Ask Naboo A Showcase of Pride

[Atris Tharen]

Atris considered Brienna's question, her brow furrowing in thought. She agreed with the blonde Jedi. There was something... off. It was surprising that a woman of Mrs. Rikil's standing and influence in the community on Naboo would allow herself to become intoxicated at, as her husband had put it, "the biggest event of the season."

There was no denying the fact that Mrs. Rikil had been drinking. After her up close and personal encounter with the lady, Atris could affirm that her breath absolutely reeked of alcohol. There was no telling just how much alcohol their hostess had or had not consumed, however. The gala had only begun an hour ago, making it doubtful but not impossible that Mrs. Rikil would be in such an inebriated state this early in the night. If she was not drunk, she was a very good actress. If she was not drunk, she could not be trusted.

Atris recalled the greedy look in their hostess' eyes as she stared at the necklace. "I'm not one for art, but the jewels...the jewels are worth every penny."

She could sense her blonde partner's reservations about Mrs. Rikil, and she had to admit she had her own reservations. As cold as it might have sounded, the Jedi's first obligation was to the necklace, not their hostess. They had been sent to ensure that nothing happened to the necklace, taking care of Mrs. Rikil was just a courtesy.

"Let's split up," Atris agreed, matching her Jedi partner's hushed tone as they watched Mrs. Rikil loudly blow her nose. "You stay here with the necklace, and I'll take Mrs. Rikil... I mean, Vicky to her room."

Mrs. Rikil looked up from her tissue, a sad smile gracing her lips. "You will? That is so sweet..." She sniffed and wiped a few tears away. "I knew we would all be such great friends."

"I'll be right back," Atris muttered to Brienna, hoping Mrs. Rikil would have enough good sense left to be able to find her own room. The Jedi was not keen on wandering the halls of the mansion with their drunken hostess for any longer than necessary.

Mrs. Rikil slung an arm around Atris' shoulder again as they began to walk away. Resigned, Atris did not fight her this time. If looks were any indication, Vicky needed all the help she could get to remain standing on her own two feet. "Is your room nearby?"

Their hostess ignored the question, instead looking at Brienna. "Isn't... isn't she coming too?" she asked, pointing to the blonde Jedi. She had never bothered to ask either Jedi their names, so she would have to rely on pronouns. "Aren't you coming too?"

Realizing the answer was no, Mrs. Rikil slumped to the floor and whimpered, "I want Daymar... Please bring him to me."

Atris looked at Brienna. What in the universe is wrong with this woman?

@ModernMarvel

 

[Brienna Lanaamer]

"Let's split up. You stay here with the necklace, and I'll take Mrs. Rikil... I mean, Vicky to her room."

Bri nodded in understanding. She was a little relieved that Atris had volunteered herself to continue on with Victoria. Though she would not have shied away from any responsibility, it wasn't exactly a task that she wanted to do. There was still something strange about the red-haired woman, that both Jedi had seemingly observed. The excuse of being heavily inebriated seemed almost to easy an explanation. A healthy dose of skepticism was required.

Victoria overheard the two Jedi's conversation, and looked up from the tissue in her hands, offering a sad, almost pathetic looking smile in their direction.

"You will? That is so sweet...I knew we would all be such great friends."

There she goes again about being friends. Why? There were literally hundreds of people in the crowds surrounding them. For any in a lesser social class, an invitation from their hostess to be 'friends' would be snapped up like one of the many tasty canapes being walked around. Yet she had pinpointed her focus on the two women, literally the only two, who were not their to fake their way to a higher social standing. Was Victoria just drawn to the two Jedi's unnerving sincerity in a room filled with phonies? Possible, not not probable.

"I'll be right back,"

Bri offered a glance to her partner which could be read as, 'good luck,' with a slight shrug. Victoria once more slung her arm around the Jedi's shoulder. Walking appeared increasingly difficult for the woman. The two didn't get very far before Atris asked a question about the location of a bedroom. The query was quickly ignored as Victoria instead turned around to face Bri.

"Isn't... isn't she coming too?" she asked, pointing. "Aren't you coming too?"

Bri opened her mouth to speak, but was cut off by more dramatics from Mrs. Rikil. The woman slumped to the floor, with Bri almost wincing at the wrinkles forming in what looked to be an extraordinarily expensive dress. When it was clear that the Jedi would not be going together to her room, a whining complaint instead asked for Daymar. The Jedi had a very clear and simple, 'no,' in her mind. A similar look of exasperation with annoyed frown was painted on Bri's face. The blonde woman was officially over the scene and had lost all sympathy for Victoria.

No more games.

The Jedi flagged down a nearby server. It was a young man who did not seem to be a full time employee of the Rikil's staff. "Can you please bring a member of the household staff?" Bri look over at Victoria, still with an unapproving frown. "Mrs. Rikil is in need of some assistance."

The waiter appeared unsure of how to proceed with the scene that was happening in front of him. He looked at Bri, then towards Atris and Victoria, before back to the blonde Jedi, a blank look on his face. The Jedi got the impression the waiters had been specifically instructed not to interact with the guests. "Uh, yes, yes ma'am. Right away," placing his empty tray under an arm, the waiter scurried away to complete the request.

"Should just be a few minutes," Bri commented, offering a satisfactory nod to Atris.

@llamallove

 

[Atris Tharen]

The young waiter appeared to be undecided on the course of action he should take, but after a moment's hesitation he agreed and followed Brienna's polite request. Atris could sense that he felt as out of place with this situation as she did. It was strange to witness a fully grown woman like Mrs. Rikil, respected and admired by her peers, slump on the marble floors of her own mansion as she cried her eyes out. Her lavish gown, so beautiful and elegant before, was now a wrinkled mess.

Atris thought to herself with comical interest, That dress is probably worth more than my entire wardrobe combined.

The young waiter hastened toward the servant's stairway to fulfill Brienna's request, once again leaving the two Jedi alone with Mrs. Rikil. She continued to weep, her slender shoulders shaking from the force of it, but the sound of her cries had grown softer. At least that was something.

Atris wondered if she had overheard what Brienna had told the waiter because she hardly moved, and she made no complaint. She just sat there, resigned.

Standing above her, it was pitiful to watch Mrs. Rikil behave as if she was the unhappiest woman in the galaxy while being surrounded by nothing but luxury. Pitiful, but Atris wasn't sure it was pitiful enough to elicit any more empathy. There was nothing the two Jedi could do to help her now. They had gone above and beyond what was expected of them, but Mrs. Rikil had refused their help. Instead, she'd thrown herself on the floor like a badly behaved toddler who hadn't gotten their way. Perhaps Mrs. Rikil and her huband were more alike than she realized.

Her behavior was unexplainable for someone of her standing and reputation in the community. Unless she is a distraction or... Instantly Atris' gaze darted to the nearby display case, but the necklace sat untouched behind glass. It was silly to think anyone could've stolen the necklace while the two Jedi stood so near, but it was better to be safe than sorry.

Atris joined her blonde Jedi companion and exchanged a look with her. She had a feeling Brienna had much more experience than she did with situations such as these. You didn't meet a lot of politicians and aristocrats working in med-clinics in the Outer Rim. Brienna had traveled more of the galaxy and been on a wider range of missions.

"What do you think?" she asked Brienna quietly so their hostess wouldn't overhear them. "Do you think she's actually drunk?"

Hurried steps sounded on the marble floor behind them, and Atris turned to see the young waiter approaching, an older gentleman dressed in a black suit and white bowtie directly beside him. Both men's faces were flushed, the older man looking more than a little perplexed by the sight of Mrs. Rikil drunk and crying on the floor. Most likely he was the Rikil's personal butler.

"Madam Rikil?" the butler questioned gently, stooping beside her to help her to her feet.

"I'm alright, Ashcroft. Please just... help me to my room," Mrs. Rikil could be heard saying in a small voice, slipping an arm around Ashcroft. As soon as the pair were on their feet, her arm tightened around Ashcroft's neck, and a pained expression crossed the butler's face. It only took a second for Atris to see why: a blaster pistol pressed into his side, Vicky's slender finger on the trigger. The dark haired Jedi felt like a fool.

A vile smirk spread across Vicky's lips, betraying the drunken and helpless façade she had created. Before either Jedi could take a step forward, she snarled, "Not one more step, Jedi, or I blast his head off." She pressed the barrel of the blaster strategically to the butler's head, her cold and calculating eyes darting between the two women. "None of your Jedi tricks either."

Atris' fists clenched in anger, but she knew Vicky was right. Even if they used the force to pull the blaster from her hands or to push her or to pull Ashcroft to safety, there was no guarantee that she wouldn't get a shot off first. They couldn't risk Ashcroft's life, and there was no reasoning with this woman. She knew what she wanted, and she wasn't going to be stopped until she got it.

Vicky pulled Ashcroft toward the display case, the necklace her objective all along. "I was hoping it wouldn't come to this, but you two had to stick your noses in where they didn't belong. I had everything planned out beautifully, and it didn't involve any violence, so really... all of this is your fault. You Jedi are always meddling in other people's affairs."

She directed her gaze to the young waiter. "You! Get over here and open this case. The key is in my pocket."

Quivering with fear and as white as a ghost, the young waiter passed the two Jedi and approached Vicky as he had been ordered. He was too terrified to attempt any heroic act, and his employer was fully aware of that fact. He reached into the front pocket of Vicky's dress and pulled out the code cylinder Daymar Rikil had shown the two Jedi earlier that evening. Vicky must have reached into his pocket sometime afterward and stolen it. An easy enough task considering she was his wife, and he would allow her to get closer than anyone else.

Atris searched in vain for an opening, any advantage or opportunity she could take, but there was nothing she could do without risking Ashcroft's life, and she wasn't willing to take that risk.

With shaking hands, the young waiter pressed the code cylinder into the lock of the display case, and the glass door swung open. Vicky's smirk only grew as he wordlessly followed her next orders. "Now place the necklace around my neck and back away. That's a good boy."

Ashcroft still her hostage, the poor man's face growing redder by the second, she moved toward the open balcony doors. "It's been fun, girls. Perhaps, if circumstances had been different, we could've been friends."

Not likely.

Vicky laughed, kicking her heels off. She was about to make a run for it. "Probably not, huh?" With a final shove, she pushed Ashcroft toward the young waiter and disappeared through the balcony doors.

@ModernMarvel

 

[Brienna Lanaamer]

What followed was a continuation of the highly awkward situation. The three woman stood, and in Victoria's case, sat in uncomfortable silence. The nearby guests had either subconsciously or purposefully chosen to ignore the scene that was happening. It helped, to a reasonable degree, that they were on the upper floor. The majority of the guests were on the lower level. Bri had to occupy her mind with a running dialogue to prevent the uncomfortable nature of the situation from becoming too overwhelming.

This has to be a joke, right? Or at least something deeper is going on here. Everything here is just too bizarre for it to be real. The woman is literally sitting on the floor in her fabulously expensive dress crying. Fake crying? Whatever. Doesn't matter. Its pathetic. One thing's for sure, I'm not going to get fooled by whatever nonsense this is. The alcohol has got to be just her excuse for trying to get one past us. The Jedi's eye narrowed once more. But if she just a drunk fool.... Well, that's a bummer.

Bri's train of thought was interrupted by Atris' hushed comments.

"What do you think? Do you think she's actually drunk?"

The Jedi crossed her arms over her chest and leaned towards her partner to respond. "I don't think so. I mean she could be. But this all seems pretty fishy," Bri hedged her response. "It's all just so, so strange," The Jedi looked up as the sound of rushed steps on the smooth, polished floor signaled the arrival of the previously called for butler.

"Madam Rikil?"

Bri watched the butler closely. If he reacted with surprise, that this was very uncommon behavior for Mrs. Rikil, then the fishiness was confirmed. However, he seemed to maintain his composure, asking politely of his mistress. The blonde Jedi frowned in slight confusion. She expected a more noticeable reaction. Either that, or the butler was well trained to be non-reactive to dramatic or unexpected situations.

"I'm alright, Ashcroft. Please just... help me to my room,"

As the butler helped Victoria to her feet, the unexpected continued. No sooner had the butler and her mistress gotten up from the ground, a pained expression struck his face. It was clear what was happening. A blaster had been drawn from somewhere on Victoria's person and had been pointed at Ashcroft.

"Not one more step, Jedi, or I blast his head off. None of your Jedi tricks either." Well, Victoria was clearly not drunk and in complete control of her faculties. Bri wanted to express frustration at the situation, and chastised herself for not taking action sooner. Because of her inaction, real danger was now present. However, now was no time to lose control. The Jedi maintained her sharpest focus on the situation. Victoria had warned of no 'Jedi tricks,' but Bri thought she could spot an opportunity. She trusted her own skills enough in the Force, but it was a gamble to risk the butler's life.

"I was hoping it wouldn't come to this, but you two had to stick your noses in where they didn't belong. I had everything planned out beautifully, and it didn't involve any violence, so really... all of this is your fault. You Jedi are always meddling in other people's affairs."

While Victoria monologued, she dragged Ashcroft, quite literally, over to the display case, and instructed the waiter to get the code cylinder from her pocket to open it. Wait, her pocket? Oh. Of course she took it from Daymar. Bumbling fool. The poor waiter was equally terrified of the situation, with shaking hands barely managing to open the glass box. The necklace was somehow even more enchanting not hidden behind any windows. Victoria seemed to have sensed as much, and her eyes greedily took in the sight of the jewels as it was brought towards her. A multitude of questions were eagerly trying to spring into Bri's mind, but she did her best to keep them away. There would be a time for analysis, but this was not it.

"It's been fun, girls. Perhaps, if circumstances had been different, we could've been friends."

Victoria had planned her escape as she backed towards the nearby balcony windows. The comment about their being friends was annoying, though perhaps signaled some false confidence from the thief. Enough to want to joke with the two Jedi. If she thought Bri and Atris would easily give up pursuit of Mrs. Rikil, then she was sorely mistaken.

As soon as Victoria disappeared out the window, Bri was off in a flash to catch up. She offered a quick glance to her side, but knew that Atris would be right behind her. A brief slowdown was endured as Bri had to toss her own heels off, knowing she wouldn't get very far with them on. She was glad her attire for the evening consisted of a pantsuit, allowing easier ease of motion compared to a dress. Hopping over the window ledge, she waited for the briefest of moments to allow her eyes to adjust to the dark. Victoria was doing her best to run along the side of the building, keeping clear of the slanting roof.

The cool air filled Bri's lungs, as she breathed in deeply in exertion. Nearly skidding off course, she excelled her speed to catch up to Victoria. She was quick, but the dress would slow her down, and hopefully was no match for the combined efforts of the two Jedi. Her advantages? A superior knowledge of their surroundings. Bri had no doubt there were countless sharp turns, or even hidden passages that Victoria could make use of.

"You good?" came a breathy comment, as she looked back at Atris once more.

@llamallove

 

[Atris Tharen]

Brienna didn't waste a second. The moment Victoria disappeared onto the balcony, the blonde Jedi Knight was hot on her trail, and Atris was right behind her. Victoria Rikil would not be escaping tonight, not if the two of them had any say in the matter.

As Brienna pursued their runaway hostess, Atris stopped, albeit briefly, to check on Ashcroft. The butler had been cast to the side as if he was nothing more than a sack of potatoes. The man's entire face had turned red, and he clutched at his neck with both hands. Atris remembered well the surprising strength of their hostess.

"I'm alright," the man spluttered, as if he had anticipated the Jedi's question before she could ask. He waved a hand dismissively in her direction and leaned against the young waiter for support. Satisfied that the aging butler would soon recover from the ordeal, Atris hurried out into the warm evening air.

The night sky was lit by an infinite number of stars, and a pale stream of moonlight mantled the mansion and grounds below. At least the Jedi would not be forced to give chase in total darkness. Atris noticed that the Twi'lek guard she had seen patrolling the grounds earlier was now gone, an interesting observation she would tuck away.

To the right of the balcony, Veronica scurried across the rooftop, her steps careful and precise. Brienna was not far behind her, clearly the faster of the two, but their hostess had the advantage of a head start. Both women had been forced to kick off their heels, and the sound of their bare feet against the clay roof tiles made Atris' skin crawl. Being barefoot did not seem to impede either of them, however, not even Victoria. That woman was full of surprises, and none of them pleasant.

The space between the slanted tiles and the roof's edging was narrow, and Atris would need to watch her step if she didn't want to fall. Leaping across the gap from the balcony to the roof, she quickly caught up with her Jedi companion and followed her in pursuit of Victoria.

"Yeah," Atris answered, trying to conserve her breath. She couldn't resist commenting on Victoria's dress, however, adding, "How does she run in that thing?"

Ahead of them, Victoria turned to her right and disappeared behind a dormer window. A moment later, Atris rounded the corner behind Brienna but came to a stop. The Jedi's dark eyes scanned the roof, but Victoria had disappeared. Suddenly the rooftop was quiet, almost eery.

"I thought the two of you would have more sense than to follow me!" Victoria's voice echoed from somewhere up ahead of them. She was hiding in the shadows, waiting and watching. A moment later blaster fire began to rain down on them, striking the clay tiles at their feet.

Atris retreated behind the dormer for cover, peering out from around the corner. "I think she's up there," she voiced quietly to her blonde companion, pointing toward a chimney along the ridging of the rooftop.

@ModernMarvel

 

[Brienna Lanaamer]

"Yeah. How does she run in that thing?"

It was a more than fitting question. Bri was finding herself struggling in the outfit she had chosen. Mostly hampered by the lack of shoes. Turns out that rooftops aren't designed to be run on in bare feet. Who knew? As the thought crossed her mind, she stepped down hard on an uneven stone, eliciting a sharp, "ouch," and grimace from the Jedi. "No idea," Bri managed to say, in between pants of breath.

They turned another sharp corner, with Bri hopping more gracefully from one side to the other, as her eyesight had adjusted to the moon-lit evening. The Jedi panted hard as she started to close the gap towards Victoria. Unfortunately, their hostess took advantage of her knowledge of the surroundings, disappearing behind a quite decoratively styled dormer window. By the time the Jedi had caught up to continue the pursuit, somehow Victoria had disappeared. "Ow..ow..ow..ow..ow," Bri muttered as her feet complained angrily at having to come to a quick stop after the fast running pace.

Bri breathed in deeply. "Where....?" she looked up, then around for Victoria. Silence returned as Atris arrived quickly thereafter. The faint murmur of the loud party inside could be heard, but it was merely a faint echo on the rooftop. A cool breeze flowed its way through the trees, the rustling leaves providing the loudest part of the evening soundtrack.

"I thought the two of you would have more sense than to follow me!"

The Jedi's head turned upwards, hearing the sound of Victoria's voice echo downwards. Bri only managed to get a fleeting glance before being forced next to Atris, with both Jedi hiding behind the window for cover. Sharp red blaster fire quickly rained down towards them. "Well this is going well," Bri judged in sarcasm, gaining greater control of her breathing.

"I think she's up there,"

Bri looked in the direction of where Atris was pointing. She managed to grab a quick glimpse in-between blaster fire, spotting a brick chimney on the apex of the roof. The Jedi could feel the cool metallic hilt of her saber on her leg, hidden in a holster. Bri was tempted for the moment, but for the sake of potentially escalating the situation, refrained for the moment. A quick plan formulated in Bri's mind. Her advantage? The higher ground. Our advantage? There's two of us. She spotted Atris' more appropriate footwear for combat and offered a suggestion. "I think I can be the distraction, if you can get up the roof and stop her?"

Nodding quickly, she ducked out of the cover of the window, preparing her reflexes to dodge any blaster bolts. "Come on Victoria, you can't expect us to give up that easily!" The Jedi made sure she was in view of Mrs. Rikil.

"I warned you Jedi, no tricks!" the red-haired woman shot back venomously, firing her blaster rapidly in Bri's direction. The distance between Victoria and the Jedi made it slightly easier to dodge the blaster bolts. Only slightly. Bri's skills were not unlimited, and the more she leaned, ducked, and jumped, the more fatigued she felt after running on the rooftop. I hope Atris is having better luck.

@llamallove

 

[Atris Tharen]

Side by side, the two Jedi huddled behind the dormer for cover, watching as one blaster bolt after another ripped through the clay tiles, shattering them to pieces. Victoria was relentless, not easing pressure from the trigger for even a second. She wasn't going to go down without a fight.

Atris dad to wonder what motivated the woman more: the desire to not get caught or the desire to get away with the necklace. It would be a fine addition to any collector's collection but unlike her husband, Victoria Rikil did not strike the Jedi as a coinsurer. More likely, she would sell the necklace to the highest bidder and line her pockets with credits. Undoubtedly, Victoria was not as fond of her "darling Daymar" as she had pretended.

Brienna turned toward Atris, her voice hushed as she planned their next move. The blonde Jedi Knight was to provide a distraction and draw the blaster fire away from Atris so she could sneak around and disarm Victoria. It was a solid plan, though Atris couldn't help but feel the old, familiar sensation of guilt tugging at the back of her stomach. Brienna was taking all of the risk upon herself, but she did not leave the matter up for debate. Any objection Atris might have voiced fell silent as Brienna abandoned the cover of the dormer without a second thought, revealing herself to Victoria.

"I warned you Jedi, no tricks!" Atris could hear Victoria yell as Brienna goaded her into firing in her direction. It would seem that Victoria's temper matched her dark red hair after all.

Following in Brienna's footsteps (although not literally), Atris did not waste a second. While Brienna drew Victoria's attention away, the dark haired Jedi moved to her left, toward one of the hips of the roof where the adjacent sloping slides came together. Utilizing crevices and ridges in the tiles as foot and hand holds wherever she could, the Jedi began to climb toward the top, and eventually she spotted Victoria. She was crouched beside the nearest chimney, hiding in the shadows.

The ridging atop the rooftop was narrow, requiring slow and methodical movements. Atris did not have time for slow and methodical movements, however. Her partner was being shot at, and every second that passed increased the likelihood that one of those blaster bolts would hit their mark. Brienna was quick and agile, but no one could dodge blaster fire forever.

Halfway to the chimney, Atris froze. Uh-oh.

A single clay tile began to give way beneath her feet, cracking and causing the Jedi to lose her footing. She was able to regain her balance right away, but the damage had already been done. Victoria had spotted her.

"I thought I said no tricks?" she cackled, still confident despite being outnumbered two to one. "You Jedi just don't listen, do you?"

While Victoria was busy talking, Atris pulled the blaster from her hands using telekinesis. The weapon flew across the rooftop and into Atris' outstretched hand, but not before Victoria had managed to get one final shot off.

The blaster bolt zipped past the Jedi Knight's ear, almost singeing a lose strand of her braided hair. But it missed, something Atris wondered if Brienna had a hand in. She would have to ask her later, when they weren't chasing this mad woman across the rooftops of a Naboo mansion.

"Dosh!" Victoria grumbled, scrambling to her feet to make another run for it.

@ModernMarvel

 

[Brienna Lanaamer]

"That was close," Bri muttered, slipping slightly on the roof, as a blaster bolt just managed to singe the outside fabric of her pant leg. Worry about getting the fancy outfit repaired later. Priority now is staying alive. Victoria was obviously getting frustrated with her lack of accuracy in firing at the Jedi. Through the din of action, Bri managed to hear a few groans and exclamations of anger and exasperation. It almost made her laugh, until one of her dodges didn't come off right, and she slipped on the roof, landing extremely ungracefully on her backside. At least whatever I'm doing is keeping her distracted.

The Jedi managed to turn herself back around, and gaze upwards towards the red-haired woman. Atris was getting closer towards the apex of the roof, and Bri could tell that she was just about to make her move, until one wrong footstep dislodged a loose tile, sending her falling down. Bri was impressed at how quickly she managed to get back up, but despite the best efforts, Victoria had spotted her. Being much closer to Atris, Victoria spotted an easier target and trained her blaster on the Jedi.

"I thought I said no tricks? You Jedi just don't listen, do you?"

Though Atris had managed to pull the blaster away with the Force, Victoria got one more shot off. Bri immediately held her hand out to try and redirect the blaster bolt through her own abilities. The Jedi had no idea if Victoria's aim would have been true, not having a clear line of sight from her side of the roof, but was unwilling to take any chances.

Victoria cursed again, but quickly turned down the other side of the roof and disappeared from view once more. Bri groaned as well, getting back up on her feet, and bounding up the roof to catch up to Atris. "Y'alright?" she asked quickly, before placing her hands on the center point of the roof, and launching herself over towards the other side. Sliding down on her side, she managed to catch another fleeting glimpse of Victoria, still moving surprisingly quickly away from the two Jedi. Bri looked ahead as she sped up in pursuit, spotting a few terraces, that, if navigated correctly, could serve as a useful way back down to the ground. That's got to be where she's going.

"Victoria, stop!" Bri called out. She had no hope of the woman actually listening to her, and indeed, the fleeing woman made no notice of the Jedi. Victoria reached the first balcony and hopped down, before taking the next one in just as smooth of fashion. The blonde woman groaned. "How is she doing that in that dress?"

@llamallove

 

[Atris Tharen]

The Jedi Knight's right ear still rung, the reverberating echo a painful reminder of the fact that she had almost been shot in the head. Had the blaster bolt flown an inch or two to the left, Atris would not have been standing there still. It wasn't until Brienna spoke that Atris was brought to her senses. Returning to the present, she turned toward her Jedi partner, relieved to see the blonde woman was unharmed. Her elegant pantsuit seemed a bit the worse for wear, but at least Brienna herself was alright.

"Yeah, thanks," Atris answered the question, tossing the blaster behind her before following Brienna's lead. She heard the blaster skitter down the clay tiling of the roof, not bothering to look back. "What about you?"

Following her unsuccessful attempt on the two Jedi's lives, Victoria had done what she seemed to do best: flee. Now weaponless, she had to be more determined than ever to outrun the Jedi, and it showed. The woman moved as if she was a professional gymnast, leaping from ledge to ledge and from one balcony to another with the speed of a fathier instead of a woman confined to a dress.

Brienna called out to her, but the rapacious woman would not listen. No words and no person would stop her, not as long as she was still breathing and had any say. There were very little positives to find in their hostess, but Atris did have to hand it to her. The woman was determined. She jumped to the next balcony, eliciting a groan from Brienna.

Atris felt no differently. She was beginning to tire of this chase. Mentally and physically. How was this woman putting the two Jedi to shame? The dark haired Jedi had to reprimand herself silently. If she had not slipped earlier, perhaps the necklace and Victoria would already be in their custody and they would not be in this predicament. Lingering on past mistakes for too long would only stunt their future progress, so Atris pushed those thoughts aside and focused on catching Victoria now.

"She's giving us quite the workout, isn't she?" Atris panted, following closely behind Brienna as they moved in a downward trajectory on the roof. I'm glad I didn't sample any of the hors d'oeuvres being passed around the party, she added to herself with a grimace.

With one final leap, Victoria soared from a low balcony and into a nearby tree, the leaves and the branches and the darkness swallowing her whole. She had disappeared from view again. The two Jedi skittered to the edge of the balcony and stared, breathless, as they watched the tree for any sign of movement.

"Do... do you think she hit her head on a branch?" Atris ventured to guess after a moment of silence had passed between them. Unconsciousness was a better alternative to being impaled by a branch.

Suddenly, one of the branches began to shake, and Victoria dropped from the tree, landing feet first. In the darkness, Atris could swear she shot the pair of Jedi a smirk before she darted across the sprawling lawn of her estate.

Of course we're not that lucky, Atris thought to herself. She hopped over the railing of the balcony, ready to give chase once again. Now that they were on level ground, Brienna and Atris would have the advantage.

@ModernMarvel

 

[Brienna Lanaamer]

"Yeah, thanks. What about you?"

"Something......like that," Bri manged to say in between pants of breath, and looking down to see a few rips in the leg of her pantsuit, courtesy of sliding down the tiled roof. She wanted to groan once more in frustration, but held her emotions in check. If the two Jedi were beginning to tire, than surely Victoria was as well. Especially in the over elaborate dress she was wearing. There's got to be something more there.....

"She's giving us quite the workout, isn't she?"

The Jedi wanted to laugh, but due to fatigue her chuckle came out as tired sounding smile. "Not really what I had in mind when we started the evening," she replied, looking down again at her ripped outfit. Oh well. She wasn't really one for fancy clothes, but the fact that something nice was now ruined was upsetting.

As the two Jedi caught their breath, Victoria took a risky jump from the lowest balcony of the estate into a close by tree.

"Do... do you think she hit her head on a branch?"

Another chortle from the Jedi. If she did, it would have been almost a bizarrely fitting end to the rather strange evening that they were already having. Nevertheless, it seemed like too easy of an out, and just a few moments later the branches of the tree shook in sequence, before depositing Victoria onto the ground. The outline of the woman was just about visible, but Bri quickly noticed an additional wrinkle to their pursuit. The further the woman got away from the lights of the Rikil estate, the harder she became to see in the darkness of the pleasant Naboo evening.

Bri, not needing to use the balconies to manage her descent to the ground, took the leap in one airborne somersault, using an assist from the Force to land gracefully onto the ground. She could just about see Victoria in front, weaving in and out of the trees, no doubt in an agile attempt to lose the Jedi pursuers. Taking a few more longer strides, with the grass being much easier to run in, Bri got an idea of where Victoria was headed. "You gotta be kidding me," the Jedi muttered.

An elegant, yet fast looking speedboat floated gently attached to a dock. The dark waters looked calm, almost mirror-like, the soft amber and yellows of the evening lights shimmering on the surface. Bri slowed her pursuit as Victoria approached the boat. She raised her hand towards her mouth, tapping the small piece of technology attached to her wrist, twice. "NL....we're going to need an assist here, stat" knowing her droid would ask a number of questions, she cut the communication line short, implying the need for a hasty arrival.

@llamallove

 

[Atris Tharen]

Atris chuckled, matching the blonde Jedi's own breathy smile. "Admittedly, this isn't how I thought the evening would turn out either. I thought the occassional pompous aristocrats would be the most danger we'd face."

Who could have guessed that one of those aristocrats would possess such a strong penchant for stealing valuable jewelry and running off onto rooftops into the darkness with it?

Atris hopped the railing of the balcony, landing in the dirt below with a thud. Brienna landed several feet ahead of her, much more gracefully. The two Jedi sprinted across the meticulous lawn. Despite being utterly oblivious to the true nature and character of his own wife, Daymar Rikil appeared to take the same amount of care in his estate as he did in his precious artefacts.

The Jedi chased Victoria past gardens full of beautiful, blooming flowers; past hedges, each trimmed exactly in the same manner as the last to match; and past fountains with clear, blue water. Eventually they chased her into a patch of trees, the runaway hostess doing her best to lose the pair of Jedi in the shadows.

A speedboat? Seriously? Atris cocked an eyebrow as they followed Victoria toward a large body of water. This was beginning to feel like an exciting chase scene you would watch in a holo picture rather than real life. The rise and fall of the Jedi's chest, struggling for air, reminded her that it was real life. Her life.

Bobbing atop the dark water, a boat sat awaiting Victoria, perhaps already running but still attached to the dock. Through the darkness, with only the moon and its reflection on the water offering any light, Atris' eyes strained to get a better view. Briefly, she wondered if she spotted a second figure moving around on the speedboat, but it was too dark to tell.

Victoria had thought of everything. She was intelligent and conniving, a dangerous combination. This prompted Atris to consider if this was the woman's first heist. Had she married Daymar for the express purpose of using the position to further her own gain, or had she married Daymar and tired of him, desiring to escape to a new life? Both scenarios were not unlikely. Whatever her story, if the Jedi let her get away now, they'd never catch her.

Atris searched the dock for a second speedboat they could use to give chase, but no such boat existed. Thankfully, Brienna had an idea, raising her wrist to her mouth. "NL.... we're going to need an assist here, stat," the blonde Jedi ordered someone over her commlink, presumably a droid.

All Atris could do was stand there and wait, hoping backup would arrive soon.

@ModernMarvel

 

[Brienna Lanaamer]

Bri came to a protracted stop realizing the chase was now rather futile, panting heavily. A frustrated sigh escaped her mouth, as she placed her hands on her hips. "Well this is going swimmingly," Bri observed, choosing her words carefully, as Victoria's boat slowly picked up speed pulling away into the dark waters of the evening. With not much else to do, other than wait for an assist from Bri's droid, the Jedi walked down to the dock, keeping her eyes open for anything that might resemble a clue to their current circumstances.

It was clear that Victoria had obviously planned the heist and the two Jedi had essentially stumbled their way to becoming an additional obstacle for the woman. It was frustrating, exceptionally so. However, so far the two Jedi had prevented any serious injuries. Well, would anyone even been in threat of injury if we weren't here? The Jedi tried to brush the thoughts from her mind that were not helpful to the future success of their evening.

The Jedi looked down again at her wrist, a soft blue light blinked slowly on the attached band.

//

NL-142 offered the droid equivalent of a frustrated sigh, nearly at the exact same time as its human partner. The NM series astromech droid muttered to itself in droidspeak as it rolled quickly through the corridors of the Jedi's ship. *This will be a relaxing evening! You won't have to do anything* Another frustrated droid sound. *Didn't even tell me what's going on! Typical*

Rolling into the cockpit of the ship, NL connected in, and activated the take-off sequence. The landing ramp raised into the body of the ship, as the 3-Z slowly lifted off the ground. The droid could tell that Bri didn't sound like she was in imminent danger, but the request of a quick assist meant the droid flew the ship faster than was probably legal at low altitudes over Naboo. Trees ruffled and swayed under the ship, the loud hum reverberating around the relative calm of Theed.

NL rechecked the tracker in Bri's locator beacon.

*Almost there. Almost there*

//

The sound of Victoria's boat had just about disappeared from earshot, with a few moments of calm and tranquility returning to the courtyards of the Rikil estate. It was actually very nice. Well manicured lawns, impossibly trimmed topiaries, and elegant stone fountains artfully dressed the gardens. Bri looked up as one hum of an engine was slowly replaced with another.

Noise grew exponentially as the 3-Z flew into the two Jedi's view, an impressive looking turn of the ship and burst of thrust thrust adjusted to the Jedi's location on the dock. The class 2 hyperdrive engine brought a bright blue glow, casting everything around the Jedi in an azure light. Bri took a running start, then jumped the nearly 10 feet up to the landing platform that had been extended. The blonde woman turned, and held out her hand to make sure Atris made it alongside her into the ship. Having the two Jedi aboard, NL guided the ship back into flight, as Bri rushed around the hallways of the ship to the corridor.

A quick left, and curve around the middle of the ship followed by another left deposited the Jedi into the cockpit. Bri hopped into the pilot's chair, and pushed the ship into quicker flight. Knowing NL had questions Bri offered a quick explanation to the droid. "Saving me as always, thanks NL. Some lady stole a necklace and now she's getting away on a speedboat."

The droid wanted to complain that its Jedi partner often took it for granted, but was left silent by the strange explanation that was given. "This way, right?" Bri looked over towards Atris, pointing in the direction of their flight.

@llamallove

 

[Atris Tharen]

The silence was short-lived, the sounds of nature quickly drowned out by the sound of a light freighter approaching. The freighter lowered, pulling to an abrupt stop and sending ripples through the dark water below. Its engine cast a blue glow over the two Jedi, offering the pair a light in the darkness. Following its descent, the familiar sound of hydraulic pressure filled Atris' ears as the freighter's boarding ramp lowered in invitation.

Brienna took a running jump, leaping across the ten foot expanse to reach the boarding ramp, and Atris followed her without a second thought. The dark haired Jedi took Brienna's offered hand, ensuring she caught her footing on the boarding ramp. Neither Jedi fancied a swim at the moment.

Atris followed Brienna through the halls of the light freighter to the cockpit. Here Brienna would co-pilot alongside her droid, and here they would have a clear view of the water beneath them and hopefully the escaping Victoria.

If the two Jedi were not in the middle of a potentially high profile chase, Atris would have let out an amused chuckle at the NM-Series Astromech Droid's perky and borderline sassy attitude. Having observed many droids over the years in her uncle's repair shop, Atris appreciated a droid with a sense of humor, and NL appeared to be livelier than most.

"This way, right?" Brienna asked, her voice cutting through the distant hum of the engine and the random, alternating beeps of the cockpit.

Atris leaned forward, peering through the large window of the cockpit to get a better view. Reaching out through the force, she answered, "Yes."

Victoria had a head start, and the darkness was in her favor for now, but the speedboat would not be able to match the light freighter's speed. It was only a matter of time until the pair of Jedi descended on her. Surely this had not been a part of her master plan. She could not have foreseen this, not until the light freighter was quite literally approaching her.

"If we can get directly on top of her, we can jump onto the speedboat and force her to stop," Atris thought aloud, chewing on her lip. Opening fire on the speedboat was out of question. Both of the Jedi were eager to apprehend Victoria, but they were not out for blood.

@ModernMarvel

 

[Brienna Lanaamer]

Bri squinted forward, the lights of the cockpit washing out the darkness outside. Bri swiveled her chair to her left and flipped a few switches, turning the interior lights of the ship off, and igniting the freighter's headlights. The cockpit soon was left in similar darkness, the soft glow of a few displays and buttons being the only source of light. "That's better," Bri commented to no one in particular.

The Jedi's flying skills could be described as "entirely subpar," but it didn't take an expert to fly low and slow above a lake and river trying to find a speedboat. Bri slowly shifted her right hand forward, feeling the soft resistance of the ship's throttle. A slow lurch signaled an increase of speed, as the ship progressed forward. Every few moments, Bri leaned over the dashboard, trying to get a closer look at the water and their missing speedboat. As the Jedi leaned forward out of her seat, NL caught a glimpse of her ripped up jumpsuit. The droid broke the silence of the cockpit, offering a few words of frustration before Bri cut it off mid-sentence. "Not now, NL," sounding more frustrated than she probably was. The droid shook its head and rolled back around the cockpit.

"If we can get directly on top of her, we can jump onto the speedboat and force her to stop,"

"Jump...?" Bri repeated back to Atris, looking back at her with large blue eyes, sounding rather unsure. The Jedi had yet to formulate a plan for stopping Victoria, but her colleague's idea was probably better than peppering the water with the freighter's laser cannons. The unpredictability of the speedboat combined with lack of visibility meant any shots were just as likely to completely explode their target.

A few more moments of anxious flying transpired before Bri caught sight of the dark speedboat. "There!" It was almost impossible to make out Victoria through the splashing wakes of the boat and the now less than straight path it was taking after spotting the Jedi's ship. "Alright, keep it steady NL, yeah? We're....," she had to pause to make sure she was actually prepared for what to do. "we're going to jump,"

NL was unable to offer any kind of facial expression in response but nodded in assent. The droid frequently chastised its human partner for her actions that often put them in danger, and Bri suspected that it wanted to do the same in the current situation, but held back with another Jedi accompanying the two of them. "As low as you can." NL offered a few beeps, to make it clear it understood the situation, and managed to sneak in another comment about its superior flying skills. Bri laughed shortly with a shake of her head.

The Jedi exited the cockpit, quickly walking down the ships hallways, towards the landing ramp. Bri was quick to grab a pair of spare boots by the doorway to what was evidently her personal quarters, managing to slide them onto her feet in between steps. The ship rocked back and forth, as NL worked the throttle and steering to keep the ship in line with the boat. The two Jedi reached the landing ramp, and Bri tapped into the control panel on the wall, holding her finger to speak to her droid in the cockpit, "We're here, NL. We'll jump when we can,"

Tapping a few more buttons on the panel, Bri overrode the ships safety protocols, descending the ramp during mid flight. With a hiss, the ramp began to descend, and a rush of wind and noise quickly blew past the two Jedi. Bri gingerly took a few steps down, keeping her left hand gripped tightly on the struts. It was immediately clear that NL was only going to get the ship reasonably low to the boat. Another 20 foot gap separated the two moving vessels. Bri could just make out Victoria's elaborate figure in the darkness. Moisture soaked wind buffeted into the Jedi, her gala styled hair quickly blowing out into a blonde mess.
A deep sigh and just audible comment escaped her lips. "I do not have a good feeling about this,"

Still the Jedi would do what she needed to, and mentally prepared herself, focusing the entirety of her mind in the Force to assist. She analyzed the movements of the boat, and NL's reactions, waiting to judge the best time to jump.

@llamallove

 

[Atris Tharen]

"Jump...?" Brienna repeated, the Jedi's light blue eyes even larger than the blinking lights scattered throughout the cockpit. Dotted across the display and controls, the buttons provided very little lighting, but even in the darkness Atris knew her companion had thrown a doubtful look over her shoulder.

Admittedly, Atris had her own doubts about the plan. It really couldn’t even be called a plan, more like a half-baked idea, but she didn't know what other option they had. If they opened fire on the speeding boat, they ran a high risk of blowing the boat sky high. Neither Jedi were fond of Victoria Rykil, but they certainly did not want her to die by their hands if it could be avoided. On that point Atris was sure they were unified, and there was also the matter of the necklace. The Jedi Council would not be pleased to learn that two Jedi Knights had blown the ancient artifact to pieces.

In true Jedi fashion, Brienna presently pushed her own doubts aside and ordered her lively astromech to take over the controls. While the two women descended the boarding ramp, NL would lower the light freighter close enough for them to jump. Now it felt more like a plan. Whether or not it was a good plan, however, remained to be seen.

As soon as the speedboat was in view, Atris abandoned the cockpit, retracing her steps through the hallways of the light freighter until she came to the familiar sight of the boarding ramp. Her hand reached for the control panel, her fingers hovering over the buttons but promptly returning to her side. It was Brienna's ship, and Atris didn't want to chance hitting the wrong button. It looked standardized, but the ship's safety protocols were still on, and there was no time for mistakes. Atris had spent a lot of time flying, but she had next to no experience as a pilot. Brienna was right behind her anyway, hopping toward the control panel as she pulled a pair of boots onto her bare feet.

Atris couldn't help but smile to herself at the scene. It was so human, so ordinary. It brought a sense of realism to an otherwise surreal chase scene. The galaxy had the tendency to view Jedi as strange and different, but Jedi pulled their shoes on one foot at a time just like everyone else.

Brienna had cast aside her elegant high heels back at the mansion to pursue Victoria on the rooftops. They had been a lovely pair of shoes, and no doubt Brienna was fond of them, but she hadn't hesitated to leave them behind. Hopefully the blonde would be able to recover them once this mess was sorted out. Her pantsuit had already been torn. It would be a shame to lose the shoes, too.

With a few taps of her fingers, Brienna overrode the ship's safety protocols, and the boarding ramp began to lower with a hiss. They were right on top of the speeding boat. Or, at least, as close as NL was going to get them. Twenty feet separated the two fast moving vehicles. Victoria had begun evasive maneuvers, weaving the ship one way and then the next as she floated across the water, her large dress billowing behind her. It would make the jump more difficult but not entirely impossible.

As the two Jedi ventured out onto the ramp, steadying themselves, the wind and the boat's wake sprayed them with water. Under different circumstances, the light shower might have been welcomed, but not tonight. One wrong move, and they would be plunged unwillingly into a full body bath.

It was difficult to hear through the sound of the engines and the constant spray of water, but Atris could just make out Brienna saying, "I do not have a good feeling about this."

Atris couldn't stop the chuckle that escaped her lips at the comment, her dark eyes glued to the boat beneath them. "Neither do I. I guess the best thing to do in cases like this is to just... jump!" she replied, her voice rising as she leapt from the ramp before she could begin to second guess herself. Stretching forward, she used the Force to help guide her and sustain her jump. Hurling downward at a faster trajectory than she would have liked, she rolled into the boat to break her fall, her right shoulder slamming into the floor at the last second.

"You Jedi are a stubborn, troublesome lot," she could hear Victoria seething through clenched teeth, one expert hand guiding the boat as another reached for a blaster on the dash.

An intense pain shot through Atris' shoulder, her left hand instinctually moving to clutch the point of pain as she forced herself to her feet. There was no time to be bogged down by injuries as a second figure emerged from below deck, the twi'lek security guard the Jedi had seen earlier speaking with Daymar Rykil. A toothy grin spread across his face as he pointed the blaster rifle he clutched toward Atris.

No wonder he disappeared from his post outside of the balcony, Atris thought to herself, blowing a strand of wet hair from her eyes.

"You didn't really think I was working alone, did you?" Victoria laughed, pointing her blaster somewhere past Atris, presumably at Brienna, as she continued to steer the boat. The dark haired Jedi exchanged a brief look with Brienna, an unspoken "You get her, I'll take him" passing between the two them.

The next moment, Atris lunged for the twi'lek.

@ModernMarvel

 

[Brienna Lanaamer]

"Neither do I. I guess the best thing to do in cases like this is to just... jump!"

Bri watched and subconsciously held her breath as she watched Atris descend down to the ship. Just managing to see the landing, the Jedi followed suit, releasing her grip from the ship and stepping off into the darkness. Bri felt the familiar lurch of falling in her stomach, reaching out with her hands in an attempt to manipulate the Force to soften her descent. Quicker than expected, her two boots landed with a loud thud on the deck of the boat, her arms still out to quickly try and adjust to the balance of the speeding vessel.

The appearance of the two Jedi on the boat was the exact opposite of stealthy, and they were both noticed by Victoria, and her apparent partner, the Twi'lek security guard they had seen earlier in the evening.

"You didn't really think I was working alone, did you?"

The combination of the dull pain that Bri now felt in her knees from the jump, along with the wet mess her hair had become (continuously whipping into her face), meant she was now entirely out of patience to deal with whatever nonsense Victoria was spouting. Despite a blaster placed directly at her, Bri's resolve remained steeled. She caught the glance of Atris, the silent agreement passing between the two of them of a plan. Got it.

NL kept the freighter overhead, its floodlight casting the boat and the four figures in spotlight. Before letting Victoria fire any shots off, Bri lunged forward to her left. Unfortunately, at the exact same moment, the boat buffeted into a swell, and the Jedi's lunge turned into more of an ungraceful, full bodied tackle of Victoria. The red haired woman was just as surprised at the turn of events, leaving no time for defense. Bri's shoulder bundled into Victoria's chest, knocking the two into the controls of the boat, pushing the throttle forward. The boat lurched forward in speed, sending the two women back the other way, as Victoria then fell on top of Bri.

The whole situation would have been comically absurd had Victoria not been able to maintain her death grip on the blaster in her right hand. Bri was not an expert in any various forms of unarmed, hand-to-hand combat, relying on her general training and connection to the Force to get by any opponent. Can you ever really train to fight someone on a speeding boat? With a grunt, Bri managed to kick Victoria off of her, wobbly getting back to her feet. A swift kick from her left foot knocked the blaster away from Victoria's hand. The Jedi's concentration was entirely on Victoria, who now held a permanent scowl on her face at the turn of events, but spared a thought for Atris.

Hope she's having better luck than me.

@llamallove

 

[Atris Tharen]

Atris lunged for the twi'lek, grabbing ahold of the rifle but not before he was able to fire a single shot. The red blaster bolt, redirected at the last moment by Atris, struck the bottom plating of Brienna's light freighter.

Oops, Atris thought to herself, cringing. I hope that doesn't leave a mark.

The twi'lek and Jedi struggled for a moment, each grappling for the rifle. Realizing she was in a losing battle against the male twi'lek who was much stronger than she, Atris used her head. Quite literally.

Leaning forward, she headbutted the twi'lek. As pain began to spread throughout her head, she sincerely hoped that it had hurt him worse than it did her.

They stumbled back from one another, Atris managing to pull the rifle along with her. Once the twi'lek had finished rubbing his forehead, he glared over at the dark haired Jedi. He muttered some unpleasant words through gritted teeth before charging at her.

Barreling into her with all of his might, he knocked her to the back of the boat with the help of the boat's sudden acceleration. Her right shoulder protested violently, eliciting a small cry of pain. The twi'lek proceeded to wrap his hands round Atris' neck, pressing her to the siding of the boat as he began to strangle her.

Struggling to breath, the Jedi knew she needed to act quickly or she would pass out and be defenseless. She looked around for something to use to her advantage, but the only thing within reach was the rifle still clutched firmly in her right hand.

Raising the blaster, she struck him over the head. It did not render him unconscious, but the blow provided the small window of opportunity Atris needed to gain the advantage. As his grip loosened around her neck, she kicked him away and used the Force to push him back where he belonged, into the cabin of the boat. A satisfying crash and thud could be heard from across the boat as the twi'lek was thrown into a shelf, subsequently collapsing to the floor of the boat into unconsciousness.

Brienna was already standing above Victoria, staring down at the woman as she sat slumped against the side of the boat, scowling up at the blonde Jedi.

"Nice work," Atris panted, clapping her partner on the back before leaning over to try and catch her breath.

The night's activities were beginning to catch up with her. From running on rooftops to chasing Victoria on land and sea to fisticuffs, the two Jedi had packed a lot into one evening. So much for a quiet, uneventful gala. A warm shower and bed sounded nice right about now, but that was a thought for later.

Somehow, even beaten and bested Victoria still managed to cackle as if she had the whole situation under control. "You two Jedi think you're so clever, but you forgot one crucial matter..." Blowing a wild lock of red hair that had come loose in the fight, she jerked her head toward the helm of the boat.

They were racing toward the side of a cliff at an alarming rate.

@ModernMarvel

 

[Brienna Lanaamer]

It was clear that Victoria had some experience or training in hand-to-hand combat. Her stance and punches were of a much higher quality compared to a novice or amateur. Nevertheless, Bri trusted her own skills more. The Jedi dodged a few quick assaults, made more challenging by the speeding boat, watching Victoria's fists fly past her to the left and right. A few made contact, but none to deliver a knockout blow. The red haired woman grew more frustrated, grunting as Bri kept her distance. Sensing an opening, Bri took her opportunity, alternating jabs with her left and right fists. The punches made contact, staggering Victoria, before a left hook sent her tumbling to the floor of the boat.

Bri was unware of how Atris was faring, but turned her head to see the large Twi'lek had disappeared. The wooden doors to the interior cabin of the boat were completely shattered off their hinges. It didn't take a genius to figure out what had happened.

"Nice work,"

Bri looked over and nodded with a tired smile as Atris patted her back.

"You too,"

Victoria's combat skills were certainly not subpar, but guessing by just the size of the Twi'lek, he was probably a more challenging opponent. The blonde woman took a deep breath in attempt to stabilize her breathing, running both hands through her now nearly soaked through hair. This was not how I imagined this evening going. Bri's jumpsuit looked more like ripped piece of paper on one side, and the soft blue color had darkened as it was also now drenched wet. Combined with leather boots on her feet, dripping hair, and make up that was not meant to be waterproof, the Jedi looked more like some sort of disaffected vagrant.

"You two Jedi think you're so clever, but you forgot one crucial matter..."

Bri's attention was returned to the situation at hand as Victoria offered another snarky comment. Annoying that it was, it was also true. The Jedi sighed with a curse, "Oh kriff". The lake seemed to end in a waterfall, which was likely quite dramatic and scenic looking, but not as great if you flew off of it on a boat.

Tired of dealing with Victoria's further nonsense, Bri launched another kick at the side of her head, knocking her unconscious. The Jedi then rushed to the controls of the vessel talking aloud.

"Ok, boat.... boat. Can't be that hard right?" Suffice to say she had absolutely zero experience in driving any sort of waterborne vehicle. Her first attempt was pulling back on the throttle, which she had accidentally knocked forward. It did lower the speed a little, but they were still heading right towards the cliff edge. Bri took the wheel and spun it, attempting to turn the boat around. Though they had rotated 180 degrees, they were still drifting toward the edge of the cliff. Bri upped the throttle, which only seemed to delay the inevitable.

All the while, NL maintained the ship above the boat, likely beeping and chirping loudly.

"Uhh, any suggestions?" Bri looked over at Atris, the sound of concern slowly creeping into her voice.

@llamallove

 

[Atris Tharen]

Victoria was right— again.

Unfortunately, Atris added to herself. Why did she always have to be right?

Before another snide and unnecessary comment could pass Victoria's ruby red lips, Brienna knocked her upside the head with the side of her boot, and their hostess fell silent at last. A smile spread across Atris' face, perhaps her most sincere and unguarded smile of the evening. She liked Brienna. She liked Brienna a lot.

The only thing that would make this moment more satisfying was if the two Jedi weren't about to sail right off a waterfall. If they were about to plummet to their deaths, at least they would go out in style, and at least that perpetual smirk of Victoria's had been knocked forcibly from her face at the end of Brienna's boot. At the moment, these were the only comforting thoughts Atris could muster.

She followed Brienna over to the helm of the boat, the blonde Jedi's eyes roaming the controls while Atris silently hoped she knew how to control this thing. Brienna's next words didn't inspire confidence, however.

"Ok, boat.... boat. Can't be that hard right?"

Atris could hardly steer a spaceship, let alone know how to handle a speedboat. She had no experience. "I grew up on Tatooine. I don't know the first thing about boats," the Jedi admitted, her heart racing with adrenaline and fear.

With bated breath, she watched as Brienna lowered the throttle and guided the wheel with both hands. The blonde's quick thinking had bought them the time they desperately needed, but they were still in a predicament with a deadly outcome. The boat continued to drift toward the water's edge, and no matter the height of the waterfall, they weren't likely to survive the fall.

"Uhh, any suggestions?"

Brienna had bought them time. Now it was Atris' turn to think of something, and she hoped that she wouldn't let them down. Her dark brown eyes scanned the ship from one corner to the next, searching for anything that might offer a solution. Finally, the Jedi's gaze settled on a coil of rope, tucked away beneath a tackle box at the back of the boat.

"Maybe," she replied, not daring to make any promises quite yet. This was a long shot, but it might just work.

Atris crossed the length of the boat in a few short strides, retrieving their last hope of survival. Running her hands over the length of nylon, she reared back and cast it. She hoped her aim was true, but if it wasn't, she would use the Force to compensate for her mistakes.

The rope wrapped around the hydraulic lines of the boarding ramp of Brienna's ship, falling limp on the other side before Atris used the force to pull it back to her. Triple knotting both ends of the rope to the railing of the boat, she looked to Brienna and said, "Have your droid pull back!"

It wasn't much of a plan, but it was their only hope. Now all Atris could do was hope that the rope, hydraulics, and railing would all hold. Their lives depended on it.

@ModernMarvel

 

[Brienna Lanaamer]

"I grew up on Tatooine. I don't know the first thing about boats,"

Bri looked over at Atis after her comment, hoping her face did not express the same level of anxiety that she was currently feeling. In any other circumstance that didn't have their lives at risk, it would have been more humorous. The girl who grew up on Tatooine was now in charge of making sure they survived a potential watery grave? It almost sounded like the build-up to a bad joke. In reality, the situation was not funny at all, as Bri frantically searched for any kind of feature on the boat that could help them out. Too much to ask for jet-boosters?

The Jedi pressed a series of buttons in random order, which had no affect to speed of the boat. Instead, it turned the lights on and off, changed the number font on the display, and turned on the short range communicator. Not helpful. Bri looked up once more, and spotted Atris with a plan in motion. She had gathered a coil of nylon rope, and was preparing to throw it up to her ship, keeping them hooked together. It was a good idea. The blonde couldn't help but wince as Atris tossed the rope up, but sighed in relief as it looped around the strut of the landing ramp. No doubt thanks to her abilities in the Force, the rope coiled its way back to the Jedi on the boat, where Atris secured it firmly with a few knots. "Great thinking," Bri called out with grin.

Quick action was still required. As the boat continued to drift towards the waterfall, the rope quickly tightened. Bri's ship was not moving alongside the boat, and the rope began to strain. An unfortunate groaning sound began to reverberate around the boat, seemingly not pleased at being dragged against the current of the water. Bri raced back to the button that had activated the short range radio. "NL! NL! Can you hear me?" the Jedi spoke quickly and with fair amount of stress in her voice. Nothing on the other end but static. "Come on, NL!" Bri shouted again into the dash of the boat.

Very muffled, and through the fuzzy static, Bri heard NL respond. A series of chirps and beeps, while not as stressed sounding as Bri's, could still be made out. The droid replied to make sure that Bri knew the boat she was on was heading towards being chucked over the waterfall. "Yes, yes, I know!" the blonde replied, quickly, not currently in the mood for NL's sarcasm. "We've got the boat tied to the strut of the ship. Just move us slowly towards the shore." NL replied in the affirmative, as the burst of the freighter's engine briefly lit up the sky above the two Jedi. As the ship moved forward, the boat jerked with it, once again straining on the rope, and causing the Jedi to loose her footing.

Bri heard the wood around the rope start to strain and crack. Bri quickly jumped to her feet and yelled into the speaker. "Too fast! Too fast!" NL replied through the speaker, acknowledging the request and chastising its human partner for getting upset. The blonde rolled her eyes and sighed in response, as the boat slowly pulled away from the cliff edge and the waterfall. Bri slumped down against the controls of the boat, down on her haunches and thoroughly exhausted with the evening. "Just another day, right?" she looked over at Atris with a relieved laugh.

A few short minutes later, the boat had been driven aground on a nearby shore, and NL had parked the freighter in an accompanying open area. Bri had taken the liberty of using the life-saving nylon rope to tie up Victoria, no longer taking any chances with the wily red-head. The Jedi turned to her partner. "So, we still need the necklace back, right?"

@llamallove