The Outlander Club

Yung hastily entered the Outlander Club wearing his tinted space helmet. The Durosian was aware his face had been posted on the holonet. He was counting on the fact that humans seemed to have a difficult time telling Durosians apart, and Coruscant was a predominately human world. Still, the tinted helmet helped hid his face from more dicerning citizens.

Yung spent the majority of the "day" in the Outlander Club, watching races, and trying to keep out of sight. He bought drink with his few remaining credits. It had been more than two years since he had tasted the sweet flavor of fancy mixed drinks. He tried to make it last as long as possible. But when it was gone, he couldn't just stop with one. From there on, he picked a pocket when he needed more.

Time passed and the lights dimmed to denote the artificial change from "day" to "night" in the underworld.

He kept his eyes open on the entrance of the club, waiting for Chaser to show up.

Major Sevet and IG-LOMM watched races, researched racers and processed statistics all day. The lights dimmed, signaling the onset of "night."

"Report: Multi factorial statistical analysis complete. Background checks complete. I show seven racers formerly served in the navy. Transferring that list to your datapad. Question: are races that occur on a track, considered one dimensional or two dimentional?" Lomm was getting at something.
"I don't know the answer to that." Sevet admitted. He started looking over the list of former imperial pilots.
"Continuation: even races with three spacial degrees of freedom still are conducted along closed charted routes, to allow at minimum, safety, uniform qualifying times, track records, and the ability to support calculated odds in the betting context."
Sevet could see what Lomm was getting at."Are you saying that the races that occur on tracks and closed raceways are too dissimilar to from real-world conditions to allow us to predict a pilot's real-world skill based on his trackrecord?"
"Confirmation: my analysis exactly." Lomm seemed pleased.
"Well, that's a bust.  At least we can talk to the former imperial pilots."  Major Sevet got up. He opened the door of the private viewing box and a server was waiting outside. "
Can I get you anything? It's on the house." The server was smiling.
Major Sevet felt his stomach growl. He had spent all day watching races. He was famished.  "Maybe in a moment. Can you get Grettus for us?"

In a minute Grettus was there.
"What can I get for you?" He cheerfully asked.
"We'd like to speak with any of the racers on this list."
Lomm handed the house datapad back to Grettus. Grettus did not look at the list, but nodded. "I will ask for them."
"We would very much appreciate your time, and their time if you can arrange it." Major Sevet added, hinting that there may be compensation for the trouble.
"No doubt! No Doubt!"  Grettus agreed. "Come with me, I hear you have been working all day! I have been told that you have not had anything to eat or drink while here! This is unacceptable!" Grettus fussed. "Please! We take pride in our hospitality! Come with me to the cantina. You can wait there while I speak with the pilots."

As Major Sevet followed Grettus up two floors to the Outlander dinning area, his I.I. Datapad vibrated again. He checked it to see a comlink message from Lomm. <<"OSS has no funds.">>
Major Sevet rolled his eyes.
Grettus sat the pair at a table overlooking the main floor where a live band was playing. "Monsewer, please! Eat and drink, enjoy the atmosphere. I shall return shortly." He left with a smile.

Major scanned the area. From the balcony he could see the card tables, the band stand, and the bar. He leaned over to Lomm. "We don't have an operational budget yet, do we."
"Correct: Leeta was working on the logistics when we left and my processors have been otherwise... occupied."
"So we have no department funds right now." The Major was thinking aloud.
"Correct. Addition: We also have not implemented any reimbursement policies."
"I'll keep that in mind if I need to buy a drink." Well, no use crying over credits that have not been spilt yet. At the moment, Major Sevet was going to have a meal while everything was on the house.

Later in the evening, the band finished playing. The band members disappeared backstage as a DJ set up his rig and began playing. The techno-union DJ started off light, like a music box, before rolling into a sycopated dub-step march. In no time at all he commenced dropping mechanical thunderous beats, to the delight of patrons that were there to take advantage of the Coruscant club-scene.

Faust had not yet seen the server, but he was still enjoying the new music and atmosphere.

A short time later, Faust spied Poli and Felix Blake. Poli was taking off her server's apron and a dickie bowtie and Felix held an instrument case. The bartender also saw them, and waved them over to the bar by Faust.
"Hey Poli, You have a secret admirer." The bartender motioned over to Faust, who raised his wooden mug with a smile.
Poli was excited to see the gambler from earlier. Felix spoke up, "Who is this guy?"
"He's no one." She smiled coyly at her brother. "I'm just going to stay here and talk to him. I am going to let you get home to Fraschini. She'll be waiting up for you."

Felix stood there, with his hand in his pocket. He narrowed his eyes and took a good long look at Faust, (just in case something happened), before speaking to his sister, "Alrighty, take care. I'll see you here tomorrow, Pol."
Poli hugged her sibling. "See you tomorrow!" She watched her brother walk away, over Faust's shoulder, as she started talking to Faust. "So you just couldn't let me go, huh?" She looked back to him.
"I couldn't let you go without giving you a tip." Faust flicked a credit chip around his fingers, making it dance over his knuckles.
"Just the tip?" She asked mischievously. Poli shamelessly flirted with innuendos.
The joke flew over the pilot's head. "Well not just the tip..."
"So you want to give me the rest of it?" She cut him off, relentlessly pursuing the joke.
"The rest of what?" Faust blinked.
"You know, the business?" By the stars! He was so adorable!
"Poli, I have no idea what you're talking about. All I know is you are very pretty, and I enjoyed talking to you, and I'd like to talk with you some more. My name is Virgil by the way. Virgil Faust. I don't want to seem creepy; the bartender told me your name. Would you like to sit and talk awhile?"
Poli took a seat beside Faust. "I'd love to, Virgil. That's a delicate name for a... what do you do?"Poli pulled out a spiceweed cigarillo.
"I'm a pilot."
"Cargo?" Poli spun a complete revolution on the bar chair with her arms out like wings. 
"Imperial Navy."
"One of our famous Fly-boys?" She put the cigarillo to her lips.
"On occasion."
"Virgil, that's such a delicate name for a tough mean pilot." She was all smiles, playfully mocking him with grumpy emphasis on 'tough mean pilot.'
Faust laughed aloud. "Thanks. I usually go by Faust, being in the Navy and all. It's almost like first names don't exist."
"That's such a shame. Virgil is a nice name. Are you on shore leave? When do you have to go back to your ship?" She lit the cigarillo.
"Well, my term of duty is over. I'm taking a break to figure out if I want to re-enlist. So, maybe I won't be a pilot for long. Bartender, can you get Poli a drink?"
"Thank you Virgil. Sam, I'll have my usual." Poli smiled and touched Faust's arm "Do you love flying?" She inhaled on the cigarillo.
"More than anything in the galaxy." 
"Then why would you walk away from it?"
"Well, if I progress, at some point, I won't be able to fly anymore. I'll get promoted and they will have me flying a desk, or training newbies. I don't want to do either of those things." Faust adjusted the position of his mug on the bar.
"You're not afraid that you'll get hurt the longer you fly?"
"Nope," Faust took a drink of his Hadderock. "I'm the best. I'll never get shot down." His eyes twinkled.
"Oooooh." Poli's eyes widened, with amusement, and then she smiled and slowly blew smoke from her nose.
"That really does smell delightful. Which one is that?" Faust commented on the cigarillo.
"It's 'Sexy Man.' I always prefer a sexy man." She winked at him. Sam, the bartender, set a tall thin glass with blue liquid in front of Poli.
By this time, Faust was sure he was going to enjoy his evening with Poli.

"So why do you love flying so much?" Poli sipped on her fourth tall blue drink.
"My grandmother had a farm, and she needed someone to spray fertilizer and genetic conditioner on the fields. She first taught me to fly. She was a great pilot. I always looked up to her. It wasn't long after that, that I was flying stunts and winning prizes at the fairs."
Poli sat with her face in her hands, smiling at Faust. "Mmmmmmmmm the wholesome farmboy, taking home the blue ribbon."
"It's true. I really am something." Faust raised his mug.
"Oh really?" She raised her eyebrows in mock disbelief.
"No I'm serious. I am the best pilot in the galaxy. If it flies, ... I could fly it!" Faust feigned false modesty in his delivery.

Poli laughed and playfully challenged him. "That droid is flying, could you pilot him?" She pointed.
A busboy droid slowly hovered by with a tray full of half-empty glasses and plates.
"Well, let's see!" Faust downed his Hadderock, while he reached into his jacket and pulled out an Imperial Pilot's cap. He slammed his mug on the bar. He put on the pilot's cap and looked back to Poli. "Let's go!" He jumped onto a chair and sprung onto the hovering droid.
Glasses, plates and food went everywhere, including landing on Yung nearby.
"HEY!" Yung angrily jumped to his feet.
The Droid's repulsors moaned and strained. The droid immediately began to protest in Bochi. "BZZ beepbep Dreet Doooooooodoot bree!" All while Faust was hollering. "Yeeeeeehaw!!!" Faust jabbed the droid with his heels. "Fly droid! FLYYYY"
The droid, incenced started spinning and bucking, trying to unseat this unwelcome passenger.
"That's the way!!!" Faust held on with one hand and waved his hat in the air with the other.

Poli was hysterical. She couldn't have laughed harder. Sam, the bartender, watched while dutifully refilling Faust's Hadderock.

Down below, Faust finally let go, and rolled off the angry droid, while laughing. "See? I'm a natural!" He threw his arms wide.
"BRAVO!" Poli shouted, laughing over the music.
"YOU! ARSEHOLE!" Yung stumbled up to Faust, "You GOT me ALLLLLL covered in..." Yung looked down at himself. "I donno what that is." He wiped a purple stain and looked up again. "Point is, you're NOT a PILOT! You're a DISGRACE!" He jabbed his finger into Faust's chest.
Faust straightened up to mock attention, putting his pilot's cap on. "YES SIR!"
"A DISGRACE!" Yung repeated himself with tightly closed eyes, and again jabbed his finger in Faust's chest.
Poli had never laughed so hard in the past five years combined. "BAHHAHAHA!" Faust couldn't keep his face straight and doubled over laughing too.
"CHASER is TEN TIMES the pilot you will EVER BE!" Spittle flew from Yung's mouth.

Major Sevet and Lomm arrived just in time to hear the last interchange. "Gentlemen, I understand that someone is claiming to be the best pilot."
Faust nodded. "In the galaxy, Shir, SIR!" He slurred his speech and saluted Major Sevet.

Just then, Chaser walked in the door holding Tyna's hand. Yung hiccuped. "CHASER! My friend! Over here!" Yung waved them over. "Chaser, thish asssss thinks he's a better piiiiiilot then you! Shays he's the besht piiiiiiiilot in the GLACKZEY!" The drunk Durosian accented the words awkwardly.
"Well, he might be, the galaxy is a big place." Chaser humbly observed.
Faust drawled, "BESTY in the Galaxy!" He lifted his arms like a champion.
Poli giggled from the metaphorical sidelines.
Chaser wasn't about to start arguing with a drunk. They were already too close to an imperial officer. "Come on Yung, let's get out of here."
"NO! He said he's the best, and I KNOW, that YOU ARE the best, Chaser!" Yung grabbed Chaser. "You should fight him or something." Yung turned to Major Sevet. "You should ARREST this IMPOSTER!" He pointed to Faust. "CHASER, Took Firtttzt Playz at the Corrrrellia Classssic!" Yung puffed into Faust's face.

Tyna had watched with wide unblinking eyes. She suddenly let go of Chaser's hand and sat down, closing her eyes, as if she knew what was coming. 

"Is that so?" Major Sevet looked at Chaser, who reluctantly nodded. "Very well." The Major turned to Lomm. "All of them."
Lomm blasted Faust, Chaser, Yung and Tyna with a stun ray. "Acknowledged."
Faust, and Chaser collapsed gracefully. Yung fell hard, like a log. Tyna, the child who was already sitting on the ground, was hit at the periphery and gently slumped over, incapacitated.
"We'll sort which is the best later. One of these is the pilot Agent Quasar is looking for." He lifted his comlink. "Iron Maiden, Land in the plaza outside, we're bringing three."
"Roger. On our way, ETA 60 seconds."
"Suggestion: We should take the child too. It may help motivate the one called 'Chaser'." Lomm performed the calculation, there was a better than 50% probability, based on circumstances, that the human called Chaser had parental responsibilities towards the child.
Major Sevet monetarily considered it before he agreed. "Update: We're bringing four."
"Roger that."

Poli had watched the four individuals get stunned in front of her eyes. Only then did she semi-recover from her stupor of laughter to realize that the imperial officer and droid were really about to carry off her date for the night. "Hey! You can't do that! He's mine!" She took an unsteady step towards the Major.
The major was not carrying a weapon at the moment. He looked over to Lomm, who hoisted Faust and Yung over his shoulders. "Stun her too."
Lomm dropped Yung, who's head bounced on the floor. Lomm then fired a stun ray at Poli, who crumpled to the ground. Lomm picked Yung back up. 
Major Sevet lifted his comlink. "Update: Five."
"Roger."

The major ordered three bystanders to carry Chaser, Poli and Tyna outside to the VT-49 that just touched down in the plaza. The ship's landing lights blazed through the front glass of the club.
Before anyone could further intervene, all were aboard and the ship was taking off and shrinking into the sky.