Nar Shaddaa

[Ajani Lainthok]

Slowly, so slowly, she reached a hand inside of the pocket of her leather jacket. Never taking her eyes from his, staring him down at the perceived challenge of her worthiness, she smoothed out a carefully folded piece of paper and slid it over the table towards him. On it was a vicious depiction of a large creature: an Ultaarian Greenback.

 

“I do as I please,” she growled out, leaning forward in her seat with both hands pressed to the surface of the table, “I am no pawn to be played in trivial games. I work for myself and I earn for myself. I pick,” she paused, rapping a claw on the paper she’d unveiled to him, “the challenges that I deem worthy of by skills. I care not for why this creature was to be hunted.”

 

Leaning back once more, she crossed her arms across her chest in a show of nonchalance.

 

“It is currently imprisoned on my ship. Alive. Does this...warrant their time and attention?”

[Anastasia Faust]

Staunchly anti-Sith was probably too harsh, but Ammi did support their efforts at helping survivors of disasters and wars, many of which were too often caused by the Sith. And with what she knew the Sith did to her birth parents, well it seemed like a good fit.

 

The paused once inside the Golden Brine. "I'm feeling a bit underdressed," she admitted in a quiet voice. She wore a casual bit of attire, loose and comfortable for a long day or recording, though the reaction of the various staff was amusing if not a bit heartening. She gave the wait staff a gracious smile, remembering a couple times she and her friends got pressed into the restaurant business to get a good supper a couple times over the past couple years.

 

She turned to her manager. "Please do, Ammi's my name afterall," she said, all smiles for Kalen, "but," she added, her voice dropping. "When in public, you probably should call me Amethyst," she added, giving the other tables and staff an aside glance. In some ways forfeiting her name rankled the most of all, but she understood that one most of all. She felt surprised that her ship was still going to be used an outfitted. It was a very unique piece of engineering, and she hoped that it didn't cause too much additional costs. She nodded in approval at the suggestion, knowing that any hologram enhancements already present probably could use a boost or two. "Sounds good," she agreed aloud, giving 4L-T0 a glance as that was his area of care on the ship.

 

"The ship's entertainment set up is a bit customized," he said to Kalen, "but I can hand over my schematics to anyone doing the work. The ship's very efficient, but peculiar."

 

That settled there was a mix of reactions as Kalen suggested the Coruscant Memorial. Ammi's eyes widened, a chill running through her, one hand fingering the pendant her parents left her. It felt cold in her hands. She avoided the Memorial ruins on her earlier tour of Coruscant, just not understanding the senseless loss of life it symbolized or the kind of callousness that would allow someone to commit such atrocities. She understood how it could be a rallying point for those seeking comfort, but given what it was used for before its destruction, she still felt uncomfortable. 4L-T0 and B45-50's reaction was more subtle, missed by Ammi as she looked at Kalen, just exchanging a quick glance. To others it might look like they were considering the venue, but the speed showed a hint of being disturbed by the suggestion.

 

"You raise a good point," Ammi said, softly stroking the pendant as if she had a nervous tic. "It would be a very striking location, and I'm sure the Foundation, given their efforts in the wake of what the Memorial symbolized would help. That place... scares me," she said, giving a nervous little laugh. "I can't explain it, but it does." She shakes her head. "It's just... wrong. Utterly wrong," she says, trying to find the words. "Billions dead, and then there was that battle a few years back over it. It's everything why I don't care for the Sith, besides what they did to my parents," she continues. She stares at the pendant, looking into the sapphire eyes, lost in them. "But it's as potent a symbol as anything of rising above such horrors, even if it attracts trouble." She drew in a deep breath, then smiled, her eyes intent, focused. "Let's do it."

 

The moment passed as serving droid came. Ammi's lips quirked into a smile as she saw Kalen order without even looking, eyes alight at the mention of sake. "Kalen, you're amazing," she said with a delighted laugh. She cleared her throat, then rested her chin on one hand. "I presume you heard about how I ended up in the Gems employ, but how did you end up working for them?"

[Emerald]

A slow grin spread across Tarvil's features as he regarded the Horansi. It was obvious from his smirk: he was impressed she had managed to subdue the creature. The Gems' fighting ring had begun to skyrocket in value following the scandal with the Hutt and his prized Doshan, and such a contestant would only increase their viewership.

 

"I think they have some use for this. How much did Dorjoola promise you? And tell me, what is your name?"

 

-----

 

A short burst of laughter escaped the debonaire Hapan, unaccustomed to such flattery. "I'm just doing my job, Amethyst," he said, his eyes twinkling with amusement, though his gaze lingered overlong on her wide eyes. At her next question, he paused for a swig of water from the glass that was laid before them.

 

"Oh, it's a long and confusing story. The short version is that Emerald and I were friends in school growing up. I'm from Relephon, she's from Gallinore, we met in the academy on Hapes. Rare enough, since there are only ever a handful of males admitted," he said easily, but when he set down his glass, a cloud appeared over his features, and visibly, he restrained himself from sending sidelong glances toward the door. "Come to think of it, I'm not sure how much I'm allowed to tell you. There's a lot about her past she doesn't like to remember."

 

Resuming his easy air, he leaned back in his chair. "Anyways, I developed something of a reputation. They used to call me the Oracle of the Underworld, because I could nail the way the stock market would turn months in advance, or tell you who at the table was going to win at sabacc before the game even started. They asked me if I thought you were a big deal, and after I saw your stuff, I said, 'hell yeah'."

 

Resting an elbow on the table, he flashed a sly smile full of sparkling teeth. "I haven't been wrong yet."

[Anastasia Faust]

Ammi actually sat quietly and listened, her silence and attention surprising her both friends, silent observers on the whole affair. B45-50, ever the cautious type, would turn and keep an eye out on the place, looking out for trouble though. She gave a somber nod as Kalen mentioned her and Emerald's shared past, giving 4L-T0, who appeared absorbed in looking over the ship's holographics and laser arrays, a glance remember the frosty reception when she'd dropped Emerald's proper name. That was the most afraid Ammi's been of her benefactors since they crashed their victory party. The comment about memory set a small twist to Ammi's lips that had her thinking about her own.

 

At least there is a past they can remember enough to want to forget. I wonder, am I better off moving on? Just forgetting about trying to learn about where I came from?

 

She listened on, flattered, giving a giggle, but she was actually intrigued. "The Oracle of the Underworld is quite the title." She thought about that some more, realizing why someone with such value ended up with the Gems over what she knew about Black Sun or the Hutts was that personal connection. She sipped her water, thinking ahead. "How is it you're working here then? I mean besides as a favor to Emerald? It sounds like you could be playing sabacc for entire star systems or doing full on trading and creating your own investments empire." She knew it was prying, and a bit impolite, but given the time they were going to spend together, she wanted to know what was holding him back.

 

"Oh, and after dinner, we're totally going to have to hit one of the casinos. Preferably one the Gems don't own," she added with a playful laugh, trying to pre-emptively ease any tension her question may have caused. She hadn't been gambling in over a year, the last sabacc game she played was to settle a lodging tab. Playing double or nothing when broke and against a seedy businessman had all sorts of bad implications, but despite things looking dire, nothing truly bad happened. The game had been rigged and once Ammi learned it, that was one of the few times 4L-T0 and B45-50, instead of stepping in as Ammi's protectors, had to jump into a fight to save someone else from her wrath. She mused about telling Kalen that story... but she'd see if he'd open up first.

[Ajani Lainthok]

She stretched from side to side, cracking her back and letting him see how lithe and lethal she herself was, and did the same to her neck. She preened at the gleam in his eye at her boast, not at all ashamed of her show of pride. She was a good hunter - a great hunter - only a fool would see otherwise. If these Gems were half as intelligent as their emissary, they would see that as well. At his question her lip twitch and her eyes flashed in amusement.

 

“I believe the posting says thirteen thousand, or can you not read?” she teased him, a feral grin showing her teeth as she enjoyed the amusement after so long alone, “I am named Ajani Lainthok.”

[Emerald]

Tarvil's calm manner did not falter. If he was irritated at the Horansi's jab, he wisely did not show it. But perhaps more sharply than he intended, he quipped, "Wait here," before turning his back on the feline and moving toward the privacy field.

 

Whatever Sapphire had been saying, his reappearance halted it.

 

"Ladies, pardon the intrusion," Tarvil began. "I have something I think you'll want to see."

 

-----

 

"I've been banned from most casinos from here to the Core," Kalen laughed. "If you can find one that'll take me, I'd gladly play a hand or two of sabacc. Maybe on the dark side of the planet. But I don't know if you dare tread there."

 

His tone was jovial, but a careful glance told Ammi just how serious he was. The serving droid returned with their food, setting the platter in the middle of the table with a flourish. Kalen picked up the traditional sticks from the silk napkin on the table and selected one of his favorite fish rolls, depositing it on the hammered gold plate before him.

 

The sake was exquisitely smooth and spicy, a daiginjo that left behind notes of ginger and pear. Smacking his lips appreciatively as he sampled it, Kalen grinned across at Ammi. "Delicious," he said slowly, with another wink her direction. Setting his glass down, he watched her in silence for a handful of moments, leaving Ammi almost to the point of losing hope that he would bother to answer her question.

 

"Like I told you, Emerald and I go way back, and I owe Sapphire one," he said finally, the overt flirtatiousness of his manner falling away for a moment as he leaned forward nigh conspiratorially. "You're awfully trusting, kid. You don't know these women like I do, or what they're capable of, or--" he looked over his shoulder and seemed to rethink what he was saying "--how much you stand to gain by being a part of their organization."

 

Something glowed with sincerity behind his blue-green eyes, and it was apparent that there was much more to this man than he was letting on. "I'm here because it matters to me that you succeed. Because it's a chance to go halfway straight."

 

He nodded toward her plate, effectively closing the subject. "How's your food?"

[Anastasia Faust]

Ammi listened, giving a nervous twitch of her fingers as she remembered her own brief encounter on Nar Shaddaa's dark side. Fortunately they still hadn't tied that warehouse mishap or the riot at the bar to her... or they were just holding that one in reserve. "I went to the dark side briefly," she said, giving a shy little laugh. "Tried tracking down a lead on my mum. My actual mum since she was supposed to have been a smuggler and since this is the smuggler's moon..." She grimaces. "Almost got robbed and that kinda put paid to that." She shook her head. "Every thought you might you know, be talented? Like a Force sensitive precog?" It was an innocent question, Ammi finding it a fascinating subject. As best she knew she had no force abilities or sensitivity. Despite her wariness of Force users and the Sith in particular, it held an odd appeal to her.

 

Ammi grinned as the food was set before her. "You have no idea how long its been since I had a meal like this. Not since... well... running away," she said, glancing down. Despite the time, she handled the sticks deftly, giving them a flourishing spin, her nimble fingers well practiced. "I remember one time I'd actually used one of these as a guitar pick, on a bit of a bet. Not the best performance I gave," she said, "but still did well enough to win it." She picked up the sake, closing her eyes and sniffing it. She didn't dare admit she never really drank, only sneaking in a few drops when her sisters and her were sure mama and papa or any other potential guardians weren't around. Plum was a favorite, but she detected the ginger and some other fruit. She sipped it, feeling the burn on her lips and tongue, taken aback by the spice and gasping, but savoring the pear. "Agreed!" she gasped, finding it delicious too, but strong. "Need to be careful I don't burn my throat," she said, taking very careful sips.

 

Her green and blue-flecked eyes watched Kalen carefully, remaining calm as he leaned in. She heard the warning and kept a straight face, feeling her trust in him was well warranted. She chuckled at that last observation, though at the mention of going halfway straight, her look was proud and yet sympathetic. She knew her papa could use men like him. She almost thought of saying that but knew their mutual benefactors would not appreciate that. Besides, she needed Kalen right now.

 

"I trust them," she said with a smile. "I trust their greed and their willingness to use me to line their pockets." It was a bold and simple statement of fact, one that she was sure caught Kalen off guard. "I also trust I'm capable of meeting their expectations in my art," she continued on, a confident glean in her eyes. "So I'm willing to extend them what trust I can give, but I'm not that naïve either, Kalen." Her tone took on a crisper, more measured fashion. "They didn't rise to the top of Nar Shaddaa by being nice, I know that. I doubt I'll ever be more than an entertainment asset for them, which is fine by me, but if my star shines brightly enough maybe they'll have to stay in the light more too." That last statement summed up Ammi's world view up perfectly. "They are a step up from the Hutts, and I'm trusting my charms as well to stay in their good graces when things get rocky."

 

They also hadn't tried exploiting her for her family connections either. She appreciated that, and also knew the last person that threatened her or her sisters because of whole their parents were, well... even the full might of all the Jedi and Sith that ever were wouldn't have been able to find the pieces. That also drove home her fate, or at least any fate of her own making was entirely in her own hands, to rise and fall on her own. Had she really run away or been allowed to leave? She'd entertained that thought a couple times and now had more doubts. She chewed at a roll thoughtfully, finding it among the best she ever had, though mama's were still all but impossible to beat.

 

"And I trust you to look out for my best interest," she said, her own eyes meeting his sampling one of the fish rolls and doing a playful catch with her roll, tossing it with her sticks and trying to catch it again. Not so gracefully, it bounced off them and landed with a soft plunk in her sake. She winced. "And am hoping for some patience too," she admitted, blushing.

[Sapphire]

"Kid," Kalen replied, "I'm sure we'll get along just swimmingly."

 

His careful eyes hadn't missed a thing, but her actions only increased her genuineness. It seemed like she really was who she appeared to be. It was the Gems' good fortune--and Ammi's--that they had found her before one of the Hutts had snatched her up. There was no reason this partnership would be anything but mutually beneficial for all parties. He poured himself another cup of sake, then raised it to her. "Here's to patience, and to becoming a star."

 

***

 

"As if," Sapphire was saying. "No, I'm not going to go all Ruby on him just yet." She ignored Ruby's attempted protestation. "I wanna take over his business first. Get his men to work directly for me. They're the only ones who know the Glory like I do. I want to ruin him, and make him beg." An evil glint shot through her deep blue eyes. "If we do it right, he might even kill himself. Nice and neat."

 

They were beginning to hash out a plan when Tarvil interrupted. Sapphire raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

 

Tarvil handed them the flyer the bounty hunter had brandished. "A bounty hunter just arrived. Seems Dorjoola had a bounty out for one of these. Don't know what the Hutt-slime was thinking, but he might be an excellent gladiator for the ring."

 

The Gems glanced over the flyer. Sapphire had never heard of this particular species, but the holo was impressive. "Thirteen thousand?"

 

Tarvil nodded. She glanced at Ruby. "What do you think? Got a place for him?" Ruby nodded, and Sapphire handed the paper back to Tarvil. "Alright, we'll collect. Get someone to bring the Greenback to the fighting ring. Have him sign an indenture. Once his fights earn 500,000 credits, he can go free or sign a voluntary contract." The Gems had nothing particular against slavery, but they knew it was better to leave options open if they could, and nothing shut down options like slavery.

 

A glance at Emerald and Sapphire spoke again. "And tell this bounty hunter that we may have use of his or her services in the future." She could tell an idea was sparkling in Emerald's mind, and she was interested to hear what it was.

 

Tarvil nodded and turned to go. Sapphire cleared her throat, and he turned back and set down the rum and glasses, before leaving again.

 

***

 

Tarvil headed back to Ajani and passed on the message. "I guess you'll be hearing from them."

[Emerald]

Doling out the rum none too sparingly, Emerald could barely contain the predatory grin that was splattered across her face like that Duros splattered across the pavement after she had run him over with his own speeder outside the Crystal Decanter. She had been waiting for a bounty hunter to prove their salt to be entrusted with a hushed bounty on the only person in the whole of the galaxy that she wanted dead more than any other.

 

"I want his head on a plate," she said meaningfully to Sapphire and Ruby, knowing the other two would catch her meaning instantly. "I want him brought here so I can repay the favor, and then I want to gut the son of a Hutt."

 

Ruby sighed and ran a hand over her icy blue face. "Em, we've been over this, it's a bad idea. Vengeance jobs don't pay. Don't be stupid."

 

She savored the mouthfeel of the Kashyyykian rum for half a moment, reading the label on the bottle as though it would tell her something she didn't already know. Green eyes flickered between Sapphire and Ruby several times before she spoke again.

 

"How is that any different than wanting Jalos dead and gone? Both of them humiliated us, both of them have a price to pay," she countered coolly.

 

For the longest time after their internment aboard the Shadow's Gambit, Emerald had nursed vendettas against both Ezra Montar, the administrator of the floating casino, and Darth Quietus, the Sith Lord whose help was the sole purpose of their attempt to infiltrate the ship. Years of research, years of digging through the underworld, years of overpaid informants and putting the pieces together had brought her to a single conclusion: the men were one and the same. A Sith Lord who had given his brother's name as his own in order to further manipulate and toy with the pirates, who had treated them without respect to their special set of skills.

 

And now, she was finally in a position to destroy him.

 

Ruby shrugged, as ever, willing to play along with Emerald's whims, but the blonde turned her attention to her strong-willed friend. "Sapphire?"

[Ajani Lainthok]

Ajani snorted and her eyes narrowed at the tone and command to stay, though she did as....requested. She didn't wait overly long before the male was before her once more.

 

"Hearing from, or seeing now?" She asked with an impatient edge to her voice, "I don't like to be kept waiting. Especially to get paid."

[Sapphire]

Sapphire thought it over for a moment, then tossed back a shot of rum before chuckling. "You're probably signing that poor bounty hunter's death warrant, and we'd be putting a target on our backs, but I can't begrudge you a chance to make that Sith's life miserable." Besides, she mused privately, it was possible their new benefactors might protect them from any kickback by said Sith Master. Not directly, but perhaps he'd be less likely to be interested in tracking them down if they were valuable to his Order. It would end up in a mess either way, she supposed. Emerald wasn't going to let this go, and frankly, Sapphire didn't really want her to. Quietus had made fools of all of them, and that wasn't something they'd every forget.

 

---

 

Tarvil shook his head, his suave smile still firmly on his face despite Ajani's icyness. "I'll have someone meet you at 0900 tomorrow at Skid's place. You know it? You can make the transfer then." He slid her a credit chit with 20% of the bounty on it. "You'll get the rest on delivery tomorrow. As for the future...keep your eyes on the Holonet. I wouldn't be surprised if you saw something. In the meantime, my bosses have your number."

[Ajani Lainthok]

Taking the chit she stood from the table, erecting herself to her full height before stalking off towards her ship.

 

She'd secured the ship upon entering, checking on her prisoner - told it of this new turn, or at least as much as she was able before it simply roared at her - and was now standing in front of the ships computer and had been for the last hour. Taking a deep breath, she snarled at herself for not knowing anything and just decided to dive right in. She clumsily plugged away, having been told once how to access different channels of the holonet, until she eventually found something that might have been what was hinted at. Her eyes widened at the price on this target. She was already imagining what she could do for herself and for her ship when she reread the message and blanched at 'Sith Lord.'

 

Well, she could at least try. It was the biggest challenge she could ever think for herself, but she knew that targeting someone of this caliber was going to require help. Sighing again to herself she curbed her frustration as she attempted her own post to the holonet.

[Anastasia Faust]

Ammi enjoyed the rest of the dinner. She tried to keep the topics light and off work, but as music was her life, it often came back to that. She kept drinking at the sake, and ended up quite tipsy by the end of the night. 4L-T0 and then B45-50 had tried to cut her off after her third glass, but Ammi kept at it, drinking on with a rosy blush on her cheeks and a wide grin on her face. She ended up regaling Kalen with one of her foibles during their two year journey, hushing down both her friends as they tried to keep this embarrassment under wraps.

 

"... and after that, it just kinda devolved into chaos. The urchin who'd claimed to be slave and that we agreed to smuggle off world in the ship turned out to be the son of the local governor, the one whose birthday party we'd were originally hired to perform at, and once that was found out, news of his parent's corruption spread kinda quickly. Turns out he was gonna turn over a whole bunch a stuff to the Alliance and the locals got their hands on that." She kept on chittering. B45-50 looked away disinterestedly, and 4L-T0, while ready to try his best Bender impression, but unable to process alcohol, just settled for a double, and then quadruple, facepalm. ",,, and so the mob ended up reaching the governor's mansion. And hoo-boy! There we are, in front of it, the governor's family behind us and a mob a hundred strong on the other. The local guards threw down their blasters, not having any of that. Swore I saw a couple slip into the mob... not that I blame'em." Ammi shook her head. "So, we did the only thing we could do. We start jamming out and playing in front of the entire mob!" She gave a giggle-snort at that. "It worked! They stopped and listened, and we kept at it. Gave the governor's family enough time to escape out the back... and then the riot started up again halfway through our first song. Lost a good guitar outta that, well, no big loss." 4L-T0 and B45-50 both gave Ammi a hard look. B45-50 actually picked Ammi up on his shoulders to keep her out of the mob's grasp and had gotten pummeled for his troubles. 4L-T0 had been outright trampled under and it was weeks before Ammi could repair his left leg properly. She continued on, her voice a bit more slurred and vague. "Townsfolk paid us for our role in uncovering everything, so we came out ahead for once. Governor got away, but the funds he embezzled went back to the locals, slave market got shut down, so a good job all and all I guess. Heard he got arrested latter by CoreSec. Just wish our big performance had actually gotten more recognition instead of being in the middle of a riot and... and..."

 

At that, Ammi gave another giggle snort and her head promptly hit the table after only 5 solid glasses of sake and a full meal, snoring very softly. B45-50 quietly adjusted her slumped-sleeping posture so she was sitting in a bit more of a dignified position. "Kid's gotten better at holding her liquor," he said. 4L-T0 merely sighed, then gave a slow chuckle for Kalen's ears, actually putting a friendly hand on his shoulder. "Well Kalen, welcome to the Galaxy GlobeTrotters."

[Black Sun Agent(s)]

A soft chime of an incoming message arrives for Ajani Lainthok, the name displayed was from Technician Nath Corun. When answered, the small holographic figure bowed deeply.

 

“Hello ma’am I see that you are looking for assistance in the technical department. I offer my services and the services of the Black Sun Organization to assist you should you require it if you sign a contract to work with us as a bounty hunter. We offer full retirement packages, ships for use or lease, ground support, 401ks, 403bs, and general terrorism coverage. Please respond if you are interested in this offer. Thank you,

 

Nath Corun, BSA, Dubrillion."

 

The holographic display cut out and was replaced with a large insignia of the Black Sun.

[Emerald]

With an amused grin at the girl's prone form, Kalen nodded his acknowledgment to the droid beside him. Scooping Ammi's limp form up in his arms, he rested her head in the nook between his set jaw and his strong shoulder, then turned to her companions. "Well, she wanted to hit the casinos next, right?"

 

His eyes twinkled as he carried her towards the door, without sparing a glance for the droids. The restaurant itself, however, was set in one of the Gems' casinos. A short walk down the Promenade on Nar Shaddaa took them to the closest thing to a luxury hotel that the Smuggler's Moon had ever seen, and Kalen made his way to one of the villas often reserved for the casino's VIPs. Setting the starlet's limp form on the Kowakian spider-silk coverlet, he turned to the droids.

 

"Get some fluids in her when she wakes up, we need her functional and ready to go in the morning," he said assertively, leveling a final grin at the girl before moving toward the door. "I'll be back to collect you at 0900 hours local time."

 

-----

 

By the following morning, the Gems had gotten some much-needed rest, and Emerald had not spent her time idly. Given their conversation with Ammi the previous day, an order to Lemnos had been placed and approved and would be shipping to Nar Shaddaa expeditiously. Since no one within Dorjoola's organization, save Tarvil, had earned any measure of trust with the Gems, Emerald hardly thought it prudent to establish a retinue of guards from within their ranks. Instead, she had taken a cue from Ammi, and so several of the high-class droids they had ordered were for just such a purpose. Sipping her morning caf, the blonde could not shake a sense of claustrophobia as the morning reports of the organization began to stream into her datapad.

[Anastasia Faust]

B45-50 was already making a move to pick up his unconscious charge, having had to do that a few times already, whether from drinking, a couple accidents, and about three, or was it four, times she'd gotten hit with a stun blast or stun rod. 4L-T0's leg shot out under the table, kicking him in his shin, giving the larger droid pause, and together they watched as Kalen moved to pick her up. Ammi settled in against Kalen, instinctively clinging to him. 4L-T0 could only chuckle at Kalen's glib response. B45-50 looked as thoughtful as a droid could be.

 

The two followed after Kalen mutely keeping an eye on both him and Ammi, using this opportunity to take a good measure of him while also looking out over the Promenade for possible dangers. They took note at the villa, impressed at the level of star power Ammi was commanding. 4L-T0 for his part, wondered how the members of the real opening act for the Gems' inaugural were faring right now. They waited just inside Ammi's bedroom, B45-50 in particular seeming extra wary and protective, his inner guard relaxing as Kalen was all business, reminding them to fluid her up. 4L-T0 gave Kalen a firm clasp with his slender fingers, revealing the delicate work put into those digits. "See you then, sir," 4L-T0 said crisply. B45-50 merely nodded.

 

A moment after Kalen left and after they felt sure that Ammi would be safe sleeping on her back, the droids moved to follow suit when a slurred and tired voice called to them from the bed. Still breathing softly, her eyes closed, Ammi's voice called to them. "You... you two can relax now. Kalen's a.. a perfect ge.gen..gentleman, and a good man."

 

The two turned sharply. 4L-T0's optics blinking suspiciously. "Was the entire thing a ruse, Miss Ammi?" he asked, softness in his voice.

 

Ammi just shook her head, a very wobbly motion. "C.came to just outside the villa. Figured no reas..rea-son to dist..dista... bother him with waking," she said, a smile crossing her face. B45-50 already retrieved a glass of water and gave it to Ammi, who drank up. "Th.thank you," she breathes. "So... 900 hours. See you in the morning." She yawns and curls back up, kicking her shoes off.

 

The two left and Ammi's drifted off deeper into sleep.

 

Her dreams were troubled. She was alone and running along a dark corridor. She felt fearful and out of breath, sensing something chasing her. Something dangerous. She didn't dare slow to even turn her head over her shoulder to look, much less stop and look, so she had no idea what was chasing her. She only knew she had to keep running. There was a flash of light and a burning pain engulfed her. Fire. Fire everywhere.

 

"Mother!"

 

She woke with a start, gasping. Sweat creased her brow, her green and blue-flecked eyes wide. She glanced at the chrono. Just past 400 hours. Catching her breath, she tried to recall the details of her dream but once more her head started hurting. One hand clutched her head and the other her pendant, which felt warm to the touch, protective even. Unnerved, she settled back into sleep, just trying to draw memories of the previous day around her, falling back with a smile.

 

The next day had its own moment of crisis and panic as she heard 4L-T0 banging outside the door, something that set her waking up screaming.

 

"Miss Ammi! It's 840 hours! Kalen will be here in 20 minutes! We need to get ready!"

 

"Oh poodoo!" she gasped, waking up with a start, glancing at the chrono. 841 hours. "Oh poodoo, poodoo, poodoo!" she swore, jumping out of bed.

 

The next nineteen minutes were a frenzy of activity as Ammi managed to get cleaned up and ready for the day ahead as the droids got the instruments ready, and following old protocols from their days on the road, prepared something resembling an edible breakfast.

 

At 859, she sat in the main room of the villa, not a hair out of place, though on closer inspection there was a faint smell of dampness as if her hair didn't have time to full dry. Outfitted in her usual performers outfit, she waited primly for Kalen to arrive, a smile on her face as if nothing was out of order.

[Parangor]

The alert went out immediately leaving hypserspace. The ships sheilds hummed to life and the crew made its way to their gunnery stations. "This is captain Drogan, while all seems to be clear now I want everyone on high alert with weapons to hand should we somehow be boarded. Remember, any unauthorized entrance to this ship is met with only one reaction and that is execution. Should they make it on board I want their hides to adorn our next banner is that understood." After recieving the usual blood thirsty cheer over the intercom Drogan took a moment to smile and remember the days when these men, and he himself served his grandfather. They were good times and while they seemed vicious and blood thirsty there wasn't a man among them who's honor he could ever question. They had taken a job, and one way or the other the job was going to be completed, even if he had to crawl over mounds of dead theives to make it happen. Smiling he set his course for the delivary location provided on his data pad. It would be an interesting trip, his grandfather had always avoided Nar Shaddaa due to its ever changing political, that is to say criminal undertones. The old warrior just didn't have the time for it and besides a 200 man company of former Sun Guard had plenty of other work but you had to start somewhere.

 

"This is Captain Drogan aboard the Crimson Star, I have entered space near Nar Shaddaa and am making contact with the buyers, the Blood Gems, for Lemnos Industries, please advice on approach and location for drop off." While he didn't like waiting on the edge of the planet he couldn't see another option. Besides no point landing in the wrong place or having do deal with undue interruptions if the client wanted to meet at a different location. Handing the helm over to his second with orders to contact him should the need arise, Drogan returned to his quarters to meditate using the Thrysian style of martial arts. It was always better to face any battle, even perhaps one of wits, with a clear mind and a ready hand.

[Sapphire]

Sapphire had spent a restless night. She was antsy, and she wasn't sure why. When she finally gave it up and rolled out of bed in the early morning, she went for a long run through the alleys and streets around their apartment.

 

When she got back, dripping with sweat, she found Emerald sitting at the table, pouring through some reports. The red-head made a face as she crossed to the kitchen, opened the cooling unit, and pulled out a fruit-flavored nutrient shake. Flopping down beside Emerald, she glanced at the other's datapad. "Ew," she commented. "That's the downside to growing our organization. We really need to find some more people to hire to do that stuff."

 

Of course, the other issue was that the Gems didn't really trust many people. But that was totally beside the point right now. They sat in silence for a few minutes, then Sapphire grinned. "Hey, how about we go get my ship and then see if there are any big juicy shipments coming into the system that we could...liberate?"

[Parangor]

No reply was forthcoming it seemed and after two hours his second recommended entering a deep orbit and contacting Lemnos Industries. While not really wishing to contact them he had to agree the situation was odd. Putting the ship into a slightly deeper orbit he ordered the crew to maintain sheilds and full alert as something seemed off. "This is Captain Drogan contacting Lemnos industries, have arrvied at Nar Shaddaa but have not had contact with the client and as of yet have not gone down to the planet. Please advise. if a response is not forthcoming within the next 8 hrs will simply go to landing coordinates and await client. If Client does not arrive within the 72 hr window cargo will be returned." After getting off the communication relay he decided there was not time like the present to put his men through some drills. Calling all hands to attention he began launching debri into space and calling out gun emplacements to bring it down. The crew responded beautifully, especially since should the miss they knew how much extra training they would have to go through and that they would lose pay. His men were performing well as expected and he left his second in command to finish the drill while he returned to the command deck.

 

"Maybe grandfather was right about this place after all, I won't enter without confirmation and at this rate my men will get bored. I would hate to have to return the droids but I am also not going to babysit those clankers for any longer then I have to. " He sighs as he waits to hear from either Lemnos or the clients and wonders if he should have bothered taking a job that leads to the smugglers moon, so far the place was unremarkable and didn't even seem to have much of a functioning government as the arrival of a gunship in orbit had set up no red flags. Either way he began sending out periodic scans to see if there was anything out there worth noting.

[Emerald]

"You're just trying to make me feel better," Emerald said with a raised eyebrow at Sapphire as she pushed the datapad away with a groan and leaned back in her chair, stretching the taut muscles in her back. "It's been too long since we brazenly stole some rich schutta's toys. But first, I have a present for you."

 

A hologram projector skittered across the table to land under Sapphire's palm, as the blonde looked on with twinkling eyes. "Y'know, given that I expect any scum with self-esteem low enough to work for Dorjoola long-term to have no backbone whatsoever, I thought we might need some muscle that we could rely on. Ordering Ammi her new friends, I thought, 'why not?'"

 

When activated, the projector would display a miniature rendering of the order Emerald had placed with Lemnos Industries, the warlike droids glinting in accordance with Blood Gem taste.

 

The Hapan leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table, mischief patterned across her face. "Want to come with me to pick them up?"

 

-----

 

A comm arrived on the Crimson Star, the speaker's voice smooth and rich like Chandrilan caf.

 

"Captain Drogan, please proceed to hangar bay 5D in the Diamond tower, located on the West Promenade. A representative will meet you there."

 

-----

 

Clad in dark pants, a bomber-style jacket, and wearing mirrored glasses over his eyes, Kalen Lorell ran a hand through his hair as he crossed the floor of the casino lobby, reaching a hand out to the young woman who waited for him there.

 

"Good morning, my dear. You look lovely as ever. I trust the headache isn't too bad," he said jovially, taking her hand in his and pressing it to his lips. "If you're all ready, we'll head to your ship and depart for Coruscant. I know a couple good film crews stranded there that we could hire. Hopefully your pals can get us into the ruins of the Memorial."

[Delta73]

A deep coded message arrives for Emerald from a Black Sun Vigo, thrusting into her comm with all the force of the Galactic Alliance Holonet Beacon floating between Nal Hutta and it's moon could muster.

 

 

WOULD YOU BE INTERESTED IN BUYING PREMIUM BULK JAWA VIAGRA FOR CHEEP CHEEP CHEEP? IF YES PLEASE SUBSCRIPTION TO THIS WEBZONE

 

Below the opening scroll of the offensive message was a website when clicked on was filled with Death star conspiracy theories. The message continued.

 

ALSO CARRY MANY TYPES OF KYBER CRYSTALS OR EVEN CERTIFICATE PRESENTED BLASTERS AND DISRUPTORS.

 

BUY BUY BUY

 

WE ARE INTERESTED IN BUYING YOUR HAPAN MINES

 

PLZ SELL THX

 

[Parangor]

Listening in on the comms while continuing to scan the area Drogan was the first to hear the message. "Roger that, will proceed to hangar 5D. What can I expect the contact to look like?" After relaying his message back he hit the ships comm. "Attention crew we will be making our way to the planets surface. Until further notice shields will remain fully active and all crewmen are to man their gun stations. Any ship that approaches, that is not governmental, will be given one warning and then neutralized. Till further notice this is to be treated as a combat mission." After hearing the crew sound off he set course for the planet and began his decent into Nar Shaddaa. If nothing else he was curious to meet the client that not only ordered high end defense droids for a smugglers moon, but one that was wealthy enough to afford them. He knew very little of the ones called the Gems but he was pretty sure that was the name of the group only and was curious to see what its members were like.

[Dordjooba the Hutt]

Kaldesh’s eyes sharpened into small crimson slits as he walked down a long secluded corridor. The Gem’s compound was large. Once or twice the Trandoshan had lost himself on patrol and accidentally walked down the same stretch of hallway four times. His tracking skills were commendable, but in a dimly lit hallway, everything looked the same. As a job though, there were worse things than being on patrol. He was muscle. There wasn’t much else to it. If anyone got into the compound that wasn’t supposed to be there, his job was to give them a ‘rough reminder’ to mind their own business and get the hell out.

 

The big lizard was rounding yet another corner when he heard a strange sound. A beep emitted from one of his belt pouches. Kaldesh continued lumbering in the shadows and casually flipped the patch open, thumbing whatever it was that was making the noise into his big clawed hands.

 

He drew the object to his face and paused for a moment, eyes wide. It was a card with the initials ‘DTH’ on it. There was a button at the center and a transmitter at the end.

 

He pushed the button at the center of the card and rasped into the transmitter. “Sir?”

A heavily encrypted signal came through several different channels, using the multitude of channels as a smokescreen for the transmitted text-based message.

 

… DTH Protocol. Find home then transmit again...

[Anastasia Faust]

Ammi stood up, a spring in her step. "Oh, Kalen, flattery will get you everywhere," she said, her green and blue eyes twinkling, extending her hand. "No headache. I had a pair of excellent nursemaids," she says, still as spritely as ever.

 

4L-T0 for his part, looked like he wanted to roll his eyes at that. B45-50 just shook his head.

 

She let him take her arm and lead them on towards the ship. It was odd seeing the Galactic GlobeTrotter docked in some place so nice.

 

"I figure there's a few people I can see about getting us onto Coruscant. It'll be weird going back there. That place was so vibrant," she said. "Each places has its own feel to it, ya' know? It's like the people on it have their own energy that one can almost harness, and you can really feel it when performing. Coruscant's bustling, vibrant, and Nar Shaddaa's is, well, kinda smokey, guarded. Corellia's was a bit more somber, but there was an openness about it. I hope Coruscant's well... aura I think you could call it, remains the same."

 

She lead Kalen onboard, giving a quick tour. She very rarely had guests on board and was eager to show it off. Everything from the recording studio, to the quarters and kitchenette, to the various cargo areas that served as a practice stage were shown off.

 

"...and there's the recording studio. We also have the tubing systems for the pyrotechnics and matrices holo and light displays over there." She continued, finally leading them to the cockpit. She took a seat at the helm, firing it up with practice. She closed her eyes, listening to the engines start up. She wasn't nearly as good as her mama, papa, or her sisters, but she did pay some attention to other things that music. "We're all fueled up this time, right??" she asked 4L-T0, looking over her shoulder. "I don't think there's enough food on board for all of us if we get stranded again," she added, half-chiding, half-serious, remembering a very, very uncomfortable and hungry few days that sadly saw the end of Ammi's favorite leather handbag before their distress beacon was picked up. "Better buckle up," she said seriously, "'because I'm going to be punching it outta here."

 

She waited until Kalen was strapped in, and then flashing a grin, punched it, the Gs hitting hard as she accelerated off Nar Shaddaa into space. She doing it just to show off the ship's engines, but as she rarely had the chance to do that under friendly circumstances, it was a real treat. "She handles great, no?" she said, grinning as they cleared the atmosphere, a surprisingly smooth experience given the speeds. Then again, with three droid brains managing the ship, it was mostly foolproof, or as 4L-T0 once said, "even Ammi-proof", which was reinforced when Ammi kicked him in the shins for that, just hurting her own foot.

 

She let the computer calculate the hyperspace coordinates. "We'll make it in about 3/4ths the time of a normal ship," she said, reaffirming their destination on the onboard console. "Could probably do it in about half in a true emergency, but that puts a real serious strain on the ship." She grimaces. "Don't want to have to go crawling back home to get the ship repaired." She said, letting the ship make the jump. "We may need to get the hull repainted," she said, thinking about it. "Purple for Amethyst since it's not just green and blue anymore. Well, can hopefully do that once we get to Coruscant."

 

The ship made its jump to hyperspace, the Smuggler's Moon vanishing behind them.

[Sapphire]

"Oh, those look exquisite!" Sapphire gushed. "Absolutely. Let's get out of here and go get them."

 

Together, they headed over to their main towers. Renovation was still in progress, but most of the public areas had been redesigned to reflect the Gems' ownership. Many of the buildings had also been renamed. The two Hapan pirates headed into the newly-christened Diamond Tower. "So how big of an order did you purchase?" Sapphire asked. "And what are their capabilities? I've never heard of this Lenmos Industries. Are they new?"

[Emerald]

Echoing back on the Crimson Star's comm, the voice of Tarvil A'ro rang out once more.

 

"Look for the two most beautiful and deadly ladies you could have ever hoped to have laid eyes on," the man continued, "and don't blink."

 

-----

 

WD-40 tottered down one of the countless hallways found within the Diamond Tower. This particular stretch of duraplast was intact; much of the tower itself had been gutted and ripped apart, though the construction droid thought to himself that the stench of literal Hutt-slime might never come out of these walls, even with the scrubbed air. But nobody had asked his opinion, so off he went, wielding a blowtorch and a hydrospanner as the foreman had directed.

 

A large Trandoshan appeared to his photoreceptors, only out of the ordinary by the fact that this zone was closed to organics for the sake of reformatting the structure of the building itself, several scores of stories above the ground.

 

"Hey-you," it said in tinny, forced monotone, its processor already bringing up the neural link to the central commissioning droid foreman, "you-are-not-supposed-to-be-here. You-must-leave-or-I-will-be-forced-to-inform-my-supervisor-immediately."

 

-----

 

"Lem-nos," Emerald corrected her friend as they disembarked from their speeder. "It's a new company, popped up just last year. Coruscant Weekly ranks them as one of the best up-and-coming startups in the Core. They don't sacrifice form for function, or vice versa. A little pricey, but they've put most of their competitors out of business already, and the customer service is top-notch."

 

The distant sounds of construction rang through the building as Emerald moved through the halls, her companion at her side. "I had two custom-made for Ammi, two extra-scary bodyguards apiece for you, me, and Rube, and more than a dozen of their basic security model for when we want to be really subtle," she said with a teasing flourish. "In fact, I almost thought that--"

 

Her thought was interrupted by a twitter from her comlink. She pulled it up to glance at it and almost dismissed it as spam, ready to call her Holonet service provider to complain for the umpteenth time, when a hidden bit within the lewd message caught her eye.

 

"Hapan mines?" she said, shocked expression coming to rest on the redhead beside her. "It appears we're making a name for ourselves, my dear. I didn't know anyone knew about that particular venture. What do you think?"

[Parangor]

Drogan couldn't help but do something he rarely did. He chuckled as he thought about what most people he had met considered dangerous. Either way it would be interesting to meet these contacts and see just how dangerous they were. As he began his decent to the planets surface he was suprised at how lively and somewhat organized the smugglers moon seemed to be. Making his was to the tower and docking bay designated in his last communication he brought the gunship into the bay and landed it broad side to give his crew a greater fireing pattern should it be neccessary. He was surprised to find the tower under so much construction but at the same time the remodeling was apparently upgrading not only appearance but functionality.

 

"This is Captain Drogan, I will be disembarking to meet with the contacts and want the ship to remain on high alert. Should it be attacked and the impossible begins to become apparent the ship and everything on it is to be destroyed." He also request the presence of his second in command to perform a weapons and armor check before he disembarks.

 

Walking off his ship he felt just a little out not wearing his helmet but at the same time hiding his face during a meeting just went against his nature. Looking around he noticed there was still more construction going on, but he at this point didn't see any of the contacts mention, just a few random droids. With no contacts in site he made a circuit of the loading bay and contacted the ship. "At this point men the contacts are not present, maintain alert status and one of you prepare the droids for off loading. I want them marched out in miliatary style once I confirm the contacts to show off Lemnos droids. We currently work for them and will do our best to make a good impression. I will maintain an open comm." Without waiting for a reply, knowing his orders will be carried out to the letter, he began to make another circuit of the bay.

[Sapphire]

The comm Emerald received stopped both Gems short. Sapphire considered. "I'm not sure how whoever this was found out about it. Perhaps they have contacts inside the Hapes Cluster? But regardless, I think we can spare some. Perhaps they'll be satisfied with two or three dozen? And of course, we'll need adequate compensation for the struggle we had getting them."

 

Leaving Emerald to answer the comm, the two pirates finally arrived in the hangar. The shipment had already arrived, and there was a broad-shouldered dark skinned man prowling the perimeter of the room. Sapphire eyed his physique appreciatively, then the two pirates approached him. "Is this the Lemnos shipment?" the red-head asked without any preamble. "I think a demonstration is in order. Let's see them in action, shall we?"

 

Meanwhile, she handed him a chit that contained their proof of purchase, assuring him that they were indeed the buyers he was looking for.

[Parangor]

Taking the Chit in hand he double checked it against the order he had recognized before handing it back to the women. He had to admit the person giving directions had not lied. Both of these women were quite beautiful by any standards but while he could tell they were most likely trained in combat just by how gracefully they moved, he wasn't sure how dangerous they were. Oh well that is enough thought on that matter. Snapping to attention he activated his com. "Bring the droids out using a standard phalanx with the basic models and two flanking wings with the customized. Order them to sweep and clear the room."

 

Looking back over to the two women he nodded and stepped beside them to watch the display. While he waited the few minutes he knew it would take the droids to appear he began to wonder about these two strange clients again. The droids that were ordered were defense droids and some customized body guards but the quantity was impressive and while he had not taken to much time to inspect the customized droids he knew high quality combat droids when he saw them. The other thing that threw him off a little was that while both of them appeared to be capable of combat but smart enough to realize that extra help never hurt. His mind flashed back to his grandfather "Remember boy no matter how good you are, there will always be someone better, a team of men and women you can trust is something you can truly not live without." He wouldn't have chosen to trust his life to droids but at the same time there is almost no chance of a double cross. Either way their savvy impressed him. Maybe they were more formidable then he thought.

 

It was at that moment the lift dropped and the droids made there appearance followed closely by a heavily armored cadre of Thrysian Guardsman. No sooner did the lift touch the ground then his seconds voice rang out and the droids split apart into the three groups flawlessly and began their clearing of the room.

[Emerald]

Having sent a quick response to the strange comm, Emerald rejoined Sapphire just in time to watch the parading droids show their stuff as they swept the sizable hangar, working their way around the entrance. Quirking an eyebrow at the entourage, she took in the sharp demeanor of the group of Thyrsians. Hired guns? Maybe, but they had a more professional demeanor about them than most mercenaries. It was refreshing to see that there was still someone on this crazy chaotic moon with standards. Emerald found herself with a sly smile plastered on her face, regarding the Thyrsians' leader.

 

As the droids continued to move around the room, she approached him, extending her hand. "Even with Perlemian Direct shipping, I expected they wouldn't arrive for a few more days. You're very expedient, Mister..."

 

She trailed off expectantly, waiting for a name.