04-27-2018, 07:36 PM
It had been awhile since Lord Zedd graced tier four with his presence. If he’d had a say in the matter then he wouldn’t have, but this was where the stolen vehicle had ended up being tracked to. It certainly would stand out on this level of of the Imperial verse, which would make his visit to this increasingly decrepit layer of the Emperor’s grasp wondrously short.
But alas, he was here, so he would make the most of it. This was made evident when the doors to the small, out of the way chop shop burst from their hinges, revealing the deposed dark lord in plain view for the mechanics to see. The men working on the various vehicles scrambled and drew their weapons, though Zedd didn’t take this as any sort of confirmation he was in the correct place. A combination of this tier and his own entrance led him to believe this reaction would be the norm, not the exception. Still, he decided it best to offer a fleeting chance at surrender, if only out of lazy desire to be done with this task instead of any inclination for mercy.
“Bottom feeders of Coruscant, I have come for the stolen Imperial ve-”
Gunfire erupted in his direction, tearing into his flesh to no avail. Finally, some weapons that appropriately matched to his immense strength. Still, he found himself annoyed at the results of this attempt to bargain. It wasn’t like he had to choose between the easy way or the hard way, more like the easy way and the inefficient way. Such was life.
“Apparently I must slaughter you all, then!” Zedd frustratedly bellowed over the loud, echoing gunfire that filled the shop’s uninsulated walls as he stood unharmed by the assault.
He raised his staff and unleashed a bolt of lightning into the nearest chest cavity to him, detonating it into the appropriate amount of visceral matter. The sight of their comrade’s death in such an extravagant manner was thankfully enough to scare off the ones only trying to collect a paycheck. The room quickly emptied of criminals via its other exits, though two remained to continue firing their ballistic weaponry at Zedd. Perhaps it was loyalty to the organization, or even to the slain man, but it made no difference to the Imperial prime. Zedd stomped heavily into the hail of gunfire and towards the nearest man, raising his staff long enough to shoot another lightning bolt into the other. When he closed the gap enough, the final mechanic was beginning to cower backwards, but it was too late to save himself from being impaled on the bladed end of Zedd’s staff.
Agent Tate Schell entered the building from the same entrance Zedd had used while the prime removed his weapon from the dead secondary. Zedd glanced over as Schell began to walk down the lines of cars and scanned each one. He didn’t even know his handler had followed him, not that it particularly mattered to him. If he had, he might have given one of the gangsters the opportunity to hide and ambush the insufferable agent. Maybe he would still be so lucky.
Zedd approached as Schell stopped before a half dismantled hovercar of some sort. It looked like one that the upper class of tiers one and two utilized to show off their vast fortunes.
“You didn’t think I’d be along with you, did you?” Agent Schell chuckled as he felt around for the trunk release.
“I did not,” Zedd bluntly admitted.
“I’m quite skilled at stealth and subterfuge,” Schell stated, looking briefly to Zedd. “You would do well to remember that.”
“This is the face I make when you fail to impress me,” Zedd announced through his rigid mask.
Schell emitted a gruff scoff before opening the trunk. It was completely empty, as he feared upon seeing the state of the car. He clenched his fists in deep frustration for a moment while weighing his options. He needed this to go well, and the situation was certainly spiraling away from him.
“Apparently promptness alludes you,” Zedd couldn’t resist mocking his handler.
Tate turned to him with an angry scowl, having little patience for Zedd’s attitude by now. “This concerns you too, Zedd.”
“It most certainly does not,” Zedd instantly retorted.
“We have to find the contents of the vehicle, or there could be serious repercussions,” Schell snapped at his prime. “This place is affiliated with a gang that operates on tier six, its good money that once they discovered what they had it was shipped down there.”
“And what exactly do they have?” Zedd demanded.
“It’s a briefcase,” Schell curtly answered.
“And if I find it empty, what do I look for at the next destination?” Zedd’s frustration was beginning to build too.
“You won’t have to worry about that, because I’ll be shadowing you every step of the way,” Schell taunted, taking a little bit of control back in this exchange.
Wondrously to Lord Zedd, there was the sound of shouting outside. The fleeing felons had returned with friends, which was actually exactly what he needed to get his leverage back.
“No, you will not,” Zedd boldly declared. “Tell me now.”
“They’re back, Zedd,” Schell said as he drew his pistol. “We’ll fight our way out, and then head down to the lower tier.”
“No, Schell, I fought my way in, but you will fight your way out,” Zedd retorted. “I will walk out, unharmed by their weapons and without impeding them. They will storm in here and you will be unable to stalk me. Tell me now what I seek, or risk it being lost forever.”
Schell’s eyes widened at the audacity of such a plan. “You wouldn’t dare!”
A burst of machine gun fire tore into the building, causing Schell to dive for cover but Zedd to remain motionless. The bullets struck Zedd’s exposed muscle layers, but did not phase him in the slightest.
“Goddammit, Zedd!” Schell screamed as the dark lord did nothing to slow the progress of the incoming goons. He was forced to return fire from his cover on his own, while Zedd stood passively to the side. “It’s a case of green vials labeled ‘Hell Strain!’ There are six vials, with green liquid. Each one needs to be accounted for.”
“Very well, good luck,” Zedd calmly said.
Without any hesitation, Zedd turned and walked into the incoming gunfire and the gangsters moving semi-tactically through the building. He brought no harm to any of them, except for one that he had to shove out of the doorway so he could exit. Agent Schell used the confusion to mount his own offensive with only his pistol, so that he too could escape, but he was already left behind. By the time he was done here catching up with Zedd would be no easy task.
But alas, he was here, so he would make the most of it. This was made evident when the doors to the small, out of the way chop shop burst from their hinges, revealing the deposed dark lord in plain view for the mechanics to see. The men working on the various vehicles scrambled and drew their weapons, though Zedd didn’t take this as any sort of confirmation he was in the correct place. A combination of this tier and his own entrance led him to believe this reaction would be the norm, not the exception. Still, he decided it best to offer a fleeting chance at surrender, if only out of lazy desire to be done with this task instead of any inclination for mercy.
“Bottom feeders of Coruscant, I have come for the stolen Imperial ve-”
Gunfire erupted in his direction, tearing into his flesh to no avail. Finally, some weapons that appropriately matched to his immense strength. Still, he found himself annoyed at the results of this attempt to bargain. It wasn’t like he had to choose between the easy way or the hard way, more like the easy way and the inefficient way. Such was life.
“Apparently I must slaughter you all, then!” Zedd frustratedly bellowed over the loud, echoing gunfire that filled the shop’s uninsulated walls as he stood unharmed by the assault.
He raised his staff and unleashed a bolt of lightning into the nearest chest cavity to him, detonating it into the appropriate amount of visceral matter. The sight of their comrade’s death in such an extravagant manner was thankfully enough to scare off the ones only trying to collect a paycheck. The room quickly emptied of criminals via its other exits, though two remained to continue firing their ballistic weaponry at Zedd. Perhaps it was loyalty to the organization, or even to the slain man, but it made no difference to the Imperial prime. Zedd stomped heavily into the hail of gunfire and towards the nearest man, raising his staff long enough to shoot another lightning bolt into the other. When he closed the gap enough, the final mechanic was beginning to cower backwards, but it was too late to save himself from being impaled on the bladed end of Zedd’s staff.
Agent Tate Schell entered the building from the same entrance Zedd had used while the prime removed his weapon from the dead secondary. Zedd glanced over as Schell began to walk down the lines of cars and scanned each one. He didn’t even know his handler had followed him, not that it particularly mattered to him. If he had, he might have given one of the gangsters the opportunity to hide and ambush the insufferable agent. Maybe he would still be so lucky.
Zedd approached as Schell stopped before a half dismantled hovercar of some sort. It looked like one that the upper class of tiers one and two utilized to show off their vast fortunes.
“You didn’t think I’d be along with you, did you?” Agent Schell chuckled as he felt around for the trunk release.
“I did not,” Zedd bluntly admitted.
“I’m quite skilled at stealth and subterfuge,” Schell stated, looking briefly to Zedd. “You would do well to remember that.”
“This is the face I make when you fail to impress me,” Zedd announced through his rigid mask.
Schell emitted a gruff scoff before opening the trunk. It was completely empty, as he feared upon seeing the state of the car. He clenched his fists in deep frustration for a moment while weighing his options. He needed this to go well, and the situation was certainly spiraling away from him.
“Apparently promptness alludes you,” Zedd couldn’t resist mocking his handler.
Tate turned to him with an angry scowl, having little patience for Zedd’s attitude by now. “This concerns you too, Zedd.”
“It most certainly does not,” Zedd instantly retorted.
“We have to find the contents of the vehicle, or there could be serious repercussions,” Schell snapped at his prime. “This place is affiliated with a gang that operates on tier six, its good money that once they discovered what they had it was shipped down there.”
“And what exactly do they have?” Zedd demanded.
“It’s a briefcase,” Schell curtly answered.
“And if I find it empty, what do I look for at the next destination?” Zedd’s frustration was beginning to build too.
“You won’t have to worry about that, because I’ll be shadowing you every step of the way,” Schell taunted, taking a little bit of control back in this exchange.
Wondrously to Lord Zedd, there was the sound of shouting outside. The fleeing felons had returned with friends, which was actually exactly what he needed to get his leverage back.
“No, you will not,” Zedd boldly declared. “Tell me now.”
“They’re back, Zedd,” Schell said as he drew his pistol. “We’ll fight our way out, and then head down to the lower tier.”
“No, Schell, I fought my way in, but you will fight your way out,” Zedd retorted. “I will walk out, unharmed by their weapons and without impeding them. They will storm in here and you will be unable to stalk me. Tell me now what I seek, or risk it being lost forever.”
Schell’s eyes widened at the audacity of such a plan. “You wouldn’t dare!”
A burst of machine gun fire tore into the building, causing Schell to dive for cover but Zedd to remain motionless. The bullets struck Zedd’s exposed muscle layers, but did not phase him in the slightest.
“Goddammit, Zedd!” Schell screamed as the dark lord did nothing to slow the progress of the incoming goons. He was forced to return fire from his cover on his own, while Zedd stood passively to the side. “It’s a case of green vials labeled ‘Hell Strain!’ There are six vials, with green liquid. Each one needs to be accounted for.”
“Very well, good luck,” Zedd calmly said.
Without any hesitation, Zedd turned and walked into the incoming gunfire and the gangsters moving semi-tactically through the building. He brought no harm to any of them, except for one that he had to shove out of the doorway so he could exit. Agent Schell used the confusion to mount his own offensive with only his pistol, so that he too could escape, but he was already left behind. By the time he was done here catching up with Zedd would be no easy task.
![[Image: zedd2018.png]](http://epiqz.com/mysigs/zedd2018.png)