All That Glitters [Xandari]

[Darth Athora]

Taris
Midday


The world known as Taris was an odd sight to behold. A world half dominated by rancid swamps and scattered relics from old starship battles along with other forgotten junk. And the other half were the affluent folk who are guarded by private armies as they waste away in their massive skyscrapers. Up there, they grew complacent and weak. It was the perfect target. But first, the guards had to be dealt with. This is where Thaddeus came in. He had a plan just for this situation.

For hours, Thaddeus worked on getting the lower classes stirred up, working them up to launch an attack on the upper classes who shunned them and constantly put them down as lesser creatures. "I know your struggles!" he called out to the massive riot forming just outside of the Upper City. Hundreds of Outcasts gathered, cheering for Thaddeus and roared for retribution and revenge against the upper class. "I know your pain! They look at you like you're filth. Scum. Like you are lesser than them! They are no better than you!" Thaddeus raised a blaster rifle in the air and the crowd raised their weapons in the air and charged into the Upper City and began attacking the upper classes. "The embers of civil war spark once more. And now, I get paid." Scores of outcasts push into the city, pillaging, burning, and killing all in their way. It was utter anarchy. The perfect distraction.

Thaddeus hopped onto a speeder bike and rode for the nearest bank. The place was empty after they evacuated due to the attack on the Upper City. "Ah, perfect." Thaddeus said after walking into the bank. He made his way to the safe and began planting a bomb that'd blow the doors right off. He was going to be rich after this score. The anarchy on top of it was just icing on the cake.

[member="Xandari Eriss"]

 

[Xandari Eriss]

Since the fall of the Dominion, and the consequential dissolving of the Dreadguard, Xandari had been left essentially to her own devices. She still had all the toys, the tech and upgrades to the tech she had before. She still had Garth, the constant voice in her head, ready to add his own quips and critiques the moment an opportunity presented itself. It was Garth's guidance that had landed her in a few jobs as mercenary or weapons technician, whatever paid bills at the moment, really.

She had been on Taris to pursue a job of sorts. Some buyer had taken interest in a prototype she'd been playing around with and had requested a demonstration. The Falleen couldn't say she had a good feeling about what the weapon'd be used for, especially not after leaving the weapon in the buyer's hands, but hey, credits were credits. When the actual attacks started, she took that as her cue to leave. Not before ensuring the credits had been transferred to her account, of course. Times were rough, especially when her best shot at a stable employment literally fell apart in front of her. Speaking of cash, though...

She didn't expect the bank to be open in all of this. No, that'd be silly and just rude to the employees. But maybe, just maybe there'd be some sort of automated service for a quick withdrawal before she bid the system farewell. What Xan hadn't expected was the doors opening without a fuss, nor that all so familiar sound of explosives. What a good sign. Part of her wanted to turn tail. This wasn't her bank, after all. She had no reason to risk her life trying to stop a little thievery. Still, it seemed reason was not with the girl as she proceeded further into the bank's threshold, calling out as she did. "Hello?"

[member="Thaddeus Creed"]​

 

[Darth Athora]

Thaddeus watched as the numbers on the bomb ticked down. 7...6...5... and then he heard a voice. A feminine voice. "Who the feth..?" he said in a hushed voice. He then peeked over the desk and squinted towards the origin of the voice. It was hard to spot who was speaking due to the fact that the only light within the bank being that from the sun outside. "Hey! Get ou-" Boom. Thaddeus was cut off by the heavy boom of the bomb detonating and punching a large hole in the vault door. Debris flew from the explosion, causing Thaddeus to take cover.

Once it was clear, Thaddeus peeked back out, pulling his blasters from their holsters, and looked around for the woman. "Come on out and get your hands up. Who are you? What're you doin' here?" he called out to her. He was not expecting company nor was he going to tolerate it.

[member="Xandari Eriss"]

 

[Xandari Eriss]

This wasn't her smartest idea. It wasn't the dumbest, either, sure, but she was already regretting this. Perhaps part of her had hoped the explosion was a delayed reaction or something caused by a different source entirely. Wishful thinking or a temporary lapse of judgment aside, she hadn't expected an actual response to her little greeting. It was so unexpected, in fact, that the moment a head popped out from a desk, she just about jump, hands automatically going for the small arsenal on her person. The explosion turned her attention away once more, Xandari shielding her face from any debris with her cybernetic arm as she ducked for cover.

If she had wanted to run before, that feeling had increased tenfold the moment blasters left holsters. This had definitely been a bad idea, that much was a bit more than clear now. "Some mess you've gotten us into. Have you perhaps ever heard of staying out of trouble?" Xan could almost feel a sense of disappointment from that condescending voice in her head. She couldn't exactly blame Garth for this, no, but it was still a nuisance.

Why don't you make yourself useful and help then?

"Oh, no, this is your mess now. Try not to get us killed." Typical Garth.

With a bit of a sigh, Xandari pulled herself to her feet. As tempted as she was to pull her own blasters, to dare this guy to a test of weapons, she refrained in the moment. Opting to hold her hands up, but only in such a way that left her ready to draw a blaster at a moment's notice while still making sure this guy knew just how annoyed she was with this whole ordeal. "Xandari Eriss, if you must know," she replied, resisting a bit of an eyeroll. "What does it look like I'm here for? While we're at it, who are you and what are you here for?"

[member="Thaddeus Creed"]​

 

[Darth Athora]

Thaddeus walked over to the girl, guns pointed at her torso and eyes locked on her form, keeping a sharp eye out for any sudden movements. "Looks like you're here to get yourself killed, that's what it looks like." he responded. "Who I am is of no concern to you, girlie. How 'bout you get on back outside with the riff raff, eh?" he suggested. Then, he thought for a moment. If he let her go, she might say something to the authorities. No. he couldn't have a loose end such as this mess up one of the greatest scores he ever made. "Matter of fact, you stay your ass in here, keep your mouth shut, and you might live to see tomorrow, eh?" he offered as he turned the dial on one of his guns, setting it to stun mode. "Now, I don't wanna hurt such a pretty girlie like you, but if I gots to I won't hesitate. Got me?"

[member="Xandari Eriss"]

 

[Xandari Eriss]

Never in her life had Xandari wanted to rip someone apart as she did this guy. Getting caught up in anger was pointless, she was well aware of that, but how else did one react to that? Calm down. As if she needed that reminder, though the AI would argue otherwise.

"Something tells me this pretty girlie can handle more than whatever you can dish out." Some time of rigorous training and cybernetic augmentation had left her a bit slow to believe such a man was really capable of much. Take away the blaster and then what? She had the weapons, she had the training, and she didn't quite enjoy being threatened. In fact, the moment he turned his attention elsewhere, she had every intention of either turning tail or knocking him down a peg. "But if you're going to keep me here, you might as well cut me in on the deal." She said with a bit of a glare.

[member="Thaddeus Creed"]​

 

[Darth Athora]

Thaddeus scoffed. "Or I could put a blaster bolt in your head and move on with my day." Then Thaddeus looked back at the vault and saw the amount of credit chips that were in the vault. More than he could carry on his own. A lot more. "Erm, well, how about this: I give you a cut and you join my crew. I could use a fierce and sassy piece of arm candy like yourself at my side."

His offer was genuine despite what his grin might have displayed. He didn't really even have a crew. Thaddeus flew solo for many years, not yet finding the right folk to invite to join him, but this woman was a good start in his eyes. She could have reported him to authorities, but instead, she asked for a cut. Whether she truly had a criminal bone in her body or it was just meant to be hush money was another story. "So, what do you say?" he said as he slowly lowered his weapons.

[member="Xandari Eriss"]

 

[Xandari Eriss]

"Arm candy? Really?" Throughout the course of this exchange, green scales transitioned to red, all the better to mask the bit of a fluster she'd fallen into throughout this conversation. Garth's sigh was so pronounced, she'd almost be unsurprised if it was audible outside of her own head. She needed credits, sure, but was she really interested in thievery? She had meant asking for credits as more of a joke, some way to express her annoyance with the situation without actually hurting anyone quite yet, she didn't expect to be offered a job of sorts.

This was ridiculous and she wasn't quite sure how to handle it. She was still pissed, sure, ready to fight this guy if things came down to combat, still relatively confident that her skill set would serve her well. "You threaten me and then offer a place in your crew? That's not exactly a way to convince people."

[member="Thaddeus Creed"]​

 

[Darth Athora]

Thaddeus thought about what she said for a moment before responding. He quickly realized she had a point despite is wish to not have to admit it. "You're right. How about I just slide you a couple credit chips and you go on your way?" Thaddeus walked over to the vault and stepped inside before taking a look around. The pristine white that was the walls and floor of the vault were stained by gunpowder from the bomb. There were carts and carts filled with credit chips begging for the taking.

"Don't just stand there." Thaddeus took his backpack off and pulled out several empty sacks and dropped them on the ground. "Grab a bag and start filling 'er up. Whatever you can fit in your bag is yours." He left one bag on the floor and began filling the others with chips.

[member="Xandari Eriss"]

 

[Xandari Eriss]

Once again, Xandari was thrown for a bit of a loop with this guy. He seemed too quick to agree, too willing to just give away credits. Still, credits were credits. And if he was offering, she'd be a fool to pass it up. Just one bag could cover expenses for months, assuming she didn't get stupid with it. "This is a horrible idea," the AI weighed in. Because his input was always wanted. "What kind of pirate just shares credits with strangers? It's obviously some sort of-"

Trap or not, it'd be dumb not to take advantage of it. Xandari would never try and claim greed wasn't a motivator in her actions. Grabbing a bag with a gloved hand, she was quick to start filling it up, ideas of what all this could possibly buy just swimming in her head. With it, the ever-present combination of Garth's disapproval and her own distrust. "If this comes back to bite me later, I'm holding you personally responsible."

[member="Thaddeus Creed"]​

 

[Darth Athora]

Thaddeus was too busy grabbing chips and stuffing his bags to respond to her. From the looks of it, it'd be one glorious pay day for the pirate. His plan was foolproof save for the little disturbance by the green woman walking into the bank. Once two of his bags were filled, he'd tie a string around the mouth of the bags and knot them tightly. He opened up two more bags when a sudden sound of glass shattering halted him. "Not again.." he uttered to himself. "Stay in here and stay quiet." he said to her in a slight commanding tone.

He quickly pulled his blasters from their holsters and slowly stepped out of the vault and hid behind a desk. He silently moved to a good vantage point and peeked over the desk. He spotted several of the rioters in the main lobby off the bank, armed and bloodthirsty. "Chit.." he said to himself under his breath. "Way too many of them for me alone." He then remembered the girl with a weapon on her hip. He quickly rolled towards the vault and looked at her. "We've got company. Could use your help gettin' rid of them. There's no way we're getting out of here without each other's help. What do you say?"

[member="Xandari Eriss"]

 

[Xandari Eriss]

Things were going surprisingly well. Not enough for Xandari to be lulled into a false sense of security, but enough that her mind could wander to more detailed ideas of what to do with these credits. Cybernetic maintenance, a couple of new toys, the possibilities were numerous and oddly lacking in guilt. Sure, she hadn't exactly entered the bank with the intention of stealing, but one could think a fine citizen would still have some sort of reservations. But no, outside of the AI's complaints, she was oddly content with the crime.

Then came the noise.

Eyes wide and arms tense, there was a twinge of relief when she was told to stay put. Even after seeing combat first hand, the sidelines roll was much preferred. A huff of dismay followed his return, not because he was back. Rather, she wasn't fond of the news he brought with him. She couldn't say she was surprised or that he didn't have a point. With a vibrowhip in one hand, a blaster in the other, and an extendable elbow blade for last result attempts at close quarters combat, she was as ready as she'd ever be for confrontation, regardless of how willing she actually was. "What are we looking at?"

[member="Thaddeus Creed"]​

 

[Darth Athora]

Thaddeus peeked out to get another look at who was currently threatening his payday. "About 6 of them. Blasters ready to kill." he said before checking his blasters. "I got a plan. It's not a great one but it'll get us out of here alive...maybe." Thaddeus put his blasters away and stepped out of the vault, unarmed. He whistled to get the rioters attention. "Hey friends. How goes the riot?" he asked.

"It's Thaddeus! The leader of the revolution!" one of the rioters called out. "What you doing here, boss? Ain't nobody in here."

"I could ask you guys the same thing. Those high and tighties are hiding up in their penthouses and whatnot. Not down here in the working man's domain." Thaddeus replied.

"Well, we thought it might be a good idea to check the bank for some credits lying around. You seen any?" One of the rioters peeked around Thaddeus and spotted the vault open. "Look! Thaddeus had the same idea. That's why he's the leader. Always 2 steps ahead. Good on you, boss." The rioters started moving towards the vault. Thaddeus then primed a thermal detonator behind his back. "Yeah, man. Want a taste of the loot? Here." He then tossed the detonator at one of the rioters, who then caught it. Thaddeus quickly dove back into the vault and the explosion went off, easily eviscerating the rioters inside. "Check and see if we're clear."

[member="Xandari Eriss"]

 

[Xandari Eriss]

Six of them, each with blasters, wasn't exactly a good sign. With this Thaddeus fellow taking the heat with talking to these unwanted guests, Xandari took the moment to gather herself, preparing her blaster for the firefight that could very well ensue. Two versus six was hardly favorable, but hopefully not impossible. Even if these guests were of the unfriendly sort, surely there were enough credits to appease all?

Wait..did one of those rioters mark her temporary ally as the leader of all this ruckus? That would make sense. Really, it'd be just fitting giving Xan's luck. That didn't exactly put her at any ease. If anything, she was completely expecting this two on six match to quickly turn into one against seven. And that was a fight she was even less enthused about.

It seemed that wouldn't be an issue, thankfully. For whatever reason, this Thaddeus fellow turned on his would-be followers, not that Xandari had much to complain about. With a quick look, the thermal detonator at least incapacitated the majority of the six. The few that still remained somewhat conscious were easily dealt with with a blaster set to stun. "Doesn't look like they'll be giving us any more trouble. You could probably just leave them for the authorities, too, and be done with it." She was hesitant to say us, as if they were an actual team. Still, if only for this moment, they very nearly were.

[member="Thaddeus Creed"]​

 

[Darth Athora]

Thaddeus peeked out then returned to check on the loot he and the girl had gathered. "We've cleaned house. Made a lot more than I anticipated. Perfecto." Thaddeus cackled a bit as he grabbed his sacks and stepped out of the vault. He looked at the girl, admiring her form a bit before speaking up.

"So, did you think about my offer? Join me and you'll have paydays like this for a long time. You'll be able to retire by your 30th birthday." A wicked grin grew on his face as he made his offer. "I understand if this life might be a bit to exciting for ya, sweetness, but we all gotta get out of our comfort zone at some point, right?"

[member="Xandari Eriss"]

 

[Xandari Eriss]

If there was any doubt how much Xandari's scales had shifted to the more red pigments, that was quickly wiped away. Maybe she was imagining it, but most people didn't really look beyond the prosthetic, or if that didn't turn them away, the bit about her being just barely short of a walking arsenal did. She wasn't sure how she was supposed to take that.

You don't. You take the credits and leave or you stick around with this...thing. As always, Garth was more than happy to add his little commentary.

You don't have a preference?

Of course, I do, but unfortunately, I'm stuck with you. And if associating with this sort means properly funding whatever operation this can be called, following the credits might not be the worst idea you could have.

It was rare for the AI to offer support. Truly, if Xan could record the moment she certainly would have. Rather, she turned her attention back to the pirate. "I think we've gotten away from comfort zone a while ago. Alright, say I do join you, now what?"

​

[member="Thaddeus Creed"]​

 

[Darth Athora]

Thaddeus made his way to the front door of the bank. He quickly peeked out to make sure there was no one around to hold him back from getting off the planet. Coast appeared clear. Pillars of smoke rose into the sky and sounds of gunfire and screaming could be heard in the distance. "Now, we get off this crusty planet and get somewhere safe to count our loot." He pushed the doors open and walked to his speeder bike. "So, let's go. Ever been on one of these before?" With a quick kick of the starter, the speeder bike's engine revved and the bike turned on.

Thaddeus' starship, the Jester's Crown, was back at the staging area for this whole situation. Not that far of a ride. Once they got there, it'd be home free.

[member="Xandari Eriss"]

 

[Xandari Eriss]

The chaos that was the outside world had only seemed to escalate in the time spent inside the bank. Smoke rose further into the sky, staining it in a depressing grey and leaving a very distinct stench in the air. Xandari's nose scrunched up as the vapors hit her. Yeah, she was far from disappointed that her business on Taris was concluding. Quite the opposite, truly. There wasn't quite a spring in her step as she grabbed a couple bags of credits, bringing them out with her and being sure to hold at least one bag particularly close, just in case. No, that spring was more metaphorical.

His questioned beckoned the raise of a brow. "Have I ever been on a speeder bike? Have you ever shot a blaster?" The noise of attempt at revolution rose just enough to grab her attention. "That's some show you've created, Mr...leader...dude." Okay, that attempt of a nickname was silly at best, something Xandari was freely willing to admit. Still, she was more than ready to leave, well before other parties took interest in the bank, preferably.

[member="Thaddeus Creed"]​

 

[Darth Athora]

"Hold on tight." he exclaimed as he hit the accelerator on the bike. In almost an instant, they'd speed off down the road in the opposite direction of the rioting and back towards the swampy underbelly of the city. "So you gotta name?" he yelled out, trying to be loud enough for her to hear him over the sounds of the speeder bike plus the whooshing of the buildings they flew by. "I'm Thaddeus. Most people just call me T." They were closing in on his ship and the sounds of the fighting within the city slowly died down.

They were just about home free.

[member="Xandari Eriss"]

 

[Xandari Eriss]

Her grip tightened then relaxed once the speeder was on its way. Wind rushed through her hair, some of it annoyingly sticking to her countenance for a spell. Still, it was better than being stranded anywhere near the riots. "They call me Xandari. Or Xan. Or whatever else people come up with, I don't keep track." She replied, voice initially getting lost in the noise until adjustments were made. "Do people really call you T or is that just something you made up?" All too quickly or perhaps not fast enough, the ruckus of the city was becoming a distant memory, especially as they drew closer to what Xandari assumed was his transport.

It was getting too late to back out now.

​

[member="Thaddeus Creed"]​