As always the streets of Coruscant’s Government sector were packed full of species from all across the galaxy. With their heads down, the Corscanti citizens and its visitors hustled to and fro in all directions attempting to avoid interactions. No one seemed to take the time to take in their surroundings.
Sitting stoic on a bench was TuQ’uan Varick, hat pulled low, eyes sharp, surveying the non-descript building across the square. The Kel Dor had been here unmoving for nearly five hours now, waiting, watching, and preparing. As a guard walked past a door off to the left of the main entrance to the building TuQ’uan made his move. Standing up the mercenary's back made a loud cracking sound and his legs were a little stiff, but that would fix itself quickly. Flowing from group to group, the infiltrator used the crowds as cover to move as quickly as he dared in order to not draw unwanted attention.
Saddling up to the door the mercenary only had a brief window of time to get inside before the next pass by the guard. Jacking his datapad in TuQ’uan got to work typing furiously, sparing only brief glances to make sure he was undisturbed. *Click*, he was in. Opening the door only as much as necessary to squeeze through, the mercenary slipped in.
Moving from door to door, TuQ’uan tried each one, looking for one that had been left unlocked if possible, however he was not opposed to picking the lock or outright breaking a door down in he had to.
Just over a month ago TuQ’uan had bribed the security guard at a terminal manufacturing plant to let him take a self guided tour around their facility. He had taken this opportunity to plant a data recorder into a terminal set to be delivered to the Coruscanti branch of the Vaslin Shipping Company. His employer believed the company was moving stolen goods on behalf of various government officials and was not only looking for proof but an opportunity as well, and as long as credits were involved so was TuQ’uan.
The Kel Dor reached the end of the Vaslin Shipping Company's hallway and had yet to find an open door, it was time to try a different approach. Reaching into one of his many jacket pockets, TuQ’uan removed a small screwdriver and began taking the lock apart. After a moment of fiddling with it a few sparks flew from the mechanism followed by a small puff of smoke. Sighing the mercenary put the screwdriver away and began prying the door open.
Once TuQ’uan finally managed to get the door open he headed straight for the terminal on the desk and began the next step in his search. It was good new-bad news for the mercenary. On one hand the terminal he had modified was here and in use, bad news was that it was in Mitram Vaslin’s office which also happened to be the most secure and commonly patrolled room in the building.
It took very little time for the Kel Dor to reach the top floor of the building where the executive offices were located, he was in a rush now, and the longer he stayed in the building the more likely he'd be caught. Pausing in the doorway to the stairwell he took a moment to listen for footsteps. Once he was satisfied TuQ’uan made his way to the large double doors to the office. This was a pretty sophisticated lock, he may need help with this one.
A guard could be heard shuffling around the corner. TuQ’uan removed a vibrodagger from its hiding spot in his jacket and moved towards the sound. As the guard rounded the corner the Kel Dor struck, planting the dagger firmly in the chest of the guard and using his other hand to make sure the guards mouth was covered. Now that that mess was done TuQ’uan dragged the body over to the door and placed the cooling hand on the fingerprint scanner. The lock lit up green and the door slid open.
TuQ’uan retrieved his screwdriver again as he walked over to the target terminal. Removing the side panel of the terminal the Kel Dor reached his large hand inside, and with only a little fiddling he was able to retrieve the data recorder. As he got the terminal back together the mercenary's eye was drawn to a safe on the wall. *Well I do need a cover story for the break-in,* TuQ’uan mused.
Two minutes of working with the safe and TuQ’uan had the safe open and was placing the credits in his pocket. It was then that the he could hear the sirens of the Coruscanti Security Force fast approaching. Moving quickly the mercenary descended a few flights of stairs and waited. Above the footsteps of four Security agents could be heard running down the stairs from the roof to the floor TuQ’uan had just left. When he was sure they had all left the stairwell TuQ’uan made his way up to the roof where the Security Force agents had come from.
Emerging onto the roof TuQ’uan saw something that would have made his smile if it were physically possible, the airspeeder was parked a few feet away and still running, he wouldn't even need to hotwire it. Hoping in, the mercenary found a Coruscanti Security Force badge on the seat, pocketing the badge he took to the skies of Coruscant.
His smooth getaway didn't last long though, more Security Force speeders joined him in the sky attempting to flank on either side. The time for fancy flying had come. TuQ’uan dropped the air speeder into a near straight drop towards the ground, pulling up way later than he had intended, both hands held the controls in a grip that would cut off circulation. The Kel Dor risked a look back to see where his pursuers were. The maneuver had caught them off guard but they were still on his tail, only further away now.
The speeder jerked violently to the left, TuQ’uan had taken his eyes of the traffic on from of him and in turn had bumped into another airspeeder. He quickly regained control of the speeder but the bump had done some damage to the engine which now had smoke beginning to waft out. One of the two pursuing Security Force speeders had stopped to inspect the collision.
The chasm to the lower levels had appeared ahead of TuQ’uan, he got an idea. As he got closer the Kel Dor saw a wall of Security Force air speeders forming, the sirens on all were wailing away. TuQ’uan committed himself to the plan. Increasing to full speed the mercenary aimed directly at the centre of the wall, at the last possible moment TuQ’uan dove beneath the airspeeders. Pulling back on the controls TuQ’uan tried to bring the airspeeder perpendicular to the ground again, he was skimming the streets of Coruscant and approaching the chasm fast. The mercenary was unsuccessful in pulling off his ambitious maneuver, and bounced the bottom of the smoking airspeeder off the ground, destroying the repulsors. After the second impact with the street the airspeeder skated across the ground at full speed towards the chasm, the engines still working away.
With a crash the airspeeder burst through the safety wall at the edge of the shaft and over the edge. The airspeeder was quickly covering the distance to the other side of the chasm as it dropped. Throwing the door of the speeder open TuQ’uan readied himself and jumped for the edge. With a lack of grace the Kel Dor landed and rolled a few times before a pile of foul smelling garbage brought him to a stop, he lay there a moment before being able to bring himself back to his feet. Hobbling away from the incident as quickly as he could, the mercenary needed to find a place to lay low for a bit.
TuQ’uan reached into his pocket to ensure the data recorder was still safe, it was luckily there and in one piece, right beside it was the badge. The feeling of a smile crept over him, this was a story he'd be telling for years to come.