Killing Strangers

[Lucian Volante]

Theme​

Objective was rather deceptively simple; destroy a Spice lab on Nar Shaddaa.

Normally Spice labs were about the size of a small kitchen and getting rid of one would do, essentially, nothing to the production of the stuff in any meaningful way. But that was why the production facility that he had been tasked with destroying was actually a rather large one - one that larger scale distrubution happened from. Lucian would have preferred to blow it up from the comfort of a spaceship but, apparently, he would be shot down for being in a Jedi craft inside Hutt Space.

Made sense he supposed.

So instead he and the partner he had been assigned for this mission were tasked with breaking into the building on foot and sabotaging the mixture and chemicals involved to blow the place apart. No problem as far as he was concerned - he had heard these places were rather notorious for terrible safety processes after all.

Said partner was another Jedi and someone he had met in passing once or twice but otherwise not someone he knew. All he knew is that neither of them were ones for jokes before a mission it seemed. Equipped as he so often was with his lightsaber and two blaster pistols, Lucian was wearing his armour under local travelling clothing.

He believed it was referred to as a 'poncho'.

As they approached the building, he nodded to his partner and held his lightsaber, not activated, in his right hand.

Time to go to work.

@Phoenix

 

[Azar Torsin]

Azar didn't spend a great deal of time on Nar Shaddaa, and now that he was here, he wasn't regretting the lack of hours he'd spent here. The entire planet seemed to smell of vomit and piss, and that was in the nicer parts of town. The worse sections smelled of rotting corpses and had piles of literal human feces in the corners of the alleys. But this was where the Order had sent him, and he wasn't going to complain. He'd been to worse planets, and he'd likely be to worse still before this war was over.

Their target building was in the upper levels of the city that had streets layered on top of one another. The Jedi wondered how many streets were under this one. They were on the upper most layer, for which Azar was thankful because it allowed the light breeze to bring some "fresh" air in and blow away the stenches of the world.

The streets were scattered with people. Scantily clad woman called to the pair as they walked by, dealers blatantly pushed their product to junkies at the street corner, and a few drunks stumbled around. Any of them could have been people who were a threat to the Jedi, and Azar kept his senses alert. He had nothing on him that distinguished him from a typical person off the streets and he pulled his cloak a little tighter around him, letting his hand brush reassuringly for just a moment against the hilt of his lightsaber on his belt. Anyone who chose to fight with them would be making a questionable choice at best, and Azar was ready if someone decided to go that route.

He turned off the main thoroughfare and into the complex that housed their target. The spice lab was deeper inside the complex and off the main street, which would mean they could make more noise, but getting inside would draw attention of any guards. Everything was a trade-off. We'll need to move quickly. Subdue the guards outside, take them inside, and get out of sight, he said to his partner, glancing over to see if he had any disagreements or things further to add.

As he made his way closer, the front area became clearer. Two men stood to either side of the door, smoking and chatting with blaster pistols obvious on their hips. They likely weren't expecting any trouble, but they didn't look like they were particularly oblivious. A third man walked out of the front and the two seemed to straighten up even further, causing Azar to wonder if he was some sort of boss-man supervisor. @Nefieslab

 

[Lucian Volante]

Lucian drew the pistol capable of stunning people in his free hand, still hidden underneath the poncho. Nodding to Azar, Lucian moved closer to the building in question, hunching over in his poncho. Moving out in front of the building, looking for all the Galaxy like an old homeless man, Lucian was able to get closer without drawing an alarm. Leaving the one closest to their starting position for Azar, Lucian moved closer to the other two.

Before they could question his appearance he acted, shooting the closet guard three times in the chest with the stun setting, sending him to the ground, completely stunned through his armour. The other he shot twice in the chest with the remaining stun rounds within his power pack. The man was groggy but not downed, which gave Lucian enough time to cross the distance.

He pressed the barrel of the blaster pistol against the man's neck, between his armour, and pulled the trigger. The flesh of the man would dampen the noise. He had stunned the other man to limit noise after all. Picking up the corpse physically, he used the Force to grabbed the stunned man and nodded to Azar, following his lead into the building, where they could stash the bodies.

With them inside, Lucian waited to see if there were any signs that they had triggered some kind of alarm... but nothing.

Nodding to Azar, Lucian headed up towards the level the lab itself was one. As they approached the lab itself, Lucian stopped them at a corner and checked around the corner.

"Seven hostiles." he whispered to Azar, "Workers are unarmed. Your call."

@Phoenix

 

[Azar Torsin]

Azar's partner made his approach quickly and under cover of poverty, and the guards didn't seem to be any the wise. He couldn't have asked for things to go off much better than that, and within moments, two out of the three guards were down. As his partner dealt with the two at hand, Azar made his move on the third.

He didn't draw his saber or do anything that would draw too much undo attention to the little scuffle, but used his size and strength to his advantage. He lunged forward, putting his right shoulder into the man's chest and knocking him back into the wall. His left arm shot outward and smashed harshly into his opponent's right forearm, pushing it away from the pistol he was reaching for at his hip.

A push turned to a grab and within a moment, he had gripped his opponent's wrist tightly, spinning him around harshly enough that he could hear the popping sound of the man's shoulder coming out of place. He holwed in pain, but Azar didn't let him do so for long, using the leverage of his shoulder and a hand on his back to smash his face into the wall before bringing his fist up and smashing harshly and quickly into the back of the man's head, knocking him unconscious.

He dragged the man inside, setting him in a side room. He pulled his knife out and cut a length of electrical wire, quickly tying the unconscious man's hands and feet behind him before shoving a small hand towel into his mouth and tying it there as well. If he woke, he wouldn't be doing anything to bother them.

He made room for the other two that his partner brought in and then turned back to the rest of the facility. We think they're unarmed, he corrected, not wanting to be shot by a surprise pistol.

We move in quietly, pick them off one by one, and look for an opportunity, he suggested. Though only time would tell if that actually worked out.

He moved forward quietly, keeping his ears alert for signs that they had been noticed and realized after a moment more than there were actually many people living here. This may have been a spice lab, but there were people living in the apartments around here as well. That made their job more complicated. We need to figure out a way to evacuate the civilians before we burn it down, he said. We need to decide if we take down the thugs first or clear the civilians first, he said. @Nefieslab

 

[Lucian Volante]

A good point.

It would be an ignoble end to the two of them to be gunned down because they didn't consider the possibility that one of the workers would have a hold out blaster or something similar. In the end he didn't say anything - he just nodded in acknowledgement of the correction. Azar was right and there was no point in belabouring that point past acknowledging and acting upon it as quickly as possible.

The stealthy approach had it's benefits he would admit. He popped out the current power pack for his XTZ pistol and reloaded, meaning he once again had five stun shots ready to be used. Despite not being as permanent as a lethal blaster shot, stun shots tended to actually be more than a little bit quieter. As he was reloading, Azar mentioned the civilians...

Kriff.

"If we evacuate now with, say, a fire alarm then we run the risk of the cartel taking enough equipment from the lab that destroying this lab is then no longer a win." he reasoned before sighed a little bit and shaking his head, "No. I say we take out the cartel first, signal for an evacuation using the fire alarm, give them a head start and then start the fires."

While he was explaining what he wanted to do, Lucian had his blaster up and was still scanning around to make sure no one was trying to get the drop on them. If Azar agreed, he would slip around the corner and up towards the lab itself, taking cover in a doorway as he approached.

If Azar didn't agree, he would follow the other Jedi's lead in starting the evacuation.

@Phoenix

 

[Azar Torsin]

Azar gave a nod as the other Jedi evaluated the situation. It was the answer he was learning toward as well and he was glad they were both on the same page. Taking down their enemy would be much easier if they didn't know the two were coming, and there wasn't an obvious drawback to going for the drug lab first.

Agreed, was all he said with a nod. He reached back to his belt, gripping his lightsaber and pulling it free for the first time. The two of them would soon be in a real gunfight and he had no intention of going into it unprepared.

We'll need to be quick. We're outnumbered, so every man still standing after the first thirty seconds will become significantly more difficult for us... plus we don't want to kill the workers, he added. The fewer casualties, the better. He didn't like the idea of civilians caught in the crossfire.

He rounded the corner, looking at the hallway that looked clear beyond. He took position on the opposite side of the door from his partner, giving them each a clear view of one end of the hallway so that they couldn't be snuck up on.

His grip on the hilt grew tighter and he became suddenly much more aware of his own movements, breathing, and every little part of the surrounding. He could hear his heart pounding in his own ears and held up his left hand toward his partner with three fingers on it... two... one...

His hand reached out and a closed fist smashed into the door control. It popped open with a loud hydraulic hiss and Azar darted inside with surprising speed. His saber lit and he darted toward the left. He swung his saber out, catching one of the closest thugs at the height of his kidney before he darted forward and plunged it into the belly of the next. A blaster shot rang out across the room and went wide of Azar, but everyone's attention was on the leading Jedi, leaving the follow up man with - hopefully - some open shots of his own.

Already the room was turning to chaos and the workers were running here and there all over the room as several puffs of spice flew up. Hopefully the two Jedi - and the thugs and the workers - wouldn't be getting high off of what was now floating through the air. @Nefieslab

 

[Lucian Volante]

It was refreshing to be working with another Jedi who managed to straddle the line between being professional in dispatching the enemy while still adhering to the principles of the Jedi Order. They were going to take down the enemy and they were going to take them down hard - not because taking them down hard was the goal but because if they didn't it would increase the risk of the workers being harmed.

Again, he didn't feel the need to speak.

He just nodded in agreement and held his blaster in his left hand and his lightsaber in his right. He hadn't ignited the blade yet and he didn't plan on it yet either. He readied himself, finding his centre and picking out his first target in the Force, making sure it was one that he would have a good view of but Azar would not - that way they weren't going to waste time going for the same target.

Lucian let Azar sweep in ahead of him, stepping into the room after his ally with his blaster raised even as his lightsaber ignited. Firing three times with his stun rounds, Lucian knocked one of the guards out cold and left enough groggy enough for Lucian's blade to lash out, cutting through blaster and fingers, before he kicked the guard away.

Four of the seven guards were down now and the workers were panicking. Tables of spice were upended for cover by one of the guards... which Lucian took as an invitation and, focusing on it, used the Force to ram the table violently into the man who was trying to take cover from it.

This place... was going to need ventilation soon or they were going to be higher than starfighters soon.

@Phoenix

 

[Azar Torsin]

They seemed to have managed to deal with the first of the guards without much difficulty, but in short order, the other three were on the move. They seemed to be a step up from your average thug and had slipped into cover in the blink of an eye, pistols out and raised.

One of them was a double pistol wielder who was unleashing a double barrage from cover at Azar's partner without exposing much of his body in the process.

The other two were turning their attention to Azar. One raised a rifle and the other a pistol. They both fired at once and Azar sent the rifle shot into the ground, while the pistol shot rammed home into his upper right arm. The impact felt like he had been punched, but on the bright side, his armor kept the heat from bleeding through to his skin. He grunted and dropped low, getting behind cover before more shots could come his way.

The smell of burning flesh, wood, and plastoid filled the air and it took him back to a long history of battles he'd been in. Whatever the two Jedi did, they were definitely going to have to play this smart as they were outnumbered and arguably even outmatched. It would take intelligence and superior planning to come out of this.

Then there was the entire "drugs in the air" issue. He could already feel his head beginning to spin ever so slightly, and he knew that they would need to get it out of here soon. It was then that an idea occurred to him and he grabbed the filter mask off of one of the downed guards, tossing the other in the directino of his partner. Hopefully that would at least keep it at bay for the moment.

Then another thought came to mind. He lifted his hand and flicked it outward, sending several large sparks into a nearby blanket which quickly caught fire. And now they were burning. Perhaps they didn't need to fight their enemy after all. Merely draw them out so the Jedi had the advantage. No point in belaboring a fight they could avoid. @Nefieslab

 

[Lucian Volante]

Oh for the love of...!

Why was it that whenever you burst into combat and did well for yourself, there was always someone who seemed to know what they were doing? Almost like everyone up until them had just been minions or something similar. Like these three guys were really the 'boss' of the room or something.

Thankfully, it seemed that the man who had taken exception to his own presence, the one shooting with two pistols at once, was actually the best opponent for him to face. Blasters were naturally slower and less powerful that rifles in a lot of cases and these blasters seemed to be the case. This meant that Lucian was able to deflect the shots away from himself with some not-inconsiderable measure of competency that meant that one shot actually arced right back and hit the guard in the shoulder, causing him to drop that pistol, leaving him with only one pistol.

Only one pistol and, apparently, a fire starting behind him. Lucian ducked behind cover to pick up the mask that Azar had sent his way, strapping it on. With the fire behind them, Lucian used his pistol to fire around his own cover. He laid down some fire, actually clipping one of the other guards rather badly with two shots to his torso armour, which knocked him back and burned him badly enough that he didn't pop back up again.

With the smoke and fire on that side of the room getting worse however, it was only a matter of time before one of them was desperate enough to flee their cover.

@Phoenix

 

[Azar Torsin]

Azar managed to fling the flaming bundle across the air and it caught flame to the other items in the room. He could hear the gunshots flying across the room and it seemed his partner had managed to catch some more of the thugs and troublemakers, knocking them back and giving the two of them time to address what was left.

One wounded, one downed, and one still going strong. Azar just waited. It was only a matter of time until he decided to break from cover, and when he did, the Jedi would be ready. He let the Force flow through him, sensing the uncertainty and concern within the man who the flames grew nearer.

And Azar waited.

The concern grew more and a moment later, he leapt from cover, spewing red plasma through the air, but Azar was in cover. He had all the time he needed to prepare and waited for the opportune moment. He sprung from a crouch to a full stand and his saber swung around, catching one of the bolts in the air with the perfect trajectory to send it back at his enemy. It streaked across the room, striking him in the chest and sending him stumbling back as Azar closed the distance.

He counted on his partner to keep the other man pinned down as he rushed his enemy. He spun to the outside, avoiding another blaster shot and continued the spin until his saber came around, hitting him below the shoulder and his raised arm. It burned a deep path into the flesh and the man fell down.

He glanced over to see if his partner needed help from his flanking position, and if not, he would head for the exit. Even as he did, he could hear an alarm beginning to blare and he wondered if it was from one of the workers who had scrambled out. With luck, the two would be able to get the flames going well enough before help arrived, but that didn't mean they would avoid a manhunt through the city. Fun, fun, fun... @Nefieslab

 

[Lucian Volante]

Lucian was a former Republic officer - he knew well enough that sometimes the best thing to do was going to be to wait. Even when you thought you had the upper hand, sometimes waiting was the best option still. Letting the situation unfold like a story book in front of you, giving you hints as to how the story ended. The trick was to let the story run until you knew the ending and to know the ending before your enemy did.

That way everything unfolded exactly the way you expected and everything went exactly according to your plan.

When the first man bolted from cover, Lucian steeled himself and did nothing... until Azar was in motion. As his partner combated the man now out of cover, Lucian blasted away at the guard still in cover, the injured one. Keeping the man's head down so that Azar was free to take down the man out of cover. As he was firing however, Lucian left his own cover and began to advance.

By the time Azar had dispatched his own enemy, Lucian was able to stab over the cover the final enemy was resting behind, stabbing straight down with his lightsaber into the man's chest cavity, ending his life quickly and painlessly. He nodded to Azar as he extinguished his lightsaber for now and instead moved over to one of the chemistry benches set up for the refinement of the spice and, doubtlessly, where they cut it with other products to make it cheaper.

He grabbed something he knew to be flammable and started to douse the area with it, leaning a trail back to the existing fire before tossing the container to the fire.

"Time to go I think."

@Phoenix

 

[Azar Torsin]

As he had expected, the Lucian made quick work of the other man, and the two were ready to move at almost the same time. As Lucian doused the area in flammables, Azar gave the room a final clear to ensure that there was no one hidden and waiting to attack them or otherwise innocent that would be burned alive by the spreading flames. He found no one. There was the drugs and the dead. Numerous bodies lay strewn over the floor and Azar managed to drag one of the stunned men into the hallways before the blaze spread. He didn't want to just leave him there to die, and the flames would likely be put out before they spread to the rest of the building. Their goal was the drugs, not the entire building.

With that finished, he plunged his saber into a few bags of spice, letting it spill out onto the floor and into the fire before stepping back to the door. The room was now blazing and hot and he tossed his mask back into the fire. Right, he nodded as his saber flashed out and he dipped into the hallway. Heat was spreading to the rest of the building and overhead sprinklers snapped on. Azar darted for the door and made it outside before he was totally drenched. It would keep the rest of the building from burning down but not save the factory.

He placed his saber back on his belt and moved out into the plaza outside only to see that an array of thugs had assembled outside. They seemed to have not yet realized that the pair were responsible, but he guessed they would figure it out in about twenty seconds. Azar angled himself toward the crowd, hoping to blend in with the panic and slip past. We should avoid a fight, he muttered to his ally. Unfortunately, they would not be so lucky and the thugs began stopping civilians trying to sneak by. Kriff...

 

[Lucian Volante]

The factory was going up in flames and that worked for him. They were successful in this part of the mission at least, which meant that it was time for them to make their exit. Time for them to make sure that they actually completed the mission and were able to turn it in for the Republic too.

Some things he didn't miss from being part of the Republic and their endless paperwork and rubber stamps for things? Yeah he really didn't miss them. Honestly - it was like they thought wars were won and lost based on how many points people got for their side or something equally as preposterous.

But it was time to go.

Dashing quickly through the hallways, Lucian would try and keep his poncho on because he really, really, didn't want to get his hair wet. It sounded stupid but it was really annoying when his hair got wet... yeah he wasn't going to say that part out loud at all. Sighing a little bit, he pulled the poncho closed tighter around himself as they stepped outside. Grimacing at the checkpoint that had seemingly been set up, Lucian thought for a moment before he got an idea.

"Azar... think you can do a mind-trick?" he suggested to his ally, "I'm going to provide a distraction."

A distraction being a twi'lek woman dressed only in some rather silky nightwear who was waiting impatiently for the thugs to let them leave the area... with a moment of concentration, the Force cut through her nightwear silently, leaving it to fall to the ground in two pieces. Almost immediately people took notice and over half of the thugs stopped caring about the drugs entirely to jeer and leer as the case was. The others who were still doing their job were distracted.

Hopefully enough for the mind trick to work.

@Phoenix

 

[Azar Torsin]

Azar's eyebrow went up when the other Jedi mentioned mind tricks and distractions. He didn't know what the other Jedi had planned, but there wasn't time enough to have a conversation about it. They had mere seconds before this deteriorated even more so he went along with it. He hoped this would work, but if it didn't, they probably weren't any worse off than otherwise.

He didn't look back as he shifted his way through the crowd, subtly maneuvering until he was next to one of the thugs. He heard wolf-whistles behind him and glanced back to see a woman completely disrobed, averting his eyes and feeling a touch of embarrassment and pity for her. No doubt she'd not been expecting or planning for that, but better one person's embarrassment than another person's death. There certainly wasn't time to say anything about it now.

Within a moment, he was nearly touching the thug and he reached out to the Force. He could sense the man's mind and planet the thought in his head. You will let us pass, he stated. The man's mind grew cloudy and confused. He felt a sudden and complete apathy about doing his job. What did he care if he stopped these people? They just wanted to go about their business, didn't they?

If you insist, the man stated, stepping aside and toward his comrade. Azar stepped by quickly and hoped his ally would follow. The men not under the influence of mind tricks were still ogling the poor girl, but the two Jedi were out. He suppressed the natural desire to sprint for the exit, but he knew they didn't want to draw suspicion or attention to themselves. Remain calm.

Hey! Hey you! he heard a voice shout a moment later.

Just wait, he said, advising they still shouldn't run. They had a few more seconds until they were chased down and would want every advantage they could. If they could get to the corner, they'd have a fighting chance at escaping. Or they'd be shot in the back... not the preferred ending. @Nefieslab

 

[Lucian Volante]

Alright!

Seemed that Azar had gotten the point he had been going for and they were now almost away from this damn place. He was getting real tired of Nar Shaddaa already and it only had a little bit to do with the fact that people tried to kill him on this moon. The air stank and the entire place was just vile to the Jedi Knight if he was honest with himself. It was just another reason to get away from this place before they ended up being shot at again.

As much as he was accustomed and trained to go to war, Lucian still much preferred to avoid death. So as Azar was using the mind trick, Lucian followed his ally away from the crowd, weapons still in hand but still very much hidden under the poncho.

He was going to need to keep this thing.

"Who knows... many they're after someone else?" he suggested, gripping his weapons and not speeding up even as thugs closed on them, "Alright..."

Just before he could pull his weapons, a Rodian ahead of them looked back, spotted the thugs and screamed before sprinting away, causing the thugs to sprint right on past Azar and Lucian as they hurried after their real target. He blinked once before glancing at Azar as they slipped around the corner, away from the site of the crime.

"The Force provides."

@Phoenix

 

[Azar Torsin]

Azar didn't move as the thugs continued to call out, hoping the two could clear the area before things got too out of hand. It seemed their luck hadn't run out, and a moment later, there was a Rodian screaming and running away. Perhaps it was the relief of not being who they were after or the bizarre way in which the Rodian screamed, but Azar had an almost overwhelming urge to laugh as the alien screeched and bolted off. He knew they weren't out of the woods yet, but there was certainly relief to the fact that they weren't going to be further pursued at the moment.

He watched as the thugs chased the man down, drawing a blaster and firing. All thoughts of laughter fled from him as he watched the Rodian reel forward, struck in the shoulder, and flung to the ground by the blaster shot. The thugs chasing him - a Weequay and a human - cackled at the sight of their prey fall. The Rodian was trying to crawl away now and Azar's blood was beginning to run cold. This one was going to be killed for what they had just done. Or was there something else they were chasing him for? Could they just stand aside and condemn him to his fate? It wasn't very Jedi-like of them if they did.

He glanced over at his partner just as they were reaching the corner and curled around it. They were out of sight of the main troop of guards, but he could still see the two Basadi - who were entirely too focused on tormenting their target to notice the two Jedi - from where they stood. Azar paused as his hand reached subtly back for his lightsaber.

We don't want to die ourselves, but we can't just leave him to die, he said, hoping his partner would agree. It wasn't the Jedi way. The two were out of sight and could easily shoot at the guards to draw attention away. With luck, they could slip into the crowd before the chase really got underway and the poor fall-man could leave or at least be exonerated in the eyes of the guards. He didn't know that there would be a happy ending, but they at least had to make an attempt. @Nefieslab

 

[Lucian Volante]

The Rodian was a good distraction and that was good - all was good! Right up until he was forced to accept that he was going to be forced to do the right thing. Honestly, Lucian was a good Jedi and he didn't like to leave others in need but it was currently warring with his desire to complete the mission. He had been trained that completing the mission was supposed to be the most important thing to occur.

And then he had become a Jedi and he was instead trained that the means were just as important as the ends and that thinking otherwise was a proven path to the Dark Side.

Hence why he hesitated for a moment when Azar pointed out that they should help the Rodian. In the end, he was right and they did need to save the Rodian. The man didn't deserve this, especially if it turned out that he was only running because he was panicking and that meant he was being punished for what they had actually done. It wasn't the right thing to do and, more importantly, it wasn't the Jedi way.

"You're right." he agreed at length, drawing his other pistol instead of the one he had already used, mainly because he knew exactly how many rounds it had left since it was full, "You secure us transportation or an escape route - I'll stop them."

Spinning around once they had turned the corner, Lucian brought his blaster pistol up, firing three shots at the thugs in question from the side. Only one shot hit and all it did was injure the man, sending him sprawling but not ending the battle.

And now they both knew he had shot at them.

Fantastic.

As he was backing up, he blinked as fifteen Cartel enforcers stepped out off of a hovertruck.

"... well at least we're still doing the right thing..."

Hopefully that was blaster proof but right now? Right now he would settle for firing off a few shots to scatter them before booking it after Azar.

@Phoenix

 

[Azar Torsin]

Azar could almost see the conflict within Lucian. He wanted to leave and accomplish their mission, but he also didn't want to leave the poor Rodian to his fate. It was an understandable conundrum, but the unfortunate fact was that they didn't really have a choice. He hoped Lucian would agree and he wouldn't be left to do this alone.

There was a sense of relief that washed over him as his partner agreed. He gave a curt nod and gripped the hilt of his saber as the other Knight pulled a pistol free from his belt. Within a moment, stun bolts filled the air and one of them even struck home in their enemy. Azar was glad to see it and began to back up, white blade leaping to life in his hand. Everything was going as planned...

...Or not. Just as he was thinking all was going well, he saw the transport open up and unload troops at them. They were now badly outnumbered, and Azar didn't want to stick around for the subsequent fight and be killed.

He had a bit of a head start on Lucian and stopped dead in his tracks, carving a hole in the sidewalk and let it fall away. He saw a level below them that the drop was almost 40 feet, but with the Force, it was doable.

Down! he shouted, dropping through the hole in an instant and pulling the Force around his legs to lessen the blow. He landed with a grunt and moved aside for his ally to drop. He could see others appearing at the opening above and thought he made out the sight of grappling hooks coming out. Of course... he muttered. @Nefieslab

 

[Lucian Volante]

He blamed Azar for this.

Perhaps a touch unfair but he didn't really care - he would have ended the mission and they would have been on their way, had Azar not pointed out the suffering of the Rodian. Annoyingly enough, he knew that he would have hated himself for leaving the being behind anyway so it really wasn't something that he could be mad at Azar about.

He would still blame him for the fifteen angry cartel soldiers who were now on their case but he could do that without acknowledging that Azar's intentions had been pure.

Seeing the exit that his partner had created for them, Lucian blind fired a few more times before sliding along the pavement to drop down the hole that had been created. Using the Force, Lucian controlled his descent... and somehow still managed to land on a pile of boxes that housed the ingredients used by a local street food vendor.

He was going to have to ditch the poncho even!

Rolling out into the street, he hurried to catch up to Azar again, scowling a little bit and firing blindly back up at the hole to give them a few seconds before the cartel descended. He shook his head and searched for something that would help them break the line of sight... there!

Grabbing Azar's shoulder, he gestured for his fellow Jedi to follow him,

"This way!"

And he dove straight into the open door of... a Nar Shaddaa nail salon. A gaggle of races and genders looked up at the Jedi who had just entered rather abruptly. Lucian flashed them a grin.

"Hi!"

Before dashing and darting between them to exit via their back door,

"Bye!"

And almost immediately needing to pull back from being run over by a truck, finding that what he thought was going to be a back alley was actually an almost sheer drop off the edge of the level into skylane traffic.

"... bugger."

@Phoenix

 

[Azar Torsin]

Azar was stubborn, and it didn't seem that he was particularly perplexed by the fact that his partner was blaming him for what had happened to them. He would have just turned around and blamed the Jedi Order as a whole for training him that way. It wasn't like Azar had planned for a transport full of Cartel foot soldiers to show up right as they were leaving... or rather, trying to leave and actually intervening to save someone's life.

He felt Lucian grip his shoulder and he followed quickly, half-yanked in that direction. Blaster bolts steamed through the air, punching a pair of holes through the cloak he was wearing and leaving their nasty mark. Fine, so it had been close and he very well may have been shot (again) were it not for the other Jedi. As he ran after his partner, a hand reached up and ripped at the cloak, letting it fall away and leaving him in just his armor and clothing, saber still blazing like white fire in his hand.

He plunged through a doorway and - with saber still alight - plunged headfirst into a nail salon. He paused there a moment with a look of surprise on his face. His eyes went wide and his mouth hung ever so slightly open. His thumb clamped down on the ignition switch and his saber flashed out. It apparently didn't happen fast enough, though, as several locals screeched at the sight of the weapon and began running around.

Azar didn't bother wasting time trying to placate them as he began to follow the other Jedi through the crowd, shoving people aside as he made for the back exit. He pulled up just barely short of slamming into his compatriot as the back door led to a near straight drop. Azar's face twisted into a look of confusion, frustration, and surprise at that. Who puts a back door to a cliff? he asked rhetorically.

He placed his saber hilt on his belt and gripped the doorframe, looking out at the wall. They didn't have a lot of options and he rolled his eyes. Up we go, he grumbled, gripping the door tightly and swinging out from the back porch. He placed a foot on the hand railing that was supposed to keep you from plunging to your death and boosted himself up to a handhold higher up. It was some piece of a fan or ventilation system that pumped air out of the salon and it seemed secure... enough.

And so the very, very awkward climb up began. He looked for whatever handholds he could find and urged his partner to do the same, closing the door behind them to at least maybe obscure their trail. @Nefieslab