Code Of Silence
Following the events of Mafioso Sonata…
Iliana Röhr
Corran Conner
Sunrises, Secession Studios
The Next Day
The Donna, accompanied by her bodyguards & the lovely Iliana Rohr, boarded a Fiora ‘Oracle’ shortly after breakfast. The lower levels of the Uscru District were still darker than the upper levels, but very little changed from evening to morning around the grand Entertainment district. The outing, Ivory had explained to Iliana, would be a quick one. A ‘walk-in’ appointment with a good friend of hers, one Doctor Corran Conner, an associate of their Organization and someone who could bring a bit more clarity to the situation Iliana had found herself embroiled in the night before.
The Donna flashed the young woman a smile as they settled into the plush, cushioned seats of the armored limousine. Caspian had held the door for them, shutting it once they were inside, then taking his place in the passenger seat beside their driver. As the powerful engine hummed, and the speeder rose from the deck just outside the Star Lounge’s front entrance, The Donna seemed relaxed - as always.
“It’s only a short ride to the clinic.” She explained, casually running her fingers through her long black hair. “Corran is an old friend, recently come back into the fold. He was-,” she paused, then seemed to re-think what she was going to say, “-employed with us, at one point a few years ago, but needed to go out into the Galaxy to make his own way for a few years.”
“He’s quite the character, but someone we can trust… especially, with such a sensitive subject.”
The AV finally reached cruising speed, but never broke through the upper plate & into the bright morning sunlight. Patches were still visible through occasional breaks in the overhead cover, shining down into the lower levels of Coruscant & illuminating the deeper city below them which raced by at speed. Coruscant was a city that never slept, and they were not the only vehicle in the sky.
The trip only took about ten minutes. When Andre, the gentleman piloting the AV, opened the privacy screen at the front of the passenger compartment & informed them they were two minutes out, Ivory thanked him.
If Iliana was nervous, Ivory didn't seem to notice; instead, she would seem entirely relaxed.
When the AV finally swept in to land, a glance out the window would find that, instead of a brightly-lit medical clinic or hospital, Iliana would find herself in yet another nondescript alley like any other on Coruscant - albiet a bit cleaner than one might expect. They were still somewhere in the Uscru District, but somewhere closer to the surface.
Immediately after the AV landed, Caspian would exit the vehicle, take a few steps to the rear, and open same door they'd entered from - allowing the two women to step out of the car. Ivory went first, waiting for Ily to join her. "We're here." She declared musically.
However, "Here" didn't seem to be much of anywhere.
The alleyway they'd selected as a landing spot was a large square & surrounded on three sides by buildings which rose above them. Nearby, an alleyway leading out toward a main thoroughfaire seemed the only reasonable exit. A dumpster sat near one corner, overflowing with bags of refuse which looked like it needed to be emptied a month ago. There was no visible graffiti which might indicate either a local gang affiliation or young scoundrels painting street-art. Around them, the sounds of the city carried on in the background, muffled by the buildings.
Instead of directing the young woman toward the alleyway, however, Ivory instead led the way toward one of the doors on the far wall, which was set into an alcove. The words "Private" were still legible but faded, and a handful of cigarra butts had been discarded on the dirty permacrete beside the door. Caspian followed close behind. The 'strong & silent type', he didn't say much, but seemed to exude a similar relaxed attitude... though, with the way the tall & intimidating brute carried himself, such a thing was either an illusion or an empathic glimpse into his mind.
Ivory reached out and touched the doorknob, finding the door unlocked. She opened it, and immediately the smell of cigarra smoke & the sound of laughter and conversation struck the trio with full force. Instead of a clinic, Ivory would lead the way into the dark, dingy confines of a cramped bar which was filled to the brim with sentient beings of every shape, size, and species. The door they'd entered was, in fact, the back door. Their arrival didn't seem to garner much attention from anyone, and Ivory didn't seem too keen on engaging with anyone. Instead of leading Iliana through the room, The Donna made an immediate left - opening another door within it's own alcove which revealed a set of stairs leading below.
Down the stairs she went, into what appeared to be the brightly-lit cellar & storage room beneath the venue. Caspian followed at the very rear. As the trio reached the bottom, the tall man had to duck his head slightly.
They found themselves in a small rectangular space which was brightly lit by cool white overhead lights. The cellar was clean, well-kept, and organized; not quite to Phaelix' standards at the Lounge, but close. With a glance & another reassuring smile in Iliana's direction, Ivory approached the far wall, which was singularly decorated by a large metal shelving unit which was, strangely, entirely empty.
In yet another strange turn of events, Ivory reached out, extending the index finger of her left hand and touching a (seemingly random) discolored brick on the wall.
Immediately, the wall housing the shelving unit clicked.
With a waved invitation to follow, Ivory reached out and pushed one edge of the shelving unit, which mysteriously shifted backward as the entire wall began to rotate on a central axis. The shelving unit swung away to reveal a portal.
As The Donna stepped through, they entered the secret door...
...and into one of the cleanest, most professionally-composed examples of a laboratory Iliana had ever seen.
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