Heist on Utapau

[JessieTaylor]

Aerena smiled ruefully. "I guess it isn't really the hyperdrive, just something that controls the effects of using it. Relativistic shields malfunctioned. I was running crates of I don't know what from Tatooine to Terminus for Jabba the Hutt, and for pretty good pay. I happened to discover that something funny was going on with the shields, and I brought my ship out of hyperspace pretty near this planet. I didn't want to go back into hyperspace after that, and Terminus is a pretty long run from here without it. I was figuring to stop at some nearby planet when I heard the message over my ship's transceiver, so I decided to stop here. And things are different here now. I can recognize when I'm in the future. Besides, I've heard some funny stories of what can happen if those shields fail. Actually, right now I have no idea what year it is."

 

[CaptainWolfgang]

"The nearest Hutt contacts I have are in Bespin-- It's not too far from here, but I'll need a ride. If you cover me and get me to Bespin, I'll sneak out two eggs for you." Kalo said to Vandis before turning to Aerena. "Time travel is not something I ever expected to run into. The year is 1,023 ABY.. you mentioned Jabba the Hutt, and if memory serves correctly, he died that year." Kalo wanted to start extending a partnership until she could get back on her feet, but decided to wait until after the heist was complete. No point in allying with someone who may be dead soon in any case. "Are you two ready to hear the plan so far?"


"First, we'll be descending to the Produce Level of Pau City via elevating platforms. Once we reach the farmlands, we'll stay off the trails and move through the tallest plants we can find in order to maintain cover. Vandis will find high ground and provide an overwatch while we approach the pens. After we pass the farmland and enter the Varactyl pens, we will have Aerena convince one of the scientists to open the incubator. She will then knock the guard unconscious and prop open the device. Meanwhile, I will obtain a hover-cart from the supply closet and load it up with four eggs. As soon as we're back in the open, Vandis will provide cover fire while Aerena and I make a bee-line to the docks, where we will load the eggs into a ship and take off. Aerena can be dropped off at her ship, then Vandis will escort us both to Bespin, where I will reach out to my Hutt contact and offload the eggs."

Kalo started gathering up the papers and looked at his new partners-in-crime to confirm that they agreed with the plan.

 

[Venk]

"Sounds good to me..."
Vandis shifts side to side and puts his helmet on.
"I have a comm channel open, it's 4l-4-m3. I suggest you keep it on and open in case of emergencies, but it can be distracting, so do what works."

 

[JessieTaylor]

Aerena raised her eyebrows, a look of slight surprise on her face. "Wow. 1,023 ABY? How time does fly." she laughed, and blinked. "Wow. I'm over a thousand years old... Now that's something to think about." she paused and shook her head. "Sorry, it's just so weird, and amazing. Kinda hard for even me to believe." With an effort, she turned her mind from her time situation, to the task at hand. She nodded in response to Kalo's plan. "Sounds like a good plan to me. When do we start?"

 

[CaptainWolfgang]

Kalo configured his comlink to Vandis's channel and put his files away.

"I believe we may have another member of the crew joining us soon, so I'm going to delay the mission until nightfall. Feel free to explore the city or get to know one another while I wait here."

(OOC: I believe Srota is going to join, so I'm going to stall us at the planning stage until he posts. If you choose to explore Pau City then I will recall your character when he gets here)

 

[Venk]

Vandis nods in response to Kalo's message and turns to Aerena.
"Looks like we've got time to kill. You wanna hit up the market, scout out any areas or just stay here and chat? I have no preference."

 

[JessieTaylor]

Aerena gave a nod in response to Kalo. Her first impulse was to go and see the city. When Kalo mentioned the option to "get to know each other", she felt a tightening in her chest. She wanted to be alone again, to get away from these people. She didn't want to get to know them. Especially people like this. Criminals. Who knew? One of them could be dead by the end of the heist, and she would lose someone else. She couldn't lose anyone, never again. It was better to never have friends, than to make friends only to lose them. Nevertheless, she was curious about what had happened in the last thousand years. Who said they had to get to know each other? They could just discuss history. But then again, that could wait. She paused for a moment before she replied to Vandis. "I think I'll head back to my ship. Since Jabba's dead, he no longer owns the cargo that's aboard. I'd like to see what I've been carrying." she said with a sly smile. There could lie another source of income for her. She wondered what all the Hutt had been having her haul.

 

[Venk]

"Alright, I'll go with you. Better than just sitting around here..."
Vandis wasn't sure about letting this girl just walk out of here alone. He hardly knew her and didn't know if he could trust her to not rat them out. And, true to his word, he didn't want to just sit around and wait for the new blood.

 

[JessieTaylor]

Aerena nodded. She had suspected he wouldn't be that easy to shake. She didn't blame him either. How did he know she wouldn't just leave and report them? Corellians weren't the trusting type. Resolved to have company, she got up and headed towards the door. Actually, now that it was happening, she was a little excited to show someone else her ship. It would be her first real visitor. No one else had really seen the inside of her ship except for the living bounties she had transported, and if there was anything that she was proud of, it was the Star Seeker.

 

[Venk]

Vandis got up to follow her. As he got up, another thought entered his mind. 'If she doesn't know what she's carrying, maybe I could take her cargo off her hands. Easy money...'. He might feel bad later, but hey, credits are credits. Besides, she might be carrying something dangerous, something beyond her comprehension. It was in the best interest of everyone for him to secure anything valuab- DANGEROUS and sel- HAND IT OVER to the right person, for safe keeping.
"So uh, what's yer ship like? Or should it be kept a surprise?"
The curiosity was genuine- Vandis was fond of exploring different ships. Came with the Corellian blood, he guessed.

 

[JessieTaylor]

Aerena went through the door, out the hotel and she headed down to where she had the Seeker docked. As she walked, she kept one eye on Vandis. She was a Corellian too. Not the trusting type. But she wasn't too worried. Although the thought of the Hutt's cargo could be a tempting treasure, she was sure she could handle herself. If he tried anything. She was fast and good with her blaster, and he had admitted himself, he wasn't too good at close range. As she neared her ship, her heart soared with pride. After all, she had spent years restoring and modifying it herself. It had to be the oldest surviving ship in the galaxy. That was probably the reason the relativistic shields had malfunctioned, but that was beside the point. She turned to Vandis and gestured at her ship. "Behold, the Star Seeker. An XS Stock Light Freighter. You've probably never heard of one. It was basically an ancient relic when I got it, not to mention it's a thousand years later now. Yet after I make sure the relativistic shields are fine, it's one of the most reliable, beautiful, and all around awesome ships in the galaxy. I guess that opinion may be a little biased but I did fix it up nice, and it has some excellent upgrades." she smiled and gestured towards the boarding ramp. "After you."

 

[Venk]

Vandis walked inside without saying anything. He kept the rifle in his hands for the entire walk. He might not be great at close combat, but it was easy enough to point and shoot, though he doubted the city officials would be after them right now. As he walked up the ramp, he looked around inside, and waited for her to come up. Once she was in side, he said "So, I heard you talkin' bout Jabba the Hutt and his stuff earlier, and, well, I happen to work with the Hutt Cartel. " He stopped and waited for her reaction before he did/said anything else.

 

[JessieTaylor]

Aerena smiled as she came up the ramp behind him. "Interesting. You're not so loyal to the Hutts that you're going to try to reclaim the cargo of a dead Hutt and give it back to them, are you?" she queried half jestingly. That guy had carried his rifle all the way over, and it gave her a bad feeling in her gut. She tried to stay away from the direction it was pointing, so she'd have a chance if he was that desperate to get her cargo. She tried to qualm that feeling in her gut, she had captured desperate criminals before, single handed, and collected their bounties for delivering them alive. How hard could handling him be? A little harder, something told her. After all, I haven't had to entertain my bounties while they were carrying a blaster. At least not when they had entertained any ideas of using it. But then, does he have any intentions of using it? Eh, why else would he carry it? Well, maybe in case of the local authorities. But then, what reason would the authorities have to bother us? She kept herself on the high alert, though she tried to look nonchalant.

 

[Venk]

"That all depends on you, my friend."
Vandis turns around to face her but keeps his rifle pointed at the floor. He moves his hand up to the radio on the side of his helmet and holds his hand against it, but not doing anything with it- yet.
"Now, I try to be a good guy, really, I do. But you have to understand, this cargo may be worth more than this entire heist. It might not be worth the air I waste talking about it. I could have some Hutt contacts fly over to check it out...or not. Now, what kinda cargo are we talking about?"
Vandis felt bad, but what he said was true. Jabba was one of the most powerful Hutts, and his missing cargo might be valuable to the right people.

 

[JessieTaylor]

Aerena narrowed her eyes and her hand instinctively edged a little closer to her blaster. "I'd prefer not. As for the type of cargo, you haven't even given me the chance to find out. As far as I know, it isn't anything too special. Maybe some spice, or blasters, maybe some pets. I. Have. No. Idea." Perhaps she shouldn't have sounded so cold and hostile, seeing as how she was somewhat at his mercy. Unless she killed him of course, but as ticked as she was at him, she was repelled by even the thought of reverting to such measures. The crates she saw in the background as she stared her treacherous fellow Corellian in the face were probably not worth the cost of a life. Even such a low one. Why had she accepted that stupid heist job anyways? She knew better than to do a mission anything but solo.

 

[Venk]

Vandis sighed and lowered his hand.
"Look, I'm...I'm sorry. I'm just new to the cartel, and I just wanna impress them. I'm sorry we got off on the wrong foot...I'm just some lowlife tryin to impress the right people so his life gets a little better. You probably won't trust me now, but I promise you, I won't try anything. But I would still like to see the cargo, and depending in what it is...I might know some people you could sell it to."
Vandis strapped his rifle onto his back and leaned against a wall. Deciding whether or not he wanted the cargo could wait until after they had the eggs- one is a possibility of credits, the other is alma of assured.

 

[JessieTaylor]

Aerena raised her eyebrow, surprised by his sudden change. She was suspicious at first, but when he put his rifle onto his back, she relaxed a little. She let out her breath, realizing she had been holding it. She nodded. "It's okay. I guess I can understand that. It's only natural." she smiled and grunted. "And I'm not such a great person myself." She paused. "I'll still keep my eye on you, to be sure," she said jokingly, trying to lift the mood. "But I want to see the stuff too. What say we take a look? And if you can direct me to someone who'd like to buy it, I'll cut you in on the profit. Sound fair?" She would keep her eye on him for sure, but she decided to believe he was telling the truth for now. At least he wasn't very threatening with his blaster on his back.

 

[Venk]

Vandis nodded and looked at Aerena.
"Sounds fair. Now that I've made a fool of myself and you've graciously decided to not shoot me, I think viewing your cargo sounds excellent."
Vandis then turns and looks at the crates, and begins walking to them.
"So you really don't know what in there, huh? I hope it wasn't anything too important at the time," Vandis said, half chuckling.

 

[JessieTaylor]

Aerena followed him over to the crates. "Yeah, I'm as clueless as you. He didn't tell me, and I didn't ask." A grin spread across her face. "Yeah, I hope so too. Man, if it was important, he must have turned the galaxy upside down looking for me. He probably did that anyways. It must have been frustrating when he couldn't find me."

 

[Venk]

Vandis smiled, but that was concealed by his helmet. He studied the crates, looking for any kind of mark, or something like that, but couldn't see one.
"Well, I'll let you have the honors of opening it up."
He wasn't expected anything dangerous, but unmarked crates of mystery goods weren't to be trusted, so he thought she might as well do it. That, as she'd travelled far, far into the future for the Hutts, so she should get the satisfaction of knowin what's inside.