Chapter Three: The Bounty Hunter

The Bounty Hunter watched the patrons of the Cantina from a dark booth by the door. It was what he did every day since the incident. The incident, he clenched his fist. The only reason he was still here and had been here for almost a year. Most days he was able to drown the memory, but today it surfaced. He grumbled as he took a drink of the substance they called ale.

His implant chirped in his ear. Someone had tripped the proximity sensor he had buried when he got stuck here. He sat up a little and hoped that the trip was actually something that could help him and not just another rodent. He tapped into the feed from the sensor.

The roar of swoops filled his ear. It was so loud that he had to turn it off. A biker gang was coming to town. The Bounty Hunter smiled and picked up his mug. Finally, an opportunity to get out of this stinking settlement. He had been here too long, not that he could have left, not without parts for his bike.

The Bounty Hunter had come out here chasing a bounty, a very lucrative bounty and he had found what he was looking for. Unfortunately the mark was well protected and knew about the price on his head. He had surrounded himself with people who were always on the lookout for hunters. He had been pegged early, distracted and seduced and robbed.

When he had found out about the theft he had triggered the explosives he had attached to all of his gear and watched as the sky to the north of the settlement light up with the fireworks of a ship exploding into a million little pieces. The local security force had arrested him for the deed, but soon after released him when he had triggered another explosion that had rocked the back of the Inn where he had left what remained of his bike.

After that the locals had pretty much left him in peace, but there had been no way to leave. The bounty no longer seemed worth the effort. His ability to contact anyone outside of the community had been blocked as well. He couldn’t even reach the rest of his crew, that or they had found a job, as he had told them to do, and were out of the system.

The leaders of the settlement knew what they were doing and had rendered him quite ineffective, so he sat day after day in the Cantina waiting. Waiting for an opportunity to present itself to get out and it looked like today would be the day.

The Bounty Hunter sighed and leaned back in his chair. The hum of swoops coming closer made him smile. He wasn’t sure how he would play his cards, but wasn’t going to pass up an opportunity to get out and back to the bustle of life. For now he would watch and see if the bikers would let down their guard.

The zabrak server, Ysme, drifted by his table and smiled. She was intoxicating and often distracted patrons with her movements. It was a problem as you could watch her for hours and not realize it. When you finally realized what was happening you were many credits lighter and much drunker. He had been taken by her when he had arrived.

The Bounty Hunter was still bitter about that one and glared at the zabrak. He had nothing left but a very few credits that he was intent on saving. He waved her away. There was nothing he wanted from her. His mug was still quite full as he had learned to be slow with the local drink. It was also part of what had gotten him into his present situation. Stronger than what you would expect it didn’t take long to become so stinking drunk you didn’t remember what had happened for three days, if you were lucky and you actually woke up after passing out.

It was still early in the afternoon and the Cantina was pretty empty. The barkeep stood behind the bar, which faced directly the small door that opened the Cantina to the elements. When storms came through a force shield was activated to keep the weather out. Though it wouldn’t really matter, the floor was hard packed dirt which turned to mud when things got a little rowdy and drinks or blood spilled.

The only natural light came from the door, the rest from lights in the ceiling and holodancers that glowed from corners. Musicians lined one wall to the right of the door. The music they played soothing and hypnotic. The holodancers moved in rhythm with the music which added to the affect.

High tables cluttered the floor and booths took up space on the walls. A large table to the right of the bar was set up for Pazaak, though no one played as there were no credits to be exchanged. The dealer often sat at the corner of the bar drinking and waiting. Tonight might prove to be a lively night for her.

The remaining patrons of the Cantina were the locals who were placed by the security team to watch him and make sure that anyone coming in was scanned for threat and would contact the leaders should action be required. The bikers would get their attention, quickly.

The swoops were getting closer. He no longer needed his implant to hear them. He sank deeper into the shadows of the booth. By now everyone had heard the swoops and had turned towards the door. The Bounty Hunter pulled his blaster out of its holster and placed it in his lap as the swoops stopped out front of the Cantina.

With the use of his implant he was able to hear the instruction the leader gave the group. He watched as a muscular human dressed in black leathers walked in with a hooded twi’lek on his arm. She was also dressed in leathers. These clung to her form like a second skin, imagination was not required. The Bounty Hunter had to shake his head to keep from being swept up yet again in the movement of the female form.

‘Damn it man, it’s not like you haven’t seen them before,’ he chided himself. ‘Keep your head in the game.’

The twi’lek turned as they passed her eyes glowing as she looked directly at him. Her red eyes seemed to glow as she looked directly at him. The Bounty Hunter thought that he saw her nod, but shook his head. He must be imagining things, how would she know who he was or that he wasn’t a local.

A second bulky human entered shortly after and followed the twi’lek and human to a booth in the far left corner of the bar facing the door. They seated themselves, the second human male with his back to the door. The twi’lek to the left of the first male who kept his back to the wall.

The Bounty Hunter turned up his implant and focused on the table where the trio had seated themselves. He listened to the exchange between the trio and Ysme and smiled. These three had this routine down cold. The Bounty Hunter wondered how many times the trio had done similar things in other communities. He filed the question away to be addressed later. They seemed extremely organized in how they approached a new place.

Ysme had called out to Pipe, the barkeep, for lomin ale. The Bounty Hunter frowned, usually lomin ale was the weaker of the offerings at a Cantina, he had learned the hard way that you drank Huttese Ale and not lomin at this establishment. It was how they got you or at least how it started. He smiled however as he heard the twi’lek address the human with his back to the wall. At least she was not taken by the seductive sway of the zabrak.

The afternoon had started to drift toward evening and more patrons slowly started to filter into the Cantina. The Bounty Hunter almost spit his drink across the table when he heard a growl from outside and scattering of children.

Organization and control seemed to be critical to how this group conducted themselves. The more he learned the more he knew this was his opportunity, and he wouldn’t have to do anything stupid to grasp it either.

The Bounty Hunter started to stand from his place in the shadows of the booth. He had made up his mind that he needed to talk to these bikers. As he was about to leave the shadows he heard the human facing the door give instructions to the armored man, Serials. The Bounty Hunter slid back into the shadow; he looked around the Cantina and noticed that it was a bit fuller than most days. Even the Pazaak table had patrons.

As Serials past the Bounty Hunter noticed that the twi’lek was also on the move. Her movement’s fluid, effortless, and distracting. Everyone she past turned to watch her walk towards the musicians. She was even more intoxicating than Ysme could be, and that could be a very bad combination.

The twi’lek stopped in front of the lead musician, her hips did not stop swaying. The Bounty Hunter could not take his eyes off her, if his ear piece hadn’t squealed with feedback he would have missed that the Leaders of the settlement,

Lord Tareq, Veriag and Shala had approached the remaining biker.

The feedback however, was not allowing him to hear their conversation. Someone or something was jamming his implants. The twi’lek was dancing which drew his attention. The way she moved was something that he had not seen in years. It made him miss his crew even more. When she stopped the Bounty Hunter realized that the feedback had also stopped.

‘Damn force sorcery,’ he thought.

He had not experienced that level of it in a long time. There were not many that could disable tech equipment, but apparently this group had at least one. The twi’lek moved back over to the table and handed the male a datasheet. An offer for mutual profit. Intrigued the Bounty Hunter continued to listen.

This was a group that knew what they were doing, they were methodical about the way they talked and what they offered, even though it seemed somewhat suspect. Who would offer profit when you could just take what you wanted. This settlement was ripe for the picking, the residents were starting to starve and as he was aware there had been no traffic in or out of the community in at least a year.

The conversation between the leaders and the bikers came to an end with the agreement that the town was open to the bikers, but they all couldn’t stay at the establishments. There were just too many of them. Which meant they must have a ship nearby, or maybe a few ships. A plan was starting to come together in his head.

The Brut had stood and was making his way back out to the bikes after drinking four mugs of ale. He looked none the worse for wear. The twi’lek and biker leader followed. The leader gave instructions to the twi’lek, Kinsie, and the trio sped off in the direction they had come. The Bounty Hunter finished his mug of ale. Cringed at the taste, he never did enjoy that stuff, and left to track the bikers.

The sun had set when he stepped outside. He started down the side of the dirt in the direction the bikers had left. Then changed his mind, turning around he walked towards the Inn. She had been told to scout, the twi’lek, Kinsie. Likely she would start at the Inn. He had been staying there, fixing some of the droids for the cost of his room. He needed to check in, maybe with the newcomers the communication block had been lifted.

The streets were busier than usual. Information about the bikers had travelled fast and the settlement’s residents wanted to see for themselves. The sound of swoops had brought out the curious and the scared. The Bounty Hunter ignored them as he moved quickly through the street. They would find out soon the result of the meeting, hopefully to their benefit.

“Good evening Sir,” the droid behind the desk in the Inn greeted him as he entered.

The twi’lek had just entered the Diner. The Bounty Hunter nodded in greeting to the droid as he watched the twi’lek select a table through the glass. She had donned a hooded cloak and her movements, though still fluid, were less hypnotic, in fact, the patrons of the Diner did not even seem to notice she was there.

“Any messages for me,” the Bounty Hunter asked as he did every day.

“Nothing, Sir.” The droid responded.

The Bounty Hunter grunted. What had he expected. His crew didn’t even know where he had gone. He had left them with no instruction other than to continue finding missions and making credits. He would be back when he had bagged the big score he was chasing. He walked to the lift and pushed the button to the second floor.

Once in his room he clicked on the holonews hopping to get some information about what was going on outside of the settlement, but only received static as usual. He left the holo open and walked to the balcony of his room. It overlooked the street. He watched the people slowly drift into either the Cantina or the diner. In the background the static changed to words.

‘War, shhhhhhhh, the sith, shhhhhhshhhhh, have returned.’ A broken statement, but enough to give the Bounty Hunter a little more hope. Something was coming through the block. He tapped his communicator trying to get a signal and was pleased when he got more than static.

He tapped the code to reach his crew and waited. He tried a different frequency, and waited. He tried another with the same result. It was the same sequence he had been trying every day for a year with the same result.

He sighed. The sound of a few swoops coming down the street could be heard above the static from the holocast. He turned it off and walked to the window. He watched as a group of bikers walked into the Diner. His stomach rumbled.

The Bounty Hunter, turned and walked from his room. He hadn’t eaten anything since yesterday, though what food was served in the Diner had become somewhat suspect, but sometimes you had to eat regardless of what it was.
As he came down the lift he saw the twi’lek walking towards the landing pad docs. He was tempted to follow her, but his stomach growled again. He needed food. He marked where she was headed and turned in the opposite direction. As he passed through the door to the Diner he triggered the listening equipment that he had been able to install as he had been helping with the maintenance.

He sat at a booth close to the door and was slightly surprised when the owner of the Inn sat down across from him. He had always been suspicious of her, she seemed to know too much about everything.

“You planning on leaving town Hunter,” Shala asked her red hair shining from beneath the hood she always wore.

“Maybe, why?” the Bounty Hunter replied.

“Don’t cause any trouble,” Shala instructed. “We know how bad you want out of here, we have a plan.”

“Really, well I don’t want to know,” the Bounty Hunter motioned to the serving droid for a bowl of whatever was being served.

“You should know, you are going to be a part of it,” Shala smiled a knowing smile.

“I have never agreed to help you at all beyond what little I have done for the Inn,” the Bounty Hunter frowned.

“I know what you have done, I monitor your little listening channels daily, thank you they have been very helpful,” Shala dropped her voice. “I want information. I want to know if the offer is genuine or a ruse and you are going to find out for me.”

The droid came by and placed the bowl of what was being called stew and biscuits in front of the Bounty Hunter. He sniffed at it. It smelled better than most days and the biscuits looked fresh.

“And why would I share information with you?” He asked as he took a bite.

“Because maybe I will tell you the way to collect that bounty you came hunting for,” Shala leaned back in the booth.

“Maybe won’t cut it Shala,” the Bounty Hunter responded. “I need a guarantee, a contract.”

“Fine, you get me good intel and I will give you the solution to your problem,” Shala agreed. “Just know that if you cross me and give me false information I will find you, Killswitch.”

The way she said his name gave him pause. He had been careful not to tell too many people what it was and he was sure that Shala had not been one of them. He frowned at her, and kept eating the stew.

“Fine,” he agreed. “But that works both ways.”

“I will talk to you before dawn,” Shala slid out of the booth and headed back into the Inn.

The Bounty Hunter finished the stew, it was better than other days, or maybe he was just hungrier than he had realized. He looked out of the window and watched the twi’lek wonder back towards the Cantina.

‘Perfect’ he thought, threw a credit chip on the table and followed the twi’lek towards the Cantina.