Connections
26 Jan 2022Isabella Levine
[January 14th, 3308][Tekkeitjal System]
[Francisco de Eliza Platform]
The magnetic clamps to the landing pad engaged as Isabella's midnight black Asp Scout secured itself to the Pad of the space station. She keyed the hologram before her to be taken under and immediately upon request, the pad dropped her down a few feet, spun, then reversed into the medium-sized hangar where lights flickered on illuminating the rundown hangar bay. Rust, exposed wide and lose panels that left the place unkempt. A true backwater system that had neglected stations and lacked proper services. Perfect for shady get-togethers.[b/]
[b]Once secured, Isabella got up from her seat and checked her wrist-mounted PDA to see the previous message she had obtained from this woman named Stella Belkins. She was once known as Jade. The woman who helped Sabrina the pirate gang leader and Isabella herself escape. The escape going horribly wrong resulting in a Prison ship's demise into a Gas Giant. The name Jade, of course, was a fabricated alias to cover her tracks in helping Isabella throughout her run-in with the rogue Imperial agent Alexandre Corbett. Isabella finally found all this out from Aurora but now that Corbett was being pressed with charges of A - Going rouge and B - Intel proving he worked with a captured Neo Marlinist to frame Isabella so he could enact his personal vendetta.
He was planned to be shipped off soon to some Independent prison colony. The operation and overseer of this task were done by none other than Stella Belkins herself. The one who helped her and Titan with locking up a rogue agent. So Isabella looked at the message once more to confirm she was at the right station. A definite some backwater forgotten about a system that had no laws to worry about. A place where she was well out of the way of ears and eyes.
Exiting her ship and walking towards the Express Lifts, one was already there to take up to the public concourse. On the ride up, Isabella thought about the questions to ask but her real question was about Corbett. She tried to think of something more but the lift doors opened and Isabella took a magnetic-booted step forward onto the concourse grounds. She didn't have much of a description of the woman but she figured she either stuck out or she'd approach Isabella first. Either way, Isabella moved towards the stairs and walked down them carefully till at the bottom where she heard a collection of voices and music playing over some PA or speaker system in the area. To her left was the bar where a few pilots and other regulars of the station sat by. None of which were female and so couldn't be Stella. To her front were tables where several people gathered around, drinking and chatting to one another. None could have been Stella because each person at a table was with someone else. Her eyes finally scanned left and there was the large viewports to gaze out into space at. Thousands of stars dotting the black sea behind. But what Isabella looked for was the lone woman in a grey flight suit. Arms tucked behind her back and facing out towards the stars. Isabella slowly approached from behind noticing the V-shaped wings and Eagle head that was encircled by a reversed triangle. The typical Imperial Insignia. Isabella knew this had to be Stella.
"Hello? Are you-"
"Agent Belkins."
The woman turned around and faced Isabella. A slender frame supported by a thin face. She had shortly trimmed black hair and dark brown eyes. Isabella put on a smile as she took a step forward.
"Finally nice to put a face to the voice. Or I guess the name."
Stella turned around and faced the window as Isabella stood next to her.
"What do you want, Ms. Levine?"
"Want to thank you for helping with Corbett. For digging up that information he tried to burying to cover himself and lock me up again."
Stella glanced over at Isabella for a moment meeting her eyes.
"What are you actually here for, Levine? It's not for a genuine thank you."
Isabella smirked and looked forward.
"Damn...alright. Let's dive right in. Corbett. He's been prosecuted and is currently being held before transfer to a Penal Colony for the rest of his life. I want to know where, when and how."
"Why? He's locked up. There's nothing to be done. You're free without worry of the Imperial Intelligence coming down on you."
Isabella closed her eyes and sighed softly. She knew what she was asking was edging on thin ice and that Stella wasn't her friend but another IISS agent ready to do her job.
"I need that transport location, Stella. Please. I know he's being moved soon and I need to know."
"You never answered my question why. So...why?"
"Because if he lives he'll alway be a threat. He skipped prison the first time when the IIS pulled him out. He never stopped with his personal vendetta against my father and now that I just got him locked up. If he gets out again I'll never catch him again."
"Isabella, are you asking me to give you information so that you can kill an Imperial Intelligence agent? I'll pretend I didn't hear that."
"Then pretend you didn't hear that. A location and time. Please. I know you can get that information or you have it."
"No. What you're asking is illegal. That transport will have an escort. How do you plan to stop them? Then board? Transport vessel will have armed security. You going to blast your way through them?"
"I'll go non-lethal. Just gotta get my hands on something that's...well non-lethal. There's launchable projectiles that can incapacitate. Riot teams use non-lethal weapons. I buy some, use them on the security team. The escorts. Well...you really think they'll risk their lives if a Prisoner transport is under attack? They'll bug out."
Stella closed her eyes and shook her head.
"No...you don't know that. I can't do this, Isabella. I can't give you that transportation schedule."
"You can. It'll go smoothly if I get the right intel. Trust me on this."
"No…"
"Where is he being held now?"
"This conversation is over, Isabella."
Isabella's anger reached a tipping point and she kicked the metallic bottom edge of the window making an audible clank as her mag boots made quick contact. Isabella turned around to Stella walking away.
"You're just going to walk away? You want a price?"
Stella stopped and turned around walking quickly back up to Isabella.
"Are you kidding me? Who do you think I am? You're trying to pay me off for information? Are you out of your mind?"
"I'm completely in my mind! I'm taking preemptive steps to secure my own safety because I know how corrupt both the IIS is as well as the IISS. I know under the table...or whatever shady crap you and the Imperial Intelligence do, you let Corbett out. He should be rotting in prison still from his first arrest when he killed all those people!"
Stella put up her hands to calm Isabella down. Some eyes now drawn towards them. The attention making Stella uncomfortable.
"Isabella, relax. I…ugh...LTT 2974 is the system and that is all I'm saying. If anything happens to our prison in transport, you will not regain your Imperial Citizenship and I will place a warrant out for your arrest if you ever enter Imperial space again. That is the terms of the situation and that's the best you're going to get. I'm being nice on you, Isabella. This is plain and simple. Break the rules and you're done."
Getting her way, Isabella smiled and nodded her head.
"Fine...terms set. Not like the Empire gave me much meaning or anything for that matter anyway. Be seeing you."
"Isabella-"
Without another word, Isabella pushed past Stella and stormed off in the direction she entered, eventually arriving at the lifts. Once there, she pressed the button and waited. Her thoughts running over her next series of moves she'd make to track the transport. The warning was clear; 'don't interfere with the transportation. If anything happens then a warrant is out for her arrest if she steps foot in Imperial space.' She thought for a moment pondering the consequences of inaction and action. The weight of each. The door to the lift arrived with a chime of a bell, opening to let her in. She took a sharp breath and entered the lift with her mind made up.
