Open Tatooine A matter of coin and pride.

[Jeek Dororo]

J'eek was pissed, and his crew mates knew it just from the scent. They could feel the rage whenever he let out a sentence. But the human he was attempting to trade with was no Jawa, and he had assumed he was making perfectly reasonable demands which were getting through to J'eek.​

It all started when J'eek decided to purchase some ale for his men in preparation for their campaign against the Tusken raider clans and the "beginning of a new age for Jawa on Tatooine." as he put it. He had gone on long and pointless speeches about how this was important and something for them to look back on, and forward to, whenever they are in heated combat. Gleefully he had prepared some credits he had set aside for just this occasion, mostly earned through a few ambushes of human caravans and the left overs from when they stole from their clan's horded valuables. "This is going to be fun." He muttered, giving off the scent of joy as his men passed by him. "First, we will drink. Then, we will prepare for the raid by gathering weapons for the men. Then we will practice by shooting the bottles of ale recently acquired. It's a win-win." After gathering the valuables he had so carefully acquired they went off to the marketplace. J'eek and his men were a common sight for many of the people there, as were most other Jawas. It wasn't fame, but infamy, as Jawas tended to be harsh when making deals. The stares and looks of disgust didn't bother J'eek or his men, infact J'eek found mostly a sense of pride in his people whenever people would stare.

Eventually they stopped at a small tent being held up by two sticks. It was on one of the corners of the marketplace and had a small sign: "Wonder Ale" on it. A gruff human greeted the new potential customers at first, but his kindness he often gave to customers immediately turned to a look of disgust when he got a look at his new customers. J'eek didn't need to be a jedi to read what was going on in his head:

"Jawas. Of course."
​

J'eek was prepared for this, and immediately started looking around, ignoring the human's obvious disdain. He got work, starting up and down the show looking at the selection of ales and other. He didn't want anything fancy, only a case of sufficiently strong ale. He'd spend most of his search shrugging off the snide comments the human made, he figured the human was new around here and while he was ignoring the comments, He WAS taking note of them. This would be used as a negotiation tool later. While Jawas were looked down on, they were still somewhat respected after all. After what felt to him like mere seconds of searching he finally found the case of what he was looking for. "Finally" was the first thing the human said as he brought it up to the man's 'counter' which was a simple wooden slab, it didn't even have table legs.

The man began to size up the case, it was just standard ale you could find on any planet, Everyone in the room knew it. Everyone, except this human it seems. Immediately he began hyping up the ale with a smug grin smeared across his face. "Yes yes, I had to go through quite the trouble to get this." He said, looking down at J'eek with a stupid grin. "You must think I am stupid human, you very clearly could get this from any old stand. It's basic ale. " J'eek said, pulling out his credit chip and typing out a number. He presented the number to the human, 20 credits. It was a fair price in J'eek's eyes but the human sneered the moment he took a look. "Did you not hear me? Did I not say how rare this ale was?" And so began the argument. It was mostly a one sided shouting match as the human clearly had no idea what J'eek was saying. Anyone could recognize this, anyone except J'eek. It was hard to get him to recognize his surroundings while he was angry, and nothing made him angrier than someone trying to give him a bad deal. The argument was mostly J'eek throwing insults and tapping the price he set and the human going "No no no, I need this much. and raising the price each time." His crew mates backed up, the stench of rage seeping from J'eek as the argument heated up, catching the attention of some of the people wandering the markets.

 

[Murtagh Tempest]

-Music-​

“No, thank you. I’m quite okay.”

This droid salesman was beginning to take up too much of the Vahla’s time. All he was on this sandy desolate planet for was some spare parts for a fighter he’d been working on repairing. But apparently, the parts where sold at one specific shop across the marketplace. He’d made the mistake to stop and purchase a drink from the Rodian before he was blasted with information about the latest droid models.

The only interesting thing that the dealer had available was an old, worn down looking BG unit. That alone caught the Jedi’s eye, and in an effort to close the conversation, he decided to mention it.

“Are you sure? My prices can’t be beat!”

“Alright. How much is the BG unit?”

“Newest model I have on stock, a little worse for wear but considering the state I found it in, none too surprising. Sand People.” The rodian waves his hand, as thought that explained everything.

“Ah.”

“That’s sitting at 550 Credits.”

Murtagh thumbed his pouch for a moment, then nodded, handing the credits over to him. The Rodian gave him a happy nod and removed the restraining bolt from the droid’s exterior. The little thing beeped and chirped in response, seemingly happy to be relieved of the thing. Bidding the seller goodbye at last, he started walking across the market stalls, his new droid rolling along in tow. As he made his way, a small gaggle of civilians caught his eye. Even without the power of the Force, Murtagh could see the mounting tensions. Seemed a Jawa was having some troubles with a human buyer. Wasn’t exactly his place to intervene, but Murtagh had a feeling - a feeling that he should. The small sentient wouldn’t stand a chance against a gang of humans.

“Uhm, excuse me? I happen to be pretty good at translating. Maybe I could help with this little issue?”

He worded it like a question, but the look he gave the vendor made it clear it was more of a statement. He wasn’t wearing Jedi robes, by any means, preferring to remain inconspicuous among locals. But his lightsaber was clearly hanging beside his blaster, and even if they hadn’t noticed that, his confidence in approaching the group would likely give them pause. There was only one of him after all - even if he was towering over almost everyone in the market itself, being over 6 feet.

 

[Jeek Dororo]

J'eek had just finished a slew of insults when he realized the vendor had stopped looking at him with disgust as his face widened a bit. At first J'eek thought the vendor had caught on to his demeanor and wizened up, his anger still as high as ever he thought to himself "Oh I am not about to let you off easy." he prepared another tirade of insults when the large man's words reached his ears. It was only just now that he finally got the hold of his surroundings, turning to see he had gathered quite the audience along with catching a whiff of fear coming from his men who had already turned to greet the newcomer.

J'eek walked up to the man, sizing him up with his eyes from a distance. He wasn't looking for a fight at all this time around, seeing as how he had come here somewhat unarmed with only a stun baton on him, so he was only seeing how trustworthy this individual truly was. It was during this moment he saw the lightsaber hanging from his belt and he began to get a bit paranoid. Either this was a Jedi here to arrest him or some kind of warrior. He soon relaxed, however, realizing this was his chance to show himself as a leader to his men to boost morale.

"Lucky for you human." He sneered at the vendor before turning to the Jedi and raising the credit chip to as close to his view as the tiny Jawa could muster. "Explain to this over-sized womp rat that I am not to be taken lightly. We both know how basic this ale is and I have offered a fair price for it. I won't be haggled by some tourist." Along with this sentence came a tirade of additional insults and curses, he was getting angrier the more he spoke to the man, his belongings making the occasional rattling noise as he shook from side to side speaking in the quick gibberish of his language.

While he was ranting he also looked at the droid following along with the Jedi. He stopped speaking for a moment as he glanced at it before thinking to himself: A deal for another time perhaps. He then returned his gaze to the Jedi before gesturing to the vendor in an expecting manner.

 

[Murtagh Tempest]

-Music-​

Murtagh hadn't exactly intended to elicit fear from the those gathered, but most took to looking at him with something close to a threat. The human the Jawa had been arguing with seemed to just grow overly annoyed with his appearance. He started off bickering at the Jedi, saying that he had no business here, the usual. Murtagh simply stood there, calmly, raising an eyebrow as he got more and more descriptive.

From what he could hear, the Jawas were no different. Chuckling slightly, nervous, the Vahla shook his head. This was something that seemed straight out of holo-drama. Random guy interrupts argument and is thrust into something bigger. Or at least, that's usually how it went.

I really put myself in an awkward situation, didn't I?

The Jawa took his turn to, instead of berating him, inform the Vahla that it was he who was in fact in luck. Murtagh wholeheartedly disagreed but didn't say anything, instead awkwardly brushing the back of his hair as he was spoken to. He wasn't exactly fluent in the Jawa's native tongue, but with the help of the Force, he could make out what he was saying easily enough. And then... everything kinda went downhill. Oversized womp rat? Murtagh sighed. This could turn into a very long and unexpected day.

“Well, our Jawa friend here seems to think this is a fair price, and that you're swindling him.”

“Well, this little kriff had better show my wares a little more respect! That bottle has been aged forever! It's very rare! And besides, I won't be told what to do by some run of the mill vaga-”

The Jedi had decided not to fully include the Jawa's expletives into his words. But part of him was beginning to wish he had. Neither individuals were being very reasonable, but only one of them seemed to feel it was necessary to actively insult him. Vagabond. It would have struck a nerve with anyone else, perhaps, but not a Jedi Knight. Something so low of an insult was annoying at best, beneath his radar at worst. He didn't know much about alcohol, but he did know the smell of the stronger varieties. With a wave of his hand, the bottle flew from the merchant's into his own. Before anyone could protest, Murtagh lifted the bottle to his nose and gently sniffed, before returning it to its owner. It was fruity. Very fruity, very sweet, and did not smell aged nor strong.

"WHAT IN THE STARS DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING! YOU THINK, BECAUSE WHAT, YOU'RE SOME JEDI YOU CAN JUST-"

“You are swindling the little ones, aren't you? Kinda scummy, don't you think?”

He ignored the merchant entirely, letting the Jawa know that his price may not exactly be fair or a bargain, he couldn't comment, however, this beverage was neither aged nor rare. Hopefully, that would settle the argument, but the Jedi Knight had a sinking feeling the whole debacle had only just begun.

 

[Jeek Dororo]

J'eek had been paying close attention to both parties. He didn't want to risk getting into conflict with the Jedi as much as he wanted to stuff a stun baton up the darkest corner of this vendor's backside. He was about to pop and the two jawas at his side knew it, one of them putting a comforting hand on his shoulder to try and calm him down. "All of this for a simple bottle of al-" He then watched as the bottle mysteriously found it's way from the vendor's filthy grip into that of the Jedi's. This was the first time he had seen this magic in action, you don't catch many Jedi on the sands.

He was a bit astonished, a lot more than he is willing to admit or ever will admit. His vision focused on the Jedi as he began to sniff at the bottle, even from here he could catch the lack of surprise on his face. The sudden protest from the shop keep all but confirmed the Jawa's suspicions. He watched as this man who had been so overly cocky to him and his kin suddenly became angry and defensive. That's when he heard the words "swindling the little ones" and his feelings of surprise turned to that of rage. "I knew you were lower than the droppings of a Rancor but as expected you moonlight as a liar as well!" He began to get more animated as he spewed the insults. This was the straw that broke the camel's back.

How could he, a prospective pirate and his crew, take this insult? Well that's simple in his eyes: He wouldn't. It wasn't too rare to find a shop keep getting harassed on Tatooine. J'eek knew this, and this man's shop looked too fresh to be under anyone's protection. He wasn't just going to let it slide, he wanted what he felt he was owed.

"Tell the human to give us the ale for free, along with as many credits as he can muster as an apology!" J'eek stamped as he pointed angrily at the vendor, now positively reeking with anger. He figured there would be some push back from the vendor, who seemingly understood the implications of J'eek's angered movements, but he was prepared. It would be credits now or blood later. He was no fool however, he knew he'd have to wait to get his revenge when he was better armed and with no Jedi around. For now all he could muster was placing his hand lightly on his stun baton. "This human lacks respect for those around him and should be punished accordingly, my people don't take kindly to those who are unable to trade fairly with others!" He said with a motion that definitely came off as though he was spitting to the side.

 

[Zad Ruzed]

Music OOC

Spoiler

​

“I think you should cool down.”

The voice might have caught the lot of them off guard as the speaker approached from out of nowhere, rounding the tent from outside to introduce himself into the opening and pace toward the makeshift stall, or more specifically the panel of debaters posted at it.

“It’s hot enough out as it is. Don’t need the heat of tempers making it worse.”

Jawas, a Human vendor, and what could only be a Jedi. In contrast to them, Zad Ruzed stood at his own height, allowing both it and his build to amalgamate with a tan cloak that hid whatever was carried beneath it. That was fine. It’s what his would be audience could see that mattered. Slung around his back was a blaster rifle, and that sure offered its own contest, but it was the badge on the belt beneath the cloak that mattered most. Pulling the garment aside to reveal the badge, maybe they would recognize it, maybe they wouldn’t, but they should, because it was a Sector Ranger speaking to them now.

“You,” he nodded his unhooded head at the Jawas, namely their ringleader. “And you.” Again at the shopkeep. He all but ignored the Jedi; though, gathering from the latter’s disposition, the man had been making the same attempt to pacify the situation. “Listen up.”

Zad stood there with his hands on his hips, right where they needed to be, scrutinizing the agitators if not daring them to test him. It was the ale merchant who caught his gaze and the tongue that came with it.

“It seems that your product is being questioned for its integrity, as are you. Allow me to be the judge.” He motioned his fingers for the merchant to pour a cup. The man hesitated at first, ever wary of yet another dancer to this song of the trade, but relented and held out the cup. Zad kept cool as he walked closer in between Jawa and Jedi, accepted the cup, sniffed and sipped. A tongue ran over lips. Sweet, fruity, more juice than ale. He returned the cup and the stuff within it.

“This is swill.” Zad’s head swung to the Jawas beside him, lest they take his words for confirmation. “But not grounds for punishment by way of the Jawa. Sorry.”

 

[Murtagh Tempest]

Ah, yes, the floor is made of floor.

He didn't say anything aloud, but his eyebrow raise signaled that he was amused. Some random human had decided to intervene and deduce the very same thing Murtagh had just a moment ago. The difference was this spacer did so a lot more forcefully than Murtagh had been willing to. It was enough to elicit a gentle sigh. But, if he wanted to be the one to mediate, by all means the Vahla Jedi would let him. As far as he was concerned, he just wanted to avoid bloodshed.

He did, however, stay nearby and calmly watch as the Jawa decided to inform the Jedi of what he assumed would be fair recompense. This newcomer disagreed with him. Murtagh could sense that though this human was attempting to defuse the situation and stand tall - as tall as you could next to a being who was 6 feet and 4 inches - he hadn't exactly succeeded. Both the vendor and the Jawa had their hands on their weapons, which prompted Murtagh to gently thumb the base of his lightsaber in response. He didn't draw it, but he could at a moment's notice. Murtagh was a proficient duelist, and deflecting, disarming and generally dealing with blaster fire was no issue to him.

"With respect, it would be pointless to try and shoot at one another right now. At this distance, I could disarm both of you before you had a chance to fire. As I was going to say... the human is right. No point starting violence over something like this. I can't ask this street merchant to give you credits - but I can offer to pay a fair price for what you were going to purchase."

It was the best deal that Murtagh had the right to make. He would be responsible for the cost of the drink, which he knew the Jawa would never get for free, at a fair price. Since the Jedi didn't care much for possessions, and cared even less about currency (the Order would provide for those needing it within their ranks), Murtagh was more than willing to make the trade. It seemed the vendor would agree, likely wanting to just end this whole debacle here and now. The question was - would this Jawa trader decide to take the diplomatic approach and do the same? Or where Murtagh and this human newcomer destined to intervene?

As the situation sat, the Tempest didn't like it. There were too many people, too many unknowns and possible innocents around. Not to mention that as a Jedi he was subject to some strenuous circumstances - namely the Sith Eternal. He didn't want to be caught out here in the open any longer than he had to, and from the feeling in the pit of Murtagh's stomach, he could tell that his welcome was going to come to a close. He had no interest in dealing with a blaster fight, bounty hunters, or Sith today...

 

[Jeek Dororo]

If you had told J'eek a few hours ago that his simple shopping trip would have ended with him being caught in a room with not only a Jedi, but a Sector Ranger, and he would be unarmed? He'd have just stayed home and figured out some other way to boost the morale of his men. So when the Ranger appeared, seemingly out of nowhere to the fully distracted J'eek, he knew he had gotten too wrapped up in the situation. This stunk like the inside of a Sarlacc pit, and acting on emotion would be a fatal move on J'eek's part. He needed to settle down and think his way through this, he tried acting like a pirate now it was time to act like a business man.

A million thoughts were racing through the Jawa's mind when the Jedi spoke up, offering him an out. This man would-pay for the drinks himself? For the first time since walking in here J'eek began to find this situation rather amusing. He let down his guard and removed his hand from his stun baton, turning to the Jedi. "How very generous of you large one. If you are willing to pay to restore this creature's honor yourself, and perhaps I was a bit extreme in my reaction to his attempts at haggling." What was once an overly aggressive and angry scent had declined as he returned to a state of calm and composure. "So long as this man learns a bit of respect, I am fine settling it at this, it's a deal then." As he said this, he extended his hand to the Jedi in order to shake it.

As he was moving to shake his hand he gave his friends a look and pointed them out and made a circling motion with his finger with his other hand. While this spat was settled he would not soon forget his treatment at the hands of the vendor, nor the faces of the Ranger and Jedi who intervened. "The name is J'eek by the way. I apologize for forgetting my manners amidst my rage, it is very discourteous to one so..helpful." He kept the Ranger in his view as he spoke, taking careful note of his movements. He wouldn't be caught of guard like that again.

 

[Die Shize]

As a berry-something honey aftertaste lingered in his mouth, Zad devoured the tension in the tent. As obvious as the Jawas had made themselves with their proclivity toward hostility, there was no telling what exactly the ale merchant had tucked away besides a crate of cons. Creatures like him almost had to travel packing. Still, it was equally unlikely that either party would suddenly erupt guns blazing, so the Ranger maintained composure, his hands away from hilts or handles or what have you, and smiled at the Jedi’s words. The man was a model of his order, so far anyway. Peace above all else. Even if it sometimes takes a lightsaber to achieve it.

Well, it had worked. The captain of the ragtag band of Jawa minions had lowered his offense and agreed to the Jedi’s terms. The two shook hands. Zad watched them beneath a curious brow. And, just like that, the deed was done. A look the vendor’s way suggested that he had no qualms at letting a third party finalize negotiations, though for his part Zad had no immediate desire to pay for anyone. Tongues might be bitter for the time being as grudges were swallowed, but the Ranger suddenly had a taste for iced whisky, and he wasn’t going to find any in this shabby tent.

“I suggest you thank the good Jedi for his services and reconsider the strategy of your enterprise, sir,” he spoke firmly to the vendor. “It might help in keeping problems like these from creeping back up down the road.” The man scoffed something stubborn but Zad made no note of it. He was now here to make sure that things stayed calm, the merchant got paid and the Jawas promptly dismissed themselves. Most of them already had. The Jedi’s hand was on the table now, having to only release credits from his grip and settle business. A waste of money, but at least it ain’t mine.

 

[Kendar Samuels]

Now what's that racket?

Samuels was having a simple day. He woke up, got dressed, practised his aim a little bit and then, for a break, decided to take a walk around the market place. As with most days, it was filled with people trying to outscam each other. Course, Kendar was used to it. Common occurrence and all that. But what surprised the ex-farmer is the sounds coming from that one specific tent. It sounded like someone was very unhappy with a deal. Normally, he wouldn't bother. It's preferable to remove yourself from the premise when that kind of thing happens as it tends to get ugly. But then he managed to get a peak inside the tent as he was passing through.

"Jawas?" He muttered, more to himself than anything. As far as he was aware Jawas' tended to deal within the outskirts of a city, where the moisture farmers were. He has met them with them himself, but they usually offered him old, barely working droids. These ones however was inside a tent attempting to buy alcohol of all things. This interested him to no end, thus he went closer for a little eavesdropping. Positioning himself closer to the tend, he tried to make himself as inconspicuous as possible as he went over to a nearby stall to 'examine' the merchandise.

From what he could hear there was a very disgruntled shopkeeper and the Jawas. He only picked up bits and pieces, but it did sound like both of them were very unhappy. That is until a new voice interrupted the conversation, a voice of wisdom if he's ever heard one. The conversation continued until Kendar could help but spare a look at the potentially overcrowding tent. That's when another figure entered the tent and began speaking with an authoritative voice. Perhaps attempting to defuse the situation. Soon however, the voices calmed down and an agreement was made. This interested Kendar to no end, so he removed himself from the stall without so much as a 'goodbye' and decided to lean next to a wall opposite of the tent. They can't stay in there forever.

 

[Murtagh Tempest]

Murtagh's composure visibly relaxed as the Jawa decided a more calm approach. It was, in truth, quite generous from a certain point of view. But to the Jedi's mind, nothing of consequence. When the time came to release the credits, he did so freely, smiling to the vendor gently and taking the bottle. He shook the diminutive being's hand firmly, looking the Jawa in the eye as he did so. Some likely viewed his kind as little more than pests, and though his opinion might change slightly if he found them stripping his ship, he did not agree with that view. He handed the being his bottle of alcohol and nodded calmly.

"I'm glad we could avoid further issues. No point here, am I right?"

As he spoke, Murtagh laughed awkwardly. He wasn't exactly used to being put into situations like this without forwarning, but to his credit, he did believe that he had handled it quite well. He could sense the vendor just wanted them gone, and the Vahla was more than happy to oblige, walking with the Jawa, and the human if he was walking this direction, temporarily. It would be rude to leave while someone was introducing themselves, after all.

"No issues, J'eek. Tempers get heated sometimes... it just happens. My name's Murtagh."

As he exited the area, his senses caught something else. It wasn't the Force that informed him, but rather the feeling that he was being watched. It warned him that there was someone else here watching the entire event unfold, and wasn't doing a very good job at avoiding eye contact. It was easy enough to figure out who it was - the being was leaning just outside the market tent itself. Initially, the Vahla's hand gently slid to his saber, looking over at the man with a concerned look. Of course, unless he knew what the motion meant, he doubted it would be any cause for concern. But as a moment passed, he calmed once again, deducing that he could draw his saber before anything were to occur anyways. It was simply nerve-wracking to be this exposed.

As far as Murtagh went, he wasn't used to it.