Lone Digger

[Delilah Keyes]

[media]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbsBEb1ZxWA[/media]​

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The Galaxy Palace​

Nar Shaddaa​

It hadn't been easy, convincing Walk that, no, he couldn't come. She'd had to promise she'd bring him another time before he relented, but she understood.

She'd picked a table near the stage. Alright. Very near.

Fine. Right next to.

With her elbow propped up, chin cupped in her palm, she watched the current 'dancer'. A drink sat on the table in front of her, a tall slender glass full of something aquamarine and slowly fizzing. Dressed in black and gold, hair piled high on her head, she looked out of place at this particular club. Several of the patron snuck glances, but she ignored them. Currently, she was mostly trying to figure out the gender of the alien on the stage and waiting for her contact.

It bothered her how little she'd been able to dig up on her and her group. But that meant the people who were after them wouldn't be able to either, she supposed.

Walker and Del had made out like bandits on Alderaan, literally. But it wasn't the same as real employment. Sure, she could go back into her particular brand of burglary for herself, but that was subject to the vagaries of mark, market and fence. It wasn't reliable and right now, with Sonny and the Nuna breathing down their necks and making work within more normal criminal channels difficult, Del had put out feelers farther afield. There was nothing they could do about the two syndicates out for blood without money and allies. Money they had for the moment, but that never lasted. This was, hopefully, a step toward securing both for something longer running than a single heist.

Delilah leaned back in her chair, head cocking to the side.

Male. Huh.

If Walk had been here, she would have lost that bet.

[member="Janeth Farr"]

 

[Janeth Farr]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFwB5ayV0vQ​

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Enter Esli Manten...

Amateur shockboxing champion of many tournaments throughout the Outer Rim. Wanted in six systems as well, though that's a less interesting fact if you asked. Mostly for smuggling and contraband charges, though she had also escaped custody a number of times too. Still, the alias allowed her to slip by customs and starport security long enough in systems that wouldn't immediately flag her as wanted.

Janeth walked into the seedy establishment with a repulsed grimace.

Normally she wouldn't have minded a pazaak parlour or spice den; maybe even a brothel if she could avoid the company. A place like this? Immediately a number of alien employees swarmed her. Wearing next to nothing, and it was increasingly difficult to tell what was meant to be covered or not. She slipped through them with subversive steps, nearly knocking down a waiter in the process. After warding off a number of glares and complaints she finally made her way over to where her contact sat.

Clearly she found herself out of her own comfort zone, and she dragged the chair back along its feet with an audible screech.

"Please tell me I didn't sit down next to the one other human here to find out I'm mistaken." She sighed.

The Mandalorian wore her usual getup. Rebreather and all. Only the upper half of her face minus the hairline gave anyone a peek. She brought her hands up around the helmet, disconnecting the air seal and lifting it up off her head. Dark brown locks fell short along her forehead, with the rest packed tightly in a collapsing bun at the back. She had the face of a woman in her late twenties to early thirties, with a few faded scars along her chin, nose, and lips. The helmet soon rested on the table in front of them.

Next she unholstered her blaster, setting it aside the headgear.

[member="Delilah Keyes"]

 

[Delilah Keyes]

She stuck out like a sore thumb. Delilah supressed a smile as she watched the other woman move across the room. Lately, a long string of things not going her way had made her think she's lost her touch. But having this, at least to start, go exactly as she intended was a pleasant surprise. She didn't know anything about this woman, who she represented, who she worked with or for- it was possible she hadn't even been given her real name for this meet up. Not that she'd take that one personally- Delilah Keyes wasn't her real name either.

Being on the wrong end of intel was never comfortable for Del, so balancing those scales a little bit was helpful. Petty? No. But it put them on a more even playing field and that was useful.

Swirling her drink, Delilah leaned back in the chair, unapologetically watching as the other woman drew up. A small, neutral smile, unreadable dark eyes, she took in the details and filed them away- the words, the helmet, the blaster, the way she pulled the chair- cataloguing. She didn't know what any of it meant, yet. But she knew people gave away more than they usually meant to, especially when they were uncomfortable.

"Right table," she confirmed, her voice soft and almost warm.

The alien on the stage (even Del didn't recognize the species) sauntered over, dancing on the edge of near them. Del ignored it, relaxed and casual as she sipped her drink. She raised her hand, one finger in the air as she beckoned over one of the wandering, scantily clad wait staff.

"What's your poison?"

[member="Janeth Farr"]

 

[Janeth Farr]

The music, the crowd, the lighting, and even the smell all worked in tandem to overwhelm her senses at first. For a moment Janeth took a powerful, deep breath. Closing her eyes for a second or two before slowly pulling them open again. Pupils dilated in adjustment; pushed back against the blue discs which surrounded them. She had learned long ago how to drown out distractions. Part of it is from her training and upbringing, the rest though is something she picked up in the ring. Shockboxing arenas weren't too much unlike this. Minus the dancers and glitter.

A slight smile formed at the corner of Janeth's lips when Delilah offered her a drink. "In a place like this I imagine it's actually poison." She did her best to maintain eye contact with Keyes. Though from time-to-time they twitched in the direction of sights and sounds. "Retsa on the rocks." She answered. "A lot of rocks."

When the ambiguous wait-person wandered off to presumably get Janeth her drink, she now turned her full and uninterrupted attention to the conversation she wanted to have.

"Let's keep this short, shall we? I want to know everything about you that's relevant. Skills, preferences, limitations. Nothing needs to be personal--just give me the facts." If Delilah was going to be paid for her eventual services by the Collective, then Janeth needed to know what they would be paying her to do. They had only a brief dossier but somehow background checks didn't turn up as much as they had expected to find.

This meant one of two eventualities. Either Delilah was an uneventful individual, or she happened to be careful enough to avoid drawing too much attention to her actual self. What they did know is that she had enough credibility to be approached, and that was enough for the Board to send someone like Janeth to bring her in.

[member="Delilah Keyes"]

 

[Delilah Keyes]

Ah, so this was going to be one of those.

Which was fine with Del.

"I'm a thief," she responded promptly. Leaning back in her chair, she tipped back slightly, using her knees against the table to stabilize herself on the back two legs. Casual, relaxed in every muscle. But those dark eyes were sharp and weighing.

"Second story work mostly," she continued, reaching out to pluck her drink from the table. "One or two big ticket items, rather than a mess of bullchit. I know value when I see it. I also dabble in the information trade. You'd be surprised how often people leave interesting intel just laying about when they think their personal apartments are secure. And people, of course, are just so prone to talking more than they ought to when it's to a pretty face."

She smiled then, slow and lazy.

"Can take care of myself in a fight, but I'll avoid one if I can. No profit in slugging it out with someone."

It was only part of the story, but it was the narrative she wanted to push right now.

"Sound like something you could use?"

[member="Janeth Farr"]

 

[Janeth Farr]

Janeth listened as Delilah began to summarize her repertoire.

She wondered how much was true, how much was rehearsed. From personal experience she assumed it was all half-truths. Enough to sell herself, but not enough to give a deep impression of the person behind the facade. It was how most mercenaries, hired guns, and anyone who did anything shady for credits worked; at lest in this Mandalorian's eyes.

The wait-person came back with the drink Janeth ordered, setting the glass down in front of her. Janeth reached out with a gloved hand and gripped the container, bringing the beverage to her nose so she might give it a whiff. Then she took a cautious sip. Tasting the ingredients. The ice diluted the drink which was notoriously strong, a somewhat underhanded tactic she used during gambling when pretending to be drunk suited her.

Eventually she would get drunk off of it, of course... With the right amount of sips.

"Sure does," she answered. "But why did you want to meet here of all places?"

The music picked up around them, and more aliens flooded the establishment to the point that every table was soon crowded. Janeth found it increasingly difficult to maintain her undivided attention with so many distractions. She took a generous swig of her drink this time, if only to calm her nerves.

[member="Delilah Keyes"]

 

[Delilah Keyes]

Both of Del's eyebrows went up in a credible impression of surprise.

"What do you mean?" She asked, tilting her head slightly.

She knew, of course, exactly what the other woman meant. She wasn't playing stupid, so much as simply not giving her the knowledge that she was deliberately trying to make her uncomfortable. Delilah still didn't know anything about her, her group, or any of it, and until she did, it was better to play this off as simply a natural choice.

Watching, the growing distraction was noticeable. Unless of course that was also an act. But going down that durni hole was a never ended Mobius of possibilities and ultimately, fruitless.

"Not to your taste? I always thought a busy place was a better cover than a quiet one. Difficult to listen in on a conversation, people less likely to remember you in a crowd. Two people meeting in a quiet bar in the back booth is *very* memorable, after all."

It was a solid reason. Just not the only one of course.

"So.... quid pro quo. Care to tell me a little bit about your group? Give me some idea of what you'd be paying me for?"

She smiled easily, friendly.

It was easy to be friendly when the other person was uncomfortable.

[member="Janeth Farr"]

 

[Janeth Farr]

Did Janeth buy it? Maybe. Did it matter? Not really, no.

Yet it didn't stop her from wondering.

"Fair enough..." She took another generous portion of her drink before she continued. "We're a collective of sorts, and that name--the Collective--has stuck with many of our agents. In our employ we expect people like you to bring their various skills into play. Combat, slicing, even a threatening look or pretty face." The Mandalorian wasn't the best at explaining things without explaining them.

She couldn't outright give Delilah a book on the subject and say "Here, read all about us!" ... As much as it would've been a help here.

"Consider yourself on retainer. You'll receive regular pay for that alone, and whenever we have a special job in need of your services we'll contact you. The pay there depends on the risks and rewards. We weigh both equally and ensure our agents are compensates for any unexpected circumstances." That last part was easier, she rehearsed it from her own introduction.

Janeth brought the glass up yet again, but this time stayed her hand. "Do you play pazaak?" She offered Delilah a curious gaze.

[member="Delilah Keyes"]

 

[Delilah Keyes]

She nodded occasionally as she listened. It was all fairly standard- Though she did like the retainer part, getting paid even when nothing was happening? That sounded like a good deal to her. A little too good honestly, and that made her slightly suspicious. But then, most things did, so that hardly was noteworthy.

Of course, it didn't escape her notice that the other woman only talked about what the job itself might entail. Not a single peep about what this 'Collective' was or what they stood for. For all she knew, they might be a group of hedonists that clubs baby durnies for fun. Of course, if the price was right, she'd happily stand at the sideline and hand over mallets as needed, so, did it really matter?

She thought of Walk, and repressed the urge to frown.

Maybe. A little.

Ugh, now was not the time to be thinking about Walker bloody Ducarte. Half the reason she was here right now was because it gave her something separate. Something that, if everything went to chit as things were prone to do, she'd have something that had nothing to do with him.

"Occasionally," she answered, brow quirking slightly. The change of subject was interesting. It seemed that, at least for now, she had no intention of elaborating on the Collective itself.

"Fancy a game? I'm sure they have a deck around here somewhere we can commandeer."

[member="Janeth Farr"]

 

[Janeth Farr]

Leave it to Janeth to occupy one of the three power pack pouches with a deck of Pazaak cards...

She didn't even explain, she simply removed the pack with a smirk and set it down on the table. Separating the side deck cards from the main deck. "We'll have to split my side deck, seeing as you don't have one." Delilah might notice that the cards were worn but kept in relatively good shape. Clearly Janeth used them often, and took care of them when she did.

How many weeks had it been since her last game; that time she and Blue squared off in the Collective hideout here on Nar Shaddaa? She didn't forget that game at least, the smell of the apartment block alone took weeks to scrub out of her clothes.

"I don't go anywhere without them." She revealed a bit about herself. "Almost anywhere, anyway." The Mandalorian shuffled the deck and dealt out an even number of cards. "Draw four... Republic senate rules?"

The two of them could bet credits if they wished, though somehow Janeth suspected Delilah to be the type of woman to spice a game up.

[member="Delilah Keyes"]

 

[Delilah Keyes]

Alright, that surprised her. She arched a single dark brow up, considering the woman across from her for a minute. And then nodded.

"Suits," she agreed. "After all, we can play a friendly game."

She smiled, but there was just a hint of teeth in that crooked grin.

In Republic Senate rules, there were no bets or wagers. No one ultimately came out on top. Someone could win, yes, but it didn't mean anything. Not really. Of course, Del never played for nothing.

Already, Esli was telling her things. Just by playing, in theory, there would be more. The question was mostly how much of it was real and how much an act? With the way Del operated, it was hard to assume anyone was ever completely honest.

Well, maybe Walk, but he was a unique case.

The wear on the cards, the choice of rules. Esli found comfort in familiar rituals and risked only what she could afford to. What else then?

[member="Janeth Farr"]

 

[Janeth Farr]

Four cards slid across the table towards Delilah, another four sat face down in front of Janeth. She drew a deck card.

"I love pazaak for two reasons. One... It doesn't matter who is on the other side of the table. You can show your hand and it really wouldn't matter. It's about the math." She wasn't a math wizard by any means, but she knew enough to incorporate it into her game. "Other games? Not so much. I once played Sabacc with a mind reader, as you can imagine they won."

Their little game continued. Janeth won one, lost one. There was not going to be a real victor in the end, though that didn't seem to matter. "I prefer taking things at face value. Like numbers. I can predict outcomes based on what I know, and what's unknown can still be managed when it becomes known." Was she getting somewhere? Saying something? She certainly liked being cryptic, at least for now.

She looked up at Delilah with a smirk. Placing in her +5 card. "That's twenty. Think you can match it?"

A draw would keep their little game going for a while longer. A win for Janeth though would bring her closer to the death blow.

[member="Delilah Keyes"]

 

[Delilah Keyes]

"It would be nice if everything worked like that, right?" She replied conversationally as they played.

Honestly, Del couldn't think of anything more boring.

"Everyone one just coming right out with what they thought, who they were. But I guess, unfortunately, people aren't cards."

Funny, she thought to herself, to be talking about honesty like that while lying through her smiling teeth. Of course, the smile itself wasn't a lie. She was genuinely enjoying herself, but she was playing games that had nothing to do with the cards on the table in front of them.

"Alas. Nineteen. Hand is yours."

Del wasn't playing for keeps. If anything, she was perfectly content to lose here. There were no risks to her, and everything to gain. After all, she'd seen her uncomfortable, out of her element. Now she was getting a chance to watch her regain that confidence. People could be very different between those two places, and Del took it in, cataloguing and weighing.

The next hand was a draw, which meant Esli won the round. Not soundly, the games had been perfectly good, friendly competitive. But it was all with a purpose. There was a certain persona, easy going and friendly, that Del wanted to use here. Someone willing to lose a casual game with a friendly smile and a 'perhaps next time' shrug was far more useful to her than the alternatives.

She sat back in her chair, a fresh pair of drinks deposited next to both of them with a twirl of a finger in the air.

"I'm out of practice," she 'admitted', a little chagrined. "Good game. Another round?"

Despite assumptions, she didn't offer to up the stakes.

[member="Janeth Farr"]

 

[Janeth Farr]

Was Janeth enjoying herself?

She certainly appeared to be. Then again, maybe she was just relieved to find some familiar ground in an otherwise alien club. Janeth reshuffled the deck and dealt out the cards; an answer to Delilah's question. "Want to make things interesting?" The woman smiled most assuredly.

"One way they wanted me to evaluate you was in the field, but I'm more content to do something less bothersome." She pulled a card from the top of the maindeck, placing it down in front of her on the upper left. "Nar Shaddaa is a big place, and I'm sure you know your spots as I know mine... Let's say whoever wins this one chooses our next stop?" A simple wager to say the least.

Though it also meant that Janeth could--potentially--pull Delilah out of her comfort zone. If she had one. Or it meant that Janeth would wind up somewhere she liked even less. No telling until it happened, of course, and for now the Mandalorian seemed more interested in the cards. It would seem she also had a place in mind.

"Draw."

[member="Delilah Keyes"]

 

[Delilah Keyes]

"Well, everything I do is in the field already, so you're all set," she said with a warm smile.

She watched the other woman with some amusement. She had deliberately not made the 'make it more interesting' offer, waiting to see what she would do. She was getting more comfortable now, which was good. Mostly because it gave her more information.

"Deal," she said, smile widening slightly, showing just a hint of teeth.

"Spend a lot of time on Nar Shaddaa?" She asked, tone settled firmly between casual and curious. "Might be we have some over lapping haunted. Never know."

The cards were dealt, play pushed forward. Del stayed just as relaxed as before, but there was a certain attention to detail in those dark eyes that hadn't been centered on the cards before.

With a tap, she accepted another card, tilting her head slightly to the side as she watched Esli across the table.

[member="Janeth Farr"]

 

[Janeth Farr]

Janeth too was more focused on the table than she was on Delilah, glancing quite obviously between the two in no apparent pattern.

"I come here as often as any pilot has to." Nar Shaddaa was an essential pit stop between several busy places sectors in the galaxy. Chances are a ship wound up here at least once or twice in its long haul, but like them she didn't exactly cherish the sights... Let alone the smells. "This is the longest I've stayed on one world since I was younger." Another fact she revealed, but one she never kept secret.

At least a good percentage of the galaxy were spacers like hers. Never truly calling one world home, though she did have her favourites.

She played another card. This time an unusual one. The double card, which doubled the value of the previous card played. "Nineteen, and I stand." No point in taking a risk. Chances of getting a one on her next draw? Slim. Janeth finished off her drink much quicker than she had planned, and already the effects were felt. Her vision glazed over a bit, a throbbing sensation in her head, and a light tingle in her fingers and toes.

The sound and sights around her were beginning to take their toll on her diminished senses, but she wasn't chitfaced. She could still talk just fine, but she spoke more freely and with an extra dose of confidence.

[member="Delilah Keyes"]