Open Jakku Trivial Pursuits

[Bast Emblai]

The sun beat down steadily so that even the shade of hanging tarps above Bast provided little relief. She could feel a few beads of perspiration on her face. Hopefully it was the heat and not nerves. Everything had been going methodically, smoothly, so she had no reason for stress. Being alert was necessary but being anxious never benefited an investigation. As the blond ranger excused himself crudely, Bast continued the conversation. Velt was a charismatic and capable ranger if not a loyal bodyguard. She hoped to work with him again in the future. The assignment is not yet completed, she had to remind herself. Meeno had been rambling on.

“- quality insurance. The Crymorah keep a tight ship. No ‘watering the wine‘ with them. The spice is then mixed in a sterile vat onboard carrier ships-“

“Thanks Meeno. I have one itsy-bitsy problem. I like to travel... see the marvels of the galaxy. Taste the wines and spices. I visited Canto Bight a few rotations ago. Strongest Sansanna I’ve ever tasted. But painfully expensive. Dearest Colin didn’t get a weeks wages. He almost revolted but I sweetened him up real quick by paying for a few of his Pazaak rounds.“

“I see no problem besides the gross neglect of your bodyguard. I wouldn’t be surprised if he killed you in your sleep” The smile on Meeno’s face looked as if he relished the idea. He certainly was not the friendly neighborhood spice dealer he seemed to perceive himself as.

“Shipping spice is dangerous and expensive. Pilots will charge three times as much, those scumbags. I need my spice, and I’d like to avoid getting murdered by my own man. Are there any linked dealers in the core worlds?”

“Lots of questions for a prospective buyer. I smell a wamp rat. Speaking of which, I have a question for you. Where did your guard go? You look tragically alone.“ As if on cue, a small device on Meeno’s wrist began beeping. “He appears to be wanting some spice of his own, considering he just passed the sensor guarding my supply. Klock, fetch the man please.” There was little point in holding cover. Bast sent a warning call to Corran over the comm as she drew her blaster pistol and set it to stun, both hands directing it towards Meeno.
“Hands up! Sector Ranger”

 

[Corran Velt]

Fondor? Big shipyard. Going to need more than just the planet. Corran used the sleeve on his jacket to wipe away more of the dirt and found a dock number. That means a crate like this had to come from the same dock. It wasn’t much to go on, but it was better than finding a droid in an asteroid field.

A quick tap came over the commlink. No words; just a mike-check. In the current situation, a Ranger wouldn’t have just accidentally pressed on their communicator. Something was up. Corran quickly drew his Power 5 from the hostler and spun around on his heel. Standing there to meet him was Klok. The criminal had a blaster pistol draw as well. “Snooping around where you shouldn’t. I hate people. Especially people who don’t mind their own business.” There was venom in the Twi’lek’s tone.

“Where’s Penelope?” Corran made sure to keep to the false identities going since he didn’t know the situation fully, “Try to sell her into slavery? Huh?!” The two were in a standoff. Klok with his pistol held in just one hand and with Corran holding his Power 5 in two, like a professional.

“The girl? Oh she’s being… handled by Meeno. Neither of you will be leaving this junkyard except in shackles or buried in the dunes.”
“We’ll see about that.”

Silence took hold as tiny gusts of sand kicked up by the wind blowing through. Klok squinted. Corran kept his eyes down the sights.

Two blasts sliced through the air.

Klok went to the ground, jittering and twitching before finally falling unconscious from the stun. Corran slackened the hold on his firearm; the shoulder of his jacket smoking and burnt open. A graze. I always liked this jacket. Kark.

The immediate danger passed, Corran began running back to the tent of the local drug dealer Meeno, hoping he wasn’t too late if anything befell Bast.

@Kestrel

 

[Bast Emblai]

Bast’s hands shook slightly while she kept the blaster pointed at the slimy man opposite her. It was procedure to allow a criminal time to peacefully surrender. One could not go shooting on a whim or simply out of fear. Still, if a weapon was drawn, she had to be the first to pull the trigger. Meeno’s face slowly split into a smile. He didn’t move.
“Hands up, on your knees or I shoot” she barked. Resistance was an acceptable circumstance for non-lethal force. However, even a stun bolt could cause complications or even the rare heart attack.

The Durese dealer slid slowly, agonizingly so, off the seat. He even had the audacity to mock yawn. Right before his knees hit the ground, however, he tossed something. A bright flash. A thousand suns exploding. Bast, whose helmet had been off, was momentarily blinded. Her eyes stung from the flash flare And her ears rang from the crack that had accompanied it. To the ranger’s advantage, there was only one clear exit with no dead end. Feeling the rush of air, she pounced, fumbling blindly as both human and duros hit the packed sand outside.

She was on top, at least, pinning him. He may have been bigger, but no one could move if they were on their stomach, arms pulled behind them. The brightness was beginning to fade from Bast’s eyes, but black spots still swam through her vision. She pressed her knee into the small of the man’s back and easily locked on cuffs. Doubting he was armed (he likely would have shot rather than using a flare), the woman only gave him a quick pat down before standing again.

Just as she dusted herself off, Corran returned. He had an impeccable sense of timing. Bast grimaced slightly, pushing a peg from her exospine further into her back. It had come loose during the tackle and she could feel her left leg numbing. The spine was never intended for hand to hand combat. She would need to have it adjusted at a medbay when she was done.

“I do hope you took care of Klok. My apologies for the late warning.“ Bast offered a small smile.

 

[Corran Velt]

Corran found the two covered in dirt. Meeno looked like he had eaten a mouthful of scrapyard soil and Bast like she had been praying in it. Nevertheless, the spice dealer was in cuffs and looked none too happy about it. Though Bast herself looked also worse for wear. Corran couldn’t help but wince as his fellow Ranger shoved one of the mechanical segments of her spine back into place. The only thing that allowed the tension of if he needed to call medical help or not was Bast’s small smile.

“No need to apologize. You saved my neck out there. I got Klok,” Corran pulled on the shoulder of his jacket to show the blaster burn, “But he nearly got me. A stun round to his chest should keep him down for awhile.”

With careful precision, the young Ranger slid his Power 5 back into its holster. "I also got the location of their spice container back there. Fondor, with some dock tag numbers. Wherever their supply came from, it goes through there... somehow."

The adrenaline wearing off, Corran couldn't help but feel a little relief that everything had gone as well as it did. No body wound up dead and no Sector Ranger was seriously hurt. Bast Emblai was no slouch and Corran liked her for it. Operations and investigations rarely go as planned and when things go upside down, you always want someone you can rely on to have your back. Ranger Bast seemed to be that type of person. Corran nodded to the unhappy Meeno and threw a thumb over his shoulder, "Why don't we call in it and get these two booked and maybe finish those drinks?" The rookie let a smirk creep across his face at the implied joke of the water they both tried to fake as alcohol.

@Kestrel

 

[Bast Emblai]

The two rangers were silhouettes by the setting sun as they walked back to the station. Klok had regained consciousness only to find himself cuffed and as soon as he had awoken, they had begun the trek back. Meeno and his thug were silently glowering, but Bast paid them no heed. The capture had been an all day affair, but it had also ultimately been successful. Nothing gave Bast quite the same joy as completing a mission well.

At the shipyard the pair had originally departed from, there was a planetary police on patrol. Corran and Bast flashed their credentials and handed the criminals over. They would be put on trial and justice would be served. She turned to the newer ranger beside her. “You handle yourself wonderfully out in the field, Corran. You are truly Lieutenant material. Now I think we both deserve a drink.”
/EndThread