Private Rainy Day in the Denon Undercity

[Anakin Stormrunner]

Rain dripped from the upper levels of Denon. This far down, rain of any sort was rare. The upper levels may be blessed with schedueled weather, but the further down one went the less reliable that became. Before long you would have to factor in speeder traffic and a number of other varying elements. But one thing that always stayed the same was this. Once you're far enough down, the water is always thick and tainted with corrosive elements. If one looked, they could find rivulets gouged into the metal walls and duracrete streets. It was for this reason that the street, a normally busy thoroughfare of people and speeders, was all but empty. There wasn't much that could stop Denon's steady movement, but this much rain was enough to keep most sensible people at home.

It was for this reason that Anakin stood huddle under the lip of an alleyway roof. With so few people out and about, he wouldn't have to worry about unexpected witnesses or an excessive numbers of guards. Glancing at the streams of water landing but a few inches from his feet, he had to admit that the rain was less than ideal. A sudden wind started up from above, pushing the rain in his direction and forcing Anakin to pin himself against the wall. Perhaps he should look for better cover. Once more his eyes flicked to the growing puddles and the mist like quality of the streets. Near the walls and the rooves, the rain dripped from the edges and slid down the walls, but farther in the middle, with no channel t guide it's movements, it fell as a gentle sprinkle. Entirely imperceptible on the thick plastic rain coat, but agonizing on skin. It wasn't as high a concentration as the drips, but it got everywhere and it burned, often leaving rashes and the occasional blister if a limb was left bare for too long. No, it would be better to stay here than wade out in that. Even if his rain coat was relatively new, he'd prefer to keep it as durable as possible.

Cloth rustled as Anakin maneuvered himself in the small space. Before long, he was able to safely pull the sleeve of his coat far enough back to heck the time. It shouldn't be long now. Spice blue eyes scanned the handful of pedestrians for Xan. He knew little about the woman, other than her colorful fashion sense and that more often than not she could be fond joking with or teasing her companions. She was a good fighter, that he knew, and a cyborg of some sort. Both would be appreciated on a mission like this. It wasn't like the mission itself seemed unusually difficult, but it was a stealth mission, and a good implant was just a helpful as a good punch.

It was nice to work on something as simple as this. No corpos, no hidden agendas, the majority of which lead back to his place in the Trail, just a simple job for a couple of credits. Or in this case a lot of credits. He shifted from foot to foot, stretching his wings out in his limited shelter and cringing at the way the grey and blue plastic sleeves pulled at his feathers. Moonspinner help him, that girl better show up soon or he was going to damage a perfectly good coat.

Not that he couldn't afford a new one, especially with the reward for this job. If nothing else, he had to admit that the gangs around here had some serious cash. Even 3411, his current employer. It was their inflow of cash that was a problem, and the reason he had been hired. The gangs 3411 and KV-N1 had been at each others throats for years now. With the droid run gang dominating the info broker market, 3411 had become increasingly desperate in regaining a foothold.

A noise cut off any further reminiscing. Denon was always loud, brimming with the sounds of speeders and people. This sound was different. If you had asked, Anakin would have been unable to explain why anymore than one could explain color to the blind, or music to the deaf. Still it pulled him out of his reverie and dragged his eyes up and away from the growing hole in the center of the road. There, trudging across the street, was Xan. Within moments Anakin was out from under his shelter and headed straight for her. His talons splashed through acidic puddles, protected by the stiff shoes he wore.

"Xan!" He called upon reaching her. "Sorry about tha rain. Hate tha stuff meself but we en't got a better chance for infiltration this place. It'll keep down tha number of guards outside and any other witnesses we'd ha'e to watch out for." The apology slipped off his tongue in stilted basic, though he was sure the woman could see the logic behind the plan.

Xan Deesa

 

[Xan Deesa]

Xan loved the rain. It was common on Denon but when she could help it, she would be on the rooftops or open streets where it was not yet tainted as badly. But every now and then she didn't have a choice on where she could enjoy it. And in the lower levels where the dregs resided, the rain was something people tended to avoid.

But not her. Dressed in some proper clothing with a rather funky twist, she was content with walking through the corrosive storm. The clothing was meant to be thrown away, so it wasn't a loss for her. The new mask, however, was something she was going to hold onto.

The job was an interesting one. She was supposed to meet with a newer Shadowrunner and sort out some gang mess that was brewing. A nice and easy break from the corpo hunting she was keeping herself occupied with. Her footsteps splashed through a puddle as she neared the meeting place. Sure enough, her partner was already waiting for her. He was an interesting specimen, not something she had seen before. His accent was also an interesting one. All in all, she was quite curious.

"No problem. I figured it had something to do with the plan. I ain't complaining though, I like the rain... just not at these levels." she spoke as she got closer, sliding her wacky mask up to reveal her face. "Anakin, right? Finally able to put a face to the name." she continued as she held a fist out for him to bump. "So, choom. Whaddya got? I read the message, though the details were all over the place." she admitted with a light chuckle as she looked him over.

Anakin Stormrunner

 

[Anakin Stormrunner]

A sharp toothed smile crossed his face as Anakin bumped fists with the colorful woman. "Dat's me." Water splashed around their feet as the two made their down the streets. Without the typical foot traffic, the rows of restaurants and small shops had closed their doors. leaving only the occasional flickering lamp to light the street. "So, choom. Whaddya got? I read the message, though the details were all over the place." Xan chuckled, and he laughed along with her. "It really was a mess. I t'ink de boss was drunk when dey wrote it." Spice blue eyes glances at her, checking for any confusion with his accent. Denon was a diverse place, but few had his odd mix of huttese and Amatakkan accent, and he'd been told that it could be confusing for strangers.

"Come on, I fill you in as we walk." Slipping his hand into a pocket, Anakin switched on a flat metal. It flipped easily and a few seconds later a buzzing sound filled the air. "Jammer, to stop anyone from listening."

"I 'ad some contacts do some dīgging." The moment they were clear of prying ears, the Amavikkan got down to business. "-And dey were able to clear up de details." This job may not be directly related to the Trail, but after than confusing mess of broken codes and lengthy rambling, he wasn't above calling in a favor and getting some help deciphering the job offer. "T'irty Foor Eleven wants us, to sneak īnto da base. It's owned by KV-N One. T'irty Foor say to take da informashion and leeve da virus on da computer. You shou'd 'ave gotten da virus when taking da job." A light flickered above them, water dripping down from the cover that protected the bulb and onto their heads. "Base shou'd be one level down. Couldn't find much on it. Dough my contact dīd find old floor plans and a paper trail for some new defenses. Whatever KV has dere, dey don't want anyone finding it." He shot her a fanged smile, visible behind the tinted yellow plastic of his mask. "Anyway, I brought a... er- sokie hinhtkeua wid da virus on it" He spoke now in huttese, his words still accented though it was barely noticeable.

Seeing the confusion in her body language, Anakin fished the datastick from his pocket. "Plug dis in and download da informashion and den drop da virus as we leeve."

_____________________________________________________
​

Rain beat suddenly against his hood as Anakin passed over the lip of a roof. It's noise was deafening and each drop left behind small divots in the shiny plastic of the coat. A tunnel stretched before them. It's monotonous stone walls were broken up by splashes of colorful graffiti and flickering lights. "Any of dis yours?" He asked and angled his head towards the graffiti. The jammer had long since been turned off, and the tunnel echoed with the sound of his voice. Beneath them, the floor of the tunnel slopped downwards, carrying rain water and detritus from the levels above. What looked like an old wheel rammed into the back of Anakin's thigh, sending him flailing forwards. Plastic cover wings fanned out behind him with a forward flap, hitting the back of Xan's hood in an attempt to catch his balance. "Sorry."

The exit was growing larger, and the debris began to speed up in their descent. It wouldn't be long now until they reached the base. It was located close to the tunnel and as Anakin had been explaining, would be easy to find. The hard part was getting in. Even on a skeleton crew, the base has some serious automated defenses, and the security system was top notch. The doors and windows were protected by a motion detector alarm and once inside all the doors required a jack much like the kind astromechs carried. That alone was a simple security, but add in the fact that the door to the computer room was some kind of expensive vault door, they weren't able to find what kind, and add in the unknown security and they were practically going in blind.

The ramp ended in a pool of muddy water and a barrage of acidic rain from the lip of its roof. Across the street, a decrepit old build sat shoulder to shoulder with similar decrepit old buildings. Much like the other buildings, the bottom foot of the wall was pockmarked and badly eaten by the acid. Few of them were ever in use for that exact reason. Eventia;;y yhe acid would eat through the walls and the building would collapse. It was also how he was able to spot the difference in the first place. The bottom of the door and the side of the frame were free. On all other buildings, the gap was forced closed with melted metal or widened with each down pour. Yet this door was free, and easily opened. "Stupid mistake." His words were quiet, barely above a whisper, as he motioned towards the door with his head. "You see it?"

Spoiler: Key

ī - read as a long e (ie free, me, spleen)

Xan Deesa

 

[Xan Deesa]

Xan chuckled at his quip as she fell in beside him, walking through the rainy streets towards their objective. When he turned on the jammer, a slight groan of discomfort escaped her but she quickly shrugged it off as he explained the mission to her.

His accent certainly got a little odd when he suddenly switched over to Huttese, but he went on to hand the stick over and explain before she could ask. "Easy peasy." she quipped as she slipped the stick into a pocket and zipped it closed. "As much fun as going in guns blazing will be, I take it you'd appreciate it if we keep a low profile?" she asked with a smirk.

Eventually they reached the tunnel entrance and Anakin immediately asked about the grafitti. "That one is, actually." she commented with some enthusiasm as she pointed to some edgy quite sprayed on the wall with bright blue paint. "Some of my earlier work when I first got here. Didn't exactly know what this place was until now." she explained as she glanced over to him. Him suddenly toppling forward immediately grabbed her attention as an arm was suddenly in front of his torso, stopping him from tumbling forward. "All good." she spoke as she gave him a light slap on his chest.

They finally arrived at the bottom of the tunnel. The place was a mess. Erosion on the walls and foundations indicated a clear lack of maintenance. It made her wonder how many other buildings on Denon were at risk of crumbling due to decades, if not centuries, of erosion due to the pollution in the rain. Anakin managed to find the entrance fairly quickly for them, earning a soft snort from Xan. "It's the finer details that always comes bacl to bite you." she muttered as she pulled out her datapad and quietly approached the door.

"Let me see if I can't do something on my end." she muttered as she got to work on scanning for networks and systems in the area. If these guys were smart, all of their defenses would be closed circuit. "If we're lucky, I can get into their system and disable some defenses... maybe even upload the virus remotely." she explained, a menacing grin forming as she gave a quick glance at Anakin.

Anakin Stormrunner

 

[Anakin Stormrunner]

Water dripped off the corner of the awnings, condensation from the liquid pooling around their feet. "Dīsabled? What does dat mean?"

"It's when you... break something. You know, like when you make it stop working."

"Den I leave you to it." Anakin leaned back against the wall of a nearby building. "I will keep watch, make sure no one dīsables our plan." He smiled, spice blue eyes flicking towards Xan as he used the new word.

Rain dripped from the awning above. It plopped into the pool of toxic liquid bellow. The floor above acted as a ceiling, keeping most of the misting rain away. Any that remained hovered above the water as a fog created by the change in temperature.

The layout of Denon was an ongoing fascination for the winged Amavikkan. Like the underground riverbeds of Tatooine, each level told a story. Dried and hollow, the riverbeds were all that remained of the planets luscious past. In their earthy walls were whispers of stories, the strata and the erosion speaking of a time when water flowed freely and long dead life walked the surface. Once, Anakin had known the story of each and every riverbed. Now, he was learning the stories of these new passages. Equally old, they whispered their own tales and secrets to those who knew how to listen.

At the time this level had been built, none had thought it would grow much taller. Once, when water had brought life instead of death, the tunnels had been more than a badly designed flood system. In fact, the they were the veins of the city. They had ferried speeders, which at the time could only hover a few inches above the ground, and cars, to the levels above and bellow. Now, they were simply a way to destroy the city.

Out of the corner of his eye, Xan stopped moving. It wasn't an obvious gesture and it didn't last for long, but for a second her fingers hovered frozen above her pad. "We can't get it this way."

A nod. "I dought dat would 'appen. Don't worry, I 'ave anoder way in." Pushing off from the wall, Anakin led Xan towards the building next door. Like the rest of them, the bottom of the door was melted shut, but the first floor windows had long been broken. Xan jumped it easily, scaling the five foot space between it and the ground like it was nothing. Anakin, while just as quick, was much less elegant about it. Clawed feet latched onto the uneven metal and blue wings flapped once to provide easy velocity. He launched through the square space, wings scraping the sides as the folded themselves in. "What implants do you 'ave?" He found himself asking, a small seed of jealousy sprouting in his chest. It would be nice to jump like that. A big help in places where his wing span was more a hinderance than a blessing.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" The smirk that danced across her face was nothing short of natural. She wouldn't be giving up any information just yet. A snort, - "Keep your secrets." - and a smile. Though his words may come across as confrontational, the small smile playing across his face was anything but.

"Any-way, da building 'as a changed Skyler security system. It is usual for low level Denon." The first floor of the building was old and empty. The ground showed obvious signs of acid and the typical effects of age and abandonment. It wasn't until the second floor that the two began seeing sleeping bags and piles of trash that signified the homeless. "Was made for private floors. Protects dose well but any above and bellow not at all. 'Ere, KV changed da system. Now it provide some protection to da floors above and bellow." The stairs were old, covered in rust and mildew. In some areas, the original stone flooring had chipped and worn away, revealing the metal wiring beneath. Piles of clothes filled the corners, and something that look conspicuously like blood stained the step before Anakin. "Dey 'ave da system on floor twenty." Up he stepped, paying no mind to the blood beneath his foot. It was old, dried.

"Now da floors bellow are almost empty. No alarm or defenses. But da place is as wired as a 'utt on a 'ookah pipe. Dey would see us long before we could get close" Spice blue eyes glances at Xan, unsure if she would understand his reference. "Our entrance is from above."

As the level had been built before the water became toxic, none had factored consistent mass erosion into the building plans. The towering buildings originally had no roofs, the top floor of the building melding with the ground of the next level. As time went on and the problem revealed itself, people had gone and fixed the problem. Most buildings, including their target building, had the top foot and a half cut off and the ceiling above reinforced. It had revealed and destroyed many of the buildings' air conditioning and water units, but by then they were almost entirely empty. "Top floors are clear. All dey got are no windows" If one looked, they would notice that all the windows that once lined the upper floors had been filled in with durasteel sheets. "But dey could not do any-t'ing about da roof. It is da weakest place. We get dere, I can cut hole to floor bellow easy, den we only need to go down to da floor da target is on." Which, assuming his information was accurate, would be the twenty sixth floor, smack dab in the strongest part of the security system.

The two stopped. They were more than halfway up the building now. Before them, the grey walls of the neighboring building filled the window. Anakin withdrew his plasma cutter from its place. With efficient movements he cut out the glass pane. A loose piece of stone flooring made sure the large piece of glass fell towards the ground in enough shards to arouse no suspicions. "Can you fly?" Pupiless blue eyes pinned on Xan. "Nope." He nodded. "Den I carry you."

It only took a few minutes to position Xan. She was wrapped around his torso, hanging from his front as opposed to his back. "Hang on dere, and keep your head down." Just like that, Anakin was off. Out he went, gliding from the window on recently uncovered wings. The jacket had been removed, it's low level tech folding it into a hand sized cube that now rode in one of his many pockets. Four powerful flaps sent him shooting upwards. His tail guiding and directing him in a tight spiral. The space here was narrow, but he had been flying on Denon for more than a year now, he was more than adept at traversing such terrain. Before long, the roof came upon them. This would be the hard part.

Shoed talons gripped the edge of the roof. Just as they had planned, his wings kept beating even as he landed. The constant movement kept him aloft and gave Xan time to crawl off. Once she was gone and out of his way, he gave one more flap and shifted the angle of his tail. In a jerky motion, his head dipped downward, followed by his torso and now folded wings. It appeared for a moment that he was all set to faceplant on the roof. Until his hands, still protected by a glove for this exact reason, came forwards and braced his fall. The whole thing was awkward and ungainly. It was a trick he had not yet mastered. One that he had no use for on Tatooine and only occasionally needed here. It didn't help that much of his learning had come from watching the local birds do a similar thing, and his body shape and weight distribution was completely different than theirs. Not to mention the second pair of limbs he had to factor in.

A breath. In and out. Two seconds to reorient himself after the maneuver. His wings pressed into the ceiling above, and as he reached for his plasma cutter his head banged into the thick metal. A wince, before he was back in motion. He had no fear those above would hear him. The ground was thick, made to support an entire city. Any noise that got through would be minimal.

The cutting was a slow and arduous task. To make it large enough, he had to shift his body awkwardly and strain his arm. Had he not been prepared for the task, the hot metal would have burned through his clothes and to his flesh. As it was, it left only light scorch marks on the fire resistant material. By the time he finished, the hole left was more of an awkward oval than any sort of circle. It fell to the floor bellow with a thunk, followed quickly by Anakin and Xan. For his part, the Amavikkan was unworried about the sound. In all the time he had been staking out the building and searching the floors with his probe droid, none had ever come up to this floor, and it was far enough from any inhabited floors that the noise, comparatively soft to the usual sounds of Denon, would go entirely unnoticed to even one with enhanced senses. "Come, now we just go down."

Before long, they were only a few levels from where the security began. "You ready?" A smile spread across his face, all teeth and wild excitement. There was something about sneaking into a target's place that brought such a rush of adrenaline. The idea of walking into their inner sanctum, unnoticed and entirely unknown, taking something from that place under the nose of the owner, and getting out unseen that was intoxicating to harpy. The challenge and the stealth brought back memories of whispers in the night and silent bodies and bare feet stepped across ice cold sand towards the sanctum of another slave's home or the hidden places in the desert where singers and runners dwelled, ready to take the bomb from their body and slip them away in the dead of night.

Xan Deesa
Key

ī - makes a double e sound. ie, see, me, spleen,

 

[Xan Deesa]

Xan blinked in surprise when he didn't know the meaning of 'disabled', however she opted to help him understand. "It's when you... break something. You know, like when you make it stop working."" she awkwardly tried to explain. For such a simple word, explaining it felt rather difficult. He seemed to get it, though, and earned a chuckle from Xan with his quip.

Without wasting a moment more, she pulled out her datapad and got to work on disabling the systems. For a long while she sat in a kneeling position, her golden eyes glued to the screen as her fingers tapped, typed and swiped away at lines of code. Every now and then a sigh or grumbled cuss words escaped her as she fought with the system's code. Eventually she froze up. Her fingers hovered above the screen at a safe distance as she stared at the lines sprawled out on her datapad. ""We can't get it this way." she muttered as she closed off her datapad and slid it into a pocket. He seemed prepared for this which earned a hum of interest from the Shadowrunner. "Well someone came more than prepared. I was planning on improvising all the way." she quipped as she got up and followed after Anakin.

They arrived at the next building, its door sealed shut as well by years of corrosion. However that wasn't the case for the window upstairs. Xan knelt slightly and launched herself up onto the window pane with no effort, climbing in and making sure the perimeter was clear. Her gaze turned to Anakin when he entered and asked about her implants. "Wouldn't you like to know?" she quipped with a demonic smirk displayed on her mask. He seemed a little disappointed in her answer but that wasn't an issue. "Come have a drink or a burger with me after this and I might share a secret or two." she offered with a mischievous voice as she walked with him.

Listening to him speak, he seemed to have done his homework on the layout. He led her through the ruins without hesitation while giving an explanation of their systems as well. Finally they arrived at a window and he made a gap for them with his plasma cutter. Upon asking if she could fly, she simply shook her head. "Nope." she answered, readying herself for a thorough jumping session. However he had different plans. A smirk formed as he got her into a comfortable position and she wrapped her arms around his waist. "Can't keep your hands off me, huh?" she teased him casually. Soon they were soaring through the air and her joking demeanour was gone, replaced with an iron grip and serious look in her eyes as he weaved through the gaps.

When the time came, she let go of him and quietly landed on the roof. Anakin soon joined and got to work on opening an entry point for them. She gave a light wince as his head met with the ceiling. Soon they were behind a security door inside the facility. Anakin seemed eager to begin. Xan merely looked at him with a slight glimmer in her eye as she cracked her knuckles. "In my element." she whispered just loud enough for him to hear.

Carefully she got to work on the door, quietly unlocking it and sneaking through. When the coast was clear, she motioned for him to follow while she kept low to the ground. Her neon features were all covered by her black hoodie, only her mask giving off a slight glimmer in the darkness. Xan moved with swift elegance and inaudible footsteps through the dark hallways, making sure that their approach remained unnoticed. A few cameras littered the hallways, though they were easy enough to reroute with her slicing skills.

Rounding a corner, she bumped right into the durasteel body of a droid. It seemed just as shocked by the encounter as Xan. But before he could even process what to do, she wrapped her hands around its dome and simply twisted it around. Its body went limp but she managed to catch it and quietly carry it into a desolate corner. "Close call." she whispered with a faint voice into his ear as she got ready to move again.

Anakin Stormrunner

 

[Anakin Stormrunner]

Droids were beginning to fill the halls. They already had one close call and Anakin refused to risk more. With this in mind, he drew a small black box out of his pocket, flipping the switch and checking to make sure it was on. "Dere we go. Dat should 'ide us from da droids." He didn't bother pulling the darkness around them. The box could fool most scanners and droids by targeted the processing units of the technology, the very thing the darkness couldn't. That could only fool organic minds.

Then they were off, slipping down hallways and past old droid models. The spies of the organization may consist largely of HDRs, but there was no reason to waste something so useful by making it monitor a base like this. No, most of the occupants here were other droids, be they astromechs or protocol droids or even the odd medical droid. Whatever the model, they slipped by all of them with ease. It wasn't until they hit the twentieth floor that things started to become difficult.

The information they were after was kept in the core memory unit. He knew this because KV-N1 wasn’t the only organization to utilize droids. The Freedom Trail had a veritable army of mouse droids. The kinds of droids that get no thought from most organics and only a passing glance from fellow droids. He also knew that the core unit was kept in the central room, which had at least five droids in there at all times.
His knowledge was proven correct when they arrived at the central room. There, standing flush against the far wall, was the memory unit. And between it and them weren’t only five droids, but ten.

The room was overcrowded, dangerously so. He may be able to hide from their sights, but that meant nothing if they bumped into one. “Need distraction.” His words were silent, for he spoke in sign, his hands coming close to his chest as if protecting something important before splaying outwards with his fingers flaring twice, as if to flick water from their tips. Xan nodded, and pointed to herself. With that, Anakin slipped towards the back wall, making his way away from Xan and towards their target.

He could tell the moment the Xan fell out of range. Shouts of surprise filled the room as the pink hair woman was revealed. Shouts that become something much more fearful when Xan burst into action. He paid the fighting no mind, instead focusing on getting to the terminal undetected and completing the job.

A droid stumbled past him, narrowly missing his wings. He slipped out of the way and shot Xan a glare, running the last few feet to the terminal. From there it was only a short few minutes to download the information and leave the virus. Behind him, more than half the droids were destroyed and Xan was keeping the rest well in hand. Despite his initial hesitancy, the job was going exactly as planned. None knew of his presence and the virus was halfway to being downloaded.


Briiing!

The sound of his comm cut through the room, drawing the attention of the remaining droids. His stomach dropped out from beneath him for reasons entirely unrelated to the attention.

A droid rushed him.

When on a job, he always kept his comms on silent. All except one. An emergency comm, one that would go off no matter the situation. It was a last resort among the trail, when a situation got so bad that they needed to call him in. He had only heard it once before.

The metal limbs of the assassin droid were deadly to his hollow frame. He didn't let them hit. He fought with wild abandon, claws angling for joints and weak points where they could snag wires. Sand whipped around his body as he siphoned it out of their hidden pouches and weaponized it like a desert storm. It twisted and spun, faster and faster until it crackled with electricity and spun so fast it could rend flesh from bone.

Briiing! his comm rang again. He spared a hand from the fight to answer. Dread pooled in his gut. The last time he had answered a call on this comm, he had been in hutt space and a band of slavers had found one of the Freedom Trail's main bases. It had been a bloodbath.

"Ekkreth! Ekkreth!" The voice was frantic and crackled with static. Or maybe that was his fingers, as he missed the weak point in the droid and caught the metal skin instead. He cried out, fingers twisted at odd angles. The voice was silent. "Rapakka!" His own voice was full of pain as he called them to speak, using Amatakka even in the presence of Xan. With nary a thought, he sent the storm diving towards the droids chest. It slid around his plating and cut at his wires and his heart. Dead.

Looking up, he noticed they were all dead.

"Depur Hutt nu moka." The voice crackled across the comms, out of breath and panicked. He couldn't blame him. Already he could feel his own breath catch, and fear course through his veins. "Ka li depukrekta! Ku namoka-ta. Tipalu chelik-ta." He snarled, and the noise had nothing to do with the pain in his left hand and the broken bones it most likely bore. No, if they had found a chelik-ta than any Amavikkan there would already be bound in chains. "Dep Amavikkan." The voice on the other end confirmed his thoughts, their voice heavy with grief and fear. "Doth-" His own voice, this time in huttese was cut off. There was something else. "Ka Tipanu oka!" The words were full of panic and fear, more so than the rest. Anakin understood. His own blood surged with adrenaline and sung with the voice of the desert. "Woy uba bla bu kotky baa peekasa?"

"Ordre wonn." The name sent fire through his veins and a snarl flashing across his face.

"Jee bla jen. Goo doth bo see bidwata." The hutt would be old by now, even by their standards. His last master had been over forty years ago, and the one more that more than half a decade. "Peee doth uba ateema?" When he had been given a location, only then did he rip the data jack from the terminal and toss it to Xan. "I 'ave to go." It was all he said before he was walking out the door, down the floors and the past droids until he was out the building and still running. He unfurled his wings, intent on taking off.

Spoiler

I'm only translating the huttese since Xan can't understand Amatakka. It'll be explained in the next few posts anyway.
Translations:
Doth- is
Woy uba bla bu kotky baa peekasa- Do you know the master's name?
Jee bla jen. Goo doth bo see bidwata.- I know him. He was one of mine.
Peee doth uba ateema?- Where are you now?

Xan Deesa

 

[Xan Deesa]

Thankfully their blunder wasn't serious. Anakin pulled out a device that covered them from droid sensors, something Xan made a very important mental note of. They were on the move in short order, sneaking past droids with little effort at all until they reached their target. The room was well guarded, but that merely brought a smile to Xan's lips. The smile grew exponentially when Anakin signalled for a distraction. The Neon Shadowrunner gave him a sign of confirmation then moved out of the jammer's cover.

The droids followed after her in an instant as she drew them out of the room and around a corner. With a steady breath she patiently waited for them to reach her before springing into action. Her movements were lightning quick as she dodged and spun around their attacks until she got close enough to attack. She tore limbs from bodies, smashed in chest plates, slapped heads off their hinges. All the while she didn't stay still for a moment. In a magenta blur she darted around her targets and destroyed them without breaking a sweat. An occasional blaster bolt or other form of attack impacted, but they did little more than scratch the synthetic skin off her subdermal armour and tear up her clothing before she countered.

Pretty soon she emerged from the carnage, covered in splotches of oil and sporting a few "wounds" that merely showcased the armour underneath her fake skin. As she entered the core room, Anakin seemed rather distressed. He tossed the data jack over to her and tried to rush out of the building, but Xan quickly stopped him with a firm grip on one of his wings. "Hey, hold up. What's going on? We're still in the middle of a job." she asked as she looked him over. "Whatever it is, you're not gonna get much done with a hand like that." she gestured to his broken hand as she let go of his wing.

She slipped the jack in underneath her jacket as she turned to face him. "You gonna need an extra hand with this emergency?" she asked him with a hint of concern in her voice.

Anakin Stormrunner

 

[Anakin Stormrunner]

Spice blue eyes glanced down to his hand, widened, then winced. He’d completely forgotten about that. With the new awareness came a surge of pain.
He hissed. "Ah… yeah. Some 'elp would be nice." And then he was off, broken hand clutched close to his chest. “Come. I explain on da way.” He walked quickly, making a bee line for the hover roads.

The rain was still falling when they got there. It plummeted from the sky to the shadowy depths bellow. He couldn’t fly in the rain, not with its acidic touch. But this was the fastest way down and he had no time to take the elevators.

His eyes darted from the rain to his hand to Xan who stood across from him. He had no choice. With his free hand, he pulled the Amarattu sigyl from his belt. “We must go down. I will pray for our safety.” Again his eyes darted to the rain, to his broken hand. “You must ‘elp. Spit on da sigyl.”

“What?”

“On Tatooine, water is life. To give water for a prayer, even when it is mixed wid spit, is a powerful t’ing.” With his piece said, Anakin takes a moment to summon up his own saliva, before spitting it upon the little piece of wood.

The look she gives him is one of confusion but she follows his request nonetheless. Her saliva joins his and he begins to pray, asking Ar-amu to protect them.

It takes him a minute to position Xan. She ends up curled on his chest once more, carefully wrapped around his broken hand. After that it’s only a matter of jumping. They drop like a brick, with his wings folded closed and his tail guiding them past speeders and hover trains.

Down, they go, wind rushing in their ears. It is here, with the wind stealing their words and hiding them from any prying ears, that he speaks. “An old master of mine is ‘ere. Da ‘utt is looking for me and ‘e brought a traitor wid ‘im. Some one who was part of da freedom trail on Denon. My people need my ‘elp to stop dem.” Silence, but for the wind.

Beneath him, he can feel Xan shrug. "Let's go-" She doesn't get the chance to say anything more. “I do not trust you. I ‘ave only ‘eard of you drough stories until now. If you are to ‘elp, you will ask no questions. And you must tell no one of what you see. We survive only on secrets and if you tell you will have no where to run where I cannot find you. You are a fighter, yes. You can defeat me easily, yes. But da shadow of my wings stretches far and dere will be no where you can run dat my people cannot find you.” With the two of them plummeting through the air and Xan at the mercy of his grip, his threat hangs heavy in the air. Kill him now and they will both die, plummeting towards the ground. Perhaps it was a cheep move, but he could not defeat her on the ground, and mutually assured destruction is still destruction and still adds weight to his words.

He can feel her tense up beneath him. Perhaps she too understands the situation. And then she begins to speak. . "I'm not gonna trade threats with you." Her voice is different, cold and devoid of any emotion. "You're not the only dangerous one here. But I can tell you this: I will ask questions, it's who I am. But I don't snitch on people. I don't break secrets and I don't cross my comrades. And I can promise you this, anything I will see will stay between us as long as you tell me." Though he cannot see it, she glances up at him, catching his eyes for a single second. "We're a lot more similar than you might expect."


Silence, but for the wind in their ears.

Silence, but for the wind in their

Silence, but for the wind.

Silence, but.

Silence.

Noise greats them with a rush. In moments Anakin has his wings splayed out and his tail guiding them through the sky and towards a nearby alleyway. Left, right, left, right, he zips through the streets, his moment carrying him through the maze of walls. Until finally, they land before the entrance to an old subway system and the underground sections of the city-planet.

“Come. We are almost dere.” They do not run, for that would attract attention, but instead walk. They walk down narrowed streets until Anakin turns into an alley and leans against a building. Not just any building though. Hidden amogn the grime and shadows is a symbol. A circle broken into seven pieces and painted onto the wall with a mix of oil and dirt. Barely distinguishable from the rest of the grime and east to wipe away in case of an emergency.

Anakin leans against the side of the building, leg propped up against the wall and wings folded comfortably around his shoulders. Tap tap tick. Tick tap tap. The noise rings hollow through the alley as his claw beats the pattern into the wall. Behind him, a brick is slid out of place, and a pair of eyes watch the two in the alley.

Anakin is the first to speak. “I bring a red bird and seven cans of oil.”

“We all ‘ave a red bird and dere is no oil.” The response is in basic, though it’s obviously not their first language.
The brick is replaced and moments later the wall to his left distorts and pulls outwards. It is a door, hidden not by high tech signals or projectors but good old fashioned foam and wire mesh, shaped into the likeness of the brick wall and overlaid with a thin layer of duracrete and grime. Indistinguishable from the walls around it. Anakin slips inside, followed closely by Xan.

The room is one of bare brick and stone floor, though none would know at first glance. The floor is covered in rugs in various degrees of wear. Each one unique, made by members of the trail and a mix of Tatooine and Denon. Orange deserts displayed in striking geometric shapes, tall towering buildings, with the waves of the dunes running up their expanse in a way so natural that it contrasts sharply with the straight lines and futuristic designs of the buildings themselves. The walls are painted with the desert colors, orange and white and green and blue. They are painted with the cities colors, the true colors, bright and vibrant, not the dull shades of gray that make up its walls. That is not to say the gray is not there. It is part of the city and so it is part of them.

The room is crowded, and it doesn't take long for someone to notice their arrival. "Anakin! Who is your companion?"

Spice blue eyes glance towards Xan, remembering her words. "This is Xan, a freeborn and a Shadowrunner." The reaction is immediate. Voices fill the crowded room, cutting over each other until one rises above them all, silencing them. "Grandfather, why'd you bring a freeborn here? We cannot trust them, she may be in league with depur."

"She is not. I can promise you that. She's a fighter, and we need her help." Another round of questions, and Anakin explains his broken arm to them. Only then do they begin to quiet and accept Xan with suspicious hospitality. He leads Xan to the floor, settling down on a pillow and turning his attention to the others. Drinks an food are passed around and a lurmen child hands Anakin a cup of tzai. He thanks them and turns his attention back to the conversation which has turned to the hutt and the depukrekta he brought with him.

Xan Deesa

 

[Xan Deesa]

The moment the words left his lips, she was by his side. She followed him to the lanes and came to a halt, looking for a means to get them to their destination safely while he fiddled with something else. Her thoughts were interrupted when he mentioned praying for their safety. His request was odd to say the least. "What?" she spoke, not understanding his request at all until he explained. She watched as he began before relenting with a shrug and spat on the piece of wood as well.

After the strange ritual, she held onto him and they dropped like a stone through the air. She had to admit that this was starting to become a fun little exercise. He started to explain the situation and Xan gave a shrug. "Let's go-" she was cut off when he continued, issuing a threat.

The literal gravity of the situation suddenly became much more apparent. For a brief moment she tensed up as her mind ran through any means of getting out alive if this went south for her. But she quickly relaxed herself and thought about what he said.

"I'm not gonna trade threats with you." she started with a tone and accent she hadn't used in a long time. Her voice was cold and emotionless. "You're not the only dangerous one here. But I can tell you this: I will ask questions, it's who I am. But I don't snitch on people. I don't break secrets and I don't cross my comrades. And I can tell you this, anything I will see will stay between us as long as you tell me." she glanced up at him for a moment. "We're a lot more similar than you might expect." she finished as she looked down again.

For several long seconds there was only silence, until he opened his wings and redirected. He flew them through the alleys with immaculate precision. He weaved around with grace while still holding onto her until they touched down by an old wall. He did a secret knock which revealed his organization to her.

They were let in and understandably she was met with suspicion. However it was his introduction of her that irked her. She was led to a seat and sat down beside him, quietly studying the area and people around her as they spoke. "I need to speak to you. In private. Please." she practically pleaded with her more familiar voice in his ear.

Once they were alone, she became a neon blur. A hand clamped around his throat, cutting off his voice, while another took hold of his broken hand with enough force to make sure his attention was on her. She forced him onto his knees as she brought her face mere inches from his. "Let's get one thing straight here. You don't threaten me. Not on this world and not with this life, at least. And don't you ever address me as a 'freeborn' again. You don't know me. You don't know what I am or where I came from. And before you think about trying to gang up on me, I'm still on board with this job. This means more to me than you can imagine. But if you treat me again like I'm some lesser being or like I'm a friend of your 'depur', I will end you. Got it?" she hissed with venom dripping in her voice. Once she was sure he understood her, she gently helped him up and brushed down the clothing she messed up. "Get that hand looked at. I'm adamant about buying you a drink after this mess, so try and be in able shape for whatever fight's gonna happen." she spoke with a much more gentle tone as she looked him over.

Without another word she returned to her seat and sat in silence, waiting to hear what people had to say.

Anakin Stormrunner

 

[Anakin Stormrunner]

“I’m sorry.” It’s all he can say, before Xan begins talking once more. It’s all he can say, but it’s only a sliver of what he wants to. He wants to ask how. He wants to know the nature of her chains. He wants to explain. He wants to tell her that freeborn isn’t the same as an enforcer. They don’t always side with the masters, they just don’t understand the plight of the slaves. He wants to, but he can’t. For she is talking again and he must listen.

More than anything else, he wants to ask if she's free. The question burns within his gut and bubbles in his throat. He almost asks it, though part of him already knows the answer. His mouth opens and his lips poise to form the words. But Xan is gone. She has wandered inside and he has no choice but to follow.

…

A bacta brace rested on his pillow when he returned. He almost declined it, but there was a fight ahead and he needed all the advantages he could get. The brace was heavy and cumbersome on his wrist. It's moved and shifted as he gestures, always situated at the part of his hand facing down. One of the containers must have broken. That was the thing about these cheep braces. They barely had enough bacta to do anything and the small containers between the layers of the brace were liable to break. Still he did the best he could, keeping his hand as still as possible so that the bacta wouldn't slosh around any more than necessary.

His left hand was clumsy as it gestured, unused to the task that his right was always doing. “What ‘appened?” At the sound of his voice, the low chatter of the room slowed to a stop and one by one the worried faces of his people turned to him.

The first to answer was a child. Her purple skin and orange striped montrals were marred in bruises and her neck was wrapped in cheap bandages. “Depur and depukrekta attacked a safe house. They took us with him to his ship.”

“ ‘ow many of you were dere?”

“Fifty one, fifty two maybe.”

“There was barely half that when we escaped though.” Another voice, another child. The rabbit eared boy looked exhausted and all too young. His words came weak and mournful from where he lay against the togruta speaker. His neck too was wrapped in bandages.

“You two were dere? Please, tell me about it. You don’t ‘ave to give many details. Just ‘ow you escaped, defenses, t’ings like dat.”

The two locked eyes at his words, before glancing over at another child across the room, huddling close within the arms of a twi’lek woman. Silence filled the air. He wouldn’t make them speak, wouldn’t become Depur by making them relive their trauma. There would be an adult that could tell him, though their analysis wouldn’t have near as much first hand detail.

“They used shock collars.” This time it was the third child. A devaronian, Alex, if he remembered correctly. The child was one of many that visited him regularly for stories. He'd been one the adults ki had gone to when ki’d realized that being a male didn’t quite fit. Kir horns had only just begun to come in then, the epicenter for the problem. Now they sat upon kir head, barely visible above the stubby and uneven hairline. Part of him was glad to see them. Glad to see ki hadn’t cut them off. “Give it some time,” he'd cautioned. “You can’t go back from that. Let them finish growing at least. You never know. Female may not be right for you either. When you have a better idea of what you are, then you can decide.” Another part of him, the more prominent part was upset, was angry. Bandages wrapped around kir throat and kir hair was a mix of violently short and naturally long. Cut by an enforcer, if he had to guess. Depur would pay for daring to hurt his children.

“How did you escape?” This time he wasn’t the one asking. Neither was it one of the kids. It was another adult, male by the sound of his voice though he couldn’t see the speaker.

“We remembered what Amuda Kyla taught us.” Blank looks filled the room as silence stretched on. “Er, we worked together and broke the collars.”

“Then we snuck out through a hole in the fence and hid on one of the enforcers little boats as they left.”

“Fence? Where is dis?”

“On Depur’s ship, down beneath us. Though he does keep some of us outside. That’s where we were when we escaped.”

Putting the boat out of mind for the moment, Anakin turned this new information over in his head. “And where does ‘e keep you in da night?”

“Inside usually. If we upset him he keeps us out but usually we’re all inside this big room at the bottom of his ship.”

“T’ank you, little ones. Why don’t you go sleep. You look like you need it.” A soft smile spread across his face. There was much that they had revealed, but he could see the way their bodies sagged and their eyes drooped. They were exhausted, and he wouldn't make them stay here when they clearly needed the sleep.

The togruta helped her friend up, the two leaning on each other as they made their way to the repurposed storage closet full of bunks. Spice blue eyes drifted to Alex, who had yet to move from kir spot on the ground.

“I want to stay, to-“ a yawn cut off kir words, cracking kir jaw in the process. “-to listen.”

“Very well.” He understood, truly he did. Ki wanted to see. Ki wanted to know that Depur and all that that hurt ki would pay.

With that, he turned back to the rest in the room. “What do we know of da defenses?”

“Depukrekta led dem to the forgotten levels. They’ve set their ship down dere on top of the shortest building.” The woman that answered him was young, with hard features and hollow cheeks and the ghost of an accent.

“What about the wykka?” Few things could keep a wykka from attacking, and the forgotten levels were near the heart of their territory.

“They’ve got thumpers and enough water to flood da lower floors.”

“Pure water?”

“No.” This time the voice was different. Another woman, though deeper, rougher. The rookie that answered coughed at the strain of basic on her throat. Now that she had Anakin’s attention though, she began to sign. “Toxic water. Have covered floor with odd metal. Stops water eating, or slow it. Don’t know.”

“Hmm… so we can’t swim there.”

“And they’ve got the air space lit up for miles around. No way you can sneak on.”

“This isn’t good.” He went to run a hand through his hair but stopped, eyes catching on the brace. Instead he set the limb down with a heavy sigh and a slump of his wings. “We have to stop those shock collars if we want to attack but we’ve only got a few jammers.” Spice blue eyes flickered towards the woman. “How big is the ship?”

“Big. It’s an old cargo ship, meant to carry heavy machinery. I worked on something similar a few years back.”

“Then that wont work." The words were soft, directed towards himself instead of the crowded room. "Okay, okay. How many fighters have we got?”

“Thir-“
“Fifteen.” This voice was new, belonging to the red and brown lurmen at the front of the crowd. “Depur has the rest.”

“Kark!” The word flew past his lips like the fire his elkalta breathed. “There’s no way we can take it with that few people!”

“What if we don’t take it?” Alex, who had been watching with half lidded eyes, leveraged ki-self up into a proper sitting position.

“What do you mean?” Someone called from the crowd

“What if we tricked them? Like Ekkreth in the stories?”

The lurmen’s tail fidgeted with the small little ponytail hanging from her head. “That could work…”

“It could be like the story! Where Ekkreth turns themselves in to Depur and frees the slaves.”

“But who would turn him in? I mean, if Depur isn’t suspicious the depurkrekta will be.”

“Yeah… and none of us are exactly conspicuous. If they make us remove any helmet then we’ll be caught for sure.”

“Plus I doubt they’d buy the idea that a no-name bounty hunter could catch Anakin. I mean, his bounty is what, fifty thousand now?” A snort, horse like in its disbelief. "The corpos would help us before some no name bounty hunter caught Anakin.”

On and on it went, voices bouncing around the room in a sort of organized chaos. It seemed as if everyone had something to say and before long nothing could be heard.

“I’ll do it.” Xan’s voice was hard and determined, and had this been a holomovie or a cheesy book, the noise would have parted before the declaration. But it wasn’t. This was life, real life, and the shouting simply continued. Her words went unheard by all and answered by none.

“Shut it!” Anakin’s voice echoed through the room, slamming shut jaws and pinching closed lips. He turned to Xan with a nod. It seemed one had heard.

“I’ll turn him in.”

Xan Deesa

Spoiler

Ki/kir- it's one of the three gender pronouns in Amatakka, specifically a bit of an other. It's exact meaning in a little fluid but it can mean either agender or as a typical third gender option. Been wanting to use it for a while now.

 

[Xan Deesa]

Xan was quite ticked off with him, but she got her emotions in check quickly as she returned to the main room. Anakin asked about the fuss and they quickly explained.

She sat in silence, cross-legged with a neutral expression as she listened to every bit of info brought up. In the back of her mind she was thinking up ways to get inside of the ship and even silently criticizing the slaves on their way of thinking. But she stopped herself in short order. They were slaves. Not soldiers, infiltrators and warriors like her. They needed her help just like everyone else on Denon. They deserved the same treatment.

"I'll do it." she spoke. But understandably nobody heard her. It nagged at her that her opinion meant so little to them. However Anakin was there by her side. He quickly silenced them and nodded to her. She gave him a small smile as thanks then turned to the group again. "I'll turn him in." she stated calmly, confidently. She expected them to argue with her but she wouldn't give them the chance.

"You guys might not be able to do it. But I can. It's literally my job. Give me five minutes and I can be a different species. Give me an hour and I'll have legal identification. Give me a day and those people will be out of there and chilling in here." she explained with a daring grin displayed on her holographic mask. "I'll get something sorted out. Make an alias good enough to grab their attention. I'll sneak in with Anakin, figure out where they are exactly, then the two of us get them out safely." she continued as she looked at the crowd around her.

She rose from her seat and looked to Anakin. "Come on. Time is of the essence. Let's get to my place, I can get everything in order there." she spoke as she turned towards the exit.

Once they were alone, she finally got a chance to speak about the situation. "Your language is interesting. I catch some Huttese now and then, but for the most part I don't get anything. What's some of the stuff you guys mentioned? Like 'depukrekta' and... Ekkreth?" she asked him, making sure they were in an area that didn't have any surveillance. However once they were in her apartment, she faced him fully.

"Out with it. You've been wanting to say something for ages now. What is it?" she asked him sternly as she rested her hands on her hips.

Anakin Stormrunner

 

[Anakin Stormrunner]

The rain had stopped. All that remained were puddles of toxic liquids and a dampness to the air. Still the streets were quiet. It would be some time before anybody ventured from their homes. The air alone could still destroy the lungs, much less what the puddles could do. By all accounts, it was the perfect time to speak of secret languages and the fires they stirred. And yet-

And yet the desert within him burned at the thought. Scorching his bones with noontime heat. Perhaps he was being paranoid, but with the hutt and the traitor out there, his gut roiled with worry. Amatakka was a slave language. It's very survival lied in it's secrecy. To be discovered was synonymous for being destroyed. Or worse, being used against them.

Pupilless blue eyes darted towards Xan. It was quiet enough, and he knew these streets as well as any native. The few tat could over hear were likely slaves themselves, whether they'd admit it or not. None would go to the corpos, few would even think to. If nothing else, a basic explanation couldn't hurt.

"I trust dat you'll warn me if dere's even a little chance dat anyone cou'd 'ear us?" His question, phrased as it was; stood as a statement, a promise, a compliment. He trusted Xan to keep this secret safe. It was something a fellow Amavikkan would pick up on, each of them adept in the art of dancing around phrases and meanings that were so easy to convey in Amatakka yet so difficult in basic. Complex as it was, he was unsure Xan realized it was there, much less caught the meaning.

Another glance at Xan, another mental shake of his head. He'd been so lost in thought he almost missed the affirmative answer she gave.

"I'm not surprised you don't know it." He grinned at her, al pointed teeth and secret joy; or perhaps joyful secrets. The desert knows both fit just as well. "It's a slave language. I brought it wid me from Tatooine." Once more, silence filled the air. A heavy, unnatural thing in the constant buzz of Denon.

"It's... not somet'ing we teach outsiders." He spoke slowly, almost hesitant. No matter how much he wanted to trust Xan, she was still an unknown. A sliver of doubt remained within him, even with their last conversation. Finally, he decided.

Throwing caution to the wind, Anakin turned once more to Xan. "I cou'd teach you. If you want me to, dat is."

....

"-and den dere's depukrekta. I remember you asked earlier what it was. It's like depur, Has da same beginning anyway, but it's a ending dat makes da difference. You'll see dat a lot. Anyway," The door to Xan's apartment clicked shut behind him, barely noticeable beneath his excited rambling. The apartment was small, he noticed between words. Cheep and a little run down but better than most of the places he had lived. It was in this moment between words than Xan spoke up.

"Out with it." The abrupt change in conversation left him floundering. "What?" His mind still caught on a good was to explain depukrekta in Basic, it took him a moment to process the question. "Oh, er... yes." With a dee breath, Anakin gathered his thoughts, tucking away his last train of thought and bringing up instead the question that had been burning on his mind. "Are you free?" The question came out devoid of his previous stumbling. It was important. It was meaningless. It all depended on Xan's answer and if she wanted to be free in the first place.

Xan Deesa

 

[Xan Deesa]

His caution was understandable. She smirked at his question and gave a casual nod. "It's just me and you, choomba." she reassured him as she rested her hands behind her back and glanced up at the sky. It was still cloudy, but at least the acid rain was gone. Aside from the puddles, they had the streets to themselves.

He finally started to explain the story behind the language and she could easily notice the hesitation in his voice. She ignored the comment of her being an outsider, understanding what he meant by it. But she was pleasantly surprised when he offered to teach her the language. "I'd definitely be up for it. Don't worry, though. It won't take too long. If I can learn Mando'a in a week, I can learn this just as easily." she commented, the excitement clear in her voice.

By the time they reached the apartment, he was explaining happily about the language. Even with her foul mood, she still retained every bit of info he gave her. But then she cut him off. He seemed a bit confused... then asked his question. It was simple, yet it was a very heavy question. Xan looked away and got a can of cola out of the fridge for each of them.

She cracked it open and took a long sip, not saying a word or making a sound aside from a very heavy sigh after her sip.

"No. I'm not." she finally said softly. "I don't know how or why, but I constantly feel like they know exactly where I am, what I'm doing, everything. Even now. Even with your hideout. Don't ask me how or why, but I just have this feeling. I don't know where they are. I don't know how to find them. All I know is how to contact them and what we are. I'm not the only one. There are others like me. Other girls, we call each other 'sisters' since we're made in batches. Each one better than the last. I'm by far not the best one. I'm pretty average. The subdermal armour and stuff are new, but the rest was always there." she opened up to him, staring hard at him with her golden eyes.

"The sisters are the infiltrators. We blend in, observe, sabotage, whatever. We're ghosts. We don't get seen unless we want to be seen. But the sisters are not the worst at all. There are men too. Brothers, if you will. They are the polar opposite. All my mods and upgrades? They are ten times more dangerous. They don't infiltrate. They destroy. They do the overt dirty work if we can't get it done. Sometimes a sister makes a mistake. Then a brother is sent after her to decommission her. I'm dead sure there's one on Denon already. He's just laying low. Just because they're killing machines, doesn't mean they can't be covert if they wanna be." she continued calmly, resting against the kitchen counter.

She gave him a weak smile as she took another long sip. "Don't worry, by the way. Your Trail is clean. Even if they had eyes in there, I doubt they'd feel the need to intervene. They might have had an eye on you even before me. But you're not a matter of galactic importance like the Sith Empire or Bryn or any of those. Even Darkwire and its war. They would just have eyes on it all but nothing else. Though I haven't contacted them in almost a year. I went rogue. Which is why I think I'm gonna have a big bro coming after me... just not sure when." she finished, emptying her can in one last gulp before throwing it away. " That's my story. Now comes the conditions." she was on him in an instant. A hand was clasped around his throat again, but this time she held him off the ground and shoved him against a wall. Her free hand was pressed on his chest and slowly applied pressure until she threatened to crush his ribs. "You got your secrets. I got mine. Your people might be able to flatline me eventually, but you won't survive if you do. What I saw stays between us. In return I expect you to do the same. Not even your little kids or anyone can know. If I find out anyone else knows, I will off you. That's my deal. I will take your secrets to my grave. I expect the same from you." she hissed at him, holding him up effortlessly as she spoke with a harsh tone. She then gently set him down and then rested her hands on his shoulders. "Threats aside, I'm glad you showed me your world. It feels good to know I'm not alone. I'm not the only one running and fighting to be free. I hope I can help you. And in time, I hope you can help me be free as well. she spoke with a much more tender tone before she pulled him into a hug.

She held him for a second or two then let go. "Unless you still wanna get something off your chest, I'd say we should get to work." she quipped with a gentle smile.

Anakin Stormrunner

 

[Anakin Stormrunner]

Soda fizzed and popped as he broke the seal. For a moment, it was the only sound in the room. Until- "No. I'm not." Xan answered his question.

He drank as she spoke. The soda sliding down his throat with the tickle of carbonation. For most, food and drink were something to be treasured. Sharing it with visitors when you could hardly afford any for yourself wasn't just poor survival instincts, it was practically unheard of. Perhaps it was different with Xan. Perhaps the gesture was nothing more than being a good host. The desert knew she'd have more money than the average person with her connection to Darkwire. Either way he accepted the gesture with gratitude.

I'm not the only one, Xan had said. There were others. Clones or something similar, just like her. His bones ached for them. The desert within his hollow skeleton shifting and growing as if to hide them within its dunes. He couldn't. He never could. It's impossible to free all the slaves. There too many for a single person, and there would always be someone out there making more. And yet-

He could save this one. he could save Xan. Of that he was sure. That was, until she began talking about her brothers. “They don't infiltrate.” She explained, “They destroy.”

The thought was terrifying. He had seen Xan in action. Suns and sand, only a few hours ago he had watched her take out a room full of droids! The idea that there was someone out there that could easily beat her- easily destroy her -was terrifying. Even more so than knowing that they knew of his trail. After all, Xan said herself that they’d pay no mind to the trail. It wasn’t important. Not truly. But this? Knowing that something that dangerous was out there and gunning for someone he knew. Gunning for someone he could, some day, call a friend. It brought chills to his skin.

Silence filled the air as Xan guzzled down the last of her drink. To his surprise, Anakin had nearly finished with his own. He set it down for now, intent on addressing Xan. “T’ank you-“

“That’s my story.” He had no way to know she wasn’t finished. “Now come the conditions.”

Before he knew it, a hand wrapped around his throat and yanked him from the ground, slamming him into the wall. Panic filled his eyes. Water blue wings crunched against the duracrete wall with enough force to bruise. A cry forced its way from his throat along with any air left in his lung.

“You got your secrets. I got mine.” Xan began, voice hard and cold. “What I saw stays between us. In return I expect you to do the same.” He nodded, quick and full of panic. As an avian species, he could survive longer without air, but it meant drawing it from the stores within his bones. The very same stores that allowed him flight. He could do it, but the consequences for doing it were ones he couldn’t afford to pay. Not now. Not when he desperately needed to fly, to fight. Of course, Xan didn’t know this. She didn’t know how it could effect him. She just kept on talking.

An eternity passed before she set him back on the ground. The motion was gentle. A stark difference from moments ago.

“I- hauchk uckh” words devolded into a coughing fit as he sucked air into his starving lungs. His bones ached and he knew that if she had held him for much longer then the repercussions would be much more severe. He’s have needed a dose of pure oxygen to heal quickly, or several days of recovery otherwise.

“I wou’d never tell. Our safety is our secret.” Another gasp for breath. “And secrets are da only t’ing depuran cannot ‘ave

Her hand rested on his shoulder, warm and steady and most importantly kind. He didn’t doubt she could hurt him again. Yet at the same time he knew that she wouldn’t, not if it wasn’t necessary. "Threats aside, I'm glad you showed me your world. It feels good to know I'm not alone. I'm not the only one running and fighting to be free.” Her hands moved from their position on his shoulder and wrapped around his back. They slipped beneath his arms and his still aching wings.

“I hope I can help you.” His own arms came to wrap around her. “And in time, I hope you can help me be free as well.”

After a moments hesitation, his wings followed suit. Water blue feathers cocooned them, pressing in close as if to hide them from the world. “I’m glad I showed you too. You’re never alone, not in this. There are always others, ready to help you to freedom.” A smile played across his lips, grief and joy shining through the tiny expression. “And you will be free. I’ll help you free yourself. We all will, if you want.”
He stood like that for a moment, basking in the silence and the strength enshrouded beneath his wings.

When Xan let go, he almost reached to hug her again, but logic won out. She was right, they needed to get started.

“What do you have in mind?”

Xan Deesa

 

[Xan Deesa]

Xan was rather surprised when Anakin returned the hug. After her threat, she figured that her attempt to make things right would be shot down. But instead she received what felt like the most comforting hug of her life.

She partially regretted letting go of him when she pulled back. But a smile did remain on her face as she looked him over.

"Like I said back in the hideout. We dress up and get inside. Thing is I don't like going in blind, and time is of the essence. So hopping down a couple levels for some recon isn't going to work... hopefully that's not an issue." she explained before she walked towards her bedroom. "They likely got some cameras watching the perimeter as well as the slaves. If that's the case, they got a system that I should be able to pick up. From there it's easy peasy to get into the system and see what's up." she commented as she booted up a terminal that looked like it was worth more than the entire apartment complex. It was a common theme in her room, having items around the place that looked like it belonged in an upper class penthouse suite than some flat in the suicide slums. She pulled a wire from her wrist and plugged in. A few seconds later her eyes were darting around as she accessed systems and dove into a bunch of areas that was likely only restricted for the corpos and people responsible for keeping the city in one piece.

Her monitor was a buzz of activity, with windows shifting around, opening and closing at a blistering pace. After a few minutes Xan finally snapped her fingers. "Found it. she muttered, tugging back on the wire and letting it zip back into her arm.

On the screen was a camera feed of the ship and several smaller feeds of other cameras on the system. She scrolled through the feed until she found the slaves. "There they are. All accounted for. See anything critical? Like what kind of systems they're using to keep them in line? If it's lethal, we'll have to be extra careful." she commented as she studied the feed.

Anakin Stormrunner