Ask Junkyard Adventures

[Zana Ari]

Zana watched him as he spoke, and she knew she put him on the spot. Was that a bit too much? It didn’t matter, she wanted some answers. She could be stubborn and firm sometimes, and she wasn’t afraid to seek out what she was looking for. Her expression softened the more he talked, and her face turned a deep shade of purple again when outright asked her on a date. Zana blinked a few times, thinking about a million things and scenarios. However, her mouth moved before her brain caught up, “I’d like that,” She said, a smile gracing her lips. Just Cairo and Zana. It sounded so alien and different, so simple and complex at once.

“I’ll hold you to it,” She said with a grin as they began to walk again.

–​

Zana took in sight of the Blue District, feeling entirely out of place. However, she couldn’t deny there was something exhilarating about being here when she wasn’t supposed to be. She could tell there was a fight of some sort happening, flyers advertising fighters from all over the galaxy being pitted against one another. It was the kind of stuff she expected in Hutt space.

“I can do basic slicing yeah,” She said, though it wasn’t something she jumped to right away considering it was highly illegal most of the time. If push came to shove, however, she would certainly do it. The droids, on the other hand, appeared far more doable. She walked over to one of them and reached into her bag, pulling out a servodriver that she always carried with her. Zana opened up the back panel of the droid and tweaked a few things. Unfortunately there was a security measure in place and there was a small explosion with a puff of smoke blasting out right into her face. Zana coughed and sputtered, stepping back with her face completely covered in ash and soot. She looked sheepishly over at Cairo, still holding her servodriver in the air.

“Um, well that’s not an option,” Zana wiped her face off, missing a few spots because she couldn’t see her own ridiculous face. Her golden gaze flicked over to see everyone around them and she pondered for a moment.

“We have two possible options,” She explained, “Either you can go in posing as a fighter. Or you can pretend to be my slaver and I pose as ‘entertainment’ to get in,” Neither idea sounded great, but they had few options. These kinds of scenarios always called for blending in of some sort and she was willing to do it to help Cairo out.

@Fine Dining Set

 

[Cairo Kisufi]

She was right. They didn't have much of a choice besides just infiltrating the thing straight-up. He didn't like either option, either of them posing as someone's property or someone's owner. He figured that the entertainer route would have the least amount of violence, but...would it seem cooler if he was the gladiator? Would she think that was cool, being like a burly warrior man?

"How about both?" He paused, raising his finger to his chin as he thought it out. "I'll make a distraction, volunteer to get in the ring, you slip in as the help?" Both of them acting as workers and entertainers would help them blend more - they could focus on eavesdropping and searching with greater impunity. Sneak into employee-only areas. That kind of shit. Could be helpful. non?

Cairo pulled her again, back to the door, where he knocked. "I think I got this. Uh, duck for a second." The eyestalk droid popped out to appraise Cairo, who beamed in return. "I'm here for the gladiator fights. I'm volunteering. Boy wonder, all that. You're gonna see some real action today." He puffed his chest and shadowboxed for effect, hoping to demonstrate his worth as a fighter. Chattering in an alien language took place, and then the eyestalk retracted.

The doors squeaked open, and Cairo motioned for Zana to sneak in before they closed.

@Sreeya

 

[Zana Ari]

Zana chewed her lip nervously as he mentioned going into the ring, “I dunno, Cairo, you could really get hur-” She was cut off when he pulled her over and introduced himself. Zana ducked out of sight for a moment, only able to hear Cairo give his little shpiel. Were they about to be way in over their heads? Most likely…

The door opened and Zana didn’t have a chance to do much beyond reaching a hand over to grasp Cairo’s to give a reassuring squeeze before they were split up. A droid would guide Cairo over towards the fighters area. The stench of grime and severe body odor lingered in the air as he passed giant, buff feeorin, orcolans, trandoshans and other massive species. They all glared at him as he walked, one of them spitting at his feet.

“You got a fighter name or anythin’ for the arena? Somethin’ catchy to announce ya?” A Toydorian was signing people in and he looked entirely unimpressed by Cairo. He passed over a datapad, “Since you ain’t a slave, sign that waiver,” It listed that no one was responsible if Cairo was horribly maimed, eviscerated, burned or dead as a result of this.

Meanwhile, Zana had her own problems to deal with as she found a Togruta that was walking around serving drinks and food.

“Hi um.. I’m here for my first day,” Zana said to the woman, “As a server?”

The woman eyed her skeptically before rolling her eyes, “Not in that get up. Go see the pink twi’lek named Lila to get you set up.”

Moments later, Zana was uncomfortably tugging at parts of her ridiculous new ‘uniform’. This was a terrible idea, but she was too far in to back out now. She only hoped they would actually yield some useful information to make this all worth it. Zana carried with her a tray of drinks, walking towards the luxury viewing boxes.

“The Matron really makes life easy, don’t she?” Zana paused briefly before making her way towards the source of the voice. She found two men sitting next to each other in the expensive area.

“Sure does,” The other man said while puffing on a cigar, “I’m glad she deals with the Sith though. I don’t like engaging with them beyond just handing shipments over. Give me the heebie jeebies.”

“Business has been a bit shitty since that new Empress started bein’ all high and mighty about slaves.”

“Yea but you know it’ll never actually go away,” The man scoffed, “The bitch can’t have her eyes on everything. Hell, just the other day I shipped off two cargo speeders of Wildfire into Imperial borders.”

“Well hey there cutie, you gonna stand there or get us a drink?” Zana snapped out of her thoughts, internally panicking as she slowly made her way towards the two men with the drinks.

@Fine Dining Set