The First Step Homewards... (Bespin Mining/Steal)

[Veino Garn]

Veino did not like Cloud City. He especially did not like these landing platforms. No matter how solid they seemed, his stomach would not accept the fact that they were floating in the atmosphere, and would plummet for who knows how long if the systems broke, and so it danced a wild jig.

He slung his bag over his shoulder and hurried down the ramp from where the transport had landed. Crowds of miners, tourists, and engineers swung back and forth around him, some moving out of his way, while he moved out of the way of others. Voices filled the air around him with countless languages. There. He turned right and hurried down the ramp towards the turbolift bank, selecting the nearest one, ducking inside just as the door closed. A family of humans, apparently tourists, stood inside, jabbering hurriedly about everything they hooped to see. They stopped when they saw him in his battered and travel-stained clothes. He gave them a jaunty smile, infected by the excitement he could feel dancing around them, bird-like almost.

"Here for vacation?" He asked, studying the display next to the door, and then selecting one at random. He would need to review the proper procedures for the retrieving the ore before heading out to find their agent here in the city. The family nodded, and the youngest one, a child spoke up.

"Yes! Daddy says we're going to go down into the clouds tomorrow and see them where they're the best!" She gave a gap-toothed smile. Veino returned it, despite feeling weak in the knees from the idea of actually going down into the clouds that roiled beneath them.

"That sounds wonderful," He managed to squeak out, and thankfully then,the door opened, and they spilled out, talking again. The door slid shut behind them, and he slumped against the wall, listening as the turbolift continued downwards. It stopped, and the door slid open. He stepped out into a crowd of beings as others stepped in beside him.

He looked around, and headed for an open table. This seemed to be a traveler's rest. Not tourists. These were seasoned travelers who spent most of their time traveling from world to world. He gave a half smile. He was with his people again. Several gave him nods or other acknowledgements as he passed, seeing the patched bag over his shoulder, the coat at was thin in places, and the scuffed boots. Very similar to what the rest of them were wearing.

He took his seat at the table, and ensured his Fprce signature was cloaked, and ordered something to eat, pulling out his datapad, and opened up an old, innocuous file. He glanced around,checking to see if anyone was watching, and placed his fingers on the screen, waiting. It flashed a soft green in acknowledgement and opened up. Lines of text appeared on the screen. He frowned. There was more here than he remembered. Had they updated the file? Or changed the code? He really hoped not. That would make this far more difficult. He turned it off as the food arrived though. He was hungry, and turned to look at the people around them, frowning at a conflict that had begun to develop not far from him. There Aqualish, getting louder and louder, while their movements grew more violent. He shifted nervously. Should he interfere? Any other place at any other time, he would attempt to dee scalable the situation. That would put his mission here at risk. Conflict still tearing him apart, he turned away from them and raised his collar. Now was not the time. Hopefully others would step in.

 

[Veino Garn]

He had to intervene. The conflict had escalated into the beginnings of a brawl, and he could see at least two of them carried blasters. He bounced his feet, clenching and unclenching his lightsaber hand. He could almost feel its cool presence sitting there, humming, not unlike an insect in its noise. It'd be easy. He could sprint there with the Force in less than a moment, disarm them with the Force and his lightsaber, and then work to deescalate the situation.

It would mean, of course, announcing to the entire city that a lightsaber wielding Force user was here engaging in vigilante activities, and would likely mean a lengthy discussion with officials in law enforcement and the administration. They would certainly be grateful for his assistance, honored by his presence, and chilling to do anything they could to assist in whatever business brought him here. That was what typically happened anyways. He suspected they would not be quite so eager to hear that he was here to smuggle out cortosis that was purchased through layers and layers of front companies and agents, which, if traced far enough back, led to a small manufacturing company on Susefvi.

Danger rippled through the Force, and he nearly jumped from his seat, hand already grabbing at his lightsaber. One of the Aqualish had pulled put the blaster. Others saw too, and scrambled out of the way, divi for cover energy the tables. Veino grabbed his lightsaber in his pocket, and began to pull it out. So be it. If he lost what was probably his only chance of constructing he armor, so be it. Still, one of his dreams had just popped, and he felt understandably deflated. He froze. Officers were coming dressed in full body armor and carrying carbines. Three of them, and hey had stun batons on their belts. He sank back into his seat, relived. This wasn't over yet. The Aqualish saw them as well and scattered, barging past other beings and overturning empty chairs. Others dove out of their ways as well. Veino slumped back down in his seat, relived. That situation was over now.

He yawned, and stiffened. Booted feet trumped closer to him. A steady pace. Multiple pairs of feet. There were only three beings in the room who would produce footsteps like that. Something cylindrical and metallic jabbed him in the back. He winced, and slowly turned to look behind him. Three officers in body armor stared down at him. Or so it seemed. He couldn't tell through the visor. Silence grew around them, an avalanche about to fall. He waited.

"Veino Garn, you will accompany us," The central one spoke softly, voice digitalized and changed by the helmet, but there was a confidence in it, an assumption. When it gave an order, it would be followed. Veino glanced around.

"Don't you have some brawlers you should apprehend before they get citizens hurt?" He looked back to where the thugs had disappeared to, aching to chase after them, muscles tense for a possible shooting down those corridors. His tone was concerned and innocent. "Or was there a problem at customs that was delayed?" He frowned. There shouldn't have been. After traveling for a few years, he'd have thought he knew proper travel procedures. He hadn't brought any liquid over ten ounces, that was for sure. Something jabbed him hard again, this time in the rib cage. A pained hiss slipped from his lips.

"Don't question. Just move," The central one spoke again, and then gave a quick, barely noticeable nod to the one on the right. That figure leaned down close to Veino's ear.

"If you do not move, we will shoot bystanders at random. If you try any of your Force tricks, we will shoot bystanders. If you go for your lightsaber, we will use several thermal detonators under here. If you indicate we said any of this, we will again shoot bystanders at random. Understood?" The figure stood back up, and lifted the carbine the slightest amount.

Veino's stomach dropped and a cold,vise clamped his spine. They were serious. He had no idea who they were or why they were here either. He stood and slung his bag over his shoulder, forcing a smile onto his face. "Of course, why didn't you just say that? I'm always ready to help investigators narrow down their suspects." His voice was slightly louder than normal, and seemed strained to him. he others took it as genuine though, and the normal hub-bub soon returned.

They threaded their way between tables and patrons, many shifting out of the way and avoiding eye contact. Veins certainly couldn't blame them. He was surprised they didn't hear his heart though, or feels its best reverberating through the air. He could feel it in both of his hands, which he kept discreetly visible. Quiet draped across them as they entered a turbolift, and one of of the officers, or whatever they were, hit the button for down. So down they went, and the further down, and then even further down before the music that made Veino want to jump off the city ended as the doors slid open. He suspected they were near the bottom of the city.

Heir footsteps echoed around through the chill corridor, and Veino could see his breath drifting idly ahead of after every exhale. Two carbine muzzles latched onto his sides, and he froze.

"Any trouble and we start removing fingers. Any words we don't like, and we start removing fingers. Worst comes to worst, we start killing upstairs." This was the figure on the left who had stepped away from the other two. Veino studied himself in the faceplate, and almost opened his mouth, and then shut it. The figure nodded curtly. "Our intelligence on you is accurate then." The figure nodded to the other two. Danger flashed through his mind, and then a very uncomfortably high amount of electricity flashed through his body. His back arched and a half-scream wrenched itself from his lips. He collapsed, panting, grateful for the cold metal.

The two figures reached down, grabbed by the arms, and started dragging him. He tried to keep track of direction or route, but he lost it fairly quickly. All the corridors were the same. Dull gray. Expertly built. Unpolished. A door slid open ahead of them, and then slammed shut behind them once they entered, barely missing his feet.

They dumped him to the floor, where he lay in a heap for several moments, trying to reorient himself still. Those were some serious stun batons. He started to reach out to the Force, but stopped. Would they be able to tell? He had no idea, and until he did, he couldn't risk it.

A chair scraped nearby. He glanced up, but couldn't see anything. There was a desk in the way. Metal. Utilitarian. Like everything else down here. He pushed himself upwards warily, expecting another jolt, but it never came. He took a deep breath and looked up to see who had been responsible for all this, and stopped, surprised.

 

[Veino Garn]

The figure at the desk was not some menacing figure in matte black with a mechanical respirator that made odd sounds. Rather, she was a young woman, probably not much older than he was. She gave a quick nod, and the henchmen stepped back, taking positions, one on each side of the door and one directly behind him.

"Take a seat, Veino. I have something I need to discuss with you, " Her voice was quiet, almost soft, but there was a dark edge to it that seemed to scrape down his spine, going across each vertebrae. He shivered, and looking back at the guards, slowly stood, massaging the ache on his rib-cage. It had definitely bruised. He grabbed the edge of the chair across from her and slowly sank into, watching her carefully. He studied the room. It wasn't particularly big. He could cross it in two heartbeats. Less with an activated lightsaber, which he still had. She gave a cold smile. "I know what you're thinking."

"You do?" Veino raised an eyebrow slightly. Of course she would. It wasn't particularly complex. A lightsaber wielder in a small room with four enemies? Of course that would be their first thought. Or she could be telepathic. He really had no idea.

"Of course, dear," Her voice dripped condescension, "You trained with the Fel Imperium to be an Imperial Knight. " He tensed. "You're hinting about the way the fight here could go." She smiled again. "Let me just tell you. It would end badly. Not for you, of course." She tapped a button on the device she wore on her wrist, and a hologram sprung up on the desk between them. It was a child, no more than seven or eight, sleeping peacefully on a bunk, with toys scattered around. "This is one of the people if trouble starts." The image vanished.

"What do you want then?" His voice was tired. They had him. For now at least, and for who knew how long? To act in a way to cause the death of the child would be in violation of every oath he had ever spoken, and of every ideal he lived by. Clever. They had him in the Sarlaac pit, so to speak. She gave another nod and one of the guards stepped forward, handing her his datapad. A chill ran down his spine. She turned it on and studied it for a moment before looking back at him.

"The same thing you do, Veino. Cortosis." She tapped the screen idly. "Not just enough for the Jensaarai armor you want to build. The Jensaarai's entire supply." She pointed to the screen. "Somewhere in here you have the information to meet your agent. Use it. Get your cortosis. Then meet us at a rendezvous we will designate and give us it's location and security information." She glanced down at the screen again and laughed softly. "Love letters, Veino? Ones not even addressed to you? That's what you were reading?" He shook himself slightly, terror clutching his stomach. The file was still open. It had re-encoded, but the first step she wanted was right there. Did she know it?

"I'm a romantic," He admitted slowly, keeping his face neutral, if slightly embarrassed. She laughed.

"Of course you are. It's why we picked you rather than your friend. She would have sacrificed the hostages to protect the secrets of the order. She's a touch cold-blooded." Veino frowned, and glanced around.

"Which friend are you talking about here?" He tilted his head slightly, studying her. She was being honest, as far as he could tell. She tapped multiple buttons and another hologram popped up. Jeela? Cold blooded? That was insane. "You're joking. She would never do that."

"You underestimate the capabilities of your friend, Veino. She does not have the compassion that you have. Ideals, yes, but in her work, she is cold." The woman's eyes studied him gravely, and then slid a comlink across the table to him. "Answer this whenever I you have a message. Contact us when you have what we want."

He grabbed it and slipped it into a pocket, glowering, fuming over what she said about Jeela, but doubt wormed its way through his mind. Maybe she was right. Had he misjudged Jeela? And why had she left so quickly?

Pain arced through him again, and he started to convulse, only then feeling the stun baton in his back. Everything went black.

 

[Veino Garn]

Something nudged him in the ribs. He groaned and shied away. It nudged him again, something solid and rounded...not unlike the toe of a boot. He opened one eye and twisted his neck over to see it. It was a boot. A shiny one too. Definitely a security officer. He rolled over, grimacing, to look up. Sharply creased pants. Wrinkle free shirt. Definitely a security officer. He stopped, and looked back towards the wall. Loose worse dangled down from ceiling. He could hear a slight crackle vibrating through the air. Clever. The officer knelt down beside him, concern across her face. She tapped her comlink.

"I'm fine," Veino croaked, pushing himself to partially sit up, "But thank you, officer." He pushed himself back against the wall while she observed him. "Could you just give me directions to cheap rooms to rent?"

"These wires aren't connected to the grid," She spoke, seeming to not hear him, "They're too new for this sector, and a different make than what maintenance uses." She turned to scrutinize him. "I'm Officer Gemini, and recent customs records you are Veino Garn, itinerant worker." She tapped her comm. "My own digging revealed some even more interesting things about you. You appeared out of nowhere with the Army of Light on Togoria, disappeared again after that, resurfaced with the rise of the Fel Imperium, and then vanished again." She pointed at him. "Why are you here on Cloud City, what trouble are you brining, especially the three unknowns who carted you off yesterday, and how did you get here? What were you doing to the wiring?"

Veino opened and closed his mouth several times, and then shrugged. "I came here for business of my own, and brought no trouble." He opened his mouth to say more, but stopped, seeing a security camera above them. The words stuck in his throat, the image of the child he saw earlier that day. No. It was yesterday, Officer Gemini had said. How long had he been out? Hours, apparently. She followed his gaze and gave a nod of understanding. She grabbed his hand and heaved him up. He staggered, and nearly fell, but she caught his shoulder and pulled him close, speaking in a whisper.

"Tell me what trouble you didn't bring, and quickly. Further explanations can be later once we're away." He nodded slowly, seemingly dazed.

"Conspiracy in the lower levels. Have a child as a hostage. I need to find something for them or they'll kill him." He pulled away, and stretched an arm out to catch the wall. Officer Gemini nodded, and stepped away.

"I'll need to take you in to file a report and have a med-droid look you over." She stood, arms crossed, and tapped her fingers slowly until Veino nodded, and stood unsteadily.

They set off slowly, through dimly lit halls that had dust gathering along the floor. They had clearly dumped him in some unused area, but not too unused. Footprints and droid tracks were clearly visible through the dust. They had wanted him to be found, and had even given an excuse for his condition. They were looking out for him, in an odd sort of way. They stopped, and she keyed a code into a door. It slid open, and she ushered him inside, past desks, and into as other room. He paused upon entering. It was a stark room. One tables. Two chairs. A light. Nothing else. Officer Gemini pointed to one of the chairs, pulling it out for him, and he sank into it, relived.

The door slammed shut behind them and her room went dark. Great. An interrogation room. Officer Gemini sat in the seat across from him, hands folded and face grim.

 

[Nyos Val]

Having been on Cloud City for some materials fur his business, Nyos caught wind of an abduction of a possible Jedi. With the way the galaxy was in unrest after the resurgence of the Sith destroying Coruscant, Nyos had an obligation to stop this. He want to the security center, flashed his Lt bars and began accessing holo-records. Hours went by until... There. Two thugs dropping him in an alleyway. An officer showed up before the Jedi awoke and escorted him, to the police station around the corner.

There was a metallic rasp on the door to the captains office as Nyos brushed off protocol to get in.

"Captain, I am Lt Nyos Val of the Protectorate. You have someone in interrogation that I need access to."

"I'm sorry Lieutenant Val, but I cannot allow you to do so. Protocol. Not until my officer is done with the Jedi."

"I never mentioned that you had a Jedi. And he hasn't been in the city long enough for you to get a read on him. You must've known he would be here, be taken. Then dumped later."

The captain made for his pistol on the desk, before he had a full grip on it, Nyos' hand was on his throat and had him up on the wall.

"I wouldn't make a move Captain. You're now under arrest under the Protectorate law of civilian safety, kidnapping, extortion, and now you have to answer to me.

The captain made a move for Nyos' pistol and Nyos responds by throwing him through the office door.

@Veino Garn

 

[Veino Garn]

Veino say on the chair, tapping his fingers on the table, watching, watching Officer Gemini. She was just watching him back. He sank into the Force, and sent gentle probes her direction. She was stressed. He didn't even have to lower the emotional shields to tell that. He could see it in the wrinkles around her eyes and the tension in her jaw. There was a tint of gray in her hair. Not unlike the few gray strands in his own even. He could risk opening up to her. At least a little. He pulled away a few of the bricks that he had built up inside his mind and felt her emotions trickle in.

Frustration. Worry. Fear. Anxiety. And something else. Hope. Just the barest glimmer of it. Recent to, and it was growing. He could trust her. He was quite certain of that. Now to let her know that. He leaned forward, and rested his hands on the table.

"I can sense your emotions," His voice was soft, and tired. He carried too much responsibility. He knew that know, and he was on the verge of destroying himself from the inside. She gave a sudden start and defensiveness flickered across her face. She started to speak, and then stopped herself. "I think I can trust you." Se nodded slowly.

"I'd hope you can trust me. It's my job." There was a touch of pride in her tone, masked by the exhaustion she'd hidden beneath crisp efficiency beforehand. Veino nodded.

"Then I'll be frank. I came here to pick up a package of cortosis fiber to deliver to my home world. A group of at least four individuals, three unknowns and one youngish human female, have demanded I give them the entire stockpile of cortosis. If not, they'll kill hostages, one of whom is a human child, no older than ten. They're on one of the low levels. I know nothing else, and we. Ah be on a deadline. I don't-" He stopped as a crashing sound outside slipped through the door. They both turned to stare at the door. Veino looked over to Officer Gemini. She gave a curt nod and took out her blaster pistol. Veino took out his lightsaber and moved next to the door, leaving it unignited. He would see the situation first before bursting in.

Officer Gemini hit a button and the door slid open. Veino slipped outside, saber ready to activate of necessary, with Officer Gemini right behind, pistol covering the room.

Veino stopped, confused at the situation, seeing the captain laying outside the door, sprawled across the floor, and a human cyborg standing by the desk with Protectorate rank insignia. Veino, frowned, confuses, sensing out with the Force to sense a Herat. Other than a vague and distant one, there seemed to be very little here. Officer Gemini slipped along the wall, studying the new figure.

"Can I help you, Lieutenant?" She was back in officer mode again. Her voice was crisp and all official sounding again. Veino had to give her credit. She was good. He let her speak for now, instead staying along the wall, checking hoe com link that had been given to him. No messages. Presumably, that was a good thing. No news was good news after all.

[member="Nyos Val"]

 

[Nyos Val]

Officer, Nyos walked through the hole in the wall, Your captain has been charged with crimes against the people of Bespin and the Lord Protector. I am apprehending him to be put on trial for his disgrace. I, by the way, am Lt Nyos Val of the Protectorate Army and Chief Field Medical Officer of the Corps. You and your...Jedi, will come with me to deposite this criminal. I have questions that may need answering.

Nyos gave the Jedi a polite smile. As formal as he was in this situation, Nyos enjoyed niceties and simple gestures of kindness to remind him of his humanity, what was left anyway. He picked up the large sized man with one arm, ripped off his captains bars and carried him out of the station like a duffle bag, every other step was met with a slight thud as his face met floor.

So Jedi, you are obviously not of Omega, nor of the Order in the Inner Worlds. Where might you hail from? Another smile crossed the cyborgs face. His right eye glowing light orange from his photoreceptor and off to the ear was a system of circuitry woven into the flesh, disappearing into his skull at the ear.

@Veino Garn

 

[Veino Garn]

Veino glanced over to Officer Gemini, and she nodded, holstering the pistol and falling in behind [member="Nyos Val"]. Chief Field Medical Officer indeed. There were Mandalorians who couldn't do what he had just done. But then, most of them didn't have cybernetic implants either.

Veino slipped his lightsaber back into his pocket, and then joined them in the walk, since he didn't have much choice at the moment. Tension clawed at him. Every moment here working through bureaucracy was another minute that put hostages at risk. He wanted nothing more than to sprint away using the Force and get lost in the crowd. That would make his mission far more complicated though, and roc promise the secrecy of the Jensaarai, which was also imperative, if they were to maintain full effectiveness. He returned the smile though, and added a small now. Those were significant titles.

He debated how best to answer the question, listening to the bootstraps echo through the corridors as they walked, out of sync just enough to be slightly irritating, but not enough to be normal walking.

"My home is Susefvi," His thoughts drifted at that, back home to the grasslands and local seaport, and the excitement that came when a tramp freighter arrived, "So I come from Protectorate space, at the least." He chewed his lip. Should he reveal his affiliation with the Jensaarai? He took a deep breath. "If what I am about to tell you is new to you, I need an oath of secrecy from you." He glanced over to Officer Gemini, "And you as well." She paused, but gave a small nod. He took a deep breath and continued. "I am a member of the Jensaarai, a Force using organization that has been on Susefvi since before the Clone Wars of the old Republic. We operate secretly, and typically restrict activities to the Suarbi system. Part of our heritage is constructing cortosis fiber enhanced armor, which is why I'm here, and I need your help. There is at least four individuals on the lower levels who seek to take the entire stockpile of fibers for an unknown purpose. They want me to deliver the location and information to them, and if I don't, they'll kill hostages."

He left it at that. Hopefully the man would understand the implied sense of urgency. The darkness grew closer, slowly, like the grinding down of a mountain, but it grew none the less, and he was impatient to take care of it. A plan had already begun formulating in his mind. Risky, certainly, but there might not be a better option.

 

[Nyos Val]

Nyos pondered the information that he had just received, but the quick grunt from the captain in his hand gave him the proof he needed. Filled with anger, he flexed his cybernetic limbs with a metallic clank, slammed the captain's face into the floor, breaking his nose and tossed him to the side, he silently sent a Ping to the crew of the Pheobus, his ship, for the security officers onboard to pick up the unconscious traitor and take him to holding.

He turned on a dime to face the Bespin Officer and the Jenss...Jedi. I believe you, we shall rescue your captives and retain the cortosis materials. When we have defeated these lowlives, I will give you what you need, Placing his metal hand over where his heart used to be, he swore, By my name and rank amongst the Protectorate and as a soldier of Peace, you have my word that your secret will be safely locked away in this metal brain of mine, he tapped the side of his head where metal finger met metal under the skin. Another smile crossed his face, then looked to the Officer, and you too are sworn by the Oath you took in becoming an officer that you will protect his secret too did you not.

Now, based on my research, that is how I found out about you, you were dropped in sector 6 subsection 4E meaning they would have dragged you close by, giving them...about two to three blocks to get you from their hideout to the street again without being seen. Now we just need to knock on the right door. He spoke with a devilish smile, his confidence was high, because he had fought and...ehh survived isn't the right term, suffered the cost of living...yes that was more accurate.

@Veino Garn

 

[Veino Garn]

Veino caught his breath, waiting to see of the trust would be warranted. It had been some time since he had taken a step such as this when it came to trusting people. Then he threw the corrupt captain against the wall, and Veino I winced as he heard the nose break. Bone injuries were always ugly. Then [member="Nyos Val"] spoke again, and Veino listened. That was an oath he could trust. He retuned it with a bow.

"Thank you, thank you both." He paused, and tapped his chin. That seemed reasonable enough to find them, assuming hey were still in the same floor or hadn't already moved their operation. It wouldn't have surprised him if they had done that. They seemed paranoid enough for it. "The problem is that I don't know where they have the hostages or what method they will use to kill them. I only saw a hologram live feed of one of them."

Officer Gemini spoke up, "I can go to the tech center and sort through the feed footage and trace the source. Just give me the appearance of the individual and I can get a team on it."

Veino frowned, thinking, but nodded, "A male human child, approximately seven or eight years old, asleep on a bunk. The walls had artistically rendered stars on the walls. Toy starships were around. That's all I have."

She nodded, and made a few notes on her datapad, and the looked up, saluting, and pulled out her comlink, stepping away from the other two. Veino frowned, considering, a troubling thought working into his mind. Then he spoke up.

"I'm not sure they're on this floor. If they're not, I might have to get the cortosis and bring it to them so they'll release the hostages, and if not, we can stop them from killing the hostages, and then take the cortosis back once the hostages are free. A sort of double cross, so to speak. It's risky though."

 

[Nyos Val]

Nyos paused to listen to the Jedi. He had a point. We had no real way of knowing where they were holding the hostages. He got a call from his crew that a few organisms were on the move towards them.


"We will have company soon. What do you want to."

@Veino Garn

 

[Veino Garn]

[member="Nyos Val"]

Veino frowned, chewing on his lip. Think. Think. Far too many possibilities with far too many outcomes, most of them negative. They couldn't waste time barging in through doors, nor could hey wait for Officer Gemini to sift through who knew how many hours of feed data. A choice. He needed to make one though. He sank into the Force, stretching out for some kind of answer. Nothing. He had no visions of the future. He would have to make it the way regular beings did.

"We split," Veino replied slowly, thinking, "I'll follow the cortosis lead. Officer Gemini, stay on the data feeds. Lieutenant Val, could you search for them? When I was with them, we were a ten to twelve minute turbolift ride from the level I had something to est on. That should give a range, given the speed at which the turbolifts travel." He frowned, and then added, "We stay in touch, frequency zero five two."

 

[Nyos Val]

Affirmative.

Nyos turned and bolted off with the added speed of his cyber legs. He went to the location where the Jedi was last found. There was a turbolift around the next alley,a service lift. Meaning this was an inside job. Kark. Nyos removed the doors by force and looked up and down. Down looked more likely, so he jumped as the lift wasn't there. His photoreceptor picked up the ground below coming up fast. He braced for impact and the force of his landing blew the doors off their natural hanging place. He stepped through and saw two guards laying unconscious near the doors and three stunned men at a table playing cards.

By order of the Lord Protector, you are all under arrest.

***** you, you military dog!

Drawing his vibrosaber, he moved closer to the group, stepping over the unconscious guards and readied his blade for the likely conflict.

@Veino Garn

 

[Veino Garn]

Veino gave a quick nod to Officer Gemini and then hurried off in the othe other direction. The last thing he needed was to find himself in a fight right now. He heard Officer Gemini duck in another room and then seal the door. That would be an ideal place for observation and data analysis. Assuming they didn't track her down as well.

He ducked into an alcove, and slid down against the wall, pulling out the datapad again, and reopened the file. He scanned them, frowning. What was the code again? Blast it. He couldn't remember. No, wait. He scrutinized the lines more carefully now. Only a few started with you. That was an indicator. Blast it. What about the rest of the code? The lightbulb went on, and he scrolled back to the first letter. There was the key. He opened another tab and began making notes, frowning in annoyance as he did so. Why did this have to be so complicated?

There. He had it. Floor seven, sector c, subsector seventeen. There was a computer terminal in the wall. He would make a small mark with a piece of chalk that was inside a drawer. He stood and sprinted for the turbolift, pulling out his comlink to talk to [member="Nyos Val"] and Officer Gemini, "I have a lead. I contact our representative up on floor seven, and then go from there."

Veino ducked into the turbolift, scanning the buttons for the right one, and then hit floor seven. It went upwards. Soft, irritating music began to play, continued to play, and then went on playing. Veino glowered at the speaker. Th the door dinged open on floor seven and he hurried out, relived to be free. There was a computer terminal and he accessed it, pulling up a map. Of course. It was on the other side of the city.

"Officer Gemini, can you get me a shortcut here?" He leaned against the wall, tracing the winding corridors across the map.

"Of course. Give me a moment." Veino waited, watching as people walked by. "There's an emergency maintenance shaft twenty meters to your left."

"Got it," Veino broke into a fast walk, keeping an eye out for the hatch in the smooth white walls, and ducked around a crystal statue in the middle of the corridor. A hatch slid open a short distance ahead, and he ducked inside. Darkness. "Now what?"

"Go until I tell you to stop. I'll open another hatch not far from the terminal you need. No progress so far on tracing data feed from the correct time."

"Well, keep looking then, and thank you." He started walking, and as soon as the hatch slid shut, burst into a Force enhanced run. He'd never run this way for any amount of distance before. It would be an interesting experiment.

 

[Nyos Val]

The second Nyos got word from the Jedi and was distracted, they attacked. Drawing blasters and knives and a lead pipe or two, they came at him. Shots hit him, absorbing into his cybernetics. He walked forward like a drone, unwavering in his task. A man with a lead pipe came in swinging, but Nyos caught the pipe where he held it, squeezed the pipe and the mans hand along with it. He tossed the man off to the side where he grovelled in pain.

Nyos deflected a few shots with his saber then decapitated a Rodian with a knife, broke the arm of one of the gunman with a spinning back kick and grabbed the face of the fourth fighter and picked him up until his feet had air beneath them.

Who do you work for?

Hmmm Fmm Grrmm?

Oh, sorry, Nyos sheathed his saber, and switched hands as to grab the man by his shirt. Now, again.

Helena Finn Gremm. Underboss of the Syndicate. Nyos looked down and witnessed the man urinate down his trousers.

Thank you, Nyos slammed the man down through the table he had been playing cards on and left him there unconscious. He tagged the location for Bespin authorities to collect.

@Veino Garn

 

[Veino Garn]

Veino skidded to a stop, heart pounding and sweat streaming down his neck, and he nearly tripping as the metal grates beneath caught his boots. He rolled his eyes at himself, bending down to catch his ragged breath. Alexandra would be laughing herself silly at that. Fortunately, she wasn't here, so that wouldn't be an issue. Unless someone told her about it,and he had no intention of doing that. The hatch finished opening and he stepped through, looking down the hallway.

"Officer Gemini, I'm in the hallway." He looked both ways. No sign of a terminal, and he wasn't going to spend his time walking back and forth.

"Turn right and go twenty meters. It should in approximately the same area as the last terminal."

"Affirmative, any luck?" He could her an exasperated sigh from the other end.

"No. This is intelligence analysis, not field work. You Force users are always so impatient with this type of thing." Veino shrugged slightly. It was probably true.

"What about you, Lieutenant? Any leads?" He walked over to the terminal, and bent down to examine it. There was the drawer. He pressed, and it clicked opens revealing a new piece of chalk. He took it out and made the mark the information required in the location it mentioned. Down at the corner, near to the floor. Then he added the symbol for urgency next to it. He turned to look back at the hallway. Only an old man tottered along the hallway, looking at him strangely. Veino gave a small, tense smile.

"Something wrong with the computer, young man?" The man's voice had a quiver to it, but Veino sensed strength behind it, hidden. A hunch told him this was the contact. Thank the Force he was there.

"It seems so. Or just vandalism. Someone's left two chalk marks here on the computer." His tone was guarded and watchful. Thankfully, the chalk was in his hand, hidden for now. The man's eyebrows rose up, apparently in surprise, but Veino could sense none of it.

"Again? Hmmph.,Looks like I'll be cleaning it up again. Let me see." He shuffled over and bent down to examine the marks. He scratched behind his ear and then wiped them off, leaving no trace. He spoke softly now. "What makes it so urgent, Apprentice?" Veino let out a sigh of relief.

"Someone knows of our organization, wants our supplies, and is willing to kill children for it." He glanced around again all clear. "I have a team working different leads, but right now the best we have is to fake giving it to them, and then take it back once the hostages are free." The old man nodded and rose, bones creaking, and he grimaced.

"Best come with me then. He supplies aren't in the city. They're on a floating storage platform some distance below." He walked over to a nearby door and it slid open with a hiss. He turned and gestured for Veino to follow him. Veino did so, and the door slid shut behind him. The man walked, no longer appearing as old, and hit a button. The holo screen slid aside to reveal an old, attested suit of Defender armor. Veino's breath caught in his throat. It had been some time since he last saw one of these, and he had forgotten their visual effect. The old man gave a dry laugh. "Always does the trick, doesn't it? None of you Apprentices do seem unaffected by it, So close to your dream now, yes? And here it is." He gave a small smile. "Not that I was any different. There's food in the kitchen. Go eat some. Boys your age are always hungry."

Veino laughed slightly and walked in he indicated door,stopping in surprise to see an old lady in there, playing sabaac against her datapad. She looked up and gave a welcoming smile.

"Hello. You must be another one of the apprentices. Been a while since we had one through here." She gestured towards a cupboard, "Food in there for you. We keep it stocked for this very reason." Veino drifted over to it and pulled it open, surprised. This was not at all as cloak and dagger as he had assumed. But then, he was this far. It was less about secrecy now and more about initiation. Every apprentice for who knows how long had come through here. It would,tie them all together.

"Thank you. Are you also..." He trailed off, not sure how to phrase the question.

"I am, yes, but retired." She tapped her arm on the table. It was much more solid than flesh and bone would be. "The armor works well, but give too many hits and it breaks." She gave him a serious look. "Don't ever forget it. You're not immortal."

Veino gave her a sad smile and absent-mindlessly traced one of the pale scars along his cheek. "No worries, I learned that the hard way."


[member="Nyos Val"]

 

[Nyos Val]

Nyos went through the belongings of the thugs. He found a few personal items and credits, and one had a necklace with an intricate locket. The holo-photos were of a pair of spouses. Nyos identified them as the parents of the boy who the Jedi said was hostage to this Helena.

Jedi, its Nyos. I have taken out the place where you were held. I have discovered the name of the woman who is holding the boy. She goes by the name Helena Gremm, she is the Underboss for an organization called the Syndicate. Get the officer to run that name. I'm on my way up.

Walking to the doors, he pressed the button and waited for the lift to come down. Once it was there, he stepped on and pressed the button to go up.

@Veino Garn

 

[Veino Garn]

Veino listened to the report from [member="Nyos Val"], "Understood. Forwarding the information to Officer Gemini." He called her next, listens as the old woman continued her game of cards, although he could tell she was listening closely.

"Officer Gemini, the lieutenant found a name. Helena Gremm, Underboss for the Syndicate. Find all the data you can."

"Understood. Will do." Veino let out a deep breath and leaned against the counter, taking a moment to massage his temples. The old woman spoke up.

"This is not a normal mission, is it?" She switched off the game and stood, walking over to his corner. Veino shook his head slowly. "So it isn't just nostalgia then that he's getting out his armor." Veino shook his head again, and started to explain.

"A woman is holding people hostage. In return for their safety, she wants the cortosis stockpile, I'm hoping to double cross her once the hostages are free, if nothing else pans out. That's the last resort option though." She nodded, frowning.

"Let me speak to Officer Gemini. I'll patch in our network, and it should make everything she's looking for easier." Veino considered, chewing his lip,and then nodded, handing her the comlink. She turned away and spoke softly, full of technical information Veino couldn't understand at all. Then she turned and handed it back. Officer Gemini spoke again.

"I have a lead on the feed now, thanks to however your new friend is, and their questionably legal network." Veino looked over at the old woman, who had a look of mock indignation on her face. "They're being broadcast to room 764 on level ten. Security cams reveal the room to be empty, but it could have been tampered with." Veino relayed that information to Nyos, and added.

"Think you can clear that and see where all the data feeds are coming in from?" An idea struck him, and he gave a cold smile. "I'm going to lay a trap. Do you have speeder or ship access handy? The cortosis is stored off the city."

He turned to the old man, who had stepped into the kitchen, armor hidden beneath a voluminous gray cloak. Veino nodded, and bowed to the old woman, whom he realized was terrified, even though she didn't show it. He could feel it though, and gave a smile and wink, adding in a stage whisper, "I'll be sure he stays out of trouble." She laughed, and pulled a package of cookies from them counter and handed it to him.

"Make sure you do. I'll never forgive him if he dies. And be sure to eat. You're too skinny." She turned away, busying herself with the cabinet, seemingly organizing it, despite it already being fastidious. Veino and the old man stepped out quietly and back into the living room.

 

[Nyos Val]

Nyos stepped off the lift at ground level and walked back to his ship. He was commed that his security team had taken the captain to the city holding center and that a team from Bespin had been dispatched to gather the men he'd fought.

"Jedi. I am topside. What's the plan? He radioed [member="Veino Garn "]as he entered his ships armory. He grabbed his SMG, Pistol and his ammo belt.

"I'm grabbing some gear and will be back in the city in 5."

 

[Veino Garn]

Veino turned aside as the two old Jensaarai exchanged hugs and concerned farewells, to respond to [member="Nyos Val"]. "I'll go to the cortosis storage location and call in the woman and her cronies. They come, we exchange goods. I get the information to protect the hostages, she gets the cortosis. I place a tracker in the cortosis containers. You pick me up. We go after them and get the cortosis back. Officer Gemini, you should probably take a team and check the transmitter room."

"Understood." He could hear the tension in her voice now. The strain in her voice was beginning to get to her. He couldn't blame her. It was beginning tog met to him as well. Almost like gravity in no black hole crushing him. He had a headache. He realized that now, and that it had been there for some time. He just never noticed it. So be it. A gauntleted hand rested itself on his shoulder, and he turned. The old man gave him a comforting smile.

"Don't worry too much about it, apprentice. You've been training for these situations your whole life, short enough as it may be." He winked, and shifted the helmet underneath his arm. Veino gave him a weak smile. "You can handle this. Think of this as your initiation test." His face grew somber, "And remember, the Force is with us. As for the plan of yours, I like it. Nice and simple. I'll act as a reserve. Let you earn your stripes. Now," He said, pulling the helmet down over his head and tapping a button the entertainment console, causing a panel to slide back to reveal a staircase, "Let's go trap some scum."

Veino followed him up the stairs, looking back to where the old woman gave him a cheerful smile. He returned it and headed up faster as the panel slid shut behind them. He wasn't sure how far they climbed, but not long afterwards, another panel opened up onto a landing platform where a two person speeder sat waiting. Butterflies danced in his stomach. They were close now. He could almost hear the minutes ticking by. He swallowed, and entered the other seat as the old man took the pilot's seat and buckled in.

The engines whined and the speeder plotted off the ground, bobbing gently. Then the old man gave a somewhat ominous cackle, and Veino turned to him concerned. He caught a glimpse of a wild smile beneath the mask, and he swallowed nervously.

"Hope you like heights, kid." For a moment, Veino caught a glimpse of the old man in his youth there, reckless and thrill seeking. This gave him a very bad feeling. They shot forward, the man talking over a comm unit to traffic authorities, Veino blanched as they wove in and out of the buildings, cutting some corners a little too tight for his comfort, and not taking others tight enough, nearly colliding with other speeders.

Then they were out over the edge of the city and the man pushed the speeder downwards and cut the engine. Everything went silent except for the air whistling in his ears as they plunged downwards into the roiling clouds of Bespin. Veino thought he would puke as the entirety of his inner torso slid upwards into his throat. Then the engines came back on and the man pulled them into a saner flight path. He let out an enthusiastic whoop. Veino leaned his head against the dash of the speeder. He was never flying with this man again.

They continued onwards through spirals of vapor and wisps of gases unknown to Veino. Then a dot appeared on the scanners, and it quickly drew closer. Veino squinted. It was a small storage satellite that hung on repulsorlifts. There seemed to be nothing special about it, except its distance from anywhere close.

"There are no security measures to bypass. I already sent in the authorization codes," The main said, "And I'll reset them once you return the rest of it. I'll move it of course afterwards as well. Standard procedure." He turned to regard Veino with a sharp, predatory eye. "Once you find these creeps, leave no survivors."

"What?!" Veino's jaw dropped open in surprise. That was unusual.

"Standing orders," The man replied, "We can't risk them letting the information out, and they're too malevolent to merely block the memories." He let out a quiet sigh. "It's hard, I know. But ours is a hard life and we deal with hard beings. That's one lesson only learned after you get your armor though and ideals don't work well." He shrugged, and slowed the speeder to park it beside the platform,

Veino gingerly stepped out onto the platform, holding his breath, as he was unconvinced it wouldn't topple him over the side. He activated the comm again.

"Orders from my order. When we retrieve the cortosis, we are to leave no survivors." There was a tiredness in his voice, and a hidden, desperate plea for some excuse to ignore it. He had seen enough murder with the Fel imperium. The mass graves still haunted his nightmares, and so,drives his waking hours. "I was told they have too much information to leave alone, but are too dangerous to simply block their memory."