Just a Job

[Rosa]

[SIZE=11pt]Larisa dug her hands a little deeper into her pockets and tucked into the wall a little harder as rain collected in pools all across the street. The hood wasn’t waterproof, but between it and her thick hair, she could trick herself into thinking she was staying dry. Her stomach rumbled loudly but she ignored it, keeping her eyes fixed on the club’s entrance opposite her, food would come after she’d completed the job. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]A hundred bodies raced between her hiding spot in the alley and the neon lights that illuminated the entrance of Club Eternity, scurrying to get to their destination beneath large umbrellas or thick coats. A pair of young girls caught her eye, scantily clad and screeching as they ran in shoes that shouldn’t have been possible to run in, rain ruining their makeup, yet their faces full of glee. Privileged, without the worry of how they were to keep warm or where there next meal would come from. She felt a stab of hateful jealousy and snapped her gaze back to the clubs entrance.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]The comm in her ear buzzed, a useful, yet incredibly annoying tool. It had been so much more peaceful when she was unreachable except in person. Digging a dry hand out to answer she found her mood darkening further as she returned it to the depths of her pocket wet, soon the damp would set in and the cold would come.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]“Yes?”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]“The illustrious Tojua would like to know why you have not reported in yet.” Larisa rolled her eyes at the translator droids voice. She wondered if they were programmed to blow smoke up hutts backsides or whether the fear of dismantling and deactivation drove them to their ridiculous praises.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]“Because there is nothing to….” she trailed off as her subject appeared in the doorway, glanced over the street and headed north. “I’ll call you back.” Larisa waited until the river of people had almost carried him out of site before slipping out from her hiding place and joining the flow. She snaked between people to close the gap to ten people between him and her. Close enough to see, but not too close that she could be easily noticed. She kept her head low, and her hands deep in those pockets. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Just another scruffy teenager enduring the downpour.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Her stomach rumbled a little louder.[/SIZE]

 

[Jairus Starvald]

[member="Larisa Young"]

The man had a thick leather jacket covering his neck from the downpour.

Angry red hair that you could just about make out, whenever he took a corner. No weapons or silhouettes of 'em as far as anyone could see. Didn't mean there wasn't a hold-out blaster somewhere tucked away, but nothing with any serious firepower. Presumably. Hopefully. The stride of the man was unhurried. It didn't seem to be affected by the raging rain or the thick crowds pressing here and there. Unhurried, yes, but with clear purpose. It didn't take long, before he settled down in an alcove. The single fire blossom from the tip of a cigarette illuminated his face briefly.

Scarred, nose recently set and still healing, laughing lines though plenty.

Somehow their eyes met briefly- or maybe that was just her imagination, because a moment later the moment was over and those grey eyes scanned past her. Just another urchin in the streets.

Nothing to worry about.

Someone passed the red-haired man. It was over before it happened. Something had been passed to him, already disappearing into the folds of his coat. Two heartbeats and he slipped into the alleyway next to him. Suddenly hurrying now. Fast, fast. Already the thick working boots making up bursts of water, as they punched like pistons against the water puddles.

 

[Rosa]

[SIZE=11pt]Larisa had seen a thousand exchanges like it, some clumsy and less discreet. She passed where he paused and doubled back to watch. Now she was exposed, moving against the flow like a fish swimming upriver eyes one her subject. If he looked up now he'd see her plain as day. She reached for the comlink in her ear. "The exchange has been made."[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]"The incredible-”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]“Make it snappy, tincan.”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]There was a brief pause. “Follow him.”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Larisa watched him turn and pick up his pace. “Aw seriously?!”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]“Seriously, the magnificent Tojua will double your pay.”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Larisa didn’t need telling twice, double the money meant double the food. Double the money got her one step closer to getting out. She was not however, so stupid as to follow him directly. She dashed for the building he’d been waiting against, ducking beneath the arms of security gaurd she headed for the emergency stairs and bolted up, her legs burning. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]The thought of the money kept her moving to the top, slamming her shoulder against the roof door she bolted to the edge and scanned, heart in her throat, hands trembling slightly. Running on low blood sugar was no joke. She caught a flash of red hair as he turned a corner and laid the map of Corscant’s back alleys out in her mind.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]“He’s heading for the eastern docks.”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]“Stay with him.”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]She made a noise of annoyance, back peddled several spaces and made a running jump for the next building, landing with practised ease and bolting in the same direction as the subject.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]She was going to buy herself a burger with all the extras. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]The thought of it made her mouth water and she pushed harder, clearing another alley and matching his pace on the rooftops above, still behind, but never out of sight.[/SIZE]

[member="Lyneon Typhe"]

 

[Jairus Starvald]

[member="Larisa Young"]

It wasn't clear what happened.

One moment he was hurrying and walking. The next he just froze up.

Nothing happened besides that.

Just the figure staying there in the middle of the alleyway. Mid-stride. He didn't look up, didn't turn around, didn't do anything. See, Lyn was a forcer, sure. But he wasn't some kind of Jedi. Not a Sith. His training hadn't been some kind of temple-affiliated rundown from the day he could walk. It had been haphazard. Men and women who had a similar philosophy to him. Same belief. Spacers. He had been introduced to the society (if you could call it that) by the time he had been a grown man already. Might have screwed a bit with his talents.

One thing that Lyn was good at though?

Trusting his gut feeling.

There was something scratching at his back. Like someone was low-key stabbing him with a razor blade. Scratching at his neck. This... usually... meant someone was paying attention to him. Not just the general vibe of it, but actual interest. A beat. Then suddenly Lyneone shifted left and lunged into a nearby building. Away from that stare and out of sight.

 

[Rosa]

A stream of swear words utterly inappropriate for someone her age tumbled from her lips as he disappeared into the adjacent building. She had three options, report that she’d been rumbled, patrol the entrances from above, or follow him. She did not like the outcomes for any of them.

How had he known? He’d simply stopped, like he….she cursed again. Damn forcers. She sat on the rooftop edge and caught her breath. “Okay….”she said aloud, tucking her legs beneath her and getting back to her feet. Her mind map lay out before her once more. Three exits, not counting windows, one in front of her, one on the other side that led onto the main street, and the rooftop.

“The admirable Tojua wants an update.”

Larisa paused. “He’s in Opium Court, went in the back, i can’t watch every entrance.” She could hear the hutt in the background yelling and winced.

“The honourable Tojua insists you follow him.”

“Feth that.”

“The phenomenal Tojua would like me to remind you that failure will result in consequences pertaining to your life.”

“So, what your telling me is that I can die at the hands of whoever this guy is, or I can die at the hands of a slimy hutt.” The hutts laughter was enough of an answer for her. So much for that burger.

Larisa turned her back on the building crossed the roof she was on by several paces, turned and took a running jump.

She missed the roof and smashed through one of the upper floor windows, tucking and rolling she came to a stop sprawled like a cat. She stayed for a second allowing her eyes to adjust to the dim light.

[member="Lyneon Typhe"]

 

[Jairus Starvald]

[member="Larisa Young"]

Lights filtered through the shattered remains of the window behind her.

Crates.

Everywhere.

They reached up to the sky... or the ceiling anyway. In the distance you could just about make out the contours of a song being played. The Court had music day and night, but that was the least of their carnal pleasures. The sins they sold to the highest bidder. Hopefully for all of them involved, they wouldn't have to descend down there. It was a sight unpleasant at the best of days.

"I don't often like people following me." A voice murmured through the shadows. "You are a bit young, but I reckon they gotta start recruiting early these days, no?"

The accent was thick and heavy, but not difficult to make-out.

A lazy drawl, is what it was, scratched up by cigarette smoke and alcohol.

"Whatcha want, girl?"

Even if she tried it was difficult to pin-point the source of the voice. It seemed to come from here and there. Up and down. Various points, constantly being mixed up. If she didn't know better it almost felt like he was running around from one corner of the room to the next. Just to make things a bit more difficult. She already knew he was a forcer though.

Those probably had better ways of figuring chit out.

 

[Rosa]

Larisa felt her heart in her throat and remained perfectly still as her spoke. People never asked her that question, then again it was incredibly rare for her to be noticed in the first place. Her eyes darted to each corner of the room as he spoke carefully assessing shadows as she rose slowly to her feet.

She knew that Tojua’s goons would be on their way, she estimated that she had at least five minutes, but could she keep him talking that long?

“From you?” she countered. “Nothin’. I jus’ wanna live.” She closed her eyes and listened hard, she listened beyond the soft creaking of crates exposed to fresh air, beyond the soft drip of water from her clothes, beyond the blood rushing in ears and her own breath.

Instead she listened for his breath, for his heartbeat, for the creak of his leather jacket and for the water gathering in small pools at his feet. Subconsciously she turned her body to face where he was, consciously she backed away.

“How d’you know? You din’t see me.”

[member="Lyneon Typhe"]

 

[Jairus Starvald]

[member="Larisa Young"]

...but you see me, huh.

Forcer, too, then.

But probably not one that was aware of it, 'cus if she had been aware? She would have faced her body to him. Tipping him off with that. An experiment happened within the next two seconds. Suddenly something was flung out of the shadows. Unless Larisa dodged quickly- an apple would hit her straight in the face. Soft one, a couple of days old, but still okay to eat mostly.

"Din' have to, little sister of d'streets." Lyn drawled, before detaching himself from the shadows and sauntering over. Still making a decent amount of distance. No point in trying to spook her too much.

"Ya be loud, y'know. It's all that pent-up hunger and frustration ya life ain't be yours."

Like most urchins. Just roll around, do what you're told and hope you get paid at the end of the day.

"How many be coming, eh? I will throw in a credit chit and you'll be on your way."

 

[Rosa]

Her hand snapped up, catching the apple, though she seemed surprised to have an apple in her hand. Not only did he ask her what she wanted but he was giving her food. She stared at it, rolling it slightly in her hand mind working quickly. She took half a step back as he moved from the shadows, tense and ready to run at the drop of a hat. The only thing that kept her where she was was the thought of that burger and her gut.

“Bullshid. I ain’ loud. Your a forcer. Tha’s how you knew.”

She snorted at the offer of a credit chit. “Credit chit don’ stop me from dying if I talk.”

She licked her lips. In two minutes she would have to dive for cover and hope she survived. Street urchins were expendable, it was no one’s loss if they got caught in crossfire. This man wasn’t looking to kill Larisa though, the apple in her hand solidified that fact.

“Take me with you.”

The words were out of her mouth before she’d had time to contemplate them.

[member="Lyneon Typhe"]

 

[Jairus Starvald]

[member="Larisa Young"]

A shrug.

"I be that too, sure, but ya still loud."

Smart kid too, because half of 'em would taken the credit chit. Why not? Free money was free money, no? Those were the ones that didn't survive for very long on the street in his experience. Fact that she caught the apple? Forcer, for sure. Now that Lyn was closer to her, he could feel it. Marginally. Wasn't a Jedi, after all. It ain't like he could just snuff it out from an entire crowd.

Basically had to be on top of it to really notice.

It was just an extra shine to it.

"Kid, you don't know who I am, what I do for a living or anything else." Gesture pointed to that apple. "Could be poisoned for all ya know." Well, it wasn't, but that wasn't the point of it all.

"What use do I have for ya?"

Sure, a forcer kid, but Lyn didn't see himself like a teacher or anything. What was the point of it?

 

[Rosa]

“No one wastes somethin’ as expensive as poison on an urchin, if you wanted me dead, i’d be dead.”

She glared at him. “You were headin’ for the docks, you ain’ a regular and boss is super agitated to get you, which means you got a ride off this shidhole. I know my game. I ain’ stupid. Take. Me. With. You.”

Screams and shouts echoed from the lower levels, and Larisa’s face fell. She glanced over her shoulder at the window she’d come in through. If she jumped back out she could hit the emergency stairs on the other side, halfway down the alley was a sewage covering that led straight to the docks.

Larisa looked back at him. “I don’ want nothing else, jus’ get me out...Please.”

[member="Lyneon Typhe"]

 

[Jairus Starvald]

[member="Larisa Young"]

Head tilted as the sounds reached his ear.

It didn't take much creativity to gauge the time left.

Minute or two, they'd rush on up and then it would be a blood bathe. Could Lyn take them? Maybe, it depended on just how much firepower they had grabbed with them. The room with the crates had enough shadows to be a menace. The risk was too big though. Not with the kid here, she'd be killed the moment the bullets started flying. That was the realization that made the decision for him.

Urchin or not, little criminal or not, he wasn't going to have innocent blood on his hands.

His responsibility now- "Fine," Lyn muttered, before suddenly bursting into motion. He was faster than he looked. His arms already around her, lifting her up and protecting her as he ran.

The jump onto the window railing, then pushing himself off.

His leap took them across the bottom of the street and got them to the other side, where she had started off in the first place. They landed awkwardly though. Her extra weight causing him to misjudge them just a little bit. Lyn tripped up, sending them both sprawling. "Ah chit, that looked cooler in my head." He admitted sheepishly, before pushing himself back up his feet.

"How many of 'em gonna be waiting at the docks, y'think?" He asked as he peered over the ledge.

Trying to judge how long before those fethers would be top floorside.

 

[Rosa]

Larisa grazed a knee and shot him an irritated look. “I ain’ a baby, I can jump jus’ as good withou’ bein’ carried.” She was already on her feet on the opposite side, she paused with one leg over the edge realising he wasn’t behind her.

“Hey! Dumbass! Run and think.”

She dropped over the edge, landing with a clang on the staircase, she grabbed the ladder hanging from it and kicked it to life. The wind rushing past her as she descended reminding her just how cold she was going to be when she stopped. The ladders feet hit the ground with a jolt that ran through her legs and made her let go.

She reached to her ear and pulled the commlink free, tossing it down the street. She didn’t trust Tojua not to do something as vile as put explosives in her ear. The splash of boots told her he’d caught up. “Come on.” she padded to the heavy metal cover and heaving it clear.

“Don’. Matter. How. Many.” she strained before letting the cover go when the gap was wide enough for her to fit into. “I can get us past.” She disappeared down into the dark. “Close it behind you!” she shouted up.

[member="Lyneon Typhe"]

 

[Jairus Starvald]

[member="Larisa Young"]

A blink and then Lyn followed along.

The girl was fast on her feet, even he had some trouble following along, until they got to the ground. Where she was- oh, no. Noooo, no nooo. "Whatcha mean dun ma-" By then the girl already plopped down into the gorram sewers. He stared down for a moment. Maybe it was better to just go through all those guns. What was the worst thing that could happen after al-

Larisa shouted something ugly (muffled, but distinctly impolite) and Lyn sighed.

Seemed he was karked one way or the other. A moment later he was dropping down the hole, closing the cover behind him. Much easier than it had been for the girl, but even Lyn had to struggle with it for a moment.

The smell of the sewer hit him almost immediately.

It was dark here, the only lights coming from the manholes up on the ceiling. Little ones that filtered through some shimmers here and there. The sewers were divided in two parts by the sewerage itself. Chit was swimming in it. Literally, but also critters of unknown origins. "Ah feth, this ain't how i was seeing my day go." Lyn muttered, before he accidentally bumped into Larisa.

He grabbed her by the shoulder, before she would unceremoniously be dropped into the sewerage by the bump.

"Sorry, lass. What now?"

 

[Rosa]

Larisa listened for a moment, giving him another annoyed look. “This way.” she said quietly. “An; keep your voice down, even the sewers have bosses.” She moved away at a steady jog, her mind map laid carefully out ahead of her. She knew which buildings they were passing, which manhole led up to which street, how many times had she taken the sewers to avoid detection?

Somewhere in the distance an explosion echoed and she smiled to herself. “Well, the magnificent Tojua knows his tracker is no longer his.” She picked up the pace, but continued talking in a low voice. “He prolly has your ship being watched, assumin’ you came on your own ship. Bu’ judgin’ by that boom, we got maybe….a two minute head start.”

The tunnel narrowed and the ceiling became lower as they got closer, eventually coming to what came to a dead end. Larisa took a deep breath and exhaled slowly before sitting and sliding into the sewage up to waist height, the tunnel continued, but without the luxury of their little sidewalk.

She caught the look on his face in the low light. “Don’ be such a princess. Stinkin’ is better than dyin’. ‘Sides, its only for a few meters.”
This way they would come up inside the docks, skip security and any eyes watching the entrance.

[member="Lyneon Typhe"]

 

[Jairus Starvald]

[member="Larisa Young"]

"....I really hate everything about this, as long as ya realize da."

It took Lyn a few more moments, before he followed along. This was noooot how he had been expecting this day to go. One moment he was smoking a cigarette and following up on a lead. The next he was suddenly being forced to crawl through... ugh. Sewage. It smelled like actual chit here. How much worse would it be swimming around in it? It was something he didn't wanna think about too much.

"I liked these boots."

A quick mutter, before he carefully slid into it himself.

Lyn shuddered. It was wet, cold, already it was filling up his boots. The smell assaulting him from every side. Something swimming against his leg. Oh, my feth, he thought to himself. This was absolutely terrible.

There was a murfle from between clenched teeth, because right now Lyn wasn't going to talk. Opening his mouth would equal to throwing up. That was for sure.

He crawled after her, until eventually they reached the other side. There was a manhole in the distance. The noise muffled, but there as all the sewage was expelled through it. The drift was harder here. He followed along as Larisa climbed out. Wrinkling his nose as the fresh air mixed with the less fresh air. "They can smell us a mile away, y'know that, right?" He whispered as they moved out. The outside's air was good. But he couldn't help but smell himself through it all. It was.... ugh. The noises of the spaceport greeted them and Lyn scanned their surroundings.

Trying to figure out where his ship was from... well... here.

"I landed at B-20," A quick murmur to her. "Know how to get there from here?"

 

[Rosa]

Larisa rolled her eyes. “Such a Princess.” she muttered walking towards the B docks. A glance over her shoulder at him and a jerk of her head and he was following her again. Her heart was beating hard in her chest, realisation dawning in her.

She was leaving.

She was finally getting out.

Tojua wouldn’t waste time tracking her because she was expendable, she held no secrets. Just another pawn, she’d never be able to come back and that made her happier than anything else. She worked hard not to smile, celebration before the end was a jinx.

They rounded a corner to B20 and her ride away from hell.

[member="Lyneon Typhe"]

 

[Jairus Starvald]

[member="Larisa Young"]

"Yeah, a gorram gorgeous Princess full of chit." He muttered behind her as he tried his best to shake off the nasty feeling.

Difficult thing to do.

Anyway, lady knew where they were going, so that was totally fine.

Maybe if his nostrils weren't full of the scent of chit it would have turned out differently. Might have felt it in the Force. The itch, currently in his brow. Instead though, they both walked up to the platform of his ship. Immediately coming face to face with five thugs and a holo-projection of Tojua gloating behind them. The droid was standing a bit off the side.

Clearly uncomfortable with the prospect of battle.

"The Magnificent Tojua is exulted to finally come face to face with Captain Typhe!" The droid said on the backdrop of Tojua's hearty laughter. "And he is even more pleased that you brought the wayward miss Young with him, fabulous."

"Absolutely fabulous."

A pause.

The Hutt said something in Huttese, which made the droid nod quickly.

"Hand over the chip and the girl. We will take your ship too, but the magnificent Tojua is feeling generous, so he will spare your life if you do not cause any ruckus."

 

[Rosa]

Larisa’s first response was to turn around and run. She played it out in her head and knew that she’d be dead before she’d taken two steps, Her second was to step away from the Captain, just out of arm's reach incase he made a grab for her to hand her over.

“He’s lying. He’ll kill us both.” she whispered.

She’d been so close, so very very close. This was why you never celebrated early. She took another careful step to the side, earning a shout from one of the thugs. “Move another step, and i’ll redecorate the hull with you’re pretty little brains.”

An idea dawned on her and she stepped forward again. “I’m warning you!” he yelled.

Tojua yelled something, something along the lines of ‘Mine!’. She smiled inwardly, but kept her face full of fear, lifting her hands high. “I’m sorry. He made me, he was going to kill me!” she felt her voice tremble, let tears rolls down her cheeks and took another step forward. “I’m on your side.” Another step.

The gun wavered, she took another step bringing her within huggin distance, and let out a sob. The gun dropped.

Idiot.

She hugged him, crying loudly and the thug patted her awkwardly. One hand took his blaster from his hip the other wrapped around and activated a thermal detonator. She stepped back with both, pointing the blaster at his head and holding the slowly beeping detonator high for all to see.

If they shot her, she would drop it and they would all die. The chip would be destroyed and she would be free, one way or the other. Her hand shook, if there was anytime for the Captain to move, it was now.

[member="Lyneon Typhe"]

 

[Jairus Starvald]

[member="Larisa Young"]

No chit, he was lying, miss obvious.

That didn't mean it didn't create a pathway of sorts. There was no way Lyn was giving up the chip... or drop the girl into the Hutt lap. Maybe, maybe, if it had been just the chip, he might have bargained for the girl to stay with him then. It would have been a stupid deal. The chip was worth far more than the girl. Didn't mean it wouldn't have been the right deal to make though.

Sometimes what was right and what was dumb stayed together closer than Lyn would have like-

The girl started moving.

"Girl, are yo-" BLINK BLINK. Oh, that little chit. He looked up to the heavens... or at least the darkness that suggested the next level up. The port was just beneath the general transit pipe that would lead out to the surface. Just as Lyn thought he was completely karked- it turned out they were all completely karked, because the girl was a maniac.

BLINK BLINK BLINK

Oh, chit.

In that moment, span of a breath, all their attention was on the smol lady with the gorram grenade.

Not on the big man behind her.

His hand slipped into his pocket, pulled out the handle of his electro-staff. Everything slowed down, everything turned brighter and suddenly Lyneon was a blur. Launching himself around the girl into the thugs. The electro-staff whirring. Taking down the first two, before a blaster was shot. Then it turned into a mad dash and completely utter bonkers chaos.

Lyn loved every moment of it.