Follow Me

[Alienor Vankar]

Alienor was glad that Cloud City was always bustling with activity, because it had made it easier for her to blend in than on other cosmopolitan capitals across the galaxy. Dodging the paparazzi was an actual art form she had become very good at, but not having to always look over her shoulder was a welcome respite. The excitement about her presence seemed to have steadily waned at this point. Yet, she knew better than doing certain things directly. She had managed to keep her piracy out of the limelight so far and she didn't plan to have it change any time soon. Yet the blonde had needs of ship upgrades, and some of what she was interested in wasn't very much in the legal market. That was where her network came in very handy.

Molly had let her know that she had a good provider for certain navigation and weaponry upgrades. It was why Alienor was headed to one of her friend's hideouts across the city, so they could discuss the matter. She trusted Molly and if that seller had what she was looking for, she was willing to put the money on the table. It had been a while since she had upgraded the Ferelden Rose, and with all her traveling, as well as the intuition she would have more heists in the future, she wanted to be ready.

Blending in the mid-morning crowd, Alienor eventually got to her destination. She looked around to see of the usual gang was around, for some of the street kids Molly took care of, were often around the place. Even before Alienor had lived on a semi-permanent basis on Cloud City, she had got to know a few of them over the years.

[Talia Cimmerian]

Talia fancied herself something important to Molly’s operation. She probably really wasn’t, only being 17, but she was perhaps the oldest kid from Molly’s group of spies. Of all her little birds, Talia had been with Molly the longest, not long after her mother disappeared. It wasn’t a bad gig. Spy for her and get reimbursed and looked out for. At her current age she could have gone her own way, like many did, but then there were the other kids. They looked up to her since she’d been at it the longest, and frankly she was comfortable where she was. True, the galaxy called to her, but she wasn’t certain she was ready to get too big too fast.

A girl of about 7 years suddenly gave a tug on her sleeve, prompting her to turn back. “Hey Rinda, what’s up?” The girl, a shy little thing, beckoned her down to whisper in her ear. Talia leaned in, concentrating on her whispered voice. Her eyes widened a touch at the words, and a smile spread her lips. “You’re sure?” The girl nodded emphatically, and Talia gave her a brief ruffle of her short-cropped hair. “Thanks for letting me know.” She immediately turned and dart off through the corridors of Cloud City, winding her way through the familiar paths.

She spot the famous musician and immediately picked up her pace. For a moment she felt herself slip back to younger days as she freely threw arms around Alienor’s waste from behind, hugging her. “Auntie Ali!” She applied the affectionate title, in spite of the fact they were in no way related. She coughed, embarrassed as she realized how immature she was being, and stepped away. “Come on, let’s get you inside.” He turned, plying her hand to the identi-pad. The door whooshed open upon confirming her identity, and she stepped in ahead of their guest. “Not right now kids.” She called back as she noticed a few attempt to trickle in. “Let me get her settled and then you can come in.”

“Whatcha hear for?” She turned back towards the refrigeration unit, calling back. “You want something to drink?” Probably too many questions, but she was too excited to have a familiar, and yet different, face. Different, because it wasn’t the same old people. Alienor didn’t come by often enough that it was easy to get excited when she was around.

[Alienor Vankar]

Alienor had heard footsteps picking up right before whoever was getting very close to her. Out of habit, she felt ready to knock someone out, but the moment she felt arms around her and heard the familiar voice, she smiled and relax. "Hey Tali," she said, using the nickname for Talia she had used since the girl was much shorter. She hadn't seen her in a while and it was a treat. Turning on her heels, she pulled the teenager into a big hug, even though Talia was kind of taller than the musician now. "Long time no see!" At least, she hadn't called her munchkin, which she had tried to stop in the past years, having understood that Talia wanted to be taken more seriously as a teenager.

She then followed Talia inside, and then smile and waved to a few kids before they got dismissed for now. She might still be "Auntie Ali" but Talia was definitely the big sister at this point. She was good for this, and Alienor knew that Molly was glad Talia had stuck around, instead of just going away doing her own thing - although it would have made sense too.

Memories of having watched Talia and other kids grow in the past years got her mind wander into the direction of a certain businessman. She didn't want to think about that. As she had told Molly, and as Tonyh and her had agreed upon, what they almost had had a few years back was closed for good.

Realizing Talia had asked her a few questions, she smiled and perched herself on a nearby low stool, as always comfortable the same way in low-key places or in fancy hotels. "If there's ale around, I'll take one, thanks Tali! I came to see Molly because she said she'd get me in touch with a ship part dealer for some upgrades on the Ferelden Rose."

Tilting her head to the side, she grinned to the teenager. "Did Molly tell you I'm making Cloud City my home base whenever I manage to have some time off traveling?"

[Talia Cimmerian]

“If there’s Ale around?” She laughed, procuring a glass and filling it to near the brim with Alienor’s request. “This is one of Molly’s places, there’s always ale around.” She joked back, crossing back over towards Alienor and handing her the glass. “Ship upgrades, huh?” Talia shifted over and rested her forearms atop the counter, leaning forward towards Alienor but still within the surface separating them. “What kind of upgrades are you looking for?” She withheld her reasons for elaborating, already processing the different contacts she had made, or the ones she knew Molly herself had.

“Really? So, we’d get to hang out more?” Affectionate title of Auntie or not, as a typical late teenager she wanted to hangout with the big girls and do the more grown up things. In some ways she wanted to transition from being the ‘munchkin’, to the little sister. “I mean, I know you’d have other plans of course.” There was an unspoken ‘but’ that she never followed through with and feeling a bit sheepish about the whole encounter she did what she could to redirect the conversation.

“So yeah, upgrades. I mean, I could help you with that if you wanted. Maybe you could even teach me a bit about installing them after?” Being grounded on Cloud City for so much of her life and nearing adulthood, wanderlust had begun to set in, as well as the desire for exposure to new things. It wouldn’t have been the first time Alienor had acted as a tutor, either.

[Alienor Vankar]

Alienor laughed. "Well, you never know. I might have just shown up before restocking!" She thanked Talia for the ale and took a long sip, enjoying being there again. Cloud City wouldn't have been her dream choice of residence when younger, and she missed having the ocean and the beach, or even the country side, but she was glad she had decided to set camp where the people that mattered most lived. It brought her solace and some peace of mind, in between getting in trouble. She canted her head to the side when Talia asked about the kind of upgrades she was looking for. "I need new scramblers, a handful of new fake transponders, and some new weapons. My shields could likely use upgrades too, but I can go legal for those maybe..."

She beamed at Talia's reaction to the news of her hanging around more. "Dam right, girl. I'll be around more often." She gave a look at the teenager when she brought up the fact she might have other plans. "Hey, we'll have more time to spend together. I travel a fucking lot, but in between you can be sure you'll learn some new moves. It's been too long since I taught you a few new things to kick morons' asses." She remembered when she taught Talia a few years back how to defend herself. She had offered to do that with most of the kids around, but Talia had really dived in more than others.

"Well, if you have options, I'm all ears. And why not? I might be a horrible mother hen doing most of it myself, but I'll let you pass me the tools." She laughed and took another sip. "Molly can vouch I'm horribly protective of my ship. It's been the home I've had the longest."

[Talia Cimmerian]

Talia mentally ticked off the items Alienor was looking for, repeating them in a hushed whisper for the sake of mental retention. “Right, those kinds of upgrades. Makes a lot of sense now.” She laughed. “Planning to get into some trouble, huh?” Talia shuddered in excitement at the idea of the fun involved in that, not really considering the dangerous aspect like any typical youth that believed themselves invincible.

Her flighty mind kicked back over to the discussion on Alienor hanging around a bit more, Talia stuffing her hands into her pockets with a bit of confidence emanating off her. “I practice often.” She assured Alienor, like she had promised she would. “And I’ve picked up a few tricks over the years.” She hadn’t learned much to deviate from what she was taught, but her mother’s heritage was starting to peek through the edges. Not just in her psychometry, but latent Force abilities were manifesting.

She contemplated the topic of the ship parts once again, drawing a hand out to scratch across her scalp and back through her hair. “Yeah, that’s no problem. I can learn by watching, but I guess we need the parts first, huh. Alright, so we go to Port Town. Did you want to buy them, or steal them?” She asked the question so nonchalantly for someone her age that it would have shocked most people.

[Alienor Vankar]

Alienor laughed at Talia's remark about trouble. "I may or may not have some heists lined up." There was this stunning collection of jewelry from a private owner who had hired her for a performance the previous year. She had heard some of the pieces would be given to a museum soon. She had to get her hands on some of them. She had always been very careful not to create possible connections between her official career and her illegal one. It was all about timing and not being greedy, when one led to the other. Or just give opportunities to people dear to her. She was one sneaky bitch and she was proud of it.

When Talia said that she had been practicing and picking up new tricks, she narrowed her eyes at the teenager, and nodded. "Good, you'll have to show me. You were one of the best pupils I've had over the years. You actually wanted to understand the moves, not just copy them."

She pondered on letting Talia run the show for her errands, instead of Molly. Molly always had a lot on her plate; and Talia was in her late teens now. Alienor just suddenly felt quite motherly and protective. It was kind of silly because by Talia's age, she had already got into her share of trouble and had had some hard lessons, despite having lived a much more privileged life than the street kids of Cloud City. "I'm looking to buy in this case. And I'm willing to let you take the lead for my errands, but don't do nothing too crazy, okay? It'd be stupid of me to treat you like a kid, but at the same time, well.... I'm still Auntie Ali."

[Talia Cimmerian]

“Nice!” Talia reflected her excitement for the jobs Alienor had lined up. “I totally need to hear some of your recent heist stories.” She was excited at the tales that Alienor could no doubt spin for her, and the thoughts of such sparked that wanderlust within her. In her years on Cloud City she was confident she had walked through every part of the massive structure, multiple times, and had little off world engagements. So, she leapt at any opportunity to learn something about the galaxy.

She didn’t reflect at being her best student, only smiled brightly, but she knew why she had taken it so seriously. Knowing what her mother had been involved in, and knowing that she was gone, Talia believed that while she had a support system now she wouldn’t have others to look out for her forever.

Talia was quick to gather herself to her feet when Alienor agreed to let her tag along, and even play a substantial role in acquiring her ship parts. “Oh man, this is gonna be so fun.” A route ship part shopping trip shouldn’t have been anything to get too excited about, but Talia already envisioned these wild scenarios of gambling for the parts they needed, and heated haggling. Her mind romanticized the entire encounter to come before they even got anywhere. “Ready to go now?” She glanced in part to Alienor’s drink to check how far along she was.

[Alienor Vankar]

Alienor chuckled at Talia's enthusiasm. It somehow made the musician feel much older than she was. She still had a lot of joy for life, but somewhere along the way, she had lost the innocent enthusiasm. Or maybe she had just been awfully tired and stressed lately. Either or both of those still made her appreciate the teenager's reaction. "I've not had any very recent heists. I've been traveling for a lot of performances, which is also why I want to get back into the swing of things." Of course, she was in on Molly's plan to get her ship back, but that was local trouble.

She downed the rest of her ale, and discarded the bottle in the trash. "Ready to go," she replied to Talia, genuinely curious to see what the girl had in mind for contacts and options. She thought it might actually be a good thing to see how far she had come. "Even if you get bored, you're stuck with me until I get my ship parts. Also, call me Agatha from now on. I'm buying those babies as Agatha Merril." This had been one of two main aliases over the years, which had given them credibility.

[Talia Cimmerian]

“That’s so cool. You lead this double life. One of fame and fortune, and another of excitement. It’s like something out of a book.” She remarked as she head for the door. Once outside she knew she would have to preserve Alienor’s identity. One wrong step could ruin her career. She keyed the door open, the hallway outside a tad chillier than the chamber they came from. The kids outside immediately slipped under her arm, around her legs and bypassed her. Some went to Alienor, some went into the room, and none forgot her promise they could hang out inside. “Hey, we’ve gotta go. Leave her be, and don’t wreck the place.” She turned to one of the boys. “Talax, stay out of the ale, I know exactly how many bottles are there.”

She smiled sweetly to Alienor, letting her slip out before hitting the pad aside the door and closing it behind them. “We’ll have those parts in no time!” She assured Alienor, moving to the nearest turbolift. “Level 126.” She called aloud once inside, the turbolift chiming an acknowledgment. Lights whirred by in their rapid descent, a rhythmic hum as they passed level after level. The trip down was mostly quiet, and also brief. The double doors swung open to allow them to exit to the more dimly lit level.

The air was a bit more stale on Level 126, a number of the air scrubbers likely not functioning to their highest capacity. Talia knew the older scrubbers got recycled down to lower levels while newer ones were installed in the more touristy districts. “First stop isn’t far.” She promised, turning right, following the path past several street vendors, then turning left beneath a neon sign that hummed loudly in the places where it was still lit.

A surprised growl was what greet the pair, though Talia saw no need to worry for the sound, recognizing it as merely a sound of acknowledgment. “Arvax.” She greet the Gran curtly. “I’ve got a client of Molly’s here, Ms. Merril.” She eased a step away from Alienor, lowering her voice. “We’re talking big time client here, handle this one well.” Which was code for don’t be a dick, and don’t overcharge. “We’re here for transponders, and I think you had some scramblers a week ago.”

The Gran huffed, pulling up his logbook of transactions. “Transponders I can do, scramblers walked out of the door yesterday.” The second statement caused a frown to creep across Talia’s lips. “Talk price with my client. I’d like to see who you sold them to.” It wasn’t truly a request, and with Transponders being the more common item of the two request of the Gran he knew he didn’t have room to argue, lest he lose the business completely.

[Alienor Vankar]

Alienor chuckled at Talia's comment. "Yeah, we're good at doing things our own way in my family. And I like being able to do stuff outside of the public eye." Sure, she didn't need said things to be illegal, but she liked it, and she was damn good at it, so she had no reason to give up. Also, she was tied by nothing and no one, so she could as well do as she pleased. If one day she had her own kids, she might - slightly - change her tune, but single and childless at the moment, she had no reason to.

When all the kids rushed to her when Talia let them back into the other room, Alienor smiled and hugged them all. She had things to do but she always made sure not to ignore the kids. If she could bring a smile to their faces, and be of some help, she was happy to do so. After managing to untangle herself, she sauntered towards Talia, as they left the place. She followed her to the turbolift, and the floor number of their destination made sense to her already, given how Cloud City was built. She was really curious to see who Talia knew at this point.

Alienor adjusted more easily than some might expect to the staler air; but she had been in enough shady places to handle such cases. And she knew that those areas could provide great opportunities, when you knew the right people and were after specific things. Also, being a martial art trainer, she could handle herself in case of trouble. Following Talia to the Gran's shop, she nodded to hi,. "Hello, Arvax," she said, letting Talia do the opening talk, for the alien was the teenager's contact.

She noted how Talia held herself and asked to know about who got the scramblers. She definitely had good instincts and Molly had done very well with her. Letting Talia do her thing, Alienor asked the Gran to show her the scramblers and only one of the options was up to her standards. While transponders were much more of commodities than other things, it didn't mean she would take anything and nothing. She was picky when it mattered, and the Ferelden Rose mattered. Arvax asked for way too much. Alienor haggled for a drop in price, but the Gran wasn't willing to do so. Alienor said that if he provided her with two more of the same model within a week, she would pay 80 per cent of what he asked. The Gran was still stubborn, and Ali asked him whether he wanted to get a bad reputation on the station. He glared at her with all eyes, and she offered 75 per cent for just the two transponders. He went back and said that he could arrange to get more of the models she wanted.

They seemed to be going somewhere...

[Talia Cimmerian]

Talia had been only half listening to most of the exchange, focusing instead on flipping through the log to see who had purchased the scramblers. She had a name, she just needed a location, which would come in time. It was at that time she caught on to the resistance the Gran was giving Alienor. “Hey!” She interjected sharply, not impressed to hear how hard he haggled back and forth with her. “Big client doesn’t mean take her for everything. That’s not how you get repeat customers. I can take her to Timmonin’s instead, but we came here first.”

Timmonin was actually their next stop, but she knew they wouldn’t do any better on price with him for transponders, and he didn’t carry scramblers usually. “She’ll take these for 80% of the price, and she’ll be back for more. No more negotiations.” She quietly muttered as she stepped away. “Ungrateful.” Were she more adept with the Force, she would have used it to press on his mind, and perhaps she even did unknowingly but she and no one else would ever know if that was the case.

“I’ll meet you outside when you’re done Ms. Merril. Let me know if he gives you anymore trouble.” While she left Alienor finish up with the transaction, she got in contact with some of Molly’s little birds to put the feelers out for the person that purchased the scramblers. She didn’t imagine it would take long for the information to get back to her, but for the time being they had at least one other goal. Outside, Talia propped herself to lean against the door and braced a foot back up against the wall beside it. Her arms snaked across her chest, head tipping downwards while she waited.

[Alienor Vankar]

Talia might still have some naive daydreaming about adventure and how trouble was mostly a fun and entertaining affair, but the kid had definitely grown up. Alienor watched the exchange between her "niece" and the Gran, staring at the vendor for good measure, but letting Talia step in, as she was the contact. She gave a satisfied smile to the teenager as she walked away, and then returned her attention to the Gran.

"Do we have a deal or should I just go to your competitor then? I'm done wasting my time." The Gran mumbled and nodded. Alienor could tell he wasn't happy but at least he did as told and she soon paid for the transponders, looking at him the whole time as he packed them. They were fairly small so they were portable. She tucked the safe box underneath her arm, and headed outside of the shop, finding Talia waiting for her.

"Good job," she proudly said. "What did you find?" She believed that Talia had gone out to consider options or scheme something given what she had said earlier in the shop.

[Talia Cimmerian]

The hiss of the door opening cause Talia’s chin to raise and her attention to divert over to Alienor. She smiled at seeing the woman exit with the transponders packaged up, confident that meant things had gone smoothly enough for Alienor to be willing to close the deal. Talia could have taken her elsewhere, in particular if she were flexible to order the transponders, but she knew a bit of pressure on the Gran would earn them the best possible price. “Thanks.” She beamed at Alienor’s praise, righting her posture and preparing to lead her off.

“Well, I’ve got something in the works for the scramblers.” She remarked, leading Alienor away from the building and deeper into Port Town. “You’ll just have to trust me on that one though.” She spared a sheepish glance to the side, tossing a playful wink. Her hands worked their way into her pockets as she led her into a main thoroughfare, passing all manner of street vendors who cried out their wares.

“The weapons are really going to depend on what you’re looking for, so this will be your call.” Scramblers and transponders were one thing, but the type of weaponry she sought was a whole other animal. The shouts and general din of noise waned as they moved through, the intense neon of signs fading as the crowds dispersed and the wide path was left to a smaller number of people. They continued on for another couple minutes, the buildings growing in size until they were essentially in a warehouse district.

The roll up doors were open on the first structure they came to, which within all manner of parts were scattered around. Ship parts, speeder parts, mining equipment, while everything was organized into sections it was clear this particular vendor dealt in a wide variety of things. Talia wandered to the nearest counter, where a Besalisk busied himself arranging smaller parts on a shelf with all four arms reaching in different directions. “Hey Xanitus.” She remarked, her right hand raising to gesture a few fingers from her brow to the stout, four-armed being. “Contact of Molly’s here, Agatha Merril. She’s looking to get some weapons for her ship, if you wouldn’t mind showing her around.”

“Sure thing lil’ sprout. How is Molly doing?” The Besalisk turned sideways to fit down a narrow collection of parts, before straightening to wander down a much wider path. Talia of course intended to follow Alienor and did so by falling into the back of the line with the three. “She’s Molly. I keep her in line, you know?” She remarked with a smile, obviously over inflating her usefulness in a playful manner. The Besalisk boomed a laugh, glancing over his shoulder to Alienor. "What sort of ship do you fly, and looking for anything in particular?" He obviously wasn't much more interested for the moment in Ms. Black, and asked more of a courtesy with a deeper focus on the sale to come.

[Alienor Vankar]

Alienor followed Talia further into the streets, curious to where the teenager would lead them next. The first stop had proven fruitful. She gave a quizzical look at Talia's remarks about the scramblers plan. "I trust you," she simply replied, as it seemed that wherever they were now heading to would require some walking. That was fine by the pirate, especially since the transponders were in a small enough box that it was no issue carrying it around.

"Sounds good for the weapons. I have a few ideas, but it will also depend on what is available. I'm picky about quality, but the good thing about customization is that you have a lot of options." She grinned, excited about upgrading the Ferelden Rose. The poor ship was long due for more than regular maintenance after all.

"Nice to meet you, Xanitus," she said with a smile to the Besalisk. She listened to the interaction between Talia and the vendor, before following him through the different aisles, as she started to explain what kind of ship she had, and what she was looking for. Her canons were the most recent additions, so that was fine.

"I'm in need of two new turrets, with both manual and automatic firing systems. And I could use a few telescopic rifles, four of them." She wanted to be able to protect the boarding ramp in case of a hasty escape.

[Talia Cimmerian]

Xanitus nodded his head slowly, the large sac-like mass of flesh beneath his lips continuing to shake after the initial motion. Talia kept her relative composure at seeing it, since she was used to it, but felt as grossed out internally by the display as she normally was. Her eyes averted to each side, taking in the mass of parts that she quite frankly had no idea the usage of. “Two, huh? I take it we’re aiming for ventral and dorsal mounting.” She cut left, squeezing once again through a tight passage for someone as large as him, but easily permissible in normal fashion for Alienor and Talia.

Just ahead a number of chains supported a quad-laser turret from the ground, a crate beside it containing necessary parts to its installation. “Does your ship’s computer already have the programming for the automatic firing?” The Besalisk’s voice didn’t boom nearly so loud as he turned to face his customers and spoke in a softer tone. Talia meanwhile took in all these small ship details she’d never been privy to before, thoroughly intrigued at what felt like an entirely different language to her.

Xanitus scratched his bulbous jawline. “You know these are generally considered illegal, right?” Of course, him having them could have been viewed as illegal as well. He intended to make his buyer beware. “I can’t be held responsible for any prison sentences you accrue. I sell them strictly to collectors, of course.” He affirmed his plausible deniability to her, making it clear that if she were caught he would deny what usage she intended. “This particular model will run you about…” He glanced at Talia, who gave him a raised eyebrow as if she could see the wheels turning within his head. “…500 credits, each. The rifles I’ll have to show you elsewhere.”

[Alienor Vankar]

One thing Alienor hadn't expect that her martial art expertise would provide her with, was being able to abstract one's self from stomach-turning sights, such as the Besalisk who would hopefully have goods to sell her. She was nevertheless grateful for the small passageways Talia and her could sneak through to get some space from the vendor. "Ventral and dorsal mounting are exactly what I am looking for," she confirmed. She looked with the appropriate mix of nonchalance and interest, as not to ever look desperate or too eager with a seller, to the quad-laser turret on display.

"Yes my ship's computer is already set for automatic firing. The last update was only a year ago, so unless those were released in the last month or so, it shouldn't pose a problem."

She gave a pointed look at Xanitus when he brought up that these turrets were considered illegal. She let him give his talk, and only replied when he offered a price. She had excepted to pay one hundred more per piece. It was a fair deal. "I'll get the turrets."

There was no reason to waste anyone's time when the deal was decent.

[Talia Cimmerian]

“Excellent!” Xanitus clapped two of his four hands together, then waved a third as he turned and start off in another direction. “What bay is your ship in? I’ll have them delivered.” Talia was quiet for this portion, not altogether familiar where Alienor had left her ship, though confident she could have found out if she needed. The hulking frame before her lumbered through another series of twists and turns, until he came to separate chamber altogether. Within, weapons rested in racks and drawers suggested there might be other small arms contained.

All of this was protected by a cage drawn down in front of the whole thing, which the Besalisk triggered to raise with a hand to a control panel and a discretely input code. The cage slid open with the sound of unlubricated metal on metal. Two separate hands plucked two adjacent rifles, then a third with his other pair. They were all set atop the table side by side, one after another. Lastly, he opened a closed locker and retrieved a fourth, setting it out also. The most recent one he procured, the one stowed out of sight, he rest a hand upon as he spoke. “DXR-6 Disruptor (https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/DXR-6_disruptor_rifle). Highly devastating, slow fire rate, highly illegal.”

He moved to the next three, pointing to each in succession. “Outland Rifle (https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Outland_rifle), A310 (https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/A310_rifle) and A280 (https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/A280_blaster_rifle).” The last two were very obviously just differing models of nearly the same weapon. “I have a firing range, if you’d like to take a few test shots.” He gestured to an adjacent door, which had a small square transparisteel window to show the interior. Inside there were only two booths to fire from, with targets set on the far end. Talia went up and curiously maneuvered to pluck up the A310, the Besalisk moving a meaty hand in her way. “Too young sprout.” This, obviously, was met with a scowl.

[Alienor Vankar]

Glad that the turret matter had been resolved, Alienor provided Xanitus with the information regarding the private bay where her ship stayed during her time on Cloud City. She always paid extra to have people she could trust keep an eye on her space craft, and she might add a couple of people there for whenever the vendor would have them delivered. She would of course install them herself, and she was planning to have Talia there. The more the kid learned, the better she would fare. There were few people the blonde pirate was willing to have help her tinker, but Talia was one of them.

When Xanitus took them to inspect the rifles, Alienor knew she had come to the right place. A devious grin curved her lips. While one of her strengths was to look like little threat, she didn't hesitate about showing that she meant business. "I will take two DXR-6 Disruptors. I've not seen those in a while," she stated, for restocking her armory wouldn't hurt either.

When he showed them the other options next, she knew she fetched an A280 to go try it out. When she realized that Xanitus denied Talia to try the A310, she gave a stern look at the seller. "I need her to be able to use them when she works with me. Let her try it." The plan of taking Talia off world with her every once in a while had already been forming in her mind, and she needed the teenager as ready as could be.

Entering the booth, she put the protective headgear on and then tried the A280 out. Her target was turned to enough shreds, but it felt a little clumsy. She then returned to exchange for the Outland Rifle, to try this one out as well.

[Talia Cimmerian]

The Besalisk took a moment of obvious internal debate as he weighed the ramifications of letting Talia utilize the rifle and denying his customer. One of his hands reached up to scratch his meaty jowls, before he slowly withdrew his arm. He was already dealing in illegal goods, what was letting Talia shoot by comparison.

The girl turned a pleased grin over to Alienor, before scooping up the weight of the rifle. She felt it out for a moment, before entering the firing range and pulling on the proper safety equipment. The rifle was a tad front heavy for her, so she dragged out some sandbags and rest the barrel atop. Maneuvering the weapon around, she took aim on the target down the way and fired a first tentative shot. It pushed back into her shoulder, causing a dull manageable ache. She shifted how the rifle sat against her shoulder, and he stance, then fired again.

She expended a few more shots before she lugged the weapon up and brought it back outside the firing range, where Alienor was trading out for a new rifle. “This one’s a bit heavy for me. I think I need to start working out..” She laughed sheepishly, setting the rifle back into its rack. She was in good shape for endurance and agility, but her physical strength wasn’t the highest. The Besalisk, hearing her statements, retrieved a smaller weapon and components that lay in a drawer beneath it. “The A280 Covert Field Edition (https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/A280-CFE_blaster). These modifications can be added to it in no time flat to set it into a sniper configuration, but otherwise handles like a pistol at it’s base level?” He escort Talia back into the firing range, and showed her twice how to added the Assault Rifle configuration, then the sniper configuration, before breaking it down and leaving her with just the pistol. “Now that’s pretty wizard.”

The pistol variant was taken up, and she sight down the range. With just the pistol, and lack of stability of the stock, she was a tad less accurate but able to sustain holding the weapon herself. She followed the direction given by the Besalisk, turning it into an assault rifle. While still a tad heavy, she was able to handle it better than the A310, and fired several shots before needing to rest the barrel on the sandbag again. “You should try this one.” She keyed into the comm unit that let her talk to Alienor in the adjacent booth.

[Alienor Vankar]

Alienor was very glad that the Besalisk agreed to her request to let Talia try the weapons out. She hadn't been joking when telling Talia she might have work for her in upcoming missions, and she generally thought that the teenager needed to learn more at whatever opportunities she got. Alienor taught basics of self defense to really young kids, so her adopted niece handling heavy weapons seemed like a completely normal progression.

She eventually tried both the Outland Rifle and the A310. She stopped as she heard Talia communicate to her. She watched what the Besalisk had given her to try out. She had heard about those adaptive blaster to rifles, but had never got to use one so far. And she was very intrigued.

Getting out of the booth, she looked at the seller. "I'll get a couple of Outland Rifles, and am going to try out the A280 Covert Field Edition."

She gestured for Talia to get out of the booth. "Show me how to change it from one form to the other." She hadn't seen the Besalisk show her, but she rightfully bet he must have.

Once the teenager had done as such, Alienor did the manipulation for herself. "I like how concise the core blaster is. It's perfect to hide under a jacket, or wear in a thigh holster. Let me try it."

She went back to the booth and tried it in both versions, and she hadn't liked a firearm that much in a long time. She definitely would be using it on a regular basis. Once she was satisfied, she rejoined with the seller and Talia.

"I'll get three of those."

And one would go to Talia.

[Talia Cimmerian]

Talia exited the booth as instructed and set the components down on the countertop just outside. She went through the motion of attaching the assault rifle variants, then added the additional parts that would take it to sniper configuration and disassembled back from there. “Not so bad. Really versatile.” She handed the weapon off to Alienor to go through the motions herself, then fire as she saw fit. From behind the viewport she watched how deftly Alienor handled the weapon, in awe of her capabilities, perhaps even a tad jealous at how good her Auntie Ali was at just about everything, as she saw it.

Talia did a mental count as Alienor spoke to all the weapons she was buying. Somehow the order had jumped from four, to seven, or at least Talia was sure she had remembered Alienor saying she sought to purchase seven. “Three? Hmph.” The Besalisk grunted in delight, counting mentally the credits the total purchase would rack up to. “The Disruptors will 450 for the pair, the Outland Rifles 250. Given the components to purchase too for the A280 CFE, I’ll give a bulk price of 700. Total purchase today so far is 2400. Anything else?” The Besalisk could barely contain his want to see just what else Alienor might be after. Weapons weren’t among his more expensive wares, but they did turn a good profit.”

Talia released a barely audible whistle at the final tally of the price, more credits than she had ever personally handled. She knew, given Alienor’s fame and the wealth that went with it though, that this would be chump change. She did everything she could to keep her expression neutral to not give away that the Besalisk likely could have pushed the price higher.

[Alienor Vankar]

Alienor didn't think that a happy Besalisk was more pleasant to watch than an apathetic or angry one; but he had delivered so far. That was what mattered. She had expected a higher price, and she believed she would return for future business, given how smoothly things had gone, whether entertaining her in her illegal equipment wants, or abiding by her request to let Talia try the rifles for herself. The pirate was pleased. "I am good for now. Make sure everything is delivered on time." As she made the payment, she did add an extra 200 as a tip or good service appreciation token. She knew she didn't have to; but building solid commercial relations could make life much easier.

As she left the place with Talia, she grinned to her niece. "You do have some good contacts." She paused as she let the teenager lead the way. "Also, that one adaptive rifle model you liked? One is for you," she stated, not having wanted to tell Talia until they had left the warehouse. She was curious as to where next the younger blonde would take her; but so far the errands had gone quite smoothly.

[Talia Cimmerian]

Talia slipped off with Alienor, departing the warehouse that completed a large number of their purchases. “Well being a kid is a bit disarming for most, and when they watch you grow up they have a much easier time trusting.” She confessed, taking Alienor back out onto the main thoroughfare. Before they got far, a kid ran up to Talia. The Kiffar knelt, letting the little girl whisper into her ear while that same girl kept her eyes locked on Alienor. This one was obviously young enough to not know Molly’s close friend, and so looked at her a touch warily.

Talia nodded, then tussled the girl’s hair about and slipped her a credit chip. “Thanks. Go on now, I’ve got some things to take care of.” She rose, glancing back towards Alienor. “I suppose I really need to get stronger now.” She laughed a touch nervously, having recalled the embarrassment at how she struggled to handle the weapon. “Should I leave it on your ship, or do I get to hold onto it to practice with?” She questioned expectantly, bright blue eyes reflecting a mixture of nervousness and excitement.

Regardless of Alienor’s answer, she took her back the way they had originally come, weaving the crowd and purchasing a fruit for each of them along the way. She paused outside a boisterous cantina, glancing to her partner. “The guy that bought the scramblers is here. I have an idea how we’re going to get them, so just follow my lead.” She sucked in a breath, straightening before walking into the Cantina like she belonged. Her eyes found the mess of medium blonde hair belonging to the described man, a human named Zeke Traybis.

She wandered up to the man, who stood by and watched a game of pazaak taking place. “Looks fun, what are they playing?” He glanced over his shoulder to her, eyes doing the typical once over. “Pazaak, you’ve never played?” She smiled, meeting his eyes for the first time. “No, would you teach me?” He smiled, falling victim to the combination of a pretty, young face and a possibly naïve woman who might be swindled easily. “Alright, sure. It’s more fun with credits though, do you have some?”

She glanced back over her shoulder to Alienor. “Aunt Merril, can I borrow some credits to learn a new game?” As she said this, she maneuvered over to a table and sat across from Zeke, who prepped the cards. The first round went quickly, Talia making key mistakes that saw her lose the round handily. “So I want to hit 20, but not go over. I think I’m getting it, can we play again?” To emphasize her point, she set a small stack of credit chips on the table.

[Alienor Vankar]

"Relying on natural assets is a good thing. The more you can exploit what you have to your advantage, the better," Alienor replied to Talia's comment about being a kid. The pirate believed in acquiring new skills and honing what one already had; but if you had naturally helpful sides to you or your situation, there was no reason not to use such things. She was glad with how cunning Talia could be. The teenager still had a bit of naivety and sheer excitement coming with being her age; but she believed her niece would do fine as time went on. And what help she could offer, she would.

She observed the brief exchange between Talia and the young girl, noting the wary look. She would have to spend more time getting to know Molly's brood, so they wouldn't have to think twice if seeing her around. Spending much time on Cloud City would provide opportunities for that to happen.

She followed Talia to the cantina, and then inside the place. She let the teenager lead the proceedings. She was curious to see what would happen; but so far Talia had delivered, so it was a good enough incentive for the pirate to trust her younger partner. She went along with giving credits to Talia so she could "learn" pazzak, and she got herself a drink in the meantime, staying close enough to the game table, but at an appropriate angle from which the players could see her, and not Talia, so there would be no way they could be told they cheated together. It was an educated guess from years spent in similar situations. She might have worried about Talia losing, but it weirdly made her hopeful about the situation, and quite eager to see what her niece would do.

[Talia Cimmerian]

The game went on, back and forth exchanging rounds, and conversation was made. “We just got done shopping for some ship parts. My Aunt is going to teach me to install them later, I’m super stoked.” She kept this air of distraction about her, the typical lack of focus expected of someone her age. This drew the conversation, as her opponent sought to keep her distracted, where he offered the information that he had recently purchased some scramblers. The 5th round ended, and while formerly at a 2-2 draw, she lost another round and the match. “Oh man. Again? I’m sure I can do it this time.”

Her opponent held no complaints, sure as can be that he was on the good side of this deal. With her credit count dwindling though, she needed to make her move. “My credits are kind of low, what if I wagered our transponders this time? That would give me a shot to win my money back.” This gave pause to her opponent, estimating the value of the transponders she offered. “I know, they’re worth a bit more. Umm, I can pull my credits out and maybe you can toss a few in? That would balance it.” He dismissed the notion, suggesting she could keep the credits in and they would keep the pot healthy with an added sum from him.

This was where she needed Alienor to trust her, and she chose not to look to the woman while the game was prepared to play. She shuffled the cards slowly, then dealt them out. Each card she dealt to her opponent, her psychometry informed her what value it had assigned. With that knowledge she would have a relative idea when to play cards, and when it wasn’t necessary. She dealt then from the main deck the first value for herself face up, then his, and continued to do so until they got close to 20. The rounds played out like this, except because of her gifts she knew when the next card to come up would be bad for her, and when it would be good to take.

The entire match passed flawlessly, losing one round out of a necessity to drain some of his hand cards, but taking the overall victory with three rounds won. “I did it!” She exclaimed, standing up and throwing her hands in the air. This served a secondary purpose as her sleeves fell back, to show she had no device to hide cards up her sleeves. “Oh man, that was so much fun!” Her opponent sure didn’t think so, slapping what was left of his hand down onto the table. “Let me win back my credits, I let you win yours back.” He exclaimed, desperate. She hesitated a moment, for show, then nodded. “Sure, another round?”

He shook his head, bringing out a chance cube. “Simple game, red you win, blue I win.” She offered a hand out to inspect the cube, as was customary, then handed it back. “Okay, but do you have the credits to match what you put in?” He shook his head but brought out his back with the scramblers. “No, but these will easily cover it. What do you say?” She glanced to Alienor. “Do we need scramblers? I kind of want to play anyway, and I mean what’s the worst that could happen? I break even, right?” She guided the brief exchange, trying to get Alienor to play along and not show that they had been after the scramblers the whole time.

[Alienor Vankar]

"She's wanted to learn more about ships for so long, I caved in. Kids, you know? You love them even when they drive you crazy." It brought a round of laughter around the table, which the pirate knew would add to Talia's cover story; and her behavior was really suitable. If Alienor didn't know Talia better, she might buy some of that act.

Alienor took her time with her drinks, but she made sure to quietly nurse them, not remaining empty-handed. She was not only extremely curious about what Talia's plan exactly encompassed, besides eventually winning the scramblers; but it didn't answer all her questions, far from that. She loved that the stakes were rising though. It wasn't as dangerous as saving a heist gone bad from a bunch of criminals; but it still was entertaining.

When Talia asked to bet the transponders, Alienor cringed as expected; because no one in their right mind would roll with it without argument. "Really? Do you think creds just grow on concrete?" Thing was she did trust the girl; but they both had to keep it credible. She eventually rolled her eyes and got a third drink. "Fine, fine. You lose that, you'll be cleaning my ship until you're legal and maybe some extra years, agreed?" Then she just gestured for the game to start. She could tell the players may think she was going to get in trouble with that crazy niece; and it was hilarious to her, although her expression betrayed none of it.

Upon the win, Alienor cheered for the teen. "Wow, you did amazing!" She looked very proud because she really was. When the next bit, the one they had come for arrived, Alienor groaned, and looked hesitant. "You should know when to leave," she said, her voice laconic. "Fine," she finally agreed in a tone appropriately anxious, but loving enough that they'd think Talia led her by the nose.

[Talia Cimmerian]

Alienor played her part perfectly, the apprehensive guardian that also wanted to give her the opportunity to make her own mistakes but also not be kept under a tight leash. It was perfect, and for a moment she almost believed herself the threats and story they were tossing together. “Alright, let’s do this. So red is me, and blue is you.” She watched the chance cube intently, nodding to the man to throw it.

The fortunate circumstance is that no one would be watching her. The cube was tossed, and all eyes were on the result. Talia pushed within as deep as she could, summoning up a power different than her psychometry. She had practiced this one skill many times, and it was the only reliable thing she could do with the Force. As the cube spun, bounced off the wall, and started to lose its momentum she centered on it. It tumbled, and tumbled, until it came with the red side up. She immediately dropped all pretense of focus and threw her arms into the air, jumping at her ‘Aunt’ and hugging her around the neck. “I won!”

She reigned herself in quickly, gathering up the credits and taking the scramblers from the bag. “Hey, maybe we can play again sometime.” He shook his head, and she paused to consider a moment. Her eyes went to her aunt, then back to the man. A stack of credits was separated and set on the table, not enough to recoup all of his losses but a majority of the actual money he had put on the table. She didn’t wait for a reply, but turned and walked off with Alienor, exiting to the street. Once outside, she exhaled a deep breath and presented a smirk at Alienor. “We did it. Got everything. Do we go back to the ship now?”

[Alienor Vankar]

Alienor's position made it look like she was focused on the cube, but she was actually focused on Talia. When the cube landed on the winning side for them, she smiled and hugged the teenager as she jumped at her. She cheered loudly; and now had a strong inkling of what might be up to, given what her cousin was. She didn't understand how the whole thing worked; but she was now suspicious that her niece was Force sensitive. She kept that to herself for the moment and picked up the transponders boxes she had come to the cantina with. She grinned and walked out with Talia, still following the teenager's lead. She had done magnificently. To say that the pirate was proud of her protegee would be an understatement.

"You are awesome. I'm so proud of you," she said with a bright smile. "Yes, I got everything I needed."

It took them half an hour, uneventful, to reach the private landing pad where she kept the Ferelden Rose (https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/YKL-37R_Nova_Courier). Alienor led the way aboard, taking them to a cargo bay where they could put the transponders and scramblers. They would install them later.

"You ready for the grand tour?" After Talia had answered positively and eagerly, she led the way towards the hallway, beginning with the galley and several living quarters. "What you did back there, that was a Force trick, wasn't it?"

[Talia Cimmerian]

“Thanks!” Talia beamed at Alienor’s praise of how she did. It was her chance to prove that she wasn’t the same kid she used to be, and it felt so relieving to earn that bit of respect in a woman she looked up to so much. She followed Alienor back to her ship, grateful for the much slower pacing. She was able to come down off the excitement that the gambling had brought, the entire time confident in her abilities but also mildly stressed that it wasn’t her belongings that were on the line.

“Yeah, let’s see it!” As they walked through the ship, Talia poked her head everywhere she was able. If they passed a room, even if it was unused, she wanted to see what it looked like. And in the galley, she even went so far as to open the refrigeration unit. She did stiffen slightly as Alienor questioned how she had won the game of chance, straightening out of the refrigeration unit and closing the door. “Please don’t tell Molly. I don’t do it often, and I don’t even know what I am doing with it really. I just practiced how to manipulate chance cubes, I swear.”

She didn’t talk about her family ever, but it was the sure bet for where her skills came from, and why she even knew she had them. To most people, Talia was just another of Molly’s little birds. “Just please don’t tell her. I don’t think she’d ever look at me the same way again.” It was clear she was a bit panicked about this information coming out. When she mentioned her growing abilities, it wasn’t the Force she spoke of, but her inherent Kiffar gifts. Both had been discovered though.

[Alienor Vankar]

Talia's excitement as they went through the ship amused Alienor. Musing over all that had gone done during their errands, even without what she believed was a Force trick, had really impressed her. She knew that the teenager had grown; but it had been even more obvious in how the younger woman had helped her acquire all that she needed. Sure, the pirate had the money for such expenses, and knew what she wanted; but finding where to get things was a different matter. And it wouldn't have gone as smoothly without Talia. She was grateful for that.

She hadn't expected Talia to panic the way she did when confronted about her Force gift. Alienor reached out and rested her hands on the teenager's shoulders. "Hey, it's okay. I won't tell anyone. Don't worry about it."

She knew, because of her cousin, that Force users were mostly unwanted if not actually hunted in much of the galaxy. "I'm not like you; but I have someone close who is. I know that you guys keep this private. I won't sell you out, Talia, alright?"

[Talia Cimmerian]

Talia’s blue eyes searched Alienor’s gaze intently, looking for any sign of deception. She trusted Alienor completely, but she still had to be sure for herself. Her hands rose to cradle her face into them, not crying but damn sure stressed. Her index fingers dipped through and across her eyes, wiping at them as she lowered her hands. “Thanks.” Her voice resonated with a touch of shakiness, having not considered fully the consequences of her actions for the day.

“Here, and in this life, people don’t trust people like me. This is all I know though. Without it, I have no idea where I would go, who I would be.” She stuffed her hands down into her pockets, smiling weakly. “Your ship is nice. You keep it really clean.” Anything was better than dwelling on her meager force abilities in the moment, but she knew some things would likely need to be talked about at some point. And yet, here she was partially returning to it. “You know that wasn’t all the Force, right? My kind has a small chance to be born with a special gift. My Mother was exceptionally talented, nearly impossible to lie to her it felt like. I knew my ability with it would grow as well.”

[Alienor Vankar]

Alienor just wanted to hug Talia; but she could tell that while the teenager was grateful for her reassurance, she was still shaky, and had that independent strike about her. It was normal given the life she had led, even being so young. "You're welcome," she said, meaning it like she had every word about protecting her niece's secret.

"If I can help, you know I'm here for you, okay?" Alienor didn't want to be overwhelming; but any person crossing someone important to a Tankreyd regretted it, very badly if not permanently. And Talia was like family to the pirate.

When Talia complimented the ship and how clean it was, the musician grinned proudly. "Thank you! Come on, let me show you the cockpit." She thought it'd be a good distraction as well, even though as they were heading there, Talia returned to the topic of what she had done in the cantina.

"No I didn't know," She admitted. "The only Force user I know was just that, born with a gift. I didn't realize some people had it for genetic reasons."

[Talia Cimmerian]

“I’m not really sure how anyone can help me with this. I’m worried that some day I am going to give away what I can do and lose everything because of it.” She didn’t have control, and she frankly didn’t want to learn to use it, even if it meant keeping it under control. “I mean, it’s great for swindling…” She made light of the situation, forcing the most playful smirk she could muster in the instant.

Talia moved with Alienor towards the cockpit, brazenly situating herself into the co-pilots seat, as if it were meant for her. She knew that she’d be relegated to some other role, but the idea of flying and escaping into parts unknown had a sort of romantic quality to her that she fantasized about often, even if she was eternally grateful to be as cherished as she was among Molly’s network. Her hands roamed over the control console, gentle and appreciate in her touch.

“It’s not the Force.” She replied. “I mean, the chance cube, that was the Force. Pazaak though, that was psychometry. My Mother used to tell me I would inherit her gifts when I was really young. I didn’t know what that meant at the time. I can touch things and see their memories. So, when I touched those cards, I knew what they were without seeing them. It only works on inanimate objects for me though. My Mother was able to interact with people in the same way. It was…a very useful interrogation tool, I’m sure.” Her brows knit, knowing the path her mother had walked. One she would never walk. Petty crime was one thing, but the Empire was a completely different form of evil in her eyes.

She glanced over to the control stick of the ship, then back to Alienor. "I could probably learn the basics of flying but just sitting in your chair, and touching the instruments you do. Maybe not the why of your actions, but memories of times you may have sent the ship into a barrel roll. Or the sequence of buttons hit to plunge the ship into hyperspace."

[Alienor Vankar]

Alienor didn't dismiss Talia's concerns, nor did she throw further reassurance. She wasn't in the teenager's shoes, and she was no Force sensitive. She had meant it when she had said she'd have Talia's back no matter what. Time would tell to what extent she would be able to; but the pirate didn't give up on family. She returned her niece's smirk, knowing too well how humor could help minimize a direr situation. She had used that herself too many times to count.

She smiled more genuinely as the teenager claimed the co-pilot seat. It did suit her to be there. She was going to take that almost gown-up kid with her on mission. It would likely include some trial by fire; but that was life generally speaking. And she believed that Talia could use it, even enjoy it. People like them didn't expect life to just be a walk in the park. If they did, they wouldn't have just gone through errands and bargaining and assorted manipulation to get things from lower levels on Cloud City.

"Thanks for telling me, Talia," Alienor said, grateful that her niece could confide in her. She had had no idea that some species could do what the teenager just described. That was pretty nifty.

She couldn't help wondering whether Talia's mother might have followed a path similar to the cousin. There was just something about how Talia talked about her that made the musician wonder. She didn't pry though, especially as she kept Baska's powers and path to herself for the most part, not even knowing that much if she was honest anyway.

"Well, we're not going to get the goods delivered for a few more hours. Care to try that theory of yours?"

Alienor was daring Talia; and right on cue, she powered up her ship, putting it through pre-flight. She knew the perfect and safe spot to try what her niece suggested.