Public Crooks/Crystals

[Nej Tane]

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EMPRESS TETA

ALLIANCE SPACE


There were a lot of things worth a lot of money in the galaxy.
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From Spice.

To weapons.
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To fuel.
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But nothing, nothing really came as valuable, or as dangerous as-
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Kyber.





It was the most dangerous smuggling operation. The heat was the most intense that you could possibly get. Drugs, guns, people escaping off-world. Smugglers dream. Easy, manageable, and perfectly doable.

But Kyber?

Kyber was the thing that got you thrown into a cell at the bottom of a pit. If that. The risk was almost not worth the reward for Nej.

Almost.

He had enough Kyber on him, in a secure backpack to power at least- at least, two or three star destroyers. Apparently, it had come out of the fall of the Imperials. The other ones. No, the ones without the Sith. Nej lived by dying Empires and Republics and Orders. When one fell, sure, their ships drifted, but their stuff remained. Kyber was the thing that was usually the first to go. Usually. Somehow, this went from a vault, to a shipyard, to a secure facility, to another vault, to a lab, then into the open market.

And only by happenstance did Nej manage to get put to the task of getting it to the buyer. Of course, however, the buyer wanted to meet on Empress Teta.

Classic.

While not as Coruscant-y as Coruscant, Empress Teta was a megacity in it's own right, and had just as many problems, if not more. Nej may have grown up, operated in these kinds of places for the better part of... a while. But rarely did he want to be out of this kind of cash. The money on the table was not measured in digits, but commas. His split, at least. The heat was worth that. But the paranoia was getting to him. His backpack was a hardcase, protected by scanners with the same technology used by a no-show. So that meant no energy signatures, no nosy Alliance Law Enforcement types, local guard, what have you. Nothing short of opening what he had in his backpack would net anyone the prize.

He was moving among the large crowd, headed towards an elevator that would take him to the lower levels of Empress Teta. Not the underbelly, no, that wasn't... good. Business was done on sublevels, and even sometimes, upper levels. The type of crime there wasn't worth a lot of eyes. Underbellies had murders, theft, robberies, that sort of thing. The police and intelligence types down there were more focused and refined, more aware of people like Nej.

So Nej liked to go where they chased animals out of trees and escorted people out of restaraunts after causing a scene.

That was the type of place to make a hand-off deal. A big city, big spaceport, lots of wiggle room, lots of places to go and hide after it was done. And, being that it was a mega city with ships leaving every minute to every corner of the galaxy... easy to get away right under the Alliance's nose.

At least. That was the idea.

Nej leaned against the elevator, watching the setting sun go down on the busy planet, becoming more and more aware of the uneasy feeling that something was going to cause this rather smooth transcation to not be as smooth as he would like...

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[Spek Zhio]

Spek Zhio walked into the elevator, and gave a nod and a smile at the man already inside. Not that he knew the fellow or cared for him being there, it was just what you did on the blissful ephemera where life feels good. For him, something as mundane as finally finishing an easy job and having enough credits in his account to eat anything other than nerf-flavored chips.

The workers at the docks told him of this place, while unloading the shipment of precious minerals he had hauled - and amidst the incessant questioning regarding all the half-emptied containers with bags of chips. They had told him, of a great little bistro on the platform above. A quaint spot, not well-known by outworlders and far removed from any nearby tourist attraction. The place to have the best blue-milk pancakes, this side of the Nexus Route. If you were to trust the word of the dock workers.

And, like credits, food was a big deal unless you were not lacking in it. For only a veritable fool would carry out hazardous work, for uncertain pay, with an empty stomach.

The Zeltron male was so excited to eat anything that had an actual taste, that he did not even care for the man with the backpack, and his nervous look. His eyes darting about as if someone was out to get him... or the content of his backpack...

"Bork me sideways," Zhio let out to himself, almost subdued by the soft sigh that followed. The two men were the only ones on the moving platform and, by then, it had climbed one-third of the way up towards his destination - the Bistro level.

Nonetheless, now that the Zeltron's focus had shifted from thinking about food to thinking about his elevator-mate, Zhio started to sense something else. As if warmth was emanating from behind, and bathing his back in sunlight. Nevertheless, seeing as he was inside an almost perfectly cylindrical transparisteel tube, except for the portion containing the door that was behind him, it could not have been the ancient sun of Empress Teta shining down on him.

It was the Force. An emanation of it, very particular and known to the once Padawan. "Kyber crystals?" Zhio spun around and faced the man with the backpack. He did not intended to, but did it out of incredulity. It had to be a considerable amount of crystals, to shine so brightly to his Force sense.

Then, the elevator stopped before it had reached his floor. The doors slid open.

Nej Tane

 

[Zna-Abaroth]

The elevator dinged onto the next floor. Doors opening with the two men inside. The sight of a older gentleman would meet them. His cane being used to hold the door open long enough to let the nearly shaking legs of the old man walk into the elevator. Taking his sweet time to walk pass the threshold, he pressed the button to head to the ground floor. Another ding rang out as the doors came to a close.

"Apologies o'children mine. Old bones make for slow walking."

A chuckle escaped his lips. Smiling unnaturally wide with crow's feet around his wrinkled eyes.

"Young man, Why are you so nervous? Got a lady waiting for you to get home?"

Spek Zhio Nej Tane

 

[Nej Tane]

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EMPRESS TETA

ALLIANCE SPACE


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"NO."


Nej said calmly

Nej said loudly, without meaning to. His paranoia was getting to him. He snapped his body, staring at the old man. The elevator was getting crowded now. He breathed deeply, looking between chip-man, and now, old-man.


"Late for work."

Sweet lie. Nej could lie.


Zna-Abaroth

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[Spek Zhio]

Spek have been around enough Sith and eldritch horrors to sense when something was off - that episode with the Drengir hive came to mind.

"My stop is next," he said to no one, while elbowing his way towards the door. If only he had been faster, he could have exited before the elevator had resumed its climb.

He pressed the button for the nearest level, hoping that the newcomer did not realize that two other platforms had been selected prior to his entrance.

Zhio did not had a horse on the race. He had no obligation to try and defend a fool, lacking the common sense to not let himself get caught in a tight-space while carrying such valuable goods. For all he knew, the guy did not even wanted or needed his help - although his nervous reply, seconds before, suggested otherwise.

Out of caution, the Zeltron casually rested his hands on his hips, taking the opportunity to covertly open the pouch on his utility belt, that contained his lightsabers. Just on the off chance that the poodoo was about to hit the fan.

Zna-Abaroth

 

[Zna-Abaroth]

The old man was slightly taken back by the aggressive tone of man that was questioned. Followed rather quickly by an excuse of being late for work. The other individual stated they were going to get of at the next stop. Pushing aside the old man before he could respond to anything. The old man quickly throwing out a hand to one of the railings against the wall to keep himself from falling over. After all, he did need assistance to walk. Balance was not his strong suit.

"Gah. Please be careful young one. I am no longer as spry as I used to be."

Shaking his head, he turned to the other individual with a bag on his back. It seemed to be quite weighed down. Carrying something important it seemed?

"Ah, so must be a courier? Delivering product for someone?"

Nej Tane Spek Zhio

 

[Nej Tane]

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I goofed editing this lol

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[Nikolai Messervy]

THE MOST AWKWARD ELEVATOR RIDE EVER​

One of the mean-looking people boarding the elevator was Nikolai Messervy, though no one knew him as such on this planet except the handler he was working with. Nikolai wasn't mean, habitually, but at the moment he had the face like somebody who'd been stabbed in the groin. Professional difficulties, as it turned out, stemming from the tip-top, and he had just gotten off a rather angry commlink call. He must still have been feeling the effects.

He paused in the doorway ever-so-slightly, allowing himself a split-second to take in the people assembled. One off-kilter old man clinging to the railing of the turbolift like he needed it to remain upright which, Nik thought, he probably did. One humanoid -- presenting as possibly a Zeltron, but who knew these days -- with his hand close to a pouch at his waist. Nik couldn't see what was in the pouch from this angle, but its presence was a data point nonetheless. One humanoid wearing what looked like a heavy backpack. University kid, Nik thought on first impulse. But why was he nervous? Nervous people made Nik nervous. He was comforted by the weight of his blaster tucked into his shoulder holster.

"Tough elevator," he grunted as he entered and shifted himself toward the back of the car. "Hit ground for me, wouldja?" he called from the rear as he settled in in the free corner nearish to Nej Tane . He glanced over at the others as more people filtered in behind him. Gonna be a packed ride. The others looked mean; one shoved between Nik and Nej.

"Watch it," Nik seethed, shifting to make space.

Nej Tane | Zna-Abaroth | Spek Zhio​

 

[Nej Tane]

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So far, Nej had a running count of how bad the elevator was getting.

Chip-man. Obviously blading himself, reaching or standing for a weapon. Nej knew enough to know when someone was packing something. On this planet though- coulda been a Jedi, coulda been a Marshal, coulda been anybody.

Old-man, who was clearly about to die at any given point, and that was just awkward to watch someone shed their mortal coil from age.

Now mean-and-handsome-man, along with a few other gruff individuals.

About ten of them, to be exact.

The Mean-and-Handsome man said "Watch it" to him. Normally, Nej would've shown him the Coruscanti-business (punching his face off) but he didn't want to risk anything, so he moved. Then, the elevator opened again. Five more people got in, dressed in all red. The elevator doors closed- elevators designed to carry dozens of people up and down the city levels, important people to get to important places to do important business.

And just before the doors opened, black and gold came into the elevator. Three men, dressed to kill.

Literally.

Combat gear on.

They looked at Nej. Who looked at them. They were here for Nej, that much was obvious. Then all the men in green looked at the men in black and gold, then the other mean men from before looked at the other two groups- the meanies, the black and golds, the green men, all looked at each other. Then they all stopped, and looked at Nej.

Nej got a little weirded out.
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He looked at the elevator doors slowly closing. The city was starting to fly by. He had one stop to make.

He sniffed. He looked over at mean-and-handsome, raising both of his eyebrows, before reaching behind his ear, pretending to scratch it while the three groups fanned out, keen on killing each other, and Nej. Nej scratched his head, and clicked the button behind his ear. His facemask formed over his face, and he jumped into the air, his rocket boots giving him just a big enough boost to drop kick one of the guys in black and gold into the wall.

And just like that- guns, knives, vibroswords, a machine gun, and a pair of shockboxing knuckle dusters lit up the small space. Nej pulled out his disruptors, the man who got drop kicked groaning.

"Give us the bag, Tane."

One of the men in green said. The Togrutan moved slyly on his feet, twirling his vibrosword.

Nej looked at mean-man, then old-man, then chip-man, gauging for a reaction, then his mask shifted. Just ever so slightly.

But enough to know that it was obvious he was grinning. The next few seconds were fast. Real fast. It was impressive, despite how dim-witted Nej could be at times, how god damn fast he was. His first two disruptor shots from his left handed gun, his off hand, impacted the Togrutan that told him to give up the bag.

He pivoted on his foot, blaster shots going wide against the elevator walls. His right hand came up, popping two rounds off, taking one of the men in black and gold away.

The fight was on, and the elevator kept going down.

And everyone wanted the Kyber that he had.

Or, just to get off the elevator.

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[Korn Kray'ac]

Spoiler: Music IC

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The elevator music might have been as curious and interesting as one man’s entrance in retrospect. Then again, that particular intruder of an element to this story had absolutely no indication of his coming, neither what to expect, but at least his appearance would help keep things from getting boring.

Not that they were, by any means. For an elevator setting, at least, things were already getting a wee bit spicy. Definitely dicey, the new arrival might think, but in truth he had just as much time to blink as he landed on the elevator’s roof.

-THUNK!-

That was the sound of his boots striking durasteel or whatever metal incorporated this elevator’s makeup, floor to ceiling, walls and all. There was a hatch at the top that the man promptly opened.

-PHWOOM!-

That was the sound of a blaster going off in the room just as Korn Kray’ac, garbed in his armor (with no image to add), landed on his feet in between more than one shooter going at it, and more than one innocent bystander, if that definition had any meaning in this quacktastic duck’s basket of insanity and whatthedruk at that, really.

Korn looked left, looked right, eyes behind his visor. The lift was already crowded so, despite the blaster rifle on his back and the pistol at his thigh, the merc ducked, as he'd learned in the fighting pits long before Empress Teta perked her tits or something other.

“KRIFFIN’ SHENANIGANS.” The Mandalorian expressed, no 'dank ferrik', though he was less Mandalorian and more who-the-kriff-is-this-with-his-sudden-entrance-into-this-lift? From the elevator’s roof’s hatch, no less, quite cryptic, but kriff it, the guy just tried to not get shot in this moment.

Nej Tane Spek Zhio Zna-Abaroth Nikolai Messervy