Private Under the Hood

[Arlo Renard]

"What you got under the hood?"

Kai glanced up. The voice had come from a nearby alleyway, the speaker concealed by shadows.

"None of your business," he replied, resting a hand on the hood of his airspeeder. The vehicle rattled, the creature contained within struggling against its bindings.

"It's moving, whatever it is. That makes it my business."

"It's just an animal," Kai insisted. It was the truth. He had captured yet another dangerous beast. "I'm taking it somewhere where it can be safely released. I don't want any trouble..."

"How come I don't believe you?" The figure stepped into the light, a tall man wearing a helmet, goggles, and a bandana over his mouth that obscured his face. He was holding a crowbar. "Open up. Let's see what you've got."

Max Wayne​

 

[Max Wayne]

"Come on Gatto," Max whined slightly as he leaned on the Toydarian's counter. Max had known the information broker for many years and always come to him when he needed work. In the past, that meant little slicing jobs, repair work, and even acting as the occasional go-between for Gatto and his clients. Since the last job that had nearly gotten him killed, however, Max hadn't needed to come back. That was until the docking fees for his ship started to outpace his income. "You have to have something, I need the credits. Besides," Max said standing up and placing his hands on his hips. "You owe me after that last job."

"Yes, yes," the Toydarian said fluttering his wings and hovering off the chair he had been resting on towards the large cabinet in the back of the shop. From the outside, the old durasteal cabinet looked like all the others that lined the back of the shop, even if you opened it inside looked like a pile of useless junk, old parts no one would want. As Gatto moved a few items and touched some hidden controls that even Max hadn't figured out, it made a clicking sound and a holoscreen suddenly came to life on the counter. Max knew from experience that the cabinet contained much more than some holo-controls, but for now, it would do.

"Let's see," Gatto said as he floated gracefully back to the counter, and Max stood up straighter. "Not much, yes, yes, not much right now."

"There has to be something," Max repeated, trying to hold in his annoyance and keep his hope at bay all at the same time. "I just need a few credits to tie me over."

"Weeeeeeell...," Gatto started stretching the word out for a long time while he chewed on a toothpick in his mouth. Max could almost smell the hint of mint that came from the little stick as Gatto mashed it between his teeth. "I could give you a little courier gig," he finally said as he allowed his bottom to rest once again on the stool before he reached out with his small hand and flicked the holoscreen causing the image the flip through a few different lists before settling on the one Gatto had been looking to find. "It's not much, pick up a small package and deliver to one of the lower levels, no questions asked."

"What kind of package?" Max asked, knowing that not all of Gatto's jobs were quote-unquote legal, especially after the last gig. Max had no desire to be on the wrong side of the law anymore. Especially after meeting the Jedi. He hadn't decided what to do about them yet, but he doubted getting on the wrong side of the Galactic Alliance would be a good idea either way.

"That boy," Gatto said with a laugh that made his little snout giggle. "That is defiantly a question."

"Fine," Max sighed rubbing his face and eyes before looking back at the Toydarian. "Where do I go?"

--------------------------------------------------

As Max and Blue, his little BD-Unit companion made their way down the winding streets and pedways of the lower levels of Galactic City, Max couldn't help but crinkle his nose in disgust. He didn't mind dealing with a variety of different species in the galaxy, but the two Gamorrean's that he had just picked up the package from struck him as off. They were too eager, too excited, and almost giddy as he walked away. From his experience, they were defiantly up to no good. And Max just hoped he got paid and got out before anything bad actually happened. He was still half tempted to just throw the package in one of the waste disposal units and get out while he could, but he really did need the credits and the drop-off point wasn't far.

As the two got closer to the designated drop point, Max caught sight of... something. He wasn't sure what he was looking at. In this part of Galactic City, there were many different people engaged in many different types of interactions, not all of them pleasant, some even downright violent. Most Max was able to ignore it. This one, however, made that weird tingling sensation in the back of his skull go off. When the one individual pulled out a crowbar and moved towards the other kid, Max stepped forward on pure instinct.

"Jerry!" Max yelled out as he jogged over to the pair, acting like he was out of breath. "Hey, Jerry is that you buddy! Man, you are one hard dude to find with that mask on all the time. Do you know how many people like to wear masks down here? A lot. You need to add some stickers or something to that thing. Make it more personal. Give it some pizzazz."

Max knew he was rambling, knew he was speaking fast and acting weird, but he was trying to create a little confusion/ He wanted to get the thug, or whatever he was, off his train of thought and give the other kid time to act or time to think. Anything really. He just needed to help, even if he didn't know what he was doing. It was the only way to make the tingle stop.

"Anyway," Max said as he got closer. "Jerry buddy I have that package you ordered."

Arlo Renard

 

[Arlo Renard]

As the masked man came forward, tapping the crowbar against his hand threateningly, Kai reached for his lightsaber…

Only for a third party to enter the fray, accosting the masked man—Jerry—and telling him he had a package for him. The new guy was young, maybe late teens or early twenties, and his clothes were worn. He certainly fit in with the rest of the people in this grimy part of Coruscant.

“Package?” Jerry asked, seeming momentarily confused. But then he caught on. “Yeah, my package! Where is it?”

Kai glanced between the two, thrown off course by the sudden change in tone, but his hand still hovered over the hilt clipped to his belt. Just in case things got nasty.

Max Wayne​

 

[Max Wayne]

Wait? Was this guy his actual contact? Max stopped for a second to think about the instructions Gatto had given him, and he wasn't actually sure. This was the general area he was supposed to meet the contact and drop the package off, but his gut said that this laserbrain was just taking advantage of the situation. And most of the time Max trusted his gut. That and what were the actual odds? While Jerry was the name of the contact he was supposed to meet, he had never actually met the guy, and in the heat of the moment he had just pulled the name from his fething rear, and thrown it out there to diffuse and confuse the situation. Now he supposed he was stuck by his own stoopa brain.

Looking over to other guy, Max tried to send out some mental signal that maybe he could help with Jerry, or whatever. He wished he had stuck around the Jedi Temple longer than the two hours he had spent there after returning to Coruscant. He had heard rumors that some Jedi could communicate with there thoughts and that would be something that would have come in handy right about now.

"So yeah," Max began taking on a more cautious tone of voice. "Jerry buddy you understand that you have to take the mask off for a second. Gotta make sure its you under there and not some Hut slug trying to scam me." Max said just trying to buy a little time for either an idea to come to him, or maybe the other guy whose speeder was now making what sounded like a growling sound, to help out a little.

Arlo Renard

 

[Arlo Renard]

“Okay, all right.” Jerry removed his mask. “See? It’s me. Now, where’s the goods?”

Kai started to inch away, only for Jerry to stop him. “Hey! Not one more step! I wanna see what you’ve got in there.”

The speeder continued to growl and rattle.

“Are you sure?” Kai asked, his tone carrying a warning.

“I’m sure. It’s some exotic animal, isn’t it? Worth a lot of creds on the black market.” Jerry turned to Max, growing impatient. “Come on, where is it?”

Max Wayne​

 

[Max Wayne]

"Holy Sithspawn! What happened to your face?" Max found the words leaving his mouth long before he even had a moment to think about it. It wasn't the first time his mouth had gotten him into trouble but rarely did it get so out of hand so quickly. Something about this Jerry guy just brought out the bad part of his head. Still, since the beginning of the thought had already escaped might as well go with the whole thing. "Did it get ripped off by a Rancor and some hack medical droid wasn't able to get it back on properly? Good thing you wear that mask."

Looking over at the other guy and his speeder, Max couldn't help but hope that whatever he was protecting in that thing was worth the effort. Because he had a feeling he was about to get some exercise by needing to run, and probably about to lose his credits. With a wink to the other guy, Max turned all his attention to Jerry and hoped that whomever he was helping out was smart and would take advantage of Jerry being completely focused on him rather than whatever creature was in the speeder.

If looks could kill, he had no doubt that the one that just crossed Jerry's face would have wiped out an entire planet. His eyes actually dripped with death and hate. Well in for one credit, then in for a hundred. "Welp," Max said taking a step backward and allowing a lop-sided grin to come across his face even as the anger blazed in Jerry deeper by the second. "Guess this is your's buddy," he said tossing the package up into the air.

Arlo Renard

 

[Arlo Renard]

“I got in an accident when I was a child, man. Stop making fun of me.” Jerry pulled his mask back on.

Kai caught Max’s wink and made a face, then glanced back at Jerry. He did not expect Max to throw the package up in the air. Neither did Jerry.

“Ayo, what the f—?” Jerry blurted, attempting to catch the package. He failed. The package spun in midair, then slammed into the ground and exploded.

Kai’s danger sense flared just in time to throw up a Force barrier to contain the blast. The heat never reached the three of them, but it was quite a close call.

“Holy chit!” Jerry yelled. “What was that?! You set me up!”

He rounded on Max, ready to beat his face in with the crowbar.

Max Wayne​

 

[Max Wayne]

Ok... so... Rule number one of galactic existence. NEVER trust a giggling Gamorrean. Ok maybe not rule number one, maybe more like rule number fifty-seven actually, but still, in this situation, it was an important rule to remember, and he had ignored its wisdom. He knew the chubby green pigs were up to something, even if he wasn't a Jedi with their powers he could still tell. They were far too pleased with themselves when they had handed over the package. Even though Max didn't understand the Gamorrean language, especially with its grunts and squeals, and their basic was barely even passable, he still should have picked up on the danger. So when the package exploded mid-air, he really should have seen it coming.

What was a surprise, however, was that he wasn't burned alive by the explosion. He saw the flames as they burst out of the package and started to rush towards him, even as he naturally went into a roll in a lame attempt to get out of range while protecting his body. He even saw the surprised look on Jerry's face despite the mask as he too should have been consumed by the explosion. Had the Gamorrean's made a massive mistake? Packed the bomb with pop caps rather than actual explosives? That's when it clicked all in place. The other guy had done, something, to protect them all. Was he one of those Jedi? He had never seen one down here before, but anything was possible.

"Yeah, I really set you up to blow myself up," Max said as he tried to stand back up and dust himself off and try subtly moving into a more defensible stance. If Jerry decided he was going to attack, Max wasn't about to let himself be caught unprepared. "Think about it, that almost blew us all up, not just you Jerry."

Arlo Renard

 

[Arlo Renard]

Jerry wasn’t having it. He swung at Max’s head with the crowbar, pissed off beyond all reason.

“You didn’t get burned, you son of a—!”

His body abruptly went limp, collapsing to the ground. Kai had stunned him with the Force. For a moment, the Jedi’s expression was strained, as though he were struggling to maintain control, before he exhaled in relief.

“What the hell, man?” Kai asked Max. “Why were you were carrying a bomb if you weren't trying to blow something up?”

Behind him, a muffled howling came from the speeder.

Max Wayne​

 

[Max Wayne]

Max could see Jerry's intention with the crowbar in his eyes and stance as he moved forward and before Jerry could make any kind of contact with his skull with the makeshift weapon, Max managed to quickly move back getting ready to slip into a roll when Jerry made his next swing. It didn't happen, however, as his would-be attacker suddenly collapsed. "What the Sithspawn..." Max started to say as he was startled by the man's sudden collapse.

"How did..." Max started before the other man started in with his own question about the bomb. It was a fair question, one that Max would have asked as well if their positions were reversed, he just didn't have a good answer. He knew what it looked like, and just had to open the magic man that can make people pass out, would believe the truth.

"Look I know this looks bad," Max said rubbing his temples trying to push back a headache that was starting to form behind his eyes. He needed a nap. "For starters, I didn't know it was a bomb, I was just hired to pick up a package and deliver it to a guy here. I actually didn't know this guy," Max said as he gestured to the now unconscious man on the ground, "was the actual receiver of the package until he pulled his mask off."

After another snarl and growl came out of the speeder, Max turned his attention to it with a mix of curiosity and fear, especially after the speeder violently shook for a moment after it sounded like whatever was contained inside had slammed itself into the wall of the container. "I just came over to help when I saw this guy harassing you. Guess the Gamorreans that hired me planned to blow Jerry and me up. I'm probably not even going to get paid," Max groaned, knowing he sounded a little whiny. He should have asked for the credits up front, rather than accept the 'paid on delivery' terms the Gamorreans had demanded. Now he knew why they were insistent on only paying when the job was done, he had originally thought they were worried he was going to steal the package, but now he knew they just didn't want to waste the credits on a dead guy.

"Now my turn," Max said pointing a the speeder which now seemed to be hissing in addition to the gowls and animalistic screams of rage. "What in fracking hell is in there?"

Arlo Renard

 

[Arlo Renard]

“Whoever hired you has some explaining to do,” Kai said, picking up Jerry’s body and dragging it somewhere out of the way. “And by explaining, I mean to the cops.”

Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea to threaten police involvement, but what else was he supposed to do? Report it to the Jedi Council? They didn’t deal with small-time stuff like this.

“Thanks for trying to help, I guess.” Dusting his hands off, Kai glanced toward his speeder as Max asked his question. “Oh, that? That’s just a Sithspawn I captured. Speaking of which, I gotta get it out of here before it busts my ride…”

Max Wayne​

 

[Max Wayne]

Max winced at the mention of the local authorities. Making the delivery wasn't strictly illegal of course, he was acting as a courier and couldn't be held responsible for the contents of the package that he had no knowledge of the contents, but he knew from experience the cops around this part of Galatic City didn't actually care about such technicalities. That and by now the Gamorreans that had hired him were long gone, leaving him as the only one left to blame for the whole situation. "I doubt that the guys who sent the package are anywhere around for the cops to talk to anymore. They are probably halfway to Tatooine by now."

"Wait? A what now?" Max asked bewildered, a deep look of confusion on his face. From what he had seen on the holonet, he always thought that the Sith were like the evil version of the Jedi, a group, rather than a species. And spawn? Did the Sith lay little evil eggs all over the place so they hatch out to wreak havoc? A vision of little red manically laughing toddlers with lightsabers suddenly came to mind, but that didn't match the growl and rumble coming from the speeder. "What's a Sithspawn?"

 

[Arlo Renard]

Kai grunted exasperatedly. He hated it when the bad guys got away with it.

“A Sithspawn,” he repeated. “A creature that was mutated and corrupted by Sith alchemy. A whole bunch of them were released into the underworld back when Coruscant was invaded. I capture them and move them someplace else.”

The beast in the speeder grew more excited, as if it knew they were talking about it. Kai headed for the driver’s seat, figuring it was high time he got out of dodge.

“Need a ride?” he asked Max.

Max Wayne​

 

[Max Wayne]

Sith Alchemy? What in the Force was that? A flood of questions hit him, sitting on the edge of his tongue and ready to flood out, especially about these creatures. He had no idea that the Sith had released them into the lower city. It would explain a few things though. There had always been rumors and legends about the lowest levels of the city. Creatures that lived down there and took those foolish enough to go into their depths, but Max had always written them off as just myth. Stories that people told to keep their children from venturing into the structurally unsound lower levels. Now, he was starting to think that maybe some of those old wives' tales were true, at least in recent years. That meant the people of the lower city needed protection, and that was something that Max would be more than willing to help out with if this other guy needed help.

"Ummm," Max said hesitating. Did he really want to get on a speeder with the wizard that could knock people out so easily? Not to mention the snarling rage-filled cargo. Still, this guy didn't seem to be hostile towards him, so he figured it was safe. "Sure, that would be great," Max replied trying to inject his regular casual easy-going attitude into his voice. "The name is Max by the way."

 

[Arlo Renard]

“Pleased to meet you. My name is Kai.” Kai gave him a thumbs up, then got in the speeder.

Once both of them were situated, the vehicle ascended, moving at a rather slow and cautious speed through the congested skylanes of Coruscant.

“Where do you need to go?” Kai asked. He was headed for the starport himself, but Max might want to go somewhere else. “Unless you know where your boss is, in which case maybe we should go there and introduce him to our friend in the back.”

The Sithspawn gave a muffled growl.

Max Wayne​