Deliverance

[Sleven]

Even in the face of galactic Imperial expansion, Naboo retained a certain inimitable quality of peace. It was, perhaps, what Caed enjoyed most about his new home.

On any particular day one might find Caed swallowed up in the shuffling crowds of students attending the prestigious University of Naboo in the capital city, Theed. There, amidst the copper-capped domes of the palace city’s university buildings, Caed often found himself wanting for something more.

His restlessness had already reached its apex several months ago when he had not heard back from his friend and mentor, Kain—who had left him on Naboo with scarce words and the promise of a swift return. In Kain’s absence, Caed found the need to commit himself to his mentor’s old training exercises, to retain some sense of familiarity during his extended stay on Naboo.

It was during one of these exercises that Caed found himself propositioned by his surrogate family’s younger daughter, to join them for a trip to the market…


There was a ruckus as the young girl came bustling through the estate’s rear double doors and into the gardens near the guest house. Speaking hurriedly in her excitement, she failed to notice the intense concentration of the young man before her.

"Come to the market with us Caed! Promise you'll like it."

The garden was silent as Caed continued to balance himself on one hand with his body splayed upwards. All around him rocks were beginning to levitate with a feather-like grace. Closing his eyes, they began to swirl, gently organizing themselves into small stacks of perfectly balanced stones.

"Bah. It's no use sis. He'd rather sit cooped up in the house meditating and doing those funky pushups," her brother interjected, shouting down from a nearby balcony.

Lowering himself after a few hearty pushups, Caed let out a heavy breath as he turned to face the young girl behind him.

“You’re more than welcome to join us,” the mother said with an inviting smile as she passed the garden’s doors.

“Come on. Pleaaaase!” the daughter insisted.

“Alright, alright,” Caed said, flinging a small rock into his hand with one of his toes.

“Yay!” the girl said gleefully with a twirl. Stopping short, she shot Caed a stern glare, “We leave in half-an-hour. Don’t be late!”

“I got it Merril,” Caed said with a light chuckle.


***


Shops stretched for miles down streets stemming from Theed’s central plaza, with the main marketplace converging at the center of it all. Each passageway was a labyrinth of stalls and sentient bodies, each part of symbiotic relationship of supply and demand.

The family moved through it all with a habitual fluidity, taking time to chat with a number of familiar shop-owners and friendly faces. Caed hung just behind them out of a misplaced sense of politeness, not wanting to disturb their routine.

As the sextet drew near a number of parts and computing stalls, Merril broke from the family unit with an excited expression.

“And just where do you think you’re going?” her mother asked, her concern only briefly hitching Merril’s stride.

“I’m going to buy Caed something, for coming along with us this time!” Merril shouted back at her.

“Don’t stray too far Merril,” her father spoke with a fleeting concern.

“What could she possibly want to buy here Tasha?” their mother asked the elder sibling.

“Oh, you know, dirty boys things,” she replied.

“Attitude, Tasha. Attitude,” her father chided while looking over some spare kitchen parts.

Caed smiled to himself at the family’s friendly banter while shaking his head with the lightest sense of envy. It did him good to see what little peace the galaxy had to offer. There, in the small comfort of his adopted family, Caed let his mind drift off.

“What do you think about this new carburetor? To help the racer’s ion conversion ratio,” the father asked, rousing Caed from his daze.

“Nonsense, you’re not spending any more of our money on that worthless speeder while our children are still in college,” the mother interrupted. “Caed, if you could, would you please go find Merril. She’s been gone far too long and we still have to make it back home for supper.”

Caed nodded as he parted from the group, plunging himself into the crowded shops where he’d last seen Merril.

“Uh, I’m going with him,” Tasha spoke right before Caed disappeared. “That boy has no sense of direction.”

Some time passed before Caed had finished combing the crowd, calling out for Merril as he conducted his search. While nearing the end of his first sweep, Caed heard the weeping of Merril’s mother over the deafening chatter of the legion of shoppers. Breaking through the tight spaces in their asynchronous ranks, Caed made his way back to his adopted family. They held each other close in response to an unknown tragedy, with Tasha pacing frantically as she awaited Caed’s return. As he came into view she grabbed him, dragging the young man before her mother.

“Oh, Caed, this is terrible. Please! You have to help us!” the mother cried with increasing desperation as she broke away from her husband.

“What? What is it?” he asked, afraid of where the conversation was headed.

“It’s—it’s Merril. She’s been taken!” she replied, handing Caed a sloppily written note.

Looking down with a hastened expression, Caed read each word carefully; as if the emotion he poured into each sentence would somehow bring clarity to their daughter’s whereabouts.

1,000,000 credits.

Leave the money in a bag at Central Station. First bench by the second terminal.
You have 12 hours. No cops or the little one gets it.

“We should take this to the cops immediately,” Caed spoke as he finished exploring the note’s contents.

“Oh, don’t you see—don’t you see!? We can’t or they’ll kill her!” the mother said.

“That’s exactly what they want you to think,” Caed tried to reason with her.

“But you, you could solve this quicker than the authorities,” the father spoke. “You’re a Jedi aren’t you? Like Master Kain.”

A Jedi. A kriffin' Jedi!? Was he serious? Caed began to wonder what else the old man hadn’t told him.

“N-no, I didn’t even know Kain was a Jedi,” Caed insisted.

“But he taught you. You have their powers. Surely you could find answers, use them in the same way.”

There was a long pause as Caed tried to calm his mind and sort through his fragmented thoughts.

“You’ll help us, won’t you?” their mother asked with a rising tension in her voice.

“I’m trying to—we just, need to be calm. Give me some time to think.”

 

[Zay]

Naboo. The planet was slowly becoming one of Kaythous's favorite places to be. There was a serenity here that surpassed the other hidden Jedi alcoves. The general demeanor of the people were friendly and open rather then closed and angry. This is what the young padawan thought Zonju V must have looked like at one point thousands of years ago. Kaythous had taken to strolling through the city of Theed enjoying the ambiance of the people and buildings that covered the city from end to end. Kaythous was walking through the market place and looking at random items at one of the vendors when he noticed a family walking together. His heart felt a tinge of sadness as he thought back to his Master Neal. The man had been the closest thing Kaythous had to a father and the young man found more time then not that their time together had been cut short.

Shaking the sad thoughts from his mind he noticed that a young man lingered just behind the family. He was set apart as if he was with them but not part of their unit. Intrigued by this Kaythous watched the family a little longer before they were caught up in the hustle and bustle of the market. Out of sight out of mind. That seemed to be the Jedi mantra as of late. Kaythous continued to examine the clothing and finally purchased a new navy blue tunic. The one he currently wore was starting to look a little ridiculous. The young man was going through a little bit of a growth spurt and his sleeves were much to short for his arms. After making his purchase he walked to a public bathroom and changed out of his ill fitting tunic and donning the new one. He rolled his shoulders feeling the fabric against his skin. It was nice. He didn't feel restricted when he moved and he enjoyed the new color to his previously black one.

Satisfied with his purchase he took his old one to a local donation center and handed it over. He took no compensation for the shirt, he didn't need any. His contributions on Zonju V had netted him a rather hefty some of credits. Well, for a Jedi at least. The young man took to the streets and heard a commotion coming from just ahead. Kaythous allowed his curiosity to win him over and he moved toward the frantic cries. The family that he'd taken notice of was in a frenzy. He scanned the quickly and noticed that the little one was missing. Kaythous closed his eyes and focused on their words. He gleamed that his fears were correct. The little one had been taken. Without a second thought he walked forward. "I'm so sorry to interrupt, My name is Kaythous Silver. I'm Jedi padawan. I'd like to offer my services however I can." Kaythous wasn't sure how the family would react to his introduction, but they had seen fit to put the entire situation upon the boy who was apparently force sensitive. He couldn't see why they would turn down another helping hand.

 

[Sapphiric]

Everything had played out right before the merc's eyes. He'd seen the family move and separate- he'd paid close attention to them- and he noticed the ridiculously garbed kid, in a dark tunic that was far to small for him. He didn't pay him much mind though, he knew his job, and it was to contact his 'contractors' if the victim family contacted the authorities. As far as losing children went; Storic could relate, and felt waves of empathy pass over him. It then occurred to him that his contractors didn't say anything about the kid- the same one in before, no longer donning tiny clothes. He saw no reason for them to know about it.

He shifted against the wall of a massive building uncomfortably. The rifle slung around his shoulders that hung vertically down his back made it a bit uncomfortable. But that was it.

This planet was a new one to him, and he didn't necessarily dislike it. It was peaceful and seemed to have been, so far, unaffected by the Imperial take-over. It was the kind of world he'd have like his daughter to end up at. The pleasant thoughts ended as his honey coloured eyes rolled to the left and landed on two Naboo guard patrols. They walked side by side in a standard patrol with light armor with, what he assumed was, Theeds' or maybe even Naboo's insignia upon it. He stared at them until they felt his gaze and looked his way. His lips pulled the skin of his cheek- rough with a few days stubble- up into a grin and he lifted a single hand and waved at them. The merc was the very idea of suspicion. Leaning against a bank, seemingly waiting, with three exposed weapons? Of course, that was no coincidence. The guards broke their patrol and made a b-line for him, completely passing the victim's family and any chances of over hearing there blight.

"Sir!" the one on the right called. Storic's stand-offish demeanor rose up and he regarded him with a nod and spared him a couple words, "How can I help you, sirs?" His voice was almost cold, but it dripped with unamused sarcasm. They took a moment to take in his tone, "You have a permit? You're hauling some pretty heavy stuff." The one who spoke was eyeing the obviously modified Ion Rifle that the merc had on his back. It was also notable that the guards tone had change dramatically. He was now defensive, in response to Storic's almost verbal assault tone.

"Of course I do. What- you think I just decided today was a nice day to stroll down the most populated part of Theeds with an exposed rifle? The academy here must not have too high of standards, eh?" As he insulted the patrols deductive reasoning abilities, something that visibly ruffled the man, Storic's hands traveled down to the pockets that held his weapon papers, but also his... 'business card'. They looked it over and instantly understood that what ever he was doing, while shooty, was legal. He was working. They cleared there throats and Storic waved them away with a final, negative statement. "Go on now- I'm sure there's a kid out there blighting your community with shoplifted sweet ice that should be your immediate priority." The belittling of their jobs stung, but it was clear this man was waiting for a real outlaw to pass. Once again though, that was all according to plan. The 'business card' he'd shown them had been a counterfeit holo=bounty hunter card which had the bounties of his last three 'catches'. All over seventy-five thousand credits, all members of the Empire, and all totally fake. It was meant to make them think someone similar was here, and they were positive they didn't want to get caught in that fire fight. His eyes rolled again, as he watched the patrol continue, having completely skipped over the victims family.

It was just business.

 

[Sleven]

In the family’s commotion, Caed failed to recognize the potential consequences of what they had been saying.

Caed had been publically ousted as a Force-sensitive and the friend of a known Jedi.

This dire revelation came to him as a young boy approached, claiming to be a member of their condemned order. Caed’s stomach hollowed, leaving him breathless as his mind raced for a way to undo his exposure, to deny his existence.

Damn kid overheard them. His eyes darted left and right. Who else could have?

“Oh bless you young one!” the mother exclaimed over her laborious sobbing. “Anything you can do—anything at all—please help us find our daughter.”

Caed’s face was frozen as his eyes returned to examine Kaythous quizzically. With his expression suspended, Caed swallowed the fear of his exposure. For Merril.

“Alright,” he said, thoughts returning to the matter at hand.

Trust your instincts. He reassured himself, mind pervaded by Kain’s voice as he recalled one of his first lessons in the Force.

He wasn’t sure why, but he knew he could trust the boy. And yet, it was putting an awful lot of faith in someone he didn’t even know.

“I’m going to reach out—see if I can’t feel any traces of Merril,” he continued.

The Force beckoned to him. As he dipped into the strong currents of its infinite eddies, he followed their tug into the thoughts and minds of those around him. His third eye was alive as it drank from the smallest signals of their nerves. Each coursing breath, uttered word, and foreign thought cascaded upon him to produce a subtle clarity, a trace line for his body to follow.

 

[Zay]

You didn't need the force to see Caed's horror as Kaythous walked up to the family. After offering his assistance to them he looked at Caed and smiled. In a low tone so the family couldn't hear he said "Dude, it's cool there's a Jedi sanctuary here. It's not like I'm gonna out you or anything?" with a smile and a slight shake of his head Kaythous turned his head to see a middle aged man with weapons in plain view giving the local authorities a hard time. Kaythous squinted and cocked his head to the said like a confused bird and then said "I think that guy might have something to do with this. There was something familiar about the man, but Kaythous couldn't put his finger on it. He decided to approach the man. He looked back at the family and as kindly as he could Kaythous said "We'll do our best. Please, get home and we will return once the girl is found." He poured peace into his words and then looked to Caed. "C'mon. I'm getting this weird feeling like I know that guy from somewhere... I need to talk to him." Kaythous had no Idea what the force was attempting to reveal to him. He only hoped that he would understand once the revelation presented itself.

Katythous could feel the threads of the force gently pulling on his being as he approached this stranger. The young padwan was no fool however, and casually placed his hand upon the hilt of his lightsaber. A trick he picked up from his time on Zonju V. The gruff dude wasn't too far away so it only took a few minutes from them to reach his location. Kaythous decied to play dumb at first "Hey, I'm so sorry to bother you but, you haven't noticed a little girl running around have you." As the young padawan spoke he broadened his scope of the force to emcompass the mans general feelings. Kaythous wouldn't be able to read his mind, but He would since if the man attempted to lie.

 

[Sapphiric]

Soon after the local authorities left him, he pressed his lips together in a tight horizontal line, then coated them with a thin layer of saliva before a soft tune gun began to journey out, from his mouth; pushing the air through the tight, horizontal line. As the sound left his mouth and cast a bit of a solemn tone through the market. Any season rouge, merc, smuggler, ranger, or hell, even a Jedi, might even put together that the whistle could be a signal. It didn't help that the man's gaze was unshakably- without a hint of shyness- were stopped on the two boys as soon as he had seen the "victim's" apparent brother was in tow.

"A little girl? Hm." Storic feigned a pause of thought that seemed legitimate, "You know, come to think of it I think I have." There was a slight accent on his words that made his words seem more friendly and yet... it was clear that there was also something else behind them. His arms uncrossed and dropped to the side and his eyes fell onto Kaythous as he noticed something very peculiar. His hand was at his hip and grasping at something. Whatever it was, he knew it wasn't a blaster and given how the boy had seemed to pick him out of the crowd her realized... His exterior straightened and he decided to test his hypothesis. "Yeah... I saw some little kit with that boy-" He gestured with a nod of his head and the flick of an eyebrow towards the other boy, "She strayed of and then..."

He strayed his words, as if leading to something and left his thoughts cracked, as if anyone who wanted to reach out and open them, could. Storic decided that, if he was right and this boy was a Jedi, his employers would either end up killing the kid and then losing this game, or losing the girl and then losing the game.

"What was it..." He teased- his words showing that he did know something, and his thoughts only showing a few steps ahead. In fact, not only did his words tease, they were now laced with a sarcastic undertone that almost sounded coldly playful. As if he was provoking them for fun. Something he was sure his own daughter would do in this situation.

 

[Sleven]

Jagged pieces fit together like broken shards of shattered glass. The fragmented images formed from these scattered pieces began to whirr about his mind with the stuttered clarity of a child’s flip-book.

Focus.

Merril was out of their reach, but something that had a hand in her fate was still there. It was a—

Kaythous’s words broke Caed’s fragile concentration. A man? Of course.

Calming the family, Caed kept himself to a low whisper as he delivered them some parting words, “We’re being watched. I can’t say all from where, but you must be careful. Try to mislead them. Then have Tasha split off and get in contact with the authorities.” Looking at Tasha, he placed a hand on her shoulder, “Once you do, stay there.”

“Right,” the father said. “I’ll make sure everyone is safe before heading to the bank. Don’t forget to comm me if you aren’t having any luck.”

With that he gathered what remained of his family, sweeping them away down the busy streets.

Returning his attention to Kaythous, Caed gave a nod to the young Jedi and followed him towards a lanky man of extraordinary height. Greeting him with only his eyes, Caed gave off a feral glare as he took the man in. While he spoke, Caed moved himself within arm’s reach.

Caed produced a wry smile with a charged nod as he listened to Storic’s words. “That’s funny. Real funny,” he said sarcastically before his voice turned to restrained anger, “How ‘bout you tell us what you know before I wipe the streets with your kriffin’ face?”

With muscles taut, Caed stirred the torrent of power within him, drawing on its visceral nature and keeping it ready. His mind and body were fully cocked.

 

[Zay]

Kaythous listened as the man toyed with the answer they sought. Kaythous could feel his new companions anger rising. "Be at peace. This man will reveal what he knows. Whether he does so consciously or subconsciously." Kaythous had not said a word. He smiply spoke into Caed's mind. "We have the advantage here. Do not allow your anger to distract you from our final goal, my friend." Peace permeated from the Padawan's words. Kaythous understood anger, he understood pain. They lived in side of him awoken by a Sith apothecary during a battle that nearly claimed his life. Kaythous would not pry into Caed's life nor evade his personal sanctum more then he already had. Kaythous didn't like communicating like this without warning the subject, but the padawan knew this man was an agent of chaos, he was here to stir the pot.

"I see you're having trouble remembering. That's unfortunate. It seems your nothing but a useless pawn not worthy of information with any amount of secrecy." Kaythous's face smiled but his words cut like a lightsaber. This man was connected and he did have information they needed, He had inadvertently revealed that by attempting to stall them and act as a proverbial gate keeper. "I'm afraid we don't have time to speak to the grunts, the young daughter of this family is in danger. Her life hangs in the balance. I've seen selfishness in this galaxy, but to combine it with heartlessness is a rarity. Imagine if your child had been taken from you. Well, thank you for your time. I'm sure you have errands you must attend to. You wouldn't want to upset your masters." Kaythous said each word with the kindest infection in his voice and a smile on his face. The force had been his guide as he spoke. He knew nothing about this man, other then he sucked... The padawan looked to Caed "I'm sorry, it appears I was mistaken. We shouldn't waste any more time on this man. He seem's to be nothing more then a pawn in the greater scheme of things." Kaythous began to walk away. His trap set. Several of the word he spoke had been filled with emotion. That emotion was guilt.

 

[Sapphiric]

Storic immediately favored the boy he assumed to be a Jedi over the other. His honey eyes moved from the calm one, to the not so calm one, and then back again. If either were paying attention, they'd see he was doing more then looking at them, but saying... something. The man looked at the calm one for a moment and then his dry, lips pulled into a smirk on one side before he once again began to speak.

"You need to use your head as readily as you wanna use those fists, boy." His eyes drifted over towards the calm one again as he began speak, and his words cut deeper then he might have thought. For a moment he stood there, and the crest of the Hutt Cartel on the inside pocket of his vest seemed to burn a hole through the chest. He frowned and decided to buck-up and get over the boy's verbal attack, and strike back himself.

"Ah, well. I suppose you could. It would sure be a shame if you missed your chance at finding a hired-gun, with no particular care for his employer outside his credits because you were so short-sighted, and blind enough to waste time on a grunt. Someone like you should be able to see that in a person. If you were taught proper." Over his years, he'd worked on various ways to keep Jedi out of his head, and the fact they were all down now and this kid had said that made him want to lay a bolt in his thigh. His accent made his words smooth in the same ways the boy's had, but he wanted to show he had guessed what he was and insult his proficiency at it, and whoever taught him. His back pressed off the wall and he sighed a bit before looking away from them, as if disappointed before slowly, purposely slow, strutting away. He wanted to do something to help them find the girl, but he needed the credits for the job still and wouldn't betray that purpose. He'd help, but he wouldn't make his help vocal. Lucky for the girl he was able to tell one was a Jedi.

"Shame about that lass. Especially if those who could have saved have her just dismissed help when it was right in front of them, and he just couldn't tell."

 

[Sleven]

Be at peace? Be at peace!? I’m responsible for that girl’s life right now. Kaythous’s ability to put aside emotion in a situation like this was inhuman to Caed. He wondered if the boy next to him even cared. Was this all a game to the Jedi?

Caed stood his ground while Kaythous began to walk away, staring Storic down as the man continued to taunt them. Storic had disregarded Caed’s warning and then attempted to walk away himself.

When the man turned his back on them, Caed put his left hand up while taking a step forward and twisting his torso to deliver a crippling blow with his right. Caed had infused it with enough telekinetic energy to break bone before he’d sent it hooking towards Storic’s kidney.

 

[Zay]

His companions response was far less then peaceful. Kaythous could feel the anger broiling inside his current companion. No amount of peaceful emotion could breach the frustration and urgency of the boys need to find his younger sibling. The false bravado that this seemingly uncaring grunt was throwing off was only making matter worse. Kaythous felt a surge in the force as Caed's emotions reached the exploding point. Kaythous moved with supernatural speed calling upon the force to assist him. He stepped in front of the attack and diverted it with a Taras Kasi maneuver called the Dancing Dragonsnake. The moved used the attacker momentum against them putting them off course from their intended mark and sending them off balance. Kaythous could tell by the amount of force power and technique in Caed's attack that the boy was a skilled warrior. The young padawan respected that, but now was not the time to lose yourself to your emotions. As he diverted the attack Kaythous sent a mental message to his comrade.

"I understand your anger," Kaythous allowed images of his own personal battles with the emotion pass into Caed's mind. in rapid succession The story of Kaythous's recent battle with the darkside played out in fron of Caed's mind. Caed needed to understand that Kaythous wasn't just some emotionless jedi. He needed to convey to the young man that he was just as human as Caed was. "I understand your frustration, but attacking this man won't make him talk, and it may very well put your sibling in greater danger. Think Caed. Focus your abilities on a more worthy task. Your young sibling needs her brother. Caed we will find her." The thoughts passed in a span of three seconds.

Kaythous turned and called out to the man who was none the wiser to the near crippling attack he just been sparred from. "Excuse me sir, Did I mention I have a rather deep pocket?" Kaythous pulled out a credit pouch and held it up. "Zaylos is gonna kill me..." he thought as he waited for the man to turn around. The young padawan had picked up on the subliminal message in the man's words before he'd turned to walk away. "Perhaps a business proposition is more your style." Kaythous's smile turned devious as he started to head toward a local restaurant. As he walked by Caed he said in a low voice "Trust me." with that he made his way to the restaurant. Kaythous had picked up on this man's longing to help. It was up to him now if he actually wanted to fatten his wallet or not.

 

[Sapphiric]

Missing children-- let alone, kidnapped-- was not something Storic took lightly. He'd help, if he could, but he still needed the credits so he could eventually search for his own daughter. So, outwardly opposing his employers was not an option. He felt the tension of anger and an urge to harm and stopped in his tracks, before he could turn around and investigate however, the Jedi boy had already stopped the others attack. Storic grinned a bit at the feeling in the bottom of his stomach that made him feel as though he'd just avoided being hit, by something nasty.

The words of the Jedi boy were simple, but caught Storic's attention like Spice does to a junkie. "Deep pockets, eh?" A chuckle followed those words and he brought his hand up to trace the stubble that traced his jawline. He didn't say anything else right then, but he did put on a snide expression, that almost seemed devious. The numbers ran through his head and a they looked good. For him, not this Kaythous boy.
These lowly kidnappers were paying the cartel 12,000 credits for being a hired gun. Of course, 10,000 went to the Hutts. In Storic's book, however, 2000 credits isn't all that bad for one job. Tell this kid he's making 5000, and he'll loosen his lips for 7, then he'll make a nice profit. It also worked because the Hutt's cut was already payed, basically as a down payment. Storic assumed it was done because some men died before payment. The only thing on the line was his reputation in the future, and that could always be rebuilt. If he played his cards right though...

Storic followed the duo into the restaurant and smirked that smirk of his before taking a bit of initiative on his part, and hastily choosing somewhere for the three to sit. First move was always a good sign, and he wanted to assure the first move was in his pocket. As he sat, a fuschia skinned Twi'lek waitress moved towards them, holding a faked cheery expression on her face,

"Welcome to Theeds Feeds!" She said, a little too happily. Storic felt the beginning of a headache forming between her bright color, high voice and fake cheerfulness. "What can I get for you today?"

"A Reactor Core, love." Storic said before anyone else had a chance to speak. His grin sharpened to the point it almost seemed sharp and his honey colored eyes locked on both of them.

"Don't worry boys, drinks and grubs on me."​

 

[Sleven]

Caed twitched with involuntary anticipation, slowing himself and planting his front foot abruptly to divert his forward momentum. He felt his arm dip downwards as it was intercepted by Kaythous unexpected intervention. The telekinetic force behind his blow shattered the stone of the wall where Storic once rested. Caed’s left hand shot out, cuffing Kaythous reflexively by the base of his neck. It provided him with stability and control over his new opposition.

Caed’s eyes widened with intensity before his body froze and his cognitive faculties began to take over—the transition seeming to span several moments. Realizing Kaythous was not the enemy, Caed loosened his grip.

Eyeing Storic over Kaythous’s shoulder, Caed returned the grin with a slight flick of his head, making sure the man knew he had his number.

Waiting impatiently for Storic to respond to Kaythous’s offer, Caed held on to his readied tension.

When the two moved to convene in a local restaurant, Caed hesitantly followed. The strong pull in the Force he felt earlier now nagging at the back of his mind. Like a missed opportunity, it filled him with a ramping sense of regret. But Kaythous seemed content to make Storic their only lead, and Caed had lost his connection to whatever it had drawn his attention before.

His frustration with Storic and Kaythous still lingered when he finally took his seat—placing himself in the corner to prevent exposure to any unseen enemies. When Storic grinned, Caed felt like swatting him once more, but the mercenary had responded to Kaythous’s offer of credits. It suggested cooperation—for now.

“Fine of you, really. But I’d rather discuss business first,” Caed responded tersely, “So I know you’re not wasting my time.”

 

[Zay]

“I’ll get right to the point. I’ve got three thousand credits. I have a good guess at how much you’re being paid for your current work. I’ve worked with plenty of bounty hunters and enough guns for hire to know that the money I’ve offered will supplement what you’re being paid and then a little extra.” Kaythous’s tone was flat and unwavering. The boy would pay no more. “I stopped my friend here from delivering a devastating attack to your kidneys earlier. If you don’t comply I won’t stop him again.” Kaythous allowed the man to take in the offer. “If you’re worried about getting caught, then don’t give us an exact location.” Kaythous nodded to Caed “I have full confidence in my friend here that we will be able to find them if we are in the general area.”

The ball was in the thugs hands now. Kaythous hadn’t given him much of a choice and if the man attempted to lie or cheat them in any way Kaythous would know. The Kid had spent months Zonju V surrounded by thieves, low lives and ex-cons, and those were the good guys. Even without the guidance of the force Kaythous could spot a lie without batting an eye. The young Jedi gave off the impression that he was almost uninterested in the exchange. This façade couldn’t have been further from the truth. Kaythous was starting to grow impatient with this gangster. If he didn’t answer quickly it might be Caed stopping Kaythous from attacking.

 

[Sapphiric]

Storik listened intently to the boy and smiled a bit before sitting back on his seat. Not long after, the fuschia twi'lek returned with his fizzy looking, blue tinged drink. She set it before him, asked if the other two wanted anything, and the eldest dismissed her with a wave.

He went over the number in his head and frowned. It was a raw deal for him; not counting the credits, the hit to his Rep wouldn't equal out his loses. The man sighed and brought up his rough, dirty hand and brought it through his thick, greasy blonde locks before taking a drink and shaking his head at the Jedi boy.

"If this was any other kind of job, I'd laugh both of you out of here. Naboo doesn't take kindly to agrovated assualt either." He was implying that they had no real evidense to point towards his involvement.

"Only reason you two are chatting me up, is because I'm sympathetic.only reason I'm doing womp rat jobs like this is because I'm looking for my own little girl. With that said, its crucial that if I'm gonna help the two of 'ya, I've gotta stay in my employers good wishes. Understood?"

He took another drink and ran his hand along the stubble, farmed on his face. "So pick one; direct location, or indirect and and cautious."

 

[Sleven]

Caed appeared visibly unphased by the mercenary’s preamble.

“Laughing us outta here wouldn’t do you the kind of good you think. Neither would the authorities,” he replied. But as Storic continued he stopped himself, realizing the information they needed may be close at hand.

“Alright,” he conceded. “We’ll make sure you don’t get into any trouble with your handlers. Just give us the direct location and we’ll take care of it from there.”

 

[Sapphiric]

He regarded him with a sudden, lifted eyebrow before taking another drink and letting the liquid burn through his throat for a moment. Then, he spoke.

"It's not that simple. Think about it; I'm the outsider. If their captive's 'rescuers' find them without a problem, I'm the one they'll suspect."

He paused again, turning his attention to the drink before him as a few other patrons of the restaurant passed them. He continued, after taking another drink, "I'm gonna do what they told me to, and then you two are going to follow me back." A finger- dirty and grimed- suddenly lifted and took the center stage of the air between all three of them. Storic's face was one of utmost seriousness now. "You do not act or... do whatever your going to do right when I get there either. Again, too suspicious." His eyes slid onto the one known as Caed, "I know waiting it unbearable, but it's the only way."

Storic had said his peace; with that, he sat back in his seat and took his third drink in what had felt like just about a whole minute.

 

[Zay]

Kaythous watched the thug carefully. He was shifty, as if he felt like he was being watched. The young padawan kept his eyes peeled as they continued to speak. Caed recommended the man take them directly to the location the girl was being held. Kaythous placed his chin in the palm of his hand as their contact explained the precautions of doing it this way. The young jedi nodded his understanding.

"I can understand you're hesitance. I can assure you if you can get us there we can stay out of sight long enough to steal away into the location and retrieve the girl." Kaythous was confident that he and Caed would be able to rescue the girl. All they had to do was get there now. The young man stood from the table eager to be on their way. Kaythous threw a couple credits down to cover the mans drink. "If you would please lead the way. Caed and I will hand back and follow you from afar. This way we don't attract any unwanted attention."

The young man looked between Caed and the thug. Kaythous was ready to return the girl to her family and he would use all of his abilities to complete the mission.

 

[Sapphiric]

"Then it sounds like we have a deal, kids." Once again, the cartel member was lax and felt eased. "Then I guess our little date is done, lads." The man stood up, after finishing his reactor core. With the chemical, alcohol burn fresh in his throat, he nodded his head to the two, and he left them.

He'd left a tip on the table, if that was worth noting. Besides that however, he was leaving the restaurant. He paused at the door and looked back at them over his shoulder for a second, with a different look in his strange, honey eyes. Then he was gone.

The man shuffled down a crowded alley way, that headed back towards the market district they'd started in. He hadn't been hanging out near that large bank for no reason, after all. The man made his way towards the bank, but did not reach it; one of the largest buildings in Theed. Instead, he stopped at a smaller, albeit still large, building nearby it. It was connected to the bank, but not technically a part of it. This was a side of life Storic knew and understood all to well. On a world like Naboo; in a place like Theed, if you want to be successful, you need to do some pretty underhanded things. If you want to get away with those underhanded things, you have to either have the money, authority or the political power to make people turn a blind eyes. The shiny, marble floor made made a resonating sound with each foot fall he made.

The building was almost as secure as the bank; this was where the fairly rich rented space they could leave valuable possessions that weren't just credits. In a way, it was the perfect place to hold a hostage. The security mostly resided in the electronic side. As far as actual life forms went; it didn't have much to offer. Two armed guards, outside a fence inside the building that ran from floor to roof and emitted a soft, electrical hum. Storic rose his hands, holding a card that they seemed to recognize and they regarded him no longer and simply let him walk past them. At the entrance to the gate, and the corridor of vaults afterwards, he stopped and too a look at the torrents on either side of the fence, or more specifically, the coating on them that made them reflective. It gave them a pseudo-invisiblity, but he saw it more as a way to look behind him- as if those kids were dumb enough to follow in plain view.

Without another second to waste, he stepped past the armed-guards, regarded there automatic blaster rifles, and continued down the corridor.

[I apologize for the horrendous wait in this ^^;]

 

[Sleven]

Caed looked at Kaythous keenly as the mercenary made his exit. Getting up slowly, he followed the man out the door, stopping for a moment to get a feel for where he was going. Digging a hand inside his pocket, he procured a datapad, pretending to play with it while keeping an eye on Storic’s bearings from his periphery. As the distance between them grew, Caed began to follow, carefully weaving himself through the crowd so as not to lose sight of his lead. Although he remained silent, Caed shot Kaythous the occasional weary glance, his unease sweltering just beneath the surface.

When Storic finally disappeared into one of the nearby buildings, Caed kept walking by. Taking note of where the man had entered, he shifted his weight with unease. Storic had to be bluffing.

“Kriff,” he whispered to Kaythous over a heavy sigh. “This shit’s no joke. That’s a private part of the bank. If this is the place we’re looking for—just who the hell are these guys?”

But Caed could already imagine.

“Listen, I’m pretty sure that place is connected to the bank, I say we go in from there.”