Private From Taris with love(A Family story)

[Ragos Terrek]

A few hundred levels below Taris' surface, in a modest but well kept apartment, Ragos Terrek sat on a sofa so small that no matter how he adjusted part of him touched Euric Shadowwalker . Euric was a bouncer at Ragos club, The Butterscotch Rancor, a job that The Most High had made him perfect for. Euric or Rocky as Ragos liked to call him was big, strong, and as tough as they came. Rocky didn't just look the part either, when chit went sideways he knew how to use that size and strength.

Ragos shifted uncomfortably, his leg brushing against Rocky's. The apartment was a far cry from Castello Matrisca, the massive compound on Epica that Ragos and Euric had been staying at before coming to Taris. The Castello belonged to a shady group of acquaintances that Ragos knew and who had been looking out for him after his brush with the wrong end of a slug thrower while out on Epica. Rock had come a few weeks later to give Ragos some security while he healed up. It was full of ancient and modern wonders. Stonework that was hundreds of years old, built before the gulag even. paintings, statues, rugs, all worth tens of thousands of credits or more. A wine cellar with thousand credit bottles. All contrasting with a medical ward so new and state of the art it could give Coruscant's best hospital a run for its credits, a gym with the latest equipment, and security systems so state of the art they probably didn't exist anywhere else in the galaxy.

Compared to that and this apartment was down right cramped. In reality though it was more than enough to live in. Three bedrooms, a bath, living space, and kitchen. It was more than a lot of beings had that's for sure. Rag and Rock were in the living space, practically in each other's lap. It was an average living room. There was a holoscreen, a coffee table, a couple of places to sit, and off in the corner were a pile of hastily picked up children's toys.

Tired of being uncomfortable Ragos put a spliff of spice to his lips and raised his lighter–

"No fuckin way you think you're smoking that in my house, Rag" Said a female's voice.

"Sorry, Keke." Ragos apologized, stowing the spliff away again.

Keke or Keela had been in the other room trying to get her kids down for a nap, his kids, their kids.

Keela was a girl from the neighborhood and she was so much more than that or she had been. Rag and her had known each other for a while and for a minute they had been something but life or whatever happened. She found her way out the street by going to school, getting educated, she didn't get slowed down by chit, not her upbringing, not even twins. Rag never saw a way out so he dove even deeper rising high in the ranks of one of Nar Shaddaa's biggest street gangs.

"Who are you?" Keela asked Rocky. "Who is he?" She asked Ragos before Euric could get a word out. Introductions at her door had been brief when Ragos and Euric showed up.

"Rocky. He works for me." Ragos answered.

"He works for you?" Keela asked skeptically.

"Yep. Rocky, meet Keela." Ragos introduced them.

Keela nodded politely at Euric and then began to speak to Ragos in their native Korunal.

Ragos answered her back.

Keela didn't look satisfied but she didn't protest any more. Ragos knew she had probably expected him to bring Jon, his ride or die, Jon and Ragos were like brothers and Jon was Keela's little brother but he wasn't on Epica when Keela had contacted Ragos and Euric was.

"Just tell me what you need." Rag told her.

"Chit…"

Keela told them the situation and it wasn't good. It seemed that Keela's boyfriend, a pantoran school teacher named Kamari had borrowed some money from the wrong people. Keela claimed that he didn't know they were gangsters or that things would get this bad. How bad were things? Good question…four days ago Kamari had been snatched up by these gangsters and was now being held for ransom and Keela had two more days to pay or they would start taking body parts and sending them to her.

The only lead that she had was that the gangsters were Artrisian, the leader was apparently called Kazuki Tanaka and he could either be found at a restaurant in little Artrisia or maybe a casino on Taris surface.

"Where you think we should start?" Ragos asked Euric.

 

[Euric Shadowwalker]

Keela told them the situation and it wasn't good. It seemed that Keela's boyfriend, a pantoran school teacher named Kamari had borrowed some money from the wrong people. Keela claimed that he didn't know they were gangsters or that things would get this bad. How bad were things? Good question…four days ago Kamari had been snatched up by these gangsters and was now being held for ransom and Keela had two more days to pay or they would start taking body parts and sending them to her.

"Where you think we should start?" Ragos asked Euric.

Euric was a lot more used to close quarters as a former slave than Ragos was. It didn't bother him, but the fact it obviously bothered his friend and boss amused him. It was a nice enough apartment to his eye, though nothing compared to the luxury and space they'd enjoyed other places. Still, it would do, Keela saw this as her place, and Euric would respect it as such.

He returned her nod, and didn't show any irritation when she switched languages to talk privately with Ragos right in front of him. In the slave's life everyone spoke their own languages and codes, and lived in one another's space; you learned to live with minding your own business. The problem that Keela outlined to them was fairly clear cut, as Euric saw things, and when Ragos asked for his opinion, he gave it.

"Forget these bastards. Are they connected? Do they answer to anyone higher up? Thats where we should go first if thats an option. And if they're not connected, then it's easy." He grinned maliciously. "We go there and get our friend back." No sense in doing scout work if they didn't have to, to Euric's mind.

If there were big bosses involved, then going to them direct might just solve the problem and remove any danger of further blowback. They'd want something in return of course, but that was all negotiation at the end of the day. Ragos could handle that, he was sure.

Ragos Terrek

 

[Ragos Terrek]

"Forget these bastards. Are they connected? Do they answer to anyone higher up? Thats where we should go first if thats an option. And if they're not connected, then it's easy." He grinned maliciously. "We go there and get our friend back." No sense in doing scout work if they didn't have to, to Euric's mind.

Ragos gave Keela a look.

“Chit, I’unno, I ain’t met them dudes. I seen Ari talking to some guys once or twice and since he don’t keep chit from me.” Keela gave Ragos a pointed look. “He told me that he had borrowed some money. Growing up where I did, I knew right away they was gangsters and tried to warn him but Ari can be stubborn, he was sure he could handle it and what was I gonna tell that man? But no, I don’t know more than I told you, so go get yo detective on or some chit.”

“Alright bet.” Ragos said to his ex-partner as he tapped Euric on the leg. “Yo, Rock let's go grab summin to eat, I heard about this great atrisian spot.”

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Business or pleasure?” The taxi pilot asked as Ragos and Euric were escorted to their destination.

“Fuxk off droid.” Ragos said to their driver before turning his attention to Euric. “Listen, man, I might have the biggest set of swingers on Coruscant but I don’t know chit about who runs things around here so we have to be smart about how we do this chit okay? It is just you and me here, my gang don’t mean chit out here and Ivory…I mean chit, I don’t know but I sure as hell ain’t bout to start using their name for clout or to solve my chit, feel me?”

The name Ragos was refusing to use was that of The Family. The Family ran Coruscant’s underworld, and a chit load of legitimate businesses, their reach was far. How far? Ragos had no fething idea, Coruscant for sure, Denon as well – Ragos had done work for them there – and Epica, could they have ties on Taris? totally. Did they have ties here? Probably, but Ragos would be Force damned to solve Keela’s problem, his problem with their help.

The two men were brought fifty or more levels lower than where they had started and dropped off in the heart of Little Atrisia. The undercity’s artificial lighting bathed the building in a sickly yellow haze. There was a red brick wall, older than most of the other duracrete structures that surrounded it, and on this wall was a singular door so old it was on hinges not the control paneled sliding doors most buildings were equipped with, A picture window yellow in tint– but whether that was actually the glass or just from the lighting was impossible to tell– with hanging corpses of small alien creatures that Ragos didn’t recognize, and above those was a painted figure of a hunched over bald man with a beard pooled around his feet. The name of the building was painted on as well but Ragos couldn’t read it

“Come on” Rag said to Euric and pushed open the door to the establishment.
The yellow haze from the street followed them inside as smoke burned at the two men’s eyes. A mix of Spice, cigarras, and whatever was being cooked in the kitchen. It was a small room but the sound was like something twice as large, the sizzle of cooking food, the rush of fire, playful conversation between patrons, angry sounding shouts from the kitchen in a language Ragos didn’t know, all mixed together in a chaotic symphony that both left him on edge and eager to be a part of. A smell of sweet heat flowed through the air and cut through the stench of tobacco and Spice. Ragos mouth watered. He motioned to an empty booth for him and Euric to sit.

They sat at the booth and a waitress dropped off a pair of menus and a bottle of booze straight from Atrisia. Behind Ragos Euric would be able to see a large group of men sitting together at a table, several empty bottles of liquor were strewn about the table mixed among half-finished meals. Some of the men were suited and some dressed more casually, Tattoos could be seen, and it seemed like all were missing a pinky. Riotous laughter and whoops of joy could be heard from the table.

“Think we found the right spot?” Ragos asked Rocky. There could be no doubt.

Euric Shadowwalker

 

[Euric Shadowwalker]

Ragos Terrek led Euric into the target establishment. They got a table while the two of them scanned the room. It was pretty obvious right away that they'd found the place they were looking for. Euric took in the threat level, there were a large group of men, probably armed, but also probably drunk. He didn't see any heavily armed guards or concealed weapons. The entrance was small, and the other doors led to the kitchen.

“Think we found the right spot?”

Ragos asked. There could be no doubt.

Euric nodded, ignoring the booze and the menu. The waitress came past and Euric waved her down.

"Flaming Wookiees for my friends over there, please." He nodded in the direction of the large group of men. The waitress hesitated as she looked in their direction, but she took the order and left. Euric grinned at Ragos.

"Follow my lead and be ready in case this gets messy." Euric had a semblance of a plan. Scum like this respected strength, and they weren't the sort to respond to polite inquiries. They did, however, have a well developed sense of self-preservation, and that was what the Reaper was banking on.

The flaming wookiee was an extremely alcoholic and complicated layered cocktail which was served with the topmost layer ignited. It was sipped through a ceramic straw, slowly so as not to mix the layers. Euric wasn't trying to get the men drunk. He wanted a large potential fiery explosive on the table in front of each of the men before he asked his questions. Euric wondered if Ragos saw through his plan. It wasn't terribly subtle, but Euric expected it to produce results.

Soon enough, the waitress and another one brought the large cocktails out to the men, and pointed in Euric and Ragos's direction when they asked where they'd come from. Euric took that as his cue. He stood, his eyes alight with amusement. It was time to ask their questions of those who might have the answers they sought. Euric expected them to be quite generous with their information.

"Coming, brother?"

 

[Ragos Terrek]

"Follow my lead and be ready in case this gets messy."

Follow his lead? What the fuck did that mean? Who the fuck did this guy think he was?

"Say less." Ragos said, normal as possible there wasn't a current of anger bubbling under the surface.

The drinks arrived at the table behind them and the party died. The laughter and shouts just ended and the silence seemed to grow with the clink of each drink set on the table. One of the voices said something in atrisian, probably asking what was going on.

"Coming, brother?"

Euric asked as he stood from his seat. The man seemed very pleased with himself. Ragos stood and the two of them headed over to meet their new friends.

There was about a dozen people at the large round table. All men, all Atrisian, and all of them gave the impression they weren't to be fucked with.

One of the guys at the table began saying something in Atrisian. Ragos couldn't understand but from the way the guy pointed at them and the tone of his talk, it seemed like they were being questioned. The guy was bald and clean shaven with an ugly burn scar around his mouth and chin. Colorful tattoos went up his arm revealed by his rolled up sleeves, a nice suit jacket hung folded on the back of his seat. Dude was sitting so it was hard to tell but Ragos thought he was smaller than him or Euric not that size would matter when he had ten or so other guys to have his back.

"You speak basic?" Ragos asked the table only to be answered by silence. Rag asked in the native tongue of the Hutts

Bald guy responded in huttese, a hard look in his eye.

"Fuck you say to me?"

Ragos slapped the gangster across the face as hard as he could knocking the man from his chair and into the lap of the guy next to him. for a moment the whole building went quiet, only the crackle of flame could be heard and then it was full of action. The men at the table all got to their feet, the regular patrons and the staff all bolted from the door and luckily none of the flaming wookies were knocked over.

So much for being careful.

Euric Shadowwalker

 

[Euric Shadowwalker]

Ragos Terrek was pissed, Euric picked that up immediately, though he was pleased to see that Baldy took the brunt of his friend's anger instead of him. Euric would have been angry too if he'd been surprised like that. He wasn't though, and as Ragos slapped the bald cocksucker real hard, the Reaper had his blaster out, and sat down, casual like, on a chair he'd pushed in front of him, the back of the chair making for a perfect rest for the weapon as he straddled the wooden chair backwards, facing the table of very surprised and shocked assholes.

"Nobody move." He said, speaking Basic in a voice of command. The cantina had already cleared out for the most part, and he wasn't interested in anyone fleeing for their own good. He wanted the attention of the goon squad here, and Ragos had made damn sure they had it. Euric relaxed his tone to a more cordial one. "Sit or stand, but don't try to run. I'll light you up like a fuckin volcano if you do. Those drinks will go off like napalm." Blaster wavering not a hair, smiling, Euric's eyes danced across the men at the table. The two friends seemed to have their attention now.

Euric didn't speak Atrisian, who but Atrisians did? But he did speak and understand the language of the Hutts. He suspected at least some of these bastards spoke Basic just fine, but he'd let that pass for now. They understood the great big blaster he was holding and the tone of his words, the look on his face, just fine. Huttese was a good language for crime anyway. He spoke slowly, carefully enunciating the words, and used simple verbiage. His Huttese wasn't up to flowery language, and he mainly remembered the curse words anyway.

"The Schutta, Kazuki Tanaka has a Pantoran. I want him back unharmed or there will be harm." He looked around the table, looking for clues in the faces and manner. They might not all know something, but he suspected that some of these knew Tanaka, and potentially exactly which Pantoran that Euric was talking about. The question was, would they give those things up willingly, or otherwise?