Faction Law of the Frontier (Judges, Rimward Rangers)

[Jeshi Blaise]

SHINBONE
WILD SPACE
SOUTH OF THE CIS BORDER

Dust rose from the ground as Jeshi strode off the boarding ramp onto the surface of the dusty mining world. His eyes glinted in the early morning light and he sling the lever action scattergun across his shoulders. A badge gleamed on the top of his jacket and two heavy pistols hung at his waist.

Shinbone was the world the galaxy had forgot. A tough, hardscrabble free mining world just outside the Confederacy. Lots of folks moved in and out through here, and set up new lives here, often as prospectors.

Trouble was, not all of them were the kinds who could be left alone to live peaceably with their new life. Jeshi had been sent out from Svivren to track down a fugitive from the law, identified as a suspect of particular note by the Rimward Trade League for crimes against sentiments during the last war between ORC and the First Order.

Some said she had been an interrogator in the First Order intelligences services while others said she had been a radicalized Partisan. A few wild tales even said she had been a Sith Inquisitor under the One Sith.

None of that mattered to Jeshi or the League. What mattered was that she was the Butcher of Besberel.

Lagatin Valance. Born on Shinbone. Disappeared for years until popping up during the war at the head of a gang of outlaws known for massacring civilian villages who didn’t accept their demands, claiming it to be for their own security. With the collapse of both OPA and the First Order, she’d grown bolder and more ruthless, carving out a little kingdom, until a band of Jedi shattered her organization.

Lagatin herself had disappeared. And with the establishment of the Ranger Corps and the Justice Commission, she’d made the most wanted list among cartel leaders, corrupt businessmen, war criminals, and slave-lords.

And now, they finally had a tip. He’d set some messages along to the Judges if they wanted to help bring Valance to justice and they were to meet here at the spaceport before proceeding to where their informant listed as Valance’s hideout.

 

[Dex Darkstar]

Shinbone, Wild Space

The Darkstar, an utterly unique name for a freighter if there ever was one, settled into the landing pad a little too nicely. Not for the first time, Dex wondered if his trusted ride would lift off again. Things in the Rim tended to be held together with bailing wire and grit, but sometimes the bailing wire snapped, and sometimes grit just stopped the gears dead.

Dex chewed his lip lightly as he shut down systems and scheduled a refuel from the port authority, only to receive an out of order designation at the last minute before sending credits over. Dex took a deep breath in, and stood from the command couch. He had enough fuel for something, and that would have to be a problem for later. He grabbed his gunbelt from the hook next to his spot at the small table he had in what would be the common area, if his ship had other crew. He strapped it on, then swung into his bantha-hide jacket before stepping down the ramp and looking at yet another rundown spaceport of the Rim.

"Wonders never cease." He muttered dryly to himself as he started off. A small badge glinted in the sun when his jacket opened enough to let light hit that part of the belt. It marked him as a member of the Judges of the Outer Rim, and the lettering on it labelled him as a Sheriff from Tellyr Prime. The fact that it shined whenever possible and hadn't yet gotten a single spot of rust on it showed it to be new as anything possibly could be.

Dex checked the wristcomp he wore, it showed the general direction of the rendevouz point, he'd been given the farthest possible berth from it, but that's just how things tended to work. He never minded the walking, and a few more minutes of it rewarded him with the view of someone also wearing a badge. Dex approached, tipping an imaginary hat to Jeshi Blaise as he opened his jacket to momentarily flash his badge.

"Morning..."

 

[Jeshi Blaise]

Dex Darkstar

Jeshi ground the cigarra beneath the heel of his boot as he heard the voice behind him. He turned, slowly, one hand drifting down to the butt of his gun until he saw the gleam of the badge on the belt. His hands relaxed and settled on his belt as he nodded in return, thumbing his hands through the holsters. "Morning, Sheriff. Reckon you're one of the Judges come to help track down this gob of Krayt spit?"

He checked his own wristcomp and nodded. "Name's Jeshi Blaise, Sergeant, Rimward Ranger Corps, Company C. Work mostly out of Svivren and the surrounding worlds, but I fought with the Partisans during the last war. Always good to run into you folks again. Could use all the help we can get out here on the Rim."

Jeshi chewed his lip for a moment as he considered. "I'm thinking some caf to scope things out. Know if any more are joining us?"

 

[Dex Darkstar]

Jeshi Blaise

"Cup o' caf would hit the spot right now." He nodded with a welcoming smile. "I'm a Sheriff from Tellyr Prime, still shiny new. This'll be my first gig out system from there." Most wouldn't start a business relationship with a description of how new they were, but Dex said it as a matter of course, and he didn't hem and haw around it either. It was a fact, and he'd work with it.

Dex looked around and shrugged. "I wasn't told if other Judges would be coming, and no one I know of from Company T of the RRC on Tellyr was dispatched. You figure this'll be a big run?" He raised an eyebrow unconsciously with the question, hooking his thumbs in the front of his gunbelt and hanging his hands from there.

 

[Jeshi Blaise]

Dex Darkstar

"Excellent, I say we go scope out the dingiest looking caf shop and see what the sludges brings in," Jeshi said, with half a grin across his face. "And nothing wrong with a shiny new badge. Kark, the Ranger Corps itself isn't much older than that." He strode off down the street, eyes darting across the walkway as he assessed everyone they passed on the street before stepping into a rundown looking shop with a sign of a cup of caf flickering above the door.

Jeshi stepped inside and let his eyes adjust to the dim interior before moving to a table in a corner, where he ordered a basic cup of caf as he sat down. One hand rested on the table, his scattergun slung over his shoulder, while the other rested below the table on one of his holsters.

"Well. What you reckon of what we saw on the way here?"

 

[Dex Darkstar]

Jeshi Blaise

Dex paused for a moment as he ran a thumb over his badge, almost as if trying to smudge it a bit. He stepped quickly after that, and caught up to Jeshi after only a handful of paces. His eyes drifted around as they walked from the place they'd met to the a caf shop that definitely met the requirement of "dingy". At the table, Dex took a spot at an angle to Jeshi from the door, giving them a wide angle on as many approaches as two people at a table could be. He ordered a basic caf, knowing it was best to judge that before going for anything more colorful.

"Urchin a block further on was eyeing us a bit much, boots were newer than the rest of their nerf herding outfit." He eyed the room for a moment, thinking back on their short walk. "What'd you catch?"