"We got a lot of work to do first. Get more people on our side, recon areas, high value targets, the works. Your people will help a lot with that, and I can get some contacts roped in as well. The mistake the corpos make is their reliance on their invulnerability. Yeah, they got creds, security, cameras, all that jazz... but they don't know their playing field. The amount of neighbourhoods on this planet that won't give them an inch of space, especially not after Sakedo."
Xan's astute observation set off a memory in Ivory's clever mind - a quote by a famous, ancient Atrisian Warlord:
"If you know the enemy and know yourself, your victory will not stand in doubt. If you know the Land and the Heavens, you may make your victory." Ever the tactician, she was already formulating a scheme: a way to get Darkwire better prepared for the battles that were sure to come.
She was staring at the neon-colored rebel, considering the quote, when Xan stood up. The woman's bright clothing and neon eyes were the most colorful decorations in the entire apartment - as Xan approached, Ivory's mind went from considering a quote on War to how, perhaps, she'd need to get some more color in her own life. For a split second, the Donna thought Xan was merely going to snatch the bottle of liquor. That assumption was incorrect.
The kiss came from out of nowhere, but Ivory didn't move away. As Xan pulled back, mentioning the Galactic Alliance, Ivory licked her lips with an expression of surprise on her face.
The taste of whiskey mellowed by premium cafe, cream, and sugar mingled with something indescribable. For an android, the woman's lips certainly tasted real.
She stopped by the open window and turned to face the Donna. "My deets are already on your comms. Shoot me a ping and I'll be on in a sec. After all, you've seen what I can do." She winked as she knelt down to exit through the window.
"Wait." Ivory said, violet eyes meeting the rebellious warrior's own technicolor gaze. Excitement and amusement sparkled in her face as Ivory stood up, meeting
Xan Deesa
at the window. She reached past the woman, taking the top of the window and closing it firmly - missing Xan's metal fingers by an inch as the heavy barrier slid on greased hinges. Ivory turned toward the brightly-colored, heavily augmented woman, reaching out and snatching both of Xan's metallic hands in her own.
"I have an idea." She said, tugging Xan back into the kitchen. Toward the door which led deeper into the apartment. Toward the bedroom. If Xan resisted, Ivory would only tug harder, a sinful grin on her face.
If Xan followed willingly, Ivory would lead her back toward the bedroom - the door only slightly cracked open, easily pushed aside. Her bedroom was small, but actually quite clean and minimalist: a large bed dominated one wall which was unkempt, an open closet filled with numerous outfits of every style (but mostly neutral colors, as she didn't share Xan's fashion sense), a curio cabinet which contained numerous multi-colored gemstone shards, a metallic gun cabinet which was closed and secured by a biometric lock, a small desk, a dresser, and a cream-colored fuzzy rug. A few pieces of art hung on the walls; all of them abstract and colorful depictions of Force-knew-what. The room was dark as the blinds which covered the singular window in the room were drawn, but as Ivory entered, she flicked on the overhead light. The room lit up in a deep purple glow. Suddenly, all the paintings in the room came to life - glowing in a similar neon to Xan's own clothing. Xan, herself, lit up like a glow-stick. The moment they entered the room, Ivory began to talk, the words pouring out of her mouth:
"If Darkwire attempts to fight CAD by CAD's own rules, they'll lose every time. You're absolutely right. We can't beat their credits, their man-power, or their weapons in open combat -" Without a sign of hesitation, Ivory shrugged off her robe. She was, indeed, entirely naked. If Xan wanted to tease, Ivory could beat her at her own game - whether it was serious or not. Her entire body was covered in tattoos of every imaginable color and shape - including a handful that appeared to react with the ultraviolet lighting. As Ivory tugged open her closet and began to grab clothing, she continued:
"But, we may have a chance if we can unite the common people under our banner. The citizens outnumber CorpSec easily, and most follow the rules out of fear of reprisal, not because they agree in CAD's laws. If we start by showing the people we're here to fight for them, it won't just be about fighting fire with fire. We need the support of the natives. Without it, we'll be whatever CorpSec says we are."
Ivory was hurriedly getting dressed, tugging on and buttoning a pair of black, skin-tight leather pants. A
black tank-top with the words "Burn Corpo Shit" covered her torso, and Ivory reached back, tugging her hair from her back. It fell freely down to the center of her back, one side of her head shaved and decorated by similar body art.
"Darkwire has already been declared a Terrorist Organization. The time for peaceful, subtle resistance is over - we all know it, even if most don't want to admit it. CorpSec will never live & let live - they won't stop until we're dead."
The opposite section to Ivory's closet flew open and she produced a pair of heeled boots with metal caps over the toes - footwear meant for stomping skulls, not for a visit to a gala. A long
dark purple leather duster joined the boots - the patch on the back looking like the DW "Eye" and glowing faintly in the vibrant lighting. Her butt landed on the side of the bed and she sunk a few inches - clearly she preferred softness to the hard rack of a starship or the cold, firm mattresses of a back alley dive hotel. One of the many luxuries she afforded herself. The Donna clearly had money, but possessed a street-fighter's hardened self confidence.
"We need to send a message. A message to Darkwire, and all of Denon, that says we're not marching with bare feet anymore. We're ready to get hit and hit back. If we do it right, members of Darkwire won't have any choice but to support us - the message has to be something nobody can argue with. Something everybody wants."
She finished lacing up her boots, then stood, crossing the short distance to the gun cabinet on the opposite wall. She was silent for a moment as she reached forward, allowing the biometric scanner to read her palm print then punching in a short five-digit code that might have been too fast for Xan to track... but if the woman's extensive augmentations were worth their salt, she would have caught the numbers. Ivory didn't seem to care.
Inside the cabinet was a small armory. Long blasters and sidearms, a few knives, and a box of grenades were visible in the small light which clicked on within. Ivory began stuffing her pockets with an assortment of items: A knife slid into her boot. Three small
black orbs stowed in a pocket of the jacket, followed by a larger
silver device. A
blaster pistol of unfamiliar manufacture. A
metal rod stowed inside a sturdy section of her coat's inner lining. A
silver ring which was slipped on the middle finger of her left hand.
When she turned toward Xan again, Ivory looked dressed to kill. She stood saucily with a hand on her hip, flashing the brightly-colored Rave Warrior an excited grin. Her violet eyes sparkled with amusement and arousal.
"Let's get the fuck outta here. Whaddya' say?" 
Ivory Stroud
