Job Hunts and Bar Brawls

[Elektra Kathian]

The lower regions of Coruscant were a mess. Drugs, Swoop Gangs, Mercs, Thugs and any number of other kinds of unsavory things infested the lower levels. Some were there because they had no other place to go. Some where there because that is where they could hide and blend in. There were plenty of places that you could hide out in if you wanted to. The Empire didn't bother searching the area for hunted men and women unless they had absolute proof that they were down there. Many troops had been lost down in these wilds. Someone could hide right under the nose of the empire, and the damned imps wouldn't know the better.

And that was exactly was Elektra was counting on. Now, in comparison to most of the trash found in the lower quarters of Coruscant, she was fairly clean on her records. Mostly because the imps just hadn't managed to pin anything she has done specificly on her. Smuggling was easy to get through the random inspections that the imperials held at docking bays. Fake some paper work and they know nothing. So she had landed on one of the pads that led directly to the lower city.

She walked around the streets until she finaly came to the bar that her cliant had requested that he meet her at. She looked it up and down, checked her watch, then looked back up at the sign. This was the place, but she was a bit early. So she desided to slip inside for a drink or two.

The establishment was nice... for a lower city cantina. Alot of ruffians and slimeballs. But it appeared as though everyone would be keeping their hands, tenticles, spines and other odd appendages to themselves. She sat herself down at the bar and ordered a Corellian Ale. Now, the only thing left to do was to wait... Who knows, maybe a new cliant would stumble unknowingly into the bar.

[Xel-Naga]

Life of the party, only without the party part. Some how, no matter how much money he threw around, he never had any friends at the end of the day. People just took his free drinks and then left him just as lonely and empty inside, but with lighter pockets. As if constant harassment by Imperial Officers at the docks wasn't enough, now everyone else was giving him a hard time. Whatever happened to that glorious Republic that had existed when he was a child a hundred years ago? The Empire squash it, of course, and put a damn look-alike in it's place. But the Empire was not the Republic, not even close. They used sweet words and pleasant facades, but on the inside they were all more twisted then himself. They were the kind of people that didn't just stab you in the back, but twisted the knife. A man would find better company with a family of rancors then a den of Imperials, and probably live longer too.

But down here in the depths of Coruscant, the "man" didn't matter anymore. Down here all that mattered was the strength of your arm, the max limit on your cred chit, and your reputation. You've got to have reputation, otherwise your a dead man. And he had reputation, most of which had faded into legends when he'd been assumed dead all so long ago. Cryo is a bisnitch. Now he was having to live up to his old rep while making a new rep for himself. The new Xel-Naga is different, people were finding out. Still as bloody good with a blaster, but colder, angrier, and, possibly, more depressed then ever before. Old gray men could be found wondering how Xel-Naga could be the lithe man they see rather then an old man like them, fore they had lived with Xel-Naga and grown old, but he was still young. Cryo is a Bisnitch.

And now he was here, in this seedy little bar you couldn't see two feet in because of all the smoke. But they served a fine ale, his favorite ale. The Corellian kind.

"Nice choice," He commented to the woman next to him, who had just ordered a Corellian Ale. He smiled and lifted his own mug of Corellian ale to his lips and drank heavily the sweet, golden liquid. "Nice t' find a gel with taste."

[Elektra Kathian]

Elektra had begun to sort through her past few jobs, going over in her head the ones that might continue to give her trouble in the future and those that are behind her. There were a couple that she might still get into trouble for being associated with this or that person, but she knew she could handle it. Thats when the guy beside her had spoken. Her drink had just been dropped off infront of her and she pulled it over, taking a quick drink, giving the man a short shrug and a slight raise of a brow.

"Yea, guess so."

She spins around in her seat, looking around the rest of the establishment and the patrons within. She was used to sleeze balls coming up to her at establishments like this. She guessed that it was just a rare thing that a female could wander into something like this, let alone one that could very obviously handle herself. Something about a girl that can kick their butts seemed to turn guys like that on.

"I've drank this frelling stuff sense I was a kid. Comes with being born on the planet, I supose."

[Jereth]

The ale poured smoothly down Jereth’s throat, emptying the glass as he sat in the booth with his boots crossed and resting on the table before him. Wearing his habitual leather jacket, white shirt, and black pants, his face, as usual, showing the signs of shaving neglect. His eyes haphazardly watched the door into the establishment as he signaled for a refill.

A slight smile crept onto the corner of Jereth’s mouth as he watched her enter and take a seat at the bar. He stayed in the shadows and watched her for a while. He watched her survey the bar. He watched her order a drink and wait. He watched with some bemusement as he watched the man at the bar flirt with her.
<O:p
As she answered the man, Jereth took the opportunity he was hoping would come along. Quickly leaving his booth and moving through the bar, making his way towards the wall as she spun in her seat. Skirting the bar outside of her field of vision, and staying as much in the shadow as possible. moving down along the bar counter to remain out of sight, his hand moved to his jacket.

[Xel-Naga]

"Well, I guess it comes with the territory," Xel remarked, still busy with his own mug of the liquid gold. He wasn't looking for a warm body for the night, but already he felt rejected. Kids these days. No respect. "Hell, if I was a Corellian I'd be out there conquering the galaxy like some kind of flippin Han Solo. But fate saw to have me born a Nar Shaddaarian. Not much good comes off that little rock, save spice and slaves. The Hutts ain't so good when it comes to more subtle things, like wines and linens. Weapons, perhaps, but definitely not wine. You'd be liable for hangin' if you drank wine on Nar Shaddaa."

Was he rambling, perhaps just a little, but he hardly knew what to say. Connecting to today's younger generation was not easy, especially when your youth was a hundred years back in the rear view mirror. Maybe there wasn't a Xel-Naga shaped hole left for him to fit into.

[Elektra Kathian]

Elektra laughs a bit.

"Yeah. Nar Shadda. I know that planet. Those hutts are killers. But, damn, do they pay well, as long as you arn't asking too many questions and get their job done without getting caught."

She takes another drink of her ale. She slowly puts her ale down on the counter, then suddenly spins, hitting Jereth in the crook of the elbow, forcing his arm to bend, she grabs his middle and forefinger, and twists them and his wrist and arm to where he is forced to turn around with his arm bent uncomfortable behind his back.

"Jereth... Why do you bother doing these things, man."

Her look was serious up to this point, a slight grin spreads across her face and she pushes him forward.

"You know I would hate to have a bum co-pilot."

She seats herself back down with a slight wink at the stranger. She grabs her ale and sits down, feeling a bit more comfortable now that her co-pilot was around.

"Have a seat, Jer. Whats your poison?"

She motions for the Bar Keep to come take his order before turning back to the stranger.

"So, if your from Nar Shadda, what are you doing on Coruscant? I thought they kept the humans that were born there under a tight watch, making sure they weren't going to leave the planet and keeping them as slaves?"

[Xel-Naga]

Nate returned her question with a wily little grin. "Oh, aye. They like to keep us all under wraps. Says we're dangerous. Depends on who your asking, I guess. Nah, I come from a 'good' Nar Shaddaa family, and we get special rights because of our good behavior. Personally, I don't remember ever being on good behavior, but I guess I fly off my parent's reputation instead. Probably the most civil people ever to walk that planet," Oh, yes, and he was told that he'd been quite the goody-two-shoe right up to his accident.

His hand snaked up to the side of his head, to the place where the truck had split his skull. There was no mark left behind. That was the beauty of advance medicine and plastic surgery. Sometimes he wished there was a mark, so that he might know if it actually happened or not. There were those days, usually after heavy drinking, that he woke up and wondered if it was all a dream or not. He couldn't remember his childhood before that day, and he'd never tried to reconstruct it either. Never saw the point. What was done is done. Nuff' said.

"Plus it takes a lot more then that to keep Xel-Naga locked away. The authorities don't even know I'm here. They think..." He paused as he used his free hand to pull a passport book from his coat pocket, and then he continued saying, "... the legit human podracer Yun Rok'oa is in town to scout out a new endorsement deal with the local podrace managers. Imperial Authorities are out chasing my ghosts in the outer-rim territories. So, here I am, relaxin' like I'm Lucifer in hell."

[Ashe Sieris]

Elektra laughs in response to what he said. She turns around on her stool and leans against the bar, drinking her ale. She runs a hand through her dark brown hair in order to get it out of her face before she turns back to the man that she was speaking to.

"So your names Xel-Naga, huh? I'm Elektra Kathian. Pilot, smuggler, merc... pretty much any other dirty job you can think of. But don't let that discourage you. I still know how to have a good time."

She winks at him and takes another drink.

[Ashe Sieris]

(My computer is screwing around. I am Elektra Kathian but it isnt letting me log into her. Sorry.)