Private The Mek-Sha Job

[Thayne Tameron]

Tags: Minerva Fhirdiad
Location: Docking Bay, Mek-Sha
Soundtrack: Deus Ex

The door to the Port Authority office slid open with a whoosh as two armed guards - mercenaries, really - stormed out into the docks and bee-lined to a cargo ship three lots down from the 'Nomad'. Thayne watched from the landing ramp of his ship as the guards fed the freighter captain some swill about 'inspections' and 'complying with regulations.' Naturally, it was a ruse to pilfer the cargo and 'seize' whatever they wanted. Thayne chuckled, taking a final draw of his cigarette before tossing it on the ground.

"So, Mek-Sha's really come to this, eh?" he asked under his breath, talking to no one in particular as he stepped off the 'Nomad' and raised the landing ramp.

Thayne looked around the docking bay, making sure the port security was preoccupied with the freighter before striding a short distance to a side entrance near the office. He typed a spoofed passcode into the lock and walked through, into the proper of Mek-Sha. The station, if you could call it that, was the hollowed-out remains of a mining colony gone bust years ago. These days, it served as little more than a fueling station for freighters and cargo vessels, though even they were becoming a rarity on Mek-Sha.

"Can thank the 'guards' for that," Thayne thought to himself.

He made his way through the crowded street, nudging past smugglers and slavers from dozens of species, until he found himself outside of a small bar. The entrance was illuminated by a bright neon sign that hung from the face of the building. The luminous blue lettering read: Greezo's.

The door slid open begrudgingly, small puffs of steam hissing as it went. Thayne crossed the busy room and planted himself in a booth within earshot of the bar; Never hurts to overhear the local goings-on. He raised his hand to order a drink, not overly concerned with whatever it may be they kept on tap, and pulled out a datapad. He scrolled through its contents, familiarizing himself with his mark: The head of a cult that had cropped up several months ago in the undercity of Mek-Sha. And its leader was a real piece of work; A Force user named Veth Tzam dabbling in the Dark Side, likely a runaway Jedi, culling himself a following. Poor bastards in the undercity probably thought he was some sort of protector or savior. The dangerous ones would think he's a god.

Too bad for them. Thayne had laid down dozens of cultists before, and this 'god' wouldn't be last.

 

[Minerva Fhirdiad]

Tags: Thayne Tameron
Location: Greezo’s, Mek-Sha


A young human stood meters away from Thyne back at the main counter, snipping a glass full of Corellian ale. Wearing a dark cloak that matched her pants and boots she looked more like another wannabe spacer than her true self... Minerva suppressed a sigh glancing down at the counter.

Can't be helped, I have to remain in cover until there is a solid lead to follow. Minerva silently reminded herself.

Even so it was quite hard for a proud Mandalorian like herself to pretend to be anything else. Then in the back of her mind Minerva can hear her late father Jorel's scolding.

'Ad'ika you can't solve every problem by shooting it! Try your bloody brain for once. True warriors know when to make or not to make their move.'

Closing both eyes at the now cherished memory Minerva subsequently drank more of the ale. The air was foul with cigarette and various odors while music played on the speakers all over the establishment. Likely the owner couldn't afford for any live performance. It was a pity Minerva concluded live music when done right felt more thrilling for her.

Focus. She thought in reminder before remembering her purpose here on this husk of a station.

Looking back up to the bartender who was a heavyset Iktotchi female she asked aloud.

"Tell me more about this miracle worker. He sounds interesting."

Rolling both eyes the bartender replied. "Missy, like I told ya before you don't want to be tangled with him and his bunch. They're trouble."

"I like trouble." Answered Minerva with a smirk causing the owner to groan in annoyance.

"I serve kriffing drinks, not information."

In response the uncovered Mandalorian produced several credits in front of the Iktochi. At first the latter paused before shrugging her shoulders. If the stupid human had a death wish that's no skin off her back as long as she got something of this exchange. Glancing around from one side to side the bartender explained.

"They call themselves the Enlightened or something. Anyway, they‘re in the undercity and their boss likes to put on a show when it is convenient for him. That's all I’ll say about it."

Nodding Minerva finished the last of her beverage before taking her leave. With self assured steps she walked out of the bar.

"Well that's a start." She muttered to herself walking into the ever moving crowd on tje streets.

 

[Thayne Tameron]

Tags: Minerva Fhirdiad
Location: Mek-Sha
Soundtrack: Deus Ex

Thayne’s eyes flicked from his datapad to the hooded woman at the bar as she prodded the Iktochi for information.

"Another hunter?" he thought as she pressed the bartender. His suspicions were confirmed when she flashed Credits.

"How interesting…"

Thayne brought his eyes back down to the datapad, scrolling ever so often to appear interested in the device, but his focus was trained on the woman. He tapped the metal earpiece he wore beneath a linen patch on his right ear, amplifying the implant’s sound.

"They call themselves the Enlightened or something. Anyway, they‘re in the undercity and their boss likes to put on a show when it is convenient for him. That's all I’ll say about it."

"That confirms the dossier," Thayne thought to himself.

Seemingly satisfied with the information, the hooded woman turned to leave the bar. Thayne flagged himself down another drink, knocked it back, and put it on his tab - not that he’d ever come back to Mek-Sha again after dismantling the Enlightened. He cracked a smug smirk, suddenly contemplating how many dive bars across the Outer Rim still had his tab open…

He exited Greezo’s into the crowded street, scanning for the woman, though she wasn’t anywhere in sight.

"Not bad," he muttered to himself.

It wasn’t every day his contract was bid out to multiple bounty hunters. Most in the trade would cause a stir over open-market hits, but Thayne didn’t mind the competition. Who knows, maybe the woman in the bar had a bounty on her head as well. Two birds with one stone.

He scanned the overhead signs as he made his way through the bustling scavengers and traders, eventually seeing one that directed to Mek-Sha’s undercity. Nudging his way past a group of particularly disgruntled Wookiee slaves and their Zygerrian master, Thayne finally reached a pair of elevators. He waited a moment for one to arrive, and wedged inside with several others bound for the undercity.

"The sooner I get off this rock, the better…" he thought as he punched in the lower level floor number on the elevator terminal.

 

[Samnai Rouber]

A dark-clothed figure struggled to make their way through the crowd, finally pushing out at a quieter corner under a streetlight. A young woman’s face with curly black hair was seen before quickly melding into the shadows as she continued on her way.

Samnai arrived at a bar and sat down on the bar, asking the bartender for vodka. She didn’t really intend to drink it, just make herself stand out less. As she waited, she recalled the information she had gotten : A cult leader with increasing popularity has appeared in Mek-Sha. Someone like him would naturally have enemies, and she was hired by one to kill him. He, quite frankly, sounded like a con-man, but those people were the dangerous ones—they created even more dangerous people who really believed in the dogma. Those are the ones she should watch out for.

She raised her eyes as she overheard the conversation between the bartender and the cloaked woman, quietly soaking in the conversation.

After the woman left, Samnai picked up her vodka, paid and thanked the bartender, and slipped back out into the night. The bartender stared at the three people who left, one right after the other, and shook her head. They don’t know what they are getting themselves into.

The cloaked woman was nowhere to be seen, though that was expected. However, she did notice the man who followed after her going in Samnai’s intended direction, so she went behind him, keeping a safe distance. They arrived at the elevators to the underground and she picked a corner of the wall to lean against, looking at the man from the corner of her eye. He was probably competition.

Thayne Tameron

 

[Thayne Tameron]

Tags: Samnai Rouber
Location: Mek-Sha
Soundtrack: Deus Ex

The elevator doors closed as Samnai Rouber slipped in and took an unoccupied corner.

Thayne barely noticed her among the small crowd of beings in the elevator, but he was admittedly intrigued at the sight of another human. It seems they were a rather uncommon species among the hundreds of aliens and near-humans that occupied the asteroid. And besides being human, she had an interesting air about her. Something in the Force was stirring ever so slightly, and the longer Thayne focused on her, the more he could sense it.

Is was… determination.

As the elevator drew closer to the undercity, Thayne began to ponder her intentions.

“She’s after Veth,” he concluded in his mind, training his eyes on the rhythmic glow of deep-orange light through the elevator doors as they descended to the lower levels of the station.

They stopped on a few intermediate levels, several beings at a time entering and exiting the elevator, until eventually the only two who remained were Thayne and Samnai. The assassin let the silence marinate for several floors before he spoke up.

“Lovely little station. I wonder if the food’s good in the undercity. I’d kill for good shaak steak.”

He cast her a sly smile, curious to see just how much he could learn about the cloaked woman before they left the elevator.

 

[Samnai Rouber]

The man was watching Samnai as she watched him. He seemed to have the same suspicions about her as she did about him, but as long as he didn’t try to act on it—she didn’t care. He looked smart, so he would probably not try anything.

The elevator emptied out in time, and for a moment they were left alone. She stared forward boredly, only moving her eyes when the man spoke.

Samnai grunted, “Yeah.”

This dude was prodding at her, and she wasn’t about to budge.

Thayne Tameron

 

[Thayne Tameron]

Tags: Samnai Rouber
Location: Mek-Sha
Soundtrack: Deus Ex

“Real piece of work,” Thayne thought smugly as he looked over the woman.

It was clear she wasn’t going to budge. Whether she was here to take out Veth or not, there was no way she’d share her reasons for coming to the lower levels. Thayne held his tongue, stewing in the silence until the elevator game to a jostling stop. The doors slid open with a hiss, revealing Mek-Sha’s underbelly; The undercity was bustling with people, just as the upper levels, though they were markedly worse in both appearance and intentions. And that’s saying something.

Bright neon lights glowed eerily on every corner and storefront, blending dozens of hues together into a hazy tone that felt ominous and claustrophobic. The slavers, gunrunners, and spice dealers were far more prevalent - and far less inconspicuous - on the lower levels. A group of indentured Twi’leks, Wookiees, and piecemeal droids were gathered at a nearby market stall, right next to a hot food cart, as if grabbing a bite to eat and purchasing your very own Wookiee were something to get done in one shopping trip.

The assassin shook his head subtly. He had no problem ending a life, but taking one from its home and forcing it into servitude was never a concept he understood. Nevertheless, the slave masters were a target for another day. Right now, he needed to track down Veth.

Thayne gestured to the open doorway, offering to let Samnai exit first. He didn’t want her following behind him if she was after his mark. And even if she wasn’t, a brooding woman in a cloak is never someone you want to turn your back to.

“After you,” he said with a smirk.

 

[Samnai Rouber]

Oh. Despite that smug look he clearly didn’t like her non-answer. Unfortunately for him, that’s all he’s going to get.

The elevator opened to a chaotic street, like most underworld places are. She wasn’t able to hide her grimace at the slaves near a stall—even she had standards for evil. Samnai could have easily been sitting next to them right now if she managed to catch the wrong eye in her youth. She slightly shook her head and stepped out, ignoring the man.

The intel didn’t say the exact whereabouts of Veth, but Samnai had her ways of finding out. The night is young, and she is going to use it’s cover to the fullest. And it seems that this particular fanatic had a flair for the dramatic, anyway. Hard to not spot people like him.

As she disappeared into the night, she gave one last glimpse at the elevator, checking for a potential follower.

Thayne Tameron

 

[Thayne Tameron]

Tags: Samnai Rouber
Location: Mek-Sha
Soundtrack: Deus Ex

Thayne watched the woman depart, making her way down the street until she disappeared in the sea of people. Part of him way glad to be rid of her, but Thayne knew better than to completely dismiss her. No, she wasn’t just a pretty face. This wouldn’t be their last encounter.

Pulling his own cloak over his head, the hunter exited the lift and stepped into the undercity. For a washed-up mining station built into an asteroid, Mek-Sha was surprisingly large. Finding Veth among the rabble might be easier said than done. Thayne consulted his datapad as he navigated the side streets, glancing up from the dim glow of the screen to avoid walking into someone.

The dossier was thorough enough, but it was certainly missing the finer details… namely, the sector in which Veth’s cult was operating. Thayne perused the data, looking for a lead.

“Veth Tzam… Jedi deserter… Dark Side powers…”

Nothing stuck out as abnormal, not at least in a useful way. He read on, until a particular piece of intel caught his eye.

“The Enlightened typically don grimy jumpsuits once they’ve been accepted as a full member of the cult…”

Jumpsuits? As in mining jumpsuits? If Veth had established himself in one of the industrial plants, he’d have plenty of suits to distribute to his people. Not to mention the dozens of other reasons that make hiding in a mining site advantageous. Easily defendable, full of equipment, low foot traffic. He’d be practically invisible.

That had to be it. The Industrial Level. But how would he get down there?

 

[Samnai Rouber]

“Hey, look, it’s one of them.”

Despite those hushed words not being for her ears, Samnai peeked up at the direction the girl who spoke was glancing at. A young man—at least from his build—in a drab jumpsuit was leaning in a corner, drinking and glaring at anyone in his general area. The man oozed arrogance, hands behind head and a hostility that bordered on recklessness. Everyone steered clear of him, tensed in a way they weren’t before.

He didn’t seem to have heard the girl, who was hushed by her friend. Samnai looked back at her datapad, and the description of the cult. The man wiped his mouth and passed by as she did so, and the street seemed able to breathe again.

The girl’s friend rounded on her, chastising, “What if he heard you? They are not someone we can afford to offend!” Even this was said while she was looking around, like they were afraid the guy would just pop out and jump them.

“Why not?” Samnai interrupted, putting away her datapad. The more cautious of the two squinted at her, while the other looked at her alarmed. She clearly didn't expect anyone to hear them, given the rowdy place. She continued, “He just seems like a brat, there are worse people to be afraid of.”

This was said deliberately, and it worked—both scoffed. The one who spoke first, a dark haired-girl with ragged clothes, said, “You are new here, aren’t you? Everyone knows who they are. Bunch of rats walking around like they own the place.”

“Rei!”

“Oh?” A hint of a smile played on Samnai’s lips. “Can you tell me more?”

---

The Industrial Level, huh.

Getting there was tough, but not impossible. At least according to what Rei said—she needs a lesson on awareness but her information did help Samnai immensely. She handed her a stack of credits and sent the girls on their way.

Now, to find the entrance…

Thayne Tameron

 

[Thayne Tameron]

Tags: Samnai Rouber
Location: Mek-Sha
Equipment: Rosie
Soundtrack: Deus Ex

“It’s always a fething sewer!” Thayne growled under his breath as he sloshed through the tunnel.

His maps of the station seemed rather precise at first glance, but it was obvious now that they hadn’t been updated in years; Many industrial buildings had been converted into shoddy housing complexes, and apparently the tunnel labeled ‘Maintenance Shaft 06’ had become a sewer.

The assassins boots were nearly ankle-deep in slowly running greywater as he plodded through the tunnel.

“It’ll be worth it,” he told himself.

“It’d better be…”

According to the map - if you could still call it that - Maintenance Shaft 06 had a surface access hatch that would put him out in the manufacturing area of the I-Level. A short walk from there through Mek-Sha’s scenic industrial park and he’d be right where he wanted to be: Behind a rifle scope, peeking through a window for Veth.

He made to turn the corner, but stopped suddenly, pulling his back flush against the wall.

A man’s voice called out, “What was that?”

The bright stream of a headlamp cast through the junction, illuminating the tunnel segment past the hidden assassin.

A second voice responded, though much quieter, “Calm down, would ya! It’s just a womp rat.”

“No, I know what I saw - there’s someone down here!”

The second man sighed.

“If you wanna chase a rat around the sewers all day, be my guest. I’m not missing the Prophet’s sermon.”

“So they’re down here too.”

The cultists have more coordination than he thought.

Thayne slipped Rosie out of his holster and waited for the headlamp to move before he stepped into the corridor. He let loose two decisive shots, lighting the sewer with glowing red flashes.

“Not coordinated enough,” he thought smugly as he stepped over their bodies and climbed the ladder behind them.

 

[Samnai Rouber]

Samnai frowned at the two bodies in front of her. They wore jumpsuits and had headlights on that were still lighting up the tunnel. Keeping one hand on her gun, she listened for any movements as she climbed upwards, peeking out into the night.

She had an inkling about who was responsible for those deaths, and it just made her more wary. If that dude got in her way tonight…

She shook off her boots—she had to find another route on the way out—and closed the hatch. The bodies had made her more alert and she quickly ducked behind a wall. The atmosphere was unnaturally still—

Step.

From her spot, she saw light flooding the area and with it a bored-looking man, on patrol with his rifle. He didn’t seem very skilled, considering he hadn’t even noticed her yet. There could be more people around, but for now he was alone.

Samnai’s eyes locked onto the man. Her pistol clicked.

Thayne Tameron

 

[Thayne Tameron]

Tags: Samnai Rouber
Location: Mek-Sha
Equipment: Rosie
Soundtrack: Deus Ex

He was close now, dashing from one hiding spot to the next as he traversed the industrial zone. There were more guards on patrol than Thayne was willing to dispatch with his blaster, but that didn't stop him from grabbing a few by the neck and leaving them where no one would look. The less eyes on Veth, the better.

Soon, he came upon a large duracrete structure - some kind of unfinished refinery, he figured by the unused equipment stockpiled against the building's exterior. A small gathering of cultists near the entrance made it clear they were using it as a headquarters of sorts.

"Veth's gotta be inside," Thayne muttered to himself. He was peering from behind a stack of covered crates, eying them carefully.

If he could find a jumpsuit that fit, maybe he could slip inside...