Humble Beginnings...

[Jahn]

Location: Some slum on Nar Shaddaa...
​

The clacking of boots on pavement sounded out as a young man made he way down a crowded street littered with garbage. This definitely wasn't the nicest area on the smuggler's moon. Upstart thugs and "companions-for-hire" populated just about every corner around here. For whatever reason, everything seemed like it was covered in a layer of slime. And if you didn't keep a damn good hold on your credits you were more than likely to leave with fewer than when you entered.These were the slums. Where even the chaff of society generally steered clear of. It also just so happened to be the home of one down on his luck vagrant. As much of a home as he'd ever had, anyway...

Curly dark brown locks hung freely almost down to his shoulders. Scruff of the same color covered his face which was still a little patchy in certain areas. His eyes were slightly lighter, but not nearly as kindly as one might expect from first glance. They were unwavering. A closer look might reveal a tinge of melancholy in their depths. But nonetheless they were alert, which was indicative of someone who'd walked these streets many times before. As for his attire he wore a brown jacket over a simple black shirt. Slim dark grey pants adorned his legs while a pair of comfortable brown boots protected his feet. And of course no outfit would be complete without his old DX blaster pistol that was tucked into the back of his waistband and concealed underneath his jacket. Being armed while on the smuggler's moon wasn't just smart, it was necessary. Walking around without protection meant you were a mark. And marks got robbed...or worse.

Eventually the young man arrived at his destination. He was supposed to meet some people here pretty soon and- "Shiri? What're you doing here?" he asked as he crouched down to greet his apparent acquaintance. A teal-colored Twi'lek child stood before him. She was dressed in grubby clothing and wore a headwrap to support her growing lekku. The child averted her eyes but didn't say a word. The young man tilted his head and narrowed his gaze on her, noting her thinner-than-usual appearance. "...did you eat today?" came his inquiry. Shiri answered with a bashful shake of her head. He nodded before rummaging around in his pocket and withdrawing a credit chip, which he promptly handed to the child. Her eyes lit up immediately "Go get something with this. Food only, got it? No candy." The Twi'lek child nodded enthusiastically. He rose to his feet, his mouth forming into some semblance of a smirk as he gave the child a caring pat on the head. Unfortunately this compassionate moment didn't get a chance to linger as a group of three armed men approached the duo. The dark-haired lad turned his attention towards them as soon as they neared, his usual solemn expression returning to his face rather quickly. He placed a hand on Shiri's shoulder and nudged her forward. "Run along, now." was all he said before sending her on her way. She scurried past the group of men and turned the corner, much too excited to even wonder about the young man or the questionable people he was meeting with. And once she was gone?

It was down to business. He narrowed his eyes on the group as they approached. Each one carried a blaster rifle, and probably had some other nasty surprises hidden on them as well. The area they were in received little foot traffic, but it was still open enough that these guys would have to be either very stupid or very bold to do anything criminal. Not because it was hard to get away with it (infact, on Nar Shaddaa it was exceptionally easy to get away with such things...), but because these goons weren't from around here. At least not this slum. Any move made would have to go through the local boss. And something told him that these guys weren't exactly on good terms with him. "You the guy we s'posed to meet with?" one of the "sharper" ones asked. The young man nodded before stuffing his hands in the pockets of his jacket. "Expecting a firefight?" was his counter question. Their rifles weren't exactly cutting edge...actually they looked like they were barely functional and poorly maintained. But in terms of firepower, they still had him outgunned. The same one that spoke before sneered and responded. "Can't be too careful 'round here..." It's always smart to carry on Nar Shaddaa...but these guys were armed to the teeth. Either they were expecting trouble...or they planned on starting some of their own.

"You know why we're here?" came another question. Apparently neither of the other ones had much to say. The young man tilted his head and locked eyes with the speaker, sizing him up. This thing could go any number of ways. And from an outside perspective it certainly didn't look good for the dark-haired kid. Only time would tell how this played out...

 

[Caligula]

Nar Shaddaa. Officially the worst planet ever. At least, that's how everything appeared in Rika's mind. She had just finished a job for one of the local thugs and was on her way to collect her payment. The job? Just a simple Guardian job; protecting a shipment of spice as it moved between planets. The job was uneventful to say the least but she still expected to get paid for her actions. Her shuttle, The Count, was docked in a secure hanger bay where no one's greasy, grubby fingers would mess with it. That, and about 5 of her zombified mercenaries were on board keeping watch. Rika herself was travelling with 2 of her more competent zombies as they headed for the thug's hideout.

Rika was dressed in her usual Mercenary armor, with a few strips of thick cloth covering any skin that would otherwise be exposed to the light. Her long, silky white hair trailed behind her shoulders like a waterfall of ivory and her piercing red eyes cut everything like a lightsaber. Anyone with any sense would understand she was dangerous. But just in case she needed some fodder, she had brought some of her zombies. They were dressed in the same Mercenary armor as Rika but also wore helmets to hide their drained, zombified faces. They were armed with standard blaster rifles and were capable of using them if Rika told them to.

After finally arriving at the shack someone called their "base," Rika calmly stepped inside with a smirk, her zombies flanking her. It was a seedy office room with a fat, smelly human sitting behind a desk. Rika nearly choked on the horrible smell alone. He looked up at Rika as she entered and his eyes lit up. "Ah! The Vampire Queen returns! I have received word that my spice shipment has reached its destination without a problem. Thank you for your services. Here's your pay." He placed a small cloth bag on the table and nudged it in Rika's direction. She didn't dignify it with a response. "What is that?" She asked in an offended tone. The human looked up from his work with a bored and lazy expression. "It's your pay. Take it and go. Or don't, and go." A crude smile slowly crawled onto Rika's lips. She took three small, slow steps towards the desk. "Our deal was 5,000 credits. I know for a fact that bag can't be holding more than 50. Where's the rest?" The human nodded with a barely hidden scoff. "That was the deal, yes. But I only made that deal because I was expecting there to be trouble. Nothing bothered the convoy, so there was no risk. Therefore, I took a cut from your pay."

This didn't please Rika in the slightest. She didn't like to be cheated. Especially on an honest job. Before anyone could blink, Rika had vaulted the table while kicking the human at the same time. Once he hit the ground, she grabbed his throat and hoisted him into the air with one hand. Her voice changed into a more innocent tone, making the scene all the more terrifying. "You know, I'm not sure I like you anymore. You seemed like an honest guy. I was actually interested in doing more business with you. But you've clearly shown that you're a moron. And there are too many morons in the galaxy." Before the human could argue, she lowered the human to where she was whispering in his ear. "By the way," she whispered, her smile revealing her scalpel-like fangs. "You should have known better than to cheat a vampire." Then she sank her teeth into the man's neck.

After the mess was relatively cleaned and she had thoroughly looted the office, she left the corpse behind and sighed happily, feeling refreshed from the drink. As she left, she wiped her mouth on a handkerchief and added it to the wraps on her arms. One of her zombies carried the briefcase with the rest of the 5,000 credits while the other one carried any other loot they could grab. Rika was content with herself and was eager to leave the godforsaken rock of a planet. However, before she took three steps, a small, teal Twi'lek child bumped into her leg. Rika's glare focused instantly on the child, but softened when she realized it was just an accident. She knelt down and helped the child to her feet. "You okay? Good. Now go on, and watch where you're going. We wouldn't want you to get hurt." The child hastily continued on her previous course, leaving Rika to wonder why she was running. Rika backtracked where the child had started and found the entrance of an alleyway. Her sensitive hearing picked up voices and she leaned against the wall, eavesdropping on the conversation at hand. She silently commanded her zombies back to The Count to secure the loot. She waited and listened, getting more invested with every word.

 

[Jahn]

Two of the mooks were Gamorreans. And to no one's surprise, they didn't look to be much more than hired muscle. The young man shook his head slightly as he responded to human speaker. "No." Someone had left a note for him outside of his place of residence with a location and a time. He didn't know who it was going to be or what they wanted, but the note stressed that it was an important matter that involved a mutual friend. The ringleader of this little trio gave a slight chuckle at the boy's answer. "Most people don't walk into a meeting with no info..." he retorted, seemingly amused at the boy's gall. Was this kid dumb? Or just- "Most people don't walk into a 'meeting' this heavily armed." Some grunts came from the Gamorreans that were directed at their leader. It appeared that they both at least understood Basic...so in that regard they were slightly smarter than most of the ones around here.

"What do you want?" the young man asked, removing his hands from his pockets. He wasn't here to listen to this guy beat around the bush and say semi-ominous things for half an hour. If this guy wasn't going to get to the point, he was outta here. "Straight to the point, eh? I like your style, kid." the ringleader took his hands off of his rifle, allowing it to dangle from his torso by its sling. "Let's just say someone we both know is in a bit o' trouble..." he began before starting to pace back and forth. "This someone saw something she wasn't supposed to see...and now she has to be dealt with." The lad's brow furrowed almost immediately. He honestly half-expected something like this. This kind of posturing was all too common on Nar Shaddaa. And silencing people in any number of ways was an industry all by itself. Still didn't know who this supposed person was. They could just be trying to shake him down for credits. So until he knew, he wasn't going to do anything brash--BLIP! a handheld holoprojecter the lead mook held activated, displaying a low-quality blue image of another Gamorrean thug...who was holding a familiar teal-colored Twi'lek at knifepoint. "Recognize 'er?" he asked dryly, the man's mouth contorting into a malicious smile.

"Shiri!" Immediately the young man went for his pistol, but the two Gamorreans had been expecting this and drew first, both training their sights on him and stopping him cold. "Not so fast, slick." came another taunt, the ringleader clearly enjoying this. The boy was now more or less at their mercy...and any sudden movements on his part would likely earn him a few new holes in which to breath through. So grudgingly the young man lowered his hands. They'd have to be somewhere nearby if Rika had just seen Shiri...but exactly where he had no idea. Things looked bad. But just because he didn't have a blaster in his hands didn't change his attitude one bit. "Let her go." he spoke, his voice firm and obviously tinged with anger. The only response this garnered was an obnoxious cackle from the head enforcer. "You daft, boy? Your in no spot t' be makin' demands." It was true...but it wasn't that he didn't grasp the gravity of his situation. He understood full well. These men were scum, even for Nar Shaddaa. The Gamorrean hostage-taker grunted something over the holo to which the leader nodded. "Lass ain't very talkative, is she?" he asked, shooting a questioning glance at the dark-haired young man. "She's mute." came his abrupt reply. His words dripping with contempt.

A shrug was all the enforcer gave in response. "We'll find out what she knows one way or another...and then we'll get rid you both." A grave statement. "If you touch her I'll-" "You'll what? Shoot me?" His fists clenched instinctively. Again, these guys were either incredibly bold or incredibly stupid to be making moves like this outside of their turf. Unless they'd cut a deal with whoever ran this shanty town. In which case...they were both screwed. But this seemed unlikely as the Twi'lek was a street rat...and the young man was barely anything more. Either way, these bastards better hope they made good on their promise. Or else they were gonna get theirs. All he needed was a distraction...hell if they didn't have Shiri captive he wouldn't have even needed that. Maybe the hidden eavesdropper would help the boy out? If not, he'd need to think of something. Fast.

 

[Caligula]

"Shiri..." Rika thought to herself, scratching her chin in a curious manner. "So that was her name. She seemed like a nice kid." Rika shrugged and continued to listen to the conversation. The Gamorreans smelled repulsive, even though she was standing more than a few feet away from them. It was enough to make anyone with a normal nose gag, but Rika's super sensitive smelling was now a curse as each breath she inhaled was filled with Gamorrean stink.

"We'll find out what she knows one way or another...and then we'll get rid you both." The Gamorrean squealed. Rika's ears perked up at this statement. Awfully bold of them to talk like this in the open. Rika worked for credits most of the time and would rarely throw herself into a dangerous situation, but she had already gotten paid and this was far from dangerous. These were thugs, not trained assassins. Apparently the curly haired boy they were bullying couldn't do much to stop them at the moment. So, she decided to have some fun.

By this time she had easily pinpointed where everyone was, based on where their voices were coming from. She concentrated on her pyrotechnic Force abilities and summoned a small, match sized flame on her index finger. She grinned a little and watched as she fueled the fire and made it bigger. It grew to the size of a baseball and she exhaled slowly. Then she stepped away from the wall and rounded the corner into the alley. When she had everyone in clear view, she flicked the fireball in the direction of one of the Gamorreans, using the Force as a sort of guideline to carry the ball to its destination. The fireball connected with a strong initial hit before exploding into a small flurry of flames that attached themselves to everything flammable nearby. Now that Rika had stepped in, she couldn't help but hide her smile as the group reacted.

 

[Jahn]

To say the thugs' plans went up in flames was an understatement...

By this point the young man was honestly considering drawing on them and taking his chances. These guys didn't look like marksmen in the slightest...but at such close range it was hard to miss with a pistol, let alone a blaster rifle. It wasn't ideal but he didn't have any other choice. If he did nothing they were both dead. At least this way he'd have a chance (however slight it may be...).Fortunately for him, it looked like he wouldn't have to take such a risk. As his request for a distraction was answered, seemingly by the Force itself. If he was a religious person, the lad might think this a miracle. "...?!" It was subtle y'know? As blessings often are. Why all that happened was one of the Gamorrean enforcers spontaneously burst into flame. Something that sounded akin to a pig squealing pierced the boy's eardrums as the surprisingly flammable thug flailed about. Now? It was go time.

Instinct kicked in as the dark-haired lad reached his right hand around to his backside, clutching his blaster's grip and pulling it out of his waistband. The Human ringleader was in close enough proximity that some of the flames leapt off of his associate and lit one of his sleeves ablaze. The second Gamorrean didn't catch, but he was still much to startled to notice the boy's movements, and thus was caught completely off guard when two blaster bolts spliced through the air in his direction. One missed, hitting the ground at his feet and burning up...but the second one stayed true, and punched the overweight aggressor in the gut, causing him to keel over almost immediately. The leader of the trio had nearly gotten the fire on his arm stamped out by the time he realized what was going on, and only managed to get out a, "What in the-?!" before he was tackled by the young man. They both hit the ground hard, and not wanting to squander his advantage, the vagrant followed up his attack. He pressed a forearm into the enforcer's neck, and with his free hand brandished his pistol, and whipped him with the butt of the blaster twice. The holoprojecter from earlier had fallen a few feet away but was still transmitting. Meaning everything that happened on this end, the hostage-taker saw clear as day.

A foot crashed down on the man's wrist, which had been slowly inching towards a blaster his combustible companion dropped. The scene was chaos. One thug burnt to a crisp. One reeling in pain after having been shot in the stomach. And the leader, beaten and at the mercy of his intended victim. The young man kept his foot in place but half-stood, hunching over the downed mook. He pointed the barrel of his blaster pistol at the leader's head, while at the same time extending his other hand to act as sort of a shield. At this range there was likely to be some..."mess". But he didn't fire just yet. Instead he turned towards the still-emitting holo, his breathing heavier than usual but not quite strained. "Let. Her. Go." His scowl from earlier still hadn't let up. And unless this particular Gamorrean was a complete idiot, he'd be able to see that this guy meant business. If he didn't release the kid...things were gonna get nasty. Quickly he scanned the area, making sure they didn't have some other lowlife hiding in case things went wrong, and that the downed thug wouldn't try anything funny. But he also took note of a white-haired woman standing near the entrance to the alley. He narrowed his eyes, clearly confused...but now wasn't the time. He had to make sure Shiri was okay first.

His blaster was constructed with a hammer near the rear of the weapon. It was an outdated option and wasn't required to be cocked in order to fire the weapon...but it was perfect for intimidation. A loud click sounded out as he inched the firearm closer to the leader's face and returned his gaze to the holo. "Now." It was obvious this wasn't a request. The time for pleasantries was long gone. Now it was time to see how this played out. The Gamorrean on the other end of the holo was clearly shaken, and seemed to be mulling over his options in his head. If he knew what was good for him...he'd let the kid go. But only time would tell...

 

[Caligula]

Rika raised her eyebrow as she sauntered over to where the conflict had settled down. The curly haired boy had subdued the leader of the thugs and seemed to have control of the situation at hand. He was intimidating in his own regard, not to Rika of course. She was loving the whole thing. It had been too long since she watched someone else do her job. It was amazing really, watching from an outside perspective.

She stopped just behind the thug who was hunched over in pain. She put her foot into the thug's back and forced him into the dirt until he was on his hands and knees. Then she sat on the thug's back like he was a stool. He made a motion to get up from this position, but Rika quickly stopped that thought with a stomp to the thug's hand. It shattered like glass under the force of her boot and no more attempts to move were made. She crossed her arms and watched with a very curious expression and a slightly tilted head. The only thing that remained the same the entire time was her evil smile. Her red eyes pierced the boy's soul as well as the gang leader's. "What's your story? Why are you here?" She silently asked the boy as she watched his work. There wasn't much she could do at the moment, but she hoped things would get interesting quickly.

 

[Lucy Grey]

Lucy was stuck here, She had done a mission to protect a large amount of credits locked away on a ship, she stood guard . That was her job. Thankfully it wasn't very eventful, Sadly though , the ship ditched her here. Short rugged brown hair littered her head, aswell as a cigar lingering in her mouth, she idly shifted the Blaster shotgun that was being held by a strap. Her cloak was full of holes, and fluttering in the wind. Lucy didn't expect it to be this bad. Crime run rampant, murder and everything you can name in the way of crime. Personally Lucy should feel at home, it felt odd that she wasn't. She was walking down the streets looking for work, or maybe atleast something interesting, and then the firepower started to ring in the streets, poor people and the orphaned young fleeing from the scene, leaving an almost clear path of Lucy to pull out her shotgun. She stood behind the group, pulling down on the shotgun' CHK CHK'

Lucy kept the gun lower, but was ready to use it as others were drawn. "Lovely weather, right? " Lucy smiled, shifting the cigar in her mouth, her thick country accent ringing in the air.

 

[Jahn]

Movement caught the lad's eye. The white-haired woman he'd spotted earlier made her way over to the group, improvising a seat out of the wounded Gamorrean. He objected of course but she put that to rest instantly, crushing the alien's hand without batting an eyelash. Just who was this lady? Those sanguine eyes...the way she carried herself. There wasn't much he could surmise about her from the time being, but he knew one thing for sure...

...this woman was dangerous.

Relief washed over the young man as he returned his attention to the holo. Realizing that any other choice he made would be a lethal one, the hostage-taker decided to release Shiri. He could hear the unmistakable sound of sniffling transmitting from the other side of the projection. "It's okay, Shiri. You're gonna be fine." was all he could say to try and reassure his frightened young friend. After giving the head enforcer a menacing glare he slowly stood and walked over to the holoprojector, picking it up with his free hand. He made sure to keep his blaster trained on the downed leader just in case. "I need you to listen." he began, his facial expression lightening a bit while he talked to the child. "Head home. As fast as you can. Take that holo with you and keep it transmitting so I know you're safe." It was the best plan he could think of for now. There was no telling if they wouldn't just nab her again once the transmission cut off...so at least this way he would know. "Don't stop for anything. Understand?" He watched as the young Twi'lek wiped her eyes and give him a big nod. "Hurry, now." Shiri took off immediately, holding the holo out in front of her from the looks of the image. He'd be able to watch her journey back home.

A voice brought his attention away from the device and on to this apparent femme fatale. She asked him a few questions, the young man adopting a curious expression once again in response. "My story?" he repeated, a part of him wondering why she was interested. But before he could say anything else something dawned upon him. The adrenaline in his blood was starting to thin out and he was thinking a little more clearly now. His gaze drifted from the woman to the smoldering corpse of the Gamorrean thug. He didn't bother to question it in the moment but...there was no way he just mysteriously caught on fire like some freak accident of nature. Right after it happened was when he first noticed the woman too. The way she casually approached after that hectic struggle...her commanding presence... "...did you do that?" He asked, motioning towards the crispier-than-usual alien. But before he could answer her questions from earlier or ask any more of his own the sound of a weapon being armed pervaded the air. "More of these idiots?" he thought to himself, irritated that he'd been caught of guard. The owner of the blaster spoke; female from the sound of it. He turned around to face her, slowly of course. Sudden movements were a bad idea while someone had a gun to your back. Naturally a light frown adorned his face.

She looked a few years older, and she was a bit taller than him aswell. Her general appearance fit the bill for your average citizen on Nar Shaddaa. Or any of other poorer sections of some worlds. She didn't have to say it but he could tell she'd seen some things. "If pollution's your idea of lovely." was his retort to her statement about the weather. This situation wasn't yet resolved and now there were two more unknowns in the mix. Relaxation wasn't an option right now. He tightened his grip on his blaster pistol (which was down by his side) and turned his chin up at the newcomer. "You with them?" He gestured towards the incapacitated thugs with his eyes. If she was, there wasn't likely to be much more friendly conversation. Though he had the sneaking suspicion that if she was with the thugs she would've skipped the announcing herself part and went straight to putting a bolt in his back. It was time to test the waters.

 

[Lucy Grey]

"Na, Jus' wonderin' what in heavens ins goin 'on. Gunshots aint exactly a surprise 'round 'ere. Still, interestin 'ta see 'what 'appened, Dont mind 'tha blaster, I dun' intend on shootin' anyone today"

Lucy sighed, taking a moment to brush hair from her face and rest the Blaster on her shoulder, eyeing the white haired woman, the dead men, the wounded men. She scoffed. This wasn't her ordinary situation, everything had seemed so...special, about this one out of all the situations happening on this planet, She took a moment to take in all the information , then spoke again

"I reckon your not interested in telling me what 'appened, But Ill ask anyway...'What 'appened..."


A smirk reached her face.

 

[Caligula]

Rika's smile hadn't fazed or dropped in any way as the events continued to unfold. When the boy asked if she had caused the fire which had consumed the Gamorrean thug, she gave a very slight, almost nonexistent nod. She didn't speak though, as she simply wanted to see how things would unfold around her. She was happy that Shiri had been set free. She seemed like a nice kid. There weren't enough kids like that on Nar Shadda, or even in the Galaxy.

However the clicking of guns drew Rika back to reality. She observed the recent development with the same curious smile. This new girl, a mercenary or other gun-for-hire type by the look of her, had her shotgun aimed at the ground but still facing them. This had caused a reaction from the boy. They exchanged words and the girl shifted the gun from the ground to her shoulder, brushing some hair out of her eyes as she did so. She seemed to have a decent head on her shoulders. The fact that she hadn't attacked them was clear proof of that. But there was more to her; everyone always had more to tell.

Rika slowly stood up from her "chair," kicking her foot back into the side of the Gamorrean's face as she did so. The force was so strong that it sent a sharp snap through the thug's neck and, after a loud POP was heard, the thug went limp on the ground. She stretched her arms above her head, making sure not to disturb the wrappings that were covering them. Then she returned her gaze to the girl. She gave her a wicked look that screamed mischief. She watched them in silence unless spoken too directly or they interacted with her somehow.

 

[Lucy Grey]

Lucy smiled, looking at the white haired lady behind Jahn. She continued to chuckle before shaking her head. This was great, we had some special snowflake thinking that she was someone special. Lucy had been a cop. She knew her kind, she didn't care..She liked this girl, the way she presented herself and her power in situations, Lucy looked around as things began to settle down. She shifted the cigar in her mouth, Lucy looked towards Jahn and eyed him carefully, Jahn was something new, She hadn't seen a man like him ,completely troubled, dark past, dark life. She felt bad for him. She reached into her pocket, pulling out, a handful of credits, going up to 500, as well tossing the rest of her 500 towards the lady.

"I aint 'used to bein' nice, thanks to new ...acquaintances. Any'ow. " She turned her attention to Jahn. "If 'ya hold a blaster, you'd learn how to use it. Use that money to learn, " Lucy sighed turning towards the woman. "Try not to use it on torture tools , aight?" She offered a smile, before pulling out a bottle of whiskey, gulping it down.

"Safe travels."

Lucy's smile dropped as she began to leave, she felt lonely, she hadn't gained any more friends other then people she shoots with, She regret leaving, and her expression heavily edged at that. But she decided it would be best to leave it at that. Not to bother 'em and all. Hope they meet again under better conditions. She hopped on her pure yellow painted speeder, with blackstripes, and began to strap on her helmet.

"Forget what I asked 'bout what happened, best I didn't know."

 

[Jaz]

Eris walked through the slums, covered in a long, brown cloak that dragged along behind her. She pulled the hood up to cover her face and made a point not to make eye contact with anyone. Every now and then, she would subtly hand a few coins to one of the people, then quickly move along. She was in a dangerous area, she knew it. Was this even Jedi territory? She tried to remember. No, no it wasn't. She didn't have a lightsaber yet. What on earth made her think this was a good idea?

Stupid, Eris, Stupid! She mentally chided herself.

As if agreeing with her, a pop rang through the air. Eris bit her bottom lip to keep from screaming. Yes, this was the worst idea she had conceived in a long time. Bad ideas weren't a foreign thing to her, with her terrible impulse control, but this was a whole new level of dumb.

She stopped in her tracks upon seeing a group of about four people, one of whom was dead, and the other was a young twi'lek. She froze, trying to think. These guys might not be enemies. They had a little girl with them, after all. She watched them for a minute. Everything seemed to have settled down, and one was apparently preparing to leave. More curious than afraid now, Eris tilted her head, and did not try to hide.

 

[Prudence]

Prudii was making his way through the back allies of Nar Shaada. Like the idiot he could be, he had left his armor aboard his ship when he had departed, and was simply wearing a blast proof vest, and a blaster pistol on his hip. The rain pattered around him, pelting against his bantha leather and armor weave brown coat. He didn't own much, but what he did was well worn and cherished. His coat was one of those things. It was a rather expensive item, and one he would be hard pressed to replace. He had been drinking, and was now taking a back route to the docking bay when he heard a loud pop through the air.

It was followed by the soft stomping noise of a small humanoid running. He picked up pace and drew his pistol, a large hefty DL-44. He immediately spied a young female, and leveled hte blaster at her,

"What the kark just happened that had you running?"

Everything always went to shit when he wasn't wearing his armor.

 

[Jahn]

Talk about cold blooded...

After rising from her impromptu seat, the white-haired mystery woman granted the already wounded alien a swift demise by breaking his neck with a vicious kick to his face. A hint of surprise graced the lad's face...but it wasn't the killing that shocked him. He certainly held no love for the brutes that threatened the life of his friend, a child, and were only moments ago pointing their weapons at him. Rather it was the effortlessness in which she ended the life of the thug. Gamorreans weren't exactly known for having thin necks...and she didn't even bat an eyelash while snapping it. This woman didn't look particularly strong either...but she was. Very. There was definitely something off about her but honestly? He didn't care. She'd more or less saved his ass. His barely noticeable shock didn't last long though as his face soon returned to its usual solemn self. "I don't know why you helped me..." he began, looking the woman over as he did. "...but thanks." He wasn't exactly the best when it came to expressing gratitude. Wasn't used to it because there weren't many people on Nar Shaddaa worth thanking. "I'm Jahn. Jahn Hol." came his introduction finally. "I owe you that much, at least."

The blaster-wielding newcomer asked Jahn about the events that transpired here. But soon after changed her mind and decided it was best that she didn't know the details. All the same to him, he thought. Less explaining to do. But what she did next didn't sit quite as well with him. Lucy surely meant well by taking pity on the down-on-his-luck boy, but she didn't account for his personality. Jahn was a fiercely independent person who had trouble relying on anyone. And he did not take handouts, especially from people he didn't know. She added in another quip about him needing to learn how to use a blaster, which furthered the growing frown on his face. "Keep your money. I know how to shoot." Was his reply. It was more annoyance than actual anger that drove his response. And honestly he wasn't that great of a shot and could use some lessons...but unfortunately his attitude on the matter was something he just couldn't help. If living on the smuggler's moon had taught him anything, it was that nobody ever helped someone else out of the good of their heart. And that there were always strings attached...

...always.

His attention soon returned to the holoprojector, and by extension little Shiri. It appeared that she'd made it back home, which was a weight of Jahn's shoulders. "Good. Stay there until I get back. If anything happens call me right away, got it?" The Twi'lek child nodded once again and after pressing a button, the transmission ended. A sigh of relief escaped the young man's lips as he pocketed the holoprojector. This had been far too close of a call. If Rika hadn't been here it could've easily gone bad for both of them. He had to make sure this didn't happen again. A scowl formed on his face as he made his way back over to the last remaining enforcer and spoke. "Here's what's going to happen." he began, standing over the downed thug with his blaster still in hand. "I assume you know who Eysk is?" Most slum dwellers on Nar Shaddaa knew who he was. A Trandoshan crime boss with a mean streak. But this also just happened to be his territory. "I'll tell him you stopped by. If you're smart...you won't ever stop by again." Both of this mook's minions were suffering from a severe case of death at the moment. As of right now, things didn't look good for him. "Think I'm just gonna forget about this, you little shite? You better kill me now...because next time I'll-!!" a swift boot to his face quickly quieted him down. "Shut up." was all he said afterwards, just barely audible to the others present. Jahn didn't even have to say it. But if this idiot ever threatened Shiri again...there wasn't going to be a next time.

Some time before he'd put the thug to sleep, two more people had arrived on the scene. At this rate they might attract a crowd. And two dead bodies were never a good thing to be near when people showed. But it would appear things wouldn't calm down just yet. Because right after the hooded girl showed up, a man came running over shouting something about running and bearing down on her with a blaster. "It's always something..." Jahn thought to himself, furrowing his brow as he watched the two. For now, he 'd do what he normally preferred to do and remain silent.

 

[Jaz]

Eris's view was obstructed by a blaster barrel in her face. She reacted instantly, putting her hands up in a gesture of surrender. She could smell a little bit of alcohol coming from the man behind the gun. Figuratively seeing that this man saw her as some kind of accomplice to whatever was happening, and wanting to literally see the man, Eris pulled her hood down. He was a human male, and if not for the lack of facial hair and the fact that he was aiming a blaster at her, she may have mistaken him for Jenton.

"I-I don't know." Eris said in response to his question.

She thought about shedding the cloak, but that could be interpreted two ways: I'm not hiding anything or I want to fight. Eris hoped for the first one as she let it fall to the ground. She wore her tunic underneath, and held her hands at her sides. She hoped the man would notice her lack of weapons and leave her be.

"I wanted to see what was happening, for myself." She explained.

Eris waited for the man to give some notion that he understood so she could put the cloak back on.

 

[Prudence]

Kriff Prudii thought, as the situation got even more confusing. He watched as the girl turned and paled towards him, before stripping her robe off. He motioned with his pistol at her to spread her arms so he could make sure she wasn't carrying a weapon. When she did so, and he could see she wasn't armed, he lowered his weapon. A moment later his eyes traveled up and he saw what she had been looking at, a group of beings before them.

He drew his pistol again, and kept it pointed up in a readied position, ready to fire if need be, but not yet sure who to fire at.

 

[Caligula]

It was kinda funny how things could change in an instant.

"I don't know why you helped me...but thanks." The boy said with a turn of his head. "I'm Jahn. Jahn Hol. I owe you that much, at least." She cocked her head to the side with a lopsided smile. Humans always fascinated her. No matter how many centuries she lived, she'd always be curious about humans.

Rika snatched the 500 credits out of the air as the mercenary girl tossed them towards her. "Try not to use it on torture tools , aight?" Rika let a sinister smile replace her curious expression. "No promises..." She said with a slight wave of her hand before putting the credits on a pocket in her armor. Free credits were free credits. She hadn't asked for money but there was no way in Hoth she'd turn them down. If the mercenary girl returned for some kind of favor, Rika would calmly explain the situation. And then break her legs, if need be.

Suddenly, she became aware of something most would consider rare on a trash heap like Nar Shaddaa; a Force Sensitive. She turned her head towards the direction of the Force Sensitive and was amazed to find that she was a little girl. A young Jedi, here on the Smuggler's Moon? Something was off, but Rika couldn't care at this point. She suddenly remembered that she hadn't absorbed enough energy for the week and she was starting to get ideas. Disregarding everything else, she began to stride towards the girl with a focused look in her eyes. She seemed to disregard the man holding a gun in her direction as she didn't break her stride for anything. If the man attacked her, she'd react accordingly.

 

[Jahn]

Like Jahn had thought to himself only moments before, it was always something...

A look of discontent slowly began to spread across his face as he continued to watch the proceedings. From what it seemed like, this man drew his weapon on the young girl for basically no reason with no understanding of what was happening. Nar Shaddaa was full of people waving guns around at others. It was practically a pastime. But what got on his nerves was not that the man pulled his blaster on a girl, but how young she was. After she discarded her hooded cloak, Jahn was able to clearly see her face. She couldn't have been any older than thirteen. What in the hell was wrong with these people? Was today Planetary Threaten Children day? The young man took a step towards the blaster-wielding mercenary. "Hey...-" he began to speak, but stopped short once he noticed Rika start to walk towards them as well. Everything she'd demonstrated today allowed him to infer a very important lesson.

It was NOT smart to point a weapon at her.

Jahn simply shook his head knowingly. He wasn't too concerned about Mr. Point-Weapon-First-Ask-Questions-Later, but the girl was another story. Shiri wasn't the only person he looked out for here in the slums. There were all kinds. Orphans, outcasts, homeless, the elderly, people who had helped him when he was kid. The dark-haired vagrant wasn't some goody two shoes that always went out of his way to help others, but he did what he could. He knew better than most how it was to be down and out. So if it was in his power to spare some kid that pain and hardship, even some of it...he'd do it. At any rate, he didn't in good conscience want to see her come to harm. But from his perspective it looked as if Rika was walking over to handle the guy with the blaster right now. So for the time being, Jahn continued to watch, interested to see how this would play out.

 

[Jaz]

Eris caught sight of two other people, whom she had seen first. One of them, a woman, was moving towards her. Ever heard the phrase 'walking with a purpose.' ? That's exactly what this woman was doing. Eris looked at her and put a foot behind her, so she could turn and run if she needed to. Maybe putting the cloak on wasn't a good idea just yet. Come to think of it, it probably looked very suspicious. Eris looked up at the woman, trying not to look scared, but also trying not to look arrogant. Somehow they both clashed into a bizarre expression that looked more like confusion than anything.

This became true at the sound of the other person's voice. He was a man. She looked at him though he was staying back, and nearly screamed. Not with fear, but with confusion and exasperation. There were so many people here, like some sort of small-scale paparazzi. True, the paparazzi doesn't normally point guns at people. At last, her impulses, yet again, got the better of her.

"Alright, someone tell me what is going on." She demanded

 

[Prudence]

Prudii lowered his weapon, aiming it between Eris, and the woman advancing towards them,

"Stop it right there. Nobody moves until I've got answers as to what the kark is going on. I heard what sounded like a ballistic shot, and then I find this back ally meeting?"

His face was solid, and betrayed no emotion. He hadn't drank enough to really affect his cognitive skills, and he had hunted enough bounties fully drunk that he would be able to perform if he were drunk. He didn't particularly want it to come to a firefight, he was significantly outnumbered.