First Reply Denon Is Always Trouble

[Iris Arani]

"It's the people who know how to make the law their shield that are the most dangerous."

And Denon was flooded with them. The last Senator was very much in bed with numerous crime syndicates, and the new one? She wasn't sure, but it wouldn't surprise her in the slightest. She did raise a brow though, glancing towards Gatz for a moment of silent contemplation as the rode the lift far, far down below the surface. There was no light here, save for the blaring neon lights of advertisements of all kinds.

Most less savory than the last the deeper they got.

"I'm not a therapist, but I did have some classes on that. If you want to offload that, better to do it now than later. Unless being midfight has you wanting to bare your soul."

Gatz Derrevar

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

​

Gatz was used to the kind of people who committed heinous crimes, but had enough money to bribe their way out of a conviction. He didn't have experience with people that were able to twist, bend, and subvert the laws to their whims. That was an altogether different beast for him, and it made the former smuggler realize just how arrogant it had been of him to assume he could handle this on his own.

Coruscant and Nar Shaddaa might have looked similar, but they were on two opposite ends of a graph. Denon didn't sit between them. It was it's own point, on a different side of the graph. And without Iris, he wouldn't have had the slightest idea as to how to navigate its sociopolitical climate. And also he wouldn't have known how to navigate it, like, in general.

Iris, Gatz decided, was very blunt. He appreciated that though. Far too many people, himself included, were too afraid to be direct.

"I think I'm good," he smiled at the sheer dryness of her comment, "I try not to trauma dump on the first date."

He joked, but the real reason was that if he started picking apart that issue right now, they'd probably be here for hours. And he'd end up a sobbing wreck. He was the smooth criminal—well, former criminal—and that was the role he wanted Iris to see him play. That was the role he wanted everyone to see him play.

He didn't really know how to be anything else, despite how hard he was trying to.

"This group of people you mentioned, that can lead us in the right direction," Gatz forced himself to focus yet again, "you know them personally? Or do we have to convince them to help a pair of strangers?"

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Tags: Iris Arani

 

[Iris Arani]

"I hope this isn't how you actually treat your first dates. There's no good food where we're going."

The elevator stopped on the floor they needed, and Iris was the first to step off. It smelled. C-26 was a waste district, and that was part of the reason the people who lived here were the kind of people Iris could trust to get some form of help from. The Corpos didn't pay them much attention because that would mean breathing the stench. Same for the criminal side. They were overlooked and ignored, so long as they didn't stick their necks out too far.

Most of them were content with that, even.

"I know a lot of people on Denon personally. Especially those here."

Gatz Derrevar

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

​

"...Would you think less of me if I told I've treated first dates worse—”

But Gatz cut himself off abruptly as the elevator stopped and he got a good look, and smell, of where Iris had brought him. To Denon's filth. And he didn't mean the people, no, he meant like an actual sewer district for the city. A city that was a whole planet wide.

People lived like this. Were expected to live in this. Gatz had to assume that Coruscant and Nar Shaddaa both had similar districts and situations, but in all his time in the seedy underworld, he'd never seen it first hand. Fury burned in him, and after he quickly wrangled that, it was replaced by sorrow.

"Nevermind," Gatz said quietly, "even at my lowest, I treated people better than this."

To expect people to live near a whole planet's waste... That was how diseases started and spread. He was no doctor, not like Iris, but even he knew that.

"I know we have other concerns right now," Gatz started, "but when we're done today, would you be willing to make me up a list of what these people need most? Food, water, medical supplies—whatever. I can't fix a whole planet's worth of poverty, but maybe I can make a few runs out here."

---

Tags: Iris Arani

 

[Iris Arani]

"I can make you a list, if that's what you want."

It was easy to want to help someone after seeing what they had to go through. Iris knew that first hand. There was suffering all over the place, but there was little someone could do about suffering they didn't know. Grant it, the people here accepting such help was a whole different subject. She glanced around as they moved, and the natives were pretty obvious. Hazmat suits, or at least some form of them. They were designed in such a way to be personal to one another, covered with art and otherwise just.. Trying to be colorful in a dark, weary place.

Her art, actually.

"They'll give us a mask if we have to go further in, but we should be fine here. You won't get used to the smell, though."

Gatz Derrevar

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

​

"Thank you."

Why was he so adamant on doing this? Sourcing and delivering a handful of supplies certainly wouldn't make a difference on anything resembling a large scale. Denon's poverty ran too deep into the planet for him to make a dent in the problem. He was one man, with one light freighter. Useless to make a difference here.

But, Gatz supposed, someone had to care. Someone had to try. And Force knew it wasn't going to be anyone on the upper levels.

Might as well be him.

They passed a number of individuals wearing very colorful hazmat suits, which drew his attention. Gatz furrowed his brows, trying to decipher the significance of the art, before giving up on figuring it out with a shrug. Art theory hadn't been an elective of his back in school on Naboo.

"If I can handle the way Hutts stink, I think I can survive this. For a short time, anyway."

It... really didn't smell good.

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Tags: Iris Arani

 

[Iris Arani]

"We won't be here too long. Just-"

She paused midsentence as she looked over one of the walls. The smell here was terrible, but the streets themselves weren't actually trash. The people who lived here took the time to try and clean what they could. That was their motto in life; clean what can be cleaned by their hands. There were, though, tags everywhere. Colorful murals more often than not. And Iris seemed to be looking at one in particular.

She reached into her pouch, clicking on a UV light she'd produced before shining it over. Good, they were still there. Just a small arrow.

"This way." Without explanation she turned down the thin alley that the arrow pointed towards, tucking away the light source in the process.

Gatz Derrevar

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

​

At least Iris promised they wouldn't be here long.

Gatz knew that he shouldn't complain, especially since there were people who lived down here. He was just visiting; after today, he'd be able to return to his home on Naboo. And while he might have been a lower class citizen on Naboo, with an old and tiny house, it was still a hundred times better than the suffering he was witnessing first hand here on Denon.

When he'd still smuggled, he'd loved ecumenopolises like this. Like Nar Shaddaa. Now he realized how selfish, and how foolish he was to hold that opinion.

Gatz watched Iris produce a light, and it took him a moment to realize it was a UV light. She was using it to uncover secret messages, and marks on the walls. Damn. These friends of hers must have been quite the secretive bunch. And considering Iris just turned down a narrow alley, he was starting to think that was a pretty accurate guess.

"So, uh, your friends," Gatz started, "how... likely are they to be friendly when they see me?"

Iris was, he presumed, bringing a total stranger to some kind of safehouse. He'd probably shoot a stranger who waltzed into his safehouse, if he'd had one.

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Tags: Iris Arani

 

[Iris Arani]

"You're with me, so they'll be fine with it."

That's usually all it took, at least the last time she came by. And it seemed to be the same case. She smiled as she found the door she needed, Practically built into the wall and covered in paint, but the button was the same painting she'd done it before. Without hesitation she tapped the button in question and the doors opened right up. Within? Nothing. No light, just an empty looking storeroom.

And a false wall that she opened. Immediately the guard behind it had a pistol in their hands, but they weren't pointed towards either of them. Just at the ready, just in case.

"Jedi. We didn't expect you back here."

"I know. Been a while. Sorry. We're looking for the slaving ring."

The hazmat suited person hesitated visibly for a moment, glancing right to Gatz. Iris gave a simple nod.

".. You make sense, Jedi. Why do you want to help?" You being Gatz, if the angle of the facemask was to be believed.

Gatz Derrevar

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

​

"Fair enough."

Well, at least he wouldn't be shot on sight.

Iris stared at some wall, painted over in some mural. For a second, Gatz thought she might have gone daft, staring off into space while they were trying to do something important. But then she pressed a... something. He didn't quite get a good look at it really. But whatever it was, it made the wall slide open.

Ah. Not a wall. A door.

He followed her in, and found himself standing in an empty, dark storeroom. That was ominous. But he allowed himself no fear. Maybe it was stupid of him to trust a woman he just met, but Gatz doubted that Iris had dragged him down to some abandoned building to murder him. That seemed a little too much like something out of a horror flick to be real.

"Ah, I see your master plan. Drag me down here to kill me. A shame, really. I'm too pretty to die."

A joke. He felt no malicious intent from her in the Force. Not that he was particularly good at that kind of thing, though.

And then she opened another false wall, and they were greeted by an individual holding a pistol. They didn't seem to be pointing it at either of them, and if Iris wasn't concerned, Gatz didn't see why he should be.

The guard had a short exchange with Iris, before they turned their mask to him, asking a question. Gatz gave the first answer that came to mind.

"Because somebody should."

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Tags: Iris Arani

 

[Iris Arani]

"I would've killed you when you stepped in the elevator."

Iris shrugged her shoulders casually. Though, she didn't look too pleased about the thought. It wasn't the kind of thinking she wanted to have anymore. She left those days far, far behind her. At least, that's what she kept telling herself.

"Another one of those, huh?"

The man grunted a bit at his answer, but didn't explain further on it. Instead he just nodded, stepped back to let them inside. It was much cleaner within the actual room, as if the closet itself had been an airlock to a cleanroom. At least by comparison to the outside. People still wore varying gasmasks, they couldn't scrub the air with their equipment, but they didn't have to wear the full suit. One in particular to the back, a green Twi'lek, raised a hand.

"We heard you were back in town, Jedi! Still going after criminal sects?"

Iris shook her head.

"Sort of. Not really. There's slaves on Denon, this guy's dumb enough to want to help me free them. Just need a location."

The room fell silent at that. The Twi'lek frowned, but stepped closer and waved towards a doorway. "We'll talk in here, then. C'mon."

Gatz Derrevar

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

​

"And rob yourself of my company?" Gatz smiled a toothy grin, "what a mistake that would have been."

But Iris looked a little troubled at her own comment. It wasn't his place to dig into... whatever was going on in her head. Yet, only a few short minutes ago, she herself had offered to let him confide in her. He'd declined, not comfortable with talking about such things with someone he barely knew, but wasn't it only right that he offer her that same compassion in return?

Maybe once they were alone again, Gatz decided as the guard let them through, he would ask to make sure she was alright.

He let Iris lead him into the next room, which Gatz thought was surprisingly spotless for something in a waste district. Aside from the smell, he thought it comparable to the state of his ship, and Gatz was down right militaristic in the way he treated The Red Night. Whoever Iris' friends were, they were serious about what they did... whatever that actually was.

They came face to face with a Twi'lek, and Gatz let Iris do the talking. He was, after all, the stranger here. Better to be seen, and not heard, at least until he figured out how liable they were to shoot him for expressing his opinion. Iris said he was safe with her, and he believed the Jedi, but he wanted to be cautious anyways.

Of course, all of his plans of staying silent, and observing this group of people closely, went out the window when Iris called him "dumb." He was, to be fair, but she didn't have to say it.

"You're a real charmer, Iris," but Gatz couldn't help but chuckle, "but we would appreciate any information you'd be willing to share with us."

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Tags: Iris Arani

 

[Iris Arani]

"I wasn't being charming, though?"

Iris raised a brow, glancing to Gatz. It was pretty obvious she didn't get the sarcasm, but there wasn't long to linger on it as they were brought into the back room. There was one a couple people in there, but a quick glance from the Twi'lek was enough for them to pack up their things to leave the three alone. She hopped up on a counter shortly after, looking between the Jedi and the spacer before letting quite the exaggerated sigh out.

"Can't give too much less they figure out we're the source, but if you're really looking for the slavers I'd check out the warehouse district on level six. It caught fire a couple years back. Cyberpsycho. I hear some people have taken to.. Help rebuild."

She lifted her hands to air quote the help. "It's not really safe there, though. Corpos didn't like the loss of profit. They don't want to see anyone that doesn't belong, get me?"

Iris nodded. Frowned. "Any idea on how to get in?"

"Can't say. That you'll have to figure out on your own."

"Got it." She turned back to the door then, reaching out to click it open.

"You sure you want to get back into this? I thought you were done." Iris's fingers hovered just over the button as she paused. It took a moment before she looked over her shoulder. Sorrow had filled the calm smile she'd been carrying all this time. Sorrow and fear etched in her features. And yet, there was still quite the determination in her eyes.

"Someone still has to."

Then she hurried out. The Twi'lek shrugged before glancing to Gatz. Gave him a nod. ".. Well, good luck then."

Gatz Derrevar

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

​

"Don't worry about it. I'll be charming enough for the both of us."

Well, sarcasm went clear over Iris' head. That was fine, he had plenty of other material to work with. Their objective was serious, but he would make this Jedi crack a smile from his humor if it was the last thing he did. And considering he was tweaking a crime lord's nose, it very well might be. At least he'd die the way he lived: telling bad jokes in tense situations.

Iris' Twi'lek friend gave them a quick run down on what little she knew about a slaving operation, or at least, what little she was willing to reveal. Gatz could understand the need for secrecy when running an organization that thrived on information, but weren't innocent lives worth taking that risk? But then... he didn't know the first thing about these people, or Denon, or how much danger they might be in for just revealing what they had.

So, maybe he shouldn't judge.

Iris turned to leave, but then turned back around when her friend questioned her motives. The small smile the Jedi had been wearing since he met her vanished, and Gatz didn't like what he saw in its place: conflict. Gatz was no savant when it came to sensing emotion in the Force, but he thought he might have been getting traces of fear and sadness from her, and it made his stomach twist itself in knots.

But then Iris reaffirmed her decision, and left too quickly for him to keep up with her. Still, he knew she'd wait for him, so he stopped for a moment to turn to her friend.

"I'll bring her back in one piece, you have my word," Gatz tried to reassure her, "more accurately: she'll probably bring me back in pieces, and have to stitch me back together, but I won't let anything happen to her."

Maybe it was arrogant of him, to think that he could protect a Jedi Knight. But then, he was Gatz Derrevar. "Arrogant" was his middle name. Or at least, like, a nickname. So he felt no shame or embarrassment at his declaration, and hurried out to catch back up with Iris.

Once he had, Gatz had a question of his own, "hey, I won't question your decision like your friend back there, but are you alright? The last bit of that conversation seemed a little... heavy."

---

Tags: Iris Arani

 

[Iris Arani]

"No."

It was the blunt truth. Iris only briefly glanced to Gatz, but the calm expression had already returned by the time they left the compound and walked back onto the rotten smelling streets. She was still hurrying her way to the elevator to escape it, though. No one wanted to stick around in this scent without the gasmask the locals had. And even then, it was only the locals who stayed long.

"But I've long learned how to separate how I feel from what I need to do. I'll handle what comes next, then deal with the emotion side of it."

Gatz Derrevar

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

​

Gatz was almost jealous of Iris's mental fortitude. She'd already recentered herself, so quickly after something had shaken her. He wished he had the ability to do that. To just push his doubt and his hurt aside in order to move forward. But he'd only ever been good at dwelling on the things that troubled him.

He'd have made a poor Jedi. He wasn't even a particularly competent man.

"We've got time to talk if you need to," Gatz offered anyway, "I understand that Jedi are good at compartmentalizing, but it might be better to get it out now."

He wasn't sure if Iris was walking so fast in order to escape the smell, or how she felt. And really, it wasn't any of his business. Even so, Gatz just couldn't find it in himself to let this go.

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Tags: Iris Arani

 

[Iris Arani]

Iris took a long breath before glancing back to Gatz. She didn't until they were at least on the lift heading back up. The smell was still too much, even for her. His concern was.. Warm. Warm and bright, by the colors around him. Again her gaze just scanned him over without actually looking his way. It was just how she functioned in this world. Trust what she saw in the Force, first and foremost.

"I spent a long time here as a kid trying to help out. She's worried about me leaving again as I had to before. I don't plan to this time, and I'll handle the emotions it brings later."

Gatz Derrevar

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

​

Stepping onto the lift, and away from the disgusting fumes of the waste district was a relief. Gatz pitied the people who lived here: even with their gas masks, how did they stand it? But then, he supposed that if he'd been born into this district, he'd have gotten used to it just like the denizens of Denon had. Some children here probably had never taken a breath of fresh air in their lives.

He understood why Iris was choosing to stay. Someone had to fight for these people, in whatever form that took.

"But do you want to stay on Denon? Or are you choosing to stay because you feel like it's your responsibility?"

A Jedi's life was sacrifice. Gatz might have been fifteen years removed from the Order, but he still understood that. Even so, that didn't mean Iris should be miserable. And judging by the look on her face back in that building, Gatz was concerned that was exactly what she would grow to be, if she stayed here to help.

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Tags: Iris Arani

 

[Iris Arani]

"There are people here who have shown me a kindness I can't forget. I'm still a Jedi, and a doctor. There are so many people who need help, so.. It's both." There was nothing wrong with both, at least in her mind. She stared out the window of the elevator to the city, smiling faintly as she did. There were people she wanted to find, too, though she doubted she ever would again. That'd be fine if she didn't.

But it didn't mean she didn't want to.

"There's no reason for me not to help people."

Gatz Derrevar

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

​

In a way, Gatz understood where Iris was coming from. He felt similar, though not entirely the same. There was no reason not to help people—that was a notion he agreed with wholeheartedly. But he knew, deep down, that his motivation came from guilt. He wasn't certain if he did these things out of the goodness of his heart, or because he struggled with the kinds of things he'd done during his time in Hutt space.

He wasn't a good man. He knew that for sure. But could he become one? If that was his whole motivation for trying to do good, then he didn't think so. It was too selfish.

Those were dark thoughts, but seeing Iris smile at her city brightened his mood a little. Maybe there was no reason to worry about her after all.

"Fair enough," was what Gatz offered in return, as the lift came to a stop, "I'll leave you be, then. Tell me about this warehouse district we're going to. What should I expect?"

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Tags: Iris Arani