The views are stunning…

[Nubica Felidae]

​

Spoiler

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXWbMu4PtpE

Nubica had been back on Ossus for a while and every time she received a formal notification she hoped it was to confirm she was to be taken as a Padawan to a Master. But each time she was disappointed as it was invariably a request to accompany a more senior Jedi on some sort of mission.

She could not understand why no Jedi had taken her on as an apprentice. She knew she was very prideful, but she saw that as being secure in her own strength. And admittedly she was well known for a sharp tongue and an occasional sarcastic attitude, but nobody was perfect, right? However, she was this arrogance in check for the most part, and had made few friends of superiors or peers.

So the latest note was something of a let-down and she suspected her Jedi companion on the trip would get the same instructions. It was a simple set of instructions — to travel to Bespin, to Cloud City to be more accurate — and to collect some data that had been purchased by the Republic and required safe passage to Onderon. Subtlety was required — so why they’d chosen her, she had no idea.

So she grabbed a bag and put in some spare robes and toiletries and threw in her training saber for good measure and headed for the hangar where she’d meet her travelling companion.

As she walked, she reflected on the brief, for her memory was almost eidetic. Cloud City was an outpost and a tibanna gas mining colony above the planet Bespin, named as such because it was perpetually surrounded by giant clouds. The city floated 60,000 kilometres above the core of the gas giant. It contained a large and famous luxury resort district on its upper levels.

The brief was to go to levels 1-50, the Tourist District. It consisted of luxury hotels and casinos which made the city famous throughout parts of the Outer Rim. There they would make contact with the named man and could collect the information — which was oddly unspecified — and make their way to the Republic’s capital.

What could possibly go wrong?

[member="Varus Shatterstar"]

 

[Varus Shatterstar]

It wasn't often that Varus arrived early to a meeting or assignment, which was probably why he'd practically been forced to meet up with a Padawan for this mission. One who he'd been told would be in need of a Master as well, which made him feel as though all of this was rather guided. It was true that he hadn't taken an Apprentice in months since Seraphina had disappeared on him, but he didn't feel that all of this was necessary. After all, he'd come around when he was ready, and if he needed time to work out his frustrations with his Pink companion hiding away from him somewhere in the galaxy, he felt he deserved it.

That wasn't up to him, however. He wasn't on the Council, and so he didn't give the orders when it wasn't war time. Even then, when he did give the orders, it was only to a select unit that had been built for him. The fact that he wasn't on the Council had really only come down to two things. He hated politics and he was selfish with his time and energy, devoting himself to personal training so that he wouldn't have to hand hold or care for a learner. That selfish nature, however, seemed like it was going to change very soon.

"Aaaand you'll be late in about thirty seconds...", Varus whispered to himself as he glanced down at his datapad before slipping it back into his pocket and taking his bottle of water with his other hand from his bag. He held it up, spun the cap and flicked it off, catching it with the force before it struck the ground and raising it back up to eye level as he took a sip of the cold liquid that soothed his chest and throat while he waited. These days, that seemed to be all he was doing anyway. Waiting... on a past love lost. On a purpose for his future. On something in which he could believe again.

[member="Nubica Felidae"]

 

[Nubica Felidae]

She arrived at the hangar and chatted to the nearest person in overalls. He explained that the Jedi Corvette, ‘over there’ was for her and her travelling companion. Master Shatterstar.

She’d heard of him. He was or possibly wasn’t romantically involved with another Jedi. A Twi’lek so the other Padawans said. And she’d seen him around – working out mostly. Nice guns.

She was a girl, and not precisely built like a tank but she was strong and muscular and was already able to use the Force to augment her fighting to some degree – hence her ability to learn the seventh Form.

So she wandered to the ship and climbed the ramp. She was first here and quickly scoped the layout of the ship. She’d flown one before and knew there were a few cabins and fought her natural temptation to pick the master room. The ones for dignitary guests were more than adequate so she stowed her gear and headed to the cockpit. She tapped the astromech on the ‘head.’

“Hi you,” she said, sinking into a seat, “We’re off to Bespin, lay us a course, OK?” She glanced around, “Once my co-pilot turns up of course.”

She leaned back and swung her legs up on the dashboard of controls. “And he’ll be late in…ten seconds.” She glanced around. “Assuming he shows of course.”

She sat back and closed her eyes. She was wearing standard Jedi robes, hers were darker shades of brown – almost black in colour – and her training saber now dangled from her belt. Given the weather, her freckles were out in force – and she’d recently cut her hair into what was called a pixie cut – it was all the rage on Zeltros apparently – and this length it made her hair look almost red in this light.

[member="Varus Shatterstar"]

 

[Varus Shatterstar]

The whispers of the force told him he wasn't alone, the echo of a young and delicate voice coming from the ship he was actually leaning against. His eyes narrowed as he realized that someone had been inside all along, something he should have sensed in the force, if he'd been paying any attention at all. Maybe that was part of the downside to losing a friend or a loved one who wasn't even dead. Just gone. Perhaps he didn't feel much like trying lately, and so listening to the force hadn't been his strongest suite as of late.

Pushing off the outer hull of the ship, Varus turned and casually walked around the ship to the hangar. He then turned and scaled the platform up into the ship, loud, heavy clinks against the metal making his presence widely known to anything with a pulse. As he headed towards the cockpit he glanced over towards the section of the ship that had been reserved for crew living quarters, but he didn't think twice about claiming one of them. He'd probably just sleep in the cockpit if they stayed in the ship at all, which he had already decided that they would not be doing. He wasn't going to sleep in some cramped, metal ship when more than enough room was offered in a private room offered by one of the casinos in Cloud City.

"Name's Varus.", the young Jedi Master said as he barged into the cockpit with no regard for the young woman there or what she was doing. He set his pack down on a small table at the back of the room before he stepped up next to Nubica and asked, "Ready to go?" When he did, his dark blues fell on the woman as he sighed inwardly. Damn..., he thought as he noticed how attractive the young woman had been. He wanted to kill whoever had put him on this assignment, knowing that this pairing hand't been at random.

Someone was trying to help him to forget about Seraphina...

[member="Nubica Felidae"]

 

[Nubica Felidae]

She was only a Padawan but she sensed him as he approached her. Her Ability was less than his, but then his aura was greater. Swings and roundabouts her father used to say. Whatever that meant.

And even if she hadn’t sensed him, his footsteps suggested he was heading her way. Probably a Guardian – definitely not a Shadow.

She kept her feet on the dashboard. To remove them would suggest she’d done something wrong. And there was something about his demeanour that suggested he wasn’t a stickler for the rules – at least not the stuffy ones that so many other Jedi seemed to get all excited about. Like not running in the corridors, or not dating boys. Stupid ones.

And then he entered the cockpit and put a small bag down on the table. There was no bowing or formality and she liked that. Yes, she could cope with calling Knights Knight and Masters Master, but what was wrong with names?

“Hi Varus,” she offered. He was a cut above the boys in her classes and that was for sure. “Nubica. Nubica Felidae. And yes, we’re ready to go.”

Now she slid her feet off the controls and pressed a button. The ship hummed to life and within a few moments they’d left the hangar and were in the outer atmosphere and prepping for the jump to hyperspace. “I guess you don’t mind women drivers,” she said. There was a trace of humour in her voice as she spoke. She ran her tongue over her teeth. She’d had a spinach omelette for lunch and hadn’t had time to brush before grabbing her bag. Lumps of green vegetation sticking out between your incisors never created a great first impression.

“Been to Bespin before?” she asked. “I’ve never been that far into the Outer Rim until now. Apparently it was famous way back when.”

[member="Varus Shatterstar"]

 

[Varus Shatterstar]

Varus said nothing as the young woman went on with her introduction, taking the time to circle around to the front of the copilot's seat before he plopped down and found and empty space on the panel to prop his own feet up on. When she made her joke about females driving, he only smirked lightly as he craned his head back against the seat to get comfortable. "Actually, I prefer them. They're easier on the machinery than men tend to be, which means I can take naps much easier.", he admitted, glancing sideways at the young woman as he began to wonder just how old she might have been.

Clearly she was young, maybe nineteen or twenty years. From the looks she had, though, he wouldn't have believed that she was any younger than that. She was rather well developed physically, after all, and he wasn't sure how he would feel if she told him that she was any younger. As if age mattered anymore anyway. Traditions in a galaxy so vast often times were skewed and warped to better suit those who'd put them into place. It was all about who wanted what, and when they wanted it. Now? Or were you willing to wait? The problem was, the rich would pay to avoid that very thing.

Impatience, greed and lust were all a part of the system that Varus himself tried to abstain from. As a Jedi, he was forbidden from two of those very things, one of which he'd already fallen prey to once upon a time in the company of a woman who'd made him fall in love with him only to vanish not long after that. The other had never really been his style, for greed had already ruined so much of the galaxy, and he had come from humble beginnings. Patience, however, had always eluded him.

"As long as we get there in one piece, which I trust you'll be able to do without much help, then this will turn out to be more of a vacation rather than an errand for the Council.", he told her as he took a deep, relaxed breath, sighing as he let out the air he'd captured in his lungs as those blue eyes continued to be trained forwards and out of the cockpit window. Before Sera, this had all been much easier to deal with, but that moment of weakness with her had opened his mind up again to the weaknesses of flesh. Women... they were everywhere, and many of them quite an incredible thing to behold. Unfortunately for him, one of those very same pretty little creatures was sitting in the seat right next to him. And of course, they were heading for Cloud City... a place where there would be a sea of romance, gambling, sex, money, love, alcohol, anything and everything that could possibly make this trip all the more difficult for him.

Some Jedi he was...

[member="Nubica Felidae"]

 

[Nubica Felidae]

Nubica allowed him to talk and stare and before long he seemed to have settled into one of his naps — or perhaps he simply didn’t want to talk?

"Ready for jump to hyperspace,” she said to herself quietly, more out of habit than any need for the information to be shared. She flipped a few switches and the twinkling lights outside the front viewport stretched into brilliant starlines around them.

As they travelled in silence, Nubica allowed the Jedi Master his space. Instead she reflected on what she knew of their destination. SkyCenter Galleria was supposed to be fantastic. It was apparently the best entertainment complex in the galaxy. There’s a saying that if you can't find something to enjoy in the galleria, you're probably dead.

Before long they’d dropped out of hyperspace and by now Nubica was itching for someone to talk to. So she accidentally knocked the Jedi’s feet from the dashboard.

In front of them, the planet grew larger with every passing second. “We’re there,” she said out loud.

The white metropolis was like an island in the sky, with towers and turrets and transparisteel windows that gleamed in the light from Bespin's brilliant sun. All around them the soup of clouds swirled in a rainbow of pinks and oranges from airborne micro-algae and plankton that lived on the winds. A flurry of tiny ships circled like moths around the lights of the docking bays.

"Dazzling," she said. And a matter of moments later, they touched down on a landing platform on the outskirts of Cloud City.
Cloud City's altitude reminded Nubica of the great wroshyr trees on Kashyyyk. Aside from the floating cities, Tibanna gas refineries, and storage tanks that drifted in Bespin's atmosphere, the planet had no habitable landmasses. The view was exhilarating and the height provided an interesting sensation.

As she powered down the ship, she could see a small and somber group of Exex, the city officials, marching across the docking platform toward the corvette. At first she thought it might be a small committee to welcome them but she could sense immediately that something was wrong.

“We’ve got company — and they look way above my pay grade. And besides, all that talking in your sleep, it’ll take me a while to process half of what you said. Best you greet them, my mind is still in overdrive. I lost count of the number of times I blushed.” She shook her head and looked deadly serious.


As she talked she downloaded information to a small datapad that projected a holographic model of the SkyCenter Galleria plans. “There, that’ll make things easier.”

[member="Varus Shatterstar"]

 

[Varus Shatterstar]

Varus was jarred awake by falling of his legs from the dash panel of the ship, which he remembered were resting safely and firmly in place. When those blue eyes flashed open, they immediately shifted towards the young Jedi that had accompanied him, watching her carefully as she proclaimed that they had arrived. When the ship touched down, Varus pushed himself up from his seat and took the two steps to the back of the cockpit to pick his pack back up. He threw it over his shoulder before he plucked both of his lightsabers from his belt and opened the flap to slip them inside. He could tell that something was up before they'd even landed, the force whispering it's warning to him like a worried lover sharing secrets.

When he made it to the docking bay he stopped and glanced back at the young woman as she confessed to him his transgressions committed as he'd slept. It was only when he'd heard her admit to him that she'd blushed a number of times that he actually smirked again while he watched her with his deep blues, one of his hands reaching up to activate the hangar door which slowly began to lower as he replied to her.

"I didn't think I talked in my sleep.", he admitted, not worried about what she though of him as she shook her head, though he found it rather cute. "But I suppose if I said anything about how pretty you are then you can take it as the truest of compliments. After all, you can't lie in your dreams.", he told her, winking back at her before he looked forwards again and began walking towards the opening hangar door. As it touched down he took his long, relaxed strides, one clink after another with each step until he was standing on the docking platform staring plainly at about ten Exexs.

"How can I help you?", Varus asked, allowing a bright smile to spread across his face as he posed the only question that needed answered. What did they want from two innocent enough looking people journeying to Cloud City?

[member="Nubica Felidae"]

 

[Nubica Felidae]

As Varus spoke, the tiny group of officials converged around him and all began speaking at once in hushed voices, but loud enough that Nubica could hear. Finally one held up a hand and the others quietened for long enough for him to be heard.

“Master Jedi, we have grave news. We understand you were due to meet someone here…” Yet at once he seemed to be at a loss for words. Eventually he said, “He’s dead.”

The lone woman of the group, a middle-aged well-dressed bureaucrat spoke up. "It's true, Master Jedi. I saw him fall myself. The Wing Guard has ruled it a suicide. Your contact is dead.”

“We have been unable to recover the body given our location, but security cameras captured his last moments.”

She held up a datapad and a holographic image spluttered into life. It showed a man walking out onto a landing pad and without pausing, he simply walked off the edge of the platform. The video was re-run from a number of angles and from one it was clear he dropped something before he fell to his death.

As if prompted, one of the men pulled out a sheet of flimsi and handed it to them. “It’s how we knew he was meeting you.”

On the sheet was today’s date, this landing platform’s identification and a single word — Jedi.

Before anyone else could speak, one of the officials crumpled in front of them and a crimson stain blossomed on their back as they fell to the deck. Immediately after that, another was clearly shot and again, fell pole-axed.

[member="Varus Shatterstar"]

 

[Varus Shatterstar]

Varus was surprised to hear what was being shared with him, his deep blues shifting between each of their faces as he listened. It seemed that their meeting had been cut short by suicide, although Varus was rather perplexed by one thing. It was obvious that whatever this man had to share with the Jedi was extremely important, so why would he pick today of all days to take his own life?

It didn't make any sense to him, and he'd had feeling that some form of foul play had been involved in this man's demise. Just when he was about to divulge what was on his mind, though, a flicker in the force warned him of danger. A moment later a light was extinguished and life left the body of one of the Exexs. One after another they began to fall, which sent the Jedi into a mode of concentration.

"Everyone on the ship!", he demanded, and no sooner had he made such a demand did the lot of them scamper up the ramp past him. "Close the hangar door, Nubica!", he called over his should as he began backing up the ramp, one of his sabers darting from his pack and landing in his hand as a blaster bolt appeared in front of him. He was only just able to deflect it, and then another before the ramp closed and sealed up the ship, deactivating his saber before he turned to the others.

"I couldn't see the shooter, but it appears there's a sniper out there somewhere.", he said as he was practically glaring at them all now.

"Anyone care to elaborate on what me and my companion here just walked into?"

[member="Nubica Felidae"]

 

[Nubica Felidae]

The group scurried on to the ship and when addressed by the Jedi Master, looked perplexed.

The man that had initially seemed the leader of the group spoke first. “We genuinely know nothing. Other than the suicide and the note, we have no information, trust us.”

At that point his comms unit buzzed and he checked it. “It seems the police are now on the scene and the area has been locked down. I’ve been assured it’s safe to go out.”

It was clear the faces of the local administrators were shocked but Nubica read something more in the woman’s face.

She stared her down.

“OK,” the woman finally admitted. “Thrantas.”

Nubica rackd her brains. She’d heard of the snub-nosed, bullet shaped creatures flying around like giant fish swimming gracefully under thick water. They had no feathers, only grey leathery skin, like sails stretched tight over flexible cartilage and a network of thin bones. Except for the rushing of air, the beasts made no sound in their flight.

The woman continued. “They’re actually native to Alderaan, but someone brought them here many years ago to use as beasts of burden at the gas refineries and for constructing the floating cities. Given what’s happened to Alderaan, those here are probably the last ones in existence. Anyway, there’s a local show, a monthly event. Thranta riders. It’s a kind of beautifully choreographed dance. Riders leap from their backs, perform aerial acrobatics and each one of them lands perfectly in position on a small harness on their thranta's back."

She could see the Jedi were keen for this story to get somewhere. “They were practising at the same time as the man died. Perhaps they saw something?”

Nubica nodded to Varus. “We don’t exactly have a lot of leads to follow, but at least Cloud City isn't as big as a planet. How many places can there be to look?"

“Cloud Dance,” said the woman. “That’s where you tend to find them the day of a show.”

Nubica nodded and the Jedi exited their ship before making their way to the restaurant. Nubica gasped in amazement as she walked into Cloud Dance. The eating establishment was at one of the upper levels of the floating city, extending in a ring from a tall cylindrical tower.

Transparisteel windowports gave a 360-degree view of the clouds, the sunrise, the passing cloud-car traffic, and a wonderful view of the SkyCenter building.

With the exception of an opaque walkway around the perimeter of the circular room, the floor and ceiling were transparent as well. At the centre of the room, a bubble of transparisteel rose from the floor.

Inside it, clouds swirled and danced in ever-changing patterns, lit from above by multicoloured glow-panels.

Sitting around it were men and women wearing little more than swimming costumes, their exposed skin was painted with whorls of colour, in black and red, yellow and green.

[member="Varus Shatterstar"]

 

[Varus Shatterstar]

There wasn't much else to be said to the Exes after the woman crumbled in a matter of seconds and revealed to them where they could start looking for answers. He chose not to say anything to them, however, refusing to even relinquish a thank you for the information imparted upon he and Nubica. He chose to be so cold because they'd been dragged into a situation they shouldn't have been in, and even after the wealthy folk of Cloud City exited his ship he could practically smell guilt and lies on them all, whether or not it had anything to do with their latest and most unfortunate situation.

When they'd made it to Cloud Dance, Varus planned to escort Nubica inside just like any gentleman would, although he was fairly certain that gentlemanly tendencies were the creation of a rather intelligent man who was both brilliant and perverted. He was almost certain that the term, "Ladies first", he been coined and made common by the most resourceful of men who wished to get the full view of a woman's backside without having to suffer scornful glares in response because they'd been caught by the owner of said backside. After all, Varus hadn't ever met anyone with eyes in the back of their heads, but it was also to his disadvantage that the most gifted of Jedi could sense a heightening blood pressure and escalations in body heat, both of which were tell tale signs of arousal, even if so slight that nothing on the surface would give them away. It was most unfortunate that, from what Varus could tell about the young woman with him, she was indeed an excessively talented Force user.

"After you.", Varus said, opening the door to Nubica, turning to follow her inside the establishment so that they could begin grilling the patrons within, but as he glanced up he immediately did exactly what he told himself he would not. His blue eyes scanned up the backside of the young beauty in front of him, an icy gaze eagerly taking in one of her most impressive attributes before he stopped for a moment and snapped his eyes shut, cursing himself inwardly before he let the door shut behind him and followed her. When he came to a stop next to her, Varus glanced around the room, looking for any sideways glances or hesitant, watchful eyes as he said, "So... where should we start?"

[member="Nubica Felidae"]

 

[Nubica Felidae]

Nubica gave Varus a scornful stare. He may be the Master and she was certainly the lowly Padawan – but he’d missed the obvious and she would store it away for later.

And before she could say anything a young boy ran up to them. He was painted - no tattooed - like the others and Nubica noticed he had no visible ears, but before she could comment, he spoke.

“Hi, I’m with the acrobats. Would you like to meet them? I’m not a full member yet, but I practice with them and I will be soon.” He glanced at Nubica and when she smiled, even under the paint you could tell he blushed.

“Actually…” she said, drawing it out. “Someone we know recently vanished off a balcony. The official report said he jumped to his death."

The boy looked nervous and sad. "When was this? When did it happen?"

“Today.”

The boy nodded, pursing his lips. "Yes, that's what I thought."

"You know something about it?" Please, tell us." She shot Varus a glance.

The boy looked away. "I saw it with my own eyes," the thranta rider admitted.

Nubica moved closer to the thin, painted boy, and her voice softened. "What happened to him? We need to know."

The thranta rider stared off into the distance. The sunlight filtering through the transparisteel dappled the tattoos on his face and skin. "I can tell you this much. Your friend didn't jump of his own free will."

"What happened?" Nubica pressed again.

"We were out practicing, flying around on the other side of Cloud City. We'd gone to the top to do loops around Kerros Tower. I was behind the rest of the group, because I'm not part of the actual act yet. I saw a man on one of the landing pads, but he wasn't alone."

"Who? Who was with him?" Nubica said. Her recollection of the recorded image was that he was alone.

"One big, angry man – wearing a cloak like yours.”

"What did the man look like?" she said.

"Pretty strange. He had some sort of visor across his face and short green hair the color of algae. He was quite unmistakable. I guess he should be easy to find. That man shows up every once in a while," the boy said. "Things go on in Port Town and in some of the casinos that the Cloud City Gambling Authority intentionally ignores. I've heard rumours that a powerful criminal organization is trying to take over the gambling, entertainment, music... everything that happens on Bespin – and probably other planets as well. Nobody pays much attention to us thranta riders, but we see things...."

Nubica thought of the sky-rodeo performers darting past windows, looking in. Nobody would think to watch for a spy from the outside on a city in the clouds.

"That man with the green hair, he comes here, supposedly on legitimate business. He meets with some of the important Exex." The boy shook his head. "But something strange is going on."

"What happened to the man on the balcony? Was he pushed?"

"They were having an argument," The boy said. "The man with the green hair seemed very sure of himself, but when the dead man didn't agree, the killer just picked your friend up by the collar, yelled something at him, and tossed him off the landing pad. Just... threw him over like a piece of garbage. The man fell."

Nubica drew a deep breath. "So why didn't you report this?"

"We don't know who we can trust." The boy shook his head vigorously.

"Do you know how easy it would be for someone to sabotage one of our harnesses or drug one of the thrantas before a show? We've already received warnings and threats-nothing specific... but enough to make us worried." He drew a deep breath, and for the first time looked to Varus.

[member="Varus Shatterstar"]

 

[Varus Shatterstar]

When the boy looked up to Varus he looked right back at him with those piercing, eyes of ice. He watched the boy for a moment, wondering how he'd been such a wealth of information. He was young, but clearly he wasn't stupid and seemed to catch a lot with those innocent looking eyes of his.

He took a step to put him closer to the boy then lowering down to sit on his heels as he proper either of his elbows across his thighs to put them closer to eye level. "Thank you very much for all you've shared with us, but from now on you need to be careful. Bad men like that don't like it when someone shares their secrets, so please, take care.", he told the boy as he reached out and rested a hand on his shoulder for a moment before nodding to him suggesting that he go. The boy nodded back after having shared practically everything he knew apart from his date of birth and homework and then turned to go back to the others like him. When he did, Varus sighed lightly and pushed himself back up to stand again as he glanced around the establishment for a moment.

"Why can't it ever just be routine?",he asked, not specifically to Nubica or anyone else, though he half expected a smart or playful response from her. He slid one of his hands into his pockets as he raised the other to pinch the bridge of his nose while he thought about their next move, but as he did he realized that Nubica had been doing most of the investigatory work anyway. Experience like this was invaluable to a Jedi's development, and he wasn't about to pass up the opportunity for her to benefit from all of this.

"You're making the calls until you screw up.", he said, smirking lightly to himself, though the smirk was gone a moment later when he remembered how she'd looked at him only a minute or so ago. "And what was with that unpleasant expression when we walked in?", he asked, looking over at her with a bit of a pensive look upon his face.

[member="Nubica Felidae"]

 

[Nubica Felidae]

Nubica listened to Varus talk to the boy and nodded at his counsel. When the Jedi Master turned his attention to her, she sighed audibly and then realising what she had done, smiled ruefully. “The routine ones always kill you. They either bore you to death or end up being the most dangerous.”

She was clearly not one to be in awe of more senior Jedi, nor one to stand on hierarchy – but given the current GrandMaster’s views on the subject and of course her predecessor. But she respected those with greater knowledge and Abilities.

She was pleasantly surprised when he suggested she take the lead and her face showed her pleasure. Which turned into a smirk.

“The journey here was not taxing. So I could have slept my way through it, or I could have researched the locale. I chose the latter. I recognised the thranta riders from an article. I didn’t read it, but the picture was as colourful as they are now and the headline said…” She checked her memory. “Rodeo to try out new daredevil routine.”

“I simply put two and two together. What else is there to ride around here? So I didn’t plan to pull a funny face – I apologise Master Shatterstar.” She used his title to ensure he understood she had meant no real harm. “It’s just sometimes I wear my heart on my sleeve. Something I’ve been told I need to change.” She shrugged, clearly she was less sure that the advice was necessary – or would be heeded.

“So…my first port of call is the source of the video evidence we just saw. I want to see the original footage and then find out who might have tampered with it. That’s one line of enquiry. The other is to find out if this man that was mentioned is still here and we should pay him a visit.”

She looked to Varus for confirmation that her approach was appropriate.

[member="Varus Shatterstar"]

 

[Varus Shatterstar]

"The apology isn't necessary.", he told her, glancing away from her, his blue eyes watching the patrons at the bar carefully for a moment, realizing that he was parched and desired drink, but mot just any drink would suffice. He craved that sting of alcohol, though he realized that such dependency was unbecoming of a Jedi. That fact, in and of itself, was why he needed to do a bit of personal soul searching eventually, but that would have to wait. He had a job to do, and just now he'd realized that his eyes had been lingering for too long.

He looked back over to Nubica, as if he'd been watching one of the guests and not what they were doing. When their blues and greens connected again, Varus reached back and produced his bottle of water from his pack. He took it in one hand and unscrewed the cap with the other before raising it, tipping just the edge of the bottle against his bottom lip carefully, allowing for him to take a couple of big gulps while not spittling all over it. He then replaced the cap as he said, "And call me Varus.", before holding the bottle out, offering a sip to his companion without hesitation.

He wasn't a worrier, and so he wasn't bothered by germs like some school kid who'd just discovered the opposite sex. "I'm not much for formalities, as you'll come to find out.", he told her as he glanced back towards the door, thinking for a moment about her suggestion before he told her what he thought. "I think you're head is right where it needs to be. So, let's get to work.", he told her as he finally moved, turning towards the door to pull it back open and allow her passage before him. "I have a feeling some of those Exes might have been involved, but finding the real footage of this man's death today is the best place to start. After all, it could have been one of the Exes that tampered with it because they themselves were present in this footage.", he said, simply throwing up possibility here and there in order to get the gears churning for the both of them

In a galaxy so secretive and with so many places to hide, the answers could be anywhere.

[member="Nubica Felidae"]

 

[Nubica Felidae]

She took the offered water and sipped a couple of times before returning the bottle to him. Here they were in a fancy restaurant, next to a bar that no doubt stocked any drink from the galaxy that you’d like to try – and they were drinking water. But then they were Jedi.

She nodded at his confirmation of her plan and she consulted her datapad. The image showed the level they needed to be at – and then the route they needed to take.

So she duly left the restaurant – but not without a final backwards glance – and headed to the lifts. She tapped a button and within a split-second the doors opened. Stepping in, she waited for her companion to join her before she punched the floor number for the security offices – where they held the master footage from all of the video cameras around the massive structure.

She had a prickly sensation before she noticed anything wrong but finally she was aware that the lift was speeding up more than was expected and they shot past their designated floor. She tapped the buttons quickly but to no avail.

‘Varus. Nobody knows we were taking this lift. Unless they were watching the video cameras in the restaurant.’ Her voice was in his head, but her touch was gentle. ‘I suggest we don’t speak until we sort that aspect out. And…I’m happy for you to take charge of our current situation.’

Her face was impassive, but her thoughts reflected the gravity of the situation – pun intended.

[member="Varus Shatterstar"]

 

[Varus Shatterstar]

Varus shook his head as he noticed the situation growing out of control, her voice entering his mind in order to keep their words confidential for now. She didn't seem fearful, but she didn't seem to know what to do, and so she suggested that, for now, Varus take the lead and ensure their safety.

"They've been watching us since the landing pad.", Varus whispered, a fact that he now knew well and was aware that he didnt need to hide. Hold on..., he whispered in the force as he reached out and slapped the emergency panel, which would force open every door for every floor, but the lift doors themselves remained closed. There seemed to be some kind of override keeping him from being able to stop it, and as it sped up with every passing second he could tell that the intent was to kill them when they reached the top of the lift in an explosion and call this all an accident.

Turning to the back of the lift, Varus reached out and placed his palm against the transparisteel and without a moment's hesitation he released a pulse of the force that washed over everything electronic in the area for about a hundred feet. When he did, the lights flickered and the lift now began to slow down, though it was still moving up with momentum alone. It slowed more and more as Varus turned and threw himself into the lift doors, prying them open and truthfully expecting it to be a bit harder, though he was still gritting his teeth as he thrust them back. It seemed that all his work in the gym was again paying off, and as he glanced up he saw that the openings were still moving a bit fast past them, but they were running short on time as well.

The lights began to flicker as the backup generators were starting to come back online, and before the engine for the lift kicked back online, Varus turned to Nubica, nodded to her in unspoken apology and wrapped his arms around her waist. He picked her up against his chest holding her tightly to him as he glanced over at the openings that darted past them, one at a time, but finally he picked his moment, and when he did he broke into a sprint with the few steps he had and threw the pair of them out the open lift, timing it perfectly so that the both of them would go soaring out into a dimly lit hallway.

Varus landed hard on his back, a tuft of air rushing from his lungs as the breath was knocked out of him momentarily, his body sliding about ten feet before his grip finally loosened up and his hands fall down to either side of him. "Ow...", he whispered as he looked up at the ceiling with those icy blue eyes of his, making sure not to make the moment any more awkward than it had to be with Nubica on top of him.

[member="Nubica Felidae"]

 

[Nubica Felidae]

Nubia felt she had a reasonable amount of field experience but she was at a loss as to how to escape their predicament. But the one thing she was able to bring to the party was a cool head, so she stood back and allowed the Jedi Master to take control without getting in his way or increasing the drama of the situation.

So she watched him cycle through a number of solutions before arriving at one that worked — or at least that was the plan. For a split second she wondered if he had to hold her quite as tight as he was — but better that than to die in some freak ‘accidental’ explosion.
So she allowed him to grab her and literally carry her through the open door at a breakneck speed and he was even gentlemanly enough to cushion her fall.

She stared down at him and despite the severity of their predicament, she could’t help but break into a laugh. “I mean, usually boys buy me chocolates first. Or at least flowers. But hey, I’ll let you off this time.”

She gently climbed off him, her ribs were sore but he no doubt came off worse. She looked around and saw a video camera in the corner of the corridor, pointing their way. She lifted her hand and a purple stream of ions arced to the camera — which sparked and its light went out.

She grinned at the Jedi Master. “Ionize. Cool trick huh? I just used the Force to overload and damage the electronic system. Usually for droids but it works fine on cameras it seems.”

She blushed, “But you probably knew that. I’m used to being around other Padawans.”

[member="Varus Shatterstar"]

 

[Varus Shatterstar]

"You're not getting flowers or chocolates unless I'm getting at least a kiss.", Varus said as she pushed up off of him and got back to her feet. He took his time, however, and showed no signs of pain until hey turned over and knew that his face was no longer visible. When he did he mouthed a curse and clenched his eyes shut for just a moment, allowing himself only that fraction of time to so much as show any weakness.

When he got to his feet he watched the enticing little display by the Padawan and realized that she was clearly no average student. She was smart, beautiful and an incredible talent in regards to her connection to the force. That lead him to believe that if not for her lack of training she would be far more advanced in rank by this point, but who was he to say. He wasn't her Master. At least, he didn't think he was, and he couldn't see why she would desire for him to be the one to see her to Knighthood.

When he saw the camera spark and the light on it go our be smirked, her comment coming off just the lightest but cocky. That's why he raised his hand, clenched his fist and pulled back, the camera literally ripping out of the wall, sparks snapping and popping as the lines were torn free and it fell to the floor at his feet. When it did he looked down at it and noticed that it looked more like an odd metal and plastic sea creature with metal wire for tenticless. "Not as graceful, but just as effective.", he said, grinning at the woman as he turned and started down the hallway.

"Come on.", he said, glancing back at her over his shoulder. "We need to disappear and find our green haired man."

[member="Nubica Felidae"]