We are now approaching: Caleoris.Vissa closed her eyes, collapsing her head into her exhausted hand. Her middle finger and thumb gently rubbed at her temples as if trying to soothe the pounding in her skull. It wasn't working. Neither was the drowned out live band playing smooth music. They were good, Vissa had concluded last night, but it seemed like few people were listening in this morning. The conversations all around her table were boisterous as they tried to compete with each other in terms of volume. There weren't any clear winners but her hangover made her a clear loser.
"Rough night?"The familiar voice caught Vissa's attention immediately, her head snapping up out of her hands to monetarily glare at the woman standing on across from her. She wasn't prepared for this conversation.
The glare gave way to a courteous smile as she motioned the other woman to sit.
"Athlene, what a pleasant surprise!" Vissa said with a forced energy. The other woman, Athlene, set her drink down on the table and accepted the invitation taking the spot across of Vissa.
"I didn't expect the Regional Director of Sales to pay me a visit." She said, waiting until the amber-haired woman sat. It gave her time to think, what the hell was the Officer of Intelligence for this region doing here? Without notice?
"Thought I might see how you are fairing? Glidara wasn't my first choice for you but I thought you might enjoy yourself a little on this business trip.""Aw, that is sweet but did you think I couldn't close with the client?" Vissa faked a laugh, though she made it convincing. Yet her gaze sharpened on her superior as she took a drink. That probably wasn't the case. Vissa's eyes wavered from her gaze, shifting to the rear of their socialite car to the corner booth where a few well dressed patrons sat, conversing quietly with an Imperial Officer. Two officers, technically, but the one that mattered was the Quartermaster for the sector. Even then it wasn't him, per sae, that mattered but which Gildarans were attempting to cozy up to the Quartermaster. Those individuals each needed to be identified: Vaylon Moss, Virex Daal, and Torren Kade.
Trivial at this point for her to come away with names, blackmail and coercion tactics that the Rebellion could use. The last crumbs of information she needed from last night's party. Athlene should have known that. She had to so this was about something else. What could be so important to drop in on an agent in the middle of their undercover work?
"Or was there something else?" Vissa's eyes focused back on her superior's. Her faked smile now taking on a sharper and real grin as she realized something. Her superior
needed a favor. Athlene's lips folded, eyes widened as she realized she had been found out but she still rounded her expression to a polite smile.
"You're right, Sev, there is something else." Athlene paused to compose herself with a drink.
"I need to relocate you to Tregallon."Vissa frowned. Tregallon? She knew the planet but only that it existed with a tiny garrison. It scarcely came up in intelligence reports and what she would hear from Imperials. It was the equivalent of rural backwater, might as well be considering the limited knowledge she had on it.
"I must decline. The client I have here should-" Vissa began, politely refuting verbally but internally she was seething at the idea that she was being plucked out of the comforts here when she hardly had anything else going for herself. Yet Athlene interrupted, raising her hand curtly.
"I understand your commitment to your clients but I am in danger of losing one on Tregallon. I need someone good to keep them."Her nostrils flared, her tell that she was repressing her anger.
"Why not send Alaric or Nyce?" She hastily offered, replying a little too quick to sound composed. Athlene shook her head.
"Not enough experience. I need you."Another broken promise from the Rebellion. Go figure. After she had finished here, she was going to resign anyway so might as well do so now. She opened her mouth but Athlene continued.
"Before you reaffirm your commitment here, let me offer you this. The bonus you were asking for at the start. You go to Tregallon and I'll pay it. In full."Vissa froze.
Almost ten years of trying to get the Rebellion to free her husband from whatever hellhole the Imperials put him in and never once had someone finally said they would do it. It was always "Well, we'll consider it." or "We just don't have..." and then insert reason. Yet in Athlene's roundabout way, she was offering it. Was it just a promise to be broken again?
"In full? I didn't think you had the budget for it?" Vissa sounded skeptical, reaching for the metal case on the table and retrieving a high-end
nico. The rolled paper ignited as it was withdrawn from the case, burning at the opposite end as she brought it to her lips to take a deep inhale.
Nicos were a smoking substance that were quite common here on Gildara. An addiction that she fell into rather easily.
Athlene continued,
"I'm making the allowance. Because." The amber-haired woman smiled, genuine, though Vissa couldn't see through it to know for sure.
"I'll take over here and I know a good lead on how to move our product. Imperial prisoners require uniforms after all and I know we can run a production of those. It just so happens that the person to talk to about that might be on this train."Vissa pulled the
nico away from her face, turning to blow smoke out into the rest of the train. So Athlene would be going after the other imperial officer, personally. At least that is what Vissa pulled from that loosely coded line. He might have had to do something with the Imperial prisons? She furrowed her brow trying to think about the connection but gave up. It wasn't important because Athlene would have to come through.
Vissa knew how to make sure.
"Fine. I get my bonus after or I walk." Vissa stated plainly as she stamped out her
nico and rose from her chair.
We are now arriving at: Caleoris."I already packed your bag. You should hop off here to catch the first shuttle off world. Dossier on our client is included." Athlene offered, finally relaxing and leaning back in her chair.
"You're such a doll." Vissa said through her all too flimsy smile. She hated when someone touched her stuff and the fact that Athlene presumed...
No, don't think that.
First Tregallon,
Then she is done.
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