Ask Don't Raxus-picious

[Vayden Q'orr]

Finally. A mission worthy of his talents. His gait while walking away from his superior's office would be as evenly paced as always, the only change betraying his newfound eagerness a subtly stronger strike with each footfall. Possibilities and strategies already racing through his mind as to how to go about his assignment. Such a collage of ever-shifting ideas continued to run rampant in his mind for the next several days he spent preparing himself. Much of the time was spent packing for the upcoming voyage now awaiting him.

The minutiae of this process would most likely be redundant, but he convinced himself he would not let this opportunity pass him by. Too often he'd seen others less deserving than he be given the opportunity to ascend the ranks of the ISB to let this chance go to waste. He had to be as prepared as possible. Though in part the meticulous nature of his work was only to keep his mind busy in during the agonizing wait for the day to arrive.

His "main" travel bag would be a decoy. It contained only the most inessential of his personal belongings. The bulk of his formal wear, surplus articles of clothing and backup toiletries. His true cargo would be divided amongst his secondary bag, his ISB travel case intended for non-personal equipment, and on his person. This would be a delicate matter indeed. The day before he was informed that the necessary droids had been sliced to ensure there would be no hang-ups upon his boarding.

He had to appreciate the convenience of droids in key positions. He wasn't generally a fan of soulless vessels taking jobs from living beings in actual need of a profession, but he couldn't deny that it was far more straightforward to turn a droid to one's side than a humanoid. Sentients were always harder to read, fickle and with constantly changing desires and motivations. To put it simply, messy.

There was a time where Vayden Q'orr would've been more than happy to go down that path, but not these days. He'd come to appreciate the more subtle dealings in his new line of work. Taking solace in the fact that, if push came to shove, he could still tear things up like he used to.

Finally, the day came. He took a thorough scan of his room using his datapad, and took a second with the naked eye for good measure. If even a millimeter of his room was out of place when he returned, he'd know. Various objects around the room were placed precariously so even the slightest disturbance could send them tumbling. With one final look out his window at his homeworld of Raxus, he left.

The trip to the spaceport was uneventful. The boarding process equally so. That meant the droids were indeed in his favor. Technically speaking, everyone here was on the same side, but politicians had reason to be wary of even their own protectors. Q'orr was walking proof of it. Not much of a spacer himself he had no insight to gain from studying the outside of the corvette before boarding, deciding instead to focus on its interior.

He played nice with the various envoys he crossed paths with as he made his way throughout the ship. Introductions with the captain were formal and pointed, ensuring the captain that he'd do everything in his power on behalf of the ISB to ensure their journey was a success. Which was true, of course, depending on your perspective.

Their destination was of little concern to him. In fact if he proved to be as competent as he knew himself to be, he doubted he'd need to maintain his charade for that long. As the ship left its docking bay he made quick work of unpacking his decoy bag. He would look fully settled in to his provided room without any of his mission's equipment in sight. Those would need to wait a little longer. Too risky having anything out while so many were still bustling about the ship.

One vital piece was already in his possession however. His comlink. Or, better put, what looked like his comlink. In truth it was modified so that any and all conversations through it would be monitored with its user being none the wiser.

He left his room and walked a quick circuit through the ship. He had studied it's layout already but his walk served a dual purpose. For one, he always remembered things better with visuals more vivid than what blueprints could convey. Secondly, it gave his target time to get situated in their quarters as well. He had to operate under the assumption that they weren't as regimented as he was in such matters until he could verify otherwise.

Once he was finished, he circled back around the corvette to his target's quarters. Just how prepared they were at this moment would be the first bit of information he'd gather on them.

They were twenty minutes from their departure and it wouldn't be long before they entered hyperspace. A professional would be on the bridge for that moment. When he reached the door, he pressed the electronic chime next to it and waited. He stood patiently, only the subtle rise and fall of his chest providing his frame any sign of movement. When the door finally did open he said plainly "Greetings, my name is Agent Q'orr. May we speak for a moment?"

@LadyRen​

 

[Heather D'Avignon]

While Heather was used to attending all kinds of diplomatic conferences, open events and even dinner parties to negotiate and speak on behalf of the Empire, everything had been different this time. She was used to traveling with other envoys, yet on this mission the information she had received was that she was to be accompanied by an agent who was responsible for keeping her safe...

As if this wasn't unsettling enough! If she needed a personal bodyguard, this quest already called for danger! She wasn't too amused about that and had been pacing all day long, her cheeks redder than usual and her heart frequency above average- that was what her fitness watch constantly reminded her off.

She wasn't fully unsettled, but definitely decently nervous, especially because she had no idea who was about to accompany her. She had worked with the ISB before, yet was always careful when it came to them. She knew they gathered Intel and even her parents had never ceased to warned her from the Imperial Intelligence corps.

She was adorned in a short, elegant business dress that already gave a away she was ready and prepared for whatever professional challenges she would have to face this time, but her hair and makeup was still rather subtle. Her fiery, copper hair was put into soft beach waves and open while she only had her eyes highlighted with some light eye shadow and dark eyeliner.

She was alone in her temporary, assigned quarters and typing an email to the headquarters of the Imperial Diplomatic Corps in regards to a negotiation with a shipyard on an independent planet in the mid rim she had recently attended, but was suddenly interrupted by the soft, high-pitched chime that rang through the room.

She flinched before her blue eyes drifted to the door, her heart suddenly pounding faster already. They had just departed, so she wondered who wanted to talk to her right now...or perhaps someone had just rang on the wrong quarters. She closed her laptop and stood up before she smoothed down the dress and took a deep breath.

Perhaps it was just a service droid offering the towels that had still been missing? She figured it was pretty likely and so she opened the door with her gaze directed at eye level as the durasteel door slid open. She found nothing but a muscular chest before her gaze slowly wandered down, a faint gasp escaping her at the sight of the stranger with the admittedly impressing, if not even intimidating frame.

There was something assertive about the way he just stood there, towering over her that left her speechless for a second, before his title rang a bell. "Oh...Agent Q'orr. Of course" right, he was already on board as well. Color rushed to her cheeks while she surpressed a sheepish smile and tried to keep a straight face instead. "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance". So this was him..."Would you...like to come in for a moment?", she politely asked, carefully meeting his gaze.

@Pazaakly

 

[Vayden Q'orr]

Q'orr let the diplomat stumble over her words for a moment, taking the opportunity to give her a once over without needing to worry about an irregular pause in the conversation on his part. Far from the most underprepared politician he'd worked with before. He'd had the displeasure once of meeting with a Gungan envoy who hadn't felt the need to dress himself before answering the door.

No, this woman looked very much put together. She was well-dressed and had clearly invested time in her appearance. Given some people's more casual approach when travelling it was commendable. Still, he'd dock points for not clearly expecting him.

He didn't answer her question with words, instead walking past her into the room. Speaking over his shoulder he said "Shut the door." Then began taking a look around her room. It was bigger than the one he'd been granted, naturally. No mess for the moment which was a double-edged sword.

An organized person would be more likely to notice something amiss should he do any tampering, but the discipline and routine that came with it made people easier to predict. Continuing to speak without looking at her he asked "How would you like me to address you? Miss? Lady? Other?"

He saw nothing out of the ordinary during his brief inspection, the only abnormality being her room was lacking the towels that usually came standard with the room. A potential weak link perhaps? Incompetent housekeeper? Possibilities ranging from faulty droids to undercover agents posing as ship staff passed through his mind for a moment. From the bathroom he said in a raised voice so she could hear clearly "Your towels are missing. Why?"

Finally satisfied he came back and stood in the center of the room, entirely independent of wherever she had decided to situate herself.

Locking eyes with her he began "On behalf of the ISB it will be my duty to ensure our voyage is a success. As such we will need to be on the same page on a few important matters. First and foremost we will be jumping to hyperspace in a couple minutes I suggest you be on or near the bridge when it happens. It's good for the crew to see you present."

Gesturing to her person that had no apparent weaponry or protection he continued "I would also like to know what avenues of self-defense you have, if any. Your ability to do so or lack thereof will impact my performance and approach to the assignment."

He then began making his way towards the door, before stopping and pulling out his comlink. Exchanging some quick words with the captain of their vessel he learned they still had time before the jump. His attention once more centered on her, he said "If you have questions of your own, now is the time to ask them."

@LadyRen​

 

[Heather D'Avignon]

He broke the eye contact as he just walked in, recklessly brushing past her while almost commanding her to close the door. Yup. That's what she expected from an ISB agent, yet she bit the insides of her cheeks as she pressed the button to close the door.

He seemed to familiarize himself with the room and she wondered why, but all she could do for now was watch him. As he adressed her, she cleared her throat before she replied, "Uhm...Miss D'Avignon is totally fine". She was a bit surprised by his question, assuming he'd been given a mission brief, but maybe this was him even being polite...or it was him already gathering information. Was he waiting for her to say Mrs?

She kept following him with her gaze, however after a few moments she mananged to walk away from the door and back to her couch were she took a seat, elegantly crossing her legs and straightening her back while he kept looking for something. Internally, the nervousity already grew. Not that she had anything to hide, but what was he looking for?

A few thoughts rushed through her mind before he asked another question that caught her off guard. "I-...the droid hasn't brought the fresh ones. I was...waiting for them" she explained, which was the truth and thus sounded honest, yet her voice revealed that she was a little flustered by his investigation.

As his gaze settled on her, she met it, but her throat was suddenly dry. "Yes, Sir. Of course" she signaled her understanding and knew he was right. He then asked her for her self defense skills and she managed to give him an immediate reply this time. "I've received basic training, but as a diplomat, you must understand it isn't my strong suit" she explained, however realizing how vulnerable she was just making herself. "I can also shoot...and no one will manage to just to sling me over their shoulder and kidnap me. I can help myself a little even though words are my most powerful weapon".

He basically bombarded her with a serious of questions that half reminded her of an inquisition and confronted her with plenty of information. He was rather blunt while at it and she couldn't help but to feel a little overwhelmed as he started approaching the door again. "No, Sir...thank you" she almost muttered before she cleared her throat, finally breaking out of her paralyzation.

"But wait. I shall come with you" she quickly secured her laptop, her gaze directed at the ground before she grabbed her handbag and followed him. She, too, had many more questions, but she didn't dare to ask right now. She trailed along side him as they moved towards the bridge, choosing silence unless he decided to break it, before she did decide to ask him one thing already. "Are you used to these kinds of missions?". If he wanted to know about her skills, it would actually help her as well.

@Pazaakly

 

[Vayden Q'orr]

He decided to let the towel discrepancy go for the moment. If she didn't know precisely why his time would be wasted drilling her on the matter. He instead made a mental note to check-in with the appropriate staff to verify that it was in fact simple incompetence rather than a symptom of something else.

He wasn't surprised by her limited ability to defend herself, though he detected some pride in her verbal defense. That was good, even if in practice her words would prove less than useful it would bode well for her that she was strong-spirited. More importantly, none of what she said triggered any alarm in his head. He was beginning to understand why he'd been entrusted with this assignment. By every measure so far it appeared his task would be very cut and dry.

Curious however that a diplomat whose self-proclaimed greatest strength was her speech seemed to be speaking off-balance. Maybe she was so ingrained in her routine that his arrival had such an effect. It could also be that she didn't often receive third-party protection. He'd think nothing of it for the time being, reserving judgement for once he knew more about her. Only a fool tries to solve a puzzle without all the pieces first.

When she elected to walk with him to the bridge he approved silently and began walking. He'd already walked a little ways down the corridor by the time she'd gathered her things and she'd need to catch up before matching pace. It was purposeful, of course. He wasn't interested in setting a precedent of waiting around for her, he'd need her constantly on the back foot for his ruse to work. It would be a delicate balance though, too distant and it could be challenged that he wasn't protecting her as he should.

He let the silence hang as they continued onwards to the bridge until she decided to break it to which he responded "I have extensive experience in many fields, this one included. My part will never be in doubt so long as you do yours, Miss D'Avignon." Not long after their exchange the entrance to the bridge was in sight. He would choose this moment to really set things in motion. Her reaction would tell him a lot about her boundaries and aptitude.

He grabbed her by her arm above the elbow, not forcefully but firmly turning her to face him. Leaning in close and speaking in a low whisper he said "There is a reason the ISB deemed it necessary to provide you extra protection on this voyage. Trust no one." His eyes flicked pointedly to the entrance to the bridge to add to his implication.

The whole display was meant to throw her off and create doubt in her mind. With the sudden intensity and questions she no doubt had forming in her mind, he believed she wouldn't notice what came next. As he held he there so close he took advantage and swapped out her comlink with his modified one. Then, just as quickly as he'd initiated, he let go and stood back with a more casual smile. Gesturing to the bridge he said "After you."

@LadyRen​

 

[Heather D'Avignon]

Her back was still relatively straight, but she appeared a little smaller and more frail as his way of simply standing and talking somehow demanded plenty of space due to his natural authority. While she clearly had some of her inner nervousity bleeding into her posture, what he probably didn't realize was that while he conducted his inquisition, she observed and studied him as well though.

She watched his movements and attentive gaze closely, wondering whether he was one of those that actually had a lot of dirt on his hands. His muscles flexed while he moved and she could tell how he kept a strong fitness routine and she was also pretty convinced he was an adversary to reckon with in any fighting situation.

Maybe that was the reason why she didn't fully feel comfortable though. As he was glaring down at her, she somehow felt like his commanding gaze was almost piercing through her clothes and skin. She knew her life was basically in his hands and so she figured she had to place her trust in him - it was not as if she could choose who'd protect her, but she did keep a safe distance while she followed behind.

The clacking of her pumps against the cold floor accelerated as she had to catch up with him first before she walked behind him. She released the breath she didn't even know she had been holding before she actively kept her thoughts from racing again and told herself that everything would be fine.

Her tense shoulders were slowly relaxing as he calmly answered her question that drew a subtle, understanding nod from her. "Of course, Agent Q'orr. It is in our shared interest that we-" it was then that nothing but a gasp followed as he suddenly grabbed her and turned her.

She met his gaze, however now it was actual fright that bleed into those innocent, blue eyes. He whispered something that clearly sounded like a threat and it was only for her eyes to hear. A shiver crept down her spine while she felt herself unable to move. She noticed nothing of what he actually did, but she did somehow feel his free hand brushing against her side that made her eyes widen further.

It was an accident, wasn't it?! His hand might have slipped, or did he just casually stick a bug onto her? Everything was safety related, right? Just like his speech...it had to be. She wanted to believe it. As he let go, she exhaled, she was still not flinching for another moment like a shocked deer in the headlights. Was this ship infiltrated?! Or had he just warned her about himself. "Of course, Sir" she quietly muttered before swallowing the lump in her throat. She suddenly felt terribly cold, yet she found herself moving past him.

It took a while until her faked, professional smile was back on her lips, but she tried to pretend this hadn't just happened. Where had she gotten into? Somehow this whole misson looked a lot more dangerous now. She greeted the crew members and other passengers, trying to overplay what was going on inside her. She'd be wary of everyone for sure. She waited for a moment where he appeared to be looking elsewhere as she glanced down, but she couldn't see anything that had changed. The weird sensation of dread never left as they finally jumped into hyperspace...

@Pazaakly

 

[Vayden Q'orr]

The next 48 hours aboard their transport was fairly mundane. He learned that there was in fact a mix-up in the housekeeping department and nothing more. He finished organizing his additional equipment and would spend the majority of his days getting to know the crew and envoys present for the journey.

His real work would take place at night, when most everyone had returned to their cabins to sleep. It was hard to keep a good sleep schedule for a lot of people while traveling through hyperspace however, so he still had to exercise extreme caution.

In this quiet hours he'd go over the information on his datapad that had been transmitted via the tapped comlink he'd slipped D'Avignon. Most of it was incredibly trivial and mind-numbing bureaucracy, one of the worst parts of his own job made even more prevalent in hers apparently. By the second day he'd heard the words 'talks', 'diplomat' and 'envoy' so much that if he'd ever heard them again in his life it would've been too soon.

He did however get some tidbits like conversations between his target and her parents. He did his best to get a feel for their family dynamic but it was difficult to assess things like that via hologram.

Less important but more amusing was seeing her activity on something called swinder. He'd never used it himself. Seeing the attempts of some slim, pale faced Mirialan to woo his target was equal parts cringe inducing and hysterical. If this kind of thing worked on her maybe he had given her too much credit before.

His lack of progress in collecting any incriminating evidence on her or her family was troubling, though. It was time for a change of plan. He spun a tale to the captain about a tip that came in to the ISB about a potential rat on their ship. It was a complete fallacy, but the captain went along with it without hesitation. With that in place, in the middle of the second "night", he made his way to D'Avignon's quarters.

With the Captain's access key he opened the otherwise locked door and stepped into her room. Despite his generally heavy footfalls he moved through the room as silently as can be, looking for anything he might be able to use. Right there on the desk would do: her datapad. If anything would have the information he sought it would be that. He tucked it away in his case quickly, then made his way over to her bed.

This was the second phase of the plan. In a harsh yet quiet voice he said "Get up, now. There's been a change of plans. I can explain more once we're off this ship." Giving her a moment to rise and process his words he took advantage and packed a bag for her, grabbing the most formal attire he could find. They would be what he assumed she would most likely wear once they reached their initial destination.

Handing the bag to her he explained hurriedly "There's a trap waiting for us at the spaceport. If we disembark along with everyone else the results could be fatal. Instead we have to make it seem as though we were the first to get off and thus confuse our would-be assailants. Leave everything but what's in this case. Tidy nothing."

With that he'd usher her towards one of the smaller craft attached to the corvette. If his plan worked, they'd still arrive to their scheduled meeting that upcoming morning on time and dressed for the occasion.

More importantly, she wouldn't notice or even think of her datapad until the end of the following day once they returned to the corvette. By which point he'd already have all the information from it and could return it without her ever being the wiser.

@LadyRen​

 

[Heather D'Avignon]

Maybe, but only maybe she went out of Agent Q'orr's way on purpose...Heather was trained for a lot of things, to negotiate with the most difficult, rigid business partners or governmental envoys, but she found the ISB agents terribly unpredictable. If she hated one thing, it was not being able to fully calculate the odds and every time she crossed paths with him again, she half expected him to drop some terribly new news to plant more uncertainty in her mind.

She knew this could as well just be his usual tactic, but she also reminded herself of how she wasn't left with much of a choice. She had a lot of businesses to attend to, but she also used whatever opportunities there were the mingle with the crowd of crew members and other attendants, having to admit she was a social being after all and the others were at least not suddenly taking hold of her.

Had he expected her to free herself of this grip? It could have also been such a test - a test she had formidably failed the last time, but that was why she swore to show him she wasn't all helpless and docile next time, wanting to make clear she was the one he had been assigned to, but at the very next occasion she saw him, she involuntarily flinched. Change of plans. No kriffing way she'd risk passing him off as she still found him intimidating.

It was the third night and she was fast asleep when she perceived the soft hiss of the door. She had a soft sleep after all and was usually up at the slightest sound, so while her back was turned towards the intruder, her eyes were open wide and facing the cold white wall. What now?!

She had no weapon in reach, so the heat started rushing to her cheeks as she didn't have a great feeling about this at all until a familiar voice suddenly broke the silence. She didn't even know whether she should have been relieved or more distressed. Again, she just frozen up but this time she was quicker with leaving the stasis. She rolled, pulling the blanket up and blinking at him in shock before he insistently urged her to leave.

Heather was dressed in something impractically short, an actual elegant piece of fine, black lingerie that was usually just for her eyes only because she liked to feel sexy when she was by herself, but as he kept urging her to leave she had absolutely no choice but to obey and get up reluctantly.

She was immediately shivering and thus dragged the blanket with her until she at least reached the cupboard to pull out a pink sweater jacket to partially cover herself with it and conceal the goosebumps that laced her skin, but she didn't really feel less naked. Her heart was wildly pounding in her chest, the adrenaline rushing through her veins while she couldn't even tell whether this was real or another possible test.

"Couldn't I just-" she quietly started, seemingly uncomfortable, however his glare was already enough of an answer. Also, he handed her a bag he had short-handedly packed with clothes he had chosen in a hurry and now she was supposed to leave?! This was terrible.

"You owe me an explanation" she still dared to voice that demand quietly as she walked out, naked feet touch the cold ground. He guided her towards the smaller craft and she was just so confused and distressed that after boarding, she couldn't even surpress the shuddering. Instead of asking again, she just glared up, wanting to lock eyes and desperately hope for any kind of an answer about all of this madness.

@Pazaakly

 

[Vayden Q'orr]

Once they were aboard the craft they'd use for their "escape" a couple quick taps of the screen sent word to the captain that they were in position. With confirmation and all clear, their new ship detached and began making its way to their destination of Horuz.

With all that squared away he leaned back in the pilot's seat, not relaxing his posture but clearly dropping the air of immediate danger he'd held since waking her. It was only now that he turned his chair to face her.

It was also in this moment that he could really get a good look at her. Her room had been dark and in upholding the charade of urgency he hadn't exactly been the most observant. Especially since he knew the threat wasn't a real one and thus his perception wasn't of much use at the time. Now though, in the brightly lit shuttle with no time crunch whatsoever, he saw much more than he expected to.

Sometimes, one could get so caught up in their work that other parts of their life fall to the wayside. The kind of life Q'orr was living didn't lend itself to enjoying the fairer sex. He was too consumed with his ever-growing hunger to climb the ranks of the ISB to commit time to a relationship.

Not to mention any such attachment could be exploited by those looking to undermine him. By the same token any casual affair could be a means of discreetly taking him out of the picture. All these factors combined meant it had been a long while for him.

A fact he was reminded of seeing this woman in front of him. It was a "stopping to smell the roses" of sorts, really. She was still just his target -one he fully intended to betray at that- but even so he could acknowledge that she was an attractive person. His eyes grazed along her legs and figure for a fleeting moment.

Who wouldn't be in her position? She had all the money in the world to invest in her appearance, of course she looked good.

He used that source of bitterness to scare off any thoughts beyond the ones he'd already had. With that invisible shake of his head he met her eyes and finally spoke once more. "I was contacted by my superiors. They suspected a trap waiting for us had we disembarked like everyone else. This way we circumvent the danger and still arrive on time for your meeting with the representatives on Horuz."

Deciding to play off any previous glances by justifying them now he gave her a judgmental once-over and said "Not exactly emergency ready sleepwear, Miss D'Avignon. In the future I'd recommend something more practical. If you intend on getting more rest there's a small bed in the back, otherwise I'd recommend changing into your other clothing now. Wouldn't want your family embroiled in a scandal if we happen to be intercepted while you're dressed like that."

Not to mention what it would do to his career. His superiors of course wouldn't care what methods he used to get what he needed, that simply wasn't his style of information extraction. No what they'd really care about is him getting caught and bringing them undue attention. They couldn't afford the kind of spotlight tabloids inevitably brought.

He returned his seat to its forward facing position and busied himself studying its controls. They were fairly standard but more than anything he was verifying that everything was in working order.

Despite himself, no matter whether she decided to change or go to bed, he'd look over his shoulder once he heard her walking away. Not to watch, only to get another look at her legs as she walked away. Then return to the much less aesthetically appealing console in front of him.

@LadyRen​

 

[Heather D'Avignon]

Still shivering, she pulled her sweater jacket closer as she just sat in the passanger seat and waiting for him to turn. She didn't really know what to feel...she was afraid, in total distress, yet also slightly outraged by his blunt and rude intrusion. He hadn't even allowed her to get dressed!

She was almost pouting but tried her best to keep a straight face, not wanting him to take her any less seriously. She forced herself to breathe deeply as her body adjusted to now being awake, her thoughts still racing. He suddenly turned and his gaze lingered. Partly she thought who could blame him, she wasn't exactly dressed for the occasion, but another part of her felt offended.

This was just a shifty situation to be in and the diplomat wasn't used to such troubles. She listened to him, suddenly with a newfound confidence and her uncertain gaze soon turned into a slightly accusing glare. "That is precisely what you disclosed in my cabin, just paraphrased" she pointed out, her inner nervousity growing right as the words left her mouth. Shouldn't she be grateful? Or was this just a ploy?!

"Frankly speaking, I wasn't expecting any emergencies so soon and I can't help but to wonder whether my special company is to blame". Kriff, what are you doing?! Apparently, a sleep deprived Heather was much feistier and her fear was turning into misplaced confidence...She immediately regretted it.

Then he suddenly got even personal as he pulled her family into this and that was when he couldn't help but to wonder whether he already knew them. She held eye contact, until this temporary boost of boldness immediately wore off. She was all tensed up and getting up as she quietly said, "I'll change". Again, breathing got easier as she left his immediately presence.

She moved to the tiny bathroom space and opened the door, only to realize that even though she wasn't tall and relatively flexible, this could pose a challenge. She sighed to herself but squeezed in, attempting to somehow take out one of the dresses he had grabbed but soon had to give up. Perfect. Now she even had to change in front of him.

She told herself that this was all no big deal and left the so called bathroom in her night gown. "I'll change here, it's too tight in there" she announced, hoping he'd get the hint but then immediately questioned whether he was versed in any etiquette. Probably not, she figured, but thought it was common sense, so even though she felt incredibly uncomfortable she turned around, so that her back was facing him, and began to change.

She stayed convinced that he wouldn't dare to look and then even thought to herself, 'even if, so what?'. He could be unprofessional all he wanted, they were both mature and she'd get this job done and they'd never cross paths again after tomorrow. Only now did the realization hit her that he was all alone with him in this craft and this didn't help with her thoughts, so she immediately decided to focus on something entirely different. It didn't last long though, as there was a more pressing question on her mind...

"You said to trust no one, now we've left the ship and you told me it was necessary. Who says I should believe you now?". Not that she had had a choice...she didn't even want to trigger or confront him, but was rather curious about how this added up, but was afraid that could come across the wrong way. Damn. She was a communication expert and was making all the mistakes there were...She couldn't help but blame it on the tiredness and extreme situation.

@Pazaakly

 

[Vayden Q'orr]

There was no change in his demeanor. His face kept the same neutral expression as usual thanks to years of practice. Inside however was a different story. To think he had done her the favor of giving her the benefit of the doubt. He was disappointed, and that sentiment gave rise to anger soon after.

By all accounts she seemed intelligent, yet she was entitled and bratty just like all the other upper crust he'd had the displeasure of interacting with. He kept these thoughts to himself for the time being, letting her accusation hang in the air unresolved.

He didn't acknowledge her once. Not when she announced that she would change. Nor when she specified that she'd be doing it out in the open. Odd. He didn't take her for the flaunting, honeypot type. Even if she had noticed him looking with less than purely analytical intent, what did she stand to gain in this situation? Control?

She was a fool if she thought she could work that angle with him. Many a cornered woman had tried batting their eyes his direction to get out of trouble. The lucky ones only got jail time.

He heard her question, that irritating query carrying the same accusatory and pampered tone she'd shown earlier. This fit of hers would not be allowed to continue on. Still looking uninterested and unperturbed, he finished his systems check on the shuttle and called out without looking in her direction "Are you done?"

It was simultaneously asking if her wardrobe change was complete and the first inkling that he was less than enthused by her tone. Once she acknowledged she had changed, he'd get up from his seat.

He gave a thin, clearly heartless smile and began at a distance "Let's get a couple things straight. For one: your inability to prepare yourself for an emergency at any moment is no one's fault but your own. This is intended to be a three day journey, do you mean to tell me you were going to prepare for danger on day three of that journey?"

As he spoke he walked slowly and deliberately towards the back of the shuttle where she stood. The smile, small as it was, had vanished entirely.

He entered general conversation range but showed no signs of stopping "Second: If I carried any ill will towards you, they'd already be done."

He was now invading her personal space, his arm planted firmly on the bulkhead behind her so she was completely engulfed in his shadow. "As a word of advice, don't speak ill of those tasked with keeping you alive. I'm a professional, but I know many of my peers would be all too eager to let their guard down in the company of ungrateful envoys like you."

He was looking down at her now. Her innocent face was an annoying kind of perfect. Even with being woken in the middle of the night. Fleeting desires crossed his mind, but he had a point to get across and was far too incensed to focus on them. "Finally: You are nothing to me, as equally valuable to me as furniture. The only reason I've extended the courtesies to you that I have so far is because completing this mission successfully will help progress my career."

Daring to push the envelope just a little further, he reached up with his free hand towards her throat. His fingertips grazed her neck for a moment, then simply adjusted her collar that hadn't fallen quite right after she changed. "You're asking the wrong questions. What you should be asking yourself is how to make yourself valuable to me. Your life very well may depend on it."

He let the threat hang in the limited space between them, before turning quickly and walking back to his seat.

He had made his point clear: he would not be a babysitter. Any further outbursts would run the risk of alienating him and by proxy her shield against any potential dangers. He probably could've done so less aggressively, but the look on her face was well worth it. She should've considered herself lucky, given the circumstances.

@LadyRen​

 

[Heather D'Avignon]

She stood and glared at him, a thousand thoughts racing through her mind. Were their Blasters on board? Maybe she'd need them...maybe he was the one kidnapping her? She was absolutely starting to spiral as she had never found herself in such a terrible situation before and so she didn't want to leave any opportunity ignored.

He then asked whether she was done and even though there was a double entendré, she realized how his tone indicated he wasn't pleased with her accusations and well, neither was she! He suddenly got up and slowly approached her which made her eyes widen again. Damn...why hadn't she just kept her mouth shut?

She was absolutely convinced he was a guy so ruthless and tough if he had to that you should never get into any troubles with him, and there she was, violating all norms and protocols she usually followed. Stunned like a deer in the headlights, she waited as if frozen, her head slowly moving upwards as she followed him with her gaze while he walked closer.

"I...didn't expect any troubles on the ship" she admitted, however realizing it was nothing but an excuse, "This isn't my area of expertise" she quietly added, before the air was drawn from her lungs. Her heart was speeding and he didn't stop moving, so all she could do was to take another step back, so that she was pressed into the bed.

He drew even closer until he planted his arm on the bed, thereby pinning her down without even touching her but it was fairly obvious that there was no way for her out of this. He was apperently firmly and coldly trying to put her into the place he wanted her to be in, but instead of making her point, she was utterly speechless and frightened.

He had a point...he could have slid her throat while he had walked in that night, but well, if he wanted a ransom or whatsoever, he was on the best way to turn her into a precious hostage. He was no good guy, this she knew, but what was worth more, the loan and his reputation or a fine sum on her head? Anything was possible and she knew he'd be the one in full controll of this situation.

She swallowed, her throat was all dry again, yet those frightened eyes met his. He almost spat that it was upon her to make herself valuable too and the realization hit her out of nowhere. Maybe instead of accusing him, she had indeed a reason to ensure she was still worth the protection. Couldn't the ISB get ready of people within a split second? If she was to be removed, another envoy would simply be sent after her...she wasn't worth that much for them indeed.

It felt terrible that he seemed to be right about those things and that her life was indeed depending on him- a man she didn't trust one tiniest bit. She knew what he did: He was apperently a master in mind games and he said just the right things to make her feel like she was nothing. She had been trained to resist them for years and yet in this confined, oppressive space, she simply couldn't. He had her right where he wanted her to and it felt terrible for her that he simply was in full control. As his fingers grazed her neck another shiver crept down her spine before he casually adjusted her collar before stepping back.

She immediately let out the breath she had been holding as he let her go and as her knees felt weak, she sank back into the bed. Still sitting, she directed her gaze to the ground, her whole body shivering again. She'd have to adapt. Not just to this situation, but to him. He had mentioned his career and obviously this was just another job for him, but this at least meant she had a little leverage already. Yet she also knew he'd write a report, and if she acted up like that, it would fall back negatively and so she immediately had to regain composure to act as the dignified envoy she actually was. She felt the urge to call her mother, anyone frankly speaking, but still couldn't move. Also, there was no private sphere here in this little ship, so she had no choice but to wait.

The tension had become unbearable just a few moments earlier, yet now that he was gone, she mananged to glance back up again. The message had still been understood. The knife cut both ways, but she had a feeling that dealing with him was the most difficult part of this mission. It took a few moments for her to process everything that had just happened and how the tension had climaxed into this confrontation and she knew she wouldn't let it come this far again. Reluctantly, she pushed herself upwards and hesitantly approached the passenger's seat again, before she sat down. "You've made your point. We're professionals, we'll get the job done. Nothing more nothing less. I promise I won't cause any more troubles and I'll be more prepared next time" maybe this would at least appease him...

@Pazaakly

 

[Vayden Q'orr]

Q’orr was already busying himself by reading general information about the planet Horuz on his datapad when D’Avignon finally took a seat. There was no acknowledgement on his part.

He let her state the obvious, never pausing his reading. Her words were probably more for herself than they were for him anyways. If they made her feel better then more power to her. He said nothing in response, the matter was final.

He did make a mental note however that he had gotten through to her. That was vital information. If he had a proven method of manipulating this woman then he’d have little trouble moving forward in getting her to cooperate.

Apparently the threat of a more physical confrontation was all that was needed. It made sense, she had probably been trained by instructors who could never truly hurt her, nothing like a real fight.

Of course he would never actually lay a hand on her. Doing so would open a can of worms that Q’orr was wise enough to avoid. Conflicting reports, family interests, internal and external investigations etc.

Implied violence was conducive to silence, it was when you started making good on your promises that they started screaming for help in his experience.

The next several hours would be spent in silence on his part unless otherwise broken by his cargo, his time being spent on studying the hyperlanes around Horuz and the ground level thoroughfares of the city they’d be docking in. Once he felt sufficiently well versed in the flow of the planet’s traffic he’d put away the datapad and close his eyes, recreating them in his mind.

It was a slow process as he had far from a droid’s mind, but he continued the mental exercise of picking random points on the map and serving as his own navigator to try and find the best routes possible.

Of course this was all in theory, no matter how much he studied the maps all it took was a single unforeseen accident to cause a ripple effect through the rest of the system and change its flow.

While he had his eyes closed he made sure to stay entirely still. Going so far as to slow his breathing as if he were asleep. He didn’t expect his target to do anything out of the ordinary, but it was a subtle method of double-checking that his previous display had worked.

Several hours after their initial “escape”, their shuttle dropped out of hyperspace with Horus filling its viewport. Q’orr sat up in his chair once more and took the controls in his hands, guiding the ship down towards the surface. After a couple minutes of waiting for clearance and general docking procedure, they were finally allowed to touch down on the planet.

Turning to her he said “We’ve landed in the sister spaceport of the one our original vessel will be landing in. From here we’ll head towards the plaza where we’ll rendezvous with Captain Isvar and the rest of your compatriots. If you have any questions, keep them to yourself. There’s no guarantee that we won’t be listened in on wherever we go.”

His timing was intentional, of course. He could’ve given this information to her at any point during their travel or descent. This way she’d only have time to learn what she needed to and nothing more. He didn’t need her trying to poke holes in his story, especially this close to their objective. Just a couple more minutes and she’ be on to more pressing matters and he’s be left to his devices. Or, more accurately, her device.

The rendezvous went smoothly as he imagined it would given the lack of true danger posed to the rest of the crew. While she was no doubt speaking with her political kin Q’orr made a point of congratulating the captain for their cooperation and punctuality. He had to reward anyone who actively made his job easier. Especially the ones that took what he said as fact blindly.

From there they formed a caravan towards the offices where the envoys would be doing their business. During the ride he’d place himself far from D’Avignon, placing his eyeline strategically on anyone she spoke to in the meantime. It would give her some semblance of security given he was out of earshot, but it ensured that his glowing yellow eyes would always be in her peripheral without focusing in on her.

Once they arrived, the group was escorted to an ornate set of doors flanked by guards of a high status indicated by their more formally inclined protective gear. As the envoys and their security detail filtered into the room they saw a long table that would fit all of them comfortably.

At the head of the table on the far end of the room was a human man, well dressed with gilded robes and shining smile. His face was that of a man in his mid-50’s, yet when he spoke it betrayed a shakiness indicative of someone more advanced in age than his appearance let on.

With arms outstretched to his guests he said “Welcome, emissaries! A pleasure to meet all of you. I am Sir Lounidas Olmann.” He gestured with one arm to either side to the other humans that sat to his left and right “I, along with the wonderful Aufric Niin and esteemed Thulia Vassanass, will be speaking on behalf of our humble planet today. Please, take your seats.”

@LadyRen​

 

[Heather D'Avignon]

Even if she usually didn't mind silence, this one was bothering her. There were many things left unsaid from her side but it didn't look like he was in the mood for taking as he didn't even acknowledge her presence and once again she reminded herself that this was nothing but a job.

They wouldn't need to get along and they weren't forced to waste time on small talk, still she couldn't shake this feeling about how his presence was oppressive and intimidating in a way she hadn't experienced ever before. She pulled out her comlink and checked a few messages while they continued their flight in silence.

The tranquility became unbearable at some point for her and she actively had to keep herself from twirling a strand of loose hair regardless of how tempting it was that one long curl had unravalled itself enough that it was constantly falling into her face. She had this habit and usually absent-mindedly did it when working while simultaneously being either nervous or on edge. Here though, she couldn't allow herself to push herself further into this role he desperately wanted to push her into.

As she had a lot of time to think and reflect, she actually processed all different kinds of thoughts. She wondered whether his harsh, upfront rude and dominant demeanor was part of his agent persona and whether it was his mechanism of keeping the subjects he was to protect under control.

She had no doubt that behind this hard layer there was a slightly different kind of a person, but she was still convinced he had never been the actually pleasant, social type. Whenever she was en route with other envoys, she loved discussing political or diplomatic issues or to just exchange some meaningless, however lighthearted pleasantries, but she knew this wasn't possible at all here and it bugged her.

One the one hand she was afraid, on the other she wondered whether she could still offer an olive branch and he could at least try to tone his unjustified, yet not actually physical, but still obviously manipulative assaults down a little. Was he potentially afraid of losing control and thus he used his natural authority to keep people in line? It was all very possible.

She wondered how long he had been with the ISB, but again refrained from asking, so that in the end they approached a spaceport without having exchanged any more words. She still figured it had been a good choice as she found herself a lot calmer now that she had the prospect of escaping his immediate, oppressive presence.

He finally adressed her again and cautioned her about not asking questions and she softly nodded. "Understood" she solely replied, however quirking a brow as there were actually a few things she still found weird, but as they were already docking, she only let out a sigh as she got up.

"Let's get this over with". She got up and adjusted her dress before she grabbed her little bag and approached the ramp. She knew that from now on, he'd probably follow her like a menacing shadow, but she tried her best to just ignore it and stay focused on her task. She faked a polite smile and walked out gracefully and was actually looking forward to the reunion with the others as this meant she could finally talk to someone again, and not a minute after rendezvous, she was doing exactly that.

She obviously was very careful about what she said and whom she talked to, but she felt much safer in the caravan, if she was being honest to herself, and looking forward to her actual work. As they boarded their transport, Heather couldn't help but to feel watched by him, but this time she gained the impression that he was at least actually looking out for her. She kept the topics of her conversations superficial, now actually paranoid that there was dangerous lurking somewhere and that eyes and ears could indeed be everywhere.

As they alighted, they were being led into a hall where the planetary envoys were already awaiting them, but somehow she felt much more on edge as usual. They had discussed plans for how this meeting was supposed to go first, so the Imperial Diplomat wasted no second before she got up, a warm, grateful smile on her lips.

"Most honorable representatives, we thank you kindly for your invitation. My name is Heather D'Avignon and I'll speak on the behalf of the Imperial Diplomatic Corps today". Here, she was in her natural element and all poised and confident as she made her opening. She introduced the other emissaries before she gave Sir Olmann the chance to begin. As they had actually invited them, she expected they already had some kind of an agenda in head, and obviously it was polite to let them explain their reasons first.

As she was seated again, her gaze quickly flicked back to Agent Q'orr who lingered in her periphery, telling herself that this would be a normal negotiation and nothing else and he'd simply accompany her back aboard later on and that would be it. They'd never have to cross paths again...

@Pazaakly

 

[Vayden Q'orr]

Sir Olmann began the long list of pleasantries necessary for a meeting such as theirs. Going one by one through each envoy, thanking them for their time and effort to be there. Regaling them of the planet's history and scenic vistas and whatnot. It was nauseating. Thankfully, Q'orr had something to preoccupy himself with to revent his mind turning to mush.

As the meeting got underway, he took this opportunity to finally sift through D'Avignon's datapad. He bypassed the passcode with the ease of well-practiced routine and began scouring. He did give her points for having an actual passcode and not some dumb phrase standing between him and her family's secrets.

Numerous files were opened. Messages scanned for the appropriate keywords. Deleted documents were retrieved. No digital stone was left unturned in his search. It was about ten minutes into their meeting that he finally found what he was looking for.

The first vital piece was a personal message from Tybalt D'Avignon to his daughter. It read as distant yet caring, but the part Q'orr cared about was his mention of being on the planet of Muunilinst. On top of that the message was dated with a specific day and time. It would be crucial in proving that D'Avignon lied about his whereabouts to the Empire as they had suspected. The next nail in the coffin would be some financial sheets present on the device. Having studied the record submitted to the Empire as part of his preparation, he knew at a glance that there were several discrepancies.

They weren't damning on their own, but together they'd provide his superiors all the justification needed to open a formal investigation against the family. Then they could seize all the assets they wanted with no consequence, all their dirtiest secrets would be brought to the light. Consequently he was sure some of their hefty coffers would be brought to imperial pockets in the process. Such is the way of things.

He had completed his mission, but at a cost. Had he not been buried in her device, he might've noticed that the weapons carried by the representative's guard were more than ceremonial. He may have noticed that when the doors had been swung shut it took more effort than the material suggested. Another red flag would've been that for a planet and people that boasted about its impressive forests and canyons, they had elected a room with no windows.

In fact, if it wasn't for the theatrics of Sir Olmann, its entirely possible they would've all perished that day. It was the representative's rising tone that alerted Q'orr and got him to peel his eyes off the datapad. "...and for far too long the Sith or the Empire or what have you has expected us to be at their beck and call with the weakest of promises that this time, this time for sure there will be peace and stability. Well my people say this time... we choose our own destiny!"

Q'orr moved faster than the old man, grabbing D'Avignon first and yanking her out of her chair. Not a moment too soon, either. Sir Olmann pressed a hidden button in the table and the chairs of the envoys went from unassuming furniture to electrified death traps. In a split second the vast majority of the emissaries were fried on the spot. The hideous smell of burning flesh filled the room with an ungodly haste.

The guards inside the room brought their blasters to bear at the few remaining survivors that had gotten up in time. One such guard aimed directly for D'Avignon, trained on his target and ready to fire. Luckily for her she was still in Q'orr's grasp from his earlier maneuver and he used his hold to yank her once more. The guard's blaster bolt fired wide as one from Q'orr sang true and burned a hole through the attacker's chest.

All around the room the others fell to blasterfire as the guards made quick work to clean up their mess. Outside there was noise of muffled blasterfire as well. He could only assume the captain and his crew were meeting the same fate out there. He saw no exit, no wall they could blast their way through. The only way out was the way they'd come in.

Thinking quickly and ducking low to avoid the barrage of lasers looking to undue his parent's hard work, he squeezed several shots into the floor where it met the electrified chairs. It had the desired effect, causing a brilliant display of sparks and light, blinding the rest of the room for a moment. He used his window of opportunity to yell at D'Avignon "Open the door!" and began to lay covering fire, taking out as many of the guards as he could.

He certainly hoped she could manage to push the door open soon, because there was another complication. He was scoring some decent hits on "Aufric" and Thulia" but it was becoming increasingly clear it was ineffective. With every shot more of their skin came off, revealing the war droids beneath the fleshy disguise. This, in his professional opinion, was not good.

@LadyRen​

 

[Heather D'Avignon]

As Heather leaned back a little, she straightened herself and intently listened as he began, legs gracefully crossed and her attentive gaze directed at Sir Olmann. She noticed some subtly movements in the corner of her eyes, but in order to avoid seeming impolite, she held his gaze.

The atmosphere was like in every of those meeting Chambers at first, but Heather had spoken to enough envoys, ambassadors, heads of governments, CEOs and what-not to have developed strong skills in reading facial features and there was something crossing the envoys face that immediately unsettled her.

Her lips were slightly parted as his tone changed from one second to the next and suddenly, everything went out of hand. Sir Olmann hadn't even finished his speech completely as she was grasped by strong arms and violently yanked out of her seat. A high-pitched scream involuntarily escaped her as she took hold of the arms to rip them off her, yet she immediately froze as her horrified gaze met the violently flinching emissaries that had accompanied her.

She hadn't even fully processed what Sir Olmann had indicated with his speech and was still moving backwards, barely escaping a well-aimed blasterbolt that was rushing past her in a split second while tears of pure desperation swelled in her eyes. Agent Q'orr had been right about an ambush, but it seemed like he hadn't expected them to strike her.

She still didn't even have to turn to know that the strong, muscular arms dragging her away from the death and mayhem in front of her eyes belonged to him. She felt herself unable to move as the catastrophe played out in front of her widened eyes and she was almost convinced they'd die until his voice suddenly freed her from her paralyzation.

The door. She turned her head to notice the wide, thick door they had passed earlier and it seemed like Vayden was giving her cover while he really expected her to do something helpful. Fueled by the adrenaline, she violently threw herself against it, knowing it was their only way out as her observant gaze hadn't noted any windows earlier, but her desperation turned into full panic as it didn't budge at first.

Kriff. They'd die. Tears were streaming down her cheeks as she screamed in panic, however mustering her remaining strength and trying again so that it did indeed spring open. The problem was though, that it seemingly hadn't even been her doing alone as a slightly startled guard blinked at her before she quick-wittedly rammed right into him, shoulder first. This one was adorned in less armor and the way he had entered had told her he was attempting to just check on whether they had mananged to kill them all, so that he was now indeed caught off guard and toppled over, back first, with her on top.

What now though? She had absolutely no clue and assuming he'd still be stronger, she didn't try to go for his weapon, but she immediately pushed herself of her feet as she simply wanted to run, hoping he wouldn't be fast enough to get her. Their were blasterfires all around and they had been led through a relatively straight path upon their arrival, so she wasn't sure whether darting to the right was a better idea, but in this moment she hoped Q'orr was following.

@Pazaakly

 

[Vayden Q'orr]

Marching mechanized death in one direction, a shooting gallery the other. What a wonderful buffet of demise they'd been invited to. One of the war droids managed closed the distance before D'Avignon could open the door, and whatever they were made of was resistant to the strength of Q'orr's blaster pistol.

He stood for a moment completely at a loss of what to do, he certainly couldn't get into a fist fight with a droid. Even that moment of hesitation proved costly. It was all the opportunity needed for the droid to grab him by his armor and lift him into the air.

His legs kicked beneath him with no floor left to hold them. In a moment the other droid would have a clear line of sight on a target unable to run away. He would need to hope that the slow moving war droids hadn't been afforded an appropriately wide base. He unbuckled the chestplate turned prison on his person and dropped to the floor, exposed, but free.

Wasting no time he put all his strength into his shoulder and he charged upwards to knock the closer droid off its feet. Even rounding his back to disperse as much of the impact as possible, he still felt a wave of pain after the collision with the droid's uncompromising frame.

It did mostly achieve its intended effect, though. The top-heavy droid stumbled backwards, not entirely falling over as he'd hoped. But it made contact with the energized chair behind it all the same. Another brilliant display of sparks, this time accompanied by fire and smoke announced the sudden demise of the droid.

Turning back to the door, he saw that his charge had indeed gotten the door open and was charging past a guard lying on his back. He would take time to be impressed later. For now he simply vaulted over the downed guard, putting a blaster bolt in his gut on the way as a parting gift. The fewer pursuers the better.

Up ahead he saw her coming upon an intersection of corridors and afforded no time to explaining the best path forward. Instead he grabbed her by the arm once more and yanked her to the right.

The way they'd come in was a long. straight hallway. No amount of slaloming would counteract how outnumbered they were, and he wasn't keen on making it easy for them to get gunned down. They continued to sprint along the corridors, taking out any reinforcements that hey encountered along the way. The building's floorplan wasn't public record so he hadn't had the opportunity to study its layout like he had the city proper. What he could bank on was cardinal direction.

With the building's entrance and architectural design favoring the west so every sunset would be captured in its elegant windows, he knew that meant their best chance of escaping would be to the east. The side of the building not seen from street view.

In other words, the less artistic side where the more practical/industrial business would take place. Soon enough, he came across a door labeled for employees only and guided them inside.

In this area not designated for civilian use they could appreciate the alarm being raised by their escape. A silent klaxon was flaring in the corner, bathing them in oscillating amounts of red light. It seemed to be a kind of break room, half-finished meals scattered throughout, some still letting off little trails of steam.

The moment of respite would be brief, but long enough to allow him to look at D'Avignon for the first time since the attack began.

She was clearly shaken, tears scored across her cheeks and limbs shaking with adrenaline. Great. The last thing he needed was her having a mental breakdown before they could get to safety. Deciding he'd give her something to do he said "We're going to make our way to one of the emergency exits, but first we'll need a change of clothes. Look for any weapons to arm yourself with while I get us some uniforms."

With that he left her standing there and made his way to the lockers. He wasn't expecting her to actually find anything. Granted he had hoped to find a barracks of some kind yet this room seemed to be more so for maintenance workers, but beggars can't be choosers.

Once he found some uniform overalls that would more or less fit the two of them he quickly discarded his own clothing and changed on the spot. It was a risk, but better to stagger changing than literally get caught with their pants down.

All zipped up and looking much more blue collar than before he returned to her with her disguise in hand saying "Change quickly. I'll cover the entrance."

Handing her the uniform he posted up next to the door with pistol at the ready if anyone came in behind them. Surely the place had a surveillance system, so it would only be a matter of time before they were cornered once more. He'd simply have to bank on D'Avignon changing faster than she had the night before.

@LadyRen​

 

[Heather D'Avignon]

And there she was: The generally innocent diplomat on top of the armed guard in a desperate attempt to buy them time or at least a tiny chance to escape, however then not actually knowing what to do next as she obviously lacked those kinds of physical skills.

She was overly grateful as she turned her head to see Q'orr was actually on it and dealt with the guard in a rather unpleasant manner before she caught up with her. Admittedly, pumps weren't great for running, but lucky for her she had at least some practice in it, so that the adrenaline rushing through her veins still aided her to immense speed.

It was only when she was running again that it repeatedly dawned her that Agent Q'orr had saved her life and that she was now officially in his debt, but she couldn't worry much about that as her whole world laid in shattered prices. She was trained for a lot of things, but such an upfront assault was fully out of her league and she constantly had to blink the tears away to keep her vision from going blurry.

They ran and ran until he grabbed her and pulled her to the right. She obediently followed, assuming he had no direct plan either but the break room was actually a lucky finding. Panting and in full blown panic, the diplomat continued until they were inside where she collapsed against the nearest wall.

Her heart was wildly thundering in her chest by now, not due to the run as she was also rather used to that, but due to the incredibly fear and desperation. She was close to completely losing her shit as he suddenly gave her a task which distracted her mind a lot to turn her head to face him. "Y-Yes" came the shaky reply, but before she broke down completely, she began rummaging through the drawers.

She found nothing useful apart from really blunt knives, but deciding that they could still throw them, she grabbed a bunch and slammed them into a counter. Next, she opened a cabinet just to find more useless tools until she finally found a little fire axt which she violently yanked off its handle, still severely hyperventilating.

Knowing she'd faint soonest if she didn't stop, she pressed her lips together in an attempt to keep the air inside her lungs, but the spinning thoughts of worst case scenarios in her head didn't help. She still had the little axe in her hand and despite assuming she wouldn't manage to wield it against a human, she did at least feel a little less vulnerable now.

He returned just a moment after she had spotted some kind of an iron rod at the wall that she tried to yank off as he urged her to change. She let go off the rod and put the age on the table before she shakily faced him again. "Thank you" was all she quickly managed to say, but it didn't do the actual gratitude any justice.

Still, she obeyed his command without any questions, not even realizing that the whole time there was an alarm blurting and that the oscillating red light kept illuminating her face as she started squeezing out of her dress as quickly as she could. Not considering her circumstances, the panic fully blinded her so that she was staring into nowhere as she tossed the dressed into the corner and peeled the borrowed uniform over herself before zipping up. She felt incredibly odd, if not even numb as she grabbed her axe and edged closer to him.

As she passed the little glass panel on her left, her eyes quickly flicked over to it, realizing that it was some kind of semi transparent window leading into what looked like an actual storage room. This finding didn't bother her per se, but what did was the little green sign that said "maintenance shaft" that immediately lightened her spirits a little and freed her of her almost robotic stasis.

"Th-There!" this time it was her who dug into the uniform, suddenly holding onto him as though her life depended on it. Her other hand pointed towards the little viewing window. "This w-will lead u-us out". She glanced up at him, pupils fully dilated in terror and her body shaking but it felt like maybe they did have a chance if they'd make it into this room quickly...Still, she knew she was fully dependent on him and was just hoping he was either approving or had something better...

@Pazaakly

 

[Vayden Q'orr]

In all honesty he was doing his best to ignore her. As much as he enjoyed appearing prepared for anything, the truth of the matter was he had never actually been put in this dire of a protection role. Most of his work with the ISB had been solo and for good reason.

One very prominent reason literally clinging to his arm, his shooting arm at that. His only solace was that if they lived to make it back to Raxus he'd gain enough favor that he'd never be put in charge of a useless groveling politician again.

Maybe useless was too harsh. She did manage to spot a nearby maintenance shaft that he hadn't seen until she pointed it out. He tucked his blaster into his uniform as he opened the door and said in a hushed voice "Put that axe away. Maintenance workers aren't walking around armed with melee weapons."

With that, he ushered them out into and across the corridor towards the maintenance shaft. The sounds of barking orders and cavalcade of armored footsteps went from distant to alarmingly close faster than he expected, but they made it to their new route before either side established visual on the other.

A literal downward spiral brought them closer to the ground floor of the building, all the while doing his best to keep his breathing steady. When someone was looking for a runner anyone huffing and puffing had their days numbered.

Reaching the bottom he could see out to the large platform beyond. It was probably where the building's bulk supplies were dropped off along with the other various needs associated with a structure this size.

Turning to D'Avignon again he saw no indication that her face was any less of a mess than it had been before. "Stay behind me and keep your head down. If anyone sees that face we're dead."

Just like that, as casual as everyone else on the platform, two workers with vastly different silhouettes strode out into the open. He kept his gait fairly standard compared to the actual workers present, a feat made all the more painful thanks to every fiber of his being pleading for a mad dash out of there. If that was how he was feeling, he could only imagine how the weeping envoy behind him was faring.

Sometimes in life it was convenient to be tall. Easy to see over crowds, to reach high objects, to always get picked first in children's games. Not today.

Across the way a foreman of some kind took a single look at him, they locked eyes, and it was over. In that moment the foreman knew, and he knew that the foreman new. There would need to be a change of plans, fast. He scanned his surroundings for a split second but saw no new options. A classic, then.

Just as the foreman was pointing security in his direction he ducked behind a pallet of foodstuffs, leaving D'Avignon alone in the open and breaking line of sight with the guards. Then, just as quickly as he'd disappeared, he'd leap out and violently grab her by the head. He tucked her close to his chest and pressed the end of his blaster into her cheek, the combination of the two working to cover as much of her face as possible. "Anyone moves, she dies!!"

A total bluff. One he suspected they wouldn't buy for long. She at least looked like one of their own which would give them pause, yet the circumstances would be damning in the end. With every move he was just buying himself time to think of the next way to postpone death for a little while longer.

@LadyRen​

 

[Heather D'Avignon]

As he suddenly instructed her to drop the axe, she was confused, yet did exactly that. Hadn't he wanted her to look for weapons? Well, no doubt he was right about how their new attire didn't fit carrying such a weapon, but she once again realized he was the professional when it came to adapting to such a dangerous extreme situation.

Shuddering, she released her tight grip around the axe before she adjusted her uniform again. The tears stopped from rolling, but her thoughts were still chaotically racing inside her mind and their wasn't any less terror in her delicate, angst-stricken features. As they exited, she purposely slowed her walk, knowing that if they posed as maintenance workers, they weren't on the run from the governmental security guards, but still slightly distressed by the alarm, she figured.

She tried her best to somehow calm herself, yet the only way to actually slow her heart was to hold her breath and so she did whenever she could. She followed close by until she signaled her understanding with another nod as he turned to her in hushed voice.

She did keep her head down and brought a little more distance between them so that it didn't look like she was clinging onto him like a maniac. They reached the other workers and as she dared to look up, she suddenly realized a quick movement from Q'orr in her periphery and that she was suddenly left all alone in the full open, not yet close enough to the shaft to actually reach it, but just right for incoming guards to shoot her.

Kriff. That was it. He ran and probably escaped and she'd die like the rest of the envoys. She couldn't move and was just staring at the foreman in complete despair, not having a single clue or whether she'd still be able to just pretend she was a worker when she was suddenly assaulted from the side.

Her vision blacked out for a moment before cold metal suddenly dug into the flesh of her cheeks. She was being held in a violently tight grip and again didn't have to turn around to determine it was him. She cold hear his own heart beating fast and strong, which told her that he at least partly shared her panic, but a sudden realization hit here:

Again, the matter of life and death was in his hands and knowing how the ISB partly operated, another terrible assumption dawned her. With her as leverage if they fell for his ruse, he could still escape. He had been right. To him, her life was worth nothing and he could simply explain how everything had gone South and that he had been the only survivor.

They'd believe him, no questions asked, and well, how couldn't they? It was exactly what was happening. Her whole body shuddered as he pressed her closer to his chest and covered most of her face with his hands and blaster. Together, they slowly moved backwards, but she couldn't even tell how the foreman responded.

"L-let...her go", he suddenly voice, his frightened voice traveling over loudly, but the shock apperent in his pleading tone. If Vayden moved closer, he'd be just lucky enough to move even further until the security guards would came rushing in and open fire. Lucky for them though, if they started running in just the right moment, they'd be able to slip in and if they stumbled into the shaft, they'd find themselves in a dimly lit corridor.

The door immediately snapped shut behind them and if he let her go, Heather's blurry gaze would immediately lock onto a loosely fastened pipe at the wall. "Help me!" she meekly urged him as she started yanking at it and if he assisted, they'd manage to bar the door with it, buying them even more valuable time. However, cold water would immediately shoot our from the damaged pipe and would drench them within seconds, but as it was nothing but cold water, they'd be fine.

"There should be several entrances for them to enter if they know we're here...but there should be also various exits into the open" It was upon them to find the right one, but she finally felt as though they had a chance. Her knees were weak and shaking, yet she immediately turned to run again.

@Pazaakly