Risky Business

[LT-137]

The job was simple. Move the product from one planet to another. Make the deadline, and get paid. Fix the ship and keep flying.

It had been nearly an hour since he had gotten the call, and Yun wasn't sure what to make of the person on the other end. Usually, he was a good judge of character, and that had led him out of a few close run-in's with the law... whatever amounted to such a thing on Nar Shaddaa these days. With systems declaring themselves for one government or another left and right, the Smuggler had found it remarkably easy to slip through the cracks when they weren't looking. Especially when it came to being cleared through customs with a cargo hold filled to the brim with illegal materials.

With the course set and the autopilot functions engaged, the Smuggler roused himself from the confinements of the Captain's chair and moved towards the aft sections of his vessel. As his leather clad feet kissed the grated deck, Yun replayed the memory of the message, letting the words wash over his consciousness with the rippling tides of recollection. He was to dock his vessel in one of the many Hangar Bay's located in the Corellian Sector and register his ship with the Local Port Authority. From there, his contact or an intermediary thereafter would arrive with the cargo in tow.

Thus, his journey to the benighted Core Worlds would begin.

Yun couldn't remember the last time he was there, nor did he wish too. There were far too many things in that sector of the Galaxy that he would like to avoid, the overabundance of Sith being the majority. Nevertheless, that was where he was contracted to go, and far be it for him to deny such a request - especially this early in his career in the Criminal Underworld. Despite his personal reservations the Smuggler agreed to the terms without hesitation - only to find himself waiting for what seemed like ages at the designated spot when he had finally arrived. Patience was never truly his strong suit. Well, outside of battle at least. However, outside of the seemingly random Cantina Brawl here and there, the Swordsman had not drawn his emerald-hewn blade since the day his world was lost.

So, as the remembrance threatened to shroud his mind with the past, he crossed his arms over his chest and tossed a glance back towards the lowered boarding ramp of his ship. The Phaethon. To think that old rust bucket had been someone else's nearly three years prior. The Smuggler won it in a duel; some rich fringer had been offended by the way Yun conducted his business, which in turn led to a clash of borrowed steel. It turned out the man was afraid of the sheathed sword lashed to his side. Something about a touch of destiny. Regardless, no matter the blade he used, the duel was over long before it had even begun. Honourable Combat, the man, called it before their blades had met. Yun smiled at the notion then, much as he did now as the retelling of the story brought out the vivid recollection. Honour, Duty, and Code's were all excuses for Bloodshed. Why bother dressing it up in a lie, when the truth suited the situation better?

Pulling himself out of yet another memory, something that was becoming far too common these days, he tore his gaze away from his vessel and cast his lusterless topaz eyes towards the Docking Bay's entrance - knowing that his contact would arrive in due time, or something else unexpected would occur. Whatever would happen, Yun believed he would be ready to face what may come his way.

 

[LT-137]

Breathing out a heavy sigh of relief as the heavy metal doors of the hangar bay trundled open, Yun's gaze was drawn towards the figures filing onto the flight deck. There were seventeen beings, each hailing from various worlds and genetic backgrounds, yet none - save the human female that approached the Phaethon, seemed to be of any importance. Hired muscle, the Atrisian mused. When his bright chestnut eyes completed their glancing cycle and fell upon the woman standing before him, the Smuggler drank in the details of her person.

From what he had seen in those fleeting seconds, he could tell she favoured a strenuous routine of aerobics and ate her meals by a rigid dietary plan. Her eyes flickered with an unnatural hue of violet, forcing the Swordsman to believe that this woman was overly fond of cosmetic alterations. Perhaps, to sate her depthless vanity? Yun couldn't tell, but as she stood before him with that abnormal shimmer in her gaze, the assumption simply felt right. Pushing aside his passing observations, the Smuggler extended a hand to meet the woman's in a firm, contractual grip.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," She said, her voice somewhat harmonic as the words slipped passed the supple curves of her lips. "Knesos, right?"

Yun nodded, wordlessly.

"I've never seen you before; I take it you're new to these parts?"

Again, another nod, this time, accompanied by something more social.

"Yes, Bendrick told me of a job out here in the Mid Rim, and being that I'm a fresh face on the scene, I couldn't refuse."

The woman tutted, a gesture that the Smuggler had taken as rueful. Evidently, she knew something he didn't - and with how naive Yun was in comparison to the competition, it came as no surprise.

"Bendrick. That man's got a knack for sending me people like you. Not that it's a bad thing," She said with her hands held up in disarming gesture. "It's just this job needs more experienced hands on the yoke. Exotic Rim foodstuffs are hard to come by in the Core, in particular with the Sith ransacking entire systems here and there."

While Yun was hoping that she was joking, the man knew all too well that she wasn't. The Atrisian clenched his jaw then, forcing his lips to remain fastened together as he didn't feel like bringing his thoughts on the One Sith to the fore - at least not yet and not with this woman.

"I'm more than capable of flying casual and under the radar. I can get your goods to Coruscant long before those other guys, and I'm not going to drop the cargo and run at the first sign of interdiction."

His features were expressionless as he spoke, showing the woman that he was serious about taking her offer of employment and that despite his inexperience - he'd get the job done with no questions asked. She smiled then, having taken a moment after the fledgling Smuggler finished and handed him a crystalline dataslate pre-loaded with all the information he would require. Taking it in his hand and looking towards the hired muscle in the back, Yun motioned for them to load the product while the pair before the boarding ramp finalized the details.

"Our client will be somewhere on Coruscant; once I've transmitted your contact data to her after you've translated out of the system, she'll get in touch with you whenever she pleases." Her warm smile had faded then, leaving the Atrisian wondering just who she was and who she worked for. He'd never ask, of course, but the nagging questions would linger and entertain his thoughts for the duration of the transit. "Do be careful," The woman said, as the last of the hired muscle pushed the repulsor sleds into the darkened belly of the Phaethon. "I'd rather not have to make another contract, and upset our client with the news of her cargo being spaced."

Fighting the urge to roll his eyes, the Smuggler turned away from his new employer and ascended the deployed boarding ramp - vanishing into his vessel as her lackeys had filed out of the forward portside cargo bay.

Once again alone within the bowels of his starship, Yun moved towards the cockpit and ordered the Phaethon's navicomputer to calculate the preparations for the journey to the Core. Within the hour, he'd be void bound and setting off on his first official task as a bonafide Smuggler.

How exciting.

 

[LT-137]

Nearly a day had passed since he had left the smog-choked skies of Nar Shaddaa, and already the Atrisian felt like he had left a part of himself behind on that world. When he had first arrived there, the Phaethon was in rough shape and needed an innumerable amount of repairs just to make her serviceable again. However, Yun had nothing to his name other than the ship that bore him through space, the clothes on his back, and the trophies he had taken with him after his exile. He wasn't willing to part within any of them, yet there was a compelling need to eat and to keep his new vessel space worthy. So, much to his chagrin, the fledgling Smuggler sold most of his pilfered weapons in the hopes of turning a profit. Sadly, the amount was only enough to get the most basic of supplies and repair the ship just so that it didn't fragment when it made the jump to Hyperspace.

That would do for now, but it wouldn't last forever. He had to find a job somewhere, and as if it were divine providence, that's when he had met Bendrick. The man was born on Nar Shaddaa, despite his family hailing from the arid world of Ryloth, he seemed quite acclimatized to the general overpowering sensation of corruption staining that little moon. Yun, himself, could barely stand it. The memories it invoked had made him want to run back to the comfort and relative safety of his ship. Though like all well-mannered Twi'lek's, the man was able to ease the Atrisian's concerns with a silvered tongue and honeyed words. He was enticed by what the man had to offer. A good paying job, that was easier than a blue milk run. Well, at least, that's what the man had said, and the employer hadn't dissuaded him of the notion.

So, he believed it was a simple mission that would yield favorable results.

Perhaps it would be.

Perhaps it wouldn't.

Clearing his mind of the uncertain future and what it held in store, Yun leaned further into his Captain's chair and watched as the swirling tides of Hyperspace had engulfed his vessel. It wouldn't be long now and provided nothing sought to tear him from this alternate reality; he would make it to Coruscant in record time.

 

[LT-137]

History had an odd way of making you come face to face with your demons, and as the vast world of Coruscant filled the forward viewport, Yun felt his stomach tie itself into a knot. He had dealings with the One Sith before, and they weren't what you'd call cordial. In fact, before he had sold all of his trophies to repair the minor damage the Phaethon had accrued, there were several items of note that had belonged to some nameless Sith Commander and his lackeys. Naturally, they weren't given out of the kindness of their black hearts. Instead, they were taken at the point of a sword - much like the vessel Yun claimed as his own. Now bereft of such treasures, all the former Grenadier had to remind him of such a victory, was the slight notch carved into the leather bound hilt of his dueling blade. It was subtle, almost unnoticeable beneath the tightly bound, and tanned animal flesh, yet ever time his hand had grasped the hilt - the memories began to stir. He relished it. Savoured it. And at the same time, wanted none of it. What was a man without discipline? His Father had always asked him when the lust for blood began to take root. Nothing more than a Beast, Yun would respond. And so, even though his Father had long been dead, that man's words still rang in his mind to this day. Something of a constant in a somewhat chaotic Galaxy.

Sighing heavily, and opening his eyes to bear witness to the planet wistfully spinning below, the Smuggler began filing through the post-jump check. After what seemed like ages, he finished flipping the various toggles and mostly playing with his ship. What better way to waste your time, than to fiddle with something that you had no idea as to what it did? There would come a time he would need to learn to be a more competent pilot, but alas, it wasn't this day. Yun wanted to do anything, just to keep himself from proceeding down towards the surface of that wretched world and finishing his mission. They could catch, right? So why not blow the cargo out the forward bays and watch from afar as it drifts towards the rendezvous point. Who would be the wiser? Rubbing the bridge of his nose at such a foolish notion, Yun slipped his fingers back around the Phaethon's control yoke and engaged the Ion Drive engines thereafter. He doubted that whoever his contact was would appreciate her precious cargo scattered amidst the stars.

With the Azure tails of expended fuel trailing after the old YX-1980 Space Transport, Yun guided his craft towards one of the many traffic lanes stationed near the edge of the System's sphere of influence. There, he would wait for hours as the Sith-aligned Authorities pilfered each vessel in search of illicit material - no doubt taking it for themselves and leaving those poor blighters adrift in space. Though, as the charcoal enameled freighter drifted closer towards it's intended destination, Yun's eyes were drawn to space surrounding his designated customs lane. It seems the One Sith have gone and had themselves a little coup, He thought. There was no other explanation. There couldn't be, not when the Sith themselves were involved. A massive gathering of warships, swarming patrols of fighter craft - what else could it be other than a change in regime? Not unless the Sith were privy to invading their own worlds of course. Despite how much Yun hated the Sith, He, at least, gave them the benefit of the doubt. There was no way that one could ever be so dense as to forget what world their talons are dug into.

But then again, there were some special cases out there, and anything could happen.

"Cut power to your forward thrusters and bring your vessel to a complete stop."

The electronic voice spat out of his command dash, causing the Atrisian to jump in surprise. His mind was elsewhere and had nearly forgotten that he was currently waiting in line for clearance to proceed to the surface. Clearing his voice with a hearty cough, Yun toggles the vessel's communicator as the channel flickered live.

"Understood, Coruscant Control."

Doing as they ordered, flying as casually as he could, the Smuggler brought the Phaethon to a halt within the targeted area. After cutting power to his engines and throttling the reactor down to conserve fuel, Yun kicked his feet up and placed them atop a nearby terminal. He was going to be stuck here for a while if those that came before him were evident of the scum-sucking Sith's efficacy with a Scanner. Minutes had begun to pass the man by as he waited for them to complete their scans, and as the threshold for an hour approached, the roughspun voice blasted through his command terminal once more.

"State the purpose of your visit, and declare any items you're bringing that are not a part of the cargo manifest."

Keying the connection active, Yun smoothly spoke into the external device.

"I'm here for business. My ship was hired several days ago on Nar Shaddaa to bring exotic delicacies from the Outer Rim to the Core. In a few hours, I'm to meet with my client and exchange the goods for payment of my services. As for the items, I wish to declare? Other than a footlocker full of soiled clothes and a blaster pistol for self-defense, I've got nothing else of value."

When the man, or thing, the self-styled Captain couldn't tell which, responded - it sounded like something was wrong. Perhaps he upset the guy with how honest his statement was? Who but the creature on the other end of the line knew.

"Look, Scum. I'm in no mood for this. Everything checks out with the Cargo, but before you go - I want to know if you've got anything to declare. I could care less about your puny pistol or filthy clothing."

Yun sighed, before depressing the button and taking on a more mendicant tone.

"No. That's it, Sir."

A satisfied Hrumph emanated from the speaker, signalling the Smuggler that through his act of supplication had somewhat worked. Although in the rising silence that transpired after the creature let such a sound past his lips, the Atrisian's mind began to spin slowly, if not wildly out of control. This was his first time sneaking illicit goods through any Orbital checkpoint, and while he was trying his best to keep his calm, he didn't know how these things went. If they suspected something, they would've boarded his craft with little hesitation. So, as his vessels corridors weren't crawling with Stormtroopers - or whatever the One Sith use to enforce their laws - he took it as a good sign that he was doing A-okay.

"Clearance has been granted, and you're to proceed along the assigned vector towards the planet. Stray from that route, and you'll be atomized. Have a lovely day, and Enjoy your stay."

How courteous, He thought sarcastically. Powering up the Phaethon and gunning the engines, Yun followed the uploaded navigational data along it's arcing path down towards the planet's surface - ensuring that he didn't stray from the route. Once he had bypassed the artificial atmosphere and had merged into one of the many planet-spanning lanes of aerial traffic, the Smuggler began uploading the rendezvous point to his navi-comp and activated the autopilot once the data transfer was complete. Yun trusted his ship, even though she was still a stranger to him. She'd get him where he needed to go, and when the estimated time of arrival had synced with the contract's parameters, She'd get him there on time.

Grinning from ear to ear, Yun roused himself from the Captain's seat and made ready for his first delivery.

_____________________________________________________________​

Touching down upon one of the many abandoned landing platforms located within the twenty square kilometers that comprised the Grungeon Block, the Phaethon spat out jets of hydraulic steam as the vessel came to rest upon its landing struts. Seconds after the craft had felt the gentle pull of gravity and denied it's embrace by raising itself proudly above the scoured deck; the primary loading ramp shot down to dispell the solitary passenger onto the platform.

It was there, at the assigned point, that he waited. Soon, and at a time of their choosing - he assumed - his Client would reveal themselves to the Smuggler and the goods would be exchanged for cold, hard credits.

| [member="Daniel Silverton"] |

 

[Daniel Silverton]

Glorious bodies swung back and forth, side to side, tip tapping metal heeled shoes expertly on a well polished wooden floor that formed a dark mysterious contrast in the fancy gold and and white designed ballroom. Several people kept with their partners, occasionally taking a quick turn at the middle of the alien circle of equally able beings, each taking turns whenever the beat of the song rose back up to an exciting trance. A happy couple of two Twi-leks fell back into the circle just as it began to break apart, and the song came to a slow end. The crowd slowly made a clearance in the wooden area, revealing several scuff marks earlier hidden by the dancing bodies.

Daniel slowed her voice to a low pitch as she trailed off the final tone, leaving her eyes closed as she felt the soft gush of wind flying at her from the gold laced velvet curtains close in front of her and her crew. As soon as she heard the familiar sound of her small microphone being disconnected, the lead singer rose her head from it's bowed state and exhaled slowly. Her crew said nothing as they carefully packed their instruments, preparing them for a smooth exit. Faint sounds of the dancer's conversation were growing louder as drinks came around more often, and the same instrumental recording returned to the new dance and bar spot.

The young Twi-lek carefully brushed both of her twin spotted tails behind her head as she followed in lead with her band with only her microphone in hand, and a well designed and clinging outfit of fake gold, purple cloth, and several items of red for rose patterned decorations. Her movements slugged as she walked outside the exit, and back into the small hovering vehicle everyone but her decided would be perfect for the Coruscant tour. After falling back in the thin leather seat and giving her tool to the main beat artist, she eyed her strange groups of friends, something you wouldn't quite expect but perhaps in a group just as strange as hers. A musical. Imagine that. Years of singing, dancing, showing off curves for some spare credits, and not two years ago she got herself into a mess of contracts and low luxury. All she had to do was sing for the right places, dance when the time was right, and spend the rest of the time doing whatever she wanted.

"Party, tonight." The large alien creature said with a thick husky voice and a devious grin painted on his face. Daniel returned a soft smile to his suggestion - no. Order. Anything he said was usually something that was going to happen in the near future. A party was nice, as the night was young and the stress had not yet reached the crew. Without warning, the ten meter long speeder started off with a small shudder of stress from the mighty weight of the larger bit of the crew. "Refreshments?" The Twi-lek answered simply. A lithe being gently snorted in a royal high-nosed tone. "Yeah, ordered some of the finest karkin' stuff on Shadda." There was a small take back from the young girl, but she slowly grew a new smile. That would do.

The journey was accompanied by the sounds of similar vehicles making their way through traffic, as well as the band making small talk through the radio breaks to talk about new song ideas, where to practice next, and what outfits they should try getting for the still incomplete tour. Soon, they made it to one of the best hotels they could find on the upper areas of Coruscant. The recipes were handled by the husky being that seemed to almost lead the group, and within minutes of simple bored expressions at the open air, they were able to get up and ride the elevators up to their designated rooms. Their luggage, carefully carried by a group of droids who looked as if they had some of the finest calculations the planet could offer.

Daniel leaned against the side of the elevator, swinging and toying with her right tail as her light green eyes darted to the see-through glass multiple times to discover the massive city that laid at their feet. It was a better view from where she was used to - in cheap bars, or the occasional sweet jackpot where the nice outfits could come whipped out of. Still, they were all at the bare surface... The doors slid open to a elegant furnished room, leading off into several others and an upstairs, which had it's own layout of similar construction with the features of mostly purple carpets, sweet white and grey metallic artistic statues and trophies, and their line of entertaining games, radios, whatever else could be used.

Without a moment to spare, the husky of the group rushed out and began to look around, while a nearly identical Twi-lek silently slid to the radio to see if just maybe their songs had managed to make it on the air. Daniel took the time to look around at everything as it came into view, gawking eagerly at the scene that would soon become a mess of a party. She soon found herself sinking into the cozy form of cushions, slowly disappearing a third of the way into it before her weight decided the gravity wasn't strong enough to pull her in much further. She wasn't sure what purpose the couch had, unless you were planning to relax for more than a few minutes.

Stuck in her prison of comfort, she listened as the thin and husky two argued in the kitchen about the layout of drinks, and her own voice gasping and filling out of the radio. She remembered that day in the recording station, the day she truly first put on pounds of make up to hide her natural features. Luckily, it wasn't video. Her own freckled and dirt owning features made her far more famous than make-up did on her sister. In a way, she felt jealous, but soon thankful for her natural gifts giving her an upper hand for having that tiny bit more of credits that make-up would steal away from her.

Breaking her out of the thought, the husky man's steps thrashed over, and a single hand reached out to lift the slim figure from the depths of the couch. She quickly got back onto her feet, brushing off her suit once though nothing was there. "Get refreshments," the man simply ordered. It was apparent the delivery already came, as he wouldn't have mentioned it otherwise. She only sighed and held out her hand, to which the man grumbled and slid a small pouch into it. She smirked, pocketing it into one of her many velvet cavities fitted on her outfit and went back into the elevator, trading spots with the many droids that came along with their items, already going to set them up elsewhere.

The metal doors slid shut, and finally Daniel was left with peace as the slow descent fell along, and her green eyes laid onto the city once more. She begun to think about several things, first a quick solution to grabbing the product, a few of the hotel droids. Next the location, which was answered with a simple vibrating at her chest, as her partner sent her directions to the drop-off point. She then had time to think for real. The singer still remembered the first time she had done something so illegal, when she was around eight galactic years. She had stolen a single line of spice from her neighbor, and shared it with her friends. At the time she didn't even know how to use it, but after years and years of pure addiction and practice, she managed to learn how to use several different types in several different ways. Her heart pounded lightly before the elevator doors slid open, cutting her from her dream so she could step out. The scene was just as she remembered, but with more clutter. The word of a party was already out, and people were already pouring in with their party clothes on, or the occasional nice suit. She smiled to the few that had recognized her, but quickly weaved her way through so she could get two of the heavy lifting droids onto her lead. After a few minutes of toying and getting permission from the right places, she led the silver mechanical out and lead them out and away to the drop-off point, carefully followed with the use of the navigational system.

After long minutes of travel, more and more streets being thinned out, Daniel made it to the point without too much complication. She walked up simply to the small station, staring up at the ship with a hint of disgust. It reminded her far too much of when she was actually poor and had to more or less work for her things, instead of simply having them. After a moment of figuring out where the back was, she walked over at a casual pace with her hands stuffed into her pockets. Soon she turned to the man, already standing as if expecting her. She gave a quick and firm smile, then patted her pocket with a small jingle of metal pieces clashing together. "Shadda?" She said simply with a carrying grin on her face. It was not her first time getting a bunch of drugs and spice from a random stranger.

| [member="Yun Knesos"] |

 

[LT-137]

It was the slow, methodical pace of the menial droids that had drawn Yun's mind from the depths of his momentary reverie. The worst habits were always the hardest to die. He couldn't honestly blame himself. However, such an inconsequential notion had sparked quite the interesting train of thought that had led the Smuggler into the infinite realm of possibility. How simple it was to get lost in his little world with but a single word. If. What would he have been, if the One Sith had never come? Would he have been a good soldier, as his parents would've wished, serving without question and bringing whatever honour he could to the Knesos name? What would he have been, if he didn't strike his craven little wretch of a Commanding Officer when the man's courage folded as the enemy pressed their attack upon the Palace? Would he have been slain, like so many others? Or would the crime of stealing a false relic, treasured by so many on Atrisia, be the only mark staining his Dossier? So many questions, all spawning back from that one little word. It was dangerous, for with the thousand-fold doubts that spewed forth after the gates were unbarred - One could lose themselves in the rising tides.

With his reasoning freed by the heavy tread of iron-shod feet, Yun tore his chestnut gaze away from the featureless wall he'd been staring at and angled himself towards the sound's point of origin. Such a spontaneous pivot had seen his dark, oiled leather duster billow outwards ever so gently as the man came to face the person he believed to be his contact. Back on Nar Shaddaa, the nameless woman that Bendrick had set the former Grenadier up with had revealed an infantismal detail about the client he'd be meeting. Before Yun had even made the trip, the Smuggler knew that there'd be a woman on the other end of this deal. Thus, as the flaxen skinned Twi'lek had arrived, trailed by two of what he assumed weren't her synthetic labourers, a small smile suddenly adorned his face. There was something about this woman; something that the Atrisian couldn't place. Could it be that this lithe creature held some influence over a local tenement? With a dancer's figure and tight violet clothing, it was almost painfully obvious that she did - or at least enough to borrow something for an undisclosed amount of time.

His heart nearly skipped a beat when the woman's lips parted, speaking nought but a single word laced with an appealing grin. Her voice had reminded him of warm honey, and a deeper - sinful part of his soul desperately wanted her to say more. Anything to sate the rumbling desire broiling beneath his breast. It took him a second to respond, as his hooded eyes glittered darkly, but when Yun did - his heavily accented words failed to match her in pitch.

"Aye," The solitary expression exhaled from his lips, that gave way to the rich, sonorous tones that followed after. "I've got the goods," He said, pointedly dipping his head towards her velveteen pocket, where she had previously patted. "If you've got the coin."

Having made his intentions known with some cheesy line stolen from a subpar Holo-Drama, the Smuggler waited with baited breath - hoping against all hope - that he'd be able to hear more of this woman's voice before the conclusion of their deal.

| [member="Daniel Silverton"] |

 

[Daniel Silverton]

Perhaps it was his voice, perhaps his choice of cheesy movie lined words, some of which Daniel knew tons of due to her nature of things, and having to keep up and make fun of the celebrity riot that flooded most of her time, but something about the man seemed a little less than the average smuggler. Her crew member had failed her before, with various trips cycling endless, shipments that ended up in a light kidnapping, or even blind dates that were actually blind. Her expression didn't dare falter despite her choice of thoughts. It was a common thing to know how to talk to people, even if they seemed a little less unprofessional and poor. Even if their ship smelt of damage and wear to the point where it may not make its next jump.

The Twi'lek closed distance rapidly with the droid's shuffling along her behind in a messy fashion. She took out the small bag of coin, reaching in to reveal tiny pieces of credits made of gold and silver attuned credits. "Just so I know you're not pulling my tails," She said, waving a single gold piece in between the man's face, lodged for a moment in between her index and middle finger before flickering her line of delicate fingers, making a continuous loop of near floating coin, "show me the goods, and tell me how much 'coin' you were expecting." Her voice once again spoke, in it's delicious sweet tone, yet more firmness rose in the last section of her sentence.

Never the less, her suspicions of the man were true, and her other hand readied itself to her side pocket, where a nearly invisibly small dart waited for her to flick onto the man's form. It was only for defensive purposes, of course. After you become something more than the local towns singer, you had to keep a close eye on the creeps and sketchy.

| [member="Yun Knesos"] |

 

[LT-137]

"I'm not pulling your Lekku," The Atrisian said with a disarming smile as the Twi'lek advanced upon him, with Droids in tow. "I was hired to do a job, and I always deliver." While that wasn't true, since this was his first excursion into such illicit activities, it never hurt to establish that he was, and possibly could be, good at what he was doing.

His eyes glittered as she withdrew the coin purse from her violet outfit and began playing with one of the Golden Credit bars within. It danced between her fingers in incredible arcs, drawing Yun's attention away from her supple voice and enthralling his earthen gaze. This sensation he felt was real, and the Smuggler was achingly close to being paid for his services. Excitement raced through his veins, prickling the hairs at the base of his neck and causing his heart to beat rhythmically faster, and faster.

She needed her product. Don't get lost in the moment. Breathe. Doing as his mind commanded, the former Grenadier let out a calming sigh and refocused his gaze upon the alien woman before him.

"I'll do better than just show you the goods. They gave me a few extra crates on top of your order, if you wanted - you could sample the batch for yourself."

Without waiting for a reply, Yun slowly began to back away from the woman. His disarming smile had been retained as the leather of his combat boots peeled from the pollution-stained surface of the landing pad - only to kiss it's surface seconds later. Once his leaden, purposeful tread had guided him clear of the YX-1980 Space Transport, his dominant hand dived into the folds of his trousers, only to withdraw a small remote soon after.

Depressing the activator switch Yun watched as the fanged maw dotting the outside of his vessel parted outwards and sunk their triangular teeth into the deck.

"Wait here." the Atrisian called out, as he mounted the grated walkway ascending into the Phaethon.

________________________________________________________________​

Moments later, after what Yun had believed to be a curtain of silence blanketed the landing pad, six crates had slid down the ramp. Hovering upon the grating thrum of the repulsor sled, they raced down the grated iron tooth - chased after that by Yun himself. Halting their relentless advance with a firm hand, he yanked the anti-gravitic platform back from the fringed edge of the platform and pulled it towards his client.

"Five crates. Each filled with nearly Ninety Kilos a piece."

No wonder that Woman on Nar Shaddaa had wanted a Veteran Smuggler. If he was caught running this contraband, Yun would've never seen the light of day again - let alone be able to enjoy the taste of food without it having to be liquefied first.

"A Stasis Generator sustains all of these crates, and your product is underneath the various delicacies listed within. No-one should expect anything when your droids take these containers back."

With a hand moving towards the sixth crate, Yun entered in a three digit code - causing the lid to unlatch and fill the growing silence with a subtle exhalation of pressurized air. Carefully removing the top and placing it beside the cart, his eyes, for the first time, had borne witness to what was inside. Military-grade Ration packs alongside various medkits and survival items. That was unexpected. He was thinking that there would be a fancy feast or two waiting for him to conclude this deal so he could eat like a King.

However, disguising his disappointment with feigned interest, Yun's hands dived into the contents of the crate, removing one of the largest medkits. It had some heft and had caught his eye almost instantly. In another life, he had known the standard sizes of a Medic's Gear, and this wasn't a standard he knew. Placing the clothbound pack atop an unopened crate, the Smuggler withdrew a small glass phial filled with vibrant cinnamon dust.

"I'm told this is Giggledust, one of the most entertaining variants of Spice in the 'Verse. Don't worry; there's more inside your crates, most likely mixed in with whatever you ordered." His smile returned, though albeit smaller and more professional than he would've thought. "When it comes to payment? Someone already spent a fortune securing all of this, so all that's left is my fee - and the Spice is yours. The contract detailed my price would be Twenty-Thousand Credits. So let's start with that, and I'll toss in some more Giggledust as a complimentary Thank you."

| [member="Daniel Silverton"] |

 

[Daniel Silverton]

Of course there was always the possibility this crate in particular was the only real stuff, but Daniel didn't have the time nor the patience to wait around for her giggledust to wear off with every box she made attempts to touch. Without a warning, the twirling, dancing beautiful credit flipped off of the last finger in the cycle and came flying to the smuggler with a near perfected aim. Her now free hands picked up a single case, searching over it, making sure it looked normal before opening it up and ensuring it was in fact something she could use for the party.​

​

After messily throwing it back, she whistled to the droids and started to have them lift and carry about the boxes as she stood only a few paces from the man with the broken down ship, and started to pull and count credits from her pockets in a sweet organized fashion of gold, silver, and the final pieces of lint in between some of the coins.​

​

Daniel's voice only sounded at the end, where she counted the remaining hundreds. "19,700, 19,800, 19,000, and 20,000." Without hesitation, she held out the coins in a clear line of stacks in her soft and well made hand. "Plus," she added, adding another gold credit. "a little something in case you have a special somebody." the singer finished with a smile.​

​

Without waiting for him to respond or so much react clearly to her last offering, she pointed straight in the direction she came from with a grin on her face. "My crew and I can't finish all of this... entertainment product by ourselves, so if you'd like you can come over and perhaps have a touch of a good time. Don't worry about clothes. We can get you a fresh suit." Even though, my Daniel's perspective he truly did need to look at his clothing choices every once in a while.​

​

{ [member="Yun Knesos"] }​

 

[LT-137]

It had almost caught him off guard when she had tossed him the golden credit bar, however as the ingot left her possession, Yun's eyes glittered with barely contained excitement. This small brick was to be the first of his payment, and in turn, would be the first credit he had earned upon the road of becoming a Smuggler. He'd treasure it for as long as he could, before spending it on some item to commemorate the occasion.

Catching the oblong object within the palm of his hand, the Atrisian deftly turned it about between his fingers, letting its golden edges capture the smog dimmed light. He was proud of this accomplishment, but as the Twi'lek started to withdraw more and more out of her coin purse, his first ingot was quickly stashed within the folds of his combat fatigues and forgotten soon after. What was the point of cherishing one, when the others looked just like the first?

When she had finished, Yun did his best to keep his excitement under wraps as he closed the gap between himself and the Client. The satin kiss of leather and metal connecting had nearly become the straw that broke the camel's back, as his smile began to spread further and further into an avaricious grin. The Smuggler had to bite his tongue to stop his lips from creasing his face further, and retain the meager air of professionalism he believed that he established when the two had met.

Nearly drawing blood as the woman reached the final denomination, the former Soldier sucked in a silent breath and swept the credits off her proffered hand. However, after pouring the sum into one of his thigh pockets, the man withdrew the final Golden Credit she had provided and placed it back into her palm. He appreciated the gesture, but the contract had mentioned his payment would be Twenty-Thousand and the notion of taking more than what was agreed had seemed almost foreign.

Seeing the question forming behind her eyes, Yun smiled and gave voice to his choice.

"I appreciate both the gesture and the invitation, but I'm afraid that I must decline." Casting a quick glance back towards his vessel, and then letting his eyes settle upon the woman before him, Yun continued. "Ingesting this stuff isn't what I would consider a good time, and I think fresh clothes wouldn't do me any good."

Withdrawing a small code cylinder, very similar to what had once adorned the chests of Imperial Officer's in an ancient, and almost forgotten era, Yun had offered the device with an opened palm. "That being said if you need anything transported in the future, this device has the codes to my Commlink and will connect you directly whenever an opportunity arises."

| [member="Daniel Silverton"] |