The Flame [3]

Chapter 15

Since that Poe kept bidding. It was moving fast just watching the imagecaster. Finn kept checking in on us every minute. Poe covers the mic and the holo flickers off.

"Fi-I mean, Kade. Go look around for other bidders. See if you can identify anyone that looks like they're spending a lot of credits," Poe tells Finn.

Finn looks at him.

"Just try," he shoos Finn away. "Go tell me what you see. Skylar will keep guard here."

As Finn walks away I walk up to the door. I watch the screen flicker back to life and Poe sigh. I watch Finn wonder around the room going to the buffet looking at everyone around him. Smart. I look back to Poe who is frantically trying to keep biding.

"We're going to blow through the credits at this rate, Skylar," Poe harshly whispers to me.

"We can't stop people from biding," I whisper back.

"I mean you could..." he trails off.

"I'm not going to murder innocent people," I say and see Finn walking back to us.

"Anything?" Poe and I ask in unison.

"They all look rich to me. Not that I can tell. But I saw Suralinda and Charth. They'll keep and eye out, too."

Poe nods and goes back to biding. I however look at the crowd.

"Dammit," I hear Poe mutter.

I turn back to Poe and see him throw it off the balcony, and it lets off a crackle of light.

"Did that just blow up?" I ask Poe.

"What happened?" Finn asks.

"We're out."

"What?" Finn and I ask.

"Too rich for us,"

"Kriff," I mutter.

"Already?" Finn asks.

Poe nods.

"So that's the whole mission? A bust. A waste of time?" Finn asks.

"No, like you said Finn, the future of the Resistance is in our hands. We can't give up now," I say.

I look around trying to find Nifera. I see stormtroopers flocking in through the entrance.

"Kriff," I mutter. "We need to find Charth and Suralinda," I tell them.

The party guests go silent, boots pounding on the marble floors, and a ghostly voice above them all.

"This is an illegal gathering," the First Order officer's voice booms. "Under the joint authority of CorSec and the First Order, all guests will be detained and questioned. If you are innocent you have nothing to fear. However, if you resist, you will be shot."

Hasadar steps forward. "Stop! This is a private residence! What is the meaning of this?"

The lead trooper lifts his blaster and shoots. A heavy thud against the floors echo around the room. Hasadar lays there with a hole in his forehead. I look around searching frantically for Nifera. A loud crash sound as a banquet table comes down. A blaster fires, and then the screaming that always follows.