Ree quickly straps Teela Strax onto the red swoop while Squall and Amarath mount up on the tan one. Squall sits in front, Amarath takes the handles and starts it up. A few moments later and they're gone, heading out of the market and towards the "big hole" in the center, to head down to Ree's bolthole.
Over comms: "Some boys in white coming, hustle up, Vos."
I hustle up, of course. I may give the orders now, but when Hosk says hustle, I hustle. On the way down, I jump a few flights of stairs, then head out the service door in the back of the apartment block. My blaster's holstered and hidden by the time I walk out, slow and casual, but still close at hand.
You head out onto the street, past five dead bodies. There's a little Togruta girl and a squat little Rodian boy picking them over. Hosk is quick walking across one of the streets to get to you. He's unarmed, and looks cool as the other side of the pillow.
Back near a central hub of streets are a squad of troopers heading this way.
Hosk waits for you to come to him, watching, but not watching the stromtroopers. "Hoi, Vos. Not bad work. Too bad we couldn't clean them out."
How are you playing this exit, Ladro? Do you want to mix in with the crowd, find a shop to enter and let it blow over, or what?
We'll grab some meat-on-a-stick and mingle in with the crowd, keep an eye on the Troopers for a few minutes at least, until we see a good moment to make our exit.
You stand there as half the squad march up to the apartment, then charge up the stairs, disappearing in the covered hallway. The other half fans out, their sergeant directing them to check the bodies, look for any combatants.
"This meat's not bad, for rodent" Hosk says casually as his canines tear into the meat and he hides his eyes under his wide-brimmed hat.
If you stay put, you're going to be questioned any minute. If you bolt for it, they'll spot you.
I give Hosk a smirk as the officer in charge of these Troopers appears. It's the lovely Lt. Eclipse. I walk over to her, leaving Hosk behind. "Lieutenant, it's a pleasure to see you. What's going on here? Looks like a real battle."
Hosk chuckles, mutters something about a fool's luck, but it's good-natured.
Lieutenant Eclipse's mouth twitches with the slightest grin before her officer's mask falls over her countenance again. "Five dead outside, nearly twice as many inside that flat. Looks like it was." She's ramrod straight, at attention as she looks past you, keeping a mask of military persona about her, "What did you see, Mister Vos?" She notices your wounds, but she hasn't ordered anyone to arrest you, yet.
I catch her look. I'm counting on the fact that the locals weren't in love with the way the Skulls were treating them and the fact that we weren't exposed for long, and never as a group. "That's why I stuck around. I caught some crossfire. The ones in the building weren't being careful at all. For the others, the ones I saw moved like they had some real training, but I couldn't tell you how many there were. It was fast and furious. Mostly saw blaster bolts that I was trying to dodge, to be honest. Hard being a tourist in the middle of a firefight."
She snorts lightly with a single laugh, "You should work on your dodging, Mister Vos." She looks at a trooper standing near, "Trooper, hand me your medpack." He reaches into a belt pouch and produces one. She tosses it to you, "This should help stave off infection, but you should see a med droid soon. This place is filthy." She glances over at Hosk, then back to you, "Are you done escorting your female friends?"
I open the medpack. "For the moment. I'm afraid they had rather a lot to drink, and got quite sleepy." I shrug as if to say, "Youth is wasted on the young."
"A personal escort would be much appreciated. I'm afraid it's not convenient for me to rejoin my charges at the moment, though. Perhaps it would be best for me to find somewhere to have a drink and nurse my wounds?"
She nods curtly, turns to the trooper who gave up his medpack, "Trooper, tell Sergeant Hyx to sweep a two block perimeter and take statements. Any leads should be noted in the report."
"Yes, sir." is the trooper's response. He turns to give orders to his fellows.
Hosk makes a sort of shooing motion, indicating you should go on without him.
Lt. Eclipse gives you a look indicating you should follow, and she walks briskly away from the market. "You're very lucky I came along. Any other officer would have you detained for questioning." She looks back over her shoulder at you, slows down so you're walking beside her. "I'm tempted to follow regs..." She gives a wicked little grin.
The grin remains as she quips, "Oh... I've got you just where I want you, Mister Vos." She takes a turn to head for a pub at a corner, well over a block away from the market.
Inside, there's a Bith band playing synth jazz a bit too loud. As you head inside behind Lt. Eclipse, she removes her jacket, showing a sleeveless white top underneath. Her hat is off, too, and without them, she seems rather unofficial. She heads to a booth near the back to have a seat.
The bar is seedy, you're still in 1313, of course. But it seems a bit more blue collar, a little less unsavory. As a human, you actually stand out here. It seems, from a general read of the way beings look at Eclipse, that she's been here before.
I follow, of course, enjoying the view. I slip into the booth across from here and give her another smile. "Is this where you take all your less-savory characters for interrogation, Lieutenant Eclipse?" I give an exaggerated look around and hold my hands up. "I surrender. What do you want with me?"
The booth you're sitting at is an aged wood, like the ones around it. The walls are plaster, covered with posters of bands and pictures of beings who have frequented the place in better years. It feels like an old pub that's seen better days that none of the locals want to acknowledge.
Your Imperial captor reaches over to the affixed datapad and keys in an order. "Yes, this is the den of my indescribable torment where I take prisoners and pry out their darkest secrets." She sits back a bit, grinning. Her fingers hover over the pad, "What drink do you fancy, Mister Vos?"
I give Eclipse a frank, appraising look. "What I fancy isn't a drink, but if you're having one, I'll join you. Since I'm at your mercy, I'll drink whatever you're drinking."
Lt. Eclipse gives you a look of mock surprise, "You don't fancy a drink, Mister Vos?" She arches a brow, asks innocently, "What would you fancy? I'm already breaking eight reg sitting here with you. You wouldn't want me to hit double digits now, would you?" She keys in some Coruscani intoxicant called Dr'Uush. It was originally Duros scotch, but some enhancements have been made to the potency.
After she completes the order, she watches you for a moment, asking, "Are you... in a hurry or something?"
I arch an eyebrow myself. "Oh, I'm not opposed to a drink, Lieutenant, but I've always been more than a little partial to a woman in a uniform. And out, if I'm being honest. As to being in a hurry... I am still babysitting, supposedly, even if the kiddies are having a nap."
I nod to the droid and give it my thanks. "Truthfully, they're all brats, but I've got a sort of soft spot for my dear distant cousin Glorana. After all, her family's the one paying me." I hold up my glass in a toast.
She raises her glass with you, pauses for a moment for your full attention, eyes alight with mirth. She toasts, "May you... Work like you don't need the credits, love like you've never been hurt, dance like no-one is watching, kriff like it'll be on a holovid, and drink like a true Nabooan." She clinks your glass, then takes hers to drain it.
She smiles, saying nothing. Her eyes dance with the compliment, and she doesn't look away. "You're... very attractive yourself, Mister Vos."
She wants you to be dangerous, to tempt her. You're on your way, but if you want this to be quicker, you've going to have to step it up. Otherwise, she'll keep you the night.
I reach a hand out to touch hers, lightly. "I'm also impulsive... what is your first name, Lieutenant? And I'm sure that you know a private nook somewhere close by... Ever been kriffed in uniform before, Lieutenant?"
---
Totally willing to Apply Leverage, here, but since I'm applying sexual leverage to achieve sex, I'll just roll and you can delete if you want to go somewhere else.
Her eyes are drawn to the point where you're touching. She answers in a clear voice, unwavering, "Rika. My first name's Rika... Denever." She looks up at you, "And the answer to your second question. Is no. I haven't." There is an unspoken "yet" in her voice. She breaks eye contact after a delicious moment to look back at the bar patrons. She'd sat facing the back of the tavern, so you have a view of the place.
You spot someone, Ladro. A pair of someones, in fact. Vina Zon, the Devaronian female who worked with you before, but nearly got you arrested. Also, her partner-whatever, the muscular Nautolan Vurtigann. They're here, and if you walk out of here with Eclipse, they'll see you.
She turns back, grins, and dons her cap again. "Come along, Mister Vos. I want to do something new."
Just as I'm pondering that little complication, I feel a slight draft on the back of my neck, followed by the steady clank of an old droid. I turn my head in time to see a door closing and a droid lugging in a case of some sort of liquor. There's just enough time to see a repulsorlift van and a poorly lit back alley before the door closes.
I take Rika's hand and lean in to whisper, "Let's go out the back way... seems sneakier, doesn't it?"
When you lean in and whisper in her ear, she turns her head to press her lips against yours, her hand gripping yours lightly. She holds the kiss for a moment, her touch silky soft, finally pulling back to answer, "Follow me, Denever." She stands, tugging your hand to lead you out the back.
You follow her, I assume, end up in the alleyway behind the tavern. That's where she pulls you into an embrace, her mouth greedily seeking yours, her hands on your sides.
She drops her jacket on top of an empty grav-pallet, and I lean into her, pushing her back against the wall as I move my hands up to remove the hat again and drop it on top. I grab her hair and tilt her head to the side so that I can nibble on her neck. "Lieutenant Eclipse, I believe your prisoner is about to resist arrest. Vigorously."
Rika sucks in a breath when you nibble on her neck. Only feet away is the main thoroughfare, and the door plus a few crates are the only things keeping dozens of beings from watching you. A couple floors above you in the building you just left, you think someone is looking out a small window.
Lieutenant Eclipse clutches at your left hand with her right, and brings it up to her lips. She opens her mouth and sucks as greedily at your fingers as you do her neck. She slides her tongue around your fingers, then pulls them out so she can push your hand back down again, down to the top of her slick black pants. "More vigor, Denever. I'd hate to have to take you in."
I comply, and before long we simply don't have the breath or attention for any more jokes or double-entendre. This is not clothes-off, sweet, sweet lovemaking, it's a back-alley kriff with a near-stranger. She ends up facing the wall, more like the detainee than the detained, one of my hands on her hip and one gripping her shoulder, pulling her back into me.
At the end, Rika has slapped one hand on the wall of the tavern, the other is between her legs, playing at herself while occasionally reaching down to touch you as well. Her climax matches yours and she devolves into grunts and panting at the end. Once you're both spent, she sighs with delight, "That was... an enjoyable interrogation." She reaches down to gently grip you and ease you out of herself, then stands and pulls her pants back up over her shapely ass.
I rearrange as well, straightening and trying not to wince at the stress I've just put on my recent injuries. Yes, I'll actually be walking funny after this encounter.
Once we're both presentable and she has her hat and jacket back on, I kiss her again, fiercely. "I think this is the beginning of a beautiful entanglement, Lieutenant Eclipse... Rika. I don't suppose you have a civilian comm code you'd care to share? I don't know how long I'll be on Coruscant, but..." I leave that out there for consideration.
After you break from the kiss, she nips at your bottom lip, playfully.
When you ask for a way to contact her, she takes out a small, pink comm device, offers to tap-share her code with you, "I'm sure we can find each other again before you and your three kids are gone. And I'm always at the casino after hours. The owner pays several of us to keep an eye on the place. You know, on the side. It's easy credits."
I manage not to tell her how much easier it almost wasn't, tonight. I smack that taut ass through her uniform pants. "I'm sure we'll be back to the casino. And if not we, then I certainly will steal some time from the kiddies." I give her a cocky, sloppy salute. "This has officially been the best interrogation I've ever gone through."
She gives you a mock look of protest at the slap, but says nothing about it. The salute gets a grin, then she grabs your jacket and pulls you in for a quick, hungry kiss, "I got everything I wanted out of you, Mister Vos. Everything." She smirks, then turns on a heel and heads back into the tavern.
I head to the fallback point Ree established. I go up a few levels, down a few, take all sorts of useless detours. When I arrive at Kyne's on level 1318, I have accumulated a bouquet of hydroponic flowers, an assortment of soft drinks, meat pies from two street vendors, and an overcharged powerpack for a blaster that none of us owns. And a tiara. I can almost justify the other things, but the tiara was an impulse buy. When I get there, I give it to Squall.
Squall takes the tiara and smiles a soft little smile, while Amarath looks on in surprise, maybe a tiny bit of jealousy, but she says nothing about it. Squall says lightly, "Thank you, master." Ze also takes the powerpack and starts fiddling with it. After putting the tiara on zir head, of course. It fits.
Ree glares at Squall for a moment, crossing her arms under her breasts, "I take it you weren't followed?"
Hosk comes up to take whatever haul you want to off-load. Especially the meat pies.
I hand the flowers to Ree and give Hosk the meat pies and sodas. "So, what's the chatter like? I think the Imperials haven't gathered much." I ignore Hosk's smirk and continue. "Did you wait for me to contact the Vigo?"
"Comm chatter died down after the trooper squad went into 1313 for half an hour. They reported back and left a few minutes ago."
Ree cuts in with, "Odd thing about it, though. Their officer didn't report in, it was a trooper sergeant." Hosk looks over at you, but doesn't say a thing.
I consider, for a moment, confessing to "distracting" the officer, but given Amarath's state of mind I choose to let it lie there. "That is odd. So, do we have anything to give Altonn about the Skulls' backer? I heard something as we were going in, anything more on the transceiver or the computer?" I look over at the Falleen woman, who I assume is bound. Is she recovered from the stun yet?
Teela Strax, the Falleen youth, is in binders, sitting on a small cot. She looks worn and miserable. Ree's sitting near her, watching you, but you see she's angled towards Amarath as she idly plays at the snap over her blaster. It isn't openly hostile, but she's got an eye on your head of security.
Squall quirks a little frown and adjusts zir tiara while showing you a point-to-point communications map on zir datapad that is linked into the transceiver, "The being Dack was trying to contact was using a string of dummy terminals, bounced along eleven different levels. It's a wonder the signal had so much lag. I can't trace the source, but I can open a line, and if they answer, I can dial in a location."
"The computer's locked tight, too," Ree interjects. "Marda's hesitant to dive in, because if she guesses wrong, it slags the whole thing." Squall looks up, quirks another frown, and nods agreement.
"That's not enough, Teela. I want to let you go soon, and the more you help me, the sooner that happens. Think hard. Did you ever go to Level 83 with Dack? Meet anyone? Did he ever say anything that might tell you who he was working for?"
Teela flinches a little, as if struck. She says nothing more.
Amarath starts moving forward towards the Falleen girl, drawing her right blaster, the one she uses to threaten people, "If you want to join him, keep sitting there like some mute idiot! I think we should disintegrate her!"
Ree's double-barreled blaster is out, aimed at the deck, but obvious. She steps in Amarath's way, "Listen. I stood by while you executed those gangers. But this girl's just some kid who got mixed up in..."
Amarath cuts in with, "Oh, I see. When it's a prostitute, I should respect her choices and see her as a person. But when she's thrown in with a scumsucking gang, then I should treat her differently? I thought only Ithorians talk out of both sides of their mouth!"
It looks like they're about to throw down. What do you do?
For just a second, no longer, the word "quellish" is on the tip of my tongue. Shutting Amy down like that doesn't solve anything, though. I turn to Amarath, angry at her and disappointed for the role I played in this drama. It will be obvious that I'm consciously keeping my voice level when I speak. "Glorana, stand down, or I will stand you down." I'm not explaining or justifying. It's an order, plain and simple.
Amarath stops, glowering at Ree for a moment, holsters her blaster. "Your call, Vos." She keeps her hands at her sides, still watching Ree like she could burn holes through her.
Ree is completely calm, even ignores Amy's glare. She doesn't offer a smart remark, just stands there for a moment, slowly puts away her blaster.
Hosk was right behind you, but he slides back when things calm down.
Squall is ignoring all of this, tapping away at zir datapads, fidgeting and playing with the transceiver. "Master... I think I found something. Not on Guri... but on a Gammorrean named Ogrikk. He wasn't so careful about hiding his data signature or his holovid presence." Ze looks up at you, waiting for your attention.
Ree answers first, while Squall's tapping away. "He's Black Sun, low-ranking thug. A good killer, not a good thinker."
Squall answers, "He's pulled creds from Vigo Xizor." Ze cocks zir head while looking at several layers of photos, then squints. "Teela... is this you in this picture?" Ze flips a photo from one datapad to the one facing you.
It's definitely Teela. She hasn't looked up, seems to be drawing herself in tighter.
Hosk nods, Amarath falls in after giving Ree one last "kriff you" look. They head out, "to check the perimeter", which may or may not involve death sticks.
Squall puts on a half-smile, asking in a sing-song voice, "Did I please you, master?" Ree shifts with irritation, but says nothing. She's staying near the Falleen, protective. Teela, for her part, seems stuck between being relieved that Amarath is gone, and even more frightened.
I take a breath to keep my character intact, then rub Squally's head fondly. "Yes, Marda, you did." This mission can't end soon enough.
I walk back to my chair next to Teela, ignoring Ree. "I assure you, Teela, that if I want you dead it will be me that pulls the trigger, not my rather... overeager... employee. And as you can see..." I draw my blaster carefully and hold it out to Ree without looking at her, grip-first. Once she takes it, "And now I have no trigger to pull."
I sigh. "You're a young woman who got pulled in to the orbit of a bad boy. It happens. It happened to me, in the other direction. However, you always have a choice, and I have to tell you with the benefit of experience that the next choice you make will always be the most important one. So, the question is." I cough lightly into my hand, just an excuse to pause. "Do you want to spend the rest of your potentially long life with people who do violence for hire and never look farther forward than their next payday and the intoxicants that they'll spend it on, or do you want to get off Coruscant and start over with a little seed money and a few friends?" I hold up a hand to forestall her answer. "It may seem like the question is 'Do I rat out my dead boyfriend's employers or not?' but the actual decision is what I just laid out."
"Prince Xizor is my uncle." Teela says meekly. "I brought Dack to him. I was going to get Altonn for him. And he will murder me when he finds out." Her shoulders slump, "You, too."
I ponder that bomb for a few seconds, without looking to either Ree or Squall. "Will Vigo Altonn recognize you as Xizor's niece? Or is there any way to confirm that for him?"
I nod. "Ree, keep her safe. I'm heading to the Casino. Alone. I'll send Lar back and keep Glorana on watch outside. Marda, can you keep watch on me all the way inside the inner sanctum?"
"Hopefully, we're only talking a few hours. Can you hold here for a bit, Ree? Marda, is that the only way you can keep an eye on me? Thought you had the casino security worked out."
Squall nods, "Yes, of course I have eyes on you." Ze comes over to stand near you. "But you shouldn't go alone, master. Will you be taking Lar or Glorana?"
I give Squall a look. "No, I won't. Monitor the feeds and keep Lar informed." I've accomplished the task, as far as Altonn is concerned, and going alone gives me a better chance to determine his value. Besides, backup is for the weak, and I don't want Ree seeing that.
As I leave, I signal to Amarath for a quick conference. "Follow discreetly and stay outside the casino. Stay listening on comms, but say nothing. If this goes sideways, you're my backup plan. Standing orders hold." Yes, I'm a hypocrite, for some definitions of the word.
Amarath walks beside you, her eyes reading you as you walk and talk with her, "I've got your back."
Hosk gives you a nod and hangs back, knowing his role is to watch over Squall, the kid and Ree, probably not in that order. Amarath continues walking with you, a death stick between her lips, smoking away.
Do you take a public transport or one of the lifts to get back to the Thunderbird casino?
Amy and I take separate lifts. We lost our mojo earlier, when I was focused on Teela, but I trust her to pick it up again. Whoever arrives first will linger close to the lift exit, then Amy will pick up my tail. We're still on the encrypted comms, with Squall running point.
Amarath trails behind, lost in her own thoughts and focusing on watching your back as you enter the Thunderbird.
The place is busier than your last visit. There are a number of recognizable "bucketheads", troopers out of unis, here at the bar. A pair of Hutts and their retinue are holding court near the pits, there's a sabacc tourney going on, too. You spot Zix'et near the holo-suites. It is watching without watching.
After five minutes, a well dressed human male appearing in his twenties approaches you. "Excuse me, Mr. Vos? Mr. Altonn would like to speak with you." He waits for a response, his tone is polite.
He nods and turns crisply to lead you to the same door near the back, the same Zabrak guard, down the same well-lit hallway and into Vigo Altonn's spacious office. The bank of monitors are displaying the casino, the pits, some local entertainer, a Flash Bazbo trid flick, and several data feeds including a business ticker.
Reclining on the couch is a beautiful mocha-skinned, Tholothian female. She's clad in a silky covering that reveals more than it hides and softly shimmers with colors that compliment her body very well. Sitting beside her, a hand possessively over her shoulder, is Vigo Altonn. He nods as you approach.
"Thank you, Harrik. You may go." Altonn says to the young man who escorted you inside. The Vigo leans forward to gaze at you, checking you over quickly with alert eyes. "I heard there was... trouble in 1313." He glances down at the girl, back to you, "Wish, my lovely, could you head to the back room and give us some privacy?"
The Tholothian rises in a graceful move that accentuates her body, the covering sliding to show more flesh as she stands. She offers you a pearly white smile and a gentle wink, then turns to bend down and kiss Altonn's cheek before leaving.
Altonn watches her go. The whole way to the door sliding closed as she heads deeper into this office that's set up like some over-sized apartment. He finally turns back to you, "What happened?"
I return his look. "We disbanded the Grim Skulls. There may be a few survivors, but not many. Their leader, Dack, was being backed by a few people on 87. Guri and a Gammorrean named Ogrikk. You probably know that Ogrikk is Black Sun." I'm holding Teela as a hole card at the moment.
Altonn's face flickers with recognition at the information. He nods, "What can you tell me about this Guri and Ogrikk, Denever Vos?" He slides an arm up, draping it along the back of the couch where he's sitting. "And come have a seat." He indicates the comfortable chair facing him.
I sit. "I've got nothing on Guri, other than she's a female. Ogrikk, though, I know a few things about. He's been drawing credits from Vigo Xizor." I give Altonn a speculative look. "Do you celebrate Life Day, Vigo Altonn?"
"A mystery and a thug don't make a very convincing case against another Vigo." Altonn says, not happy about the results you're offering. "It feels more like a third party setting me up to start a war." Almost distracted, he looks at you when he processes your question. "Life day? Sure. Everyone deserves a holiday, even crooks and bastards. Why?"
"I have a present for you. Turns out Xizor's niece, Teela, was running around with Dack. She's the one that introduced him to Ogrikk. I don't know precisely how to wrap her, but I can certainly have her delivered."
Vigo Altonn blinks slowly, his mouth slightly open. He licks his lips, like a tick, waits for some kind of punch-line, which doesn't happen. "Teela karking Strax? She was with that nerf-herder? Varp me!" He sits up with sudden energy, stands up and walks across the slick black marble floor, hands clasping behind his back.
"Stars, Denever. That's one serious Life Day present. You've earned your twelve thousand." He stops, turns to look at you, "Bring me Teela Strax unharmed and I'll throw in an extra five, one per head. All of your team survived, I assume? Even the splicer?"
"That's actually 24 thousand, Vigo Altonn. You'll recall that you promised to double our fee if I discovered who was behind this. The bonus is a nice touch, though. We did all survive, and my splicer was integral in completing the mission." I pause, recalling the last time I was in the office and the bet I place on the Neti. "And... something... gives me a feeling that this Guri might be a droid."
Altonn sucks his teeth, thinking. "That's... interesting. I've hired IG-88 for a few jobs, but I didn't think Xizor worked with them. And yes, doubled and five on top." He says this dismissively, but you can tell it bothers him a little. "Bring me Teela. Right through my karking front door. Do not be quiet about it. I want him to know I know." He smiles a Devaronian smile.
I shake my head. "It's fine if you want to flaunt this, but I'm not putting my people that much in the spotlight. I'll deliver her to a service entrance, and then you can dress her up and show her off all you want. Also, I do have a condition. I want your word that you won't harm her yourself and that you'll make your absolute best efforts to keep her safe from Xizor, as well. She may be a conniving little brat, but I don't want her killed."
He peers at you. "Why? Has she used her karking pheromones on you?" He licks his lips again, "You just demolished her entire gang, why should she see any mercy?"
Altonn shakes his head, "No five K bonus then. Bring her through whatever side entrance you wish. As for her safety once she's in my possession, that's completely up to Vigo Xizor. That's the deal, Denever Vos. Now fetch me the girl, and I'll pay you twenty four thousand credits." He sneers, "That can be your new family."
Fetch me the girl? You jumped-up, low-rent guttersnipe sleemo.
I shake my head in turn. "On Kiffu, there used to be a certain type of feathered monkey that is famous for its greed. Their plumage is highly prized for its vibrant colors, and as it happens, these creatures are easily trapped. You find a hollow in a tree with an opening that is just big enough for one of them to fit a paw inside. In the hollow, you place a ripe ponfarr fruit. The monkey will reach inside to grasp the fruit, but is unable to pull the paw out without letting go and leaving the fruit behind. As I said, they are greedy, and almost always refuse to loosen their grasp on their prize. The hunter then simply comes along and hits the thing over the head."
I smile. "They are extinct now, because of what many might call a character flaw." I look Vigo Altonn right in the eye. "It's your avarice, your inability to see beyond immediate gain, that will let Xizor finish you in the end, Vigo Altonn."
I lean forward in my chair. "You can keep the bonus. In fact, I'll walk away with just the original twelve thousand you promised. But you don't get the girl unless you give me your word that you won't harm her, and that you will do your best to protect her."
"Funny story, Vos." Altonn says as he looks down at you. "I think you've forgotten who is the employer and who is the employee. I offered twelve thousand credits for proof of who set those Grim Skulls up against me. This Guri droid is just a name. The Gammorrean is a hired thug and a fool. Only Teela meets my demand. And I'll make no guarantees on the Falleen's safety. She would have happily cut my throat!"
He glares at you for a moment. then makes a decision. "Denever Vos. We can still part as allies, or at the least neutral parties who no longer work together. But if you keep Teela away from me, then you're me enemy... now make you choice." He pulls a small communicator out of his pocket, the front door opens and a pair of men, including the Zabrak, come inside quickly.
"The twelve thousand was to take out the Grim Skulls, which we indisputably did. Five of us, twenty of them. On their turf. Loudly. Messily. Sending a message, which you wanted. That message has now been sent. Whoever was handling Dack knows by now that we have his transceiver and computer, and if there's any amount of intelligence there, they will know that you have the information we gleaned, and will assume that you have Teela. If you kill me now, Xizor will still know that you know that he was gunning for you, but you won't have anything to bargain with."
Vigo Altonn glares at you, "The TWELVE thousand... was for a holocrystal showing the job was done. Do I see a karking holocrystal?!? Don't quote the job to ME, I gave the job to you. I know what I asked and what you gave." He motions to the men, "Get him out of here." He waves dismissively, turns like he's done with you as the Zabrak and his partner start moving for you. They don't have weapons drawn, but the Zabrak is a bone breaker, and the human has a stun stick at his belt.
I throw up my hands and let the guards "escort" me out, knowing that Amarath will follow. Once they let me go, I mutter into my comms, "I hope you're on the move... that didn't go well, as you saw. I guess I'll have to pay Ree out of my personal account."
Squall responds, "Master, I'm listening in on Altonn's feed. He just called someone on his comms and told them to follow you. Glorana, are you watching him"
Amarath responds curtly, "Nobody on his shebbs yet, just bonehead and his buddy walking them out." You spot Amarath as she heads for the door, behind you, behind them.
The Zabrak has your right arm when he leans down (he's two heads taller than you) and says low, "You don't come back here anymore. Get it?" The doors open and he shoves you outside.
I give the Zabrak a nod, then shake it off when I'm outside. I head to a lift, head down some random number of levels between 25 and 33, and walk to the closest bar from the lift exit. Order a glass of wine and find an unoccupied booth somewhere not well lit.
Amarath hangs back, following you. She disappears, a couple times, but catches up. When you head into the bar, she stays outside, near a burned out astromech and a couple vagrants. She lights up a death stick and starts a conversation with them.
Squall comms, "Whatever team he called in on you, Master. They don't use the same channels as Altonn's. Ree recognized the name of their leader. A Night Sister named Hith. Said she's very dangerous. We can come up to meet you, Master. What are your orders?"
I take fifteen seconds to think. "Marda, start making preparations to pull out. Arrange transport for us and the Falleen to somewhere out of the Core. Pay Ree out of my account, 4000 credits, then cut her loose with my thanks. Lar, you've got operational command down there. Your main job is to make sure that Marda and the girl get on a ship, and that you eventually get her to our employers. She's the only useful thing we've got, and she certainly knows things about her uncle's organization that they will find useful. They can also help keep her safe, which everyone's right, I don't really know why I care so much about. Let Glorana and I know where and when, and we'll meet you if we can, but do not wait for us. We'll get there eventually. Glorana, stay on my six, we're going to move around a lot, try to stay ahead of the kill team rather than confront them." I hope that's everything. "Everyone clear? Oh... and tell Ree I haven't forgotten my promise to her. Ask her to give me a little time."
Hosk is first to answer, talking over Squall, "You've got it, Vos. I'm getting them up and out now. We're on the move in five. Don't worry about us, I'll get us off this rock. We'll target a meet with Alanna as first choice. Miss Geshix is our fallback. We'll use the drops if we're stuck."
Squall cuts in with, "I'll handle the girl. She's already tried to use pheromones on me, but the doc gave me a little boost on that after I mentioned a certain Zeltron problem." Ze speaks to Amarath, "Take care of him, baby. And yourself, but we both know you're good at that."
Amarath chuckles, "Don't get any more head wounds, doll. I like you as is. Grumpyboots, take care of things." Hosk growls over the comms. Amy comes into the bar now, the whole shadowing thing no longer part of your plan of action. She still has the deathstick, which sits in the corner of her mouth. "This'll be fun, right?"
"Good luck, everyone." I give Amy a wink, pay for the drink I haven't touched, and move to the door. "Remember playing tag when we were younger? We've both spent as much time in cities as forests by now, right?" Walking fast, but not jogging (don't want to draw attention), I head for a shopping area to zig-zag around on the way toward a lift. The plan is not to stay put anywhere for more than a minute or two, keep switching levels up and down, but gradually making our way up toward the surface so we're in a position to meet Squall and Hosk once they tell us which ship, where, and when.
As we walk through the market, I keep an eye out for hooded cloaks. Amy and I are a rather distinctive pair.
Comments
That's everything that needs to be covered, as far as I'm concerned. "Let's go, then. I'll see you all at Kyne's on 1318. Don't get caught."
Over comms: "Some boys in white coming, hustle up, Vos."
What do you do?
I hustle up, of course. I may give the orders now, but when Hosk says hustle, I hustle. On the way down, I jump a few flights of stairs, then head out the service door in the back of the apartment block. My blaster's holstered and hidden by the time I walk out, slow and casual, but still close at hand.
Back near a central hub of streets are a squad of troopers heading this way.
Hosk waits for you to come to him, watching, but not watching the stromtroopers. "Hoi, Vos. Not bad work. Too bad we couldn't clean them out."
How are you playing this exit, Ladro? Do you want to mix in with the crowd, find a shop to enter and let it blow over, or what?
We'll grab some meat-on-a-stick and mingle in with the crowd, keep an eye on the Troopers for a few minutes at least, until we see a good moment to make our exit.
"This meat's not bad, for rodent" Hosk says casually as his canines tear into the meat and he hides his eyes under his wide-brimmed hat.
If you stay put, you're going to be questioned any minute. If you bolt for it, they'll spot you.
What do you do?
I give Hosk a smirk as the officer in charge of these Troopers appears. It's the lovely Lt. Eclipse. I walk over to her, leaving Hosk behind. "Lieutenant, it's a pleasure to see you. What's going on here? Looks like a real battle."
Spending 1-Hold from Methodical
Lieutenant Eclipse's mouth twitches with the slightest grin before her officer's mask falls over her countenance again. "Five dead outside, nearly twice as many inside that flat. Looks like it was." She's ramrod straight, at attention as she looks past you, keeping a mask of military persona about her, "What did you see, Mister Vos?" She notices your wounds, but she hasn't ordered anyone to arrest you, yet.
I catch her look. I'm counting on the fact that the locals weren't in love with the way the Skulls were treating them and the fact that we weren't exposed for long, and never as a group. "That's why I stuck around. I caught some crossfire. The ones in the building weren't being careful at all. For the others, the ones I saw moved like they had some real training, but I couldn't tell you how many there were. It was fast and furious. Mostly saw blaster bolts that I was trying to dodge, to be honest. Hard being a tourist in the middle of a firefight."
She snorts lightly with a single laugh, "You should work on your dodging, Mister Vos." She looks at a trooper standing near, "Trooper, hand me your medpack." He reaches into a belt pouch and produces one. She tosses it to you, "This should help stave off infection, but you should see a med droid soon. This place is filthy." She glances over at Hosk, then back to you, "Are you done escorting your female friends?"
I open the medpack. "For the moment. I'm afraid they had rather a lot to drink, and got quite sleepy." I shrug as if to say, "Youth is wasted on the young."
She nods, agreeing with your nonverbal assertion, "Do you... feel safe, Mister Vos? I could arrange for a personal escort for you."
"A personal escort would be much appreciated. I'm afraid it's not convenient for me to rejoin my charges at the moment, though. Perhaps it would be best for me to find somewhere to have a drink and nurse my wounds?"
She nods curtly, turns to the trooper who gave up his medpack, "Trooper, tell Sergeant Hyx to sweep a two block perimeter and take statements. Any leads should be noted in the report."
"Yes, sir." is the trooper's response. He turns to give orders to his fellows.
Hosk makes a sort of shooing motion, indicating you should go on without him.
Lt. Eclipse gives you a look indicating you should follow, and she walks briskly away from the market. "You're very lucky I came along. Any other officer would have you detained for questioning." She looks back over her shoulder at you, slows down so you're walking beside her. "I'm tempted to follow regs..." She gives a wicked little grin.
I return the smile in kind. "You'll never break me, copper!"
The grin remains as she quips, "Oh... I've got you just where I want you, Mister Vos." She takes a turn to head for a pub at a corner, well over a block away from the market.
Inside, there's a Bith band playing synth jazz a bit too loud. As you head inside behind Lt. Eclipse, she removes her jacket, showing a sleeveless white top underneath. Her hat is off, too, and without them, she seems rather unofficial. She heads to a booth near the back to have a seat.
The bar is seedy, you're still in 1313, of course. But it seems a bit more blue collar, a little less unsavory. As a human, you actually stand out here. It seems, from a general read of the way beings look at Eclipse, that she's been here before.
What do you do?
I follow, of course, enjoying the view. I slip into the booth across from here and give her another smile. "Is this where you take all your less-savory characters for interrogation, Lieutenant Eclipse?" I give an exaggerated look around and hold my hands up. "I surrender. What do you want with me?"
Your Imperial captor reaches over to the affixed datapad and keys in an order. "Yes, this is the den of my indescribable torment where I take prisoners and pry out their darkest secrets." She sits back a bit, grinning. Her fingers hover over the pad, "What drink do you fancy, Mister Vos?"
I give Eclipse a frank, appraising look. "What I fancy isn't a drink, but if you're having one, I'll join you. Since I'm at your mercy, I'll drink whatever you're drinking."
Lt. Eclipse gives you a look of mock surprise, "You don't fancy a drink, Mister Vos?" She arches a brow, asks innocently, "What would you fancy? I'm already breaking eight reg sitting here with you. You wouldn't want me to hit double digits now, would you?" She keys in some Coruscani intoxicant called Dr'Uush. It was originally Duros scotch, but some enhancements have been made to the potency.
After she completes the order, she watches you for a moment, asking, "Are you... in a hurry or something?"
I arch an eyebrow myself. "Oh, I'm not opposed to a drink, Lieutenant, but I've always been more than a little partial to a woman in a uniform. And out, if I'm being honest. As to being in a hurry... I am still babysitting, supposedly, even if the kiddies are having a nap."
"Give me a couple drinks, at least." She answers with a laugh. "Which of the kiddies is your favorite, Mister Vos?"
A rickety droid ambles up with a tray filled with two drinks. It puts them on your table, one in front of you, one in front of the lieutenant.
I nod to the droid and give it my thanks. "Truthfully, they're all brats, but I've got a sort of soft spot for my dear distant cousin Glorana. After all, her family's the one paying me." I hold up my glass in a toast.
She raises her glass with you, pauses for a moment for your full attention, eyes alight with mirth. She toasts, "May you...
Work like you don't need the credits,
love like you've never been hurt,
dance like no-one is watching,
kriff like it'll be on a holovid,
and drink like a true Nabooan." She clinks your glass, then takes hers to drain it.
What do you do?
I meet her eyes as I drain my glass, then say, "Lovely toast, Lieutenant. Almost as lovely as you."
----
I'd like to Read a Person, here.
(Rolled: 2d6+2. Rolls: 1, 4. Total: 7)
She smiles, saying nothing. Her eyes dance with the compliment, and she doesn't look away. "You're... very attractive yourself, Mister Vos."
She wants you to be dangerous, to tempt her. You're on your way, but if you want this to be quicker, you've going to have to step it up. Otherwise, she'll keep you the night.
I reach a hand out to touch hers, lightly. "I'm also impulsive... what is your first name, Lieutenant? And I'm sure that you know a private nook somewhere close by... Ever been kriffed in uniform before, Lieutenant?"
---
Totally willing to Apply Leverage, here, but since I'm applying sexual leverage to achieve sex, I'll just roll and you can delete if you want to go somewhere else.
(Rolled: 2d6+3. Rolls: 1, 5. Total: 9)
Her eyes are drawn to the point where you're touching. She answers in a clear voice, unwavering, "Rika. My first name's Rika... Denever." She looks up at you, "And the answer to your second question. Is no. I haven't." There is an unspoken "yet" in her voice. She breaks eye contact after a delicious moment to look back at the bar patrons. She'd sat facing the back of the tavern, so you have a view of the place.
You spot someone, Ladro. A pair of someones, in fact. Vina Zon, the Devaronian female who worked with you before, but nearly got you arrested. Also, her partner-whatever, the muscular Nautolan Vurtigann. They're here, and if you walk out of here with Eclipse, they'll see you.
She turns back, grins, and dons her cap again. "Come along, Mister Vos. I want to do something new."
What do you do?
Just as I'm pondering that little complication, I feel a slight draft on the back of my neck, followed by the steady clank of an old droid. I turn my head in time to see a door closing and a droid lugging in a case of some sort of liquor. There's just enough time to see a repulsorlift van and a poorly lit back alley before the door closes.
I take Rika's hand and lean in to whisper, "Let's go out the back way... seems sneakier, doesn't it?"
When you lean in and whisper in her ear, she turns her head to press her lips against yours, her hand gripping yours lightly. She holds the kiss for a moment, her touch silky soft, finally pulling back to answer, "Follow me, Denever." She stands, tugging your hand to lead you out the back.
You follow her, I assume, end up in the alleyway behind the tavern. That's where she pulls you into an embrace, her mouth greedily seeking yours, her hands on your sides.
What do you do?
She drops her jacket on top of an empty grav-pallet, and I lean into her, pushing her back against the wall as I move my hands up to remove the hat again and drop it on top. I grab her hair and tilt her head to the side so that I can nibble on her neck. "Lieutenant Eclipse, I believe your prisoner is about to resist arrest. Vigorously."
Rika sucks in a breath when you nibble on her neck. Only feet away is the main thoroughfare, and the door plus a few crates are the only things keeping dozens of beings from watching you. A couple floors above you in the building you just left, you think someone is looking out a small window.
Lieutenant Eclipse clutches at your left hand with her right, and brings it up to her lips. She opens her mouth and sucks as greedily at your fingers as you do her neck. She slides her tongue around your fingers, then pulls them out so she can push your hand back down again, down to the top of her slick black pants. "More vigor, Denever. I'd hate to have to take you in."
I comply, and before long we simply don't have the breath or attention for any more jokes or double-entendre. This is not clothes-off, sweet, sweet lovemaking, it's a back-alley kriff with a near-stranger. She ends up facing the wall, more like the detainee than the detained, one of my hands on her hip and one gripping her shoulder, pulling her back into me.
At the end, Rika has slapped one hand on the wall of the tavern, the other is between her legs, playing at herself while occasionally reaching down to touch you as well. Her climax matches yours and she devolves into grunts and panting at the end. Once you're both spent, she sighs with delight, "That was... an enjoyable interrogation." She reaches down to gently grip you and ease you out of herself, then stands and pulls her pants back up over her shapely ass.
What do you do?
I rearrange as well, straightening and trying not to wince at the stress I've just put on my recent injuries. Yes, I'll actually be walking funny after this encounter.
Once we're both presentable and she has her hat and jacket back on, I kiss her again, fiercely. "I think this is the beginning of a beautiful entanglement, Lieutenant Eclipse... Rika. I don't suppose you have a civilian comm code you'd care to share? I don't know how long I'll be on Coruscant, but..." I leave that out there for consideration.
After you break from the kiss, she nips at your bottom lip, playfully.
When you ask for a way to contact her, she takes out a small, pink comm device, offers to tap-share her code with you, "I'm sure we can find each other again before you and your three kids are gone. And I'm always at the casino after hours. The owner pays several of us to keep an eye on the place. You know, on the side. It's easy credits."
I manage not to tell her how much easier it almost wasn't, tonight. I smack that taut ass through her uniform pants. "I'm sure we'll be back to the casino. And if not we, then I certainly will steal some time from the kiddies." I give her a cocky, sloppy salute. "This has officially been the best interrogation I've ever gone through."
She gives you a mock look of protest at the slap, but says nothing about it. The salute gets a grin, then she grabs your jacket and pulls you in for a quick, hungry kiss, "I got everything I wanted out of you, Mister Vos. Everything." She smirks, then turns on a heel and heads back into the tavern.
What do you do?
I head to the fallback point Ree established. I go up a few levels, down a few, take all sorts of useless detours. When I arrive at Kyne's on level 1318, I have accumulated a bouquet of hydroponic flowers, an assortment of soft drinks, meat pies from two street vendors, and an overcharged powerpack for a blaster that none of us owns. And a tiara. I can almost justify the other things, but the tiara was an impulse buy. When I get there, I give it to Squall.
Squall takes the tiara and smiles a soft little smile, while Amarath looks on in surprise, maybe a tiny bit of jealousy, but she says nothing about it. Squall says lightly, "Thank you, master." Ze also takes the powerpack and starts fiddling with it. After putting the tiara on zir head, of course. It fits.
Ree glares at Squall for a moment, crossing her arms under her breasts, "I take it you weren't followed?"
Hosk comes up to take whatever haul you want to off-load. Especially the meat pies.
I hand the flowers to Ree and give Hosk the meat pies and sodas. "So, what's the chatter like? I think the Imperials haven't gathered much." I ignore Hosk's smirk and continue. "Did you wait for me to contact the Vigo?"
"Comm chatter died down after the trooper squad went into 1313 for half an hour. They reported back and left a few minutes ago."
Ree cuts in with, "Odd thing about it, though. Their officer didn't report in, it was a trooper sergeant." Hosk looks over at you, but doesn't say a thing.
I consider, for a moment, confessing to "distracting" the officer, but given Amarath's state of mind I choose to let it lie there. "That is odd. So, do we have anything to give Altonn about the Skulls' backer? I heard something as we were going in, anything more on the transceiver or the computer?" I look over at the Falleen woman, who I assume is bound. Is she recovered from the stun yet?
Teela Strax, the Falleen youth, is in binders, sitting on a small cot. She looks worn and miserable. Ree's sitting near her, watching you, but you see she's angled towards Amarath as she idly plays at the snap over her blaster. It isn't openly hostile, but she's got an eye on your head of security.
Squall quirks a little frown and adjusts zir tiara while showing you a point-to-point communications map on zir datapad that is linked into the transceiver, "The being Dack was trying to contact was using a string of dummy terminals, bounced along eleven different levels. It's a wonder the signal had so much lag. I can't trace the source, but I can open a line, and if they answer, I can dial in a location."
"The computer's locked tight, too," Ree interjects. "Marda's hesitant to dive in, because if she guesses wrong, it slags the whole thing." Squall looks up, quirks another frown, and nods agreement.
I walk over to Teela, hooking a chair with my foot and straddling it backwards. For a few seconds, I just look at her. "Who is Guri, Teela?"
She doesn't look up as she answers, "Some lady. I never met her. Dack worked with her."
"That's not enough, Teela. I want to let you go soon, and the more you help me, the sooner that happens. Think hard. Did you ever go to Level 83 with Dack? Meet anyone? Did he ever say anything that might tell you who he was working for?"
She shakes her head sullenly, "Nope. He was careful."
"Not careful enough, obviously." I pause to let that sink in, watch her reaction.
(Rolled: 2d6+2. Rolls: 1, 3. Total: 6)
Amarath starts moving forward towards the Falleen girl, drawing her right blaster, the one she uses to threaten people, "If you want to join him, keep sitting there like some mute idiot! I think we should disintegrate her!"
Ree's double-barreled blaster is out, aimed at the deck, but obvious. She steps in Amarath's way, "Listen. I stood by while you executed those gangers. But this girl's just some kid who got mixed up in..."
Amarath cuts in with, "Oh, I see. When it's a prostitute, I should respect her choices and see her as a person. But when she's thrown in with a scumsucking gang, then I should treat her differently? I thought only Ithorians talk out of both sides of their mouth!"
It looks like they're about to throw down. What do you do?
For just a second, no longer, the word "quellish" is on the tip of my tongue. Shutting Amy down like that doesn't solve anything, though. I turn to Amarath, angry at her and disappointed for the role I played in this drama. It will be obvious that I'm consciously keeping my voice level when I speak. "Glorana, stand down, or I will stand you down." I'm not explaining or justifying. It's an order, plain and simple.
Amarath stops, glowering at Ree for a moment, holsters her blaster. "Your call, Vos." She keeps her hands at her sides, still watching Ree like she could burn holes through her.
Ree is completely calm, even ignores Amy's glare. She doesn't offer a smart remark, just stands there for a moment, slowly puts away her blaster.
Hosk was right behind you, but he slides back when things calm down.
Squall is ignoring all of this, tapping away at zir datapads, fidgeting and playing with the transceiver. "Master... I think I found something. Not on Guri... but on a Gammorrean named Ogrikk. He wasn't so careful about hiding his data signature or his holovid presence." Ze looks up at you, waiting for your attention.
I turn to Squall. "What else can you tell me. Location? Affiliations?" Over my shoulder to Ree, "Does the name ring a bell, Ree?"
Ree answers first, while Squall's tapping away. "He's Black Sun, low-ranking thug. A good killer, not a good thinker."
Squall answers, "He's pulled creds from Vigo Xizor." Ze cocks zir head while looking at several layers of photos, then squints. "Teela... is this you in this picture?" Ze flips a photo from one datapad to the one facing you.
It's definitely Teela. She hasn't looked up, seems to be drawing herself in tighter.
What do you do?
"Lar, please take Glorana and do a perimeter check."
Squall puts on a half-smile, asking in a sing-song voice, "Did I please you, master?" Ree shifts with irritation, but says nothing. She's staying near the Falleen, protective. Teela, for her part, seems stuck between being relieved that Amarath is gone, and even more frightened.
What do you do?
I take a breath to keep my character intact, then rub Squally's head fondly. "Yes, Marda, you did." This mission can't end soon enough.
I walk back to my chair next to Teela, ignoring Ree. "I assure you, Teela, that if I want you dead it will be me that pulls the trigger, not my rather... overeager... employee. And as you can see..." I draw my blaster carefully and hold it out to Ree without looking at her, grip-first. Once she takes it, "And now I have no trigger to pull."
I sigh. "You're a young woman who got pulled in to the orbit of a bad boy. It happens. It happened to me, in the other direction. However, you always have a choice, and I have to tell you with the benefit of experience that the next choice you make will always be the most important one. So, the question is." I cough lightly into my hand, just an excuse to pause. "Do you want to spend the rest of your potentially long life with people who do violence for hire and never look farther forward than their next payday and the intoxicants that they'll spend it on, or do you want to get off Coruscant and start over with a little seed money and a few friends?" I hold up a hand to forestall her answer. "It may seem like the question is 'Do I rat out my dead boyfriend's employers or not?' but the actual decision is what I just laid out."
(Rolled: 2d6+3. Rolls: 3, 4. Total: 10)
"Prince Xizor is my uncle." Teela says meekly. "I brought Dack to him. I was going to get Altonn for him. And he will murder me when he finds out." Her shoulders slump, "You, too."
I ponder that bomb for a few seconds, without looking to either Ree or Squall. "Will Vigo Altonn recognize you as Xizor's niece? Or is there any way to confirm that for him?"
"We've met. The fool should remember me, he made a pass at me."
I nod. "Ree, keep her safe. I'm heading to the Casino. Alone. I'll send Lar back and keep Glorana on watch outside. Marda, can you keep watch on me all the way inside the inner sanctum?"
Ree nods, "Marda has my contact details. I'll be moving around for a few days. I don't want to put the Kyne's in further danger."
Squall rises, "I will follow you, master. That's how I will watch you."
"Hopefully, we're only talking a few hours. Can you hold here for a bit, Ree? Marda, is that the only way you can keep an eye on me? Thought you had the casino security worked out."
Ree nods, "Two hours. Then I move."
Squall nods, "Yes, of course I have eyes on you." Ze comes over to stand near you. "But you shouldn't go alone, master. Will you be taking Lar or Glorana?"
I give Squall a look. "No, I won't. Monitor the feeds and keep Lar informed." I've accomplished the task, as far as Altonn is concerned, and going alone gives me a better chance to determine his value. Besides, backup is for the weak, and I don't want Ree seeing that.
As I leave, I signal to Amarath for a quick conference. "Follow discreetly and stay outside the casino. Stay listening on comms, but say nothing. If this goes sideways, you're my backup plan. Standing orders hold." Yes, I'm a hypocrite, for some definitions of the word.
Amarath walks beside you, her eyes reading you as you walk and talk with her, "I've got your back."
Hosk gives you a nod and hangs back, knowing his role is to watch over Squall, the kid and Ree, probably not in that order. Amarath continues walking with you, a death stick between her lips, smoking away.
Do you take a public transport or one of the lifts to get back to the Thunderbird casino?
Amy and I take separate lifts. We lost our mojo earlier, when I was focused on Teela, but I trust her to pick it up again. Whoever arrives first will linger close to the lift exit, then Amy will pick up my tail. We're still on the encrypted comms, with Squall running point.
The place is busier than your last visit. There are a number of recognizable "bucketheads", troopers out of unis, here at the bar. A pair of Hutts and their retinue are holding court near the pits, there's a sabacc tourney going on, too. You spot Zix'et near the holo-suites. It is watching without watching.
What do you do?
I ignore Zix'et, just taking in the scene for a minute or two. I'm giving Altonn a chance to notice I'm here and "invite" me up to his office.
I smile at the young man. "That would be delightful. Please, lead on."
Reclining on the couch is a beautiful mocha-skinned, Tholothian female. She's clad in a silky covering that reveals more than it hides and softly shimmers with colors that compliment her body very well. Sitting beside her, a hand possessively over her shoulder, is Vigo Altonn. He nods as you approach.
"Thank you, Harrik. You may go." Altonn says to the young man who escorted you inside. The Vigo leans forward to gaze at you, checking you over quickly with alert eyes. "I heard there was... trouble in 1313." He glances down at the girl, back to you, "Wish, my lovely, could you head to the back room and give us some privacy?"
The Tholothian rises in a graceful move that accentuates her body, the covering sliding to show more flesh as she stands. She offers you a pearly white smile and a gentle wink, then turns to bend down and kiss Altonn's cheek before leaving.
Altonn watches her go. The whole way to the door sliding closed as she heads deeper into this office that's set up like some over-sized apartment. He finally turns back to you, "What happened?"
I return his look. "We disbanded the Grim Skulls. There may be a few survivors, but not many. Their leader, Dack, was being backed by a few people on 87. Guri and a Gammorrean named Ogrikk. You probably know that Ogrikk is Black Sun." I'm holding Teela as a hole card at the moment.
Altonn's face flickers with recognition at the information. He nods, "What can you tell me about this Guri and Ogrikk, Denever Vos?" He slides an arm up, draping it along the back of the couch where he's sitting. "And come have a seat." He indicates the comfortable chair facing him.
I sit. "I've got nothing on Guri, other than she's a female. Ogrikk, though, I know a few things about. He's been drawing credits from Vigo Xizor." I give Altonn a speculative look. "Do you celebrate Life Day, Vigo Altonn?"
"A mystery and a thug don't make a very convincing case against another Vigo." Altonn says, not happy about the results you're offering. "It feels more like a third party setting me up to start a war." Almost distracted, he looks at you when he processes your question. "Life day? Sure. Everyone deserves a holiday, even crooks and bastards. Why?"
"I have a present for you. Turns out Xizor's niece, Teela, was running around with Dack. She's the one that introduced him to Ogrikk. I don't know precisely how to wrap her, but I can certainly have her delivered."
Vigo Altonn blinks slowly, his mouth slightly open. He licks his lips, like a tick, waits for some kind of punch-line, which doesn't happen. "Teela karking Strax? She was with that nerf-herder? Varp me!" He sits up with sudden energy, stands up and walks across the slick black marble floor, hands clasping behind his back.
"Stars, Denever. That's one serious Life Day present. You've earned your twelve thousand." He stops, turns to look at you, "Bring me Teela Strax unharmed and I'll throw in an extra five, one per head. All of your team survived, I assume? Even the splicer?"
"That's actually 24 thousand, Vigo Altonn. You'll recall that you promised to double our fee if I discovered who was behind this. The bonus is a nice touch, though. We did all survive, and my splicer was integral in completing the mission." I pause, recalling the last time I was in the office and the bet I place on the Neti. "And... something... gives me a feeling that this Guri might be a droid."
Altonn sucks his teeth, thinking. "That's... interesting. I've hired IG-88 for a few jobs, but I didn't think Xizor worked with them. And yes, doubled and five on top." He says this dismissively, but you can tell it bothers him a little. "Bring me Teela. Right through my karking front door. Do not be quiet about it. I want him to know I know." He smiles a Devaronian smile.
I shake my head. "It's fine if you want to flaunt this, but I'm not putting my people that much in the spotlight. I'll deliver her to a service entrance, and then you can dress her up and show her off all you want. Also, I do have a condition. I want your word that you won't harm her yourself and that you'll make your absolute best efforts to keep her safe from Xizor, as well. She may be a conniving little brat, but I don't want her killed."
He peers at you. "Why? Has she used her karking pheromones on you?" He licks his lips again, "You just demolished her entire gang, why should she see any mercy?"
"They were doing this for sheer gain. She at least thinks she's doing it for family." I shrug.
Altonn shakes his head, "No five K bonus then. Bring her through whatever side entrance you wish. As for her safety once she's in my possession, that's completely up to Vigo Xizor. That's the deal, Denever Vos. Now fetch me the girl, and I'll pay you twenty four thousand credits." He sneers, "That can be your new family."
What do you do?
Fetch me the girl? You jumped-up, low-rent guttersnipe sleemo.
I shake my head in turn. "On Kiffu, there used to be a certain type of feathered monkey that is famous for its greed. Their plumage is highly prized for its vibrant colors, and as it happens, these creatures are easily trapped. You find a hollow in a tree with an opening that is just big enough for one of them to fit a paw inside. In the hollow, you place a ripe ponfarr fruit. The monkey will reach inside to grasp the fruit, but is unable to pull the paw out without letting go and leaving the fruit behind. As I said, they are greedy, and almost always refuse to loosen their grasp on their prize. The hunter then simply comes along and hits the thing over the head."
I smile. "They are extinct now, because of what many might call a character flaw." I look Vigo Altonn right in the eye. "It's your avarice, your inability to see beyond immediate gain, that will let Xizor finish you in the end, Vigo Altonn."
I lean forward in my chair. "You can keep the bonus. In fact, I'll walk away with just the original twelve thousand you promised. But you don't get the girl unless you give me your word that you won't harm her, and that you will do your best to protect her."
"Funny story, Vos." Altonn says as he looks down at you. "I think you've forgotten who is the employer and who is the employee. I offered twelve thousand credits for proof of who set those Grim Skulls up against me. This Guri droid is just a name. The Gammorrean is a hired thug and a fool. Only Teela meets my demand. And I'll make no guarantees on the Falleen's safety. She would have happily cut my throat!"
He glares at you for a moment. then makes a decision. "Denever Vos. We can still part as allies, or at the least neutral parties who no longer work together. But if you keep Teela away from me, then you're me enemy... now make you choice." He pulls a small communicator out of his pocket, the front door opens and a pair of men, including the Zabrak, come inside quickly.
What do you do?
"The twelve thousand was to take out the Grim Skulls, which we indisputably did. Five of us, twenty of them. On their turf. Loudly. Messily. Sending a message, which you wanted. That message has now been sent. Whoever was handling Dack knows by now that we have his transceiver and computer, and if there's any amount of intelligence there, they will know that you have the information we gleaned, and will assume that you have Teela. If you kill me now, Xizor will still know that you know that he was gunning for you, but you won't have anything to bargain with."
Vigo Altonn glares at you, "The TWELVE thousand... was for a holocrystal showing the job was done. Do I see a karking holocrystal?!? Don't quote the job to ME, I gave the job to you. I know what I asked and what you gave." He motions to the men, "Get him out of here." He waves dismissively, turns like he's done with you as the Zabrak and his partner start moving for you. They don't have weapons drawn, but the Zabrak is a bone breaker, and the human has a stun stick at his belt.
What do you do?
I throw up my hands and let the guards "escort" me out, knowing that Amarath will follow. Once they let me go, I mutter into my comms, "I hope you're on the move... that didn't go well, as you saw. I guess I'll have to pay Ree out of my personal account."
Squall responds, "Master, I'm listening in on Altonn's feed. He just called someone on his comms and told them to follow you. Glorana, are you watching him"
Amarath responds curtly, "Nobody on his shebbs yet, just bonehead and his buddy walking them out." You spot Amarath as she heads for the door, behind you, behind them.
The Zabrak has your right arm when he leans down (he's two heads taller than you) and says low, "You don't come back here anymore. Get it?" The doors open and he shoves you outside.
What do you do?
I give the Zabrak a nod, then shake it off when I'm outside. I head to a lift, head down some random number of levels between 25 and 33, and walk to the closest bar from the lift exit. Order a glass of wine and find an unoccupied booth somewhere not well lit.
Squall comms, "Whatever team he called in on you, Master. They don't use the same channels as Altonn's. Ree recognized the name of their leader. A Night Sister named Hith. Said she's very dangerous. We can come up to meet you, Master. What are your orders?"
I take fifteen seconds to think. "Marda, start making preparations to pull out. Arrange transport for us and the Falleen to somewhere out of the Core. Pay Ree out of my account, 4000 credits, then cut her loose with my thanks. Lar, you've got operational command down there. Your main job is to make sure that Marda and the girl get on a ship, and that you eventually get her to our employers. She's the only useful thing we've got, and she certainly knows things about her uncle's organization that they will find useful. They can also help keep her safe, which everyone's right, I don't really know why I care so much about. Let Glorana and I know where and when, and we'll meet you if we can, but do not wait for us. We'll get there eventually. Glorana, stay on my six, we're going to move around a lot, try to stay ahead of the kill team rather than confront them." I hope that's everything. "Everyone clear? Oh... and tell Ree I haven't forgotten my promise to her. Ask her to give me a little time."
Hosk is first to answer, talking over Squall, "You've got it, Vos. I'm getting them up and out now. We're on the move in five. Don't worry about us, I'll get us off this rock. We'll target a meet with Alanna as first choice. Miss Geshix is our fallback. We'll use the drops if we're stuck."
Squall cuts in with, "I'll handle the girl. She's already tried to use pheromones on me, but the doc gave me a little boost on that after I mentioned a certain Zeltron problem." Ze speaks to Amarath, "Take care of him, baby. And yourself, but we both know you're good at that."
Amarath chuckles, "Don't get any more head wounds, doll. I like you as is. Grumpyboots, take care of things." Hosk growls over the comms. Amy comes into the bar now, the whole shadowing thing no longer part of your plan of action. She still has the deathstick, which sits in the corner of her mouth. "This'll be fun, right?"
"Good luck, everyone." I give Amy a wink, pay for the drink I haven't touched, and move to the door. "Remember playing tag when we were younger? We've both spent as much time in cities as forests by now, right?" Walking fast, but not jogging (don't want to draw attention), I head for a shopping area to zig-zag around on the way toward a lift. The plan is not to stay put anywhere for more than a minute or two, keep switching levels up and down, but gradually making our way up toward the surface so we're in a position to meet Squall and Hosk once they tell us which ship, where, and when.
As we walk through the market, I keep an eye out for hooded cloaks. Amy and I are a rather distinctive pair.