Private The Bad and the Ugly

[Todblaz Graker]

Location: Ord Vaug
Tags: Lily Rhodes

Tod discreetly observed the small crowd passing by the entrance of the alley, patiently waiting for the opportune moment to slip through unnoticed. As they cleared the path, he slipped through to the dark area where a trio of men who were standing and talking. Their conversation was about a new ship that was being made, but Tod could only catch short snippets of what they were saying as he nonchalantly approached, hands casually tucked into his pockets.

Suddenly, one of them spotted Tod and pointed him out, prompting the man on the right to disappear deeper into the alley. The remaining two turned their attention toward Tod, the tall one issuing a cautionary command, "That's close enough."

Tod halted, glancing around and detecting subtle movements on the alley's rooftops. "Eyes on us," remarked the short man with the backpack. "What's for dinner?"

Recognizing the prearranged code, Tod replied, "Sorry, I only have jellyfruits." The response elicited nods between the two hooded figures, with the tall one gesturing for Tod to continue forward. Despite his proximity, Tod struggled to discern their faces under the hooded attire, characteristic of this particular group of traders.

"Do you have the money?" inquired the short one.

"Do you have the girl?" Tod countered.

"We send her to the destination when you pay us, not before."

Left with no choice, Tod retrieved a bag of credits from his pocket, its faint jingle audible upon movement. These credits were provided by the man who had hired him for this delicate task. Handing the bag to the short man, he meticulously counted the credits. The men were holding a businessman's wife hostage, and Tod had been tasked with delivering the ransom. As he exchanged the money, Tod's gaze flickered upward, sensing shadows moving along the tops of the walls. Yet, the street lamp's glare obstructed his view, rendering the rooftop shapes elusive.

 

[Lily Rhodes]

The job description had been deliberately vague, she had a sneaking suspicion that whatever these people were up to. it was far from legal. But then out here, few things were. Jobs were scarce when you weren't a mercenary or a smuggler, but Lily was finding a niche for herself as a thief and as a warning beacon. The last two jobs had gone down without bloodshed, her telepathy gave her the skills she needed for reading intention, she'd been able to spot the turncloak before he'd had a chance to shoot any of them in the back, and also been able to stop a bystander from doing something they deemed heroic.

Desperate times, made for desperate people. But Lily didn't think the group that currently had her on payroll were bad they were just...misguided. They kept her out of the loop for most things, pulling her into situations like this, so she could warn them if a deal was about to go south. Shuffling her position on the roof her eyes widened at the mention of a girl and she turned to stare at the man on her left.

"You guys kidnapped someone?!" she hissed.

"Shut up and do your job, reader."

An uneasy feeling ran over her, but she turned her attention the the group below. Extending her mind to bush against the merc messenger below. "He's good." she said after a moment. "But seriously, did you kidnap someone?" He ignored her, so Lily reached for the answers in other methods. Flashes passed her mind, a girl, not much younger than her, bound, with terror in her eyes and-

Lily recoiled. She shouldn't have looked. Chewing her lip nervously she leaned forward again to watch the scene below.

Todblaz Graker

 

[Todblaz Graker]

Location: Ord Vaug
Tags: Lily Rhodes

A sudden clicking noise echoed behind Tod, drawing the attention of all three individuals in the alley. Quick to recognize the threat, Tod instinctively pulled the short man in front of him just as an explosion rocked the entrance to the alley, propelling everyone backward. As Tod rose to his feet, he faced the aftermath of the blast, realizing his former shield had been torn apart by shrapnel.

The chaos escalated as an officer appeared, firing down the alley. Simultaneously, gunfire erupted from the surrounding buildings and the alley entrance, signaling a fierce shootout between the traders and the world's police force. In the midst of the mayhem, Tod, now on the move, felt a sharp pain in his leg. Glancing down, he discovered a piece of shrapnel embedded in the limb. Wincing, he yanked it out, covering the wound with his hand, and began limping out of the alley.

Blaster shots whizzed over his head as the skirmish spilled into the adjacent buildings. Tod, now armed with his revolver, scanned for an exit. A nearby door swung open, and an assailant inside opened fire on him. Reacting swiftly, Tod raised his pistol and fired, clipping the man in the head, causing his body to slump with the impact.

Despite his narrow escape, Tod's luck seemed to be dwindling as the police force flooded the alley and surrounding structures, closing in on him. The odds were stacking against him, and a tense situation unfolded with each passing moment.

 

[Lily Rhodes]

Lily was normally so much more aware, so much more keyed in to the world around her and incoming dangers, but the images she seen in the his head had rattled her to her core. What was she even doing here? The explosion snapped her back to the real world and she extended her mind as gunfire erupted around her. the on who'd brought her out, seized her by the upper arm. "Useless fething reader. Can't even warn us of the damn authorities."

"Hey, that's not-" She didn't get to finish her sentence as he shoved her roughly from the roofs edge. Lily's breath caught in her throat, time slowing as her stomach shifted into her throat, gravity yanking her down into the alley. her hands scrambled for something, anything, to slow her fall, snagging cables traipsing between the buildings. Her fall shifted from back first to feet first and then sideways as the cable gave way, snapping away from the wall.

She slammed into the alley wall, before dropping several feet to the ground, she landed in a crumpled heap at the base of the wall, dazed and bruised.

Todblaz Graker