The Price of Information (Open)

[Lenore]

Lenore, a perky young woman at the ripe age of nineteen, slithered through the backdoor of the “Purple Martini,” a ritzy, high class club smack dab in the middle of crowded Coruscant City. Just as the name suggested, the entire décor was painted and splashed with several different shades of purple. Lighted martini signs hung on the walls becoming the only source of light once the floors main bulbs were turned, creating quite the mood setting.

The dark haired beauty had performed this ceremony of underage penetration many times in the past at just the right hour when all the bouncers and employees’ eyes were turned to the front doors for the rush of folks at opening time. She peered around the doorframe that led into the main room. Tens of people were filing in, mostly in pairs or small groups. Each was dressed accordingly for such an upper level club - tight, slinky dresses, casual, yet dressy suits. She smoothed a hand down the sparkly blue looker she had chosen to don for the evening. (Not one that she had paid for but earned with her advanced thieving abilities.) Hair up in an elegant little twist left the slender neck open save a tight black choker that nicely accented the strappy high-heels on her feet.

A group of five humans – three females and two males – gibbering about “business” moved in Lenore’s direction and she was forced to pull back into the shadow and safety of the wall. Just as they passed, she took the opportunity to slip out, joining their little group for a second before breaking and making her way to the bar.

With the grace of long hours of practice, she swayed her way to a seat, slid onto the cushion of a stool, crossed her legs and waited for the barkeep to take notice. The club, being restricted only to human access, had oddly hired a Twi’lek tender who spoke no word of any language save his own. As the alien grinned in her direction with his absurdly pointy set of teeth, Lenore grimaced and quickly waved her hand. “Something fruity,” she murmured, not caring to look him in the eye. He nodded, then swung around to fulfill the order, sending his lekku swinging. The glass was placed directly in front of her. She looked at its slushy green contents. Taking the tip of her index finger, she ran it around the rim of the glass before dipping it in and bringing it to her mouth for a taste.

Hmm…not bad.

Lifting the glass, Lenore swiveled around in her seat, looking out at the sea of patrons that were seated and still coming in. She had a gut feeling that tonight would be the night. The night she would find just what she wanted to know.

[rin]

The wee little Kinder was sure this was the place the strange man in the alley told him about. Sliff figured he'd take an alternative route seeing the large muscle bound men at the door's checking the patron's as they entered the classy establishment.

Slipping unnoticed and through the back, the little thief peered around the corner were he spied a few men carrying good's in through the back to stock the kitchen. This would be his break...He just had to get in. When the coast was clear, Sliff darted for one of the crate's that sat outside next to the entrance were he ducked for the time being. Then to the next point until he was in the kitchen it's self. In no time at all, the Kinder had managed to gain access into the lavish bar. Sliff knew immediately he was going to have a hell of a time finding the woman the shady man described to him due to the sea of people about him.

"I'm never going to find her...Hurmmm...Well, he did say she was purttyful and stuff..."Sliff muttered to himself as he scanned the large tavern franticly.

"And he did say her name was...Ummm...Let's see, her name...Lena, no that's not it...Lennie...hehehe...That can't be it...That's a boy's name I believe. Hurmm...Why did she have to have such a hard name to remember?" The Kinder's brow's furrowed together in frustration as he tried desperately to recall the name of the woman...

"Ummm...Lee-lee...No,...Oh Poohdo!..."Sliff placed a stubby index finger to his little lower lip.

"Ohh, yes...Now I remember...Lenore!...Yup yup..That's it..."Sliff exclaimed as his big brown eye's lit up and the light bulb turned on in his head. But how to find one in a crowd so large he thought to himself? After a few moment's of contemplation, the wee little fellow scaled a bar stool not far from him. With an exhaled grunt, Sliff finally made it to the top of the towering stool. Then gaining his footing and balance, Sliff smiled as if he'd conquered a mammoth, impassable mountain. The patron's around the small Kinder eye'd him with suspicion, however his odd behavior went unnoticed after a few moment's.

"Now, let me see..." Sliff muttered softly as he looked around the room once again and over the head's of people milling about. Clearing his throat, Sliff began to wave his arm's wildly.

"Excuse me...Is there a Lenore in the room?...Lenore!,...Are you here tonight?...I really need to talk to you...Hello, are you out there some were?...Lenore!" Sliff shouted at the top of his lung's in an ear piercing shrill voice.

[Lenore]

Stragglers were now entering the “Purple Martini,” most of the regulars having already gotten drinks and taken to smoking and chatting around tables. Unlike the taverns before, Lenore seemed to be paid no attention by anyone save the bar tender. Her risqué attire did her little or no good seeing as how most the women appeared to be wearing less – although she wasn’t quite sure how that happened.

After about twenty minutes of searching around for a prospect and some information she came to the conclusion that this nice little club wasn’t going to be a good enough place. The suits were just too stuck up.

With a heartfelt sigh, she turned back to the bar counter, setting her almost empty drink glass down.

Wonderful…great place you picked, Lenore, she scolded herself silently. Another night wasted.

She raised a slender hand in the direction of the Twi’lek, wanting to order something with a little more kick. Just as she did so an ear-splitting and quite annoying voice rang out through the establishment.

<font color=”orange”> "Excuse me...Is there a Lenore in the room?...Lenore!,...Are you here tonight?...I really need to talk to you...Hello, are you out there some were?...Lenore!" </font>

Her head shrank down into her shoulders as she tried to shut the obnoxious noise out. She was doing well until she realized that the name the owner of the voice was shrieking was her own. Her head swiveled around to the stool just four places down. A little man – and she did mean little as in four foot tall – wiggled around on the cushion, waving his hands around like a Kowakian lizard-monkey. She grimaced, her face curling up in disgust. How did he get her name. The little ‘creature’ looked around at the faces staring at him and then realizing that no one spoke up, he began shouting the name again. She reached a long arm down the table and slapped the wooden top, not caring that other’s occupied the three stools between them.

“Hush, you little man! That’s enough of that shouting,” he looked at her, as she leaned over, whispering harshly. “What is it you want?”

[rin]

With each passing moment and without any luck or response at his inquiry, the Kinder only became loader, and even still loader. This time Sliff stood on the cushion of the stool as to get a better look, but nothing...Until a hand bumped him, sending him reeling back and forth as he tried desperately to hang onto his teetering balance.

"Ahheeee...!" The Kinder screeched out loud before he hit the wooden floor with a resounding thud.

Slowly the wee little tot of a man gathered his bearing's and stood to his feet, rubbing the new bruise and lump he sustain after the fall. Quickly, Sliff shot the evil perpetrator a look of disgust and contempt.

"You mean ole, mean ole woman you!...You almost killed me! I should report you to the authorities for this outrage...You bad ole woman you!" Sliff protested in the firmest voice he could muster, then sticking his little tongue out at her in a taunting manner as if to even the score. The Kinder quickly dusted off his bright blue legging's then the olive green petty coat he was wearing. Then without further hesitation, the Kindermor boldly advanced towards the rude lady in a huff.

"Im,...I'm looking for a woman named Leper...I Mean LENORE!" Sliff replied in a perturbed voice as his hands rested on his hip's...Sliff was sure the great unexpected fall caused him to have a sudden memory lap's and the woman he was now facing was to blame!

[Lenore]

The Kender stood directly in front of her now; hands on hips and eyes creased menacingly, which wasn’t too frightening coming from someone that barely reached her hip. She had half a mind to ream him a good one, but decided enough attention had been drawn to them. As much as she wanted the focus, whatever it was the little man desired of her didn’t need to be shared with the entire club.

Pushing aside the annoyance that she felt, she forced a smile. “Tthere is no need for the ruckus. I am Lenore. Sit here,” she indicated to the empty stool next to her, “and tell me what it is you want from me.”

[rin]

When the woman made mention of her name, the Kinders mouth literally dropped open in a silent gasp. Sliff's big brown eyes became saucer like and his hand's dropped to his side's as if taken by defeat.

"Wow...That stinky old man in the alley told me you were purttyful, but I think he need's to check his spectacles...Umm, I think your very, very purttyful! Matter of fact, I was at this place one time...And there was all these dark hall ways and stuff. And I was getting ready to go into this creepy room,...but it was locked up really, really tight, so I opened it with my lock pick set my uncle Bicken gave me for my tenth birthday..." Sliff took a deep breath then continued on.

"...So I went in and stuff and their was this beautiful woman standing in the center of the room...She was very pretty too, not like you of course, but you know what?...She was rude and mean...She was all like...What are you doing in my room!...Yelling at me and stuff as if I should have knocked or something." Sliff let out a gleeful laugh as he recalled the startled look on the woman's face.

"...And so I told her...Oh, I was just looking around and stuff and thought I'd drop in to say hi...Mean ole bag!" The Kinders face turned into a scowl as he pressed on with the story with another gulp of air.

"She picked up a big ole bottle of perfume and tryed to hit me with it, but fortunatly for me I ducked just in time then ran outta the room...Can you believe that?...Yup, yup...Mean ole woman!" Sliff placed his little hands on his hip's as he looked to Lenore for some sign of sympathy. The wee little Kinder then gladly took the stool next to the woman, crawling up its height like a small child would into a parent's lap.

There was something that the Kinder had said however that stirred Lenore's curiosity. Something about an old man he had encountered in an alley way...An old man that led the Kinder to her,...But why?

[Lenore]

Lenore propped her chin up with the palm of her hand, leaning the elbow on the counter for support. Her mind began to wander, boredom setting in as the little man went on and on about some story. She didn’t have half a mind to pay attention, instead looking just beyond his shoulder at a deliciously good-looking man at the other end of the bar. She made eye contact with him and smiled only to find a most beautiful woman attach herself to his arm like a leach. She frowned and glanced to the Kinder a moment, the words barely focusing in. She did happen to catch a little bit. Something about a man in the alleyway that had brought the little guy scurrying in here to find her.

“W-w-wait, wait.” Lenore put a hand up to stop any further babbling. “What did you just say?”

He almost started the entire story again before she quickly redirected her question. “What man in an alleyway? How does he know me?"

[rin]

Sliff eye's widened a bit as the woman rudely stopped him in mid sentence. He would have never interrupted such a fabulous story if someone was telling it. The Kinder sighed and gave a half hearted nod to Lenore.

"Yup, yup...He said he knew you all right. Stinky ole fart...He smelled really, really bad ya know. You would think that people around here knew what a bath was." Lenore glared at Sliff, a stern glare that goggled his memory at that precise moment as to what the man had said to him.

"Oh, ummm...Well, he was saying that I had to tell you about this woman named "Hernia"...No,...That wasn't it...Hara, yeah...That's what he said. Something about how you need to sneak her out...I mean seek her out...Yup,...Seek Hera is what he told me." Sliff paused for a moment, looking around as if he was hiding something.

"And that I should give you this thing he gave me..."The last of the Kinder sentence almost dropped off to a whispered tone. He looked to the ground and scuffed the floor with his little feet like a child that was about to be punished or scolded.

[Lenore]

“Little thing? What?” Lenore stared at the …man (or boy, whichever he really was), wondering why he didn’t just give the thing to her at that very second. And why wasn’t he more clear? Who was the stinky man? Who was Hera? And more importantly why was she supposed to seek her out? Did this at all have anything to do with the information she wanted and needed?

She really had the erge to just strangle the Kinder right then, hoping he’d spill all he knew. However, that wouldn’t do her any good, and would definitely cause quite a stir in the facility.

She felt her cheeks flush. Inhaling deeply, she closed her eyes a moment, trying to calm herself.

“Alright. What are you suppose to give me?

[rin]

Lenore could not have been more correct in her assumption with the small Kinder. Even though Sliff was thirty-five in Kinder years, he was still very much a child. His innocent like qualities and whimsical charm, coupled with an inherent need to adventure made the "Kinder Kind" one of the most unique creature's throughout the known galaxies.

Lenore's stern glare and harsh tone tore at the little Kinders heart when she snapped at him. Still looking towards the ground with his eye's adverted from her, Sliff mumbled something inaudible. Slowly the Kinder looked to the side, thinking to him self that the woman must have had a bad childhood to react the way she did. After all, she was a woman and he knew it had to be her motherly instincts kicking in.

"I, ummm..." Sliff muttered, trying to force the word's out the best way he could.

Well, it was a shinny little pad...Yeah. I think it was a Nava-Pad with coordinates in it...The stinky old man said you would needed it to find Hernia...Opp's, I mean Hera." The Kinder paused, then looked up at Lenore with big brown eye's that hit her spirit deep,...For the time being.

"But, there's been a slight setback though...I,...I think I lost it." Sliff finished in a wee little voice, his eye's still pleading with hers to understand him somehow.

[Lenore]

“You lost it?!” Lenore almost jumped from her seat. The most important thing was happening right now and the little tike in front of her had lost the information!

“How could you lose something like that in the span of ten minutes?! Did you go anywhere else after you met him in the alley?” She was more than willing to trace his last steps to find it if he hadn’t gone far. She was not about to lose this opportunity, no matter how clumsy and irresponsible her messenger was.

“We have to find it…you have to find it!” She was on the verge of becoming hysterical and she didn’t like it one bit.

[Turcyn Rorke]

“I couldn't help but overhear,” a man stuck his head inbetween the two, chuckling a bit as the woman continued to berate the pint-sized messenger. “You've lost something?”

He didn't wait for a response.

“I figured I could help you out,” he paused, his eyes hopping from the female to the kender. “That is if you'd like to find what it is you're looking for.”

A smile formed on his lips as he spoke, a smile full of greed. If all went well, he figured he'd be walking away with a few extra credits weighing down his pockets—people in desperation tended to pay a healthy amount. At least that's how he figured it.

“I know where your 'ole coordinate pad is,” he chimed proudly, even if he wasn't telling the entire truth. “How's about it?”

[rin]

Sliff placed a finger to his lower lip, recoiling in shock as Lenore lost it. His eye's widened for a moment then pressed to a furrowed crease as he snapped back at the perttyful woman.

"Look lady, you don't have to yell and stuff,...I can hear you down here just fine!...Just because you had a bad day and all, doesn't mean you have to rune mine too...Mean ole pissie woman! The Kinder retorted harshly, sticking his tongue out at Lenore just as a dark haired man interrupted the two's little spat.

Sliff glanced to the side with his arm's crossed in front of him, doing his best to ignore Lenore for the time being.

“I know where your 'ole coordinate pad is,”...“How's about it?”

The Kinder rolled his eye's at Turcyn's comment just as the lanky fellow who was hitting on Lenore finished his sentence. Then all the sudden Sliff gasped. The Kinders little arm's dropped to his side and his blue eye's widened in horror as he immediately pointed towards two large figure's that muscled their way through the dense crowed right for them.

"Ummm,...We better get out of here!...Those are the same exact guy's that roughed up that ole stinky man in the alley way right after he gave me the data-pad...Come on!" Sliff snatched Lenore by the hand, tugging at her for all he was worth. The Kinder looked to Turcyn about the same time he managed to pull Lenore from her stool.

"You have a car speeder outside?...Cuz I think those two brutes are going to try to kill us!" Sliff squealed as the two black robed figure's drew closer.

[Lenore]

The temperature was rising…or at least it seemed that way for Lenore. She was not too happy with this little guy; one for losing a very important item and two for thinking he could argue with her.

Just as he started in again, another man (a quite handsome one at that) butted into the heated feud. She was glad he did. Her hands were slowly inching their way towards the Kinder’s neck and she certainly didn’t want to be responsible for a death tonight.

<font color=”green”>…“That is if you'd like to find what it is you're looking for,”</font> the attractive man before them spoke up.

“Yes, in fact we would,” she turned to glare at the Kinder as she emphasized the word ‘we.’ He stuck out his tongue and she instantly looked away, her face lighting up in a smile once she met the other man’s gaze.

<font color=”green”>“I know where your 'ole coordinate pad is. How's about it?”</font>

Lenore moved to speak, but just as she did, her mouth was left hanging when the little would-be messenger interrupted. Her eyes shifted to that of the two large men gaining ground. “Who are they?” Her question met deaf ears as she was rudely pulled from her seat. “What are you doing?” Again, there was no answer. The men kept coming, eyes barring down on the group.

<font color=”orange”>"You have a car speeder outside?...Cuz I think those two brutes are going to try to kill us!"</font>

Realization of what was going on set in and Lenore desperately looked to the unknown man. She hoped he had some form of transportation. As much as she wanted to have her bum handed to her, tonight was not the night.

[Turcyn Rorke]

“Who—” before Turcyn could finish, the Kender had already taken Lenore in his grasp and was halfway towards the back entrance. He frowned, then turned around to see what caused such a commotion. Of course, there they were, and it appeared they weren't just gunning after those two, but now him as well?

"You have a car speeder outside?...Cuz I think those two brutes are going to try to kill us!"

He didn't, but it was sure hell time to find one.

“Yeah! Just keep going,” he groaned, wasting little time in fleeing after the two. After a number of collisions, spilled drinks, and angered patrons he finally managed to wade through the crowd to catch up with the pair. Brushing past them, he went ahead in escape out of the backdoor.

Turcyn looked around frantically, just when his eyes lay smitten with an abandoned taxi speeder just a little ways down the alley. Maybe he'd get out of this with both legs attached after all. He hopped into the vehicle, which was luckily for him already ignited.

Sure it was illegal, but it beat getting shanked by a couple of louts.

He hopped out of the speeder and towards the back door again. What the frell was taking so long? Then they came tumbling out as well, with the ogres not too far behind.

“Get in!” he gestured towards the busted up taxi cab just a few yards away, which was thankfully still without a proper driver for the time being.

[rin]

Regardless of the pending danger that the three were in, Sliff thought other wise as they darted out the back. To him, everything was one big ole grandiose adventure just waiting to happen right around the next bend. The Kinder giggled as the trio paused at the conner of a dimly lit alley way. Turcyn informed them that his speeder was just across the street from them, at least that's what Sliff interpreted from what he said.

After a moment, the three were making a mad dash for Turcyn's ride, one that read "Coruscant Taxi Services" on the side panel. Lenore was stuck up front behind the wheel oddly enough while Turcyn had to help the wee little Kindermor in the back seat due to his short stature. The Kinder bounced on the seat as the man tossed him in head long.

“Get in!” he gestured towards the busted up taxi cab just a few yards away, which was thankfully still without a proper driver for the time being.

"Hey, be careful you!...I'm a delicate and fragile creature you know...Big ole roughian!" Sliff grumbled as the two door's slammed shut; the Kinder just barely having enough time to get his knee's under him.

"I wanna see what's going on...Hold on just a second...I can't see anything." His word's coming out in a jumble as he desperately tried to turn himself around in the seat to get a better look out the back window. Sliff was then jerked backwards from the sheer momentum at Lenore's take off, sending the Kinder slamming into the seat once again. Sliff rolled his eye's at Turcyn as the hover car leveled off then began to weave dangerously in and out of oncoming buildings. A look of frustration crossed his face as he sat up.

"Don't you know any thing, you...You big ole Sirzwatt Doodoo! You never let a woman drive in desperate times such as theses...She'll manage to kill us before they do!" Sliff retorted, scolding Turcyn as he shook a stubby index finger at him...Sliff had not quite finished his sentence when a sequence of powerful heavy blaster fire tore past their vehicle.

"Hey!...Can you believe that?...They own a Taxi too." Sliff exclaimed loudly as he pointed out the back portal towards the rapidly approaching hover craft five length's behind them.

[Lenore]

Her white knuckled death clench around the double joysticks hardly gave her any maneuverability of the wheel. With each elbow locked turn, the vehicle jolted her and her passengers around…not to mention the added jarring of various beams of searing red death bolts that knocked on the yellow hull. Every thump made Lenore jump which in turn made the cab buck in the air. Several irrational mumblings could be heard from the back, but the young woman had no time to listen, her mind completely on the course in front of her…. and the would-be assassin brutes that were tailing close behind.

Her eyes darted to the rearview mirror, but only found the back of someone’s head. Lenore turned her shoulders to look in the seats behind. “What’s going on? Why isn’t anyone firing on them?” She was met with only a squeal and chubby little hand pointing. With a hard gulp, she swiveled back around, fearing the worst…a piercing scream rang out as a building’s surface loomed in the windshield of the taxi cab….

[Turcyn Rorke]

Oompf! With each abrupt turn of the craft, Turcyn always seemed to catch some type of beating. A nice head butt to the chin, or maybe an elbow prodding him directly in the ribs; and that was before the firing had occurred. Shoving the little guy off him, Rorke turned to face the back of the speeder. Their company wasn't so far off anymore, and that aimless fire wasn't becoming so aimless anymore.

Turcyn grimaced as a bolt connected once again with the frame, rattling the speeder violently. They couldn't keep taking hits like this, that is if they wanted to remain above ground much longer. Unfortunately, his blaster had been collected by the bouncer prior to entering the club, and considering being practically ran out of the bar he never found the time to pick it up.

“Check the front compartment,” he yelled looking around for the hobbit, who seemed to be plastered to the floorboard by now.

“What’s going on? Why isn’t anyone firing on them?”

Diving over the seat, he managed to pop open the passenger bay to find a trusty piece just waiting for him. Cab drivers always seemed to carry equipment. Just as he glanced up, he noticed the ‘too close for comfort’ view of a building ahead. Quickly tossing the blaster in the back seat behind him, he jerked the controls into a sharp left—averting death while giving enough whiplash to go around for the three of them.

“Watch the path, lady!” he groaned rubbing the back of his neck. But his biggest fear was just ahead: it seemed the Kinder was now in possession of the blaster.

[rin]

The Kinder yelped and cussed like a Nar-Shadaa space pirate every time his little body connected with something hard. He was literally getting tossed to and fro like a marble in a tin can. Nevertheless, the old jalopy of a taxi was holding her own despite the multiple scores it took.

"Hey!...What'da ya try'n to do?...Give me permanent daim bramage!...Sheesh!" Sliff retorted as he was conked on the head with the hard end of a hold out blaster pistol.

"Owwieee!" Sliff yelled once again from the floor board of the taxi. "What in the frell is going on up there?!...Oh, look...Just what I needed," exclaimed the wee Kinder, rubbing the new lump on his head as he held the pistol up with one hand.

About that time, a heavy laser bolt tore through the back window portal narrowly missing Turcyn and Lenore. The deadly bolt passed between them, slamming into the dash console and causing a momentary light show of multi colored spark's that soon fizzled and dissipated. The sudden hit caused Sliff to accidentally squeeze off two rounds that shot straight up through the roof of the cab. The taxi violently jerked upwards, missing the on coming building and pitching the Kinder out and onto the back of the vehicle were he dangled by both of his hand's.

"HeeLLpp!...I've fallen and I can't get up!" Came Sliff's shrill voice, his terrified eye's pleading with Turcyn as their eye's locked for the moment. Turcyn could see that the Kinders grip was slipping fast, not to mention the sliver glint of the blaster pistol that rested next to the window post inches from the new opening.

[Lenore]

Lenore was very glad that someone took control of the stick and swerved in time to miss the building. Her body, still frozen in terror, stared out the window at the night-lights that rushed by. Horns blared at her as she passed cars at an exhilarating speed and it was then that she realized she was still driving. Trembling fingers wrapped around the wheel one more time. She knew she had to buckle down and do this. If not for herself, then at least for her passengers…as scruffy and deceitful as they were.

She yelped when the back window blew out, barely glancing in the rearview mirror to see what was going on. This time she wasn’t taking her eyes off the road for long. She heard yelling in between the blaster shots, but decided that her job was strictly to drive them to safety. She had no idea what was going on, but whatever happened in the backseat would have to be dealt with the boys behind her. If they needed her help, they’d holler, she was sure.

Having driven in Coruscant numerous times, Lenore decided that she would rather take these goons on her own turf where she at least knew the buildings well. Turning right sharply, she headed towards ‘home,’ hoping against all hope that they’d make it there in one piece.

[Turcyn Rorke]

Behind all of those mumbled curses, Turcyn was actually musing in some sort of plan — but as the situation presented itself he didn’t exactly have all the time in the world to sit and think. Almost losing his seat as the back portion of the speeder was literally torn into shreds, Turcyn glanced back only to find the Kinder with a new seat on the back of the vehicle.

Normally in this situation, he would’ve had no objections to ditching the dwarf and scrambling on to safety. But in the short time they had been acquainted, he had developed a sort of unconditional liking for the little guy, and he couldn’t exactly just leave him there. Not this time, at least.

Forgetting about the blaster for now, Turcyn reached back into the newly opened entrance of the cab and suggested a hand to Sliff. On top of the sparks in his face, the woman’s particular driving didn’t help the situation much, he thought. He never really had an issue with female drivers, but he never really had to ride with one up until this point. He’d get into that debate a little later, right now he had to focus on keeping the nuisance alive.

“Grab my hand,” he shouted towards the back of the cab, side glancing towards the firearm as to make sure they didn’t lose it in the rat’s nest of a speeder. It was near the edge of taking a fall itself, but for his sake he’d better get the little guy in first. There wasn’t no telling what kind of heat he’d get if he let him take the fall.

He stretched himself a little further towards the Kinder, he himself now halfway hanging outside of the speeder. Another clumsy driving blunder and he’d be in the same dilemma as the hobbit.

“Just keep it steady,” he canted his head slightly, regarding Lenore up front. Turning back to Sliff, he pressed his hand as far as he could reach, hoping for both their sake the Kinder would be strong enough to latch on.

“Grab it already!”

[rin]

The Kinder had an expression on his ghostly face as if he had spent all of his years within that very moment. Heavy blaster fire erupted behind him and past the taxi once again, narrowly missing them all as Lenore continued to superbly dodge and out maneuver them for the time being.

Sliff seemed to freeze as Turcyn bid him to take his out stretched hand. The Kinder felt if he let go of the death grip he had, he would surely plummet to his death.

“Grab it already!” Turcyn shouted at the top of his lung's, knowing Sliff was terrified to grab his hand. The man knew instinctively that if Sliff didn't take it now, there might not be another chance.

The Kinder hesitated, then lunged his right hand out to Turcyn just as he was beginning to slip backwards. Sliff felt a powerful grip snatch him around the wrist, then his little seventy-five pound frame was jerked through the open window and back onto the floor board of the taxi again. The Kinder cursed as his up side down body became lodged in-between the front and back seat.

"I can't breath...I,...MY, mymm!...MY HEAD IS STUCK!" Sliff cried out in agony, his wee little butt was now the only noticeable feature other then a single tiny leg that he kicked back and fourth franticly.

[Lenore]

“Just keep it steady.”

That caught Lenore’s attention and she looked back at her passengers through the oblong mirror. The man was hanging out the missing back window and the little guy was nowhere to be seen. She hoped that he hadn’t taken a fall…without giving her the information she wanted…

Brown eyes turned to the road again, familiar buildings in view, as she tried not to spill anybody out the back. Zigzagging to the left and right, up and down was the best she could do till both (or one) was happily inside. Shots were still being fired from behind, but the rays were far and wide as the sharp turn earlier had given them a little space.

It wasn’t but a minute before she heard some rustling and the muffled high-pitched voice of the Kinder behind her again. She almost wanted to sigh in relief, but kept it to herself. The path ahead was clear of any obstacles for the moment, this being an older part of the city. She took the time to cast a lateral glance in the back.

“What are we going to do now?” she asked, glancing at the distant, but closing in, car behind them.

[Turcyn Rorke]

“Ditch the ride,” he yelled towards the front of the cab as he struggled to pull the Kinder from the wedge he had gotten himself in between the seats. Finally yanking him to safety, he climbed over the seat once again to situate himself in the passenger’s position.

“I thought you knew your way around this place?”

He questioned Lenore before taking a peak behind them once again, the chasing vehicle was far enough behind for them to make a clean break into the rows of abandoned buildings, but he wasn’t sure where they could go after that. At this point he was still trying to fathom how he had gotten himself involved in all this, after all, he was suppose to be on hiatus and he wasn’t getting paid for this.

“So who’re your friends back there?”

He finally turned around and settled back in the seat, seeming a bit relaxed for the first time since their exit from the club.