Smile and Wave

[Harvi Kwen]

[member="Andorreth Vikar"]
Ah, Nar Shaddaa. Of all the places Harvi Kwen had ever been, none ever made him feel as warm and fuzzy inside as the Smuggler's Moon. As soon as he stepped off his freighter, the Fate's Revenge, he breathed deeply the scent of pure freedom. On this planet, there were no rules but the ones a man made for himself. It was his kind of place.

"Fuel'er up, Jeeves," he said happily, flipping a credit chip to one of the dockhands, "And throw in a wash and wax while you're at it." The man caught the chip, examined it, and looked up to see Harvi walking away.

"Hey!" he called, "Washin's gonna be extra pal!" Harvi kept walking, and before the man could say anything else he had disappeared out of the hangar. Grabbing a taxi outside Harvi zipped to the heart of Nar Shaddaa, the Promenade. He arrived with a grin on his face.

"Just the place I want to be," he smiled. Stuffing his hands in the pockets of his pants, he examined the selection of bars and clubs before finally settling on the one that looked the most lively. Striding past the bouncer without a second glance he headed straight for the bar.

"Hit me with your best shot, boyo," he said to the bartender. The bartender, a burly man, looked up, and his eyebrows rose. Harvi was indeed an interesting customer. He was wearing a white shirt under a red vest, with red pants, black boots, and a black belt. His hair was dyed red and blue. His blue eyes sparkled with humor, and his mouth was spread in a crazy grin.

"Uh, sure," the man said, digging under the bar for a 750 ml bottle of Corellian whiskey. He put the bottle on the bar and was reaching for a shot glass when suddenly Harvi snatched the bottle from his hand.

"Hey!" he exclaimed, but before he could do anything Harvi had kicked back the bottle and taken a huge swig.

"Ah, good stuff!" he said, placing the bottle down on the bar in front of him. He noticed the bartender, looking rather ruffled, the shot glass in his hand.

"Oh, I won't be needing that," he said matter-of-factly, taking another swig from his bottle. The bartender frowned, but said nothing else as he moved on to other customers.

 

[Andorreth Vikar]

I'd been enjoying a drink in the promenade bar on Nar Shadaa when a.......coloful individual had walked in, asked for a drink, then simply taken the bottle from the barkeep. I saw the barkeep starting to reach for a stun weapon when I looked at him and under my breath said "Don't do it man, more trouble than it's worth if you'll look at my armor and weaponry." Sliding a credit chit to him I said "For the bottle and also a two hundred credit tip." He looked at me and blinked before nodding, taking the money and walking back to start cleaning glasses.

I really hoped this kid wouldn't be starting a brawl with his rudeness or insanity. Both were consistent things on Nar Shadaa... Checking over my weapons I charged the twin modified DC-15s blaster pistols. Then, I ensured the container of sand I kept on my belt was secure and that that plating on my outer thighs still held my sabers concealed. After checking all of that over I looked towards the kid, odds were he'd be starting a riot soon enough but at the very least I could ensure he didn't get shivved, shot, poisoned, or otherwise end up completely karked up. Sighing I simply sipped my shot and waited for the inevitable...

[member="Harvi Kwen"]

 

[Harvi Kwen]

[member="Andorreth Vikar"]
The whiskey hit the spot right on the money, and Harvi was feeling good. He saw out of the corner of his eye the exchange between the bartender and the strange man, and couldn't help grinning. He'd been perfectly capable of paying for the bottle of course, but hey, nothing wrong with getting a free drink. He drained the last of the bottle and placed it on the bar.

"A fine tap, my good sir," he said, smiling at the bartender. The man grumbled, but said nothing as he continued to clean his glasses. Harvi swiveled on his chair, leaning back against the bar to survey the club. It was a pretty basic setup, bar along the back wall with tables spread around the rest of the building. A small stage, accompanied currently by a single Twi'lek operating a sound system, blasted popular music as a few patrons danced in front of it. Harvi contemplated what to do. He could go and dance, "procure" another drink, try his hand at the sound system; all were ideas both entertaining and interesting. But, Harvi couldn't help but be drawn to the man who had paid for his drink.

With an analytical eye sharpened by the ever-present danger of the smuggling trade, Harvi watched the man out of the corner of his eye. He quickly deduced that the man, who wore twin blasters and at least some pieces of body armor, was certainly a fighter of some sort. Harvi grinned as he recognized a kindred soul. Leaving the empty bottle on the bar Harvi sidled up to the man, leaning on the bar beside him.

"Thanks for the drink, boyo," he said, mouth in a crazy grin and eyes dancing with madness, "Much appreciated. Ya got a name?"

 

[Andorreth Vikar]

And there it was the inevitable...being approached by the....colorful person. "I simply wanted to avoid the bar keep shooting you with a stun gun. Then a subsequent brawl that would inevitably happen once you'd hit the ground. I simply wanted to avoid heat coming down on me I'm very sure you appreciated a free drink. That whiskey I paid for ain't cheap by the way....as for names.....I do but you can simply call me Vespera because honestly I don't trust you to give you my actual name. Also.....don't try picking my pockets or lifting the hardware, I'll know if you do."

There was a manic look to this guy and it set me on edge. I wasn't sure why but he seemed...unbalanced was being polite perhaps. Odds were some kind of insanity would ensue soon just based on the colors this guy was trouble. I had the sense this guy was on the run from someone too which put me even more on edge. Looking at him I said "Look no offense kid, but why approach the guy armed to the teeth who kept the bar keep from shooting you with a stun gun or dosing your next drink? You didn't exactly endear yourself to me..." I was waiting for the bit where this kid offered me a business proposition with no leverage or bargaining position whatsoever. Odds were it'd be to get him outta trouble too....Osik.....

[member="Harvi Kwen"]

 

[Harvi Kwen]

[member="Andorreth Vikar"]
"A stun gun, huh?" Harvi said. He burst out laughing.

"Aw man, what a ride that would have been!" he cackled, "Been a while since I've had to deal with one of those little numbers!" Harvi chuckled a few more times as he contemplated the man further. He obviously didn't trust Harvi, but Harvi didn't mind. As long as he didn't pull a blaster or anything crazy, there was nothing to worry about, though it would be rather fun if he did.

"Vespera, huh?" he said, putting a finger on his chin and feigning deep thought, "Interesting. Ok, my name's Harvi, Harvi Kwen." Harvi smiled and extended his hand to shake, but pulled it back when the man mentioned pickpocketing. Harvi faked a pout and leaned heavily against the bar.

"Aw, you're no fun," he said, breaking the ruse with another crazy grin. Harvi pretended again to contemplate deeply the mans last words.

"Hmmm, I don't know," he replied, "Would you settle for curiosity?"

 

[Andorreth Vikar]

Looking at the young man I sighed then asked "Harvi, right? Look kid, nobody just walks up to the most heavily armed guy in the bar for no reason other than curiosity sake. Thing is you likely want something as I am the most heavily armed and capable person in this bar I have to ask myself why the kid with bright hair and an insane amount of cheer wants to talk to me. So with that in mind what, exactly do you want? I mean no offense but you're twitchy as hell, makes me think you snorted a line of spice before coming in here. Makes me nervous, fact that you joke about being stunned ain't helping that sentiment...."

There were a few people that were making direct eye contact at him....Oh osik please for the love of The Force tell me he hadn't picked their pockets before coming over to talk to me... My right hand drifted slowly towards my right hip as a few people began making their way over towards us. Sighing I locked eyes with the kid. "Harvi....who'd you lift from in this club? Cause there are a few people who don't look pleased at you or me right now..."

[member="Harvi Kwen"]

 

[Harvi Kwen]

[member="Andorreth Vikar"]
Truth be told, Harvi really had only come over because the man looked interesting. It wasn't surprising, though, that he was put off by Harvi's appearance. The man was correct in his assumption that Harvi was a few pazaak cards short of a deck; he just had the wrong assumption as to why.

"I am offended!" Harvi said in mock shock, feigning indignance with eyes wide and a hand on his chest, "Do you take me for a common thug? I merely sought a little bit of friendly conversation!" At the man's declaration, Harvi looked over to where several burly men were headed straight for him and Vespera.

"Wasn't me, mistah V," he chuckled, "I'm sure they're just jealous of my rampant good looks." The biggest and burliest of the men arrived and towered over the young smuggler. He could smell alcohol, lots of it, on the man's breath. A pistol easily twice as big as Harvi's DT-29 was on the man's hip, and he looked big enough to arm wrestle a wampa.

"Saw dat stunt ya pulled wid da bartender," the man slurred, "Dis is our place ya freak, no one gets free drinks here." Harvi craned his neck and looked up at the giant.

"Now, now, gentlemen," he said, crazy grin not leaving his face, "There's no need to get all riled up." Harvi turned back to Vespera.

"Honestly, the manners in the galaxy today," he sighed.

 

[Andorreth Vikar]

Looking at the men that approached and Harvi's comment of it not being him Mistah V. I chuckled a bit, nice....Then of course the guys were saying how this was their club and nobody got free drinks. Looking at him I said "Yo his drink weren't free I should know I paid for it. As for the out of date blaster pistol....well I got some knock offs of those in my cargo hold see they're great at blowing up in the face of whoever waves them about. Kinda like your attempt at dominating this club cause you? You're not top dog here, I am. Plus thing is none of you want what I got in terms of aggressive solutions."

The man looked confused then lunged at me. Triggering the jets in my boots I simply evaded him and watched as he crashed into the bar knocking himself out. The others looked at me then roaring drew weapons..."Fierfeck'la Osik! All I wanted was a damn drink!" Releasing the beskar razor whip from my left gauntlet I flicked my left hand out and watched as the whip closed around the leg of one of the men. The Plastoid leg armor would save him from having anything severed at least...Jerking my left hand I felt the teeth of my whip dig into the armor and felt him fall cracking his head on the table as he did. Sighing as the rest of the bar rose I simply reached out and grabbed the saber from the hidden segment of thigh armor and felt it fly into my right hand igniting the aqua blade with a snap-hiss inverting the blade I angled the tip towards the kids neck.

"Alright Enough! I'm walking out with the kid as he has a bounty and nobody here has nearly enough guns to take me out. Are we karking clear?!" Looking at the kid I mouthed the words "act scared like you don't wanna be taken." Every. Karking. Time. Nar Shaddaa was gonna have to be avoided again for at least a few weeks....

[member="Harvi Kwen"]

 

[Harvi Kwen]

[member="Andorreth Vikar"]
As the situation took a turn from mundane to amusing, Harvi watched it all with glee, mad grin plastered on his face. This bar had just gotten a lot more interesting. After a round of fighting words, the brute and his gang charged Harvi's new friend, who evaded them with practiced ease. Harvi's mind raced as he watched the man work. He was skilled, that was for sure. It was a bit surprising when the man suddenly put a glowing stick to his throat, but Harvi's genius mind saw the man's plan even before he mouthed the words.

"Son of a bantha!" Harvi declared, "You buy me a drink then pull a saber on me?! That's low, boyo, real low!" He put his hands up, which was his first indication to the man that he understood the plan. If he hadn't, he'd already be blasters blazing.

"Guess ya caught me, fair and square," Harvi said with a poisonous tone. His smile remained, but his eyes glared daggers and the amused madness in his eyes had turned dangerous, "A darn shame, we could really have had some fun." He stood silently then, waiting for the man's next move.

 

[Andorreth Vikar]

Sighing I was well and truly done. As Harvi started talking I lifted a foot and scraped my boot down his insole while saying so lowly that only he could hear. "Shut up please." With the armed people deciding to whether or not to pursue I simply tossed a grenade and shoved Harvi out the door. The grenade went off spewing smoke into the pub as we left looking towards the door controls I stowed my saber then shot the controls three times in quick succession. Looking towards Harvi I pulled on my helm and after a few seconds the HUD flicked to life and the hellish maroon holographic display came into place.

​

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Pushing the young man away form the door and what assuredly would mean more attention I headed out into the hall towards the landing pad. "Now then Harvi was it? What exactly do you need? I mean other than causing me two weeks of not being able to offload cargo here on Nar Shadaa you ain't done anything proper to establish a working relationship. Let alone a trustworthy one...You don't mind my sayin' so kid there's somethin....not right about ya....I mean I wouldn't wanna be hit by a stun gun but you laugh it off like a lunatic. Thinking all of that was good fun. I don't like drawing attention to myself or being put in that position. So there best be a damn good reason you made me resort to what I did to get you out of there alive with nobody else dead...."

[member="Harvi Kwen"]

 

[Harvi Kwen]

[member="Andorreth Vikar"]
Harvi ignored the pain that shot up his foot, and when the grenade went off he chortled with laughter.

"Whee!" he said as Vespera shoved him out of the door and shot the controls.

"What a ride!" he said, "Man Vespera, you sure are the life of the party!" Vespera pulled on his helmet and activated an eerie holographic display. Harvi's eyes widened.

"Ooo, pretty," he said, "Where can I get one of those?" His attention was pulled away at the man's questions. Man, this guy was persistent, and seemed completely locked on the idea that Harvi needed his help. That of course was ludicrous; Harvi may have been insane, but he was no idiot. As Vespera walked away, Harvi stuck his hands in his pockets and followed.

"Man, sounds more like you want my help that I want yours," he chuckled, "I don't need nothing from ya, Mistah V, never did. I just thought you looked like a guy who knew how to have a good time." Harvi unholstered one of his DT-29s and twirled it on his finger, "If ya know what I mean." Harvi reholstered the blaster and continue to follow the man, looking all like a bouncy young teenager. He seemed not to care at all that he had just recently been stared down by a Nar Shaddaa thug.

"I mean, you are a smuggler right?" he asked, "Or more likely a mercenary? You got the hardware for it."

 

[Andorreth Vikar]

Sighing I looked towards the kid and counted off on my fingers saying "Smuggler, merc, exiled Corellian, occasional help for the Silver Jedi, occasional bodyguard. As for my helemt being how'd you put it? Pretty I believe....You can't have one unless you got half a million creds laying around or you complete a Mando contract killing without ever having been seen. Odds are the Mandos aren't gonna be asking you for help so unless you got half a million in creds you can't get one." Holstering my weapons and locking them down I said "I just don't get many people as.....colorful as you approaching me randomly in bars."

Sighing I said "Though if you want to be helpful and pay off the bottle of Corellian whiskey as well as being able to get my cargo somewhere else then you can at least help me catch someone tonight. Except you keep it in your pants...." Gesturing to the blaster he was twirling I continued my thought "The person is to be tagged by me. Only surveillance which means no loudness, no guns, no crazy fun other than what you get to watch. You wanna smoke fine just...stay quiet please I don't wanna blow this op cause there's a quarter million credits on the line. If you can keep quiet and simply watch my back there then there's a hundred and twenty five thousand creds in it for you."

[member="Harvi Kwen"]

 

[Harvi Kwen]

[member="Andorreth Vikar"]
"I always try to make an entrance," Harvi said, smiling, "It's part of my charm."

Harvi pouted a little at not being able to get one of the fancy helmets, but the mention of credits immediately got his attention. Surveillance, huh? He could manage that. Heck, for a hundred and twenty five thousand credits he could manage anything.

"You got it, boyo!" he said, snapping off a joking salute, "Just lead the way!"