Thug Life is for Mooks

[Alexia Santiago]

[member="Zareca Cartel"]

NAR SHADDA

While some folk saw streets filled with the smell of urine and drugs, Alexia saw opportunity. Sure, she'd have better luck hitting up the swanky upper levels of Coruscant for some credit swindling. Maybe even Naboo, though with her Da's incarceration, it wouldn't be the best idea. The authorities there were a bit too...good at their jobs.

But she wasn't on the smuggler's moon to run a job. She was here to cash out. Move some of those stolen cred chits so they couldn't be tracked. She'd been using a rodian here for the past five years and he'd never let her down. Could be because of the user fee he charged. But hey? At least she didn't have to worry about a snitch.

It was worth it.

And with [member="Rekali the Hutt"] and some mook prince Falleen breathing down her neck, she needed payout as fast as possible. So, she began weaving her way through the groups of other thugs, swindlers, and mooks, keeping her back to security feeds and the hunters. Vinny's shop was tucked just around the corner off between a bakery and an orphanage.

 

[Gorba the Hutt]

"I'm tellin' yuz, Punchy, we move onto Nar Shadda wez in for a world o' hurt."

The Gran bleated and stared on with its three dead eyes.

"Yeah, yeah, I feel ya. The money would be nice, but the risks Punchy. The risks." Pauul Farrlo, the Rodian contract killer extraordinaire, shook his head and scratched the underside of his snout.

Zareca was puttin' out feelers into Nar Shaddaa, testing the market waters to see what shook up. Farrlo didn't really like the place all that much to begin with, but tryin' to bust in with a new outfit and compete against folks like the Exchange and the Hutts? They weren't what they used to be, but no thanks.

The two thugs swaggered into Vinny's and looked around. Presumably, they had some business there,

[member="Alexia Santiago"]

 

[Alexia Santiago]

[member="Zareca Cartel"]

"C'mon, Vin. Up a half percent since last time? You're killing me, smalls," she glowered at the rodian who was protected behind a blaster proof window except for that itty-bitty exchange slot. A nonchalant glance over her shoulder went to the gran and the rodian as they entered.

It was getting a little crowded in here.

A sweet, little smile crossed her lips, cerulean eyes locking back into Vinny. Fingers drummed against the derelict countertop. "Yeah, just make the transfer. But if you go back down two percent, I'll send two people your way next week. Guaranteed business Vin. You know me. I'm good for it."

She was, about fifty percent of the time.

 

[Gorba the Hutt]

"Good for it?" Asked Pauul, butting in on the conversation. He looked at his fellow Rodian. "This the one you told us about, Vin?"

Vin nodded.

"Sweet. Missy, don't yuz move or my buddy over 'ere is gonna have to punch ya. Aren't ya, Punchy?"

The Gran nodded and produced a blinking thermal detonator.

"No, no. Whattaraya crazy? Put that thing away. She runs, ya just grab her. Don't blow her to smithereens. Yeesh."

Pawnchee's face fell and he reluctantly put the grenade away.

"Anyway, what was I sayin'? Oh right. Introductions. Name's Pauul Farrlo, this here is my explosion lovin' friend. And we hear yuz is one helluva scam artist. See, we'z gotta... well. No, it's too complicated. Let's start with the first bit. We need yuz to get us into the Yellow Serpent Casino. Ya dig?"

[member="Alexia Santiago"]

 

[Alexia Santiago]

[member="Zareca Cartel"]

She made a sliding step forward then paused as her cerulean eyes caught all three of the grans. These players weren't joking. Eyes narrowed briefly on Vinny. Too late to deny who she was and running wasn't a viable option. She'd rather avoid messing up her face. It's how she made a living, looking reputable, about 78% of the time.

"Really Vin? I thought we had something special." That rodian shrugged and continued to count his credits. A professional mask quickly eclipsed her features as she turned to Pauul.

"Name's Alexia. Pauul." Gaze flitted to the Gran. "Pyro." The nickname slid off her to tongue like honey on toast. Arms crossed as she eyed them up and down.

"I could get you into the First Order's officer's ball or the royal palace of Naboo. THAT won't be a problem. But can you afford me?"

A brow quirked in friendly challenge.

"What're you offering?"

 

[Gorba the Hutt]

"Woah, woah, woah there dame. Can't run around on those gams slingin' nicknames to my pal here. He's already got one. It's Punchy. Get with the program, yeesh."

Pauul shook his head sadly. Maybe it was mock sadness, or maybe it was that he remembered his child support payment for this month was due.

Now, could Farrlo afford this dame? No way, too dicey. Good thing he wasn't the one frontin'.

"Yeah, we got the creds if yuz got the stuff, Santy. Plus we can take care of somma those debts yuz hauling. Howsabout a way to get past the bangers without gettin' ventilated?"

They only needed to get inside. Once there, Pauul could find their man. Well, not really a man. Pauul wasn't sure what the fella identified as, but it sure wasn't human. Shapeshifters tended to be androgynous that way. Unless their normal selves were big, hairy beasts, in which case Pauul thought the assumption was ok. Right? Right.

He just hoped Santy proved up to snuff. Would be a shame to come all this way only to get slug plugged.

[member="Alexia Santiago"]

 

[Alexia Santiago]

[member="Zareca Cartel"]

"How about Pyrro Punch?" She mused airily, looking at her well-manicured nails. She wasn't a mook. She knew who owned that casino. One cartel was moving on another's turf. This is how names ended up on bounty words in bright shiny letters with the more dead than alive outcome.

Da always said be the shark that cons the fish but not the harpoon. She was itching to run. Until Pauul mentioned taking care of debt.

Whelp, maybe it was time for her to become the harpoon.

"Pauuly," datapad slipped from a pocket in her dress that hadn't been visible a second ago. She handed it to him, smoothly stepping past him and the gran like she'd had the freedom to do so all along. "Upload half the job's credits to the account listed on the lock screen now. We've gotta get you two some new threads."

Cerulean eyes cast them each a pointed look over her shoulder. "You need to look like upstanding citizens and not rival cartel members."

Yeah, she knew the game he was playing. A finger made a come-hither gesture over her shoulder as she waltzed out of Vinny's and further down the slummy streets.