Private Shotgun Negotiations

[Kadann]

Morholt

The wind whipped about Kadann, trying to draw him towards the edge of the landing platform by his robes. It would be - he reflected - a very long fall.

He glanced up at the arrival and turned to square his shoulders towards him. Kadann placed one hand over the other, arms resting in front of himself.

"Morholt?" he asked.

"I assume you know why we're going and that we need...to be a little delicate with this."

A Sith Acolyte had carried out some stupid stunt and ended up in the care of a pack of capable bounty hunters. Fortunately they were known to the Sith Order and had several contracts in hand that they wanted to cash in on. A future business prospect that would be evaporating if they handed over a sith - no matter how stupid - to the Galactic Alliance.

They were willing to meet on neutral ground and negotiate terms. They would expect payment, but they would also expect a show of strength.

 

[Morholt]

The weather was bad. What else was new? He left his hood down and dealt with it, trudging mechanically across the platform, cloak billowing in the wind like it wanted to strangle him. The old man - Kadann - was already waiting for him. He had a severe look. Growing old in this galaxy, with this lot in life, probably necessitated severe qualities. Morholt empathized. Really.​

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Morholt nodded, then recited the abridged instructions he had been given before being sent here, "Meet the bounty hunters. Retrieve the acolyte... Delicately."​

​

He added the last word more skeptically than he meant to. In his limited understanding of the Sith, words like "delicate" very rarely appeared. Bounty hunters, on the other hand - those types he had dealt with.​

​

"Are you planning on paying them off?" He pulled once at the edge of each of his gauntlets, testing the fit.​

 

[Kadann]

"Are you planning on paying them off?" He pulled once at the edge of each of his gauntlets, testing the fit.

"Yes," Kadann said plainly.

He turned and walked for his ship. He did not mean to be rude, but Mortholt could follow intonstep beside him.

Kadann held no titles or ranks amongst the nest of vipers he found himself in, but when given the chance he wore the mantle of command comfortably.

"This is the time for being pragmatic, not dogmatic. War is coming. We need every body on our side and we'd rather not motivate a pack of Jedi hunters to just be seeking contracts on our own."

"They may not, however, be planning on accepting payment. They'll be arriving early. We'll be arriving earlier. Can I trust you to sweep the area for trouble. We're headed to an old mining colony."

 

[Morholt]

Something in Morholt's posture relaxed. Paying off the bounty hunters was his ideal first resort. Sat better with him than running in sabers swinging. There were no certainties in life, but there was now - at least - the ghost of a chance it wouldn't come to a fight for their lives. Kadann turned and started walking and Morholt followed after.​

​

Kadann outlined his logic. One reason to avoid getting shot at was as good as any other so far as Morholt was concerned, but a simple "Understood," was all he said.​

​

Morholt frowned at the mention of a mining colony. In his mind he heard the roar of machinery, saw a collapsed tunnel through smoke. But he pushed the memory out of his mind. Not relevant. Didn't help.​

​

"Perimeter sweep," he said, "Shouldn't be a problem."​

 

[Kadann]

The air on the planet was breathable, but not ideal for hard labour. Kadann had to fly his ship through a docking port in one of the large domes that had been erected over the mining colonies. It kept the atmosphere more oxygen rich.

Even at night, there were land speeders ferrying equipment back and forth, light personal walkers carrying drilling lasers towards the pit.

At least, Kadann thought to himself, it wasn't slave labour.

"I'm going to stay here for ten minutes then walk slowly to the meeting point," Kadann said.

True to his word he would meander slowly towards the open space behind the towns only cantina. There was no sign of the bounty hunting outfit yet.

Their ship would land fifteen minutes early, but after Kadann was waiting in place.

"Come and wait with me," he called into his comm unit.

 

[Morholt]

They weren't mining cortosis here. He would have recognized the smell, and that would have upset him. So that was good. Morholt did not and would not ask what they were drilling for. He had decided to himself that this was not the sort of thing Sith disciples troubled themselves with. He certainly didn't pay attention to the equipment as it was transferred around, much of which he recognized.​

​

He spent several minutes surveilling the area. Nothing awry so far as he could tell. No bombs. No sniper nests visible to his unremarkable eyes. Then his comlink crackled. "Coming."​

​

A few moments later, he appeared unceremoniously at Kadann's side.​

​

"Nothing out of the ordinary," he reported, brushing a thin layer of dust off his shoulders. Not sure why he bothered. It would come back.​

 

[Kadann]

"Good. Even if they haven't planned in advance it does not mean they won't act if they see weakness."

Kadann stretched out with his senses. It was easy to find those that had recently landed, so focussed on their meeting.

"One to our left and right." Kadann said quietly.

The group arrived from the other end of the street. There was nothing uniform in their appearance. A range of armour and weapons on show. Not one of them felt more than a flutter of fear in approaching Kadann and Morholt.

They were professional Jedi hunters.

"You brought the money?"

"That isn't a nice way to greet us," Kadann said. "Why don't you call off the two flanking us and I'll show you. Or I'll send my friend to go and fetch them?"