Corellia: Free Running

Coronet City was beautiful in its way.

Flying in, everything seemed brittle and bitter. From the ground, it still did. But, being able to be out and interact with people on a personal level added the context that shallow observation could not. For all its destruction, the Empire promised peace in exchange for obedience. The Starkiller Treaty made that peace seem tangible, achievable. The Resistance had returned that war to the world. No average citizen would thank them for that. Caught in a spiral of Resistance guerilla strikes and Imperial searches and seizures, they suffered from all sides. But that didn't mean they weren't people.

From across a park plaza, Karin DeLumiar watched a young mother and her daughter as the pair crossed the street towards one of Corellia's MagLev train stations. The girl- she had to be five, maybe six- happily chattered over a stick of candyfloss.

Chandrila didn't have candyfloss. It did have farm fairs, though, and the glazed whiteplums-on-a-stick were her cherished childhood treat.

But that was before school; before learning, before debates, before the arguments, the departure, the homelessness, and then after all that, the fighting.

At least when she was flying, it didn't feel like fighting.

Her ear comm twittered.

The comm was one of the four things in the package Andana had given her. She pressed it. "Hello?"

"You look silly as a blonde."

Pierce's commentary-as-greeting made her smile. "Yeah, well, you get to judge when you're not the one they want," she said, leaning back onto the bench and relaxing a little. "Besides, the wig was a special gift."

The wig had been given to her by Alliance Special Operations. According to her operations handler, it had microfilament distorters woven through it. While it wasn't anything as thorough as a disguise mask, the distortion field they generated would fuzz her out of security footage. That, in turn, meant she wouldn't get tagged by the facial recog software CorSec used on its traffic cam feeds.

"Huh. Haven't heard of any special wigs."

"You're a guy. For you, playing dress-up means putting on a suit. It's a little different when you're a woman getting ready for a night on the town."

"Speaking of, I'm surprised to see you out."

"I'm surprised to be out. We needed a package picked up and the host was all 'Do your share.'"

"Sounds like you don't like him."

"You should've seen it - I step off the shuttle and there's five people in the room. The only woman there? Not even a member. So it's me and her and four guys who look like they love their own pride a little too much." She paused, remembering Judas Voss' attempt to calm tempers at their initial meeting. "Maybe that's an over-reach for some of them. Still, that Duro rubs me the wrong way. I swear he's a xeno-gynophobe."

"So what are you going to do about it?"

"Been staying out of the way, mostly. Getting a feel for how they do things and trying to do my part. Also arranging for a way to get messages to and from headquarters. Outbound comm lines have been hard to get. I think they're restricting access so their Interpreter droids can handle the security screening load." Karin frowned. "Everything feels tight. Like we're waiting."

"For?"

A spark to set off open fighting. "Something to happen one way or the other, I guess."

"The negotiations may be tough, but you can handle it."

"I hope so. I-" Karin interrupted herself. Across the plaza, subway patrons were stirring. The daughter's half-eaten candyfloss had fallen to the ground. "- need to leave."

"Problem?"

"Six MagLev cars just arrived," she said, standing from the bench and doing her best to maintain an air of calm. "Can't see everyone in there but Stormtroopers are aboard. I think they're about to do a security sweep of the district."

Matatek Sel Vissica slouched her flexible spine down to allow herself enough clearance to exit the lead MagLev car. Once clear, the Selonian rose to her full height, surveying the scene with gimlet eyes that didn't stay focused on one thing for long. Behind her, an entire platoon of stormtroopers was beginning to disgorge. The first squad leader stood at her right hand, awaiting orders.

"Lock down the tracks and post your troopers at this junction's exit."

"Yes Lady Vissica"

The Knight stepped away with long strides, leaving her subordinate behind to carry out her wishes. The giant musteloid's whiskers raised taut as she winded the close subway air. As she did so, Vissica reached out with her feelings, tasting the mood of the civilian droves. Fear was easy to find and all too common. It was a useless emotion to hunt by.

She was looking for something more than fear. Focus and Intent. She was looking for eyes that saw her and her troopers, not just as the symbol of Imperial power to cower from. She searched for eyes that belonged to someone with an aim to do something about it. The eyes of a terrorist.

"If you stare any harder they will burst into flame." Taking up the rear Imperial Knight Alexia Sturkov stepped off the MagLev car last. She stayed behind to watch at the window while everyone else disembarked. From there she was able to watch and guage the reactions of the platform. The reaction was more of a lack thereof. Instead people just kind of ambled away. Which was to be expected. Nobody wanted to be in the way of the Empire or it's vessels. The imposing figure of Vissica could cut a part through any crowd. Although in her case being crushed beneath her paws and tail were a real threat.

"The child over there dropped her candyfloss when we arrived. Should we take her in for questioning?" She joked, as she always did, usually at Vissica's expense. This was just another routine check like all the others ones they did. They rarely turned up Resistance members. Alexia was beginning to see this deployment as punishment instead of the opportunity she once saw it as. Clearly she had done something to annoy Atrapes, and with her record it could have been any of dozens of things. She lived her life to annoy that man at any opportunity.

Taking her place at her partner's side, Alexia joined the large mammal in looking the crowd over. She reached out with her own telepathic abilities, touching minds lightly, looking for any surface thoughts that would give away a dirty rebel. She didn't dig too deep. Not at first. That caused discomfort and Delgado had asked them to be discrete when possible. Drilling into someone's head would only enforce the idea that the Resistance's stance on the Empire being evil. Instead she just scanned. If she picked up on something, well, then she would drill like a Quarren oil magnate.

"You appear to be headed north." Pierce didn't chide others per se, but coded his dislikes in vocal inflections here and there. "Towards the district border closest to the local garrison. Which has the highest troop concentrations."

"Always did appreciate how sharp those eyes are." Karin said, crossing the street with a measured pace. A glance to the maglev station and Karin could see the wave.

It was almost inevitable: wherever the Empire's troops appeared in numbers, the innocent paused. It started at a focal point and spread like a ripple on a pond, in this case spreading from the stairs leading down from the maglev station dock to the park next door and beyond. She'd remarked on it once to Pierce during an operation. His response was to peer right into her eyes with those perceptive pupils of his and say 'You know anyone so without guilt that they don't double-check their soul when they see a legion of police?' At the time, she'd hated his point even as she recognized the truth of it.

Now, she found it a useful reminder of the steps she needed to take to blend in.

Karin made sure to do as the crowd did when the wave reached her; stop, look, and turn away. Then she began crossing the other street corner.

"You should be going the other way if you don't want to get tied up in traffic," Pierce was saying.

"And I will," Karin interrupted. "After I get the package. It's just a five minute walk north of here to our secondary meeting point. After I get what I came for, I'll double-back and head south along the district's eastern border."

Pierce paused before his reply, perhaps weighing any of his words would affect her course of action. "That's a dangerous risk," he remarked obliquely. "You might lose what you came to get."

He'd chosen not to confront her on the decision. 'Smart boy.' "This is a high-crime urban area." By now she was almost at the rim of the buildings surrounding the maglev station and its park. "I already accepted that risk."

"Criminals are one thing. The Imperial Knights are something else."

Karin's step broke, but just barely. The Imperial Knights weren't a fight she wanted to have alone and unaided. "You sure they're here?"

"The pair I'm looking at are both armed with lightsabers. If you want a look, you can probably get a quick one as they exit the maglev station. Peek in three, two, one... now."

Karin stopped by the corner of a building and let her gaze sweep over the crosswalk, the street beyond, and lastly, the odd-looking pair by the station exit. "Who are they?"

"The mobile fur coat fits the description of Matatek Sel Vissica," Pierce said. "The woman with the surgically enhanced smile is likely Alexia Sturkov. Word was these two arrived planetside awhile back. They've since made a splash hunting for Resistance fighters."

Karin turned from gauging the Knights themselves to gauging distance. The park was a city block's size and half that distance stood between her and the Imperials. She wasn't certain if Force users had an upper limit on the distance of their abilities, but she had no desire to help gather that data.

With a last look at the two standing atop the stairs to the maglev station platform, Karin turned her attention from the maglev station. 'I hate you.' she thought, ducking into an alley. 'And I will stop you. Just as soon as I get that Duro his damned package.'

"Your sarcasm merits no favor with me, Comrade Alexia."

Nevertheless, Vissica's eyes did indeed focus on the young girl, who gawked up at the Selonian with doe eyes until her mother spirited her away with a tug of the arm. Again, the fear was right at the surface and alive, but it mattered little to the giantess. She snorted as she turned away.

"I am here to investigate. Feigning disinterest would be dishonest. Those with nothing to hide have nothing to fear."

The throng continued to pass, giving the Imperial Knights a berth, as well as the debarking stormtroopers. The Selonian could feel the concerted attention of everyone within the tube station upon them. Attracting that manner of attention could serve their advantage. It compelled anyone who witnessed them to reconcile their presence, and in doing so, thoughts would betray wrongdoers.

Vissica glanced downward at her partner.

"Perhaps your biting humor would be suited for the people here. If you insult them as freely as you insult me, perhaps..."

Suddenly, the focused intent that Lady Vissica had counted on made itself clear. The Selonian's head turned sharply at a corner leading to an alley. Her whiskers rose in full array, and without a further word, Vissica fell to all fours in a run.

"Without sarcasm I may actually die." She replied with a small smile on her face. While she ribbed on her companion endlessly for her dedication to her duties, there was not a single other Knight in the entire Empire that she would rather be partnered with. Palara was a insufferable goody two shoe and Baastian, while an extremely attractive male specimen, had all the personality of a well polished shoe. The rest were a bunch of green ears and runts that hadn't even killed a man in their lives. With Vissica she knew where she stood, even if that place was as an annoying sidekick. When things got tough she knew she could count on Vissica to run face first into the fray.

There was a comfort in such a steadfast ally.

Her head spun on her neck, away from her companion, and toward the crowd. Vissica visibly perked. She felt it too. It was an emotional feeling; hate. It rose above the fear with it's vividness. Toward the back. Somewhere. From her position as a woman of average height, Alexia could not see over the heads of the people. Before she could even say anything Vissica was off, as usual, running straight toward the danger. "By the Empress Vissica!" She cursed as she chased after the giant mammal, her own small legs causing her to fall behind the much larger gait of the Selonian.

One of these days I'm going to put a saddle on her...

Pierce's voice, when it spoke next, contained no subtle hints of disapproval or gentle rebuke. Instead, it offered urgency in the most direct way possible. "Karin, run."

And just like that she was off at a dead sprint. "Spotted?" she managed between breaths.

"Spotted - no. Detected - yes. It's the Knights."

Damn damn damn DAMMIT. She'd hear about maintaining emotional discipline from Pierce later. And speaking of Pierce... "Where are you?"

"Not far."

Just ahead, a backstreet crossed the alley she was on, splitting it into a four-way intersection. "Where?" she pressed.

"Not far. Shops along the backstreet. Right turn, then cut through the clothing shop."

Karin grimaced as she broke right. Pierce was either too far away to intervene immediately, or he wasn't going to risk both their covers unless he had to. "Can I get a pickup?"

"If you lose them."

The latter. "Can I get any help?"

"I'm not prepared to go head-to-head with Knights. I'll do what I can from the sidelines, but you need to get clear of them before I'll be effective."

"Pierce-"

"No time." his voice sounded distant as he cut her off, but then returned to focus on her. "Listen, Force users are powerful but they can be beaten just like anyone else. They'll track you using your emotions. Lose the anger; lose your pursuers. Don't use fancy plans, but react thoughtfully. Don't hide. Do put every possible obstacle between you and them. Stay moving. Course-correct randomly. Watch for telekinetic or mental attacks. And Kar?"

Karin's pace slowed and she entered the aforementioned clothing shop at a brisk walk. The area was cluttered with too-close clothing racks and displays that were little more than overfilled baskets of cheap wares. Thankfully, the tight walking space didn't impede Karin as she wove herself through several aisles of clothing racks deft step by deft step. Though the shop employed several staff, all were occupied with other customers. The obvious strategy was to take the back exit while no one was looking, but-

Course correct randomly.

Instead, Karin plucked a pair of pants and a blouse from the racks and headed for the fitting room by the far wall. She closed the door and locked it, hooking the clothes she had no intention of buying onto a half-full hanger. "Yeah?"

"I believe in you. Gotta go."

The comm clicked off and Karin filled the empty space with a smile. "Thanks, Spooky."

Left alone in the dressing room, Karin plopped down on the floor and took a pair of deep breaths. Can't take Force-users lightly. Gotta clear the head, leave 'em nothing they can use. Focus, DeLumiar. Focus focus fo-cus.

A count of five later, Karin's emotions had settled. The noise of commotion echoed into the room from the shop, however.

Instead of peeking through the slats to see what was happening, Karin examined the fitting room confines. The walls stretched from rug-covered duracrete floor to wood-paneled ceiling, so she was completely obscured from view right now.

Karin stood on the built-in chair and pushed against one of the ceiling panels. It offered no resistance. A peek inside revealed a series of air ducts, wires, pipes, and other structural necessities. Other askew ceiling panels showed that this was not the only loose one. In the not-too-far distance, a patch of sunlight revealed a broken vent leading back to the street. An almost-perfect escape route for the not-too-picky.

High-crime urban area indeed.

Sliding the panel out of the way, Karin gripped onto a structural support and hauled herself into the maintenance space. She couldn't go back out, but she could definitely go somewhere.

The intensity of emotion Vissica had drawn from the throng changed, then fell away outright. The feeling of hatred became a moment of piqued fear, and then...nothing.

The Selonian skidded to a stop in front of a retail shop, aloof to the dozens of alarmed eyes drawn to her appearance. Vissica tilted her head, as if straining to hear a subtle sound that eluded her. Her whiskers splayed to full array, the ends quivering slightly as she sniffed. In the crowds of Coronet, scents became entangled in the crush of humanity. The Selonian sense of smell was keen, but not so keen as to tease out an olfactory trail of a target she didn't even know yet. Vissica stood up to two feet, pacing back her last few steps before settling her eyes on one of the rubber-necking civilians.

"You."

The blonde-haired Human blinked, then looked to his left and right in hopes that she was singling out someone else.

"Come here." Vissica beckoned with a hand.

Reluctantly, the pedestrian complied with the Knight, his steps somewhat leaden with uncertainty. Vissica placed a hand carefully along the side of his face, and spoke to the potential eyewitness with a voice that seemed not her own.

"Someone ran ahead of me. Did you see them?"

With a blank expression, the human answered without hesitation.

"Yes."

Vissica carefully traced a finger along the man's cheek, closing her eyes.

"Describe them to me."

"I...didn't get a good look. A woman. Maybe human. Blonde hair."

Vissica carefully adjusted her hold along the man's jawline.

"Did you see where she went?"

"She went into the clothing shop over there."

At this, Vissica's eyes snapped open, and she shoved her compelled witness aside to barge through the shop doors.

"The woman." she demanded to the clerk at the counter. The Iridonian gestured to the back of the floor, in the direction of the changing rooms. Vissica quickened her pace, accelerating for the only stall with a closed door. She charged into it, shattering the wood where the privacy bolt held it in place.

Chasing after Vissica was like chasing after a speeder. Although a much smaller and angrier speeder. Her legs carried her just as fast as they could. Even with the force assisting her stamina and strength, Alexia was completely incapable of keeping up with her Solonian partner. When she reached the clothing store Vissica was touching a civilian and commanding answers from him. Alexia doubled over to catch her breath a moment, but before she could so much as gasp Vissica was diving into the shop. The sound of yelling and smashing followed.

"I'll... Check... the back door." She wheezed before focusing a moment and throwing herself up on to the rooftop. A loose shingle almost sent her plummeting back to the street, but she managed to catch herself on the edge with the tip of her boot and steady herself. Pushing on she ran clear across the roof, dodging between the conduits and air circulators that jutted from it's dirty top. All the way to the other side, where a backdoor would most likely be resting, and position herself at the edge of the rooftop. Her eyes scanned the area, looking for anyone running away. Nothing. She saw nothing.

Steadying her heavy breathing was difficult, but she did her best to focus outward and feel the space around her. She was looking for anyone who didn't belong. Someone in a corner, closet, anywhere out of the ordinary; or a scared, frightened, or angry mind. It was hard to sense anything over the geyser that was Vissica. She was not in a rage, or even angry. More frustrated and focused. Extremely focused. It radiated off her like a storm, poisoning the force around it. It made her feel uneasy. Scared maybe? She couldn't even imagine what it must be like to be on the other side of that furnace.