{Sith/Imperial Mission} Damsel in Distress

[LadyM]

The mysterious woman dressed in black armour trimmed with purple stood on the balcony as she watched the procession of the vehicles move through the streets of the capital city of Malidris through her helmet's lens, a unique design that enhanced the vision of the wearer and allowed them to see over great distances. However, she did not need to be far for her target was in the third to last vehicle, the Governor's daughter herself; Callie. The woman in armour did not care by the political problems plaguing Iridonia or the suffering the people had to endure from the political mess. She cared about one thing, credits! So she hatched a well thought out plan to siphon money from the government, kidnap Callie and ransom her off. If the Governor paid for his daughter's release then she would let the young girl go. Refuse payment, and the woman would sell her to one of the Hutts and she would still get paid.

Her eyes watched as the lead vehicle and the trailing vehicle were in place and she hit the green button on a small, metallic object shaped like a triangle. The lead vehicle exploded followed by the last vehicle halting the procession in the wake of the two explosions. She dropped the object and fled the balcony using a small jet pack to lower her down into the alleyway from the prying eyes of witnesses and spectators. She ditched the jet pack after removing it then produced her small pistol.

Moving into the streets, she embedded herself with others wearing the same armour as she was, the uniform of the Iridonia special guard. She barked out commands and pointed her fingers toward the crowds, sending some of the special guardsmen to secure the area. Under her helmet she smirked with joy. She found the vehicle with Callie and moved toward it. She saw both the Governor and the Governor's wife emerge from the vehicle in front of their daughters and as she passed the couple she said, "Follow protocol 56! I'll get your daughter now you two move!"

She looked over her shoulder and saw them heading toward a group of special guardsmen and again found herself smirking with joy. She arrived at Callie's vehicle just as the doors opened up and the young girl exited followed by two honour guards. She quickly pressed another button on a different object she cautiously pulled from her pouch on her uniform belt and a series of three explosions erupted, two had targeted building causing massive damage and one had targeted the vehicle previously occupied by the Governor and his wife. More chaos ensued from the three explosions.

The woman pulled the young girl toward her and yelled over the screams, "Come with me now!" She led the young girl along with her two honour guards through the crowd telling them that she was taking them to a predetermined escaped route. Another smirk. She led them through a couple of back alleys until they reached her own personal vehicle.

When one of the honour guards spoke up, the woman shot him then turned her pistol on the other guard and shot him. She forced the young girl into her vehicle then produced a small tube with a yellowish liquid sloshing around and injected the girl, rendering unconscious. The woman looked around and saw nobody had witness what happened. She reached in and pulled out a data pad that contained detail instructions of her ransom and the amount she was asking, then dropped it on one of the dead guards.

She jumped into her vehicle and sped off.

 

[Bubák]

After a brief security check by a patrolling Star Destroyer, when You Grave has been scanned through for any illegal good on board, nothing stood in Avreet's way to approach Iridonia, the Zabrak homeworld. Vyrzen might like the planet, being Zabrak himself, despite hailing from Dathomir. The view from the cockpit was beautiful, but the Mon Calamari and his Sith Apprentice were not there to enjoy the view. The planetary governor's daughter has been kidnapped, and it was up to the two Sith to bring her back, alive and possibly unharmed, repairing the reputation of the Sith Order. Right after being granted a clearance to land on a landing pad, Avreet pitched the ship down and slowly descented towards the area, then carefully maneuvered the ship to touch the ground before turning off the engines and the ship's power.

Vyrzen's been left in his quarters with a report of what happened to familiarize with the situation and brief himself. Avreet had already though of it when he picked up the mission. Their first stop would be in the governor's house to meet with the family and try to get something that could help out of them. The suspect must have known the family, as they knew the way they were going to take and also the security protocol. Since they also wore the guard's armor, Avreet's first guess was that the suspect was someone from the special guard. Of course, it could have also been a mercenary who just studied the family and their guards for a long time, but the Sith had to start somewhere.

Letting Vyrzen know they have landed, the Mon Calamari made it to the exit and opened the landing ramp, waiting until it fully extended and hit the metal ground, allowing the two passengers to leave the ship. Pacing down, they were greeted by a pair of Zabrak guards, and told to follow them into the governor's mansion. They rode on speeders to get there, with one guard as a driver and everyone else as passengers. The young Crusader stared out of the window, noticing the tight security around the mansion's walls as they approached a large gate. The governor obviously didn't want to risk anything else happening to his family. Passing through the checkpoint and continuing their way, Avreet glanced at Vyrzen, "What is your opinion on all of this, apprentice?" The young Zabrak would have just enough time to answer before the speeder stopped and the guards opened the doors for them.

Stepping out, Avreet looked over the area. The white mansion clearly dominated all other buildings around, like barracks or servant houses, sitting at the end of a beautiful garden. That had to cost plenty of money, and even more money to keep the garden and the buildings in shape. He could take a walk later though, the governor awaited him and his apprentice now. Being lead into the building, then into a small room with four seats and a small table in the middle. As Avreet and Vyrzen entered, the governor already awaited them there. "Governor," Avreet slightly bowed to the man before taking a seat, "I am Crusader Zatarus, and this," he pointed at Vyrzen, "Is my apprentice. We're will bring your daughter back, but first we need to ask you a few question." A servant came and asked if they wanted something to drink, like a tea, which Avreet gladly accepted. "Governor," the amphibian's eyes stared at the man in the opposite seat, "How did the kidnapped contact you when they asked for money? Do you think it was a male or a female?"

 

[Negative Blessing]

Vyrzen sat in his personal quarters aboard his Master's ship, Your Grave, studying the mission report and the various reports that surrounded the kidnapping of the Governor's daughter. Though he was going to be around other Zabraks, he did not feel any connection to them. To him, they seemed like arrogant, stuck up, royal jerks. He was a Zabrak from Dathomir, where everyday was fight of survival, nothing was given to them on a silver platter. Still, he felt remorse that a young girl had been failed to be protected by her parents.

Though they could not be completely to blame. The kidnapper had planned their mission well and could have been member of the special guard with some sort of grudge to bear. Or the perpetrator could have confiscated a set of armour which meant that whomever they were dealing with was both dangerous and creative. Vyrzen would have to look at everyone of the planet with suspicion and until everything was sorted out; everyone was a suspect.

After reading the reports and familiarizing himself with the details, he fell into a meditation trance to allow the Force to aid him in finding some answers to questions he was already formulating in his head when he heard the chime echo in this room alerting him that he had an incoming message. He acknowledged the tone and heard his Master's voice telling him they had landed. Vyrzen met his Master at the exit ramp and followed him down. They were met by two guards who both gave Vyrzen an odd look and Vyrzen just ignored them and entered the speeder.

"From what I have read Master, I believe this may not be an inside job. I think we are dealing with a very dangerous and greedy individual. One report said it could have some political ties to some right wing organization that has openly and violently opposed the Governor's new policies. If this organization was behind the kidnapping as the report stated, then why not simply kill the entire family instead of asking for money. Violent characters do not stray from their paths, they simply do not grow a conscience overnight."

After the short ride, the two Sith had been ushered into a white mansion where they eventually had been introduced to the Governor himself. The Governor greeted Avreet then he looked down at Vyrzen and smiled at the teenage Sith. Vyrzen took a sip from his drink while his Master asked a couple of questions and Vyrzen waited for the answer.

 

[Bubák]

The governor took a few moments before answering. It was obvious he was still in shock from what happened. "Immediately after the attack, I have received a letter with instructions and a comlink. As such, I cannot say what gender the kidnaper is." The servant came back with a large teapot and several cups. Avreet immediately poured himself a cup and took a sip, tasting the tea. It was his favourite black tea, which made him feel relaxed despite the situation at hand. "Do you know of anyone in particular who'd do this to you?" the Mon Calamari asked after putting the cup back on the table, his eyes goggling the governor again. "I have many enemies, Mr. Zatarus. Choices I make cannot appease every being on the planet. Some people love me, some hate me." That much was true, Avreet did some research and found many citizens saw the governor as a messiah, while the others thought he was a greedy bastard determined to ruin the planet's economy.

Nodding, Avreet took another sip of tea, "What's in the letter, governor?" asked the young Crusader. "It says to bring twenty million credits to the Capital Square tomorrow and await further instructions from a comlink that was packed with the letter. I would have done so, but I simply cannot get that much money." The Mon Calamari nodded again, putting away the empty cup, "That's why we're here, governor. We're going to give the kidnapper everything they want and get your daughter back." The Sith said in a determined tone, already forming a plan in his mind.

The Zabrak stared back at the Sith, not understanding what he said, "But I thought the Empire didn't give you the money?" "No. But the kidnapper does not know that. Nor do they know I am a Sith. Officially, I am an Imperial private sent to help you deal with the situation. Just a green soldier with no real experience, and no backup either, except my apprentice. If I get a chance to get close to the kidnapper, I will be underestimated and the kidnapper will be ours. Then we interrogate them and bring your daughter back. Before we do that though, I'd like to see the place of the ambush. The kidnapper might have left some clues to bring us to them." He coolly informed, as if he talked about something completely normal.

The governor called a guard and told something to them, then told the Sith to follow the armoured man. Avreet thanked for the tea and got up, pacing behind the guard, which led them to the speeder. They travelled for a few minutes before stopping and letting the passengers get out. "Look for anything that might seem relevant to our mission, apprentice Vyrzen," ordered Avreet as he exited the speeder and looked around. The place was still a mess, making it harder for the Sith to find anything, but the two could command the Force and see things others have missed. The attacker must have watched the whole situation to know the exact position of the speeders, which led Avreet to think they must have been on the roof. He couldn't afford to show his Force powers in case the kidnapper watched them though, so he started searching for a staircase.

 

[Negative Blessing]

Vyrzen sat back taking sips from his drink while letting his eyes roam around looking at the servants as they came and went, the guards that stood at attention, and anyone coming and going. The place was busy with activity but he was also listening to the exchanges between his Master and the Zabrak Governor. Though not as well trained in the ways of diplomacy, Vyrzen sat back observing his Master, learning how to be more diplomatic for future missions.

They left the meeting with the Governor and were taking to the sight of the kidnapping and explosions. "Yes Master. I will conduct a thorough search of the areas involved in this atrocity," Vyrzen said after receiving his orders from Master Zatarus. Vyrzen knew his Master was not revealing himself to be Sith yet so it was up to Vyrzen to play the role of lead Sith.

Vyrzen crouched down to examine the scorch marks on the street where one of the speeders had exploded. He looked over to his right and saw a balcony attached to some building, a hotel perhaps, that overlooked the area. He stood up and began to walk toward the balcony then saw there was an alley between the two buildings. When he approached he saw a dumpster and slowly and carefully opened it. He saw a discarded jet pack inside and shook his head at the failed investigation process from the Governor's own men. He pulled the jet pack out of the dumpster using the Force and gently laid it on the ground. Through the Force, he spoke to his Master. "Master, I found a discarded jet pack in the dumpster next to a building that has a balcony that has a direct line of sight to the attacking area. I'll leave it here for you to examine. I'm going to jump up onto the balcony and search the room."

Vyrzen jumped onto the balcony and stepped through the sliding glass doors that were still opened and saw a room cluttered with various mechanical parts. He called one through the Force and examined it. Though his expertise in explosives is limited, he recognized the component in his hand as a left over part from some kind of explosive device.

Once again he spoke to his Master about what he had found in the room now.

 

[Bubák]

Right after reaching a staircase, his apprentice's voice rang in his head, informing him of his discovery. Avreet telepathically thanked him and moved to Vyrzen's position, seeing the boy as he jumped onto the balcony. The Mon Cal focused his attention on the jet pack before following his apprentice though. Picking it up and examining it, he saw the fuel cannisters were not large enough to be used for longer flights, a cheap model bought possibly just for one use before getting rid of it. Holding no illusions of being able to track down the kidnapper as the jetpack might have been bought over the Holonet, like everything in the galaxy, the young Crusader put it down and moved around the building to find the entrance. It was a small hotel, the cheap kind where nobody asked questions as long as they had gotten paid.

Immediately after entering the lobby, Avreet looked up to the staircase and saw a metal door, Vyrzen's presence could be felt right behind it. The Zabrak boy informed his Master of the find, so Avreet walked over to the receptionist. "I need a keycard to room 12." The receptionist, an older man with little to no hair left on his head, looked at the Mon Calamari, clearly being annoyed with him, "And who are you? A cop or from hygiene?" he asked, about to turn away. "I am a Sith," stated the Crusader and casually lifted the cloak, showing the twin lightsabers. That was enough for the man to hand over the keycard and apologize, both of which Avreet accepted before moving up, towards the door. Scanning it with his eye to see if the unlocking and opening mechanisms weren't connected to an explosive device, he saw nothing and slid the card into the reader next to the door, making it open.

Stepping in, he briefly glanced at Vyrzen before pacing to the various mechanical parts. One of them looked like a detonator, several buttons visible, one to arm the explosives and the other two to detonate them. Again, the kidnapper obviously did not care about leaving it behind like this. Picking the detonator up and going to the balcony, Avreet tried to see what the kidnapper saw. Two small craters in the ground were clearly visible, but it looked like the explosions had radius large just enough to destroy the two vehicles without causing more collateral damage. That meant the kidnapper was well prepared and knew the governor was going to travel through this place, as well as knowing position of the speeders to destroy two speeders to block the middle one without damaging it.

Tossing the detonator on the floor, the Mon Calamari began inspecting the room. It did not contain anything that would lead them straight to the suspect, but Avreet looked into the bathroom and saw female hygienic tools in the cabinet. Was the kidnapper a female? It seemed very likely. "Come on Vyrzen, there is nothing more for us in here." The Mon Calamari said and walked out of the room, going back to the receptionist. "Was the occupant of the room a female? Did you see her face?" "I don't like to talk about our customers."

"Alright," nodded the Crusader, "Then call someone to take over, as you're going to jail for helping 'your customer' murder several guards and kidnap an innocent girl." Avreet's expression and tone did not betray him, it sounded he was actually serious, and the man's scared face let the Sith know it worked. "Uh, yes, a female. She wore a special guard armor like our governor's protectors do, so I thought she was one of them. She paid for three weeks, and whenever she walked out of the room, she wore that armor, helmet included. I don't even know her species, I swear! The helmet helped her to cover the accent. Please, I have nothing to do with her!"

Smiling, Avreet turned around to leave the building. "It is time to prepare for tomorrow. I'll go to my ship to get my Imperial uniform, you take this," Avreet reached to his thigh and unclipped a foam-lined hard case, giving it to Vyrzen, "It's a Rogue Arms DE7 sniper rifle. Assemble it and get familiar with it, you'll provide me cover in case things won't go smoothly. I am sure the governor has some sort of firing range where his men practice. Ask one of them to put the sniper in one piece if you need help, then try to hit a few targets to get the feel for a blaster and aiming through the sights. Then rest."

Returning to Your Grave, Avreet entered his quarters and opened a closet containing his Imperial apparel. After changing the dress, he looked at himself in the mirror. The elegant and official clothes suited him, even though not meant for a Mon Calamari. The Imperial private then left the ship, hiding both of his lightsabers in the uniform and taking a speeder back to the mansion.

 

[Negative Blessing]

With his Master in the hotel room now, Vyrzen walked around trying to find anything that could lead them to their suspect but when Master Zatarus exited the bathroom he told him that their suspect might be female. Vyrzen nodded his head and followed his Master to the front of the hotel to speak with the owner. After some subtle persuasion, the owner noted that the occupant of the room was indeed female and that she was dressed like the special guards.

Vyrzen recalled somewhere in one of the reports how a guard had found their locker room in tatters but thought nothing of it, chalking it up to some rowdy new recruits. Perhaps this female stolen one of the uniforms then ransacked the locker room to make it look inauspicious if one of the uniforms disappeaed. Of course, the guard that found the locker room a mess was to lazy to do his job properly and she got away with the uniform and nobody was the wiser.

"Yes Master," Vyrzen said taking the case from Master Zatarus. He parted company with his Master and after given ample directions, found the firing range. He had to ask for assistance putting the sniper rifle together and after several dry firing rounds, he was as ready as he could be to use this unconventional weapon.

His first ten shots missed his target but after relaxing and using the Force to assist him, he began to hit 7 out of ten targets. He preferred his lightsaber over the sniper rifle but he trusted in his Master's plan for him to learn the weapon. After a couple of hours of practicing, he felt more comfortable with the weapon now.

He left the range with the sniper tucked back in the case and headed toward the mansion to get some rest and wait for his Master's next instructions.

 

[Bubák]

Returning back, he noticed several guards found the change in his appearance strange. The young Sith Crusader became an Imperial, and if they had not seen him before, they wouldn't be able to tell he was a member of the Sith Order. The Mon Calamari did not pay them much attention though, walking towards his apprentice's signature, finding him on his way out of the firing range. He hoped the kid did as he was told and didn't sit somewhere until he felt Avreet approaching. Smiling at his apprentice, the older Sith motioned him to go to the mansion, where two guest rooms awaited them. "I hope you have learned how to handle the blaster a bit. It is very unusual to shoot, yes? I know the feeling. Hopefully you'll learn to appreciate the sniper rifle's great range at which you can eliminate your targets. Now let's get some rest. Tomorrow is going to be a big day..."

Following one of the servants who took them as soon as they walked through the main door, the Sith duo paced towards their rooms. Entering and getting ready for the next day, the two then rested or meditated, awaiting the dawn which marked they were to leave and take a speeder to the Capital square. Avreet took a large bag with several metal weights covered with about six thousand Credit chips, simulating the weight of twenty million Credits. Six of these Credits were tracking devices, so if the suspect started taking them from the bag, she'd very likely grab at least one tracking device before seeing the weights.

Avreet realized this was a great risk, coming there instead of the governor and having the suspect know an Imperial was going to give her the credits, but he didn't want to risk the governor's life. The kidnapper shouldn't care about who brought her money all that much, possibly having to anticipate the governor contacted someone to help him out. "Vyrzen, find a nice place on the top of the hotel Iridonia, the highest building towering over the square. You should be able to watch my back from there. Do not shoot unless I signal you with the Force." Avreet told his teenage apprentice while paying and getting out of the cab, alone, as Vyrzen continued his way towards the hotel. The Mon Calamari took out the small comlink, expecting the kidnapper to contact him soon to give him further instructions.

There was not many people around, which was a good thing, as it meant less or no civilian casualties if something went wrong. Avreet didn't want to get innocents involved in this, damaging the image of the Sith and their Empire. It's citizens needed to be safe.

 

[LadyM]

The woman had discarded the armour of the special guard and returned to her usually set of protective armour, the black and orange custom made armour of her true trade, bounty hunting. Though she never would resort to kidnapping, especially a young girl, the contract she had been offered by the shadowy contact said she would receive payment from him and would be allowed to keep any credits she could get from the ransom. On top of that, if the Governor would not pay for the release of his daughter, she could make a tidy profit selling her to the Hutts.

But she found that the Governor, through one of her contacts in the palace, had asked for assistance from the Empire and now a young Sith accompanied by a Mon Calamari Imperial officer had been sent to deal with her or the negotiations. She had followed the young Sith and knew he would be no match for her skills. She had killed Jedi and Sith alike, and found some pleasure in doing so. The Imperial officer she saw only once and she was not sure about him. She would tread carefully around him until she was able to find more information of the fish.

Standing on top of a rooftop, she held her com link in her right hand waiting for the time to communicate with the Governor. The time was upon them and she attached a scrambler to her com link in case the idiot tried to track her. Lifting up the visor on her helmet, she pressed the button and said, "Before you make any inquiries into who I am, know you will get no reply. Now, let's discuss my payment shall we? Twenty million credits for the safe return of your daughter or she will be spending her life servicing the scum of the galaxy as a fell disciplined employee of one of the Hutts. You will put the credits on a untraceable credit chip inside a small case and leave it in the dumpster outside the Boloy Entertainment Centre. Do we have an understanding of one another? Good...."

She drops the com link of the rooftop and crushes it under her foot.

 

[Negative Blessing]

"The blaster is awkward to use, it feels so unnatural in comparison to the lightsaber. But I have enough confidence to use it now Master," Vyrzen answered then went to his room to meditate for a couple of hours then to rest his body physically. He had no idea how much action would be involved but he wanted to make sure he was an asset and not a hamper to his Master's plan. Quickly he fell asleep and in the morning was well rested and refreshed.

After letting his Master know he understood the instructions, he moved toward the rooftop of the hotel to set up shop. After assembling the weapon, he rested the barrel on a ledge as he sat cross-legged holding the weapon sturdy in his hands. Satisfied he was ready, he closed one eye and leaned forward to scan the area waiting for his Master to come into view so he can trace him first then begin his search of the kidnapper.

Through the scope's lens, he saw several people walking back and forth but just as he saw his Master come into view, he felt a stirring in the Force. Danger was behind him. He rose to his feet as two men stepped through the door on the rooftop and began firing at him. He dropped the sniper rifle and quickly produced his lightsaber, igniting it just in time to deflect one shot back at one of the men killing him instantly. The other man began firing repeatedly unaware of being hit by return fire. Vyzern deflected one shot that caught the man on his right leg causing him to drop his weapon.

Vyrzern ran over to the man holding on of the tips of his lightsaber to the man's throat. "Who are you," the teenage Sith asked. But the man coughed and shook then stopped moving all together. Vyrzern felt the man die through the Force just as white foam flowed from the man's mouth. Poison? Vyrzen shut down his lightsaber and returned to the ledge only to see that the sniper rifle had been ruined by a lucky shot.

Sighing to himself, he linked his mind to his Masters and said, "Master, we have a problem. I was ambushed by two men which are both dead, one by return fire and the other by...um....poison. Also, the sniper rifle has been destroyed. Someone is on to us Master."

 

[Bubák]

Pressing a button on the beeping comlink, Avreet listened to the woman's instructions. The woman must have thought she was speaking to the governor, so she might panic upon learning the one listening to her was an Imperial. She also specified her demands, and Avreet did not know whether to play as she wanted, or try to unnerve her quite a bit. He already had what seemed to be twenty million, but not on a single credit chip, chosing many fake credit chips with smaller ammounts of money instead. Opening his mouth to speak just as the kidnapper destroyed her device, he heard a very unpleasant and loud noise in his right ear.

The Mon Cal decided to derail her plan, and to do that, he had to start with small things. Instead of getting one credit chip in a small case, she'd receive many credit chips in a bag. On the other hand, Vyrzen, his Zabrak apprentice, informed him their plan was not going as expected either. The young boy was attacked by two men, and what was worse, they broke his sniper rifle. That meant Avreet had to rely on his own abilities instead of Vyrzen providing him with cover and looking for enemy snipers. Had those now dead men been sent by the kidnapper to do the same thing Vyrzen was supposed to do, or to specifically kill the boy? "Look around through the scope of the broken rifle, try to see anyone looking over the place from one of the roofs. Then get down here, but keep your distance from me. I don't want the kidnapper to know you're here with me, that might make her feel cornered." telepathically said the Crusader and firmly grasped the bag in his hands, goggling his large eyes around for any sign of the Boloy Entertainment Centre.

He soon saw the flashing lights advertising said centre, so Avreet quickly paced towards it, looking around for anything suspicious and hoping the kidnapper indeed had sent the men to alter the deal, as that would give him right to alter it too. Throwing the bag into the dumpster in front of the Boloy Entertainment Centre, he knew very well someone had to come and collect it, so he went back into the crowd of people and used Force cloak, bending all waves of light around himself to become invisible to most. Going back to the dumpster, he stood next to it, awaiting someone to come.

"Apprentice, move closer to the dumpster outside the Boloy Entertainment Centre. If anyone who comes to take the credits escapes me, you can still catch them." Quite a shame Avreet had no way of contacting the kidnapper, as he would have loved to point out the men who attacked Vyrzen on the roof. Perhaps he'd have a chance to tell it to her in person...

 

[Negative Blessing]

Vyrzen called the sniper lens to him and raising it to one of his eyes, he scanned the area and the other rooftops. He double checked the rooftops again and saw nothing. He placed the lens in his waist pouch and headed for the rooftop door and exited the roof, then the building. Once on the street, he glanced around one more time to see if anyone was following his Master but the only people he saw were people trying to get to whatever destination they had in mind, not one person looked in the direction of his Master. He stepped back into the alleyway and cloaked himself in the Force, rendering himself invisible.

He began to move along the sides of the building keeping his eyes trained on his Master while stretching out with the Force to detect any signs of danger. He saw his Master moving toward some building with a flashing light that read "Boloy Entertainment Centre" and toss a bag into the dumpster. Vyrzen halted his advance and stood up against a wall when he heard his Master speak to him through the Force.

Vyrzen crept along the side of the building as he moved into position. He doubted anyone would slip past his Master but if they did, he would be ready to pounce on them.

 

[LadyM]

The kidnapper tried twice to reach her cohorts but she was not getting any response from them. The last transmission she received from them that they were going to kill the young Sith but now she wondered if they were dead. Shrugging her shoulders, she moved into the crowd of people heading for the Boloy Entertainment Centre. She wanted to get the credits and get off world now that the Sith were involved.

She saw the Centre and slowed her pace trying to spy anything out of the ordinary. Feeling confident that no trap was set for her, she moved to claim her prize. She reached the dumpster and just as she was about open the lid, she felt something strange, as if she was being watched. She turned her head looking in several different directions but again saw nothing to warrant this feeling.

She opened the lid and clutched the case in her hands and turned to flee the scene.

 

[Bubák]

Intently watching anyone near the dumpster, the crowd of people not making it any easier for him to identify anyone who acted suspicious. The only person like that was Vyrzen, his apprentice, also waiting for the kidnapper to show up. This has proven to be a true test of patience, as their opponent clearly took the slow and careful approach. The Mon Calamari Crusader was slowly beginning to think the woman saw them through some sort of a special scope on her weapon and just waited for the crowd to go away to easily shoot the two Sith, but then Avreet focused on the Force, not feeling anyone looking directly at him or having an intention of killing him.

One person eventually left the crowd, going to the uninteresting dumpster. From her walk straight to her prize, Avreet guessed this was their woman. The Mon Calamari telepathically told Vyrzen to be ready, just in case she slipped past him. The woman confirmed his suspicions as she reached into the dumpster and nervously looked around, the pulled out the credits, prepared to run. Unfortunately for her, the Mon Calamari Imperial was prepared for it, so as soon as she turned around, he decloaked himself and grabbed her from behind, the cybernetically enhanced muscles giving him superior strenght and taking away her chances of breaking free.

Twisting her right arm behind her back and pinning her on the ground, kneeling on her left hand and on her back, Avreet leaned closer. "It's over for you, madam. Now please be so kind and tell me where the girl is. If she's hurt, I swear I'll hang you on your own intestines." The Mon Cal's voice was calm, but it was clear the threat was meant seriously. Several people passing by stopped and gazed at the scene, but they quickly dispersed upon noticing Avreet's Imperial uniform. In an attempt to add more weight to his words, he applied more pressure on her right arm, twisting it in an unnatural angle. It wouldn't be a problem for him to literally break her arm, and he was determined to do anything to make this woman talk.

 

[Negative Blessing]

Vyrzen crouched down as if he was adjusting the straps on his left boot while several people walked by. He kept his attention on the people trying to discover if one of them would be the kidnapper they were seeking. Several people walked by and not one of them moved toward the dumpster. He began to wonder if the kidnapper was on to them but then he spotted a woman stop, look around, then move toward the dumpster. Perhaps this was the one they were seeking.

Vyrzen watched the woman move to the dumpster and hesitate for a second then opened the lid. Now he was waiting for his Master to spring the trap. The kidnapper turned to run but Master Zatarus appeared and caught her, twisting her arm around and pinning her to the ground. Vyrzen moved to the scene and waved people on as they stopped to see if the woman needed assistance. "Sith business citizens. Move along," he said then stood over the woman and his Master.

He didn't feel any fear from the woman which was odd. She should be trembling with fear after being caught Vyrzen thought. "Master, something feels off. I don't know...," Vyrzen began but was cut off by the woman's creepy laugh. Vyrzen looked down at the woman with suspicion.

 

[LadyM]

"You think you caught me did ya? Well I always come prepared and always have a back up plan. If something happens to me then the young brat dies and you little Sith don't bother trying to persuade me through your Force tactics. I have a permanent implant embedding in my mind to prevent such trickery and if you try to remove it, it releases a chemical into my brain killing me. Which will lead to the death of the little brat you are trying so desperate to rescue." The kidnapper begins to laugh again then stops abruptly.

"But right now, you have bigger problems. You see fish boy, when you tackled me you accidentally set off a timer in pocket and in about fifty seconds we all go boom! You can try to remove it from my pocket but it has a dead man's lock on it, so when it leaves my body, it still goes boom!"

The kidnapper shifts her eyes from the fish to the horned kid then erupts into laughter again. "Time is wasting. And not just for us.

 

[Bubák]

Decisively shaking his head, Avreet dismissed the posibility of the woman actually telling them to truth. She had to be bluffing, who would ever implant a device containing a lethal chemical into their brain just to prevent such a minority as trained Force sensitives to read their thoughts? The woman was greedy and ruthless, but the Mon Cal did not think she'd throw away her life just like that. She must have counted on them releasing her, or so Avreet thought. As such, he did not panic and stayed focused on the task, continuing to firmly hold the kidnapper.

"I don't believe you a word, witch. Tell me where the girl is, and I might spare a good word for you, as well as your life. You either die here, or spend a part of your life years in jail. The choice is yours." Avreet stated, his left palm opening and touching the back of the woman's head. "Where's the governor's daughter?" asked the Crusader, then telepathically repeated the words in the woman's head, over and over. "Where's the governor's daughter? Where's the governor's daughter? Where's the governor's daughter?" Avreet attempted to make her think of the location, make it resurface so he could read as easily as if it was written on a paper.

If the woman truly had any sort of suicide device in her brain, she'd have to think about the location for a split second, giving it to Avreet just before she died. Dying minds were easier to read, as they were no longer protected by the natural barrier every mind held. Weak or strong, they all fell apart with their owner. If the woman lied though, the Mon Calamari would have to apply mmore persuative methods of information extracting.

 

[Negative Blessing]

While Master Zatarus was trying to get the woman to confess the location of the Governor's daughter without regard to what she had said about her implant, Vyrzen noticed something protruding from her right side pocket. At first he disregarded it but then he noticed it was a thermal detonator. He had to act fast but he couldn't reach it through the Force for his Master's body was blocking it somewhat and if he removed it from her body, would it explode anyway like she had said.

Using the Force, and hoping his Master would understand, he shoved Master Zatarus off the kidnapper's body and then pouring more energy into it, threw his Master out of harm's way then he dove out of the alleyway. He heard the kidnapper stand up and laugh again as she took off and ran out of the alleyway. Vyrzen rose to his feet and was about to give chase when she threw the thermal weapon over her shoulder and it landed a few feet in from of him.

He used the Force again picking it up and throwing it inside the dumpster and then closed the lid. He saw his Master was out of danger so he gave chase after the kidnapper.

 

[LadyM]

The kidnapper looked over her right shoulder and saw the little boy chasing after her. Even though he was young, he was still a Sith so she was not going to underestimate the rug rat. She pulled from her side a small hold out blaster and turned a rifled off a couple of shots at the little boy then ducked into the main section of the business district. She knew the Sith had abilities that could detect her but she had a few surprises herself.

She stopped in the centre of the district and yelled, "Help me! That little boy tried to rob me and when I refused to give him my personal belongings, he tried to kill me!" Several male citizens turned their eyes toward the young Sith and began to move toward him. She laughed to herself and took off running once again.

She heard commotion behind her erupt but she was not going to stop. She saw her ship sitting atop of a landing platform, ready and prepped for take off. Inside the girl was bound and gagged and now will be sold to the Hutts since the Imperials and the Sith disrupted her plans.

 

[Bubák]

Avreet's presence raced through the kidnapper's thoughts, seeing the girl in there. Before having time to proceed the thought and understand it, figuring out where the girl was being held, Avreet was caught entirely unprepared by Vyrzen's Force push. He had expected the kidnapper to resist, he was ready to get rid of her thermal detonator, but he had not seen his own apprentice's attack coming! Before he pulled himself out of the kidnapper's mind, his body hit a wall, shooting pain between his ribs. Luckily, his reinforced skeleton soaked up any possibly damage very well, so the Crusader suffered no crippling injury. The pain and anger at what happened made him open his bulbous eyes, seeing the kidnapper getting up and laughing, throwing the thermal detonator behind herself. As Avreet guessed, all her talk about a dead man's lock on it and an implant on her brain was a bluff. Vyrzen fell for it, ruining this smooth arrest attempt. As much as Avreet momentarily wanted to rip him in half, the Mon Calamari still needed to take care of the detonator in the dumpster.

Levitating the large metal box high into the air, an effortless task as he poured his anger and frustration into his conection with the Dark Side, Avreet held it in there until it blew up, raining garbage all over the place. Avreet cared little about that, he was already running after Vyrzen, tracking him through the Force. The cybernetics in his body combined with Force speed helped him to run much faster than any normal being could, sprinting through the dirty streets, becoming just a black blur with an orange tip, and shoving people in his way aside as carefully as he could. Little dirty alleys quickly turned into a main section of the district. Noticing Vyrzen and a group of people getting close to him, Avreet considered helping him out of whatever he had gotten himself into, but that meant risking the kidnapper's escape. Avreet wouldn't take that risk, so he massed the Force in his legs and jumped high above the crowd blocking the way, briefly seeing the kidnapper heading towards her ship before falling back to the ground and continuing his chase behind the backs of those who decided to stop Vyrzen.

There was no chance of catching the kidnapper though, she's had too much of a head start. The woman ran up the ramp into her ship, so Avreet massed the Force inside his body once more, bending the light around himself to disappear from the kidnapper's sight, and kicking his legs to propel himself, gaining speed necessary to close the distance between himself and the ship. Flying through the air like a rocket, he landed just as the ship's entrance started closing. The Mon Calamari tossed his body through the gap, barely avoiding getting crushed, and heard as the ship's engine roared. Extending his senses, he felt the kidnapper and another lifeform, one that tasted of fear. That had to be the kidnapped girl. Before moving to the cockpit to disable the kidnapper, Avreet wanted to find the poor governor's daughter and save her. Decloaking himself and silently moving through what looked like a small cargo bay, advancing towards the hostage among various boxes and containers.

The Zabrak silently wept next to one particularly large box, bound and gagged. She watched the amphibian with fearfull eyes as he knelt beside her, staring at her with his big fishy eyes. "Stay calm madam, I am here to get you out of here." Avreet said and undid the straps on her hands and legs, then removed the gag, putting his hand over her mouth, "I need you to remain silent. The one who took you is still alive, I need to deal with her." After receiving a confirming nod, Avreet tried to telepathically notify his apprentice, but couldn't quite establish a connection with him due to the ship's speed. The young Zabrak should be able to track them down thanks to their bond though. It was more than possible the kidnapper set her course to a certain place where she could quickly dispose of the girl in some way, maybe even selling her to slavers. If so, Vyrzen sense the ship's trajectory and let the Force tell him where it was headed. With that thought, Avreet turned on one of his lightsabers and went towards the cockpit.