In the Viper's Den

"Speech"

"Radio or calls"

'Thoughts'

Bridge of the Vagabond

The crew watched with anticipation as they weaved through the asteroid field that surrounded Point Athor. The old mine, turned trade port, was built into a very tall asteroid, thrusters on the outside keeping it in the same position. They had been detected by the port, and after giving them the clearance code, they were given a berth in the upper part of the asteroid, near where the office they were looking for.

Lyle let out a whistle at the sheer size of the port, being imbedded into a large asteroid at a Lagrange point, Feldt impressed by the sheer engineering prowess it would take to get that up and running. The team had done some research, and found it was modified and grew initially into a legal trade port when the metal flowed out of it, but as that dried up, so did the companies, letting the criminals take over it under the nose of the Old Republic. 'Just another sign of its issues back then. Letting corruption like that run rampant?'

The Vagabond glided through the energy shield, guiding lights keeping the ship straight, a light tractor beam helping out. With a hiss and a thud, the Decimator landed, the crew mentally preparing themselves for what was to come. The landing zone was larger than they expected, several ships already in the docking bay, the most noticeable one a yellow and red DP20, the name the Marauder on the side of it, a landing tube connecting to the rest of the docking bay.

Lyle stood up and looked at the team, "Alright. Tieria, Allelujah, you are with me. We are going to meet Wang Liu Mei and find out what she wants." He looked at Christina, "I want you to stay on the ship. I don't trust these criminals to not try something."

Christina nodded, "Got it!" Christina then frowned a bit, wanted to explore the station, but she supposed they weren't here on a vacation. 'Next time we get a break, I'm not going to let him tell me no.'

Tieria crossed his arms, "So now I have to deal with the info broker too?"

Lyle just rolled his eyes, "Would you rather I not bring you along? And do you trust us to do it without you being there?"

Tieria grunted, growling under her breath, "Fine. But she better hold her tongue. I will brook no insults." He hated how Lyle hit his nerves deliberately, but he couldn't deny the Corellian was right.

Setsuna shook his head, "Don't know if you will have that luxury."

Allelujah nodded at that, "Criminals can be really touchy." Tieria crossed his arms over his chest, harumphing.

"Alright, alright. He gets it. We need to move on." Lyle interrupted the distracting conversation, wanting to get back onto the point, "Feldt, I approve of your plan to upgrade the engine. I suspect some of the parts you are looking for will be in the marketplace. You know your budget, but if you go over a little, it shouldn't be a problem."

Feldt began bouncing on the balls of her feet, a wide smile on her face, "Thank you sir! I won't disappoint you."

Lyle flashed her a smile, "Don't worry about it. You have kept this thing in better shape than I have ever done." He had been relieved when he learned Feldt was a full-time engineer, as Lyle did have skills to fix an engine, but it was never as good as he liked.

Setsuna stepped up, "I'll go with her. This place isn't safe."

Christina spoke teasingly, "You just want to go on a date with your little girlfriend." Both younger crew members blushed, but said nothing. Allelujah, Lyle and Christina laughed at the sight, Tieria ignoring it, feeling that two crew members having any sort of romantic entanglement was inappropriate.

Allelujah, recovering from the laughing, looked at Lyle, "How much do we plan on trusting Wang Liu Mei?"

Lyle gave him a serious look, "Only as much as we can throw her. She has what we need, but fully believing what she says without evidence would be a mistake." Tieria grumbled under his breath about how Lyle at least knew that.

Continuing, Lyle looked around at the group, "Well, we all have our assignments. Christina keep us up to date if you learn anything. Try not to get too bored."

Christina shrugged, "I'll find a way to entertain myself. Maybe I'll ID some of the ships around us. See who is here on the station."

Allelujah smiled at her, "That sounds good. See if there are any funny names." Christina smiled at his words, happy to see the closed-off crew member joining the banter. But with a wave of his hands, Lyle gestured for the crew to leave the ship, leaving the Zeltron alone on the bridge, footsteps getting quieter and quieter. 'Everyone, please stay safe.'

Upper Levels of Port Athor

Lyle, Allelujah and Tieria neared Wang Liu Mei's office, having been guided by one of her men, having met the rebel team once they left the docking bay, only light weapons on them. The station certainly was impressive as they took it in. What one would assume would be basic architecture was actually well decorated, the hallways painted welcoming colors. People bustled through the hallways, the stores in the commercial area more high-end stores, even some high fashion ones. Neon lights and colorful logos hung above store entrances, and advertising screens showed various stores. Lyle was sure this was because this is where all the rich criminals lived, used to the more grungy looks many other smuggling and criminal areas tended to be.

Tieria was confused that many criminals were just advertising their business, though was quickly corrected that some of these are legit businesses by their guide. And Allelujah reminded him it was not like the rebels were exactly legal. It left the soldier grumbling, but he followed the guide, who finally led them to a sliding bulkhead door, gesturing to it. It was flanked by a Gamorean and Weequay, both of them studying at the group as the door was opened, leading to a well-lit and decorated room. There were a few chairs and a couch, a few potted plants and a middle-aged human woman behind a desk, who gave them all an even look. If they didn't know who was behind the door leading into an office, the rebels would think this is some sort of therapist.

The secretary spoke plainly, "My mistress will see you." Lyle could see routine nature of this, the woman getting back to typing on a computer. Tieria was tense, not liking the room, despite the pleasant look of it. It hid the true nature of this place too well for his liking.

Allelujah looked at her, "How did you know we were here? Our guide never messaged ahead." The woman just raised her eyebrow and Allelujah realized how dumb he sounded, asking that question to the secretary of an info broker.

The door slid open, and the three men entered a fairly plain office, a wooden desk sitting near a window looking out at space, a few comfortable chairs positioned in front of it. More plants filled the room, including a few flowers in bloom. A large terminal sat on a back wall and a high-backed chair was facing them, hiding the person in it.

With a dramatic turn, they were greeted by the sight of the lavender-skinned woman they had been shown before, a friendly smile on her face. But all of them could see the glean of a predator in her eyes, and Tieria frowned, holding back a huff of disgust. With a sweep of her hand, she gestured to the chairs, leaning forward a bit to show hints of her generous cleavage, "Please, sit down. You are honored guests. Do any of you need drinks? I can send a servant to get them."

Lyle and Allelujah sat down, taking up the offer. They were both on edge, but Lyle was better at hiding it than Allelujah, his hands folded on his lap. Lyle also took in her beauty, able to appreciate it while understanding not to underestimate women like her. Tieria stood, glaring at the woman, who met his glare with a half-smirk, causing his glare to deepen. Lyle shook his head at the offer, "Thanks for the offer, but no thanks." He looked to his team, "You guys?"

Both men shook their heads and the Twi'lek laced her fingers together on her desk, "Thank you for showing up so quickly. Was your trip pleasant?"

"Can we cut the shit? We are here for the agent, not you 'pretending to be our friend'." Tieria's harsh voice cut through the tension all the men had felt as they entered the room. Lyle wanted to be mad at him for doing that, but couldn't muster the energy. 'The fake friendly attitude was getting on my nerves as well.' Allelujah tugged at his collar, looking around the room, expecting some sort of trap or hidden turrets.

Wang Liu Mei's lips twitched for a split second, but she smoothly responded, "Oh well, here I thought we could make some small talk, but it appears we cut right to business. So be it." Her friendly visage partially dropped, the friendly façade fading a bit. She looked at the three men, "The imperial agent is safe and will be given to you once you do a favor for me. Your payment has processed, but I need a more…personal touch." The implication hung in the air, Allelujah shivering at the thought of what she would ask them to do.

Lyle leaned back, maintaining a cool attitude, "What sort of task requires rebels to solve? Don't you have an army of goons?"

Wang Liu Mei just smiled, "A task where outsiders would be better suited than my own men." She brought up a display on her window, showing the blue bulbous head of a Duros, along with a marked location in the lower bowls of the station, "This is a Duros gang, led by Cer Hud, that has been harassing and attacking my men. They go by the Dusk Raiders and make up no more than a couple dozen men, but they are highly mobile, making it hard to catch them in the act. But my agents found they are holed up in an old containment vault for raw materials of… a dangerous nature, though that is no longer a concern."

Her eyes looked at the group, filled with annoyance, "I want them eliminated." Tieria just looked at the woman, grunting as he still questioned the need for working with her. 'She's right here. We can kill her and grab the info from her computer. Then we don't have to dirty our hands working with her.'

Allelujah's voice rung out, "Why do you need us? Don't you have connections to eliminate them or hire people yourself to do this?"

"That's the same question your leader had. But I suppose I can elaborate." Wang Liu Mei chuckled humorlessly, "The leader of this gang is the cousin of a powerful crime boss on this station. So, if I make a move with my men, then that could start a gang war. Which is very much not in my interest." She grinned at Allelujah, "So that is why your skills would be needed. Unless you feel that you aren't up for it. Then I can send the agent back to the imperials."

Tieria's harsh voice rung out again, "And what if we don't want to do the dirty work of a criminal? We can take the info from your computer and find the agent ourselves."

Wang Liu Mei let the venom in his voice roll over her, leaning back in her chair and tapping her fingers on her desk, "Well for one, the info isn't here. And two, it's bad form to try to threaten a criminal in their territory. Your rebellion maybe powerful, but you should know when you don't have the home field advantage." Tieria scowled, regretting that he hadn't thought she would be that dumb.

Lyle looked at Tieria and spoke to him in a commanding tone, not willing to let the straight-laced soldier ruin this mission, "Tieria! Let me do this." Tieria glared at Lyle, but took a step back, signaling to Lyle his acceptance of the orders. Lyle spoke in a friendly tone to Wang Liu Mei, "Please continue."

The Twi'lek flashed the Corellian a smile, "At least one of you has manners. But as I was saying, a minor scuffle between a group of mercs and a gang won't draw any attention. At least not enough to really risk any reprisals."

"And the information you have is reliable?" Wang Liu Mei narrowed her eyes slightly, his words hitting a chord in her.

The info broker just nodded, "Yes. My best agent spent weeks gathering the info. So it can be trusted."

Lyle nodded and smiled, feeling more in control than when he walked in, "So we do this for you, and you let us take the agent into our custody. That is the deal."

She gave him a half-smirk, "That is acceptable. I certainly hope your commander's promises about your skills are true." She held out a data stick, which Allelujah grabbed, "This contains all the info that I have. It should tell you all you need to know."

Tieria glared silently as Lyle nodded, "Thank you. We'll get back to you when the job has been finished."

"It was good meeting you all. Hopefully both of us have a bright future ahead." Wang Liu Mei's voice was chipper, too chipper for a woman in her position. All three men felt varying degrees of disgust having to do this, not drawn in by the woman in front of them. The two men who were sitting down stood up, and beg to walk towards the door, when the Twi'lek's voice rung out again with a practiced confidence, "Oh, I just remembered something I wanted to say earlier."

The three men turned to face her, and partially genuine curiosity filled her expression, "Were you aware you were traveling with a Jedi?" Her eyes were glued on the hetero-chromatic soldier, sweat streaking down his neck.

The two other men followed his eyes, confused at why she was looking at their crew member. They both knew they had force users on the ship, but as far as they knew, Feldt and Setsuna were too young to be adopted into the Jedi Order. Allelujah scratched the back of his neck, his voice shaky, "What do you mean? We don't have any Jedi on our ship."

Wang Liu Mei rolled her eyes and laughed a haughty laugh, pulling up a wanted poster of a teenage Allelujah, both of his eyes grey, a braid in his hair. His hair was short and there was a wide smile on his face, even reflecting in his eyes. Lyle and Tieria looked at the poster with growing realization, looking between the poster and Allelujah, taking note that one of his eyes is gold.

Allelujah was internally panicking. He had been on the fence about telling the team about his identity, but this woman had forced his hand. He had assumed the empire had assumed he was dead, his wanted posters long gone at most ports he went to. He had been old news, and his older appearance had covered him for hiding his identity. In Tieria's eyes he could see a hint of accusation, but Lyle just looked at him analytically, like he was trying to sus out his motives.

Allelujah let out a deep breath, "I mean that could be anyone..."

Wang Liu Mei just chuckled, "Oh, I am certain you are a Jedi. But you needn't worry about me. I can keep a secret. I just assumed your crew knew who you were." He could hear the playfulness in her voice, but it was less a friendly one, and more a feline playing with their prey.

Lyle looked Allelujah in the eye, a light tone in his voice, "More and more secrets. This crew is certainly interesting." Tieria just crossed his hands over his chest, his mood becoming more foul, everything just stacking.

"I am a former Jedi, yes. Can we please discuss this on the ship?" His tone was desperate, Hallelujah in the back of his mind taunting him about betrayal. He closed his eyes, just wanting to relax and hide in a corner.

Tieria's voice was on a razor's edge, "Yes. I think we have a lot to talk about on the ship."

Lyle let out a sigh, and looked at the Twi'lek, "We'll act as soon as possible."

"Thank you. Your group has been very…entertaining." Her attention focused on a holographic display that appeared on her desk, and the three were guided into the main area, all three men with questions running through their heads.

Main Marketplace of Port Athor

In contrast to the more wealthy part of the station, the main marketplace and central levels of Port Athor were more rundown, the levels of decoration depending on the area and who was willing to pay for it. It was decently maintained, but the level of care showed the lack of pure wealth in the area. Stores hung signs and there was an active energy to the marketplace, with a hint of distrust weaved through everyone. The occasional criminal ran through the busy hallways, often chased by small groups of other criminals.

Feldt and Setsuna walked cautiously through the area, Feldt going from ship dealer to ship dealer, finding the parts she needed for the engine at various stalls. She had found a plan for a system to quiet the engines of a starship during a study of imperial tech during the last couple months, but never found time to get the parts needed. It didn't stop a ship from being detected, but it lowered the profile on sensors, and was more reliable than a true stealth system. It stopped working when pushing full speed, so it was best used as a slower holding pattern speed or observation, which was often part of their missions.

Feldt looked nervously up at Setsuna, meeting his eyes as they both blushed. While this technically wasn't a date, and he was simply keeping her safe, both crew members couldn't help but enjoy the privacy the two currently had from the crew. No one was watching them, so they could indulge this growing affection.

Feldt found the next vendor after a few minutes of walking, excitedly talking to a Gand merchant who dug through his supplies. Setsuna couldn't help but love the way she gained confidence and energy at talking about the ship. She always seemed at her cutest when she rambled and spoke to him about the force and engineering. The specifics she mentioned went in one ear and out the other, but the merchant seemed to understand what she was looking for, asking for what bay to send the parts to.

Feldt nodded and paid him, and she turned around, her face red seeing Setsuna smiling softly at her. She was not prepared for the sheer affection radiating off him, and looked down at the ground, "Sorry if I got too deep into the conversation. He offered some suggestions for my idea and another store where some of the more specialized parts I need could be."

Setsuna shook his head, "Don't worry about it. I'm happy to see you so happy to do this little project of yours." In his peripheral vision, he could see a few thugs leer at Feldt as they passed by the two force users, Setsuna resisting the urge to glare at them, "Should we continue on?"

Feldt nodded and impulsively held onto Setsuna's hand, intertwining their fingers. Setsuna didn't stop her, enjoying the comfort of the intimate gesture, staying close to her. Words jumbled around his mind, wondering if he should say anything, but at the moment he knew anything he might say would not come out how he wanted.

The next store she found was run by a Rodian, Feldt's eyes wide at the holodisplay of parts. Setsuna's eyes wandered around, and he saw a blade smithing store close by. Feldt saw him looking at the store, and smiled kindly at him, "Go check it out, I'll be fine."

Setsuna hesitated, "But you'll be all alone."

Feldt's eyes followed his, and she saw the weapon store. She smiled at him, "It's alright. I'll be fine."

Setsuna looked cautiously around and nodded, "Ok. But if anything happens, call me over the you know what." She nodded and he then moved towards the store, leaving the Miraluka alone with great reluctance. Feldt got lost in the display showing the stock the Rodian had, who pointed to towards it gruffly, "Order through there and insert payment when you are done."

Feldt frowned at that, but got to work finding what she needed. Minutes passed as she looked for the specific parts she needed, finding most of the remaining ones that she required. A few of the rarer parts still eluded her, and this would cost the team a pretty penny, but would all be worth it. An essential component was still missing, but she could only hope that it was here. Putting in the docking bay where their ship was, she paid up and the merchant thanked her offhandedly, looking at some sort of inventory sheet. Feldt huffed in slight annoyance, but walked away, heading towards the blade store.

But as she passed by a small, empty hallway, she let out a quickly muffled cry as she was grabbed from behind, a blaster pushed into her neck. A low, deep voice filled her with fear, "Look at the pretty woman away from her boyfriend. And with lots of money too." Feldt attempted to let out a cry, disgust, fear and a growing sense of dread building in her. She desperately called out for Setsuna through the force, hoping the mass of bodies and force presences here didn't block it. The other hand of the man holding her trailed down her side, Feldt squirming to try to get him to stop.

"Now, you are going to give me all the money you have, or you'll be dead." Feldt didn't know what to do, her mind unable to focus on her force powers.

"Put her down, and I'll let you live." A cold yet familiar voice filled her ears, Feldt sensing Setsuna's presence behind the thug, a vibrodagger to the human man's throat. The man was slender, shaved head and in rather ratty clothes, and Setsuna could sense fear spreading through the man. Anger rushed through Setsuna despite the cold attitude, Feldt's overwhelming terror filling him with murderous rage.

The blaster was pulled off of Feldt's neck and the man backed up, moving towards the main market area, hands up, "Alright, she's free. I'll never bother you again!" Feldt was too shaken to sense the man, rushing over to hold onto Setsuna side, looking for any comfort.

Setsuna just glared at the man, restraining his anger, "Don't let me catch you again. Leave." The thug scurried off, leaving Feldt holding onto the man she had fallen for, Setsuna dropping the dagger, wrapping his arms around her, breathing her in, happy to see her safe. His fury faded, leaving him with an empty pit at the thought he had left her so defenseless, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have left you alone."

Feldt buried her head on his chest, a few tears running down it. Words fled her mind, and all she could do was send her appreciation of him, her affection for him over their bond. The two sat in silence for several minutes, letting their emotional highs run down, their breathing slowing as they began to settle.

The Miraluka looked up at Setsuna, his hand moving to her face, his smooth voice sending a happy shiver down her spine, "Feldt." His face began to move down to hers, Feldt closing her senses as she moved to meet his soft lips, when a female voice interrupted them.

"Well look at the pair of lovebirds."

The moment broken, the two turned to see a short, buxom redheaded woman, a wicked grin on her face. Her gold eyes shined with mischievousness intent. She wore a white crop top, showing off her trim waist and midriff, a pair of white workout pants gripping her fit and curvy form. She sauntered towards them, "I was wondering if you were going to kill that man. I would have."

Setsuna instinctively put Feldt behind him, pointing his dagger towards the woman, "Don't take another step forward. Who are you?"

Nena stopped, putting her hands up, a grin still on her face, "Relax dude. I'm Nena Trinity. I was going to help out that girl of yours till I saw you speed over here." Feldt, feeling better, could sense something uneasy about her, but couldn't pinpoint exactly what that was.

The Kiffar narrowed his eyes, "So why didn't you?" Setsuna caught a split-second glare back at him, but it was gone as quickly as he spotted it.

Nena shrugged her shoulders, "Hey, you had it handled." Nena's eyes traced over Setsuna, a purr coming from her. An ugly knot appeared in Feldt's chest as she caught that, jealousy and anger going through her. 'He's not yours. He's mine! You ruined the moment!'

Nena then leaned against the wall, pushing out her chest, but Setsuna's eyes were glued to her face, "My boss said to keep an eye out on you rebels. Though I do wonder why you didn't go with the rest of them." Her voice was filled with genuine curiosity, which did catch Setsuna by surprise. He didn't like her leering, but if his instincts were right, pissing her off could be a bad idea.

"You work for Wang Liu Mei?" Nena just grinned at Feldt's words, silently answering her question. Feldt gathered up her nerves, "The team didn't need all of us. So I was doing my own project."

"And you had this hunk protect you? Lucky girl." Feldt's jealousy flared up again, and Nena just rolled with it, pushing off the wall. She looked at them like a cat eyeing up a new toy, "I just wanted to warn you to be careful around the Duros. And to not trust all you hear."

Setsuna crossed his arms, putting away his weapon, "So we shouldn't trust your words either?"

"You aren't wrong." Nena just smugly grinned, winking at the Kiffar, "Hey, I'm offering free advice, so you take it or leave it. Most people would pay for that kind of service. But I've got to get going." She gave Setsuna a lascivious look, tossing him a data chip "If you ever need me, call my number. I can make sure you are…satisfied." The pair of rebels watched her walk off, her hips swaying.

Feldt gripping Setsuna's arm tightly, all out of sorts, that ball of jealousy sitting in her chest. Both of them caught a hint of her skin changing as she rounded a corner, but she was gone before they could see what happened. He resisted wincing at the pain, making sure Nena was gone before he turned to face Feldt.

"Well…that was unpleasant." Feldt looked up at Setsuna, relieved that he seemed more annoyed than interested Nena. There was something she didn't like about the woman, and it was more than just how she looked at Setsuna like he was a piece of meat.

Feldt nodded, "Do we trust her words? Is she lying about her boss?" This whole place set off her worries, and her skin crawled whenever someone looked at her. She had no idea what they were thinking fully, but the force told her it generally wasn't good, ranging from lust to thinking she was an easy mark. 'Is Wang Liu Mei any different?'

Setsuna shrugged his shoulders, not pretending he knew how the criminal underworld worked. 'Maybe Tieria has the right idea. I would love to be out of here as soon as possible.'

Author Note

Chapter 9! We meet our contact and she is certainly going to be fun. And our growing couple has a near hit. Ain't I a stinker?

Thank you for reading and I love comments and reviews. I'll see you guys next time!