cipheragent81

[cipheragent81]

Connections

Note: This takes place directly after the last entry. It was just a short time later that she took her holocom to a non-descript part of the room to set it up again. This time she was dressed in a hood that covered her head and a mask that disguised her voice as well. She had no reason to hide her identity from who she would connect with, but she didn't want to take any chances.

Only a moment after she placed the call, the image of a cloaked figure lit up her face as it flickered into view, its features almost completely hidden beneath a hood. She could tell he was Bothan by the gravel in his voice.

"You are making contact. I assume that means you have the package."

"Affirmative," she replied, careful not to mention the diplomat's death, "I am in possession of the information. I will need some time to cover tracks, but you will have it by week's end. It's... I'd rather not deliver it over these encrypted channels. They are audited-"

"You have the /complete/ package?" The gruff voice on the other end interrupted her.

Sabra replied quickly, unable to keep the terse annoyance from her tone. "Unknown variables entered the equation. I had to either prioritize or forfeit. It was not an easy escape."

There was a pause. He still had to maintain good ties if he wanted business to go smoothly, so when he began again, it was a bit more measured. "That is a steep price. Unfortunate. The asset will be hard to replace...is what I meant."

There was another brief silence on the line. Sabra let out a breath and backed down some. "It will. I regret that I am only able to deliver half of what was promised, but it was vital for the information to be delivered. It will not be secure until the unknowns are dealt with."

"I understand. Tell me what you need and we will try to accommodate. My client does appreciate the support."

"I need information. I need a lead on this chain code." She slid a data chip into her holocom port and it appeared across the screen.

"Good thing you are on the information capital of the galaxy," the voice replied with an undeniable smirk. "Do not worry," he interjected when she sat up in alarm, "Your position is not in danger. It just so happens I am in the same place."

"Funny, that," she replied flatly, and inserted a data chip into her holo com. "There were multiple unknowns, but I only encountered this one directly. It is most likely stolen."

"Interesting," he replied. "Hard to get your hands on something like this from a live person."

"Yes. It is," she answered simply. "If you have not yet picked up on it, the entire mission did not go as planned."

"You'd have more luck looking that up in your own system, wouldn't you?" he asked skeptically.

Sabra sighed, becoming impatient. "I could. If I wanted anyone to know what or who I was looking for."

"Gonna cost a bit more for that. Risky."

"That will not be a problem. I will do what I can on my side. I will be in contact when I know more, or at least who we are dealing with. We can arrange a rendezvous at that time."

"Very well. I will put this information into the right hands and get your lead. Be wary."

"You as well."

The projection went dark and Sabra pushed back her hood and took off the mask to breathe the free air at last. She pulled up the same file she had been looking at before on her datapad, and the image of the man she had encountered appeared before her. She studied it until her eyes burned.

"...who are you?" she muttered to herself, then shook her head. There would be time for this speculation later. She needed sleep desperately.

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[cipheragent81]

It had taken her four hours to crawl her way back from the depths of Coruscant thanks to several broken lifts, and then another day and a half to return to her base on a shuttle of all things, not even an escort. The journey left her exhausted, but she was not through yet. She still had work to do before she reported in.

The first order of business was a shower. She could hardly wait to wash the stink of Coruscant off of herself. She let the water heat up until it was almost too much to bear and stood beneath it for several minutes as she thought over the details of her mission and what she would report.

When she was clean and dry, she emptied out her bags and searched through the items she had pilfered from the man who had been chasing her. He had to have known in advance about her mission and what she was delivering. That fact unnerved her, but intrigued her.

The man became all the more intriguing when she attempted to look him up. She distinctly remembered him saying his name was Zach, she had been watching his mouth when he said it. But the ID she took from his pocket had the name "Isaac Anders". Putting those credentials into the Imperial database showed a...Dug of all things. And a deceased one, at that.

"Someone was having a laugh..." she murmured to herself.

She put the ID into the scanner and waited while it scanned the photo. Someone had obviously paid a lot of money for it to look legitimate, right down to the holo stamp. Few people would have access to the same information she did, so he likely was able to use it in most places without arousing suspicion. She glanced up at the screen when it pinged a warning message across the screen.

Her brows furrowed as her eyes scanned the single results.

*Name: Farlander, Zachiry

Date of Birth: 09:06:15 (3251 LY; 7951 C.R.C.)

Birthplace: Sulon, Sullust, Sullust system, Brema Sector, Outer Rim Territories

Occupation: Imperial Army - Specialist, Hammer Squad

Status: Killed In Action*

"Killed in action?" she squinted, reading and rereading the report that followed, detailing the Rebel ambush.

*So that's why he wanted it...he wants to go after them.*

He is going to be disappointed.

She continued to dig through everything she could find associated with Zachiry Farlander or Isaac Anders. It would take much more time than she had just then to comb through it all, but it was a start. She glanced at the time and took the data packet from where she had hidden it within her bags, then plugged it into her terminal. With just a few minor tweaks the information would be ready for encryption, and not a moment too soon.

Once the process was started, she pulled up her holo comm and a moment later, a gaunt, middle-aged man appeared, cast in hazy blue.

"Agent Eighty-One reporting in," she said crisply.

"At last. I trust you have the information."

"Affirmative. I am running it through encryption and you should have it within the hour."

"Excellent. Since you are remote, you will not be expected to attend a debriefing, but I expect a full report on your mission, including the identity of your pursuer."

"Acknowledged. I got a very close look at my pursuer. It should not be difficult."

"Eighty-one, you have been warned of excess fraternization. Do I need to remind you again?"

Gods, this again...

"You told me to use the tools and skills at my disposal. I was simply following orders," she replied with a smirk.

"Then I suggest you brush up your other skills. Your continued insubordination will not be tolerated. You know our code of conduct."

She let out a quiet sigh through her nose. The Imperial code of conduct seemed to depend greatly on who was in charge. It was a constant source of irritation for her.

"Understood," she replied, the clench of her jaw the only indication of her annoyance.

Keeper's tone softened only slightly. "You were promoted to Renik because of your exemplary performance. Do not squander the opportunities you have been given."

"Yes, sir. I will endeavor to remember that," she replied with the same practiced neutral expression.

"See that you do. I await your report. Keeper, out."

There was brief static as the comm went silent, replaced only by the hum of the HVAC. She grumbled in frustration once she was certain the line was clear.

"Fecking killjoy..."

She turned back to her datapad, making handwritten notes as she read through the files. There was a lot here, but she had time. The mission which had first sent her to Bothawui was well in hand and didn't need the same level of attention it once did. The short tone a few minutes later alerted her that the encryption was finished and with a few final taps to her datapad, the information was sent.

That's one down. One to go.

[cipheragent81]

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Photo credit: Dave Keenan

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She moved through the crowd like a shadow, shedding clothing as she walked. At the end of the alley, she paid a vagrant 50 credits for her hat and coat and then disappeared down a side street.

---

He had just seen her down the bustling alley, after her at a dead sprint. When it was clear she was gone, he cursed to himself, bending to pick up a single red stiletto. With a defeated sigh, he muttered into his com, as he caught his breath.

"Two, I've lost visual. Tell me you got her..."

There was a short pause before the reply.

"Negative. Nothing on thermal or overhead."

A frustrated growl was pushed from his chest, and then his reply.

"I'm going offline. One out."

"Wait, you do-..."

The com was dead before Two finished, and he continued on, tossing the shoe into a trash receptacle. This was too important. He knew what he had to do and he letting her deliver the package was not an option.

[cipheragent81]

That one time when May tried to reach for the gun, things got out of hand.

May Vs Bobbi are the greatest fight scenes.

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How could I not be utterly intoxicated by you? I have always lacked self-control and I have never cared to sip you slowly.

Kaitlin Foster (via chipped-red-nail-polish)

[cipheragent81]