Public New Maps

[Vincello De'Cadera]

Nar Shaddaa - New Vertica

"Shit shit shit!" The sound of clattering durasteel echoed out as Vin crashed into an assortment of durasteel canisters and tibanna drums. His boots skidded across the ground as he pushed out from the heavy metal. Feet thudding against the ground as the sound of blaster fire echoed out in the alleyway behind him. Scorch marks bursting out on the wall where he'd stood just a few seconds ago.

His heart thundered in his chest, and for a moment Vin almost stopped and tried to pull the Stun-blaster tied to his thighs. Fingers fumbling down, only to nearly drop the small datachit still clutched between his fingers. "Fuck."

The Catrographer swore as he instead continued to book it down the alleyway. The boot steps behind him rang out loud enough to spur him into somehow going faster. A collection of Weequay, Twi'lek, and Gamorrean mercenaries chasing after him with a speed one would not expect from the latter of the species. Their threatening calls echoing out through the near empty passageway in Nar Shadsaa's ever twisting maze. He ran as fast as he could, dashing over empty containers and a few men whose place he would gladly have taken in that moment.

Vin never expect the night to take the turn it had. His offer had been a good one, at least he thought. A new path discovered into the midst of the core, short a few jumps than some of the old smuggling routes. It would bypass a few tolls and even security check-points. Not quite a straight line to Coruscant, but something damn well close to it. He'd marked the path on his last run, discovering it through research and just a bit of starmapping in the midst of a high. To his surprise, it worked out, and upon his return to New Vertica he'd offered to sell the path to Tuluk the Hutt.

He'd thought the stupid slug trustworthy, or at least smart enough not to try to double cross him, but like so many of her kind Tuluk had gotten greedy.

At the end of their negotiations the Hutt had decided she'd rather keep both the money and the map, and had immediately ordered his execution.

It was only his terminal paranoia that had kept him from getting killed. Mapping a way out in the haze of his anxiety before Tuluk had ever ordered her men to pull their blasters. Not that getting out of the building had helped much. As soon as they'd shoved out onto the streets Tuluk's men had made no secret of their chase, cutting through every corner and doing whatever they could to catch up to Vin.

No surprise really, given the millions the map could save their boss. All he'd asked for was a few hundred-thou. It'd been a bargain really, a fucking dea- Another loud pop interrupted Vin's line of thought. The blaster mark erupting on the wall just ahead of him as he cursed and desperately took another turn. "Shit."

He cursed again, desperate to get away as he turned another corner.

 

[Keys]

Simple jobs never end up being simple.

The Zeltron was sent to Nar Shaddaa by his new employer, Jolly Walker . The pirate had recently taken control of The Exchange, a criminal organization that operated underneath the Black Sun Syndicate. But since their collapse, the was a large power vacuum that needed to be filled. Keys was sent here to meet up with some Black Sun holdouts who were former guards at Ashline Terminal. They were not leaving the Underworld anytime soon, but they were after a job with a bit more security.

Honestly, it was his mistake for stopping for a drink. His pockets started to fill up with some credits with this new gig, so some alcohol could be purchased every now and then. Exactly what he needed. But to no surprise, as with most places on Nar Shaddaa, gunfire erupted outside the bar. This time, however, the blaster bolts careened directly into the bartender's shoulder. Acting out of pure adrenaline, the man used his only good arm to raise a blaster pistol and fire right back at the mercenaries.

Keys happened to be sitting in the middle of all of this.

His eyes darted around, scanning for any sign of cover. Getting out of his seat, he began to run, blaster pistol drawn. However, he bumped straight into tall, jittery man, falling into a nearby crate.

"Hey, watch it pal!"

By the look in the stranger's eyes, it seemed as if he was the one the mercenaries were chasing. Great, just great. Lifting the barrel of his weapon, he began to fire at the pursuers.

"Don't just stand there! You gonna help or what?"

Vincello De'Cadera