Along the Fragrant Streets

[RedneckLoves]

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Mav Kote strolled comfortably down a busy Chandrillan street. It had been a hot day, but was cooling down with the deepening gloom of dusk settling upon the city. The carefree Mandalorian was dressed in his full set of armor, as he always was no matter where he was or what purpose he had there. Whenever he was home, his wife had to practically pry him out of the thing to get him to wear normal clothes around his family.

The air was fragrant from the many flowered trees lining the walkways and Mav's lips couldn't help but turn up in a smile as he breathed it in. He always felt so alive and at peace whenever he got the chance to visit a new place. He'd never been on Chandrilla before, and thought that it was high time he experienced the joys of one of the most popular core worlds. He'd heard hundreds of stories about the place, after all. His greatest joy in life was the adventure of exploring somewhere unknown to him.

A large white structure caught his eye and he made his way towards it. It was an outdoor bar, busy at this time of waning daylight and likely to be more so in the coming hours. A live band was plucking at their instruments and getting ready to start playing. Waitresses and busboys scurried around in the middle serving area of the building, hurrying to serve all their customers.

Mav sidled up to an empty spot along the ground floor bar and motioned to a tender when he was able to catch her eye. A crooked smile flashed his perfect white teeth before he asked for a whiskey on the rocks. The young girl's return smile was cute and flirtatious, but Mav didn't really notice that part. He turned around and leaned back against the bar with his elbows resting on the surface, looking out at the bustling city streets.

@Narsi

 

[Narsi]

Making his way through the streets, towards the meeting place, Henry found himself posing for numerous photos. Clad in shining golden armor, his lightsabers clearly present on his belt, everyone assumed he was a Jedi. He certainly looked the part, carrying his helm in his hands with his handsome face and golden hair exposed for all to see. Henry shook hands, signed autographs, even blessed a random baby thrust into his face. Henry was reveling in the environment, practically dancing amongst the crowds. It was such a welcome change, to be among such happy cheerful people, so eager, so innocent. Henry had nearly forgotten what it felt like, for so long he'd been with the Sith. Living in their run down depressed cities, talking with run down depressed people, it was a real change to walk within an actual thriving city. The force around him was practically glowing with vitality, intoxicatingly so, and every few steps Henry found himself sucking in deep breathes, drinking in the sweet sweet aura.

Eventually Henry was forced to break away from the adoring throngs, he'd arrived at the meeting location, or close to it at least. Looking around, Henry's gaze alighted on a man in mando armor sitting at a bar, his partner. Without saying anything, Henry strode up and took a seat near the man, signaling a passing waitress for a drink, offering the girl a smile as he simply pointed out his choice on a menu. Henry kept his silence as he waited, simply absorbing the atmosphere around him as he considered everything. He was having second thoughts.

After a while the girl returned, bringing both him and the man their drinks. Henry sipped his in silence, thinking about a certain data card that weighed down his pockets, and what it could mean. Eventually he sighed and looked up at the man, "So, I'm Henry. I assume your Mav? Should we get going?"

 

[Mav Kote]

Mav was still waiting for his drink when a dude dressed in gleaming golden armor sauntered up near him and silently ordered himself a drink. The young Mandalorian kind of glanced at the guy out of the corner of his eye, but didn't look straight at him. It was all he could do to keep the laughter bubbling up within him from escaping at the sight of the ridiculous looking armor.

His whiskey arrived and he shot the bartender a wink before going back to crowd watching. He kept an eye on the golden guy, knowing that when he left this place he was going to have a real good laugh about him. He sipped his bourbon and waited for someone to approach him. To his surprise and ultimate dismay, the golden guy eventually turned to him and spoke.

"So, I'm Henry. I assume your Mav? Should we get going?"

Mav slowly turned his head to fully face the dude for the first time, expression blank. He spent a long few seconds letting his eyes travel all the way down to Henry's feet and then back up again to his face. Finally unable to contain his laughter, he burst out with a loud belly laugh and bent over at the waist. He laughed so hard for a minute that his face turned red.

"You're Henry???" he asked while wiping away a tear from his left eye. "I thought you were supposed to be a Sith! Or at least, like, an actual warrior. What the H*** are you WEARing!?"

He kept on laughing, but noticed that a few of the patrons near them were taking note of his hilarious laughter and thought it best to make their way out of there. He started walking out to a different street than the one he'd arrived from. It would take them where they were headed in short order.

 

[Narsi]

Henry found himself having to take several deep breathes, holding in his anger as his "partner" openly laughed at him. This actually wasn't a rare occurrence, especially around other Sith, but the illusion his getup provided was more important than the snickers of peons. Sure it wasn't as if Henry himself was completely ignorant of how he looked, but honestly, to laugh at someone because of it? Someone whom you were entrusting to have your back whilst on a very dangerous mission?

Swirling his drink, Henry remained wordless as he glared at the giggling mando. Fighting the urge to show him just how valuable this armor was. Pointedly looking away, Henry finished off his drink and followed Mav out the door and away from the bar, figuring it best that he respond once no one was around to listen it. Walking alongside the man, Henry kept his voice low, his tone sullen as he responded, "Yes, its not something a Sith would usually be wearing isn't it. That's. The. Whole. Point, you fool. Look at where we are, the center of republic space, by donning this I look like a hero. A defender of the people and all that tripe. Besides, while it may be a bit flashy its still perfectly functional and in no way holds me back in combat, not something I can say for your idiotic inability to contain your giggling fits."

Full on glaring at Mav, Henry paused and turned to sign his autograph for a young boy who approached hopefully, briefly smiling cheerfully to keep up his facade. When it was done they continued onward, making good time down the street. It wasn't long before they had arrived at their destination, even accounting for several more autograph stops and a selfie shoot.

 

[Mav Kote]

Mav rolled his eyes at the golden clad Sith, but didn't say anything more about it. He couldn't help but keep the silly, crooked grin on his face throughout their walk, especially when several civilians actually approached the guy for autographs and pictures. It was all he could do to keep from having another laughing fit. What kind of people just see a guy with over the top gold armor and lightsabers on his belt and freak out so much they want pictures and sh** with him!? It was so ridiculous! These people were pathetic, and Henry was even worse for getting so into it!

The Mandalorian merc just shook his head and took it in stride, though. He couldn't deny that he was having fun on this little trip, regardless his companion. And he'd met tons of way stranger characters than this Henry guy anyway. It would just be another story to tell around a campfire or a dinner table somewhere in his future.

They eventually reached a small outbuilding, fences set up all the way around it. A much larger building loomed behind it, all fancy and lit up with lights. It wasn't busy this time of night, most of the people who worked there had gone home to their families or to their favorite dive until the next morning. Mav focused on his objective, the small outbuilding directly in front of them. There were no guards posted that night, he'd taken care of that already. The night before he'd made a visit to the regularly stationed guard and had left with assurances that he would have no trouble getting in the building tonight.

After discreetly looking around and ensuring that there was no one around to see them, the invigorated Mando flashed a grin Henry's way, then made his way inside and unslung the pack he'd been lugging around all afternoon. He had done his homework and already knew the most vulnerable area of the shield's large generator. He quickly set to work wiring and activating the powerful explosives, knowing that now they were in enemy territory time was of the utmost importance.

@Narsi

 

[Narsi]

It was very vexing, to literally feel the other mans sense of amusement and skepticism, blowing off the man in waves like a bad smell. Rolling his eyes, Henry kept up his fake grin as they walked, waving "happily" to everyone around them. It was true that the people around him might have seemed a bit too eager, but then Henry was also emitting a broad range mental influence, raising spirits and encouraging the hero worship. Something he was excluding Mav from, mostly because he didn't want to make the twit happy in any way, but also because he could get in trouble for doing so. Either way, it was a relief when they finally neared their destination.

It was here that Henry subtly reversed his exuding influence, essentially forming a "keep away" message that slowly began to waft through the street and cover the area. Unwittingly, there way and destination slowly cleared up, the normally busy streets emptying with extreme efficiency. Henry nodded in satisfaction, eying the target as he and the Mando made their way towards it. Surprisingly there was no guard, though judging from the immense self satisfaction that suddenly filled the air like a bad fart, it wasn't that way by chance. Either way it was for the best, Henry had long since gotten sick of missions that ended in gunfights and explosions, this was just so much better.

Whilst Mav scooted inside to take care of the target, Henry himself sidled off to the shadows, increasing his mental influence as an extra precaution to keep any extra curious kids away. Watching from the shadows off to the side, Henry repeatedly scanned the surrounding area, keeping a cautious hand on his belt ready to draw his saber in an instant. There was only one entrance to the building, and Henry was less than a couple meters away from it in bodyguard mode, hidden within the shadows even with his brightly colored armor.

 

[Mav Kote]

It only took a few moments to wire the explosives. Mav had packs that he'd specially designed himself for fast put together in the field. He'd heard way too many stories of mercs getting interrupted before their payloads were ready. They either get killed or captured and the objective doesn't get completed because they hadn't been able to set up their shit fast enough. His way around that particular issue was prewired packs that only had to be linked together and then primed. It was much more efficient than wiring things together at the site.

Of course it was also a hell of a lot more dangerous to carry around on your back, since the wires were already in the explosives. Mav didn't worry too much about that. He was careful enough and was confident in his own abilities. Also he found that a sense of invincibility actually helped keep you alive. His instincts had never failed him thus far.

The packs wired together, Mav primed them and set the the switch. He always relied on his armor's HUD for setting it off. Timers could be intercepted if someone happened to be determined enough to keep the bombs from going off and in the vicinity. Nothing could keep him from setting them off with a voice command inside his helmet, even if he was held up after activation.

He stood up and flashed another crooked grin Henry's way before high tailing it outta the building. He didn't stop until he was around the next corner of the street, out of sight of the building. Night was full at this point, a few dim street lights the only illumination. Nobody was around, which was good. Mav loved blowing shit up, but he never wanted innocent people to get hurt for it.

@Narsi

 

[Narsi]

It was pretty stressful, waiting outside whilst someone set up a pile of explosives well within lethal distance. Any second and boom, he could just cease to exist, his life was resting in the hands of a someone who was apparently prone to giggling fits. Forget the Jedi or enemy soldiers, Henry simply hoped there wasn't a comedian hiding inside. It seemed to take forever too, each second dragging by, each moment taking an eternity as Henry's stress levels rose. When the Mando finally came dashing out, Henry actually jumped and felt his heart skip a beat as he gasped loudly.

Meeting Mav's grin with a scowl, Henry stayed close behind the man as they made their escape. Together they ran down the street away from the building, mentally Henry put a bit more oomph into his "keep away cloud." Hopefully it would linger long enough to keep people away, until they activated the explosives of course. Then everyone would come rushing, heedless of any sixth sense screaming keep away, shield generators were important like that especially once they suddenly exploded.

Panting slightly, he and his partner came to a stop several streets away. It was a perfect distance, close enough to signal, far enough to avoid suspicion and escape. Patting his belt to make sure he hadn't dropped anything on the way, Henry nodded to his partner. "Hit it, and lets blow this place. I've got stuff to do and I feel as if were pushing our luck."

 

[Mav Kote]

Mav's grin took up his entire face as he blinked twice and spoke, "Detonate."

It was only a second before they felt the shock wave, sending the Mandalorian merc's knees bucking under him. He recovered expertly and took just a moment to admire his handiwork. The buildings in the vicinity of the former shield generator for the senate building were bathed in an orange glow. Smoke billowed from the site. It set Mav's heart to soaring.

But it was obvious that the authorities would soon be on their way, so he followed the golden boy out of the area. They ran for the first bit, but then slowed it down to look natural and unconcerned. They easily made it out of the city and soon were off the planet, back to safety.