First Reply Tracking Bounties on Nal Hutta

[Tovald Kahmen’’a]

Swamp, Nal Hutta

As far as the eye can see there is nothing but a vast swamp, a never-ending expanse of swampy mess, typical Nal Hutta. However, a job is a job and right now Tovald is tracking a bounty mark of a Human who skipped out on paying a loan shark’s overstuffed debt. The fething spawn of a Gundark ran into the swamp.

Oh, of course, Tovald thought humourlessly, why he didn’t see the oldest trick in the book coming, that’s how he as a child ended up tied to his Clan’s entrance gate pillar for 2 hours by his siblings once, it wasn't funny then and it isn't funny now.

Tovald needed to keep his eyes and ears open as this is prime ambush territory and he made sure to lessen the likelihood of one by making sure he left no tracks to follow.

Air thick and heavy, the kind of heat that makes clothing stick to you and makes everything else uncomfortable.

Priming his heavy blaster Tovald ducked into some cover, beginning to hatch a plan once he located his target which could be anywhere and the prospect of a] losing his target and b] The target with nothing to lose decides fights back is becoming very likely and his client wanted the Human brought back alive and recognisable.

<” What a fine fething kettle of Nexu poodoo this turned out to be.”> He spat in ever-increasing irritation and he soon began to wonder if swamp bugs were able to wriggle themselves inside his clothing and attach themselves to his skin and start biting or other unmentionable things.

 

[Bastian smith]

Voice sample

Bastian smith sat there playing an old string guitar on a porch in a swamp with a cigar in his mouth and a couple of dried up corpses laying in the swamp. Minding his own business he continued to play the 8 foot mountain of a man on a rocking chair was a sight to behold there where no bugs around him. He was peacefully playing until a man ran upto him pointing a blaster pistol in his face.

"You don't want to do that" bastian said as he stopped playing "Give me all your money and the antique guitar" he screamed very loudly. Bastian gave a half hearted smile this poor foil had no idea who. He was messing with in one quick motion Bastian shattered the man's blaster holding wrist and elbow causing him to drop the blaster. Bastian set down. His guitar and stood up causing the man to scream as Bastian picked him up by his throat.

"What shall I do with you maybe I'll rip add your skull to my collection" he said as the man whent pale and started screaming bloody murder about turning himself into the bounty office Bastian smirked throwing him down with the force to knock the wind out of him. He sat down putting his boot on the man's chest and continued playing his guitar.

 

[Tovald Kahmen’’a]

The heavy atmosphere of the swamp split with a high-pitched scream, the foggy ether lifting enough to put Tovald back on red alert, humidity makes the mind heavy. Knowing his luck his target got eaten by the native wildlife, thus he’ll not get any payment if he leaves empty-handed.

<"What the?"> He startled from his pessimistic thought train as screams ricochet off the dead looking fauna and rock piles.

The screaming is coming from the east of his location. He headed in that direction keeping his sensors tuned on their highest setting just in the off chance that he may get ambushed or ending up as a native predator’s lunch, this is why he was taught to carry a Vibrosword for just that scenario.

After ending up chest-deep in the stagnant mud Tovald in silent resignation decided to just plough through the mess regardless and is that music? Who would be here of all places voluntarily?

Anyway, he pressed on towards the sounds all the while prying a slimy plant from his helmet. He’ll be glad to get his bounty and leave, preferably without a fight.

He spots the source of the music, another sentient playing the guitar, to get a better look he found some dry land to climb on so he was out of the sticky and rather pungent mud.

 

[Bastian smith]

Voice sample

The 8 foot echani-vexx sat there with his boot on this man's chest as he was gasping for air. The wooden chair slightly straining under the echanis wait as he played the guitar a rhythmic tune forgotten to most in the galaxy. With a lit cigar in his mouth "are you gonna calm down now" he asked as the man shook his head in agreement. Bastian Smith removed his huge foot from the man's chest "now you'll stay there unless you want to end up like those to who are starting to sink" he said standing up.

Setting the guitar down bastian walked Inside the structure revealing his full 8 foot height and his over 400 pound frame. He could be seen through the windows walking into the structure he found a bathroom relieved himself and came out sitting back down "smart man" he said looking down at the man grabbing his blaster pistol off the porch.

 

[Tovald Kahmen’’a]

Good, he hasn’t been spotted, yet. Tovald needs to be stealthy because pound for pound this Echani will win in many if not all the angles he had thought of. Nothing he planned seemed to end well for him at all. If he couldn’t tackle the whole thing head-on, he'll use cunning instead, when in doubt use your brain rather than your fists. Because thinking smarter rather than harder would make any job easier.

'<In theory.'> Tovald thought dryly with virtually no humour.

One of his plans is to use the swampy ooze to aid in stealth, to voluntarily go back in there and fulfil his contract, he made his move once the other man briefly went inside, he wasn't quick enough to grab the downed Human before the Echani returned but the Ubesian gained ground and was now silently hiding in some dense flora a few metres away, hoping the glaze of mud helped with camouflage, heavy blaster in hand, primed and ready and thankfully unclogged by gunk.

Sticky greasy Oil didn't bother him at all but swamp mess did, but there have been stranger things than this going on.

 

[Bastian smith]

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Bastian sat there the downed humans blaster sitting in his lap a bottle of alcohol sitting on the deck next to him. As the man laying infront of him chirped up "if you're gonna kill me kill me" he said. Bastian laughed "I'm not gonna kill you then I'd have to kill the little shit hiding in the swamp who's obviously hunting you why else where you running" he said.

He didn't know or care of there was someone out there he just wanted to scare him since It's not like he could get away from Bastian before Bastian grabbed him. He was going to have to go back to town eventually and he would turn in the man if no one wanted him first "so your gonna lay there like a good child or I will break your legs next" he said causing the man to turn pale. Bastian handed him the bottle of alcohol " to ease the pain of the arm" he said as the man took it and began drinking. Bastian coughed slightly "after you finish the bottle leave" he said sitting there. The man got up and began to leave Bastian began playing again and humming all the wildlife typically found in a swamp was absent around the porch and hut even bugs as if they where afraid of something.

 

[Tovald Kahmen’’a]

The man held his shoulder as he stepped into the swampy mud, also dimly aware of the silence of the usually noisy swampland suddenly Tovald rose out of the mud in front of the Human, sending globs of sticky mud flying and grabs the unfortunate man and bringing them both crashing down into the mud again with a squelch.

The poor sod yelled as his injured arm was bent at an odd angle on impact with the ground.

The Ubesian didn't care too much as long as he made sure the Human couldn't escape. Sometimes ambushes work, staying silent and hidden pays off. He jiggles the Human's arm a little to stop any inevitable wriggling he might do to attempt an escape. He carried zip ties for whatever patch up he had to do to The Cyclone when he couldn't get to a spaceport.

Firmly securing the human's hands together, he got up off the captive, the mission was a success, he apprehended a bounty without a fist or a gunfight.

Although this is a little too easy, you had help. The pessimistic voice at the back of Tovald's mind chimed in rather snidely bringing his alertness back in sharp relief as he began to become ever-increasingly aware of Bastian's presence again. If he still had hair it would goose pimple not with fear but with heightened awareness.

 

[Bastian smith]

Voice sample

Bastian expected someone was looking for the man he partially didn't expect someone to be here so soon. But with the screams it didn't completely throw him off. He watched the ubesian manhandling what he assumed was a bounty he didn't object or step in he continued playing.

He slowly stopped playing as the ubesian looked at him. He wasn't scared he knew how this would go if Tovald tried anything. He set down the guitar "how the rest of this goes depends on you what will you do bounty hunter?" he said relaxed but if Tovald tried anything towards Bastian he might not live to regret.

 

[Tovald Kahmen’’a]

Something about Bastian set Tovald on edge, a gut feeling of 'get your captured prey and leave, now' kis been nagging him for the last minute or so.

He is many things, but stupid is not one of them. Using his sleeve he wiped the muck off his visor so that it didn't impede his vision and also he can get a better look at the enormous man in front of him, yep gut feelings are highly accurate indicators for trouble.

<"I do in fact have enough common sense not to pick unnecessary and stupid fights."> Tovald replied dryly, hauling the Human upright, ignoring the protests of pain coming from the incapacitated Human, he needs all his attention focused on the Echani.

As soon as he gets back to The Cyclone, he'll give out some painkillers, he's not that sadistic, not by a long shot.

 

[Bastian smith]

Voice sample

Bastian looked at the man with a grin the unearthly silence like the earth itself. stopped making noise almost like the sitting echani was a force of the universe holding its breath. Waiting for him to respond "a trait few share" he said with a chuckle.

He liked this bounty hunter he wasn't trying to prove himself and be rude. To everyone like some he met over his long life "I wont...." he started to say as another bounty hunter came out of the treeline. Blaring at them to hand over the bounty "that's my bounty I'll ta..." before he finished his sentence bastian shot him without looking.

Setting the blaster back down on his lap "as I was about to say I won't harm you unless you give me reason to. You may go and take that crybaby with you before I change my mind and decide to use his spine as a jump rope" he said with fake malice in his voice hoping to see what kind of man tovald was.

 

[Tovald Kahmen’’a]

Tovald didn't flinch at all at both the blaster fire or at Bastian's words, he was well used to violence and gunfire. The now-dead recently appeared hunter looked like he was a rookie, the rule of thumb is not to announce one's presence in such a loud and obnoxious way lest this exact thing happens. Shame, very few had a shred of common sense these days.

This is why he is still standing here very much living and with his limbs all in their correct places. Tovald gave his Bounty a firm shove forward away from the hut, he didn't want to overstay his welcome for too much longer and besides he didn't want to know or see what a skipping rope made of the Human spine looks like, not again at least.

Such an ugly affair that turned out to be for everyone involved.

<"The sooner I get you to the Guild Office, the sooner I am paid."> He told the now shaking Human who is drained of all colour. Seems as though the stereotype of Humans being cry-babies were true, at least in this instance.

<"Yeah I have better be on my way now."> Tovald replies to Bastian over his shoulder as he headed away from the hut.