Ask [Omega Station] Blood-Stained Credits

[Aaisha Varr]

Since arriving on Omega Station, Aaisha had made a point to keep herself exceptionally busy. Fleeing Irith and the life she once knew had come with a fresh start - and the Morganian had every intention of capitalizing on the opportunities open to her now, both for her own sake, and for the sake of the little brother that depended on her. In keeping herself busy, Aaisha had managed to score herself a gig as a bartender at Afterlife.

The high-end nightclub was a bit more exclusive than the seedy cantina’s that she was accustomed to, but the change in scenery wasn’t an unwelcome one - especially given that Astria paid well. Moreover, her connection to Astria - and thus her connection to Crimson Dawn - had opened up a whole new world of opportunities and contracts for the Morganian. It was one of these exclusive contracts that had most recently caught Aaisha’s attention, and prompted the Morganian to reach out to an assassin that was progressively making a name for themselves in Syndicate space.

Aaisha had taken the liberty of reserving a table for Mars whenever the assassin arrived. In the meantime, the Morganian occupied herself with slinging drinks behind the bar of Afterlife - her head swaying and shoulders rolling idly to the music that thrummed through the club. She was dressed decently casual for her shift - wearing a pair of high-waisted pants and a navy-blue blouse, while her thick hair was parted to the left to expose the closely-shaved other side of her scalp.

As per usual, the woman packed a DE-10 pistol on her hip - seldom, if ever, arriving anywhere completely unarmed.

Minutes passed, and Aaisha casually poured and slid drinks across the bar counter and towards paying customers. Her golden eyes flicked up towards the reserved table a few times here and there, keeping an eye out for the woman of the hour.

@lizziie

 

[Acklay]

She was excited. Maybe excited was too strong of a word, but the cyborg woman was most definitely looking forward to the prospects of this contract she was taking on. Mars wasn't one hundred on the details of the job, minus needing her skills as an assassin, but she was on her way to find out.

The Afterlife was becoming a more and more frequently visited destination for Mars, between her work with Terra and just coming to grab a drink. She was dressed in her usual dark wear - the sleeves of which kept her metallic arms from throwing the nightclub's light every which way. She used to get teased by old friends of hers for wearing "utilitarian clothing disguised as fashionable", but Mars had never been quite as comfortable in a tight dress as pants. Since she wasn't "on duty" she went without her visor and had a pair of fun red sunglasses on instead.

Mars' pistol was tucked into her belt line, though it remained hidden from view even as she slid into a chair at the table she'd been instructed to sit at. She almost immediately pulled out her datapad and began to tap at the screen, a hand on her cheek while she waited for the woman who hired her to arrive.

tag: @Altaris

 

[Aaisha Varr]

Minutes passed, and a few additional customers came and went from the bar where Aaisha was positioned. One of the perks of meeting her contract partners at Afterlife and her current gig, was that the Morganian didn’t really mind if Mars took her time in arriving - continuing to sling drinks and pocket her tips in the meantime.

Of course, the increasingly noteworthy assassin didn’t leave Aaisha waiting for too long. Within only a few additional moments, the Morganian’s golden gaze lifted from the bar counter - fixing onto the figure that strolled into the club and seated themselves at the reserved table. Aaisha didn’t have to guess - knowing instantly that the woman was the very assassin she intended to bring along for this job.

Aaisha glanced back over her shoulder, flashing a smile to the Twi’lek woman positioned behind her and cleaning a few empty glasses. “Nora, keep things moving, won’t you?” With that, the Morganian fixed one final drink and slipped out from behind the bar - making her way over to where Mars was sitting.

“You look like,” Aaisha said, her voice silken and sultry as she slipped into a chair just opposite to Mars. “A martini type of gal.” And, sure enough, the Morganian had exactly that beverage in her hands as she sat down - placing it onto the table and proceeding to slide it towards the Assassin. “You must be Mars,” She extended a hand to shake, a smile working its way onto her lips.

“Aaisha,” She introduced herself.

@lizziie

 

[Acklay]

Now Mars really wasn't a martini type of gal, but with the way Aaisha judged her as one with a voice as silky and smooth like rich chocolate, Mars was immediately convinced that she could be the martini type.

"How'd you know?" Mars' own lips curled up in a smile as she reached out with one hand to accept and shake Aaisha's hand. "In the flesh," she confirmed with a grin. "Nice to meet you."

She could feel her skin grow warm wherever it wasn't synthetic. "Did it get warmer in here?" Her eyes surveyed the area around the table, but Aaisha was the only other person nearby. "Damn, she's really pretty." It'd probably be rude to ask about the scar, so Mars held her tongue. She knew from experience that impromptu questions about people's bodies were...a bit rude. She often got questions about the metal lines on her neck and face more than her arms. In a way, they were a bit like scars too.

"So, what's the four-one-one?" Mars lifted the martini into her hands and took a sip. It wasn't bad.

tag: @Altaris

 

[Aaisha Varr]

Aaisha tilted her head ever-so-slightly to the side, amusement dancing in those eyes of molten gold as she regarded Mars. A playful grin tugged the corner of her lips sideways, followed by a small wave of the Morganian’s hand. “Oh,” She began, her voice spoken a bit lower in that sultry tone. “I can always tell.” Her hand withdrew after shaking Mars’ own, coming to rest against the table directly in front of her. She idly drummed her fingers against the metallic surface - the clink of her manicured, wine-colored nails taking on a steady rhythm.

While they had met to discuss business, Aaisha wasn’t in any particular rush just then - happy enough to let the assassin enjoy her drink and relax for a moment or two. That charming smile lingered on her lips as she took her opportunity to regard Mars. She didn’t miss the metallic lines that ran across her skin - that little feature one that certainly caught her attention. She had seen advanced cybernetics before, but they were nevertheless rare for her to find intriguing.

And she couldn’t help but wonder where those lines ran out of view.

Aaisha finally pulled a NalPhone out of her back pocket when Mars inquired about the job ahead of them. She swiped across the screen a few times before pulling up a bounty, scrolling in on the face of the man on question.

“Salazar Tyse - heard of him? A rather well-known crime lord in Hutt Space and a thoroughly repugnant man. And while my own personal distastes mean little,” She leaned back. “The man has successfully run thin the patience of someone with far more credits to burn than I do. That, my dear, is where we come in.” There was, of course, far more to it than that for Aaisha. Salazar Tyse had a healthy variety of assets to his name - assets that would be all the more easy for Aaisha to seize for herself and Crimson Dawn once he was six-feet under.

“Now under normal circumstances, like any half-intelligent man in our line of work, Mr. Tyse surrounds himself with no lack of security, making him damn-near untouchable. There is, however, one exception.” Aaisha flicked away the image of the crime lord, and instead brought up a picture of a casino - right here on Omega, not too far from Afterlife. “The Sizzling Sabacc. Our own local hotspot for Omega’s high-rollers. A bit too snobbish for my tastes - but it is the one place where our dear Salazar will be somewhat separated from his bodyguards. Hard to let loose and burn away your fortunes surrounded by Blackwell droids, or something to that effect.” She shrugged.

"That is where we'll hit."

“Now then,” She leaned back, raising a brow. “You are the expert, love. Any thoughts on methodology?”

@lizziie

 

[Acklay]

Mars felt a shiver run down her spine when Aaisha lowered her voice. How was it possible for a woman to have such a sultry voice? "Not fair," she pouted in her head, though jealousy was not the emotion befalling the cyborg.

Alas, they needed to get down to business, and she needed to get her head in the game. Mars listened attentively as Aaisha talked through the context of the job, moving only to tuck a stray strand of her own hair back behind her ear. "A casino, huh?" There would be a lot of eyes and ears in there, not to mention the place's own security and camera systems. If they were going to hit him there, they'd need someone inside feeding someone info to the other.

"Somone inside, someone out waiting to take a shot. You and me, respectively, as I assume you're much better suited for a casino setting." She gave the woman a grin and a sort of look that maybe conveyed it was meant to be a compliment. Aaisha looked like she could slip on a fancy dress, hold a martini, and fit right in with all sorts of rich folk. "Does the casino have windows or balconies?"

tag: @Altaris

 

[Aaisha Varr]

For just those few moments, Aaisha listened intently to what Mars had to say - her head shifting to be entirely in this job as the details were hashed out. While the Morganian was appropriately confident in her own abilities, she wasn’t ignorant enough to proclaim she was an expert at what she wasn’t. She had brought Mars along for a reason - and the assassin had Aaisha’s trust to know the best way to go about this.

She nodded along at the plan Mars laid out. While it would come with the additional risk of splitting up and being caught, the Morganian was sure they would be able to handle whatever obstacles presented themselves.

Of course, one line in particular stuck out in Aaisha’s mind and caused a grin to tug at the corners of her lips. “Oh? I’d be curious to know what else you think I am suited for,” She had no argument about being the one on the inside - but she was also going to have her bit of fun whenever an opportunity presented itself.

“It does - multiple, as a matter of fact.” The Morganian swiped across a few pages on her NalPhone and slid the device over to Mars to take a look. It was multiple photos of the casino from a variety of different angles - a mixture of aerial and ground shots giving the assassin all the context she would need to plot exactly where to set up or take her shot from.

“Any other questions?[/justify]

@lizziie

 

[Acklay]

"Oh, um, I-" Mars could feel her skin warm again, flustered by the response and unsure how to respond herself. Her mind raced for an answer, hopping from legit response to quips to a knowing smile, but she couldn't find a response before Aaisha continued. There was something about the way the woman spoke that just threw her off guard. That being said, her confidence was infectious.

"Windows are good. It looks like there are high-rise buildings nearby too... this... is this a hotel?" Snapping back into business mode, Mars pointed to a barely-seen building on the edge of one of the photos. The balconies looked a lot like the shitty little ones she'd seen on hotels. If it was, that could prove very useful.

"No, that's all I need to know." Shooting through a window would be risky because they didn't know the composition, but several balconies meant several chances for their target to step outside. The moment that happened, Mars' trigger finger would be ready.

tag: @Altaris

 

[Aaisha Varr]

Aaisha’s couldn’t quite help the way her lips pulled ever-so-slightly wider, that glint of amusement dancing in the Morganian’s golden eyes upon seeing the flustered response Mars came back with. There was a playfulness there, her gaze on the assassin lingering for a long moment before she moved right along and back to business.

“It is,” Aaisha replied back, tilting her head ever-so-slightly to the side as she looked at the map - squinting a bit at the blurred edge of the building Mars pointed out. Truth be told, it wasn’t a detail she had noticed until the woman pointed it out - but the cogs behind her eyes slowly but surely began to turn now that it was recognized. “It should provide you with multiple, easy-to-access vantage points.” She tapped her nails against the table, humming a quiet tune as she pondered for a long moment.

“Our goal will be one of the fourth floor balconies,” She finally said, gesturing with a finger. “On the west side of the building, facing the hotel you mentioned.” With any luck, that would give Mars the shot she needed without complication.

“Good.” Aaisha said, rising up from her seat. The Morganian offered Mars a bright smile, golden eyes glinting down at the woman. She gestured a hand to the club. “We have a few hours to burn beforehand. Enjoy your drink and everything Afterlife has to offer,” With that, Aaisha spun on a heel - turning back to the bar she had left.

THEME​

A few hours had passed, and the time had finally come to make their move on Salazar.

Adorned in a low-cut, black slit dress, Aaisha strolled through the entrance of the Sizzling Sambac, swiping a flute of champagne from a passing tray.Her golden eyes driftly idly across the flock of Omega’s wealthy elite - casually attempting to pick out their target. The man didn’t immediately make himself seen - and the Morganian’s attention eventually drifted up towards the escalator that lifted to the next floor.

“I’m in,” Aaisha muttered under her breath, voice projecting through the earpiece tucked into her fluted ear. “Any trouble on your end?”

@lizziie

 

[Acklay]

On the day of the assassination, Mars arrived at the hotel dressed in a semi-casual dress pant and suit jacket combo carrying a briefcase and wearing dark sunglasses on the bridge of her nose. She checked in under a false name, then began to make her way up to the room.

"Just checked in. On my way up to the room now," came Mars' response. "But no, no trouble. Entering a lift." The woman then did as she warned and entered the lift, rendering her connection with Aaisha temporarily null while she was transported up. Once she was up and out of the lift, Mars would quickly make her way to her room to get set up for the kill. "Any on your end?"

Meanwhile, in the casino, a voice would call out to Aaisha. "Hello gorgeous! What's a woman like you doing here without a date?" A handsome, silver fox of a man approached her, clearly intent on attempting to woo her to join him for a few games, or more. "How about you join me and my friends up in the VIP lounge, what do you say? Free drinks!"

tag: @Altaris

 

[Aaisha Varr]

“Nothing in my end,” Aaisha replied back smoothly, keeping her eyes casually ahead as they strolled through the casino - gradually moving towards the escalator that led to the top floor. “Stay alert. I expect our friend has taken some liberties with security on the perimeter of the building.”

The Morganian ran a hand through her dark hair, the thick locks draping over the left side of her face and shrouding the earpiece that was tucked into her ear. It wasn’t until a voice called out to her that Aaisha glanced over her shoulder, gaze fixing onto the man who approached her.

While her initial urge was to simply slip past the man, the mention of the VIP lounge caught her attention. If their target was anywhere, that was certainly the likely location. And now she had a quick-and-easy ticket right past security.

Almost.. Too easy. Even despite the pleasant expression on her face, the Morganian hadn’t entirely lowered her guard and suspicions quite yet.

She smiles back at the older man, extending a hand towards him. “Perhaps I might just take you up on that,” She said smoothly, her head tilting ever-so-slightly to the side. “Free drinks or no, don’t expect me to go easy in Sabacc.” She stepped past him, gesturing towards the VIP lounge. Once there, she could properly scout out their target.

“Kiara,” She gestured to herself. “And your name is?”

@lizziie

 

[Acklay]

"Increased security on the perimeter of the building...probably." Maybe she would need to set up at a window rather than the balcony then. It would limit her range field of view, but perhaps it would be a better place to scout out for now.

First things first, she needed to get into her room. The cyborg woman pulled out the keycard the front desk had given her and tapped it against the door lock. It clicked, and she pushed open the door and headed inside.

"Gonna check the room, then I'll get in position," she muttered into the earpiece. With that, Mars set down the briefcase she carried and began to sweep for bugs, cameras, etc. just as a precaution.

Back in the casino, the man gently took her hand and grinned at her declaration. "I would expect nothing less, Kiara. My name is John."

Apparently happy to have a nice piece of eye candy on his arm, he would then lead "Kiara" up toward the VIP lounge.

tag: @Altaris

 

[Aaisha Varr]

“I’m moving to the second floor. Keep your eyes on the balconies there,” She muttered quietly, one last bit of information for Mars from the inside - at least for that moment.

The Morganian didn’t have much opportunity to feed the assassin any more details as she was intercepted and promptly guided towards the VIP lounge by ‘John’. The Morganian had every intention of ditching the dude once she located her target - but for the moment, humored him enough to walk shoulder-to-shoulder with him as they approached. As soon as they arrived, Aaisha was ushered into a plush seat situated behind the sabacc table, several other high-class gentlemen already reclining back there.

While she smiled politely enough, her eyes casually scanned every face at the table and those immediately adjacent - picking through them until finally..

Oh.

The Morganian purposefully didn’t let her eyes linger any longer than was necessary when she finally spotted Salazar, the infamous Crime Lord sitting across to slightly to the left at the very same sabacc table where she found herself. On a place like Omega - where crime was the business of the town and the wealthiest were often those most steeped in it, Aaisha wasn’t entirely surprised to see the man so casual in that space.

“Mind if I join in?” She said smoothly, flashing a smile to those seated around the table as she attempted to slip into the game. Her goal would be to lure the man out to one of the balconies, but she was patient. She would play her role long enough to kill any suspicions before she went for the kill.

@lizziie

 

[Acklay]

"Not at all, doll. Grab some seat!"

The men around the table made room for Aaisha to scooch in, though they probably didn't give her as much room as she might've wished. The table dealer dealt her a hand of cards, and she was able to successfully slip into the game. It wasn't like the table was going to refuse the company of such an attractive piece of eye candy, especially one that one of their buddies had brought with him.

"Where'd you meet a pretty thing like her, John?" asked the same man who'd welcomed her to the table.

"I met her downstairs," the silver fox replied. "I couldn't believe she was here without a man in arms. Can't let a beautiful woman dance alone, no?"

Salazar laughed and nodded, then turned his attention back to the game. He looked back up at Aaisha every once in a while, being not-so-subtle about his interest in the Morganian woman. At one point, after catching her eye, the man would give her a clumsy, heavy wink alongside a lopsided smirk. It was clear the man thought he had game.

"Everything going okay?" Aaisha would hear Mars' voice come in through the piece in her ear, questioning her progress. "Er, no need to respond I guess. I've got my eyes on the balcony. Once I see him, I'lll be waiting for your signal."

tag: @Altaris

 

[Aaisha Varr]

As they closed in on the high-stakes card table, Aaisha forced a rather convincing, sultry smile for the men assembled there - her golden eyes lingering for just a moment on each of them. Upon the invitation to do so, the Morganian followed John and promptly took a seat amongst the group - positioning herself a few seats down from Salazar and off to his left.

She pointedly didn’t miss the lecherous way that some of the men - including the crime boss himself - glanced in her direction. Where it any other circumstance, the Morganian would’ve have tolerated any of it. But with their target as close as he was, she simply couldn’t allow any opportunity to slip through her fingers.

Even as she seamlessly slipped into the game, Aaisha made a point to glance up at Salazar every once in a while - subtly returning his smiles and allowing her gaze to linger on him a bit longer than was necessary each and every time. Her golden, unnatural eyes seemed to shine against the casino lights that glinted like molten suns. For all intents and purposes, the Morganian perfected masked just how perturbed she was by the man’s attention - playing right along for as long as necessary.

After a few minutes of playing, Aaisha flashed a wicked grin - playing her hand down onto the table face-up. Her reveal immediately earned the Morganian a few groans of irritation from the men at the table - suddenly seeming less and less entertained by her company now that credit chips were being slid to her side of the table. “Seems things are going my way after all,” She said with a playful grin, the response spoken both to the men at the table and to Mars listening through her earpiece.

The stakes were raised, and Aaisha continued to play for a few minutes more - continuing her silent, flirtatious exchange with the crime boss. After a while, the Morganian finally scooted back - rising up from her seat before flashing the group a soft smile, “If you’ll excuse me for a moment, believe I am in need of a new drink.” She stepped back, her gaze flicking over to Salazar for a moment. “I won’t be long,”

With that, Aaisha turned on a heel - slipping back into the crowd and beyond the line of sight of the card-table. Only then did she pull the NalPhone from the inside pocket of her dress - a simple message typed and sent to the crime boss at the table. The encrypted number would give the man nothing to trace it back to, but the simple message ‘Balcony.’ would be left for him to only guess at its source.

Aaisha, of course, had no intentions of going anywhere near the balcony - instead distancing herself while Mars was positioned to take her shot. “Keep your eyes on the balcony. Grey hair, burgundy suit. Stout man.” It was a simple enough description, but specific enough to not be mistaken for anyone else if Salazar did, indeed, make for the balcony.