It was like a sea of carnage. Arkon had never before felt the quaking, the explosive vibrant sensation, as he did this day. At least, not on such a scale. The skies glowed red with fire, and it was like a small sun collided into the cities below. Even behind the clouds of smoke and debris, he could still see the fires that still burned. Even behind his mask and ventilator, he could still smell the scent of the searing metal and burning air. And the collision... was like the roar of some mighty creature that shook him to the core.
In the penthouse of a wealthy crime lord, serving as one of the "retrievers" for the black market ring in the Tarisian System, Arkon saw firsthand the satellite descend upon the surface of Taris. The orbiting space station fell like a meteor delivering divine retribution. The disaster, in its delivery, was almost poetic. But where others saw chaos, Arkon saw something no one else would, no one else could; opportunity. Information, knowledge, was his power, his prime weapon of choice.
And an orbital space station sponsored by the Tarisian Government and designed for the purpose of commerce was bound to possess some traces of information, but even more importantly, a link to the Tarisian Government's banking systems. Even if the system itself were down, the hardware was still there. For a structure of that size, even being pulled out of orbit would not be enough to crush its systems completely. The shock of the impact, while miles away, echoed through the Upper City, shattering the foundations of the towering buildings that dwelt on the planet's surface. The apartment tower Arkon was in shuttered, even after the collision, and the lights in the room flickered.
Arkon then stared in amazement as he noticed the light of day disappearing. As he looked up to find the source of the shadows, he saw an enormous tower tipping over onto the apartment tower he was in. Without hesitation, Arkon as well as others in the room witnessing the events, fled to the outer halls, with all but a few escaping the room before it became a gallery of shattered glass being fired in every direction. As the crash settled, the room exploded from the nitro-oxygen cells that often occupied the higher buildings, due to the presence of being so high in the atmosphere.
Most of the other buyers had fled, and Arkon would leave as well... out through the building that had crashed into the apartment tower. As Arkon made his way into the tilted tower, he continually struggled to keep his balance, constantly keeping at bay from the loose and sparking electrical wires, as well as portions of the floor that lacked obvious integrity. After several minutes, Arkon had reached the elevator, which was what he was looking for. After all, by this point, the elevator had no doubt fallen to the ground floor. As Arkon forced the already cracked elevator doors open with a loose metallic debris, his gaze was met by a wayward speeder on a direct collision course with his position.
Without thinking, Arkon jumped down the tilted elevator shaft, sliding the way down as the speeder crashed into the elevator shaft, exploded from the impact, and began falling down the shaft, behind Arkon. As he saw a stable level while sliding down the shaft, and noticing that the debris was steadily catching up to him, Arkon pulled a trolling cable from a pouch on his belt, threw it just above the elevator door level's entrance, and pulled as hard as he could, plunging himself through the door. The level Arkon was on was fairly clear, and was likely a maintenance level too far down to have been as adversely affected as the less stable upper levels. Although in an excited state from the experience, Arkon was still able to get on his feet in time to see the dervish of burning wreckage plummet down past the elevator door.
Arkon felt the impact of the burning speeder as he turned to door exiting the maintenance hallway, and saw the now black-and-red skies of Taris, filled with fires and smoke. His make re-breathed and purified the gases he inhaled, so he was not at risk of toxins overwhelming him, but the environment was still dangerous nonetheless. Crumbling buildings and other hazards were rife in the area. But that would not dissuade him. Arkon ran out into the burning city. He could never pass up such a profitable opportunity.
In the penthouse of a wealthy crime lord, serving as one of the "retrievers" for the black market ring in the Tarisian System, Arkon saw firsthand the satellite descend upon the surface of Taris. The orbiting space station fell like a meteor delivering divine retribution. The disaster, in its delivery, was almost poetic. But where others saw chaos, Arkon saw something no one else would, no one else could; opportunity. Information, knowledge, was his power, his prime weapon of choice.
And an orbital space station sponsored by the Tarisian Government and designed for the purpose of commerce was bound to possess some traces of information, but even more importantly, a link to the Tarisian Government's banking systems. Even if the system itself were down, the hardware was still there. For a structure of that size, even being pulled out of orbit would not be enough to crush its systems completely. The shock of the impact, while miles away, echoed through the Upper City, shattering the foundations of the towering buildings that dwelt on the planet's surface. The apartment tower Arkon was in shuttered, even after the collision, and the lights in the room flickered.
Arkon then stared in amazement as he noticed the light of day disappearing. As he looked up to find the source of the shadows, he saw an enormous tower tipping over onto the apartment tower he was in. Without hesitation, Arkon as well as others in the room witnessing the events, fled to the outer halls, with all but a few escaping the room before it became a gallery of shattered glass being fired in every direction. As the crash settled, the room exploded from the nitro-oxygen cells that often occupied the higher buildings, due to the presence of being so high in the atmosphere.
Most of the other buyers had fled, and Arkon would leave as well... out through the building that had crashed into the apartment tower. As Arkon made his way into the tilted tower, he continually struggled to keep his balance, constantly keeping at bay from the loose and sparking electrical wires, as well as portions of the floor that lacked obvious integrity. After several minutes, Arkon had reached the elevator, which was what he was looking for. After all, by this point, the elevator had no doubt fallen to the ground floor. As Arkon forced the already cracked elevator doors open with a loose metallic debris, his gaze was met by a wayward speeder on a direct collision course with his position.
Without thinking, Arkon jumped down the tilted elevator shaft, sliding the way down as the speeder crashed into the elevator shaft, exploded from the impact, and began falling down the shaft, behind Arkon. As he saw a stable level while sliding down the shaft, and noticing that the debris was steadily catching up to him, Arkon pulled a trolling cable from a pouch on his belt, threw it just above the elevator door level's entrance, and pulled as hard as he could, plunging himself through the door. The level Arkon was on was fairly clear, and was likely a maintenance level too far down to have been as adversely affected as the less stable upper levels. Although in an excited state from the experience, Arkon was still able to get on his feet in time to see the dervish of burning wreckage plummet down past the elevator door.
Arkon felt the impact of the burning speeder as he turned to door exiting the maintenance hallway, and saw the now black-and-red skies of Taris, filled with fires and smoke. His make re-breathed and purified the gases he inhaled, so he was not at risk of toxins overwhelming him, but the environment was still dangerous nonetheless. Crumbling buildings and other hazards were rife in the area. But that would not dissuade him. Arkon ran out into the burning city. He could never pass up such a profitable opportunity.