Coruscant - Galactic Throne

[Azael]

Azael raised an eyebrow. He was young. Barely into his adult years, if even that old. He flew in a junker, an old X-Wing, probably dating back to the Galactic Civil War. It's probably what he wanted the hyperdrive for- It was the right type, and it looked like he'd put a lot of work into the restoration of the vessel. She hook his hand firmly, motioning for him to follow her aboard her ship, where she had the hyperdrive stored. It was also soundproofed and nearly impervious to audio bugs, which would allow them to discuss business discreetly. 

 

"You can call me Azael, Jude calls me Aze, you can call me Zu-Zu if you want, doesn't really bother me. Now, if you've never done something like this before, I'll show you that I have the 'drive, you can inspect it, make sure it's the right type and in working order, then you'll give me the credits and offload it yourself."

 

She climbed aboard, showing him towards the cargo space where she had stashed the hyperdrive.

 

"Finding it was a pain. Had to dodge Sovereign patrols to get into the exclusion zone, and then I had to fight a starfighter that was in-tact enough to be a potential salvage option. Went through fifteen ships digging through hyperdrives to find this one, and even this one took a little bit of work to get back into working order. Here she is."

 

She gestured at the hyperdrive, stepping aside to give the boy better access.

 

"Why buy under the table? Why not a commercial model?"

[PBdub]

He peered around into the cargo hold with the drive core. It was well-intact, ready for installation. Elliot smiled upon seeing it, and he turned to Azael, quick to scorn his smile away before she could see his childish nature. He knew all about the scavenging of such a piece of tech, rolling through hundreds upon hundreds of downed ships on Bracca looking for specific parts and chromium pipes was his typical business on his homeworld. He approached the tech, and was impressed by how cleanly she was able to recover such a piece. Elliot began working almost immediately, strapping the core to a small dolly and wheeling it down into the hangar bay beside his own ship. He knelt over , squatting over the parts and popping open his X-wing with unreasonable speed. He stopped suddenly, and remembered to send the credits on his datapad before he returned to installation.

 

His words didn't interrupt his work, finally closing the long silence between them during his intense focus," Commercial model isn't powerful enough. I wanted military tech, regardless. What did you pull this out of? Looks like it came from an X4, but it's small. Had to be from a newer model, or from an S91? Lots of these Incom starfighters use hyper-cores like this."

 

He used the robotic dolly to install the hyperdrive core into his ship, fastening it in place and assembling it back with the plating after, taking a step back and admiring his ship, newly improved. After the installation, although awkward and impromptu, he turned to Azael again, finally seeing her and not right past her to the cargo. He hadn't seen many Chiss on Coruscant not in the Imperial Navy, and he cornered his gaze to her clothes, looking for an insignia or emblem. 

 

"Sovereign patrols, eh? Where should I avoid with this bad girl?"

[Azael]

She followed him quickly out, resisting the urge to put a hand on her concealed blaster as he started to wheel the hyperdrive away. She had to remind herself that he was just an excited kid, not used to business like this. The problem with recruiting young is that many had potential, but lacked the experience to capitalize. As he spoke, she raised an eyebrow. He knew more than she did about starships, that's for sure.

 

"I wouldn't know, I know how to find one and how to take it out of a ship, but that's where my knowledge ends. I've always been better with software than hardware. For all I know I took it out of the Queen of Naboo's personal shuttle."

 

She checked her datapad, satisfied to see the agreed amount pending in her account. She met his eyes as he looked her over, crossing her arms as he spoke again.

 

"Well, anything over the crater is a no-fly zone. Too much old military tech for them to let civilians fly around. As far as traffic, in a fighter you'll need some kind of unit ID, either merc or official to not raise eyebrows and get yourself tailed or tracked. That, I can definitely help with. I can make you an ID real enough to get you offworld if you want, or just real enough to get you around the planet. It's up to you."

[PBdub]

He quickly shifted his eyes when she mentioned the sale of ID codes. Elliot thought for a moment, and decided that it would be ideal for him to have both counterfeit and legitimate identification for navigating the galaxy. His sovereign alliance registry codes were liable to bring attention, and worse, perhaps documentation. He did not want his family notified of his certain underhanded dealings, regardless of the danger. He pulled a death stick out of his pocket, and sparked it as he spoke," I'd like to get offworld," he said, looking back over at his ship, beautiful as she was," And I need to find someone who can update this thing with modern weaponry." 

 

Elliot thought for a moment, his mind flashing back to Bracca, and his experiences under the strict corporates that ran the planet. He wasn't looking to get harassed and bullied like that as soon as he stepped offworld into an even bigger pond, now. The woman he was with, however, seemed more well-armed than he, and fairly experienced, he'd hoped. At least the scar on her cheek lent to the idea, he thought. Elliot smacked his lips in frustration for a moment, crossing his arms as well," You're a freelancer, then? I could use an escort from a more well-armed ship."

[Azael]

"If you want identification, I can do that. Hack into the local database, add a name, then whenever someone tries to check your ID they'll see it's valid and registered here on Coruscant. A planet like this, the chances of any local authorities noticing an extra name is pretty small, and even if they do, they'll write it off as one of the other thousand bureaucrats clearing the ID."

 

She motioned at her ship, chuckling at his next offer.

 

"No guns here. She's quiet, and discreet, but if a fight breaks out I hit the gas and run. I know a guy who may be able to help though. His name's Jude, he's a shock trooper for the Sovereign Alliance. We used to run together, take out bad guys the rebels couldn't touch. Smugglers, mob bosses, slavers. We were really good at it, too. But that was years ago by now. Not to worry- he's good people, and he still owes me."

 

She pulled out her communicator, staring at it for a small moment before sending a message to @Larvee.

 

Hey Jude, been a while. I have a job for you on Coruscant if you're interested- Maybe get the old system going again, killing bad guys and saving civvies. Let me know if you want in.

 

"I'll even throw in an offer- Like I said, I'm no good with hardware. Give me a datapad or a keypad and I can hack into just about anything, but if my ship takes a hit or I need to do something mechanical, I'm no good. I could use an engineer. Work for me for a little bit, and I'll get you hooked up with everything you need to be a freelancer. Guns, training, contacts. Credits."

[Larvee]

Jude was stirred by the navigators soft pings, he sat up straight as the McFerrin dropped from Hyperspace. Taking a moment to drink in the sight of Coruscant, the giant cityscape visible from orbit, and the scar still left in its crust. With a gentle hum, Jude began plugging away at the console, transmitting ID codes, making contact with Tower, and preparing for the ride in.

 

He turned back to the cabin where his client slept. The privacy curtain was closed, but could hardly muffle the man's snores. "Hey, Jaque! We're coming down now, should make surface in less than Five!" There was a stir from behind the curtain, Jude turned his attention back to his flightpath. A few moments later, a slightly short human stepped up behind the helm. "Well? Were we-." "Nobody's behind us, or waiting at the port for us. Try to enjoy the ride, we'll be on solid ground again before you know it." Jude interrupted. Jaque had been stressed for the whole flight. To Jude it seemed irrational, that for some reason his co-researchers would send an assassin, or bounty hunter to steal his work before he could present it. He shrugged, thinking to himself that he maybe just doesn't know this persons working environment. Jude chuckled gently, the thought of some sort of Scientific Thunderdome sounded funny to him.

 

Jaque jumped as Jude brought the McFarrin down onto the landing pad a little less than softly. He laughed "Don't Worry, Be Happy!" Jude smiled wide, standing from his seat and gesturing to the airlock. "C'mon, I'll see you to your shuttle and make sure you're off safely, alright?" Jaque frowned, mildly annoyed at the Devaronian. "You're not helping." The man turned to the airlock, the ramp had already come down for them to step off to the pad. The shuttle wasn't far from the port that was burried under the city that sprawled infinately in every direction. The sky was thick with traffic and noise. Jude couldn't help but lose himself in the sights, a feint feeling of pride washing over him as he stared into the increadable progress that this planet has experienced.

 

Jaque waved gently as his shuttle departed, which Jude repaid. He'd stand and watch the shuttle disappear into the distance before turning back towards his landing bay. He had the day to spend, and intended to stop for something to eat before leaving again. On his walk he checked his communicator, not having realized he missed a message. His face lit up as he listened, and he smiled wide. He wasted no time responding to Azael, reminiscing about the friendship they'd shared.

 

Hey!! I'd absolutely Love to come mess up some bad dudes! And by chance I just happen to already be on Coruscant for business! Shoot me your local and I'll be there ASAP.

 

With excitement in his breath and a skip in his step, Jude made his way back to his pad, eager to hear back from his comrade.

[PBdub]

Guns.

 

Elliot could use some guns. He'd not spent much time with a blaster, nor had he much experience dog-fighting in his starship. Both of which were going to surely prove integral.

 

Training.

 

His mind flashed, and he was back in Bracca.

 

The taste of blood had just touched his lips, his arms were up to cover his jaw, but the Sullustan kept lining up shots to his body and side of the head. Elliot lifted his left leg and kicked the man from off him, affording himself a few extra feet to work with. Elliot was younger then, but still held a significant advantage in height. He sprung forward, throwing across his body, down through the chin of the sullustan bully that he'd gotten far too used to being harassed by. Bloody nose and bloody teeth, Elliot closed the distance, cornering his enemy with a left hand swung down under the guard to the liver. He swarmed, dropping his shoulders and leaning a front elbow into the temple of the man. With a groan, the sullustan knelt and punched below the belt, sending Elliot to his knees. He winced, and inhaled sharply before feeling another punch, this time on his jaw. He was flung to the ground, then, and barely was able to scramble to any semblance of balance before he was run after. 

 

His trip home on the tram from the scrapyard had ended in violence once again, and his head slammed into a seat on the tram as he was tackled down. With the pang in his ears and an inscrutable sting below the belt, Elliot barely thought out his reactions, simply slinging his body off to the side and rolling over his shoulder to avoid being hit. Bumping into a few more people, he was lifted and shoved by the others on the tram, annoyed by such pedestrian violence. He regained his footing, leaning over the back railing of a seat. The sullustan slowly approached, hands up in guard. Elliot exhaled and took one step forward, shuffling to keep his footwork proper. He ducked his left shoulder down across his opponent, lowering his head just under a fully wound swing from his opponent. Still weakened, he pushed his head into the chest of the sullustan and shoulder the man into the seat behind him. With a weak fall, he fell to a seated position, and Elliot was there to capitalize. An elbow across, his whole body finding a way to crash into him, and followed by a long swinging knee to the gut, finished the fight quickly. Elliot fell back, further still onto his butt, exhausted and in no small amount of pain. 

 

Contacts, Credits.

 

He snapped out of it. He could use all of those things. Anyone could. 

 

"I'll fly with you for a little while. I'm no datapad engineer, but I know ships."

[Azael]

"Sounds like a deal then. it's gonna take me a few hours to cook up passable identification, but while you wait, I can tell you what we're gonna be doing. If you have any questions, feel free to ask."

 

She heard a quiet beep from her communicator, and was relieved to see that Jude had responded already. He was already on world, surprisingly, and willing to meet up. She quickly sent him her coordinates before moving on. They would have time to catch up on their travels. Pocketing the communicator, she motioned for Elliot to follow her aboard her ship. As they walked, she spoke.

 

"I work as a mercenary of sorts- really more of a bounty hunter on a wider scale. The Sovereign Knights offer top credit for anyone willing to help them finish rooting out the influences of the Sith, whether it be pirates and criminals that festered under their watch, or remnant cultists themselves. I heard they found actual Sith at Falleen too."

 

She took a seat at her desk, pulling up a number of documents as she began to work.

 

"It's good money, and it's work that lets us sleep at night. You'll earn equal parts as the rest of the crew, and I'll teach you everything you need to know about this life if you stick around long enough."