Private An Arms Race

[Ran Serys]

Ran sat hunched over in her seat, her right leg crossed over her left, and a hand under her chin. She looked uninterested and unenthused, an act, as she was hyper focused on the cantina’s entrance. She was waiting for a man, an important one of ill repute. His name was fresh in her mind. Tal Cenda, an arms dealer acting in the interest of the newest criminal enterprise to breach the core. The name of the organization he acted under was shrouded in mystery, but not for long, at least not if Ran had anything to say about it.

As her peripherals stayed on the entrance, she looked to the teenage boy beside her. “He’s not showed yet. Has he, Aris?” Not yet old enough to be in the cantina, Aris gained entry based on height and build alone. Who in the Coruscanti Underworld would deny him. Big often meant trouble on any planet, and even Ran, who knew the boy, could see what an intimidating presence he could be with or without his height. “Keep your eyes trained on that rear entrance. If our tip is correct, he should be here soon.” Ran informed Aris as a waitress arrived with a set of beaker-like glasses, and the liquids that would occupy them. Ran separated the two drinks, one with a hard edge for her and the one without for Aris.

“You’re not a regular, Honey. You’ll need to settle up at the bar.” The waitress said to Ran.

“I understand.” Ran answered as she rose. The waitress eyed Aris suspiciously and led Ran away to the bar. That was when the rear entrance opened.

Aris Noble​

 

[Aris Noble]

"Not that I've seen."

Or heard, from what he could tell. Aris leaned back comfortably in his seat, his gaze drifting about the cantina as much as he could without it being suspicious. Or at least what he thought wasn't, anyway. He was studying the people in, looking for those on edge, those paying attention to the pair of Jedi. Like the waitress. His gaze lifted up to her as she set down the drinks, as Ran stepped over to go pay.

He just smiled softly, giving a nod.

"Thanks." He paused as he heard the back door open. He didn't bother to look that way. Armed and active. Blasters humming, though not quite ready to fire. People very much on edge at that.

"Make sure you stay safe, yeah?"

Ran Serys

 

[Ran Serys]

The energy of the room shifted at the back door. A brief feeling of alarm and unease traveled through the force. Ran, without a proper vantage point, could only rely on her jedi senses to observe.

The waitress, an expert of her trade, noted the change from the back door as well. She turned to Aris and looked at him over the rim of her spectacles. "I always do, Honey," She said before lingering a moment longer. She was hesitant and reluctant to speak. "I know better than to mess with big shots like Tal… so should you, Master Jedi." The observant waitress spoke in a hushed tone as she looked between Aris and Ran.

The mirialan knight did little to hide who she was, as the lightsaber hung from her waist in full view. There were some that thought her bold for not hiding behind a cloak and hood, others thought it honest.

Aris Noble​

 

[Aris Noble]

"Just a Padawan, actually. But that speaks volumes. I'll keep it in mind." He bowed his head, briefly, before he stood up and carefully made his way over to Ran to stand with her. They weren't alone here. Worse, they were armed. Unfriendly. He cleared his throat, taking up a glass of water to sip before he looked around. "Do you think they're going to start a fight in here? Or ask us outside?"

Ran Serys

 

[Ran Serys]

Ran watched the waitress rush into the server’s entrance as she left her conversation with Aris. She was in a hurry, and maybe expecting trouble. Ran wasn’t so sure there would be any. While Cantina’s were notorious for bodies, back alley business deals were their main contribution to a world’s populace. Bodies, for the most part, were bad for business and Ran knew this.

As Aris approached the Jedi Knight, Ran slapped a couple credits down on the bar and the bill was paid. “A fight in here? I don’t think so.” Ran answered. “Too public,” She observed. “If anything happens it’ll go down in one of the private rooms.” Ran nodded her head toward a central hall cordoned off by the invisible barrier between the common rabble and what the cantina would dub a very important person. The serving staff rushed back and forth, likely preparing one of the “private” rooms in the section. Ran looked at the owner and bartender conversing and then disappearing from sight. With her Jedi senses she continued to watch their movements as they approached the weapon-brandishing entourage with Tal Cenda at the center of it. The owner and bartender were sick with feelings of apprehension that only magnified as they entered conversation with the intimidating band.

“Questions, Aris. I know how I intend on getting our information from Cenda. Surprise, manipulation and diplomacy,” She answered the question she was yet to ask. “But if you had your choice, how would you do it? Brute force? Subterfuge?” There it was.

“And if I may, do you trust me to choose our best course of action, Aris?”

Aris Noble​

 

[Aris Noble]

One of the private rooms? Gunfire was loud, though, wasn't it? He paused as he let his ears filter through all the audio. All the conversations, all the clinks of bottles, the pours of liquids. All throughout the club, from he most faintest of conversations to the loudness of the kitchen hidden away, he could hear them all. Right up until the dead zones. Muffled rooms.

Private rooms, Aris hazarded a guess.

"I'd just listen, normally. I can hear ever conversation going on at the moment. But I can't hear the private rooms." Which meant he wouldn't be able to hear everything all the time. He frowned slightly. He needed more, then.

"Of course, Master Ran. I always trust your decisions."

Ran Serys

 

[Ran Serys]

“And I do appreciate that trust, Aris. So trust me when I say let’s already be waiting for Mr. Cenda in his private room when he gets there.” She began to walk through the crowd still bending Aris’ ear. “He’ll be surprised when he sees us and so will his men. I want you to listen closely to everything, heartbeats and all. Be ready for anything and respond accordingly. Once that door is closed, they will be trapped. They will feel the pressure to give us what we want, and if they refuse they’ll likely do something dangerous. Good thing we are trained for danger.” Ran explained as they walked across the cantina to the VIP section and the private rooms.

A Yuzzem bouncer standing almost two feet taller and broader than Aris blocked their path. He held a datapad and glared at the Jedi as they approached, specifically Ran. “You’re not on the list, Jedi.” The sentence left the guard’s furry mouth with authority. With the wave of a hand, Ran touched the force. “There has been a mistake. We are on the list, and we are not Jedi.” The Yuzzem blinked for a moment and his brain seemed to struggle with the new information. “There has been a mistake. You are on the list, and you’re not Jedi.” He echoed tapping the datapad. “You’re going to let us through and mention our presence to no one.” The Yuzzem complied. “I’m gonna’ let you through and mention your presence to no one.”

The Jedi crossed the threshold with ease and entered the newly prepared room. It was the biggest and most lavishly decorated room, able to fit Cenda’s ego and aspirations and cater to them. The room was set up like a mega corporations conference room, and Ran took the seat at the head of the table and spun it away from the door. She’d spin it back theatrically once Cenda had arrived. Ran enjoyed a bit of theater.

“This is comfy.” Ran said to Aris as she bounced in the chair. “But not for long.” She added seriously as she felt the wave of blaster brandishing henchmen coming with their arms dealer boss on the way back. “Be ready, Aris.”

Aris Noble​

 

[Aris Noble]

Aris nodded his head slowly. They were essentially making a trap, weren't they? Just using the gang's own means to do so. He followed with her, though paused once he realized they weren't going to get in. The man knew they were Jedi, so clearly they had to figure something else out right?

“There has been a mistake. We are on the list, and we are not Jedi.”

He stared in disbelief at her. That's not how convincing people worked, was it?

"There has been a mistake. You are on the list, and you’re not Jedi.”

Aris's jaw dropped in confusion. The conclusion of the conversation only made it that much harder to understand. He followed Ran into the room, looking around in a slight daze. For Aris, this part of the Force could never make sense. Epicanthix were known to be incredibly resilient to mental manipulation, and Aris himself had no grasp on how it even worked to begin with.

But to think all she needed to do was wave her hand and bam they were in?

He plopped down on one of the couches, holding his face in his hands for a moment. Force Users really were terrifying.

".. Huh? Oh. Right. Right. I'm ready, yeah."

Ran Serys

 

[Ran Serys]

Tal Cenda and his men were led into the private room by the cantina owner, a Duros who bowed his head as Tal and his entourage entered before him. They noticed the young faced Aris, sitting in the corner, first. Confusion set in before violence. Ran could work with that. "Glad you could make it, Tal." Ran swiveled in her seat at the table's head to reveal herself. Her tone was playfully devious.

Tal Cenda looked at her with confusion, up and down, noting her glittering gold jewlery, exposed midriff, and athletic form. Then he turned back to his men. Their hands hovered over their blasters. Finally, Tal looked at the owner smiling. "Entertainment? You shouldn't have." The owner went flush and quiet as he didn't know what was going on and didn't want to be present for what would happen next. All he could do was nod and smile nervously while dealing with the arms dealer and a situation he was not in control of.

"What's with the kid?" Tal pointed at Aris as he watched the clueless owner squirm. "I'll field this one. Off you go." Ran shooed the owner with a gesture. Ran stood up to full height. The owner spotted her lightsaber, winced and complied. Ran could feel his frustration. It was a bad day that an arms dealer and a Jedi walked into his establishment. Tal's men and then Tal spotted the lightsaber as well. Hands touched blasters, still undrawn. More confusion.

"What is with the kid is that he and I have come for you; or rather, the information you possess." Ran volunteered. "We can do this the difficult way or the simple way."

Even more confusion developed, and frustration, Ran could feel it. "No, no!" Tal put his foot down both metaphorically and literally. "I already gave the info to your people! Next drop-off is dock CEF-421 a week from now! You Revisionists are so disorganized and pushy and creepy," He drew a line in the sand as he stared into Ran's glowing yellow eyes. "And I'm done dealing with you! So if you don't mind me and my men came here to relax and we're gonna' relax with or without your dead body in the room." He flicked the power regulator on his holstered blaster. Ran could hear the blaster charging up to full strength. His men were ready to draw.

"I do not mind at all. Thank you for your work, Mr. Cenda." Ran said, stepping out from behind the desk. Frustrated confusion turned to relief as Ran nodded to Aris as if to say let's go. The Jedi were leaving but not empty handed. Ran got what she wanted without violence, with little work at all, a clue and the time and place of the next illegal weapons shipment.

As they exited the private room, Ran asked Aris a single question. "Who are the Revisionists?"

Aris Noble​

 

[Aris Noble]

Aris watched the exchange, but his focus was more on just listening to the thugs. Blasters ready to be pulled, but he was waiting to hear if they were, in fact, going to draw. If they did, he was going to fight them after all. Thankfully he didn't have to, considering how well Ran seemed to handle the whole conversation. And yet, that didn't help Aris feel calm about the situation.

The man wasn't lying. He didn't hear a change in heartbeat or other tell tale signs.

Outside he frowned deeper. ".. I don't know. I've never heard of them."

Ran Serys

 

[Ran Serys]

Ran returned Aris' frown. "Neither have I," The Knight informed. "And that's what concerns me." She took a heavy breath as they walked Coruscanti streets. "We thought this new shadow organization would be one from outside the core, but even in the mid rim and outer I've not heard of any organization with a name resembling that one… Revisionists." She repeated the name, unsure of what was being revised. "Sounds more like a band of freedom fighters than a wanted group of criminals. That would explain the large amount of small arms deals." She examined, unsure but theorizing still.

"The way he reacted to my lightsaber was telling? Wasn't it?" Ran questioned, thinking back on the interaction with Tal Cenda. He was frustrated and fed up. She tried to recall the conversation. She was sure there was something to glean from their conversation. She'd wished for more, but she didn't want blast marks in the cantina, and much worse a shadowy and criminal organization aware that someone was looking into their associates.

Aris Noble​