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| - Voy and Maik were sitting outside of the Outlander’s Club in their speeder observing the dredges of Coruscant. All sorts of life forms from across the galaxy were milling around in the Entertainment District of the Imperial Governmental Seat. For now they just sat back and tried to figure out how they were going to get off planet. “So how do you want to play this?” Maik wondered. Voy just continued to sit there and stare at the passing pedestrians. He thought about the several possibilities: there was playing someone in cards and working their way up to a ship wager, there was wagering on the Talussian Nashal River swoop race but that was usually handled by a betting droid and side betting was strongly frowned on, there was also just chartering a flight but they had only a small amount of credits between them so they would have to offer other services, or they could just strong arm someone into giving them their ship. Just as that thought crossed his mind a patrol of elite stormtroopers, the Coruscant Guard, walked into the bar, well that eliminated that idea. As much as they wanted to get off the planet they did not want to do it at the expense of their future careers in the Imperial Military. “I really do not know how we’re going to pull this one off” Voy admitted. They had pulled cons off before but nothing of this magnitude. “Come on man, you’re supposed to be the brains of this operation” Maik teased. Voy continued to weigh their options, he noticed Maik becoming antsy. “I guess we should just go in and check out the action inside. What do you say?” Without saying a word Maik hopped out of the speeder and started setting the security protocols. “Why are you doing that? If everything goes to plan then we won’t need it, will we?” Voy wondered aloud. Maik just chuckled at him and finished his routine. “With our luck we would leave it unsecured, loose all our credits gambling and drinking, not get a ship, and come back out to find the speeder stolen. Let’s just say that I am hedging our bets.” Maik was right; they had been on an unlucky streak as of late. Neither one of them had been able to best anyone at the sim-cades lately. Maik had his prized lucky hydrospanner snap in half and Voy was not able to pull some of his normal flying tricks without nearly destroying his speeder. “Whatever let’s just get this over with.” Voy took the lead as they walked into club. It was dimly lit but bright with neon signs and vid screens displaying the last sporting events and races. The main floor was packed with a wide variety of sentient beings milling around conversing with one another. The air was thick with nic-i-tain and spice smoke; it felt like you could cut it with a vibroknife. Several beautiful females of varying species lounged in the line of sight of anyone coming through the entry way. They obviously were not looking for a ‘free’ escort for the evening. “I think she’s from one of my Recruitment posters!” Maik mumbled while looking right at one with blonde locks flowing down her back. Voy ignored all of them and tried to act as if all of this was old news to him. He was focused on finding their mark and getting out alive, with all their limbs attached. Maik, on the other hand, seemed to have lost his focus and walked straight up to the bar and ordered himself a drink. Voy started to walk towards the turbolift that gave access to the upper floor of the club when he noticed that he was without his partner. He wander casually back towards Maik and had the distinct feeling that several pair of eyes were following his movements. Once he was beside Maik again he nonchalantly turned around and surveyed the crowd. About three quarters through his scan his eyes met those of dark haired exotic looking female with a curious hairstyle and a distinct tattoo around her navel. He then noted that two other women were also keeping tabs on them, one with blonde hair and one with auburn hair, both with similar tattoos as the first woman. “Digger, we’re being watched. Don’t look now but they are at marks 3, 11, and 9. We need to keep moving to the sabaac tables and get on with our errand here.” Voy politely informed his friend and moved towards the lift once again. After taking a few sips off his drink Maik turned and followed, making a mental image of the three women watching them. Once in the lift they were able to converse openly about their new interest takers. “Did you recognize that tattoo they had?” Maik asked slightly panicked. “That’s a Zealots mark! They’re part of the Disciples of Psusan!” Voy continued to survey their three observers through the transparasteel tubing of the lift and notice their movement towards where he and Maik had been standing at the bar. “Well in that case don’t look at who they’re talking to now.” Maik turned around and found them now conversing with a long legged and long haired blonde a few steps away from where he had ordered his drink. “Isn’t that the schutta whose landing ramp you wanted to charge up just a second ago?” Voy wondered aloud. “Poodo,” was all that Maik could say. “Stay calm. They might just be bouncers using the reputation of the Disciples to throw people off.” The door to the lift opened and they exited. Maik kept a watchful eye on the women while Voy led them over to the sabaac pit. As they passed through the mass of spectators that were gathered around each table Voy got an uneasy feeling. It was as if his gut was telling him to keep moving on until he happened across the one table without anyone watching the single player matching wits with the dealer droid. The lone player looked no different than your typical humanoid in their mid-twenties. He was of a slender build with light brown hair. He had a thin pointed goatee and long pointed ears, they gave his face the illusion of be long and thin. He was wearing a tan tunic with matching dark green vest and pants. His vest was adorned with an elaborate golden stitch work. “Mind if we join you?” Voy asked the slender, pointy eared man that was sitting there. “Do you have credits?” was all he asked. Maik leaned into Voy from behind and whispered “Maybe we should keep looking.” No, for some reason I know that this is our mark. I never ignore what my gut is telling me. “Of course we do,” Voy stated as he sat down ignoring Maik. “Is your friend going to play or is he just for decoration?” the stranger asked as his grin caused his goatee to skew. “What?!?! We don’t have to put up with this! Nails lets go!” Maik retorted, he turned to walk away but was reeled back when Voy answered, “No, he’ll play and keep his mouth shut. Sit down Digger.” The lanky stranger just laughed to himself, “Digger? Nails? What are you guys, a construction crew or something?” Without missing a beat Voy replied, “No. Our mothers just didn’t like us.” He then slipped his credit chip in the slot on the table in front of his seat and Maik followed suit. “It seems that you know our names, it’s only common courtesy that you share yours now.” He stood to his full 1.8 meter height and extended his hand towards Voy, “Name’s Scath, Scath Foumi. I’m a freighter pilot.” Voy placed his bejeweled hand in Scath’s, “Nice to meet you. So, do you fly a bulk space tub or one of those Corellian jobs?” Scath gave him a sideways grin as he resumed his seat. “That’s an awfully personal question to ask a stranger you just met.” Voy could feel Maik beginning to tense up next to him. He began to open his mouth to apologize when Scath answered, “It’s a Corellian YT-2000, even though I don’t have jet fuel for blood. I hail from Telos near the polar icecaps, yourselves?” Voy pondered whether or not he should reveal that they were Coruscanti. The advantage of keeping their rouse of being off-worlders would prevent this Scath from hunting them down later. The only problem was they didn’t think of being asked this question so their natural accents might betray their true origins. Voy decided to split the difference and tell their would be mark that they were born on Kuat but lived on Coruscant, which wasn’t too far from the truth, seeing that Maik’s parents were aides for the senator of Kuat and his parents were Kuati business owners. “Telosian you say, huh? Curious, you look more like a Sephi that spent too much time on Tatooine.” Voy noticed Scath’s pointed ear began to twitch when he said this. As they were conversing, the dealer droid started their first hand automatically debiting their credit chips for their ante. The trio played for about an hour when Scath changed the topic at hand from small talk to business. “So, I know you guys didn’t come here to play cards with little ol’ me. What do you really want from me?” Sweat had begun to bead on Maik’s forehead and he nervously glanced over Voy’s shoulder looking for an expedient escape route. Voy on the other hand was cool, calm, and collected. He noticed that Scath had suddenly developed a nervous twitch. Scath seemed to be constantly tapping the corner of one of his cards and his ears started twitching again. Voy had seen this type of behavior once before when he was watching a sabaac game at Ma-Thay’s. One of the players was using a skifter to change his cards at his choosing as opposed to the randomizer doing it. Needless to say, that guy was not around anymore to use it any longer. “We were looking to either charter a flight off this metallic rock or hook into a freighter as part of the crew.” Voy intentionally left out their other plan to get a ship through other means. Maik suddenly leaned forward, “Don’t look but our friends from downstairs are heading this way.” This only convinced Voy even more that the ‘Zealots’ were the security staff for the club and that they had finally caught Scath cheating. The four ladies came right to their table. The poster blonde seductively sat down across Maik’s lap, the auburn haired lady began messaging Voy’s shoulders leaning over enough for some of her silky locks to brush his cheek while the dark haired lady sat at his feet sensuously rubbing his left leg. Meanwhile the other blonde walked right up to Scath and stood with her hands on her voluptuous hips. They had effectively neutralized Voy and Maik without having to be overtly physical with them. “These two don’t look like your type Scath, what are you doing toying with these nice young men,” the standing blonde queried. “Hello Sevie, I see you brought Pedee, Joidu, and Lylte with you.” Nodding to the auburn, black, and blonde haired ladies respectively, who responded with slight waves in turn, “I wonder where Ne’pla and Xo’cre, your two Echani chippies are.” As if he could not help himself, Voy placed his hand on the head of Joidu sitting at his feet and began to instinctively pet her soft hair. Maik remained oblivious to everything going on around him with the exception of Lylte sitting on his lap and Pedee caressing his shoulders. “So, ladies, is this purely a social visit or is this business related,” Scath pondered aloud. “Sorry but this is business. Vlat’gar is looking for his shipment that you seemed to have misplaced last week. Are you here to replace it or are you planning on stealing some more product from him?” Sevie was blunt and to the point now, not tiptoeing around any issue. Voy now realized that these lovely ladies were not the security detail, but muscle for some unsavory people. Apparently Scath wasn’t cheating but really was nervous about this chance encounter. “Now, honey, don’t you think we can discuss this without the children present?” This comment got Voy attention enough that he did not notice Joidu reaching into his ankle holster to remove the micro-stunner that he kept there. She nonchalantly passed it to Sevie who continued the business discussion with the flamboyant freighter pilot. Sevie then quickly hit Scath with the stunner knocking him out onto the sabaac table. As soon as his head hit the table the girls sprung to their feet completely changing their demeanor from soft and lithe to stiff and serious. Sevie tossed the micro-stunner to Joidu. She then reached down and grabbed Scath’s credit chip with one hand and snatched his datapad out of his pocket with the other. Joidu handed the personal weapon back to Voy saying, “I suggest you two follow us outside.” Voy and Maik quietly complied with her suggestion and they gathered around their speeder that was still secured outside of the club. As they exited the entertainment establishment they were joined by two silver-white haired, silver eyed, athletically built women how could pass as sister. “Let me guess, Xo’cre and Ne’pla?” Voy asked. Both just nodded in reply. Once they were outside all the women went separate ways with the exception of the blonde named Sevie. “Thank for allowing us to interrupt your little card game. For your compensation I will lead you to where his little pleasure boat is docked.” Dumbfounded Maik began unlocking the speeder while Voy and Sevie got into the rear seat together. Voy did not fully trust their new partner of convenience even if she got them a ship for free. “Allow me to properly introduce myself. My name is Sevie Storm. Your friend was correct in identifying us as Zealot’s of Psusan. We are in the employ of a gentleman named Vlat’gar who was looking to settle an uncollected debt.” Voy almost missed the fact that she knew what they had been talking about in the turbolift, but he ended up calling her out on that fact. She explained that when Maik had ordered his drink they planted a listening devise on him. That is also how they knew they were looking for a ship. Once they arrived at landing platform B327 they were joined once again by Sevie’s sisters-in-arms. The rest of her crew was offloading cargo containers from the hold of Voy’s ‘new’ ship. Sevie pulled out her data pad along with Scath’s and linked the two together to download specific information from it and then hand Scath’s over to Voy. “You’ll find the security lock out codes, registration signature, and the remaining ships manifest on here. We have only taken what is our rightful payment according to our agreement with Vlat’gar. Take the ship to Mos Eisley on Tatooine and land in Docking Bay 92 using the authorization that is also on there. Vlat’gar’s men will off load their cargo and leave a payment for you in the ships technical computer.” She explained, “Go to the cantina while they offload or they won’t show. I suggest that you follow these instructions to the letter or you might be our next target.” The Zealots finished their off loading, gave them the all clear to enter the ship, and Maik immediately took off for the loading ramp. If there was anything that he loved more than beautiful women, it was a new ship with which to tinker. Voy though stayed firmly planted were he stood before. His head was still reeling with all that had happened in the last few hours, when he and Maik set out on this mission he had no idea that in the end they would be running cargo for some character on Tatooine. He extended his hand to Sevie in a gesture of gratitude; as soon as she took hold of it she turned it so that his ring was facing up at her. “You don’t know what that is, do you?” she asked him. “What and you do?” he did not mean to retort as forcefully as he did, but she did not take any offence. “No, but while you are in Mos Eisley I suggest you find a brute by the name of Castino I think he can point you in the right direction.” With that Sevie turned and headed back towards Voy and Maik’s old speeder. Voy turned to ask her what she intended on doing with their vehicle but found Joidu standing behind him. Without a word and absolutely no warning she placed her hand on the back of his head and pulled him into a passionate kiss. At first Voy just looked at her in wide eyed astonishment, but then closed his eyes and returned the fervent embrace. After what seemed like a lifetime, her soft, supple lip departed from his. She leaned in to speak softly into his ear, “That was for helping us…” she then kissed both sides of this neck and continued speaking in his opposite ear, “…and that was for luck.” All he could do was throw his arms around her in an embrace and take one last whiff of her hair. It smelled like vanilla and he knew that whenever he caught that scent in his nostrils again he would immediately be transported back to this place and time. They parted and went to their respective transports. When Voy got into the main hold of the vessel Maik gave a look like he had a mynock hanging from his nose. He had begun the day thinking of away to have a simple teenaged rebellion against his parents and now was off to find his destiny.
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