A flower without soil...

[Viera Valorious]

She kept her head down as she walked, afraid to make eye contact with those she passed. Lost in a world wholly different than what was her own, she couldn't gather the courage to use her voice, to ask for directions. A few times she dared to risk a glance upward, only to return it to the ground as she noticed the men passing her, dirty, sneering, and sometimes cat-calling. Viera Valorious was a fish out of water.

The young girl looked rather out of place amongst the slums of the Nubian underground. She wore a conservative blue dress that hugged her figure, stopping just below her knees, that screamed rich and spoiled. The bruises and scrapes on her arms and legs, the dark stains on the silk-like fabric, the holes in her pantyhose; it couldn't hide that fact and that made her even more uneasy. This wasn't the place for a lady.

This wasn't a place for a lady, but it was the only place for her nonetheless. Her father, that jerk, was in jail for fraud and the fall from grace her family name had achieved left her on the run from the Hutt. Her family owed billions and she would be the payment for his debts, if the men giving chase ever caught up to her. Walking briskly in black wedges, she wasn't fast, but she was smart. She needed to get off the planet, and she knew the only way to avoid being seen by the Hutt's agents was the black market. She had cash stolen from her father's large rainy day fund, but first, she needed to find someone with a ship and room to spare. There were stories of people being abducted, killed, or worse in the dark parts of the planet's capital; but she didn't care, turning back meant certain death. She trudged on, scared but determined, until her path was blocked.

"Hey sweets," The large man smelled of alcohol and sweat, his greasy palms had a hold on her wrist, and her attempt to scream came out as a muffled cry of desperation, drowned out by the noise of the streets. She kicked desperately and bit the hand that clutched her, causing her attacker to release as he howled in pain. Viera fell to the ground as the man swore up a storm, brandishing a small blade. That's when a blaster tore through his chest.

It was one of the armed men from her family penthouse, one of the intruders that had sparked her rash escape. She wasted no time in getting back on her feet, having taken dancing lessons for much of her life, she was no stranger to falls. Viera ran. She ran faster than she had ever run before. With her life on the line, she ran deeper into the slums, not caring that she lost her shoes or her way, not caring about the screams behind her. Pushing through crowds of people, she tripped countless times but always found the will to get back up. People shouted and people glared, but she didn't care. She had to escape. Making a sharp corner, Viera ran or rather stumbled...into another person.

 

[Darth Metus]

Getting scraped hurts.

Hitting the ground hurts even more.

Yet plowing, full speed, into beskar'gam?

Ow.

Now, how did the tall Dar'manda manage to find himself nearly taken off his feet? How did a routine trip to Nubia turn into getting tackled in the streets? Sure, he was in the unsavory part of town, but he did not anticipate this particular outcome. Yet there it was: a blue blur which smacked straight into him full force. It was enough to cause him to stumble. It was more than enough to rattle his helmet. And sting. But man, it must have been worse for the one who ran into him. Looking down, he took a gander at the one who made the impact. It was a woman. Nay...a young woman.

She was dressed in a manner that clashed heavily with her surroundings: as if a flower had been dropped into rat pit. Her hair didn't look infested with insects or dirt. Her clothes, although clearly tattered from the fleeing, was aesthetically better than the rags all about. Frankly, even a simple glance would scream that she did not belong here. Now, whatever had caused the frantic running of the girl was none of Isley's business. In fact, he had half a mind to just shake off the impact and keep on moving. However, there was just a small...nagging...thing that kept him rooted on the spot. A random observation, if ever there was one:

Huh. Deneve is about that age.

The thought was enough to arouse a paternal response. If this was his kid running around the slums of Nubia, he'd want someone to lend her a hand. Right?

Dammit. he thought.

Bending over, he offered the young woman his hand. "Why the hurry?" he began. "Easy now, not going to hurt yo-." And that is when the crimson flare entered his field of view. A blaster bolt fired from a man coming around the corner. Clearly Isley wasn't the intended target, as the bolt shot past his right leg...only inches from the girl's flesh...but that was enough to put the situation in perspective. She was being hunted for some unknown reason. Okay. "Hunted" he could deal with.

Instinctively. Angrily. Isley raised his offhand and thrust it forward. The Force answered his summons mightily: shrieking forth as a wall of telekinetic fury. It was enough to plow the aggressor clear off his feet. It was more than enough to give Isley the time to seize the girl's wrist, hoist her to a stand, and motion for her to follow.

"Come on. My ship's nearby." he said, leading the way.

[member="Viera Valorious"]

 

[Werah Unon]

Werah ran through the streets of Nubia, ducking and weaving through the crowd. The 15 Ewok Warriors were right on his heels, tiny compared to his huge frame. He shot through an alleyway, losing his pursuers. "That was a close one", he muttered, leaning against a door. Walking carefully back, he emerged into the street. He saw a girl in a blue dress, running alongside a man. He dismissed them at first, until he saw the people chasing them. They must be the contacts, Werah thought. Ek had said they would be wearing blue...
He gathered his energy and followed the pair, staying out of sight...

 

[Eli-Mae Forrest]

Echo had been dancing on the street that morning trying to make enough money to feed herself, it had been over a week since she had eaten anything to speak of. She was so hungry she could eat a wampa. She had been dancing for hours and not made a single credit. She was sure she was going to starve to death but before that could happen she watched the girl come around the corner and plow the man. As this happened the part of her who wanted to help everyone kicked in and before she knew what was happening she was running towards the two. As she reached them they were off running so she came up beside them she said "Are you two ok?"

[member="Isley Verd"]
[member="Viera Valorious"]

 

[Viera Valorious]

Viera's whole side felt like it was on fire after she collided with the man, causing him to stumble and her to fall back suddenly onto the cold, hard ground. She scuffed her elbow and scraped her thigh, but none of that mattered as she tried to scoot backwards and away from the stranger's outstretched hand. She was afraid to die here, and although he tried to comfort her, she acknowledged it only by stopping, tears running down her face as she tried to regain her breath. Can I trust him?!

A red flash blinded her momentarily and the teen remembered she had no choice. Blinking, she found herself pulled to her feet and a pursuer on the ground. She dared not blink again for what else she might miss. There was no longer any hesitation in her decision to accept the stranger's help.

A glimmer of hope returned to her eyes as she struggled to match the man's pace with her much shorter stride, He has a ship.

A woman joined alongside of them and Viera wondered if she was the man's partner. Viera was beyond grateful for them both even though she wasn't in any position to show it.

She ignored the question posed by the woman and any subsequent interrogations posed while they were running. It wasn't that she meant to be cold, but rather, the girl had been running for so long she was too exasperated to answer. Her legs hurt. Her lungs burned. Her feet felt raw from sprinting barefoot. She had to concentrate on moving forward. The further they got, the more she felt like puking.

"How...much...further?"

Viera paused to catch her breath after the second or seventh or twentieth street they had passed. Truth was, she had no idea. The count had lost her almost immediately. She fell to her knees, stood back up, and fell again. She didn't know how much further she could go, but she had to try. Viera only hoped that if they did survive, her rescuers wouldn't turn her over when he found out who her father was.


[member="Isley Verd"]
[member="Echo Kora"]
[member="Werah Unon"]