No, Officer

[Alistair Fenn]

Coruscant - Senate District Starport
[member="Delila Castillon"]

Coruscant was the perfect place for someone like him, well, close to it.

Just about the only other place that he would have chosen over it was Nar Shaddaa. The reason for that was simple; Coruscant was so big that looking after every ship and person that came in and out was simply and entirely impossible. A trillion beings was a hell of a lot of people to look after, much to the eternal thankfullness of people like Alistair. It added a bit of...freedom to things.

Freedom he enjoyed.

Of course you still had to be subtle about certain things, mainly just how you actually did business.

Alistair just happened to be the most subtle of all, something that greatly enhanced his prestige in this place. He smiled slightly, touching his lips as he looked at the small briefcase that he had been given. The thing contained Firegems, something that was rare...but also highly illegal due to their rather unnatural properties. This batch specifically had been stolen from a merchant on Coruscant, not that Alistair knew that particular fact.

His job either way was to get them off world.

Though first he had to get back to his ship.

 

[Delila Castillon]

[member="Alistair Fenn"] | Coruscant | Senate District



Delila was used to the Senate District by now.Overly crowded, hot with the nonsense spewed by politicians, the false safety it used to lure people in. It was the type of place she typically avoided at all costs. However when one worked for the Royal House of Alderaan as a security consultant, the Senate District was the last place one could avoid. The Alderaan Embassy was located on the edge of the District and saw a good deal of traffic. Traffic typically meant crime. Her job was making sure a minimal amount of crime happened to the Embassy and Royal House.


Eyes scanned a datapad in the large office. Director of Security for the Embassy was there, as well as a few others, looking over the latest reports.


"Theft is on the rise. Or perhaps its just being reported more."


"Perhaps its those Free Coruscant nutbags." Delila found the group itself to be amusing but each to their own. She kept a close eye on them however. "Trying to make a point?"


"We've encountered little with them beyond protests but it could be fringe individuals, yes."

 

[Alistair Fenn]

[member="Delila Castillon"]

Alistair continued his jaunty little walk through the starport.

Things were rather unexciting here, something that he was thankful for. He knew that those crazy Coruscant First folk were running about, he'd seen the graffiti everywhere, but for now it seemed that they were remaining as quiet as possible. Perhaps it was the Alliance cracking down, or maybe something a bit more egalitarian, but Alistair didn't really particularly care which it was. He was just glad that no random security screenings had been set up.

Explaining what was in his case would...well not be pleasant at all.

"Excuse me ma'am." Alistair said rather politely as he passed by a large Besalisk in a bikini. The woman glared at him as though he had grabbed her bosom, but he simply decided to ignore that fact. This wasn't the time to fall into petty arguments. He was supposed to be doing all of this beneath the eye of security and anyone else that might ask questions.

Wouldn't do to draw any attention.

Quickly without another word Alistair made his way towards the last hangar bay.

 

[Delila Castillon]

[member="Alistair Fenn"]


Tanned liquid swirled around in her caf mug emblazoned with the Royal House of Alderaan seal. The redhead took a long sip of the caf, the others in the room sparking off her comment made on the Free Coruscant or Coruscant First folks, concerned over the impacts it made on the schedule for visiting dignitaries. If traffic and chaos were allowed to reign, it left the VIPs sitting ducks. Conversation meandered back to the topic at hand and concerns with theft.


"Firegem theft is on the rise again. We've heard only rumors so far. Rumors of local warlords looking to take the risk and fence them on the black market, possibly to the Sith or First Order. I'm sure some idiot will make an attempt sooner than later."


"Does the Royal House have any in possession?"


"We do. Some located here and some on Alderaan. We're thinking with the chaos caused by Coruscant First that possibly a strike here could occur. Security tends to be tighter on Alderaan as well, given this location it is typically a rotating door..."

 

[Alistair Fenn]

[member="Delila Castillon"]

Money was the center of the galaxy.

The Sith and Jeid claimed that it was the force, that everything was pre-ordained and ruled over by a simple touch of whatever mystical energy field plagued them, but people like Alistair knew the truth. It was money that allowed the governments of the galaxy to function. It was money that let the Sith build fleets and the Jedi hold together the armies that fought them.

Money was at the center of everything.

That was why he was stuck carrying firegems. They were rare, they were extremely expensive, and they made the perfect thing to liquidate for some funds. Alistair was no stranger to that fact, it was why he had a firegem necklace around his neck. It was a source of easy money, and although he had no real idea whom he was carrying this particular bundle for...it was more than clear that they likely didn't intend on good deeds with the funds that they would bring.

Not that he cared.

Turning a corner Alistair continued to head through the staport, reaching the hangar bay with his ship.

 

[Delila Castillon]

[member="Alistair Fenn"]

 

[Delila Castillon]

[member="Alistair Fenn"]


It wouldn't take too long for Embassy security to discover the firegems were missing. There were normal rounds and it was quite clear a cursory glance in the direction of the gem case proved they were gone. Problem was, no alarms had sounded. No guard had reported anything suspicious. No odd characters. No unusual behaviors surrounding the time period of the estimated theft.


Threats were being yelled. Cameras and security systems were being checked. Time had to be pinpointed and suspect tracked. By now there was a made scramble and ensuing chaos, underlings being yelled at left and right. Lockdown occurred but it was just for show - naturally it was too little too late.


Of course, the suspect was far gone by now.

 

[Alistair Fenn]

[member="Delila Castillon"]

The Mara was sitting in the same cozy place that he had left it, a near abandoned hangar bay that most people had entirely forgotten about.

Alistair smiled when he saw his ship, the old rusted hinges on the door, the small snips of hull that had been peeling off. To most people the vessel would have been little more than just a piece of junk, but for Alistair it was home. Of course that home would likely soon fall under extreme suspicion, but he didn't know that.

The smuggler had no idea that the Firegems he was carrying were owned by the Embassy, he had no idea that someone was going to miss them, and he had no idea that he had left a trail of evidence behind him on the security feeds of the starport. Had he known Alistair would have been much more careful, taken a different path and headed in twenty different directions, but as it stood he had been played for a fool. The why of it might be revealed later.

"Alright lets get out of here." He said to himself quietly.

 

[Delila Castillon]

[member="Alistair Fenn"]



Royals, diplomats and so-called VIPs were commonplace in Coruscant. Nearly every planet sent a representative they sent to the Core to lobby on their behalf in some way. Rub shoulders with other governments in order to perhaps make a gain for themselves. As a result, everyone thought they were important in the Senate and surrounding Embassy 'district' of sorts. Coruscant Police were used to odd requests, drama queens and prima donnas all competing for a chance to feel special or different.


Delila pressed her luck, reminding Coruscant Police her Embassy was well policed internally and that they had never asked for the police department to play security for them. In the end her wish was granted.


Locking down all spaceports in a small radius, in addition to a few strategic checkpoints. No one was moving from the District for a few hours at the minimum.

 

[Alistair Fenn]

[member="Delila Castillon"]

"What the kark do you mean no one is getting clearance?" Alistair swore loudly into the receiver, his scowl deepening as he got his response.

"Sorry, order came down a few minutes ago. Guess they're looking for someone."​

​

The words were like a stabbing pain in his side.

He'd been careful...wait, no he hadn't been careful because he hadn't thought anyone would be following him. A frown settled on the Smugglers lips and slowly he turned to look at the case he'd so nonchalantly thrown onto his passenger seat. Fingers twitched slightly, and he considered popping the case open and seeing what was inside. "No."

The word was said quickly.

"That got you in trouble last time." He could do this, he knew exactly how...he just had to be careful about it. With deft fingers he scooped up the case and rushed back towards the cargo hold of his ship, popping open the smugglers hatch and carefully placing the black briefcase inside.

Just as he sealed it back up, Alistair heard a knock at his bulkhead.

 

[Delila Castillon]

[member="Alistair Fenn"]


Despite not being completely responsible for the security breakdown that led to the firegem theft, she was not exempt in helping fan out. Eyes squinted in the bright sunlight bouncing off gleaming buildings. Traffic Control had put in a flight hold on all outbound flights in a decent radius. Her current location was a spaceport located in the Political District.


Flashlight in hand she knocked on the bulkhead of a vessel docked in a nearby bay. According to reports this one had tried taking off moments prior. Someone was inside. Delila merely wanted to 'talk'.


"Open up, Coruscant Police and Embassy Security. We know you're in there."

 

[Alistair Fenn]

[member="Delila Castillon"]

His skin began to crawl, almost as a sort of natural reaction to the words "Police".

Alistair had his fair share of run ins with the law, both good and bad, though mostly bad. Generally the type of worlds that he liked to hang out on had authorities that were on the...looser side of things. On Coruscant it was different of course, particularly with the Alliance having just moved in. Everyone was stern, everyone was serious, and nobody was in the mood for jokes. He frowned as he sealed the smugglers compartment, the wall looking just as ordinary as any other.

"Just a minute!" He called as he took off his shirt. "Just getting out of bed."

Alistair glanced at the reflective hull, scraggling up his hair a bit then stomping up and down the ship to make it seem like he was somewhere else before heading back into the cargo bay.

After a few more seconds he pulled on the ramp switch, attempting his best to look groggy. "What the hell do you want? I got an early run and I'm trying to catch some sleep."

 

[Delila Castillon]

[member="Alistair Fenn"]


Delila arced an eyebrow. Not quite what she expected to find and had more or less expected to be shot at. Still could happen, if the man in question was attempting to look tired it wasn't working. It was possible he had just woken but instincts were telling her otherwise. A ploy to get out of inspection? As if she personally cared he was tired.


"Then you can sleep in hyperspace."


A pause.


"Since you've been sleeping, you aren't aware traffic has been put on hold. Conducting a search with local authorities, we'll need to have a look around."

 

[Alistair Fenn]

[member="Delila Castillon"]

"Wow." Alistair said, frowning at the woman. "I didn't realize that Coruscant had become a police state overnight."

He had always been good at this sort of thing, deflecting. It usually worked with less experienced security officers, particularly if they didn't care much about their jobs in the first place. Generally the idea was to annoy someone to the point that they just left you alone. It was easier for them, and much better for him. Of course it meant digging into his bag of tricks, but hey he was willing to go there if it meant no search of his personal property.

"So much for Alliance safety and civil rights." He stood up straighter.

"I came here because of liberties that were offered." The Smuggler let out a wry chuckle. "Might as well go to Sith Space."

He rolled his eyes, but notably didn't budge off the ramp and out of her way.