Ask The Family Jewels

[Crix Dolan]

Crix was in a dead sprint as the chaos around him revolved. His arms pumped, both hands white knuckling his blasters. His mind was racing. Don’t be Reyna, don’t be Reyna, Don’t be Reyna! He thought on repeat as he cautiously moved from cover to cover.

He peeked around the display of gaudy Mandalorian armor and saw the ashen goon backhand The Princess. Reyna staggered backward, and as he body got clear of the thugs, Crix opened fire. Four shoots in rapid succession slammed into their target in a tight bunch.

Crix kept his weapons leveled on his downed adversary, but the gunslinger knew a dead body when he saw one. He holstered his weapons then turned to Reyna, “C’mon, we need to get out of where, where’s Dar-in?”

@llamallove

 

[Reyna Vernize]

The ashen sentient slumped to the floor with an audible thud, the chromium blaster that he had cherished in life skidding across the floor of the ship until it hit the wooden display case that held a set of Mandalorian armor so flashy and so ostentatious that no self-respecting Mandalorian would have ever worn it. Fumes rose from the dead man's smoldering body, where four well-aimed plasma bolts had torn through his clothing and ruptured his skin. Not that any of that mattered to him now. He was dead. Quite dead.

It was a lot to take in all at once. The cacophony of blaster fire and screams that echoed through the hallway. The dead man at her feed. The blood that ran from her nostril and stained her ebony skin. It was the first nose bleed she'd ever experienced, and she might have been more alarmed had her focus not rested exclusively on the bodyguard that lay at the other end of the hall.

Reyna stepped over the corpse of the man that had attacked her, not even bothering to look down as she sprinted toward Dar-in and slid to her knees. He lay motionless, surrounded by shattered glass and chunks of wooden debris. This wasn't a fitting place to die. Not for an Onderonian. Not for a Royal Guard. Not for anyone who possessed even a shred of decency.

"Dar-in?" came the princess' voice, soft and low, blinking rapidly as she tried to process everything that had happened. To Crow she called, "Over here!' She couldn't take her eyes off of the body guard, her hands coming to rest on his chest as she stared at the blood trickling out of his open mouth. Was he dead? He couldn't be. He just couldn't be. It was too fast. Too abrupt.
Boots against metal reverberated down the hallway. They wouldn't be alone for long. @Zay

 

[Crix Dolan]

Crix’s chest heaved as the adrenaline of combat settled over him. He took a deep breath calming himself and making a mental note to cut back on the cigarra’s. A bead of sweat traced his jaw as his eyes watched the shell shocked princess stoop over a body. Crow’s blood went cold. Even from where he was standing he could tell that Dar-in was gone.

He swallowed what little emotion he felt and stooped down, attempting to usher Reyna away. She resisted and in a voice that was soft, but urgent he said, “Reyna, don’t let his death be in vain. We have to go.”

A blaster bolt splashed super heated plasma across the ground near their feet. She wasn’t moving, she couldn’t. He remembered that feeling. The shock. It was like seeing a lie rather than hearing it. It was like watching someone pull some cruel joke and waiting for the “Sike!” but it never came. Another bolt slammed into the ground, Crow sighed. He fired two shots in the direction of the incoming attackers. From his belt he pulled a thermal detonator and turned it on. The ignition lights came on and began to count down, Crow lobbed the explosive into the air, then he threw himself over Reyna as the explosion went off.

The thunderclap of the explosion shook the ground and momentarily cut out the lights in the show room. Without her permission, Crow slipped under Reyna’s arm and lifted her up. She suddenly felt so small in his arms. The fiery persona stripped away leaving the scared girl in it’s place. Dar-in and Crow had made a pact to protect Reyna at all costs. It had been the only reason the chief of the royal guard had agreed with him on anything. The man’s sense of duty had made him rigid, but that level of honor in a vile and ruthless galaxy had been a small glimmer of hope at the end of a tunnel that never seemed to end.

In to his com, Crow said “Dar-in is dead, we’re pulling out now. This is not a request. All royal guard members are to report to The Blackbird effective immediately.”

Their responses fell on deaf ears as Crix trotted toward the exit, cradling the princess of Onderon in his arms, holding her tight, and praying to any preternatural or omnipresent entity he could imagine to get them to safety. Regardless of her attempts to stop him or struggle, Crix would not stop or let her go until they were safe.


Hyperspace… two hours later…

Beegee was positioned at Crow’s left caff like a protective pet. His little flamethrower at the ready as the remainder of the royal guard glared at him. Crow’s face was impassive. His practiced Sabbac player sneer painted across his face as he listened to the impressively imaginative ways the leaderless guard laddled blame into his lap. The one that stoked the flames was, Matias. A young warrior who’d been Dar-in’s squire before being elevated to the rank of Royal Guard upon completion of his training.

“None of this would have happened if, we hadn’t partnered with this sleezy smuggler!” he exclaimed. Emotion drove his words and motivated his actions. If they’d been in a bar and the kid had been mouthing off like this, Crow would have just hit him, but they weren’t and he knew how badly the guy was hurting, so he let him go.

“He’s been a pain in the ass since the moment we found him—”
“Matias, enough!”

Crow cocked an eyebrow at the second in command of the guard, Tyrie. The new captain of the guard was the only member sitting. His arms were crossed over his chest and his face was contorted into a deep set frown, but ,until now, he hadn’t said a word. Crow met the raging storm in the other man’s gaze, and didn’t back down. These guys didn’t know he was Terra Nova’s enforcer. These guys didn’t know he was one of the most notorious members of Crimson Dawn, but from the look in Tyrie’s eyes he knew the other man saw him for the killer he was, and Crix respected him for it.

“Dar-in, respected Crow. We will do the same until we are given orders to the contrary, now sit down or you will be dismissed.”

Matias swung at the air, frustration blossoming into a full blown tantrum, but he managed to calm himself enough to take a seat on a munitions container across the room. Once Tyrie was sure Matias wouldn’t have another outburst, the older man said, “In light of the current events, I believe it to be in the best interest of the crown to return to Onderon and abandon this foolish treasure hunt.”

Crow shrugged, “If you do that, then Dar-in died for nothing—”

Matias sprung up from the container stabbing an accusing finger and spewing vitriol in Crow’s direction, “He died with honor doing his duty! Don’t you dare pretend to have known him!”

Tyrie held up a hand, but the expression on his face told Crow The New Captain agreed with Matias, so he didn’t press it. Ultimately it would be up to Reyna. They could try and throw their weight around, but they were on his ship, and Reyna was their boss. Crix stood and walked over to his wet bar, placed a large ice cube into a glass then covered it in Denon single barrel bourbon.

He took a sip, and said, “I’m fine with whatever the Princess chooses.”

Just like that, he’d drawn the line. They would either honor her like he would, or Crow would have more dead guards on his consciousness, but force be damned if they thought they were going to give him orders on his own ship. Beegee rubbed up against his leg and Crix smirked at the little guy as he swapped his flamethrower for a taser.

Nar Shaddaa... A month later...

Crow still couldn't believe the princess had just given up. The resigned expression in her eye the sullen pout of her lips, she'd been shaken, but what in the hell did he expect. She'd proven to just be a princess after all. He took a drag off his cigarra as he made his way down the familiar sector to Kara's place. The robotics store was just a few blocks ahead when he stopped.

Why had he chosen Kara?

He could have easily reached out to Tarra, right? He wasn't so sure any more. A lot of change had happened in the galaxy over the past few months, why hadn't he gotten a call? He started to wonder what he wanted. Like, what he really wanted. The life of an Enforcer wasn't bad, but it wasn't much of a life either. He spotted the noodle truck Kara liked and grabbed two Chef Specials and two mango rice dishes. Easier to win her over if he came baring gifts. He just hoped she hadn't eaten yet.

Crix was kicking around a dangerous idea. One that could fundamentally alter his way of life immediately, but it was still hidden behind the enigma of Onderon's Royal Family Jewel's. Maybe he was hoping she could see something he was missing. Maybe he just wanted an excuse to swing by, maybe he was trying to forget it was the anniversary of the day his whole life had been changed.

Maybe he was looking for a friend.

Crow dipped his head through the plastic curtain, "Hey assholes, Kara in back?"

The two mean looking Weequay flashed The Smuggler toothy grins and he suddenly wished he wasn't so damn charming.

"Dunno," started the first, "You got he good's?" finished the second.

"Always gentlemen," said Crow pulling out the two orders of Mango Rice, handing one to each.

"Yup," answered the first, "Good luck," warned the second before they both simultaneously began devouring the rice.

"That right," he mused for a moment wondering if he should leave. Whatever, if she wanted him to leave that would be fine, but he'd already bought the noodles so might as well drop off some food before he got the boot. A few minutes later and he was knocking on Kara's closed door. He'd let her get riled up before revealing who it was on the other side of the door.

"House keeping," he said in a heavily accented falsetto. Now, he just hoped she didn't shoot him through the door. That'd be a waste of a shot and perfectly good noodles.

@Eccles

 

[Kara Zaa Fenn]

From the other side of the door a rather exasperated and bored voice could be heard saying, "Yes, yes, yeees-" and then the door would unlock and open, but contrary to what Crix believed would happen, he only got to see Kara walking away from him. Apparently she was on a call she deemed to be much more important than housekeeping and looking at the state of the place it wasn't a farfetched idea that she really needed someone to clean the place, too.

"Like I said, the droid is enroute to the corporate sector-" she told whoever was on the other side of the line, "-it's dependable, untraceable and I programmed it myself." Suddenly she stopped and turned around as if she only now realized that she had never hired any housekeeping. She wasn't wearing the most flattering outfit, choosing comfort over style lately, but for someone who had seen her naked the increase in breast-size wasn't about to go unnoticed.

"What the kriff, Crix?" she half-cried and then closed her eyes as someone in her ear started to continue yapping and Kara clearly wasn't in the mood for bullshit right now, so she rather theathrically pressed the button to kill the conversation and turned to look at the Crimson Dawn Enforcer again. "That's a long karking noodle run." It was hard to pinpoint if she was angry at him for dipping out the morning after they shared the honeymoon suite, or impressed and simply bad at showing it.

@Zay

 

[Crix Dolan]

The door swung open and his shit eating grin was completely ignored as Kara waved him in without even looking his way. She kept gesturing for him to come in while talking on the phone. Crix’s smile widened and he stepped in, shutting the door behind him. He took a seat in the same chair she’d invited him to a few months back. He crossed one leg over the other as he took her in. The anticipation of her wrath or adulation was, well, it was pretty exciting. His shit eating grin split his face as pulled the two cartons of noodles out of the grease stained bag.

As she turned around and he watched the realization stampede across her face he realized he’d missed her, and that scared the shit out of him. The same feeling he'd felt as he'd watched her sleep in the honeymoon suite. The feeling that had made him leave. Emotional connections were tough in their line of work. One's that crossed lines, well, there was no need to go getting ahead of himself. He wasn't in the headspace for logical thinking today.

At her accusation his eyebrows went up as if he were as innocent as a new born baby, “You can't rush good noodles, what you want me to go to the cart just down the street or something?” he asked knowing he’d done just that, “Besides after the things you made me do, I figured you’d never wanna see me again,” his shit eating grin slipping into a coy smile as he watched her.

Crix tossed her some chopsticks, then opened his noodles and took a bite, “I think you’re just mad you set your alarm too late. But hey, I'll tell you what, play your cards right and maybe you'll get the chance for revenge.” he chuckled while taking another bite.

Then he asked the obvious, but hoped she’d lie, “You busy?”

He didn’t have any clue how he was going to work up to asking for her help, but he had a carton of noodles to figure that out.

@Eccles

 

[Kara Zaa Fenn]

Kara'd be lying if she said her mind didn't drift towards that nearby blaster for a second. She could do it, too. Shoot Crix Dolan? Who'd kriffing care. If Administrator Lanris had any idea how to treat an enforcer of his calibre he wouldn't be running back to Hutt Space, back to Nar Shaddaa, back to her, all the time. Kriff that karker, let the scamps on the lower levels eat the flesh from his bones and let him rot as no one even bothers enough to notice he was missing. It's not like Kara even wanted noodles, what she wanted was a good double synth-meat burger, extra slice of pickle and just a slice of that aged blue bantha cheese. Yes, she didn't want any of those kriffing noo- "give me that, kriffing devil-" she walked up and snatched one of the noodle packs and caught the chopsticks in her hand. "-no talking."

He was right, ofcourse. She would have left him behind in that honeymoon suite. Transferred the creds, take the painting with her and gift it to Preef. There you go, she'd say, Marissa's favorite painting. She still got to do that, naturally, but it would've felt nicer if she could've bailed on him instead of the other way around. Would've felt more like an accomplishment then. She also got what she wanted, too. Adoption into the Zaa Fenn Crime Family and the official title of 'Boss of the Zaa Fenn'.

For some reason she had thought about Crix on her way back from Tatooine. Moreso lately, too. She wasn't going to entertain him with a reply on the 'cards' and 'revenge' thing. Didn't want to give him the satisfaction of thinking he was a smooth kriffer that just got away with things. "The job," it was barely audible with the moutful of noodles, "whaddapay"

@Zay

 

[Crix Dolan]

Crix had been in enough gunfights to know when someone was giving him a look that implied danger. Since she’d laid eyes on him, Kara, had periodically glanced at her blaster. If she had been anyone else, he’d have shot first, but he had a soft spot for her… it was probably gonna get him killed one day. He just hoped it happened while he was under her.

She snatched the noodles, and he let them go, throwing up his hands in surrender. He wasn’t really sure where her edge was coming from. Last he was aware they were still on good terms, but then again he’d shown up unannounced, what the fuck was he expecting?

“10k more than you paid me for the Velasco job,” he said. He was starting to recede back into his typical guarded stoicism. Even now he’d shifted away from her, leaving the noodles he desperately wanted to eat on her desk. He draped one leg over the other, making it easy for him to get to his blaster. He slipped out his data pad and offered, “Or, if you’re not feeling particularly frisky, I’m looking for info on a group sporting this insignia.”

Crix leaned forward and grabbed his box of noodles while sliding his datapad across the desk so she could get a better look.

“Ran into them a while back, got a hunch they’re chasing something I’m after,” he mentioned between bites.

@Eccles

 

[Kara Zaa Fenn]

Ten thousand credits more than the Velasco job? Kara pondered that for a second. The job had paid well, ofcourse, but not as well as he prime Proletariat days in the core. To her mind the Crimson Dawn did operate in that scale of pay, so whatever this job was it wasn't initiated by the Dawn. She smiled, figuring the Devil of Denon first became the Devil of the Zaa Fenn, to then become the Devil of the Crimson Dawn to finally becoming just the Devil. Working your own jobs in this line of business was a luxury not everyone could afford. Seemed like Crix finally outgrew the other hunters.

Before she could answer, she did have a mouthful of noodles after all, he moved on to place a datapad in her free hand. Well, it was only free after she put the chopsticks into the noodle package she was already holding in her left, so while she looked at the insignia the food's smell made her want to rush whatever he wanted so she could get back to the noodles. "The Collective," she said quite matter-of-factly and gave the datapad back, "copied that name from the group that ruled the Five Syndicates." 'The Collective' had been what they called the ruling council of the Five Syndicates where, until its dissolution after Preef's presumed death; Durra the Hutt, Vivienne Donatade, Xarr of the Black Sun, Garr of the Pykes and Preef Callo were members of. Basically representatives and leaders of the Five major criminal syndicates in the galaxy. The cartel, the Crimson Dawn, Black Sun, Pyke and the Crymorah Syndicates. Kara knew she wouldn't have to explain that part to Crix. "Back when the Zaa Fenn still ruled the Crymorah," she continued, referring to the time she worked closely with Marissa Zaa Fenn to keep their family on top of the syndicate's foodchain from their headquarters on Coruscant. It was also around that time that Kara and Crix had first met. "There was a group who started calling themselves that to show to everyone else that their goal was to one-up the syndicates and become the new Big Stack Bullies," or so to say. In Sabacc a 'big stack bully' was the one with all the power because he had by far the most chips on the table.

She vaguely recalled some incidents but by the time Shane Covax and his mysterious backer assaulted the quick-draw cantina, Kara lost her network and this Collective wasn't big enough to warrant any real threat. She remembered one name, though; "I think Xim Ziton used to be mention them often," she said, referring to a known bounty and former associate of the Zaa Fenn Crime Family:

Name: Xim Ziton (NPC)
Wanted: Alive
Bounty: 25,000 credits
Contractor: Coruscant Planetary Government
Wanted for: Spice Manufactoring, Spice Distribution, Spice trafficking

• Target is the streetboss of the Black Enders
• Target operates a secret spice lab. Destruction of his lab rewards a 25,000 credits bonus

"They're not the most reliable outfit, Crix," Kara warned him as she returned to slurping in the noodles. In other words; best stay away if you value your life. She knew however that he wasn't going to get spooked by a warning like that, but that would be his grave, not hers.

Then back to the matter at hand, "So what's the job?" She was a Fixer of the Bounty Hunter's Guild as well as the boss of the Zaa Fenn Crime Family. If he was trying to lowball her on a job he wouldn't live to see his next birthday.. cute smile or not.

@Zay

 

[Crix Dolan]

Crix picked an herb from his tooth with his tongue as Kara confirmed what he already knew. The Enforcer’s brow furrowed in thought as he considered what that meant. Based on Kara’s description of the gang, there were two things he could be sure of: The Collective would be hungry and desperate.

These guys will be playing to win…

Crow sighed realizing he needed to up her pay a bit given the increase in danger… his eyes lingered on her chest. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but there was something different—

His attention came back to the conversation as he looked down at the bounty she’d mentioned. Crow cocked an eyebrow, “Might need to have a word with him,” he mused while Kara gave him a warning. He looked up at her and smirked.

“It’s nice you know someone out here worries about me,” he said with actual sincerity. It was so far out of his norm that she’d probably think he had some incurable terminal illness, but he was okay with that.

Kara asked about the job again, and Crix’s smile widened, “Just a little jewel heist,” he teased.

It felt good being in the other chair for once. Getting to drop little crumbs here and there while the other person wondered if they were getting screwed or not. He could get used to this.

“Well, okay, a BIG jewel heist, tell you what, I’ll throw in Xim’s bounty as a bonus,” he said as he pulled out his ratty pack of cigarettes and started to light up.

@Eccles

 

[Kara Zaa Fenn]

Kara pondered over Crix's words for a moment. He was downplaying the heist but was willing to throw a 25k bounty reward her way as a bonus. He had come to her instead of Administrator Lanris back on Omega Station. Something didn't quite seem to add up for he would never just come to her because he preferred her company over those in the Crimson Dawn. Or, did he? Her gaze dropped to her half-eaten pack of noodles. She had not intention of telling him and didn't know if doing so would cost her a payday that was apparently this big.

No, she was Kara Zaa Fenn. She scammed the Sith Empire out of millions, orchestrated the prison break of several Sith Lords, brought the Zaa Fenn Crime Family back from extinction and sat at the head of the table. She was a Fixer and Boss, not a low-level scoundrel accepting a meagre payout.

"Fifty fifty," she finally said and looked back up to look Crix in the eyes with her signature 'I'm the top-bitch, not you'-kinda gaze. "We go fifty-fifty on both the jewel heist and the Xim Ziton." There was no way that ten thousand more than the Velasco job would be higher than fifty percent of a 'BIG Jewel heist'. Just no way. Kara wasn't about to get screwed over by Crix again. He had no idea how badly he had screwed her last time. In multiple ways.

@Zay

 

[Crix Dolan]

Crix barked with laughter, “Half, absolutely not,” he shook his head taking a drag off his cigarette, “Are you really that mad at me?”

Crow wasn’t sure where this was coming from. He wasn’t lowballing her, he was taking care of her the same way she’d done him, couldn’t she see that’s what he was doing, he was trying to fucking apologize for getting cold feet…

“This job’s almost done, I need an eye in the sky and a possible slice,” he said, sitting back in his chair, he set his box of noodles back on the desk, “I’m sorry,” he muttered barely louder than a hoarse whisper. The only real conclusion he could come up with was he’d actually hurt her. That was the last thing he wanted to do. He cleared his throat and said it again, probably a little too loud, “SO—” then correcting to a normal frequency, “—Sorry.” he said again.

Then he realized she probably had no idea why he was apologizing, so Crix swore under his breath, leaned forward resting his head in his hands then looked up at her and said, "I'm sorry for bailing on the suite. Thought I was doing us a favor," he looked away obviously embarrassed, and obviously not saying everything he felt.

After a moment he put his hands up in half hearted surrender and said, "Take this job and let me make it up to you."

Finally. he leaned back in his chair. That uncomfortable feeling of vulnerability settling in around his shoulders like a wet towel. He crossed his arms over his chest feeling like a chastised kid. Then he noticed something was off. He frowned and looked back at her. Then to both her hands. Then to the top of her desk. Bewilderment blossomed across his expression like someone getting hit with a snowball in summer. He ran his tongue over his teeth taking in what he was seeing and, as if, to triple check what he suspected his gaze fell back to the desk. No bottle. No ashtray.

He looked at the cigarette hanging out of his mouth and suddenly felt worse. He hadn't asked, because she'd been fine with it before... "Should I... uh, put this out?" he asked.

@Eccles

 

[Kara Zaa Fenn]

Crix suddenly changed from the charming sweettalker to the blumbering fool as he started to apologize for leaving her first at the penthouse a few months ago. She didn't care about that, that was not the way he had screwed her over, after all. "I forgot you're usually on the other side of this," she finally said as she shook her head in partial disbelief. In Hutt space haggling over the price of a job was more common than Crix apparently thought, even among friends, and Kara had the luxury position of knowing the Devil of Denon. As an enforcer of the Crimson Dawn he had plenty of choices. He could let a scoundrel do the things he said for cheap, "eye in the sky and some slicing", or go to Adminstrator Lanris herself and get Omega Station's top operators on the job. The only downside to that last one is that it would no longer be a Crix Dolan job, but a Crimson Dawn one.

He came to Kara for only two reasons: 1) He needed a professional, and 2) he needed it to stay 'his job'. Unfortunately for him, the Boss of the Zaa Fenn Crime Family had no qualms in screwing over a man that's in over his head. "I'll give you the good-lay discount, then," she smirked as he leaned back all vulnerable with his hands up in surrender. "Twenty-five, but when I call next," for a second he would recognize that she was all business, "you answer." Being an Outer Rim Fixer and having a Crimson Dawn Enforcer owing you one was something she couldn't pass up.

A moment later it almost seemed like Crix was putting one and two together, but somehow Kara had her doubts he'd end up at three. "Do whatever you want," she said in a stern, disappointed voice, "I quit, because-" she paused, her gaze lingering on the cigarette dangling from his lips, "-one of the weequays has asthma."

Eager to change the subject, Kara walked to the other side of the room where the fridge was and took out a vitamin water. "So," she began before taking a large sip of the water and standing there for a second with the door open, allowing the cold air to battle the hot flush she had felt coming on, "Need me to fix you a pilot and a slicer?" she asked retorically before turning back around towards him whil still standing in the cold refridgerated air, "Or do you want the Kara Especial?"

@Zay

 

[Crix Dolan]

As soon as she said it he knew he’d fucked up. She was always on. She was always looking for the best deal. He’d literally walked into the fucking room listening to her barking at someone else. Still too much Denon in his veins. Big mistake in Hutt space, and he knew better. He sighed, and with it buried all of his emotions, except one. He was a fool for thinking their relationship had changed or that he was anything more than a hired gun to Kara Zaa Fenn.

He stretched his neck from one side to the other as the stress of his failed attempt at a cute little make up dinner went to shit. Oh well. Damned if ya do, or whatever the fuck the saying was. He shook his head, she probably assumed it was at her, but he wasn’t through berating himself. Crix Dolan was an amicable naïve star ship engineer. Crow on the other hand… well, Crow was what was all that was left. It was why he’d chosen the name. It was supposed to remind him that he wasn’t from Denon anymore. He was born in the muck and mire of a Zeltron sewer surrounded by the body parts of his closest friend.

Any sign of humor would slip from his expression. He didn't laugh when she threw his joke back in his face. He made a mental note of the slight and filed it away. That was the thing with Fixers. Give them enough line to hang themselves and they will. Now, that he wasn’t listening like he would to a friend or someone he cared about it was easy to see her trying to up the price at every turn. And every attempt made his blood boil.

Crow took one last drag on his cigarette as she spat her permission at him. He ashed it on his knee then flicked the butt into the trash can across the room. A small part of him knew he was reacting this way because he was hurt. Because of what day it was. Because today was the day his life had come to a stop. The day he’d watched a payload collapse the hospital his wife and newborn were recovering in. The day he’d dug through duracrete and transparisteel until his fingers blead. The day he'd screamed and cried, and pleaded for any preternatural power to intercede, but all he'd received in return for his prostration was silence.

Crow’s fists were clenched, knuckles white. He stood from the chair, jaw grinding his teeth as his temples thumped and the vein on his forehead stood out.

In a voice barely louder than footfalls on gravel he said, “I apologize for the inconvenience, I had hoped to offer a friend an easy payday,” he straightened his jacket as he looked around eyes finally coming to rest on her, They flicked up and down her figure. One last look to remember her he supposed.

”Guess I have the wrong place," he turned his back on her and strode toward the door.

@Eccles

 

[Kara Zaa Fenn]

Rather stupified, Kara watched how Crix rose from his chair. Something was horribly off about him. He everpresent smile had disappeared, his fists were clenched and it seemed like all the blood was rising to this head. She wasnt in time to step in front of him on account of her first having to close the refridgerator's door, but she went after him nevertheless. Passed the plastic curtains and into the bar-like front of the robotics shop where a droid handled all the client work. Kriff, she hadn't realized it had started to rain on the Smuggler's Moon, or that the only light in the street was that of the neon signs from the shops around them. Cathouse across the street, diners and clubs to her right and faded overcrowded motels to her left. Bums weren't uncommon on this level owing to the ones even lower still being in redevelopment after the AMS virus and its victims tore through them like nobody's business. Unfortunately the Desilijic didn't hurry with the redevelopment on account of... well, credits.

"Have some credits for a war veteran?" a one-armed bum asked Kara as he held his one good arm up, but the fixer had something else in mind altogether and the fact that slightly acidic rain was now falling on her skin wasn't making any of this any more appealing. "Kriff off," she slapped the arm away and shifted her gaze to the streets. Dozens of sentients walked from one side to the other, all kinds of different species, too, and it was hard to.. there he is.

Kara rushed after him, "Crix!" Why was she like this? Sure, seeing him change like that had made her worried as hell, but it wasn't the first time a prospective client didn't want to fess up the necessary credits for a job. That was all he was. An Enforcer for the Crimson Dawn. Competition. A fellow merc, sometimes. She couldn't very well entertain everyone that walked away upon hearing something they didn't like. "karking hell, stop for a second!" she stopped as she said it. Her heart pounding in her throat. Perhaps it was time she confessed something to herself, or told him about it to prevent him from walking away.

The slightly acidic rain turned into a shower, drenching Kara's clothes as everyone around her seemed to pull their jackets closer or somehow produced an umbrella. "I'll do it," she muttered, which he could only hear if he stopped and got closer, "your terms. I'll do it." It was a desperate attempt to keep him in her life, perhaps, and a black day for a fixer to cave to a client's demands.

@Zay

 

[Crix Dolan]

Crow's eyes were set forward as he stepped back into the front of the shop, both Weequay stopped what they were doing to look at him.

"Either of you have fucking asthma?"
"Weequay can't get asthma."

A pained smile split his face as he turned around and flung the plastic out of his way.

He made it a few steps out of Roache Robotics vowing to never darken the door again when it started to rain. The smuggler's moon was draped in a haze of neon light diffused through acid rain. Crow shrugged up his jacket, popping the collar and pulling it up around his neck in an attempt to keep the rain out. It didn't work.

He heard his name, the god given one, and he stopped. He didn't turn around because he knew if he did, he'd ruin any chance of making up for this. He waited for her to scream whatever obscenities he'd no doubt invoked. What was a few more lashes before hoping in his ship and heading back to Omega Station? But her anger never came. Instead she asked him to stop.

Crow didn't know what to do. He was confused, hurt, tired, lonely...

He turned. The rain began to fall harder. Kara was drenched to the bone. Her clothes clung to her figure. He felt a chill run down his spine and knew she had to be freezing. He stepped forward as she agreed to the job. There was something lingering in her expression. It wasn't desperation, not totally. His mask was cracking and he could feel it. The anger he'd depended on to get him out of there to protect him as being torn apart with every drop of rain that hit him.

He took a deep breath, then slid out of his jacket and draped it over her shoulders. Looking her in the eye. They were close the closest they'd been since Velasco. It took every shred of discipline he had not to pull her into him. He could feel her breath on his neck.

In that same quiet gravelly voice he said, "Okay."

A bum with one arm started to clap, which was impressive given his lack of appendages.

"I'll be in touch, keep the jacket. I'll get it from you in a few days," he said, opening it and slipping his ratty pack of cigarettes from the inner pocket. He straightened the coat, and zipped it up. The shadow of a smile playing at the corners of his lips. He wondered if this would be the closest either of them would ever get to admitting how they felt.

He hoped not, but then again, hopping never really panned out for Crow.

The job wasn't on Nar Shaddaa, it was in a museum a couple systems over. As it turned out, the Royal Jewels of Onderon had been discovered, but as with most of history, they'd been mistaken as a different set of precious stones.

Before he let her go he said, "I'll owe you for this."

@Eccles

 

[Kara Zaa Fenn]

Three days later.

It's not like she was judging him for it or anything, but The Blackbird was a cramped ship. Kara wasn't going to sit in the cockpit the entire time, the bunk-beds were comfortable, but not when you're sleeping in them together so that wasn't gonna happen during this trip, but worst of all was the bathroom. Kara had to pee in the shower. Well, not literally, but the toilet was inside the shower cabin and whoever thought that was a good idea was... well, one of them who obviously thought so was pretty charming, but that wasn't the point. She knew he had the credits to buy a bigger starship. Heck, even Kara had the credits to buy him a bigger starship!

"Are you sure these are the Onderon Crown Jewels?" she asked Crix as she lounged inside the top bunk and read up on the bounty. She was relatively close to him due to the small starship they were living in while travelling. "I mean, I may know a guy on Quesh that can verify, but-" she also didn't want to interfere in his job and keep checking if he had done his due diligence. Crix was making clear that he was ready to source and plan his own job with his own hand-picked crew. She knew he could, too. Kriff, you didn't just become an enforcer in the Crimson Dawn if you didn't know your stuff.

"-huh, did you know that before the Five Syndicates, the Exchange ruled over most crime factions?" she flashed him the datapad by holding it out of the bunk just low enough for him to see it from the cockpit, "Apparently they tried to sell them a few years after the initial theft." Kara found all of this to be a fascinating read and wondered why she never had the idea to go after them herself. Well, good thing Crix had, though, because with the two million from the bounty he would be able to afford himself a bigger ship for sure.


@Zay

 

[Crix Dolan]

Crow’s hands slid over the controls of The Blackbird with practiced precision. BeeGee warbled something about their coordinates, but Crix was on auto-pilot. Kara was on board. A fact he still couldn’t fully wrap his mind around. He kept seeing her standing in the rain cast in the neon glow of The Smuggler’s moon. Her voice brought him to the present and he said, “Hm? Yeah, I’m sure.”

He sighed, stretching in his seat. Mid-streatch he said, “Happy to let you check my work if you’d like.”

To his own surprise, there was more playfulness in his voice than he’d expected. Crow had been hunting these particular gems for a handful of years now, and there was no doubt in his mind he’d finally pinpointed the real deal. Especially, after the fiasco on Druga the Hutt’s star yacht.

Kara brought up The Exchange and he looked over the side of his chair at the datapad she was holding. He frowned as he considered what she’d said.

“That right?” he replied interest evident, as he slid out of his chair and onto the floor. He took the datapad from her and looked a the story she’d been reading intently. “Huh, I mean, I can’t say I’m that surprised…” he said drifting off a little as he read, “The job I did for them on Raxus was smooth. I mean real smooth.”

His expression hardened a fraction as he thought about The Tarisian. That was a guy he wasn’t interested in being in debt to.

“Yeah, these little Jewels have had quite the exciting life. If the reward wasn’t so good, I’d let them remain adrift.”

Crix handed her back the Datapad, “We’ve got a little time before we touch down. I’m gonna grab a shower, don’t peek, you know I’m shy,” he said flashing her a little smile before pulling his t-shirt off. He cut the water on and waited for it to warm.

From the shower he called to Kara, “You ever been to Opportunity?”

One of Crix’s favorite things about The Blackbird was how efficient it was. Everything was streamlined and compact. Granted having another person on board had made him miss The Freebird, but ultimately he was happier with his brusier of a ship. To be honest, Crix hadn’t heard of the planet they were heading to until just recently. For the longest time he’d run into dead end after dead end chasing these jewel’s until, quite by chance, he realized the “Opportunity” he’d been looking for was literally a planet.

Crix felt the water, undressed and stepped in. If Kara spoke he'd be able to hear. She was literally like five feet away.

@Eccles

 

[Kara Zaa Fenn]

Opportunity? Kara pondered the name for a second, although admittedly she got a bit distracted as Crix decided to undress and get into the shower right before her eyes. "Industrial world, right?" she finally asked, remembering having read the name somewhere while travelling down the.. Manda Trade Route? "They're there?" she gasped, not quite able to beleive that the crown jewels had simply been forgotten because they were on some smaller planet surrounded by giants. Kriff, wasn't that exactly how the galaxy was? You ask someone to name one corporation and they'll say Blackwell, or Czerka, but never the smaller ones like NalTech, Blastech, Systech, Moratacorp. Apparently it was the same with planets. Everyone knew about Onderon, knew about its missing crown jewels even, but a world like 'Opportunity'? Kriff outta here.

"I don't know anybody there," a fixer's real nightmare, "but if they got a guild office," meaning a local bounty board with an appointed caretaker, "I might be able to swing something depending on the budget." A museum heist on a nobody-world wouldn't be too expensive.. at least, not considering the pricetag on the items they were planning to rob.

Having been a fixer at the Proletariat Bounty Board on Coruscant did have its perks, after all. No matter how long ago you were at the top.. the top remembers. "You got a long-range comm in this thing?" she asked as she lifted herself from the bunk. It was time she got to calling in favors and introducing her holo to the right persons.


@Zay

 

[Crix Dolan]

Crix let the warm water run over his head for a few heartbeats. He heard Kara’s response, “That’s the one.”

He couldn’t help but smile as she put the pieces together. To his surprise it appeared they’d found the one planet, Kara didn’t know anyone. “Won’t need to,” he said, reaching around the corner and grabbing for his towel.

“This museum has archaic security,” a smile spread across his face, “I just needed someone to slice the security console, and disable the royal jewels spy movie security system.”

Crix finished drying off and wrapped the towel around his waist, “Oh, and get this, they run one security guard a night.”

The Enforcer stepped over to his gear locker and pulled a tunic over his head. Crix grabbed a pair of trousers and slipped them on, keeping the towel on until they were up to his waist. He draped the towel over his shoulder then grabbed a datapad.

“Here, this is a full rundown on this place’s lack of security.”

Crix turned just as Kara was coming down the ladder and they found themselves suddenly very close.

“Comms are just around the corner,” he said, not taking his eyes off hers. He stepped back, handing her the datapad.

“We’ll be there soon, I trust you, but I’m pretty confident we can keep this to the two of us,” he smirked, “Your call.”

That was the closest Crix could come to saying “I trust you,” and mean it.

“I’m gonna start getting my shit together for the gig,” he said, swiping his ratty pack of cigarettes from his jacket pocket hung over his captain's chair and made his way toward the front of the ship.

@Eccles

 

[Kara Zaa Fenn]

Kara stopped on her way to the comms unit to turn back around towards Crix, "No need?" she repeated before he explained the situation concerning he museum's security and even handed the stunned fixer a datapad. "You got all the intel? Sourced it, vetted it and-" she could hardly believe her eyes as she read the rundown on the datapad she was now holding. She could feel Crix's breath so close was he standing to her and it almost made her self-conscious about not having jumped into the shower as well.

"When did the Devil get switched for the Fixer from Denon?" Kara couldn't help but be impressed as she turned sideways in the cramped hallway to let him pass and return to his pilot's chair. "Kriff, you don't really need-" she didn't finish the sentence as she looked at him, reclining in his chair with the cigarette dangling from his lips. He could've paid any local slicer five thousand credits and it'd be fine. He didn't.. he chose to massively overpay her, for her services were very expensive owing to her high rating with the guild, just do.. spend time together? Kara felt hot, suddenly. She had even dared to try and force him to go fifty-fifty with her, too.

Dry-swallowing, Kara tossed the datapad on his bunk and closed the modesty curtain. "I'm gonna take a shower, too. Tell me when we're arriving at Opportunity." it wasn't like she had any work to do now, nor any calls to make. Crix -kriffing- Dolan planned out his heists far better than she had prepared for their theft of that painting by Velasco.

@Zay