Acting

[Aela Talith]

[member="Adder"] | [member="Jacen Voidstalker"]​

​

This was ridiculous.

Ludicrous.

Preposterous.

Entirely out of the question.

She couldn't go out in public like this. She couldn't wander in front of her fellow Jedi like this. She couldn't work undercover dressed like this. It was stupid. This wasn't who she was or how she dressed, how anyone should dress really. The low cut top, the fluffy feathered collar, the massive sunglasses that seemed to take up half of her face. She felt like she was practically naked, her belly button showing and her breasts nearly falling out with every single movement she made. Aela could hardly imagine moving in something like this, never-mind fighting in it. The young Marshall felt like this was all some sort of joke.

Aela once again found herself questioning why her mother even had something like this. "Kark."

She uttered the swear word as her eyes tore away from the mirror. Her hand reached up and tore the sunglasses away from her face, a low muttered curse escaping her lips as she wandered out of her room and into the hallway. Almost immediately she received a few startled looks, more than a dozen glances, and even an outright stare by a Jedi Knight who clearly wasn't all that interested in his immediate survival.

The young Marshall ground her teeth, wandering through the Jedi Temple and ignoring the odd looks and whispers. She knew that she had to do this, knew that she didn't have a choice, but that didn't mean she had to like it. The clothing was stupid and the attitude...well, she'd studied the tapes of Miss Castille and things would not be getting pleasant. Her mother had given her some advice, her father had tried not to laugh, and Micah...well Micah had been utterly useless.

She thought herself prepared, but as she stepped off the turbo-lift and into the private Hangar where they were to meet she couldn't help but feel ridiculous.

 

[Vexen]

A shadow on one side of a corridor turned round purple goggles towards Aela as she passed. The furry head cocked to one side, one ear pointed upwards.

Was that...? No. Surely not.

Vexen went back to practising her reading.

 

[Kira Talith]

Back on Borleias...


A rather mischievous giggle would go resonating throughout the Casa de Talith. It belonged to a nine-toed diminutive Lorrdian blonde, currently enjoying some well deserved time off with her beloved husband.

Alas, the role of Jedi Investigator and the Crime Lord would have to wait. Aela was making use of that getup.

However... the Moross Crusader and the trespassing Jedi Master?

She already had the robes for that!

 

[Jacen Voidstalker]

[member="Aela Talith"] [member="Adder"]

With his mind open to the Force Jacen was all too aware of Aela's approach. Even if she kept her own emotions tightly walled off, a number of those startled by her appeared did not. He was perched on the outer edge of the ship's landing ramp, a datapad in hand as he flicked through the case files trying to memorise every last detail. His own attire was far less likely to draw attention. A form fitting black tee and worn jeans with solid looking boots. Back in the ship he had a loose jacket with enough room to conceal his heavy hand cannon in one side. Well, it would be concealed, yet apparent to the trained eye just as he wanted it.

He rounded on Adder, wagging one finger towards her face in mock reprimand. “Now…” he paused, already struggling to control his expression. “It won't be nice for Aela, but we need to get this out of our system before we go,” he said. It was all he could manage before he had to bit his own bottom lip.

He leant back against one of the struts on the landing ramp, crossing his arms over his chest and looking for the Talith’s arrival.

 

[Adder]

Adder pursed her lips, then rubbed her chin in slow circles as she pondered on everything that had been said. In a few short days, her life had gone from uneventful to incredibly hectic, and she still wasn't exactly sure how she felt about it. On the one hand, there was the pleasant warmth suffusing her limbs – or what remained of them – an unmistakable sign that her old instincts were kicking up, but on the other… this was what she'd run away from in the first place.

The long hours, the ever-present dread, the absolute certainty that you might never make it out alive. One wrong step, and the only memory of you would be a hole-ridden corpse in some back alley.

Well, hopefully it wouldn't come to that.

Then again, she'd seen far better teams get burned because of silly mistakes; if they managed to survive this, it would be a small miracle indeed.

The redhead expelled a tired breath and rubbed her temples, opening her faux green eyes just in time to see a gaudy female figure approaching. The tilt of the chin, the sway to her hips… it was convincing enough, at first glance, but Adder could see the cracks in the mask all the way down from the hangar gates to the ship where she and [member="Jacen Voidstalker"] were waiting on [member="Aela Talith"].

Oh, Force. We're dead.

"Believe me, it's well out of my system," she replied to the taller man, a hint of desperation creeping into her voice. She'd never been one to look at life through rose-tinted glasses, and the current state of their ragtag band wouldn't inspire confidence even in the more optimistically inclined.

The ex-cop herself had gone with an inconspicuous attire consisting of well-worn jeans and a wifebeater, topped off with a rough leather jacket that looked like it had seen better times. Her Westar hung proudly on her hip, its matte metal twinkling dimly in the landing lights, as if it were inviting her fingers to wrap around the stock and whip it out for a couple of shots. A pair of sunglasses was tucked behind her shirt, and she'd hastily stuffed a half-empty packet of cigarettes into her front pocket.

Much like her male counterpart, Adder looked very much like a two-bit street thug. The only difference was that it wouldn't be the first time she was playing the part.

A smile crooked her lips as the blonde neared. "Ms. Castille. New coat of fur, I see?"

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Jacen Voidstalker"] | [member="Adder"]​

​

As she stomped into the hangar Aela offered Adder a scowl.

The Young Marshall was clearly not all that pleased with the situation, her temper flaring as though she were a child throwing a tantrum. Her mother likely would have scolded, her father would have laughed. She had never been in a situation like this and was decidedly uncomfortable. Aela's gaze shifted from Adder to Jacen, her lips thinning even more as she felt a jab of envy at what the two of them were wearing. Both of their outfits seemed far more fitting for this sort of thing.

She cursed Elizabeth Castille for her sense of dress.

Her head shook from side to side, and without even uttering a word Aela moved towards the ramp of the ship, her heeled boots stomping into the metal with a decidedly echoing click, click, click.

The other two seemed to hang back, not saying anything, or perhaps stifling their laughter at her predicament. Aela simply tried to take a breath, pushing the thoughts of what she wore away. This was more important than her, more important than being well dressed. She would have to stifle her indignation and try to at least carry the part of Miss Castille. Her mother had given her some tips, and they had some hours yet before they made it to their destination. "Come on!"

She shouted at the other two to get them going.

Master Rhen had left additional information on their ship. Dossiers on some of the Underbosses and Lieutenants, small information packets on operations held by the Shadow Syndicate, and a few other goodies that they would need.

 

[Jacen Voidstalker]

Jacen didn't much feel like laughing any more. He hadn't seen anything amusing. What he had seen was a scared and uncomfortable girl. A girl who had no idea how to act, yet if she put a foot out of place would none of them would be getting out of this one in a single piece.

“Yeah, coming,” he called after her. “Kark,” he swore to himself under his breath. His head fell and shoulders sloped forwards as he stomped up the ramp after their new boss.
It was perhaps fortunate that Ms. Castille was well know for lounging behind her so glasses and treating subordinates with a dismissive air. That attitude wouldn't work for when they had to deal with her new bosses though. And if they happened across someone who knew her really well the impression couldn't last.

Still, over the last week or so he'd found out more about Adder. At least one of them had half a shot at this. Hopefully Aela could pass down a lot of the talking to the experienced operator. He knew for a fact he had little talent in deceit. For all his failings he was at least an honest man. You didn't have to be a Lorridan to read Voidstalker's body language.

Up in the shuttle he slid a datapad off the table. With a few taps he brought up a large projection of slender human male in his late forties. He had thick bushy hair and narrow, grey eyes.

“The act looks good,” Jacen said earnestly to Aela, not being entirely honest and keeping his thoughts well close off. “This is Jarnon Hake,” Jacen said. “He's liable to be your host for the evening until the other Underbosses come to meet you. Elizabeth would see him as well below her station. Brush him off as much as you can. Remember you've got urgent news, if you seem fidgety we can probably pass that off. This time.”

 

[Adder]

With one last rueful glance at the impassive metal walls of the hangar, Adder bid the planet goodbye and jogged up the ramp behind [member="Jacen Voidstalker"] and [member="Aela Talith"]. It was a good thing she'd grown used to passing residence from one week to the next; in the years that had passed since she'd left Coruscant, the redhead had never lingered in one place too long. This world today, another world tomorrow. She'll be shedding no tears for Sullust, at least.

As she stepped into the room, both Jedi were already there, staring at the holoprojection of their trial by fire. It was rather unfortunate that the first time they'd get to play their roles properly would be before such a scrutinizing audience, but they didn't exactly have a choice.

Instead of speaking, Adder merely slipped a hand inside her jacket, extracting two slim bundles. She offered one of them to Jacen – marked with a small X in the corner – and kept the other one to herself.

"Your new identity," she stated simply as she pulled out a datapad along with the necessary documents, giving each a thorough once-over to check for any inconsistencies. "Read it. Memorize it. Become it."

"You can forget the occasional random detail, once in a while. It'll make it more organic, but be sure it doesn't happen too often. Oh, and lose the accent, man. Or get a new one. Whichever works." The old patterns were returning faster than she thought they would, and by the time she finally plopped down opposite of the two, the redhead was already slouching like the good thug she was. One boot on the table, the other on top of the first, and Shisa 'Eagle Eyes' Thalvi was ready to sow fear in the hearts of men.

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Adder"]

Aela herself had studied her identity for days now, ever since she had gotten it in fact. She wasn't the greatest actor, and she wasn't going to be an expert at this, but perhaps with some luck and a bit of the force she would be able to fool at least most of the people she encountered.

Jacen and Adder would help.

For a moment she looked over at the two of them and studied them, Adder taking charge of the situation and instructing Jacen on just who he was to become. A slight smile twitched on her lips, though it quickly disappeared. This situation was serious, the circumstances were serious, she knew that. Perhaps Miss Castille would find amusement in the situation however, perhaps she would think it funny seeing one of her thugs bossing around the other.

She would have to consider that. "How long will it take to get there?"

Aela asked, genuinely not knowing a thing about ships or hyperspace travel. It was an area that she was decidedly blank in, and thankfully Miss Castille was as well.

It seemed that the woman expected her underlings to wait on her hand and foot. Aela thought she could at least play on that, it would require little more than hand gestures and silence, though it would mean that the three of them would have to bond slightly over the length of this journey. Otherwise they would be doomed.

 

[Jacen Voidstalker]

[member="Adder"]

"Fassil Jost," Jacen read aloud. "Previously a mercenary before he became a legitimate bodyguard. Got caught taking drugs in the job and moved into underworld security. Well, not too far from home I suppose," he said. With each word he tried to take the edge off his accent. Coruscant born and having been trained as a Jedi and then in the Republic officer's academy he needed to annunciate a little less clearly and round out his vowels.

"Four hours Ms. Castille," he said with a deferential nod. He was below both the women in the pecking order, but with his background took on a more professional air. Whilst Adder slumped down, he kept rigid in his chair. Adder gave him a look that suggested he needed to shave the edge off the accent further.

He went back to studying the data card, paying particular attention to the timeline of military history. He knew some of these campaigns well and could make them a talking point if he had to.

"Is there anything I can get I either of you?" he asked. Reaching across the chair he retrieved his leather jacket and slipped his hand cannon into its holster. He needed to get more of a feel of wearing the weapon in this manner. How not to flash it overtly, whilst drawing attention to its presence when necessary.

 

[Adder]

"Fassil," she spoke, echoing the Jedi, and rolled the syllables around her mouth. "You can get me something… hard. Make it double, and don't skimp."

As thugs and lowlives they would doubtless be invited to steep themselves into indulgences and debauchery at every corner. Best get a headstart and not make themselves look like fools when the time came to imbibe. Force knew they would be doing a lot of it in the coming weeks.

Not that Adder – no, not Adder, Shisa – was particularly fond of alcohol, but she had no illusions about the lengths they'd have to go to in order to maintain their covers. In fact, it was probably a good idea to share those small, but ever-important details with the other two.

"And pour something for yourself and Ms. Castille as well. There's things we need to talk about." Like how they might have to shoot people, and not always in the kneecaps. "Best sit down for it." [member="Jacen Voidstalker"] carried himself like a man who'd seen crap, and then some, but [member="Aela Talith"] was another matter altogether.

And they were Jedi. She didn't know much, but she knew that the Order didn't care for indiscriminate murder, even if it was other killers you were murdering.

Not that the universe ever cared much about what made you uncomfortable, either.

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Adder"]

She frowned slightly.

Her head shook as Jacen handed her the drink, though not because she was refusing it. Alcohol had never really been in her taste, she'd never really been drunk and the idea had never appealed to her. Many children in their teens went out to party and have fun, many got drunk and used other substances that altered their state of mind, not Aela. She had been boring, or so most people had told her. She had always preferred a good book or more training, something that had caused worry for her parents.

Lips thinned as she looked at the drink, but slowly she tipped the glass against her lips and took a sip.

Somehow she managed to keep a straight face, fighting the odd burning sensation that followed the drink. Her body wanted to shake, as if that would somehow pull the feeling away. She blinked, then began to feel an odd amount of heat in her face. Eventually Aela caught herself, looking up at the other two again. "What is it, Adder?"

Out of the three of them, Adder had the most experience. Jacen was an investigator, or formerly, but he had never had much luck with undercover operations by his own admittance. It was best that the two of them take direction from the former security officer. She not only knew her way around undercover operations, but also knew the Shadow Syndicate fairly well. Aela was smart enough to tap that source of knowledge, especially when all of their lives might depend on it.

 

[Jacen Voidstalker]

[member="Adder"] [member="Aela Talith"]

More than comfortable to enjoy the odd drink, Jacen poured himself an ale. Elizabeth was known to be a fan of both Coruscant Coolers and Fogblasters. He decided to pour the latter, a short strong cocktail. Better Aela got used to the drink with a kick now, he decided. The same was made for Shisa, but with an extra kick. Once upon a time Jacen had been forced to admit to a drinking problem during a particularly dark period following his divorce. Being deployed a few systems away from the nearest bar had proven an exceptionally effective cure. It had always been that way of course. Easier to be out there than left to stew in his own thoughts.

He took a long draft from his own glass before setting it down on the table. Grand Marshal Rhen took a very dim view on his Jedi drinking, which way exactly why Jacen tended to have the odd drink when he was in a different system.

He tried not to stare, but he watched Aela's reaction to the layered green and blue shot. She didn't flinch, but there was a distant look to her eyes within a few seconds. Jacen turned to Shisa, her introduction had sounded ominous.

 

[Adder]

Her brow furrowed, and somehow, her glare seemed darker than before as she trained it once more on [member="Aela Talith"].

"Shisa," she corrected, a keen edge to her voice. It was as if she'd bared a blade that had rested comfortably in its sheath up until now, and if she'd stopped to think for a moment, Adder might have worried that once drawn, she'd find it hard to put it down again.

Well, concerns for another time.

She settled into her seat comfortably, shifting her boots around on the table as she took a moment to swirl her drink about her glass. 'Eagle Eyes' Thalvi would be in no rush to speak up, not while she had a brimful of alcohol to nurse, and so she took a long sip, letting her eyes flutter closed for a moment. As it went down with a pleasing burn, so did the role she would be playing for the foreseeable future… smooth, and entirely too easy for comfort.

"You've both killed people, I'm sure." Spoken with a faint hint of condescension. "But I'm also sure it was only when you had no other choice." Another long sip from her drink, and then she set it down, leaning forward in a surprising display of flexibility.

"I'm going to need you both to… not hesitate. Or flinch. Or, kark forbid, try to stop them. Where we're going, honor and justice are an afterthought. Remember that when something unfair or cruel is about to happen," her green eyes found Aela's bright orange ones, and through her sharp gaze she tried to intone just how important this was.

"Or when one of you has to do it." That was going to be especially hard. Watching and not reacting is one thing, but committing the crime yourself? That's a whole another animal.

Adder's expression was grim, as devoid of humor as the barrel of a gun, and she was staring at them both with the same finality.

"Do you understand?"

Even if they said 'yes', she would doubt they truly knew what they were getting into. In fact, she would likely be more at ease if they realized how underprepared they were for the trials that awaited them once they got there, but nothing she could say could make it better.

Best she could hope for was that they could think fast on their feet. If not… well, two in the back of the head was as quick and painless a death as you could hope for.

[member="Jacen Voidstalker"]​

 

[Jacen Voidstalker]

He watched as Adder folded herself into the role. It was an odd experience. Open to the Force as he was, he both saw her settle into the routine with ease whilst also wrapping her thoughts in the shell that was her construction of Shisa. Every mind was a constant buzz that resonated through the Force. The timbre of her emotional pitch shifted as she closed her eyes and took a drink. This wasn't a new game for her and he once again found himself thankful that his own mask was a thin veneer. Aela however, had to become an entirely alien character and pull it off under intense scrutiny.

As she started to speak, the stoic resolve that was common to him and his character held firm. Over a decade in the military and he had seen a lot of death. There would be no hesitation on his part, surely. Yet when she spoke of stopping someone else a memory floated to the surface. His jaw tensed and he found himself biting down on his front teeth. There had been that piece of evidence he'd had to review several times. Eyes met the ground and a serpent coiled itself around his guts as he mentally replayed it.

Two adults, three children. One family. They'd all been tied down as they took one hand from each in turn and left them to bleed out. Then they'd burnt the bodies, but the youngest had still been clinging to life. The sick feths had recorded the whole incident and sent it on as a lesson to a rival organisation.

Jacen exhaled slowly. Realisation dawned on him that he might have to sit silent through a similar, if not quite so horrific, situation. Or perhaps even be involved in one, depending how deep they went. The act of gunning down a criminal without hesitation had been considered, analysed and accepted. Something like that had not. He was a practical man, if a man with many faults. Yet he always strived to do right by those around him, even when he failed spectacularly.

Air now reached his lungs in shallow, deliberate breaths. It was one thing to place an imaginary experience at the far end of the mind and watch it play out at a distance. It was another to immerse yourself in the scenario. A number of crime scenes he'd visited flashed before him, each dropped another stone that dragged his gut down.

“I'll have to pull in my walls nice and tight,” he told himself. “Close myself off from their fear.” No further explanation was forthcoming on exactly what that meant, but if he had to listen in to someone else's thoughts as they were put through something that horrific he would surely break.

The rest of the glass of ale went down in one long draft. Slapping one hand down on his knee there was a curt, solemn nod and Jost headed to refill his glass, regretting being caught inebriated on the job and forced into the world of crime.

 

[Aela Talith]

"We're not killing anyone." Aela said the words in a tone that made ot very clear just how serious she was. Her eyes set on Adder, twin suns burning with a determination that told of a readiness to argue her point to the nine hells and back. The Young Marshall may have been naive in many things, may have been ignorant, but she was accutely aware of killing.

She had been introduced to it at the age of six, had had her father explain it to her and even seen it done. The battle of Geonosisnhad awoken her to the idea, and it hadn't been long before she formed an opinion on it.

"We're not killers." That same stern tone of voice. "We're Jedi. There is no way in nine hells that were going to kill someone, even if they might deserve it. That isn't who we are, it isn't who we stand for, and I won't allow it."

If they started to kill in pursuit of criminals then they were not better than the criminals they killed, no better than the Sith.

Aela wouldn't stand for it.

 

[Adder]

Whatever sliver of reassurance Fassil's reaction had created was quickly shattered when Ms. Castille – no, Aela – spoke. Vehemently.

Shisa's jaw set as muscles shifted under the skin, and something about the angle of her face pooled deep shadows around her eyes as she leaned even further, sliding her boots off the table so that she could properly loom over the seated blonde.

"Yes, we are," she said, enunciating every word with an icy tone. "[member="Aela Talith"] and [member="Jacen Voidstalker"] are Jedi. Elizabeth Sabene Castille is a criminal and a murderer of the lowest sort, and that means that you are too. Fassil Jost is a mercenary who's made some poor life choices and dug a hole six feet deep more than once. Shisa Thalvi is a schuta with a foul mouth and a trigger finger, and the main reason why Fassil's had to dig all those holes."

"All of us have a rap sheet that would put half the Coruscanti underworld to shame. It's why we'll be able to get into the inner circle at all."

"It's also something we'll have to back up, sooner rather than later. Who's going to save all the people they're killing or enslaving if we get shot the second day undercover?"

"The world isn't black and white, Ms. Castille. You better swallow that pill before you swallow a bullet."

 

[Aela Talith]

"I don't care." Aela said it as though it were as simple as that.

They could argue about this for days, they could go back and forth, dance and scream at each other about it, but at the end of the day Aela would mot compromise who she was or what she stood for. It was more than just a question of ethics, of morals, of what one did, it was a question of losing ones self, of retaining ones humanity. For Aela, killing would begin that slippery slope, and she would not allow it.

"We are posing as them. We are acting as them, but at the end of the day we are not them." She stared at Adder. "I know the risks. I know what were doing. I know the kinds of people were supposed to be, but if we kill, if we murder and slaughter even one person, that isnt justice, that isnt right. Thats murder. I wont kill someone."

"We'll find another way." The force was limitless after all.

She just had to think.

 

[Jacen Voidstalker]

Jacen twisted the cap off a bottle of beer with his bare hands. A trick picked up from the military where a bottle opener was often extra weight. Well that was the excuse, in reality it was simple a macho gesture.

"You do understand..." Jacen started slowly, looking to Aela. This wasn't his cover speaking, it was him. "...if the Cartel show up tonight as expected Ms. Castille can put her head down and run for the exit. But Jost, he's going to have to go for a weapon.

"And it doesn't matter if I clip someone, kneecap them or stun them. Everyone I put down is going to die and a bolt to the head would be a blessing compared to what the Syndicate does to prisoners. Now if we can't get involved with that then we need to start coming up with excuses for Castille to make a quick exit tonight. Gather what we can and run. And we need to be absolutely crystal clear that if we pull that stunt that's the end of this charade because she won't be able to show her face near the Syndicate again," he said, looking quite exasperated.

"I've had to, and will have to again, shoot kids who have done nothing more wrong than be born in Sith space and fetch up their exams so they ended up recruited at sixteen at the pointy end at eighteen."

There was silence for a second as he did nothing more than regard his beer with a distant stare. "But you're still right, we're not killers. Not supposed to be..." his voice was quiet this time, the resolve from his first monologue had drifted away. He tailed off into quiet contemplation unsure of what to say or do next.

[member="Adder"] [member="Aela Talith"]

 

[Adder]

Her frown deepened, nostrils flaring with frustration she didn't have to conjure up. "Aela," she intoned, harshly, forgoing the use of the alias for a spell. It wasn't like the blonde was acting the part at the moment.

She stood there for a few long seconds, mouth hanging open as she struggled for the right words, but something in those orange eyes told her that there was nothing she could say to move the Jedi. How the Grand Marshal thought this could possibly succeed was beyond her, but they were well on their way now. Expected, even. There was no turning back.

"Fine," she exhaled, defeated. She couldn't fight the steely resolve in those eyes. Though just people were as rare as going to the can and chitting out gold, luck would have it so that [member="Aela Talith"] was one of them. Just about the only time that she didn't need it, and Adder was surrounded by justice.

Just my karking luck.

"Fine. Have it your way, but know that this just got one hell of a lot harder." Impossible, some would say, but once she started a job, Adder would be damned before she quit. Oh, she was a cynic, but she could be stubborn too. Unreasonably so.

With a stiff motion, Shisa downed the rest of her drink and stood up from the table, running a hand through her messy hair. "If it comes to that, just let me do the shooting."

She was nearly out the door when she jerked to a sudden stop, looking back at the pair over her shoulder. "Oh, I almost forgot. Don't even think about using the Force, or we're all dead."

"I'm gonna go catch some shut-eye before we arrive. I suggest you do the same." Though she doubted nerves would allow any of them a moment of respite.

[member="Jacen Voidstalker"]​