Private Bounty Hunting is a Complicated Profession

[Lancer "Deadlock" Inek]

Location: Ord Mantell

Nightfall on the planet Ord Mantell which meant time to hit the Cantina, it was a full house tonight which meant Smugglers, Bounty Hunters and all of the sorts were to rest and relax while also forming connections, contracts or hits. Deadlock just completed a job smuggling some illegal weapons for a CIS politician who resides here, apparently the man was running a racketeering ring and his business involved some intimidation. Didn't matter too much to Deadlock, he just wanted the credits and be on his way, he reached for his Holoprojector that was located in his jacket pocket. His friend, Rory was supposed to contact Deadlock about his next job as soon as he fixed his ship of course. Taking a sip of Grog, the Smuggler sighed taking a look at the activity that had transpired the dance floor was filled with couples rubbing against each other dancing to the beat. Deadlock wished he could join but sadly he didn't have a girl with him. It's been a while since he last dated, traveling the galaxy as travelling across the galaxy can be a little lonely at times.

Yet Deadlock couldn't ask for a better place, he was still young and in his prime and he's enjoying his freedom. He sighed at the thought, freedom.... that was something that Deadlock wanted to attain for himself when he first left Kamino to spy for the Grand Army of the Silvers. Deadlock was an Oda Special Forces Unit for the clone army. Specifically a Clone Shadow Trooper that was born and bred for infiltration. Though for Deadlock it was a bit different, he needed to spy on the enemies of the SJC and see who they are and what they are up to and what better way to do that than to be a Bounty Hunter and work for the dredges of the Brotherhood.

Neith Shell

 

[Neith Shell]

Transporting slaves to another facility? Pass.
Delivering a bomb to a location close to a civilian area? Pass.
Spice business? Pass.
Transporting a single bounty hunter? Pas-No, wait, this job's not bad.

Sometimes she regrets being an ethical criminal. It surely takes away several job opportunities from her, and her usual source of income are from those riskier missions. She's not complaining, she likes the challenge and the profit, but... there could be more of those and less slavery, spice and general bombing. Maybe they will achieve Galactic Peace soon and it will all stop. Fingers crossed.

But until that doesn't happen, there's work to be done. "Prepare the ship, we just got a job!" She yells to her astromech crew, taking her feet off of the console panel and standing up to stretch. She really need to buy a better chair. Like one of those comfortable ones in hotels. Maybe with this pay...

---

To find her target was actually easy, she just went around asking for a man with the exact description her employer gave her. Rory is paying her very well, so she's working very well. The payment equals the effort, it is a win-win situation. Neith finally finds the cantina and moves in, stopping at the entrance to look around and scan the place. Not many opportunities there, sadly. So bad on the task at hand. To find her employer's contact and then- Ah, there.

The hat made him easy to spot.

She moves through the bar avoiding contact with everyone to prevent losing whatever is it she carries in her pockets to thieves with quick hands. Her eyes wander to the dancers briefly, but she's set on her path. She was only told one name. "Deadlock, I take it?" She stands on the other end of the man's table. "I come in peace. I'm Shell. Rory sent me to be your temporary transport. Something about his ship not being ready."

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TAG: Lancer "Deadlock" Inek

 

[Lancer "Deadlock" Inek]

Deadlock took another sip of Grog leaning against his chair, Rory had a habit of being late. He was probably too busy recruiting kids to join his Smuggling business. Regardless, Rory was actually a target of interest by SJC reports. He was a suspect in helping the Trandoshans smuggling and enslaving Wookies on Kashykk. Given that the Silvers were busy preparing to go to Tython, it would be up to Deadlock to capture and interrogate Rory. From the time Lance spent with Rory, he was knowledgeable about crime syndicates around the Outer Rim even ones that the SJC weren't aware of. If Deadlock could get Rory to talk then he can single handedly blow open the slave operation.

Deadlock was confident in his interrogation abilities, like many others before Rory they'll talk. Just when Deadlock was about to relax, a woman's voice disturbed him from his peace and quiet. Immediately standing up, Deadlock placed his hand on the holster of his Blaster Pistol his eyes alert of the immediate threat. Or.... rather an attractive Zeltron. "Rory sent you?" The Bounty Hunter raised an eyebrow his hand continued to rest on the holster. "Not like him to send someone to do his job, he usually does them even though he's always late."

He was cautious around Shell, this was definitely not Rory's MO. What was going on? "The name's Deadlock," he said. "I take it you're a Smuggler?"

Neith Shell

 

[Neith Shell]

"Please. Little old me is a self-employed professional of general transportation. I facilitate the locomotion of good or individuals which are over here but should be over there." She knows the man is not relaxed. The hand on the holster is a huge tell. What in the Hutt is this job going to be about? Maybe transporting spice was not a bad idea after all but... too late now. She reaches for a chair, pulling it back slowly. No sudden moves in front of the man with a hand on a blaster.

"I got paid upfront, which is a big plus for me, and then I was given an objective. That makes me my client's best friend, until I run out of credits again." She sits on the chair, sounding perfectly relaxed in this situation. She's trying to defuse the situation by 'common' means other than pheromones and mind control, since she... was taught a while ago about the consequences of her actions. But if things go bad she can always kick the table between them or something. And then she'll wing it.

As she always does. Nothing like improvisation and uncertainty to make life sweeter.

Neith keeps her hands on the table for now, away from her own blaster. Or her hidden lightsaber. "And before you ask I have no idea what you'll find there. But maybe, a pot of gold and eternal happyness? " If the job is good enough, or at least if it looks good enough, she tries not to pry too much. Clients don't always like their mercenaries prodding into their business.

---

Lancer "Deadlock" Inek

 

[Lancer "Deadlock" Inek]

Deadlock eyed Shell with suspicion she didn't give any obvious tells that she was lying that or she's an incredibly good actor. In Deadlock's experience, a healthy dose of cynicism is what's needed to survive this den of Slugs known as the Criminal Underground. "All right," Lance slowly released his grip from his holster giving the Zeltron a curt nod.

"Where is Rory hiding?" Deadlock asked. "He had to give coordinates to a location."

The Bounty Hunter shook his head. "I don't know about you," he said. "But I've known the man for years, he doesn't let anyone in his inner circle. Besides when it comes to Bounty Hunting jobs like this. He likes to operate on his own."

Neith Shell

 

[Neith Shell]

She is, in fact, a good actor. But she's telling the truth right now, honest.

Hand off the blaster? Good! Progress! And Neith didn't even user her powers to get that far. For the sake of diplomacy he lets him speak first and make his questions. "First of all. I'm in no one's inner circle. He said he needed a transport for someone because his ship was busted, then I got hired to pick you up, deliver you there and then I'm out." She's really not feeling like it'll be safe for her to stand between such good friends. What she doesn't mention is that she was ready to take any paying job.

A smuggler picky about her jobs lives a tough life. She was ready to walk pets through a park or anything as long as it paid enough.

"Second, there's a coordinate of course. It's right here." She pauses. "I mean, not here-here this bar, but here-this planet. I was already at the spaceport anyway so, guess I lucked out with an easy job."

"If you want we can stay here and watch those dancers, or we could go already and pay your friend a visit. You get answers, I get the a satisfied client to recommend me."

---

Lancer "Deadlock" Inek [/hr]

 

[Lancer "Deadlock" Inek]

"Crait?" Deadlock frowned staring at the salt filled planet. It's a desolate planet located deep within the Outer Rim, not much out there except for salt mines which once belonged to the Confederacy before it was abandoned. "Sounds like everyone in this Cantina," Deadlock lips slowly curled into a smirk. "All it matters is business nothing more, nothing less. Gotta say I respect that Shell."

He did wonder if Shell had any suspicions of Rory. Probably not but it's something that Deadlock will have to find out on his own. "Let's get going Shell," Deadlock said looking around the Cantina. "Don't want to waste my friend's time."

Neith Shell

 

[Neith Shell]

On the way to the spaceport | TAG: Lancer "Deadlock" Inek

---

"A customer's respect is always appreciated." She's finally relaxing, once the threat of being shot at is finally over. With her current bad luck she would have to fight and win or lose, pay the tab and the damages. It's best if no harm comes to her or to this lovely cantina. And by 'lovely' she's just being polite because she's sure this place was never lovely for a day ever since it was built.

"Straight to business. I'm starting to like you Mr. Deadlock." It was the name her employer gave her, and honestly, it's not a bad name. She has seen every type of code-name given to individuals and operations. Her own droid is named 'Shoe'! "Let's get going then." She stands up and walks ahead to lead them out of the not-lovely cantina, avoiding the other patrons with the skill of someone used to this type of place and the dangers to her pockets it brings. "This way. It's the smaller spaceport right over there." She keeps walking towards the spaceport where her ship awaits. She's trying to be as non-threatening as it gets for the sake of a peaceful, and long, trip together. Just her, Deadlock and her two badmouthing droids ready to run over people's feet.

She actually landed on this planet hours ago to deliver crates of... whatever the hell was in those crates, and was just lazying about in her ship, considering a board game against her droids, when the offer to deliver Deadlock came. Easy money right there.

Praise the Force and it's ways to bless an individual. "By the way... Do you understand binary? Oddly, this is a very important question trust me."

 

[Lancer "Deadlock" Inek]

"Binary?" Deadlock chuckled adjusting his hat. "Yeah, I know something about binary what's up?" In truth, it was one of the many languages that Deadlock learned when he was baby in a pod back in Kamino. Even though it happened in a flash, inside the pod Deadlock was taking in many packets of information into his developing brain. It was what the cloners told him and Deadlock had faint memories of it much to his surprise.

"Smaller spaceport eh?" Deadlock said looking at the Spaceport ahead. "How fast is your ship?"

Neith Shell

 

[Neith Shell]

"Binary? Yeah, I know something about binary what's up?"

"Oh, nothing, just curiosity. Small talk as we walk, you know." She lies. This is bad. She needs to preemptively act before things get out of hand. She fears the hours needed to get to their destination will become a nightmare if she doesn't do something about it. The Jedi in her would be proud of the quick plan she creates in her mind in mere seconds of quick thinking.

Crisis averted? Or so she hopes.

"Smaller spaceport eh? How fast is your ship?"

Neith ponder for a second, considering how to answer that. They have reached the spaceport by now and she marches towards the large hallway to the dock where her ship awaits. "It's... faster than most. It should be only a few hours, maybe more." Because she tinkered with the hyperdrive to push it a bit beyond it's limits but it is all within safety standards. Ish. No one has died yet! "Listen, do me a favor? Grab that for me, I'll open the cargo bay." She points to a small crate waiting close to the security office. Just something she had bought and to be delivered to her.

She uses a tiny bit of pheromones there just as an extra kick to a friendly request. "That one!" She points to her ship. She's already moving to get to it first while Deadlock (hopefully) does what she asked. The cargo ramp slides down as she approaches and she peeks back to make sure she is alone before walking up.

As usual she's greeted by constant beeping noises of two astromechs. Her little brats. Useful but... brats. Neith places one hand on each to stop them from running over her feet or something. "Alright, listen up. Client's coming. He knows binary. So Be. Nice. No cheating at games, no wheeling over feet. This is a paying job." She points an accusatory finger at each, wishing she could control a droid's mind. They beep in protest. Not even speaking, just random noises. That's probably a good sign. "Good. It is a paying job. Now go prep the engine. I'll be there soon." They storm off to perform the proper engine check-ups.

She'll probably be tormented about this later in the future but... Right now? Crisis averted! Time to deserve that payment.

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TAG: Lancer "Deadlock" Inek
Boarding the Cracked Shell