Water Dousing

[Larisa Arkyadvich]

Larisa, dressed up and ready to go, slipped quietly into the bar. She prepared herself with dress slacks, a neat vest, a thin coat and blue eyeshadow. In the investigator's personal opinion, there was never an acceptable time to not properly make yourself presentable and respectable looking. Perhaps it would attract attention in this new area, but that didn't bother her so much. If she, a very small and slender woman, intimidated people, they deserved to cower before her then.

With her vibroblade at her hip, she tapped Eddard's forearm and whispered, "Look back there, right up at the bar. I'll go introduce myself." Moving forward, Larisa slipped into the chair beside the man. Her movements were quick and smooth, almost abnormally so, and she met no resistance on the short walk over. Once she situated herself, she allowed a small, sultry smile to grace the features of her soft, pale face.

The pair of them needed to capture and interrogate a certain smuggler about a little spat of organized crime. Larisa found that taking advantage of sexuality was often the easiest tactic to get men to talk, and she didn't mind it all too much. Not that she took pleasure from it, no, rather she took immense pleasure from the pain she inflicted after luring a man away based on a promise of intimate relations. Intimate relations would be had indeed, for what was more intimate than that moment shared between torturer and prisoner as the cloth is drawn across the prisoner's face and the torturer pours water down upon them.

The feeling of drowning was terrifying, almost as terrifying as the crimes most women faced happening to them if they dared step out at night alone. Larisa enjoyed the power change, it reminded the thugs of this world their place.

@Nefieslab

 

[Eddard Thul Drast]

Eddard wasn't wearing his typical Sith robes - he was wearing the gauntlets but they were flexible enough that they didn't actually look like armour. The rest of his ensemble was nothing but a reasonably smart shirt and trousers combination with an overcoat over it. If it came to combat he would lose the overcoat though - it would only get in the way. He had his lightsabers hidden on the inside of the overcoat and his blaster pistol strapped under his arm more visibly.

Everyone here was visibly armed after all and it would be more suspicious if he was seen to be unarmed. Nodding, he smirked very faintly at his ally's words.

"Have fun."

They needed to find the right smuggler first - someone who would get them what they wanted out of this meeting and the next. If Larisa was going to try the honey pot technique, Eddard was going to try something else. He wandered over to the bar and tapped the top of it, getting the bartender's attention.

He was going to have a chat with the man who saw everything.

"If I wanted to find someone who comes in here - you'd be the guy to talk to, am I right?"

Always a good idea to check the bartender.

@Black Noise

 

[Larisa Arkyadvich]

At first, the man didn't even seem to notice Larisa, but the woman had far more patience and perseverance than most people would have taken her for. Tapping her fingers on the counter top, she looked sideways to the smuggler and presented a sly, sultry smile. With the small movements highlighting her face, she asked quietly, "You look so, taken, by your thoughts. Something heavy on your mind babe?" The smuggler looked to Larisa at that moment and eyed her up and down.

Larisa felt no shame or digust, such emotions might show on her face and would compromise the job. Instead, she shifted slightly and gently circled a finger on the counter as she watched the target's eyes. Finally, he responded, "Buzz off lady." and proceeded to turn back to his drink. Sighing gently, Larisa reached out with the Force and nudged the man's mind, making him a little more susceptible to suggestion.

"Come now, I just want to make your life a little easier. How about you and I head on out to my place for some soft conversation?" Larisa spoke a little more forcefully, putting the actual power of the Force behind her words. It was not always the wisest move, Larisa found, as a stronger mind would not only resist her but completely shut her out if she was not careful. She could feel the resistance of the man as she pushed and spoke, but to her surprise he did stand up.

The man grunted, seemingly barely cognisant of his own movements. Larisa barely held his attention, she knew it, and if someone suggested to him to do anything else it would be likely he'd break off from her. Smiling, she kept up the act and added while taking up the man's arm, "Don't worry babe, it won't cost ya much."

@Nefieslab

 

[Eddard Thul Drast]

Seemed Larisa had something going.

Time to make sure that no one interrupted her... but literally no one even batted an eye as she began to lead the suggestible smuggler away. Eddard had to admit that having Larisa around on this mission was making it pass by a lot more smoothly than he otherwise would have expected it to.

The wonders a dedicated woman could achieve he supposed - he made a mental note to consider working with her more closely more often. He always did enjoy working with true professionals after all. Deciding to see if there was any more information that could be gleaned before he went to assist Larisa (when she called for him over the coms), he realised the bartender was going to answer him.

And it was time to see if he was going to be useful.

"Yeah yer can ask me."

Eddard managed a small smile.

"Wonderful - my friend is taking a young man away from the bar to discuss a business proposal. What can you tell me about the young man's friends?"

The bartender shrugged a little bit and started talking, giving Eddard some basic understanding on the group the smuggler belonged to and what they were capable of.

@Black Noise

 

[The Storyteller]

Tam Alder, smuggler extraordinaire (or so he liked to claim), sat with his usual gang as he threw back another mug of the watered down cheap booze this cantina was known for. Running a hand across his greasy hair the human criminal turned to his Nautolan companion and was half way through a crude joke when he paused, frowning as he looked over the tentacle alien’s head. A grin broke out on his face as he saw one of his friends being led away from the bar by an attractive woman. “Hey look who’s getting lucky.” he snickered causing a round of laughter from the half dozen or so fellow criminals sitting with him.

His smile vanished immediately as he glanced over at the direction of the bar, Hal the bartender was chatting with some stranger which while not strange in and of itself he appeared to have gestured their way once or twice.

“Hey lads is it just me or did big Hal just point this way?”

The others turned in their seats to look over with all the subtly of a raging rancor to stare in the direction of the bartender and stranger. After a few moments one of them turned back and shook his head. “You’re losing it Tam, you’ve finally gone off the deep end you paranoid mess. You know Hal he just gestured at everything around him when talking.”

Leaning back in his seat, although not completely at ease, Tam nodded slightly. “I mean… I guess you’re right.” he admitted. Why would anyone be asking about him anyway? Besides the stranger didn’t look like some sort of Imperial law enforcement.

“Yeah... yeah you’re right”

@Black Noise @Nefieslab

 

[Eddard Thul Drast]

Seemed that the person he wanted to have a chat with was in one of the booths with some of his friends... well he wasn't rude, it was time for him to say hello if he did say so himself. Moving over to the booth, he came ahead of a serving droid that carried with it a refill of each drink the men at the table were drinking. Eddard smiled an easygoing smile as he looked around the group, acting like he didn't immediately know which one was the leader.

If it were anymore obvious the man would have a glowing sign around him.

"Hey so my name's Tod and I was told by Hal that I should speak to Tam?" He grinned and scratched the back of his head awkwardly, "See I er..."

He looked around, looking like a teenager about to buy his first cigarette, and leaned in closer so that he could half-whisper what he was here for.

"I need my ship's hyperdrive to have a bit of extra kick..." He shrugged, "Hal suggested I come speak to you. Said you might know somebody who knows somebody - that kind of thing."

@Lazy Swordsman

 

[The Storyteller]

The smuggler sat quietly staring suspiciously at the newcomer even as the service droid reached them and began dispensing their drinks. He remained silent pondering what the best way was to reply to Tod. ♦

He considered letting the silence drag out to put the newcomer off-balance, he seemed to be an amateur but that plan was quickly dashed by his idiot companion who drove his elbow into him. “Hey Tam did you not hear him?”

Shooting a withering glare at the alien Tam turned his gaze back to Tod. Keeping a hand under the table, which he was slowly wrapping around the grip of his holstered blaster he brought his other hand down onto the table. “Look a bit less edgy kid.” he sneered while kicking out the empty chair across from him. “Have a seat boy.”

Taking a swig of his drink while unholstering his blaster completely and aiming it under the table Tam continued after putting his tankard back down. “I might be able to help you get your hands on something like that… tell me, how much you got?” he asked getting straight down to business.

Tam certainly didn’t have anything like that himself but he knew a group that had some Coaxium Infusers down in the industrial district locked up tight in a warehouse. Maybe he could screw the kid out of enough credits by getting him to overpay then grab one of the infusers on the cheap.

@Nefieslab

 

[Eddard Thul Drast]

Eddard was weighing up his options almost as much as this "Tam" was doing so it seemed. He was considering killing the friends and torturing the main man but he was doing it all behind the nervous demeanour of "Tod". Gods he hated pretending to be this spineless, this weak, but there was a need to do so.

And needs must.

He smiled nervously, a trait he didn't possess but one he could fake well enough for the situation at hand. He sat himself down in the offered seat and picked up one of the bottles that he had paid for - the one that wasn't claimed by any of Tam's little gang. Smiling again, he took a small drink from a big swig.

"I've er... I've got quite a bit squared away." he admitted, "Heard I might have enough to buy one outright from the right people you know?"

He had the money to buy one, it was true, but he needed more than one.

"So... so how does this work?" he asked with a nervous sip, "Do I pay you and collect it later or...?"

He was just an innocent kid wanting to make his hyperspace jumps faster - honest.

@Lazy Swordsman

 

[The Storyteller]

The smuggler smirked, the kid was an amateur and this was going to be easy money. Perhaps he could make a greater profit that he had first imagined. Sliding his pistol back into its holster he put on what he felt was a pleasant smile although to others it likely looked forced and unfriendly.

“We can discuss the finer details of the transaction in private... these sorts of talks can be very dangerous you know. I mean if the wrong person hears us then we might get some unwanted attention.” he said.

Glancing at the Nautolan Knox and the Mirialan Zeven he nodded towards the back door. Both men got up and walked off, Knox with his blaster rifle and Zeven with his two blaster pistols still holstered. Once they vanished into the backroom Tam stood up. “Come on kid, let’s go somewhere safer to discuss matters.”

So long as “Tod” came with him he’d bring the boy into the back and then rob him. He left his other companions sitting at the table, after all the three of them where enough to deal with this foolish boy.

@Nefieslab

 

[Eddard Thul Drast]

Eddard waited for the two others to disappear through a door before he reacted. Using the Force, he reached into the minds of the remaining members of the little gang as he drew his pistol underneath the table.

"You want to sleep."

All of the remaining companions spoke in unison as Eddard's blaster was revealed, aimed squarely at Tam's chest.

"I want to sleep."

Each of them spoke individually before slumping over, falling fast asleep at the table, heads falling to the table and light snoring to begin. Eddard wasn't smiling anymore and it was clear that Tam would be able to see his blaster pistol. And it was now clear to Tam that Eddard was a Sith.

"Sit."

If Tam went for his blaster or refused to sit then Eddard would pin his arms to his sides with the Force and pull him down into the seat he had risen from. If he did not then Eddard would still be ready to do so regardless. His blaster never wavered in it's aim.

"We're going to have a civil conversation where you tell me where to find what I asked for." he tilted his head slightly to one side, "Or I'm going to shoot you in the chest, make a scene and pull the information from your dying thoughts as I shred your mind to find what I need. Or you tell me and nothing happens. It's a fair deal, Tam."

@Lazy Swordsman

 

[The Storyteller]

The plan had been going so well, easy money in Tam’s mind, when suddenly everything took a turn for the worst. The boy, who almost certainly wasn’t called Tom, told his companions at the table to sleep and suddenly they slumped forward and did so. Second was that the boy wasn’t just a boy, it was very clear what he was, only one set of beings in the Galaxy had this sort of magic at their disposal.

“What Sith witchery is this?” he uttered in abject terror.

It was clear at this point that the smuggler wasn’t thinking clearly, his face had turned a touch too pale and his eyes had took on a wild quality as they darted between the back door, the bartender and the newly revealed Sith.

In such a tight spot, in such a fearful state, the criminal’s instincts told him to do only one thing. His hand flew to his waist as he tried to quick draw and shoot “Tom”. A decent marksman at best the added adrenaline and terror caused him to fumble at the weapon, slowing its withdrawal giving Eddard plenty of time to use the force to restrain the man as panned. ♦

His eyes locked on the back door as it became obvious he was considering trying to yell to try and draw the attention of Knox and Zeven.

@Nefieslab

 

[Eddard Thul Drast]

Ah it seemed that the man was no stupid after all.

He knew exactly what was going on and he knew that this was not going to end particularly well for him. Eddard reached up and touched the com link in his ear. He smiled slightly at Tam as he spoke.

"This is Thul-Drast... bring in the local law." he confirmed, eyes staring a hole into Tam's head, "We have what we need and he'll talk or he'll die."

Moving his hand away from his ear, he met Tam's gaze straight on.

"I have Imperial Police inbound and when they get here they will kill anyone I say to kill." he took out a blank datapad and slid it across the table to Tam, releasing the arm that wasn't close to the blaster, "Type away the information you have on the warehouse or you'll be biting the curb and then saying goodbye to your grey-matter as he bursts out across the floor. Understood?"

If Tam didn't then Eddard would fire a shot into the man's shoulder and they would go from there.

@Lazy Swordsman

 

[The Storyteller]

“Drast…” the smuggler whispered with wide eyes. The fear was still there but reason had begun to leak back into his limited faculties. Tam might not be the most attuned to politics but even he knew who they Drasts where, he doubted there was any civilised being in the galaxy that didn’t.

Trembling in horror he nodded. “Please I’ll do whatever you want… I’m just an innocent trader. I’ve nothing to do with the scum down in the industrial estates.” he swore.

His left arm, the one that couldn’t easily grab his blaster, reached out for the datapad. In silence, with a shaking hand, he quickly wrote down everything he could think of in a messy grammarless statement. The Warehouse’s location, how many guys usually hung out there, what gang they were affiliated with. Names, Species, Ages and even weaponry they carried. He put it all down on the screen as fast as he could.

Did this make Tam a snitch? Perhaps but it wasn’t the first time he’d turned on others to save himself. The man in front of him was a Sith, more than that he was some sort of Drast, to hell with trying to confront him over this. The idiots with the infusers where no friends of his regardless.

“That’s all I know, I swear. Can I go? I’ve nothing else to do with this.” Tam begged, he had to get out of here before the Police arrived. Sure he hadn’t done anything wrong today but there was more than one warrant out for his arrest.

@Nefieslab

 

[Eddard Thul Drast]

Eddard waited patiently as Tam typed up what he knew and the police force arrived. They were beginning to search the area and round up people for questioning but they stayed back from Tam as Eddard waved a hand. Instead he watched as the criminal gave as much information as he could.

Taking the datapad back, he glanced over it as he stood up from his seat.

"This will be a great help." he admitted, glancing at Tam, "You have advanced my personal plans and I thank you for it."

He raised his pistol and fired it four times into Tam's chest before walking away. The man was a criminal and he was now dead and the Galaxy was better for it.

/End
@Lazy Swordsman