Ask Lothal At The Bank Doing Bank Stuff

[Zad Ruzed]

Spoiler: Music IC

The Marswell Bank in a city on Lothal was pretty standard for its type. There wasn’t much to make note of beyond four walls and a vault. Though, passing a security guard on his way in who looked like that one actor from that one movie, Zad was helpless to shake the thought away.

It was a busy day, as busy as any other day, but the clerks were fully engaged at their windows and it wasn’t long before a newcomer like Zad found himself standing at the front of the line, and stuck on the name of the actor the guard looked like. Darb Iptt?

By this point Zad had taken note of four walls thick with duracrete, one of them lined with the vault, and the cameras and alarms, as well as the faces lining the room. He was as subtle in his observations as any man might be when robbing a bank, or a Sector Ranger keeping an eye out for one.

Mot Suirec? What was that actor’s name? At this rate the Ranger might have to just ask the guard point blank on the way out.

“How may I help you, sir?” smiled the female bank teller.

“Howdy. Got a document needing a notary.” Zad reached into the bottomless depths of his black leather trench coat and came out with a datapad. The clerk nodded like this was her favorite day in the world. So began the boring engagement of getting a document notarized at the bank.

@Sicadorito

 

[Zaia Krodas]

After indulging herself with a little shopping and a couple of nights’ stay at a local inn, Zaia’s credit pouch had gotten a bit lighter than she would have liked. Fortunately there was a bank just a few blocks away, so she would be able to get a withdrawal and fill it up again. Maybe she’d spend some on that nice-looking cafe near the spaceport before she left Lothal. The smells coming from that place had been heavenly, and just thinking about the food was making her hungry. Well, she’d be able to get some of that soon. Her flight off this place was in a couple hours, and she’d already packed her stuff, including her helmet and blasters. She just needed to get her money before she left, and she doubted that she’d need her weapons at the bank.

Donning her brand new light gray cloak on top of her regular armor, Zaia headed for the bank, humming a tune to herself as she turned the corner. When she approached the building however, she noticed a group of helmeted individuals outside near the back. They were huddled in a small group, conversing urgently with each other. She raised an eyebrow at the sight. If they were planning something, they weren’t doing a great job of hiding it. Might as well find out what they were up to.

She headed in their direction, and when one of the group spotted her, they pointed a finger and said something in a language she didn’t understand.

“Sorry, I don’t-”

All of a sudden, one of them pulled out a blaster out of nowhere and fired a warning shot in the air. Zaia put her hands up and took a few steps back. Now, the others had their weapons out too.

“Whoa whoa whoa, I was just wondering- Hey, do you really need to do that?” The first man pointed his blaster at her, said something else and stood there, waiting for a response as the others crowded around her. Zaia grimaced. This is going well.

@Die Shize

 

[Zad Ruzed]

Spoiler: Music OOC

It took some discombobulating haggling to get that document notarized. Something about this T getting dotted and that i getting crossed. I’m gonna get cross if I don’t go smoke.

Then he heard it. Unmistakable. The kind of noise you sometimes hear in your head out of nowhere, and sometimes you might even believe it was for real, but at times like these you knew it was. The sound of a blaster going off was as good as a volcano for Zad Ruzed.

His kneejerk reaction was to reach for the handle at his hip and slide out the Proposition. Now a handgun filled his hand instead of a datapad. Meanwhile the bank teller filled her hand with a comlink as though it was a handgun. Lady’s scared.

“Call your manager,” Zad advised.

“Sh-Shouldn’t I call the p-police!?”

“I am the police.” As he turned from the counter, Zad pulled one side of his jacket back to show the Sector Ranger badge pinned to it before heading toward the exit.

The muzzle of his blaster led the way while demanding everyone else in the bank to stay down and shut up. Last thing he needed was a bystander getting between the shooter and the Ranger who would shoot said shooter.

Turned out to be a handful of shooters. Given their helmeted costumes they were clearly here to donate to charity. And a chick in a cloak. Clearly not one of them. With them turned to her, however, their backs were turned to the Ranger who would shoot them in said backs.

Zad lined up for the perfect proposition as a hand found the handle leading outside. Time to hook ‘em, book ‘em, cook ‘em, Rough And Tumble. Then he felt it. Something slammed into his own back before he went flying backward onto the bank floor.

“I got ‘im! I got the robber! I GOT ‘IM!” Shouted the security guard.

“These gold stars look stolen to you, chief!?” Zad showed the man what the inside of his jacket looked like.

“...B-Buuut you had that blaster and yelled for everyone to stay down and shut up!”

Then he remembered it. That name. The actor’s name who the guard looked like was none other than Brad Cruise. The dumbest actor in Holowood.

@Sicadorito

 

[Zaia Krodas]

At the corner of her vision Zaia noticed another man with a blaster coming in her direction. He didn’t look to be one of them, however, as he’d made his way behind the thugs, presumably to shoot them. Thank goodness.

Then he was knocked to the ground by a security guard. The scuffle resulted in some of the men turning their heads, and that was just the distraction she needed. With a flick of her wrists, she locked her now not-so-hidden blades into place and lunged for the person who’d first fired the shot. Knocking the blaster out of his hand, she grabbed him and held him in front of her, pressing one of the blades to his neck.

“Sorry. I didn’t want to do this the hard way,” she said, before a sudden explosion caused her to stumble and nearly drop the man. Oh no. Then she saw that one of the others had a detonator in his hand, and a plume of dust or smoke rose into the sky coming from the side of the bank. Another explosion sounded, and this time the duracrete wall looked like it was about to give. The third resulted in the wall finally collapsing, and Zaia was forced to let go of the man in order to get out of the way.

Through the dust, she was barely able to breathe without coughing, let alone see. But she did know that the robbers had already made their way inside the bank. As for the man who’d been trying to help her earlier, she had no idea where he was.

@Die Shize

 

[Zad Ruzed]

Spoiler: Music OOC [Recurring]

Getting to his feet maybe a little too fast for a man in his condition, Zad erupted into a coughing fit as surely as an explosion erupted out of nowhere.

The wall splintered, fractured, but still stood while showering the bank in dust and debris. ATMs shattered and crumpled, sparks flying at anyone nearby. They were screaming. Not again. Zad complained while bending down behind a pillar coughing his lungs out. Damn it, not now!

Another explosion. Zad’s pillar was now between him and the daylight. The wall had come down which meant that its destroyers were coming in. Get a grip on yourself, partner, and get a grip on that Proposition.

Wiping spit from lips, the Ranger forced himself upright and leveled his blaster against the pillar, keeping himself out of view. Five huckleberries. Weren’t there six? He couldn’t be sure. These ones were coming in too fast and hot to worry about it.

“[Everyone stay on the ground and shut up!]” A helmet roared but not in Basic. Huttese. Zad had to learn that language a long time ago.

Whether anyone else understood, most were already taking cover. There were injuries, maybe casualties, but the whimpering was a good sign of being alive. More importantly, the robbers had not yet spotted the Ranger.

“[Get that vault open!]” The guy that Zad reckoned to be the leader barked orders from atop a table.

“[You! Open this door or I’ll open your head!]” threatened another robber, leveling blaster with a clerk’s face. It was the same one who had been helping get a document notarized. She didn't seem to understand but the computer beside her did.

Don’t do it, Zad watched the woman. She didn’t, instead claiming that only the manager could open the vault and he was not on site.

Meanwhile Zad used his other hand to alert the authorities without ever looking at his comlink. Local peacekeepers and Sector Rangers would both be mobilizing for Marswell Bank in moments. They already were. As a robber comes my way.

@Sicadorito

 

[Zaia Krodas]

After Zaia was able to blink most of the dust out of her eyes, she stumbled in the direction of the shouting. She was no sector ranger, but she could at least try to help out. It seemed like the man from earlier had been a bit overwhelmed dealing with this all on his own, even if the local authorities would be on their way soon. She unlocked the knives from her gauntlets, letting them rest where they were before. She wouldn’t need them, for now.

Fortunately, the dust was beginning to clear and she had a better view of what was going on. One of the thugs was threatening a clerk with a blaster, and her hand instantly went down to where her holster was to retrieve her own. She cursed when she felt nothing but air. I shouldn’t have put those away.

The woman was brave though, and didn’t seem to be cowed by the robber. That was when Zaia caught sight of the man from before… and the robber that was charging right at him with a dagger. She shouted a warning as she launched herself over and tackled the robber to the ground, twisting his arm back to disarm him while she was at it. The weapon clattered to the ground and slid across the floor, coming to a stop at a piece of duracrete. The man yelled out in pain, but Zaia didn’t let him move.

“You should have thought about the consequences before you decided to rob this place, pea-brain,” she muttered through her teeth as the robber continued to struggle. She managed to hold him in place long enough so that she could kick him in the head, hard. His helmet didn’t seem to do much there, and he fell limp. He’d be knocked out for a few hours at the very least.

“We’re even now,” she said to the man with a wink after she got up. Without waiting for a response, she sprinted outside towards the back of the building. If these thugs had been planning a robbery, it was certain that they had some kind of getaway. Maybe she could catch them before they escaped.

@Die Shize

 

[Zad Ruzed]

Spoiler: Music OOC [Recurring]

That dagger. Odd choice between a blaster. Huttese. The two meant something. What? A woman shouted just then; her warning wasn’t news but a reminder to jolt the Ranger back to attention. Losing your edge, Ruzed!

“I reckon,” he concurred. It was the same woman from outside. Clearly his little tumble back by the entrance had not gone unnoticed. Neither had a twisted arm and a tackled robber now K.O.

“[Drop the blaster!]” called Robbin Hood standing on a table.

“That’s my line, asswipe,” Zad corrected as he stepped out from behind the pillar with blaster raised. He wanted to keep eyes on him as his would-be savior sprinted away. “Step down off your high horse, mister, and tell your friendos to stay down and shut up. Or resist and get shot. Just means more paperwork for me and I've had enough of that for one day.”

“[You’re one little pig,]” Asswipe grinned. Didn’t take the Force to see behind the helmet. "[My guys will tear you apart if you kill me.]"

"I reckon, but only after I roast you like a cold turkey on Christmas. I only need one bolt from my little friend here and it’s adios amigo. We'll both be too dead to worry about your friends. Capeesh?”

Zad waited. Asswipe did too. Everyone else did not. There was a blaster shot. It didn’t come from Ranger or robber. “No one’s robbing this bank!” It came from a woman who was notarizing documents before dropping robbers like cold turkeys.

The bank teller had grabbed the blaster that slid away and, with her assailant having turned to focus on the Ranger, shot him in the back. What followed was a hail of blaster bolts and complete hell as the robbers and the Ranger tore the bank apart worse than its wall.

Zad ducked and dove, shot and shouted, plugged one robber in the head. The Proposition didn't much care if you had a helmet or not.

Then another one bit the dust. Four became two. One robber made a break for it. The second stood over Zad Ruzed as he lay on his back for a second time, cursing Asswipe for the bolt to the chest and the universe for denying him one last cigarette and a whisky to go with. Do. Done. Did.

@Sicadorito

 

[Zaia Krodas]

It was almost too easy to find the getaway speeders near the back of the building. They had been carelessly left in an alleyway, a group of robbers sitting atop the seats and conversing with one another. One of them was even smoking, and Zaia couldn’t help but think they looked awfully casual for a situation like this. Criminals, she’d never understand them.

She walked over to where they were, not even flinching when they scrambled off their speeders and pulled out their blasters.

“Look. I’m sure you know your friends are in a bit of a tough spot right now, so I’ve come to offer you a deal,” she said as she crossed her arms. “You can leave right now and avoid the cops, or you can stay and still go forward with this terrible plan you have of robbing the bank. You have three seconds to decide.” The thugs looked back and forth at each other, muttering something in their language again before hopping on their speeders. Zaia stepped aside expectantly. Maybe they made the smart decision for once.

She was disappointed when they revved up the engines of the speeders… and drove straight at her instead. Luckily for her, she’d been expecting that kind of stunt and was ready to move out right away, narrowly avoiding the speeders as they zoomed past her. They stopped at the corner of the main street and turned around, ready for a second charge. This time though, when they came at her, Zaia jumped up in the nick of time and kicked the driver out of his seat. The second speeder was just about a second behind, and after Zaia slammed on the brakes she pushed herself off of the speeder, landing on the ground nearby just before the second one crashed into the first. The end result was a smoking heap of scrap metal, and some groaning thugs trying to get to their feet.

“Not happening.” Zaia went over to them, took off each of their helmets, and gave them a good punch in the head. That should take care of the getaway drivers.

@Die Shize

 

[Zad Ruzed]

Spoiler: Music OOC [Recurring]

“[Pathetic little pig,]” the robber’s voice was like one giant grin all on its own. “[Oinked at the wrong people, pig.”] That was the sound of a blaster getting reloaded.

Zad heard it. Didn’t know how. Ranger Ruzed was dead. Have to be. Ain’t no way. It made sense. Makes sense for me to hear blasters and see douchebag criminals in hell. Wherever hell was it was as dark as they said. Who the hell is they anyway?

“[Say hello to MY little friend!”] That was the sound of a blaster getting pointed at your face even though you couldn’t really hear it.

Then came the sound of a douchebag criminal falling flat on his back.

Zad felt his feet kick but didn’t actually see it. Bone bit bone like a rancor with a monkey-lizard. The Ranger opened his eyes. He saw the ceiling of Marswell Bank. He felt a hole in his chest or, better yet, an indent in the blast vest that had grinned at a blaster bolt.

“Hey, asshole,” Zad greeted as he got to his feet, one boot slamming on a rifle before Asshole had a chance to snatch it. “Time to shit yourself.” With that, Zad pointed the Proposition at the robber’s face and pulled the trigger.

The bolt landed into the floor right beside a helmet. Its head tilted as though inclined to hear more. “Oh, it’s behind barriers for you, friendo. Trust me, you’d rather be dead.”

Ignoring a buffet of protests and insults shaped like a rainbow, Zad cuffed his perp's hands behind his back and led him outside with the barrel of a blaster resting on a shoulder.

“Howdy,” the Ranger greeted the kickass woman standing solo. He looked left, looked right, gave a look of pretty-damn-impressive at the smoking heap of scrap metal, and some groaning thugs trying to get to their feet.

“...So am I in the lead or are you?” Zad held up his convict as though he was a trophy and this was all just a race.

@Sicadorito

 

[Zaia Krodas]

“Oh. Hey there,” she said as she spotted the man from earlier dragging one of the robbers over with his blaster barrel on his shoulder. The expression on his face read that he was pretty impressed. Then he lifted the man he’d caught and asked who was ahead in this supposed race, as if the attempted bank robbery had been little more than a game. However, given the thugs’ obvious lack of planning and horrible coordination, Zaia thought that it was lucky for the robbers to have lasted this long against the two of them.

“Depends on what happened in there,” Zaia said as she pointed her thumb at the bank. She looked around at the thugs still on the ground near her, then gave the man a smirk. Might as well gloat while she still could. “But judging from what I see right now, I’d say I’m in the lead.” Suddenly, she felt a tug at the bottom of her cloak. She looked down to see one of the robbers from earlier grabbing at it for some reason, and before he could do anything else she gave him a solid kick in the forehead.

“Looks like I didn’t hit you hard enough the first time,” she said, frowning. The only thing that had done for her was make her realize that her cloak had been torn in some places, and was dustier than she’d ever thought it would get. “Oh come on, this was brand new,” she grumbled to herself as she attempted to get some of the dust off. “Can’t I go one day without having something breaki-” Then she realized that the man was still there.

“Uh, sorry bout that. I’m Zaia. And you are?”

@Die Shize

 

[Zad Ruzed]

Spoiler: Music OOC

Zad curled his lips at Miss Kickass’ attitude. What made it all better was how accurate she was. Can’t argue with that. She’s got me beat. Speaking of, she proceeded to beat a thug dumb enough to grope her.

“Oh, you gotta hit hard the first time, always,” the Ranger relayed as though this was just class and he was the teacher. Provided the woman didn’t flinch, he led his captive forward after her introduction. Zaia. Sounds like silk.

“[Dirty pig I’ll—]” -CLOINK!- went the Proposition against the shoulder. “[ARGH!]” went the robber.

“See? That was nothin’. When they start to wake up, though, that’s when a soft tap puts ‘em back to sleep. Observe both.”

“[DIRTY PIG I’LL—]” -CLOINK!- went the Proposition against the skull. “[ARGH!]” went the robber.

“Oops. Heh, guess I’m gettin’ a little rusty in my age.” -CLOINK!- Robber was knocked out that time. Heh.

“Uh…” The Ranger rubbed the back of his head with an awkward frown. “It’ll be a minute before I demonstrate that soft tap and this idiot’ll be in the back of a van by then but hey.” With that, he lit up a cigarette in one hand and extended his right.

“Zad. Zad Ruzed.” Smoke blew toward the sky. And up the ass of some star. “Sector Ranger, at your service.” Just in case she didn't believe him after his little demonstration, he showed her the inside of his jacket.

@Sicadorito

 

[Zaia Krodas]

“You got that right,” Zaia said, giving the man a nod. She raised her eyebrows slightly when she saw the robber on his shoulder wake up and say something that didn’t sound like it was what you would say to a friend. The thug was smacked on the head, but only proceeded to scream louder.

“Looks like you didn’t tap hard enough,” she commented, crossing her arms as a grin flitted across her face. Observe, the man had said, and she was quite content with watching what was going to happen as the robber squealed like a pig. The man hit him a second time, but the robber was still awake and more angry than he was before.

“You need some help with that?” Zaia asked in concern, before the man hit him again. This time, the robber finally fell limp. “Third time’s the charm, I guess.” When he extended his hand, Zaia grasped it with her own and shook it.

“Well met, Zad,” she said with a smile. She wasn’t surprised to find out that he was a sector ranger— she’d assumed something of the sort based on the way he was the first one out of the bank after hearing that blaster shot. The stars inside his jacket only confirmed it.

She put her hands in the inside pockets of her cloak, and glanced over at the ruined bank. “I guess I’ll have to wait a while to get that withdrawal,” she said with a sigh. “Anyway, you think the local authorities will be here soon? I don’t want to have to babysit them.” She scowled at the thugs on the ground.

@Die Shize

 

[Zad Ruzed]

Spoiler: Music OOC [Recurring]

That was no feeble handshake. The woman was slight but strong. Like silk. There was something about the way she moved, and any other man might have admired it for the way a woman moved, and maybe it was his age but Zad admired it for the way a warrior moved.

“Any minute now,” the Ranger confirmed, pushing his prisoner over to his back so he could snore toward the sky. Really, he was just one prisoner out of the lot that Zad Ruzed was now responsible for turning over to the local authorities. Cap will like that. I might even get a day off.

He could already hear the sirens in the distance, and maybe she couldn’t unless her ears were tuned to the tune. His had to be. “I think a minute is enough for you to answer some questions.”

Smoke blew toward Zaia before curling away into the breeze, leaving her face exposed to the Ranger’s eyes. “Where did you learn to fight like that?” Granted, he hadn’t seen all of the fighting but enough of it and definitely the outcome. She’s standing. They’re not. Here we are.

@Sicadorito

 

[Zaia Krodas]

“I hope so,” Zaia with a sigh said as she crossed her arms. She looked up at Zad in slight surprise when he mentioned asking her some questions.

“What is this now, an interview?” she teased lightly, giving the man a smile as she tilted her head at his inquiry. “Oh, I took lessons. I had a good teacher.” A very good one, in fact. She didn’t want to give out too much information just yet. Zad, as decent of a person as he seemed, was still a sector ranger. As much as she respected their line of work, she’d done some things that were at the very least toeing the line between legal and illegal. She’d done plenty of the latter too. Sharing too much could prove… costly.

She looked over the Ranger, curious about who he was. One had to have a strong commitment to the law to do a job like this, and she was sure that he’d had his own sights of the not-so-pretty side of things.

“How long have you been a Ranger, Zad?” she asked. Hopefully by asking him a question, she’d be able to take the focus off herself. Not to mention she’d be able to learn a bit more about him.

@Die Shize

 

[Zad Ruzed]

Spoiler: Music OOC [Recurring]

Zad harrumphed at the young woman’s answer. “We all took lessons and had a good teacher, kid.” She really couldn’t have been older than twenty or twenty-five which made her young enough to be his daughter. “My teacher just turned out to be on the wrong side of the law than where I am now.”

He dismissed that element of the topic while wondering who her teacher might have been. Assassin Class? Jedi? They could have just as well been a martial arts instructor down the street and this kid was no more than a concerned citizen.

“For a minute longer than this one.” The Ranger sighed through his cigarette, thinking about the question some more. It didn’t take a detective to detect that Zaia was trying to shift the gears of the conversation. Hopefully by answering her question he’d be able to show her that he didn’t really care.

“A long, long minute...” Zad stared off into the distance, spotting flashing lights on the horizon. “They’re gonna wanna ask you some questions of their own.” He didn’t look at the kid as he spoke.

“Those questions might take you to somewhere you don’t wanna go so you might wanna go over there.” Cigarette pointed toward an alley facing away from the road where the police convoy was blaring down. “I can handle these numpties.” He gestured toward the criminals and the cops both, the former beginning to groan and the latter maybe a minute away.

@Sicadorito

 

[Zaia Krodas]

“Sometimes things just don’t work out the way we want them to,” Zaia responded to Zad’s remark about his teacher. She could understand that. People could have different sides to themselves, change over time. Nothing ever truly stood still.

“The galaxy should thank you, you know,” said Zaia, glancing over at Zad after his gaze drifted off into the distance. It wasn’t hard to imagine that he was used to seeing this kind of action for a while, given his unhesitant reaction upon hearing the blaster shot. Law enforcement was by no means an easy job, and sector rangers always had to be ready to put themselves in harm’s way to protect the citizens. And if Zad had been serving a long time, he deserved respect.

She nodded as she saw the flashing lights getting closer. “Thanks for the heads up. And for that, erm, distraction earlier,” she said with a smile. “If you’ve got them, then I’ll be on my way.” Before she left though, she turned back to Zad.

“I hope we meet again someday, under better circumstances,” she said before pulling the hood of her cloak over her head. She glanced back at the robbers, who were just starting to regain their consciousness. Hopefully they wouldn’t mention her to the police or to whoever their leader was, if they had one. But as the sirens grew louder, she realized that this was no time to dwell on her thoughts if she didn’t want to draw attention to herself. And so, she started on her way back to the inn, for a brief moment wondering if this had been one of those things better left alone.

//Exit character//

@Die Shize

 

[Zad Ruzed]

Spoiler: Music OOC [Recurring]

Zad wanted to look back but couldn’t. As the woman bid the man farewell, hoping to meet again someday under better circumstances, he blew smoke into the wind and hoped that someday the galaxy would actually open up to better circumstances.

When he looked back, Zaia was gone, having vanished down that alley or somewhere else. She’s quick. Proved that back at the bank. Something about her, the way she moved, the way a warrior moved than the way a woman did, and he didn’t know why but he genuinely hoped they did meet again someday.

“Zad. Zad Ruzed.” The Ranger introduced himself as the city’s peacekeepers arrived at the scene. A handful of the boys and girls in blue went about rounding up the galaxy’s worst excuse for bank robbers.

“Anyone else at the scene we should know about?” piped an unimpressed copper.

“That’s a negative, officer,” Zad eased with what was left of his cigarette. “Except this one bank teller who took out one of these poor bastards. Might wanna recruit her.”

As the Lothal police secured the area, the Sector Ranger’s job was done. Leaving the scene, his mind was stuck on two things: the Huttese that these robbers spoke and the dagger that one of them wielded.

When he realized what he had witnessed it was too late. Damn it. Zad remembered someone else at the scene: one of the robbers who had escaped. You’re getting old, Zad Ruzed. The trail might not be cold though, so the Ranger shut down his ship before it took off and headed back.

[EXIT ZAD RUZED]
[END THREAD]
​

@Sicadorito