Ask Chickens Come Home to Ruust

[Raphael Valtiere]

Raphael completed his acolyte training and had quickly achieved the rank of Champion. From his previous education on Thustra, it hadn't proved exceedingly challenging and he quickly surpassed his peers. With such an ascension, there were a few Lords that had doubted either his abilities or the class he had entered with and had conjured a task for him to investigate. It didn't bother the Sephi as he viewed it as just another rung that would have to be climbed in order to get where and what he wanted.

Seated in the cockpit of his Starblade, his silverine gaze slid to the surface of the lowly planet Ruusan, his destination. With a flick of his hands on the controls, the ship obeyed his whim easily as it smoothly changed its trajectory towards the planet to break through the atmosphere. Once the Sephi had made it through, he activated the auto-pilot and let the craft control the rest of the flight.

Rumors had spread from the planet, ones about a mystical being who was drawing followers every day to their cause. It sounded like every typical fable but this one drew the Sith's interests because of the history that the planet held. Many battles had been fought on Ruusan and it was entirely possible an artifact was at play without their knowledge. The fun part was left up to him and another, an Inquisitor, to investigate whether these stories were true. Just two Sith being sent led Raphael to believe that it possibly wasn't just fables.

Eventually, the ship found a landing pad in an open-aired hanger, the towers, and smog of the city clouding the sky easily once ground level was reached. Once the ship landed with a jolt, the Sephi pressed a button before the seat of the cockpit was lowered and brought him outside. A long leg was extended before he stepped out from the seat and to his full height, the landing gears of the fighter adjusted to allow him to do so.

Raphael would walk out from under the ship, his long black hair billowing while his piercing gaze scanned the port. His ears flicked back and forth quickly as they adjusted to the loud sounds around him. It was dirty and rudimentary at best but it served its purpose and his visit wouldn't be for long. Instead of making a visible clue of what he thought, he simply tied his hair back into a low ponytail, pronouncing the sharp angles of his face and the one blemish on his skin, a scar that cut down the middle of his left eyebrow and down his eye. The Sephi was dressed in his regular coat, the golden accents the second half of his family's color, his lightsaber hidden with being in a neutral system and care to remain discreet of his nature.

With a toss of a few credits to the port-master, Raphael would step off from the landing pad and make his way into the city to meet at the rendezvous with this Inquisitor.

@Wit

 

[Ashla Ti]

In all her years among the Sith, and even before, while with the Cadre, Ashla had read a great deal about Dark Jedi, but never had she actually encountered one. So when news had come through about some funny business on Ruusan and the possibility of a Dark Jedi being behind it all she had signed right up.

They had decided to make their own way to Ruusan, and rendezvous planet-side, what with them being on different sides of the Galaxy when the mission had been assigned to them. Ashla had found passage to a nearby hub aboard a passenger transport, before finding a freighter captain passing close enough to get convinced to drop her off. Unsure of whether her companion for this particular mission was already here or if she was early, she decided to take the scenic route to the rendezvous point. Walking through a marketplace, both to put her ears to the ground to maybe get a lay of the land and to grab a bite. Long flights always made her hungry, and she had made the mistake of trying out one of her modified recipes from the Thorne blog right before she had left. The results hadn't been great, and she had been hungry pretty soon.

A little later she sauntered over to the rendezvous point, a bank that was supposed to have been recently taken over by their query. Coming to a stop about a block from the entrance, she pulled out the bag of snacks she had bought at the market, and tore it open. Finding a good spot to just lean against a building and wait, she started popping the candied crickets into her mouth, and started a stakeout while she waited. Traditionally it was supposed to be done with donuts, but she was just going to have to make do. Besides, who would want dumb old donuts when you could have crickets.

@Orbit

 

[Raphael Valtiere]

Instead of navigating through the streets and pushing through the masses, he simply hailed a speeder. After a special one was called that could accommodate for his size, the marketplace was given as the destination.

As the Sephi flew through the city, his gaze couldn't help but drift out of the window and to the avenues below, glad for the transportation. At the thought of himself down there and pressing through the crowds while having physical contact, his ears pressed back against his head as he was alone, his gaze eventually removed and turned to the skyline. Raphael desperately missed his home but he had to bide his time as he would eventually return. He hoped.

Upon arriving at the marketplace, Raphael stepped out from the vehicle and tossed a few credits to the droid without offering a look or without stopping.

Because of his height and purposeful stride, the Sephi earned a few stares along his path but they were ignored as he grew accustomed to them ever since he left his planet. Passing through the stalls, the buzz of the crowds assaulted his ears as did the smell of food that was being cooked around him, almost able to taste it on his tongue and making him reminisce about the royal kitchen he would sneak into as a child to block it out. With the knowledge his contact was in the area and the itch to leave, Raphael reached out into the force and combed the square, and soon felt the pulse that he was looking for.

Ashla would spot his massive frame approach her as he made no attempt to remain hidden. It was clear he was different from the crowd with the way he carried himself and as he neared, his deep silver gaze would first lock on her face, the bag of crickets next, then the rest of her form. Raphael didn't say a word as he took a spot on the wall after with some respectable space between them, his back pressed against as he folded his arms across his chest.

The Sephi remained silent as his eyes scanned the bank first before speaking. But as he watched with her, his ears couldn't help but pick up the crunch of the crickets. With their proximity, he could hear the innards ground against her teeth, and for a brief moment, Raphael's eyes shut before he asked a question so she couldn't pop another into her mouth, "What have you seen?" His voice came out smoothly, deep but tailored still as it betrayed nothing while he kept his focus on the bank.

 

[Ashla Ti]

Ashla continued munching as she saw the large figure of Raphael approach, eyebrows rising momentarily as she took in his size. Her own master struck a remarkably impressive figure, so she was somewhat used to interacting with someone in that height range, but this one seemed even taller. Sure, he wasn't quite as sturdy as her master, but boy was he tall. The only other figure she could think of who even came close was Emryc Thorne, though having only seen him in holovids and recordings on his blog, she wasn't sure how he would compare to her new acquaintance.

Tossing one last cricket into her mouth, she wiped her hand on her wall behind her, as she offered him the bag invitingly. Regardless of his reply, she would finish her last mouthful of the crickets before responding. "Not much, typically lax security for these parts. I think we want to get into the vaults, I'm sure we'll find something useful there. Worst case we blow up everything in there and let our query come looking for us. Word on the street is he might be the revenge type." Pushing off from the wall, she took a few steps forward before turning to face him, having instinctively moved far enough away from him that she didn't have to tilt her head too far up to look him in the eye.

"I was thinking we go in as prospective clients, you the rich noble looking to set up a business here, me your trusty bodyguard, or servant or whatever. Sephi nobles have those sorts of things, right?" He certainly looked the part, and given her rather drab appearance in contrast there was no way she was passing for anything other than someone in his employ, unless of course he insisted that she wasn't sufficiently dressed for even that. The only Sephi she knew was Vahl, and she was an offshoot or something, so even she was more mellow than most. Or at least so she claimed, so Ashla wasn't sure what to expect from Raphael.

@Orbit

 

[Raphael Valtiere]

Even with his question, Ashla popped a whole handful of crickets into her mouth afterward. The only barely noticeable reaction that he made was a soft exhale from his nose but thankfully the bag was finished. When he glanced over, he saw her wipe her hand on the wall, his gaze glued to the spot for a moment before it eventually returned to her as he listened nonetheless to the "report".

As she spoke, Raphael realized the vast difference in their methods. They were acting on circumstantial evidence and the stories that their target was the type for revenge if they managed to even find anything. His trust in his partner ebbed slightly when her other solution was just to burn the whole building to the ground if it all proved for naught. The Sephi expected at least a little more finesse.

Still, he couldn't fault her idea of them getting inside as the two did fit the description enough to pass. They could at least scout it out before they acted. Without missing a beat after she asked her question, Raphael ignored it and instead picked her role, "Servant, it's more passable. You're attractive." The words bluntly stated. While the Sephi viewed himself above typical species, there are still outliers for every single one that could catch others' eye and even he could spot her pleasant features. Plus, Raphael wouldn't be caught dead with the notion that she was his bodyguard, cover or not.

With a push off the wall, the Sephi would brush past Ashla, "Let's go." The two would navigate up the stairs of the bank and enter, his long stride making it where effort would be needed to keep up with him. As they entered into the vast chamber, they would see the tellers that lined the sides of the room but more importantly, a set of stairs at the end that must have led down to the vault.

 

[Ashla Ti]

In anyone else she would have taken the words to be a complement, but first impressions alone told her he meant anything but that. It was simply a statement of fact, which she supposed was about as close to a complement as she would get from him.

As he started towards the bank, she followed, quickly falling in step behind him, and once inside she intercepted the first employee she could find before he could approach Raphael. "The Lord Adhemar is here to explore your vaults, he wants to personally inspect them before finalizing the transfer of funds." The clerk, obviously unaware of anything that Ashla was saying, was visibly confused. "Uhh, 'scuse me?" Though she was smiling on the inside, she put on a scared expression on her face as she glanced back at Raphael before returning his attention to the clerk. "I was told you would have everything ready, the Lord Adhemar is not used to waiting." Giving the Sephi another glance, she grabbed the clerk by his arm and pulled him aside and continued in a frantic whisper. "What is the closest bank, I pray to almighty Cthulu that they're more professional with treating there clients." The clerk, scared that he was about to mess up some big deal, made some hurried excuse and scampered off, begging her to wait for but a moment. Ashla returned to Raphael's side, aware that he would have heard all of that, and did her best to avoid smiling as she turned to him with a scared expression.

"Forgive me my lord, these people seem to be more tardy than I had expected. I will be more thorough with my research going forward." The words were all a sham, meant to do nothing more than confuse the other employees who were close enough to have seen the earlier exchange and were unable to take their eyes off Raphael's impressive form.

Soon enough the clerk came back, and with him came an older woman, dressed more formally than him, and seemingly the person in charge. "My Lord, please forgive the misunderstanding. If you will accompany me I will personally guide you through our vault."

The woman bowed profusely, and began gesturing for them to follow after her. Ashla turned to the Sephi, and gave him the smallest of winks as she bowed as well. "After you, my lord."

@Orbit

 

[Raphael Valtiere]

The two didn't proceed that far before their path would be intercepted. With Raphael's size and Ashla standing beside him, the two stood out more compared to the average goer of the bank. His gaze slid over to the man closing in but before he could properly greet himself, Ashla stepped forward and cut him off, instantly surprising him with requests and flashes of status to confuse him.

The Sephi just stopped where he was and let the Togruta take control of the situation. Whenever the two would glance back at him, he made sure to do his part by crossing his arms and appearing ticked at the wait. It wasn't hard to manage given his natural expression. Throughout it all, the Sephi picked up each word and a long smirk almost cracked his stoic features, almost.

As Ashla turned to speak to him, playing up the appearance of their covers, Raphael just let out a low and rumbly "Hmmph," as his response, not dignifying her with anything else. His gaze would cast to his flank, catching the flock of employees that stared at him, a few females as they whispered to each other. His ears could pick it up easily and it was mostly centered around his scar. The Sephi would turn his head just enough to single one of them out to give a slight cock of his head. Redness flooded to her cheeks at being focused on by the "noble" and the whispers grew hurried between them. Raphael would have toyed with them more for fun but an older woman came back with the clerk.

At her apology, his silver eyes just scanned her quickly before he gestured toward the stairs, "You'll be forgiven if this vault truly lives up to the specifications I hear." It was time to see if they would find anything of worth. As the old woman went down the stairs and Ashla bowed to let him go ahead, Raphael would just cast a glance at her before he stepped past and followed after. Even though he said nothing, the Togruta would feel the subtle touch of the force to her mind as he spoke, I’ll admit, well played. The Sephi could respect resourcefulness when he saw it and make it known. If he had spoken first, he would have told the employee she was mute but was glad he hadn't.

As they walked down the stairs, Raphael's eyes would flick to one of the bank guards that passed before he addressed the back of the woman with a question, "What is your on-hand security? This transfer will mostly be in the form of physical assets."

 

[Ashla Ti]

The praise was unexpected, from what she had seen and heard of Sephi, mostly in holodramas, she had expected him to be a complete tight ass. Guess they weren't quite as accurate as she thought them to be. But, taking it in stride she followed after him and the manager, maintaining a respectable distance behind him like any well trained servant.

"We have guards at every entrance," the woman replied as she came to a stop in front of an access panel and punched in her code, just distracted enough to let Ashla see what it was, "and a droid guard stationed inside the vault itself. We take pride in being the most secure location on the planet, why even the Lady Selene has a locker within our vaults." Ashla's ears pricked the mention, or whatever the Togruta equivalent would be, given that she didn't have vestigial ears like most species.

"Lady Selene?" She asked, subtly waving her fingers at her side as she touched her with the Force. "Which locker is hers? I am sure the Lord would be more satisfied with a locker near her's, so that it is just as safe as hers."

The woman turned to look at her, a confused frown on her face, and Ashla doubled down, brushing her thoughts once more as she continued. "Show us the locker and leave, let us make a deposit."

That seemed to do the trick, rough as it was. The manager walked to the far end of the vault, and pointed out a locker. "This one is Lady Selene's, you can have the one right below it." With that she gave a polite nod and retreated from the vault, leaving them all alone with the security droid.

@Orbit

 

[Raphael Valtiere]

Raphael listened intently to every detail the woman revealed. His eyes would flick to a passing guard to give a quick inspection of their equipment while he did. They were moderately outfitted but it was nothing outlandish for such security. At the comment that the bank took pride in being the most secure location, the Sephi almost let out an audible snicker. If their competition was really the rest of the planet, that wasn't saying much. The woman would have fainted if she ever got the chance to see the royal vault of his home.

At the mention of the lady, it piqued both of the Sith's interest but Ashla acted upon it first. When she proposed having a locker beside the lady for safety, Raphael's eyes narrowed slightly as his gaze went to the Togruta. That was the best she could come up with? The Sephi realized maybe he hadn't been too extreme at his first thought of calling her a mute but it was too late now. Still, with the application of the force, it succeeded.

The locker was pointed out to them, Raphael burning it into his memory. As the woman made to leave, he simply held up a hand for her to stop at the entrance. The Sephi would turn then his attention to the droid and stepped forward until there were only a few feet between them. "What is your directive?"

The droid stared back at him for a moment before it answered in a robotic tone, "To stand sentry over the contents of the vault. If a crime is detected, the perpetrator will be held until the authorities arrive."

Raphael asked his section question, "Do you carry on you any monitoring or recording equipment? In case the perpetrator escapes." Maybe they could see what this Lady Selene looked like.

The droid finally moved but only in order to shake his head, "No, such features have been removed in order for the privacy of the clients to be respected."

The Sephi let out another, hmmph, before he turned to face toward the employee, "I prefer to have all of my bases covered. Do you have a control room that can monitor and record activity? Just for the unfortunate circumstance, the thieves escape somehow." While he was disappointed they wouldn't be able to discover the appearance of Lady Selene, he saw another avenue the pair could exploit.

Fearing to fail the noble again, the employee nodded and motioned for them to follow, "Right this way." Raphael would cast a look to Ashla, a signal to follow before he did himself. They would be led up the stairs once more and to the second level, taken to a room with the word, SECURITY, painted on the door. Opening it for them, the two would be allowed inside and see the set-up, specifically the angle of the cameras and what could be recorded. It allowed the Sephi to see each exit and the guards that the woman spoke of.

Raphael gave a nod to the screens but meant for the employee, "Suitable. While the vault raises concerns, the rest does not. We can begin the transfer tomorrow at noon. You will be contacted when the delivery is beginning. I hope you'll be prepared." The lies easily slipped off his tongue with practiced ease. In a smooth motion, he brought his gaze over to Ashla, "Time to depart." The two got everything they needed.

 

[Ashla Ti]

As they exited the bank, Ashla following after Raphael like the obedient servant everyone expected her to be, she was only half observing their surroundings. Her thoughts were mostly on what they had learned from the trip to the vault, and how best to take advantage of that knowledge. If this Lady Selene was half as arrogant as most Sith tended to be, then she would not expect an attack right in the heart of her realm. So there was no reason to expect that there might not be something worthwhile in her safe, but even if there wasn't anything to be found there taking a look at the records the bank had and seeing what information was present on Selene might be worth it.

"The sun should go down in a few hours," she spoke softly as they continued walking away from the bank, "let's meet here in say four hours time. I want to stock up on some thing, and you should consider changing into something a little less...ostentatious." Normally she would not have used such a word to describe his attire but, given everything she had seen so far, she was curious to see if that would get a reaction out of him. Just how far could she push him before the dam broke? There had to be a limit, right?

"If we're breaking in," she continued, "then it might be best if you don't stand out quite so much. We are breaking in, right?" She wanted to make sure that they were on the same page, given her background she tended to come up with plans that didn't always align with those she worked with, so it was always better to ask rather than assume.

A few hours later, provided Raphael agreed to the plan, with the sun set and the streets far emptier than their earlier visit, Ashla would return to the rendezvous point, about a block or so from the bank. She had acquired, for the lack of a better term, the ingredients to put together a crude explosive, and had spent the past two hours building one powerful enough to take out the bank. If they didn't find anything worthwhile in the safe or the bank's records then they might have to draw Selene out, and what better way than blowing up her new money pot.

@Orbit

 

[Raphael Valtiere]

The two exited from the confines of the bank with a calm gait to keep their appearances. Images of the layout and other details were quickly replayed in Raphael's head, etching them into his memory. The security had been a little better than he had expected for such a planet but it didn't pose that much difficulty either way for the pair.

As the two stepped off the stairs and cleared the bank, Ashla spoke up and informed him to rendezvous back in a few hours. At the comment about altering his attire, the Sephi stopped momentarily to turn towards her. No hint of emotions played across his face, his only response being the flick of his silverine gaze up and down her figure as if that was the only answer needed. His attention silently returned to the busy streets afterward, Ashla continuing on to speak.

At the question of if they were breaking in or not, Raphael returned his passive gaze back to her once more, holding it on her for a few moments. "For a servant, it's quite impressive how fast you catch on," his voice smooth as always. The Sephi, answering as if he was happy to still follow their roles and not answering whether they were breaking in or not. After, he simply reiterated, "Four hours." He turned away and headed once more back through the market. While the Togruta was preparing with supplies, the Sephi simply went to get dinner as he didn't see a point in such an extravagant wait.

Ashla would hear footsteps behind before she would be able to turn to find Raphael approach. He still wore the same coat but another layer donned underneath, resulting in a slightly bulkier appearance for him. As he neared, his gaze went to what was in her hand and was able to tell the explosive nature of it. "You better know what you're doing," The Sephi stated to her before he stepped forward and pressed on, "Let's go."

With the force building around his legs, Raphael would leap into in the with its assistance and land on the roof of a nearby building. The bank was across from them and he would immediately leap again but to the other side as he landed gracefully. He would be on top of the building right beside the bank, waiting for the Togruta.