The city was renowned for having its dark alleyways and shady dealings in very particular areas, such as the Docks or Stars End. From drug peddlers of the newest, greatest hit to other illegal exchanges such as weapons and slaves, it was perhaps to no surprise that his client wanted the exchange to occur elsewhere.

Watch Patrols, combined with Scathachian interferfence and independant acts of heroism over the years had left smugglers like himself in a very particularly dangerous, though lucrative situation.

For those that had managed to last as long as he had, it was something of a blessing and although he did not believe in any great spirit diving his movements and actions, he certainly felt at times in this realm of Gods and Goddesses, his mortal-self was being watched over by some greater entity.

Today, he had hoped, such a thing was once again blessing his day. He had never exchanged wares so in the open before, let alone smack-bam in the middle of the Marketplace at the height of the day, when all the city goers were shopping and flooding the streets with their filth.

The well groomed smuggler barely stood out amongst the crowd as he stood leaning against a wall just on the outskirts of the square, watching shoppers as he ate out of a plastic cup filled with deep fried squid he had purchased from a stall not too far away from himself.

He heaved a sigh as he looked to his watch, frowning. "Where the hell is he" He's late already?"

And late never boded well for any smuggler. The last thing he needed was for this whole job to be one big charade; a set up by the Watch or other authorities to catch him red handed in the act.

But he had a feeling that was not the case. The employer had already paid two-thirds of his demands up front and had cancelled two previous attempts due to complications at each pickup point.

If anything, he was more suspicious about the fact his employer was so over-cautious. Whoever it was, they went to great lengths to conceal their identity and movements—-communications were voice-only and heavily augmented to disguise his—or her voice.

Heck, as far as he knew the person he was meeting today was just yet another contact; a middleman.

As he plopped another fried squid into his mouth, he felt someone brush past him in a mad rush, causing him to stumble on the spot and to unfortunately drop his lunch all over the floor.

Looking down, the smuggler spluttered down angrily at the annoyance that had so rudely barged into him. "HEY! WATCH IT, KID!"

Narrowing his eyes at the rascal, the smuggler opened his mouth for a further rebuke, but paused mid-breath when he felt the young boy's hand retract from his pocket and rush off ahead, cutting around a sudden corner suddenly.

Wide-eyed, he patted his jacket down and cursed, realizing it was gone. "That?" The smuggler broke off into pursuit, cursing as he did so.

As he too flew around the corner, he bolted down the alleyway the kid had entered before erupting out onto another main street, looking around with his hands upon his head as a panic began to settle in.

Then, luckily, he spotted the boy disappearing into yet another side-street to which he quickly pumped his legs towards

"STOP!" He bellowed as he entered the smaller street. "Get back here you little—"

Skidding to a stop, the smuggler dipped a hand into his pocket and drew out an old, though still fully functioning revolver, aiming down the sights in hopes he could pop a shot off at the kid's leg and disable him.

Instead, he was met with someone else standing in his way as the kid continuing on running into the distance.

His attention and weapon swiftly turned away from the boy to the teenager that had made her sudden appearance, holding the bulky brown pouch that had been stolen from his pocket.

Panting heavily, he glared at the girl, pulling the hammer of his weapon back to arm it. "Give it back, kid" that doesn't belong to you. It's mine."

Ignoring his command, the girl continued to open up the pouch, pulling forth from it a bulky, jagged looking red crystal to which she lifted up into the air, squinting her eyes as if she was inspecting it for any flaws.

"Are you deaf?" He raised his voice as he took a threatening step forward. "Put it down and walk away' and trust me, considering how much I was paid, I ain't afraid to splatter your brains all over the floor for it. Even if you're just a baby."

"Yes," the girl whispered softly, "but you don't know fully what it is you have here, do you?"

The man blinked. "....wait, are you the conta—?"

"My Master had thought this to be a fake," the girl lifted her free, gloved hand to cradle the odd, pyramidal artifact hanging around her neck, "but apparently it isn't. My Master commends you on your service." She looked from the crystal and then towards him.

Cocking back the weapon, the smuggler shook his head. "I feel sorry for you, kid. A lot of people died for that thing so I'm glad it is off my hands....I can't imagine what you are to this Master, but, you have my sympathies for the future."

A slave girl, no doubt. The smuggler had seen many her age thrown to the wolves throughout his life. It was one of the reasons why he promised himself he would never have children. Who knows what horrors this girl had seen, even if she was finely dressed.

Unarming his weapon, he holstered it and approached her, looking all around them in hopes no authorities had noticed his mad dash across the city.

"The final deposit has been transferred into your account, as promised." The softly spoken girl smiled at him as she placed the crystal back into the pouch, pocketing it soon after. "Take care, sir."

Without so much as a glance, she turned and began walking away.

Nodding, the smuggler ran a hand through his messy black hair, watching quietly as something inside of him felt' odd.

Was it regret'

He was not sure what it was, but the girl before him brought out a side he had often buried away whenever he explored the farthest reaches of the Universe, where the seediest of bars and whore houses often hid. Was she a slave" Did he want to find out"

"Listen, kid" I don't know what it is you're doing with this 'Master' of yours, but you don't have to go back if you don't want to." The smuggler walked forward briskly to walk alongside her. "Look, why don't we both go back to my ship, get the hell off this backwater planet with the crystal and sell it on again? We can split the money evenly and then go our separate ways" You can start a new life for yourself....be free?"

The girl looked up at him with a quizzical expression, a hand moving up to brush her fringe across the right side of her face. She did not stop, but she certainly slowed her steps. "Thank you for the offer, but I think you misunderstood me. Really, thank you? you're too kind, but money doesn't matter to me."

He could not help but notice throughout their entire exchange that played with that clunky looking pendant. However, he could not help but laugh at the girl's response. "You're an odd one, you know that' And" say, that's a pretty strange pendant you have there" what is it' It's too big to be normal. Can I see it?"

The question caused the girl to stop dead in her tracks and for the hand that toyed with it to suddenly clench about it protectively, her eyes glaring through the strands of her fringe up at him with an intensity that caused the man to step back.

The smuggler held up his hands and smiled awkwardly under the gaze. "Whoa, whoa! Sorry I asked....geez" fine; asking about the weird thing is off limits?" The smuggler released a sigh, feeling his attempt at playing a minor heroic role was all for naught.

With her glare softening, the girl found herself smiling again at him. "Thank you very much for your services. My Master will pass on a recommendation to other potential employees for a job well done. Fly safe, smuggler."

Thrusting his hands into his pockets, this time, he watched the girl head off down the street.

Whatever it was, there was something behind her eyes that simply put the hairs on the back of his neck to stand up on end. But for a girl that looked pleasant and content with the world, there was something worn about the very air she exuded.

"The name's Terri Welk! Can't I at the very least get the name of my employer's errand girl?? He called out, cupping a hand against his mouth as if that would better throw his voice as she turned a corner and fell out of sight.