Encounters of an Alien Nature

[Alexina Starcloud]

Nar Shaddaa
Neon Light District
Alien Attractions
♫ Kygo - Stranger Things ft. OneRepublic

The depths of the ecumenopolis of Nar Shaddaa housed an innumerable amount of clubs, bars, and seedy establishments that specialized in providing their clientele a variety of services. These ranged from music, dances, fornication, food and drink, illegal drugs, and as front organizations for various gangs and criminal families. In general, it was in these locations that illicit activities occured. However, Nar Shaddaa had a reputation as a lawless planet, and illicit activities quite frequently occured in broad daylight.

This planet was Alexina Starcloud's home.

Being raised to a formerly impoverished single mother provided little protection to her from the dangers of the streets. The jango jumper was accustomed to hearing blaster discharges night after night, for hours on end, while propping furniture in front of the doors and windows and hiding behind any piece of cover that she could find, with a small holdout blaster in hand. Trust was hard to find and consolidate on the streets, as law enforcement was always corrupt and the gangs were always autocratic. Those were universal truths on the streets of Nar Shaddaa, and failure to recognize them typically led to an adverse outcome.

In spite of these truths, blood, despair, extortive taxes, dubious authorities, and violence were not the only possibilites that one could expect out of life on Nar Shaddaa. Alexina was a dancer, and she worked in a few of the many night and day clubs on Nar Shaddaa. Tonight, she was working in a club that specialized in "alien attractions", reflected in it's namesake. The club provided "alien" drinks, "alien" foods, "alien" dancers, "alien" sex workers, and other "alien" services to an almost exclusively human clientele. However, the club informally served as a social and business space for it's clients, where business deals and criminal activites were inconspiciously conducted, organized, and sometimes executed. Although Alexina was a humanoid, she had three toes on her feet, two in the front and one in the back. She also had four fingers on each hand, with two thumbs and two index fingers on each one. Her skin was a washed out light cyan shade, while her hair was dark magenta. These features alone classified her as "alien" enough to dance and sell her services in the club.

The woman danced in the typical skimpy attire of a cantina dancer, wearing a bright green bikini and a pair of skintight thigh warmers of the same color. Her feet and hands were bare and on full display, as alien features such those brought in many tips from the clientele. To draw more attention to her hands and feet, her nails were painted in a flamboyant nail polish, that periodically changed colors in the lights of the club. Credit chips and paper currency lay scattered on the surface of the stage, for her to collect when she was finished with her routine...

Spoiler: OOC

@Jabonicus

 

[Ari Pinkerton]

Pinkerton did not like the idea of an ecumenopolis, in fact the very concept of one bothered her to the point where she specifically avoided them unless business on one called, and unfortunately they called far more often than other types of planets. Perhaps she was simply too paranoid of it, but being trapped on a planet with no means of self-sufficiency was truly a scary thought. If a planet was quarantined or otherwise shut off from its imports, it would take less than a day at best for anarchy to overtake and ruin everything hundreds of years had built up. It may have lasted this long, and many may look at that as reason enough to trust it, but it took generations to build up to this level. It would only take a day to crumble the supports beyond any reasonable repair. Logically though, she could stand brief stints on the planets in relative comfort, but anything longer rubbed at her mind in uncomfortable ways.

Another place that Pinkerton disliked was clubs. They were not comparable to bars or cantinas, as those two focused on drinks and each one had an air she could appreciate in some regard. Clubs, however, focused on more carnal pleasures and thus went cheap on the drinks, not to mention the overly loud music and dancers that tried their best to catch the attention of any well dressed visitor out of hopes of gaining more credits than the standard visitor. It was a fair business tactic but in the same vein she held little interest in how a dancer could move their bodies seductively, even if they were attractive. Prudish, possibly, but Pinkerton had simple wants, and she scarcely found or truly wanted a paid person to do such things. Though sometimes on lonelier days she found it was easier to pay a dancer to hold her while she cried than to dare break her common act in front of those she actually knew. Unfortunately she noticed the price for such acts of comfort often costed more than more carnal acts, especially with those of the temperament she most appreciated.

It was most unfortunate that her current business demanded a meeting in a place that met both of these categories. Though there was some degree of comfort, given it was Nar Shaddaa of all places. Clubs were public, full of people, and to disrupt the 'party' with an act of violence or threats was noticeable and would most certainly pull in the unwanted interference of people the initiator most certainly would not want involved. Clubs made profit, and were often linked to Hutts, and to disrupt the profit of a Hutt was corporate suicide, be you an actual businessman or a simple criminal. Her current meeting was with a group of mercenaries, they wanted a simple package deal and wanted to speak to the creator to guarantee a few things, perhaps to set up a more permanent deal.

The deal itself went well fairly well. She assured them of the quality of the weapons and gear they bought and extended a hand of further deals should their usage prove fruitful. She held little care who used her weapons, but she had given this meeting particular notice as the group did have ties to a Hutt. Not close ties, mind you, but even lengthy connections through several proxies of middle-men, almost like a pyramid scheme could still prove fruitful given the right circumstances. If she grew in reputation and Hutts wanted to deal with her, and found their men already had connections, or her work was even suggested by the same men? Hutts were good for business, and business was good for Hutts.

An hour had passed since the deal had finished, and Pinkerton held little want to leave her seat. She had purchased a drink low in alcohol that still held a rich and unique flavor, and she seemed to let each sip hit her before she continued to the next swallow. She had already waved many dancers off from the circular booth, tucked away from the main floor, so that the pounding of the music was more distant than it was frustrating. She debated many things, whether to simply leave, to order something to eat, to drink (though she was specifically careful to not drink a drop more than she could work through), or to hire a dancer for her more personal wants. Her datapad sat in front of her, which she idly tapped away at with her hand, scrolling through images and texts. Well dressed humans were common in places like this, though the well dressed ones tended to have prosthetics when they missed limbs. It didn't seem to bother her though.

 

[Alexina Starcloud]

The club was "alien" and "exotic" in practice, personnel, and advertisement. Pinkerton had been approached by dancers of Twi'lek, Togruta, and Gungan species. While the club prided itself on it's diverse assortment of dancers, such diversity was all over Nar Shaddaa, either segregated within immigrant communities composed of a single race or in racially-mixed communities. The newer immigrants to the planet often isolated themselves within segregated communities, for the sake of practicality and preference. However, later generations gradually began to intermingle in the population at large, with new relationships, communities, and hybrid offspring forming the final stages of such interactions.

Alexina herself had been raised in a racially mixed community. She considered herself to be an articulate, graceful, and cosmopolitan woman, especially with her secondary education on Coruscant. Through her own choice, Alexina had chosen not to go to post-secondary school, at least not yet. There was too much money to be made as a dancer and courtesan in the clubs and streets of Nar Shaddaa, which although dangerous, presented many opportunities for wealth and healthy business as long as one stayed away from or in favor with the Hutts. For Alexina's part, she chose to stay away from them, by maintaining a low profile. To this end, she worked at multiple clubs on different nights of the week, so that she did not become a familiar face in a particular district. Having well-honed and practiced "street smarts" also helped her avoid danger on Nar Shaddaa. When one heard blaster discharges, it was best to find cover, bar the doors, and unholster a holdout blaster in case of contingency. Practical and common sense knowledge went a long way towards survival, but there were times where one had to take risks for economic and survival purposes.

Weapon dealers were the sort of individuals that involved such risks, by nature of their trade. It was one thing to be a courtesan, where interactions with sleazy clients were frequent and nigh unavoidable. It was another to deal directly in death, with potentially unscrupulous and fatalistic clients.

Alexina only noticed the lone dealer and the group of gruff mercenaries with a few stolen glances out of the corner of her eyes as she executed her dance routine. The dealer was human and seemed to be missing an arm, while lacking a cybernetic replacement at that. Already, the athletic dancer perceived the one-armed woman as a particularly gallant individual, and one to take note of. When she was finished with her routine, Alexina unceremoniously collected the chips and paper currency off of the stage and went to the locker room to touch up her makeup, spray on perfume, and to secure her earnings in a safe. As always, she left the locker room without changing out of her skimpy dancer's attire. Next, Alexina entered the main floor of the club itself, her eyes scanning for opportunities to earn extra cash. A single, hour long interaction of either an intimate or conversant nature with a client could earn her as much money as she earned in one or two nights of dancing, if the individual was particularly wealthy or generous. She found that she could keep conversations going if she offered the individual something of advantage to them, in return. That could be a business connection, intimacy, or even a shoulder to cry on. However, she was very picky regarding the types of clients that she approached. She only approached the sleazy looking individuals if she had exhausted all of her options with the classier patrons. It was not a perfect system, as looks only went skin deep. Alexina had held conversations with genuinely interesting clients, who looked as if they were nothing more than gangsters, and vice versa.

The first individual that she approached was the one-armed weapon dealer that she had spotted earlier. The black-haired woman seemed to be tapping at her datapad, with a mostly full drink placed on the table. It would not have made sense for her to offer the black-haired woman a refill, but there were always different angles that she could take. With a deep sigh, Alexina approached the woman from the front, an affable expression in her features as she walked.

"Madam", she spoke in a soft and high-pitched tone. "You seem ill at ease here. Are you a traveling businesswoman, by chance?"

 

[Ari Pinkerton]

Pinkerton's face was angled downward to stare at her Holopad with a vague interest, though as Alexina approached her eyes shifted upward to scan who was speaking. Her face was still and her eyes held more of a piercing observation of study rather than one of curiosity or true interest. The level of skimpy attire did not catch her eye, as it seemed her body was not what the woman cared for. Though it limited of course how she could appeal, but there were still options. It did, however, hurt her chances of being able to talk to her long enough to discover what exactly she wanted. Despite her initial look of disinterest, she didn't push to have her leave, so there was at least some level of pre-existing interest.

"Yes, I came here on business and my business on this planet has concluded." She spoke clearly, and the tone of her voice was clearly a professional tone that conveyed a sense of high education. "And you're a dancer, and given the circumstance I'd say you're trying to get a well paying client. If your skill rests solely within the sexual pleasures then I'm afraid we have nothing to discuss, but I won't wave you away so quickly." Her handed lifted as she rubbed at her, though it seemed less due to a tired feeling than a more irritated response. "I expect confidentiality of course, though I'd imagine you couldn't risk a negative reputation."

Her hand shifted, motioning to the seat across from her, before shifting to grab her drink, taking another, albeit larger sip. "I'm Pinkerton, who might you be?"

 

[Alexina Starcloud]

Alexina let a soft giggle escape from her lips when Pinkerton implied that her skill only resided within the realm of sexual activity. It was also an expression of relief, at not being instantly turned away from the woman in spite of her highly suggestive appearance. She had not even considered putting on normal looking clothes when she had left the locker room, although perhaps doing so would have helped her chances with this woman. Pinkerton clearly held no interest in her body, as curvy, cyan, or alien as it may have been. Regardless, it was too late for Alexina to dwell on her choice of attire. The jango jumper would converse with Pinkerton, while half-naked.

"It is a pleasure to have your acquaintance, Pinkerton. My name is Alexina Starcloud." She answered as she moved into the circular booth, and took a seat across from Pinkerton. The dancer decided that interacting with this particular woman would call for some tact, on her part. Simply straddling herself into Pinkerton's lap would have been a boneheaded and disgusting move. Besides, Pinkerton had made her desires clear. She wanted to talk business, and that was what Alexina intended to give her. "I am also a businesswoman, although in a vastly older and different profession than your own." Alexina spoke with a hint of pride in her tone. "You are correct in your analysis of my intentions, although if you presume that my skills lie exclusively within the sexual realm, then you would be misguided." She spoke with feminine dignity in her tone.

"I hold discussions with many other business people, on a semi-weekly basis, as a part of my job." Alexina spoke as she leaned forward and stared into Pinkerton's eyes. "Believe it or not, you are not the only client of mine who seeks discussion, rather than overt sexual activity." She mused out loud. "Anyways, I am getting ahead of myself. Pinkerton, if you don't mind me asking, what sort of businesswoman are you? What is your profession?"

 

[Ari Pinkerton]

The explanation was simple enough but it seemed to convince Pinkerton enough to continue listening. She could hardly fault someone of this form of work for extending their insight and curiosity into more traditional lines of work. Then again, businessmen often liked to rant and rave about their issues at the end of the day, and the workers of this form could easily garner quite a few more credits by listening and sympathizing, and understanding what they were talking about in order to sympathize more would allow them to get far more personal in how they acted and what they said. That still left her worry with the privacy of what further talks would entail, though she had not yet revealed past experiences and other clients so that did ring well with her in how she treated the confidentiality of her 'customers.'

After another moment of clear inspection and perhaps thought, she replied. "I deal with the creation and distribution of weapons and electronics, quite simply. I specialize in more non-traditional designs, such as a collapsible vibro-sword." She paused, tapping her index finger against the table. "I'm also a painter, though it's hardly as much of a lucrative business as it is a hobby for my own enjoyment." Her dark eyes shifted, scanning Alexina's face for a brief moment. "What businesses do you excel in? Excluding of course, what you do here."

A form of engineer if not inventor, as well as a painter. Pinkerton was obviously good with her hands, as ironic as that was. Professional and well spoken, it was clear she was less of a self-taught woman and more of someone taught with more traditional means, who then went on to branch off on their own. Her image seemed important to her, which would explain her request, if not outright demand for confidentiality.

 

[Alexina Starcloud]

Pinkerton's question made Alexina pause as she thought through the answer to her inquiry. In truth, what she did in the clubs and in various bedrooms were her only sources of income. However, her work paid relatively well and took care of all of her needs and a few of her wants. In spite of this, Alexina found the question difficult to answer. Although she possessed a private school education, Alexina had not yet gone to tertiary school. In her view, there was too much money to be made working as a full time dancer for her to go to tertiary school, just yet. Having grown up in a household that was initially financially destitute, Alexina had developed a mentality of "work first, education second". On Coruscant, Alexina had learned that her financial strategy was a relatively common one among the lower classes of any society. It was why so many men and women on Nar Shaddaa opted to find work within a cartel, instead of pursuing an education, which in many cases led to a secure profession and a sustainable source of financial security. In much the same manner as a professional athlete or a pit fighter, Alexina knew that she could not dance forever. Conversely, she anticipated that as long as she stayed healthy, she could continue the more intimate aspects of her profession for much longer. After all, she had seen older women working more than a few times.

For a moment, Alexina wondered whether or not Pinkerton bore the same biases against workers of her profession that many others did. Something about her told the Terrelian that Pinkerton was different. Perhaps it was simply her missing arm or her gentle, yet direct manner. Regardless, Alexina knew that it would be best for her to speak to the human woman with honestly, rather than deception.

A moment of introspection passed, and Alexina took a sharp intake of air into her lips. "As bashful as it makes me feel to admit this, Pinkerton...this is really the only thing I do." She replied calmly, her silver irises never leaving Pinkerton's own. "I was fortunate enough to go to a Coruscanti secondary school, where I received an education that was more fitting for a politician than a dancer. Perhaps in the future I will receive a tertiary education. However, the thought of going to school again makes me...nauseous."

 

[Ari Pinkerton]

Pinkerton's brown eyes seem to blindly stare into Alexina's own, either judging something that wasn't there or simply looking past her as she listened to the response. Regardless she did not speak in judgement or even reply right away, as if she mulled about the answer in the same way she mulled over the small sips of her alcoholic drink, despite how thinly parsed the alcohol was in it. Her eyes finally faltered, going to her drink as if to debate whether or not another sip was worth it. "School is not for everyone, despite the almost incessant acclaim to its worth. If everyone is pushed to it, I believe the value gets diluted. There's other ways to learn, more fitting for individuals beside schooling, though they're often overlooked and underappreciated."

The words that fell from her mouth seemed to spur more, as she swallowed another small portion of her drink before continuing. "I did well in schools, but I didn't enjoy it. I enjoyed getting my hands on materials and finding the result, not just a simple memorization of patterns and logic that could better be expressed through demonstration. However, with so many pushed to the higher educations, it's simply impossible to reasonably give every student the personalized approach that would best suit them. It's why I turned to tutors for my specialization, aside from my poor social ability." She noted the last part dryly, almost as if it was initially supposed to come as a joke but sank a bit too far into reality. It wouldn't be surprisingly, a bit of alcohol loosing the lips a bit more than perhaps she had planned. It wasn't like she was going to blab on about personal things and secrets, but she was more likely to let small things slip.

"I craft metals and electronics together into a wide variety of tech, but more personally I paint. I express myself through the crafting of physical matter into something of value, be it a functional tool or a descriptive piece of personality. I'm curious, Alexina, as you're clearly more than an attractive body. I'm left wondering that, even without other jobs or strides in other directions, what holds your interest? What passions drive you and keep you up at night?"

 

[Alexina Starcloud]

Alexina shifted in her seat to a more relaxed posture, becoming more comfortable with opening herself up to Pinkerton by the moment. The inventor seemed quite charismatic, even with her missing arm. That was not to say that Pinkerton was an ugly woman. In fact, Alexina considered her to be quite comely. However, she lacked the colorful and flamboyant sort of beauty that a full face of makeup provided to the wearer, the type that Alexina herself found appealing and strived for her own appearance. Alexina thought that the woman would not be able to apply makeup to her face anyways. However, only after Pinkerton stated that she was a painter did the Jango Jumper begin to fully comprehend the woman, correcting her previous perceptions about her. It was clear that Pinkerton was a woman of strong will. Although try as she might, Alexina could not visualize a one-armed woman such as Pinkerton working so well with her hands that soldiers trusted her handicrafts with protecting the lives of themselves and taking the lives of others. In spite of her disability, the group of mercenaries that Pinkerton had met with before, was proof enough of her talents.

When she spoke of school, Alexina found that she could assent with Pinkerton's assessment of it, although unlike Pinkerton, she had never been a high-rated student; just a studious one. From her body language, the black-haired woman seemed to be feeling more comfortable with revealing her own personal details, although it seemed that she still exercised some amount of restraint as she spoke. Alexina had the feeling that Pinkerton did not quite trust her yet, and for good reason. Functionally, the pair were strangers to each other, and Alexina felt that it was unlikely that much would come from this interaction. However, she found the woman intriguing enough to continue, even against her economic senses, which lured her towards other clients in the club.

After a brief moment to consider her words, Alexina took a cursory glance at Pinkerton's drink, before she spoke once again. "I find that your evaluation of modern education is in line with my personal experiences. I studied and persisted until I was droopy in the eyes, but I never enjoyed it for a moment." She spoke in a calm, Coruscanti accent. "However, I found great pleasure in the athletic aspects of it, even if I never faced good competition. I would have gained a lot more out of my athletic obligations if there had been other Terrelians to compete against." Alexina added in a reflective manner, her eyes wandering to Pinkerton's drink once more.

With a brief pause, Alexina exhaled softly before continuing. "I like to dance, but more broadly, I enjoy athletics of all kinds. In truth...I wanted to be a sprinter and a jumper, but the major galactic leagues bar Terrelians from competing, for...obvious reasons..."

 

[Ari Pinkerton]

Pinkerton nodded as she listened but her eyes fell away, either tired of watching for some message that wasn't there or having seen all they truly wished to, or could see. Her finger tapped her glass, and her head tilted, absorbing what the woman said. "I'd say that I was a woman of sport as well but that'd be a very large lie. My exercise quota is small, and I never did very well in sports, much to the dismay of my parents and siblings." The joke was dry, which seemed to be a common thing with her, or at least for the time being. There was a glint in her eye, a distracted look of someone who was only partly there, a more critical side investigating some unseen problem, be it here or star clusters away. The look had been present since Alexina had arrived, but as the critical stare of Pinkerton died down, the pre-existing worry on her face became more apparent.

"Do you work anywhere else, or is this your only place? I'd see the benefit of both, staying in one place attracts regulars, with the downside of those seeking different things each time likely only seeing you once. Changing place to place gets more people in general, but even then you're dependent on who comes in and what they want. Both are reliant on customer needs, but both prey upon them in different ways. So my question is simple, are you a predator of habit, or one of risk?" It was clear she was trying to peer into Alexina's head with that question, pointed and digging at her personality.

It was fairly easy to see why, Pinkerton was clearly intelligent, wanting to know the cards around her before she made her play. The question was left though, what cards did she want to see? And based upon them, what would her play be? "Kriffing hells, I'm too bloody tired for this." She grumbled, likely to herself.

 

[Alexina Starcloud]

The Jango Jumper was uncertain about whether or not to laugh at the woman's dry and self-deprecating joke. Alexina could count on one foot the amount of physically disabled individuals that she had met in her life, and for her, one foot had only three toes. Cybernetic limb or organ replacements were a feasible option for most amputees and disabled individuals, although they were often too expensive for the lower classes to access, without undue financial hardship. However, out of respect for Pinkerton, Alexina ignored her own thoughts on the matter.

Upon noticing the black-haired woman's nervous eyes, Alexina cocked her head to the side, a curious expression crossing her face as she did. The critical revelation on Pinkerton's face seemed to have been replaced by one of worry, although, in spite of her outward discomfort, Pinkerton managed to continue on, asking Alexina another analytical question that seemed to belie her present manner. Unfazed by the rigorous nature of Pinkerton's inquiry, Alexina viewed it as an opportunity to present a material benefit to the interaction, inconsequential as it may be.

"I work at three different clubs, apart from this one. Heaven, Gingerbread House, and The Toasted Twi'lek." She mentioned the last club with a particular lilt in her tone, before continuing on. "However...I would not consider myself to be a predator at all, merely a businesswoman in a carnal trade. But perhaps...you make a strong, if inadvertent point. Maybe all business is predatory by nature. We, as in businesswomen, exploit a need or want in the population to our benefit, however immoral or harmful as it may be, if at all. Many would argue that the work I do is immoral, much the same case for yourself...but, we carry out our business ventures, all the while disregarding the opinions of our detractors. In the end, we're out here for ourselves, but that does not mean that we can't work together to achieve mutual benefit." She let exhaled for a moment, letting the tension escape from her body as she refocused her thoughts.

"However, if you insist that we are predators, then I declare that I am a predator of risk. I will freely admit that at times, the work I do is dangerous. Sex is an act that under normal circumstances, is performed between two individuals who trust each other a great deal. Pinkerton...I don't trust any of my clients. Of course, I don't dislike them...well, most of them...but, trust is something that is earned and reciprocated. Even when the john pays me a thousand credits and thanks me at the end, the transaction is purely financial. The only trust that exists between me and my clients is within the mutual execution of the compact, nothing more." Her eyes fluttered in a series of blinks, as she sought to recall the original direction of the conversation. When she did, her eyes widened and a smile of relief crossed her feminine features.

"The Toasted Twi'lek is one endeavor that I have been involved with as of late, that presents risk to myself and to others. It's safer than most clubs on Nar Shaddaa, but it's been growing quickly and...I have been warned that fast-growing businesses such as those tend to meet violent ends, especially on Nar Shaddaa, or any Outer Rim hellhole, really. I mention it, because the club been expanding its reach and influence, via contracting and a few...underhanded maneuvers." Her Coruscanti accent rung seductively off the walls of the circular booth, although with emphasis on a few choice words. It seemed that Alexina was doing her best to advertise the business opportunity, while maintaining honesty regarding the risks. Although she had enjoyed her conversation with Pinkerton, she needed to offer her something in order to justify the price of the conversation, even if it was an intangible asset.

"Pinkerton, I believe that you and I have a lot more in common than you think. If you are a predator of risk as well, I can set up a connection between your venture and The Toasted Twi'lek."

 

[Ari Pinkerton]

"All businessmen are predators of some kind, that much should be clear. Of course businessmen don't hunt for meat, they hunt for profit, and some simply have different hunting tactics." An odd metaphor, but it seemed to hold up. "The main difference is some lay their traps and lure profit in, while others go out and jump at every opportunity." The thought seemed to pass the interest of her mind as quickly as it had arrived, and instead her tired yet sharp eyes went back to Alexina, her hand delving into her jacket, producing an odd item, gently placing it on the table as she began to speak.

"I'm not going to pass up an opportunity even if it's by a stranger, at least not without some deterring my thoughts. It might be the drinks or desperation but regardless I'm willing to make a deal, but I'd like you to know a few things first." Her fingers wrapped along the item, which seemed to be some oddly shaped hilt of a sword, lacking the blade. But as she squeezed a button, the blade extended, a dull humming sparkling the air without color, the weapon just a bit shorter than one would expect for the blade. If Alexina knew what a vibrosword was, then the weapon needed no explanation.

"Quite simply this is my main product. It's as durable as the standard models and I've sold a few to individuals but I'm at a standstill. Trust me when I say it's not an unpopular item, but I simply am unable to deliver in bulk. The rate of individual sales do not reward me the luxury of better machines to craft them with more speed while keeping the efficiency of the design. The process is slow because I cannot keep the quality at its needed value if I make speed a priority. I am practically crafting these by hands, so if you have a deal or think one could be made...." She paused, retracting the blade into silence once more.

"It would have to be more than paying for them as they arrive. An investment, if you well. If they want a lot of my wares then perhaps we can come to an arrangement where I can afford the purchase of better machines."

 

[Alexina Starcloud]

"That is quite the craftmanship..." Alexina commented idly when Pinkerton pulled out the vibrosword and uncollapsed the hilt, triggering a dull, but potent sounding humming noise. She leaned forward, seeming more interested in what the woman had to say. Alexina knew that the owners of the Toasted Twi'lek had a certain level of ambition regarding their operation. That type of mentality could be dangerous on Nar Shaddaa, but it certainly represented an opportunity for Pinkerton to make a healthy profit, to afford machines, and to perhaps afford a cybernetic replacement for her missing arm. Quite simply, the opportunity sounded perfect to Alexina's business-savvy, but relatively inexperienced ears.

A smile crossed over her features as Alexina put her datapad on the table, her long fingers beginning to tap away at the device with purpose and urgency. "This sounds like a wonderful opportunity..." She spoke in a victorious sounding tone, as she slid the pad across the table towards Pinkerton. "The contact information for the investors and owners of the establishment is on the screen. When you contact them, tell them that Alexina Starcloud connected you." The Jango Jumper finished, reining in the tone of her voice to something calmer and more dignified.

"I believe that this will represent a fruitful business opportunity for you, Pinkerton. As of now, I only know the owners of the Toasted Twi'lek by proxy, but I would encourage you to not be too trusting of them, initially. Execute their demands without complaint, and they will reciprocate in turn."

 

[Ari Pinkerton]

Pinkerton slid the weapon into her coat once more, and it proved quite hidden in whatever pouch or holster she had placed it within. Now that Alexina had watched her put it there it seem easy to see that it was in her coat, but prior to it there was little to no indication that there was anything of note, perhaps a datapad, much less a weapon of such length. It was interesting to say the least, that Pinkerton had designed a competent design of such a weapon that could be hidden with such ease. It was clear of the general idea, if you could fit the hilt of the weapon somewhere, then so too could the entire weapon itself, and very few weapons showed the ability to do so. Some batons extended, though those hardly saw use in places like Nar Shaddaa, closer to a switchblade but of course with the deadliness of a vibrosword. She had an idea, a concept, and she had followed through with it and produced a result, one she could craft with reliability one she could sell, one that she could profit from.

Pinkerton's hand reached to the device, taking it in hand as she scanned the information present, before she placed the device down and pulled over her own datapad. Even if she did have good memory she clearly saw it fit to have physical record of who to contact, as well as the name of who had sent her. In fact, if Alexina had any skill of reading text upside down it would be clear she was putting in a lot more information that what was needed. She of course included who she was contacting and why, but other details included things like who had referred her to contact, how much she could produce in a set period without updated supply, and the price. It seemed less like a reminder a more a guideline, as if she would have the information in front of her as she called, which would certainly be possible and was likely what she was doing.

"Any business built from the shade in a place like this has to be taken with caution. You don't make it big in places like this by playing nice and by the rules, if that were true no one new would ever rise to the challenge, because only the groups willing to take advantage of opportunity through risk can make it to the future in which they hold their own cards. I have never failed to uphold my end of a business venture, and I believe it would be ill advised for my health to begin such a habit now." She gave a small grin at her final comment before she continued. "Never trust a partner in business, unless you're the only one who can make it work. Even then, make sure your partner knows that."