Gods and Monsters: Thoroughfare

[Gav Mortis]

Twelve miles were what separated Gav from Hanna, the capital of Chandrila and ten of those miles is nothing but a vast sea of grassy plains and gentle, rolling hills. It would seem all rather quaint and aesthetic but the long-awaited, ravaging monsoon had arrived to sustain the endless fields of tall crop and thus the comfortably stable income of the Hanna cultivators. This picturesque landscape, tainted by the grey smokescreen of dull cloud and heavy mist with the relentless summer downpour was hardly what Gav had been expecting to find en route to the farming planet.

He had taken the guise of a New Republic economist who was on his way to dish out the quarterly financial report to the major agricultural firms in Hanna. Transported along the Perlemian Trade Route with a host of other such finance guru's, the long hours of unbridled chit-chat concerning the state of agricultural affairs within the New Republic had reminded the Sith of how fortunate he was. Luckily, he was able to manipulate the one-track minds of such people so that his words were the equivalent of rays of sunshine beaming from a bantha's behind.

Now he found himself trekking over muddy hills and through water-logged fields; pushing himself through several acres of soaking Geeta Reeds, man-high and so densely packed it took Gav twice as long to cover the distance. He couldn't have chosen clothes less-suited for the occasion, draped in attire suited for a moderately warm evening in the harvest season. A composition of thick, heavy materials. Suitably tall, dark boots, baggy canvas trousers and long flowing jacket of an ochre shade of brown and a dark brown headress, draped over his head and across the bridge of his nose and mouth, loosely wrapped about his neck.

After two and a half hours of trudging through mud, leaping drainage ditches and navigating treacherous crop fields, Gav finally came to a dirt track which would lead to a public path and hopefully to the road leading into Hanna. The rain had eased off a little and in the distance where the sky was a brighter shade of grey, would be found the night lights of Hanna city.

Now that Gav had left the crop fields behind, the silence of the public path was eerie as opposed to the therapeutic sound of Geeta Reeds swaying in unison, which resembled the sound of the waterfall near Lake Porelli on Corellia. All that could be heard was the crunching of the stones under his boots as he walked and the resultant squelching of water in his boots. After another half hour of walking, Gav arrived at Hanna in a dreadfully foul mood.

After a trip on the intercity repulsor-rail, which took him into the heart of the mini-metropolis, he followed a security guard into the public toilets of the station and after a few minutes inside, left wearing a comfortable, new security attire. The gentleman from whom he took it will have to tolerate the agonising discomfort of soaked canvas and squelching boots once he is revived. Gav stopped at an info-point, an interface providing a map of the city and all key locations.

"There," He thought his finger coming up to the screen, "H.H.C - Holonet Hanna Central"

Despite Holonet being a secure channel for communications, that is not to say that the planetary juristiction, being the New Republic would approve of someone communicating with someone, say, in Imperial Centre. If anyone was caught contacting a member of the Empire there would be uproar and controversy throughout the city and legal authorities would trace the source of the call in an instant. That was exactly the opposite of what Gav was after.

[Gav Mortis]

It was rather difficult to negotiate ones way through the city center without getting wet and Gav had suffered enough rain for one evening. He weaved his way from various shelters and doorways to prevent getting too wet, he didn't want to look like a drowned swamp rat when he arrived at the holonet complex. As with any other city's centre of communication, H.H.C. would have more than sufficient means of security and to affectively manipulate someone's mind, it helps to look the part and in the least bit peculiar. Soaked to the bone would classify as looking peculiar.

"You the new guy sent in to take over Ol' Macey's shift?" Grunted a large, dark-skinned man standing tall before a walk-through sensor, his presence arrogant and imposing.

"That would be me-" Answered Gav, when the man-mountain glanced at a picture and then stared judgingly at him, that was when Gav caught his eye, "-and you won't need to clear this up with anyone."

He smiled when the security gaurd idly idly echoed, "Yeah that's right, I don't need to clear this up."

"I can go right ahead and take my weapons with me" The Sith added, his icy stare penatrating the man's eyes, his words imprinted on the back of his mind.

"Go right ahead and take your weapons with you." He repeated once again, then deactivated the sensor for a moment whilst Gav walked through.

"I'll have a pleasant evening," Gav said, walking off and grinned when the man called back, "You have a pleasant evening now!"

"Oh I will," thought Gav and with a smile slid the keycard he'd just taken into his shirt pocket.

The only way to make sure the call goes untraced is to use the holonet system in someone's office in the upper levels and if that doesn't work then at least someone else will take the blame for contacting a member of the Empire. It would be a cruel thing to do to an honest, hard-working citizen; not that it mattered to Gav of course.

After taking a turbolift to the eigth floor, Gav stepped out and took a look up and down the corridoor, then made his way down to the right, nodding to one of his fellow security gaurds who under normal circumstances would question him as to why he was patrolling his area. But for some odd reason, he didn't really seem to notice him.

Room 812. Gav swiped his clearance card down a slot to the right of the door and it immediatly opened. Inside it was dark, so in an effort not to attract any unwanted atention, Gav left the lights off and unclipped his flashlight. Under the scrutiny of the torch's light he finally came across the pannel to activate the office's Holonet channel.

<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#00FF00 ">_please enter member password...</FONT>

Closing his eyes Gav rested his hands upon the holonet pannel and shifted his perception of reality and becoming attuned to the Force utilized it to help him concentrate on the past. "Earlier today, the man who works here, a young man contacted his wife to tell her to pick up their daughter from school as he was going to be working late...further back....further....there!" Gav saw in the recess of his mind, the sight of the pannel before him and a faint hand moving over the keys in the appropriate sequence. Unconciously, Gav's fingers followed the vision and he typed in the password.

<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#00FF00">********

_password accepted.

_please enter appropriate holonet channel...

CST-109-767-IMP-1.553.154.009.160

_contacting host please wait...

_connection established...</FONT>

Gav stood, watching in the dark for an answer.

[Darth Viscera]

"A call for you, my lord," came the voice of Pshing through the tinny intercom. Pshing was an Imperial adjutant. One of many.

"And why is this call deserving of the attentions of the Diktat?" he retorted.

"My lord, the call is originating from within Republic space. We are not sure where exactly, but it passed through the Yag'Dhul hub."

"Fine. Patch it here," he conceded, and the light on his HoloNet transceiver turned green. His command chair spun about, leaving the peaceful scene of Imperial Center behind, and he noticed the image of the caller.

Unconsciously, he stood.
"Master Gav, my friend. The last time we spoke, I had no legs. Oh, is it raining there?"

[Gav Mortis]

"Hello again Viscera." He replied, keeping his voice as quiet as possible without whispering, he frowned with irritance, "Yes, it's monsoon season in Hanna unfortunately."

The Diktat's image was no taller than eight inches on the small HoloNet projector before him, Gav neared the pannel, took a brief glance at the door as he heard footsteps outside. He waited until the gaurd had passed and had moved further up the coridoor before continuing.

"We have no time for catching up I'm afraid, so I'll be brief. I need to speak with you as soon as possible, I have a proposition to make with the Empire. That is all I will say for the time being.

If you do agree to hear what I have to say, then I need to get to Coruscant. A source has informed me that within an hour a shuttle will be leaving for Coruscant, full of Imperial spies disguised as tradesmen. If this is true is there any way for you to get me onboard? I need to get off Chandrila quickly."

[Darth Viscera]

The Diktat tapped keys on his console, observing the state of Intelligence on Chandrila. Sure enough, a cell was in Hanna, and would be departing shortly via their safe house.

"Master Gav, your sources are quite good. Of course I will hear you out. Come to the Flying Oxen, and speak to a man by the name of Brix. He is in Hanna under the guise of a pet shop owner. The necessary identification cards will be prepared for you."

[Gav Mortis]

"Understood." Gav replied quietly, "I will-"

Startled, Gav looked back at the door, the right side of his face lit up a bright red and his eyes widened in shock at the recently activated forcefield blocking his exit. Hastily he looked back and finished, "-see you soon!"

He terminated the call and looked about the room, there was no way out other than the window, but he was eight floors up. This place had high security but obviously didn't feel the need to erect forcefields on their windows. He could hear the alarm sounding throughout the building, it screamed loud enough to attract the attention of the entire city, he'd attracted enough attention as it is and did not want anyone on his trail. Taking the blaster - that came complimentary with the security attire - from his hip, he scanned the room for visual or audio sensors, thankfully there where no audio sensors but there was a camera positioned in one corner which he should've taken care of earlier. With one shot he took it out and it exploded into a cascade of metal shards and blue sparks.

Unfortunately this meant he hadn't heard anyone entering the room, he turned just in time to avoid a blaster shot to the head and without thinking, he took a hold of the blaster wielded by the security gaurd he had nodded to earlier in the hall, and wrenched it from his fingers, from across the room. His telekinetic hold on the weapon was released and it fell at his feet. The gaurd suddenly found himself pinned against the wall behind, held firmly in place by an unsees yet almight force. It was with this same unseen force that the Sith began strangling the life out of the helpless gaurd. He choked for a few moments, his wide eyes staring in terror not at Gav but through him, back to the times when he killed his first Scilene Shrill, a wild bird him and his father hunted years ago, or his first kiss or the day of his marriage or children's birthday's. They faded into the distance as he squirmed for his last breath; then taking one look at those lifeless blood-shot eyes set deep into the pale blue face, Gav allowed the corpse to fall, slumping against the wall.

He would make use of that body. First he looked out of the window, New Republic law-enforcers were arriving outside, he caught first glimpse of a heavily armed soldier leaving one of the vehicles tthen returned to his work. With a pen he found on the office desk, he took the left hand of the gaurd and wrote the password to the office's HoloNet pannel onto it. He sensed a dozen, maybe more soldiers charging up the flights of stairs now, he had half a minute left at best. The gaurd's blaster pistol flew across the room and rested in his right hand, Gav made sure not to touch it, then he positioned the man's still fingers about the trigger and with careful manipulation of the Force, the deadman's arm, blaster and all came up to his head and there it remained in silence. It was an eerie sight, but not one Gav would be able to admire.

He ran to the window and activated it, the glass slid upward and he jumped up onto the ledge outside. The sound of heavy boots marching along the corridoor grew nearer until with a bit of a nod, the dead man pulled the trigger and the red bolt shot out the other side of his skull, incinerating it's interior. The gun fell to the floor and his arm slumped back to his side. The soldiers were almost outide Office 812. Outside, the rain still battered the roof-tops and the streets below, the wind howled which made Gav's task much more difficult. Some fourteen feet away there was another window ledge opposite, the Sith crouched with his bag on his back, closing his eyes he began to summon the courage to make the leap and scrutinised through the Force the distance between him and his escape. Gritting his teeth and clenching his fists, a sharp firey energy shot through his body, starting at the chest it dispursed in an instant, racing down his limbs and upon reaching his toes he jumped.

With the burst of speed and strength he cleared the distance with ease despite the howling winds racing through the space between the two buildings. With this heightened focus he activated the switches to both the window in front of him and the window from which he'd lept. So once he'd climbed inside, he was able to see the other window just shut in time before the soldiers entered the room where they would find the body of the security gaurd who has clearly commited an act of treason by contacting the Empire then in his guilt or fear, shot himself through the head. Gav grinned, closing the window and left the New Republic to their investigation.

[Naomi Jadisun]

(Several hundred yards away from the window of her hotel room window, Naomi had been sat, from the moment the HoloNet link had been established between the man she had watched enter the HHC complex ten minutes ago and his Imperial contact. In silence she waited, patience being one of her key attributes, her eyes would not move from the office window. Nothing could be seen of him, yet.)

C'mon...where's this sonuvabitch...come on out to play....

(Soon enough, after what had seemed like an eternity, sirens from the building wailed out across the city and reverberated from wall to wall, reaching her several blocks away. It was then she dropped her macro-binoculars and took up her rail gun, standard issue of the NRSF.)

Ok baby, time to work your magic...

(Hoisting the weapon onto her shoulder, she waited, looking through the far-sight lens and although it looked awkward it had become second nature for her and she and the rail-gun were when combined, a lethal weapon.

A minute and a half had passed, New Republic soldiers were already inside and on their way up, but she had a feeling this guy would make his way out somehow unnoticed.)

Eye spy with my little eye...

(There on the window ledge. She had full sight of him now, he crouched as though about to attempt some sort of suicidal leap so before he tried anything, she was determined to take him out before any other of her team mates here with the NRSF. Her breathing came to a stop, and the weapon was still, her finger relaxed over the trigger then with a gentle squeeze....bam....

...he was gone.)

Sithspit!

(She cursed, throwing her weapon onto the bed, her second week in the NRSF might turn out to be her last. She brought her comm to her mouth)

This is Eagle-8, I've lost him. He just dissapeared, any of you guys still got the little maggot on your scopes?

[Zara Drecker]

Quickly packing her belongings in the only bag she had, Zara Drecker rushed around her hotel room picking up last minute items. Suddenly a comm message came over from Eagle-8. She listened closly and then went to her large window. She peered out and saw a man running along the ledge of a building across the way.

This is Commander Zara Drecker speaking. I have a visual on the man, but I need to catch my ship to Coruscant. Relay to another unit please.

She pressed the relay button on her comm and sent the message to all units near-by. Quickly grabbing her bag, she rushed out of the hotel room and down the stairs. Checking out without saying much, she left the large building and caught a speeder to the hanger where the large transport awaited the crew that would be going to Coruscant.

She walked up the ramp and showed her false ID to the guard. She would play a merchant this day...and hopefully it would work.

Access granted. Have a nice flight Ms. Kana.

The guard spoke without looking at her. She entered the ship and set her things down. Looking around for a brief moment, she walked up to the flight deck to speak with some others who were already assembled there.

[Avolon Bisel]

His bag wa stowed in the trunk of the Rent-A-Ride. He grabbed the luggage himself after paying his toll, he even tipped the crazy maniac. The driver had made every twist and turn along the way more death defying than the last. Avolon mused about how the Rebels could have used him in Rogue Squadron.

"See you old salt," Avolon said with a pat of the hood, chuckling. "Keep the bogeys on your 6."

The driver, a veteran of the old republic navy smiled as he drove off.

"You too, cowboy," the driver said, the window slowly rolling past Avolon by centimeters, then meters, then kilometers away.

Avolon turned his sights toward the shuttle ship. He wasn't sure if weapons were allowed on the ship, but he couldn't leave his blast and smash rifle at home. Although it was disposable, one of many, he had a sentimental attachment to all his weapons. It also had 4 blasters, one for each spot on his custom made holster. He had lined the inside of the bag with electrical tape. Although this seemed to only disrupt low level security checkers, he hoped the security on this shuttle ride wasn't high level.

He pulled a freshly fabricated New Republic ID. Although he could use his real identity and get VIP passage, he used that as a back-up plan. Plus he wanted no record of his true identity on his person, in case he was captured. So he didn't even carry it on him. The name on the ID was "Guile Antilles" a quick assembled false identity. Good enough. What was he? Oh yeah, a trade merchant. Avolon wanted to be completely covert. Why not go all the way and create a fake identity. He wanted to make sure that not only he was safe(in case someone noticed the name), and that the New Republic could not in anyway be tied into this.He decided to deal in diamonds, so the guns could be explained easier, if questioned. The holo image was of Avolon, smiling too wide for his mouth, and giving the peace sign.

"ID?" The shuttle guard asked zombie like. He was at the sleepy end of a thirteen hour shift.

Avolon showed the guard his idea quickly. Too quick in fact. The gaurd lazily took the ID from him, looking at it closely, even though his eyes were drooping. Bisel pushed the issue by givng the exact pose, smile and peace sign. The guard scoffed as he handed the ID back to Avolon. A bead of sweat broke as Avolon hurried past him. Luckily, the guard was too tired to notice the sign of stress.

The shuttle was too full. He didn't know his team mates, so it was doubly troublesome. When he was asked, all he had to know was if there was fighting. The answer was yes, so he agreed. Of course he was briefed, and found out that the mission indeed promised to be exilerating. But all the man wanted to do was see some action. Master Yoghurt's Bar and Grill, where he was stationed as Chief of Security, was slower than a fat snale. He had informed the New Republic that he would be wearing a green vest with a black undershirt. The shirt would have the logo reading "I like my liquor like I like my women. Loose and smooth." The message was relayed to his team mates by a codemaker at the New Republic base. Missions as important like this were on the very hush hush. And Avolon didn't like having too much contact with his team mates, until it was nessecary. They'd probably soon be dead, and he didn't want to have to bat an eye. So he didn't even read the messages detailed how to identitfy his partners, he didn't care. If they wanted to find him, they would.

"What do you do, young fella?" An elderly old man asked him.

Avolon turned to him sharply, then relized it wasn't a potential team mate. He smiled and chuckled, slipping into character.

"I make women prettier," Avolon said, delivering the lines of Guile perfectly. "And you old timer?"

The old man smiled as he leaned on his cane. "I'm retired, my boy. Too much action in my day, burned me out," he said warmly.

"Too much action? I can't seem to get enough. I'm actually looking forward to some later," Avolon replied, two meanings indicated.

The old man laughed and nodded. Soon there was nothing but silence and Avolon couldn't wait to hear the engines kick in. But he'd have to be patient, it wasn't time yet.

[Gav Mortis]

Eight blocks away, Gav arrived outside The Flying Oxen, it's a well known establishment, which is naturally beneficial for those who are foreign to these parts and who need to meet up with someone in the city, most locals know where the bar is. It only took him fifteen minutes to find the place, leaving him with less than an hour before the shuttle leaves for Coruscant.

The rain had been reduced to a gentle spitting for the time being, meaning Gav wasn't soaked for a change. Across the road, a puddle reflected a bright neon sign; the sharp, intense lighting illuminated the smooth road a bright yellow, all the way to where the Sith stood. If outside was any indication of what he could expect inside then he was about to enter Hanna's own den of debauchery. The sleazy women outside watched him approach and one of the most scantily clad of the three slithered up to him and stood.

"One hundred and I'll keep you warm tonight, baby!" She said with a wheezy voice, her hands sliding up and fingers outstretched across her breasts, half-revealed from under a strip of leather.

"One hundred!" Gav said, taking about one hundred credit's from the wallet he found in the security gaurds pockets and slid it between her breasts with a slight grin.

"Now buy yourself some clothes and keep yourself warm tonight!" He said, walking on.

Not caring for what the woman's response would be, Gav continued on inside, walked down the steps leading into a long, dimly lit room. Down one side there was a bar behind which were three bartenders and weaving in and out of the countless congregations of social drinkers where two glass-collecors. The music was wretched, the air was thick with tobacco smoke or something equally foul, this place oozed with sleaze.

He received a few curious stares from a number of people about the place, it was probably the security gaurd uniform; after all, what self-respecting man of the law would come here? Taking a seat at the bar he ordered a single Sorocan Raava after trying to get the bar-keeps attention for a good few minutes. Occasionally he glanced around trying to figure out who this Brix fellow could be; not that pet shop owners are particularly distinguishable.

Ten minutes went by and still no sign of Brix; this wasn't good, the shuttle would be leaving in thirty-five minutes and Gav was halfway through his second glass.

"Brix, you 'avin t'same again?"

Looking up Gav followed the direction in which one of the bartenders was shouting and there, over in the corner was a man hardly visable behind all the others standing and walking about. He was in a hover-chair, it hadn't even crossed Gav's mind that he could've been disabled - it is unlike the Empire to have somone with walking difficulties work for them - moments later Gav had offered to take the man's drink over for him.

"Here you go Brix," said Gav, taking a seat next to him, "Now that I've brought you something, I believe you have a certain something for me..."

The exchange was brief. The middle-aged, rugged-looking man stared at the Sith for a moment then slid a card across the table under the palm of his hand. His eyedarted about for a second, then in a moment of inspiration he cleverly disguised his words.

"Here is the money I owe you, Yeomar."

Gav took the card and slid it into his inside jacket pocket with a grin.

"Please give you're father, Mister Gann, my regards..."

Gav nodded and stood, about to leave the bar when suddenly Brix grabbed him by the arm.

"Which reminds me, my wife has finished making your father's new suit for his journey, here it..."

He looked down by his side.

"Ah shoot. I must've left the bag in the third cubicle along in the toilets..."

"Not to worry, I'll get it now," Gav interrupted, checking the time. That was enough code talk he had to get changed and get to that shuttle.

He quickly made his way into the toilets, to cubicle three where he found in the doorway someone opening up the bag left for him, not wanting to waste anymore time, the Sith simply strided in and swung the door further back, it hit the scavenger's head and it was caught between the door and the cubicle wall, knocking him unconcious.

Locking the door, Gav quickly changed into the clothes left for him and within five minutes stepped out of the bar in his trades merchant attire. Twenty minutes left.

[Avolon Bisel]

Avolon rocked back and forth in his seat. The old man next to him eyed him suspiciously.

"In a rush, son?"

Avolon chuckled over his uneasiness of the question.

"Lots of money to be made, old timer. No time to waste."

Avolon yelled to the cockpit.

"Hey, when's this junkheap going to be rolling on down the road?"

Avolon dared to blow his cover with this outburst, but he didn't like waiting. And on a mission like this, sitting stagnant wasn't a good idea.

"Hold your houses or you'll have to walk through hyperspace!"

The captain laughed as Avolon shut up. He slowly looked out the window, the crew had almost finished their pre-flight checks. Not much longer now.

[Naomi Jadisun]

This is Commander Zara Drecker speaking. I have a visual on the man, but I need to catch my ship to Coruscant.

(Naomi sighed heavily and cursed at the sudden realisation that she too would be catching the same ship, that is if she did indeed want to join the NRSF mission to Coruscant. It was a big operation, yet a quiet one at that and of the upmost importance. A mission that could change the fate of the galaxy if it suceeds.)

Shoot. Only an hour before it leaves...come on baby, let's get goin'

(She picked up her rail gun and gathered what little belongings she carried with her in a small bag. Taking them downstairs, she found the hotel's security lockers and entered the code to her own, the small durasteel door swung open automatically, and inside there was a large rucksack containing the neccessary equiptment for her mission. She put her rail gun and other bag inside the locker and closed it.)

Hey mister, over here!

(Outside she flagged down a ride in a shoddy, little speeder which at least had a roof to stop her getting drenched in the seasons unpredictable weather. In the back of the vehicle, she rummaged around in her rucksack, at the bottom was a minature, modified sensor disruptor to prevent the contents of the bag being revealed and instead generated the signatures of harmless items like datapads and clothes.)

This is it, pull up over there please.

(Twenty minutes later and the cab had arrived at Landing Pad 12c where a large shuttle could be found, the shuttle that would take her and her team mates to Coruscant. After paying the charmingly grotesque cab driver, she walked up to the shuttle casually, and raised her false identification card without so much a look of worry. There were somethings she was skilled at and others, such as firing that damned rail gun that she was not; in this case she was fantastic at manipulating people and she did it almost effortlessly. "Just think like a Imperial spy pretending to be a New Republic tradesman!" She kept telling herself this and within moments she was inside without any hassle from the sensors either.

Once inside, she looked around and saw a wide range of individuals. With her hidden Force ability she sensed their thoughts and feelings, some were eager to get off the planet and back to Coruscant - they were the spies, afraid of being caught. Some where worried about their upcoming trials at Coruscant, at first she thought these to be her team mates but no, they were the real trademerchants, it was difficult to convince buyers for business in Coruscant these days and they really needed the money. And the other two, the ones who standed out completely, not in appearance or presentation but by the state of their minds, were her fellow NRSF team mates: "It's bad enough having to act like tradesmen from Chanrila but when you're expected to know how to act like Imperial spies acting as tradesemn - that's absurd!"

She saw a free seat next to a man wearing a rather obtrusive shirt, she grinned an sat next to him knowing him to be the NRSF agent, Avolon, she'd never met him before and now was not the time for becoming acquainted. At least not as agents of the Republic, but as trademerchants.)

Good evening, I'm Mia Thanis. I live off west, several kilometers outside of Hanna - a place called Trillbe - how bout you? Nervous about the infamous iron-fisted dealers?

(She smiled, not knowing whether he would take her question as having a double-meaning or not, or whether he would decide to play it safe as a tradesman. Either way it didn't matter, they'd be off Chandrila soon, and on their way to Coruscant.)

[Gav Mortis]

Gav was now dressed suitably for the task at hand, he now looked like an agricutural tradesman. The Sith donned tall, heavy boots made from a grey leather and wore a belt to match, holding up a pair of loose-fitting canvas trousers, an odd shirt which fell below his tweed jacket of the same mustard colour as his trousers. The charcoal coloured shirt was rather thin and reached all the way down to his knees where it was open, making it easy to walk around in.

"Chandrilian clothing is peculiar!" He thought as the sound of the bawling and singing from the Flying Oxen dissapeared.

For five minutes he stood waiting under a shelter where hover-taxi's usually wait for their next fare, on the floor next to him rested his heavy rucksack and he warmed his icy hands on the warm, metal flask which he held in his hand, occasionally drinking from it. Finally a cab stopped in front of him and he jumped in with only ten minutes left until departure.

"Landing Pad 12c, it's not far from here. Hurry!"

It took just over five minutes to get to the landing pad and by the time the cab had arrived at it's destination, the rain had picked up again and was hammering the shuttle and splashed up from puddles on the ground. Stepping out, Gav looked up and the sky was an odd shade of grey, purple and black; in a couple of hours the sun will rise but at the moment, the sky resembled the colour of the soil in those fields a couple of hours earlier.

Not wishing to get wet again, Gav quickly turned to the driver, patted him on the shoulder and with a brief few words, the driver was somehow pursuaded to drive off not requesting any payment. He jogged over to the shuttle where the New Republic gaurd was about to seal the hatch when Gav called out.

"The name's Yeomar Gannn, I'm scheduled to catch this shuttle to Coruscant, and oh!" He fumbled in his jacket pocket casually, then handed the officer a card, "Here's my identification. Is everything ok?"

With a carefully inspection the gaurd let him walk on, passing through the sensors without any problems; inside his flask the central compartment was sealed shut and inside was his lightsaber, the inner compartment was insulated with a thick, rubbery organic tissue that blocked sensor readings, such a small distortion would go unnoticed. When needed, a simple flick of a switch would open the center of the flask and eject his lightsaber in times of need.

"Hi people!" He said confidently, stepping inside, the hatch closing behind him, "Sorre t' keep y'all waitin' like thus...traffic!"

He smiled and took a seat, he knew he was mingling with both real trade merchants and Imperial spies in the guise of trade merchants, but he had no idea there were three New Republic Special Forces agents in his company. If he did it could complicate matters but so far, everything had ran smoothly.

Shortly the engine thrusters kicked in and they moved upwards, the shuttle trembled a little in the bad weather which was a little unnerving but after a couple of minutes they heard the familiar high pitch whine and the shuttle dissapeared into hypserspace. Next stop, Imperial Centre.

[Avolon Bisel]

People like that... he hated. First they're late, then they seem to think they held up the ship. Like it woudn't lift off the ground without them. He shook his head, he didn't like the loud mouth introduction either.

Finally, he turned back to the women next to him. She was obviosly trying to let him know she was hip to the deal, but he wasn't deep into NRSF code and didn't much pay attention to it, so he didn't catch in double meaning. But th fact she was attempting to convey a double meaning and that she approached him out of all these people.... the reason he wore the offensive shirt, other than he liked it, was because no one would approach him kindly unless they were a horny guy who liked his style and wanted to "hang", or if they were with NRSF.

"Listen here kid," he started in, speaking in a universal code. "If the Iron Fisted Dealers get too much to handle, don't be a hero. I don't want to drag a corpse through the trading room floor."

He leaning in more, speaking into her ear in a whisper.

"I don't like you in my head, sweetheart. I like to buy a girl dinner before trying that," he said, smirking. "Don't try your tricks on me, 'cause I've been trained to feel you're little Mind Tricks," Avolon finished with a mocking wave of the hand.

[Naomi Jadisun]

"I wouldn't dream of it!" She exclaimed in a exaggerated manner and smiled, not really caring for the man's attitude, it only made him look self-concious and paranoid. Then crossing her legs, she looked at him more seriously.

"Actually I don't pry into people's minds without their permission. Now if you'd like to keep it down, the Imperial Diktat doesn't take kindly to Force-sensitives visiting Coruscant."

She turned away a little to look about the shuttle, there weren't a great deal of people onboard, no more than fifteen, and she was suprised to find that it wasn't as cramped as she'd previously thought. The journey would last two days in total and she particularly hated staying on such a small transport for more than two hours. She tapped at the control pannel on the right arm of her chair and it reclined, she yawned a little and closed her eyes.

[Avolon Bisel]

"You broke your own rule then, sweetheart."

He let that sink in as she searched her memory.

"You paused at the door, looked over the ship. Then you felt my mind and knew what I was feeling, so you knew I was a... merchant."

He was leaning in, and whispering, but he didn't need to take chances.

"Don't ever do that again to me, or I'll throw you out the portside hatch."

Saying that he pulled away. He stood up.

"Come by, littel lady, when the ship lands. Maybe I can procure some choice diamond earrings for those pretty lobes of your's."

With that, he walked away to the other side. Why sit together? If they were caught, they had a better chance if they could outflank their captors.

[Gav Mortis]

"Why hullo there, mista!" Cried Gav sitting back upon seeing the man leave his present company and sit down near him. He smiled a smile that made him look like he had less intelligence than a trained wamprat, his demeanour was friendly nevertheless.

"So eh, wha's brengin' y'out ta Coruscant? Biness or famly?"

He was giving himself a headache talking like this. It was going to be a long two days.

[Gav Mortis]

After the long two days of irritating the pilots, the Imperial spies, agricultural tradesmerchants but most notably himself; Gav believed he had successfully portrayed the role of a typical, loud-mouthed farmer from some back-water corner of Chandrila rather well and convincingly. He heaved a heavy sigh of relief stepping off the ramp onto the landing platform, taking in the artificial atmosphere of Coruscant; he hated this planet but business required him to visit occassionally.

It was early morning, the air was damp and even the magnificent, star-reaching skyscrapers were hardly visible through the thick grey mists of dawn. Although the landing platform, thick in the heart of Imperial Centre, was miles high it still felt good to have to have his feet on solid ground. When they entered the atmosphere he could immediatly sense the shared feeling of tension amongst the planet's trillions from the scum and outlanders all the way up to the stormtroopers and politicians. The Republic was moving from strength to strength and an old politicians saying seemed to be coming true, "The tighter your grip, the more star systems slip through your fingers!" The Empire was fighting a losing battle, Gav would help and be rewarded then abandon ship before it's too late.

Next stop, Imperial Palace and a meeting with the Diktat himself. But first he would have to find a suitable disguise to get him past the Imperial Justice Courts and into the palace itself.

[Zara Drecker]

Zara growled to herself as the ship became filled with more people. Someone stepped on her foot and she yelped, but then quickly quieted herself and watched others around her. Her eyes came to rest upon an obnoxious man across from her. His talking drove her nuts the entire way to Coruscant. Finally, she had too much of him.

"Why don't you just shut your mouth before I shove a....."

Then she remembered that she was in disguise and could not threaten to shove a railgun down his throat. Sighing, she sat back and shook her head.

"Before I shove my fist down your throat."

She finished the sentance a bit dryly. The young woman looked out the window and drifted off. The two days seemed to fly by now and they finally arrived on the planet that they were destined for. Getting her few packed things, she got off the ship and stretched her legs. It felt good to do so as she watched others around her. Thankfully, the obnoxious man was off in a bit of a hurry. Hopefully this will go smoothly.... She thought to herself as she fixed her short, dark hair.