A crappy morning indeed.

Janyo "Crispy" Orderone's first sight as he woke up from a comatic night was the cold and humid cement that paved the Nar Shadaa platform.He could feel the condensation forming upon his too oftenly broken nose.A trail of blood had coagulated upon his upper lip, a taste of horror assaulting his gustative buttons. He tried to move around a bit without success,his hands being solidly tied into his back.The iced barrel of a blaster rilfle had been thrusted into his soft neck skin, a good way of saying "dont get up".

Looking around from his prone position he managed to see a pair of shinny leather shoes slowly advancing towards him, kicking grub on his way.A cigarette fell and the right foot extenguished it, a trail of smoke expelling from the cushed paper.The owner of the shoes knelt and grabbe some of Janyo's hair in an iron grip. Pulling them with somewhat anger he palced his own face exactly in front of Janyo's.Blast...it was his his shylock.

"You're late for your last payment...", the shylock said with a small negligent lateral shake of his head,"seems like i was not clear enough last time."

He placed his hand upon Janyo's cheek and made a smile impregnated with false condescendance.

"I'm not a bad guy you know...in fact i rather like you Crispy but i am fed up with your lack of punctuality..."

He grabbed a pistol from his pocket.Clicking the safety off he thruted it hard into his interlocutor's nose and said:

"I'd really enjoy squeezing the trigger... but you owe me more then your miserable life will ever worth...if i dont see my money on by desk b monday i'm selling you to the hutts.I heard they find it...interesting to see humans suffer.Goodbye Crispy.

On these words he snaped his finger and rose to a standing position.The mercenary who held Janyo at bay followed and both flew off the platform into a small landspeeder, leaving Janyo alone in his most agreable situation.

The Shylock had been kinder then expected...the ropes were loose.Janyo rose to his feet and made a few steps to slowly regain his equilibrium.He crouched next to a water-filled hole and washed the blood away from his upper lip, his hands turning to a light crimson taint.He finally looked around to get an idea of his location...he had been living on Nar shadaa for years but he had never seen that sector.He had been too busy with his quick get rich schemes.Rain had begun to fall around him,the durasteel viaduc above his head being the only thing keeping him dry.He resigned himself to walk trough the falling water and begun to search for a taxi or anything that would get him out of here.

Walking proved to be hard at first, Janyo's muscle had been kept in the same postion for several hours and they now ached as if needles pierced every centimeter of flesh. As his fibers warmed up he begun to focus less on his pain and more on his toughts. How had he ended up here? Of course the cause was his loan he hadn't repaid it seemed but how had he been dragged here and placed into that precair situation?What options did he still have? So many questions that rushed inside his head in a circumventing circle...

Ah...a lone speeder crossing the sector, obviously lost...

The small hovering craft sped down as it approached our soaked hero.A rodian exited the closed cockpit and made his way to meet the poor man under the rain.It had intensified since a few minutes, the water falling hard on the cement platform.The driver had palced the collar of his coat over his head to keep it as dry as possible. He stared at Janyo who was standing alone, the water falling massing around him in a somewhat pond.

"What is one like you doing around here?" the driver asked anxiously "One with clothes like that should be living at the top of a massive skyscrapper.Ah what the hell, i need some directions.I'm Kurt by the way what do they call you?"

"Directions to where exactly?"Janyo asked, ignoring the previous question of his interlocutor.The rodian blinked,visibly offensed by that lack of politeness.

"Some bar in the duros sector, the Rancor's desire."Kurt finally said after an instant.Janyo smilled.That bar had the reputation to be an illicit zone where lonely singles could go and enjoy half-naked twi'leks.A wonderful opportunity to kill two birsds with a stone.

"Dont be fooled by the reputation man, its not worth the shot."Janyo said with a friendly tap on the rodian's shoulder"I know some better place trust me.I can give you directions to there at least."

Kurt seemed to reflect for an instant on the matter.He glared at Janyo and finally emmited a grunt.

"It really isnt that good?" he asked, doubtful.

Janyo nodded.

"I guess i could give it a try then...i can trust you right?"

Janyo held the rodian's glare.

"Of course...."

"Land over there." Janyo said, pointing at a landing platform trough the windshield.

"That looks like a junk yard..." Kurt said, directing the small speeder towards the pad."Are you sure this is the good spot?"

"Why yes of course..."Janyo replied with a smile.Whispering to himself he added:

"for me at least..."

As soon as Kurt had exited the driver seat Janyo slowly approached him.When eh was close enough he grabbed the insect like face of his "friend" and smashed it over the speeder's hood.A trail of blood expelled from the mouth of the unconscious rodian.Luckilly,that one had been really naive.Reaching for the small building Janyo knocked three times.Footsteps were heard trough the metal of the door, closing in to greet the visitor.A man opened, an unshaved three days beard on his neck.

"Can i help ya?"he asked with a strong accent, probably correlian.

"Yeah i have parts to sell...that speeder over there"Janyo said,indicating the classy airspeeder.The correlian man emitted a grunt of satisfaction, scratching his beard.

"And that..."Janyo continued, pointing at the rodian laying on the ground."Dunno if its worth much on the slave market..."

The man owning the store tought for a moment,staring at the two objects with avide eyes.After a few minutes he said with a smile:

"I'll give you 1750 credits for the lot..."

"Deal"Janyo said as he shook the hand of his buyer.It was more then he needed to repay his debt.While the man prepared to get in possesion of the lot Janyo went to the rodian and knelt, emptying the pockets of the rodian.

Credit cards, a nice looking knife and a few personnal papers were all he could loot from the pocket, a still reasonnable ammount of things.Inside the speeder he also found a small holdout blaster as well as the key to an apartment...he would have to research further on the matter.After saluting the man and taking his money Janyo headed towards the public transportation loadout area.He was back in action...for some time.

After some research with Underground Contacts Janyo managed to get a fix on the apartment's position, somewhere in the Corellian sector...Maybe getting rid of that Rodian would prove to be a great idea after all.The area was reputated to be a zone of merchants and middle-calss men, that rodian must had been relativatly rich to fit in...

Dropping from the cab he had caught to reach the area Janyo paid the bill and gave an exaggerated tip to the driver.The building in front of him was somewhat of classic architecture yet in an horrible way...there were too many fioritures and useless add-ons that the structure looked overloaded.Janyo climbed the small staircase and reached for the door.He inserted the key and turned, the door opening in front of him,nearly telling him to come in.A trap perhaps...

Reaching for his jacket's inner pocket he grabbed the handle of the small holdout pistol and switched the safety off.He walked with reserve until he was inside the turbolift.The Rodian's paper showed he lived in apartment 24-G,somewhere on the fifth floor.He pressed the circular button bearing the number 5 and he felt the rumble of the turbolift raising into its cage.A beeping sound was heard each time the lift passed a stair, the wait seeming endless as the floors passed.The door finally opened, a big five painted on the wall indicating Janyo had reached his goal.He slowly paced the circular hallway, the numbers climbing as he advanced further.

"21...22...23...Ah...24."

He inserted the small key again and pushed the door.It opened, revealing a badly decorated apartment.It looked like an indigestion of pink and purple, leopard seats completing the heteroclit arrangement.Maybe that Kurt tought such decorating made girls flip...the only thing Janyo could see them do was throw up.

The whole apartment was a mess, the rooms being impregnated with a horrible stench of days of containement.Did rodian know the existence of windows?A question that might keep Janyo awaken at night.He slowly searched the rooms for content of interest, emptying the drawers ans smashing any kind of locks that blocked his hunt.There were a few objects of valor inside, perhaps worth a few hundred credits in a junk dealer but they were too massive to smuggle out without people asking questions.The only thing he decided to take out was a stylistic blaster pistol with some alien carvings on the handle and the few credits he could find in the apartment,about 75 in total.

He closed the door on his way out, the weight of the additional pistol in his jacket bringing him a feeling of satisfaction.He was well armed and it had costed nothing.Better, he was now able to get the Onyx blade out of its custody at Aran Ceryss,his shylock, hangar.He wished he never had put her as a guarantee for his loan, he missed piloting her responsive commands,he missed inspecting her hold and cleaning her engines.To Janyo, his ship was like a woman...he did not feel stronger feelings for anything,not even a human.

"Now to the bank" he tought, inspecting the cards he had taken from Kurt's wallet.He would have to find a way to byapss their safety protocoles...and he knew just the man for the job.

"So as i'm telling you,i need you to crack open the PIN of these cards.I'm giving you 10% of whatever is on it.Deal?"

Janyo was sitting in front of Holari Gaska,a Twi'lek working as a janitor during the day and a slicer during his free times.Holari scratched his chin, thinking about the proposition.Janyo could understand his dilemna, he had dropped at his house without warning and gave him a tasty offer, a bait that could lead to a line where he'd find himself stuck upon a hook. Janyo was decided to give him a few more seconds then he'd do the classic "I'm leaving" scene.

Tick tack....

The numbers on Janyo's watch passed from 12:45:32 to 12:46:15.He rose from his seat and made hsi way towards the door.There were three rules for the scene to succeed: Dont look back,Dont speak and look cool.So far he filled two of the categories, his clothing being way out of date...

"Janyo..."Holari said,hesitating,as his interlocutor's hand touched the doorknob.

Janyo feinted not to hear.Hesistation was not enough commitement for him to turn back.He turned the knob and opened the door.His right foot was ourt of the room when Holari finally rose.

"Crispy...Wait!"

He was using Janyo's nickname,he sounded determined.Two points in his favor.Janyo turned upon his heels and looked at the Twi'lek.

"What is it?" he asked,containning an uncontrolable laughter.He was to emotive to do too long scenes.

"I'm in..." Holari replied,sweat falling from his lekkus.The beads of water rivelled upon his chin and vanished into the warmth of his neck.

"I'll be back later,get the PIN meanwhile willya?"Janyo finally said after an endless wait.He had emptied several bottles of Correlian liquor and smoked too many cabana leaves cigarettes to count.Holari was an ace...but a slow ace.

"Where are you going?"Holari asked, still focusing on his work trough his hovering magnifying glass.

"Getting back my ship..." Janyo gave as an answer.He closed the door behind him and called a cab by raising his hands.Three yellow speeders rushed over the edge of the street, opening their door for the passenger to climb.Janyo got inside the less battered one and lit a cigarette.

"245th warehouse,Alpha sector,Corellian zone.25 extra credits if you can get me there quickly."He told the driver,juggling with the blueish credits in his opened palm.The driver nodded and accelrated, the humming of the speeder leaving two trails of Ion blueish lights behind.

**************
"Thanks for the ride...oh, here's the prime..."

Janyo exited the speeder and threw the 25 credits to the poor worker which grabbed them and made a graceful nod,probably a thanks gesture.

Janyo now stood in front of a warehouse, massive and obviously illicit.It served as a hangar and a base operation for Aran Ceryss,officially buisnessman and unofficially criminal.Janyo could aready imagine the meeting...he'd pay the bill and the bastard would make a cocky or two then humiliate him in front of the women of ill repute that hung aroundh im for a few credits a day.That was jsut theory however, he expected to shut his mouth this time, the Rodian pistol he carried should prove to be handful to keep his dirty mouth firmly closed.He passed the double doors and made sure not to watch at the goons.He needed confidence...

He paced the hallways, opening door after door.He finally reached the convoited door. On it were written in classy letters: Office of mister Aran Ceryss. Bullshit...he knocked as hard as he could, hoping them to fall at the strneght of his arm.Aran opened too early however, two ladies at his arm.

"Crispy...How is it going?" He said, revealing several golden teeth in a sadistic smile.He removed the cigar from his lips and held it between his index and his major. "Got the money already?"

"Where's my ship?" Janyo only said as an answer, holding the handle of his weapon firmlier into his pocket.

"Ah ah...no money no ship hehe...its the deal." Aran said, his smile extending further upon his rat face.

"I said where is my ship?"Janyo once again said, detaching every syllabe as he spoke.He had rose the weapon, pointing it at the pointy nose of his interlocutor."You'll get the money once i get her..."

"That...that wasnt the deal..."Aran said, his face taking an expression of stupor.His eyes were glaring at the metallic tip of the weapon, still thrusted into his nose's skin.

"I dont give a damn about your deals, here's the new one:You get me my ship and i give you the money.Ie you dont comply i just blow your head an gut your goons.Either way i win and you loose."

Aran seemed to consider the deal for an instant...

Cull Faine drew his starfreighter low over the factory roof. Deep scanning the building below, the only substancial reading he could get were that of ion, bearing the configuration of a turrent. He marked the location he estimated the generators would be then opened a comm channel. He flicked a switch, quickly relaying the secondary command codes and drew his vessel behind a small tower, out of range from the ion cannon.

Once his codes were excepted a large panel slid open from the factory wall and he was given the coordinates to enter.

Touching down on the third story of the seemingly abandoned building, Faine waited by his laser cannon for signs of trouble. Nothing came, not even a vibration lit up on his radar.

Slinging his long barrelled blaster rifle over his shoulder, Cull proceeded down the boarding ramp with his sight trained on the R8 astromech droid below.

"Cull Faine." He spoke with a dull but strong voice.
The robot seemed to identify him, the ground infront of it lit up with a projected hologram.

It was of Saeone, the consigliere for his employer.
The Kian'thar folded his arms and addressed the smuggler.

"Faine, this astromech droid with outfit your ship with a tracking device, but also upgrade your sublight engines for the trouble. I need not remind you that you have entered the maw of the beast. There is no backing out. You agreed to the contract, now we are changing the terms. If this is not to your liking, try blasting your way out and see how far that gets you. I can guarantee you, you'll only get six feet. Now, you are to take this astromech droid and the precious cargo stored here across planet to a safe house. From there we will negotiate further terms involving the off-planet run we initially agreed upon. While you have been watching this, a inciderary has been planted on your ship. Do as we say and you will be paid hansomely."

The hologram flickered off, but nothing could remove the sour taste in the smuggler's mouth.

Faine then drove a hovercart containing his new cargo into ship's hold, scanning it for any sign of trouble. He found his old ion gun shooting the droid without hesitation. Then he deactivated it and locked the R8 in his storage closest; before it could cause any trouble.

"Blow up my damn ship then, you slimey silkworm. We'll see how fast your cargo gets cross planet that way."

He uttered to himself, lifting the landing pad and edging the ship towards the exit.

Over the comm he belted an order to his ancient T3 mech.
"T3, scan the ship for any explosives, or detonators. Look for anything suspicious, gas, organic, electronic, etc. After that check the programming of the R8 unit in the storage closet. T3. This is not a new friend. Make the scan thoroughly, upload the data to a remote unit and do not fraternize ."

For all the trouble that Saeone was going through, this cargo must be very, very hot goods. There was a very good chance whatever was in those crates, two dozen or so Hutt crimelords would kill hansomely for.

Passing through the "maw of the beast" Cull Faine's ship, The Cunning Pawn's sub light engine flaired to life and he sped towards his destination, ignoring traffic lanes while weaving in and out of skyscrapers and metal towers. When his anger hardened into something cold and sharp, he eased back into designated traffic lanes not to arouse suspicion.

There she was, the Onyx blade, a magnificient Corellian corvette sleeping inside the Hangar.Aran had chosen option A after all, the barrel of the blaster pistol still thrusted inside his back. Janyo released him and kicked him over a wall, making him fall to his knees.

"Here is your money aran, dirty money just as your soul and your ways are.May you be cursed till your death you fitlhy son of a bitch..." Janyo said as he threw money to the gorund, safely stored inside a small leather pouch.

"You two over there...can you man a ship?"he then asked a pair of human technicians who worked in the hangar.They nodded.

"Well climb in, there's 250 credits for you if you help me get this baby out..."

The technicians looked at each other,seeking an answer in their fellow's face.They glared at Aran too,as if asking a permission.He insulted them and swore,spitting on the ground.He exited the warehouse and left JAnyo and the technicians alone.With nothing else to keep them in the hangar they followed their new employer inside the Corvette.

"We'll have to pick Holari first...its in the Duros Sector."Janyo told them as they sat to the ship's command.It was modified to be much more maneuverable and stealthier.

"Copy that...captain" one of the technician said, unsure.Janyo smiled, placing his hands on the tech's shoulder.

"Captain...I havent been called like that for some time..." he said, staring at the skies of Nar Shaddaa, slowly passing away trough the ship's windows.