Life and Death among The Brothers

[Bambi Maddox]

Coronet City, CORELLIA

The "Jewel of Corellia" at first failed to impress one as a megatropolis if you happened to be an inhabitant of Imperial Center. Or even if you had only visited the planet city formerly known as Coruscant. Coronet could not hope to compete with that famously bustling conglomeration of glittering durasteel giants and endlessly seething skylane traffic. In all fairness, the sheer formidableness of a planet entirely covered in cityscape could only dwarf other commercial population centers, such as Coronet, and all those like her.

However, Coronet was no backwash hick town either and - all comparing aside - was of its own right a nerve center of the Core Worlds. Capital city of the planet Corellia - one of five planets sometimes referred to as <i>The Five Brothers</i> - was well known for its large shipbuilding history, manufacturing and commercial enterprises and (less openly touted, though no less famous) its active pirate and smuggling routes within the Corellian Sector.

It was to this last characteristic of the planet to which Maddox's interests lay. Having arrived planetside that same evening, the Black Sun Assassin didn't give a rats tick as to the charms and attractions of the "Jewel." She had work to do and a limited time frame in which to do it. The planet's beaches and fertile forrests would have to wait for some other visit in which to tempt the paid killer away from the hustle and flow of the city streets.

A debt was owed and she was here to collect.

Maddox checked the datapad nestled comfortably in the palm of her hand. Her mark was a fat-cat banker who owed the Kasajian arm of the BS a substantial sum of deliquent protection payments. "Back taxes" Bambi referred to them affectionately.

Didn't really matter what you called it. It was all dead man's money now anyway.

Maddox lit a cigarette and savored it as she eyed the city's nighttime skyline.


Didn't look much like a Jewel to her.

[Ezra]

--- Planet Selonia : Corell System One standard day prior ---


With a low hum, the rectangular door of the cargo bay descended from it’s locked position beneath the custom freighter Empress Marva. Light from the hanger bay where she sat began to seep inside and slowly as the opening widened so did the illumination of the interior brighten widely.

Hitting the switch to start the high pitched whine of the speeder’s power up, the pilot turned to look into the young and pleading eyes of his own daughter. “Please Alexi…..don’t look at me like that.” The dark haired man asked softly. They had been together since her mother, his wife died. That was at her birth. The girl almost turned fully in her seat to face him when Ezra put the speeder into gear and the craft lurched forward and slowly made it’s way down the ramp and onto the floor of the bay below.

“Then why are you sending me away?? I want to stay with you.” Alexi again pleaded with him. Trying to make him see her case against this separation. “I am not sending you away Alexi. I am hiding you from …them.” Was her father’s only answer as they sped from the spaceport and toward where ever it was he planned on taking her. “They don’t know about me father.” Her retort came rather defensively and almost insinuated he was an idiot. Ezra’s frustration was becoming more and more apparent. “Not yet they don’t Alexi, But that agent we ran into on Ord Mantell last week changed my mind about how much they forgot about me. He got close ok? Too frelling close which made me force my hand to keep us safe.”

Looking back at her father from where she had turned away to look at something else, Alexi sighed. “You didn’t have to kill him. You could have used the force to make him…you know, make him do something he didn’t know he wanted to do?? Make him stupid?” If only the girl knew. If he had done that, more trouble would have come from it than good.

“Alexi, If I had used the force to do that easy deception, I would have given us away and they surely would know about you since I was hiding you behind me when he confronted us. He saw you….” Ezra held her gaze with his own for a few seconds to emphasize what he meant. “Okay, okay….maybe they would have. But still we handled all the things life threw at us together. Sending me to hide while you face it isn’t right.” Sometimes Ezra forgot his daughter was only ten. Yet she thought like a person much older than she was. “I know sweetheart. But you will be safe where I’m taking you. They are friends, they will look after you till I come for you.” Ezra reached over with his right hand and caressed her cheek then let his hand gently touch the top of her head. “I promise, I will come back for you.”

The girl gave a small smile that said she understood but didn’t have to like it. It was over an hour till they reached the small dwelling where she met her surrogate family till her father came back for her. They were good people, she could tell with her intuition. Ezra was right, she would be safe.

Saying goodbye to Alexi was the hardest thing he had ever done in his life. She was the only thing that remained of his wife and himself should the agents find him. She promised to keep with her force training exercises as he showed her. And he left her with his lightsaber he had made when he was a padawan under Master Quan-Yin during the clone wars. In a holster on his hip was another he had made. And disguised it as a blaster with a collapsible grip which folded into the shaft when he needed to use it.

Ezra told her it might take a while, but not to give up on them being together again. Then he was off.



--- Planet Corellia, Corel System City of Coronet ---

The Empress Marva was berthed in Bay 16. Ezra was walking to his next courier mission with a man who needed supplies delivered to an undisclosed planet. That meant smuggling. Weapons, medical or replenishing supplies for a possible war torn people or organization. Sometimes it was a person or a couple of them. Whatever it was Ezra rarely declined an opportunity.

The city of Coronet, the capital of his homeworld. A world he had not set foot on for nearly most of his life. He left at the age of seven to begin his training at the Jedi Temple and was paired off with the Mirialan Jedi Master Quan Yin. And that fateful day when Order 66 was given, his life completely changed as did his Identity.

Today, he still knows not if his family here was left alone, or if they had become victims of that treachery. Looking around, the city had indeed grown and majority of it did not look familiar at all. Still the Jedi turned freighter captain walked on toward his meeting place. Although he lived on the run most of his adult life, one would think Ezra would be used to the chase. But over the passed few years with Alexi, the man got careless in his vigil to stay hidden. And now even as he tried to look casual, he was slightly failing as paranoia crept on him.

Fear was the mind killer, and if he didn’t stem this it could mean his life should an agent be here. Taking a deep breath, Ezra let it out slowly and let a calm wash over him. Relax, and stay alert. Stay alert, and stay alive. Taking a glance left, then right and Ezra continued on.

[Bambi Maddox]

"See, this is the problem in a nut shell.."

Maddox was taking a reasonable tone. And why shouldn't she? She was the one holding the sword.

"..its just a waste of everybody's time. Mine, yours, the Vigo's"

She tapped the tip of the blade on the surface of the onyx-slate desk. Sitting across from her, eyes agog and mouth taped shut, Theodore Madrishin could only perspire profusely, being strapped immobile into his chair with cords, as he was.

"And you know that old saying, 'time is money' - well, turns out that saying's true. Go figure"

Ok, now her tone was just a tad on the flippant side, though that was no doubt not the most pressing concern of Mr. Madrishin. There were probably one or two other worries, such as --where the frell were his body guards? or maybe, how had this blonde lunatic gotten access to his very private, very unlisted offices.

"What was I saying? Oh yeah..money. Where is it Theo?"

His eyes, try as he might, could not refrain from flicking left. Maddox tilted her head to her offside to follow the line of vision. A portrait of some fat ugly dame was the only thing of note.

Bambi smiled.

A deft flick of her wrist and the lethal steel was driven up, point-first into Theodore Madrishin's fleshy throat. The dull sheen of the blade was gradually coated in crimson as each shocked pump of Theos heart pushed his lifes blood through the new hole in his neck. It was a steady oozing more than a gush as the sword was still in place. This achieved two things - first it was a slower death, the victim had time to contemplate and perhaps repent of his sins; the second (and the more important) was that it was less messy. No spurting bloody geizers to spray all over her and thus make for awkward questions at a later time.

Leaving Madrishin to fade into eternity in his plush desk chair, Maddox crossed over the the fat lady's portrait. Lifting it, she found a safe (no surprise there) and using a small plastic explosive blew the thing open.

It was empty. Ok. Surprise.

She spun around to see the light extinguish in Theo's eyes. Ok, mistake number one - "Dont kill the guy til you got the money, Maddox you blonk"

There was only one thing to do. Moving with unprofessional haste, Bambi started rummaging through every drawer, compartment and possible hiding place looking for Sorsha's money.

Nothing.

Frell.

Maddox glowered at the fat lady painted indulgent and smug. And then after a moment, her scowl changed to puzzlement. The fat lady had a volume of The Lords of Selonia in her hand. Bambi had just seen that same book when she was ransacking the office.

Bottom drawer, lower left.

Lifting the book from its place triggered a hidden panel in the wall behind where the late Theodore slumped, revealing a secondary safe. Another plastic explosive later and bingo! Back Taxes.

Grabbing everything that was in the safe and stuffing it into a small satchel, which Bambi slung over her back, the Black Sun assassin retrieved her sword, wiped it on Theos 800-cred suite sleeve and headed for the door.

The minute Maddox stepped through the threshold of the office doorway and out into the corridor a cacophony of alarms went off through out the building. And somewhere, amongst all the bells and clanging, Bambi was sure she heard a lady's voice singing burglary! O, burglary!

Maddox just knew it was that ugly fat lady..And bolted off down the hallway.

[Ezra]

The place of meeting was an emporium of rare and unusual items. Things dating back a few hundred years sat on shelves ready to be sold for an insane amount to the needful collector. Most of the products here should’ve been displayed in a museum of sorts, but Ezra figured the shop owner came about these trinkets by the underground or black market.

How many worlds must’ve lost their most revered icons, or something from their history. Only to be placed here collecting dust on these shelves. The renegade jedi shook his head slightly at the thought and had turned to face the noise made by the man who entered the shop.

“Can I help you?”

Dark eyes measured the man standing before the jedi turned courier. “Yeah, I’m here to see Madrix about the medical supply run he’s got offered.”

The younger man narrowed his eyes slightly and stepped up to the service desk . “Look sir, We are an antique and rare items dealer….we do not advertise for courier runs.” Nice try and it would’ve work had he been any other simpleton, but Ezra was anything but. Ezra lofted an eyebrow and brought a hand up holding a data card between two fingers. “That’s not what Madrix sent me.”

The worker had reached over and taken the card from the other man and looked at it. Turned it this way and that then pursed his lips and turned to face the computer set up behind him. After the card was inserted, a few beeps and the young man quickly stopped the inquiring programs and got the card back from the small slit where he had slipped it only seconds before. Looking at Ezra, the worker slid the card across the desktop and gestured for the door behind him with a jerk of his head. “He’s that way.”

Ezra stepped through the opened entryway and followed the corridor where it turned to the left and then right after a few feet. A closed door was his only obstacle and Ezra went ahead and through. Madrix sat at a table on a comfortable plush chair. “Good to see you decided to take the job.” The fat man spoke from his seated position. The jedi turned courier held up his hand to stall any more from him. “No one said anything about me taking the job.” Ezra retorted. “ Before I say yes, I want to know about possible obstacles from whatever organization I might face during my run.”

Madrix fiddled with his hands and looked as though he was trying to find a lie. “Well…..w-w-w-we could have….more maybe than will…have a tad bit of an Imperial interest should any information leak out.”

Ezra sighed. That was not what he needed right now. “I was wondering why it was such a lot of money to run this supposed medical supplies.” Running a hand through his hair, the dark haired freighter captain shook his head. “Sorry Madrix, right now I don’t need any trouble from the Imperials.” The fat man looked hurt and angered. “We need someone to make this run, and you are the one I know of most qualified. There are people who are counting on this shipment.” That meant not only was there probable medical supplies, but weapons as well. He knew of a few factions the Empire was fighting but the only one that struck him hard was the Rebellion.

“I’m sorry, I have trouble of my own right now and Imperial interference would make it all the more difficult for me.” Before exiting, Ezra turned towards Madrix one last time. “Maybe once I get this trouble passed me I will take the next run.”

“If there is a next run.” The fat man said in quick reply. Hinting at that might be the only job he would give the “on the run” jedi.

Back on the streets, Ezra headed back to the bay where the Empress Marva sat waiting.

[Bambi Maddox]

She had, of necessity, taken the stairwell - the building turbolifts having automatically gone to "shut down" as part of the alarm system.

Most fortunately, Maddox had to go up and not down, her speeder bike having been parked on the roof of the building rather than at ground level. It was atleast a hundred floors to the street, and Maddox did not fancy having to make such a trek. A pinch of forethought saved a pound of trouble as her grandmother always used to say. Or was it Grym who said that? It sounded more like a granny-ism than something a grand Assassin might say, but what did it matter. Grym or Gran, fact was Maddox atleast had saved herself a great deal of effort.

Bursting out through the exit doors, Bambi spilled onto the roof in a flurry of pumping limbs as she ran full throttle to her bike. She could hear the sirens of the Police responding to the building alarm - their wheeling coloured lights clearly visible in the distance. Maddox leapt onto the bike seat and roared the engine to life. In half a heart beat she was off the building and nose-diving down into the busy Coronet spacelanes. Trailing after her were the sirens and lights of three police vehicles. Soon there would be more. She had to loose them all, and fast.

Scooting lower than she normally would dare, Maddox skimmed her powerful craft through the streets at pedestrian level, weaving in and out of streets and alleys making herself a very difficult target to track.

One particularly dark alcove opened up into what proved a broader courtyard that had a narrow alley leading into, and out off its center. Maddox darted down it and into a shadowed overhang.

The overhang, too, proved to be more than what it first appeared and Bambi pried off the flimsy lock with her sword, enabling her to back her bike deep into a ceramics workshop. Catching her breath amidst the stacked urns, jugs and naked statues, the Black Sun assassin watched the alcove for any sign of entry by the pursuing authorities.

[Ezra]

During his walk back, Ezra pondered on how long it would probably take to get back to his daughter. What he would have to do to get the agents off his back now that they figured out where he was…..or so he thought. One thing that bothered the freighter captain was his previous conversation with Madrix.

The way the fat man’s voice had changed. How his demeanor went completely another way. Stopping for a second a few blocks away from the building he was at, Ezra had turned to look back and after a few seconds shook his head and continued on. It was then he heard sirens coming out of the normal sounds of the city. Could it be they followed him? No….Then an icy chill went through his very being…Madrix!

Maybe turning him down was not such a good idea come to think of it. Ezra would not have figured him to have ratted him out like that. After all, Ezra did say something of having trouble with the Imperials though he had failed to say what. Maybe Madrix thought it poetic justice for having the freighter captain, in his own opinion make the fat man look like a fool. So to pay him back gave him to the Imperials.

As the sirens got closer, Ezra took off running. Looking back, he saw the first speeder take the distant corner onto the street he was currently on. Taking a left into the first opening of escape, Ezra headed down a small alleyway. Entering a larger courtyard, his head turned to the left and right frantically looking for a place to take shelter. And noticed the businesses were of course closed for the night. All except one whose lock was not where it should be. So the closet jedi took the only option he was given and ran in, leaning against the inner wall and worked on slowing his breathing. Only to slowly turn his head to face the other occupant he had failed to see on his mad dash in.

[Bambi Maddox]

"Shhhh" Maddox held a finger up to her lips, then tipped it downward to point at the blaster she had levelled at Ezra's chest in her other hand.

This joker had almost bumped right into her. If she couldn't see the blue and red glow of the police lights as they were cast lengthwise down the alley and into the courtyard, she'd light him up right there and then. Lucky for him, the police were just around the corner.

"Dont move" she kept her voice low.

In the dark, it was hard to make out the man's features. Dark hair, dark eyes, that was about all she got. Sheesh, it was bad enough trying to see with one eye, let alone distinguish details in such gloom. Sometimes this patch proved more a trail than at others.

In the distance they could hear voices. The cops were figuring out their options -- divide and cover more ground, though that would make them more vunerable. Or stay in one larger force and hope they got lucky. Maddox preferred the first option as it seemed impossible to her that they would not investigate into this courtyard. She stood a better chance in an free-for-all shoot-out the less weapons that were aimed at her.

And then of course, there was the half-blind night crawler here. What was he doing skulking around? Obviously, he was hiding too.

She sized him up in a quick once-over.
"You know how to shoot?"

[Ezra]

"Shhhh" Maddox held a finger up to her lips, then tipped it downward to point at the blaster she had levelled at Ezra's chest in her other hand. "Don’t move."

Ezra did as she asked. Inwardly kicking his own rear, the jedi turned courier chastised himself for that major blunder. Running in without sizing the situation, big mistake on his part. Dark eyes just stared back at the woman sitting on the speeder bike. All he had to do was use the force, call his saber from it’s resting spot on his belt ignite and take out her weapon. But something told him to hold tight, the situation could turn to their favor.

The lights of the enforcers lit the area and now troops were moving about in search of him. But why was she hiding? Could they be after her after all? Or did she think they were but actually after him? Eyebrows furrowed in total confusion at the scene building there and Ezra pushed it back in his mind for now to focus on the important thing….getting out in one piece.

Then the stranger asked. "You know how to shoot?"

Ezra, still silent, nodded in response at first. And in a soft voice spoke. “Yes, I can shoot.”

[Bambi Maddox]

His confirmation sounded somewhat dubious to Maddox. It held a hint of reservation though she couldn't decide if it was because he was lying, or that he could indeed shoot, but preferred not to.

But there was no time to clarify.

"Its gonna get busy in here pretty soon, good-lookin'. So either come to the party with your blaster, or stay outta my way."

Coronet didn't like trouble and had a reputation of law enforcement hardliners that let their weapons do the talking. If they came in, there would be a body count for sure.

Bambi tensed, then flexed, her fingers around her bike throttle - clearly preparing to shoot forward like a bull at a gate and plough through any resistance, should it come. She spared a rueful smile for Ezra, "I'd atleast get my gun in hand, if I were you"

[Ezra]

"Its gonna get busy in here pretty soon, good-lookin'. So either come to the party with your blaster, or stay outta my way."

Ezra turned his head to watch the men slowly making their way through out the area. Scouring the courtyard and the surrounding shops. Blasters out and ready. The place they were hiding in kept them out of sight for now, and Ezra edged closer to the speeder bike the unknown woman was on.

As Ezra turned back to look at the stranger, she smiled at him and added.. "I'd at least get my gun in hand, if I were you"

With a look that said ‘oh yeah.’ Ezra produced the customized cylindrical looking blaster. The security force kept getting closer and closer. Noticing the fingers of the female gripping the throttle, Ezra had a good idea she would bolt if they got too close for comfort. Taking the opportunity to not get left behind to face these men, Ezra swung his leg over the back and sat behind her. Weapon ready, he trained it on the approaching men.

[Bambi Maddox]

Instead of being angry for Ezra helping himself onto her bike, Maddox smiled, liking his attitude.

"Hang on"

The bike shot forward, forcing Ezra to grip on to tightly in order to avoid lurching backward and coming off altogether.

At the same instant Bambi fired off a round of blaster bolts at the open doorway - timing it perfectly as the first enforcer stepped into it, momentarily silohetted against the red and blue lights before his head demolished in a red-laser flash.

She swung her gun-hand right and volleyed off some more shots as they exploded out of the building and into the courtyard.

Returning fire from somewhere back down the alley made her sweep hard left, tilting the bike and the two riders almost horizontally in effort to avoid being hit.

Her hair whipped wildly about her head and Ezra could hear her laughing.

[Ezra]

Once Ezra was perfectly perched upon the back end of the speeder bike, the woman glanced back with a smile. “Hang on.”

Ezra didn’t have to be told twice. His arm snaked around her waist just in time for the forceful jolt from their take off which would have launched him from the bike had he not done so. The first enforcer to step into the line she chose died instantly as a volley of energy bolts flew forth from the muzzle of her weapon triggered.

Once out of the shop they were hiding in, the female shot more shots to the right. Ezra fired his shots left to keep the others busy taking cover as they made for the alley. Ezra brought his free arm in as they tipped sideways and hung on. Dark eyes squinted as they picked up speed, and ezra could hear his new found friend laughing as if she were enjoying it. Leaning forward, Ezra spoke so she could hear. “Bay sixteen……I have a ship waiting if you want off this planet.”

[Bambi Maddox]

The immediate shift in direction the bike took indicated Maddox had heard Ezra and had accepted his proposal. She boosted speed with a shift in gear and the machine responed with a masculine whine that was music to her ears.

They'd left the inital knot of enforcers behind them, shooting off their blasters after the pair into the night, but Maddox had not forgotten that there was probably a second group. Some where, there would be an interceptory force which might be around any bend.

Alternately swooping up skyward - skimming the lengths of the towering Coronet buildings, then plunging down low to street level again to skirt sidewalks and pedestrian passes, the Assassin did her best to take the advantage that came from an erratic and fast-moving target.

She hoped her passenger had a strong stomach for such aerobatics.

[Ezra]

The driver of the bike took to the skyline. Gaining altitude really fast and pulling off some maneuvers even he had to give her credit for. Being a pilot himself, Ezra could handle what she dished out in the aerial acrobatics. Occasionally he would look around to see if they had a tail in the ways of a pursuit force, but so far….so good.

As they neared the city sector where the spaceport could be seen, Ezra caught the movement of what they were trying to avoid. An interceptor slid out of a cross street as they plunged from the heights of a skyscraper they had just climbed. Looking back, Ezra decided the only way to divert them was to do something he swore he would never do. Harm the innocent.

Lifting his arm, Ezra pointed his hand at a speeder, which just passed them in the opposite direction and reached out with the force. As it enveloped the vehicle, Ezra shifted its trajectory a bit causing it to slip into a swerve that made it crash into the interceptor. The speeder he manipulated spun and veered off to the right. The interceptor took a different path and angled into a building wall. Their pursuer had been taken out. Looking back over the woman’s shoulder, Ezra pointed to the distant spaceport and their ticket off world.

[Bambi Maddox]

Maddox idled the bike through the spaceport at a respectable pace, following Ezra's direction to Bay 16 and held it steady while he remotely accessed the Empress Marva's onboard computer to lower the boarding ramp.

A nod and a tap from him and Maddox took the invitation to board, bringing the speeder bike to a final stop just inside the ships gleaming hull.

Ezra lifted himself off the seat behind her and came round for a propper introduction. Maddox greeted him with the business end of her blaster.

The little trick he used to rid them of the bothersome interceptor had not been missed by Bambi, and she didn't know why, but it made her uncomfortable. And that made her mistrust him. Its not that she didnt like force-users, persay. Its just she never really met one before.

"You a forcie then, are ya?"

Her one good eye glinted candidly at him

[Ezra]

As he had come around to the bike driver, she held a blaster aimed at his gut. Ezra stopped short and gave the blaster a half second glance but the wielder is what he held his gaze upon. Could this be because he might have brought the law enforcers down upon her position? Or was it because he jumped on board without asking permission first? But hadn’t he volunteered to be the courier to give her a ride off world in the end?

But it was her question that cancelled all of the questions that filtered his head. So she had figured it out. Ezra wouldn’t take anything away from her, she was not your “run of the mill” outsider. This woman was more than he knew.

Ezra knew he could easily take the blaster from her with the opening of his hand and the use of the force, but he didn’t. Ezra was expressionless and silent for a bit, taking in the situation before answering.

“I am.” The dark eyed man replied. “And I assure you I am no threat to you.” He continued. “But my being a force user will be of no consequence if the enforcers figure out we are here…… I suggest we get off world as quickly as possible.”

[Bambi Maddox]

She swayed her blaster hand away with a flourish. "Dont let me hold up the bus" she declared, and reholstered the weapon.

This was going to be an interesting trip home. A real live forcie. So very interesting.

Maddox swung one long leg off the bike and, after seeing it secured properly in the hold, she followed down the corridor Ezra had headed down in order to join him in the cockpit.

[Ezra]

Ezra had plopped himself down onto the pilot’s seat, and began to set about getting busy for take off preparations. As the dark haired man moved his hands about the console surface tapping buttons, flicking switches, checking and re-checking systems he took a lingering glance at the empty seat next to him. The seat where his daughter usually sat chatting away or sometimes helped him out. The space within his heart felt heavy at the loss of her presence.

The moment was brought to an abrupt stop as the intriguing woman he ran into at that one darkened shop slid into the chair next to him. Getting back to the systems, Ezra was satisfied at the results and slipped the comm-set onto his head. Adjusting the small boom mic jutting out of the ear piece, Ezra spoke clearly.

“Empress Marva requesting clearance for take off.”

<shhk> The quick burst of static came over the comm before the disembodied voice followed. “Stand by Empress Marva…” <shhk>

Ezra wondered if the alert for them had gone citywide. If it did, security measures would be placed and they would be grounded till searches were conducted. Taking a deep breath, Ezra let it out slowly. Then the static burst shot through the earpiece again. “Empress Marva, you have checked and are cleared for flight.”

Ezra smiled casually at his passenger and set the modified transport skyward. Clouds raced by and the faint glow of atmosphere settled into the void of space. As he set the coordinates for a quick jump, Ezra tuned into the planetary frequency. The security measures had now been placed and all ships planet side were grounded till further notice. Smirking, Ezra tapped the button which caused the stars to blur and sent them off into hyperspace. Turning to his accomplice, Ezra settled more comfortably into his chair.

“That was cutting it a little too close for my tastes.”

[Bambi Maddox]

"Ehh" Maddox shrugged carelessly.

"You live or you die" she quipped. "Sooner or later, luck runs out for everyone - just ask those guys we clipped tonight"

She lifted one booted foot and folded it to rest at right angles on her knee.

"You got anything to drink on this crate, handsome?"

[Ezra]

"You live or you die" she quipped. "Sooner or later, luck runs out for everyone - just ask those guys we clipped tonight"

As the pilot busied himself with the last second adjustments to the nav-computer, Ezra spoke softly in response. “I don’t believe in luck…” Finishing his task, the dark haired man faced her with a slight turn in his chair. “…And as for them enforcers, it was life or death…and I for one am not ready to face the great beyond just yet.”

That’s when the one eyed beauty asked for an easy thing. "You got anything to drink on this crate, handsome?"

Nodding with a smirk, Ezra stood from his chair. “Sure do, I’ll be right back.”

Walking down the short corridor from the piloting station to the back cabin, Ezra stepped up to the small refrigeration unit and pulled out a long, thin sifter with an amber liquid in it. Producing two white frosted drinking cups, he poured the contents into the twin containers and began to head back to the cockpit after placing the sifter back where he got it from.

Entering the piloting station, Ezra handed the cup to Bambi. “Seems to me that this is more in needs than a simple drink of water.” Settling into his chair, Ezra sipped the contents and each swallow had been followed by a slight inhale between his teeth. The rum had a punch as well as being something of the illegal spirits. “Sorry about bringing you into this. Probably should have run down the other alley way instead of the one you were in.”

Ezra offered in apologies as to the night’s events. Little did he know it wasn’t him they were actually after.

[Bambi Maddox]

"And just what is "this" you've brought me into?" she asked, tipping back the rum and peering at him over the glass rim.

The guy defintely seemed to be on the edge. Running for your life will do that to a man. She wondered who from and for how long Ezra had been running in order for him to assume the enforcers were after him.

[Ezra]

Funny, this woman did not at all show any surprise or anger with being brought into his troubles. Even his apology was met with an intriguing, yet confusing demeanor. Odd for someone he had bumped into in a strange place indeed. Now that he thought about it, she was hiding on a speeder bike…in a place she was not supposed to be. Now that Ezra had no reason to think on the fly, he could actually figure stuff out instead of figure a way to escape.

Instead of answering her question immediately, he went right into another. “ Tonight, in the small market square…those enforcers….I thought they were after me, sent by one whom had sought my services which I turned down…..sent after being informed of my ‘unique’ circumstances.” Ezra sipped from the glass and placed it on the console nearest him.

“They were after you weren’t they?” Placing his elbow on the arm rest of the chair, and resting his head upon his open palm, Ezra remained relaxed and in no way took a threatening posture when he asked… “What did you do?”

[Bambi Maddox]

Her eyebrow arched and the corner of her mouth tugged up in a grin.

"Startin' to catch up now, aren't ya sport"

She wondered when he'd register the fact she'd been hiding in the first place.

Maddox leaned forward conspiritor-style, "Im not as innocent as I look"

She gave him a wink.

[Ezra]

Ezra smirked and took another swig of the alcohol content in his glass finishing it off. Placing the glass on an adjacent console, the pilot looked over at his “companion by circumstance” and arched an eyebrow. “None of us are…” He explained with the knowledge of his lessons from the Jedi Purge. “…Not even children.”

The last part made him think back of the younglings slaughtered all for the sake of a madman’s whim. Who till this day hunts him and the rest of his comrades down. “It is a lesson I learned long ago when I was much younger.”

Ezra busied himself with the controls, setting up for a jump. “By the way, my name is Ezra.” He figured it was time to introduce names since they would be together in his ship for however long it would be. Turning to the woman, Ezra poised his fingers over the buttons of the nav-com. “So….anywhere in particular you would like to go?”

[Bambi Maddox]

Maddox would need eventually to head to Iskaayuma on Rodia and meet with Sorsha in her private office. She had, after all, gotten the money owed the Black Sun Vigo and sent a clear message to any who thought they might try deferring payment. Debts got paid, or lives got took. Quite simple really.

But Bambi would need first to confirm the Vigo would be on Rodia when she arrived. And that she could accomplish through a contact the Black Sun had in Bespin.

"Hows about we head to Cloud City, Ezra..they got Casino's there dont they? I think you're luck's startin' to come good at last now that you've met me"

She grinned broadly at that.

"Name is Maddox, by the way. Its a pleasure to meet ya"

[Ezra]

“Cloud City it is. As for the casinos? I have never really stopped off there before so I wouldn’t know. But it sounds like a lovely adventure.” Ezra said with a smirk. Keying in the coordinates for Bespin, Ezra turned the smirk to a smile when she spoke of his luck changing now that he had her company. Maybe it would. That would definitely be a plus to all this running. And maybe, just maybe he could go back soon and get his daughter as he promised.

“Maddox.” Ezra repeated.

Saying it to burn it into his memory. “Well, Maddox…..our course is set. Will take a little while to arrive, so might as well make yourself at home till we reach Bespin.” And with that Ezra punched it and the stars outside blurred and turned into a kaleidoscope of silver as the Empress Marva jumped into hyperspace.