Public &nbsp; Mile High Hack

Phalsi Drynchen · Dec 21, 2020

PERSONAL EQUIPMENT: Armored clothes-How they look, The Mask, Just in Case Cloak, Scope- kept on the utility belt until used, Wrist Device , Pair of Blue Lightsabers, Slicing/Gaming Tool, Hard Light Weapon, The Encoil, Zerek Stowaway Node, ICE/iBorg Clarion Personal Translator
SHIP: Gray Messenger
LOCATION: Sakedo Tower Whereabouts
TAG:

Doc Painless

Her back was still sore from receiving the cybernetic implants, deciding a slice job was far easier to cut than trying to explain to her class why her back was itchy and covered in bandaging.

The clothes she wore helped with a bit of compression, not exactly wanting to twist and bend just yet. She had scabbed and peeled already, the little bit of bandaging just to cover the finishing meld between skin and steristeel. Just as her body was still becoming acquainted with the tech, so was her mind in remembering the new things she could do.

She arrived, holding the mask beneath an arm as she met with the contact. Not her first line of work, but it was certainly the fun kind. Another female had shown, a Zeltron, and Phalsi found herself listening to the details of the job.

Trigger happy sec officers. Paranoid camera crazed office jockeys. Seemed like a fun time. Grey blue eyes slid to the zeltron.

"Plan on the way up or just go with the flow?" She offered, one hand in her pocket and the other keeping hold of the helmet.

Doc Painless

Ripley Kühn · Dec 21, 2020

Location: Sakedo Tower
Tags:

Doc Painless
Equipment: Armor | Boots | Pistol | Lightsaber | Droid (in satchel)

The city around them thrived, a strange sense of comfort brought by the ambient noise. Ripley was simply in her element. She had been trying to step back from this life, despite how it called out to her- but when she had seen the contract details, it wasn't something that could be ignored. Jedi respected the law, but not when it didn't protect the people.

Pink fingers rested on the satchel that hung from her shoulder as she listened to the rundown. Her face was stoic, not a single emotion bleeding through, though inside she was raging. A corporation that covered up tragedies, enforcing security by bodily harm? Didn't sound like these bastards could get much worse. The Doc's grin was met with a deep sigh from herself, unable to manifest her normally cheerful demeanor. Her cobalt irises found the padawan's, a familiarity about the other woman.

"No use in making a plan, they always go wrong."

With that, the zeltron strode off towards the entrance, automatic doors wooshing open at her presence.

Doc Painless · Dec 22, 2020

The Doc's augmented eyes flicked from one Jedi to the other, taking both women in curiously. It was pretty funny to him that two different Jedi had taken the job independently of each other; they didn't seem to have met before. That wouldn't be unusual for a pair of shadowrunners, who met on the job constantly, but it seemed somehow... out of character for the famous order of galactic peacekeepers. But then, that was where legend ran into reality. It was a huge galaxy, and the Doc knew there wasn't just one Jedi Order anymore. Of course there'd be Jedi who hadn't met.

You just kind of thought of them as celebrities, y'know? Or storybook characters. The Doc had never met one before, and here were two.

Both women were younger than he was, barely into their twenties if he made his guess, which might have worried him if they hadn't been space wizards with laser swords. The human moved a little stiffly, and the Doc recognized it as that post-op soreness; he was curious what work she'd had done, but smart fixers didn't pry into their runners' personal lives. The other was a Zeltron, radiating confidence like a fusion lantern sheds heat. The Doc triggered his internal pheromone blockers, filtering his breathing and bloodstream; better not to catch artificial feelings by accident, that would really complicate things.

He stood for a moment, blinking, as the duo headed straight for the lobby. "Uh, sure. No plan... is good. Good luck."

For his part, the Doc walked over to a different building, one of several skyscrapers that had grown up to challenge - but never exceed - Sakedo Tower. There was a quiet little cafe on the 45th floor, a place he could sip a recaf in a back booth and not be disturbed. From there he could track the Jedi pair's progress up the tower, and weigh in as needed; he had provided them both with tiny, easily-concealed earpieces so that he could stay in contact. There wasn't much other help he could provide, though. Once inside, the Jedi were pretty much on their own.

Sakedo Tower's lobby was a brightly-lit, cheerful space, always full of a diverse crowd of people - shoppers, wageslaves, even a few managers and execs sprinkled in, all on their way to or from some part of the tower. There were welcome and information booths manned by upbeat protocol droids, each programmed to eagerly explain the tower's history (at least, the sanitized version of it) and direct visitors to wherever they wanted to go. The rest of the lobby was taken up by tubolifts, at least two dozen of them, to accommodate the crowds.

There were doors to maintenance stairwells too, a more covert way up... but it'd be a long walk to Level 249.

Phalsi Drynchen · Dec 22, 2020

PERSONAL EQUIPMENT: Armored clothes-How they look, The Mask, Just in Case Cloak, Scope- kept on the utility belt until used, Wrist Device , Pair of Blue Lightsabers, Slicing/Gaming Tool, Hard Light Weapon, The Encoil, Zerek Stowaway Node, ICE/iBorg Clarion Personal Translator
SHIP: Gray Messenger
LOCATION: Sakedo Tower Whereabouts
TAG:

Doc Painless

The silver haired jedi was right on her heels, doors threatening to shut on her as they stopped halfway and opened wide again. There were little movements from Phalsi, suggesting she was perhaps dancing to a tune in her head as she pulled the Mask apart and pocketed the thing. It took only a few moments to do, and it all stuffed nicely into an interior pocket.

"They do have that tendency, huh." It was more a statement than question. "Why is that you suppose? The fabric of reality working itself against us because we have expectations of success? Or because we can't truly predict the way people will act under pressure?" She was blabbing, her tone far from serious as she continued walking and lightly dancing. She was just following the Zeltron at this point, happy to have someone to talk to, even if her go to was a pseudo serious discussion.

Ripley Kühn · Dec 23, 2020

The fluorescent lights of the interior were a stark contrast to the dark exterior the city streets had. Ripley squinted and blinked a few times as her cobalt eyes adjusted to the difference. The question caused her to glance back at the padawan, a confused expression across Ripley's face. As she saw the little dance, she couldn't help but give her a goofy grin. The free spirit's demeanor was infectious, and started to pull her out of the dark hole she had been in earlier in the evening.

"For me, I think it's because I'm unlucky." She stated with a slight chuckle. "I reject the former because I no longer hold expectations for success- leads to disappointment in the end. The latter is true though, in my experience, so maybe you're onto something."

The zeltron spied a map on the wall next to an elevator and made her way over. It had all the tourist attractions the doc had mentioned, but from level 249 up, no information. Grimacing, Ripley's finger reached out to trail paths.

"In a building like this, there's likely to be some kind of maintenance halls that have a lot of access. They'll probably be protected by some kind of combination lock or scanner, but we could probably get through those no problem."

She turned to Phalsi once more, one eyebrow raised.

"So, where shall we look first?"

Doc Painless · Dec 24, 2020

The earpieces the Doc had given the Jedi crackled to life, and his voice carried over the airwaves. "Not a bad idea," he said, the subcutaneous microphone implanted in his throat clearly transmitting his voice even when he only whispered. "Based on publicly-available plans, which have at least some of the employee areas marked, there are maintenance-only turbolifts in an area behind the lobby. Once you're past one of those 'Employees Only' signs, though, be careful; the fine print says that's grounds for security to engage."

He grimaced. "Technically, they're supposed to use nonlethal force, but if they find out you're runners..."

The Doc let the sentence trail off, quietly sipping the recaf he'd ordered. He wasn't the only one in the cafe, but he was the only one anywhere near the back booth he'd picked; most of the people passing through were wageslaves with no time to linger, taking their recaf to go. The Doc said a silent prayer of thanks that he hadn't ended up like that, rushing around to earn more money for execs who were already hyper-rich. He remembered living that life, remembered thinking that his own little career was somehow important and would get him somewhere.

He'd been wrong. None of these people were even blips on the CEO's radar, no matter how hard they worked. Just little pawns.

Back in Sakedo Tower, a helpful protocol droid saw the two women standing by the building map and strutted over to offer assistance. "Greetings!" it said, its voice bright and cheery... but somehow off-putting in its over-the-top enthusiasm. "Welcome to Sakedo Tower. I am Greeter Unit Three Oh, but you may call me GUTO! Is this your first visit? I would be delighted to offer you a description of the highlights, or to give you a tour. Or if you are in a hurry, perhaps I may direct you to the area of the tower you are visiting."

The Doc winced. "We really don't need this. Get rid of him somehow. Quietly."

Phalsi Drynchen · Dec 24, 2020

PERSONAL EQUIPMENT: Armored clothes-How they look, The Mask, Just in Case Cloak, Scope- kept on the utility belt until used, Wrist Device , Pair of Blue Lightsabers, Slicing/Gaming Tool, Hard Light Weapon, The Encoil, Zerek Stowaway Node, ICE/iBorg Clarion Personal Translator
SHIP: Gray Messenger
LOCATION: Sakedo Tower Lobby
TAG:

Doc Painless

"Unlucky is a state of mind, or perhaps a state of being?" The follow up to Ripley's comment was almost quizzical, and certainly entertaining far flung thoughts rather than focusing on the job ahead of them. "And yeah, expectations of success often lead to disappointment in most things. Always expect the worst to be pleasantly surprised by the best, or even average, though still better than the worst."

A heavy topic given the pair were staring at a map of the tower. The mention of locks and back ways had her continuing to wiggle a little dance while giving a thumbs up, remembering the man was not beside them as she opened her mouth to actually reply. She cut herself off as a droid approached. The receiver in her ear buzzed a disdain for the thing as she pondered how to best remedy the situation.

A thought clicked, a system in one of her new implants firing up as she began to speak to the droid in tusken, part of her language package that she had downloaded for fun later in the padawan pack. She spoke it rather punctually, the grunts and squeaks somehow seeming almost proper instead of guttural.

"How do? We visit tall shack. Look for face paint." Phalsi spoke in the tusken language, attempting to confuse the droid while acting as though nothing had changed.

Ripley Kühn · Dec 26, 2020

Tags:

Doc Painless

The strange shrieks and hollers that escaped the woman's mouth took Ripley off guard. Her head swiveled over her shoulder, looking for any attention Phalsi might have attracted from other unwanted sources. They were getting a few raised eyebrows, one of which came from a security guard near reception. Chit.

Ripley looked ahead once again, grimacing. Why can't zeltron charm work on droids? Her arm went up and around Phalsi, squeezing hard, hoping the other woman would take the cue to be quiet.

"Sorry about my friend, she's an off-worlder." A nervous smile flickered across Ripley's face as she grasped for any straws. "You know how they are, don't know how to behave in a civilized manner. I'm just trying to show her what Denon has to offer, but our itinerary is pretty packed, so we're rushing through here! Where's the xeno-zoo?"

Doc Painless · Dec 26, 2020

The protocol droid paused, head cocked, as Phalsi spoke; if it'd had eyelids, it would have blinked slowly. "I'm sorry," it finally said, "I didn't quite..." As the words filtered through its software, translating the unfamiliar and seldom-used language, an indignant tone crept into its forced cheeriness. "Tall shack?! I must inform you that Sakedo Tower is the preeminent shopping center and place of business on Denon, and an architectural marvel! Why, the amount of transparisteel required simply to construct the facade..."

Ripley cut in, and the droid practically sagged with relief. "Of course," it said, waving an elegant silver arm in a gesture of polite dismissal. "We are glad to welcome all visitors, but it is better that some be..." It looked sidelong at Phalsi. "... supervised." It listened attentively to the Jedi's request. "Ah, of course! I understand your rush, there is much to see here at the shining center of Corporate Authority space. The primary Xeno-Zoo is on Level 171, though the Petting Zoo is on Level 50, if you would prefer. I won't keep you any longer, but if you have any other questions, please don't hesitate to ask!"

The droid trundled away with a friendly wave, looking for other tourists to swoop down upon. On the other end of the comms, the Doc chuckled. "Okay, when this is over, you've got to teach me how to say that. And I'm never calling Sakedo Tower anything but 'The Tall Shack' again." He checked his schematics, then nodded. "You should have a clear path to the maintenance area now, where the back turbolifts are. Watch out, there may be janitors or maintenance droids back there. Have a good cover story ready."

Phalsi Drynchen · Dec 26, 2020

The hint was taken quickly, but there was a tell tale smirk at the intial confusion presented by the droid. She remained silent as

Ripley Kühn went ahead and answered for the pair of them. Acting as though she did not understand, she gave a thumbs up and looked between the droid and Ripley before the droid walked away.

The smile faded, but the note of speaking to

Doc Painless about the phrase after the job was done was made. She waited until the droid was well away before looking to Ripley with a dumb looking smile and pointing up before giving her a thumbs up.

She titled her head slightly as if in silent question, smile knowing at how silly she looked in the moment but playing into the strange foreigner coming to see the 'tall shack'.

Ripley Kühn · Dec 29, 2020

Tags:

Doc Painless

Ripley simply shook her head at the goofiness of her accomplice, fighting the urge of laughter. Her footsteps echoed once more as she took doc's guidance, usually strolling to the area he recommended. It was far enough of way for her to drop to her knees, the main door equipped with a scanning pad. As she grabbed the small droid from her bag, it made a few chirps as he was disturbed.

"Hey buddy! Need to get through here fast, think you can help?"

Another chirp was the only response, as it propelled up to the lock and interfaced with the system. A few seconds later, the door slid open, and Ripley grabbed X from the air and placed him back in the satchel.

"Sorry little guy, but don't want to draw any eyes with you."

A long hall stretched before them, metal and concrete making for a dreary sight. Ripley was on full alert, expecting the worst as this almost seemed too easy.

Doc Painless · Dec 29, 2020

The pair of hired hackers advanced into the back of the tower, passing the "Employees Only" door that closed the maintenance halls off from the shiny tourist areas. It was definitely different back there, barren of the neon signs, mirror-bright windows, and polished floors designed to impress visitors - and entice them into spending money. Simple, utilitarian halls stretched into a hidden labyrinth of turbolifts, ventilation ducts, and storage closets. The humming of the generators that kept the tower running grew louder as they headed away from the lobby.

"Nice work," the Doc said. "Your little friend there is handy. Look for Maintenance Turbolift Esh. That should take you up to the janitorial area behind Fority's offices. You'll be able to get in from there." The street medic transmitted a series of waypoints to the slicers, guiding them through the maze. The duracrete hallways they walked through were largely empty, though inactive cleaning droids leaned against many of the walls, ready to spring into action if a spilled drink or dropped trash cluttered the floor. Everything had to be kept fresh.

There was no climate control in the back halls, where guests weren't meant to be, and the heat from the generators was oppressive.

Finally, the last waypoint ticked past, and Maintenance Turbolift Esh - looking not at all different from the half a dozen they'd already passed - came into view. But this one wasn't unguarded. A pair of security officers in cleanly-pressed blue uniforms lounged outside its doors, smoking cigarras. They weren't at attention, probably not expecting to need to be when they were so far from public areas. Their sidearms were casually holstered, and they were laughing, cracking jokes and complaining about their shifts. It was a smoke break, official or otherwise.

"Feth," the Doc swore quietly. "You'll have to find a way to distract them, slip past. Or you can backtrack to Turbolift Cresh, but it'll take longer... and put you further from the target when you get up to Level 249. Your call."

Phalsi Drynchen · Jan 1, 2021

She followed behind Ripley, enamored for the moment by the little droid she produced and resisting the urge to reach out and take said droid as it accessed the hall ahead of them. She held her tongue for the moment, still acting as the Tusken incompetent before they made it into the back halls of the place.

Her eyes wandered over the back alleys of the tower, a mix of amusement and disappointment coming across her features as they passed through the back ways. "I know these aren't seen by a lot of people but...like...this is dreary." The dancing had slightly diminished, but only when there wasn't enough space to shake about. After halfway through the hall assortments, Phalsi pulled her hair off her shoulders, the tell tale steristeel plates showing at the base of her neck as she fanned herself a little.

She nearly stepped out into the hallway before her entire body tensed, muscles protesting at the strange way she kept herself from stepping into the hallway so nonchalant at hearing the joking laughs and smells of smoke filling the area.

Her back really protested, giving a sharp exhale of air as she resisted the urge to scratch at her back. "What do you think?" She whispered to

Ripley Kühn while trying to relax a little. The entire body flex earlier had seemingly made Phalsi a bit uncomfortable.

Doc Painless

Ripley Kühn · Jan 8, 2021

Tags:

Doc Painless

Her eyes widened, unsure of what to do. One maintenance man, she could have dealt with easily, but a pair of unknowns made her easy. She expanded the boundaries of her mind outwards, the presence of the two becoming stronger. There was a flicker of light in one, though not strong enough to have been ever trained.

"Wait for my signal." She whispered back to Phalsi.

She inched forward slowly before the air around her began to shimmer. The force answered her call, the light around her bending until she was gone completely. No footsteps were heard as she made her way into the hall, where two men were chattering. One wore a grey uniform, the other business casual clothes. No words could be made out, even as she inched closer, as all of her focus was poured into her concealment. It had gotten easier over time, but just barely.

Ripley looped around to the man farthest, before reaching around to put a hand over his mouth. The other tugged at her blaster and raised it as his companion. Her form became visible once again, and the pair exclaimed, though one was muffled by her palm.

"Move and I swear, I'll gun you down faster than you can say please don't." Her voice was calm and low as she spoke, attempting to maintain a stoic expression. She was bluffing, but they didn't need to know that. "Phalsi!" she called out.

Doc Painless · Jan 8, 2021

Being a guard in Sakedo Tower's lower levels was no one's dream job. It meant long hours on hard floors, making monotonous patrols around the same identical, ugly hallways day after day after day. Back in the maintenance areas there were no people to push around, so even the petty joys of minor power over others were unavailable. The pay was garbage, and the benefits package didn't exist. Up on the higher levels, where the important offices were located, private security was well-compensated and vigilant. Down here, not so much.

As Ripley suddenly emerged from nothingness, a little shimmer of refracted light around her the only sign that she hadn't just been spontaneously created by some kind of mischievous space god, cigarras dropped from the guards' mouths... or they would have, if the Jedi hadn't put a hand over one of them. The guard that Ripley had grabbed whimpered as her hand mashed the end of his still-lit cigarra against his upper lip. "Whoa," the other man exclaimed, quickly raising his hands. "Be cool, lady, be cool. L... look, no one has to get hurt here."

He was short, balding, and a little round, with the look of a man who had once been very fit but had let himself go to seed in middle age. The terror in his eyes was real and vast, a terror he felt both for himself and on behalf of his tall, lanky friend that the Jedi was gripping onto. The guy was used to, at most, rousting juvenile delinquents who tried to sneak into these back halls to shoplift, tag walls, or make out. Now he was wondering whether he was about to be in the middle of another hostage crisis, like the one that'd blown the top levels months back.

"I don't know what you want," he said, speaking slowly and clearly, keeping his hands up and away from his gun, "but there's no point in hurting us. We don't have keys to anything, we don't know where the money is kept, and I swear to you we won't call this in if you just let us go." Greed was a powerful motivator, practically a god on Denon (if not the entire galaxy), but these guys weren't paid enough and didn't have enough promotion potential to risk their lives in greed's name. And loyalty fades fast in the face of a drawn blaster.

"Better hurry," the Doc transmitted. "Another patrol could pass by at any time, and if they call this in, the big guns will show up. Any alert that gets out will put the offices into lockdown, and this whole gig will become a hundred times harder."