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*There he was... Draykon himself. Not exactly what his holonet picture would have her believe. His hair was longer, and there was a sparkle in his eyes that a mug-shot could never capture. He was a looker -- no denying it. She let a quiet whistle escape her lips. Some duties were worse than others. She spoke quietly. Not loud enough for the group of toughs from one of the nearby cantinas to overhear, but loudly enough for her open comm to pick up.*

:: You catching this, Roach? Lookee what I got here. ::

*Roach held radio silence, merely keying his handset once to send an affirmative that Nucks was sure to hear.*

:: You making any progress with that old piece of junk? They haven't moved in what -- 70, 80 years? I hafta say, I think you'll be sidelined for this one, compadre. You know it and I know it. Thissis my show. You just enjoy the bench. ::

*No response.*

*She moved as the maker had intended -- hips just so, just the right amount of jiggle while still looking every inch the lethal instrument she was. The kohl smeared across her eyes served to accentuate the saphire-blue encased within, and at a dozen paces, Mack looking more than a little edgy, she paused, hands on hips, and called out to the small group.*

Hey, Cap'n -- you taking on passengers for off-world? If you're not... *she ran her eyes over his body appraisingly* ...you should.

[quote="Adrien Draykon":263nqabz][color=#80BFBF:263nqabz]Things go south and you don't have the drop on someone you get outta here, understand? There are more important things to worry about. [narration:263nqabz]She'd know what he meant. The crew. He didn't care a lot about much else[/narration:263nqabz][action:263nqabz]He let his gaze stay with her for a second longer before moving onto Dax[/action:263nqabz] Not out of your sight. [action:263nqabz]He nodded and then turned to Mack, he met the man's eyes and gave a silent nod[/action:263nqabz][narration:263nqabz]An apology among men, a way to check and see if everything was good between them[/narration:263nqabz][/color:263nqabz][/quote:263nqabz]

[action:263nqabz]Connie gives Ade her cockiest grin and waves her hands forward like she's physically pushing his concerns away as she says chipperly,[/action:263nqabz] "Dude, ya, like, got nothin' ta worry about. 'seti's had my back, like, [i:263nqabz]forever[/i:263nqabz] and with him and Daxie, [action:263nqabz]she blows a raspberry,[/action:263nqabz] We're [i:263nqabz]all kinds'a[/i:263nqabz] ready for whatever happens. Kick back, chill and let us work our magic. We'll have the rest'a the crew back and the clone in the ground in no time, you'll see," [action:263nqabz]she concludes with a double thumbs up.[/action:263nqabz]

[npc name=Dax:263nqabz][action:263nqabz]His tapir-like snout curling up in a grin, Dax nods when Ade says not to let Constanza out of his sight, confirming,[/action:263nqabz] [color=#80BF00:263nqabz]"Not a thecond."[/color:263nqabz][/npc:263nqabz]

[npc name=Claude "Mack" Dieter:263nqabz][action:263nqabz]Mack, seeing Ade's nod when his restless pacing brings the two of them face to face, hesitates briefly before nodding once and resuming his pacing and ceaseless scanning of their surroundings.[/action:263nqabz] [narration:263nqabz]Mack may not ever understand Adrien's decision to leave him and Dax behind, and probably will never trust the man as completely as he once did as a result, but is willing to let the matter rest after letting it eat at him for so long. He and Adrien may not ever rebuild what they had before Varonat, but the only way to work as a cohesive team is let the past go and move on, and so, even if they aren't as good as they once were, they are good now; Adrien may not have got all that from the nod, but, so far as Mack is concerned, that doesn't really matter; they both understand now that things are good and so can rest easy on that account.[/narration:263nqabz]

[action:263nqabz]When he sees the blonde heading their way, Mack gives a low whistle pitched so only those near him should hear it, not in appreciation of the woman's ample charms but to alert the others that they should go on guard. Mack doesn't stop pacing when the woman comes into talking distance, instead, hand never leaving the grip of his blaster, slowing his pace and pacing in a circuit that affords him a clear line of fire on the woman at all times.[/action:263nqabz][/npc:263nqabz]

[quote="Blondie":263nqabz]Hey, Cap'n -- you taking on passengers for off-world? If you're not... [action:263nqabz]she ran her eyes over his body appraisingly[/action:263nqabz] ...you should.[/quote:263nqabz]

[narration:263nqabz]Even though Blondie is talkin' ta Ade, Connie, guessin' that either Blondie is only guessin' that he's the cap' or is yet another chick from his past showin' up unexpectedly, answers her since, if Blondie is only guessin', she won't know what she's being told is a lie and Connie, paranoid by nature and even more paranoid after everything that Ade has told her has been going on toppa knowing that Ade has a lot of people that would like ta see him dead as a general rule anyway, feels like lying is the way ta go.[/narration:263nqabz] "He's, like, not the captain, [action:263nqabz]Connie says chipperly, not too worried about unarmed since she knows Mack is ready to waste Blondie if she moves wrong and Daxie has already pushed the sides of his trench coat back behind the DC-17's holstered on his hips and is ready to do the same if Blondie is a psycho-ex of Ade's out for revenge or a bounty hunter out for his hide rather than just a normal chick with a funky fashion sense and a wacky idea of what proper makeup application should look like.[/action:263nqabz] I am, [action:263nqabz]the diminutive, pale skinned Nagai announces with a smile before, nodding as though in agreement with her own assertion, she then frowns and holds her hands out at her sides and says in an apologetic tone,[/action:263nqabz] I'm, like, not runnin' a travel business though, so if you're lookin' ta take a trip, you'll need ta look for another ship."

*The sudden approach of the woman sort of threw Adrien slightly, but Connie was on top of her game and stepped in to intercept despite what he had just told her, though he was relieved to see Mack and Dax ready to draw at a moment's trouble, so Adrien hung back to see how Connie did**His hand dropped to one of his enforcers and rested there lazily, waiting to see what would happen next as he stared the woman up and down*

*Her attractiveness may have normally been a distraction, as would the extensive makeup around her eyes, but this was Connie in front of her and that kept him more focused than ever. She had put herself in harms way and Adrien made sure that he wasn't directly behind Connie in case this person knew who he was and he was a target so she wouldn't be directly in the line of fire if things took a turn for the worst*

*With his free hand he scratched his nose as he started to scan her with the different functions of his eyes, to see if her body temperature gave any tell tale signs that she was more than just a traveler looking for a ride off this rock*

*One of her thigh-highs (the right leg) had strayed, and the woman bent at the waist, running her hands from ankle, up to thigh to straighten the garment - never taking her eyes seductively off Adrien. In addition to offering a view that would quicken the pulse of any red-blooded male, the act also allowed Nucks to adopt a classic shooter's stance, right leg slightly forward, offering a smaller profile to Mack's movement, and placing her square to Dax, also looking ready to draw. In adjusting her garter, she also drew back the duster to reveal the holster on her right leg, and when she came to stand at her full height again, her right hand lay within easy reach of the butt of the blaster held within the leather.*

That a fact, Vinti? Draykon hand over the reins to you? Then maybe I'm talking to the wrong crew. Maybe I should head over a half dozen landing pads and speak to Fel's girl, 'stead a you. She's pretty sweet an' all... but me? I'd rather it was you took me for a ride, Adrien. *a wink*

*The wind gusted, blowing down between ships and howling through the cavernous interior of the Skip. Men pulled garments tightly about themselves, shielding their eyes against the dust as they walked to and fro.*

'S cold out here, Adrien. Why don't we go somewhere you can buy a girl a drink, so we can discuss my offer and relax a little, before your man there *indicating Dax* shoots himself in the foot.

...or should I be barking up Galdaart Fel's tree?

*Even though her Sapphic proclivities mean that when Blondie bends at the waist to straighten her thigh-high Connie is every bit as distracted as any red-blooded male, the distraction is not so great that she isn't fully attending to what Blondie says as she straightens back up.*

*Arching an eyebrow in surprise when Blondie reveals that she knows who everyone is, Connie, shaking her head slightly to get the hair that has been blown down into her eyes as much as to clear her head from the thoughts that the little show Blondie put on for, she is pretty sure, Ade's benefit, doesn't miss the fact that Blondie now has her hand near her blaster.* *Connie's surprise isn't due only to the fact that Blondie, in addition to revealing that the Fel crew is here on the Skip too, has their names and knows enough to know that Ade is the captain, but also because the woman seems to have access to some old intel; not only is Connie's current alias Tehia Jhadav, but she left the Draykon crew a while back, as did Mack and Dax, plus, like, most peeps think Ade is currently on Nar Shaddaa since his evil clone has taken his place. A more sinister possibility for Blondie's info, of course, is that she is in with whoever is behind the clone; explaining why she's here looking for Ade rather than Nar Shaddaa, where the clone and the rest of the crew are.*

*Tilting her head to the side and tugging at one of the tiny silver hoops in her right earlobe, Connie widens her eyes in a theatrical display of being impressed as she says,* "Wow. You, like, know who we are. Bully for you. *The invite for Ade to take her someplace to get a drink seems, to Connie, like a pretty transparent attempt to get him away from the crew, and since she can't think of any benign reasons Blondie might have for that, Connie is not gonna let it happen if she can help it, especially since she knows, just like she suspects Blondie does, that Ade has a tendency ta think with his little head when in the company of women with Blondie's attributes.* *With an apologetic shrug of her shoulders and a sweet smile, Connie says,* Ya weren't listenin' though. We aren't in the travel biz lady, so maybe you oughta just scamper along an', like, see if ya have any better luck with gettin' access ta Fel's tree, 'kay?"

[quote="Kaali Xsato":alz8enf0][i:alz8enf0][color=#BFBFFF:alz8enf0]*Her slanted eyes narrowed to slits before widening again, the silver in them flashing with a temper that had been born from the dark side, and not her natural personality. Just what was he implying of her when he said he was seeking 'company' on a rock like this? And there was no doubt what else he thought of her as with his suggestive smile and invitation to steal. Her voice was a growl.*[/color:alz8enf0][/i:alz8enf0]

"I think you have mistaken the reason for why I am here! I am no thieving wretch, and my reasons for being here are none of your-"

[i:alz8enf0][color=#BFBFFF:alz8enf0]*She grunted and pressed her hands over her now gold-tinted irises, steadying her breathing until the cold burn of the dark side was smothered once more beneath her force conceal. Her biting tone had been far more defensive than it should have been considering that she was better than these vagabonds. ...Wasn't she? Kaali lowered her hand from her eyes, and though they rested on the tall, slender male in the seat before her, her attention was actually focused on her peripheral vision, where the three armored mercenaries were eyeballing the rowdy Weequays. Temptingly distracted. Was she not, at this moment, entertaining the idea of relieving them of their blood money? One of the three men removed his strangely spiked helm, revealing a leathery hide and reptilian facial protrusions. Nikto. Not as unintelligent as they looked. Her pupils dilated as her focus returned to <Sky.> She might need his help after all, but not in the way he was suggesting.

She pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed.*[/color:alz8enf0][/i:alz8enf0]

"My apologies, that was unnecessary of me." [color=#BFBFFF:alz8enf0][i:alz8enf0]*A strange lilt had entered her words, the faint hint of an accent she had lost long ago, but was more pronounced when her words were not biting.* [/i:alz8enf0][/color:alz8enf0] "I am just not fit for company. Of any sort."

[i:alz8enf0][color=#BFBFFF:alz8enf0]*There was a loud, metallic sound of impact followed by the distinctive whirring of a motor as the crates she had been waiting for were loaded onto a repulsorlift cargo carrier. Finally, things were beginning to move.*[/color:alz8enf0][/i:alz8enf0][/quote:alz8enf0]
[action:alz8enf0]Sky's eyebrows rose and he leaned back instinctively (well, as far as he could in the chair anyway) when her tone grew low and angry. That was NOT the reaction he was used to getting. At all. She was definitely a thief, no one else would have that "appraising" look about them, but maybe she just preferred to work alone. He followed her gaze to the group of three mercenaries, then turned back to face her.[/action:alz8enf0] [color=#80BFFF:alz8enf0]"You sure? I mean, far be it from me to tell you how to do your thing, but they don't exactly look to be the friendly type. A small scale partnership might not go amiss in this situation."[/color:alz8enf0]

*The line was moving slowly, but at least it was moving. I took a few steps forward as a short, stout Duros exited the shop, looking rather annoyed, and hurried off, crossing dangerously in front of a moving cargo carrier loaded with crates as he did so. From his frustration and blind haste, he evidently hadn't found what he was seeking.*

*Glancing back at the reflection in the makeshift sign, I saw that Sky and his mysterious stranger hadn't moved. With each boring moment, I wondered what in space they were discussing. I just hoped it wasn't drugs. In another few steps, my 'mirror' would be out of sight, so if something was going to happen, I hoped it would happen soon.*

=R5-E1 "Scrapheap"=
*Now that he was no longer intently working a problem for his mistress, which allowed him to focus his circuits and his sensors on a very narrow set of observations and ignore his filthy surroundings, Scrapheap was slowly losing control. This dirt, and oil, and filth, and grime all around him was almost paralyzing to his sensors. There was so much of it, and he could practically see ever last germ and air pollutant. It demanded to be cleaned, and yet there was so much chaos, and only one tiny droid. The R5 unit let out a mournful hoot, and shook slightly, from side to side.*

*Scrappy's wail cut through my curiosity like a knife. My eyes snapped back to the germaphobic droid, and I laid one hand gently on his dome, brushing a thin film of dust off as I did so.* "It's ok, Scrappy. No one expects you to clean this place." *I whispered.* "Maybe you should shut your sensors down for now. I'll tell you when I need you." *My faithful droid let out a short hoot in binary, and the light from his photoreceptors dimmed.*

*Her mouth firmed. She hadn't realized her behavior had given so much away that this humanoid could so accurately guess her intentions. She shook her head dismissively. She was in a hurry to find a means of payment and leave. Seros' ship could have landed anywhere, by now. It would be difficult enough as it was to track his signature again.

She clapped his shoulder firmly, then moved gracefully past him.*

"They're all yours, champ."

*She paused, sensing eyes on her. Where? A sense of movement. Kaali's focus shifted towards that direction, and found the eyes reflected in a scrap-metal sign. But they shifted away towards the droid next to her. The tall woman that had accompanied the charming male. Could be nothing. She was keeping an eye on her companion. Could be more than that. There was some vague sense that was telling Kaali that she needed to linger nearby, but she was eager to return to her own ship. Besides, she didn't let the Force make the calls for her anymore.

She moved towards the front of the line to see what she could do in regards to payment. It was time to get off of this rock.*

*She had some information on them, whether it was outdated information or very, very recent information, it information nonetheless and he didn't like it, not one bit. Someone's been feeding these people that keep popping up with intel that they couldn't have possibly gotten on their own and he wanted answers as to who that might be. There were a few sources he could think of off the top of his head but they seemed unlikely either being dead or oblivious to his existence now that the clone had taken hold of his life, but this one, she either doesn't know the clone exists, which meant that her information was outdated, or she knows the clone exists and she's hear anyway, which opens them up to a whole mess of problems because someone is tracking their every move, in either case she's shown her hand and they know what sort of thing they're dealing with.

He noticed her attempts to distract him, he'd noticed that she was damned good at using her body, but what he also noticed was that she had gotten her hand on that blaster of hers. This was a problem**With a chuckle Adrien started clapping* I'm impressed. *Adrien stepped forward ahead of Connie, placing himself so that Connie could still see the woman but so that he could step in harms way should anything come of this situation, but he never took his eyes off the woman**Her heat signature indicated two things, she was calm and she was in heat, or so it would seem. He refocused his eyes back to normal vision and looked at this woman appraisingly. What was strange is that he seemed more or less unaffected by the woman's charms and looks, he'd been down this road before and he wasn't about to make the trip twice* Nice moves you got there, looks like you're pretty experienced workin' a pole or two. *A double entendre followed by a smirk but his eyes, sharp as a hawk as he stared at the woman waiting for her to make a move* You'd be barkin' up the wrong tree with Fel, your little dance there won't work on Fel, and he ain't a fool. *He was a little thrown off to learn that Fel was here, he didn't show it, but the last person he wanted to see was Fel because Adrien and Karana had a bit of a moment on Tatooine and he's sure that someone let that little detail slip to the rival captain. That would mean Fel probably had a blaster bolt waiting for him next time they met. But if Fel was here that meant one other thing, so was Karana and Adrien hadn't stopped thinking about her since the last time they met* And for that matter, neither am I, so why don't you slide that hand off that blaster before my friend over there puts one between your pretty little eyes?

*He made gesture to Mack with the comment. Dames with guns never worked out too well for Adrien in the past, but at least this time he had Mack watching his back again* Dax here's gonna take that pistol and then we can talk. *He motioned for Dax to close in and take the gun* And don't try anything stupid, you're outgunned, and we've got the drop on you, you'd be cold before you hit the ground. Understand? *He finally returned her wink with a cocky grin to boot*

*reacting to the wink and grin...* Adrien... are you saying you're interested in seeing me pole-dance? Well, I'll consider it.

*Resuming her 'all business' icy glare, the mood changes somewhat.* However, your Rodian doesn't just get to walk in here and take my sidearm. You think I walked in here with a pistol and a prayer? There's a gun on you right now. Or point of fact, maybe the gun's on him. *indicating Mack.*Think he's over there. *an inclination of the head to the right* ...or maybe over there *an inclination of the head to the left* or heck, maybe he's up there *indicating above them* ...truth is, I just can't remember. Roach, remind me where you are?

*The blaster bolt streaked in, searing the derelict a foot beside Mack's head.* Y'know... I'll be damned, but I'm not even certain I caught where that came from... *to Mack* but I'm sure you did, didn't ya, sweetie? So, you might be right, Draykon. I might be cold before Mack reholsters that piece, but more'n a few of you would be face down as well.

Now... like I said before, why don't we all go have a drink somewhere comfortable, so we can discuss my offer...

*Nucks thought about it for a half-second. This was what she had wanted, for a long time. When the plan first hatched, it hadn't been Draykon on the flip side of this Sabacc hand, but it had become Draykon four or five years ago. Sitting in the galley of Draykon's ship wasn't an ideal part of the plan, but then, if this was the card dealt, she'd play it. There was no going back, and she'd given it up long ago. Nothing to fear but fear itself.*

Deal. Two conditions. *indicating Mack* You -- stay put. You so much as breathe sideways, Roach burns you to the core. If you bolt, he's got a fate worse than laser-fire for your ship, and your crew. *indicating the rest* Pistols in the dirt. Everyone but Adrien. You and me Draykon -- when we're sitting face to face, our guns lie on top of the table. That's how it goes. No need for our talk to be private, if you'd rather have your mates in the room.

*She let that settle in for a tick. No replies from Dax or Constanza, but eyes flicked to Draykon, searching for approval or denial. Her hand never strayed from the leather of her gun-belt, an inch from her blaster. When Dax moved, she was quick to speak up.*

SLOWly, please.