Do Not Pass Go. Do Not Collect 200 Credits.

[Denton Jax]

An erratic beat rang out of the cell, Denton banging enthusiastically on the plasteel frame of the bunk. He ran his hands across the material, finding the different notes and building - what he considered to be - a fantastic percussion solo. With a hearty slap, he knocked his knuckles against the frame, creating a prolonged ringing to bring his effort to a climax.

"Thank you Could Cityyyyy!!!!" he yelled to an imaginary audience, throwing his arms into the air and revelling in the silent applause.

"Shut up in there!"

Jax blew a raspberry, pushing himself off the bunk and meandering across the cell, bored out of his skull.

"How did thi-"

He heard Kallum stirring, and hopped over to the youth's side with a cheshire grin.

[Kallum Romanoch]

The light from the cell stung his eyes and he winced. It was difficult to move, he felt like he had a Hutt sitting on him. He groaned and raised a hand to his head; in his temples his pulse felt like a frag grenade exploding over and over and over. The clarity slowly returned to his vision: there was a lot of red and a smile like the moon.

"Oh, frell..." he muttered, feebly.

[Denton Jax]

"It's your old cellmate, buddy!" Denton cheered, nudging Kallum and dancing away. "Just the two of us. Tegan managed to slip away before we got carted off this most prestigeous establishment."

[Kallum Romanoch]

He pressed his palms against his eyes to shut out the aching light. The right side of his face was swollen and his eye was puffy and tender to touch. He felt like he'd spent a night with Corvus.

"Wait," he said, his voice hoarse, "What happened?"

[Denton Jax]

"Yougot us arrested, wonderboy. Not only for your brawling, but for the speeder incident too, and the demise of those Bothans" Jax explained, still remarkably upbeat about the whole situation. "I tell you, this has been a most catastrophic quest for lunch, and I still haven't eaten."

On cue, his stomach rumbled, and he plopped down on his bunk.

[Kallum Romanoch]

Preoccupied by his pain, Kallum was temporarily content to let Denton blame him for the string of unfortunate events which lead to their incarceration, and he groaned again, feeling terribly sorry for himself.

"'ow long 'av I been out?"

[Denton Jax]

"Couple of hours" he replied, swaying side to side. "Couple of days. Doesn't make much difference now, does it? Come on now, think constructive."

Denton hopped up briefly to cross his legs, resting his hands on his knees and humming loudly, as if falling into meditation, trying to have some bright idea.

"So what's with you and Miss Desperado?"

[Kallum Romanoch]

Beneath his hands, his jaw clenched at the sound of the humming and he was almost grateful to hear his cellmate's voice instead. Hidden from view, his brow knit as he contemplated the question, then unable to disguise the irritation in his voice, he answered:

"Whaddya mean what's wirrus? Yeh know what's wirrus. We're... yeh know!"

[Denton Jax]

"Well, I don't know if she sees it that way" Jax replied without missing a beat, cocking a brow. "But if you're happy under the thumb...well, that works for some guys I guess."

[Kallum Romanoch]

"'ang on a minute!" he blurted groggily.

His hands fell away from his face so he could look at Denton and read his expression. He wasn't wearing that stupid grin. Kallum looked puzzled.

"I'm norrunder de thumb! An' wha' makes yeh think she doesn' see it dat way, ey?"

[O.W. Outcast]

A guard walked up to the cell with the two young men in it. He stared for a moment with a very serious look on his face as he eyeballed them both suspiciously. Finally his Gaze stopped on the one known as Kallum as he reached for his keys to the cell. He stared at Kallum as he spoke to the young delinquent.

Guard: "Your lawyer is here to see you son."

-------

In the integration room OW sat in a very uncomfortable chair. The three foot Duro fidgeted to try and get comfortable but nothing he did seemed to work. Yet considering he was sitting on a stack of books just to see over the table in front of him there was no wonder he was uncomfortable. In front of the small Duro sat a brief case and some other papers he demanded the guards bring him. He sat there waiting for them to bring in his client Kallum or at least he told them he was Kallum's lawyer.

[Kallum Romanoch]

The door swung open and Kallum tumbled inside, the large hand of a burly guard urging him forward, by his head, and plodded into the light on unsteady legs. His hands were bound at the wrists before him and he still hadn't been given his shoes. The icy floor made him shiver. Shaking off the grogginess, he looked down at the table. His jaw nearly hit the floor.

"Oh, dren! I mean... oh dren, it's you..."

There was caution in his steps and the multitude of mixed emotions which danced on his face was highlighted by a clammy, shimmering sweat. The little Duro looked highly irritable, wobbling in his makeshift seat, and while Kallum was pleased to see an ally in his hour of need, seeing this particular ally made him wish it wasn't quite his hour of need. He lowered himself into the seat opposite with a sort of nervous reverence, his gaze flitting from the person opposite to just about anywhere else in the room.

"Heh! Alright, bo- er... Bob," he said, with a weak smile, "Fancy runnin' inteh you 'ere, ey?"

[Denton Jax]

"Lawyer? Lawyer!?"

Denton's eyes almost popped out of his head as Kallum was carted off. He guessed Tegan must have fetched help, but whether he was going to be getting free, or just Kallum, he really didn't know. That girl was so hard to predict.

"Put in a good word for me, yeah!?" he called as the door was slammed shut again. "...On your own again eh, Jax?"

The redhead span around, skipping back over to his bunk and launching himself at it. He landed smoothly on his back, resting his hands behind his head and kicking his heels up on the end of the bed. There was nothing to do but wait.

[O.W. Outcast]

"Yeah fancy that."

With that OW went to his brief case on the table and fumbled with the buttons for moment before it finally popped open. He reached inside and pulled out some papers in a tan folder.

"Do you know what these are Kallum? Not letting the boy speak he continued. "They are filed report on what crimes you supposedly committed here today."

With that OW slide the folder towards Kallum as if he where cop and not some pretend lawyer. He stared at the boy hard with his bug eyes and a dead serious look on his face.

"You are going to be charged with injuring two bothans and murder for the third one. Not to mention theft of a speeder bike and public indecency. Oh yes and let's not forget vandalism and they don't even have a name for the incident with the Rodian monkey. I don't even want to know what the monkey thing was about all I need to know is if you did these things."

[Kallum Romanoch]

"I wasn' even drivin'! I was forced into it by dat mental fella! He was de one bein' chased by bothans! It 'ad nottin' teh do wit me, bo-Bob, I was just in de wrong place at de wrong time!"

The excuses came as naturally as breathing but this time the look of perplexed innocence was genuine. The more he thought about it, the more he wondered how he'd managed to go from looking for Tegan for some impromptu bouncy-bouncy to being incarcerated for murder and being grilled by his crime lord employer. He sunk onto his elbows with defeat, his head dropped and he scanned the pages on the table before him.

"Oh, an dat public indecency thing, it was just de once but I'd 'ad a lot teh drink. A tough night at de sabaac tables, yeh know?" he muttered, then glanced up to meet the boss's scrutinising gaze.

"But der was no monkey involved, I swear!"

[O.W. Outcast]

"You are an idiot boy!"

With that OW pointed up to a camera in the corner of the room. Kallum wasn't aware OW had paid off an officer to shut it off but he didn't need to know that. Nor did he let Kallum in the fact that he had paid to have all the charges dropped and the papers lost for good.

"You just admitted to being an accessory to these crimes. So do you want to give up your accomplices now or take the whole wrap?"

[Droo]

delete me please

[Kallum Romanoch]

"I wasn' an accessory to dren!" he shouted, lurching up from his seat, "I was just der!"

Angry and indignant, he turned and booted the chair across the room. He started to pace erratically, his fury at the injustice reaching boiling point. He spun and addressed his miniscule boss.

"If yeh wanna blame someone, blame dat Denton fella, it's 'is fault! 'ee was on de run from de Bothans! 'ee put de moves on Tegan! String 'im up by 'is balls an' stop grillin' me!"

[O.W. Outcast]

"Maybe I should talk to this Denton and see what he has to say?"

With that OW stood up on his chair so he could see thru the window on the door to the interrogation room. He waved his hand for the guard at the door to enter the room. The guard looking to OW wandering what the midget wants.

"Please take my client back his ceil and bring me in the one named Denton."

He watched as the guard started to take Kallum back to his ceil in his distraught phase. OW just let a little smile creep on his face as he was taken away.

[Kallum Romanoch]

Kallum skulked away with the the barrel of the guard's rifle prodding him in the back. They arrived at the cell and the man behind him adressed Denton, who looked very much at home on his bed.

"Denton Jax, now it's your turn. Get up!"

The shackles were removed from Kallum's wrists and the door crashed open. He entered, and as he passed his red-haired cellmate, he threw a sharp dig which caught him on the cheek. From behind, the butt of a rifle ushered him by aggressively, and he slumped down onto his bed with sour resignation.