Ask Busting up a Trade

[Connor Vance]

Nal Hutta l Death Enabled​

Both Arak and Xo had been released from the infirmary over the last few weeks. Connor had managed to work several jobs and scrounge together the credits to cover their medical expenses. Since their night together, Connor’s frequency in texting with Nash had picked back up to its regular levels. He was back to shit posting memes and seeing when she was free for drinks or jobs. He missed her a lot. Unfortunately, she’d been busy on a vacation with Arak, trips with her Master and then Master Karys, and last weekend she was out too. But it was chill. They’d link up again whenever she was free.

Connor hadn’t forgotten that she said she had business to deal with on Hutta and he needed to make some rounds to Shadda. So he reached out again.

Still got some stuff to deal with back on Hutta? Headed that way and I’m down to help out. Meet at ship? Also, I got something for you.

Connor had actually tried to clean up his ship this time. Throwing out trash and cleaning up as best he could. It was a decent trip to Hutta and he didn’t want his place to look like trash. When Nash arrived, Connor would be finishing up cleaning. There’d be a festive card with her name on it sitting on the table in front of the couch.

“Hey!” He greeted, his ears perking when he saw her. “I got you something for Life Day. It’s on the table, I hope you like it.” His eyes turned to glance at the sealed card. “Give me a second before you open it though.” It would be painfully obvious to her that he was happy and excited to see her.

@Sreeya

 

[Nash]

The time away had done wonders for Nash. She was more self-assured, had a better command of the Force and was in better spirits in general. She had kept in touch with Connor during her times away and agreed right away when he wanted to hang out. Despite whatever vague situationship existed between them, she wasn’t going to put up any walls. Nash cared deeply about Connor and nothing would change that. She had heard some commentary and rumors about him and another girl, so she figured it was only a matter of time before the chick got salty about Nash hanging out. Nash had limited time with Connor and she would capitalize on the moments.

She walked in and offered a smile, carrying a bag of her own, “Hey you,” She said, “I got you something too. And I want you to open right away!” Nash said excitedly, handing him the bag.

If he opened it, he would see several things. The first was a modification he could add to his cybernetic arm and computer spike. It was an elusive dataplague, “The amount of favors I had to call in to score that,” Nash said with a grin, “I hope you dig it,” She said cheerfully. If he kept looking, he would see tickets to StarWorld, a major attraction that was magical for children and had all the movie characters and rides, “So you can take your siblings,” Nash said, remembering how his half siblings lived off whatever money he could scrape away for them. Since she had been away, the mine she had taken over was finally generating some peggats to use and she applied it towards Life Day gifts.

@Apollyon

 

[Connor Vance]

Connor’s face lit up when he saw Nash’s, like the poorly decorated fake holiday tree that sat in the corner of the living room. His ears perked and his head tilted to the side when she said that she had a gift for him too. He stopped what he was doing and slid over the couch and nodded for her to follow him.

“You didn’t have to get me something.” He said his ears perking with curiosity.

Connor had spent so many Life Day’s scrounging peggats to buy his siblings things but never had anyone get him a gift. Once Nash sat down, Connor would wrap an arm around her as he’d always done and put the bag in his lap. When he pulled out the data spike his brows furrowed as he looked at it for a moment. The realization hit him, his eyes widened in shock, his head snapped to Nash.

“H-how?” He asked, his eyes frantically searched her blues. “I mean I fucking love it! But how’d you find this?” He repeated. “These things are so fucking rare. Thank you, it’s fucking amazing!”

The appreciation was clearly written in his eyes and the positioning of his ears. He swallowed hard. Nash had taken the time to get him this. He felt important. But the bag still had weight to it.

When Connor pulled the tickets to StarWorld out he was overwhelmed. He hid his face against the bag for a second as he fought against the tears. She had thought of his little siblings too. And she didn’t get how he fell for her? Fuck.

“Nash, I-I don’t even know where to begin.” He told her with a sniffle. “No one’s ever done this before. Thank you.” He whispered as he pulled her in.

Connor wasn’t hesitant in showing her affection. Him leaning in for a kiss felt natural. It was something he’d down countless times before and felt appropriate here.

“Open mine! I think you’ll fucking love it!” He told her with a half laugh as he handed her the card.

When she opened it she’d find the pair of Huttball playoff tickets but also in the card was a short handwritten message. In it Connor described how she’d made his life better. How lucky he was to have her in it. How he felt about her and that he hoped the tickets made her feel a fraction of the happiness he felt around her. Signed at the bottom was his name and Happy Life Day.

@Sreeya

 

[Nash]

Nash smiled as she watched him unwrap the gifts. Watching his reaction to receiving it all made her giddy in turn. Observing the emotions as he unraveled the StarWorld tickets made her smile bright as she imagined him taking his little siblings through the parks, “You’ll have to send me lots of pics, okay? I better see you all in matching StarWorld hats,” Nash said with a laugh.

She returned the embrace, his lips meeting hers. Nash was slightly surprised, but it was familiar despite the gesture invoking a spiral of things in her mind. She returned the kiss, lingering there briefly before they parted. Nash gazed at him for a moment before clearing her throat, turning to the gift he got for her.

As she opened it, she screamed to where it would make his ears flatten, “PLAYOFFS?!” She sprang to her feet in excitement. Huttball tickets were expensive and she always had to find some shady way to get in. To have actual legitimate seats without the fear of getting kicked out or caught? She was over the moon.

Nash read the note, her face taking on a deep shade of purple, “This..this is incredible, Connor, thank you,” She said with a smile. Nash looked at Connor, tilting her head, “So Connor, what’re you doing on…” She looked down and rattled off the game date, “-’Cause your ass is coming with me!”

@Apollyon

 

[Connor Vance]

Connor gave a rare smile at Nash’s response. It was the strangest thing, she’d been one of the few people who could pull these expressions from him. Normally, these kinds of displays bothered Connor, he showed how he felt through his ears, it was more subtle. But with Nash? He couldn’t help but grin, smirk, or smile around her.

“Don’t worry, you’ll see their adorable little asses all kitted out.” He replied.

While their kiss lingered and felt familiar, there was something else too. Connor couldn’t really put his finger on it, but something had shifted and changed. He wasn’t sure if it was bad or good or what it even meant but he noticed that subtle shift.

Connor watched as Nash opened his gift. When she screeched, his ears were confused. He was happy to see the reaction but his instincts tried to protect his ears as best they could. The result was a strange shift between laying flat and then attempting to perk up. He watched as she read his note and noticed how purple her face turned. A moment of concern washed over him, old anxieties bubbles to the surface.

“I know the note is a little much…” He told her with a shrug. “…I just wanted you to know that you matter to me and I care about you.” Connor cleared his throat after that and turned his attention back to the tickets.

“I’ll have to check my schedule buuuuuuuttttt, I’m pretty sure I can squeeze you in.” Connor teased. “Probably right between skipping classes and selling spice to the third years.” He smirked.

Connor would sit there with her for a little bit, working to install the data spike into his arm. He was excited to use this dataplague at some point and had to ensure it was installed properly to do so. While he did it, he mindlessly chattered about some second and first years that were trying to buy spice off of him and why he refused to sell to them. He talked about the couple she’d picked on their casino job, they were Serreno nobles. He brought up a potential home invasion job with her to rob them blind. And really whatever else came to his mind as he worked. Eventually it was installed and he showed her his work.

“What do you think?” He asked, his ears perked. “So as much as I want to hang out and talk Life Day, what’s going on back home?” He said, changing the subject after a few seconds. “Tell me about the mark, the ring, whatever I need to know.” He continued with a nod. “I got your back.”

@Sreeya

 

[Nash]

Nash grinned at him, “If you really wanted to make me feel special, you’d let me borrow this damn ship that we both stole instead of keeping it just for yourself,” She teased as she nudged him with an elbow, “You know I still cruise around in janky ass public transports smelling recycled Bothan farts across the galaxy? Hook a girl up, yo,” She quipped.

When he described the home invasion, Nash grimaced a bit, “Nah, that’s not my play,” She admitted, “I’ll fight the big fight, but I ain’t about to break and enter into someone’s personal home. I’m past those days,” She trailed off, her thoughts lingering on darker times in her past. Back when she broke into homes not for jewelry or electronics, but for food. She broke in to stay warm when it got unbearably cold outside. Nash cleared her throat, pushing the memories away.

“There’s a real shitlord named Gallek that’s been running things in my old neck of the woods back on Hutta,” Nash explained, “Problem is he’s basically untouchable. Everyone’s too scared to ice him. Rumor has it he has strong Syndicate ties - made some folks disappear for a Hutt. He’s been running new slaving rings and no one can do nothin’ because they don’t wanna bring down the wrath of a Hutt,” Nash sighed, “But this Gallek asshole…he’s fucked, man. The things he does to the girls that don’t meet his standards..” She visibly shuddered, “If we go after him we’d need to make sure the girls are out first or he will find a way to nuke them just out of spite.”

@Apollyon

 

[Connor Vance]

Connnor’s ears flicked a little when Nash asked about the ship and her using it. He seemed to be thinking for a moment before he finally replied. “All you had to do was ask.” He told her with a shrug. “If you need or want her, the USS FUCK DALON is all yours.” He replied as he nudged her back.

Connor didn’t miss the grimace on Nash’s face when she declined from joining him on a home invasion job. His ears dipped a little at her reaction. Was he in the wrong for this one? Nah. If she wasn’t comfortable with running those kinds of jobs, there were plenty who were. Plus, breaking and entering was more fun when it was a castle or manor or whatever.

“No pressure.” He replied. “If it’s not your speed, it’s not your speed.” He told her. “No judgement from me.”

Connor listened to Nash as she talked about the mark. He was a guy that had ties to a Hutt, that complicated things to a degree. Connor chewed on the inside of his cheek as he mulled over the details. His ears dipped, Connor couldn’t help but think of his little sister. What would a monster like this guy do to her? What had he done to other people’s little sisters? It made him feel sick. He took a deep breath before speaking.

“So, we free the girls from his compound first. Do you know where they are kept?” Connor asked slowly. “Then, once they are out, we get me to a mainframe. No one will know what killed him…” Connor’s voice trailed off.

He’d done work like this before. When you can put your mind into a system and impact or control anything connected to it? Contract work was something pushed into your lap more often than not. The only reason Connor had stopped with that work was because of his younger siblings and how they might perceive him. But what was one last time? Especially for Nash.

“…and I’ll make it slow for him.” He told her with a nod.

Some people didn’t deserve a quick death. Connor had done in witnesses, rival gangers, but guys like this? For some reason killing them slow made him feel good.

“You’ll just have to cover me while I work my magic.” He told her, his ears perking slightly.

@Sreeya