The First Clue

[Azreala]

Hutt? No way was Azreala thinking even for a second she was going to do work for a hutt. But, Hydra didn't have to know that. It was possible that she might be able to use this rouge to help her first, and then just ditch her later, in some fashion. Azreala could probably even learn a thing or two from her as well. This will be good.

"Well, I think I can do something for you-for a price. It's a simple you help me I help you situation; and you're going have to help me first."

[Rogue]

Hydra cocked her head at Azreala and my-LOM "Alright, but how about you put that blaster away first, and then we can talk negotiations? I won't try anything fishy, I promise." She slowly motioned one hand over her chest. "Cross my heart and hope to fall into the Maw."
She waited, biting the inside of her cheek until she could breathe easy again. Once she unarmed the tense runaway slave, she would be a world closer to bringing her back to Hurri, the fat slimy sleemo.
"Say, what's your name anyway? If you're not really Attus. I suppose you already know who I am, it's only fair." She smiled sweetly.

[Azreala]

"Sorry, I'm not into playing fair these days; no name. I am the new Attus, he was not the first, nor will I probably be the last."

Azreala lowered her guard but still gripped her blaster tightly by her side ready to draw when needed, no reason to fully let down her guard when their was obvious mutual distrust between the two of them.

"Alright so listen up partner, The local INCOM security is holding a person of intrest in the basement of administration that I need to pick up and smuggle out back to the slums. It is vital that we get in and out with the least amount of bloodshed required. The less people who know we are here the better, after all Attus has a reputation to uphold of being the most mysterious smuggler who ever lived."

Azreala winked at the girl and realized again, mask. Ma lorda could she feel any greener?

[Rogue]

"Alright Miss Attus, whatever you say."
Hydra stopped for a moment and pondered the proposal Azre--Attus--had for her. When she was so close to completing the job, she couldn't just leave Azreala by herself, but helping her with this job sounded somewhat... inconvenient. Was it worth a whole extra side trip just for this bounty? A bounty that she only got assigned because she offered an uncharacteristically low fee for it.
But of course, it wasn't about the credits, it was about the honor, and the reputation. She would show Vhett, prove her wrong. She could be the best Mandalorian seen in a generation.
"Yeah, I'll help you out." Hydra cautiously held a hand out to shake, knowing full well she'd probably get rebuffed. "Yeah, and you're right about Attus keeping that certain mystique about himself, it was something he did very well. But let me tell you something about him I figured out first hand. Behind that mask... he was just a man. So don't think you're hot poodoo just because the number of people who have seen your face can be counted on one hand."

[Azreala]

Azreala grew annoyed at that comment. She was trying. She yawned and streched and tried to look as passive as possible to the comment. As she headed for the stairs.

"Well, days here are long and nights are even longer. We should head out a dusk which is in another ten hours."

As she got to the top of the entryway, she noticed my-LOM nearby; and where was he two minutes ago? Whatever, she would deal with it later.

"I'm going to use that time to prep and rest and meet you outside of the ship. my-LOM will show you out."

Azreala moved away from the hole and kept her voice down as she address her droid.

"Make sure you do your job this time or I'll smelt you for parts."

"As you command, Master."

Azreala felt content by his answer and headed to the cockpit to put B2 on high alert for Hydra before headed off to get some sleep, can't be to careful.

[Rogue]

Hydra let herself be escorted out of the Starstruck Victory without incident, scowling at the even longer delay this karking slave was imposing on her job--and ultimate redemption.
"Patience, Hydra," she said to herself, "A Mandalorian knows how to use any situation to her advantage. Use this to your advantage."
She glanced behind herself to make sure that karking protocol droid was gone--she had hated my-LOM even when he was in the service of the real Attus. The ramp had already been lifted, and she was clear. In one swift motion she knelt down to tighten her bootstrap and slip a simple sticky tracker from her pocket to the backside of the support leg next to the entrance. She stood up, adjusted her flight jacket, and walked briskly back to her own vessel. She would sleep during the wait time, no point in being thrown off by fatigue in such a delicate game. And in ten hours she'd meet the runaway slave right outside the YT-1250, which had just sat there in the same position like a sitting shaak.
What a stupid mistake for the slave to make. She wouldn't last a week outside of Hurri's palace without getting killed. Hydra cursed her back luck. If she had access to a capitol ship, it would be a simple matter of catching the Starstruck Victory in the tractor beam and hauling jets back to Nal Hutta. But all she had was herself and her AIAT/i, so she would have to play this a bit more cautiously.
Only stopping long enough to kick off her boots, she slumped into her bunk and fell instantly into a restless sleep.
When the time came, she headed back over to the late Attus' ship to await the runaway slave and whatever laserbrained scheme she had concocted to kark Hydra over.

[Azreala]

Dusk was on the horizon and Azreala slowly rolled out of her bed. How she missed the days that she would just lay in bed all day. Realizing that she was behind schedule, she quickly threw on her cape and grabed her mask while almost running out of the ship.

When she came to the entrance of the docking bay, Hydra was leaning against the wall. waiting. Azreala blushed in embaressment and quickly strided over. Trying to look cooler than she was she kept her pace heading towards the direction of the administration building. As she passed her temporary partner, she spoke so she could hear.

"Follow me."

Hopefully she at least looked like she knew what she was doing.

[Rogue]

"Good morning, Miss Attus. Glad to see you finally decided to wake up." She followed behind the runaway at a steady clip, berating herself. Had she guessed this girl was going to be late like this, she could have easily set a trap to bag her and send her on her way back to Hurri before noon. But there was no way to tell any of this girl's personality traits hidden underneath the suffocating blanket of fear that strangled everything she said.
Hydra did have to commend her though. Putting on a mask of bravery did take more genuine courage than normally given credit for, and the girl was quite persistent in maintaining that bravado.
"So, INCOM security you say? I won't ask what sort of interest this person is worth, like you'd tell me if I did, but do you have a plan? I haven't been to this planet specifically, but considering how tucked away it is, well--I've done enough jobs to know that cracking this place will be a breeze if we don't kark it up somehow."
Hydra did have to consider the possibility that the girl was in fact laying a trap of her own--that she had friends at this place and was planning on trapping Hydra. What motivation she had, Hydra couldn't say, aside from fear of course. Fear was a powerful motivation in its own right, and by the stars Hydra had given enough reason to heat the girl's jets.

[Azreala]

Azreala led Hydra into the administration building and headed straight to the turbolift. The guard in front would have the access chip she needed, all she had to do was lift it off of him somehow.

"My slave and I have bussiness on the records level, could you please inform me which floor to go."

She rested her hand gingerally on the guards sholder and tried to sound as dumure as possible. As the guard was distracted, no doubt, trying to figure out why Az was touching him, and most definatly checking out her 'slave', Azreala pulled out his access chip with ease. It was a trick she used on her own palace guards many times in her slave days to wander the coradors.

"Oh wait, I see, it's just this turbolift silly me!"

Az pushed Hydra through the doors and stepped in just before they closed. Now they could head their way down closer to the woman, who hopefully held all the answers.

[Rogue]

Hydra was pushed through the double doors of the lift, raising her eyebrow at the "slave" comment. Despite her naivete, the runaway really did know how to convince men to do what she wanted. Of course, being an angel probably helped.
Hydra wasn't unattractive, but she would kill to have negotiations go that easily for her.
"So, records level? What exactly are we going for again? There aren't any bugs in the room, you can tell me now." Hydra held up a monitor display on her datapad, the custom-attached sensor had swept a wide radius around them constantly and she was confident that they were in complete privacy. "Or, you can not tell me and I'll find out anyways in thirty seconds."

[Azreala]

"I have no idea what's on the records level. Records? Maybe? That's not where we are going."

Azreala pulled out the access chip she had acquired and after a few short second the turbo lift began to head downward. She began to relax a little and turn to her temporary partner.

"Listen, you are hear to make sure we get out of here alive with the package, with few casualties. She should be at the end of the second corridor to the right."

The doors of the turbolift opened to and empty hall. Azreala pulled out her blaster in preparation of what might come.

"You ready?"

[Rogue]

"Always ready. That's my motto." Hydra pulled out one of her many blasters, both concealed and not, and leaned tight against the side wall of the elevator just in case something was waiting for them at the bottom. Her position minimized her exposure to lines of fire coming from outside the door. She didn't think they would run into that much trouble, but she didn't stay alive as long as she had by being reckless.
Would they really have that much security? It's just an administration building for a starship company. Of course, they didn't seem to be at all fazed when she referred to me as her slave and brought me down here. Hydra, you might have really screwed the pooch this time.
With her other hand she brushed up against the handle of a hidden blaster, ready to fire at Azreala in the blink of an eye. She didn't want to be blatant about it, lest she frighten the runaway angel, but if this was really some elaborate trap (as unlikely as it seemed from her character) Hydra would make sure to at least take down the runaway as well.
The doors opened, and the hall was empty. Hydra breathed an inaudible sigh of relief and pulled out the second blaster, keeping both barrels trained down the hallway, eyes flickering from door to door. "Second door to the right, you say? You sure you don't know what's inside?"
She stealthily made her way down the hall until she reached that door, and waited for Azreala to move in.

[Azreala]

Azreala quickly moved behind Hydra. Guess it was time to let her in on the truth, they were both in the midst of it now.

"A holding facility for those here that don't quite see eye-to-eye with the company."

This felt wrong. Why was no one around? Something stank like a nerf's backside, Az just couldn't place what it was...

"Let's try to play this cool as long as we can. We are looking for a woman name Talzin. And remember,"

Azreala began to reach for the door,

"We need her alive."

[Rogue]

The door opened, and it was the stench that hit Vaardo first. She scowled distastefully before activating the air filter on her helmet. She was no stranger to the stench of the entrapped and enslaved, having run into it nearly ubiquitously on Hutt worlds. She never quite got used to it, as it were. Mandalorian worlds were generally very prosperous, and Hydra had lived a life high in the social strata.

She looked dispassionately at the caged beings, most sapient humanoids, but had she not known any better, she would have taken this place as a pound for stray animals in the filthy lower levels of the Hutt city-moon Nar Shaddaa. Eyes scanning over them, she wondered what the runaway slave could want with someone imprisoned by a manufacturing company too powerful for its own good. "Talzin is the one you want? Alright, description?"
Hydra almost felt bad for the miserable creatures in front of her, but if they were busting someone out, it would only be the one. Or could it? Hydra, what are you thinking? Don't be a fool, why would you conscience appear now?" She shook the thoughts from her head and waited on a response from the Diathim.

[Azreala]

"About that.."

Azreala laughed akwardly as realized how dumb she was in this moment. Walking through the hallway of crowded desolate cells she looked at all the hollow eyes and nameless faces.

"I don't actually know, other than she is a female Corellian."

As she looked at the scared silent prisoners, she thought of her own miserable life back on Nal Hutta, and a heavey wave of grief and pity fell on her. How could she only save one?

"We may need to save them all. Find out which one we need later."

[Rogue]

"All? Have you gone laserbrained?" Hydra was upset that the runaway slave had entertained the same idea as her, and been vocal about it where Hydra had quashed the thought.
She stood in the center of the hallway and called down to all the prisoners around her. "Alright, listen up! We're looking for a female Corellian. Just... rattle your cage or something if you fit the bill. There's freedom in it for you. She glanced sideways at Azreala, whipsering "right?"

Suddenly a guard turned the corner. "What are you doing, I was told the tall one was bringing down a slave for the-- Two blaster bolts found his head and chest, respectively.
As Hydra's gun cooled off, she turned, rolling her eyes at "the tall one". "Well, there's the excitement you feared. We'd better do this thing quickly before we get trapped and join these miserable bodies."

[Azreala]

"Right."

Azreala looked at the scared men and women all clamoring to fit the bill of Talzin, hoping freedom was within their grasp. She felt consoled in the fact, that by freeing the Corellian, not only would it help her find her next step, but also work on freeing more of these scared people. That is, if she was anything like the woman's husband described. Looking to face the crowd she spoke as clearly and loudly as possible quieting the crowds as she spoke.

"Listen everyone! I'm looking for a Corellian woman named Talzin! Now I know you are all frightened and scared, and if I could get you all out right now I would. But I think most of you here at least know this woman's reputation and realize she is your only real shot of getting out of here."

The crowd murmured and began to shift and seem to almost silently lead her to a small cell with a woman who fit the bill crumpled on the floor. After using her handy-dandy access chip to open the cell, Azreala holstered her blaster, bent down, and scooped the woman up into her arms; softly cooing to her over her moans. Az stood up and somberly faced Hydra.

"We need to get back to the 'Victory as soon as possible. She needs a medical bay, and I need answers."

[Rogue]

Hydra looked down her nose at the rest of the slaves. "Sorry, guess today's not your day. Not many in the business of freedom in these times."
Disgusted at her momentary lapse of conscience, she grabbed Talzin roughly by the arm and pulled her back towards the door. "Hope that guard didn't have a dead man's switch," she said more to herself than Azreala or Talzin. As she dragged the malnourished and injured woman towards the elevator, the doors opened and a host of hired guns spilled out "Kriff!" She yanked the slave into a side door, glancing around to the door to the prison to see where the runaway had gone. Hydra couldn't afford to let her die, either. "Know how to hold a gun, Miss Attus?" She called out blindly.

[Azreala]

Pulling her blaster out, Az fired directly into one of the goons groin. Ducking behind a control board for cover, she kept firing into the crowd of guards, hoping to thin some numbers.

"I know how to do more than just hold one! We can't keep this up forever though! We need to get back to our ships, and quickly!" Azreala began to look around the room for some sort of way out, but unless they wanted to head deeper into the maze of the floor they were trapped. Keepuna! The Fresia nights were long, but Az got the feeling that tonight, it would be even longer.

[Rogue]

Glancing into the crowd, Hydra pulled out a smoke detonator from her belt and threw it over her shoulder as she yanked the scared, silent prisoner along back into the door where the runaway was. "Know a way out of here Miss Attus?" Hydra scowled at the runaway.
She looked down at Talzin, "You didn't get hurt, did you? It wouldn't do to have to drag your corpse topside."

"Well we're obviously not going back out that way. I'm not worried about dying to those goons myself, disregarding you two, but I have things to do--plans and dreams," she said sarcastically, "and I can't risk getting injured or anything else--unseemly."

She gestured out the back door of the prison, then started walking deeper into the complex, pulling Talzin along behind her.