First Reply Have I Got A Secret

[Congen Rintenne]

Miann was lucky to have acquired those cooling units when she did, as the swamps of Trigalis were quite angry, with the foul waters spilling over the city limits near her place, the Rampaging Rancor. The sweltering heat was driving away most of her usual customers, which made her breathe a sigh of relief at not having to handle a rowdy group of armed criminals.

However, the downside was that her tip jar was completely empty, and the bums sleeping in her booths were unlikely to pay to keep the lights on. You would think they would appreciate having a business in town that wasn't fully corrupt or bowing to the Black Sun, but it didn't seem that way.

As she rinsed out a few cups in the dishwasher, she made sure to start her inventory for the night. According to her list, she was down eight cases of boga noga in just one afternoon, and although it tasted like the exhaust from a freighter, people claimed it could take down a whole squadron of stormtroopers.

So, she kept it stocked in case any of those bucketheads showed up. While it was unlikely, you couldn't fault a girl for being ready. Her fingers gently tapped on the datapad to place her order with the spaceport, which included a 6% service fee to ensure timely delivery, cutting into her profits.

Because of her tight budget, she had invited someone to discuss her intel on a new, untapped cache of Spin-Sealed Tibanna Gas on Bespin. This cache could make someone rich overnight but she wasn't gonna share it without compensation.

"It's about time you showed up. I've been waiting." Her eyes locked on the person at her door, checking to see if they were just a spice addict or a Sith Lord. She didn't want any lightsaber-wielding weirdos scaring off her customers, especially not tonight when business was slowing to a stand still.​

 

[Koda Fett]

"I ran into some delays," explained the figure in the doorframe.

For a half-heartbeat, the leatherneck sat nearest to the exit rumbled what it feared was its last breath at the sight. The T-visor gaze glanced across, though no more. His armoured frame sauntered forwards, tossing two credit chits into the tip jar.

"My client will compensate you for your lost time."

Miann Kinea

 

[Congen Rintenne]

Miann was not happy to see Koda Fett walk into her place, aware of his status as the top bounty hunter in the galaxy, even though he often vanished for long periods. She doubted she had upset the Black Sun enough to have a bounty placed on her, so she felt a bit relieved but still decided to click off the safety of her blaster hidden under the counter.

While it wouldn't penetrate beskar, it would give her a chance in a fight. Fett had a knack for clearing out places, causing the bums to flee for their lives through the side exit, leaving just the two of them. "Thanks for the tip, you're my favorite customer today," she remarked as the credits jingled down to the bottom of the jar. It wouldn't cover her bills, but it was a nice gesture of goodwill.

When the Mandalorian revealed his purpose for being there, everything fell into place, prompting her to move her hand away from her blaster and slide three datapads across the counter containing the cache information.

"Compensation will do fine, but I am expecting alot more for the Spin-Sealed Tibanna Gas. Rare stuff in the galaxy and to find an untapped cache beneath the nose of the Sith Order is going to make your client wealthier than can be." Miann smiled gently, calculating in her mind the current market value of the Tibanna gas if she decided to auction it. However, she knew that would attract the Sith, and she didn't want them to come here for a chat.

"I'm thinking 20,000 standard issue IGBC credits for the cache whereabouts." She spoke truthfully, aware that 20,000 credits would sustain her business for a few months due to the low rent on the swamp planet. It might even allow her to hire additional staff, enabling her to create a comfortable office in the back to monitor operations without putting herself in harm's way.​

 

[Koda Fett]

Roaches in the daylight, the unpaying patrons become but echoes of what once was. The indents on the frequented seats scarred with their shapes and tables worn in from their resting arms and, at times, bowed heads. A sad drunken lot clung to dives in the swamps on outlaw haven-worlds, with many-a-poor batch of decisions leading them here. Then again, everyone had their choices, for better or worse, and it lead them where they were.

With their hasty, less than subtle exits, Fett dryly remarked, "Your only customer, it seems."

He browsed the on offer datapads, absorbing what cursory information could be gleaned at a glance.

"Silvanus will pay," the T-visor returned to Miann, having spoken for the chief auctioneer of Bidamount. A tiresome old Gran with more greed than sense, but how Fett lined his coffers was of little matter. "If this turns out to be more than a wild bantha chase."

"He's requesting certain assurances: you join me in securing it."

Miann Kinea

 

[Congen Rintenne]

"Mandalorians have a knack for clearing out places..." Miann remarked, gesturing, aware that the vagrants would return once Fett left, unable to resist a cozy spot to escape the rising heat and odor. She observed closely as he reviewed the datapads containing the cache details and seemed satisfied, telling her that Silvanus would pay the 20,000 credits.

She had heard of him before, an old Gran with more greed than sense, but if the rumors were true, he was a generous employer, which likely helped him secure the bounty hunter's services. However, Fett made it clear that this better not turn into a wild bantha chase.

"The information is reliable; I wouldn't risk selling it otherwise," she assured him, aware of the dangers of selling false information from a now deceased Rodian acquaintance. The poor guy thought he could outsmart the Black Sun but soon realized that Zeltrons are not trustworthy when it comes to keeping secrets after a night on the town.

She made a slight grimace at the idea of going with him to Bespin to obtain the tibanna gas. The planet was heavily controlled by the Sith Order, and she was skeptical that any freighter could get through the blackwall without being destroyed upon entry.

"How do you think we can get past the blackwall..." she asked Koda Fett , curious if he had a way to bypass the seemingly impenetrable barrier. This was mostly a delaying tactic because she couldn't afford to shut down her business for a trip into Sith Space.
​

 

[Koda Fett]

"I still have an old chain code that can grant me access beyond the Blackwall," answered Fett with an appropriate amount of smugness.

The Sith Blackwall was an impenetrable fortress wall that turned much of Sith space into a dead zone, with little able to make it in and even less to come out. For most, it was a tightly held secret as to the ongoings on systems such as Jutrand, Terminus, and Bespin. He could have made his share of credits selling that information, though at the risk of losing his access code. He knew which was more valuable, in the end.

"Just means that stealing the gas out from under their noses, without being caught, is the trickier part."

Miann Kinea

 

[Congen Rintenne]

She placed her hand on her chin, surprised that Koda Fett had an access code through the Blackwall. The rumors on the streets suggested it was impossible to obtain one without being connected to a Dark Lord of the Sith or part of their military. For a regular citizen to have such a code meant one of two things, either Fett had stolen it from a deceased Sith or he was allied with them, which was a troubling thought for her.

It could mean leading a Sith minion straight to her source of information, only for them to cut her out of the deal when they moved in to take it. "How do I know you aren't working for a Sith Lord, beyond your current client?" She asked with a nervous posture, the words seeming to echo in the empty space of the cantina. She didn't intend to provoke the bounty hunter, but there was a lot at stake for her and she needed her fair share.

She bent down to pick up the three datapads left on the counter, quickly putting them into her satchel, which she slung over her shoulder. She made sure to retrieve her heavy blaster from under the counter and checked the power supply to confirm it was fully charged. There was no point in entering a dangerous area without a weapon in hand as she glanced back at the Mandalorian.

"I know a Trandoshan Tibanna Tapper in Sith Space. How well do you speak Huttese?" she asked, deciding to join the expedition regardless of his response and close her business for the day. Huttese was the second most widely spoken language after Galactic Standard, but she wasn't exactly an expert, considering most of her clients were affiliated with Black Sun.
​

 

[Koda Fett]

"You have only my word," said the Mandalorian armour with an easy confidence, half-leaning against the bar counter.

He might have acted out against the Sith Covenant, but not yet the Sith Empire. For now, he remained within their graces. Notably, Darth Carnifex's graces despite their rows. It was no doubt a thin line, however. So this job had to go smoothly, or at the worst without being able to identify him.

"Passing fluency," he answered, "But I have an ear for it."

Miann Kinea

 

[Congen Rintenne]

Koda Fett 's word would have to be enough for now. There was no reason to sow mistrust between them before they had even walked out the door, though she still intended to watch him for any sign of betrayal.

Years spent working in the criminal underworld had taught her how to read even the smallest changes in a person's posture, although the Mandalorian's ten tons of beskar and reinforced weaponry would make that more difficult than usual.

"Excellent. Then we should have no trouble communicating," she said with a quiet hum of approval. At least there would be no language barrier between him and her Trandoshan associate. The Mandalorian knew enough Huttese to hold a proper conversation, removing one potential complication from the job ahead. Of course, communication was the easy part.

She gestured for him to follow and stepped out into the streets of Trigalis, where the setting sun cast a fading glow across the surrounding swamps. Once he was outside, she locked the cantina behind them with an encrypted key card and started toward the spaceport.

"Keep your head down and stay away from the crowds," she advised as they walked.

"We do not need a fight breaking out because someone decided you were giving them the stink eye beneath that helmet." She had lived on Trigalis long enough to know that even an imagined insult could turn violent, and a heavily armed Mandalorian was unlikely to pass unnoticed. Since her cantina stood some distance from the spaceport, they would have plenty of opportunities to attract the wrong kind of attention before they reached their destination.
​

 

[Koda Fett]

There was an ominous edge to his amused snort.

"Hardly someone to be mourned," he commented of that hypothetical person, a concealed glower to meet the passing gazes.

He believed that outcome to be the least of their concerns. In these ports and havens, most paid keen attention to the shakers and movers of the underworld. His last great feat was to seize a super star destroyer and crash it into another, with both reduced to orbital scrap. He did not find himself so commonly set upon by attackers, regardless of what eye he paid them. Then again, there was no shortage of mindless fools that roamed these worlds.

Fett waded between the thinner, less crowded areas, as requested, and asked, "Can you wield a blaster, fixer?"

Miann Kinea

 

[Congen Rintenne]

She glanced back over her shoulder at Koda Fett , well aware that if any of the local scum were stupid enough to pick a fight, he'd handle it before she even had time to clear her holster. A small smile spread across her face at the suggestion that she couldn't handle a blaster.

"Careful, Fett. Keep talking like that and we might actually have to find out," she said, her voice dry as they veered down a narrow, mud-slicked alleyway. "Though I'd hate to ruin your reputation if it turns out I've got a quicker draw." She didn't wait for a response, stepping over a puddle of stagnant runoff that reeked of cheap fuel.

At the end of the alley, the crowded skyline opened up to the rusty perimeter fence of the Trigalis spaceport. Parked in Bay 4, under a layer of grime and racking up daily fees she'd been actively ignoring was her old light freighter.

It was the same ship she used back when she still ran deliveries, weathered and unpretentious, but the engines were solid and it didn't draw unnecessary attention. Miann approached the ramp control panel, punching in her access code. The hydraulic seals hissed open, releasing a draft of cold, recycled air into the muggy evening heat.
​

 

[Koda Fett]

The old marble archways of the Trigalis spaceport cast a heavy shadow over the busy thoroughfares, lined through with market stalls and an increasingly loud set of competing voices trying to pawn off their wares. For a half, passing moment the stink of the swamp was replaced by exotic fruits and pleasant spices, though only a step further would allow the seeping slick oil to come about and mix with the bogs to make something foul.

Briefly, the two parted ways. Trigalis spaceport authorities would need their due if his ship was to be held for a few more days, and those access codes buried deep in the console of it would need to be extracted. It was for the best if his ship was left here and the two could draw as little attention as possible when breaching into the Blackwall, even if legally.

"I've not yet been to Bespin," he said, having since climbed aboard. "Do you know what we might expect?"

Miann Kinea

 

[Congen Rintenne]

Miann hit the console switch with her thumb. The deckplates shuddered as the ship's power grid came online. She dropped into the pilot's chair and looked up at the clutter of cables and panels above her. Crossing into Sith territory was a bad idea for someone in her line of work.

If a Sith-Imperial patrol stopped them, the best she could hope for was a prison cell while they tore her fighter apart looking for contraband. The other possibilities were worse. Her mind drifted to Sithspawn and whatever else the Sith kept locked away, and she quickly pushed the thought aside.

Koda Fett armor shifted behind her, pulling her attention back to the cockpit. He asked what they should expect once they reached Bespin. Miann kept her eyes on the controls as she entered the coordinates.

"The good news is, we're not going anywhere near Cloud City." She nodded toward the navicomputer while it worked out the route.

"Bespin Gas runs the place with an iron fist. Cloud City is crawling with Sith agents looking for an excuse to impound a ship."She punched in another command. "We're heading to Tibannopolis instead." Miann flipped two switches above her. The engines growled to life, and the ship lifted from the landing bay before climbing toward the upper atmosphere.

"It's the second-largest settlement. Half-abandoned, mostly ignored, and far enough out that nobody should ask for transit permits." She finally turned her chair toward him. "Just don't expect luxury. The place is a dump."
​

 

[Koda Fett]

"I thought Bespin Gas was a Sith Covenent creation, not Empire." He shrugged, "Maybe they're all just one in the same."

If it was a squabble, disagreement, or anything else of the sort that gave rise to a new Sith power, the bounty hunter never knew.

"Touch us down and we'll get moving. I get the idea we don't want to stick around any longer than we have to."

Miann Kinea (sorry for the late reply, I was away for the week)

 

[Congen Rintenne]

Miann pulled back on the sub-light throttles, letting the old ship's engines scream as they broke Trigalis's upper atmosphere.

"Sith Covenant, Sith Order. It's all the same to me they shoot first and ask questions later" She said, flicking a row of toggles as she grabbed the hyperdrive lever and slammed it down.

The starlight outside stretched into blinding lines before collapsing into the swirling dark blue of hyperspace. The ship groaned beneath their feet, the hull shaking violently enough to rattle loose wires overhead. Surrounding the tunnel, the dark, turbulent energy of the Blackwall pressed against their shields, casting harsh red flickers across the dashboard.

Miann gripped the console, watching the power output needle bounce into the red. She wasn't entirely sure the freighter wouldn't get torn apart mid-transit, but she glanced back at Koda Fett . He just stood behind her seat in his armor, completely unbothered by the ship shaking around them. If he wasn't worried, she figured they had a chance.

"Coordinates are set for Tibannopolis," Miann said over the roar of the hyperdrive.

"When we drop out, we'll have three minutes before local sensors pick us up. We hit the clouds fast and slide onto the lower landing deck." She checked the navicomputer timer as it ticked down.
​

 

[Koda Fett]

"Then we disappear into this slop," he faintly muttered, leaning forwards as to read the console displays more carefully. It would do, it seemed, though he partly wondered for how long this bucket of bolts could stay together. If it had come to a fight, this thing would no doubt be torn apart swiftly.

He missed the Spear III gravely at the mere thought of it, fingers grasping at the seat he then slinked into, waiting for the eventual touchdown.

In a place so cut off from the rest, he wondered how a dump like that faired.

Miann Kinea

 

[Congen Rintenne]

Miann caught Koda Fett staring at the console displays, his silence telling her all that she need to know. She couldn't blame him for doubting the ship. The freighter had been collecting grime in Bay 4 for years, and she knew as well as he did that if a Sith patrol opened fire, this bucket of bolts would disintegrate in seconds.

She leaned forward, her hand brushing the console as she keyed in the final descent numbers to set them up for a quick landing the second they dropped out. The hyperdrive alarm chimed, and with a heavy thud, the ship reverted to sub-light space.

Surprisingly, the hull held together, but Miann didn't have time to feel relieved. Looming in the distance was a grid of Sith Order warships, their hulls dark against the orange clouds of Bespin as they maintained a tight orbital patrol.

"Told you they run the place," Miann muttered under her breath, her fingers working the controls to match the speed and angle of the local transport traffic. She eased the freighter into the line of civilian freighters, blending in with the steady stream of ships descending through the cloud layer.

Her eyes darted between the sensor readout and the primary console, waiting for the automated landing signal to clear them for the lower docks. "Transponder's masked," she said quietly, keeping her voice low as the Sith fleet passed overhead. "Just act like we belong here until we hit the cloud deck."
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