Ask Nar Shaddaa A Fixer's Perogative

[Kara Zaa Fenn]

In the back of Rache Robotics, just passed the plastic curtains and boxes of fixed robotics waiting to be picked up by the working class on their return from a long day at the factories in the lower levels, sat the newly minted 'Boss of the Zaa Fenn Crime Family' and the Bounty Hunter Guild's Fixer, Kara Zaa Fenn. She was a bit concerned due to her droid having gone missing (it had been derouted to Mustafar and lost connection due to a connection malfunction), but she had already made the possible inquiries and would just have to wait by the phone -so to speak- until it would finaly check in. Whatever the reason for the delay, she knew she would have to take it apart and reprogram it again. Something about that droid wasn't right. A bug in its base code, most likely, because she had scanned for all the current dataplagues that ran through the smuggler's moon and none of them were flagged on the droid's programmable brain.

The result was simple: Kara had to spend more time idling on the couch in the back of her Robotics shop. This is where she did most of her work anyway and slowly but surely she was becoming a one-stop-shop for intel when it came ot Hutt Space. That and assembling crews for jobs, ofcourse. She had the TC-SC 23006, Crix Dolan on speeddial (for several reasons), a close connection to the Troig Eccle'baal who operated in Imperial space and a relatively fragile connection with Administrator Lanris of Omega Station. The latter had been careful not to help the Zaa Fenn in any way due to her affiliation with the -now frozen- Shane Corvax and -presumably- his mysterious backer.

Regardless of all that, the plastic curtain was always open for scoundrels looking to work with the Zaa Fenn Crime Family or hunters looking to source a partner for this particular part of the galaxy. If one were to walk in now they'd find her watching a recent HoloNet broadcast with only marginal interest.

@Charles

 

[Alfie Shepherd]

There wasn't too many people Alfie thought were worth the time to meet and even attempt to get business done with. Kara Lok was one of those few people and for good reason. Her exploits and endeavors were legendary and all but meager. Too few people new the value of a good work ethic these days. A bunch of spoiled brats plagued the galaxy with their ridiculous entitlement. It was good to know at least someone wasn't a lazy ass.

Alfie entered Rache Robotics wearing simple business attire. Nothing shabby, but nothing showy either. His blaster pistol was kept snug beneath his suit wear it always was. It didn't matter if he thought he was in danger or not- if he didn't have his blaster on him, it meant something was seriously wrong with him in the head. Surely Kara wouldn't mind and might even understand that. Two Weequay bouncers looked Alfred over, to which Alfie only stared blankly back with his signature unimpressed gaze.

"What's your deal, eh?" Scoffed one. "Business." Replied Alfie in his deep baritone. "Hmph... She's out back. No funny business." Without giving either of the two a second thought, Alfie made his way into one of the back rooms where he found the woman of importance watching the Holonet on a couch. "Miss Lok," Alfie began. "I am Alfred Shepherd."

@Eccles

 

[Kara Zaa Fenn]

Kara looked up to the surprise arrival upon hearing her name and muted the broadcast as the newcomer introduced himself. "I go by Zaa Fenn now," she replied, hinting that whatever this Alfred Shepherd wanted, it would now probably come at a higher cost. She hadn't risked her life and spend a fortune to re-establish the Zaa Fenn Crime Family, get adopted into it and get named their Boss, not to use the name. There was too much history attached to that name, for barely a decade ago they had been the biggest and baddest gang in the entire kriffing galaxy.

She motioned for the newcomer to sit down on the couch opposite hers, "Kara is fine, too." As she looked at him her first thought was that he was sephi or Anfynn, but then she realized his ears were.. gone. Vague burn scars on one side and a cleaner cut on the other. Whatever or whoever this Alfred was, he had clearly seen the worst of the galaxy already.

Realizing thus that he wasn't just any ordinarly scoundrel that walked into her shop looking for work, Kara made an effort and reached down the side of the couch and pulled out the good bottle of Corellian whiskey, from which she poured him a glass. He would excuse her not joining him, for Kara was already holding what seemed like a vitamin drink. No doubt it was spiked as well, knowing her reputation. "What can I do for you, mister Shepherd?"

@Charles

 

[Alfie Shepherd]

"My apologies." Though it sounded empty, Alfie was inclined to remember her rightful station. The couch was comfortable and Kara's whiskey only added to the comfort. There was finally proof that someone in this galaxy understood Alfie without having to meet him. "For now," Alfred swirled the drink in his glass after taking another sip. "Information." Recently, the young Veteran had gotten himself into a partnership with a Hutt but had no interest in being another puppet for the cartel.

"How much would it cost to obtain twenty-four hour surveillance on a Hutt?" Hopefully Kara wasn't opposed to the idea or else there wasn't much else to discuss with someone of her importance. Though Alfie would never admit it, he needed a mentor that new what they were doing when he didn't. The whole galaxy was ripe for the taking since the end of the FWA and the New Republic. Footholds were only going to get easier to acquire, which meant more men and more credits to keep those men loyal.

"I'd like to keep my friends close and my enemies closer, if that's how the saying goes."

@Eccles

 

[Kara Zaa Fenn]

No foreplay, hm? Just how Kara liked it. She grinned before taking a swig of her own vitamin drink and took a moment to bear through the taste. She had recently given up alcohol and cigarettes and it hadn't exactly gone easy on her. Regardless of her much changing health, she looked this Alfred over once again. "Depends on the Hutt," she finally replied in all earnest. Surveillance on the Supreme Mogul would take a million credits a day. The level of access someone needed to reach Nor'baal just once was insanely expensive and that was before the First Blade of the Sith decided to attack the giant slug. Surveillance on a Scion? Now that could be arranged quite easily depending on the clan he belonged to.

"Let's assume he's a Scion?" she continued, referring to the lowest rank someone from the Hutt species could have within the cartel. "It'll take some bribes here and there, but we can get a protocol droid nearby that reports back. Say ballpark," she pretended to count things in her head, which she was, but it was adding her cut in all them that was the difficult part in the calculations, "twenty thousand credits."

But again, a Scion was easy. They'd be too happy having a protocol droid to mistrust it. When it came to Diamyo's en Lordas the problems increased exponentially. "Anything higher up the foodchain we're gonna need extra zero's, but I'll need guarantees for those," she left it unsaid, but for larger payments she would need a guarantee that Alfred Shepherd would be good for the credits. Some scoundrels found it insulting to get their credit-account checked out, but anything worth their salt knew it to be the reality of a Fixer.

@Charles

 

[Alfie Shepherd]

"Four days is all I need." Alfie said indifferently. It would, in actuality, take around eight days to get the information he needed in total, but he was more than willing to sacrifice a little over a week to learn his business partner inside out. Four days was all Alfie needed to learn the slug's favorite color, favorite kind of woman, the way he licked his lips when offered an appetizing meal or deal. The way Skelgok held himself with pride when he knew he was in deep shit- or the way he cowered before screwing you over.

"His name is Skelgok Desilijic. You may or may not have heard of him. He's a lesser slug but a slug nonetheless." This was going to be a bit more expensive than Alfred had originally thought, but he could work with it. Most people didn't understand why Alfie paid attention to the little and seemingly pointless things about others, but it gave him the keys to appealing to them while still remaining in control himself. "I can pay you half today and the other half after I'm finished analyzing your work." He took another sip of his drink, letting the burning taste overtake his pallet.

"I'm planning on starting a decent saloon somewhere around the core," Given how the galaxy was in irreparable shambles, Alfie was sure he wasn't the only one looking at all the precious space in the galaxy to mine for gold. "I was thinking Fondor... or Kuat. Though, given your years of expertise, I'd like a few words of advice." Alfie's face and tone remained emotionless and hollow. This wasn't flattery, merely telling the truth. He wouldn't ever admit it, but Alfie needed some sort of mentor who had the experience he craved.

@Eccles

 

[Kara Zaa Fenn]

Half now and half after he analyzed the information? If Kara didn't know better she thought this Alfred Shepherd character was purposefully insulting her. Apparently her word wasn't as good now as it had been back on Coruscant. Not yet, anyway. If so, guess him checking to see if the information was worth could be seen as acceptible, presuming he didn't suddenly pretend like it wasn't and refused to pay. Even if he did. Preef Callo's blaster would probably be the last thing he'd seen and he'd see it a lot sooner that he would think.

"Desilijic," Kara repeated slowly, wondering if the man had any idea he was doing business with the leading clan of the Hutt Cartel. Skelgok had recently been embarrassed by Preef during an auction on Jakku and seemed to have been keeping a rather low profile since. Tricky target to put surveillance on, for sure, but he also had a few well-noted weaknesses that she could exploit. "Alright, you'll get your intel."

Then he moved the conversation onto opening a cantina or saloon, which immediately made Kara draw the parallels. "Have an inbuilt exit-strategy," she smiled, remembering how she barely escaped the attack on the Quick-draw Cantina by slipping out the back through a secret back door. "Employ a good slicer and carry a big gun. You'll be fine."

@Charles

 

[Alfie Shepherd]

Oh, damn it. Alfie didn't mean to piss off Kara. He couldn't outright pay her today- he didn't have the means to. Maybe he'd over an extra ten thousand just for the slight he didn't intend. A sigh escaped him as the drink, soft couch, and rather hospitable environment soon became...well, less hospitable for himself at least. Alfred wasn't an idiot- Kara Zaa Fenn had connections he couldn't fathom just yet.

"Apologies again, ma'am." He finished his drink and set the glass down. "I'm not as lucrative as my new business partner." That was all he'd say on the matter. "Thank you for the tip, however." A good slicer and a bigger gun? Seemed simple enough- but Alfred wasn't the slicing type. Perhaps he'd get one when he set out for his forthcoming gang. Upon gazing at Kara again, flashes of memory quickly flooded to him- the same beautiful woman in blue -but he shoved it down the gutter as quickly as it came. "I hope we get to know each other a little better, Miss Zaa Fenn." He still couldn't find the strength to smile, but stood up and respectfully bowed to the woman. She earned his respect long before this meeting was in tow.

"Is there anything you'd like from me before I go? Besides the credits, of course."

@Eccles