First Reply GIG: Sharp Dressed Man

[Amea Virou]

"Soul Making, Sound Shaking, Earthquaking Change"

The wurly synths and the synthetic pipes of an organ pushed smooth melodies which were a welcome change to the drone of voices and glasses that clinked. The deep baritone voice of the singer on stage hummed along to the melody, the entire band swayed with a feel for their craft as they created sensual art on the stage. This was not their first gig, and it showed. They acted as one soul, their stories sung with a thousand voices brought together in harmony by a set of drums, a keyboard, an electric guitar, and a vocalist. Today’s venue was l’Oeuf Blanc — the White Egg — which was an apt name for the establishment she was seated at given its shape.

This white biodome had many suits in it. Some black, some navy, and a surprising amount of cream given the generally dark color scheme. There was not a single man, woman, or other who hadn’t come here dressed up to some extent. Even Amea had come here in a dress, and that probably said something about just exactly how upper-class this operation was, and the stakes it carried if either of them were caught.

Indeed, it was almost ironic that the most delicate data was held by those that seemed the most delicate in physique and health, but anyone worth their two nips of salt knew better than to underestimate appearances. This place was a big nest of white-collar crime. It housed people whose closets had more skeletons than they had new friends at hand. Once upon a time they’d have been Amea’s people, but the times had changed and with them she had withdrawn from the hunt.

This operation was about the same thing as it always seemed to be about; information and data in great amounts. More specifically, it was a manifest of a rumored Galactic Alliance transport carrying urns that contained the essence of a certain familiar face. Call it the one that had pushed her into this particular line of work, and all she wanted to do was repay him in the only way that seemed suitable. Really, whichever runner that accepted her invite to work was doing her a massive favor.

“How’s the get-up?” Amea asked over the comms as she shifted in her seat. “Remember who the target was?”

 

[Sylvia Virtos]

"Got a good view from here. Male, red hair, stubble, on the short side, navy blue suit." Sylvia had pounded that list into her head. She would remember it in her dreams for the next week at least. This kind of operation was a first for her, and she was making sure she wouldn't make any easily preventable mistakes. Looking good here could only help with getting her name out there in the circles where she was looking to be better known, not to mention the potential payout. Buying two ships wasn't the most financially sound decision, she had come to realize.

Sylvia was seated on the other side of the biodome, dressed in a black suit. The day anyone saw her in a dress was the day the woman had given up on life. Even a suit was a bit much for her, but appearance was key here. She had even temporarily ditched her magenta hair for this and had gone back to being a brunette for the first time in years. She was changing it right back the moment this operation was done, though. She somehow just didn't feel like herself, but she supposed that was a good thing here.

"I don't see the guy anywhere yet, though. I'll keep you post-"

A woman approached Sylvia, asking her if the seat next to her was free. She froze up for a moment, and instinctively nodded yes. There went her ability to properly communicate with Amea without instantly becoming incredibly suspicious.

Damnit.

Amea Virou ​

 

[Amea Virou]

Sylvia Virtos

Ah, it was a new player. While somewhat disappointing, Amea had worked worse members of the community. At the very least they seemed to be somewhat cautious which was generally a very good thing. A new pawn came into play and Amea kept from grinning at the situation that unfolded.

“Subvocal communicators, kid.” Amea spoke into Sylvia’s ear without uttering a single sound on her end. “It is one-oh-one in good communication during ops like these. I’ll guide you through this, just follow my steps.”

“Turn around to face her.” Amea ordered Sylvia. “Smile at her, flash your teeth. Use your appearance to your advantage, make it clear you are coming onto her. She will either accept or make for a quick escape.”

“Look her in the eyes and say something absurd. Something like, ‘seems luck has brought you to me’. Instant turn-off, trust me.”

 

[Sylvia Virtos]

Mere moments after the woman went to sit next to her, Sylvia heard Amea's voice through her comms. She had been keeping an eye on her, which the younger of the two found wholly unsurprising. She was new to this, after all. Without directly responding to the order to follow along, she steeled her nerves and took a deep breath. She could do this. As long as she didn't go too far and get herself kicked out, everything was fair game. Considering the social circles the two hovered around, chances that they'd ever run into each other again after tonight was close to zero.

Sylvia turned her head towards the stranger, which had not gone unnoticed by her. The awkward manufactured smile she then put up was nothing short of creepy, which probably only helped with accomplishing her goal. The woman looked at her with a slightly unnerved smile back. She was uncomfortable. Good. Hopefully the final step would push her over the edge.

"Seems luck has brought you to me."

Nerves kept Sylvia from coming up with anything on the fly herself, leaving her to default to the exact words relayed to her. It sounded slightly like she was reading off a script, but as long as it worked she quite frankly didn't care about her delivery. In the worst case scenario she'd have a chuckling Amea on the other end of the comm line.

"Uhm, yes. I-I just need to visit the restroom for a moment. Y-you don't need to keep the seat open for me, though."

When the woman got up and quickly walked away, Sylvia breathed out a sigh of relief. "Problem solved. I'm going to need a drink after this," she remarked jokingly, though chances were she'd be pulling out a bottle after this. "Hopefully I put on a good show, at least. Now let's see if we can't find this guy." Eyes back on the prize.

Amea Virou ​

 

[Amea Virou]

Sylvia Virtos

Danger, disposed of. Amea kept from grinning too much as she observed the play. This operator was at the very least a good listener. There was a comment about needing a drink and Amea chuckled to herself while she played it off as if she had seen something funny on her device. Her voice broadcast to the brunette she had hired,

“Sure, why not? Make it two.” Amea glanced down at her device again and went over the man’s dossier. “He can’t resist a pretty face, or a drink. I’d say you have both.”

The man sat across the bar from Sylvia at that point. His eyes found hers with a sleazy smirk. His attention set on the colleagues by his side with a clear ear out for whatever Sylvia was doing. Amea glanced his way from her booth and grinned. He was a womanizer, but he was also surprisingly tight-lipped for someone who merely held onto data for a living. Even Amea spilled some freely every now and then, but this man was different.

“Be careful on your approach. Do you have any good ways to invite yourself to a conversation? You need to impress him enough to get a moment alone with him.”

 

[Sylvia Virtos]

Glancing to the side, Sylvia took inventory of the man. He sat alone, for now, likely waiting to be served as he had no drink sitting in front of him. The spacer chuckled softly. "I'll take that compliment," she remarked as she noticed the man looking her way from the corner of her eye. Having his attention was a good start, now Sylvia had to see if she couldn't make use of that. It was hardly the first unsavory look she'd ever received, but normally she had the ability to humiliate or just ignore them. Playing along was a different thing entirely.

"I have an idea. Time to imagine he's someone else," Sylvia replied to Amea before getting up from her seat and forcing herself to make eye contact. She approached, her smile fake but convincing. The look she got back was disgusting enough to make her want to take a shower, but there was work to be done first. The seat right next to him was empty and Sylvia 'gladly' took it.

"I see you need a drink," the woman remarked, putting up her smoothest act. "Let me fix that for you." While the man's gestures to the barkeep had gone unanswered so far, Sylvia only had to draw his attention once. She rarely had to wait long at any bar, likely courtesy of that 'pretty face' Amea had mentioned before.

As the barkeep approached, the man nodded in appreciation. "You have my thanks. Please, have a drink on me."

"You are most welcome. May I ask for a name in return?" Her attention shifted to the barkeep for a short moment. "Corellian whiskey, please."

Amea Virou ​

 

[Amea Virou]

Sylvia Virtos

“Like, what, a beautiful woman?” Amea grinned at the remark and made notes of how this agent acted. Especially what made their alarms trip and how they responded. All in all she carried herself with a cool that would be needed for this job, so far so good. “Good work, he’s nibbling at the bait.”

“Jamison.” The man said and gave a sleazy smile. “Bonduk Jamison.”

The man let his eyes wander up and down along Sylvia’s shape before he glanced at the whiskey she ordered him. Amea wanted to grimace as much as Sylvia probably did, but she kept herself. She was now entrenched in a furious word battle on her phone, or so it would seem to those around her. In reality it was a double check on the name.

No records. Figures.

“World’s greatest spy and bed maker, at your service.” He gave a seemingly sincere bow. Amea threw up in her mouth just a little. “What brings you to my corner of the galaxy, miss… ?”

 

[Sylvia Virtos]

Right before Sylvia had made her way over to mister Jamison, she would answer Amea's question with a thinly veiled "maybe" that left her true answer intentionally obvious.

Now that she was knee-deep in the conversation, though, it didn't really matter what she thought of the man. It was hardly the first time someone gave her the same look as he gave her, but this time she couldn't just ignore or handle it. Deep down Sylvia wanted to slap the smirk right off of his face, but it was all contained behind her fake smile. She had signed up for this. She'd see it through.

"Docan. Maya Docan," Sylvia answered, very much unwilling to share her real name with someone like Bonduk. She rested her arms on the bar and kept her gaze fixated on her target, even if the very sight of his face made her uncomfortable.

"I originally came here to meet with a potential business partner, but they pulled out last minute. So now, I am simply here for pleasure." It sounded believable enough in her head. As long as she was convincing enough, he would hopefully buy the story. It was on days like this that she was thankful for her thoroughly imperial accent. Ever since defecting from the Sith Empire she had tried to purge it to no avail, but it did have its uses.

"A spy, though? That's quite the occupation." Feigning curiosity and intrigue would hopefully warm him up a little more.

Amea Virou ​

 

[Amea Virou]

Sylvia Virtos

“Quite so, Miss Docan. Ever heard about the Insurrection on Coruscant’s lower levels?” The man made the story up. “Thought not. Although it’s most likely alright as long as we keep it between us.”

A real charmer, that one. Amea wanted to throw up but kept from doing so. Her attention went towards finding an out for her recruit in case this went sideways. The simple one was to simply interject personally, but the man was most likely more clever than he seemed. Or maybe that was just wishful thinking on Amea’s part.

“Gotta say, that suit looks great on you.” The man grinned at Maya Docan. “And if you’re looking for pleasure…” The man withdrew a card from the pockets of his jacket and tapped it against the bardisk. His eyebrow raised in what he must have seen as a keen suggestion. “It can be arranged.”

Truthfully, Amea hated these ops. But seduction was the easiest way to sway a fool, and this man seemed to be one of the biggest in town. She eyed the operation unfold from the distance with no small feeling of unease at what she was both seeing and hearing.

“Be careful. It could be a trap.”

 

[Sylvia Virtos]

Sylvia probably hated boastful types the most. Nobody bragged to this degree without compensating for something. For someone who was supposed to keep secrets Bonduk spoke quite a lot, even if most of it was probably completely fabricated. The urge to call him out on his banthachit was strong, but the woman had an act to keep up. He'd get his eventually. She hoped.

"I wouldn't be where I am now if I couldn't keep secrets," Sylvia responded, putting up the best smirk she could muster. "My lips are sealed." She told herself to remember the payout at the end. All she had to do was stick it out. What came next though, would test her acting skills much more intensely. The woman quietly prayed to the Force she wouldn't vomit in the middle of it.

"You flatter me, mister Jamison," Sylvia stated, trying her hardest to not think of what the man was thinking. She observed the card Bonduk then pulled out and put it together quite quickly. An invitation to his hotel room. Classy.

"That is quite the suggestion you're making." One that would've gotten him rejected by anyone who didn't need to get anything from the man. Everything about it disgusted Sylvia to her core. Amea's warning was received and it kept firmly in mind; she was the one with experience, after all. Not that the spacer was willing to go anywhere secluded with the creep in the first place, unless she had ample opportunity to render him harmless. She'd play along for now, though.

"Color me intrigued."

Intrigued to see how he looked on the floor after taking a kick to the crown jewels.

Amea Virou ​

 

[Amea Virou]

Sylvia Virtos

There was no denying the way that Jamison spoke made things complicated. Amea felt her gut continue to knot up for each word that had passed between the man’s lips. There was no denying that he was open about his work, but that just made it all the more strange. Either he was a man of ambition, or he was toying with the operative, and either option was a big issue for the two.

“Excellent.” He grinned and took a sip of his drink. “Suggestion is what I do best. How about we take this somewhere else? Too many ears and eyes around here.”

 

[Sylvia Virtos]

Sylvia had quietly hoped her fears were ungrounded, but the fact Bonduk was looking to leave this place wasn't shocking. He was the type for it and in this scenario, it was dangerous too. Thankfully she wasn't alone here, even if it seemed to be that way. Amea was silent, though; Sylvia was going to have to wing this part.

Calm yourself and breathe. You'll be fine.

"That sounds like a plan to me," Sylvia responded, her toes forcefully curling up to keep herself from showing disgust. With every word spoken she longed for a strong drink, or multiple, more and more. "Let's put one of those claims of yours to the test."

The 'world's greatest spy' claim.

Following the spy's example, Sylvia stood up. An alarmed glance was cast towards Amea, who she was able to find on the other side of the biodome. Hopefully the subtle gestures she was making was enough to get her plea to 'please for the love of the Force don't let me go in alone' across. In that case, she was putting herself over the op. He wasn't going to lay a finger on her.

Amea Virou ​

 

[Amea Virou]

Sylvia Virtos

What Sylvia saw was a dressed up woman with her lips against a wine glass who watched as she almost seemed to get dragged away. Bonduk took the lead and as he fell out of view Amea stood from her seat and whispered a few words of encouragement.

“I wouldn’t have sent you alone if I didn’t think you could handle him by yourself. Stay calm, and don’t do anything rash.” Her voice pressed into Sylvia’s ear. “We need access to his suite. The package is most likely somewhere in there.”

Yet what Amea did not see was the way the man had stopped before the elevator, his arms extended as if to usher Sylvia inside until she complied. She stepped in, and that was exactly when it struck. His hand swept for his belt, the moronic grin wiped from his face as he raised a gun at her.

“Enough of the bantha’s chit. Who are you and who the hell sent you?” His voice low, gruff all of a sudden as if he had smoked a dozen cigarras before he came here. “Bonduk Jamison? The way you put up with all that I threw at you?”

His hand mashed the button to force the elevator to stop between the penthouse atop of the dome and the top floor of the bar. Darkness enveloped them, the red light of the emergency exit lending a bad setting for a bad scenario.

“Employer. Now.”

 

[Sylvia Virtos]

Things happened, and quickly. After a short moment of hesitation Sylvia stepped into the elevator and that's where things took a turn. She froze in place at the sight of the gun, feeling a cold sweat break out as she looked down the barrel. Inexperience left her unprepared for the possibility of this happening and now she had to find a way out of the situation on the fly.

"Well," Sylvia quietly responded in a bid to buy herself time to think, harmlessly raising her hands above her head. Using mechu deru to mess with the elevator was going to take too much time and wouldn't help much. Trying to reach for the gun and wrestle it out of his control seemed much too risky. Her lies hadn't been all too convincing either, so the woman wasn't too keen on trying to talk her way out of this, either.

"You see..."

She didn't have a lot of options. One thing she did have though was the Force. It was her only chance to get the element of surprise on her side. With how small the elevator was, she could see only one trick up her sleeve that had a chance of working.

"Ah, sod it."

Sylvia pushed her arms forward, channeling a wave of energy through the Force in an attempt to push him backwards and throw him off-balance. Now she could actually look to disarm the spy and render him much more dangerous. Grasping the barrel, she sought to yank the gun out of his hand.

Amea Virou ​

 

[Amea Virou]

Sylvia Virtos

High-heels was not a tactical choice for this op. Amea had expected it to go smoother than it did, and perhaps that said more about her. She kept her calm, approached the elevator to play it off as if she wanted to use it. In truth she sent an impulse through the console, forced the thing to take off towards the penthouse yet again with a loud metallic groan.

At the same time within the elevator, the man saw the attack coming. As Sylvia grasped the gun she’d find it surprisingly easy to yank. The man had let it go upon first contact, his arm pulling back before he set it off towards her nose and face to try and force her into the wall and down.

“I wasn’t lying with the one thing.” He growled. “I have the skills of a trained spy.”

Yet as he was going to swing yet again, he found his footing knocked around. He began to stumble with a confused glance around the small enclosed space. “What the- I turned that…”

 

[Sylvia Virtos]

The fact it was way too easy to rip the gun out of the guy's hand was a bad sign. Sylvia saw the punch too late and was only able to turn her nose away from it. It landed square on her jaw, causing her to let out a loud "kark" as she took a step back, stinging pain coming from the place where she was hit. "Not the face, you chite!" the spacer exclaimed, tasting blood. That was going to leave a bruise she'd have to explain to a certain someone later, but right now she was more concerned with the fact it hurt.

The wall was dangerously close to her back, but Sylvia was reminded she wasn't alone in this. When the impulse was sent through the elevator's inner workings, she realized it was going to start moving again right before it actually happened. As a practitioner herself, she knew mechu deru when she saw it.

The spacer was more than happy to make use of his momentary confusion. When the spy stumbled Sylvia stepped forward, raising the hand that still held the gun by its barrel and swung down in an attempt to hit him over the head with the grip. If he was willing to hit her, she'd be more than happy to return the favor. With a bit extra on top.

Amea Virou ​

 

[Amea Virou]

Sylvia Virtos

The red-lit elevator came to a stop with a ding. As the gun connected to the man’s head he stumbled backwards and into a small corridor that led into the greater living area of the penthouse. Through the windows that spanned the entirety of the ceiling in a continued dome shape one could see the inhospitable ground outside. Scorching hot temperatures on the ground, the cold in hospitable night sky above.

The man lunged for Sylvia. His hands grasping out to try and grab her and throw her to the ground or at the very least further into the apartment before he tackled her in an attempt to pin her down with his intent clear as day. If the woman cared so much for her face there would be none left at the end of this.

“Come on, come on.” Amea grunted as she continued to press the elevator button. Her eyes rolled towards the skies with an impatient groan. “Fierfek, this fethin’ osik elevator couldn’ be much slower.”

 

[Sylvia Virtos]

The man stumbled backwards. To Sylvia that meant blood in the water. In the Sith academy days most duels ended when someone had to start taking steps backward. Like she was used to, she stepped forward into the hallway to keep the distance between them short. For a second, she felt like the hunter closing in on her prey.

What Sylvia didn't expect, though, was him grabbing her and tossing her further into the apartment. She was sent rolling into the living area, her ribs protesting against the impact. That moment flipped a switch in her head- and suddenly it felt like she was back in that Force-forsaken sparring ring on Bastion. The Dark side never really spoke to her much anymore, but right now those memories were acting as a catalyst. Her blood was pumping. He was about to find out just how quick on her feet Sylvia really was.

The woman kipped up blazingly fast, groaning at her ribs' disagreement but pushing through it. As the spy came charging at her, she deftly stepped aside moments before impact. She turned, launching a kick straight to the back of his knee. Her foot touched the floor for not even a second before it rose up again, this time sending a kick straight to the back of the head.

Amea Virou ​

 

[Amea Virou]

Sylvia Virtos

The doors opened and Amea stepped in with a calm before the storm. Her card swiped at the reader, but before her permission was denied it was quickly flipped in her favor. The lights turned back to normal, the green light of approval shone.

In the Penthouse there was a hum. From the elevator engine, from the fridge and the kitchen as a whole. The sound of struggle all too evident yet unheard from the outside. One woman, one man, one big fight that for a moment had seemed to be in the man’s favor before it was promptly flipped on him. A thud, a breath knocked from its lungs, and a sickening crack and ‘clonk’ echoed around the room before it got quiet. Almost too quiet.

Blood spilled onto the floor as the man laid dead on the ground. The ding of the elevator called into the apartment and out stepped Amea herself. The sound of her high heels bounced with a haunting echo before she stepped into the light.

“Not quite what I had in mind.” She said and gently tapped the man’s leg with the tip of her toes. “This complicates things, but I suppose that’s the way of the game.”

Before Sylvia asked, Amea raised her hand to silence her. “No names. We don’t know each other, you have never seen me.” She said and looked away and around the room. “Now, find me that datachip and I will see about getting you paid.”

 

[Sylvia Virtos]

Sylvia fell silent. She gasped for air as she stumbled backwards and fell on her butt. Her eyes remained locked with the body, even though she wanted to look away. Pretend it didn't exist. All of the adrenaline had left her system, her hands now shaking. She looked for the strength to get up on her feet, but her legs wouldn't move an inch.

"I didn't... mean to..." Sylvia muttered between labored breaths, sheer horror painted in her eyes. Even during her time at the academy she hadn't taken any lives. She didn't want to kill him. She just wanted to act in self-defense. The man was dead now, all because she couldn't keep herself from going too far. She had knocked people out that way before and never did it have such grave results. Perhaps it had merely been a matter of time. She didn't know anymore.

"It was just, just a kick." To the head. Sylvia ignored the call to search for the datachip, remaining seated on the floor. The apartment was spinning now. She was convinced it was all just a dream, yet wondered why it all felt so real.

Amea Virou ​