Ask Escort Job On Trantor

[Juby]

Spoiler: Music IC

Trantor. An ecumenonpolis in the Core Worlds. Nothing fancy on that note. Nothing much to its appearance beyond its golden bridges amid its sprawling urban environment, orange light in the sky even outside of dawn, with it being a bit past eight o’clock that morning according to one building’s giant clock.

Bridges for traffic that engulfed every aspect, vehicles low to the street or high in the sky beside the highest skyscrapers whose towering tips make eyes strain from below glued like flypaper.

Trains on tracks, buses on rails, starships descending from the stars or ascending to the clouds in a mist, though closer to the surface of said city street was a single speeder with some occupants in it as it navigated its way between buildings.

“Used to take those alleys to school,” a male Bith gestured from the backseat beside the right window. “Riding our bikes as kids just felt so...cool.”

“Would love to go back to the days we played as kids,” spoke a second man, an Ishi Tib. “But things change and that’s the way it is.”

This Ishi Tib was an aide for the Bith, and the Bith was the package, and the package was the job. Escort the package to the destination. Get paid. Call it a day. Same shit, different day.

Only her particular package was something in between being a politician, a corporate and a criminal, whatever that meant. The Bith needed a pair of different agents alongside the Tib, characters from the outside, was one way to put his line of business, and he didn’t seem to expect questions about it which was great because Juby didn't have many to give.

“Whose pick?”

Asked the woman, if with a different question. Sitting on the passenger’s side of her package’s ride, Juby had given her name just so, Juby, and had since introduced herself as an Apex Military Contractor.

“What?” Asked the Tib.

“This music,” Juby gestured with a tilt of her hooded head from the window to the radio. “It’s shit.”

@Dread (@Cerberus)

 

[Cerberus]

If he wasn't fully covered in his dark blue and gray amour, he'd be able to feel the wind on his skin. Maybe next time he was on a speederbike he wouldn't be on a job or amoured, and could just enjoy the thrill of reckless high speed driving through some metropolis.

But, for now, he was driving this speederbike just fast enough to keep up to the speeder car in front of him. The speeder car in front of him had the "package", so to speak, that he was supposed to help safely deliver. The package was a Bith with a lot of credits. That was all Cerberus knew, and all he cared to know. What mattered to Cerberus was the credits, experience and the thrill of the job.

There was something he needed to relay to the boss of this job: Juby. His crimson eyes flicked to his speederbikes right side mirror one last time, to double-check, before he tapped on his comm and opened a channel to Juby. Speaking loudly over the sound of the rumbling traffic and wind rushing around him, he said to Juby, "There's a speeder that's been following beind us, and it's slowly getting closer. It's a blue CS-1 model, which is commonly used by the local gangs here. There's three speeders between it and me now. What's your orders?"

The boss might want him to engage, stay watchful, who knows. Ceberus remained completely calm and behind the speeder car carrying their package, awaiting his orders.

@Die Shize

 

[Juby]

Spoiler: Music IC - Speeder Sterio

“This better?” Asked a Rodian, the driver sitting beside the only woman. He had changed the music.

“Lower the lyrics,” Juby suggested specifically, if in a tone that may be taken in less of a request, catching an instant of that Rodian visage hesitating as if its owner wanted to say ‘Who are you to command me?’ or some dumb shit.

“Do you even like rap anyhow?” He cocked an antenna her way as one cocks an eyebrow.

“I don’t give a shit about the music, chief, but lyrics interrupt conversations and I’m in one as much as your boss looks like he’s trying to read so,” she cocked her head. “Please.”

Rodian blinked and turned the music down via the lyrics setting which was what she asked at least.

“I see it,” Juby spoke into her earpiece calmly if not secretly. Did no one much good keeping too many secrets on a job like this. Their package needed to know where his protection was and how they were worth every credit. Fuckin’ hope he is.

She had never met her partner but he had so far proven to not be incompetent given that he had spotted the speeder and turned to her.

“Get alongside their ride but don’t spook too soon. See if you can make out how many and what they look like. And nice bike.”

"Problem?" Asked the Bith.

"Might have picked up a tail. We're fine."

She didn't lie. Juby lived for this shit. Whatever happened, however many ended up down for the count, there was bound to be excitement in it.

@Dread (@Cerberus)

 

[Cerberus]

"Yes, ma'am," the halfbreed replied simply to his bosses orders, though briefly the sides of his mouth curled up in an amused smile in response to the bike comment. His bike was pretty nice, too bad it was a rental. Ceberus didn't have his own ship to put it on either, unfortunately.

Maybe she could show him her bike sometime, he thought too as he slowed down the bikes speed slightly, but such musing needed to be fleeting considering he was on a job. Ceberus moved right slowly too, allowing a few of the other speeders to pass him.

Ceberus was still some distance from the tailing speeder, but close enough to get a better look into it by looking in one of his bikes mirrors. It didn't give him any confidence, "Four people, including the driver. At least one is armed with a blaster rifle." From what he could see of the top of the weapon, he added, "From the looks, possibly a repeating blaster, KTV-36 model." The KTV-36 had been flooded on these streets recently, something he also learned from the intel gathering he did before the job. This also suggested the people inside the tailing car had gang affiliation.

But right after he spoke he noticed a few of the men in the speeder gesturing forward and becoming more animated. Ceberus' crimson eyes instantly went towards where they gestured. Ahead of the speeder carrying their package, pointed towards the oncoming traffic, was another speeder the same make as the tailing one.

This made Ceberus get a bad feeling, one deep inside the pit of his stomach. If he hadn’t trained himself to be so stoic in the middle of these types of things, he would’ve frowned. "Boss, there's another speeder, same make, ahead. I highly suggest avoiding it," his voice crackled over the comlink in response to the discovery. Though it might've been too late; the speeder ahead switched from a crawling motion to instantly near-break neck speed. It's intent was crystal clear to Ceberus; the suicidal driver was attempting to cause a head-on collision with the escort speeder.

@Die Shize

 

[Juby]

Spoiler: Music IC - Speeder Stereo

Four. Juby noted the number to memory as relayed by her partner. Easy to remember but this way she could remember this moment once that number inevitably dwindled from four to zero.

Rifle. Juby had a rifle too. More than one gun on her person and in her package and then some.

A fuckin’ walkin’ weapon, she reckoned, and from the sounds of it these idiots behind them might also live to remember her for it before they die the next moment.

KTV-36. Juby licked her lips, shifting her vision from GPS to sound system, rearview mirror to side mirror, listening to lyricless music while watching a speeder in the forward distance.

This mercenary didn’t have a KTV-36 but she did have other asskicking equipment. Twin AZ-1 pistols at her hips for instance. AZ-17 carbine by her side. Grenades. Blades. Knives. Sharp sticks.

“I see it,” Juby repeated casually into her earpiece. This made the mercenary get a good feeling, one deep inside the dark parts of her heart. Violence. Conflict. She wouldn’t push for the shit to hit the fan but if it happened then so be it.

“Maintain position,” she directed into her earpiece to Cerberus.

“We’re getting hit aren’t we?” Bith package asked concernedly.

“Sit back and relax,” the mercenary offered the Bith gently.

“You see that?” The Rodian pointed. “Looks like— CRAP”

“Hard left. BANK.”

The Rodian driver did as bidden as their speeder suddenly shifted leftward to miss the speeder coming toward it and the ugly collision.

As this happened, Juby lowered her window, planted her carbine and squeezed the trigger with a wink in her eye in place of saying "Hi".

-FWOM!-FWOM!-FWOM!-

Three rapid blaster bolts rolled toward the angered speeder coming at her. CS-1 speeders had guns and then some but apparently they didn’t want this Bith blown up so there was that much.

She witnessed her shots connect with the transparisteel windshield, too few and too soon to kill the goon behind it but it ought to do a bit of building damage and offer a distraction for Cerberus to get into business.

@Dread (@Cerberus)

 

[Cerberus]

"Yes, ma'am," Cerberus said plainly to the order, despite his concern about what was happening in front of him, it made sense for him to keep an eye on the speeder behind him.

He stayed in place as ordered until he noticed the suspicious speeder behind him pick up speed and begin rolling down their windows. Cerberus knew he had to react so he pulled his speederbike even further right to both avoid getting hit and to place himself closer to the side of the speeder.

The four men in the car found the speederbikes actions suspicious themselves. All of them chattered and the one with the blaster pistol aimed towards Cerberus once their window was rolled down enough, and fired off three blasts. Both seeing and sensing this, Cerberus swerved and dodged the shots. Immediately after, his speederbike was side by side with the speeder of attackers.

Because they were going so fast, and he knew they might assume he had a weapon, Cerberus made a choice to tap into his powers, reaching out with his right hand. His hand nearly touched one of the criminals with their arm outside the speeder window. He let out a burst of Force lightning, powered by his annoyance of these men and the dark thrill of the ride. The lightning arced from one man to the next, causing each to pass out.

"The four men in the tailing speeder attempted to attack," his voice crackled over his comlink to Juby. "I've got them covered if you want to deliver the package to its next destination." While not everyone would understand what Cerberus meant--which was intended because someone skilled could tap into their call--Juby would know. They were close to the five star hotel that their package was staying overnight at. His transport to his final destination was not due to arrive until the next morning.


@Die Shize

 

[Juby]

Spoiler: Music IC - Speeder Stereo (Recurring)

Maintain position, she said, and she meant it with good reason. Two vehicles with assailants in them meant more than one problem for the defenders to target and then some.

Juby felt like she had her problem covered. If her partner was worth his speeder bike then he might have his problem covered too as everybody made their move.

Moves. Games. This was one that a mercenary like Juby loved to play. Even better to get paid. What was work worth if you didn’t enjoy what you did? She did.

As her speeder swerved to evade her chaser, she returned into her seat, casually resting her rifle on her lap as both speeders advanced.

“You seem awfully calm!” Said the driver.

“War gives me peace,” Juby breathed easy, a grin curling over her teeth.

“Just please get me there in one piece,” her package pleaded.

“It’s a promise,” she maybe japed with a head bob. Honestly, all that mattered was that she got paid, and she would at the end of the day.

Rifle cocked, maybe just because it felt good, Juby cracked her neck and gazed into the rearview mirror. There was a flash of light behind her. Nice. Her partner had just proven his worth to his commander.

"I've got them covered if you want to deliver the package to its next destination."
“All right.”

Except she still had a problem behind her speeder.

“Bank right when I say. Wait.” She told the driver.

“!?”

“Okay.”

The Rodian whipped the speeder rightward as Juby once again hugged the window with her weapon and squeezed the trigger to get her attacker’s attention. A few -phwom!-phwom!-phwom!-s later and that windshield finally shattered along with the driver behind it.

The speeder swerved, unattended, and crashed into another, some civilian, not that it mattered because at least there was no explosion.

Some moments later and Juby’s speeder arrived near the hotel but she decided to pause at a distance for a status check. If there were two enemy speeders then there could be more or even an ambush.

“We’re at the club,” she commed over. “Doesn’t look hot but lots of traffic. What’s your position?”

@Dread (@Cerberus)

 

[Cerberus]

When the attackers in the tailing car passed out and crashed into the cement wall of a building, Cerberus stopped for a little bit to call in back up to arrest the group. Back up was close, obviously, and began to deal with the group of four right away.

Once Cerberus was free, he got back on his speederbike and drove fast, able to make up a lot time considering his vehicle was fast and small, able to navigate around cars. Soon he heard the message from his boss. "I'm almost near your location. I can check it out the next location first if you want," he added, referring to the hotel room. If his boss ordered him not to go first, he'd wait for further orders.

If she allowed him to go first, he'd park his speeder close to the hotel and hop off. Considering he was already in armour, he didn't have to take anything off when he jumped off his bike. He easily made it to the hotel lobby. With a flash of a ID card given to him for this job only, and with a few words, he was able to get acess to the hotel room.

Cerberus entered the hotel room, but carefully, considering someone could've gotten information on which room their package was staying. But, to his surprise, nothing happened when he entered. Even when he sliced into the complimentary console in the room (which wouldn't be expected) and scanned the room for devices, to his further surprise, he didn't find anything. That didn't mean nothing was going to happen or there was no longer a threat, it only meant the room was safe for now.

"The room is clear," Cerberus' voice crackled over his comlink to Juby.

@Die Shize

 

[Juby]

Whoever these attackers were, they had attacked her in one way or the other so, in the end, killing any of them meant self-defense, she reckoned. Better them than her or her package when it came to it.

There might have been excitement in violence for her, sure, but if that driver was dead then it wasn’t necessarily intended. Shit just tended to happen. What happened next was business as expected.

"I'm almost near your location. I can check it out the next location first if you want,"
“Do it.”

Cerberus’ bike meant some nice navigation and the fact that he was riding solo further meant no interruptions or concerns. For his partner’s part where she parked, she had to concern herself with keeping their package safe and sound so stayed in cover for now.

As time passed, the mercenary picked her fingernail with the tip of a knife to pass the time. The Rodian shook his head in her peripheral vision, the Ishi Tib tapped on his datapad, and the Bith, her package, was as silent as the vehicle without the music, which was no less meaningful.

“You’d think they’d come up with a better name for a five star hotel than Five Star Hotel,” he mentioned.

“About as bad as Darth Darkness for a Sith,” she reckoned.

"The room is clear,” Cerberus stated the next second.
“Solid copy. We’re moving.”

Juby looked between the individuals within the vehicle. “We’re going in. Follow my lead. Act naturally.” At least only the Rodian seemed nervous amid this unit.

Speeder finding purchase, doors opened, a team of three exited and made their way toward the entrance. The mercenary looked casual enough, her outfit allowing for the concealment of weapons amid her person.

Driver remaining behind, the Human-Anzat, the Ishi Tib and the Bith got stopped by the receptionist. “Mr. Gibbz?” She mentioned and motioned toward the Bith.

“Yes?”

“Hoped to catch you soonest, sir! Your room, 106, has had a complication with its kitchen systems. You have been switched to 126.”

“Curb,” Juby eloquently whispered into her earpiece. “Something’s wrong. There has been a switch in suites. See anything funny? Hear any company?” She sure as shit didn’t mean room service.

@Dread (@Cerberus)