If you give a Lupine an inch...

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

continued from here (http://www.sw-fans.net/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=34411)





With just a little bit of shifting, s'Il made herself comfortable as Vymes slid in behind the wheel of his cruiser. She watched him curiously as he went about his menial tasks while telling her what was apparently going to happen.

Well yeah, she could get them to the Wookiee - thing was, she wasn't so sure Hwoorag would want to talk to her. At least not after the last ttime the two had seen eachother. Though maybe he'd forgotten. Hell, it'd been a long time since then, and besides. It hadn't been all that bad. Well, at least it hadn't in her mind. Regardless, the Lupine wasn't about to say anything to Vymes. He'd probably only give her that same annoyed look he always gave her.

Oh well.

Best to settle back and enjoy the ride for now, cause actually getting to Hwoorag would be the easy part. It was trying to talk to him that would be just a tad trickier.

Leaning back, s'Il made herself comfortable.

"Yeah. Close to Hwoorag. Sure thing... " A mischevious sidelong look was sent to Vymes, "... partner."

[Zem Vymes]

"Alright, lets go."

We hit the skylanes, and my mind kept repeating the events of the last day. How I'd fallen in with Loklorien S'Ilancy was a story born out of half measures, and mundane heroism. You try to do the right thing in a place where there is no right thing. She was a criminal, but there were always bigger marks to be had in the underworld. It didn't keep me from feeling dirty, like I'd signed my name on a Faustian contract, the ink crimson with my blood.

Hwoorag's base of operations was a shipping wholesaler building on the mid-lower levels. At this depth, it didn't rain so much as it collected filthy runoff. Down here, filth was the medium. A thin layer of grime covered the durasteel and concrete edifices, like a defiled paint job. Not that it mattered. There were no tourist spots this far down. There were no hotels. Nobody made their way to this level of the district unless they had a damn good reason. Right now, our reason was shaky. I felt my gun weighing heavily in my dog-leg holster, its weight pressing on my brain like some draconian concience. The trigger felt a little more inviting the closer you got to the planet's surface.

I slid my cruiser into park, parallel to Hwoorag's run-down warehouse.

"We're here."

I checked the ammo capacity on my blaster, that old familiar demon rising in me. I only hoped that she didn't see it. It made me feel less than human.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

He was quiet most if not all of the entire way, and s'Il wasn't about to try and draw a conversation out of the man. Right now, she was content to simply sit and let him drive, chomping on his cheap ciger like he was brushing his teeth with it - God his breath must taste like a tobacco farm.

Given her situation, s'Il didn't really mind being in such close proximity of one such as Zemil Vymes; yeah, he was an officer of the law, and she wasn't exactly the mostlaw-abiding of citizens, but well, even she had to have some fun once in a while. Life had been boring - her days spent tinkering with speeders and being invited to dull dinner parties. Not exactly what the Lupine considered to be the funnest of things to do. But now she was on Coruscant, sitting next to Zem Vymes, being used as somewhat of a ticket into the most inner workings of the more seedier businesses on the cityplanet.

Hey, at least it was something.

Even when he stopped the speeder at the warehouse she couldn't help raising her brows at his words, giving him an idle, sidelong glance.

Hand on the doorknob, she spoke. "Just let me do the talking... " opening the door she swung a leg out, "I know these guys, and they know me"

[Zem Vymes]

"Alright."

I let Lok lead the way, adjusting my jacket over my holster to partially expose the blaster's grip. It could be argued that packing on Hwoorag's turf wasn't the best of ideas, but when somebody sees an unarmed cop, people get nervous. They keep waiting for the other shoe to drop. This is just another dreadful constant. Something people look for, and aren't suprised to find. It also makes it easier to keep a snub-nose holstered unseen on my ankle, but that was my last resort. If the shooting started in here, the wall's would be sweating blaster bolts.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

About to comment on the visibility of his blaster, s'Il let the matter slide - no sense arguing with a duracrete wall. With a shrug she shut the door, and stuffing her hands into the back pockets of her trousers, skirted the front end of the speeder to head towards a smaller door off to the said.

The place hadn't changed since the last time she'd been here, no doubt a sign the Hwoorag hadn't changed either. The old fleabag was as constant as ever, one of the 'old boys', the original bosses. Even his business sense reflected that. Of course this warehouse, even if it looked rundown and useless, housed a much more complex structure inside its walls.

Stopping at the door, s'Il looked to Vymes, giving him a somewhat weak smile as she knocked two raps, waited, then knocked once more. What followed was an almost excruciatingly long silence before -

ka-klak

And with an audible creak, the door opened slowly to reveal two large wookiees. A quick glance behind them showed a group of dugs as well, shifty eyes and blasters out. Turning her attention to the wookiees then, s'Il gave her best smile.

"Tip! Sal! It's me, s'Il."

The two stared down at her, then to Vymes, their eyes very much unimpressed. And in an instant, strong arms reached out without warning. 'Tip' grabbed s'Il by the front of her shirt, literally yanking her off her feet and pulling her inside, while 'Sal' did the same to Vymes.

The door shut then, leaving nothing in the alley except for Vymes' cruiser.

[Zem Vymes]

Letting her do the talking didn't seem to help much. Hwoorag's jobbers weren't exactly the best of hosts. The doors rattled shut, and my eyes adjusted to the increase of artificial light.

I glanced her way expectantly. She still had the reigns, but the wagon was headed for a canyon.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Tip and Sal were less than accomadating, and as they dragged s'Il and Vymes deeper into the warehouse, the Lupine wondered just how good Hwoorag's memory was.

Taken down a maze of corridors, overhead lights blinking on and off, the sounds of barking anoobas could be heard floating to their ears. The pair of Wookiees led them through a final door, shoving their two visitors inside, and right into a gathering of Humans and an assortment of aliens, all huddled around a pit in the floor. Overseeing them all was one Wookiee - Hwoorag.

The old dog was old, but not too old.

One look at the glare he gave her as soon as she and Vymes were shoved inside was enough to tell her that yes, he did infact remember her.

As well as what she'd done.

s'Il offered a timid wave and a nervous smile. "Hey Hwoory..."

[Zem Vymes]

The old fleabag didn't exactly look impressed to see Lok. I imagine seeing her with me didn't help the matter. He towered over both of us, looking down ponderously. I felt the weight of ill will pressing down, and glanced to S'Il. There was something she wasn't telling me, and it was beginning to gnaw my insides.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Hwoorag looked none too happy to see her again, and with Vymes standing next to her, she could tell the Wookiee's bad mood only intensified. His eyes picked her apart as he towered over the Lupine, and s'Il held her breath.

Then he spoke, well, mumble-roared a short sentance, and s'il looked sidelong to Vymes before venturing an answer.

"Well, uh, funny thing about that, heh - "

Hwoorag cut her off with another series of hoots and gutteral groans.

"Come on, Hwoory, that was a long time ago," she reached out then, bravery or stupidity fueling her actions, and patted the fur of his chest. "See? it all grew back - besides, it was just a joke."

Faster than expected, the Wookiee grasped her outstretched arm by the wrist, lifting her clean off the ground. With a wince, s'Il let herself dangle by his grasp, and sending a slightly pained look to her 'partner', she gritted her teeth.

"We go way back, Hwoory and me," was all she offered to the Watch officer.

[Zem Vymes]

"Not exactly what I had in mind." I growled at her, before glancing up at the mob boss.

"Hwoorag, I need your help. The Twi'Leki's have crossed the line, and I intend on going after them."

Even this little revelation made me feel dirty. I could feel whatever I had to call pride and integrity getting pummeled to the ground as I spoke. I looked up at the Wookie with a hard expression. I'd already given up more than I wanted, and I was fighting wounded, backed into a corner.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Without warning she was dropped, and s'Il hit the ground, stumbling back a little to regain her footing before standing up straight. Hwoorag wheeled on Vymes, standing up to his full height and shooting a question to the man.

He wanted to know why Vymes needed his help.

The simple question was laced with malice, but also with curiosity as to why the 'law' would come to him - and using one of his old contacts for that matter.

[Zem Vymes]

Why indeed?

I was too damn busy asking myself that same question. To hear Hwoorag ask it was tearing away scabbed flesh, and packin in salt. It was an introspective, and turned myself inward.

"It's the spirit of the law. They're pushing to kids, for frell's sake."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

The Wookiee whurffled a laugh, mumbling something about how ironic it was that the Watch was coming to him for help, but his slightly jovial tone died in an instant.

The next words to come from his mouth were easily interpretted. He would tell Vymes what he wanted to know, but he also expected the officer to do him a favor in return for the help. He didn't say what sort of favor, or when he wanted it, only that he would call when he needed it.

Looking to s'Il, the Wookiee, hmphed. He spoke once more, giving his two 'guests' the more frequented pickup and dropoff locations that his men had seen being used by the two Twi'leks. Besides. If he could get these two to take out those mynock sniffing Ryll barons, that'd make things much easier for him.

[Zem Vymes]

"No."

I scowled upwards in an adamant manner.

"I'm already doing us both a favor by taking these cretins out. I don't like the association any more than you do. Lets not overstay either of our welcomes on this. You get what you want. I get what I want. All bets are off after that."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

The Wookiee growled then, the rumbling deep in his throat. He would get what he wanted, or neither Vymes nor s'Il would not leave the warehouse at all.

Hwoorag nodded to the pit that held two anoobas, both chained and held at opposite sides. The old dog had no problems with throwing both visitors to the two rabid animals if the inclination struck.

s'Il nudged Vymes in his side with her elbow. "Just do it," she half whispered.

[Zem Vymes]

"Easy for you to say. You're just along for the ride, remember?"

I growled back at her, glancing down to the pit. It seemed Hwoorag wanted to get persuasive.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

The Lupine rolled her eyes. "Look. I'd rather not be shoved down in there, and I doubt you want to either," she hissed, "Just say yes, ok?"

Was she along for the ride? Maybe. Maybe not. Vymes had hit a sore spot when he said that the Twi'leks were pushing their wares to kids, and s'Il hadn't exactly taken it as likely as she'd seemed. Yes, she wanted to be shown a good time, but she also wanted to set the brothers straight. She'd had a plan since coming into the warehouse, and speaking up then - after becoming impatient with Vymes' silence - she addressed the Wookiee.

"Hwoory, we'll do it, don't worry. One more question though... "

Hwoorag looked down at her, his eyes narrowing at her last question.

"Where's na'Parin."

[Zem Vymes]

A part of me would've jumped willingly into the pit to avoid making a concession. At least then, I'd be able to look my enemy in the eye and do something about it. s'Il's persuasion, I hoped, had better be worth it to me.

I looked up at the Wookiee, trying my best to sheath the daggers in my eyes. I waited for him to answer her question.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

The Wookiee only looked down at her, his eyes narrowing as he seemed to mull over her question. He spoke then, growling a barely intelligable answer.

The Lupine grinned then, before turning to flash Vymes a smile, and tossing a lock of hair over her shoulder, she spoke to Hwoory. "Thanks Darlin'." She turned completely then, her pace clipped as she grabbed Vymes by the crook of his arm and pulling him with her.

Tip and Sal followed s'Il as she continued to drag her partner from the room, and the Lupine called over her shoulder to the Wookiee.

"Let me know if you ever need me to send some of my runners your way, Hwoory, aight? I know some of my girls would love to get their hands dirty in your turf."

[Zem Vymes]

And as soon as it happened, it was over. We were moving from the main room to somewhere else, once again escorted by Hwoorag's two underlings. I walked in stride with s'Il, and spoke under my breath.

"You'd better have something, and I don't even mean a little thing. I ate a lot of crow just now."

I waited for the payoff. For the other shoe to drop. I was a tensed spring.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

"Take it easy, Zem. If not for me, then at least for your blood pressure."

The Lupine had an excited spring to her step, and as they retraced their steps that had originally brought them in to the maze of Hwoorag's warehouse, she looked to Vymes.

Finally stepping back out into the alley where they'd parked, she spoke up after the door had closed behind them.

"You should eat more fruit."

[Zem Vymes]

She wasn't exactly delivering. I was running out of excuses for giving her the benefit of the doubt.

"I'd like to think we didn't just monumentally waste our time here."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Brushing him off, s'Il headed for their speeder. "Waste of time? Hardly." She tapped her temple with a slim finger, giving Vymes a grin. "I know where we need to go next."

Opening the driver-side door, the Lupine slid in behind the wheel, buckling the safety harness before looking up to her partner.

"... You coming?"

[Zem Vymes]

"You just might regret it, but yeah."

I slipped into the seat adjacent to s'Il, and waited for her to close the door.

"Mind telling me what we just signed on the line for, and what we got for it? You'd better stop jerking my chain or I'm gonna jerk back myself."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

The Lupine gave Vymes a sidelong look, a cryptic smile tugging at the corners of her lips as she turned the keys, starting the speeder. She was taking them to see na'Parin, and throwing the vehicle into reverse, s'Il backed out of the alleyway before shoving the shifter into drive. Pulling the steering column up, she brought them up into the skylanes.

"Zem, don't exacerbate the situation."

[Zem Vymes]

"Exacerbate?"

I mulled it over for a bit, then kicked my leg over to her side, stomping on the brake. As inertia carried us both forward, I jerked the wheel towards me, merging out of the traffic lane and into the shoulder area of the skylane.

"How's that for exacerbated?" I asked, with mock curiosity.

"Do we really want to see how far I can stretch that word out? You've got a rap sheet as thick as a dictionary. Ask me how many times we can look that word up, or add it?"

With a growl, I took my hand of her steering wheel.

"So, don't exacerbate my decision to cut you some slack. Your status as teacher's pet lasts only as long as you're useful."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

A rough shove was sent his way as s'Il mildly lost her temper. "I'm doing this out of a mixture of boredom and kindness - don't make me rethink my decision to help you out.

"Do you think I really care about my 'rap sheet'? Or even how thick it is?"

The Lupine stared daggers at the Watch officer, visibly seething. She had gone from rather nonchalant to having her hackles up almost instantaneously with Vymes' show of force.

"You might not trust me, but at least trust what I know. And I know what I'm doing here." Simmering down only slightly, she mashed her foot on the gas while turning the wheel, sending them back into the skylane.

"We're going to see na'Parin."

[Zem Vymes]

Now, we were getting somewhere.

"Go on."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

"na'Parin - used to be Hwoorag's right hand man until he got a deal with some other dealers, and wouldn't you know it - soon enough he's the main Liquid Silver pusher for Jiro District."

The Lupine cast a quick look over her shoulder, checking traffic, then sent the speeder over into another lane.

"He's got guys almost everywhere, so he should know about your ryll barons."

[Zem Vymes]

"I'm sure Hwoorag won't loose any sleep over us knocking over the competition. Plus, sounds personal. Bonus points."

We sat in silence for a few minutes as she drove.

"So what else is involved? He wasn't buying a tit-for-tat, so what did you get me signed up for?"

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

This was the part he might not like, and s'Il readied herself as best as she could for the possible upcoming storm.

"Nothing major - just future protection for his runners."

[Zem Vymes]

"He's gonna have to give me more than that, for a meal ticket that big."

I shook my head, shifting my cigar about.

"The Corellians, the Grans, and whoever the Hutts are paying are all playing king of the hill in the district. I want them all down."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

"Well you're going to have to make a choice then - which of the evils are you willing to help in order to get rid of the rest?

"I don't carry as much weight in this industry as I used to - about all I do is purchase the occasional Liquid Silver hit every now and then."

[Zem Vymes]

"Who are you, Jimmity Cricket? Keep driving."

In my disgust, I didn't have time to tell her that she was right. But it wasn't gonna be Hwoorag. Nobody muscles in on me, and I'm sure as hell not for sale. If this was gonna go down, it was on my terms. That fleabag wasn't going to shake me down, and now I was going to make an example out of him.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

"I'm right though, you know," she grumbled. The Lupine said nothing more however, simply driving in silence as she steered the speeder higher, weaving through traffic on her way to the edge of Coco District.

Crossing over into Jiro District, s'Il sent the speeder into a controlled dive, taking them low - beneath the normal flow of traffic and the occasional mid-level skyway bridges.

Casting a quick look to Vymes - he was still chomping on that damn cigar - she broke the shared silence.

"Out of perverse curiosity... " her voice held a different tone than normal... while still carrying the underlying currents of a slightly imbalanced mind, it had shed the normal sarcastic and unconcerned nature that it normally had. No, a majority of her voice held a quiet concern.

"Are you planning on carting me off after all of this is done?" A shrug. "I mean, you say I have a rap sheet that could probably wrap around this planet a few times, and if you're willing to do dirty work like this to get what you want, what's to stop you from planting evidence on me and trying to put me away?

"I mean, yeah, I want to do this, but you're supposed to show me a good time - and not from behind bars."

[Zem Vymes]

"Don't give me a reason to, and you'll be fine."

I turned to look at her.

"You want to jank some art off some rich idiots? I might find something better to do that day. You push glitter and silver to kids like these superstars we're goin after, and you won't have a friend in the Sesswana system. Choose your battles, because if you rile me up, I'm not going to arrest you."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

She digested his words, thinking them over as she took the speeder deeper into the lower levels of Jiro District.

"I guess lifting banks is out of the question, too."

[Zem Vymes]

"So why are you asking?"

The speeder kept cruising down the lower levels, and eventually reached a slight narrowing in the skyscraper canyons. The shops and promenades were adorned with peeling paint and barred windows. Here and there, a few Grans stood out on street corners, with the conspicuous stance of people who made their living by standing on street corners.

"Little Malastare. Welcome to the Tripod Barrio. We don't got eyestalks, so we'd better be packing some insurance. Got yours?"

My eyes were peeled, scanning left to right. I knew the usual faces in the local districts. The last time I'd given na'Parin the business, he was a soldier for The Lost Boys. Apparently he'd gone to school with Hwoorag in the big leagues, and come back with ambition.

"You ever seen a Gran with a lazy eye?"

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

"Just curious," she answered idly, taking the speeder slowly past a group of Grans. She eyes them as their own stares remained on the vehicle. One of them pointed, said something unintelligable, and the group broke into laughter.

Lovely bunch.

At Vymes' question about whether she had her 'piece', s'Il snorted. "I thought I wasn't allowed to have a piece." She smiled sweetly at the look he gave her. "And no, I don't have one; don't really need one. 'Sides - I'm a lousy shot anyway."

A few other aliens littered the already dirty walkways, and s'Il guided the speeder into an alley that somehow managed to look cleaner than the street it opened up into - how that'd happened was beyond anyone. She put the vehicle into park, shutting the engine off.

"The Blue Bantha is across the street. Last I knew, na'Parin had a thing for Codru-ji... and seeing as how the Bantha is known for its' more exotic workers, it's a fair bet he still hangs out here." Opening her door, the Lupine rose from her seat. "You can behave yourself in there, right?"

[Zem Vymes]

"I've been in the Blue Bantha, it's g..."

My eyes snapped to the side, focusing on a skav in a red hoodie. The hood of his jacket hung just above his three eyestalks, one of which drooped slightly, with a cloudy eyeball.

"Pull over."

The speeder edged onto the walkspace, and I stepped out, opposite na'Parin from the door of the Blue Bantha.

"Fasup jambunde?" na'Parin asked, bowing back slightly in a cautious stance. "You no come down here much, mano."

"Suprise." I deadpanned, as s'Il stepped out of the speeder.

na'Parin stepped toward the door...then spun on a heel, tearing away down the sidewalk at a full sprint.

"Dammit!"

It was a bit like coarsing, a cop's work. Time to chase the hare.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

http://s93860457.onlinehome.us/misc/what_is_it.gif


s'Il didn't really move to make chase, instead simply resting one arm atop the roof of the speeder and one on the open door. She gave Vymes an exhasperated look, her metallic eyes glinting in amusement.

"What is it with you? You gotta scare everyone away?"

And with a shake of her head, the Lupine bolted. Vymes could take the speeder if he wished, but s'Il intended to run na'Parin down on foot - after all, she could get into smaller spaces than a speeder, and... a thought occured to her then, and she grinned in spite of herself. She could get into smaller places than Vymes himself. Which meant she could get to na'Parin first - if only he chose to drag his own lanky carcass into tight spots.

The three-eyed bloke always had a few vials of silver on him, and s'Il intended to collect those for herself before Vymes could catch up.

The sidewalk was crowded, but the Lupine was adept at dodging people; gained by enough practice on her own part of sometimes being the one chased. It was easy to follow na'Parin, and s'Il made up the distance easily, her leg muscles propelling her forward.

Catching sight of the red hoodie ducking into an alley, she veered to the right, following him. It was a deadend, but that didn't stop na'Parin as he jumped, catching hold of a fire escape ladder and pulling himself up.

That's right, you rotter - let's get into some smaller surroundings...

Without breaking stride the Lupine leapt, her hands catching the rung of the ladder and she hauled herself up, hand over hand.

"Get away, Bruja!!"

She pressed on doggedly, following swiftly up the length of the ladder.

"Not until I get what I want, you chinga!"

[Zem Vymes]

My legs stretched forward, accelerating me down the broken sidewalk like a runaway freight train. I scrambled over garbage cans and chain link fences, around cats and winos. The sidewalk snaked through the run-down commercial district, and na'Parin obviously had home court.

s'Il passed me, much to my chagrin. She definitely had the edge on me in terms of agility. One thing was for sure though...na'Parin was going to wish he hadn't ran.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Scaling the ladder, s'Il let her muscles do the work, her Lupine physiology giving her a definate advantage - over both na'Parin and Vymes. She was gaining, and casting a quick look over her shoulder she saw Vymes just enter the alley.

She went back to hauling her body upwards though, and her ascension quickened. Her whole body moved fluidly as she gave chase. She reached the roof easily, hopping over the ledge and bursting into another sprint.

She called out to Vymes then before she'd gone completely out of earshot.

"Move your old bones, you relic!"

[Zem Vymes]

My veins pumped battery acid. My nostrils flared. I ran against all odds and expectations. I ran against my body's resistance, against the obstacles of the ghetto streets. My muscles strained, taut and wirey under my sweat-stained work clothes. I met the fire escape ladder mid-air, tackling the lower rungs as I hauled myself skyward. My feet swung forward, moving with inertia.

Metal groaned against masonry as I wrestled against gravity, scaling higher and higher. I could hear bootheels scraping on roofing tile above, and the hollow sound of live weight moving on old timbers. A few seconds later, and I hurdled the ledge on the roof, dropping into a sprint again. My blaster jumped into my hand, an unconcious reflex.

"You'd better kiss the pavement or I'm gonna put you under it, tripod! You must be crazy!"

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Vymes was behind her now - the old man could move surprisengly fast if so inclined. Hiding her surprise, s'Il threw herself forward. If she had any chance of getting the vials na'Parin no doubt had on him, she would have to do something creative. And by doing something creative, the Lupine was about to do something stupid.

She surged ahead, a new energy pumping through her veins, and her body leaned forward. Her sneakers hit the roof in a rapid, staccato beat, an accompaniment to na'Parin's own rapid footfalls. The rotter was heading for an adjacent, slightly lower building, with no doubt every intention of building-hopping; something that tired people out in no time at all. s'Il gave a quick glance over her shoulder to Vymes - he had his gun out - and she cursed.

But her resolve was set, and she threw herself forward. She could reach out and almost touch na'Parin now, She had to get to him first. The edge of the roof was approaching fast... maybe ten feet away now...

Gathering her strength, the Lupine barked a short sentence in Selonian, which caused three-eyes to slow minutely, an eye stalk turning to look behind him. And that was when she barrelled into him. He let a string of curses fly, arms flailing as his balance was thrown horribly off, sending the both of them into the air and over the roof's edge, disappearing like a sack of durracrete bricks down a garbage chute.

[Zem Vymes]

"Ah hell"

Physical fatigue and the lack of suicidal tendencies slowed me down at the roof's edge, and I watched the two of them tumble two stories to the street. The way they hit...

...they had to be dead. And if they werent...

...they were gonna wish they were.

Protesting under heavy breathing, I turned back the way I came, to get back down to the street below.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

s'Il groaned, turning over onto her back. A lancing pain shot through her left arm, and she growled. Dislocated. na'Parin let out a whimpered moan in tandem, his own body shifting as he tried to move. From the looks of it, he had a few broken bones, and s'Il herself could feel the effects of the fall. She hadn't expected to hit the pavement so hard - hoping they'd get lucky and end up in a dumpster. Apparently that wasn't meant to be.

Damn you, Murphy. Damn you to hell.

The Lupine exhaled painfully - a cracked rib or two - and rolled over onto na'Parin. He cried out, but she paid him no mind as her good hand went through his pockets. His own grubby paws lifted, trying to push her off but she remained straddling him. Fingers seraching, she let out a grunt.

"Come one, you no good git," she hissed, "I know you have some."

"I no got nothing, Bruja" he winced, his own gravelly voice low.

She went for another pocket. "Nerfrot. I know you. You always carry. Now, I can help you and take it off your hands before you-know-who gets here. All he wants is information, but if he finds anything on you he just might haul you off."

"I know nothing."

"Baka - now hand it over. We don't have much time."

With a grumble, na'Parin lay back and let her search him. s'Il grinned then, as her fingers closed around two vials. "That's the spirit, boy." She scanned from left to right quickly, making sure Vymes hadn't appeared yet, and pulled them free. A cursory glance over showed it to be just what she wanted, and the Lupine swiftly put them down her shirt.

"Pleasure doing business with you, mate," she whispered, patting his weathered 'cheek'.

She leaned back then, her body screaming at her and she let out a pained sigh, hand going to her side to apply pressure to her injured ribcage. Her free hand went to inspect the rest of her sustained injuries - a gash on her forearm, dislocated shoulder, the works. She looked up to the roof they'd fallen from, and waited.

[Zem Vymes]

"Hey cowboy!"

I rounded the corner, winded, sweaty, and furious, stopping only at s'Il's feet, and only long enough to stoop down, and yank her upright by the front of her shirt, propping her unkindly against the brick wall.

"If I want street pizza I'll place an order. You're splitting skulls I need!"

na'Parin began to gingerly stir, sensing my attention was elsewhere. I diverted, with a heel in his groin.

"And you, make like a tree - and keep your butt on the ground or I'll shoot you in the face."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Yelping, the Lupine did her best to swat Vyme's hand away with her still functioning arm.

"Lay off. I got 'im, didn't I? And he's still in one piece."

She ground her teeth, doing her best to push aside the pain of the fall as her body's metabolism went to work.

"I fail to see the problem here."

[Zem Vymes]

I smiled a big, friendly smile. In the context of the situation, it was less than friendly.

"Well, who am I to disagree. You're a natural. Definitely cop material. Whaddya think, na'Parin?"

I shifted my weight to the foot on his groin, causing him to reply with a "Gaaah!"

"Me too. Been looking to deputize me a partner for a long time."

I removed my badge, running it along her shirt until I tucked it into her cleavage...where it clinked against something I wasn't entirely suprised to hear.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Her eyes narrowed imperceptably, and only for a milisecond, before shooting wide.

She pulled the badge out with her good arm, looking at it.

"Well it's about time," she feigned ignorance and surprise, "I was wondering when I'd get one of these."

And with a smile, s'Il stuffed the badge into her back pocket while craning her neck to look down at na'Parin from over Vymes' arm. The poor guy's eyes were bugging by now.

"I think you can take your foot off of him now."

[Zem Vymes]

"Fork it."

I held my cupped hand just below her chest, and its illicit cargo. I eased off na'Parin, letting him marinate in his own screaming nerves. I nudged him in the side after he'd calmed down.

"You too. Bankroll. Hand over the G-pouch."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

s'Il sighed, her shoulders slumping. Fishing the badge back out, she slapped it into Vymes' outstretched hand.

"I knew it was too good to be true," she grumbled, starting to push off the wall he'd shoved her in to.

[Zem Vymes]

I pressed her back with a hand on her chest, and dipped back in, pulling out the two vials of silver.

"Next time you want to be cute, I'll help you stash your smack rectally, shard by shard."

I fired her an icy glare, and handed one of the vials back.

"Here's your fix. The rest is the house's take."

Pocketing the second vial, I also scopped up na'Parin's credits.

"Alright speed racer, time to pay the piper."

The Gran blinked angrily at the both of us.

"Uz got te wrong banga, jambunde. I ain't done nofin."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

s'Il returned his stare with one of her own.

"Pencil-neck," she mumbled to the Watch officer's back while pushing off the wall. With a slight limp, the Lupine moved to stand over na'Parin.

"Just tell him what he wants to know. The sooner you do, the sooner I can leave your turf." She knelt down, resting a knee uncomfortably on his sternum. "And after last time, you know how much I hate this place."

[Zem Vymes]

"You made me run."

I drove a heel into the Gran's gut as he was preoccupied with the Lupine's knee on his chest. He protested with an agonized wheeze.

"Don't ever do it again."

Breathless, all the Gran could do was nod.

"Lemme know when you catch your breath. I got all sorts of questions to ask you about Hwoorag and his outfit. If I like the answers, this might all prove to be a little misunderstanding. If you shank me off, I take a trip to the evidence locker, these ten CC's become fifty with intent to distribute and you're off to a Republic hotel for twenty - at the very least."

I reached into my jacket pocket.

"Oh, and is this your gun? I can't really tell. The serial number looks pretty worn. Could be anybody's I suppose."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

s'Il paused, taking her weight from na'Parin slightly as she leaned back to look at Vymes.

"Ok, hold up - that's a little bit over the top, don't you think? Unless you're into planting evidence on people... " The Lupine stood up then, painfully and not a little bit unsteadily as she regained her footing. " ... in which case I think it's been fun, but I've suddenly got some pressing matters to attend to."

Her metallic gaze was steely as she glared at Vymes, evidence enough that she was lodging her first unofficial complaint.

na'Parin squirmed, but s'Il kicked a foot out, catching one of his eyestalks. "You stay there - " she turned back to Vymes as the Gran squealed in acute pain, his hands going up to cradle the eyestalk.

"Well?"

[Zem Vymes]

"Spare me the righteous schtick, Sister Act. Its tacky."

My brow furrowed, and I returned my well-worn cigar to my mouth.

"Kitchen too hot? You want an out? You're free to come and go."

I gestured with a waving hand, showing her the exit down the street.

"Just keep your trap shut, and don't think for a second I don't have enough on you to turn you into a taxpayer-funded museum piece if you so much as think about peeing in my morning coffee.

These are my streets. Jackholes like this saint want to ply their wares, its my way or the frelling highway."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

s'Il growled then. The very same growl she'd given him so long ago when they'd first met. In her eyes was something completely changed from the Loklorien s'Ilancy that Vymes had known - something dangerously feral and protetive.

But, she turned back to na'Parin, taking a knee once more. "Look, just tell him whatever you know about Hwoorag, ok?"

She leaned in close then, whispering into his earhole. What was said was anyone's guess, but whatever it was seemed to jog the Gran's memory.

"Cut me break, Bruja."

"Stop calling me that," she growled leaning up from his ear, "Just tell me what you know."

"Hwoorag old - biz'ness change wit' times. Ryll starting to get more popular dan glitter, spice... even silver. Only cause of price though.

"So, I help out new playas, get cut for help."

[Zem Vymes]

"Hate to break it to you, but I don't think your business partners have much of a future here. Not that it matters to you, right? Why are you and the Lost Boys playing sloppy seconds with those tail-heads anyways? They aren't exactly your kind of people.

If you and your vatos play for keeps, y'know - keep it real, I just might let you literally keep it. Capice?"

Hopefully it was the kind of offer an upwardly-mobile hoodie like na'Parin could understand. Or refuse.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

s'Il still knelt, her eyes boring into na'Parin. She digested his words, and ever so slowly her features took on a dark look. Vymes' words washed over her, but she paid them no mind.

Her hand lashed out then, as the Gran had turned his head slightly to look up at Vymes, and she roughly grabbed an eyestalk, turning his attention back to her.

"You're helping them?" she hissed, then leaned in closer, "You're rapidly falling to the last rung on my expendibility ladder, you chinga."

Her hand constricted, and na'Parin groaned.

"The 'biz'ness', does not change with the times. It's older than time. People like me and Hwoorag know that. It's stupid pendejo's like you and your buddies who are messing things up - you make too much 'noise', too many distractions for things to stay simple... " The Lupine squeezed harder, then abruptly let go to whip her torso around, one arm flying out behind her to grab the blaster Vymes still held.

She jammed the barrel into the Gran's temple leaning in close to growl at him. "You better give me a good reason to not whittle down this little 'complication'."

[Zem Vymes]

"Because he's gonna do us both a favor."

I glared down at the Gran expectantly. I really didn't care if s'Il greased him at this point, aside from sweeping up the carnage. He was a scumbag. But right now he was a useful one. Then again, if one looked under the right rock, another patsy could be found within a city block.

"He's gonna serve the Brothers up to me, and shake hands with Hwoorag. No more gang-banging, and no more selling blow to kids. You crawfish me on this, the she-wolf paints the alley with your eyestalks, and I was never here. I won't even send flowers.

That's a pretty simple plan, esse. One way, you make more money. The other way..."

I mouthed "bang bang" silently, gesturing with an extended index finger and raised thumb.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

na'Parin could only stare up, and s'Il could see the sweat forming on his face.

"I get protection," he ventured slowly.

[Zem Vymes]

"Yeah."

I replied after a few seconds. I pulled out a pad of paper, and scribbled a number on it. Tearing it off, I put it in the Gran's hand.

"If you get busted on your turf on possession or distribution, this is your comm call. I'll hot-potato the case until it falls of the map, or you make bail.

I'll put the screws to any rival dealers on your turf, and haul them in. It's up to you to keep your dogs on a leash. If I find out you put some baby bangers out for a turf war, all bets are off, and I'll come down on you like an 800 pound gorilla. These are my streets, and you pay rent on them. I expect you to keep them safe. Don't frell this up."

I glanced at s'Il, irritated at her not-so-petty burglary.

"Satisfied?"

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

The wheels were turning in her head, and s'Il slowly stood from her kneeling position, taking the gun from na'Parin's head in the process. She knew the Gran wouldn't keep his end of the bargain - past history had shown that, but the Lupine would let Vymes find out the hard way. She had her own business to scrape from the ground, and she intended to do just that.

Just like old times - everything would be simple again. She had spent the last three years floating, having nothing to do except wander. She stayed on Thyferra; rotting in her opinion - wasting away and losing the edge she had once had. But not anymore. She knew what she wanted now, and knew who to use to get what she wanted.

Finger flicking the safety on, s'Il gave na'Parin one last disgusted look as she took a limping step back. Her metabolism worked to mend her cracked and bruised body and she squared her shoulders - well, at least the one that was still in its' socket.

"For now."

The Gran only lay where he'd fallen.

[Zem Vymes]

I checked my weapon, disengaging and re-engaging the safe before holstering it, and backed away from na'Parin, leaving him be as s'Il hobbled along.

"I'd like to arrange a meeting with your Twi'leki friends. My kind of meeting."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

"Si, yes. Anything."

Leaning against the far wall of the alley opposite of na'Parin, s'Il pushed herself agaisnt the dusty duracrete surface. Applying more pressure to her shoulder, the Lupine was rewarded with a sickening thwock as her shoulder returned once more to its' socket. A wince followed, then a brief grumble as she looked up, casting her eyes to the top ledge of the building she and the Gran had fallen from.

Hand dipping into her front pocket, she pulled out the vial Vymes had returned to her, studying its' white contents. A few silver colored threads wove in with the white, and she stared placidly at the drug. Her fingers closed around it then and she spoke to Vymes after the brief silence following na'Parin's hurried answer.

"Are you satisfied?"

[Zem Vymes]

I glanced over my shoulder, at her, and smiled thinly.

"The Devil's in the details..."


<center>* * *</center>


Half an hour later, we'd worked out an amicable arrangement. That night, it just so happened that na'Parrin had a drop scheduled on his corner. The Brothers did business at arm's length, and when they did, it was stop and go. Pull up to the sidewalk, exchange the G-pouch for more product, thirty seconds to haggle, and they were off again. Low overhead, low exposure.

Too bad for them. Their paranoia was gonna be on the money for a change.

Hours passed. It was enough time to think about the game plan.

"We'll need to boost a speeder. I don't think you'll want to use yours for this."

We chatted in a local diner over pan-fried steak and chips. She had beer. I stuck with the coffee.

"Something big. One of those catamarain hulled sedans with bad fuel economy."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

s'Il sat opposite Vymes, nursing her beer and lost in idle thought. She only half listened to him, nodding when she had to - or at least when she thought she had to.

At his last word though, the Lupine shook herself out of her daze, casting a more attentive stare to the Watch officer.

"I'm sorry, what?"

[Zem Vymes]

"The brothers have to make a drop, and pick up the bankroll. They don't like to stay put for long, so I'm banking on a pass-by."

I explained again, leaving nothing to chance.

"We marinate you in enough booze to suspend disbelief on a DUI, and T-bone the tail-heads at the drop on the curb. Probable cause to search, and voila. We hit them red handed with a few keys of red blow, and enough bankroll to make a distribution charge set in duracrete.

Cut a deal with na'Parin, and you walk in the hullabaloo. You'll be on your way before they clear the crash debris."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

The Lupine sat, mulling over his words. She thought for only a few minutes before nodding.

"Okay, I'll do it."

Another sip of her beer. "But just what sort of deal are we talking about with na'Parin?"

[Zem Vymes]

"He's my C.I. until he can roll on Hwoorag. After that, I cut him loose."

I zipped through my sirloin with a steak knife, upending my fork into a piece of meat before passing it through a blob of steak sauce.

"The Gran's a moron. He's got ambition but no direction. Hwoorag's got both, but he's trying to buy me, and I'm gonna burn him for it - to set an example."

Pausing for a quick bite, I jabbed a finger in the lupine's direction.

"You keep your nose clean for a week. Stay off the radar. After that, you and me talk. A week's all na'Parin needs to spin enough rope to hang himself on. You undercut his price and make me a better offer..."

I smiled as I chewed a mouthful.

"...I can arrange a change of profession for the tripod. Swing on his third strike, or let the street take care of it."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Resting her hand around her glass, s'Il gave Vymes a lazy stare.

"You burn Hwoorag, things will get ugly. He's not above killing cops...

"... or anyone else to get his payback. He's one of the old players. A 'Goodfella', if you will. He'll leave a severed nerf head on your pillow to get your attention, then gun you down in your squad car."

She pushed a cut piece of steak around her plate with a fork.

"I like your offer, but you need to be careful. I've got two old friends in his outfit; they stayed here after I left, so before you decide to - if at all - move against the old mutt, let me know. Please.

"As for na'Parin, best to let the streets take care of him."

[Zem Vymes]

"I know the Wookiee's rap. I don't take the test without doing the homework."

The coffee was starting to lose its heat. The bitterness showed through.

"He's ambitious, not stupid. He cuts loose on a badge and I make a rug out of him."

I leaned forward, the bitterness now all over my face.

"I don't bend to that kind of dirty work. I got a bite as big as his. You'd better not be close to him if I get hungry. Tell your old friends to go screw. If you're right and he's playing for blood, anybody who isn't staying off the radar is fair game.

Lay low. Good advice for you, and for your crew. Take it."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

s'Il leaned forward then. "He's already cut loose on a few of your 'badges', Zem. I may not be as influential as I used to be 'round these parts, but I know what goes down.

"I don't want my possible future shield turned into swiss cheese, ok?"

The fork was set down. "You're extending a loose offer for a business venture of sorts, and I'd like you to consider this as me looking after my investment."

[Zem Vymes]

"No."

I set my fork down as well.

"When na'Parin rolls on the wookiee, you take a vacation. I don't care where you go or what you do, as long as you don't make me mad, and you don't show in Coco or Chiba.

You want to protect your investment? Park your tail in a chair and read a book."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

"Look," she snapped, "all I'm saying is be careful. Do whatever you need to do, but just watch your back.

"You might know these people from their reps and rap sheets, but I've worked with them. One on one. Trust me when I say they've done more than what you have on them."

[Zem Vymes]

"I'm always careful. I'd be an obituary if I wasn't."

I up-ended my coffee, now cold. Six gulps and it was spent.

"I got a check to pay. You got booze to go buy. Meet at 167th and Fogent in 30 with a boosted ride. Gimme your keys."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

With a grumble, s'Il stood, her chair scraping along the tiled floor as she sidestepped to the side of the table. Meticulously - carefully even - she replaced the seat, tucking it against the table. Her steak was only half eaten, and her beer nearly finished.

A quick tip of her glass alleviated the latter situation, and she held out her keys to Vymes.

"If there's so much as a scratch in the paint I'm taking it out of first month's 'rent'."

[Zem Vymes]

I swiped the keys, dropping them in my jacket pocket.

"No promises. Plainclothes work can be rough."

Cracking a smile that no doubt worried her, I walked through the door.

"Don't forget the tip."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Mumbling, s'Il dropped a handful of credits on the table, following in Vymes' wake through the door only to head in the opposite direction.

Her mind worked as she made her way through the congested skywalk, heading for the nearest parking building. He wanted her to get something sturdy; something that would allow her to walk away from a collision. Shoudln't be too hard. Hell, she'd fallen two stories earlier that day and was none the worse for wear for it now. Sidepanelling another speeder would be a piece of cake.

And Vymes. He was set on getting na'Parin, Hwoorag, and whoever else behind bars or under the concrete - something that made her job easier. She'd let the Watch officer do most of the work for her, but she also knew there were a few that she herself would need to take care of. And Hwoorag was one of those special cases that would need her complete attention.

Vymes could say what he wanted, but there was no way she'd sit this out. She'd lay low for a day, yes, but the old Wookiee was going to get his dues come the day after. s'Il had no intentions of letting na'Parin string himself up. The time to act was now; in the midst of the Watch's efforts to clean Coruscant's streets.


Twenty-six minutes later found the Lupine behind the wheel of a newer model Enrook sedan. Tough, but sporty at the same time. Spilled liquor bottles littered the floorboards, and brown bags with unonpened hooch rested in the passenger seat.

She smiled to herself as she read a passed streetsign.

165fth...

[Zem Vymes]

I slipped into the driver's seat, and adjusted it to fit. The mirrors went next. The entire process took about a minute, but when it was over, I was at home.

Well, almost.

I plucked my extinguished cigar from my pocket and wedged it into my mouth. I put the lighter up to the ashed end, and stopped myself. Even I wasn't that obnoxious. Well, only when I wanted to be.

Starting the car up, I eased through a few skylanes. I had ten minutes to pick a good pounce point. If s'Il didn't properly pin the car, the Brothers would punch it to the path of least resistance as fast as possible. To stop that from happening, I needed to case the joint.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

At 166th, the Lupine eased the gas pedal to the floor, and the sedan picked up speed as it expertly weaved through traffic. She had to admit the thing had power, and taking one hand from the steering column, s'Il double checked her seat harness one last time before grabbing at the mouthguard which sat on the dashboard. Fitting it into her mouth, she rolled her shoulders.

In the distance, she could see an older model speeder stop at the curb - directly in her line of 'fire', and the Lupine reached a hand out, snapping on the radio to some local Gungan station.

167th was rapidly approaching...

[Zem Vymes]

I rolled up kitty-corner from s'Il's line of fire, and put her car in neutral, using the adjacent building as visual cover.

They were close. I could hear the thumping bass of their sound system, announcing their arrival. Now or never.

I chewed on my cigar, my fingers tightening like pythons on the steering wheel.

"Showtime."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Forty yards...

Gungan salsa blared, liquor splashed everywhere. The sedan surged forward on a direct course for the speeder that had slowed to a stop ahead of her...

Thirty yards...

Biting down hard on her mouthguard, s'Il relaxed her body, ready for the collision...

Fifteen yards...

A quick jerk of her neck popped two upper vertebrae. She could see the passenger of the speeder lean out the far window...

Five yards...

Something caught the driver's eye, and his head snapped to the left, his lekku following the motion. A split second observation showed the Lupine that it seemed he didn't believe in the use of safety belts...

At the last moment, s'Il yanked on the steering column, and instead of hitting the side behind the driver's side door, the sedan slammed directly into the driver's side door itself.

The sound of metal on metal, crunching and crumbling under such a sudden and powerful impact, could be heard throughout seemingly the entire block. The Twi'lek's car nearly folded as it was driven up onto the sidewalk, over the top of the unfortunate soul who'd been handing over money for goods, and through the glass windowpane of a holovid rental shop. Glass sprayed both speeders as they lumbered to a stop - a mass of twisted metal and cheap, b-grade holovid cases.

The sedan's engine housing was all but gone, jammed into the roof of the Brother's own speeder, which had flipped up on its' driver's side due to the force of the impact.

People yelled, ran from the sight, and some were already on their comms - no doubt calling up the Watch.

Alcohol was everywhere on the inside of the speeder, practically coating the entire interior. The whole inside reeked of it. And slumped against the steering wheel of the sedan, s'Il took in everything through a haze of jumbled thoughts - destroyed repulsors hissing as they vented gas, the sound of people gathering about, glass being crunched underfoot or tinking against metal as gravity pulled each shard down - she digested it all, her body unmoving and her eyes only barely open.

[Zem Vymes]

Screeching metal and busted glass drowned out the Twi'leki gangsta ballad. I dropped the gear down and let the repulsors whine. I hit the brakes as I peeled around the corner, drifting parallel to s'Il's now-compacted ghetto ride.

"Coruscant Watch, everybody stay back!" I was out of the car before it stopped rocking, my badge high where everyone could see.

What a frelling disaster.

Gone were the street beats and even the immediate sound of destruction. A horn sounded perpetually from the epicenter of the carnage. A blood-smeared Twi'leki head rested lifelessly against the steering column. The other gangster lay moaning incoherently. Both were better off than the Gran who had been on the corner. From the chest up, he lay leaning lifelessly into the Twi'leks' car. From the chest down, he was graffiti on the walls - pancaked between tons of durasteel and the building behind him. His blood mingled with spilled fuel, a river that carried glass shards down the gutter like a slurry from hell.

I pulled the driver away from the horn, leaning him back against his ruined seat, as I slipped two fingers below his jawline. A pulse - barely. The other guy was alive enough to make a little noise.

s'Il moaned from her own ruined ride. I got to her last, briefly checking on her before reaching into her mouth to wrench free the mouthguard; pocketing it.

"Tango three, I got a speeder crash at Fogent and 167th. Four casualties. One pedestrian, DOA. Two drivers and a passenger, all need medical attention. Send backup and an ambulance."

The reply came within seconds from my comm.

"Copy that, Commander. Dispatching to your position."

I put my comm away, and leaned into s'Il's busted window again, talking low.

"Keep it up, and take the ride to the pen. You'll walk in less than a day."

Glancing back to the dead Gran, my demeanor soured.

"Krasst. You just T-boned na'Parin."

With the Gran dead, my chances of tying up all the loose ends just got slimmer.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

The Lupine shifted slightly, moving only barely as she did her best to rouse herself.

"You said I could walk in the confusion," she barely managed to get out.

She did smile, however, at Vymes' last sentence - albeit a weak smile. Even if he wasn't as big a player as he made himself out to be, na'Parin dead only meant one less body to swat aside.

[Zem Vymes]

"And I thought you were gonna keep the collateral damage down!"

I still spoke to her in a whisper, but my anger and exasperation showed through gritted teeth.

I backed off from the car, taking a wide stroll around the carnage before I came back to it.

"Frell, frell....just..."

I popped the door open, easing the creaking metal aside, as I fished the lupine's seatbelt off, easing her from the car to the pavement.

"...get on your stomach. You gotta spend a night in the pen on this one. I can't sweep this any better."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

"You're exacerbating things," she grumbled through gritted teeth as he lowered her to the pavement.

She felt the duracrete beneath her, and free from the confines of the sedan s'Il shook her head. Her body bucked then, as she suddenly fought this new situation, and her free arm shot out to slap the pavement.

She had plans to make and people to see, and spending a night in a holding cell didn't factor in to any of that.

[Zem Vymes]

I was ready for the struggle, and my weight straddled the center of her mass, keeping her anchored to the ground. Unholstering my pistol, I pressed it into her ear hole, using my free hand to grab a tuft of hair and wrap around my wrist, rodeoing her face-flush and flat to the ground.

"You're about to make me have a bad day. Take the DUI slap, and don't make me hollow your gourd out! I got you dead-to-rights, so don't you frelling bluff me when I can see your cards! Stay down!"

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

"I could change you know... "

And yet she made no move, only laying still as she felt the weight of his body driving her down and the barrel of his blaster lodging itself nearly into her ear. Her free hand reached over then, and gently began pushing the blaster away.

[Zem Vymes]

Sirens blared in the distance, rapidly reaching a crescendo.

"Not with a hollowed-out brain box you won't."

She reached up to push my blaster away, and I pressed it back down.

"Hands at your sides."

I unwound my hand from her hair, and reached back for my cuffs. The sirens were filling the air with an electric scream now, and I could see the squad cars peeling down 167th, with a meat wagon in tow.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

s'Il complied somewhat tiredly, a sigh escaping her lips as she did as asked.

"You're enjoying this too much," she grumbled under her breath. "I bet you've been wanting to do this since the day we met."

The Lupine sucked in a breath, feeling the pressure of Vymes atop her as she pulled in air. She groaned then, and resting her forehead on the pavement s'Il let her body sag beneath the weight of the Watch officer.

[Zem Vymes]

"You drop the ball, screw the pooch, and manage to get me steamed? I may not be happy, but I'll take the consolation prize."

The cops arrived, as the cuffs ratcheted down on s'Il's wrists. Time for me to get back into professional mode. I greeted the beat cops with a nod each.

"This one made a run for it, and I put her down. She reeks of hooch, so it might not be rocket science to pin her with DUI."

The patrolmen cordoned off the scene and warded the bystanders away.

"All I had time for with those other three were the vitals. The Gran's a goner. Twi'lekis are in rough to worse shape. Who knows. We're gonna have to peel this boat off their ride to get a closer look."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Uttering not a word, she only lay on the duracrete pavement. The beating taken in the crash was more jarring than anything else, and while not quite as painful as her fall from earlier in the day it was the second accident in less than twelve hours. She'd have to rest.

She listened idly as Vymes spoke to the other officers, unmoving from her prone position, and closing her eyes she simply lay on the pavement. It'd been a long time since the Lupine had had the dubious honor of wearing any sort of restraints.

At least they aren't stuncuffs.

Letting out an incoherent mumble, s'Il laborously did her best to turn on her side and look upon the destruction she'd caused through half-closed eyelids.

[Zem Vymes]

"Commander..."

One of the beat cops motioned for my attention, drawing me away from s'Ilancy's prone form. I stepped away as the second took over babysitting the lupine, and strolled over to the crash epicenter.

"...these Twi'lekis have some product on them."

He passed me two baggies full of red dust, which I rolled about on my fingertips.

"Ryll. That's a misdemeanor's worth of possession, so what?"

The officer gestured to the back seat. I peered in, and saw two crates, one of which had spilled its contents of small, powder-filled baggies all over the floorboards and seat.

"Krasst, this isn't misdemeanor possession, it's felony distribution, and a major one. That's at least 50,000 credits on the streets."

"That high?"

He sounded shocked. Probably a rookie, or a 1-year cherry. I nodded in a distracted, matter-of-fact manner.

"Yeah. Depends on how it's cut. You can cook this crap up in a basement with a few UV lamps, manure, patience, and fold it in with the flavor of the week. Usually some kind of prescription anti-depressant, but I've seen them use anything from sugar to feminine hygiene powder. Well, that case was an oddball, but it sticks to the fundamentals.

Of course, that's from the cracker jack druggie's cookbook. Couple of tail-heads like these...five will get you ten this junk comes in on a slow boat from Ryloth. That's the real McCoy right there. No cut, no junk, nothing but a world of hurt. These tails probably came straight out of a cave back home too. Wanna bet a pack of smokes their Basic is worse than their taste in tattoos?"

He had a deer-in-the-headlights expression to my rambling insights. I wasn't asking his opinion anyway.

"Felony trafficking and distribution, eh? New faces on my precinct. I'd like to meet 'em. Get the driver to the docs, and patch him up. Go ahead and bring his vato to the station, along with the girl.

As for the grease stain...frisk what's left of him. He looks like a hood, so he might have been a dealer."

"I'm on it."

He turned to go to his cruiser, and turned back, grinning sheepishly.

"Hell of a DUI, eh? Popped the right couple of guys at the right time, didn't she?"

I cracked an agreeing smile back at the officer.

"Yeah, looks like she did. Don't know whether we should arrest her, or shake her hand."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Disgruntled, s'Il looked over her shoulder at Vymes as he stood a short distance away.

"I'll take the handshake, thank you!"

[Zem Vymes]

"I bet you will!"

I glared at her, as the other officer led her to his cruiser. I jerked my thumb at the door he opened in the back.

"Screw!"

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

The Lupine made a face at Vymes, but allowed the officer to guide her down into the back seat of the cruiser.

As the door closed however, s'Il looked at Vymes through the window, a somewhat wicked look coming to her eyes.

I may smell like it, but...

'I'm not drunk', she mouthed to Vymes.

Hopefully he'd get the message; after all, how would he explain how he ended up with her car, showed up to the scene of the crime so fast... and compounded with the fact that she was well below the legal drinking limit, the Watch Commander would have alot to explain if he didn't put forth his best effort in getting her out very quickly.

[Zem Vymes]

I stared her down, putting my hands on my hip as the officer opened his own door.

"Hey...sit tight a bit. Let him sweat, and let her pickle. I need a hand in peeling this boat back. You got a wench on your cruiser, right?"

He nodded.

"Alright, lets get dirty."

The repulsors whined, and the durasteel protested. Groaning metal scraped across screeching duracrete. The Twi'leki's driver-side door fell to the pavement with a thud. The Gran's flipside slid to the ground with a wet thump.

"Hey..."

I walked around the car, eyes fixated on the sliced and diced tripod.

"...I know that stiff. That's na'Parin. He's a bag man for the Lost Boys!"

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

She smirked then, as Vymes called the officer over to help him scrape na'Parin from the sidewalk. Just the look he'd given her had been enough to fill her expression with a smug 'I-told-you-so' look, and resting the side of her forehead on the glass, she watched absently as the two Watch officers continued on with their task.

Fingers curling in, she tapped idly at the metal coffs holding her hands behind her back before pulling away from the window, and with a content sigh the Lupine shifted positions. Leaning back, she reclined across the back seat, placing her boots leisurely up against the window.