Aela Talith
The Righteous
NAME: Wes Spalding
FACTION: N/A
RANK: Fence
SPECIES: Human
AGE: 22
SEX: Male
FORCE SENSITIVE: No
Wes is by most accounts a moderately handsome man who is well aware of it.
His overall appearance is reminiscent of a vagabond, though perhaps with a bit more class. He wears a thin leather jacket, a button up shirt that seems to be missing more than a few buttons, and his head is closely shaved. The bear he wears on his face seems to be interrupted by a large scar on his jaw which splits his facial hair in two. There is almost always a smile on his face, as though he were free from all concern or earthly worries.
Oddly enough despite his more rundown appearance, Wes carries himself with the standards of the noble. His back is always straight, his eyes are fixed ahead, and his chin is held high at almost all points. He walks with an odd sort of confidence that one might not expect from someone like him, carrying himself as though he were the best thing in the room at any given time. Unsurprisingly this attitude often gets him in trouble, though some find it charming enough not to beat him up immediately.
Though this overall look is how he usually carries himself, Wes isn't opposed to changing and often times when he's conducting business he'll take on a more 'molded' looking, donning clothes that are more appropriate for the moment.
[+]Charming: Wes, by both the nature of his work and general character is quite the charming fellow. He is in essence a salesman, attempting to get people to buy the products that he is fencing. Though most of his customers usually go to him instead of vice versa, Wes is still the one that has to close the deal. He also has to negotiate with sellers, ensuring that the items he buys are actually worth buying and that they are bought at a low enough price to actually be sustainable for him. These needs have made Wes quite the talker and conversationalist, as he often uses words to try and get more information out of both buyers and sellers before closing a deal.
[+]Forger: Though this skill is mostly unknown to his customers and even his underworld contacts, Wes is a remarkably gifted forger. He has an eye for detail and his hands are skilled enough to copy most pieces of art. Wes excels in the creation of Paintings, Government Bonds, Credit Chits, and oddly enough Jewels. Though he is by no means a Master, Wes is able to pass off most of his forgeries as the real thing to anyone but the most highly trained experts. It is a skill he is seeking to hone, something he constantly pracites and seeks to improve.
[-]Spineless: Obviously not in the literal sense of the word, but in a medical sense. As a child Wes suffered a debilitating injury to his spine, though the event was an accident and he was rushed to a hospital, the injury nonetheless caused permanent damage. The result of this event was an odd sort of 'kink' forming within the Fence's spine. This odd injury prevents Wes from doing a variety of things, lifting above a certain amount of weight, running too quickly, and contorting his body in certain ways. This is obviously incredibly debilitating if one wants to do any sort of fighting, and thus Wes is far more likely to shoot you then stab you.
[-]Pathological Liar: Wes, by nature, is an extremely proficient liar. Though some might consider this a plus, it really isn't. Wes' need to lie is pathological, he lies not necessarily because he has to, but simply because he feels compelled to do so. Wes will literally lie to anyone, at any time, for any reason. Sometimes he lies even when the truth would actually benefit him more than telling a lie. This compulsion has been with him since early childhood, and is probably what will end up getting him killed.
As one might expect from a grifter, liar, and criminal like Wes, his childhood wasn't exactly normal.
Though obviously like every other Human being Wes was born of a man and a woman, he never actually met his father. Instead his mother raised him by herself, a difficult task considering that he was quite a handful even from a young age. Somehow though, his mother managed it.
Though she never shared with him who his father was, or exactly what he did, Wes was never really bothered by it too much. The two of them lived on Nar Shaddaa, Wes' mother finding work within one of the many Hutt Casino's, though not as a Dancer or Prostitute. Rather, she was employed as one of the managers within the Count rooms of the Casino, being extremely valuable in her observational skills and reading people. Wes' mother had a unique skill for seeing through people, and it was her job to ensure that no one stole form the Casino.
She was somewhat of a prized possession to her employer, Jorba the Hutt.
No one, not employee or guest could steal from his casino while Wes' mother was on the job. Due to this she was given a nice place to live, fair pay, and always protected by Casino security. As one might imagine, young Wes grew up within the confines of that Casino. He was, almost at all times, surrounded by all sorts of criminal activity. His mother did her best to keep him away from the worst of it, but scamp that he was Wes learned early on to duck security and get to where he wanted to go.
From a young age Wes liked to sow mischief, exhibiting the same propensity for observation as his mother. Unlike other children Wes was more than capable of seeing through the lies of adults, and growing up in the casino he took full advantage of that skill. He often tricked Casino guests, either robbing them with slight of hand or winning their money in games of chance. Jorba delighted in these acts, and quickly the boy grew to be one of Jorba's more favored understudies.
Their life remained a relatively happy one, until Wes turned sixteen and his mother grew ill.
Though Jorba hired the best doctors on Nar Shaddaa they found no cure for her. Slowly over the next two years Wes' mother began to fade away, the young boy taking over her duties at the Casino as best she could until she finally passed away a few months after his eighteenth birthday. Upon her passing Jorba, showing kindness unlike any other Hutt, gave Wes two options. He could take his mothers old job at the Casino full time, or Jorba would buy him out from the apartment he and his mother had stayed in.
Wes, after deliberating for a short time, took option two.
Having never left his homeworld and knowing that working for the Casino was a dead-end, Wes set his sights on something else. He quickly moved into the galaxy with the money Jorba gave him, traveling for a time before he eventually found his way to Coruscant. It was here that Wes found his true niche.
Due to his connection with Nar Shaddaa and the criminal syndicates there it became readily apparent that Wes had a way to smuggle stolen goods off-world without much question or concern. This held more than a few obvious benefits, and thus Wes quickly became another Fence among many on Coruscant. His reputation built quickly over the first few weeks, his various Alias' ringing out whenever anyone wanted to sell something stolen or unique.
As his business expanded Wes began to dabble in things himself, finding his talent for observation helped in getting all the details of his work just right.
When the Alliance came to Coruscant things changed, though not by much. Criminals of all sorts, gangsters, thiefs, and even drug dealers all became a hell of a lot more paranoid. This became readily apparent when the market for stolen goods suddenly clamped up and smuggling became far more difficult. Ever the innovator, Wes managed to keep his business going by using Agricultural shuttles going to and from Coruscant as a means of smuggling goods.
Though this aided in one side of the business, it slowly became apparent that with the Alliance in charge stealing was becoming more difficult, and corrupt officials more rare. Thus Wes turned to his other talent; forgery.