*****Nyx Rustic, Off-Grid Countryside Residence***
**Jovan, Early Evening**
There was a loud, frantic knock on the door that practically rattled the whole building. Kyra had been preparing a made-from-scratch, fresh, candlelit early dinner for her husband to celebrate their 15th anniversary. The two had left their precocious 5-year-old daughter, Lira, back at their main residence in the capital for the weekend with her nanny Selene. That weekend was going to be chock full of sightseeing, shopping, and a show Lira had begged to go see so the two force-sensitive covert operators could have one last quiet weekend at their vacation residence before they entered a whole new life. Lira had no idea what was planned, but that was done on purpose for safety reasons.
Exactly one week from today the Nyx family would be leaving for for a fresh new start, a start that meant much more money, stability, and safety.
At least that is what they had been promised in exchange for providing top secret intel.
Up until three years ago Kyra and Quinn had been top, force-sensitive covert operators. They had graduated top of their respective classes in the academy and were fiercely loyal. The job was everything and truthfully they didn’t want to deal with their precocious child that had been an accident. They had pawned her off to whomever would take her while the couple continued to race through the ranks.
Most of the time it was their old mentor from academy days by the name of Caden Zyn, who unbeknownst to the couple for a long time was actually a double agent whose main objective was to recruit top intel agents from one faction to another.
He had set his sights on the two the minute they had entered the academy to now. He had been waiting patiently to pounce for many years.
Had they known the true loyalty of Caden Zyn back then up until three years ago, they would have turned him in in a heartbeat.
But something changed in them three years after Kyra and Quinn were nearly killed in a sabotaged mission. They had only just begun to care for their daughter and when the two fell victim to a sabotaged mission that nearly killed them that was when they realized that they had to find something safer and more lucrative for their daughter’s sake.
And when Caden Zyn realized that after the couple confided in him one evening at dinner, he smirked inside and pounced. That was the moment he had been waiting for after all those years.
He immediately contacted headquarters and set the plan into motion. In exchange for the couple’s allegiance and intel, the Nyx family would be offered a fresh start. They would have new identities, more money, more stability, and most importantly more safety if the couple managed to survive three years of being double agents.
And they had, so far.
Kyra grumbled inwardly as she was interrupted with the loud knock that shook the whole house. While she had been cooking, her husband had been upstairs finishing up a report.
When she got to the door cursing under her breath she was taken back by the arrival of Caden Zyn.
“What are you doing here? You want to get us all killed? It better be important!”
She peered around the perimeter closely, weaponry at the ever-ready before she finally let him inside.
“Well spit it out. What is this about?” Kyra snipped impatiently as she reluctantly motioned for him to come inside.
Caden Zyn simply nodded as he entered.
Once inside, far from the eyes of anyone and anything he Caden Zyn handed Kyra papers, credits, etc. as he said matter-of-factly but with urgency.
“You have to get out, now. They’re going to get you and your husband tonight. They found out. Here take this now and I’ll meet you at our discussed coordinates. Grab your daughter. You and Quinn must go now! Leave everything! You don’t have much time.”
Kyra was furious and perplexed at the same time and said nothing more before her husband snipped at Caden angrily..
“How the hell did this happen Caden? You said everything was in order!”
Caden stammered a bit and then replied nervously.
“And it was as of last night! They got Mulvaney, tortured him and found out everything. No time to explain further. Grab Lira now and go!”
Kyra frowned and barked.
“Lira isn’t here! She’s with Selene in the capital. She went shopping and sightseeing so we could celebrate our anniversary this weekend! Blasted Caden, I don’t know who is more incompetent, you or your damn staff! We’ll go, but you better swear to me you will get to Lira before they do or I will track you down and smite you and your whole damn staff myself!”
Quinn the calmer of the two tried to calm his wife down, but deep down he was in complete agreement.
“Calm down, honey. I’m sure Lira will be okay. She’s a resourceful thing. Selene, too. We will go, but I too swear Caden if anything happens to Lira, you’ll regret it.”
And just like that the two left without any other words in haste, and Caden disappeared into the darkness as well, but not until he set the rustic residence ablaze ensuring no evidence was left behind.
The Beginning (Open)
Re: The Beginning (Open)
*****Meanwhile in the Capital*****
“Selene I am tired! I want to go home! I HATE shopping. Why do I need new clothes anyway? I have lots at home!”
“Oh nonsense Lira, you are fine. Don’t you want pretty clothes for when you start school next month?”
“No I don’t! And you aren’t going to make me try on ANYMORE ruffled dresses. I HATE dresses! I can’t play outside in them. I always trip over them.”
Selene, a blonde-haired, blue-eyed girl of about 21 rubbed her temples in aggravation as Lira, a precocious and stubborn curly, black haired, brown-eyed girl of five plopped herself right there and then in the middle of the sidewalk and refused to budge in front of everyone.
I sometimes wonder if the money is worth all the aggravation, Selene muttered inwardly as a few curious spectators gathered around to watch the unfolding scene. I love Lira and her parents, but this is ridiculous!!!![/i]
“Surely you are getting hungry by now. Perhaps some dinner will help you change your mind and what about that show you have been wanting to see that is happening at the theater in a few hours? We have fantastic tickets for it! We are sitting in the fifth row. I know you have been excited ever since I told you! You’ve been talking about it all week! Now come on, let’s go….”
But Lira had tuned her nanny at that point out because something caught little Lira’s eye. It was a weird creature she had never seen before. It was a caged animal that had long ears, and a pointy nose. It looked like a cross between some sort of lizard and some furry creature. It was cackling loudly as it was being whisked away toward the dock with a plethora of other creatures. Everything from a catlike creature to exotic birds.
Lira’s inquisitive nature reared up and she decided she HAD to find out what the peculiar creature was. In a flash she ran full-throttle toward the docks so she would catch up with the menagerie of animals. Before Selene could even react to the impulsive behavior, Lira was no longer in sight.
Selene cursed loudly.
“Not again! Oh boy, her parents are going to have my hide if anything happens to her. Stop that girl!”, she screamed loudly to no one in particular as she dropped three bags full of produce, shoes, clothes, and food right there and bolted in the general direction Lira had rushed off into.
What else could possibly go wrong? Selene thought inwardly.
“Lira get back here, NOW! Your parents AREN’T going to be happy when I tell them what you did! If you come back here, RIGHT now, I will keep this a secret. Now ENOUGH with the game, where are you!”
Yep, it might be time to seek employment elsewhere.
“Selene I am tired! I want to go home! I HATE shopping. Why do I need new clothes anyway? I have lots at home!”
“Oh nonsense Lira, you are fine. Don’t you want pretty clothes for when you start school next month?”
“No I don’t! And you aren’t going to make me try on ANYMORE ruffled dresses. I HATE dresses! I can’t play outside in them. I always trip over them.”
Selene, a blonde-haired, blue-eyed girl of about 21 rubbed her temples in aggravation as Lira, a precocious and stubborn curly, black haired, brown-eyed girl of five plopped herself right there and then in the middle of the sidewalk and refused to budge in front of everyone.
I sometimes wonder if the money is worth all the aggravation, Selene muttered inwardly as a few curious spectators gathered around to watch the unfolding scene. I love Lira and her parents, but this is ridiculous!!!![/i]
“Surely you are getting hungry by now. Perhaps some dinner will help you change your mind and what about that show you have been wanting to see that is happening at the theater in a few hours? We have fantastic tickets for it! We are sitting in the fifth row. I know you have been excited ever since I told you! You’ve been talking about it all week! Now come on, let’s go….”
But Lira had tuned her nanny at that point out because something caught little Lira’s eye. It was a weird creature she had never seen before. It was a caged animal that had long ears, and a pointy nose. It looked like a cross between some sort of lizard and some furry creature. It was cackling loudly as it was being whisked away toward the dock with a plethora of other creatures. Everything from a catlike creature to exotic birds.
Lira’s inquisitive nature reared up and she decided she HAD to find out what the peculiar creature was. In a flash she ran full-throttle toward the docks so she would catch up with the menagerie of animals. Before Selene could even react to the impulsive behavior, Lira was no longer in sight.
Selene cursed loudly.
“Not again! Oh boy, her parents are going to have my hide if anything happens to her. Stop that girl!”, she screamed loudly to no one in particular as she dropped three bags full of produce, shoes, clothes, and food right there and bolted in the general direction Lira had rushed off into.
What else could possibly go wrong? Selene thought inwardly.
“Lira get back here, NOW! Your parents AREN’T going to be happy when I tell them what you did! If you come back here, RIGHT now, I will keep this a secret. Now ENOUGH with the game, where are you!”
Yep, it might be time to seek employment elsewhere.
Re: The Beginning (Open)
****Nyx Countryside Residence Remnants*****
**Jovan, 2 hours later**
“Sir they aren’t there! There’s nothing left! It’s all gone. Maybe they’re already dead. There is nothing but smoldering ash. No documents, no datapads, nothing, zilch. Not even family pictures. Any evidence that might have been there is destroyed. Everything has been vaporized by the flames. And Quinn and Kyra Nix are nowhere to be found! What are your orders, sir?”
The tall, dark skinned, burly senior officer sneered and cursed at the news as he spat back.
“What do you think Lieutenant? FIND them! Or anyone who knows them and find out what they know using any means! Use Force users if we have to! For crying out loud, are you really that stupid? The Nyx’s are traitors and we MUST find them so we can extract information using any means necessary from them. Root further through the rubble to see if you can find ANYTHING at all. I will contact my superiors and let them know what the status is.”
This was not the night the senior officer known as Draken Vossar had anticipated. It was supposed to be a simple arrest. Nothing more, nothing less. But apparently the traitorous actions in the Covert Operations Department went much further than just to the Nyx’s. Who else could possibly be involved?
And with that Draken Vossar immediately contacted his superiors to let them know what happened and minutes later an alert went out putting the Nyx’s at the top of the Most Wanted List and a call out for anyone that had any information about them at all that led to an arrest would be handsomely rewarded. There was no way the Nyx’s could escape. They’d be in custody or dead before dawn broke.
And that made Draken Vossar smirk with glee.
**Jovan, 2 hours later**
“Sir they aren’t there! There’s nothing left! It’s all gone. Maybe they’re already dead. There is nothing but smoldering ash. No documents, no datapads, nothing, zilch. Not even family pictures. Any evidence that might have been there is destroyed. Everything has been vaporized by the flames. And Quinn and Kyra Nix are nowhere to be found! What are your orders, sir?”
The tall, dark skinned, burly senior officer sneered and cursed at the news as he spat back.
“What do you think Lieutenant? FIND them! Or anyone who knows them and find out what they know using any means! Use Force users if we have to! For crying out loud, are you really that stupid? The Nyx’s are traitors and we MUST find them so we can extract information using any means necessary from them. Root further through the rubble to see if you can find ANYTHING at all. I will contact my superiors and let them know what the status is.”
This was not the night the senior officer known as Draken Vossar had anticipated. It was supposed to be a simple arrest. Nothing more, nothing less. But apparently the traitorous actions in the Covert Operations Department went much further than just to the Nyx’s. Who else could possibly be involved?
And with that Draken Vossar immediately contacted his superiors to let them know what happened and minutes later an alert went out putting the Nyx’s at the top of the Most Wanted List and a call out for anyone that had any information about them at all that led to an arrest would be handsomely rewarded. There was no way the Nyx’s could escape. They’d be in custody or dead before dawn broke.
And that made Draken Vossar smirk with glee.
Re: The Beginning (Open)
*****Meanwhile In the Capital*****
Selene had been searching for at least two hours now and there was still no sign of the precocious child known as Lira.
They were going to miss the show for sure if she didn’t find Lira soon. And oh boy, would Selene’s employers be furious because they had spent a lot of money on those tickets, not to mention the wrath Selene would have to endure if anything had happened to Lira.
She had searched what seemed like everywhere in and around the dock area. She looked in seedy Cantinas, exotic pet shops, restaurants, and any shops that were still open. She even asked a plethora of folks about the girl from all walks of life. Many claimed to have seen her, but every damn time Selene was too late. The girl had rushed off to who knew where. This was nothing new, truly. Lira loved to play this version of hide and seek with Selene and in time she always returned, but tonight Selene was more angry than amused. She had a tight schedule to keep this evening and no time for this foolish game.
There was one last street within the area of the docks that was left to search. Selene had been dreading searching that one because it was the seediest of the seediest. Pirates, criminals, vagabonds claimed that area as theirs and Selene, a young pretty girl was a prime target.
Selene was a great fighter and she could probably handle almost anything they threw at her there, but Lira, well not so much. Her employers had hired the best of the best personal and self-defense trainers for Selene, so she could protect their girl, so yeah she wasn’t worried so much for her own safety. It was Lira she was worried about. She was only 5 for crying out loud. Selene took a deep breath and ventured forth.
Selene turned down the corner of the dark road, took another deep breath and ventured further. But before she could go very far, Selene found herself surrounded by several military officials and police. They all had their weapons pointed in her direction when one particularly large, shadowy figure approached her with a saber ignited. It was a Force user for sure but she couldn’t quite make out his or her’s facial features and what not in the darkness.
“Where is she? Lira Nyx. The girl. Bring her to me, now.”
There was no way out for Selene at this point so she threw her weapons down at the feet of the foreboding Force user and squeaked nervously.
She had two choices. Lie and be killed or just admit the truth and hope she would be able to live another day.
Yep, she should have found another job a LONG time ago. But somehow Lira had captured her heart, and Selene couldn’t leave her even though she was a pill to say the least.
“I don’t know! She ran off about two hours ago towards the docks when some shrieking animal caught her eye. I haven’t been able to find her since and I’ve looked EVERYWHERE! Except down this road.”
And with that Selene pointed her finger in the direction of the seedy road she had just been about to go down, terrified for her life.
Lira was on her own now.
Shortly thereafter the Force user motioned for the officials to go down the road Selene had pointed at whilst the police stayed with the distraught nanny.
Selene had been searching for at least two hours now and there was still no sign of the precocious child known as Lira.
They were going to miss the show for sure if she didn’t find Lira soon. And oh boy, would Selene’s employers be furious because they had spent a lot of money on those tickets, not to mention the wrath Selene would have to endure if anything had happened to Lira.
She had searched what seemed like everywhere in and around the dock area. She looked in seedy Cantinas, exotic pet shops, restaurants, and any shops that were still open. She even asked a plethora of folks about the girl from all walks of life. Many claimed to have seen her, but every damn time Selene was too late. The girl had rushed off to who knew where. This was nothing new, truly. Lira loved to play this version of hide and seek with Selene and in time she always returned, but tonight Selene was more angry than amused. She had a tight schedule to keep this evening and no time for this foolish game.
There was one last street within the area of the docks that was left to search. Selene had been dreading searching that one because it was the seediest of the seediest. Pirates, criminals, vagabonds claimed that area as theirs and Selene, a young pretty girl was a prime target.
Selene was a great fighter and she could probably handle almost anything they threw at her there, but Lira, well not so much. Her employers had hired the best of the best personal and self-defense trainers for Selene, so she could protect their girl, so yeah she wasn’t worried so much for her own safety. It was Lira she was worried about. She was only 5 for crying out loud. Selene took a deep breath and ventured forth.
Selene turned down the corner of the dark road, took another deep breath and ventured further. But before she could go very far, Selene found herself surrounded by several military officials and police. They all had their weapons pointed in her direction when one particularly large, shadowy figure approached her with a saber ignited. It was a Force user for sure but she couldn’t quite make out his or her’s facial features and what not in the darkness.
“Where is she? Lira Nyx. The girl. Bring her to me, now.”
There was no way out for Selene at this point so she threw her weapons down at the feet of the foreboding Force user and squeaked nervously.
She had two choices. Lie and be killed or just admit the truth and hope she would be able to live another day.
Yep, she should have found another job a LONG time ago. But somehow Lira had captured her heart, and Selene couldn’t leave her even though she was a pill to say the least.
“I don’t know! She ran off about two hours ago towards the docks when some shrieking animal caught her eye. I haven’t been able to find her since and I’ve looked EVERYWHERE! Except down this road.”
And with that Selene pointed her finger in the direction of the seedy road she had just been about to go down, terrified for her life.
Lira was on her own now.
Shortly thereafter the Force user motioned for the officials to go down the road Selene had pointed at whilst the police stayed with the distraught nanny.
Re: The Beginning (Open)
***Capital City near the Docks***
Lira was having the time of her life after she ran off. She loved this game, outwitting her nanny and investigating all sorts of things. Truthfully, she was surprised that at this point she hadn’t been put on a child leash or something. In time Lira would always come back, but not until she was satisfied with her investigations, and in this case, until she found out what that peculiar creature was, what it ate, if it could do tricks like a dog, where it came from, where it was going, and a zillion other questions the inquisitive five year-old had about it. That and of course not until she got a chance to play with it and the other animals.
She eventually caught up with the transport and the merchant, trader, whomever it was that was in charge of the shipment and immediately began to ask a zillion questions.
It was a tall, purple skinned, female Twi’Lek who apparently was in charge and didn’t seem like she was in too much of a rush. That was nice because the kindly Twi’lek, a merchant most likely entertained the precocious five-year old’s inquisitiveness. She even let Lira pet the Lothal Cat and what she now knew was a Kowakian monkey-lizard.
“I’m glad I was able to satisfy your curiosity little one, but I need to get going and you should hurry home. It is getting late and it probably isn’t a good idea for you to be alone around here. Not everyone is as nice as I am around here.”
Lira frowned, but deep down she knew the kindly Twi’lek was probably right. She thanked to woman and then scurried off once more. That was when Lira heard her nanny’s voice nearby.
Though the Twi’Lek was probably right, Lira wasn’t done with her game yet and so she raced off down a side alley that would eventually lead back down to the city center and began to see if anything else caught her eye. That was when she saw a bunch of kids maybe a few years older than Lira playing some sort of stick ball game. Lira plopped herself on top of an empty wine barrel and just watched. It looked fun, but she doubted they’d let her play if she asked, so instead she just watched.
Suddenly she heard loud, angry, rowdy, voices coming from just around the bend. In a frenzy the kids that had been playing scattered every which way.
Sadly one black haired , chubby boy wasn’t able to get away in time and one particularly burly man snatched him up with ease.
“Oh look what we got here. I reckon a young boy like him will sell for a handsome sum, don’t you think Horus?”
The other three snickered in delight and Lira froze for a moment before she ducked behind a dark alley that came off the main road. She had no idea where it went, but it was her only chance to escape being spotted.
“There’s for sure others around here, so let’s find them all!” spat another man as he kicked the stick the boys had been using towards his fellow slavers. He was skinnier than the others and missing his front two teeth.
The others all nodded in agreement. So the search began.
Sadly, the dark alley she had ducked behind led to a dead end. Her only chance now was to sprint off in the direction she came and pray she was fast enough to get away while the men were preoccupied with their latest “catch” and worked on a search plan to grab the others.
Without another thought she mustered all the adrenaline she could and bolted as fast as possible in the direction she came and ducked behind whatever she could find to prevent them from seeing her. Game time was definitely over. She had to get back to Selene, fast.
Where was Selene when she needed her?
Lira was halfway around the bend when one of the other men, a medium sized, dark skinned man spotted her.
“There’s one, let’s grab her!”
One man had stayed where he was to ‘guard’ the catch, but the other three were right on her tail.
Rays of light from the three thugs’ blasters whizzed all around her as she ran faster than she ever had. If she was able to get back to the center of town where she had been, then she would be okay. That or to Selene, whichever happened first.
Little did Lira know that an alert had been sent out to the populace by now that had promised a hefty award for anyone who could bring Lira in alive and that Selene couldn’t help her at all at this point.
She was completely oblivious to those things as she inched ever close to the center of the city. The only thing that could possibly save her at this point was a miracle, but Lira didn’t know that.
Lira was having the time of her life after she ran off. She loved this game, outwitting her nanny and investigating all sorts of things. Truthfully, she was surprised that at this point she hadn’t been put on a child leash or something. In time Lira would always come back, but not until she was satisfied with her investigations, and in this case, until she found out what that peculiar creature was, what it ate, if it could do tricks like a dog, where it came from, where it was going, and a zillion other questions the inquisitive five year-old had about it. That and of course not until she got a chance to play with it and the other animals.
She eventually caught up with the transport and the merchant, trader, whomever it was that was in charge of the shipment and immediately began to ask a zillion questions.
It was a tall, purple skinned, female Twi’Lek who apparently was in charge and didn’t seem like she was in too much of a rush. That was nice because the kindly Twi’lek, a merchant most likely entertained the precocious five-year old’s inquisitiveness. She even let Lira pet the Lothal Cat and what she now knew was a Kowakian monkey-lizard.
“I’m glad I was able to satisfy your curiosity little one, but I need to get going and you should hurry home. It is getting late and it probably isn’t a good idea for you to be alone around here. Not everyone is as nice as I am around here.”
Lira frowned, but deep down she knew the kindly Twi’lek was probably right. She thanked to woman and then scurried off once more. That was when Lira heard her nanny’s voice nearby.
Though the Twi’Lek was probably right, Lira wasn’t done with her game yet and so she raced off down a side alley that would eventually lead back down to the city center and began to see if anything else caught her eye. That was when she saw a bunch of kids maybe a few years older than Lira playing some sort of stick ball game. Lira plopped herself on top of an empty wine barrel and just watched. It looked fun, but she doubted they’d let her play if she asked, so instead she just watched.
Suddenly she heard loud, angry, rowdy, voices coming from just around the bend. In a frenzy the kids that had been playing scattered every which way.
Sadly one black haired , chubby boy wasn’t able to get away in time and one particularly burly man snatched him up with ease.
“Oh look what we got here. I reckon a young boy like him will sell for a handsome sum, don’t you think Horus?”
The other three snickered in delight and Lira froze for a moment before she ducked behind a dark alley that came off the main road. She had no idea where it went, but it was her only chance to escape being spotted.
“There’s for sure others around here, so let’s find them all!” spat another man as he kicked the stick the boys had been using towards his fellow slavers. He was skinnier than the others and missing his front two teeth.
The others all nodded in agreement. So the search began.
Sadly, the dark alley she had ducked behind led to a dead end. Her only chance now was to sprint off in the direction she came and pray she was fast enough to get away while the men were preoccupied with their latest “catch” and worked on a search plan to grab the others.
Without another thought she mustered all the adrenaline she could and bolted as fast as possible in the direction she came and ducked behind whatever she could find to prevent them from seeing her. Game time was definitely over. She had to get back to Selene, fast.
Where was Selene when she needed her?
Lira was halfway around the bend when one of the other men, a medium sized, dark skinned man spotted her.
“There’s one, let’s grab her!”
One man had stayed where he was to ‘guard’ the catch, but the other three were right on her tail.
Rays of light from the three thugs’ blasters whizzed all around her as she ran faster than she ever had. If she was able to get back to the center of town where she had been, then she would be okay. That or to Selene, whichever happened first.
Little did Lira know that an alert had been sent out to the populace by now that had promised a hefty award for anyone who could bring Lira in alive and that Selene couldn’t help her at all at this point.
She was completely oblivious to those things as she inched ever close to the center of the city. The only thing that could possibly save her at this point was a miracle, but Lira didn’t know that.
Re: The Beginning (Open)
Lira continued to dodge the stun blaster shots as she weaved up and under, around using her short stature and dexterity to her advantage. She dove behind barrels, garbage receptacles and anything else she could hide behind as the trio of slavers closed in on her. She was almost there. She could see the lights and hear the chatter of the bustling center behind her latest hiding spot which was an abandoned land cruiser. She was ever so close to safety! Those thugs wouldn’t dare cross the threshold of the dark side street into the main plaza as busy as it was. Not to mention the place was constantly patrolled by security bots and officers. If they dared try anything right up in the open, they’d be taken down in probably 10 seconds flat. That was why criminals, outcasts, etc. typically stayed in the shadows and confines of the dark, seedy side streets.
Lira was so close, but there was one major problem. Between here and the intersection to the main open area, there was nowhere she could dive behind, under, or around as the area from where she was to that threshold was wide open. She basically had two choices, stay where she was and let the thugs close in on her and whisk her off to who knew where or make a run for it. It was a Catch-22 truthfully. Which had better odds? Lira contemplated the pros and cons of both options only momentarily before she made a decision.
She had to make a run for it now or never. Once in the city center she could easily find her way home and wait for Selene to show up after she tired of Lira’s game, not to mention blend into the bustling crowd. It was her best choice especially since right then a blaster shot whizzed only a few centimeters from her head. The thugs were closing in on quickly and consequently the shots came closer and closer to making their mark. She had no other choice but to go for it right then and there. And so she took a deep breath and made a bolt for it toward safety.
“We are almost there boys, keep going! She’s almost ours!” the leader of the thugs shouted as she saw the white of their eyes in her peripheral vision.
She tried to run faster as she ducked as another shot whizzed just above her head and entered into the area where there was nowhere to hide or duck for cover. She ran faster than she had ever run before and silently wished for something, anything to slow the slugs down.
Lira was so close, but there was one major problem. Between here and the intersection to the main open area, there was nowhere she could dive behind, under, or around as the area from where she was to that threshold was wide open. She basically had two choices, stay where she was and let the thugs close in on her and whisk her off to who knew where or make a run for it. It was a Catch-22 truthfully. Which had better odds? Lira contemplated the pros and cons of both options only momentarily before she made a decision.
She had to make a run for it now or never. Once in the city center she could easily find her way home and wait for Selene to show up after she tired of Lira’s game, not to mention blend into the bustling crowd. It was her best choice especially since right then a blaster shot whizzed only a few centimeters from her head. The thugs were closing in on quickly and consequently the shots came closer and closer to making their mark. She had no other choice but to go for it right then and there. And so she took a deep breath and made a bolt for it toward safety.
“We are almost there boys, keep going! She’s almost ours!” the leader of the thugs shouted as she saw the white of their eyes in her peripheral vision.
She tried to run faster as she ducked as another shot whizzed just above her head and entered into the area where there was nowhere to hide or duck for cover. She ran faster than she had ever run before and silently wished for something, anything to slow the slugs down.