Faction Fate of Denon: Attention, All Residents [Darkwire]

[Lossa Aureus]

Location: LEAVING FRACTAL STATE BASE, WAREHOUSE TUNNELS, DISTRICT 7 TWILIGHT LEVEL
Equipment: Danger Jacket, Outfit, Discreet Hearing Enhancer - Left Ear, Long Handled Double Lightsaber, Concealed Sling Bag
Tags: Makko Vyres

"Yeah...they might be nice and use stun blasts," he said with a shrug. "But you might never get seen again once you go in the back of a van."

There was venom in his voice, betraying a personal pain that came with the warning.

That he said more than no made her gape at his words. His further explanation of what the might use if they were nice was removing that thin layer of ignorance she had tried to wear like a shield.

The scars Iris wore coming to mind as the reality of the galaxy slowly crept in.

She blinked a few times as he pulled out the datapad, her mind running faster than she could keep up with. Getting snatched, being shot at, and sector lock downs? This was nothing like what the brochures and nightlife had even hinted at.

She wasn't sure if it was fear or anger bubbling in her as he spoke, snapping her back from her thoughts.

"Alright, we've got a destination. We need to head...chit..."

"What?" She murmured, stopping before she caught his heel with a slight hop backwards. Her hand brushing the cold walls. The unknown was becoming more frightening by the second. Her breaths shorter as fingers began to rub each other in her free hand.

Eyes shifting to a soft rosy color instead of the sweet pink they tended to linger in. His turn making her gaze dart from the corner to his face, eyes wide.

"Wait til I'm out of sight. Down to the left, take another left, down stairs an elevator ahead of you. Hit the lowest number and hold it open. When I shout stop holding it and...hope they're not that quick."

He was doing something stupid.

"Don't you-" She hissed at him between clenched teeth. Before her mouth opened wide in mute horror as she watched him turn and hurl a brick.

Pressing herself against the wall, she was reminded she hadn't dressed for a run through cold places.

Without any further explanation he stepped out into the corridor. He ran to the left, scooping up half a brick as he went.

"Oi! Dickheads!" he shouted, hurling the brick. It loudly bounced off a riot helmet. Makko took a sharp right and sprinted off into the darkness, closely followed by the two seccers. The route was left open for Lossa to make it to the elevator.

He had done something stupid.

Anxiety and anger tumbled together in her stomach, watching the two armored bodies chase after her only guide on the planet. She lingered in the shadowed entrance to the side tunnel, stunned.

The slight shake of her head in mute disbelief at what she'd just seen finally making her move.

"Left, left, down, bottom, hold." She repeated to herself, pressing off the wall and orienting herself. She looked up, met by the same sight she had seen throughout the corridors so far.

Nothing distinguishing, no markers, at least that she could tell. Her left hand rose, touching the wall as she scampered along.

The hallway seemed darker as she moved with alacrity. Tighter and confining as she wondered if she would be caught.

If some stranger would reach out from a side hall and-

She had a goal. Had to get to the elevator. Had to hold it open. First left, her steps louder then she remembered ever in her life as she held onto a brace to pull herself around the corner.

Her steps between frantic and practiced as she held onto the next wall brace for the next left, feeling something behind it bite into her skin. She ripped her hand back, seeing the tinge of blood along the edge of her finger.

Pins and needles prickled down her back, the feeling of eyes on her pushing her forward. Pushed her through the sting. This was nothing if she got caught.

It felt like she couldn't move fast enough. Her hair fanning out behind her as she nearly missed the last step into the lower corridor, with the strange heel pain jolting through her system as she sucked air and hopped once, twice before righting her steps.

The door to an elevator greeted her, madly slamming the call button as it chimed and the hum of power did little to alleviate the feeling of time seeming to slow.

"Come on you piece of chit, you get me caught and I'm leaving a scathing review of your manufacturer." She snapped as the chime sounded again.

Her hands peddled through the air, beckoning the doors to open quicker. The sounds of heavy steps ringing through the corridors around. Her throat tightened, skin going cold as she slipped inside the open doors and slammed into the side of the carriage.

Her eyes scanned, almost missing the lowest floor. She pressed the darkly colored writing, going still as nothing happened. She pressed again, before feeling the slight divot where the button would recess when pressed beside the decorative little plate.

Her hand clenched, punching the proper button as she nodded to herself, almost forgetting to hold the doors as her arms pushed through the gap to keep it waiting for Makko.

The sting of her knuckles keeping her from focusing on the tight, squeezing feeling in her chest.

 

[Makko Vyres]

On the scale of stupid things he had done, this was quite high up what was a very long list.

"Come back here!"

Makko didn't know why they shouted that. No one was stupid enough to run back to corpsec after throwing a rock at them. At his age he would probably just be given a beating for an entire night.

Just a beating. Possibly a month in hospital before he was breathing without the aid of a tube.

He had to keep his pace steady enough that he could make one final sprint, without getting shot in the back.

"He's got a blaster!" one of them shouted.

"No he hasn't!" he shouted over his shoulder. Their footage would make it hard to tell if he had one or not, so they shouted it out as an excuse to fire.

A blaster bolt passed over his right shoulder and struck the corridor wall. He felt his pulse race. If Lossa was so pissed off that she took the lift and left him behind he was really in trouble.

Makko turned a corner and then another, trying to stay out of their lines of sight but keeping them following him further from the lift.

At the next corner he accelerated. His fists became flat, open hands as he leaned into the sprint and ran as fast as he could. His legs ached, his lungs burned, but he ran and ran.

"Lossa! Close the doors," he called when he was close enough to dart between them before they closed.

 

[Daiya]

Objective 1: In the Pale Sunlight
Equipment: Phase II Powderpunk Armor, PD-3 "Combo Breakers" Blaster Pistols, PD-4 "Ninth Life" Hold-out Blaster, "Little Sister" Karambit Knife
Nearby: Valery Noble Yula Perl Samuel Exel

(Post Soundtrack: "Paradise is Burning" by Outline in Color)

"That's it?"

Daiya stared at the retreating form of the Jedi, blinking furious thoughts at the easy way she turned her back. After everything they had been through together, after all the restraint the young shadowrunner had shown to her, she couldn't believe the Jedi was simply walking away. Beneath the surface, her blood simmered with the betrayal, heat she directed at the Hunter with his set of CorpSec props. "And you're the worst of them, you don't even know who the feth you're working for."

If he did, Daiya might have had a chance to prove herself to the Jedi after all.

Her fingers tightened on the grip of her pistols, still hesitating. No, still waiting for the right moment. Her palms still itched and her forehead still throbbed with the assault of her Vision. The Jedi had her back turned, the Hunter was standing down. She could do it now, Daiya realized, her thoughts racing to the fast tempo of her heart. It was deafening in her ears, pounding so relentlessly the teen was certain any being around could hear it. She had to shout loud just to hear herself over the sound.

"Must be nice to be able to just walk away, huh?" Beneath her rain-poncho, Daiya's hands trembled, bitterness lacing her words to the Jedi's backside. "Sounds like the Jedi way, for sure. Don't help us Discreet getting stomped on just 'cause you showed up here, or didn't you figure that out yet? They don't flood the streets with Seccers when a Discreet gets bombed, and they don't shut off the fething HoloNet for our worthless lives. We're all just terrorists to them, or about to be, so what do we matter?"

A furrowed brow turned toward the Hunter and his squad, their gleaming helmets and armor reflecting the teen's scowling face. Her mind could imagine their faces glaring back, not even a helmet could mask their disdain for her. "Like feth you're just gonna let me just walk away. Why else hide your face today? Easier to go home after a hard day of collaborating with the Corpos." She glanced at the Hunter, bleary eyes rolling at his naïveté. She swallowed as the muscles in her hands tensed, letting her words be once last defense before the inevitable. "They're just gonna kill me the second you turn your back, y'know?"

She couldn't afford tears today, no one here would shed any for her.

Daiya caught movement, and it sent her body into action. Her feet moved, leaving empty air where she had been standing, as her dual pistols came out. She didn't have time to think about her target or even aim, the young shadowrunner only fired a succession of blaster shots. She only stopped after the realization that her finger was still firing, lowering the smoking blaster to the witnesses to her deed. Even she gasped at the hole-ridden body lying on the ground.

"CHIT!" Daiya turned her back and ran, her feet pounding on the duracrete as fast as she could make it. Hands shoved her pistols roughly in their holsters, fumbling with the catch on her poncho. Finally she just ripped it away, letting the tattered fabric flutter behind her as the young shadowrunner dashed out of sight down an alley. Blood pounded in her ears as one single thought consumed her.

Daiya was in serious trouble.

"Chit, chit, chit, chit, chit!" The young shadowrunner found herself boxed in, the alley ending far short of a connection to another walkway. Her hair whipped around, reminding Daiya that it was out and making her stand out brilliantly in the dim lighting. Her mind whirled with the need to fix it, the stomp of Seccer boots approaching, and the dizzying spin of searching for another way out. The doors around her were locked, leaving Daiya only one avenue.

Shooting the liquid cable launcher out again, Daiya pulled herself up to an opening above her, squeezing through a small opening to the next level. The teen hoped it would be enough of a lead time, she could practically feel the Seccer squad hot on her trail. A gasp shuddered in her throat, and she wiped at her eyes, but the teen couldn't stop to breathe yet. Whipping out her datapad, she rushed a message to her closest ally, hoping desperately for an answer.

i fethed up yula HELP!

The young shadowrunner sent it with a location. Then she ran, trying to put as much distance between her and the body as she could.

CorpSec would certainly kill her for murdering one of their own.

 

[Cartri Keswoll]

Location: Denon
Objective: Protect Valery
Attire: Link
Tags: Brie Jaxx

''You think you can walk if I help you?''

"I-...I'll have to try!" he grunted out with a heavy cough, blood dripping through his fingers from the wound that seemed to be getting worse by the minute. Soon enough, some relief was injected into his system and stemmed the pain to make him a bit more comfortable. Cartri looked up to Brie who seemed to be onto something. The ginger didn't care how crazy it was at this point, he just needed to get out of there and get himself patched up before he bled out.

"B-brie... anything will do right now" the teen gasped before stumbling back to his feet on unsteady legs. Cartri could feel his body wasn't going to stay strong for much longer, whatever Brie had planned, they had to do it now. Without hesitation, he staggered to the stairs and almost fell over in the process, a hand still on the bloody wound which left a trail of blood in his wake "At least... at least I'm not worse off" he coughed out again, falling to one knee halfway up the steps.

"I-I don't know if I'll make it f-fuck..."

 

[Lossa Aureus]

Location: LEAVING FRACTAL STATE BASE, WAREHOUSE TUNNELS, DISTRICT 7 TWILIGHT LEVEL
Equipment: Danger Jacket, Outfit, Discreet Hearing Enhancer - Left Ear, Long Handled Double Lightsaber, Concealed Sling Bag
Tags: Makko Vyres

The lift chimed, her hand feeling a pressure behind it as the doors tried to close. Her breathing was quick, the shadows cast by the poor lighting seeming to stretch and bend as she waited.

She had wished it was truly quiet.

The slight buzz of power tickled her ears. The echoes of a chase filtering behind that making her worry. The ding of the lift sounding to close once more making her glance back to the carriage before staring out again.

She waited.

Was he coming back?

Intrusive thoughts that pervaded the usual calm she held. Made her doubt. She could let the door close, try to make it on her own. But that wasn't the right thing to do. Nor did she truly want to. Fear made the thought appear, and anxiety made it seem appealing.

But Makko had trusted her.

Her neck craned, muscles tight as she awkwardly shuffled in the doorway. The sound of a blaster making her tense and jump as though it had struck her. The sound making her fear spike further. The shadows seeming to bend toward her now as she began to draw her hand back.

Makko called out, startling her as she watched him with a too long stare to break the loop she had put herself in.

His body slammed inside, her hand slow to remove itself as she spun to follow his path. A sound behind her now making her turn once more.

Too much at once drawing her attention.

The duo they had been evading appeared, one slipping down the stairs as the other seemed to shoulder something and point at them.

The closer one had pulled their arm back and thrust it forward midfall as she watched the other lower the object in their hands. A dark orb shining suddenly against the light between them as she stared in shock.

They'd caught up? Had she been too slow?

The matte colored object soared towards them, Lossa reeling as shock finally wore off. A hand darting back towards Makko as she tried to connect with the force. The connection wobbly at best as she stared at the object, five dots flashing before becoming four.

Eyes wide as she grimaced, and failed to get out of the way.

Pain shot through the right side of her face, centered on her nose while her eyes squeezed shut. Dazzling lights shone even with closed eyes as the taste of metal emerged on her tongue.

The force sent her backwards, the object clattering on the carriage floor. The hand sent to Makko now flailing for the wall as her legs slipped from beneath her.

Open your eyes stupid.

A willing of her mind to force her body to react as she crumpled against the back wall of the lift. Her vision blurred on the right as tears streamed. Her tongue swiping at the metallic taste before something sharp made her flinch.

A sharp chirp from the orb sounding while the doors nearly finished closing.

Blurry vision settling on the little thing as realization set in. She hadn't seen one in person but knew of them. The holovids giving her the clarity to identify what was at her feet.

"Fethfethfethfethfethingchitfethchit!" She shrieked, legs flailing to kick the grenade out before the doors closed completely.

 

[Makko Vyres]

"I can't believe they..."

Whoom

The door buckled, but miraculously the lift started to descend. Makko stared at the door for the count of three before picking himself back up.

"...used a grenade."

"You alright?" he asked, stepping close. "I didn't mean to put you through this. Well, yeah, didn't expect there to be a lockdown is what I mean."

 

[Yula Perl]

i fethed up yula HELP!

Powderpunk would like to share their location with you. Accept?

"Ah, fuck." Yula groaned between a mouthful of noodles. She chewed faster while typing out a fervent response.

k

Kids these days.

Yula tossed her datapad onto the sofa and, after a moment of anxious inaction, darted off towards the bedroom. It looked like Daiya and her friend weren't going to make it to her after all. In the chaos of the lock down, she couldn't gauge whether or not that made sense. After a few minutes of frantically digging through her closet, she retrieved a durasilk hoodie and a prototype HUD helmet she'd long since forgotten about. Her spider armor was far more capable, but it was distinctive enough to be recognized. Even the greenest corpsec rookie officer would be able to run an ID match on a woman with four mechanical legs protruding from her back.

Subtlety had never been her strong suit.

Yula pounded the broth from her noodle cup while yanking the hoodie on, tossing the empty styrofoam container to the floor before adjusting the helmet over her face. This would have to do in a pinch. The display flared to life as she slipped out the window and onto the fire escape. It would only take a moment to initiate the lock-up procedure on her home, which gave her mask's sensors enough time to locate Daiya. A blinking marker appeared on the skeletal map of the district, splayed out before her eyes.

Rooftop to rooftop would bring her closer to the proverbial fire, skirting the edge of the chaos on the streets below. Plumes of smoke dotted the skyline, and the smell of cheap low-grade lumber combusting tickled her senses even behind the helmet. Windows broken, storefronts smashed up, people being arrested, bodies in the fething streets. Now that she was witnessing what she assumed was the thick of it, Yula fought the human urge to do something and refocus on the task at hand. Daiya. She needs you.

Maybe it was the fact that she was seeing this all close up, or maybe it was time allowed for Daiya's message to sink in, but it all felt so increasingly urgent.

A slug whizzed past her head just she leaped over the precipice between one building's edge and the next. Yula's heart pounded in her ears as she landed on the roof top with a thud, startled out of her flow from the sudden shot. Laying low, she grit her teeth behind the polished metallic alloy of her mask. Shouting followed, her danger sense flared, and the Zeltron found herself crawling behind a roof-mounted turbine for some level of cover. A hail of slugs hammered the layered fans behind her, one clipping the edge of her mask.

The display flickered, and Yula raised a cautious hand to feel the damage—hair-thin fractures spiraled from the epicenter of the shot, giving the right side of her helmet a crackled appearance. She grimaced and swore under her breath, but otherwise remained still until the shooting died down.

Not keen on waiting for them to reload, Yula changed course. It would take longer to find Daiya, but she couldn't risk pinging her now lest her location be picked up by the corpsec goons insistent on turning her into the space equivalent of swiss cheese.

It would be a handful of minutes until she spied the young shadowrunner sprinting down a walkway below, hailed by the urgently sad pinging of her dying HUD. Given the change of direction she'd had to make, Yula ended up dropping down in front of the young shadowrunner.

"Kid!" She cried out, reaching to grasp Daiya's arm. Now that they were up close, she could see how distraught the girl was. "The fuck happened? You okay?"

Daiya

 

[Valery Noble]

Denon

​

Outfit: Factory Link
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Samuel Exel Daiya Iris Arani Alicio Organa

Daiya's words remained unanswered as Valery turned around to leave. There was a lot she could have said in response, but knowing that all of it was driven by emotion on Daiya's end, she understood there was no point in arguing. Her current situation also required all of her focus — she had just survived an assassination attempt and it felt like people were pulling on her from all sides, trying to convince her they were right and to be trusted.

But she knew better than to blindly follow anybody on Denon. There was only one person out there who she trusted with anything, and that's exactly who she was going to find.

<Iris? Can you hear me?> Valery asked telepathically after gaining a little bit of distance. <I'm on my own again and coming your way. I think some people might still be after me, but some claim they want to help. I don't know who to trust, so I'm leaving them behind and finding you.>

She let out a soft sigh and looked around to stay clear of busy traffic. But right as she was about to cross a street, she heard blaster fire behind her. From the area where she had left behind Daiya and Samuel Exel . For a few seconds, Valery considered heading back to see what happened, but knowing that a shooting could draw more trouble there, she decided against it and picked up the pace as she began to move towards Iris and Alicio.

The count was a close friend, and while she hadn't sensed him earlier in all of the chaos, his presence became more clear as she approached their location. It seemed like more people close to her had come to help her.

She was going to have to thank all of them.

 

[Brie Jaxx]

Objective: In The Pale Sunlight
Equipment: Phase-I Haywire Armor, KC-47 Hybrid Pistol, taser baton, stealth field generator
Tags: Cartri Keswoll , Adeline Noctua , open!

​

"At least... at least I'm not worse off" he coughed out again, falling to one knee halfway up the steps.

Brie widened her stance and steadied her feet against the cold concrete roof of the skyscraper, and with clenched teeth pulled Cartri up with all her might. ''No! No... You're as fine as a protocol droid just getting out of his oil bath!'' she uttered, mixing sarcasm with an attempt of comic relief to the situation. Although, if he was the equivalent of a protocol droid fresh out of the shower, Daiya would be very mad at her right now.

"I-I don't know if I'll make it f-fuck..."

''Hey! Don't talk like that, Cartri!'' Brie commanded the otherwise so stubborn and cocky shadowrunner. He needed something else to keep him pushing on. The wounds were still deep and possibly fatal if not properly treated soon, and Brie could not just carry the boy on her shoulders all the way to Doc Painless place.

''I... I'm not missing my best friends wedding because her boyfriend died!'' she uttered suddenly, fully aware that to her knowledge there wasn't a wedding planned. In fact, Brie had never heard Daiya or Cartri mention the word wedding. Coming to think of it, she wondered where her statement had come from. If she knew Daiya, she would laugh at the sight of a fancy ring being presented to her. Weddings were supposed to be nice though, according to the stories in her books. Big happenings, with lots of laughs and tears of joy. Fine moments. Well, a lot nicer than being hunted by a man-eating monster of sorts, and right now Brie felt that this monster could be back at their heels any second.

''Uhh, I mean... Think of Daiya. You'll make it, for her.'' Brie quickly added, before reaching the emergency ladder that took them closer to the train tracks below. Staying in the building were too much of a risk. If the monster woman came to life again, they would be too slow to escape once more. Brie started to help Cartri down the best she could. Carrying around salvaged scrap definitely came handy tonight.

 

[Iris Arani]

".. It was. Yeah. Valery. She's coming to us."

The relief was clear in her face as she looked to Alicio. Then nodded once. Pointed towards the direction she could feel her master coming from. She almost went into a sprint. Did for a step or two before glancing to the Senator and nodding her head.

"We meet her first. Talk to her about what happened. Then go from there. Okay?"

Alicio Organa | Valery Noble

 

[Alicio Organa]

Despite the situation, Alicio found a smile. So she was safe... relatively speaking. He knew Iris had sworn she was alive and well, but he'd had his worries. His fears, that she was somehow mistaken, that Valery was...

But no. She was coming. And they would meet her halfway.

"Okay," he said simply, reaching up and unclasping his cloak, letting it fall silently to the ground, before breaking into a sprint, headed towards his imperiled friend.

We're coming, Val, he thought to himself. Not to her rescue, per se, he severely doubted someone like Valery Noble needed much saving. But he would certainly feel better at the side of a Jedi Master, and hopefully, she'd like a little trusted company too.

- Valery Noble - Iris Arani -

 

[Samuel Exel]

Objective II: Lock It Down!
Location: District 7, Baker's Row
​

Spoiler: Equipment & Appearance

• Armor:
  • "Aegis" Powered Combat Armor, Mk. IV
    • Shield: MP-042 "Skjöldr" Energy Shield
    • Underlay: SGB-01x Bodyglove
    • Vambraces:
      • Left Gauntlet:
        • Nano-Missile Launcher
        • Repulsor
        • Painless, Adjustable Sonic Stunner
      • Right Gauntlet:
        • Fibercord Line
        • Cryo Projector
        • Dartcaster
• Weapons:
  • Primary: KIIR-26 'Hellpyre' Flamethrower
  • Sidearms:
    • XE-72 Vindicator Hybrid Hand-Cannon
    • M.I. Model 6M Hybrid Pistol
  • Stormbaton (Elite)
  • Pair of Dampener Aerosol Grenades
  • Pair of EMP Grenades
  • Terminus Shiv

Tags: Valery Noble , Daiya , Yula Perl , Hargo Zur

“That comes with the job. You get used to it.” Came his bland reply. He was dismissive towards her bile, and opinions; the choice was ultimately up to her whether she took his offer. If not? Well, that would make his course of action rather uncomplicated. “I take what contracts I will, and do them how I see fit. Not knowing who I work for from one moment to next merely means I don’t have to get wrapped up in messes like this. You shouldn’t, either. It’s more trouble than it’s worth.” Imparting this sordid 'advice' to her.

“You may find a helmet more useful than your own face in the open after today, kid. We have larger concerns than you. Don’t make yourself one.” In response to her next accusation. Feth’s sake, kid, just go. His hands tighten on the weapon he was holding, as the visor stared her down. He figured she was buying time, at this rate. Maybe for someone else. Or perhaps she was telling the truth, and too nervous to leave? It was hard to tell. “I will not re-”

In the next instant, there was a blur of movement. His own reactions caught it, attempted to stop what he could, but it was too late. With a flurry of blaster bolts from the girl soaring through the air, he shifted in an attempt to interpose, catching one or two stray bolts that glanced off his frame with a soft huff of exertion. The rest, however, caught the body of the twitchy Officer, who was felled with a dull thud. Even if he was alive because of what bolts he saved him from, it would’ve been in critical condition. “Feth,” Growled the Hunter under his breath. His mercy was taken and spit back at him, and his visor stared ahead as the girl seemingly froze up for a moment as she lowered her blaster, like a deer in headlights in the face of his unreadable expression. With a slight inhale, even, as if astounded by what she just did. It didn’t matter anymore. The next instant, the teen took off as soon as he brought up his own weapon - out of range. Probably why you shouldn't take a Chemical Thrower as a primary weapon. The rest of his squad wasted no time in pursuing her even without the input from him, rushing past him in nothing short of bloodlust, “Try not to kill her. Kidnapper’s got a bounty from CorpSec, alive.” Not that he could really prevent them from doing otherwise at this point.

He had swiftly made way to tend to the severely wounded Officer, setting his weapon aside and shifting through one of the pouches for stims and medical supplies. They had a bird on standby - he only had rudimentary skills, but he just needed to get the poor bastard to survive long enough. That was a slim chance. As he stooped down over the body, <<Requesting another squad to my location; we have a man down. Suspect is fleeing the scene, on-site team is in pursuit.>>

The kid was lucky she knew the right things to say to get him to neglect the chase. Or at least, choose the easier option over the harder one; he was sure he avoided a mess of a situation by allowing her to fire first, anyways. His priority was the higher bounty for the moment, not the lower one. Besides, the bust from earlier could cover some of that, anyways. With a wordless action, his commlink would tune once more.

<<Commander, this is Gorian. Finishing wrap-up on Baker’s Row, a weapons operation has been detained. I intercepted Valery Noble, and her Kidnapper - she seemed uncertain about who was responsible for the attack. I managed to convince her to leave the Kidnapper’s care.>> Helmet tilted aside, as the system of sensors and scanners do their job to keep his target ever-present in his sights. <<Kidnapper appeared to be young, colorful armor. The squadron I am with is after the kid while I handle the Target.>> Came his stern, curt words as he injected a stim into the downed officer. If they were still alive. Hopefully it could keep him alive long enough for the bird to get here.

<<Valery Noble is not cooperating with direct escort due to the confusion regarding the culprit. It will leave CorpSec with a better look to the Alliance if I do not try to force her directly, and instead ensure her safety and escort with a bit of distance. She seems to be making her way somewhere. I can manage this. Is this an acceptable guideline change for the bounty, Commander?>>

Regardless of the response, he needed his payday for this escort bounty. Fifty-thousand was no laughing matter; the twenty thousand he had just discarded was, at this rate, purely in the hopes of the bigger score. Reason number one why you don’t get personally involved in jobs like these; they were a kark-ton of mess. His weapon was picked back up, and he got back on the move for his original quarry with a surge of motion not long before the next called squadron would arrive to his previously announced position. He would've lost Valery if he waited around forever, so he had to go solo for the moment. If she decided to attack him for following her, so be it.

Priorities were split. He doubted someone that young could evade the Officers forever, anyways. Be it through a desire to avenge their fallen comrade, or merely rage at someone dare striking at them, they would more than likely remain hot on Daiya's trail - intent on either bringing a battered form back for processing, or just outright killing her. The young Shadowrunner, however, held more knowledge of the streets over them. That made it difficult to keep on her, though that did not stop them from trying.

 

[Cartri Keswoll]

Location: Denon
Objective: Protect Valery
Attire: Link
Tags: Brie Jaxx

Cartri's hand was almost a dark red color by now, keeping blood inside of his weak body was starting to become more of a struggle now. He felt Brie come over and help the best she could, almost relying on her to get him through this mess. The more seconds passed the more he felt like he was going to die on this roof, he just felt so tired and beaten from what the bounty hunter had done to him

"I don't... I don't know if..." but before he could doom himself Brie urged him not to talk like that. She was determined to get Daiya's hubby through this trauma, no matter how much it took "W-wedding?" Cartri gasped out with a lowering of his eyes. If he died now, Cartri wouldn't have the honor of experiencing that with the girl he loved most. Cartri wanted to spend the rest of his life with her, he dreaded to think how she'd feel if he died before they were really starting to feel happy together.

"Y-you're right... Daiya... she needs me" the teen said with new found purpose, trying to urge his body to push past its breaking point and survive for a better future. Pushing himself away from Brie, he stumbled to the ladders and slowly began making his way down. Blood dripped from the wound and now and then he felt his vision go black. The only thing that kept him on was his tight grip, one that helped him get down after great effort. Cartri leaned himself against the wall and looked to Brie who soon followed.

"W-where will... where will we go?"

 

[Daiya]

Objective 1: In the Pale Sunlight
Equipment: Phase II Powderpunk Armor, PD-3 "Combo Breakers" Blaster Pistols, PD-4 "Ninth Life" Hold-out Blaster, "Little Sister" Karambit Knife
Nearby: Yula Perl

(Post Soundtrack: "Mayday" by Halflives)

Her feet pounded the pavement.

Her chest tightened with every breath.

Her eyes looked wild, scouring the city's streets and buildings for the sight of more Corpos.

Daiya could hear them, and every once in a while she caught a shout or flash of one behind her. Not the Hunter yet, or the Jedi, though the teen was certain they had turned on her, too. The whole of Denon seemed like that, she could feel eyes in every window as the surroundings grew less and less familiar to her. She had walked these streets for years, could recognize almost every building by sight, but now Daiya could recognize only one thing. She was lost.

Lost and watched by every two-cred droid and Discrete on the planet, any one of which could tip off CorpSec.

She tried not to cry. Her mind was running too fast to really feel, Daiya could only manage to move right now. She couldn't let sore feet or a soft heart slow her down. She couldn't even stop to put her helmet back on, leaving pink curls to stream behind her, the very thing marking the young shadowrunner as herself. She ran, headed nowhere, and almost ran headlong into a figure that jumped down in front of her.

Daiya skidded to a stop, a gasp pulling air and hands to her chest, her heart too afraid to beat even once more. The figure clutched her arm, and the young shadowrunner had a blaster out, pressed into the armored figure's chest. The armor wasn't CorpSec, it wasn't the Hunter, it wasn't even that scary. Yet the adrenaline coursing through her veins still wouldn't let Daiya back down until her ears could process the voice coming from the suit. She squeaked out a question, "Yula?"

Her blaster fell to the ground as the young shadowrunner collapsed into the arms of her idol.

"Oh Yula, I fethed up so bad. We had the train dead to rights, I swear it, Hex was helping me with the explosives. And they went off, but not enough, so the target was still alive." For a moment Daiya wasn't sure if Yula knew what she was talking about, but she couldn't manage all that now. Her eyes began to leak as the story continued to pour out of her. "It was a fething JEDI! Like, laser sword and everything, but instead of those weird robes she just has this purple thing on. I swear, it was supposed to be some Alliance bureaucrat or some chit, I didn't know it was gonna be a Jedi!"

She turned up her head, almost afraid of what she might see in Yula's eyes. "That's why I was coming to you. I was bringing her, the Jedi lady, so we could finish things. 'Cause, y'know, now she knew? I tried to tell her the Corpos were the ones who were trying to assassinate her, but I bet she knew the whole time and led me right to that Hunter. He had CorpSec with him, and he claimed it was just a job, but he had Corpo written all over him. It's what they do, right, the Corpos and the Jedi, working together to keep Denon like this? I wasn't gonna try anything, I was gonna get her out of there, all she had to do is use her laser sword on the Seccers and that leashed-up Hunter would've run."

"And then," Daiya took another breath of air. Was it her first since running into Yula? "And then the Jedi lady walked away, and I just shot one. I couldn't help it, the Seccer moved and I just blasted him. All dressed like this," the young shadowrunner waved a palm over her face and suit, "so now they got my face and they know everything. I'm fethed, Yula, I'm so fethed! The Corpos got everything on lockdown now, and I dunno where Hex or Brie or Cartri went now, 'cause they were at the start, and now there's all these Seccers everywhere and I lost the fething Jedi!"

Daiya's mouth ran dry, the words emptied out of her until she was left with nothing to do but stair plaintively at Yula's masked figure. Her eyes leaked, happy to take the place of her mouth, emptying tears that felt like they would never end. She didn't try to dry them, she didn't move to pick up her blaster, the teen just hung onto Yula and sobbed into the one person she thought could make it all right today.

 

[Ruby Jaxx]

Doc Painless | Anakin Stormrunner | Johnny Diamonds
​

"C'mon," Ruby urged as she got to her feet.

The others were taking their sweet time getting over the fence, so Ruby decided to move. "I'll scout ahead," she said, in a tone that was something above a harsh whisper, but below shouting. She gave the group a last glance over her shoulder and started to creep forward.

Ruby wasn't planning to go too far. Of course, if the way was clear, the opportunity to haul her own butt to safety was there. Though, the nagging voice in her head said not to leave anyone behind. After all, she wouldn't want to be left. As she moved, her eyes darted about. So far, so goo--

WHACK!

Something hit Ruby square in the chest. It knocked the air out of her lungs, and definitely broke the skin beneath her t-shirt. Another swing of the weapon caught her jaw, making her head turn sharply to the side. Everything was blurry. However, Ruby raised her blaster and fired -- the bolts hit something. It might have been the CorpSec goon or it might have been the dumpster nearby.

Ruby hit the ground, her eyes fixed and open... staring at nothing.

She was still breathing, yes, but she couldn't move. She couldn't even blink.

 

[Hargo Zur]

Samuel Exel Valery Noble Iris Arani Alicio Organa​

Clean-up Operations had already begun, with highly-trained Specialists & heavy-equipment operators flocking to the site of the bombing from all corners of District 7. The Commander of District 7 had made the request personally, and further directed nearly one hundred officers to form a perimeter around the affected area. Damage reports were already streaming in... and every one of them was worse than the last. Hargo had given up keeping track of them; he'd read the reports once the larger issues at-hand had been dealt with.

Namely, the fact that he'd heard absolutely nothing from his search teams as-to the whereabouts of the Senate Representative.

<<Requesting another squad to my location; we have a man down. Suspect is fleeing the scene, on-site team is in pursuit.>>

The kid was lucky she knew the right things to say to get him to neglect the chase. Or at least, choose the easier option over the harder one; he was sure he avoided a mess of a situation by allowing her to fire first, anyways. His priority was the higher bounty for the moment, not the lower one. Besides, the bust from earlier could cover some of that, anyways. With a wordless action, his commlink would tune once more.

<<Commander, this is Gorian. Finishing wrap-up on Baker’s Row, a weapons operation has been detained. I intercepted Valery Noble, and her Kidnapper - she seemed uncertain about who was responsible for the attack. I managed to convince her to leave the Kidnapper’s care.>> Helmet tilted aside, as the system of sensors and scanners do their job to keep his target ever-present in his sights. <<Kidnapper appeared to be young, colorful armor. The squadron I am with is after the kid while I handle the Target.>> Came his stern, curt words as he injected a stim into the downed officer. If they were still alive. Hopefully it could keep him alive long enough for the bird to get here.

<<Valery Noble is not cooperating with direct escort due to the confusion regarding the culprit. It will leave CorpSec with a better look to the Alliance if I do not try to force her directly, and instead ensure her safety and escort with a bit of distance. She seems to be making her way somewhere. I can manage this. Is this an acceptable guideline change for the bounty, Commander?>>

Suddenly, a communication from one of his contractors came through, priority-direct to Zur himself.

The Zabrak listened, snapping his fingers toward one of the analysts nearby & giving an order to dispatch a response team by AV toward the coordinates indicated. Zur tapped an icon on his screen and brought up the direct feed from the Bounty Hunter's helmet-cam; the shaky video was clear enough that the Commander could get an acceptable level of quality - enough for a near-positive ID. Zur keyed his personal mic and replied:

<<"Affirmative. Maintain visual contact with the Representative; I'm willing to meet if necessary to ensure her safety under the care of CorpSec. Protect her at all costs, but do not attempt to take her into custody.">>

With haste, CorpSec officers begin to converge on the region of District 7 where Samuel Exel 's request had originated from. Numerous CorpSec AVs were already en-route, each crewed by full squads of heavily-armed & armored troops... their one objective, to secure, contain, capture, or (if necessary) kill the one person they could directly identify as a member of Darkwire. The blonde-haired girl with pink highlights would be their scapegoat; destined for a mock trial upon-which they'd pin every crime perpetrated by Darkwire in the past six months.

If she survived long enough, she would never see the free world again.

Already, Zur was considering recommending the prisoner be remanded into the custody of Sarvod Dravis & The Red Hand Troopers. But first, they had to track her down...

Daiya Yula Perl​

 

[Das]

Location: Seven Corners, Denon
Objective 1: In the Pale Sunlight
Soundtrack: Uprising
Tags: Darkwire Shadow;
OPEN to DARKWIRE AGENTS

Even with G1D30N’s cryptic invitation and Nim’s trail of clues, Das hardly knew where to begin.

Searching the HoloNet yielded very little in the way of viable information, but it did stir her curiosity. Naturally, the ‘Tombs’ came up to be a moniker. But when cross-referenced with a few hits on the CryptNet, Das began to paint an eerie picture…

… whatever happened to the Tombs is something CorpSec went to great lengths to hide.

Das was so engrossed in her holopad that she hardly noticed the loudness of the street ahead. It wasn’t until a shrill cry rang out that she snapped her gaze up.

A loud voice boomed from a megaphone, “Stand down, now! This is your last chance. Turn around and go home!”

The teen lowered her stance to a crouch, sneaking forward against the alley wall until she had a better view of the roadway ahead. What she saw made her swallow hard.

Dozens of beings stood in the street, signs and banners in-hand. Some even held blasters and stun guns. Das struggled to lay eyes on what they were focused on, until the megaphone sounded off again.

The form of a woman lay crumpled in the ground, just meters away from a large Corpo soldier. His back was strapped with a nefarious device, something that seemed to power the strange weapon he was toting.

It looked like a slugthrower, but there was no sign of blood on the duracrete. No scent of blaster-burn in the air, either.

“What the hell…?” Das muttered.

“For your safety, you are ordered to return to your homes and wait until further instructions are given-“

“Fuck that!” a woman’s voice interjected.

“Fuck that, and FUCK CORPSEC!”

A heavy glass bottle left her fingertips, flying through the air, a bright flame adorning its linen-stoppered neck. It smashed into one of the riot police, engulfing his gear in fire. All at once, the people charged forward, only to crash into a strong wall of riot shields.

Das clung to the corner, peering from behind the safety of the duracrete building as her eyes took in the gut-wrenching scene. It instantly brought her to the infamous Denon Riots.

People marching through the streets, CorpSec showing it’s true colors… and her parents. They’d gone to join the protests before things turned violent. It was the last time she saw them. Their names were never released in a list of casualties, whether it be in ‘official’ corporate newsfeeds or through Darkwire channels.

They just vanished.

Her attention was pulled back by the heavily-armed soldier as he stepped into the fray, the barrel of his cannon charging up for a staggering blast. The sonic wave he unleashed reverberated through the crowd, dropping the rioters to their knees.

An ear-splitting pulse struck her before she could duck into the cover of the alleyway.

Das fell backward, the breath knocked from her lungs. Her head was pounding, the pain worse than anything she’d felt before. She raised her shaky fingers to her right ear, smearing the thin streak of blood that trickled down her face.

A jolt of panic struck as she realized the painful ringing wasn’t audible on that side.

“Chit!” she huffed, scrambling to her feet.

If the lockdown had already come to blows here, she shuddered to think of what was happening in the rest of the Corners.

She scooped up her holopad, brushing it off as she turned and backtracked away from the riot.

“Stick to the alleys, find the Tombs,” Das instructed herself, trying to keep her thoughts straight over the ringing in her ear.

She pulled her hood over her head, checked her Night Sniper, and kept her eyes low.

There had to be something she could use to find the Tombs.

 

[Yula Perl]

Yula hadn't expected Daiya to recognize her from behind the get-up right away, but she didn't expect to find the muzzle of a blaster pressed against her chest. Her gaze followed the finger nestled against the trigger up to Daiya's face, a picture of fear and desperation.

She'd tensed on instinct, and the weapon clattered to the ground a moment later. Yula struggled to catch Daiya as the girl collapsed into her arms, rubbing soothing circles against her back while she ran through her frantic explanation of how she'd found herself in this particular situation.

From behind the mask, Yula drew in a slow, heavy breath. Daiya's emotions stirred the Force chaotically around them, and Yula could feel her own mood start to shift into something darker and more agitated. Becoming easily influenced by the feelings of those around you could be a bane or a boon to a natural empath. It made parties far more fun, but it became difficult to concentrate in desperate situations without self-discipline.

Daiya and Hex were involved in an assassination plot? An Alliance official….purple robes…? Jedi? No, it couldn't be. Force, who else could it be?

...Daiya killed someone?

A gloved hand pressed against the cracked edges of her helmet, and Yula worked the mask over the top of her head. The Zeltron's sharp features had hardened in concentration, but there was an edge of sympathy in how the muscles around her eyes creased.

"Holy shit."

Out of all the thoughts that flew through Yula's mind, that one was at the forefront. She continued to rub awkward circles on the girl's back as the younger shadowrunner sobbed for a few moments longer before pulling back to meet Daiya's gaze, grasping the girl firmly by both shoulders.

"This is a lot Daiya, a fucking lot." Should she tell her that everything would be okay? Yula didn't know if she could promise that. So much was still up in the air with the lockdown. "The guy you shot, did you stick around long enough to know if he died?" She guessed not, and that CorpSec would retaliate regardless. If Daiya had killed him, that would only make it worse.

Yula's head snapped in the direction she'd come, acutely wary of the danger they were still in. She chewed the inside of her cheek.

"Hey, Daiya. Hey, listen, c'mon." Words came with a forced gentleness, the urgency of the situation leaking through her tone. "You've been through fuckin' hell, I'm glad you called me. This is a lot to process, and we'll talk about it all later once we're somewhere safe. I'm gonna do my best to help you untangle this mess, but right now I need you to focus for just a little longer until we get to the Tombs, yeah? Can you do that, Daiya?"

Yula had knelt down, one hand still at Daiya's shoulder and the other grasping the side of her arm, squeezing tightly with reassurance. "Then we'll eat Gluk noodles and watch old reruns of Deputy Law." The whites of her teeth flashed in a cheesy grin. She stood, keeping a hand on Daiya's shoulder and using the other to wave the forgotten blaster into her grasp.

"This aint my first rodeo, but we need to move. Now." Her tone was stern, but encouraging. Yula handed Daiya the weapon.

"That Jedi lady, is she Valery Noble? Is she hurt?"

Daiya Valery Noble Samuel Exel Hargo Zur

 

[Lossa Aureus]

Location: LEAVING FRACTAL STATE BASE, WAREHOUSE TUNNELS, DISTRICT 7 TWILIGHT LEVEL
Equipment: Danger Jacket, Outfit, Discreet Hearing Enhancer - Left Ear, Long Handled Double Lightsaber, Concealed Sling Bag
Tags: Makko Vyres

Her legs kept pedaling madly as the door shut, and the whole lift rocking with the muted whoomf of an explosion on the other side. Arms and hands pushing her backwards all the while Makko spoke up. Useless with her back pressed to the wall.

Her stomach burned, lungs ablaze as calm of the aftermath began to set in.

She blinked, wincing against the sting while her mouth began to move. Something wet on her tongue causing her to gag. Forearm swiping away the sweat-

Even through a half closed eye she could see the blood smeared across the jacket.

I'm bleeding. A lot!

Her hand trembled, her whole body slowly shivering before hand and body shook with such vigor she felt like a vibroblade. The sequence of events slowly settling in to her rational mind as the need to survive fell away.

"That. That was a grenade! That was a fething grenade! Makko they-That was trying to kill us! A grenade! I. In an-. For wh-." She was struggling to form a thought as she felt herself settle against the back of the lift.

She'd survived. Against...

Her arms wrapped around her knees, trying to stave off the tears. Stinging the already bruising corner of her eye as she choked on her words between the hiccups and rasping breaths.

"I didn't e-didn't. Even do. Anything!? Why!? Why!? Why all of-all of this!?" Her whole body tensed as she tried to breath, hands shaking violently against the grip she had around her knees.

Her nose felt plugged, feeding into the already tight feeling in her chest as she took a heaving breath, feeling as though the next breath would never come. Eyes opening wide with shock as her hands let loose of each other and tried to pull her jacket off frantically.

 

[Makko Vyres]

She hadn't done anything. Fractal State had been carrying out a campaign of activity to defraud corporations of credits and disrupt their activities. He hadn't outlined the risks in real detail to Lossa because they had never cracked down on the district like this.

Normally they would pick up some sign of a raid well ahead of schedule, but that would have been noise in the virtual ether. Murdering the two corpsec staff that had knocked on the door had definitely made everything worse.

"Sit still," he told Lossa, dropping to his haunches in front of her. Makko was fairly empathetic, but about as effective as anyone his age at calming someone down.

Makko placed one hand on her shoulder, the other one her cheek. He tilted her head from side to side without asking permission.

"You're alright, split your lip," he said. "Just breathe."

"They were frightened cos of what happened to the other two. That's not your fault but they didn't fuck around. It's my fault you got caught in this but we'll get...way away from here. Alright?"