[Solved] Temperature’s Rising (Episode III, Part 1)

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“Florrum, is it civilized?"

"That depends on your definition of civilized."

The Imperial dropship that delivered the crates didn’t stay long. With the sand storm’s intensity it was a miracle it came at all. No sooner had they pulled away from the Workers District than we had cracked open the lid to sample the product. My eager Chadra-Fan enforcer had a snort and a smile spread across his face. “That’s pure Sasanna Spice right there” he said wiping his snout. 

“Just in time too” I said, readjusting my own bandana across my face. “Two more days without a re-up and we would have been in trouble.”

“I heard you were the one that hooked up the Pyke connect” he said slyly. “That should put you in the boss man’s good books…”

“Yeah yeah…” I said avoiding the question. “I know a guy on Kessel, so what?”

“None of my business” he said sensing my discomfort. “Just remember your friends when he makes you a crew chief.”

“We better get these into the stash house” I said. “This storms picking up.”

He carried a crate into the adjacent house while I stood guard. The strong winds flapped my face covering relentlessly. After we packed these away, I planned to return to the cantina for a drink. Then I heard a low distant hum under the oppressive sound of the sand storm. It was getting exponentially louder. It sounded like a roaring crowd but that couldn’t be right. There was no way the swoop bike races were going ahead today. As the yelling reached its peak I turned to see my returning Chadra-Fan enforcer raise his arm in silent warning. Suddenly I realised the yelling was coming from the rooftops overlooking the laneway towards us. Thinking fast, I raised my pistol and took aim at the yellow clad figure rushing around the corner. 

“God damn Corpos”

I fired twice and he collapsed against the wall. That lit the fuse. Murdoch’s girl started screaming. The second Corpo fired a shot that whizzed past my ear. I retreated out of view and my enforcer took advantage of their distraction, gunning down two more in quick succession. Their commanding officer appeared around the corner firing wildly in my direction. Before I could get a shot off, blaster fire rained down from above. Our crew chief stood in the balcony brandishing a sniper rifle.

He called out to us. “Pack it up boys. We’re blown.”

Breathing heavily, I snapped the lid back on the spice crate and made a mental note. If the Society wanted me on the ground influencing the Crimson Mafia’s leadership, I refused to be caught with my pants down again. I was going to need some real intelligence on the movements of their greatest enemy, Unistar. The shadowy conglomerate had been consolidating power on the planet for weeks now: Dismantling rival gangs through sheer tyranny of will. If the Crimson Mafia couldn’t withstand them with the full backing of the Stygian Caldera Society, then what hope did anyone else have?

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Thanks for taking a look. Built after binging 5 seasons of The Wire. Let me know if you have any thoughts 🙂