Edge of the Empire: Book 02: Escape from Mos Shuuta

Chapter 7: Flattery

Air Traffic Control Center

The Spaceport control facility was a low squat building clinging to the edge of the Mos Shuuta bluff. The front entrance stood open, but a pair of armed security droids stand at attention. If the group has any hope of getting off of Tatooine, they'd need to disable the docking clamps holding the Krayt Fang in its landing bay, and they could only do that from inside the spaceport control center.

While Slick, Era, and Tersen monitored the security droids up front, Gare, Madlyn, and Jarek made their way around to a side entrance. The Mandalorian signaled for the Gank to stand watch while he and Madlyn infiltrated. The first room was a meeting area of sorts for the building executives. A large rectangular table surrounded by chairs occupied the center of the room, and there was only one other access.

After making sure the coast was clear, they stepped through the other doorway into a large chamber, crowded with computer equipment and centered on a large holo-display showing a plot of the local aerospace. Standing in front of the display with his arms clasped behind his back was a human male in a blue uniform. He appeared to be in charge and, as they watched, he spoke into a headset in a formal, commanding tone, "Imperial Shuttle Lambda-11283, this is overseer Brynn with spaceport control. You are cleared to land. Welcome to Mos Shuuta."

Two additional security droids stood near the doorway while half-a-dozen technicians of different species worked at consoles. Their attentions were focused on the floor-to-ceiling transparisteel windows against the far wall, where a large Imperial Shuttle was on approach for a landing.

"Oh, Stang!" Jarek thought in mild panic, "Imperials! This day just keeps getting better."

Optimistically he thought they may not have been there for them. Realistically he knew that the timing wasn't a coincidence. Teemo had to have called them in. He must've felt desperate enough to risk Imperial entanglement. Mos Shuuta didn't have an Imperial presence, nor had it ever needed one being such a small backwater spaceport on an equally backwater planet.

The situation was about to go from bad to worse if they didn't hurry.

At a signal from Madlyn, Jarek angled away towards an unoccupied computer panel. Making sure he wasn't drawing too much attention he inserted a data spike, courtesy of Tersen, into the terminal and then set about scrolling through the data. Hopefully to any casual observer he'd look just like any other bystander checking on a flight itinerary. Madlyn's part in this operation was going to be a lot more interesting.

"Hello Overseer Brynn," Madlyn greeted with a charming smile as she practically sashayed up to the lead officer, "It's nice to finally meet you in person."

Brynn turned arching an annoyed eyebrow at her but otherwise remained stoic. "Captain...Madlyn Kallos is it. Finally, a face to put to that annoying mouth."

"Awww you remember me?" the Alderanni asked cheerfully.

"Hard to forget such an irritating, cocksure, and headstrong attitude," he snapped back. The two had a history of sorts. Being the towns head air traffic controller, Brynn oversaw the flight plans of every ship flying in and out of Mos Shuuta airspace. He was a man of order and precision as indicated by his clean crisp uniform and the efficiency by which he ran his facility. So naturally every time he comm'd Madlyn on one of her runs she constantly bantered with him or ignored him entirely.

"Flattery will get you far in my book," Madlyn responded raising her own eyebrow. Jarek rolled his eyes but continued focusing on the screen working through the command codes. What he wouldn't give for an astromech droid right then.

"Not in mine it won't," Brynn remarked sharply, hands tightening behind his back.

"Mmmm," Madlyn hummed pleasantly, "Such a strong commanding voice if I ever heard one. You must be a good public speaker." Was it Jarek's imagination or did the overseer just blush a little? Slick would be spitting mad if he saw is girlfriend "negotiating" with the overseer.