Private Not Far Enough

[Vetru]

[member="Wrenarias"]

The Banshur Fields were on a quiet, sleepy moon a long way from the Core. They built ships out here. Or at least they built enough of a ship using the rich resources of the moon that they could lift it into space to finish the job.

Vetru looked down at the frames as he glided the Azimuth down towards the ground. Whilst he could see the sparks of arc-welders and ants that must have been workers and droids scurrying around it did not look like a place of industry from here. Those skeletal frames and slabs of durasteel reaching skyward made it look more like a graveyard.

The Azimuth was an egregious splash of colour on a muted landscape. He came to a stop a long way from the nearest settlement and carefully eased the ship down. He flicked a long and complex series of heavy steel switches until the ship’s engines finally went silent.

Dwaaa-arp

“No Enneye, you’re going to watch the ship.”

Bra-apa-p

“I don’t care how much you need to stretch your repulsors this is not the kind of place I’m leaving the Azimuth on its own. Keep your sensors on and comm me if anyone takes an interest.”

Bee-dweep?

“Then you zap ‘em.”

The little white and orange disk floated after him and watched him down the ramp. Vetru pulled the hood of his coat up and over his horns, shielding himself from the sand on the wind. Behind him the ramp hissed as it slowly closed. He had a short walk to reach the Blue Star Bar.



Fasteen checked his puck. The holo-image of the zabrak slowly rotated in cerulean light. The rodian looked up through the viewport at the dull born orb he had tracked his quarry to. There was a code that everyone in the Guild followed. He had always seen it as more like guidelines. Those guidelines, in his mind, were really a series of costs to be broken.

For instance, he was not supposed to torture. However, his latest client had forwarded a hefty sum for this bounty to have a protracted ending. All because the Zabrak had ‘not only stolen my shipment of spice but eloped with my cousins daughter to Zeltron.’

In Fasteen’s mind fair was fair. He enjoyed breaking the rules when the price was right.

 

[Wrenarias]

Getting stuck on a dust ball of a planet with no real prospects of a ride off said rock had been less than ideal. Wren was able to find menial work in the shipyards, piecing ships together with one sheet of durasteel at a time. It was tedious work, to be sure, but it at least allowed her to rent a rundown room in one of the transient dorms while she figured out a way to get to her next destination.

Unfortunately, the pay only covered the rent and enough for food -- both establishments also happened to be owned by the corporation that built the ships. It was all one big racket.

She'd gotten sucked into this vicious cycle in an attempt to glean information about her missing mentor. Kelina had apparently spent some time on the destitute planet, but so far all Wren had been able to determine was that the mirialan had been something of an alcoholic during her tenure here.

Which was understandable... there wasn't much else to do on this hell hole.

There were dancers idly gyrating on the stage in the corner of the rundown bar. They aren't very good, Wren thought dully to herself. She could have made more money dancing in a place like this... but she absolutely refused to subject herself to that. And she also doubted that anyone would actually hire her for that sort of work, considering the scars and prosthetic lekku she now bore. She considered that a small blessing.

Her lavender eyes flicked towards the door as it hissed open, watching a man that looked to be a zabrak saunter inside. He walked as if he owned the bar, which was amusing to see. It meant he wasn't a local, which piqued her interest.


[member="Vetru"]

 

[Vetru]

Vetru cast his gaze across the bar. He took the time to study the dark depths of every corner as he tried to walk casually across the room. There was no sign of his man so he took a stool at the bar. It would have been easy enough to spot his contact in this crowd so he just needed to be patient.

One of the dancing girls reached him before the bartender, stepping inelegantly over the drinks to reach him. An outsider likely had more credits in his pocket than anyone working here.

"No thanks," Vetru said calmly, looking up at her. He placed a credit chit down anyway which vanished quickly with the girl back down to the far end of the bar.

"Get you something?" asked the bartender. He walked up 'cleaning' a glass with his apron. The only thing that apron could possibly clean was pure mud.

"Ale please," Vetru replied. To his dismay that glass was apparently for him. Another credit chit went down in the bar.

 

[Wrenarias]

"Hmm..." She mused to herself, watching Vetru curiously over the rim of the glass that she was drinking from.

The newcomer wasn't tempted by the dancers and he barely seemed interested in the drink that was being poured for him. In fact, it looked as if he was expecting someone to meet him judging by the way that he glanced around at the inhabitants of the establishment.

Wrenarias sensed an opportunity.

She polished off the last of her glass and stood up, making her way over to the bar to find a spot next to the new arrival. The empty was glass was set down on the counter and she gestured to the bartender. "Just top me off whenever you get a chance, Luis."

Her gaze flicked to Vetru while she waited.

"Looking for someone in particular?" She asked the zabrak, arching a brow ever so slightly.


[member="Vetru"]

 

[Vetru]

How was she out here in this bar? One eyebrow arched up and then he made a soft noise of disappointment.

"I'm afraid I'm here for business. Looking for a short bothan fella about this high?"

Vetru tried to put on a casual air. Unfortunately he always managed to look a little bit shifty. It wasn't a good trait for a smuggler and infobroker. He even had genuine business with his contact. Business which was of course a front for a plan to illegal smuggler ship parts off world and put them into the black market.

There was no pretense in the noise of disappointment. All the way out to the Rim and now he was suddenly of interest to the dancing girls and a twilek at the bar. Something to note for the future.

 

[Wrenarias]

Wren clicked her tongue at the man's response, placing a hand on her hip. An amused smirk tugged at the corner of her lips.

"Good, because business is what I wanted to talk." She countered back at him, then glanced towards the exit.

There were a few bothans that she knew of that worked in the area, though she'd only been here for a relatively short period of time. The number was easier to narrow down, since there were only a handful who dealt with off-worlders directly.

"Your bothan not here? I might know where to track someone like that down. You have a ship, I take it?" She was never very good about talking around a subject. If she had something she wanted to ask, she just came right out and said it.

 

[Vetru]

Well that mystery was unravelled really very quickly. If she was with the authorities - or whatever passed for that here - then she was not being subtle about her line of questioning.

"Don't really need a tracker," he chuckled. "But I'm all ears until he gets here."

Vetru paused for a moment, chanting his head to one side and waiting for the bartender to pass.

"Got something to ship off world?" he asked. He took every opportunity that came his way and their time was limited now.

 

[Wrenarias]

The twi'lek laughed at Vetru's question, nodding to the bartender as he refilled her drink and then kept walking. Even her laugh was kept relatively quiet, and she spoke to the zabrak in a low voice.

"Yeah. I need something shipped off world. Me. I don't care where you're going, but I want on your ship when you jet out of here." She said matter-of-factly, nodding once.

 

[Vetru]

"Are you wanted? Why you going nowhere in particular?"

Vetru's eyes narrowed. He was immediately suspicious of her motives. The zabrak had to wonder what might have been her motivation. A ship thief would have been more savvy. A bounty hunter more direct.

When it came to his ship he was very, very particular about who he let on board. It was his home, his livelihood. The last he had of his mother.

 

[Wrenarias]

"I don't have a bounty on my head, if that's what you're asking." She clarified, resting her elbow on the counter while the other hand came to rest against the curve of her hip. How did someone explain that they didn't have a destination in mind, because they didn't know where to even go? All she knew was that she just needed to keep moving. Staying put in one place for too long would surely attract attention, or cause some sort of trouble. And she definitely didn't want to be stuck in this cesspool for the rest of her life.

"I'm just trying to move on to the next stop, y'know? Staying put in one spot for too long just doesn't sit well with me. If you need repairs, or modifications done to the ship, I can do those. Free of charge." She said with a nervous, but warm, smile.

 

[Vetru]

His eyes widened. Vetru did not like anyone else touching his ship. Even when it was a repair he couldn't do himself he watched the maintenance crews like a hawkbat.

"Hmm," he went, looking down at his ale. The offer obviously wasn't going to come with any form of payment. It didn't cost him much in extra fuel or food for one more passenger on the way back. He tried to think if there were any jobs where Enneye wasn't enough help to get them done.

Through the haze of the bar a red beam appeared. Vetru frowned at it. He turned slowly on his rotating bar stool to see it sweeping in from a window. The beam slowly moved until a small red dot had settled on his chest.

"Ah."

He actually took a moment to finish his ale and set it down before putting his hands up.

"Vetru!" called a voice in a thick rodian accent. Everyone in the bar was looking. It sounded as if the voice was being artificially projected. Vetru couldn't see them. Just the red dot on the glass window.

"[I have an official contract for you under the bounty hunter's guild. Alive. Step out with your hands up.]" The order came in rodian.

Vetru grimace and slid carefully down from his stool. "Im afraid you'll have to ask the next tourist for a lift," he apologised to the twilek. He hadn't even picked up her name.

 

[Wrenarias]

This would be the third ship to come and go without her on board. Wrenarias simply wasn't going to let this pass her by. There was no telling how long it would be until the next ship stopped at the ship construction yards... or that the next ship wouldn't have an inquisitor on board. Best to move on before one showed up.

She swung around on her stool, exhaling a breath before she quickly finished her drink.

"Or... I help you get to your ship and you take me with you." She said in a low, standing up to walk towards the door.

 

[Vetru]

"This is a guild bounty hunter," Vetru said quietly as he wasted some time bringing his hands up above his head. "Got a chance of getting the drop on him but its not great."

He cast a sidelong glance at the twi'lek. She looked out of place here, but he didn't see anything that made him think she would be well placed to keep a bounty hunter off his back.

"Probably best you wait for the next ship."

Vetru walked slowly towards the door, keeping both hands against his head.

 

[Wrenarias]

The twi'lek shrugged at Vetru's response and reached into her jacket to pull out what looked to be a small, silver baton. She clicked a button on the side and a handle extended, given the weapon enough length to be swung with both hands. A brief wink was offered to the smuggler over her shoulder, as she stepped out the door.

Wrenarias was accustomed to people underestimating her. It came with almost every aspect of her life. No one expected the twi'lek to be good at much of anything other than dancing in a skimpy outfit or serving drinks. It was practically a hobby of hers to prove them wrong, one way or another.

For now, she casually stepped out of the bar and strolled off in a seemingly random direction while she spun the baton in her hand.

She had no intention on waiting for the next ship.

Her pale gaze slipped over the landscape, taking in the details as she walked.

There.


The red beam inside had been rather blatant and let her know the general direction where the hunter would be lying in wait. It'd been just a matter of finding best sniper's perch once she was outside. There certainly weren't many places in a town this small. Instead of making a direct beeline for the location, she meandered a bit and gradually worked her way closer. Whenever Vetru came out from the bar, he'd likely be able to give her enough time to get into position.

 

[Vetru]

Vetru watched the twi'lek go. He wasn't certain if he should have tried to stop her or if she really was planning to do something foolish. Right now he was a little more concerned about not taking a blaster bolt to the chest.

If he was taken alive then another chance might open up. Even if his bounty was collected he might be able to talk his way out of whatever trouble he was in with the client. He started to mentally count out who could have put the bounty out. After he ran out of fingers he gave up trying to make a list.

The red dot vanished. Its point had been made. The little drone bobbed along side him.

"[A little to your right and keep on walking. You don't look much for this bounty.]"

"Sorry to disappoint," Vetru replied. The shooter was definitely in the bones of a half completed freighter a few hundred metres ahead.

 

[Wrenarias]

Getting around behind the freighter turned out to be easier than Wrenarias expected. The hunter was more concerned with the mark that was now making his way across the expanse of clear ground between him and the hunter's hiding spot. She wasn't looking to get in between the bounty hunter and his mark, not yet at least. First, she intended to see if the hunter would be willing to let her catch a ride. The odds were unlikely, most bounty hunters tended to be rather standoffish and aloof from her experience.

Which was something of a necessity for the job, she imagined. It was hard to picture a friendly and kind-hearted bounty hunter. Just trying to conjure the mental image made Wrenarias smirk.

She crept up a ridge and knelt down, scanning the horizon with her lips pursed slightly. The rodian's ship couldn't be too far from here.

For now, she waited.

She wanted to wait until after the rodian had already subdued the zabrak. It would hopefully make him a little less twitchy.

 

[Vetru]

Vetru suspected that the laser sight going out was so that the hunter could reposition himself. If it hadn't been for the drone he might have made a run for it. The drone would allow the hunter to immediately know. For all Vetru knew it might have had a thermal detonator in there.

His suspicions were confirmed when he saw the rodian down on the ground. He stood in front of the skeletal freighter, rifle shouldered. It was a disruptor, expensive and highly illegal in most parts of the galaxy.

"I suppose this is the part where you tell me you can't be paid off?" Vetru asked.

"[I'd take the ship?]" came the reply in rodese.

Vetru sighed and looked around. "Where are we going then?" he asked. He wasn't going to part with his ship. NI-4D could get the Azimuth into hyperspace and send a message to one of his friends to help. Not that he had many friends left. Vetru would wait for another opportunity.

 

[Wrenarias]

Wren watched the interaction closely, weighing the possibilities. It seemed the Rodian wasn't averse to making deals, just he wanted more than what the Zabrak, Vetru, was willing to better. Which was interesting, considering the other option was giving up his freedom. The ship must have been of great importance to the man.

She followed the pair as they made their way to the Rodian's ship, keeping out of sight.

When the ship finally came into view, the twi'lek made herself known and came around in front of the duo.

"So. One of you is giving me a ride off this rock." She said with a bright smile, one hand resting on her hip while the other loosely gripped the baton.

 

[Vetru]

This seemed to entirely throw Fasteen. When she had stepped out he had expected some kind of demand. Something like 'I have stolen your inertial dampener matrix for just a hundred creds I'll put it back'. Maybe even a simple demand for credits to pass. He had, in no way, expected the words that came out of her mouth.

Fasteen wasn't sure if it was worth making threats or pointing his disruptor rifle at the twi'lek. He kept it levelled at Vetru's back. One squeeze of the trigger and the zabrak would be dust and he would lose half his pay. He would also have to work out a way to prove the job had been done.

"What?" he asked in rodian.

"He says: what?" Vetru clarified just in case she did not know the language.

 

[Wrenarias]

"I thought I was rather clear." She said with a slight frown, gesturing with the hand that was holding the baton, pointing in between the rodian and his mark.

"I want off this rock, and you." She explained, pointing at the rodian. "Happen to be the one in the best position to help me with that predicament at the moment. I'm not asking for a free ride, mind you."

Her arms then folded over her chest, pursing her lips.

"What about this am I not explaining correctly?" She asked, then turning her eyes to Vetru.