Galactic City

"Give in? Foolish Sith..."

I felt the darkness growing stronger, gaining ground despite everything being done to stop it. My hooks were in it, and I was dragging on the chains. It was simply a case of tug-of-war until something finally caved. The obvious advantage was on my side, as he merely expended energy to keep control of my body. But he had been locked away for a long time. Plenty of which was used to store enough energy to take advantage of just such a situation as this.

"I AM HATRED!" I saw through eyes previously my own, my left hand raise. I felt a familiar, though long since gone sensation of an intense buildup in Force Energy. As the Sith woman attacked, an incredible amount of energy released from my body, expelled at her as a Force Push. It was nearly point blank; not lethal on its own, but almost certainly unavoidable.

"You see," the Darkness began, speaking while moving to stand from the couch. "You merely adopted hatred; perhaps out of spite or affliction, abuse, or simply corruption."

Something strange occurred then. I can sense the flow of energy within this body, quite finely in fact. Before, I could tell that the creature was expending too much energy to maintain control for much longer. But now, I could tell that flow was coming to a slow. He had somehow found a way to keep himself in control without needing to fight my efforts to reel him in. That realization leaves me with nothing left to do but watch as my body is taken from me.

"However, I am born of hatred, I was conceived by it. You mere darklings created me a thousand thousand years ago in hopes I might have done your bidding."

I watched my arm stretch out. A much darker Force Energy was flowing now, and I could already feel it's corruption clouding what parts of this mind were left to me.

"I will slaughter you now just as I have slaughtered them." The energy this time was not released all at once, but deliberately aimed and controlled to grab the Sith's neck and hold it there, to slowly squeeze the life out of her.

I watch on without apology as the Sith woman attempts to goad the demon. Or perhaps myself, I cannot tell. I am too busy dealing with the bigger threat. If she can survive the beast, I may need to find a way to defend this body. For now, all I can do is watch. I see as the demon does. The Sith seems skilled, but arrogant in her approximation of her skill, and inaccurate in her knowledge of Jedi abilities. It was a Jedi that first stopped this affliction and cast it to shadows. It was the Sith that perished to their creation. Being a thing of incorporeal nature possessing a corporeal form, it has no sense of pain. It only knows the struggle of mortals for power. He refuses to judge, and acts only as the executioner for all sentient beings.

My left hand raised, grip still tight on Umbra, in an attempt to slam her into the duracrete ceiling. I noticed my lightsaber moving in front of my body to intercept the lightning, throwing sparks in every direction, some landing on my skin, burning it, but ultimately deflecting most of the attack away.

I almost felt sorry for myself at that point, watching the damage to the body I resided in. As that emotion came to me, I felt the demon tug on his chains to further free himself, and held fast. The fight was not over. I knew if I let up for even a moment, he could, and likely would regain his semi-physical body by destroying this one.

It all came together tonight.

The restaurant the client had chosen for their meeting was perfect. Located on a high-rise far from the nastier bustle of urban Coruscant life, it seemed to hover as silently as if it had been shot clear into orbit, hanging just above a gorgeous view of the planet’s four natural moons.The joint was small, and just dim enough so that each table was equally isolated, a tiny candlelit bubble. Just out of site, a band was playing music--strings and the tiniest hint of Bith woodwinds. The food was the kind of rich fare bureaucrats ordered when they wanted to show off, and there was always a waiter ready just out of sight to refill every wine glass. Overall, a very romantic sort of joint...and hardly appropriate for a business meeting, Djali thought.

Not that that was a complaint. As a matter of fact, it was exactly the kind of restaurant Djali had had in mind. She didn’t want Senator Gi thinking about appropriate.

“I assure you, sir,” the beautiful blond woman said, “This security system is absolutely top of the line. Once it’s installed, your files are practically unhackable from any angle.” She leaned forward, making sure the man’s eyes across the table had full access to her neckline.
And sure enough, they flicked downwards for the barest fraction of a second. The Senator couldn’t see much, but Djali had chosen the broad cut knowing it would make it seem like he had glimpsed much more than he actually had. His throat seemed to be dry when he finally looked back up; he reached for his wineglass, and took several gulps before speaking.

“I have my doubts,” he said, in that typical growl he was so famous for in the Rotunda. “Security has failed me before in the past...I have quite a few files that can be difficult to secure, and I have never heard of this company before your partner contacted my secretary. You are sure it can handle any file type?”

“Senator, there’s a reason I’ve taken control after this call. I know all about you and your history, and I can assure you this system can handle any file type,” she emphasized. “Documents, account files, adaptables, audio...” Her own eyes flicked down her guest’s body, as if unable to resist the sight herself, before returning to his. “Video,” she all but purred, biting her full bottom lip on the v.

That did it. Senator Gi sucked in a sharp breath, his tongue flicking out momentarily to run against his upper lip. When he spoke again, it was in a low hoarse voice that he must have thought was alluring. “Care to give me a sample?”

Bingo.

“I thought you’d say that. I have my installer here now...if you want, we could give it a test run on your ship.” She let the barest hint of a smile flit across her face, letting her client imagine all the wickedness it promised. “Of course, in order to do that you do have to put down collateral. It’s expensive equipment I’m letting you...play with.”

Senator Gi caught on quickly; his hands on the table were already grasping for his credit chips, almost as eagerly as if they were the zipper of her dress. “How much are we talking?”

“Oh, nothing much for someone like you. A down payment’s worth, just until your ship’s clear of atmosphere. But by then, I’m sure you’ll be too pleased with the results to want it back.”

Again, a soft emphasis in the right place had him scrambling to comply. “Done.”

The minute the client slid the credit chip into her waiting palm, she turned her head slightly, nodding to someone unseen in the back of the restaurant.

Djali only smiled. “You can trust him, Senator, he’s a professional. Very...discreet.”

Gi hesitated only a moment longer. He clearly did not like the look of her partner--why on earth Dirk hadn’t bothered putting on a shirt without holes at least, Djali would never know--but whatever the Senator had in mind for this ‘test run’ was clearly too enticing to resist. He slid another slim chip across the table, this time for Dirk to take. “It’s on there. If it’s not returned before we leave the restaurant it will be tracked.”

“You won’t have to worry about it. Now...” Djali turned, focusing again on the slightly dazed green eyes now desperately trying to avoid looking down her front. Her palm, now inexplicably empty, rested against the smooth skin of her cheek, her fingers playing with a tendril of white-blonde hair. “Where were we?”

***

Two hours later, everything was ready. Djali walked arm-in-arm back to the docks with the Senator, trying to ignore the broad hand tracing the bones of her hip. Dirk had returned about fifteen minutes before with the keycode chip, and after that the Senator had not wanted to waste any more time, instead paying and taking Djali here immediately. Djali had lost track of how many glasses of wine he’d had, but from his flushed face and the way his hands kept resting on her it clearly had been just enough. The naughty boy even went for a feel as the hatch opened, although of course it was under the pretense of leading her inside.

The Senator’s ship was typical for his station--small but opulently furnished, with automatic pilot for intraplanetary trips. It even had a bar, which of course Djali went to immediately while the Senator set their course. The champagne wasn’t hard to find, and again was typically expensive. She busied herself with finding glasses, bending at the waist for the best view, and jolting only slightly when she felt the ship’s smooth transition into motion. She waited until the window showed only stars before uncorking the bottle and pouring.

The tablets fizzed their way through the champagne nicely. They didn’t even change the color. When they had dissolved entirely, Djali picked up the flutes by the stems and turned to where Senator Gi was already waiting.

Or...not waiting. The Senator had already removed his jacket, his shirt half-unbuttoned, and he was approaching her with naked lust in his dark eyes. He didn’t even seem to notice the champagne glasses in her hands, instead reaching for her hips and pulling her to him with almost violent force.

“Senator--” she gasped. The Senator’s mouth was at her throat, rough and insistent, his hands reaching up towards her chest. If he wasn’t stopped, now, he’d find her out. “Senator, please--”

She could feel his hot, laughing breath on her skin. “What? You said it yourself. No one has to know. No one can see us out here...we’ll have all night.” The thought seemed to rouse him further, and he pulled her flush against him for another kiss.

Gods, Djali thought, I’ve done a better job on this man than I thought. If the thought of being found out wasn’t so alarming, his passion would be much more flattering. But this wasn’t playtime--the job wasn’t done.

“I know!” Djali had to use more force than expected to pry herself loose “I just...want to do this properly.” She brought his own glass to his lips between them, her eyes on his, kissing the other side of the rim before she stood. “A drink, while I make myself more comfortable,” she said, slinking towards what must be the wash facility.

There was no man in the galaxy that didn’t recognize what that phrase meant. Senator Gi was no exception. He licked his lips appreciatively and smiled. “I’ll be waiting.” He drained his glass as she walked, hips swaying deliberately, back to the wash facility.

From there, it was a simple matter of shutting the door and counting down. Djali listened, trying to discern the moment when it was safe to come out.

Five...four..three...two...

Right on schedule, there was a crash of glass on the other side of the door.

Djali left the wash facility.

Senator Gi was prone on the floor next to his shattered wineglass. He must have hit the bed halfway down and spun, to get his arms flung out like that, and from the blood on his face he’d be feeling that broken nose when he woke up. Poor man. Djali hadn’t meant that particular injury.

But it couldn’t be helped now. Djali drained her own glass, then dropped it beside him. She then reached down the front of her dress, and pulled out a comlink. “Dirk,” she said crisply into the speaker, “you have an hour. Get a doggy bag and let’s bounce.”
Replacing the comlink, she smoothed the black silk of her dress across her thighs and watched the Senator snore. Even with all the blood, he really wasn’t all that bad-looking when he was asleep. The rugged dark-haired ones were always attractive, and the Senator had been a better kisser than his stuffed-shirt expression had initially implied.. If only he didn’t snore; it was such an ugly trait in a man.

Before dropping the keycodes at the restaurant, Dirk had quickly made a detour to pick up a duffle bag of stuff at the place Djali and he had been staying at. After leaving the original keycode with the senator, he quickly rushed back to the ship and got in using a duplicate of the pass he had made to get back in. He made a beeline for the galley, throwing the to-go box of the steak he had left earlier into microwave to heat it up, before taking both the to-go box and himself down to the cargo hold, where he had noticed an out-of-the-way maintenance hatch when he had first scoped the ship out that led into some of the ventilation ducts.

After all, he thought, why go through the effort of finding some other way to get out to the ship if he could just hide here? The Senator didn't really seem like the type to do his own maintenance. 

It was a tight fit, but he found he could manage to lay down on his stomach in the duct. Going in feet first, so he could easily access the door if needed, he pulled it behind him. After that, all there was to do was wait.

Good thing he had brought a snack.

Cursing slightly and forgetting to bring a fork, Dirk shrugged and started eating the warmed up steak with his fingers. Grunting his approval, he sat laid there, long after he felt the rumble of the ship as it left atmosphere.

After what seemed a little too long, his com buzzed.




He hopped out of the ventilation duct, the doggy bag in question emptied, and made his way to the part of the ship where he figured the Senator had probably taken his partner, wiping his greasy fingers on his pants as he went.

Five minutes later, he walked into the bedroom, holding up the duffle bag. "Change of plans," he said. "Too much stuff to clear out. I say we dump the senator in an escape pod, and take the ship.  We've needed a new ride, anyway.  Don't worry, I got your stuff."

He looked down at that Senator's discarded clothing, raising an eyebrow. "That's a lot of clothing," he remarked, gesturing to the Senator's clothes. "Normally you're quicker."

Elsewhere on Corscant roughly halfway up a high-rise apartment tower, Kel was nearly finished breaking down his weapon. The salesman had claimed that it was in good condition, but Kel wanted to check for himself. Of course he didn't think of that until after he had bought it and taken a taxi six districts back to his home. Kel looked up from what he was doing an hit play on the vid he was watching, the only model 434 disassembly guide he could find that looked semi-reliable

Ok so twist this and pull....

The final piece of the puzzle came apart and Kel breathed a sigh of relief. He couldn't see any signs of corrosion or wear on any of the parts, so at least he hadn't been ripped off.

Kaylee, have you found anything yet?

His droid, KLE 62-00 or 'Kaylee' as he liked to call her, had been scanning the holonet for jobs aboard ships bound to nearly any planet that wasn't Coruscant. He'd lived on this planet his whole life and was tired of seeing nothing but skyscrapers everywhere. Kel wanted to see landscape, a real landscape and not some cheap holo-theme park lookalike. That and his current job was going nowhere fast. The planet was full of droid designers and mechanics, most of them with years more experience. There was no way he was going to keep plodding along with all the other low-level techs out there, constantly being passed over for promotion. No sir!

Right now there are only six ships, wait make that five, now four outbound ships that need a droid tech. One is bound for the Hoth system, so that rules you out.

Kel was allergic to cold temperatures. Literally, if he got to cold he would break out in itching hives. It was very uncomfortable.

Two of the others rejected your resume after only about sixty seconds, and the last one hasn't responded yet. Your chances aren't looking all that good, boss.

Kel sighed and put his head on the table, letting his arms sag at his side for a moment. Always, always there was something that kept him here on the ground and out of the stars.

Ok so, I just heard back from the last ship. It's a no go.

Kel lifted his head back up and stared at the guts of the gun before him. Yeah, once again stuck here.

Thanks Kaylee, you can power down now.

Gotcha boss, maybe we'll have better luck next time.

Yeah, maybe.

Kaylees head drooped as Kel reched for the trigger assembly and began examining it. If he couldn't get off world anytime soon then at least he could try and modify his newest purchase.

Several hours after getting called into work Kel was putting the finishing touches on a virtual prototype of the newest urgent project. After a few hours of simulations a team of engineers would go over the results and either refine or reject what Kel had come up with. If it passed that test the individual parts would be divided among teams for further development. But for now Kel was done, thankfully. On his way out he grabbed a box of leftover takeout and began shoveling lukewarm noodles into his mouth. Four hours of overtime tends to do a number to a persons appetite. The sky was now dark and the city was virtually throbbing with the sounds of the nightlife. Loud music, blaring sirens, the occasional sounds of drunken revelry, all very much a normal part of life on Coruscant. The taxi was slow arriving, and it smell of vomit when Kel got inside. Fortunately the stench was the only thing left behind by the previous occupants.

Where to bossman?
The driver was a rotund toydarian. Kel started to given the driver his home address, but paused for a second.

Um, How far is it to the nearest spaceport?
The driver taurned halfway around in his seat to face his fare, throwing his arm over the back of his seat as he did.

About six clicks bossman. I get you there halftime for extra 20 creds?
Kel thought of the smell, perhaps it wasn't alcohol that caused it....

No thanks, normal speed is fine by me.

Okay bossman, you de boss, slow mo it is.

The cab lurched into traffic, narrowly missing being broadsided by a sightseeing bus full of geonosians. Beneath the blaring horns and the screeching of the geonosians, Kel heard the taxi's engine struggling to accelerate and he couldn't help but wonder if it would even stay in the air much longer. That would be a fitting way to end such a miserable day, plummeting hundreds of stories in a dilapidated taxi, with the driver having leaped out to safety on his own wings. Yeah, that would be great.