Looks can be Deceiving:
Mos Shuuta. The Mos Shuuta mesa was a rocky outcropping that jutted over 100 meters from the desert floor. Sheer, almost unscalable cliffs of jagged, knife-edged rocks loomed over the valley below. In several places rocks had fallen away leaving isolated columns and pillars that were linked by rock archways or rickety and unreliable man-made bridges. At constant risk of further collapse, and consequently in danger of being stranded outside the city proper, only the poorest and most desperate lived here in these slums. This was Shantytown.
This was where the young boy known only as Aryus made his home. He was about 15 summers of age and had lived here in Shantytown as long as he could remember. The slums were a riot of ramshackle tents, huts and hovels clinging to outcroppings of rocks. Shantytown was connected to Mos Shuuta proper by a series of rope bridges and rusty planks that separated and segregated Mos Shuuta's poor population. At least they were better off than the lawless tent cities that had grown up outside the electrogate. These were outside even the minimal control of the Hutt, Teemo, who ruled Mos Shuuta from his palace that loomed above the entry path to the city.
The bridges and ledges of Shantytown were dangerous and it was not unheard of for someone to fall, either from slipping or from an unfortunate collapse. Aryus knew these paths well and could even traverse them in the darkest nights. He quickly moved from one column, over a rusty railing and then up a wire cable to a familiar hovel. He slipped inside.
"It's about time you made it, Aryus," the Rodian comrade and sometimes companion, known as Keelar, said impatiently. "This is a big opportunity. I heard about it from that Kubaz that hangs out around Vorn's most of the time." Vorn's Junk Shop was a place to get most legal parts that inhabitants and traders might need. Vorn was a surly shopkeep but he always seemed to have an adequate supply of anything and everything.
"Come on, he's waiting out back," Keelar said, leading the way into the darkness behind the little hovel. Aryus followed, curiosity now the better of him, and saw a tall dark shadow looming, barely silhouetted by the moonlight behind him. Moving closer the pair could see that it was a tall humanoid, completely obscured by a large black, hooded cloak. The figure turned to face them, but no features could be seen as it wore a black mask under the hood. A black-gloved hand reached forward holding a data crystal.
"Take it," the shroud said, a mechanical voice rasping out the words. "This job needs to be completed immediately, if not sooner. It pays 1500 credits if successful. If not, I recommend you disappear."
The figure waited, letting his words hang in the night air...
Aryus - Solo Start
Moderator: GM Fang
Re: Aryus - Solo Start
Aryus eyed the cloaked man, and his surroundings, always alert for avenues of escape. Keelar was usually reliable, but you could never be too careful in Shantytown.
"Tell me about the job," Aryus said.
"Tell me about the job," Aryus said.
Re: Aryus - Solo Start
The cloaked man continued to hold the data crystal in his outstretched hand. He shifted slightly as he stood there. "Everything you need to know is on this crystal. The job is to be done with secrecy and discretion. We cannot trust it to anyone who can be traced back to the source. Nothing personal but no one is going to be looking for a street urchin from Shantytown."
The cloaked man tosses the data crystal toward Aryus, then turns to leave. "It's encrypted of course. And will erase itself once you finish receiving your instructions."
He looks back one more time, a veiled mechanical threat on his lips, "Don't even think of double-crossing us. Good luck."
The cloaked man tosses the data crystal toward Aryus, then turns to leave. "It's encrypted of course. And will erase itself once you finish receiving your instructions."
He looks back one more time, a veiled mechanical threat on his lips, "Don't even think of double-crossing us. Good luck."
Re: Aryus - Solo Start
Aryus caught the data crystal with one hand and watched the cloaked man leave. He took careful inventory of the man's mannerisms and what little he could see under the cloak, filing the information away in case he saw the man again. Be smart Aryus.
He palmed the crystal up his sleeve. "Thanks for the tip Keel." Aryus dodged past the Rodian, through the hovel, and into the street, if you could call it that. He tucked his head and hurried away from Keelar's place. Few people were out tonight, but those that were were the type you didn't want to mess around with.
Aryus took a roundabout route to an alley on the next rock formation over from Keelar's hovel, then hunkered down behind some destroyed crates. He pulled his gear from its satchel, retrieved the crystal from his sleeve, and plugged it in.
"Let's see what we've got," he whispered.
He palmed the crystal up his sleeve. "Thanks for the tip Keel." Aryus dodged past the Rodian, through the hovel, and into the street, if you could call it that. He tucked his head and hurried away from Keelar's place. Few people were out tonight, but those that were were the type you didn't want to mess around with.
Aryus took a roundabout route to an alley on the next rock formation over from Keelar's hovel, then hunkered down behind some destroyed crates. He pulled his gear from its satchel, retrieved the crystal from his sleeve, and plugged it in.
"Let's see what we've got," he whispered.
Re: Aryus - Solo Start
Aryus carefully watched the black cloaked man turn to leave. There was not much more to learn. The figure was likely male based on its form and Aryus could see that he had two blaster pistols under the cloak in black leather holsters. Clearly the individual's voice was being mechanically altered.
Keelar was hoping to find out what was going on as well, but Aryus was through the hovel and out into the cool night air quickly. Any forlorn comments from the young Rodian were lost as Aryus disappeared into the night.
Finding a secure spot, the young data thief plugged in the mysterious data crystal. It hummed electronically and in a brief moment Aryus was able to access the system. Perusing the files contained therein, he found a number of purchase manifests, warehouse inventories and ship transport records for several freighters including the Intrepid, the Krayt Fang and the Bouncing Bantha. Nothing particularly mysterious there, it seemed.
Looking closer he noticed that several of the files seemed to possibly be abnormally large.
Keelar was hoping to find out what was going on as well, but Aryus was through the hovel and out into the cool night air quickly. Any forlorn comments from the young Rodian were lost as Aryus disappeared into the night.
Finding a secure spot, the young data thief plugged in the mysterious data crystal. It hummed electronically and in a brief moment Aryus was able to access the system. Perusing the files contained therein, he found a number of purchase manifests, warehouse inventories and ship transport records for several freighters including the Intrepid, the Krayt Fang and the Bouncing Bantha. Nothing particularly mysterious there, it seemed.
Looking closer he noticed that several of the files seemed to possibly be abnormally large.
Re: Aryus - Solo Start
Aryus entered a few commands on his slicing gear isolating the suspicious files and scanned them for what they were supposed to be. He then opened a breaker program he designed himself. It would pull apart the code for a individual file and display its contents.
Re: Aryus - Solo Start
The odd files were records of business dealings for Teemo the Hutt, de facto ruler of Mos Shuuta. There were numerous details of contacts and sales but nothing seemed particularly out of the ordinary, especially for a Hutt.
Utilizing the breaker program took some time but eventually a new executable file was assembled. It auto-started once the compiling was complete. A holographic image popped into existence. It was a bust only of a figure wearing a closed helmet. The voice that accompanied it was noticeably different from that of the man Aryus had just met, but also just as mechanically altered.
"Congratulations. You have completed the first step to this mission. Now for the details. I need simple confirmation of a pending business deal. One of particular interest to myself. If you've examined the files herein you know already the target of this inquiry."
"The difficulty and therefore the corresponding value of this mission lies in the fact that the details of these particular sorts of business transactions are highly guarded by our target and only accessible by direct access to the target's computer network. Fortunately I only require confirmation of a particular transaction."
"Your task therefore is to simply identify all confidential business transactions pertaining to mining operations on the planet Ryloth from our 'esteemed' target. Simple," the man said, likely sarcastically. "One last requirement is to not directly involve any known entities in the city. If I wanted to risk that, I could have done so myself. I require this information as quickly as you are able to obtain it. Good luck."
A few moments later, the hologram winked out and the program began to de-compile itself. A moment later the crystal went dark.
Utilizing the breaker program took some time but eventually a new executable file was assembled. It auto-started once the compiling was complete. A holographic image popped into existence. It was a bust only of a figure wearing a closed helmet. The voice that accompanied it was noticeably different from that of the man Aryus had just met, but also just as mechanically altered.
"Congratulations. You have completed the first step to this mission. Now for the details. I need simple confirmation of a pending business deal. One of particular interest to myself. If you've examined the files herein you know already the target of this inquiry."
"The difficulty and therefore the corresponding value of this mission lies in the fact that the details of these particular sorts of business transactions are highly guarded by our target and only accessible by direct access to the target's computer network. Fortunately I only require confirmation of a particular transaction."
"Your task therefore is to simply identify all confidential business transactions pertaining to mining operations on the planet Ryloth from our 'esteemed' target. Simple," the man said, likely sarcastically. "One last requirement is to not directly involve any known entities in the city. If I wanted to risk that, I could have done so myself. I require this information as quickly as you are able to obtain it. Good luck."
A few moments later, the hologram winked out and the program began to de-compile itself. A moment later the crystal went dark.