Of Vice and Men

[Deagan Hunt]

:: Cloud City

Starports were always busy.

No matter where you went, no matter what you wanted to see, the starport was always busy. It didn't matter if the planet had one or a hundred, they were always teeming and bustling with people. In a way it was like a hive mind.

Every incoming ship, every outgoing vessel, all of them were tracked, looked after, and carefully followed. The flow of traffic was the lifeblood of every world in the galaxy. Without your local starport everything was chaos. Even Tatooine, Mos Espa had a Starport. Sure things were a bit more...all over the place, but the thing was still there. It allowed people to focus, it allowed people to gather.

That was the important thing.

People knew when they wanted something they could find it at the starport. Whether the goods were smuggled or legitimate, it all flowed through the starport. No matter the planet, no matter the system. Everyone knew it, and everyone exploited it at some point.

This place was no different. A floating city among the clouds, dozens of hangar bays and hundreds of different docking ports. Cloud City saw more than just a few passing transports, more than just some freighters. This world was one of the busiest trade ports in the entire galaxy. Everything from Luxury Goods to Oil flew into the city, and really only one thing went out. Tibanna gas, the fuel that half the galaxy ran on. It was why most people came to Bespin, or rather why most merchants came here. They wanted the fuel cheap and they wanted it immediately.

Of course, that want was a good place for profit, especially for those who knew how to exploit it.

 

[Subject 37]

Jorg hefted the duffel bag onto his back with a slight grunt.

He wondered briefly why it was that such containers always seemed to be heavier than they actually appeared to be. The damned things were annoying to carry and he'd always hated them yet for some reason everyone and their mother insisted that they were the best things to carry things in. He frowned slightly as he stepped off the freighter, his eyes following along with the small crowd that was slowly flowing out of the hangar bay.

A sigh escaped his lips.

A man behind him let out a curse as he bumped into Jorg, giving the human an angry stare as he walked on by. Jorg frowned for a second but then simply shook his head, wandering off of the freighters ramp finally and heading down towards the exit of the hangar bay.

The hustle and bustle of the crowd told a good enough story. Things were running along nicely here. The Tibanna trade was flowing well and such things brought money into the station. He wondered briefly where his hotel was, though he supposed he'd just be able to ask one of the information kiosks. With another slight frown he hefted his Duffel bag and headed towards the hangar's exit, turning left once he was out and walking towards a small statue of an odd little robot.

 

[Kenth Typho]

A man stood next to the small statue of the odd little robot.

Rather the wall closest by the statue itself.

The figure leaned against the shade the wall give him, a lazy cigarette perching off his lips and the tip burning slowly in the shadow. The smoke circled up and up and up, before being carried away by the air currents drifting from here to there. One side of his head was shaved, the rest was brushed messily to the other side with a flair made populair by the Duskbeings.

Heavy leather boots, spacer's choice of cargo pants carried by suspenders looping restlessly around wide shoulders. It all gave way to a heavy-set face that simply finished the image of a renaissance man exploring his new-found freedom.

A similarly-looking duffel bag was currently by his boots waiting to be picked up at a moment's notice. Gerard looked over his spectacles and finally noticed the figure approaching the statue itself - took him a few more moments to tear his attention away from the datapad, before the man decided to stuff it back in his pocket and pull the bag up over his shoulder again.

Oef. Why the fark did they always make it so heavy?

The cigarette was flicked away and Gerard shot [member="Jorg"] a quick nod of greeting.

 

[Zxthunder]

Drai Kor walks off of the long ramp of the transport ship, breathing deeply through his Mask and trying to feel what ever it was in his dream, but he could not feel it but he knew who ever or what ever it was is in cloud city and it was important.
he keeps his eyes to him self as he walks through the large crowd in to the main building trying to feel the force and that feeling that he felt in the dream as he walked.

Drai Kor walks further in to the building when he spots to human men carrying duffel bags.
He does not find this strange as that people are always transporting things in star-ports but what makes him stop is their behavior and how their impacting the force. he senses their worry and he knows that they are about to do something bad or they have all ready down it.

he weaves in and out of the crowd keeping an on them, keeping a safe distance and waiting.

 

[Djorn Bline]

Two bags he carried on his arms which were quite heavy, yet it didn't strain the clone that much. Both contained the necessities Canal needed for his little trip on Cloud City. It was quite odd for him to be in this particular situation given that he barely wore civilian clothing and was always stationed at some base.

Denim jeans covered his legs, a plain white shirt and a brown slick leather jacket covered his body. Aviator shades hid his eyes from the public as he did not want to show off to the entire public that he was a clone from the infamous Jango Fett. He was not from the Clone Wars period as he was ironically created under the banner of the Confederacy of Independent Systems some twenty to thirty years ago.

Perhaps people didn't care of the legacy that he carried, but he just didn't want to be exposed out in public for what he was.

The Fett clone then exited from the freighter's hangar bay and went towards a droid that was much smaller than him, and had two men loitering around it. One being familiar to Canal.

[member="Elliot Locke"] [member="Jorg"]

 

[Zxthunder]

He see another man walking toward the other two.
He starts to walk toward them the brown black robe covering his face except for his downward facing tusks that are poking out from under the hood.

he tries to stay in the crowd as he draws closer, forgetting why he came to cloud city in the first place.

He stop moving towards them an starts moving in a circular pattern around them, still in the crowd about 15 feet away. but keeping them in eye sight.

 

[Subject 37]

[member="Canal"] | [member="Elliot Locke"] | [member="Zxthunder"]

"Well." Jorg said to the other men, glancing at Canal for just a moment before addressing both of them.

"Hotel is on the upper west side." That was usually considered the "slummier" part of cloud city, not as nice but good as a party place. Supposedly a few of the Ugnaughts had a hidden club that one could get into with enough credits. "Lets throw our stuff there."

Jorg suggested. "Don't need this stuff weighing us down."

With a shrug the man headed off, not waiting for the other two to respond and not noticing the Kel Dor.

 

[Kenth Typho]

[member="Jorg"] | [member="Zxthunder"] | [member="Canal"]

Gerald's attention wasn't with them.

At least for all intents and purposes the man was looking past both Jorg and Canal, instead intently studying the bustling crowd moving around and past them. Not that he noticed the Kel Dor, maybe if there weren't so many other aliens around or maybe if he wasn't as force sensitive as a rock.

But no, the crowd study was simply an act to seem more casual than he really was.

"Alright." Gerald mumbled, before settling himself in for the wait. Jorg slowly filed out and Canal may or may not follow suit, but if there was one thing that Blanc realized?

It was that you couldn't be too careful around these parts.

He'd follow Jorg, once there was some measure of distance between them.

 

[Jaf Diechass]

[member="Zxthunder"] [member="Jorg"]

"I'll take my business elsewhere, then..." Jaf said reservedly, extending the collar on his jacket, after being denied service by a cheap Neimoidian merchant.

Before he could even glance at his surroundings, a robed Kel Dor brushed past him and caught his eye sight. It didn't take long for Jaf to make an ocular assessment of the robed figure's walking pattern, and he soon caught wind of the man hoisting a duffel bag on his back.

Shifting behind a greyish pillar, Jaf would wait for the Kel Dor to circle his path once more and then "join" the formation.

One... two... three! Jaf emerged into the crowds and advanced towards the rear of the circling figure.

Whatever was occurring in that crowd that day, Jaf Diechass wanted a piece of the action.

 

[Zxthunder]

Jaf Diechass - Elliot Locke - Jorg - Canal

Drai kor sees that two of the three men start walking away. he starts walking to keep them in sight range, then he feels a someone behind him and senses that they are watching him, he stops. then starts walking faster towards the two, not looking behind him but knowing he is being watched but does not want to run and cause a disturbance in the crowd. he grows closer to the two men that are walking away from the statue, he slows down but is still trying to shake the person who was behind him.

 

[Djorn Bline]

They were a team and a team stook together despite Canal's disliking of non-Fett clone soldiers due to his military superior complex.

He nodded in silence, not needing to speak in agreement. They were after all behind enemy lines and they needed have the utmost caution of their surroundings. Anyone could be a part of the Imperial Security Bureau no matter their looks or behavior.

As Jorg led the way, Elliot followed in tow as well as the clone.

He did not notice of the other two following behind them as he tried to blend in with the crowd and not making any suspicious actions. All he was was a simple tourist to enjoy the culture and atmosphere of Cloud City.

[member="Drai Kor"] [member="Jaf Diechass"] [member="Elliot Locke"] [member="Jorg"]

 

[Jaf Diechass]

Pick up the pace, pick up the pace.

Clearly the Kel Dor had three hundred and sixty degree vision, for it was evident Jaf had been detected somehow.

Force sensitives... bunch o' cheats.

The crowd seemed to engulf him, like a wave of garbage floating through an uncharted region of space. Had it not been for his boney structure, Jaf would have been knocked around more violently than a bartender in a cantina full of exhaust ports. And the odds of spotting another brown-robed figure with a similar height gained by the minute. This would be tricky.

Without thinking clearly, Jaf reached into his satchel bag and, amongst an array of empty canisters and general scrap, pulled out a small probe droid that a Jawa assured him would work.

Here goes nothing.

Activating the probe, Jaf targeted the Kel Dor...

@Jorg @Drai Kor [member="Canal"]

 

[Zeke Maddox]

[SIZE=11pt]Bespin. A city where men were made or broken on the daily. Zeke couldn’t guess why it attracted such a large crowd of scum and villainy, but as he exited his VCX-100 He was sure to keep a steady hand on his purse strings and an even firmer one on his blaster. Zeke had landed on the Western side of town and thought it was just his luck, but as he had just started hauling freight he had to take what contracts he could get. Even the shadier ones.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Today’s load was Tiabanna gas. Zeke didn’t stray to far from his ship as the burly Ugnaughts poured the gas into canisters then a few Wookiees loaded the barrels onto the ship. He watched them all load the cargo with the eyes of a hawk-bat. He’d counted and recounted everything aboard his ship and if anything went missing there’d be hell to pay. As the Wookiee loaded the last of the freight onto Zeke’s ship Zeke decided now to be a good time to go explore all that cloud city had to offer.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]He made his way from the docking area and into the bustling warehouse. More Ugnaughts welded barrels together or did other miscellaneous jobs. Wookiees loaded gas into the canisters and rolled them away. The place was a cacophony of noise that Zeke was eager to leave. He found the light grunts and squeals of the Ugnaughts mildly disturbing. So, as he exited the warehouse and entered the city streets his mood greatly improved. He was free for a few hours, so he decided what better way to spend his time then drinking at the local dive.[/SIZE]

[member="Jaf Diechass"]
[member="Canal"]
[member="Drai Kor"]
[member="Elliot Locke"]
[member="Jorg"]

 

[Zxthunder]

Dria Kor keeps his distance to three men, weaving in and out of the crowd still trying to stay hidden.

He can sense that the man behind him has slowed but he does not know why, how ever he can't sense the probe (because its a machine).
he does know what to do now expect follow the men in head of him.

 

[Subject 37]

[member="Drai Kor"] | [member="Zeke Maddox"] | [member="Jaf Diechass"] | [member="Canal"] | [member="Elliot Locke"]

Jorg remained blissfully unaware of pretty much everyone around them, mostly because he wasn't looking out for them. He was instead focused on simply getting them to the hotel. He had never really done well in cities, something that had hurt him quite a bit on Coruscant. It was worse now since he didn't have a HUD with a map, but eventually he managed to wind his way towards the hotel, finding it with a neon sign on one side. A small smile crept onto his face.

He'd managed to get them to the hotel, and that was a success in it of itself. "Let me check us in."

Jorg told the other two men as they headed forward, tossing the duffel over his shoulder as he went inside along with the others and wandered up to the front desk. He smiled at the girl sitting there and then pulled out an identity card as well as some credits.

"HI there." Jorg said. "I have a reservation."

For a few moments Jorg spoke with the girl, eventually she slid a small piece of paper across the table along with a keycard. Giving her one last smile Jorg direct Canal and Elliot up the narrow stairway to where they would find their suite.

 

[Zxthunder]

Dria Kor follows them to the hotel, he wakes a far ways back till he knows that they have checked in and are in their room, he goes in to the hotel looking around seeing if all of them are out of the lobby they are, he walks up to the Girl at the front desk she looks up at the hooded Kel Dor.
" Have you seen three men carrying duffel bags inter this hotel" he asks in his loud but clam voice
she tells him that she can not give him that information.

' Fine we do this the hard way then' he thinks.
"You will tell me tell me which room the three men are in and you will check me in to a room next to theirs" He says with a slight wave of his 4-fingered hand
The girl repeats what he says then tells him him where the men are staying and gives him a keycard to the room to the left of theirs.

"thank you" he says as hes walking away and up the stairs heading to his room.

Jorg Canal Elliot Locke

 

[Kenth Typho]

[member="Drai Kor"] | [member="Zeke Maddox"] | [member="Jaf Diechass"] | [member="Canal"] | [member="Jorg"]​

​

Whilst his associates were either uncaring or unwilling to take note of the situation unfolding Elliot was a different matter.

He had hung back earlier, allowing the two to head up and giving himself the opportunity to see who was acting irregular. It wasn't easy, but wasn't especially difficult either. Not when your entire job description was figuring people out; what they were doing, why, how and what they would do next.

There was something off about the Kal Dor, but Locke wasn't sure what.

Already the SIS agent decided to follow his associates into the hotel. Allowing the... criminal? He wasn't sure what Kor's business was, but it couldn't be good.

Maybe he wanted to rob them?

That would be awkward.

Eventually Jorg managed to get their rooms approved. The SIS agent followed them out, but lingered near the doorway and out of view, gesturing for them to go on. Just as expected the Kel Dor walked in - loud enough to be overheard, he was inquiring about them. He just caught the gesture of the hand, followed by the command, before Locke retreated into the shadows and resumed the jaunt to their rooms.

Took him a few minutes, before he knocked and Canal opened the door for him. A nod passed and his own duffel bag was thrown near where the others were.

"Might be a complication." Locke let them know. "Some Kel Dor is inquiring about us, Forcer, he mind-tricked your lady friend into getting the room next to us."

A frown marred his expression.

"It would be risky to continue."

 

[Djorn Bline]

Unlike Elliot, the Fett clone was engineered and trained for warfare, not for espionage or profiling people. He was an ARC trooper and placed him in the special forces of the Galactic Alliance. Was this a reconnaissance mission? He couldn't tell if it was or wasn't, but he did know he has to keep a low profile.

He opened the door for Locke and immediately closed it. Canal heard the SIS agent speak as they were informed of a potential complication in their plans.

They had come so far for any compromises against them, and the Captain was not going to waste his time in making another trip to the nearest Alliance world.

The soldier went to one of his duffel bags, unzipped it, and his hands navigated through the clothes and other miscellaneous content stored in it. Finally grabbing what he wanted, he took out a refurbished DC-17 pistol.

"Then let's take care of the complication."

[member="Elliot Locke"] [member="Drai Kor"] [member="Jorg"] [member="Zeke Maddox"]

 

[Zxthunder]

Dria Kor is still meditating on his bed not knowing what is to come.

Elliot Locke Jorg Zeke Maddox Canal

 

[Subject 37]

[member="Canal"] | [member="Elliot Locke"] | [member="Drai Kor"]

Jorg shook his head. "Guys."

It was important to remember why they were here in the first place. None of them wanted to go stampeding through the reaches of Cloud City, none of them wanted to do any of that. They were here for one specific mission and that was it.

"No need." He patted Canal on the shoulder. "We're here on vacation."

That was the important fact to remember, and as he threw his duffel bag into a closet and tucked it away beneath one of the panels he couldn't help but shake his head slightly. He knew that the other two meant well, but there was an art to this. In truth he suspected Elliot knew that, that the man just wanted to make himself and Canal aware that there could be an issue. Yet they weren't there just yet, and there was absolutely no need to panic.

"We're here to enjoy ourselves." He shrugged.

"Let's go do that." He pulled out a stack of credit chits. "It's why we got these."