Currently working on an omake, we'll see if I can get it up in a reasonable amount of time.
May The Invisible Hand Be With You - (Star Wars CK2-Style Quest)
- Thread starter Dr. Snark
- Start date
- Sci-Fi
-
- Tags
- star wars canon what canon tsundere dice ck2 quest actions have consequences all the credits all work and no play makes ciaran a dull girl best sister capitalism ho! despairing qm teetotaller society member gotta catch 'em all insanity looting off the rails sage dice approaching spicy sheev tsundere asajj
- Location
- Home
It hasn't existed for thousands of years like the other factions.
Dr. Snark
Exactly As Planned...Probably
- Location
- Right where I want to be
- Pronouns
- He/His/Him
Hmmm
Hmmmm
On the one hand I like the concept, on the other hand people are right when they say that she would quite literally be in the single most dangerous position within the organization at that point...
Hmm...okay, okay I got this. She's not gonna be a Walker yet, because Ciaran's going to demand a loooooot more from her given the position she'd be getting into. But she'll show up during the Galactic Games as a "practical exam" of sorts - basically Ciaran's test would be "guard her for the duration and if I or anyone else even gets the hint that you're Force Sensitive you've failed." Also she probably won't be the official head of Padme's security - that would get too much attention from Palpy - but she'd probably end up being the de facto one.
Essentially: Even introducing her as a character will almost certainly have a bunch of unforeseen consequences that neither of us can predict so I'm going to be a bit more stringent than normal here.
Still have the +10 though, if only because it will be interesting to see how Alicia develops.
One tiny tweak - he wouldn't go straight to Walker and would be trained alongside the rest of the Agents (we can retroactively say he got picked up several months back). But aside from that I can't hate on a Force-Sensitive Scavenger Jawa. Because yes. Canon, +10.
Edit: I've just realized that given the various species and talents of the Walkers that we're basically putting together one of the weirdest parties for an RPG ever.
I'm not the only one who thinks that these guys are basically PCs for some tabletop game, right?
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Now all they need is a cool ship and to work towards Ciaran levels of Kleptomania.
I mean, the quest is being enriched more and more by the quester input, with the omakes and everything. The grandpa's many grandchildren background is an old, private joke between the players and the QM.
What with the mysterious boss lady that gives them missions and provides them with gear and additional training, Yes they are basically a gang of PC's
DB_Explorer
Purveyor of alternate realities.
- Location
- San Diego, California
- Pronouns
- He/Him
No, no your not.
- Location
- alphen aan den rijn
also giving back loot from the vault ? what madness is this?
(Omake) Joo Lee's Debriefing (Canon)
Debriefing
As she watched her interviewer move to a chair strategically placed a few inches higher than her own, Joo Lee mused that standard intimidation tactics really didn't take into account the chance that the target was already used to everyone towering over them.
"This is Abyss Watcher Seeker Captain Albren Jir, beginning personalized debrief for Abyss Watcher Seeker Joo Lee. Please state your name and serial number for the record."
Joo Lee straightened up a bit and cleared her throat. "I am Seeker Joo Lee, serial number 421-1138."
"So, Joo Lee, you and Squad Gamma were sent to infiltrate the Techno Union regional headquarters on Ryloth. Please start from the beginning of the mission."
She nodded. "Right. The team and I were scoping out the exterior of the building and confirming our infiltration route-"
xXx
"Aww, come on, again!?"
"Joo Lee, if the Lord didn't want you squeezing through air vents, he wouldn't have made you a meter tall. Now quit whining and get going, it's only 30 meters to the surveillance room," Scratch said as he gestured into the open air duct on the side of the building. "Just disable the droid overseeing things, slice the cameras and it's a cakewalk to the control center."
Grumbling quietly to herself, Joo Lee squirmed into the tight confines of the duct and started making her way into the darkness, following the path on her holographic display to the target. Six months of basic on Kaleesh, with months of specialized training after that, and it felt like all she'd done in the past year on the job was shimmy through tunnels. She was honored to be chosen to work for Lady Ciaran's own personal organization, but this wasn't exactly what she had in mind when she volunteered.
Finally, the target vent was up ahead. Wait, were those voices? They sounded too natural to be vocoders. Joo Lee silently crawled up the last few meters and took a peek inside the room.
Two humans were talking to each other, one standing in the doorway and one in the surveillance control booth.
"Still, it sucks that you got stuck on monitor duty. What are the odds?"
"Higher than you'd think. You'd think that for a megacorp that centers on droid manufacture, the Union would be able to make a command droid that doesn't break down every couple months."
"Ha! You're lucky they don't bother bugging the console room, or you'd be on refab duty instead."
"Yeah. Anyway, it ain't all bad. You just watch the screens, drink some caf. Try not to fall asleep."
The man at the doorway shook his head. "If you say so, Lo. Anyway, I'll see you at lunch."
"Yeah, see you," Lo said as the man walked away, turning back to the console screens. Joo Lee started nervously scratching at the fur around her jawline. Damn it, this wasn't supposed to be happening! Her ion grenades and blaster were less than useless against a human target, and her stun blaster would be louder than a roaring phalone in close confines. ...But there was the vibroknife. A textbook leap out the chute and target the neck-
No! She wasn't going to kill a man for convenience. Pawing more frantically at her face, Joo Lee furiously formulated and discarded plan after plan, trying to find a way to silently neutralize the surveillance system without-
"Wait, what is that?", Lo says as he pulls up a camera image to the main screen. There, behind a refuse pile, a peek of a shoe and the tip of a blaster rifle. Damn it, Kaird was out of position! Lo pulled up a command mic and phoned the patrol droids to investigate. No, no, the droids were coming out of their route, they were going to have the rest of the squad blindsided. They turned the corner, blasters raised. Caught flat-footed, they tried to respond, but before they could even bring their blasters up, the droids opened fire-
Joo Lee blinked rapidly, back at the air vent watching Lo idly watching the screens. What...was that?
"Wait, what is that?" Lo mirrored her thoughts as he pulled up a camera image to the main screen. There, behind a refuse pile, a peek of a shoe and the tip of a blaster rifle. She watched Lo go to grab the command mic, as if in slow motion.
NO!
A light squeal as the grate is pushed out of the wall.
The gentle hum of a vibroknife in her hand.
The shocked face of Lo as he starts to turn around.
For the next several moments, the only thing Joo Lee is aware of is a rushing, pumping sound in her ears. Things start filtering in one at a time. A steady drip. A warm dampness on the fur of her hands. The feeling of air raggedly passing through her lungs. A voice on her headset.
"Joo Lee, do you copy? What's going on in there, are we good to proceed?" Scratch asked impatiently in her ear.
Gulping, Joo Lee activated her line. "Y-yeah. I mean, n-no! Almost, just need to slice the cameras." Ducking under the command booth, Joo Lee started slicing into the systems, struggling not to start screaming.
xXx
Idly kneading her tail with her hands under the table, Joo Lee looks up at Captain Jir. "The mission proceeded as planned after that. Scratch and the rest of the squad got the data and left the bug. Kaird and Scratch disposed of the body, cleanup was without issue."
Jir nods as she wraps up the report. "Thank you, Seeker. As per policy, you'll be scheduled time with a counselor to talk about the more charged parts of the mission. You should receive the appointment times by tomorrow, attendance is mandatory." He looks a bit to the side, apparently listening to something on his audio bead. "That will conclude our debriefing, Seeker, but I'll ask that you wait here one moment. There's someone who wishes to speak with you."
Just like that, Captain Jir exits the debriefing room, and a few moments later, the door opens, revealing-
Joo Lee gasps lightly as her ears perk up. Kygeetu San Torgh! Abysswalker and right hand lady to Ciaran! She sits up straight and does her best to look composed. Oh, no, if an Abysswalker wanted to talk, then-
"Be at ease, Seeker Joo Lee," Kygeetu says as she walks over to the over chair, sits down, and turns off the debriefing recorder. "Tell me...what do you know of The Force?"
AN: And there you have it. Joo Lee, the Lurmen Abysswalker. Timeline wise, I figure she joined the Abyss Watchers shortly after Mygeeto was incorporated into the CIS.
As she watched her interviewer move to a chair strategically placed a few inches higher than her own, Joo Lee mused that standard intimidation tactics really didn't take into account the chance that the target was already used to everyone towering over them.
"This is Abyss Watcher Seeker Captain Albren Jir, beginning personalized debrief for Abyss Watcher Seeker Joo Lee. Please state your name and serial number for the record."
Joo Lee straightened up a bit and cleared her throat. "I am Seeker Joo Lee, serial number 421-1138."
"So, Joo Lee, you and Squad Gamma were sent to infiltrate the Techno Union regional headquarters on Ryloth. Please start from the beginning of the mission."
She nodded. "Right. The team and I were scoping out the exterior of the building and confirming our infiltration route-"
xXx
"Aww, come on, again!?"
"Joo Lee, if the Lord didn't want you squeezing through air vents, he wouldn't have made you a meter tall. Now quit whining and get going, it's only 30 meters to the surveillance room," Scratch said as he gestured into the open air duct on the side of the building. "Just disable the droid overseeing things, slice the cameras and it's a cakewalk to the control center."
Grumbling quietly to herself, Joo Lee squirmed into the tight confines of the duct and started making her way into the darkness, following the path on her holographic display to the target. Six months of basic on Kaleesh, with months of specialized training after that, and it felt like all she'd done in the past year on the job was shimmy through tunnels. She was honored to be chosen to work for Lady Ciaran's own personal organization, but this wasn't exactly what she had in mind when she volunteered.
Finally, the target vent was up ahead. Wait, were those voices? They sounded too natural to be vocoders. Joo Lee silently crawled up the last few meters and took a peek inside the room.
Two humans were talking to each other, one standing in the doorway and one in the surveillance control booth.
"Still, it sucks that you got stuck on monitor duty. What are the odds?"
"Higher than you'd think. You'd think that for a megacorp that centers on droid manufacture, the Union would be able to make a command droid that doesn't break down every couple months."
"Ha! You're lucky they don't bother bugging the console room, or you'd be on refab duty instead."
"Yeah. Anyway, it ain't all bad. You just watch the screens, drink some caf. Try not to fall asleep."
The man at the doorway shook his head. "If you say so, Lo. Anyway, I'll see you at lunch."
"Yeah, see you," Lo said as the man walked away, turning back to the console screens. Joo Lee started nervously scratching at the fur around her jawline. Damn it, this wasn't supposed to be happening! Her ion grenades and blaster were less than useless against a human target, and her stun blaster would be louder than a roaring phalone in close confines. ...But there was the vibroknife. A textbook leap out the chute and target the neck-
No! She wasn't going to kill a man for convenience. Pawing more frantically at her face, Joo Lee furiously formulated and discarded plan after plan, trying to find a way to silently neutralize the surveillance system without-
"Wait, what is that?", Lo says as he pulls up a camera image to the main screen. There, behind a refuse pile, a peek of a shoe and the tip of a blaster rifle. Damn it, Kaird was out of position! Lo pulled up a command mic and phoned the patrol droids to investigate. No, no, the droids were coming out of their route, they were going to have the rest of the squad blindsided. They turned the corner, blasters raised. Caught flat-footed, they tried to respond, but before they could even bring their blasters up, the droids opened fire-
Joo Lee blinked rapidly, back at the air vent watching Lo idly watching the screens. What...was that?
"Wait, what is that?" Lo mirrored her thoughts as he pulled up a camera image to the main screen. There, behind a refuse pile, a peek of a shoe and the tip of a blaster rifle. She watched Lo go to grab the command mic, as if in slow motion.
NO!
A light squeal as the grate is pushed out of the wall.
The gentle hum of a vibroknife in her hand.
The shocked face of Lo as he starts to turn around.
For the next several moments, the only thing Joo Lee is aware of is a rushing, pumping sound in her ears. Things start filtering in one at a time. A steady drip. A warm dampness on the fur of her hands. The feeling of air raggedly passing through her lungs. A voice on her headset.
"Joo Lee, do you copy? What's going on in there, are we good to proceed?" Scratch asked impatiently in her ear.
Gulping, Joo Lee activated her line. "Y-yeah. I mean, n-no! Almost, just need to slice the cameras." Ducking under the command booth, Joo Lee started slicing into the systems, struggling not to start screaming.
xXx
Idly kneading her tail with her hands under the table, Joo Lee looks up at Captain Jir. "The mission proceeded as planned after that. Scratch and the rest of the squad got the data and left the bug. Kaird and Scratch disposed of the body, cleanup was without issue."
Jir nods as she wraps up the report. "Thank you, Seeker. As per policy, you'll be scheduled time with a counselor to talk about the more charged parts of the mission. You should receive the appointment times by tomorrow, attendance is mandatory." He looks a bit to the side, apparently listening to something on his audio bead. "That will conclude our debriefing, Seeker, but I'll ask that you wait here one moment. There's someone who wishes to speak with you."
Just like that, Captain Jir exits the debriefing room, and a few moments later, the door opens, revealing-
Joo Lee gasps lightly as her ears perk up. Kygeetu San Torgh! Abysswalker and right hand lady to Ciaran! She sits up straight and does her best to look composed. Oh, no, if an Abysswalker wanted to talk, then-
"Be at ease, Seeker Joo Lee," Kygeetu says as she walks over to the over chair, sits down, and turns off the debriefing recorder. "Tell me...what do you know of The Force?"
AN: And there you have it. Joo Lee, the Lurmen Abysswalker. Timeline wise, I figure she joined the Abyss Watchers shortly after Mygeeto was incorporated into the CIS.
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kind of reminds me of a dark heresy inquisitorial acolyte cell with Ciaran being the inquisitor. the regular heroes being high ranking ascension level characters and some of the advisers mid rankers.
Max Uristwell
Custodian of the Toobs
- Location
- United Kingdom
The All
- Location
- america
your not, and i want to see a omake of the abyss watchers player dnd game, it would be grand.
Barondoctor
The things I chase come to me.
- Location
- The other side of the mirror
- Pronouns
- He/His/Him
Well, the very first time I used the name "Riphath Althean" was as a name for a cleric on D&D online.
As for Rip himself? Yeah. Medic (top notch), general sciences (good). With all the training he's finally up to Average or slightly better across the board for combat and stealth. Lousy spywork, passing adequate at tech and talk.
"Finally not a liability in combat any more. I think. Just don't ask me to do any spy stuff."
As for Rip himself? Yeah. Medic (top notch), general sciences (good). With all the training he's finally up to Average or slightly better across the board for combat and stealth. Lousy spywork, passing adequate at tech and talk.
"Finally not a liability in combat any more. I think. Just don't ask me to do any spy stuff."
(Omake) Koyi Loves Her Job (Canon)
- Location
- London, 1935. August.
- Pronouns
- She/Her
AN: It looks like I'm too late, but I've got a 2k omake that I'm quite proud of, so I'm going to post it anyway. Maybe she'll just be an Agent and will have to wait until next time to graduate to Abysswalker.
_________________________________________________
Koyi loved her job.
That was what she thought as she wiggled her way into her tightly-fitted silken gown, applied her makeup, and adjusted her headdress so it would sit just right. This was one of the more successful cantina franchises on Nar Shaddaa, and the girls each had their own dressing rooms that they could rent if they were working that night. That was how it tended to go on Nar Shaddaa - all the girls were essentially free agents at the more respectable establishments.
She knew she was lucky. This much independence, discretion, and income? She had worked in dozens of cantinas like this across the galaxy and there were a lot of people who had far less control than she did.
She sashayed her way onto the stage and did her little song and dance. It was on one hand mostly a transparent excuse to have the girls there - most of the Hutt systems didn't outlaw prostitution, but many of the Republic banking worlds did. Putting "performer" on your tax returns was a lot safer than trying to navigate the intricacies of multiple legal jurisdictions saying different thing about your job. On the other hand, it was actually kind of interesting even if you weren't there for titillation. There was a huge range of what different species considered sexy, and she had to admit a certain academic interest in the way those artistic ideas interacted with various dance, music, and in one case even religious traditions. In another life, perhaps she could have been an anthropologist, or maybe some other type of performer. Despite what she usually used the talent for, she had originally learned to sing as a hobby, after all.
As she made her way off the stage to mingle with the crowd, she met eyes and gave a small smile now and then. She spotted her vict - er, customer at the bar, his red hair bright and obvious.
She made her way there slowly, taking the time to exchange small talk and briefly flirt with a few of the other guests. By the time she had made it all the way down, he had already turned back to face the bartender who was lining up shots. She sat down next to him and leaned against the bar, turning to watch him.
"I saw you staring," she said just as he had raised the first glass partway up to his lips. "Are you here for drinks, or something more?"
He tossed the drink back and then turned to meet her gaze. His eyes immediately dropped down her neckline, lingering there for a moment before scanning the rest of her body. Only after a long moment of regard did he answer. "That depends on what I'm allowed to do with you."
Instead of answering, Koyi glanced at the bartender who slid her a datapad. She handed it to the man, briefly scanned through it. It was the standard information sheet, what was and wasn't allowed in the establishment, there mostly for the girls' safety if a customer wanted more than they had agreed to. It wasn't formally a contract for the same reason they weren't formally employed as callgirls, but for all it's informality, it would be enforced harshly by cantina security, especially here on the smuggler's moon.
"What if I want something that isn't on here?" he asked, his smile edging into predatory.
And this was where the safe thing to do would be to leave. Instead, she let her smile widen to match his. "Then we'd have to...negotiate." She slid off the stool and stood, waiting a moment to let his eye run over her again. "If you're interested, why don't we head to my room?" Then she turned and walked back across the floor to the hallway and out to the other room the casino rented out to each of the performers. She didn't look back - the way he had been reacting, there was no need. She knew he was following.
He closed the door softly when he entered and she turned to face him, stopping only for a moment to grab her credit exchange slip off the table by the entrance. She took a half step toward him, bringing her shoulders in and down and hunching a little. She was already a little short for a twi'lek, but her stance made her feel like he was looming over her and, more importantly, made him feel the same. "So," she began, taking another tentative step forward, "what do you want to do with me that isn't on the list?"
He took a step to meet her, and reached out to grasp her chin, his movements firm and assured. "After hearing your beautiful voice," he said, forcing her to meet his gaze. "I want nothing so much as to hear you scr -"
And then she had jabbed the credit stick into his neck, the hypodermic needle on the bottom entering his skin and injecting the tranquilizer. She didn't bother catching him, and he fell back against the door and slid to the carpet, making two loud thumping sounds. These rooms were soundproofed anyway.
***************
Captain Vasan Egest awoke to find his arms and legs bound. He pulled but the soft black rope wouldn't budge. There was movement to the side and he turned to see the other inhabitant of the room, a small Twi'lek in a deliciously delicate looking gown with skin the perfect shade of blue.
"I think there's" he started, before starting again when it came out a slurred mess. "I think there's been some kind of mistake."
The Twi'lek glanced up briefly before turning her attention back to the datapad she was working on. "No, Captain Egest, there has not," she said her voice flat and absent of the coy flirtatiousness of before. "Unless this man shares your name, face and bank accounts?" At her words the holoprojector at the foot of the bed came to life, displaying half a dozen screens, each running a vid of him with different twi'lek girls, each slight of build and with almost the exact same skin color. Each video showed him meeting with a girl ant a cantina before fast forwarding to him tying her down and beating her until she was no longer moving.
Egest's felt the blood drain from his face. "That's not - " he sputtered, "what is this?"
Only then did the woman meet his eyes and smile. "This is blackmail."
He opened his mouth only to realize he didn't know how to respond. He closed it again.
"Here's how this will work," she began moving over to the bedside and fishing through one of his pockets to pull out a cred stick. "First, I keep this and all of the money you put on it. Second," she dropped the slip onto the side table and picked up the identical one next to it. "You will fill this stick directly from your military issued terminal, the relevant security protocols unfortunately slipping your mind. Precisely two months from now the stick will malfunction and you will destroy it. Do all of that and not only will none of the casinos these videos are taken from start hiring bounty hunters, but the admiral who covered the incidents up the first time will never learn that you're embezzling most of your budget. You will also never enter any of the cantinas my organization is involved with ever again."
It took him a long moment to process all that, the realization of his powerlessness only now becoming clear. His mind stuck on her last order. "Who are you? What - how am I supposed to figure out where I'm not allowed to go?"
The woman smiled and nodded. "Very good. That's exactly the question you should be wondering about." She pulled out yet another credit stick and moved closer to the bed, standing over the man. "Now, when the cleaning crew comes in, you are to tell them that this was part of your request, your service was exemplary, and they are allowed to untie you. You are then to leave the building immediately. We will know if you fail to complete any part of your instructions. Sweet dreams." She jabbed the credit stick's needle into his neck again and he sunk back into unconsciousness.
As the man's struggles stilled Koyi Doroturo smiled. She couldn't help but think one thing.
She loved her job.
***************
Koyi stepped into the Sentient Resources officer's office, feeling a little off balance. She had been informed when she turned in her mission report that SR wanted a meeting "at her earliest convenience." She knew what that meant. She like to think she had seen a lot in her decade of being a working girl, both as a "dancer" at cantinas in the undercity and as one of the Abyss Watcher's eponymous Watchers, but SR? SR people scared her.
"Sit down," the man said, not looking up from his terminal. "Don't worry, you're not in trouble."
Despite his assurance, Koyi couldn't help but compare the way he opened with the way she had begun her discussion with the corrupt captain. Neutral tone of voice, little engagement, denying the target their attention and letting them recognize the position they were in. It didn't bode well for the rest of this discussion.
By the time she had finished her worrying, the man was done with whatever he was doing on his terminal. Now he met her gaze, the intensity of the eye contact jarring in conjunction with the earlier disregard. "I just wanted to ask you a question."
Koyi nodded, uncertain as to where this was going. "Of course."
The man pulled a few reports from his desk and looked through them. "Reading through some of your reports, I couldn't help but see a pattern. You were involved in the Temple Bombing investigation, for instance. Its unusual for CSF officers give that much information to a concerned well-wisher. And yet you invite the man to dinner and he spills half of what the investigation team has found. When you were involved in finding notable clone units it came up too. The right song at the right bar, and a whole battalion was telling stories about the other units they had worked with. I even took a look at your most recent report. You knew exactly where the man kept his cred stick and exactly how to keep him off balance at every turn while still able to follow what you were saying. You have a habit of knowing what your targets want and delivering it in just the right way that you can manipulate them. Of course, that's what we pay you for, but even compared to the other Watchers you're something of an outlier. We make a habit of recommending Matukai training and force testing from anyone who stands out in a field. It's not my job to know things about the force, so I can't say if it's possible you're somehow seeing the future, or feeling their emotions, or something else, but you clearly have talent above and beyond the rest of the watchers. My question is, why haven't you signed up for the classes yet?"
Koyi was stunned into silence for a long moment. When she had finally collected herself enough to speak, she said, "I...didn't think about it at all. I didn't realize my work wasn't normal. If you think it would be a good idea, I could try it…but..."
"I am signing you up for the force potential courses. Please meet in the meditation chamber at 14:00 tomorrow afternoon. That was all." The man turned back to his terminal, dismissing her.
She stood and made her way out of the office, still unsteady from the revelation that her bosses thought she might be reading people's minds. Could she read people's minds? Was that really something the Force could do?
She decided that if it was, she needed to learn it. And just like that, the uncertainty was gone and conviction in its place.
She loved her job, but this might just be even better.
_________________________________________________
AN: I basically made this because I felt like our Abysswalkers were too heavily focused an combat considering we're mostly notable as an intelligence organization. I also wrote this because I felt like most of our Omakes had the same problem - lots of combat awesomeness, not enough awesome spies. That said, it looks like everyone else had similar ideas, so I guess I can't really complain regardless.
_________________________________________________
Koyi loved her job.
That was what she thought as she wiggled her way into her tightly-fitted silken gown, applied her makeup, and adjusted her headdress so it would sit just right. This was one of the more successful cantina franchises on Nar Shaddaa, and the girls each had their own dressing rooms that they could rent if they were working that night. That was how it tended to go on Nar Shaddaa - all the girls were essentially free agents at the more respectable establishments.
She knew she was lucky. This much independence, discretion, and income? She had worked in dozens of cantinas like this across the galaxy and there were a lot of people who had far less control than she did.
She sashayed her way onto the stage and did her little song and dance. It was on one hand mostly a transparent excuse to have the girls there - most of the Hutt systems didn't outlaw prostitution, but many of the Republic banking worlds did. Putting "performer" on your tax returns was a lot safer than trying to navigate the intricacies of multiple legal jurisdictions saying different thing about your job. On the other hand, it was actually kind of interesting even if you weren't there for titillation. There was a huge range of what different species considered sexy, and she had to admit a certain academic interest in the way those artistic ideas interacted with various dance, music, and in one case even religious traditions. In another life, perhaps she could have been an anthropologist, or maybe some other type of performer. Despite what she usually used the talent for, she had originally learned to sing as a hobby, after all.
As she made her way off the stage to mingle with the crowd, she met eyes and gave a small smile now and then. She spotted her vict - er, customer at the bar, his red hair bright and obvious.
She made her way there slowly, taking the time to exchange small talk and briefly flirt with a few of the other guests. By the time she had made it all the way down, he had already turned back to face the bartender who was lining up shots. She sat down next to him and leaned against the bar, turning to watch him.
"I saw you staring," she said just as he had raised the first glass partway up to his lips. "Are you here for drinks, or something more?"
He tossed the drink back and then turned to meet her gaze. His eyes immediately dropped down her neckline, lingering there for a moment before scanning the rest of her body. Only after a long moment of regard did he answer. "That depends on what I'm allowed to do with you."
Instead of answering, Koyi glanced at the bartender who slid her a datapad. She handed it to the man, briefly scanned through it. It was the standard information sheet, what was and wasn't allowed in the establishment, there mostly for the girls' safety if a customer wanted more than they had agreed to. It wasn't formally a contract for the same reason they weren't formally employed as callgirls, but for all it's informality, it would be enforced harshly by cantina security, especially here on the smuggler's moon.
"What if I want something that isn't on here?" he asked, his smile edging into predatory.
And this was where the safe thing to do would be to leave. Instead, she let her smile widen to match his. "Then we'd have to...negotiate." She slid off the stool and stood, waiting a moment to let his eye run over her again. "If you're interested, why don't we head to my room?" Then she turned and walked back across the floor to the hallway and out to the other room the casino rented out to each of the performers. She didn't look back - the way he had been reacting, there was no need. She knew he was following.
He closed the door softly when he entered and she turned to face him, stopping only for a moment to grab her credit exchange slip off the table by the entrance. She took a half step toward him, bringing her shoulders in and down and hunching a little. She was already a little short for a twi'lek, but her stance made her feel like he was looming over her and, more importantly, made him feel the same. "So," she began, taking another tentative step forward, "what do you want to do with me that isn't on the list?"
He took a step to meet her, and reached out to grasp her chin, his movements firm and assured. "After hearing your beautiful voice," he said, forcing her to meet his gaze. "I want nothing so much as to hear you scr -"
And then she had jabbed the credit stick into his neck, the hypodermic needle on the bottom entering his skin and injecting the tranquilizer. She didn't bother catching him, and he fell back against the door and slid to the carpet, making two loud thumping sounds. These rooms were soundproofed anyway.
***************
Captain Vasan Egest awoke to find his arms and legs bound. He pulled but the soft black rope wouldn't budge. There was movement to the side and he turned to see the other inhabitant of the room, a small Twi'lek in a deliciously delicate looking gown with skin the perfect shade of blue.
"I think there's" he started, before starting again when it came out a slurred mess. "I think there's been some kind of mistake."
The Twi'lek glanced up briefly before turning her attention back to the datapad she was working on. "No, Captain Egest, there has not," she said her voice flat and absent of the coy flirtatiousness of before. "Unless this man shares your name, face and bank accounts?" At her words the holoprojector at the foot of the bed came to life, displaying half a dozen screens, each running a vid of him with different twi'lek girls, each slight of build and with almost the exact same skin color. Each video showed him meeting with a girl ant a cantina before fast forwarding to him tying her down and beating her until she was no longer moving.
Egest's felt the blood drain from his face. "That's not - " he sputtered, "what is this?"
Only then did the woman meet his eyes and smile. "This is blackmail."
He opened his mouth only to realize he didn't know how to respond. He closed it again.
"Here's how this will work," she began moving over to the bedside and fishing through one of his pockets to pull out a cred stick. "First, I keep this and all of the money you put on it. Second," she dropped the slip onto the side table and picked up the identical one next to it. "You will fill this stick directly from your military issued terminal, the relevant security protocols unfortunately slipping your mind. Precisely two months from now the stick will malfunction and you will destroy it. Do all of that and not only will none of the casinos these videos are taken from start hiring bounty hunters, but the admiral who covered the incidents up the first time will never learn that you're embezzling most of your budget. You will also never enter any of the cantinas my organization is involved with ever again."
It took him a long moment to process all that, the realization of his powerlessness only now becoming clear. His mind stuck on her last order. "Who are you? What - how am I supposed to figure out where I'm not allowed to go?"
The woman smiled and nodded. "Very good. That's exactly the question you should be wondering about." She pulled out yet another credit stick and moved closer to the bed, standing over the man. "Now, when the cleaning crew comes in, you are to tell them that this was part of your request, your service was exemplary, and they are allowed to untie you. You are then to leave the building immediately. We will know if you fail to complete any part of your instructions. Sweet dreams." She jabbed the credit stick's needle into his neck again and he sunk back into unconsciousness.
As the man's struggles stilled Koyi Doroturo smiled. She couldn't help but think one thing.
She loved her job.
***************
Koyi stepped into the Sentient Resources officer's office, feeling a little off balance. She had been informed when she turned in her mission report that SR wanted a meeting "at her earliest convenience." She knew what that meant. She like to think she had seen a lot in her decade of being a working girl, both as a "dancer" at cantinas in the undercity and as one of the Abyss Watcher's eponymous Watchers, but SR? SR people scared her.
"Sit down," the man said, not looking up from his terminal. "Don't worry, you're not in trouble."
Despite his assurance, Koyi couldn't help but compare the way he opened with the way she had begun her discussion with the corrupt captain. Neutral tone of voice, little engagement, denying the target their attention and letting them recognize the position they were in. It didn't bode well for the rest of this discussion.
By the time she had finished her worrying, the man was done with whatever he was doing on his terminal. Now he met her gaze, the intensity of the eye contact jarring in conjunction with the earlier disregard. "I just wanted to ask you a question."
Koyi nodded, uncertain as to where this was going. "Of course."
The man pulled a few reports from his desk and looked through them. "Reading through some of your reports, I couldn't help but see a pattern. You were involved in the Temple Bombing investigation, for instance. Its unusual for CSF officers give that much information to a concerned well-wisher. And yet you invite the man to dinner and he spills half of what the investigation team has found. When you were involved in finding notable clone units it came up too. The right song at the right bar, and a whole battalion was telling stories about the other units they had worked with. I even took a look at your most recent report. You knew exactly where the man kept his cred stick and exactly how to keep him off balance at every turn while still able to follow what you were saying. You have a habit of knowing what your targets want and delivering it in just the right way that you can manipulate them. Of course, that's what we pay you for, but even compared to the other Watchers you're something of an outlier. We make a habit of recommending Matukai training and force testing from anyone who stands out in a field. It's not my job to know things about the force, so I can't say if it's possible you're somehow seeing the future, or feeling their emotions, or something else, but you clearly have talent above and beyond the rest of the watchers. My question is, why haven't you signed up for the classes yet?"
Koyi was stunned into silence for a long moment. When she had finally collected herself enough to speak, she said, "I...didn't think about it at all. I didn't realize my work wasn't normal. If you think it would be a good idea, I could try it…but..."
"I am signing you up for the force potential courses. Please meet in the meditation chamber at 14:00 tomorrow afternoon. That was all." The man turned back to his terminal, dismissing her.
She stood and made her way out of the office, still unsteady from the revelation that her bosses thought she might be reading people's minds. Could she read people's minds? Was that really something the Force could do?
She decided that if it was, she needed to learn it. And just like that, the uncertainty was gone and conviction in its place.
She loved her job, but this might just be even better.
_________________________________________________
AN: I basically made this because I felt like our Abysswalkers were too heavily focused an combat considering we're mostly notable as an intelligence organization. I also wrote this because I felt like most of our Omakes had the same problem - lots of combat awesomeness, not enough awesome spies. That said, it looks like everyone else had similar ideas, so I guess I can't really complain regardless.
Now someone (who can write) needs to port AGP expies into this quest.
"So no shit, there we were..."
Bane Johns would also be hilarious. Because he always is.
"So no shit, there we were..."
Bane Johns would also be hilarious. Because he always is.
- Location
- Middle of Nowhere
Everythings better with Jawa's.
...
Just sayin omake writers.
Or Ewoks, Yub Yub!
Max Uristwell
Custodian of the Toobs
- Location
- United Kingdom
Fuck that noise, bring in the Rupert! He'd fit right in as commander of one of the non-clone Republic forces.
Dr. Snark
Exactly As Planned...Probably
- Location
- Right where I want to be
- Pronouns
- He/His/Him
Both of these are super interesting characters and they're definitely going to be on the list for potentially hitting Walker status next turn. A +10 to the both of you!
DB_Explorer
Purveyor of alternate realities.
- Location
- San Diego, California
- Pronouns
- He/Him
now I need to make a character
ummm ok I have TWO characters.
Guy spooks at the wedding with their fiance for reasons related to class (old money vs new money yada yada). Bride to be chases his ass down across half of the galaxy. He ends up quite the shot with a rifle... she got very good at finding people.
ummm ok I have TWO characters.
Guy spooks at the wedding with their fiance for reasons related to class (old money vs new money yada yada). Bride to be chases his ass down across half of the galaxy. He ends up quite the shot with a rifle... she got very good at finding people.
Dragontrapper
Homeless Draconis
- Location
- A Tower in the middle of nowhere
I vanish for two weeks and you lot find a swole Hutt and make him a Walker.
You're mad, the lot of you.
You're mad, the lot of you.
Killerflood
Corporal Cannonfodder
- Location
- Saṃsāra
@Dr. Snark, Dani's first appearance wasn't in 'Gambled Too High'. It was in 'Sabaac Night on the Oracle'. 'Gambled too High' makes sense as a way to showcase her character though.
Dr. Snark
Exactly As Planned...Probably
- Location
- Right where I want to be
- Pronouns
- He/His/Him
To paraphrase Alice In Wonderland: "We're all mad here. You must be mad too, or you wouldn't have come here."
Duly noted, will fix that. Edit: Fixed.
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Crafter of War
The Dorf
- Location
- Bend
Of course we're mad. SV is an offshoot of SB. Wouldn't it be strange if we didn't have some of their insanity?
I was thinking "Long-suffering guardians forced to serve under an undiscovered force sensitive."
Or maybe they got recruited as seekers by mistake?