Assets
Location: Bonadan - Vergeworks - Sector 9G
897 ABY
The alley smelled like wet metal and old heat. Ace stood with his back to the wall, arms loose at his sides, weight settled evenly on both feet. Thirteen now. Taller, not as tall as he should've been, but what orphan was in the Vergeworks? The bruise under his collar still ached where he'd taken a hit he hadn't needed to.
Tessk filled the alley without trying. The Trandoshan's shadow reached Ace before he did, his scales were dull with grime, coat heavy with concealed weight. He moved slowly, deliberately, like a predator almost.
"Well, well." The Trandoshan rumbled. "If it isssn't my favorite little problem solver."
Ace didn't smile. "You said to meet here."
"I sssaid after." Tessk corrected, claws folding together. "You're late."
"I waited." Ace replied. "Watcher on the upper walk. Didn't clear till a few minutes ago."
Tessk's head tilted. "And if he hadn't?"
"Then you'd be complaining about missing data instead of timing."
Tessk went silent for a moment. Then he let out an authentic laugh, filling the narrow space.
"See, that right there?" He said, wagging a clawed finger. "That's why I keep you around, kid. Other runners panic. You think."
Ace reached into his jacket and produced the datachip. He didn't hand it over immediately.
"They rotate the lock every twelve minutes." He said. "Three guards. One bored. Two paranoid. None of them trust each other."
Tessk took the chip, claws closing around it. "You didn't copy it."
"Didn't need to."
"Hm." Tessk's eyes flicked up, pupils narrowing. "Ssshowing restraint now? Careful. That's how people sssurvive longer than they should."
He stepped closer, boots scraping the floor.
"Vergeworksss is a messs..." Tessk went on, voice lowering. "Too many little kingsss clawing at each other over russst and ssscrap. Everybody thinksss they're dangerousss. Nobody actually isss."
The words hung there. Ace didn't say anything.
"You don't rule a place like thisss with blasssters alone." Tessk said. "You rule it with eyesss. With runnersss. With people no one bothersss to look at until it'sss too late."
Ace glanced down the alley, mentally tracing exits, chokepoints, routes. The Vergeworks wasn't a sprawl to him. It was a system begging to be fixed.
"You'd need kids." He said carefully. "People small enough to move everywhere. Old enough to know better."
Tessk chuckled, pleased. "Sssee? You get it."
He straightened, tucking the chip away. "Sssame time next cycle. Little bigger job. Still 'age appropriate'."
Ace nodded once. As Tessk turned to leave, the Trandoshan paused, glancing back over one scaled shoulder.
"You're sssmart, kid." He said, almost fond. "Jussst remember, sssmart people don't confussse opportunity with loyalty."
Then he was gone, swallowed by 9G's foot traffic. Ace stayed where he was, rolling his shoulder, feeling the bruise bloom beneath the fabric.
