Welcome to the Jungle

[Kairon Rees]

[member="Malia Afredane"]

The silence seemed to stretch out. Kairon kept dragging his aim from one corner of roof to the other. Growing apprehensive, he waved skippy over to him and indicated for him to give him a boost up. One foot on the outstretched hand Kairon readied his rifle.

One smooth motion brought him up to roof level and he brought his rifle to bear. The rodian had a grenade in his hand and was eating towards Mal's side of the roof. Idiot.

The A280 blew clear through his shin and dropped him before he could pull the pin. Kairon kept it trained on him.

"Throw the damn guns away or I make this simple!" he shouted. "Got him Mal!"

Only when a small pile of weaponry was well outside of the rodian's reach did he clamber up onto the roof. The would-be assassin curled up and nursed his smouldering shin.

Kairon narrowed his eyes. The moron had nearly shit Mal. Had killed a passed by through his sloppy marksmanship. The last few steps were taken at a run and he delivered a mighty kick to the gut. Probably shouldn't have done that, but it took the edge of that cold anger that had started to build.

 

[Malia Afredane]

The weapons lock from Gracie's cannon did not let off until the local authorities had also gotten up the ladder and taken the rodian into custody. It was when all the settlement inhabitants were safe that the guns were turned onto to Mal and Kairon and for their part in spraying fire at a dwelling in town and having a shootout in the streets that they were arrested and stuck into a small holding cell.

Mal sat down on the bench along the wall, leaning back against it and waiting.

The part she wasn't sure about in activating Skippy was most certainly going to cause problems. Skippy had been disarmed and deactivated and confiscated, standing along the wall next to a desk overflowing with paperwork.

The citizens were angry and in mourning for a lost life. Inadvertently, they had been the cause of that death.

Mal stared blankly at the ceiling for the worse news. Activating Skippy sends a message. The message is triangulated with Gracie's transponder. Skippy's owner was going to come for answers and she wasn't exactly sure now that she had a good reason to do what she did. However, she did know one thing. She had to be quiet. Just for a little while.

[member="Kairon Rees"]

 

[Kairon Rees]

[member="Malia Afredane"]

"Look, I know that's some serious gear for civilians but things can get hairy in the deep black. All these rebellions and proxy factions, it's just not safe out there."

"And you're not aware of any official bounties on you?"

"No and even then I doubt that one was a registered hunter. They don't tend to shoot live bolts at you in crowded restaurants. How come your boys were so slow to respond?"

"We don't to get much violence brought to these parts Mr. Rees," the officer replied with a withering stare.



The cell door slid open. An actual, mechanical cell door rather than a force field. How quaint. Kairon strode in, rubbing the back of his neck as he often did when concerned.

"Was a time when we didn't worry too much about things like bail and turning up for a hearing," he sighed as he sat down next to Mal and sought out her hand with his. "On the flip side I was expecting to get shot at less."

They were far more legitimate traders than smugglers now. The Quin and Grace did often get used to move cargo across borders quietly, but the volume and speed of the Warden allowed her to get goods around quickly and the armaments allowed them to avoid the necessity of a convoy.

"Won't tell me why he was so set on killing me."

 

[Malia Afredane]

"Bail and a hearing? Cakewalk."

She held his hand trying to figure out if maybe something in the last year had put the bounty on his head. It didn't add. It had to be older than his time on the Warden. Oh but the how. They didn't know who even put the bounty on them.

They sat in the cell, talking quietly and trying to puzzle out why they were targeted but Mal's eyes kept drifting to Skippy as though it would suddenly spring to life and sound the dire warning of an incoming rant. Or worse.

It had been a couple hours when the distinct sound of a atmospheric assault shuttle could be heard overhead. It could be the Coalition there to take them to a more formal jail and judicial proceeding.

Or....

About 20 minutes after the sound of the ship landing, Sera walked into the small police station, looking around distastefully at the lackluster surroundings. Dressed in a high powered suit, she looked like a lawyer that most normal people couldn't afford. Her hair was pulled back and coiffed perfectly and her glittering blue eyes settled on Mal in the cell with a baleful smile.

"Good afternoon, Ms. Afredane. I believe you have called for assistance. What happened?"

Mal stood and walked over to the bars, her hands in her pockets.

"My second has a bounty on him. It's not public, the shooter isn't talking and he killed a bystander before we could corner him. Local security was pretty ineffective but he had us pinned down. Skippy was the only thing I could pull out to keep us out of the morgue."

Sera looked at Mal hard, then leaned over to the right a shade so she could see Kairon. Her smile was warm and congenial.

"Mr. Rees. I don't believe we have had the pleasure. Would you be so kind as to answer some questions so that I can help you?"

Mal winced. Sera's help never came without a price. It was one she paid freely because of her devotion to Rusty. She could not say the same for Kairon.

[member="Kairon Rees"]

 

[Kairon Rees]

[member="Malia Afredane"]

Kairon wasn't entirely certain what was unfolding now. Assistance was good. He had now idea how the locals were going to proceed with matters. Jarrick and Asmus had always been better at dealing with forms and paperwork and official matters. Kairon had always been a better at dealing with faces. Looking to to Mal for any form of warning before he replied: "Aye, that I can do easily enough."

He rung his hands in his lap. It had been easier to back his concerns into the corner of his mind when he had her hand in his. He was so used to having her support, he realised. Between the two of them they made a pretty good job of acting like regular folk. Their legitimate business was going well, really well. He silently prayed to nothing in general that he hadn't gone and cocked up all the hard work she'd done. At least he'd only indulged in one swift kick. Would have been easy to let go. He'd done much worse to people who'd done much less before.

 

[Malia Afredane]

Sera smiled brightly and stepped to the side so that she was fully revealed to him, Mal no longer a shield from her gaze. She pulled out a datapad, and after a few swipes to her to the correct screen, she looked up with hard eyes.

"Our records indicate that you recently left the Quintessence in the hands of your former second, Jarrick Hague. Are you still in contact and to what extent do you have sway over their jobs?"

The smile had vanished, the tone of her voice no nonsense and matter of fact as she rattled through the questions.

[member="Kairon Rees"]

 

[Kairon Rees]

[member="Malia Afredane"]

Kairon paused with his mouth half open. His dark brows furrowed at the question; it was not one he had been expecting. He took a moment to consider how to ask that one, but never turned away from the smartly dressed newcomer. "He runs the transport business and now owns the ship. However, I own the majority share of the business," he said. That had been the deal they'd struck, the share of the business for ownership of the vessel.

"I keep in touch with him, some measure of sway over their work you might say."

 

[Malia Afredane]

"You were on the Grey Warden for an extended period before this transfer took place. Did you use your contacts to influence jobs or missions taken on by Ms. Afredane or Rusty in your time on the Warden?"

Her questions were rather pointed as she entered his answers and continued with her inquiries. Mal turned sideways, leaning her shoulder on the bars and watching everything intently, but not really focused at Kairon. She was looking at Sera with the eyes of a gambler, looking for a tell. So far, the statuesque blond did not seem to have one. At least not a human one.

As she was waiting for Kairon's answer, a beep emanated from the datapad and she swiped to check what could only be a message.

"From a cursory check of the shooter's ship and files, he picked this bounty up from Kanjiklub. What is your history with them and why would they want you dead, Mr. Rees?"

Her tone became downright frosty as she mentioned the association of the bounty hunter, and Mal glanced at Kairon, waiting to hear his explanation.

[member="Kairon Rees"]

 

[Kairon Rees]

[member="Malia Afredane"]

"No more than by introducing them to some of my contacts," Kairon reasoned. "Though we talked about work and what to take plenty. So I suppose that counts as influence."

Kairon turned to regard Mal briefly. Didn't look like he could get a steer without Sera noticing. His partner was quite closely watching her rather than him.

"Kanjiklub? Ah. I used to trade with a man named Erkhal Druly. He got into debts, Kanjiklub cashed in on them. He didn't have enough to pay so they buried him and took his business. Thought they could pinch my ship during an exchange with one of Erkhal's men. Didn't think I hurt them enough for a bounty."

 

[Malia Afredane]

"I see..." Her mezzo trailed off while Sera studied him then went back to the dossier of the shooter. A few moments longer and she swiped the screen clear and tucked it away.

"Well, I believe I have the answers I needed. I think the Rodian was probably fed the bounty as a throwaway mission by someone at Kanjiklub in order to get rid of him. Thank you Mr. Rees, we'll handle it from here."

At this point, Sera leveled Mal with a serious look and Mal rolled her eyes, right her posture to stand upright, although her hands were still in her pockets.

"Ms. Afredane, as Mr. Rees is now an official member of your crew, this little affair becomes your responsibility. It's going to cost us to right this with the Coalition and to come to an understanding with Kanjiklub. Therefore, I have a special series of runs for both the Grey Warden and the Wicked Grace. Head to Dressel to pick up the cargo and your mission briefs will be waiting."

Mal shook her head.

"Whoa, Dressel's in TU space."

"The time to be squeamish is over, Ms. Afredane. We've been patient so far, but it's time that you live up to the bargain you made." She smiled broadly again, winking congenially at Kairon. "The authorities will release you in about an hour. Skippy will be coming with me, but we'll send a replacement with your first trip."

With that, Sera turned and sauntered out, while Skippy sat against the wall, Mal's breath huffing out as she slumped against the bars.

"Karking feth. I suppose it could have gone worse."

[member="Kairon Rees"]

 

[Kairon Rees]

[member="Malia Afredane"]

Kairon took in a deep breath before letting out a long sight. "The Union is crumbling under the weight of its own bureaucracy. Some noble families tore it apart apparently. We can get there, but it's only then we find out what the job is.”

A contemplative expression on his face, Kairon rubbed the back of his neck. ”Jarrick will come if I ask,” he reasoned. “Might be safer in a convoy of three. When we're back on space you're gonna have to tell me how deep I've got is in today.”

He leaned back where he sat, his head falling back against the duracrete blocks. He found a patch of ceiling and traced the spidery little cracks with his eyes. This was an interesting little mess. He tried to convince himself he wasn't at fault here. He really wasn't, but it certainly felt like he'd dropped Mal in the deep end.

Despite it all he started to chuckle. “You know, I was going to deliberately sabotage the hyperdrive after all this. Accidentally leave us stranded in deep space where no one could bother us for a day or two. That's our next holiday. No one can shoot at us if we just park up in the middle of dark space.” His head came off the wall and he tried to smile, beckoning for her to come and sit with him.

 

[Malia Afredane]

"Oh, I know what the job is. I just don't like the implications of where the cargo is going."

She shook her head at him, heading back to the bench to take a seat. Skippy whirred to life once more, and marched dutifully out as Mal kept the silence. Until she was sure it was safe to talk, she couldn't really get into it now.

"No, Jarrick cannot be a part of this. The Quin and Gracie would get chewed up. This is Warden business. Also, sabotaging my antique freighter is not really the way to get me in a romantic mood. And there's plenty of good reasons why that is a really bad idea. When we are sprung, I'll fill you in."

She held his hand and leaned on his shoulder until the local security chief came in and opened the bars, escorting them at gunpoint back to the ramp of Gracie and onto the ship. The hypnotic colors of the forests had lost their luster now as they shot back to into the blackness beyond the colorful skies. Mal set coordinates to rendezvous with the Warden, only relaxing when the worls of blue were splayed around Gracie.

She rotated her pilot's seat to look at him, her eyes drifting up to the very shiny and most certainly new nav panel behind his head.

"Let's be clear, you didn't get us into anything. I threw you head first into it when I activated Skippy. I am a contractor for a clandestine information network. They paid for the fancy upgrades to Gracie, in exchange, I do certain jobs. Nothing that would stand out, cargo runs that have plausible deniability. Sera is my contact."

[member="Kairon Rees"]

 

[Kairon Rees]

[member="Malia Afredane"]

Kairon took a moment to process this. He looked to Mal, over at the view of hyperspace and then back again. He followed this with a curt nod.

"Alright then," he replied plainly. "Well, I'm quite enjoying the whole not being in a cell or six feet under right now, but I imagine that doesn't come cheap. They came pretty damn quickly, so you must have done some good work in the past.

"The Quin is a tough old bird so I guess we're going somewhere with trouble?" Kairon had known there were contacts she did some tricky work for. Lucrative work. Now he knew it was just one contact. One organisation she'd clearly wanted to keep him at arm's length from.

"Are you in trouble?" he added suddenly before she could reply.

 

[Malia Afredane]

She actually laughed at the suggestion that she was in trouble.

"No, if anything, they make sure I am not hence why Sera was so fast. I do this because it matters to someone I care for. And if it mattered to them, then it mattered to me. Gracie is my ship and so the alterations to her are overt. There's a reason that no one but me flies her. There's too much at stake if someone else were to dig into her. It's also why it's a bad idea to sabotage my hyperdrive."

She paused for a moment, considering if she should or could tell him more, chewing on her bottom lip.

"There are some upgrades to the Warden as well, but nothing as obvious as the work done on Gracie. They have deep pockets. I just have to pick up and deliver cargo for the most part. It just happens to be places I don't care for sometimes. Nothing's hot, nothing illegal. Just undesirable locations and crossing battlelines. I don't want to drag people into it without their knowledge, so no Jarrick, no Quin. They will never ask me something that Gracie and the Warden can't do and they have invested too much to simply write me off. It's just hard to explain because for so long, it was just me."

[member="Kairon Rees"]

 

[Kairon Rees]

[member="Malia Afredane"]

Relief was evident on his face as she finished her explanation. At the end of her explanation he was actually smiling.

"Fair enough," he added with a slow nod. "I was just suddenly concerned this was one of these 'we'll look after you, you look after us but if you don't we break all your bones' kind of deals."

Content for now, he span his chair back towards the front console, taking a moment to check a couple of displays. Glancing sideways at Mal he leaned forwards and pretended to whisper to the ship: "Don't worry, I was only going to borrow the secondary regulator so the hyperdrive went into graceful shutdown. I wouldn't hurt you."

"I can get on looking at the route if we need to sneak back out of Union space quietly. But first I'm going to search the Holonet for planets with holiday resorts and a blanket ban on firearms."

 

[Malia Afredane]

"I'm starting to wonder if we should just pick active warzones. At least then, we know what we are walking into."

It was getting a little ridiculous as to how much trouble they managed to find without really meaning to do so.

"Sneaking out of Union space isn't the issue. There's a good chance the cargo could be meant for the Sith. Or the Hutts. Or the Mandos. The Mandos, I can swallow that. But it could be the First Order or another group of sickos who think what that zabrak did to us was a warmup."

She huffed out a long, hard sigh.

"The Techno Union for the most part is just the surface. Imagine if the Sith decide we are their honored guests? Sera can get us out, but kark, I don't want to see their interrogations. I fought them in the Republic, that was enough, thanks."

[member="Kairon Rees"]

 

[Kairon Rees]

[member="Malia Afredane"]

"I'd like the First Order the least of those I think. Truth be told the Union is usually just beurocratic. Just a bad roll of the dice," he said. Even to this day going back there in his mind drained some of the colour from his face.

"Sith space is large and lots of little fiefdom. The Order has a much smaller space and a very imperialistic attitude to cracking down on illegal traffic. I know a good few off the chart routes in and out of Hutt Space."

Kairon yawned as he settled back into his chair. This had seemed a very long day indeed. He had a bad feelings things were yet to become more interesting. Funny, he couldn't remember whose culture used 'interesting times' as a curse.

 

[Malia Afredane]

Swearing Kairon to secrecy of her side connection, the trip back to the Warden was uneventful and despite him being usually terrible about his tells, he did not give any indication that their trip to Felucia had been anything but routine.

Orders were given to make for Dressel and Mal radioed RCFC, but the woman Rusty had hired for the shop let her know that he was out on a job. Such was the pity but it couldn't be helped. They had made their commitments to the Shards, and they had to abide them. She would catch him on another trip. If she was going to have to start doing these more often, they would meet up and raise hell then.

When the Warden landed outside of Breehara, the cargo was ready and waiting, although looking over the lists and destinations made her stomach sour. Coruscant, Byss, Kuat, Balmorra. Several crates of consumer goods and protocol droids for each destination. None of the buyers were government or military, looked like they were all bought through a mass electronic marketplace and the Grey Warden was acting as the delivery vessel.

It took a few hours for the ship to be fully loaded, the droids moving diligently back and forth to stack the containers neatly in the bays, while Mal played it cool. The engineering team and the bridge crew were given shore leave while the docking crew oversaw the process. Mal looked to Kairon as he walked up, shaking her head.

"I think I am going to send Asmus on a courier run to Eriadu for a few days so I don't have to listen to your sister's outrage for taking her boy into a warzone."

[member="Kairon Rees"]

 

[Kairon Rees]

[member="Malia Afredane"]

"I'm glad that you get the share in everything, including the earache my sister can generate," he replied sarcastically. Yet whilst there was a gulf between him and his sister that nothing would ever fully bridge, Mal had garnered more than a little respect in their brief conversations.

"Just let me get him to help with the charts first, but I agree," he added. Hands on hips he surveyed the storage of the cargo, with a furtive glance for the exits. "Wouldn't want him overhearing me say that he's actually knuckled down with his studies and become a better navigator than me."

Asmus was rather pleased in the end to get another solo trip. Though there had been some interesting discussion on the existence of an 'expenses account'. In the end Kairon had agreed that yes, he could have some extra credits to account for the fact that the small vessel didn't have a kitchen. However he got them in the form of chits, to a quantity the youth was clearly dismayed by.

Kairon admitted to Mal that getting to the heart of the Sith Empire concerned him the most. There were ships on patrol all through their space, due to some internal strife they'd suffered recently.

"How are you getting on with Isabela by the way?" he asked as they meandered towards the bridge.

 

[Malia Afredane]

"She's great but at this point I think Asmus spends more time behind the yoke than I do. He's really getting pretty good at it."

The bridge was dark, the ship on auxiliary power while the loading was being done. Mal flipped on the navcomputer and let it index the chart so she could get a better idea of where these routes were going to take them. She set the tablet down and leaned on the back of one of the seats, her arms crossed over her chest as she looked over at him.

"The patrols don't so much bother me as just exiting hyperspace into a battle that I don't know is going on. This is going to be hazard pay for the crew, and frankly I'm a little worried that if we get detained, Mai's going to have a freak out."

The Cathar and Mal had bonded since her joining the crew, starting with Mal asking her personally to work for her and letting her negotiate terms. Since then, Mai and Mal had shared a quiet and deeply held respect for each other. She didn't want to ruin that trust.

"I think I might make this trip volunteers only. I don't want anyone to feel they have to go on this little excursion. Hazard pay for those that do, shore leave for everyone else?"

[member="Kairon Rees"]