Y'Toub System-Nar Shaddaa
Rashiti Cantina
Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi
Filth-that one word alone was enough to fully describe Nar Shaddaa. Dirt and grime littered the ground while toxins and pollutants filled the air. Skyscrapers filled the sky and billions of beings walked the surface. Nar Shaddaa was notorious for its lawlessness and its ruling crime cartels. It had more scum than the galaxy had stars. The Republic usually avoided Hutt space, but the Jedi Council heard of Separatist Terrorist cells attempting to use the criminal underground against the Republic. To verify these rumors they sent Obi-Wan Kenobi to Nar Shaddaa under the guise of Xerus Eli. In an effort to gain information faster Obi-Wan turned to bribing informants and low-rate spies.
"Now how much do I owe you this time, Viersen?' asked Obi-Wan as he counted his credits aloud.
"Oh no, you're not laying anymore of those Republic dataries on me, I need a little something more…more real." replied Viersen.
Viersen was an Evocii, a native of the former planet Evocar, now known as Nal Hutta. They had been overpowered by the Hutts thousands of years ago, and were now a minority on their home planet. Modern Evocii lived in poverty and took money whenever they got the chance.
"More real? You've accepted Republic credits for the past transactions, why not now?"
"Because, I no longer require them, but what I do need is spice, about 200 kilograms to be exact." he then gulped down his 3rd drink.
"200 kilograms? That may take some time, but the information I need is urgent. If you can get it done quickly by tonight I'll pay you 400 kilograms, and 100 dataries." Obi-Wan said with a grin. The informant spit up some of his drink.
"Did you say 400 kilos?" asked the excited Evocii. Obi-Wan waited patiently to see if he would make up his mind. He had been meeting Viersen for the past few days; he was reliable, and asked no question. This quality was especially useful when dealing with criminal organizations like The Exchange and Black Sun.
"Alright, you've got a deal , but next time, you'd better find something that better suits my needs." said Viersen. He then finished off his drink, and left Obi-Wan to himself.
After a few more minutes Obi-Wan left to meet up with his last contact at a club called Ambit in one of the lower sectors. He worked his way through the diverse crowds of Nar Shaddaa, careful to mind his own business, and reach his destination unhindered. The streets were littered with the homeless, and little pockets of street gangs gathered around stores. From a certain point of view Nar Shaddaa looked like a twisted version of Coruscant. The bar was located in the worst areas of Nar Shaddaa and attracted some of most seedy lowlifes in the galaxy. The lower you went on Nar Shaddaa the more likely it was to get mugged or shot at for absolutely no reason. Obi-Wan finally reached the club after a few minutes of travel, and walked inside to meet his contact.
Nar Shaddaa
Club Ambit-VIP Section
Balistik Tri-Mandalorian Mercenary
There is one thing that every being in the galaxy truly understands…pleasure. Pleasure was the one thing Club Ambit would never be short of. All about the room danced exotic dancers working to entertain their vast audience. Scruffy looking beings gambled , drank until they staggered to into unconsciousness. Those still conscious danced on tables, teased the waitresses and gave security a hard time. Among the ruckus a mysterious armored figure sat alone at the bar.
"Are you going to order anything or admire the furniture all night?" asked a grubby looking bartender who looked a couple pounds short of a star destroyer.
"…..Yes…." replied the figure.
"Yes? Yes, what?!" the bartender asked, obviously annoyed that his question went unanswered.
"I'll take the special, and set it up."
"One special coming up…hey wait a minute, I know you; you're that bounty hunter Balistik Tri. I heard you fried poor Ciprio on Concord Dawn."
"Ciprio was anything but poor, he made a pretty good living from sentient species trafficking, and smuggling death sticks. He was scum, and he got what he deserved." Balistik stopped to check his blaster's power setting.
"Yeah, but the man was a usual; the more you hunters hunt, the more money business men like me lose." the bartender said as chuckled and spit shined the same glass.
"On second thought, I don't think I'm hungry anymore." he said as he got up to go.
He walked towards the clubs meeting rooms; sizing up everyone he passed. When people saw walking they tended to move out of way, even the ones too drunk to stand up correctly. To bar patrons he was truly a sight to behold…and to fear. He checked his armors internal systems on wrist command panel, making sure everything functioned correctly. He wore the traditional armor of a Mandalorian, his customized with matte black paint and spots of red as dark as blood. It was riddled with weapons, from wrist mounted blades, flamethrowers, dart launchers, a magnetically charged katana and dozens of hidden armaments. Balistik then walked down the hall to room eight where his customer and the credits awaited him. He usually didn't take jobs short of bounty hunting or toppling governments, but spying for people paid well too. It's not like he had much of a choice, his luxurious career was at all-time low, which meant less credits, and no battles to be won. Fighting was his livelihood, as it was for all true Mandalorians. His people were great warriors, so great as to even oppose the Jedi in many galactic conflicts, but those times had passed. Now they were just nomadic mercenaries and bounty hunters, all eager to earn their lot in the galaxy. When he finally reached the room he performed a series of scans using his armors complex sensor system, just to make sure no traps awaited him. After a few moments of scanning he finally finished, then checked his main blaster's power system again, and opened the door. Alone in room sat a figure behind a huge conference table, his face hidden in the shadows. He maneuvered to sit down directly across from him.
"I hear that you had some problems last night finding the data chip I needed." said the cloaked figure.
"Problems? No, no problem at all, unless you count a couple dozen mercs and guards gunning at you a problem."
"I am sure a man of your rumored caliber could very handle it, unless it has been exaggerated."
"It isn't exaggerated, not at all" he replied with a cool tone.
"I see, did you encounter any information regarding Black Sun allying with the separatists.
"Separatists? Ah the aruetiise war, no I didn't see anything."
The figure stopped to contemplate the new information.
"I see, well your performance met my standards, and you delivered the merchandise on time, I chose wisely."
"You did, especially if you're crazy enough to cross Black Sun and their mercs."
The figure faked a laugh and slid his agreed payment halfway across the table.
Balistik then slowly slid the prized data chip across the table, careful to keep his eye on his the man across the table.
"So, then this transaction is concluded? Because I do have other thi-." His sentence cut short by the familiar sound of blaster fire ringing in the distance.
Balistik jumped up and drew his blaster with lightning reflexes and aimed it at the man across the table. His muscles were trained by years of conflict and kept his barrel steady and precise. He carefully eyed the man, his credits, and the data chip with cold observation.
"Please tell me this is a double cross, because I've been itching for a good fight all day."
"No, I had absolutely nothing to do with this, but something tells me, they are here because of that chip." he slowly stood up, careful to keep his hands on the table.
"Well they aren't getting it, now move, and hands where I can see them. This little chip had better be worth the trouble of getting out of here."
The figure came out of the darkness to reveal an older man with red hair and a beard that covered a good portion of his face. He walked with a calm composure and appeared unafraid of Balistik or the weapon pointed at his chest.
Balistik then led the man out of the room at gun point intent on getting out of club. They got went out a few feet only to be met with blaster fire. The blaster fire forced them back in the room and suppressed them there. The shooter got a couple dozen shots off until his blaster over heated. Balistik returned fire, and struck a dark green Rodian in the chin with his first and only shot. They moved out of the room slowly, while checking for more hostiles.
Balistik eyed his new prize intently "What's on this data chip anyway?"
"Nothing that truly concerns you, but it is vital to my operations"
Balistik shrugged. "Someone shot at me, it concerns me; now move it, you're coming with me for now. And don't try anything stupid, blaster cartridges cost money."
He escorted them both through a maze of hallways until they reached the clubs main chamber. They went unimpeded for a few moments until a choir of blaster fire erupted, forcing them to take cover behind the bar.
Balistik cracked his knuckles and drew his blaster. "Now this is getting interesting after all!"
"I do not believe interesting is the right word for our current situation."
Balistik loaded his blaster and peered over the counter of the bar.
The crowd was scattering out of the way as a small army of thugs wearing Black Sun markings worked their way in. They got half across the room then split, allowing a spruced up Fallen to walk in.
"I do believe you have something that belongs to us, my friends." said the Fallen with his hands clasped calmly behind his back. Balistik looked around at the club, and weighed his options.
"Do we now? What could we have that would possibly belong to you?"
The Fallen smiled. "A most important data chip, that contains evidence that may incriminate myself, or my cohorts here. As you can see we are most eager to retrieve this sensitive information."
"All I see is a bunch of walking corpses, and a few more trophies for my collection."
The Fallen's face flashed anger, and left as quickly as it came. "Maybe so."
Balistik turned his attention to the man next to him. "Any ideas?"
"Nothing comes to mind, I guess we'll have to improvise."
"Improvisation is my specialty."
"Oh great." replied the man has peered back to the Fallen.
The Fallen hadn't stopped talking the entire time "Now, do you think we can go about this civilly?" asked the Fallen.
"Well, me and my friend here are in a bit of a hurry, so...no." Balistik quickly turned and put a bolt in the Fallen's left eye. As soon as he did the blaster fire continued, more rapid than before.
"Well now that was smart." said the unnamed cloaked man
"Yes actually it was, never compromise with criminals, especially Black Sun. Now stay down and let me han-" His sentence was cut short when the man flipped over the counter, threw off his cloak and ignited—a lightsaber. The thugs quickly reacted to the sight of powerful blue blade. They backed up trying put some distance in between them. Balistik quickly recovered from his shock and began returning fire, taking down his targets with a single shot.
"So you're a Jedi now, I knew there was something off about you, just couldn't place it."
The Jedi swatted away a couple of blaster bolts. "Yes, well life is full of surprises, isn't? Do you have a problem with Jedi?"
"As long as I get paid, I don't care what you are."
"Good enough for me."
After a few more shots Balistik engaged his jetpack and maneuvered over the gangsters and rained blaster fire down on them. He fired both of his blasters with rapid efficiency, thinning their numbers with almost every shot he took. Meanwhile the Jedi busily spun, slashed, and cut his way through a group of thugs. Many of the thugs ate their own bolts for dinner when their careless shots were redirected at them. He slowly worked his way closer to the incoming fire, cutting down thugs as he went. Only a handful of gangsters remained, just now realizing that the battle was lost. Balistik disengaged his jetpack and unsheathed his katana then ignited it. It snapped to life and purple wave of energy overcame the sleek cortosis alloy. Without hesitation he began cutting down his enemies before they could react to his change in tactics. Within a few moments the battle was over leaving flipped table, broken bottles, and a heap of bodies laying in the all about the room.
"Now, that was fun, and definitely worth the price of admission." Balistik said as he raided blaster cartridges from fallen combatants.
"That was anything but fun my friend, but it is far from over. I still need my data chip." replied the Jedi as put away his lightsaber.
"No, now it's worth double, for all of my expenses of course."
Jedi frowned slightly. "Of course, well you'll have to help me reach my ship, I have more credits there."
"Fine, you've got a deal, but I have a bad feeling about this.
Nar Shaddaa
Illegal Docking Port Sewer System
Balistik Tri and Obi-wan Kenobi
On the run from Black Sun forces
Nar Shaddaa is an overcrowded planet bustling with transports and freighters, all rushing to their jobs and the duties of their everyday lives. The sky was filled with smog and pollutants from the factories; swarms of speeders busily rushed from place to place. The chaotic nature of it had a striking resemblance to Coruscant; of the busiest places were the docking ports. The ports were the primary source of Nar Shaddaa economic success; imports from far away worlds allowed Nar Shaddaa to provide a comfortable life-style for most of its inhabitants. Offworlders that come for pleasure and not official business pay a hefty fee for the use of the ports; to their inconvenience. Others avoid this fee by illegally docking at criminally run "shanty ports" that allow criminals, bounty hunters, and those who wish not to be found a safe haven.
"This place stinks, and my patience is wearing thin, Jedi." said Balistik as he wiped dung off of his boot.
"The sewers are the last place they would expect to find us, and it's a much faster route to my ship." replied the Jedi.
"I don't like shying away from a fight, and I certainly don't like stepping in interspecies stool."
"I haven't met the man who would; let's take the next left, which should put us within a few yards of the hangar where my transport awaits us."
"Some plan, Black Sun is probably all over your ship like a clan of Jawas; Black Sun operates most of the shanty ports on Nar Shaddaa."
"Then we should tread softly, the Jedi Council needs this information delivered immediately."
"Hmm, you Jedi and your precious Council, I wonder where you'd be without their guiding hands."
"Do tell?"
"Haha, warriors should not be controlled by a bunch of senile, aging, old fools, that have lost their luster and shine. Warriors should lead themselves and take on the duty of earning the fruits of their own labor."
"The Jedi are not warriors, but peace-keepers; we serve only the Force and no one else."
"What a shame."
They continued the rest of the journey in silence and tediously travelled the seemingly infinite amount of tunnels that hid beneath the surface. After a few more minutes they reached their destination.
The Jedi looked around and checked his chrono. "This is our exit."
"How can you tell, they all look exactly the same to me."
"I memorized the route, and left a slight dent in the ladder, you see?"
"Yeah, well alright then, let's get going then." He waited for the Jedi to go first, checked his scanners, and then followed him up the ladder."
