Nightrats

[Bishop Cain]

Once again Bishop was working with Lex again and was starting to get used to her company. Last time they were worked together they took out the bandit-infested base pretty smoothly. He was glad to have her by his side for this, their task now quite different from the last one. There was a new face accompanying them as well, a lieutenant named Kyp. It was his first time working with him and his first time seeing one of his kind before. Whatever the case, Bishop was just glad to have another soldier along with them.

They were currently in the lower city of Coruscant, following leads on a Rogue special OPS unit looking to acquire some tech for themselves. The three were sent to take care of the problem and they were heading into one of the local tech tang's territory, the Nightrats. They were known for transporting illegal tech and it was their best chance to get some solid information on the rogues.

Bishop walked through the crowds, wearing normal clothing to blend in with the common folk down there. He wore a few plates underneath his clothing at least for moderate protection but that was it. He also had his blaster pistol that was tugged behind his belt and his two vibro blades. Activating the comm in his ear, it connected with the two other lieutenants, "Couple more blocks and we'll be in Nightrat territory. They could be our best lead in finding these rogues."

@Sreeya @Wit

 

[Kyp Durant]

Kyp liked Coruscant, it reminded him of the shittiest parts of Corellia. The parts that coincidentally happened to be where he had grown up. It wasn't that he got nostalgic about the good old days, he simply got pleased with himself at having made it out of that hellhole. Could you imagine how bad his life would be if he had stayed there? Forget the simple matter of life expectancy, there were a great many advantages to the life he was leading now. Maybe not on the life expectancy front, the kind of things he got involved in nowadays were definitely every bit as dangerous as his life had been. But there were improvements, he had money, he had his reputation as a pilot, and with those two came the best things in life. Booze, and women. And truth be told, what else did he need?

Today he was here on another one of those life threatening ventures, doing what the desk-jockeys up top wanted him to. At least he had support, dear sweet Lex and a fellow he hadn't really worked with before. That was fine, he knew the prettier one of the two, and that was enough for him.

While his companions had decided to put on disguises, Kyp had simply greased up his flight suit to make it look more worn out than it was and he fit in perfectly. The fact that no one expected an Ardennian to be a Republic officer always worked in his favor.

As Bishon and Lex made their way towards Nightrats territory on the ground, Kyp kept pace with them through the rooftops, swinging from pylon to pylon, roof to roof, and providing some areal support to the duo. Another advantage of being an Ardennian, people didn't give you a second glance if you swung around like an overgrown Ewok. "Don't worry lad, I got your back, you're still in the clear."

"Say Lex," He paused as he swung by an open air restaurant and snatched some food from a table overlooking the road, gesturing an insult with one of his hands at the patron whose food he had stolen and was left shouting as Kyp flew past. "Why don't I buy you a drink after we're done. The pretty boy can join in as well if he wants, buys his own drink though."

@Sreeya @Orbit

 

[Lex Kyrst]

The underbelly of Coruscant was a cesspool of illegal activity at any given moment. It was a wonder how authorities and everyone else seemed to turn the other cheek to everything that went on down here. Then again, even the local residents here would cover for the criminals, and it was best to simply leave the nest alone instead of poking it. Tonight she was working again with two lieutenants she knew, though she surmised they had never met one another.

She wore armorweave and simple civilian clothing atop it. Lex gazed down at her datapad to get the rundown of the mission, “Looking for some guy named Gruff,” She shrugged, “No description on what he looks like. This is the worst possible lead I’ve ever had to deal with,” She rolled her eyes, following Bishop along towards where it was known to be Nightrat territory. Lex was told that the members had specific tattoos on the sides of their necks and she was beginning to see some of those here and there.

Up ahead, she could hear a lot of shouting and cheering, and she couldn’t tell what it was just yet. Behind them, Kyp was jumping around like a monkey and most people ignored him for now. She watched him nab some food and shook her head. He really was having too much fun with this. As he spoke, Lex had to chuckle, “You can buy me four with all those hands. I can still outdrink the hell out of you,” She issued the challenge with a grin, glancing up at Bishop, “Maybe, though I have yet to see Cain drink. Could it be that he’s straight edge?”

Lex walked closer towards the commotion and it was quickly revealed to be a fighting ring going on. She saw a gathering of Nightrats there, and she came to a pause a few feet away from where the crowd was gathering, “Looks like we have to make our way down to the pits if we want to get some extra information,” The crowd was outside, but the actual action took place in an underground warehouse. They would have to find a way to talk or sneak their way in past the crowd.

@Orbit @Wit

 

[Bishop Cain]

Bishop continued through the crowd, his eyes also occasionally glancing up to Kyp as he swung around without a care in the world. People also didn't seem to mind the sight as well and Kyp could be something they had up their sleeve. Lex was also right, it wasn't the strongest lead they ever had and they'd basically have to work from scratch. Bishop arched his eyebrow at Lex first then at Kyp, mostly at the fact Kyp calling him pretty boy and telling him to buy his own drinks. When the challenging grin came on Lex's face, Bishop could only glance down at her with a smirk, "I'm a devil in disguise. I wouldn't underestimate me." He then spoke to Kyp, "Don't worry, it will still end up on your tab monkey."

The cheers and shouting got louder as they approached, now also spotting the tattoos that signaled members of the Nightrats. Bishop stopped when Lex did, glancing over the crowd before radioing up to Kyp, "If you can.." That's when a person shouted his name, "Spider!" Bishop turned slightly, now facing an approaching bouncer from the look of it and he recognized who it was, "You already had your fight about a week ago? What brings you back?" The bouncer wore a suit and was a pretty big man, he also had the tattoo for the Nightrats on his neck. "Heard about the crowds tonight Bub, was trying to get a part of it." Bishop decided to play along, seeing the opportunity unfolding in front of him.

It was obvious Spider was his fighter name and it was easy to tell because of the spider tattoo Bishop had on his neck. It was a little awkward with Lex right there and Kyp being able to hear over comms of what he did on his time off but it was too late now. The bouncer nodded over to Lex and Bishop followed his gaze before answering, "She's... an acquaintance. Don't worry, she's with me." The bouncer gave another glance over before just giving a shrug, "Shouldn't be a problem, I can get you both inside and past these crowds. Shit, you may be earning us some money tonight so you're a VIP."

As the bouncer turned to lead the way inside, Bishop made a point not to look at Lex and probably suffer an unforgiving glare from her. It didn't look the best for him but right now it was their best way inside. Following after the bouncer as he pushed people aside, he comm'ed Kyp once more, "You're gonna have to find a way inside. See if you can give us some eyes up top."

@Sreeya @Wit

 

[Kyp Durant]

Kyp grinned as Lex and Bishon joined in with the banter, tossing away the bone that he had chewed clean. "Well, well, well, looks like we've got a challenge on our hands. Why don't we up the stakes, first to drop covers the tab. Which of course will be..."

He was cut short as the bouncer approached Bishon. Kyp continued moving through the rooftops, though he slowed down a little to make sure he didn't overshoot his companions, paying attention to the conversation that broke out between Bishon and Bub, the bouncer who their companion seemed to know. What had initially seemed like the end of their mission, had somehow turned into Lady Luck smiling down on them and giving.

The conversation itself was interesting, and Kyp was tempted to interject on more than one occasion, but chose to stay quiet and wait for the right moment. He was almost bursting at the revelation that the bouncer had made about Bishop, but this was not the right moment. The mission was the priority, and that meant making sure they all got into the warehouse. So Kyp focused on trying to find a way into the place while his companions had the red carpet rolled out for them.

Typical that, leave the Ardennian to fend for himself. Well, this Ardennian was more than capable of doing just that, and as the others walked into the warehouse he began climbing higher and slipped into the shadows that covered most of the higher levels of the buildings here and began looking for a way in. It didn't really take him too long, a vent on the roof might have been too small and too weirdly located for anyone to slip in that the Nightrats might consider a threat. But like most goons, they were also fools who did not appreciate the things someone like Kyp could do.

It didn't take long to get inside, though he found himself on the rafters way above all the action. Pulling out the cable from his grapple line, he secured it to the roof and began lowering himself, staying in the shadows but getting close enough to get eyes on the action. As he did so he began singing, so softy that no one could hear but just loud enough for his voice to be heard perfectly in the earpieces his companions were wearing.

"Spider-man, spider-man, does everything a spider can." A wide grin on his face, which though could not be seen by them was most definitely evident in his voice, Kyp came to a stop hanging above the fighting ring and spotted his companions. "Can he swing from a thread? Take a look overhead!"

@Sreeya @Orbit

 

[Lex Kyrst]

Lex was more than a bit surprised, and a little displeased, realizing that Bishop had an alter ego as a fighter. She quirked an eyebrow as he looked more than a little taken off guard by a bouncer calling him out. She remained silent, waiting to see how he introduced her. When he did so, she had to scoff and roll her eyes, but she played along. Lex turned to look back at Kyp, who was unfortunately on his own for now.

She followed Bishop in, taking in all the illegal activity she saw. Normally it was her job to bust fighting rings like these, but that wasn’t the mission today. Lex simply shook her head, following Bishop through the crowds as they were led to their seats. There was already a fight taking place and the announcer was going on about how this Rodian was a champion hailing from hutt space. He was going up against a Trandoshan from the inner rim, and the crowd was going wild.

“Were you ever going to fess up about your little alter ego?” Lex whispered to Bishop, shaking her head. She had an amused look on her face, knowing he could be in trouble for this little revelation, “Spider, huh?” Lex turned her attention back on the fight, looking around to see where she could get some intel.

“-Aw kriff off, Gruff, I ain’t bettin’ on the Trandoshan again!” Lex perked up at the name, nudging Bishop in the ribs as she heard the name they were looking for, “That’s who we need to find. Do you have visual?” She couldn’t see anyone through the crowd yet and only heard the voice in passing. She ensured she also spoke into her comms in case Kyp had better visual.

@Orbit @Wit

 

[Bishop Cain]

It was a packed crowd tonight, most of the seats filled to the brim, people cheering as they talked about the current champion the Rodian. There were boo's mixed along with the cheers and it was the same for the Rodian's opponent, men and women screaming each of the fighters name's. Hearing Kyp singing through the comm, Bishop subtly looked up to find Kyp hanging above overhead with the perfect view of the whole place. The lieutenant just chuckled, finding Kyp turning out incredibly useful in the simplest ways.

Hearing Lex whisper to him, Bishop turned his head to look at her out of the corner of his eye before shrugging, "I don't think my answer will help the situation." Questioning his name and catching the amused look on her face, Bishop offered her a grin, "Blame the tattoo." His gaze also returned back to fight and the audience, seeing if he could catch anything or anybody as a possible clue where to find Gruff. Lex nudged him soon after and he managed to catch the name Gruff and he gave her a quick glance before looking over to the direction where he heard it.

Giving her a nod, he pushed through the crowd to try and see if he could get a visual, Lex already comming Kyp to see if he could as well. Pushing through the crowd, Bishop kept a vigilant gaze and his ears open, it rather hard with the crowds cheering as the fight began and the two opponents came out of their squares. "He's a good fighter! He may have gotten beaten the first time but he's been trainin'!" Snapping his gaze toward the voice, thankfully Bishop was tall enough to see over most of the people and he caught two men standing close to the outside of the ring, surrounded by what looked like four bouncers at each of their flanks. "Visual, east side of the ring, two men."

Separating from Lex and veering around the two men, he would be approaching from the opposite side, closing off another escape path if they tried to do something now. "C'mon man, I lost two bets on the lizard before this. I'm not tryna do it again." Able to catch who was speaking, Bishop spoke into the comm again mostly for Kyp, "Target on the left, beard." The two started moving, taking a walk around the ring as the four bouncers followed after them a respectable distance away. Bishop and Lex would have to keep moving against the crowds and he commed Kyp again, "Keep your eyes on him, we gotta wait for him to leave the crowds."

@Wit @Sreeya

 

[Kyp Durant]

Kyp was quite enjoying hearing Lex question Bishop about his supposed alter ego, not that he like the thought of seeing the man get in trouble, rather because it made him seem more likable to Kyp. Before Kyp had seen him as a perfect little soldier, like so many others who he had seen over the years. But this, this was a secret that went against all that, and with the wariness Kyp felt towards anyone who felt too perfect to be true, Bishop had become a whole lot more likable in his books. And he did like hearing him getting called out by Lex, just a little.

He pulled on his goggles on receiving Lex's update, fiddling with its controls to activate the HUD and zoom into the crowd down below. He was scanning the crowd to try and find their target when Bishop narrowed down the search by pointing out two targets, and Kyp locked onto them. He had eyes on almost everything down there, but he didn't have ears on what was being said and had to rely on Bishop and Lex to listen in on the two men and figure out which one was Gruff, which Bishop did soon enough.

Kyp zoomed in further and kept his eyes on the bearded man, following him as he and his friend walked around the perimeter of the ring. He kept eyes on them as they began drifting away from the ring and towards the rear of the warehouse. "He's moving towards the back of the warehouse, looks like he's headed for the crapper. To your right, straight ahead once you get out of the crowd."

Still keeping an eye on Gruff, Kyp pulled himself up and disengaged the grappling line, beginning to jump along the rafters and quickly passing over Gruff and coming to a stop in the corner of the warehouse near the loo, a dark enough section where he could get down if he so wanted. "If he leaves his muscle outside this might be our best shot."

@Sreeya @Orbit

 

[Lex Kyrst]

Lex approached from a different direction, taking into account both Bishop and Kyp’s comments as she approached towards Gruff. She knew she had to improvise – they had dressed to be discreet. She moved in closer till she could see the bearded man talking to his buddy, and she saw Kyp for the first time since they wandered into this hellhole. Lex looked around before shrugging, deciding that now was a good time as any to move in.

“Yo, I hear you’re the guy I’m looking for if I’m looking for some gear. Heard there's a warehouse somewhere."

Gruff looked more than a little irritated, crossing his arms over his chest, “Yea? Whose askin? I ain’t dealing with no random pipsqueaks.”

Lex had to improvise, and she spotted Bishop standing near Gruff. She cleared her throat and looked at Gruff again, “Spider’s askin. If you don’t want him to rough you up, I suggest you stop playing games.”

She only hoped Bishop would play the part she sprung on him. Judging by before, he was quite well known within the fighting circles. She wanted to count on his fame to help them get an in towards the rogues. Gruff quickly spun on his heel, his eyebrows raising as he awkwardly rubbed the back of his head, “Uhh hey.. uh… what do y’all wanna know?” Lex was more than a little surprised at the effectiveness of this. She paused to glare at Bishop, shaking her head. So many damn secrets.

@Orbit @Wit

 

[Bishop Cain]

Well it seemed Lex had something else in mind and Bishop wasn't expecting her to just walk up but he'd watch how it played out. He was still moving from his side, closing the distance slowly before he realized that Lex used his fighter name to earn a reaction out of him, which it did. Bishop had been following with Kyp's comments and was about to move in but now the plan had changed and when Gruff turned around to look at him, Bishop just gave a grin before placing a hand on the man's shoulder. "You know who I am and I know who you are. Let's make this easier Gruff and skip past all the foreplay," Bishop squeezed his shoulder hard, not enough to make it unbearable but enough to show the point that he was a fighter and could make it hurt just having a hand on his shoulder.
.
"Alright, alright, I gotcha Spider. What exactly do you want my man? I got rifles, grenades, some armor, anything you need." He spoke unsurely, not really understanding why a pit fighter was trying to pull a move like this on him. But he had heard about Spider and he wasn't going to try and stand in his way after hearing about his fights. "No, I want to go to the warehouse Gruff. I wanna make sure the credit's I'm earning with my blood and sweat is actually top shelf." Gruff glanced between the two of them, thinking to himself for a moment before speaking again, "With the fights I've heard about I'm sure you got the money to be a top customer. I guess I can show you what I'm packin with directly." Gruff tried to move now but Bishop held him in place for a second again, "Leave the muscle with you, we're all friends here and it just isn't needed."

Bishop gave him a smile with its own meaning that Gruff understood immediately. After a few moments, he finally nodded, signaling them to stand down and not follow. Giving him a slap on the back as he turned, Bishop glanced at Lex for a second with a certain look in his eye for a moment before looking up to Kyp. When Gruff was leading the way and far enough he couldn't hear, Bishop spoke to Kyp through the coms quietly and subtly, "See how long you can keep up there. We don't know what to expect at this warehouse."

 

[Kyp Durant]

Kyp began scrambling back towards his entry point when he realized what was happening, he needed to get out of the warehouse if he was gonna keep up with them. He couldn't really provide aerial surveillance if stuck in here while the action was all going on outside. So he jumped across the rafters once more and made his way out of the warehouse, running across the roof towards the exit Gruff had led Bishop and Lex out of. It took him a few moments, but he was able to catch sight of them, and jumping down from the warehouse roof, he began following them from the rooftops.

"Your guardian angel is back, got eyes on you." He was about to say more when he noticed something and glanced away from his friends, to a few dozen or so feet behind them. It was one of the goons from the first warehouse, trying to be discrete as he tailed Gruff and his friends. "You got a tail, looks like one of Gruff's goons. Probably making sure his boss doesn't trip on a peel and kill himself. Nothing to worry about."

So now he continued tailing them while also keeping an eye on the goon, who kept his distance and didn't make any move to get closer. He really did seem like a hired hand who didn't want to lose sight of the man he was hired to protect. A bad man simply going about doing an honest day's living. Kyp could respect that, and if he had to take him out if that honest day's living put his or his companions life in danger then he'd kill him quickly out of that respect.


He could see them approaching another warehouse pretty soon, and picked up the pace to pass by Gruff and his friends and get on top of the warehouse to look for another similar entry into the place. "Heads up, we're here!."

@Sreeya @Orbit