Private Bones of a good weapon

[Kain Aldore]

Aldoure Systems - Correllia
Tag: Darth Anathemous

Correllia. It was wet most of the time. The small shop that belonged to Kain and his Zabraki friend who so graciously funded what they did. Was situated in one of the planets many space ports. It had two landing pads, and the room to land anything the size of a light freighter, or smaller. Thanks to the Zabraki benefactor and co-owner it had a good spot, not too far from the main space port, but not the slums either.

It's entrance was along a back alley that sold all kinds of food. The smell was the best part about visiting the shop.

Kain had just done the unthinkable. One of the hangers space had been taken up by medical supplies he'd ripped from the Diarchy. The guy was restless and the stasis had been playing with his head. No matter how he looked at it, doing this had been insane, but all of those supplies were going to non-force sensitive people, people who were suffering because of the wars within the galaxy. Kain thought he'd been done with it after the Second Great Hyperspace War. But here he was. Playing steal from the rich, give to the poor. What an idiot.

Now the young man was sitting in his shop on a stool, tinkering with a power cell for a swoop bike, waiting for his contact in Black Sun to hand the goods off to. This was his meditation, hands covered in grease. And his mind focused on the machine.

 

[Darth Anathemous]

Wearing: Disguise
Tag: Kain Aldore

Kaila still saw Serenno in her dreams.

War with the Diarchy had not been what she expected. The false sith lacked in experience but their stubborn resistance had cost her more than she cared to admit, and the secrets revealed to her that day were...

She shook the thought from her head.

The young Darth kept her head low, Golden eyes aglow in the dim alley, searching for that shop. Tracking the owners down the grape vine had been easier than she expected in that they weren't so careful in hiding their plans to steal from the Diarchy, but finding them personally, that was another tale.

She looked like any other ruffian in the Corellian underworld; masked in a respirator, cloaked in a poncho which hung about her flight suit from one shoulder, veiling one whole side of her body. She fit into the underworld well, knew enough to act the part much as look it. That sort of experience had gotten her on their trail eventually, connection after connection.

But she wasn't here to collect a price on somebody's head nor to duel with pistols.

She was here to ask one simple question; why.

"Hello?" greeted Kaila as she ducked into the shop.

Her voice was muffled, but relatively young, with an accent that was certainly core world influenced but difficult to place.

"Where might I find the owner of this establishment?"

​

 

[Kain Aldore]

Tags: Darth Anathemous

Kain was still head first in the power cell. He'd managed to free the housing and connect the fresh coupling. It was a small job, but it kept the doors open. He was also the only person in the shop. So when someone walked in his head whipped around like he was in a cockpit. She'd made him jump back and nearly fall off the stool. Catching the power cell before it rolled away, muttering something under his breath, then nodding towards her voice.

"One sec!" He stood up fully now, walking back from the lift. It was a small shop at the front. Nothing really on sale, more of a reception area and a kiosk to make orders for when he was away. He passed through the large ray-shield gate that separated the store front from the swoop lift, several toos crates, and rear exit to the landing pad.

Kain pulled the glove off of his hand, placing it in on the table beside him, before walking over to her. He was lean and of average height for a human. Young and looked the part of a flyboy. Black flight suit with the top rolled up like a canvas around his hip. Black tank-top on his torso with a brown leather jacket atop it that looked much older than him.

"That'd be me. Unless of course you're here to tell me I botched a job, or I've gotta kid I never knew about. Name's Kain."

He gave her an oddly disarming smile. No weapons visible, but to the right eye it looked like there was something hidden beneath his bomber jacket, yet even when he saw her eyes radiate that signature orange glow, he kept that smile on his face.

He'd hidden himself well enough when he left the order. Plus ten years on ice? He figured she wasn't here for a scrap, and more than likely just needed some parts. Besides he knew several subspecies of human, maybe it was genetic? "What can I help ya with?"

Sure. He had several dozen stolen crates of supplies on his landing pad too. But that'd gone off so well the Hutt's would have been impressed. So again he pushed any thought of danger out of his head, and instead opted to just offer his help.

 

[Darth Anathemous]

Wearing: Disguise
Tag: Kain Aldore

She narrowed her eyes on the shield gate.

There was movement, chaotic, someone falling maybe?

It wasn't until she heard a reassuring voice that the disguised Darth understood nothing was wrong. No enemies in the shadows, just a man who wasn't expecting company just yet. He was fairly typical of most Corellian's she'd known, when he did appear. Disarming smile, athletic enough to get in and out of trouble, no hesitation nor fear in his eye that she could tell.

If he wasn't Corellian, he sure fit in.

Kaila for her part was just barely shorter, but amazonian in build, more muscular than most women and even many men.

And yet she moved with a practiced calm, feigning ease whilst leaning against the wall.

"That'd be me. Unless of course you're here to tell me I botched a job, or I've gotta kid I never knew about. Name's Kain."

"Oh not at all." she stifled a chuckle.

"Friends call me Ronin."

It was an older code name of hers, but nobody had cracked it yet.

"And I came more so to congratulate you on a job well done, actually."

She folded her arms in a way meant to disarm concerns of a weapon, so that he may see both her gloved hands.

Always gloved.

"Let's just say that we've a common interest, and it's made me... curious."

"Might we talk business somewhere?"

​

 

[Kain Aldore]

Tags: Darth Anathemous

He'd been staring at her, her frame, how she stood. Not ogling. Reading. The subtle shifts, her warrior toned body. Kain had seen enough to know that wasn't something that was obtained just through hard work. She was a fighter. He still hadn't put himself on edge. If he had a credit for every time someone walked into his place with a body to match hers. Well he'd have like five credits, but still not the first time.

"Nice to meet you, Ronin..." The name was what gave him pause. He was nobody, usually. So when she gave him a name that was clearly one meant to be a cover, he just looked at her again with a raised sarcastic brow. Then came the truth of her visit.

Job well done. Kain however, even if he wasn't born here, loved sabacc as much as the next correllian. His poker face held for a moment. "Not every day someone congratulates me before telling me what I-" No. Somehow he could tell, it was that little voice in his head that said lying is the last thing he'd pull off right now.

She wasn't his Black Sun contact. That he'd known. But there was a chance she'd wanted to line up another job, and as long as the pretext was humanitarian in nature he'd be on board.

He let out a sigh and there was a subtle shake to his his head. That damn notice had gotten to every lowlife in the outer rim, and now it led someone clearly a bit more than just a lowlife right to his door. This is why he stuck to smuggling. "Common interest? Funny way of describing grand theft and the possibility of being turned into a wall decoration. I take it you're not here to sell me life insurance either." He took a deep breath as the smile faded. He pivoted on the ball of his heel. His right hand tightened and he used the turn to conceal the movement of his saber under his jacket, a nervous tick just to make sure it was still there. Then, for now. Kain looked passed her. His other hand came up and with a flick, the lock on the panel engaged.

"Yeah... hanger." He finished the turn as he led Ronin through the shop, then through the bay where he'd done most of his smaller work, and finally through a singular blast door that exited to the dual hangers. He'd been looking back every once in a while, judging the weight of her step, her gait. This was just great. His ship was parked in one of the hangers, outside the ramp were the goods covered in a tarp. Kain then leaned against a busted gonk droid and nodded. Now waiting to see if this would turn into an attempt on his life, something lucrative, or fizzle out entirely.

 

[Darth Anathemous]

Wearing: Disguise
Tag: Kain Aldore

They continued with the small talk for a moment, playing the game.

All the while they watched one another like sharks circling to a wreck.

That sigh, the subtle tremor, it told her all she needed to know. He knew the notice was a mistake, despite the pay off, but that understanding likely meant he'd learn from it. Either he'd make a valuable asset if given the chance or a very short lived proxy. Either way, the Sith was still game.

It wasn't until the doors locked that she showed any signs of concern.

Just a brief narrowing of the eyes, the rest of her features hidden behind that mask.

She followed without a word, carefully considering this new information. If he was force sensitive then he was unlikely a common criminal like she'd hoped, and the odds of Jedi involvement had gone up. However, it was not unheard of for Dark Jedi without the backing of Sith to end up in the underworld and pursue careers there, careers she was intimately familiar with, so she wouldn't rule out the possibility just yet.

Lost in the many possibilities he presented, Kaila wasn't paying attention to herself so much. A spy she was not, and he'd be able to observe a few things; her steps were unnaturally heavy even for a woman her size, and yet her posture was far from lumbering. Her back was straight, chin held high and hands clasped behind her back as she marched behind him.

Whatever that may suggest to him, it was on full display.

She came to a stop before the gutted droid, and held the same pose. Her gaze briefly swept the shop, taking stock of her surroundings before settling on Kain again.

"Well, if we may speak privately now."

"Forgive my forwardness but I'm sure you already know why I'm here. I don't much care for the Diarchy nor do I care that you stole from them so much as..."

"Why?" she asked curiously, raising a quizzical brow.

"I am prepared to do business at the Diarchy's expense, but I'd prefer to establish motive beforehand."

"Rebellion? criminal enterprise?"

"Jedi perhaps...?"

That last question was allowed to hang for a moment longer than the rest.

"Every option places unique constraints on what we can and cannot do for one another."

"So I'd rather know what I'm buying before I make an offer."

​

 

[Kain Aldore]

Darth Anathemous

A warrior. That's what he saw, and it was leaving a pit in his stomach. His literal show of force ability when he'd lock the door was more than just convenience. Her reaction to it was what he'd been looking for, and it seemed she wasn't shaken. Weight of her step, the posture, it was more than just confidence, it was tested conviction.

As he sat upon the tipped over droid Kain raised an eyebrow and looked over to the tarp, then back to her. She wanted to buy the aid supplies? For what possible reason did this "ronin" have for items that were meant for refugees? Then came her other questions. To which the young man smiled a little and shook his head side to side. No none of what she'd stated were the case.

"Hah... No. I'm not a rebel or a underworld mastermind. Those guys get paid, I'm just the idiot spending credits no one asked me to." In truth, he'd targeted the Diarchy at random, it was them or the Mandalorians and he'd flipped a coin, well more accurately he'd rather get on the Diarchs' bad sides than he would the entirety of a warrior people. "And nah, I haven't been a robe wearer in a long time. I did it out of personal gratification."

He let a pause ring between them. Was she here to buy the supplies? Or buy him? Kain wasn't sure what she wanted, and neither of those assumptions felt completely accurate. This was shaping up to be more a test than a transaction."

"I should say it plainly: the stuff I stole isn't for sale, I acquired all of that for one reason. To get it to refugees, People, normal people caught in the crossfire of everyone else's war. I'm practically giving those supplies away, barely enough return to pay for fuel." He gave a tired shrug as he played with some exposed wires on the gonk droid. "But that had always been the plan when I started this little endeavor." His Black Sun contact was there to see the supplies re-boxed and distributed. He was paying for that service too.

"Now if you're trying to hire me to smuggle something through major-player territory, or if you want me on a crew as a saber jokey that won't ask questions, sure. Yet I do have to state."

He looked her right in the eye now, all the irreverence and class-act comedy he'd been juggling had slowly slipped away.

"I will not move slaves, spice, or disruptor weapons. I've seen what power does when lines aren't drawn. I won't be part of that."

He wasn't sure what game she was playing just yet, but he knew it involved a board, and pieces.

 

[Darth Anathemous]

Wearing: Disguise
Tag: Kain Aldore

Former jedi then?

She'd tilt her head slowly, weighing his words.

He didn't sound like a Fallen Jedi, nor a dark side convert, just someone who no longer followed the order's dogma so thoroughly. This was both a relief and a complication. Maybe he wouldn't attempt an arrest the moment she said something wrong, but so too did it imply a morality which may be inflexible.

Kaila remained silent all the same, watching the mask slowly slip, occasionally nodding along.

Right up until his terms were made clear.

"I will not move slaves, spice, or disruptor weapons. I've seen what power does when lines aren't drawn. I won't be part of that."

Despite having every reason to voice those concerns, her brows furrowed as though offended by it.

She raised one leather-clad finger.

"The last slaver I met lies dead in the sands of Tatooine." she stated coldly.

"It will not be a concern."

"It will never be a concern."

There was a shift to her demeanor, something in the way her shoulders pulled, a certain intensity in her stare.

Slowly she regained her composure, glancing elsewhere, loosening those broad shoulders. For a moment, the only sound she made was a brief if sharp exhale muffled inside her mask.

"Trust doesn't come easily down here, I understand, so I'll cut to the chase. I'm here to wage a proxy war, I've my own reasons to dislike the Diarchs. I want you to keep doing what you do, but I want to see more of it."

"And I'm willing to make you one of 'those guys' who gets paid for it."

The young Darth crossed her arms and jut her chin towards the tarped supplies.

"I don't care what you steal, so long as it hurts."

"In time, however, I may have some priority targets for you."

​

 

[Kain Aldore]

Darth Anathemous

He'd watched her hand come up, that finger carried all of the weight behind her words. So for the most part, Kain knew she wasn't morally bankrupt. That was a good sign and it meant that whatever request came next, did so with purpose, and not just for ill-gotten gains.

Reading her next movements, he'd seen the tension build up as she spoke of the slave trader. He'd seen that look in the mirror before. Anger, but Kain was once again surprised by this individual. It was not the kind of anger a Sith would revel in, that was righteous fury, selfless, yet he thought it might be a bit personal too. Maybe he was reading into it too much.

As her request came, the look on his face stayed stern. A proxy war. He didn't know for sure what the Diarchy had done to piss her off like this. Given their recent stunts, it could've been any number of things. However Kain was becoming increasingly convinced that those fire-laden eyes of hers weren't a "genetic trait" as he'd believed.

His back straightened from the slouched position he'd been in. The temperature had just gone up several degrees, at least for him, as his emotions rose. He'd played his hand, there was no reason to hide what he was any longer. He rocked his shoulders back, the brown jacket fell away with ease. Hugging his chest by way of flight suit harness was a blaster, and his lightsaber. He'd then banished the suspenders letting them fall to his sides, before ruffling his hair.

Was this a test of his greed? Or was she trying to entice him to keep this up, pay him to risk his life for others as a pretext to fuel her proxy war?

He let out a scoff. "Don't get me wrong, I will probably keep taking supplies from people who fail to help the little guy. But I'm not doing this to make the Diarchy, or anyone else for that matter. Hurt." He shook his head.

"Look. I get it, I do. But if you came looking for a proxy knight to swing a saber. You've got the wrong guy. I do this-" He motioned to his ship and the large tarp. "Because it helps other people. The people who're looked over when cultists like the Jedi, the Sith, and the Diarchy decide to swing widely, and wildly in the darkness at one another."

Kain paused as a way to collect his own thoughts. His mouth shifted again and again, trying to find the right words that would give her the truth.

"I'm tired of fighting wars. You want me to stand and defend a town? Sure, I'll cut down assailants without a second glance. But this? I got onto and off a diarchy transport without a shot fired or a saber ignited, It was my intention not to hurt anyone, but in the end? It was dumb luck. I doubt I could do it again." It wasn't a lack of confidence or conviction that he spoke with. There was something deeper there. A sorrow of sorts.

Now it was his turn. "What's your angle here anyway?" He pointed to her eyes with a curious tilt of his head "I've seen those eyes in saber lock and mirror alike. But you don't strike me as a Sith. I'm getting more..."

Kain paused, then he did something as a way to break the rising tension. Placing his fingertips together, and raising a single eyebrow like he was an evil mastermind. "'I'll play the villain, and the idiots will be none the wiser.'" Was he one of those idiots? Probably. But the less people though of him the more he'd surprise them in the end.