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Karys

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The Zygerrian monarchy had reached out to their sponsors within the Sith Order over an issue that had been plaguing them. A ring of slavers known simply as “New Thalassian Acquisitions” had been encroaching on some of their territories. The Zygerrians had placed a bounty on the ring and were willing to pay handsomely for the murder of the ring’s leader.

Karys had snapped up the offer of a mission when it was posted.

The lure of a bounty is part of what attracted him to this job, it was more than just that. Karys father had taught him to look for opportunities to build power, this was an opportunity. If his cards were played right, he could get in the good graces of the Zygerrian monarchy and potentially gain an asset to nurture. In Karys’ ambitious eyes there was little downside.

However, given the nature of this assignment and his unwillingness to share with his peers in the Order, Karys knew he needed an outside contractor. Using the limited channels he had, Karys was able to secure an operative who would likely suit his needs for this job. He had arranged her initial payment through his father’s court with the promise of repayment plus interest.

For this mission, Karys had opted to forgo his acolyte’s robes. Instead, he wore his combat armor, a high neck sweater beneath the breatplate, a dark green jacket over the breastplate, and a pair of black pants. Across his breastplate was a bandolier, with several reloads for his blaster pistol at his hip. Finally hidden on the back of his belt, partially covered by his jacket, set horizontally, was the hilt of his lightsaber.

With the initial details of the contract ironed out, he arranged passage to the coordinates he had sent this Maeve. She would land well over 10 miles away from Umbaran academy, a far enough distance to ensure the location was safe from her eyes. Karys expected her to already be waiting and ready for take off. Once they were on the way you Zygerria, Karys would debrief his partner on their objectives and his plan.

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Business brought Maeve into dangerous territory again. All she knew was that she was headed to Zygerria, but her mission partner was supposedly the one to brief her on details before landing. Thus, for now she was waiting for the mysterious company she had been assigned, not really thrilled about the planet they'd be onto as Maeve was used to ecumenopolis worlds and was an expert in getting along in huge cities, but she always got the job done, so she was confident this was still no different.

As always, Maeve had gone for the job as the amount of credits offered was sweet. Her contractor was somewhat withholding details, but she trusted her partner to offer her enough to actually work with. As always, her equipment was well concealed by her clothes - she went for her usual dark colors, with her leather jeans and jacket, but the thick fabric did an excellent job on hiding whatever needed to be concealed.

She had her sedative collection with her, enough darts and smaller knives, her Vibro-Daggers and blaster - everything smoothly pressed against her athletic silhouette, her angelic features deceptive as always. She was soon waiting on the one that was supposed to join her, dutifully having stuck to the coordinates she had received from him and casually scrolling through the holonet for any information that might serve her later on, chewing a gum.

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Karys

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The trip to meet his contact was annoyingly longer than expected. Karys found himself drumming his fingers on an arm rest to pass the time, doubly so when the Umbaran driver ordered him to stop or he’d be kicked out. In that moment, the driver has over-reacted and tossed him from the cab, Karys had wanted to avenge himself. But he remembered his time table and chose to remain dignified.

He only bothered to remember the speeder’s registry number out of personal curiosity.

Despite this fact, it had taken Karys a full sixteen minutes and forty-three seconds longer to arrive at the meeting place. Needless to say, when Karys arrived at the coordinates and found a lithe human woman waiting for him, his mood only soured further. His broad frame would cast a shadow over her, a pair of cold crimson eyes bore down on her. His voice was a deep baritone that embodies the frigid winters of Ziost when he spoke.

You must be the contact.” He said. “You may call me Mariel.” He continued coldly. “And what is your name human?
 

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She waited...and waited...and grew a little impatient after a while and was about to enter her ship until a muscular silhouette finally approached - on foot. Her gaze immediately scanned the stranger, the red skin and the peculiar features immediately giving away one important detail. A pureblood. Very interesting. Her curiosity was piqued already.

She crossed her arms in front of her chest, saying, "I'm Alice. Do you always walk into rendezvous?", she asked, a hint of sarcasm in her voice. "What makes you think I'm human?", she replied, a playful smirk tugging at her lips. She could be a near human after all, or someone with high class disguise tech, but what bothered her was actually his condescending tone.

"I haven't seen a pureblood in ages. Guess you're a Sith then", she just concluded that as she knew a bit about their history, but it was nothing more than a guess that followed his conclusion. "Let's go. The ship is ready". Even if Maeve did enjoy smalltalk, she was also more than curious about the details, so she led him up her rank, her hand coincidentally staying close to her blaster, just in case. "Do you just want me to approach the surface?".

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Karys

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Mariel crimson eyes remained fixed coldly on Alice, his icy features didn't break at her quip. Instead, they seemed to harden at the joke, his jaw clenched for the briefest of moments before it relaxed once again. Mariel's imperious gaze only broke with a single slow blink before he replied.

"No." He replied. "My house paid for a driver to take me here. He violated that agreement." He continued after a short pause. "I memorized his speeder's indent plate, I will repay his breach of contract when I have finished with my own agenda." He concluded, there was no hint of sarcasm in his voice.

When Alice questioned his assumption on her species, Mariel paused to re-examine her. She had pink-ish skin, turquoise eyes, and light brown hair. Her face lacked any distinctive facial ridges, tendril, horns, or protrusions. Each of her hands had five digits. To finish his cursory examination of her form, she was within height averages for her species. In other words, she was revolting to Mariel. This was something that never broke his cold and neutral demeanor.

"All of your biological and physiological markers align with baseline humanity." His baritone voice boomed out off-handedly in reply.

It would be then that Mariel turned his gaze away from Alice and to her ship. He examined the ship and found the thing to be low class and typically beneath someone of his status. In other words, it was the perfect disguise to cover his movements. When Alice pointed out his racial heritage and questioned his allegiance, Mariel would against shift his gaze to her.

"Correct." He replied. "This contract was posted for anyone within the Order to take." He explained as he followed her up the boarding ramp. "It is likely that we will have rivals in this endeavor." He continued. "Will you have any issues or reservations killing them?" He asked.

It hadn't escaped Mariel's attention at how close the woman's hand hovered to her blaster. His eyes fell to the weapon, he wanted her to know he not only saw but felt her discomfort through the Force. However, with that said Mariel knew that they needed to trust one another to some degree. So, he allowed a small begrudging sigh to escape his lips.

"Look, I am not going to attack you." He stated, his voice losing some of it's icy edge. "In fact, I find your species less disturbing and disgusting than others..." His voice trailed off as he thought of the myriad of species in the galaxy to use as an example. "...such as Gand, Geonosians, and dogs." He stated.

His voice was less cold and uncaring in tone but still held a clipped and rigid in pattern. In addition, Mariel feigned a more relaxed posture to try and make Alice more comfortable.

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Maeve

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Well, seemed like humor wasn't his thing. Not that she minded, she had her fun. But it was time to work, so she refrained from further teasing, especially as she didn't know whether he was a Sith and thus admittedly a little more dangerous than without his force-sensitivity.

She wondered why he told her about his grande scheme with the driver, however filing it as 'pureblood edginess' for now. He then continued to speak like a droid and she just scoffed at his observation. "How perceptive". Well, he probably didn't care whether she was any near-human species, but neither did she care about whether he knew her race. What was important was to keep the rest perfectly concealed.

"Rivals? I was hoping we could get this done quickly", she replied as she started walking, gaze shifting upwards to meet his. "I wouldn't be in this industry if that was the case", she confirmed, a mysterious, yet mischievous glint in her eyes. She had killed Sith before. It was no piece of a cake unless you caught them of guard, but she was good with that.

"Less disturbing?", now that drew an actual chuckle from her as he was the one with the disfigured face and hyper creepy eyes. Why was he speaking like that? What he enlisted after was simply condescending and so while she was internally annoyed about the unpleasant company, her soft features betrayed nothing. "You have nothing to fear from me either. Let's get the job done and we're good". It then appeared as thought he was purposely trying to appear less intimidating from a physical perspective, but she remained unfazed anyway.

Starting the ship, she soon waited for his input on coordinates. They were in the air a few moments later, and once she could let autopilot take over, she turned her seat to face him, her head slightly tilted to the side. "So we might expect company. What else do we need to consider? Any intel on security? Do you want me to steal anything...kill anyone, get us in somewhere?", she had no clue yet and couldn't wait for him to elaborate.

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Karys

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A small smirk fell across Mariel’s lips. The situation had at least been partially disarmed and from her reaction, Alice seemed to accept his compliment. When Alice returned her focus to the job at hand, Mariel would simply nod in response and pull a datapad from the pocket of his jacket.

The empty space above the pad illuminated and information appeared on the air. Mariel would lean forward to ensure the data stream was legible for Alice as well. Then his eyes would flicker between the words and her before speaking.

The Zygerrian Empire has recently ran into an issue. Some of their cargo vessels have been the target of raids. At first, the monarchy believed that these pirates were affiliated with the Resistance.” He began. “It made logical sense, utilizing the freed cargo as fresh recruits.” He continued. “However, that wasn’t the case. Recently many of the cargo that went missing has reappeared on markets in different systems.” He explained, gesturing to an image of several Orcolans on an auction block. “Typically this would just be counted as business losses…but the client this cargo was destined for makes it more of a priority.” Mariel would pause to point out the symbol of the Black Sun.

Which leads to this man,” Mariel swiped left on the hologram to show the image of a Zygerrian male. “Tyne Molec.” Mariel would allow Alice to examine the tawny furred Zygerrian with a sleek cybernetic eye. “This man is believed by local security to be linked with the thieves. He is a cargo transport coordinator.” Mariel explained. “Meaning he knows where each ship is going to, when it should arrive, and what is aboard it.” It would be easy to see why the monarchy suspected him.

This man will be our first target.” Mariel stated. “The Monarchy has released information on Molec. This includes his schedule and home address.” He continued calmly. “The Monarchy has requested his execution if found guilty and to ensure it looks accidental.” Mariel’s crimson eyes turn to Alice now. “The Zygerrians believe with him dead the piracy will end. I disagree.” He stated cooly.

In fact, I think there is an opportunity here.” Mariel explained. “I think these pirates could provide a wonderful source of income if properly motivated.” He explained. “What are your thoughts?” Mariel asked as he leaned back in the chair and turned his datapad off.

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Maeve

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Once they were on their way, the pureblood didn't hesitate to give her details and Maeve intently listened. Missing cargo, mysterious surfacing of wares - the full pirate experience. He appeared to be deeper into this than she had first assumed, so one question was on her mind though.

"Are your sources reliable?", she asked bluntly, one brow slightly raised. "I'm not saying you're selling me bs. I notice you've done your research, but if one of those details proves to be misinformation, we could be screwed". She just wanted to be careful, knowing she wasn't only working with a potential Sith but that the slavers of Zygerria were also somewhat involved with them.

Her ocean eyes scanned the picture closely, memorizing details. Her eyes slightly narrowed at the fact that it was supposedly all traced back to one man, as piracy on such a scale usually had a whole organized network behind it. He finished off and leaned back, asking for her opinion, so she took a moment to ponder on his words and reflect on all the details, before she crossed her legs and leaned back a little as well.

"Pirates are not so trustworthy from my experiences", she replied, meeting his gaze. Maeve had been in this business for too long to trust anyone, but those who usually strived for sheer profits, always turned to the one who paid best. "Can you afford offering them more? And also, what advantages do you gain from weakening Zygerria?", she asked him the latter question directly, her face rather serious. If they were too collaborate, she expected he'd lay his cards open.

"If I know the whole story, I can make myself most useful. So where is this supposed to lead?". Apart from that, the obvious lingered on her mind, too, so that's why she added, "as for Molec, sure. We need to take him down anyway. Do you expect great resistance in his home?".

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Karys

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Mariel watched Alice as he spoke, she was listening intently and absorbing information. The Pureblood would wait to answer all her questions until after his debrief had finished. He wanted to ensure that all the information he had was given to her clearly and concisely. The fate of the mission relied on both being well-informed after all.

The majority of my source is information directly given by the Monarchy after the contract was accepted.” He paused to allow that to sink in. “And I agree with you, if this is false information, we could be screwed. With that said, I don’t believe the Monarchy would betray contractors in such a manner.” He continued. “It’s not good for business.” An amused smirk appeared on Mariel’s features at those words.

I also agree with you, I don’t think pirates can be trusted.” Mariel said as he nodded. “But I’m not convinced this is simple piracy, while rudimentary, it’s a well-thought out plot.” He continued. “It only caught attention when they robbed the wrong shipment.” Mariel reminded her. “After all, no one steals from the Suns and gets away with it.” It was a saying known by the entire Galaxy, and one that rung true.

I’m not suggesting we offer them more and I’m not suggesting we weaken Zygerria.” Mariel began. “I’m saying we weaken this outfit to the point they have no other choice.” He explained. “Then we aim them away from Zygerria and towards easier prey.” He continued. “Selling cargo to Zygerria or other clients in need of cheap labor.” He stated finally.

At her final question, Mariel shrugged slightly. His whole plan required the ring to be small enough to cripple between the two of them. If it wasn’t? Well, that could lead to another whole host of issues he hadn’t accounted for.

At best? A steady income of credits.” He stated calmly. “At worst? Molec dead and a contract that we can cash in on.” He continued with a shrug. “As for his home, I’m unsure. Even if Molec’s participation is unwilling, the ring will protect him given his importance to their operation.” Mariel replied. “We might need to do some surveillance for more information.” He explained. “Thoughts?

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Her eyes narrowed ever so slightly as he claimed having received directions from the monarch himself. Was he to be trusted? Maeve doubted it but they didn't have much of a chance, so for now she accepted it. "I agree. To me it sounds like there's a whole network behind it", she confirmed his guess regarding the piracy issue, voicing her thoughts aloud, however was still more curious for the rest, especially because he seemed to have some direct ties to thr monarchy.

"True. Yet we'd have to ensure that the reigns remain in our hands then...", she answered, a slightly mischievous smirk crossing her lips. Oh she had ideas already. After all, planning was a great strength of her and she mentally ran through a few ideas. "But okay. Morec first, then we'll see what else arises from this". It already seemed like this would get their hands really dirty, and she couldn't deny that she was already a little thrilled.

They continued with their plan around the home invasion they'd have to manage first. "Then we'll go scout first, dress plainly and gather information. We should land in the early afternoon, we could study the situation and make a move at night as the darkness will provide us necessary cover", she replied, her gaze briefly drifting to the viewport. They enter the atmosphere soon enough and to keep the ship and themselves undetected, they had no other choice than to cover the rest by foot.

"Are you a Sith? It'd be good to know what you're proficient with so that we can distribute tasks accordingly", she asked bluntly soon after, stating facts. Well, her recent meeting with a Sith hadn't gone super well and the bruises on her neck had only recently faded, but she had once again learnt that she could take them out as well - obviously that was another "just in case" thought if he was to try any funny business.

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Karys

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As Alice spoke, Mariel would pause to listen. They were partners in this endeavor, it was important to communicate whatever information they could exchange. Even though Alice was a form of lesser sentiency than he, her experience and input was just as valuable. He listened to her initial plan, they agreed that home invasion was the most efficient path. However, they still needed to know how well guarded the target was, a stake out was in order.

Should we use the cover of night to stake out Morec’s property as well?” Mariel asked. “Given how memorable it is to encounter one of my kind.” He continued as he gestured to himself. “That would give us time throughout the next day to plan.” Mariel offered as an alternative.

As the ship began to pass through the atmosphere, Alice would return her attentions to him. She inquired if he was Sith and for a moment Mariel hesitated on answering. However, after a brief internal struggle, he determined deception wouldn’t serve him well in this situation.

I am an Acolyte of the Dark Side.” He responded evasively. “I have been trained to a level adequate enough to embark on my own.” He continued. “If you’re concerned about treachery, it’s bad for business.” He explained. “So long as you don’t betray me, I will give you the same pledge.” He continued with a nod.

Then Mariel would extend his right hand to show he meant no harm. With his left he would reach behind him and unclip his lightsaber hilt from its horizontal position in his belt. He’d hold out the weapon for her to see and then activate the blood orange blade.

He hadn’t completed the bleeding process on the Kyber yet. It was something he didn’t intend to do until he had become a full member of the Order, if he did then.

He would then deactivate the blade and return it to its holster at the rear of his belt. His gaze would be fixated on Alice the entire time he did this. He watched for hints of fear or betrayal, as he did this his senses would extend to gently scan her surface emotions.

He felt nothing, no hatred, no malice. There was nothing at all. Which did nothing to place Mariel’s now heightened nerves at ease.

(Rolled a 6; partial success according to Lady)
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"Sure", she immediately replied, this time not pondering on the idea for long. "The business doesn't strike me as urgent...we're better off on the long-run if we do this properly", she agreed, leaning back again. Purebloods were rare encounters, so he had a point. Unless he'd want her do experiment with some makeup and clay, he was better of not getting spotted at all.

Fuck. So a Sith after all. Her heartbeat sped up ever so slightly before she had it back under control- she was used to controlling her body and natural reactions as best as she could when she was around force sensitives..."No, I'll trust our mutual collaboration. But it's good to know that you're capable of handling things discreetly without weapons", a little smirk tugged at her lips as she knew those tricks came in handy. She, for her part, was usually best of with her chems - she could take out a dozen within seconds if the mixed the right substances and got away quickly.

He suddenly reached for a lightsaber and it was admittedly hard to keep her cool, but as he activated the dark orange blade, it was fascination that spread through her. What a fine, effective, powerful weapon. Not subtle, but if they could get it in, they'd have an advantage for sure.

While she admired the blade, she felt his gaze on her. She didn't meet it yet, however couldn't deny that when he activated the blade again, it let her feel a little uneasy. It was as if a sudden cold spread through her, gently tugging at the dread within her, before it was gone. She was back in the reality quickly, meeting his gaze before it flicked back to the viewport.

"We're close", she grabbed hold of the controls again before she started their descent. She'd carefully watch the scanners, but didn't pick up anything off the ordinary, so that they could land with ease. They were almost in the middle of nowhere, but it gave them a good starting point for their approach. "You wanna get going right away then? I'm ready, just wanna grab some stuff".

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Karys

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Mariel felt a wave of relief wash over him as Alice seemed to accept his answers to her questions. It meant that at the very least, he wouldn’t have to constantly be looking over his shoulder for a knife in his back. As much as he hated to admit it, there was a certain assurance in that, something that he would never find with his own kind. His eyes shifted to the cockpit at Alice’s announcement that they had arrived.

Mariel placed the datapad back into his pocket, turned to face forward, and buckled himself in for a landing. Alice landed the craft relatively smoothly and Mariel began a last-minute equipment check. When Alice asked him if he would like to start the mission now, a mirthless smile etched itself on Mariel’s face in response. He glanced at her from the corner of his eye.

I am ready whenever you are.” He stated before he left the cockpit and headed towards the disembarkment ramp.

The trip to the capital city was hell. Mariel hated the weather from the moment they left the ship, Zygerria was classified as a “temperate world”, that was a lie. His sweat attracted countless species of insects that incessantly buzzed around his face and nipped at his sensitive facial ridges. Not only this, but the sweat had caused his clothes to stick to his body which resulted in the fabric rubbing certain areas to a state of being nearly raw. He wished he could burn the world to the ground.

Despite this, Mariel managed to not vocalize his discomfort, annoyance, or pain. He tried his best to focus his mind on the task at hand and channel all his emotions into power. All these experiences could at least serve him in deepening the well of dark side energies to draw upon. It kept his mind in a half-alert state that ensured he continued moving forward at a steady pace. As the sun dipped low in the sky, the pair would arrive at the capital city.

Mariel would pause at the forest’s edge and glance to Alice, he knew they couldn’t go further until the sun was down. It was far too risky for him to move around before the sun went down, this is where he would have to rely on her. His crimson eyes seemed to glow with their own unnatural internal light in the dusk.

We will need to find a place to sleep after we finish our surveillance.” He stated simply and extended his hand towards her.

He would open it revealing a credit chip in his palm. It would cover whatever lodgings she chose for them. He expected her to keep whatever was left, and so she would find enough to add to her already decent hiring fee. The implication would be extremely clear, she would find some place for them, he would wait for her to return. Once Alice had left, Mariel would walk a few paces deeper into the tree line and begin to focus even more on his emotions, channeling the dark side to empower his resolve, provide him with clarity and purpose.

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Maeve didn't hesitate to grab her stuff, stocked up on weapons, chems, equipment and recon gear before she met him at the ramp, walking down along side him. He looked grumpy upon touching the ground and she wondered whether scowling was his neutral expression, but didn't dare to ask - after all, she knew he could still electrocute her, so even if they had an agreement, she decided to refrain for her usual constant banter.

They began their journey by foot and while Maeve had no issues with walking, she missed the vast cityscapes. There wasn't much around here and she missed the shade and cover provided by towering buildings, but as the sun was already low, she knew they'd be less obvious soon enough.

After a while they did finally reach the capital and Maeve knew it wasn't much longer. They could start observing soon enough, but for now she stopped right next to him, glancing up. "Fair. I'm sure we'll find a discreet place", she optimistically replied, her spirits raised as the city was close. He suddenly extended his hand without a word and it immediately dawned her that his 'suggestion' was actually a veiled command.

Maeve didn't like the idea of playing the secretary, but after all, he was paying her well. She thus took the credits without a feisty comment, saying, "I'll be back soon. I'll message you if I get into trouble" with a smirk tugging at her lips. She obviously planned on staying out of trouble and thus voiced it playfully, but you never knew. She then turned to leave, downloading the city's map from the holonet and began searching for a place.

She found a decent, great value hotel that still had spare rooms to offer. In the foyer she found all sorts of travelers, most looking a little shady, but she was on a slave world after all. She got them a room quickly and was relatively happy about the hotel not being too far off from Molec's place, but far enough for them to lay low appropriately, so she was on her way soon after.

She headed for the spot where they had partner, however notified him about her success and suggesting they'd meet enroute to Molec. Once they'd reach the agreed rendezvous point she'd adress him again, this time a genuine smirk on her lips. "We're good for tonight. We can get into position". The sun was already behind the horizon, the street lights being the only actual source of light left. If they'd move through the back alleys, they'd avoid raising any attention, but she waiting for him to lead.

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Once the pair had reached the city limits of Zygerria’s capital city it became clear to Mariel how much Alice’s spirits had been lifted. Confidence oozed from her every pore; Mariel could sense the emotion as it rolled from her form. It wasn’t dissimilar to a perfume to the young acolyte; pleasant, attractive, but not overwhelming. It was a sensation that faded but didn’t vanish when Mariel gave her the Credit Chip, his crimson eyes watched as Alice left him to find lodgings for them both.

When Alice returned, she would find the Pureblood leaning against a tree slightly, his eyes focused on the distance. Both crimson irises had dulled slightly, and Mariel’s expression had tightened slightly, as if he were zoned out. The Pureblood was lost in a meditative cycle to restore his focus and some of his own vigor. Once Alice spoke, his irises would suddenly flare to life, Mariel would blink once, and his gaze would shift down to her.

Thank you.” Mariel stated calmly and then he gave her a nod to accent his appreciation for what she had done.

With that Mariel would take the lead on the way to Molec’s residence. On the journey there, Mariel would do his best to stick to the shadows, cutting through back alleyways. Occasionally, when they would need to cross a street, Mariel would pause to stare intently at streetlights and almost in response, the bulbs would flicker before fading. This would cast the portions of the streets they had to cross into the blessed obscurity of darkness and thankfully, he’d only need to do this trick twice.

After the second time, Mariel would find his curiosity getting the better of him. His gaze would fall to his partner while they moved at an even pace towards the Molec home. Outside of his own growing need to understand his partner more, Mariel found that the silence that had grown was deafening.

Most would turn down a job that involves home invasion and murder.” He began. “Yet you never hesitated.” He pointed out. “Why?” He asked.

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With them back on the move, Maeve's eyes attentively scanned the environment even though she knew her partner had much heightened senses. Her city experience and knowledge came in handy, but there was nothing suspicious happening so far, no hyper curious glanced fixed on them or someone curiously following, so they were fine to proceed.

Dusk was quickly fading into the deep, dark night and while in some areas nightlife began to thrive, generally most streets were less prequented. Every now and then, it was as if sheer aura stirred up a certain sense of dread from deep within her, but apart from the occasional shivers that laced her skin, she didn't pay it any attention. Working with a Sith did creep her out a little, or at least she had a certain amount of respect and she mentally kept reminding herself not to screw with him just like that.

A while later, after they had covered quite a distance while walking, she felt his burning, almost scrutinizing gaze resting on her again. He suddenly inquired about her motives and while a smirk crossed her lips, she looked up and met his gaze. "Because it's my job" what a question was that even...he offered credits, she got her hands dirty accordingly.

"It wasn't like I've written a formal application" he had found her and he had known where to look for someone like her, so she was a little puzzled about why he questioned her moral now. "Let me guess. I don't strike you as someone who'd ruthlessly pursue such tasks?" It was a classical. Too often had she been met with such prejudices.

"Let me ask you that: Why did you hire me specifically? Have you been looking for some aesthetically pleasing company to bring along as an accessory?", she couldn't help but to tease. In contrast to her, he was everything that she wasn't. He had a muscular built, scary eyes of an actual predator and a generally monstrous look. They actually made a funny duo, now that she thought about it.

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Karys

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Mariel let a small exasperated sigh with Alice’s reply. He reached up and massaged the bridge of his nose, lightly pinching and rubbing either side in mild annoyance. His eyes screwed shut as he did this.

Did she really think him so shallow? Her physical appearance had nothing to do with their endeavor or why he had hired her. She was affordable, seemed effective, and likely could move through a crowd un-noticed. She possessed baseline traits that would ensure this job would be easier to accomplish.

I didn’t mean based on your appearance.” Mariel clarified, he stopped entirely in his tracks to do so. “Sith women in my culture are trained to fight and kill the same way the men are.” He explained. “Underestimating someone based solely on their appearance will get you killed on my home.” He continued. “I meant why did you choose to pursue this life out of myriad of ones you could have? What attracted you to this line of work?” He clarified.

His gaze would break from her then, his eyes focused on a street lamp that lay before them. It would take a moment but the light would flicker and then fade as the others had. And then the pair could continue onward in the blessed darkness.

As for why I hired you, your portfolio aligned with what the job required.” He explained. “Proficiency with assassination and theft likely meant an aptitude in stealth.” He explained. “Also statistically speaking, it was highly likely that you were a more common breed than I.” He continued. “Meaning you could go where I cannot, at least not unnoticed.

There would be a short pause before Mariel would speak again.

Your physical beauty had nothing to do with this employment.” A small smirk appeared on his normally tense lips. “It was simply an added bonus.” He quipped.

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Maeve

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The curious pureblood didn't stop there. He continued his interrogation, annoyed at her not having given him enough answers, and she couldn't help but to smirk. Well, he could have more answers, but as always, they were a beautiful net spun out of multiple layers of lies.

"You seem really interested...", she noted bluntly, tilting her head as she stopped next to him. Folding her arms, she said, "It's a flexible job. I take on the tasks I want to do and I've got many fitting talents for it". She hadn't had any other chances, that was the bitter truth. She never spoke of her actual past, but she had been born into this early.

"I was just teasing, you know. Obviously you needed my skills", she dismissively waved of his whole essay on why he had hired her. He had weird social skills, but as long as he paid, she didn't bother. The compliment that followed internally made her roll her eyes hard, but from the outside she was still smirking. "Good that were on the same page though. I can assure I'll prove myself useful". She started walking again, knowing it was only a little further until they could get into position. "It's this house over there, right?".

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Karys

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Mariel listened to Alice’s short reply, he suspected it was likely a half-truth or outright lie. He didn’t press the issue further; it didn’t truly matter if she was being honest with him or not. After all, he hadn’t been fully honest with her concerning his past either, he couldn’t expect the same from his servants, particularly a mercenary like her. She was here for a purpose, a job, that was the extent of her uses to him and his uses to her. He was comfortable in that knowledge.

However, when Alice mentioned that she was teasing him, Mariel cocked his head for a moment. He had heard of “teasing” before but had never fallen victim to it before now. Back at court, “teasing” could be viewed as open challenges instead of jests. It was only at the Umbaran Academy that he had learned about the humorous side of “teasing”. Mariel had decided that he liked being the one to do the teasing but not the one being teased.

He gave a derisive snort at her comment.

But this conversation died off as well, Alice had pointed out a “house” that intel had reported was Morec’s home. “House” was a very light term to use to describe Morec’s home, mansion, manor, or estate were better terms in Mariel’s estimations. The home was not only massive, but it was so obviously above what Morec’s pay grade should have been. Part of Mariel wondered how the Zygerrian hadn’t been caught earlier? Or was this just the norm here? Was everyone on someone else’s take?

It’s bigger than I expected.” He whispered to Alice. “You take the front, I’ll watch from the rear?” He suggested, completely oblivious to the entendre that could be taken from his words.

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Maeve

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As they were finally in position, it was way past dusk and the deep night engulfed the streets. As she stopped, Mariel looked at her a bit perplex so as if not understanding what she had just said. He was an odd fellow and she really hoped he could use that powers of his, still she couldn't help but to bluntly ask, "So you're a Champion then? If we get into trouble, you'll mess them up good?". The Force was nysterious to her and while she absolutely didn't need it, she knew it was very helpful.

"You have an interesting way of expressing yourself", she chuckled to herself for a moment, given that he had first spoken like someone who had just risen from a long sleep in Carbonite and now he just threw something like that at her. He was a curious being in general, a specieist douche, but he still payed her, so whatever. "Yeah. Have fun back there. I'd say we meet again in three hours or so and stay in contact", she suggested, glancing back up again and waiting for his assessment.

Once he'd depart, she'd lay low in the bush line and put on her stolen night-vision goggles before she started monitoring heat signatures and moves. This was going to be a long night and she couldn't wait for tomorrow. Time passed slowly and while she didn't notice any patrol changes, she did pick up some weird sounds and notice that a few guards walked out to smoke every now and then - that was definitely helpful information.

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