Private Info-Wheeling and Info-Dealing

[Ghorua the Shark]

LOCATION: POOR MAN'S SPIT, NAR SHADDAA
EQUIPMENT: IN BIO
OBJECTIVE: MAKE A FRIEND
​

There was something stirring in the Underworld. He could feel it.

Small-time gangs were getting restless, squabbling like birds on a wire. The megacorporations were dipping their fingers into the muck once more, looking for the credits that could be found if one dug deep enough. Syndicates were popping up across the galaxy, shaking off cobwebs and connecting. Governments were weakening, criminals were getting bold. A wave of scum and villainy was perfectly poised to rise up.

Ghorua intended to rise with it.

But to do so, he needed connections first. Allies. Hence, the invitation to a talented slicer.

The Poor Man's Spit wasn't Ghorua's favorite locale. If he were being honest, it didn't even breach top thousand. It was a tiny bar, tucked into an unknown corner of a spaceport, with a single staff member sitting bored behind the counter. There were exactly three booths, which were nearly always empty, save for today. Where one was being occupied by quite the large customer.

The Shark was nothing short of colossal. Were he standing up, his armor's helm would scrape the top of the establishment. He was plated in dark beskar, with a plethora of weapons absolutely littering his form, covering his dark-leather bandolier and belt. He came equipped with at least two heavy blasters, one at his side, and one at his shoulder. Despite all this, the Herglic had a nonchalant pose, leaning against the back of the booth, arms over the backrests. Ghorua appeared more dressed to blast into a Hutt's palace than have a drink with a slicer.

To be truthful, he just enjoyed showing off.

- Nalana Baxa -

 

[Nalana Baxa]

It was supposed to be a simple stroll in and a simple stroll out, sometimes though it was never going to be simple. This was supposed to be a new client, something she had not had done by herself before and generally was verified by her father, something that she no longer had access to. The Underworld had turned quite quickly in her eyes, a very violent place that soon she would not be able to avoid. That was why credits were about to become much more popular to her than before, she needed the money to keep herself safe.

Walking through the spaceport security, she kept her head down as most saw her as very uninteresting or not worth their time. It was an old trick her father showed in the Force, something that got him out of a lot of bad situations when general cloaking or deception was not going to cut it. Turning right into the diner, known as the Poor Man's Spit, she entered and glanced around the area.

Staff seemed pretty occupied with themselves, the place was very quiet and the booths were empty. Except one of course, housing a very large individual that looked more armed to kill than to talk. The client she assumed, given that the message was to rendezvous with a Herglic and the massive size of this person. Though in honesty, she never knew certain species could be that tall, save for Trandoshans. While he looked armed enough to take down a small milita, she was not, only carrying on a small holster on side of her leg a lightsaber of hers. No need to bring all three of them, this was supposed to be social.

Walking towards the table, she gave a small air of authority but almost at the same time, unsure of her standing. She wore robes quite fitting on a Slicer and a Dark Jedi at the same time, having dark robes that would indicate some identity of a Dark Jedi but having a scarf around the neck and a bit more exposed arms with skin graft like tattoos brokered all over them. Hair was long as well, draping past her shoulders in a brownish-red color.

Stopping near the Herglic, she gave a small nod and slowly sat herself on the other side of the table. Scooting down a few times, she apparently was not used to sitting at large diners like this often...that or being opposite to a large individual that could carry her off and throw through a window without a second thought. Giving a small cough, she spoke as she gently pulled on the scarf, revealing a small datapad from the inside of it as she tapped the sides of it while giving a bit of a glance upwards.

"You seem more armed to fight a war than getting into someones residence. But that is sometimes what the job entails I assume...very well I guess, I am here as requested. What do you require of my skills? Need someones social account? Personal spike into a communications array to figure out a targets next move? Or is more complex like overloading a circuit in a nearby hotel to cause an insurance claim? Better yet, turn out an entire districts power supply for a full minute, only to let the lights go up and several dead or missing all around them, none the wiser. What is the poison you require?"

Ghorua the Shark

 

[Ghorua the Shark]

As Nalana approached the table Ghorua had poached, he examined the slicer with a curious eye. One thing the Shark had learned with his years on the job was to never judge a book by their cover. He had survived for as long as he had because of others doing that exact thing to him. He was big, so naturally, he was dumb as a pile of bricks.

People who underestimated the Shark usually didn't live much longer after that.

So he gave this slicer an even shake, examining them as he would an interesting art piece, looking for hidden meaning behind detailed brush strokes.

As the slicer began speaking, Ghorua carefully removed his helmet, revealing a slick face with deep eyes, and a wide, toothed grin. Which seemed to grow wider as Nalana spoke, detailing exactly what she could do, and laying out their skills like a catalogue for his perusal.

After she was done speaking, the Shark raised an eyebrow at the slicer. "Cool your jets, tiger. I don't need any of that yet," And then, a beat of consideration. "Although, we'll have to talk about that last one. Might come in handy pretty soon here."

Ghorua stuck his massive hand out cordially, as if to shake. "Ghorua the Shark, bounty hunter. Pleasure to meet you."

- Nalana Baxa -

 

[Nalana Baxa]

The helmet when removed, made her only feel a bit smaller. Herglin she would have to note, had very deep eyes, possibly something to exploit if even a fight was to break out. Glancing over the others features when she kept speaking, she noticed the grin growing wider of his, that wide toothed grin that could rip someones throat out. He seemed a bit impressed she would assume, but that was only to be solved a little bit afterwards though noting also the Herglics ability to have some form of brow raise, which she had to admit, was impressive.

Apparently, what she had just listed was not something that was considered, on the menu just yet. However from what she was gathering, the last one may be popular. It was expected, it was a Baxa special that was made, utilizing the power grids and overloading them by turning on each electrical meter in the area to max and blowing out the whole district till they reset and the backup generators took over.

When the Herglic shook out his hand, introducing himself as Ghorua the Shark, which honestly, really did look like a giant shark. Sticking out her hand as it was rather slim, she grasped gently and shook. It was not very firm, loose as if not wishing to harm her hand. Nails were also just recently painted as it was a dark blue hue as she slowly tried to pull back. Bounty Hunters was something she was not very comfortable with, but given it has been nearly a decade, she can let her guard down just a little.

"Nalana Baxa, Slicer and likewise. Generally my dealings with Bounty Hunters always been limited, I rarely do face to face in any environment with this profession. Then again, I am not used to a Diner with only one camera staring directly at the front counter with minimal security."

Slipping her hand near the belt, she took out a small flask of water and took a sip out of it. She did not trust drinking at a place for a first contact, much less a twentieth contact. Never know when one can spike the drink and be the end of the line.

Ghorua the Shark

 

[Ghorua the Shark]

Ghorua could smell the slicer's unease.

He was genetically modified years ago with many grand abilities, such as incredible strength, pin-point reflexes, and teeth that could slice through bone. While all of these gifts were physical, and easy to identify, his most odd and useful genetic talent was his acute sense of smell. The smallest chemical changes in a person's body were like subtle perfumes, which he had learned to identify. So he could tell that Nalana was paranoid.

Which he probably could have gleaned just by looking at them.

Ghorua shrugged, pulling up one of his arms to rest a hand behind his head. "Oh, you have nothing to worry about. Us bounty hunters are nothing but kind, well-intentioned, understanding folk." He gave Nalana a sly grin. "Joking. But you're safe here. Well, as safe as you can be on Nar Shaddaa, at least."

He noticed the slicer drank from their own flask, and nodded, understanding the action for what it was. He didn't have any drinks in front of him, either. The Shark had lived on the Smuggler's Moon long enough to know not to trust it for a moment.

"I apologize for insisting on a meeting in-person," Ghorua rumbled. "Call me old-fashioned, but I enjoy a face-to-face conversation with potential new business partners." As an added bonus, the one camera wasn't pointed towards them. The Shark had already swept for bugs. The one staff member was being paid to take a break for the next few minutes. This meeting went unrecorded.

For that brief moment, they were ghosts.

"Do you have fingers to the pulse of the criminal underworld of the galaxy, Nalana?" He was checking to see if she had noticed what he had. The restlessness.

- Nalana Baxa -

 

[Nalana Baxa]

"Safe on Nar Shadda is the equivalent of saying you want the Hutts to be your investors."

Giving a short chuckle, she slowly corked the flask and slid it into her robe. It was unusual for anyone to even meet on the Smuggler's Moon as most would generally be picked out of a crowds lineup. Then again, with the whole world densely populated almost to the extent of Coruscant when it is not being invaded and torched to the ground, does give it the best cover imaginable. Hearing the explanation, she gave a curt nod and placed her fingers together with the datapad in-between them.

"I don't generally mind it, though most meetings I been to, there been always something broken near the end of it or a blaster stuck in someones face. Long as there is no violence, I do not mind a meeting. Though the last one I been to, got very violent."

Then the question came, how well versed, how much of a pulse did she have on the underworld? Giving a bit of a stare, she leaned back enough and let the datapad lay on the counter. How well versed? That might as well been the equivalent of how long have you been around? How long did you run with one of the most notorious thieves that ever lived before he was gunned down? Breathing in, she looked up and reminded herself that it was more broad than that, the Hutts, the various criminal and pirate organizations that existed. Finally speaking, she slowly let her green eyes wander back over to the Herglics deep eyes.

"Galaxy been a mess for a long time, not including what had happened recently. Within six years, the Bryn'adul finally been defeated right on Nar Shaddas doorstep, the Kessel Sector has been changed. Hutts that had varying influence has lost a lot of ground lately and that is not including the last three years with the Sith Empire having crumbled. It has left a dramatic power vacuum that the New Imperial Order and the Ashlan Crusade clamoring for territory. Within the last six months, the Confederacy of Independent Systems has also collapsed, bringing a wave of new governments and ideologies to the board."

"Not including the other countless others much like the First Order going quickly for the seventeenth time or the Brotherhood of the Maw...the Galaxy got itself into a new mess, that of goods. Bryn'adul while defeated and pushed nearly to extinction, has left numerous exotic weaponry, armor and materials that many buyers desire. Sith Empire on the other hand, leave their war machines such as dreadnoughts and super star destroyers to rot in space, artifacts left in their special vaults for people to pursue and boy, soldiers pushing decades of experience into a mercenary and piracy core to avoid judicial justice or martialing from the galaxy at large. Confederacy....the Confederacy has left a lot of credits on the table, a bloated legacy and a lot of companies going under. Those that are surviving, are being cunning and fighting tooth and nail, some taking more illicit practices or deals to survive in this new galaxy. Eternal Empire, Galactic Alliance and even the Brotherhood of the Maw are looking towards their new partners."

"If you are asking if a perfect storm is rising, you bet it is. New minds are forming, more Bounty Hunters are being registered than the Bounty Hunters guilds that existed during the First Jedi Purge. Criminal Organizations are on the rise and gangs...gangs are getting even smarter. They are becoming small enforcer groups to the larger fish in their pond, no offense. My father for example, been wanted for a very long time and met his end three weeks ago. He had faced many groups in his lifetime but never did two gangs show up with slugthrowers and void stones to throw off any advantage he could muster. I seen him survive against Mandalorians and Sith in small numbers, even against all odds. This...this was very calculated, very precise. Anyone seen as a threat to a criminal organizations standing, is being eliminated in great numbers."

"The answer is if having a pulse on it, I must answer at first, not in localized occurrences without much digging. Though from what me and my Father kept finding, how we kept digging and how we conducted business, it has become far more dangerous to the point Nabola the Hutt refusing eight drop locations for a simple shipment of Sith Empire weaponry. If that ain't trouble in the galaxy, then I don't know what is."


Ghorua the Shark

 

[Ghorua the Shark]

She was the real deal, that was for sure.

Ghorua's relaxed posture slowly grew more intense as Nalana spoke. He leaned forward on the table, elbows resting on the hard surface. The large hunter was careful not to press too much weight on it, lest his snap it in half with his considerable bulk, but he couldn't avoid looking interested. His deep eyes sharpened, revealing the focus and cunning of the Shark.

He'd put on a veneer of nonchalance when it came to meetings. He liked making those around him feel safe, non-threatened. The Shark was a creature nearly eleven feet tall; he understood the effect he had on others. But he forgot it as Nalana detailed the general feeling of the entire galaxy's underworld.

With broad strokes, to be fair, but impressive nonetheless.

"Y'know," the old hunter started, smiling coyly, "I've done plenty of information work. That being said, that was one of the most succinct summaries of an Underworld environment that I've ever heard."

"I'm glad I don't have to explain the situation to you. Crime thrives off of instability. When the systems that govern the people loosen, like, for example, when a race of hyper-destructive warlords decimates an entire arm of the galaxy, or multi-trillion credit galactic powers crumble like old brownies, or a war the likes of which we haven't seen in four-hundred years tears across the Mid Rim... Well, people grasp at opportunity."

Ghorua smile lessened. "You called it a perfect storm. I couldn't agree more. The galaxy is primed to get a lot more dangerous. But I'm hoping to grasp at some opportunities coming my way, and I'd like some help."

The Shark shrugged. "Want a job?"

- Nalana Baxa -

 

[Nalana Baxa]

Listening to what was presented, she was glad she hit the nail on the literal head. It had been a large summary, a large one with the perfect storm brewing in the worst way possible in the last several hundred years. Though on the part of requiring help, that is what Nalana rose her eyebrow as the question came to her. Want a Job?

Nalana was currently, almost in the red. While her father had a lot of credits and she had them, a lot of them was locked up in various places and needed to take time to crack into the accounts. Time, she currently did not have if she had to constantly look over her shoulder. However this was an event to work together with someone and keep ones self on the move.

"If it gets me away from this rock, along prying eyes and can get me some credits, sure, I am in. What do you expect me to do?"

Ghorua the Shark

 

[Ghorua the Shark]

Ghorua had dedicated himself for the better part of twenty years to the art of reading people. It was an important skill that any bounty hunter worth their salt had to cultivate. The hunter had to notice the smallest shifts in weight, the tiniest ticks of the face, the microexpressions that made any sentient being an open book for the bounty hunter's perusal.

With all of that in mind, the Shark grinned to himself as he saw Nalana's eyebrows tick up. He wondered briefly if she was more surprised at his admittance of requiring help, or the offer itself.

"Well, I'm currently trying to acquire high-risk jobs from big names around the galaxy. Those are the kinds of jobs that I might need a talented slicer to find info for. Then, in the field, we might be able to employ some of those tricks you mentioned before. I could certainly use a blackout every once in a while."

A bounty hunter was only as good as their support. And if Ghorua had support like Nalana, he had a shot at being number one. A small shot, but a shot nonetheless.

"Welcome to the team." Ghorua extended his hand once more, but this handshake held much more significance than their greeting.

- Nalana Baxa -

 

[Nalana Baxa]

Nalana has been a part of a few of her Fathers more daring heists over the years, more notably being outside to ensure he did not get killed when running away. However she did do several sections of security hacking, as well as monitoring enemy movement when possible and script kidded some of his more famous malware, more noted of his blackout virus. She was in the process of making something even worse but it was taking some time.

"Jobs that are not to...seen should be more checked out in the Holonets underbelly when you are really needing the credits. The blackout feature is more of a set cooldown, long as there is a power station nearby, I can spike it through and create a cascade effect in that one station. But yes, I got some tricks and info can be easy, depending on which government ran where. Yes Indeed to, glad to be part of it."

Grasping his hand a bit more firmly this time, she shook it with a bit of a smile. Finally, a chance to get off this large oversized rock of trouble. What she may not know, is how much trouble this may all soon cause her...or maybe she is just overthinking it.

Ghorua the Shark

 

[Ghorua the Shark]

Ghorua smiled genuinely, receiving Nalana's confirmation of employment. It was difficult to find good help these days. Nalana seemed more than capable, a technological juggernaut, just as much as Ghorua was a physical one.

But the Shark also knew to keep an eye on her. He hesitated to think what could happen should they betray him. It was a struggle to find someone that would have his back; it was why he usually worked alone. He just had to ensure that working with him was more profitable than working against him.

"It's not just about the credits. But you'll certainly get your fair share."

Ghorua stood slowly, rising to his full height, and rolling his shoulders to banish some tension. He looked down at the slicer, replacing his helmet on his head, and placing a small case of credits on the table. "Signing bonus," he said, grinning.

"I'll give you a call once I've got something in the works. Until then, keep your hand on the pulse, yeah?"

Ghorua stepped out, leaving Nalana to her own devices in the Poor Man's Spit.

- Nalana Baxa -