First Reply For My Family I'll Even Go To A Black Market

[Aliris Tremiru]

Sith artifacts were all the rage when the Sith Empire was finally defeated. They continually grew more and more scarce as those like the Ashlan's purged and destroyed them. There'd been several dead ends in her search. Dead ends of false leads or just destroyed remnants. It was infuriating for Aliris. Raised under the dogma of the Ashlan's, denied her families birthrights, and now unable to even retrieve one of the stolen artifacts of her family. Any clue to who her family actually was.

All she had were rumors and the name. All reports said the Tremiru were all dead. She was, of course, alive, but without any of these artifacts, how was she supposed to know? One of them had to be a key to figuring it out. So here she was in some back alley looking for a black market. There had to be somewhere in this slum of a town that high ranking criminals made their cash. Maybe there was a secret auction going on behind one of these foreclosed buildings. None of this was true, of course. But Aliris had grown in a rather secluded monastery. She had no business being on Nar Shadaa with such limited knowledge on how the world truly worked, but it didn't matter. She had things to prove. And if anyone messed with her, she knew how to deal with them.

The Ashlan's made sure to teach her that much.

 

[Jacen Nimdok]

Find a companion, his great-grandmother had said. Someone you can rely upon to help meet your needs while you travel. Jacen was still hesitant about the whole idea, but he figured that if he was going to find someone with the amorality required to fraternize with a kid vampire, Narsh wasn't a bad place to start looking.

For now, he was simply... browsing. Familiarizing himself with the planet and its denizens. Narsh had quickly revealed herself to be a ball of mud and meanness, full of nasty people looking to exploit anyone naïve enough to take their bait. Let alone a privileged kid from offworld.

Jacen approached the alleyway half expecting it to be a trap. He knew there was supposed to be an entrance to a black market hidden somewhere between the grimy walls. A market would sell goods, but it would also sell services. Connections. It seemed the safest place to seek entry into the broader criminal underworld which fed the planet like a tainted bloodstream.

He walked slowly. A foreclosure sign lay up ahead, warning off the wary. He turned the corner and beheld a rusty door. Raising a gloved hand, he rapped his knuckles against the metal.

A gatekeeper droid shot out, glaring at him. "Go home, rich boy," it barked at him in Huttese. "You don't know what you're getting into."

"I have some shopping to do," Jacen replied in the same language, before switching to Basic: "'Fortune favors the bold.'"

The golden eye blinked, scanning him. Then it retracted, and the heavy metal door slid open, creaking and groaning. Jacen smiled and stepped inside.

Aliris Tremiru

 

[Aliris Tremiru]

She'd only just caught sight of it. A droid, a boy with far too much money, if his outfit was anything to go by. Aliris paused by the corner, peeking as carefully as she could. This had to be it. The entrance she'd been looking for all this time. Of course she had to knock. She hadn't even bothered to touch.. Anything here. Most of it was covered in some kind of substance she didn't want to put much thought into figuring out.

But now she had an in. The door opened, and she practically bolted for the entrance without a care of the boy in her way. She'd throw him to the side if she had to. Just slip in, and figure out the rest from there. She was fast enough with the Force to at least find another spot within the market to lay low. There were places like that, right? She'd figure it out once she got inside, that much was all that mattered.

Jacen Nimdok

 

[Jacen Nimdok]

No sooner had Jacen taken a step across the threshold, someone came barreling up behind him. The gatekeeper droid jeered angrily; Jacen heard it and had just enough time to move out of the way. He avoided being completely knocked down, but the girl still clipped his shoulder as she brushed past him.

"Going somewhere?" he called after her, watching as she ran into the marketplace. Well, if you could call the people huddled around tables laden with stolen and illicit goods a market. He didn't particularly care if the blonde got in riding his coattails, but the people running this place apparently did. A trio of burly Gamorreans chased after her, squealing, blasters and axes in hand.

"Wow," Jacen murmured, grinning at the sight. At least, until a hand clamped down on his shoulder.

"She with you?" a gruff voice demanded.

"No," he answered. "I got in with the password."

The guard didn't look convinced. "Getting real tired of you punks coming in here." His hold on Jacen's shoulder tightened, and he started to drag him back towards the entrance. "Just because you stole expensive goods from fat cats, doesn't mean you can sell them in our—"

Jacen elbowed him in the stomach, then took off running... only to realize that there weren't really any places to hide inside this squat foreclosure. With little time to lose, he dove underneath one of the tables. Hopefully the guards were still busy hunting for that blonde girl...

Aliris Tremiru

 

[Aliris Tremiru]

Yes, perfect! It didn't matter that there were guards called on her, she made it in! Which meant she just needed to find the right building with the grandiose artifact collection on display and- Oh. Barely a couple steps in and that storybook belief of what a black market was shattered completely. The few stalls, the actual room this was. It wasn't some door way to some out of sight full blown market. It was literally just a room. With junk.

Where were the artifacts? Was this not the pla- A hand on her shoulder brought her right out of her thoughts. She blinked slowly, glancing to the green hand, to the axe in the other hand, to the pig like face of the guard standing there.

"I uh.. Wrong room?"

He snorted before grabbing her by the arm to drag her along.

"He- Hey! Just lemmi go! This wasn't the place I was looking for, so no harm no foul, right? C'mon, we don't gotta get violent about this, right? Right? I- Oweeee c'mon you're hurting me!" Play to some sympathy. That worked with the normal folks, right? Usually. Hopefully it'd work now.

It didn't. Caught the younger teen was dragged out. Probably a meeting to whoever ran the place. She frowned, resigning somewhat to her fate. Maybe if she met the boss she could at least figure out where she should've been trying to brute force her way in.

Jacen Nimdok

 

[Jacen Nimdok]

... Aaaand he was immediately discovered, a guard grabbing him by the ankle and dragging him out from under the table. Jacen was pulled along despite his protests, and unceremoniously plopped down in front of a Twi'lek woman with bright pink skin. The blonde girl, who had likewise been captured, was set down next to him.

The Twi'lek looked them each up and down, then snorted. "Would either of you care to explain how you got in here?" Her tone was calm, but it was clear she wasn't asking nicely.

"I know the password," Jacen was quick to reply. "She snuck in after me. I don't even know who she is."

"And why are you here?"

"I... I want to hire someone." Jacen smiled at her in what he hoped was an innocent and disarming way. "Long-term employment."

The Twi'lek smiled thinly back at him. Her blue eyes flicked toward the blonde, awaiting her answer.

Aliris Tremiru​

 

[Aliris Tremiru]

Well at least she wasn't the only one in trouble.

Grant it she was the one making issues and probably should've felt bad. She didn't. But she probably should've. She sat, arms crossed over her chest. Eying the guards. The woman. Despite the appearance of a pouty child, she was sizing them all up. Planning a path forward. How to get out with the least amount of trouble. If this wasn't the place, then she was just wasting time and- She blinked.

"Well?"

Oh, right. Question.

"Wrong place. Sorry."

"That's all you have to say?"

Aliris shrugged. Was she supposed to say something else? By all appearances she didn't seem to care. Which just seemed to irk the manager of this back alley.

"Well, I guess you'll just have to work it off. Places like this, they're secret for a reason. If anyone can just run in without punishment who knows what people'll do. Steal, fight, kill. We'll keep you here for a couple years. Hard labor'll teach you both not to meddle where you shouldn't."

Jacen Nimdok

 

[Jacen Nimdok]

"Well, I guess you'll just have to work it off. Places like this, they're secret for a reason. If anyone can just run in without punishment who knows what people'll do. Steal, fight, kill. We'll keep you here for a couple years. Hard labor'll teach you both not to meddle where you shouldn't."

"What?!" Jacen blurted. "I can't work here for years!"

The Twi'lek shrugged. "Not my problem."

She snapped her fingers, and the guards moved to grab them. Jacen leaped to his feet, reaching for the blaster at his hip... only for every weapon in the hands of every guard to immediately train on him.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," the Twi'lek warned.

Jacen bared his fangs, though his ferocious expression soon became a defeated grimace. He saw no other options but to allow himself to be led away to work... for now.

Aliris Tremiru

 

[Aliris Tremiru]

Years? She jolted upright, but it seemed she wasn't the only one who didn't take kindly to such a suggestion. Her gaze shifted to the boy with her, briefly side eyeing him with a calm expression that quickly dissolved to annoyance and frustration. He was quick to give up the fight, huh? Though given the number of guns, that made sense. He was just a normal person. And, somewhere, she did actually feel bad for involving him.

Just a little. Enough that she didn't try to fight her way out.

"Alright, lets go. We'll get you outfitted with a collar, and of course take away any weapons. Don't worry, we won't beat or starve you. Just a little insurance that you work off your debt, mm?"

Aliris let out a grumble before turning where they were being lead. For now she still had her dagger tucked away in her boot, but how long until they searched? Probably not long at all. So..

"Y'know this is your fault."

She shot a glare towards the boy. Not really, but better they be thought as arguing and upset children.

"Why'd you have to stand in the way? I coulda gotten in easy if you just stepped aside."

Jacen Nimdok

 

[Jacen Nimdok]

"Alright, lets go. We'll get you outfitted with a collar, and of course take away any weapons. Don't worry, we won't beat or starve you. Just a little insurance that you work off your debt, mm?"

A collar? Feth that! "You're going to regret this!" he called after the Twi'lek as they were led away. "My family are powerful, important people—"

"I bet they are," she replied sarcastically, waving goodbye to him.

To make matters worse, the guards took his blaster from him, along with the rest of his belongings. They even pulled his trenchcoat off. "Be careful with that," he snapped. "It's genuine leather."

"Y'know this is your fault."

He whirled around to glare at the blonde. "You're a fething liar."

"Why'd you have to stand in the way? I coulda gotten in easy if you just stepped aside."

"Fat chance," he sneered. "If you were smart, you would've listened and then given the password yourself. That's how I got in. Then we wouldn't be in this mess in the first place!"

If it was her intention to rile him up, she was succeeding beautifully. He took a step toward her, getting up in her face—only to be yanked backwards by a guard, who promptly clamped a slave collar around his neck. The sensation of the collar against his bare flesh seemed to trigger something in Jacen. His expression changed from furious, to shocked, and finally to despair. Up until that point, it had all seemed unreal, like a dream. But he couldn't deny the cold metal pressed to his throat.

Aliris Tremiru

 

[Aliris Tremiru]

Oh.

Well damn okay he made a good point, but she wasn't going to back down. He stepped forward, and she did the same, glaring right back up at him before he was yanked away and strapped in. Oh, they were quick. From the corner of her eye she could see her own collar being brought over. Okay. Time to move. She lunged forward just out of range of the collar, growling loudly as she went to tackle him.

"Shut up! This is your fault!"

"Alright kids. Enoughs enough. Gotta pay your dues, so stop your fightin-"

The man that reached down to try and attach the collar to her throat stumbled back. Panic, by his expression. It was just a little trick to pull on a fear, but it was enough to have him blubbering for a second. And a second was all she needed. In a flash she had the dagger in her hand, plunging down for the boy's throat. Just to cut through the collar.

"Move."

"What'r you doin' Mak? Just put the col- She's got a knife! Stabbed the boy!" The other figure fumbled for his blaster, but she was up and moving. Faster than she should. Not fast by any means for a Force User, but to these thugs? Her blade flashed through the man's throat as she barreled into him. Mak, who wasn't panicking any more, was better at bringing out his own blaster.

"Vic! What'r you doing girl! You're going to end up dead, stop struggling! .. Vic?" He hadn't realized it at first, but the heap that was Vic and Aliris only had one person moving. She stood, blood coating her as she glared at the man. "What the hell did you d-"

He was cut off as a pressure formed around his throat. Already the rest of the room was on alert. Some of the buyers were fleeing for the exit. Slaves stood confused. Other guards started to pull out their weapons but didn't open fire. Too many people to just shoot.

"I'm leaving."

Jacen Nimdok

 

[Jacen Nimdok]

"Shut up! This is your fault!"

Jacen pulled back his fist, ready to knock some sense into the crazy blonde harpy, only for one of the guards to step in and break them up before the fight could get physical. Or so it seemed. The guard suffered some sort of sudden attack, rendering him paralyzed with terror, and the girl took the opportunity to lunge at Jacen, a dagger in her hand.

He wasn't quite fast enough to block the attack, which was aimed at his neck. He clenched his teeth, preparing himself for a death blow. But instead of cutting his throat, she plunged the blade into the collar. A painful and immobilizing electrical current passed through his body as the electronics inside the slave collar short-circuited. He screamed—which probably helped to maintain the illusion that she had stabbed him.

"Move."

And then she was on her feet, fighting the guards. She moved insanely fast, darting around the room like lightning.

It took a few moments for Jacen to recover. The smell of blood certainly helped to revive him, awakening his hunger. He pounced on one of the guards, teeth in his neck as they toppled to the floor together. Rearing back with blood smeared across his mouth, he took the guard's blaster, pressed it to the bleeding man's head, and pulled the trigger.

"I'm leaving."

Jacen had already begun to take aim at the remaining guards, only to quickly realize there was too much risk of other people getting caught in the crossfire. With a snarl, he scrambled for the nearest exit, doing exactly what Aliris had said she was doing: leaving.

Aliris Tremiru​

 

[Aliris Tremiru]

She tightened her fist for just a moment, except.. Nothing happened. At least not what she was hoping for. Did she hope for something? As trained as she believed she was, she just wasn't. The man continued to choke, and she felt something.. Tiring? Limits? That was annoying. And the room was clearing. She gritted her teeth as she let the man go, falling onto himself as he desperately reclaimed his breath.

Not that she cared. She ran for the door, much like Jacen did. Bolted as fast as she could for the door.

"Oh shut the door! It's just a couple of kids!"

In the mad dash of people trying to flee, especially with gunfire, the door was open. And now the droid was trying to hurry and close it. That wouldn't do. She raised a hand, brought out that hate within. It sparked between her fingers before jolting out in a short shock. It smacked into the droid, though not to destroy it. Just enough to stun it. Keep it from shutting the door long enough for them to run through.

Jacen Nimdok

 

[Jacen Nimdok]

"Oh shut the door! It's just a couple of kids!"

Oh hell no. If they closed the doors, Jacen was about to get fething feral. He gripped his stolen blaster, ready to shoot at a moment's notice - although even he knew it was likely a lost cause. Too many bodies in the way.

Could he kill innocent people, slaves, and still live with himself afterwards?

... Probably, but it wouldn't be quite as nice an existence.

The blonde girl came to his rescue yet again. She did something which sabotaged the gatekeeper droid, stopping it from shutting the door. Jacen pushed his way through the gap, staggering out into the alleyway. The stampede of people carried him right along with them. If he were to stop moving, he'd have been trampled.

At last, he found himself on the street in front of the foreclosed building. Stopping to catch his breath and get his bearings, he looked around... and spotted the blonde again.

She had caused him a great deal of trouble. Licking the still-wet blood from his lower lip, he had half a mind to exact some sort of revenge. But the gun in his hand felt strange. He was unused to the weight of it, and to the idea of hurting others out of spite.

Turning away from her, he started to walk down the street, wiping away the blood on his sleeve.

Aliris Tremiru

 

[Aliris Tremiru]

Get out, slip through the crowd. That was easy enough. Especially once the door slammed shut as the short circuited droid finally got control and continued with it's last order. Some safety. For how long, she wasn't too sure. But she still needed to find the right auction. And a better way in. That kid had a good point about how she could've gotten in easier. So, actually- She looked around curiously. Then found him. He was running away, like she probably should.

So why not follow?

"Hey, wait up!"

Jacen Nimdok

 

[Jacen Nimdok]

"Hey, wait up!"

Oh, great. Jacen didn't slow down; if anything he quickened his pace, running faster down the street.

"Why are you following me?!" he shouted over his shoulder.

Aliris Tremiru

 

[Aliris Tremiru]

"Because you were right! And I wanna y'know, make up for getting you in trouble!" And take advantage of the fact he seemed to know how to get around here without issues. Running into another auction didn't seem like it'd end any differently.

"Would you- Just stop running!"

Jacen Nimdok

 

[Jacen Nimdok]

Exasperated, Jacen finally began to slow down, more due to tiredness than any real desire to continue interacting with the blonde. Entering a corner store in hopes of losing any remaining pursuers, he turned around, gripping the blaster firmly at his side, and faced her. "Of course I'm right," he panted, swallowing to wet his dry throat.

He was still under the impression that this girl wasn't very bright, but he also liked the idea of getting some sort of reparations for the whole disastrous experience. His free hand reached up to touch his neck where the collar had been. It was still a little sore, the skin dark from the electrical burn.

"How are you going to make it up to me?" he asked.

Aliris Tremiru

 

[Aliris Tremiru]

Oh he stopped running.

Thank the Force or whatever. She bent over, gasping for air for a moment. Using the Force so much, it was a lot more tiring than she figured. In training it was never like this. Then again, training never involved actual life or death so-. She did catch her breath at least. Stood up. Blinked.

"Oh. Uh. Honestly I'm not sure."

Jacen Nimdok

 

[Jacen Nimdok]

"Oh. Uh. Honestly I'm not sure."

Jacen barely resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "Well, then I guess I get to pick," he said. Taking a step forward, he studied her. "I was looking to hire someone as a traveling companion. But I don't know if you'd agree to my terms." He didn't really have any reason to trust her either, apart from the fact that she had saved his life back there.

Aliris Tremiru