Kidnap & Ransom: Senator-style

[Allu'rah Danan]

"I think that we should plant a few weapons that we don't claim immediately at the safe house, so that we have additional firepower once we get there. We'll probably be running low on ammo, so we can buy some additional magazines and cartridges tomorrow, maybe after we've scouted out the hotels on the route. Then I'll go talk to my supplier about the knock-out gas." Daesha began closing up a few of the cases, the primary ammo box and the two cases of grenades in particular. "You boys keep looking to see if there's anything else you would like to take. Once you're done, let me know and I'll show you to the living quarters."

 

[Saint]

Pursing his lips as he eyed the bow and arrows that Daesha had pointed out only moments ago, Deacon decided, "Daesha, you take overwatch with your bow and arrows. You're less likely to draw attention to y'self with such weaponry." Looking towards Shale with the flechette launcher, he went on, "Shale, you're on th' ground crew with me." Pointing over towards Kranon, he added, "You too Kranon. Ground crew."

Turning back towards Daesha, Deacon nodded, "Daesha, we'll put you on the same side as the getaway speeder, preferably have you up in a corner room." Nodding his head slowly, Deke went on to wrap it up, "A'right then. I think we're done 'ere. Show us the bunks an' lets git ourselves a good night's rest. Bit more plannin' an' scoutin' t'do t'morrow. Make sure yer good an' rested up for it."

It concerned Deacon a bit that Kranon hadn't said much for awhile now. Had it been since they left the cantina? Krath... he wondered what was on his mind. Hopefully he had been paying attention and was just quiet, taking it all in. The other two seemed more than ready and anxious to get this show on the road. Good deal. The Togruta seemed pretty sharp and well-prepared. This job was better for it. He'd see about hiring her on again if they made it out of this one alive. Shoot, they'd all be preferential if they walked away from this one, heh.

 

[Ender]

Shale nodded as he looked around the familiar ship. It'd been awhile. "Night all, I'm going to be up late working on some things for another job." he told them. It was his usual cover story. "If anybody needs me, I'll be using the workbench."

 

[Allu'rah Danan]

Daesha nodded at Shale, just as content to let him do his own thing. As he headed down to the first deck, she released a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding and relaxed visibly."Alright Nash, Vex, you two come with me. I'll show you around the living quarters," she sighed, getting to her feet with a slight groan as she clutched at her left leg. It had been a very long day. And she was quite glad that Deacon had changed his mind, putting her up in the sniping position. She would be less of a liability to the squad that way. Ducking and weaving their way back to the ladder, Daesha pushed open the hatch to the main deck. This one had an additional six inches of clearance, making it slightly less oppressive than the lower decks, but only slightly.

"Alright, so we've got a med bay here on the left. But don't go thinking it means you can get shot and be fine. It's really only got some sedatives, disinfectant, and bandages, as well as a bed so that you can stay quarantined if you come down with something contagious. Brig is here on the right. Nothing fancy, just a cage with a toilet, sink and bed. Also an alternative if you catch something contagious. But all jokes aside, it'll come in handy once the Senator's on board. Up ahead here is the mess hall. Feel free to make yourself a midnight snack if you like. Continue through the mess here to this hall. To the left and to the right are passenger quarters, which are essentially the same as the crew quarters except that there are two sets of bunkbeds in each room instead of three, and there's more personal storage space. But if we continue up to the front of the ship here, we've got crew quarters on the left. Like I said, a little cramped from the three bunkbeds. There are two foot lockers beneath each set of beds as well as six upright lockers on the wall here, as you can plainly see. If you want extra blankets or anything, scavenge them from the other bunks. Sort out sleeping arrangements as you will. I don't care if you all bunker down together or each take a room for yourselves, but I am going to insist that you boys shower routinely. Lavatory is there, across the hall. Far too many spacers I encounter don't make hygiene a very high priority, but I refuse to have people stinking up my ship when there are two perfectly good showers on board. And here's the fore of the ship up here. This door leads to my private quarters, and the ladder here beside me goes up to the cockpit. And now that we're done the grand tour, I bid you gentlemen good evening and good night."
Daesha retreated to her own chambers then, closing the door and waiting to hear Deacon and Kranon's receding footsteps before she moved away.

Spoiler: Drugs start happening here. This post is really long, so bear with us here.

The Captain's quarters weren't luxurious, but at least they were private. Only a single bunk occupied the room, and its blankets were strewn about haphazardly. A small desk in one corner rarely saw any use, its surface buried beneath empty bottles and other refuse. A small cooler for personal delights sat opposite the desk. At this time, Daesha kicked it open and pulled out two bottles of juri juice before slamming it shut again and slumping onto her bed. She wearily kicked off her boots and slid out of her scratchy, baggy trousers, exposing the dozen round, pale scars on her left leg that had made walking such a misery for her for the past ten years. She also pulled off her top, remaining only in her skirt and undergarments. She laid there for a moment, her eyes closed as the reality of what had transpired this evening began to sink in. Burc'ya wasn't dead... No. He was dead. He had died four and a half years ago. This Shale, was only a shade of him, a machine, a mockery of the man she had known. But he was a mockery with thoughts and feelings of his own, even if most of his memory could be accredited to Burc.

Daesha sat up and popped the cap off of one bottle. She downed half of it in one go. Within minutes, both bottles were empty and she started on a third. Her eyes were getting heavy, but they gradually fell on a wall panel to her left. She hadn't opened it in months. She had tried to overcome her addictions, and had been mostly successful. But it was so much easier to escape from reality right now. She bumped into the wall and knocked several bottles off the desk as she searched for the screw driver on her belt. She stumbled before falling back on her bed. That juri juice sure was fast acting. She cursed her way through loosening the screws that held the wall panel in place. The head just did not want to line up with the screws. She finally tore the sheet of metal free, exposing a second wall of thick bundled of wire beneath it. She pushed through them, relying on touch to find the catch that would... ah there it was. A click sounded and a hidden compartment at the back of the space popped open. Daesha scrambled to grab the contents of recess, pulling out a small box. She flipped the lid open and brought to light a dozen tiny, circular pills clustered in one corner of the container. She popped two in her mouth and snapped the box shut, using a swig of juri juice to help the pills go down.

The spice, Neutron Pixie, was one of the most powerful hallucinogens Daesha had ever encountered. She had met a moderately powerful spice lord on Alderaan, shortly after Ak'Tari had given her the news of Burc's death. She had been drowning her sorrows in a cantina when one of his operatives approached her. When she agreed to begin smuggling for him, she was able to get a private supply for herself at a reasonable discount. It had helped her to forget the pain of losing another dear friend by giving her an alternate reality. She had stopped smuggling for the man over a year and a half ago, but it took many more months before she was able to kick her habit. Apparently, she hadn't kicked it for good.

It didn't take long before the hallucinogen started taking a hold of her. The lights seemed to flicker, and the walls seemed to be rippling. The little bit of color in the room seemed to increase in vibrancy. Daesha giggled a bit, feeling elated with what she had done.

"Proud of yourself are you?" asked a familiar voice. She looked up at the tall, but rather thin young man leaning on her desk. He was barely more than a boy, probably in his late teens. His black hair needed to be trimmed, and his bright green eyes and his thin arms crossed over his chest expressed his disapproval.

"Oh kriff you Erik," Daesha cursed. "I was looking to forget a ghost tonight, not be plagued by two."

"Well it serves you right. The woman I knew was proud and strong, not some degenerate drunk."

"Kriff you!" Daesha cursed louder. "What do you know? You're just a kid ain't you? And what did you do? Go get yourself killed with him? Why did you both go off and abandon me on that mission with your stupid holocron anyway? I was supposed to protect you!"

"Yes you were. And you abandoned us , remember? You and Burc had a little spat, so you just took off with your ship."

"Shut up Erik! Shut up! He was with you when I saw you both last. Scaring you unconscious, which was why we started fighting anyway! And a few months later, Ak'Tari's telling me Burc's been murdered! And when you didn't contact me again, not even a year after he died, I had to assume you were killed too! And now you both have the audacity to come back into my life after all these years? After everything I went through to try and get the two of you out of my head? Why can't you two just STAY DEAD!!!" She flung her half-empty bottle of grog at the drug-induced phantom, but it simply passed through him as it smashed on the wall above the desk, showering its surface with its liquid contents.

Spoiler: Then Shale enters the scene.

Shale Novarrin. What was that name? It felt unfamiliar even after four and a half years. He walked through the familiar ship, remembering its layout. He was a super advanced AI, so advanced it was comparable to the real human brain. He came upon the captain's quarters and debated on whether or not to go in.

"WHY CAN'T YOU TWO JUST STAY DEAD!?!" a voice screamed from within. It was followed by the crashing of glass on metal. That did it for Burc. He rapped sharply on the door, opening it and finding a drunken Daesha Olan.

"Oh hell Daesh...What're you doing to yourself? Didn't I ever lecture you on drugs?" Shale said, standing in the door, his old self shining through the new. But then he remembered what he was, and hung his head in shame.

Spoiler: Then confrontation gets confrontational

"Oh so now we're all here! Isn't it a fantastic little reunion?" Daesha said, spreading her arms theatrically. She stumbled to her feet, grasping the wall for support. "And tell me Burc, didn't I ever lecture you about not getting in over your head? Thank you so much for ignoring me completely and dying on me! How considerate of you. And thank you so much for having the nerve to come back from the dead, and not even trying to find me! Thank you so much for letting me spiral down this destructive cycle for FOUR KRIFFING YEARS!!!" She picked up one of her empty bottles and tried to move towards Shale, but stumbled over her own boots. She caught the front of Shale's shirt and pulled herself up, but her legs didn't seem to want to work right.

"And I think I remember lecturing you on trying to talk to people without scaring them. Thank you for making me fear for my life back in the cantina earlier this evening. It really helped me understand why our little friend here is always so afraid of being left alone with you," she continued on, gesturing with the empty bottle towards her hallucination of Erik by the desk. "I really did love it when you brought his ship into port at Ryloth for him because you had frightened him into unconsciousness! And now, I can't help but wonder. You still seem to feel emotional pain like the rest of us, even if you didn't care about hurting others. I wonder Burc, do you still hurt physically?" she hissed venomously. With that, she struck him in the face, shattering the glass bottle. The shards scattered about the floor, but Daesha didn't notice as they cut her feet. She seemed to go berserk at that point, hitting and scratching at the synthetic flesh with what she perceived as great strength and ferocity, not the clumsy flailing of reality. She didn't even realize when she shifted into Togrutan instead of Basic as she continued to scream manically, cursing him.

Shale saw the bottle shatter against his face. He saw Daesha begin to attack him in a drug-fueled rage. His programming told him to fight back. Instead, he wrapped his arms around Daesha in a tight hug, not letting her move. "Daesha," Shale said soothingly, "Daesha calm down." Something interesting about Shale? He still had body heat, due to the mass amounts of energy he used.

Daesha pounded against Shale's chest in protest, continuing to curse in her native tongue as she struggled against him. She collapsed into his arms, unable to keep her balance. Her blood smeared across the floor as she fell to her knees in a drunken, drugged, sobbing mess. "Why didn't... you ever come... why didn't you try to find me? For all these years... I missed you... I tried to forget you, but... but I just couldn't," Daesha choked out. She slumped against him, her clawing grip on his arms relaxing slightly into a desperate grasp.

Shale held onto Daesha, easing her into a chair. Daesha allowed Shale to lift her, but offered little assistance. She didn't care any more. She didn't care what he did to her, what he thought of her. It didn't matter in the least."I tried to find you...I tried..." He felt horrible for what he had done to her. "I guess I just didn't try hard enough. Revenge...I guess revenge got in the way." He looked down at the drunken mess he knew as Daesha Olan, and felt a bit of guilt, though he didn't know why.

"Promise you'll stay this time. Every time I get close to someone, every time I begin to get attached, they either abandon me or die, and there's nothing I can do to save them. But don't leave me alone again. I hate being alone. I missed you so much Burc." Her grip tightened on his arm again, as if it were life line. To Daesha, it seemed that if she let go of him, he would just vanish like every other drug-induced ghost. She had to anchor him there for her own sanity. Shale looked at Daesha, as she clutched his arm.

"I promise. And don't worry, it's a promise I can't break." Then he held her close. "I missed you too..." he whispered, closing his eyes and wishing he could actually feel her.

Drowsiness was finally setting in again as Daesha yawned widely and her eyelids began to droop. Using Shale as support, she picked herself up out of the chair just long enough to flop onto the bed instead. Grasping his hand, she tugged at him. "Stay with me then," she pleaded. "Please be here when I wake up. That way I know for sure it's really you, not just a ghost from my memory." Glancing over towards the door, Erik appeared to be leaning on the frame with arms folded back over his chest, observing silently. She tugged on Shale again, more insistent this time. She didn't want him to leave her alone with her phantasmal tormentor.

Shale took her hand gently. “I won't go anywhere, Daesha.” The worn out alien took comfort when Shale promised not to leave. She pulled her pillow under her head and curled up. He grabbed a nearby medical kit, removed bandages,and began to clean her wounds. Her orange flesh was a stark contrast to Burc's own pale skin. Sleep rushed over her quickly, making her oblivious to his efforts to treat the injuries she had caused to her own feet. Then a strange thought entered Shale's mind. He couldn't... Could he? He looked up at the Togruta. “I think...” he started. “I think I'm in love with you, Daesha...” he said, hanging his head. His confession didn't go unheard, and a smile spread over her lavender-tinged lips. It was the only answer she could give though, as a moment later her own exhaustion, combined with the effects from the drugs and alcohol, put her out like a light.

Shale saw the smile after he spoke and watched her fall asleep. He sat there and studied her for a while when a thought occurred to him. Quickly he opened his ever present messenger bag, and removed a holocomputer. He opened a program, and began to work furiously. After a time he sat back and smiled as he uploaded the program to himself. Then, he laid down next to Daesha, wrapped his arm around her, and then something amazing happened. He fell asleep. He even snored a little. Shale regained a little humanity that night.

OOC: Holy post. Okay, just to clarify, this isn't PP, Burc and I did this out over a week ago in PM. Just dumping it now. So, if you're thinking :CGape TL;DR, let me know and I'll give you the two-sentence version.

 

[Saint]

After a solid night's sleep, Deacon awoke early. He moved quietly to a place where he could sit and go over the data they had on the job, plus what they picked up last night. Pouring over it, he selected a couple of spots for Daesha, noting that she should go have a look-see at them today. Marking out an ideal 'kill zone', Deacon began to draw in the locations for the gas canisters, as well as some flash-bangs that would burn off a lot of the gas before they made their grab.

He wanted to get a few things done today. Acquire the gas or at least get confirmation that they would have it within a few days; solidify the positions for the gas and flash-bangs; make a final selection and preparations on Daesha's position; and run the escape/get-away route no less than three times to ensure everyone was familiar with it. That would be essential. They should also select a couple of rally points in case things go bad.

Ideally they wouldn't, but the one time you didn't plan for poo-doo to hit the fan was when it actually would hit the fan. Another lesson learned from experience... a pricey one at that, costing him dearly that once... but since, never again. Pushing up from his seated position, Deacon made for the refresher. Hopefully the others wouldn't be too long in waking and making ready. He did not want to waste the day.

 

[Allu'rah Danan]

If Daesha had forgotten why she had decided to kick her spice habit, she was reminded when she woke up the next morning. Her head felt as though it was going to split in two, and the rest of her body felt much the same, aching as though she had been trampled by a herd of wild iriaz. She shivered, and her skin was cold and clammy to the touch in spite of the sheen of perspiration covering her body. A snore from behind her made her wince and jump at the same time, and her head pounded for it. She was surprised when she turned her head around and saw Shale curled around her, with one of his thick arms wrapped around her slender waist. What had happened last night? What was he doing there with her? What the hell had happened to her feet? A wave of nausea washing over her silenced further internal questions. Daesha groaned aloud, clutching at her stomach until the sensation passed. She then grabbed Shale's wrist, trying to free herself from his hold, but her muscles were like jelly and his arm might as well have been made of lead. "Shale..." she croaked. Her tongue stuck to the roof of her parched mouth. "Shale... get off... krath! Wake up and get off... uuugh..." She was forced to clap a hand over her mouth and fight back another wave of nausea. Memories from the night before started to trickle back in, but they were spotty at best. She remembered taking the pills and then getting really angry shortly there after. They had fight, and she seemed to remember attacking him. And then... what? She seemed to remember crying about something. How embarrassing. Everything else was blank after that.

Much to her relief, Shale's arm shifted slightly and Daesha took the opportunity to wriggle free of his grasp, but hit the floor hard. She groaned loudly as her whole body was shocked with panging aches and pains. As soon as she could see straight again, she used a post at the head of her bed to drag herself to her feet, which also was fairly unpleasant. Never again... she thought to herself. Never touch that stuff again. The trek to the med bay was none too pleasant, but a quick injection with some painkillers certainly helped make the trip to the mess hall for three large mugs of water more bearable. The pain was certainly subsiding, as was her thirst. She just hated this weakness that came as part of the withdrawal symptoms. The nausea wasn't great either. Daesha rubbed her arms, trying to warm herself up, and realized how dirty she felt.

The Togruta was more than a little surprised as she made her way to the showers to find that one was already occupied. "Either you're up early or I slept late," she commented as she made her way to the other stall, laying a towel outside of it and then drawing the curtain. "I thought humans had fairly long sleep cycles. I used to travel with a human who would sleep for half a standard day given the chance!" she continued, trying to make casual conversation. She removed her few remaining articles of clothing, but left the bandages where they were. She hadn't taken a look to see how badly she had cut herself, but the dried blood on the floor in her quarters suggested that at least one cut had been fairly deep. As she turned on the water, the initial shock of water from the shower head made her teeth chatter, but temperature gradually increased to a pleasant heat. "Guess there's no rest for the wicked. So, full day ahead of us then?"

 

[Saint]

While it wasn't lost on Deacon that there were two showers, he certainly hadn't been expecting the second one to be filled... by a female... while he was in his shower. Her voice caught him off-guard as she began to make casual conversation. Having his own condo, Nash had grown accustomed to showering by himself, and at that, quietly. Nobody else had been around in his place while he showered, and it had been -years- since he had to stay in a barracks-type environment with other male humanoids.

Being mostly done washing himself off, Deke made it a point to quickly rinse as he replied back, "Eight hours is typically a long night of sleep for me." Peeking out, he saw that she was in her shower already, behind a curtain, doing whatever. Grabbing at his towel, he re-closed the curtain as he dried off. "I average just about six a night. Little less." He didn't add that it was because he wasn't -real- active physically; shoot, most of his days were spent coordinating, planning and such.

Wrapping the towel around his waist, Deacon turned past the showers only a foot or two towards the sinks. Opening up his hygiene bag, he pulled out his shaving supplies, planning only to give himself a trim this morning. He rarely -ever- shaved off his entire beard, but did like to keep it looking neat with clean-cut lines. Patting on some cream, he further added, "Yeah, I'd like to run our escape route a few times; make sure we -all- have that locked down tight in our heads."

Standing there in just his towel as he trimmed his beard, Deacon found himself glancing over at the shower curtain where Daesha was standing behind... naked. He couldn't see her, but then again, he was a guy, and most guys had a pretty vivid imagination when it came to such things. Shaking his head briefly, he turned his attention back to the mirror before him, rinsing off the blade and inspecting how he'd done.

Rinsing his face off along with the excess cream, Deke checked himself over one more time before prepping his toothbrush. "Wanna get a lock-down on your lookout position as well. Get a final plotting down for the gas an' flash-bangs as well." Tucking his toothpaste away, he finished up with, "Lastly, I'd like to either get our hands on that gas t'day, or at least -confirm- that we'll have it within the nex' few days."

With that said, he began to brush his teeth, again glancing briefly over his shoulder towards where the Togruta was showering. Krath... it was difficult to keep his mind from wandering. This was a job though; not a pleasure cruise or some leisurely vacation. Such distractions couldn't be permitted to interfere with planning or operations, less they just call havoc and heartache for all involved. Still though...

 

[Allu'rah Danan]

"Perhaps we should get the gas first thing," Daesha suggested as she pushed her lekku back over her shoulders and washed around her neck. "My contact makes his living off of smoke bombs. Mostly sells to smugglers and bounty hunters like myself. He feels that he's doing the galaxy a service by providing that sort of people an alternative to deadly force. In any case, it shouldn't take him more than a few hours to put it all together for us, so we can go pick it up at the end of the day once everything else is taken care of." Being quite a hairless species and therefor lacking the same mane possessed by humans, the Togruta was finished showering quite quickly. Daesha shut off the water and gave her head shake, trying to flick some of the water from her lekku, and made the teeth around her montrals clatter. She regretted the action almost immediate and had to steady herself on the shower wall. After taking a moment to catch her breath and clear her head, she reached for the towel beside her stall and started to dry herself off. She yawned, and gave her tired eyes a rub. Today was going to be yet another very long day. Wrapping a towel around her body, she gathered up her clothes and drew back the curtain.

The sight of Deacon standing in only a towel himself was not an unpleasing one to Daesha. He was a fairly good-looking man. It had been a while since she had met a man who was well groomed and who wasn't a pretty boy. She had never had time for pretty boys. They weren't good for anything except modeling. Deacon on the other hand... well, he had a good set of shoulders to him. His arms weren't too bad either. After a few moments Daesha realized she was staring and snapped back to reality, pulling her towel tighter around her body.

"I appreciate you taking me off the ground team," she said as she walked past Deacon to a cabinet on the wall behind him where she kept her own hygiene supplies. She pulled out a small bottle of perfume that she sprayed under her arms and once around her throat, just above her necklace. "I'm not the best on foot. You've probably noticed I've got a bad leg. I once got wounded pretty badly, and I'm guessing it just couldn't heal quite right after it got infected," she continued, turning slightly so he could see the pale scars contrasting against the orange skin on the outside of her left thigh. Another bout of nausea hit her quite suddenly though, worse than the others before it. She ducked into a toilet stall, on the opposite side of the sinks from the showers. After gagging for a moment, she managed to vomit up her limited stomach contents. She panted and spat, scrubbing her mouth on the back of her hand. Her slender shoulders began to shake uncontrollably, as did her hands. Never again, the Togruta reminded herself.

 

[Saint]

The refresher wasn't the most appealing place to meet or even flirt about with a woman. Deacon did his best not to gawk and peek at the Togruta as she stepped out of the shower, wrapped up in her towel. Still, her long legs were quite visible... and it had been sometime for him. He nodded at her remark about taking her off the ground team, grunting a bit as he began to finish up with his teeth, making a brief adjustment after insuring his back was turned to her.

Her perfume smelled -quite- nice. He closed his eyes a moment, taking a deep whiff of it. Hoping she hadn't noticed, he leaned over to rinse and spit, cupping a hand under the water as he did so. When she went to show him the scar on her thigh, he did well-enough focusing on the lighter-colored tissue as opposed to just gawking up and down at her hairless bare skin. Still, the thought had crossed his mind and he cleared his throat a bit, about to say something in response.

Just as he opened his mouth to speak, Daesha had ducked quickly into a stall, keeling over an launching what stomach contents she had. Her towel in the back had angled a bit high with the movement, giving him a bit of a show. Clearing his throat again as he turned away, he replied aloud, "You uh... gonna be okay in there? Need anything?" He glanced back over his shoulder once again to see if he could catch a peek underneath the bottom edge of her towel... Nice curves at least...

He wondered briefly if she was pregnant... morning sickness and all that. Krath help us if she was... he'd have to cut her from the operation altogether. Deacon wasn't about to allow a pregnant woman to put herself at risk like that for the sake of some credits. There would be other opportunities down the road to make money... once the baby was born. He took a deep breath before exhaling it rather sharply. "You're not... pregnant.. are you?" He thought about glancing back again, but decided against it due to the seriousness of his question; though if she said no..... heh.

 

[Ender]

Shale pushed himself off the floor, that somehow he had managed to get on. Ugh...he hadn't felt this bad...well in "living" memory. He groaned, an action he had programmed himself. This program definetly needed adjustment. He pushed himself up, recognizing that Daesha was missing. He moved to his quarters, the work area, and swapped out his clothing quickly. He snapped the Hutt Blaster pistol into his should holster, which he covered in a leather jacket. He wore a pair of rough pants and a pair of combat boots. He looked at himself in a mirror, and realized a part of his skin was loose. He grabbed the snyth skin and fixed it quickly.Then he removed the clothing, outfit ready for the day. With that then moved to the 'freshers and spotted Daesha and Deacon there. He nodded an acknowledge ment and entered the shower, cleaning dirt, grime,oil and other filth from his skin. His mind was racing, did she remember the night before? If so, how much?

 

[Allu'rah Danan]

Another bout of vomiting commenced before Daesha could answer, though with an already almost empty stomach, it was nothing spectacular. With her head in the toilet, she didn't notice Shale enter the lavatory. At Deacon's question about pregnancy, she chuckled weakly and shook her head. "I may not be the most modest girl on the street Deacon, but it's been years since I even laid eyes on a male of my species, and even longer since there's been one in my bed. So no, not pregnant." A break in her speech was caused by another round of gagging, but no vomit this time. She gulped down some air, trying to catch her breath. It was a little difficult with the humidity of the steamy showers, but the nausea was starting to pass. "I'm just really, really hungover right now. Last night was... well, I don't remember a whole lot, but I get the impression Shale does. But whatever happened, I swear I'm not doing it again."

Fairly certain that she had finished puking, Daesha flushed the toilet and gathered up her clothes again. A bit of sweat gleaned on her forehead and between her shoulder blades, and her kriffing hands were still trembling. She tried to get up off the floor and regain her feet, but her enfeebled muscles refused to support her. She scoffed at her own weakness. Still, she wasn't getting anywhere fast on her own. "Hey, if you've finished checking out my ass, be a gentleman and help me up, would you?" she asked Deacon, finally peering over her shoulder at him to see that his back was in fact turned. Still, she was sure he had been peeking. She was fairly sure she had sensed the movement of his head looking over his shoulder at her.

 

[Saint]

Fully admitting to it as he turned about, moving to assist the Togruta up to her bandaged feet, Deacon replied, "It's a nice one." With a hefty lift, he had slipped his hands underneath her arms and raised her up easily into the air, a few inches off the ground. Easing Daesha down gently onto her feet, ensuring that she was stable before even -thinking- about letting go, he further inquired, "So what happened to yer feet?"

Krath, this wasn't good. Their first night on mission and she had gotten wasted. He glanced over at Shale, returning his nod with a light, upwards one of his own in greeting. The Togruta's input would have to be taken with a grain of salt for the next few hours at least. This whole thing didn't make Deke happy in the least. If there was even any sort of a repeat of this night, then he would call this whole thing off and find himself a new crew. Truth be told, he wasn't exactly -excited- about this mission anyway, but the Crime Lord had been persistent and unwavering. Damnit...

 

[Ender]

Shale finished up his shower, and exited the 'fresher. He quickly dressed in his chosen outifit, and checked his blaster. Again. He collected his things and put them into his messenger bag, sitting on a bench and adjusting the sleep program, he had over done the drowsiness. He looked up and waited for Deacon, Kranon, and, more importantly, Daesha. Then went back to work.

 

[Allu'rah Danan]

"Stepped on a bit of broken glass. It's not a big deal," Daesha replied. "Took some painkillers already. Just need to get some food and water into me and keep it in, then I'll be right as rain." She tried to smile at Deacon, but his face had turned as hard as stone, and she could tell that he was none to pleased about her current physical state. Perhaps she should have stuck with pregnant. Still, his sour look put her on the defensive pretty quickly.

"Don't go giving me that look," Daesha said indignantly. "Look, I know that getting hammered last night probably wasn't the best idea, and I'm sorry. Drinking's a bit of a vice of mine, one that I've been trying to kick for a while. You want a guarantee that I won't do it again? Fine, I'll empty out my chambers when we get back. I'll meet you all out in the speeder in half an hour." Shaking Deacon's hands off, the Togruta squared her shoulders and stalked off, bristling like an angry kath hound. She had to steady herself against the wall in the corridor outside, but gradually made her way back to her quarters and again had to be careful about the glass in the doorway. Kranon still had to be accounted for, she noted. He was the only one who hadn't gone for a shower. Although she couldn't quite place her finger on it, there was something about that man Daesha didn't like. He was far too quiet for her taste. She didn't trust him.

Taking a seat on the edge of her bed, she pulled open one of the drawers in the bottom and began pulling on some clothes. She donned a pair of white tights, a little different from the baggy gray trousers she typically wore, and then slipped on a dress that was just as pale, and just as skintight. The neckline was fairly similar to the black top she had worn the day before. That is to say, it didn't even come close to her neck, or even her shoulders, before sweeping out to join with the long sleeves that went right to her wrists. The largest, centermost of the three akul teeth on her necklace did manage to graze the top of the garment though. The skirt was fairly long, its bottom hem anding just below her knee, but two long slits on the left and right-hand sides opened it right up to the hip, preserving her full range of movement. She finished dressing by retrieving her utility belt and boots from the day before. As she adjusted her belt, Daesha's eyes fell on the box of pills near her bed. True to the promise she had made herself, she picked up the box and took it to the mess hall, tossing it in the trash compactor.

While in the mess, Daesha filled a couple of canteens with water, fastened them to her belt, and filled a pouch with some thimiar jerky to have as breakfast. She checked both the passengers' quarters for Kranon, to no avail. She didn't recall seeing him in the crew quarters when she walked by earlier either. Had he left? Maybe. Passing through the mess hall again, she grabbed a muja fruit and held it in her teeth as she slid down the ladder straight to the cargo deck. As she walked across the hangar towards the empty speeder, Daesha thought about what had transpired in the refresher. She shouldn't have thrown a tantrum at Deacon that way. He had every right to pick at her bad habits. At this stage of the game, one bad move from any of them could get them all killed. She realized as she hopped in the speeder that she shouldn't have been so selfish, and she owed Deacon a more sincere apology. And she probably owed one to Shale for that matter, even if she didn't remember what she had said. Taking a bite out of her muja fruit, Daesha fired up the speeder and brought it around to the ship's loading ramp, waiting for the men.

 

[Saint]

Deacon let her go. He wasn't sure just how she had read his thoughts... or look for that matter, but that was typical of a woman it seemed. Woman's intuitioin, is that what they called it? Anyway, he glanced over at Shale and gave a slight shrug, noting his silence throughout all of this. Perhaps he had been a participant as well and just didn't want to admit or say anything. Well, if it happened again, it would no longer be Deacon's concern. He had -no- issue walking away from this one. None whatsoever.

Putting on some deodarant and splashing on a bit of smell-good, Deacon stated simply towards Shale as he passed by, "See you on the speeder." With that, he moved back to where his clothes and such were, putting them back on. He hadn't packed for a night's stay and thankfully had an 'essentials kit' readily available. Daesha had this ship packed and ready for company it seemed. He began to wonder just what kind of company as he pulled his boots on.

Grabbing up his weaponry and giving his knives a once-over, Deacon gave himself a brief look in the mirror, glancing briefly into his own eye as he stated, "An' here we go." He exhaled rather sharply and made his way towards the speeder. As he progressed down the ramp, he immediately noted Daesha sitting in the driver's seat. Shaking his head as he gestured to the passenger's seat, he pretty much ordered, "Huh-uh. Painkillers an' a hangover don't work for me. I'm drivin'." With that, he opened the driver's side door expectantly and began to get in, whether she moved or not.

 

[Ender]

Shale followed Deacon quietly, almost silently. He slipped into the back seat, setting his bag in first. He looked at Deacon, then at Daesha. And shook his head, while Deacon had a point...he hoped Daesha wouldn't make a big deal out of it. As stubborn as she was, it wouldn't be very fun...((Sorry, short post xD))

 

[Allu'rah Danan]

Daesha rolled her eyes, but conceded begrudgingly as Deacon forced himself into the speeder. She moved over to the passenger's side, careful not to accidentally hit or push anything. The last thing she needed was to step on some pedal or another and crash the speeder into her ship's garage. Her swoop was already a pile of garbage, she didn't need to go wrecking Deacon's speeder and her ship as well.

On their first run of the escape route, Deacon pointed out the three establishments he had mentioned near their killzone. In Daesha's opinion, the Free Ride Resort appeared to have the better view and angle, across from the alleyway they would use. It would probably also be easy for her to talk her way into one of the better rooms, what with her exotic good looks and that place's reputation. Once everything else had been taken care of, they would book her in for the room and she could bring her stuff over from the ship. Not that she was thrilled by the idea, but a day or two in the building would help her to learn of its exits. By the time they had run their route a second time, the hangover had pretty much run its course. The Togruta was definitely perking up by mid-afternoon.

"Now will you let me drive?" Daesha asked Deacon. She was leaning against the driver's side door of the speeder, which they had set down in the alley while they started plotting the location for the gas and flash-bangs. It was probable that they would need to purchase one or two of the latter in addition to the three flash grenades she had back on the ship, but it wouldn't be too big a deal. As far as the knock-out gas was concerned, she figured eight canisters should be plenty, enough to create a hollow square with three cans to a side, more than enough to box in and subdue their target and his escort. The biggest thing to do was go get the stuff.

 

[Saint]

"Yup, that's fine," Deacon replied back to the Togruta's inquiry about allowing her to drive. With that, he opened the door and slipped out of the speeder. As he stepped past Daesha, he swatted a hand back to give her rump a cupping pat. If successful, he'd comment with a simple, Nice, then move along around the speeder, giving her a crooked smirk as he did so and slip into the passenger side. They had work to be done still.

Whirling a finger about after taking his seat, Deke spoke up, "A'right, le's mount up an' go make git what we need to. T'nite, we'll come back, do some set-up, then Daesha an' I will check out the room." Glancing over at the shapely Togruta, he didn't add that the two of them would probably spend a couple of hours or more in the room together, just to make sure that they didn't look too suspicious.

Besides, in a place like The Free Ride Resort, a guy and girl didn't just rent a room for five to ten minutes. Nope. It was typically a few hours up to a whole night at -least-, and here Deke and Daesha were going to try to rent it for a couple of days. Yup, they'd at least have to make the story convincing. Glancing over at Shale, he went on, "Shale, you an' Kranon go make your final preps on the weaponry an' such. Need t'make sure tha' you don't have a misfire or wha'not when this whole thing goes down."

Turning his attention back to Daesha, Deacon pointed forward as he stated simply, "Le's move out." It wouldn't take them too long to pick up the rest of what they needed. The streets down here had litter scattered all about anyway, so camouflaging the gas canisters wouldn't be too big of a deal. The flash bangs however, they'd probably just hold onto those themselves, dumping them out from a window above once the targets were down. Say... perhaps the Togruta could chuck 'em...

 

[Allu'rah Danan]

Daesha smiled as Deacon made room for her to take the driver's seat. As she bent to get in though, she was surprised to feel his hand take a daring go at her backside. As he got into the passenger seat, Daesha met his smirk with a rather dark, dangerous look of her own. She only maintained it for a moment though before chuckling and shaking her head. "You seem to have an appetite for dangerous work, Deacon," the Togruta said as she started up the speeder and pulled out into the bustling skylane. "Am I correct in guessing you like your women much the same?" she asked, flashing a wry grin back at him. In doing so, she also bared her elongated canine teeth that were so infamous. According to popular rumor, Togruta had venomous fangs. It was a myth of course, but Daesha was never one to dispel it.

It was a fair distance to her contact, and each passing minute brought them deeper and deeper into the Coruscant lower city, until the sky above was all but blocked from view. The sparkling spires of the upper city were lost to dingy gray. Eventually, she drew up neat a dilapidated housing complex. "You two watch the speeder while I go get him," she said, setting the speeder down and unbuckling herself. "Keep the engine going, just in case. I'll just be a moment." The Togruta disappeared into the complex, and nearly ten minutes ticked by before she reappeared, accompanied by a mangy looking Bothan. His shabby, dust-colored pelt was hopelessly tangled, and his muzzle was matted with a mixture of mucous and saliva. As they drew closer, the smell coming off of him reached the speeder before they did.

"And here's the boss," Daesha said as they approached the humming speeder. "Tanto here is demanding almost six hundred credits per canister. I said he's out of his flea-bitten mind. But I'll let you two figure out numbers," she stated, meeting Deacon's eye as she addressed him. "He claims he can give them to us for five hundred a pop if we get a dozen or more, but I can't see any reason why eight of them wouldn't suffice."

"Because more is cheaper, and more is more!" Tanto certified in a wheezing bark. "You want to make sure people are choking on this stuff? More is safer! And you don't have to make another trip back if you think you can use some in the future. Keep a supply on hand, just in case, you know?" The Bothan stopped, coughing viciously, and finally hacked up a newly dislodged bit of phlegm onto the sidewalk. He wheezed for a moment, catching his breath. He hunched over and brought his face level to Deacon's, and one could have sworn that the creature's breath was the knock-out gas they were looking to purchase. "You never know when you will want to knock someone flat without getting your hands dirty. Am I right?" Tanto smiled, baring pointed, yellowed teeth caked in plaque. Many teeth were chipped, and others decaying from black cavities. Daesha wish that she could just shear off his fur and bathe him in perfume and scented oil, but she doubted even crate of the most fragrant soap could cut the dirt or stench wafting off this alien. It was this being that made her so adamant about the hygiene of her crew and passengers.

 

[Saint]

Holding up a finger towards the Togruta, Deacon corrected while they were still in the speeder, "I like my WOMAN the same way. Singular. Not plural." With that, he wagged his finger as his head shook lightly, then gave her a playful wink on the sly. Upon the display of her canines, he smirked as he turned his attention forwards, "And yes, you would be correct," he added without sparing her a glance this time. Momentarily, they were zooming along their way towards Daesha's supplier.

Deacon turned in his seat at Daesha's instruction to keep an eye on the speeder as well as keeping it running. Preemptively, he withdrew his scatter-gun, setting it across his lap as he glanced back at Shale. He seemed quiet. Then again, so did Kranon. The ten minutes passed with Deke attempting to make small talk with both Shale and Kranon, to little avail. Glancing over his shoulder at Kranon Vex, Deacon stated, "You've been awfully quiet Kranon. Wha's on yer mind?"

Before the silent mercenary could answer, a mangy-looking Bothan appeared out of the warehouse-type building along with Daesha. Krath, did he look worn the feck out... While Daesha and the foul-breathed Tanto went on about the prices of the canisters, Deke found himself wondering if Tanto was his native Bothan name. Then again, he didn't seem the Lone Ranger type... Deke focused on not inhaling while the filthy Bothan was in his face, then after only a moment, put his hand to the Bothan's hairy chest and pushed him back.

Turning his head to one side as he looked away and tried to breathe in fresh air, Deacon replied, "We'll take a dozen flat. Load them up in the back." Glancing further over his shoulder, Deke gestured behind him with a thumb, "Shale, Kranon, give 'im a hand." Soon, they would be back on their way to the potential scene of the crime, Kranon and Shale emplacing the canisters while Daesha and Deacon inspected the room. Things were moving along nicely...