Just Another Cantina - Player Post
Somewhere along the Hydian Way in the D'astan Sector
5 BBY
Groomaw grunts again, a warbling grumble of shryiiwook and Brin Van Zant looks up at him in confusion.
"What?" she asks. The Wookie bartender rolls his eyes and points to the half-filled mug of dark ale in front of her expectantly.
"Oh - sorry yes it's great," she says and smile. She picks up the glass and has another long sip, seeing the Wookie staring eagerly at her over the rim of the cup. With a look of protest and resignation she flashes a thumbs up and downs the ale. Groomaw flashes her a toothy grin and motions back at the thermo-cooled keg of ale behind him.
"No no no," Brin says as she coughs into her sleeve, trying to recover from the crisp bite of the ale. "One is enough." Groomaw sighs and rolls his eyes before wading away down the bar to serve his other guests.
Brin turns back around and leans on the polished kanji-wood surface of the bar to stare out into the crowd. The cantina itself is packed. Locals, or whatever can be defined as locals in a place like the Emporium, seem to be the primary clientele here. Several long tables are occupied by separate groups of people, all enjoying themselves, but they keep to themselves. The other, smaller tables are also occupied by people who clearly enjoy each other's company, though they seem to be strangers who have met here. Even most of the stools at the bar are occupied, though nobody seems to mind more company. Two Gands sit in a booth tucked into a culvert on the far wall, their heads leaned down close to one another, likely in some kind of private conversation.
Beyond the general dining and bar area, the cantina opens up into a larger space to accommodate a dozen or more casino gaming tables. There were two man sabacc tables, one appeared to be an entry level table with the other a little higher in stakes. A few others were split between various chance cube based games. Spike Dice and Hazard Dice games were in full swing with a raucous round of elbows and gutshots to make the games more interested. On a big screen at the far wall, a group of patrons cheered and shouted as two Huttball players tried to navigate a churning deathtrap of flames projectors spewing gouts of flame while their opponents attempted to bludgeon each other with repulsor hammers and dampened blasters.
There is a sudden outrage from a sabacc table. A human in a fancy cloak and embroidered jackets yells at a man with a long grey coat and long dark curly hair. The long-haired man stands up and smiles. He motions for a woman in a form fitting dress which doesn't leave much to the imagination to come with him and, without a second thought for the flustered man now sitting on the floor, guides the woman through the cantina and through the door.
There is a look of genuine fear in the woman's face as she follows reluctantly and a few scowl at the man as he walks past. He nods his head and flashes them a non-committal smile. He finally exits the bar and pulls the reluctant woman out with him, a look of desperation and protest in her face.
Brin takes one final look at the Clear as Mud cantina, a veritable cornucopia of opportunities and sighs. It is somewhat ironic, she muses to herself. This is how all of the holodramas usually start. A lone ranger in some backwater cantina. Pushing herself off the bar she steps forward and out in a hopeful search of a profitable opportunity.
Beyond the general dining and bar area, the cantina opens up into a larger space to accommodate a dozen or more casino gaming tables. There were two man sabacc tables, one appeared to be an entry level table with the other a little higher in stakes. A few others were split between various chance cube based games. Spike Dice and Hazard Dice games were in full swing with a raucous round of elbows and gutshots to make the games more interested. On a big screen at the far wall, a group of patrons cheered and shouted as two Huttball players tried to navigate a churning deathtrap of flames projectors spewing gouts of flame while their opponents attempted to bludgeon each other with repulsor hammers and dampened blasters.
There is a sudden outrage from a sabacc table. A human in a fancy cloak and embroidered jackets yells at a man with a long grey coat and long dark curly hair. The long-haired man stands up and smiles. He motions for a woman in a form fitting dress which doesn't leave much to the imagination to come with him and, without a second thought for the flustered man now sitting on the floor, guides the woman through the cantina and through the door.
There is a look of genuine fear in the woman's face as she follows reluctantly and a few scowl at the man as he walks past. He nods his head and flashes them a non-committal smile. He finally exits the bar and pulls the reluctant woman out with him, a look of desperation and protest in her face.
Brin takes one final look at the Clear as Mud cantina, a veritable cornucopia of opportunities and sighs. It is somewhat ironic, she muses to herself. This is how all of the holodramas usually start. A lone ranger in some backwater cantina. Pushing herself off the bar she steps forward and out in a hopeful search of a profitable opportunity.
Brin's revelry is cut short as the last credit chip in her pocket shifted and she suddenly remembered that she was nearly broke. Her father's investment would be providing her with a little inflow of cash any time now, but that wouldn't last more than a day at most. She needed a job that paid hard credits, and she needed it now.
ReplyDeleteBrin scanned the cantina quickly looking for her best option.
((Perception Roll: YGG))
((Perception Roll: YGG vs PP
Delete(( 1 Success
Brin surveys the cantina for anything. A furtive glance, a pleading set of eyes, a heated conversation. A few things catch her attention and she breathes a small breath of relief. Tucked into the corner of the bar is a small holoterminal. These were generally dotted throughout all major cities. They were essentially public research terminals which could provide users with a general overview of information on a specific set of parameters, usually the areas you were consulting with. This was also were some of the non-guilded bounties would be posted. There would be risk to a non-guilded bounties; the guilds required a payment in advance of the bounty to the guild to protect the hunters upon claiming the mark. Additionally the guilds could be used to lobby with and broker agreements on disputes between hunters and bounty posters. Private bounties or public bounties were not afforded these protections. They were quite often illegal and unsanctioned. The only reason they were considered to be frank was the high rewards that came with them. Brin doubted that there would be bounties to claim aboard the Emporium given Cartol's strict rules but perhaps at the next port of call she could dash out and claim a few before the Emporium trundled on down the Hydian Way.
DeleteA noise from nearby caught her attention and she swiveled. Two bedraggled looking Bimm had come into the cantina and were pleading with some of the nearby patrons for help. The creatures kept reaching out oddly and touching the arms and backs of the people they tried to interact with. Most jumped suddenly, not expecting the touch and cursed or spit on the small creatures. They were diminutive and furry creatures with big eyes. They were a bit shorter than a human . One held a hat between his hands and clutched it nervously while the other dry-washed his hands nervously. They had floppy ears, long muzzles, and small black eyes that looked to the anyone for some sort of assistance. Their long three-fingered hands with short thumbs continued to pat and paw at the people around them pleadingly in an odd display of physical interaction or communication.
(Roll Average KNOWLEDGE (XENEOLOGY) Check)
((Xenology GGG v PP
Delete((2 Success
Brin recalls her father telling her about a Bimm Art Merchant he had met in his youth. Apparently their home planet of Bimmisaari is home to two native creatures, awkwardly both referred to as Bimm. There were the Near-Human Bimm and the furred Bimm. The two species were unrelated biologically and shared only a name and a culture. The furred-species did have some peculiar qualities. They were an almost fanatically pacifistic culture with a massive focus on guest rite. The Bimm were manic about greeting their guests and would often form long reception or receiving lines even for vagabond traders arriving at a backwater starport. They would further communicate through touches; often in complete silence they would touch their guests, arms, heads, necks, faces, whatever. It was meant as a sign of respect and trust; demonstrating they meant no harm though it often just confused or scared people who weren't comfortable with the practice.
Delete'Killing with kindness' was putting it mildly. They were an overly friendly race and, with the exception of the agnostic eyes of the Imperial Slave Masters, they were ignored. Brin was sure people just felt bad when doing anything to them or taking something from them. From what her father had said, even the Ohnaka gang, a ruthless gang of Weequay pirates famed during the Clone Wars, left them alone out of pity - seeing injured and desperate Bimm was almost as rare as a Jedi Master strolling into the Clear as Mud with his laser sword ignited and ready to fight.
The image was clearly disconcerting for others as many tried to avoid the Bimm, fearing what had broken this unspoken rule and violated the creatures.
((Destiny Roll: 2 LS
DeleteBrin steeled herself. It was unlikely the pair would be able to offer her what she needed and she couldn't risk failure, not now. She turned away from the Bimm and made her way to the holoterminal, where she scanned for the bounties looking for the most expensive bounty that she figured she could walk away with.
ReplyDeleteA few keystrokes whirred the console to life. With a few quick selections, Brin dug into Bounty Hunter's registry within the Imperial Archives. A query popped up and Brin frowned "Imperial Peace Keeping Certificate Number?" There was a text field where she could enter a IPKC, which she assumed was a license number. Below it, in a red text box, there was another option. In large white letters it read: "NON REGISTERED BOUNTIES."
DeleteBrin ignored the Imperial bounties. Her father had a severe and unexplained distrust for the Imperials and while she didn't exactly share his beliefs, she had picked up some of his sentiments. She selected the non registered bounties.
DeleteThe holoterminal chimed and whirred as it processed the request. A series of bounties began to stream onto the screen with various faces and credit amounts whirring around her. Some of them were years old and she recognized the faces as some of the most notorious figures in the galaxy. Jedi Exiles, Hutt Cartel Bosses, Famed Smugglers, and so one. The report then adjusted, the internal script clearly recognizing the Emporium's location. The list of hundreds suddenly dwindled to two options, both on the same planet. She frowned at the name.
Delete"Axxila," she muttered under her breath and squinted trying to recall any details ((Option Roll: Average KNOWLEDGE (OUTER RIM))) She sifted through the two bounties.
BOUNTY HUNTER REQUIRED
CALL No: 0192803
TARGET: Iia Suennie
RACE: Rodian
GENDER: Female
FEATURES: Cyborg enhancements
LOCATION : Axxila, Axxila System, D'Astan Sector
DETAILS: Speak to Dallo Huron for details (COORDINATED ATTACHED)
RISK: MEDIUM
REWARD: 4,500 CR
--------------------
BOUNTY HUNTER REQUIRED
CALL No: 0190104
TARGET: Xens Colyn
RACE: Devaronian
GENDER: Male
FEATURES: Red skin, yellow eyes, tall, tattooed back
LOCATION : Axxila, Axxila System, D'Astan Sector
DETAILS: Wanted for trespassing, infringement, theft of company assets. Speak to Vensi Jardan (COORDINATED ATTACHED)
RISK: High
REWARD: 6,500
Brin thought it over for a moment. 'There's no way to collect credits if I'm dead,' she thought, 'better stick to the less risky bounty.'
ReplyDeleteBrin recorded the coordinates for Dallo Huron and set out to find him.
Brin departed the cantina quickly, sparring only a quick glance at the helpless Bimm who were starting to draw the ire of Groomaw by pestering his patrons. Steeling herself, she pressed on and head outside into the main concourse. Outside she saw the long-haired gambler from inside in a heated conversation with the woman he had dragged from the cantina. It was difficult to hear him as he was speaking in hushed tones and through gritted teeth but the woman's confusion was apparent and her voice rising.
Delete"You want me to just leave?" she wailed.
"I'm trying to get you out of here belle, just take the credits and git," he said.
"But why!" she wailed and stuck out her bottom lip to pout. "Don't you like me?" she said and batted her eyes.
"I don't know you and I don't care to know you. What I do know is that you're not a free woman and that bothers me. So shut your mouth, take the credits, and git!" he said. With a gloved hand he abruptly spun the scantily clad woman and and gave her a hearty shove. She yelped and stumbled forward. Taking a few hesitant steps away and realizing he wasn't chasing her she quickly picked up her paces and scampered away.
The man ran a hand through his long dark hair and sighed. Realizing Brin was watching he smiled and shrugged.
"Woman..." he said contemplatively.
Brin rolled her eyes at his pathetic attempt at an explanation and continued on her way.
DeleteBrin strode off down the concourse, hands stuffed in her pockets and head down. She was in the main artery of the emporium, along the long slender spine of the Nebulon-B Class Frigate. There were small shops, habitation units, and curios tucked into every nook and cranny of the ship. Tables and chairs had been pulled out into the concourse and fringers, pilots, and a mix of almost every conceivable race in the galaxy gathered to gossip, talk, and loiter. They stared at Brin as she passed, not out of maliciousness but rather that general sense of weariness that sets into anyone who's lived on the Outer Rim long enough. You never know when that blow is going to land, where that ship is going to crash, or where that stray blaster bolt is going to hit. There was an odd sense of comfort in the uncertainty. Anything that seemed too good to be true was often too good to be true and left you either broken or dead.
ReplyDeleteAlong the concourse there were a series of holoscreens showing various ads for local businesses, the Imperial Holonet was playing soundlessly on some; a raucous riot on Lothal was being suppressed by the local Moff. Others were more generic information terminals which laid out the route for the Emporium. There was a small pit stop for fuel and consumables at Vinsoth, looked like a week or two at best, followed by a direct jump to Axxila where the Emporium would berth for a month or two. That was kind of the way it went on the Emporium. Brin scanned the list and saw similar patterns with small jumps and breaks all over the Hydian Way. Different ports were flagged for the opportunities the planet presented. She smiled as she saw the black and white mythosaur skull of the Bounty Hunter's Guild.
((Roll Average KNOWLEDGE (Outer Rim) Check for Vinsoth and Axxila))
She walked around the corner and followed a sign that said HANGAR BAY. She'd need to charter a pilot to take her to the surface. Either Vinsoth or Axxila or wherever she would need to go, there were no free rides from Cartol's Emporium.
Turning the corner brought her to a turbolift. She keyed the command console to summon the gravcar and waited patiently for the lift to arrive.
((Outer Rim GGG v PP
Delete((1 Success, 1 Threat
((Vinsoth was the capital planet of the Chevin and one other race that you can't recall. It's a grassland planet with relatively little trade. The Chevin are a stubborn and slow-moving race but their deistic tendancies and cultures have caused the planet to be the birthplace of a lot of cults))
Delete((Axxila. "Turn Coruscant inside out and make it a jail where the prisoners are in control - that's Axxila." An ecumenopolis and the center of the spice-smuggling in the galaxy. It is often referred to as the mirror of the Imperial Center itself))
The turbolift chimed and the doors slid open. Brin walked into the turbolift and leaned into the back corner, arms crossed and head down. The doors began to close but stopped suddenly as a Rodian slid his arm between the sensors to trigger it open. The Rodian nodded to Brin and stood at the other side of turbolift, hands stuffed in his pocket. The doors closed and the elevator hummed to life as it glided down the corridor towards the hangar bay. The bounty's point of contract, Dallo Huron, was apparently somewhere near the hangar bay. He could provide some more perspective on the target as right now she had little more than a name and a price tag.
DeleteThe Rodian shuffled toward Brin a bit, head still down and hands stuffed in his pockets. After a moment, he stole a furtive glance at the her and then shuffled a bit closer, slowing moving between Brin and the door.
"If you want to end up as a smear of batha poodo between the turbolift and the shaft, come between me and the door," Brin said, cool as the winds of Hoth. Brin shifted her weight and prepared to lunge across the turbolift at the Rodian if he showed any hint of aggression.
ReplyDelete((Readied action, charge))
((Roll RP Coercion Check with boost for great RP))
Delete((Coercion GGB v RP
Delete((Flip Destiny YGB v RP
((1 Success
((Destiny Pool: 1 LS, 1 DS
DeleteThe Rodian cowers and raises his hands in surrender.
Delete"Noah goola unko. Noah goola unko. Nopa myo poonoo ," he mutters in Huttese. The turbolift chimes and the door opens. The Rodian scuttles out of the turbolift and into a crowd of a few others waiting in a corner near the exit. He whispers something to them and they all look up at Brin through furtive glances and then hurry away.
Consulting her datapad she saw that Dallo was onto a short distance away. She stepped out of the turbolift and stumbled at the awkward gravity. She cursed and steadied herself. The docking ring around the Emporium must be held in a low-gravity state as to regulate the powers on the containment fields within the docking ring.
She didn't know much about the ring other than it was more of a repair depot. Also the limited black market activity which happened aboard the Emporium all happened on this level. The series of lifts and stairs required to circumvent the docking ring left a lot of cramped and dark corners for the more unsavory forms of business. The line between palatable and unpalatable business for Cartol was quite small but there was still a line. Despite the veritable free port of business, there were still those who chose to circumvent the rules to flip a credit - the docking ring is where it happened.
According to the bounty information. Dallo was in a repair bay along the portside of the ring. "Repair Bay 25241 - KNOCK TWICE" were the instructions. There were other opportunities to explore on the ring. Even the few people she saw skulking in the corners as she walked all could offer something, only if she was brave enough to ask.
((OPTIONAL AVERAGE (PP) STREETWISE CHECK))
Brin strode confidently out of the turbolift. It wasn't lost on her that the Rodian had many friends waiting for her, but it was clear that she'd cowed him into submission. 'Not everyone would be so easily frightened,' she reflected, but it still left her with a rush that she was unaccustomed to.
ReplyDeleteMoving toward Repair Bay 25241, Brin maintained a steady pace, trying to walk as confidently as possible in the low grav environment. If she was going to start building a reputation for herself here, she needed people to know that she wasn't in a hurry -- of course, she wasn't one to wonder from shop to shop either, and she made quick progress to her goal, rapping loudly once, and then again, as per the instructions.
The door hissed open and revealed a dark hallway which ran along the one side of the Repair Bay. She could see a door at the far end which would have lead into the main repair bay. The lights were set to dim although she knew they could be brightened intensely as maintenance requires. The Repair Bays on the Emporium were ringside but deeper set into the bulwark of the ship. There were only a few of them, despite the lengthy naming conventions which Cartol had selected, and they were used primarily for covert dealings. Most ships which required deeper serving couldn't afford Cartol's exorbitant "maintenance fees" so they would go to a rogue maintainer shop along one of the major runs instead. With little use and a general lack of control on access, the Repair Bays aboard the Emporium became essentially meeting rooms for the more nefarious activities on the ship. Brin could sense that the moment she walked down the long hallway, her heart pounding as she stepped deeper into the room. She could hear voices from within the docking bay, one male voice and the other a somewhat mechanical voice. They seemed to be trying to talk in hushed tones but the monochromatic drone of the mechanical voice made it difficult to be surreptitious.
DeleteA hand on her blaster at her hip she rounded the corner and looked into the docking bay.
"You?" she said.
((Story will continue 23 April 2019 on Roll20 with the "Unexpected Allies" mini session))