Race the Devil

[infinitest]

Deep below the streets of Coruscant, even lower than the poor, crime-ridden sections, serviced by few lifts and avoided by even the most desperate homeless people, the levels known as The Works sit under the Dacho and Fobosi districts, home to massive power generators that feed equally massive industrial complexes. The automated systems and droids are indifferent or actively hostile to organic life, and even the technicians who help maintain the systems' functionality rarely stray from the clearly marked safe paths.

Scary tales whispered around the undercity tell of hideous, savage mutated creatures living in the deeper, darker recesses, and once in a while something definitely strange happens.

Anyone with even a shred of sense avoids the area; Skavak apparently took a lift straight down to the Grungeon Block, on the nearest edge of the region to the Senate District.

Comments

[aeons_crackshot]

Does that mean that this bunch doesn't have a shred of sense? Probably.

Annabelle eyes their surroundings suspiciously. "At least he didn't go deeper in...."

[infinitest]

"Deep enough for me." Corso checks both sides, steps out, his blaster rifle ready.

"Deep enough for illegal business." Miel checks the area too, and advances a bit more. "We should look for the unsecured areas, empty or abandoned, first."

[aeons_crackshot]

She nods in agreement with Corsd's 'deep enough' statement.

"And probably remains of droids, or whatever else is down here."

The Works are twisty, and the sounds of Coruscant's guts are an eternal background noise as they make their way forward. Unlike up above, there are no sounds of PEOPLE down here.

They've been going along for a while when they hear the sounds of something moving. Annabelle stops dead and listens.

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Corso frowns and shakes head. "Those are trooper boots. Military boots, and a military step." Yeah, he would know.

"Ahead to the left, I believe." The Sullustan has good hearing, and starts moving quietly that way.

[aeons_crackshot]

"What in the Force would the military be doing down here?" Annabelle wonders aloud. She readies both blasters and slinks behind the Sullustan.

[infinitest]

"Commander Kasstroff, good to see you!" The voice is very much familiar, and is echoing from... somewhere close by.

Miel looks around, then gestures to a stepladder that leads to a platform and catwalk; the voice seems to be coming from the other side.

"Spare me your hypocrisy, Skavak; you better have the ruby, this is not a social gathering." The second voice is gruff and impatient.

"I do, and I hope you have my credit chits; Coruscant has became quite inhospitable, and I plan to leave as soon as our business are concluded." He plans.

Miel gets to the top and moves across to the edge, quietly, while Corso slides to the left to cover that angle; on the lower level, Skavak is exchanging a small carry-case for a larger one with a man in Imperial uniform; two imperial marines watch the exchange, obviously the officer's guards.

[aeons_crackshot]

Annabelle glares magnificently at the sound of Skavak's voice and follows Miel up the stepladder and across to the platform and catwalk.

She freezes for a second at the sight of IMPERIAL uniforms on Coruscant. CORUSCANT, the very capital of the Republic!

She glances at her companions, gesturing toward the guards. Take them out now, or wait?

[infinitest]

Ah, the Sullustan is an officer of the Law, and as such, he does things a certain way. "Put down your weapons!" He stands up with blaster aimed. "You are all under arrest under articles 211-B of the Sullustan Law Charter and 98155 of the Sullustan Good Neighbor Act."

Which means the Imperials and Skavak dive for cover.

Ah well, who needs a quick resolution anyway?

[aeons_crackshot]

Annabelle represses the urge to sigh at the Sullustan's announcement.

You know what's good for flushing people out of cover? Grenades, that's what.

Annabelle just happens to have one or two, so she chucks one down at the Imperials below.

[infinitest]

Which sends people jumping for better cover, then starts a firefight; Annabelle, Corso and the Sullustan officer have the higher position, but the imperials and Skavak have plenty of things to hide behind.

"You damned jackal, now your brought Republic enforcers here!" The Imperial Commander is not happy... "You are going to ruin this operation, and you are going to pay for it!"

"Now now, Commander, we had a business transaction to make, and we completed it." Skavak is the same smart-ass weasel of always, it seems. "You can't blame me for what happens after our business are concluded."

[aeons_crackshot]

Annabelle is sniping at Imperials as best she can from her position.

After what feels like far too long, one of them stumbles, putting his head out where Annabelle can shoot it.

*BZAP!*

[infinitest]

"And that is my call to leave!" Skavak shoots at some grating covering... something, and rolls into it, barely escaping being shot by Corso.

Miel does not miss his shot, downing the Commander, and the last trooper wisely tosses away his weapon and surrenders.

[aeons_crackshot]

Annabelle doesn't really CARE about the trooper right now, not when Skavak is getting away!

She snarls as he rounds a corner right before she can fire on him and disappears from view.

[infinitest]

Slippery bugger...

When she returns, Miel is examining a very large oval ruby with his datapad, while the surviving trooper is safely cuffed.

[aeons_crackshot]

"Tell me we at least got that damn rock back," Annabelle grumbles as she stalks over to Corso and Miel.

Someone is NOT happy that Skavak got away.

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"Unfortunately, not." The Sullustan shakes head. "This is a very cheap fake, made to trick someone with no knowledge of gems." She drops the gem back into its case.

"Fake?" The trooper curses. "That filth! Hey, you are after him, right?" Speaking to Annabelle. "His ship is parked at Bay 87 in the spaceport."

[aeons_crackshot]

"At least he's consistent," Annabelle growls.

"Bay 87 eh?" Annabelle replies with a sharp grin. "Sounds like our next stop."

Skavak's tendency to betray his partners has come back to bite him, for once.

[infinitest]

Well, he did not expect the fake to be discovered so soon, of course.

Miel takes the imperials' identifications and weapons before they make their way back to the surface.

[aeons_crackshot]

The trip back is, thankfully, uneventful.

To the surprise of absolutely no one, Annabelle wants to head directly to the hanger. The question is whether Miel will agree with that plan.

[infinitest]

Miel needs to hand over the Imperial to the proper local authorities; the news of such thing in Coruscant... well, it will stir a wasp nest. "I understand you must be anxious to recover your property; call me later and we can arrange your payment for services rendered to the Brigade."

"Skavak can't go anywhere with his dirty record now." Corso sounds very satisfied with the idea. "Even if the local security doesn't give a bantha's ass, he's still stuck planetside, and in the underlevels." Unless he decides to try to fight his way to a shuttle or ship offworld.

[aeons_crackshot]

Annabelle is relieved that the lawman doesn't want her to tag along. Having a lawman around when she confronts Skavak could be...awkward.

Annabelle gives Corso a nod of agreement. "Unless he decides to do something drastic."

Beat.

"He'd better not sabotage my ship...." It's the kind of thing scum like Skavak would do, right?

[infinitest]

"We just have to get there first then." Corso actually takes her hand before taking off towards the nearest aircar station.

[aeons_crackshot]

Annabelle grins when Corso takes her hand.

They head off at a near run to the aircar station, weaving through the crowds with ease.

Hopefully, they'll make it in time....

[infinitest]

The spaceport... docking bay 87, there, just a few maintenance people around, nobody paying attention to Corso and Annabelle.

And of course, the ship: a Corellian XS Light Freighter, looking like it's clean, fuelled and ready to go as soon as the owner returns.

Huh, it seems Skavak took good care of it... some scratched and dents were fixed, the landing gear looks like it had a full overhaul; the gangplank is down too.

[aeons_crackshot]

Annabelle's face lights up when she sees her baby sitting there waiting in the hanger.

The instant it's clear that nobody's going to ambush them, Annabelle is at the gangplank and running a hand over her ship while murmuring soothing things.

Yes, she's talking to the ship. Go ahead, make a crack. (But maybe, just maybe, there's a small change in the humming sound of the ship now that her master is back.)