The Best New Fence Is a Good Old Fence

[Tribunal Power]

The pale yellow sky of Nal Hutta at sunset was a beautiful sight, painted across the viewscreen of the Barloz-class freighter that had lowered through the atmosphere. The ship's sinks worked hard at dissipating the heat of atmospheric entry-- something Tsu would need to check up on when she got a chance, since they were not operating at full efficiency-- as it lowered toward a large round landing pad near a small palace.

She dialed open the typical security channel as she lowered to the ramp, watching as guards approached the ship. "This is Tsu Ordan aboard the Space Heater. Landing sign 'bad barrel'."

The landing sign was a way for members of the Retrade to communicate without being too blatant. She didn't have many friends on Nal Hutta, and she was even less certain that it would help rather than harm, but she had followed word of a very reliable fence to this palance and she wasn't leaving until she found him. Still, since there was a fair chance someone might recognize the sign and allow her entry, perhaps a member f the Retrade or a Hutt ally. However, since it was fairly likely that she'd be arrested and her ship impounded, she only brought a couple crates of the spice and weapons she needed to unload. There were hundreds upon hundreds of tons where that came from, and she needed a primo fence to hand it off.

Tsu checked the magazine of her rail pistol and holstered it with a sigh. If those Hutt goons decided to arrest her, it would be an exercise in self-control not to fight her way out. Bigger and more important shit to do, Tsu.

 

[Chairdor]

OOC: The stuff on Nal Hutta is the only important stuff to the topic, I added on to it to make it flow better storywise

A light music played in the room as the Nautolan continued his delicate work. A buzz saw whizzed and Kess Tel'May gripped her fists in anticipation for the tremendous pain. While her friend urged her over and over that she should take pain killers Kess refused, she didn't take anything that dulled her senses, except a little spice now and again, but that was different. As the blade made contact Kess tried to distract herself in anyway possible from the agonizing burn of her screaming flesh, her entire body begging her to move as her old face was torn apart.

Kess thought of stars and burning and agony and grassy field and bullets on her face and torture and, "AUUUGH" Kess cried as she realized her mental resilience wasn't exactly up to par with what was required,

"Please be still!" the Nautolan shouted as he powered down the saw and grabbed something on the table, tossing it towards what was left of the Twi'Lek's face Kess immediately reached for it, her vision fuzzy from blood loss Kess realized it was a block of wood, sticking it in her mouth, she bit and she bit hard her teeth slanting from the force as the Nautolan switched to a bone saw. Like a flesh violin he worked the notes of a composition of misery all across Kess's face. Realizing good thoughts were never going to override this abyss of pain, she thought of what she was leaving, Kessel.

The dim mines filled with life-sucking spiders, the webs of spice that could slice ones hand clean off, in automatic response Kess's middle finger twitched slightly, a cybernetic replacement given to her by a Rodian store clerk who owed her. She had lost so much on that rock that the finger seemed less than inconsequential. As the Nautolan backed off once more Kess felt her tears and blood mix while he got a gel, lightly dusting a mask, he filled it to the brim with the gel and placed it over her ruined cavern of a face. All at once a soothing sensation overwhelmed the Twi'lek's overtaxed pain sensors. Relaxing Kess let her head roll back for a moment where it was promptly tied down, sensing treachery she tried to wrench up but was quickly pushed down,

"Please this is very delicate"

Kess eventually allowed her pain muddled mind to get the better of her and she at last complied, laying back once more as more restraints were put on her body. She heard him say she'd have to lie still like this for three hours, she figured she didn't need a seat belt for that, but she was proven wrong immediately as the Nautolan injected the final component to the gel in the mask. What was a soothing facial massage became an itching nightmare as every fiver of her being demanded to be scratched, torn, or otherwise removed. Kess raged against the belts but each were tightened in turn until she fell flat, exhausted and itching, her hands balled into fists so tight her fingers became pale from blood loss. Every moment passed by was another moment of unforgettable agony for Kess, the memories compiled and gave her waking nightmares as she had fits in stages throughout the facial reconstruction, until at last she heard some mumbled words and she felt the straps loosen.

Lifting herself she felt the straps on the back of her mask being undone and then slowly felt it come off. She felt her new face and for a moment felt nothing, she looked to the Nautolan fearfully, but the fear elapsed as the nerve connections kicked in, immediately allowing the Twi'Lek to feel the warm touch of her fingers. Eventually she was given a mirror and looked at the new her.

"You've outdone yourself Kekchi," she said to her old friend, the Nautolan merely smiled happy to be of service, "You'll never do anything quite so great as this my friend," Kess continued, Kekchi looked down in humility and Kess lightly grasped his head with a smile before lifting it swiftly and smashing it onto his operating table, hers and his blood mixed in a crimson tide as she continued to smash and smash and smash until at last his whimpers became gurgles and his gurgles become silence. Taking a moment to sit and look upon her carnage Kess knew her work was complete, she was free of her old life and was a completely new person. Everyone who had helped on this journey was paid in kind, as her friends killed the old her, she killed the old them. She just didn't leave anyone new.

Now scott free, Kess only had one concern. Making every mistake she'd ever made once more.


Two Weeks Later Nal Hutta
Kess smelled the electric air of the Hutt capital and hated it, she hated everything about this stinking festering bog of a world, except for one thing. The spice. Spice was like water here. Finally ending her long ride into town Kess rewarded herself by taking a long draught of it. Instantly the smells became sounds and the colors became warriors fighting for sunlight and illusion, Kess smiled widely as she was dropped off into a busy market and moved past the sluggy knick knack paddy whackers and the poofy wilting seeds of terrible cake. Laughing at a joke she didn't tell yet the tripping Twi'Lek tripped right into a rather slimy slug by the name of Bikawookienookietookie, or at least thats what Kess immediately named him, then laughed at her internal choice because that was a silly name. The Hutt took offense at this laughter after being so rudely bumped into and began shouting in Huttese at Kess who was barely fluent sober. In response she clapped her hands on her face and made poot noises to mimic the sounds she was hearing, partially because she was convinced it was language and partially because it kept the quarter at french toast.

The Hutt at last noting her depreciated state became quite amenable to the "Lucky" Kess as he motioned to two rather brutish looking fellows working in his shop to retrieve this delightful young creature. Kess was smart though, she knew how to stop vipers from stealing her pet rock, she quickly played dead and screamed real loud just like a dead person would if he could scream. The Hutt began to panic as others began to take noticed, but quieted as he remembered he was on Nal Hutta so no one really cared what he did with the girl so long as he shut her up.

Kess could fly now as she was lifted up, she extended her arms and went "Whooooosh...Whooooosh" as she flew out of the market and into a dark cantina, then just as she was about to be put into a dark room the paranoia part of the Spice kicked in. Kess suddenly realized all along that she wasn't flying and that the lining for bird cages contained the secrets of the universe. Digging her nails into the invisible that made her fly, the stoned Twi'Lek descended and getting up began to run into a portal in the wall that led her to a bright place filled with Dongwillows which were invisible and intangible. Kess hated them because they always got in the way.

Running past the hated Dongwillows Kess noticed she had walked onto a scene of a play and and...

Kess shook her head for a moment, her pupils dilating six or seven times as her mind readjusted to reality. Slowly her addled brain figured out the puzzle she had made for herself and didn't know quite how to react. Looking about her, the Hutt and his goons were gone and the Twi'Lek taking all her time to get into town to meet a particular Hutt now found herself somewhere that wasn't there. Slightly irritated she walked into a nearby building past two men who eyed her suspiciously, she eyed them right back and they said nothing. A blast of cool air met her sweating skin and Kess's eyes swum with color and black for a moment causing her to stumble slightly, leaving the Spice sickness behind, Kess sucked it up and kept walking, leaving the small building and arriving at what appeared to be a landing pad, keeping up her act of 'I'm supposed to be here, what are you stupid?' the Twi'Lek gave an enraged look to a Mandolorian who eyed her, or visoered her I guess, suspiciously. He looked away and Kess satisfied noted the ship lowering its ramp.

Whether it was the Spice or Kess's natural willingness to not give a damn, she walked abreast the guards approaching the vessel and began to speak just over an official looking Hutt holding a data pad who immediately stopped speaking in shock,

"I've been expecting you," She said simply to the figure that made their exit from the ship.

All at once the later half of the Spice wore off and Kess's full logic kicked back in. This. Was. Stupid. Kess immediately sweat a tiny bit realizing how deep she had put herself with absolutely no idea, none, what was going on or where she was.

If she didn't play this right, or get lucky. She might be meeting those friends she put in the grave early. And she was sure they'd be quite willing to give her a new face again...among other things.

 

[Nor'baal]

Automatic anti-ship turrets locked on to the incoming ship as it hailed it's arrival, focusing and picking out weak points in the ships armour. From the Palace control room, the master of security activated his comm's and replied to the ship's hailing.

''Call sign recognised, permission to land granted.'' came the cold emotionless response.

6 Gammorrean Guards filed out onto the landing platform, axes in hand whilst their lead figure, a Human approached the vessel, and, upon seeing its occupant, bowed neatly saying ''To what do we owe the pleasure of your visit?''

It was at this point that the Human noticed the arriving, and rather brash, Twi-lek forcing her way to the front and starting to act as though she was in charge. He shook his head, probably another spiced-up native, he thought. ''My apologies for this foolish female. Guards, remove her.'' he said smoothly, pressing a button on his wristband.

The doors behind him slid open, and a further ten Gammorreans filed in, looking sadistically at the Twi-lek ''Move. On.'' growled their be-muscled leader Ort'ugg

 

[Tribunal Power]

Relief washed over her as the callsign was accepted. She holstered the Larboard pistol and stood to her feet, stretching her back before progressing toward the aft of the ship. As the cargo ramp lowered, she straighened her attire; she didn't look like much, a plain white tank top clinging to her body along with fitted tactical pants and a pistol belt. She grabbed her go-bag, slipping the strap of the diminuitive pack tightly over her shoulder to rest on her back. She pulled her datapad from the pouch on her belt to check it momentarily, assuring she had no misses messages before setting it to silent and returning it to its case at her side. Finally, the ramp touched to the landing pad, and she saw before her a group of gnarly Gammorrean armsmen and what appeared to be a human supervisor. She slowly descended the ramp, wearing a plastic smile; they were friendly enough, but in Hutt space, diplomacy was a game with a winner and a loser, and Tsu so loved victory. Preparedness would serve her well.

"Afternoon, sir. I'm here to see Nor'baal the Hutt on business. Could you please take me to him?" Just as she finished her words, she saw the twi'lek girl, and the additional guards arriving. Tsu recognized the signs of spice, both the obvious and the subtle, from her own past experience with it. This girl was spicing hard; It was this kind of behavior that made Tsu shy away from the stuff, as it was too much of a security risk most of the time. But this girl, either through naivety or foolishness, didn't seem concerned about security. Her words befuddled Tsu; did they know each other? No, Tsu didn't think so-- probably just the spice talking. She watched the girl and nodded to the guard as he apologized for her behavior. Her pity for the girl was matched only by her envy, as she recalled the freedom she once had to spice whenever she wanted. Maybe it wasn't a wise decision, but she missed the liberty it required.

 

[Chairdor]

As the spice continued to fade from her system, now a distant memory of bliss, Kess had new understanding of the phrase it's not the fall that kills you, it's the sudden stop. Well now if the Twi'lek had just suddenly stopped being a moron about three minutes before this she would currently be surrounded by sixteen Gamoreans who smelled like a six day old ham in the desert. Trying not to faint from the collective odor as one of the bigger, dumber, smellier guards ordered her to move on, Kess did just that.

As she had obvious enemy forces at her back and side, Kess was less than keen on walking through them to escape the potentially fatal situation she had placed herself in, Kess noted the woman leaving her ship, her eyes widened, she was so confident looking so far in command. While Kess had had that surge of authority deep in a spice dream, she'd never been confident enough to tangle with a Hutt on regular terms, especially due to their proclivity for turning her species into harem dancers. As she felt the guards press in closer, clearly annoyed the twi'lek had seen any part of their sluggish master, Kess considered going all in on a pair of twos. Her only hope that she could properly read the player opposite her. Kess saw a similar look emanate from the woman, a look of slight envy, Kess didn't know for what. Probably her blue tentacle head thing, Kess was always proud of that. So without a word she walked forward, not back like a moth towards a charismatic flame. Kess hoped the simile ended there as she approached the infamous ship captain, as Kess had just gotten a new set of skin, she'd hate for it to get burned so early.

"I've completed what was required captain, how can I help here?"

At this point a portion of the older Kess was back, she'd gotten out of worse, well not really but when she was really spiced out she fought a krayt dragon with a tooth pick, turned out that was just a really really old man. Poor bastard. Eventually the twi'lek brought herself back to attention. Hoping to god she played her cards right, while it was a bum hand, there was no folding for "Lucky" Kess Tel'May

 

[Nor'baal]

Watching as the ''spiced up'' Twi-lek moved on, the Majordomo turned back to his new arrival. He double checked that everything was ''proper'' and that nothing in the ship manifests or landing requests could have possibly been faked. He had to ensure this ''Tsu'' was genuine, the master so disliked having his time wasted after all.

''Very well, his excellency will see you now. You are I hope aware of the no weapons policy, and usual protocol? When you enter the room, you will bow. You will only raise your head when his excellency speaks to you directly. You will speak when spoken to, and when it comes for you to leave you walk three paces backwards, bow, turn and go? Got that? Good, follow me then.'' said the Majordomo at a speed most smugglers would want their ships to perform.

They walked through the Palace for a good few minutes, eventually arriving at a dank, moist room, the rear wall of which dominated by a magnificently fat figure, Nor'baal Vesajilic Diori.

''Excellency, Tsu Ordan.'' said the Majordomo, bowing deeply before the Hutt.

 

[Tribunal Power]

The twi'lek girl shied away from the guards, and wisely so; but instead of retreating and being on her way, she approached. Tsu diverted her attention to her briefly, assessing her; was she a threat? What was her angle? Tsu didn't see anything other than the average blaster or vibroknife on her, and she wasn't making a move. If she did, Tsu was confident she was a faster draw, and probably a better shot; the girl stood frontal to Tsu's left side at a forty-five degree angle, presenting a larger target. Tsu might have bladed her stance and prepared to draw were the situation different; she'd been handled a few times by spice junkies, and she knew when they were getting uppity, but this time she had a dozen gammorrean guards around her and didn't feel the ruthless precaution was necessary. Besides, she didn't look like much of an assassin, even as far as incognito assassins go. So... What did she want?

The thought occurred to Tsu that she may be reaching out for help. That made much more sense; a young twi'lek girl on a Hutt world, where twi'leks are vastly objectified and the slave trade is booming. She clearly had a spice addiction, and a nack for being obtuse. An offworlder's help might be just what she was looking for. But could Tsu take the chance of associating with her? It was a risk; if she was an enemy to Tsu's new hutt friend, it could create diplomatic issues. Then again, the guards didn't seem to recognize her, so perhaps it was a chance worth taking at the benefit of having a little rapscallion on the outside while she was on the inside. But she needed to make sure she was on the up-and-up, and there was only one way she knew how to do that in Hutt space. At least they were in the right area for it. She decided to play along, for now.

"Good," she replied dismissively to the girl. "Go to the Gorbon Gal cantina over in grid CC4. I hear they have a gizka problem. Oh, and here-- she stopped to pull a small credit chip from her pocket, flicking it to her-- "order yourself a drink, on me. Terren makes a damn good Bothan Blue." She gave the girl a reassuring wink, and turned back to the guards to proceed. The girl had no idea what she was getting herself into, Tsu knew with a simultaneous sense of grief and malicious enjoyment, but also with a sense of pride in the fact that if the twi'lek played her cards right, she could probably land a much better life than the one she had here.

The guard spoke of the weapons policy, and Tsu gritted her teeth, all the while displaying the smiles of social protocol. She listened to the instructions with a silent disdain, but she would observe their rules to the letter. Today, she was in this Hutt's house; tomorrow, should he find himself in her house, she would be sure he observed the same respect she did. Tsu stopped with the guards and unclasped the holster for her Larboard pistol, drawing it slowly ith her thumb and index fingers on the base of the grip. She ejected the ammunition stick and the chambered block, tucking the stick into a pouch on the side of the holster and pocketing the block. With the slide racked, she handed the inoperable pistol to the human commander, and turned to enter the hutt's presence.

As she was announced, she did just as she was instructed. She entered and bowed deeply, watching her surroundings through her periphreal vision, not lifting until she was addressed.

 

[Chairdor]

Kess was in a deep internal sweat over the ordeal she had put herself but as she noted the woman's perusing eye, this confident captain and heard her words, Kess was nearly taken aback. She caught herself before showing any outward sign that anything was amiss, from her perspective it seems the Gamorean's were just waiting for a chance to detain her. Not at all interested in being some hussy for a slug and his piggy friends Kess snatched the credit midflip. As she did she noted her reflection, a small face in the image of the credit. For a brevity she didn't recognize herself, then she remembered why. She remembered who she was, a spiced junkie with no path and no purpose and who she could be, anything.

So giving a small flick of her fingers off her forehead the Twi'lek walked away, quickening her pace past the large guards to ensure they didn't get grabby. As she entered the street once more she looked around at the varying sights of the street. Hutts were carted via skiff, small families ducked and dived begging for scarps, a piss poor pickpocket plied his trade on a nearby merchant. As the spice finally left her system Kess stopped to grip her head, the whole world suddenly graying and becoming slow. Spice, a friend had said, was like skydiving without a parachute, it's all fun until the landing. Now a thick pain pressing upon her temple, the Twi'lek attempted to press on past this mental block, remembering the woman's words, it was an oddly specific request, and it seemed a tad odd that a gizka problem was the concern of a pilot, especially one affiliated with what looked to be a major Hutt player.

All this thinking was torturous to Kess however so she immediately ceased. her hands pressing down on her lekku in vain as the throbbing in her mind grew more intense. For a brevity she considered hitting up again, but she stopped immediately noting that she should wait until she was among friends in a safe space. So besides the fact that she needed to make some friends, Kess pretty much figured nowhere on this planet was safe. Lamenting the fact that it would be quite some time before she smelled colors and saw into the infinite nature of one hand clapping, the Twi'lek pressed on into the busy streets her mind attempting to wander from the pain currently oppressing it.

As she moved through the cities various grids, some poor and others heavily guarded, Kess saw the terrible pickpocket she had spotted before, it seems he had been found out as part of him painted the wall at his back. In his final moments she saw he had clutched his chest in some vain attempt to put himself back together, Kess leaned over closely toward the man and studied his face as she searched his pockets. She did this as she recalled a friend of hers getting knifed by a fellow who performed a similar trick. Like a manta hiding in the sand he awaited a predator and then pounced. The Twi'lek found that the man was as dead as his pockets were empty and scoffed before walking off. While she mainly hated this world, she did enjoy the way they didn't try to lie about how power is distributed. The strong take and the weak break, Alliance, Empire, Mando, Chiss, ain't no different anywhere, some just hide it behind fancy words and titles.

Finally Kess noted the glowing sign, Gorban Gal flickering over a rather average looking Cantina. Walking inside she didn't bother to check her surroundings as she approached the bar and took a seat, ready for a well earned drink. Flicking her credit in the bars general direction she sighed and said,

"Whichever one of yous Terren, I hear ya make a damn good Bothan Blue, get to it I could drink a sink,"

 

[Nor'baal]

<Rise Tsu Ordan.> the Hutt said, his voice echoing around the room.

The Hutt beckoned with his slab-like hand, and spoke once more <''What do you ask of me?''>

 

[Tribunal Power]

"Not heard from her in... What, nine months? Ten?" said a large, gruff man as he wiped a smudge from a dirty glass.

"Aye, last visit was just over eight months. Nonetheless, the hit is right here. See?" A slender man lifted the datapad to his larger companion, pointing to a particular name on the hacked docking manifest. At the tip of his finger was the name SPACE HEATER under the name TSU ORDAN with an active timestamp.

The large man scratched his beard and set the glass beneath a tap, filling it with an amber liquid. "Dunno, Rol. Could be she got herself killed, and someone what got her ship is here pretending."

Rol laughed lightly as his friend slid the glass down the bar to a thirsty customer. "Tsu Ordan don't die so easily," he remarked. "Remember the Csilla job, the one what she got those medals for? Kriffing zombies, Terren, that's what she'd crossed. She and her friends dusted that Sandrunner gang, and who knows how many kriffing gee-ays she killed in Moddell. She ain't dead, or I'm your mother."

"You're too pretty to be mum," Terren scoffed, grabbing a new glass for a new drink. "Wha'ddo we do, then?"

"Nothing," answered the skinny and slight man, slapping his palm on the bar. "Not a thing. If it's her and she wants something, we'll know. If not--"

The sound of a bell jingling as a young twi'lek girl entered disrupted their conversation. "Stuff it," muttered Terren to his friend, as the newcomer approached. Rol slid down off the bar to appear more professional and Terren laid the bar towel over his shoulder, laying his palms on the counter before him. He didn't get a greeting out before the girl tossed a credit chip on the bar and, much to his surprise, made the Retrade order.

Rol and Terren looked at each other for a moment before the latter scooped up the chip. He looked it over before lowering it beneath the bar, where a scanner rested. A small screen displayed recognition of the chip. Only a few people had these chips-- they were false credits, kept on important members of the Retrade so that if they were killed, whoever tried to use it for purchase later could be identified. "Right away," Terren said, preparing to make the drink as Rol moved around the counter. The skinny man moved to the door, flicking the lock to secure it. The few customers in the cantina didn't seem to notice. Rol returned to the bar to take a seat beside her. Terren's hands moved down to grab a glass, but instead, he laid a blaster on the counter, clenched tightly in his massive hand, deep doubting brown eyes peering at the twi'lek.

"Who are you?" Rol demanded. "Better make it convincing, cuz right now, you look a bit like a killer."

---

Tsu Ordan rose to her feet before the Hutt, lifting to look at him. She spoke confidently and loudly, saying, "I have a business proposal for you. have a massive haul of pirated goods from an Alliance freighter-- mostly spice and weapons. I presume it was a smuggler vessel pretending to be a legitimate freighter. I have other fence contacts, but I want a new and independant one; if you can give me a reasonable price, then I can promise you a lot of future plunder of the same kind." She drew her datapad and pulled up a shipping manifest, saying, "I have here the manifest that lists the specifics of the loot. I also have a metric crate aboard my ship docked here, extended to show you the quality of goods as a sign of good faith." She offered the datapad to the guard so that he could bring it to the Hutt lord.

 

[Chairdor]

Kess's mind was still blurry from that whole sorry state of affairs, that and the continual Spice withdrawal. Her body ached for a fix but her mind begged her to drink instead, dang her whole self was one messed up druggy, next her spirits gonna want to take deathsticks. As the bartender moved off to make the strange drink the woman suggested, the Twi'lek leaned over the bar and buried her face in her arms. It reminded her of a game she used to play as a kid late at night. Down in her bed in whatever home or shelter her family was living in that night, she'd ball up her fists and rub them deep into her eyes. When she did it enough swirls would begin to appear, little white squiggles and other things, she'd begin to give them shape and name oh that ones a Bith and that ones a-

Kess was wrenched from her memory by an all too familiar familiar pain as she pressed her hands to her head. The headaches always got bad right after she hit the lowest point of her withdrawal, the only good thing about this moment for the Twi'lek was that she knew she was almost back to 'normal' which invariably meant it was okay to get high again and go through this crap once more. As she was about to have a moment of self reflection on the idiocy that was that logic, she was rudely interrupted by a blaster and the man attached to it.

He asked her who she was, by experience since Kess was still alive at this point, she figured she wasn't in any immediate danger from this fellow. Noting the odd commands of the woman, the drink choice, the credit, the specific bar, the Twi'lek put the pieces together quite quickly though it didn't take a genius to do it at this point. Now to find out if this was an interview. Or an execution.

"I am a killer," she answered at last looking squarely back at the brown eyed man, unblinking and confident she stared at him for a moment, the deep pain of her mind converting into burning anger which she channeled directly at this stranger, at last she continued, "That's why your pirate friend sent me after all, so let's talk shop,"

She turned in her seat still pissed and ready to get pissed in a far different way, "But first that drink please, I'll strangle a hundred gizkas for it if I have to,"

As she looked away from the man she fell back into the bar, her fists tightening as she pushed them into her eyes. Slowly the familiar squiggles came back, even after all these years. Oh that one looks like a wookie

 

[Nor'baal]

The Hutt greedily licked his lips as he heard the proposal, and chuckled, taking the manifest. He poured over it for some time, before returning his gaze to Tsu.

<''I can shift this for you, no concern. You come to me if you wish to sell yes? Anything else I can do for you?''> said the Hutt


Meanwhile, behind the massive figure, a more lithe one sat at a low table, smoking and listening intently. His face obscured by the gloom. The man listened, he could easily sell anything these Pirates sent to Nor'baal, for that was his job. Torc Davip, a fence for a fence. The Irony almost hurt.

 

[Tribunal Power]

Rol cast a look of surprise to Terren, who looked on in impressed stupor. "Gizkas, says she," Rol commented with a chuckle.

"Don't know who you are, girl, but you clearly ain't Retrade if you don't know her name," said Terren, laying his large hands on the bar. "Still, you gimme the passwords, the order, and the chip, so seems to me you come here on Tsu's time. Now, the words y'gave me are a code, see, and the code you used is for safe haven. You got someone after you, girl?"

The slender associate was already peeking through the door outside, and he shook his head back to Terren. There was no one following. Business began to return to normal as Rol returned. "You got Tsu's chip, but I'm guessin' you didn't take it off no corpse. How'd you come by it then?"

---

As the datapad was returned to her, Tsu gave a gracious smile and a nod, saying, "I trust that the compensation will be competitive? It will, of course, lead to a wealth of future trades. I'll leave some contact information with your guard-- if you could contact me with numbers when you have them, I'd be happy to bring you the rest of the haul. Fair?"

 

[Chairdor]

As Kess slowly lifted her head, her eyes readjusting to the dim light in the closed off bar, she listened to the small chuckle of the man who had previously held a blaster to her, once again this was either a sign of something quite good, or she was about to feel the most intense heat of her life, followed by nothing at all. Looking to Rol to ensure that if she was going to die, she'd at least look him in the eye, she noted the blaster had shifted slightly and was no longer pointed directly at her. The Twi'lek took this as a sign that the danger had passed. Swiftly her head moved as the other man on the bar spoke.

He said something about a Retrade or something or other. Apparently Kess had used some intricate super secret code or something or other, all of this was given to her by a pirate for the explicit purpose of giving her a safe haven. The word safe immediately allowed the woman to further relax as all these happenings coinciding simply didn't do it for her as she was half-high and half ready to die with the continual dull pain in the back of her head. Glazed eyes closed and opened as her mind tried to wrap itself around the rather large concept that there was a secret alliance of bars and pirate or something, maybe the bars gave the pirates discounted rum for booty...pirates love rum and everyone loves booty right?

As the two questions stacked themselves upon Kess's already stressed temple she thought on them long and hard then replied,

"I'm wanted on a few planets, but they wouldn't recognize me if you gather my meaning," she said as she made a circle gesture around her face to indicate it had once been different, "As for how I came by your chip well...full discretion I suppose, I spiced up went on a gallivanting spree of destruction and ended up trespassing on the grounds of a very wealthy and powerful Hutt, that seemed to stoke his ire, but before I got made a slave girl or a corpse you're...Tsu was it? She- well I pretended to know her, then she played along gave me the code and the chip and sent me on my way...maybe it was pity,"

Those last words struck Kess, she wasn't one for pity. For one you couldn't spend pity so to her it was by and all less than worthless. Still as she pieced together the last year of her life the term highs and lows really took on a new meaning, her highs were drug addled nights barely remembered and often regretted, her lows were the bottom of toilets bowls as her body rid itself of the poisons she was so addicted to. In order to escape her past she called up every friend and contact she knew and then she killed every last one of them. She was a friendless druggy with the rare opportunity to reinvent herself and she nearly dropped right back into the cycle that was going to be the death of her. Placing her palm upon her forehead, her headache at last begging to dull she said with a hint of humor,

"Maybe she wanted me to join this Retrade business...fraid I left my resume back home,"

 

[Nor'baal]

Nor'baals answer came quickly <''Of course, you would get the best rates I can afford.''> it was some time before he spoke again <''As for this mechandise, I have sent the details of appropriate value and payment to you, I hope you find it satisfactory.>''

 

[Tribunal Power]

The two rough men listened to her story stiffly, but when she spoke of Tsu, they seemed to grow more comfortable around her. It seemed they believed her, as when she was finished, Terren commented, "Never known Tsu to be one for pity, but she knows potential when she sees it, she does." Stroking the scraggly brown beard that covered his face, he gestured toward her and added, "Who knows-- could be she saw something in you."

"Or might could be she wants lekku collars on her robes," jibed Rol, nudging the girl with a grin.

Terren shook his head, replying, "Neh, Tsu's no Sith. Not one to kill for sport-- too much risk, too little gain." He grabbed a glass and turned away, reaching for a bottle to make a drink. "She sent you here, so she'll be along, I think. Meantimes, the gal wanted a drink-- and I do make a damn good Blue Bothan."

---

Tsu's smile spoke legitimate satisfaction. "Excellent," she said, clasping her hands together. "I'll have the dockhands bring the crate from my ship immediately. It's yours, a token of friendly business. I'll review the document you sent, and I'll bring the rest of the merchandise as quickly as possbile."

With her business concluded, Tsu bowed again and stated, "It's been a pleasure."

She nodded to the guard who, at his lord's bidding, escorted her out. Once she reached her ship, she asked the guard to wait as she boarded and moved to the crate of goods. Pulling the hoverjack from the wall, she turned it on and moved it to the plasteel crate, slipping it beneath the rack upon which it sat. She carefully maneuvered it down the ramp, mindful of keeping it level and slow, before passing it to the guard. "For your boss," she said with a smile. She passed him a credit chit and added, "And for you. My ship will be here a while-- please make sure my jack gets returned, hm?" With a wink and a turn of her hips, she moved away, the cargo ramp of her ship raising on its own.

Pushing her way from the landing docks to the platform streets of the Hutt world, she pursued her intention of managing some other affairs. She had intended to purchase an air speeder while here, one that would make her planetary business more manageable. Eventually she tracked down a vendor, a shady-looking Rodian, who had a few available. Tsu could tell by the look of him that he wasn't the type to call authorities when things turned ugly. The two bickered and haggled, and eventually after Tsu took a look in the grav chamber of one of the speeders and saw the abysmal conditions, the pirate had had enough. She yanked the particle resonator from the speeder and threw it at him, furious with his crooked business. After Tsu flipped a table of equipment and called him a cheat, the Rodian was quick to make things right; he offered his personal air speeder, a new model with some cosmetic customization. Tsu found his sudden change of attitude admirable and his price was very reasonable, and so she added a bit to pay for the damage she had caused.

The sleek black speeder carried her swiftly toward the Gorbon Gol cantina, here two old friends and a confused young twi'lek would be waiting for her.

 

[Chairdor]

Kess leaned back slightly her head bobbing back and forth to look at the two men as they spoke. A small smile crept on her face when one said Tsu didn't believe in pity, they had that in common, then the smile lowered into a straight line of contemplation as he said she might have seen potential in Kess. Sure she had always had potential to other people, that potential was just as a criminal, a scumbag, a thief, and to be fair the Twi'lek had almost always risen to their low expectations and often far exceeded them. To hear that someone might actually see something in her that was...that was something.

Feeling the nudge the smile returned as she looked down, her head was calming as her lekku lazily rolled across her shoulder like an anaconda after a meal. Listening yet listless Kess leaned back for a moment and felt something she usually only felt when he finger was upon the trigger of a blaster, a faint exhilaration for the future. Often time Kess figured the best thing in her future was a lengthy prison sentence or the chair, now she had potential, now she would get to meet someone. Down on the moisture farm her father always met with a woman with a big ship, she was always so confident looking so powerful, her dad paid her some credits and she flew off. Kess had dreamed of running out one day, sneaking aboard the ship, sailing the stars.

She never did though. As the faint familiar clink of ice on glass formed in her eyes, the Twi'lek looked down at a drink as blue as her. Lifting it noting it's faint glint in the light, she saw for a moment all the stars she had missed out on over the years. Taking a small testing sip, the faint bittersweet flavor perfectly encapsulating the moment. Kess pulled the drink back and drank deep, thin rivers of cold and wet forming on her cheeks before she slammed the glass down. Quite content with the experience,

"Well...day feel of lies and intrigue and I finally get one truth...you sir make a damn good Blue Bothan,"

 

[Tribunal Power]

Terren and Rol watched her as she drank down the cocktail all at once, impressed with her ability to quaff alcohol. Terren nodded in approval with a wiry smile, and Rol let out a laugh. "I think she holds her creature better than me, Terren," Rol joked, feigning a hurt expression. "Gimme one-- a man defends his honor."

"You're lucky you get in here at all, you little shit," replied Terren. He waved flippantly at the bottles of booze and remarked, "Damned be if I'll serve you. You want the creature, you come over here and mix it with your little shit hands, ey? Break anything and I break you."

The two laughed as Rol hopped the bar and shouldered past his much larger counterpart, but they stopped when the bell rang and the door opened. They looked up, and fell quiet as the slender frame of Tsu Ordan ambled toward the bar. "Ho-lee shit," Rol mumbled. "You really are alive."

"Livelier than you two," she fired back, folding her arms as she approached. Her steel grey eyes fell to the twi'lek girl, and she gave her a simple nod as she stood behind her. Looking back to the two behind the bar expectantly, but when they did nothing, Tsu remarked, "Oh, I'm sorry-- I didn't realize you two were independent now. This little piss-hovel makes enough money to keep you two alive, right? So you won't be needing my credits for services rendered?"

Quickly, the two men snapped upright. Terren moved quickly enough that the dish towel fell from his shoulder. "Apologies, Cap," Rol said, eyes staring straight ahead. "It's only that, well, we ain't been your crew for years now, see, and we thought you were dead in Moddell somewhere."

"Well I'm not," she stated, reaching past the twi'lek girl to slap a few credits on the counter. She pulled her hand away, revealing a few hundred creds stacked lazily on the counter. Neither man made a move for it. "And once your my crew, you're always my crew. That means you still belong to me, and I still take care of what's mine. That's what made us different. Go on, then." The two relaxed, and Terren scooped up the creds eagerly as Tsu turned her attention to the girl. Her hand slapped the counter, ordering a drink understood without speaking, as she took a seat beside the girl. "What's your name?" she asked bluntly, her voice stern but not unforgiving, not the way it had been when she chided her two former shipmates.

 

[Chairdor]

Kess was heavily amused by the twos admiration for her drinking ability. When you've done the tough drugs after awhile the legal stuff starts to feel like water. As the two had their moment of banter, the Twi'lek took a moment to collect herself. It only took a moment or two, easy to collect oneself when there are only a few pieces. Kess was a simple creature. depth of a painting, looks pretty, illusion of three dimensionality, but in the end two dimensional, simple. She was not a bowl of fruit, but merely the image of one. She could satisfy your eyes, but your stomach would still go hungry. Speaking of hunger, Kess rubbed her stomach as it growled and she was about to request some grub while she waited, but in that moment the wait was over.

A small ding and the two men stood at attention, like dogs hearing the dinner bell. As she heard their recounting on how this woman should be dead, she smirked at the similarity between their to stories, in a way she should be dead as well. Looking up at the woman's arm as it forcefully moved past her lekku to smack some credits on the table, Kess felt her eyes widen at the sight of a healthy pile of credits before her. Out of habit she nicked one and gave it a light bite, she always liked the taste of money, didn't matter how dirty was it always tasted the same to her,

"That's good credit," she said as she flipped it toward the barkeep to add to his collected pile.

At that moment the woman addressed her and Kess felt a strange sensation, the voice certainly...commanded respect which was odd to the young delinquent, most of the voices of authority in her life merely demanded it, guards, cops, crime bosses, they were like little kids the way they stomped their feet. Turning and standing the Twi'lek found herself a few inches shorter than the ship captain who had saved her from a heap of trouble earlier, so like it or not she looked up to the woman as she answered,

"Name's Kess... "Lucky" Kess Tel'may," she smiled lightly looking down at the addition of the self proclaimed title, "Not so lucky today of course,"

As she thought on her answer, she realized she could've used a thousand aliases, told a million lies, she could have said her name was Ruthara, Deltin, but she opted to use her real name, to risk everything she had sacrificed in hiding her previous identity. Granted Kess was a dime a dozen name in the galaxy, but anyone with half a brain could do some digging and find out her past. This woman in particular looked to have a whole one behind that furrowed brow.

After a moments staring Kess nervously flicked one of her lekkus before realizing that that was a silly thing to do and ceased, her hand falling limply before it came to a stop and the young woman realized she had to make an impression, the men behind her said Tsu saw something in her, it was time to show it, whatever that was,

"So you have a knack for not dying, we have that in common, though death can have its convenience when you're on the right end of it, I'm not one for repaying debts when I don't have to, but what you did back there for me...well let's just say I don't have many friends left in this galaxy so I wasn't counting on charity...so let's not make this charity," she finished with a knowing smile

 

[Tribunal Power]

"Lucky, hm?" the woman said with a lopsided grin. "You might not find many people who have died as many times as I have, though not nearly as many times as I should have."

Tsu reached up with a gradual but confident hand toward Kess' face. It was gradual enough that she could recoil if she intended to, but confident enough that if she wasn't wary, it may have caught her by surprise. Two fingers would touch her chin, tilting her head to the side. Tsu took a look, before dropping her hands and folding her arms. A look of confirmation replaced the look of suspicion in her eyes. "You must have had quite a debt you did have to repay, if it cost less than the surgery."

Terren and Rol looked befuddled, glancing to one another in uncertainty at what Tsu was talking about. They knew her well enough not to ask though, knowing that she would make it evident in time-- and so they were disappointed when she waved for Kess to follow her, retreating past the bar toward the back of the cantina where a private room awaited them. she entered through the curtain door to the messy circular room, stepping over a fallen barsool to the booth that surrounded the round table. Waving for Kess to take a seat, she asked, "Who were you running from?"