Ask The Third Option

[Terra Lanris]

Terra continued returning fire and glanced back to see Mars leaping out the window. Terra moved over to the window and looked out at the fall. Thirty plus feet she was going to break her legs and sliding down the wall just seemed... not great.

KRIFF! she yelled, glancing back and sending two more shots into the door over her shoulder. There was no way she was making an eight foot jump across and twenty foot drop down.

Kriff it! she screamed, turning back toward the door rather than the window. Pistol gripped tightly in her hand, she used surprise to her advantage. She had control over the door and threw it open without warning, pulling the trigger as many times and as quickly as she could.

She wanted to look away, but remembered when she had maybe kind of accidentally shot Crix that one time by doing that. She forced herself not to as the bolts slammed into the man in front of her. She didn't know how many times she shot him but she didn't stop pulling the trigger until he stopped moving. She was not dying today.

With absolutely shaking hands she ejected one of her powerpacks and barely managed to slap her spare in as she looked at the dying man at her feet. She could get out the way she'd come in now... more or less. With the alarm going off, most people weren't going to be outside.

Find a way to draw attention away from the entrance we came in, she shouted into her comm.

 

[Acklay]

Terra's voice came through on the comlink, and Mars cursed under her breath. Why didn't she follow her out? Was she scared of heights or something? They could be—!

"Whatever. Distraction." Kriff, this was messier than she'd hoped. They hadn't even been in their five minutes. How did the guy know? "Maybe he was expecting something? Or maybe his shit's real bad—bad enough he's paranoid?" It was possible, but, distraction. Or maybe there was a better way?

"There's a window on the second story on the north side of the building facing the scaffolding where we were before," Mars spoke into her comlink as she snuck around to the other side of the building. The window was the same she'd spotted before. "It's only a ten-ish foot drop. East side of the building. Find it. I'll be ready with the speeder."

With that, Mars hauled ass for where they'd left the speeder. Thirty feet was one thing, but a ten foot drop was nothing. If she kept at it, she should be back with the speeder by the time Terra got to the window.

tag: @Phoenix

 

[Terra Lanris]

That seemed like an option as well. Possibly a better one than the main doors, and Terra continued through the building. Her pistol was up, swiveling with her eyes as she made her way through the building to the back window.

She pressed into one of the rooms - it looked like a bunk room - and was immediately slapped in the face by the stench of body odor. Did these people never shower? She scrunched up her nose but pressed onward, finding the window in question a moment later.

Okay, okay, okay, she thought to herself, sliding her pistol away and opening the window before peering down. Well it was a bit longer jump than she'd like, but it'd be fine. She didn't let herself think about it anymore and swung out, dropping down and slapping her hands against the street as she hit.

The impact slammed up her ankle but she barely felt the pain as she pushed herself up and spotted the speeder coming around the corner.

She darted for it, swinging inside the passenger seat.

Go! she said before the door was even closed and for the briefest moment she was brought back to her younger days on Corellia when she'd first committed grand theft auto. The feeling had not been entirely unlike this.

She clenched her fists at her side to keep her hands from so obviously shaking with the adrenaline of her recent kill, and she took a deep breath.

Good work. I've got your pay in cash back at the club, she said. The data would be sent electronically, and then all that was left between she and Mars was the payout and hashing out an agreement for long term employment. A good day overall, she told herself despite her shaking hands.

 

[Acklay]

She said to go, and Mars was gone on command. The speeder accelerated away, leaving a small cloud of dust behind as she pushed her foot down on the gas and got out of dodge. Terra complimented her work, prompting a smile out of the concentrating cyborg. "Thanks. You too."

The tiefling seemed tense though, so once they were solidly on their way back and she was sure they weren't being followed, Mars decided to be just a little bit nosy. "You good, though?" asked the woman, referring to the tiefling's clenched fists. She wasn't sure what happened after she'd jumped out. All she knew was that Terra hadn't followed her out the window and there was most definitely someone on the other side of the office door.

If Terra didn't say much, Mars would just nod and add, "We'll be back in fifteen."

tag: @Phoenix

 

[Terra Lanris]

Terra glanced down at her hand as Mars asked if she was good. Yeah, she said quietly after a moment. She took another deep breath and felt the adrenaline slowly starting to leave her body.

Never been much for gunslinging. Guess I need more practice, she said. It was still a huge step up from where she'd started. And a long way from where she wanted to be. She needed someone to give her more training and combat courses or... something. Until she was the boss-boss, she had a feeling she'd keep getting her hands dirty.

There's more work to be done here. This seem like your kind of business? she asked.

 

[Acklay]

Mars nodded but didn't push the issue because she didn't want to assume things, but Terra's response brought back an old memory. Years ago, she'd stood over some man's corpse with a hot blaster, and both Sam and Tess had stared with dropped jaws nearby. He'd barged into the control room they'd infiltrated, and Mars had shot him without thinking. She remembered being surprised, but okay with it. Out of the three of them, she'd been the quickest to get over that feeling that came with taking a life.

"If there are credits or crowns, I'll follow," she responded with a playful smirk. Working alone had its benefits, but if this was the "kind of business" the Crimson Dawn could offer her, she wouldn't pass it up. Plus, as far as personalities go, Terra's was far from insufferable.

"Count me in."
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End Thread.

tag: @Phoenix