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Post by Darko on Sept 3, 2022 12:28:13 GMT
After acquiring various upgrades to their person-destroyers and only vaguely increasing their comprehension of basic economics, Roger2 and Ego made their way back to where Zira was idly leaning against a cantina's wall. A severely inebriated Aqualish grunted with agitation, apparently displeased at his attempt to flirt with the young corellian pilot not going as well as he would've liked.
"Excuse me, madam Zira, is this smelly one bothering you - and is this an appropriate moment to mention my flamethrower or not?" Ego inquired, hesitant to take action after the incident with the Twi'lek's bouncer.
The Aqualish spun on the spot, growling gutterally in surprise at the arrival of a battle droid and small creature he thought looked quite delicious indeed.
"I really wouldn't," murmured Zira, with a smirk. The Aqualish did not seem to realise his mortal peril. He was poised to grasp Ego with a look of ravenous desire written across his face when the much taller battle droid stepped between them. The Aqualish stopped in his tracks and slowly panned his head upwards.
"Suggestion: it would advisable to return to your designated domicile and perform a diagnostic on the behavioural subroutines causing the illogical course of action you are pursuing during your limited biological existence."
With a frantic glance from the droid to Zira and back again, the Aqualish growled dejectedly and stomped away in frustration.
"Took you long enough," said Zira. "Didn't burn anyone else to death in the streets this time?"
"I did not, madam Zira, although several natives seemed determined to make me reconsider on more than one occasion," sighed Ego. "This is a very strange place indeed."
"Well, that's progress I suppose," she replied incredulously. If Jirano had told her this time last week that she'd be councelling an ewok with a pyromaniac streak a parsec wide on how to make friends, she would've sooner jumped out an airlock for fresh air than take that bet.
"Observation: illumination is decreasing rapidly which reduces combat efficiency of biologicals through fatigue and impaired accuracy. I believe we should proceed quickly with our objective."
Zira yawned. "You can say that again. Let's get a move o--"
"Observation: illumination is decreasing rapidly which reduces combat efficiency of biologicals through fatigue and impaired accuracy. I believe we should proceed quickly with our objective."
She rolled her eyes so hard she thought they'd fall out of her ears. "I didn't mean-- that's just a human expression for-- oh, you know what, nevermind. Let's just go."
"You are both quite amateurish in the art of conversation," said Ego. "Perhaps I could give you both lessons in etiquette and social decorum when we return to the ship?"
Zira stared into the distance for several seconds as she attempted to process Ego's words without screaming. Instead, she shut her eyes, took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. Without another word she set off with a quick pace in the direction of the meeting place the swoop bikers had mentioned for 'the doc'. Ego and Roger2 exchanged a brief glance and then followed.
Half an hour later, as the city erupted into the cacophony of its salacious night life in full swing, the trio rounded a corner to reach the address they'd been given. As if the night couldn't get any stranger, they found Karl loitering outside the exact same building - some form of deli-cantina hybrid. He was taking a swig of some kind of brandy but quickly stowed it away when he saw them approach.
"Small moon, huh," commented Zira, eyes narrowed with slight suspicion but mostly in sheer bewilderment.
"You know Vic?" He answered, equally confused and suspicious.
"The doc...?" She replied, as confidently as she could despite her uncertainty.
"Yeah... the doc," said Karl, tilting his head slightly as he tried to figure out what the rebel-lover, the clanker and the fuzzball were doing here. "She's running late. Frakking Hutt arena business or something."
He paused for a moment. If he knew Victoria, which unfortunately he did, it might not hurt to have some backup. One thing he knew for certain, this night was going to get a lot more... interesting.
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Post by halonachos on Sept 7, 2022 1:12:39 GMT
Enough funds to procure an implement of war for the both himself and the spurious droid. Almost as if Zira had a plan for the both of them, she may be acting out of kindness, but from earlier conversations it seemed as if there could be something else under the surface of that facade of charity. After all, why would she choose to help upgrade the weapons of two who had been fighting each other? It wouldn't make sense to have two parties become better equipped for fighting if she wanted to foster peace between them.
"Sir Roger2" Ego kept his pace to the shop, "Do you feel that Madame Zira may have an alternate agenda by giving us these credits?"
"Inquiry received," Roger2 droned, "but I am having difficulty processing your question."
"Well, a person gives money to another person in order to receive something, correct?"
"That is true." Roger2 stated.
"We didn't do anything, so obviously that means she wants us to do something for her." Ego continued to muse.
"Not completely illogical."
The droid's monotonous voice was a bit annoying but at the same time it seemed as if Sir Roger2 was not the worst conversation partner.
"We also fought on the ship, and she gave us credits so we could buy weapons." Ego stopped for a second to emphasize his point. "I do believe, Sir Roger2, that Madame Zira has it in mind to have us try to kill each other for her entertainment."
Roger2 stopped and stared at the small bear. "Your conclusion is not 100% illogical but there is a 70% probability that Zira is upgrading our weapons to improve her odds of survival in a hostile environment."
"Oh." Ego pondered, chin on fist. "I had not quite thought of that. It would make sense that Madame Zira is afraid of this planet as they mounted the head of one of her tribe as an ornament."
"Delaying our travel inhibits our odds of reaching our destination on time." Roger2 began walking to the shop again, Ego following close behind before catching up.
The shop quickly came into view as the pair allowed themselves in. The same man from before greeted them in just as fakely sweet a tone before.
"Ah well if it isn't you two. I don't suppose that you have actual credits this time?"
"A multitude of credits good Sir..." Ego began to bow.
"Just call me 'Friend'." He cut off the unnecessarily long platitudes.
"Ah." Ego stood upright, "Sir Friend, I have the credits needed to procure the adjustable focus for my flamethrower. I do hope that it fits perfectly well."
"It shall indeed, I can get it fitted perfectly to your weapon." The salesman replied "Just set your credits and the weapon on the counter and we'll take a look."
"Certainly good sir." Ego placed the weapon on counter and stepped back as the man scoured the weapon.
"This shan't take..." the man paused "is this glue?"
Ego nodded "Yes, it was Madame Savra's favored adhesive of choice."
"For safety valves?" He asked snidely.
"No, for paper and glitter." Ego looked dumbfounded "why would the tribe's Elder let a 10 year old have a flamethrower?"
"Why do..." he began, "I'm going to do everyone on this planet a favor and patch some things up for free. By my uncle's head, this stick on the tank is wet."
"Yes, it does leak from there so I have to replace it often." Ego beemed.
"You used a sticker to cover a leaking fuel tank?"
"About 14 sticker actually, Sir Friend." Ego corrected him.
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The upgraded flamethrower looked even better than it did before, after some additional time the kind Sir Friend had even deemed the weapon "Not an absolute death trap". The pair happily rendevouzed with Madame Zira and went on their way to meet the doctor. By another happy turn events they ran into another one of their comrades who knew the good doctor!
"Ah. Sir Karl," Ego stated after Madame Zira had questioned him "this doctor is a friend of yours? Are they like your shiny friend from Sir Gordulla's, or are they not keen on desecrating corpses?"
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Post by Warork on Sept 7, 2022 5:02:34 GMT
For a few minutes there in that alley Jirano feared his initial attempts to teach his assumed pupil anything about how to understand the Force had been an utter failure.
"Almost!" He called down to Shakka as he watched one of her awkward attempts to replicate what she had seen him do. Thankfully, the height of the jumps was not altogether too high for her to be hurt even when she failed to reach the landing. "You've almost got it! Focus and remember to breathe. It responds more to how you feel rather than how you think. Emotion, yet peace. Passion, yet serenity."
She didn't respond much to his encouragements other than giving him a curt nod and making another attempt. One of Jirano's hands gripped at the side of one of the roof's buttresses and he could feel his nails biting into the stonework. What was he blathering about, anyway? Why couldn't he think of anything better to suggest? Was he really only capable of shouting his code's old mantras down at a potential student?
The doubt ate at him, feeding off of a lifetime of quiet desperation. He paced back and forth watching, waiting, willing her to succeed in his mind. He didn't know what this strange feeling of urgency was or where it had come from but it animated him now. Had he failed already? Had he set his expectations too high? Had he chosen poorly? Had he made a mistake in that dive bar? Was this really the will of the Force or just the mere folly of a broken man with a head full of clouded memories of a time long passed?
Was he doing the right thing? And even if he was...was he the right one to do it?
"You will find it the easiest to feel when you find your center." He continued, having no idea if what he was saying was helping or not. At this point he was just repeating half remembered instructions from his old master. Were they for her benefit or for his? Jirano realized, with no small amount of growing alarm, that he'd agreed to teach this complete stranger despite having still been a learner himself when the Order fell.
This could only go poorly...He watched Shakka take a few steps back across the side street and prepare for another attempt at the ascent.
"Clarity." He intoned. "With our eyes we see the obstacles in our path but in the Force all paths are clear. With it as your ally what stands in the way--"
She bolted forwards and Jirano sensed something new, ignoring for the moment that she had chosen to make her attempt while he was speaking. He watched her leap from one surface to another and even turn what he momentarily thought was an over-correction into and aerial pirouette around a flag pole. As she turned that move into the last leg of her ascent he found himself clenching a fist in triumph. He was certain that had all been her instincts, just like he had advised.
"--becomes the way." He finished with a nod as she landed with a lithe grace next to him.
She smiled at him and he smiled back. The genuine pride she felt at having proved herself was infectious and radiated off Shakka like the inviting warmth of a space heater on a cold morning.
The moment did not last. The next words to come out of her mouth threatened to topple Jirano off the perch he'd allowed himself to rise to.
"Teacher..."
Teacher. Master. That was him now. The day that he had dreamed of as a young padawan when his own master had looked at him and said 'one day Jirano you will be a great and wise master of our order' had come. Somehow, some way, despite the death, despite the horror, despite it all...it had come all the same.
Jirano spun on his heel, quickly showing his back to Shakka. He could feel the tingle in his eyes as moisture gathered there and it simply would not do to let that be seen, quiet as it was. Though in the back of his mind he doubted he could hide all his conflicting feelings from her...she'd already proven to be quite adept at using the Force to feel the emotions of others after all. He cleared his throat, locking his hands together behind his back like Oryon used to when he'd pace studiously during one of his old lessons.
"Very good my...student?" He tilted his head. "No. Nope. That's gonna sound weird for a while. Unfortunate but necessary, these things will take time."
He turned back around to face her, the moment passed and having composed himself once more. "You've taken your first step into a larger world, you should be proud of that."
Another crouch and another leap, this time sending him into a single arcing backflip that placed him on the roof the building next to the one they had both made it to the top of just a moment before, another story higher.
"Lets see if you can take a few more steps!" He called down, shooting Shakka the same mischievous smirk that she had given him.
The two of them probably looked like maniacs, Jirano surmised as he leapt off the gently sloping ramp of a shed's thin metal roof and down onto the narrow breadth of a stone archway that connected two sides of a street. Two dark figures climbing and leaping their way over the habs and skyslums of the night time Vorgano district as if they were Skazzo beasts trying to flee from a predator in some dark jungle. They must have looked ridiculous if anyone on the streets below decided to look up into the skyline for whatever reason.
Still...it was either this or the sewers he supposed. And as someone who had hid in sewers on plenty of occasions to evade the local imperial scout patrol, Jirano was none too keen on repeating the experience when he didn't have to. He somehow got the idea without even knowing her that well that Shakka probably felt the same.
At some point in his crawling, leaping, spiraling sprint over the uneven and unsteady surfaces of the Nar Shaddaa cityscape he made it to a rooftop that overlooked a thoroughfare a couple of blocks away where the lights of the city's nightlife were beginning to truly awaken. The sounds of raucous crowds filled his ears. He looked down to see them all; hundreds, thousands of sentient beings clothed in every color imaginable (and some that were probably only visible to those who could see into the infrared spectrum), a sea of the large and the small, the wacky, the wonderful, the desperate, the depraved, and the predatory all gathered in this strange and smoggy ecosystem that represented what many urban sprawls across the galaxy were like.
Jirano must have been standing there for a while, the distant neon lights casting part of his face in shadow, as soon he felt and then shortly thereafter heard the presence of Shakka finally making her ascent to the same platform he stood upon. He waited for her to get closer before speaking, still focused on the crowd, misty eyed in the dim light which his big dark eyes, evolved for the purposes of allowing his kind to see in deep underwater environments could easily pierce.
"I have no way of knowing what stories you may have already heard about my order but considering you no doubt grew up under the gaze of the Empire I'm sure I can take a guess," he began softly. "Dangerous traitors and murderers we were called. A cult of mystics who harnessed fantastic powers that made us a terror and a blight on the galaxy."
Jirano chuckled and shook his head.
"Now with the Empire gone it almost seems childish. The stuff of playground rumors instead of...things millions actually believed." The ghost of a smile that had momentarily played on his lips quickly faded. "But they had an entire generation to use those stories to destroy us. Hell, the Empire was born with the blood of the Jedi on its hands."
Jirano gestured to the crowds beneath them with an outstretched hand. "It was said that our order protected the people of the galaxy and the Republic they were a part of for a thousand generations before the Emperor's rise. Now, even after his fall, the damage is done. There just aren't that many of us left in the galaxy."
He turned to face Shakka. Gone was the light of mischief, joy, and heady, happy confusion he had felt earlier. Now it was only a distant pain and a melancholy that conspired to make his voice sound older than it was.
"I'm sorry. I don't tell you these things to try to frighten you. But you must know that by asking me to teach you that you risk becoming involved in a conflict far older than any living being in the galaxy." He looked for her eyes and found them eventually. If there was any message that needed to reach her tonight, it was this one.
"The Force is your birthright," he said adamantly. "If you wish it then it would be my honor to tutor you in what I know of its mysteries. But you must understand...this is not an easy life. Were it just a decade ago I would even call it nearly impossible." A note of weariness entered his voice, "The Empire may be gone but the darkness that the Emperor wrought into the galaxy to extinguish and corrupt our kind lingers to this day. You must decide for yourself whether you can accept the trials and tribulations that you may face after this moment if I am to teach you."
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Dewin
Overlord
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Post by Dewin on Sept 7, 2022 17:59:37 GMT
"Friend? Yeah, something to that effect" Karl decidedly didn't comment on rest of the Ewok's snipe. Figures that he would end up with the sassiest damn creature in this side of galaxy. Taking final puff of his cigarette, he spat it out and stomped it out before placing his mask back on.
"Look, this is going to be awkward either way so we might as well be somewhere that isn't raining" Karl stated in fatigued voice. In the distance he could hear rapid blasterfire still raging on. "Victoria is going to be late either way"
Shuffling his duffel bag from it's place the floor, he could still see the faded corporate logo of Kuat Engineering at it's side. Figures that the damn Zabrak would have branded bags in her storage. Still, he did get what he wanted, even if he was pretty sure he got ripped off somehow in the progress.
Feeling the weight of the industrial chop saw in the bag, he swiftly picked up the bag and gestured to others to follow. Opening the door, he was clad that his decision to essentially live in gasmask as the excessive flavour of spices and other smells flowed even through his mask.
'Ah, so that's why she told me not to order any meat dishes here' He thought to himself as he made his way to a large enough table for his makeshift group.
"I'm technically part of the fixer's group, so you three should sit on your own side while we wait" Sitting down at wall side of a three by three booth, he said to rest of the group as he dumped his bag on the couch, the machinery inside clanking as it did.
Picking up the booth's datapad, he made quick order for another pint. Might as well get more fuel in the tank if he had to stay here. Picking up a screwdriver from his belt, he turned his attention at adjusting his new wrist mount in his left arm. Figuring out the proper cabling for the CryoBan emitter would require taking off his armour, something that would be death sentence here. Still, something to do in the future, he thought to himself as he acknowledged message from Victoria.
-----------------------------------
"He'll live" Victoria said in detached tone as the human on the table struggled in his restraints. Some people really do have poor self-control, she thought to herself as she ran her saw through sterilization beam. It was only a single leg after all.
"Pff, fine" Grumbled the brass voice behind her. It's owner, rather large Jablogian walked up from his desk and stared at the human, who had gone very quiet at the slaver's presence. He had placed fair deal of credits at training this batch of gladiators and him almost losing his investments in basic melee had been disappointing to say the least. If they at least had the decency to die in suitably gory way, he could have made up some of the loss back via holovid sales.
No wonder the Jablogian had placed priority request at such short notice, she thought to herself as she sheathed her tools. Still, only three dead out of ten was a good day in colosseum.
"Good enough work, your payment as agreed" the slaver stated as the large alien passed the agreed payment. Medical drugs to replace those used and 500 credits.
"Happy to do business" She blankly said and headed out as she distantly hear the noise of neuronic whip activating as the door closed behind her. Poor buggers, you really should have died on the sands.
Sending message to Karl via commlink, she navigated the corridors below to colosseum with practiced ease, having worked too many hours in the bloodpits.
Hopefully this would be the last time.
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Post by halonachos on Sept 8, 2022 23:56:56 GMT
Sir Karl had definitely been vague in his answer. It wasn't very reassuring and Ego was certain that the man was part of a tribe of body defilers. A most troublesome realization indeed, as one was often thought of as being cut from the same cloth as their compatriots. Ego was no body defiler, far from it. Yet they had been led to a booth where Sir Karl sat opposite them, stating that he was part of the 'Fixers'group.
"Shouldn't Madame Zira sit on your side as well then?" Ego asked the man as he ordered from the datapad, "After all she is a fixer."
"Oh, and how do you know that?" Karl said half dully as he finished ordering.
"She fixed 4 jetbikes, that makes her a fixer." Ego crossed his arms, "If anything, you are part of a Broker's tribe. You and your shiny friend broke the head off of that body and broke into our meeting with Sir Gordulla."
Karl seemed to take note of the comment, but didn't seem to put much consideration to it.
"We should have been back on the ship with a new hyperdrive, finishing up our task, and then moving on from this loud and dirty place." Ego looked at the table itself. "Not even the table itself has any sort of refinement in it. This entire place reeks of bad hygiene and lack of decorum."
"Well when we make this deal then we'll get the hyperdrive and then we can leave." Zira said, also looking at the datapad, "Until then we should maybe not insult everyone around us."
"The flamethrower is an area of effect weapon, Madame Zira." Ego nodded, "Sir Friend told me that, he also said I could turn it in, he offered a similar weapon that shot chemicals instead of flames and said they were both area of effect weapons. He said the chemical weapon would turn people into a puddle of goo, most unrefined if you ask me."
"Well I guess I'm glad you didn't get a chem launcher?" Zira said slightly worriedly.
"But I think flamethrowers work well enough, especially against very uncouth individuals." Ego said, turning his attention to Sir Karl, "Speaking of individuals, you didn't quite answer my question in regards to your friend."
"On purpose." Karl said sternly as the pint was placed in front of him. "You can talk to Vic yourself when she gets here, for now you can stop making a scene."
"Sir Karl, I humbly apologize for stepping into your skill set." Ego slightly bowed his head from his seat in the booth and motioned apologetically with his hand.
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Dewin
Overlord
Posts: 776
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Post by Dewin on Sept 12, 2022 17:52:54 GMT
"Yeah, yeah, it's fine" Karl waved off the overdramatic Ewok. Setting aside the worrying implications that Ego had somehow modified his weapon with chemicals, Karl unhooked his lower mask and took a swig of his pint. Over the years he had drank plenty of cheap booze of questionable quality and whatever thing that this was, was certainly questionable.
Keeping himself from retching, he took a another look at his commlink messages before chugging the rest. Still work to do today. "Right then"
"Based on what I got from Victoria, you are here to sell our weapon cargo. That does simplify matters as, well I mainly will need to buy equipment from our contract as well, and us being both the seller and buyer gives the Rat unnecessary amount of pull that they don't need."
"Which is why we are going as two different parties. You as cargo ship crew selling cargo and me as bounty hunter restocking" Pulling out a new smoke, Karl lit it up and took a puff. "That way they can't fleece the prices too much"
"How is the cargo doing anyway? Bloody Mando marched me off at gunpoint in middle of inventory half day ago"
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Post by Warork on Sept 15, 2022 5:04:45 GMT
Zira narrowed her eyes at the older man sitting across the table from her at the mention of the Mandalorian he had showed up at Gordulla's penthouse with. She couldn't detect a lie in Karl's demeanor or the inflection of his words but she suspected one nonetheless. Was she just supposed to believe that the bounty hunter had been tracking the late captain by himself? That he'd just walked up to their ship and demanded the body in a bout of serendipity which Karl had agreed to and somewhere in that mix of events the two of them had laid that pathetic excuse for a hanger monger out on his ass?
She hesitated and considered for a moment that it might not be the most farfetched thing she'd ever heard of happening in the galaxy. At the very least there wasn't any immediate or obviously solid proof that Karl had been in league with the Mandalorian before they landed in Zimbar's hangar...
But seriously, first he shows up with this Mandalorian character with the head of a comrade and now he knows some random street medic that just so happens to have connections to an arms dealer on the planet they just so happened to have been stranded on? There were a lot of coincidences going on here that she didn't like.
"It was still there when we went to get those holo tapes to try to suck up to the slug." Zira said ruefully and leaned back in her seat, her arms crossed.
"Ah, yes. The Saga of Captain Photon Lightspeed!" Ego chirped from his seat with a cheerfulness that none of the others at the table felt. "Quite the rousing bit of adventure! I really enjoyed how the Captain was able to embody the rustic honor of a simple journeyman but I never quite understood why he was always surrounded by the most strangely proportioned female characters and--"
"I was there, Ego." Zira said flatly, cutting him off. "I don't need a play by play."
"Be that as it may," Karl said after expelling a puff of foul smelling smoke from his lips. "You're telling me you didn't leave anyone with the cargo or the ship after you found the hanger master laid out? Not the Twi? Not Albedan? Not Captain gill head?"
"Listen here you half-droid set of furnace lungs," Zira snapped suddenly, pointing a finger directly at Karl with her lips pulled back in a half snarl. "He has a name and either you use it or I swear I'll shove a magnet into your skull to see if it scrambles whatever neural link you've got for those implants!"
Ego seemed to wince at her outburst and even Roger made an uncharacteristic if momentary flinch at the suggestion of having one's sensitive electronics destroyed via electromagnetic field.
"Now now, Madam Zira. I'm sure Sir Karl here meant no real offense..." Ego said, trying to placate her but trailing off as he looked between the two of them.
There was the ghost of a mirthless chuckle and the table looked to Karl to see the man actually cracking a bit of a smile for perhaps the first time since they'd met him. "So...the lady has claws." He mused aloud. Before Zira could respond he showed her his hands in surrender.
"Ego is right, I truly did mean no offense. But my point stands. None of you remained with the cargo after we parted ways?"
"I..." Zira started, her mood cooling immediately upon the realization that Karl might have a point. "My uncle went for a walk. Shakka also scampered away like a sump cat in the night to pursue her own business I guess...Albedan...I dunno, he just disappeared?"
She looked to Ego and Roger for confirmation of that last bit. Ego simply shrugged.
"When you are of such a stature as I it can be difficult to spot a single being of greater stature from behind all of the legs of other beings of greater stature." He admitted.
"My last recordings of the unit designated Albedan indicate that he may have separated from the group soon after our party departed from Gordulla's base of operations." Roger added helpfully.
"Well, there's your answer I guess." Zira said with a sigh, suddenly a bit concerned. She dismissively waved away the implication of error in this, however. "Listen, its a short walk back to the ship. You want to see this Rat or whoever he is separately anyway, right? When we left the ship last I made sure to take a little insurance with me so that Zimbar might think twice about screwing with us."
Zira leaned across the table, the slight of a few moments before having quickly faded as the gears in her head began working. "So why don't we do this? After we meet this...Victoria you said? After we meet her we split up again. You two go to see this guy on your business...make sure he's not gonna try to screw us. Meanwhile I'll take these two--" and at this she pointed a thumb in the general direction of Ego and Roger "--back to the ship to get the cargo ready and you can give us a shout on the comlink when you're done so we can bring it and get one step closer to getting that hyperdrive."
"That does sound like...a prudent course of action." Ego nodded as Zira looked around the table for validation.
"I am unable to find fault with the logic in question." Roger added.
"Suits me just fine." Karl said in his traditional deadpan before taking another swig of his drink.
"Great." Zira said, trying not to show how relieved she was that the group had managed to agree on something for once tonight. "Now all we're missing is that friend of yours."
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Dewin
Overlord
Posts: 776
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Post by Dewin on Sept 18, 2022 16:17:32 GMT
Making her way across the city had always been a pain in the ass, and this day wasn't getting any different, Victoria thought to herself as she made her way through the crowded streets. At least within the masses she had better change of dodging the blaster fire that echoed in the side streets. At least she had rain poncho to keep her somewhat dry.
Nervously tapping her pistol holster, she thought about the gang war raging on. Someone had lit the powder keg for too early for her taste. and unwanted complication was the last thing she needed at this hour.
Stepping past a group of angry and drunk Houks with a grace of former street rat, she finally made her way to her destination. Same old tacky neon signs and overwhelming smell of spices to hide the cooks specialty.
Sighing to herself to calm herself down, she opened the sliding doors to the restaurant. Seems like the band of today was a old holorecording of some republic era Jizz band.
Navigating past the evening crowd, she made her way towards the table number that Karl had sent her via Comlink. As he had said, she saw the armoured mercenary sitting at a booth, talking to a human pilot by the look of things.
"Speaking of the devil, here she is" Karl gestured at her as he snuffed out his cigarette in ashtray with his other hand. Seems like these were the clients that the slimeback in the market had thrown her way, Lazy slob, he could have done the contact himself.
Staring at the the stormtrooper with stone face until he moved his duffel bag out of the way, she observed her clients as she sat down. Young human pilot and her refurnished security droid built to resemblance the classic B-1 model were still within her usual cliente. The small furry creature with a flamethrower of all things most certainly wasn't part of that and she had the intentionally snap out of it to prevent staring too much. Maybe it was her pet or something?
"Well then, as my associate said, I am Vic and I will be acting as the middle contact for your sale" She said in dull tone to human pilot who she assumed to be the leader in these talks. Karl could have at least given her pre-info via comms if he had time for drink, she thought to herself annoyed.
"Based on the cargo manifest that got sent into my way and the current situation, my price tag for being fixer would normally be around one to two thousand credits" Waving down the starting outrage from the pilot, she continued. "But things aren't normal currently. I'm willing wave off the majority of price tag off in exchange for passenger seat out of the Hutt space. In exchange I will establish contact between you and the Rat"
Ignoring the constant data stream flowing to her visor through the connection cable from her medical drone floating above her shoulder as the drone kept it's constant scanning habits going, Victoria extended her hand to the younger woman. Besides her, she could see in her peripheral vision Karl fixing his mask on with the scanner feed showing his cyberware powering up.
"Do we have a deal, miss....?"
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Post by Warork on Sept 19, 2022 4:42:08 GMT
"Vandrec." Zira said with a wary nod at the newcomer to the table. Did everyone Karl knew just have bits of cyber-ware and drones hanging off of them? Was he in some kind of gang? A cult? So many questions, so few answers. "Zira Ajaxis Vandrec. Good to meet ya."
Her introduction was accompanied by her taking the hand offered to her in greeting. Her father had taught her that there was a lot you could glean from a person's handshake. Were they pensive? Confident? Where did their eyes go when it was offered or returned? What did their body language express? In a galaxy of so many different cultures did they even recognize it as something done upon meeting someone for the first time? These small things and a million more could reveal so much about a person before they'd even spoken. It was a lesson Zira had found useful to hold onto in her travels.
"Karl here was just telling us all about you." Zira said after the gesture with a sidewards glance at the older man. "I'm sure he's told you enough about us but just in case he hasn't; this here is Ego and Roger."
"A pleasure to be of your acquaintance, Madame Victoria." Ego said clearly with a polite smile up at the new addition to the group. Zira had to suppress a snort at the inevitable look of near shock that the street doc momentarily acquired at the revelation that the Ewok could speak very proper Basic.
"Roger, roger!" Roger added helpfully in his flat, electronic tone.
"They're..." Zira went on, pausing only to look at the two characters sitting next to her, a half smirk forming on her face, "...friends of mine."
It wasn't really a lie she supposed. Sure, they'd just met and sure they had mostly just annoyed her since they had all met but thinking about the whole situation she couldn't help but find humor in it all. There was something so absurd about the two ending up in a group with a hotshot like her and a complete hard-ass like Karl that was just...so endearing.
"Anyway," She said, her smile fading as she directed her gaze back at Victoria and the business at hand. "That's a fine deal. You're in luck as our ship happens to have a few empty seats left on it and we've got an urgent need to flip this cargo before we can leave. So welcome aboard."
Zira pulled out her data slate and quickly thumbed through some settings until the screen projected a miniature holographic diagram of the ship back in Zimbar's hangar which slowly rotated in place on the display.
"This is what we're working with; a YT-2000 transport that recently came into our possession after some...Imperial entanglements. We get a good price for this cargo and it means we might be able to afford a replacement hyperdrive for the busted one we've got."
A flick of the wrist and the display on the data slate faded from view, replaced with the most serious expression Zira could muster just behind where the hologram had once spun.
"I only spell this out so that you know that your ride off world depends on this dealer of yours not being as much of a bastard as every other dealer we've had the misfortune of trying to do business with here. If you can vouch for him we'll go get the cargo and hopefully by tomorrow we'll be parsecs away from this damned moon."
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Castiel
Rising Legend
Lord of the West
Forth Eorlingas!
Posts: 644
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Post by Castiel on Sept 19, 2022 11:01:56 GMT
Roger2 monitored the passing crowd as Zira and the dealer talked. The droid now had an extended barrel and scope for the E-5 blaster maglocked to their powerpack to enable more effective engagement and long ranges following his first transaction using organic credits. However, the droid calculated that in the close, crowded confines of the restaurant the extra manoeuvrability and higher rate of fire afforded by the base version would be 75.7% more effective in a combat situation. Roger2 had decided to add protection of the one known as Zira as a primary objective, as she had chosen to provide credits to Roger2, demonstrating an interest in co-operating towards mutual survival. Roger2 in turn had non-lethally removed the threat of the somewhat inebriated Aqualish as a step towards repaying her trust without risking Ego burning the wrong individual and starting another gang war that might have threatened their continued ability to function.
Roger2 considered more closely the earlier conversation with the Ewok while traveling to and carrying out transactions in the gun store. The small creature had raised to flags of concern for later analysis in Roger2’s processing.
Firstly, Ego had expressed the thought that Zira had an interest in seeing them kill each other. Roger2 was not sure that they could “die” in the sense that organics could, but the fact that Ego’s first conclusion was that the pilot wanted them to fight until one ceased to function raised concern that the small one may harbour some form of illogical desire to harm Roger2 or other members of the crew, possibly due to some form of malfunction in his processing unit. The droid resolved to monitor the creature more closely for signs of erratic behaviour. Correction: increased erratic behaviour.
Secondly, Ego had shown a worrying lack of understanding of proper weapons maintenance instead using liquid and paper-based adhesives to seal fuel leaks on his flamethrower. Upon closer inspection at the shopkeeper’s intervention, Roger2 had estimated that there was a 21.3% chance that the Ewok and anyone within a 5m radius of him had been at risk of instant immolation every time he had deployed the weapon. Fortunately, the shop owner had repaired or replaced the most serious areas of concern free of charge. Roger2 resolved to demonstrate proper maintenance and function of the weapon to Ego at the next opportunity. He calculated that this may increase camaraderie with the creature and decrease the potential for future hostilities or catastrophic malfunction.
Roger2 resumed primary attention on the conversation between Zira and Karl the half-clanker’s contact. They appeared to be close to an accord on the deal for exchanging the weapons. They would enable the weapons transaction in exchange for a trip off-world. This seemed agreeable as if the contact, who identified as Vic, double crossed them they would be closely located for immediate termination. As such, the likelihood of treacherous intent could be rated as low.
Roger2 prepared to move out and return to the ship on the conclusion of the agreement by Zira, again scanning the crowd for weapons, erratic or unusual movement or other threat indicators. The droid realised that they had not had an updated contact from the units designated Jirano and Shakka in over 6 hours, when they had last been seen headed towards a somewhat ill-maintained looking bar. The two seemed like an unlikely pairing to Roger2, from the little he had seen of the pair so far they had little in common, but then interactions between organics rarely did, particularly when it came to mating rituals and interactions. He considered that Zira was unlikely to wish to leave this moon without her “Uncle” Jirano, although Roger2 doubted there was any biological connection between the two. As such they would likely require to locate him before they could move to safer territories.
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