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He looks at each of you, confused. He smiles, as if you might be joking. "I am so sorry, I do not know what you are talking about." He looks toward the vesk. "I don't know anyone particularly skilled with computers. Well... Except maybe mt grandmother... But she retired a long time ago."
He looks at Serrarra and Yuta. "Surely, you have the wrong house. it isn't me, and couldn't be my grandmother." he seems a little alarmed at your line of questioning, but like he is being completely sincere. He shows know signs of aggression or attempted flight.
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Jubair takes a step back, almost dropping his watering can. "What do you want?" he asks loudly, frightened.
A wizened old woman appears in the doorway of the flat. "What's going on, Jubair?" She approaches the group. "What seems to be the trouble? Is there something I can help you with? Why don't we all go inside for a spot of tea, and sort things out." she gestures back to the flat before walking back in.
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Serrarra is pleased to move away from the clearly frightened Jubair.
Tea sounds lovely, thank you.
Serrarra does her best to appear nonthreatening as she introduces herself and the party.
As you may already know, some enterprising hacker recently breached the nontrivial defenses of the Bluerise Tower and made off with a substantial amount of valuable data.
She sips her tea calmly.
This data could prove to be very useful to our employer. The data trail was skillfully concealed, but not so much that it didn't lead us here. To you.
She smiles warmly over her teacup.
I think we can help each other. What do you say?
Serrarra's background is in video manipulation, which involves a fair amount of programming. She tries to use this knowledge to assure the woman that the party are not just street thugs.
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Jubair follows the party timidly into the flat. Boxes of nutrient broth, gardening tools, and various cultural knickknacks clutter the floor of the flat, leaving barely any room for visitors to sit down.
The lady hands anyone who will take it a cup of tea. "I am Ceren," she tells you after your introductions.
"I admit I hadn't heard anything... But let's just see..." she pauses a moment. "Oh dear," she seems concerned, a worried look on her face. "Though I have no memory of it, it seems that I have stolen the files."
Jubair looks shocked. "Grandmother! How could you?"
"Now, now, Jubair, allow me to explain." She takes a sip of her tea before turning back to the gathered Starfinders. She looks Serrarra, and seems to calm down at her words. "I was a hacker in my younger years, one of the best. Sadly, though, a while back I was diagnosed with a degenerative brain disease, and was forced into early retirement." she sighs. "Augmentations implanted in my brain halted the damage, and keep me functional, but I occassionaly have large memory lapses and am no longer as capable as I once was. I can only conclude that I must have lapsed into a younger mindset, performed the hack, and forgotten about it. I can't remember the circumstances, but I will gladly give you the files... If you help me." She looks into Sarrarra's eyes, a hopeful look on her face.
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Ceren looks over each of you carefully, before continuing. "I am guilty of stealing from Bluerise Tower. It is only a matter of time before corporate security hunts me down. I have no realistic hope of evading these agents in my current state. I propose you help me fake my death, to get me out of hot water. Then, I want you to place Jubair under the protection of your employer, who I can only assume to be the Starfinder Society." she looks at Serrarra, chuckling. "Ah, but this does remind me of my younger days!"
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Degen... Degen-er- what? Lost already, Julakesh tries to keep up with the conversation. ...Aha! Guilty! We have found the thief!
Proud to have caught back up in the conversation, Julakesh smiles proudly.
"FAKE your death? How can one fake death?" Julakesh interrupts. She seems to be thinking.... "I only know how to deal real death."
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Serrarra chuckles at the impetuous Vesk.
It's actually not that hard, if you know what to do. Better to be thought a corpse than to be one.
She turns back to Ceren with a smile.
I wasn't going to mention it, but yes. Corporate security has been delayed, but not for long. I think we can find a place for Jubair in the Starfinder Society in compensation for the data.
She scans her associates for any disagreement with this sentiment.
Now, what did you have in mind for yourself?
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Yuta accepts a cup of the tea gratefully, and sits quietly listening to the conversation that Serrarra is handling so skillfully. He smiles at the old woman's proposal, and nods when the lashunta looks around for approval. This sounds like an interesting project to try. I never had to fake a person's death before.
He also notices that the woman seems to have a positive impression of the Starfinder Society, so he activates the Starfinder implant on his left hand and shows it to both her and Jubair, as proof that they are who they say they are.
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Faking death? That isn't something I have covered in the curriculum yet. But maybe... Medrick begins to ponder if there is anything he can do to help sell the death of this woman using his medical knowledge.
When she mentions the society, Medrick activates his implant as well. He tries to keep a friendly face on but doesn't say anything.
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Ceren nods sagely, smiling as you activate your implants.
"FAKE your death? How can one fake death?" Julakesh interrupts. She seems to be thinking.... "I only know how to deal real death."
Ceren can't help but laugh. "Well, I would prefer that you don't actually kill me, of course!" she says, taking another sip. She turns to respond to Serrarra. "Well, as you said, it shouldn't be too difficult. First we will need a body, and a death certificate. You will likely need to acquire a cadaver, and either forge a certificate or bribe someone. Whatever you prefer. I will also need a new identity. "
"Jubair, be a dear and start packing up our most precious belongings. I want to be ready to leave as soon as possible."
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Mostly holding to the back of the group and keeping little attention to himself he wouldn't partake the invitation to the tea. As he was scanning the room for a computer or setup of some kind to pry through, the admittance to stealing the information caught him off guard.
He listened keenly on the talk about faking the lady's death and, depending on the plan, was thinking about offering a thorough wipe of any digital devices to lessen any past incriminating actions she might have accrued from other past 'relapses'.
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Medrick smiles. I have some training in the medical field. I believe I could "doctor" up a body to look like you. Let's get to work!
Ohh God, what has gotten into me! So quickly I abandon my ethics? Just to use your medical knowledge to impress your friends... this society will be a dangerous place.
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"I know a where we can get a corpse," Julakesh says with a grin. "There's an underground battle dome I frequent. Deaths are common. It will cost us, though, to acquire a corpse. In credits, combat or favours. There's also the morgue. But they don't like to part with bodies. Or I could visit the slums a kill someone."
Julakesh seems to consider all of these valid ideas.
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After the excitement of having an opportunity to impress his new allies with his medical skills settles, he thinks about where he might get a body from. Wait if a body is what we need, the station gives the college all the unclaimed dead for research purposes. If you want, I could try to pull some influence there. I don't have the credits to be able to afford a bribe. So the morgue would not be one I could help with. I don't know if any of you folk are wealthy or not. I prefer to not kill a random person. The battle dome maybe an option though.
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"It cannot be just any corpse. It should be an older one, sleight of frame, and female. Are there not facilities that deal in aging humans? Could we not arrive as the officials to transport the body of some such aged unfortunate? We could plant physical evidence as to identity, and let the usual authorities associate that body with our soon to be dead programmer?"
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While listening to the others casually tossing in ideas of murder, and kidnapping with intent to murder, he jokingly says aloud, 'we may as well go and change her official description; then we could grab poor old Timothy off the street and no one would be the wiser. Well aside from poor Timothy but he'd be dead so, no loose ends!' He gestured and veiled it with a thin layer of sarcasm, better known as the Devil's humor.
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Right. Here we go.
Serrarra calls Ceren over to view her datapad.
Your new name is Suu Donim, and you arrived here approximately six months ago to retire from your job preparing food for Diasporan miners. Your probationary period is complete and since you've stayed out of trouble...wink, wink...you are free to do as you please.
I've arranged for a small apartment in one of the better areas of the Spike. I suggest you move out soon, as CorpSec won't be long in tracking you here.
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Serrarra sets to work on finishing the identity.
Here, let's give you the look of a longtime Diasporan. Let's get rid of that Absalom-market dress, and find you some tighter-fitting robes like the miners wear. Now, walk with your weight on your toes a little, as if you're still getting used to higher gravity. That's it!
She thumbs her comm unit.
Captain? Yes, good to hear from you, too. Remember that favor you owe me...? No, not that one (giggle). The other one...
Okay, Cere...uh...Suu. If you get into trouble with your backstory, my friend will back you up. He's got a small freighter and transports people all the time. He'll vouch for you. I'm transferring his id to your pad.
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Medrick is able to acquire a recently deceased female cadaver from the school. It takes a bit for it to arrive, and while it does, you make the rest of the preparations. Serrarra works on getting Ceren/Suu some new clothing for her new identity, as well as setting her up with some contacts. Morgan works on the death certificate. Ceren and Jubair leave to take care of some final preparations. "When you are done, meet me at Jatembe Park. I will send you the specific coordinates."
After a few hours, the cadaver arrives, and Triskid and Medrick set to work making it look like Ceren died peacefully in her bed.
When all is said and done, you are all quite happy with the results. With that, you head to the park.
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Open to all citizens, Jatembe Park occupies a wide portion of the Eye of Absalom Station. Filled with lush treees and open grass fields, the park offers some natural terrain to the otherwise metal-clad station. Ceren's meeting point is one such forested portion of the park, specifically a spot ofen ignored by citizens due to the winding path required to reach it.
From where you are approaching the bridge, you can see Ceren aka Suu on the other side of the bridge, looking over at the water. You also notice three figures in the trees, slowly making their way over to the bridge and, presumably, your ward.
One of the thugs turns and looks at your party. "Don't get involved anymore than you already are, and no one will get hurt." he says quietly. They don't seem to have weapons drawn, but they do have pistols at their sides.
INITIATIVE
if combat....
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Once again, Medrick knows words and motivrs aren't his strong suit. He looks to his group, hoping someone will be able to make sense of this. I really hope,Julakesh isn't the first to react
Medrick knows that something like this can go south in the matter of seconds so is ready to draw his arc pistol in case they try anything.
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Unfortunately, your attempts to intimidate them fall on deaf ears. The thugs turn their attention toward you, and draw their pistols.
Thug3 moves to get a clear shot at Julakesh, drawing a baton as he does so. He takes aim and fires with his pulsecaster pistol.
Julakesh is struck in the chest by the pulse of electricity, and can feel it course through her body.