A/N:This was originally meant to be a four part arc, but there's going to be one final chapter (and possibly an epilogue) after this one. Thank you to everybody who commented on the last instalment. I've included responses to individual comments at the end of the chapter.
-o0O0o-
"Would sir care for an aperitif?"
The Duros suppressed the urge to grab the Patrolian by the neck and enquire as to whether he'd care to become part of the seafood menu. The infamous bounty hunter Cad Bane might deal with a sneering, self-important maître d' in this fashion, but the parvenu freight magnate Nol Sloss would doubtless just refuse to tip. "Jus' bring me a bottle of the Corellian stuff," he said, making a dismissive gesture. "And don't try to fob me off with any of dat cheap imitation crap from Malastare."
The Patrolian's upper lip curled at this overt show of vulgarity. "As sir wishes." He gave a perfunctory bow and then exited the private balcony.
Glad to be free of the annoying presence, Bane leaned back and looked out at the hotel's award winning pleasure gardens. It seemed impressive enough for what it was: an artistically arranged collection of statuary, water features and rare specimens; all surrounded by a transparent dura-glass dome offering spectacular views of the Firebird Nebulae. However, his line of work wasn't the kind that tended to cultivate any sort of refined appreciation of aesthetics.
Kinda place you'd bring one of dose real classy Theelin girls,he thought, as he watched an Inner Rim senator and his holostar mistress ooh and ah at particularly lush purple and gold example of the genetic engineer's art.
He knew exactly why Aurra had demanded he meet her there rather than one of Synn Station's many low dives or abandoned cargo bays. She was trying to throw him off balance, to drag him out of the shadows and leave him exposed and discomfited in the tasteful mood lighting of the Firebird Hotel. Bane had to admit that she'd partially succeeded. Privacy forcescreen or not, he didn't like the feeling of being on display. He also wasn't too keen on the stiff, formal suit he was being obliged to wear; though the Sloss persona did at least leave him enough sartorial leeway to don a slightly less wide-brimmed version of his trademark hat.
After a few minutes a small bronze-coloured droid glided through the aperture leading from the main dining area to the balcony bearing aloft a bottle of Corellian whiskey and a tumbler on a silver tray.
"Jus' put it down dere." Bane gestured towards the elegantly carved table.
The small droid dutifully deposited the tray and then hovered in a way that put Bane in mind of TODO.
"Madam says that she'll be with you shortly."
Even sounds like TODO... dough I bet dat dis one doesn't get mouthy about bein' a goddamn techno service droid.
"Sure, sure." He dismissed the droid with a wave of his hand.
So, she was going to make him wait. He could live with that. He might not likebeing display, but he was a professional... and if it came down to it he could sit here and play Nol Sloss all night long.
After pouring out a measure of the dark amber liquid, he took a small, thin cylindrical object from the breast pocket of the heavy black dinner jacket he was wearing and discreetly dipped one end into the tumbler. When the top of the cylinder lit up blue he placed the device back in his pocket and lifted it to his mouth. At least she ain't tryin' to poison me dis time..
The whiskey was, as it turned out, 'the good stuff'. Not that he'd ever really had any doubts on that score. The Maitre d' might be a sniffy little sack of guts, but he wouldn't be dumb enough to stiff a freight man when it came to hard liquor. Satisfied by the rush of warmth in his gullet as the stuff went down, he poured himself another, somewhat larger measure. It was never a good idea to drink on the job, but then he wasn't really on the job now, merely anticipating talking about the job with his temperamental associate. Besides, he could always take an anti-intoxicant later.
He was half way down his third glass when a tall, slender figure stepped out onto the balcony. It was a sight that made him blink. Not because it wasn't Aurra – he'd notice that combination of pallor, stance and long limbs anywhere, but because it was an altered, decidedly uncanny looking Aurra. He'd figured that she wouldn't be showing up in that orange one-piece and the distinctive ponytail, but he hadn't expected the dress, the jewels or the scarlet-painted lips.
Sneering he made a show of looking her up and down. "Don't tell me choo brought me all dis way jus' so you could play dress-up."
She shrugged and pressed a sequence of buttons on the touchpad that resided on the balcony wall. There was a shimmer as the one-way privacy screen sprang into place, concealing them from the eyes and ears of any would be interlopers. "I needed a new alias. The courier from Nal Hutta wouldn't work here."
"Why come here in de first place den? Choo ain't exactly lookin' inconspicuous." He eyed the dark red stones around her base of her neck. They, like the large emeralds that were adorning the auburn wig that she was wearing, looked suspiciously as though they came from the set that had been taken from Torsillian Crowned Princess in that pirate raid on the Royal Family's off course pleasure cruiser eight years earlier.
"Let's just say I had an unexpected offer of employment."
"What kind of offer?"
She gestured to the senator and the holostar, who had now turned their attention to a small waterfall. "You see them?"
"Sure."
"Look again in eight minutes." She took the seat opposite him, the dark green fabric of the dress rustling expensively as she sat.
He eyed her for a few seconds, not quite certain what to make of her appearance. As disguises went there was a certain clever subtlety to it. Aurra Sing was infamous, but most people only looked close enough to note the ponytail, the pallor and the accessories. Take the first and last away, add a little bright makeup to the second and to the untrained eye she was the pampered heir to some minor Corporate Sector mining interest nobody in this part of the Outer Rim cared much about. It was a dangerous game, but hell, they were dangerous people.
To Bane however the overall effect didn't seem entirely 'right'. In many ways he was a creature of habit and he was far too used to that big impractical ponytail to really take to any great divergence from it.
The neckline though...? He could certainly take to the way the bodice pushed up her breasts.
Suddenly aware that he was staring, and – perhaps rather more importantly – that shewas aware that he was staring, he gestured to her throat.
"Dose rocks of yours a present from Ohnaka?"
"These?" She raised a hand to the necklace and caressed the gems in a manner that was close to fond, an odd little smile tugging at her mouth. "They looked better on me than him."
Bane performed a few rough estimations and currency conversions and came to the conclusion that his previous suspicions about Ohnaka's romantic idiocy had been not just correct, but indeed drastically understated.
"I take it choo brought de plans?"
She took a datapad from the stupidly small clutch she was holding and tossed it to him. He looked at it, not quite able to shake the feeling of 'wrongness' that came from eyeing classified schematics while surrounded by the sights and sounds of the galactic glitterati at play.
"Relax Bane, I'm running a jamming signal." She tapped the antenna, which was presently masquerading as a hair pin.
He scowled, rankled that she'd been able to detect his discomfiture. "Choo're planning to enter through de bottom of de bulk supplies shaft."
"Do you have a problem with that?"
"It's on de wrong side of de building for one thing. For another it's de second most heavily guarded access point in de whole complex."
"It's heavily guarded at the base because once you're in you can go anywhere along the spine: no checkpoints, no sentinels, no automated defences... they'd interfere with the lift mechanism or something. You take out the guards and security droids you've got a free run."
"Dey'll send security to de arrival bays."
"They won't know where we plan to emerge and they don't have enough manpower to cover every level, so they'll swarm to the treasury, the defence administration block and the key information centres. Protecting the marks won't be a priority. You'll get out on Level Three thousand and eighty-one: the personnel archive and create a diversion."
"What kind of diversion?"
She shrugged. "Shoot a few guards, then seize the records for the Cross Planetary Terraforming Committee or something. I'll carry on up to Three thousand and ninety-six. Once you've got security running in your direction detonate grenades at the two points marked on the schematics and head on to the rendezvous point."
"And what about choo?"
"I'll locate the marks and take them out."
"So basically chur idea is to get to de right floor and jus' take it from dere."
"There are four places they could take the marks to once the alert goes up. Over-planning would be pointless. I'll have to take it as it comes."
And dat Sing, is why you'll never take my spot at de top. His satisfaction at this thought was tinged with an odd kind of exasperation. You didn't plan to wing it. You winged it when your plan and your backup had been karked to hell.
She drummed red-painted fingernails on the table. "Why, do you have a better idea?" Her tone suggested a belief that this was about as likely as winning the Republic lottery.
He tapped at the datapad for a few moments and then proffered it to here. "Dere you go."
She took it grudgingly and then sneered. "This takes me ten floors further up."
"De moment choo get out on three-thousand and ninety-six they'll know what choo're dere for. Dey might figure dat it'll be best to try and hole up and hope you don't manage to break through de doors... but dey might decide to make a break for de lower levels. On de other hand if dey don't suspect that anyone's coming for Brull's snitches then dey'll probably jus' take dem to the nearest safe room. Choo get out a few floors further up and choo can come down de maintenance crawlway and take them by surprise."
He could tell that she wanted to argue; to point out some gaping flaw in his argument. He also knew that she wouldn't find one.
There was a silence of around ten seconds in which her expression went through several poorly concealed changes: irritation, embarrassment, resentment and finally haughty acceptance.
Yeah, dat's it. Think of a way to take it without lookin' like choo're giving in.
"You better be right about that crawlway, Bane."
He allowed himself a small smirk. "Don't worry... Of course, choo oughta remember dat my part in dis is contingent on you takin' out all de names on dat list first."
She made a dismissive, irritable gesture. "I know how to squash insects."
"Jus' so long as we're clear on dat."
They lapsed into silence again. This time it stretched on for several minutes. Bane found himself torn between getting up and taking a parting shot and waiting for her to make a move. Business had been concluded, he could slip out of the Dome, out of the confining suit and into the seedy warren of bazaars, bars, gambling dens and low rent brothels that occupied the bulk of the station. However, there was something oddly depressing about the thought of spending the night in some dingy House of Pleasure with a couple of dead-eyed, spice-addicted humanoids with cosmetically enhanced breasts that had the sole effect of highlighting how worn and sunken all the other bits were.
Perhaps I should take up a hobby.
The thought induced an involuntary chuckle as he imagined himself taking up gardening or model star fighter collecting.
Aurra looked at him enquiringly.
He made a dismissive gesture. "Jus' thinking."
"About what?"
"Taking up gardening."
She gave a snort, but said nothing, her eyes suddenly focussed on something in the distance.
Bane followed her gaze and found himself looking at the holostar, who was on and violently convulsing, while the wide-eyed senator looked on with an expression of ineffectual startlement.
He looked at Aurra. "Poison? I thought better of you."
She shrugged. "It's what the client specified."
"A shot to de head would have been quicker... no to mention safer."
"If killing her was the endgame I'd agree."
"Oh?" He regarded the scene: the medical droids swarming around the dying woman, the bodyguards leading the dazed looking senator away. "A fit-up operation?"
"She's been screwing her co-stars and running up debts at his expense. When they search her room they'll find out that her lipstick was switched for one laced with Trimezorox Seven. With a little work the authorities will trace an order for the stuff back to her lover... She's famous enough to warrant a full investigation, even here."
Bane regarded her sceptically. "His parent's are rich enough to see dat nothin' sticks. An' dis is de Outer Rim, not some Upper Level district on Coruscant."
"But everyone will 'know' it had to be him. The client just wants him out of the senate. Incarceration won't be necessary"
"And who is de client?"
She smiled and leaned forwarded, giving him an extended view of the dip between her breasts.
Stickin' chur tits in my face? Now dat's a new one.
"You want to know who the client is?"
Bane tensed as a hand came to rest on his thigh.
"Do you think I'm some kind of amateur?" Her voice was low and throaty, at odds with the snappish irritation he would have expected from her under usual circumstances.
What de hell kind of game is dis?
"I think choo like to brag," he said, managing to keep his own tones casual in spite of the long fingers creeping their way up his leg.
"We all like to do that." She reached out with the hand not squeezing his thigh and brushed the tips of her fingers against the side of his mouth. "The trick is knowing when to keep this shut."
"I know my business, Sing. I was bagging heads for de Hutts back when you were playin' with dolls."
"They never let me have any dolls." For half-a-second a faraway, almost sad, look crossed her features. Then she licked her lips and smiled in a decidedly predatory fashion.
He didn't quite manage to stop himself from swallowing.
"What de kark d'you want?" he demanded, a little more forcefully than was seemly for a being who prided himself on keeping his cool.
"You can't guess?"
He harrumphed, not prepared to let on that he had absolutely no idea.
Without a word she rose from her chair, leant down, knocked aside his hat and kissed him full on the mouth.
Motor functions bypassing his rational faculties, his hands went for her hips and drew her down onto his lap.
She didn't resist, opting instead to rub up against him in a way that sent blood rushing away from his brain and towards the parts of his anatomy that were now attempting to assume primary thought control.
"You know," she murmured against the place where an ear would be on a Human. "There's always been something about you."
Before he could make enquiries about what the something in question was, her lips were on him again: harder and more aggressive than before. As small blunt teeth nipped at his mouth he felt her reach for something nestled in the bodice of her dress.
"Aurra, what de—"
"Got it."
There was an explosion followed by a flash of light. Pulling back, he saw that the blue shimmer of the privacy screen was gone. Others who had previously been hidden from view were suddenly revealed in various states of shock, horror and undress. A smoking crater where a well-heeled Nautolan and his Human hangers on had been sitting, suggesting the detonation of a localised but rather powerful non-incendiary charge.
He looked at Aurra, still straddling his lap, and saw that her face was a mask of pretend fear and shame.
After a couple of second of feigned shock she rose, loudly gibbered something in Huttese about her father disowning her if he found out and fled into the building.
It didn't take long for Bane to figure out what had happened. She'd decided to pull off a three in one: poison the senator's mistress, blow up some rising crime lord and screw with Bane's head. All while keeping the rich schutta alias intact long enough for her leave the Dome unimpeded.
The bitch had just gone and used him as a prop.
Oh well, he thought, looking down at the large green stone he'd managed to pluck from her hair just before she made her getaway. At least dis'll cover a better class of bar girl for a few weeks.
-o0O0o-
Laelwen: I'm probably a slightly bigger fan of Hondo/Aurra (there's a certain utterly dysfunctional sweetness about the whole thing), but Aurra and Cad are a lot of fun to write together.
Stilwater Rundeepo: I'm really happy that you enjoyed the setting. I've been reading quite a bit noir-ish SF&F and crime fiction lately, so it was fun to write Nar Shaddaa in that sort of vein. I decided to go a little more upmarket for this chapter's setting, but I think that the Outer Rim seediness still came though.
Obsidian Tear: Thank you :) I mainly write Hondo/Aurra and Aurra/Bane as it's easy for me to think up amusing (to me, at least) scenarios to put them in, but I may write other characters in future (it all depends on what ideas hit me really).