Ask Castell Is the Bomb

[Aden Archer]

Castell​

Aden was really intrigued about Walt Bosmar's idea about a heist on arsenal on Anaxes. Not just any kind of armory, but one with military grade weapons. Not only could have be lucrative, to not only Aden as well, even Apex, who the spacer has joined very recently.

Walt was an expert with explosives, and for this, he needed to procure a certain kind, not just any. Fortunately, Aden was well connected. He knows a guy who knows a guy, and thus this led them to Castell, a trade world in the colonies. This person Taran Renard, was a Sakiyan who operates in the Black Market. Castell was an decent planet and this city would be a fine choice as well. Castell gets lots of traffic in and out, lots of people moving about, already has plenty of shifty people, and it's government and law enforcement are not squeaky clean either. If someone wanted to do a business transaction that would be illegal without being noticed yet not devoid of civilization, this wouldn't be a bad place in the galactic north.

Aden would be with his partner in the designated meeting place near in a dark place not too far from the main marketplace in the city. He would check his chrono. "The contact, Taran should be here in a few minutes." he assured his partner. "Give or take" he said.

Maybe for some conversation with his partner to pass the time. "So, you were with the New Republic Defense Forces?" In a heist, having more military trained people would be rather handy. Not just for the capilities, for the knowledge he might have. He already knows about the armories, he probably knows other things that will be useful in their heist.

@Nefieslab

 

[Walt Bosmar]

Aden was someone Walt had worked for in a roundabout way in the past - the kind of connection where the man had never bled alongside Aden but people who he had bled with, vouched for him. And if people with that kind of bond with him said that Aden was good people? Then Walt believed them.

Taking them at their word had worked out quite well so far as well - Aden had come through with a lead on how they could retrieve one of the first things he would need to try and pull off the heist he was working on. Moving out through the throng of people, Walt held a cup of caf in a takeout cup in one hand.

It was trash caf, though - he really needed to get his caf maker fixed on his ship...

But he brought enough to share. As he passed a cup of black caf to Aden, he took a sip of his own to ward off any potential chill in the air.

"Hurry Up And Wait it is." he replied, absently regurgitating a stock phrase from his time in the military, "I know it well..."

Eyeing Aden from the side for a second, Walt considered not answering but he wasn't hiding anything out of shame or for any other reason. Why hide his background?

"Yeah - Anaxes defence force before that." he confirmed, taking another sip, "Bomb disposal and combat engineering. Before... before it all collapsed."

He forced himself to take another sip.

"What about you, Archer? Scuttlebutt says you're a devil in a cockpit but you're private sector. Ever worn a uniform?"

Wearing a uniform meant something to Walt but he was big enough to recognise that not everyone felt the same as him. Some people weren't ever meant for the uniform - and others were born for it.

@The Good Doctor

 

[Aden Archer]

"Much appreciated." Aden accepted the caf and then started sipping it with his partner. "Yep" he said, they are indeed having to play the waiting game.

Aden wasn't meant for the uniform His own little stint on Corellia was a distant memory. It's been almost two decades. Or maybe a little over. "Served as soldier and pilot for the Corellia Planetary Defense Forces" he said lowering his eyelids. Details were starting to get blurry at this point. It wasn't a long stay and they weren't the fondest of memories. Aden wasn't cut out for the ridged military life no matter how skilled he is, the spacer knew was meant to fly free. And fly free he did.

But yes, for what they are here for it is good that they have an expert at handling explosives. They are here for plasma grenades. Illegal in most civilized systems and very, very lethal, Aden doesn't want to handle them

Soon, out of the shadows, the Sakiyan appeared, flanked by a brutish, armored Orcolan, holding a thermic axe. The Sakiyan had a metallic briefcase, presumably holding the goods. The alien would then speak "Hello there you two. he said while giggling. "Sorry to keep you waiting but traffic was awful. Mr. Archer and Mr. Bosmar, yes?" he said in an exaggerated, high-pitched eccentric manner, would then chuckle.

"That's us" he said. Aden looked to Walt, and looked back at the alien. "Splllllllllllllllllllllllendid. I am Taran Renard. And I have what you are looking for. Plasma grenades was it?" With a pause. "If so, I have them right in here. " he would point to his briefcase. "How many are you looking to get? I have quite a supply" he would ask the duo, Aden would look towards his more explosives inclined friend, he would know for sure.

@Nefieslab

 

[Walt Bosmar]

It fit with what little he knew of Aden - a uniform meant following orders and trusting that the ones giving those orders knew what was best. He didn't think that Aden had ever been that kind of person, to be able to just take someone at their command/word like that. Walt wasn't either - anymore.

"It's not for everyone."

For Walt it had been the calling his entire life had led up to but he had learned, a long time ago, that it was beyond insane to expect everyone to feel the same way about it as he did. It had, after all, been his destiny so it didn't need to be universal. Catching sight of the odd pairing wandering over to them, Walt took another sip of his caf to hide the way his eyes roamed over the two of them, taking in as much detail as he could.

Walt eyed the speaker, Taran, as he seemed to imply that the plasma grenades were in the briefcase.

"I won't need too many - only need enough for one operation." he told the arms dealer, slightly uneasy that he had such a hulking figure nearby with an axe, "Twelve will be enough."

He only really needed four for what he actually needed them for - but he wasn't an idiot, he was going to ensure that he had enough for one test run and two attempts. Reaching out, Walt laid the back of his right hand against the metal of the briefcase, briefly sensing the temperature of the metal before taking a step back when the Orcolan gave his shoulder a harsh shove.

"No touchin."

Walt held up both hands to show that he wasn't armed, that he didn't mean anything by it... and to take the chance to show the bright red mark against the back of his right hand to Aden. The briefcase was hot - very hot. So far Walt was reasonably certain it was because there were plasma grenades in the briefcase but he was willing to bet there was also a trip wire set up to detonate them if they tried to open the case.

Hopefully just a precaution that would be disabled once they made the trade.

@The Good Doctor

 

[Aden Archer]

Everything about this dealer sounded sketch. This voice, this mannerisms, his way of talking. The bodyguard with an axe, the bodyguard not allowing Walt to examine the wares before they purchase them. What appears to be a counter-measure against others touching the briefcase just in case. Everything about the duo screams sketch. Aden is starting to regret this. Of course Aden's contacts are among less reputable people, and the reliability of his contact's contracts is likely to be even more suspect.

"Are we able to inspect the merchandise?" he said. That way they can maybe verify if they are real plasma grenades. "Very well" the alien, with his special-gloved hands, would then open the briefcase no problems, disarming the counter measure in the process.

And then they would be able to inspect the goods, with a few feet away of course, the bodyguard is ensuring they don't get in arms distance. As Aden isn't good with explosives, nor would he know what a plasma grenade is by looking at them, he would let Walt inspect them.

"So how much do you want for twelve?" Aden asked after a delay. As the spacer is rich these days, and for what the job they are prepping for potentially yields, Aden is willing to invest a lot of time, effort, and credits into this, so that it can go smoothly and get the most out of it. Not only that, so that he may get a larger share of the cache.

And the Sakiyan would speak again. He would then close the briefcase and put it at his side again. "Oh. For these, my special stock. I don't think credits will do." he paused "I need you two to do something for me if you want them." he would then get started. "You see, there is a particularly rival black market on the planet. A human named Tonis Kinall is the head of it. Shut him and his operation down. I don't care how it's done, just as long as he is no longer 'in business'" And so the choice was presented to the two. Aden would look towards Walt, seeing if the former Republic demolitions expert was on board with this.

@Nefieslab

 

[Walt Bosmar]

The damned things looked like the Galaxy's most dangerous duck eggs... all arrayed precariously in the open briefcase, their electric blue colour clearly on display. Even from a few feet away, Walt could see the trigger mechanisms that ringed the plasma grenades like a bronze halo.

"You'll need to replace that one." he told the dealer, pointing to one which seemed to be a slightly darker shade of blue than the others, "Looks like it didn't have enough charge to take - manufacturing error I'd guess?"

Blinking twice, the dealer looked down at the case and gingerly poked the grenade in question. Unlike some of those nearby, it didn't seem to pulse with light and the dealer deflated ever so slightly - having a dud in the batch was probably bad for business, especially bad for his rep. Walt held out an empty hand as if to accept the broken grenade and there was a pause where the dealer grabbed the grenade before sharing a glance with their bodyguard.

"No funny business."

Walt raised an eyebrow.

"No funny business - but that needs to be properly defused or it'll be a problem."

Taking the offered grenade, Walt carefully began to unscrew the bronze band around the grenade, taking away the timer and the fuse for the device with that one careful movement. He tossed the bronze band away and casually stuffed the dud grenade in his pocket.

"Do you mind if me and my partner confer first?" he gestured between himself and Aden, "Big step from buying some merch to killing a man or undoing his entire operation, you know?"

With a brief wave of his hand, Walt gestured for Aden to follow him to one side, where he stood with his back to the dealer and the bodyguard. Tapping his newly acquired broken grenade, Walt cast a glance back over his shoulder before speaking with Aden.

"I don't like the idea of going to war with someone who sells guns and bombs for a living." he admitted, bluntly, before smiling ever so slightly, "If this guy is willing to put out hits, I think he's willing to double cross us. Counter idea from me... I throw this grenade back towards them, you shoot it. Should have enough charge left to burn them badly but leave enough for us to grab the stock and run. You down?"

@The Good Doctor

 

[Aden Archer]

Yeah... Aden grimaced as he watched the arms dealer talk. And looking at Walt... he wasn't impressed. There were problems with the wares too.. He would then go to confer with Aden and after hearing him out, going along with the deal is a really bad idea. The black market merchant can't be trusted and his wares are... shabby. It was not a good idea to ruins someone's life in exchange for products of dubious reliability.

Going against him and stealing his stuff, is something Aden won't object to. No love lost from second hand contacts, one that most likely no one will miss him for sure if he gets they somehow perish in the explosion they are about to cause.

Aden would smile. "Lets do it". he said. "Ready when you are" he would then place his hand close to the pistol on a belt holster. Aden is an experienced combatant outside of a starfighter. He is quick on a blaster and accurate. Although maybe not as accurate as a certain Rodian gunslinger.

When the grenade is thrown, he would light it up when they would be a safe distance away from the throne grenade.

If all else fails, he's certain he can take down an orc with an axe...

@Nefieslab

 

[Walt Bosmar]

Walt wasn't used to betraying people, even people he was 95% certain would be trying to kill him in the next 24 hours even if they went along with their plan. But he was also absolutely no stranger to sudden and, often, senseless violence. This reeked of senseless violence but if it had to be done, he would very much prefer to be the one dishing it out than the one on the receiving end so it was time to go to work.

Rolling the defective grenade around in one hand, he fiddled with one end of it with his other hand, working at the housing of the plasma so that it would release itself slowly in it's liquid form. It was highly dangerous to tough the material that made up the plasma grenade's fuel and explosive source but he had a couple seconds before it would be able to escape the casing.

Unless, of course, it got blasted.

"Hey guys!"

Walt turned around to face the bodyguard and the arms dealer, spreading his arms out slightly as he did so as though to show he was being jovial... when in reality he immediately sped up the spin in place, throwing the defective grenade towards them but higher than their heads.

Drawing his own weapon, Walt fired three shots from his pistol in their general direction. None of the shots hit but that was never the point - the point was to keep them distracted so that neither of them could interrupt Aden's own shot, which impacted the defective grenade with explosive results.

The grenade's casing shattered at the blaster bolt and the internal liquid plasma was ignited by the heat of the blast and suddenness of it's release, splashing down onto both the arms dealer and the bodyguard as a burning splash of liquid that stuck to their skin, burning through it cleanly in seconds while they screamed in agony.

It said something about him that the smell of burning flesh was nostalgic.

Throwing himself forward, Walt gave both of the burning men mercy, shooting them both once in the face as they writhed in pain, snatching up the briefcase full of ordinance in his other hand even as screams and shouts filled the area around them. Blaster shots might be mostly common around here but blood-curdling screams of fiery pain were not - and that was without the dealer having brought some back-up.

Turning back to Aden, Walt secured the briefcase to his body in a rather unusual way; he strapped it to his chest with a set of cords he had in his belt. It freed both of his hands but it also meant that any shot that impacted his chest would likely detonate every grenade in the case.

"We need to exfil, now." he declared with a grin, ducking as a blaster bolt whizzed past his head, laughing despite himself, "Oh man... bringing back memories now..."

Dashing forward, Walt turned to fire a bolt back over his shoulder at a trio of scoundrels who were giving pursuit. A Twi'lek, a Devaronian and a human by the looks of it - and he really didn't like the look of the rotary blaster cannon the devil-looking one was lugging around.

@The Good Doctor