Initiation

The mention of Ara considering getting an eye like his caused Ryze to smirk.

Unlikely.

There was a moment of consideration, before Ara mentioned she was ready to move, and saw the potential - and very likely - spot the smugglers were headed toward. Ryze couldn't disagree with her assessment of the situation, anyway, so when the vessel began to slow and approach a distant jetty he was prepared to follow. Ara's comment about the contraband in the cave, and the Zeni bet, caused the Cerealian to scoff:

"I bet you're right," Ryze said as he followed Ara downward, toward the island itself, but away from the smugglers' location. "I don't feel like losing money today. And good plan, gaining a vantage point early."

Ryze had located several possible locations earlier, but wanted to see Ara's choice. It didn't take long before she announced a place, which was near boulders and a treeline, but within decent distance for the purposes of the mission. Ryze nodded approvingly, as it had been one of the locations he had considered, too, while they had been higher in the air prior. That was good, it showed Ara had some good instincts, which went a long way in the Bounty Hunter profession.

"Ticks? Wouldn't worry. But good vantage, well selected," Ryze said, after he had followed Ara some more to the long grass, before he glanced over and regarded the compact camera Ara now used. "I wouldn't drop it, if that's what you mean. There's some perks with working for the Association, yeah. Tech is one. I'll tell you more later, though--"

Ahead, the smugglers had started moving about the ship, as it docked and activity started in earnest.

"Let's get the photos and a head count. Then we can plan an approach, with that information, but I figure you wouldn't mind jumping into a fight?"

Depending on the final estimate of smugglers, Ryze wondered if Ara would continue to err on the side of caution, or throw it all to the wind and attack outright. There was a confidence in her, for sure, and she seemed pretty capable so far, but fighting a gang of smugglers was different from contracts around towns or cities. The aliens on that ship were ready to die to protect their operation, so that made them desperate, which made them dangerous...

We should be fine with either direction, though.

A wager another time?

"Yeah, maybe."

Ryze looked back to the crew of smugglers ahead, from the concealed position in the long grass, and remained aware of Ara going through the process of getting photographic evidence. While she did that, Ryze took note of the smugglers themselves, as he put their faces to memory. Granted, he had the advantage of being able to look at them obscenely closely, close enough to see faint scars and skin imperfections and even eye color, with his red eye so the effort was very precise. Ara soon identified Rudder, to which Ryze agreed with her, and continued to take pictures with the camera.

"Could be more, yeah," Ryze said in a low voice, as he looked toward the direction of the lower ship hull. It was a shame he couldn't see through objects. "Good plan. Also someone in the crows nest, up top."

Ara seemed observant, Ryze suspected she had seen that, but it was always safer to communicate anyway.

"I'll do fine enough," The Cerealian said in regard to the question about combat. He focused then, as he tried to determine if any of the smugglers were decently powerful, but with all the moving about and crossing paths it was difficult, so Ryze gave up that pursuit for the moment. Instead, he turned to Ara and raised an eyebrow. "I can outpace Earthling bullets, faster than sound if I need to... how come?"

Ryze was interested in the plan Ara seemed to be developing. He wondered if she had any particular uses for him, which he would be fine to carry out, so long as she was overseeing the job. This was all about her, including leadership, so the Association could feel confident of her involvement in team environments or contracts; but, so far, the Cerealian had seen some good demonstration of skill, so he didn't think Ara would crumble at the thought of enacting a plan and leading it.

"I'm very good at range, too just so you know." He added, before he looked back and narrowed his eyes. "And if things get out of hand... I can kick it up a notch, to end things quickly."

Ahead, the crew of smugglers had long since broken through into the cave and were beginning to load a range of items in variously sized containers. Ryze didn't know what was in half of the things, but he suspected most of it was stolen or attained through robbery, so he wanted to see them brought down hard for what they had done to others to get it all. He also noted several more individuals that appeared from below decks, who met the smugglers on the land mid-way to take the containers into the ship - to which Ryze motioned.

"More smugglers. Probably stationed below deck, sorting and securing boxes... could handle them after, if timed right."

Ara made good points, to which Ryze nodded and listened. He couldn't disagree with the reasoning for holding back, at least until it was proved the pair didn't need to, in order to avoid fatalities. The contract did expect the smugglers to be jailed, yes, but the task was also against a well-known group that were violent and criminals, so Ryze knew there would be some leeway.

"As long as we try to avoid killing, we should be fine," Ryze said in a low voice, as he glanced to Ara. "The Association has lawyers. They check things, and law enforcement are aware of the jobs we take, so I imagine they speak and work out particulars."

Ryze was not part of the legal team. Yet...

"I've been doing this for about a decade. Never had issues, even with deaths involved... but, Rudder needs to live, at least, he's the big name on the job."

Then Ara began to go over the plan. It made sense. Take out the sentry, avoid alerts, and then work through the group in a way that avoided drawing them all at once. Basic but solid strategy, and Ryze was glad Ara wasn't prone to being overconfident against a group of enemies, like might have been expected due to her being part Saiyan. Those were arrogant people, for sure, and the ones Ryze had encountered liked to make shows of backing that up.

"I can take down the sentry, sure," Ryze said as he glanced up to the crow's nest. The human on lookout peered around, mainly toward the water, probably to spot any approaching vessels. "You planning to handle Rudder? He's reported to be fairly strong, so don't be afraid to give him a little extra."

When Ara mentioned the amount of hostiles, Ryze could only shrug.

"It happens," The Cerealian said simply. "Association does what it can, but ultimately it's our job to adapt. I don't see any problems, most Earthlings are weak when it comes to combat strength - or, at least, when it comes to doing what we can do."

The plan to take out Rudder and the watchman was a good start.

"All right. I'll handle the crow's nest, you handle Rudder, then we meet in the middle? If things go south, any preference on which group you want to fight handle - caves or below decks?"

At least knowing what to do, if things did go badly, was a good precaution. A plan was only as good as the planning put into it, there was simply no way to know how things would develop, and a skilled Bounty Hunter used them as incremental options; at the end of it, Ara seemed to have most bases covered, which proved she was a thinker - alongside the bravado - and that was probably most important, at least for Ryze. People that could punch all day were a dime a dozen, so he preferred a smarter teammate.

"Anything else? If not, give me the word."

In a subtle manner, Ryze slowly began to lessen the suppression on his Ki. He began to feel the energy pass through his body, the power infused under his skin, as it spread and he prepared for the fight to come. There didn't seem to be any outlying factors that were a great concern, save perhaps Ara biting off more than she could chew, but Ryze had the feeling she would do just fine...

Ryze offered a shrug when Ara mentioned the pirates that had messed up his life. There wasn't much to say, really, it was true enough. But, it was soon time to focus, as the blonde half-Saiyan confirmed she would handle Rudder, which was appropriate, and confirmed she wouldn't go too easy on the criminal. The last thing they needed was to be taken by surprise, since the large smuggler was on the stronger end for Earthlings, though that wasn't saying a whole lot - since the average seemed to be anywhere from 10 to 20 in power level... however, some did hit thousands.

"Observation of your contact is going well so far," Ryze said with a low voice. "Besides, it's fun to smack some criminals around, so you're doing me a favor."

When Ara shifted position, Ryze did the same. He pushed his boots into the ground more firmly, as he prepared for the word. His plan would be to reach the lookout as quickly as possible, in which he would take the individual down as quickly as possible, which would leave Rudder blind to the danger presented by Ara. Simple, effective, and required rapid but precise movement to complete. So, as the other members of the crew cycled around and returned to their respective locations for more goods, Ara called for the next part of the mission to begin.

"Right. I'll rejoin you once Rudder is down."

Then, with a focused stare at the crow's nest, and a smirk, Ryze pushed off from the ground with both feet. He disappeared with a flicker, his speed considerably faster than the average human, though he suspected - with her higher energy levels - Ara might very well still be able to track him. Within mere moments, Ryze reached the top of the ship, above the lookout's position, as the Cerealian slowed to attack; and with a shift in direction, he came down hard on the lookout, and caught the Earthling from above and behind, with a solid chokehold. The smuggler jerked as he was suddenly grabbed from behind, but the flailing was ended and sound muted, when Ryze's other hand clamped over his mouth and stifled any warning shouts or cries--

"Mmff! Mphhfh!"

--and with calm pressure applied to the neck, the lookout's movements slowed and he slumped. Quick, easy, effective. There had been no need to punch or kick or risk a fight, because sound on a quiet inlet of an island could carry for miles, especially near or on water. So, stealth and speed had been the key. With the lookout held limply in the Cerealian's arms, he craned his neck to listen for any indications of alert - but there weren't any, so far.

"And done," Ryze muttered, as he lowered the unconscious smuggler to the metal flooring of the lookout space. "So far, so good."

From his position above the vessel, Ryze looked down and focused his red right eye on the scene below; he wanted to observe Ara, see how she handled Rudder, and to be ready to react should something go awry with the plan - such as unexpected arrivals from the cave or lower decks of the ship...