Whirle Dunger crossed the outdoor ship park that belonged to the Daring Roller's casino, grumbling darkly to himself after experiencing yet another series of eye watering losses at the tables. He knew that Canto Bight was a vice of his, always finding a way of luring him back no matter how many credits it managed to squeeze from him. Not that he couldn't afford the loss.
Hailing from the ocean world Mon Cala, the quarren had spent much of his early adult life building a substantial fortune through his involvement in the weapons industry. Starting as a dealer for some of the larger manufacturers, Whirle quickly grew an understanding of the ins and outs of the industry, along with the demands of the customers that engaged with it. With drive far exceeding what his employers could satiate, Whirle went on his own path, securing loans from less than reputable organisations, very aware of the consequences of not being able to repay the debts, along with the sizeable interest that accompanied them.
Fortunately, his gambit paid off tenfold. He focussed on the development of advanced weaponry, both small arms and heavy cannons with battle cruisers in mind. Unlike his old employers, Whirle had no qualms about selling to clients that happened to be on opposite sides of a war. Using shell companies allowed him to exchange weapons for up front payments without either party realising he was selling arms to their enemies.
But the sheer, sudden influx of of credits brought its own set of problems. One being Whirle's proclivity for gambling excessively. Canto Bight had become almost like another home for the quarren, he owned a number of penthouses across the city, usually located within speeder distance of a casino where most of the staff could recognise from a distance. Despite this, he looked forward to a return to Mon Cala, a respite from the life of arms dealing.
He had already sent an order ahead to his pilot to prepare for his departure, not wanting to wait a single parsec longer in case the temptation to place another wager became too overwhelming.
Just as he spotted his luxury cruiser parked in the VIP zone, he heard a frustrated, feminine grunting close by. Intrigued, his dark eyes searched for the source. He stepped past a pleasure vessel, belonging to one of the Hutts, and quickly found himself awe-struck.
A Rutian Twi'lek was bent over a reasonably expensive starship, a Glider model if Whirle's memory served him right. His eyes were fixated on her, watching as she struggled beneath an open panel on one of the rear thrusters. She stood in a pair of designer Lishka stiletto heels, the colour of brushed steel. A strapless, auropyle white gown hugged her stunning curves, draping down to her feet, but a high slit allowed her to display a sculpted leg. A pair of malleable gold bands wrapped around her lekku, only enhancing her captivating azure skin.
Whirle had no idea whether the Twi'lek was there with a partner, a lover, or a master, but he didn't care. He just knew he couldn't leave the planet without making a pass at the beauty. With a swagger in his step, he walked over to the ship.
"Need any help, beautiful?" Whirle asked, leaning against the body of the ship.
The Twi'lek jumped upon hearing him and stood upright, finally giving him a view of her face, just as delectable as the rest of her in Whirle's eyes. "Absolutely, but I wouldn't want to put you out," the twi'lek answered.
The quarren gave her a dismissive wave. "Always hate to see a pretty woman in distress, the name's Whirle Dunger."
The Twi'lek responded with a blindingly white smile and held her dainty hand out for him to shake. "Ashara."
~~~~~~~~~~
Aayla Secura departed the council chambers with a frown. Republic intelligence had recently intercepted data caches, indicating that the Separatists had started stockpiling various experimental, highly effective weapons. It was of deep concern for the both the Chancellor and the Jedi Council. The war had reached a state resembling a stalemate of sorts, with neither the Republic, nor the Separatists making any substantial enough territorial gains to turn the tide one way or the other.
Where the shipments were being sent to remained unknown, but the company selling, Whirle's Solutions, them was named directly in the files. Its owner had made a name for himself as a Quarren willing to sell to whoever had sufficient funds. Multiple smaller weapons manufacturers were bought up and absorbed into his brand, usually those that showed value with promising new forms of tech yet to reach the wider market.
But the Council wasn't concerned with his rise to wealth and power, but with his affiliation with the Separatists. If the hijacked data was to be believed, the shipped weapons included surface to space artillery that could scuttle Venators with a single, well-aimed shot. Other weapons were listed, but sections of the data were far too fragmented to fully understand their capabilities. But one thing was clear, the shipments needed to be identified and prevented from reaching their buyer.
To get to the shipment, it was vital to divulge the information from Whirle himself. Which wasn't an easy feat given his prolonged stays in the coastal city of Canto Bight, located on the planet of Cantonica in the Outer Rim. The tension between the Outer Rim and the Core was a long standing one; one the Jedi knew how easy it would be to send spiralling out of control. For the plan to succeed, an agent would be needed to cosy up to the Quarren without him being any the wiser of the Republic's involvement.
When Aayla had been assigned with the task she didn't blink, it wasn't the first time she had to assume a temporary identity for a mission. Twi'lek women were known throughout the galaxy for having certain traits bred into them over generations, making them docile and easily controlled by potential slave masters. Aayla's uncle was a well known slave seller, taking Twi'lek females of a certain value and selling them on for profit. Even as Aayla walked the vast halls of the Temple she felt repulsed by the thought of being related to such a man.
Entering her personal chambers, she began packing the barest of necessities she required, tucking away the credit chits allotted to her to purchase items and clothing 'essential' for success.
The entrance door hissed open behind her, revealing Master Shaak Ti, offering the final briefs for the task ahead. "Are you ready to depart?" Shaak Ti asked serenely .
"Just about, Master Ti," Aayla replied , hiding her lightsaber away in a specially built compartment in her travel case, capable of concealing the hilt from even the most efficient of security systems.
Shaak Ti withdrew a small disc from her robe pocket, hitting a small switch with her thumb. A small, translucent blue image of the target appeared, slowly rotating in the Jedi Master's hand. "This is who you will seek out. Keep his features in your mind, once you reach Canto Bight you will have to dispose of the data disc, nothing can compromise your alias."
Aayla focused on the image of the Quarren, then closed her eyes, storing it in her memory well enough for her to recognise the man on sight. "I'll be ready as soon as he leaves the casino."
Shaak Ti nodded. "You should already be partly aware of his character, what sort of being he is. Cunning, unscrupulous, willing to do anything to take what he desires."
"I shall use his weaknesses to my advantage," Aayla replied with deserved confidence, having successfully carried out similar tasks over the years with ease, "beings such as this are driven by arrogance. If I succeed, this will end with him in a high security facility."
"I believe it goes without saying that whatever you need to do during this time will never be held against you, even the Council understands that such times call for desperate measures," Shaak Ti said, restating the words of the council. "There is something that will be far more useful for you, which is a significant reason for your selection."
"Oh?" Aayla wasn't surprised, when it came to the intimate nature of beings, the Council always became noticeably silent. She knew precisely what method was needed to coax the information out of Whirle judging by the blushes of a couple of the members of the Jedi Council, it didn't need to be stated aloud by any of them.
"As it turns out, this particular Quarren seems to have quite an attraction for Twi'lek women," Shaak Ti relayed, having gone over the brief details discovered during reconnaissance, "your people have become a status symbol amongst the criminal element in this galaxy. A proof of wealth and lack of morals. As a Rutian Twi'lek, you should have no trouble getting his attention, but please use caution. He might not be one to get his hands dirty, but that doesn't make him any less of a threat to you."
Aayla smiled warmly, always known for being one of the more outwardly expressive members of the Jedi Order, something she believed occasionally prevented her from rising higher in the Order than she ought to have given her talents. "I won't underestimate him, I'm not sheltered enough to know how prized Rutian Twi'leks are to men like that. The Council knows that I'm a little more...accustomed to the carnal pleasures of men."
Shaak Ti led Aayla to the landing pad of the Temple, where an expensive ship was sat waiting, accompanied by an R-3 unit. It would act as part of her cover, a consort of a not-to-be-named member of the Senate, returning after making a few unsuccessful bets on his behalf. Aayla hopped into the cockpit and departed, punching in the hyperspace coordinates for Cantonica. An early arrival would give her just enough time to perfect her disguise.
~~~~~~~~~~
"Ashara? Such a pretty name," Whirle replied smoothly, ensuring that the expensive cufflinks of his jacket were displayed as he lightly shook her hand. "Here with anyone?"
Aayla shook her head. "I'm here representing my employer. I've been in the casinos placing bets he has ordered me to."
"I see," Whirle not so subtly began to focus on 'Ashara's' cleavage, "I hope he isn't the jealous type."
"Is there something he should be jealous of?" Aayla feigned confusion, idly stroking the tip of her lekku.
"I'm hoping so," Whirle said with a cocky tone. His eyes crossed over to the exposed components of the ship. "Having mechanical trouble?"
Aayla laughed sweetly, pointing a white painted nail towards one of the regulators. "I'm not sure what the problem is, but everything I try just doesn't seem to work. I think I might be stuck here a while longer."
