Private At the end of the neon rainbow

[Shai Maji]

Denon/Seven Corners District​

Evening/Light Rain​

The light drizzle clattered away against the sheet metal roof of the shady warehouse as Shai waited for her clients to arrive. This wasn't her first time conducting business on Denon, however it was her first time conducting business with this specific gang. She knew the names of the major gangs and this wasn't one of them. They were new on the block. Not that it mattered much to her, credits were credits... but from what she heard, they were not the most trustworthy of customers. It was for this reason that she stood next to the crates clad in her bulky Beskar'gam.

The job was a simple delivery and payment like any other job she had. However the outfit was running late by fifteen minutes already. With the political situation on Denon as tense as it was, she didn't want to conduct business on the planet any longer than she needed to. These gangsters were testing her patience.

Switching to thermal vision on her helmet, she glanced around the place in hopes of spotting anything out of the ordinary. Luckily it was clear for the moment. "If these punks don't pitch in the next five minutes, we're packing up and selling the stuff to someone else. Got it?" she spoke to her little droid waiting next to her. Baby merely chirped in response, earning a chuckle from the Shistavanen. Finally she heard speeders pulling up from outside, followed closely afterward with a number of footfalls. Switching to thermals again, she scoffed at the number of gangsters walking past one of the windows. Easily a dozen from a simple glance. Not exactly very covert. When they entered she rested her hands on her hips as her emotionless T-visor glared at them. "You got the stuff?!" the one leading the pack asked her. "You make me wait this long again, you're gonna get your asses kicked." she fired right back as she slapped the stack of crates next to her. "Guns are... all... are you listening?!" she snapped at them as they studied every spot of the warehouse except the spot where she was standing. The thugs immediately looked back to her, not looking happy about the reception at all. "We'll listen when we know you're not doing us in!" the leader snapped back. "You don't exactly have a reputation around here."

Shai smirked behind her helmet. "Got more of a rep than you greenhorns, even without the armour." she quipped with an unsettling chuckle bubbling in the back of her throat. The meeting was obviously off to a bad start. While she was cool as a cucumber, all of her clients were wound up tight. Damn amateurs. Luckily she was alone...

Griss Tallow

 

[Griss Tallow]

This specific gang - new on the block, looking to make waves - had shelled out for backup. They'd hired some jerk in beat-up non-beskar beskar'gam, Griss Tallow by unfortunate name. She called herself Sur'haai in her reporting - shaky holocam reels of CorpSec brutality, the Denon Drej Report, that kind of thing - but independent journalism didn't pay the bills. As day jobs went, showing up to look tough was far from the worst one she'd held.

The bulky Mando on the other side of the room, Shai Maji - she turned Griss's day into something a lot more interesting. Griss moved out from the shadows to join the gang, the Blue Dinkos by unfortunate name. She hooked her thumbs in her gunbelt casually and gave Shai an obvious once-over.

"Just make the swap," she said, urging her employers along.

The local Blue Dinko crew lead glanced at her and did a double-take. "You're supposed to be on overwatch, Tallow. What is this? You in with this one?"

Hands went to holstered guns if they weren't there already, and though the Blue Dinkos had hired Griss, she now had exactly as much of their hostile attention as Shai.

 

[Shai Maji]

Things got a lot more interesting for Shai when another Mando stepped out from the shadows, standing beside the gangsters. She didn't look like much to Shai, but the Shistavanen knew better than to underestimate anyone. She seemed much more level-headed than the others which made Shai wonder whether she was there as a merc or actually part of the gang. She was leaning more towards the former. Folding her arms over her armoured chest, Shai looked the Mando over. "Either they're paying through the roof for you... or you're desperate as hell to be working for these guys." she quipped, speaking over the gangsters.

It was obvious that tensions were reaching their limits in this warehouse. Resting her left hand on the particle pistol hanging from her hip, her gaze returned to the thugs all looking ready to draw. "Listen schuttas, I'm just here to take your money and shove some guns in your arms. Either you guys cool it or kark off." she spoke with authority as her T-visor glared at them. She was curious about the Mando.

She didn't recognize the armour's markings at all. What concerned her more was the loyalties of the girl. Would she side with a fellow Mando when the bolts started flying or was Shai going to have to put a Mando down as well? She hoped the girl would take her side. If she wasn't a Sith traitor she didn't need to kill her.

"So what's it gonna be? You guys gonna cooperate or are we gonna have to get drastic over here?" she asked them as her pistol left its holster, impatiently tapping against her leg with sharp clinks as the barrel clashed with her thigh armour. Understandably the thugs didn't seem too inclined to cooperate. Given their numbers, she would have felt the same if their positions were reversed. However this was far from an unfair fight for her. Things finally boiled over when one of the members drew his pistol and levelled it with Shai's chest. The shot flew forward and collided with the plate of Beskar...

Obviously nothing happened as the shot ricocheted off into a different direction. "Cool." she muttered as her left hand came up and a yellow bolt flew from the barrel of her pistol, tearing a new one through the guy that tried to drop her. Not even a second later the warehouse came to life as bolts flew everywhere around the place. Shai's jetpack carried her up onto the catwalk while she drew a Ripper from her other holster. The two pistols sang as one shot flew after the other. With an unnerving cackle Shai soared through the air towards the group. Her flamethrower came to life on her wrist as she descended upon the gangsters. At least they had half a brain between them as they scattered to get to cover.

The moment her feet touched down, Shai's pistol levelled with the head of the Mando. <"Choose quick, sis."> she growled in Mando'a as another bolt bounced off her pauldron.

Griss Tallow

 

[Griss Tallow]

Shai Maji 's finale rested on Griss neither intervening nor leaving. Both were true. Under her helmet she entertained a little smile. She kept her hands up and open as Shai leveled the gun.

"Does my heart good to see a proper Mando at work," she said as if violence hadn't just become a thing. "If I'd known more like you, I wouldn't be mercking for the Blue Dinkos to pay the bills, would I?"

One of the aforementioned gangsters was cussing her out from behind a stack of pallets. He followed up with inaccurate but enthusiastic blasterfire which interrupted the touching moment.

Griss scrambled for a comparable stack of pallets. She drew her blaster pistol belatedly and returned fire while skidding into an approximation of cover.

 

[Shai Maji]

Thankfully the girl was on her side, however they didn't have much time to sit down and chat as bolts zipped past them. Shai ducked down beside her as she tried to figure out a plan to take care of the remaining gangsters. "You'll make me blush if you keep talking like that." she joked with a chuckle before holstering one of her pistols.

"Keep your head low, I got a little surprise for them." she warned as she pulled a flashbang from one of her pouches. With a grunt she hurled it into the air and waited for the blinding explosion to do its job. When a bunch of surprised screaming filled the air, she drew her second pistol once more and stood up from her cover.

One thug was nailed instantly as he tried to rub away at his eyes. Another soon followed as he stumbled out from his cover. She marched with the girl as she mowed down one after the other with her. Eventually only the leader was left, cowering behind the stack of weapons and begging for his life. Shai stared at him for several moments before finally holstering her weapons. "He's the one who hired you, you choose what to do with him. Just make sure you get your money out of him first." she quipped as she turned and walked away.

Once the girl made up her mind, Shai removed her helmet and set it down on the crate of weapons, resting her arms on top of the lid. "You help me take all this back to my ship, I'll stick you for a drink." she offered as she held out a hand to shake. "What's your name, by the way?" she asked with a smirk.

Griss Tallow