a good fight

arden hass // death trooper ... dell aruzo // bounty hunter

[wcrbounds]

zenithcastor​:

bounty hunters were like a smuggler’s natural enemy, or a good ally if they came to an agreement. zenith had yet to have a good relationship with any of them, but this upcoming meeting seemed promising. it was rare that a bounty hunter knew of a smuggler and didn’t bring them in on the spot, but zen knew she could deliver. they could be equally beneficial for each other - - she points out names and he pays. maybe by the end of a few jobs, she’d be able to leave all this behind for good. taking a seat on the isolated bench beside him, she looked ahead at the darkened skies of coruscant. ❝ i just want to hear the deal… ❞

@wcrbounds​

Aruzo knew what he was doing. This girl was smarter than she looked too, so he figured that he would have no issue drawing up an equally beneficial agreement with her. He was offer her protection from himself and supply her with names previous captures whose markets she could take, and she would give him more names to ensnare. Credits in both of their pockets. He took the seat across from her, a grin stretching on his lips at her look of worry. “Eager, are you? Calm down, kid. It’ll be over and done soon enough.” He waved down the bartender to give him his usual. “So, how many of these syndicate members do you know?” 

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happybeepsbuddy​:

“oh, i’m not sure i’m the defensive one. you’re the one still hanging out,” poe could n’t lie he was getting… a little worried. he had his blaster but.. reaching towards it would only cause more suspicions. he wondered if the contact had tipped someone off– which was.. just great. “not that it’s any of your business, but i was taking a break out here.”

a smuggler maybe? that would give the other a reason to be waiting on the street like this. and with the spice issue in certain areas of the city, arden wouldn’t be surprised. maybe he should take a page from the rebel’s book though and try to be more covert about this. he’d heard storied of how they would try to befriend for information, but it wasn’t his forte. “no matter. you’re not waiting for a dealer, are you?” 

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lkskywalker​:

luke shrugs in a non-committal way. “our parents aren’t around, it’s just her and me. look, if i could have gone to the shin-dig, i would have– it would’ve been a big improvement over watching leigh vomit every three hours. have you ever tried a volscaggen pint? they are not pretty coming back up.” previous experience with them brings memories back up to the surface for luke, very real, very disgusting memories of them back on mimbum, which shades him in a very physical tint of vaguely green. he lifts his hands in the air in surrender as he sees the other tighten up, his shoulders hunching. “hey it was a joke!” he sighs and rolls his eyes. “alright, i can tell you’re taking this all very seriously, but you don’t look like a stormtrooper and you won’t tell me who you are. i mean, for all i know, you’re just some creep who came up to me in the street and started asking me personal questions. do you got some identification?” his eyebrows shoot up, genuinely surprised now. “federal crime? for not going to the event? are you serious?”

he was talking too much. the kid, he meant. eyes squinted just slightly at the overly telling story of his about his sick sister and aruzo almost wanted tot ell him to stop completely before the guy could tell him anything more. “i’ve not,” he replied cooly, arms crossed over his chest. usually the ones that babbled on like this were the liars who tried to overcompensate, but aruza was willing to be amused today. it’d be all the better once he brought the guy to the prison if he spilled enough. “federal crime for what was committed at the event. doesn’t sound like you have such a strong case for where you were.” the bounty hunter was comfortable with not telling him who he was. in fact, aruzo preferred it. 

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sclitude​:

kuruk shrugs his shoulders half-heartedly at the comment. he’s sure there’s plenty to say about it, about people’s stubbornness, their hopeless fight for pointless things, but that’s not his place or his problem. he’s loyal, and he’s dedicated, and that’s what matters, arden can take his silence as he sees fit. “there’s only so many places to hide. i’m sure we’ll find them.” his gaze drifts over to the man, considering the question for a moment. the knights have.. a specific cause. most of what they do is by force, at their master’s order. this so-called truce limits what they can do, and being trapped in the city is frustrating for someone who likes to spent as much time as he can in the cockpit of their ship. “depends on what you mean by barren. we’re doing our job to the best of our abilities right now.” without starting a fight, at least.

neither of them needed to start anything at the moment. arden had more than enough of his fair share of fights among his own officers and adding a knight on top of that wouldn’t ease his mind. there was still a stark difference between those in the first order ranks and those who identified as a knight of ren. in arden’s head, the group was intriguing. their leadership was one point that really interested him as well, but now was not the time to ask. “i’m sure you are,” he responded, a small nod accompanying his words. he couldn’t fault them, at least they were helping. it could be worse. they could be overran by rebels. “i’m waiting for the smallest approval for us to utilize more force, but that has yet to come. it is like the authorities are somewhat helping those things hide.”

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happybeepsbuddy​:

poe was starting to get a bad feeling about what this person wanted from him. putting a hand on his hip, he lifted an eyebrow at the person approaching. “is it really any of your business? i’m out, its a cantina, nothing wrong with that?” he commented. “you’re also here. maybe i was supposed to be meeting with you.”

he scoffed, head tilting just slightly and stance broadening by sheer reflex of his reply. he wanted to say how unlikely it was for people to be out so late at a time like this, but arden knew the stranger was right. it was getting more difficult to pick out an excuse to bring this man in. it wasn’t like it was illegal to go out. “i am certainly not the one you are to be meeting. but you are meeting someone?” digging was his job. arden was just too tired from the day to be more aggressive. “defensive, aren’t you?”

[wcrbounds]

believedgood​

because of how charged tensions in the room were –– between sides, opposing politicians, and the general tension that any situation so dependent on credits could create –– it was important for her to do something like this. despite her allegiance to the resistance, padmé knew that it was detrimental to be open about it. she needed to mix and mingle with all crowds, all walks of life. “i’m from naboo,” she answered with a bit of pride. “i’m not from this time, originally, but… there’s still a lot that i need to do for my people.”

he nodded, a slim smile on his face as he was just reminded of how some people weren’t from this time. it was a weird thing for him to think about, but it was possible nevertheless. thinking about how some people might not have the same insights or knowledge as the rest of the people of coruscant almost made the bounty hunter sympathetic. then again, he was getting work by the first order to find names within the resistance now. them coming back was just aiding his work load and wallet. “and just how do you expect to do that while you are neither in your planet or your own time?” maybe he was prying too much, but insight was nice. it allowed him to learn how these people thought. 

[wcrbounds]

believedgood​:

𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 was not intended to be a political event given it was a show of technological innovation more than it was anything else, politics had still made itself known with the thick crowd.  the senators, after all, had appearances to keep up even if most were here for the drinks and flattery.  impressions were meant to be kept up and she was no different in that regard, though her reputation was brazen, so it was easy to maintain when she did not have to fake her way through it.  ❝ you get used to walking it, ❞ she suggested with a shrug of her shoulder, her smile more charming.  ❝ just wine for me. ❞

she was alarmingly well spoken and entrancing, but aruzo assumed most politicians in her position needed to be such a thing. some won their seats from fear, others not. it wasn’t his place to judge either, he simply observed. he nodded at her answer and was soon stepping aside for a few moments to get two glasses of wine. upon delivering hers, he took a sip of his own glass. he would have liked to be in the comfort of his own home with a drink instead of keeping up formalities here, but it wasn’t the worst. at least the liquor was free. “and are you a representative or coruscant or elsewhere?” 

[wcrbounds]

happybeepsbuddy​:

poe had been waiting for a contact to show up with intelligence about the first order’s plans following everything going on. or at least… that’s what he was supposed to be doing. it was certainly beginning to look like he wouldn’t be showing up any time soon. letting out a breath he paused, seeing someone new out of the corner of his eye. it was late and no one was around. best place it seemed to shoot someone unsuspecting. turning to face the voice, hr paused some, “taking a break from the scene inside the cantina. don’t recommend you check it out.”

by now, he was suspicious of everyone. it was his job to be for the most part, and the death trooper wanted to be sure that he had done a thorough comb through of faces he hasn’t seen around before. arden was sure he didn’t see this man around the first order base too. likely a civilian, but there was a chance that he was a rebel too. he looked over to the cantina before back to poe, an eyebrow raised in suspicion though he seemed so casual. “been out long tonight? waiting for someone?” it was the only logical answer as to why he would be out alone so late. 

[wcrbounds]

argodrays​:

@wcrbounds​

       neutrality didn’t really exist anymore. not in this state at least. with each passing day, argo felt the need to pick a side just like how bo was slowly but surely turning to the resistance. knowing a mandalorian who was slipping towards the resistance was a temptation in itself since she would prefer to stay with those who were familiar, and yet the first order was interesting. while argo may not have agreed with all of their beliefs, they were powerful and forceful. the sheer power behind their ranks was something to awe at. her run in with a certain sith apprentice did throw her for a loop though. the way that the woman could be so cold was both impressive and unnerving. regardless, argo was certain that she couldn’t have a worse interaction. her allegiance was neither here nor there for the time being, so argo was able to speak to both sides which was useful in her information gathering. dell aruzo was one she’d had her sights on since those bounty hunters must have seen some things. 

       they’d met before; though very briefly. cordial enough to not bare teeth and display aggression, though still tense. seeing him in the streets wasn’t a worry though. “out in search of a bounty? if so, i’lll still be pestering you.” 

There was more work for Dell than ever before. The first order wanted people to go missing, and Aruzo was ace at making that happen. All he had to do was track down certain names, alert the others, and that was it. His pockets inflated as did his ego, and the entire ordeal basically secured a win for the first order. They were getting closer and closer to overcoming the resistance. Street activity was scarce now so his work was beginning to slow down. If they could only find their base, then he could secure the rest of those sympathizers. 

Aruzo turned to face the girl beside him and scoffed, though it was a lighthearted act. He’d seen her around before. A curious Mandalorian. Needless to say, there weren’t many of her kind here. He often wondered what use she would be if she worked for them. “You would have pestered me either way. Follow along if you must, just keep up,” Aruzo noted as he headed down an alley in order to take a short cut to the next street. “You are interested in this, aren’t you?” 

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sclitude​:

everyone’s on edge, after the disastrous event. which is no surprise, really - they all want answers, want to find the ones responsible and hold them accountable for their actions. even the death troopers are taking it seriously it seems, if arden’s questioning is anything to go by. kuruk considers the question for a moment. any intel anyone finds is passed onto the relevant ranks as needed. but.. arden’s one of the more resourceful troopers, sharing information with him isn’t the worst. that is, if there was anything to share. “no. we’ve not found anything, either.” he answers simply, and it’s true. for all of their searching, investigating, interrogating, the knights are yet to find anything credible to follow through on. “it seems they were more prepared to disappear this time. but we’ll find them.”

“i’d think that they’d have half a mind to realize their own demise by now,” he scoffed, glancing over to kuruk. the knights were useful. at least they weren’t on completely opposing ends, and kuruk in general was one of the less annoying ones in their group. he was a good one to talk to; always observant. still, there wasn’t much to share nowadays. streets had been quiet since the first round of interrogations. “all underground somewhere, i’d place money on that,” he nodded once, expression firm on his face. “and what’s been happening with your knights? has it been just as barren on your end?” 

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ofstcrdvst​:

she wished she just said no. it wasn’t as if she was nervous to do so, but this whole interaction would be a waste if jyn didn’t get something from it. following him to the quiet corner arden paused at, she allowed herself to take a small breather away from the bustle of sparkling interactions happening just a few feet over. events such as these were never things she completely understood - - but maybe that was because jyn was not in the position of a politician who needed these interactions to forward their careers. ❝ i would’ve expected you to be off trying to charm some sort of senator by now, you know, ❞ she half-joked. 

“and why is that?” he asked, a brow cocked in both curiosity and bemusement. “is that what i come across as? a flirt?” maybe this was working with jyn. or maybe she was simply trying to push him away. either way, this was at least something. the death trooper leaned his back against the nearest wall and studied her with those clear blue eyes that many found threatening. he couldn’t blame them. “you’re quite amusing, jyn. i am unsure if you mean to be, but speaking with you is far less dull than socializing with many others here.” compliments always softened others, right? he just had to get her alone in that bar with a few drinks and he was sure that the woman would spill. 

[wcrbounds]

believedgood​:

𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐬 𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬𝐧'𝐭 𝐬𝐨 𝐛𝐚𝐝, even if he had been a little gruff to start things off with the generalizations that padmé had taken quite personally.  she was unfortunately aware of the fact that many senators did not take the stance that she had, it had been the same back in her day, whether it was for money or the dark side.  ❝ i’ve been trying for years. ❞  of course, that wouldn’t mean that she would stop any time soon.  there were other good politicians out there that she had been able to trust, like bail and satine.  ❝ i do.  i’m not entirely uptight, just opinionated. ❞

he chuckled at her response. perhaps she wasn’t as uptight as he had originally thought, though he didn’t want to get into any more debates tonight. his opinion on politicians still stood. there were some that were truly for the people, but change was easier to accomplish when the whole of the senate wasn’t fighting with each other. aruzo had given up hope a while ago. not as if he particularly cared; he was in a good position with his job and lived comfortably. it was more the hypocrisy of senators that got to him. “fine line with those two, i’d say,” he grinned as he eyes the bar. “what do you drink?”

[wcrbounds]

lkskywalker​:

ah. this was going to be one of those conversations, huh? luke plasters a bland smile across his face, hiding his annoyance that every two-bit tin-head with a blaster has decided to come out of the woodwork to ask a bunch of strangers a bunch of useless questions about something they have no solid leads on. this used to happen a lot on tattooine. he wonders if his off-handed remark is going to mean a shadow for the next couple of days, which not only would be incredibly irritating, but would also paint the next couple of days of his life in boring shades of forced inconspicuousness, when he’s in the middle of trying to figure out the first order’s next move. “at home,” he answers, relaxed, casual, blunt. “my sister’s really sick, i have to take care of her.” he shrugs and then eyes the stranger from head to toe, a new kind of smile curling at the edges of his lips. “are you about to ask me my address next, too? are you trying to flirt with me?” that low, hard-laced tone? luke should take this more seriously, but he just can’t.

the smile was fake, though anyone with sight could see that. kriff, anyone with half a mind could. amusing nonetheless, but this wasn’t the time to think about the annoyances in the day to day of his career. and what a career it was; right now he was interrogating ever suspicious face on the street to see if something had enough substance to pursue. while this kid didn’t seem promising, those plain lies were digging him deeper. “at home?” he asks, words low while a suspecting brow quirked upwards. the excuse of every person in the city, yet this felt different. it was the attempted teasing that got under the hunter’s skin and made him want to find a real reason to take the boy into an interrogation room. brow fell at the attempted joke and arms folded across his chest. “i’ll take the address. and don’t act smart with me, you are being interrogated for a federal crime.” the stranger wasn’t exactly his type either per se. “what’s wrong with your sister then?”

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believedgood​:

𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐚 𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐫 𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭, one that padmé could not directly disagree with, as much as she hated it.  how corruption always managed to fester, she did not know or understand –– power was a part of her position naturally, but she did not lean into it so much as others did.  she leaned into doing what she could for her people, even when it stripped her power, often looked down upon by other senators for stepping out and speaking her voice so often.  ❝ i didn’t come from wealth.  but i’ve been in politics since i was a child.  i believe that should mean spending more time serving my people, not my own interests. ❞

“and so i am not attempting to disparage you, miss.” words were firm, not angered or frustrated. “unfortunately, not everyone in the senate is like yourself. not every politician holds such values, and most aren’t even familiar with the communities they promise to uphold.” shoulder shrugged, piercing moss gaze moving back towards the sparkling inventions before them. “i do congratulate you on such undertakings though. perhaps you could influence your peers.” an impossible job, but maybe it’d give the woman something could do. aruzo turned back to her, this time with a hint of a grin. “do you drink?” 

[wcrbounds]

ofstcrdvst​:

judging by the way that members of the first order approached him, the man had to be one of them. while she assumed him to be neutral, this was even better. he had to have known things and now jyn was only mere inches away from uncovering them… hopefully, at least. while his offer for another round of drinks at the cantina was slightly unsettling given the time of night, maybe this was her chance to get him to spill whatever was going on in his mind if he hadn’t caught on to her by now. ❝ a while longer… but your offer sounds tempting. if this all doesn’t completely exhaust me by the end of the night, then i suppose i’ll take you up on it. ❞

it was not a ‘no’, so arden took that as a good sign. judging by her body language, things weren’t just right yet. there was still a small level of tension that he wished to expel, though it wasn’t exactly his call. if she was uncomfortable, it was jyn’s own deal. the death trooper nodded. it wasn’t his normal way of going about things, yet this certain situation called for it. polite words, caution within talks; he had to take it slow if he wanted something from her. and if she wasn’t the gold mine he believed her to be, then what was one more woman who disappeared? “i’ll hold you to that,” he smiled, finally pausing once they were in a quieter corner of the floor. 

[wcrbounds]

ofstcrdvst​:

❝ at gathering such as these, yes, ❞ she explained - - wanting to kick herself at her slip of memory. the two had met over a drink, and while jyn could hold her liquor, tonight wasn’t the night for that. things seemed uneasy. there was something wrong about this all, but perhaps it was the mix of people from such polar ends of the war. still, she hadn’t quite pinpointed arden though. ❝ i’ll take that as a no on your end to a drink tonight as well then… have you spoken to many people here? ❞

“not tonight,” he repeated. “you’re quite the surprise, jyn,” he added. what other surprises could she possibly have in store for him? talking with her became slightly easier, though they weren’t to the level he would’ve liked. their walk was nice and allowed him to clear his head after so much chatter from those in attendance, but now she was a whole new mission to overcome. “tell me, do you suppose that you’ll stick around here for long? or could i interest you in another night at the cantina?” 

[wcrbounds]

ofstcrdvst​:

❝ not at all. ❞ such formal events in general were things she always stayed away from, but there were missions to uphold. jyn had a duty to herself and her beliefs, and this event could potentially open new doors.  ❝ though it’s good to see old friends… meet new people, ❞ jyn continued, hoping to blend in even partially at this point. while strolling around with him, she nodded towards the waiter with flutes of drinks on his platter. ❝ would you like anything? i don’t drink, but i wouldn’t mind if you did. ❞ correction: she wouldn’t drink right now, around him. she didn’t want to get confused if something happened. 

the woman didn’t seem like one to attend these things, but no harm in asking. while the two had spoken before, things remained slightly uncomfortable between them. then again, things usually were around everyone these days. you never knew who to trust or what you could say to individuals. jyn was a tough one to crack. perhaps in time, she would be useful. “don’t you?” he asked, a grin playing on his lips. “did you forget where we met?” arden teased with that grin of his bright on his lips. “new thing of yours? not drinking?”