A Good Ol' Story (Open)

[Sabre]

Coruscant; a modern metropolis sandwiched neatly between poverty and poise, filth and fury, wealth and welfare. Thousands of years of development, expansion and cultural evolution and what have we got to show for it? Sod all. But I had enough of that game; I stumbled over the poverty line and into a nice, cosy little life in the city. See I’ve moved up in the worlds, I’m something of an entrepreneur now; I have particular talents, talents for mischief. Well that’s enough about me, who fancies a story? A long time ago (about a week) in a galaxy that looks suspiciously like our own, on all our favourite galactic capital there was a bloody great big explosion…

The mile high walkways of the banking district were awash with the panicked screams of hysteric citizens fumbling like ants under a waterfall of white hot debris and flame. Thousands of bankers running away from the explosion like piss down a wall, the only person in sight not fleeing for the hills (or at least some kind of safe high ground) was Francis, who was speeding with some deliberate haste into the organic traffic, knocking over some of the more vertically challenged species with a pram as he went.

 

[Incubi Priest]

"What in Bacca?!" Ammbasha growled out as the explosion shook the street and shocked onlookers. People fled in all directions, but the large Wookiee just stared in awe at what had happened. Explosions, now that was something he appreciated. However, his focus was quickly broken as Eul cursed out loudly and picked himself up off the ground after being ran into hard by a man with a stroller. Screaming with rage at the wetness in the breast of his exquisite cloak, Eul knew that the vials inside his pockets had been shattered by the pram.

"Damnit Ammbasha! There goes a potential 800 down the drain!" He shouted in his native tongue. Looking down in sheer horror, Eul Tymn saw that his liquid spice vials had shattered upon contact with the street. It wasn't that they lost much money, in fact Eul could manufacture the drug for near nothing, but the potential profit in it was enough to anger him greatly.

"Ammbasha, go after him! I'll find a shortcut, but go!" Eul shouted to his friend. The Wookiee quickly nodded, and after injecting a customized stim, took off after the man who had just ruined the day's drug deals. However, something was odd about this man whom he was chasing. He was scurrying about in panic, he was running in a direction deliberately. Something was up, and while Eul and Ammbasha were no thugs who went around breaking kneecaps over lost profit, they did make sure some solution was made. Also, no caring parent would run their infant into someone.

Now running after the man, in very close proximity, Ammbasha growled loudly in order to move people out of his way. Meanwhile, Eul took off in a different direction...

 

[Sabre]

When it’s a question of do I run or allow myself to get mercilessly crushed under a steaming boulder? more often than not the sane minded sentient will take a deep breathe and speed hastily in the direction of safety with his tail between his legs, his arms flailing above his head, and/or shit running down the back of his ankles. However, when you’re not an entirely sane minded individual, and you happen to be running resolutely in the direction of the peril, it’s perfectly reasonable to stop briefly for a cigarette. So as the stream of screaming bankers began to thin, Francis slowed to lean against the mile high walkway wall, lighting up a cigerette and looking over the fiery chaos below.

 

[Incubi Priest]

Ammbasha had not let the man go far out of his site, and being physically drug crazed as well as a species of physical advantage, the large Wookiee caught up to the man quickly. It was then, when he was pondering exactly what they were going to do with this man, that he...stopped? Ammbasha's initial reaction was to reach for the tomahawk on his belt, expecting a weapon to be drawn in retalliation at the chase. Though when a cigarette was lit, out of more surprise and confusion than anything, the Wookiee let his arms fall to his side and tried in vain to stifle back his chuckling. It was a gruesome sound, his laughter, but unthreatening.

"Eul," Ammbasha growled into his commlink, "Hurry up and come back. He's not running. He's....smoking actually."

=====

Eul, who was at the door to the elevators leading to the lower levels, rolled his eyes and turned back, running as fast as he could (which wasn't that fast due to his small legs) towards the direction his friend had taken off to.

"Well keep him there," Eul said back, "talk to him or something. If he doesn't know Shyyriwook than speak Basic. That should make him interested enough to stay anyway."

=====

Ammbasha nodded and grinned at the man. He spoke to reveal something that was incredibly rare, and never heard of in most of the known galaxy: a wookiee speaking basic. However, his voice was deep and bellowing as well as coarse, making it entirely uninviting.

"You hit my friend with that stroller. I take it there was no baby inside."

 

[Sabre]

With a single fluid motion Francis tossed his cigarette from his hands and turned to stare at the Wookie with crazed eyes. “My Lord” he said, with a kind of trivial exasperation “my deepest apologies to your friend, I trust he is not hurt?” And before the Wookiee could answer, almost as an afterthought he added “you must help me.” There was no hint of executive demand in his words, other than the shrill panic on his voice.

 

[Incubi Priest]

Ammbasha was not one who dealt with sarcasm easily. A snarl erupted on his face and he eyed down the man. Now his hands did fall beside his tomahawk and hunting knife with a foot long blade. He wasn't going to draw them unless attacked, but the man's attitude coupled with the Wookiee's inbred paranoia did not allow him to drop his guard.

However, it was the second part that made him even more worried. You must help me? The voice, it was different than the sarcastic one. Not superfluously so, but there was an inconspicuous shakiness that accompanied the words. It was times like this that, unlike his friend Eul, Ammbasha was on the edge of battle.

At this time, the short alien was cursing silently to himself, having disgarded the robe incase the fumes from the spice affected him. Pistols now completely visible in their holsters, and daggers on his waste, the usual habit of underestimating a Gossam would be lost by some due to his scowl and gear. Trying to hurry, Eul was completely out of breath by the time he reached his mamallian friend.

"Is....this the....schutta?" He asked between heavy breaths. His eyes were focused on the man, and his rage was intense enough to not notice that his usually talkative friend was deathly silence.

 

[Sabre]

“I don’t know what the devil a Schutta is” Francis continued, totally un-phased by the almost palpable aggression radiating from the Wookiee. “But you are a Wookiee, your people’s honour is famous throughout the galaxy, surely you will forgive me my mistake and help me!” With this Francis took a quick side step to give Ammbasha a skyline view of the flame and smoke. “Do you know what that building is?” Again Francis disregarded the hurdle of courtesy and hastily continued “that is the Galactic Banking Union’s headquarters on Coruscant, one of the biggest banks in the galaxy, but I shed tears not over architecture, nor wealth, only…” he turned slightly to hide his face, before exclaiming through audible sobs “my husband works in there!”

 

[Incubi Priest]

Ammbasha and Eul were both deeply confused. This man was bipolar or insane, and maybe both. However Ammbasha was still confused as to why he was still being addressed for help. What did this man want, and how could he help him? More importantly, why should he? Eul broke the tension slightly as he chuckled after the husband part.

"I didn't know the Republic had legalized that yet, but I guess so. Shutup and lets get to the point, you ruined something valuable to me and you owe me for it."

Ammbasha, who would normally be backing up his friend by now, was still gazing at the man with mixed feelings.

"I'm not honorable. I'm a Madclaw, and I like it. But," He squinted some, "what do you need help with?"

 

[Sabre]

“Look” Francis said with a tone of deepest sincerity and purpose “whatever I owe you I shall pay, for I am indeed a man of honour, and I leave no debt unpaid. But please,” he turned once more to look upon the smouldering remains of what may be his lovers final resting place, “I must know if Lucas is alive or… or…” he paused for a moment “no force in all the galaxy could stop me from going in that building, except one, my infant son.” Now staring down into the pram at, what was actually quite an ugly baby, he said “he may be all that I have left, I would not dare to take him into that fiery tomb, please, I beg of you, look after my child while I search for his father, I would not ask but for I have no other choice.”

 

[Incubi Priest]

"Can humans do that?" Eul said with a small laugh. He was fairly nonchalant about it all, and normally Ammbasha would be to, but something about all of this was confusing him. "I thought they needed a guy and a girl to do that? Eh, I guess they figured something out. I don't think we should watch after this kid for him. Hell he's just gonna go in there and rob the place. That's what I'd do."

Ammbasha registered what Eul had said, but did not reply. For the first time in many many years, the Wookiee did not know what to do. He was very skeptical about this man, but at the same time there was much sincerity in his words. However, his paranoia won him over, but he didn't want to vanquish this man's hopes. After all, as a pair of notorious pirates and accomplished spice dealers, this man could be out to take their life. This stroller could hold a bomb that would end he and his friend's life forever.

"I promise nothing will happen to your child. I will keep both eyes on it at all times. But..." He paused and sighed, "If he's not dead, he'd be out of there and then he'd find you."

 

[Sabre]

“Perhaps but… I must know for certain, perhaps you have never loved a man… or woman, but it is a strong bond, one which I will honour until the very end. I daresay whatever or whomever started that explosion has already taken everything worth stealing, but if money is your concern you of course you will be paid grandly for your services. Meet me at the Old Twiki Diner in central Coruscant in two hours. Do not be late, for the fear of losing my child may be too much to bear.”

 

[Dalloph]

The puppeteer walked calmly through the chaos of the combusting bank building. He wore the dyed blue clothes of a guard an outfit that fit him perfectly since he now oddly enough worked in the building burning around him. Walking out he saw an odd sight a Wookie, alien, and man were talking to each other. Interesting company The Puppeteer decided to talk to them. "Hello citizens would you tell me why you are conversing with each other under the current conditions that make up this situation? Are you in need of assistance?"

 

[Sabre]

“No officer, I was just complimenting this gentleman on how beautiful his baby was” and after a final wink of confidence at the Wookie, Francis launched himself over the railing, allowing himself to plummet with decisive elegance into the dark undergrowth of the urban jungle below.

 

[Incubi Priest]

"Can it, schutta!" Eul shouted at the man who approached him, obviously annoyed with the new faces and in a bad mood from his spice being lost. "Its not against the law to have a conversation. Sorry for the bluntness but you've caught me on an off day."

Ammbasha completely ignored his friend and the newcomer. He looked the man dead in the eyes. The small twinge of conscience that the Wookiee had was being toyed with at the moment. The wink was actually quite unsettling, and made Ammbasha regret his decision to watch the child. In a quick decision, Ammbasha picked up the infant and held it in his arms as softly as he could before kicking the pram off the railing as well.

 

[Dalloph]

The puppeteer ignored the obvious infractions of loitering and littering and readied himself to chase Francis whom he was quite intrigued with. He turned his attention to the two standing besides him for a second.
"I congratulate you on the beautiful...baby however I must ask both of you to vacate the premises there is currently a disaster unfolding...thank you."

 

[Sabre]

Freefalling; perhaps not the wisest of travelling methods, but when you’ve got fewer screws than a bar of cheese and don’t give a sod in a brothel whether you dye or not it does just fine. Francis’s body buzzed with electric tension as his ears jarred with the drones of speeders and his eyes filled with the florescent blurs of air transports, the closer he got to the mile high traffic the higher the charge, and when the tension was so great that he felt his body ready to tear he launched his arms out, latching with an iron grip onto a worn ship headed directly toward the bank.

 

[Incubi Priest]

Eul rolled his eyes and spit at the ground,

"Yea, yea, I don't have to evacuate if I don't want to. Stupid schutta thinks he runs the place..." Normally Eul was much more charming but he was angry at the turn of events for the day. "I'll remember your face."

He walked in the opposite direction the man had come, away from the running crowd. Ammbasha stood for a second and then turned and followed.

"Where are we going?" He asked in Shyyriwook. Knowing Eul could speak it, the Wookiee stuck with it around him.

"To that damned bar or whatnot. I've heard of it. Our kind of joint. Besides, if we're waiting two hours, I'm getting drunk."

 

[Dalloph]

"Threats and debts in the end their silenced by death. I'll remember your face as well but for now try not loiter on your way out." The words reached their ears clearly despite the noise. With those words spoken he leapt off the railing and began to freefall. Through the rushing wind past the clogged air he escaped death inch by inch. At last landing no not landing crashing with a ship that followed the path of the man.

 

[Sabre]

Francis rolled free from belly of the speeder, spinning chaotically down into the murky and smoky caverns of lower level Coruscant, which was scantly lit with pale pools of insufficient green light. Landing cat-footed in the perfect darkness of Coruscant’s infertile womb; Francis swiftly bolted off into the rusty and dilapidated wilderness about him.

 

[Dalloph]

With a groan the puppeteer pulled himself free from the shattered glass of the ships windshield that had broken his fall. Inside the ship there were a small group of strange aliens all querulously chattering at him in some strange alien dialect. Smiling at them he turned his attention to the strange man as the wind stung his face he watched the man he was pursuing fall to the floor below unharmed. Rather than instantly give chase he considered his surrounding and surmised that if the ship he was on continued along it's course he would very soon overtake the strange man. He held on as the distance between him and the stranger decreased quickly.