Private Crystal Caper

[Khamesi Aivar]

Khamesi had found herself a big score. Millions of credits of unrefined gemstones, just sitting there, ready for taking. The problem was, the security systems. A ship was easy to take, it's cargo would easily be her's without issue, those gems she already considered hers. The problem was the rare stuff, the Jadeite kept locked and hidden behind a blast door. Sure she could break down these defenses, but the claims were that the gems would be destroyed before they would be stolen. Insurance would cover that for the mine, not the theft. This left her in a bit of a bind. She and her fleet had the raw power to overwhelm the mine with ease, grab the ship, and any other ore, gem or metal, in the area. What they didn't have was an experienced thief, so Khamesi had thought on the subject. She had a scattering of informants across the underworld, mostly bartenders and the like across various bars and cantinas in the dark places of the galaxy. She found dozens and dozens of thieves that might be able to make it work, though many would demand more than she was willing to give up, and she wanted that Jadeite, most of it anyway. So she started looking at newer faces, even paying bribes where she had to in order to get the information.

Eventually she found one. Maybe not her first choice, there was little record of what she had done, but she seemed competent enough, and new enough that the split would be more...palatable for Khamesi. Millions of credits of unworked gems meant millions more once she found jewelers, it'd take time sure, but the best profits always did. She frowned as she considered her options before sending the message over the holonet, some of her contacts would make sure it got to the right hands. People liked to move anonymously after all, it was why it still wasn't known in most circles that she was a Sith, just that she was a mercenary and pirate. The Ash Dragons, her own little band, had been gaining some notoriety, that name would help her get what she wanted. The message was simple, the terms basic and bare.

The Ash Dragons have a job, if you'll agree to our terms. A store of rare gems has been left vulnerable, we have the numbers and muscle, but it's rigged to blow if the defenses are simply smashed. 5.6 million credits of gemstones blown to hell seems a bit of a waste to us. If you help us get the gems, half of that store is yours, or an equal number of credits if you want cash instead. If you accept, contact the handle attached to this message, they will tell you where to meet our Commander, and get the where and when. If you do not, destroy this message. If this leaks, we know it was you.

She handed the message off to a contact she kept in the midrim, tracking it to her would take multiple jumps, keep her current dock private for a little longer. She wanted that money, and soon. She had a few debts to pay off, and plenty more to spend the rest on. If this Valyrie came through, she may be useful in the future still. If she screwed them, she would find it hard to hide from the watchful eyes of the Sith Order, Khamesi was not above using her resources to tap government intelligence assets in a personal problem. After all, helping her helped the Order as a whole, right?

 

[Valyrie]

Bitterness filled the red haired pirate's heart as her green eyes glared with intensity at a crippling man. His thin hands reached up defensively as he frighteningly stared at the barrel of a large pistol. Two dark holes could be seen just above his knees as the wounds bled without end.

"Please! I swear that's all I know! Just spare me," he stuttered as the towering woman simply glared at him. If it was just an ordinary betrayal, V might have been lenient, but when that betrayal caused her ship to be taken and her own crew commit mutiny led by the one person V thought she could trust. Well, at least to say it was very personal, and without remorse V pulled the trigger as the acidic slug punctured through the man's chest. He cried out in pain as he was in shock that he was shot, but immediately started clawing at his chest the moment he felt his insides burning up. His cries echoed throughout the dark alleyway of Nar Shaddaa. The acid ate away the immediate nearby flesh, damaging the man's lungs and bone. He frantically attempted to catch his breath, but no matter how much he inhaled it was never enough.

V proceeded to take her leave from the dying man as she holsters the large blaster to her right thigh. Just as V stepped out in the dark city, the earpiece to her left ear buzzed with activity. Her green eyes narrowed as she tapped the earpiece to answer the call. It was one of her neat bug droids that spoke in rapid binary. But she understood what her little droids said. They informed her of someone who was actively looking for her specifically, and frankly V had made a point to note anyone who might be suspected and confirmed that they're looking for her. Simply because V had quite a few rivals, and if they heard of her predicament then they wouldn't hesitate to take her out.

In this case however, the person in question didn't match the typical appearances of thugs or hunters. In fact, V recognized the man as they had met once or twice a few months back. She did a job for him once before to reacquire a "lost heirloom". Least to say she found it with little fuss, but it was curious to see him walking around Nar Shadaa's streets let alone asking for her specifically. Curiosity got the better of her as V found that she could use a distraction. Revenge was all well and good; but first she needs to acquire herself a ship. Unless she planned on stealing one, she'll have to cash in a few favors and maybe a couple of jobs in order to acquire a suitable vessel. The rugged man was a stepping stone to that goal.

He wandered the gloomy streets occasionally asking for V, and while some knew of her. Many couldn't tell where she was lately. Other than rumors that she made it to Nar Shadaa, but those rumors had little weight since V made it a habit to not tell everyone where she was going. After her recent betrayal, V found herself questioning every contact she had made as captain of the Sentinel. V put a lot of effort into that ship, gave it modifications that'll make a smuggler blush, an Ace pilot fallen in love, and a gunner's favorite toy. Now it was in the filthy hands of her former First Mate.

Eventually, a feminine voice spoke to the man.

"Someone caught your eye, Sorlak?" She peered at him from the lingering shadows as her devilish green eyes looked him over. A peculiar tiny droid crawled up from behind to her shoulder before it fluttered its near transparent wings. There were a couple of others, but they were positioned in other areas as they served to be V's eyes and ears. Sorlak jumped as his scaly hide tightened from the surprise. Trandoshans tend to not like such surprises, but their first encounter went something like this as well. Only this time he seemed to be actively looking for V specifically.

"Small hunter, easy to miss. Message, I have for small hunter," he hissed as he retrieved a single data card. The nickname he had given her was annoying, but she would accept that over being called greenhorn. Last bloke who called her said that was the last time they could speak.

"This isn't a love letter I hope," she jest as her eyes flickered to the card. Nevertheless, she stepped out of the shadows and proceeded to take the card.

"Dragons do not love. They hunt, they steal." Sorlak answered before V inserted the card into her own datapad. It was indeed a message that went as follow,

The Ash Dragons have a job, if you'll agree to our terms. A store of rare gems has been left vulnerable, we have the numbers and muscle, but it's rigged to blow if the defenses are simply smashed. 5.6 million credits of gemstones blown to hell seems a bit of a waste to us. If you help us get the gems, half of that store is yours, or an equal number of credits if you want cash instead. If you accept, contact the handle attached to this message, they will tell you where to meet our Commander, and get the where and when. If you do not, destroy this message. If this leaks, we know it was you.

The Ash Dragons was a name that V recognized immediately. They were a group of mercenaries who weren't shy in dabbling into pirate life when there weren't any contracts. Sometimes even with contracts on board, but while V recognized the name she can't say she ever met them nor has she worked with them in the past. A tiny voice from the back of her head suggested that this very well might be a trap, however on a logical perspective. If this message was true and they successfully pull off the heist. Running the quick numbers in her head, V estimated roughly 2.8 million credits could be gained on her half. If she ever took these gems to a jeweler, that would make it worth over ten million at the very least. With that kind of credits, V could very well buy her own ship and the modifications to boot. Perhaps even to rival her Sentinel, but then again the Sentinel was modified to outgun most freighters unless they were military and had their freighters full stocked in weaponry.

The risk however was that hardly anyone would leave that kind of money just lying around. Only an idiot would do that without slapping some security measure. Then again, some were petty enough to simply blow up the resources rather than let it be lost into the hands of pirates and thieves such as V. Between herself and her bug droids, V was confident that she can get the job done.

She looked up to Sorlak who stared her expecting an answer.

"Sounds like they're a lovely bunch. Can you tell me where I might find Krayt Cuisine? I hear it's a delicacy," she said with a wink. Sorlak wasn't the most insightful Trandoshan, but he picked up on the hidden message.

With little waste of time, V accompanied by three of her tiny bug droids traveled to the private dock as directed. Of course her sharp eyes took a moment to look at the ship. V wore her usual armor with an Omnilink on her right forearm and equipped in the typical gear for a PF-LE MK. 1 Armour. With one arm leisurely holding her helmet at her hip level so that anyone who looked out the window would know that it was her. Her boots made her otherwise light steps audible, but V also wasn't trying to be sneaky either. She figured to approach them where they could see her rather than risk getting shot. Her vibrant red locks lightly bounced with each step as she looked at whoever was doing their usual checks on their ship.

"May I speak to your commander," she asked one of the crew members. It wasn't often that she addressed them formally, but V had to play nice with this crew. The Ash Dragons were not the sort to mess around with, and frankly V had enough heat on her as it is.

 

[Khamesi Aivar]

The one she addressed was a Sluissi that seemed very focused on the wiring behind the panel he had removed. Before he could respond, a Togruta wearing a armored flight suit responded for him, her voice slightly muffled through the draconic skull shaped breathing mask she wore, with a carbine over one shoulder it was obvious she was on guard duty.

"Hold one moment."

She raised turned on her communicator, saying something in Cahtarese, a relatively rare language taught among the Ash Dragons to make them harder to intercept. After a moment, she retrieved a handheld holoprojector and activated it, Khamesi in light armor appearing in the blue image. The image itself made it hard to tell what size she was, but the muscles were clear, and her face was hidden behind a mask similar to the one the Togruta was wearing.

"Ahhh, Valyrie. I was hoping you would accept. There were other options on the table, but I prefer someone with a little less heat than the others. Big thieves tend to have lots of people looking for them. I'm afraid I'm not in system at the moment, just finished dealing with a....problem. Nothing relevant to the mission, but I have to make a stop at a different port before I will be there in person. The captain of that corvette will explain the basic details of the situation if you wish, if you want to wait for me to arrive, a small lounge has been prepared for our meeting. No charge, even if you ultimately turn down the job. I do warn you though, if you leave the sight of any of my guards, droid or living, on that ship, you will be considered hostile and dealt with as such. We don't let strangers go wandering around on our ships. I should be less than an hour, I'm just offloading some things at a different dock, and making sure the right paperwork is 'lost'."

She does not wait for and answer before turning off the transmission. Some of the armor she was wearing, though far lighter than the guard V stood before, was scorched. She'd seen battle recently, and was likely offloading cargo from it. In reality that wasn't far from the truth. The Ash Dragons had gained a reputation for a code of honor, honoring their word and rejecting any jobs related to slavery. In fact the majority of the Ash Dragons, especially the officers, were freed slaves themselves, and the best among them hand picked for service as leaders beneath Khamesi herself. Some in the underworld did whisper of their Sith connections, but these rumors had nothing major to go on except that the Ash Dragons had been part of the battle at Subtterrel, but that easily could have been as mercenaries. The ship in question was a Thantaton corvette, though it had been repainted to a darker blue-gray than it's standard, something to set it apart from any military ships of the class still in use.

A ramp lowered not far away and a well dressed but still armored Twi'lek and two Scourge droids without their shields on, flanked by a a Falleen male and female Sephi, one dressed like a butler the other like a maid. The Twi'lek man spoke.

"Ahh miss Valyrie yes? Please follow me, and try not to be nervous. You're the first outside allowed on my ship since we acquired it, as it's usually one of the bigger ships that holds guests or prisoners. If you need anything within reason, the Sir or Madam to my left and right would be happy to fetch it, such as refreshments or entertainment. Otherwise, we may proceed to the prepared lounge to await Khamesi's arrival, or begin briefing you."

Besides the droids, the man was only armed with a pistol and a vibrocutlass, neither to fancy compared to his outfit, but both remained sheathed and holstered. The droids were watching Valyrie closely, but their weapon systems were both still folded, in an unready position. It was obvious they did not trust her, but were going to make her make the first move before attacking her. They were war droids after all, they probably saw everyone not specifically programmed as an ally to be a threat. From where Valyrie was standing, the inside of the ship looked clean, but there were a few makeshift barriers erected in the hall, obviously acting as cover where there were no blastdoors, or if the blastdoors were breached. Most of the crew that was outside was doing basic maintenances work, and there weren't signs of a recent fight on this ship, but there were other armed guards, some standing in shadows just enough to be seen but not clearly enough to tell their gender or species. The guards appeared relaxed, they'd dolled out enough bribes to keep away prying eyes, but Khamesi insisted there were always Ash Dragons on alert when they were on the ground, even back in their home ports.

Valyrie

 

[Valyrie]

Battle wasn't something V was unfamiliar with. Years of pirate life have taught her how one must wield an iron fist. Whether it was a raid, a hunt, or as one might call it as aggressive negotiations. Even the slightest hint of a weakness is something other pirates and people in general will exploit. So when the hologram of their Commander appeared in better yet scorched armor with obvious signs of battle. V didn't flinch, but noted that while it was true V didn't have that much heat in truth compared to some other thieves. However, V wouldn't exactly say that she wasn't wanted by other pirates or crime lords who plotted to remove the redhead pirate from the picture.

Valyrie noted the skull-like helmet on both the commander's head and the crewmen that held the holoprojector. It appeared like the Ash Dragons favored skulls as their preferred choice for helmets. Perhaps it was the skull of their enemies? Or perhaps they were the young Krayt Dragons themselves? It was hard to tell, but V kept her attention to what the Commander had to say. Apart from the obvious preoccupied state, the Commander assured the pirate that they will meet shortly.

After the speech was over, there wasn't much time for anything else to be said from Valyrie's end. The hologram dissipated as soon as the last words left the commander’s lips. Leaving V in her thoughts of how exactly this thing might have gone down. Pirates usually didn’t have it easy as life came with other hazards. Anything from pirate wars, skirmishes, raiding freighters, heists, law, and even the fleet itself. There were so many hazards they faced that it would often make their heads spin trying to get a grasp of their life. It was why many often followed a Captain or someone in charge. Why would many more give up the life of a pirate to live a just one.

A ramp was lowered not too far away from V as an armored yet well dressed twi’lek accompanied by a pair of Scourge droids. Immediately her green eyes narrowed at the extra muscle that was being brought along. It was both clear and alarming that the twi’lek was someone of importance to warrant such protection. However, the business side of Valyrie was more alarmed of how serious this was being taken. If it wasn’t for the large sum of credits, Valyrie probably would’ve turned the other way. On the other hand, those Scourge models were ancient and despite their archaic design held great firepower that was practically categorized as an anti-personnel war droid. Flanked by the two droids was a Falleen butler and a Sephi maid.

“Indeed I am,” she replied to the twi’lek and only approached when it was clear to follow. Her sharp eyes shifted between the two droids as V noted their behavior. As Valyrie was led inside the ship towards the lounge, three tiny beetle-shaped droids slipped out of her red locks and fluttered towards the ceiling and dark corners of the ship. Their matte body absorbed light to blend in with the dark as their polymer reflected any scanners and radars if there was any. Rendering them invisible to other sensors including war droids. They were tiny, and they only moved while Valyrie either had them preoccupied or even as Valyrie entered the ship itself.

“If you could go ahead and start briefing me on certain details of what we’re looking at. I’d greatly appreciate it.” Valyrie stated as they walked along and around the makeshift barriers. There was order, structure within the ranks of these mercenaries. It wasn’t exactly a fool’s errand, but Valyrie rarely saw such preparation for a breach. Especially if this ship was only meant to hold guests and prisoners then Valyrie could only imagine that this place was meant to keep the residents inside rather than keeping them out.

“Any details from maps, ventilation shafts, security, and cameras are a must have. As long as I can get inside, I can hack the systems and override whatever you need to net the prize.” V’s confidence within herself left no sense of doubt in her ability. Perhaps this was viewed as bravado that people tended to do, but V did not speak of arrogance. She only spoke of the truth with facts. Meanwhile, the Njosnari droids followed along in the shadows and out of sight. One was simply scanning the ship layout, the second was taking note of security measures, and the third one was simply recording audio and visual as it absorbed the information. It wasn’t anything personal, but whether it was by legal means or perhaps even blackmail. Valyrie was going to protect herself from not just the Ash Dragons, but whatever other obstacle to buy her freedom or gain leverage in certain negotiations in case things went south.

Khamesi Aivar

 

[Khamesi Aivar]

There were some oddities about the ship. It was obvious they hadn't altered the corridors themselves much, there was the occasional sealed blast door which altered the path one had to take through the ship, but overall the corridors matched any normal blueprint you could find. The second oddity was that while the doors all had control panels on the outside, they didn't lock from the outside. It was only the inner side, compared to the corridor or exterior of the ship, that allowed doors to seal and lock. For the corridors it was obvious that it was to prevent borders from being able to control blast doors without having already seized that corridor. The more strange aspect was that this rule applied to even the mess room, which they passed through on the way to the lounge, and the lounge itself.

The various members of the crew that weren't armed guards weren't wearing the draconic masks they favored, most being made of plasteel or a similar light but armored material, some looked like they were made from bone or maybe horn, and one was made from Bronzium, gleaming in the brightly lit corridors. Every corridor had cameras, every room they passed through had cameras, and if any of Valryie's droids checked a crew room, it also had a camera, though it focused on the door and could not see the bed. All but the ones in the crew rooms were powered on, and watching the halls silently, what guards there were that weren't outside the ship were posted around doors leading to what could be an armory, if it matched the typical layout, and a comm room. It was reasonable to assume that the engines, bridge, and life support were probably similarly guarded. Besides that, the average crew were all armed, most with a pistol or carbine, some carried blaster shotguns, and even a few carried scatterguns and slugthrowers. The weapons were in better condition than you'd see with most pirates, but weren't new by any measure. A few troops, mostly those in armor, carried vibroswords or axes of various shapes, and everyone else had a vibroknife of some kind at their side.

There were barely any humans in the crew, though some could be spotted here and there, and when it came to gender, it was about equal, maybe slightly better. The ship was kept clean, though the smell of booze was strong in the mess, the guards were disciplined enough they weren't drinking. If it weren't for the complete lack of uniform besides the masks, one might think these guys were soldiers. As the group enters the lounge, the wardroids stay outside, facing away from the door and keeping anyone else from coming it. The lounge itself had lots of soft seating, scattered tables, a few game stations, and a large screen. It was obvious this place was used to relax in most of the time, but had been coopted for this meeting. The captain selected one of the tables and sat down, gesturing for Valryie to pick a seat.

"I apologize for the extra guards with the droids, but this is a large score, we don't want the information getting out till after the job has started. You may have fewer enemies than most other thieves we could contact, but our Commander has plenty of her own. Rivals that would sabotage her rather than see her gain more money and influence. They won't make a move, not directly, but we would not put it past them to leak our plans or send a mole. If this operation leaks, you are the one point of contact besides our own officers and three underworld informants that knows. It'll be much easier to track down the mole this way."

As he spoke he inserted a datachit in the table, a holoprojector projecting a star map, zooming in on the unnamed system they'd be hitting, if Valryie knew how to read maps it was only a few jumps from Utapau, placing it in the outer rim. Once it zoomed in it revealed a system that was mostly rocks, with the only notable thing being a gas giant with several orbiting moons. It highlights one of the moons, zooming in to display some basic information. A population of less than ten thousand, all employees of some mining company, it had a few ships, mostly fighters and a corvette, in orbit acting as a picket fleet to discourage pirates, not that it would do much.

"If we have any other maps, they are the purview of Commander Aivar alone. She has kept details even from us, her captains and officers, only her second might have the full details. What we do know is that a frigate and several more corvettes will be arriving with the next freighter set to export the mines output, usually an array of low value metals mostly used in construction or civilian droids, and the gems from the vein they came across while mining. All I know for sure is that we will be hitting the mine shortly after this group arrives, using some gravity well projectors to force them to engage instead of flee. You, the commander, and some of our troops will head to the planet to seize the true haul while the rest of us destroy or capture their orbital fleet, and any gems or metals already loaded onto the freighter."

He pauses as the Sephi maid from earlier sets some drinks on the table, a pair of weak wines, one red, one white. They are still sealed and she produces a trio of glasses and places them on the table. She sets one of the glasses in from of Valryie before speaking in a quiet voice.

"Red or white ma'am?"

She waits patiently as the Twi'lek grabs the white wine and pours himself a small drink. It was weak to keep them from getting intoxicated while still talking, but a gift nonetheless. The Falleen butler stands by the door of the room, waiting patiently for whatever it was that he was supposed to do. Strangely there were no armed guards inside the room with them like the rest of the the time Valryie had been escorted. The doors were all locked from the inside, though no code was needed to unlock though, or so it seemed. It looked like things were set up to prevent intruders, not keep people in. The Twi'lek continued after sipping his drink.


"The problem is that while we have plenty of people and ships, plenty of muscle, we don't have many people that can crack codes or open locks. Normally we just cut through such things, but it appears as though the Jadeite has explosives rigged to vaporize the gems rather than let anyone steal them. Whether you disable the explosives or you pick the lock, that is what we need from you. Normally we'd only offer a set rate, or a tenth of the haul, but our commander considered the rest of the share to be money for your silence on this matter. Beyond this, the most details I have is that their ground security is mostly miners with some old surplus weapons, and a few mining droids rigged with extra armor."

The Falleen spoke quietly by the door, speaking into a communicator once again in the Catharese language that was fairly rare in the wider galaxy, though not completely unheard of. He stepped forward.

"Mistress Aivar has arrived ahead of schedule. It seems she had fewer trouble with the authorities than she suspected. She is will be here shortly."

With that he crossed the room, and unlocked a door that wasn't bare grey metal like the rest, but painted to nearly blend in with the wall, only the control panel giving it away, and it seemed as though the panel itself could recede into the wall if needed, hiding the door entirely. It was hard to tell if there were any other doors like this in the room, but after a moment, it opened and a towering Cathar stepped through. Khamesi had thick rippling muscle across her frame, and stood seven foot two inches (219cm). She was no longer wearing her armor, just simple clothes and a dark cloak. A heavy blaster pistol was at her hip, and a shotgun across her back. She calmly handed them to the Falleen, who unloaded them and placed them on the table, followed by several concussion and cryo grenades, and a vibroknife. Khamesi crossed the room and took a seat in a third chair, silently pouring herself a glass of the red wine, and taking a sip before clearing her throat, turning her yellow-green eyes to Valryrie.

"Welcome to one of my corvettes V. I am Khamesi Aivar, commander of the Ash Dragons. You may call me Khamesi or Miss Aivar as you prefer. I hope my men and women haven't been to rude, we rarely have visitors."

It was at this point that four more maids and butlers, two of each, entered the room. They stayed at the edges of the room, hands in plain sight and heads bowed. The two new maids were a Lepi and a Togruta. They were dressed much as the Sephi, but in a dark green and dark yellow dress. The two new butlers were a Vahla and a Zabrak. The colors of the butlers mirrored those of the maids, creating a pattern among their outfits. All six of them were a little on the tall side for their species, but otherwise appeared unremarkable except that their clothes were made of finer cloth, with real gold and silver woven into them. Khamesi's eyes studied Valryie, waiting for her response for the moment.

Valyrie