this particular cafe. The rest of the information Val had committed to memory, her mind's eye comparing each and every detail to those people around her. So far, she'd not caught sight of the target.

[member="The Major"]​

 

[The Major]

Inside that merry looking cafe, in what constituted as the best excuse for a shadowy corner (a table not next to an window) was a rather mawkish looking woman smirking as she typed away on a data-pad while sipping and tonguing at a straw that connected to a green looking concoction filled with ice and a sprig of some exotic and alien plant fiber that we will henceforth call mint. Clearly, this pale woman was not paying particular attention to the actual action of drinking and again was distracted with the device within her graceful fingers. Perhaps she was pursuing a catalog of delightful jokes on the holonet -her bright and pastel colored clothes gave her the impression of someone who loved lazy, warm days such as these. Maybe a lover had sparkled the jewel in her eye with sweet nothings -the warm glow of that smile beneath the ever shifting round glasses resting on her face gave the sincerest impression of what was certainly wholesome naiveté.

In actuality she had successfully managed to funnel a substantial sum of credits from a local bank to a slew of accounts spread across a number of nearby star systems. These transfers would cycle randomly until a set number of rapid, forced exchanges took place, which would then end in the bank account of a naturally deceased elderly person cherry picked from a list. And while having access to that account could constitute a problem, currently having complete access to that account tended to negate the problems with a withdrawal of the massive profit -and that usually was liquidated into the form of some sort of currency or valuable that could be carried and was untraceable. That pure happiness upon her face was not really related to the successful embezzlement of funds, but more aligned with taking pleasure in further refining a method to a more secure and predictable state.

“Waiter! May I have another of. . . these, please?” She momentarily raised her glass, and let her joy compete with the vibrancy of this land of summer . . . and suckers.

[member="Val Kordova"]

 

[Progflaw99]

Had she arrived too late? Perhaps her quarry had already come and gone - no, that couldn't have been it. As she thought on it, Val recalled a vital piece of information about the woman who was her target. Electronics. Not terribly unlike herself, her quarry was noted as having exceptional skill when it came to computer systems and software, and while never officially convicted, she had been suspected of slicing as a hobby. Val smirked behind the raised glass as she took another sip. If it looked like a duck and it quacked like a duck - it was probably a duck, especially where malicious use of electronics systems was involved. The agent herself had shown an aptitude for slicing, now augmented by the prosthetic forearm and hand, or rather the software and unique attachments concealed within it's exterior. Her mind wandering back to the target, an idea came to her. If she had somehow arrived here before her, there had to be a way to draw her out into the open. Val couldn't exactly waltz into the cafe outright, she'd been sitting outside for close to a half hour now and to change position would give herself away. No, she had to draw her target out, but how?

Withdrawing a datapad from her pocket she grinned. If their target was as good with electronics as the records suggested, she might be able to draw her out by making herself a target. Within a few moments, she had reconfigured the datapad's digital signature. To anyone intrusive enough to inquire, the device would readily provide fabricated 'owner's' name and some credentials to a dummy bank account. Even that though would require an active slicer to intrude - what Val had in mind was much less reactionary.

Tapping a few times Val separated the dummy protocol from the rest of the device, allowing her to sign in with yet another dummy account, this time utilizing a complex program to sniff out activity. It took only a few moments for her to breach the light security on the establishment's network controller, and from there she was able to see a list of all devices connected to that access point. It was only another moment or two before Val's device had isolated the highest amount of traffic - there were two devices which presently were using the highest amount of bandwidth. *Interesting.* According to their ID's, it looked as if one was tied to the business itself, identifying as a Point of Sale system, the other? A personal device. And if Val had any sort of intuition about such things, she surmised that it was her target. A quick glance around the exterior of the cafe told her what she needed to know, no matter how much she wished it weren't true. Her quarry must certainly be inside the cafe already. The Special Agent cursed herself silently, disappointed that she'd allowed herself to be at such a disadvantage. She was left with no other alternative, she had to go into the cafe. While she hoped she hadn't been noticed she wouldn't depend on that.

Quickly knocking back the remainder of her drink, Val gently pushed herself back from the table before rising to her feet. The woman had chosen a casual attire, a loose fitting button up thrown on over a form fitting white shirt. Tight dark jeans and a pair of canvas shoes completed the image, one of a woman decidedly not a cop or government official. A tourist maybe? Tucking the datapad back in the small bag she carried with her she stepped towards the entrance. Passing inside, she felt the cool air against her skin, goosebumps running up and down her arms. It was a welcome change, even the misters outside had their limitations. An expert at using her peripherals, Val eyed around the interior of the cafe as she stepped to the bar and raised a hand. The barista was occupied but she would wait her turn. As she observed the cafe's occupants she noticed a young woman, eyes intently peering at a datapad, an empty glass resting on the table - until the barista had replaced it. Even as Val waited patiently, the barista had filled a glass with presumably what had been in the girl's glass before. Careful not to stare, Val made a mental comparison between the description the FOSB had compiled and the woman at the table.

*Pale complexion, dark hair, glasses. She couldn't be older than her twenties.* Almost everything fit to a T. As the barista returned, she spoke, ordering herself a drink.

"I'll take a Dystopian Brew please."​

​

A local drink on special, the Dystopian Brew promised a rich flavor with a crisp aftertaste of citrus. Procuring a few credit chips from her pocket, Val set them down on the counter, a few extra left beside the cost of the drink. She waited patiently.

[member="The Major"]​

 

[The Major]

In the midst of internal revelry Sybil took little note of the details on the world. Her focus maintained an aggravating amount of selfishness during an accomplishment -a fault easily attributed to youth. People moved about the cafe and around the tables, completely ignored by the smirking woman and her emerald glass. Slowly the sunlight penetrated this mirthful gaze, and she found herself delving into the meaning of purpose and her place in this universe. It was possible that the alcohol in her drink was causing a waxing interest in self pitying purple poetry. There simply must be more to this life than simple scams in interest of the tribe. The sudden bout of gloominess dragged out her long stare at the data-pad. Look here, a perfect target: a simply protected account connected to an unencrypted network. Something in her darkened mood fiddled with her desire to be greedy.


She finished her drink and quickly switched off the device before standing up and moving to the restroom. It was a large multiple occupant room lined with faux marbled tile. Simple, affordable, and clean was good enough. She moved to one drain and began to wash her face, musing on how far from home she truly was.


[member="Val Kordova"]

 

[Progflaw99]

She sipped gently from the glass, savoring the rich flavor of the brew though her primary focus was dedicated to covertly observing the woman at the table across the room. She seemed deep in thought, though about what Val had no idea. Only moments previous she had been typing into the datapad but now she seemed to be staring into space. Diverting her gaze to the small holo-screen above the bar she saw a news snippet, something about negotiations or a summit - held on Kaeshana no less. The pieces began to fall together, the purpose of her recent assignments and the rumors floating around the bureau. Coupled with the new Minister of Security things were looking up for the organization, and with this new development it would likely mean an increased number of operations. The thought caused a twitch to form at the corner of her lips. It wasn't that she minded the increased operations tempo, but settling for a cease fire with the same people who were responsible for her arm didn't sit right with her.

Tearing her eyes from the screen, she looked once more at the metalic visage of her arm. It still looked ugly to her, the skin still scarred where her prosthetic gave way to flesh and bone. With a quiet shake of her head Val looked over her shoulder just in time to see her quarry's hand disappear and the door shut - she'd isolated herself. Now was the time to move, before the opportunity was lost.

Leaving another credit chip at the bar she stepped away, making her way towards the bathroom where the other woman had gone. Just as she was about to enter, the door opened and another patron brushed past. Val noted that her quarry still seemed to be inside. *Good - maybe that means she'll be alone.* All pretense of being just another customer deteriorated the moment her hand touched the handle and she pushed open the restroom door. As it swung open, everything about her demeanor had changed, no longer the happy go lucky cafe patron but instead something darker, more alert - a hunter. Eyes tracing first to the open stall doors to the left, then to the woman hunched over the sink, water splashing gently as it feel into the sink. It took only a moment to confirm that the two were alone in the small bathroom. Things could go two ways just then, Val could take the aggressive approach and lay all to bare for the woman right here, right now. Or, she could further isolate her quarry and get her hooked before she even knew what was happening.

Nimbly Val slipped a small communicator from her pocket as she stepped past the woman, accidentally brushing up against her. With a practiced hand, she slipped the thin device into the woman's pocket, the accidental contact less accidental than might have been guessed.

"Oh! Excuse me, I'm sorry!"​

​

Quickly shuffling her feet forward Val entered one of the stalls, gently closing and locking the door behind her. She was in a bathroom, and to sell the drop she had to be just like any other patron. Silently cursing herself, Val cringed as she realized she'd not had to relieve herself before coming in. Reluctantly she retrieved a thin flask from the outermost pocket of her bag, silently unscrewing the lid and letting the liquid within drop into the bowl. Now she would wait.

[member="The Major"]​

 

[The Major]

“. . .!”

Oh, how typical. Damn tourists bumping into everyone. For Sith’s sake! Sybil was standing still and out of the main walkthrough. Dark thoughts flashed through her mind in rapid succession. This cuminated in a twisted, scathing glare that quickly was aimed in another direction when the woman apologized. Deciding to leave as soon as the toilet was flushed so as to not further interact with the possibly intoxicated spatially challenged person, the Slicer proceeds to finish up at the sink. For Force knows whatever reason, it occurs to Sybil to scratch at the side of her leg. Her hand brushes up against something that wasn't there before. With a completely dumbfounded expression, she feels around and pulls out a communicator. Awestruck, and instinctively presses upon its function. This was of course a stupid thing to do, especially for a self proclaimed expert of tech. It turns out Sybil was far more tipsy than anyone else within these walls.

“. . . ?”

[member="Val Kordova"]

 

[Progflaw99]

Val could feel her heart rate spiking, pounding within her chest as she listened for the quiet squeak of the door that would indicate the other woman had left. A few seconds passed, awkward silence as the water was jettisoned away through the sewage system - the woman yet remained. *What is she doing?!* Thought the agent to herself. She didn't have long to wait and find out. In a mere moment the button of the comm device was depressed sending an immediate signal to the identical device. The identical device in Valerie's pocket.

She wasn't sure whether it was the sound of the device going off or the fact the woman had managed to almost entirely derail her plans which surprised her more. With little choice but to react, react she did. In a flash she had reached down and shouldered open the narrow stall door, ignoring the continuing ring alert of the device. Her eyes locked on to the almost as shocked looking woman holding onto the small device Val had placed in her pocket. Whatever her intent was initially she seemed to have lost focus and instead cracked an embarrassed smile at her quarry.

"So much for the cloak and dagger huh?" Carefully she took a half step forward. "Don't run - I'm not here to pick you up."​

​

Val extended her hand slowly towards the woman holding the device, her empty hand held up, a gesture that she truly was being honest.

"Since we don't need that... The name's Val, and I have a job offer for you, if you'll hear me out?"​

​

[member="The Major"]​

 

[The Major]

Now dumbstruck, Sybil's mind actively races as the person she assumed was a tourist but a moment ago turns out to be something far more poignant and driven. It took a beat, but the four-eyed master of discretion determined that this was not a cop investigating her recent string of white-collar crime. The cuffs would be out, and the combat would commence. Also, there was the communicator and what was now realized as a sleight of hand. Huh. Nice move. This woman was clearly looking to operate with some form of subtlety. It was impressive. Impressive enough to intimate the young Sybil. She would have stumbled and shuddered her next words, but thankfully she took a breath and let her instinct respond.

"You put this much effort into meeting me. I'd be rude not to give you a chance."​

She left out the part where she was clearly an impressionable, somewhat inexperienced person thirsting for a higher purpose and challenge to cut her teeth upon.

"My name is Sybil, but if you are looking for me I guess you'd already know that?"​

Quickly, Sybil hid a slack-jawed stare.

[member="Val Kordova"]

 

[Progflaw99]

A smirk broke the uncharacteristic placid expression across the Special Agent's face. It was a shot at least, fate had decided to poodoo right in her face, or so it had seemed and yet it seemed such an act had been in jest, the woman opting to listen to her proposition rather than run or make a move to do something far more violent - no doubt that would have ended poorly for the both of them. Thankfully, violence was not on the menu today, rather a level of subtlety and perhaps mutual benefit, though to what degree had yet to be determined. Like a hunter setting eyes on her prey, Val gently accepted the communicator back, tucking it in her small bag before locking eyes with the girl again.

"What you were doing out there.." She nodded her head towards the seating area of the cafe. "..That took skill, I think you know that."​

​

The thing with slicers was, they always carried an inflated value of self, whether it was due to the fact that they played God on a daily basis, infiltrating and re-purposing electronics to do their bidding, writing complex codes that allowed any number of operations. The power to ruin someone's life, or completely control the inner workings of a corporate interest - with power came corruption, at least in most cases. Val only knew this because she too had an aptitude for electronics, he own past riddled with instances of cyber crime and espionage, though primarily under employ of the FOSB. Something she now hoped to offer the woman before her.

"What do you know about the First Order?" A questioning eye. "Ever thought about working officially doing that?" Now she nodded to the woman's own device.​

[member="The Major"]​

 

[The Major]

The plot was thickening at break neck speed, and the fact that this character had just revealed that Sybil's -shall we call it- tampering with slush funds that may or may have not been hers. . . Well, it might cause a lesser kind of kid to go crazy with panic. How did she? What if more people? Could the Law also be tracking? Where did she make a mistake?

Sloppy work and heavy drinking aside, the young lady had to maintain at least a semblance of cool.

She breathed in and out a few times as Val spoke, trying to modulate her throat and steel it so it didn't sound like a crackly, flaky mess. The notorious First Order was mentioned, for their enemies had smeared their reputation as the galaxy's largest terrorist organization. Sybil wasn't prone to be done in by propaganda, however. She was smart enough to realize that most of the people throwing dirt upon the Order's name were also the same kind of people who were losing to the galactic giant at a steady clip. They reported them as a combination of micro-aggression and invasions of defenseless planets -bullies acting out upon the weak. This slicer was far more pragmatic to let a little thing like reputation to besmear a good first impression.

"It's a name synonymous with terror in some parts. I know that quite a large swath of the galaxy considers the First Order to be the big bad guys."

​

[member="Val Kordova"]​