Rum Runner
The streets of Coruscant bustled with life pretty much all hours of the day and night. It was the latter, and Veda could use some rest. But things to do, people to see. Person to see, rather. And that person was none other than the Jedi Master
Valery Noble
.
He flipped up the collar of his jacket as he moved through the maze, partially to protect himself from the unusual wind in the tightly controlled artificial atmosphere, and partially to protect his identity from any nosy passers-by. The city-planet hosted trillions of residents and just as many visitors at any given time. The chances of some random pedestrian recognizing him was probably pretty low. But not all of the pedestrians were random. The cartels had eyes and ears everywhere, and Veda was a known entity in that community.
The outlaw was fresh in from Nar Shaddaa, where he had acquired some very interesting information in exchange for a quick smuggling job. Credits, too, of course. But it was that information that brought him to the core. Noble would be interested in what he’d found out. Veda despised people who dealt in human lives. Slavers. Taking entire families, children and all, separating them, putting them in camps, mines, factories, brothels. The thought left a foul taste in his mouth. He knew Noble felt that way and more. That it was going on right under the Alliance’s nose would come as a shock to her. The Jedi let the powerful and elite get away with a lot, but they — specifically, she — would not look the other way when she saw what he had. She would go in lightsaber first and take this down from the inside. Veda would be right beside her.
He ducked down an alley and paused after several meters, looking back to see if anyone followed him in. The coast was clear. He continued walking, turning down a second alley and through a marked doorway. He bounded up the stairs two at a time, reaching the second floor landing when he heard the door open and shut below. Not good. Had he been that sloppy? He cut around the corner and drew his knife from its sheath on his belt. Then he pressed his back against the wall, listening to the footsteps below, waiting to take the stalker when they turned the corner.
Valery Noble
.He flipped up the collar of his jacket as he moved through the maze, partially to protect himself from the unusual wind in the tightly controlled artificial atmosphere, and partially to protect his identity from any nosy passers-by. The city-planet hosted trillions of residents and just as many visitors at any given time. The chances of some random pedestrian recognizing him was probably pretty low. But not all of the pedestrians were random. The cartels had eyes and ears everywhere, and Veda was a known entity in that community.
The outlaw was fresh in from Nar Shaddaa, where he had acquired some very interesting information in exchange for a quick smuggling job. Credits, too, of course. But it was that information that brought him to the core. Noble would be interested in what he’d found out. Veda despised people who dealt in human lives. Slavers. Taking entire families, children and all, separating them, putting them in camps, mines, factories, brothels. The thought left a foul taste in his mouth. He knew Noble felt that way and more. That it was going on right under the Alliance’s nose would come as a shock to her. The Jedi let the powerful and elite get away with a lot, but they — specifically, she — would not look the other way when she saw what he had. She would go in lightsaber first and take this down from the inside. Veda would be right beside her.
He ducked down an alley and paused after several meters, looking back to see if anyone followed him in. The coast was clear. He continued walking, turning down a second alley and through a marked doorway. He bounded up the stairs two at a time, reaching the second floor landing when he heard the door open and shut below. Not good. Had he been that sloppy? He cut around the corner and drew his knife from its sheath on his belt. Then he pressed his back against the wall, listening to the footsteps below, waiting to take the stalker when they turned the corner.
