Open Bug-Eyed Redemption

[Preef Callo]

The Shistavanen sighed, "You shouldn't have done that," the barrel of his blaster rifle pointing at the smuggling human. "Guess no one told you that in the Tashtor Sector, I-" he pulled the trigger, sending a screeching red blaster bolt just inches passed the human's head and into the stone wall behind him. "-Narr Noft, am the Sector Ranger." The human was trembling by now and a wet patch was slowly growing between his legs. He seemingly wanted to stammer some words in either his defense or to give up whoever paid him to smuggle spice to Takodana in the first place, but suddenly his head jerked to the Shistavanen's right shoulder and behind it.

Instinctively the wolf-like creature stepped aside so he could keep his rifle pointing in the smuggler's general direction, but also take a peek at whatever it was that stole the dealer's attention away from the credible threat of severe bodily harm. Turns out it was just a rodian.

Theme​

"Who're you?" the Shistavanen barked. The rodian didn't move, his right hand hovering over his own -holstered- blaster pistol. The silence didn't sit well with the wolf-like Sector Ranger, "I said who're you!?" he barked again, louder this time. The rodian stood motionless in a way the Shistavanen knew only experienced gunslinger could and it was a distinct Outer Rim style as well. Who did he know in this Sector that were real gunslingers? Definitely no rodian who had that poise, patience and discipline. "Who's askin'?"

The Sector Ranger felt the heat burning up behind his ears and he completely forgot about the trembling human as he lowered his rifle and took it in his left hand, swiping open his jacket to reveal his own holstered blaster pistol. "Narr Noft," he grinned as if that should mean something to the rodian, "Sector Ranger."

The Rodian's eyes went for the ranger's pistol and then back to the wolf-like face, "Preef Callo." It didn't ring a bell with ranger Noft, although the trembling human gasped upon hearing the name. So the smuggler knew him? Someone from out of this Sector? Kriff, a syndicate enforcer.. "Black Sun?" They were the obvious choice for gunslingers, but the rodian shook his head ever so slightly. "Just a rancher," he replied, but the steadiness of his voice and the fact he was still maintaining that unmoving stance told Narr Noft all he needed to know: No kriffing way that that rodian was a rancher.

Neither one was startled by the human suddenly dashing out of the back door.

"He seems to think otherwise," the Shistavanen said, the smirk returning to his face when the rodian made no attempt to explain himself. "Think you just scared him off with that rifle of yours," the both of them could've been drinking partners in another life, but both of them knew that only one would walk away from this.

 

[Vera Coulter]

A thud from outside. A body hitting duracrete.

A faint dragging sound.

A figure, silhouetted by the doorway. A woman, with stern features and piercing blue eyes. One hand on her hip for now, but the other just resting on her holster. You didn't need a Jedi to sense the amount of tension in this kiddie pool. One pop of gum, then another. Yet despite the two squaring off, she seemed entirely at ease. The line of her shoulders was relaxed, lips quirked up in a wry grin.

"Careful there, kids. Or there'll be a scuffle comin'," came the soft voice. "'Sides, that there rifle of yours is a bit too big for that small space... specially against someone that can likely outdraw that sweeper." Her focus danced between the two of them, but Vera was no fool. She heard the names, but the name Noft didn't ping on her radar. Nor did Callo.

Guess it was time to ease things down a little. But if things went to blasting she wouldn't hesitate to retaliate. Besides, the human mark had been stunned, cuffed, and tucked away, so her problems there were over.

There was just the spaghetti western moment going on here, and she was inwardly delighted. Finally, some kids that weren't gonna quake in their boots at Rangers. Hopefully someone wasn't gonna be stupid and start blastin' right away.

@Ecclessey

 

[Preef Callo]

"You stand back now, ma'am-" the Shistavanen barked politely and angled his body ever so slightly to give her full view of his Sector Ranger badge, "-this here is rrranger business." Narr Noft wasn't just any ranger, either. He'd been law-dog for the Tashtor Sector for nearly ten years. Not that there was much to do 'round here and he did spend most of his time roaming Andui looking for a free drink.

The Rodian on the other hand didn't pay the human any mind. "I ain't done nothing," Preef stated, maintaining his stance and readiness to draw on anyone that moved to draw on him. The human hadn't identified herself, which could be bad or good depending on her allegiance. If she was a criminal she might try to take advantage and draw on the ranger.. one less lawman never hurt syndicate business. If she wasn't, well.. maybe Preef was fast enough to take them both out.

Then to think the only reason he'd come to Andui in the first place was to pick up some supplies, sell some of his Bantha milk and send a message to Marissa. He didn't need to raise his profile on his home planet. He liked it here, so after a few more long moments, Preef finally cracked a smile and slowly moved his hand away from his blaster. A ranger wasn't going to shoot him with a witness around, right? Regardless of whether or not a ranger would, this dog-like one clearly recognized the threat as being gone.

Next thing he did was moving his hand away from his pistol as well, "You're a gunslinger, though-" he stepped closer to inspect both the rodian and the human newcomer, "-and you," he looked her up and down, trying to find a reason for her to be there standing with a hand on her holster, but Preef, who had now turned to face the human as well shared the Shistavanen's sentiment, "She's human." Humans always did meddle in business that wasn't theirs. Kriffing colonizers. There wasn't a catastrophic event in Galactic History that didn't involve humans at the very center. Andraste, Darth Vader, Sheev Palpatine, Kylo Ren the list could go on and on. "Hah!" the Shivastenen barked in laughter, "Let me buy you a drrrink, gunslinger."

Taking a few more steps towards the door, the ranger suddenly stopped and faced the human again. "You didn't by chance see another human, piss-stain right here-" he motioned vaguely towards his inner thighs, "-run away, did you?"

@Killa Ree

 

[Vera Coulter]

Well, weren't they a pair of smart little cookies. She almost rolled her damn eyes at their reactions; typical against a human. But at hands moving away from blasters, she too removed hers. But stared them both down, that wry smirk still in place. "Funny. I'm also here on business," she replied back coolly.

A smooth maneuver revealed the patch on the inside of her jacket to identify her for just a second, but her smile didn't waver once. "Yeah, she's human. She's also not deaf. And she's also thirsty." But at the Shivastenen staring her down, asking questions about the suspect... her brows slowly rose, hands on her hips. "Might have. Kinda gone around a corner though." Her lips quirked slightly; a private joke.

"Enjoy your drinks, kids," she replied, turning as though to walk away. There wasn't any real reason to linger, unless they were gonna be jerks about her born looks. Or unless they were gonna pay her in drinks. She promised Leann she'd quit, and she had. But surely one drink couldn't hurt.

@Ecclessey

 

[Preef Callo]

Narr Noft was unamused. He noticed the ranger badge, but she still didn't identify herself as such and he couldn't be sure she was there on ranger business. She couldn't be.. no ranger would enter a Sector on ranger business and not notify that Sector's ranger. That was just rude and... well, in line with the growing arrogance of the service. Narr had been the ranger for this sector for almost a decade, joined several posses when other rangers hunted down outlaws that fled to Takodana and while that wasn't often he kept apprised on current affairs. Core-based rangers had strayed from their designed purpose and meddled in intergalactic conflict, worked to militarize the service and hunt down the so-called bad jedi. Their large stations were being attacked and massacred in retaliation.

That a fellow ranger displayed this kind of behavior, calling an old ranger like him "kid" just because he was an alien and then refusing to help catch a spice smuggler.. kinda makes you think whether or not she was corrupt and only there to protect the smuggler.

Preef hadn't noticed the badge and was still under the impression that she was the bystander that would make sure the ranger wouldn't draw on him, so when Vera said she was thirsty he stopped in his tracks. "Then let me buy yours," he smiled, referencing to the ranger buying him a drink so he could buy the human's. "What kinda business you're in?" he asked, still oblivious to the fact she was a ranger herself, "I usually sell my bantha milk locally, but if you're heading for the Core," he didn't finish his sentence and instead ended it with a shrug.

Narr was already moving towards the nearest cantina and the rodian didn't want to miss out on his drink.


@Killa Ree

 

[Vera Coulter]

Yeah, she was a mean ol' Human, wasn't she? Butting in to something she had no business butting into, being chummy with some local yokel Rodian rancher... though that one she cuffed certainly seemed to know him. Enforcers. Nasty business. Perhaps he was here for a change of pace; not that she blamed him, life with the Syndicates was pretty scummy, and that was before you even involved yourself with the Hutts.

Winking at Narr, she jerked her head to the building next to them.

"Tagged a 'friend' for you, by the way. Might be someone you were looking for. But don't get yourself in a huff... these days, everyone seems like a 'kid' to me." For a second, the jovial face of the older woman dropped for the Ranger, and the Ranger alone. There was a look of steel there; a grim recognition, and a nod from one service member to another. Yeah, she wasn't stupid, she knew he had fur bristling over her attitude, but really, the best way to keep the situation defused was by stepping in like someone relatively harmless.

And giving him what he wanted without much fuss.

Then the smile slipped back on before the Rodian could turn around again, beaming at the rancher. "Knew I liked you for a reason, kid," she smirked, blue eyes glinting. "But naturally, I'll pay first round; you seem a good sort, perhaps you can help me. I'm not always in the market for Bantha milk, but might as well buy some. Also looking for a gift for my kiddo; she's old enough to want somethin' pretty. Do jackets count, you think? If you know a local place, I might buy round two as well," she continued, then glanced back at Narr.

Official business was already pinged to his comm; there was a third reason for being here.

Part of it had to do with the 'friend' she left cuffed for the fellow Ranger, and the spice trade line she'd been hunting. If he ever checked his damn comm, at least. She wasn't gonna start blabbing Ranger business in front of a stranger just yet, not until she could feel him out a bit better, learn more about this supposedly innocent bystander.

@Eccles

 

[Preef Callo]

Narr growled in frustration. "You what!?" he didn't care she wore a badge as this was probably the rudest treatment any fellow ranger had every given him. "You stuncuffed a smuggler, left him alone and waited this long to tell me!?" the Shistavanen barked in disbelief. She must know that smugglers never work alone, right? Even Preef knew that was a rookie move but he knew better than to insert himself into this particular exchange. Still, the smuggler did seem to know his name, Preef Callo, and the rodian figured it was best to not have him utter it in the presence of two old jaded rangers. Hmpf! The way this is going they'll probably blast each other!

Narr stormed off towards the alley, muttering something about the rangers just hiring about anyone these days and something vile about Coreworlders. Preef couldn't blame him, but then the old crone turned towards him with a smirk and prevented him from following Narr with some story about wanting to buy a jacket. "You want to buy a jacket on Takodana?" he asked, incrediously, "You do realize this is just a refueling stop before entering the frontier, right?" Things you could buy on Takodana were numbered in a short list: 1) foodstuffs, 2) fuel, 3) information. Two of them import products and more expensive than they had to be.. but it's not like you're gonna find them available in the Outer Rim.

Turning towards the nearest cantina again, Preef shrugged, "That smuggler had a nice jacket. Take his." That's the way it went in the Outer Rim, at least. Buying jackets was for planets with functional economies. "As for the milk, I don't sell it per glass.



@Killa Ree

 

[Julia Hipori]

Julia had been planetside for just over 48 hours, and already she was hating being here. If it wasn't the locals that robbed you it would be the syndicates, and as she moved from the cantina bar to the booth she had reserved, Julia could not help but think that without the Blackwell Security guard following her like an overeager shadow, there might be some within the Cantina who might want to take their chances at swiping her credit chits. She ignored it, but Julia kept her thoughts to herself and took her seat back in the booth, tapping on the screen of her holo-pad and running through the contracts she was here to get signed.

"Czerka Mines," she mumbled to herself, what little noise she produced lost in the humdrum of the chit-chat in the Cantina itself. Rolling her eyes as she looked down the contract, she tapped the off button and placed the holo-pad back in her bag and stood up, heading out the front door of the Cantina, nameless Blackwater thug in tow.

Reaching into her bag she pulled out a small chromium plated stim case, and removed one, tapping it on the case and lighting it with a flick of her hand. Julia knew smoking was bad, but Blackwell had a good healthcare package, and, at the end of the day, her job was far more dangerous than people realised. It was then that she spotted the two newcomers walking toward the Cantina, discussing milk of all things.

"It's a dive," she commented as they approach, looking them up and down as she did so. Well-built, off-worlders she wondered to herself, "...you'll need them." she gestured with her stim to the blasters at their hips.