Private Run Around

[Judah Lesan]

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Coruscant.​

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Level 1313.​

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It had been some time since Judah found himself in the underbelly of the city planet. For a time he had allowed things between him and Abigeal E’ron to become something beyond the bounds of a good friendship. Loss did that to a person. Judah had never truly allowed himself to get over the loss of his wife. Kat would always be part of his story, and he was not in a hurry for there to be another chapter, and yet…​

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…he was.​

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For now his new chapter looked like doing Jedi things, being a peacekeeper when it called for it. The shadow hated it. He would rather be investigating something, stopping the next wave of Sith war before it even started. Instead he was on a rooftop watching for an exchange. A local crime syndicate was said to be trafficing slaves. It was one of the few things Judah could not ignore about the underworld.​

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His viewfinders were trained on the meetup. They stood in front of a warehouse, the usual location for the activity they were engaging in. Judah just needed to know if the slaves were there. It was not enough to shut the ring down. It was also a rescue operation. All he had to do was see the credits exchange and…​

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"…what the frell?"​

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He zoomed in closer, now looking past the trandoshan and ugly looking rodian. In all honesty both creatures needed a paper bag over their head if they expected to go home with anyone tonight, but that was not Judah’s problem. His problem was the blonde haired pretty something he saw slipping into the warehouse behind them. Naturally that would be exactly the moment the exchange happened, and if she did not hurry, she was going to get caught.​

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“And this was supposed to be an easy job he said… no one else knows this is going down he said…”​

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Judah huffed as he put the viewfinders away on his belt. It was certainly the last time he was going to trust a Bothan that did not charge the standard rate for information. At least the location had been right.​

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He ran quietly across the roofline, leaping from building to building until his boots landed quietly on the roof of the warehouse he had been surveying. There was a glass hatch which had been propped open, likely to air out the smell of the bodies inside. Slaves were not always hidden in the most hygenic of conditions. The ring itself was small. There were only three guards and the two he already spied at the front. By now the blonde was nowhere to be found, but that did not mean she was not already inside somewhere.​

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Judah slipped through the crack after the coast was clear. Right now was not the time for saber blazing, not when he could free the slaves and have a little back up. There was a door at the far end from where he had entered with a lock on it. He could hear banging coming from the other side of it. If he still were a betting man, which honestly he was, Judah would put everything he had on the identity of the person behind the door.​

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A snap hiss echoed in the warehouse as Judah’s sapphire blade came to life. In a swift motion the lock was cut off the door before the saber found its place back at Judah’s hip. Sure enough…​

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…the blonde.​

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“Timing is everything… lucky for you… I’m good at it. You know where the others are yet?”​

Tag: Malcoma Hesse​

 

[Malcoma Hesse]

make war, not love
Judah Lesan ​

She stepped back, surprised as the door actually opened for all her ruckus-making. Her hand stopped going for the grip of her golden holdout when the door opened to a man who wasn't one of the guards. She looked him up and down. Her gaze caught on the distinctive hilt on his belt as her eyes returned to his.

"Timing is everything… lucky for you… I'm good at it."

"I see that," she drawled. Any further response, specifically to his question, was delayed by the ringing of a voice in her ear.

"The Family was... Infiltrated. By a Jedi."

Malcoma shook her head no and not now to reality and memory respectively. The smartest thing to do for The Family if not herself was to ditch the peacekeeper. "They're long gone," she added, swallowing her pride to at least pretend to be slightly helpful. "If they were ever here." As she moved forward to shoulder past him, she reached up and hovered a hand over his cheek. "I hope you didn't get that for little old me." She didn't say ruin your face for little old me, but there was a subtle bite to her voice that might insinuate as much to the perceptive. And Jedi were a very perceptive bunch.

Not that his face was ruined, either. Or that the scar was new. In fact, it struck her as an old wound, and he as a looker.

She moved past him into the main bullpen. "I've been after this group for months now." Unfortunately, that was no exaggeration for her, but now it had come undone for both of them for lack of reliable intel. She turned around to face him. "I suppose that makes me a vigilante, Master Jedi. Are you planning to arrest me?"

The bite was back, now mixed with suggestion like a bad start to an adult holo-flick.

 

[Judah Lesan]

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V I G I L A N T E

“Bull-chit… I watched them come in,” he retorted. “I watched you come in. They cannot be gone that fast...”

She shouldered past him. Clearly wanting to be rid of him, yet, there was something else. Something in her words was sincere. She truly believed they were gone. If they were, then had Judah simply stumbled upon a ruse designed to catch the woman he had just freed?

Her hand rested on his cheek, drawing attention to the scar on it. It had been his first, though at his age he had collected his fair share of others. She was playful. Judah liked that. This was not the time to explore the innuendo passing from her lips, but a little banter couldn’t hurt. Judah simply chuckled.

“Kazrah… she uh… liked her knives, a lot.”

There was a tone to his voice which invited her to ask for a little more than what Judah offered on the surface. Taken at face value, one might think he was talking about a different kind of encounter altogether. However, it had simply been a knife fight. One Judah had lost on his first solo mission. He reached for the scar as her hand left his cheek. His eyes followed the sway of her hips as she continued past him.

“Not unless there is something wrong about shutting down a slave ring. Been after them myself, though, not as long as you have been.”

He offered a small nod to affirm what he had just said. Clearly this one bothered the blonde.

“Judah Lesan,” he said extending a hand, “and tell you what… how about I help you find them and take them out… provided you have a way of helping whatever slaves we free in the process?”

She seemed eager, and Judah needed some excitement in his life. This could be as good a chance as any.​

Tag: Malcoma Hesse​

 

[Malcoma Hesse]

Judah Lesan ​

“Bull-chit… I watched them come in. I watched you come in. They cannot be gone that fast...”

"Mhmm," Malcoma hummed. That's what she had thought too, but apparently not. The only explanation was that this had, in fact, been a setup meant to stall her independent little investigation out. "I was the one who snuck in right behind them, baby. Trust me, no one was in here besides the thug that threw me into that room."

“Kazrah… she uh… liked her knives, a lot.”

Short-lived, high-pitched laughter shook Malcoma. Kazrah had it right. Knifeplay could be fun, not that it was really her thing. "To each their own," she commented before plucking her mind out of the gutter and nodding it dry.

She took his extended hand gave it an abbreviated shake. What she didn't offer was her name. If he knew he knew. She was on a few holo-advert boards scattered about down here. If he didn't...well, all the better for the sake of her next response. "I have a way..." she assented, leaving out the part he wouldn't like it. That was a judgement call, but one Malcoma had been doing her whole gig long enough to know was often not wrong. Neither her job nor hobby seemed to ever win her friends of the upperlevel types. Or even some underdwellers.

"You won't have to worry, Master Jedi. I know how it is: rest of the galaxy to save, no time to let the blood dry."

Something else was in her voice.

Bitterness?

 

[Judah Lesan]

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V I G I L A N T E

There was something about her voice, the way it could bounce from being serious to flirtatious from one inflection to another. Either she was well practiced in the art, or she had a natural skill that defied all convention. Judah certainly took notice regardless of whichever it were. Unfortunately it did not allay the frustration that he walked into an empty warehouse. There was part of him that was disappointed in himself for not seeing, and another part incredulous that he had to give the criminals their due for stumping him.

“I am better than this…” His voice carried the disappointment he felt in the moment.

Judah had rarely been able to keep his emotions hidden from those around him. His master had always encouraged him to find ways to get them off his sleeve, but the Jedi had always worn what he was feeling in plain sight. It had not made him any less of a Jedi then, and it would not now.

Most assumed that because Judah was a Jedi there were certain methods he would not approve of. While that was true, that list was a short one. Some had thought he would feel more comfortable among Dark Jedi, but Judah had always been committed to the light. His commitment simply allowed him to walk closer to the line than most. He never feared crossing it, because he always kept his eye on where it was. Even when he had to kill, Judah could do so without fear of it being unjustified, murder.

He waved at the woman’s comment, knowing there was something she was not saying.

“As long as they are free… I don’t need to know how you do it. Probably better that way anyway.”

Her next words struck Judah with a feeling he did not pick up often. Something in her past was buried deep in what she had just spoken. There was a resentment that Judah could not place. Had it not been for his empathetic nature, he would not have noticed, but he had. His eyes found those belonging to the woman, searching them deeply before letting out a sigh.

“No, I do not intend to save them and dump helping them off on you. Just because there are other assignments and missions to fly off to does not mean I leave before I finish what I start.”

Judah let his words settle. He was silent long enough to give what he would say next a measure of importance.

“I promise, I am not leaving until the ring is shut down, and I know those slaves are free and safe.”

He looked back up toward the roof entrance he had used to get in.

“So you… you think they are gone, or are we going to have to sneak out.”

Judah pointed to the opening with a smirk tugging at his lips. He certainly hoped she would choose the fun option.​

Tag: Malcoma Hesse​

 

[Malcoma Hesse]

Judah Lesan ​

She stood in front of him awkwardly as he had a come to Ashla moment about his investigative prowess, then longer as her tried to convince her of his intensions. Her blue eyes were hard, giving nothing away as they narrowed just barely. It was clear she found no solace in his words, but maybe she would in his actions, if they matched—time would tell.

Her gaze followed his the line indicated by his pointer finger up to the skylight. "Climb?" she repeated. "In heels?" She looked back to him, exasperation alight across her face. There was that mood swinging tendency again. She could run and jump and roundhouse kick a guy without as much as losing her balance, but climbing? She was liable to break a stiletto, and these were damn expensive.

"I'd rather get thrown back in timeout," she added, tone as unplayful as her words were. "Also, climb what? Do you have a ladder handy? Perhaps stuffed in another dimension?"

 

[Judah Lesan]

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V I G I L A N T E

Judah chuckled as he took the comment about heels as permission to allow his eyes to wander. The blonde was attractive, and something about her face made him feel as though he had seen her somewhere before. His eyes eventually made it to her heels, but not before they too their time to admire the way her clothing accentuated every curve on her body. A grin stretched across his face as his eyes found hers once more.

"Who said anything about climbing," Judah said as he closed the distance between them. "Better hold on, love."

He did not give her any time to protest. An arm wrapped around her waist before the force swelled around his legs. He leaped through the air, and with a wave of his hand the skylight fully opened. They passed through the opening with ease before landing on the roof. Judah set the woman down with a hearty laugh as he started to walk to the edge of the roof.

"Any idea where they may have gone?"

He likely was not going to get an answer, not after what he had just done. If she slapped him, he likely would have deserved it. Judah was just having a little bit of fun. Fun usually got him into trouble, however. They needed to hurry if they were going to find the ring and shut it down.​

Tag: Malcoma Hesse​

 

[Malcoma Hesse]

Judah Lesan ​

A surprised sound somewhere between a scream and a gasp escaped her as they hurled together through the air. She didn't slap him when they landed—quite a bit gentler than she had expected—only straightened the cropped jacket over her bodysuit. "I was expecting something fun, darling, not...that," she admitted, then moved to join him at the edge of the roof. "None at—" she began replying to his question.

What she lacked in insight came buzzing to the holo comm strapped to her wrist. She rose it, powered it on, and skimmed the text message that had arrived.

:: M
dont come home
theyre here ::

Malcoma's eyes snapped up to Judah's. "Uscru," she amended with no further explanation. In the next moment, she was down on the street, having run the remaining distance of the roof, jumped off, and landed on alleyway asphalt below.

So that was one more thing she could do in heels.

She disappeared around a corner, not caring if she was being followed. If Judah came along, he did; if not, he didn't. She ground to a halt beside a black speederbike parker behind a dumpster, killing her momentum with a chokehold on one of the handlebars. Contorting her body halfway to the side, she worked a short keychain out of her right boot. It clicked into the ignition. The bike roared to life, lifting itself from the duracrete.

Malcoma swung her leg over and fit the rounded toes of her boots into the stirrups. If Judah had ran after her, she'd throw a wink his way. "Want a ride, Master Jedi?"

 

[Judah Lesan]

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V I G I L A N T E

Judah would have to admit surprise when the blonde did not slap him. Most women would have responded with it, but instead she landed mostly with Grace. A brief moment to smooth out her jacket preceded a comment the Jedi had not seen coming, but should have. So, she was flirtatious and free with innuendo. That only gave Judah permission as far as he was concerned. He grinned as he let out a soft chuckle.

"I'm just getting started, baby…"

He liked her. Few women would be so free with innuendo like that, especially with a Jedi. Judah was glad to see she would be herself regardless of who he was. There were very people comfortable enough in their own skin to be the same person no matter their company. She was authentic, and it was attractive. Not that it was a thought Judah would admit.

She started to answer, but grew silent. He looked over her shoulder and caught her reading a message. When her eyes darted up to his, he knew she knew. The answer came immediately. Judah then watched her leap off the roof and land on the street below without breaking a heel.

"You won't climb in heel… but you'll do that?"

Judah teased as he leapt from the roof and landed in step behind her. He did not know where she was heading, but he figured that following her would reveal it in time. Another smirk tugged at his lips when they stopped at a speeder. Judah admired her form as she rolled perfectly onto the seat and looked back at him.

Did he want a ride?

"Oh honey," he replied as he climbed on the back and wrapped his arms around her waist, "do I ever…"​

Tag: Malcoma Hesse​

 

[Malcoma Hesse]

Judah Lesan ​

The engine revved under a flick of Malcoma's wrist. "Better close your eyes. I'm about to break all sorts of traffic laws..." No further warning saw them speeding off to rejoin the Coruscanti traffic. They wove vertical paths in between hovercars and other bikes before sharply climbing into the pipeways connecting levels into on another.

Malcoma jerked them down a junction that spit them right out into the neon lights of the Entertainment District. She knew her backyard well, better than any place she had set up shop while in limbo. As she sped towards the South Loop, all the while slowly lowering them towards ground level, they passed by one of those holographic advertisement boards, hidden behind the tops of a few buildings, but there. All that could be seen was a blonde's voluminous hairline, part of a golden logo entitled Eve, and a certain madam's name that might jog one's foggy memory just enough.

Before anything could be said, if Judah had even noticed, Malcoma's bike screeched to a halt in another alleyway. At the end, a door opened. A suited man ran out as she leaned off of her vehicle to tuck her keys away in her boot.

"Malcoma!" he called, paying no mind to the man behind her given that she wasn't. "I told you to—"

Sighing, Malcoma straightened, then swung off the bike. "Stay away, yes. I pay you to keep my club safe, not for advice, Damris."

"No one got hurt," he was quick to point out.

"I want someone to get hurt," she insinuated just as quickly, walking past him towards the open door. It lead into a sleekly modern hallway painted in grey. Closed doors were staggered against the walls. Most of them Malcoma ignored but then went to a larger one with a vertical chrome handle. She pressed her thumb pad against the nearby biometric scanner, which flashed green and beeped. The door gave way itself, popping free of its lock so she could easily push through it. Was Judah to follow, Damris would likewise, closing this door behind them all.

As the lock clicked back into place, a series of footsteps pattered against the upholstered in dark-violet-almost-brown carpeting. "Malcoma?!" a voice came before a trio of near-human girls peeked around the corner. One, a Kiffar, all but launched herself at the madam for a hug, which lasted the few seconds it took her to realize that a strange man was also in their midst. The Kiffar stumbled back, blinking between Malcoma and Judah, like the worst thing had just happened: being caught off-duty and barefoot by a paying customer and your boss, not a drive-by blasting.

"It's alright, my darling. He's only here to..." Malcoma glanced at Judah. "...help."

 

[Judah Lesan]

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V I G I L A N T E

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The speeder revved with a roll of Malcoma's wrist. Judah grinned at the sound and let out an excited whoop when the bike took off. A quick click of a remote started up Judah's own bike and it followed behind them. They moved about the lanes which led back to the entertainment district, and for a few moments the Corellian allowed himself to get lost in the feel of wind on his face.​

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It had been some time since Judah was in Coruscant's entertainment district. The lights were still vibrant, flashing, designed to grab attention. There has been a brief moment where they passed a billboard containing a woman which looked vaguely familiar. Judah squeezed the woman lightly as they drove past it to get her attention.​

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"Well there is a lot that makes sense now… Madame Hesse…"​

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Judah chuckled as they pulled in front of the club. She walked ahead with determination. The Jedi wanted to secure his bike before following her in, and fell in line as her head of security objected. It was clear the woman was annoyed. Her club, her girls, had been violated considering what they did for a living, Judah found her concern a touch ironic. He'd been around enough of an underworld to know that the irony was common among this world.​

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He followed past the main entrance, getting a few looks from those around him. Judah was well aware that a Jedi was not a common guest to the particular establishment. The shadow wore a smirk on his face as he gave a nod to several of the ladies as he followed their boss to the back where she was immediately accosted by hugs. It took the Kiffar a moment to realize Judah was there, but when she did, Malcoma stepped in.​

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"Yup, just here to help… not a customer… not at all…"​

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Was Judah rambling? Maybe. He had made it a point to never have to pay for certain services. This made his presence a little awkward as well. Yet, the Jedi couldn't help but admire the beauty of all the women in the room.​

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"So… they were here and they aren't anymore? These thugs are really starting to get on my nerves."​

Tag: Malcoma Hesse​

 

[Malcoma Hesse]

Judah Lesan ​

Malcoma smiled at her girls. "See? Go your rooms. Let us worry about this."

The trios parted ways with Malcoma leading the way into the living area of her in-house suite. Walking through an open archway, they were in her office. She sat behind her glossy oak desk and booted up her computer system. Damris stationed himself to the right of her rolling chair and drove for a bit to bring up a recording of one of the security feeds.

As it played, a hovercar pulled onto Storyville Street. They came to a slow stop for a moment before the back and front windows both rolled down and out leaned the very same Trandoshan and Rodian warehouse guards. Flashes of colored bolts flared off the camera lens as Malcoma hit the spacebar harder than she had to to pause the feed. She sighed just as heavy.

"Look like the guys?" Damris asked to make sure.

Malcoma glanced wherever Judah was in the room. "Emphatically," she answered, almost looking for confirmation from him as well.

"They're fast."

"Must be fun in bed," she muttered.

 

[Judah Lesan]

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V I G I L A N T E

The girls scampered off, one of them giving Judah a playful wink before disappearing. He grinned. Either the girl was really good at getting what she wanted, or Judah still had it… whatever it was. Regardless, it made him feel a bit more confident about himself, which was likely the intent of the gesture in the first place.

Judah sighed as he turned his head in time to watch Malcoma and her bodyguard wander off to another part of the club. It seemed they were going into a section which was a bit more… personal.

“The inner sanctum,” Judah teased as he walked past Damris and behind the chair the blonde occupied.

He watched the video. Clearly they knew exactly who Malcoma was, but fortunately for her security was good, and the two goons were terrible shots. It almost solicited a laugh from the Jedi, but Malcoma was clearly not in a good mood at all. Why would she be? Her club had been the target of a drive by.

Damris looked his way when Malcoma indicated that Judah could confirm. Judah nodded.

“Yeah that was them. There were three more inside, small enough that I thought they were holding the slaves at the warehouse, but all I found…” Judah pointed down at Malcoma, “...was her locked in a closet.”

They were fast if they had gotten to her club that quickly. Malcoma’s retort was all it took for Judah’s laugh to finally break. He just shook his head as he walked around to the other side of the desk.

“Fast doesn’t mean good. It could mean they don’t have any stamina. They lack experience… certainly they can’t aim. Probably not your type.”

Judah smirked before reaching over the woman and hitting the spacebar to play the rest of the footage. The vehicle continued off the shot, but not before turning. Judah rewound the footage and let it play again, pausing at just the right moment. His finger pointed at the tail lights of this video.

“Hey… where is this camera exactly, and can I get to it without anyone seeing me?”

He looked to Damris, then back to Malcoma.

“I think they’re still here… bet they waited for you to come back.”

Just then, an explosion was heard out in the street.

“That can’t be a coincidence…”​

Tag: Malcoma Hesse​

 

[Malcoma Hesse]

Judah Lesan ​

"It's above the front entrance," Damris answered when Malcoma gave him a permissible nod. "Tucked dead center under the overhang. What do you need to do to it?"

Before any reply could be given, the explosion sounded out. Malcoma jolted to her feet. "C'mon, baby," she muttered, grabbing the Jedi Shadow by an elbow and tugging him towards the door. "See to the girls, Damris.

"I'm told Jedi either plan or improvise," Malcoma said to Judah as she ushered him through the hall. "Which are you?"

 

[Judah Lesan]

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V I G I L A N T E

“Nothing at all,” Judah answered after the explosion. “That answers my question.”

Malcoma did not waste any time in ushering Judah off after barking at Damris to ensure the girls were safe. She cared, which was pretty awesome, as far as Judah thought. It also did well that she did not seem to be frightened by what was going on.

“You’re not gonna buy me dinner first,” he blurted out as they rushed out of the office. Someone had to keep the mood light.


Judah had no idea where they were heading, but he did pick up on the fact the blonde was expecting him to do something about their situation. Was he an improviser or a planner?

“Oh baby wouldn’t you like to know,” he teased before getting serious. “Both. Technically I’m a go with the flow guy. But that explosion definitely came from outside which means they are not in here… yet. You got a secret way out of here so I can flank them while you distract them?”​

Tag: Malcoma Hesse​

 

[Malcoma Hesse]

Judah Lesan ​

"You don't need to eat, darling," Malcoma bit back as she led him along. "We're not done burning calories just yet."

When he mentioned a secret way out, she had her hand on the vertical chrome handle of another door. She turned around to face him. "You can go back out the way we came," she said and pointed to the opposite end of the hall. It wasn't exactly secret, as every John or Jane who came down this way to get to one of the private rooms had seen that door, but that wasn't to say any of them remembered it. They all were often very preoccupied. Plus, of the guards of this ring Malcoma had seen so far, she had seen none of them at Eden's before. "I'll go out the front." She stepped a bit closer to Judah. "Let's see if you can aim, Master Jedi."

With that, Malcoma slipped onto the main floor. The lights were dimmed, heat guard glass shattered and scattered over the carpet. The hum of unprotected filaments was broken by the hushed conversation of two patrons huddled behind the bar. Desperate to get their rocks off, Malcoma assumed, and confident that lightning would not strike the same place twice in one day. They had certainly lost that gamble, but not just yet their lives.

A group of security guards, a few her own and the rest the Family's, crouched behind makeshift barricades in the entryway. She moseyed past them towards the street.

"Madam Hesse!" a voice rang out as soon as she had gotten out of the archway onto the paved street corner. "So nice to see you alive and well!"

A medium-sized crater had been blown in the street, more as a show of force rather than to inflict damage. One hovercar had pulled up alongside it, and another was parked right where Judah had seen it turn. She glanced up to the overhang. The security camera couldn't be seen from here, but she knew where it had been installed, and considering its field of vision, the car was just out of frame. So they must have cased the joint somehow.

"Your man's hospitality knows no bounds, sir," Malcoma replied as her eyes turned back to the street. She scanned the ranks of armed men standing against her and hers, only counting four. None of them were the one speaking.

"While your manners could use some work."

"Whatever do you mean?"

All of the slaving men laughed at that. "You may be a hot blonde, but I know you're not dumb, Madam Hesse."

"Mmm." Malcoma swept a bit of bang aside, reveling a nasty bruise to the temple. "Perhaps just a bit concussed—"

"—Simply give her back and we will leave your fine establishment alone."

She let her hair fall back in place, batting her eyelashes all the while. "...Who?"

And where was Judah?

 

[Judah Lesan]

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V I G I L A N T E

Judah nodded looking back at the way they had entered. It would have been more advantageous if there had been something more secret, but she had what she had. He smirked at her comment. Near everything she said dripped with innuendo, and the Jedi had to admit he liked her style. He gave the woman a wink.

“And we haven’t even gotten to the fun part of it all… isn’t foreplay amazing?”

He ducked through the door leaving the woman with that final bit for the moment. They both had work to do, each had their part. Macloma handled her part well. She commanded her space, and provided Judah with the time he needed to round the back. He turned down an alley to get the cover he needed. The stealth shadow returning to his roots of staying hidden to gain the advantage. A fire escape provided him with a ladder to climb up to the roof of the building across from the club in enough time to hear the conversation.

Who?

What was going on? Was Malcoma hiding someone, giving refuge to someone trying to escape? This was certainly a turn of events. It seemed that not only had she targeted the slave ring, but they had targeted her. Judah walked into a turf war of sorts.

“Well chit…” he mused to himself.

He had already chosen his side, and he was not about to back out now. At least they did not bring any more thugs with them, though they seemed to be down one. Judah eyed the camera, which confirmed what he had thought. They knew this club, and knew where to stay out of sight. It also confirmed they had been waiting for Malcoma to arrive, but considering she entered through an entrance they had not been facing… someone had tipped them off.

Yeah… the day was only going to get better from here.

A loud whistle echoed from the top of the roof where Judah was standing. It was certain to get the attention of the four guards looking ahead to the blonde. He held a thermal detonator in his hand and held his arm out over the edge just above where the four slavers were standing.

“Now… I could drop this and we could see if you’re faster than the explosion. I know I am. I could just use the force to speed up my actions and kill you all before one of you can get a hand on their blaster. I would prefer it if the rest of this did not end in bloodshed, but I’m not opposed to it.”

Judah looked over to Malcoma with a little wink.

“Now mister voice in the vehicle. I am pretty sure that whoever you are looking for you got through some massively illegal means, which I am certainly willing to overlook provided you and your men leave now. If not… I’ll find you, and I’ll do to you what I did to my old boss Dothan. I would not recommend it… he would tell you the same but uh… something about lightsabers being lethal and all…”

Was Judah flexing, sure. Sometimes it was all men like this knew. Was this one a smart one?

“And unlike Madame Hesse here… I don’t care about my manners. Especially when your guys blew a chunk out of a personally good street. I was looking forward to walking on it even.”​

Malcoma Hesse​

 

[Malcoma Hesse]

Judah Lesan ​

She screwed up her face just enough to show that she was perplexed but not to risk wrinkles.

Was he really threatening to do what these thugs had done, again?

Wait, Jedi killed people?

Really?!

"Alright, alright!" the carbound voice exclaimed after a few beats of standoff. "We'll leave for now, but be back when Madam Hesse learns to play by our rules."

That snapped Malcoma out of thought. "I am, darling," she assured. It was the truth. There were no rules among thieves. Stolen goods were up for grabs for anyone with enough gumption to counter steal them, but Malcoma hadn't really even done that much.

Though there was no verbal reply from any of the men as the gun-toting goons slipped back in their cars, the roar and cough of their exhaust pipes as each sped away was like a scoff to Malcoma's insinuations both said and unsaid.

 

[Judah Lesan]

.

V I G I L A N T E

He watched and waited, frozen, to see if they were willing to call his bluff. Was he bluffing? That was for them to decide. Did he want to do it? No, but he would have done anything to get them to defend the girls in the club. Innocents took on all kinds of forms, and while not everyone in the club could be considered that, there were those who could. The goons that were peeling off in their vehicles now, they definitely couldn’t be.

Judah pumped his brows and canted his head when he put the detonator back on his belt. He tossed Malcoma a look as if to say that was a close one. He leaped from the top of the building. She had already seen what he could do, and now it was time for another small reveal.

“Good thing they didn’t know it was a dud, hmm,” he said as he walked up to the blonde.

Judah smirked.

“So right about now is the part where you tell me what the hell is…” Judah paused.

His eyes focused on the bruise which had been revealed when she brushed some of her bangs away from her eyes. It was starting to look… painful.

“Hey… you okay.”

Judah reached for the bruise, and if she would let him, the Jedi brushed the hair out of the way which had been blocking it.

“That looks pretty gnarly… hey… I can take care of that if you’ll let me?”

This one was not a matter of question. He did not need her permission to use the force. Eyes closed as he reached out through the force and found the wound. It looked different in the force, they always did. Whether it was blood, a cut, a bruise, or broken bone, it looked like a flaw in a person’s aura. It was not difficult for Judah to see the difference now, but when he had first learned to heal, it had been hard. He was not the best healer by far, but this was something Judah could help.

He touched the wound as his eyes opened and watched it fade. His eyes dipped to catch hers for just a moment, maybe even a moment too long. He smiled when his hand finally dropped, and he took a step back.

“There… all better.”​

Malcoma Hesse​

 

[Malcoma Hesse]

Judah Lesan ​

It was painful. Throbbing knocked at her temple. She could hear her pulse in her ear. "I've been roughed up worse," she said as if she didn't particularly care, but let Judah brush away her hair and get a better look. Neither did she back away when he started drawing on the Force. Instead, she closed her tightlined eyes, looking the calmest she had in the last few hours—and probably for a few months at least at that.

Malcoma opened her eyes just before Judah stepped back, catching his lingering gaze. She smiled a small upturn that faded as quickly as it had come.

She looked over her shoulder. Her men, still in the entryway, were all well out of earshot; they knew better than to just approach the madam without an invitation—except Damris, who was a special case. She turned back to Judah. "One of their girls escaped months ago. Stumbled in to my back alley." To extenuate her point, Malcoma pointed past them in its general direction, then put both of her hands on her hips. "You didn't see her in the dormitory hall because she's been in her room virtually this whole time. The poor thing. She barely spoke for a while, but when she did, it sicced me on this ring."

A grimace cut deeply into the madam's face. "I have nonexistent patience for men who victimize women."