Private Turning the Tables

[Naren Cors]

Location: Nar Shaddaa
Objective: Naren Cors Private Eye
Tags: Alina Tremiru

It had been a while since Naren was this deep into the underbelly of Nar Shaddaa. The stench of poverty and seedy activity. To some it was a nauseating horrid smell. To Naren it smelled like credits. He was questioning himself as to why he had stayed away so long. Jobs on the smuggler’s moon were abundant and if you didn’t care about sullying yourself, they could be very high profit versus risk situations.

That was the case with this job. Some crime boss had lost his girl to the hazards of the moon’s Undercity. As luck would have it for Naren, the last place she was seen was in the territory of a rival. The crime boss could have sent his men in and retrieved his girl, but that would have started a long, costly, drawn out street war. It was easier for the crime boss to outsource the job. Especially since there was no real proof that the girl was with his rival. Why rouse up animosity when the girl just got tired of being a thug’s girlfriend and was trying to hide until the boss moved on.

Naren entered the cantina that he was given by the employer. It was smokey and dark, just the type of place that Naren liked to find jobs, drink, entertainment and company. He did a casual walk around the edges of the room looking around for any signs that he would have an easy time with this. He wasn’t so lucky that the girl was just sitting in a booth waiting to be snatched up however.

The next step was to head to the bar. He nodded to the droid bartender who hovered over to take his order. ”Tevraki whiskey,” Naren said with a smile, waving his hand for the droid to get closer. ”You seen this girl?” the bounty hunter asked in a whisper. He lifted a holoprojector onto the bar and showed the image of his target.

The droid looked over the picture. ”Been a few days, but she was here every once and a while. Ordered a custom drink that changed every time she came in. Quite confusing. I’ll get your whiskey.”

 

[Alina Tremiru]

There were few people missed when they went missing on Nar Shaddaa. It's what made it such an ideal hunting ground. Ideal, and humiliating for some. Alina was indifferent, a good meal was a good meal. All the better she didn't have to worry about a hunter. But she knew many of her kind that wouldn't agree. They could be kinds, why did they have to hide among livestock? A valid complaint, and one she was going to make a point of fixing when the time came.

But for now, it was time to focus on the hunt.

Force Sensitives were often the best prey. Not too strong, of course. A Jedi could sense when they're being hunted. But someone untrained? Ideal. Perfect. Like the girl she was following. She was desperate to hide, that much was clear. Constantly looking over her shoulder, constantly trying to make sure she wasn't being followed. She'd be ideal to finish. No one would miss her, at least no one that wanted her alive.

In a way, she'd help her disappear for good anyway. Alina slipped through the shadows, quiet as a wraith, always following the girl just out of sight. She'd be eating well tonight, at least.

Naren Cors

 

[Naren Cors]

Location: Nar Shaddaa
Objective: Naren Cors Private Eye
Tags: Alina Tremiru

The droid returned quickly with Naren’s whiskey and the bounty hunter started sipping on the spirit as he turned to lean on the bar and look over the rest of the occupants of the establishment. Though he had no formal training with most of his inherited Force abilities, Naren knew how to use his lightsaber, was very good at using the Force to nudge people in the direction he wanted to go and he could on occasion sense when the Force was being used around him. Though the cantina was void of current use, there was a bit of lingering traces.

When his whiskey was about halfway gone, Naren was approached by a ragged male Twi’lek. ”I hear you right, you're looking for a girl?” he asked in a whisper. ”Really strange girl was in here ‘bout a week ago. Makin’ all sorts of weird requests of Shiv’s goons. Show me the picture.” Naren looked at the Twi’lek with doubt, but he could tell that this guy was after something. One hand went to the blaster at his side while the other lifted the holoprojector and flipped it on. ”That’s her! For one of those I’ll tell you where she went the last time she left here.” The Twi’lek pointed to Naren’s whiskey.

Naren studied the Twi’lek for a moment. ”Bring my friend here a whiskey,” he called out to the bartender droid. ”You better drink fast. I’m on a deadline and I’m not entirely trusting that your information is current.” The Twi’lek nodded and when the whiskey appeared he drank it in one big gulp. Naren was pleasantly surprised and slid payment to the droid. He stood from his stool and grabbed the Twi’lek by the arm. ”Now let’s see if that was worth it.”

The Twi’lek led the way through the streets of the neighborhood to a rundown boarding house. He pointed to the building and Naren gazed at him, then pushed him away. ”Thanks. If this turns out to be a good lead I’ll get you another drink on my way out. You’ll be in the same spot?” The Twi’lek nodded and left quickly. The Force was talking to Naren. Most of the time he ignored it unless there was a known reason to listen. This time it was oddly pulling his attention in two different directions. Behind him and in front. It wasn’t the Force that told him that he was being watched. But in these neighborhoods you were always being watched. Naren pushed off the feeling and focused on moving forward. To the boarding house. He couldn’t help but wonder if his target was a Force-Sensitive. And if that was the case if that was why he was called and why the pay seemed a little high for collecting a thug’s girl. In the end it didn’t matter. Credits were credits.

 

[Alina Tremiru]

"Shh."

The gentle shush of a mother trying to soothe their newborn. Alina smiled softly, gazing down at the girl she'd followed. the reds of her eyes glowed freely, pulsing with the Anima she'd already drained. Orange crackled between her fingers before she brought the hand down again, linking them through the unholy energy. Draining her. The scream had come as a surprise; Alina was certain the amount she'd drained wouldn't cause the girl to stir.

Such a surprise she did. No matter. She'd have to die now, but that was no bother for Alina.

"It'll be over soon."

Naren Cors

 

[Naren Cors]

Location: Nar Shaddaa
Objective: Naren Cors Private Eye
Tags: Alina Tremiru

Inside the boarding house Naren looked around the lobby with disgust. The smell was not quite as profitable in here, but at least there was some sort of attendant at a desk who might be able to tell Naren if the girl he was looking for was really here, or if the Twi’lek just was jerking his chain for a free drink. Even if it was the latter it was a small price to pay for an easy lead. Worst thing that could happen was that Naren would have to start from scratch.

”Seen this girl? Been told that she stays here,” Naren said as he produced the holoprojection of his target. The Rodian gave the image a quick look and Naren instantly saw the recognition, even on alien features. The Rodian looked all around the lobby as he denied any knowledge of the girl.

”Look friend. I’m not stupid,” Naren grumbled. He produced a credit chit and put it on the desk covering it with one hand. He rose the other hand with his blaster pointed at the Rodian. ”You know something. You’re going to tell me for this nice little payment,” he wiggled the hand covering the credits. ”Or I’m gonna punish your reluctance to comply and go door to door until I find her. So you care to amend your response?”

The Rodian flailed his arms around and squeaked out the room number that the girl was renting. Said something about the girl brainwashing him and thanked Naren for breaking the spell. Naren scoffed as he put his blaster away and slid the credits to the Rodian. The weak minded were not worth his time.

Naren couldn’t believe that this place didn’t have a lift and he was forced to walk up stairs to reach the room that held his paycheck. As he approached his head started to pound with Force energy. Surely his target was not THAT strong. If she was she wouldn’t have fell prey to her thug boyfriend and she would have found an escape path much more effective than hiding in the worst neighborhood conceivable. Naren strode over to the door and the pounding got harder. He heard a scream and pounded on the door. He didn’t get paid if the package was damaged. ”Nadi open the door!” he yelled as he punched the door. It was an attempt to scare off whatever had been the cause of the scream just as much as he expected her to comply. The door was not that secure even though it was locked. Naren started to throw his weight into not wanting to revert to blasting it open. In this sort of place arguments and broken doors were probably happen stance while blaster or lightsaber might draw more attention.

 

[Alina Tremiru]

”Nadi open the door!”

The crackle of orange ceased as Alina turned her gaze to the door. A savior? She smiled rather coyly. The girl was, for all purposes, dead now. But not permanently. The Sangnir smiled, reached a hand down to touch the girls cheek. Flood her full of a portion of the Anima Alina had taken. The effect was immediate. The body jerked and twitched before standing straight up. Wild, burning yellow eyes stared around the room before they fell on Alina.

She just smiled before looking to the door as it crashed open.

"Feast."

The girl charged immediately. Leapt, practically, as she felt the unending hunger Alina had given her. Not that Nida was really there anymore. A ghoul was just a creature with an unending hunger for Anima. And Naren certainly smelled like he had a bit.

Naren Cors