Three New Faces

[Adder]

A lingering smile stuck to Adder's lips like persistent make-up, and she was thankful for the luscious cover her loose hair provided as she shook her head slightly to the side. It helped her conceal the grin until the worst had passed and she could rejoin the debate — such as it was — without breaking out into laughter again.

The Grand Marshal quickly outlined the situation, and whatever vestiges of humor remained were quickly dashed away by the dire circumstances Rhen described. A slight furrow formed on her forehead as Adder descended into thought, dusting off old files and techniques she'd long left in the back drawers of her mind. Working alone and without government sanction — provided a government even existed in the area, of course — often left the operator with very limited options. For the first time in years, however, Adder was looking at a competent team of associates, and the flare of excitement kicked her heartbeat up a notch. Dangerous or not, this was what she'd always been born to do.

"Well, Aela is obviously going to have the most difficult job. I can give you some general undercover pointers but most of it will be you. When you go under, you have to forget who you are. All of it." Or you get found out, taken out back, and executed.

"Me and Master Voidstalker here will have to do most of the information gathering, because nobody ever pays attention to the mooks." She paused for a moment, looking from [member="Aela Talith"] to [member="Jacen Voidstalker"], then finally to Omai Rhen. Her green eyes darted to the hovering image of Ms. Castille, glazing over in a realistic imitation of deep thought.

"I suggest we hit two avrils with one stone and have one of us get in their good graces by bringing intel about the Cartel attack. We're going to be new, and having outside connections won't look half as weird as with Ael— Ms. Castille."

 

[Aela Talith]

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

​

"You can't be serious." Aela said as she regained her composure. "This isn't something I can do. I can't act! I can't...be a criminal."

No. She really couldn't be.

Out of the four Talith children Aela was the least likely to misbehave in any form, in fact at one point that had been a serious point of concern for both of her parents. Aela was the good one, the child that did no wrong, the one that was always buried in a book. She didn't have it in her to be evil, didn't have it in her to do...well crime. It just wasn't who she was. Not to mention that posing as this woman meant dressing as her, acting as her, being her. She couldn't pull something like that off, she simply...wasn't equipped for it. "Master Rhen. I can't. It's no-"

"Aela."

The old mans voice became very serious, no title used, no honorific. It was like being scolded by her father.

"You are the only one who can do this. Adder and Jacen can help you, support you, make sure you do what you're supposed to be, but you are the key to this. Elizabeth Castille is a central figure within the Syndicate. When she is made an Underboss she will have access to information that can save lives."

The young Marshall wanted to retreat into a shell, wanted to back out of the room and simply disappear. This wasn't her, this wasn't something she was capable of. She would have to change everything about herself, she would...Her eyes flashed to Adder, remembering what she had said only a few seconds ago. She would have to be Elizabeth Sabine Castille. She would have to forget her name, her identity, her personality. Her eyes closed for half a second.

Was she capable? Could she?

Her head slowly shook, but her eyes opened and she gave a slow curt nod. "Okay."

It didn't matter if she was capable, didn't matter if she could. She had to. Perhaps it was that naive streak that ran through her, perhaps it was her idealism, but if she could save lives then she would try.

 

[Jacen Voidstalker]

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

"Alright then," Jacen said. "Two weeks..." he added, letting the implication linger. It was a short time indeed to get all three of them up to speed on the case, let alone prepare to go undercover. "Perhaps myself and Adder can start reviewing the files, whilst Aela starts to try and pin down Ms. Castille. We can back-brief her in a few days time and see how the impression is coming along," he suggested. "I'd tend to agree, if it makes sense, we can tip them off."

"Sounds reasonable," Omai replied.

Adder, what a very curious name, Jacen thought to himself. But his mind had already started sorting through his personal arsenal of hand-held blasters, trying to decide on a balance between discrete and menacing.