Sashar
03-07-2011 05:58:38
Contract Bureau Offices
Arcona Citadel
Strangely, when Celevon entered Talos’s office, it was once again Sashar seated behind his desk, his feet up, and a cigarra clenched between his teeth. That in itself wasn’t a massive surprise, however, There was almost no sign of the usual piles of flimsi and datapads that littered the place. Instead, the triple holo-screen which floated before the desk simply had a boloball match on one screen, a stock report on something called Kazerian Shipping Ltd and then what looked like a series of profiles linked arranged on a grid, most linked together with different coloured lines. Some had red crosses over their faces.
“Celevon. I’ve got a job for you.”
The Journeyman smirked. “There’s a surprise.”
Sashar ignored the sarcasm and ploughed on. “Your deader is named Armand. He’s the PA to a woman named Lesta. They both operate out of Nar Shaddaa. Lesta acts Director to a company called Kazerian Shipping Ltd. That company is owned by a highly successful businessman named Ilari Kazerian. We have reason to believe that Kazerian Shipping Ltd is actually the legitimate front to Dash Kuatir’s criminal organisation.”
“Wait wait wait, why are you allocating Arcona resources to carry on this war on your ex?” Celevon asked, for once feeling a little disappointed in Sashar.
He grinned ferally. “Because that little di’kut has some very interesting bedfellows. Reportedly, he’s been doing business with a guy known only as Mr. Lorden. Lorden was behind Mejas’s breakout a few years ago, as well as the recent Mining conglomerate invasion and the Death Walker uprising. That means he’s probably providing financial backing, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Dash had something to do with the Mining guild we thrashed. I’ve got Dustin Benner doing some digging on that. Anyway, Kazerian Shipping is the biggest legitimate shipping firm currently left in Hutt space. Your deader, Armand, is essential to the smooth running of that company. Kill him and it’ll get Lesta’s back up. We keep picking off Dash’s subordinates and eventually the rest will leave him, knowing that he can’t protect him. Make it nasty.”
:: Contract 035 ::
Assassination, B-Class
*Target: Armand
*Age: 34
*Species: Assumed human
*Characteristics/Advantages:
- manages day-to-day running of Kazerian Shipping Ltd.
Armand is Lesta’s Personal Assistant, but in fact manages a great deal of Kazerian Shipping Ltd’s day-to-day running. The company will suffer greatly from his loss, and Lesta will be hard-pressed to find another assistant at short notice, giving us a window to dismantle Kazerian Shipping Ltd and take away a good portion of Dash Kuatir’s financial resources. Kill Armand and make sure it’s apparent that he’s been assisinated. We want this to look like an assassination, not an accident. Good hunting.
:: END DOSSIER ::
Celevon looked up from the pad and nodded. “I take it he’ll be guarded?”
Sashar nodded. “Dash owns a PMC called the Red Guard. They’re the usual mercenaries and scum you can find anywhere in the Galaxy and given the Hutt’s downfall at the hands of the Vong, he’s been scooping up employees at a record rate. He’s got his own private army. Kazerian Shipping Ltd get protection from the Red Guard at their headquarters facility on Nar Shaddaa. I doubt he’ll have an ever-present honour guard, though. If you need to kill them too, fine, just no civilian casualties.”
For the first time, Celevon looked behind him and saw a familiar youth of no more than fifteen years seated next to the door, his back to the wall, watching proceedings with interest.
“Oh, hey Teroch.”
Sashar and Voden’s son grinned back at him and stifled a yawn. He was clearly bored with having to wait for his buir.
“Celevon, get going. I want him dead within the week.”
“Understood, Sarge.” The Jedi Hunter nodded to Sashar and Teroch as he left.
Sashar looked at his adoptive son and grinned. “Fancy a field trip, Ad’ika?”
“Always.”
“Good. Follow him and make sure he doesn’t screw up. If he dies, finish the job and bring me back his tally.”
Teroch nodded and sprang up, eager to go out on the hunt himself.
Celevon Edraven
03-07-2011 19:30:46
Celevon walked quickly towards his quarters, eager to accept the unspoken challenge Sashar had given him. Halfway through the long walk, Celevon perused the holopad to quickly make sure he had the information correct. This was the first time in a long time that he had been ordered to make it nasty. The death of Aaron Vicks had been unplanned and messy. This one would be different. He had a feeling that he knew where Armand went when he wasn’t working. Not long after, Celevon entered his quarters and began to throw his equipment into a large duffel bag. After the Dar’Verd was in the bag, as well as an overcloak to throw over it, Celevon grabbed his favorite daggers and slid them in place. His other weapons were already on his person. A look around revealed how much cleaner his quarters were compared to times before. A slight noise had him turning, a dagger poised to be thrown in the direction of the noise when he stopped.
Teroch stood in his doorway, smirking. He leaned casually against the doorframe. While adopted, the teen had somehow inherited Sashar’s smirk. He spared a glance at the dagger (which was quickly concealed) before he spoke. “Good instincts, Celev. You might as well stop glaring. It still doesn’t have anything on my buir. Though your glare is icier than his.”
Celevon rolled his eyes at the younger man. “What the hell are you doing here, Teroch? Besides trying to get a new scar to add to the collection.”
Teroch’s smirk changed into an amused smile. “Buir asked me to take a field trip and keep an eye on you while you’re on this mission. I was planning on following you werdla like, but decided that this way is more fun. Catch up, as it were.”
Celevon sighed, but couldn’t keep the smile off his face. The youth had grown on him. He muttered to himself, “So since Sashar couldn’t keep an eye on me himself, he sent his miniature version to drive me insane. Wonderful.”
Apparently it hadn’t been quiet enough, as the teen glared indignantly at him. Teroch opened his mouth to retort, when Celevon cut him off with an impatient wave of his hand. “We can save the banter for the trip to Smuggler’s Moon. The timeframe is short enough as it is. Do you have everything you need?”
The teen shrugged and proceeded to follow Celevon towards the hangar bay, smirking at the Jedi Hunter’s sigh of irritation. Teroch snickered when Celevon sneered at the cheerful greeting from Apophis Undomiel. The teen laughed outright when Celevon flipped off the Protector as he continued walking. He had finally gotten his laughter controlled when they were feet from the large doors to the Hangar Bay.
Celevon quickly typed in commands once he reached the ramp of his ship. He gestured for Teroch to enter the ship before him, before he came up the ramp not seconds later. The ramp closed behind him as he quickly directed Teroch to the main hold. He led the youth to a storage room adjacent to the main hold, which he opened with an absent wave of his hand. “If you want to wear something different, there is a storage container.” Celevon pointed to a crate that resembled a war chest, while he rapidly typed in commands on a nearby computer console. A final command had every piece of metal plating in the large room rotating to their opposite sides.
Teroch stared, impressed at the collection despite himself: daggers, shortswords, longswords, blaster pistols, rifles and carbines of all types were revealed. The words tumbled out of his mouth before he could think, “How did.. Where..?”
Celevon smirked at the dumbfounded look on the normally unflappable youth’s face. “Most of these are trophies from kills. Very few of them actually belong to me. Almost all of them are unregistered. If you have a question about a weapon, write down the model and come ask. Take what you want. You can consider whatever you take as a gift for each of your birthdays that I missed. I’ll be in the cockpit.”
Celevon’s smirk widened when Teroch’s face lit up like a kid in a candy store as he began to reverently glide his hand across the weapons displayed before him. The Jedi Hunter gave an amused laugh as he went to pilot the ship.
~()~
Cockpit, Shrouded Blade
Hyperspace, En Route to Nar Shaddaa
Time: Unknown
Teroch sat in the co-pilots chair as he twirled one of the daggers idly. Several feet behind him lay what Celevon had called a ‘bag o’ goodies’. He would never get used to the Journeyman’s odd sense of humor. In reality, it was a large duffel filled to the brim with the weapons he had chosen from Celevon’s armoury. The Jedi Hunter had left for the ‘fresher almost a half hour before. He noticed the ship’s communications frequency beeping and tapped the button to answer, jumping half out of his seat when he heard his father’s voice boom from all the speakers in the cockpit. “Edraven. Give me an update on your progress so far.” The room was silent for a moment, when Sashar’s voice boomed over the speakers again. “Celevon, where the hell are you?”
Teroch gulped as he answered for the absent assassin. “Uh. He’s in the shower, buir.”
There was a moment of silence on the other end, before Sashar’s voice boomed again, this time with a stern tone, “Ter’ika. What the hell are you doing on Celevon’s ship? I thought I told you to follow him.”
Teroch sighed, “I was planning to, when I decided it would be more fun to ride there with him. You know how easily I get bored with space travel, buir.”
The chuckle was immediate this time. “I understand, Ter’ika. You said Celevon was in the shower?”
Teroch shrugged before he realized that his father couldn’t see him and responded aloud. “He left for the fresher over half an hour ago. I’m guessing here. Unlike you, I don’t plan to walk into the refresher to find out.” And leer at him while he does so. Teroch added silently.
“Anything to report?”
Teroch paused to check the console beside him before he responded. “We are two hours from reaching our destination. Buir, you won’t believe what Celev gave me.”
Sashar’s voice asked, “And what was that, Ter’ika?”
A soft voice from behind him had Teroch jumping with a loud curse. “I gave your son a few gifts from my stash of weapons, Sarge.” Celevon paused with an amused grin as Sashar admonished Teroch on his language as he brushed his still damp hair. A quickly typed command had a miniature hologram of a seated Sashar speaking to them. “We can see you now, Sarge.”
“Indeed. I can see the two of you as well.” The image of Sashar tilted his head to the side. “Has Ter’ika been behaving himself, Celevon?”
Celevon smirked. “For the most part. I’m beginning to wonder if he isn’t your biological son. He acts that much like you.”
Sashar chuckled while Teroch glared silently at Celevon. “Aye, the kid takes after me a good deal. Now then, Celevon,” Celevon straightened, waiting for another order. “Go put some clothes on other than your towel. We don’t need you corrupting Ter’ika. Voden would have your head on a platter.”
Celevon nodded with a smile, giving a one-fingered salute over his shoulder as he walked back to his quarters on the ship to put some clothes on, hearing Sashar’s chuckles follow him.
~()~
Nar Shaddaa
1645 Hours
Celevon and Teroch stalked the man named Armand. They were sure to stay separate, as they kept in constant contact through the comlinks they carried. Teroch understood his position in this mission: He would act as Celevon’s backup if things went pear-shaped. They followed the deader until the man walked into a establishment familiar to Celevon. Just as Teroch was about to follow the man, he heard Celevon’s voice come over the comlink. “Ruthless, go to the coffee shop across the road and order us both a drink. You already know my order. I should be back within the next half hour. I’m sure that I can get this done on my own. But be prepared to hear the code word we planned for incase the situation gets FUBAR. Stalker out.”
Celevon followed the man at a good distance. His research had shown where the man was staying in this hotel. Once he saw the humanoid enter the lift, Celevon increased his pace and began to rapidly climb the stairs towards the sixth floor, using the force to increase his speed. A quick look at the indicator above the lift showed it stopped three floors below him. Once he was at the door to the deader’s residence, Celevon released a tendril of force energy towards the locking mechanism before giving the handle a twist. After he was inside, Celevon hid in a darkened corner of the room, pulling the shadows towards him. It wasn’t for another few minutes that the assassin heard the deader’s key enter the lock. The man walked in and tossed his coat on the bed. Celevon watched as the deader went outside and lit a cigarra. Once the man was halfway through his smoke, Celevon crept up behind the man and quickly knocked him out with a blow to the jugular vein. Another look around had Celevon smirking as an idea quickly formulated itself in his mind…
~()~
Teroch’s POV
Teroch was sipping at the drink he had ordered, while he sat outside of the café waiting for Celevon to contact him. He had faith that the assassin would do his job just as his buir instructed, though he wondered how it would play out as he took another sip of his drink. His question was answered minutes later when screams broke out. Teroch stared in horrified awe at the spectacle Celevon had created: Armand hung an entire two floors above ground level, the rope tied to the rail of his balcony; The man had been eviscerated, his throat slashed (judging by the blood around the rope) and his face mutilated. Teroch quickly found what had caused the screams to erupt: a woman standing almost directly under where Armand hung had been hit by the man’s blood and entrails spilling out when the corpse came to a rapid stop.
Teroch was still staring at the spectacle while the authorities tried to clear off the scene of civilians when a cloaked man wearing the Dar’Verd armour sat beside him, taking a sip of his coffee as he stared at the scene of sheer chaos he had created. When Teroch stared at the man beside him for more than several moments, Celevon spoke up. “What, Ter? Your dad said to make it nasty.” The man gestured with the hand still holding the coffee at what he had done not long before. “So I made it nasty. There is now no doubt whatsoever that the man had been assassinated.”
Teroch still stared at the man in silence as he watched him activate the comlink and heard his father’s voice say ‘Yes?’
“The contract is completed, Sarge. There’s no doubt that Armand was assassinated. Pull up the news channel if you really want to know, mate. Edraven out.”