The Shindig Job [The Kathol Outback and friends]

[Tarok Vassket]

[member="Allyson Locke"] [member="Alec Rekali"] [member="Bryce Bantam"]

"You know...It's terribly off-putting having those business men watch us all the time," Tilzi remarked as she managed not to fall, despite Fawk's dreadful attempt to spin her.

"I know!" he replied. "I don't know this dance all that well either, so feeling like I'm under scrutiny really isn't helping."

"Don't you? You're doing very well then!" Tilzi offered with a smile, managed to keep most of the condescension out of her voice. "Why don't...we go somewhere more private for a bit? There's a nice little bar down through the back."

That seemed to elicit the appropriate reaction. The stupid grin spread across his face quickly. "You mean the yellow room? Yes, that's enough dancing for now."

Tilzi allowed herself to be lead from the ballroom floor. A quick glance caught the qektoth "businessmen" talking and gesticulating. They wouldn't be far behind. As they left the main hall for one of the more quiet bars in the estate, with nice private booths, Tilzi disengaged her arm. "Why don't you get us some drinks and a table. I'll be right back."

"What would you like?"

"Surprise me."

He blanched a touch at that. Perhaps he had assumed this was some form of test. It didn't matter. Tilzi wasn't planning on returning and Dassit would be being questioned by the Qektoth within a minute. She looped around the crowd, trying her best to keep out of sight. Spotting her destination, she closed to distance to Alec Rekali. Likely to interrupt the next round of harmless flirting.

"Found one of their targets," she said quietly as she approached. If the agents in the staff were dangerous now, the men actually trying to barter the new arrangements had the potential to cause the most harm to the region in the long term.

 

[Noah Bright]

All by myself? Heavens no. ...He smirked and passed [member="Saoirse Reyes"] a glass.

"And there you are my dear. One, liquid confidence, for the lady."

He swirled his glass between his fingers and nodded to the breeze. However, his eyes quickly returned to the doors from whence they'd came. The old war veteran in him kicking in again. The spy between the bond.

Ah. But then again. What could he tell Reyes that she shouldn't already know? That the Outback had come here to root out cyborgs. That he was more than just a delivery boy. That his pocket watch was more than a time piece. Or, that he himself was no Duke of Glossy, or Pern, or sudden shamefulness either. Mmm. No. And, yee Gods man... It always begs the same question. Just what do you tell the woman?

"You know..." He began with a tall air,

"You look beautiful in that dress. Absolutely stunning my dear. ...Really. You do. Like lush candy. Or, no... Like a fine, meadowed cheese. Yes. That's more like it. And, wow. It just makes me want to stripe that dress off you like tight wax paper. Just, zip... Rawr. Hehe. Just to see exactly what your hiding underneath that foxy smile of yours. And those long, demon's legs. ...Mm. Wow. It's too much. Really. It's too much."

Noah took two steps forward and then suddenly removed his pocket watch. Stopping abruptly. With a wave to the air. Signaling his truce to the midnight air, with a dashing change of the subject. As if nothing he'd just said to the fine lady held any playful pertinence at all?

"But enough about your dazzling curves and my lustful teenage passions. Mmm. To be rather frank, I must apologize early my Lady. I'm afraid. I am something of a spy. Yes. It's true. Spying tonight for the likes of the Kathol Outback. And, uncomfortably though it may be? Yes... I've got cyborg spies and undercover agents from the Q Republic to hunt tonight. Armed. Dangerous. Trouble after trouble in excess, oh yes. A spies business for the nobility, I'm afraid. Terrible dull really. My associates back inside have no doubt cut the power in a like manner towards our, heady, mission. ...And. Well. To be honest,"

He paused to wage the finger,

"To be honest. I could use your help?"

...

"Erm." Quick correction. He jumped into the silence between, "...Pardon me. I meant we. We, The Kathol Outback. Could use your help."

...

Smiling still, Noah took a sip of his glass and then passed his pocket watch over to Reyes. Pointing down to tap tap tap against it's exotic screen of Q-finding wizardry. Clearly visible.

"Tell me madam? Have you ever trusted a tall, dark, and handsome stranger to request your help in an extremely dangerous, and very sensitive, stately affair? Oh dear."

Bright smiled and took one step back. As if withdrawing from his own invitation. Smiling deviantly like the devil himself had posed the question.

"Because I can assure you Saoirse. This is going to be a lot of naughty fun?"

 

[Miya Ashera]

She smiled a thank you and accepted the glass. Her hand felt much more complete now with something in it.

Saoirse tried to hide a growing smile, but was unable to stop it from growing into an amused smirk as he showered her with creative compliments. She had never been compared to meadowed cheese before. She laughed when he went on about how he'd like to strip the dress off her like tight wax paper. Perhaps she ought to have felt offended. Perhaps her flattery resistance ought to have been higher, but the combination of it all along with how easily it rolled off his tongue had its effect. Confidence was always a highly appealing trait, and [member="Noah Bright"] had it aplenty. Even though they had stepped outside, it was getting rather hot out there.

Saoirse too took a casual step towards Noah. "Wow" she said, her cheeks almost starting to hurt from all this smiling. He was fun. "Those were new. You're gonna make me blush" she said in a playful tone, although there was no hint of a blush on the smooth skin of her cheeks. "You're too much" she said a little teasingly, and placed a light hand for a moment against the side of his arm. Too much, like he had said her in that dress was too much. But she imagined she minded the compliments just as much as he minded seeing her in that dress.

When he began talking about how he was a spy, she gave him another playful smirk. Surely he was joking, and this was the set-up for another joke or a line. "A spy? Oh my" the fact that she didn't take him seriously was fairly evident in her tone. But as he continued talking, explaining the situation and what went on, along with the fact that his friends might have been behind the power cut... "You're... Not joking?" she said, examining him for another moment. She didn't want to seem naive by falling for some obviously made up story, but something told her he was being genuine.

Her eyebrows rose a little at the sight of his pocket watch, and her eyes quickly travelled back up to meet with his, hint of disbelief on her face. "You're not joking" she said as realisation dawned upon her.

She gave a short chuckle, while still recovering a little from the surprising turn of events. She had no loyalties to anyone here, so why the kark not? Her date was only good at being a really lousy date. Hanging out with dashingly handsome spies sounded much more entertaining. "Trust? No" she said with a knowing smirk. "But help? I could be persuaded to do that" she offered him a little wink to suggest she was on board. "What do you want me to do?" there was that hint of suggestiveness in her tone again. Too much? Maybe. Although toying with his imagination was something that would never become boring.

Naughty fun? Sign me up.

 

[Noah Bright]

[member="Saoirse Reyes"] was one of those women that made Noah's danger sense tingle. Half expecting, half wanting. Half lust and half trouble. Just,

"Perfection."

He smiled and took another sip. Carefully replacing their wine bottle back to a fine and somber perch on the balcony. They could finish it later.

"Madam, I need you to do only what God intended of those faerie hips inside that fantasy dress. That is to say? Just, be absolutely ravishing... Ah. ...But, right over there."

He pointed over [member="Saoirse Reyes"] ' shoulder to a glass guest house about half-way across the yard. Even in the night air, the tiny abode dazzled with wealth and luxury. Oh, and there was a stationary guard just barely visible inside too. A glass house. A glass cage.

"Inside that guest house is a security room. There, I'll find communications, camera controls, door locks, and much much more."

Noah stepped closer and brushed his fingers up and down her arms. A wandering caress that might have distracted a younger woman. Yet, when experience plays it's part? Noah was taking every interest in a very interesting girl.

"Would you mind accompanying me out into that green green grass tonight Saoirse? ...Because, well? You'd be perfect for seducing the guard out by the pool. So,.. That way I can disable the pressure alarm and meet you at the side door. Naturally? Maybe... Three minutes tops?"

His caressing stopped but the lustful passion in his eyes did not abate. The fire smoldering hot. Alas, this time the fire in eyes was not for Reyes at all. Oh no. She could tell as his gaze transfixed on the guest house out beyond the midnight field. There was something out there that Bright wanted. And he wanted it badly. Very very badly.

Tsk tsk tsk. Just like a bad bad boy.

 

[Jairus Starvald]

[member="Lucien Shorn"] | [member="Runi Verin"] | [member="Matthew Robinson"]

She screeched to a halt by the door.

“Fierfek.”

But Runi was right, damn it she was right.

“We needed both of them.” Cerita said as she turned around and studied the heavy-breather Rob, Verin and Shorn behind them. “One to track, the other to interrogate, so we knew what we are walking into.”

It infuriated her that Gallows was slipping through her hands again, because this was the only chance they had gotten in weeks.

After this Gallows wasn’t gonna take any chances.

The next meeting would be with an army of mercenaries or sniper fire by mechanical droid or ysalamiri mandalorian. They would have to move now or they were dead meat.

More blaster fire erupted in the gala room - as the Qektoth and security were starting to wisen up to the Underground presence.

Her attention went to Lucien and his question, which was ignored. All of those substances stimulated the strength of their users in one way or another, so it was a logical inquiry, but not one that needed to be addressed now.

“Him? He helped us. We will take him with and once we are in the clear, we will figure out what to do with him.”

 

[Matthew Robinson]

[member="Runi Verin"] [member="Lucien Shorn"] [member="Cerita Sarova"]

"Bollocks," he muttered to Runi, straightening up and addressing her earlier comment. "I mean, have you ever even tried a piece of cake?" He rolled his shoulder one last time, hiding the wince with a half-smirk. Attention turned to the kid. "Yeah, thanks mate," he grumbled. Classic smoke-jumpers vs doctors rivalry. Those adrenaline-jockeys always acted like they knew everything.

But no, that was a stereotype. The kid had just offered a serious assist. And he didn't seem to be too barmy.

"Name's Matt," he offered a hand to the kid. A temporary truce. "And green girl is right. This whole mission is about to go balls-up. I've got something special for the security so they won't remember us. Just put your hand over your mouth and nose. Trust me, you don't want a whiff of this." Hands pulled a small packet from his pocket. A container of crushed green herbs.

This wasn't ginger-mint, though.

It was Bundar Root. Rare stuff. He traded a tribe in the outer rim for it, for some medical check-ups on the chief. Crushed up, the herb was a poison that caused temporary short-term memory loss and in some cases, the ability to reason. Hazel-eyes scanned the room. There were still other Outbackers around but they could handle themselves. And hopefully, they wouldn't be close enough to get the herb's affect. Without waiting, the doc took a step forward and then another, a big of dust already in his hand as he approached one of the security members moving toward them. All he had to do was blow.

Feth, he was knackered, he'd need a piece of cake after this for sure. With sprinkles on top.

 

[Nate Phantoms]

Bounding up the stairs, past some terminals spewing credits, he searched, almost frantically to find [member="Ria Misrani"]. And of course, he was left with the three Q guards hunting her. "Fethin'... damnit!" Not wanting to waste any time, he tore down he hallway, before jumping, planting his feet on the wall, and giving the first guard on hell of a roundhouse kick. One down, two more that are armed left to go. Knowing another wallrun/kick was not going to work, he pulled the force baton from the guard below him, and went crazy, whacking and smacking like a mad man. That worked, surprisingly.

Skidding to a halt,glanced around the control room, noting the plasma damage to the main console, and then the also blasted ventilation shaft. With a brief scan, he figured out that it lead to.... the men's restroom? Fun. Taking off down the stairs, he jumped over some random party-goers, and slid down the banister, before spinning around a guard and into the opening door of the restroom. WHAM!
Groaning, he rubbed his head to see, no one else but Ria staring down at him with bewilderment. "There you are! I had to run all the way from where [member="Joza Perl"] was, take out some guards, and then get hit in the face with a door. What were you even doing in the guys bathroom?"

 

[Kaili Talith]

Over her shoulder Kaili witnessed as a man grabbed a hold of Allyson’s wrist. Or rather, someone that seemed to be. He seemed to be awfully close to her, yet before Kaili could do anything the night’s biggest question returned to save the day. He staggered away, the black-haired woman ("the biggest question") stayed. The curse of good hearing? Hearing. How did that make sense? It just did.

“Mhm,” A deep chuckle emanated from Kaili’s throat as air force its way through her nose. “No, I don’t think so.” She said and approached the stranger through an elbowed crowd. “She is staying as sober as I am tonight.”

“I am Kaili Talith, who-” The feth. “-are you?”

[member="Alec Rekali"] // [member="Allyson Locke"] // [member="Lok Munin"]

 

[Runi Verin]

[member="Lucien Shorn"] | [member="Cerita Sarova"] | [member="Matthew Robinson"]​

​

Smokejumper. Her estimation of the man went up a notch. Having salvaged more than her fair share of burnt out hulks, she had seen first-hand the utter devastation a fire could wreak on a vessel if left unchecked. Those that threw themselves into the midst of all that deserved some modicum of respect. Combined with the fact he’d endeared himself to her somewhat by helping save Matt from an untimely splattering, she might have actually felt bad if she’d had to pitch him over the side of the very same balcony just a few minutes later. Thankfully the other two seemed against it.

“Knowing Gallows it’ll be goons, guns and more goons, but we’ll plot that jump when we come to it, ‘lek? Deal with the problems at hand.”
As if on cue, the doors burst open to reveal a rather testy looking bunch of security officers, the kind that practically oozed the baton first, interrogate in an undisclosed location with electrical clamps later mentality. It would’ve bordered on the intimidating if they hadn’t keeled over a few seconds later when the doc dosed them to gills with whatever hoodoo powder he was knocking around with. Something that, Runi couldn’t help feeling, could’ve come in pretty handy a little earlier.

“You keep that up, doc, and I might actually bake you that cake.” She quipped as she bent over to retrieve a blaster from one of the fallen guards, trying not to breath in any of the noxious poison that still lingered in the air. Wordlessly she passed it over to Cerita, feeling that she was the safest choice to handle the weapon. Luce was still too much of an unknown for her to trust him with a loaded weapon and she had a feeling Matt was liable to shoot his own foot off. She took one of the stun batons for herself, giving it an experimental heft before moving towards the doorway. “How we doing this?”

 

[Lord Ghoul]

Their hands clasped together in a solid shake. Luce smiled roguishly.

"Nice to meet you, Doc Matt."

Green lady ignored his questions, which was ok. Maybe she was sensitive about the subject. They could pick it up later.

The newly minted acquaintance no sooner introduced himself then he was walking straight toward a group of grumpy looking security guards. He blew powder everywhere. Guards keeled over, knocked unconscious by 'something special.' Whatever that was. Made Luce reevaluate what he knew about the guy, which wasn't much. He'd just assumed Matt was a harmless bumbling doctor, turned out the doc knew a few tricks.

Shorn didn't even move to pick up one of the guns from the fallen guards. Maybe the blaster had a stun setting, maybe it didn't. Either way, he wanted no part of it. Luce picked up a baton, hesitant fingers curling around the rubbery grip and matte black finish. The nonlethal weapon had a weight centered around the head, meant for bludgeoning. He gave a few experimental pokes at the air that seemed a bit too practiced and fluid for a simple Alliance smokejumper.

Maybe he took shock baton lessons?

"Who were those guys? What's going?" Luce said, soft brown eyes looking between the three strangers for answers.

[member="Runi Verin"] | [member="Cerita Sarova"] | [member="Matthew Robinson"]

 

[Lok Xiangu]

Well, things got a bit out of hand.

A stranger from out of nowhere grabbed Allyson by the wrist which could possibly be a Q-agent that they were supposedly to hunt down. That infuriated the youngster, but Alec came in and maybe did some Dathomirian voodoo magic on the stranger or did something else to make him retreat and save Ally from possible harm. Which was all good, but the Munin boy would come after the stranger if he saw him again. He wouldn't forget his face since a Mando never forgets when they were angered or triggered.

As he thought things would go back to normal, Kaili was certainly triggered and went off towards Alec and Allyson in a style of anger. With interest, the Mandalorian followed the Talith to the pair of Allyson and Alec with his Coruscanti Martini. The true reason why he followed Kaili was so he could flirt with the lovely Locke.

As he opened his mouth to greet Alec and Allyson, no words came from his mouth as Kaili opened up in a feisty, angrily tone of voice at the Rekali. He knew that the two would fire shots at each other which he didn't mind at all. It would give him an advantage to talk and flirt with Allyson and possibly take her away from the Talith and the Rekali.

[member="Allyson Locke"], [member="Kaili Talith"], [member="Alec Rekali"]