Private A New Life

[Sorr Kortu]

Sorr took a small step back flabbergasted at Tia's excitement over helping him. Sorr was always the awkward kid in High School: Skinny with knobby knees and large, curly hair that was easily frizzled. Few people picked on Sorr due to his family name, his Dad has a reputation of retaliating in the worst way possible if anyone messed with his family. It wasn't true of course, but Sorr saw that his Dad enjoyed having a fearful personality it made negotiating with other families easier. "No one was this excited over someone like me." Sorr whispered. "Thank you Tia, I won't forget this."

He had a blaster pistol holstered on his belt Sorr stole it from his Dad's room when he ran away. However, Sorr had the skill of a blind person he hadn't fired a Pistol before well not in real life. Hologames he did that a lot but Sorr knows he can't do a 360 quick scope in real life. "Just keep your distance okay Tia?" Sorr said. "If anything goes wrong just run as far as you can."

Vletti'azan'uosus

 

[Vletti'azan'uosus]

Location: Ord Mantell
Tags: Sorr Kortu

Tiaza could sense Sorr’s insecurities about himself. She didn’t call it to his attention. In fact it was part of the reason she was so quickly comfortable around him. She knew Sorr was better than he gave himself credit for. That was an attractive quality to her. She’d been to enough parties in her time with boys who thought they were so much more than they were because of what job they held or who their parents were. Sorr’s parents were supposed to be powerful, yet Sorr wanted to be his own man and wasn’t going to lean on legacy for that.

She flashed a bright smile when Sorr thanked her, and that he wouldn’t forget her. She guessed that the scenario that he goes away to smuggle and forgets about her wasn’t as plausible as she thought. ‘Especially if he sees me performing over the holo,’ she thought to herself. It was one way she was quite sure she’d be unable to be escaped in memory at least.

The young Chiss nodded her understanding of Sorr’s instructions. She wasn’t planning on getting in the middle of any trouble, but she wanted to be sure that Sorr was ok. “What’re you going to do if your parents are waiting there to take you home?” It was the best worst case scenario. Sorr would be safe, but stuck in the life he didn’t want. “You could always jump in a ship and fly away. You said you’re a good pilot right?”​

 

[Sorr Kortu]

Sorr shook his head when Tia asked about what he'll do if his parents arrived. "My Dad doesn't give a damn about me," Sorr said with a tone of bitterness. "When he found out that I ran away, I'm doubtful he lifted a finger to help me."

The young man gazed at Tia frowning. "I guess I can do that," he said beginning walk out from the club. "But I don't think I should just steal a starship; I barely have enough credits on me to buy a ship anyway."

Sorr opened the door greeted by the night air. "Correction Tia," Sorr said. "I am a great pilot and I want to be the best pilot in the Galaxy," he chuckled at Tia and began to walk to the dock. "Just try to stay close okay?" He whispered. "I'm just a little scared right now."

Okay maybe he was deathly afraid.

Vletti'azan'uosus

 

[Vletti'azan'uosus]

Location: Ord Mantell
Tags: Sorr Kortu

Tiaza was instantly saddened by Sorr’s declaration that his father didn’t care about him. The choices that Tiaza made as far as interests and her intended career distanced her somewhat from her family. Chiss people enjoyed art very much, but making a career of it was not common at all. Tiaza’s mother didn’t understand her, but in her way she cared for her daughter. Tiaza’s father was close and even encouraged her interests, but she could tell he didn’t understand. Tiecia would always tease her, but even now Tiaza’s sister made sure she was safe and even agreed to let Hilal help find their father. Tiaza missed them all, she couldn’t imagine a galaxy where anyone was uncared for.

Tiaza grinned when Sorr told her that stealing a ship wasn’t likely the best course of action. “Ok, so stealing a ship is the last resort. I was just saying if the worst happened it’s an option.”

When the night’s air hit Tiaza’s face she took it in with a deep breath. The indoors were not bad, but the cold of night always reminded her of home. When Sorr bragged about his piloting prowess Tiaza smiled and took hold of his arm. It was good that he was proud of himself in some areas. It made the insecurities endearing. “I’ll stay as close as I can. If things look like they’re going bad, I’m hitting the road to get you help.”​

 

[Sorr Kortu]

Sorr didn't like the idea of stealing scratch that he HATED it. However, in the seedy underbelly known as the criminal underworld you'll have to get dirty. The young man will have to adjust and adjust quickly. "Yeah," Sorr said as he continued to walk alongside with Tiaza. "But I hope Rory comes through with giving me a ship. He was a guy who I was in contact with when I was in High School. He told me that he liked my test scores as a Pilot and thought I would make a good Smuggler."

The young man began to blush when Tiaza held his arm. Either she was a clingy girl or she really liked him. Sorr couldn't tell though. "Thank you," Sorr said smiling looking at the Dock ahead. "Looks like we're almost there."

Vletti'azan'uosus

 

[Vletti'azan'uosus]

Location: Ord Mantell
Tags: Sorr Kortu

Tiaza was not generally clingy. She did so to show support and affection. It was something that others found odd. How quick she was able to allow physical contact with those she bonded with. She now found herself wondering if this trait was why she ended up with boys’ hands where they shouldn’t be. As if she were inviting such behavior because she was nice and expressed said nicety with a squeeze of an arm?

It really became less and less of a problem as the tour got more and more good reviews. Tiaza was slowly becoming a big deal among the teens of the galaxy as well as the opera going folk that were already fans. She had so many fans trying to get to see her that she didn’t have time to really talk to them anymore. And Hilal was getting more strict with the boys, which Tiaza appreciated beyond belief.

They arrived at the dock door. Tiaza thought Sorr was getting a bit more nervous the closer they got, but it was a little too early in their relationship to make assumptions. She returned his smile gladly. “We’re almost there,” Tiaza agreed. “I’m sure Rory will come through for you. Compromised doesn’t mean the job went South right? Whatever happens I’ve got your back,” the last part was added with a good deal of fake bravado. When she realized how silly it sounded she added a bit more sheepishly, “Er. I mean in the sense that if things go bad I’ll run my ass off and get you help.”​

 

[Sorr Kortu]

Sorr approached the elevator pressing the button and slowly entered. His heart sank seeing that Dock 94 was 30 floors away thankfully Tia's holding onto his arm put him at ease for the most part. "I hope so," Sorr said. "But I can't help but shake the feeling that something is off, why in this dock specifically?"

The young man frantically looked around as he leaned against Tia for comfort. She was the first no, the only person who stood by Sorr besides his older brother Dagmar Kortu . Now that he was with the GADF, he's not home often though Sorr suspected that he doesn't like their Dad and wanted to avoid him as much as possible. "Thank you so much Tia," Sorr said smiling at the young Chiss. "No one has ever stuck their neck out for me like this. I would never expected someone I just met to give me comfort."

Vletti'azan'uosus

 

[Vletti'azan'uosus]

Location: Ord Mantell
Tags: Sorr Kortu

Tiaza listened to Sorr murmuring about the dock number they were headed to, wondering if there was something special about it that Sorr hadn’t revealed yet. She almost stumbled when Sorr leaned into her, but managed to shift her weight enough to not let him notice. She could tell he was nervous now, but she didn’t let him know that she knew.

Sorr thanked Tiaza again. It made her heart sore to hear it. She was nothing but a voice in the distance to most people that she “helped”. Their words only muffled holoprojections, or typed out messages. Tiaza was a singer, a good one, who focused on her own emotions enough that she seemed to help others deal with emotions of their own. But when it came down to it her music was really for herself. Helping was just a welcome byproduct. To be standing next to someone. A cute, smart, nice boy, who said she was making a difference made her feel good.

“The galaxy is a rotten place sometimes,” Tiaza whispered in response. “Everyone needs support and help sometimes. I’m so very glad to help. Just wish that I was more like Hilal. She’d make sure there was no trouble at this meeting. I’m sure of that.”​

 

[Sorr Kortu]

Sorr gulped when he saw that they were getting closer to Dock 94, just a few more levels now. "It can be," Sorr whispered back standing straighter as he clung on to Tia's arm. "But I hardly get any support other than my older Brother but he's fighting the Brotherhood of the Maw right now."

The Elevator reached Dock 94 as he stared at Tia. "Who's Hilal?" Sorr asked before he saw Rory standing surrounded by 3 men armed to the teeth. "Oh boy," Sorr gulped. "Here I go." He took a step forward clinging tightly on to Tia's arm his feet feeling as if they were submerged in cement. Yet Sorr kept going, he wanted to get this over with.

Vletti'azan'uosus

 

[Vletti'azan'uosus]

Location: Ord Mantell
Tags: Sorr Kortu

“Hilal is my body…” Tiaza was pulled into dock 94 before she could complete the response to Sorr’s question. When the young Chiss singer saw what was waiting for them inside the dock she wished Hilal was there even more than before. She gave a look around, she was quite honestly a little surprised one of the droids had not been following her all along.

Before she could take notice of much more than the blasters the men were carrying Sorr was moving forward. And Tiaza was moving with him. As tightly as Sorr was holding onto Tiaza she was holding tighter. Maybe her presence would be a surprise and would end any thoughts the people waiting Sorr had of violence. She wondered if she should reveal her identity. A semi-celebrity might stay their hands. ‘Or it will make me as much a target as Sorr,’ she finished the thought. No, just being a girl stuck in the middle was a better choice at this point.

“We got this,” Tiaza whispered in Sorr’s ear as they continued forward. It felt odd to say ‘we’, but she felt like he needed to know she was at his side more than he needed the ego boost of saying he could handle the situation. Whatever was about to go down, they were in it together.​

 

[Sorr Kortu]

"Hey," Rory gave a sour look at Tia who was clinging on to Sorr's arm while he was approaching him. The three armed men trained their rifles at the Chiss while Sorr slowly placed her behind him. "Yeah we do," Sorr said wondering why did Tia say we when he was brokering the deal. Either way it gave him the confidence boost that he needed to stand up and to overcome his fear. Sorr finally has a friend by his side his first and maybe only friend.

"I thought I told you to come alone," he said. "Why do you have your girlfriend here?"

"S-she's not my girlfriend," Sorr stammered. "She's just a friend someone who's wants help me in stuff."

"A likely story," Rory said. "Whatever we'll check her out later we got a situation though."

"What?" Sorr said frowning. "What's going on?"

"There was a person who recognized ya and did some digging." Rory said. "You're pretty valuable kid not as a Smuggler but a hostage."

"Wait a minute?!" Sorr shouted. "We've had a deal!"

"The deal has become null and void," Rory said. "I'm sure your Dad has missed you even though he hasn't filed a missing person's report."

"No!" Sorr slowly started walk back as the men approached him.

"Come with us quietly kid," Rory said. "You might go back to Daddy in peace or in pieces makes no difference to me as long as I get paid."

Vletti'azan'uosus

 

[Vletti'azan'uosus]

Location: Ord Mantell
Tags: Sorr Kortu

Tiaza froze instantly as the rifles of the heavies were pointed in her direction. She gritted her teeth when the man Rory said they would check her out later. Sorr said he was well known, she didn’t need them to know who she was too it might make things go very differently. She suddenly wished she’d stayed at the elevator and watched for trouble from a distance.

Sorr stumbled over the word girlfriend, but Tiaza was pretty sure that he was just caught off guard as much as she was that someone would just assume that. A boy and girl couldn’t take a walk together anymore? Or do business? For all they knew she was a world class smuggler with tons of underworld connections that were valuable to Sorr’s mission. But no see a young girl and young guy together and instantly she had to just be some girlfriend hanging on.

Sorr seemed to be strong in standing up to Rory at first, but when he took his first step backwards from the approaching muscle he bumped into Tiaza who was still frozen solid. The light bump of Sorr’s back into her chest was all it took for Tiaza to realize things were bad and she should already be running away. Better late than never she hoped, as she turned and rushed back towards the elevator as fast as her legs would take her.​

 

[Sorr Kortu]

"Oh chit!" Sorr said watching Tia run it was part of the plan. Have her run for help though he wished he'd let her go sooner so she can reach the elevator. Just as Tia was about to reach the elevator, another armed man reached for the Chiss woman and grabbed her hair pulling her over to where Rory was.

"No!" Sorr yelled. "Let her go now!"

"We will!" Rory laughed. "If you decide to come with us!"

"I know you're lying!" Sorr yelled. "You broke your promise and now you expect me to believe that you won't hurt her! Do you know who my Dad is! If I get hurt he will send the entire GADF upon you! You'll be the most wanted man in the Galaxy! IF you hurt Tia!"

Sorr pulled out his pistol aiming it at his foot. "I have a tracker in my bloodstream!" He shouted. "Even though I deactivated it when I ran away I have the code that WILL turn it back on! If you hurt TIA I will shoot myself which will a signal back to my Dad you sure you want to play around?!"

Vletti'azan'uosus

 

[Vletti'azan'uosus]

Location: Ord Mantell
Tags: Sorr Kortu

Tiaza was about to reach out to the elevator call button when a hand wrapped around her ponytail. A quick tug made her give up any hope of getting away. As she was pulled towards the one called Rory her hat fell off. At this point any care she had before about remaining anonymous went out the window. She just wanted to stay alive and unhurt.

Sorr was almost vicious in his defense of Tiaza once she was captured. It was quite a surprise, but when she would look back later she would see she took a chance to defend him as well. A part of Tiaza hoped that Sorr would give in and they would let her go and then she could find Hilal or some other help to make things turn out ok. But she knew Sorr was right. They weren't just going to let her go.

The statement about his father getting the whole GADF against Rory had Tiaza's mouth gape open in disbelief. If that was true Sorr definitely was the bigger fish here and her identity would change things much. The idea that Sorr would shoot himself to end this was even more shocking. The part about him being tracked was less surprising given the GADF claim.

"No don't shoot yourself," Tiaza pleaded with Sorr. "There has to be some other way for you to let us go?" She asked Rory. Surely the criminal that Sorr thought was giving him a break wasn't stupid enough to ask for the anger of Sorr's father if he really was that powerful.​

 

[Sorr Kortu]

"Yeah!" Rory laughed while one of the men pushed Tia onto Rory while he grabbed a fistful of her hair. "Let's not be so hasty my friend listen to reason kid. You're making a scene in front of your girlfriend."

The bluff was failing miserably while Sorr frantically looked at Tia. He was putting her in danger with his stupidity, Sorr thought that the threat of his Dad would release them for sure but they weren't GA territory. Ord Mantell was under the control of the Imperials and they handled things differently than the GA. "Maybe we shouldn't give you to your pops," Rory said. "Maybe the Emperor would love it if you were a POW, maybe he he'll have a leg up on family Sorr Kortu."

Sorr took a deep breath he knew he shouldn't do this, but he did not want to go back to his Dad nor he wants to be in the Emperor's grasp. There was only one option now. "Tia," Sorr said while Rory was pulling her ponytail. "Close your eyes."

The young man raised his blaster pistol and shot Rory in the arm. He cried out in pain relinquishing his hold on Tia's hair. "Run!" Sorr yelled running behind a box.

"FUCK!" Rory shouted grabbing his injured arm. "YOU FUCKING KID! KILL THEM! KILL THEM ALL!"

Vletti'azan'uosus

 

[Vletti'azan'uosus]

Location: Ord Mantell
Tags: Sorr Kortu

Tiaza thought for a second that common sense would prevail and something logical could be worked out. What good could really come from harming or kidnapping a high ranking GA official's kid?

But that thought quickly left her when Rory suggested turning Sorr over to the Emperor. This was just idiotic. Even if Rory could get Sorr to the Emperor without Sorr's father learning of it what would happen to Tiaza? Someone needed to end this stalemate, but she had no idea how it would work out for her and Sorr against four armed assailants.

The young Chiss heard Sorr call for her to close her eyes and she didn't waste any time doing just that. She ducked her shoulders a little as well instinctively making herself smaller though she didn't even realize it at the time.

Tiaza heard the shot and felt the hand loosen on her hair. Almost at the same time she heard Sorr call out to run. Wasting no time she gave Rory as hard a shove as she could manage to give her a fighting chance at getting away. Kortu. She took note of Sorr's family name. It was not familiar to her, but if she got away that name might get her and Sorr help. Repeating the name Sorr Kortu over and over in her head she ran just like Sorr told her hoping she could get away and get back to the original plan.​

 

[Sorr Kortu]

A flurry of blaster bolts plastered against the metal box that Sorr took cover in. So much for taking Sorr alive, in front of him Sorr saw the lights of the Elevator turn red. Rory must've sliced into the Dock's system and shut off any means of escape, or maybe he owns the place who knows? What Sorr did know that he's trapped with Tia. The young man motioned to Tia to quickly come over while blaster bolts went flying everywhere like they were bunch of angry Flies. One of the men aimed their weapon at Tia, but Sorr slipped out of cover to fire his Pistol towards the mercenary. None of his shots landed but it was enough to force the merc into cover.

"Oh man!" Sorr panicked as he hid next to the box. "The way out is sealed, and I've never been in a gun fight!" His mind was filled with panic, what was he going to do? How was he and Tia going to get out of here. "Man, man, man!" Sorr yelled. "I'm sorry for everything Tia!"

Vletti'azan'uosus

 

[Vletti'azan'uosus]

Location: Ord Mantell
Tags: Sorr Kortu

Tiaza’s hand nearly reached the elevator. She was about to do it. Blaster bolts were ricocheting about the docking bay, but she was making herself small and had avoided any injury so far. Well, except for the pain in her scalp from having her hair pulled. But she was about to make it. Last gasp to get help.

Then Sorr called out that it was sealed. ‘No! It can’t be! I’m so close,’ Tiaza thought to herself. A blaster bolt sailed by and struck the wall less than a meter from the Chiss songstress. She grit her teeth. ‘What now?’ she questioned. ‘Sorr’s got a blaster. We’ve gotta figure something out together.’

She ducked her head down and rushed over to where Sorr took cover. If she had any means of being a threat to their enemies it would have been smarter to stay apart. But being a separate target didn’t sound like a good idea to Tiaza, especially when Sorr said he’d never been in a gun fight before.

When Tiaza made it next to Sorr she sighed in relief, though she wasn’t quite sure why. She remembered hearing Sorr apologize as she rushed through the blaster fire. Now crouching behind a steel box with Sorr she managed to force a smile for him. She reached out and squeezed his leg just above the knee. “You can apologize when you figure a way out of this,” she said in the sweetest tone she could manage given the situation so as not to place blame. “I wanted to be here to make sure you’re safe. Now it’s up to you to figure out how to get us both to safety.”​

 

[Sorr Kortu]

Somehow despite messing up Tia was still kind and understanding, she held on to her knee managing to smile at Sorr. The young man was astonished, he expected Tia to yell and curse at him. But Instead she was encouraging him to find a way out despite the odds. Did she really have faith in Sorr? Or was she faking it just so she can save her own skin. The fact that a girl an ACTUAL GIRL was smiling at Sorr and cheering him on made him wonder if this was real. He blinked a couple of times and the blaster bolts that were piercing the box and Tia confirmed that this was real.

"All right," Sorr nodded before reaching out and grabbing Tia's straw hat that she dropped. "I believe you've dropped this my lady," he smiled placing the hat over her head before peering over the box to observe the field. Even though Sorr's vision was briefly obscured by the sparks created by the blaster bolts hitting the box, he could see a crane perched over the mercs and Rory who was seething. Maybe Sorr could shoot the four hinges.....

"Okay," Sorr breathed. "Here goes everything!" closing his left eye and began firing rapidly. The blaster bolts hit their mark causing it to draw and land behind the men with a large explosion. Sorr immediately ducked as he heard screams mostly curses. "I-I did it!" Sorr giggled staring at Tia. "Follow me!" He yelled holding out his hand for her to take.

Vletti'azan'uosus

 

[Vletti'azan'uosus]

Location: Ord Mantell
Tags: Sorr Kortu

Tiaza gladly took the hat she thought for sure would be lost. She gave Sorr a smile as she considered putting it back on her head. ‘Probably just fall right back off,’ Tiaza decided and held tightly to the hat in her hand. ‘Hilal will kill me if I lose it. No, she probably wouldn’t. But I need some good to come from this story. ‘Kept your hat safe!’ is about the best I can do right now.’

Ducking her head to keep as far out of the action as she could, Tiaza kept her eyes on Sorr. It seemed like he had a plan, and it seemed like it was all or nothing. Tiaza gave a nod and closed her eyes tight. “Good Luck,” she muttered. Sorr’s shots rang in her ear quite loudly, but not loud enough for her to miss the clatter that came from the other side of the dock when his shots hit their mark.

Tiaza slowly opened her eyes and was very glad to see Sorr still right next to her. She wanted to hug him when he yelled out in excitement. But he told her to follow and grabbed her hand. She held on tightly and rose to her feet ready to follow. “Elevator is still stuck. How are we getting out?”​