Imperial Disarray

[Madotsuki]

Continued from Dreams of Absolution

Unfortunately, once Madotsuki had shut the trapdoor behind her, she realized that the tunnel had absolutely nothing to slow her descent-- no ladders, no footholds. Instead, the underground route was fashioned like a slide, and a crude one at that. Tiny rocks knocked the dreamer about as she rode down the pitch-black tunnel on her back like she was an Olympic Luger. Those would be forming some nasty welts later. This continued for several minutes, and she was starting to worry about where this was going to lead her. What if she was going to the center of the Earth? Was this even Earth? Probably not, but the tension was there all the same.

Her eyes widened in alarm as a faint glow notified her that she was about to reach her destination. There was one problem: the light emanated from behind a rock that was wedged firmly into the wall. At the speed she was going, her entire lower-half would be crippled if she rammed into the exit. She tried to push her arms against the sides of the passage in an attempt to slow down, but there wasn't enough room for her to move. Gasping deeply, she tucked her head to her chest and braced for impact.

However, instead of bringing her to a complete stop, she continued along her course as the rock dislodged itself. She hung in the air for a moment before she landed on the pavement back-first (a thing she hoped wouldn't become commonplace). Her body ached all over, so she waited for a while and listened to the ambient noise. Horns blared in the distance, and faint saxophone music felt oddly placed. The sky was shrouded in darkness, but the streetlamps offered enough light for her to realize that this place was some sort of underground city.

Once her pain had subsided, she sat up and glanced around. The tunnel had dumped her in another alley, but this one wasn't so pristine; dull red bricks replaced sharp chrome, and the entire place smelled of sewage. Wrinkling her nose, she stood up and turned to the tunnel exit. She grabbed the rock, surprised at how light it was, and wedged it back into place. It blended impressively well with the wall, and Madotsuki thought that she might have a problem locating it again if she needed it. She probably wouldn't, though, since there didn't appear to be any way to return from this side.

Sighing, she turned and walked away like nothing even happened. Her eyes casually flickered around, trying to see if any cameras were tracking her. To her delight, there were none. As she walked down the street, her ears tried to hone in on the saxophone music that was playing nearby. Maybe she could get some information from the residents? Hopefully the Stormtroopers wouldn't interrupt her again. Next time, they'd get a lot more than a couple... whatever those crescents were, to the face. It was always a bad idea to mess with an irritated stranger. She had barely been here for an hour and she was already hiding from the enforcers. Way to make a first impression.