Location: Mos Espa, Belching Frog Saloon
Things never seemed to change in some parts of Tatooine, at least not on the surface. Mos Espa was much the same as it has always been to the casual onlooker. A nest of criminals, the destitute and desperate, rubbing shoulders with the cruel and the avaricious. Yet to those who knew to look beneath the surface, another story was to be told. Bringing his speeder to a halt, Halan stepped out and tossed a few credits to the waiting Jawa scavengers. Any local knew it was best to pay the Jawa to leave you alone than to think it beneath you and return to a speeder minus its coolant drive.
He'd come into town to check the predicted water-monger prices for the next cycle and to collect a new filter for one of his vaporators. Locally, the nearest supply station was raided last week, and new filters seemed even harder to come by.
It was one of the many small things that, when added together, seemed to show that Tatooine was slipping into another stage of its shared story. Halan had lived here all his life, through independence, the Consortium and the Cartel lording it over the world. But it seemed that Tatooine was again treated as the stomping ground of criminals, corporations and offworlders. Personally, he had never seen such a shortage of filters; it posed a serious threat to the water supply, and yet nobody seemed to care.
Of course, the Hutts didn't care.
The Consortium didn't seem to do much when they had been here either, their shortlived Governor had been moe focused on rearming a militia than helping the locals. Not that Government 'help' was ever of much use, the Free World Alliance and the New Republic (from what Halan had seen on the feeds) have tried that, and look where that had left them. No - Halan and others like him could look after themselves.
"Eh." he shrugged, looking up at the worn-looking sign of the Belching Frog Saloon, one of few left open in Mos Espa these days "Might as well." he walked inside, passing by a tired-looking bouncer without issue; after all, he was unarmed; all he had was a utility belt over his tunic and robe, with a hydro spanner and a fusion cutter, which he needed to show the guard when it set off the metal scanner. He was waved inside and headed up to the bar, leaning against it as he waved the barman over and ordered a drink.
Looking around, he wondered if the 'Boss' was in - it would be good to see if he could have a chat to the local Cartel enforcer about some of the more pressing matters facing his community, just outside of Mos Espa.
OOC - Tagging @Darasuum @Sreeya for sand, and @Eccles for sand.