Private Ignorance is Bliss

[Delila Castillon]

Denon | Inner Rim

​

Light drizzle was falling in the urban sprawl, enough to more annoying than anything else. They could have took a speeder to the meet up location but after being in deep space for so long it was nice to stop and stretch one's legs. Delila felt the planet was similar to Coruscant but a bit grittier, at least the portion they were in felt that way. Buildings a little dirtier, objects not as shiny and fake looking at they would be elsewhere. To her felt they more in the Outer Rim than the so-called wealthy and technology advanced Inner Rim.

"Do you ever look at us objectively and think how strange we look from the outside? First off, how many Nautolans do you see picking their profession as a deep space pilot? Aren't you supposed to be in water? Secondly, Nautolan-Human relationships...who thinks of that? Like you don't see that on every planet. Now I could care less what others think but do you ever think about it from another lens? I've probably been in deep space for too long."

Shoulder bumped into his. Their next assignment was gathering information, not a typical job. Both had been left clueless so it required hiring someone to help them. Delila was a bit jittery about the proposition, they typically worked alone or with trusted friends. What was stopping the person they hired from taking the information and getting to the cargo first? It was a risk they were going to have to take in the situation.

"Hopefully this person can give us information we can actually use..."

 

[Xin Boa]

"Guess it's ah gamble," Xin replied with a shrug. They made enough of those. Unfortunately they had a tame barabel mechanic, but no slicers.

"I tink around here I worry more about which gangs might be watching us," Xin replied. His earlier years had been moving from pack to pack.

His parents had died during the Clockwork Rebellion, promises and trust had been shattered. He had run with minor terrorists and gangs for years. He had crossed paths with Dells shortly after leaving prison and never looked back.

He turned his head to the sky, enjoying the gentle misty rain. His bare skin and headtails were almost immediately slick with rain. Better than those planets that dried out his aquatic skin.

"Wonder if there is like a nautolan pilot's Union," he mused as they stopped beneath a neon sign to a quiet bar.

"This is de one."

 

[Serya Talith]

Most clients didn't request they meet in person, and those that did had something to hide. Serya was equal parts wary as she was curious. It had been a while she had paid given a real challenge, and they paid their weight in credits when push came to shove.

The heavy hood did more than keep out the rain as the woman took quick steps through the streets. She took great steps to keep trouble off her doorstep, and that effort didn't end for her time moving from job to job. Black pants, black rain boots-- thick hoodie and an opaque umbrella. Nothing about her stood out as she made her way to the meeting space.

Bits of pale skin skin reflected neon lights as she slid into the bar. A red tissue was taken out and rubbed against her nose, before being placed in front of her at her seat at the bar. It was as they agreed. She'd be easy to spot. Her hood stayed up.

 

[Delila Castillon]

"I forget you're a hardened ex-gang member. Do you think they carry a holo of you in their pockets, hoping that each tattooed Nautolan they come across is the mighty Xin Boa?"

It took a great deal of effort not to roll her eyes. Delila was aware of Xin's background despite the Nautolan being scant on details. They both often chose not to revisit the past, those scars typically ran fairly deep for both of them. Moving forward and looking onto the horizon was better to do anyhow, the 'verse was constantly changing after all.

Delila shook a bit of rain off her dark jacket as they entered. There was a grin on her face as she removed the hood, pushing the door to the bar open.

"Union? I can't afford to give you breaks every few hours Xin."

Unlike Xin, her eyes were less sensitive and it took longer to adjust to the dim interior. No doubt her Nautolan companion and spotted the slicer long before she said anything - yet she still said something.

"I think thats our meetup. Surprised they arrived before us honestly."

 

[Xin Boa]

Xin snorted. The number of people who remembered his name could be scrawled on the back of a single holo strip. He had been the point man for bank jobs and various other deeds, typically having a sense of when a job would go bad. It was starting to feel to him that he was simple good at finding the trouble in the first place.

Stepping into the booth he sat opposite the hooded figure. How deeply ominous, he thought to himself. It was a pale and slender figure who regarded him from within those shadows. He placed both hands on the table before him. Tattoos ran the length of his arms, matching the black markings on his headtails.

"I am Luke and..." He stopped, noticing that Dells had given him a look. "What? I thought we were doing fake names? Fine. I'm Xin. We heard a shipyard security system was...child's play to you?"

Serya Talith Delila Castillon

 

[Serya Talith]

Serya's lips quirked, his phrasing nearly driving a laugh that she tried to hold back. She was trying to be cool here! Drove up business to look like you had an edge. For some reason perception was half the game here. Which was stupid, cause she was one hell of a slicer.

"So they say. Though if you're looking to steal a ship you better be talking government grade for my fees-- I'm not here to help you steal your Ex's holoporn." A slip of brown hair fell from the hood. A flash of light caught orange eyes as she looked up. She looked between the two, her expression contained. They seemed normal enough, given their request. No nasty scars or pegged limbs to raise red flag right off the bat.

Serya leaned in, asking almost cautiously. "You're not after an ex's porn, are you?" It had happened more than once, and it was nothing but a waste of time.

They weren't even good holos!

 

[Delila Castillon]

Fake names? Delila wondered if Xin remembered what happened last time they tried a fake name. It was a complete disaster, lead into a trap where they had to fight their way out. Perhaps the situation today wouldn't end in the same but perhaps it would cause their slicer to trust them a little less, withhold a bit more information. Its not like they had the credits to continually re-hire the contractors they needed for the job.

Also, Luke?! Luke?! Perhaps Xin forgot he was a Nautolan and thus decided not to pick a name that as least sounded species appropriate. This is why she needed to stick do doing all the talking.

Knowing look passed between the two, a small smile playing on her face. Hand squeezed his thigh as the slicer leaned in closer to ask her question. Dells couldn't help but to chuckle. Who would spend perfectly good credits to obtain such holoimages? Didn't seem like a good use of resources if one asked her but each to their own.

"No, we much prefer our own brand of pornography. Why hunt down an ex when you can merely make new?"

A small gin graced her features.

"We had cargo stolen from us from a shipyard. From our clients. We need to get some information on those who took it. Face scans, potential identifications, their homeplanet. Information of this sort."

 

[Xin Boa]

Xin nodded firmly, even as he turned his head a fraction towards Dells. Making a Holo video had kept them rather entertained on their last holiday. Dells wouldn't have kept any from her husband would she? No, no, he mostly dismissed the thought as unimportant.

"Person we spoke to..."

Wait would Brad still have videos? Anyway...

"Said dat be child's play for you. If we got you into the port to hook into a terminal."

 

[Serya Talith]

“Then the information’s yours,” she confirmed easily, confidence to her tone. “Won’t be cheap though, I don’t go into the field without some guarantees ,” she leveled dryly. “One, there’s no killing. Not near, around, or before me. My name stays clear of your chit. Which leads to two: keep me out of your chit. I don’t want to know. Back stories, sob stories, any stories. If the feds come knocking I’m talking, so don’t give me your dirty laundry— and you better be good with a gun. Cause if they start shooting, you’re getting me out alive. End of story.”

Or she’d make em regret it. She had her failsafes.

“No delivery till I’m clean and clear- my terms are not up for debate .”

 

[Delila Castillon]

"Getting you out alive isn't a problem. I've gotten this one out of a few jams, pretty sure I can keep you alive. You at least look like you'd listen to directions instead of being fired upon."

A small jab at Xin but it had to be done. Perhaps someday he'd listen to her more often. They were both stubborn at times so it made for some interesting escapes and ideas on how to approach a situation. It had never turned to where they were angry at one another, just frustration and amusement. Delila settled back against the booth. The terms were fine with her - standard with a slicer. Most of them couldn't fight and needed to rely on the client to survive.

"Agreed - half of your payment now, half when you deliver however."

 

[Xin Boa]

"Yah we can keep blasters to stun. If it get hairy out dere just do what I do. Keep my head down and do what she tells me to," Xin added, tilting his head towards Dells.

His headtails were in simple leather binds today. They were permanently decorated in his tattoos, but much to Dells' amusement they were often decorated in jewellery. Apparently human males didn't show off with flashy colours and metal unless they were low rent gangsters.

"Ya know for once I don't think there's actually a bounty on either of us..." he said, looking to Dells for confirmation. Not that he would have told a slicer for hire if there had been. If only, he thought, he was interesting as he thought he sounded right now. Dells has actually saved him from being a low rent criminal.

"Meets us this time tomorrow evening, caf shop down the street from the space Dock?"

 

[Serya Talith]

Serya considered them both, weighing her decision.

Her answer was expressed by an outstretched hand, her finger twitching in expectation for the upfront payment to seal the deal.

When the weight hit her palm, her fingers closed at once. A quick motion tucked it away, the girl grabbing her red hanky and pocketing it as well. "And don't even think of trying anything. I have my failsafes," she told them both, pushing back her seat and standing.

"Tomorrow, cafe shop." And without much other flourish, she left. It was a run of the mill encounter, plain and simple.

Here was to hoping it stayed that way.



A trench coat hid most of her form, another deep set hood pulled over Serya's head as she waited outside the cafe on a rainy bench. She didn't know why they even bothered with outdoor seating. Her hood wasn't even out of place. The constant drizzle-- riddled with pollutant-- misted against her face as she glanced up. It was hard to tell through the clouds, but it seemed to be getting dimmer. She took out her red hanky and rubbed her face clean, learning its bright form crumbled between her fingers.

Any time now.

 

[Delila Castillon]

Fingers laced between Xin's as they walked along the polluted streets. Her hood was pulled up once again, the drizzle and polluted air swirling around them. It was an odd planet, like a low-budget Coruscant if she was comparing the two. Most on the streets paid little attention to those around them, often the case in a city packed with people and pollution.

"Why did we get the oddest slicer we can find? I swear we always find the nervous,jumpy ones. I think she's scared of you."

Hand squeezed his as they rounded the corner, the cafe in sight. Delila idly wondered if she had time to order a caf or was the slicer in a hurry? It was had to gauge the woman so far. Mainly concerned with living and getting scammed. Weren't they all.

"I think I see her handkerchief. I think. My eyes aren't as good as yours."

 

[Xin Boa]

Xin wore a hood too now. Despite enjoying the cold rain on his skin he had read a news report on the pollution overnight and chosen to cover his skin more.

"What kind of slicer do you think we're gonna find exactly?" Xin laughed. "Dey all spend too much time in basements...slicing."

"Yeah that's her," Xin replied, leading them in that direction. He slipped his hand from Dells' and took a seat opposite the slicer. Pulling his jacket back revealed the heavy blaster at his hip.

"Ready to go?"

 

[Serya Talith]

Serya slipped the handkerchief back into her pocket, silent as she watched the world behind them. It was unlikely they were followed, but all it took was it happening to her once, and now the girl was as jumpy as a rabbit over it. Try as she might, a cool head was not something she had been able to adopt over the years.

Working from home was preferable to this mess.

Still, money was money and there was the subtle hope that something small like this would help her adjust more. She stood up, chin raised as she nodded in agreement.

She might seem brisk. Really, it was just nerves.

“Remember your promise to me.” Was it the no killing? Or the no letting her be killed? Both? Both. She threw her cup in the trash, letting them take the lead on out.

Simple go of things, no reason to overthink it.

 

[Delila Castillon]

​

Denon Central Spaceport | Mid-Morning

They were an odd group moving down the sidewalks and alleyways. One of them was neverous - the slicer - while she was feeling fairly confident about the entire operation. Delila had even managed to convince Xin that she needed a to-go caf in order to blend into the throngs of citizens moving throughout the city. It had been met with the Nautolan equivalent of an eye roll but Xin had still brought her one, thanked with a quick kiss on his cheek and a grin of victory.

The slicer had been trailing behind herself and Xin and she slowed her pace, coming to walk in pace with the slicer. Another sip of caf as they moved closer, the spaceport in clear view up ahead. It was loud and noisy, vessels taking off and landing at a frequent rate.

"Don't look so nervous, its suspicious. I won't let you die or get arrested. I've got a good track record."

 

[Xin Boa]

The spaceport was a large facility. Huge volumes of ships came and went. Security was tight but enforced at several key points. They just needed to get the slicer to a socket on the inside of the facility for access.

A lot of this job hinged on looking nice and casual and not drawing attention. Then they were down to sheer luck as to whether they we were caught. He didn't feel too comfortable leaving anything to chance; he still thought fate liked to play with him. Everything was chance in the end. Everytime he pushed the hyperspace lever there was a chance his ship would simply wink form existence.

They passed a secure door and Xin pointed to it behind his back. That was the one they needed to get through. It had an access panel on one side, but it was basic and hopefully the slicer could get past it quickly. Xin kept walking on to look for any trouble ahead. Then he would double back and hope the access door was held open for him.

 

[Serya Talith]

Serya let out a shaky breath, giving the woman an envious side-look. Her confidence was something alright. Seyra didn't know how she did it. Balls of steel? She glanced down quickly to the woman's pants, before letting her gaze flick to the wet pavement they pounded. Personally, she had passed on the caf. If she looked stressed now, you should see her on a cup of stimulant. She took a deep breath and tried to loosen her shoulders, her thoughts her enemy in a moment like this.

"You believe in luck?" She asked the woman, trying to distract herself. "Not like, odds or statistics or chances, but the thing itself-- luck. Something you may or may not have at any given moment."

They approached the door and her hand tightened over the sharp edge of the key card in her pocket. It took all her will power not to look over her shoulder as she approached the keypad. She slide the preprogrammed card through the slot, and just like that, the light turned green and they could enter.

Serya had done her homework. And she was good.

Bam. Easy.

She stepped in and pressed to the side, a hand sliding out to cover the sensor and keep it open for the others.

 

[Delila Castillon]

Delila tossed the mostly-empty caf container into a nearby trashcan as they drew closer to the spaceport. He was kept on the swivel for any signs of trouble. She suspected it would find them soon enough but it wasn't a thought she was going to share with the slicer or Xin. Now, there was a possibility she was wrong but Delila typically had a gut instinct about such things.

"No I don't believe in luck. Luck is what gets people killed, preparation keeps you alive."

Turning around, Delila kept an eye on the slicers back as she worked, even if it was just a simple swipe of the card. One never knew who exactly was watching or following and Delila was trying to see if she spotted anyone that looked a bit too familiar lingering around them. Ears picked up on the small beep indicating entry was allowed, quickly switching gears and following as the slicer covered the sensor.

"I hope Xin hasn't been spotted, he sticks out like a sore thumb."

 

[Xin Boa]

"I heard dat," Xin muttered after slipping through the door after them. "Don't make me fetch the hat."

It was a private joke, from the time he had bought a large straw hat from a tourist trap to try and fit it. It had not worked.

"No one saw us, but could be people anywhere in here," he hissed.

They were in the restricted area of the spaceport. Typically just staff were allowed in here. They were more likely to find a bored baggage handler than a guard, but if an alarm was triggered the area would be crawling with guards quickly.

"Need to find you a socket," he murmured to the slicer. "Hope you can find the footage quickly."