Ask Slowly But Surely

[Cipher Six]

Anaxes
​

She chose this particular restaurant because of the views over the beautiful Anaxes landscape. This operation would take time, so she was in no rush to jump right to it. Constantly being on the move was exhausting. Six ordered herself a glass of wine, classical music playing in the background. It was a classy establishment, and it offered the perfect setting to devise a game plan without being overheard.

The agent was dressed in a form fitting black dress, always accessorized by some stunning heels. There were several targets they could go after on this planet, but the main objective was what she could see in the skyline. Her gaze hovered above the rim of her glass, taking in sight of the ships zipping in and out of the yard ahead.

Six glanced up when C3 arrived, offering him a smile and gesturing him to sit across from her, “Evening, Mr. Grimm,” She said, a throwback to their cover identities from their last gig.

 

[Cipher Three]

The best part about dressing in a jacket was that it gave him plenty of room to stash his pistol and knife but still remain comfortable. Apparently command had decided that Ciphers Six and Three made a nice pair together because it seemed that they had been paired up again, but this time for an even higher risk job than before. They were on a planet that was historically not the friendliest with the Empire, but recent events had opened up doors for the two agents. This deep into enemy territory, Ciphers were exactly who you wanted.

He'd made it into the restaurant, and Six was looking as stunning as ever. If there was something that was going to draw his eyes away from the beautiful view, it would have been her. The restaurant they sat in rotated around slowly to eventually give its diners a 360 degree view over the course of around 45 minutes.

Well, you look lovely, my better half, he said in response to her comment about their previous cover. It was useful to use a background that they were already familiar with, and he grabbed a menu and began to look through it as he took the seat she gestured to.

Been keeping busy since our last meeting? he asked. Truth be told, he wouldn't mind a few minutes to relax as well. While he never got to really let his guard down, a moment to catch your breath in this business was about all he could ask for. It was all too easy to run until you dropped because there was always something to do.

He noted the music playing and the fact that they were far away from any other patrons. An opportunity to speak freely, which he appreciated.

 

[Cipher Six]

Six smiled at the sight of him, “You clean up nice,” She remarked, once again impressed at his stylish appearance. He was known as one of the more combative agents, so it was admirable that he could look fancy as well. She sipped from her wine.

“Oh the usual, having to deal with IAF or Imperial Knights,” Six rolled her eyes. She preferred working with other agents that could be subtle. She was almost concerned C3 would go in guns blazing, “But I’ve been enjoying this planet so far.”

When the waiter arrived, she ordered a meat dish, letting C3 choose his preference. As a Firrerreo, she had a highly carnivorous diet, though she did love her candies and occasional fruits.

“I haven’t been able to take a break in months,” She said as she gazed out over the skyline, “Its been one job after another. That’s our life, but it gets exhausting sometimes,” Six said as she sipped from her wine. She found it curiously easy to talk to Three. Probably because he seemed level headed and relaxed at all times.

 

[Cipher Three]

He found himself smiling at her compliment again. She could be rather disarming, there was no denying that. I'd say the same to you, but I have yet to see you look anything but lovely, he said. The truth was that he wasn't nearly as much of a smooth talker as many of the other agents who built their entire careers around being slick and smooth, but he wasn't afraid to say the truth, and that was the truth.

He thought about what she said about the IAF and Imperial Knights, and didn't say anything for a moment. He had been recruited out of the IFL and was, thus, a "trigger puller" by the standards of most agents. It wasn't necessarily wrong, and he had plenty of experience working with the IAF. Sometimes things were simpler when you were shooting someone because you didn't have to worry about people's motivations, politics, or anything else.

Now, now, we're not all terrible, he chided jokingly. He could tell she was no fan of his style of work, and he didn't really fault her for it, but he also knew that both were a necessity.

And we can't all talk as smoothly as you, he added, though this was a bit more sincere. She had been smooth and easily executed her plan on Bonadan. He could see why she had been selected for her position.

He ordered a meal of largely meat and vegetables off the menu, in keeping with the strict diet he was on to maintain his physical fitness. The kind of climbing and infiltration he did most of the time was incredibly demanding physically, and every ounce of fat could be a detriment.

He nodded knowingly as she mentioned having constantly been from job to job.

I know the feeling, he said, looking off into the distance and starting to count on his hands as he though, mouthing names to himself as he mentally listed off all the places he had been.

I think I've turned over seven planets in the past five months, he said. Or I should say, this is number seven, he corrected himself.

Just enough time to show up, start getting used to it, and moving on again, he said. He'd learned quite some time ago that the key to being a good intelligence agent was to be comfortable with being uncomfortable. Never quite settled, never quite where you want to be.

I love the job, but it's not easy, he agreed.

 

[Cipher Six]

Six smiled at the compliment. No matter how much she knew she was attractive, hearing it always perked her up. There was visible surprise on her face, “Seven planets? That’s impressive,” Her method of operating meant everything moved far slower. She didn’t do takeovers as much, but she did do long-con sting operations that culminated in the collapse of entire regimes.

“I’ll really need your help on this one,” She said as she leaned slightly forward in her seat, “The shell company we set up can probably cut a deal with the shipyard and we can start routing some of the products over to Imperial space. However, since you’re technically the Head of Product, you may need to work this angle.”

It was one of several ways to crack this planet, “The other is that we cut a deal with someone named Jorvin Vonce. He wants to acquire the main corporation that oversees the shipyard, but he hasn’t pulled the trigger because the market value is too high. We can sabotage some of the ships…cause a few accidents here and there. The corporation’s value will tank, Vonce buys it, and in turn he keeps a steady stream of shipment going to us.”

Both of these angles would plant the seeds to grow Imperial influence on the planet over time.

 

[Cipher Three]

There was that smile again, and it felt real. Not that he was the expert judge of people's intentions. Passable, but he knew he was far from the best in the business.

He leaned forward, listening carefully and sipping from the bottle of water he had specifically ordered in lieu of a glass of ice water. He didn't respond right away, thinking about their options for a few seconds before speaking up again.

I'm sure it's no surprise to you that I tend to be better at the sneaking in and sabotaging angle, he said. He could guess from their previous conversation about how exhausting violence was that it wasn't her preference.

I can get inside and cause a few mishaps, he said with a nod. Is Vonce someone you developed? he asked. If she told him the source was reliable, he'd believe her, but it'd be imprudent for him not to at least ask.

You do any slicing? he asked. He knew she had contacted a slicer for their prior mission, but he had no idea what her personal skills in that area were like.

 

[Cipher Six]

Six shook her head, “I haven’t worked Vonce, but I have a solid profile to take to him. I’ve been staking out this planet for some time,” If there was one thing she was good at, it was doing all her homework and making sure she was well prepared.

“I’m… passable with slicing,” She admitted. She could do enough to get by, but anything more than basic walls and she would get stuck, “But I have a great contact.”

Six caught a glance at his bottle of water, smirking. She checked her chrono after she finished up eating, “We may have to split up. I’ll go talk to Vonce, you start scoping out the corporation and its stock.”

 

[Cipher Three]

C3 left it to her, trusting that she was far better at such things than he was. If she said Vonce was reliable, then he probably was.

Hm, okay, he said with a nod. I was going to see if you could slice their security footage and help walk me through the infiltration, but I don't trust anyone else, he said. He didn't usually have that luxury anyway, so it wouldn't really be anything new for him.

Probably, he agreed when she mentioned splitting up. This may be a one time thing, so if there's anything you need me to get or do while I'm there, let me know now. We may get lucky and I'll find a way to get multiple infils, but I never like to count on it, he said.

Being on site would mean he'd have access to physical data files, hardline connections, and other things that couldn't be obtained on the outside.

He finished up his meal and when they were both finished he stood, dropping credit chits on the table to cover his food. "Always pay in cash" was a necessity as far as he was concerned. Some people would say he was paranoid, but he'd seen and heard too many people who had things turn south not to be careful.