Nico's Gambit

The Slicer

"I've been monitoring you on the security network," the green-skinned girl said. "You wouldn't be breaking in here if you didn't have a reason. I'm hoping I can exchange my freedom for that reason."

"Guess we found the slicer," Corso said. "Why does this room look like a prison?"

"Because it is, obviously," Kixi said, with a frustrated sigh. "Whatever issues you have with the Guild, I want you to know I'm on your side. I've been here for two years, slaving for the Guild. I am really ready to not be here anymore."

"Fair enough," Odette said. "I wasn't here to blast you. I need your help and I'm willing to exchange help for help."

"What do you need?"

"Put me on Skavak's tail and I'll free you."

Kixi laughed humorlessly. "Finding Skavak is easy—just follow the slime trail. I knew that Corellian pig-lizard would tick off the wrong person one day. Seeing you, it's no wonder he was in a hurry. He paid the Guild to clean his identity record. They made me slice into the Republic main database and delete all his arrest records."

Odette smirked. "Knowing Skavak, it took you forever to delete them all."

"I mean, yeah," Kixi said. "It was like he was trying to get some sort of record for the biggest criminal of all time."

"Is there any way you could track where he's going on the planet?" Corso asked.

"They only allowed me access to his criminal records on his identity record so that's all I know about him."

Odette frowned. She paced back and forth in front of the curved terminal. "There's got to be a way to flush him out of hiding--some way that will really make the bastard suffer."

"I don't know about suffering, but I might be able to put him on the defensive," Kixi said. "If I put back even half his record the way I found it then he won't be able to go ten meters without alarms going off."

"Really?" Odette asked, with an evil Cheshire grin. "And I suppose it would be easy enough to pick him up from whatever prison he ends up at. Yeah, let's do that. Let's make his record dirtier than a sewer on Hutta."

"So basically, back to the way I found it," Kixi said, smiling. "Easy enough, since I saved all the data I deleted, just in case it might be useful. All I have to do is plug it back in. Then he'll get picked up at the next security checkpoint. So do we have a deal? I put all the information back as it was, and you let me go."

"Agreed. Is there anything else you can do to his record as you're inputting it back?"

"Like what?"

"Make it so no woman in the galaxy will touch him," Odette said.

Kixi smirked. "Maybe add a little extra about the plague, or, hah! I know. I'll make mention that he was recently diagnosed with Bothan Nether Rot." Her fingers flew over her terminal. "Done. Can I go now?"

"Yes, and hurry up. I'm sure the Guild will have noticed some of theirs haven't check in recently."

The girl ran out of the room. She turned just as she did and said. "Thanks! You guys are my hero!"

*~*~*~*~*

Darmas lounged on his couch with a flute of pink bubbly in his hand. His arm lay along the back near to where Odette sat holding a similar glass, legs crossed on the couch next to him.

"An informant saw you make it into the Migrant Merchants Guild," he said. "Kixi was useful, yes?"

Odette smiled at Darmas. "It was beautiful to behold. Kid did quite a number on Skavak's record."