The Standard Assassination

[Akio Diachi]

Location: The countryside of Naboo
Time: Mid morning

The countryside was a beautiful thing. Vegetation across the mountains and along the paths seemed to spring forth, declaring life to the peaceful world and hope to the inhabitants. Massive villa estates made up the world around these paved roads, declaring the wealth of those here. The rolling land was the kind of thing that made a man's heart sing.

Akio drank all of this in as he traveled across the path on foot. He was a remorseless killer who didn't ask questions and only made exceptions for greater amounts of money to kill the other party, but he was no a vile being. He savored the freshness of the air. The warmth of the sun made his blue skin feel invigorated, the sweetness of the singing avian species made his heart be filled with awe. It was paradise. A paradise he would never know except on moments like this, passing through. These beings will never understand how it feels to suffer. They will never understand what it means to go without, they will not understand what true agony is. Well--not most of them.

Like that he was reminded of his true purpose here. Placing a slight damper on the beauty of the countryside, the Chiss, disguised as a local servant, made his way to the villa, which would soon enough be a tapestry for him to paint his art upon.

[member="Erud'ryz'ladre"]

 

[Erud'ryz'ladre]

[member="Akio Diachi "]

"I have already told you, Mrs. Laveaoux, I cannot come back as your bodyguard. Not now, anyway." Dryzl sat in an overstuffed chair, sipping the tea that her former ward (and wealthy widow) had provided. The tea was too bitter for her taste, but she drank it out of politeness nonetheless.

"My dear Dryzl, please... Call me Adaline. I'm too fond of you to allow formalities to get in the way." The regal woman, old only in the sense that she had lived longer than most, waved a hand of dismissal. "And I'll pay you whatever you want -- money is no issue, I assure you."

The Chiss sighed, setting down her cup. She shifted slightly, unused to such soft chairs. Though she was not clad in her armour, Dryzl had her gun on her side, just in case. "Money never was, nor ever will be, the issue, Mrs. Laveaoux. I am simply obliged to another...party, and I cannot take up side jobs. There would be too much interference, and I would be incapable of ensuring your safety like I should."

"But who is this other party?" The widow's eyes sparkled with mischief. "Perhaps there is a little one finally running around?"

"No, Mrs. Laveaoux. It is not a romantic or familial obligation. In any case, what is so wrong with putting Henri in charge of protecting you? Or one of the others? They have been around much longer than I, and would be better at keeping an eye out for danger."

"Because they can be bought! Dryzl, this isn't just some random danger; I am afraid that one of my children or grandchildren will try to have me assassinated!"

 

[Akio Diachi]

Questions. Morals. Ethics. These were the things that got a man killed. Honor. Art. Taking a life. These things gave a man immortality.

The words echoed in Akio's ears like he heard them a moment ago, not ten years ago. The credo had been burned in his head like nothing else. These were the truths that he had to live by. As child it was undoubted that this was his purpose because he was told every second of every day.

In the kitchen he took his place brewing tea. It was an art, like everything in his life. He pursued it with excellence. The leaves were placed in the pot just right. The water was made warm just right. The beautiful transformation always filled Akio with wonder. A few moments later he was carrying it up to the study where his target, the house mistress, was entertaining a guest. But Akio was not prepared for what he saw.

He rarely saw other Chiss in this world, and it was even rarer to see a female as striking as this one. It was clear, she too had military training, but had retained her finer graces. Her face was well-defined and looked noble, and it was apparent with the way she sat she was no new comer to the games of warfare.

He tried to hide his expression of shock. I am just a servant. Akio dutifully blended into the background waiting for the moment. He heard the word 'assassination' a flicker hit him. She was aware. Akio didn't have time to worry about it, the Target requested more tea. It is too late, you are a dead woman walking. He poured a second serving of tea for the Target Laveaoux's empty cup. She waved him away. When she took her next sip, the lethal Synox began to kick in and the old woman's face contorted in pain.

He wanted to bow and say It was an honor taking your life. Instead, he dropped the teapot in surprise, shattering it on the hard floor. The poisoned tea was on the wood floor now, rapidly being absorbed by the wood. And the evidence is gone. Its as if she died of natural causes. It was an honor taking your life, Mistress.

 

[Erud'ryz'ladre]

[member="Akio Diachi "]

"Assassinated? I beg pardon, but I am not certain that your descendants would do such a thing."

Dryzl looked at the door as a servant entered, bearing more tea. Though her outward appearance remained the same, she couldn't help but feel surprise. It was rare to see another Chiss this far out, particularly on Naboo, and especially as a servant. How odd, she thought, as evidently the other Chiss felt the same -- though, she nonetheless gave him props for attempting to hide his surprise.

Mrs. Laveaoux, meanwhile, was completely oblivious, requesting more tea. "Do you want some, dear?" the older woman asked.

"No thank you, ma'am. I still have plenty." Her red eyes were still trained on the servant; he behaved like a servant, not drawing attention to himself and blending in with the background. Almost too perfect.

Before Dryzl could say anything, though, Mrs. Laveaoux was on the ground, contorting in pain.

"Mrs. Laveaoux!" The Chiss dropped to her knees, but she was unsure of what to do. She was no medic, and before long the widow was gone.

She sighed deeply. This was certainly a peculiar turn of events. For one thing, Mrs. Laveaoux was just talking about being killed, and now look at her. Though they were not close, Dryzl still felt a pang at not being able to protect her -- and for dismissing her suspicions. Of course, it would still have to be investigated. Then there was the Chiss servant, who'd dropped the teapot.

Hmm....

The young soldier stood up and looked at the servant, a hand on her gun though she did not yet intend to draw it. Despite being a member of the Republic's Havoc Squad, Dryzl did not know what, if any, authority she had. Nonetheless...

"Ch'ah cart nah ch'tra ch'at ch'asart vah. What is your name?"

 

[Akio Diachi]

Akio backed up to the wall. He quickly calculated his options in a few nano seconds. He had no weapons, she would clearly out draw him if he charged her. Running was pointless. A lie she would clearly see through. Most were disdainful at best to assassins like himself. But we are of the same race. Often those of the same race are partial. Moreover, bargaining goes quite far when caught.

His act of the fearful servant was replaced with his genuine persona. Cold, calm, disciplined, calculating. All but emotionless.

"I am Akio Diachi. I am an assassin with a unique skill set that made me the only logical candidate for this job," he paused and gave a half bow, "It was an honor taking her life. Who am I addressing?"

He could most likely predict what would come next and he was ready for it; the Chiss tried to stay two steps ahead of the job. It paid to be methodical. Unfortunately, his employers had not paid enough. They never pay enough to prevent what is coming to them.

Outside the wall window over looking the countryside, a pair of singing birds flew by. The beauty of life is only fully appreciated when contrasted with the beauty of a good death. Outside, it was still paradise. The warming sun showered the countryside in its basking rays. The vegetation sang out rays of hope and healing for the moment and for tomorrow. Akio was sure that the crispness was still in the air too. He contrasted it with the death in their midst. The irony would bring a was a peace of most souls, if not all souls. "Have you ever noticed the worlds do not care when we die?"


[member="Erud'ryz'ladre"]

 

[Erud'ryz'ladre]

@Akio Diachi

As soon as the façade dropped, Dryzl felt a small chill. It always bothered her, how easily it was for some individuals to go from innocent angels to diabolical demons. And this man was no exception -- making his confession to being an assassin all but expected. Even so, she wasn't sure if he truly meant that bit about honour, or if he was simply softening the blow. It was also curious that he answered her question with one of his own, demanding her name when she just asked for his. Perhaps he does not understand our mother tongue. A shame, if that were true.

Nonetheless, her gun was up as a precaution. Despite the assassin having just killed a former employer of hers (and could have very well killed her, had she drank some of the tea), Dryzl did not intend to shoot him -- but this way she would have a better chance of pegging him, should he run.

Answering his second question first, the woman replied, "What are we, when compared to the ancient might of the universe?" Tilting her head, Dryzl reassessed him. He almost acted as if he were simply waiting in line, not being held at gunpoint in a room with his victim, and that put her on higher alert than before. "But I will ask again, What is your name?"

 

[Akio Diachi]

Akio blinked twice. A sense of confusion rippled through him. On one hand he was quite surprised that the woman had addressed his philosophical question with an equally weighty one. He rarely got to ask such questions and when he did, he rarely experienced one who could reply with an equally compelling question. Perhaps it is a racial trait to pursue the arts of philosophy.

On the other hand, he was surprised she had asked his name again. He had answered, he was unsure if she had misunderstood or simply did not believe him. True, most assassins had great reason to use false names, especially when om jobs. However, he had always seen such as a means of loosing honor. It is a coward's notion to not reveal your name when caught in the act of the art of death. He blinked twice, then he understood.

"I do not know who my parents are," he said at last. "I was raised outside of my people, on Dantoowine, by assassins. They raised me according to their kind and ways. I never met another Chiss until I had left my clan. I was given a name by the Umbarians of my order and it pleased them to give me the name 'Akio Diachi' after one of the ascended masters." He paused, "You were close to her?" For a moment Akio searched his vocabulary. He wasn't sure why he wanted to say this--or even what he wanted to say. The words he was looking for were hardly ever used, especially after dealing the art of death.

"I-am--sorry," Akio said genuinely. The words were hard to find and almost came out of his mouth like the sounds of a rusting but well-intended wheel.

For the first time since he was a child, Akio felt a strange feeling creeping in him. It filled his stomach and was heavy. For the first time since his first blood, Akio felt guilt.

 

[Erud'ryz'ladre]

[member="Akio Diachi "]

Erud'ryz'ladre never let her eyes leave this Akio character. But it was clear, nonetheless, that he had given his real name -- or at least one he believed to be real.

So he had never known what it was like to be a part of the Ascendancy. It explained the name, as Dryzl did not expect a Chiss to have a nah Swerr title.

And then he apologized, providing enough of a shock to cause her to blink. An assassin, apologizing for doing his job? How peculiar. For a moment she frowned, then reholstered her weapon. If he had wanted to kill her, or escape, he would have done it by now.

"A guilty assassin? Non Ch'ah viz veb hah sea. Do not apologize, as if you were truly sorry you would not have done it in the first place." Her tone was harsh, cutting through the air like a sharp knife. As a rule, Dryzl always tried to be honourable, and being sneaky about death was not something she liked. Even so, she owed him an answer in regards to her name, so in a cold, crisp voice she added, "I am Erud'ryz'ladre, though you may call me Dryzl if you so wish. I am currently employed by the Republic Military."

The Chiss knelt down, taking a chance as her red eyes flicked over Mrs. Laveaoux's pale face. "I spent approximately a year in Mrs. Laveaoux's employ, as her bodyguard," she said, her tone softer now. "I was not close to her, but she considered herself close to me. Even now I believe she hired me more as a companion than anything else." Dryzl reached out and gently closed her eyelids before standing up again.

Her red eyes pierced into Akio's, though her face remained neutral. If the other Chiss truly regretted his actions, then it would be only fair that he helped set things right -- and if she had her way, no others would die. Not him, not the real perpetrator, no one. "Who hired you?"

 

[Akio Diachi]

As if you were truly sorry you would not have done it in the first place. The words cut him to the core. He wanted to run and explain; Its just a job. I was born into this. No one asked if I wanted to be an assassin. I was put in this. But she wouldn't care. The coffin he was in was made before he was born, he was placed here at birth. It never mattered, it never did. There was never a moment of caring or sympathy. I am here. All that matters is I make the ascended masters proud and earn my honor.

He watched the female give homage to the deceased pers--target. He blinked. It is still a target. That's all it will ever be. It stopped being a person when you were paid and became a target. But still. He had never seen a target grieved over. It was constantly done, moved on, and taken care of. He saw the moment of softness, vulnerability and felt something strange--pity. He felt pity for the per--target--he felt pity for Dryzl. He blinked, twice. Why am I this way? Why is this so hard? Its never been this way before. The target was just a target. This happens everyday. Its just another job.

[member="Erud'ryz'ladre"] looked at him and Akio knew what those eyes said; your an outsider. You don't belong. You will never belong. You are less than dirt. He had seen it often as a child in the clan. The Umbarian children treated him that way. They formed pacts, alliances, and teams with eachother--but never with him. He learned it was always his way alone. Her question snapped his emotions back into the recesses of his mind. Like a mask, the cold calculation and desire to survive was back. But this time his discipline seem to fit him ill, like the underlying emotions were trying to resurface.

"I do not know," Akio confessed, "they contacted me from the Outer Rim. I can help you find them for an in-kind favor," he paused to let the idea sink ink, "A set of assassins who did me wrong, I know them, I know who they are, where they are and I know what they do is far worse than I."

He paused. He was sure he knew what the next question would be, "I do not ask why. That's not my job. They hire me because I do not ask why," then the words came out slowly and chosen well, trying to bare his soul through his hard exterior, "I do not mean it personally. I just do what I was trained to do. It is all I know. Its-what--I do." He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, regaining his businesslike composure, "Do we have a deal?"

 

[Erud'ryz'ladre]

[member="Akio Diachi "]

She wanted to snap at him again, but it would be unfair to both of them -- he was raised to be an assassin, his whole life was created in the shadows. How would he know any different? Because I learned differently. Because I learned that not all nah Swerr are worthless. Because I learned that life should be valued. She wondered, then, if Akio, in his own twisted way, valued life as well. Truly valued it.

But she did not ask him. Instead, clamping down on her emotions like he clearly was, Dryzl nodded in the affirmative. "Yes, we do. But first we must contact the authorities, and make sure Mrs. Laveaoux gets her proper burial." Her expression turned thoughtful as she tried to figure out what to do next. "Your lack of knowledge in regards to your employers will make this difficult, but... I believe we can start by looking at her descendants."

One last thing, though...

"I dislike lying to the police force, but I believe the best course of action is to say that Mrs. Laveaoux worked herself up over suspicions. It is not an honourable death, but it will suffice in keeping your involvement a secret." Dryzl gave Akio a curious look. "What did you use, anyway?"

 

[Akio Diachi]

Akio had only worked this end of the job once--when he was hired to find and kill the assassin and the one who hired him. It felt odd, strange to be here. To see what he saw and to be discussing what would have been a "clean up" operation.

Lying to the police force. The phrase genuinely made Akio smile. He had liked many, many times to the local authorities but in a way, he could understand. Then the chilling thoughts hit him; She has been on the other side. The enemy. Not the targets, but the ones who protect the targets and chase afterwards. The realization left Akio feeling even more off. The enemy--does not look so bad.

"I will set up a meeting with the one who hired me. While I am doing that, you may see to the targ--" he corrected himself with a gentler tone, "Miss Laveaoux as you see fit." He tilted his head slightly. Few people--especially those on the other side--cared to ask what he used. It made him surprised, to say the least that [member="Erud'ryz'ladre"] wanted to know.

"It is called Syndox," he answered as calmly and clearly as if he were discussing the holonews. "In the far ancient past, the most revered assassins used it as well. Its onset is rapid, as you can tell. And the results are--satisfactory. It is one of the cleanest and surest ways to die."

 

[Erud'ryz'ladre]

[member="Akio Diachi "]

"Hm. I have not heard of it before, but that is not very surprising." Dryzl did not say it aloud, but the poison he used almost seemed like the sort one would use as a...mercy killing, almost. Where death is delivered as quickly as possible, though in this instant it wasn't the most painless.

"Before I go, there are two more things I would like to address. For one thing, how will I contact you? And we will need a meeting place, after we are finished here. Which brings me to my second issue: If possible, I would like to go with you. To meet the one who hired you." One eyebrow twitched upward. "You will forgive me if you have not completely earned my trust yet."

Actually, trust (or lack thereof) wasn't the only thing which compelled her to request this, though it would be useful to her if Akio remained under that impression. Truth was, Dryzl knew she would not be able to sit around and wait for the other Chiss to wrap up his meeting. Any other time, yes. But not now -- not when it was personal. And it was, because had Dryzl taken Mrs. Laveaoux's fears seriously, the widow might still be alive.

And Akio might be imprisoned, or dead. The thought surprised her, along with the slight pang of regret that went with it. Why should she be concerned with the fate of an assassin? Chiss or no, his business was death, something which she herself was against.

 

[Akio Diachi]

She does not trust me. The thought--and truth--was as obvious as his skin was blue. He didn't blame her of course. He was an assassin, the assassin who had just killed an old woman in front of her that as close to her. And she was--is the enemy. He blinked twice. As a rule he didn't keep enemies and allies, there were the targets, associates, employers, and collateral damage. In a moment one could cross over to the other. If she isn't the enemy then what is she? The question plagued him. Akio had to get a few moments to clear his head. He had to gain his center, get his discipline back. All that mattered now was solving the problems at hand.

"I understand your distrust," Akio said genuinely, "I do not blame you. We can rendezvous at the Darhin cantina in Theed at 01:00, that should be plenty of time for me to set up a meeting for is."
Akio reached in his back pocket and retrieved a cattle tracer he had pocked on his way over. He had a feeling this would come in handy when he was passing by. Pressing the tip against the fleshy part of his arm, he shot the tracker into it. He grunted at the stab of pain, "The ID code on the tracer is 7D36t. It will link up to your datapad--it will trace and record over 80 hours of movement on a planetary scale."

Akio rubbed the blood from his arm on his sleeve, smearking a mess it throbbed. He looked at [member="Erud'ryz'ladre"]. His red eyes searched her face for--something. He wasn't quite sure what. Which unnerved him. He wasn't sure what he was looking for; anger? No. Vengeance? No. Mercy? Perhaps. Or something more. Akio drove his nails in his palm, stop doing that. There are targets, associates, employers, and collateral damage. He bowed slightly and walked out off the establishment, He added almost subconsciously, And apparently--there is her. Something different.

Along the road the Chiss stole a farmer's speeder. His mind began running through what he had to do in several hours; procure a select set of weapons, acquire a new disguise, contact his employer, scope out the Darhin Cantina, procure a few emergency escape routes, and decide what to do with Dryzl.

 

[Erud'ryz'ladre]

[member="Akio Diachi "]

Both eyebrows shot upwards in surprise as Akio injected a cattle tracer into his arm. She hadn't expected that, to say the least.

But she didn't say anything more than a noise of affirmation in regards to the code, and the meeting place. Akio was looking at her with a peculiar expression on his face, and Dryzl didn't know what it meant. But that wasn't where her focus should lie. She had a situation to get under control.

The Chiss turned away from the assassin as he left, once again looking down at the body. She ran a few calculations through her head. In a timespan of a few hours, she had to convince the police that there was nothing to investigate; find a place to stay until all of this was over with; and prepare for her rendezvous at the Theed cantina.

How is it that I have gone from simply bodyguarding to protecting a crimelord to joining the Havoc squad to covering for an assassin in order to determine his employers? She shook her head. Merely thinking about it made her head hurt, so she instead went back to the present situation.

First, Dryzl checked the time. Oddly, their encounter had lasted all but a couple of minutes, which would be helpful. It had been a while since she'd last been here, and getting lost while seeking help wouldn't be that out of the question. But what about my comlink? The police would surely question why she hadn't immediately called for help. With a sigh, she went over to the balcony and looked down. On the ground level, there were a few bushes, and it was into these that she dropped it. I will simply retrieve it later.

Now to find someone. Dryzl took several quick, shallow breaths, hoping to get her heart beating faster, and then took off down the halls. "Doctor! I need a doctor!"

******​

"And what about that servant fellow? The one who delivered the tea?" The detective stood with a stylus hovered over his datapad, peering at her. The medical examiner and her assistants were still with the body, and the M.E. had declared cause of death to be a heart attack, most likely caused by anxiety. It was because of that anxiety bit that Dryzl was even being interrogated, but the Chiss was calm nonetheless.

"I told you, he delivered the tea and poured her a cup. Mrs. Laveaoux had forgotten about hiring him, and became severely agitated, believing that he was an assassin coming to kill her. As of late she'd been suspicious of her descendants, and kept insisting that they were out to get her. In any case, the servant was startled and accidentally dropped the teapot. I, meanwhile, attempted to calm her." Dryzl pursed her lips, eyebrows furrowed slightly. "It is my opinion that her paranoia coupled with the situation caused her heart to give out. The servant, Lacen, was also understandably distressed, so I told him to go home and rest."

"Uh huh. You also say here that it was a few minutes before you found someone?"

"Yes, sir. It has been a long time since I was last here, and I was unfamiliar with the surroundings. Not to mention the added factor of having an acquaintance of mine drop dead in front of me. Very traumatizing, sir."

"Oh yeah, definitely. Why didn't you call for help?"

Dryzl grimaced, showing the detective her wrist. "I left my comlink at home, and I do not own a holocommunicator. As you can imagine, I was cursing myself for my forgetfulness."

The detective sighed. "Yeah, yeah. Well, we're all done here. Looks like it's just a simple case of a crazy wi- ah, sorry." He cleared his throat. "You can go home, rest up, and let that Lacen fellow know we'd like to get a statement from him, too."

"Of course, sir."

*****​

​

It was 12:50, and Dryzl was already at the cantina. Her hair was down this time, the long black locks tucked behind her ears, and her outfit was typical of the majority of spacers that came and went. Her blaster was left at home, since Theed had a stringent restraint on firearms. The datapad, meanwhile, rested near one of her hands, the screen dark for now. In her other hand was a glass of water; the Chiss did not drink liquor if she could help it.

After talking to the police, she had went to her ship and fetched a change of clothes before renting a room at a cheap motel. That done, Dryzl had then spent a good majority of time in her room, alternating between checking the tracker and surfing the Holonet for information regarding Akio Diachi. Her search proved futile, meaning he was either an excellent assassin or his whole story was a lie. Neither situation made her feel good, so about an hour and a half before the meeting she instead focused on getting ready.

Now she sat, fingers drumming almost impatiently against the tabletop. Surely he would be here early, as he was the one who picked the place. Perhaps he decided to ditch me... That thought caused a frown to cross her face, so setting her glass down Erud'ryz'ladre moved her datapad in front of her and pulled up the tracker. Where are you, Akio?

 

[Akio Diachi]

Akio stalked his opponent all the way from the spaceport. The target, former employer known as "Chief One," had landed an hour ago and was meandering around Theed. He was wealthy, and that much was clear by his ship, clothing, and speeder.

At last, Chief One and his two body guards, a heavy human and a massive Wookiee climbed out of their speeder at the meeting point, the front of a small cafe called Barbacoso's that closed almost four hours ago. They waited for several minutes, watching the empty streets anxiously. It was a simple matter sneaking up around them, assassinating the bodyguards, and restraining Chief One inside the cafe. Satisfied, Akio made his way back to the Darhin. He checked his watch. Running later than I expected. Pray to the Masters Dryzl is not put out. Akio shook his head. It was such a shock he audibly asked himself, "Where did that come from? Stay focused."

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


Twenty minutes later he finally reached the rodevous point. Stepping out, Akio checked his disguise. The white button up shimersilk shirt and black slacks looked undeniably like a deathstick dealer. Next time I will not mug a criminal for my disguises. Securing his concealed weaponry, the knifes in his sleeve and tucked in his belt, Akio confidently walked into the cantina. Akio spotted his partner instantly; she was sitting where all the exits could be seen in the corner, looking at her datapad. Another sign she is not new to this. As he got closer he did a quick, cautious glance around the room. There were a few pilots and traders scattered through the room. No hostiles. We are clear.

Sitting across from the other Chiss he felt the tracer in his arm pulsing. It still was sore, especially since he had not given it the appropriate rest. Later, for now the problems at hand. He looked Dryzl over. She was unarmed, blended in perfectly as an off-duty pilot. And looks quite stunning. He blinked twice, why do you keep doing that? Stop it.

"The Chief is secured," Akio said leaning on his elbows, trying to look natural, "for now, let us get down to the real business. If we are going to work together, I need to know I can trust you, and likewise," he paused and pursed his lips, "I do not blame your distrust. People of my occupation tend to deserve a fair amount of paranoia when handled. But trust me this," he waved his finger in the air, "I am not a murderer. I am a killer. I do so without remorse because if a good man dies, they rally to avenge him. If a bad man dies, then the blight he is removed." He paused, the next part was as true as it was a liability. He also knew that the questions it would stir up he had no answers for. Akio dropped his voice an octave lower, "If I wanted to kill you, Dryzl, you would be dead. If I wanted to run you would never find me. But here we are. Do you understand?"

He leaned back in his chair. He was unsure why this mattered so much to him, it had never mattered before. I understood my past associates did not trust me and it did not matter. Now it does. What is happening to me?

[member="Erud'ryz'ladre"]

 

[Erud'ryz'ladre]

[member="Akio Diachi "]

Erud'ryz'ladre watched the little icon move closer to the cantina, the only sign of her annoyance being slightly narrowed eyes. Akio was late -- twenty minute, almost. She knew he was getting everything set up, but tardiness wasn't a good quality.

The icon finally breached the cantina doors, and her red eyes looked up to see Akio dressed in a ridiculous outfit. While not as flamboyant as a few of the patrons, the Chiss couldn't help but think, What in the world is he wearing? And in what dredges of society did he find it in?

He sat down across from her, getting nothing more than a look as she took a sip from her water. Here we are, indeed.

"I am well aware of that fact, Mr. Diachi. This isn't the first time I've encountered individuals of your sorts," she said dryly. "But knowing you won't personally kill me, and trusting you not to leave me in the dust are two different things, believe me, though injecting that tracker in your arm was a nice enough gesture." Dryzl leaned forward as he leaned back. "As for you trusting me, well, I am slightly offended that you have so little doubt in my honor."

Draining the rest of her water, the Chiss tapped the screen of her datapad with one finger. "So, where are we meeting this Chief person? I hope he's not too damaged to talk."

 

[Akio Diachi]

Akio blinked. She wasn't taking this as well has he had hoped. That didn't matter at this point, now it was a matter of damage control. Because I was late, he realized. He felt a slight pang of regret. If only the subject would have been willing to tell me when Chief's ship was sooner. But the amount of time it took to get him to talk was worth the effort and time--when we have to get of this rock fast, that will make all the difference. He glanced around. The rest of the cantina was blissfully ignorant and he was glad to keep it that way.

So little doubt in my honor. "Your honor is not the problem, Dryzl," Akio said truthfully, "You have shown that you are honorable without question. I apologize if it seems that was what I implied. Actually quite the opposite. What I question is whether our ideological differences will end in aggression. My fight is not with you, Dryzl," he squared his shoulders and looked at her right in the glowing, skeptical red eyes. "As long as I have no reason to run, I will not."

The clothes Akio had stolen smelled of filthy liquor. He was in a rush to change back into his body-glove armor, it felt more natural than this hedonistic garb. "I will lead you to Chief. He is probably more communicative now than he has had time to think about the consequences of failing to do so."

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The cafe was just like Akio had left it. He jimmed the front door open and walked in, flipping the lights on. The two dead guards lay on the floor, their slash wounds across the throat had cauterized, leaving a pool of remaning blood around them. Sprawled across one of the booths, still tied and gagged was Chief One, relatively unharmed. Cheif's eyes opened in terror--not only had the rouge assassin returned, he had brought another Chiss.

"I present to you Chief one and their two bodyguards."

[member="Erud'ryz'ladre"]

 

[Erud'ryz'ladre]

[member="Akio Diachi "]

"Until this business is wrapped up, you will have no detrimental aggression from me," she promised, after taking in his words. Of course, she was almost afraid to know what his words regarding Chief meant. Her imagination, unfortunately, was rather vivid.

*****​

On the way to the location, Dryzl had told Akio to call her "Brenda Bane", informing him that it was an alias [member="Cryax Bane"] (former employer and president of the Red Ravens) had given her, first day on the job, when they'd told The Rancor that she was his sister in order to avoid a costly confrontation. "I don't necessarily want this Chief individual to know my true name -- and yes, I realize it's slightly hypocritical but this is a different situation. And, at least, it gives me credentials." Eventually, though, the two Chiss arrived at the location of the meeting.

So this was where he'd gone. The cafe's name hadn't shown up on the tracker's map -- just the coordinates. Following Akio inside, Dryzl had to pause for a moment, to process the sight.

The two bodyguards were somewhat disconcerting; she wasn't even sure if she'd seen worse. The man, Chief One, wasn't too impressive either. Bound and gagged, he looked much more pathetic than someone who'd hire an assassin should've looked. But looks could be deceiving.

Unsure of whether to be disgusted or impressed, Dryzl instead chose to mock Chief. He was already terrified of the two, and if she'd learned anything while working with Bane, it was that terror could, unfortunately, be a powerful motivator.

"Your men were pathetic, if one individual was able to take them both down with ease," she said as she nudged a body with her toe, a sneering tone to her voice. "I would be embarrassed to be associated with them, much less hire them."

 

[Akio Diachi]

The harsh words of Dryzl gave Akio a murmur of satisfaction. She had experience in the interrogations, something that not many soldiers had. Perhaps I misjudged her. Perhaps she is not what I thought she was. But Akio wasn't interested in playing games anymore. Not with this level of scum.

Akio stepped over the dead bodies remorselessly towards One Chief. Akio took off his long sleeve over shirt, revealing his scrawny frame, the knife strapped to his left forearm and his sleeveless undershirt. Many scars potted the thin biceps and shoulders of the assassin, each a testament to a worthy foe. One particular burn cut deeply across his left arm, enveloping most of his shoulder. Cheif's face went from terror to horror as he saw the scars and Akio deliberately set his shirt aside. Akio drew his knife and bent low. What I do, I do without choice. I do out of necessity. I do without remorse. His blade sliced a deep gash in the human's thigh. Akio's cold, emotionless red eyes glared at Chief, despite his struggling.

"I just placed a nick in your femoral artery a centimeter long," Akio explained like it was the score of last week's huttball score, "You have two minutes before the blood damages your internal organs. After which you will begin to get progressively worse. I will ask you questions, then Brenda Bane will ask you questions. If we are satisfied, I will save you." He paused. "Clear?"

Chief nodded. Sweat began to bead on his forehead. Akio removed the gag, "Who hired you?"

"Her name was Oliva Darque, they live on world, she wanted to make sure it never looked like they were from anywhere but here, Naboo." The words gushed out of his moth like the blood from his wound.

Akio nodded, satisfied. This method was the surest way he knew to get information, even from hardened soldiers. "How do you contact them?"

"I am her butler, she is hiding out on her estate in the Lake country," One Cheif gasped, "please, save me!" His eyes looked to [member="Erud'ryz'ladre"] imploring her for mercy, "I will tell you everything, just make him stop it!"

Akio straitened his back and looked to his partner, "Any further questions, Bane?"

(Feel free to make up who Oliva Darque is. )

 

[Erud'ryz'ladre]

[member="Akio Diachi "]

She hated this. This interrogation. This brutality. But it was needed.

When Akio had taken off his overshirt, Dryzl had initially averted her eyes to look at Chief One, unsure of what the other Chiss was doing. But the lines and scars drew her attention. There were so many, all with a story. Perhaps, later, when they were done with this, she might ask what happened to cause each one; heavens knew she had her own story to tell, with the scar across her own eye. Again, though, it would have to be when this was all over- NO. Once this is over, we will part ways and I shall never see him again. That is the only thing which must be allowed to happen. She needed to focus; she wasn't some girl, and he wasn't some guy. She was a soldier, a bodyguard whose sole purpose was to protect innocents. He was an assassin, taking lives all in the name of money.

Dryzl refocused her attention on the situation in hand, just in time to see Akio slice into Chief's femoral artery. Outwardly she remained indifferent, but inwardly she cringed. Violence was something she'd grown accustomed to, but cold violence was a thing which the Chiss may never accept.

It wasn't long before Akio managed to get some information out of Chief, and when the Chiss straightened up she moved to stand next to him.

"Just a few more." Dryzl leaned forward slightly, ignoring Chief's pleas. "This Olivia woman-- Olivia Darque. Who is she? Who are her parents?"

"She's the daughter of Oliver and Maria Laveaoux; she buys and sells artwork! Widow Laveaoux was her grandma!" Sweat glistened on his forehead, and his complexion became a shade lighter.

"Why is her last name different, then? Is she adopted?"

"No! She was married but her husband died a few months ago! Please!"

Dryzl glanced at Akio, vague thoughts forming in her mind but not completely forming yet. "One last question. Where is her estate located?" Chief didn't answer, but it wasn't just because of blood loss. "Look, do you know who my brother is? Cryax Bane, have you heard of him?" The look on the man's face was an affirmative, so she pressed on. "Good, you have. Then you know how utterly merciless he and my other siblings are. If you think I will not let you die, you are mistake. And by my estimations, you are very close to the point of no return. Speak."

Now, the loyal thing for Chief to do would be to take his secret to the grave, for without him the two Chiss would be hard-pressed to locate the estates before Olivia fled. But Chief was neither brave nor loyal; he was more interested in his family, and the fact that Olivia forced him to hire that assassin. In fact, he wouldn't have even been here were it not for her.

"The estates are 3 klicks south from the Amidala waterfall! Please, God, I have a kid!"

Satisfied, Dryzl nodded at Akio. "Fix him. I'll locate the estate on my datapad." With that, she walked off a ways and began to work.