Private Outlaws

[Rafe Keppora]

Throwing his bag down at the door, Rafe was pleasantly surprised to see the entrance unlocked.

So would whichever Spice Addict wanted revenge, or Yula Perl if his old buddy has left any dirty laundry behind, but luckily enough for the newly knighted man his current guest was only mildly hostile.

A dumb grin covered his face as he threw the door open and raced in, finding his target as soon as his eyes rest upon the dark messy hair of his target. Rafe ignored whatever common sense told him the man might respond to heavy boots clamoring across his floor with violence and prepared his own instead, winding his arm back.

"Hey, Cor."

The words would touch the man's ear roughly the same time his fist did.

 

[Corin Trenor]

Just this one time.

The sparsely decorated apartment, so freshly moved into, had an unbolted door that lead into the rest. If Corin opted to so much as look, the newly knighted Jedi could see the bolts and respective tools needed still left in their packages on the floor beside the door. Instead, it flung open and booted steps marched towards the man lazily slumped on the sofa across from the television.

He seemed half-asleep in the dull hours of the night.

"Huh, wha-" It was all Corin managed to utter in reflex before the sudden strike struck at the side of his head. He felt his ear burn and head throb with an ache. He grunted, groaned and spluttered a mountain of all too offensive words. The face, seen for only a second, was too familiar to ever truly consider a threat in the heat of the moment.

He rocked forwards, as if that would ease the pain.

"Ah, fuck." He muttered between the clenched teeth, still lazily slouched on the couch. Maybe even more so. "I deserved that." He confessed with a pained sigh.

Rafe Keppora

 

[Rafe Keppora]

"Damn straight you did, buddy." The redhead said as he vaulted over the back of the couch. "It could've been any type of goon coming in here, or worse, Dagon."

Rafe chuckled to himself as he taunted the raven-haired man beside him. The Denonite had only known the other Jedi in passing, not having been very welcome around Corin's old living conditions. A reminder of a past that Corin seemed more than willing to put behind him, a difference that occasionally put the pair at odds.

"Gotta say, was hoping the new apartment would be slightly nicer than this." Green eyes surveyed the room for something to entertain himself with, but the lack of decorations meant his only hope was to keep bothering his friend. "Where are we meant to entertain all those lovely Jedi girlfriends of yours, Master Jedi."

He chuckled as he tossed an apple up and down in the air, looking as much like an ass as he could truthfully.

"Shit man, at least a holoscreen would be nice. Didn't that promotion come with a pay raise?"

 

[Corin Trenor]

"Yeah, yeah." Corin muttered in response, followed by an exerted effort to rise off of the sofa that swallowed him for some time. Even with Rafe left behind him upon his sudden, unannounced arrival. He shambled towards the still open door that lead off to the hallway, and closed it with a lazily thrown slap of the hand. But no matter how sluggish his movements were, the thwack seemed to have him sobered him somewhat.

Oh, Rafe. The two were as thick as thieves in their youth, all before the so-called Master Jedi was taken from the streets of Denon and into the warm embrace of the ever caring Jedi with their all too skilled approach to troublesome youths. Not. Sometimes it may have been better to remain here, Corin wondered, to start years ago on this war against crime. Eh, either way. It was better to start later than never.

But his brow rose in response to the comment that followed, it even forced a smirk. "Jedi girlfriends? I'll have to make sure to not mention you, or else they'll never show up. Ruined your image in front of all the lovely Denon locals already?"

His hand snapped out and caught the apple his old friend tossed into the air, taking a bite as he sat back down beside him. It was with a mouthful that he spoke next, "They don't pay me jack."

Corin rummaged around for the remote he sat on, only to toss it across to Rafe. He could choose what was next.

"And hey, this place isn't so bad." He looked around the room, "Can do with some work, but..."

Rafe Keppora

 

[Rafe Keppora]

"Diversity is the spice of life, my friend." He stated as he threw his head back on the couch.

A gloved hand reached up to catch the apple once more but Corin Trenor managed to snatch it out of the air before it found its way back into his palm, taking the smirk away from the redhead's face.

"Yeah the apartment ain't the only thing, Cor."

The holo-screen flicked to life as Rafe spun across the channels, eventually leaning forward once more as shockboxing came across the screen. A bit brutal for some, but you get used to these things when you run around Denon long enough. There was some up-and-coming fighter, Dante Iblis , that Rafe had heard about and was hoping to catch some fights to see if the kid was anything special.

"Well hey, I think I got a better house-warming present than a left hook and an apple." Emerald eyes stayed fixed on the screen as he spoke. "You don't remember our old friend, Gorba, eh? That Rodian with the bum eye?"

A smirk returned to his face as he looked towards Corin once more.

"Well while you were getting knighted, old Gorba there decided he might be able to cut a bit more territory for himself in your absence." Truth was for every spice dealer and slaver that Dagon and his crew took care of, at least ten underlings would begin vying for their place. Rafe was lucky enough to find himself in a more... familiar position with the underworld than his companion. He hadn't been carted away to some fancy temple after all. "I'm a bit tired though, reckon a stiff drink might help recall some of the details."

 

[Corin Trenor]

The Jedi scoffed, as much as one could with a mouthful of fruit. "Sure it is," Corin remarked after a harsh swallow.

He settled blue eyes onto the holo-screen with the latest of their favoured bloodsport. Neither Corin or Rafe were unaccustomed to the violence, nor the excessive kind. The two watched on idly in the midst of their conversations, unbothered by the brutal events that unfolded on the screen - the sounds of meat-filled thwacks flew from the speakers, and Corin had not so much as flinched.

"Gorba," the Sentinel uttered as if in a bid to recall the name with a furrowed brow. "Punched-in eye, half-opens and red?" Corin struck a lot of people in the Denon underworld, and the Denon underworld held onto a lot of characters - not all were worth recollection, save for those with memorable features and some faint hint of value. Just like their old... acquaintance, Gorba. Not to be mistaken with the Hutt, his namesake. Safe to say, sometimes Corin forgot who was on the other end of his fists.

But the shift in his expression faded by the two the two men locked eyes once more. In the face of a smirk-filled Rafe, Corin seemed bothered with his neutral and almost annoyed look plastered across his often stern features. "Fine," he muttered with an admission of defeat. "But only one, two at most."

One meant two, and two meant the bar. Maybe Dagon was right about Rafe, after all.

Rafe Keppora

 

[Rafe Keppora]

"Just that same Gorba, still twitches a little when the sun hits it weird."

Rafe kipped himself up as Corin Trenor resigned himself to grab a few pints, it was always easier to twist Corin's arm metaphorically than it was physically. Plus it had been far too long since he had managed to drag his buddy out for some drinks. Used to be all the time when half their time was spent sneaking into the pubs. Not as fun when you're just let in.

"Two tops," The shit-eating smirk returned to the redhead's lips as he continued. "Jedi's honour."

Quickly snatching up the bag as the pair made their way out of the apartment, Rafe turned towards his raven-haired companion as they made their way out towards the streets.

"Since I'm such a generous friend, I'll give you a breadcrumb to start." He rambled as he pulled out a datapad, whipping a recording onto the screen as he spoke. "Gorba's gotten a bit ahead of himself these days, moving beyond spice and hoping to open up some arms trading." The video wasn't well recorded contrary to Rafe's self-proclaimed camera skills. It was grainy and hard to see, but the brown of the crates and the green of a Rodian were almost unmistakable. "I reckon we ought to head him off before he starts dreaming a little more there, don't you think?"

 

[Corin Trenor]

"Good one." Corin said with all the mustered dry sarcasm one could afford to at the mention of Jedi honour. In tandem, his eyes rolled with a subtle smirk as arms fell into sleeves of those commonly worn leathers. He could even swear there was a blaster burn scorched into the rear left shoulder - occupational hazard. The two had seen to the streets of Denon as a team as of late, and with it was a broad sweep of harsh justice.

The days of the little birdie Rdava were gone, traded for the violent streak of the Denon dubbed Red Mask. Bit literal, Corin mused.

He munched on the apple some more as Rafe continued, a bit of a detective himself. Supposed it helped to be when that information was worth a few credits to those interested in it. Corin opened the door from the stairwell onto the street, the familiar wave of smog-filled air struck and the flash of neon that may blind an off-worlder shone in their faces, the indifferent dwellers of Denon simply passed the two by. As was their nature. Said nature helped the two enter all kinds of trouble in the years prior, the same kind Dagon and Yula would most definitely disapprove of. Let alone the rest of the Jedi.

The often out of place Jedi took the datapad in one hand as the apple found itself tossed over his shoulder and into a bin, not without a brief roll around the rim. Call it skill, call it the Force, who cares. "Yet you pull me out for a stiff drink instead." Corin commented with a focused stare cast onto the poorly recorded video, entire crates of blasters and explosives lay in the open port under the supposed disguise of the old classic: food supplies. So stereotypical no one thought to think twice. "But yeah, maybe that second eye can use a hit too."

Corin upturned his eyes towards Rafe mid-strife with the returned offer of the datapad, "What else have you been doing when I'm off-world? And I'm not interested in a list of names, I know it's a lie anyways."

Rafe Keppora