Ask Wherever Duty Calls

[Zash]

Zash was pretty sure he was in the bowels of galaxy at this point. He'd been dispatched here to deal with a swoop gang that had double crossed one of the higher-ups in the Empire.

He'd read the reports and filed it away on his datapad, but to be honest, at the moment he was just trying to make sure he got to the right place. He didn't have a ship yet and had had to use public transport. Transport that was running late and was crammed full of passengers who smelled like they hadn't bathed in weeks.

He scrunched up his noes as he disembarked, setting foot into a city that wasn't really any better than the ship he had been on.

He squeezed past a family of Nosaurians and made his way toward the exit, glancing down at his datapad in order to get the proper direction. The Red Vulcans were a public menace, but most didn't have the guts to stand up to what was a notoriously violent and brutal gang. And so they sent a Sith... even if he was only an acolyte.

 

[Altair Din]

Altair stared down at the datapad. From the looks of it, he was a last minute tag to the mission that another acolyte was already sent on. He read the details and grumbled to himself, wondering if he was picked for a mission that involved being intimidating because of his appearance. Used to this kind of prejudice, he put it aside and decided to not let it bother him too much.

The Devaronian dressed in his normal attire, which always had a bit of a biker or punk influence to it. He was leaned against the wall of an alley that faced out towards a warehouse identified as a base of operations for the gang. Every now and then people spotted him and were jolted by surprise, always caught off guard by his appearance. While it wasn’t as bad as most planets since there were nosaurians walking around, it was entertaining all the same.

Altair spotted a few sketchy characters entering and leaving the warehouse, but he was mainly on the lookout for this other acolyte. He glanced down at the datapad, clicking into the group chat he was recently added into for the mission. It was just him and another user in there so he quickly typed up a message and sent it.

Acolyte Din reporting in. I’m in the alley directly across from target building. Dude with huge horns, can’t miss me.

 

[Zash]

Zash glanced down as his comlink buzzed, seeing the info of his partner on this particular job. Good, he's on time, he thought to himself, deciding that while he may not know the other man that was at least a good initial sign.

He nodded to himself and proceeded to head on toward the building they were looking for. With any luck, this would all go smoothly. Who was he kidding, these things never went smoothly.

It didn't take him too long to find the building, then the alley, and then the horns. He appreciated the vivid description provided by Din as well because it made him easier to find.

You ready? he asked when he made sure no one else was nearby. Reports say the gang has a main clubhouse and a side business that they run. Cantina, he said. At the moment they were next to the cantina. The clubhouse proper was a location that only gang members knew, which meant starting with the cantina would hopefully lead them on to the other building as well.

I was thinking we go in on quiet recon first, the hack and slash can come later, he suggested. Go in, order some food, see who they could isolate and interrogate or eavesdrop on, then clear up the enemy when they were ready.

 

[Altair Din]

Altair eyed Zash skeptically, “Cantina? Your baby faced ass is gonna have to do some mindtricks to convince everyone there you’re old enough to drink,” He stated flatly. The Devaronian himself was underaged, and he certainly wasn’t going to blend into a cantina full of grizzled old poverty stricken locals. His violet gaze flicked over to the building.

“I also can’t be discreet,” He pointed to his horns, “I think we’re better off brazenly posing as new recruits for the gang and being initiated,” Altair almost looked a bit too excited at the prospect, “And then we slowly pull them apart from the inside. What do you think?”

From what he could tell, the gang was always taking new members. Rumor had it that there were some initiation trials, but it couldn’t be anything that tough…right?

 

[Zash]

Zash shrugged at Din's suggestion and added works for me. It was true they wouldn't really "blend" super well, but the galaxy was full of odd people and unusual aliens. Though the horns really did stand out, didn't they? Looked intimidating enough that the gang might just want to bring him in for that alone.

He had that nagging feeling in his gut that whatever they were about to get into was going to be much worse than they had bargained for, but that was the job.

Let's do it, he said with a half shake of his head that said "here goes nothing." Without wasting more time, he headed inside. The room was filled with smoke and difficult to breathe. The corners of the room were dark and loud music played from overhead speakers. Not even a live band, he thought to himself judgmentally.

It became immediately apparent who the gang members were. Tucked away at a private table toward the back, there was no one else sitting immediately around them. Before the pair even got close, a massive Weequay - clearly the muscle or maybe a bouncer - stepped in the line of the pair.

What do you two pipsqueaks want? he asked, scowling down at both of them with arms crossed.

 

[Altair Din]

Altair stared at his mission buddy, grimacing a bit. Clearly this guy was the overly serious type. He already knew this mission would be dull and the guy would probably do a shit job posing as a thug. Probably list off his mission brief when confronted by a gang member in a super serious voice. Externally, he simply rolled his eyes, walking with Zash into the room.

The Devaronian coughed a few times, already feeling a slight contact high from the spice being smoked. He looked at the Weequay and crossed his arms over his chest.

“Heard there was trouble around these streets and certain organizations are looking for extra muscle,” Altair mustered his best attempt at a gruff voice. The Weequay eyed him for a moment before looking at Zash, and then back to him. He eyed his horns and appearance.

“Hmmm,” He said, pondering to himself, “Ugly and scary son of a bitch like you will definitely keep people at bay,” He looked over at Zash, “The hell kinda skills you got? You supposed to be a sidekick or something? Cuz there’s no room for those.”

Altair bit the inside of his lip to keep from laughing, keeping his gaze trained forward.

 

[Zash]

Zash wished he could have said he was shocked by what the thug said, but when compared side by side he certainly didn't look as intimidating with his lack of horns and the like. Still, he was relentless and determined. After a brief consideration of just stabbing the man to show that he was to be taken seriously he decided that was an awful idea and moved on to plan B.

It didn't help that he could just tell that Din was also trying not to snicker or something of that nature, and it just managed to put the Acolyte in a more annoyed mood.

What I lack in appearance, I'll make up for in whatever tests you likely have in store for us, he said. It was much more humane than stabbing him, though he had to force himself not to stare too long at the man's neck. It was so ripe and veiny.

The man snorted in disdain. Yeah, okay, junior. I guess we'll see about that, he said.

Cantina up the street, the Kedorzhan Pub hasn't been paying its protection. You two go rough the place up and we'll talk about getting you a probation period, he said. Now get, he said and waved his hand for them to get away.

 

[Altair Din]

Altair turned and walked out of the area when they were both given their ‘assignment’. He walked in silence for a bit before finally speaking when they were out of earshot. He cast Zash a sideways glance.

“'What I lack in appearance, I’ll make up for in whatever tests',” He mimicked Zash's earlier words, making his voice dark and broody. Altair cracked a grin, “Is that from a Holomovie or are you really that edgy?” He couldn’t help but chuckle a bit, shaking his head. He shouldn’t be too surprised - most Sith were some brand of outright weird. This guy probably tortured and sliced up animals for fun and had his mother’s head stored in a jar somewhere.

They arrived by the cantina and….it looked like a regular and normal cantina. The place was bustling with business, normal patrons sitting and drinking. Altair blinked a few times, staring at it with concern.

“We just…we just go in and start fucking shit up?” He mumbled quietly, “For real??”

 

[Zash]

Zash shrugged as Din made fun of what he had said inside the building. As was pointed out, I don't look very scary so I wasn't going to change his mind on that, he said. Creativity in social situations wasn't his strongest suit.

Also, I'm that edgy, he added dryly. He was... sometimes self aware, and it seemed that Din wasn't quite as caught up in the gothic brooding of some of the other Sith. Zash had yet to decide if that was a positive or negative thing.

They stopped across the street from the pub, and it sunk in what they were here to do. Not that Zash was particularly squeamish. They weren't here to kill anyone, after all. Damage could be repaired and after the pair wiped out the Red Vulcans, this pub might be more prosperous than ever. At least that was how he rationalized it. He intentionally didn't pick too much further into that thought.

Unless you have a better idea, he said, looking back to his horned accomplice. They didn't seem to have a lot of alternatives for getting the information they needed.

We could go back to the cantina, kill the Vulcans there, and beat the information out of one of them, he offered an alternative that as soon as he said it, he realized was probably going to reinforce whatever edgy, psychopathic tendencies that Din already thought he had.

I mean, we're here to kill them either way, he said, but that justification just didn't really help his case, did it? Though now that he thought about it, maybe it was the preferable of the two options?