Private The Gang's All Here

[Judd]

"Sound's like your daddy's got money," he grunted, smirking. "We could certainly use some of that now."

Judd rolled his eyes at Levi, taking his offer as nothing more than a jab. He turned his back on them both as they exited the establishment, allowing himself a sigh of relief as he felt the bright sun's warmth on his skin. Finally, he could stretch out again.

It was ironic that the learned individual among them was the one that the acronym was lost on. Judd glanced at the boy with a judgmental eye, before shaking his head at Levi. "Done a smash and grab or two in my day, but nothing with any amount of finesse. Best help I'll be is a lookout and a messy getaway."

"Before we go to the shop, I need to get a quick bite. I'll meet you there."

Judd watched as Jacen went, before glancing sidelong at Levi. "Five creds says he's getting a bite of someone's neck."

Levi - Jacen Nimdok ​

 

[Levi]

"I've never known a published author to fall on piracy for extra cash," Levi commented, smirking at Judd's comment about some potential inherited wealth, "Until now." He led them out of the cantina and into the street, where the sun was steadily lowering in the sky. Horizon's became tinged with orange and purple, but the crowds largely remained steady for now. Black Spire Outpost had a healthy nightlife, given its patronage.

"Breaking and Entering," Levi clarified to Jacen. Judd was aware that he wasn't exactly built for stealth, but he had the experience, "I doubt we'll get through this whole thing without a mess anyway." It'd be simpler if they could, but chances are Judd would be fulfilling his role before the night was done.

Of course, with automated defenses, the young author pointed out that they might need some more specifically tailored defenses, "Maybe one." Levi shrugged. He wasn't running with a full crew's worth of supplies anymore, just whatever he and these two had with them, "We'll make do."

Jacen excused himself to go 'grab a bite'. Levi spared Judd another smirk, "I'd bet more than that," He then nodded down the street, "Let's see if we can't case this joint some in the meantime." The devaronian began to walk, and once they had some space, he asked, "What do you think of the kid?"

Judd - Jacen Nimdok​

 

[Jacen Nimdok]

“My daddy’s dead,” Jacen replied dryly. “And I can’t exactly dip into the family fortune as long as I’m a fugitive on the run, no?” The police would trace the withdrawal and be on his ass in a heartbeat. Piracy was the best he could do at this point, with nothing to his name and certain needs to fulfill.

"Breaking and Entering."

“Ah.”

With a plan taking shape, Jacen left to find someone for dinner, smirking to himself. He could hear them talking about him, even though they must’ve thought his hearing wasn’t that sensitive…

The young vampire reappeared roughly twenty minutes later just outside the pawnshop, looking around for his crewmates. Sure enough, there was a smear of blue blood in the left corner of his mouth.

Judd Levi​

 

[Judd]

"Figures. Otherwise, you'd be there, and not slumming it with scum. All of us have dead dads," Judd replied, just as dryly. There was no sympathy in the Dowutin's beady little eyes. Perhaps a touch in his downturned, meaty brow. He had said 'us', after all.

Watching the little vampire walk away, Judd couldn't help but smirk at Levi running with his joke. He shook his head, the earth shaking under his feet as he walked alongside the Devaronian, and a question was posed. The big medic sighed, letting his thoughts tumble around for a moment before dispensing them. "He's green. Got privileged written all over. And his diet's a liability." The Dowutin's acerbic tone betrayed nothing. Then, he grunted.

"He'll do. It's you that worries me."

Judd didn't elaborate, not until after they'd arrived at the pawn shop. He and Levi had overtaken an alley across the street. It had a good vantage of the store, with decent cover from straying eyes. The Dowutin glanced boredly at an arriving Jacen, raising an eyebrow at the sight. "Got a little Batuuian on your face," he chuckled, before returning his eyes dutifully to the pawn shop.

Levi - Jacen Nimdok ​

 

[Levi]

Levi simply nodded and shrugged in regards to the dead dad predicament, as if to say 'good point'. The devaronian made no comment on his own familial status.

They split up soon after, with Levi quickly taking the opportunity to gossip amongst his crew. Judd's response piqued his interest significantly, "Oh?" The thief cocked an eyebrow, seemingly devoid of insult, "Care to share?"

They waited outside the shop until Jacen arrived, with a bit of blood conspicuously smeared on his lip, "Indeed- I'd suggest adopting some better table etiquette with your particular diet," Of all the things to potentially attract someone's unwanted attention, that was up there for least preferable slip ups.

"Okay— Let's go through the back door. I can break us in," Levi withdrew an electronic lockpick, "Nimdok, we'll head inside to grab our prize. Judd, stay out here as lookout. Take out any cameras you find. I'm sure the owner has a few outside."

"Any questions?"

Judd - Jacen Nimdok​

 

[Jacen Nimdok]

"Got a little Batuuian on your face."

Frowning, Jacen fumbled in his pockets as though reaching for a handkerchief, remembered where and what he was, then reached up and swiped at the drying blood with his hand. It smeared. He put his fingers in his mouth and used his saliva to scrub the rest of it from his cheek. Levi's snide comment earned the Devaronian a glare.

"Okay—Let's go through the back door. I can break us in. Nimdok, we'll head inside to grab our prize. Judd, stay out here as lookout. Take out any cameras you find. I'm sure the owner has a few outside."

"Any questions?"

"None." Jacen took a step toward the back of the building. He was eager to get this over with, but smart enough to realize he was, as Judd so aptly put it, green. The boy wouldn't move until Levi lead the way.

Judd Levi​

 

[Judd]

"Care to share?"

"Nah," he said, brushing off the Devaronian's question. He would let the ship captain stew on it.

They were all getting too chummy for his liking, anyway.

When they'd all gathered, Levi laid out his master plan. With a curious arched eyebrow, Judd glanced Jacen's way, trying to get a read of the boy. The vampire had little to say. Good. A man after the Dowutin's own heart. Turning back Levi's way, Judd shook his head. "I'll do my part," he growled in his scratchy baritone voice.

Fire-burnt orange eyes took another sweep of the area, searching for cameras. "On your marks," he said, cracking a grin.

Levi - Jacen Nimdok ​

 

[Levi]

Levi's playfulness immediately deflated when Judd refused to elaborate, "No fun." He shook his head, then fell into business once they had all arrived. Everyone was ready to go, and so the Devarnoian slinked over to the backside of the establishment, hanging close to the wall to decrease the chance of being spotted by any cameras, "Follow my lead," He said to Jacen.

They soon arrived at the staff entrance, where Levi got to work with his lock pick. A few sparks illuminated the now dim alleyway, then came a satisfying click, and just like that they were inside. It was dark, the strange assortment of pawned goods casting a variety of shadows behind what little light crept through the windows from the street. "If this item is as valuable as they say, it's probably not left out in the front of the store. Maybe in the manager's office?" He whispered to Jacen, "Security's gonna be tightest back here, but I've broken into and out of worse."

Jacen Nimdok - Judd​

 

[Jacen Nimdok]

"On your marks,"

And they were off. Jacen trailed behind Levi, sticking close to the wall and avoiding the surveillance cameras. Upon arriving at the staff entrance at the back of the pawnshop, Levi picked the lock and let them inside. Jacen's eyes adjusted to the darkness, nightvision falling into place as he scanned the shelves.

"If this item is as valuable as they say, it's probably not left out in the front of the store. Maybe in the manager's office?"

Jacen frowned, though Levi probably couldn't see it in the dimness. The boy was distracted.

"Security's gonna be tightest back here, but I've broken into and out of worse."

"Shh." Jacen listened to the silence, then took up a fighting stance. "We're not alone. Others are already here."

Judd Levi​

 

[Judd]

With the two lither members of their little crew off to complete their task, Judd took a moment to watch them go. It was often difficult to see what exactly the large leather-faced bruiser was thinking. He kept his cards close to his chest, barely let any emotion that wasn't at least mildly indifferent contaminate his features.

That didn't stop, not even when the two of them left his field of vision. But he did crack a small smile. No sarcasm, nobody as the butt of a joke, no savage glee. He just smiled.

It felt like the good old days. Just a little.

After beaning the nearest security camera with a chunk of petrified wood, disabling it completely, Judd took a moment to survey the rest of the area. He didn't find anymore cameras, but that didn't mean there weren't eyes on the store. He stayed in the shadows, and waited. He felt electricity along his hands and feet, as he felt the jitter of nerves. But he stayed still.

If they needed him, they would call. Right?

Levi - Jacen Nimdok ​

 

[Levi]

The job seemed simple enough. Levi had more or less settled on his expectations for the evening. A quick in and out, maybe a bit of a shootout with some of the automated systems, but nothing they couldn't be done and her with in record time. Premature admittedly, but all the same it bothered him when Jacen hushed him, revealing that others were already here.

"What?" He whispered harshly, then pursed his lips as if to quiet himself, "What do you mean 'others'?" He refused to believe someone else was butting in on his job. That simply would not do. The devaronian put a hand on his pistol holster just in case these co-intruders were trigger happy, and crept slowly to try and see what Jacen was referring to. Slight shuffles and rustles touched his ears now, but nothing revealing.

Levi tapped his communicator to Judd, not to say anything but simply to stim the mic and create a bit of noise on his end, a signal intended just to get his attention.

Judd - Jacen Nimdok​

 

[Jacen Nimdok]

A click could be heard behind Judd’s head—the sound of a hammer on a pistol being pulled back. “No sudden movements, big guy,” a male voice said. “Move forward, then turn around nice and slow…”

The Dowutin would find himself facing a tall, lanky man with auburn hair and an eyepatch, wielding some sort of custom blaster pistol. “You and your friends are here for the Cask.” It wasn’t phrased as a question. “But we got here first.”

"What do you mean 'others'?"

Inside the pawnshop, Jacen remained frozen, listening and looking around. “Over there,” he whispered, walking toward a door behind the counter. Slowly, he pushed it open, revealing a long, steep staircase leading down into pitch blackness.

Before he could take another step, an arm reached around from the side. The hand hooked around the back of the boy’s neck and shoved him head-first down the stairs.

Judd Levi​

 

[Judd]

Judd heard a blip from his comms. It was textbook sneaking technique; alert, the quiet noise screamed.

Or Levi simply jostled his communicator. It was hard to tell with these guys.

Still, the Dowutin's criminal senses went off, and he straightened, staring into the alley, looking for danger. He hadn't expected for it to find him first.

“No sudden movements, big guy.”

Judd's brow fell, crumpling like an eroding glacier, as he heard the voice. He would've loved to turn around, to charge the man and risk a blast or two, but the pirate didn't have a death wish. With monumental movements, he plodded forward, turning slowly to see a small human. No, a rather tall human, on second glance.

It was hard to tell with these guys.

"Yeah, okay," he said, putting on airs of agreeance, even as his orange eyes burned into the man. "You got it. I'm not about to get shot over a bucket of booze."

"Let me call my guys out, and we can talk about it." All Judd needed was a moment of lost focus.

Levi - Jacen Nimdok ​

 

[Levi]

Levi had no idea their muscle was already being harassed outside. He relied on Jacen's keener senses to alert against any potential threats. The boy guided them to some kind of cellar, when he was suddenly thrown down the staircase by a mysterious figure. Levi was a quick draw, flashing his DL-44 at the silhouette, "Careful now, my friend." The devaronian spoke calmly.

"You ought to brush up on your diplomacy before you go tossing people about," He strafed slowly to the side, trying to get a better angle, "Let's talk, like gentlemen."

Jacen Nimdok - Judd​

 

[Jacen Nimdok]

“No talking,” Eyepatch said. “We get the Cask, and you either go quietly or go home in a box.”

Though he didn’t lose focus, the one-eyed pirate did seem a bit twitchy. Was he on something, or just nervous facing off against the Dowutin by himself?

“Back up some more,” he ordered, jerking his gun for emphasis.

---

Falling down the stairs is a decidedly unpleasant experience. Jacen tumbled down head first into the basement, landing on the floor in a disoriented heap after what seemed like a dozen revolutions. He sat up slowly, wincing, and looked around. His eyes could see quite well in the dark—enough to tell he wasn’t alone. In fact, it sounded suspiciously like someone was fiddling with a safe down there…

The one who had pushed him remained behind the cover of the wall. “Oh, that’s funny!” he said. He had the rough, scraggly voice of an old man, but spat out his words rapid-fire with a thick Coruscanti accent. “I never met a pirate who was a gentleman. Forget that smooth talking. You’re down a man, so I suggest you pack up and head out, Horns.”

Jacen elected not to correct his mistake, instead crawling in the shadows toward the sound of the safe. Whoever was picking the lock evidently wasn’t very good at it; he kept stopping, cursing around the flashlight between his teeth, and starting again. He could only sense three people. He wished he could somehow let Levi and Judd know that, but... well, maybe he could. Telepathy was out of the question, but a mind trick to convince them of the truth was within the realm of possibility.

"I'm not dead," he whispered, pushing the thought into their minds. "There's only three of them, and they can't even crack the safe properly. We can take them."

Judd Levi​

 

[Judd]

Oh, Judd thought, as he studied the man. He's focused, but he's unbalanced.

Whether his nerves were frayed, or he was on something, Judd noticed the armed man's twitchiness. The realization gave Judd a cruel, knowing smile. That, he could use.

"There's only three of them, and they can't even crack the safe properly. We can take them."

A newfound, mysterious-yet-familiar confidence overtook the Dowutin. There were only three of them. They couldn't even crack a simple safe. We can take them.

After judging the criminal for a moment, Judd shook his head. "Nah," he grunted, after a moment, taking a looming step forward. "Counter-offer. You bail before I bust you open and leave your entrails for the mongrels."

He took another step forward, ready to throw himself to the side, and charge ahead the second he saw the man shift the wrong way. A twitchy gunman was an inaccurate one.

We can take them.

Levi - Jacen Nimdok ​

 

[Levi]

"First time for everything," Levi riposted. They were in a standoff. The Devaronian was confident in his abilities, but without knowing what other threats surrounded them kept him at bay. His opponent was having none of his silver tongue, but Levi only needed a moment longer to receive assurances from Jacen. A voice in his head nearly started him prematurely, but the devil kept his cool enough to save his skin. Levi smirked, "You're quick to bluff. Sure you're not convincing yourself as much as you are me?"

He licked his lips, moving just slightly and slowly enough to try for a better line of sight, "Look, how about our two people come to a—" Mid-sentence, Levi fired a shot at the man's hand to dry and disarm him (figuratively or otherwise), then rolled away to avoid any potential retaliation.

Jacen Nimdok - Judd​

 

[Jacen Nimdok]

"Nah. Counter-offer. You bail before I bust you open and leave your entrails for the mongrels."

The pirate's good eye widened. He had expected his gun to serve as a deterrent to any violence from the Dowutin. When Judd began to lumber forward, he took aim and began firing at him in a panic.

---

Levi's shot hit the other pirate's hand. His blaster fell from his fingers, clattering down the stairs and making a great deal of racket. Jacen ducked down instinctively, just in time to avoid the third pirate's flashlight as he turned around to investigate.

"Cagney?" he called out. "Cagney!"

There was no response. Cagney was still alive—Jacen could hear him breathing—but either immobilized by the pain in his blasted hand or trying to make himself scarce. Or both.

While the safe cracker was looking the other way, Jacen crawled toward Cagney's gun. His hand closed around the handle just as the beam of the flashlight swept toward him. Raising the pistol, he pulled the trigger.

Nothing. Just the click of an empty chamber. Or was it jammed?

The safe cracker’s hand flew to his holster. Jacen rolled out of the way, red bolts flashing like flares in his wake.

Levi Judd​

 

[Judd]

Judd was ready for the blast.

The large Dowutin pushed himself against a wall of the alleyway, letting the panicked shot go wide past him. He wasn't particularly agile, but at least he wasn't as huge as some of his species got yet. He did feel a bloom of heat in his midsection, perhaps one of the blaster bolts had hit their mark.

He could worry about that later.

In two steps, Judd was within swinging distance. The pirate launched a powerful haymaker at the gunman, attempting to catch him on the chin. All going well, Judd's opponent would be taking a flying nap, soon enough.

Levi - Jacen Nimdok ​

 

[Levi]

Levi looked up and found no retaliation. He had hit his mark then. A soft, self-contained chuckle escaped him as he stood back up and walked triumphantly past his foe.

Then, more blaster bolts were slinging. Down the stairs below. Levi hugged the wall, and crept down carefully. The racket made it easier to conceal his footsteps, until he nearly reached the bottom. He held up his own pistol, and waited for the safe cracker to enter his life of sight.

Judd - Jacen Nimdok​