First Reply Smoke 'Em Out

[Popel]

Location: Taris​

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Standing on the roof of a tall building Popel looked out over the cityscape bellow. Through the haze of smog and light pollution. Waiting for the right time to strike, waiting for all the eggs to be in one basket. A few floors down in a luxury apartment mobsters began to convene in person. Bosses and lieutenants came here to discuss plans for future operations. Popel would see to it that this would be the last time any of them got to share a room that wasn’t a cell or a tomb.

From the pocket of his overcoat an alarm began to sound. Pulling out a ringing datapad he looked down at it through the lens of his goggles. It was time for him to act. Turning off the alarm and datapad Popel pocketed it once more before stepping over to the loud humming of the large HVAC unit that was on the roof. Removing one of his gloves, revealing a gaseous hand before reaching into the ventilation system. Quickly wrecking it from the inside before it was destroyed and shut off. Leaving the building's upper floors without AC.

His smoky form began to flow out his sleeve until all his clothes fell onto the floor under him. Now naked and unencumbered the humanoid cloud began to shift and flow his body into a vent to sneak his way into the building and find his targets within it. Having been unable to do so if the AC was still on and constantly tugging and pulling him around with the maze of vents. Popel was heading straight into the hornet’s nest, ready to rid the planet of one more criminal element.

 

[Lúthien Tinúviel]

Flowing within the current. The waves left nothing in my wake. Moving across the gaps of the buildings, my frame was invisible to all else. Silence within all purposes to reach my destination. What perplexed me, was as I was getting there, I came to a halt. The stop skidding to the edge as I was nearly there. A garbed individual stood at the top. A ringing of some device from within was replaced before all of his clothing dropped.

"No."

Was this some kind of force power that I had never seen before? Was it changing their body shape to become immaterial? Confused, I walked over to the clothing. Seeing that it was still there. What happened to the man who had once been here? Reaching into the pocket, I pulled out the datapad. Just a simple alarm had been on there. But it was locked. Guess there was no way for me to gleam information from it for now. Instead, I made myself invisible once more, and moved slowly and gently into the door that was to the side. Letting it close softly behind me as I was here to perform a job tasked by my mentors.

Popel

 

[Popel]

Popel shifted through the vents stealthily, keeping his smoky body hidden. Not wanting a resident to see him and set off some fire alarm in a misunderstood panic. He kept listening and peeking into rooms to get an idea of where he was. Only being semi-familiar with the layout of the building from external observation.

He did eventually get somewhere, peering in from the ceiling. Getting to hear a pair of sharply dressed thugs complain about being on guard duty for the floor. The two are standing together in a hallway next to a stairwell. Popel discovered he was on the correct level before continuing to traverse the ventilation system. Learning that the gang here practically had the entire floor to themselves.

Soon enough Popel got what he was looking for. A sizable meeting room with notable members sitting around a large table. Here the vigilante knew that in one fell swoop he could cut the head of this snake, but he refrained for just a moment. Knowing it would be worth his time to listen in a little longer, just to get some more information that he might not otherwise learn. It was moments like these where he could learn about his next target. From what he could tell so far it was The Hutts.

Lúthien Tinúviel

 

[Lúthien Tinúviel]

Almost sliding down the stairs, the gentle placements of my boots to hide any sounds I could have made. Yet an agility and speed to try and make it to my target. Knowing that whomever this individual was, may very well be working against me. Coming down to a door, I peer in quickly while I passed by. Seeing to guards. Halting to a sliding stop only using my hand to brace against the wall to prevent me from smacking into it. Coming back to the view of the two guards, I slowly moved my way to them. Drawing my blade out, the tip was set against the back of his neck, and then thrusted in. Severing the spinal column. The body dropping without a fight.

As the second of the two guards turned around to see a hole in the man's neck, bleeding over the sharp dress attire, the blade swung wide. Cutting clean through the artery and veins in his neck. Bleeding out and clutching his now open wound, he would bleed out in mere moments, and choke upon his own life stream. Leaning down, the keycard was taken off of the suit. Wiped upon my uniform before sliding through the door to unlock it.

Opening up, I slid through to another hall which led down to where I needed to be. Closing the distance, I placed a hand on the door. Focusing my energies through my body, I slipped through the door. Phasing as it was called. An ability to allow me to close the distance between myself and my objective.

Within, were the head leaders of this little crime group. Talking, speaking, I felt their presence... and another? They were above me? That made no sense. Why was there someone else here that I couldn't see? The White Current allowed me to see others when they could not see me. So why could this other individual not be found?

Instead of going through this job, I opted to just wait. Let this individual expose themselves before I would.

Popel

 

[Popel]

The intruder continued his eavesdropping. Listening to the mobsters discuss their plans. Unknowingly revealing certain illicit deliveries currently in transport, or the presence of a spice den still in operation. Fighting the underworld across the galaxy was like a giant and endless game of whack-a-mole. Popel has been doing this long enough now to know just how little of an impact he has had on the grand scale.

However, he couldn’t think about it for too long. Sensing the sudden arrival of another individual within the room, even though he didn’t see anyone enter. Only feeling a subtle change in the immediate air pressure, but he didn’t know how. Perhaps someone here was using cloaking tech? The thought suddenly lit a fire under Popel to act now.

His cloudy body suddenly poured out of the vents from the ceiling, startling those inside the meeting. He went straight for the most notable man in the room. A gaseous appendage reaching straight for their throat. Grabbing hold of them and slamming their face harshly against the table. Knocking them out with a broken nose and teeth. Guards in the room began to unholster their weapons, still confused as to what was going on as the shapeless intruder continued his assault on all those in the room. The commotion would be heard even by those on neighboring floors as the sound of blaster fire echoed from the room.

Now that Popel made his presence known he could feel another unseen individual. A humanoid shape outlined by his own vaporous form that filled and obscured the room.

Lúthien Tinúviel

​

 

[Lúthien Tinúviel]

Listening, waiting for whatever may be happening. Talks of the Spice and locations, I kept a mental note of. However, as I felt the conversation was going well, a thick black smoke poured out from the ventilation shafts. Without hesitation, I began to control my breathing, Taking deep breaths of clean air before holding it. Moving myself closer to the exit as guards started to try and figure out what was going on. Yet, it would not be long to see that the smoke, was truly just a person. A hand came out from within, grabbing the head honcho, and slamming his nose and face into the table. Knocked out pretty hard.

Guards started to fire their weapons at said smoke, while one or two of these individuals came for the door.

"Frak it."

With releasing the immersion in the current, My frame, and blade became coherent to all within the room. To them, looking like we were working together. Which I was going to use to our advantage. The pommel of the blade slammed into the temple of one of the men I was preventing from leaving. His dropped to the ground hard. Hitting someone in the side of the head, with enough force, would act like a biological reset sequence. Shutting off conscious thought and actions. The second man trying to escape while the guards covered him, looked up and down quickly to see it was just a girl with one arm. He failed to realize I was not your average girl. his rush was ended abruptly when he fell to his knees. Staring off into the distance. Leaving the man in a dream state.

In that time, it seemed the smoke man was dealing with the guards.

Popel

 

[Popel]

A girl? They seemed out of place, but it was made clear she wasn’t with mobsters as she prevented the escapes of some. Popel couldn’t let himself become distracted, bringing his focus back to the guards. Part of his body solidified as he grabbed one of the armed thugs before forcefully slamming them into the durable window in the room. Causing the guard to collapse to the floor.

Popel grabbed their blaster pistol as another shot at him. The plasma bolts blasting through his nigh-immaterial body. The heat still stung, but caused no real damage to him. Aiming his newly acquired weapon Popel fired it at the goon. Burning a sizable hole into their chest.

After he did another attack came, this time one of the men rush the gaseous intruder with a vibroblade. Charging into an overly committed slash, Popel just let the man run through his body. With a confused look they turned back to look at Popel before the hot metal of a blaster barrel was slammed into their face. Their body falling to the floor from the harsh pistol whip.

With the primary threats taken care of Popel looked to the mysterious young woman he shared the room with. Briefly ignoring the mobsters as he aimed the blaster pistol at her. “I take it these are no friends of yours? If so, what do you say to a little cooperation?”

Lúthien Tinúviel

​

 

[Lúthien Tinúviel]

I will say, the man knew how to fight pretty well. It was interesting to see how the smoke being was pretty much able to just not be affected by conventional weaponry. Was he phasing, was it some kind of morphing ability to change into smoke? However, as soon as the pistol was aimed to me instead of the criminals who were clearly scared that all of their guards were taken down by two individuals, his words of working together came to my perfect ears. Just as they did to the criminals.

"Hold up, you're telling me that yo-"

My hand came up, two fingers held up and twisted just lightly with the sword still in my hand. The man who had been speaking, had his head drop hard onto the table. Thudding and causing whatever glasses of liquid refreshments to shake and rattle. At least, the ones that weren't knocked over, or still on the table. Looking up to the oblong shape of smoke, I nodded my head.

"He's just dealing with a vision of being crowded by beautiful women. He's not dead."

Walking closer to the others who may have still be awake, I then turned my attention to smoke man.

"Yeah, I have a feeling we are here for the same thing. Lets start with those who are awake first?"

Popel