Trouvaille

[Arekk]

​

"(n.) something lovely discovered by chance."​

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LITHIOS​

Ar'ekk Daesharacor's Apartment, Ethos City​

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INTERACTING WITH: [member="Nilia Saavilin"] ​

Some things never changed.

Sleepless nights mixed with almost lethal doses of caffeine to kickstart your system and cancer sticks were the only things that Ar'ekk did most of these days. Getting out of bed was rough, specially when it was so cold out from the sheets. His bare feet touched the ground, a balled fist receiving his first yawn of the day and his eyes rubbed so violently they were bloodshot red.

The computer across the bed beeped unceasingly as it received messages from the DarkNet, countless of people looking out to acquire the man's skills to pull of the "biggest heist in history!" but in reality it wasn't nothing worth his time.

Most of the messages were erased as soon as they hit his inbox and instead relied on his handler to get him the best assignments possible.

His eyes focused on the rain drops running down the window pane, a skyline clogged by annoying advertisement and neon lights. Going out felt more like an utopia right there and then but he was always on standby, one call away from that job.

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[Nilia Saavilin]

The Outer Rim, Open Space, Undetermined Time
Interacting with [member=Arekk] ~ Start A War
——————————————————————

Today Nilia missed Wild Space something fierce.

It seemed odd to some to be so intimately familiar with a sector of the galaxy normally deemed to be uncharted, unexplored, worthless, but to her it was different. It had been home for more than 20 years, since she opened her eyes and drew her first screaming breath. And now it was safe not even for her. Lips twisted into a grimace, the disgraced Senator lifted her glass to her mouth and drank a long, long sip of brandy. It burned, washing away any further thoughts of home that could have lingered. All that mattered now was this, in the now. Forgetting was difficult but not impossible.

Her eyes glanced to the time, studying the flickering numbers. Hm. Just about. Setting her drink down her head turned to look out the crystasteel viewport behind her in the executive office. Stars blinked their greeting back to her gaze, and she remained looking out there for a while before finally swiping her hand across her desk to activate a few key systems.

First a modulator. When working long-distance, one liked to protect oneself, no? When she was in this chair she was Fortuna, Outer Rim information broker. Outside of it she was Nilia, who had no idea what she was doing. Fortuna was a side of her she liked much better, she decided. Once the voice scrambler was active she drew up a list of contacts, flicking through them until she found the one she liked the most. Well, the one she was meant to talk to today, anyhow.

Icebreak. Not exactly inspired, was it?

Stifling a yawn, her fingers reached for the coldness of her glass before beginning a call. It would ping endlessly on his end until he picked up.

"Good evening. Or is it morning?"

 

[Arekk]

LITHIOS​

Ar'ekk Daesharacor's Apartment, Ethos City​

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INTERACTING WITH: [member="Nilia Saavilin"] ​

"The sun's not even out yet."

The voice from the other end, Fortuna as he knew the person by, was his "handler" in street lingo. You ever wanted to get the best missions, the best pay or expand your network? That was the person you'd want to work with you.

He sounded drowsy and tired but he managed to release a small laugh after speaking on his commlink.

Sitting down to check his computer terminal and obviously the Darknet, Ar'ekk held the communicator near his mouth to speak. His voice was also modulated as a protective measure, much like Fortuna, because you never knew who was listening to your conversations.

Lithios had to many individuals with ill-intentions, prominent organized crime figures who'd want to make a name for themselves and show they were capable.

"What about you?"

Icebreak and Fortuna. You couldn't make that up, huh?

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[Nilia Saavilin]

The Outer Rim, Open Space, Undetermined Time
Interacting with [member="Arekk"] ~ Start A War
——————————————————————

"Hmm."

"I like to think it's sunny."

On Eadu it was certain to be pouring rain. It always was, except for those few rare days of precious cloudbreak that marked her childhood with the exceptional and unbeatable happiness it produced. On those days her father would take her outside to see the soaked landscape, and her mother would toss her in the air and call her Nil'ika and other affectionate names in Mando'a, which always sounded so foreign to her infant ears but made her feel definitively safe.

"I take it because you picked up you're interested in what I have?" Nilia found herself smiling, strangely. But her communications with Icebreak always left her feeling a little better than how she had been feeling before. Perhaps there was something there. Probably not. Either way, this was a business relationship she would be more than happy to keep up. As she waited and listened to his reply her fingers flew across her surface, bringing up another list, this one of certain employers utilizing her as their middleman. She considered this curated group the best of the best, looking for the best of the best, and using her to do it. As they should. Credits in my pocket. Another yawn was stifled and she focused admittedly tired eyes on the list of potential employers, "Tell me; do you want corporate espionage or cartel rivalries today?"

 

[Arekk]

LITHIOS​

Ar'ekk Daesharacor's Apartment, Ethos City​

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INTERACTING WITH: [member="Nilia Saavilin"] ​

"I wish. There's only rain, silvery heavens and more rain here."

That wasn't something that bothered him, to be honest. A constant downpour combined with the cold breeze outside made things a little better, finding shelter in the cozy confinments of his luxurious apartment. Lightning ignited the skies in the horizon while the sun was hiding at the rear of menacing looking clouds.

"Of course I did."

Every conversation with Fortuna was unique in its own, catching a glimpse of this person's life through simple and straight to the point chatter. Before the sun rose and as always, the commlink beeped until he decided to pick up, the voice on the other end greeted him with excitement and eagerness.

"Hit me with cartel rivalries. Any juicy details?"

Preparing another cup of hot steaming coffee, Ar'ekk paced all over his apartment in semi-complete darkness. Only the neon lights coming from outside the balcony would beam against the interior, providing him with a source of light of sorts.

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[Nilia Saavilin]

The Outer Rim, Open Space, Undetermined Time
Interacting with [member="Arekk"] ~ Start A War
——————————————————————

That strange smile remained affixed on her face and she nodded, even though, of course, he couldn't hear her physical response, "Got it. Check your terminal... Oh, about now, accounting for lag due to distance." Her timing was right and a notification soon popped up on his computer, a new file delivered to his inbox. This one wasn't scrubbed like the rest but immaculately detailed and organized instead, with every facet of the job necessary for completion included, "Some small-time-but-branching-out spice-running cartel is needing a good netrunner, so naturally, thought of you. They have a shipment coming through Lithios' Xeno-Sector in the next few weeks, but they think some sort of ambush is waiting for them. Police, they're betting, probably keen for any excuse to beat on some poor aliens," Biting her tongue before she started a Senate-like preaching against xenophobia, Nilia/Fortuna continued on with the overview, "All they want from you is to slice into the databanks at a precinct or something and see what they have on drug dealers moving merchandise. If anything's there, you wipe it. Easy enough for you, Icebreaker?"

It should be. She hoped so. This meant a substantial payday for both of them if it was. Tapping a finger idly on her desk, Nilia sipped again at her brandy. It was starting to get warm.

 

[Arekk]

LITHIOS​

Ar'ekk Daesharacor's Apartment, Ethos City​

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INTERACTING WITH: [member="Nilia Saavilin"] ​

"Let me check, hold on."

The sound of his commlink thumping against a hard surface was audible as he flopped on his chair to check his computer terminal. Downloading the file that Fortuna had provided, opening it and giving it a quick read Ar'ekk would eventually pick up the transmitter and reply back.

A straightforward mission, easy as it could be. Nothing too fancy or dangerous, slicing into law enforcement's database and wipe out their information wasn't a foreign thing for him. He probably did that countless of times by now!

"There's been a revolt in the Xeno-Sector as of late, the aliens are angry because of the way they are being treated. Things are starting to heat up over there which means there's an increased police presence on the streets."

"It shouldn't be hard for me to infiltrate and slice my way into their databanks, I have to be there physically anyways. With them out of their stations, I shouldn't come up against any sort of opposition."

That's what he hoped but he'd still go there packing heavy. A K-16 Bryar Pistol concealed his black leather jacket and a trigger finger that needed exercise, he was prepared for a battle.

"Anything else?"

Kicking up his feet on the desk and sipping from his mug, Ar'ekk waited for a response.

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[Nilia Saavilin]

The Outer Rim, Open Space, Undetermined Time
Interacting with [member="Arekk"] ~ Start A War
——————————————————————

Nilia listened with the patience of a saint, which might have been a little egotistical to assume. Briefly running her fingers through her newly-shortened hair, Fortuna finally commented with a wry, "What, too simple or easy? You could always go entertain the rich." The modulator did a poor job of detailing how truly teasing her tone was, but, oh well. Comes with the territory. Then it was like a physical light turned on above her head and she quickly added on, "Oh, right. They want a physical drop, don't trust comm systems with the intel. You'll have to bring it to the location I highlighted." It seemed to be a high-end spaceport, meant for civilian liners and cruise vessels. At least it was unexpected as exchange locations go.

"An associate will meet you there, make themselves known, collect the information and you'll get their credits." A chime alert drew her eyes from the call window. Someone else was trying to contact her, "Now, I trust you can handle it without me to hold your hand? I have another client eager for a word. Call me once you're done." And like that she ended their communication, quick to move her hands over to answer the other one, "Fortuna. Yes?"

"There's been a change of plans." The flanged voice of a Duros replied, one she recognized instantly as the leader of a certain spice-running cartel -- And a business associate. He didn't sound happy. Oh, dear.

"What sort of change?"

"You'll need to handle the information pick-up on Lithios. I don't trust my boys enough for that, some have been skimming, ungrateful skugs. That's what you do as a broker, right? Broker information. So go get the information for us so I can get this shipment on the way."

Nilia swallowed dryly, her brandy spent. Ah, yes, yes, this was a mess indeed. She didn't like to have personal contact with agents to keep things moving, not getting hung up on anything or anyone, her machine worked fine the way it was. Changing a cog now? A bit like changing fathiers mid-race. But she wasn't exactly in a position to say no; drugs brought in quite a lot of credits for her operations.

"...Alright. It's not like this guy I got doing the job is going to know it's me." Ha.

 

[Arekk]

LITHIOS​

Ar'ekk Daesharacor's Apartment, Ethos City​

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INTERACTING WITH: [member="Nilia Saavilin"] ​

"Funny."

Letting out a muffled laugh on the receiver, Ar'ekk downloaded the information to his datapad and closed down the terminal after he was done.

Getting dressed in a matter of minutes, putting his blaster on his shoulder holster and grabbing the keys to his NX-249 Airspeeder from the night stand, he was ready to hit the cold streets and successfully cross out another job under his name. His reputation preceded him, catalogued as an efficient slicer and netrunner, professional to the core.

Everything you could ask for.

"Talk to you soon, Fortuna."

Once the transmission broke off, a door that lead to the apartment's small docking bay opened where the luxurious airspeeder was waiting for him. Comfortable leather seats, a mint scent covered most of the interior and best of all? A warm air conditioner. He pulled out slowly from the docking bay, making sure the fast oncoming traffic wouldn't rear-end him.

Next stop? The infamous Xeno-Sector, home to the unwanted and undesired. Foreign to the common human eye of Lithios, scum living with scum. Everything that didn't have four arms, two eyes, two legs and spoke a little bit of Galactic Basic ended up here under heavy military "protection", sort of speak.

His best bet was to infiltrate the databanks of the major precinct located on the southern side of the Xeno-Sector where most of the law enforcement agencies confided and regularly met to discuss every day plan on how to opress the aliens.

Lowering the airspeeder a few steps away from the place, Ar'ekk surveyed the area before getting out.

"Here we go."

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[Nilia Saavilin]

The Outer Rim, En-Route to Lithios, Undetermined Time
Interacting with [member="Arekk"] ~ Start A War
——————————————————————

Here we go, Nilia thought dryly, as she stood from her chair and shed the persona of the hardened criminal. For a few moments, she could be an exile again, donning silk and ribbons bought with money that wasn't entirely hers. This could stay like this until it was time to go planetside. She was admittedly close to Lithios already, it would be a short jump and they'd be there. More than enough time for Icebreak to complete his job and arrive at the meet-up. So, she summoned another drink.

A private call to some staff and a youthful Togruta Nilia was more than happy to see, wandered in with a bottle in hand, "Miss Saavilin? Your new bottle."

"Eyris, good, put that down there." The young assistant had made the change from Senator's secretary to criminal lieutenant in suspiciously short time, but she was unwaveringly loyal to Nilia, having known her since her early days of politics. So loyal, in fact, that the information broker spoke up again in a friendly reminder, "And I've told you before, Nilia is just fine. I'm no longer state-sanctioned, after all."

The Togruta nodded wordlessly, and offered a smile, before retreating to her own office and chambers. Loyalty meant rewards, after all, but the girl still found some pleasure in helping Nilia however she could, even though she had enough credits to live here comfortably.

Pouring herself another glass of golden liquid, the broker's eyes wandered to her closet, then to her unkempt bed. Soon it would be time to put on a show and do a simple transaction, which would probably mean a costume change into something with a bit more authority.

But she could wait. He wasn't done yet.

 

[Arekk]

​

LITHIOS​

The Xeno-Sector, Outside Ethos City​

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INTERACTING WITH: [member="Nilia Saavilin"] ​

With his blaster drawn and ready to fire, including police officers to that, Ar'ekk weazled his way to the back of the police precinct while keeping a keen eye on his sorroundings. Channeling the Force and getting a read of what was transpiring around him in a small radius, he pondered heavily in an attempt to decide his next move.

The front entrance was heavily guarded and two well-equipped officers stood guard firmly, asking for identification cards for anyone that wanted to get inside. Sure, you could pull a couple of tricks on them but these kind of people weren't weak minded, so that was futile. But from the side? An emergency exit that was half open given that a small rock had gotten in the way, was luck on his side now?

So he made his way inside, reaching the janitorial staff room. Uniforms hung from a coat rack and the idea of dressing up was seducing but that wouldn't made him lose valuable time. "Time is money!", someone once told him. If he were to open the door and peek outside, the main hall was to his left and to the right a wall panel right next to the stairs. That was a perfect spot to break into the mainframe and collect the sought after information.

The only problem?

A guard snook behind his back and held him by the throat with his arm, choking him. The fight ensued with Ar'ekk trying to escape this deathly grip, trying to remain calm and not waste the oxygen that was quickly depleting. Only by elbowing the guard in the gut he was able to squeeze out and recover himself, fighting hand to hand with him. He had a profuse cut in the eyebrow and a bloody lip but that didn't stop him from beating the guy up until he was unconscious.

Part of the job.

Picking up his datapad and heading for the stairwell, Ar'ekk connected to the precinct's databank and infected its system to gain complete access. Confidential files, informant reports, criminal records, names, addresses, you name it. Valuable and dangerous in the wrong hands but that didn't matter, not to him at least. He downloaded every bit of information while also checking for any keyword regarding the operation that Fortuna had told him about, finding one particular report that brought his attention.

"Warrant: Under Review. Location: Xeno-Sector. Reason: Contraband Smuggling, alleged. URGENT!"

That was gone in a matter of seconds, of course. Leaving no trace behind and no way to recover that file would buy the aliens some time to do whatever they had to do with their contraband. Probably an extra day or two which was possibly more than enough, police wouldn't be able to ambush them without that warrant being signed off by a higher rank.

Adrenalinic experience but it was worth it, every single time. It was time to pack up, get in the airspeeder and meet at the rendevouz point to deliver this information.

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[Nilia Saavilin]

The Outer Rim, Arriving at Lithios, Undetermined Time
Interacting with [member="Arekk"] ~ Start A War
——————————————————————

There was no way for Nilia to be in the know of the violence and hardship of Icebreak's job. Well, she could have, if she really cared to know. It wouldn't have been that hard, but it was wasted effort on her part; news of any action of one of her various contacts eventually made it way back to her -- Either via the news or a coroner's report, whichever her web caught first. Still, any world that saw fit to divide among race mustn't be that great of a place to visit, and a sip of her drink wiped away any grimace from her face at the thought.

In the Sovereignty, we were all equal so long as civic duty was accomplished.

But that's not the case anymore.

Her eyes dropped to the depths of her glass, and a forlorn sigh left her chest. Honestly, it was to be expected, governments rose and fell like the storms of Eadu, and it was certainly nothing to beat oneself up about. Another rowdy exhale and a communique appeared on her desk again, informing her of imminent arrival to Lithios. No doubt the couple dozen party-goers aboard were wondering why the Hell they'd decided to stop here, but, most knew by now not to question Fortuna. She would lead them where the credits were, where the fun was, and where there was no more war and pain.

Well, she was four for four, what else could go wrong? Setting her half-finished drink aside the broker moved to stand and wandered leisurely over to her dressing room, to prepare as they docked.

 

[Arekk]

LITHIOS​

Ethos City​

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INTERACTING WITH: [member="Nilia Saavilin"] ​

He had no time to clean himself up and look presentable.

Sure, first impressions are key but it wasn't like he would be meeting the major of Lithios himself right now. Just someone who he did not have to address by name, know or even talk to. Just deliver the information, get paid and walk away. So simple, huh?

Parking somewhere nearby and taking a moment to enjoy the silence inside the comfort of his airspeeder, Ar'ekk found some delight in hearing the rain drops hit the metallic roof like in a perfect harmony. A cancer stick was already tucked between his lips as he walked to the rendevouz point to meet with the contact who'd pick up the datapad, the lighter flaring up the tip of his cigarette that had more filter than tobacco.

Cigarette smoke curls through the air from him, releasing a cavernous yawn at the same time. The cold breeze hit his face like a gun at point blank range and the rain poured on his heads like the angels above decided to widdle on him.

Bloodshot red eyes scanned his sorroundings in a paranoid manner as he toked from his cancer stick, the wait was deadly.

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[Nilia Saavilin]

The Outer Rim, Lithios, Landing Pad, Undetermined Time
Interacting with [member="Arekk"] ~ Sweet Disaster
——————————————————————

A few curious passengers departed with Nilia, who was exceptionally dolled up for this meeting. This only served to dissuade any port authority suspicion, working fine for Fortuna, less so for the Nilia marveling at the city-planet. They were just a luxury liner stopping off and their guests were going out to spend credits, who cared about that? Furthermore, who would want to stop that? Nobody here, clearly.

And so she stood in the middle of the bustling crowds, wrapped in black fur and red fabric, waiting to lay eyes on Icebreak for the first time.

If he's late, I'll drop him, she decided icily, glancing up at a billboard to catch a glimpse of the time. None of the liner guests had bothered to stay with their patron which suited her fine too, let them explore and grow tired of this world then return to the fold, though Nilia did experience a brief but dark stab of loneliness. Outside those few ex-Sovereignty she deigned to trust, Fortuna walked alone. Briefly, a frown crossed her face as she repeated that in her head, before finally speaking to herself softly, "Get it together." Before her scanning of the crowd resumed.

She had more than a professional stake in this. The money from the deals spawning from this one could serve to be excellent financing, indeed. Then she saw something, something that sent her a year into the past just by laying eyes on it. For just a second her heart stopped.
A man?
Couldn't be. That just couldn't be...

 

[Arekk]

LITHIOS​

Ethos City​

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INTERACTING WITH: [member="Nilia Saavilin"] ​

Blood stains ingrained in his leather jacket had him at unease, not sure of what the other party would think once they laid eyes on the man. Combined with the cigarette held inbetween his fingers and the bruised face, you couldn't think anything else but that this guy was nothing but trouble.

Bad luck, anyways. This is how I'm showing up.

Unlikely for Ar'ekk, he had arrrived ten minutes early to the meeting. Not truly a fan of being right on time except when getting paid as he liked to spend a little longer in his bed instead of going out under the unforgiving rain, but this time something made him be there first.

Could it be coincidence? Not really, he never believed in that sort of thing. The Force? Probably.

The sound of heels not far from where he was made him spin around, exhaling smoke out of his nostrils like a raging bull, and laying eyes on Nilia. Yes. He wasn't dreaming or hallucinating, it wasn't the product of his imagination.

He went a year back to Eadu, their meeting at her apartment, the meeting at Manaan and the several "meetings" that occured randomly thanks to their bond.

"Nilia."

A faint whisper could be heard from his side, the widest of smiles broadening on his face. This is how heaven feels like?

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[Nilia Saavilin]

The Outer Rim, Lithios, Landing Pad, Undetermined Time
Interacting with [member="Arekk"] ~ Sweet Disaster
——————————————————————

"Um."

Dazzled, Nilia just stared. Her brown eyes were wide with how startled she was by this chance encounter, quickly tucking her hands into the black fur to try and regain some level of composure, "Ar'ekk," She finally breathed, the name whispered like holy prayer, and her shoulders dropped a little in a lowering of her guard, "It's, um--"

"It's been a while."

When the Sovereignty had collapsed their connection had snapped like wire snipped by scissors, the tension too much to handle. She had mourned it, sure, but there were bigger things to focus on, so she had boxed up those emotions and moved on. That box was spilling over now as her eyes now darted, studying every facet of his new appearance, "You're alive." Stupid question, "You're... Here." Less-stupid statement, at least.

It didn't even occur to her to guess as to the 'why' of his being here.

 

[Arekk]

LITHIOS​

Ethos City​

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INTERACTING WITH: [member="Nilia Saavilin"] ​

"How are you?"

That's all he could come up with, dazzled equally or more as Nilia. Finding it very difficult to even say something as the rain began to angrily pour down on their heads. He walked toward the girl with decisive steps, time seemed to stop around them as he moved, cigarette finding the sole of his boot once he came to a stop.

"Y--yeah. And so are you."

So dorky. It had been over a year since they last heard from each other, news coming from her side weren't looking as good and he assumed that Nilia had escaped safe and sound despite their bond had disappeared in the brink of an eye. Whatever she had to do for her people, for her own sake too, he understood it.

Ar'ekk's hands were freezing cold but that didn't phase him. Nothing else mattered to him now, only her. The darkness in his heart dissipated for a moment to give way to a warm and fuzzy feeling, one that he missed.

What were the chances?

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[Nilia Saavilin]

The Outer Rim, Lithios, Landing Pad, Undetermined Time
Interacting with [member="Arekk"] ~ Sweet Disaster
——————————————————————

Rain wouldn't bother her. She'd felt enough of it for a lifetime, and in this moment, she could have been struck by lightning and survived.

"I'm, um, alright, and I've been alright." The water pelted at her carefully coiled hair and was systematically ruining it, but again, it wasn't bothering her. Appearances be damned because this was one of the best things that could have happened today, "What are you doing here?" And then like a slap to her face she was shocked full of remembrance; she was here on a job, not for the pleasure of seeing him. At once she began looking past him, eyes narrowed in her search, "Actually, I-- I don't think I have time to talk, I have to finish a drop and then maybe we can catch up. I'm a bit of a criminal these days." Perhaps admitting that aloud was a bad idea but what did it matter, she'd be off-world soon enough and sailing off to her next adventure, party in tow.

Perhaps this was to be an unfortunate meeting and that was it.

 

[Arekk]

LITHIOS​

Ethos City​

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INTERACTING WITH: [member="Nilia Saavilin"] ​

It had been a long time. Too much had occurred during the 365 days they haven't heard from one another such as the fall of the Sovereignty, his adventures with the underworld and much more. He couldn't blame her.

How could he?

"That's good to hear."

Then the magic words. She was Fortuna, the handler. Unbeknowst to him (and both) they had been chatting every night and morning about jobs, missions, payments, kills, news but never realized who they were. Their bond had faded but not truly disappeared but somehow, strangely enough, it didn't connect each other right away until now. Meeting wasn't a coincidence, that's for sure.

Was it meant to be?

He smiled, waving a small flash drive containing all the information she needed. It was pretty obvious at this point they were Icebreak and Fortuna. Her reveal didn't caught him by surprise at all, everyone has to do something in order to survive and he understood that.

"You are here to meet Icebreak, that's me."

---

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[Nilia Saavilin]

The Outer Rim, Lithios, Landing Pad, Undetermined Time
Interacting with [member="Arekk"] ~ Sweet Disaster
——————————————————————

Her world hit the breaks, swerved into reverse, then took a turn so sharp she had whiplash from the emotions boiling up.

"That can't be right." She muttered, eyebrow raised ever-so-slightly. That just couldn't be right. It's right. He's right.

An exasperated sigh left her then and she had to look away lest he notice the feeling boiling up behind her eyes, and she rather dramatically presented him with a credit chit with a flick and roll of her wrist, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Icebreak. I'm Fortuna." Perhaps not the reintroduction she had been thinking of, but, well, here they were, in the rain, like they had been a year ago. How things change.

Once business was concluded, then...

Then what?

She was still Fortuna. He was still Icebreak. Nilia and Arekk were away at the moment, "...Still open to catching up?"