First Reply Synthwave and Palm Trees

[Eaton Waters]

The new speeder was slick, and Eaton was more than happy to take it for a run. Niamos was a great world. Great music, great weather, great vibes. The new model of the Mobquet M Series was a great little ride. Two seats, this one with a matte red paint job, convertible top, and a great sound system. The Blubreen was driving down one of the long coastal stretches as he was heading into the next major city. He had to one, drop this Mon Cala woman off, because well, he had work.

And by work, he meant fencing an item he had stolen.

Black Sun space wasn’t far, but there was a procurer of rare goods who was going to be meeting him. What Eaton had was simple, mere trinkets in most markets, but for some reason, this buyer was fascinated with the Krath history. It wasn’t even one of the Sith artifacts, as far as Eaton knew.

A statute of the Magician-God.

 

[Kaelen Varrin]

Do this. Go here. Do that. Come back. It wasn't a glorious life, but for the moment it was what he had. And so, Kaelen eeked out a living following folks that might be turning on the Rebel cells he had made friends with. He wasn't the muscle, far from it. But with an easy smile and a slick attitude, Kaelen was able to drop into almost any social situation that could be found and quickly adjust to the crowd and probably end up invited to a wedding or child's birthday.

At current, he was in a luxury bar watching someone that was a fence for the cell he had been working with for a while. This particular 'target' was a sort that often dealt in Dark Side and Imperial relics and nastier things. But he had a soft spot, supposedly, for the underdog. And so, while he peddled wares to those sorts, he happily traded in their secrets to the Rebels. A useful contact, but certainly not one to be trusted.

It seemed recently the fence had turned, selling Rebellion secrets to the enemy for safety, security, credits... Who knew... He had squealed, and now Kaelen was acquiring intel so that the more violent associates he kept truck with could do their part safely. Humming, Kaelen lit a stimstick, sipping at what passed for a local spirit in this place, trying to keep his grimace at the taste from showing as he watched the door casually without so much as a direct or even passing glance to most observers.

Still, he checked his blaster surreptisiously on occasion... It never paid to be ready...

Eaton Waters

 

[Eaton Waters]

Sometimes all one needed to survive was just the music and the vibes. A world like this, he could really get used to. Maybe Black Sun should move out this way and open up shop. Or even the Republic. If they were nearby, then the people like him, the ones who made their fortunes in other ways. He could adjust to the worlds around him, in that Eaton had no doubt. But since he was more free lance, that was why he was out here.

The electronic sounds of his music were thumping through the system of his speeder, and now that he was free of his Mon Cala sidepiece, he was more than happy to continue to do the crime he set out for. A quick pit stop to put on more appropriate attire, a dark suit, blue and white, that matched the current fashions on Niamos. Parking the speeder, he checked that his bracelet was on, the one with the Force imbuement that would make a room go dark, as he adjusted his jacket.

Stepping in, the blonde hybrid looked around before heading up to the bar. Ordering a minty tropical drink, he nodded as he turned his back to the bar, pressing the datapad that had the data for the fence against the bar.

And he was supposed to find a Quarran here?

Kaelen Varrin

 

[Kaelen Varrin]

Someone that reeked more oil-slick charm than Kaelen and a used-speeder salesman in Mos Eisley selling to a group of Jawas walked in, and Kaelen shook his head. Types like that wanted you to see the charm, the flash and glitz, but often enough that was what he called the iceberg. There was little hiding the hitch in the walk, the scanning tic to the eye, and the way the dominant hand was always lower. Sometimes that spoke of military or blaster training. Other times just the unspoken bodily language of caution.

But regardless, the man cut a fine figure in his dark suit. Kaelen was attired much less finely, but not so much so as to not blend in. An equerry or intermediary would probably be the first glance assessment. Well worn and cared for spacer leather boots in a deep oxblood, electrum decorative bits up the shank of the boot along his calf. Black trousers, a flared black waistcoat of some sort of silk that seemed to drink light rather than sheen it off. Black leather gloves, some would take as an affectation, but in truth they hid knuckle tattoos and other markings he'd rather not explain.

A waitress, a respectable looking Mirialan with a rather wicked grin, brought over an amasec to him. It was a drink he had discovered on the Rim and not found elsewhere, something akin to a matled whiskey, with a multiple distillation method, and often bitter fruits flavoring it. The tart cherry and sweet anise of this one wasn't his favorite, but he smiled cordially, and with a pointer finger and a tilted glass as if to toast the newcomer out of politeness, he winked.

The wink said Kaelen knew, and didn't mind, and wouldn't be causing the man problems unless their goals were opposing.

Eaton Waters

 

[Eaton Waters]

The credits were going to be nice. Enough to refuel his Niathal shuttle, and get him moving to the next job. Eaton was more than happy to store the ship aboard a bulk freighter, run some miracles on the navigation system, and get it to its next stop. Moonlighting as a Warden, as his sister said. She also said he should sit down and read her books.

But for now? He was going to have his fun, and stealing treasure, especially from the dark side groups? Well, that counted for something. Sure, he sold it, but what would the Jedi offer him? Or the Alliance? Probably lock him up. He wasn’t here to support the Sith, nor any Empires, but well, sometimes a big government was just too much oversight.

And didn’t let him move freely.

Eaton surveyed the room before noticing a Quarran in the back, hidden behind the large head of an Ithorian. So that was his fence. Another sip as he gave a nod to the other man in the room, the one probably flirting with the Mirialan, before he took the next steps forward.

<<Seems like we’re on a flood tide>> Eaton affected, in his best Mon Calamari. It was not the Quarran language, no, but it didn’t need to be.

Kaelen Varrin

 

[Kaelen Varrin]

As the other nodded back, something in Kaelen told him to keep a casual eye on him. And sure enough, Force be damned, the man in the dark suit sauntered up to the fence he was here to gather intel on and maybe shake down. Silently, and hopefully only inwardly, he cursed and ranted. Outwardly, he seemed perfectly fine as he sipped his drink. To anyone looking, perhaps a slight wrinkle of the brow and twist to the mouth, maybe the drink was off?

Well, for the moment he best play it cool and just observe. So he listened to the beat and tried, with a healthy effort to not appear as if he were doing so, to listen and watch to the Quarran and the dark-suited man. Listening booster in his ear, and a natural talent for espionage made it relatively easy, but he was still slightly worried this could already be going sideways.

Eaton Waters

 

[Eaton Waters]

It was always something with the other aliens of the seas. Maybe Eaton was in fact more human than not, and being part Blubreen made him almost seem like an outsider. Eaton was about as Force aware as anyone who just relied on their natural charisma to get by. Those beings that didn’t know how good they had it. Things just tended to work his way. But this Quarran? A bit less than that.

Tentacle-Face was a bit of an ornery sort and shook its head as Eaton spoke.

It wasn’t until he reached for the datapad that the other being almost flinched. It was an almost because the hand did go for the hip, and it gave Eaton enough information on who he was dealing with. A gunslinger type, right handed, but not used to having his weapon not be with him.

And neither did Eaton. But he still placed the datapad on the bar. A test.

He had a very loose understanding of the who this Quarren was. But what he didn’t really expect was the being to grab the pad and run for the door.

Kaelen Varrin

 

[Kaelen Varrin]

It was as simple as a two-step at a Chandrillian wedding ball... Though he had no idea how to do a two-step, no anything about weddings, balls, or wedding balls, Chandrillian or not. But, when the mark he was watching grabbed the pad from Eaton Waters and ran, he bolted upright as if suddenly panicked. A faked stumble, a twist, and the chair he bumped with his knees in rising skittered right into the path of the fleeing Quarren, who went down in a tangle of wood and bits, clocking his head on the table edge by pure coincedence.

Pure coincedence helped along by Kaelen hooking his ankle with the tip of his foot and tripping the fleeing fence. Checking the Quarren was out, he helped him up, seating him into a chair, and nodded to Eaton as he went about the business of being fake concerned over the unconscious man, who everyone would be inclined to believe Kaelen used to do business with once upon a time. And wasn't it funny just how the Galaxy wove coincedence like this?

Best hurry, even I can't make something like this ironclad...

 

[Eaton Waters]

Eaton took a beat, just that one second to assess what was going on. His fingers on his right hand fingered the bracelet his sister had given him. Magick tech, really. A stone he could throw was on a length of cord. The stone? Created a cloud of cold. He wasn’t certain that it’d be the best thing to use here and quickly opted to not. His hand went to the belt and pulled out one of his knives.

These were something he was well versed in. Good to get in quick and personal, and dispatch whoever. But first there was the chase he was expected.

Then the Quarren fell. Fancy that.

“Nice move.” He said in a hushed voice. Eaton made a move for his datapad. “Whats in it for you?”

Kaelen Varrin

 

[Kaelen Varrin]

"A few well aimed kicks to his groin, and access to his datapads. Bastard is responsible for contributing to the total collapse of a few groups of associates I work with... And, though it's hardly an official charge... I don't take kindly to sell outs..."

While he says all of this with a casual and low tone that is not to be overheard, there is a coldness to his eyes that is odd for one so young. Though he wouldn't know it, at this moment, he was truly the inheritor of his grandfather. He knew he was enraged, but somehow.. He just felt cold and determined, yet overall detached...

"And to see you get yours... Whatever that is... Skeezos like him deserve to pay every piper for their fiddles..."

Eaton Waters

 

[Eaton Waters]

He’d say he was a rebel, no matter who asked. Eaton was of that persuasion, at least. Even if he was more the saboteur, criminal type of rebel. The blubreen was more than willing to make some certain deals, but he never did sell out his own. But Eaton never was going to broadcast that. What if a choice he made did result in a collapse of a group for this man? “I mean, all for it. If you share some of that data you find.” He had bills to pay.

The knife went back to its holster on his belt, and he really wished he knew the trick his sister had to wave a hand and make it quite literally vanish for other observers. A witch skill, and he wasn’t about to go ask Jedi, or even Dark Jedi to do this. Sitting down at the table, Eaton pulled out a flask and handed it over to the other man.

“Name’s Eaton Waters. This one was supposed to be providing me with some intel. Supposedly some weapons and ships may be being moved through the region?” Eaton looked for the datapad in the man's jacket, keeping an the others in the bar, so as to not trip any suspicion.

Kaelen Varrin

 

[Kaelen Varrin]

"Yeah, that intel was a plant. I made up the shipments, fixed up the logs, made it all look real. The idea was to monitor certain channels and the like, and see who moved on it. See where the leak was going, so to speak. You were the last destination, and I still didn't uncover much that would solve the riddle I'm trying to crack. Regardless, shall we maybe take this somewhere else? I'll share anything else I find out in the process of my conversations with this bastard..."

The last sentence carried an unexpected and, unknown to Eaton, uncharacteristic amount of venom behind it. Definite heat. Definite desire to adorn the one in front of them with various sharp metal objects via high speed manual implantation and then perhaps hook them up to a hyperdrive core via power cables.

"Whaddya think?" he spoke in a whisper, "Good ole, he had too much to drink, we're taking him to sleep it off? My place is close to here..."

Eaton Waters

 

[Eaton Waters]

A plant. Wonderful. Eaton needed to check the jobs that he was taking, and make sure that there was profit in it. Sure, he could be here to help revolutions, but it wasn’t always what he was about. “Yeah, I think we should head somewhere else.” The Blubreen nodded with a smirk. “Lets get moving.”

Looking at his new partner in front of him, Eaton gave a nod. Stepping up from his seat, he helped to lift up their target. Giving him a slap on the chest, Eaton made a big scene.

“Damn man, how much did you drink? We best be getting you back to the missus!”

Kaelen Varrin

 

[Kaelen Varrin]

Hefting the other with Eaton Waters , he half drug and half lugged the slurring, drooling mess that was half corpse from his recent concussive meeting with a table and all deadweight. Despite a relatively slender frame, Kaelen did admirably. A hard life on the edge saw the move easier than it might have been, and once they entered the temp-hab housing he had secured for this mission, Kaelen shut the door, shouldered the target onto the bed and swiftly clicked shock-cuffs to the bedposts, nodding as he drew the bespoke pistol from it's holster at his hip.

"Sorry for apparently drawing you in with the false shipments and such. It seemed the best way to catch this sleezo's attention. If you lost too much on the venture, or have angry buyers waiting, let me know. I can maybe help offset that. Don't want regular folk suffering for this arse-rag...."

Eaton Waters

 

[Eaton Waters]

The fact that they were doing this meant that Eaton and the other were definitely on the same side here. Working to get the intel to the right hands. Eaton may not be doing it for any revolution, and for some credits in his own pocket, but that didn’t mean he was going to let the Imperials win.

There were shades of gray, and that was where Eaton lived.

“Not your fault. Just searching for things I can get to the right hands.” He didn’t need to know about the finders fee. “And he didn’t get away with what I was trading him. So, nothing gained, but nothing lost.

“What are you doing? Hunting for moles?”

Kaelen Varrin