Running out of Time

[Tyler Braun]

Tyler broke his number one rule, YOU NEVER BREAK THAT RULE! He ducked into the Cantina, the familiar stench of booze and urine flooding his nostrils. As much as he despised Makem Te, the planet was a perfect haven to hide from the people he'd crossed. Arid, desolate and full of smugglers and pirates just like him so he wouldn't stand out. His black duster drifted behind him as he found a seat along the back wall, eyes canning the dimly lit interior as well as watching the door. Tyler wasn't about to be caught off guard, a hand wrapped under the table, aiming his blaster directly across from him, the grips squeaked with leather on leather as he white knuckled them.

"Keep it together" he muttered to himself, a bead of sweat coming down around the rim of his goggles, crossing his nose and to his lips. The salty brine was in sharp contrast to the dry, arid air. He quickly lifted his goggles from his face, the band leaving a sweat line as he set them on the table and shook out his black hair, which was dirty and ragged from years of abuse. His hands shook, the blaster under the table shivered as his entire body was thumping with adrenaline. He fumbled into his duster pocket and produced a small computer data drive, holding it between his thumb and index finger.

"450,000 Credits for this, no wonder they paid so much for it" he whispered, staring down at the strange chip. Tyler had morals, despite being a dirty rotten Smuggler he had a heart. He was holding a plan for a mass slaving run, estimated 1,700 people to be enslaved after a group of Pirates attacked a series of yachts traveling from Naboo to the Core Worlds. The pay off, supposedly in the billions of credits and it was all planned on his chip. He essentially stole billions of credits from a pirate gang, and now was going to pay for it. He was torn though, the credit on delivery was plenty of money and why did he care if some people got enslaved, they weren't him. On the other hand, those were innocent people, and he could save them if he got this information to the right people.

"You really got into it now Tyler" he said to himself, his dark eyes scanning the cantina, looking for any signs the people who were after him were here. The young pilot had evaded them twice, though he knew they would soon find him again. Now came the ultimate question, sell the chip and run, or deliver the chip to the good guys and hope they can protect him long enough to run. He ordered a small drink, hand never leaving his blaster as his heart raced. Why did he break his number one rule!

 

[Sevrina Varm]

The air was stagnant and hot, making it almost difficult for Sevrina to even breath. Makem Te had been the most desolate planet she had ever been sent to by the Cartel, even the most desolate planet she had been on in her entire life. For the last few months, she had been tracking the actions of a certain group of Pirates. The Cartel had caught wind that they were in the midst of planning an attack on a group of ships travelling from Naboo to the Core Worlds. No doubt these attacks would round up a large sum of slaves, as well as credits, both of which the Hutt Cartel could use. The most information she had managed to gather was that there was a chip containing their plans. With that chip, the job would be done. When she had arrived to steal it, however, she found someone had already beat her to it. Now, she was tracking some fool smuggler who stood between her and her work; a dangerous place to be standing. Unfortunately, she didn't know much about this man other than a slight description of his appearance she had forced out of one of the pirates before killing him.

Sevrina sighed in relief as she moved from under the hot sun into a cantina building. As she stepped into the establishment, though, she felt more sweat building up under the scarf wrapped around her head, which concealed everything about her face except for her gleaming eyes. The air inside was just as hot and sticky, but now there were more people breathing in close proximity, making it just as unbearable as the atmosphere outside. The sweat rolling into her eyes from the sun up above the planet combined with the frustration of having to chase after this damned smuggler had lead Sevrina to the decision of needing a drink or two.

Every step she took through the cantina exuded grace as well as danger. The Zygerrian people thrived on the image they created, making them a feared culture. Though she wasn't part of their culture anymore, she still put effort into creating a feared appearance. As she had suspected, the cantina was full of smuggler and pirates and bounty hunters. Though she was like them in occupation, Sevrina thought of herself as above them. Not because she was from a royal line of people, but working for such an esteemed and powerful corporation put her above the every day scum of the galaxy.

"Corellian whiskey," she said in a low voice to the barkeeping droid. As the droid scurried to fill her order, Sevrina looked over her shoulder around the room. All of them were criminals of some form, hiding in corners, concealing their faces, and resting a hand on their weapons. Subconsciously, she raised a hand up and pulled the scarf around her face, making sure it was still secure in hiding her features. As she turned her eyes back towards the counter, they fell on one figure sitting against the back wall. The sweat rolling down his face didn't appear to be only from the arid sun of Makem Te. Sevrina could see his eyes flicking nervously about the room and his lips moving in frantic mutters. A small, cruel smile worked under her scarf. With a sigh, she pushed off the counter and took a confident step towards him, still carrying her mug of whiskey. With another sigh, she 'turned on' her charm and charisma. It always seemed to be an easier way to get to these smuggler types.

 

[blstrgmr]

Prospero had been in hiding for several months on this arid planet. After several high profile contracts for the Rebellion, he had started to make his name known on the Imperial hit lists. It was only at this peak, that he decided to more or less...retire and lay low. The Imperium had never decided he was important enough to single out for a large bounty, but he was still a criminal that had a target on his head. At least, in their eyes. Many men had been felled within the scope of his rifle. His name only started making lists after the unspeakable events at the Emperor's Retreat on the planet of Naboo. Despite this peace that Prospero seemed to have found...he was still looking for something to jump himself back into the action. Sure, he had enough credits to retire and live a small and humble life off the grid...but he still had a rather large stockpile of ammunition.

The veteran sniper sat at the edge of the main bar of the cantina, having a single whiskey as he did every day, drawing out the drink for as long as possible. His hobby was simply to watch people and eavesdrop. Anything else would put him in more danger than he'd like to be. A rather menacing slugthrower with a long barrel and telescopic sight was next to his leg, leaning on the bar as it always did, day in and day out. The patrons and proprietors simply knew this repeat customer as "Lucky". It was the only name he'd give. He dressed in a light but long and concealing desert shroud, covering worn and beaten battle armor from the waist down. On his torso, he simply wore a very common chest rig for ammunition and other...devices.

Prospero looked at the new comer, rather hurriedly entering the cantina. A new face. A new story. Prospero would listen and watch intently, hoping for a bit of rare entertainment. Without missing a beat, he observed a Zygerrian order a drink, the same that he always drank. He would make a mental note of their good taste. Then, they'd begin to move towards the hurried fellow. Maybe today would herald something worth breaking cover for.

 

[Tyler Braun]

Locked eyes on the girl, a Zygerrian, or at least he assumed so under her concealing garbs. Figures like that, tended to be one of those uptight folks. He'd met plenty of them, after all they loved their slaves and usually paid a pretty penny for information about how to get more. This wasn't some coincidence that one of them was now approaching him in the bar, no, she was after the chip. Well, at least his paranoid mind assumed that, which had kept him alive thus far. Of course he could just give it to her, why the hell did he even care about some folks on some cruisers far away. He could sell it for cold hard credits, get on his ship and get the hell off world. As she approached, the hand around his blaster flexed, finger resting on the trigger well.

He met her eyes with his, really not one for starting a fight in a crowded, criminal filled bar. She probably wouldn't want to either. Blaster fire usually wound up with an all out brawl and despite her mission, she might not walk out from that alive either. He couldn't run, leaving the crowded room was more dangerous than sticking around. And hell, maybe he was just paranoid, maybe she was just looking for a friend, or wanting to buy him a drink. He rolled his hand over his blaster, relaxing his grip as she got closer and closer to him. The rouge smuggler decided to play it cool, his own charm had gotten him out of plenty of bad jams before, one more shouldn't be that difficult.

He leaned back in his seat as she approached, the chip safely secured in his boot under the table, his freehand around his glass. He smiled, offering a friendly facade as he inspected her up and down. She looked the type, Cartel, maybe Black Sun or Pirate. Maybe she was free-lance, just looking for a job. Hell, maybe she was just looking for some gullible guy to buy her more booze. He had to calm himself down, this chip was going to be the death of him. With a chuckle he introduced himself in typcial Tyler Braun fashion.

"So what's a lovely lady like yourself doing coming over to my table?"

 

[Sevrina Varm]

Sevrina saw the man eyeing her figure as she approached him. If he was half as smart as he appeared to be - having pulled off stealing that chip - she had no doubt in her mind that he was sizing her up for a fight. On the other hand, it could have just been a stroke of luck that he managed to steal the information. The men she had berated hadn't been the most intelligent beings, so it wouldn't have surprised her if this man had managed to sneak under their noses. If that was the case, he was just like any other back water pirate around these parts.

She had to bite her tongue in order to keep from rolling her eyes at his comment. Her conflict between whether or not he was intelligent or idiotic was solved as Sevrina settled on him being a stereotypical smuggler who thought highly of himself and his 'good looks'. Unfortunately, she had to admit in the back of her mind, he wasn't the most unattractive human she had to shake down for information. Still, he was a human.

With her freehand, Sevrina trailed her finger along the back of the chair. She stood, leaning into one leg and flexing her hips to the side. "You looked lonely. Perhaps you could use some company," she purred to him in her most seductive voice from under her scarf. She had to stop herself from rolling her eyes again. Charm and seduction worked often in her favour, but she rarely enjoyed doing it. Brute force was usually her preferred way of getting things from people. That option wasn't really available in this setting, however. Chances were, they would get got in the cross fire of a cantina brawl, making both of their goals more difficult to reach.

 

[blstrgmr]

Prospero continued to observe, quietly. He'd quietly ask the bartender he interacted with often if they'd ever seen those two in here. He got a negative response, for the most part. The veteran shifted in his seat, some of his desert sun-shade being jostled aside. Beneath it was revealed a large musculature of a man who stayed in shape with a rather military-styled routine. This only piqued the sniper's interest more. One entered, apparently under some sort of stress. Then almost at once, another entered...and now they were interacting. She had gunned straight for him. Her words..."use some company". At least to Prospero, there were many "dashing" smugglers around here of equal or greater appearance if compared to his subject of interest. Something was afoot, but what? As a sniper, well...a retired one at any rate, Prospero's job had been to observe and decide based on mannerisms and personalities. Sometimes, this was to discern a target from a simple non-essential person.

"Barkeep. Send them...two of what I'm having. Make them stay a while, hm? Lucky wants to watch his stories. You know I'm good for it." The bartender knew Prospero's credit was good, so an anonymous round of drinks was sent to Sevrina and Tyler. Prospero sincerely hoped today's story would be a riveting one.

 

[Tyler Braun]

Tyler smiled, keeping up his charade would probably at least buy him some time. Still, every vigilant, he took the time to look beyond the girl back into the cantina, making sure he wasn't drawing attention from the wrong sorts of people. He swore a man at the bar was taking an interest in the situation, but then again he just assumed the man was more interested in the woman who'd taken a shining to him. The rouge smuggler sat up, his boots clicking on the ground as he had indeed, sized up his target. The girl, she kept most of her face concealed but the purring nature of her voice gave a hint as to her species, which Tyler had already suspected in earnest. He paused, not sure if he wanted to invite the girl to sit down, after all, she might want to kill him.

"Well I certainly don't say no to company. Only got one rule, I need to know your name before I share a drink with you" he said, keeping his tone lighthearted and carefree. Tyler adjusted his duster behind him, getting comfortable in the booth, hoping to show the lady a false sense of security, despite Tyler still having a hand on his blaster, the grip keeping a finger poised over the trigger. He raised a brow. "Not often I see your kind, normally you folks keep to yourselves. Usually only see your kind when I'm dealing with the Hutts" he said, oblivious to her employer, just stating a fact.

His eyes scanned to the server, seeing the two drinks he lifted his hand up. "I didn't order those" he protested, tapping his glass with a gloves finger. "One and done, gotta fly" he joked. He looked past the server to the bar, that same man, so his suspicion was true, the man was watching him. Tyler inspected him, grizzled, alert, the way he sat, the way he watched. Ex-Military perhaps, ot just one really paranoid man. He returned his attention to his feline companion. His eyes met hers, still an air of cation behind his flirtatious manner.

"Seems we have an admirer" he said, hinting to the man at the bar. "You know him?"

 

[Sevrina Varm]

With long slender fingers and nails filed perfectly to a point, Sevrina reached across her face and pulled the scarf from behind her ear. It fell away and revealed her features, though it remained across her ears. With a lot of conscious effort, she smiled at the smuggler, her sharp canines pointing slightly over her lips. "I'm Sevrina," she answered, her accent thick and her tone full of seduction. Again; forced seduction. Nonchalantly, she shrugged her shoulders at him. "Are you going to tell me your name, or do I need to make one for you?" Sevrina hated being charismatic and flirtatious. It only ignited more passionate fury in her mind.

His allusion to working with the Hutts perked her ears. So he wasn't as stupid as she had originally suspected. Still, he was only a smuggler, and a human smuggler at that. He wouldn't be too difficult to shake down. He had a look to him of a weak mind that could be easily over powered.

Sevrina moved to sit at the chair across from the man. With gleaming eyes, she glanced at him and followed where he was looking. Another figured sitting at the bar. Dammit, she swore in her thoughts. This man, as opposed to the one sitting across the table from her, had a dangerous look to him. She sized up him to being military, or at least ex military. He looked the sort to keep a strict schedule, matching his manner and demeanor. If he was interested, it could only be in the chip. More competition meant more complications. Sevrina hated complications.

Still forcing the charming smile on her lips, Sevrina looked away from the man at the bar to the smuggler. Again, she shrugged her slender shoulders. "He doesn't look familiar to me. Perhaps you caught his eye as well." As she lifted the mug of ale to her lips, Sevrina sent a sly wink at the pirate. She had an unfortunate feeling this job would take a lot of flirtation. On the upside, it seemed that physical force would also be involved, one way or another.

 

[Tyler Braun]

Tyler had tangled with her kind before. Sure, he'd never dealt with the Hutt Cartel, but smugglers ran into Slavers, and her kind always seemed to be wrapped up with slave trade in one way or another. They were always coy, clever, a tribute to their feline nature. He was on guard with her, no doubt in his mind she had an agenda, and he wasn't convinced the man at the bar wasn't working with her either. He half debated just giving her the damn chip, maybe if she was with the Hutt Cattel he could get a damn job that paid better than the back water nonsense he'd been getting. It sounded like a fairly good plan actually now that he thought about it. Still, there was no way he could trust this woman, he'd have to do it solo.

"Tyler" he said, smiling to her as he leaned a bit closer. "Pretty girls don't usually come to cantina tables without a reason Miss. I seriously doubt you came here to keep a rough and tough smuggler company. No, you look like a woman with a mission, and far to pretty to be slumming it in these places. That is...unless you are here looking for someone" he said. Tyler didn't hint further than that, perhaps he was just playing, or maybe he suspected something far more sinister afoot with her. His hand flexed around his blaster pistol grip, the leather squeaking, she no doubt heard it under the table. "You don't survive in my trade trusting strangers" he said. The smuggler seemed to grow a bit more agitated, his features turning sour. He slid his hand onto the table, the hilt of his blaster thumping against the wood as he pointed it directly at her chest, the situation amplifying rather abruptly.

A smile curled on his lips, the cold barrel of the blaster ready to deliver a vicious blow to the newcomer at his table. "I don't like coincidences in my neck of the woods. I don't believe you are here for simple company, and I don't believe you don't know your partner at the bar. Tell the Black Sun, or the Renegades or whoever you are that I don't have the damn product" he growled, trying to half lie, half intimidate his way out of this cantina. He wasn't about to get pinned into a corner by some sweet talking feline and her muscle. "I had their stupid package loaded on my freighter as promised, but customs got smart and they confiscated it, I've been rotting in a cell for the last three days" he lied, trying to develop a story elaborate enough to maybe get his way out of here.

He gave her a half smile, the trigger of his blaster gently pressed by his finger. "Whatever it was, clearly you guys wanted it, sorry to leave you in the wind. However, I'll reference my agreement that I'm not viable for losses due to customs" he said, keeping up the facade, sweet talking as always.

 

[blstrgmr]

Prospero was almost disheartened when they sent the drinks back. I guess somebody would get to them eventually. He observed Sevrina more intently now. AS the scarf fell away, he could discern her species. Slavers. Well...usually slavers. He had fought along side some of her kind in previous engagements. He did his best to be free of any sort of assumptions...but it was hard. Slavery was one of Prospero's few hot buttons. So...their name was Sevrina. Not much to go on, but now these drama characters had names. The cantina became a theatre, with Prospero the singular audience.

The sniper listened further. She was trying to be seductive, but why? Some of her speech betrayed her, maybe showing a hint of animosity. Oh, there were ulterior motives. Plots thickening. Prospero could barely mask his interest. Usually, for a cantina anyway, it was pretty quiet around here. When Sevrina looked to him, he gave a nod, the light hitting under his head coverings to reveal a stern face with a rather...impressive mustache. Yet...somewhat of a smirk could be noticed. As he nodded, he raised the glass of whiskey to the two, and continued to drink and observe. He was getting rusty. They noticed him.

The man though...his words, though he couldn't make out all of them, were clearly becoming more to the likeness of business. His features grew sterner. From Prospero's angle, he could've sworn he saw the barrel of a blaster under the table, but couldn't be sure. No reason to cause alarm in a crowded bar. Or to draw more attention to himself. Prospero stood slowly, hand grabbing the foregrip of the long rifle leaning against the bar. Prospero just about made eye contact with Tyler, making a very slow and obvious cutting motion with a flattened free hand. Prospero preferred his favorite bar not be shot up, or have any sort of investigation toward it. He was still...technically trying to hide.

 

[Sevrina Varm]

Sevrina would not let this Tyler man push her around. Obviously, he had no idea what kind of force he was dealing with. And he would soon learn. He pushed the topic to the point where it became fun, and Sevrina continued to smile at him. It was a cruel and mischievous smile instead of a seductive and teasing smirk. Still keeping her green eyes on him, she lifted the whiskey to her lips and took a long swig, never leaving his eye contact. With a small gasp, she set the mug back on the table top in front of the blaster with a loud thud.

Her smile grew more devious as she lowered her chin onto her hand and studied the mans face. "I don't know the man at the bar," it was useless clarifying that with him. She knew that, and she knew his kind. He wouldn't believe her unless her actions showed the truth. "However, I do know that you're a liar. And not a very good one at that." Sevrina gave a mock pout as she leaned forward, her sharp nails tracing the barrel of the blaster. "You see, I found you directly at the source. I know that you stole information from," Sevrina paused dramatically to look up at Tyler, "a particular group of pirates. I know what that information was, and I know how much it's worth." With a sigh, she lifted her nails in front of her face, as if inspecting the fine points they were filed to.

As she pushed herself out of the chair, Sevrina glanced over her shoulder at the counter. Her suspicion that the man at the counter was watching was confirmed She caught his eye from across the room and saw his not so subtle motion. No violence. That would be difficult as this smuggler was almost pushing her to her limits. Soon, she would pull that blaster out of his hand and beat him with it. After dragging his sleezy ass out of the cantina.

Sevrina moved around the edge of the table, her eyes watching the blaster Tyler had so subtly placed on the table pointed at her. She moved around the table, her nails dragging a cut through the wooden table top as she stepped. Still keeping her eyes on the table, she lowered herself at a chair closer to the smuggler. "Now, I'd like to think you're not stupid. And obviously, our friend at the bar doesn't think so either." Keeping her voice low, Sevrina reached into her jacket and pulled out a long slender knife. As warned by the man at the bar, she wasn't about to start a fight. But she wasn't going to back down from this human either. Slowly and deliberately, she began filing the points of her nails with the sharp blade. "So, how about you give me the chip and I let you go without any damage," the Zygerrian woman warned. She looked up at the man, her green eyes staring into his. The smile had faded from her face and her eyes took on a dangerous gleam.

 

[Tyler Braun]

His suspicions were all but confirmed, this woman was a huntress and she wouldn't back down easily. He could see her, confident, maybe on the side of arrogance, after all, he was the one holding a heavy blaster to her. His finger needed to move a half inch and she'd have a hole the size of a baseball in her chest. She wasn't his biggest concern, no, that honor belonged to the man at the bar sporting the rifle. He was trained, he was cautious and he clearly had the intent to do something dangerous with it should the need arise. Tyler however, had to keep playing it cool, after all, his life was hanging on the line and so was a rather big pay-off if he played his cards right.

She rose from the table, a tension so palpable it was rancid in the air. Tyler kept his blaster trained on her, letting the sharply clawed feline enjoy her strut, she closed the gap, but she was still staring down the barrel of his blaster, a tool he'd dispatched a few pirates with already this trip. Still, he sensed an opportunity here, one that might work in his favor to getting out of this alive. He glanced at the man at the bar, then back to his companion, she was leaning over, a sharp blade in her hand, obviously trying to intimidate the smuggler. "How about I offer a different solution to our problems?" he asked, offering her a seat, a strange gesture at this point in the conversation. "You clearly aren't with the people I think you are, they wouldn't have played coy with me" he said.

The smuggler kept his grip steady, not about to let his guard down as the Zygerian was determined to end him should the situation warrant it. Her green eyes were rather feral, hatred boiling in them. He went out on a limb, she had to be a Hutt Cartel, the Black Sun operated in teams, and the Renegades and other small bands of thugs wouldn't have been able to hire as good of an actress as her. He could be wrong, but he could be right and well, he was a gambling man after all. "You work with the Hutt Cartel I'd imagine. They probably wanted the chip as badly as my boss did. At first, you know, I was going to sell it to the Republic, they always like being the hero" he teased, glancing at the guy at the bar. "If he isn't with you, then he's here for the chip, and he is probably Black Sun, or worse, my boss hired a bounty hunter" he chuckled.

Tyler tried to lighten the mood a bit, hoping to smooth talk his way into his plan. "You want the chip, I want in with the Hutts so let's strike up a deal" he said, lifting his blaster from the table as a sign of good faith, tucking it into his holster on his hip. "Besides, I don't have it on me, I'm not that stupid. It's in a dead drop" he lied, not breaking character.

 

[blstrgmr]

Prospero was beginning to pick up on some words more clearly now, since he was slightly closer. Seemed like his interest might have gotten him a little bit too close. The smuggler who drew first seemed to think that Prospero was a bounty hunter of sorts. Not only this, but everything seemed to hinge around a chip. Hm, information? Credits? Well, he'd already gotten past the point of no return. The sniper came a bit closer, rifle still held at a non threatening position. With his free hand, he gestured over one of the servers to bring those drinks he had previously ordered, plus one more.

With his foot, he hooked his toe around a chairleg and swung a seat over for him to be in. All the while, his eyes were closely trained on two things, darting back and forth quickly. The gunman's dominant blaster wielding arm...and the filing blade. In a pinch, Prospero knew that he could do plenty of damage with both of those if he had to. No telling what these two folks knew how to do.

Prospero leaned a bit forward, using his free hand to take a small drink of whiskey. "Chips and bounty hunters? You know I just wanted to thank the both of you for providing me with some good theatre during my usual drinking hours. Interesting characters you two are, hm? I wonder if your tragic flaws are both tied to this...'chip'. Care to entertain a weary wanderer some more?" Well, if nothing else, Prospero was honest. Despite his honesty, it was clear by his posture, positioning, and the way his eyes darted. At the slightest movement of a threat, he would be ready. This probably didn't do so well to sell his "harmless eavesdropper" persona. Shifting a little in the seat, Prospero's combat gear underneath the desert shroud would show a fleeting symbol of the starbird. An indicator of an affiliate of the Rebellion.

 

[Sevrina Varm]

Sevrina scoffed at Tyler. A small chuckle built in her throat as she looked back to her nails. She knew he was going to back down and try to strike a deal. She had one of two options here; team up with this low life or make him think she's teaming up with him and rid herself of his person when the job was done. He looked like he knew how to use a blaster, she could give him that. And he wasn't the most unintelligent human she had encountered. He could prove to be useful. Still running the blade along her nail, she flicked her eyes back up to him and studied him with narrowed eyes.

Finally, she came to a decision. She could hold this act up for a little bit longer, just to see how far his limits were. Sevrina looked back to her hands and began rolling the blade between her fingers. "I work alone," she stated in a matter-of-fact tone. Though she did work alone, that comment was only to see how far this smuggler would go to save his neck and earn some credits. "And I don't work as an interviewer for the Cartel. You would actually do better getting in with the Cartel if you impressed them yourself and didn't go through me." Sevrina chuckled again, a dangerous and knowing smirk. She looked back at him, still smirking, and her eyes still warning him. "You're also a bad liar. Has anyone told you that, Tyler?" Her voice got quizzical as she tipped her head at him and purred his name. "I know you have the chip on you. Otherwise you wouldn't be so shifty." She giggled at him again.

A voice from outside of their conversation brought her head snapping around. The man from the counter. He had pulled himself up to the table and inserted himself to their conversation. Though he seemed dangerous enough and obviously new how to handle himself, Sevrina snarled at him, her canines hanging over her lips. "I don't believe we invited you over, pirate," she growled at him in a low tone. As she studied the man more, she realized he wasn't just a pirate though. Her keen eyes caught the emblem on his clothing below. Starbird... Sevrina stopped snarling at the man. He knew what he was doing, and she wasn't going to push it. However, he wasn't going to push her around either. She leaned back into the chair, eyeing the two men carefully. She wouldn't be able to take on both of them at once. But if she could pit them against each other...

 

[Tyler Braun]

Tyler struck out, so she wasn't a Hutt enforcer, well he just missed a good pay-off with them. She seemed to be settling down, though he was still cautious of her, she seemed rather keen on getting what she wanted. He kept his focus on her, had she not been obviously trying to kill him, he could have seen him working with her, she was classy, well, as classy as a girl holding a knife in a smuggler bar on some desolate desert world could be. He chuckled, she was good, really good at what she did and he guessed she'd probably not gotten to him by chance. Some poor sap at some cantina he'd been to had probably fallen for her seductive ways, thinking she was actually interested in them rather than their information. The smuggler had really no other options with her, lying wasn't going to work, she was too good for that. She worked along though, not surprisingly, she seemed awfully shifty like he was, not really trusting anyone.

"Well that's a shame dear, I was hoping to do us both a solid and get some well deserved credits" he said, smiling at her compliment. "You don't know the half of it my dear. I've talked my way into many a fine girl's company, and out of many a sticky situation" he said, his eyes lighting up, clearly full of himself as he boasted of his ways. "As for the chip, suppose I have it, I doubt you are going to..." he began, seeing the other approach him he paused, hand back on his blaster, the sound of his pistol clearing leather could be heard under the table, this time pointed at the male.

"I'm sorry, I don't recall asking for more company" he said, scoffing at the man. He wasn't getting involved with another, and it was clear by her tone the girl didn't know him either. Then he saw it, the Starbird hidden under his outer wear. Dammit, he was a Rebel, that complicated the matter entirely. OF course, Tyler couldn't go blabbing about slaves and credits now. Though, the man was a fish out of water, not likely the rebellion would be able to help him out here. Tyler smirked, blowing him off. "It's rude to interrupt, can't you see the lady and I were talking" he hissed, his hand tight around his blaster. Nosy, the guy had guts to come wandering up to a table in a cantina uninvited and try to impose himself on the conversation. Tyler cut his conversation short, not wanting to let the possible Rebel in on the deal.

 

[blstrgmr]

Prospero's earlier approachable demeanor shifted to something more serious as the two ventured upon threats and dismissal. "Maybe you're new in town. This cantina has always been pretty quiet...and for the sake of certain parties, I'm going to make it stay that way."

The blaster pointed at his gut wasn't a welcome notion, as he doubt figured was going on under the table. However, he'd dealt with worse. Or at least he considered it to be worse. "I've given you plenty of guise to continue, peacefully. The drinks. The happy vagabond. The works." Prospero shifted his eyes to the one with the blade, and then back to Tyler. "Thing is, you could shoot me. Sure. Kill me too. But...I'm a pretty big guy. By the time I've succumbed to wounds, I might reach past this flimsy table and do something I'd rather not. Or...if I'm lucky and die instantly, you'll just have more problems. The locals here happen to like their Mr. Lucky a lot more than you. I imagine you'd like to avoid that attention."

Prospero resumed his guise of the weary wanderer, looking back to the woman again. "Come on now. Spin me a tale, eh?" He spoke, more audibly than his previous logical breakdown. As much as Prosperous regretted being this deep in...the rush was something he hadn't felt in a long time.

 

[Sevrina Varm]

No longer holding up any front of charisma and seduction, Sevrina rolled her eyes this time at Tyler. With a look of disgust, she turned her eyes up towards him. Obviously, considering his comment regarding 'fine girl's company', he thought highly of himself. She couldn't help but glance down from his eyes and quickly over his body. Earlier, she had decided he wasn't the most unattractive, but again, he was a human. As she was beginning to snap back with a witty comment, the two of them turned their attention towards the new comer.

His threats were directed mostly to the smuggler at her right. Not a surprise as he was the one with the blaster. Most thought that a ranged weapon would be more deadly and more accurate, but after her training with the Zygerrian military, if one was good enough, the small silver knives she favored were almost better. When he turned his sight towards her, he seemed to let his guard down more. That could possibly work in her advantage. She believed him when he spoke of protecting the cantina and it's patrons. The Starbird emblem on his clothing marked him as a Rebel, and with that, he had the stereotypical ideals of freedom and liberty. Those were the kind of ideals that made her more angry.

Settling back into her chair, Sevrina narrowed her eyes at the man across the table. A small smirk tugged at the edges of her lips, but it wasn't, by any stretch of the imagination, a playful smirk. "Do I look like a story teller to you, rebel," she spat at him, her face looking playful but her words sharp. All she wanted was the chip. These two men had proven to be complications she was tired of dealing with. When she became more annoyed, her accent became more thick, almost to the point of not being understood. Sevrina breathed out a long sigh, trying to calm herself. With narrowed green eyes, she looked between the two men. "Now, I'm tired of playing, boys." The words 'boys' came out of her mouth as a harsh cutting word. "I am going to get what I came for. It's up to you two if there is going to be physical conflict." Still looking between the two men, Sevrina dropped the smirk and held the knife between her finger tips, reading to use it if she had to.

 

[Tyler Braun]

Tyler rolled his eyes at the man, always the crusaders these rebellion types. He wasn't keen on being interrupted, and the man clearly hadn't taken the hint to back off the first time. Tyler shook his head. "I don't know what gutter you crawled out of buddy, but you are a long way from home" he said, pointing at the emblem on his chest. He kept his grip solid on his blaster. "I'm not holding a kids toy partner. This is a DH-17 blaster pistol. At this range, I'm not leaving you much of a chance of 'succumbing' to your wounds, more of a chance at being a red mess on the floor" he hissed. He tried to calm himself, clearly the guy was interested in whatever he though Tyler had, but he wasn't going to let another in on the secret he carried.

Tyler shifted his boot, the chip snug against his ankle inside, hidden from view, but still in very real danger. He had to think of a way out of here, and frankly, his best option was the girl to his left, despite not wanting to side with another shifty low-life such as himself. He smirked at her comment. "No, you look pretty cute when you are mad though" he teased, smiling as he shifted his attention back to the Rebel. His eyes narrowed, a dark intent inside them. He half wanted to pull the trigger and end the Rebel, that would surely mark him as a player for the Cartel's and get him face time. But, the cantina owners usually despised violence and he didn't need to go to jail and lose the chip.

The smuggler nodded. "I'm half inclined to give it to you so this Rebel fanboy doesn't get it" he said, sliding a bit closer to her, clearly haven chosen a side of the table. Criminals had to stick together, and he doubted the Rebel would like to hear about what he'd done prior to landing here. He turned his attention back to the solider, eye balling him with a shifty gaze, a gaze that looked like he was about to do something dangerous.

"You want a story. Here is one for your amusement. Guy walks into a bar, orders a drink, stays the hell out of other's conversations. See, it even has a moral for you to learn!" he spit.

 

[blstrgmr]

Prospero shifted a boot up on the table, feigning a casual motion and added a bit of a smirk. "Oh, that. I'm retired." He stated fairly truthfully, when his emblem was pointed to. If it were in the budget, he'd have gotten new fatigues and armor that wasn't aligned with the Rebellion. Then there was the talk of weaponry. DH-17? Not a bad blaster. It's automatic capability helped save some lives on either side on Naboo, but they could be unwieldy. If they used the automatic function in this cantaina...there'd be plenty of unwanted collateral. But...Prospero wasn't sure if he wanted to wager on Tyler's ability to consider that aspect. If that blaster went off, his chest rig would take a shot, and maybe turn one of his rifle magazines to slag. Shots afterward...those would start to get nasty. "Perhaps I would be."

"If there's any shooting or shenanigans, live or die, this place comes under attention. With the way you two have been going at it before I wandered up, there would've been some shenanigans. Let me tell you, I really, really...don't need that attention."

The sniper's face grew more serious, his light-hearted demeanor harder to hang onto and fake. "So here's what happening. Continue speaking, peacefully, or walk out and deal with it. This became my business the moment you pulled that gun out in here, friend." All the while, Prospero was sizing up the situation. There were a few places to move if that knife came at him. His positioning of relaxation in the chair might've put him at a disadvantage on a dismount, but he could work with it. His rifle was for mostly long range...but it was a sturdy weapon. His free hand was on the same side as his concealed blaster pistol, beneath the desert shroud. But...shooting would lead to more problems. What a predicament. What a fun predicament. Prospero hadn't been in a quagmire like this for a long time. The biggest thing he was looking for was any suggestion of aggression. That...or a silent pause. That silent pause where everybody weighted their options, panicked, and usually pulled triggers. He'd be forced to act.

 

[Sevrina Varm]

Sevrina felt Tyler shift in the chair next to her, his shoulder coming close enough to brush against her arm. With warning narrowed eyes, she snapped her neck around and glared at him. It was one thing to come close enough for physical contact when she was trying to seduce him. It was a whole other thing to get that close when she was ready to slit his throat. She only wanted to do that more as he continued flirting with her. He would soon learn that sweet talk would get him nowhere with a Zygerrian commander.

Still holding a warning look in her eyes, Sevrina shifted her gaze from the man next to her to the one across from her; the more dangerous one, it seemed. She had no doubt in her mind that he meant what he said, and if things went from diplomatic to aggressive, he would undoubtedly be the first one in the middle of it. Her canines slid down back over her teeth as Sevrina snarled at Tyler beside her, though she kept her gaze fixed on the rebel. "We wouldn't have drawn so much attention if you hadn't been so quick to pull out your weapon, you shifty schutta." Her words fell down to a mutter as she swore at the smuggler. Idiot.

A mocking smile grew on Sevrina's lips as she stared at the rebel. "Seeing as you're so interested in this cantina and not starting any trouble, would you like to mediate negotiations for this fool," the word 'fool' flew out of her mouth with a harsh cut as she tossed her thumb in Tyler's direction, "to give me what I came for?" Of course, she wasn't looking for diplomatic negotiations. If anything, she had a small hope that there would be a chance for her to throw someone's head into the table. This rebel got in the way of her fun. It was a cantina; cantina's are where all the best bar fights happen. One way or another, they would both pay for getting in the middle of what should have been a rather simple job.