laneys.info Beware of Yankees, drunks, and loose women.

Blue eyes narrowed in the intense sunlight of the coming afternoon as Gratia moved along the main street, lined with various electronic shops, market, cantina and a large speeder repair shop and junkyard. One of the many hangouts for the more unsavory of Kulunda, it had become one of the many places to find several lieutenants of the Hellion gang. A place that most ignored from a distance.
Four smiles from unshaven, tanned men of various sizes gained her immediate ire as she walked up to the oldest, his bare chest and thick arms proudly displayed as he leaned against the sandstone wall.

"Hey there, baby. What can I do to you," he grinned and eyed her up and down as his friends chuckled.

"I need to talk to Moray," she stated unemotionally.

Brown eyes rose to hers. "He's busy. But, you and I can entertain one another until he's ready to see you."

"Tempting as that offer is, I'll have to pass. Thanks anyway." She mentally scanned the others standing there and noted their boss was inside the two story office building, then to their promiscuous sergeant, "I'll see him now," she persuaded with a subtle motion of her right hand.

"You can see him now." He straightened and turned into the yard. "This way." Bikes and a few speeders filled the small entrance to the junkyard as salvage droids and a few human mechanics tended to several under a large awning as they passed. Opening the main door, she followed the thug into the cooler interior which stank of stim and body odor, making her wince. Up the stairs and finally into a smaller office he led and she mentally counted four others in there with the boss, one of them his girlfriend, or someone's, who all looked up.

"What's she doing in here," the middle-aged boss angrily inquired, pointing at Gratia.

"She needs to talk to you," her escort informed.

Moray rose, drawing his blaster pistol and prompted the other three to do the same. "You came into the wrong place, darlin'. I invite guests, not the other way around."

Gratia smiled as she raised her hands defensively. "Hold on. I didn't come for a fight, but with an offer and some information."

"You've got five seconds before I blow a hole in that pretty chest."

"Your lieutenant, Braccus has decided to supplant you. He's working with two local cops and has turned over evidence of your drug ring and smuggling. If you get to these cops quick enough, you can keep them from calling in backup."

"Cops don't scare me, little one. And before I kill you, you're going to do me a favor," he grinned.

"How about Sector Rangers?" A comment that wiped the smile off of his strong, rounded face. "Thought so."

The tense moments lingered as Moray finally lowered the pistol. "Who are the cops?"

She reached into her jacket, then produced a holoimager and placed it palm up and tapped the small, white button. Springing to life, the scene of two clean shaven, well dressed men walking behind the recent interview with a pair of swoop riders emerged. "These two in the back here."

He leaned in for a closer look. "Those two aren't locals. Who are they?"

"New recruits the mayor brought in. He knows you own most of his force so, he's apparently gotten some help from outside. If they go public with their information, you guys might as well say goodbye to your palace here," she said, trying not to laugh.

Steel-grey eyes rose to her. "And what do you want for this information?"

She turned the imager off and replaced it into her pocket. "Just the satisfaction that I can go back to my hovel and enjoy my life again."

His brow furrowed as two of his cohorts chuckled. "You're kidding right? These kinds of favors always come with a price. I wasn't born yesterday."

She sighed. "You guys run the streets, everyone knows that. Why can't one of those living under that umbrella just want to help out once in a while? You've survived this long from help and a blind eye from the locals, right?" He finally holstered his pistol and relaxed as the others did the same.

Nodding, "Alright. What's your name?"

"Lana." He was buying it.

"We'll take care of this, thanks," he motioned towards the door and she responded in kind as she turned and headed back downstairs. All too easy.

* * *

That night, she watched from the shadow of a rooftop as a stiff, cold breeze wafted in from the desert. Lights from various front doors lit the street below as the group of men climbed out of the speeder and off of a few bikes nearby. She could sense five more in the rear of the hotel making their way into the kitchen. The building wasn't very big and so could be hit from various angles rather quickly. Guns brandished, Moray and his men burst into the main entrance. It didn't take long for the gunfire to erupt as they made their way through the dining room and upstairs. Explosions and muffled screams pierced the night as brilliant flashes illuminated from various windows. These guys were reckless; she loved it. Smiling to herself, she knew one issue was resolved and someone else would take the fall for it as she slid backwards and off of the rooftop. Time to leave this town behind, finally.
She headed towards the starport whose small main building sported little more than a lobby and upstairs command center. Waiting inside, she noticed her droid companion waiting with two, dark bags. All she had left to claim from her small, one room home. As she approached, a flag of danger went up, stopping her in her tracks as the tall droid's red eyes turned to her right, then raised his arm and fired. Red bolts lit up the entryway as she sprinted left and towards the awaiting ship. Thunderous roar from the engines coupled with the piercing whine of repulsors filled the air and muffled the firefight ensuing within the lobby against unseen attackers as she ran for the lowered rampway. Crouched at the lower support, rifle aimed beyond her, the first mate motioned inside.

"Go, hurry," he yelled. Upwards, she sprinted, then turned right and headed towards the cockpit as the gangway lifted in time with the freighter.

"Get strapped in," the intercom echoed within the narrow confines. She hopped into the navigator's seat behind the pilot and pulled the straps across her lap, then buckled them as the golden lights of Kulunda peeled away and disappeared. "Hope you said goodbye to your droid," the younger, male voice stated from the copilot's seat as she glanced towards the bearded human.

"Yeah."

"Good. We'll be entering hyper shortly, so sit tight."

Constant thunder from the air they cut through filled the cabin as the older pilot calculated the jump in the nav between their seats, then straightened as he waited for the result. Clouds raced behind them as the night sky filled with stars and soon, they elongated and disappeared.