Bane curses as the pair leap from the railing, hastily clambering over the railing himself as the thugs begin to emerge from the tunnel entrance behind him.

Fennec lands lightly onto the top of the hovertrain, which appears to have slowed as it exited its tunnel into the open expanse, but which is rapidly speeding up once more. She swiftly extends a hand to take hold of Xizran's robes as he lands beside her, steadying the Falleen as he stumbles and sways toward the edge of the roof and the bottomless pit below.

OOC: Fennec Kang rolled 21. Jump.
Xizran rolled 8. Jump.
Fennec Kang rolled 16. Reflex.
This message was last edited by the player at 03:40, Sat 23 Sept 2023.

Bane leaps, even as blasts begin to whizz around him. He gives a grunt as he strikes the accelerating train, stumbling sideways as he rolls from the roof of the vehicle, narrowly catching hold of a jutting railing on the side as he dangles from one hand above a bottomless the bottomless drop, flailing to pull himself back up.

OOC: Bane Malar rolled 13. Jump.
This message was last updated by the player at 03:51, Sat 23 Sept 2023.

“I think you missed, Bane,” Xizran sneers unhelpfully.

"Yes, thank you for that assessment," Bane replies tersely as he continues to scrabble at the side of the train for some kind of foothold.

"The data core," Fennec reminds Xizran pointedly, before beginning to leap nimbly along the train to where Bane dangles.

“True. Toss that to Fennec before you fall if you are going to.”

"I'm touched," grunts Bane as he manages to hoist one leg up onto the roof, "by your concern."

Even as he speaks, their pursuers reach the railing of the skywalk above, as they proceed to rain blasts down on the swiftly retreating trio. One or two of the more enterprising Rodians begin to climb over the railing themselves, but the train is by now moving at a rapid speed, and they quickly think better of the idea.
This message was last edited by the GM at 03:30, Mon 12 Feb 2024.

Xizran seems slightly concerned for his datapad as the blasts rain down, and pleased when the blaster fire stops. (It's to be noted that this concern does nothing for poor Bane, Xizran taking cover from the fire rather than helping the struggling mercenary up.)

"I assume we have a plan for getting off this before the next stop that does not involve the way Bane seems to be trying to...?"

Bane, who has managed to pull himself up, just as Fennec reaches him, sends Xizran what is doubtless a dirty look from beneath his helmet.

"Remind me never to let you two arrange our meeting venue ever again."
This message was last edited by the player at 08:49, Sat 23 Sept 2023.

A hundred klicks or so across the city, a Quarren male in a shimmersilk tunic and cape sits in a plush chair inside an extravagantly furnished apartment which looks out across Nar Shaddaa's brilliantly lit entertainment district. The entrance to the room is flanked by a pair of resolute Falleen, armed with blaster rifles and dressed in the ornate armor worn by royal guards on their home planet, while another Falleen in fine robes sits in a chair opposite the Quarren.

The Quarren drums his fingers impatiently on the arm rest of his chair, before suddenly rising to pace restlessly.

"How long can one blasted transaction take?" he asks in his native tongue, which the Falleen opposite him appears to understand. "Stro'to will be here in less than an hour and I haven't heard a thing since Xizran left."

The Falleen grunts in a way that indicates the ways of Falleen are above those of Quarren, and not subject to questioning.

"I'm telling you, if Xizran is so anxious for this meeting of his to remain a secret," continues the Quarren, unperturbed, "the least he can do is be around to meet Vogga's major-domo."

The Falleen ignores him.

The Quarren appears to be used to this treatment, as he continues.

"Or at the very minimum, at least keep me in the loop. I'm trying Lendon again," he adds, pulling out his comlink and pressing a button. "Lendon? Lendon what's happening down there?"

There is no answer.

"Son of a blutfish," mutters the Quarren as he squeezes the device with enough force to make it give an ominous crack.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:16, Sun 24 Sept 2023.

This is ignored too. However he feels about Lendon’s response times to urgent messages, the Falleen clearly has no intention of voicing it to a Quarren.

There is a beeping at that moment from a holographic table in the corner of the room.

"Anyone going to get that?" the Quarren directs at the Falleen, before rolling his eyes and moving over to flick a switch on the table. "Why do I have to everything?"

The holographic image of a Gran flickers to life on the table before him.

"Klopak," he addresses the Quarren in Huttese. "I have Geron Selto on the holo for Price Xizran."

"Yes, well he's not here, Yaks," snaps the Quarren, switching to Huttese himself. "So Geron Selto is going to have to wait his turn, just like-" he breaks off as a series of low, ominous beeps can be heard from behind one of the wall panels beside him, echoed by several others about the room.

A moment later there is a deafening explosion as the entire apartment is completely incinerated in a ball of flame which tears it apart. Thousands of beings in the air traffic and skywalks about the skyscraper penthouse stare as the fire rises high into the air and shrapnel is hurled in all directions before disappearing into the depths far below.

OOC: End of Chapter I...