It's a Long Way to the Top (Brooklyn, Karin)

[Ludo Dorian]

The great irony of a place like this backwater bar on Nal Hutta was that Ludo Dorian was the closest thing to a law enforcement officer on the premises. This was the Galaxy's wild west if there ever was one - the law of the land was whatever criminal conglomerate's turf one happened to be on at any given time. One would be hard-pressed to find an Imperial or Republic officer this far into lawless space, as evidenced by the fact that here, criminal dealings and transactions were often made right in the open. Still, the sovereignty of Black Sun was to be respected, and although Dorian was decidedly small-time, nothing more than a mere street enforcer - he was effectively the physical representation of Black Sun within the few hundred square feet encased by the unwashed walls of this cantina. This seedy shiithole was his domain.

Here, all business transactions with Black Sun had to go through him first. He would be the first one someone approached, and if necessary, the one to throw them back onto the street from whence they came. It was an altogether unglamorous lifestyle, which is why Ludo spent the greater part of his time at the bar, the alcohol content in his drinks steadily rising over time to cope with the long periods of boredom intermingled with short bursts of raucous activity that he would rather see someone else doing. Even the young stepson of a Black Sun Vigo had to start somewhere. Unfortunately, that somewhere was a lousy bar on a nowhere street in Nal Hutta, where the seats were never clean, the drinks never quite mixed right, and the strippers decidedly average.

It didn't help that today's weather on Nal Hutta was unforgivingly hot. Wiping a bead of sweat from his brow, Ludo sucked back on his glass, finishing the remains of a bright blue beverage that was inside it. He looked towards the door, wondering who the next person to walk through it would be, as it would inevitably be someone he would have to deal with.

 

[Natasi Fortan]

Nal Hutta was a cesspit, a horrible little backwater that could, for all Brooklyn cared, burn entirely to the ground. Except that it was possible to make a great deal of money there, which gave it a certain charm. But it still stank to high heaven, which is why despite the sweltering heat, Brooklyn Spencer wore a black scarf over her head like a hood, the ends wound around her and face to prevent her from inhaling too much of the noxious air.

The cantina's air quality was, by virtue of cigarette and deathstick smoke, even worse than the outdoors. She looked out from under her makeshift cowl as she entered, tucking her small, dewback hide clutch under her arm before taking the steps down into the main floor of the cantina. Gods, that stench. It was like living in a Hutt's latrine. And judging from the walls of the place, it might have been.

She had an appointment to meet with someone, someone who had a vested interest in some things very like the small computer chip device in her clutch--advanced and highly illegal weapons systems chips for starship systems. At least, the one in her bag was that; the ones in her plasteel crates being offloaded at the starport were not of quite the same quality. She would be surprised if they could calculate the trajectory of a proton torpedo, let alone the more complicated systems.

She stepped up to the bar and wiped her gloved hand along counter, wrinkling her nose until the bartender came over and grunted at her. "An eyeblaster, please. In a clean glass," she added, placing an extra coin on the table to show she meant business.

 

[Ludo Dorian]

There was something to be said about the woman that walked through the cantina doors next. For one thing, she was easy on the eyes - which was sometimes a rarity in these parts. Concurrently, she seemed to enter the bar with a sense of purpose, and Ludo assumed that it wasn't to order a drink, by herself, in one of Nal Hutta's more decrepit watering holes. There were plenty of other, nicer establishments for that, with better drinks and better people. Here, simply being alone was risky, especially for a pretty girl. This woman clearly had business.

Ludo tacitly approached her, a few minutes after she had ordered her drink. He sat unassumingly on a corner seat a few stools away, facing her. Around him, the bar was filled with the low din of conversation between the place's small number of seedy patrons, and the new hit single from the Coruscanti Growdi Quartet came on the jukebox. The bartender knew to replace Ludo's empty glass with a fresh beverage when he sat.

"If you've got any business, it's with me."

 

[Natasi Fortan]

The glass that contained Brooklyn's eyeblaster was clean...ish. It would suffice; the alcohol in the drink should have been enough to kill any lingering science projects that it might contain. She pushed the coins at the bartender and took a seat. Her long tunic formed a thigh-length skirt over her form-fitting leggings, tucked into fashionable and durable black dewback hide boots. Lifting the drink to her lips, she looked around the bar and then leaned back in the stool, crossing her legs.

She had an appointment in her datapad, a very important appointment with a very rich underworld Rodian. It was all very important. And very, very fake. It was part of a little scheme she had cooked up and been trying for awhile now. The price of goods went up at auction because people bid off one another. But exposing ones' actions to many people in the underworld was a recipe for disaster. So, she had invented the Rodian; her ship computer would be making it all up as it went along. She sensed a man approaching from her peripheral vision and reached for her clutch, snapping it open and withdrawing a small compact and a tube of lip gloss, which she applied as he sat down; apparently, she didn't notice him. Until he spoke, at least.

"Excuse me?" she murmured, peering at herself in her compact's reflection before looking over the top of them at Ludo, her pale and bright green eyes narrowing slightly. "You're not a Rodian at all."

 

[Ludo Dorian]

Well, that certainly wasn't what he was expecting to hear.

Obviously, this girl was either lost, confused, or looped on one of the myriad mind-altering substances available in this part of town. Or, she was looking for someone else. If that was the case, then it would be Ludo's job to find out who, and why.

"Last time I checked, no," He responded with a genuine smile, and took a sip from his fresh beverage.

Ludo allowed a few more moments of silence to linger in the air between them, before he leaned forward towards Brooklyn.

"Psst, c'mere," He said while curling his finger and narrowing his eyes at her. "Do you know where you are right now?"

 

[Natasi Fortan]

Brooklyn adopted a mystified look and pursed her freshly glossed lips. "Why... Nal Hutta, I expect. In a bar whose name I can't pronounce. Is that not right?" She cocked her head to the side, her asymmetrical bob making the movement seen more dramatic than it was. "You know, I get behind the wheel of my ship sometimes thinking I'll just pop down to the mall and then..." She shrugged and drained her glass, then set it on the counter and made a hand signal towards the bartender.

"I'm looking for a Rulo Tran," she said to Ludo. "He's supposed to meet me at this godforsaken hellhole of a bar and as of..." She picked up her datapad and activated the screen, glancing at the clock on its face. "...five minutes ago, he's late. Which is not only rude, but could be a real problem for him," Brooklyn added with a smile. She paused as the bartender came by to refill her drink, visibly stiffening until he left before regarding Ludo suspiciously.

"Do you know where you are? Aside from in Rulo Tran's seat, that is."

 

[Ludo Dorian]

Ludo smiled.

"I think you're confused," He said, keeping his pleasant grin on his face.

He was surprised at how quickly she gave up information, though Rulo Tran was not a name he recognized. Perhaps she expected him to recognize it.

"See, there's no Rodian named Rulo Tran in these parts. If there was, I'd know about it. Because he'd be conducting his business with me."

Ludo folded his hands on the table and lowered his chin at Brooklyn.

"And that's what you should be doin' too, if you've got any. Otherwise, you're in the wrong part of space, girl."

 

[Natasi Fortan]

Brooklyn shrugged. "There are these things these days called starships, with really fast engines so you can get between systems. Although don't let the word get out around these people; things on Nal Hutta really ought to stay on Nal Hutta." She rolled her eyes and lifted her drink, examining the glass for a moment before apparently thinking better of it and setting the glass down. "Anyway. You'd never heard of me until I showed up in this sad little bar. Doesn't mean I'm not here."

She paused for a moment and craned her neck to glance behind her. "Although if Tran doesn't get himself here pretty soon I might dance with the one who brung me." Brooklyn turned back toward Ludo and smiled. "If you're as much a player as you seem to indicate. Although--what are you, twelve? Perhaps I should be dealing with your papa."

 

[Ludo Dorian]

The sour expression on Ludo's face let Brooklyn know he didn't appreciate her sarcasm. He didn't anticipate having to use his "backup", in the form of four large Malastarian bouncers lurking ominously in the shadows, on this girl, but he would if he had to. Usually once a day, Ludo's Black Sun lackeys got to put their muscle to use, and sometimes it was on the unlikeliest of people.

"A big mouth is so unbecoming on such a pretty face."

He leaned back, smoothing out his long, black jacket, although it was already impeccably ironed, and ran a hand around its collar.

"Let's cut to the chase. You're on Black Sun territory. You can make all the appointments you like with Rodians named Rulo Tran... but as long as you're here, your business is Black Sun's business. And by extension, that makes it my business."

 

[Natasi Fortan]

She might have stifled a yawn if she had thought of it on the spot. These small-time gangsters and their egos. She sighed and unclasped her clutch, withdrawing a small platinum cigarette case, which she opened and drew a cigarette from. "Have you got a light?" she asked before slipping the cigarette between her lips and leaning forward. Once lit, she pulled, causing the end of the cigarette to glow a little. She lowered the cigarette and exhaled gently, the smoke clouding between them.

"What's your game, friend?" she asked, leaning casually back in her seat. She put her boot up on the lower rung of Ludo's stool and slipped her cigarette back between her lips for another drag, another exhale. "Are you looking for a cut? I'm just here to meet my associate and we'll make our trade back at the starport. What entitles you to a slice, hm?"

She reached past his arm to tap ashes from her cigarette, then fixed him with a cool green gaze. "Or are you just used to people rolling over when you start speaking about everything being your business?" She smirked at this, her lips tugging up on one side. "Whatever. Rodian or not, I've got hardware. If you've got credits, we can talk."

 

[Ludo Dorian]

"Game?" Ludo replied. "I'm just doing my job."

My very irritating, shitty job.

After offering her a light from the recesses of his coat pocket, Ludo put it back from whence it came. He met her gaze, his smile from before having disappeared into a stern glare.

"I should be asking you the same thing. What entitles you to think you can do business on our turf? A cut would be appropriate. Unless you've got yourself a death wish... or you're looking to sell directly to us."

He squinted at her between the smoke in the air.

"Do I have credits. What a silly question. My superiors can pay for anything you're selling, and then some. And that all depends on your goods. So let's have a look."

 

[Natasi Fortan]

Brooklyn smiled tightly. "This is Nal Hutta," she replied, shrugging her shoulders. "It's kind of comical to me that you think even you can control that which happens on Nal Hutta. Or that by sheer virtue of saying so I should include you in my transaction, especially when you keep referring to your superiors. Why on this sad little planet would I deal with you? Your superiors, on the other hand, well--they're of interest to me if they've got the credits." She leaned back in her seat and studied her fingernails for a few moments before looking up to Ludo.

"Wait, wait. Let me guess. You can't get me in to see your superiors because they don't deal with the riff-raff until you verify the supply. Gods, you're all the same." She snapped her clutch open once more and removed the small computer chip. In her palm it looked like nothing; you could smash it with the base of a glass or damage it by dropping it on the floor. But put it in a weapons system and it could wreak thousands of credits worth of damage. It was a highly illegal modification chip, highly illegal because of its ability to make weapons systems more effective.

"The XZR 12," she announced quietly. "Adaptable to any size vehicle, with the most efficient algorithms yet developed to give your craft the edge against similarly kitted vessels without the XZR 12. Retails at twenty thousand apiece, but only available to government actors. I've come across a crate of ten. Mr. Tran agreed to pay double. Let's call this cut you insist upon ten thousand apiece as a discount and I'll let them go at a very generous twenty-five thousand apiece. Yes? Another drink," she called to the bartender, holding the nondescript black chip up for Ludo's perusal.

 

[Ludo Dorian]

"My superiors," Ludo leaned forward, narrowing his eyes at Brooklyn, "Trust me with their business matters. You deal with them, that means you deal with me."

Once that matter had been settled, inasmuch as Ludo thought it was, he picked up the chip carefully from the bar table. Holding it in the air, he examined it with one eye, the neon lights of the bar silhoetting it from behind. It seemed to be the real thing. He wouldn't ask how this unassuming young woman happened to "come across" a crate of them; this wasn't his concern. What concerned him was how valuable these things would be to Black Sun. Having seen similar dealings for similar products in the past, Dorian knew they were sought after.

"My my," He said, twirling the chip around in his fingers and then looking towards Brooklyn, "You're just full of surprises. Twenty two thousand apiece. Black Sun will take them all off your hands now, and you'll walk out of this bar two-hundred and twenty thousand credits richer."

 

[Natasi Fortan]

"I'm sorry," Brooklyn said with a polite smile as a fresh drink was placed in front of her. "Were you given to understand that this was a negotiation?" She lowered her cowl and ran her hand through her hair, so that it settled around her face in its asymmetrical bob shape. She lifted her glass and took a sip before setting it down, leaning forward to speak quietly, without being overheard by the entire bar. This lackey was a handsome little man, and perhaps unused to hearing the word 'no'. He did have something of the look of a spoiled child.

It was nothing Brooklyn hadn't seen before.

"If you think I'm going to let them go for twenty-two, you're out of your mind." She looked bemused, her chilly stare crinkling about the eyes. "I think not, Mister... well, it doesn't matter, does it, so we'll call you Mister Lackey." She reached over and plucked the device back out of his fingers and examined it thoughtfully. "I'd rather wait for Mr. Tran and sell at the agreed upon price, give you your sad little cut--ten thousand each--and I walk away with thirty thousand apiece. Either way, I'm not beginning to think of letting these go for anything under twenty-five."

 

[Ludo Dorian]

"You could sell them to Mr. Tran," Ludo nodded, scratching his chin as his eyes glossed over Brooklyn, inspecting her. "But then you won't be leaving this planet alive."

The price, after all, for defying the rule of Black Sun on Nal Hutta, was far steeper than the business stipends they demanded. "Wait here," Ludo said, and, with a furrowed brow and a rather irritated look on his face, set off towards a dark corner of the bar.

Once there, he pulled out a small pocket holocommunicator from his black jacket, and activated it. Brooklyn was a hard negotiator, so he would have to see how much his superiors were willing to pay for the goods she offered. What he was sure of, however, was that Black Sun would indeed be interested. After a short, private, holo-conversation with his overseer, Ludo's suspicions were confirmed. Deactivating the holocomm and putting it back into his jacket pocket, he discreetly crossed back towards his former seat at the bar.

"My superiors are willing to pay you well for these goods," He said in a low tone, narrowing his eyes at her. "They have agreed to twenty-four per chip. It is a generous offer - four thousand above market value. I do suggest you take it."

 

[Natasi Fortan]

Brooklyn sputtered a laugh into her drink at this threat. Why had she not seen this coming? "Yes, yes," she said, very obviously humoring the man. When he invited her to wait, she waved her hand disinterestedly. "By all means," she told him, leaning back in her seat and taking another sip of her drink, the sip that had been forsaken while laughing at his threats. She drained the glass before he had returned.

"Done," she answered simply. She plucked a data chip from her clutch and handed it over to him. "Have the credits wired to this account and meet me at the starport, berth number 94B, in two hours. No credits, no hardware, do we understand each other? There's a good chap," she said, patting his arm genially as she moved past him.

"Oh, and Mister Lackey?" she said, turning back towards him as she pulled her scarf up over her head again. "The crate is the size of a blaster pistol case. There will be no need to bring friends. See you soon."

 

[Ludo Dorian]

Ludo furrowed his brow.

"Black Sun will decide how much manpower will be appropriate," He replied sternly. "You can expect your payment the good old fashioned way - cash."

It wouldn't do to simply wire the money to her, with no guarantee of getting the goods in return. His bosses would never forgive him for a grave mistake such as that. Ludo didn't particularly enjoy walking around with so many credits on his person, but sometimes the job required it.

And so it was, that an hour and a half later, Ludo found himself in Docking Bay 94B of the starport, awaiting Brooklyn Spencer. He was with two other men on each shoulder - extra security for the transaction - while he personally carried the suitcase containing 240,000 Galactic Credits. There was a ship in the bay, which he presumed belonged to the girl. Strangely, he didn't know her name yet... he would have to remedy that before the deal was done.

 

[Natasi Fortan]

If Ludo was a careful observer, he would notice a single laser cannon following his progress, ready to blast him to very small pieces if he made any sudden moves. The family that scammed together stayed together. Brooklyn heard the chime of a visitor and made her way down the gangway. She had kept the boots and form-fitting slacks, but ditched the long tunic in favor of a spaghetti-strap top in black. The scarf remained around her head and mouth, hiding her smile.

"Mister Lackey," she said cordially, swinging her arm with the data chips, as if she had just encountered an old friend in the street and was catching up. "How lovely to see you again. And you brought money, what a thoughtful guest. " She gestured to the nearby coolant station and walked over, facing him opposite the small, waist-high unit built into the ground. "If you show me yours, I'll show you mine," she said with a wink before setting her case down on the station, her thumbs drumming the top as she waited.

 

[Ludo Dorian]

"The name's Dorian," Ludo corrected her, finally having grown tired of the moniker Brooklyn applied to him. "And if this little transaction goes over well, you might see more of me."

He followed her over to the coolant station, with his two henchmen in tow, similarly garbed in black, and with expressionless faces. Once Brooklyn put her case down, Ludo brought his suitcase forward and held it out horizontally before him. With a purely businesslike demeanor, he flipped the locking mechanisms on both ends and opened the top of the case, revealing its contents. There, neatly stacked, were countless credits.

"It's all there, if you'd like to count it," Ludo assured her. "Now, let's see the chips."

 

[Natasi Fortan]

"Spencer," she replied simply. "And unless you somehow manage to develop the talent and ambition to get off this hellhole of a planet, we shall never meet again. I have no intention of ever setting foot on this place again. I mean, gods alive, I'll have to burn my entire wardrobe just for being here," she said, beginning to spin the dials of her locked case. Her thumbs worked over the dials for a few moments as she watched him pop the case.

Her eyes tracked over the credits and she felt herself smile slowly. "I don't need to count your credits, Mr. Dorian-Lackey. And now, as promised, still in their sealed crate..."

She flipped the lid of the box to expose a small black box inside, big enough for ten of the chips to stack in between small foam separators. "Well, there you are. Ten, as promised." She folded her arms and smiled at Ludo, her green eyes alight. "Open it, if you like. Count, by all means." The chips were identical on the outside to the one she had showed him. It was only when they were installed in the ships that the fraud would be apparent. She pushed the chips over to him and pulled the credits towards her to examine. "This will do quite nicely."