as written by LuLu6214and ConnorTavarin
Kira finishes her first drink and orders another one. She notices someone passing off credits to a waiter, and another patron grabbing a dancing girl who is trying to get away. The patron suddenly hits the girl. Kira sighs and gulps her drink "Just what I need...an idiot", getting up she walks over to the patron who gets ready to hit the girl again.
Kira grabs the patrons raised arm and spins him around "You know it's not nice to hit a lady", the girl gets up and runs away, the patron glares at Kira "Can it, off-worlder. This doesn't concern you!" He takes a swing at Kira who ducks back, lands a swift kick to his knee and swings her helmet. Crack! the helmet makes contact with his head and he slumps to the ground in an unconscious lump.
Kira braces against the table grabbing her side in pain. She flags down a waiter "Get me another drink and give this to the girl for her troubles." She hands a few credits to the waiter before sitting down in the booth. Her drink comes and she gulps it down, slowly her pain subsides....for now.
The girl comes back over handing the credits back "thank you but I can not accept these, I did nothing to earn them." Kira looks at her and points to the moaning lump on the ground Take them, you put up with that guy and he never paid you so go enjoy it..
"Thank you!" the girl smiles and hurries away. Kira orders another drink and stares into her glass "How many drinks is that now? Her thoughts begin to wander. She looks up and notices the guy who paid the waiter shooting glances over in her direction. She finishes up her drink and goes to the bar and orders 2 more drinks.
She walks over and sits in his booth and sets the drink in front of him. "If you are looking for information on a person, it's generally a good idea to ask that person, as long as they aren't the type to take your head off or unless you have the credits to keep your head. The names Kira and based on that little transfer, I suspect you are in the market for something in particular." She leans back in her seat and takes a drink.
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Watching the short fight between Kira and the thuggish patron amused Chris. He grinned until he saw that she was favoring one side, slightly worried for her health. He let out a curious "Hm..." when the exchange was over. He looked at the drink that was set on his table and opts not to drink it. He had learned the hard way that drinking something offered in a shady place like this wasn't exactly smart. "Good eye. I'm Chris Reinhardt, but just Chris'll do. You can't be too careful in places like this. Someone can look perfectly normal but the second you try to strike a conversation you got a blaster in your face. Anyway...what you did there was a fine piece of work. These dancers have a tough enough time trying to earn an honest credit. They don't need those degenerates making their days harder." he glanced down to her injured side "You okay? You're favoring a side...blaster shot grazed you or something?" he asked casually, though his intention was sympathetic. Despite being in a dirty business, Chris cared for people who did the right thing, at least what he considered right anyway.
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Kira looks down at her side and finishes off her drink "I'm fine, nothing a few drinks wont fix. As for that guy, I was in a good mood so he was lucky that he didn't get shot." The lump on the ground gets up and stumbles out the door. "I'm still deciding if that was a good first impression or if it's gonna land me into trouble with the locals. I do like having my feet on solid ground for the time being."
She picks up the drink she left for Chris and begins sipping on it, no point in wasting credits on a drink that isn't going to be drunk, especially when she had to waste credits on that sleemo with an affinity for defenseless girls. The thought of credits caused her to check her current financial status, low. Not enough for a place to stay, food to eat beyond a day or two, or medical care for her injury.
So Chris, what brings you to Orthaal? She asks intently. Noticing a nagging feeling, something was off, a force disturbance "oh great" she thought to herself. Sometimes she disliked being force sensitive around cities teeming with people, there was always a chance of running into Sith...or Jedi, neither of which she liked. She shifted uncomfortably in her seat and glanced at the door. She finished her drink, "that's enough to drink for me.".
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Chris would have insisted that she should look for medical help, but arguing with a Mandalorian very rarely ends well. "Regardless, it was a good thing you did. Certain people will like what you did, others won't. It's sort of how things work since you can't please everybody." he said. To answer her question "I came here for...a job. A type of job that's just not cutting it anymore, so I've decided to take on something bigger. Though to do that, I'll need help. That's where you potentially come in. We negotiate a price range that makes both of us happy and pick a job that will help us reach that goal. Let's see..." he pulls out the sheet of paper given to him. He looks over the paper and seems rather shocked at one of the jobs "Okay...that's a lot of credits and I mean a lot of credits. Kira, we do this job and we'll be set for some time." he showed her the job he was looking at. Indeed the reward was great, but it was rather ambiguous over what kind of goods they were trading. "Though...we'll have to make sure we're not doing anything particularly nasty. Even though I'll let people do drugs since that's their decision...slave trade's a no go for me. How about we go investigate the client and see what we can find out? The job says to meet him at the southern gate in about half an hour."
Chris stood up "It's better than nothing at the very least." he walked over to the door before looking back "If this works out, I'll spring for the medical bill. Though if you insist I won't bother you about it. Just don't go getting sick, alright?" he said. So much money going to total strangers today. Chris didn't know when this charitable, chivalrous nature overtook him, but it felt good despite the fact that he would never admit it. He waits for Kira before going any further.
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Kira slides out of the booth and follows Chris while putting on her helmet. "I won't get sick, I just consumed enough liquor to keep anything at bay for a month." They walk for a short period of time, "I'll take most any job if it pays well, as long as it isn't a certain...slave trade, so on that we are at least agreed. Did the paper mention anything about the person you are to meet?" The liquor, and Chris's sincerity, has made her somewhat friendlier than usual, not something she wants to be recognized for.
"If it is the cartel that is hiring are you prepared to take that job or should I be ready to kill someone and secure a getaway? All my interactions with the cartels tell me they aren't too fond of being told no, unless you will kill them over it. So I want to make sure we are on the same page about that and we still have to negotiate payment."
She pauses for a moment "Also, I want to make sure I know what it is you are hiring me to do exactly, If it's security I need to know how involved it will be and if it is as a bodyguard I need to know how functional and competent you are in a fight.
We arrive at the gate, armed Mandalorians and Droids bustle around the area and stop incoming vehicles. Kira leans against the wall observing those coming into the city and getting a feel for the situation they were about to face. "So, now we wait...I've never been the patient type."
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Chris scanned the area for potential trouble, which could honestly be anyone here. Chris began to answer Kira's questions "The paper said it should be a Twi'lek. As for what you'd do, you'd be a bodyguard. Don't worry, I can handle myself as long as I keep my distance. Sure I can hold my own for a bit in close quarters, but I'm better staying back. As for whether or not it's cartel business...I dunno, we'll improvise." he said. After waiting for about ten minutes, Chris and Kira were waved over by a nervous looking Twi'lek. Nodding to Kira, Chris walks over to the Twi'lek. He greets the two "Good you're here...I assume it's about the job?" he asks. Chris crosses his arms "Yeah...first we need more info. What's the cargo and who's arranging it?" he asked sternly. The Twi'lek nods in understanding "I can't tell you too much about the cargo itself but...this was actually organized by some big shots over at the Galt Mara Jedi Praxeum...the cargo's probably just some artifacts or some-" he's cut off by Chris "Wait wait wait...the Praxeum? You've got to be joking. No way those self-righteous goody goodies would stoop to hiring smugglers." he said. The Twi'lek shrugs "All I heard was that they would do anything to keep whatever this stuff is out of the hands of the black market or Sith...look you in or not?" he said, giving Chris little room for negotiation.
Chris looked over to Kira, thinking for a moment before turning back to the Twi'lek "Ugh, okay fine, I'll do it. Just give me the coordinates to the goods, alright?" he asked. After signing the deal, Chris got the data for where the cargo was stashed. The Twi'lek took his leave as Chris runs his hand through his hair in frustration "I don't like the Jedi...but man, the Sith are much worse and if it's true they want whatever this stuff is, it can't be good. You still up for bodyguard duty, Kira?" he asked her. He wasn't sure what she thought of Jedi or Sith, but it wouldn't hurt to make sure. Even though this job got a lot more complicated, it also got a lot more interesting for Chris. What would make the Jedi hire smugglers? The answer made him curious enough to set aside his dislike for the Jedi, at least for now.
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Kira listens to the exchange between Chris and the Twi'lek, running over every single possible scenario in her head as to how this could go completely wrong. She thinks about the question for a bit "Truthfully Chris, I am as intrigued about this cargo as much as you are especially if the Jedi are moving to illegal and unconventional methods in order to secure it, this could prove to be a rather lucrative deal. And I have to say as much as I hate the Jedi and well, I don't think they would like me too much, I could use the credits and I am sure you could as well. That being said we should be prepared because if the Jedi want this cargo then so will the Sith and that could most definitely spell trouble...or more credits... depending on your loyalties. Anyway, you pay me to be a bodyguard so that I will do."
Her voice trails off along with her mind "Sorry, I was just running over scenarios in my head, lead the way. I do however need to make a quick stop at a vendor here and grab a few supplies with my few remaining credits, I think that one over there has what I need." She walks about 30 feet away to a vendor and picks up the supplies and asks to use the back room for a bit of privacy. "I'll be a minute."
She walks into the back and removes her helmet and chest armor and lifts up the side of her undershirt to expose a discolored and bloody bandage which she promptly removes to reveal a large bloody wound that is growing increasingly infected with time. Kira pulls out high proof liquor, she keeps for situations like this, to clean the wound, far cheaper than a medical antiseptic and far more painful.
She takes a swig of the bottle and pours some of the liquor over her wound and let out an extremely muffled yell. "Haar'chak! Haar'chak! Haar'chak!" and an entire slew of unrecognizable Mandalorian curse words. She braces herself against the wall and takes another drink then promptly wraps the wound with a clean bandage she just bought, puts on her armor and helmet and walks back outside. "Ok, I am good to go. Where are we headed to pick up the cargo? I'll follow you."
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Pondering for a moment, Chris shook his head "No matter how much more the Sith or anyone else offer, no way I'll let them get their hands on whatever this is. What the Jedi are offering is enough for me. In any case, the cargo should be stashed about seventy miles to the south-east under a rock formation.. Shouldn't take too long to get there. We'll take my ship." he said, motioning for her to follow him. Once at the docks, he gets cleared for takeoff as he looks it over "It may not be much to look at, but the Anomaly has gotten me through some tough spots. It's a miracle it's still in one piece." he said, laughing slightly. "Now I only got one rule about my ship. If you see a lock box anywhere, don't touch it. Don't even ask about it. It's something I'd rather not explain." he said, stepping into the ship. Sitting at the cockpit, he inputs the coordinates and prepares to launch, though he waits for Kira to be ready to go as well.
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Kira follows Chris on board and sits in the co-pilots seat "Hey we all have secrets and I understand not wanting to share them, my record is far from clean so I am the last person to judge you on what you have in your past." She looks around the cockpit "You have a nice ship, you can always tell how well made something is by how much abuse it can take, I have yet to put my ship through any abuse, since I acquired it recently."
"I am ready to get going. Really hoping this isn't a double cross, Jedi don't typically break the law and the last thing I want to do is end up arrested because the Jedi have nothing better to do than to go after an honest smuggler and mercenary rather than Sith. And why aren't they having Jedi do it if it is so important?" she paused "Sorry Chris I don't trust Jedi as far as I can throw them..." she paused realizing that with force abilities and her tech she could actually throw a Jedi, "I mean I just don't trust them, 'peaceful path' and all yet they carry these lightsabers and use mind tricks on some poor unsuspecting wermo. It seems hypocritical, honestly. Whatever happened to a good old fight and beating your opponent to a pulp?" She sits there in contemplation for a while.
