The problem with speeders as that they're, well, speedy. Even though the three Nexus had run as fast as they could, they had missed its entrance into Anaxe, so they had no choice but to post themselves, hidden in dark alcoves, doorways and alleyways, up and down the connecting road, just waiting for the speeder to pop out again of whatever street it had driven down.
It was a long wait. Luna hadn't realised it, but it was near night time when they had left their suite. On Scipio, thanks, she supposed, to the abundance of snow to reflect the light, it stayed bright right up until the sun set, at which point it was like a giant light had been turned off, plunging the entire city in darkness. As they waited, Amoya and the other Nexus had entered the city, found their suite empty, and had contacted her over her encrypted commlink, at which point she directed them to their positions, to help find the speeder. There they waited, with little clothing to protect themselves from the cold, and nothing but disembodied voices on a commlink to keep them company. Which, admittedly, was much like how a space patrol went, except with the added comfort of heated cockpits. Still, there was something different about the situation that made Luna feel particularly lonely. In space they could move, within reason. Be as loud as they wanted. Here they had to move as little as possible, be as muted as possible, and a part of her railed at these constraints. But another part, she realised with surprised, had started to relish this feeling. She wasn't being caged so much as she was lying in wait. The thought thrilled her, and even as her legs became stiff, her body cold, that anticipation kept her on edge the entire night.
The speeder emerged during the grey light of false dawn. Vix had spotted it emerging from a wide side street that led to a residential area that were filled, Luna knew from their limited recces, with large mansions inhabited by the city's elite. Vix wasn't able to see where, exactly, it had spent the night, but it was enough that they knew someone in the base had a connection there. And, now that they had more Nexus available, Face - through Luna, for appearance's sake - was able to post a couple of Nexus at the city's entrance and at the entrance of the residential area
Luna and the others retired to their suite, cold and weary, ready to fill their stomachs with warm food and sleep for most of the day. This was, Luna realised quickly, wishful thinking.
They were met by a middle aged Muun man, adorned in a rich, red and gold embroidered thick coat that made him look more muscular than he was. He stood imperiously in the lounge, inspecting his surroundings until Luna and the Nexus turned up, at which point he turned a calculating eye on them all, one by one, as if trying to determine their worth. He sneered, as if he found them all wanting. To either side were two large and intimidating Klatooinians, heavily armed and snarling, expecting a fight. Jorin was behind him, trying to look small and unassuming, clearly hoping to not be the target of any hostility.
'So this is the great Crimson Dawn,' he sneered without greeting, his voice husky. 'Your tardiness is more impressive than your,' he waved at the other Nexus, 'friends.'
Luna forced herself to bristle. She was too tired to put on a full act but she knew that no crime lord would put up with such a tone. She raised a hand in a clawing gesture. She hated forcing Hoshi to commit such an act, but needs must.
The man gargled and clawed at his throat, trying to release the pressure on his windpipe. His guards raised their weapons but their blasters flew out of their hands before they, too, flew into the far walls. Luna had to wonder if it was Hoshi alone who pulled off that feat, or if Mara lended a hand, too. 'You will address me with respect, and kneel when you see me,' Luna snarled, and lowered her hand. The Muun fell to his knees, and he gasped for air.
'So it's true,' he said between coughs. 'You can wield the Force. But that doesn't make your claims any more true. Who's to say that you are who you say you are?'
'Master Xin,' Jorin said tremulously. 'I assure you, I saw the mark, myself.'
'Anyone can paint a mark on their skin, you fool,' Xin rasped. 'I wish to see it.'
'Master Xin,' Luna stepped forward and leaned over him. 'I could show you my mark, and it's true, I could be lying. But the truth is, I simply don't care what you think. I'm not some museum piece for you to inspect. And you are in no position to refuse me. Either you lend us your aid, or I take. That is what we do. You may think you are a big man in this city, maybe even on this planet, and for all I know, that is true. But you are inconsequential. On Coruscant, on Corellia. On every planet of significance, they hear our name and they fear us. No one, on any world, will ever hear your name and cower. They will simply go, Xin who?'
'You dare-'
'I don't dare,' Luna cut him off, taking a seat on the sofa, as the other Nexus secured the Klatooinian guards. 'I merely state the obvious. You're a petty crime lord who will never amount to greatness. But you are in a unique position. We need to get into that base up on that hill, there, and you can help us. Who knows, the bounty that will come of it may elevate you into something more. I doubt it, but who knows.'
Xin struggled to his feet, glaring at her. 'I head Crimson Dawn were in with the - what are they called? Knights of Ren? Why do you need help when you can just waltz in and take what you want?'
Luna glanced quickly at Mara, who shrugged. 'We have affiliations with many organisations,' Luna replied coolly. 'Wherever the light touches, there we are. That's what we say,' she spread her hands wide. 'But just because we may be allies, does not mean that we have to tell them everything. They have something we want, so we will take it. And they will be none the wiser.'
'You insult me in front of my guards. You humiliate me. What makes you think I won't simply turn you over to the First Order?'
'Money,' Luna said simply. It wasn't so simple as that. She and the others had been working on their plans the entire night, building a script, expanding their options. But it was all just guesswork, and she feared that she was playing far too loosely with the situation at hand. 'You hand us over and the First Order may give you scraps, which you will enjoy until the Dawn comes for you. Or you can help us, and live a long and happy life on a mountain of money.'
'I vote for the mountain of money,' Jorin piped up. The two ignored him, just stared at each other, a silent battle of wills and calculations.
'What do you need of me?' Xin said at last.
Luna smiled coldly, trying to hide the relief that she felt. 'Tell me,' she said. 'Do you have someone who can clone a code cylinder?'
