Corso gaped at Vacy in horror, but she just chuckled. "You got nothin' to worry about so long as you don't get yourself killed," she concluded as she headed toward the platform where Kamus had retreated.
He was cowering behind a metal railing. He peered out, and seeing Vacy and Corso still upright, stammered, "Is it safe? Are – are they dead?"
Vacy folded her arms. "Well aren't you just a little bundle of joy. What was all that about?"
The weaselly little man was gasping for air. He leaned over, placing his hands on his knees. "It's – well – they were – I – I gotta keep breathing. Whew. Okay." He finally managed to stand up. "My name is Kamus Orden. I used to be an accountant. Czerka sent them to kill me… company severance package."
As he was explaining, a dark-skinned man in a very well-fitting uniform strode up, looking annoyed. "What happened in here? Kamus, you know how I feel about corpses in my workspace."
Kamus whirled around and jabbed a finger at the man Vacy recognized from the holocall. "You were supposed to BE here! You promised I'd have PROTECTION!"
Agent Fauler just shrugged. "And you did, didn't you? You aren't even scratched." He nodded to Vacy with an appreciative smile, then looked back at Kamus. "Here I thought you might enjoy the, ah, change of scenery. Besides, this way, I get to LOOK like I'm being diplomatic with the locals." He walked over to Vacy, taking her hand in both of his. "Thanks for following through. Guess you figured out this isn't an embassy… and I'm no bureaucrat."
Kamus scowled at Fauler, then looked over at Vacy with a sigh. "Took him a MONTH to tell me that," he muttered.
"I just radiate trustworthiness, doncha know. And, uh, reliability. Oh yeah! AND I'm an 'upstanding citizen.' Almost forgot that one." Vacy crafted an innocent smile for Fauler, blinking widely. "ALL the handsome Republic paper-pushers that I know work out of warehouses and wear body armor." And then her smile twisted, turning wry as her eyes sparkled mischievously.
Corso moved forward a bit, standing beside Vacy. He folded his arms, frowning. "Handsome?"
"What, you don't think so?" She turned her innocent-face up to Corso, but he just scowled more, scuffing at the floor with one boot. Vacy slipped her hand from Fauler's and punched Corso lightly in the arm. "Aw, lighten up."
Fauler explained, "This is a Republic Strategic Information Service project – a major covert operation. Mystery, corporate scandal, and incredibly dangerous tech." He looked intently from Vacy to Corso and back. "There are a lot of lives on the line; you could make all the difference."
Rubbing her hand over her mouth to hide her smile, Vacy nodded. "Mmm. How many times did you rehearse that little speech?" And then she grinned, cutting herself off with the wave of a hand. "No – no – it's all right. That's just my big mouth. Go on; I'm listening."
Fauler went on to explain that Kamus found evidence of some kind of doomsday device, and that there was reference to files at a nearby compound. He said that he couldn't go himself, as he was known to be associated with the Republic, and it would raise the wrong sort of questions with the wrong sort of people. He fell silent, then lifted his shoulders. "I need someone whose affiliation is a bit more ambiguous," he concluded.
"All right," said Vacy after a few moments' thought. She folded her arms, looking at Fauler carefully. "So… what's my incentive?"
He returned the gesture. "You'll have the opportunity to serve our glorious Republic and save innocent lives."
Her eyes narrowed. One brow arched.
Fauler's eyes twinkled at her, and those full lips curved up into a smile. "And the credits," he added with a brief nod. "Piles of shiny, sparkling credits."
And at those words, Vacy smiled back. "Well now that's more like it. I think we might be able to work together quite well, Agent Fauler," she murmured.
Kamus cleared his throat. "Just be careful. Finding the files that Czerka left in that compound is important, but… don't get killed." He shivered, and looked over his shoulder.
Fauler smiled wryly at Kamus, but when he looked at Vacy, his expression softened. "Couldn't have said it better myself." He set a hand on her shoulder. "I'd like to see you come back safely," he said more quietly.
Corso draped an arm around Vacy's shoulders, his gauntleted hand landing firmly on top of Fauler's. "Oh, don't you worry, sir. I'll make sure she's all right," he said, fixing the darker man with a challenging stare.
At that, Fauler straightened and stepped back. His brows pulled together in a question, and he looked at Corso, then back at Vacy. "Excuse me," he apologized. "Is that…"
Vacy glared at Corso and stepped to the side. "My associate. Don't worry, he's completely trustworthy." She smirked, shaking her head, and then looked at Fauler again with a shrug. "Probably more so than I am, to be honest."
Agent Fauler looked down with a chuckle. "Not quite where I was going with that, but no matter." He nodded to Corso. "Good to have you on board," he said. Then he looked at Vacy again. He hesitated, then folded his hands behind his back. "At any rate, thank you for your assistance. And… good luck."
With a sigh, Vacy shook her head, shot another dirty look at Corso – who grinned back at her – and headed back toward the elevator.
When they stepped back out into the sun and the blowing sand, Vacy gasped, then coughed. "Stars! This is awful. I haven't even done anything and I'm all gross and sweaty," she complained as they walked over to the speeder.
Corso held the little bike steady as Vacy slipped onto the seat. "If you hadn't said anything, I wouldn't'a known," he said, climbing on behind her and holding on. She smiled until he continued, "I picked up an internal exhaust back on Nar Shaddaa after you said we'd be coming this way. Must be worth what I forked out for it, because I've been right comf'terble. Not too toasty, not too chilly. It's pretty nice."
Feeling cheated out of the flattery his first remark had seemed to lead up to, Vacy sulked a bit. "Yeah, well, just wait 'til you get sand in your gears. What then, mm? That fancy suit of yours seizes up, you're in trouble."
They headed north out of Anchorhead, sand kicking up below and behind them. "Nope," said Corso. "Self-cleaning, too. I made sure I was prepared, Captain." He chuckled. "Don't worry about me."
Vacy's mouth curved into a thin, tight, smile. Oh, I'm not the one who should be worrying, Riggs. Her devil-voice had started whispering some very interesting ideas. There's more than one way of being uncomfortable…
They were a few klicks from the town when Vacy lifted her hand to shade her eyes. "How about right up there?" she yelled back, pointing. "Don't see any womp rats, let alone anything bigger."
"Looks great." Corso's voice had the tinny quality it got when he had the digital visor down.
They pulled up and stepped off the speeder. While Corso checked the settings on Ms. Puffs, Vacy grabbed one of the canteens from under the seat and set it on the ground. She glanced over her shoulder, then stretched, arching her back and reaching out with both arms. "Ugh. This is awful," she said, and shrugged out of her jacket, laying it across the seat.
Out of the corner of her eye, she could see that Corso had gotten a bit distracted from his work. She forced a pout, then scratched at her shoulder, rolling her head side to side. "The sand just gets everywhere." And with that, she let her hand drift down her chest to the waistband of her trousers.
Corso's eyes widened. "Uh… Captain?"
She looked over at him. "What?" she asked, and untucked her shirt.
He turned a delightful shade of pink. "Ahm. Nothing. Just, uh… I'm ready to go." The pink deepened. "I mean, for the test." Looking anywhere but at Vacy, he shouldered into the harness again, fastening latches and tightening straps. His gloves were still off, but his fingers seemed awful clumsy.
Plik. Plik. Plik. There were seven snaps that kept Vacy's shirt closed. Plik. Plik. Plik. Corso was staring at a very interesting rock formation. Vacy saw the lump in his throat bobble a touch, and she smiled. Plik.
Peeling out of the shirt, she let out a long, low, breathy sigh of satisfaction. "That's ever so much better," she purred. "Hold on a minute, though, Riggs. I'm thirsty." And with that, she bent over – from the waist, of course, rather than crouching – and picked up the canteen. Standing, she unscrewed the lid, and then wrapped her lips around the opening, arching her back as she tilted the jug upward. So what if she tilted it a little higher than necessary? So what if the water sloshed out a bit, running down over her skin to leave dark splotches on her undertunic?
With a bit of a squeal, Vacy set the canteen down. "Blast!" she said, rubbing her hands over her torso. "That's chilly!" She looked down, and then grinned impishly. "Yup. Definitely chilly."
She walked slowly toward Corso, who was standing absolutely still. "Well?" she whispered as she looked up at him. "I'm ready." She paused. Licked her lips. "Whenever you are."
He took a hesitant step toward her, and gently set his hands on her bare shoulders. "No, Vee," he whispered back, his voice rough. "You're not. Not yet, anyway." With a quiet smile, he reached up, his index finger softly tapping each of the tattooed dots on her cheekbones. "But believe me, when you are?" He leaned close, resting his forehead against hers. "I'll be waitin' for you."