Trial And Error

[Rash]

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LOCATION: Unnamed Orbital Space Station [Somewhere between Circumtore and Affavan] ​

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Rand took a deep breath and took in the remaining smoke coming from the small cigarette lying between his dry lips. He let the smoke stay in his mouth for a few seconds before gently letting it flow out before throwing the burning cigarette to the used ground, stepping on it. His old eyes were jumping from a shady passerby to another while he fixed his posture, leaning against his trusted ship that was filled to the brim with illegal drugs ready to be transported to Nal Hutta. Ugh... Waiting... it was probably the part the old smuggler hated the most about his job. Mainly because getting caught red-handed by the authorities was way easier if one didn't move fast and unnoticed, but also because it was simply just boring as hell.

But as hard as he tried to, Rand couldn't honestly hate the fact that he had to wait for his partner in crime to arrive. After all, he didn't mind having time to go for a few pleasant drinks and genuinely enjoying the... crooked atmosphere of the nameless space station he was in. The place was completely inhabitet with criminals. Security was non-existent too. Oh yeah... Rand didn't absolutely hate waiting. Not when he had to do it in a place like this.

The old smuggler looked down at the ground, kicking the still burning cigarette and crossing his arms as he tried to remember all the things he knew about his soon to be wingman. A Twi'lek. A Rutian.

[member="Tan'yill"]...

Twi'leks... Rand had to usually politely decline their offers of... Having some fun and paying less for more when he visited Nar Shadda, but he had sure as hell never worked with one in a more traditional sense. The old dog desperately hoped for the Rutian not to be a completely clueless rookie. After all, the only real reason for Rand to even bring anyone to the job with him was because he was already heavily deviating from his usual plans, and if the old dog was completely honest to himself he had no idea if this new shortcut to Nal Hutta of his would work.

He preferred not finding that out all by himself... and company was always nice.

"Tan... Yill... Aight'"

The old man repeated the name a few times in his head, making sure he knew how to pronounce it right. After all... a negative first impression would've been a rookie's mistake. And Rand sure as hell wasn't going to make 'em no more.

 

[Tan'yill Vizsla]

Just keep going. Just keep going and no one would notice.

Her booted feet took decisive steps down the corridor from the remote spacestations cantina. She skillfully evaded the crowds of complete maniacs and criminals inhabiting the station. She had done this before, and in the past she might even have been called maniac by some. The word criminal did still pretty much fit her, though. She made sure to hold tight to the backpack she carried over the shoulder. Now, what was the number of the landing bay he had mentioned before?

While trying to not draw any attention, she continued down the corridor in a fast walk. Every now and then she glanced up at the signs pointing out the bay numbers in basic. There. 27. She turned the corner and the sliding door opened with a hissing sound before she entered the bay. The sight of the ship almost got her to slow down in awe, but she didn't to admire it for more than a second before a rough green hand grabbed her shoulder and turned her around with force. Chit. A klatoonian male that looked like her had swallowed a piece of barbed wire from The Purgatory prison.

''Cheater! Give back what you stole!'' he yelled and put on a growl.

''Stole?! What are you talking about? It was just a game. And... I won! Winner's get the prize, right?'' she uttered but something told her that this klatoonian didn't care if it was true or not. Of course, it wasn't!

''You cheated!'' the angered alien continued persistently.

''Hey! No need to get mad about a loss! But since you ask so nicely, I'll get it! Just let me pick it up, alright?'' she said and raised a gloved hand in a calming gesture, pretending to surrender herself. She sat the backpack down at her side on the metallic floor, crouched down and begun opening the zipper.

Schmack! Her right fist landed almost perfectly on the aliens short canine muzzle. Thanks to the combat gloves it had the effect she hoped for on the rather thick skinned klatoonian. He schrunched over in pain and she dealt a left fist to the side of his head which hopefully would buy them the time to leave. She picked up the backpack again and hurried over to the waiting man, not making eyecontact just yet. Her yellowish glowing eyes slowly went back to the more normal hazel green-yellow color of hers.

''Let's go.'' she said shortly and gave the man a quick glance before she was about to head for the boarding ramp. No time for introductions and courtesys. So this was the human she were supposed to run with for this job. She didn't exactly explode of joy about it, but their contractors had seen it as a too big job to be handled solo by anyone.

[member="Rash"]

 

[Rash]

Rand closed his dark and old eyes. Taking a long deep breath and letting it out in a somewhat yawn like manner, he moved his sore shoulders around a bit. The smuggler had no idea of how long the Rutian was planning to take until appearing. But... leaving alone and taking the whole jackpot like usual didn't sound too good to him. Not this time. The old dog decided to give his potential partner in crime just a few more minutes... that is, if he wouldn't somehow go so deep into his thoughts that he'd forget when the Rutian was supposed to meet him.

However, the smuggler didn't have to worry about falling asleep for too long.

"Cheater... Give back what you stole...!"

The yelling voices of two people disturbed Rand's thoughts quite well, forcing the old-timer to open his eyes again and take quick glances around him, trying to figure out what exactly was happening.

"...Winners get the prize, right...?"

Ah, a classic fight over a game of some sort? Rand couldn't help but fondly remember and count all the times he himself had heard words like the ones echoing around the bay at the moment. Cheater? Nah... Rand couldn't see himself as one. Although he had used a few tricks seen as unfair by quite a good number of people a few times.

Now, the smuggler was close to shutting his eyes again, but when he distinguished the two people that were apparently the source of all the noise he was quick to correct his posture and completely wake himself up. Absolutely... A Rutian. Could it be his contact? After all, what were the chances of this smuggler-looking and quite dishonest Twi'lek to be a completely random passerby?

Schmack!

A clean hit. The Rutian wasn't a rookie. The way the unfortunate creature in front of her fell down to the ground, most likely unconscious led Rand to desperately hope that she, in fact, was... [member="Tan'yill"]. After all, anyone with the ability to throw such a punch couldn't be a first timer, not by any chance. And the more experienced his sidekick would be, the better of a living shield of sorts they'd be too. The one to blame if they got caught. The one to 'be the leader of the two' if a pack of pirates found their way inside the ship. There were quite a lot of potential uses for a person like the Rutian if it ever came to that... But since the Twi'lek was apparently supposed to be a mechanic of sorts, perhaps Rand could actually give half... no, 20% of the credits earned to her for actually doing some of her magic to his old trusted ship.

The Twi'lek indeed started to make her way toward Rand and his used ship. The man stood up straight, trying to look as presentable as he possibly could as he prepared to shake hands with his partner in crime... just for the Rutian to walk past him and straight to the boarding ramp.

Oh well. Perhaps fancy introductions weren't needed to make things work. Rand took a look at the still smoking cigar on the ground. Giving it the one last kick, he swiftly made his way to the ramp and led the stranger straight into the cockpit of his trusted ship through the drug-filled cargo hold.

After all, the Rutian most likely didn't need a whole tour around the freighter.

 

[Tan'yill Vizsla]

What a great way to begin this journey. Not! She thought as she passed the human smuggler, giving him a short glance from her lowered head. Sure, rough games were most smugglers common day and he looked like he definately seen a brawl before. Even though she did not realy care for fancy impressions, it felt a bit awkward to make one like this before even getting to say hi. Hopefully the job were going to go down smoothly.

She stayed quiet. Her gaze got drawn to a few details in the ship, ss they moved down the corridor to the cockpit. Recognizing parts, bits and pieces from her earlier profession as a mechanic on Corellia, where some of the galaxys best ships were said to be built. She dumped the backpack at the side of the co-pilots seat and crashed herself into the seat, kicking up a boot to the wall just beneath the control panels. A deep sigh left her and she rested the forehead in a palm for a moment. Suddenly, she just felt an inevitable urge to laugh about what did just happen. A smirk crept upon her lips and a chuckle going to a light laugh left her. Holding it back as best as she could, she looked up at the man again.

''Sorry about that...'' she mustered up. Her eyes must have gone back to a less intense yellow glow by now. She straightened herself a bit in the seat and offered him a hand. ''I'm Tan... Rand, was it?''

If he didn't thought she were crazy by now and threw her out, then the mission and their cooperation would go smooth as silk.

[member="Rash"]