A Rogue Introduction

[Ava Cartwright-Pryce]

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Orbitor Tapcafe​

Kal'Shabbol Starport​

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'​The first and last place to wet your whistle on your long journey ahead' was the motto of the Kal'Shabbol Starport, which was the primary starport serving the planet Kal'Shabbol in the Kathol sector of the Outer Rim Territories. It was also the major trading hub situated on the Trition Trade Route, which was a continuation of the Rimma Trade Route connecting the Core Worlds to the Outer Rim... and in this case the Kathol Outback and beyond; currently under the protection of the Outer Rim Coalition - a rag tag group if there was one, many of which were exiles themselves like the Alliance was now.

ORC had given sanctuary to many of the surviving loyal members of the Galactic Alliance military, government, and New Jedi Order when the mighty faction was betrayed at the highest level and brought to it's demise in a coordinated effort by the Axis of Evil - the Sith Empire, the First Order, and the Mandalorian Empire. Well, that was the name the Ralltiiri had given them any ways.

Standing on the upper level of the tapcafe at the railing counter, Ava kept watch for her contact, taking an occasional sip of the local Lum she'd ordered while perusing the crowd. The elite pilot had certainly tasted better, preferring the Corellian stuff Captain [member="Dracken Pryce"] kept in his personal stash on the ANS Starchild. Speaking of which, Rogue Five wondered if the ol' girl was out of dry dock yet from the ORC sponsored shipyards at Manas. Home to Rogue Squadron, the Colony-class battlecruiser had taken considerable damage and barely limped away from the space battle at Fondor, but at least the Starchild had given as much as she had received. And, that was something to be proud of.

The Alliance-in-Exile was bringing into the fold a former Rogue, who now was enjoying the rewards of a smuggling life. Well, hopefully he was... But then again, why bother stifling that potential while working with them? [member="Alexandra Russo"] had vouched for this fella as she had been his CO back in the day, though one could never be careful enough. Spies and agents were everywhere. [member="Aedan Lochlan"] would go through the same precautionary procedures all new members were given. Goldie just happened to be the one who got tapped to do it as her TR-20 was still out of commission post the Battle of Fondor, which the Fleet was still reeling from the heavy losses taken there... both of ship and man alike.

The blonde's steel blue eyes glanced down to the lower level again scanning a new batch of spacers entering the establishment, looking for the one called Beardface...

 

[Dracken Pryce]

The Outer Rim was a place Pryce had always been told to stay away from. All sorts of pirates, swindlers, and general nasty people lived here he was told. Get in too deep and you end up in Wild Space or the Unknown Regions, and there all manner of nasty hid, granted just being here for five minutes told him that going anywhere in the Outer Rim was bound to bring you into contact with some interesting looking people. For example, he had no idea what species the dancer on the far pole was, yet human and non-human alike were tossing credits at her like there was no tomorrow. Maybe they had a thing for clawed tentacles.

He shuddered at the thought.

Despite all the nasty things he'd heard of the Outer Rim, he liked the wildness of it all and the Coalition had been fair to them so far. He took a swig of the Corellian Whiskey he'd gotten from the bar and turned his nose.

"They just relabeled this, there's no way this came off of Corellia." He didn't say it to anyone in particular, but Ava was standing next to him. Even though Rogue Squadron was technically a Secial Operations team and acted outside of his authority, he liked to think he had final say of who walked on his ship, especially after their recent betrayal, so he had tagged along when he heard the Rogues were bringing on a new member.

"This isn't exactly your average military recruitment office is it Lieutenant?"

[member="Ava Cartwright"]

 

[Ava Cartwright-Pryce]

Ava had forgotten [member="Dracken Pryce"] was even with her as she was so focused on finding this bearded fella in a sea of many... until her mission companion spoke up. Course the ship captain had gone over to the bar when they first arrived and well... she figured would be glued to the pole dancer like most others around them.

The Corellian naval officer was such a quiet, reserved man most of the time, not that Goldie minded actually, kinda refreshing after being in and around brash, testosterone pumped flyboys 24/7. Though, they had a certain quality to them as well that was appealing. Let's just say she was pleasantly surprised Dracken volunteered himself to come along with her to Kal'Shebbol. I mean, shouldn't he be with his mistress, overseeing her repairs rather than watching Ava's six?

The flight lieutenant's golden head turned, flashing that thoughtful smirk the Ralltiiri was famous for.

"I don't know, sir... Maybe we should trial it for a change of pace. Can't hurt," the blonde said as her steel blue gaze went momentarily to the dancer as they twirled around in an intrigue fashion that was rather suggestive, then back to set upon the dark-haired captain with a bit of mirth etched in them.

"You gotta admit though this place is a lot more entertaining than back at a stuffy HQ," she chuckled softly, then took another sip of the Lum, wrinkling up her nose as the drink by now had taken on a funny aftertaste. "My only question is.... How do they make their bodies do that with such erm grace?"

Now where was that roguish smuggler when you needed him...

[member="Aedan Lochlan"]

 

[Dayn Wren]

Bad idea or terrible idea? He could flip a coin on that one. Regardless, it was the right thing to do. Reluctant as he may be, he could feel himself getting pulled right back into it. Smuggling wasn't exactly top of the list of professions likely to allow you to retire at an old age, but this was something else. He was putting himself at further risk. Then why was he smiling? He couldn't deny that he chased the thrill a little too hard at times. It was hard to deny that this was in his blood, after so many years of service. Once a Rogue, always a Rogue, or something like that.

The only reason he hesitated was because of his sister. It was so easy to be reckless when the only one you had to worry about was yourself. Ailish could talk all she wanted about how she could handle herself, but he couldn't shake the thought that he was putting her at risk too. If he hadn't quit when he did... But he had. And it had worked out, hadn't it? They weren't exactly rolling in credits, but they weren't close to drowning. Any day now they might get their big break and go from floating to soaring. Any day now...

The group of random spacers he walked in with carried on, while he remained by the doorway. He had no idea who was looking for him, but he was sure they'd seen all his files. They'd find him, but it didn't hurt to be ahead. Aedan scanned the room once, then once again, looking like just another bachelor on the prowl. Finally he took the sunglasses off, taking the douchebag level down a notch, as he started heading for the bar. He didn't want to bring too much attention to himself after all.

If he spotted them he was pretty sure he could make them out. In a place like this he blended in well, with his simple greyish blue pants, dark grey shirt underneath an open leather jacket. Absentmindedly he ordered his drink, giving the floor another glance before he turned back to the bar. Aedan looked down at the glass that was placed before him, then back up at the bartender. "That's not what I... Fine whatever" Not a great start.

| [member="Ava Cartwright"] | [member="Dracken Pryce"] |​

 

[Ava Cartwright-Pryce]

The blonde's steel blue gaze picked up on a tall, dark, and rugged looking man with a full beard and mustache walking in sporting a pair of shades that looked just like the one's tucked away in the outside pocket of her leather jacket. Those are Rogue glasses...

"Wait... Don't answer that," Ava said to [member="Dracken Pryce"] with her hand up, then the Ralltiiri pulled out her encrypted iComm from the inside jacket pocket and called up the last holo image of [member="Aedan Lochlan"] they had of the former Rogue Two on the old GA's secured database.

"I found our contact... The dark-haired guy bellying up to the bar in the grey," Goldilocks grinned knowingly before sliding the comlink back into that pocket. "I'm going to go soften him up. Cover me?" the flight lieutenant winked at Dracken, handing off her half-drank glass of Lum to the Corellian ship captain, then she sauntered off towards the bar on a strafing run.

Slipping in beside the starfighter pilot gone smuggler, Ava didn't need the Force to tell this man had a roguish attitude. His flyboy charisma was written in all his mannerisms. She flashed Aedan a sweet smile, leaning closer into him.

"Well hello there, handsome... Seems you and I have the same taste in sunglasses. I got mine from some alleycat on the fly. How about you? I'm Goldie by the way."

 

[Dracken Pryce]

"Probably by,"

Did he just get 'hold my beer'ed? He blinked with his mouth slightly agape as the blonde fly-girl handed him her drink and sauntered off towards the bar. He couldn't see who she was headed after but he followed after her at a distance and sniffed her drink, frowned, shrugged, then finished her lum. Her loss, at least it was better than his own drink.

[member="Ava Cartwright"] [member="Aedan Lochlan"]

 

[Dayn Wren]

The glass looked clean enough, though he had his doubts. Wandering across the floor his eyes became lost. He sort of forgot to keep his mind on the task, but these things had their way of working themselves out. What’s the fun in not risking walking into a trap every other week?

Hello. His focus was brought straight back. A pleasant change of pace, though he did not take the time to enjoy it. She must have cut across at an angle outside of his view, he hadn’t noticed her approach. The way she leaned in with a somewhat paradoxical relaxed urgency, the way she covered her tracks with a tone and voice that was only meant for him... Even that smile. It was subtle. Most would say he was reading too much into the little things. But she was his contact.

Sunglasses. Alleycat on the fly. Fething kark. Even Aedan couldn’t keep his cool. “Alleycat?” he repeated like an amateur, but quickly recovered behind the shield of his smirk and the slow sip of his drink. Ugh, disgusting. At least they’d gotten the taste right. “I’m Two drinks in, and feeling fine.” he flashed her a smile, less sweet than hers but a smile nonetheless.

It was in times like these he thought to himself ‘man, I really need a better callsign’. It wasn’t easy to slide Beard or Beardface into the conversation. “I got mine custom made.” he tapped lightly against the folded away shades. “What about yours? Rusty?” he paused. By the Force. Was that the best you could come up with? “Get it? Cause of her droid? Whatever, I’m Aedan” another carefree grin, wider this time, was thrown her way.

He made a scan from top to toe, all in the name of maintaining his cover of course, as if it wasn’t blasted already. “I did not expect to meet your kind here. Caught me by surprise. Though I’m not complaining” Rogue fething Squadron. Of course, she could just be acting on the orders or intel of Alex. But nah. She was the real deal.

| [member="Ava Cartwright"] [member="Dracken Pryce"] |​

 

[Ava Cartwright-Pryce]

[member="Aedan Lochlan"] was sure easy on the eyes... and smelled good too. Some spicy male scent was tantalizing her senses being so up close and personal to the flyboy. It definitely made the assignment a whole lot more enticing.

"Are you... Well I'm Five, and ready to dance especially with a Beardface," Ava smiled back with a twinkle in her eyes. All this sneaky pilot talk or was it pillow, was very fun... But, who the frak was Rusty? Alleycat's astromech droid maybe back in the day... The Ralltiiri had only seen a 3PO protocol droid with the Alliance ambassador following her around at the hidden base on D'Qar.

"Squeak is the one who I work with... but I think they are buddies," she chuckled softly, gazing over the smuggler's broad shoulder to nonchalantly look at [member="Dracken Pryce"] standing a few feet away. Good, he drank the rest of that awful lum. A subtle nod indicating this was their guy was given to the ship captain, but for some reason he didn't seem that pleased.

Steel blue eyes went back to give additional attention to her target of current desire, fancying another sweet smile his way. "So you like my kind, hmm? Well I tell you what... How about we find ourselves a more private place to do some um business. I have a friend here with me who can join us too... We can make it a threesome and have us a really Roguish time of it," Ava winked, then motioned for the dark-haired Corellian to come over.

"Aedan, this is Dracken, our wing mate for this little interlude." Goldie introduced, then looked between the two men as they sized up each other. "We good here 'cause it's not to your benefit to keep a lady waiting. Shall we go to your ship then, Aedan? I'd really like to check your payload out... Wouldn't you, Drack?"

Okay, this was all in good fun. Hope everyone took it that way as it was all part of the mission parameters. The Alliance-in-Exile had made an anonymous arrangement for this smuggler to bring them hard to find supplies. Kal'Shebbol being the port of call mentioned for the exchange, tis why they were all there. If he passed the test, then Aeden would be invited to have a blizzard at the DQ. Gods how she liked ice cream, even it if was cold.

 

[Dracken Pryce]

"Are you... Well I'm Five, and ready to dance especially with a Beardface,"

Beardface? Pryce rubbed his hairless chin with a thoughtful hand. He didn't much like how this smuggler talked either, but at least he knew this scruffy looking nerf herder was the guy they were looking for. Ex Rogue, meant he was Ex-Alliance. He wondered how many pilots moved on to smuggling after their stints in the military. By the time he had made his way over they were talking about checking out payloads...? What in the?

"Why would I want to check out his..." he looked the man up and down, "...Payload?"

[member="Ava Cartwright"] [member="Aedan Lochlan"]

 

[Ava Cartwright-Pryce]

Seriously... Did the naval officer not read the mission profile before the two set out?! Why would they be meeting with a marked 'friendly' smuggler and trying to sweet talk him, if they didn't want something VIP smuggled real quiet like down the road?

Ava just shook her golden head and rolled her eyes in measured frustration. Why did men have to be so damn thick headed?! Well, this one any way.

The blonde reached out with her slender fingertips making contact with the ship captain's jacket in an effort to get him to come closer, then she leaned in and whispered into [member="Dracken Pryce"]'s ear with hot, fiery breath. "Because... there may be a case of that Corellian whiskey you're so fond in the smuggler's cargo hold. That's why, capisce?" Goldie explained in no uncertain terms, then resumed her previous position and flashed another hopeful smile at [member="Aedan Lochlan"].

"I'm still game if you are, flyboy. Drack here is trying to play hard to get. Fickle he is about such things."