Bounty Ransoms are Pre-Emptive Bounties, Right?

[Jack Sandrow]

Location: Coruscant (Near Jedi Academy)

Tracking someone was easy enough, Jack mused. With a world as interconnected as Coruscant, hiding was sort of impossible. The closest alternative was to be a nobody, or to at least be as indistinguishable as possible.

Breathing was easy enough through the mask. Shelter from the spattering rain was a priority on this world, too. With the precipitation as greasy as it was, extracting nutrients from the water was almost not even worth it. The cloying air tainted the Vinithi's lungs particularly annoyingly. Still... this was where the people were, so it was an unfortunate reality.

He clicked his tongue absently. Tracking people. The difficulty wasn't finding the target, it was the execution. A target was safest at home. Second-safest at their destination. The in-between was full of variables - traffic, people, alternate routes, weather, et cetera. The chaos of the world was unpredictable. That's what made it ideal for pick-ups.

His head tilted to the side. Was that...?

Yep.

He flicked the speeder on, the rental warbling to life. A slow guide out, then down, then over. Jedi these days were reportedly a lot less stuffy than their historical counterparts, he reasoned, pulling up behind the taxi as they came to a slow stop. Hopefully, if he was kind and gentle enough, they'd be kind enough in return. He pulled out a small printed-out photo of the target, checking between it and the back of the head he could see through the taxi. Good, the hair matched. He pulled forward, passing the taxi as his eyes flicked over to the face. Yes, that was definitely them.

He snuck ahead to the Academy, parking just as the taxi arrived. It'd have to be a quick hand-off. The small dart against his palm was suddenly quite heavy, and he swallowed. Here we go.

"Oh, pardon me," he murmured, bumping into the figure as the dart jabbed into their wrist. "Sorry, still getting used to the atmosphere..." The paralytic would be fast acting. He'd have seconds at the most. "Hey, are you -" Whoops. They were out cold.

Well... kriff.

Using the Force to gently prop their body up, he carefully shuffled them over into his speeder, before taking off slow and smooth, heading to a diner outside the area. A hand went to the dart injection site, and he closed one eye in concentration. A few milligrams of the toxin drooled out, slipping back into his hand and fading into the green skin. Poor thing was underweight, surely. He'd have to fix that.

- - -

"Hey. Hey there. Braze ? Braze, that's your name, right?" Jack snapped his fingers gently, sitting back in the booth. "Easy... that sh... stuff is tough to get over right away. This should help." He pushed a tray across the table. "Bantha burgers, tuber-fries, and a tall mug of caf... I can get something else for you if you want." He blew out a breath, scanning the room slowly before peeling the mask off and tucking the hood back. "I'm... going to hazard a guess you're not entirely sure what you're doing here. Ask away, just take it easy for now, alright?"

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Jack Sandrow

​

Braze had been out and about, attending to some personal errands. His main goal for the day was to pick up a variety of flowers imported from more prosperous planets. The selection was diverse, each bouquet a vibrant collection of flora of different worlds. As he walked, his arms were filled with the colorful blooms cradeling them with care.

However, his peaceful errand was abruptly interrupted. Before he could even glance in the direction of a man nearby, Braze suddenly felt his body go limp. The flowers he was carrying slipped from his grasp, scattering across the wet, dingy puddles on the street. A few stray petals floated away.

When Braze regained consciousness, he was disoriented and groggy. His surroundings were a blur, the neon lights around him fuzzy and indistinct. As he struggled to focus, his snowy white lashes fluttered open, revealing somber jade green eyes that slowly began to take in his environment. "Mnn... W... what... where am I?" he murmured, his voice weak and confused.

His gaze, still spinning from the disorientation, eventually settled on a figure with green skin. A man? Braze couldn't be sure. He didn't recognize the person, and his mind was still trying to piece together what had happened and where he was.

The situation was unsettling. Braze, usually so sure of himself and his surroundings, found himself in a vulnerable state, reliant on the stranger before him.

 

[Jack Sandrow]

"Easy, easy..." Jack flashed him a weak smile, eyes flicking to the entrance, then back to his 'guest'. "How are you feeling?"

He nudged the food forward another increment. "This is yours; I ate already. Just take it easy, that stuff leaves you with a fair bit of a hangover."

He leaned back in his seat, sucking a bit on the inside of his cheek. How should he go about this? He was already messing it up, probably.

"Okay so, I suppose introductions are in order. Hello, I'm Jack. I am assuming that, as a Jedi, you are worth a cozy credichit or three. So.... I'm looking to make a quick chunk of change. And I'm trying not to rough you up, because Jedi are more forgiving than non-Jedi, so I've heard."

Braze

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Jack Sandrow

​

Patrons at the nearest tables paused, their conversations trailing off as they turned to observe the unusual scene. A couple sitting close by exchanged puzzled glances, their meal momentarily forgotten. A group of friends in a corner booth leaned in towards each other, whispering and speculating about what they were witnessing.

The diner staff, always attentive, noticed the situation immediately. A waiter, balancing a tray of drinks, paused to offer assistance but was waved off. He retreated but kept a watchful eye on the booth where Braze was seated, ready to step in if the situation escalated.

Braze shifted in the booth, his gaze wandering as he tried to bring everything into focus. His head ached, and he felt a sense of caution wash over him. He glanced briefly at the food nudged toward him but quickly looked away, feeling overwhelmed. The room seemed to spin around him. He focused his green eyes on the green-skinned man before him, straining to understand what was being said.

"I feel sick..." Braze murmured in a weak tone. He glanced around, a wave of panic and concern washing over him. "Where are my flowers?" he asked, attempting to stand but wobbling unsteadily. Clutching the side of the table, he sat back down, the dizziness too intense to allow any movement. He leaned back, looking defeated as he took a few deep breaths and stared up at the ceiling. His eyes glazed over, and he covered them with his gloved hands, more upset about losing the flowers he intended to bring to Aliris Tremiru . He was concerned about not having a proper gift for his friend, unsure if she could even appreciate them in her condition. His mind was a whirl of disjointed thoughts as he tried to focus on what the odd, green-skinned man was saying.

Straightening up, Braze pressed against the table to steady himself as he settled back into the booth, turning his somber jade green eyes on the man. "You are woefully misinformed if you think that is the case," he stated firmly.

The public setting of the diner was not the ideal place to bring a kidnapped youth, especially one with the hallmarks of a Jedi. Patrons and workers had noticed something amiss, and it was likely that there would soon be a bigger problem for Jack to face if local law enforcement were informed.

"If you value your life or your limbs, I strongly suggest you reconsider your actions," Braze warned, his voice shaky as he tried to locate his communicator device.