First Reply AFTER // HOURS

[Vexxa Vane]

CORUSCANT · LEVEL 1313
OPEN

The hiss of the fog machine sounded the last few beats of Vexxa's set. The crowd had been pumped, the energy was high, and the dance floor was sweaty. That was exactly what they had come to expect from one of V//NE's sets. The huntress had made a name for herself outside of her notorious slicing abilities and had started what little of a career she could in the lower levels of Coruscant.

The recent Sith occupation had been nothing but a boon for her career. People were going out more than ever, looking for an escape from the day to day in the lower levels. 1313 always had a reputation as the most dangerous level on the whole planet, and the Sith had only furthered that truth. It drove people in hordes to the clubs and parties that weren't being shut down by the Sith. It became a real if-you-know-you-know type of situation, and Vexxa Vane, or V//NE as she was known here, was at the center of that.

She had been using her abilities as a hacker to find weaknesses in the Sith's patrols, and using that information she had started throwing impromptu parties all over Coruscant's underbelly. The people were yearning for something beyond anything the Sith or the Jedi could provide- freedom. They wanted to be able to dance, to do drugs, to kiss strangers, and they wanted to do it without anyone watching them. So they flocked to Vexxa like sheep; her natural charm and commanding presence had been a driving force in the parties' successes.

"You all have been fucking awesome!" She called into the microphone in her hand. The crowd went wild, and lasers started shooting from all angles, cutting deep into the fog that rolled out over the dance floor. The people in the crowd were screaming, calling out for her to come back, to play another mix. The bass kept booming, and Vexxa stood soaking in the cheers. Then, as more and more fog entered the dance-floor, the bass started shaking more and more.

V//NE took another look at the crowd before the fog swallowed the deckrunner booth entirely. She always used that trick as her exit, giving the crowd that bit of mystery that kept them coming back for more. The music continued as she exited the booth, pounding the walls of the old factory they had used as their latest party destination. Blue eyes looked over the crowd that had gathered. She was surprised they hadn't been busted yet. Some nights they got away with it, but more often than not, someone would come knocking. If not for the noise, for the trespassing.

They were a crafty bunch, using what they had to create what they needed. Vexxa's booth was a former foreman's office that they broke the windows out of. It overlooked the former factory line floor and was a perfect place for the acts to set up in. They turned an assembly line into a bar, and they even used the chains that hung above to hold whatever heavy objects they were producing to hold the light fixtures and lasers. Easy to set up, easy to take down. You grabbed what you could and you left the rest if trouble came.

Hopefully tonight, there would be no trouble.

"The usual."

The Twi'lek didn't bother asking. A glass hit the counter a moment later, followed by a generous pour of Jet Juice. Vexxa took it without looking, tossing a few credits across the makeshift bar before turning to lean back against it.

She took a long drink and let the burn settle in her chest while the bass hammered against her spine.

 

[Jacero Savi]

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AUTH//PASS >> J.SAVI // RUN_LOG:0.011-A // ENC:ACTIVE // TRACE:NULL // ROUTE:MOBILE

RUN// ▶ ACTIVE

LOCATION: FACTORY RAVE, LVL 1313, CORUSCANT // OBJECTIVE: BLEND IN

JACE SAVI

RUNNER // INFILTRATOR

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One of the rusted factory doors burst inward as Jace put his shoulder into it.

He came through at a run, caught himself two strides inside and checked his pace before he knocked into the people spilling from the edge of the crowd. The noise of the rave immediately swallowed him. Bass worked through the floor hard enough to feel in his chest. Bodies filled most of the space beyond the entrance, packed close beneath shifting light and fog, and for the first time in what felt like far too long, there were enough people around to give him a chance of disappearing.

Jace moved into the dancing crowd and reached up to pull his hood back, freeing his long ivory-white hair. He took a steady breath, catching sweat, alcohol and smoke as he shrugged out of his jacket and let it slide down his arms. By the time he'd worked his way properly into the crowd, he looked very different. The jacket ended up folded against one thigh, the yellow striping turned inward, while his other hand pushed his hair back from where the hood had flattened it.

His breathing was still running a little high.

That was fine. Half the room looked like they'd been dancing for hours. Jace glanced back once, through the movement behind him rather than directly toward the doors, then kept going.

Nothing obvious yet.

The small object inside one pocket tapped lightly against his knuckles.

Jace tightened his grip without looking down. Whatever he'd expected when he'd taken the thing, it hadn't included being followed across what felt like half of Coruscant. Losing one group had bought him a few minutes before somebody else appeared. Changing levels hadn't helped. Neither had doubling back through a service corridor, dropping onto a transit platform below, or spending several blocks making absolutely certain nobody had followed the same route.

Apparently, somebody wanted it back.

Badly.

For the moment, they could keep wanting.

A plan was beginning to take shape, and a packed, moving crowd was about as good a place as any to disappear. Jace slipped between two people near the edge of it and found the bar. He put a few credits down, set the folded jacket against the counter beneath his forearm and caught the attention of the Twi'lek serving.

"Hey, one of whatever's cold."

A drink appeared soon enough. Jace took it, swallowed a decent mouthful and settled against the edge of the bar while he looked over the room.

Standing alone isn't going to help.

Most of the people nearby had already formed themselves into groups, conversations closed enough that pushing into one would take more effort than he wanted to spend. Near the booth, a pack of dancers were still chanting for more. More music, he supposed.

The old assembly line had become the bar. Chains hung from fixtures and disappeared into the dark overhead, while stairs and walkways ringed the room beneath rows of blackened factory windows. Jace found himself placing routes through it almost automatically. Ways up. Ways out. Somewhere to disappear if the front doors became a problem again.

Then his attention returned to the crowd.

He needed to look like he belonged here.

His gaze moved until it caught on the woman from the booth, now alone at the bar farther down.

Alone.

Much easier.

Jace took his drink and crossed the short distance toward her, bringing the folded jacket with him. By then the run through Coruscant had disappeared from his expression almost entirely. There was still colour in his face and his hair wasn't quite behaving, but the smile came easily enough.

"You were playing, right?"

He stopped close enough to be heard without crowding her and took another drink.

Somewhere behind him, the entrance opened again.

Jace didn't turn around.

"I'm Jace." His eyebrows lifted a little as he offered her his free hand, his smile widening. "What's your name?"

The hard little object pressed against his ribs when he shifted, a small reassurance that it was still there. If he played it cool, maybe this didn't have to get any worse.

"You come here often?"

Yikes.

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Vexxa Vane

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RUN_LOG // SYNCED

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[Vexxa Vane]

CORUSCANT · LEVEL 1313
Jacero Savi

Vexxa turned back as she gripped her drink, her blue eyes taking in the crowd. She had been hosting these parties for a long time, and had been around even longer. She was able to get a read on a crowd easily by this point, it came with the territory of being a deckrunner. If your crowd wasn't feeling it, then you might as well just pack up and leave.

This crowd was really enjoying themselves, they were moving to the bass, drinks in their hands and drugs in their systems.

Before she was able to pat herself on the back too hard, she got a message in her in-ear.

//Ms. Vane, a man has just entered here in a hurry. He looks like he's hiding, no visible hardware, may be a badge.//

She swirled the glass around lazily as she contemplated the information. There was a small chance this mystery man was an officer, but they were rarely shy about announcing their presence. They had no need to be undercover, Vexxa's parties were illegal by nature, they wouldn't need to snoop around to find a reason to shut one down. The bounty hunter thought back to her last few contracts, had she pissed someone off enough that they would put a hit on her? They'd be stupid to try to collect in the middle of a crowded factory floor, especially when she was surrounded by people who she was paying to provide security.

That left surprisingly few reasons he was here.

The most likely one was that he was running hot. Either from someone, or something. Either way, he risked bringing whatever it was he was hiding from straight to Vexxa's doorstep- badge or otherwise. She didn't need any more trouble than she already had.

//He is headed your way. He has something in his pocket, unsure if it is a blaster.//

"Did I piss anyone off, Anne?" She asked in response. If this was a hit that had been put on her, someone must have been holding a grudge. "Keep an eye on him and me. If you see me light my cigarette with my right hand, I am fine, if I light it with my left- send muscle." The signal went blank shortly after. Now she was on edge, because if he were a badge, he would have definitely announced himself by now.

Her predator's gaze caught Jacero likely before he caught her. Or at least, she couldn't tell that he had noticed her. In fact, he looked like he was on edge himself. There was a nervousness in his movements that anyone who had spent time on 1313 could pick out from a mile away. He wasn't looking around like someone trying to find somebody, he was looking around like someone trying to make sure nobody had found him.

Great.

She put a manicured hand through her hair and threw back the rest of her drink. She was going to need every ounce of liquid courage she could get. By the time she looked back up after gathering herself, he had started his course toward her. A quick look over the ivory-maned man and Vexxa could tell there was much more than met the eye. She had no idea what it was, but she was interested nonetheless. The fear of a hitman subsided for the most part, replaced instead with a piqued curiosity of what may yet come. She wasn't in the business of protecting criminals, but she certainly wasn't in the business of being a rat either.

Not wanting to play her cards, Vexxa returned her gaze toward the crowd, hoping to play caught off guard when he approached. No sense in letting him know he already had eyes on him. As he approached, he opened with a question, one that anyone could have asked her, so it wasn't any clue as to what his intentions were.

There was a pause as Vexxa looked at the hand he offered her, then back up at him. The corner of her mouth curled upward as he introduced himself, but before she could respond he followed it up with a question that actually managed to catch her off guard.

You come here often?

Her blue eyes narrowed slightly, amusement quickly replacing the suspicion that had been there before. Vexxa looked toward the deckrunner booth she had just disappeared from, then back toward Jacero. For the first time since Anne had warned her about him, the smile that crossed her face was genuine.

"Do I come here often?" She repeated, letting the question hang between them for a moment. "You really know how to talk to a girl, Jace."

She finally took the hand he offered, her grip lingering just long enough to make the gesture feel intentional. There was still something about him she couldn't quite place. Up close, the signs were easier to see. His hair was a mess, there was still color in his face, and despite the easy smile he had managed to put on, Vexxa knew what someone looked like when they were trying too hard to appear relaxed.

"Vexxa," she finally offered, releasing his hand. Her eyes briefly traveled over him before settling back on his face. "And yeah, you could say I've been here before."

The smirk returned as she reached into her pocket and pulled out a cigarette case. She placed it between her lips before producing a lighter, deliberately bringing it up with her right hand. The flame briefly illuminated her face before she snapped the lighter shut again.

Anne would know what that meant.

For now, she was fine.

Vexxa took a drag before turning enough that she could lean back against the bar, keeping Jacero in her peripheral while appearing more interested in the crowd. If someone really was following him, staring at the entrance would only make it obvious that she knew something was wrong. Instead, she let the smoke slowly escape from between her lips before looking back toward him.

"So," she started, tapping the cigarette lightly over her empty glass. "You always run into places looking like you just lost a race, or am I special?" Her other hand held the cigarette holder open, offering the man one if he would like.

 

[Jacero Savi]

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AUTH//PASS >> J.SAVI // RUN_LOG:0.011-A // ENC:ACTIVE // TRACE:NULL // ROUTE:MOBILE

RUN// ▶ ACTIVE

LOCATION: FACTORY RAVE, LVL 1313, CORUSCANT // OBJECTIVE: BLEND IN

JACE SAVI

RUNNER // INFILTRATOR

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The extra beat in Vexxa's handshake wasn't lost on him. Jace smirked as she let go, the expression lingering when she produced the cigarette case and offered it across. He gave the cigarettes a quick look before shaking his head and lifting his drink instead.

"I'm good, thanks."

The drink suited him better anyway. He kept it loosely in hand as Vexxa smoked, condensation gathering beneath his fingers while the lights shifted over the bar and through the haze hanging across the factory. Her question drew a short laugh from him, and Jace settled a little more comfortably against the bar as the bass continued to work through the floor beneath them.

"You know how it is." He smiled at her over the rim of the glass, took a mouthful and swallowed. "See a pretty girl and rush over to get her name."

The run through the lower levels had left enough adrenaline in him that standing still should have felt strange, but the rave made it easier to disappear into the moment. Music hammered through old factory machinery, bodies moved in almost every direction and people crowded the bar without paying much attention to anyone beyond whoever they had arrived with. His breathing had finally settled, and one foot had started picking up the beat against the floor without much conscious thought.

As he lowered the glass, a dull flash from across the factory caught his attention. One of the old machine housings opposite the bar still held enough polish to throw back a warped slice of the room behind him, including the rusted entrance whenever shifting lights and bodies weren't obscuring it. Faces were lost at that distance, but whenever the doors opened the reflection caught the change in light from the corridor beyond, and caught anyone coming through for a moment. Jace shifted a little farther along the bar until the angle worked better, the door in his peripheral vision, while keeping himself turned toward Vexxa.

The reflection was good enough. The view in front of him was better. He didn't need to keep turning around.

A group pushed past behind them on their way toward the dance floor, several voices raised over the music before they disappeared into the fog. Jace followed them for a moment and found his attention drawn back toward the booth Vexxa had left earlier. Even without her behind the controls, people were still gathered nearby, reluctant to accept that her set had ended.

"You sounded good up there, by the way." Jace tipped his glass loosely toward the booth. "Crowd really didn't want you to stop. Fair call, I think."

The hazy reflection remained in his peripheral vision, but his attention settled back on Vexxa as he raised his eyebrows toward the booth.

"So are you done for the night, Vexxa?"

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Vexxa Vane

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RUN_LOG // SYNCED

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[Vexxa Vane]

CORUSCANT · LEVEL 1313
Jacero Savi

An entertained hum left her lips at his denial of the cigarette. She flipped the lid closed and slid it back into her pocket while she took another drag. She exhaled it into the air and watched as it danced through the lasers and flashing lights that tore through the otherwise dark warehouse. The songs that were bumping from the speakers were good, the bass was pulsing through the place, the tempo a bit higher than Vexxa's usual moody, dark electronic beats.

"Pretty girl?" She laughed, not in a dismissive way, but a playful one. "Keep talking to me like that and I might just believe you actually came over here to talk." The smile that teased her expression was more akin to a predator than prey. It seemed Jace liked to play fast, so Vexxa would give it right back.

She wasn't buying a word of it, of course.

The huntress had already clocked the way he shifted along the bar. He was smooth, she would give him that, but Vexxa knew what it looked like when someone was keeping an eye on the exit. She knew even better what it looked like when someone was trying to make it look like they weren't keeping an eye on the exit. There was something he was afraid of coming through those doors, something that hadn't stopped being a concern just because he was talking to a pretty girl or having a drink.

She wasn't dumb enough to follow his gaze. She had eyes on the door, and Anne would let her know as soon as anyone who looked out of place walked through. Unless they knew of some entrance that Vexxa didn't, she would know when they arrived. Instead, she leaned back against the bar and let herself look relaxed. They were far less likely to notice two people at a bar talking than they were two people monitoring the door like guilty criminals. So, she let Jace keep flirting with her.

His compliment earned him something more genuine. Vexxa's attention turned briefly back toward the old foreman's office, where the crowd was still dancing under the fog and lights. Nothing could have stopped the flash of pride she felt when she thought back to her set. Sure, bounty hunting paid most of the bills, and slicing was a great skill to have, but there was something about being up there with just a deck and some tunes that brought a light to her soul. It was something neither of the other two came close to replicating.

"Now I'll take that one." She lifted her cigarette toward him before taking another drag. "They'd keep me here till I ran out of music if they could."

Her blue eyes returned to him when he asked if she was done for the night. Vexxa took her time answering, studying him through the thin veil of smoke between them. There were easier places to disappear than beside her, and yet he'd picked her anyway. Whether that was luck, desperation, or something else entirely remained to be seen.

"For the deck?" She gave a small shrug. "Probably. Another deckrunner is playing soon."

A mischievous smile pulled at the corner of her mouth.

"For everything else?"

Vexxa let the question hang for a beat before flicking the cigarette into her empty glass.

"Depends what you've got in mind."

 

[Jacero Savi]

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AUTH//PASS >> J.SAVI // RUN_LOG:0.011-A // ENC:ACTIVE // TRACE:NULL // ROUTE:MOBILE

RUN// ▶ ACTIVE

LOCATION: FACTORY RAVE, LVL 1313, CORUSCANT // OBJECTIVE: BLEND IN

JACE SAVI

RUNNER // INFILTRATOR

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Vexxa's laugh got another grin from Jace, though the way she threw his own line back at him caught a little more attention than the cigarette disappearing into her pocket.

"Hey, I did come over to talk." He lifted his glass slightly before taking another mouthful. "The rest's just good timing."

He left it there rather than trying to sell the story any harder. Vexxa didn't seem particularly bothered either way, and when his compliment pulled her attention back toward the booth, Jace followed it. People were still moving beneath the fog and lights, the crowd showing no particular urgency to accept that her part of the night was finished.

"Yeah, I noticed." His smile eased as he looked back to her. "You had them. I'm guessing that's not news to you."

Jace figured she was well-known in these parts. Maybe in other sectors, too. Vexxa's answer about the deck made sense. Another deckrunner taking over explained why the music had kept rolling without her, and Jace nodded once, taking another drink while she spoke. It was the rest of her answer that caught him half a beat later. The mischievous smile, the pause after everything else, then the cigarette disappearing into her empty glass while she waited to see what he'd do with it.

Jace's eyebrows rose.

"Honestly? I hadn't got that far."

He laughed quietly and looked down into his drink for a second, actually considering it now that she'd put the question to him. He'd come over because standing alone had been a bad idea, and the flirting had been easy enough to fall into once they started talking. It helped that she was pretty, too. Still, there was someone else on his mind, and Jace wasn't particularly interested in complicating that. The trouble somewhere behind him only made the decision easier.

"I'm not from Coruscant." He looked back at her, one shoulder lifting. "I've seen a lot of transit platforms, service corridors and places I'm discouraged from visiting, but not much I'd call sightseeing." His mouth pulled sideways, thoughtful. "You know anywhere on this level that does decent food? Or some other levels?"

A change in light moved through the warped reflection across the factory.

Jace caught it without turning.

The entrance had opened again. Three figures came through while the corridor light was still spilling across the floor behind them, dark suits immediately standing out against people dressed for a rave. None of them stopped to take in the music or find the bar. One stayed near the entrance while the other two started into the room, their attention moving over faces rather than lights, drinks or the dance floor.

His foot stopped keeping time beside the bar.

Damn.

Jace took another drink and kept himself facing Vexxa, using the dull machine housing to keep an eye on them. The reflection wasn't good enough for faces, but he didn't need faces. He'd seen the same kind of purposeful search often enough during the last hour. The routes he'd marked earlier were still there. Walkways above them, the packed floor, the spaces around the old machinery. Moving for any of them now, while the men were still looking, would only give them something to notice. He adjusted the folded jacket under his arm and stayed where he was.

One of the suited men disappeared behind a knot of dancers. The other changed direction toward the bar.

Jace lowered his glass, the easy smile still there when his attention settled properly back on Vexxa, though there was a little less looseness behind it now. There was something about Vexxa that suggested she could handle herself, but Jace had brought this trouble to her side of the bar. If something happened because he'd chosen her as cover when he could have kept walking, that sat badly with him.

"So, small problem." He kept his voice low enough that it belonged to the space between them rather than the room. "I might've brought company."

Jace lifted the glass and finished the drink before setting it on the bar. He considered for a moment.

"You said you were probably done with the deck." His eyes stayed on Vexxa. "Just wondering, what counts as everything else?"

None of the thugs had gotten a good look at him yet, but Jace preferred being ready before that changed.

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Vexxa Vane

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RUN_LOG // SYNCED

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[Vexxa Vane]

CORUSCANT · LEVEL 1313
Jacero Savi

His insistence that he had come over just to talk earned another amused smile from Vexxa. She wasn't going to argue with him, especially when he seemed intent on digging the hole deeper himself. Maybe there was some truth to it, he certainly didn't seem upset about where he'd ended up. "Mhmm." She hummed, clearly unconvinced. "Good timing."

The compliment about her set managed to keep the smile on her face, though. Vexxa had never been particularly shy about knowing when she was good at something, and this was no exception. She had worked hard to make a name for V//NE down here, even if it had started as little more than something to occupy her time. There were worse things to be known for than making people forget how shitty their lives were for a few hours. His answer to her flirting wasn't quite what she expected, however.

Her eyebrows raised slightly when he admitted he hadn't gotten that far, a laugh escaping her lips before she could stop it. For all the smooth talking he'd done since walking over, apparently she had finally managed to knock him off whatever script he'd been working from.

"Cute."

When he explained that he wasn't from Coruscant, Vexxa found herself a little more interested. It explained some things. Anyone who spent enough time in the lower levels learned which places to avoid, which people not to look at, and which doors you didn't run through unless you knew exactly what was waiting on the other side. Jace apparently hadn't gotten that lesson yet. She was about to answer his question about food when Anne's voice cut into her ear.

//Three just came through the main entrance. Dark suits. One holding the door, two moving through the crowd. They're looking for someone.//

Vexxa didn't react. Her expression remained the same and her eyes stayed on Jace as she reached for the empty glass beside her and rolled it lazily between her fingers. She didn't need to look toward the entrance to know exactly who the men were there for. The way Jace's foot stopped moving with the music, the slight adjustment of the jacket beneath his arm, the tension that returned to him told her everything she needed to know. Whatever trouble had sent him running into her party had finally caught up with him.

"So, small problem."

Vexxa's eyes narrowed with amusement. "No shit."

She let him finish before finally allowing her gaze to wander past him, not toward the door, but toward the bodies packed around the bar. If the men were looking for Jace, they hadn't found him yet. That gave her options, and options were something Vexxa had made an entire career out of exploiting. When he asked what counted as everything else, that predatory smile slowly returned.

"Depends." She pushed herself away from the bar and stepped closer to him, close enough that anyone watching from across the room would have a hard time getting a good look at Jace. "Usually dinner comes before I start helping strange men disappear, but I'll make an exception."

Her hand came up and caught the front of his shirt, the gesture looking considerably more intimate than it actually was. Vexxa leaned closer, bringing her mouth near his ear so she didn't have to fight the music. "Don't look at them. Don't run- and whatever you stole? Keep it in your fucking pocket."

She pulled away just enough to meet his eyes, still wearing that same smile as if she'd whispered something entirely different into his ear. "There's a service stairwell behind the deck. Gets us above the floor." Her fingers remained curled loosely against his shirt. "We're going to make our way over there nice and slow, and you're going to tell me exactly who the hells you brought into my party."

Her smile widened.

"Then maybe I'll show you where the good food is."

 

[Jacero Savi]

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AUTH//PASS >> J.SAVI // RUN_LOG:0.011-A // ENC:ACTIVE // TRACE:NULL // ROUTE:MOBILE

RUN// ▶ ACTIVE

LOCATION: FACTORY RAVE, LVL 1313, CORUSCANT // OBJECTIVE: BLEND IN

JACE SAVI

RUNNER // INFILTRATOR

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Vexxa's unconvinced hum only made Jace grin. He gave a small shrug and left the claim where it was. Trying any harder to convince her probably wasn't going to help his case.

Being called cute caught him a little less prepared. Jace's eyebrows went up before a laugh escaped him, and he looked down for a moment with the hint of a smirk still on his face.

"I'll take it. And you're easy on the eyes, too."

Jace expected an answer about the food next, but the conversation shifted when his 'friends' finally made themselves difficult to ignore. Vexxa's blunt response to his warning got another short laugh from him; he liked how honest she was, at least.

"Yeah. Fair."

She didn't look toward the entrance. Jace noticed that much, especially when her attention wandered somewhere past him instead. Whatever she'd worked out, apparently he'd been considerably less subtle than he'd hoped. When Vexxa pushed away from the bar and stepped closer, Jace's eyebrows lifted again. Helping strange men disappear hadn't been what he'd expected from everything else, but he wasn't about to argue if that came with an easier way out.

Her hand caught the front of his shirt.

Jace stiffened a little, but kept himself from reacting on instinct. The expression on Vexxa's face didn't imply danger, not exactly, so he stayed where he was and let the smile remain. Keeping his attention on her, he played along so anyone looking across the room got a considerably different impression of the conversation.

Then she leaned in and Jace instinctively reached out with his free hand, resting it against her hip.

Just a couple getting cute together...

The warning about the men made sense. The last part earned a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth.

"Borrowed," he murmured near her ear. "And it is in my pocket. My jacket pocket."

He adjusted the folded jacket beneath his arm, feeling the small object shift inside it.

Vexxa pulled back enough to meet his eyes and gave him the route. The service stairwell behind the deck would put them above the floor, away from the crush around the bar and somewhere with a better view of what the three men were doing. Jace had already marked the upper walkways when he'd arrived; knowing there was a way onto them from behind the booth made the option considerably better.

Her demand for an explanation was harder.

"That's the problem." Jace winced briefly. "I... kind of don't know who they are."

This time he leaned in, his cheek brushing her ear as he kept his voice down.

"I saw a Corpo-type carrying something like it was important and saw the gap in his security. So I took the opportunity. His goons started following me, I lost them before I got here, and now they've turned up looking in here."

His eyes shifted toward the reflective surface behind Vexxa while he stayed close to her.

"Pretty sure it's the same suits, but they all look alike. Nobody stopped to introduce themselves."

That was about as much certainty as he had. Whoever wanted the thing back had been persistent enough to follow him across levels, and now they seemed to be backtracking and doing more thorough sweeps.

Then Vexxa brought the food back into it.

Jace's grin widened.

"Good. I was serious about that."

He adjusted the folded jacket beneath his arm and stayed close, ready to move when she did.

"Lead the way."

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Vexxa Vane

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RUN_LOG // SYNCED

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