Ask All About the Side Deal

[Terra Lanris]

Terra was not feeling great about this, but if all else failed, she was not going to shoot her partner again. Yeah, yeah, talking our way out of it, she said, nodding in agreement. She'd at least calmed down a little bit and her pistol was back in its holster. The smell of burned flesh and scorched ozone still clung in her nostrils, but she pushed it aside as they dismounted the speeder.

We're almost home, she thought to herself, though the thugs in the way made it seem like they were still lightyears away.

And then the Quarren opened his mouth. Wait, this was a joke, right? He was joking? They were thugs and just wanted to make a joke?

And then the guy pulled out a tract and handed one to each of them. She looked down at it, blinking in shock as he started talking. She didn't even really hear what he said about it before she looked up at him.

You know, I will take a look at this. Thank you, she said, just kind of walking past quickly and ascending the ramp before punching in the code to open the door.

She waited for Crix to join her and quickly hit the door to close behind her.

Okay, thanks, bye! she said as the door closed. She hurried to the cockpit, ready to get them somewhere at least somewhat safe before worrying about patching up and all that jazz.

There's medical supplies in that closet. I can help you in a minute, she said, pointing toward a closet on the way to the cockpit.

@Zay

 

[Crix Dolan]

Crix stared dumbly at the pamphlet he'd been handed. On the front, a sun rising from the ocean encircled by tentacles sat neatly above the words, Church of the Rising Sun.

"Huh." Was all Crix managed to mutter.

The Quarren was just about to pour into a dialogue about the deep love their creator had for all species, when Terra saved the day.

"Yeah, thanks." He managed, before following her up the ramp and into the ship.

As they entered the ship he couldn't help but notice the similarities to his own. There was a rustic quality to a lived-in space it almost made him feel as if he were intruding. He'd have been more reluctant to enter, but then again she'd shot him, so he didn't have much of a choice.

Crix was basically lost when it came to first aid. He'd learned a lot of things in his adventures, but he'd been lazy when it came to being patched up. He'd been lucky enough to work for a client that specialized in medical refabrications and as payment for a job well done he'd been rewarded with an interrogation droid that had been repurposed for medicinal use. He looked down at his wound and had to stifle his gag reflex.

The skin was mottled and discolored from the superheated plasma. He tried to move his fingers and sighed audibly when they wiggled. When he tried to lift it however it protested angrily. Instead, he helped himself to whatever alcohol he could find on the ship and sprayed the wound with a numbing agent. The Scoundrel felt the ship lurch upward, turn around and fire off. He'd known it was going to happen but the suddenness of it sent him sprawling across the floor.

"I'm fine," he blurted feeling his face grow hot with embarrassment. He managed to clamber into a chair and hang on. The numbing agent was beginning to take effect. He tipped back the bottle he'd found and breathed a sigh of relief.

@Phoenix

 

[Terra Lanris]

Terra leapt into the pilots seat and began flipping switches, firing up the compressor and venting the line. With a quick check of the microthrusters, she fired up the main engines. They ignited as the repulsor kicked off, lifting them into the air with more speed than perhaps she'd take on a charter, but she wanted to get out of this area before things really heated up again.

She glanced back just long enough to see him sprawled across the ground and meekly stating that he was fine. She pointed to the copilot seat as he climbed into it and took them out and away from the city at speed.

It was only a short distance before the engines cut back, leaving the repulsorlift engaged so they were simply floating over the water. No need for piloting, no real danger now, and a moment to catch their breath.

She stood up and moved over toward him, looking at the injury and frowning.

What did you do to this? she asked. She wasn't exactly a doctor, but she apparently had more experience patching things up than he did.

Come on, I'll help you get this fixed up right, she said, heading back to the medical supplies and starting to wipe up some of the oozing blood from the wound. It was the last she could do after she... shot him.

@Zay

 

[Crix Dolan]

A plethora of comebacks sprang to mind as Terra passed judgment on his wound. Deciding none of it would be helpful at the moment he said, "I sprayed numbing stuff on it."

Crix followed her back to the medical closet and took a swig of the bottle he'd found. He took a seat in the booth and as he did remember he still had to pay her. He slipped his datapad out of his jacket, and said, "When you get a second throw your info into here."

He slid the datapad her way, it was open to the Hardlight Independent app's new pilot page.

"I know it seems sketchy, but I'm one of the owners. It'll be harder to track and easier for me to pay you this way. Plus if you ever need a job you're already signed up."

If she wasn't comfortable he'd wire the money however she wanted, in all honesty, he was kinda being lazy.

Crix lifted the bottle he'd been helping himself to and asked, "What is this? It's wonderful."

@Phoenix

 

[Terra Lanris]

She scowled at the "numbed" shoulder, spraying some more on the injury before starting to go to work with a small stitching kit. It was likely to leave a nasty scar, but at least she'd close it up for him, placing a cooling gel over top that helped repair some of the residual burn energy.

Hydration is important. And... not with that, she said with a snicker, nodding in the direction of the bottle he was drinking from. It's a Corellian Triple Sec, she said.

Look, this is probably not in my best interest, but I didn't actually do a job. Not sure I can take the money, she said. Besides, her hands were covered in blood at the moment. There was an irony that she was rob, steal, and raid, but something about her professional reputation made her hesitate to take the funds.

She wiped down her hands, and grabbed a bandage, placing it over the wound before finally stepping back.

It goes well with a Red Rancor, she said, nodding toward the drink as she moved over and started washing her hands up.

So New Coral City? What's there? she asked, wondering if that was too snoopy and half-expecting to just be told to mind her own business. But he'd been pretty nice so far.

@Zay

 

[Crix Dolan]

Crix's eyebrow's arched in appreciation of the Corellian Triple Sec. That explained the refreshing orange taste. This stuff was wonderful.

He flashed her a devious grin before ignoring her warning and taking another swig. The numbing agent was working, but it was surface-level. As the needle pressed into his epidermis he could feel the bite of the point being pulled through the other side, but forced himself to remain calm. This wasn't the first time he'd been stitched up. Crix was covered in burns and scars from fights that hadn't gone his way. At least this one had been given to him on accident.

"That's... uh, what?"

Was she really trying to give up her pay? What in the hell was she thinking. Everyone knew rule number one to surviving in this batshit crazy galaxy was to never look a gift Fathier in the mouth.

"Look, I know I'm cute, but there's no way that's appropriate compensation for today."

Terra applied some more numbing spray and Crix praised the stars for the stuffs effectiveness.

"Okay, well from where I'm sitting you're transporting me to New Coral, so what's the fee? Oh, and you're making me a Red Rancor, cause I'm a client now."

He plastered on a shit-eating grin and draped one leg over the other.

"My ship. I just finished a transport job here and was taking a few days to enjoy the planet before jetting."

Of course, that wasn't totally the truth, but it was close enough to not come off as a lie, so he went with it.

"What about you? Where you headed next, oh valiant and honorable smuggler?"

Crix was already feeling the Triple Sec. He hadn't eaten all day and only now remembered he'd never got that order of shrimp and grits back at the diner. He made a buzzed mental note to get some food before he took off.

@Phoenix

 

[Terra Lanris]

She gave him a dubious face at his new proposal, but it was agreeable enough for her professional reputation, and she really wasn't one to insist on turning down money. Especially not when she was this broke.

Alright, fine, she said, punching in her details to the account. There was a flood of relief at the funds that were being injected into her very empty-looking account.

She headed back over to the kitchenette, taking the bottle of Triple from him so she could make him a drink.

Look, this is going to hit you like a truck, she warned. A Tiefling trashcan is made for people with two livers, she said. He would see her pulling out a wide variety of bottles and mixing them in various quantities before popping open a can of Red Rancor to finish it all out.

Voíla, she said, turning and handing him a very tall glass.

Whoa, I'm not a smuggler! she objected. And lied. It was a lie and she was 99% sure he knew it since... she had been smuggling when they met. I got a short contract with ISCRA to ship in medical supplies, food, what have you to the locals. Pretty rough what happened to them, she said. Not really sure where I'm headed after this. Gotta look for some new jobs. Maybe recruit some other pilots and expand my business, she said. Sounds like you've already got a company you fly with, yeah? she said. Terra Nova Charters and Shipping was in need of more pilots.

@Zay

 

[Crix Dolan]

An I knew you'd come around grin spread across his face as Terra input her information.

"Aww..." he whimpered as she took the bottle from him. His disappointment was short when he realized what she was doing. Her warning fell on deaf ears as Crix excitedly took a sip. The effervescent of the carbonated energy drink on top was the kicker for him.

"Holy shit."

His whole body went numb for a split second. His limbs relaxed and he leaned back in the booth. He knew he shouldn't drink the rest of this drink. Mostly because he only had one liver, at least he was pretty sure he only had one.

"Riiiiiight," he teased as she tried to deny being a smuggler.

Crix found himself enjoying the mundane chit-chat of small business ownership. It wasn't the hardest thing in the galaxy to obtain the appropriate licensing, but having the ambition and drive to secure a contract like the one she'd mentioned with ISCRA was no small task.

"That's great. I never had much luck with contract work."

He considered the people of Mon Cala, the devastation wrought by the Zaa Fenn was monstrous. Crix had originally been in line to become a part of the family, but once Garath did what he did, he just couldn't. So, here he sat. At a crossroads looking the devil in the face as he prepared to make a deal.

"Yeah, it was terrible, thankfully the galaxy seems to have rallied together to help."

Crix took another sip of the Teifling Turnpike, or whatever it was called, and agreed, "Expanding is always the hardest part. Finding reliable flyers with ships that are up to code, ugh, it's the worst."

He raised the datapad, "I don't just fly for one, I'm one of the owners."

Hardlight Independat's crimson emblem was on full display as he set the datapad back down.

"You seem like a good person, ya know, aside from shooting me," he teased, "If I can help you out, just let me know. like I said, finding good help is the worst."

He shrugged, winced because he'd forgotten about his wound, then added, "And if you're ever in need of some extra credits, you're in the system. Just log on and grab a job."

That was the only thing he was proud of about Hardlight. Even though it was created to be something that made it way easier for him to smuggle, it really did offer opportunities to independent pilots that were displaced for one reason or another. It was a solid way to learn a system or sector and the more pilots that operated on it actively expanded reach.

"So, if you don't mind me asking, what's your end goal?"

He asked taking another sip. "Like, once you have all the credits you could ever want, what's the dream?"

@Phoenix

 

[Terra Lanris]

Her eyebrows rose slightly as he mentioned he was the owner of the company. This certainly piqued her interest as she was struggling to get her own business off the ground. She stifled the desire to immediately bombard him with a massive barrage of questions.

How'd this go from me recruiting you to you recruiting me, she asked with a snicker.

She thought a moment about his question of where she wanted to end up. She didn't really know because she'd been so busy just trying to survive that she hadn't asked what she'd do when she retired.

I don't know, retire somewhere nice in a mansion. Maybe Zeltron. They know how to party hard, she said. Someday, someday, someday, she said, knowing that 'someday' wouldn't be any time soon and at this rate she was likely to end up dead first.

So you seem pretty handy with a blaster. Any tips? she asked.

@Zay

 

[Crix Dolan]

"Eh, it's my gift of gab," he joked as he took another sip of his drink. He was definitely starting to feel it.

Crix hadn't had the pleasure of going to Zeltron yet. The idea of pheromone producing sentients swaying his desires wasn't exactly appealing to him, and hell, he was getting ready to go after a bunch of mean green falleen. Oof, Terra was right he was going to need another liver.

He laughed as she asked for tips about shooting but stopped himself from making the obvious joke. She'd been scared, and he wasn't going to punch down on someone who was actually asking for help.

"Well, first always find cover. Line of sight works both ways and keeping something between you and your enemy's weapon is always a plus. Second, keep your trigger finger off the trigger unless you're going to shoot, and finally don't forget to breathe. breathing is essential to solid aim. Squeeze the trigger as you exhale."

Of course, the tips he was giving were rudimentary, but in order to break the rules, you had to master them. If she took these to heart he was certain she'd improve. Hell, he'd been given pretty much the same advice, and it'd served him well in his tenure as a criminal.

"You wanna give it a try?"

@Phoenix

 

[Terra Lanris]

She listened with rapt attention as he explained the skills to victory in a gunfight. She had been in two gang shootouts back on Corellia and while one of those had ultimately resulted in her shooting and - she was pretty sure - killing one of the rival members, it wasn't something she had ever come close to mastering. Now, she had managed to shoot her own partner, and that was a bad start.

Okay, she said with a nod, thinking about what he said and taking it in. It seemed like good advice and a better way to make her way through the galaxy than what she'd done so far.

Well, yeah, that'd be good, but I've already shot you once today. I'm not sure I should again... she muttered as he offered for her to give it a try. On the other hand, having a way to get some practice in with an actual instructor could mean all the difference....

@Zay

 

[Crix Dolan]

Crix scoffed, "Please, you gotta get over it. C'mon, show me somewhere you can shoot a gun. If it makes you feel better I'll stand behind you."

He'd follow her lead. It was her ship after all and while he was confident she wouldn't mind, he didn't want to accidentally overstep his welcome. As he rose from the booth, he sipped the last of his drink and felt the world shift. His brow furrowed in concentration as he tried to remember if she'd put them down in the water or if they were still hovering above it.

After the precarious walk to their current location, Crix was very confident that he was absolutely hammered. He wished he'd had a second liver because his current one was fighting for it's life. He took a breath and steadied himself. This was going to be fine. Totally, fiiiiiine.

He set up a line of bottles on a cargo container and took his position behind Terra.

"Alright, show me what you're working with."

@Phoenix

 

[Terra Lanris]

He was still taking it very well, so she decided to move forward without any further fuss. She got up and headed for the rear of the ship where one of the cargo holds - currently empty - had some wide open space.

She moved to the far side, setting up a small target before moving to the far side of the cargo bay. She switched her pistol over to stun and pointed it at the target. He would be able to see that while her stance wasn't exactly perfect, it wasn't absolutely abysmal either.

Can you even stand let alone teach me how to shoot? she asked with a mixture of skepticism and humor. She fired a shot, managing to at least hit the target even if barely.

@Zay

 

[Crix Dolan]

Crix watched her work and breathed a sigh of relief. She was good. He took a moment to really focus on their encounter back in the diner. For the most part, her instincts were solid, she'd sought cover and played it safe, the only mistake she'd made was shooting him, and luckily that had only been a flesh wound. Granted how he felt about it would probably greatly shift when he woke up in the morning with a hangover and a blaster wound.

"Kid, your technique is solid," he contemplated correcting her stance but decided that proper basics were good for tournament shooting, it was reaction time and a cool head under blaster fire that would make the difference between life and death.

"Speaking from experience," he looked from his wound to her, "I'd say you need to learn how to be calm under extreme circumstances."

He knew that was easier said done, "Look, I know you were looking for some silver bolt on how to survive out here."

Crix's brow furrowed as he considered his next words, "There's no guarantee that any of us get to make it. Hell, I'll probably end up dead in a back alley before my time is done."

His inebriation was bringing out the philosopher in him, but that didn't change the merit in his words, "So, I think you need to really decide if this life is the one you want."

He let her think about that a minute before saying, "If it is, look me up. I'm always looking for dependable people."

Crix leaned against the wall feeling his inebriation in full force. He wasn't going to be sick, but he definitely needed to sleep this off.

"Mind getting me to my ship?"

@Phoenix

 

[Terra Lanris]

Terra thought for a long moment about what he said, deciding that he was probably right. It wasn't target shooting that was her issue, it was panicking when things really hit the fan. She supposed she needed to start putting herself in more stressful situations. After all, how did she function when she was flying in dangerous situations? Practice. Practice and muscle memory.

She nodded at what he said, putting the pistol away. I think we both know this life isn't one you always pick, she said. She had been thrust into a life of crime just to survive, and she wouldn't have been surprised if the same went for him.

Either way, don't be a stranger. You're alright, she said, pretty much as shining a compliment as people in their line of work gave.

Yeah, you're going to have to sleep that off. Don't try to fly on one of those, she warned, heading back to the controls. She settled in behind the controls, firing up the engines for forward thrust and launching them both toward his ship and their own separate ways once again.

//Thread @Zay