Twisted

S2 Ep2 "Twisted"

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For Kube finding people was all math because all life is math, that is numbers, which of course was always subtraction. Each day was 22,000 breaths less you’d get to enjoy, one day less of life, heartbeats burned, but ultimately the most significant factor of life was money. Currently working for the Senator was a big boon to his personal balance and finding Rena Desyk would mean a huge bonus. She had a head start, but that too would dwindle.

Kube was a man with a reputation for getting the job done, no matter what. His initial check of her apartment showed she had been then, but left in a hurry. She would likely flee to the lower levels of Coruscant after either killing her former employer, or being on the run from the person who did. Kube was confident in his abilities, but he knew that the lower levels of Coruscant were a dangerous place, full of criminals and shady characters. He had spent time there, too much time, and like everyone on the planet was trying to make a better life, to get to higher and higher levels.

As he made his way down the crowded and dingy streets, Kube's eyes scanned the faces of the people around him. He had been given a rough description of Rena, but he knew that it would be difficult to find her in such a densely populated area. A tip said she had been seen in the area.

Suddenly, he heard a commotion coming from a nearby alleyway. Kube instinctively drew his blaster and made his way towards the noise.

As he turned the corner, Kube saw a group of thugs surrounding a young woman. She was backed up against the wall, her eyes wide with fear.

Without hesitating, Kube fired a shot into the air, causing the thugs to scatter. He stepped forward, his blaster still drawn.

"Are you okay?" he asked the woman.

She nodded, her breathing heavy. "Thank you," she said, her voice trembling.

Kube lowered his blaster and looked at her more closely. She was petite with dark hair and striking green eyes. He felt a flicker of attraction, but he quickly pushed it aside. He had a job to do. This was not her, but there was no harm in asking.

"Have you seen a woman named Rena Desky?" he asked.

The woman shook her head. "I don't know who that is," she said.

Kube nodded and turned to leave, but he was suddenly struck from behind. He stumbled forward, his blaster clattering to the ground.

He turned around to see one of the thugs standing over him, a knife in his hand. Kube quickly regained his footing and drew his other blaster, a back-up he kept in his boot, firing at the thug.

The shot missed its mark, and the thug lunged forward with the knife. Kube dodged to the side, but the blade grazed his arm, leaving a deep gash.

Kube winced in pain, but he didn't let it slow him down. He fired his blaster again, this time hitting the thug in the chest. The thug fell to the ground, dead.

Kube retrieved his blaster and turned back to the woman. "You need to get out of here," he said.

The woman nodded, and Kube watched as she disappeared into the crowd. He knew that he needed to find Rena, but he couldn't help but feel a sense of responsibility for the woman's safety.

Kube continued down the alleyway, his hand pressed against his wounded arm. He knew that he needed to find a medical droid to treat the injury, but his priority was still Rena.

As he made his way through the lower levels, Kube encountered more and more resistance. It seemed like every criminal in the area had heard about the bounty on Rena's head, and they were all eager to collect the reward.

Kube fought his way through the throngs of thugs, his blasters blazing. He was an expert marksman, and he knew how to use his weapons to devastating effect.

But no matter how many thugs he took down, he couldn't seem to find Rena. He questioned anyone who looked even remotely like her, but he always came up empty-handed.

As the hours wore on, Kube grew more and more frustrated. He knew that he couldn't give up, but he was starting to think that he would never find Rena.

Finally, as the sun began to set, Kube stumbled upon a group of criminals who seemed to know something.

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Senator Locke Fluzhi sat in his office in the heart of the bustling city planet of Coruscant. He stared at the holo-display on his desk, where a progress bar slowly crept across the screen. Locke was trying to break into a secured computer file, one that was guarded by some of the most advanced encryption algorithms in the galaxy. This database belonged to the recently deceased Archduchess Halcyon.

Locke had been trying to gain access to this file for hours, but every time he thought he had made a breakthrough, he hit another wall. It was like the network was alive, and it was actively resisting his attempts to breach it. But Locke was not one to give up easily. He was no hacker, but he had enough money to buy the tools from them, and he was determined to get to the bottom of this.

As he sat there, staring at the progress bar, he couldn't help but think about the risks she was taking. He didn’t know what Halcyon had been doing, but she was caught, and it cost her her life. Could following the same path mean the end of his political career, or worse? The killer clearly would stop at nothing to protect their interests.

But Locke had never been one to back down from a challenge. He had grown up on a planet that was controlled by a corrupt government, and he had seen firsthand the harm that could be caused by those in power who put their own interests above those of the people they were supposed to serve.

Locke leaned back in his chair and let out a deep sigh. He knew he was running out of time. The information he was after could prove to be vital to his survival, and he couldn't afford to fail. He looked up at the holoscreen on his desk, where the encrypted files were displayed, and began to type furiously.

Locke's fingers flew over the keys, as he tried every digital attack possible, each a combination of codes algorithms. Sweat dripped down his forehead, and his heart raced with anticipation. Suddenly, the screen flickered, and Locke let out a triumphant shout. He had broken through the encryption!

Locke quickly scanned the files, trying to parse the information he was after. His joy faded as he realized how deep the files went. There were decades of data to go through. This would take a long time to sift. Still, he had access, it was time to begin. He was so engrossed in reading, he didn’t hear the knock the first time it came.

C42 tried again, and this time he got an audible, “WHAT?”

"Senator Fluzhi," said the droid, “There is SOMETONE to see you."

Locke, his most disgusted face firmly in place swung open his office door. A clone trooper in full armor and decorated honor guard colors stood next to C42. Locke’s body guards had their hands on their weapons, although if the tooper wanted to come in firing he would have done so already.

“Come in Sargent.” Locke made a more diplomatic face and gestured for the soldier to come in his office.

Once it was just the two of them, Locke offered a drink, remembering how much more inclined the troopers were and how they warmed up to him once the alcohol started flowing.

The trooper removed the helmet. Inside was anything but a stock clone. It was a woman. “I heard you were looking for me.”

Locke looked and saw not a Twi’lek, but a human. “Desyk?” He looked into her eyes. The sharp teeth, gone, the head tails, gone. From one disguise to another. Very clever.

“Oh yes Floozy. It’s me.” She smirked, “Listen fast because I don’t have long, and there is alot you need to know.”