Private Spying The Spy

[Dominik Borra]

Watching With Ten Thousand Eyes​

Denon. Lights, sound, gangs, artificial implants and all your desires on the billboard. Last time he was here the weather system was broken and it was snowing. Now it was fixed and temperate. It hadn't been a terribly long time, only a couple of weeks. He had recently joined The Family, but Dominik had been burned by too many leaders. This one he was digging up more information about. Wanted to know more about what he was getting himself into. Ivory Stroud ...

Dominik traveled along an upper walkway, shops and businesses on his right while he followed Ivory, her being down below on the streets. When he could he snapped a photo of her using his camera, making notes of where she crossed, where she turned her head, and her whole demeanor in general. She seemed to take on a different air on this planet. Different wardrobe, the way she walked, and how she handled herself. She didn't have any Goons or Family Members about her. She was alone. That was odd, considering how crime-filled Denon was. Mercenaries and gangsters everywhere who might target a woman like her. What was she trying to hide?

There were a few times she tried to duck out of sight, as if she was taking precautions against being followed. But Dominik had done this many times, able to get back on her trail with quick footwork and faster eyes.

 

[Ivory Stroud]

Location: Denon, District 7 - Seven Corners.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The hum of District 7's bright neon world filled her ears as she began one of her regular walks; departing her small apartment on the second-floor of a run-down, slummy complex off a back road, barely acknowledging the toughs standing silent watch. She paid them well enough to keep the local gangs off her turf, but generally ignored them - like she ignored the trio of tattooed teens sitting in an alcove and drinking from nondescript cans to the right of the entrance to the complex. Evening had fallen, but this city never slept... and that was how she liked it.

Denon was a wild frontier; like Coruscant in so many ways, but truly different in all the ways that mattered. Instead of hailing a cab, the raven-haired Shadowrunner seemed entirely in her element; taking to the streets & blending into the crush like any other Discreet. Rather than adopting the classy appearance of "The Donna", this Ivory seemed more like a being born & raised in the harsh reality of a Galaxy out to eat everyone alive; a pair of knee-high leather boots with steel-capped toes protected her feet from the trash and puddles of toxic water which littered the ground, and her long, muscular legs had been coated in black leather pants which accentuated every feminine curve of her body. A mottled grey & white fur coat covered her torso, and beneath it, she wore a purple tank-top; the tattoos upon her chest prominently displayed. In a holster, tucked against her ribs, she carried a fancy blaster which Marcella Fiora had made for her: The FDS-IS Shatter Pistol, an immensely destructive (and immensely discreet) tool built for a singular purpose. Her black hair had been pulled back & braided, with the left side of her head completely shaved. Her demeanor, typically classy & reserved, had entirely changed.

Though she still wore the Signet Ring of The Black Hand, this woman was the total opposite of everything "The Donna" stood for.

This woman was a child of the Streets. A Criminal, a Merc, a Rebel.

Here, on Denon, Ivory was a Shadowrunner.

As she drifted through Seven Corners, she would make occasional stops; meeting what appeared to be random acquaintances outside of a bar, or poking her head into a shop to give a holler to whomever was working the counter. At one point, she accepted an open bottle of liquor from a duo of heavily-augmented, bald-headed men standing outside of a closed-up, gated shop, taking a swig from the bottle... then, appearing to make as-if she were about to leave with it, before one of the men stopped her. They shared a laugh and she handed it back, clapping the big man on a shoulder before she departed with a wave. She seemed entirely unafraid of life on the streets; as-if she were in her element.

Her friends in the District 7 Cell of Darkwire had helped initiate her into daily life on these mean streets, but after months in the Organization, she considered this massive Urban Sprawl her home-away-from-home. Daiya had helped her by introducing her to a few friends, pointing out safe-zones & warning her against others. She'd traveled these streets enough that she knew them by memory.

"Yo, chica!" A dark-skinned human approached her on a street-corner, calling out to her loud enough to be heard across the street. Ivory swiveled on her heel, hands tucked casually in the pockets of her jacket, angling her chin upward in greeting. "Snaps. Whaddup, choom?" "Yo. Got them tickets you wanted." A grin blossomed on her face, and she nodded.. huddling with the street-kid in a dark corner to exchange hard credits for a data-pad... the switch made quickly. After a quiet conversation, they parted ways - but not before Ivory openly slugged him in the shoulder. "Tell Maav I'll be by to see him." She said, to-which her dark-skinned friend flashed a knowing grin. "Oh, he'll love that shit. Motherfucker'll be up all night with a blaster in his hand."
Ivory laughed, the sound musical & genuine. "Yeah. He'll need more than that. Owes me twelve, the prick."

Then, she was back on the prowl.

To one familiar with the layout of 7-Corners, her slow circuit on-foot seemed to be taking her toward Cheeskar's End - a neighborhood in the district known for its Casinos, Clubs, Bars, and Restaurants. One could only guess what business she had in such a place...

Dominik Borra​

 

[Dominik Borra]

Watching With Ten Thousand Eyes
​

She called to a few people, made a deal with another. He took several pictures of the encounters, making sure to get the faces of any he could. He wasn't familiar with Denon, but studying some holomaps and tracing the path she had been taking... She was heading for this part's Red Light district. Then Dominik looked around him, disgusted by some of the things people were wearing or doing right out in the open public and realized that most of Denon could be considered a Red Light district. Ivory didn't seem like the type to just go gambling. She picked up something from that darker man who called out to her. He had imagined she would hate being called a 'chica', but this persona she was wearing, it wasn't the high-class Donna. It was as if she was just a punk. A gangster in someone else's gang. He wasn't sure what to make of that, but it didn't sit right with him. He could read lips, and luckily his cybernetic eye and seen her interaction. Who was Maav? Was she meeting him wherever she was hehading? Or making a delivery of what she had traded for?

Some two-bit chromed-out harlot stood in Dominik's way, practically pressing herself against him suddenly. "Hey big boy, nice suit~ Wanna go somewhere nice and quiet? You can take pictures of me with that camera~"

Dominik gave an uneasy smile. "No thanks, camera adds ten pounds, you know? You seem like you want to keep thin." And pushed past her. She loudly called him a prick but easily settled on a new potential customer. Oh Denon, you are a less classy Zeltron. Why in the Forrce would Ivory Stroud have a second life here?

 

[Ivory Stroud]

Location: Denon, District 7 - Seven Corners.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Ivory kept to the streets, hands tucked in her pockets; glancing now & then into the windows of the buildings she passed. The environment began to change - shifting from the tightly packed shops & apartments into larger, open thoroughfairs. Above them, the upper plates of Denon's highest levels became more sparse - providing a rare glimpse into the dark sky far, far overhead. The trash & dark shadows remained, and the crowds thinned...

Cheesker's End.

A half-illuminated flickering sign boldly declared the change. Ivory's pace had slowed; taking on a meandering gait, unhurried, as she appeared from a distance to blend into the background. She turned a corner off of the main byway she'd been following, onto a road which was bordered to the right by a high chain fence with an intense drop-off into empty air. Below & across the gap, District 7 stretched in all directions. To the left, the glamour of light & sound increased as the nondescript buildings were replaced by a steady stream of dive-bars, open-air shops & food carts, open pavilions (some well-lit & others not), and a variety of buskers & other patrons milling about - partaking in Denon's night-life.

Ivory kept to the right side, following the fenceline for a brief stretch before shifting her weight, timing the moment her right foot fell to suddenly turn her hip, performing a glance over her shoulder; before immediately turning back to step forward on her left foot. The glance behind her might have been to check for oncoming traffic... but the street was entirely clear.

She crossed the open road at a jog, reaching the the other side and entering an open courtyard which spanned a number of businesses & locales within Cheesker's End.

A food-cart with a yellow patchwork tarp overhead stood near a busy bar-like establishment, with a small crowd of Denonites milling about outside. Some were drinking from bottles or cans & carrying on conversation under a din of background music within the building, while a few others stood nearby the food cart. The crowd contained a smattering of Races, with humans making up the majority. Many in the group (which numbered about 12 - 15 in total) sported visible body-modifications. Ivory approached this particular food-cart, ignoring the others... taking up a spot in line, which seemed to be moving quickly.

The proprietor, a human with darker skin & sporting a mechanical eye & right hand, spoke very little - working quickly to fix whatever cuisine he was hawking after an exchange of credits. He handed over two items of identical shape - logs about the size of a human forearm in length & width - each wrapped in silver foil. The Shadowrunner accepted the items, and turned away - disappearing down an alleyway to the rear of the building with the loud music.

To follow, one would have to be more cautious, as the change in scenery & proximity would make it difficult to remain undetected. A Choke-point... and a blind one at that. The alleyway was dark, dingy, and appeared entirely unnocupied.

Dominik Borra​

 

[Dominik Borra]

Ivory kept to the streets, hands tucked in her pockets; glancing now & then into the windows of the buildings she passed. The environment began to change - shifting from the tightly packed shops & apartments into larger, open thoroughfairs. Above them, the upper plates of Denon's highest levels became more sparse - providing a rare glimpse into the dark sky far, far overhead. The trash & dark shadows remained, and the crowds thinned...

Cheesker's End.

Dominik had to give up his high ground and follow her closely, on foot. Not enough space to move around freely and he would stand out if he tried. Best to blend in with the crowd. He soon learned he could only do that for a short while. Ivory soon turned off onto a side street. Empty road, fence to one side. Following her into that open area would be begging to be seen. flipping up the collar of his coat and suit to hide part of his lower face, he hugged a dark corner, out of any lights and watched her walk along. He kept the majority of his body behind cover, only a part of his head peaking out. She walked along it for a while, about to get too far for Dominik's comfort zone. If she bolted something he could lose track quickly.

He left his corner and walked along the opposite side of the street as her, moving quickly to gain some ground. It was as he was ducking behind another corner that Ivory did her quick glance behind her. Dominik continued into the alleyway casually, hoping to not be noticed. He looked back around the corner the moment she finished crossing the street, leaving Dominik's field of view.

He jogged to where she had left and peaked around the corner again. She was in line at a food truck before receiving two long objects wrapped in foil. He raised the camera and snapped a few photos. There were a few other patrons here, milling about. As she began leaving a Chiss man noticed him observing the area from around the corner, frowned, and started making his way over to Dominik.

Dominik backed up a few steps into the darkness. As the Chiss man came around the corner with the posture of someone ready to lay down some ass-whooping, Dominik slipped by him, quiet as wind, and walked through the small yard after Ivory. "Hey choom, what do you think you're... huh?"

She went into another alleyway, an empty one at that. A choke-point, dark. It'd be hard to follow her into that without being seen. She might be hiding around a corner waiting for someone to follow her. Or maybe she was heading into a covered doorway and would vanish. He'd wait a few moments, not wanting any sound of his footsteps right behind her.

"Hey! Choom! You!" The Chiss called as he stepped closer. "The kark you think you're doing 'round here?" He was a tall thick-set Chiss and knew how to present himself as a threat. He was bigger and taller than Dominik, and on Denon he surely had cybernetic enhancements. But when you've taken down enough Sith and Jedi, that sort of posturing just wasn't impressive anymore. Dominik turned and regarded him flatly. Only when he tried to get in Dominik's face did the ex-agent's blaster appear in his hand and press against the underside of his chin. "Corpo business," Dominik whispered. "Ignore me, or get flatlined." He spoke their own slang with confidence and matter-of-factness. People who are actually dangerous hardly try to show it off. They know what they can do and are willing to do it. The Chiss' red eyes narrowed and he started to growl. A green-skinned woman, no taller than five feet and a thin little thing came up and tugged his arm back. "Hey, come on, let's not get mixed up in anything that ain't us." The woman couldn't have weighed more than a hundred pounds, but she was able to get him to back off. She gave nervous glances toward Dominik while the Chiss simply glared.

Dominik turned and, hoping his own boss wasn't waiting to kill him, he stepped quietly into the darkness of the alleyway, keeping to the sides.

Ivory Stroud

 

[Ivory Stroud]

The inky blackness of the alleyway closed in, readily absorbing light & sound like a black hole in the dark depths of space - amplifying the sounds of street-noise, while also dulling it to a muted roar. Condensation from an old air-conditioning unit overhead dripped down one of the walls, pooling upon the black-top in a puddle as dark as spilled blood. The alleyway curved to the left for a few meters then split into a T-Junction; one end turning to the right & the other to the left. The left branch would take one back to another section of the same promenade, but the right ran along the rear of the buildings Ivory had passed earlier on her approach.

It was, realistically, the only direction she would have gone.

The alleyway stretched onward for about a hundred meters, lit intermittently by hanging street-lights and a handful of smaller bulbs on some of the buildings. Rear entrances, many of them gated & entirely inaccessible, to a dozen nondescript residences & shops stood empty; some occupied by scraps of trash & dumpsters stuffed full of refuse, or stacks of empty shipping pallets. To the discerning eye, one might have even recognized the tell-tale angles of a sec-camera or two, set high overhead, watching traffic in either direction. The straight-away down the center of the alleyway was wide-open, but there were plenty of dark shadows to conceal oneself.

Ivory, to her own credit, had already found one for herself - pausing a few moments to glance behind her before continuing on.

Now, her telltale feminine figure would be visible about 75 yards toward the far end of the alleyway; walking in the center, with seemingly no care taken to conceal her movements. She turned, appearing to approach the rear of a building on the left.

"Hey, kiddo."

"Uh, oh... Ivory?"

"Yeah. Got you something."

She handed over one of the long, thin, silver-rolled parcels she'd been carrying. The young man, crouched on a worn stool beside an old refuse bin, reached out - accepting the small parcel with a hungry glint in his eye. He unwrapped it quickly, digging into the burrito with gusto. "Thank you..." He muttered, leaning his back against the wall of the building behind him. After a few minutes of muttered conversation, during-which Ivory unwrapped her own parcel and joined in the impromptu meal, she moved on - leaving the bundled shape with a pat on the shoulder.

Denon's "Discretes" were a poor & hungry lot, and Ivory had learned one lesson very well from her friends in Darkwire - take care of the little people, and they would take care of you. What few words they'd exchanged, she'd gotten what she came for: information one could only gather on the street from someone able to go unseen & forgotten.

Her objective complete, the Shadowrunner continued down the remainder of the alleyway, reaching the far end and curving to the right. Another straight-away, with an open street a hundred yards further down, awaited her. A breeze caught her back, driving the woman onward...

As she walked, she finished her burrito, balled up the metallic foil, and tossed it into a trash-bin as she passed.

Dominik Borra​

 

[Dominik Borra]

Dominik walked with a hand on his weapon through the dark alley. He reached the T-intersection, looked both ways by peeking his head out, and thought for a moment. The left went back, making a circle. The right was a long alleyway along the buildings she had walked along before. He also saw a light at the end of the alley but didn't see anyone walking it, no silhouette. She must have looped around, trying to shake any-

He heard the reverberating footsteps and the echoing splashes of water as she stepped back out and continued her way down away from him. Had she seen him? He stayed in the dark, she probably didn't know it was him if she saw him, just someone following, maybe. But she wasn't running, infact she made herself known. He snapped a single picture. For now he'd keep his distance.

She went to some street kid and handed him one of the long tubes she got at the food cart. He watched from afar. He thought he smelled food and the sounds mouths make when they eat. There was also a bit of conversation, but Dominik wasn't close enough to hear it all. His eye zoomed in and recorded what it could see of their mouths moving, hoping to read their lips at a later date. But they also ate, it seemed, which would make it a bit harder. He was focused in on analyzing the move before he realized that she was feeding the street kid. She may be getting information along with it, but she wasn't using intimidation or threats. But she had picked up his food and given it to him. One might just see that as a better way to get information, and another would see it as a kindness first, a request for information second. That is if getting info was what she was doing at all. This might be a cousin of hers for all he knew.

Eventually she moved on, and Dominik followed her. He hunched his shoulders as he passed the Discrete she had eaten with. The smell of food was fresh, they definitely had eaten together. She was heading out for the street, and he was watching for what way she was turning...

 

[Ivory Stroud]

The ambient noise of the city grew as Ivory approached the mouth of the alleyway, finding herself stepping onto another side street. Speeder-noise from high above & the dull, distant hum of music reverberated off the walls in all directions, mingling with an advertisement somewhere further down broadcasting over a speaker. The street appeared mostly deserted, with only a few Denon 'discreets' - Denon peasant-folk - minding their own business and light traffic passing by.

The Shadowrunner stopped, reaching into the pocket of her coat; producing a small, metallic cigarra case which she opened. Leisurely, she lit it... drawing a lungful of smoke into her chest then exhaling into the night sky. She sighed, scratching an eyebrow with her thumb - using the same hand which held the lit cigarra between index & middle-finger. After a moment, she tugged the sleeve on her left arm back, appearing to check her wrist-chron.

She was waiting for something.

It didn't take long to find out what.

A large passenger vehicle, propelled by a set of four repulsor-lifts (which did not match) suddenly came into view, slowing down directly in-front of her; stopping only a few meters away. The van, which appeared to have been cobbled together with parts from a half-dozen different speeders before being painted a uniform dull, matte black, carried dents, dings, and scratches - some of which appeared very old while others appeared all-too recent. Slowly, the van pulled alongside the raven-haired Mafiosa, but rather than avoiding it entirely, Ivory instead approached the passenger-side window... digging her free hand into one of her jacket pockets, removed it, then appeared to lean on the door & converse with whomever was riding shotgun in the front seat.

When the sudden flash of light came, it took her entirely by surprise.

The stun blast struck her square in the chest, catching her unaware, and she crumpled to the permacrete - clearly unconscious. The side door of the van opened violently, and two large, heavily-augmented humans stepped out; each grabbing one of her arms & throwing her bodily inside the dark interior of the vehicle. Each of the two men were bald-headed & wearing leather vests, shorts, and high boots. The face, suddenly visible in the rolled-down passenger window, was of a dark-skinned human wearing sunglasses with a metallic lower jaw.

To anyone familiar with Denon's Underworld, all the signs pointed to The Zero Gang - the very same group whom Niki Priddy & The Family had waged war upon only a few months before.

The vehicle was already beginning to pull away as the side-door slammed shut.

Dominik Borra​

 

[Dominik Borra]

Dominik moved forward until he could see her from far down the alleyway. If she came back, he wouldn't want to be standing there to be seen. He watched her light a cigarra and smoke and stand there. She was looking around. No, she was waiting for something. It was seemingly the cobbled together speeder of some gangster. It pulled up and it's window rolled down. He watched his boss lean against the window, peering in to talk to someone.

And then he watched his boss get stunned.

He grew his gun and began running forward, but the men were grabbing her and tossing her into the van with practiced speed. He could shoot them, even from this distance, and raised his gun to fire. Then he thought through it some more and pulled his finger back from the trigger, instead running the the mouth of the alleyway and staring out at the speeder as it left. He memorized its look and direction, cursed, and began looking around.

This had just gone from a dark spying mission to a rescue operation. When his eyes landed on his means of accomplishing it, he stopped panicking and moved.

Ivory Stroud​

 

[Ivory Stroud]

She was swimming in a vast, black ocean.

Her limbs felt heavy, weighed down as-if she were treading through oil which coated every inch of her skin... soaking into her clothing... threatening to drag her below, where there was no oxygen. No light. No sound.

Threatening to drown her. To rob her of all her senses, and draw a veil across her vision forever.

But slowly... inexorably... she could feel the dark tide ebbing. At the edges of her vision, a dim light began to coalesce into form. Into substance. And then... she was awake.

The first thing she noticed was the cold, hard, metallic plates against her face, and how they vibrated from the rumble of an engine only meters away. The second thing she noticed was the feeling of cold, hard metal on both her wrists - she'd been cuffed, and the feeling of rusted metal grating against her bare skin was unmistakable. She'd felt the same sensation before.

The inside of the speeder was poorly lit, but as she cracked open her eyes - to avoid drawing attention to the fact that she was now conscious - she could make out two large shapes in the open space around her. She couldn't crane her neck to glimpse the driver's compartment, but she remembered in an instant that there'd been a driver & a passenger.

Nychol Phelps. That was the man in the passenger seat.

She'd been a fool to try to deal with the Zeros, especially after the beating her Family had delivered upon them... but she'd assumed, clearly incorrectly, that her ties to the Syndicate had been hidden enough. She stirred, eliciting a reaction from one of the men in the cab; a low growl which coalesced into a monotone hum, as-if the speaker's voice box had been replaced by a synthetic one:

"Boss. She's awake."

Ahead of her, she heard the sound of weight being shifted in the passenger seat. Nychol was looking over his shoulder at her, and finally, she opened her eyes.

Her head was pounding and her vision was blurry.

"Nice shot." She said, weakly.

The dark-skinned man shrugged one shoulder. "Plenty more where that came from, queen. You got me what I wanted. Now, I get to deliver my own gift."

Ivory started to shift her weight, drawing her knees toward her chest in an attempt to sit up, but a sudden weight crushed down upon one of her ankles. One of the men in the back, seated near her legs, had brought his foot harshly down, pinning her leg to the cold metal floor.

"Nah. I don't think so." Nychol muttered, now facing forward - staring out of the hazy, cracked glass windscreen of the van.

"I guess it's about time you pay up. You've got a lot of blood on your hands, girl..."

"Don't we all," she thought, but didn't say anything. Now, not only her head was hurting, but her ankle as well.

She couldn't see clearly out of the front window, but she was already paying attention to the turns. They weren't moving fast, as they clearly didn't expect anyone to be following them.

"I guess," Nychol said after a minute's pause, "You wish you had some of those pro killers with you, now. The same ones that killed Zero."

Entirely unexpected by every man in the vehicle, Ivory chuckled. Nychols turned in his seat again, looking back at the feminine shape laying on the floor.

"Haven't you heard?" Ivory asked, grunting as the heavy boot was removed from her ankle.

"Family always sticks together, Nychol."

Dominik Borra​

 

[Dominik Borra]

The keys were easy to find. His spy tricks to intercept the mismatched vehicle worked well. It was all about timing and placement. And although he hadn't done this in a while, he performed it perfectly. He just hoped that Ivory wouldn't mind Dominik making an entrance like this.

The mismatched vehicle was going at the pace the rest of traffic was, slowing and stopping and resuming as if they weren't carrying a prisoner who was in charge of the shadiest underground criminal organization in the galaxy. And when Dominik put it like that, he wasn't sure if he liked the fact that he worked for her. But then... who else would he work for? Who else had the backs of those underneath them? Black Ops for a government? Certainly not. But The Family? It seemed they were tighter than other groups he could work with. Maybe this one wouldn't cut out his eye or leave him for dead.

One could only hope, right?

Because the large, heavy speedertruck he had stolen slammed into the side of the gangster's vehicle with the sound of screeching joints and tearing metal, toppling the car over onto a raised sidewalk. The car rolled end over end before Dominik's stolen truck pinned it on its side against the front of the store, its exterior windows shattered and its walls and doorframe bent inwards. He put the truck in park and got out, gun in hand as he walked towards the vehicle. He climbed up and looked down through a shattered window of the speeder, and saw Ivory along with some other gangsters inside. They were understandably dazed and trying to figure out what was going on.

He reached down and grabbed onto Ivory Stroud , hauling her up and through the broken window space.

 

[Ivory Stroud]

The impact was violent enough to nearly send her diving back into the deep, dark abyss of unconsciousness.

Her entire world began toppling end-over-end, and she instinctively raised her bound wrists to protect her skull as she went airborne; willing her muscles to remain limp. The old trick, taught to her by the spymasters of her day, would at least lessen the possibility of severe injury or broken bones. She ignored the shouts & surprised screams of her kidnappers as suddenly, all their plans were suddenly shattered.

When she finally came to rest, she realized the vehicle she'd been imprisoned within now lay on its side. Immediately, she knew she was bleeding from a half-dozen cuts, and the sudden flurry of impacts had battered most of the air out of her lungs... but she was alive. The sound of movement outside the vehicle told her they were not alone, but Ivory knew the identity of her savior before she ever saw his face.

He was good. She had to give him that.

Blood streamed from a cut along her left eyebrow and her eye was beginning to swell shut, but she had enough vision to look up at the face of the man who grabbed her coat and hauled her upward out of the broken remains of the van. Inside, she could hear the pained groans of the Zeros who'd attempted to take her hostage.

"Z-Zero... Lookin' for you..." She grunted, her face contorting into a rictus of pain. "For Niki."

She tried to take a breath as he set her down, but coughed. Suddenly realizing that the time for cold-blooded determination & focus in the face of torture had passed, a red mist of rage began to descend over her vision. Angrily, she began to struggle with the binders that trapped her wrists. "These motherfuc-... God Damn..."

Realizing she was fighting a losing battle - one she'd surely need help with - she looked up at Dominik with a burning fury in her eyes. Her hair was dishevled and her clothing torn, but instead of appearing helpless, she seemed entirely overcome with a blood-boiling, wrathful lust for blood.

"Kill those motherfuckers!"

Dominik Borra​

 

[Dominik Borra]

Ivory was cut up and bruised, but she'd live and she didn't look like she had any broken bones. There were safer ways to extract a VIP from a vehicle, but none he had the time for. Had to improvise. He was beginning to walk away with her when she started speaking. Zero? Looking for him and Niki? Zero was dead, so that must have been his gang seeking revenge. She struggled with her restraints, old metal cuffs, and in quick movement of his wrist Dominik produced a small picking tool. It took maybe five whole seconds before he had them off of her.

And then she gave him orders. He looked at her when she did so, those fire in her eyes. She was beyond angry, but even if emotions could be compromising her, he supposed there was no better response for criminals. He didn't like killing, but these were part of Zero's old gang. And he would sleep better knowing he got some of the stragglers. Without a word, he nodded to her, made sure she was standing on her own two feet, and walked back to the car. He climbed up and looked in through the window, the driver was unconscious, the passenger was stirring and there was another guy in the cab, where Ivory had been. With a quick look around he wondered what the police response time would be like for this part of Denon. He wasn't really sure. So he decided against taking the time to drag them all out and lay them on the sidewalk. He shot the one in the cab three times, twice in the chest and another in the head. He walked over to the driver side window, and put two shots into the driver's head. The energy blasts from this handgun got a little messy if he was being honest. The spray of matter on the passenger fully woke him.

"Holy chit!" Nychol exclaimed. "W-wait choom, I'll pay you!" He wailed as he begged for his life. And Dominik put two in his chest. Nychol was slowly sinking into death before Dominik pushed him with another in the head.

He turned and stepped off the vehicle, back towards Ivory Stroud . "Come on." He said before he took her arm and began walking away. The wrecked speeder caught fire.

 

[Ivory Stroud]

Ivory turned, rubbing one of her wrists as she watched Dominik return to the up-ended vehicle. The occasional light from passing speeders, as well as a soft neon glow from displays overhead winking in the dark, danced upon her face. The sound of gunfire - a series of spaced reports - reached her, but she didn't so-much as bat an eyelash. She watched him descend from the vehicle, noting the calm & determination in his demeanor...

And was impressed.

Over the months since Dominik had joined, she'd noticed his commitment to whatever task he undertook; noticed his dedication to seeing things through to the end, regardless of the price. He was a killer, like her... like all of them, really - but he also possessed a keen sense of honor & integrity. He was willing to do what he believed was the "right thing"; even if it meant taking risks. He was loyal... and he kept his word.

He turned and stepped off the vehicle, back towards Ivory Stroud Ivory Stroud . "Come on." He said before he took her arm and began walking away. The wrecked speeder caught fire.

His fingers closed around her bicep like a vice. With a grunt, she followed - shuffling slightly to match his pace, but falling in-sync as he led the way deeper into Denon's neon city-scape. As they left the scene of the "accident", Ivory stuffed her hands in the pockets of her coat - hunching her shoulders in a familiar manner to protect her face and make herself a smaller target. The pair crossed the street, choosing a side road as a detour; she led the way, as she was somewhat more familiar with Denon than he would be.

"Good job." She said once they were clear from the scene. She said it without looking at her companion, but turned to glance at him to see if he'd heard her.

"I made you when I got the food..." She said, turning her head to glance behind her. "But, I had no idea those bastards would try something so bold. I guess that was my mistake."

She sighed, a question burning in her mind. Her head was pounding and her body ached, and all she wanted was a drink and a shower... but first...

"We need to get off the street, in case CorpSec Drones start sweeping. They normally don't respond to minor accidents," - the irony of her statement might have been comical, even to her, but she was too tired to point it out by laughing - "but with things as chaotic as they are, there's no way to tell."

 

[Dominik Borra]

Dominik had heard her, only glancing at her and giving a nod to indicate that he did. He was busy looking around and making sure no one was watching or following them. He still had a hand on her arm. He had no idea if the car had a follower and he'd need to run with her or if she'd fall. It might have been a bit rough to hold on to her so tight, but she could cope.

Ivory Stroud told him when she had made him, and it made sense. It was probably when she crossed to get food that she was talking about. He was most exposed then and in her field of view. She added that they needed to get off the street and he couldn't agree more. "We're getting off this planet. Far too hot for you right now." He reaffirmed his grip and crossed another street, moving quickly towards where his ship was parked. "So you spotted me and knew you had someone else after you? How'd you know I wasn't on their payroll?" He asked. He hadn't taken any oath, just done a few jobs and been in a couple of scrapes. "I could have been the one to inform your location to them, on their side."

 

[Ivory Stroud]

"We're getting off this planet. Far too hot for you right now." He reaffirmed his grip and crossed another street, moving quickly towards where his ship was parked. "So you spotted me and knew you had someone else after you? How'd you know I wasn't on their payroll?"

With a sudden jerk, she pulled her arm from his grasp. The mottled gray & white fur coat she so-often wore on Denon was a bit slippery now, which made it easier. She could clearly walk under her own power, and didn't need his help... or want it. Though she might have looked different from her life in The Family, the look she gave him at that moment clearly stated: Don't forget who I am.

"I didn't know the Zeros would try something like that. We struck a deal a few weeks back, and the meetup was planned... I'd hold up my end, and in-return, they'd give me information I needed. None of that matters now. As for you..." She kept pace unhesitatingly - clearly, she was in-agreement that extraction from Denon for at least a short period of time was a good idea. "Let's just say, I'm a good judge of character."

A sideways glance silently evaluated him. A half-dozen cuts on her face & neck still oozed crimson, but it clearly didn't phase her.

The impromptu test had gone better than she could have hoped. She'd suspected, of course, that she'd been Made herself - by the Zeroes, and not just for the massacre The Family had brought upon their heads at the behest of Niki Priddy . Her operations on Denon, solo & otherwise, had taken her far & wide across the districts. She'd made a number of enemies on the planet while working with Darkwire, and solidified the ire of her adversaries when The Family arrived & started taking what they wanted for themselves.

Sure, maybe she'd miscalculated a bit... but she'd never admit it. Even to herself.

As the pair crossed a street, delving deeper into the city, she recognized where they were headed - an out-of-the-way "landing pad" used by smugglers in the heart of District 7, and kept off-the-record from CorpSec databases by a collective of Darkwire-affiliated Slicers. The location often wasn't occupied for long, as most who landed their did so only just long enough to offload cargo before exiting at-speed.

"You know... this is twice now you've saved my life." She said after a pause.

"If I didn't know better, I'd think you were actually starting to like working for me."

Dominik Borra​

 

[Dominik Borra]

She pulled her arm out of his grasp and, incase she was about to fall, he turned to her. She mostly just looked mad, giving him a look to remind him who was in charge. She was. A leader couldn't show weakness in a crime syndicate, it makes the other predators in your group start licking their chops. But Dominik wasn't one of those looking to climb the ladder. Once he was sure she wasn't swaying too much he started walking again.

"You made a deal with the Zeroes and expected them to be as professional as you?" He asked, not expecting an answer. It was obvious that she had messed up, and misunderstood the Zeroes. When you play your own game for so long it's hard to realize that not everyone is playing the same game. She just didn't anticipate the scum-factor to play into the Zeroes move. But she had judged him correctly, knowing or hoping he was on her side still.

He kept moving towards the smuggling pad, one of the ships The Family used there. His own ship was lost and he still needed to get a new one for himself. But for now, these would suffice.

"You know... this is twice now you've saved my life." She said after a pause.

"If I didn't know better, I'd think you were actually starting to like working for me."

A smile twitched up one corner of his mouth as he reached the ship, the ramp lowering for them. "Don't count yourself so lucky yet. I'm still thinking about it. But you're welcome."

 

[Ivory Stroud]

"Don't count yourself so lucky yet. I'm still thinking about it. But you're welcome."

Ivory went first, stepping onto the ramp of the ship - climbing the incline until she reached the small cargo hold of the Audacia-class Corvette. She expected there to be at least a few Family "Goons" there to greet her, but was surprised to find... no-one. Leaving Dom to raise the ramp upon joining her, she approached the airlock which led further into the ship's interior; the door hissed open at her behest, but other than the ship's standard compliment of gear & equipment, it was quiet.

She turned, waiting for her companion to join her once the ship was sealed. As he passed, she watched him... but said nothing.

As he joined her, she allowed him to lead the way; following him through the Armory into the habitation-area. To the right, a bulkhead separated a series of bunks from the rest of the ship; to the right, the small seating area and kitchenette remained dark & likewise unoccupied. While the assassin busied himself with preparing the ship for a rapid take-off, Ivory shrugged out of her coat & laid it down on the metallic table in the center of the lounge area, then obtained a small medical kit from the wall nearby.

The familiar whining hum of the engines sent a shiver through the hull, but the inertial dampeners stole away any perception of movement there might have been. The trip into orbit would be quick, and the ship's powerful Electronic Countermeasures suite would reliably hide their IFF signature from cursory detection from CorpSec's scanners.

Ivory busied herself with cleaning & bandaging her wounds - politely denying any assistance. Her demeanor had notably improved, and she seemed comfortable... even falling asleep in his presence after the jump to Hyperspace.

~ END ~