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Post by Deleted on Aug 27, 2015 14:15:58 GMT -8
The stabbing at the club left me on my guard. There was no way I was staying there a moment longer while Red was with me. Something wasn't right...other than my paranoia, I didn't know what it was. But I wasn't taking any chances, especially not while Vee was around. I had a specific hotel in mind, one I stayed at a few times another life ago. It was swanky, and I knew we'd stick out like a sore thumb...but I also knew their security measures were far better. I would rest easier knowing Red was in a safer place.
I insisted Vee change clothes, while I remained in my armor. I told her that I could pretend to be her body guard while she appeared to be a socialite. She looked at me bewildered, and I knew she was wondering how such a thing came to me so easily. She fought me on it, but I finally won. I drug her inside a little upscale boutique with the latest fashions, immediately handing the suspicious, well manicured clerk a credit card.
"Give the lady a whole new wardrode." I ordered. "Spare no expense."
"Are you crazy?" Vee hissed at me under her breath while the clerk stared at me stunned. "What are you doing?"
"We can't walk in with no luggage for you, Red." I said equally as quietly. The clerk went to recruit more help. A few pretty, young women began to pull clothes off the racks and shelves, and security at the door shut down any more customers from entering the boutique while the staff went to work on the increasingly irate Vee. I didn't know why I was going to such extremes to have us blend in...but I wasn't going to ignore my instincts.
Before she could respond, she was pulled away by the gleeful clerk. An hour later, after hurrying them along and insisting to the attendants that Vee didn't need to try on every piece of clothing, shoes and accessories, we walked out of the boutique with my very unhappy captain in a gorgeous, 2000 credit cocktail dress and 500 credit shoes, with about 200 credits worth of minimalistic jewelry. It was all simple, classy and so very high-Coruscanti. Save for her facial scar and scowl, she easily could be mistaken for one of the elite socialites.
A cab was called for use and two attendants and the driver helped load the purchases into the vehicle. "We're done," I assured her, admiring her beauty, still a little stunned at her transformation. "We're going directly to the hotel right now."
"Just shut the fuck up and get me there." Before I could say a word, she slid into the cab with surprising grace.
With a grin, I hopped in behind her and gave the driver the address.
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dyvius
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As if a ghost from the past, the veteran from those old days remains watching.
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Post by dyvius on Aug 29, 2015 21:37:50 GMT -8
Sometime in the past... (Private Storyline)
Coruscant was home to literally trillions of lifeforms. They were so packed into the single, habitable ball that was this planet that only one specific location across the entire celestial sphere featured the actual crust of the planet open to the sky.
From where Jedi Knight Juun Wiffen was standing, even the Manari Mountains, the only evidence that Coruscant was more than just a ball of skytowers, were not visible. No, to the Rattataki Jedi's rear was the giant dome that comprised the Senate Building, It blocked the view of the Mountains, and was considered the head of the table that was the Grand Concourse, running all the way along until it stretched into Fellowship Plaza, which in turn met with the Jedi Temple, and the Galactic Justice Center, at differing points along the way. Dressed in his usual Jedi robes, thereby advertising his official Jedi presence, Juun was among a group of security personnel and other functionaries who were waiting at a raised platform situated roughly halfway between the end of the Grand Concourse and the heavy-browed overhang that signified the entrance into the Senate Building. When holocams were trained on the dais, that featured a single lectern and a row of chairs along the back side, the view would be highly telling of the nature of the speech scheduled to be given. Pale eyes scanned the partitioned area where the droves of holojournalists and their camera crews were allowed to set up to cover the Republic Chancellor's State of the Republic address, off to the side of the main body of the audience, where many individual citizens of Coruscant and, not-so-subtly screened off near the front, as many Senators as wished to attend the event and appear supportive of the Chancellor for the cameras.
Naturally, the Chancellor and his direct security retinue had not yet arrived at the platform, and this was because the parade was still underway. Winding it's way from the First Galactic Spaceport as a matter of tradition, finding itself going through the Galactic City Business District, turning up Fellowship Plaza, and then moving straight for the Grand Concourse, the Chancellor's vehicle would show off the leader of the Republic for millions of Coruscanti to see firsthand, and billions more to watch from the holocams that were undoubtedly set up along the route for those watching the broadcast from the comfort of their own living quarters.
And despite the moderated temperature and cheery sunlight, Juun could not help but shake the eerie feeling of warning and suspicion that had been creeping up and down his spine all morning. For most people, such a feeling could be explained away as simply a bad breakfast or a scary holodrama from the night before. Juun was a Jedi, however, and such feelings were more often than not premonitions of bad events to occur later in the day.
Shifting his weight on his feet, Juun drew the attention of the Chancellor's Chief of Event Security, a barrel-chested Chagrian whose blue skin was only three shades lighter than the uniform he wore. "You alright there, Jedi?"
Juun gave the man a perfunctory smile he definitely did not feel, but then continued to scan first the seated audience, then the holojournalist section, and then he let his gaze drift out to the skylanes that were abnormally quiet all because the Coruscant Security Force had rerouted all traffic away from the parade route. But even as he turned his scrutiny from one place to another, his feelings of unease did not intensify at all, and he was given no clues as to the source of the warnings the Force was giving him.
Silently, the Rattataki wondered if the other Knights felt the same...
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The ceremonial procession was reaching its halfway point. Seated in the middle section of an open-topped speeder dressed in the dark blues of the Chancellor's Office, Jedi Knight Artessa Emos could not stand just how many people they were passing within rifle-range's distance to either side at every given second. Tasked with being the Jedi detail to the direct personal security of the Chancellor, Artessa was trying her best to be at the utmost vigilant in assuring that the Chancellor remained safe as he waved to the throngs of people lining pedbridges, walkways, and balconies of the buildings lining the route.
Yet she was beginning to fear that her best was in no way good enough. Trying simultaneously to scan the intent of the crowd in the Force while keeping out the din created by millions of beings packed as close as physically possible to the procession taking up the middle of a skylane was simply not something Artessa had prepared to do with enough efficiency, and the effort was beginning to wear on her mental patience. Seated right next to her on the plush gray flowform couch was the Chancellor's Chief of Staff, a man by the name of Ten Yedden, with a rather roguish sweep to his caf-colored hair and strong jaw. His robes were of a flamboyant cut and baby blue and gray in color, obviously he was enjoying the holiday much more than she. He leaned over, seeing Artessa fidget in her seat as she let her eyes drift across the droves of Coruscanti, and asked, "Comfortable?"
Smiling awkwardly at his obvious attempt to appear chivalrous, Artessa replied while avoiding direct eye contact, "Yes, quite. This speeder is almost excessively luxurious."
Seated in the back row, right behind Artessa and Ten, the Chancellor overheard the exchange in the midst of his constant pandering to the crowd. He leaned forward, bringing his aged but elegant features close to Artessa's ear where the holocams would not catch his words so easily, "It's one of the privileges of the station, Jedi Emos, I do hope it's not tempting."
Artessa looked back over her shoulder fully as the Chancellor leaned back in his seat and she saw a smile on his lips and a twinkle in his eye and knew instantly through his Force aura that he was joking with her. Dressed in dark blue robes fitting of his ulterior station as a politician, the older man looked completely at ease. Smiling earnestly, Artessa tried to force herself to relax. The Chancellor was a nice enough man, who clearly enjoyed this break in his brutally tedious routine, and Artessa had to remind herself that she was here to ensure that the Chancellor got to enjoy the full measure of this chance to take a break from the monotony. Instead of worrying about the crowd, she turned her Force awareness towards the pair of speeders arrayed in front and behind their speeder. These craft were completely closed over, unlike the Chancellor's craft, and were not so well designed as to completely hide the fact that they sported blaster-resistant armor and hidden weapons panels. Or maybe they were subtly hidden away, and Artessa's training was what made them so obvious to detect...
Either way, she just wished they could reach the Grand Concourse so that she could consider this most-harrowing part of the State of the Republic Address festivities concluded.
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Overlooking the parade route from an open-topped speeder in a dull orange, Jedi Knight Perci Vollant wondered at the sheer volume of the crowd that lined the skylane the Chancellor's procession was taking. With a flick of his head to get the blond hair out his eyes, he leaned a little farther out of the cab of the speeder and watched as the first of the security speeders began to ascend into a higher designated skylane. Soon, the procession would turn to the far end of the Fellowship Plaza, and that would put them in sight of the Senate.
"Perci, I know you're a Jedi, but if you lean out any farther I'm sure you'll fall out." the woman in the driver seat of the speeder said, her tone clearly humorous. This was Jedi Knight Nalliana Zuk, a woman of Dathomir with pale skin, fragile features, but full dark hair. She wore it braided down her back, where it disappeared again the dark fabric of her tunic. Highly in contrast with the light browns and creams of his own Jedi robes, Perci wondered at how she kept from boiling in the direct sunlight, especially since he could not feel her using the Force to regulate her temperature. At the very least, because they were flying top cover, the two Knights were allowed to keep their Jedi cloaks stowed in the back seat of the speeder with their field packs, and for a moment Perci felt for his fellow Knights down there on the parade route, forced to be fully clothed in their cloaks so as to give no illusions as to the official presence of the Jedi.
He turned to look askance at Nalliana, frowning, "Don't you feel it, Nalliana? I'm getting uneasy."
Much to Perci's surprise, Nalliana inclined her chin, "Yes, I do. I just hope it's not that we're all spoiling for some action..."
Perci waved away her insinuation. Yes, it was true that the galaxy had not much in the way of action going on since the conclusion of the Second Great Sith War, and that translated directly into Jedi not having much of their own to do in the meantime. But despite Perci's penchant for adventure, he was definitely not going to let something like personal feelings get in the way of completing a mission well.
Sweeping his glance back from his partner, Perci tracked along the buildings ahead of the procession, which the Chancellor's convoy would soon draw even with. It was at this point that something in the back of Perci's mind spiked, chills racing down his spine. Squinting, the Jedi could not pick anything out of the anonymous building front, and he quickly spun around, reaching for the macrobinoculars laying on the console between him and Nalliana. Raising them to his face and zooming in, Perci began to move from transparisteel row to row, trying to spot something out of the ordinary.
"What is it?" Nalliana asked. She had standing orders to pace the procession from above, but with the allowance to maneuver as necessary. She began to creep forward, giving more power to the drives than before.
Still scanning, Perci replied, "I felt something from that building up ahead on the right, the one the Chancellor is about to draw even with..."
Trying to help, Nalliana reached out with the Force towards the building, feeling for any malicious intent. Starting from the top, she worked down slowly. It was only a few moments before she felt a dark concentration a few levels from the top. A breath later, Perci urgently called out, "I've got some movement...corner suite...near the top..."
The end of Perci's analysis was lost as Nalliana gunned the drives, veering their speeder directly for the building. If what she felt was true, they only had maybe a couple dozen seconds before the Chancellor was in danger. Sensing immediately what needed to be done, Perci tossed the pair of macrobinoculars into the backseat with their packs and unclipped his lightsaber from his belt. He had since pinpointed the location of the would-be assassins in the Force, and so he merely waited while Nalliana maneuvered the speeder into a position to drop down from above. Not even bothering for her to slow to a stop, Perci merely grabbed the edge of the speeder with his free hand and vaulted over the side, using the Force to create frictions between himself and the building he was dropping next to. Then, as he came near the exact window where he felt the interlopers, he pushed out with the Force, buckling the transparisteel as if it were a piece of stale ryshcate and tumbling into the room.
From the speeder, Nalliana was already vectoring to make for a lower altitude and provide a physical obstruction for the apparent assassins. As she spun the craft around in the air, aware that the speeder's sluggish drives were not nearly as sensitive as a starfighter's, Nalliana glanced down at the relative position of the convoy and was counting down the seconds before the theoretical sniper shot was lined up. Realizing it would be a smart idea to warn their compatriot with the Chancellor, Nalliana fiddle with her comlink while maneuvering the speeder with her other hand.
"Artessa, be advised, we've got confirmed hostile intent about to be initiated..."
Meanwhile, in the suite, Perci was springing to his feet with his lightsaber blazing to life. He quickly, with the Force expanding around him, took in his surroundings. Directly in front of him was a hallway leading to what appeared to be the exit from the suite, standing in that hallway were a pair of men wearing black fatigues and holding blaster pistols that looked both too big and completely illegal. To his right, just coming to their feet, were three more men, holding blaster rifles or grabbing them from where they had been set on the low table in front of the couch they had all been sitting on. To his left were the most important of the room's occupants; a man was laying prone on top of a drink bar, a very long and very nasty-looking sniper rifle was cradled in his arms. Behind the man, leaning over the bar, was a man also dressed in black using a mounted set of macrobinoculars, apparently the spotter. All of this, Perci gathered within the space of a second, and then he was springing into motion, determined to both save the Chancellor and then save himself.
Wanting very badly to leap directly at the sniper and end the direct threat to the Chancellor, Perci knew that he could not do that without exposing himself to the three carbines the men rising from the couch were even now bringing to bear on him. Therefore, Perci whirled his lightsaber in a defensive pattern before him as he turned and sprang towards the trio. He had crossed the distance, kicking the rifle free of the closest man, standing on the table as he did so. By then, the other two men were tracking their rifles up, preparing to depress the triggers. But Perci was already back-flipping away from the two armed men, using the table as a springboard. Blasterfire missed his back by centimeters, and then Perci came down facing them, whirling his lightsaber as they adjusted aim and opened fire again.
Deflecting the shots effortlessly, Perci could feel the two men guarding the doorway moving into position into flank him. Needing to buy some time, Perci grabbed the table in front of him with the Force, flipping it up and into the two men with the rifles and sending them crashing into the wall over the couch. Not waiting for the door guards to come to him, Perci cartwheeled in their direction, avoiding blasterfire with his unpredictable movements, and he came to a stop between the two men. They both turned to shoot at him, but they were impossibly slow, and Perci was already dropping into a crouch, sweeping his leg about and knocking both of the men to the floor, where they grunted in surprise before Perci sliced their pistols into melted scrap with a single deft swipe of his pink energy blade.
Popping to his feet, Perci turned to the spotter and the sniper, both of whom were doing their best to focus on assassinating the Chancellor. Taking a step towards them, Perci flinched back as a blaster bolt crossed directly in front of his face. Knowing full well that the shooter would not be missing again, Perci whirled again, front-flipping across the room in the direction of the bolt, dodging another trio of the dangerous energy before coming down directly in front of the man whom he had disarmed first. One swipe of the blade ruined the man's blaster rifle, but then the insurgent was leaping to his feet, trying to catch Perci by surprise. Taking the first uppercut on his forearm, Perci backpedaled another step, dodging a hook to his face. By then, he had been able to bring his lightsaber back around. When the man swung again, Perci already had taken off his arm at the elbow, prompting a cry of pain as the man fell back clutching his stump.
Once more turning towards the spotter and sniper, Perci realized the shot was all but lined up, and he could see the sniper checking the range on his scope before settling in to take the shot. He had to give it to these men, they were definitely well trained. Locking his lightsaber into the on position, Perci flung it, guided by the Force, at the pair, sending it whirling like a fan blade across the room. The bright blade took the spotter in the torso, bisecting him at an angle and sending both halves toppling unceremoniously to the floor. But as the blade began to circle back under Perci's control, aiming to cut the sniper laying prone on the top of the larmalstone drink bar, the man was already exhaling, depressing the firing trigger as he did so. The saber was halfway through the man as the shot got off, and there was no way in that next breath for Perci to know if he had amply affect the shot...
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"Artessa, be advised, we've got confirmed hostile intent about to be initiated..."
Lowering the comlink from her ear, Artessa cast he Force awareness out from the Chancellor's speeder like a net, first sensing Nalliana in the Force, and looking up to see her orange speeder vectoring around in a high speed maneuver. Then, just beyond that, she felt the dark intent within the building, and saw the smashed transparisteel viewport. In the next moment, Artessa was rising to her feet to stand on the speeder seat while using the Force to summon her lightsaber to her hands. Even as she snapped her green blade to life, her danger sense was jolting at the back of her neck. All at once, her perception slowed. She could feel Ten Yedden only just now reacting in surprise to her sudden movement, and at the same moment she could hear the Chancellor saying, "What in the stars...?"
Yet, the only thing that mattered was that Artessa saw the sniper's energy bolt coming from the shattered viewport, and she was able to let the Force guide her blade, deflecting the high-powered shot away from its intended target. All at once off balance and recoiling from the pure force behind the bolt, Artessa tumbled into the back seat, falling into the Chancellor's lap unceremoniously. Yet, without even bothering to right herself immediately, Artessa yelled to the driver, now two rows up, "We're under fire! Get us out of here!"
Having been under strict orders to heed the direction of the Jedi Knights ordered to protect the Chancellor, the driver complied. Notably, he would have complied even if it had been someone else, for the bolt had been plain for many to see, and still others had heard the bolt ricochet away as Artessa had deflected. As the speeder rocketed off, eschewing its security escort in favor or reaching the Grand Concourse and therefore the safety of more members of CSF, Artessa extracted herself from the Chancellor, deactivating her humming saber and apologizing all the while. The Chancellor, a man known for his strength of character, was waving off her apologies and looking more like a man on a mission than one who had come within a mere hand's breadth of dying. Meanwhile, the crowd was in absolute pandemonium, having seen and heard the attempt take place, and then drawing a rather grim conclusion as the Chancellor's speeder shot off as if out of cannon, the citizens were scrambling over one another to get to safety from a threat they were certain was nearby but out of their perception.
It was then that Artessa glanced back, noting how the driver had decided to immediately veer into a side avenue, that she saw the pair of matte black speeders, both outfitted with giant repulsor drives that stuck out away from their chassis, rise up from a lower level, briefly exchange fire with the sluggish security speeders trying to vector to follow the nimble craft bearing the Chancellor. She begun to think that maybe the initial assassination attempt was only one level of much more elaborate plot. Getting to her feat on the rear seat, Artessa shrugged off her cumbersome Jedi robe, and was rather glad that she had braided her red hair as the wind whipped about her. She shouted to make herself heard as she activated her lightsaber once more, "Chancellor, get to the front seat, we've got company!"
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Luxeria
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“Even the strongest mind can be manipulated. It’s simply a matter of finding its weakness.”
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Post by Luxeria on Aug 30, 2015 17:19:47 GMT -8
Luxeria made her way through the bustling skyway above the city as she made her way to her parent's home. She ran over many types of stories to best tell her parents to keep suspicion off of her and what she was really doing. She settled for the simple job as a secretary for a company on a Republic world. Easy enough story to run with.
It was a few minutes before the ship arrived at her home and she landed. Her parents were already waiting for her. Once the systems were shut down, she removed her lightsaber and hid it under the console. It was the last thing she needed them finding. Once all was set, she made her way off the ship. They greeted her openly, happy to see her after so many months. They, of course, asked what took so long to respond and what she had being doing the past few months. As she planned, she gave them the story that she was working as a secretary for Nubian Star Drives on Naboo. It made her parents proud thinking she was taking great steps in her future. She made sure to tell them she didn't have much time before they wished her back to work, a day being the most she could do. This saddened them but otherwise, carried on with the visit.
The day and night was spent in conversations, mostly everything she said about herself at this point being a lie. At first, she thought she'd have a problem keeping secrets and telling the lies as she was, but surprisingly, it didn't bother her. Perhaps she was descending farther into the darkness than she thought, which pleased her. As the night rolled around, she made her way off to bed, ready to head back to her training.
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dyvius
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As if a ghost from the past, the veteran from those old days remains watching.
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Post by dyvius on Aug 31, 2015 16:59:47 GMT -8
Sometime in the past... (Private Storyline)
Unfortunately for Perci, the men in the corner suite were well trained. Even after assuring kills on the sniper and his spotter, and being absolutely certain through a quick scan with the Force that the Chancellor and Artessa were unharmed, he was not in the clear. The two rifle-bearing men whom he had Force-hurled a table at were recovering even as Perci moved towards the open-air gap where he had destroyed the transparisteel window. Feeling danger sense once more racing up his neck, Perci whirled, lightsaber tracing a pink fan through the air, as one of the two men dived at him, hoping to catch the Jedi Knight unawares. With no such luck, Perci hewed off both of the man's arms at the elbows, but he was still brought down by the man's body mass. With a hasty Force push, Perci shoved the screaming assassin off, and was already rolling towards the back of the suite when the remaining soldier found a backup blaster and opened fire. The bolts stitched up the carpeted floor just where Perci had been.
Quickly rising to his feet, Perci prepared himself for the inevitable as the black-clad man swung his rifle to follow the the Jedi. And as he did so, Perci reach out with the Force and pulled, bringing the man across the room and crashing into the pair of soldiers who had been downed in the hallway as they tried to rise to attack again. In a cursing pile of flailing limbs, the men tried to untangle themselves, but Perci quickly was upon them, slicing off hands and feet as they presented themselves from the cluster of black-garbed bodies. Rather abruptly, all of the threat in the room was diminished to reasonable levels, and Perci felt more than safe returning to the hunt. Wasting no time, Perci spun around back towards the viewport, feeling the pandemonium from panicked bystanders with the Force as well as hearing it rising from below the level of the suite.
As in on cue, Nalliana pulled her orange speeder up to the broken window, beckoning for him to jump in. Deactivating his lightsaber mid-stride, Perci leaped across the meter gap and landed safely in the passenger seat, and was barely fully seated before the Dathomiri woman shot the speeder off like a rocket, banking to away from the skytower and diving towards the same altitude the Chancellor's vehicle had been. They had a chase to join.
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Like all Jedi Knights, Artessa was trained in the basics of every one of the seven forms of lightsaber combat that had existed for millennia in the Jedi Order's basic combat practicum. Also like every Jedi, she was afforded the choice of which of the lightsaber forms she wished to master exclusively from all of the others. At this particular moment in time, Artessa was wishing she had chosen Form III to master. As was well-known to many, Form III, called Soresu specialized in defense, against all weapons but especially the blaster. Masters of Soresu could very easily create an impenetrable wall with their blades, holding off a great number of skilled assailants by themselves for quite some time.
This was not Artessa's calling. No, she was more inclined to Form IV, called Ataru, a Form which exhibited incredible movement abilities, and used acrobatics above all else. Pinned as she was in the rear seat of the Chancellor's speeder, defending the Very Important Persons hunched low behind her, Artessa did not have any room to maneuver in a way that was comfortable to her. Therefore, she was forced to block the constant stream of blasterfire being aimed at the speeder on risk of getting herself, the Chancellor, or the speeder shot. Luckily for her, the high speed chase the driver of her speeder was giving the would-be assassins was making for some rather tough shots, but all the same, Artessa was only hoping they could reach safety long before one of the shooters got lucky.
There were about four of them, each one leaning really far out of the rear windows of their pair of matte black speeders and holding long-range rifles nestled into their shoulders. Given the gunners' precarious positioning, it was all the drivers of those speeders could do to keep the speeders steady as they tried to match their target's maneuvering. Wanting so desperately to just reach out with the Force and pull the gunners from their perches, Artessa knew she did not have the concentration to spare. So she kept at her current course, weaving as solid a shield as she could muster with her green blade.
Thirty second had passed, and the pursuing speeders were gaining ground, making the blasterfire more precise and therefore more likely to get past Artessa's defenses. It was at this point that the driver shouted back, working hard to be heard over the whistle of the air whipping around the open cabin of the speeder, "We've got a turn up ahead, we're almost to Fellowship Plaza!"
In the midst of this, Artessa felt in some corner of her mind that Chief of Staff Ten was getting in his mind some reckless resolve, but unable to dissuade him from trying anything foolish, she could only keep her concentration on her defense. In another few seconds, his determination materialized in the way of blasterfire streaming past her legs at about shin height, going back towards the black speeders. The bolts, by their dimness compared to the ones Artessa was deflecting, were clearly from a small sidearm that Ten must have been carrying with him in an inner pocket of his ceremonial robes. Luckily, Ten was not the worst shot in the galaxy, so while many of his shots were going wide, some were kept on target by virtue of the fact that the pilots of the two pursuing speeders clearly did not have the liberty to maneuver evasively. A few choice blasterbolts struck the nose of their speeders, sending sparks flying into the windscreens of the speeders and scoring the paint-job with off-black streaks. It was not much, but maybe Ten would get lucky...
Finally, just as their pilot was shouting that the turn was coming up in about 300 meters, Artessa simply missed one of her deflections. The bolt was not aimed to prove lethal to any of the speeder's occupants, but it was low enough that it buried itself in the thin skin of the speeder's rear flank. Immediately following, the speeder lurched, nearly knocking Artessa forward and off the back of the speeder if not for her ability to anchor herself in place with the Force. Smoke began issuing from the undercarriage, and they were losing speed quickly. Crying out in dismay, Ten stopped firing as he held a frantic conversation with the pilot, and Artessa only caught every third word over the screech of incoming blasterfire and the chugging cough of their own repulsors. What she was absolutely sure of was that the assailants would be upon them before they had a chance to break for the Senate Building or even the Jedi Temple. All the while, the gunners were getting harder and harder to repel.
"Get down!" Artessa yelled at her passengers. It would not do for the Chancellor to present even the smallest target as the attacking speeders closed the distance, and even the trail of smoke the fleeing speeder was leaving was not enough to throw off their visuals. Artessa realized that the chance of her succeeding in her defense of the Chancellor was slipping all the while. It was then, out of the corner of her vision, did she see the orange speeder rocketing along behind the enemy speeders. In the passenger's seat she could make out the hunched over figure of a man in light-colored robes and holding a pink-bladed lightsaber. Now, if only she could keep the attackers' attention for just a few more seconds...
Realizing that the gunners were starting to spread their fire as they leveled out, and knowing that she could not reasonably stop all the bolts hitting their already-wounded speeder, Artessa stopped trying. Instead, she allowed the bolts headed for the speeder chassis to hit, causing the whole craft to rock and splutter. Deflecting only the fire that was a threat to her and the other passengers, Artessa had just enough concentration to devote to plucking the gunner on the far right from his precarious seating, merely yanking his upper body off-balance enough that he could not recover in time to prevent his own demise as he fell hundreds of stories to the Coruscant Underlevels. Now with only three sources of fire, Artessa found herself able to turn her attention to the next gunner, on the opposite side of the same speeder.
But before she could reach out with the Force, the pair of pilots must have realized what she was doing, and they began to slow down, drawing an ever-widening gap between her and them. It was a tactically sound decision: the Chancellor's speeder, so riddled with damage as it was, could not keep up the chase much longer. The repulsors were whining like dying dewbacks at this stage anyway, and given the strain Artessa felt in her pilot's Force aura, he was having a very rough time keeping the speeder airborne. Not to mention, the gunners were still in range to keep their barrage up even from the safer distance.
However, none of the assassins realized that they were falling right into the trap laid out by Artessa's compatriots. As the black speeders slowed down, that closed the gap extremely quickly for Nalliana and Perci. Like a bullet from a a shatter gun, Perci catapulted from the passenger seat of the orange speeder. Lightsaber tracing an arc around him as he leaped, Perci came down on the speeder to Artessa's left and immediately upon gaining a safe hold on the roof, he leaned over the left side, cutting the gunner apart at the waist with a single swing. Wasting no time, Perci switched sides, swinging his lightsaber backhand as a continuation of his previous motion, cutting down the other gunner in the same way.
Suddenly able to move more freely with only one set of blasterbolts coming her way, Artessa grinned as she focused on aiming her deflections back at the pursuing speeder with the single remaining gunner. One bolt splattered harmlessly on the nose of the speeder, sending sparks flying with a gratifying PING, but her second and third deflections found the transparisteel of the windscreen, and the third bolt following shattered the clear material, startling the driver and blinding him, where he veered the speeder off course. The craft quickly lost its altitude and its velocity, decreasing to a point where Nalliana had no problem pressuring the craft off to the side into a position where it would be forced to land on its own power or be ground into the side of the skytowers they had been racing by during this whole made chase.
Realizing rather belatedly that he had lost both of his gunners and his partner craft, the pilot of the remaining speeder began to pull back. He would probably have been successful in withdrawing sneakily from the chase, had not Perci been swinging into the cabin of the craft from the passenger side, using his momentum to swing his booted feet into the side of the man's head, rendering him instantly unconscious. The pursuit speeder wobbled for a moment before Perci gained control of the craft, having to lean over the slumped figure of the original pilot but being fully able to control it. Just before she turned away, Artessa saw him give her a cheeky smile.
Deactivating her saber, Artessa spun on her heel and fell gracefully into the rear seat, letting her weary gaze fall on the shell-shocked stares of Tern Yedden and the Chancellor. She locked gazes with the older man, and said, "I believe you're safe now, Chancellor."
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Luxeria
Member
“Even the strongest mind can be manipulated. It’s simply a matter of finding its weakness.”
Posts: 1,898
Affiliation: Blackguard Reborn
Traffic Light: Green
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Post by Luxeria on Sept 5, 2015 12:40:17 GMT -8
With the rising of the next morning, Luxeria woke quickly. She knew her parents would want to spend a little more time with her before she left. Best to start early. After a shower, she entered the kitchen to find breakfast ready. Sitting down, the family conversed, her parents going on about life since she left and Luxeria twisting lies into their minds at her job. It seemed so easy and they believed it so well. Apparently, she had learned more than she thought while away.
They spent the rest of their time conversing in the living room, deciding to simply stay home. When she went on to leave, they spoke of something for her and took her to a container that rested in their hangar close to her ship. Inside waited a Flare-S Swoop bike, red and gold in color with a dual blaster up front. She thanked them for the gift as they loaded it on to her ship. She said her goodbyes before entering her ship and taking off. Clear of their personal hangar, she took herself up into the planet's atmosphere.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 6, 2015 20:17:05 GMT -8
The stabbing at the club left me on my guard. There was no way I was staying there a moment longer while Red was with me. Something wasn't right...other than my paranoia, I didn't know what it was. But I wasn't taking any chances, especially not while Vee was around. I had a specific hotel in mind, one I stayed at a few times another life ago. It was swanky, and I knew we'd stick out like a sore thumb...but I also knew their security measures were far better. I would rest easier knowing Red was in a safer place. I insisted Vee change clothes, while I remained in my armor. I told her that I could pretend to be her body guard while she appeared to be a socialite. She looked at me bewildered, and I knew she was wondering how such a thing came to me so easily. She fought me on it, but I finally won. I drug her inside a little upscale boutique with the latest fashions, immediately handing the suspicious, well manicured clerk a credit card. "Give the lady a whole new wardrode." I ordered. "Spare no expense." "Are you crazy?" Vee hissed at me under her breath while the clerk stared at me stunned. "What are you doing?" "We can't walk in with no luggage for you, Red." I said equally as quietly. The clerk went to recruit more help. A few pretty, young women began to pull clothes off the racks and shelves, and security at the door shut down any more customers from entering the boutique while the staff went to work on the increasingly irate Vee. I didn't know why I was going to such extremes to have us blend in...but I wasn't going to ignore my instincts. Before she could respond, she was pulled away by the gleeful clerk. An hour later, after hurrying them along and insisting to the attendants that Vee didn't need to try on every piece of clothing, shoes and accessories, we walked out of the boutique with my very unhappy captain in a gorgeous, 2000 credit cocktail dress and 500 credit shoes, with about 200 credits worth of minimalistic jewelry. It was all simple, classy and so very high-Coruscanti. Save for her facial scar and scowl, she easily could be mistaken for one of the elite socialites. A cab was called for use and two attendants and the driver helped load the purchases into the vehicle. "We're done," I assured her, admiring her beauty, still a little stunned at her transformation. "We're going directly to the hotel right now." "Just shut the fuck up and get me there." Before I could say a word, she slid into the cab with surprising grace. With a grin, I hopped in behind her and gave the driver the address.
The taxi pulled up smoothly to the hotel. Courtiers were immediately at our doors. I growled at them to back off of Vee, looking every inch of the bodyguard as I was posing to be. They called bellhops to take the luggage as we headed inside. Vee looked completely lost as we cleared the lobby. I gently grasped her elbow and maneuvered her to the reservation desk, reflexively offering a reassuring smile under my helm as her worried face turned to mine. Yes, this was safer. And maybe she could experience some high living. Even I had to admit that I missed it.
Given my previous employment, I could easily afford all this. I had been generously compensated for my work, as I should be. I reinvested it in a variety of ways, which grew the sum. I even owned a small villa on Zeltros that I rented out when I wasn't there. I had in fact intended to vacation there after this job...but the thought of spending some time on Coruscant with Red was far more appealing.
I brusquely requested a deluxe suite after we made it to the desk. It would be on a floor with even extra security than the already-guarded hotel. The receptionist behind the counter looked nervous, quickly studying my rough exterior. She promptly gave us what I wanted, however, and within two minutes I had punched in the special code in the elevator that would take us to a floor that only patrons of that floor could access.
The usual liqueur and food greeted us when we stepped out onto the small lobby of our floor. This was a VIP area, there was always food and drink available at no additional cost.
"We'll order room service when we get to our room." I told Vee, who was eying the food. I didn't want to stay out in the open any more than we had to. The deluxe suite was everything I remembered. Spacious, ornate, classy. A living space, three bedrooms with walk in closets, three and a half bathes, a dining area, a patio and even a kitchen complete with a bar.
Before Vee could say anything, I swept the suite. It was all clear, thankfully. Our luggage was stacked neatly in the master bedroom which opened to a luxurious master bath. A huge jacuzzi tub, two sinks, vanity, large walk-in shower with bench and floor-length mirrors graced the bathroom, all inlaid with expensive tiles and marble. The rest of the suite was all top-notch quality. I relaxed slightly as I returned to Vee.
"Looks good." I said to her back. "The room service menu is in the kitchen, I think...what are you in the mood for?"
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 8, 2015 18:31:09 GMT -8
Now they were alone, Vee's anger and confusion surged to the fore. She turned on Don sharply, pinning him in place under her glare as the Mando'ad tugged his helm from his head. Don's smile slowly abated at the look upon his colleague's face. What was all that about? Don's suddenly over-cautious behavior set her on edge, especially since there was no immediately apparent reason for it. It wouldn't be the first time they switched lodgings upon finding them unsatisfactory. Yet they never had gone to such extremes before. And how the hell was he able to pay for the wardrobe and the hotel? They made ok money, but Don was throwing credits around as if they grew on trees.
Don's mouth thinned slightly. I needed us to be in a safer place. The upper levels have far better security. We'll be safe enough here until we can get off planet. He pushed past her, heading into the kitchen. I told you this already, Red. I don't understand why you are so against it.
Scowling slightly, Vee followed Don into the kitchen, kicking off the expensive shoes as she went. Maybe because you've never acted this paranoid before! Maybe because I feel there's something you're not telling me! Like how in the name of Kad were you able to afford all this, and why would you spend all this money if it's just matter of blending in? We could have gone somewhere else safe and done without!
Something about what she said must have hit a nerve, because his brown eyes hardened slightly. I used to have a job that paid me very well, and I have been wise with the money. His voice was quiet. And I...I have a bad feeling about this. That's why I'm going to such extremes. I feel...uneasy.
Vee crossed her arms, frowning. You could have just told me that.
Don suddenly chuckled in amusement. You would have just argued more about it. He shrugged. I'm probably just being paranoid, but I've learned to trust my gut. He offered her a half smile. Relax, Red...we can have the clothes sent back before we leave if it bothers you so much. In the meantime, try to enjoy yourself...
He pointedly glanced around as he picked up the room service menu. We have a couple days to kill, and our digs are pretty sweet.
Despite the effortless way he was speaking and the calm he projected, Vee still felt off balance. She didn't like having information withheld from her any more than she enjoyed wearing this overly flouncy clothing. His paranoid was putting her on edge, but she ultimately trusted Don. Fine. She padded over to the master bedroom. Order lots of alcohol, mister moneybags...I'm putting on some real clothes.
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Bloodshot
Member
Posts: 311
Affiliation: Chaos and credits, baby.
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Post by Bloodshot on Sept 13, 2015 10:37:17 GMT -8
Escaping the paramedics had not been particularly difficult, but doing it in a way that wouldn't send up all kinds of red flags? That was a little more tricky. Sort of. Mostly it was just a matter of making her detectable vitals disappear, then sneaking out of the morgue when they declared you DOA. Nobody guarded the corpses.
When K had commed her with the target's new location, she'd stolen a swoop from a group of goons that she was sure would never report the theft, and headed to Galactic City immediately. The being that arrived, however, was no longer a young woman dressed in leathers, but rather a helmeted youngster clearly just out to have a good time. When he approached the entrance, the doorman held out a hand to stop him.
"What the hell? Do you have any idea who I am!?"
"I'm sorry, young man, but this establishm..."
"Shut the kriff up, peon. Either you let me in here or I'm getting dad on the comm and you can kiss this job goodbye."
"Again, I am sorry, but as I said, this establi..."
He was silenced by a gloved finger over his mouth.
"Shh. This'll only take a minute. Ah, yeah, Hi dad. There's some goon at the Ultralux trying to keep me from getting in. Yeah. Uh huh." He put a hand over the comm. "What's your name?"
"Berik Marsim, Sir."
He went back to the comm. "Yeah, Barik Marsim. Apparently he doesn't like what I'm wearing. Okay. I guess that'll have to do." He ended the call and put the comm back in his pocket. "Good news, Berry. You're not getting fired yet. Now are you gonna make me stand out here and wait for security or can I go in now?"
"I'm afraid hotel policy says that..."
"Excuse me, Mr. Marsim?
The new voice came from the direction of the hotel entrance, and the doorman turned to find the head of hotel security striding toward him.
"Yes, Sir?"
"We just got a very disappointed call from Senator Tonald Drump. He said you were detaining his son because you didn't like what he was wearing."
"I was simply trying to adhere to hotel policy, Sir."
The head of security looked from the youngster, who had by now taken his helmet fully off his head, rather than simply leaving the visor open, and shook his head slowly.
"Just remember him in the future. We don't want a repeat of this incident, am I clear?"
"Perfectly, Sir." Berik turned back to the young man. "May I take your helmet, Sir?"
The youngster brushed past him with a huff as his only answer and headed into the hotel proper. Sometimes having a boss with a senator in their pocket sure could pay off. Now to get to the VIP suites.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 16, 2015 14:47:58 GMT -8
I ordered their best nerf steaks, rare, with all the trimmings and a rich red wine to match. I hadn't eaten such good food in a long time. I was overdue and I figured Vee could appreciate it. She was married to Taung, after all, and the bastard had money, more money than he knew what to do with I'd wager. I still didn't understand how he died and she was left with nothing, not even a small amount to care for her basic necessities, leaving her to work her ass off piloting for some low-life company out of Keldabe just to see ends meet and care for whatever was lleft of her small circle. You would think if you had a wife and you're going off to war, you'd see to their care first, considering even the worst case scenarios. I could only chock it up to forgetfulness during the war. A man like Taung breathed, ate, drank and slept war. I knew men like him. Everything else came second. Vee never complained though. She wasn't materialistic and still adored Taung despite being widowed for years. I knew it had never been about the money or his position in our community.
She's a good woman. It's one of the reasons I love her.
While I waited for the food, I made sure the windows and doors were sealed and locked. The uneasiness in my gut still hadn't left. I was torn between getting out of my armor and showering or remaining armed and ready. I decided to wait for Red. She padded out with wet hair and one of the new silky nightgowns the clerk insisted upon even though I said Red didn't need bedwear. I tried not to laugh. She glared at me.
"Don't you even..."
I held up my gauntleted hands as I tried my best to suppress my amusement - and failed. "I'm not saying anything...what happened to your other clothes?"
Vee grunted as she plopped down on the plush couch and turned her darkened red head to me to continue to glare. "I wasn't planning on this detour." She suddenly looked a bit embarrassed. "Plus...this is a bit comfortable...might feel better sleeping..."
"Uh huh."
She threw a fluffy couch pillow at me. "Shut up."
I silently snickered as she turned back around and clicked on the television. The bright light and sound suddenly blared. It was a late night show about recent social events with comedic overtones. I rounded the corner and sat next to her. "It's not wrong to like nice things, Vee...didn't Taung-"
"No." Her jaw tightened fractionally.
I sighed. No, now wasn't the time to have a heart to heart. I turned to the television and soon I was wrapped up in the show. Before I knew it, the door bell rang. I jumped up to answer it, not forgetting my blaster. Fortunately, everything was as it should be. I took the cart myself and wheeled it in instead of letting the waiter do it. Vee peered over at me and the cart curiously, sniffing the air. "What did you order?"
I grinned. "Steaks and wine."
Her mouth dropped open. "Wine? What about whiskey?"
I shook my head, halting the cart to her side. "Thought it might be nice to try something different for a change. C'mon, you'll love it. Have you even tried it before?"
She wrinkled her nose. "No, why would I?"
"Are you eating here?"
At her nod, I grabbed one of the plates and whipped off the silver cover. "Steak for the madam." I said in a fake haughty voice. I didn't hesitate to move to pour the wine, taking a sip before offering her the glass. "C'mon, try it...I promise you'll like it." After she reluctantly took it, I placed my blaster at her side and made a beeline for one of the suites.
"Wait, aren't you going to eat too?"
"I need a shower. Don't hesitate to use that." I motioned to the blaster before slipping into the bedroom. I left both the 'fresher and bedroom doors open, just in case. I was done in 5 minutes. I made my way back to the couch with wet hair and sleeping pants. Vee eyed my plate as I sat next to her, her own almost completely demolished. The wine was already half gone. "You going to eat all that?"
I gaped at her, her plate and the wine bottle. "Yes!"
She stole one of my vegetables off my dish with her fingers and smirked at me. I stared at her in mock horror. "You know you're supposed to savor the wine, right? And the rest of the food, for that matter."
"I want another steak. And dessert."
"Sure, how about I throw in another bottle of wine while I'm at it?" I shot back with sarcastic amusement.
"Could you?"
"Glutton."
"It's your all your fault."
I chuckled, handing her my nearly unmolested plate as I stood up. "Here...eat mine, I'll order some more." I refilled her wine glass before I made my way back to the room's comlink. A couple minutes later, I had ordered two more bottles of wine, a bottle of champagne, two more steaks with the sides, a double order of caviar and three different kinds of desserts. I settled back next to Vee with a sigh. She was eating hungrily beside me. A late night trivia game show was on now. It was actually one of my favorites. I stretched out, propping my bare feet on the coffee table and flexing my toes as I pulled the blaster onto my lap.
I jumped when Vee's hand landed gently on my thigh. I turned to her questioningly. The sharp features of her face had softened. "Thanks." she said quietly. "For everything." She offered me a rare, shy smile. I smiled back, wishing all this was under different circumstances.
"You're family to me, Red...you don't have to thank me for anything."
She hummed as she sat her now-empty plates aside on the cart, turning back to offer what was left of the wine in her glass.
"How generous of you." I smirked as I took the glass from her and sipped.
She smirked back at me sarcastically before grabbing my free hand and snuggling against my side. As her fingers entwined with mine, I sat the glass upon the coffee table to reach for a blanket to throw over us. We sat there, cuddled together watching the show. "This is nice." I said carefully, leaning my head on top of hers. It was times like this I wish I could tell her the truth of how I felt. Wished she didn't just see me as a best friend. The temptation had been great earlier, but I knew in my heart it would ruin things and make it even more weird if I had. She was already upset over it.
She hummed her agreement, squeezing my hand and snuggling in closer.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 2, 2015 17:48:07 GMT -8
Vee snuggled in closer to Don. Even though it was resolved, she could still feel an awareness about him that she had when Drika had commed her. Or it could be the wine and champagne. She drank most of it while Don teased her. She had to admit, it was much better than she thought it would be. And now she felt relaxed, very relaxed. It was a wonderful, warm feeling, especially with his body heat and the blanket.
She sighed. Tell me about this job you had where you made enough creds to afford something like this, out of the blue. She felt him tense for a split second beside her.
It was a job piloting illegal osik around. he said easily.
Really?
Yep.
She went quiet again. Someone said something funny on the television and Don laughed. Vee reflexively smiled. Why did you stop? she asked softly.
He coughed as he turned down the volume on the show. A friend of mine got killed...I saw that as a sign I was in too deep. I couldn't trust my employer to keep us safe within reason during our assignments. His arms around her tightened and his head fell back on top of hers. I just couldn't do it anymore...the lying, the secrets...it was one thing if it was necessary, but another when one of your own people, who you should be able to trust in the most dire circumstances, turns on you. I should have died that day, but he did instead. He lifted his head with a sigh and leaned his neck on the back of the sofa, his brown eyes staring at the ceiling. Why do you want to know? His voice was not hostile, simply curious.
Vee bit her lower lip, straightening enough to pull away slightly and study his face. It was expressionless as he continued to stare at the ceiling. She shrugged. I'm just surprised you were able to afford all this...I didn't realize how well off you are.
Don barked a laugh, his head tipping down to look into her face with a smile. Ah hah! So you are a gold digger, eh?
She jabbed him lightly in the ribs as he laughed. Quick as a viper, he caught her wrist. She hit him with the other hand. He grabbed that one too. Vee gasped as, In a flash, she was on her back upon the sofa with him looming over her, still chuckling. Vee's eyes widened as she realized she couldn't budge an inch. He was far stronger than he looked.
Point to V'hett! he declared proudly, staring down at her with a smirk.
Vee didn't respond, seeming to have forgotten how to breath. She stared into his eyes, blue-green meeting brown, feeling a familiar, comfortable intimacy that she didn't think was possible again. It was so sudden, she felt like it had punched her right in the gut, making her breathless. Don blinked, the smirk falling off his face. He abruptly released her, standing up in front of the sofa.
We should go to bed. he said firmly.
Vee stared at him, still lying on the couch, through the haze of alcohol and awareness. Ok. she said simply. But she didn't move.
Don carefully grasped her hands. C'mon Red...you're drunk, let's get you to bed...
Vee allowed him to pull her up and lead her. I'm not that drunk...
He snorted. Ok Red.
He pulled the duvet aside and sat her on the edge of the bed before grabbing one of the many pillows. He tossed it to the floor. She collapsed on the bed, watching him. What are you doing?
Sleeping on the floor...I'm not leaving you alone. He padded barefoot into the living area where he grabbed his blaster. He sat that on the floor beside the pillow. Then he went to grab his armor. Then he found Vee's slug and sat it beside her in bed. Here.
She sighed, closing her eyes. We're safe, Don...
Now we are...
She opened one eye. You don't have to lay on the floor...you could sleep in bed with me, there's plenty of room...
He hesitated. Thanks Red...I will after I clean my armor, promise. Get some sleep, I'll be right here if you need anything...
With that, Vee closed her eyes and drifted off into blissful oblivion.
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Galdaart Fel
Retired High Councilor 
...not hiding anymore
Posts: 1,565
Affiliation: The Unfair Advantage
Traffic Light: Green
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Post by Galdaart Fel on Oct 6, 2015 5:39:00 GMT -8
The first of two drops was in sight. Alas, since the entire op was on a 'need to know,' and Fel apparently didn't need to know, it was only on final approach that he realized what a well-heeled hotel it was that they approached. The covered VIP landing pad was crowded with cabs and escort shuttles coming and going, and Fel cursed under his breath. Well-to-do guests were getting out of expensive, gleaming shuttles wearing outfits that were worth more than a years' pay to him. There would be red flags all over the place if a dirty off-world freighter came to rest on the red carpet. Keeping calm, banking to port and descending 100 meters, he flipped on the internal comm-link as he rejoined a traffic lane, again quickly banking, this time to starboard and ascending thirty meters.
Change of plans, team one. Seems we're not dressed for a front-door arrival at this joint. You'll be going in the service entrance. Better recalculate your direction and distance from target.
Approaching the delivery / service landing pad, the feeling was that of status quo. There was a freighter not unlike his own lifting off, and only a pair of deck-hands and a load-lifter droid to greet them. At a little over 100 feet off the deck, he was hailed by the ground crew. He let the hail wait till he was a little over 50 feet off the deck, ready to engage repulsors, and then flipped over to their frequency, leaving the comm open to the landing party so they could hear his conceit.
Yes -- I've got an a/v delivery for event room five. Running a little behind schedule -- sorry for the quick drop! Flipping back to their closed circuit, Fel kept the crew informed: Down in twenty. Welcoming committee of three -- two squishy, one tin. Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four... aaand, down and clear!
The ramp was already down, and Fel left it till the five count before swinging the ship about so that the ramp was visible to the ground crew. Then the landing pads struck home, and the ramp lip hit the ground, drop-ship style. Fel gave a count of four, then lit the fires and slid off the platform, immediately descending 200 meters and banking away to gain speed and present the smallest possible profile.
Happy hunting team one. Keep me posted. Out. Team two -- six minutes.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Oct 6, 2015 14:08:39 GMT -8
I finished cleaning my armor then set it up to make it easy to get into when I needed it next. I checked the time. It was very early morning. Red had been out for a couple hours already. I contemplated slipping under the covers with her, but the temptation to go further was too great. Sighing, I grabbed my slug and padded barefoot unto the private terrace off of the room. It seemed each room in the deluxe suite had a terrace. The bright lights of the city planet shone vibrantly, making it seem as if it wasn't oh two hundred. The only place I found that was more active and brighter was Zeltros. The party never stopped there. If I was at my Zeltron villa, as I had originally planned, I wouldn't be in bed until breakfast. And maybe not even then. But I was glad I was here with Vee, even if I was acting like some lovesick teenager.
I padded back into the suite, locking the terrace door behind me and covering the door with the black-out curtains once again. I began to stare at Vee's calm, sleeping face before realizing how creepy that was and laying on the floor where I first had planned. I wasn't very tired. I slept most of the way to Coruscant - in the cockpit of course...just in case - and had hardly drank anything. Vee finished the wine and champagne by herself. I stared at the ceiling while I flexed my feet. I didn't understand my unease. The Sith were gone and we were safe in one of the highest end hotels. There was heavy security, especially at the level we were staying in. I knew for a fact that even the glass of the windows and doors were slug resistant. The terraces were guarded. There was 24/7 recorded surveillance. No one could get on our floor unless they were staying there themselves...and I dared anyone to try to break down the entrance door. There was a reason, after all, I stayed here every time I was in town on a mission.
I sat up, twisting to grab the Coruscant Today off the side table. I glanced at Red again. She was still sleeping just as peacefully as before. With a smile, I flipped through the magazine, half-heartedly reading the articles as I tried to push the thought of Red's lithe body against mine out of my head.
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Drallinix
Member
Posts: 33
Affiliation: "those guys. You know, them"
Traffic Light: Blue
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Post by Drallinix on Oct 6, 2015 19:53:08 GMT -8
Descending the ramp quickly Drall leaped off just before it hit the ground landing on his feet and continued forward in a calm walk. His rifle was hidden in a bag slung over his back and his armor was hidden under his cloak. The only thing that made him different was the red helmet that he wore uncovered. His staff was held on his hip adjacent his knife and pistol. Drall stopped where he was waiting for the Doc and listening to Fel.
"Roger that Fel things might get hot fast down here ill call u when we need an extract" Drall said looking around the dock.
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Post by Aherk Fyyar on Oct 7, 2015 17:16:41 GMT -8
Jef made no motion to slow down as he pushed past the mercenary, almost taken aback by the beauty of the Core's crown jewel. Apart from a rather sizable satchel slung across his body, the medic didn't look at all like he was going into what would - in all likelihood, given the target, her potential bodyguard, and the maniac in the red helmet - be a firefight. In fact, the only real tactical decision he'd made when considering his appearance was tying his shoulder-length hair back into a small ponytail, keeping it out of his blue eyes. Those same eyes were fixated on the cityscape around him, with airspeeders flitting about in organized rows and buildings of incredible height reaching so far down below the landing pad that Jef wasn't sure exactly where they made landfall.
It was almost exactly as he'd remembered it. Almost.
"Welp," Jef said, stretching out his arms and cracking his back, "you're the walking arsenal. Lead the way."
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Drallinix
Member
Posts: 33
Affiliation: "those guys. You know, them"
Traffic Light: Blue
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Post by Drallinix on Oct 7, 2015 20:09:57 GMT -8
"Well Doc im assuming they're in there, but i'm just a humble assassin so you never know. Anyway i'm starting to get the feeling you don't like me doc, which sucks cuz I thought we were gunna be pals" Drall said as he walked forward to stand beside Jef. Looking around Drall sneered under the mask, in all honesty he had no fucking idea where the targets were. Blood had said there would be an agent waiting for him and he kept his head on the swivel in search of him. Almost without thought Drall's hand drifted to the handle of his slugthrower. He caressed the smooth wood and found its toch almost comforting as they waited. "Hey doc u got anything in there that causes pain instead of fixing it?"
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Post by Aherk Fyyar on Oct 7, 2015 20:36:23 GMT -8
Jef's gaze went from the Coruscant skyline to the masked soldier to his side, letting his deep blue eyes burn right through that bloody red visor. If he was honest, Jef was impressed with his company; it was as if every word out of the mercenary's mouth distanced him more and more from civilization and common morality. He would have thought the very term "medic" implied that he was there in a healing capacity. He would have thought that his profession meant that - by definition - he didn't have any compounds that induced pain in others. But Jef was quickly finding himself in a world he'd once forgotten; where violence was common, and those that caused it were sorely lacking in common sense.
If he was totally honest, however, Jef missed not having common sense. Not that he'd ever tell the mercenary that.
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Galdaart Fel
Retired High Councilor
...not hiding anymore
Posts: 1,565
Affiliation: The Unfair Advantage
Traffic Light: Green
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Post by Galdaart Fel on Oct 9, 2015 6:10:49 GMT -8
The ship banked sharply away; Fel got the confirmation a few seconds later that the exterior ramp was sealed. Punching the throttle along the back alley, he braked and juked hard to rejoin the standard flight line with as little fuss or undue drama as possible. With a deviation of less than a minute, it was a tight little piece of flying. In the cockpit, Melia released a breath she didn't realize she had been holding, and gave the pilot a sideways glance.
Can we pleeeease try to remain upright, and within a hundred-fifty mph of the accepted speed limit? You'd be doing my stomach a great service.
Fel smiled, but did not reply. There was the second drop to think about. He was starting to get the feeling it wouldn't stay quiet or 'fun' for long, and so he called up the tactical display, and locked it into his retina HUD. If anyone decided to get uppity with them, he'd blow them to the dark place before they had a chance to squeeze a trigger. The outlander hoped it didn't come to that. A strafing run in Galactic City would mean a lot of dead or injured bystanders. Not what he wanted -- but he didn't deal this hand, he was just playing it.
Two minutes, team two.
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Bloodshot
Member
Posts: 311
Affiliation: Chaos and credits, baby.
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Post by Bloodshot on Oct 9, 2015 12:23:26 GMT -8
As might be expected, the pair of deckhands grew concerned when the suprise delivery turned out not to be cargo at all, but rather two ominous looking men. The hasty departure of the freighter also did nothing to calm their nerves, and they were on the verge of calling security when lo and behold, security arrived. Or rather, a single coruscant security officer strode out of the hotel and nodded confidently at the deckhands as he passed, clearly on his way to greet the two men. When he reached them, the distance was too great for the ground crew to make out what was being said, but the conversation seemed cordial enough.
"It's about time you two got here." The security officer looked them both up and down, then settled his gaze on the one trying to hide his armor under the cloak. "You must be Drallinix." Greymalkin had never worked with the young man himself, but he knew Bloodshot from previous missions and if he saw something in the boy then that was good enough for him. He turned his gaze on the other man. "And that makes you Jef. Glad to have you along. They're in the VIP suite on the top floor. We can go in like we're there for the holocron, and grab the girl in the chaos. Make it look like a botched robbery that just escalated. Thoughts?"
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Drallinix
Member
Posts: 33
Affiliation: "those guys. You know, them"
Traffic Light: Blue
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Post by Drallinix on Oct 9, 2015 12:51:01 GMT -8
A security officer strode confidently towards them and began to speak. Nodding when the man stated his name and the plan drall commented "it sounds like a decent plan, how are we planning on getting my gear past the rest of security or are we going old school smash and grab, other than that sounds like we are all good. Anyway lead the way im here to do the fighting. After I snatch the girl Doc here is gunna pump her so full of drugs she doesn't know which way is up and we are catching our ride outta here. Blood didn't mention you hitching along for the ride, then again there are a lot of things Blood doesn't tell me. Regardless lead the way, im itching to get this party started."
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Post by Aherk Fyyar on Oct 12, 2015 20:06:06 GMT -8
Jef looked over the security man and his maniacal escort, simply shrugging his shoulders.
"I'm not really one for this sort of thing. Only reason I'm here is to get the girl under and keep her there. The finer and delicate points of the actual extraction can be left to the Crimson Cranium over here."
The black-haired medic didn't give voice to the idea that they could just cut power to the building then pump in one of the compounds in his bag through the vents. Nor did he offer up the alternative solution of using their gruff pilot and his marginally-less-gruff ship as a distraction, making them out to be the bigger threat while his companion and the security guard took them out from behind. And if they were on the top floor, to save on resources, it would have been the easiest thing in the world to jam communications to the area and simply wait them out. It was Coruscant; a few credit chips to the right people and the building simply had an extended generator failure.
But this wasn't his arena anymore. And even when it had been, he had never been that subtle.
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