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

Elegant lighting throughout the lobby told of a wealth of credits that flowed through this small city built by the one called "Mister O.". Gold and brass accents contrasted from dark greyish-blue marble floors and walls as well as sparse plants strategically placed throughout giving the rich clientele a more welcome atmosphere.

As the quartet moved to the long desk, Gratia's eyes remained peeled for the trio of darkly clad men. Oddly, she hadn't found them waiting in the concourse upon their arrival. Shooting her and these three ignorant crewmen then jumping on their own ship for a quick escape made more sense unless the Brotherhood also had a grievance against the mayor of this immense credit sink. A mistake that she could use to her advantage when the time came.

"She and I can share a room and you two take the other," Ervin mentioned and gained her immediate attention as Arlen glanced to the shocked female in their midst.

"I'm not sure she agrees." The young one could be useful when the time came.

Nodding, she grinned. "No, that'll be fine." A comment that gained everyone's attention and she noted the younger redhead's adrenaline rush in time with an accelerated heartbeat.

"Okay," Arlen shrugged, turned and gathered the key cards and led them towards the turbolift as he handed Ervin one. They gathered with a small group of couples upon reaching the large, bluish door whose rounded entryway protruded from the wall and she slipped her arm through Ervin's. An act that undoubtedly shocked the young engineer as green eyes locked with her sultry smile.

A means to an end, she thought.

Once they eventually reached their room, he unlocked the door and she noted the pilot and co-pilot's attention as he led her inside. Her senses piqued, she noted something odd in the air and immediately scanned the room.

"You want me to order anything for lunch," Ervin asked as she moved cautiously into the dressing room and scanned the refresher beyond.

"Sure," she replied, distractedly.

"This place has the best Blue Ale also," he informed as blue eyes noted every fixture and appliance. "We stopped here a few months ago...." His voice cut off suddenly and she froze, spun and drew her lightsaber, then cautiously moved back towards the doorway. From the shadow of the large closet, she slowly peered around the doorframe to note her roommate's feet hovering above the tan carpet, hands grasping his own neck as he fought to breathe.

"Interesting company you keep these days," the deeper male voice stated and Gratia noticed the dark form standing in the far corner, hidden in the shadow of the dimly lit room. Cover blown, she expanded her search mentally and noted his cohorts in the hallway outside as they moved to the door. She charged Ervin, tackled him and used him as a body shield as they both crashed through the fourth story window and out into midair. Gasping for breath, the young man's body in her arms tensed.

"Are you out of your mind," he screamed as they plummeted downward. People below in the large plaza looked up, some screamed as they ran to get out of the way of the duo while others stared in disbelief. Spinning their legs downward, she used the Force to slow their descent, then landed safely onto the permacrete. Hair disheveled moreso than normal now, Ervin's wide eyes glanced to her as she sprinted from him.

Hot on her trail now, she knew the assassin wouldn't stop until she was dead and felt him not far behind. Noticed in the nick of time, she leapt over a chair mentally tossed in her path, then turned left and headed towards a sidestreet within the covered town. People dodged aside as her heart pumped in time with her legs. She needed to find a good choke point and soon noticed an alley which she sped into. Pushing past two young boys, apparently smoking out of their parent's sight, she moved behind a large, box-like trash bin, spun and waited. Sighing, she eased her breathing and opened her mind as he approached the entrance to the narrow, tall confines and stopped.

"She was disappointed that you weren't actually dead, as was your master," he continued calmly, mature voice echoed within the three story walls which rose to a transparisteel ceiling. Becoming invisible to mental search, she blended into the background and waited as his partners soon arrived, then each moved into one of the buildings bordering the tense moment. "I was told not to kill you, but bring you home. That's why you've survived this long."

'Keep talking,' she thought to herself as booted footsteps echoed off of the dark grey permacrete as he slowly approached. Not long now.

"Too bad you had to kill those two Sector Rangers back on Suraf, now you've become an outlaw. Not as smart as they thought you were, apparently. It's going to be nearly impossible to keep running now that they know all about you. S.E.O.'s are going to be hot on the trail of the murderer of law enforcement officers. Especially two of their own."

As he neared the front of the bin, and his friends were well inside the buildings, she acted. Leaping upon the assassin, red blade now alight, she attacked him. Two quick strokes nearly removed his head from his shoulders as he backed, vibrosword at the ready. Blocks and feints sent echoing thrums and sharp pops with each strike into the air and soon gained much unneeded attention at the end of the alley. This fight was taking too long, she thought to herself as the sudden unfamiliar pops of a distant weapon caught him from behind, making his agile body stiffen suddenly. With the advantage now, she parried and swiped, removing his weapon and the hand that held it. Crying out, the assassin dropped to the ground at her feet and blue eyes rose to notice Arlen, Cori and Ervin with their pistols extended towards her.

She picked up his sword, then jumped up to the landing on the third floor of the eastern building. There were two more to take out still and they would fight her tooth and nail once they found out their captain was dead.

"Get back down here," Arlen yelled and she angrily glanced back as they kept their pistols trained on her.

"There's two more, you idiot."

"I know that. Let's go." He was going to turn her in himself and gain some reward for his deed. A true mercenary. She mentally glanced into the room through the narrow gap in the curtain and could feel the assassin beyond as he sprinted towards her. Crashing through the thin transparisteel, vibrosword extended, she ducked the blade and cut along his torso, sending the now limp body against the metal railing. Crashing suddenly onto the metal grated floor, she removed his sword as a second trophy and sheathed it through her belt. Blue eyes moved to the building across from her and noted the remaining soldier of the Brotherhood not so foolhardy as he stopped within the distant room. Eyes glared at her through the thin curtain as she stood.

"This isn't over," he mentally threatened.

"Yes it is," she replied and leapt down into the alley.