The open air market hummed with activity despite the late hour. The sound of a hundred different conversations in a wide variety of language created a constant buzz, forcing the merchants to shout as they hawked their wares. Market stalls and tents pressed closely together, creating a labyrinthine maze of narrow lanes that forced the shoppers more closely together. The smell of cooking food, exotic perfumes and unwashed bodies hung heavily in the air, adding to the claustrophobic atmosphere.
Lucine picked her way carefully through the crowd, her eyes alight with the thrill of the hunt. Ordinarily, she preferred to do her shopping in an exclusive boutique, away from the mass of humanity. But one could occasionally find treasures in a place such as this. She paused near one stall, scanning the glittering jewelry that was displayed there. One piece in particular caught her eye, seven delicate emeralds suspended in a net of delicate chain. That appears to be a Bulgari piece. A rare find indeed.
The Sith carefully picked the delicate necklace up and held it to the light. She could immediately see that three of the emeralds were fake; the remaining four each bore subtle flaws. Such a disappointment.
She held it up to her neck and glanced at a nearby mirror. Using the reflective surface, she studied the crowd behind her until she found the person she was looking for. A portly Chiss stood at a table about fifty feet away, studying a holochess board. The scene could have been completely innocent, were it not for the fact that he was turned in a manner that he could easily keep an eye on her.
Lucine's eyes narrowed and she shook her head in annoyance. She had hoped to lose him in the crowded market, but it appeared that hope had been in vain. It was obvious that he was skilled at following from a distance, which meant he was a professional of some sort. But what did he want with her?
As she placed the necklace back in the display, she searched her mind for any details she could remember about the Chiss. Len Iode, she recalled at last. An Odanite, so likely a member of SenNet.
She watched Len out of the corner of her eye as she considered her next steps. The Sentinel was following her for a reason, and she wanted to find out why. I suppose it is time for the direct approach, she thought with an inward sigh, as she once again began to weave through the crowd.
Len watched was the Sith crossed the crowded street to a food vendor's cart. Is she just buying dinner? Or was that the handoff? From where he was standing, it was impossible to tell. The Human accepted two small wrapped parcels from the Bothan merchant, before making her way down the street. He moved away from the stall he had been loitering in front of and began to follow once more. It was time to end this.
But as he drew nearer, the redhead faded from view. His eyes widened slightly as he scanned the street, but his target was nowhere to be seen. Cursing inwardly, the Chiss strode through the crowd, using his bulk to push his way through the press of people. It did not take him long to arrive at the spot where she had stood only moments before, but the Sith was nowhere to be seen.
“Hungry, darling?”
Len turned to see Lucine standing behind him. She offered him a brilliant smile that never quite touched her eyes as she placed one of the parcels in his hand. It felt warm to the touch. “What's this?”
“Deep fried mynock,” the Sith replied as she unwrapped the second parcel to reveal a piece of meat that had been fried to a golden brown. She sniffed at it curiously.
“I meant, why are you giving it to me?” the Chiss said in a suspicious tone.
“Because you have been following me for over an hour, and I thought you might want a snack. Go ahead and give it a try. I am told that it is delicious.” She nibbled at the fried meat hesitantly, before making a face. “But apparently, I was told wrong.”
“Thanks, but I'm not hungry,” Len replied.
Lucine rolled her shoulders in a shrug. “Oh well, it is the thought that counts. But since we are now on speaking terms, would you care to tell me why you are following me? Surely SenNet has better things to do than observe me while I go shopping.”
“Do you honestly expect me to believe that?” Len said with a quiet chuckle. “We know all about your ties to the criminal underworld, and have strong suspicions about your dealings with the Inquisitorius. We are also aware that some sensitive information is supposed to be handed off to the Iron Throne tonight. So I hardly think your being here is a coincidence.”
“My my, someone has been naughty,” Lucine murmured. “I will admit that it does look suspicious, but you are wasting your time.” She shook her head before moving to walk past him, patting him on the shoulder as she did so. “But at least you got dinner out of the deal. Enjoy, darling.”
“Not so fast,” Len said, as he drew his Scout Pistol. “We're not done here.”
The Sith turned slowly, her emerald eyes darting down toward the blackened weapon before returning to his face. She slowly raised her hands to show that she was unarmed. “You hurl accusations and then draw a weapon on me? How terribly brutish,” she said as she tsked softly.
“Accusations you never denied,” Len said. “Come on. We have a lot to talk about and I don't want to have this discussion in the middle of the street.”
Lucine's lips quirked upward in a smile. “Darling, you would not do something as ungentlemanly as shooting me in public, would you?” She glanced around. A few of the people nearest to them had noticed the exchange, and were now moving out of the way of the line of fire. “Nevermind the fact that you are making quite a scene.” She flipped her hair with her hand, before making an odd gesture as she drew upon the Force to add weight to her words. “How about if you drop your weapon, and we can discuss this further?”
The Chiss felt her suggestion batter at his mind and knew what she was up to. He willed himself to pull the trigger before the Sith could try anything else. But it was as if his hand had a will of its own, loosening the grip on the pistol just enough to allow it to clatter onto the street. He looked up in time to see the redhead step closer, one hand lashing out toward his throat in an open-handed strike.
