You’ve Got Blackmail, [Criminal Job: Etti IV] ATTN: Elina

((Corporate Sector Espionage
Working For: Direx Nalorum
Planet: Etti IV
Goal: Slice into the private computer network of one of Nalorum's rivals on the Direx Board and find some juicy information for him to use as blackmail material. If you're caught by the Espos, you're on your own; Nalorum will disavow any knowledge of your existence.))

Funds weren’t running low so much as Cameron had become restless. Well, that and he was thinking a few more credits to line his pockets with would do him some good. With Elina having gone off to do whatever it was she did on her own time, Cam had eventually gotten himself hired on by one Direx Nalorum and had been shipped off to Etti IV. That was where he was now. He’d planned on doing this job on his own--it shouldn’t prove to hard--but then Elina had contacted him and he just couldn’t say no to her.

That, and he was oddly thrilled at the prospect of seeing her again. Despite their definite no strings attached relationship, he didn’t mind being tugged back in the Zeltron’s direction, not one bit.

That was why he was settled in at the local tapcafe--Mondder’s finest, or so the hostess had proclaimed eagerly. Elina was due to show up any time now and they had agreed to meet up here together before getting involved in the business aspect of their time on this Corporate Sector world. Nalorum wouldn’t be too happy if he loitered too long, but he was willing to risk a little while for Elina’s sake.

Already he was doing a little research on his objective, though, unable to loiter perfectly when he had a job on the brain. He was tucked away in a back corner, using his personal computer to tap through information about the Direx Board all while nursing a cup of stim tea and a strange pastry that the menu had labeled “A Haven Home specialty!” and had proven to be more or less worth the creds he’d spent on it.

His eyes flickered to the door every now and again as he awaited the arrival of his companion. He’d never admit it, but he was looking forward to her arrival more than he’d looked forward to anything in a while. Absence makes the heart grow fonder? Perhaps. This was a theory he was only beginning to test.

Clothed in some unimpressive civilian clothes that she bought on her way to meet with Cam, Elina thought that the fashion sense of the Etti people were in sore need of reevaluation. Personally, she didn't prefer wearing blacks or any dark shades for that matter because it merely heightened the vibrancy of her red skin in a negative sort of way. She liked dazzling, bright colours like purples and oranges and yellows--things that caught your eye in a sparkly sort of way. So she wasn't particularly happy with the form-fitting, concealing, and dark outfit that she was now being forced to wear to blend in. With her hair pulled back as well, she felt more like she was headed towards a funeral than a lucrative business opportunity. But it was better that than stick out even more...especially when she was suppose to be doing a job with Cam.

It wasn't long before Elina came across the tapcafe that their rendezvous was set to take place in. Glancing at a chrono on the wall, she realized that she was slightly late, but that couldn't have been helped. Her sidetrip to drop off Hailee on Zeltros with her parents had taken a bit longer than she'd expected. And oh, how much fun that had been. The looks she received from her parents before she explained the situation were nothing short of comical; it was impossible for Hailee to biologically be hers but her parents had made the assumption against logic. She couldn't blame them, since they hadn't seen her for so long and then she shows up with a teenage girl...Still. It had been fairly hilarious, if she did say so herself. And now Hailee was with good people, safe for the time being. Zeltros was as good a place as any to grow up.

Entering the tapcafe, the dull sound of music drifted to her ears. It wasn't unpleasant, but it sure was boring. In fact, she'd heard more interesting lift music on Nar Shaddaa then what the speakers in this place were pumping out. It was very homely, though, she'd give it that. But the Etti also needed to reevaluate their musical tastes as well as their fashion ones, apparently. Though many of them were such skinny little things that Elina was afraid if she spoke to loud, they'd keel over and die on her. Such a bizarre place, this planet.

Her hazel eyes narrowed in on Cameron who was seated in one of the back corners. She gave him a sincere smile even before his eyes flicked up to her. She had to admit it: she was happy to see him. Like really happy to see him, so vehemently so that she was taken aback by how much. That was mild cause for concern but she'd worry about it later. There was business to discuss, and things to catch up on.

"Is this seat taken?" she asked wryly as she stood before Cam's booth. Sliding in across from him at the table, she gave him a sultry look beneath dark lashes. "Miss me, handsome?"

Cameron felt a jump of excitement despite himself when the womanly figure of his companion walked through the door of the tapcafe. He could tell this wasn’t exactly her element--oh, he’d seen her in her element--but she seemed to be coping well enough. Admittedly, it wasn’t his element either. Etti IV was almost as uncomfortable to him as, say, Nar Shadda, if only for different reasons. Nar Shadda just had too many people like himself, only meaner. He preferred to not mingle with the crass criminal sort.

"Is this seat taken? Miss me, handsome?"

He watched her as she sat, intent enough it would almost seem like he was re-memorizing her face. “Oh, I don’t know, if I say I missed you will you work to take some of the longing away?” he inquired, his words and tone relatively suggestive, as he tended to find himself doing whenever Elina was about. She had an interesting effect on him.

He closed his computer, knowing he’d not get anything done with her to distract him and not minding one bit. They’d find time to work when the pleasantries were over with and that could very well take a couple of hours knowing them if this went in that direction. Which it might or might not, Cam wasn’t going to place bets either way knowing their past track record versus the fact that they had a job to do and they both took jobs seriously.

“So, what you been doing without me? Not wallowing in self-sorrow for my absence, I hope.” The idea of her wallowing in self-anything was laughable to Cam. He’d never seen her do any such thing and as far as he was concerned, she wasn’t capable of it. Not by her nature, of course--she was a feeling person and he knew it--but by her design. Everything seemed to go so well for her. But maybe that was just because his own current run of good fortune was contagious.

The empath could sense the spark of excitement as soon as she had approached Cameron's table, but being in such a close vicinity as him now, all his emotions clearly rolled off of him. He had never been one to make an effort in concealing how he felt, and that was kind of refreshing to Elina. At the same time, it boggled her mind some of his feelings whenever she was around. Oh yes, there were the usual ones: lust, desire, things like that. But occasionally, she'd notice ones pop up in peculiar places. This excitement of his right now for example, and she couldn't help but wonder if it was for the job they were about to do or because she was here. Even more troubling was the fact that she wasn't sure whether she'd rather him be more happy to see her or excited about the job.

Brushing the thoughts from her mind, she realized she was overthinking again. That had become quite the problem lately, she'd noticed. From now on, she resolved to stop analyzing everything so fracking much; it was only making her unhappy and bothering her. Let things come as they would, and enjoy that which came--that should be her new motto. If she even decided to adopt a motto. What good were they anyway? Nah, she didn't need a motto...that was too cliche and she rather enjoyed being unique.

“Oh, I don’t know, if I say I missed you will you work to take some of the longing away?”

Elina laughed, unable to help herself. "Possibly," she said in reply, eyes twinkling with mirth.

“So, what you been doing without me? Not wallowing in self-sorrow for my absence, I hope.”

"If I say I have, will you work to make up for your absence?" she teased, using similar words to the ones he spoke prior. She grinned, having missed this banter.

"Actually, though, I paid a visit to an old friend on Nar Shaddaa," she told him, leaning back and casually allowing her arms to rest on the backs of the booth. "And walked away with a shiny 3,000 credits. Certainly not bad for a day's work, right?"

Leaning forward on her elbows on the table, she glanced from his computer to him, curiousity in her expression. "What about you, Techy? What've you been up to while I've been away?"

"If I say I have, will you work to make up for your absence?"

That got a grin and a chuckle from the man, “Possibly,” he echoed her previous words. They rarely dealt in definitive, despite the fact that they both knew full well they’d be coddling each other’s desires later. It never failed and he saw no point whatsoever in changing their ways. Don’t fix what’s not broke, right?

"And walked away with a shiny 3,000 credits. Certainly not bad for a day's work, right?"

Cameron knew the nature of her work first hand and definitely didn’t need to ask for the details of her latest adventure. He was, however, quite impressed with the pay out. “Very, very nice, doll. You make your line of work seem easier than it is, methinks, hm?” He smirked at her, fingering his cup of stim tea for a moment, stretching his foot out to touch hers briefly under the table, and idle flirt for a chance to touch her, even if it was a relatively innocent touch for them.

”What about you, Techy? What've you been up to while I've been away?"

He smiled brightly. “Absolutely nothing.” He didn’t seem bothered by this fact. “I stayed where you left me and remained my pretty, idle self until I caught wind of the job here and signed up for it. The employer sent a shuttle for me, and viola, here I am. Talented of me, eh?”

All in all, not much of a story, but he was happier to have her here to continue his ‘story.’ Their last job with Moree had been far more entertaining together than it could have ever been for either one of them alone. Mind, he would have never, ever been able to pull that off on his own; Elina was the bounty hunter, not him.

That’s why this current job was about his element and not hers, so he could prove himself something further amazing.

“Very, very nice, doll. You make your line of work seem easier than it is, methinks, hm?”

"Only because I typically have way too much fun with it," she said with a wink. This was true; she enjoyed what she did which made her 'line of work' seem more like play. And why shouldn't it? It allowed her the freedom to choose where she went and what she did, and it was bettering the Galaxy to get such terrible people off the streets and into cells...or graves, as it often was as well. Yes, she certainly loved her job sometimes, especially when she met such fascinating people and did some downright fun jobs.

Elina was momentarily surprised by the brush of Cam's foot against her own. It was such a small, barely noticeable touch but it spoke volumes. For a moment, she just looked at him, her expression unscrupulous. A thousand thoughts flew through her head, images of this and that seeming to flash before her eyes. She lowered her gaze and looked at the menu that had been set before her by a waiter only moments prior, allowing a few seconds to regain her composure without letting Cam notice. That was...really something. He hadn't gotten to her through all the kisses and all the other activities that they'd engaged in, but a simple sentimental touch managed to break right through her defenses. Incredible.

And for once, she wasn't sure if she was even bothered by it. It was kind of...nice, actually. To have been missed, to have been wanted. Yeah, nice.

Reaching over boldly, she took one of his hands in one of her own, just holding it. A little more contact never hurt anyone, right? And they'd been apart for a decent amount of time; theirs was a physical relationship, it only made since for her to want that again. And that's it. Yes. Just that. Mhm.

"Talented of me, eh?”

"You never cease to impress me with all your hidden talents," she replied, her tone decidedly devious. "Who knows what kind of skills you managed to learn while I was gone? If you learned anything new, you'll have to show me later." A wink sealed the innuendo in the statement.

"Speaking of jobs," she said, continuing on. "What's this business of yours that I'm getting dragged into?" Her tone was light, joking. She was more than happy to participate in another venture with Cam.

Cameron didn’t notice Elina’s momentary dilemma and merely watched her idly as she glanced at her menu. After a moment, she seemed to decide to return his physical gesture with one of her own and took his hand. The touch was something he was used to--they were rarely not touching in some fashion whilst around one another. Today wasn’t bound to be any different. And he’d always found hand holding to be one of the simpler intimate movements which he preferred.

"Who knows what kind of skills you managed to learn while I was gone? If you learned anything new, you'll have to show me later."

“It’s a date,” he agreed with a definite grin. While he’d not so much learned anything new while she was gone, he had dreamed up a few things. It was funny what one’s mind could come up with when it went on break after being so stimulated for a couple of weeks.

"What's this business of yours that I'm getting dragged into?"

“Oh, nothing too major, from what I can tell. Might be a bit dangerous as the employer will, in fact, not be willing to help should we get into trouble. See, it’s a job for a guy called Nalorum. He’s looking for a slicer to get into a private network and get some blackmail on one of his Direx Board rivals. It’s just a matter of not getting caught by the Espos, really. We’ll need to get into the private network’s building. Gotta say, I’m glad you’re along. Two always makes the job of one much easier. You still up for it?”

If she wanted out, he’d let her out. He wasn’t here to trap her against her wishes into a job she wanted nothing to do with. He didn’t want to tie her hands up... well, in jobs, at least.

"...Gotta say, I’m glad you’re along. Two always makes the job of one much easier. You still up for it?”

Elina let the idea sink in for a moment, pursing her lips and swirling around the water in her glass a bit as she thought. "Sounds interesting enough. I expect the pay to be good?"

Not that money mattered all that much to Elina, but she liked to think it did anyway. Credits made the Galaxy go 'round, so naturally that was the best philosophy to stick to in this day and era. A few credits couldn't hurt, after all, and she probably could use some new equipment, maybe even some new clothes. Okay, so she needed to go on a shopping trip fairly bad...It wasn't the sort of thing she usually brought anyone along with; and wouldn't bring Cam along with. Call her old fashioned, but shopping was a girls' only thing in her mind...No boys. Even if she was shopping for weapons. Cam didn't seem to be very knowledgeable in that sort of stuff anyway, being the techy that he was.

More to the point (the one she'd lost in that tangent), it was best to keep up a money-grubbing facade considering her occupation.

"You know, this might be a good chance to observe you in your element," she told him, smiling. "You've already seen me in mine. Fair is fair."

Elina had to admit that she was curious to actually see Cam do his thing, as it were. She knew he was a hacker, but she'd never seen him in action. This would be the first time.

She took a drink of her water. "You'll have to give me a bit more detail than 'we're breaking into the private network's building', though, for me to be very effective in providing a distraction. I can only assume that's what you'd need me for, slicer-boy."

"Sounds interesting enough. I expect the pay to be good?"

“Of course. I wouldn’t touch something that could potentially land me back in authoritative custody if it weren’t worth the creds,” Cam informed her. It was, admittedly, the first time he’d sincerely hinted at his past history spent in custody other than his own. It wasn’t a secret he intended to keep, but it wasn’t exactly a fact that one flaunted, either. His jail stint had been a short three years by some standards, but it was still three years he couldn’t get back, and no proper slicer was ever happy about getting caught. He’d been younger, then, though, and more reckless. He didn’t plan on slipping up this time, not when the job was straightforward enough.

That, and he had Elina on his side. She made him feel oddly... invincible. After their great run back on Naboo, he was sure between both their skill pools, they were in the gold.

"You've already seen me in mine. Fair is fair."

“Fair is fair indeed,” he agreed. His own ‘element’ wasn’t as overtly obvious as hers was, but it was no less impressive when the time was right. It would be good for him to take the lead, though. Elina couldn’t have all the fun. And this was one more chance to prove that he was who he said he was to Elina. A little more trust never killed anyone, right? Well, disregarding misplaced trust, of course.

”...I can only assume that's what you'd need me for, slicer-boy."

“Well, you do make for one hell of a distraction,” he informed her with a flirty sort of grin. “So yeah. So far as information goes, I don’t have a lot. I did a bit of digging here,” he tapped his computer, “But Nalorum’s rival doesn’t have a lot out there for the public to look at. Most of what I discovered was about the Direx Board itself. I guess Nalorum’s rival is the president of a company in the middle of town. The Board itself governs all of the Corporate Sector stuff. Both Nalorum and his rival run similar companies, but that’s about all I’ve managed to pull up. I was hoping we could do a little reconnaissance before coming up with a serious plan.”

He paused with a shrug. “Mostly I’m thinking we’re going to have to get into a restricted area; I doubt we’re going to find anywhere I can plug into the system remotely, though we might get lucky.”

He always got lucky with Elina.

“Of course. I wouldn’t touch something that could potentially land me back in authoritative custody if it weren’t worth the creds.”

A slender eyebrow rose, matching Elina's own curiousity that had been piqued at this little tidbit of information on her partner. Cam wasn't a very private person, but neither had he been all that forthcoming with his own history; that had been fine with Elina because she hadn't given him much knowledge about her own past. The way she figured it, if it was important now, he'd tell her and vice versa. What was done is done, there was no point dwelling on it or continually bringing it up. In fact, she spent the majority of her time doing the exact opposite--trying to forget.

But whether or not he realized it, Cam had just let slip a nugget of his past. He'd said that he wouldn't touch something that could potentially land him back in jail; in short, that meant that he'd already had some sort of experience with prison. He seemed too good and nice of a guy to have been a hardened prisoner, so she had to assume that he'd had just a short stint of jail time. Regardless, it was rather revealing, showing his gusto for going back to a life of crime even after dealing with the consequences of it. Elina herself had never been in prison, and had no desire to experience that sort of unknown...She'd learn from other's mistakes in that regard, thanks.

She was momentarily tempted to ask him about his jail time but had to remind herself that it truly was none of her business. Their sort of relationship did not need or warrant prying. After all, it was more or less a come-as-you-are sort of fling; anything else...well, that just wouldn't work.

“Well, you do make for one hell of a distraction.”

Elina grinned, her eyes glowing with amusement at his words. "I would hope so," she said, brushing her free hand against his. "Wouldn't want to think that I was losing my touch."

“Mostly I’m thinking we’re going to have to get into a restricted area; I doubt we’re going to find anywhere I can plug into the system remotely, though we might get lucky.”

Giving a nod, she gave herself a moment to absorb everything that he'd just said.

"Lucky for you, restricted areas are my specialty," Elina said with a smirk. "But if we're going to do this, with me providing the distraction, we're both going to need an exit plan as well. Going in blind will be bad enough...but I'm more concerned about the escape. If you're caught...we'll both be in trouble."

The Zeltron tapped the tabletop, thinking. "If you can download some area schematics of the building we're infiltrating, that'd definitely be a start. From there, we can decide what's to be done."

"But if we're going to do this, with me providing the distraction, we're both going to need an exit plan as well. Going in blind will be bad enough...but I'm more concerned about the escape. If you're caught...we'll both be in trouble."

Cameron nodded in the affirmative, understanding this fact full well as anyone could. Getting cornered in a building was never, ever a good thing. And even if he was willing to get himself caught--which he wasn’t, honestly--he certainly wouldn’t have knowingly put Elina into the ‘line of fire.’ He might have had a bit of a reputation as a playboy among those who knew him, but he did know how to take care of women. He gave them far more respect than one might expect from his ‘sort’.

"If you can download some area schematics of the building we're infiltrating, that'd definitely be a start. From there, we can decide what's to be done."

Without a moment’s hestitation, his personal computer was back in front of him, his eyes on the screen and his fingers tapping across the keys. It was obvious he knew full well what he was doing with the device. He’d been more or less tapped into a computer on a regular basis since he was three. Fallion had started him on the ‘technical life’ at a very early age. Mind, he was seven when he’d managed his first proper network hacking on his own, but skills that aren’t exactly innate take time to develop.

“It’s funny,” he commented as he continued his work, his eyes not leaving the screen for more than the briefest glance at Elina. “You can tell when someone thinks they’re in potential to be hacked or blackmailed. They start throwing up all these security measures that look nice but are about as easy to break as cheap plasteel. They only get serious once they’ve been attacked.” He bit his lip for a moment as he tinkered his way through security.

“And I think we might be the first to get under this guy’s skin. Should be in here in a second...”

((What’s Nalorum’s rivals name and what is his company based on? Was Cam able to get the building schematics like he wanted?))

(( Nalorum's rival's name is Dek Anselm, a Muun. His main business is a large conglomerate of companies in the medical and biotech fields. They produce a number of different products, including custom pharmaceuticals, cybernetic replacement limbs and organs, genetically engineered bioforms (both as pets for select clients as well as security and industrial use), and even biogenic weapons which are outlawed in most parts of the galaxy.

Anselm's main computer network is protected by a number of security measures, all of which are linked into eachother to detect hacking attempts on any one program. Few slicers in the galaxy could have managed to penetrate the morass without setting at least one of them in the process. However, Cam is one of the slicer elite, and therefore he manages to traverse the virtual briar patch after about half an hour of work. Retrieving the building plans is a simple task in comparison. ))

“And I think we might be the first to get under this guy’s skin...."

Elina smiled, her eyes lighting with something akin to relief. "That's good, because there's nothing like being the original. And we'll also have no competition for this job, either. You don't get that advantage in bounty hunting so much...Hunters aren't known to share, as you can very well imagine."

"Should be in here in a second...”

The Zeltron watched her associate get to work, his face lining with concentration as his fingers flew deftly over the keys. It was obvious that he knew what he was doing, and Elina knew it'd only be a matter of time until he managed to find whatever he was looking for in that particular system. Computers were truly amazing things, but even more amazing were the people who knew how to traverse their perilous paths of 0s and 1s like child's play. The bounty hunter wasn't exactly technologically challenged, but her knowledge of computers and how they worked were certainly limited.

It didn't seem to take him long to find what he was looking for, which was good. Elina could be patient if she had to, but she was rather more of an action person. One could even say a hands-on type. Plans were nice and well, but execution was the most important thing. The sooner they settled things here, the more quickly they could get to the actual job--the hard, fun stuff. And the sooner that was finished, the sooner they got paid, and the sooner they could enjoy that pay.

"So, what have we got?" she asked, leaning over the table to strain and see if she could possible glance at his turned computer screen. If they were on a less morally strict planet as this one, she probably would have gotten out of her seat and went over to sit on his lap to view the screen. Here, however, that would only draw unnecessary attention, much to her own inner disappointment.