An Imperial Base on the Mid-Rim

[childofrebellion]

"Kay, why didn't that work?" Cassian stared at the console, those were the right access codes. They worked yesterday.

"I do not know but there is a fifty-seven percent chance that the codes were altered by the other new officer. He seemed to have opinions about security," Kay was sounding almost prim, that meant he was worried.

"I heard him, he lectured everyone over dinner about how its better to expect trouble because if you find it then that will earn you a promotion. Kriff, I can't break this," He hit the computer as Kay looked down the hall.

"We have an hour before the shift change and your transfer orders are arriving on the next courier," Both of them now glanced over their shoulders and Cassian spotted a door, it led to a garbage chute.

"I have an idea," He walked up to the door and tried to think of Milliways and Sombra, picturing her in his mind and Ibani as well. She knows the Force, perhaps she can intercede on his behalf.

The chute opened onto the noise of the Bar and Cassian climbed in as he heard Kay start to make a sound, "I will explain when I get back. This will help."

"You are being foolish," Kay's voice carried into the Bar as Cassian stepped through, pulling off the hat and feeling very exposed in the Imperial uniform.

Comments

[childofrebellion]

He spots her and walks over as quickly as he can, this uniform only makes him invisible in some places,

"Its called Tentacles of our Waves."

[messwiththebest]

Sombra tilts her head to look at him upside-down over the back of her chair. (Her chair is also tilted waaaaaay back to make this possible.)

Then she grins.

"I should have guessed that. What else could it be, with so much on-screen wriggling."

She sits upright then, half-turning in her chair so she can drape her arm along the back and face him right side up.

"Cassian, right? Step into my office, you look like a man on a mission."

[childofrebellion]

"Yes, one that could use the help of your skills,"

Cassian quickly glances back to make certain his door is still there, the countdown is working through his head before sitting down beside her.

[messwiththebest]

"I do like the sound of work!"

She grins, bright and cheerful and only a little sly.

"Tell me all the details."

[childofrebellion]

"I'm visiting a place with a great many secrets and they're not opening for me as I was hoping,"

As he talks, he fidgets with the grey gloves he's wearing, he hates them and this uniform but its a protection.

[messwiththebest]

Sombra steeples her fingers in front of her face, tapping her forefingers together as she watches Cassian from behind bright, bright eyes.

"Secrets are good. Secrets I can work with. On-site work I am assuming, given -- "

She gestures at basically all of Cassian at this moment.

[childofrebellion]

"Yes, we have an hour to ourselves," He stills his hands, that won't help, it depends on what she needs to know.

[messwiththebest]

"Hmmmm."

She is pretty sure she can do it, and if not it's really no skin off her nose. And there may be additional information she can snag for herself, if she's quick enough.

So on the balance --

"What's my fee?"

A girl's got to eat.

[childofrebellion]

This is always the difficult part, the right price but he saw her face at the map of the galaxy,

"After this, a trip to a planet you'd like in the Inner or Mid-Core and access to more secrets."

[messwiththebest]

It's like he knows her already! Friends are so good, that way.

"Throw in lunch and you've got a deal."

She's already standing up, checking to make sure her gun and her gear are all where they're supposed to be.

[childofrebellion]

He smiles with getting her right and a price that can be paid, "Always, I won't let any guest of mine starve."

Once she stands, he starts towards the door, "Our entrance is awkward. It was all I could find."

[messwiththebest]

"Eh, I've probably had worse."

Unless he's ushering her into the sucking void of space, but somehow she doubts that.

[childofrebellion]

Its climbing through the top of a garbage shoot to a computer room where Kay watches, "Who is she?"

"She is going to help our odds," Cassian checks where they're at and gestures to Sombra, "We're looking for any information on Kashyyyk."

Kay glares down at Sombra, "She is an unknown factor."

"Her name is Sombra, she knows how to get in."

"I don't like this," Kay says firmly as Cassian gives him a tired but fond look.

[messwiththebest]

"The omnic's got opinions. I like that."

Sombra gives the giant black omnic a finger-wiggling wave and a smirk, even as her gaze searches this new location looking for a) computers b) data and disk-drive equivalents c) exits and entrances and d) anything else shiny.

"You want it traceless, right?"

[childofrebellion]

"Droid, this is Kaytwo, if you can," Its a console with a spot for inserting various shapes of disc, there's one exit which Cassian turns to face while Kay stares at the glare. "My name is K-2SO and this is a bad idea."

"Kay, how much time do we have before I have to report?"

"Fifty-eight minutes and she will not blend in, which is not useful," Kay points out as he watches Sombra.

"She will go back to Milliways after, which is useful, be quiet and let her work."

[messwiththebest]

"'Kay, Kaytwo."

Sombra's tone is flippant, but she's already hauling out her holographic keyboard, plugging a high-tech fuchsia dongle into a particular spot on the console, and getting to work.

"You didn't tell him about the invisibility? I'm hurt."

She's not hurt. She's working on getting her tech to interface with whatever godforsaken assembly this institution -- Empire, Cassian called it the Empire -- managed to claw out of mass-produced junk.

Dios mío.

[childofrebellion]

"I didn't know you could," That would be useful and he turns to see her work while Kay watches the hall.

"That is almost impossible," Kay sounds grudging in his respect if she could do that.

"Kay, later," Cassian says as he fidgets with his gloves.

The Empire's technology is built on Republic and within it are a mixture of better than other ways to hide information.

[messwiththebest]

"Oh, right. You didn't see me come in."

Ignoring the fact that no one saw Sombra come in, but what can you do?

"But now you know, and so we're all a bit more educated than we were ten minutes ago!"

As for the tech -- okay, some parts of it are better than a hackjob, but none of this is real custom work, which means Sombra's fingers don't even need to be at their most limber in order to dance around the firewalls.

"Oh, pobrecito. You thought that was clever, didn't you?"

Apparently Sombra talks to programs sometimes. Usually when she's gloating over her triumph.

[childofrebellion]

He manages a small laugh and Kay gives him a look, "Yes, more knowledge for everyone."

"That is not a clever computer but you do seem to know how to be useful," Kay looms over her shoulder.

[messwiththebest]

Sombra doesn't even flinch at the looming. 1) because she's busy and 2) because she dropped a translocator beacon back in the garbage chute, and if things go south she'll use it and just find her own way home.

"One day you'll be excited each and every time your pal here brings me on a mission. That day might even be today!"

She's suspicious, actually, at the speed she's making through all these passwalls and coding complications. Is there --

"Hah! Thought that'd get me, did you?"

Okay, that was a clever bit of malware just lurking in the wings. But she's got the taste of it now. No way does it bug up her system.

[childofrebellion]

Kay can't sigh but he can still give the sense of sighing, "I do not think it will be today though Cassian was correct, you are useful."

Cassian watches her and says, "Kriff, I would have missed that."

[messwiththebest]

"Maybe next month, then," Sombra throws out, though she doesn't look up from her intent study of what's on her screense.

"My schedule's open."

Almost --

Almost --

There!

"Kashyyk, you said? Do you mind spelling that?"

[childofrebellion]

"K.A.S.H.Y.Y.Y.K or anything related to wookies," The slavers and Empire are working together and if they can find a way to truly disrupt everything, it could be a reason for hope.

Kay doesn't respond just says, "We have forty minutes."

[messwiththebest]

"What's a wookie when it's at home?"

There are so many words and phrases she's not familiar with, it makes this work more difficult than actually getting through the protections.

"Never mind, I've got it, someone attached recordings to these."

She winces. Some of that looks like it hurt.

Anyway.

"Downloading now."

They do have good metadata structure, this Empire, whatever other technological faults and shortcomings may have piled up on top of it.

[childofrebellion]

When she asks, he turns and sees what she does, "Yes, we're trying to keep that from happening."

"Wookies are dangerous and helpful in a fight," Kay adds as he nods at her work.

[messwiththebest]

"They kind of look like someone I know. Maybe a little more hair, a little less pants."

Hi Winston. You are a pain in the ass as an opponent on a mission, but adorably befuddled when giving interviews. Ah, Overwatch.

"Maybe fewer rage issues?"

Come on, come on. Waiting for data to download is the worst part. You can't rush perfection, even though Sombra really wants to.

"Almost there. Anything else while I'm in here? More info, doors opened, alarms turned off, cams fuzzed -- ?"

[childofrebellion]

"Any records they have on us, look for notes on rebel cells," He doesn't expect there to be a lot but any information is good.

"Wookies have lots of rage, it makes them helpful in fights," Kay adds, "We have twenty minutes."

[messwiththebest]

"Yeah, yeah."

Sombra lifts one hand from the keyboard to shoo Kaytwo's words away.

"I heard you the first time."

Is that -- no, nothing on rebels.

But here's some hinky smuggler activity, some nebulous and obscure coded phrases, some top secret documentation on what is probably sewer construction on this base, and -- no, that's about it.

Sombra closes down her interface, snags the dongle, pulls out a tiny data chip, and tosses it at Cassian.

"There you go, everything and then some. I'm ready to split if you are."

[childofrebellion]

He grabs it then walks to the chute and focuses on Milliways, "Thank you, I'll get the door."

After a long minute, he opens it to Milliways, "There, I'll find you when I'm clear and we can arrange your payment."

Kay says, "Eighteen minutes and I wish for an explanation."

"And you will get one, Kay," He holds the door for her.

[messwiththebest]

"Toodles. Don't forget, you owe me lunch."

Sombra waves her fingers at both Kaytwo and Cassian, then flicks her thermoptic camo on and leaps through the door.

It's just fun, all right?

Sue her.

[childofrebellion]

When she disappears, Cassian curses under his breath and Kay says, "That should be impossible."

"I know and time to go," Cassian tucks the chip into a compartment in his boot, smooths his hair before putting his hat back on. Then he and Kay turn down the hall and go back to watching and waiting.