Here to Get the Job Done

[Liliette Viesel]

Don't screw this one up. Liet had lost count of how many times she'd heard that phrase within the last rotation, let alone in general. There's no room for error. That, too, was a phrase all too prevalent in the dictionaries of her superiors. There was never room for error with this lot, everything had to be perfect or there would be consequences. The not so subtle undertones of a threat weren't lost on the girl, nor was she overly concerned.

This wasn't exactly her first rodeo. If all went according to plan, it would be her last. She had said that about the last gig, though, too. And the one before that. And before that. The cycle went on, so far that any outsider would have to think her insane. Liet would have to agree with them, too, but she couldn't help it when little Timmy down the street broke his leg and his family couldn't afford the bill. Nor could she help it when Stella chocked trying to eat a rock. Some day, Liliette would learn to say no to a person in need, but that day had yet to come.

There. The internal monologue was cut short as the senator came into view. Mirialan, female, a senator of the Dominion, whatever that was. Politics and their titles had been long since lost on the youth, her mind only having any real space for the job at hand. There was no moral compass dictating what was right and wrong, just a simple objective. Find documents, get documents, get out. Judging from how the senator's assistant had a very loose grip on a purse, preoccupied in conversation, it looked like this little mission would be a quick success.

Now to get the objective and out without being seen. Simple enough, right?

[member="Darius Sedaire"]

 

[Cedric Grayson]

One, two, three...

A bit of a tumble and he'd found himself atop one of the many buildings within the main square of Mirilia's capital city. Acrobatics had never been his favored way of getting around, but then riding in one of the speeders would have been too conspicuous. Walking alongside the senator would have produced the same result.

No, better to keep a bit of a distance from the woman. That way, if the worst fears of the security chief were realized, he couldn't be incapacitated at the onset of an attack. That, and the security team hadn't wanted the senator to be seen in the company of a Jedi. The political state of things was a bit rough, and showing ties to even a splinter element of the organization could make things complicated for anyone in that area of work. Thus, Darius found himself sitting atop a two-story building just above where the senator was having a conversation with some kind of blue alien creature.

"You sure are popular," the knight snickered to himself as he leaned back against the railing. Night had fallen over the city, and the lights of the urbanscape proved to be rather distracting. Fortunately, Darius wasn't relying on his sight to look for threats.

"Seems all clear," he keyed into his comm. "How long are we out here for again?"

A burly voice crackled back, "Another hour, then we're done."

"Got it."

[member="Liliette Viesel"]

 

[Liliette Viesel]

The sooner she was done with this, the sooner she'd be out of the cold. That reasoning pushed the kiddo forward in her endeavor, a shiver making its rounds on her person, thin cloak offering minuscule protection against Mirial's frigid night air. That would explain the lack of security, she thought to herself. No one in their right mind would want to pull something in the cold. Pulling the cloak closer to herself, she moved onward towards the Senator's little entourage.

Keeping her head low, her focus remained less on the senator and almost entirely on the precious cargo her assistant carried. Rather, Liet assumed it was precious. It wasn't her job to ask questions, only to get the items. There was a moment of panic as the senator's conversation started drawing to a close. Liet reacted out of instinct, reaching out with...whatever it was she had going for her, focusing it on the assistant. Moving to follow the senator as she turned to leave, the assistant took a rather nasty fall, the contents of her bag spilling out within reach, an opportunity Liet wasn't about to waste.

With the attention focused on helping the assistant up, Viesel took a swipe at the bag's spelled contents. Not that, not that.

Bingo.

With the target in hand, she slipped back into the crowd, taking a few steps back before taking off in the opposite direction.

[member="Darius Sedaire"]

 

[Cedric Grayson]

Nope.

Green eyes narrowed as he watched the scene. The assistant had tumbled over, an honest accident, though Darius suspected something was amiss. Then the package was stolen. It was by sheer luck that the errant knight caught sight of the pale hands scooping up the bag's contents. He couldn't tell what had been taken, only that it most certainly did not belong to the woman who'd gone to grab it in the first place. Cursing under his breath, Darius vaulted off the roof.

He called upon the ethereal energies of the force to bubble around his form. It formed an invisible layer between himself and hard concrete; a layer strong enough to withstand the impact onto the street that followed shortly thereafter.

"Something was taken. I'm on it." Darius quipped into his comms as he rose to his full height. His frown morphed into a smile, and his senses lingered upon one mind - that of the panicked individual hurrying off into the crowds.

With a huff, the Jedi Knight took off at a dead sprint in her direction.

[member="Liliette Viesel"]

 

[Liliette Viesel]

Continuing on her way, Liet was fairly certain she could call this ordeal a success. Sure sucked for whoever was expecting the package but that was just too bad. Liet couldn't find remorse for the fellow, especially without knowing the details of either the package or the people involved. Sometimes, it was just better not to know. Questions just preluded to trouble.

Speaking of trouble, she looked back for a moment, nearly stumbling over her own feet when she noticed she was being pursued. Where had this guy come from? There wasn't supposed to be a chase in this mission.

Increasing her weaving through the crowds, she eventually forced herself to slow as she entered a slightly more populated area. More people meant the pursuer would be forced to make a scene if they were to continue, right? Now moving with the crowd, she had to resist the urge to continue looking around to see if she lost the other. That was close.


[member="Darius Sedaire"]

 

[Cedric Grayson]

The cowl was drawn over his features.

Figures darted out of his way upon seeing the ghastly garments. Slight touches of the mind certainly helped in that regard. Though the crowd parted before the seeker in the same manner that a school of fish might flee from a hungering shark, there were still far too many of them for him to move unhindered. Robes the color of starlight flickered about him a she attempted to force his way forward, though it was becoming abundantly clear that simple brute force was not going to work.

"Pity," the words were barely spoken before he was calling upon the energies of the ethereal. They wrapped about him like a cloak of sorts, and for but a moment, he flew. Dark flecks of space where all the light had been temporarily doused out were all that remained of him. Such flecks quickly faded into obscurity as a similar tear in reality came apart right in front of the girl.

The shadow's cowled form stepped out from the tear, a metallic pole held in his gloved hand. The other was stretched outward toward the girl, ethereal tendrils attempting to lock her into place.

"You've taken something that is not yours."

[member="Liliette Viesel"]

 

[Liliette Viesel]

Once again on her route, Liet forced herself to at least pretend all was well. And all would be, right? All things considered, she wasn't too far away from the transport she'd arrived on. Just a few more blocks and whoever was following her would hardly be an issue. Besides, who's to say he was following her? Okay, no, all things considered there was little doubt that whatever she was carrying was the target.

Speaking of..

Close enough to the ship to risk looking back once more, she was more confused than relieved to not see a pursuer. Facing forward once more, she nearly ran into reality's tear before coming to a halt. Taking a step back before fear sealed her boots to the pavement, wide eyes were split between the being and tendrils, words were not an option for several seconds. Even then, articulation wasn't exactly a thing.

"And you just did some weird teleporting thing. What's that about?"

[member="Darius Sedaire"]

 

[Cedric Grayson]

"The force is an interesting creature." Came the figure's answer.

His grip tightened, and so too did that of the ethereal tendrils. confident that his quarry was not firmly rooted in place, the Voidwalker began to pace around her. Those around had either turned to depart or fled much earlier. Those that chose to stay found the quiet mental suggestion that they go on their way implanted into their heads. When all things were said and done, the only two individuals standing near the ship were the thief and her pursuer.

"You gave me quite a chase," a hint of good humor laced his words, "But I think it's about time we ended our game. That's the senator's property. She needs it." He held a leather-bound hand out for the package.

His head tilted back as he regarded the Sephi-looking girl, but his features remained ever shrouded in the abyss.

"What was your end game here?"

[member="Liliette Viesel"]

 

[Liliette Viesel]

"That doesn't explain much."

Being rendered immobile, she struggled to no avail to get at least some form mobility back. She was all too aware of how people didn't seem to make much of a fuss about some dude just appearing out of nowhere. Was that some sort of normal occurrence here? Regardless, any sort of survival instinct was urging her to get far away from this being.

"Thanks? Not much of a game when someone has an unfair advantage," she replied, making no move to hand the package over. Even if she could move, she wasn't about to risk her employers wrath should she come back empty handed.

She stared back at the shrouded figure, the hints of confusion still claiming her features though caution being the dominating emote. "After this, I'm done. I don't see how that effects you, though."

[member="Darius Sedaire"]

 

[Cedric Grayson]

"Well, I hate to break it to you, but you're done now. Not later."

Another gesture of telekinetic force flickered between the two force sensitives. The package the girl was carrying would shift out from her hands with a life all its own, before shooting over toward the Voidwalker's outstretched palm.

"Too important to let you have this." The Voidwalker explained as he came to a halt right in front of the woman. A shroud of midnight met the thief's gaze. "I'm a specialized form of Jedi. You're in a part of the territory that I keep safe. See the issue here?"

His arms folded about his chest, the package dangling from a clenched fist.

"What's your name anyway?"

[member="Liliette Viesel"]

 

[Liliette Viesel]

"The night's not over yet?" She really didn't want to deal with trying again, especially when such an opportunity probably wouldn't show up again for some time.

Watching the package leave her grasp, Liet focused on the package, attempting to keep it in place or at least throw it off course. Alas, her rudimentary skill in the force just didn't make the cut, leaving the would-be thief without a bounty.

"What's so important about it?" She wondered, head cocking to the side with what limited mobility she had. It really wasn't her place to ask questions, nor was it a practice she often took part in. Still, it wasn't like she was going anywhere any time soon. "Don't Jedi have temples to meditate at? You'er a bit off from one of those."

She entertained the idea of not answering his question. There was little point, anyway, especially if he was going to turn her in to the authorities. Still, it wasn't like she had much to lose either way. "Liliette Viesel. Who are you supposed to be?"

[member="Darius Sedaire"]

 

[Cedric Grayson]

"You're force sensitive?" The cloaked man asked, rather surprised it seemed. The case hit his palm with a loud thud, though he didn't seem to pay it much mind. Seemed the most recent realization had stolen his attentions more than the object of his efforts.

"Can't really tell you. Not allowed too legally." The hand holding the container fell down to his sides. "That, and I don't really know truth be told. The senator's security team asked for help," he pressed a hand to his chest and tilted forward in an exaggerated bow. "I decided to oblige."

The padding of booted feet hitting the concrete could be heard behind Liliette. "Speak of the devil."

The Voidwalker's fist opened, and with it went the influence of the tendrils the girl was free. "Run off and you're caught. Come stand next to me."

[member="Liliette Viesel"]

 

[Liliette Viesel]

"Uh, sure?" One wasn't exactly exposed to the technical terms of all the mumbo jumbo, at least not with her excuse of an upbringing. He could call it being force sensitive all he wanted, she just used whatever gift she had.

"That's fair, I suppose." With the raise of a brow and the ghost of a chuckle she managed to control the first snide comment that came to mind, figuring it'd probably best not to insult the guy, at least not until she could move again. "Well aren't you just a hero."

With the security team's entrance came the return of Liet's concerns, now far more potent. The instant control was returned to her limbs, she felt the urge to bolt, only avoiding acting on it by whim. She couldn't say she trusted this man anymore than she could throw him but he did have a point. The security team was far too close now for her to make a safe escape. Besides, a slightly better known adversary was better than complete strangers, right? Against her initial judgement, she followed his direction. "How's this supposed to help?"

[member="Darius Sedaire"]

 

[Cedric Grayson]

"Like this," Cloak-man held up the container.

The security team came to a halt. "That's it. This the girl that took it?" The team leader, a rather out of shape Mirilian man asked. It looked like his hairline had decided to make a formal retreat from the battle of hair loss some time ago.

"No, this is my padawan. She helped me get the bag back, but the culprit got away. She was a force user; getting the container was all I could really do without endangering the civilians nearby." The Voidwalker explained with a confidence akin to a drunk man talking up an even drunker woman.

To put rather shortly, the security chief was none the wiser. "Well, at least you got this back." He shrugged as he took the container into his arms. "You gonna stick around?"

Voidwalker shrugged right back. "Maybe for a little bit. I've got other business to take care of, but I think it'd be wise to remain until the senator takes her leave."

"Oh, I'm sure she's ready to go. You did good. You too little miss." The security chief bid them farewell with a tip of his hat as he turned to leave.

The Voidwalker turned to Liliette. "Stealing from a senator like that wasn't the best decision. Why'd you try?"

[member="Liliette Viesel"]

 

[Liliette Viesel]

As security drew closer, Liet moved to stand more behind the cloaked man than directly beside him. It wasn't much, but some shield was better than none if things went sour.

Listening to the two's exchange, she was thrown off by the fake title she received, even more so when the leader didn't question it. He didn't really believe this man's explanation, did he? Apparently, yes.

The rest of the exchange had the girl spectating in a confused silence, broken by a short laugh as the team turned to leave. It wasn't often she got praised for, well, anything, let alone something she didn't do.

A shrug answered his question. "I don't choose the jobs, only carry out what I'm told." Another moment passed. "What's a padawan?"

[member="Darius Sedaire"]

 

[Cedric Grayson]

"That's pretty stupid," the Voidwalker mused, "You shouldn't do that. Acting on no information doesn't absolve you of the crime. Ignorance puts you in the same boat as your contractors." He talked down at the woman like a disappointed older sibling, though there was no malice in his words. When the security team was well out of the way, he turned to face the girl, arms folding about his chest as he shrugged.

"A padawan is a Jedi in training. They're generally paired off with a Jedi Knight or a Master for teaching. They learn things in the field, pick up on how their teacher operates. Once they've proven themselves capable, they go through the trials to become a Jedi Knight." He continued, waving a hand about as the crowds began to return properly. "You're force sensitive, so it's an easily bought excuse. That being said, your talents are a bit of a waste out here."

A gloved hand was offered to the girl. "I'm the Voidwalker. You can either come under my tutelage, or I can leave you to your bosses. Eventually I'll catch you again if you keep doing this line of work, and I won't cover for you again. Make the wise choice."

[member="Liliette Viesel"]

 

[Liliette Viesel]

"I didn't have much of a choice." Liliette didn't bother arguing with him. It was pretty stupid, she'd admit. Completely foolish but there wasn't much someone of her age and situation could've done. When the bigger guy says to do something, survival typically dictated you follow direction. Still, she couldn't say she appreciated being talked down to.

"So they learn how to do that," she said, nodding at the returning crowd. Powers of that extent were pretty much unheard of where she came from, the Jedi themselves being objects of stories more than they were people. "I don't know if survival's much of a waste."

She tried to hold back the laugh, she really did. "Is that your real name?" If it was, she pitied the guy. Even as a title, it was a bit dumb. Intimidating, too, she supposed, but pretty dumb. Ah, well, it wasn't like she had many options ahead of her. Her employers, as close as she was to being done with them, wouldn't accept failure as an option. With her mind made up, she accepted the invitation, taking his gloved hand. "I don't think either choice is really wise, but, sure, teach me how to do that weird teleport thing."

[member="Darius Sedaire"]

 

[Cedric Grayson]

"It's as real for you as any other name." He responded curtly. There was a hint of annoyance to his words, though it wavered as he continue don. "Jedi do a lot of things. Different people will give you different views on them. I subscribe to older beliefs, so," he turned to start walking down the street, a hand waving forward for the girl to follow.

"You call it survival, but that tends to be a meek justification for those that can't think of an alternative path." He intoned, a hint of amusement lacing his words. Perhaps he was talking down at her, or perhaps he was simply poking fun. Perhaps it was a bit of both.

"The whole situation is a lot more complicated than that pointy. It's not teleportation per se - that's impossible. I slip through the netherworld of the force to get to where I want to be," his brow furrowed beneath the cowl. "It's hard to explain. You feel it though, the force. I could see you trying to call on it."

He turned about and started walking backward, his cloaked gaze lingering on the girl. "We're gonna need to hone that."

[member="Liliette Viesel"]

 

[Liliette Viesel]

"So it's not real, then," she dropped the subject there, following along as they mingled with the crowd. For a brief moment, she considered going back on her word and returning to her employers. This whole running away bit could only cause problems in the future if she ran into them again.

"There's more to it, but not wrong," Liet shrugged. Poking fun or not, he had a point.

Listening to his description, she had every intention of continuing to refer to whatever it was as teleportation, at least until she got an actual feel for what he was trying to explain. This was the most she'd heard anyone refer to the force by its title, and now he was throwing other weird terms like there being a netherworld. It was a bit to take in while just walking down a street.

"I'm willing to learn. I haven't exactly had much instruction to go off of in general."

[member="Darius Sedaire"]

 

[Cedric Grayson]

"Eh, not so much no." He gave her a weak shrug. One's identity was an important commodity that too many people gave out for free. If the girl actually stuck around for some time, she might earn his true name. If not, then there was no reason to go spreading it around to strangers.

"It's a lot to learn. A lot of hard work. A lot of dedication. A helluva lot of reading," he continued as they neared one of the many hanger bays scattered around the city. He had no doubt that the hangers would be closed very soon after an 'assault on a senator', but the port authorities weren't the fastest of folks.

"But, if you really want," he turned back about to see where he was going. "I'll teach you what I can. I'm not the best mentor. Pretty young by our standards, but I've been around the block a few times." His cowled visage turned toward Liliette. Though it was shrouded in midnight, one could tell he was grinning.

"First things first though: we're gonna deal with your boss."

[member="Liliette Viesel"]