Thread: Calm Before the Storm (Star Wars Rise of the Empire) IC Main Thread

Gentlemen, Sev declared, keeping his hands up as he slowly rose. Fuck! This was not what he was in the mood for right now. There must be some mistake. The officer on the left shifted his aim, keeping him covered. We've been in contact with the real Iantho Halfri - he's on Patagor right now. There's no mistake. And I tell you that there is! Sev replied, Trying to sound terrified and insistent. The terrified part wasn't difficult, at least. Not stark naked with an Imperial blaster centered on his breastbone. I've been the victim of identity theft before, sir, he continued. Agents of the so-called 'Phoenix Cell' attempted to pose as me to obtain access to accounts in the Corporate Sector, not two years ago. A fact about the real Halfri that he'd discovered on his first night posing as the man, and which had led him to wonder about the man's political affiliations. But I can show you my bona fides, my Imperial ID coded with my biometrics. If I man..? The last question was accompanied by a gesture towards the rest of the house. The two officers glanced at each other, and Sev felt his confidence boost at the little nod they gave. All right, said the man covering him. You go first. Walk slowly, and keep your hands visible at all times. What about her? asked the other one, nodding at Alythra. Keep her covered, his partner decided. And don't get too close. She could be an accomplice. Could you let her put her robe on, at least? Sev asked. After he checks it out, said the officer covering him. You. Move. Feeling exposed - perfectly natural, since he was stark naked - Sev led the officer out into the master bed suite. I keep my identification in my safe when I'm at home, he explained, walking across the room. It's mounted in the wall, there. May I put my hands down to unlock it? No funny business, the officer warned. No, no, of course not, Sev assured him. I want nothing more than to demonstrate that I'm telling the truth. That's all. He keyed in the access code, and the safe opened. Of course it did. He'd cracked the passcode with a couple of hours of work, the first day he'd been here. Iantho had invested in a good safe, but he'd picked a terrible code. Just a moment... His hand closed on the grip of his disruptor and he dropped to the ground, rolling as he did. Caught off guard by the sudden movement, the officer had no time to react as a power bolt slammed into his chest, burning cloth and skin and melting armor and sending ionizing radiation ripping through his organs even as it blasted a fist-sized crater in his chest. Sev shot him twice more as he fell, for good measure. What was that? his partner barked, glancing out of the bathroom door and then pulling back in as Sev blasted a molten hole in the doorframe. Then it was Sev's turn to dodge and roll as the man returned fire wildly, bracketing the room with streaks of bloody light. Officer down! the man shrieked, thumbing his comlink as he fired. Officer down! Need backup! Need backup n... His voice cut off with a sudden wet ripping sound as Sev shot him in the head, cooking his brains with the disruptor bolt. Shit, Sev swore, jerking open the closet. Shit, shit, shit, shit ! He began tugging on his pants. Zedanadal Alythra, he called as he fastened them and began dragging on a shirt, I suggest you dress quickly. Typical Imperial response protocols mean that their backup will be here in... he thought, four minutes at most. And I don't intend to be here. He glanced in at the shocked Zeltron woman, and grinned. I assure you that no harm will come to you, and I'll continue to pay your standard fee. But, I'm afraid you will need to serve as my hostage until we evade the Snowmen. Offering an apologetic shrug, he began pulling on one knee-high boot. On Coruscant at least, they're reluctant to fire when the escapee has a hostage. Shrugging on his greatcoat, he grabbed a duffel bag and jammed his disruptor into its holster. There's no time tocall a cab, I'm afraid. We'll just take their car.