Ask [Klatooine] Deceiver

[Genova Veren]

Deep Space, Near the planet Klatooine​

She was going to kill him. This time, she was definitely going to kill him. Wasn't a ship meant to be a man's castle? Obviously, Jado had never heard that saying before because his starfighter was in a real osik state. Now, to be beware, she wasn't referring to the damaged hull or the malfunctioning canons, those were courtesy of some ballsy pirates. Stuff like that came with the territory but the one thing that got Genova raving was all the karking rubbish! Discarded ration packs, moulding food, as well as expired cartons of blue milk. Here she was, in the middle of some much-needed repairs and all she could smell was the rot. If her hands weren't busy rewiring this panel, she'd thrash her mando brother.

Skilled as the young Lorrdian was, she could only do so much with the tools at hand. They might have beaten the pirates, but it came at a cost. There was no way the ship would last the rest of the journey. The smart choice would be to land somewhere and do some more thorough repairs, preferably on a planet with the necessary components. At least they were in neutral space, that was one comfort. So long as they had credits, they'd get by. They wouldn't have to worry about imps and their sith masters. They might call themselves allies but Genova felt different. Trust in the clan, that was it. Shab everyone else.

Sealing the panel once again, Genova sent a quick communiqué to the cockpit. The message was simple. Pick a damn planet and land the kirffing ship.

Something sparked. One of the consoles this time. Haar'chak!

Just as she feared, the ship shuddered once more, sending Genova tumbling back. She cushioned her fall the best she could, reaching out with her hands to grasp something solid. Instead, she found her hand landed in something else, something gooey and gross. Yet more discarded provisions.

"....JAAAAADO! Gar shebs'palon! "

@Burpee

 

[Jado Veren]

His old ship was barely holding together. Every alarm that could function was blaring in his face and blinking red across his visored helm. The fuel alarm had started before the pirates had taken their shot at them, and though he managed to leave the attackers scattered behind them as debris, his trusty G1-A was taking the fall for him instead. The message came through his console clearly and he aggressively poked at the cracked console for literally anywhere to land. The closest planet by far was Klatooine, especially for the shape the ship was in. Honestly, it probably wouldn't even make it that far if it weren't for Gen, working her magic in the back. Thankfully, Klatooine was visible through the viewport so there was no need to risk putting the ship through hyperspace.

Jado throttled up slowly, doing his best to go easy on 'her'. Though they got up to a comfortable sublight cruise, the engines sputtered out of unison and sent shudders through the ship intermittently. As he heard a clank-crash followed by Gen's exclamation, he gritted his teeth and inched the throttle down just a bit. "Elek, te shebs'palon ibac kyrayc te chak'pirune!" he yelled back, desperately trying to hold the ship on a steady course. They soon broke through the atmosphere of Klatooine leaving a trail of black smoke and sparks behind them as they made their way for the closest spaceport on this side of the planet. As the ship creaked into place on a landing pad, Jado let out a huge sigh and threw himself back limply in the pilot's seat, breathing heavily. "Pirusti...vi..gotal bic." He unclasped the belt around him and swung himself out of the chair to head back and check on his Mando sister.

@HoneyMagpie

 

[Genova Veren]

A rotten jogan fruit would come sailing through the air, right at Jado. Lucky for him, it hit the wall just to the side, splattering on impact with a less than pleasant squelch. Honestly, Genova could have aimed it better but she didn't want to get pulp on the visor she would no doubt have to clean later. Knowing her mando brother, he'd just give a half-hearted wipe and leave the rest to dry. Like always. Agh! She looked ready to strangle him, her hands clutching at the air itself as if it were his throat. How could her warrior brother, with all his discipline, be such a slob?

Tempting as it was to thrash him, the ship took precedence. At least the di'kut had managed to land the ship and not crash it.

Disembarking quickly, Genova went to work inspecting the starfighter's exterior alongside her droid. It ran diagnostics whilst she looked at the body itself. The durasteel hull had held up remarkably well, taking one heck of beating from those pirates' canons; welding the compromised sealments wouldn't be a problem. The wiring, on the other hand, would need replacing. A majority of the cables were fired beyond salvaging but not the canons. Upon a closer look, Genova determined their attackers had just gotten lucky with their aim; the rotary mechanism was damaged, but the weapon itself. The whole thing would have to come out though in order for her to access its inner workings, but still, at least the damage wasn't too extensive. It was doable, with the right components.

Knowing Jado was no doubt lurking as she worked, she gave him her usual flippant signal. She could fix the ship, but they'd need to scavenge some supplies first. Taking a moment to look around, Genova finally registered just where exactly they had landed. Klatooine, huh? Suppose it was better than nothing. At least they landed near a populated settlement. Well, populated was a bit of an understatement. With its endless deserts, the planet's scattered outposts were frontier at best. Worst case scenario, they'd have to scavenge a junkyard or two.

With a list at the ready, the Lorrdian gave her kinsmen the usual pitch. The rules of trade were simple. Everything had its price and that price could be bartered with. Never tell anyone your real wealth and never let them know how desperate you are for the item. Jado could do all the talking but when it came to sealing the deal, Genova would have the final word.

@Burpee

 

[Jado Veren]

Jado stood motionless as the rotten fruit went flying past his head and splattered on the wall near the cockpit. He hadn't cleaned out his ship in, geez, probably two...three weeks? Months? He couldn't even remember when he'd gotten a jogan fruit, much less how long it might have been in his ship. Really, as long as the ship flew and the cannons fired, he was content with it. There were bigger things to worry about; more important battles to be won. Jado blinked as Gen stormed past him and out to the exterior. He wasn't surprised, and she had every right to be angry. He needed to make it up to her, in a big way. The beginnings of a plan started to form, but it would take time.

He snapped the closures in place to fix his jetpack on his back and slung his carbine around a shoulder. Stepping out of the ship himself, Jado properly saw the damage and observed Genova's body language for further clues before thankfully relaxing with the understanding that it wasn't as bad as he initially thought. There was obviously still a lot of work to do though, and Gen had a plan for repair as usual. When she approached with the list, Jado stopped her for a moment and put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed firmly. "Thank you," he offered with deep sincerity, tilting his helm forward towards her before relaxing back and listening to her instructions. With an understanding, Jado marched off towards the tents and huts near the spaceport where scavengers were hocking a mixture of parts from myriad ships.

Thankfully the wind was calm, leaving the sandy dunes comfortably in place, though it did make it feel that much hotter out in the sun, especially in his armor. Even on their approach to the first tent, Jado was already lightly soaked in sweat. They'd need to keep an eye on their canteens to make sure they wouldn't dehydrate in this heat. Behind the first stand sat a chubby Dug, heavily dusted in sand with goggles firmly set over the eyes. His table had several large ship components scattered across it with several crates with smaller parts lining either side of his seat. His wares could be browsed, but everything was easily within his reach and vision; he clearly had had some thieves in the past. The sight of the Mandalorians brought the Dug to sit up straighter and nervously organize the wares on his table.

"Hello. We're Mandalorians...looking for a few parts, if we can browse." Jado offered with a small wave of greeting.

"OO CHU BAH NYOBA NEESA!" the Dug exclaimed in a language Jado obviously didn't understand. Sensing the loss of communication, the Dug repeated in broken Basic. "Take what you want! And tell Delvenk I gave it willingly!" he said fearfully, starting to stack crates on top of one another as if he were suddenly packing up.

@HoneyMagpie

 

[Genova Veren]

Kriff. The stabiliser had a crack in it. That would be a problem, seeing as the component was vital in its transmission of power flow to the engines. Luckily, Genova was thorough when it came to her work; she had checked the engine bay out of habit and had caught sight of the fault shortly after Jado's departure. They'd definitely need a replacement. If she hurried though, maybe she could catch up with him and give him the list's latest update. Whilst not impossible, finding an exact replacement would be difficult. They'll likely have to salvage an alternative and just make some minor adjustments. Easy enough.

@Jado Veren wasn't really aware of this, but Genova had her own stash of tools squirrelled away on his ship (in case of emergencies just like this). As much as she admired her battle brother, she knew if she left them out in the open, he'd probably lose them amongst all the mess and muck.

It wouldn't be the first time either...

Walking with a purpose, Genova braved the barren lands; under the scorching sun, she scanned one tent before moving onto another. The merchandise for sale was mostly average in quality, hardly anything worth her interest.There wasn't even much in terms of people, given the heat and of time day. As expected, the locals seemed less than welcoming, but given the planet's frontier nature, this wasn't surprising. Still, the Lorrdian was cautious. These people, they had a look about them; their watchful eyes tracking Genova's every step. Feigning disinterest, the armourer continued as she was, unbothered and unbowed. She was well armed, and could hold her own. Gods have mercy on anyone foolish as to try their luck.

Sighting a familiar flash of colours, Genova finally found Jado. She was surprised, however, to see the owner of the tent (a Dug) was so frightened. Weren't they supposed to be the ill-tempered bullies? Why was this particular cowering at Jado?

Cocking her head towards her Mando brother, the question was clear - Meg did gar vaabir?

Sure, Mandalorians had a reputation, but Jado wasn't exactly a bruiser. Intimidation wasn't his style. So was why this Dug acting so meant out of shape?

@Burpee

 

[Jado Veren]

Jado was relieved when he spotted Genova approaching the frightened Dug. When she gave him that look, he shrugged with palms opened outward in a gesture of confusion. He was as lost as she was. "What the hell is a Delvenk?" Osik. That thought wasn't supposed to come out.

The Dug paused and looked at him with a frustrated furrow on his brow and muttered a slew of words that Jado could only assume were expletives. The Dug resumed his packing albeit less rushed now. "Only a fool would land on this side of the Derelkoos without paying Delvenk." it snorted. "Who do you think you are in that armor?"

The confusion in Jado's posture turned to bewilderment as he quickly looked back and forth between the Dug and Genova before unsheathing the vibro-gladius from his hip and looming close over the scavenger and his table. "Watch your tongue, osi'yaim, or you'll lose it." Jado growled through his helmet, before calming and backing himself back down. "You know damn well who wears this armor. We've paid the spaceport for landing. Why would we pay this 'Delvenk'?" he inquired.

Though the Dug shrunk down under Jado's anger, it chuckled itself into a cough once Jado backed down and maintained his ignorance. Once it had gathered itself again, he stated in earnest: "I won't sell you anything until Delvenk has been paid, or he will take what is owed from me. You'll find at least one of his...employees south of here. There's a cantina - the only one - where they like to gamble. I'm sure you'll notice them when you see them." he offered with an ugly grin.

Jado let out a deep sigh. They needed parts, and desperately. He was frustrated beyond end that there was some wannabe crime boss that was looking for easy money. Working as a bounty hunter and free Mandalorian, he'd had to fight for everything he earned. Nothing was given or handed out. As much as he didn't want to pay whoever this Delvenk was, he wanted a fight even less after the affair with the pirates. Like the state of his ship displayed, bills added up and came due quickly after combat.

He turned to Genova with his posture somewhat slumped in defeat. "Well?" That was all he managed to get out. His mouth was so damn dry, like the desert air was just wicking the moisture out of him. He'd been on the planet for less than twenty minutes and already hated the place.

@HoneyMagpie

 

[Genova Veren]

"Who do you think you are in that armour?"

What kind of question was that? It was pretty obvious, wasn't it? Everyone in the known galaxy recognised Mandalorians and their armour. If this was some idea of a joke, the Dug's sense of humour was as pretty piss poor as his customer service. Genova certainly wasn't laughing and she did nothing to stop @Jado Veren once the gladius came out. If anything, she was silently egging him on. The Veren clan had a reputation to uphold and Arasumm be damned if anyone disrespected their way of life.

From the sounds of it, the Dug was implying the region was under the thrall of a thug. Ugh. Just what they needed, some crime boss thinking he was a hot shot Hutt. Some things never changed, no matter where in the galaxy. How exasperating. For a brief moment, the Lorrdian foundling was tempted to force the issue and simply strong-arm the Dug. Sure, it could cause problems, but in Genova's current mood, she could tackle a reek and still come out swinging. That could cause problems for them later though. The last thing they needed was a riot...

Annoying as it was, they'd probably be better off just playing the dumb game. Path of least resistance and all that tripe. Any other day, maybe, but for now, Genova really didn't feel like arguing with a bunch of backwater yokels.

Turning to her battle brother, offered an irritated huff. “Ni haa'taylir nayc ashi ara...”

With a withering glance, Genova left the Dug in her dust and turned her gaze south. Cantina, huh? Time to see what passed for a drink around here. Knowing their luck, it would be dirt tasting grog...

@Burpee

 

[Jado Veren]

As the pair of Mandalorians walked away from the Dug's shitty tent, Jado was somewhat comforted to know he wasn't alone in his misery, awful as that might sound. He was tickled at Gen's obvious irritation with the Dug, especially since it wasn't him for once. The anger was absolutely founded, of course, but perhaps his former life had him used to being disrespected. Either way, there were more important things to worry about, like how soon they'd be back in the shade with a cold drink. He sincerely hoped his ship damage could be repaired quickly so they wouldn't have to stick around here much longer.

As they kicked through the dusty desert, Jado pulled the canteen from the back of his belt and took a small swig, swishing the bath-warm water around before downing it apprehensively. Though it just tasted like canteen, it felt like drinking sweat. He only had another three or four sips of that bath water left, to top off the list of annoyances. He wasn't sure how much water Gen might have brought along and rotated his arm out to her as an offering. Unpleasant as the warm water was, it would be better than none.

The trek to the cantina felt long in the desert heat but in reality it was a short trip away, or at least by speeder it would have been. Though still a short distance away, Jado could just make out the beige sandstone of a building with a smattering of speeder bikes around it. It seemed like this cantina was a halfway point to something else significant considering the amount of traffic it apparently got. Hopefully this 'Delvenk' wouldn't be much further. Jado secretly hoped he might be at the cantina too, to get this whole thing over with quickly.

Scanning the distant building through the rising heat lines of the desert, he turned his head toward Genova to be more easily heard while they walked. "The place looks busy. We'll want to be careful." he said, patting the whistling birds in his beskar vambrace. Although usually lethal, those whistling birds were wonderful for 'crowd control'; best thing short of another Mandalorian at your back when you get surrounded. Despite his usual worn armor, his beskar vambraces were his pride and joy and the only pieces he would clean regularly. There was something about that beskar shine that brought Mandalore with him everywhere he went.

@HoneyMagpie

 

[Genova Veren]

Entering the planet's makeshift watering hole, Genova took the canteen from Jado without really offering much reason. Her intent was clear, however, as she planned on using it as a premise in which to approach the bar. She would have finished its contents first, but the Lorrdian didn't want to risk partially unmasking her face, especially given the unfamiliar audience inhabiting the whole cantina. Her scars ran long and they ran deep, starting from the upper portion of her cranium, down to her lower lip - it was a real trophy but not one Genova felt like sharing. Now was not the time for war stories - instead, she had something else in mind. She'd pump for information whilst Jado cased the joint. Their usual tactic.

The bar was manned by a Devonian, one who went by the name of Vrux Jac. He had marked the two Mandos as soon as they entered, and whilst others were wary, the horn-headed host seemed rather intrigued. They were certainly more interesting than the glass he was ragging. "Haven't seen you around here before. You the new muscle?"

"...Something like that." Genova placed the canteen on the counter, and with it, a couple of credits. There was more than enough for a refill and for good reason- the implication was clear. She was paying for something else. Something far more important. Information. "Tell me about Delvenk."

Vrux paused for a moment, his need to clean now seeming less of a priority. He took a moment to look at Genova, as if sizing her up, before making a rather offhanded statement.

"It is what it is. The man showed up one day with a couple of goons, and boom - self-appointed king of the sands. Huzzah."

Geez, could this guy be any more sarcastic? Clearly he had an axe to grind with this Delvenk guy. Using this to her advantage, Genova probed for more. The leathery-skinned barkeep had hardly told her anything new. "Go on..."

"Well, what do you expect? Gear like yours, none of us stand a chance. Just easier to go with the flow."

Genova paused, more interested than ever. "What do you mean, gear like mine?"

"The armour. Delvenk and a couple of his men carry something similar - minus all dat purty colour, though." The Devonian protruding jaw jutted out, clearly referring to the colours of Genova's own armour. They were pretty unique, and for good reason.

But had she heard him right? Was he implying this crime boss was somehow connected to the Mandalorian people? Honestly, it didn't sound like anything she'd ever heard before. Mandalorians were hunters and warriors, not crooks and gangsters. Why would they linger here? To bully the locals? Unlikely.

Something was off and Genova was determined, now more than ever, to discover exactly what that was. "Is one of his men here right now?"

"Sure. Sure - Yumba. He's a weequay. Dat guy can really drink; to be honest, he's probably sleeping off one of his hangovers. Try one of the backrooms, maybe."

Wasting no time, Genova signalled to Jado to converge on her. She even signalled to him to double it, just to pick up the pace. She wanted to see this with her own eyes.

“Val ganar beskar'gam. Mando beskar'gam”

@Burpee

 

[Jado Veren]

As Genova took the canteen from him and head for the bartender, Jado split and started making his way further through the crowds, shoulder-checking a stray Quarren who didn't have the spatial awareness to stay out of the walkway. It grunted something in its native language before recognizing the armor and tucking itself back into the crowded tables. Jado knew the routine well; they'd done it a hundred times before. Gen would find particular people to bear down on and pump information while he checked out the crowds and surroundings for defenses.

Jado knew how to work a crowd, especially one of thugs and delinquents. Usually the biggest dick swinging would have command of the place, or at least the silent respect or fear of the people in it. He confidently strode up to a large Klatooinian with crossed arms and a crotchety expression, firmly grabbed hold of the tankard in front of it, and tipped his helmet back enough to down what was left in it before slamming it back down on the table with a loud crack. The Klatooinian started to rise from his seat but Jado quickly placed an armored glove on the man's shoulder and squeezed hard while looking directly at him from behind the T-visor of his helm, encouraging him to sit back down for his own sake. The Klatooinian hesitantly accepted the suggestion and barked toward the barkeeper for another drink.

With an impression made, Jado continued to walk through the cantina and take in his surroundings. There were a lot of eyes on him, especially after his last move, but the eyes averted as soon as his visor turned in their direction. The occasional table would lean in closer and talk to one another in hushed tones, but most seemed to try going unnoticed. The cantina itself could be fairly defensible if the crowd cleared out. There were numerous sandstone booths lining the sparsely-windowed walls and the large oval bar in the middle could serve as decent cover from just about any side if shit were to hit the fan. Only thing that worried him was the stairway to roof access toward the back of the building. No way to be sure of who or what might be up there, or what could come down if a fight were had.

As he passed by a weequay sitting on the ground and leaning messily against the side of the stairs with half-emptied bottle in hand, Jado paused mid-stride to do a double-take of the man’s pauldron. Is that..., he almost reached out to touch the mythosaur skull branded into the metal before remembering himself. With a sharp inhale, Jado continued his round through the cantina before seeing Genova's gesture and sped-walked over to meet her. Before the words could escape his mouth, Gen confirmed what he thought he saw: Mandalorian armor. And the weequay was no Mandalorian from the way he was splayed out across the floor.

"Elek. Ni haa'taylir pauldron gebi te norac..." he said with a nod in the direction of the stairs. His untrained eye wouldn't be able to tell if the pauldron were beskar or not, but Gen's trained eye likely could, cybernetic or not. Jado looked intently into Genova's visor and leaned closer to speak. "Beskar belongs to the Mandalorians." he stated sternly, his intent clear.

@HoneyMagpie