Ask Coruscant Payback

[Talak Rand]

Theme​

It was only a matter of time until justice caught up with the Barabel, and justice looked like a Legionnaire and a Ranger, both off the reservation, and doing what needed to be done.

Although the lizard's tail had narrowly grazed the side of Talak's head and would no doubt leave a nasty contusion, the Barabel was finally finished. Trys delivered the shots to the killer and with him, Talak's secret died once again.

The legionnaire let out a heavy sigh and climbed back to his feet and waved off her concern about him. He had taken punches that were much worse than that hit. He was still having trouble ripping his concentration away from his dead opponent when she asked how he'd managed to take out the entire lounge.

He wasn't sure if it was a serious question or not, but it was easier to address if it was a joke, so he opted to take it that way. Wow, that's rude. This guy 1v5'd us on Coruscant. He was a special exception. And I wasn't recovering from a gunshot... he quipped back, hoping to make her "feel bad" about shooting him. In fact, now that he thought about it, it was likely that the decreased force in his arm might have been why the blade didn't make it all the way through. Also the fact that it wasn't a karking lightsaber. So inferior, he thought. It was only now that he looked at her and looked that she'd been shot. His eyes went wide in shock and concern.

You're hit! he exclaimed almost without thinking. It was entirely possible that she didn't know, and he wasn't sure. Adrenaline could do all sorts of odd things to the senses. Moreover, it was in a place that risked hitting important things.

Sit down! he said, immediately flipping into the same mode he was in when he dragged the wounded officers out after the first fight with the lizard. He was already pulling out the medpack from his belt and getting to work on her wound whether she wanted it or not. Healing stim, bacta patch, dressing, he thought in his head as he applied each. Yet again, it was quite evident this was not his first time doing this.

It should be feeling better. Lessened pain and cooling sensation, he said, not thinking about the fact that this probably wasn't her first time being shot. Most of his mental energy was bent on fixing up her injuries and hoping she didn't ask about the lounge again... oh, somehow he had a feeling she would.

We need to get you to a hospital proper, he said, as he was finishing up his patch job.

 

[Trys Aran]

Trys rolled her eyes as he fell back on the lame excuse of being shot, “Please, it barely grazed you, princess,” She tossed the lethal gun in her hand away, “I could have done a lot more damage,” Trys was about to go back towards the speeder when he almost made her jump with his declaration of her being hit. She glanced down at the wound and grimaced, not having paid attention to it this entire time.

She was taken aback by him suddenly barking orders, though it was borderline entertaining. She didn’t argue, sitting down as exhaustion took over her. The last few days had been a blur, and it was beginning to catch up. Trys took off the armor and moved her jacket aside, revealing the wounded skin. She winced slightly as he applied the meds, watching him diligently work as he did it.

“I’ve been shot before, you know,” Trys said quietly, feeling the cooling effects of the salves he applied. Her mind went elsewhere and she looked away, gazing at the guards and the dead Zaltor. It was strange to think the Bothan chapter was closed, but the trafficking one was just opening.

“We still have to meet that slicer,” Trys said, pushing aside his suggestion of the hospital. She was beyond tired, and she wanted nothing more than to collapse. However, the job was far from being done. She turned back to look at him, managing a faint smile, “Thanks , doctor.”

 

[Talak Rand]

Talak continued doing his work when she pointed out that she'd been shot before and it clicked that that did, in fact, make some level of sense.

Oh... yeah, right, he said and decided he probably didn't need to narrate what was going to happen then. He had almost forgotten about meeting the slicer with the thrill of battle still ringing around in his head and the adrenaline not having fully subsided given he was still doing battle field dressings.

Hm, he grunted, not thrilled about not taking her to the hospital, but not being able to argue with the logic. They couldn't just rearrange the meeting with the slicer, and this was their only shot to save the girls from further horrendous consequences.

He took a step back to look at his work. As far as field dressings went, it was solid, but he wasn't a true medic by any means. When she smiled and thanked him it was... foreign. It was another oddly human interaction that seemed generally absent from his life, and he wasn't entirely sure how to respond.

Uh... you're welcome, he said, not sure if what she'd said was sincere or sarcastic or a bit of both.

As the adrenaline started to fade, he, too, felt the toll that things had taken on him over the past few days. It had been a whirlwind even by his standards, and he wondered how long either of them would be able to keep up this pace for.

He very nearly asked her if she was feeling up for the meeting, but like him, they didn't really have a choice. The problem was that they were then going to have to infiltrate an enemy held position again. That couldn't possibly end well in their current states. Her words about "when" to strike returned to his mind.

Do we think we can pull off this job in our current state? When we meet with the slicer should we try to set up the break in for later or get some sort of... I don't know, program that can do it for us? he asked. He realized that when it came to anything involving slicing an actual data terminal, he was woefully out of his depth.

As he asked, he was already starting to walk toward the location for the meeting. He came to a stop and couldn't quite believe who walked up to meet them. A Zilkin that barely even came up to the height of Talak's knee boldly walked up as if nothing out of the ordinary was going on.

Talvo sent me, he said, folding his arms and tapping a little three-toed foot impatiently.

 

[Trys Aran]

Trys felt much better after having her wound dressed, but even then it’d need some time to heal. She rose to stand and began to walk towards where they were due to meet the slicer. Talak’s question got a half committed shrug, and she truly was split between doing this now or later.

She pulled out her comlink and contacted a satellite Ranger office to send some people to come by and pick up the Weequay. The case on the Bothan was officially closed, but she still wanted the others to follow up and crack down on whatever other operations Zaltor had been cooking.

Trys was more than a little surprised to meet their slicer - a tiny thing that barely came up to her hip. He already looked as if they had wasted too much of his time and he was only doing this as a favor. Trys was going to take anything she could get, and she kept her personal thoughts out of the matter.

“We need a slicer to go into a central terminal of a slaving ring base,” She explained, “The data we need is the…” She despised that it was logged as such, “...inventory of all the merchandise and tracking information. Once that’s extracted, we need it completely wiped from the main terminal and all nodes below it.”

The Zilkin rubbed his chin in thought for a long moment. His face made a series of various different expressions, and Trys had to look over at Talak in wonder. At last, he snapped his fingers and looked up at them both.

“That’s a tall order,” He said at last, “But I can do it. I’ll need tonight to create the virus. I’ll contact you on the comms Talvo gave you when I’m done,” He said and spun on his heel and scurried away. Trys began to explain that it was urgent, but it died on her lips as he all but disappeared.

Left in silence, Trys shook her head and turned back to Talak, “Guess we get that break after all…”

 

[Talak Rand]

Talak knew that there were all different types of being in the galaxy, and there were many species that weren't even vaguely humanoid, but he was having a bit of trouble taking this one seriously. He was just so... small. Did he have to have his own keyboards custom made when he was slicing into things or had he adapted to using full size keyboards and jumping around like an oversized piano.

Fine, so he wasn't quite that small, but the point still stood. Nevertheless, if he was a slicer, he was a slicer. Talak wasn't and Trys wasn't, so they got what they needed.

When the Zilkin said that it needed a night to make the virus, Talak felt an odd sense of relief wash over him. The two "law enforcement" officers were running on fumes, and they were as likely to get killed as not.

I think it's for the best, he said. He hoped that in the night there wouldn't be more girls killed, but there was nothing he could do about it now. All they could do was wait, and he realized as the anxiety started settling in that this might be worse in its own way.

They made their way back to the Nomad and Talak was abnormally happy to be home. The exit ramp dropped down and he ascended to find Artee just inside the door waiting for them.

Oh master, you're back! Is it time to leave this world yet?! I must say there are a great many angry looking locals that have been brooding around the port today, he started to complain. Talak didn't look concerned about it, and it was pretty obvious that Artee had a tendency to think all locals were "brooding" nearby. He was promptly distracted by the sight of Trys, who he had taken an inordinate liking to.

Oh mistress Trys, you've returned! I'm so glad you're back! Can I fetch you a glass of wine?! he said, earning a glare from Talak again at the fact that the dumb droid never offered him any wine. Artee was whirring over to her, taking her hand in his little mechanoclaw and leading her over to have a seat on the couch.

 

[Trys Aran]

Trys was almost about to say something when she arrived to drop Talak off, but the droid was all too eager to invite them in. She couldn’t help but smile as he came out to grasp her hand and lead her in. Trys had to wave off him immediately making a big fuss about her injury. She glanced down at it, and she was more than a little surprised at how well of a job Talak did at patching up.

She followed Artee to sit on the couch and looked up at him, “Okay, just one glass,” She said, watching him disappear for a moment. Trys turned to look back at Talak, “I don’t want to overstay my welcome. I was thinking of finding a village motel or something to crash at tonight. You’ve done more than enough.”

Trys always felt bad about encroaching, and she didn’t want to keep taking up space here and taking away from his privacy. She looked down at her datapad, “In fact, I can find a quick hotel right here in uh…” She kept scrolling, “Um, where we originally landed on the planet,” Trys grimaced. It was at least over an hour away to get back there, the slaving lounge having been halfway between where Talak’s ship was and the landing bay.

"It should be fine if I get on the road soon," Trys said, looking at the reviews on the hotel. .5 out of 5. Fantastic.

 

[Talak Rand]

Talak watched as Artee came back with a glass of wine for Trys and not one for him. He flung his head back with a groan and rolled his eyes. He was convinced that Artee did it just to annoy him sometimes. He was almost positive, and let out another sigh.

When Trys started talking about finding a hotel, Talak almost immediately interrupted her. No, that's dumb, he said dismissively. The idea of her finding a hotel actually bothered him on some deep level because the idea of her wasting time, money, and comfort when he had a perfectly empty room that would be going to waste otherwise was so illogical. His mind found this profoundly unacceptable.

She was still looking at hotels, though, and Talak decided that he was going to be a bit invasive and have his fun if she was going to be staying here. And she was going to be staying here. He moved over and plopped down on the couch next to her and promptly started looking over her shoulder at the hotel reviews.

Oh, that's a nice one. I bet they have Kashyyykian lice there, he said sarcastically, nodding emphatically.

Besides, if you're not here then Artee goes back to being his poor-mannered self, he said, finally sitting back so he wasn't looking over her shoulder anymore.

He stood and went to get his own glass of wine, coming back and sipping at it before plopping down on the couch across from her. He let out another heavy sigh that betrayed how tired he was, and sat in silence for a moment. Tomorrow would be another day of chaos, and he quietly wondered if they would both make it out of it. He wondered how she balanced this career with being a mother.

Do you like being a Ranger? he asked after a moment. He wasn't sure what exactly prompted him to ask the question, but perhaps it was his own growing dissatisfaction with his own... career. Not that he would make a good Ranger, but he had enjoyed helping with these cases. Even if they were handled... in an unorthodox manner.

 

[Trys Aran]

Trys was taken aback by how quick he was to brush off the idea of her staying somewhere else. Not only that, but he even went as far as to helpfully point out the wonderful things she had to look forward to with the hotels that showed up. Trys tried to argue back, but the hotels got progressively worse.

“What the hell?” She looked down, “This is advertising a low kidnapping rating as a selling point,” Trys’s mouth hung open at the sight. She was distracted when Talak said that Artee went back to his poor-mannered self when she wasn't around. Trys couldn’t help but grin, glancing up at Talak before he got up from the couch, “Just Artee?”

Trys took the wine when it came, sipping it and relishing the taste. For all of Talak’s strange quirks, the man had a taste for fine wine. As a Ranger, she didn’t have a salary that allowed her luxuries like top shelf drinks. How did he manage to afford it, anyway? Trys stashed that away for a question for another time.

She was looking down at more information on the planet when he asked her about being a Ranger. Trys thought for a moment, sipping from her glass, “I love it,” She said without hesitation, “It constantly challenges me and I’ve become a much better person since I’ve been one. It’s probably one of the hardest jobs out there,” Other than being mother to one of the most insufferable boys ever, she thought privately.

“What’re you going to go back to doing once we solve the slave case? Keep taking on more Ranger projects or something else?” It didn’t sound like he exactly had a day job...

 

[Talak Rand]

Talak smirked slightly as she implied that he would go back to bad manners as well. As Artee is quick to point out, I'm apparently always bad-mannered, he said with a shrug. She was probably right, though. He was better behaved with her around, if only for the fact that he actually got up to do things instead of levitating them across the room and into his hand.

He listened as she talked about being a Ranger, and how much it offered her. He could see her eyes light up a bit as she spoke, and her voice sounded like it had more energy. He nodded in agreement as she spoke.

Ah, yes, Talak, what are you going to do after this? he thought to himself. How could he explain what he'd go on to do after this if most of what he did was illegal. If murdering murderers was the most legal thing you did, then you might have a problem.

I don't know, probably go back to some odds and ends jobs. I like helping the Rangers, but... he paused a moment ...I'm not sure I'm really cut out to be a Ranger, he said. He didn't say anything for a moment and scratched his head.

I do like stopping criminals, though... he continued, mulling out loud. They seemed to have come to an understanding of sorts, but he wasn't sure he could come out and say he was considering spending his spare time going full vigilante.

I don't know, he said with a sigh, Maybe I'll try joining the Guild. That would certainly lend him an extra level of credibility, and to be honest, the idea seemed more and more appealing. A Force-sensitive bounty hunter and part time vigilante could probably do quite well for themselves. He just knew that he was increasingly unsure of his position within the Sith Eternal, and the dark side. Unfortunately, these weren't things he could discuss with her... or anyone, really.

Do we know each other well enough to ask you a personal question? he asked, giving her a moment to brace herself.

And if you want to lie or just tell me it's none of my business, that's fine, too, he prefaced, half expecting that to be the answer he got to the coming question.

How do you manage what you do with having a family? he asked. He knew it was a personal question, which was why he had intentionally given her the out, but for Talak who lived all of his life alone apart from a pilot droid, he couldn't imagine trying to split his time.

 

[Trys Aran]

Trys could hear the self doubts as he mentioned he couldn’t cut it as a Ranger. She purposely said nothing, because she couldn’t find herself disagreeing. He had lot of qualities, but he was far too impulsive to be able to excel in the field. He would have to start from the bottom and go through an academy to learn how to compartmentalize and follow protocol.

When he mentioned joining the Guild, Trys nodded, “That could be decent,” She sighed, “Though most Bounty Hunters I run into are massive crooks themselves. You always have to wonder how valid some bounties are. Some people just place them because they have access to credits. The line between good and bad is very blurred,” Trys didn’t think she could ever follow that line of profession. However, Talak had a much more blurred line view of the world, and he would excel in it.

She was almost done with her wine when he asked if he could ask a personal question. Almost at once, she stiffened slightly, not one to readily talk about any personal things. However, she didn’t say anything, letting him ask the question.

It took her a few moments to answer, but she didn’t see a harm in it, “You probably imagined some house with a white picket fence and a doting dad and some kids,” Trys smiled almost sadly, “It’s just me and my boy in a shitty apartment just one step above the poor districts of Coruscant. It’s hard to do what I do, but the fact that he looks up to me and pretty much sees me as a hero that saves the galaxy from bad guys helps I guess,” Trys chuckled softly, remembering how many times he had drawn her with a cape and fighting bad guys.

“I think I would have remained a small time criminal or rotting in prison if not for him,” Trys said after a moment. He was a massive pain, but he was her galaxy. She took another sip and finished off her wine, glancing down at how late it was.

“Well I suppose I ought to call it a night unless you had any other personal questions,” Trys grinned as she rose to stand, putting the glass away. He would notice she didn’t bother asking him anything in return, as she had grown accustomed to him keeping himself closed off.

 

[Talak Rand]

Talak felt a twinge of guilt and sadness at asking his question when he saw and felt the undertones of pain in her answer. There was clearly difficulty that she had to overcome in what she did, and he wondered if he shouldn't have brought it up.

But as she kept talking, there was something else he saw there. As difficult as she was to read in the Force, there was a layer of warmth and joy as she started talking about her son. He smiled slightly at the thought, and could tell that she loved her son deeply.

Sounds like he's a lucky kid to have a mom who loves him so much, he said with a slight smile. He wondered how differently his life might have turned out if he'd had something similar. He thought about what would happen if she were killed on their mission, and for the first time it clicked in his mind why she had been so angry about being drugged. He'd placed her in a situation where there was a very real risk that her son would grow up alone.

When she mentioned other personal questions, he smiled sheepishly. No, that's uh... that's it for tonight, he said. Sleep well, Trys, he said. He sat for a few minutes more, sipping at the end of his wine as he thought about where their paths would lead them tomorrow. They were entering into very real danger, and while Trys had shown herself proficient in combat, he now worried about her family. For the faintest moment, he considered striking out tonight and trying to set the operation in motion early, but he stopped the thought.

No, you're not taking away her choice again if you don't have to, he reprimanded himself. She was putting her trust in him, and he wasn't going to abuse it if he didn't have to.

Lock down the ship, Artee, he said. As the hiss of the ship's security systems activated, Talak slipped into his room. Another fitful night of sleep awaited him.

---​

Surely enough, the girls visited him in his dreams. Talak awoke in a fit, gasping for breath and still almost feeling their hands wrapped around his arms and legs. Their voices still echoed in his mind, and he knew he wouldn't find any more rest tonight. His eyes flicked over to the chrono.

03:00... perfect, he thought with rolled eyes and a sigh, and pushed himself up. He put himself together and emerged from his room, and headed straight for the room near the cockpit. He didn't know when Trys typically rose, but he figured she probably wouldn't be up for a few hours, so he decided to do what he always did when the nightmares came: exorcise them.

He took a seat on his stool and pulled out a fresh canvas and began. For him, painting was like fighting, it was about letting the Force flow through him and guide his movements, imparting an element of his own power - and specifically the darkness within - into an object instead of his soul. He wanted it out... purged from himself.

He closed his eyes and let the brush flow over the canvas, forcing the emotions, thoughts, and memories onto the canvas. It was, in its own way, a form of moving meditation.

He didn't know how long it had been, but eventually he opened his eyes again, and looked at the macabre image filling the canvas. It seemed to almost radiate with its own life, but Talak felt... cleansed. His mind was more clear, and the mindless rage was focused into a fine edge. Whatever would happen today, he was more ready for it than he had been yesterday.

 

[Trys Aran]

Trys didn’t wake up for a few more hours. After she did her morning routine and shower, she called her son again and caught up with what was going on with him. By the time she was off the call, she found herself missing home quite a bit. Naturally, this all meant that she was entirely oblivious to Talak and his strange routine today.

She had received a ping from the slicer before too long, and she stepped out to the main area of the ship. Trys was happy to have her own clothes this time, and she had bought a few shirts to cycle through underneath to keep fresh.

“Hey, he’s ready to go,” Trys said as she walked out and grabbed the coffee from Artee that was already prepared. She could see something was slightly off about Talak, but she knew better than to ask. Trys packed her gun and walked out to the speeder, hopping in and beginning to drive.

“We’ll need to find a roundabout way inside,” Trys explained, “They probably have the place on lockdown,” It was a wonder they hadn’t had people chasing them down already. In the end, these were criminals, and they were sloppy. She turned to look at Talak, “There are some Rangers on the way to help us with this. We won’t be entirely alone since this is a viable lead.”

After a moment, she pulled over to the side of the road, and Talak would see the Zilkin standing there. He held a suitcase in his hand that almost looked as big as he was. He quickly sprang into the backseat of the speeder, looking as serious and professional as ever.

Trys continued driving, letting him do his thing in the back. She pulled around the back of the building this time, avoiding the tree that would have the bodies in it. She parked the speeder and sighed, looking at the building.

“We have to find a way in now,” She mused aloud.

“There is a structural deficiency in the wall in the northeast rear end of the building,” The slicer said matter of factly. Trys didn’t even bother asking how he knew that - he appeared to be looking at a small terminal in the suitcase, “And your friend possesses the appropriate means to get through it.”

Trys’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion as she looked over at Talak, “Huh?”

The Zilkin was sharp as a knife and immediately picked up on this at once, and he quickly followed up with, “Miss, perhaps it best if you scout out near the front as I surmise there are some guards patrolling there. Mister and I will contact you as soon as we are in.”

Trys couldn't argue with that. She turned to Talak and the slicer, "Careful, guys," Before she grabbed her gun and walked around the other side. It was probably best for Talak not to see the bodies again anyway so it made sense for her to scout.

 

[Talak Rand]

Talak was thankful that their route had taken them around the tree so that he didn't have to look at them again. That wasn't something he ever wanted to see again, if he were being honest. Those girls deserved better, but he also felt some obligation to be the one to remove their bodies when this was all done. He had been the one to let them die.

He pushed the thought aside as they reached their destination, and his eyes started darting over the area. He immediately appreciated the efficiency with which the Zilkin conveyed information, but he was caught severely off guard when he mentioned that Talak had the means to get inside. He tried to keep from spinning around abruptly, but all of his muscles tightened slightly.

Then Talak was really impressed by the ease with which the Zilkin redirected the conversation. Wow, I need to keep an eye on this one, he thought. Then just like that Trys was getting out.

You too, he said, as she disappeared around. Talak immediately turned and half expected the Zilkin to start answering his question before he asked it.

How'd you know? he asked, already starting to climb out of the speeder. His hand brushed against the lightsaber under his robes, feeling some sense of relief that it was actually an available option for him... at least for the moment.

They made their way over to the structural weakness, and Talak pulled his lightsaber out, starting to cut through the wall without wasting any more time. Every minute they were out here things got worse.

---​

Out front, Trys would round the corner to see that the bodies not only hung in the tree, but there were now a few new ones that hadn't been there last time. The slavers intended to make an example of every last girl who had escaped.

Moments later, she would see a man in old stormtrooper armor walking toward the front of a building. Behind him, he was dragging a young girl by a leash who was crying and struggling against the collar she wore. It could be assumed she was a recaptured slave, and she would be dragged inside the building to an uncertain doom shortly.

 

[Trys Aran]

The Zilkin didn’t even flinch as Talak got to work with the saber, ignoring the question on how he knew. He was looking down at a datapad, having downloaded the schematics of the building. After the wall gave away, he followed Talak in. From here, they were inside what appeared to be kitchens.

“Outside of here we make a left and that puts us towards a mechanic’s elevator that will take us down to the lounge level. I will need a few moments to slice into the elevator console, so keep an eye out for any guards,” He said in his matter of fact tone as they continued to walk. The kitchen was empty from the looks of it, and there weren’t noises to indicate a lot of activity outside of it either. However, it was impossible to know for sure.

“Miss will find out soon,” He said abruptly, his gaze trained ahead, “The Sector Rangers are collecting and tracking footage of saber attacks at multiple locations. Miss will be aware of this. There is also witness accounts of what has taken place at the very lounge below,” His tone was always flat, and he glanced down to check the datapad once more, “Recommend you conclude your mission with her as soon as possible and part ways, or it may lead to your arrest.”

They finally arrived at the elevator.

---​

Trys could see the man dragging the girl around and she cursed under her breath. She couldn’t spot anyone else for now, but she was hesitant about giving up her position. Trys moved in closer, gun prepared as she looked around the immediate area for any activity. She only had the shot before he entered the building.

Before she could do anything, a sudden barrage of shots began to pepper towards the man from somewhere in the forest. The shots missed badly, but they were enough to make the man lose his grasp on the girl. She immediately began to bolt, unfortunately leaving herself to be gunned down if there were any other guards in the area.

The figures in the forests were relentless, continuing to fire a barrage of shots and coming pressing in closer. Trys had to duck back to avoid getting hit with a stray bolt. In the distance, she thought she could make out a familiar twi’lek with a rifle in her hands. It was the same twi’lek that was on Vargo’s platform! She was accompanied by several other women that looked entirely out of their element and carrying rudimentary weapons - mostly melee - but some had managed to nab cheap guns from somewhere.

 

[Talak Rand]

All right, then. Keep your secrets, he thought to himself. In truth, he wasn't sure he would have revealed his hand either, so he couldn't be too offended. In short order, they were through the wall and into a kitchen area within moments. Talak's lightsaber flashed out but still remained in his hand, the other hand grasped the still-sheathed vibroblade. Better to not leave any burn marks on the victims.

Just as he was thinking about that, the slicer mentioned an investigation into lightsaber attacks and the evidence and holologs left below. He nearly asked how he knew Trys was investigating lightsaber attacks, but then remembered that this guy knew things. It wasn't a matter of "how" but what to do with that information.

You'll have your cover, was the only response he gave. His mind churned over what he should do. He found himself wondering if he should simply vanish as soon as they had the slave data, but he found himself not wanting to.

Use your brain kriff stick, he reprimanded himself, frustrated that he was even hesitating. Hadn't he already endangered everything enough by working with her on some random murder?! Once more, Talak found himself conflicted, but this time for far less logical reasons.

He turned to watch the halls as the tiny alien started his work on the turbolift. All seemed to be going smoothly, but Talak had a nagging feeling up the back of his neck. A buzzing sound came from the far end of the room and a man in old Imperial scout armor appeared holding some sort of stun baton. What did all these enforcers think they were Imperials or did they just find a surplus store? Talak's vibrosword slipped free from its sheathe and his lightsaber activated.

Just keep working, I've got this guy, he said quietly to the little slicer.

---​

The stormtrooper immediately hit the ground before moving to the cover of a nearby parked speeder. He popped up again in an attempt to shoot the fleeing slave only to have a blaster shot strike too close for comfort and send him back down into cover.

The girls continued to fire at the stormtrooper. Many of the shots were wild and out of place, but they would keep the stormtrooper occupied long enough for Trys to sneak around and flank him. Of course, the girls didn't realize who Trys was at this distance, so she would have to be careful not to be shot... assuming the girls could actually hit her.

 

[Trys Aran]

The slicer said nothing, quickly getting to work. If Talak looked, he would notice that he took out what appeared to be a probe normally on droids out of the briefcase. He popped open the terminal and quickly over-rid the mechanics of it. The turbolift registered them as mechanics, but it would take a moment. Talak would have to clear up anyone in the meantime and jump back into the lift.

Within moments, they were making their way down to the lounge level. The slicer quickly packed up the briefcase. He took a step back to stand behind Talak, not wanting to face any opposition that may be waiting for them. He made it abundantly clear that he was not one for overt combat. He was more conniving and sinister than that, and he liked to plot out his schemes.

The turbolift opened, and there were two burly Gamorreans standing at the end of the hall in front of that familiar set of double doors. They were talking to one another, both sporting melee weapons and rifles. The slicer said nothing and stepped back even further, gesturing with his tiny hand for Talak to do the honors.

---​

It’s a shitshow out here, Trys quickly typed a message to Talak. She needed the girls to know she was on their side, and she came around the bend and fired a shot into the guard. He fell on the ground from being stunned and the commotion stopped for a moment.

Trys slowly stepped out from behind her cover, raising her gun up, “I’m a friend!” She called out towards the girls, “Keep yourselves in cover!” Trys rushed towards where the man in the trooper outfit had fallen and quickly grabbed his lethal gun. She ran back and ducked behind her cover again.

She knew that all the commotion out here would bring out the guards from inside the building out here. On the plus chance, this would mean the coast was clear for Talak and the slicer inside.

 

[Talak Rand]

The scout trooper came charging down the hall, swinging his baton wildly. Talak's lightsaber came up to block and the baton bounced right off of its electromagnetically protected chassis. Everything fell into place and Talak went on the defensive. Another wild attack from the baton was blocked again, and Talak used his speed advantage to finish it summarily. The vibroblade swung around in reverse and crashed into the helmeted head. Designed for stopping blasters over physical attacks, it cleaved through and tore a bloody swath into the head. The thug was fortunate to have died almost instantly.

He stepped back and into the turbolift and the two of them descended. Where the Zilkin moved to the back, Talak moved forward. His heart was pounding and he could feel that thrill of battle overtaking him again. The doors slid open, and Talak didn't even wait for the slicer to make his motion. In a blur, he was on top of the Gamorreans. They had strength but he had agility... and skill. It took no small measure of discipline not to simply cut through them with his lightsaber. Instead, he used his vibrosword and the Force. Grabbing one with the Force and dodging an attack from the other, his sword scraped across the belly of the first. Blood poured out, but it wasn't a lethal blow.

Another attack and another dodge. The Force pulled to his fingers and lightning tore into the unwounded Gamorrean. Even a large creature like the pig had its muscles sent into spasm. The first was still occupied with his torn open belly and Talak plunged his sword through its neck. His feet drove forward and in one fluid motion he pulled the blade free of one neck and swung it through the next.

He stopped. His breathing was heavy again, but this time he didn't feel the same uncontrolled anger and hatred that he had when they were in the lounge last time. It was honed and focused like a weapon, but as they came to those double doors, it threatened to come flooding back. It was so recent that he was practically there again. The darkness still swirled around the deaths here, but he knew he'd have to face what he'd done.

He turned back to the slicer. Path's clear, he said as his comlink buzzed. Those weren't words he wanted to hear, and he suddenly had this vision of her son being orphaned. Stop, he thought to himself. That wasn't going to help the situation. He quickly typed back Be careful. No risks. There wasn't much he could do from here, and that reality killed him again. He hated being helpless.

---​

The Twi'lek led the other girls up toward the front of the building. Her rifle came up and pointed in Trys's general direction, and she almost fired out of nerves, but then a realization clicked in.

You... you were here during the escape? she asked, surprise and confusion evident in her voice. You were here with the red blade! she exclaimed, excited at the thought that additional help had come. Reluctantly, she and the other girls had decided it was better to fight back than wait to be taken, but they'd thought they would have to do it alone.

Her comment would leave many questions in Trys's mind, but there wasn't time to ask them. A speeder pulled up, but instead of just thugs pouring out, it was a well dressed human with dark skin. A bit of facial hair was on his upper lip and he had an air of almost aloof arrogance to him. Of course, a trio of guards leapt out as well, but no one fired yet.

You there! Let's us talk! There's no need for us to be enemies, he said. Well, that seemed like a lie, but it at least bought them the chance not to be fighting for the moment.

 

[Trys Aran]

The Zilkin noticed that the tall human paused abruptly, making him step forward a few steps. With a look of irritation, he huffed and looked back with a scowl, unconcerned by the temporary flash of worry on his face, “Keep moving,” He hissed, insisting that Talak led the way. He wasn’t going to put his own life at risk any more than it already was.

Not only that, but he didn’t think he could open the double doors by himself…

Once they were in, it was obvious that the ‘lounge’ was abandoned. In fact, it smelled horrible because most of the dead bodies remained. The only one that was removed was the giant hutt from the platform. The slicer covered his nose and mouth and followed the datapad to lead towards a back room.

“Concerning that it is so empty in here...” He said as he came across a door with a console next to it. He got to work once more, taking out the probe from earlier to slice into it. According to his schematics, this would lead to a corridor that led to the main terminal where they secured their data. He expected it to be guarded by droids at the very least, which meant Talak couldn’t leave his side just yet.

---​

“Red blade?” Trys asked aloud, but she had no time to dig in. She had been dressed as a slave when the twi’lek saw her, and this meant she thought Trys was another escapee. This sat just fine with her, as it meant the woman was less likely to shoot.

She was distracted by a speeder that abruptly pulled up. Trys ducked behind cover again, preparing to shoot. However, a man stood out in the open and began to speak. Almost at once, one of the girls from in the forest fired a shot. It missed horribly, and the man didn’t even turn to look, keeping his gaze towards Trys.

After a moment, the Ranger slowly came out from behind cover, holding a hand up to keep the ladies in hiding from firing for now. She turned to regard the man and his guards, her eyes narrowed in suspicion. Trys didn’t lower her weapon, keeping the lethal gun pointed at him.

“Start talking,” She commanded.

 

[Talak Rand]

Talak barely heard when the Zilkin said to keep moving. He knew that, but it didn't make it much easier. One foot in front of the other, he thought to himself, forcing himself to follow his own instructions. The room was horrendous not just because of all the bodies in there, but the smell. He could almost walk through the entire fight in his mind again. Every step and swing came flooding back. The screams, blood, and a whole new - and worse - set of smells.

I don't know why they didn't clear out the bodies, he agreed. Something felt wrong here, but Talak couldn't put his finger on what it was. He didn't have high hopes that they would be able to recover the holologs of what had happened or avoid his own image getting out, but it was a nice thought to cling to.

I've got you covered, he said, turning back to the room and fingering his saber hilt again. He was on edge and expected something to go wrong at any moment.

---​

The man and his guard escort seemed unfazed by the gun still pointed at him.

You all escaped from this place, and truthfully, it was a loss to our business, he said. It didn't seem like he had a great deal of remorse over what had happened, but could anyone expect any different?

And if you fight, you'll die, he said, seemingly unshaken in the idea that he would win a conflict. It wasn't a completely absurd idea from his perspective. A group of slaves who barely knew how to shoot against life-long thugs and criminals. He didn't know that Trys was a Sector Ranger or that others would still be coming.

Give up the man who killed our people, and none of you will ever hear from us again, he said calmly. They had already lost their profit, but all "the boss" wanted was the head of the man who had killed his son. Evidently, the holologs hadn't captured that the killing blow was struck by none other than the Twi'lek standing in front of him, much to her fortune.

 

[Trys Aran]

After a few moments, the door clicked open, and the slicer stepped through. He once again waited for Talak to go first, pointing to a door at the end of the corridor. He glanced over his shoulder every now and then, clearly feeling uneasy about being in here.

The moment the door opened, there were two droids firing on them. One of them actually tossed a grenade, aiming to keep Talak and the slicer trapped in the middle corridor and blow to shreds. The Zilkin ducked to one side,“Use your magics!” He shrieked, curling up into a ball behind his briefcase.

There were at least three droids in total, and they were chanting about unauthorized intruders as they unleashed a fury of weaponry on them. They were armed with grenades, guns and melee weapons. It was clear that Vargo took no chances with his precious intel.

---​

Trys sighed and shook her head. She had expected this, but she half hoped that it was someone actually trying to help. Trys rolled her eyes at the man before he even finished.

“Look, I’m not his babysitter,” She said plainly, “If you want to go kill him, be my guest. But the thing is,” She glanced over at the twi’lek and then back to the man, “We have a bone to pick with anyone that works for Vargo, so you’ll have to answer to us first,” Trys said the last bit very loudly, giving the signal to the girls that this was an enemy.

Almost at once, she backed up and fired a shot at once of the guards. She knew it would be a full shootout - she wouldn’t be surprised if the man brought backup. Meanwhile, the girls in the forests screamed at the top of their lungs and began to fire shots at the speeder and the men.

A few of the girls rushed out with vibroblades and other blunt weapons raised, not afraid to overwhelm the men with sheer numbers and turn this into a bloodbath. Trys noticed they even wiped mud and paint on their faces to give them a truly crazed and wild look. What had these girls become?