Story Time

The Prancing Trandoshan never attracted many customers. Even though located in the spaceport town of Phelar Port on the manufacturing outer-rim world Eriadu, the cantina could be hard to find. Down, around the corner, and in the shadows, it did not draw many random passersby looking for a new establishment. For this reason, few people knew of it. And those few people who did preferred it that way.

Cantina owner Twi’lek Olm Luroon made just enough credits to keep the place open. He didn’t worry about closing, however; he had a very loyal patronage. Every few months or so, a new face would show, looking for a ‘job’ of some sort, but few if any of these new faces ever returned more than once. But recently, Olm had found his clientele numbers begin to boom.

It started with the arrival of a middle aged human male. He took to drinking in a corner quietly every night at about nine. He never asked for work, never gave his name. Just sat with the same cheap brew, waiting. About a week after his arrival, another human male, this one younger, joined him. Gradually, more humans, all men, came to join the nine o’clock group, until they totaled seven in all. They talked in whispers and never arrived together. It made some of Olm’s older customers nervous. He reassured them: “Hey, I’ve been open for years, and nothing bad happened yet. No Hutts, no Republic trash, nothin’. You think I gonna let somethin’ to happen now? Eh?” This quieted most complaints. Olm always kept his word.

Tonight had commenced like any other night. Around seven, the Quarren brothers Nor and Nrin took their places at the bar. The Duro Ka Arapto showed at seven-thirty, drunk as usual. The three Gamorreans (Olm never had learned their names) took their table near the back at eight. And by nine o’clock on the dot, the Seven Humans had taken their place at the large table to the left of the bar.

Then the powers that be threw a monkey-wrench into the mix.

At a quarter past nine, a new face came through the front doors. A young human male, thin, wearing a long jacket and hat, walked up to the bar, quietly ordered a drink from Olm, then took his seat near the Gamorreans. Apart from the other humans. The Seven took notice.

The newcomer’s face could not be seen beneath the hat, but Olm had the distinct impression he was watching the Seven. Apparently they had the same idea, because soon after Newbie’s arrival, the talk at the human’s table grew more heated than usual. Just as the youngest of the Seven stood up to presumably confront Newbie, the door to the cantina opened with a loud WHAM!

“Alik, you really need to learn to relax, I’ll be back, in like, twenty minutes tops. Just keep the engine primed and ready for take-off okay? For emergencies.” Pause. “NO, nothing bad will happen! I’m just getting a drink.” A short human woman with dark hair hung up her com and continued towards the bar. The young Seven member sat back down. “Howdy, barkeep. What’s the specialty of this house?”

A somewhat stunned Olm replied, “Lightspeed Lite, two credits on Thursdays.”

“Great!” The woman seated herself near Nrin. “I’ll have one of those.” She slamed the credits on the table. “So, Mr. Quarren, come here often? Know who comes here?” She lowered her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “Any recent additions, so to speak?” Unfortunately for her, Nrin didn’t speak basic. He stared at her blankly.

“Hr-hrm.” Olm slid the beer across the plastisteel counter top with practiced ease to the fiery woman. “I might be able to help you. For a price, of course.”

“Of course.” From seemingly nowhere, one-hundred credits appeared next to the Lightspeed Lite. “That group of men in the corner. How long have they been coming here?”

Olm glanced towards the Seven briefly. One again stood up and approached Newbie at the back table. “About a month. Why?”

“Hmm.” The human woman took a healthy drink and was about to reply when a loud slam came from the back of the cantina. The young Seven member slammed his hands down on Newbie’s table. “I don’t think I like your attitude, punk.”

Newbie kept his face lowered. Softly, “I am sorry. I did not mean to offend.”

“Well you did. Now go look my friends in the face and tell them you’re sorry.”

“I am afraid I cannot do that.”

“What!?” Young Seven began to shout, “Do you know who I am? Who we are? What we do to people who piss us off?”

Calmly and quietly, but with an icy tone, Newbie replied “No, but I have a fairly good idea, you Freedom Union scum.” Then he took a sip of beer.

Young Seven’s face turned red. “YOU! I’m gonna rearrange your face, you--!” As Seven raised his fist, Newbie shifted, and Seven could see Newbie’s face. “Wait a minute…” Seven squinted at Newbie’s face, and though Newbie looked further down into his glass, a look of recognition bloomed in Seven’s eyes. His raised fist knocked Newbie’s hat from his head. Long blonde hair fell down his—her—back. “I know you! You’re that bitch from Esse--!” Seven’s words were cut short as a blaster hole appeared in his chest. Newbie disappeared beneath the now overturned table.

“Shit!” The dark haired human woman at the bar turned, and in a few quick fluid motions, took down two more of the Seven—now the Four—and leapt behind the table to join Newbie. Olm found this moment the perfect time to hide behind the bar. His Lekku trailed after him, a stray blaster shot striking between them to shatter a stray liquor bottle. Nor, Nrin and Ka joined him. Olm sighed and held his blaster rifle tightly. “Looks like tonight just got busy.”

Ka drunkenly stole a tall bottle of tequila from the bar and frowned as it too shattered. She licked the alcohol from her blue hand. “You sure said it, Olm.”

******~~~~~~~*******

Syl crouched behind the table beside Mora as blaster bolts flew overhead. “I thought this was supposed to be a reconnaissance mission! A quick in-and-out! No fighting whatsoever!” She took a quick shot over the top of the table. One more down. “Man these guys are lousy shots.”

“Not as good as us, for sure.” Mora took a quick peek over the top of the table. “He tried to intimidate me, and he recognized me.” Mora shot. Two left. She looked over to the three huddled Gamorreans and made a reassuring gesture. “You’ll be alright in a few moments. Sorry to ruin your evening.”

“No problem. I like it better this way anyway.” Syl grinned and shot. One man remained. “Let’s talk to our remaining friend, shall we?”

“Yes. I think we shall. Set to stun.”

********~~~~~~~~********

Olm had just worked up the nerve to stand brandishing his rifle and strongly suggesting the humans take their brawl outside when the gunfire suddenly stopped. Gingerly, Olm raised his eyes over the bar.

Newbie was walking across the room to where the Seven lay, all dead. Except for one. The remaining member was being hogtied by the dark-haired human woman. Newbie replaced her hat, tucking her hair under. Then together, the two women lifted the middle-aged Seven man. “Sorry for the mess. This should cover expenses.” Newbie tossed a small pile of credits near the body of a dead Seven. Then the two exited with the unconscious and tied up man.

Olm stared for several minutes at the warzone which used to be his cantina. Then he walked over to the dead Seven, picked up the pile of credits, counted it, and pocketed it all.

“Well, who’ll clean this up?”

Olm stares at the drunken Duro. “You, Ka. You.”