The streets were pretty much desolate at this time of night. And it was just more than the cold temperatures that kept the people indoors. It was time for the seedier underbelly of Coronet City to prey on anyone fool-hardy enough to venture out onto Treasure Ship Row, well after most respectable stores and drinking establishments had closed.
A lone shadow inside a dark alley way seemed to move then settle back down. "I'm tellin' you Jacen that snitch gave us some bogus information. We've been watching this building for three days now. And there's been no sign of him.", said the man to his partner.
Jacen Darkstar had been a member of CorSec since he was 18 years old. Now 23, he had been a plain clothes detective for alittle over a year. He kept his eyes on the the front of the run down building, "He's in there. I can feel it. He'll get tired of staying in there and eventually show himself. Why you got a hot date or something?", He said smiling at his partner, and best friend since the academy.
The two men were dressed in ragged clothes and both smelt as if the hadn't had a bath in months. It was necessary for them to stay undetected by their quarry. The Tranodshan Mercenary/Bounty Hunter Bossk. He was wanted for the murder of Hal Horn. One of the most reveered detectives in Corsec and father to his good friend Corran.
"You and your hunches. You'd think you were a Jedi or something.", The man Joked. "I'd just rather be spending the night in my nice warm bed beside my wife. That's all.", he said with a sigh.
"Hey dont let the Imps hear you say stuff like that. They may think your serious and I dont particularly feel like being executed. Because of a harmless joke between friends.", he said looking around, "So how is Katie doing?"
Kyp Wheeler had been married to his wife Katie Powers for nearly three years and were expecting their first child in the spring. "She's doing fine. She's really starting to blow up though. Which reminds me. When are you going to get you a nice girl and settle down?"
Jacen gave him a sideways glance, "How long have we been friends again Kyp? Oh yeah, that's right ever since the first day of the academy."
Kyp looked at him, "Yeah, why?"
Jacen looked down then back at him. "Unless you want us to stop being friends I suggest you let that subject rest.", He said jokingly.
Kyp punched him in the arm, "Awwww, come on Jace. It's just that mea and Katie ar worried about you that's all. I mean people are starting to talk. You show up at parties by yourself and you're never seen leaving with a girl. You know Katie still has that friend I was telling you about."
"Yeah, I know. The one that looks like she should be a model or something. Or, so you say.", He said with a grin, "I still remember the last one your sister tried to set me up with." He shuttered at the thought, "Boy, she was a real winner. I've seen a better head on a mug of Corellian Ale."
Kyp held up his hands, "Hey buddy, dont go blaming that on me. Why dont you just give this one a shot. Have I ever lead you wrong?"
Jacen gave him another side ways glance, "There was that time in the Academy when you set me up with the Commadant of the academies daughter. Or, had you forgotten about that?"
Kyp grinned, "How was I supposed to know that the Commadant was here father. All she said was that her father was in CorSec. It was an honest mistake."
"Yeah a mistake that almost got me booted out of the Academy.", he nodded, "Ok, I'll meet this girl and see what I think."
Kyp smiled, "That's the spirit. Katie'll be so happy that she gets to play matchmaker. But, there's something you should know before you meet her it's no big deal really. It's just that she has this third eye in the center of her forehead." Jacen gave him a hard stare and Kyp laughed, "Just joking. She's a real knock out. I swear."
The men sat in silence and watched as the occasional Stormtrooper patrol passed by. They both knew that they were possibly wasting their time and that Bossk might not even be in there. But, they had to take the chance that the information they bought was good and that maybe the same snitch didn't give Bossk an advance warning like happened with Hal. Bossk had laid in wait for the perfect time to attack and sprung his ambush flawlessly. He managed to kill Hal and two other CorSec officers before making his escape.
Jacen scanned the front of the building with a pair of Macro-binoculars. He thought he saw movement in one of the third floor windows. He went back to the window and smiled. He zoomed in on the window, there was no mistaking the scaley brown skin he saw. His smile got broader, "Well, hello there ugly."
Kyp who'd been starting to doze perked up, "What? You see him?"
Jacen nodded slightly. "Third floor, second window from the left. He's watching the street.", he said while handing the binoculars over.
Kyp took the offered binoculars and looked towards the window, "I dont.. Wait a minute.. Yeah, I got him. He sure is ole buddy. You think he's getting ready to to make his move?"
Jacen leaned forward slightly and pulled the blaster he had concelled in the small of his back. He checked the charge on the power pack. Satisfied he looked at the building again, "More then likely. The last Stormtrooper patrol passed by about twenty minutes ago. There's not another due for another thirty or forty minutes. Now, would be the ideal time to move. The streets are pretty much empty. It'd be hard for anybody to follow him." He looked up at the sky, "It's going to be light in another couple of hours. If he's going to make his move he's going to have to do it now."
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Bossk let the curtain close. He hoped that that CorSec he'd paid off was going to come through for him and not have a change of heart. He grabbed his gear and made his way out of the room and down to the street. He walked out on to the building and started towards the spaceport.
Jacen felt his heart speed up when the Tranodshan come out of the building. He waited until Bossk started down the street then looked at Kyp, " Put on your game face partner. It's showtime."
Kyp pulled his blaster, "Lets do the nasty."
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They both slowly crept out of the shadows and began following their quarry. They followed him to a well used landing bay. Bossk was doing a pre-flight check of a small assualt shuttle when Jacen stepped into the landing bay proper.
"Ok, Bossk. You know the drill. Let me see your hands.", he said raising his blaster.
Bossk stopped and turned to look at him. He had a toothy smile on his face, "So, you finally came for me. It's a shame you're not going to get to bring me in. Isn't that right my friend."
They hadn't been followed. Jacen had made sure to check their back from time to time. And there hadn't been anyone else on the street. And there was just the three of them in the bay. He looked over towards Kyp, "Who's he..." His words trailed off. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. There stood his best friend since the academy pointing his blaster at him, "Kyp? What the hell are you doing?"
"I'm sorry it has to be like this Jace.", he said with a pained expression, "But, with the baby coming and all one-hundred-thousand credits can go a long way."
Jacen couldn't believe what he was hearing, "You're going to give up everything you believe in and stand for. For..."
Bossk's gutteral laugh interrupted Jacen, "Dont look so shocked CorSec. Everyone has a price. You're friend here needed money. With others it's fine jewels or speeders."
Jacen looked back at Kyp, "Come on Kyp. Just put the blaster down and we can forget this even happened. He killed Hal, what makes you think he wont kill you too? Think about Katie what will.."
"I am thinking about her!", Kyp exploded. He regained his composure, "CorSec just dont pay enough to raise a family on anymore. Come on, Jace. Dontmake this any harder for me. Give me your blaster and walk away."
"I cant do that Kyp. I'm going to take him in for the murder of Hal.", he said shaking his head.
"Have it your way then. I'm sorry. I didn't want to have to do this. I wish you would've just walked away.", Kyp pulled the trigger and shot him in the stomach.
Jacen's eyes went wide as he fell to the floor. He put his hand over his wound and looked at his friend. He felt his life starting to slip away. As he was starting to lose conscienceness he heard another blaster shot ring out and a thud.
Bossk stood there over the two CorSec officers. He smiled to himself, "You CorSec guys never learn." He turned and walked to his ship.
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A lone shadow inside a dark alley way seemed to move then settle back down. "I'm tellin' you Jacen that snitch gave us some bogus information. We've been watching this building for three days now. And there's been no sign of him.", said the man to his partner.
Jacen Darkstar had been a member of CorSec since he was 18 years old. Now 23, he had been a plain clothes detective for alittle over a year. He kept his eyes on the the front of the run down building, "He's in there. I can feel it. He'll get tired of staying in there and eventually show himself. Why you got a hot date or something?", He said smiling at his partner, and best friend since the academy.
The two men were dressed in ragged clothes and both smelt as if the hadn't had a bath in months. It was necessary for them to stay undetected by their quarry. The Tranodshan Mercenary/Bounty Hunter Bossk. He was wanted for the murder of Hal Horn. One of the most reveered detectives in Corsec and father to his good friend Corran.
"You and your hunches. You'd think you were a Jedi or something.", The man Joked. "I'd just rather be spending the night in my nice warm bed beside my wife. That's all.", he said with a sigh.
"Hey dont let the Imps hear you say stuff like that. They may think your serious and I dont particularly feel like being executed. Because of a harmless joke between friends.", he said looking around, "So how is Katie doing?"
Kyp Wheeler had been married to his wife Katie Powers for nearly three years and were expecting their first child in the spring. "She's doing fine. She's really starting to blow up though. Which reminds me. When are you going to get you a nice girl and settle down?"
Jacen gave him a sideways glance, "How long have we been friends again Kyp? Oh yeah, that's right ever since the first day of the academy."
Kyp looked at him, "Yeah, why?"
Jacen looked down then back at him. "Unless you want us to stop being friends I suggest you let that subject rest.", He said jokingly.
Kyp punched him in the arm, "Awwww, come on Jace. It's just that mea and Katie ar worried about you that's all. I mean people are starting to talk. You show up at parties by yourself and you're never seen leaving with a girl. You know Katie still has that friend I was telling you about."
"Yeah, I know. The one that looks like she should be a model or something. Or, so you say.", He said with a grin, "I still remember the last one your sister tried to set me up with." He shuttered at the thought, "Boy, she was a real winner. I've seen a better head on a mug of Corellian Ale."
Kyp held up his hands, "Hey buddy, dont go blaming that on me. Why dont you just give this one a shot. Have I ever lead you wrong?"
Jacen gave him another side ways glance, "There was that time in the Academy when you set me up with the Commadant of the academies daughter. Or, had you forgotten about that?"
Kyp grinned, "How was I supposed to know that the Commadant was here father. All she said was that her father was in CorSec. It was an honest mistake."
"Yeah a mistake that almost got me booted out of the Academy.", he nodded, "Ok, I'll meet this girl and see what I think."
Kyp smiled, "That's the spirit. Katie'll be so happy that she gets to play matchmaker. But, there's something you should know before you meet her it's no big deal really. It's just that she has this third eye in the center of her forehead." Jacen gave him a hard stare and Kyp laughed, "Just joking. She's a real knock out. I swear."
The men sat in silence and watched as the occasional Stormtrooper patrol passed by. They both knew that they were possibly wasting their time and that Bossk might not even be in there. But, they had to take the chance that the information they bought was good and that maybe the same snitch didn't give Bossk an advance warning like happened with Hal. Bossk had laid in wait for the perfect time to attack and sprung his ambush flawlessly. He managed to kill Hal and two other CorSec officers before making his escape.
Jacen scanned the front of the building with a pair of Macro-binoculars. He thought he saw movement in one of the third floor windows. He went back to the window and smiled. He zoomed in on the window, there was no mistaking the scaley brown skin he saw. His smile got broader, "Well, hello there ugly."
Kyp who'd been starting to doze perked up, "What? You see him?"
Jacen nodded slightly. "Third floor, second window from the left. He's watching the street.", he said while handing the binoculars over.
Kyp took the offered binoculars and looked towards the window, "I dont.. Wait a minute.. Yeah, I got him. He sure is ole buddy. You think he's getting ready to to make his move?"
Jacen leaned forward slightly and pulled the blaster he had concelled in the small of his back. He checked the charge on the power pack. Satisfied he looked at the building again, "More then likely. The last Stormtrooper patrol passed by about twenty minutes ago. There's not another due for another thirty or forty minutes. Now, would be the ideal time to move. The streets are pretty much empty. It'd be hard for anybody to follow him." He looked up at the sky, "It's going to be light in another couple of hours. If he's going to make his move he's going to have to do it now."
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Bossk let the curtain close. He hoped that that CorSec he'd paid off was going to come through for him and not have a change of heart. He grabbed his gear and made his way out of the room and down to the street. He walked out on to the building and started towards the spaceport.
Jacen felt his heart speed up when the Tranodshan come out of the building. He waited until Bossk started down the street then looked at Kyp, " Put on your game face partner. It's showtime."
Kyp pulled his blaster, "Lets do the nasty."
************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
They both slowly crept out of the shadows and began following their quarry. They followed him to a well used landing bay. Bossk was doing a pre-flight check of a small assualt shuttle when Jacen stepped into the landing bay proper.
"Ok, Bossk. You know the drill. Let me see your hands.", he said raising his blaster.
Bossk stopped and turned to look at him. He had a toothy smile on his face, "So, you finally came for me. It's a shame you're not going to get to bring me in. Isn't that right my friend."
They hadn't been followed. Jacen had made sure to check their back from time to time. And there hadn't been anyone else on the street. And there was just the three of them in the bay. He looked over towards Kyp, "Who's he..." His words trailed off. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. There stood his best friend since the academy pointing his blaster at him, "Kyp? What the hell are you doing?"
"I'm sorry it has to be like this Jace.", he said with a pained expression, "But, with the baby coming and all one-hundred-thousand credits can go a long way."
Jacen couldn't believe what he was hearing, "You're going to give up everything you believe in and stand for. For..."
Bossk's gutteral laugh interrupted Jacen, "Dont look so shocked CorSec. Everyone has a price. You're friend here needed money. With others it's fine jewels or speeders."
Jacen looked back at Kyp, "Come on Kyp. Just put the blaster down and we can forget this even happened. He killed Hal, what makes you think he wont kill you too? Think about Katie what will.."
"I am thinking about her!", Kyp exploded. He regained his composure, "CorSec just dont pay enough to raise a family on anymore. Come on, Jace. Dontmake this any harder for me. Give me your blaster and walk away."
"I cant do that Kyp. I'm going to take him in for the murder of Hal.", he said shaking his head.
"Have it your way then. I'm sorry. I didn't want to have to do this. I wish you would've just walked away.", Kyp pulled the trigger and shot him in the stomach.
Jacen's eyes went wide as he fell to the floor. He put his hand over his wound and looked at his friend. He felt his life starting to slip away. As he was starting to lose conscienceness he heard another blaster shot ring out and a thud.
Bossk stood there over the two CorSec officers. He smiled to himself, "You CorSec guys never learn." He turned and walked to his ship.
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