Friends in High Places

Quaxo9
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Joined: Fri Oct 30, 2020 2:33 pm

Re: Friends in High Places

Post by Quaxo9 »

Reyth

She lay back, staring at the ceiling, a small smile of satisfaction on her lips. It was a lot to take in. That someone - a whole family of someones - might actually have her back. That they really did want to protect her, no strings attached. Reyth wasn't entirely certain she could believe it...but she wanted to. For once, she could hope that a good thing might have really happened to her.

It had been such a long time since she'd hoped for anything at all.

Reyth turned her head to look at Trystan and offered a small tight-lipped smile. Enough to say 'I'm willing to believe you - for now'. It was all she could offer.
Monkey Kitty
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Re: Friends in High Places

Post by Monkey Kitty »

Trystan Mahr

Trystan smiled back, and nodded. It was enough. It was... more than he expected. He would ask nothing more of her now. With time, he hoped they could earn more of her trust. But it wouldn't be given instantly or easily. Not after what she had been through. Trystan understood that.

"I'm sure you understand that we will need to leave Rishi," Trystan told Reyth. "For a number of reasons, it won't be safe here anymore. I hope that you will choose to go with us. We won't force you to. It's your choice. But we hope you'll come along. We've decided the best destination is Odessen. I think you would like it there. I know nothing of the Force, but Siralai and Visper say the Force is in balance there, Dark and Light. I think it would be a place where you can learn. Where you can get your power - your incredible power, if I may say so - more under your control. The decision is in your hands, though."

He genuinely hoped she would choose to stay with them, but keeping her by force would do more harm than good.
Quaxo9
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Joined: Fri Oct 30, 2020 2:33 pm

Re: Friends in High Places

Post by Quaxo9 »

Reyth

They wanted her to...come with them? And he asked. Like it was nothing to hand her the reins to her life. This was it. What she'd been working herself up to.

Reyth nodded, another smile hinting at the corners of her mouth. Trystan was right - she did have incredible power - but if being currently unable to pick herself up off the floor signified anything, it was that he was also right that she needed to learn to control it. That she could have a chance to do so without returning to Korriban or Dromund Kaas? A breath she didn't realize she'd been holding.

Besides, hadn't she always wanted to travel?
Monkey Kitty
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Re: Friends in High Places

Post by Monkey Kitty »

Trystan was visibly pleased when Reyth agreed to come with them. "Good," he said. "I'm glad of that. Siralai and the kids will be too."

He was quite conscious that Reyth must be exhausted after all the energy she had expended.

"Do you need anything?" Trystan asked. "Is there anything I can get for you? Or do you need more rest?"

Meanwhile, Pyrran was showing Arksynn around his ship. If the young man was to be his apprentice, he would need a place to stay on the ship - at least when they weren't spending time with the Mahrs and the others. Pyrran and Vette didn't constitute even close to a full crew, so it was easy to find Arksynn an open bunk. Pyrran pointed out where Vette slept - decorated with her favorite things and plenty of shiny trinkets - and his own plainer and more spartan quarters.

"If you need anything during the night, just ask!" Vette said cheerfully.

The corner of Pyrran's mouth quirked upward in a smile. "Arksynn, Vette will not be awake before the the caf is ready unless the ship is on fire. I suggest that if you need anything, you come find me instead."

Vette mock-scowled and poked the Sith lord in the ribs, but conspicuously made no attempt to deny his accusation.

***

Kismet and Torian quickly made themselves ready for the mission. As experienced bounty hunters, it didn't take them long to get spaceworthy once a target was identified. It would be only the two of them representing Clan Cadera; if all went well, that would be more than enough to bring in an Imperial officer.

The Nineteenth Fleet was currently in orbit near Nar Shaddaa - probably keeping an eye on the illegal weapons trade, Jasper surmised. He was ready to go too, though crossing paths with his former employers, even indirectly, always made him nervous.

The plan was to stop by Tython and pick up the sister, then make contact with Lieutenant Corbin and lure him to a shady cantina on the surface with a promise of information about his sister... then put him in carbonite, to avoid any hint that he had gone willingly and thus hopefully also avoiding triggering the Empire's wrath - or interest.

"Are you ready?" Kismet asked Neva, who was to be the pilot for the trip.
Quaxo9
Posts: 1196
Joined: Fri Oct 30, 2020 2:33 pm

Re: Friends in High Places

Post by Quaxo9 »

Reyth

She shook her head and made the sign she'd developed for Rossi, ending in a motion toward the door. Taking a deep breath, she pushed herself up on her elbows, and with further effort managed to get to a sitting position without assistance. Reyth leaned heavily against the edge of the bed, clearly exhausted, but her eyes were bright with interest. Soon she'd be putting yet another parcel of space between her and Dromund Kaas. And it felt so good.


Arksynn

At first, he'd been delighted. He finally had an out - a way for him to be able to get out of the...well, strange relationship with Reyth. He still had feelings for her - he wanted her to succeed. He loved her, even. But...he also felt so powerless next to her. And he could feel how much she enjoyed that. In a way, he liked it too. It meant he didn't have to make decisions. He just had to do what was expected.

What was expected.

A deep panic set in. Certainly, he knew that Pyrran was a good man. He wouldn't have joined him otherwise. But still...that didn't mean it was utterly safe here. When Vette offered that he could come to her room during the night, his eyes nearly popped out of his head. It was fortunate that he was looking at the floor at the time or he might have made made a fool of himself. Clearly she wasn't suggesting what he'd initially thought she'd been suggesting. He had to admit he was relieved.

He nodded his understanding, smiled faintly at Pyrran's joke, then skittered off to his bunk where he lay awake staring at the ceiling. All night. Just in case everything wasn't as he'd thought it was.
Quaxo9
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Joined: Fri Oct 30, 2020 2:33 pm

Re: Friends in High Places

Post by Quaxo9 »

Neva Xolte

She cracked her knuckles and hung her head back around the head rest so she could see Kismet and offer a grin.

"Double-header rescue coming right up!"

Neva was a bit surprised that she was given clearance to land at the Tython orbital station, but they'd had no reason to deny her. Good thing she didn't mention she had Mandolorians on board. The Imperial spy looked a bit worse for wear, and the Jedi on the tarmac were shooting them daggers, but they got away with little trouble. She managed to catch young Dallyn's eye for a moment, but she couldn't quite make out its meaning. He looked a bit ill. Resigned? It was concerning to be sure, but there was nothing a smuggler could do for a Jedi, so Neva carried on with what she'd promised to do.

As they drew into Nar Shaddaa's orbit, they sent out the message to Gideon's private comm - which they suspected wasn't that private, but that was part of the gig. She began the landing sequence and kept one eye on her controls and the other on the horizon. Those garish lights...there wasn't another planet in the galaxy quite like Nar Shaddaa. Thankfully. She liked a game of Sabaac as much as the next girl, but there were better places to play. There was way too much other stuff going on to possibly relax in a place like this.
Monkey Kitty
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Re: Friends in High Places

Post by Monkey Kitty »

Kismet Dineen

"I hate this planet," the Twi'lek Mandalorian muttered.

Kismet was indifferent to the glitz and the lights of Nar Shaddaa. What she hated was the exploitation. Exploitation of the poor, of slaves - especially her people, and especially the women. It was a den of cruel iniquity, underneath the glowing lights and sparkling façade. But there was precious little she could do about it. Precious little anyone could.

The message she had transmitted to Lieutenant Gideon Corbin had been brief. We have information about your sister's whereabouts. Meet us at the Hook and Diamond Saloon, in the private room behind the third door in the back. Come alone if you wish to hear what we have to say.

Since Gideon probably didn't yet know his sister was missing, the threat in 'whereabouts' was implied.

Kismet, Torian, and Neva entered the saloon to get into position ahead of the rendezvous.

Kismet laid out the plan: "I'll wait inside Room Three for Lieutenant Corbin. Torian and Neva, stay outside and circulate so you can keep watch - discreetly. Give me a heads up if anything is going wrong before it arrives to bite me in the ass, please. If all goes well, I'll freeze him before he's any the wiser about what's going on."

Torian nodded and assumed a discreet patrol around the area, and Kismet got into position at the arranged meeting place.

Lieutenant Corbin was easy to spot; he had the same distinctive auburn hair and brown eyes that his sister did. The young man looked rather the worse for the wear, though. Although his uniform was immaculately pressed and starched, there were exhausted circles under his eyes and his shoulders sagged with a weight beyond his years. There was a red mark on his cheek, and his neck was covered with bruises in various states of healing. Kismet wondered what was happening to this poor man - maybe he wouldn't be so upset to get frozen in carbonite and hauled away? She waited, motionless, as he joined her in the private room.

Meanwhile, Torian heard a scuffle and a few shouts, followed by the sound of a disturbance. Frowning, he went to investigate, to make sure the disruption wasn't going to derail their plan.
Quaxo9
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Joined: Fri Oct 30, 2020 2:33 pm

Re: Friends in High Places

Post by Quaxo9 »

Neva Xolte

She'd ordered a drink an pretended to be surveying her potential gaming partners as she slowly wandered between the tables. Disinterested, but she hoped it looked like she was just another patron who'd been there too long to be excited by much of anything. As such, when the sounds of a fight reached her ears, she didn't so much as glance in that direction. Of course, her heart rate picked up a bit. It was a good thing she could see Torian heading outside to check it out or she might have done the same. For all her bravado, Neva knew the stakes.

With Torian out of the way, it was up to her to keep an eye on the patrons inside the bar. You really couldn't tell an Imperial spy from a regular joe - she'd tried - and the last thing they needed was someone running interference on their little mission. Just in, and out. That's all they had to do.
Monkey Kitty
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Re: Friends in High Places

Post by Monkey Kitty »

Kismet Dineen

Lieutenant Corbin walked into the room and saw the Mandalorian staring back at him.

The expression on his face was less one of fear than of confusion. "Who would bother sending a bounty hunter after me?" he asked with weary bafflement. An officer of only moderate rank with a relatively unimportant duty assignment - how had he possibly gained enough notice to merit a Mandalorian?

"You'd be surprised," Kismet said, without sympathy but without cruelty. Then she unleashed a spray of liquid carbonite at him, freezing him in position.

"It's done," Kismet said to Neva and Torian over the comm. "We need to get him back to the ship before anyone decides to investigate what the Lieutenant is up to."

"On my way," Torian replied. When he returned to Kismet and Neva, he was unexpectedly accompanied by three green-hued, terrified-looking Twi'lek children, whom he failed to provide any explanation of other than, to Neva, "We need to take on a few passengers. I'll pay their fare."

If Kismet was surprised, she didn't show it. She'd tossed a tablecloth haphazardly over the frozen Lieutenant - not much of a concealment, but slightly better than just leaving him exposed. "Neva, can you get the ship in as close as possible? We'll meet you with the cargo."

As Kismet and Torian floated their burden toward the ship with the little Twi'leks trailing behind, a bouncer stepped into their path. Kismet leveled her blaster at him and said, "Think carefully how much you care about this."

The bouncer apparently decided he didn't care at all, and melted away as quickly as he'd appeared, and their progress to the nearby rendezvous point was not further impeded.
Quaxo9
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Joined: Fri Oct 30, 2020 2:33 pm

Re: Friends in High Places

Post by Quaxo9 »

Neva Xolte

"No charge for children under 12." she quipped, obviously curious about the sudden presence of three young Twi'leks, but equally committed to not getting into Mando business.

"Sure thing. Closest I can do is that taxi landing on the upper level. Meet you there."

Neva took off at a brisk pace, making her way back to her ship by the quieter by ways to avoid the crowds. Which, she belatedly realized, was a mistake. The swoop bikes' engines reverberated off the walls, deafening her and encouraging her hand to come to rest on her blaster. Two bikes swept in front of her and stopped, blocking her path. Behind her, the rest of the gang began heckling and cat-calling her as encouragement to the two in the lead.

"Hey there, little lady. Where do you think you're going in such a hurry?"

"Did we have a biiig win at the casino?"

"You should hang out with us. We'll show you a real good time."

Neva did not have time for this. Not only did she not have time to placate these idiots with the usual excuses and flattery, she definitely didn't have the credits. Which left one thing to do...and the odds were not in her favour.

"Listen - fellas - I'm kinda on the clock here. Got some Mandos waiting on my arrival. You don't get late for Mandos, amirite?"

The bike gang appeared unfazed, either due to disbelief or over-confidence. The leaders got off their bikes and made to approach. Behind her and on her right, she could hear the distinctive sound of boots hitting the pavement. Chains rattling. Crude comments.

So, this was how things were going to go.

She managed to draw and fire a single shot into one man's leg before dodging to her left amid a hail of blaster fire. She dove over a bench and put her back up against it, pulling out her shotgun as she did so. Without getting up, she tilted it backwards over the top of the bench and fired, then shifted around to her right and fired a few shots from her pistol. Each shot drew expletives and more fire. Not good. Not good at all.

There was change in the air. Shots failed to hit her hiding place or the wall behind her. Shouts. Thuds. Renewed blaster bolts in her direction as a familiar figure launched over the back of the same bench and crouched down beside Neva.

"Captain. Are you hurt?"

Neva blinked stupidly at Akaavi. Akaavi stared back, unblinking. A bolt ricocheted off a lamp post and planted itself at Neva's feet, startling her into action.

"Well, I'd say this evens the odds!" Grinning abruptly, she leaned forward to kiss Akaavi on the mouth before leaping out into the open, both guns blazing.

If she was going to die, well, what a way to go.
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