The Chase

[Raziel]

OOC: I've tagged this faction, but if anyone is interested in an espionage story (the intro is just setting the scene and identifying the macguffin without giving much away, drop me a pm)



The covers on the bed shifted slightly, the small man quietly coughed and waited as the occupant woke. The covers were suddenly flung from the bed, revealing a half dressed man. He sat bolt upright, completely alert, eyes scanning the room before settling on the slender man lounging in his arm chair.

The man in the bed was in his late 40s, with jet black hair that was receding from his brow. He was heavily set, well muscled for his age. His fingers flexed and a tension gripped the room for a fraction of a second. The man in chair relaxed after a moment. He didn't obviously change his posture, but he went from a state of absolute stillness, to resuming the usual regular, slight movements.

"Lights," spoke the man on the bed quietly. The wall mounted lights provided enough of a glow to show that the man in the chair was unarmed.

"Bright lights," he said, but there was no change. He grunted and looked at the intruder. "Well?" he asked when nothing filled the silence.

"Well what?" replied the man in the chair. He sat forward, letting the lights pick out his features. He was slender of face and body, with closely cropped black hair and a small beard.

"You've broken into my home, a home - I may add - with not insignificant security systems and protection. So why don't you start with an explanation," he asked calmly. He gaze flicked to a desk to his left, the other man followed his gaze.

"I came for a little conversation Jozan D'Libre."

The man on the bed sat a little stiffer before shifting his weight. "I'm not going to insult you by attempting to lie. That name should have been buried. Who did you get to? No one would have betrayed me." he said quietly, this time there was less of the confident tone.

"It took me nearly a month to track you down. That is because you went to great measures to ensure it. And I can understand completely, it is a name associated with a lot of trouble for the holder," the younger man's voice was quiet, but he used a friendly tone. "In the end it was a simple matter of a girl in a position of confidence with some very nasty habits she wanted to keep secret. No matter what measures you take, no matter how much influence you think you have, everyone has strings. You just need to find them... and pull." The intruder mimicked delicately grasping something between his thumb and index finger.

Jozan rubbed his chin, clearly disturbed. "That trouble is for something I used to be," he started to explain.

"For something you still are: a traitor." echoed the intruder.

"Assassin are you? I hope you brought help." Jozan threatened, but without any hint of emotion behind the words.

"I came completely alone, unarmed and have no wish to harm you," replied the intruder, holding his hands out wide.

"What do you want then?"

"What I want is information."

"You break into my home, wake me in the middle of the night, threaten me with knowledge of my identity, because you want something from me?"

"Oh no, I threaten you alright. I hasten to suggest that it would be in your best interests to tell me what I want to know."

"You'd sit there, bold as brass, and threaten me?" Jozan asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Of course not," the other replied, reaching for a glass to his side. Jozan noted that the intruder had actually rearranged his furniture without waking him. He tried his best to bury a tremor of fear.

The intruder took a long draft of water before continuing. "If you were who I said you were I wouldn't dare threaten you in person. I'd have brought a carrier full of armed police to bring you down."

"You work for the Confederacy then?"

"Yes, but I'm here because I want information."

"What do you want?"

"You know what. You've gone through three identities because of what you stole. You've fled half way across the galaxies and been in deep hiding for months. That means you still haven't found someone to take what you stole and offer you shelter," the intruder's face had been impassive so far, but a look of anticipation crossed his face. Jozan suddenly realised that he could not sense if the emotion was real, his Force sensitivity usually provided that knowledge.

"So it is true, Spynet has an enclave of Force sensitive assassins now?" Jozan asked. There was no reply. "You realised I could gun you down in a moment? Even if I believed your threat I have no fear of death, no fear at all."

"Oh the fear can be put into anyone. I've seen the bravest men returned very slowly into their constituent parts until they begged for death."

"You're not in the Confederacy now, if you make too much noise you'll be in the hands of a foreign intelligence agency by dawn, " Jozan said. He stalled for time whilst he tried to think of a plan. He couldn't believe this one had come alone, and even if he had been that foolish his identity was compromised. Even if the intruder had taken the two blasters he had hidden within reach he still fancied his chances hand-to-hand.

"No one is coming to help you Jozan," the intruder replied calmly, placing his glass back onto the table. Jozan noted that he checked the timepiece on his wrist surreptitiously.

Jozan was starting to come to a decision, but he was finding it difficult to think clearly. He would go for his blaster and dispose of this man - one less assassin on his trail at least. If he survived he would head for the small transport he had locked in a container in the town centre and make for the main space port.


"Are you adamant that you won't give me any information?”

“I'm afraid not. So will leave me now, or do I have to kill you?” Jozan asked plainly.

“I will leave shortly but I'm afraid you will be dead.”

“You said you would kill me if I didn't … ah”

“Quite, I did not say I would not kill you if you did assist me. And whilst I Have no particular wish to harm you, I can't see trying to get you to return to the Confederacy peacefully working out. You know too much,” the intruder shrugged apologetically. He checked his watch, more obviously this time.

“You really think you can kill me?” Jozan asked, he slide his left hand under his thigh to stop the trembling.

“It is already done,”

Jozan started to move quickly, there was a clatter as his blaster started to roll across the table, but he lost control of his body and slid to the floor. The shaking started in earnest as pain racked his body. He managed to look up at the assassin. The slender man was on his feet, a blaster in his hand and fear in his eyes.

“Well...for a moment that was a little scary. Thought I'd used the wrong dose. Funny things poisons, you never quite know how an individual will react.”

Jozan tried to reply, but his jaw had locked up and his voice can out as a pathetic whisper.

“I was a little concerned that my attempts to distract you had gone amiss, and you were simply stalling for time whilst you fought the toxin,” the assassin put the pistol back into a pocket within his sleeve, and smoothed back his hair.

“Thank you for the conversation Jozan, I'm afraid what happens next is up to you. The toxin will keep you immobilised from the neck down, but you can still feel everything. You should have just enough movement to whisper. Why don't you think about that for a moment, we've got a good hour or so before it stops your heart and lungs completely.”

Jozan watched the assassin move around his apartments, searching through his belongings. The assassin took a picture of him sprawled across the floor. The pain he could control with his training, the shame he could not. It was too late, the slow acting poison has done too much to his body.

The assassin returned, a wicked looking blade in one hand. “Now, have you decided how this is going to play out?”






Raziel's SpyNet handler met him within a private transport at the space sport. The elderly man laid a data pad down on the table and acknowledged the Jedi.

"So did he have it?"

"I am afraid not," Raziel replied. "It would seem his original buyer cut him loose when they couldn't break the encryption, but he managed to keep the data and run. He's been after another buyer for the last few months and has been struggling."

"So has he found one?" replied the operative.

"Unfortunately it would seem so. They've unencrypted some details on an Op Hayne."

The operative sighed. "Terrible business. One of the Templars turning side and stealing so much of our information. Did we mention he killed seventeen men and women during his escape?"

"The details were made perfectly clear," Raziel replied. He leant back in his chair and closed his eyes, intending to get some rest. "The full transcript was recorded. I imagine there's going to be some significant follow on work for me."

Raziel settled back into his seat, he palmed the data crystal onto the table and slid it towards his handler. That had been close, he felt alive.

"I do hope you have something just as challenging lined up," Raziel added before he went to sleep.

 

[Raziel]

OOC/

I'm planning a series of espionage shorts and am looking for more to join in as we go around the galaxy meeting different divisions from SpyNet whilst we chase down the data crystal. I'm hoping that each mission will have a topic or theme.


Mission 1: Serenno theft.

The data crystal alluded to in the first post had been held by Count Adeus. A mid level noble family from Serenno they have a history of criminal activity behind closed doors. It is believed that the Count has a buyer for the data and will move it soon. Spynet use their local knowledge to get a small team invited to a ball being held at the Count's mansion. The original plan was to just carry out a scouting mission of the building. However, at some point in the night the team makes the decision to try and go for the vault believing the crystal to be there.

What everyone has to do is start with two parts. The first has to be from the point of view of the two agents interviewing people after the theft. You have to introduce how your character infiltrated the ball by a series of questions with the witnesses. You can also elaborate on some more details on our escape. Then you need to do a post from your characters perspective that immediately follows mine.

Hopefully this'll be a weeze if nothing else!

 

[Rayth]

Grando leant forward and tapped the screen to turn the speakers in the interview back on.

"So... Now we want to talk about Baron Salisbury. Do you recall much about the man?" he asked. Grando sat with another agent in a small square room looking through the one way glass. On the other side way another square room. This one was brightly lit and at its centre sat a broad man on a single chair. The man was well built, and had closely cropped black hair, as was the style for noble servants on Serenno at the moment. The simple metal chair was slightly too small for the well-muscled man and he shifted uncomfortably.

"Yes, I remember him I think. Maybe," the room's sole occupant replied.

Grando tapped his display again to shut off the connection. "Just like the others," he explained to the other agent. "Doesn't he seem distant upon being questioned on Samedi Just like the others."

"Bah," replied his partner, Ashaid. He was a practical man, and not prone to jumping to conclusions. Twenty years of working for the Serenno police force had physically aged him beyond his years, but also left him sceptical of anything outside his considerable experience. "Like the other servants he'd probably had a few drinks. This perp was probably just exceedingly boring and nondescript."

"Humph" Grando, a much younger agent who had only been recruited into the force's intelligence division last year, responded. He turned back to their witness, but not before adding: "This group stole from Count Adeus in when his property was packed with nobles and security, and evaded the pursuit of every officer in the region. You'd think they'd have left a bit more of an impression."

Before Ashaid could reply he pressed the button again. "Tell me, do you recall any conversation with the Baron?"

"No not really, I announced him when he arrived. I think he politely asked me... Erm... I think he asked me for another drink perhaps."

"Do you recall how others reacted to him, or did anything at all stand out?"

"He was a little on the short side. Red hair, or was it brown? He looked fairly normal. His tunic had a deep cuff which went out of fashion a few years back, but that's to be expected for a man from the provinces."

"You remember that specifically?"

"Yes, I do. He kind of seemed as I'd expect based on where he was from. The other nobles took to him alright, I think he knew a few already. They're always a little slow to take to someone new, especially someone from the provinces. No one wants to be seen lowering themselves to that kind of level. It's all a game of politics to the nobles, I think it's how they keep themselves amused."

"But they took to him well enough?" Ashaid asked this time.

"Yeah,"

"But that's not normal?"

"Well I suppose I would have expected... I dunno maybe he was just likeable?"

Grando clicked off the speakers again. "So they take to an outside far quicker than usual, and yet no one can really describe this man?"

"Odd," Ashaid admitted. He had a data pad in front of him and flicked through a few pages of text. "This man doesn't exist, and yet the effort that went into building his alias, his fake business contacts..."

"It reeks of a foreign intelligence agency." Grando said.

"Agreed. Count Adeus isn't going to cooperate though. You know what the houses are like they'll try and sort their own business."

"Kark the houses, this could be a matter of national security." Grando replied defiantly. Ashaid just laughed to himself. It was akin to the sound of a rockslide.

"Why don't we move onto the others involved in the robbery?" Ashaid replied.

 

[Raziel]

Baron Salisbury tittered at the joke. Of course, it had been a minor noble who had made the gaff, so it would be unseemly to laugh too much as someone of such a low station. It was incredible just how much information you could glean from how the nobility would react to a simple joke. Their body language, where their eyes went when they thought no one was looking, how they laughed…

Of course Raziel could tell much more. By skimming the emotions and thoughts of those around him he could find out a great deal more about the nobility present. He’d played a noble once before, but he could play any part really. With his talent for Empathy he subconsciously started the mimic the language and behaviours of any new group, as he always had – even before he was aware of the Force. SpyNet had provided everything else he, and his team, had needed to get invited to tonight’s ball.

The Adeus mansion was beyond opulent. Raziel took a moment to look around his surroundings. Even this antechamber to the main ballroom could fit several large houses within its walls with ease. The mansion was nestled in the mountains, reach back up against them. Raziel had taken a moment to explore the gardens earlier, excusing himself to scope the perimeter and count the guards. The paths that wound away from the mansion through the gardens actually overlooked a massive waterfall that ran under half of the estate. Raziel hardly had a fear of heights, but it had given him a moment of tunnel vision to watch the water roaring away into the darkness.

He returned to fully paying attention to the conversation, all the while attempting to influence the minds of those around him subtly. He needed them to think positive thoughts about his current guise, whilst also fail to recall too many details about him. The evening was still young, but he hadn’t made much progress. If SpyNet’s intel was correct, the encrypted data disk sat in the Count’s vault. Tonight’s business was simple recon for him and his team. They wanted to get the layout of the building, have a look at Adeus’ security. If possible he was going to try and get close to the Count, but as an outsider of little standing that was unlikely.

A waiter passed his current group with a tray of drinks. Raziel politely swapped his glass for a full one and took a small sip of the fantastically expensive drink. He couldn’t fathom this ostentatious display of wealth. Then again, perhaps throwing parties for your peers was more productive for the economy than stashing all your money in off-world accounts.

“So what do you think Salisbury?” asked a younger man. Archemald Stoke, Raziel recalled his name. Heir to a wealthy southern Duke, and generally affable. His bright yellow shirt was a little closely cropped and showed that he was trying to join the ranks of the younger trend setters at the ball. Raziel had been thorough in reading the briefs on the nobility likely to attend. The young noble had spent most of the evening on the dance floor. That was one aspect that Raziel couldn’t fake; he had spent several hours being shown the current steps.

Raziel took a moment to consider this, “Good question,” he replied in the accent he had chosen for Baron Salisbury. He didn’t need the Force to find a response to this question. “I do wonder, if the Commons Party is so keen to bring new business to the world, whether their own business interests and holdings should be more closely scrutinised,”

“An excellent point indeed,” replied Lord Shulst, an elderly and minor noble, but one well respected. Conversation continued and Raziel paid some attention to the back and forth. It was time to try and get an introduction to a group closer to Count Adeus himself.

A young noble’s daughter he had danced with earlier approached the group, a man in his early thirties on her shoulder.

“Salisbury, you have to meet Lord Voltest! His family also holds crawlfish farms!” she said excitedly. She’d clearly drunk a little too much of Adeus’ wine.

Raziel nodded politely. “Of course our farms are relatively small compared to the…”

“I should say!” pronounced Lord Voldest boldly, “We’ve been in the trade for decade, and you know, I don’t even think we’ve heard of your business?”

The girl on his arm stifled a small laugh. Baron Salisbury looked suitable crestfallen. “Then perhaps it is more of an opportunity. Would you care for a discussion out in the gardens?”

Voltest waved a hand as if he had no real interested in the matter, but his disengaged his arm from the waist of the girl and followed Raziel out into the gardens. Raziel wove a path through the gardens, his mind seeking out the location of the guards.

“So where do you have most of your farms?” Raziel asked. He paused when they reached the path that overlooked the waterfall. They were well out of sight, and the roaring rush of water was nice and loud.

“Oh all across the eastern coastline,” Voldest replied. “Look if you really do have some farms I have no interest in talking business privately, I was just being polite. You’d be a competitor,”

Raziel nodded politely. “But perhaps we could leave business out of polite conversation for now and discuss anything later?”

Voldest actually snorted. “Pfah, she was far too impressed about your exciting off-world holdings. Must have been you…provincial appeal. No my friend, you’re coming down a peg or two!”

The young noblemen smiled, downed his drink and started to turn. Raziel could sense his mind was too set, he couldn’t alter it without series effort or leaving a trace. A pity. He couldn’t have his evening ruined like this, he had been making slow, but steady progress. In the worst case, his whole cover could be blown. The would not do.

Voldest turned back towards Raziel as he heard the shattered glass behind him. He looked down incredulously as the shard of wine glass was shoved through his trachea. He let out a quiet wheeze, stumbling away, fingers fumbling for the protrusion.

Raziel’s expression – his whole demeanour – had changed. The pleasant Baron Salisbury was replaced with a determined, cold expression. The assassin advanced on the young nobleman, with one surprisingly effortless move he grasped Voldest’s sash and hefted him over the railing.

Raziel watched the body fall into the darkness. He rearranged his clothing, noticing a small blood stain on his chest. He took his glass and headed back to the party. As he stepped back into the well-lit ball room he made a show of stumbling into a servant, red wine splashed down the front of his tunic. Several nearby nobles joined in his chastising the unwitting servant. Raziel headed for the restrooms, shaking his head and looking suitably offended.

He made a vain attempt to clean the stain with water and waited for one of the servants to bring him a spare item of clothing. Perhaps, he reflected, this would even get him an apology from Count Adeus himself. He would love to get inside that mind and start exploring its secrets.

When he was certain he was lone, he reached for his minute earpiece. “Timescales have changed. We need to leave within sixty minutes, I don’t think Baron Salisbury will be able to make another appearance after today. Send me progress reports when you can,”