Public Scum and Villainy (Nar Shaddaa: Criminal Gathering)

[Mauve du Vain]

N A R
S H A D D A A
SCUM AND VILLAINY

​

OOC: This is open to any criminal or crime lord from any faction.

Nar Shaddaa,
New Vertica City,
Club Vertica

Word traveled through the web of infochants across the galaxy to the heads of every criminal organization of note: a gathering would be held on Nar Shaddaa.

These gatherings seldom happened throughout the years, for obvious reasons. Get all the rival crime lords in one place and they were liable to kill each other.

They came anyway.

Nar Shaddaa might have been Black Sun territory through and through in recent years, but the floating city of New Vertica that hovered just off the planet's surface always deemed itself to be a separate entity - neutral territory. And if it was neutral territory, then Mauve and Razmir's Club Vertica resort and casino was sacred space.

Refurbished after their considerable income post-Galactic Kaggath, the club sported state of the art entertainment and accomodations. The VIP lounge had been opened up for the gathering. Weapons to be left at the door - assuming they hadn't been confiscated at the club's entrance.

Mauve already had a glass of Corellian whiskey. She wore a simple black dress of spun shellspider silk and gold dripped from her neck, her wrists, and her ears. Her violet eyes scanned those in attendance.

There was no true objective. They could certainly reach an accord if the rival crime lords all agreed. But the main purpose was to know your enemy.

Plus, it paid to know the others in the profession, as Mauve knew. She tapped a finger on her glass and looked for a familiar face.

 

[Calyx Sundrift]

C L U B -V E R T I C A
N A R -S H A D D A A

Networks were hard to build. And even harder to maintain.

Calyx had done everything he could to cultivate influence on Troithe. Then, he'd aligned himself with Kanji Klub, finding his way into circles that mattered and securing a position that promised comfort, opportunity, and profit. In an ideal galaxy, those connections would still be intact. He'd still be lounging on the rocky beaches of Niamos, drink in hand and not a care in the world.

But the Sith had thrown a spanner into the works.

His abduction by what could only have been a vampire, and the brutal struggle for survival that followed at the Sith Academy, had ruined the life he'd built. Criminal enterprises were not known for their patience. Months of silence had left a vacuum. More, it had left rumors.

Most assumed he was dead. Some believed he'd vanished with their credits. A few probably thought he'd run off with their lover. Whatever the story, the conclusion was the same. His prospects of continuing his career were bleak.

Still, whispers had eventually found their way to him. Rumors of what was set to unfold at Club Vertica. Opportunity

He had paid dearly for it, of course. It'd taken a lot of bribing. Favors had to be called in. Debts were made that would someday demanded repayment. All to secure a brief "escape" from the Academy and make a very public appearance. It was all to remind his fellow connoisseurs of crime that Calyx Sundrift was not only still alive, but thriving.

Emphasis on thriving.

Tonight, Calyx wore his most valuable asset. Confidence. The smile came easily as he adjusted the white suit jacket worn over his formal black shirt and matching trousers. Normally, wearing the same suit twice bordered on professional negligence for a man in his line of work.

But sacrifices had to be made, considering he'd been away from the game for too long. Furthermore, his time had been limited to the thin patience of his overseers.

Now, who to impress?

His gaze drifted across the crowd. Faces of all shapes and colours blurred together beneath the lights and music. Studying them, he realized something remarkable. He didn't recognize a single one of them.

No allies.

The thought should have concerned him. Instead, his grin widened.

But no enemies either.

The possibilities were endless. His smile twisted into something more opportunistic, laced with easy charm, as he surveyed the room once more.

Tonight will be special, all right.

Mauve du Vain

 

[Kinley Pryse]

You've been hit by... you've been struck by...

Kinley Pryse doesn’t steal everything she wants, but only because carrying capacity is a real issue. ​

Kinley Pryse occupied a stool at the bar rather than a seat among the gathered crime lords. That felt safer.

Not because she was afraid of anyone in the room. Quite the opposite. A room full of criminals with oversized egos was a dangerous place for a woman with a smart mouth.

She wore her usual outfit: weathered boots propped casually against the foot rail, a long duster hanging open, and her signature cowboy hat pulled low enough to cast a shadow over her eyes. To anyone who didn't know better she looked like she'd wandered in from some dusty Outer Rim settlement and taken a wrong turn.

The illusion suited her just fine.

A crystal glass sat in front of her containing something amber and expensive-looking. It wasn't alcohol. The bartender had mixed it specifically to resemble Corellian whiskey, complete with ice and a fancy garnish Kinley had immediately thrown away.

She took a sip.

Still tasted like fruit.

Flint had wanted her here. Not requested. Wanted. Apparently there was value in seeing who showed up, who spoke to whom, and who couldn't stop staring at who. Kinley wasn't entirely convinced that required her presence, but arguing with Flint usually led to more work rather than less.

So here she sat.

Watching.

Listening.

Collecting names, faces, grudges, and opportunities.

The room was filled with some of the most powerful criminals in the galaxy. Smugglers, syndicate bosses, cartel leaders, and professional monsters all gathered under one roof.

Kinley couldn't help but grin into her glass. It was the richest target environment she'd ever seen.

Her gaze drifted across the VIP lounge until it landed on Mauve. Now there was a face she recognized.

Kinley raised her glass slightly in greeting from across the bar before taking another sip of her counterfeit whiskey.

"Flint owes me for this," she muttered to nobody in particular.

Then she settled back and continued watching the room.

After all, if every predator in the galaxy was gathering in one place, somebody was bound to make a mistake, and that’s when things got really fun.






Mauve du Vain Calyx Sundrift

A Smooth Criminal

 

[Makar Clyne]

How many times had he been through Hutt space? And how many times had it all gone wrong? Too many to count, but there was no debating that Nar Shadda was too lucrative to ignore. Especially when it came to headhunting and press ganging. Often he'd forged useful alliances in the unhallowed walls of a den of sin. Tonight would hopefully be another such success...

Makar sat in the corner of the upper level of the club, occupying himself with a Dejarik table. So far the sport in the club had been on the lower side of adequate, enough to be entertaining, but not enough to be truly challenging. This was good, it allowed Makar's eyes to wander. He wondered just who might be most useful among those currently assembled.

If the rumors were true, then there was to be a gathering of underlords in this place. The types that commanded whole swathes of the galaxy, all under the noses of the powers that be. Should they reveal themselves, then Makar would gladly join them.

Makar waited for a particularly beautiful Togruta waitress to walk by, he flagged her down with a finger. Soon enough she made her way to the holochess area. Makar met her gaze with a smile, giving her instructions to follow for an extra tip. Her job was to send along a glass of something brightly colored and strong to a sandy-haired young human downstairs. With specific instructions to tell him who sent along the drink.

The Togruta's eyes cast down to Calyx Sundrift , the man whom Makar pointed out. The pirate figured anyone making their way to Vertica City's biggest nightclub would probably appreciate a free drink from the top shelf. More interesting was the way the man in the suit cut through the crowd. Anyone who was willing to show up to a nightclub like Club Vertica in a pressed suit was either supremely wealthy, or incredibly foolish.

At worst he just wasted a perfectly good stack of credits on chatting up some no-name corporate magnate who he could try and ransom later. The upside was getting the chance at a powerful ally that was unafraid of the dangers of Nar Shadda.

Tags: Mauve du Vain Kinley Pryse <OPEN>​

 

[Mauve du Vain]

Everyone was still sizing each other up. Mauve sighed. Predictable, she supposed. How many times did akk dogs need to circle each other and sniff before fighting or rutting?

She made her way over to a new face while beckoning Kinley Pryse to follow with a finger. Kinley has always been what Mauve was not: carefree. But the woman made a good smuggler, if a hit or miss enforcer.

“Mauve du Vain,” she said, extending a hand to Calyx Sundrift , “and who might you be?”

Violet eyes sized him up.

Mauve had worn many titles: art dealer, info broker, club owner, and Vigo. But above all she knew how to read people. Their emotions. When they felt anxious, or sad. And when they felt on top of the world.

Makar Clyne

 

[Koda Fett]

"Let's not play these games," he said with all that earned arrogance, striding into the gathered lot.

His T-visor gaze fixated on Mauve, as it often was when she entered a room. Pheromones, he told himself. Fett paid no mind to the others. He knew one, in passing, and the others were either unknowns or forgettable enough to return to unknows. In either case, Fett didn't care. Then again, he never seemed to care all that much for things beyond himself, or his reputation.

"Is this a job, or am I wasting time?"

Mauve du Vain Kinley Pryse Calyx Sundrift Makar Clyne

 

[Sly Chance]

"Daylight's yours to squander, mando."

Cigarra embers lit up Sly's gaunt features before the duros emerged from shadows through a haze of smoke. Beneath the wide brim of his hat crimson eyes simmered like dying stars. His calculating gaze was searching for gaps in the legendary bounty hunter's armor. Hands that might just be fast enough to make that kind of shot trembled in anticipation.

"I'm more interested in who's holdin the reins around here," he smirked at Koda Fett then blew another puff of smoke towards his t-visor, "Word out in the black is the Underlord's dead or gone to ground. Reckon it won't be long before the Hutts start clawin back what's theirs."

Sly heard whispers in shadowports all over the rim that the vigos were no longer united like they once were. Without trust between the factions the underworld would descend into a galaxy wide gang war. Crimson Dawn had a stranglehold over the Mandalore sector. Hapes was no longer loyal to Hutt Space. Sooner or later the Pykes would make their own play. Chaos.

Mauve du Vain Kinley Pryse Calyx Sundrift Makar Clyne​

 

[Henriwatta Wabbo]

CLUB VERTICA - NAR SHADDAA
​

Henriwatta glided effortlessly through the upper level of the lounge, her wings producing a soft, continuous hum that was easily drowned out by the club's pulsating bass. Regrettably, she had to surrender her beloved hold-out blaster at the entrance to prevent the club from becoming a bloodbath, given the sheer number of criminals congregated in one location, where rival syndicates and personal vendettas thrived.

She inhaled deeply and slowly from her imported cigar, the glowing orange tip highlighting the sour curl of her nose. Her keen eyes scanned the room. Black Sun thugs overcompensating to appear menacing. Independent spacers feigning they had even two credits to spare and even Bounty hunters resembling worn-out droids.

It was quite a sight, especially considering the Underlord had disappeared from the galaxy without leaving a single clue. Hovering down toward the sleek bar, Henriwatta cut right in front of a towering Weequay pirate who was taking far too long to order.

She slapped a heavy, webbed hand onto the counter. "Give me a Whyren's Reserve, neat," she rasped, her voice cutting through the ambient noise.

"And don't water it down like you do for the local spice-heads, sweetheart. I know what the real stuff tastes like, and I know exactly what it costs." The bartender scurried off, and Henriwatta turned her back to the bar, leaning her short frame against the edge while remaining hovering a few inches off the floor to keep herself at eye level with the room.

Sly Chance Kinley Pryse Mauve du Vain Makar Clyne Koda Fett

 

[Kinley Pryse]

You've been hit by... you've been struck by...

Kinley Pryse can make a bad idea sound like an investment opportunity​

Kinley slid from her barstool the moment Mauve crooked a finger in her direction.

Some people would've bristled at being summoned like that. Pride had a way of making people stupid. Stupid people usually ended up dead. Kinley had learned that lesson years ago and had no interest in relearning it.

She worked for Flint. Which meant she worked for Black Sun. Simple as that.

The arrangement came with obligations, compromises, and enough credits to keep her father breathing. That alone made any wounded pride an expensive luxury she couldn't afford.

As she crossed the room, her thoughts drifted briefly back to the man at the bar and the rumors he'd been peddling. Most drunks talked too much and knew too little, but every now and then a fool stumbled into the truth.

If the Hutts really were clawing their way back into relevance, the galaxy was about to get a lot more crowded. Hutts never rebuilt quietly. They slithered into every crack instability left behind, wrapped their slimy fingers around whatever they could reach, and called it business.

Kinley almost smiled at the thought.

More players meant more opportunities.

And opportunities were where she made her living.

A Smooth Criminal

 

[Calyx Sundrift]

C L U B -V E R T I C A
N A R -S H A D D A A

He wove through crowds and conversations like a hawkbat in flight. One moment he was discussing Commenor shakedowns. The next, he was being consulted on the Coruscanti death-stick trade under Covenant rule. Crime lords were wary creatures by nature. Incredibly territorial, and forever searching for hidden angles.

Calyx broke through those defenses with well-timed laughter and carefully crafted vulnerability.

His choice of clothing helped. Standing out always did. Being the center of attention meant initiative. And initiative meant control. The risks of standing out were obvious, of course, but when the goal was establishing a presence, the rewards far outweighed them.

He had just finished sharing his thoughts on the Hutt family that ruled Rorak IV when a Togruta waitress drew his attention away. Her markings were so vibrant that he refused to believe they were natural.

"A drink for you, sir. Courtesy of the gentleman over there." She gestured toward the upper level.

Calyx accepted the glass and followed her gaze. His eyes settled on a flamboyant Epicanthix who seemed determined to dominate every inch of space around him.

A smile tugged at Calyx's lips. That's trouble. He lifted the glass high enough for Makar Clyne to see and gave him a wink. Cheers, friend. To danger.

He hadn't even taken a sip when he caught a flash of magenta in the corner of his eye. Calyx half-turned, masking his surprise.

A Zeltron woman had approached him. An absolutely stunning Zeltron woman.

He loved Zeltrons - their pheromones gave an ectasy that was difficult to find anywhere else. Even now he found himself drinking them in despite knowing better.

She extended a hand. Offered her name. But he already knew who she was.

He'd heard Kanjiklub mention her before. Mauve du Vain . The infobroker was like a spider sitting at the center of a carefully spun web of information. And among spiders, the females ate the males.

Well, that wasn't nearly enough to discourage him.

"Calyx Sundrift." He took her hand and smiled, though it never quite reached his eyes. "May I ask a favor, Mauve?" He stepped beside her, angling himself so he didn't have to meet her gaze directly. Whether it was the pheromones or something else, her violet eyes were distracting in ways he disliked.

He subtly nodded toward the upper balcony.

"The gentleman over there was kind enough to buy me a drink. It would be terrible manners to deny him my company, wouldn't it?" His gaze fixed on the swishing liquid in his glass. "The problem is that I tend to have an effect on people when I linger too long." Running a hand through his dirty-gold hair, he finally forced himself to meet her eyes. "Would you be willing to rescue me in a few minutes?" The smile broadened. "A woman more beautiful than all the moons of Lego combined should have little difficulty accomplishing that, no?"

He drifted away again, circling until he stood opposite her.

"Now, of course, if it doesn't come to that-" He backed away at a leisurely pace. "Keep a spot reserved for me. I'd love to talk later. About work, perhaps?" He offered a small farewell gesture and disappeared into the crowd.

Outwardly, he was confidence incarnate. Inwardly, doubt and desperation gnawed at him with every word he had spoken.

If Mauve was half as capable as her reputation suggested, she represented something important - a way out of Sith hell. And there was very little he would not offer to secure that way out.

It was why he'd taken a bolder approach. Negotiations - no matter if they were with children, terrorists, or anyone in between - followed the same fundamental principle. Define the rules of engagement before the other party could. You had to hand them the choices to make. Just never the ones they would have chosen for themselves.

That came down to a simple two options.

Either Mauve rescued him from the Epicanthix and he owed her a favor, or he sought her out later and approached her on equal footing. Both outcomes were in his favor.

With the potential added benefit that walking away now might irritate her enough to spark curiosity. He doubted that few people ever walked away from someone like Mauve du Vain.

With good reason.

The pheromones faded with every step that carried him toward the upper levels. And immediately, the world felt slower. Duller. Colors lost their brilliance, the music its rhythm. It was what Zeltrons did best, they made the world seem colorless without them.

Calyx turned inward instead, seizing the Dark-side of the Force beneath the concealment of the Amulet of Many. The artifact cooled against his chest as he grasped for the Force.

It came to him as a storm of fire and ice in his veins. The Dark-side burned away the lingering euphoria, honing his thoughts until they felt sharp enough to cut with.

By the time he reached the Epicanthix's table, he was once more the cunning mind wrapped in a smile.

"My apologies for the wait. Oh, and thank you for the drink." He flashed a charming smile and inclined his head slightly. "I'd offer you my name, but it's different in every sector. Here, I suppose Calyx will suffice. And you?" He frowned at the Dejarik board. Then took the unoccupied spot opposite the man. "Dejarik- that's been a while. Up for a game?"

 

[Jolly Walker]

​

Times have changed plenty since the crumbling of the Black Sun Syndicate.

Jolly's former boss, Pyrrah Tae, used to be a high-ranking member of the criminal organization. The Weequay served as quartermaster for the pirate, helping lead the crew on many looting and plundering expeditions. Yet his untimely death on Hoth sent ripples through the criminal underworld. The head of the Black Market, dead.

But the credits must flow.

So that is where Jolly stepped in. The next obvious successor of the enterprise, he was appointed to new head of the group by Bodan , an imperial business partner to Pyrrah. Because of his death, the Exchange, the former crime group of Pyrrah, fell into the hands of Bodan. Now Jolly had been working with the man for a few months now. But it was time for him to make his own moves. Most of the imperials in the galaxy held no true power anymore. And the pirate was not going to be held back by an aging relic.

That is why he is here today. With hopeful optimism, the man aimed to rekindle the connections between Mauve du Vain and Razmir Tezhyn , two high profile individuals within the Black Sun Syndicate. With Velzari Tharn presumed dead, these two were the next obvious choice to strike up a partnership with. Credits were easier to make when everyone worked together.

But for now, the man stood idly at the bar, drink in hand. It was not his time to make a move. Not yet. Strategic discernment would be needed. They were all criminals, after all.

Calyx Sundrift | Kinley Pryse | Makar Clyne | Koda Fett | Sly Chance | Henriwatta Wabbo ​

 

[Mauve du Vain]

"Now, of course, if it doesn't come to that-" He backed away at a leisurely pace. "Keep a spot reserved for me. I'd love to talk later. About work, perhaps?"

“Sure,” Mauve hid the subtle curve of her plum-shaded lips behind her glass, “But if you’re going to keep a woman waiting it better be worth her time.”

Violet eyes followed Sundrift as he left, then snapped back to a far more familiar figure who approached her.

"Is this a job, or am I wasting time?"

As usual, Koda Fett wore his armor and helmet. How disappointing.

Mauve looked between him and the other person, Sly Chance if she recalled his name right.

"Word out in the black is the Underlord's dead or gone to ground. Reckon it won't be long before the Hutts start clawin back what's theirs."

“Those gluttonous belly-crawling lard thick heaps of slime would have to come wriggling out of their precious little fortress worlds to do that,” Mauve sneered openly, ugh how she despised Hutts. Disgusting creatures.

“They’re still too scared of the Mandalorian Empire and the Sith to do anything that matters. Can you imagine how giddy Fett’s kind would be to run around burning and looting Hutt pleasure worlds?” She shook her head, then looked at the armored bounty hunter. “And yes, this can be a job. I want you on retainer. Monthly fee. That way I don’t have any unhappy misunderstandings.”

She’d been trying to get him on retainer for a while. Never really successfully.

Koda Fett Sly Chance Calyx Sundrift

 

[Henriwatta Wabbo]

CLUB VERTICA - NAR SHADDAA
​

Henriwatta snatched the glass of Whyren's Reserve from the bartender without looking, tossing him a credit chip and not a single more since she wasn't exactly the most charitable gal in the galaxy. She took a sip from the glass to allow the amber liquid to coat the back of her throat as keen eyes resumed their slow sweep of the VIP lounge.

The air made her cough harshly as a strong scent of perfume hit her snout. Henriwatta shook her head in disbelief when she spotted Kinley Pryse , and if the gossip was accurate, this tough and rugged drifter was currently at the top of the criminal food chain. She was an important player within the Black Sun and the right hand of Flint, a local Vigo.

She slowly inhaled his cigar smoke, her wings humming with energy as she rose from the bar. She ascended to the upper level of the lounge to intercept her before she could converse with anyone else. Henriwatta glided directly into Pryse's path, hovering at eye level, a dense, swirling cloud of grey smoke escaping her lips.

"Well, well, well. Look what the tide washed into the neutral zone," Henriwatta rasped, her voice a low, gravelly rumble that barely carried over the club's heavy bass but dripped with mocking affection. She threw her head back, letting out a wide, rasping laugh that rattled in her chest, the heavy gold rings on her hands glinting as she gestured toward the enforcer with her drink.

"Kinley Pryse! The galaxy's most expensive clean-up crew," the Toydarian purred, her eyes dancing with wicked amusement. She took another sip of her whiskey, leaning forward in the air with a growing smirk.

"Tell me, darling, is it true what they say across the Outer Rim? Are you still Flint's absolute favorite little toy, or has the Black Sun actually started giving you a real cut of the pie for doing all their heavy lifting?" Henriwatta knew the answer, of course. She knew exactly how valuable the girl was to Flint's operations.

Sly Chance Kinley Pryse Mauve du Vain Makar Clyne Koda Fett

 

[Makar Clyne]

“And yes, this can be a job. I want you on retainer. Monthly fee. That way I don’t have any unhappy misunderstandings.”

Makar just barely overheard Mauve speaking from the din of the club, but it was good news. Not necessarily because he liked working with others, but because it meant all those others were here willing to work. If they were hungry for coin, he would be more than happy to satisfy them. Yes, there was much that he could offer them. That was, if they were willing to play his games.

The dread pirate walked down the stairs to join the lower levels. Music thrummed in his ears, the music loud enough to vibrate in one's bones. The trance-inducing rhythm drew people from the seats to the dance floor. The only ones not interested in dancing it seemed, were there for business. Makar would take note of them.

His mind was set on something, scoping out the crews and thugs who he could easily wrangle. It would only take a casual flash of credits to bring them in, or so he imagined. He'd soon put the theory to the test.

Sly Chance seemed to be someone to get to know. If he was good with a blaster, that could always be useful. Not to mention most Duros were crack pilots. All Makar had to do was figure out what Sly could offer him, and vice versa of course...

"You seem to be knee deep in The Underworld. Knowledge like that is dangerous to carry around," Makar said with a wry smirk. He sipped at his wine a moment, then continued. "It has a way of getting men killed. I could make good use of a well connected gunhand in my crew. Should you be nterested in a work..."

Tags: Mauve du Vain , Kinley Pryse , Henriwatta Wabbo , Jolly Walker , Calyx Sundrift ​

 

[Koda Fett]

Fett glimpsed an idealised future, wherein his gloved fingers tightened around the Duros’ throat; a harsh punishment for that breath of smoke, though Fett was never said to be a lenient one.

Her, he surmised, had taken the reins in that well-crafted image. Mauve would never be accept being less, being second-fiddle, one among the rest of the element.

Then again, neither would he.

“I belong to no-one.” Fett said, almost contemptuously. In a great big galaxy full of stars, being tied to someone or someplace, was death.

Mauve’s streak continued.

“First right of refusal,” he countered, “And I won’t take a job that hinders your operations.”

Mauve du Vain
Sly Chance
Kinley Pryse

 

[Kinley Pryse]

You've been hit by... you've been struck by...

Kinley Pryse can mind trick a Toydarian
​

"Well, well, well. Look what the tide washed into the neutral zone.”

Kinley had barely gone a few steps before the flying female was floating in front of her. She had never met the alien but the flyer seemed to know who Kinley was. Guess good news travels fast.

"Tell me, darling, is it true what they say across the Outer Rim? Are you still Flint's absolute favorite little toy, or has the Black Sun actually started giving you a real cut of the pie for doing all their heavy lifting?"

She knew Flint too apparently. Interesting. Kinley wondered if Flint had pissed the female off somehow. It wouldn’t surprise her. He had all the tact of a blunt force object.

“Aye. Wind me up and watch me go.”

She pulled a toothpick out of her pocket and placed it in her mouth, almost without a second thought, and then nodded towards the direction of the meeting that was forming.

“Coming?”




Henriwatta Wabbo
Mauve du Vain
Koda Fett
Sly Chance
Makar Clyne
@ whoever I’m forgetting

A Smooth Criminal

 

[Sly Chance]

"Now that's some bold talk," Sly whistled at Mauve du Vain , "You ain't Fett's kind, little lady. Maybe the Underlord had enough grit to keep the local systems in line but now it's every man for his self."

Small thrusters strapped to his boots jangled like spurs when the duros moseyed away from contract negotiations with Koda Fett and tapped his knuckles against the bar for some service. He ordered a revnog from the droid whose many limbs were already busy mixing half a dozen separate cocktails.

"Underworld?" crimson eyes looked up from his drink at Makar Clyne , "Must be some mistake, partner. I'm just a simple man making his way through the galaxy."

He wore a long duster stitched out of bantha hide. Weapons were being confiscated at the entrance but there seemed like plenty of room for a holdout blaster somewhere Sly could draw it fast. Faster than even a trained Jedi could react if the tall tales about him were to be believed.

"Sly Chance," the duros tipped the brim of his hat at the pirate lord, "Captain of the Sylop. Don't bargain with anyone before I get to know them, and the only way I know how to do that is by playing cards."

Like magic a sabacc card appeared in Sly's hand between two blue fingers. Simple sleight of hand. Somehow he made the invitation to gamble sound vaguely menacing. Almost like a dare.

 

[Corin Vale]

Was it smart to go to a hub of criminals, outlaws, and bounty hunters? Time would tell. If the night ended without him in chains or dead then the night was a success. Anything else he managed to acquire would just be a bonus. Some more nefarious friends he had made while scrapping and engineering had heard of his bounty and told him there was someone he could go to and where to find them. Out of ideas, options, and time, Corin found his way to Nar Shaddaa.

When he arrived, the bouncer that gave him a pat-down raised an eyebrow, or what would count in his species as an eyebrow, at the fact Corin didn’t carry any weapons. He said nothing, but Corin knew what he wanted to say.

“You’re in here and you didn’t bring any weapons?”

Corin just shrugged weakly with his arms and waited to be let in. Once inside, he looked about the place, taking his time to observe the decor and the patrons. It seemed more like the inside of a government building than a club. Very clean, proper. Not at all like the dives he was used to. Then the patrons were just as colorful as what he’d expected. Outlaws, dusters, suits, whatever. Corin blended in fine with his simple jumpsuit. Which worked out fine for him.

Yeah there were bounty hunters here, but there were also most definitely people with bounties here. Corin just fell back on his manufactured anonymity, tried to blend in. He kept his eyes straight. Didn’t avoid eye contact but didn’t seek it either, and went to go sit at the bar.

“Anythin’ Corellian,” he ordered once the bartender got to him. He tossed down a few credits like he belonged and sipped his drink when it arrived. He turned back and cast his eyes towards the VIP section, scanning for one person in particular.

Mauve was the name he kept hearing. Someone who knew a lot about a little, and a little about a lot more. She wouldn’t be able to fix his problem, he was sure, but he had hoped she’d have some way of helping him disappear, stay off of the hunters’ radar until the galaxy just kinda forgot about him. Surely a hundred-thousand credit bounty for a crime he only sort of committed would eventually stop mattering. There was already quite a gathering forming in the section, and he figured the alien woman adorned in gold was likely Mauve.

“Makes sense,” he thought to himself as he slammed back the rest of his whiskey and ordered another, needing the alcohol to boost his courage.

The people around her seemed the type that’d like his presence, but he wouldn’t like theirs. However it didn’t seem they were going away soon, so he’d have to deal with that eventually.

Or, he could stay here and keep drinking and wait for his shot to get to her while he worked on what exactly someone like him could offer people like this?

“I have a bad feeling about….all o’this.” He said to himself, quietly, as he turned back around and slammed back the full glass of whiskey.

Tags: Open | Mauve du Vain

 

[Jacen Breska]

BACK IN THE SADDLE​

WEARING:: Pictured
EQUIPMENT: NOTHING
LOCATION: :: NAR SHADDAA ::
TAG: Mauve du Vain | Open

Jacen'd spent too long out of the limelight. It was time to return to the action. He'd left the Sith behind completely, even stopped reporting into the Drop. He'd come if they called, but until then? He needed to earn his name back. This was the place to do it. Mauve'd have some job for him, or know where he could get one. Someone somewhere would need another blaster doing something, and fighting in the Galactic Kaggath had to mean something to someone. He hadn't won. That much was true. But he'd stood in the arena with the best killers in the galaxy and walked away breathing. That had to count for something. Bravery. Maybe just foolishness. But something.

Jacen wasted no time and barreled towards Mauve once inside the club. As he approached, he recognized one 'face' in particular, and winced from the scar tissue he still had from the burning he'd endured. "Fett," he seethed, but pushed on anyway, forcing a smile as he approached. Jacen threw his arms out wide, as if offering the air a hug, "Is that the gorgeous Mauve I see?" He asked rhetorically, then shot a side glance to Koda Fett , He considered saying something. Anything. Then thought better of it. Starting a fight in Mauve's club seemed a poor way to ask for work. Instead, he returned his attention to Mauve, "Always a pleasure Mauve, love to see ya, love to chat, love to hear what's goin' on in your corner of space."

He pointed to a seat in the booth, "May I?" He asked with a practiced self-sure smile, fighting, and losing, the battle to just sit down anyway as he imagined 'of course she'd say yes,' and plopped himself down in the empty seat.

​

 

[Kinley Pryse]

You've been hit by... you've been struck by...

Dealing with Kinley Pryse is a nightmare, but it's one exciting ride​

Kinley didn't linger long with Henriwatta Wabbo . At first, it was because Mauve du Vain was waiting for her upstairs, but that excuse quickly lost its importance when her gaze drifted toward the door.

A familiar-looking engineer had just walked in. Corin Vale .

Well, now. Maybe today wasn't shaping up so badly after all. Too bad they were on neutral ground. Slipping away from the conversation, Kinley made her way toward the bar. She arrived just in time to catch him muttering under his breath.

"I have a bad feeling about... all o'this."

"Smart man."

The words came from just over his shoulder, where Kinley Pryse was standing with a grin on her face.

A Smooth Criminal