We Built this City [Spencer Jacobs]

[Dashal Vance]

Posted 14 October 2013 - 02:13 AM

Javin
Blue light district
Two months before present day

A continuous fair-trade embargo along the backbone of the Corellian trade route had managed to keep Javin a hub of activity in the technological and urban markets. The major thru-ways were in a constant stream of activity; still nowhere near the heart of the Galaxy's city-planet of Coruscant, but still relatively substantial. Several centuries after the Gulag Plague, the planet itself had remained in untapped territory on the fringe of Omega Protectorate space and had been doing well in recovery standards. Various species had migrated to it's cultural melting pot, and it served them well by allowing new and existing business opportunities and franchises to thrive. What it lacked in elegance and refinement, it more than made up for by way of convenience and fair prices. Still every major city had it's drawbacks, and this one was the black market ties that were heavily dependent on inside sources and that of keeping any direct law enforcement unaware of their presence.

Night had fallen on one of the busier days of the week, causing the streets of the blue-light district to be bustling with foot-traffic up and down the various alleyways and avenues that criss-crossed the district in a maze of shopping districts, and other worldly pleasures. Javin catered to every kind, and generally had no shortage. An over-arching din of sentient noise, and vehicle munitions echoed through the streets bathed in the radiating green and blue lights that bathed each avenue in their haunted glow. Several stories above the main thoroughfares rested a litany of apartments and elevated sky-scrapers hosting an array of businesses that were reputable and otherwise. Connecting two similarly shaped edifices a host of power cables strung in a sagging arch spanning the gap. A figure resided atop the swath of cabling, lounging in a particularly lazy fashion.

Dash's right tech-gauntlet displayed a holo-feed he was currently working with, while the other hand was busy tapping into the data stream direct from the cable. Currently surfing through a social-media file-space of a business conglomerate that had their shareholders in a bit of a bind. Gloved digits extended at the screen manipulating the various views with twists and jabs of his fingers as he pulled up file after file searching for what was supposedly a siphon job of funds from the shareholders earnings into a single account that would lead to the perpetrator of the victims. His posture though spoke of nothing but an average and somewhat boring night as he used the cables as a mock-hammock and lounged in their gently swaying embrace.

Every once in a while he tore his gaze from the screens at his right to the crowd below. He could see fairly well with all the illuminating billboards the the crowds funneled between like a herd of nerf being silently prodded down the narrow lanes. On occasion something or someone would stand out that would take his interest for a few moments time. His normal dealings were far more discrete than a face-to-face social gathering complex. While he did frequent the holocades and a few dance spots to unwind, he didn't have much interest in pressing flesh in the meat market below. The noise of the city though tended to be something of a soothing balm to what would be maddening silence in the depths of his cave-like dwelling beneath the city streets.

A few hits on possible villainous corporate suits registered on his holoscreen calling his attentions back. A smirk rested on his youthful complexion as he started to cycle through financial portfolios to look for irregularities that would cause such an upheaval to filter all the way down to the factory worker's family for whom was he investigating this travesty. Only a second glance down to the street below gave him enough time to put a pause on his plans, and fix his teal eyes on a figure moving through the crowd. While he had enough light to give a respectable but general view, he needed clarification. Lowering the night goggles he wore upon his crown and negotiating the lenses to filter into a telescopic range. Finally he saw -her-, and his night just got a lot more interesting. Blond hair, and what appeared to be sparkling hazel eyes lit up his visual array, and caused that stupid sheepish grin to grace his features.

"Ding Ding Ding, we have a winner." Dash said aloud, with the culminating din of activity below to go completely cancel out his speech to the street walkers below. Clipping his fingers over his mouth and giving a telling static sound effect. "Khhhrk Target acquired, subject in transit, clearance to pursue, over. Khhhrk" Who he was talking to was of no consequence, because as was his nature, girls took priority over just about anything else.

@[member="Spencer Jacobs"]

 

[Dashal Vance]

RECOVERY FOR SPENCER JACOBS

Short dress swayed with the soft breeze of people walking by, she typically wasn’t the type to be found wearing something like this, but it seemed to be the occasion. The Echani Queen had been quite busy with peace talks with the Republic as well as her talks with the Admiral Karrde out in the Unknown Regions. The woman was the type to have split loyalties; only reason for this though was because forever more her loyalty to who Karrde was would override anything. Politics though was an arena she detested and soon allowed her mind to forget everything.

The woman was here for other reasons, mostly to get away from everything that was happening on Eshan. With that thought, she ran her fingers through her blonde hair and continued to walk down the bustling street. Spencer wasn’t much of a shopper, but she enjoyed looking at pretty things that she’d never have. The nicest thing on her besides the dress was the silver necklace around her neck, it was something she never took off and had a nervous habit of playing with it. With that, her hand reached up and played with the little charm at the end of the silver chain, she bent over at the waist slightly to look through a window at a pair of shoes.

“100 credits that’s absurd…”

Leaning back up, she continued to walk down the streets continuing to pass through the crowd. Of course she hadn’t bought anything, she had the money to do so with the Echani crown, but something inside of her felt it was wrong to take advantage of it. Though her face was something of an idol, she was pretty and young. Her face made it through the holonet several times, at least her taking the crown on Eshan was something positive. A hand moved through her blonde hair as hazel eyes darted back and forth scanning the faces that passed her.

The last time her face was in the news she had become a wanted criminal, the young companion of the most dangerous woman in the galaxy. The girl was a former Jedi turned Sith and now a force user who seeked perfect balance. The young companion of the former Empress of the Sith – the woman who conquered ten thousand planets was only the ripe age of 18 and considered one of the strongest battle meditators to date, kindly after Je’gan and Bastila Shan. All of that though, everything that everyone ever told her including Ashin went right over her head. In Spencer’s mind she was just doing what she was told and trained to do. None of it went to her head, which was probably a good thing.

Flats clicked against the pavement as she continued to walk along the district, it was a nice evening and she enjoyed this brief time alone.

 

[Dashal Vance]

Would the young slicer set up a meet with a potential client, they would be hard pressed to stay off his radar, if they had anything of a footprint on the holo-net. If it was there, if it was even remotely mentioned he would be diligent in getting that intel well before actually getting a face-to-face appointment. There were however exceptions that made his methods less practical and more spontaneous. A face recognizable on the holo-net wouldn't generally go unnoticed by Dash in any arena short of a hushed alien species that would harrow his nightmares. That is unless you caught his eyes, and that's exactly how Spencer Jacobs - the Echani queen had completely blindsided the ogling stranger hoisted high above the city streets. In point of fact he'd probably done the same more than once when he saw her name and image pop-up at his command cave, but that's a far different story for another time.

Now was a time for action, and he did so love action. Getting a good bead on the sultry teenager below, Dash's smirk grew wider and he shifted from the cables, sliding down the length of the faux hammock. Hooking his hand across the thickest cable and swinging down, his form twisted in air while releasing his grip and clutching to the balcony feet below. Judging the distance for a split second, the youth contorted his form, and swung to the side landing on a single guard rail and sliding down it's angled frame before breaking off into a short wall run. Booted feet hit the permacrete carrying him over another spanning power cable and onto a fire-escape. Planting both hands atop its surface rail and vaulting forward, aiming to keep his momentum up. All the while of this acrobatic prowess - the slicer was admittedly humming his own personal theme song! Javin - or any city for that matter was a giant playground to his particular form of locomotion, and he didn't seem to be slowing down in pursuit of his goal.

Gloved palms grasped a drain pipe swinging himself around the corner and landing atop a sturdy neon sign for the briefest of moments. A forward flip in the air completed with a half turn allowed his right foot to plant on a hotel sign, and the first few steps of an inverted wall-run was taken before he sprung off and grasped the ladder hanging from another fire escape. The release hatch thrown, and several more feet of the ladder extended. Fingers released as he landed into a full somersault onto a thin sheet of durasteel acting as solar shielding to a produce stand below - for which the sound of his arrival gave a thunderous echo of reverberating metal. Springing back up, Dash lifted off and shot horizontally through a rectangular alcove just below a billboard before finally touching down on the pavement below. His crouched form taking all the stress of the landing into a muted sense before he slowly rose while finishing his tune.

"Ta da!" Both arms raised in the air in victory that he relished with that charismatic smile. Clicking a single button his night goggles to send that video feed of his antics back to home base so he could montage that for another viral holo-vid. Sliding those goggles back onto his crown, Dash started to take a brisk pace towards the adjacent alley where he'd seen his target approaching from. Now he just had to contend with the crowd of sentients all around, and keep himself moving to locate that girl. Running fingers through his styled hair, and shifting his frame to the side as he bypassed the ignored masses while looking for visual confirmation of Spencer once more. Another few yards ahead and Dash came into the heavy foot traffic of the intersection where the crowd was dispersing left and right, with another section aiming to go straight through to the other side. He stood against the wall for a few moments keeping his eyes set until she came into view. "Alright D, bring the 'A' game." Dash said to himself as he crossed the street with another herd of sentient 'cattle' and took up a position against the adjacent wall, one foot propped up against the edifice as he came to rest in Jacob's direct path.

"3...2....and" Vance said under his breath until Spencer was the next in line. "Do you know how much a Wampa weighs?" He asked with a wide grin turning to fall directly in step to Spencer's left flank, keeping her gait in perfect rhythm. A pair of teal hued eyes glancing her way while he matched her heel-toe staccato, finishing up with the answer to his unusual question. "Enough to break the ice. Name's Vyce." An amused smirk rose to his features. "Hey that rhymed..." And he didn't even plan that! Vyce certainly wasn't his name, but he'd spent enough time using various aliases that it was so natural that trying to detect lies was generally a moot point with the youth. What Dash lacked in actual honesty, he more than made up for in charm and a false bravado that was generally a mask of humor to diffuse just about any situation. His goal at the current; catch Spencer's interest - and see where that would take him.

@[member="Spencer Jacobs"]

 

[Dashal Vance]

RECOVERY FOR SPENCER JACOBS

Spencer continued to walk briskly down the pavement, she didn’t know why but something was tugging at the back of her mind. The force had its own ways of communicating with its child, of course like every parent it was the most annoying thing in the world and it happened at the worst moments. Pulling her handbag over her shoulder tightly she noticed a group gathering ahead of her, this meant she was going to be tied up on the planet for a bit longer. Stopping where she was, she removed a communicator and sent a quick message to Ashin letting the woman know that she’s alright. Force knew that the woman worried more than she liked to let on especially about Spencer.

Shoving the communicator into her bag once more she continued towards the crowd. She was smaller framed compared to everyone and she would be able to weave through the crowd to hopefully find out why she was being held up from going home. In this moment she was happy she couldn’t afford anything on the block, if she did buy something it would only be holding her back at the moment. Of course it was one of those street sights that prohibited people from walking. Waiting in the crowd she wondered once more why she had decided to come planet side. Hapes was the usual shopping place, but today she decided to be different.

After a few moments she was able to walk again, the patter of her flats picked up as she dip and ducked under the people and found a moment of space. A soft sight escaped her lips as she felt a bit better not being suffocated by the crowd. It was then something stepped in her way and she paused with wide eyes and a confused look on her face. He had rhymed which made her wonder how long he had been waiting for someone to actually pull off the line. Deciding to amuse him, she laughed and covered her mouth playfully. To be fair it was a good moment to actually laugh, she had so many stresses in her life that she at times forgot what it was like to feel this way.

“I’ll give you that one, it was clever though I have a feeling you might have been thinking about that line for some time now.”

She continued to walk and glanced towards him from the corner of her eyes, but her smile was soft as she shook her head and laughed again.

“I’m Spencer Jacobs, nice to meet you Vyce. So are you from around here? I'm utterly and completely lost and really just following the cattle crowd.”

 

[Dashal Vance]

Plastered across that handsome jawline was the devil-may-care grin that relished in the amused laughter escaping Spencer's lips. The soft and sweet chuckle lit up his evening which was certainly not complete without the ogling swoonage that Dash felt in the company of the highly fairer sex. The response resulting in the charismatic swagger of a confidant bloke who was now in the presence of a girl who just radiated delight in every clipped step in those heels. Dash kept pace trotting along with a spring in his heel-toe staccato - which wouldn't surprise him if he was already walking -on- the air with the pure high from Jacob's presence. Girls; a thing of beauty and his personal kryptonite, and something that would likely never change. Digits tucked across the waist band belt that hung around his hips loosely fitted, more for fashion and tech than actual practicality. A tilt of his head feasting that teal gaze on her introduction.

"About a ten second head start." Dash admitted with the cheesiest of grins as they kept the pace, doing his best to smooth his voice into an alluring tone and quality, while still emanating his boyish charm. The damage he could of done had he been born with Zeltron blood. Perhaps the galaxy knew the cost of that gift and had managed to only make him somewhat irresistibly entertaining. "Anything to bring a smile to that face - eh - bright eyes?" And they were bright, a beautiful mixture of color that shifted in various golden hues making them sparkle in the twilight of neon signs that blazed overhead. Street signs, flashing banners, and scrolling holo-marques were just the tip of the urban jungle beckoning them from several different directions at once. Then she'd gone and said her name. Oh boy, was that ever a cascade of info that ran through Dash's head like a blaster bolt!

Spencer Jacobs! A girl of infamy and fame all at the same juncture. The holo-net buzz that caught her up in the whirlwind of media was not lost on the hacktivist currently taking a stroll with the young lady capable of summoning storms of the Force with mere thought! Oh the articles he'd seen, the headlines he had read, and the pictures....oh the pictures. The holo-net didn't do her justice though, but Dash was one love-sick puppy. It was a hopeless case to ignore, but he seemed to gather his composure of just a widened gaze before a plan started to form from all corners of the wildly active mind of the slicer. She had dropped the bomb, but that has also opened the floodgates.

"Quite the reputation you've got going on there, but the holocam...it loves you." Dash offered with another grin while he seemingly bypassed that question she had asked just after introducing herself. He'd get back to it, but he was going on a detour first, compelled to wander through the haze of infatuation. "Most people our age don't even have half that digital foot-print, but I think you landed with both feet first. Must be tiring to have to deal with the gawkers." He could sympathize with the plight of being infamous on the net. He had a hefty footprint as well, but it was scattered among shell companies, false IDs, and a host of other anonymous activity that if added up....well he'd own half of the holospace in server data alone. Raising a brow, Dash took a moment to ponder a possibility before he dug out a single metallic coin from a pouch on his belt and flipped it into the air. The circular object did a ten-eighty before being snatched out of the air in the grasp of his fingerless gloved fist.

"Good news though. Tonight we're having a special on stress relief, and you look like you could really use a bit of that magic." The youth said as he let the coin wander from knuckle to knuckle and back again over his hand. "Whaddya say Spence?" Footsteps paused a charming grin on his features as he held his free hand out to her own. Would she take the leap of faith and dance with the devil in the pale moonlight? It was a risk, but Dash wasn't hiding much up his sleeve, except for a rare time for Spencer to let her hair down and just have some good ol' fashioned fun!

@[member="Spencer Jacobs"]

 

[Allyson Locke]

Bright eyes? Spencer blinked a few times at the comment. No one had ever called her that, her usual nickname was from a Sithling that liked to compare her to a doll other than that she had other pet names – but those were private. The man before her was quite energetic and she really didn’t know how to respond, she was caught off guard for the most part, but she smiled through it all. He spoke quickly and she nodded showing her interest in what he had said. Still, everything that came from him about the holo net, the cameras, and the articles – they were all new to her.

Once more, she blinked quickly. Hazel eyes fluttering as she tried to absorb every ounce of information the man was giving her. There had been stories on her, but what would they have been about? Spencer tried to go over the events of her life quickly as he continued to talk. What was news worthy, what would people want to know about? Tilting her head to the side she remembered the force storm incident which in turn saved thousands of lives. Chuckling nervously, she played with the end of her blonde hair as she tried to regain some sort of composure.

“I never really knew people kept up with my life; I feel I’m always behind on it as well – the holocam? I’m okay; I think whatever picture they have of me probably does me more justice than real life would ever do.”

Laughing, it had been some time since she had laughed. Life had been so serious recently especially taking over Eshan after her father and the rest of his cabinet abandoned it. She laughed at herself mostly because she couldn’t believe people actually had been taking pictures of her. Looking around, she wanted to make sure no one was taking one of her now, she looked terrible probably exhausted. Remembering something she had seen on the holonews she smirked and decided to try and call his bluff.

“The holopictures? Don’t the media make them prettier with editing? I mean I hope they do I’m sure some of the pictures they took wouldn’t be too flattering without light edits or mud smudge removal!”

The thought of her photo everywhere made her blush slightly as she hoped and prayed to the Force that it was a flattering image. Her attention was refocused as he played with the credit and mentioned the idea of a stress free evening. A genuine smile spread across her face as her eyes lit up. It had been so long since she had just sat down or ran around and just enjoyed herself. She was still young and being picked up and treated like a prodigy to the Dark Lord of the Sith. Nodding she didn’t need any more convincing, but she regained her senses and smirked. Looking at Dash with her eyes she chuckled softly and folded her arms in front of her.

“So what’s the plan for this stress free night? Also do you have any holopics of me?”

@[member="Dashal Vance"]

 

[Dashal Vance]

Humility. Dash wasn't completely aware of it's meaning, mostly because he hadn't tried the craft. Like some strange secret brew locked away in a dusty bar - it seemed off-putting to his personality. On her though -- it seemed to do the trick. That mix of bashful paranoia, and self-deprecation was something of an even larger flattery paid to the homage that was Spencer Jacobs. He'd heard it said though that the worst critic was always yourself, and it seemed to be favoring in the mind of the blond bombshell that stood before him, speaking in underwhelming tones of her own features. A renegade smile turned upwards into a full fledged grin as Spencer adjusted her posture a time or two indicating a nervous situation.

"Mirrors don't do you justice, they can't. You're in a league all your own." A teal eyed wink was offered between phrases resting his pace and pausing only to glance sideways at a reflective panel of brushed durasteel on a nearby building edifice. The glossy surface reflecting the duo standing and conversing on the topic of holo-vanity. "Thankfully I worked in the minors enough to try out for the major leagues." A playful nudge in her direction was offered with his shoulder as he glanced at their reflection again. "A holo-edit on your pretty face? I'd rather see graffiti at the Solar Gardens." Dash commented on the ludicrous thought noting that defacing an iconic garden between two prominent restaurants on Nubia would be a lesser crime. Yes, he laid it on THICK. Dash had all the mannerisms of a snake-oil charmer and a holo-vangelist rolled into one. The only thing was that he wasn't conning this lovely lady, he was speaking the heart's desire sprinkled with a bit of guile.

Safe to say though, Dash had quite the collection of data on his private servers, and it wasn't a big guess to understand that she had her own data file with pictures he'd seen. Much of a hacktivist as he was, Dash did prefer the real deal - especially in this short span of time now that he'd actually met the galaxy famous Jacobs. The credit in hand moving between deft digits was merely a tangible distraction for his less than focused self. A scatter-brained multi-tasker like himself needed stimulation in various ways to keep the calm and smooth persona he was putting on. He liked her challenge though - her interest was piqued. His inner conversation though was quite contrasting to his outward appearance. The yips and cheers of a giddy school-boy geeking out over the prospect of a lady friend out on the town with him always got his cerebral juices charged.

The arm crossed challenge laced with curiosity caused Dash's pulse to quicken and his smile to widen. He'd set the lure, fished some bait into the conversation and he was inches away from getting her hooked. Spencer wasn't a mark though, she was very much sitting in the friend or friendlier category of his mental database of contacts. The precise category was 'Oooh!!!' complete with three exclamation marks. The coin shaped object stopped in mid stride across his fingers before he pinched it and then leveled it to her gaze. On closer inspection it wasn't a credit at all, but a similarly fashioned symbol that had the word 'Verdant' scrawled across it in both Basic and Huttese.

"The number one hot spot for all your guilt-free pleasures. Holocades, vid-cycles, and of course the dance rave that runs all night long." Dash gave a half bow extending one arm to the side, the other with the coin tucked closer to his chest. Rising up he gave another smile and reached for her hand. "And you've got an all access pass with your host with the most. So let's ride that lunar-run and see if we can get you to let your hair down." He gave a quick wink was offered in her direction. "And I might just have some by the end of the night, long as we're taking them together." He spoke of the holo-pics she had inquired of, and as soon as acceptance with her hand was in reach, he was heading down the walkway avoiding the 'cattle' and making a bee-line for an underground night-club that would provide this evening's festivities.

[member="Spencer Jacobs"]