CHAPTER 2: NO ESCAPE

The vehicular traffic on Coruscant was a sight to behold. The constant flow of floating vessels and ships formed a criss-cross pattern that was mesmerizing from a distance. Since most vehicles had repulsorlift systems, there were very few on the ground level.

Although there was one main traffic stream high in the stratosphere, there were at least 3 levels of traffic in the troposphere. Each was bidirectional and with just enough  space in between the vehicles as you went higher and higher.

To a stationary observer, it was an organized chaos. The pattern was a result of drivers following the predetermined flight paths of the local cities.

For a swoop on the run, it would be too slow to follow. That was the advantage Okha needed. The desperation should have him weaving out of traffic. She was also counting on the fact that the flight ceiling for a swoop was not very high. If boosted, it could reach the next tier of traffic, but would not stay long. The fact that the swoop was red in color was also helpful.

Following TIC’s best possible guess, Okha scanned the closest traffic pattern. Nothing.

Boosting to the 2nd level, Okha leaned in and gave the speeder an extra boost with her jetpack. Still, nothing.

It was not long before TIC began to whirl and beep repeatedly.

“I see it TIC, good work!”

The swoop was speeding and weaving in the third level of traffic.

“For the sake of giant bantha poodoo” Okha sighed in disbelief as she went full throttle.

“TIC, Divert all power to boosters!”

She never thought she would have to push the speeder bike to the limit, but she had to. The swoop was far and they were about to lose it.

“Come on!…” Okha yelled to herself, as if the bike would hear her and respond with faster speeds.

“TIC! - Anything we can do to make this hunk of imperial junk go any faster?!”

The bops and beeps were not optimistic. The swoop began weaving onto a nearby building’s landing area and is soon lost from sight.

“Don’t lose him TIC!”

TIC-R5 again began extrapolations of possible directions the swoop could have taken.

Following the most likely course, Okha cuts a hard left across a four-seated speeder. The driver was forced to take evasive maneuvers. Both occupants began yelling expletives in their language and gesturing obscenities. TIC-R5 seemed to chirp some concern about the speeder full of dugs Okha almost hit, but knew better than to lose focus. Their target was slipping away with each passing moment.

No visual on the target.

Okha was not sure what to think as she shook her head.

Where are you?

Bothans were hairy beings with canine-like features that were better at political manipulations than vehicular handling. This one seemed like an exception. Unless, the swoop was refitted to handle higher speeds at higher ceilings. Either way, this was not going to be as easy as she had thought.

Speeding and weaving through the second level of traffic, still with no swoop in sight. Okha’s frustration grew. She knew that hunting down a target was best done with with the jetpack alone.

Unlike the swoop, Okha believed Imperial speeders were more agile and better equipped to handle pursuits. Perhaps this particular speeder was not. The engine began to overheat. Caution lights and buzzing sounds began wailing on the dashboard. TIC-R5 joined in the noise with his own concerning beeps.

“I KNOW!” Okha yelled back.

Suddenly, something caught Okha’s tracking system’s attention.

She swerves the speeder bike hard right in the general direction with extreme yaw.

Suddenly, all the occupants on a large mass-transit vehicle braced themselves, gasped and screamed as the driver-droid evaded Okha’s speeder. As the large vehicle recovered from the near-miss, one of the occupants got on their communicator to contact a local imperial garrison.

Although relieved to still be in one piece, TIC expressed his disagreement on cutting off the mass-transit vehicle with a few chirps and a whistle. Under the black reflective visor of her mandalorian helmet Okha expressed a slight grin. She finally had a lock-on the target.

“THERE HE IS!”

TIC beeps once more with excitement.

Despite the overheat warnings, Okha revs the Speeder’s engine to the maximum. Using TIC-R5’s navigation and her helmet’s view screen, a course is plotted and there is no slowing down. Without warning, Okha maintains a firm grasp of the speeder’s handlebars, and begins to stand on her speeder’s seat.

Confused, TIC begins to beep and whirl in caution and disbelief.

“Don’t you worry. There is just no way I am letting this one get away.”

Keeping her balance, Okha ignites her jetpack.

“TIC, you got the bike”

Okha gives a full blast of her jetpack and hurtles over several speeders, and lands on a large transportation vehicle. Using her fibercord launcher, she uses her last grappling hook and takes aim at the swoop in the traffic level above.

She takes the shot. The hook makes contact with the swoop’s rear assembly as she leaps off and goes for the ride.

Suddenly, the swoop feels like it is dragging a dead weight, and begins to lose altitude. With a look of confusion and terror on his face, the bothan driver begins to look around.

Using all her strength and her jetpack boosting, Okha held on and began climbing up the fibercord. With a large boost of her jetpack, she began pulling on the swoop. Instantly,the swoop began to lose speed. The hairy bothan looked all around and finally spotted Okha - the source of his sudden drop in height and speed.

“NO!” He barks out loud as he pushes the throttle.

Okha continues to fire her jetpack. While keeping a firm grip of the fibercord with her right arm,  Okha grabs her modified WESTAR-34 blaster from her left holster and takes aim at the swoop’s engine intake.

Okha squeezes the trigger.

KDEW!

BAM!

Smoke, sparks and debris fill Okha’s field of vision. She lets go of the fibercord launcher and drifts away from the path of the falling swoop.

Okha follows the trail of smoke as the sounds of the sputtering swoop engine becomes a sort victory chant in and of itself.

In the distance, the roars of Imperial Tie-fighters can be heard on approach.

“Already?” Okha asks herself in confusion.

The swoop finally lands hard on the ground below. A large open area with a few pedestrians that scatter into nearby buildings.

TIC-R5 arrives on the scene with the speeder, circling the smoldering swoop. Suddenly, the bothan takes aim with his blaster and begins firing at the circling speeder. A blast finds its way to TIC-R5’s dome.

A loud screech and whir follow.

POOF!

CRACK!

A puff of smoke and sparks fly from TIC as he loses Control of the speeder. Spinning and whirling, eventually the speeder and TIC find themselves on their side grinding against the ground. Sparks and debris fly in all directions.

“NO!... TIC!!..” cries Okha as she hurries her descent upon the scene.

Dodging fire from the bothan target, she lands and takes cover behind a nearby stationed vehicle. Drawing her right blaster from her holster, she was about to spring into action when suddenly, her speeder engine catches fire.

“NO!... TIC hang in there!”

As the barrage of blaster fire continues in her direction, the sound of imperial tie-fighters closing in becomes difficult to ignore.