Kairon Rees
Smuggler
[OOC]: will add a location when I've worked one out![/ooc]
Rees gently ran his thumb across the fabric, trying to discern the quality. He pulled a small magnifier from his coat and took a closer look. He turned over the item in his hands and snorted.
“Oh no, no, no,” he said, slowly shaking his head.
“What?” called the merchant from the other side of the small room. Captain Kairon Rees turned to regard the merchant. In the darkness, and with a haze from the burning incense between them, he could barely make out the other's features.
“Rendil, this just won’t do. There is still blood on this one!” Captain Rees said, slightly exaggerating the tone of exasperation.
“Captain Rees, I assure you that my good are always kept in the highest condition…” the slender merchant started, but he was stopped when the Captain turned to fabric towards him. “Well, I’m sure that would wash right out!”
“Well why haven’t you cleaned it then? I’ll tell you why: this is genuine Ithorian Ashma. Could ruin the whole thing if you tried to get this out.” Rees replied quickly. The merchant had walked up to him now and reached out to take the garment back. Rees ignored him.
“Well if you’re not interested.”
“Didn’t say I wasn’t interested. But can’t expect a man to pay full price for clothes that still have the blood of the previous occupant on them?”
“Well of course not, we go back Kairon, I assure you this wasn’t deliberate.”
“Fair enough, what’re you asking? You know the risk is on me to get these cleaned up.”
“Seven for the lot.”
“[Insert crew name] come over here a second, do you think I should be paying seven when the best piece still has blood on it?” he turned over his shoulder and called over the first mate. He stood a few inches taller than him, and no one could look at him without knowing he could handle himself. He was currently busy looking intimidating at the back of the room.
“No Captain,” he said after a moment of pretending to look at the merchandise carefully. “I wouldn’t go over three, maybe three point five?” he stood remarkably close to the merchant, breathing the words over his shoulder.
This was a simple game they played here. Rees had previously tried to get his best enforcer Mai to play it. Whilst the Cathar was a natural born predator, who had a knack for unsettling people, she neither got the subtlety of the game, or had the patience for it. Rees quickly suppressed a grimace at how he had has to rush out of a meeting with some good suppliers before Mai could gut one of them for a perceived slight.
[Insert crewman name] was perfect for the game. His heavy-set military appearance was dangerous enough to intimidate the merchants and was witty enough to play along. Also, he had a remarkably sharp tongue when he was in the mood.
“Come on now! That’s robbery!” Rendil replied, joining in with the game.
Rees raised an eyebrow and looked at the blood stain again.
“Ok four for these, but only if you take some of the tech.”
“Fine,” Rees replied. He looked once more to the pile of machinery, and the datapad that outlined the rest of the inventory. He quickly pointed out a range of goods and named his price. Rendil smiled thinly, knowing the smuggler had immediately pointed out all of his best wares and avoided the junk.
“You’re taking all the good stuff again,” he half complained.
“You know how this works Rendil, I don’t buy your crap, but I don’t waste your time trying to take the good stuff for pittance.”
The merchant nodded in reply, and waved over his assistant to note down the wares. Rees walked around the dark room for a few minutes. This place wasn’t exactly a shop. It had a shop front, but this room was for private appointments where Rendil would display his hot goods for select trade partners. This stuff fetched the best price in the more civilised regions of the galaxy, and Rees was one of the men with enough contacts in the respectable corners of the galaxy to shift it.
The room was dimly lit, and the entrances were firmly closed. Whilst he entertained visitors in here only the back entrance was used. Rees didn't know what was back there, but Rendil's assistants would often come and go with new merchandise during their meetings. He wondered just how "fresh" some of the trader's good were, and suppressed a shudder. He knew he shouldn't, he was supporting their industry after all.
Rees reached a large container, he gently ran his fingers over the latch. The locks had been sheared off, and the case still had blaster marks. He lifted the lid and peered inside. He shuffled through some components for a few moments before noticing the emblem on the inside of the case. SCHMIDT & REES was printed clearly. His eyes lingered on the logo for a few moments before he closed the case.
“Sorry Rendil, you know I never bid on components without one of my techs around to look them over,” he replied quietly.
“Of course,” Rendil replied, behind a hint of a smile. He waved for his assistant to take the case away. Rees wondered if this had been a little joke.
Rees carried on browsing goods for a while, occasionally his first mate would assist in the bargaining, and occasionally Rendil would point out items he considered particularly valuable. Rees was preparing to close the deal, when Rendils assistant hastily brought out a data disk.
“Now, this one stays between you and me right?” Rendil whispered conspiratorially.
Rees raised an eyebrow and leaned in close to look at the data disk.
“What's on it?” Rees asked. The merchant smiled thinly, but did not speak for a moment.
“Now,” continued Rendil, “I’ve already got a buyer lined up, just need getting it into the right hands. You’d get a nice cut too,” he said, changing the display to show a few numbers.
Rees sighed and took a moment to consider. “Alright, what would happen if I was caught with this?”
“I wouldn't. On the plus side you could just vaporise it before you got boarded, no one would blame you. Better that than in the hands of the authorities.”
“I'm going to pass.”
“Come on Rees, you know I don’t like to work with the kids who run the inner trade lanes these days. I know I could trust you with this,”
Rees kept his expression stern and then gave a negligible shake of the head. The disk was gone in an instant, and replaced with a datapad. Rendil quickly made a tally and Rees signed off the funds. He knew the goods would be in his hold within a few hours. Folk tended not to double cross each other in these parts. That was mostly on account of how well armed everyone tended to be. They engaged in small talk for a few minutes, before the pair from the Quintessence were guided out of the back room.
Rees gently ran his thumb across the fabric, trying to discern the quality. He pulled a small magnifier from his coat and took a closer look. He turned over the item in his hands and snorted.
“Oh no, no, no,” he said, slowly shaking his head.
“What?” called the merchant from the other side of the small room. Captain Kairon Rees turned to regard the merchant. In the darkness, and with a haze from the burning incense between them, he could barely make out the other's features.
“Rendil, this just won’t do. There is still blood on this one!” Captain Rees said, slightly exaggerating the tone of exasperation.
“Captain Rees, I assure you that my good are always kept in the highest condition…” the slender merchant started, but he was stopped when the Captain turned to fabric towards him. “Well, I’m sure that would wash right out!”
“Well why haven’t you cleaned it then? I’ll tell you why: this is genuine Ithorian Ashma. Could ruin the whole thing if you tried to get this out.” Rees replied quickly. The merchant had walked up to him now and reached out to take the garment back. Rees ignored him.
“Well if you’re not interested.”
“Didn’t say I wasn’t interested. But can’t expect a man to pay full price for clothes that still have the blood of the previous occupant on them?”
“Well of course not, we go back Kairon, I assure you this wasn’t deliberate.”
“Fair enough, what’re you asking? You know the risk is on me to get these cleaned up.”
“Seven for the lot.”
“[Insert crew name] come over here a second, do you think I should be paying seven when the best piece still has blood on it?” he turned over his shoulder and called over the first mate. He stood a few inches taller than him, and no one could look at him without knowing he could handle himself. He was currently busy looking intimidating at the back of the room.
“No Captain,” he said after a moment of pretending to look at the merchandise carefully. “I wouldn’t go over three, maybe three point five?” he stood remarkably close to the merchant, breathing the words over his shoulder.
This was a simple game they played here. Rees had previously tried to get his best enforcer Mai to play it. Whilst the Cathar was a natural born predator, who had a knack for unsettling people, she neither got the subtlety of the game, or had the patience for it. Rees quickly suppressed a grimace at how he had has to rush out of a meeting with some good suppliers before Mai could gut one of them for a perceived slight.
[Insert crewman name] was perfect for the game. His heavy-set military appearance was dangerous enough to intimidate the merchants and was witty enough to play along. Also, he had a remarkably sharp tongue when he was in the mood.
“Come on now! That’s robbery!” Rendil replied, joining in with the game.
Rees raised an eyebrow and looked at the blood stain again.
“Ok four for these, but only if you take some of the tech.”
“Fine,” Rees replied. He looked once more to the pile of machinery, and the datapad that outlined the rest of the inventory. He quickly pointed out a range of goods and named his price. Rendil smiled thinly, knowing the smuggler had immediately pointed out all of his best wares and avoided the junk.
“You’re taking all the good stuff again,” he half complained.
“You know how this works Rendil, I don’t buy your crap, but I don’t waste your time trying to take the good stuff for pittance.”
The merchant nodded in reply, and waved over his assistant to note down the wares. Rees walked around the dark room for a few minutes. This place wasn’t exactly a shop. It had a shop front, but this room was for private appointments where Rendil would display his hot goods for select trade partners. This stuff fetched the best price in the more civilised regions of the galaxy, and Rees was one of the men with enough contacts in the respectable corners of the galaxy to shift it.
The room was dimly lit, and the entrances were firmly closed. Whilst he entertained visitors in here only the back entrance was used. Rees didn't know what was back there, but Rendil's assistants would often come and go with new merchandise during their meetings. He wondered just how "fresh" some of the trader's good were, and suppressed a shudder. He knew he shouldn't, he was supporting their industry after all.
Rees reached a large container, he gently ran his fingers over the latch. The locks had been sheared off, and the case still had blaster marks. He lifted the lid and peered inside. He shuffled through some components for a few moments before noticing the emblem on the inside of the case. SCHMIDT & REES was printed clearly. His eyes lingered on the logo for a few moments before he closed the case.
“Sorry Rendil, you know I never bid on components without one of my techs around to look them over,” he replied quietly.
“Of course,” Rendil replied, behind a hint of a smile. He waved for his assistant to take the case away. Rees wondered if this had been a little joke.
Rees carried on browsing goods for a while, occasionally his first mate would assist in the bargaining, and occasionally Rendil would point out items he considered particularly valuable. Rees was preparing to close the deal, when Rendils assistant hastily brought out a data disk.
“Now, this one stays between you and me right?” Rendil whispered conspiratorially.
Rees raised an eyebrow and leaned in close to look at the data disk.
“What's on it?” Rees asked. The merchant smiled thinly, but did not speak for a moment.
“Now,” continued Rendil, “I’ve already got a buyer lined up, just need getting it into the right hands. You’d get a nice cut too,” he said, changing the display to show a few numbers.
Rees sighed and took a moment to consider. “Alright, what would happen if I was caught with this?”
“I wouldn't. On the plus side you could just vaporise it before you got boarded, no one would blame you. Better that than in the hands of the authorities.”
“I'm going to pass.”
“Come on Rees, you know I don’t like to work with the kids who run the inner trade lanes these days. I know I could trust you with this,”
Rees kept his expression stern and then gave a negligible shake of the head. The disk was gone in an instant, and replaced with a datapad. Rendil quickly made a tally and Rees signed off the funds. He knew the goods would be in his hold within a few hours. Folk tended not to double cross each other in these parts. That was mostly on account of how well armed everyone tended to be. They engaged in small talk for a few minutes, before the pair from the Quintessence were guided out of the back room.