Taking on the role of a common thief wasn't usual for a Mandalorian or a bounty hunter, so it felt strange for Mando as he began step three of his planned heist. Step one was easy: he had no trouble landing on the planet undetected and concealing his ship, the Razor Crest. Paraluxe was a sparsely populated world, and the only security to deal with was in the compound that held the artifact. Bypassing the advanced security system was step two. Whoever owned this place had to be loaded, because everything was state of the art. Thing was, the fancier the tech, the more room for glitches. A former colleague hooked him up with a handy device to force the system into diagnostic mode, taking the cameras and motion detectors offline. Getting his hands on the plunder had been...well, not exactly easy. There was no shortage of armed guards to avoid, but he'd expected that. What he had not expected was to be cumbered with a metre-and-a-half tall, forty kilo vase. If it had been up to him, he would have stolen one of the other, much smaller, items of value that were on display. However, it wasn't up to him, and his instructions had been specific. If he wanted to know the whereabouts of a Jedi, he needed this particular treasure to trade.
Under normal circumstances, Mando wouldn't have accepted this job. Unfortunately, nothing had been normal since he'd traded in his bounty hunting gig to become a full time nanny/Jedi hunter. It would all be worth it once he located a home for the little foundling child whose welfare was his mission now. Tracking down Jedi had proven to be more difficult than he imagined, even for someone with his skill level. His search had led him to a smuggler named Grox who offered him a deal. In exchange for this priceless artifact, Mando could have the name and address of a Jedi. In the description, Grox had failed to mention the size and weight of said artifact.
Stealth was going to be impossible while lugging this thing around. Besides that, the vase was extremely fragile. When tucking it under his arm, he heard a distinct chinking sound like it would shatter under the slightest pressure. Mando used two hands to carry it now, leaving only three fingers free for his weapon. He moved as quickly as possible through the network of plushly carpeted hallways toward the exit. It was some distance, and the going was slow especially under his burden. The odds of running into an armed patrol were growing larger by the second. They must have added extra on-duty personnel after the cameras went out. He turned a corner and ran right into someone. He nearly fumbled the vase and his gun and flinched to hear a cracking sound. The other person was knocked to the ground by his impact. She was alone and dressed in the same dark blue uniform all the non-security personnel seemed to wear. In the time it took Mando to regain his grip, she collected herself and stood back up gaping at him and his awkward load. One scream from her would mean the end of the road for him. Both of them stood frozen staring at each other. Behind his helmet, sweat dripped down his forehead and stung his eyes. All he could do was wait; he was entirely at her mercy.
Footsteps sounded behind him...lots of them. Without seeming to think about it, she gulped and slammed her palm against the control panel on the wall by his shoulder. He expected an alarm to go off. Instead, the bracelet on her wrist lit up and beeped once. A well-concealed door slid open revealing a small, dark room, likely some kind of closet. He glanced back at her in shock. Was she offering him a hiding place? Exasperated, she hissed, "Move it, you idiot!" He didn't need any more prompting. The door shut behind him just after he ducked inside. With an ear to the wall, he heard her voice say "Good morning," to the guards as she passed them. They greeted her back as if nothing were amiss. He hoped that meant the vase's empty display case hadn't been noticed yet, which also meant the security system hadn't finished booting up. The stomping feet marched past without incident, and it grew silent outside the closet. He didn't have much space to move around, but he set the vase on the floor without banging it against any shelves. Freed of the weight, he let out a deep sigh and finally caught his breath. He switched on his helmet light to get a look at the surroundings. Besides the various boxes and linens, the room was empty. He and the vase barely fit. The door had no panel on the inside and didn't budge when he pushed it. It looked like his only options were to blast his way through the door or sit tight and hope that girl would return to let him out...preferably before the security system came back online. He leaned as comfortably as possible against the wall and prepared to wait.
Kella hoped her voice sounded calmer than she felt as she greeted the patrol. She didn't know anyone in this unit well, so they didn't notice the unusual flush in her cheeks as they acknowledged her. Her hands smoothed over her blond hair, ensuring that no strands escaped the neat twist worn by all the female staff. She didn't dare walk too quickly, so it took a few minutes to reach her destination. The dry goods warehouse was where most deliveries were stored upon arrival. It also housed all the non-refrigerated food, so it was dangerously close to the bustling kitchen. The only things not stored here were the valuable historical pieces like the one she was about to help steal. Those deliveries were kept near the museum wing in a vault until they could be prepared for display. That vault was where she spent most of her time during the past five years of employment here. Her employer was a collector of fine things, most of which served no purpose other than to show off to guests at his parties. Kella chose a couple of empty storage containers that looked the right size, shoved them onto a large antigrav skid, and headed back out the door. She walked intentionally and crossed her fingers that no one would question her. At the doorway, she came face to face with Chari from housekeeping. The woman's girth was enough to block even the double wide loading door due to the unwieldy skid Kella had to manage. Chari was talking to a white-uniformed kitchen worker who was obviously itching to make his escape from the conversation. Kella did her best to scoot past without being seen, but there was no avoiding Chari. "Kella, is that you behind that bulky skid! My goodness, where are you off to with that?" The white uniform scurried away.
Kella managed a tight smile. "Yes it's me. There was a big delivery of books and manuscripts today. Mr. Paravyn was anxious for me to look over them as soon as possible." She inched a bit farther into the doorway, but the obstacle blocking the path didn't earn the name Chatty Chari for nothing.
Chari raised her eyebrows. "Another shipment already? I thought you were still cataloguing the ones from last week?"
Kella shifted her feet and stayed as close to the truth as she could. "Oh, I'm still cataloguing all right. I hear this new batch was an unexpected gift from some business associate looking to curry favor. You know how excited the boss gets about his antique reading material, so he's in a pretty good mood this morning. But that also means he's on my case to give him a complete list and detailed condition report in record time, so..."
Chari didn't take the hint. "Ooh, if he's in such a good mood, maybe he'll let the house staff go home early like he did after that doctor gave him good news about the latest clinical trial."
"You never know." Kella let out a nervous laugh, but tension made her voice crack. Her nerves would give her away if she wasn't careful. She also hoped Chari didn't get near enough to Mr. Paravyn to discover his true mood today. Word came late last night that the clinical trial had not gone well after all. Three of the five test subjects suffered massive organ failures and the two survivors developed other unpleasant side effects. Not one had shown signs of the kind of ocular regeneration that was the goal of this new treatment. The black market doctor was returning to the drawing board and Mr. Paravyn would have to rely on the eyes of his staff for the foreseeable future. Chari prattled on, whining about all her usual complaints: her back, her husband, her work. The moment Kella caught sight of a white uniform trying to sneak into the storage room from behind Chari, she called out a "Good morning!" The older man was a veteran of the kitchen staff. He flinched and gave Kella a dirty look as Chari turned her attentions to him. Kella smirked to herself as she swooped out the door with the skid and left the man behind to fend for himself.
No one else stopped her and she carefully steered around each corner until she reached the closet that held what she hoped was her ticket out of here. If it was possible to look bored while concealed behind a helmet and full body armor, the thief did. He snapped to action almost immediately, but she blocked him from leaving the closet. "If I help you get out of here with that thing, you have to take me with you." She squared her shoulders and put as much authority into her voice as she could muster.
He was barely listening to her because seeing the skid clued him into her plan right away. "Really?" he asked, motioning to the containers. "You think that's going to work, do you?"
Who did he think he was? This clumsy thief would already be in custody without her! Kella sniffed, "Beggars can't be choosers. There are lots of extra patrols right now because something is wrong with the automated security system." She gave him an accusing glare before continuing, "If you have a better idea, then good riddance. I'll go put this back and let you do your thing."
She didn't have to follow through on her threat. He was already lugging out the ancient pottery along with some sheets and towels from the shelves. "Alright, alright! Sorry. It's a brilliant plan, and I accept your terms. Help me get this in here." Together, they eased the vase into the first crate, crammed the linens around it for padding, and balanced the lid on top. She'd underestimated the size of the vase, and the crate she picked wouldn't close all the way. Next, the thief hopped nimbly into the second container and she swiftly closed it. She had a passing thought that he moved pretty well for someone covered in gear head to toe like he was. On the way to the hangar bay she passed several more patrols, but as she reached the entrance she saw enough visible activity inside that she was confident she'd blend right in. What was one more blue uniform intermingled with the gray of the hangar crew? Mornings were always the busiest time for arrivals and departures, and today was no different.
It was an unlucky surprise to be stopped by an added security check at the hangar bay entrance. Normally security was pretty lax at the hangar, but not today. Things got even worse when she heard, "Kella, how are you? I haven't seen you all week!" The guard checking credentials was Timmin. She knew him well enough. Timmin was always a bit more friendly than she was comfortable with, so Kella usually avoided him. She greeted him cordially now while her brain churned through possible explanations she could offer for her lack of authorization to be in the hangar. She had never found him intimidating before, just irritating in his attentions. Now that she faced him in his official capacity, his black, no-nonsense security uniform suddenly made him seem an imposing figure. With the pleasantries over, he eyed her cargo. "So what do we have here? Trying to make off with stolen goods I see." Kella nearly had a heart attack until Timmin's crooked grin gave away that he was teasing.
She chuckled in what she hoped was an appropriate way. "This is just some inventory that was either too damaged or not of interest to the boss. I've been catching up on a backlog of work the last couple of weeks, which is why I've been so off-the-radar. I finally got it all prepped and I'm sending it out in the afternoon shipment to the auction house."
Timmin nodded in understanding. "I get it—throwing yourself into work. After I lost my mom, staying busy helped me too at first, but if you ever need someone to talk to, like a friend or...I'm here if you need me," he shrugged and ran a hand through his close-cropped hair.
Kella didn't need to fake a smile, it came naturally. "I appreciate that, Timmin, and I think I'll take you up on your offer...when I get back." She took a breath and readied her poker face. "I've been thinking about what you said to me last week, and you were right. I'll regret it later if I miss the funeral. It hit me hard this morning and I knew I made a mistake deciding not to go. If I leave right now I can still make it, buuuut," she drew out the word and he narrowed his eyes in suspicion. She continuedin a rush, "I didn't get approval to take leave, but I really am caught up on all my work. I have literally nothing left to do for days. I was going to hitch a ride on that departing supply ship after I load these on board," she gestured offhandedly at the containers and then sucked on her lower lip while he considered the situation.
After a few nail-biting seconds, he sighed and typed something into his pad. "Well, I only have authority for a three-day pass, so I hope that's enough." She nodded robotically. He finished typing and smiled at her. "You're all set. Have a safe trip." After she thanked him, Kella took a step toward the hangar. Timmin's voice halted her again, "Oh, hold up, I just still need to see the shipping invoice for those containers."
Kella inhaled sharply through her nose, but kept her tone bright, "Right, of course!" Her hands fluttered as she pretended to check her pockets. She had to move to the side to make room for a muscular worker with a big load of supplies exiting the hangar. Just as he scooted by her, there was a crash. She didn't see what caused it, but the man's overloaded skid collapsed in the rear, spilling everything to the floor. Timmin groaned and went to help the now-cursing worker clean up the mess. A traffic jam was forming, so Kella made her move and Timmin waved her off without argument. "See you!" she called to him as she cleared the way for others to get around the blockage. She felt instantly better once she disappeared into the sea of blue and gray in the hangar. A quiet spot in a corner behind some speeders was the perfect spot to check on her thief. She peeked under the lid. "The coast is clear for the moment. If you can drive one of these speeders, we can take it out the smaller loading bay door over there," she pointed.
In no time he was out of the container and moving a speeder into position. "I didn't think we were going to make it past your boyfriend back there. It was a good thing I managed to take out that skid next to us and create a distraction," he said and continued to prep the speeder and check the fuel.
Kella's eyes widened. She looked at his empty storage container and noticed for the first time a hole on the side near the bottom. He must have cut it while she was talking to Timmin and then shot something through it to cause that crash. "So that's what happened. I thought we were just lucky...but he was not my boyfriend," she corrected him.
Mando didn't care enough to acknowledge that. Instead, he motioned her to help him move the heavy crate onto the back of the speeder. They lifted together, with him taking the bulk of the weight and her mostly helping guide it into place. Kella found some packing straps in a supply drawer and they secured things as best they could. Once it was done, she asked the question that had been bugging her for a while. "Of all the things you could have taken, why did you pick this?!"
He groaned. "Believe me, I did not do the choosing." Kella let it go at that and opened the small hangar door that was typically used for speeders so they could make their exit. Afterward, she slipped off her bracelet and left it in a toolbin so the sensors would show her still in the building when they started working again. Mando climbed on the speeder and started it up. As Kella hovered next to him, it became clear that there was a flaw in this getaway plan. There was nowhere for her to sit! The thief's back was right up against the crate, which took up all of the back half of the speeder. He realized the problem at the same time she did, but all he said was, "Oh."
He had better not be thinking of leaving her, because Kella would absolutely raise the alarm on him if he did. She opened her mouth to tell him so. Then her eyes lingered on his hand, which was fingering his weapon. If he killed her, he probably had enough time to get away before anyone found her body. She looked back at his face, instinctively trying to see if there was murder in his eyes, but the windows to his soul were hidden by the cold metal of his helmet. Above the background sounds of the workers, two voices rose louder, signalling approach. In a matter of moments, they'd be discovered.
With a muttered curse, the man's gloved hand shot out and grabbed Kella's arm, pulling her sideways onto his lap. He gunned the speeder and took off out the door. Kella squeezed her eyes shut and threw her arms around him, holding on for dear life. At full speed, they were through the clearing and past the tree line in ten seconds flat. Her hair ripped free of its clip and whipped out over his armoured shoulder. She dared to open her eyes just a little, and noted that at least the crate seemed to be still in place. Kella hoped the getaway ship wasn't too far. For that matter, she hoped there was a getaway ship. Judging by how underprepared this guy had seemed when he ran into her in that hallway, she wouldn't put it past him to have no way off planet. For now, she just held on tight and closed her eyes again.