Impact

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]

The distinct draw of a Moph stunner just as quickly alongside Asmus was the answer to how Kaile had reacted, if a few hairs faster. Being Lorrdian meant she could read intention, and Kaile had already been studying him as Maduson had made them his proposition.

Arm straight, chocolate brown eyes narrowed, and a distinct lack of the earlier half smirk. Kaile meant business. The Togruta was lucy that Asmus began to lower his weapon, Kaile reading the situation and what it all meant.


[ This is why I need a blaster as well!] Jay Four lamented.


Then the smirk came back once the exasperated Madunson exclaimed with his cry.

"Yeah. Me." Kaile hadn't quite lowered her weapon yet. She was too busy trying to read the Togruta some more and weighing her options.

"Just a transport?" she inquired, following, "And from where exactly?" Kaile was trying to read if there was potentially anything more he was hiding; Asmus was too drugged to really be able to pick up on things.

 

[Asmus Janes]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

"What she said," Asmus added unnecessarily. There was just a hint of a slur in his words for the first time in a few minutes. "Does your programming even allow you to use a blaster Jay?"

[No, but...]

"There is a mine, forty miles out of the system," Madunson said. His smooth tone cut across Jay's muttering. It seemed that massaging the boy's large ego wasn't going to be the trick of the day. But what was going to be the trick of the day? This Kaile was an unknown, hard to read right now and very businesslike. A few moments ago he had assumed she was another silly girl, drawn in by a tall tale or simply Asmus' fine features. Not so it seemed. Interesting. He saw how closely she watched him and decided to veer towards the truth.

"I had a team of four men, not reliable just your cheap gun hands, set to go and collect. The miners won't deal with one of my rivals, just me." Madunson visibly ran his tongue across his teeth and against the inside of his cheek. "She might send a few boys to try and take it on the way. So we'll say I take thirty percent off my costs which drops us to two thousand and six hundred credits. Back within your budget. Get into trouble on the way and we'll call it a flat fifty."

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]

He was lucky Kaile was able to read him. A glance over to Asmus and Kaile gave a small nod in turn. He's telling the truth.

"Forty percent off and a flat sixty if we run into trouble." Kaile began, holstering her Moph stun blaster at her hip. That was how bargaining went.

"Thirty-five and fifty-five." the Togruta countered, aware that this was biting him in the ass and he had little choice in the matter.

"Agreed." Kaile knew that he had to feel as if he was getting a win win in the situation. The Lorrdian wasn't expecting to get her first counter. The end result worked in both of their favors.

"Give Jay Four the details... and I'll need a few tools before we go."

Well, guess that this would be their shindig job.

 

[Asmus Janes]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

It was a good job there had been some rain recently. Asmus could only imagine that the relatively barren landscape between them and the mines would have been dry and dusty with grit right in their faces through the entire journey otherwise.

Kay was at the controls of the speeder. Whilst the pilot could have risked his arm to take them it didn’t seem worth the risk. The pilot did haven keen eyes and the blaster he’d stolen from Atherton had a high quality spotting scope that could be detached. Kay was perfectly capable of driving them smooth and straight and using his scanners at the same time.

Asmus had found a stall slow brewing stiff caf. As time passed the pain was returning, but so was some mental clarity. Concern grew that they could both end up in the line of fire again. He would have liked to have been at his best before taking on a job like this. Sometimes you have to work with what you had. After all, Kaile was far more capable than he had realised. Hacken seemed content to stay holed up in the Solaris. If things went bad he had an emergency contact to order a backup extraction.

“So you can get a read off people right?” he asked as he watched the horizon to the south. “Though…” he left ‘The Force’ unspoken, but gave a wave of his hand to indicate an all-encompassing field. “Madunson doesn’t outright lie to people he doesn’t business with, but he can be a little coy. What do you think the chances of trouble are?” Perhaps it was an assumption too far, but it made sense to him, especially as she hadn’t revealed her Lorrdian heritage. It was a personal question, but his demeanour was back to that of the focused professional. He understood that in the SIS information came need-to-know, but right now he wanted every fact he could get.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]

Get a read off of people, was well, putting it lightly. Truth be told, while the Lorrdian was able to keep a blank face and play a role with anyone else, with Asmus, it was difficult to reign herself in. Asmus would be able to tell by the subtle shift and twitch of her jaw that there was more to it than just the Force. Perhaps a skill?

"Kinda." Kaile finally admitted, although if she meant them seeing trouble or how she got a read on Madunson was anyone's guess. Asmus, however, might be able to discern.

"Just gotta keep our heads up. Keep alert." she took in a breath, shoulders rising only to fall.

"It was the easiest way of getting the parts we need." brown eyes went swiveling to lock upon [member="Asmus Janes"] then.

 

[Asmus Janes]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

"Mhmm. Madunson can be a shrewd bastard, but he wouldn't have hiked the price of his parts above the competition. Kaile was giving half an answer, but he knew that now wasn't the time to think on it. Asmus really didn't like getting shot and he didn't want it twice in two days. He shot Kaile a smile that let her know that he knew where they stood right now. Her let his gaze stay in those eyes just a moment longer than was necessary before returning to the horizon.

[There is a drone following us at a distance,] Jay remarked suddenly.

"Where?"

[It is keeping distance. Likely beyond the ability of your optics to detect. Directly behind us if you want to try and spot it.]

Asmus turned back and almost managed to convince himself that he could see a faint tiny shimmer near the horizon.

"Those things are so cheap these days. Likely keeping track to see if we pick up the shipment," he said to Kaile. The sooner they were done with this, the sooner he could hold her again. It had been almost painful to lose that moment in the parts shop.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]

"A drone?" alarm seemed to shine within the hazel of Kaile's eyes. Brows shot forward in concentration, her eyes squinting as if to catch anything behind them. Her sight wasn't anything like those other Forcers with tracking skills, but it was enough to spot something if she concentrated enough. As Jay Four had said, it was out there, she couldn't see it, but she trusted the droid to believe it was there.

"Probably..." honestly she wasn't quite sure. However, she unholstered her stun blaster just in case.

"I'll keep a look out. " turning to Asmus and then Jay Four.

"How long until we rendezvous?"

[ Fifteen minutes and thirty-one seconds at this pace. ]

"Well, reckon we better keep our eyes peeled for anything within that time."

[ I am unable to peel my ocular sensors, Kaile.]

How strange to have him call her by that name.

 

[Asmus Janes]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

[We have two speeders keeping pace from the East] Jay announced suddenly. Asmus jerked his head in that direction but couldn't see anything. Must have been on Kay's sensors.

[However, I have checked the holonet against the silhouette of that drone. It appears to be a Horris 12. A commercial model that has been painted sky blue. It cannot match our top speed. We could perhaps lose it and then alter our course.]

Asmus slipped the spotting scope back onto his sidearm and then looked towards Kay.

"That's... Good work." For a PA droid Kay seemed quite capable of thinking on his own. Perhaps too many hours spent dreaming of excitement. This was just like ant naval engagement, only limited to two dimensions. Within his own head he scrutinised the map and considered what he knew.

"We could make for the canyon to the west that would make it harder to pick up a tail again. But if I were them I'd know that and look there. We might be better off going hard and fast and hoping to outrun them."

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]

"Burn hard and fast," was the quick response Kaile gave to the pair. A serious expression had settled upon the Agent's visage, her dark brows under her bangs slightly forward, jaw tense. Kaile took her blaster and gave a check up on her power pack.

"We'll see exactly what they want." turning to Jay Four. "Get us to the mine. If they want whatever cargo Madasun wants, likely they'll try and nab it on our way back than heading up there now." There was no sense in stopping them now. Not unless they were seeking to simply be scavengers. If whatever ore was a valuable as the Togruta had claimed, then these banta flies wouldn't be coming in to make their strike.

No..."They're just scoping us out..."

 

[Asmus Janes]

"Take it easy now," Asmus told Jay a few minutes later. "If we go rushing at the mines at full throttle they might get nervous.

Jay didn't reply, he just eased off the throttle and cruised in. They'd lost their drone, so now they needed to load up and get out quick before getting picked up again if possible.

Two men carrying a heavy crate between them side shuffled out to meet them. "We was told to expect ya," one of them called after appraising the group. Clearly they'd been described over the comms. They didn't even wait to load up the package, placing it close enough to nearly cut Kaile off from the Force.

 

[Asmus Janes]

The Subversion
Fourteen hours out, stealth cruise mode

"So, he didn't know she was..." Darek let the question trail off. Everything hurt, but he was stubbornly getting around the ship on his own. Besides, the pilots of the Subversion had always been an affable bunch and this time they had some new stories.

"Nope, didn't have a clue," Omar replied with a grin. The tension had slowly seeped away once they'd shaken the imperial cruisers and dropped down to an amber alert.

Darek shrugged. The pilot had always seemed a bit...Adventurous to get particularly attached to anyone in particular. But then, thinking about it, he probably thought the same about her. No point trying to be overprotective there.

"Right, I think I get it. But where did whiskey come into this again?"

"Oh don't worry about that," Omar said, leaning across the table with an easy smile. "Why don't you tell me a little more about yourself?"

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]

It was the odd almost numbing sensation that tipped Kaile off. It felt like static. Not as sharp as when she'd been within Bobo's sphere of influence, but more like a smothering blanket at the edge of her senses. As if, by all intents and purposes they were jammed. A frown took form over her face, one that Asmus might be able to pick up.

"What is this?" she would inquire, turning towards the men who had brought the crate on over to settle upon the skiff. The man to her right slipped off his cap, running the grimy back of his hand over his sweaty forehead. It left a black streak there that matched many others, as if he'd done it more than a dozen times already.

"You don't know?" that seemed to amused him. "Reckon it was just some high paying job eh?"

That didn't bode well.

"That be Voidstone." he told her, spitting a brown sludge out of his mouth and onto the ground.

"Some shards and some small rocks and bits. Some say it came from a larger rock... others form an old crash. Either way, some folk pay some top dollar for us to find as much as we can." he seemed right pleased with that.

Taking a shard from his pocket, he flipped it up in the air for Kaile to catch. As soon as she nabbed it, that fuzzy sensation grew worse. Yeah, it most definitely was affecting the Force.

"Seems folk with all them hoodoo don't like it much. Scrambles the senses or so."

 

[Asmus Janes]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

It took some self control not to get his hackles up. He didn't understand what was going on exactly and immediately grew suspicious of the package. Nothing about their demeanour aroused his suspicions and there was no sign of ant more of them emerging from the rocks. He spied some movement, but he expected guards around such a valuable mine.

The conversation made more sense, but it sent his mind back to Kaile's travelling companion. It seemed she read people through the Force to Asmus, but she'd trusted him. Had, in fact, see right through him.

"We need to move fast, take a wide loop rather than the straight route." He had more questions, but right now it seemed they were down an advantage and needed to get away.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]

"Yeah, you're right," Kaile added, but it was evident that her mind was now elsewhere. Her thumb would rub over the surface of the void stone chip. It had a quality to it that reminded her of obsidian.

Turning to Jay Four, Kaile gave the nod. "Let's secure these, " she told him, pocketing the void stone in her pocket for the present time. Having her senses dulled wasn't strange to her. Even with this she could still feel the Force as it would float around her, just that it was a bit fuzzy. It was nothing like with Bobo.

Maybe that's why she kept it in her pocket. It reminded her of the little lizard.

"I'll get these in the back." it was more than one crate and they were rather wide. Buckling down, Kaile set to securing them along with Jay Four.

Once they were done, they could head off back to Maduson.

 

[Asmus Janes]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

Asmus wasn't so proud as to demand that he helped load the crates. Not with one arm in a sling. Instead he kept his eyes on the horizon. One of the miners moved up to lean against the airspeeder next to him.

"They got so bold as to try us once. 'course it ain't so easy to take a mine with blast doors in the way and sharpshooters up the rocks above. But those fethers have been know to take heavier speeders than this."

Asmus cast the man a sideways glance. "We know what we're doing."

"Sure, but in case you wanted to know. They tend to send one speeder in from the front to get your attention, then sneak up behind with an ion gun. We picked up some survivors from a raid just last week."

Asmus nodded. "Thank you."

"Ain't no skin off my back. Best of luck."

As Jay took the controls and pulled away Asmus looked to Kaile. "Are you alright with this... Voidstone on board?" He asked. The concern in his eyes lasted just a moment before he returned to looking for trouble.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]

[SIZE=9pt]Kaile settled in beside Asmus, her expression a bit uneasy but not completely alarmed. At Asmus’ question she gave a small bite of her bottom lip right in the center. Not the ‘go time’ signal but more the ‘this is strange and troubling’ one. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]“It’s… a bit fuzzy.” it was obvious that it was a little bit hard for the agent to describe.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt][ We are ready for departure. ] Jay Four said, coming on behind them. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]“Thanks Jay Four.” Kaile offered a faint smile. With everything now secured, they could take the skiff and go. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]“I’ll figure it out later,” returning to Asmus, Kaile attempted to soothe any concerns. “Just… a bit strange, that’s all.” [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]“We should get going. The faster we deliver this the better.” which also meant the faster they’d fix the yacht and get back to the Subversion.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]Although a voice in the back of Kaile’s mind would nag if that was [/SIZE][SIZE=9pt]really[/SIZE][SIZE=9pt] what she wanted. [/SIZE]

 

[Asmus Janes]

“Alright,” Asmus replied. He gave her one final sideways glance before returning his attention to their surroundings. Similar thoughts had gone through his mind at the start of this. Being with Kaile around the market had been so…normal. A few days of normal would have been perfect and he would return to the idea of taking some leave together before the day was done.

At the same time being with the SIS required both his dedication to the cause of the Resistance as well as his love of adventure. If either of those pillars ever fell he would likely give up this life. Now a mad chase through the plains of Kayri with bandits in pursuit? That was normal to him in another sense of the word. No subterfuge here, no this was his youth all over again, but with Kaile here. In spite of everything, Asmus grinned.

They headed off at speed perpendicular to the route they’d arrived by. They passed several rock formations without incident, each time Asmus growing wary of an ambush.

[The drone is circling far to the east] Jay announced. [I do not believe it has spotted us yet]

Asmus turned and once more found himself unable to catch a glimpse of the tiny machine. If he had crashed in his X-Wing he might have had a rifle capable of shooting down the drone if it closed.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]

“Keep on going,” Kaile would quip, brows narrowing down. With the Voidstone in her pocket along with the crates nearby, her senses were smothered, hindering her access to the Force by making it feel as if trying to see through a thick fog.

“We’ll keep a watch out.” She kept her stun blaster in hand, checking it to dial it up towards a power level that could knock any human out.

“Here’s to hoping we don’t get anything bigger.” Kaile would murmur to herself. Brown eyes went up, sweeping across the landscape.

“How’s it going Jay?”

[ There is a small speeder south east of us.]

“Well, guess someone decided to show up.”

 

[Asmus Janes]

"The miner said they tend to ambush on two fronts. I'll keep an eye to the rear." Asmus spoke in a level tone. Whilst he enjoyed adventure there was always a cold moment when a fight started. The point where his analytical mind took over and appraised the situation. Wilson had once referred to it as the 'banter free minute'.

Asmus moved to the rear of the speed and unholstered the sporting blaster. It had a long muzzle and an exceptional scope. It was a little heavy, but in a reassuring way. He slipped his left hand free of his sling and found a comfortable shooting position. No point worrying about the shoulder if the alternative was worse.

[Another to the rear] Jay confirmed a moment later, picking it up before it crossed the horizon. [The first is angling to intercept head on, should I change course]

"Not yet," Asmus replied. "Keep us straight and steady as if you hadn't spotted them."

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]


“Hope you turned into a better shot than last time.” Kaile said in a half teasing tone, glancing over at [member="Asmus Janes"]. The barest glimmer of a hint of a smile caught at the corner of her mouth. Had to make jokes, it kept her mind busy and her focus clear.

The wind blew at her hair, there was so much sand being tossed around.

[ May I also have a blaster now? ]

That prompted a chuckle from Kaile. Both pairs of eyes turned to the droid.

“We kinda need you to keep us going straight Jay Four. Leave the pot shots to us.” for now at least. It would take them at least another twenty minutes to get back to Maduson. If these rustlers were going to make their move, it would be soon.

And fast.