Ask Picking At Carrion

[Taldorak Trenessar]

Spice? Hell, she was in luck! "Kriff, a spice withdrawal? Well.. I got some really bad news for you." he mused lightly, one hand reaching beneath the table to one of his belt pouches. "I don't have a variety, but the Doc is in town." Procuring a small bag of spice, he'd pull it free and toss it onto the table in front of her.

He'd follow her gaze to the Spacers. "Oh yeah.. it probably would be. I mean, look at what some of them are wearing. .Just clashing patterns, colors. Oh boy... If I hit that on the senile spectrum, put me in a forever box." he'd reply with a laugh. "Tell ya what, when you're done here, I'll walk ya to your ship on the off-chance we run into that guy again, so you can experience it."

This girl was starting to ask some personal questions. "Well.." he'd say hesitantly. "..depending on the story you believe on the creation of my kind.. We originated on Coruscant, then settled for a time on Roon, before finding Mandalore. And I know of a few Clans that settle there. As for my Clan? I don't have one. Not anymore."

@Casmer @Catbert

 

[Dhari Rast]

Dhari stared at the indigo powder the Mando had tossed her. Well, she thought, I should have seen that coming. She hesitated, reminded suddenly that she was in a prickly situation, the tension of which had eluded her over the course of her conversation with the Mandalorian. Her ship, nestled safely (she hoped) in the Depths of the Crevasse where the Pitlord's personal security held oversight, hid a cargo that determined Dhari's future, for better or for worse depending on the outcome of the venture. She had every reason to be alert, stay on guard. But the stabs of pain she felt from the Force were taking their toll, and Dhari knew that spice had this wonderful side-effect of blocking it out.

Realising that she was hesitating, Dhari leaned forward and snatched up the small bag, mouthing a thank you to the Mandalorian. She scooped up a bump with the nail of the pinky finger and did her business as casually as taking a sip of her drink. She tossed the bag back towards the Mandalorian, rubbing her nose. Almost immediately, a calmness settled in her, and the echoes of the Force seemed to move further away with every reverberation. It sounded counter-intuitive, but the spice made her mind clearer.

Dhari chuckled at the Mando's comment about putting him down if he ever became old and decrepit like the old-timey spacers at the other table. "I got you," she said, running a finger theatrically across her throat. Her eyebrows shot upwards at the suggestion that the Mando would walk her to her ship. She knew full well what was implied, and now, with the spice coursing through her bloodstream, she could certainly feel the urge to accommodate him. There was, however, the issue of the shipment of spice in the cargo hold of the Blacklight. Dhari was on the job - even in a spiced up state she knew that. "Much as I would like it," she said, voice a little sluggish from the spice, "I am working, and you are a distraction. A very welcome distraction, obviously, but a distraction nonetheless." She sent the Mando an endearing smile. "I have a rule that I don't share spice with people I don't know. So, let's start with names. I'm Dhari."

Dhari looked intently at the Mando while he told her about his kin. "Can't say I know much about Mandalorians," she said. "Not much more than what the image of your T-visors conjure up in most people's imaginations, I would say. But I do know what it's like to go without one's people." She lifted her glass and tipped it towards the Mando. "To the lone wolves that keep on going, eh?"

@Rhogar @Catbert

 

[Taldorak Trenessar]

As a hunter, Tal had the habit of studying people. Their actions, their words, their movements. So it didn't go entirely unnoticed that someone in the throes of withdrawal hesitated. Then again, he was a stranger just throwing spice at her, so it kinda made him feel better that this woman wasn't daft.

He'd smirk at her response to his answer. "Even grumpy old ass me will know how to fight. So.. dagger to the gap between the codpiece and thigh plate to slow me down, then slit the throat. It'll be real painful for me, but, I've always wondered what it felt like." Though her next words would make him laugh. "Me? A distraction?" His hand would press against his chest plate in feigned offense. Given the place, I don't blame ya for the hesitance. But, I also didn't mean I'd take ya to your ship and do the horizontal cha-cha. I'm also on the clock, so as much as I would love to, I'd need a rain check. Maybe somewhere nicer than this." He laughed. Then she asked his name. And though he knew they were far enough away from the Core, he was sure the Hutts would at least keep an eye out for Crymorah Enforcers. And though this woman didn't strike him as the slimy type, he'd rather not blow the op by using his real name. So he'd use another that was important to him. "Dhari? Pretty name. Does it mean anything in Mirialan? Names Nakadr." He hated lying.. to some people. And this.. Dhari was making it rather quickly onto the list.

"And I.. definitely know nothing of your people, but I wouldn't mind learning more." He took his glass and dinged it against hers. "And to the lone wolves who make their own pack." He lifted his glass to his lips and drained it, setting it back down to refill it.

@Casmer

 

[Dhari Rast]

Dhari's eyebrows hooked upwards as the Mandalorian detailed how he would like to be killed. "You've given this a lot of thought," she said, taking a sip from her drink. She needed a moment to rally her thoughts; the spice was cresting in her bloodstream, and it made her thoughts feel oddly wooly in her mouth. The Mando's next words she only got the gist of, but she recognised how tactful they were - as tactful as words like that could be, coming from a mercenary. Dhari wouldn't have been any more tactful herself. "A rain check," she said, eyeing him from the rim of the glass as she sipped. "Sounds good to me."

Dhari offered Nakadr, as the Mandalorian had revealed was his name, a crooked smile as they toasted. She sipped and put the glass down with more force than she intended, sending a little spray of ale onto the table. "It's short for 'Andhari'. It's a Mirialan adjective, means 'curious'." She didn't elaborate. Didn't feel the need to. Not while the spice was coursing through her veins, making her feel warm and fuzzy. She stretched her limbs in a feline manner, suppressing a yawn. "Nakadr's a good name, too. It's mando'a?"

At Nakadr's remark about his lack of knowledge about Mirialans, Dhari tapped the table with her index finger. "A story for a story. You tell me about your clan, and I'll tell you something you would like to know about my people." She smiled cheekily at him. "Deal?"

@Rhogar @Catbert

 

[Taldorak Trenessar]

"Well, I took the death I felt I deserved. Something I've done to others and upon completion, it's pretty quick." he'd add with a shrug before taking a sip from his glass. "Rain check it is, then. I guess I'll have to call you once I'd done with my run." he'd say with a coy grin.

Her little spill would, in fact, make him laugh a bit. "Andhari.." he mused to himself. "Well, at least the name fits, you're pretty curious." He would nod his head at her question. "Aye, very astute. It means 'Retribution'. So not so benign, but it paved the way for what I would become and what would be expected of me."

He'd sit back, his jaw clenching in deep thought. "Hmm... you know.. that's very tricky for me but... I'll keep it vague, to protect the Clan.. Maybe in time, clarity will be had from the vagueness. My Clan is on Roon and they are nothing like the Mandos running about that spout nonsense about the 'Way of the Mandalore'. It's a joke, at best." He'd take a sip. "Is it true, that your people revere the Force?"

@Casmer @Catbert

 

[Dhari Rast]

Dhari shrugged. "I've always wondered if it's the name that makes the individual or the other way around. Don't quite know which one is the case for me."

Retribution, Dhari thought. Seems like a name that comes with more responsibilities than 'curious'. She didn't say it, though; she could tell from the way Nakadr spoke about his clan that it was a tender issue. With a name like that, she assumed it would be, too. She nodded, her expression thoughtful. "That's a strong name. Seems like it needs a strong individual to carry it. Given that you've made it this far, I'd say you've probably lived up to it." Dhari snorted. "Sorry. It's the spice that's brought up the somberness."

Dhari would keep silent, letting Nakadr speak. Afterwards, she said: "Now, that has made me even more curious than before. But you don't have to elaborate if you don't want to. Some things are not meant for casual conversation." Then, her face would tense up as Nakadr posed his question. It took her a moment to gather herself, lost in thoughts as she was. "It's true. Reverence of the Force is an integral part of out culture, though I'm surprised to her that question coming from you. Aren't Mandalorians hostile to the whole idea of the Force?"

"We're not all Force-users, of course," Dhari continued. "But we're all taught the significance of the living Force, the energy that binds us all together. We're not afraid of it. We welcome it." As she said those last words, her gaze drifted off for a moment. She reached for her drink, finished the glass. "Not all of us, of course. But most." When she put the empty glass down on the table, a smile had returned to her face. "I'm surprised you didn't ask about these," she said, pointing at the tattoos on the skin underneath her eyes. "That's what people usually do. But I guess you're not like most people I've struck up conversations with in cantinas."

@Rhogar @Catbert

 

[Taldorak Trenessar]

Tal would laugh. "I think the name makes the person. At least in my Culture. It gives us something to strive for, something to meet. I'm thinking you just let yours shape you." he teased. "Hopefully I have done something to bring honor to that name. Or else spicer stops will really ding my rep with my own kind." he joked. "No need to apologize, it's conversation. Better than staring at the same four walls."

"Well.. Maybe somewhere more private I'll share more. Just don't trust people listening in, paranoid like that." he would say before a long sip from his glass. "It goes both ways amongst the Clans. Some are okay with it, some are not. But that doesn't mean my kind are immune to it and from time to time, one of us gets.. afflicted." this was perilous ground and he didn't want to misspeak or bash her peoples beliefs. "Now.. I ain't the religious type like the rest of my Clan are but.. the holy men have an interesting view on the Force. Don't know if its true or not.. but it's kept many of my kind with it alive."

When her glass was empty, he'd refill it with some of what was in his bottle. "Yes well, you must not be a Pajama Bandit or else you would have just read my mind and force choked me. Would have been a segwey to an even more awkward conversation." he'd say with a smirk. "Don't know if my kind are afraid of the Force.. its just been a negative part of our history.. A cause for disdain, mistrust."

At her remark on what he didn't ask about, his gaze would shift to her eyes, focusing rather intently before he smiled faintly. "I'll ask about those, when you ask about these." he'd say lightly as he getstured to the tattoos on the side of his head as well as the ones peeking from beneath the underlay. "Besides.. truthfully, I look at your eyes and just focused on the dark green. Didn't even notice the markings until you pointed them out." She did have beautiful eyes, so he wasn't ashamed to admit it. Besides, he had a decent buzz going.

@Casmer @Catbert

 

[Dhari Rast]

Dhari listened with interest to Nakadr's explanation. She wasn't a Pajama Bandit, as he put it, a Jedi (she assumed), historically a mortal enemy of the Mandalorians from what she knew from tales and legends. She didn't know the context of the animosity, but she didn't need to. She had been a Sith, and although she had hated every minute of it and it had brought her nothing but misery, she had also gained a more, well, nuanced perspective on the Jedi Order than most of her people had. Any group that took kids against their will and stifled their expression, whether by violence or by discipline, was oppressive.

However, she couldn't help but feel singled out by what Nakadr was saying. Of course, he didn't know that she was Force-sensitive, and his words had been both sensitive and diplomatic. But behind the politeness, Dhari could hear the mistrust of the Force. And she wondered whether they'd even be talking, if all the cards were on the table.

"It takes a lot of trust to assess one's own culture critically in the presence of a stranger," Dhari said. "I appreciate that. Truly. Much as I'd love to hear you elaborate on it, I understand that the setting might not be right for more than a shallow explanation." She would nod at Nakadr in an acknowledging manner, showing that she appreciated the things he'd told her. She chuckled a little when Nakadr mentioned that she must not be a Jedi. "Definitely no Pajama Bandit," she said, and added with a smirk: "Although I'm fairly sure I've been able to read at least part of your mind this evening." She shrugged. "Besides, I don't understand the respect many of my kinsfolk show the Jedi. It many ways, it hasn't been earned."

Dhari raised an eyebrow and smiled coyly at Nakadr. "I'll take that as a compliment." She was thrilled that the corruption had dissipated to a point where it gave the green in her eyes only a slight amber glow, nothing more. That had been perhaps the starkest reminder of her past; when her eyes still burned with the golden malice of the Dark Side.

She took a sip of the drink that Nakadr had refilled for her. "Well, what about them, then?" she said, indicating the tattoos on the side of Nakadr's head with a tip of her head.

@Rhogar @Catbert

 

[Taldorak Trenessar]

'Nakadr' would roll his shoulders, cracking the joints. "Personally.. I just dislike Jedi for the natural reasons. I could find a real good use for some of those force tricks though, like choking and lightning." He'd say with a grin after she had thanked him. "We agreed to talk Cultures.. so.. here I am."

He leaned forward with a smirk, swirling the contents of his drink around. "Oh yeah? That's a relief. And what do you think you've been able to read?" her next words actually surprised him. "Oh really? You must be a pariah." He said jokingly.

"Trust me, dala, it is." He responded with that focused look. "For windows to the soul, they're gorgeous." He added before leaning back.

When she mentioned his tattoos he would tilt his head to show the faded marking. "The marking of my Clan, Trenessar. Ancient Clan." The symbol was a stylized Mythosaur with two axes crossed. "Symbol was for our warriors of old who'd fight without beskar."

Another sip. "So how about your markings?"

@Casmer @Catbert

 

[Dhari Rast]

Dhari's body shivered at the thought. "Those tricks come at a price," she said. "They're tools of the Dark Side - so we Mirialans are taught." She looked up at Nakadr. "Handy. But not to be used lightly." A moment later, a grin would appear on her face. "Not that I've had any experience in that department. But you see the world through the lense of the stories and legends you grew up with, am I right?"

Dhari ran a hand through her short hair, tussled up some of it and swept it back, grinning. "In some ways, you're an open book, Nakadr," she said. "The level of subtext is startling." She would let the next comment slide, sipping her drink, gazing cheekily at Nakadr from over the rim of the glass, letting the silence speak for her.

"Interesting," Dhari said after Nakadr had told her about his markings. "Very Mandalorian, if I may say so. Looks like a lone wolf can head out on his own for a while, but he can never truly be parted from his pack." She would pause for a moment before providing the explanation for her own tattoos. "Their a bit more technical," she began. "The placement - on my face - signifies a personal and spiritual change. The geometrical shape - the aces - have a bittersweetness to them. They're like diamonds: beautiful, but sharp and dangerous to handle. And the number is the year of my life in which the change took place." She didn't elaborate further. Instead, she cleared her throat. "Not all Mirialan tattoos are that technical. That's just what my parents taught me. Let's just say I haven't had any great cause to add new ones to the collection."

Dhari's mind was still cloudly from the spice, but she did suddenly remember that there was something she needed to do. Some deadline of sorts. Looking at her datapad, it came back in a flash. She looked at the time; the two hours until she had to meet up with the Pitlord were almost over. She sighed. "Time's almost up. Work calls."

@Rhogar @Catbert

 

[Taldorak Trenessar]

"Yeah, of that, I got no doubt." He'd say, not questioning her opinions on the Force abilities. He had no idea how ingrained that stuff was in her culture and he wasn't going to assume anything. "I guess that's right. Why replace a perfectly good firm grip and a tazer, am I right?" he responded with a laugh.

"Open book? Kriff me. I'm going to have to tighten up then. That's it, no more questions or answers." he said with a shake of his head and smirk, draining his glass in the process. "Yeah well, my kind are never truly alone. We carry the weight of the dead and we help those of our kind in need. Or at least, we should."

He'd nod his head as she explained her markings. "So.. your beautiful and dangerous.. Yeah.. I could see that. Guess I didn't need to tell you how to kill me, you would have thought of something good, I'm sure. If I may ask, though, what changes warrant a change? Or rather, what's the process like?" He actually seemed genuinely interested, he even leaned in to inspect the markings more. "At least they're meaningful.. and not like those di'kute who get glyphs of different languages on their bodies and only think they know what it means."

"Well, I been on the clock. But I guess my break was over." he'd remove a datachit and slide it over to her. "It's got my comm frequency on it. No matter what, give me a ping on it and I'll be there. My word is my bond."

@Casmer @Catbert

 

[Dhari Rast]

Nakadr's laugh was infectious, and Dhari couldn't help but laugh too. "Yeah, that always seemed to work fine for me," she said, shaking her head. "Although I'm sure you'd have more experience with the two, given your line of work." Nakadr hadn't actually mentioned what he did for a living, but Dhari figured that, whatever it might be, it would include firm grips and tazing. He was a Mandalorian, after all.

"No more question - for now," Dhari retorted. Then, she proceeded to answer his question about the markings. "Well," she said, "some of them are very obvious. You know, coming-of-age type things, major milestones in one's life, and so on. Others are probably a bit more subtle, and I guess that's where most Mirialans would differ from one another. Some end up with their entire body covered in geometry, the trace of a life lived and all the good and bad - the significant - things that happened. Others only get them for things so profound - once again, in both good and bad ways - that it seems like the only action that could help them process it." Dhari would listen to Nakadr's words about dumb tattoos and snort. "You're right about that."

Dhari picked up the datachit and slid it down an inside pocket in her flight jacket. "That's good to know. I appreciate it. Us lone wolves have to stick together sometimes. Become a pack for a particular purpose, you know?" She rose from the table, taking a moment to steady herself against the dizziness that assaulted her head. "That's it," she said sarcastically. "No more spice. I'm done." She winked at Nakadr, adding: "I won't ghost you, if that's what you're wondering. I just don't have a datachit with me. I'll shoot you a message. Wouldn't want to miss a chance to... learn more about the Mandalorians. Ta ta."

And with those words, Dhari would walk towards the cantina's exit. She didn't look forward to the risky descent down the catwalks towards the lower platforms where her ship and the Pitlord waited. But she felt rejuvenated by the conversation she had had. Who knew a kriffing Mandalorian could be so much fun, she thought, a wide grin on her face. Maybe Lady Luck was actually with her today.

@Rhogar @Catbert

 

[Taldorak Trenessar]

'Nakadr' would smirk at her laugh. "Oh yeah, my extensive holovid career as 'Voddy Titihaar'." he joked with a laugh. "Is that hope in your voice or assumption?"

He would get a little more serious as she spoke of the intricacies of the markings, seemingly looking impressed by it all. "Well, gods willing, we'll figure out a way to add to those for ya, yeah?" he'd add with a smirk. "Like.. faux wolf pack, osik or something along those lines." He leaned back in his seat, arms crossing. "Oh yeah, we can start our own two-person wolf pack right now. You get this.." he gestured to his own marking "..and I'll get those.. We'll maybe not the exact ones. I'm dangerous, but I don't think I qualify for beautiful."

When she rose, he'd smirk at her words. "Oh.. I hope not. I would hate to have to hunt you down." he teased. "Oh yeah, you'll learn all about my kind, Dala.. I'll see you around." he'd wink at her as she stumbled off, his gaze shifting around the bar. He definitely watched her leave, it was a hard sell between her coming or going which was his favorite sight, but the Mandalorian would sigh wistfully. This was a spacer he would need to keep his eyes open for. As he returned to his glass, he'd pause. "Tal.. she's a tad cracked.. Better make sure you go with her."

Within seconds he was on his feet and with a slight teeter, headed to the door after her.

_______


Dhari would maybe make forty yards from the bar, having cleared the steps down to the lower landing pad. Several spacers from the bar, that had left prior to her were already waiting. Two would step in front of her to cut her off, while another two would jump the rail behind her to block her route back to the bar. "If it isn't Dhari.. Word is, you got a helluva run on ya. I think we're going to take it off your hands.. make some creds. Hand the keys to the ship over or.. I'll have to carve those tattoos from below your pretty little eyes." the lead would say.

There would be a slight movement from behind her as one of the Spacers moved forward, his dagger aimed at her kidney before the sound of a blaster went off. A Peacemaker. The dagger would clang against the floor as it hit the deck, the spacer clutching at a slowly forming whole at his midsection, before crumpling to the deck. Heavy boots would sound against the stairs, back the way she came.

"I'd say I'm surprised to see you Hut'uun out here.. but I'm not. Walk away or I'm happy to add three more bodies to the shallow grave." 'Nakadr' would say through the speakers of his helm. As all attention shifted to him, he was ready for Dhari to prove the meaning of her marks.

@Casmer

 

[Dhari Rast]

Dhari could not say that she was surprised when the spacers accosted her. Shit like this happened all the time in The Crevasse. Rumour had it that the Pitlord silently encouraged it, provided the thugs didn't interfere with the main part of his business. Well, this was his business, and these thugs were planning to steal it from under his nose.

"The Pitlord's not going to be happy about this, fellas," Dhari said, one hand on the hilt of her blaster as she prowled the closing circle of spacers like a caged feline. "It might be my ship, but the shipment is his." Something like doubt showed in the leader's eyes for a moment, but he shook it off. A tiny smirk replaced the doubt, only to be wiped off his smug face as the sound of blaster fire and the dull thud of a body dropping resounded from behind Dhari. She heard Nakadr's voice, unmistakable even through the voice box of his helmet.

She grimaced. "There are no shallow graves in this place. Only one very deep one." The two spacers in front of her exchanged quick glances. Then, they drew their blasters in unison.

Dhari trusted that Nakadr would have any other opposition behind her under control, so she didn't even bother turning to assess the situation. She swiped the blaster from its holster and dived to the ground in one and the same movement, rolling left just in time to feel the heat of two blaster bolts whizzing past her where she'd stood moments before. She came out of the roll with her left shoulder leaning against the slick, muddy side of The Crevasse, and fired at the closest spacer. Two smoking holes emerged in the spacer's chest, and he slumped to the ground, surprise plastered on his face. Her movements were fast, but not so fast that anyone would suspect that there was more to Dhari than the eye could see. She was painfully aware of Nakadr's presence. She didn't want to give away her Force-sensitivity. And she hated herself for feeling this way, for even allowing herself to be put in a situation where she had to compromise.

Compromises were deadly.

The leader spun around to face her, but by then she had closed in on him. In one fluid motion, she holstered her own blaster with one hand and grabbed a hold of the wrist of the spacer's blaster-wielding hand, keeping it turned towards the sides of The Crevasse. He fired a couple of bolts into it, causing splatters of hot mud to spit from the steaming entry hole. The spacer used his other hand to punch, to try and grapple her, but she swatted his attempts away like a nerf swatted away flies with its tail. She could have dispatched of him in a number of ways, but she had to keep up appearances, so she feigned a struggle with the spacers for a while, and they moved back and forth on the catwalk. Then, with a nice, hard hit she swatted away his free hand, reached over to her shoulder, closed her fist around a handful of mud that had stuck to her flight jacket, and threw it straight into the spacer's eyes.

He stumbled, letting out a grunt of pain. Dhari used the time to reach over with her free hand, grab a hold of the forearm of his blaster-wielding hand, and snap his wrist with a sharp tug. The spacer cried out, slipped, and fell to the floor next to his blaster. Dhari scooped the blaster with her foot and flicked it into the abyss to their right. She looked down at the spacer, fighting the urge to do the same to him. The anger was simmering inside of her, trying to catch her attention, trying to make her pry the lid open ever so slightly. How great wouldn't it feel to just pop the lid open a little bit? She knew how to do it - had done it many times before. She could do it again. No one would miss this piece of shit. His existence was a stain on the Galaxy. His death would mean nothing to anyone.

No. No no no, Dhari thought. She breathed deeply, slowly, focusing on the sensations in her body instead of the whimpers coming from the spacer. It helped, but not enough. She needed to remove herself from the situation, so she turned away from the whimpering spacer to see how Nakadr was faring.

@Rhogar @Catbert

 

[Taldorak Trenessar]

As the standoff shifted to shootout, Taldorak would activate his boots, clearing the first wave of incoming blaster fire. The Spacer would look up and shriek as he lifted his blaster to meet the boots coming downward, only to crushed beneath the weight of beskar. Stepping off of him, Tal fired four shots into the mans chest and head, leaving him nothing but smoke. He'd look to Dhari, blaster raising, but holy hells the dala could hold her own.

A slow grin would creep along his face beneath the helm. And she looked good doing it, too. He almost felt bad for watching and standing by but he couldn't help but notice certain.. assets. And when she struggled, he couldn't tell if it was forced or caution due to the catwalk but it seemed off. Maybe, he'd ask her about it. Maybe he wouldn't. But, he wasn't worried about jumping in, he had faith she could handle herself.

He heard a soft groan as Dhari turned back to face him, and his visor looked down to the first spacer. He had his blaster drawn and aimed on Dhari. "B...i.." he'd squeeze the trigger, but instead of the bolt flying towards her midsection, Tal would slide in the way. The sound of plasma pinging off metal could be heard as the bolt ricochet into the Crevasse wall.

There was little to no hesitation as Tal lifted his arm and activated his flamethrower, engulfing the now screaming sod in orangish flames. He'd scream for a few moments before death finally claimed him. 'Nakadr' cursed silently. He did -not- want her to see that side of him and yet.. there it went. As he rose to his feet, he'd pause, his underlay feeling slick. He must have caught a graze. Turning to face Dhari, he crossed over to her. "Hey, sorry ya had to see.." his gaze shifted to the corpse. "That...You got some moves.. What's all this about anyways?"

"The haul!" the lead yelled out, clutching his arm.

"Huh?" Tal would say looking back at the miserable wretch. He then crossed over to him, one gauntlet giving her shoulder a sqeeze as he walked up to him. "What was that? I don't speak slug." he asked as he stepped on the mans arm, eliciting a scream.

"The.. the haul! Kill her now, Mando, and I'll split the creds with you!"

@Casmer

 

[Dhari Rast]

As Dhari looked to see how Nakadr was faring, her assumptions about the Mandalorian were confirmed. He had dispatched of the spacers behind her with the ease of someone sweeping the floor with a broomstick. Clean and efficient. She hadn't seen a Mandalorian in action before. Technically she hadn't seen Nakadr in action either, only the aftermath. But he seemed every bit as capable as the stories made his people out to be.

Maybe it was the thrill of the fight and the throb of the Dark Side clouding her mind. Maybe it was the spice still lingering in her bloodstream. Whatever it was, she couldn't help the smirk on her face, the narrowing of her eyes as she looked at the Mandalorian.

Suddenly, Nakadr went into action. He slid down, and Dhari saw a blaster bolt ricochet into the Crevasse wall, searing a hole in the mud. Next thing she knew, he was engulfing the spacer who'd fired the blaster bolt - he was still alive? - in the fire of his flamethrower. A sickly, sweet smell of burnt flesh floated into her nostrils. It brought back flashes. Crackling and hisses, red shades swiping across her field of vision. Flames roaring, the heat very tangible, very real on Dhari's skin. And he grin of her Master, neither crazed nor contemptuous, but proud. Proud of her. This was her doing.

Nakadr's voice pulled her out. "That... you got some moves.. what's all this about anyway?" She was about to answer, when the leader of the spacers chimed in. The haul. He was talking about the haul, her haul. A haul that had sent rumors circulating through the Crevasse, apparently. The spacer was offering Nakadr a share of the haul if he killed her. He had to shut up. He had to shut the kriff up. Now.

Swiveling on her feet, Dhari level her blaster with the spacer's head and fired a bolt into his skull at point-blank range. The spacer slumped back, a hole seared in his forehead. Somewhere inside her, the Dark Side cheered. "Don't mind him," she said, her back turned to Nakadr. "He was just leaving." She stepped forward, lodged a boot underneath the body of the spacer, and pushed him out over the edge and into the Crevasse.

@Rhogar @Catbert

 

[Taldorak Trenessar]

The injury to his side would be very unhappy with his increased pace to catch up to her, though move he did. "Dhari. Dhari, wait." 'Nakadr' would say, taking her hand slowly, he didn't want to catch those hands after all.

"Back there." He'd nod to the bridge. "Didn't think I'd kill ya for creds, did you? That would be counter productive to my current plans." He'd say with a laugh, there'd be a slight tinge of pain in the sound.

As they walked, his visor panned their surroundings, hand rested on the grip of the peacemaker holstered at his side. "You can hire my protection." He teased.

@Casmer

 

[Kel Dryden]

Some time later...​

Despite the iffy sprinkling rain, landing platform Z-22 in the lower wards of the outpost was more crowded than ever. Droids lugging the last of the cargo crates aboard the small freighter were normal; so were the astromechs who were finishing pre-launch checks. But what wasn't normal was the old Duros. Maag Szyro, the dreaded Pitlord himself, as Kel had just found out. With an entourage of mercs befitting some low-key, but security-conscious Hutt.

"I'm telling you, it's a misunderstanding," Kel spoke through his helmet, which hid his squinting at the armed guards. One guarded the entrance to the landing pad. Two more were by the Duros's sides, but at a distance so respectable that they had Kel surrounded in a half-circle. . That is why the enforcer's arms were raised at the chest level, palms open. He had not been disarmed yet, he didn't want to give the powers that be any reason to do that.

"I had nothing to do with the death of Bochaba the Hutt," the goggly-eyed helmet turned from one guard to the other, and then to the Duros, who was observing the scene silently. "Someone raided his warehouse, killed all his guards, and I barely made it out of there. Of course I took the Black Swift. What was I supposed to do, leave it to the sleemos who offed Bochaba?" So far, Kel didn't even have to lie. The next part though required some creativity.

"Didn't know whom I could trust, had to fend for myself. Yes, I did get involved in the whole Sector Ranger HQ heist and Kessel business. But when the likes of Preef Callo or Spicelord hold you at gunpoint, it'd be stupid not to. It's not like they even invited me to the big stuff, like the party on Eriadu. The Swift didn't even go to Nar Shaddaa when Preef took over. I found out about that in the same broadcast you did, months later."

So far, the pieces in the web of Kel's truths—admittedly, embellished by a small lie about "gunpoint"—were falling together remarkably well. A part of him knew that the Pitlord might not buy it. If anything, Kel was stalling for time. For he had been given a clear idea what would happen if he didn't convince the Pitlord of his sincerity. The Swift being impounded, Kel would be left with his life at best, and nothing at worst.

"So, the moment the heat died down, I started looking who might've snitched on Bochaba's operations. That led me to the Blacklight. I wasn't privy to much, but I heard it had hauled something big to Bochaba's warehouse. Just a couple of days before the crackdown." Alright, the last part was flimsy and unfounded as hell. But Kel did need an excuse. For tracking down the Blacklight all the way to the Crevasse. For lurking around and trying to find its landing pad. And more importantly, he needed someone to bail him out of this mess.

@Casmer @Rhogar

 

[Dhari Rast]

Everything felt blurry to Dhari. She found herself racing down the catwalks towards the lower platforms, sounds and flashes and her Master's grin still swarming her mind. She'd killed that spacer in cold blood. There was no way around it. She could tell herself as much as she'd like that it was the only choice, that she couldn't have him parroting the knowledge of her haul about to anyone. But there was always a choice. Self-defense was one thing. Murder was another.

She barely felt her hand being pulled at. She swiveled, anger flashing dangerously in her eyes, her face contorted, just for a moment, in a killer's grimace as she looked at Nakadr. Then, she got a hold of herself, although her voice would be icy. "No," she said. "Perhaps not. But I barely know you. And I don't know if you've noticed, but this place is not for the trusting kind." She turned and continued the walk, aware that Nakadr was following. It gave her a smidgen of reassurance to know that he walked with her, even if he could not tell him. He was a stranger still, even if he had proven to be of the best possible kind so far.

"You don't know what you'd get yourself into," was the answer to his proposal. "I'm late for a meeting. If you want to, you can come with me, but you need to keep your distance when it starts, alright?"

Before long, they exited the system of catwalks onto the connected platforms that made out the lower levels of the Crevasse. The metal underfooting was slippery. The slow, dusty, dreary downpour made it difficult to see too far ahead of you. In the distance, on the platform furthest away from them, Dhari could spy the faint outline of the Blacklight, and below it the silhouettes of a group of beings, some holding what looked like umbrellas above their heads. He's going to be in a foul mood, Dhari thought.

The silence between her and Nakadr had been a painful contrast to the conversation they'd had in the cantina. Dhari would have liked to apologise or explain herself, but the flashes had brought back the headache with a vengeance, and she was tied up just trying to keep her head from splitting open. His presence gave her some comfort, though, as they neared the platform where the Pitlord was waiting.

As they came up on the entrance to the landing pad, one of the Pitlord's goons (who was guarding the entrance) stepped in their way. "This area's off-limits."

"That's my ship," Dhari said, pointing at the black-hulled

AMS-8500 sitting on the landing pad. "Dhari Rast. I've got an appointment with the Pitlord. Look it up."

The guard gave Dhari a sour look, but he did as asked, scrolling through a datapad. "Huh," he grunted after a short while. "I guess you do. Well, Captain Rast, come on in." The goon turned his attention on Nakadr. "Her. Not you," he said.

Dhari turned and faced Nakadr. "You better stay here for the time being," she said, some of the softness having returned to her voice. "Should be quick enough to get this over with. I'll come back afterwards. Then we can talk."

The goon powered down the force-field that surrounded the landing pad, and Dhari entered.

@Rhogar @Catbert

 

[Taldorak Trenessar]

The tone didn't surprise Tal. She'd just killed a man and in the back of his mind, he thought it could have been her first or her first in awhile. So he didn't hold it against her. In fact, he'd just nod at her words. "Yeah, but.. nevermind, mesh'la." He'd give her a hand a gentle squeeze. "It's a good thing I don't mind a little crazy, yeah?"

The silence, was deafening. But once again, the Mandalorian didn't hold it against her, he couldn't. He'd just have to be a silent sentry and hope that gave her some solace. In time, they'd talk. Make things right. But now? Now it was time for work.

After a little bit, they'd reach a surprisingly guarded landing platform. Several guards, even a shield. The little puke guarding the entry way would give her some tone and after she gave the name, he'd begin to let her through, stopping Tal. When she spoke to Tal, finally, her earlier tone had returned. "Fine, I'll be waiting for you out here."

Something didn't add up. She acted like a nobody, yet her ship was being visited by the pitlord and the hangar had a forcefield. He'd pace away, allowing her to leave as be mulled over the information, stopping dead in his tracks. The spacer mentioned a haul. She must have been the pilot they were after. He'd activate his comm to Kel. "Hey, I got something Kel. I found the pilot. She's heading to her ship, but.. I'll deal with her."

Twisting quickly, Tal would pull his peacemaker, the first guard not even having the slightest hint that it was about to be a very bad day. His blaster slipped free and he fired three shots, scoring two hits in the man's in the man's torso with the last colliding with his skull. As the head snapped back, Tal primed up and fired his whistling birds at the other four guards. They were dead before they hit the ground and before they even knew anything was happening. He holstered his blaster as he stepped on the closest corpse to the shield and deactivated it.

Crossing onto the platform, he'd make his way for the ship in the distance. Either she had played him, or this was an unhappy coincidence. All he knew for sure, was the options had changed.

@Catbert @Casmer