-Chapter 96: It's Bigger Than You Think-
Location: Omman Minor
"Beware the man with friends unseen."
The Capital City of Omman Minor was a bustling, busy place. Located in the Kiblinni Sector of the Outer Rim, Omman Minor wasn't far from the Socorro System and titular planet of Socorro, a world that stood at the intersect of two major trade routes: the Llanic Spice Run and the Ryloth Road. Both were routes the Separatists wanted blocked from the Republic, which was why The Wraith and Banshee had been sent to Omman to see if it would provide a suitable staging area for an assault and eventual blockade.
Omman Minor itself was a hotbed of mixing cultures and vast diversity, being a world that relied heavily on trade. It was no Galactic City nor was it Coruscant, but it was an incredible city regardless. Especially at night, when every block was lit up. Banshee and Wraith didn't really care for the scenery, though, not when they were being chased by the Titans.
Sprinting across the rooftops, the two super-soldiers were hounded by a constant barrage of mixed blasterfire and slug rounds that streaked past and struck the ground around them.
"How did they know where to find us?!" Banshee worriedly asked as she kept pace with her superior.
"We're in an underworld hotspot, lowlifes like them probably have connections!" Wraith replied, bounding over a vent network. "It was bound to happen eventually!"
"We must counterattack! We cannot let them chase us!" Banshee exclaimed, determined to stand and fight against these lowlife curs.
"We can't let them finish us either!" Wraith concurred, quickly dropping down onto a lower section of roof. "Down here!" Banshee was quick to join him and drew her pistols as he charged his.
"What's the plan?" She asked.
"We're going to give them a taste of their own medicine, then you're going to cut left and keep going, make a big show of it and get their attention. We'll split them up and try to lose them. You remember the in-road checkpoint just outside the city limits?" He described, Banshee nodding. "We'll rendezvous there. Keep your comms open in case you run into trouble. I'll do the same."
"Understood." Banshee agreed.
"Next roof, then go." Wraith instructed, quickly leaping across the street to a distant rooftop, the Sunstorm serum enabling him to perform such a feat. Banshee quickly followed and they pulled themselves up, blitzing the approaching Titans with quick, precise bursts from their pistols. Several were felled before the Titans took cover and Wraith quickly motioned for Banshee to start moving. She strafed the mercenaries, proving Wraith ample time to start moving again.
Eyeing their moves from his position, Corsair was quick to come up with a plan that played right into the Separatist's hands.
"Theris, take half a' tha team and chase that schutta!" He ordered. "Leave Wraith ta me an' tha rest."
"On it!" The Mando replied, quickly flagging down a few of the mixed men and droids to follow her. Corsair burst out from behind his cover and charged after Wraith, leaping across to the opposite rooftop and rolling to his feet as the remaining Titans followed him.
"Come 'ere soldiah!" He bellowed, reaching for his belt where the twin .50 caliber slugthrowers he'd stolen were kept. Wraith leapt into the air and spun 'round, firing his twin blasters simultaneously, the rounds peppering the ground around Corsair and a few striking his armored sleeves. Corsair, on the other hand, pulled one trigger and his stolen weaponry and had his arm fly back to a 90 degree angle. The slug screamed through their air and struck Wraith in the shoulder, flattening upon colliding with the armor and leaving a sizeable dent behind. "Bloody hell boyo! This ol' hand cannon's got some kick!" Corsair cackled, enjoying a powerful weapon as much as the next gun-lover. Standing his ground, Wraith stowed his weapons and clenched his fists.
"Those belong to me." The super-soldier growled.
"Ya want 'em?" Corsair asked, shooting him a toothy grin. "Come an' get 'em!" Wraith obliged and shot forward, head lowered and barrelling towards the Titan leader. Corsair fired his second weapon, but the slug was wide and flew over his head, giving Wraith enough room to tackle Corsair and throw him to the ground. the rolled about, struggling for dominance over the other. Managing to stick on fifty-caliber in his belt, Corsair grabbed the other and tried to get a shot off on Wraith's head. Grabbing his arm, Wraith's equal strength kept him at bay, Corsair not having enough to overpower him entirely. "I know who ya are, mate!" He rumbled, trying to get into his head.
"Oh really?" Wraith sarcastically shot back, his arms tense and taut.
"Tha serum corsin' through yor veins is right similah ta mine. Whatevah took me out, shor' can take ya out!" Corsair continued, grinning like a madman as he tried to outmaneuver Wraith, only for the super-soldier to throw him back.
"That remains to be seen!" Wraith growled as he scrambled to his feet. Corsair picked himself up just in time to pivot as Wraith tried to grab him again, their combined momentum knocked them both down... and clear through a skylight.
Dropping like stones, the two hit the inside floor hard, having fallen several dozen feet off the roof. It took both Wraith and Corsair a moment to recover and both men reached for their weapons, sat up and took aim at the other. But before either could pull the trigger-
"Gentlemen!" Someone shouted, forcing both to freeze before they fired at point blank range. To Wraith's right, Corsair's left, a tall and smartly dressed Falleen, his look far from friendly as he frowned upon them both. "Might I remind you where you are?" He politely stated.
"What're you on about?" A confused Wraith growled, his gaze fixed on Corsair as we waited for the mercenary to pull a fast one.
"We're not-" Corsair started before glancing at a polished emblem on the floor not too far away from them. It was a simple, elegantly styled Aurebesh 'E', "oh, bloody hell, we are." He muttered, cursing his luck. Of course they had to wind up in this building. He knew Omman had one, but in chasing Wraith, had totally forgotten about it. "Sorry, mate, didn't realize." He apologized to the Falleen while stowing his pistol. Wraith did a double-take as Corsair picked himself up, ignoring the super-soldier entirely.
"Wha-" He spluttered, trying to comprehend what was going on as he lowered his arm. "What the hell?!" He finally managed to exclaim, thoroughly bewildered. Corsair turned to the Falleen as he eyed the seated Wraith.
"Should I tell 'im, or do ya wanna?" He asked. The Falleen offered only a blithe tilt of his head and Corsair took that as permission to continue. "Get up mate, join me fer a drink an' I'll explain." He instructed Wraith. It was then that the super-soldier realized there was in fact a bar behind the Falleen and took a moment to size up the room. It was clean and polished, every surface immaculate. The few tables and large, plush chairs that dotted the room looked expensive and exquisite. Save for the shards of glass littering the floor, the entire space appeared to have been designed with care and much attention to detail.
"What is this? Some kind of elitist bar?" Wraith wondered as he picked himself up.
"Far from it," the Falleen replied, "you are in the Hotel Elysium."
"Hotel?" Wraith repeated.
"Like I said mate, I'll explain. Now sit yor shiny kiestah down." Corsair stated, already sitting on one of the bar stools while the Falleen rounded the counter. "Shot a' Whyren's Reserve." The Titan requested. The Falleen quickly and expertly poured him one as Wraith came over.
"For you sir?" He asked.
"Corellian whiskey, please." Wraith politely ordered, mouthguard retracted. His glass arrived soon enough and the super-soldier savoured his drink of the smoky, amber liquid. "So... explain away." He rumbled as he and Corsair both set their glasses down.
"The Elysium is... well, ya could call it an' exclusive numbah." Corsair began. "'S a chain a' locations strewn across tha galaxy, that catah particularly to a specific clientele."
"Businessmen?" Wraith sardonically inquired, knowing Corsair considered himself one.
"Not quite, mate. Mo' like... hitmen. Assassins. Tha kind a' lads and ladies ya need when ya want a Hutt dead." The Titan elaborated.
"It's part of a criminal syndicate?" Wraith wondered, raising an eyebrow beneath his helmet.
"Not quite. The Elysium is part of a 'society', if ya will, one that's managed entirely by tha Constitution." Corsair explained.
"What is that?"
"Not what, but 'o." The Titan corrected, while signalling the barkeep for another round. "No one knows exactly, only that they make tha rules an' we follow 'em. An' one a' those rules is no killin' on Elysium grounds." That made sense. Wraith supposed if this 'Constitution' was as powerful as Corsair made it seem, the Titan would have good reason to not simply open fire.
"I'm guessing you're familiar with them?" He queried.
"I've done plenty a' jobs undah their bannah in tha past." Corsair revealed. "Since, ya know, they like ta catah ta my type."
"The mercenary who's only interested in credits." Wraith surmised with much distaste.
"Plus, tha staff are nice an' confidential. What 'appens on Elysium grounds don't evah leave it." The Titan added, throwing back his newest shot.
"Interesting." Wraith mused, having another drink himself. "I suppose if you're a member, there's some good perks to be had."
"Well, they do business fo' outsiders to. Ya just don't get ev'ry perk available, ya know?"
"Right." Mulling that over for a moment, Wraith turned to the Falleen. "I'm surprised you're just letting him talk about your 'secret society' like this."
"We have well over a billion associates, friend. People talk. I'm actually surprised you haven't heard of us until now." The barkeep replied.
"I don't exactly dabble in underworld pursuits." Wraith responded, taking another sip of his whiskey. "But I'm sure some people would be keen to know about a vast network that helps hitmen and assassins."
"Our clients are generally very discreet. To most, we seem just like every other place of lodging. But to those who really know us, we are the entry point to an even bigger world. Bigger than anything both Republic and Separatist could imagine. We're everywhere, if you will, our members are always in plain sight. But no one is the wiser." The Falleen's words gave Wraith pause and he had to ponder for a moment the notion of an underworld organization with far-reaching ties and millions of members.
Perhaps this is where the Ubese enlisted the help of those who freed him...
"Thank fo' tha drink mate." Corsair stated as he flipped over his empty shot glass. "Remembah, boyo, ya got a free pass so long as yor in 'ere. But tha instant you're off grounds, I won't hesitate ta fiah." He told Wraith while dropping a few credits on the counter.
"Then you won't mind if I enjoy a few more drinks." Wraith sarcastically shot back as he enjoyed a small sip of his whiskey. Corsair chuckled and made to leave, reaching for his comms as he did.
"Cagah, on me. 'Ave tha boys surround tha front door." He ordered, making his way out. Watching him go, Wraith had to wonder what a group like the Constitution might do to make a rebel like Corsair obey their rules. Then again, perhaps an organization like this might be something he could take advantage of...
"Where else is the Elysium chain located?" He asked.
"Most everywhere, sir. There's one in every big city in the galaxy." The Falleen cordially responded. "Our biggest, though, is in Galactic City on Coruscant." Wraith made a mental note to look for that later as he downed the last of his whiskey. "Is there anything more I can do for you, sir?" The Falleen inquired.
"Yeah, actually," Wraith replied, reaching into his jacket and setting down a stack of credits that was a few chits taller than Corsair's, "do you have a back door I could use?" He asked.
Author's Note: Short, I know. But groundwork needed to be laid.
