Private Started From The Bottom Now We're Here?

[Jorrann Lanchur]

Jorrann always did his best to comfort Scerra and make her feel safe. Everything he did was for him and her so they can no longer have to scrap the bottom of the barrel. So they can be both well respected smugglers and more importantly have a ship so they can explore the galaxy together. It wasn't always easy and Scerra would always run at the first sign of danger, but she would never leave Jorrann and always made sure that he would find her when the fighting was over.

"They're not going to arrest us if that's what you are thinking," Jorrann chuckled holding Scerra's hand and squeezing it. "Now come on and sit down baby, the Galactic Alliance will suspect us if we're doing anything unusual. I mean come on we're not exactly dressed like all the other folks here."

Scerra normally dressed in a way that was alluring for Jorrann: A purple bikini and fishnets along with brown boots. However what was attractive to Jorrann was scandalous to others. But Scerra didn't mind, if anything she would cling to Jorrann and have him take of the issue. "We'll wait Scerra," Jorrann said. "If anything goes wrong, I'll start blasting and you start running: The usual thing."

 

[Scerra Cohl]

A dry chuckle left her lips, the sort of chuckle she often let slip before she took a nip from a bottle. They were always running, but this time they weren't and that was terrifying for the young woman. She brought her thumb to her mouth, nibbling on her thumbnail. It was a nervous habit, but one she found comfort in. Jorrann was always right, and she was always afraid. They balanced one another out quite well that way, with one being overly cautious and the other being a bit headstrong. Just a bit. Enough to be healthy.

"Okay. I don't know if I know how to act normal so let's hope they hurry up and come get us then? Because you're either right or I am, and I'd much prefer you to be the one of us that's right," Scerra rambled, as she always did when her nerves were shot.

 

[Jorrann Lanchur]

Jorrann chuckled as he pulled Scerra's arm forcing her to sit next to him. "Well the first thing you should do," he said. "Is to sit down and act cool and confident Scerra. You've hung around me long enough to know what I'm like when I'm negotiating." Though often Jorrann get in over his head when it came to making big deals. He thought that he was in control in Smuggling missions but he would always get backstabbed in some way. Scerra as overly cautious as she is was right at times. In a criminal profession known as Smuggling, there's always people who would gladly step on you to make some credits.

"Keep nibbling on your nail if it makes you feel better," Jorrann said placing Scerra's head to his chest. "And just hear my heart beat." It was something Jorrann did to Scerra when they were kids. When Scerra felt nervous or unsure of herself, Jorrann would allow Scerra to hear his heart beat. It always puts are at ease.

 

[Scerra Cohl]

Scerra rolled her eyes. She wasn’t cool or confident. At least, not to anyone other than Jorrann. Sometimes she wondered if he just told her that to make her feel better. She liked to believe he wasn’t simply playing her, and that was the image he portrayed. The young woman inhaled sharply and exhaled slowly, laying her head on her boyfriend’s shoulder.

“I know,” she grumbled. “But that doesn’t mean I don’t get nervous every time.”

Her words were intended for his ears only, and once they’d left her lips she fell quiet again. She twisted the net of her gloves, picking at a hole that she’d already dug into the soft stockings. Scerra dipped her head, refusing to look up as she tried to steady her breathing. The anxiety ate at her, making her shake nervously against him.

She was all too eager to be done with this, to see what this job was and do the job. “How much longer?”

 

[Jorrann Lanchur]

Jorrann looked around the embassy shaking his head. "That's true," he said. "But don't worry Scerra you know that I'm always going to protect you." It was a promise that he held to Scerra since they were kids and it was something that Jorrann will never break. His heart was racing a bit but he kept his cool staring at Scerra as he kissed her forehead. "I don't know," he said. "But we're here and that's all that matters."

 

[Scerra Cohl]

Something akin to a snort fled from Scerra’s nose in lieu of his answer. His words were soothing, yes, but beyond that they were nothing else. Her chest heaved as she tried to calm herself. She knew full well that having a panic attack in public was a fantastic way to get people’s attention, and that now was not the time nor the place.

Scerra looked up, noticing someone emerge from one of the doors. They looked all official as they approached the reception desk. The twilek behind it gestured toward Jorrann and Scerra, the latter of which gripped the former’s hand so tightly suddenly that her knuckles were white as Hoth.

“Love, I think that’s who we’re waiting for,” she whispered.

 

[Jorrann Lanchur]

"Mr Lanchur," The receptionist said. "Viktor will like to see you," the young man's heartrate increased as he held Scerra's hand. "Thank you," Jorrann managed to utter out as he walked across the empty hallway. It was just like the rest of the building: Marble white well maintained but there was an eerie feeling towards it as though they were being watched. Or perhaps Jorrann was just getting just as paranoid as Scerra.

Jorrann saw the door ahead and the two of them entered revealing a fat man sitting in front of some food and an expensive alcoholic beverage. "Welcome smuggler!" the man said smiling. "Come on sit down!"

The young man stared at Scerra before letting go of her hand and sitting on the soft, smooth leather chair. "So you're Viktor?" he asked. "What happened to Rodrik?"

 

[Scerra Cohl]

Viktor would like to see you, the receptionist said. In response, Scerra’s gut cramped up in disbelief. This was way too easy. Way too wrong—but they were already at a disadvantage. When Jorrann moved to stand, Scerra disentangled herself from him and rose to her feet as well. She had to maintain her calm, and times like these she wished she had more sociopathic tendencies, as opposed to the more psychotic side of things. She sucked in a breath of air, dropped her gaze, and brought her thumbnail back to her mouth for more abuse as she followed Jorrann.

Scerra coughed when they entered, shyly glancing up at Viktor and immediately feeling such a strong sense of disgust that she wanted to vomit. How was this man any different from a Hutt? Humans wore lots of disguises, and this was one the girl didn’t trust. Things never just went this smoothly. She tugged on Jorrann’s sleeve when the big man told him to come sit down.

“I don’t like this,” she whispered, her words audible only to Jorrann, whose side she stuck to like glue. When he sat down, she did to. But she still refused to look at Viktor. Jorrann would ask the questions, and she was completely fine with that.

 

[Jorrann Lanchur]

Jorrann nodded at Scerra's remark but he remained stonefaced as the man fat man stroked his double chin. "You kids want to make your mark on the smuggling world eh?" Viktor chuckled as he took a swig of red wine. "First rule you need to know is that the best Smugglers are usually the biggest targets so be like me and maybe change your name once in a while."

"What do you mean?" Jorrann asked adjusting himself on the chair while placing his hand Scerra's thigh to calm her down.

"Well for starters," Viktor said. "My name isn't Viktor per se it's Rodrik, I'm a rather vulnerable client which means I can get hits called on me. As long as I'm in the Embassy I have immunity but that doesn't stop assassins from trying to off me. Had my Droid triple check the food that comes here."

"And that's a lot of food too," Jorrann said observing the Turkey, Roast Beef and Mashed Potatoes. He had never seen this amount of food in his life maybe when he and Scerra were serving Zartax the Hutt but even she never had this amount food. "I mean this is enough to throw a feast."

"For me!" Rodrik said with pride in his voice. "It is my dinner!"

 

[Scerra Cohl]

Scerra’s stomach growled so loudly it scared her and she jumped. The only thing holding her down was Jorrann’s hand, as she listened to the words around her. Too good to be true still, but Viktor—Rodrik—seemed honest enough. At least, it drew her chin upward so that she could actually look at him with those verdant eyes.

There was something unusual about the way Scerra looked at people. It was with doe-eyed fear that she usually regarded people, and this man was no different. Unsure of what to call him, her lips trembled as she opened her mouth to speak:

“W-W-We’re t-th-that ob-vi-ous?” she stammered, her heart pounding so hard in her chest that she knew Jorrann could hear it. One of her hands found his on her leg and she squeezed the top of it tightly. She didn’t want him to lift that hand. It held her down right now, and Jorrann was her rock.

By time she spoke, he’d already expressed that the spread before him was his dinner, and though she was so damn hungry, she wasn’t about to beg him for a single morsel of what he had laid out before him. She’d tried it with Zortax on more than one occasion and a girl can only be knocked down so many times before she became withdrawn and neurotic.

 

[Jorrann Lanchur]

Well it made sense, Smuggling while fun was a cutthroat business it was easy for Jorrann to forget when he was busy making credits hand of fist. "Young lady," Viktor said to the stammering Scerra. "You seem scared out of your wits are you sure that you'll be able to do this job?"

"Scerra is one of the best thieves in Courscant," Jorrann said placing his hand over hers. "She can slip in and out with out anyone noticing. I trust her with my life."

The young man smiled at Scerra, even when she petrified with fear Jorrann knows that she will get the job done. "Well then if you trust her than I have no choice then," Rodrik shrugged. "Right let's get to business, I serve as a middle man sending drugs such as spice, deathsticks, illegal blasters you name it. But one day I've crossed a nasty smuggler named: Avo the Butcher."

"Avo who was working for the Ord Mantell insurrectionists stole my blaster pile to arm pockets of resistance. Those blaster were meant for the Hutts who are trying to maintain order in lower levels of Courscant if they find out what I've done. I'm a dead man."

"So you want us to go and steal them back?" Jorrann asked. "Who is this Avo?"

Rodrick activated a Holoprojector showing the man.

"He practically runs this section of Ord Mantell," Rodrik whispers. "He has connections with the top freighting business which allow him to smuggle his goods in. He's also ruthless and not afraid to kill those who cross him, I hear rumors that he plans on "owning" a senator. Probably why he's arming these insurrectionists to place pressure on the Senator so he has no choice but to turn to him."

 

[Scerra Cohl]

Scerra didn’t speak again. Not for awhile. Viktor’s acknowledgment of her disability was enough to zip her lips. She let Jorrunn speak, the sound of his voice alone enough to calm her nerves. No one noticed a wallflower, and therein is where Scerra’s strength laid. She could speak, and oddly enough this entire exchange was far more stressful than any job they’d done before.

“Avo…” she whispered nearly inaudibly. She remembered things by speaking them to herself, and thus poor Jorrann ended up most privy to her thoughts at all times. When Viktor took Jorrunn at her word, it pleased her. “…the Butcher.

“So some idiot wants to be big and scary, and someone as powerful as this guy is actually scared? That’s either a load of bullshit, or everyone’s lost their damned mind. Seriously. All I got that you boys don’t is a pair of breasts and some skimpy clothes. Common enemies, sounds like…

“Jorrunn,” she spoke louder this time. More confidently. “If that’s all this is, it’s a piece of cake and you know it. I know it. Can we do it so I can get some food before I starve to death? They’re all the same.”

Ahh, there Scerra was. Calm, relieved, trusting her rock. Her stomach growled again.

 

[Jorrann Lanchur]

Now that's the Scerra Jorann knew.

The old Scerra came up bold and confident someone who was a crack shot with a pistol and was calm under pressure. Yet Jorrann knew that this won't last long but he knew with enough encouragement that the old Scerra would earth beneath the scared wallflower that took over. "Now all of a sudden you're brave young lady," Rodrik said taking a large sized bite from a Turkey leg. "If you're trying to convince that you found your confidence don't. This man is ruthless and will do whatever it takes to reach the top."

"This is the real Scerra," Jorrann said. "And this mission will be simple for the both of us."

"Now you're both foolish," Rodrik said. "Avo has alliances with some of the village elders around Ord Mantel, this is going to be a stealth mission as in don't try to go in guns blazing because if you mess with Avo then he will not rest until he has both of your heads on spikes."

 

[Scerra Cohl]

“What man doesn’t?” Scerra replied smartly before she went quiet once more. Her fingers dug in against Jorrann’s hand, a small flare of temper surfacing noticeable in the reddening of her face. “If we’re so foolish and green, why hire us? Or are you planning on us dying?”

The certainty in her tone was almost eerie. If anything, Scerra was good at expecting the worst to happen at any given moment and she never liked their employers. It was a rule. She looked to Jorrann, silently asking his permission to completely lose her temper. She needed his grounding right then, before she got them both in trouble.

“Avo, Zartax, what’s the difference between one piece of scum and the other?”

 

[Jorrann Lanchur]

"I'm just saying to be cautious," Rodrick said taking a sip of Wine. "Avo is not a man you will want to cross and charging emboldened like that is a quick way to die."

Jorrannn frowned. "We can do this!" he said holding on to Scerra's hand and squeezing it. "If there's anyone who go in and steal back those blaster rifles it's us! No resistance will stop us! But of course our fee wil need to be handled first!"

"Not until you bring me back those rifles," Rodrick explained. "You two are inexperienced for this kind of thing and I want to test your skills."

Scerra Cohl

 

[Scerra Cohl]

Scerra puffed out her cheeks, then exhaled with the skill of a child not getting their way. She wanted to eat now, but without the advance pay, their pickings would be slim. The young woman watched as Jorrann wooed Rodrick with past successes, choosing to fall silent again. A gentle squeeze of his arm was her favorite way of reminding him she was there.

She tried not to outwardly pout at the decision—it was, after all, a truthful expression. They had a long ways to go before they’d master their skills.

“Babe...” she began finally, “What are we going to do?”

Jorrann Lanchur

 

[Jorrann Lanchur]

"Well can we at least have something to eat?" Jorrann said looking at Rodrick stuffing his fat face with more Steak. "We're hungry not having eaten in a day and we're gonna need our strength to get these blaster rifles."

He smiled at Scerra who squeezed his arm it was her way of trying to let Jorrann know that she was here though Jorrann would never abandon her. The young man wrapped his arm around her waist bringing Scerra close to him. "Listen Jorrann," Rodrick said looking at the mostly eaten food. "I'm sorry this Steak was so good and I couldn't help myself. But here's a can of Tuna."

The large man casually tossed a can to Jorrann who sighed. "Thanks," he growled before giving it to Scerra. "Here go eat it," he said. "We got to head to that village."

Scerra Cohl

 

[Scerra Cohl]

Scerra couldn’t exactly complain. They were beggars, and Rodrick’s waste—that can of fish—would at least tide them over a little longer. When Jorrann tossed it her way, it took every ounce of self control not to tear into it immediately. She had some dignity at least.

The young woman lifted her chin in agreement before glancing at Rodrick, the tiniest of smirks teasing the corner of her mouth.

“I suppose that’s our cue to go then,” Scerra observed. “Off to the village we go.”

Once they were out of Rodrick’s room and on their way out of the building, she opened the can. At least it was one of the larger ones, and the pair could share it. She reached into the can with her fingers, pulling flakes of pinkish meat out and eating them. Scerra held it out for Jorrann. She walked alongside him as she ate.

“So, any idea where we are headed?”

Jorrann Lanchur

 

[Jorrann Lanchur]

Jorrann took a few pieces of Tuna before placing it in his mouth as soon as the two were out of the embassy they saw some B1 Battle Droids arresting a man who was cursing at them his hands bound by cuffs. "I'm not a fracking rebel!" he shouted. "Let go of me you pieces of scrap!"

The young man shook his head as he continued walking. "The village is north of here," he replied. "All we need to do is to scout it out and check for weaknesses." Jorrann then stared at Scerra who was wearing her purple bikini, fishnets and boots. "Ord Mantel looks ugly," he whispered placing his arm around Scerra. "You're the only one who can brighten this planet up."

 

[Scerra Cohl]

“You flatter me,” Scerra said, watching as the man was arrested. She put another flake of fish on her tongue, letting him rest his arms around her. “We are walking, aren’t we?”

She let him guide her with his arm, continuing to shovel fish from the can. The young woman ensured half of it went to her lover. As they walked, she pondered the pros and cons.

“What if the job is a scam? What if we are walking to our death?” Scerra asked Jorrann. She looked at him, nearly tripping as her boot scuffed against uneven stone. A soft snort, possibly embarrassed laughter, emitted from her.

Jorrann Lanchur