Private Live and Let Die

[Jacen Nimdok]

Sith Remnant Space Station
Parlomian Trade Route, near Ossus

Nimdok may have been in hiding, but that didn’t mean he had stopped being a Silver Shadow. When the opportunity to cleanse a Sith space station of the Dark Side presented itself, he readily accepted the mission.

The plan sounded simple; he, his Padawan Aayla Shan, and another Shadow, Vaslav Florescu, would board the space station, posing as smugglers bringing much needed supplies to the Sith still running the place. Once they had gotten there, they would cut their way to the reactor, set up some explosives, and get the hell out before it blew. Simple, but not necessarily easy—though one could hope.

Nimdok leaned back in his chair, looking out at the station as their freighter approached it. He could hear Vaslav communicating with the station command center from the cockpit, exchanging greetings and docking codes, but he wasn’t sure where Aayla was...

Aayla Shan​

 

[Aayla Shan]

She had finished going over the missions objectives, understanding fully what was expected. She had her objections of course, but understood that with the Sith dissolving and scattering, there was a chance to deal blows against their enemy that weren't usually prevalent. The Jedi had been meditating for some time in preparation for this mission, and felt content with her place in the The Force, the Concord, and sense of self.

Eyes opening, she would raise both fists, both of her sabers held in each respectively. Silver hues peering down at the weapons with a certain sense of reflection. A light smirk found her lips before she moved to her feet. This is what she had asked for after all. She wanted to take a personal stance against the Sith, and this was the third official mission she had undertaken with that mindset.

Slotting her sabers at her left waist, and right thigh, Aayla moved with purpose now to Jacen Nimdok , when she saw him, Aayla seemed a little detached initially. Although he was her Master, he had some personal.... Things, going on. Albeit, she had agreed to allow him to teach her. At this point, Aayla had found a sense of pride in being partially self-taught regarding her advancement; but there was only so much she could do herself.

For now anyway...

Aayla wore a large mahogany robe over her simply Ivory Jedi Robes, while aware they were supposed to be operating with a sense of stealth, she had also become quite good at playing parts... So to speak. Even now, she suppressed her signature in the Force, moving to sit in the vacant seat alongside Nimdok and Vaslav,

She would nod to Vaslav curtly, although he was busy; if he didn't notice it was fine. She looked over to Nimdok then, offering him a smile and a nod as well. With that, she would clip her seat-straps in; and simply observe how the docking procedures would go.

"This is the part where someone says I have a bad feeling about this right?"

She asked, though didn't seem to direct the question at either of them.

 

[Jacen Nimdok]

Nimdok always had some sort of personal “thing” going on. It was in his nature to make enemies left and right, to overwork himself by taking on too many responsibilities at once, to be a busy busybody. His intentions might be good, but he was finally beginning to notice he rarely actually helped anyone, least of all himself...

It was with these bleak self-reflective thoughts that Aayla found him. Nimdok sat up when he sensed his Padawan’s arrival, turning his full attention to the mission and the work ahead. Well, as much of his attention as he could spare.

“We’ve been cleared for docking,” Vaslav announced, guiding the freighter toward the space station.

Aayla made a joking remark, earning a small smile from Nimdok. “Your danger sense must be better than mine,” he replied. “I don’t feel anything.”

Actually looking at Aayla for the first time, he raised a puzzled eyebrow. “Is this your disguise?” Traditional Jedi robes weren’t typical smuggler garb. It occurred to him that she might be taking a cue from her master, who had yet to don his own disguise yet. “Chit,” he muttered, looking down at himself. “Aayla, er… you should probably go get changed into something more befitting a smuggler. And when you come back… try not to scream when you see me.”

When she returned to the cockpit, she would find the unassuming visage of her master had seemingly been replaced by a grizzled Twi’lek smuggler with red skin.

“I don’t advertise my shapeshifting abilities,” the Twi’lek said, still speaking with Nimdok’s distinct voice. “Do take care not to mention this to anyone—it’s better that way.”

Aayla Shan​

 

[Aayla Shan]

"Disg- I didn't know we needed disguises..."

She glanced over to Nimdok, then the other. It didn't seem like she had properly grasped the scope of the mission initially. Well, in any case that meant she had things to do and much less time to do them. Most pressing for now being to change into something more fitting. She unclipped her harness and rose to leave them momentarily.

When she returned Aayla would be dressed in some clothes that were more fitting of someone doing any sort of smuggling. Khaki pants, with a long-sleeved white top; her usual footwear traded out for some boots that fit the bill. Her sabers were still hidden on her person, though she was fumbling about with a holster for the blaster pistol she had taken.

She would have been figuring out finally how it was supposed to rest on her waist, and slotting the WESTAR 35 blaster pistol within. Not like she would use it, but she thought she fit the bill. She would leave her hair unchanged however, the scars that ran across her left cheek aiding in the illusion that she was just another roguelike individual along with the crew.

Then she looked up, eyes stopping on Nimdok for a good while until he spoke.

"Of course not, this entire mission never happened remember?"

Aayla said, observing him for a moment longer before moving to sit in the chair, stumbling oddly but not seeming to lose balance.

Jacen Nimdok

 

[Jacen Nimdok]

Nimdok grinned as Aayla continued to stare, flashing sharp white Twi’lek fangs. “Have you ever done anything like this before, Aayla? Gone on a mission in disguise, playing a part.”

The freighter approached the station, docking in the hangar. Noticing a small box sitting on a shelf, Nimdok muttered, “Ooo, nice.” He opened the carton, removed a cigarra, put it to his lips and lit it. He was not a habitual smoker; the cig was just for the sake of getting into character.

“My first mission in disguise was almost ten years ago,” he commented, sliding into a long-winded anecdote, as was his habit. “We were rescuing a Sith acolyte who was in over her head and wanted a way out. The plan involved me posing as a well-known Sith named Darth Prospero. Young guy, very good-looking, had a reputation for being a ladies’ man. In his guise I was to seduce the impressionable young acolyte with the tempting offer of becoming my apprentice. She would accept, and we would fly off together.”

As the ship came to a stop, Nimdok stood up, puffed some more on the cig, and concluded his tale. “The mission was close to being a success, but it all fell apart at the last minute. The acolyte’s master, Vanessa Vantai, was easily the most vicious, controlling, possessive Sith in the entire Empire. She wouldn’t accept her apprentice abandoning her, so she snuck aboard our ship and sprang a trap before we could leave.”

There was a long pause, in which Vaslav finally asked, “Did you get away?”

“Obviously I got away, I’m here aren’t I?” There was a note of suppressed pain in Nimdok’s voice. Leaving the cockpit, expecting the others to follow, he punched the switch to lower the loading ramp. “I guess my point is, the mission isn’t over after the objective is completed. Stay on your toes.” He shrugged. “But you probably know that already.”

The trio of smugglers were greeted by a customs officer and armed security guards. Their uniforms still bore the colors and insignia of the late Sith Empire, and their weapons were of imperial design and make.

“We got your shipment of supplies,” Vaslav said, pretending to be the captain of the smuggler crew. “Where do you want ‘em?”

“Over there,” the officer said, gesturing. “They’ll have to be checked.”

While the officer and Vaslav continued to converse, and a machine began to unload the freighter’s goods, Nimdok looked around. The hangar was noticeably devoid of storage crates. Clearly this station hadn’t been getting many shipments lately. Not much to hide behind if you were trying to be sneaky, nor to take cover in a firefight.

Nimdok nudged Aayla with the Force, lightly touching her mind. <Think you can slip through that door without being seen?> he asked, drawing her attention toward a closed door on the far side of the hangar. There were some guards posted, but he sensed their minds were weak and could be easily tricked.

Aayla Shan​

 

[Aayla Shan]

Aayla had just begun to answer that question when Nimdok went a slight spiel. She would shift lightly to accommodate for the blaster on her thigh. The mission must have held some importance for Nimdok, given he was able to recall it with such clarity. An interesting tale, though she couldn't help but wonder how it was supposed to help with what laid ahead. A simple nod was given in return, feeling a bit naked without her sabers. What would she do if it turned into a blaster fight? She spiraled a bit mentally on that thought, before zoning back in on him.

"Oh, yeah, for sure... I try to catch what I can... I'll be honest though, disguises and playing parts isn't my forte."

Aayla would glance over at Vaslav briefly on that note, shrugging lightly. Strengths & Weaknesses in the end...

When it was time for them to do their business, Aayla would take note of the area they were left standing in. She was holding a box of supplies herself in front of her navel, head, and eyes bobbing about casually, but with purpose. In her own hubris the only thing Aayla saw was the insignia they wore, and still upheld however. Enemies. A sour face was natural to pull off in this instance... When Nimdok sent her the nudge, Aayla's eyes snapped over to the door, then the trio of guards herding them about.

And within the light confusion Vaslav was brewing, she would simply step away, and slink in that direction. Slowing when she neared the pair, but was close enough to easily feel both of their Force Signatures. She waved both of her hands in a 'greeting' at the pair. In reality, she was trying to Mind Trick both in the same motion. As her hands lowered, she said in a stern, but hushed tone.

"You two need to help me get to the reactor, we're in a rush..."

Aayla said, slowing to a stop as she peered between the pair.

 

[Jacen Nimdok]

Disguises and playing parts wasn’t really Aayla’s forte. Well, there was a first time for everything.

Nimdok’s concern, for the moment, was mild. He considered this a relatively low-risk operation, if there was such a thing as a low-risk Shadow operation. But then he was blissfully unaware that Aayla, being new to the idea of disguises, had decided to leave her lightsabers behind for the sake of realism. Had he known beforehand, he would have explained that it was perfectly possible to hide one’s lightsaber from view, and that it was far smarter to keep one’s primary weapon on hand.

Instead, the Master of Shadows observed with approval as Aayla snuck away and took care of the weak-willed guards. The trio disappeared through the doorway.

Nimdok glanced toward Vaslav and the customs officer. They were haggling over payment for the smuggled goods. The officer’s face pinched with annoyance as Vaslav continued to demand more credits—money the station didn’t have now that it was cut off from the dead Sith Empire.

Picking up a crate, Nimdok walked it over and set it down, then quietly slipped away through the same door Aayla had entered. The corridor was empty, but no doubt there were surveillance cameras. He dipped into the nearest ‘fresher... and re-emerged as a clone of the customs officer.

Soon enough, he spotted his apprentice and her two security guard companions walking ahead of him. The guards led her into a lift and pressed the button which would lead them to the engineering deck. “Just a moment!” Nimdok called. One of the guards held the door open as Nimdok slipped inside. “Thank you.”

“Not a problem, sir,” the guard replied, as though there was nothing odd about the motley group of people in the descending lift.

Once the doors opened in engineering, they would have to contend with a crew of engineers who might have minds a little harder to crack than the average guard. Maintaining a relaxed pose in the guise of the officer, Nimdok waited to see what Aayla would do to deal with these obstacles to her objective.

Aayla Shan​

 

[Aayla Shan]

"Chit..."

Aayla mumbled, as that door opened and gave way to a plethora of new obstacles. She inhaled lightly, stepping out with the others, and maintained a position right behind one of her mind-spun guards. They were still desperately in a rush to get to the reactor after all, and would essentially push past whoever was there until one of the engineers in question turned and shook his head in confusion.

'The hell is going on here, aren't you yahoos supposed to be keeping guard? And who the h-'

It was then he noticed the Customs Officer, and looked at the group in its entirety. Still standing behind one of the men, she placed her palm on his back, and spoke loudly so as the engineer could hear her as well.

"We're on our way to the reactor... Its an emergency."

She said, the person whom she was touching nodding in tandem with her words.

'That's right, we're on our way to the reactor... We're in a rush...'

The Engineer knew better, but was frankly confused at the composition of those in front of him. One of which in a sense was his superior. As he considered what he would do, Aayla off handedly rested her palm on the butt of her blaster. Not even she could miss from this range right?

Jacen Nimdok

 

[Jacen Nimdok]

Nimdok didn’t wait long before intervening. Even if this mission was part of Aayla’s training, and their goal was the destruction of the station, he was obligated to prevent the loss of life as much as possible.

“Engineer, may I speak to you in private?” he asked, his tone stern and professional.

That was a gamble—one that he lost. (I rolled a 1, sue me.) The engineer and customs officer apparently knew each other personally, and the lack of familiarity Nimdok displayed while in the officer’s guise was apparently an immediate giveaway. Eyes widening, the engineer shook his head, taking a step back. “Sir, this is—”

Nimdok shot him. The engineer collapsed, stunned. Nimdok’s beamer fired off several more shots, stunning the rest of the engineers with laser precision. It happened so quickly, most didn’t even have a chance to leave their posts, much less do anything to stop him.

The weapon overloaded, smoking in Nimdok’s hand. Cursing, he shoved it back into his holster. “Aayla, you may want to do something about those guards!” he warned. No doubt the shock of the scene had stirred them from their stupor, unless her mind-controlling abilities were better than Nimdok thought, or their minds were exceptionally weak. He was sure there was an alarm button inside the lift, within their reach...

Aayla Shan​