Penultimate Piece, Part I

Posted on Tue Oct 2nd, 2012 @ 1:26am by Thane & Bomoor Thort & Sev Rezer & Berry
Edited on on Fri Jul 26th, 2019 @ 1:29pm

2,017 words; about a 10 minute read

Chapter: Chapter I: Web of Fate
Location: Corellian Sector, Nar Shaddaa
Timeline: Day One (after "Confessions of a Gran")

OLD

The turf war was continuing to go on behind them, but it was not their business to interfere with it. As things stood, it was probably best not to intervene, for fear of influencing events one way or the other.

"We should get away from here before things really get out of hand," the Jedi Guardian declared, nodding away from the scene of the battle. It looked to be that the side the Gran had been opposing was beginning to get the upper hand. They did appear slightly greater in numbers, and slightly better equipped. Memorising what he saw, Thane turned back to the others. "I'm sure there's a cantina near here." Grinning to Bomoor, he gave a shrug. "Well, it worked for you last time."

Bomoor let out an amused hum, "And perhaps I can finish my drink this time too!"

NEW

Sev Rezer chose his position carefully and watched from the scope of his rifle, the activities. It hadn't been difficult to find out the Grogga and Zorba crews fight. What the Bounty Hunter didn't count on was the appereance of two Jedi and another civilian. Clearly, the Jedi were after someone else and Sev wondered if his past was trying to get to him again. Those two deserve a more detailed observation, he decided.

---

Thane was the first to walk into The Lucky Corellian, and instantly noticed the near absence of customers. To one side, a young Neimoidian boy was fervently sweeping, wiping and mopping away on a table and its surroundings. There was evidence of dried blood around the area, and there was a crack in the wall at the back, where something had evidently been smashed into it.

However, the Mon Calamari bartender seemed pleased to see some new patrons entering - until he saw the lightsabers hanging at Bomoor and Thane's hips. With a red and overgrown hand, he pointed at the two Jedi.

"Y-you are-aren't welcome here, a-after th-the other day!" The words stumbled badly out of his large mouth, and his bulbous eyes were filled with fear. "W-we don't nee-need any more of them Car-Cartel c-cronies sniffing aroun- uh, around here!"

With a raised eyebrow, Thane gave Bomoor a tired expression, but managed to suppress a sigh. As the Calamari continued to glare with fear at the trio, he gestured for the Ithorian to approach him. "You can have this one, Bomoor; I think I've had about enough of inane babbling for one day. And before you say anything," he pulled his credit account chip from within his jacket and placed in his friend's outstretched hand, "I know it's my kriffing round." Smiling as he turned away from Bomoor, he took Berry over to the site of the mess.

Berry continued gazing longingly at the bar counter, her neck craning over her shoulder as they walked away. Her brows knit slightly. "Oh, I wonder if they have food..." She finally tore her gaze away when it felt like her neck was going to break, and she looked forward to where Pale Guy was walking and blinked. "Eh? Look at that blood!" She frowned over at him. "We're not sitting here, are we??"

Thane gave the part-Aquar a withering look. "I'm not really into that sort of thing, Berry, but whatever tickles your fancy." He paid her no more heed as he stepped just a bit closer to examine what had occurred, his eyes narrowing as he looked from the dried blood to the damaged wall a few feet back. The Neimoidian just too a step back, slightly confused at why someone would be interested.

"T-tell your friends t-t-to leave..." The Calamari tried to insist at Bomoor. "Y-you as-as well!"

The Ithorian walked up to the bar - the design of this establishment was very different to The Sarlaac Pit - it was a smaller cantina with several converted rooms above for accommodation. Seems most places on Nar Shaddaa would offer you a service if they could and charge you for it. The bar was black and shiny - made of some liquid-resistant polymer and set against the back wall.

Bomoor lent an arm on the counter and gave the cowering Calamari a look of confusion, "We're not with the C-C-Cartel, good sir," he hummed, "We just want some drinks and a perhaps a few answers."

"Wha..what? Not with the Cartel?" the aquatic bartender stammered, "No, you're with those dark Jedi - the ones workin' with Zorbo's lot now. I can't be having any more trouble - you've already cleaned me out."

He clearly knew something about the situation so Bomoor decided to play the friendly stance as his current method was falling flat, "Don't worry," he hushed, "We're not Dark Jedi - we're the good kind. We just want to know what's going on so we can help. We can't let these thugs keep terrorising you, now can we?"

The Mon Calimari let out a weak laugh, "Uhh, OK..." he nodded, "What do you want to know?"

"Well, sir. First, I'll have one Andoan and one Corellian ale..." he glanced over towards Thane, passing over the credit account chip "...hold the spice."

Thane simply gave him a sidelong glance, and muttered something unintelligible and offensive under his voice.

Bomoor looked over to Berry, "What will you have to drink?" he asked her.

"Do you have fish?" she blurted, eyes wide. Then she paused. Drink? Well if you mashed the fish up enough—"Um, fruit juice? And do you have food??" The hope in her eyes burned bright.

"Fish?" The bartender exclaimed at the suggestion. "You want to eat fish!?" The Mon Calamari could not seem to be able to decide between being outraged or fearful at what might become of him.

Thane actually let a short laugh out at the Lucky Corellian's owner's response, and shook his head at Berry. Pushing past her, the Knight stepped up to the bar alongside Bomoor and took a deep breath before speaking. "Let's keep things simple and off topics to do with harming fish, shall we?" He gave a faux grin to the Calamari before plucking his account chip from Bomoor's large hand, pocketing it quickly.

"We need to know if a Mandalorian bounty hunter, one by the name of Sev Rezer..." He opened his eyes wider in a more patronising manner before repeating: "Now, that's Sev Rezer, nasty bounty hunter man. Has he been in here?"

"B-been in here!?" He was exclaiming again, and looked ready to collapse into a full panic before thrusting a finger over to where the blood-soaked table. "He trashed the place!" And then he suddenly calmed, as if an afterthought had struck him. Placing an orange hand by what passed for his chin he went on, "But he did pay well for the damage." His eyes wandered over to the damage against the wall, before he did an admirable of discovering his cowardice and panic once more. "But now I have no custom-"

"Alright, alright!" Thane shushed him, raising a hand as he was growing tired of the Calamari's loud voice and ridiculous attitude. "So you have seen him," said as more of a statement, nodding to himself. Once again, he gave the 'tender a forced smile. "Thank you." He placed fifty credits onto the counter. As the Calamari gingerly moved forward to take them, Thane placed his own hand on top. "And the ales would be nice, too."

As the Calamari went about to find the ales, Thane looked to his friend and Berry, turning to lean on the counter as he had at The Sarlacc Pit. "That was growing tiresome," he said, giving a more genuine smile to Bomoor. And, more quietly just so the Ithorian could hear him, he added: "And why do we seem to keep running into kriff-for-brains on this damned mission?"

As if she heard (which she didn't), Berry tilted her head in the bartender's direction, her eyes almost as wide as his. "He's a...a fish!!" She gasped and glanced over at the Jedi, smiling a little sheepishly.

"You only just noticed?" Thane retorted sarcastically. "What gave it away - the gills or the eyes?"

Having returned with the ales, the Calamari seemed entirely oblivious to what had been said, but grew suspicious at the looks Berry was giving him. "I-Is there som-something on my face?"

Bomoor held an arm out to Berry, "Please stop upsetting him," he sighed, "He's helping us and I don't need you freaking him out any more than he already is."

He turned back to the bar and picked up his ale. He held it up as if to make a toast before bringing it to the mouth on the right of his trunk and taking a sip. It was a strange sight to those who were not accustomed to seeing an Ithorian consume. The muscles in the neck could manipulate each mouth almost as well as most humanoids and certainly well enough to consume hefty portions of food and drink.

"Sixteen years on, and that still bothers me," Thane said simply, watching as the Ithorian consumed his beverage. It was remarkable a standard glass even lasted them any amount of time, he thought as he drank from his own glass.

Berry was busy trying not to choke on air as she stared at Tall Guy.

On the opposite side of the bar, the nervous Mon Calamari seemed to remain on edge, his large, watery eyes shifting from one to the next to the next before heading back to the first, where he would continue the cycle. To Thane, it was almost mesmerising.

Mesmerisingly ridiculous. "How much do you charge for an apartment?" He asked, more softly than usual, to spare the poor owner of the Lucky Corellian. An unfortunate name, the Jedi Guardian mused to himself as he waited for his reply. As expected, he was slightly startled by the request.

"Oh, oh... uhh, let's see, uh... to stay here?" At the look Thane gave him, he went on. "Oh, of course h-here. Where else?" He barked out a deep uniquely Calamari laugh that only Bomoor could compete with. "W-well, le-let's say, uhh... two hundred credits!" And then he thought about what he would say next, and that little hint of greed Thane could detect within him (and indeed, in nearly all creatures on this world), came to the fore. "Each?"

"Three hundred each," Thane replied, "and add in catering. Our young friend here will also need a bath." The Jedi wrinkled his nose as he added: "She stinks of salt water - no offence to you, of course."

The part-Aquar giggled, smiling amusedly at Pale Guy. "Yeah, well at least I'm tan!" She could've been meaner but Pale Guy just mentioned ordering food sometime soon and she really, really wanted it. But why were they so nice to her? Oh, gotta remember what Mina had told her! "And I have money," she quickly added, a little worried about the retraction of the food offer.

As the bartender brought his hand out, the suction cups eager to grab at the credit chips, Thane knocked it away. "But not until the night is out. We'll also throw in another hundred each if you get word out that Jedi are staying here."

The Calamari's fear was now at war with his greed, as well as the simple survival instincts that warned him of how much money he needed as well, given how many patrons he had lost. "D-deal," he finally blubbered, "b-but pl-please don't damage anything else!"

"If we do," Thane responded with a smirk, "you can rest assured that my fine colleague here will reimburse you every dactary." With a final gulp, he added, "He's kind like that."

"Hmph," chuckled Bomoor as he withdrew his glass and placed it on the counter, "I'm not sure who's likely to do more damage - you or our new friend here."

 

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