Ask On A Silver Platter

[Edin Frost]

He made his way through all the security protocols, annoyed that they took his giant slushie away. However, he didn’t get this far by making a fuss about everything. The assassin gave a wink to the woman that was charged with frisking him before he was allowed in. Edin always felt uncomfortable without his weapons, but there was little to gain from anyone here trying to off him. He was perhaps about to be the best asset Apex had secured yet.

The Firrerreo decided to come out of his brief retirement. He would never admit that only a part of it was because of work burnout - the bigger component was the fallout from his last relationship, a long term affair that ultimately collapsed because his job always took precedence. He thought he could give it another shot by taking time away from working, but he caved. The writing was on the wall - he was always going to be an assassin first, a lover second.

Apex caught his attention because it was easy, consistent funding. He wasn’t in the mood for a big job for now, so he wanted to find some steady income and a few jobs to do. He knew his reputation alone could raise Apex’s and make the organization even more formidable. His inclusion to its roster would mean they could command a higher asking price from clients and increase their profits.

The Firrerreo was led to an office, his sapphire eyes taking in sight of all the vibrant surroundings. They really did a good job of making people forget that this was ultimately a ship. He hadn’t met the leader of Apex yet, and he had no real opinions. For now, he played a mindless puzzle game with goofy, cartoony graphics on his jailbroken EZPhone.

 

[Arla]

Arla had run a background check on Edin Frost and it had turned up little. He was reportedly a mercenary and bounty hunter from Tatooine, which meant he would fit well within the organization. It had turned up nothing about his true identity as the Basilisk, but if it had, he would have been bad at his job.

But if he was just another mercenary, why had Arla personally decided to meet with him? While the answer wasn't complex, explaining it was anything but simple. She looked at this meeting and saw it as as shatterpoint in her meditations. For what, she didn't know and why she didn't know. Something in the Shadow told her, though, that it was significant for reasons she couldn't possibly guess or anticipate.

Whatever the answer was, it had piqued her attention, and there were much worse things than getting to know those who were in her organization or hopefully would be in the organization.

At exactly one minute before their meeting was supposed to begin, an assistant droid led through a door from the waiting room to her office where he would find her sitting at her desk, wearing a mixture of black and blue robes made of particularly soft materials that had become her standard "business wear."

Mr. Frost. Have a seat, she offered, motioning to a chair directly across from her that he would quickly find was incredibly comfortable and plush. He probably could have fallen asleep in it if he wanted to.

You are interested in contracting with Apex, she said, a question that was more posed as a statement due to her somewhat odd way of speaking that had never quite gone away.

 

[Edin Frost]

A nightsister. He wasn’t sure what he had expected, but this was curious. She even had that exotic accent when she spoke. Edin eyed her quietly for a moment, studying her as he would one of his targets. He could open up with who he was, of course, but where would be the fun in that? This was as much him interviewing her as her interviewing him.

“That’s correct, Miss…Arla,” He said with a sheepish grin. She was like one of those mononymous celebrities on tabloids and entertainment, “I’m willing to audition if necessary, but I have one request,” He said, calmly appraising her, “I go on the job with you.”

She could refuse, of course. He was a nobody to her and she was the powerful owner of a rising organization. Nevertheless, Edin sat there with a cool confidence, clearly not intimidated by his surroundings or her presence. He had learned to stop fearing death a long time ago.

 

[Arla]

Was it the outcome of whatever job she would take with him? Was that why she saw this as so significant? Not that she was one to turn down someone auditioning, but the request to go with her personally was odd. A trap? She didn't know, but that didn't seem to be the sense she got. Of course, she enjoyed being in the field, so she wasn't objecting.

Arla is fine, she said with a nod, noting the way he grinned sheepishly. He had to have been around the same age as her, but he carried himself with a casualness that she didn't often see in this line of work. If she didn't know he were a mercenary, she likely would have missed the subtle way he looked at her. It was layered under an aura of nonchalance, but it was the same appraising gaze they all had when looking at their prey.

An odd request, she stated, but didn't break away from his gaze. There was something about the way he looked at her, and she knew there was more to him than met the eye. He had too much confidence to simply be a nobody off the street. And she was sure he wasn't simply "faking it until he made it."

What kind of work do you prefer? she asked. While Apex's work was all in the same general vein, there was a world of difference between escorting a prissy princess and blowing up a government power station. Most people had a preference for their work, and she did her best to accommodate it.

Apex had numerous available contracts and several more specific expansions that she had her eye on. Any of them were viable picks that could benefit from some free or discounted help.

 

[Edin Frost]

Edin shrugged, “I’m flexible, though I prefer to avoid direct combat. I’m better at range or support roles. However…” He leaned slightly forward in his seat, “I’m very effective,” He assured her, “I like the thrill of a hunt and I’m sure there is a heist you’ve been itching to pull off.”

He had taken all manners of jobs in the past, but he was the best when it involved blasters or sniping. He wouldn’t volunteer a sniping mission right out the gate, but he wanted to see how it was working with her before he decided to divulge his brand and join Apex.

“Since it’s an audition, I don’t expect any compensation, of course,” He said with a cheerful, fanged smile, “What do you say, Arla?” He gazed at those piercing, unnaturally silver eyes.

 

[Arla]

I can relate, she said with a nod as he mentioned enjoying the thrill of the hunt. That was why she'd gotten into this business in the first place.

Stealth and infiltration, then? she said, making an erroneous assumption about how he avoided direct combat. It was perhaps a glimpse he could make into her own method of fighting if he picked up on the subtle implications of where her mind leapt.

He mentioned not expecting compensation, and there was a chance that he wouldn't receive any, but there was also a decent chance that he would. She knew that keeping her employees happy - particularly ones who were valuable - was an important part of keeping Apex thriving. Or maybe better to say to make Apex thrive.

She gave some thought for a moment about the "heists" she was itching to pull off, and one came to mind. One that had been nagging at her for several months now.

Yinchorr. There's an old Praetorian training facility there. The locals have offered up salvage rights to whoever deals with the pirates that have moved in there, she explained.

We can take out their leadership and let Apex teams clear out the rest, she said. He would be able to put together that if there were any of the pirates who had looked into or practiced any of the Praetorian techniques, they could have quite the fight on their hands.

Does that sound agreeable to your skills? she asked, starting to type something on her other screen in preparation for their departure. She had to admit that she liked his style. She just hoped he was as good as he gave off an impression of being or things could end up messy.

 

[Edin Frost]

Edin actually chuckled softly at her binary suggestion of stealth and infiltration. It was clear she was sorely missing ranged combatants in her arsenal, but it would only make him more appealing to her. For now, he simply nodded along, keeping his cards close to chest. As he suspected, she had a job in mind. He thought about pirates - he had dealt with countless of them - and he already knew how he would approach it. With luck, she wouldn’t have to do a thing and simply sit back to observe the show while Edin had some fun.

“It sounds agreeable,” He said with a fanged grin, reaching over to shake her hand, “I look forward to working with you, Arla,” He said with a pleasant smile.

 

[Arla]

Arla failed to see what was humorous in what she had said as he chuckled, but she didn't comment on it, instead mentally shrugging and moving on with the conversation.

She leaned forward to take his hand in her own, shaking it and nodding.

Likewise. We can take my ship, she offered. Of course, they could have just met there, but this would be technically more efficient and save fuel in the long run.

---​

The ship had hurtled through hyperspace and only now began to approach the planet Yinchorr. Arla had largely kept to herself for most of the trip, but not to the point of being notably icy, just like someone who had little small talk to make.

We're coming up on the system, she said, sliding into the copilot seat as the pilot droid began to bring them down. She pressed a button on the console and a projection popped up showing a long range scan of the base.

It's effectively an underground bunker with a dueling pit out front. Highly defensible and difficult to take in a direct confrontation, she said.

Quiet removal of the sentries out front could allow easier access to the internals, and if we go late at night or early in the morning, we might be able to take them while they're sleeping, she said.

 

[Edin Frost]

Edin was a quiet passenger, reading a novel he brought. While he could be charming and a conversationalist, he had little interest in engaging when anyone took particular effort to crack open if he had nothing to gain from it. He was silent until it was time to land and he joined her as the ship touched down.

“Ooh, a dueling pit?” He asked as he stepped off the ramp with her. She would notice he had a rifle on his back, along with a blaster on each hip. He was clearly a blasters guy, and not at all built for melee, “Any games happening today?” He asked with a smirk. Some parts of Shaddaa never left him, and he could always appreciate a good fighting pit match, “Let’s strike at night then. Do you know when they do guard shift changes?”

Regardless of her answer, he would allow her to lead the way as he scoped out all the buildings and surroundings. He would need to locate his perfect perch to take out the defense as discreetly as possible. He had to account for things like falling bodies and the chances of anyone sounding the alarm.

 

[Arla]

Arla found Edin to be a pleasant traveling companion who kept to himself and passed his time with reading not entirely unlike her. Pleasant.

As they dropped out of hyperspace, she shook her head at his question. No, they... and then she paused. She hadn't even considered that the pirates may have reopened the fighting pits as some sort of recreational activity.

The fighting pit was for training purposes. I suppose it is possible they reopened it, she said. And it was a pit. The combatants fought over a deep pit along narrow bridges, and those who fell were often killed as a result of the fall or at best badly wounded. It had been designed to teach the Praetorians fearlessness, agility, and determination never to flee from a fight.

Yes, she said, handing over records of the timing. One of the Anzati contractors had been waiting and watching the position for several days, logging entries and exits, watching guard rotations, and generally prepping for the coming assault.

The ship came in low over the ground in order to avoid scanners, and finally set down a few miles away from their target destination. The rest of the distance was covered by speeder, and they would arrive as the sun was beginning to creep into the distance.

The bunker entrance led into an underground area with the pit out front just as the image had shown. What was different was that the area surrounding the bunker and pit on either side had a variety of ships from light freighters down to starfighters scattered about. A myriad of individuals milled about in various states of inebriation and sure enough as Edin had guessed, they seemed to be cheering for some sort of fight taking place over the gaping hole of "the pit."

 

[Edin Frost]

Edin spotted one of the ships parked laterally and decided one of them made the perfect perch. On top of that, it allowed plausible deniability and a chance to frame someone else if things went south. He turned to Arla, “I’ll drop the guards up front and meet you by the entrance,” He told her, indicating the EZPod in his ear as the mode of comms if she needed to engage him.

He took his position and calmly studied his targets. According to the sheet, their relief wouldn’t arrive for another hour, which would be plenty of time to infiltrate and finish the job without giving them a chance to have reinforcements.

The Firrerreo focused and fired his first shot, one of the men slumping down to sit where he was standing. He aimed and took his next shot, the man dropping right as a round of applause exploded from the pit. Edin spoke into his comms, “Start moving in,” He said to Arla.

 

[Arla]

Arla nodded as he presented his plan. They should be able to move quickly and deal with the enemy, then, and as he set up his rifle, it clicked for her just what it was he was good at. Not the stealth and infiltration she did, but a different kind of the same.

Will do. I'm on frequency 205, she said, indicating her own pods and disappearing among the ships in a slow and cautious manner.

She only heard the crack of the rifle over the sound of the cheering because of her sensitive ears, and watched as the rifle rounds pounded into the pair of guards out front.

She moved forward quickly, grabbing both bodies and sliding them toward the side of the door before reaching down and touching the ground. After grabbing their access keys from them, she reached into the ground and let a quiet rumble of sand churn up. The ground seemed to literally swallow them up in what was a rapid burial that Edin would just catch the end of.

Here, she said, handing one of the access keys over to Edin in the event that they got separated. She moved inside with the hissing of a door and closed it behind them. With any luck, the base should be mostly empty, and they would be able to move without too much difficulty.

Of course, however, the first thing that happened was the sound of two men talking up ahead. There was little room maneuver, but there were doors to the left and right of the walkway that they could duck into or they could attempt to take down whoever was approaching.

 

[Edin Frost]

Edin was always a huge fan of being as discreet as possible. He spotted the doors on the side and gave a jut of his chin to suggest briefly going in until the men passed. The Firrerreo opened the door and was met with two more armed people. Edin grimaced at once, ducking as the man fired a shot at him. He was forced to backpedal into the walkway, now four of them alerted to their presence.

“Guess I’m not always lucky,” He gave Arla a sheepish grin before leveling his blaster and popping a man in the head. His aim was impeccable, but he scrambled to gain some distance. He had no desire to get into fisticuffs with anyone, and they had to end this scuffle before anyone heard them.

Two were down, and there were two to go. It was his turn to see what the Nightsister could do.

 

[Arla]

Edin gunned down two of the guards in short order, and Arla went to work only a moment later. She dove into the Shadow, letting it carry her down its current in a flash of green before bursting again into real space behind the men in question.

She snatched the lightsaber off of her belt and ignited it, swinging quickly and cleaving through the heads of both men. It was clean (not in the literal sense) and precise. The hum and unnatural greenish-black glow of the blade filled the hallway before she hit the ignition button again and the blade snapped back to the handle.

Good work, she said, looking down at the quartet of dead strewn about their feet. Apex was looking to hire the best, and thus far, everything she had seen indicated that he was that.

Several more turns down the hall, and they were upon the "captain's quarters." In truth, it had once been an officer's quarters that had been more recently decorated in a tacky and over the top way by the pirate "captain."

Arla reached out with her senses to the other side of the door before pressing through to the other side, her lightsaber bursting into green once again.

The captain - surprisingly - didn't seem to move. Perhaps it was the lightsaber, the fact that they'd made it this far in, or (far more likely and the actual answer) the fact that he was stoned out of his mind, he just stared at them.

Arla frowned a moment in confusion, expecting a warrior or dangerous man and in the end being left with... this guy.

Bounty's for dead, she said, letting Edin do the honors. Technically, the bounty was for clearing out the whole compound, but the teams on standby would do that after the pirate leader was gone. Though, now that she saw him in this state, she wondered if they'd even needed to kill the leader. Oh well, they were here now... subverted expectations or something.

 

[Edin Frost]

Edin looked at Arla as she spoke, giving a smirk. He always appreciated no-nonsense types, and she was the definition of that. Without warning, a bolt went through the Captain’s head. On top of that, he actually really liked that she put people under her command to work. There was no need for the specialized roles like his or hers to get involved in general engagement and cleanup. He had seen enough and decided it was time to come clean.

The Firrerreo stashed the blaster away, walking over towards Arla. He extended his hand, flashing her a fanged smile, “Edin Frost, at your service,” He reintroduced himself, “You may know me as the contract killer Basilisk,” He smiled simply, letting the reality finally sink in.

 

[Arla]

Arla felt a feeling of satisfaction settle over her as another target was felled and the door was opened for Apex to set up a far better training center under the techniques and direction of the Praetorian information.

His initial statement that he was at her service she took to mean he was still interested in staying on, but the second statement was far more interesting. She knew the name Basilisk quite well. Apex had more than a foot dipped in illicit killings, and even those outside that field had come to know that name.

Everything she'd seen clicked into place, and she knew it wasn't a lie. The way he carried himself, the smooth skill he demonstrated, and the experience he demonstrated.

The corner of her lip curled up in the faintest bit of a smile, beyond happy about her newest partnership. He was just the kind of person she was looking for: the best in his field. Perhaps it was also a testament to the fact that Apex was becoming what she dreamed of.

Pleasure to meet the real you, she said, extending a hand once again as if meeting for the first time. Yes, Edin Frost may have been the face that the rest of the galaxy saw, but Basilisk was the man behind it all. Whatever masks he may have worn, the truth was that he was a hunter. It drove him and was likely what drove him out of retirement. In that moment, she knew that they were two of a kind.

//Thread