Faction Triple Bypass [OPA/EE]

[Eldin Daine]

Bespin​

The hidden agenda for the OPA for meeting with the Eternal Empire, was to form an alternative hyperlane to bypass the bypass that linked OPA to Alliance space and everything in between. CIS still had its borders closed, and even if they were open, the triple bypass was very convenient for smugglers. It came with a sharpened edge though; the EE was very controlling of any part of the lane that was near them. A smuggler had to have their wits about them until they were through it.

There had been a smattering of reports suggesting that some fell foul to the stringent rules of the Empire, and had vanished. Equally, the same could be said for the less desirable sorts (whether from the EE or elsewhere) that entered OPA space that had tried to move illicit substances to flood the market, anything from spice to hard liquor distilled with addictive properties. Any of the contraband that was seized by a certain Judge was either destroyed, or ‘moved on’. There was no sense in wasting good tobacco.

But with the increase in traffic to Bespin, came the hole in the net. A case load of credits here, a box full of Talons there, and anyone could get passed the local security at the starports. The jails were full to overflowing with the riffraff from all points of the galaxy. Eldin had his hands full, and it was time to pin some badges on new recruits or anyone that showed a modicum of interests in wanting to hold up the letter of the law.

He had rallied up all the deputies and sheriffs, their mission was to clean out the starports and lower levels of Bespin, rounding up anyone that had arrived to Bespin from the bypass in the last month, for questioning. There had been some intelligence that operatives from the Eternal Empire had taken a strong interest in the Cloud City, and maybe operating among the levels.

The Judges had moved out in posses heading for the lower levels, the control centre ready to co-ordinate the mission, Eldin was the last to leave, with a Warden in tow, a girl he had not seen in a while Amea Virou . “So, ya ready?”, he looked over the young girl not sure what to call her. “Here..”, he tossed her a badge, “Ya better wear this on the mission”. A temporary judge unless she starts to find the badge a ‘must have’, fashion accessory.



Ingrid L'lerim [EE]
Kimiko Taiyou [OPA]

 

[Amea Virou]

Eldin Daine // Kimiko Taiyou // Ingrid L'lerim

Funny how smuggling addictive substances was seen as a crime. Amea wouldn’t say such a thing out loud to a Judge of all people. She understood the practice behind it, a clean people was a focused people while a drugged out people were harder to control. While this wasn’t necessarily about control, it was most certainly about keeping the peace. Amea had her vices, but luckily enough for her adrenaline wasn’t something you could really buy in a needle. Not one that had the same kind of rush and excitement to it at least.

As Eldin threw her a badge she caught it in her hand, stifling the pained grunt as the pin seemed to pierce through the palm of her hand. A subtle pull let her get the badge out of her hand before she hooked it onto the collar of her jacket and quickly straightened it out.

“You know you would catch more of them if you didn’t give away who you are, right?” Amea laughed as the man insisted she wear it. “Might as well be screaming ‘here comes the rent-a-cop’ as you walk down the street. Their friends most certainly will be.”

And yet there was something to be said about being upfront about your intentions as well, but that was hardly as much fun to point out. Amea stepped up to Eldin and gave the badge a gentle pat.

“Don’t worry, I promised Yula not to make a fool out of myself.” Well, she hadn’t, but Amea was certainly not going to play the clueless straggler no matter how much it actually applied to her. “This metal is safe with me.”

“Where to, pardner?”

 

[Ingrid L'lerim]

Ingrid L’lerim
The Red Witch; Emperor's hand; Director of Blackwatch; Baroness of Vengard, Head of the House L’lerim, CEO of the HPI Consortium​

Location: Meeting place, Bespin
Equipment: 2x red blade lightsaber shoto (hidden) | Tactical Turtleneck with this look as Imperial Uniform | Viper Mk. I Skinsuit | G1 OmniLink
Tag(s): Amea Virou | Eldin Daine | Kimiko Taiyou | Open

Ingrid’s last actual meeting with the OPA was at the Imperial Wedding, where she seduced one of their agents in hopes of information. It was the man from whom the false information came that the Empress had anything to do with the rebels. This matter has long been resolved. Now, however, she had to come to Bespin for a matter that was important to her as well. Now that she had become the CEO of HPI, things like that were already important to her.

They received a message from OPA that they would be happy to negotiate an alternative trade route that would go right in the direction of EE, affecting them. Ever since the borders of the CIS were closed, it has been difficult, even for them, even though House L’lerim’s companies have been in that space for quite some time. That's why she came to the planet. There was a date and a place to meet with OPA representatives.

She didn't know yet who she would have to meet there, but she wasn't surprised at the discretion. The OPA didn't even know she was coming. Neither party knew names. She didn’t disguise herself, as it was a so-called half-official meeting, so there was no need for anything too secret. She left it at the time when she was performing her double agent duties in the TSE.

Now, exceptionally, she had arrived on her old, usual ship, not wanting to bring here what she had received from Adrian. It was used mainly in the TSE’s territory, not elsewhere. After landing, she went to the given coordinates at the agreed time. All she had to do now was wait for him/her or the people she had to meet at this place because of the agenda.

​

 

[Eldin Daine]

He looked down at his attire, not really knowing what she was talking about. After all he was wearing average clothes to blend in, and if she thought he would wear his badge on his chest, she had another thing coming. “What the hell’s a cop?”, he grinned while clipping his badge to his belt on his hip which was obscured by his jacket. Not a cop, a Judge, there is a big difference as far as Eldin was concerned.

“Hey hey now, ya getting’ awfully friendly there”, his smile broke across his face as she patted his badge on his hip.

“Bubble butt? Why she concerned if ya make a fool of yaself?”, she was more likely the one to do just that.

“Well, nothin’ like getting’ a little dirty. We gonna go to the lower levels, see what or who is kickin’ around down there”. He packed his twin pistols into their holster, fixed his jacket over them too and headed for the door.

As they left, “What made ya decide to come check out Bespin and the Judges?”, curiosity was peaked. Besides, Eldin thought she was happy enough doing her spy thing. However, the idea of having her in the ranks appealed, her experience would be beneficial to the Judges.

Out on the street, Eldin opened the door to the speeder for Amea, the trip would not take long to get to the main lifts to the lower levels. “Ya wanna drive?”.


Amea Virou | Ingrid L'lerim

 

[Kimiko Taiyou]

She was running late, her whole party was. They had landed first at the wrong pad, their commissioned pilot had misunderstood the coordinates and was very combative when asked to go to the correct one. Now, they found themselves proceeding through the city depths, attempting to make the designated meeting in due time.

Her companion, the one that had suggested a meeting with Eternal Empire groaned in annoyance,"Mou, Kimiko, perhaps my idea was to farfetched and we should just go home." she droned on and on, irking Ki's nerves. This was totally out of character for the woman and the Empress suspected something was up,"Mari, In the years I've known you and have had you in my service, I never would have taken you for the spoiled heiress most often take you for." the offending party just smiled innocently.

Their procession pushed through a gathered crowd, seemingly protesting some sort of political deal. Ki's guards, gently, pushed ahead. Mari seemingly took this moment to slip a note to a man she brushed against without any noticing. Anyone accept Ki...

She'd have words with her later, only for the fact that no malice was sensed from the exchange, maybe a little corporate information sharing.

They reached the lift and took up the space onboard before descending into the lower levels of the city.

Eldin Daine | Amea Virou | Ingrid L'lerim

 

[Amea Virou]

Eldin Daine // Kimiko Taiyou // Ingrid L'lerim

“Oh, a cop is this weird Core World concept in which someone signs up to keep others safe and the streets orderly.” Amea grinned at Eldin and shook her head, her cheeks burning red at the apt nickname for Yula before she quickly looked away. “Look, all I’m saying is the girl’s got something going for her and I swear I can’t handle it.”

In the whole ‘I cant talk around her’ kind of way. Really, it was terrifying.

“I don’t know. One of my friends is a Jedi in the Alliance inspired me to find purpose, and I suppose I just wanted to learn more about the idea.” Amea said and passed the door held open for her in favor of the driver’s seat. Her hand extended for Eldin to throw her the keys over the car roof before she opened the door for herself and took a seat. “I’ve… Done something similar before and I am pretty sure my people have melded into yours in more ways than one.”

“And besides that, I have nothing better to do anymore.” She exhaled and pushed the ignition on. “Ran out of road to paint red and all that.”

She glanced over at her passenger. “What about you? You struck me as more of a smuggler than the slightly-more-responsible kind. What made you choose the judges?”

 

[Ingrid L'lerim]

Ingrid L’lerim
The Red Witch; Emperor's hand; Director of Blackwatch; Baroness of Vengard, Head of the House L’lerim, CEO of the HPI Consortium​

Location: Meeting place, Bespin
Equipment: 2x red blade lightsaber shoto (hidden) | Tactical Turtleneck with this look as Imperial Uniform | Viper Mk. I Skinsuit | G1 OmniLink
Tag(s): Amea Virou | Eldin Daine | Kimiko Taiyou | Open

Ingrid checked the time, it was still a few minutes before those who had invited her had to arrive. Since she still had time and here down where she was, everything seemed pretty calm, so she joined HoloNet to find out what was going on in the city. She was in the lower town enough for a lot of events to happen here. However, now she was surprised.

There was less trouble in the upper parts. She was not interested in domestic politics and other things at the moment, only those that could affect her as well. That might be so, given that she didn’t know where her contact, that is, the person she needed to meet, might come from. But it may not be. Anyway, as always now she was thinking that it is possible it was just a diversion. It may have been a bit of paranoid thinking, but in her profession, if someone is not paranoid, it is no longer alive.

She walked to one of the nearby benches and sat down there. From here she could see the area quite well, but she was also visible to many. Basically didn’t like such open terrain, but here it was given and she was the guest, so didn’t ask the OPA to take over the venue of the meeting. For safety's sake, she was also watching the area with the Force if anyone attacked her. Even on an Allied planet, she would do so, and that was just one of the planets of the OPA. She could never have been careful enough.

Time was running out, and Ingrid wasn’t really the person who would have had time to wait, so she wanted to wait a maximum of five standard minutes if time ran out and then she'd leave. She even had a lot of work at home. She glanced at the OmniLink’s display, the contact had only a few minutes to arrive. Then she must continue to wait.

​

 

[Eldin Daine]

He shot her an amused smile, as the speeder shot off toward their destination. Turns out Amea is a chatty one, giving away far more than she probably intended but she seemed to be in a situation of flux in her life, which may account for it. “Well ya pretty much nailed it, not much more to it”, in reference to the job. Judge, cop, it was the same, only these judges had another angle they worked .. if they had the bent.

Yes there was a good reason for his accepting his position as Judge, several in fact, and part of it was because he did not like people getting away with criminal acts that hurt others, another part of it was all the benefits that came with the position. Freedom to do things others can’t. Like having the ability to erase your tracks. Which helped greatly with his smuggling operation.

“Looks can be deceivin’”, he smirked. Although a little cautious around her. He had to assume she was still a Warden, with Warden sense and sensibilities. “Chose this life for the pay. It’s regular and I have a roof over me head”. A lie.

“So what do I call ya?’, he gave her a knowing look. “Seems ya have a couple of names”, which meant she was duplicitous, by name by nature? Eldin is hard pressed to trust people that don’t come clean with him, never lets them get close to him and he has met a few of late.

The speeder stopped, he jumped out and headed for the turbolift to take them to the lower level. Intel on the money with the location he hoped, and he had several contacts down there he used as eyes. Everything went dark as the lift doors opened, dull light flooding the compartment which took time to adjust to.

The neon signs of some of the shops flickered and flashed their promises, people less well off than those above, meandered through the street window shopping or going about their business. It was time to ‘mingle’ with the crowd and locate his contact.


Amea Virou | Ingrid L'lerim | Kimiko Taiyou