"Well that's just comforting..." Kara mumbled wondering about how much it would cost to hire Fett to shoot Farok.

Quote from: tomcat on Sep 10, 2011, 04:20 PM
Fett answered coldly, "I didn't say the Empire was no longer looking for you. I just said you are no longer in demand... to me. Which means, I have no interest in you."

Kaida gave a mirthless laugh. "Until the price on my head goes back up, that is." She shook her head grimly, and her eyes narrowed. "There's no point to this Fett. You're just one more double-crossing scum, slaving away for the highest bidder. You people are all the same. No honor. Nothing to trust. Nothing in you but love of credits. I say we off him now and go on our own. One less headache to deal with down the road."

"Your call, Kaida. It would be a shame for you to die now, especially with your mark cleared with me. Actually, your best bet is to trust in me. Who else do you have on your side at the moment, who has insight regarding the people chasing you? I have access to the guild and the details on all marks." Fett was very matter-of-fact. His tone conveyed that he didn't care one way or the other about what happened in the next sixty seconds, and he let her know. "So either fire that blaster, or put it away and let's get busy finding this dark jedi. I am already paid and it won't make much difference to me whether you are alive or dead at the end of the day."

Logar stepped forward. "I don't trust him either. But I have to believe if he wanted you dead, he'd get busy trying to make you that way. Also I think we need all the help we can get with this shadow character." Logar shared his jackals smile with Fett, patting the vibroknife at his belt. " Besides if he's with us it's easier for Katherine to keep a watch on him."

sorry guys been busy lately with vaca the abruptly back to work and my free time has all gone to playing dead island.

"Made public examples," Caden thought.
"Answer me this, then," he said with a glare, while gently pushing himself in between the irate Kaida and the bounty hunter. "I assume you read the holos. On Bakura, there were two high-profile assassinations recently; minister Seelig and Senator Ranie. Were they Bando Gora... examples?"

Caden, sensing the answer before it came, didn't relish the notion of working with Fett, but if nothing else, they'd at least be better off knowing exactly where he was. And if he was really on their side - even temporarily - so much the better.
And if the Bando Gora were responsible for murdering two of his friends on that backwater planet, Caden might even be able to put aside his qualms with Antturrus in the meanwhile, too.

"Kaida might not think of it this way," he thought,  but this was still his ship, not her chariot. And whether she was considered a noblewoman back on her world or not, in the Outer Rim, nobility carried about as much weight as Tatooine dust.

Quote from: Callowmoryne on Sep 11, 2011, 02:05 PM sorry guys been busy lately with vaca the abruptly back to work and my free time has all gone to playing dead island.

No problem, John.

---

Logar saw Boba Fett's head nod, as if in understanding or maybe admiration. The soldier was unable to tell, but he felt that the bounty hunter had just given him a modicum of respect - and that the challenge was accepted, should it ever arise.

Caden then spoke and Fett replied, "I don't know. I heard about their deaths, but the holonet says you killed them, or were part of the plot. It wasn't part of any job I had working, so my interest lay only in the informative value, but those fit my meaning of public examples. Was it the Bando Gora? Maybe. But I have seen a Hutt have a person flayed and then left on the sands of Tatooine for the suns to cook them and the womp rats to dine, so you can't be certain who did the killings... if it wasn't you."

A note... Kaida, Logar, and Farok know nothing about the Bakuran slayings other than what might have been seen on the Holonet News. Accusation of murders and assassinations might be of concern to some of them... maybe. Just saying.

Quote from: tomcat on Sep 12, 2011, 01:33 PM
A note... Kaida, Logar, and Farok know nothing about the Bakuran slayings other than what might have been seen on the Holonet News. Accusation of murders and assassinations might be of concern to some of them... maybe. Just saying.

I know. 

Quote from: tomcat on Sep 12, 2011, 11:14 AM

Caden then spoke and Fett replied, "I don't know. I heard about their deaths, but the holonet says you killed them, or were part of the plot. It wasn't part of any job I had working, so my interest lay only in the informative value, but those fit my meaning of public examples. Was it the Bando Gora? Maybe. But I have seen a Hutt have a person flayed and then left on the sands of Tatooine for the suns to cook them and the womp rats to dine, so you can't be certain who did the killings... if it wasn't you."

"If I was that good an assassin, you wouldn't have ever set foot on my ship," Caden snarled. "We were investigating the first murder, and got framed for both by someone. They dealt drugs - something called namana - and that hooded lightsaber-wielding maniac was their lapdog. That's all I know right now, but I don't intend for it to stay that way."

"Then what do you say we end this bickering, and start working on a solution to the shadow?" Fett retorted. There was a hint of irritation in his voice due to the time that it was taking. His helmeted head looked passed Caden and at the noblewoman behind him, "You ready to put that blaster down?"

Brim spoke out, "All right... like Logar says, trust him or not, at least he can and is willing to supply us with the information we need." The Rodian looke at Fett, "And if he wants to accompany us, then having his walking arsenal will not be a bad thing. So let's get down to it, Fett. What is it that you know?"

---

I am leaving it open here for the moment to see if any other PC's want to chime in about Fett helping.

Kaida stared at Fett. It was scum like this that had hunted down her family and brought them to the Empire or killed them on the spot. It was scum like this that had been after her ever since she fled Commenor. And she was supposed to put all that aside and work with him? She was tempted to shove the blaster in his face and pull the trigger. She imagined the feel of the kick of the rifle, of the helmet taking the impact, smacking back, of Fett falling backwards. And she smiled, a Logar-like smile. The anger was such a base emotion and it welled up in her so suddenly that she took an involuntary step forward and felt a rush of power. For a long heartbeat she stood rooted to the spot, her finger caressing the trigger. Then she remembered her father's voice teaching her that violence must be properly used to protect, to defend, to liberate. Never out of vengeance. She eventually lowered the gun, her hand shaking, and her voice was thick with emotion. "I think we're both lucky I had a good father Mr Fett. I'll work for you, for now, of necessity, but don't ever come after me again!"

She sat down and leaned back. She took a deep breath. "You mentioned hitting their supply line. Where? When? Tell us what you have in mind?"

Sam just listened to see how this would play out. Cutting to the chase, Fett was a businessman. His interests seemed to align with theirs now, and one less person chaisng them was always a good thing. He would keep an eye on him, though. For all Fett knew, Sam was just a droid of simple programming.

Farok had been quiet during this whole interaction; he listened both to the bounty hunter and the Aegis's crew. Watching and listening he tried to puzzle through the different motives and histories that were at play here. So far he came to the conclusion that Kara actually volunteered the least amount of information to the Bounty Hunter.

"So a Fett is again loose on the universe. Interesting."

"You are mistaken Princess, a Bounty Hunter is possessed of a certain degree of honor. Like Mercenaries their reputation is what sustains them and what determines their worth. Getting the job done is second only to doing what they have either agreed or been paid to do. You could call it honor by contract."

"I am not convinced however, that for need of allies in hunting the Shade you have come here Fett. I don't take you as the pack kind of hunter. Your desire is the personal challenge of a one to one hunt, the money involved is secondary to you. Keep in mind however that whatever strings Anturrus is pulling he has cast you into his web as well. I'm sure you have thought about what leverage you are brining to the table for him by being here?"

Farok looked around the ship at the assembled folks. He took another long draw off of his cigar and this time the ash didn't make it into his robes.

"Worse partnerships have been made before, and if not built on trust they can be built upon mutual respect. Walking into a ship uninvited shows a clear lack of respect so clean up your act and start acting like a professional or take a hike, that's the difference between being able to do something and doing it just because you can."

" The price of you doing business with us is being paid by someone else, our price of doing business with you is a six month hiatus once the Shade is dead on any new, outstanding, or recently remembered contracts on anyone on this ship. Does that sound fair to everyone?"

"Oh and Bounty Hunter, I wont kill you if you cross us, I'll destroy your professional name and reputation in this galaxy until even street thugs on Tatooine laugh at the mention of your name."

" Now that we understand each other a little better lets dispense with the blaster measuring contest and get down to the matter at hand."

Farok placed the cigar back into his mouth and made a hand motion to Kara for her to toss him back his flask.

Fett's armor had belonged to his father, and so it was a bit beaten and battered. The effect was to make Boba Fett seem older than he really was. If the people in front of him knew that he was just eighteen cycles old, the confrontation may have come off differently. The helmet microphone also aided in making him more machine than man. All this and the reputation that he had thus far accrued extended him his notoriety and ruthlessness, but still he was learning. Boba wondered if Varta, and even Anturrus of the Black Sun, knew who they were now dealing with. The team of misfits before him were very well organized and smart. He had no doubt that they would have success, and he had no problem letting them know.

His entrance into the Aegis had been quite skilled and effective, but the one-armed man was right - it was amateur-ish. Boba Fett was not an assassin. He had no reason to sneak in in this manner, unless it was his intention to disable the ship. He looked at Farok, "Noted."

As for his interests in Kaida... he no longer had any. Farok was right again. He was a businessman and he had been paid for leaving her be and to even help her. He would honor his contract. He had no commitment to Vader. There was no retainer fee. Fett had simply picked up on the mark after the shadow had come to him to find out where Corbin Sallo was heading. Boba had only then decided to take on the hunt and logged it with the Guild. Changing his mind would not dishonor any contract to anyone out there, and so he confirmed, "You have my word that I will no longer pursue any current contract that is listed on Kaida Katan, or her companions. If you cross the line, though, and new contracts are placed... then you have my word that you will have a six month start."

Heads nodded around the room. The bounty hunter approached Sam, "You will need this to remove the plants." Boba Fett handed Sam a small trigger device that had been neatly hidden in his hand. "You will find the charges placed on each landing strut hydraulic arm, just within the ship's hull." Fett then looked back to Farok, "I am a businessman, but I play to win." Then he looked at Kaida, "Now, as to what I know." Again he held up a device. Caden could see it was a small code cylinder.

With a leery nod, Caden pointed to where Fett could insert the code cylinder and thus access the data. The bounty hunter tapped a couple passwords and then the monitor in the corner of the lounge lit up with what appeared to be a journal. Included in the journal were small thumbnail files of images. Fett selected one and it expanded to an overhead map of what appeared to be a jungle valley.

The valley ran between the length of two ranges of mountains, which themselves terminated perpedicularly at a long chasm. The chasm had to be at least a mile across, based on its size relative to the vale and mountains, and was deep with misty fog. A river ran along the valley length and then fell down a series of step waterfalls until it reached a massive drop and fell into the chasm. On the opposite side of the chasm was another range of mountains. Atop one of them that flattened into a plateau, was a huge palace and industrial facility.

There were handwitten notes that marked locations on the map. They all referred to Sebolto, a Dug crimelord, who had managed to rise in rank and status to dominate even the Gran population that resided on Malastare. Though indigenous, the Dugs had been suppressed by the Gran immigrants over many generations. Sebolto had changed that with his business and power, naming himself King. Unfortunately for the crime lord, he had a run in with Jango Fett and died while trying to escape the bounty hunter. A new Dug named Pugwis, related to the dead king, rose to take Sebolto's place as leader. The strength and revenue from the death stick production kept the criminals in power. With the aid of the Bando Gora, it was assured.

Fett pointed, "You can see where my father has written a number of things regarding his ingress into the facility controlled by the crime-lord, Sebolto. I understand that even though Sebolto and Komari Vosa were slain, both the Dugs and the Bando Gora maintained their business relations allowing a new Dug to rise to power - his name is Pugwis. The palace and industrial facility is protected by a formidable array of surface to air defenses, so there is no way to destroy the facility from above with a starship of our ships' sizes. But if we use this map to make our way up this valley, and secretly enter the facility, we can bring explosive charges to blow it into orbit. I cannot be certain that the valley defenses will be the same, but I can see no reason why they would be drastically changed. Jango Fett is the only one I have ever heard of who has attacked the Dug palace."

Sam studied the map and saw where the former Fett had intricately marked the locations of fixed weapons and barracks. If it hadn't changed, it would make easy to either remove or get past any threat.

---

Sorry for the scanned paper drawing attachment. I have not yet had the chance to use a computer program to illustrate what is in my head.

"You think an attack on this stronghold will flush out the Shade? Do we have any idea of the markets and organization that are peddaling Gora death sticks?