Defective on Arrival

[KeCholo]

Ke'Cholo stepped into the vast markets of Nal Hutta and breathed in the borderline toxic air. Ke'Cholo didn't need to search for anything, he knew exactly where he was headed. He, Qaeth, and T'Chungo made their way to the east side of the markets to a small shack. Underneath this shack was a Toydarian man speaking to a Twi'lek. ''I told you, I don't have the money!!'' the Toydarian protested. ''We accept other ways of payment...'' the Twi'lek said twirling a knife ''Organs go for quite the price on markets such as Nal Hutta.'' Noticing Ke'Cholo, the Toydarian motioned for him as the Twi'lek closed in on him. Ke'Cholo stepped up and pulled on the Twi'lek, turning him around to face three hulking adversaries. ''You ain't gonna do anything to my dealer. Becuz' if you do, I'll find you and blow yah brains out.'' Ke'Cholo said. Instantly recognizing the man that visited markets such as these very often, the Twi'lek turned and ran for his life. ''Weeezoo, Weezee, Weeza'' T'Chungo whistled. ''Nah T'Chungo, he won't do anything.''

The Toydarian ran up to Ke'Cholo and gave him a big hug. The Toydarian, far into his years looked like he had seen many conflicts and that this wasn't the first. ''Oooh, thanks you Ke'Cholo. You always come through for me my boy!!'' he said letting go of the colossal Duros. ''You do know you're late'' the Toydarian said flying into the back room of his shack. ''Well, when you get into a fight with a Sith you can't exactly get outta there quick.'' Ke'Cholo said walking into the back into the room. ''I thought you worked for those guys!'' the Toydarian exclaimed. ''I did to, Gresh'' Ke'Cholo said sitting down at a small table. ''Qaeth, run over to Gako's and pick up those modified sights. T'Chungo you pick up the hover carts at Tackule's'' Ke'Cholo yelled to his two companion outside. Meanwhile, Gresh was busy unlocking a safe he had in his back room. ''I finished it'' he said, finallly unlocking it.

 

[Julian Valentine]

Nal Hutta

An old KR-TB sat smack-dab in the middle of the markets. The pop-up vendors had worked around the large freighter, and people were mulling around biding their own business. The old thing was rusted to the bone, paint peeled. It looked like it had seen its fair share of fighting in the day, with large scorch marks scarring the wings. If anything, the freighter blended in with the swamp. Forgotten and left to rot. Though the vessel was not alone. Valentine had been slaving away during the wee hours of the morning until midday, the hot sun beating down. He was now sitting under the shade of the wings, drinking from a can of water.

A set of tools were sprawled all through the grass, a small pig-like creature was sitting with Valentine. An Ugnaught by the name of Boltz. He was the one who had installed the new hyperdrive, and was working temporarily as Valentines dedicated mechanic. With the hyperdrive in place, Julian had set the KR-TB down for structural repairs the previous night, only to awake and find a market had spawned all around him. With Boltz dedicated to stripping the wings and support beams, and replacing the old with new, Valentine needed to find a new inertial compensator, and not the legal kind either. He was sniffing for a modded compensator that could work the magic he wanted.

If anything, it was pure luck that he found himself at the market, and an opportunity he would not leave. The KR-TB had a camouflage net thrown over her, though it did nothing to hide her. It was a means to provide a bit more shade for the Ugnaught as he did his work. Valentine had just licked at the last droplets of water when he spotted a confrontation a stones throw away. He set the can down and relaxed into his chair, watching as a Duros and his friends settled the dispute with the Twi'lek running away. As they disappeared inside the shack, two of them re-emerged a moment later. Curious, Valentine waited and watched.

 

[KeCholo]

''Where are de' boys at?'' Gresh asked pulling a large box out of his safe. Ke'Cholo cleared his throat, ''Dat' Sith threw T'Kak against the wall of an airlock and then he used some sorta gun to make K'Tak attack me.'' Gresh grunted, ''Sounds like one of them 'guns of command'. Never have liked 'em. A real shot below the belt. Where they at now?'' Ke'Cholo looked outside ''They're on Geonosis now, T'Kak will spend the rest of his life hooked up to life support machines or doing copious amounts of physical therapy. Docs say he could recover, but it wouldn't be anytime soon. K'Tak is in one of their mental health wards, that gun screwed him up...screwed him up real good.'' Gresh tapped his fingers on the metal box ''Sorry to hear that Ke'Cholo, you know after she died an' all...I-I-I know what it's like.'' ''You got it worse than me, Gresh. She was your wife, your own family.'' Ke'Cholo said staring at the Toydarian ''But those boys were like family to you'' Gresh said beginning to open the box.

 

[KeCholo]

Gresh reached inside the box to reveal a shiny, high capacity, automatic, slughtorwer. He handed it over to Ke'Cholo who examined it and looked down the scope. After looking at it for a moment he took the magazine out and motioned for Gresh to give him some rounds. Loading twenty slugs, Ke'Cholo went outside of the shack and made aim for a large sign in a vacant, overgrown lot next to Gresh's. Ke'Cholo pulled the trigger and in a mere 15 seconds the entire magazine was gone. Ke'Cholo nodded ''Good gun, where'd you buy the magazine?'' ''Traded it for a quarter shipment of E-11's, I obviously got the better trade.'' Gresh said with a bit of a laugh. ''How much?'' Ke'Cholo asked getting out his datapad.

 

[KeCholo]

''After what you jus' did...'' Gresh said looking down at his feet ''For, you...it's-a free.'' ''Thanks, if those collectors come crawling back. You know who to call.'' Ke'Cholo said tipping his hat. ''What a' you doing now-a-days?'' Gresh asked as Ke'Cholo was walking away. ''You know, usual merc' stuff. Escorting cargo, protecting whoever pays the highest.'' Ke'Cholo responded, turning around. ''I picked up word that there's an old assassin droid on Tatooine. If it's true...what I've heard...this droid could kill anything the from here to Coruscant.'' Ke'Cholo opened his datapad ''What's de' name?'' he asked ''Cee twenty-one high signer.'' Ke'Cholo typed this all in. ''Why's 'e on Tatooine?'' he asked Gresh. ''I'd like to know to, heard a couple different reason. A group of rodians left yesterday to get him, you'll have to get there fast if you want him.'' For Gresh to say somethign was good, it must have been good. Ke'Cholo opened his hololink and sent messages to Qaeth and T'Chungo telling them to meet back at the ship. Ke'Cholo bolted for his freighter. Time was key.