Rendezvous at the Cantina (Mangus)

[Esme Pallas]

A seedy cantina, it was the ideal place for a meeting with a fellow Corellian. It had been quite a while since Esme had spent time with anyone from their now broken home-world. However, she wasn’t here to make new friends, she was here to conduct some business. By day she worked hard to make a name for herself in the upscale art world, but in the darkness of night she was something different. While Esme certainly didn’t advertise her services as a counterfeiter, word of mouth had a way of getting around. Working with smugglers, bounty hunter and various other shady figures didn’t bother her; it was simply a way to make a living.

Esme was dressed down in a dark grey tank top and sleek black pants with boots that came up to the knee. Her signature red hair was pulled back into a long ponytail that swayed gently as she walked. She usually made it a point to keep her appearance pulled together and pristine, but tonight she wasn’t looking to stand out from the crowd. She walked with confident strides towards an empty table near the back of the cantina, keeping her black messenger bag close to her body. She kept her expression quite cold, and avoided making contact with any of the other patrons, for now she would just fade into the background.

She took a seat and let her eyes shift about her surroundings quickly. Esme didn’t know much about the man she was meeting; only that his name was [member="Mangus Abraxius"] and he needed some alternate identification. She did have his picture, something she usually required prior to meeting with a client. It sped the ID creation process along and increased the authenticity of her work. Esme had given him a brief description of what she would be wearing and where she would be located, she would simply wait for him to come and find her.

 

[Bradok]

Mangus had been detached for a while now, owing allegiances to no man or organization, and having complete freedom for the first time in many years. That was one of the drawbacks of getting involved with the ne'er-do-wells of the Galaxy, once you were in it was very costly to get out. He was one of the resourceful few that had ran with the scum of the criminal underworld and not completely become scum himself, but Mangus was certainly no saint. So it was, after years of paying off debts and bribing the right people to forget him, he was on his own with no one looking for him. Mangus had a fresh start and as he walked through the doors of the cantina it was as if he was taking his very first steps in the Galaxy all over again.

He had often found himself in places like this during his lifetime, dark and gritty bars where no upscale citizen would ever even allow mention of in their presence. It was true that most people may well hate places like this, but Mangus loved them. The constant clatter of glasses and bottles, the yelping and wailing of the patrons as they mingle, the cheap imitation music played by the cantina band, it was intoxicating for him for these people in Mangus' experience were as real as they come. As he scanned the room and walked amongst the crowd his thoughts turned to revelry but he as here for business, and he could not put it off.

Mangus was looking for a counterfeiter, and from what he had heard a damn good one. After slumming around for a while Mangus had finally decided to go into business for himself as a smuggler, figuring the years of helping out on independent contracts and what have you was more than enough experience to get him started. He had managed to get information on this particular counterfeiter from one of his old running mates before cutting connection with him as well, and afterwards it was fairly easy to send a few anonymous transmissions and set up a meeting. She had chosen this place, now all Mangus had to do was pick her out amongst the crowd.

She had provided Mangus with ample detail enough to recognize her, so when he saw the buxom, red-headed beauty, sitting at a back table he knew right away it was her. Walking up to her, pulling a chair out, and sitting Mangus looked her over and began to speak. "I'm Mangus." He said softly and waited for [member="Esme Pallas"] to show her hand.

 

[Esme Pallas]

Esme looked up as she spotted a man approaching her table, she was sure that this must be her client. She merely watched with soft blue eyes as the man took a seat and introduced himself as Mangus. The artist inside her began to scan his appearance, he was rough and weathered, and he fit in nicely with the crowd of cantina patrons. Esme especially took note of the scar that ran across his right eye; he definitely looked the part. She had to admit, she’d been a bit taken aback by the soft tone he had taken with her, perhaps there was more to this man than met the eye. “And I’m Esme.” She said simply, nodding to him.

The documents Mangus had contacted her about where nestled safely inside her bag; she would present them once she was sure that he had the credits to pay. It was very easy to fall prey to the ill-will of others in this line of work, it was best to be cautious. While Esme wasn’t an overly friendly person, she did like to think that she was pleasant, underneath her cool and collected appearance. Perhaps it would be best to break the ice; they were in a cantina after all. One little drink couldn’t hurt, right?

“Would you care for a drink?” She asked, a smile flickering onto her face. “And then we’ll get down to business.”

[member="Mangus Abraxius"]

 

[Bradok]

Mangus watched [member="Esme Pallas"] carefully for a moment as she spoke and offered him a drink. It was clear to him that she knew what she was doing but still, she seemed out of place. "A drink couldn't hurt I suppose." He said as he motioned for a nearby waiter to their table. "Two glasses of Corellian Ale." Mangus continued, letting his eyes drift from Esme to the waiter and then back again. The stuff as getting hard to come by now that Corellia was gone and it was always a bit pricy nowadays, but a taste of home was worth every penny. The waiter nodded and left the table for a moment leaving the two of the a brief respite to talk business,

Propping his arms up on the table, Mangus would look across the table and began speaking. "It's always strange to meet another Corellian these days." He said with a somber expression as he continued. "I know there is no real majority in the galaxy but it really feels like we are outnumbered now. Meh, guess there's nothing to be done about it now at any case." Mangus said as he leaned back and scanned the far side of the room for the waiter, knowing that it wouldn't be polite to delve into business before the drinks were had so to speak. Then, as if on cue, the waiter appeared and sat down the two glasses in front of them. Handing him a few Credits Mangus lifted his glass towards his newfound compatriot. "Cheers."

He as close now, he could feel it. His new beginning would start here in this bar, and even he had began to feel to pulls on anxiousness leaving his body. No more fighting or working for cutthroats, at least he hoped not, and no more taking orders. Just the thought of it seemed to lift his spirits, but it wasn't over yet. He had to get through this deal, and though it seemed like it was going smoothly enough Mangus knew anything could happen.

 

[Esme Pallas]

A smirk found Esme’s face when he ordered Corellian Ale, a good choice and a nostalgic one at that. She leaned forward slightly and listened as Mangus spoke. Indeed it was strange that the namesake of the Corellian Sector was gone, leaving them and their fellow Corellians without a home world. “Yes, we can only move forward.” She said with a nod, accepting the glass that had just been set down before her. Esme raised her glass and then took a sip; it was just as she remembered it. As Mangus had been so generous to pay for the drinks, it was clear to her that he must have the credits to pay for his new start.

After another sip of ale, she began to rifle through her bag. She located an envelope and set it down on the table in front of her. “You’ll find all of the documents you require.” She tapped the envelope with an index finger for emphasis. “New ID card, identification papers, birth cert, and a new credit account under your new alias.” She spoke, letting her eyes meet with his. With her background in art, it was easy for her to forge ID cards; she knew exactly which colors needed to be printed for a convincing match. It was a very specific mix. The only difference between her cards and the real thing was that the ink on her forged cards didn’t quite have the longevity as the real thing, especially when exposed to sunlight.

She kept the envelope just out of his grasp, her hand on top just in case, it was a habit. Esme wouldn’t let it out of her sight until payment had been received. It was always a strange thing, providing someone with a means to start a new start, all wrapped up in a simple envelope. These meetings always left her a bit curious; usually it was her way to leave once payment had been provided. Esme decided that she had time to stick around, she needed to finish her ale at least. “Time for a new start?” She asked, tilting her head to the side.

[member="Mangus Abraxius"]

 

[Bradok]

Mangus watched as [member="Esme Pallas"] took in the drink, smirking all the while. Following suite he lightly pressed the glass to his lips allowing the sweet liquid to run down his throat, savoring every moment of it. It may have seemed as a bit of a corny ploy by ordering Corellian Ale but in truth Mangus had always enjoyed, and rise he had gotten from drinking it had only increased with the dissolution of Corellia. Now, staring over the glass and across the table towards his companion, Mangus knew he needed this break more than ever before. As he sat the glass down upon the table Esme would slowly slide the envelope his way, keeping her hand firmly placed upon it. Knowing this was his cue, Mangus reached into his coat and withdrew the bag of Credits before sitting them down on the table.

"Yeah, it's past time for one." He said, shaking the bag a bit to feel the weight of the Credits one last time. "And it's worth every single cred." Mangus finished, tossing the bag to Esme's side of the table so she could make sure the amount was right herself. He had met counterfeiters before in his time, most being mousey little men with stim addictions running shops out of a back alley, so he couldn't help but feel Esme was a bit lax. However; as he pondered this, he decided to attribute her attitude to her professional nature reassuring Mangus his money was being well spent. "It should all be there." Magnus would finish before taking the glass of ale and taking another long swig to finish it off.

It was all a little hard to believe as Mangus sat there pondering his new existence. In truth it seemed a bit cliché, a man buying a ne identity from a beautiful woman, and that caused him to chuckle under his breath a bit. As he thought on though he began to realize that many of the great things in life were in fact cliché, that alone brought a little solace to his mind. These dealings were almost over, or at least seemed to be, and he had a lot more to do before beginning down his newly chosen path, but it felt good to take these first steps nonetheless. Smirking a bit, then looking across the table, Mangus couldn't help but to ask: "Do you do this kinda thing often?"

 

[Esme Pallas]

Esme’s hand slid away from the envelope as Mangus provided her with the credits. He seemed like a trustworthy man, but she took a peek inside the bag just to be safe. While it would be impossible to know if the full amount was there without counting the credits, she decided that she would take his word for it. It was always a risky business when credits were exchanged under the guise of a harmless meeting, but she was well aware. Her gaze shifted around the cantina quickly, just to ensure that there were no eyes upon her before she swept the bag of credits out of sight. Work had been a little scarce lately, so she was thankful for this much needed infusion of credits. She took another sip of the ale, savoring the remaining golden liquid. Her eyes flickered up at [member="Mangus Abraxius"] when he spoke.

“More often than you’d think.” She winked at him. When she met people, she didn’t give the impression of being associated with shady business deals or putting forged items out into circulation… but this often worked to her advantage. It afforded her the ability to carry on with her day job without sullying her identity or reputation. Those clients that purchased new identities would keep quiet for their own good, and this also worked in her favor. They couldn’t expose her without revealing that they were using a false identity. “This is just a way to support myself.” When she was starting out, she found it difficult to come to terms with the dishonesty of her work. However, as time went on she became bothered by it less and less.

“I’m an artist.” She finally revealed. “It’s tough to break into the business, but that’s my goal.” Her shoulders raised into a brief shrug. Esme liked to think that she would cut ties with her counterfeiting business once she did become a successful artist, but there was something very satisfying about it, it was a whole other way to put her skills to use. There was also a certain excitement that she found herself craving; there was a certain satisfaction that came with successfully leading a double life.

 

[Bradok]

As [member="Esme Pallas"] took hold of the bag, so too did Mangus grab the alluring envelope holding the keys to his future. Esme had already opened the bag, silently weighing it's worth, as Mangus opened the envelope and began to peruse it's contents. An identity card, papers, Credit account codes, it was all here and in pristine condition. With this it would be easy to secure a ship, possibly even a loan, and start his on operation. When he had first thought the idea of going into shipping Mangus had wanted to go legit, however; he knew he was too rough and tumble for the role of a merchant. No, after much deliberation he decided to go in as a smuggler for he had the experience to back that sort of work up. The hardest part of getting into smuggling was forging the right papers and getting your hands on a fast ship, and he had just finished one of those with ease.

Once more a smirk ran across his face followed by a quiet chuckle. Slowly he placed the envelope in the inner pocket of his coat before crossing his arms and leaning back in his chair. His listened intently to Esme, nodding a few times as she spun her tale before him, and when she was finished he knew why she seemed out of place here at the start of all this. She was an artist, plying her trade in a business she was not meant to be in, it was a sad tale but not one vastly unheard of. The Galaxy was a rough place, and those with the soft touch of a musician or artist often found it hard to make their way. "If it's any consolation." Mangus said and he eyed her from across the table. "If these papers are a reflection of your skill I'm sure you're a fine artist." He said sincerely before leaning forward once more.

"It's not easy for anyone these days I suppose." He began as he motioned for the waiter to bring them another round of ale. "Artist and smuggler alike. If it's not the Republic taxing you to death it's someone else trying to shoot you full of holes." He laughed a bit at his own statement. "Well, I guess that does give smugglers a well deserved purpose don't you think?" Mangus asked jokingly, knowing that much was true at least. A smuggler, no, a good smuggler was worth his weight in Credits in times like these. He knew he had a long way to go before anything certain, but Mangus planned on being one of those noteworthy few that made a fortune of it and lived to tell the tale.

 

[Esme Pallas]

Esme felt a bit strange having shared her true profession, especially after receiving his kind words. Many in the past had laughed at her choices; thinking that there was no way art could translate into anything useful in the real world. Sure, it was very difficult to support herself on her meager art sales, but it truly was her passion. She was content to carry on this way, even if it meant producing more forged paintings and quietly letting them out into the gallery world. It felt wrong to try and profit from the disaster that had struck Corellia, but she knew that many of the classical works of art had probably been lost; it presented her with a perfect opportunity. “Thank you.” She smiled softly, though she was beginning to wonder if she deserved such praise.

Her brow perked, as did her interest as he mentioned smuggling. Now the larger picture became clear to her, it all made sense. Indeed it was a dangerous job, though it looked like something Mangus could handle, at least from what she could tell. “Yes, well deserved, indeed.” She said with a small chuckle. The waiter returned with their second round, and Esme eyed the glass for a moment before taking a drink. She could handle her liquor well enough, but she didn’t want to overdo it. “So, you’re a smuggler?” Esme leaned back casually in her chair, her eyes fixed on Mangus. “Well, I will have to keep that in mind. Who knows, there may come a day when I will find myself in need of your services.”

“Do you have a ship?” She asked, letting her fingers slide idly across the worn surface of the table.

[member="Mangus Abraxius"]

 

[Bradok]

So as it were, the conversation shifted between contractor and client to focus on Mangus. Perhaps he had said a little too much in giving a mention towards smuggling, however; he seriously doubted someone whom forged documents would ever turn him in for fear of her involvement with him being brought to light. It was careless, sure, but then again Mangus had always been a bit prideful and a little too confident. Taking the glass of ale in hand Mangus began to ponder carefully how much he should say to her about his plans. Sure, he was going into the smuggling racket but the best smugglers were the least known. "Yeah, I've worked on enough Runners so I have the experience." He said taking a swig of the Corellian Ale. "More than a lot of the people that try their hand at it anyway."

He smiled and laughed a bit as he looked across the table towards the Corellian woman that had so generously given him the keys to his future. This meeting had provided him with much, and now it seemed it may well have given him his first client. "Sure, you need something 'delivered' you know who to call better than anyone else." Mangus jested as he tapped the hidden envelope from the outside of his coat. Though he said it in a jovial manner, Mangus was quiet serious about the offer. A well done forgery could go for a lot of Credits in the right circle, and that meant a hefty payday for the smuggler running it.

The conversation then turned once more. "No ship, at least not yet." Mangus said with a somber expression. "I know some people that can put me into contact with a decent Money-Lender. I sure hate to do it, but freedom is never really free as they say." He concluded, finished his second serving of ale in a final gulp. Mangus had long since resolved to avoid the more shady types when he cut ties with his past but buying these new papers had cost him most of his savings. It would take a loan, and a big one, to buy a fast ship.

 

[Esme Pallas]

Esme listened intently; it seemed that Mangus was a man with a plan. It sounded like he had the experience to make a successful smuggler, and was well on his way. Making deals with lenders was always dangerous, but sometimes it was necessary. She’d heard stories from other clients about working with loan sharks, some of them had ended very tragically. Esme hoped for the sake of her new Corellian friend, that things would go his way. “Sounds like you’ve got a clear idea of where you’re headed next.” She said with a nod.

She finished off her ale and looked down at the empty glass in front of her; it made her feel a little bit homesick. The hour was late now, the prime hours for the cantina, evidenced by the flood of patrons that had entered. Esme was becoming increasingly aware of the bag of credits that she’d stashed away, and was starting to feel that she’d lingered in this place long enough. Even if she didn’t come to a cantina looking for trouble, it was always a possibility that it would find still find her. Lifting her bag onto her lap she looked back to Mangus. “I should really be on my way now.” She started. “Thanks for the drinks, I’ll buy next time.” Esme offered with a smirk.

Standing gracefully she started to move off, but paused next to the table. “By the way, good luck with your business.” Esme offered her hand, a friendly gesture to close their business dealings. It was always nice to meet another Corellian, and she knew that there was always the chance that they would meet again in the future.

[member="Mangus Abraxius"]

 

[Bradok]

As quick as their dealings had started, they were over. Mangus knew that sitting here talking about would might be was bad business in itself, but even more so when you were carrying multiple forged documents in the lining of your coat. It was clear to him as well that [member="Esme Pallas"] was get anxious carrying the sack of Credits on her person as the Cantina began to fill. It was a rough joint after all, and a lone woman could easily meet a terrible fate in a place like this if they weren't careful. Mangus sighed a bit, looked around, then back in his chair as Esme made her leave of him. She stopped one last time to wish him luck, and Mangus responded.

"I'll look forward to those drinks." He said coyly, smirking a bit. "And thanks, I hope next time we meet it's at an art gallery and not a place like this." Mangus finished motioning for the waiter to bring him another. His business with Esme was over but he still had much to do, and liquid courage would be needed more than ever to do it. He had the papers and a clean record now so getting a loan from a bank seemed preferable to dealing with someone from the more shady side of business. The only problem now was if any banker in his right mind would loan him enough for a ship. Mangus knew for a fact a Money-Lender would jump at the chance to rake in the interest, but a banker couldn't send thugs to break your legs if you didn't pay like they could. Knowing this Mangus sighed once more and took the new glass of ale in hand.

"Rough business this." He said to the waiter whom politely nodded before disappearing back into the crowd. Stirring the glass a bit and watching the golden nectar inside swirl around Mangus pressed it to his lips and took it all in with one gulp before promptly standing. "I got a long way to go. Best get started."