Public No Price On Satisfaction

[Kozz]

Location- Tatooine
​

The light provided by the twin suns of the 'Sand Planet' waned. The sky was turning darker, the clouds becoming less dense, and the city of Mos Eisley was turning into that nights hotspot of activity, as usual. Raucous and rowdy, as ever, the popular bar bustled with activity, both legal ad otherwise, occurring between species of all different colors, creeds, cultures.

One such creature sat in a far-back booth, alone, sipping on a Red Dwarf. He didn't sit alone explicitly out of choice, but rather due to the rifle that shared a seat with him. That, and the always intimidating appearance Trandoshans provided for smaller, weaker species.

Kozz was a Bounty Hunter, plain and simple, and as the case always was, he now needed work. Not long before he had touched down on Tatooine, the Trandoshan had received quite the pay-day for salvaging a ship abandoned in the Unknown Regions. It had been one of the simplest jobs in his career to that point, and should've been enough to set him up for a year. The only problem, money mattered far less to him than the thrill of the hunt, and that job had left him sorely unsatisfied. Too much pay for too little work.

This ill-lit tavern had a reputation as one of the best places for a Bounty Hunter to find work in the entire Outer Rim, therefore, Kozz had stopped by for a visit. No one was approaching, at least not yet, and the wariness almost irritated the reptilian. This was supposed to be the hotbed of smugglers, criminals, nerfherders, and other hunters like him. Yet, all Kozz could see was drunk men slurring their words as they tried to either hit on females, or pick fights with other drunk men. It was pitiful, in more ways than one. These should be the fearsome pirates of the outer-rim, as his father had once told him stories about, not the miserable pick-up artists he was viewing. Was this the wrong cantina? That would surely explain a lot, but no, the sign above the primary entrance read off as "Mos Eisley."

The Trandoshan hissed quietly, a Red Dwarf could only satisfy for so long.

 

[Alana Sunrider]

If there was one place not particularly friendly to Jedi, or life in general, it was Tatooine. Yet, people consistently found themselves drawn here and the barren sand world ended up being a primary source for a surprising amount of events that turned into stories. Alana was here for much the same reason. She was tracking a quarry, a sentient smuggler known for abducting youths and hauling them to the Core and other worlds where wealth and power created the shadows necessary for pockets of vice and debauchery.

Word was that some of his crew associated closely with this cantina, especially when looking to recruit and hire sentiments willing to place credits far above any kind of morality or common sense. So far, no luck, but that may have been the threatening aura of the Trandoshan hunter in one corner. Bounty hunter, the bartender had whispered softly when she asked. Dangerous, but not if she wasn't a mark, which she wasn't, as far as she knew. Nor did she look like a Jedi. Rather, her robes had been exchanged with the garb she wore from her own brief tenure as a member of the Bounty Hunter's Guild, licensed and sponsored by Arceneau Trade Company. A decent enough time in her life, but it lacked the sense of satisfaction and purpose she found now as a Jedi.

She took her bottle and kicked back in the corner of the cantina, watching the crowd. She could use backup here. And of them all, the only competent one seemed to be the bounty hunter. After a moment of consideration, she gathered a few handfuls of credits and approached the Trandoshan.

"Hear you're a hunter. I'm looking for someone, someone known to frequent this cantina. Interested?"

Kozz

 

[Kozz]

Kozz had prepared to get up and leave, when he was suddenly approached by the blonde haired woman. She was tall, more so than many other humans he had interacted with over the years, but this was a moot point, height rarely mattered in this galaxy.

The handful of credits caught his sunset-colored eye, allowing him to relax back into the booth, long tongue darting out for just a second. He paused a moment after she inquired about his interest, letting out a lowly hiss. "I am... and if it is a person you seek, you picked the right man for the job." Kozz's voice was like gravel sliding down a velvety slope, smooth as far as Trandoshan standards were concerned. His eyelids drooped low, and he leaned back comfortably, long arms outstretched over the top of the booth.

He finished his drink in earnest, before speaking up once more, "Who is it you seek? Smugglers? Slave traders? Maybe even a force-user?" The thought of hunting a Jedi or a Sith made his stomach grumble in anticipation. The stronger his prey, the greater the reward, both monetarily and pridefully.

"Or is it someone you've simply lost? Someone you don't wish me to enact my predatory instincts on? I wouldn't dream of injuring a target who is otherwise... innocent." His voice dripped with sarcasm. As a Trandoshan, he always maintained a level of honor, but in the end, a bounty was a bounty. He couldn't really care less if those he was set on pursuing were guilty in any real way.


Alana Sunrider

 

[Alana Sunrider]

Kozz

She had caught his attention, to be sure. Good. She was out here on her own, loosely working with some Sector Rangers along the borders trying to discern where they were crossing into the territories under their jurisdiction. But this was far outside those borders and the CIS had made its position clear on galactic affairs. They had shut their borders and isolated from the other governments. Which led to her chasing this lead as an individual.

Alana leaned back and lifted her own glass to her lips, watching the movements and actions of the Trandoshan, listening. She knew what he was implying and leaned forward. "No, most definitely not innocent. His crimes are of every kind imaginable, without any honor binding him." Part of what she'd learned as a bounty hunter was knowing the cultures of the species you were looking to hire. That made humans difficult. But Trandoshans had their own culture, even if most non-members didn't understand it. "Targets the weak and vulnerable for pleasure."

The Jedi Knight leaned forward and glanced over her shoulders, assessing the room. Still no sign. "But I need him alive. He's the only link I have to his employers and compatriots. Consider him heavily armed and lethal."

She activated the datachip with the target's face and identifiers. "Ril Xazen." The image portrayed a hefty, cunning-looking Weequay with a sizable variety of weapons and armor. "He's said to choose this as his favorite cantina, but can't say for certain."

 

[Kozz]

Alana Sunrider

"Guilty, fine by me." In fact, there was a certain gratification that came from hauling in the damned, something he didn't feel when targeting the helpless.

"So he's only your opener? You'll need him to talk to get to his superiors. I understand. Usually I'd charge more for that, but If he's truly as guilty as you proclaim him to be, I suppose I can make an exception." The Trandoshan fiddled with the scope on his blaster-rifle, speaking idly.

This woman had to be part of some larger Galactic faction if she was pursuing some sort of syndicate. That, or they had wronged her in an all-too serious way some time ago, and she was on a mission for revenge. It ultimately didn't matter to him, but he would gladly listen if she were to indulge him on any extra details.

In the number of days Kozz had been sulking in the cantina, he'd witnessed many different species pass through, and he took note of those that stuck out noticeably. "Ah.. the Weequay tank. Yes, I've seen him in here before. He looked like the kind of trouble even I wouldn't trifle with for no reason." He hissed at the image of his newfound quarry, before gesturing down to the handful of credits she clenched in her palm.

"You don't seem too withdrawn on pay? Surprising to say the least, but I do have to ask, what exactly did Ril do to encourage you to search me out? Was it personal, or is he an enemy of your employer?" His curiosity peaked after seeing the visage of the target, he simply had to know what had led up to his involvement in the ordeal.