Core Worlds;
Corellian Sector;
Landing Pads.
Turn around.
Turn around, you fool.
She didn't speak, didn't repeat herself when he turned back around. It was already too late. He had given himself to the enemy, and she could not longer act as though she knew him. Stepping out onto the small, slanted stairs of the landing pad, she looked down at her partner. The man she had once tried to kill, or at least, offer him to such a fate by the hands of another. And in the end there was something so much more real about him. Something so inflated, so pure, that she couldn't stand it when the sounds finally clashed forth. Three shots, noises which wouldn't leave her head. A face, which she'd never forget, sprawling across the man's expression just before he fell backwards. It was everything she could do not to scream, not to burst out into more emotion and really say goodbye. After all, she didn't see how this ended another way. He had given himself up for her protection. Turned his own life into a cover story for--
her.
A sort of shriek did come, though, more directed at the blaster fire than anything else and she cowered as if the bolts of energy scared her even from this distance, dropping to gun down the stairs after Kail. She looked at it in distain, as if she never wanted to touch the pistol again, nor see it. Never
use it. She felt sick, light headed and weak, made to lean on the hand railings to her sides for support. It was a rush, all at once, the CorSec milling over to make sure she was safe. She felt so much less safe now. Their voices and prodding hands were invisible before her, a state of echoes and blurred movements. Figures without faces or minds, all a hive of trouble who would never understand her. But the moved her from her stance, pulled her into the safety of one of their ships. A crude looking environment meant more for troops and law enforcement than someone of her features. She was sure they must be asking her questions, but at first, she didn't make responses. Nothing, gave them no words, nor looks or fear. Only a blank, droned appearance which smelled of someone who had been carved out from the inside. And it continued this way until they were all of the way back at CorSec headquarters.
Core Worlds;
Corellian Sector;
CorSec HQ.
The man who sat before her now was not the first to enter the room. There had been one before him, Agent. Sinnar he had offered in introduction. Though, Agent. Sinnar hardly lasted ten minutes with the female, unable to screen anything incriminating. Clearly of too low a level, they had withdrawn him and thrown yet another old timer in the ring. Never once did they directly accuse her of anything, it was all very passive aggressive. Insinuations, or open ended questions with only one viable answer; an answer which might point in the direction of her involvement. She gave them nothing. More than enough time was spent in drawn out pauses and silence. Buying time to form her words just as she wanted them to be formed. And even the second had faltered to the point of failure in detecting any reason why she'd be a danger, in danger, or in any way in harm's way. To be sure, she was more than happy when her dismissal was announced. She was given free reign to leave the place. Any questions about Kail had been masked well, given false motive in order to justify it. Anger, perhaps it might have been? That's what it would look like.
Though, after her first two questions were deflected well enough, she knew that it would be unwise to press further here. Inside, in front of the authorities. So,
of course, right outside was just fine. So long as CorSec wasn't literally staring her down with an ounce of pre-conceived skepticism. In leaving the building, she made note of three droid CorSec enforcers. She doubted they'd play a huge roll in most missions or outing, as they didn't look to be much for physical combat, though she could see them being used as pilots and information storage devices. Their use, however, wasn't the important focus, just that they existed. Having made a winning gamble, after about an hour and a half's time of lurking in the shadows behind the CorSec HQ one of the droids managed to meander back. She hadn't wanted to waste time, the white dress and explosion torn complexion still sitting atop heeled shoes. But she leapt forward at the sight of that droid, locking it like a coiling snake so that it couldn't turn around.
"Kail Ragnar, tell me where he is."
<<Uh-oh, excuse me!>>
"Shuddup droid, where's Kail Ragnar?"
<<Pardon but I am not authoriz-->>
That meant it
knew. And that had been it. having worked a small tear in the circuitry, she managed to shut the droid off and pull from it the source of most of its intelligence. The Ai module, as well as the few components that held all of he droid's internal information. Anything she'd want to know about CorSec under the droid's clearance level. Pulling the small blaster from the droid's lower leg-- a peculiar place all on its own-- and made sure it would never rise again. It'd also be a fair guess to assume all fingerprints were removed. By the end, the blaster pistol no longer had more ammunition, and she dropped it beside the droid. When she had picked it up, and throughout the extermination, she had used the fabric of her dress to cover her hands-- again, allowing her to remove her scent from the scene.
All it took was one secure computer terminal to decipher the information on the droid, though she wasn't able to get to one right away. She did have a rather set order of operations, and next would be making her more public appeals. One of her two homes here, though one was more or less an office space, gave her more than enough luxury to clean herself. Redress herself, and re equip herself, albeit without nearly as much as she was comfortable with.
Before long, she was quickly pushing away from the taxi speeder which had brought her into place before some of the more administrative buildings of the Corellian world. She had been more than requested, and all too welcomed, stairs lined with press and greetings. She offered her relieved smiles, and tired happiness. Faked a relief to be 'back in her natural element.' Back among the flashing lights, and shouting humans. All begging for anything and everything she had to say, hoping that they'd catch something none of the others managed to capture, and somehow make a better news show with their information. Not only organics, wither. In the air, small and smaller recording droids buzzed back and forth, some daring to come close enough for her to swat away; but she never swatted them away.
"I'm just glad to be safe again," she'd say.
"Xenia-- any words you'd like to share about your time with Kail?"
She never answered that.
"Xenia, why have you come to Corellia?"
"Lady Nastassia, maybe a word about your choice in Corellia?"
"Is it so odd that I'd return here?"
Better than "because my house on Naboo was blown up, and my attempt at Bespin ended in terrorism, queen."
She wished more than once, so badly, that her words could come out unfiltered. Her real thoughts. Untamed and wild. All the way until the core interior of the building she managed to fend off the social assaults on her privacy. Her walk was confident, and all along the way various service men and women would rush to her summoning, tasked with bringing her water.
Bottled, and other menial things. Despite being the ambassador of peace in most worlds, she held herself with a very haughty aura, keeping a perfect poise and stepping with a relaxed swagger. She commanded the scene, and continued to do so when her conversational partner finally emerged to pull her away from the crowds of questions. Sucked her back into a much more quiet office space. It was a middle aged man, handsome, with salt and pepper hair swept about chaotically. Staggeringly blue eyes almost froze her over, as it always did, at first. Jus Camron, a higher up in the political field here on-world.
"Xenia, you're looking... beautiful, as always," he'd start.
"I'm flattered, Jus, but currently I have more pressing issues than your sexual drive."
"Wow, what's gotten into
you?"
"Oooohhhh, I don't know Jus-- Oh, well, my house was just blown to
poodoo--! With me in it!"
"Aahh, yes that, listen I--"
"
Hmmmm-- oh! and I was kidnapped and held at gun point, in a
CARGO BAY for eight hours."
"Listen, Xe--"
"But other than that I've been great. I especially loved the part where not one, but TWO of your men
interrogated me."
"Xenia--"
"What the
hell Jus? Is there something I'm missing here? Since when do the victims require questioning?"
"It was just a precaution, Xenia--"
"One man, Jus, one man is a precaution. There were two. Where's that damned terrorist now? --
Kail.
She had the man wrapped around her fingers, and with every excuse he gave, she tore a new loophole into existence. Another reason to slip through detection. At first, he had been vague, but she pried deeper and deeper. Tugged aside whatever defense of confidentiality he was brandishing, and spat on the law in order to secure
enough. Enough of a good answer, she was going to talk to him herself. Not on this day, but the next. It was her best shot to seeing him again.
"Yeah, only tomorrow, I doubt he'll last much longer than that if you catch my meaning," and Jus laughed.
"No one touches him until I see him. I want to make sure he's fully conscious for what I have to tell 'em."
"Yes, m'lady. I'll do my best."
"Good."
So far, she hadn't had to
kill anyone.
That was good.
Always good.
[member="Kail Ragnar"]
