The Good Life: Facing the Competition

[Alex Khine]

Stepping into the run down bar on the wrong side of Nar Shaddaa, not that there really was a right side of the planet anymore, a young man who seemed quite oddly out of place glanced around. He pushed his thick glasses upwards on the bridge of his nose and gave an overly friendly smile to those in bar. The patrons stopped what they were doing and just stared blankly at the odd young man.

Whispers of "Geek", "Nerd" and "Loser" were obvious.

The kid shrugged them off as harmless teases and found a seat at the bar.

"Greetings and salutations!"

He tried to get the barkeep's attention.

"Excuse me sir? Sir?"

The barkeep kept his back turned to the man, glancing over his shoulder every few seconds smirking.

"Well I see you're busy, I'll just ask you later when you're free."

The young man sat back clasping his hands in his lap and continued to smile.

[Valk Twilight]

*My god im at way too many bar scene's*[i]Yet another thought among many many jumbled ones. He was at yet another bar, another planet. The CEO of a company shouldnt live like this. Oh well, most of the really interesting people hung out in these bars, and not all bad folk either. The man that just sat down to his left seemed nice enough, maybe he'd have something to say....

[Boba Fett]

"Hey kid," A strange man behind Alex tapped him on the shoulder. "You're gonna have to use an alternative method to get the Bartender's attention."

The man was dressed like a hobo. He had a brown cloak on, which looked weathered and torn. Along with that he wore ripped pants and a brown leather hat, that was used to hide his face.

He reached into his cloak and pulled out a blaster the size of Alex's head. He leaned over the bar and grabbed the bartender's fat neck with his free hand. Dragging him back, the man put a blaster to his head. The hobo grinned evilly.

"I believe the boy greeted you. Now you can be a good bartender, get off your fat ass and reply."

The Hobo let the bartender go and pushed him forward. He put the blaster back in his cloak and dusted it off.

"Get the kid a shot of Corellian whisky. Get me one too." The Hobo replied in a low toned voice. He then turned to the boy, "You know kid, this place is dangerous for a guy like you. What are you doing on this planet anyway?"

[Telan Desaria]

Admiral Desaria found himself sitting in the corner of a Coruscant bar, sipping Corellaint brandy and thumbing the safety on a Balmorrian blaster pistol he brought along for protection. None of his men had accompanied for his two day vaction to the Imperial capital. After his drink, it was off to Imperial Command, and then home to his ship.

' I'm the pinnacle of ecclectic collection,' he thought, realizing he had seomthing from three out of four of the galaxy's quadrant's. He smiled. It wasn't often a twenty-nine year old Admiral got to relax. He enjoyed wearing khaki trousers and a loose fitting shirt under his jacket.

Desaria noticed a man, dressed similarly to himself enert the bar, wading through the throng. A young specimen, lean with vision correction equipment that was outdated. Intriguing, nonetheless.

Desaria adjusted his blaster and grabbed his drink, walking over to where the man had sat down. Maybe he could strike up a coversation.
The Admiral, without any insignia at all, began-" I'm Admi- I'm Telan Desaria. May I join you?"

[Alex Khine]

Looking up Alex noticed yet another new face join the fray, without a doubt an Imperial, most likely high ranking, he carried himself very proffesionally and military like, a few nearly healed scars on his face showed he was somewhat battle worn, an odd trait on someone so young, which also pointed to the Empire. Odd to find an Imperial here, especially without anyone else around him.

This could weild curious results.

"Sure, no problem. I love company!"

Turns back to the bar as the original man downs his Corellian whisky in a fluid manner, then motions to Alex's drink.

"Go on, drink it. I went to the trouble of getting it for you."

Alex gave something of a weak smile to the man, he hated whiskey, but he didn't want to be impolite. Without another word he gulped the drink down, wincing as he did.

God he hated whiskey.

*COUGH*

"Th..thanks."

*COUGH*

Alex took special note of the vagrantly dressed individual with the big ass blaster under his cloak. Alex gave an inward smile and waited.

[Telan Desaria]

The Admiral supressed a laugh out of politeness at seeing the bounty hunter's reaction to the whisky. Perhaps, for this occasion, Telan would have to shitch.

" You are not a fan of the Corellian stock I see. Something lighter then." Desaria took his drink and poured in on the floor, not a wholly out-of-place action given the surroundings, and then did the same with his new drinking partner's. From under his light jackter he produced a cylidrical flask.

" Alderaanian Ale. A smoother brandy. More like wine." The Admiral smiled. The bounty hunter adjusted his glasses sheepishly and and smirked.

" What is your name?"

[Alex Khine]

Alex gave a grin and held out his hand, his glasses raising up on his cheeks as he smiled

"Name's Alex Khine."

[Valk Twilight]

'Ah, so thats his name' [i]He thought to himselfHe looked familiar, he wasnt exactly what he'd consider money. But he did seem to have contacts, and they seemed like money, maybe there would be some profit involved.

[Telan Desaria]

Desaria sat back in his seat, adjustin his jacket so the Blamorran blaster in the shoulder holster he wore would not be visible to the man with whom he sat. ' Alex Khine.' he said the name to himself a few times. No Imperial warrants. That was good. Even so, the Admiral was on vacation, however, fleeting.

He couldn't resist. " You'l forgive me if I verbally probe you for a moment, but my-career-makes me notice all surroundings and fomrulate contingcies for all happenings. What is someone like yourself doing in a place like this? You seem, how can I put it delicately, out of your habitat?"

He had put his foot in his mouth as far as remaining mysterious about his Imperial career, but he might learn something and have an intriguing time doing it...

[Alex Khine]

Alex kinda shrugged and smiled again.

"I work odd jobs for a living, window cleaning, janitorial work, among others. I thought I might be able to pick up some work here. You know, something that'll pay the rent so to speak?"

Alex gave a chuckle, more of an annoying high pitched sucking noise that could barely be described as laughing.

[Telan Desaria]

Admiral Desaria didn't mind the laughter, though his eyes panned across the crowded bar and could detect those that did. He downed his Alderaanian Ale.

" I should go easy on this stuff. Grand Moff Tarkin destroyed my supply." He closed his eyes in momentary grief for the billions of innocent deaths. He was a solider, not a butcher.
" Janatorial work? What brings you to bars?"

[Alex Khine]

"The place is filthy isn't it? Thought maybe the barkeep needed someone to clean up, that's why I tried to get his attention abit ago, and you'd be surprised the jobs you can run into at a bar, things just seem to fall into a place alot of times. Er, so what about you? What brings you here, to paraphrase you, this doesn't seem to be your usual habit either."

Alex gave a curious smile.

[Telan Desaria]

" I'm on, to be honest, vacation. I enjoy good liquor, and you can't get the real thing where I, ah, 'work'. I'm constantly traveling. One might say I am the supervisor of a vast scrap yard. It's against company policy for me to drink while my shift is on."

Admiral Desaria took another sip from his brandy. Something was amiss. He did not enjoy lying to the young man, but it needed to be done if he was enjoy his vacation. He kept on full alert...

[Alex Khine]

"Sounds like a pain in the rear end job to me. Why work it? bet your boss is a jerk as well."

Alex grinned to himself knowing if his hunches were right Telen's action's would verify it.

[Telan Desaria]

The Admiral let an innocent smile out fron under his sinfter of brandy. " I never question my supervisors. They would, in the first place, have me removed from my place of authority. In addition, I love my job. I have done it since I was fourteen on my homewolrd of Centaur, and then since I was nineteen for a larger company and nothing else. I have no mate and no children. I am bound by honor and loyalty. Codes which only warriors and men live by. Life means nothing without them."

He took another drink. He had said too much. He was now a soldier in the bounty hunter's eyes, but he kept up the euphamisms anyway...