Private Steppin' Razor

[Torn Eskol]

​

SIA SPECDIV
AGENT ESKOL
"RIVET".

CORUSCANT
DARRO'S APARTMENT

Darro Carden​

"Go get him." Torn turned his head at the dossier, pinning the comm unit to his shoulder with his ear. "Get him, get him, or grab him?" There was a pause at the other end. "Start with the latter, then move to the former if he doesn't play ball." Torn waited for a while, then nodded. "Got it." He picked up a few credits, a transportation identification badge, and a dead drop site for his gear. "Rivet, today." Torn scowled a little. "Rivet, huh."

He had come in, like a ghost. There was a misconception that getting into someone's place was easy to do when they were sleeping. While true, it presented too many variables. So, Rivet often pulled a simpler approach: break in when they weren't there, and then wait.

Plus, if you were killing them, eating their snacks was on the table. But at the moment, the kid just needed to be talked to. Just needed to be informed, maybe used, maybe dumped afterwards. So, Rivet lie in wait, a verpine shatterpistol in his lap, sitting in Darro's apartment. At his feet were two bags. And a bodybag tucked into one of them, just in case the kid got uppity. Rivet was wearing a mask, a simple balaclava. And he heard the door click. Rivet didn't turn, but he waited for the kid to get deeper into the room, keeping the gun level with his chest.

Rivet turned on the lamp near him. He put his fingers to his lips, rising to a stand- the gun still trained on him from the hip. At this range, with that shatterpistol- it'd be a cakewalk. A deadly silent cakewalk.

"Make any funny moves and you die. Sit down, Darro."

He indicated to the chair he was just sitting in.

"We're gonna chat, you and I."

​

 

[Darro Carden]

Darro's Apartment

Yawning as he came in, there was nothing he wanted more than to get a hot shower and just crash on his bed. He had been at the training range for longer than he had planned, but normally where he'd have been complaining about having to spend all of his free time there, he had considered it worth it for several reasons.

Though, as the lights turned on, he saw the man and the gun pointed at him. There was a few seconds of shock and fear, but as he watched the man put his fingers to his lips, with Darro guessing he didn't want him to not shout, he nodded slowly as he took a seat.

"How can I help you, unknown dangerous guy with a gun...?"

 

[Torn Eskol]

Darro Carden
​

SIA SPECDIV
RIVET


Rivet didn't say anything for a second, but leaned on the wall. It made him look more relaxed, but it also had the benefit of nobody being able to sneak up behind him or approach him from the rear, should anyone else be in the house.

"I need an asset for a mission. You're it."

He gestured to the bag below him, using the pistol. He didn't however, take it off of him. The kid wanted in? Fine, Rivet would put him in.

"You don't get to say no."

​

 

[Darro Carden]

Staring at the guy, Darro was almost positive he had to be with the Galactic Alliance. Why else would someone want to break into his apartment and tell him that he was going on a mission? Nodding again, Darro allowed a smirk to cross his face as slowly got up and went over to a small table and pulled out a blaster before he placed it down.

"Really, a mission? Well, here I was thinking no one in the Alliance was going to pay any attention to me for some time, but now I have mysterious people ordering me around..."

Sitting on the edge of the couch, Darro ran a hand through his hair.

"So, what is this mission, and who you are you?"

 

[Torn Eskol]

​

SIA SPECDIV
AGENT ESKOL

​

Rivet stared for a while, debating on even if to answer his question. He did however, walk over to the table, putting the blaster pistol away from the kid's reach.

"I don't exist."

He said eerily, gesturing to the bag at his feet. It was slightly open- and there was a paper dossier inside, along with a change of clothes. Perfectly sized to him. Perfectly. Not exactly high-end fashion clothes, but definitely higher up on the end of streetwear.

"You're going to put these on. Get into a cab that will be outside of this place in five minutes. If you're not in that cab, if you don't put that earpiece on, and you don't go to work-

You're out."

Perhaps Rivet meant that he'd be out of a job, out of the Alliance, or maybe, Rivet was going to shoot him dead. Rivet took the blaster pistol that the kid produced with him, tucking it into his waistband before walking backwards to the door, before folding his non-firing hand behind him, opening the door. His eyes, the only thing visible behind the mask, glowed slightly. He looked demonic, shrouded in the dim light and shadows of the room, with just his eerie slightly-glowing eyes. Then, as quickly as he came, he was gone. And the kid was left with a choice. Either go into the man's dark, mysterious, evil world, or don't.

The choice was in the bag, and in that earpiece.

 

[Darro Carden]

Watching as he pocketed his blaster, Darro looked inside of the bag and pulled out black clothing. Looking back at him, Darro picked up the earpiece and nodded slowly, the smirk no longer on his face.

So, not everyone in the Alliance is some good guy...

Maybe this guy wanted to protect the Alliance, but it didn't seem like he was the type that cared if anyone died.

"Fine..."

 

[Torn Eskol]

​

SIA SPECDIV
AGENT ESKOL

Darro Carden

As Darro got into the Taxi, he made his choice.

He was in Rivet's world now.

As dark as it was.
​

There was silence for the first few minutes of Darro's taxi ride, not even from the taxi driver himself. He seemed to know where to go already. Maybe he was in on it already. Maybe he was scared too. Only a few glances from the Taxi driver towards Darro was the only thing that occupied the space between them.

The earpiece crackled to life.

"The moment you get out of the taxi. Head straight for the third bench on the left. There will be a bag of groceries on the left side. That's the one. Wait there, and pull the small green box out of the grocery bag."​

Rivet got into position, distantly. He crossed a great distance in a short amount of time. Far enough away, but, at the same time- deadly close.

 

[Darro Carden]

As the taxi came to a stop and slowly came to the ground, Darro wasted no time hopping out and saw the group of benches the mystery man was talking about, along with a bag that was sitting by itself. Walking over, he sat down next to it before he looked inside and saw that there was a small green box sitting in there. Speaking softly, Darro opened his legs to relax himself as he looked at the box.

"I've got to tell you, this mission seems to be going great since all I'm doing is getting groceries, but it would definitely help if I had a name to put to the face and voice. What the frak should I even call you?"

 

[Torn Eskol]

​

SIA SPECDIV
AGENT ESKOL

Darro Carden

“You don’t ask questions in our line of work. Not unless you’re told to. The who, the why, the what. Not important. You’re only worried about the how.”

There was a silence at the end of the line. Not a peep, nothing. The world moved around Darro, just passing speedings and passerby’s.

“It doesn’t matter what you call me. I’ll be someone else tomorrow. You should get used to working with things and people that don’t exist.”

Another long silence.

Click-click. Went the box.

“In a few minutes, there will be a Chiss Alliance Officer coming to sit next to you. When he does, open the box.”

A speeder landed near Darro, and sure enough- a Chiss emerged, giving some instructions to his driver. He seemed afraid, nervous and paranoid. He began to make his way over to Darro….

 

[Darro Carden]

Darro felt the tension in the air shift as the Chiss officer approached, his stark blue skin a stark contrast to the mundane backdrop of the city. It unnerved him in a way, like he was watching a scene from a holo-vid—the kind where the unsuspecting hero doesn't know he's being watched by a predator lurking in the shadows. And that predator was the unknown Alliance agent, somewhere out there, his unseen presence looming over everything Darro was about to do.

Pulling the green box out of the bag, he took a moment to collect himself. Whatever was contained inside, Rivet had deemed necessary for this mission— but what it was, he had no idea. A part of him wanted to open it immediately, to discover the contents and figure out just what he was getting himself into, yet another part felt the weight of the man's earlier words.

"You don't ask questions in our line of work."

What kind of line of work was this? It felt more like a convoluted game of dejarik than anything he had ever been a part of. His instinct to rebel against orders tugged at him, but he was now keenly aware of the agent's ominous shadow — a reminder of the stakes.

The Chiss was close now, and Darro focused on his breathing to mask the rush of adrenaline coursing through him. He noticed the officer's eyes darting around, scanning the area as he approached, perhaps looking for an escape route if things didn't go according to plan. When he finally occupied the seat next to Darro, the officer let out a subtle breath, his posture relaxing just slightly.

Pausing for only a second, Darro lifted the top of the green box, wondering what was going to happen.

 

[Torn Eskol]

Darro Carden



​

SIA SPECDIV
AGENT ESKOL

Rivet waited.

And then- as soon as the kid opened the box- it clicked.

Click click- and then it stopped.

A minor explosive device, shaped charge, a dud really- but enough to cause a light burn and some shrapnel to the face, went off as soon as he opened the box. The Chiss Officer was surprised, shocked, and clearly was planning for something like this. He got up to move back to his speeder- and Rivet slowly turned the rifle, but didn't fire yet.

And then, immediately after one attempt failed-

The Speeder exploded, sending passerbys scrambling, one woman tumbling off the edge, and then the Chiss Officer flying violently back into the bench, his spine shattering on impact. Fire spread around them, a hefty amount of smoke from the speeder that Rivet detonated. CorSec was moving in, emergency services deploying rapidly. Along with other SIA assets and Alliance military.

"Get up, kid. You gotta run. If you can hear me, run to the passenger elevators. Take the one going sixteen levels below you. You need to get up, now."

​

He kept the rifle on the kid. He wouldn't wait long. If he died, or was knocked out, it could be explained away. But if he was alive, he couldn't risk the kid speaking to anyone. He wasn't just using the rifle to cover him. He was ready to take him out, if need be. One loose end. But, if he was able, he might- might, be somewhat of an asset.

 

[Darro Carden]

"WHAT THE FRAK?"

Jumping up immediately as the box exploded, his nerves on high alert as the box finally fizzled out, the man turned and ran away. Darro's heart was pumping as the Chiss went back to his speeder before an even larger explosion blew up the vehicle, sending a woman flying off the edge where it had been. People were screaming and running as the entire area turned into pandemonium.

He then looked over and saw the Chiss was clearly dead, his back bent at an impossible angle.

Hearing the man's voice in his ear, Darro looked around, his mind not working until he saw the turbolifts nearby, and without any hesitation, he bolted to them, flying past people screaming, crying and bleeding as he moved with the crowd trying to escape the destruction. Running inside, he clicked the button to go down sixteen levels, and it only took a moment before he was there, with Darro coming out onto another level.

"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU JUST DO? THE GUY'S SPEEDER JUST BLEW UP AND KILLED HIM!"

 

[Torn Eskol]

​

SIA SPECDIV
AGENT ESKOL

Darro Carden​

"Pull it together."

There was silence, while CorSec and the Alliance military began to sweep the area. CCTV and security feeds already pinged Darro. Rivet stared through the scope, going over the exit plan.

"This is what we do, Darro. You wanted in, this is in. Now move quickly. Ditch your jacket. In about three hundred feet, there's a stall selling clothing. Steal a hat and ditch the jacket. You have to make it three levels down for exfil."

Clicking on the other end. He was adjusting the scope, still watching.

"They're going to be looking for you. If you get caught, I will scrub you personally and sanitize this operation. So pull it together, and act like you have some resolve. Turbolifts are out of the question. Three levels down, there's going to be an enclosed speeder marked as a taxi. Start finding a way down."

A sick test, at the same time. Using him was one thing- but testing him at the same time, was bad enough.

​

 

[Darro Carden]

Darro took a deep breath and tried to compose himself as he listened to the voice in his ear. He had never been in a situation like this before, not even when he had been on Tatooine, and the adrenaline was still coursing through his veins. He felt a mix of emotions: fear, confusion, and a hint of anger. He was being pulled into something much bigger than himself, and he wasn't sure if he was ready for it.

Looking at the turbolifts, Darro cursed silently before he started walking again, looking around for something, anything at all, to get him down even further, when it dawned to him that there were still the sewers of Coruscant.

Finding the nearest grate, Darro popped it open and slipped inside, feeling a ladder on the side of the wall the shaft. The familiar stench of an underbelly washed over him. Several minutes later, he was on the ground in a giant and dark cavern with pipes everywhere, but he began to run, looking for an exit.

Passing by multiple doors and grates, he kept moving until he saw the faintest of light shining ahead from a grate above. Unlike the others he'd seen, this one was slightly ajar, as if someone had forced it open recently. A faint current of cleaner, fresher air emanated from it, and not even wasting a moment, he began to climb again until he found himself on a somewhat deserted level.

There was no one nearby, but just as the voice had promised, there was a speeder just hovering that looked like a taxi. He paused for a second, knowing full well it was possibly a trap, just as it had been with the Chiss, but if the guy had wanted to kill him, it would've been far easier to just shoot. Making the decision, he walked up and jumped in, with the taxi flying off immediately.

 

[Torn Eskol]

EASY DOES IT

Darro Carden


​

SIA SPECDIV
AGENT ESKOL

​

At first, the Taxi sped off, hitting a rather sharp upwards turn that must've put some G's on the kid's body. Then, there was silence from the other end. It almost seemed like Rivet had had abandoned the kid. The taxi came to a sudden stop, a jerking motion. The door automatically opened to a platform, with a few other Operators, clad in mostly civilian attire with masks, but Rivet standing there, sunglasses on and the rifle he was using to watch the kid laid out on some crates. They were roughly a kilometer away from the noise- flashing lights of emergency services and responding authorities.

Rivet took a deep breath, looking down at the chaos.

"Not bad for your first time. Though you could do with less freak outs."

He nudged his head at the taxi.

"You're in now, if you want to be. If you want to keep doing this, the Taxi there will take you someplace else to take you to another place where you'll get another task. If not, it'll take you home. I'm not allowed to kill you, they said, so. Normally we'd tie up loose ends if you became less enthusiastic."

He shrugged, his sunglasses reflecting the distant fire and the visage of Darro himself.

"You got anything for me, before I take off?"

​

He took a seat on the crate, breaking down the rifle he was using. The other operators stood statue-esque tall and silent. Not a movement, not a flinch, not even a shuffling of the feet. He had his back turned to Darro, waiting for the kid to say anything, or just take off. But otherwise-

Rivet didn't hate the kid. He did alright. Better than he did his first time.

 

[Darro Carden]

Darro's heart thudded against his chest as he stepped out of the taxi, the chaos of the previous moments still fresh in his mind. Sirens wailed in the distance, a cacophony of screams and confusion echoing through the air. The sight of the man, cool and composed amidst the madness, sent a ripple of anger coursing through him. How could he be so nonchalant after all that carnage?

"Not bad?" Darro snapped, fists clenched at his sides, every word laced with disbelief. "You just caused all of that to happen! That wasn't some simple mission! INNOCENT PEOPLE DIED!"

 

[Torn Eskol]

​

SIA SPECDIV
AGENT ESKOL
Darro Carden

​

Rivet didn't look anything but bored, unimpressed, and annoyed. Not the demeanor of a man who had just killed several people, and had killed an Alliance Officer, at that.

"That was a pretty simple job, actually."

He let out a deep breath, pinching his nose. The outburst was childish.

"Wake up. How many innocent people died when the Alliance bombed Tython? How many innocent people died when we fought here on Coruscant? How many innocent people died in any conflict, ever? Our war is the same war, but our wars aren't as sloppy, not as messy. Now stop crying and screaming like a child." He stood up, approaching Darro. He wasn't a tall man, he wasn't a large man, but there was an air of death, of lethality surrounding Rivet.

"You wanted in, this is in. This is what we do. This is what we do so all those nice folks out there don't have to suffer as much as they could."

He leaned into Darro, sizing him up.

"Wake up, get with the program, or get out. I don't, and we don't need anyone holding us back from doing our jobs to protect the Alliance."

 

[Darro Carden]

Darro's fists were clenched so tightly that his knuckles hurt, each pulse of anger radiating through his body. He struggled to rein in the overwhelming tide of emotions threatening to drown him. The chaos surrounding the aftermath of the Chiss's death felt surreal—a nightmare he was unwillingly part of. The sounds of distant explosions and muffled cries echoed around him, a reminder of the price that had been paid.

He felt a rush of conflicting feelings: helplessness, anger, and a nagging sense of betrayal. How could someone be so ruthless? How could life be extinguished so easily, as if it meant nothing? The thought gnawed at him. To think that someone had made the decision to take that life, to silence him forever—how could that be justified?

Darro took a shaky breath, fighting against the rising tide of rage and grief. He needed to confront the truth of it, to understand what had driven someone to this point.

Finally, the question slipped from his lips, thick with emotion, "Why did you have the Chiss killed? What made him worth sacrificing?" The words hung heavy in the air, filled with disbelief and a desperate desire for an answer.

 

[Torn Eskol]

​

SIA SPECDIV
AGENT ESKOL

Rivet pursed his lips and thought for a moment. He seemed conflicted to tell the truth, a habitual liar faced with the improbability of being truthful.

“You never ask why. You’ll never get the truth.”

He said simply. And that was the end of that. There was no indulging of his emotions, his regrets. That didn’t even appear to phase Rivet. He was, in fact, ruthless as they came.

But that’s who was needed. The Empire, the Sith, they were far more ruthless than even Rivet could be. There wasn’t any time for pleasantries, for kindness, brevity, honesty. If the SIA and men like Rivet stopped what they did- all of it could come apart.

Rivet, however, indulged him. Just enough. Perhaps out of a sliver of kindness and empathy.

“Look out to the skyline. You used to be able to see the Senate building before. But because we failed, we didn’t do our jobs good enough, they nearly killed our entire system. We work in the dark so things stay in the dark.”

He cocked his head. “You did alright. It’s up to you now if you want back in. You’re free to go. Nobody will follow you, nobody will track you. Nobody’s coming to your house in the middle of the night to kill you. I’ll guarantee you that much, at least.” He nudged his head to the taxi.

“There’s a communicator under the seat in the taxi. Take it with you if you want to stay in the game. Otherwise it’s back to your old life and making your own way.”

River turned and walked away, waving nonchalantly goodbye as he did. He didn’t leave room for discussion. That was the life. Do bad things to bad people. Or maybe, Darro was right. Maybe they weren’t bad people. Maybe Rivet was the bad guy. Maybe it was a lie. Or-

Darro did something good today.

Darro Carden

​

 

[Darro Carden]

Darro sat heavily on the crate, the weight of the lives lost pressing down on him like an anchor. Faces flashed through his mind — innocent people all gone because of the mystery man's twisted agenda. He had trusted that figure, seen the allure in chaos, but now he felt only guilt and regret.

The sound of the cab's engine drew him back. He glanced up as the sleek craft hovered before him, its door sliding open invitingly. Despite the dread churning in his stomach, he climbed inside. The door clicked shut behind him, isolating him in the dim light of the cabin.

As the cab ascended into the night, the city below blurred into insignificance. Darro couldn't escape the haunting voices that echoed in his mind, urging him to confront the aftermath of his choices. He knew he had to unravel the truth behind the mystery man — not just for himself, but for those who had perished. Redemption felt distant, but it was the only path he had left. He was determined to face the shadows of his past and ensure their deaths would not be forgotten.