Gold From A Silver Mine

[Fromikeable]

Vance wiped his mouth off with a napkin, resisting the urge to sigh with satisfaction. His sandwich had been unusually good today, the mustard nice and spicy, the roast beef fresh and thin, and the cheese nice and strong. Maybe they'd simply come to Donovan's Bar and Grill on a good day, one of the chefs in the back particularly on their game at the moment. Perhaps Vance had frequented the small dive long enough to warrant some favor from the staff and earn a little more care for his food.

Either way, today he'd shared the meal with Jazen.

Sitting the opposite the main enforcer, Vance couldn't help but stare at his armor a little. His peer's insistence on the Mandalorian-styled get-up had always confused him, though he supposed he couldn't relate to having warrior-culture family. Even then, hadn't Jazen been even more of a Jedi than he had? Jedi were supposed to let heritages and histories go in the name of avoiding bias, of making the Order political. One could debate their success until the end of time, but even most of the Greys that he'd met hadn't immediately gone hunting for past relatives.

Maybe it had been what Jazen had needed to get through his expulsion? Vance didn't claim to know, and he supposed he was hardly one to judge.

"There's one more thing I wanted to get done today." Sipping his drink, Vance cleared his throat and leaned forward on his elbows. Their day until now had been strictly Exchange business; checking in with underbosses, reorganizing security teams, and most importantly of all, inspecting all of the Exchange's interstellar communications arrays. With so many attempted operations by the Hutts, the Black Suns, and the Unseen, by this point, Vance had decided to stop taking chances. With their home base checked, he would need to ask Jazen to go check the arrays on other planets.

"You and I should get Lidah a present. She's had a rough couple of weeks." Bullet holes could be filled, destroyed buildings could be replaced, and broken trust could be repaired and liquidated, but stress? Stress was a trickier problem to deal with. After so many shake-ups, Vance thought Lidah could use something to make her smile.

"I'm thinking a new pet, but I'm open to suggestions."

[Jazen]

"Just one?" Came the deadpan, flat reply of the man that sat across from Vance. "I believe that's the third or fourth time you've said that today."

Jazen Solari, or as he went by for the past few years, Forte, watched the man with a slightly raised eyebrow. It was one of the few places on Nar Shaddaa that he felt safe enough to remove his helmet and relax, just slightly. It helped that it was considered one of the places that was safe territory from any trouble. Acting here, a neutral party ground for meetings most the time, would be foolish. Besides. Its not as if they didn't serve everyone equally; it made a perfect place for some of the more dangerous members of the factions to come and enjoy a simple meal in peace. Course once you stepped outside the door.

He half ignored Vance's staring eyes. He knew what he was looking at and if the man wanted to ask about it, he could. He might not have given him an answer before, but Locke's...influence again may have weakened that other armor of his. Only slightly though. Nar Shaddaa was not for the soft.

The last few weeks had been a rollercoaster of chaos. Locke's return, the attack on the Eye, several other daring raids by other competitors, the attack on the Unseen station. It had truly been one of the most active series of weeks since Jazen had come out here. Not that he ever found his life boring nowadays. If it wasn't one thing, it was another. Security had been tightened at the Eye since a traitor had been found and since they had been blindsided by the attack, Vance had gone hard on making sure it wasn't going to happen again. And while security wasn't his area under Lidah, Jazen was as much involved as the next man as her enforcer. He wanted to know when trouble was coming next time, so he could promptly put a bolt through its head first.

"I believe she has something to help with that already." He said with a shrug, but what an odd request from Vance. "A pet? Really? You think a small creature will suffice in causing her less stress? She's more likely to gain more worrying about its well being when she's not around." It was an odd idea, for sure. "Unless you plan on getting her a Rancor she can feed her enemies too. She might like that spectacle and it would be a powerful incentive to her enemies not to mess with." Was he joking? Always hard to tell with him nowadays.

"Assuming we go with your "pet" idea, what would she even like? Last I checked, neither of us has ever seen her with animals of any kind. Unless you count the other crime lords."

[Fromikeable]

Vance blinked. "You're joking, right?" When it became clear that he wasn't, Vance's expression turned to one of surprise, his eyebrows going skyward as a hand weakly raised a finger.

"... she has fish tanks and terrariums in literally every other room. The woman can practically talk to animals." She could, in fact, but Vance felt like saying that aloud in a public place probably wasn't wise.

"You really need to spend more time at home. If I didn't know better, I'd never guess that Lidah has clothed, fed, and armed your sorry butt for the last five years." Giving a tiny huff and shaking his head, Vance waved his hand. He had to move on; Donovan's was no place for an argument. Especially one that might go on for a while.

"Anyway, I wasn't thinking anything that big. Something low-maintenance and relaxed that she could just enjoy for a change." Leaning back in his seat, Vance stared at his now-empty lunch plate, a hand rubbing his chin. What did you get for the woman that had everything? Lidah had owned just about every kind of creature imaginable in the time that Vance had known her, and their move to Nar Shaddaa had hardly discouraged the hobby. Vance might have protested it if the woman didn't have such dedication; he'd never seen an animal so much as snarl with annoyance under her care, and he doubted she ever would.

So was that it then? A new challenge? No, he'd just established he'd wanted the gift to be simple and relaxing. They had to go to the total opposite end of the spectrum. What was the furthest one could get from a rancor?

"... how about a kitten?" Cute even when grown, definitely low-maintenance, and at its worst, very alert during the night. That was fine though. The Blind Eye and its inhabitants were basically nocturnal.

[Jazen]

Jazen's flat, completely emotionless face back at him was all the answer that Vance could have needed to that question. Only when Vance raised a finger did an eyebrow quirk at the other former Jedi.

"And how often am I even in the Blind Eye, save for more than a few moments? Most my reports are done via holo or transmitted to her. That's why the security at the Eye is your concern. Mine is out there..." he gave with a slight wave to everything around them..."dealing with the threats before they can rear their heads at home." He casually finished his meal, shooting a glance at someone who was paying too much attention to their conversation. The man all but jumped and turned back to his meal.

"And that's the point. I'm meant to be the boogeyman to her enemies, those that whisper in the dark behind her back, plotting, scheming." He said, using a low voice and tapping into the Force to give him an aura of uninteresting to those around him. A shadow, a ghost. "Its not a good idea for a boogeyman to be known to frequent a single place. Besides...tell her enemies to stop being so active and maybe I'll actually have time to spend at home. A shrug. No skin off his back.

Jazen blinked and for once, an honest look of surprise and confusion slipped across his features. A quirked eyebrow, this one far higher, at Vance's suggestion. "A...kitten? Are you going to confine it to the Eye then? Because cat's are known to wander and Nar Shaddaa is filled with things that would devour a kitten alive. Not including all the human traffic and chaos. You also have to factor in that it would have to be young enough to bond to her for sure, otherwise it may wander, plus it would have to get used to the staff at the Eye, especially if Lidah has to go away on business, unless you expect her to take the cat with her."

A long silence after that, Jazen staring at Vance for a good moment before adding. "I still think something like a dog would be better, more useful in defending her in case of trouble but...if its felines we seek, I've heard there's a shop that specializes in them somewhere in the district. I believe the name was...The Nocturnal Eye. We could check it out, if for no other reason then getting a feel for it."

[Fromikeable]

"I know, I know, you have to be very mysterious and dramatic. I still say that's no excuse. You've known this woman for half a decade." Busting out his wallet, Vance dug up enough credits to pay for their lunch, their waitress coming to collect. Standing as the woman returned their change, Vance left it on the table before depositing a few more sticks as a tip. With a nod of his head, he motioned for Jazen to move with him out into the moon beyond the diner.

"She's already got tuk'ata, howlrunners, you name it. A nice, normal cat would be an enjoyable change of pace." At the thought of her going away, Vance simply shrugged. "If she takes a trip, I'll watch it, just like I watch everything else." A few of the creatures were definitively beyond Vance's scope, but for them, he would always make plans. The rest just demanded knowing the right procedure and fulfilling the right needs. The tuk'ata couldn't sleep without its shredded chew toy. The howlrunner, Vance had been told just recently, wouldn't bother a soul if there was a bit of oregano in its food.

Every creature had its quirk. He was no Lidah, but with enough help, he got by.

"Besides, Lidah's just about the last person in the galaxy that needs protection." Lidah Faine was the woman that even the Empress of the Sith had to placate. She wasn't locked in an unwelcome galaxy with enemies. They were locked in a galaxy with an unwelcoming her.

Coming upon the Nocturnal Eye, Vance paused outside of it. Dirt mired the store's windows and door, preventing a clear view of the inside. Buzzing neon lights flickered its name above the door, but instead of any animal iconongraphy, a large, busty woman was drawn out by the colored lines. A sign hung from the doorknob, its message written out in rough Basic.

No questions. No refunds.

Skeptical, Vance gave Jazen a glance before stepping up to the window. Wiping a bit of grime off with his hand, he peered inside, squinting through the dirty surface. Sure enough, within the shop stood stacks upon stacks of rusted cages, a cacophony of animals within each.

"Just once I'd like for there to be a normal store on Nar Shaddaa."

[Jazen]

"Fear as we both well know is a powerful motivator. If they don't know who I am, they don't know what I'm capable of. And as we've proven over the years, the less one knows about whose coming for them, the harder it is to prepare. Hence why I keep..." he said before speaking the rest through the Force to Vance...my past as a Jedi and my abilities out of public eye, for the most part. Jazen gathered his helmet, nodded to the staff, who were some of the few who never flinched when he entered, and put it back atop his head. The filters in the helmet kicking to life to give him air that didn't stink like a bantha's butt.

You should get her the youngest they have then. It will bond more effectively that way. Ideally, getting one from a breeder when its young would be preferred, but I'm not sure if the shop does that. There might be more about, but it would take some digging. Normal pets are harder to find nowadays then exotics...at least on this planet. Let's just hope it takes to you...cats can be picky. The pets Lidah did own rarely bothered him, probably because he wasn't around as much as Vance, but they never outright avoided him either. Perhaps more of his Jedi aura remained then he thought.

And yet, she gets protection anyway. Otherwise you might be out of a job, no? Was he being funny? Maybe a little. His monotone voice over the helmet was great for deadpans like that. It was true though...Lidah was not someone to make an enemy of. Although some days, having her as an ally was just as dangerous.

Upon arrival, Jazen caught Vance's glance and shrugged. I never said it was /only/ a pet store. Some businesses have other means of income. Although it does make me wonder what they do with the bigger pets. Jazen glanced about, taking in the area around him. It was pretty quiet, not many people mulling about his area. Both good and bad. Could be this area simply didn't get much traffic till certain times of day. Could be this was a gang's territory and most didn't want to venture into it. Heh. Let some gang or muggers try. They'd regret it.

"Then move to a more normal planet. Nar Shaddaa is a planet of vices. Normal fled this planet long ago. After you. I want to keep one eye behind us. "In case we have trouble waiting in the shadows.

[Fromikeable]

"I don't protect Lidah so much as her stuff." Looking up at the massive neon woman winking down at them from above, Vance put his hands on his hips. This place had some character, to say the least. The interior gave him a moment's pause, though. He could already hear the din of upset animals within, to say nothing of the distress that came out of the place through the Force. It wasn't a rare thing on Nar Shaddaa to find places with put-upon creatures, but it was always a little upsetting.

Steeling himself, Vance led the way in, the door clinking with a bell. A small cacophony of bird cries, growls, snarls, splashes, and squawks greeted them, all heralding a powerful smell. Coughing in surprised disgust, Vance made his way up to the counter, wiping his eyes. A single, young Aqualish woman sat on a rickety stool, her feet up on the counter, her back against the wall. Headphones covered her ears as her eyes glued to an old holoscreen, paying her too customers no heed.

When Vance realized that she probably couldn't hear them, he reached out and tapped her on the shoulder. The woman jumped, immediately darting a hand under the counter and producing a gun. Halfway through leveling it at him, she blinked, slumping in realization. The headphones finally came off as she put the gun back down.

"Damn near gave me a heartattack!" Sitting back into her stool, her eyes squinted a bit at the both of them, clearly trying to figure them out. They were, admittedly, an odd pair.

"What do you want?" Her squint tightened. "Wait a minute, I've seen you. You're the Exchange's damn Jedi, aren't you?"

"Basically." Vance shrugged, nodding.

The shopkeeper retained her tension, her squint suddenly far more appraising as she looked the two men down. Her hand rested atop the blaster, clearly expecting the worst. "What the hell do you want then?"

"A cat."

"What?"

"Y'know, tiny mammal, sharp claws, fur, four-legged, lives ab-"

"I know what a cat is." Finally relaxing back into her chair, the Aqualish woman gave an exasperated sigh as she pointed with a thumb toward one of the doors. "Mammals are back there. Don't kill anything with your weird fuckin'.... 'mind control' or whatever it is."

Vance just gave her a nod, making his way thence. Navigating the shop proved difficult; it was nothing but peeling walls, a leaky roof, borderline dirt floors, and rusted cages of every shape and size stacked haphazardly in every direction. Walking between them proved to be an adventure with every step. Some sported skittish creatures that would try to flee as anyone neared, rattling their cages with the effort. Others sported braver animals that would charge and howl, producing much the same effect. Still others sported creatures in between, some giving unnerving stares, others downright unfazed by the ruckus about them.

All of them looked dirty, skinny, and in the worst of cases, mangy. Vance tried not to think about it, finally locating the cage in question. Within lay a large female cat with orange fur, the look in her eyes downright murderous as Vance peeked in. At her stomach lay a litter of kittens, four in total, all competing voraciously for her bosom. Neither they nor their mother looked healthy, their ribs showing, their coats patchy and thin.

At the front of the cage, three kittens lay still and dormant. Vance didn't need to check their presences to see that they hadn't made it. He couldn't help but murmur a silent curse.

"Fuck this place."

[Jazen]

"True. Good thing she's not a hoarder if you'd have a nightmare of a time making sure you didn't lose anything.
Jazen had never actually been in the shop but one look inside told him a lot. As did the look on Vance's face and he was suddenly glad he was wearing his helmet, with its air scrubbers fully online. The place was a mess. If Nar Shaddaa had anything like an animal services, this place would have been lit up like a tree with all the violations that were in plain sight. And those were the ones in plain sight. There were few things that actually made Jazen angry lately, but seeing all these animals in these deporable conditions were one of them.

While Vance made his way to the counter where an Aqualish girl was slacking off, Jazen calmly reached into the Force and touched each creature, one by one. He sent them comfort, warmth, that they should be at ease. It wasn't his best skill, but he managed to get a fair amount of them to calm down. He casually was noting inside his head how many animals in here were in poor health and how many likely could be saved with some attention. Less then he hoped, but more than he thought.

At the sight of the blaster, Jazen's hand went quickly to his own, ready to draw it if needed. Luckily, the woman wasn't stupid enough to fire; she'd have been suffering some pain of her own if she had done that.

As the exchange went down and passed, Jazen moved to follow Vance before stopping for a second before the woman. He turned that dark helmet of his towards her, staring at her through its emotionless T-visor, tell he felt her start to squirm. "These animals need attention and care. You are going to tend to them, right now. Because when we return from the back, if I don't see the effort out of you, your going to wish you were safely in a cage yourself. Understand? He waited till she nodded, then waited till she confirmed it with words and scrambled to her feet to get to it, before trodding off after Vance.

It didn't take long to catch up to him, or see what he had found. Jazen felt his form slump a little as the sight of the fallen kittens. "I agree. I'm tempted to hang the owner by that sign out front." He looked around, considering. "Perhaps I should teach her a lesson in how it feels to be treated like unwanted waste. Regardless...with some care, both these cats and this place could be fully functional again. It may not be ideal but...if we don't go anywhere else, I would say we take all of these cats, mother and kittens all. They clearly still need her for a bit longer and we could bring their health up. Lidah would likely enjoy nursing them to full health honestly."

He glanced to Vance as he heard the lady up front clearly rushing around to do as he "asked". "Thoughts?"

[Fromikeable]

Vance was quiet as he listened, his hands coming up to his face, digits pressed together. On the one hand, this was typical Nar Shaddaa. There were a million pet shops just like this one with rusty cages, little food, inhumane handling, and so on. There wasn't a standard to hold them to. There wasn't an authority to hold them to it. There wasn't a way to determine where that authority needed to go.

There were just assholes that saw animals as a business, only worthwhile if they could be sold for something.

On the other hand, Vance couldn't just dismiss this out of hand. Situations like these, where it was immeasurably easier to just walk away and forget anything had happened, had dominated Vance's time with the Sith. He'd had to choose between lying to Locke and turning himself in or ensuring his and Novus's getaway. He'd had to choose between igniting his saber to stop Master Caellum or watching Novus die to the most savage Jedi he'd ever seen. He'd had to choose between trying to being electrocuted as he'd tried to scramble onto the Jedi's shuttle on Taris or face the everlasting knowledge that he'd returned to the Sith intentionally.

If his record was any indication, Vance had a propensity for choosing to get his ass kicked, figuratively or literally. He decided that today would be no different.

Standing with a purpose, he walked briskly back to the store owner. Taking out his wallet and slamming it down on her front desk, she jumped, stopping dead in her tracks as she was donning gloves, a bucket of what was probably supposed to be "food" beside her.

"Prophets on a plasma cutter!" Clutching at her chest, the Aqualish woman immediately stomped her foot. "NOW what do you want?"

"I'm buying your store."

"... what?"

Taking a credit chit out of his wallet, Vance fiddled with a small holopad for a second before offering it up. "Here's ten thousand credits. Get out and don't come back."

"Te... ten thousand?" Despite her bewilderment, the owner found it in her power to muster a scoff. "This place is worth twenty thousand at leas-"

With a flick of his hand, Vance called the Force to tug on her gloves. They came flying off into his, followed by the bucket of food. "I'm not really asking." Nodding at Jazen, he made the statement clear. He had superpowers. As far as she knew, his friend had Mandalorian armor. This wasn't a negotiation.

"Ten thousand. Take it or leave it."

The Aqualish woman seemed to freeze for a moment, her eyes rapidly dancing between them as she thought. For a second, her hand rested on her blaster again, clearly considering what might happen if she wasn't willing to go. However, as she took a quick glance around the store, her thinking seemed to change immediately. Leaping forward, she swiped the credit chip as fast as she could. Running out the front door, she could only be heard shouting one thing as she ripped off her apron.

"Fuck this place, you can have it!"

Sighing lightly in relief, Vance pocketed his wallet. "Grab those kittens and their mother. I need to make a few calls." He suddenly had to set up the Exchange's newest asset. Maybe it'd be a front, maybe it'd be a safehouse, maybe both, or maybe neither. None of that mattered to Vance at the moment.

He just wanted it to be a good pet shop.

[Jazen]

One look at Vance, his fingers steeped together in thought and Jazen had a bit of a clue as to what the other former Jedi was thinking. There was determination in that face, a little bit of anger and an indecision dancing on the outskirts of his eyes. But those eyes were looking right at the mother and her kittens and he felt the shift in the Force when Vance steeled his resolve.

Jazen had been working with Vance, albeit in limited samples, for the last five years. He could tell at times what the play was and as Vance turned heel and headed for the front, Jazen caught on enough to play a simple part, the part he often had to play. To his amusement when they returned to the front of the shop, the owner was scrambling to get prepared to take care of the animals, like Jazen had /suggested/. Amazing what a little motivation could do for a person.

Buying the whole shop wasn't what Jazen had entirely in mind, but when the woman looked to him as if she was unsure if Vance was serious or not, all she got was a cold, empty stare from that T-Visor of his...and the sight of his hand very, very close to the holstered blaster at his side. Clearly she had no love for these animals, but losing a source of profit was at hand. He saw the debate, saw her study the chit...and then she was decided. As she passed, there was a mutter into her ear, compelled by the Force. Just a simple powerful suggestion to take care of animals better in her future.

"I admit, its going to be enjoyable to see how you explain that one to everyone. Lidah, I believe, will understand at least." He walked around the counter and accessed the computer, pretty easy all things considered. She clearly didn't put much stock in security; that said..."Lazy as she might have been, she's got good records. She actually has a proper stock count of everything in the shop, prices for things sold, where she gets supplies...ah, and two employees she put on "leave" to save money. They look to be in good condition, as far as employees go. I believe we can continue to employ them, if they so wish. Uploading them for later to put into the database back at home."

Leaving Vance to his calls, Jazen retreated into the back of the shop for about a minute. When he returned, the had the whole set in a carrier, with food and water inside, which the mother was furious devouring as her kittens waited their turn. "Hungry buggers. It'll take a bit to get them up to proper health...we should get a vet on call to come look at them, at all of these animals and direct us the best way to nurse them back to health."

[Fromikeable]

”Explain to who?” Grinning a little, Vance began to dial his call, shaking his head. He didn’t typically like throwing his weight around, but the fact of the matter was that he was the head enforcer of one of the largest criminal syndicates in the galaxy. His boss, and he only had the one, was the same woman that had put up with him and his nonsense for just about a decade by this point, and even on their worst days, when their heads butted together like opposing superfreighters, they never even tried to insinuate that they were irreconcilable.

Vance had his reasons, to be sure, but anyone that didn’t like him telling a bonafide animal abuser to get out or die could kiss his ass. No explanation required.

As his comm finally finished its encryption and established its call, Vance raised it to his ear, his free hand resting on his hip. ”Hey doc, it’s Thel.”

”Hey slick. What do you need today?”

”Could use a house call over in Yenitz Plaza, number 5290.” Leaning down to look into a cage containing large geckos, Vance inspected the sores across their backs. ”It’s no emergency, just need them down here by the end of the day.”

”No tests then?”

”Nah, just a check-up..”

”Nice, we could use a slow day. I’ll send out our chief nurse. You can see her new dog pins”

”Thanks man. That reminds me though, also send someone to check on the pets?”

”... pets?”

”The new place has a lot of them.” Shuffling over to a smaller cage, Vance poked a finger in toward the poor puppy it contained. Initially fearful, the small mammal yielded immediately when the finger proved gentle, leaning into it almost desperately. ”It’s practically a pet store.”

”Ah. We can tap somebody for that, sure.” The sound of Hertz shuffling around his desk on the other line became apparent as the man clearly got to work. ”Anything else?”

”Nope. See you soon.” After a returned farewell from Hertz, Vance’s comm was pocketed it once more, his finger giving the poor canine a few extra doses of love before he stood. As Jazen returned, Vance peeked into the carrier, inspecting the feline family within with a degree of adoration.

”I can get somebody to swing by the Eye later. In the meantime, we can feed them more there.” Rolling his shoulders, Vance took a final look around. Without the former owner at the desk watching the holos, the pet shop really did look like it had been abandoned ages ago. Hertz’s team would no doubt be here within the hour, but even then, it almost felt inhumane to leave the shop.

Summoning the keys from the front desk to his hand, Vance jingled them and sighed. ”Let’s head back. If I look at this place for another minute, I might have to go find that woman and swap her money for something else.” Judging by the way his knuckles flexed as he opened the front door, the way his presence gave a last flicker of outrage, he wasn’t talking about cartel coins.

[Jazen]

"Probably the guys who have to clean up the mess at least. And the one's who run the books. But I'm sure you've already worked that all out." He said with a simple shrug before going back to studying the system logs. He printed out data flimsies of all the animals on file and while Vance was on his call, was mentally checking off the animals he could see in accordance with the data on hand. Shockingly, it was up to date; the woman may not have been caring for them very well, but she sure was making sure she knew exactly what she had in stock. Too bad she hadn't put that kind of effort into maintaining the shop. Otherwise this might have gone differently.

By the time he had done all that and returned with the cats, Vance clearly was ready to leave. "Sure. But that means your carrying the food." He said, indicating the food stuff on the wall behind him. Casually, Jazen tapped into the Force and made sure food for each animal made its way into their cages, as he had done in the back while Vance was making preparations. No point leaving them unattended without giving them at least some of the basic requirements.

"Come look at it tomorrow. By then, I'm sure, it will have vastly improved." He said as they stepped back outside. They hadn't gone a few feet when Jazen pulled out his blaster, turned back and blasted the horrid sign that hung above it, one two three, leaving it sparking, fried and otherwise no longer showing the failed image that had nothing to do with pets. Holstering, he turned back to Vance with a shrug. "Didn't let me shoot her in the leg, so I shot something else to vent instead. COme on...these guys are going to be starving, that's for sure. Lead on."

[Fromikeable]

"Hertz is sending the Jolly Janitors and probably some of the animal care staff. We'll get it sorted before the day was out." Setting up businesses had become old hat for Vance by this point. Hertz had honestly taught him most of what he knew; secure the location, clear it of threats, determine what was going and what was staying, clean out, move on, and voila. Of course, summarized like that, the process sounded easy, when in all reality it was usually a matter of weeks. Each location came with its own challenges. This place, for instance, would be hard to hire for.

The future employees would need to be screened to avoid any more assholes.

Summoning the rest of the food to his hand, Vance couldn't help but chuckle a little at Jazen doing the same. He would have commented on the man's liberal use of the Force to do the mundane, but he could already hear the disagreement it would spark. Still, he couldn't help exiting the building with an amused smile, latching onto the feeling to let his annoyance at the shop's state subside. Jedi lessons aside about not using the Force for wasteful purposes, what would Jazen's Mandalorian counterparts say, seeing him wave his hands instead of using them?

Well, there was the armor too, but... oh forget it.

Wincing as sparks rained from above, Vance looked up at the neon shop sign to see three new shot marks ruining most of the imagery. As bad of a sign as it had been, he still raised a finger, about to lightly scold his companion for setting off gunfire merely out of annoyance. His speech was stayed as he read the shop's name, a few letters now missing:

No tur Eye

Pondering it for a second, Vance hummed. "Notoriety." Snapping his fingers, he pointed up idly. "The Notorious Naga Pet And Supply. Not bad." Waving toward the street, Vance began to lead the way down. The crowds about them were hardly bothered by the gunshots, moving with little regard for the now-broken signage they left behind.

"If shooting people stops working out for you, maybe you've got a future in marketing."

[Jazen]

"And this is why I leave you to handle the business side of things. I don't have the patience or mind for it. I'm better off being the man who does all the dirty wet work." Jazen said matter of fact as they exited the shop. It was true though; Jazen was quick thinking, great at improvising in the heat of the moment. But long term stuff like Vance had just done? That wasn't his forte at all. His Forte was battle and solving problems. And the occasional negotiation. Sure, a day was probably just grand standing, but the basics would be handled today and the long term plan dealt with in short order for sure.

You cannot screen for an asshole. Sometimes a person just becomes one. Case in point.

Mundane for sure, but it saved time to feed all of the animals, as opposed to doing it by hand. Some of them were aggressive as well, from the mistreatment and it saved him from having to deal with the animals in such a state. Once fed, they might calm down, at least for the other crew to properly tend to them. Better to be safe then sorry. Besides...they weren't really Jedi anymore, were they? He could be forgiven for stretching his Force muscles here and there, like practice to make sure it didn't atrophy. Again, he cared little for what a real Mandalorian would say; they would never truly accept him, not a chance. And his armor, again, had been earned.

Jazen hadn't been shooting it out of annoyance; he had seen the sign of the woman as distasteful and not accurate for what the store was. So he removed it as quick as possible. Sure, it vented some steam at the indecency of it all, but it was also for function. And, it seemed, the Force had a way of making it stand out for another reason with the new name. He snorted inside his helmet at Vance's name for the place and his ribbing.

"Quite a mouthful. I hope they charge by the letter." He gave a shrug as he followed the man, the cats inside quiet as they were exposed to new smells and sounds, Jazen sending calming waves towards them to keep them from freaking out too much. "And if being a smartass ever gets boring for you, I'm sure you'd have a great future in pet care. Back to the Eye then?" He asked casually as his eyes continued to scan the crowd.

Never could be too careful here really. After all...lots of people would love to take out two pieces of the Eye's inner circle. And some of them really weren't too bright about it either.

[Fromikeable]

Smartass? A fair jab, Vance supposed; he got by day-to-day on a healthy dose of sarcasm. Still, he'd meant "shooting people" in jest, not insult. Even if he didn't understand Jazen's aversion to using his lightsaber, he would at least respect it. He could even empathize with the awkwardness of it, to use a blade constructed under the ideals of peace and compassion to do the dirty work of a crime syndicate.

He could sleep with that knowledge. Maybe Jazen couldn't, thus the blasters.

"Y'know, I don't get us. I don't get this weird relationship we've fallen into." Beginning them along their trip back home, Vance stuck a hand in his pocket, adjusting his grip on their food as he shrugged.

"I mean, I get it, sure. We met each other on opposing sides of a war. But that was almost a decade ago." Vance could remember his first meeting with Jazen vividly. That night at that dinner, the moment he'd blown his and Novus's cover, had been defining. It had been the first time he'd been forced to confront his situation, his actions, himself, and in front of Locke no less. His tension with Jazen then had been simple; the padawan had been suspicious, and the apprentice had been panicking.

"We were both raised in the same place. We both have the same job. We've both had to make our peace with the fact that for all the ideals we were raised on, a good chunk of them were either bullshit or impractical." Smiling a little, he offered up a hand in concession. "Maybe that's just the 'evil' in me talking though." Vance hadn't agreed with most of the Sith Order's mantra, but he had to give them one thing. For all the talk of the Jedi about maintaining peace, they were a walking paradox. If they chose to stay out of the fight, madmen like the Sith rose to power and exacted heavy tolls upon the galaxy. If they chose to ignite their blades and sally forth, Jedi like Levin appeared, becoming the very superpowered murderous plague they swore to fight.

They were pacifists that had to keep a martial peace. It was an odd concept that Vance had never quite come to understand.

"Point being, how the hell did we wind up like this, you in that armor, me cutting Hutt thugs in half with a lightsaber, the both of us giving the other side-eye and snark at every turn?" Finally looking at Jazen dead-on, Vance slowed his pace as they walked, his tone honest. He hoped Jazen wouldn't try to say that there wasn't any tension between them, that he didn't try to brush it off. It would never go away unless they talked about it.

"It's not because of our boss. It's not because of our friend. It's not because of the war. It's definitely not because of either of the mantras we've heard." As someone who had been in both Orders, he could say that last bit with confidence.

"Maybe it's just because of us. Just you and me being some grade-A fuck-up rejects and trying to deal with that fact in different ways." He offered a small smile.

[Jazen]

Vance got by on sarcasm, while Jazen was a mute most days, unless something needed to be said or a proper word needed to be added. Jazen was no slouch when it came to sarcasm himself, but these days, stoic was a better approach for him. And menacing for sure. It wasn't an aversion per say, but a combination of two factors. One had been Locke. He had always told Jazen learning a blaster could be handy and the apprentice had always shrugged it off, the lightsaber being the symbol and tool he needed in a fight. But after his betrayal, his casting out...suddenly that tool just didn't feel right. But just as important was keeping his true identity a secret in a way; nothing surprised an enemy more then a foe they did not expect to wield a saber suddenly not only using one, but using it /well/. That could be the difference in a life or death fight out here in the Fringe.

And there was plenty of things that liked to take that chance.

"If this is the prelude to you asking me out, I'm going to shoot you right now." He half joked, before he sensed the intensity behind the words. Okay, so this was going to be serious. Alright.

Jazen kept half a mind to Vance, the rest to their surroundings. One never let their guard down here, ever. Those that did, never did last long. But he heard every word Vance shared and thought about them in turn, running them through his mind, listening and evaluating it all. The memory of that night was meshed in with plenty in between, but Jazen remembered enough to know what an odd turn of events it had been.

"I never thought the ideals the Jedi preached were bullshit. Impractical a bit for sure, but bullshit? Not quite. Its hard for any force designed for peace to avoid the problems the Jedi have. How do you not go too far in your duties, how do you not fall into the same thinking or direction of your enemies? But you are right in that they contradict themselves. You say the Order fights for its own, yet here I am, a cast out because someone not of our Order turned the people against us? I'm not saying their above the people, but an outsider shouldn't have had such influence on the affairs of the Order. Otherwise, are they not just an extension of it?"

He shook his head and glanced at a pair of would be thief's in a nearby alley. His helmet held their gaze for a second and they flinched, retreating into the shadows. Not a mark, not prey.

"The whole galaxy is a mess of lawless and those who try to handle them. They do what they can." He said with a half snort. "I am in this armor because this is who I could have been, would have been, had fate not twisted a knife in my destiny. My parents would not be dead, I would not have been taken in by the Order and then I really would have been raised different. But to answer your question...we are here because we are. Dumb, sure. But its not like we can control every outcome that directs us. As for the side eye...well...at least we don't hate one another. We just grind each others gears...maybe it makes us better for it. We watch one another, question one another and it makes us adapt to be better then the others jabs."

He snorted again and listened to the life of a planet seeped in deceit and chaos. "Please. I'm a Grade A reject...your B at best." But there was no venom or malice behind the statement. Just another friendly jab they seemed to share. "Its gotten quiet." He added.

Not really quiet, not on a planet like this. But it was suddenly very devoid of people sounds. It was like walking into a ghost street. "I think we may have to preach some ideals in a moment."

[Fromikeable]

Listening with the cat carrier tucked snugly to his chest, Vance held his tongue, invested as the answer came out word by word. What he got was a bit more philosophical than he'd hoped for, but it was an answer. Jazen pinned their lives on the ethereal world of chance; the Force, the unseen, whatever one wished to call it. They were leaves in the wind, their positions only determined by the random gush or steady breeze. Both of them had suffered the gales of war, and had only just happened to lingered here, in this place and in this moment, until the next gust came along.

Vance wasn't sure he bought that. Even if the Force was seemingly random, he still had the agency to get up every morning and make decisions, no matter how small.

About to say as much, Vance was cut off by Jazen's declaration of their company. Sighing heavily, Vance stopped in his tracks, turning half around to see the empty street, the literal winds of the moon their only company. It only took a few seconds for a Human man to appear from an alley, pipe in hand, bouncing it off his palm like a bat. Another second brought out a Duro woman from behind a stall, taser at the ready. With every few passing seconds, they kept appearing, until a gang of a dozen or so thugs took ranks in the street.

Vance patted the cat carrier as one of the kittens within mewed, more concerned with them than these people. As they drew near, he rolled his eyes. "Can we help you?"

"Sure. Just put a call in to your friends at the casino, Mr. Lightsaberman." Grinning, the Human man at the forefront rolled his shoulders. "Tell them to be ready to pay us twenty million credits if they want you back in one piece."

"No, but seriously."

"... I just said-"

"Yeah yeah." Sighing with annoyance, Vance popped his comm out of his pocket. Hitting the top contact, he tapped his foot impatiently as it gave him a ringing tone, a dulcet voice finally picking up.

"Mr. Arkandri! How can we help you today?"

"Need a house call. We're in..." Muttering a curse, he craned his neck for a moment, ignoring the gang in a search for a road sign. Finding nothing, he wrestled with the carrier and comm for a moment, managing to hit a button on it. "Well, I don't know exactly, but we're here in Ge'ogville. Just sent you the location."

"I see! One moment." A ping rang through the comm call as the location was delivered. "What sort of house call did you need?"

"Oh, nothing fancy." Eyeing the gang as they crept closer, Vance smiled a little. "Is anyone local?"

"Let's see... we do happen to have a doctor out that way right now. Let me add you to their list." Off in the distance, a few people could be seen lining a rooftop. The definite glints of rifles could be made out as they rushed to its edge, their scopes training.

"Thanks Love."

"My pleasure! Anything else?"

"Nah, enjoy your weekend."

"I'll be sure to. Goodbye Mr. Arkandri!" The comm line went dead just as a shot rang out, the high caliber of a sniper rifle ringing like thunder. On cue, a single, thin blaster bolt came whizzing down the street, slamming into the lead human's arm.

"What the fuck!"

"This one's all yours, Forte buddy." The gangleader rolled on the street, holding his forearm and swearing at the top of his lungs. As the gang threatened to either fight or flee, Vance was already turning around, the Exchange snipers far off down the road radioing them both to let them know that they had their shots lined up.

"I'm gettin' these little guys home." Reaching a finger into the cage to pet a mewling kitten, Vance resumed a leisurely pace.