Spicing It Up

[Eliza Steele]

​

Spoiler

Scum & Villainy Scoundrel Contract: #S-001

​

​

The Captain of the Corellian Dawn and the Outlaw known as [member="Bandit Six"] had taken a contract to transport spice from Kessel to Tatooine real quiet like. That was the fiery Corellisi's specialty. She was known for her expert navigating smuggled goods to destinations without much unwanted entanglements. Well at least her track record was good in that way so far... knock on wood.

Eliza checked the power pack on her trusted DL-44 heavy blaster pistol holstered low on her shapely right hip, then looked down at her new smuggling partner as the starboard-side boarding ramp of the heavily modified YT-1930 began to lower.

"Ya know, Bandit, I really outta get you a certified booster seat to fit in Rahl's Wookiee-sized pilot chair. Well, if this is going to be a regular occurrence you and me... Cause sitting on a box just ain't safe," the petite brunette smirked as chocolate drop eyes peered at the raccoon standing beside her in the corridor near the open hatch. "And it's against the law too... not that I or you ever break it," she winked with a chuckle to follow before disembarking the ship with a cautious yet determined nature in her notable Corellian swagger.

Steele had landed the light freighter at the specified location where there was a few outbuildings hidden in a shallow crater on the dark side of the planet.

"So who is it we're supposed to talk to about the shipment again?"

 

[KitKat]

Bandit was waiting in the hangar with his newly acquired Captain. The two had not known each other long, but she seemed like a capable enough being and Bandit wanted to earn a reputation in the underground. Contracts like these were how to do it. It was easy to look over someone like Bandit, considering he looked like more of the wildlife than an actual contributor. He wanted to change all of that. No acting like a random piece of wildlife for this racoon.

Bandit was munching on a doughnut as they waited by the ship. Behind them one of the captains was swearing and asking who ate his snack. Bandit quickly wiped his hands off on his red flight suit, just as Eliza made the comment about the box.

"I just hope you are insured. I get whiplash easily." He followed her through the port.

"The guys name is Shiv. Sounded like a real piece of work." He pulled out his datapad and scanned through the messages.

"So err they really lock people up on Kessel? "

Bandit hadn't seen a lot of the galaxy. He'd heard rumors of course. The rumors were terrible. Sure in the space port it all looked like everything else, but once you got on the outside that's when planets looked different.


[member="Eliza Steele"]

 

[Eliza Steele]

"Ha! You didn't read the small print when you signed on then... I ain't responsible for any injuries incurred while working with me and being stupid," Eliza quipped, then added a few ticks later.

"Yep, afraid so little buddy... especially donut snatchers," she replied with a lopsided grin, then proceeded onward across the distance to a building that looked like a warehouse of some sort.

Eliza tried the entry door, but of course it was locked. There was a panel on the wall so the petite smuggler pushed a button on it and waited for a response. A mechanical voice was heard over the speaker asking who and what they wanted. Their tone suggested a blaster was ready on the other end if not the right answer.

"Looking for Shiv... Captain Steele and partner here to pick up a shipment from him," the fiery Corellisi said, then glanced over to the raccoon while waiting for a yea or nay.

"You ever been to Tatooine, [member="Bandit Six"]? I hope you don't mind sand getting every where cause that is exactly the highlight of visiting there."

The lock mechanism suddenly clicked and the door slid back. It was time to grab their stuff and get out of there quicker the better.

 

[KitKat]

Bandit waves his hand at the doughnut quip. He wasn’t about to stop thieving. His motto was if he wanted something more than someone else it was rightfully his.

The mechanical box made a buzzing sound and the door opened. A large guard was waiting, rifle in hand as he looked the pair over. Eventually he stepped aside and let them pass. With a grunt the guard pointed down the hallway.

“You don’t have to talk our ears off. Geesh. “ Bandit lead the way. Their shadows on the wall were a bit comical as hers was so much taller than his. It looked like some kids cartoon gone wrong.

Soon they were at the end of the hall with another box. This one didn’t wait to be pushed though. It buzzes ans tbe doir ooened, allowing them into a large warehouse with several crates on hover carts.

“Ah delightful! You must be my movers!!” Said the man walking towards them.

[member="Eliza Steele"]

 

[Eliza Steele]

And of course the muscle greeted them at the outer door. The Corellian Rose may be a sweet smelling flower, but her thorns were dangerously sharp and could viciously cut any man to shreds if the need arose. Steele followed behind [member="Bandit Six"] with a confident air, not cocky though. She was there for business not showboating.

Another Devaronian with an in-charge look walked towards them as Eliza and the raccoon were allowed past the second door into the vastness of the crate-filled warehouse. It was way bigger than it appeared from the outside and above while on approach to the landing pad.

"We are... You must be Shiv," the fiery Corellisi nodded with a wry smile. "Picking up twenty crates of your fine spice to be delivered to Gi on Tatooine. This them?" the petite smuggler motioned towards the crates already loaded onto two hover sleds - ten each stacked all nice and neat with five on top of five.

"May my partner check 'em over before signing off for the product... "

Eliza in her early smuggling career had gotten stiffed once, paying the price both in credits and reputation. It was a hard lesson to learn and a mistake the Corellian would not make again if she could help it. Now hopefully she could depend on Bandit to do the right thing and not sample the goods while the captain kept an eye on the spicers.

"You understand. It's just good business so we're all square on the details of the transaction."

​Her dark head turned slightly to look down at the sentient mammal briefly, giving him a knowing gaze that meant don't screw the pooch here or there will be hell to pay.

 

[KitKat]

"Err yes I suppose he can." The man didn't seem too sure about the racoon, but that did not surprise Bandit. Most people had never even seen a racoon in their lifetime. They weren't popular on a lot of planets, due to increased city structures in the natural habitat.

Bandit opened two of the crates and sniffed. It smelled like spice alright. Each was airtight and packed well. There were no signs of bulky metal to make it look like the containers were full when they weren't either.

"It looks good to me. Smells right." He licked his finger and coughed. "Tastes about right too."


Shiv chuckled. "You want to be careful. I've had more than one get hooked because of that. First time is free if you want a taste."

"No thanks." Bandit closed the lids on the containers and looked at his partner.

"Think we can haul these ourselves?"

"My men can help if you like."

[member="Eliza Steele"]

 

[Eliza Steele]

Eliza waited anxiously as [member="Bandit Six"] checked over the containers. She hadn't a clue whether the raccoon would dive into the spice or leave it alone... The Corellisi was impressed with his restraint only tasting the residual off his fingers. Yeah one didn't want a smuggling partner that helped themselves to the goods. That never flew with the well-seasoned smuggling captain.

"Seems everything is in order. We'll get out of your hair then," Eliza said to the Twi'lek in charge, then grabbed her comlink from the utility belt slung low on her shapely hips and keyed it.

"Leeboo... Inbound with twenty crates momentarily. Have the lift ready... You know the drill," she gave the order to her loyal and trusted LE Series repair droid that was modified to be another hand for the ship, then the petite smuggler smiled at Shiv after hearing the acknowledging double-click.

"Thank you for your hospitality, but we've got this. Nice doing business with you"

"Suit yourself, Captain Steele. Clear skies now."

Since the goods were on hoversleds there was not need for extra help, plus Eliza didn't want the spicers getting too close to her baby either. That was why as they exited the building with the spice, the Corellian Dawn's "Ground Buzzer" was at the ready hanging down from the underbelly of the light freighter. One couldn't be too careful especially with an illegal substance like they were carrying out. The surface-defense cannon had saved Rahl and herself a time or two in the past when attacked or ambushed. She didn't think anything was going to go wrong this time, but... never hurt to be prepared.

"Good going back there, lil' buddy... You earn a brownie point from me for your self-control," Eliza complimented Bandit as the crates were transferred onto the cargo lift.

 

[KitKat]

"Well I never! You act like I'm an untrained house pet!"

Bandit smirked, as he walked beside her. Suddenly the racoon pulled a wallet out of jacket. "Now let's see who we are dealing with." He started ruffling through the stolen wallet and chuckled, tossing a condom out of it. "Well he's a dreamer that's for sure, and oh look he's a premier member of the gentlemen club on 42nd ave."

[member="Eliza Steele"]

 

[Eliza Steele]

Eliza just shook her espresso-colored head at the ongoing brazenness of [member="Bandit Six"]. The Corellisi's face made an 'eww, TMI-look' when the contents of the mark's wallet were detailed out. Men?!

The petite smuggler made haste to the cockpit and started the ol' girl up while Leeboo made sure the spice was put away in the special compartments real nice like. Of course the ship had other cargo on board bound for Tatooine... She was a 'legit' businesswoman after all.

Captain Steele feathered the controls and lifted the Corellian Dawn with well practiced ease just as Shiv and his men came running out of the warehouse. The grizzled Twi'lek's fist was raised in a 'you'll pay for this' gesture.

"I swear you're going to be the death of me. Why I ever took you on is beyond me, more trouble than worth I'd say," Eliza smirked, then pushed the hyperdrive level down to make the jump to light speed as the nav computer beeped.

 

[Eliza Steele]

Spoiler

Moving ahead to finish the contract as [member="Bandit Six"] is on LOA...

Tatooine

The Corellian Dawn skimmed skillfully along the sand dunes of Tatooine at dusk as its captain headed towards the coordinates given to the drop-off point. Gi was the contact they were supposed to talk with about getting their payment for the spice delivery. Steele was looking forward to it as it was a nice chunk of change and there was always something that cost credits to fix.

As soon as the heavily modified YT-1930 light freighter set down on the landing pad at the spicer's stronghold, the ship was greeted by several well-armed men; pretty standard protocol especially with this type of cargo. The petite smuggler doubled checked the power pack on her DL-44 Heavy blaster pistol slung low on her shapely right hip and gave a nod to Leeboo to lower the boarding ramp. And now this was always the tricky part of the business deal...

"Let's just make this quick, hmm? No messing around now... Got it, Bandit?" Eliza said to the sometimes brash raccoon giving him a knowing look, then she swaggered down the metal ramp.

"Delivery of 20 for Gi from Shiv," she said to the male Zabrak that came forward, his golden eyes giving the brunette the one over.

"Ah Captain Steel I presume.... I am Gi, and you're right on time. I like that of my smugglers," he stated, then snapped his fingers for one of his men to check the containers that had been meanwhile lowered to the ground on the cargo lift.

"They all there, boss."

"Good, good... Then we have an accord it seems," the Zabrak answered, then the alien imputed something into his data pad before handing it over to the Corellisi to see.

"As per the contract, that amount will be transferred into your account for your service. If all is right, just sign and push the enter button," he smiled, crossing over his arms while waiting for Eliza to review.

Chocolate drop eyes keenly read over the page, then finalized their deal. Eliza pulled her own data pad out and doubled checked her account to make sure the transition went through.

"Thanks... Been nice doing business with you," she gave a nod to the spicer, then the smuggler turned on her booted foot to go back up the ramp pleased yet for some reason Eliza had a bad feeling... There was a mischievous little smirk on Bandit's face as the 'Dawn lifted.

"Gods... You did, didn't you?!" the petite smuggler grumbled out with a roll of her dark orbs. "I swear you are going to be the death of me."