Looking for trouble...

[Alyse Ja'hal]

The air ran clean and pure in Taanab. The rolling farmlands and lush landscape almost made a place like this somewhere to settle down. These quaint, quiet people deny the thoughts of criminals and thieves using their homeland as somewhere to hunker down and lie low; But not everyone is so oblivious to the truth. "The Pickled Ale". A hole in the wall sitting about 5 meters below the surface, maybe if it had only been 4 then people would have paid more attention.

Sitting beneath a wooden sign and a thin doorway, the musky stench of smoke and dirty drinks filled the stairway leading to the room below. The slimy musician was probably the only reason most people stayed here so long but I wasn't here for music and a drink. No, I was here because a whisper in the wind mentioned contracts coming in and out of this dingy shack of a bar. Something to change the pace from the repetitive "Republic Retreval" missions that were being given. Last I had checked, I am a bounty hunter. Not some babysitter beckoning to a senator's every whim. I took a seat at the bar, glancing around the room; Surely someone was up to no good...

 

[Kori Buor]

The Wanderer sucked in a nice deep breath of the crisp, fresh air. He blinked a few times, clearing his blue eyes of some excess tears which formed when he removed his helmet to get a feel of what this world was like. Taanab, now that was a beautiful world. So very different from the world he was found on, yet so very much the same too. Asterion could settle down on a planet like this. As he thought about settling down he absently touched the locket around his neck. Glancing around himself, he realized he wasn't alone; a half dozen people were moving about their day. None of them were really paying attention to the man in the Mandalorian armor, though Asterion could still see the awkward sideways stares a few would throw his way in passing.

Looking up, Asterion saw the words "The Pickled Ale" faintly scratched into a wooden sign and barely visible behind two other signs. That was where he was supposed to go. Moving rather quickly, the Wanderer entered the small, almost concealed door into the lower levels. After going through another door at the bottom of the stairs he was greeted by a typical site; a seedy looking cantina filled with all sorts of no doubt disreputable people. The air in here was different from the outside. The faint odor of alcohol, sweat, and scented smoke filled the establishment. Overhead the lighting provided dim illumination. Walking forward, Asterion took an open seat next to a young woman with an interesting, if not colorful appearance. Looking at the bartender he stated, "Something strong and some information if you can provide it."

 

[Sly]

The refreshing burst of outside air blew a cool motion through the woman at the counters hair as the door swung open. Footsteps were faintly heard approaching closer and closer till they finally ceased directly next to her, a body sliding into the seat next to her. Thank the stars, another human. Alyse took a peak at the man that had just sat nearby, recognizing his armor clear as the Tanaab water. Mandolorian.

She glanced down at the empty glass in front of her, running a finger along the rim with a smear of dust trailing behind it. The bar music was becoming overbearing but at least it kept the crowd away from her. The less attention from anyone else, the better.

This man, however, had her attention. His approach, his gear. This wasn't a weary traveler, he was here for a reason and she was intent on figuring it out. Turning her head to the bartender, "Go ahead and make it a double. I'll get a tab started." She looked over to the man next to her, grinning. "What brings you to this side of the galaxy?"

 

[Kori Buor]

Sliding his helmet across the bar counter so that it would be slightly out of the way, the man in the Mandalorian armor raised an eyebrow as he looked at his neighbor. She was a fairly young female, or at least she appeared younger than he was, but old enough to be there by herself. Her hair was platinum in color, which helped to reflect the neon lights of the cantina. Making a satisfied smirk he nodded back at the woman. "Well, thank you, my dear. Guess you could say I have a job. Not one most people tend to enjoy doing, but it's one that a man who wears this armor supposedly is very good at."

Having just met this woman, Asterion was hesitant to give too much detail; after all this could be a friend of the person he was after, or some kind of local authority who might not be too kind to hear that this Wanderer intended on bringing death and destruction to Taanab. Though, Asterion found the latter scenario rather doubtful given the woman's youthful, and motley appearance. With the bartender pouring him a drink, the man took the container and smelled the fluid inside. It had a very potent and aromatic smell; Asterion could pick up the linger tint of berries and citric fruits over the alcohol, and some sort of nutty smell as well. Swirling it around, the man took a sip, letting the liquid sit on his tongue for a moment. Once the burn of the alcohol passed he swallowed. "Not bad at all."

Looking back at the woman next to him he smiled. "You can call me Asterion... miss...?" The Wanderer would let the girl introduce herself if she so chose to before continuing on. "And what brings you out here? Are you a native or just passing through? Know of any work that might be interesting? Or maybe you're looking to join in on something? If that's the case I might have something you can do... but that all depends on what sort of... reservations you might have about certain professions."

 

[Sly]

The man seemed to give off a friendly appearance. It had been awhile since Alyse had trusted anyone, but not trusting anyone wasn't helping her find work. "You can call me Alyse. As of now I'm passing through, however, that could change very quickly depending on where the winds take me. Something tells me that with gear like that, we might have similar intentions for being on this lush rock." She mildly chuckled, trying to leave the statement as a light joke. The drink that was brought to her wasn't a particular favorite of hers, but she managed to choke it down. In the end, alcohol is alcohol. She turned her attention back to the armored man beside her. "So this profession you speak of, we both know we share..." The statement would come off as blunt but would spark inevitable conversation. "Let's talk about this case you mentioned." She would say this with a calm, light smirk; Drinking another sip of her beverage.

 

[Salamandurrr]

The light breeze of this new place brushed across his fur, giving it the slightest wave. To him, it was one of the greatest feelings ever. He looked from left to right, and back again, admiring the beautiful landscape of this world. "This planet feels... homely," he said to himself as his mind focused on this one sign, hidden from the average man's sight, but if you were looking, it was plain as day. "The Pickled Ale" it read. "They always say curiosity killed the cat," he thought. He stuck his nose into the air, in a hope to smell food coming from the building. While the smell was faint, it was there, drowned out by the overwhelming scent of alcohol. As he looked around, he noticed a door, much like the sign, the door wouldn't be noticed by the everyday man. He walks through, greeted by a set of stair, and another door at the bottom. After making his way down, he opens the door to see exactly what he was looking for. A bar, filled with men and women, falling in a drunken stupor, arguing, talking, or enjoying a drink. Clearly none of them were sober enough to talk to, so he took a seat at the bar. To his right sat a passed out man, cut off by the bartender. To his left there were a few empty seats, and further down sat a man, wearing Mandalorian Armor. Upon further examination Trivaard noticed that the man was covered in scars, next to him sat a woman, with silver hair, who had a demeanor that seemed almost like she was on a mission. Trivaard couldn't help but overhear their conversation. He looks over to the bartender and asks for a light drink and some food, before rummaging his pockets for the last bit of credits that he had. He gave them to the bartender, except for two. Then he heard a question that sparked his interest. While not hearing it clearly, he did make out the words work and professions. this sparked his interest as he slid a few seats down, and as to not startle the two, he slid his final two credits down as a way to get their attention. "I don't mean to be nosy, sometimes my ears can pick up sounds that I wasn't expecting to hear, but I think you said something that might of peaked my interest as well."

 

[Kori Buor]

"Hmm," Asterion let out a thoughtful hum as he listened to the younger woman, Alyse, introduce herself to him. Once she had finished, presuming openly among the two of them that they both had similar intentions for being on the same planet, he looked at her and smiled, even sharing a quiet chuckle with her. It was a good attempt, and while Asterion would definitely give her a little bit about his job he wasn't going to give her everything. Not quite yet at least. Trust wasn't earned over the course of a drink and a single polite conversation after all. But it was definitely a start, and Alyse seem like she was on the level to the Wanderer, which was a good start. "So, you go by Alyse, huh? Pretty name, don't think I've heard it before. It fits you, though."

Thinking for a moment about her next remark, he opened his mouth to speak when he noticed a newly arrived Bothan sneaking up on him out of the corner of his eye. The paranoid part of Asterion took over for a moment and he had to fight the urge to grab a weapon and turn on the Bothan, but he somehow managed, and once the alien slid two credit chits over the counter to them, Asterion was slightly awed.

Looking at the credits, he blinked. What sort of overture was this? Was this a bribe? Was he supposed to take them? It was a pretty poor bribe, and while Asterion could be bought to do a job, that didn't mean he was going to trust a stranger who awkwardly slid him some credits and asked for more information about a job he was already reluctant to speak or. The whole thing smelled fishy to him. Glancing at Alyssa, he waited to see if she would take the credits. Maybe she would be more trusting than he was at this moment about the newcomer.

Smiling once more ay Alyse, he held up a finger to indicate he wished her to hold onto her current thought. Clearing his throat again, Asterion glanced at the Bothan. "I don't believe I got your name." He remarked flatly. "And what exactly was said that piqued your interest?"

 

[Salamandurrr]

"My Apologies, I do seem a bit quick to the draw eh? Allow me to explain myself, My name is Trivaard... Trivaard Trian'qov. You see, My ears can hear exceptionally well, sometimes things that I shouldn't hear, normally, I'd be at a bar to hear stories from the locals, but in here, everyone is too drunk to think straight. I can tell you're not from here, the both of you, so I'll cut to the chase, I just spent my last bit of credits on lunch, all except two, when I overheard an inquiry about a job that the both of you might be here for. I slid you the credits to hopefully ensure your trust, but I do understand where you're untrustworthiness is coming from. I'm the same way, but if I wasn't so desperate for cash at the moment, I wouldn't be bothering you." The look on his face was stone. Showing no emotion, but the slightest shift of his fur let out a bit of nervousness. He wasn't a bounty hunter like the other two seemed to be, but money is money, and he needed it.​

 

[Sly]

Alyse casually slid her hand down to her belt, feeling some something without drawing too much attention. Thermal Detonator, check. While not planning on having to use it, it eased her mind knowing that she could quickly draw a weapon of some sorts. Before Asterion could even speak, Alyse looked towards his way, then back to the Bothan. "What are your skills? Why should you have any part with business like ours..?"

 

[Salamandurrr]

He took a moment to think, when he was suddenly startled by the food set down beside him. He took a bite, and swallowed before giving his answer. "Look, I need the money, and I'm just letting you know that if you need a keen shot or a swift and silent mover then you have one, if not so be it. I'll go about my business as usual, and I won't bother you anymore." He immediately went back to his food, eating as if he hadn't eaten in days. With a mouthful of food he mumbled, "I mean, what help could a 5 kilometer shot do for you"

 

[Sly]

A 5 Kilometer shot. The tone in the Bothan's voice made Alyse unsettled, causing her to give off a facial expression that was a mix between holding back backlash and scepticism. "Hmpf. Perhaps I can round up a few side jobs for you. Low paying jobs. Nothing big, that's why I was going to pass on them. Prove your worth and we can see about getting you something a little more valuable." Proceeding to finish off her drink, she looked to the barkeep and hollered, "Another round here for my friends and I..."

 

[Salamandurrr]

A smirk went across his face, he knew that would get her. He didn't care about the low pay, someone has to do the jobs, and they'll pay better than the small cargo shipments he's used to. "I won't complain, sometimes you gotta go through the war zone to get to the safe zone. I'm in." He finished his last bite of food, then wiped his face with a napkin. "Gimme what you got"

 

[Versok]

Tanaab,not the best place to be,at least from the point of view of Gareth,but he was just here for a mission,a mission that,while it wasnt the most interesting of all the ones that he had done,it was enough to gain some credits and have some fin.
The Zabrak bounty hunter entered in a place called "The Pickled ale" because he wanted a drink and because he heard that his target liked to get drunk there.Gareth would sit and ask for a drink,while taking the helmet out,he would usually be careful about wearing his armor and weapons because it could draw unwanted attention,but it seemed like a normal thing there,so he would just relax with his drink and search for his prey at the same time

 

[Kori Buor]

Asterion stayed mostly silent during the exchange between Alyse and the Bothan who introduced himself as Trivaard Trian'qov, which was honestly too long and too difficult a name for the man in the Mandalorian armor to remember and deciding he would simply call him Triv. Alyse seemed more than happy to do what Asterion would have done and vetted the newcomer of his skills, something that made the man wonder what Alyse was particularly good at. He was certain that it would be a question that was going to be answered very soon. Smirking as Alyse seemed to find the Bothan's implicit claim at making a five kilometer shot ludicrous, Asterion finished off the drink in his hands while the woman commented that she might have some small jobs for him.

The entrance into the bar of a Zabrak also did not escape Asterion's notice, though he did not say anything at first. The horned humanoid seemed content to merely order a drink and not bother anyone. Looking back at the Bothan, the Wanderer hummed for a moment before speaking, "Alright kid, I might be able to use someone like you for a small cut of the profit of this mission." Pushing the credit chits back towards the young Bothan, "And next time you want to try and convince someone share some information, I suggest you fork out more than your last two creds."

Turning back to face Alyse he continued, "I'm here looking for a certain... entrepreneur. His name is Erastus Razimus. From what I've learned he lives on the outskirts of town here. Heard he has some personal guards who like to come in here from time to time. Anyways, a certain client suspects that he is into some shady dealings and wanted it investigated and handled appropriately without any blowback. So they hired me... discretely of course. Help me with the job and we can split it fifty-fifty, minus the cut we give the kid if he makes it out of course."

Smiling as the new drink was placed in front of him he even added, "Who knows, if we work well together there may be more such work down the line if you're interested."

 

[Versok]

While the zabrak was drinking,he couldn't help but to overhear the conversation between a bothan and what looked like another bounty hunter since there could be the chance that they had the same objective,but it was not the case,his prey was another man,a twilek that entered right at this moment.

Gareth would keep his eye on that twilek,while finishing his drink,the zabrak would decide to join the other three talking

"Tell me...how do you think the people here would react if I left that man unconscious...or worse?" Whispered the zabrak to those three,he would finish his drink quickly while waiting for a response

 

[Salamandurrr]

A new drink is placed in front of him, a lot heavier than his first. Trivaard knew what he could handle, and this drink wasn't one of them, but he didn't want to disrespect Alyse. He slowly sipped on it, not wanting to get drunk. Suddenly he could hear someone approaching, not wanting to draw unwanted attention to the group, he flared his fur up slightly enough for Alyse and Asterion to see. Trivaard turned to see who was approaching; it was a Zabrak, who had the looks of a bounty hunter. The man wasted no time asking a question, something about taking out another person in the bar. Either this guy was a bounty hunter, or delusional. Trivaard talked quietly, making sure other bar patrons didn't hear him, "What do you mean? Why? Do you have some personal vendetta? Or do you have another reason, that involves money? I am not even in that line of work, and even I know how dumb that idea is. Now that you've talked to us, if you go for him right now, it makes us look suspicious, and I don't need to have 'Big Brothers' eye on me right now." The tone of Trivaard's voice stayed calm, but inside he was worried that this guy was going to screw everything up. After convincing himself that things we're going to be fine Trivaard said, "Anyway, what's your name mate?"

 

[Sly]

Alyse listened carefully as Asterion described his mission, "Sound's like a deal. Fifty seems fair but let's see how this kid can handle himself." As she would address the Bothan, she reached to her waist pulling back a small electroblade to the table. "Guessin' you probably didn't walk in prepared..." lightly chuckling, she slid the weapon towards him. Turning back to Asterion, "Take a slice of my cut. I'll do Fifty-Fourty-Ten, he can have that bit for now until he proves worth keeping around." As she said that, the Zabrak approached the counter near the group, muttering off his question about an unconscious man. "It is unwise to approach a group of people you have never seen before with such a bold statement." Leaving that statement to be thought about, she glanced around the room as Triv would talk to the newcomer, looking around for the target Asterion had described. She noticed a table off to the corner of the room that seemed a bit more entertaining than the rest. There was smoke coming from the center of a group where someone was sitting, playing what appeared to be some form of card game. The table nearby also had quite a few armed men sitting around it, they were more focused on everyone around rather than the game itself. They were protecting someone. Sporting low protective armor with strange colors on it, the armed group didn't seem to be wielding anything worth a worry. This was going to be easy money.

Zipping down the front of her top an inch or so to show a fair amount of cleavage and pushing her hair back into a presentable position, she turned back to Asterion. "Would you like me to do the honors of getting nice and personal with your friend over there?" Slyly gesturing to the gamblers with a smirk.

 

[Salamandurrr]

Taking the weapon, Triv noticed the group in the corner. He flicked his ears up, in an attempt to catch anything from the conversation the group was having. "Alyse, figured you'd like to know, he's into brunnetes..." Triv decided the best move was to bide his time and wait for Alyse's signal.

 

[Sly]

"In the end, he isn't going to see too many colors anyways.." She smirked, waiting for Asterions command. After all, it was his job.

 

[Kori Buor]

"Fair enough," the Wanderer nodded in approval at Alyse's response about seeing if the Bothan kid could handle himself and about the pay. Now his attention turned to the Zabrak who had chosen to approach them and make a remark about making a nearby man unconscious. "Yeah, you might want to think real long and hard about what you do next. That's an easy way to get this whole place to turn against you real fast. I'd listen to what these two have to say... they might just end up saving your life someday."

Asterion would let the Bothan do most of the talking at that point. His attention wasn't particularly drawn to the conversation with the Zabrak at that point; in fact, he was much more interested in whatever it was that had drawn Alyse's attention. She was looking off to one of the corners of the cantina where a group of men were gathered around a table playing cards amidst some sort of smoke. A few of the men there were some very basic armor which likely didn't provide too much protection. They looked like they could very well be his target's guards. Glancing at Alyse as she pulled her top down a little he chuckled, "What, you'll do that for them, but you won't do it for me?"

His tone was obviously teasing and he added a playful wink on at the end. "And if you want to make a man jealous and get all personal with those thugs over there feel free... I'm not going to stop you."