Sestooine Rage

[Aurelias Kazaar]

Kazaar was outta few minutes later. Even if De'Ville didn't hear th'pounding o'the refresher stop, she sure as hell smelled the cigar he was puffin' away on.

Th'ex-bounty hunter had changed from his warm ups into o'grey T-shirt, black shorts and was shoe-less. Stared down at th'cup o'caf an' smirked. Frackin' 'Trey' was always tryin' t'make 'guests' feel at home. Guess that's what happens when ya never want t'have o'droid's memory wiped. Tend t'develop their own personalities.

He knelt down before De'Ville an' tapped her on th'shoulder. "Lemme see ya tongue."

When she didn't move, Kazaar produced o'small light from his pocket an' held it up to 'er eyes. "Hey Lady, open ya mouth. Wanna check that tongue o'yas."

[Lilaena De'Ville]

She lifted her head slowly and opened her eyes, fixing him with an emerald gaze. After another moment, her pupils dilating from the flashlight, De'Ville opened her mouth and obediently stuck her tongue out.

She let him get a look, but retreated before there was any danger of her starting to drool. "Bacta works a charm," she said. "My fault, let my jaw open when I hit the mat."

[Aurelias Kazaar]

"Well keep that'n mind f'the next fight." Kazaar responded. Didn't come out like an insult, more like a reminder t'do better.

Kept 'is eyes on De'Ville's tongue. "Open it back up, wanna look at somethin'."

Put two fingers on 'er jaw t'keep the mouth open. Then reached into th'medkit and tossed o'gel-capsule on the tongue. "Keep it there forra bit. Oughta help reduce th'swelling."

Kazaar got up and set himself down in his chair, his cigar comin' back up into 'is mouth. Things were silent forra bit while th'two just kinda stared at each other.

"Where'd ya get th'scars? Looks like ya went through hell t'get those."

[Lilaena De'Ville]

He obviously had some sort of outdated opinion of women, but she accepted his ministrations without comment other than a raised eyebrow. The gelcap melted quickly enough and had an odd taste.

Kazaar asked the question that she'd known he would, and she studied him through hooded eyes, swishing the medicine in her mouth and wondering where the droid was with her water. She finally swallowed, and tilted her head just a bit to one side. "Went through hell... that is an apt description."

Lilaena looked at him, and nodded a bit, "Where'd you get yours? A hundred bar fights on a hundred worlds?"

[Aurelias Kazaar]

De'Ville gotta smirk in response an' Kazaar puffed on his cigar o'bit. "Took o'couple shots yeh, but not all in bar fights."

Leaned forward. "In bar fights they ain't comin' at ya with o'buncha blasters or thermal detonators. Most frackers in bar fights just try t'beat th'piss outta ya. Make ya feel it in ya eyes an' ya head.

"They're frackin' brawlers not fighters. Guys ya track down doin' bounties, pretty much brawlers too. 'Specially slavers. Those're just assholes tryin' t'prey on th'weak. Hell, run into some Imps who get off on dominatin' on others. Frackin' kaffers if ya ask me.

"And if ya happen t'beat th'crap outta 'em. Let 'em suffer o'bit...maybe strike 'em in o'vein instead ovva artery so they bleed out..." He smirked. "Those barves deserve it."

Kazaar raised o'finger. "Ya get o'guy who actually knows how t'kill someone an' plans it...Those guys're frackin' tough. They'll fight ya with anything. Blasters, vibroblades...hell, went after o'guy once who shot me with o'Force-damned concussion rifle. Frackin' hurt.

"Tend t'take th'most damage there. Marks o'honor if ya ask me."

O'crooked smile. "'Sides...most dames like scars."

[Lilaena De'Ville]

"Oh yeah," she said thickly, "Go crazy over them." She subconsciously rubbed the thin ridged scar on her forehead, the one that sliced down to her cheekbone. The vibroblade that had done it had missed her eye, and the scar itself wasn't too obtrusive, but when she worked by herself she had tended toward covering it up with black 'war paint.'

She hadn't done that in ages, though. De'Ville realized what she was doing and put her hands in her lap, thankful that the droid finally came back in with a glass of water. "Thanks," she said awkwardly, taking the glass from it. It twittered pleasantly at her, swiveling its dome around.

"You're a tough bastard," she added, to Kazaar, turning her green eyes toward him. "I haven't had a spar like that since ...joining the Alliance."

[Aurelias Kazaar]

"Ain't o'big fan of hurtin' dames." Kazaar shrugged. "Most of th'sickos I've met who do that ain't worth th'air they're suckin' in."

De'Ville had a sneaky suspicion Kazaar'd put more than 'is fair share of "sickos" in th'grave. Somehow it made sense too.

"But ya did o'helluva job takin' what I had an' dishing it back in spades. Sure as hell ain't had o'sparrin' session like that." That sure wasn't o'lie. Even th'Kid didn't hit as hard as De'Ville did. "Ya ain't just some random dame who hooked up with th'Alliance onna lark.

"Th'frack you'd do before? Run ya own band o'mercs?"

[Lilaena De'Ville]

"The Empire calls me a terrorist," she said quietly. "I mainly ran solo, though I worked with mercenaries a few times." Ha! More than a few times.

"Wrecked a bacta plant around the Battle of Yavin," she added. "That got me on the Empire's sensors. And a year or so back I took a team into Coruscant and took out a lab they had running in the Underground. Real sick stuff with Force sensitive children." She let a ghost of a smile trace her lips. She was particularly proud of that one, but it wasn't something a lot of people had heard about. Secret labs getting blown up tended not to make the news.

And then, of course, she'd been taken by the Inquisitorate after that one. Her 'crew' had had to bust her out while they were moving her, and after they'd already tortured her mentally and physically. Re-opening the stripes on her back after inducing nightmares about her long dead master, A'na Eldhil, had been particularly traumatic.

She waved her hand dismissively. "I basically have tried to be the biggest pain in the Empire's ass that I could be."

[Aurelias Kazaar]

"Children?" Kazaar sneered, eyes narrowed. "Gotta be frackin' kidding me. Damn Imps. Frackers deserve every bitta hell they get."

He was quiet forra moment, as if somethin' caught 'is mind. De'Ville didn't see wheels spinnin' but she could tell he was thinkin'. Which could be bad.

"Heard 'bout that bacta plant while back. If it's th'one I'm thinkin' 'bout helluva job. Imps were gonna use that place for their own soldiers anyway."

'Trey' came up with o'beer an' set it on Kazaar's table. The droid then *twittered* somethin' that caused Kazaar t'smirk. "Ya can't frackin' believe that 'Trey'. Pretty damn sure some Imps're just 'doing their job' but they ain't all frackheaded idiots. Some o'em sure as hell know the poodoo that's been goin' on.

"Ya know. Thought I saw o'De'Ville on th'Imp's list o'bounties while back. Hadn't made o'connection but ya sure as shit got their frackin' attention."

He chuckled, th'laugh soundin' like o'speeder tryin' t'rev up. "Called ya frackin' erratic. Ain't that what they always frackin' say. Call people they don't get 'erratic' or 'unstable.' Frackers..."

[Lilaena De'Ville]

She shrugged, the smile growing a bit. "The way I figure it, if you decide to work for the Empire, you made a bad frelling decision. It's not my job to sift out the neutrals from the bad."

Her grin widened, "Never did have anyone come after that bounty, though. Except for IG-88. That damned thing never stops coming. Been quiet since the incident on Coruscant though." She sipped her water, sitting back with one leg tucked up underneath her. "Kept me sharp, though, having that much money on my head."

What would Callidus think of Kazaar? De'Ville wasn't sure where the thought had come from, and the juxtaposition of the two men in her mind was interesting. She didn't know if she could have thought of two more different individuals.

[Aurelias Kazaar]

"Jumpin' from place t'place, tryin' t'keep yaself from gettin' caught. Hell frackin' yeah that'll keep ya on ya toes."

Kazaar took 'nother puff off his cigar, then slowly pulled th'lable off. Keep th'tobacco from burnin' the paper, makin' the ship smell bad. Let smoke waft outta 'is mouth, before taking another sip o'beer.

Part o'him had t'admit it, he was startin' t'like this dame. Weirdest thing 'bout it was she reminded 'im a lot 'bout himself. Predatory sure, but they'd both been fracked (or seemed like it). De'Ville was pretty quiet 'bout what'd happened t'her, an' Kazaar wasn't th'kinda guy t'start askin' o'buncha personal questions. She sure as hell wasn't th'Kid and wasn't Birdy either. Naw...this dame...she was o'hard ass.

Blew smoke outta 'is mouth and closed 'is black eyes.

Somethin' was gnawin' at 'is gut. Weird feelin' he couldn't quite get o'hold of. If this dame was all she appeared t'be still didn't answer one frackin' question.

"How th'frack did ya get hooked up with Starborn? She ain't th'kinda dame t'take on people who're 'erratic'." Smirk he gave made it seem like someone'd used him as an example of the kinda worker Starborn didn't want.

"The hell ya do? Wave ya fingers an' get 'em t'accept ya."

[Lilaena De'Ville]

De'Ville narrowed her eyes, and then raised her eyebrows. "Colonel Regulus Starborn is a male, at least that was my impression of him. And yeah, I've had to prove myself. I think that's why I'm here, instead of assigned to a regular SpecForce squad already.

"Of course," she grinned, "Waving my fingers didn't hurt. I've worked with Phoenix Cell a bit in the past, that mess on Coruscant where the Chancellor was almost assassinated, and so I had some people who'd vouch for me."

[Aurelias Kazaar]

"Yeh, bet'cha got more than ya share o'fans f'that." Kazaar knew o'couple things 'bout Phoenix Cell but never had worked with 'em. Pretty frackin' picky on who they worked with and Kazaar was th'same way. 'Cept when he got ordered t'take someone along forra ride. Like this mission.

"Wasn't talkin' 'bout th'Colonel. Was talkin' about th'Mama Hen Starborn." Kazaar again took time t'puff smoke outta his mouth. Wasn't doing any shapes (can't do that with cigars) but he sure as hell made it look almost artful. "Woman didn't approve Belargic's rescue after Bossman got nabbed. Hell, woulda tried t'save the guy f'free if they'd told me.

"Guess she didn't want t'risk unnecessary lives or some kinda crap like that. Feh...his ass coulda been rescued if they'd really wanted it.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

Oh. That Starborn. Lilaena's eyes imperceptibly narrowed, considering what Kazaar was saying. She hadn't been aware that Celeste Starborn had so much sway over the entire Alliance, but given her companion's tendency for hyperbole she was sure he was exaggerating Ms. Starborn's authority. She was but one piece of the Advisory Council, after all, and under Mon Raizen.

As far as the Belargic thing, she'd heard some rumors, but she wasn't a true part of Intel so hadn't dug down to the bottom of how Grace Van-Derveld had become head of the department. "Seems his ass could have been rescued even if they didn't want it. Unless you're talking a situation that required a full frontal assault with capital ships committed as back up.

"I don't know that much about the scenario," she admitted, "But it seems that the Advisory Council must make political decisions. If I were in that position," and she said it casually, "I would probably make the same one -"

"Frackin' 'ell, Lady, figured you'd take their side." Kazaar blew out a cloud of fragrant smoke that De'Ville waved away from her face.

" -the same one, but I would order a small team in to mount an off the books rescue. If the person in question was worthy of such an effort." De'Ville drained her water.

[Aurelias Kazaar]

She had o'point. 'Course in his brief time in th'Rebel Army Kazaar'd been told 'bout never leavin' a man behind. Pretty much agreed with it too. Hell, he'd even saved o'few idiots Kazaar never thought were worth savin' in his time.

'Course, Dasquian Belargic wasn't one of 'those idiots.' Naive...yeh...political...hell yeah...worth savin'...beat workin' f'him than Gracey.

"Hell, Lady, lotta our stuff is 'off th'books.' It's called Black Ops forra frackin' reason." He smirked and ashed his cigar. It was almost finished.

"If ya ask me, Rebellion's becoming too damn political. I got no problem with 'em trying t'set up o'hierarchy, but with that Force-damned thing comes o'buncha rules an' regulations that're frackin' pointless.

"Especially when ya tryin' t'talk to someone who ain't 'bout to." Rolled his eyes. "Lemme do m'Force-damned job and leave me th'frack alone."

[Lilaena De'Ville]

De'Ville shrugged, and let the conversation lapse. They sat for a few minutes in companionable silence, which stretched daringly close to awkward territory. Kazaar puffed on his cigar like he was some sort of ancient steam powered cyborg, and Lilaena let her eyes close again, though she was far from sleep.

Eyes still closed she finally broke the silence. "So, did Intel supply us with anything regarding Sestooine? Blueprints, rudimentary sketch on a napkin...?"

[Aurelias Kazaar]

Now it was gettin' down t'business. Even Kazaar'd felt things'd gotten weird. Like th'two were gettin' t'know each other almost too quickly. Didn't know what th'frack it was, but both of 'em knew somethin' was going on. Frackin' weird if ya ask him (which 'course, no one really did).

"Gonna need ya 'Trey'." He learned forward and pressed o'couple buttons on the small keypad near the glass table. 'Bout this time, the R7 droid rolled forward, its oculator starting t'light up. As th'glass on the table darkened, o'holographic display of some kinda complex suddenly popped up.

As Kazaar'd stated earlier, it was o'four level building. Pretty much th'standard Imp facility. Blockish, grey duracrete walls, durasteel doors in th'front and back. Couple small windows inna few places and one real large window at th'top designed t'look like an Imperial emblem. Frackin' Imps, always likin' t'show how efficient they could be with their quick construction. Estelle Russard would probably comment 'bout how boring it looked. 'Course, she was o'art student...Kazaar just thought they were things t'get blown up.

"Zoom inna bit will ya. Wanna see th'middle of the facility."

Wasn't much t'see. Display made it seem like there were o'buncha computers in the central core. If th'info they were looking for was anywhere...probably be there.

"Guessin' the place is gonna have 50 stormies, may 'bout 20 commandos and ten officers 'round t'boss everyone 'round. Few techs too...maybe o'scientist t'figure analyze data. Places like that like t'have o'few surprises too...maybe o'probe droid orra interrogation droid (even though there's no frackin' reason f'that)."

Let o'heavy breath come outta his nostrils. "Gonna be o'few ways getting in. Either go up top an' sneak in or go through th'front and try t'take 'em all out. Places like that...bet ya gotta few Imps who go down into town t'get drunk off their asses. Steal o'key card, take the guy's uniform. Raise hell."

De'Ville couldn't help but notice th'shift in Kazaar. Still had his general sardonic nature, but he was talkin' like someone who knew what he was doin'. Or had 'least done it before. And had th'scars t'prove it.

"Lotta it depends on how many Imps we want t'kill and if it's worth it. Much as I hate t'say it...times the mission's more important than just causing bloodshed." He smirked. "But those don't always happen.

'Bout that time there was a *chime* neither Kazaar or De'Ville were expectin'.

"The frack ya mean we gotta message comin' in?" Kazaar swung his black eyes towards 'Trey'. "Thought we weren't supposed t'be 'chatting it up' with outsiders."

He scowled o'bit as 'Trey' gave o'few *blats* and *tweets*. "Yeh, yeh. Fine put it through. Swear if it's Spenny wanting t'give me a sweater..."

[The Black Man]

It wasn't.

"Kazaar." A very familiar and deep voice came over the comm. "Why aren't you on Sestooine."

De'Ville saw Kazaar roll his eyes. "Oh frackin' har, har Othy where th'hell are you. Not that I don't like seein' Crix more than you, but why th'crink ya gotta send errand boys t'do ya job instead of telling up yaself."

'The Black Man's' tone made it seem like he had ignored Kazaar's dig. "In a way, I'm glad you're not. Just found out some new information you may want to know.

"The Imperials have quarantined off Sestooine."

"They've done what?!?"

"You heard me, Agent. The local Imperial commander is claiming there's been a major outbreak of Plyridian Fever."

"Bullshit."

If 'Othniel' were showing his face, the two would have seen him smile. "Exactly. My sources are telling me the same thing. Something else is at work here, Kazaar. Your mission is changing.

"I want you and Ms. De'Ville to find out what the source of the illness is and whether it's an actual disease or not. If it's a weapon make sure all data on it is scrubbed. If there is a cure find out.

"But make sure the Empire doesn't have the chance to release it anywhere else."

He cut communication without further discussion.

[Aurelias Kazaar]

Kazaar's smirk was cold. "Nice t'see that guy's still alive an' kicking."

"Friend of yours?" De'Ville thought she already had an answer.

"Othy's a spooky bastard who's using th'Rebellion t'fight his own damn war with th'Empire." Th'ex-bounty hunter gotta sneer on his face. "Sure as hell likes t'occasionally leave out facts and talk in fracking generalizations.

"But th'guy pretty much on th'fracking level." The sneer turned into a smirk. "Looks like things're gonna get a helluva lot more fun."

[Lilaena De'Ville]

"So the whole planet is quarantined?" De'Ville shook her head slowly, "That seems extreme - or someone was really lax and let a Patient Zero run around coughing on everyone instead of taking care of an individual quarantine."

She looked sideways at him and added, "I think my Plyridian vaccine is still up to date. You?"

Kazaar grunted to the affirmative, and blew out a giant cloud of smoke.

"We could pose as medical personnel responding to the global emergency," she hazarded, and then quickly added, "But I don't think that's going to work. Shipping in medical supplies though..." De'Ville brushed her short dark brown hair out of her eyes. "I defer to your judgment on how to best get through the quarantine. Although probably leaving will be harder than getting in."