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A Fall From Above	By : Poem Category: +G through L > Knights of the Old Republic Views: 25239 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, or any of it's characters. I make no money from writing this story.

Chapter List
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Action! :D

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Bodies pressed close around them as the trio made their way towards the side exit. It was louder in the thick of things, the buzz of excitement making a deafening sound that even the shouts and music couldn't drown out. The people seemed to vibrate around them as they slipped between dancers and couples. Rinna could feel the hairs on her arms, on the back of her neck, standing up with the electricity of the room, and suddenly, she wished desperately to be in the mess of things, drinking and laughing, maybe dragging a certain pilot into a dance or two.

“Right through here, love.”

Rinna had to fight the urge to jump at the voice at her ear. She had had the two men leading, careful to keep an eye on them. But the intoxicating air of the party around her had distracted her long enough for the smooth youth to sidle up next to her instead. The press of bodies around them had him so close he had but to turn his head to speak directly into her ear.

This close, he seemed even younger than she thought.

The pair of men beckoned her through a side door, barely noticeable in its little niche off to the side. It wasn't until she stepped out in to the cool night air that she recognized where she was. The small cramped alley. The sound of music whisking its way through the open door. The couple wrapped in each other's arms in a dark recess. She could almost feel the warm press of the pilot's lips against the rough permacrete wall as the memory of that particular night came rushing back to her.

Granted, today the scene was a little different. The deja-vu feeling was marred by a lone man leaning off to one side against the wall, a grim expression on his scar-marked face. But even if he looked as pretty as the youth at her side, Rinna doubted anyone would be like to approach him, what with the plethora of weapons he wore as open as you like. A pair of dueling vibroblades and pistols, a disruptor rifle, a belt of grenades, and what looked suspiciously like a Mandalorian Ripper, all worn as plain as day. It took only one look to understand what he was, of course – and a quick glance at the large crate at his feet. He was a bodyguard, pure and simple. Meat to protect the gold. A good sign, though. If whatever was in that crate merited this kind of bodyguard, it was probably worth whatever time she wasted looking at it.

“This is my associate, Mr. Levi,” the youth told her, gesturing idly to the guard. Rinna didn't miss the way the brute eyed her over as she cut a curtsey at him; nor did she miss how her companion had referred to Mr. Levi as “my associate,” not “our.” She was no green mark when it came to these kinds of things. He had never introduced his other friend, who had stepped back away from the transaction, watching from the opposite wall behind her. And she knew precisely why.

When you ran any sort of social scam, sting, run, or play, it was all about getting people to look where you wanted them too, to focus their attention where you needed it. One man in front, his weapons and aggression obvious, while another hung back in the shadows, quiet, unobtrusive. Perhaps so he could pick your pockets, or so you forgot about being outnumbered if you picked a fight, or even to ensure you couldn't point any fingers later. But it was always best to have at least one person somewhere that your mark wasn't keeping an eye on.

Rinna couldn't tell if this particular man was staying out of sight for some naughty purpose, or if it was just good business practice. Even when running a clean sting, she had always had a shadow hanging back somewhere, so she couldn't really fault them for it. Either way, she kept the figure just inside her peripheral vision, as she turned to face the youth and his crate.

The dark haired man had the crate open in a matter of seconds, pulling a small, ornate box from within with a flourish. Alien script flowed across the top, along with a glowing stamp, an Echani double-brand over a red field. Rinna's heart was flying in her chest before he even opened the box, showing her the chunk of dull looking metal-stone nestled in black velvet. It was small, no larger than her thumbnail, but she knew the value of the little object was probably higher than anything else in that crate of his.

Cortosis weave, made of the ore cortosis, was extremely difficult to get your hands on. The ore itself looked bland, brown and easily scratched, something you would throw away without a second thought when mining for iron or gold. But it was its ability to conduct energy that made it so precious. It was first used as a kind of armor, helping to deflect high energy rifle blasts. But the Echani found a much more powerful use for the substance. With methods known only within their clans, the warriors found a way to turn the ore into a special kind of mesh, which, when properly inlaid into a blade, would deflect any and all energy – including light-sabors.

The mesh was so tight-knit you had to squint to see it in the little object, folded over and over and over in fine layers in the velvet. The amount in that box could cover 3 blades.

“A pretty piece,” Rinna commented nonchalantly, frowning slightly as she took the box in her hands, turning it this way and that, inspecting the stamp on the top of the box. “I'm sure you're wanting a pretty penny for it.”

“Well, a pretty enough penny, yes,” the youth answered smoothly, reaching out to take the box from her again. “It's not something you're going to be able to pick up at your local market. And it cost me a good bit to get my hands on it.” He cast her a coy smile as he pulled back one long black sleeve to reveal a fresh burn.

It was then, when she glanced down to inspect the fresh wound, that the figure in the shadow moved. One single smooth step towards her, hand reaching towards his hip, for some weapon hidden there, she knew. That was all it took to send her into action. Rinna pivoted, all smooth sinewy grace, lashing out to catch the backs of Mr. Levi's knees with a hooked leg. The plan of action laid out before her in a practiced, methodical way. Lay the guard low, jump the crate, catch the youth's arm, twist it behind his back, drag him down with her. If she could hold him, draw a knife, press it to his throat. She was faster than all three of them, she was sure of that. She just needed enough of a surprise to catch them off guard.

She'd expected the big brute to go down easy. His stance was ramrod straight, stupid testosterone-fueled arrogance that kept him from staying light on his toes. That kind of rigidity made it all to easy to throw them off balance with a single popped knee. He should have been the easiest to deal with. But to her surprise, the brute bent easily with her attack, sidestepping and catching her leg, throwing her off balance. She let out a small sound of surprise, twisting hard in his grasp as she reached for the blade at her back. A hand caught her wrist, wrenching it hard away from her weapon, but she swung her elbow back, catching the assailant in gut. She was rewarded with a low grunt of pain, but the pressure on her wrist only increased as the man pulled it sharply behind her back. Mr. Levi used her leg as leverage to twist her back into one of the other men, who wrapped big burly arms around her, trapping her arms at her sides.

A wild sound of rage tore from her lips as she twisted in her grasp, her free hand wrenching one of the blades at her waist from its hiding spot. She jabbed over her shoulder with it, grinning in grim satisfaction as she felt a good few centimeters of the metal sink into flesh. It had to have gone almost all the way through a shoulder or an arm. She hoped it burned. A harsh curse sounded in her ear, but again, her bonds only tightened around her, squeezing the breath from her chest.

“Stop struggling.”

The voice was harsh, cold, commanding. But not near so frightening as the feel of cold metal at her throat. She stilled in her captor's arms, her eyes darting to meet the steely blues of the speaker. Mr. Levi was leaning down to match his towering height with hers. Weapons clanked on his belt as he shifted to stare her down with frigid eyes.

“If you fight again, you'll go with a few less fingers. Do you understand?” His voice was low, almost monotone now. He looked her straight in the eye as he spoke, and she could see the truth of his words there. He was worth far more than she had first expected. Her own eyes darted to the youth, who stood smiling that coy smile of his a few paces away, and to the thick arms that held her tight, which could only belong to the shadow. Mr. Levi wasn't hired meat. These two were. A pretty tongue and a distraction. A sting for a stinger. A trap for a smuggler. She had walked right into that.

Gods, her luck had been shit since Ako caught her.

But who in the world wanted her? She could have certainly named a few in her smuggling days, but here on Taris, the only people she was running from were the Sith, and maybe an angry Pazaak player or two. But she wasn't worth enough to anyone for sure to be hiring thugs like this.

“Now,” Mr. Levi rumbled, as he shifted the Ripper from her throat to her side, pressing it delicately into her ribcage. “Rak is going to let you go. You're not going to fight or run.” He pressed the rifle into her side a little harder to emphasize. “You're going to walk politely to our speeder around this corner. And you're going to get in without protest. Do you understand?”

“You're smarter than you look,” Rinna told the man with a sly grin, cocking her head to get a better look at him. Her eyes darted to the corner where the kissing couple had been just moments before. But the space was empty now. They'd either been scared off, or worse, they had been in on it the whole time, and were waiting off somewhere to catch her if she ran.

Mr. Levi's face was stoney, not a flash of humor crossing it as he bit the muzzle harder into her side.

“Do you understand?” he repeated, not even bothering to raise his voice.

This was bad. The brute was obviously a professional, had been doing this kind of thing for far too long to play along with her games. Having fun with your job was a good way to end up broke. Or worse. But she needed some way to stall, to keep them in this alley until she could figure out a way out. The moment she got in that speeder with them, she was screwed. And probably more than figuratively. She'd be in their territory then, with little to no chance to escape. Completely at their mercy.

It was unlikely a professional like him would be willing to wait even a second longer than he should, not for anything, especially not with someone they knew could be dangerous. But hired meat was always a liability. She couldn't tell how long the three had been working together, but it was obvious Mr. Levi was the most seasoned of the bunch. The other two may yet be persuaded.

“Yes sir,” she responded obediently, shifting slightly in the man's grasp, relaxing into him until she felt loose and warm against his chest. “But maybe I should repay Rak for his poor shoulder first.” He voice dipped to a purr as she turned slightly to look up at her captor's broad face, a mirror of the youth's coy smile fixed to her lips. Her hand dipped low to brush lightly against his trousers, fingers running across his leg, her tongue dipped out to wet her lips. His eyes flashed down to her, a brief hint of surprise on his face. God, it was good to be a woman.

Rak only lost focus for a moment, but it was all she needed. By the time he had attempted to turn his attention back to his boss, Rinna had sunk her fingers into the soft flesh of his cock and twisted, hard. The semi-hard length felt satisfyingly distorted as she yanked it in the wrong direction with all her might.

A knife to the shoulder hadn't been enough to faze the big man, but apparently he valued this particular appendage a bit more than most. His grip on her loosened as he doubled over in pain, a sharp cry in her ear telling her she had done her job. She threw her elbow back again, catching him this time in the face, shattering his nose. It was enough to put him out of commission for a few precious moments.

Rinna didn't bother turning her attention to the other two. She wasn't about to risk being caught again. She bolted, shying around the large crate, away from the sights of the Ripper. Mr. Levi had chosen not to fire into her side, which was sure to kill her with that weapon, but that didn't mean he wouldn't sink a bolt into her leg to disable her. She flew, as fast as her trusted legs would take her, towards the door and the commotion inside. Another person could help even the odds. Just one person in particular could turn the tide.

She only made it half way before something plowed into her side, tearing the breath from her body. They went rolling, tumbling across the ground as she struggled with the attacker, each trying to gain the advantage. Rinna threw a strike at his face, recognizing the youth in the moment before he blocked, before throwing herself off of him, back towards the door.

He caught her legs before she was fully standing, dragging her back down with him.

The door was so close! She could hear the music, smell the smoke, taste the cometduster she was supposed to be drinking right now.

“Onasi!” she screamed, tearing at the youth's hands as he pawed her back into his clutches. “Car-!”

A hand slapped over her mouth, muffling her cries. She shook in his grasp, trying desperately to pry her way from him. With only one hand to hold her while the other acted as a gag, she almost made it. Then the hard hand of the mercenary came down on the back of her throat, dragging her to her feet as if she was a rag doll. He threw her against the wall, his arm pinned against her throat, the bite of metal so sharp under her ribs she had to bite back a cry.

“Try it again, woman,” he breathed, his voice even but dangerously low. “No bounty's too high for me to cap an annoying mark.” He leaned in close, his eyes devoid of all emotion as he stared her down. Her heart was pounding in her chest, her head hurt, she couldn't breathe past his arm. She could feel the massive strength held in that single limb. She could see the coldness in his eyes.

The sound of the blaster made her cry out, her voice lost behind the thick muscle of his arm. Her eyes shut tight, body tensed, as she waited for the pain that would kill her.

But it never came. Instead, there was only shouting. The arm holding her shifted as the mercenary turned to look behind him, barking out something in a harsh voice as his other hand, the one with the rifle, turned to aim at whatever had distracted him.

Rinna's wits rarely failed her, and they certainly didn't here. The slightest change in the pressure at her throat, even with the fear still clawing its way out of her chest, and she threw a knee out, catching Mr. Levi in his family jewels. A grunt came from his graveled throat, and he shoved his arm hard against her, completely cutting off her air supply. Her vision started to dot and she struggled to focus on what was happened around her, struggled to see past the brute's massive frame.

Rifle-fire was loud in the air now, shouts ringing in the small space of the alley. Rinna saw the flash of the bolt as it met Mr. Levi's shoulder, and she felt the strength leave the arm at her throat. Quick as a flash, she pushed off of his bulky figure, twisting away from his arm, reaching for her vibroblade. She had buried it in the meat of his calf before he could recover.

His arm caught her in the gut, flinging her meters back with a strength she was sure had cracked ribs. Her back met permacrete again, and she gasped, struggling to refill her lungs with air. It took all her will to get back to her feet, reaching for another weapon. Her first hidden knife was lost somewhere, her vibroblade was still stuck in flesh. She grasped at her waste, wrenching the next smallest blade from its holster. It was too small to be fighting big boys with; their reach was too far. But she could at least take at that grinning youth.

Rinna turned her attention back to the fray, struggling to see past her watering eyes. The place was a mess before her. Mr. Levi had pulled her blade from his leg and paused to survey the scene, as she was. Rak was on the ground, struggling under the weight of another man, two blasters on the ground just out of their reach. It took Rinna longer than it should have to recognize Onasi without his jacket.

The one still stashed in the seat.

“He didn't even stop to grab it.”

The youth was pulling himself to his feet a few meters from her, clutching at a blaster shot to his side. His coy smile had changed to a snarl of rage as he turned his eyes to the pilot, leaning forward to break into a hard sprint.

Rinna bolted after him, throwing all her speed at the man. She was faster. But he had been closer. He caught Onasi hard in the side, the same way he had her, prying him off of Rak. The big man came up spluttering blood, his broken nose making a mess of his face. He didn't see her barreling at him, too keen on this new threat to think about the old one. He had grabbed Onasi by his black undershirt, wrenching him from the tussle, before she buried the length of her knife in his back.

Rak howled in rage, swinging blindly at her with a clenched fist. Rinna twisted nimbly out of the way, pulling the blade from his back with a damp sound, before dancing under his arms and burying it in his throat.

The large man sputtered wetly, coughed, then fell to his knees. Rinna shoved him over with a careless kick to the back, wrenching the blade from his flesh. In a flash, she was over him, plowing into the pair still fighting on the ground. The kid was stronger than she would have expected, and faster than she liked. He swung hard, and he knew where to hit. Onasi had him pinned for a moment, his knee to his throat, before the youth twisted up to wrap his legs around the pilot's throat with an amazing display of flexibility. He yanked, hard, pulling the larger man off of him in one smooth motion and springing to his feet. Rinna charged him, grabbing one wrist and yanking it behind his back. The youth, twisted with her, springing right out of her grasp, only to come back with a hard knee to her gut. She doubled over, coughing, struggling as he grabbed a fistful of her hair.

Onasi's blaster ended it. He had gotten his hands back on the weapon somehow, and buried three shots into the youth's back before Rinna had a chance to recover. Still fighting to breathe, the smuggler turned, back to Onasi, searching for the third and most dangerous of the combatants.

Mr. Levi was nowhere to be found.

It took several long, tense minutes of searching around them before Rinna was comfortable enough to say for sure that he was gone. Whether he had fled in fear (unlikely), or had simply decided against fighting the two of them here and now, he was gone. Rinna took a deep, shaky breath, before letting it out in a long, laughing sigh.

“Oh, my god, Onasi, you have the best tim-” she started, turning to give him a crooked grin. But she never got to finish. Hard hands came down on her shoulders, shoving her against the wall and dragging her half off the ground with the force of his anger.

There was still murder in those murky brown eyes.
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A Fall From Above