Ask Nar Shaddaa Chasing Leads

[Oren Zapan]

It had been several weeks since Oren had recovered, he was still getting used to the robotic hand, but he would manage. Bri had saved his life and he was grateful for her help, without her, he wouldn't have wanted to imagine what things would look like. The gangsters on Utupau had vanished into thin air after the outbreak on the planet and the boy they promised to return home was still missing.

Oren had made a promise to himself and to the family that they would find him and he had no intentions on stopping now. for weeks he scoured the the holonet looking for leads and was able to track the gang down to the lower levels of Nar Shaddaa. They were going to bring these scum to justice and finally get the answers that they needed to find the child as well as the truth behind why his master was lurking with these nerf herders in the first place.

His brown eyes would shift towards Bri as they rode within a small rail car towards the lower levels of Nar Shaddaa, "I'll try not to get my hand ripped off this time," he'd smile as his eyes locked with her own.

tag: @ModernMarvel

 

[Brienna Lanaamer]

To say that Nar Shaddaa was one of Bri’s least favorite planets in the galaxy was almost an understatement. Yes, she was a Jedi, and yes, she tried to pride self in admiring the living Force around her. But, Nar Shaddaa was a different story. The ecumenopolis moon had a particularly unpleasant aura to it, and Bri found herself becoming distinctly opposed to return visits.

Nevertheless, she found herself packed into a crowded rail car, traversing to the lower levels of the planet. Oren Zapan was seated opposite of her, as their continuing investigations into a crime gang on Utapau had brought them to Nar Shaddaa. The rail car looked old, and Bri was genuinely worried that it could fall apart at any moment. Her face was adorned with an almost permanent frown as she peered out the grimy window, before looking over as Oren addressed her.

“I think that should be our bare minimum level of success,” Bri replied, sarcastically, her frown turning into a slight grin for a moment. A nearby palliduvan looked concerned at their joking at losing limbs. For their visit to the seedy criminal world, Bri had abandoned her usual Jedi attire, for an outfit which she had put together in hopes of looking, ‘criminal.’ It consisted of a pair of tight black pants, red tank top, and matching black jacket. Not feeling that her ‘sunny’ light colored hair would lead well to fitting in with the criminal underworld, she had dyed to to be a darker brown, with hopes of appearing more ‘edgy.’ The results were decidedly mixed.

@TWD26

 

[Oren Zapan]

Oren peered over towards the Jedi, his lone good eye fixated on the changes to her hair and style. It seemed weird to see her in such a different state, she seemed determined and focused. A lot had happened since they had interacted, the order was under attack and scrutiny as darksiders revealed themselves to the galaxy as a whole.

Oren had come across one of them, but it left him with a charred right cheek and a milky white eye. He looked like a brute or a gangster, one of the millions that made up this planet. With his hair frosted with flakes of blonde and a thick smuggler's jacket, he appeared much rougher than he truly was. "Everything is going to be okay," he'd say in a low tone, his shifting to peer towards various people passing.

"We meet up with the Zeltron dealer and we get him to speak." His words came out in a serious tone, he couldn't imagine what would occur if the spice they were trailing got into the Nar Shaddaa ecosystem.

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[Brienna Lanaamer]

Bri appreciated that Oren was trying to reassure her about their mission. To say that their outing on Utapau was a failure was putting it pretty lightly. Therefore, Bri attempted to look at the glass as being half-full, and that the only way to go was up. That was of course, metaphorical, as the rail car was currently traversing downwards further into the muck of Nar Shaddaa.

The Jedi Knight looked back at Oren as he described what their next step would be, nodding in comprehension. The car rattled and shook, Bri watching the rest of the crowd going about their business. She had been trying to remain as observant as possible, looking to see if anyone was tailing them, but had yet to spot any notably suspicious characters. Nar Shaddaa was full of suspicious characters which made the task that much more challenging.

Bri looked out through the grimy window at the passing city, bringing her hand to rest on the outside of her jacket, absentmindedly feeling the outline of her lightsaber. Her mind focused sharp at the mission.

 

[Oren Zapan]

The train that lead into the lower club districts would come to a screeching halt. Bri seemed silent and focused on the opportunity at hand, he knew that they couldn't fail, but that wasn't to say he wasn't nervous about the mission. These guys seemed to be the real deal, and thus far had been able to slip past the authorities, but they didn't have time to worry about that now.

Oren would slip out of the train and onto the grimy platform that overlooked a whole set of cantinas, clubs, and bars. Neon lights danced across the sky and the platform, advertising various services. Oren's brown eyes would shift across the signage, looking for a sign, "Do you see the Quantum lux?" He would ask, "That's where we need to go."

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[Brienna Lanaamer]

The small train compartment came to a sudden stop, as Bri’s head rocked back against the seat. An unpleasant sound of metal scratching against metal filled her ears. The Jedi Knight offered an expression to Oren which read, well, guess this is our stop. The lower level terminus also turned out to the destination of many of the other passengers, as the train nearly emptied its capacity on the dark, grimy platform. Bri was jostled and felt her personal space invaded upon many times over as the crowd of beings all rushed as quickly as they could to their proceeding location.

As the crowd cleared somewhat, and Bri waited for Oren to catch up, as they had been separated in the crowd, she got a better chance to look at the lower level surroundings. A haze of some kind of smoke percolated above, causing Bri to furrow her nose as she attempted to breath in as little of the smell as possible. Huddles of beings passed on the semi-crowded streets, the occasional speeder flying by.

The neon lights shone brightly along the streets edge, casting shadows all around. The advertised locations all seemed to be places that Bri would not be inclined to visit. She could only imagine the complete lack of general hygiene and levels of debauchery that were contained inside.

Nevertheless, their destination was the ‘Quantum Lux,’ which Bri was able to locate without too much difficulty. “I think that’s it down there,” she replied to Oren, pointing to a neon blue sign a little further down the road.

@TWD26

 

[Oren Zapan]

The Jedi Master was spared a few looks, but was mostly left alone by the beings in this portion of Nar Shaddaa, to many he most likely looked like some sort of criminal or bounty hunter, over a fresh faced Jedi. So much had changed since he had last seen Bri and he wondered what she thought of the things that had happened or her thoughts on his incarceration, but he didn't dwell on such thoughts for too long.

Instead, he pushed through the crowd until he found where the Jedi Knight had managed to get, joining her as she peered over the balcony towards the various clubs and bars that lined the particular district. "Good find," he'd say quietly as he began to make his way down the stairs and towards the club, his saber hidden beneath his jacket as he made his way into the club.

Immediately the two of them would find themselves bombarded with the smell of spice and a crowded atmosphere within the neon pulsing club. Bodies were jammed pack and together the two of them could very well get easily lost in this crowd. "Stay close.." he'd call out through the loud music--hoping she had heard a word he said.

"We're looking for a Zeltron dealer that goes by the name of Zesh, he's expecting to meet with a spice dealer and her associate," he emphasized their roles. "We find him, you introduce yourself and we'll get him to talk...eventually."

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[Brienna Lanaamer]

The two Jedi walked the short distance from the train station down the grimy street to the Quantum Lux. Despite a few lingering and wandering eyes, it seemed, at least from the outset, that their disguises were working and no one had yet identified them as undercover Jedi. Bri thought of the countering point that if someone did recognize them, it was unlikely they would be accosted on the street. Any pursuer would be more interested in where the Jedi were going, and what their purpose on the seedy Nar Shadaa was.

A short staircase descended to the entrance to the Quantum Lux from the street level. Upon entering Bri’s senses were assaulted on multiple levels, as the strong smell of spice washed around her, loud music reverberated in chest, bright, flashing lights clouded her vision, and the packed crowds touched and brushed her from nearly every direction. Bri was able to make out Oren telling her to stay close, which seemed rather obvious, considering the surroundings and the situation they found themselves in.

Finding a smaller alcove where the two Jedi could speak, Bri nodded as Oren explained their two roles, and their target, a Zeltron named Zesh. Bri felt a little apprehensive about playing the role of a spice dealer. She did not consider acting to be one of her stronger attributes but mentally prepared herself to take on the necessary role. However, Bri did smirk a little about playing the role of Oren’s boss, which she felt like she often did on their missions anyways.

Oren’s last statement, getting the Zeltron to talk eventually, seemed a little ominous, and Bri wondered if her Jedi partner had any hidden meanings behind it. Hopefully her own charm and powers of persuasion would be enough to get what they wanted. “We’ll figure it out,” she replied, trying to sound confident, nearly having to yell above the loud music.

@TWD26

 

[Oren Zapan]

Oren bit his tongue at his last statement as he caught the look of Bri, it wasn't intended to sound as bad as it did, but he could see how it possibly came across that way. "I didn't mean it like that," he'd mumble, knowing all too well that the music would drown out any possibility of her catching what he had said.

No need to worry about that now, just focus on doing the right thing. The Jedi master would peer ahead, catching a glance of two wookiee bodyguards standing beside a table where a larger Rodian sat nestled along with several women who giggled and cheered. The one thing that was of particular interest was the jagged scar that seemed to cross the tip of his lip, Jeergo. He'd motion for Bri to follow him as they pushed along the crowd and towards the booths that lined the walls of the club.

The hairy bodguards would step forward, arms crossed as they let out a putrid growl. "Calm down.." He'd say with a grunt as he peered towards Bri, "My boss here needs to speak to Jeergo, we're looking for some two timing son of a bith..that robbed both us and your boss." He'd rest his hand on the holster he had on his side, playing up the part. "We want to take him out, isn't that right?" Hopefully she would follow what was going on.

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[Brienna Lanaamer]

Bri followed Oren as he gestured over to another corner of the club, where a Rodman sat alongside a few females who seemed to be skillful at holding his attention. Two large and rather frightening looking Wookiee’s stood guard of the whole scene. The two Jedi approached and were unceremoniously stopped by the two guards. Bri was actually able to hear Oren’s approach to the two Wookiees, with the music fairly quieter, and understood what sort of tact he was attempting to lead them down.

Attempting to peer around the sizable Wookiee’s, Bri suspected she may have more luck in addressing Jeergo, the Rodian, directly. “Jeergo, would mind calling back your two furry friends here? My associate and I would very much like to speak with you.” Bri offered her most alluring smile as she already started to walk past the Wookiee’s without receiving permission. The Jedi gestured for Oren to follow behind her.

@TWD26

 

[Oren Zapan]

The portly Rodian would peer towards the two of them with those round black bulbous eyes; His snake like fingers tapping along the shoulders of the women that cuddled up to him. "Who the kriff is she," the Rodian would cry out in that standard high pitch whine, which made his huttesse come across in a sing song pattern.

"She's my new boss" said Oren who stepped forward to present the prison tattoo that was inked across his left forearm. "We've got some common enemies that we'd like to talk to you about," he'd say as he slid into the booth beside the Rodian who tilted his head and laughed.

"Orii, you always had a way with words, come sit and we can talk about these enemies," the Rodian would state as he leaned forward, "But, if you're expecting payment you won't get any from me..." At least he was honest.

tag: @ModernMarvel

 

[Brienna Lanaamer]

Bri watched as Oren lifted his sleeve to show the Rodian the tattoo on his forearm. She assumed it was something he had inquired while being incarcerated. They hadn’t really had the chance to talk about his Tim spent in prison, and truthfully, Bri didn’t exactly know how to bring it up. She figured when or if Oren was ready to talk about it, he would.

Focusing back on the task at hand, Bri took over after Oren and Jeergo had finished their brief exchange. The two Jedi took a seat next to the Rodian in the Booth after space was vacated by a few of the others who were obviously not interested in the business that the two undercover Jedi had brought. Starting directly, Bri began, “We’re looking for a Zeltron that goes by the name of Zesh. A particularly unsavory character. Ripped us off, probably you too.”

Not entirely knowing the exact demeanor of Jeergo, Bri offered a second course of approach. “Apologies, where are my manners,” with a friendly smile, “can I get you a drink?”

@TWD26

 

[Oren Zapan]

Oren would shoot Bri a small smile, affirming with her that they had the situation under control. Jeergo seemed to be enjoying the company or at least not minding that they were here, but that could always change. The Jedi Master would kick back in his seat as he took a look around the room, noting the faces as the Knight and the rodian talked.

"Baby.." He'd chuckle in his pitched voice, "A drink would be lovely, but I'm sure you can get me so much more," Oren could feel the slime dripping from the Rodian Gangster's breath, leaving him feeling disgusting.

"She'll get you your drink, but let's keep on the task at hand," Oren would interject as he leaned in, "Zash Landar has kriffed our operation over, skimming our supplies and leaving us short of a way to make rent, and from what I heard he's thinking about doing the same to you..So what I'm saying is, why don't you let me and my boss take em' out for you?"

The Rodian would peer towards the two of them, tilting his head, "I always hated that sleemo, I suppose you could maybe do it for me, but how do I know you're not trying to put me out of a contact and a dealer?"

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[Brienna Lanaamer]

Bri did not know, nor did she care to find out what he implied when expressing what Jedi could get for him. Hopefully a single drink would suffice. She food up and walked back past the Wookiee guards to get to the bar across the club. After exchanging a few required pleasantries with the zabrak bartender, Bri returned to Jeergo and Oren with three drinks. The challenge of transporting all three across the club without spilling any proved to highly complex as nearly everyone in the noisy room seemed to be lacking in care of personal space.

Bri returned back to Oren and Jeergo in the middle of discussion and found a way to insert herself, setting a drink down for each of them. “I think my associate may be a little overzealous,” Bri smiled at Oren. “We seem to have a common disagreement here, which I am generously offering to help you with,” she continued, looking at Jeergo. Trying to help persuade, Bri lifted her glass, “how about a toast to new friends?” with a coy smile.

@TWD26

 

[Oren Zapan]

The rodian would tilt his head as Bri slid back into the seat, "Baby no one ever does things for free," he'd grumble as he leaned in to peer towards the two of them, his hand reaching under the table. "Zash is protected by the Three Families, do you think blasting some kriff is going to look good for me?"

It seemed the gangster had turned tense over the whole sensation, "So do you want to tell me what's really going on here," his eyes would shoot towards Oren. "What are you trying to do, set me up and take my turf?"

Oren would sigh as he shook his head, "No..no..that's not what I was trying to get at," he'd say as he turned towards Bri, "This guy stole twenty five crates of Kessel Spice from us, so we're taking it personally." He'd sigh, "But, if you say he's protected by the three families then we'll just drop it and eat the credits."

He would slide out of the seat before things got too intense, The Three Families--this was something to go off of, though Oren wasn't familiar with the gang. Once he was out of earshot he'd peer towards Bri, "Have you heard of this gang before?"

tag: @ModernMarvel

 

[Brienna Lanaamer]

Bri physically recoiled somewhat as Jeergo turned on their conversation, seemingly souring at her proposal. The Jedi cursed herself internally for things not going exactly as she wanted them to, and though they had received some information, Bri felt like she could have gotten more. It was clear that the Rodian was no longer interested in exchanging any services. She watched as Oren wrapped up their discussion, before sliding himself out of the booth.

The two Jedi removed themselves from Jeergo’s entourage and found another quieter section of the club to talk in. The music still thumped in Bri’s chest, however. “Well, that didn’t go the best,” Bri started with a slight frown on her face. Responding to Oren’s question, she answered, “nothing specific. I know they operate in the Outer Rim, but that’s about it,” with a slight shrug. “What about you?”

@TWD26

 

[Oren Zapan]

The Jedi Master would sigh a bit as he shook his head, "Just that they are a big time group in this area, all smaller gangs and syndicates run through their family for approval. Attacking one of them is attacking all of them, and if you had any brains to you, you wouldn't do that."

He'd think for a moment, considering where to find their hideouts, "We should try the Durumos District, it's only a few levels lower, if I recall correctly, a few prisoners in Coruscant talked about it in the yard." He would begin to walk, "These guys don't mess around, so be careful.." The two of them would make their way down a small elevator which would lead into a wide open district. Spice addicts scurried across the street and fires were contained in small metal containers that lined the dirty sidewalks. Men seemed to peer through the shadows towards the two of them, before scurrying off.

"This doesn't look good."

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[Brienna Lanaamer]

Bri nodded at Oren’s explanation and offered a light hearted joke, with a grin, as way of reply, “Well, good thing we’ve got brains then, right?” Naturally her sarcasm indicated that they would be doing what conventional wisdom suggested otherwise. “Any ideas on where to start?” Bri added as follow up.

Oren’s response didn’t inspire a tremendous amount of confidence from Bri. Their current location on Nar Shaddaa was more than ‘sketchy’ enough for her liking and the idea of descending lower into its depths, both literally and metaphorically, was not something Bri was looking forward to doing. Nevertheless, they had a job to do, and the Jedi was not going to let a few of her own proclivities get in their way. Chewing on her bottom lip, slightly she nodded back at Oren in confirmation, “Let’s go.”

Rather than taking the train that they arrived on, the two Jedi boarded an equally decrepit elevator to take them further down. The lift creaked and groaned, and momentarily, Bri had the thought that they would be stuck. A combination of upsetting smells completed the thoroughly disappointing ride.

Bri grimaced slightly as she looked around at their new surroundings. Spice addicts ran around them, fires seemed to be blazing for no reason, and the general atmosphere almost made Bri wish to be back in the smells of the elevator. Almost. The Jedi nearly laughed at her partners rather obvious comment. She turned and replied, “That might be an understatement.”

@TWD26