Chapter 4        Tatooine Manhunt

One week later...

"Oh, dear, oh, dear, oh, dear!" the tall protocol droid fretted as he made his way down the corridor. He continued his little non-stop singsong of "oh, dear" as he shuffled along the Great Hall. He ignored everyone as he passed them since they were in a hurry anyway to leave what was left of the Rebel base on Yavin IV. Rebel Command was busy in relocating the secret base to Palmonar now that Yavin was no longer secret, so no matter where he went there was a sense of urgency all around him. Always in a rush, always hurry-worry.

The droid turned the corner into a rec-room and was surprised to detect that the hustle and bustle feeling that was evident all over the base was non-existent in here. Sitting around a table were the three people he had been sent to find, deeply engrossed in a game of sabacc.

There was a jump commando, who looked his cards over with a stony glare. A woman was looking over her hand with a look of ease, if not extreme self-confidence. A third player looked completely lost as he gave his hand a more puzzled look.

The droid shuffled up to them. "Excuse me, but I was sent—"

"Hit me," the commando completely ignored the droid. The woman raised her fist and lightly tapped the commando on the shoulder with a slight giggle and handed him another card from the deck. He scowled as he looked the card over and threw his cards down on the table.

"Ed, you really have to stop this losing streak. If credits were involved, you’d be very broke," the woman was laughing. "Zaron, they’re only cards. No matter which way you look at them, they’re the same cards."

"Lieutenant Gossemer?" the droid queried.

"What is it?" she replied as she drew another card off the deck. "Ha! Dark Flush. Does that mean I win again?"

"Lieutenant! Do you mind!" the droid had little patience.

"You have a message, yes? Spit it out!" Andromeda gathered the cards together again.

"I’ve been sent by Commander Organa. She has asked for all three of you. You are to report to the war room right away—" the droid began imperiously.

"Well why didn’t you say so! Where’s my Uncle?" Andromeda was suddenly serious and all business as she rose up out of her seat and picked up her leather jacket she had hanging off the chair and stuffed the cards into an inside pocket. Her companions joined her.

"The War Room. Captain Tolian and Maharet are already there!" The droid never got another word in edgewise as the three people filed right past him and hurried to the war room.

"Honestly! Humans will be the death of me one day!" the droid fretted as he turned to leave. "Oh, dear, oh, dear, oh, dear!"

The three of them were silent as they entered the war room. Edmund led the way followed closely behind by Andromeda and Zaron. Tolian was there waiting and so was Maharet, but because of the low light in the room it was not easy to spot a Deffel right away. The only thing visible was her red eyes that seemed to glow. Sitting at a table directly across from them was Princess Leia. Out of habit, Andromeda had snapped to attention.

"At ease, Lieutenant," she smiled graciously. "The reason that I have asked you here today is that as you know, we are beginning to come upon the final stages of moving our base to Palmonar. The battle has been won, but not quite the war, so every bit of support we can get is crucial to our cause. Our Bothan spy net has uncovered some vital information regarding a retired Admiral who has been believed dead for many years. His name is Admiral Talon. Word has it that he has resurfaced on Tatooine and I am personally sending you to go get him. His tactical and strategic talents are legendary. If our spy net can confirm that he is indeed alive, then it means that every bounty hunter including those hired by the Empire will be out to get him. It is of utmost importance that you reach him first. Once you do, you are to bring him directly to the headquarters on Palmonar. You are to leave immediately and may the Force be with you." There was a brief moment for a salute before the team filed out of the war room and headed straight for the Redeemer.

"Ah, together again! Did you guys know that Tatooine is my home planet?" Zaron said as they got on board.

"If I was born on Tatooine I would leave, too," Andromeda cracked. "It’s not one of my top ten vacation spots. Bad experience there." She blocked the humiliating memory of her arrest from her mind.

"Aside from the fact that it’s unbelievably hot, dry and has no scenery whatsoever, what could possibly be bad about Tatooine? You know you love it," Zaron kidded, managing to get a smile out of her.

"Hang tight, everyone. Once we hit light speed, it’ll take us about six hours to get there," Tolian was bent over the nav-computer.

"Sabacc, anyone?" Andromeda held up the deck of cards she had hidden in her pocket.

"I’m done losing to you for the day," Edmund groaned.

"I don’t think I’ll ever get the hang of that game," Zaron’s puzzled look returned.

"Oh, come on. Six hours is a long time. We won’t be playing for cash, honest! We can play just to pass the time. Interested, Maharet?" Andromeda held the cards out.

"I never got the hang of cards," the Deffel declined.

"Don’t ask me. I’ll be busy keeping an eye on all these instruments," Tolian held up a hand.

"Wuss! You just don’t want to lose to me! C’mon, Zaron. I’ll teach you how to play this a little better," Andromeda took his hand and got him out of his seat. He said and did nothing and let her take him to the back.

It was six long hours later that the Redeemer came out of light speed. Zaron was either getting the hang of cards or else fed-up with the whole concept. Andromeda was finally beginning to tire of the game. Maharet was feeling rather refreshed after a little sleep and Edmund’s guns were looking even shinier than they were before. Tolian had stayed in the cockpit the entire time, keeping an eye on things. When they had reached a reasonable orbit, they were hailed.

"This is Mos Eisley Spaceport. We have you on our radar. Please identify," the radio crackled.

"Roger that, Spaceport. This is the pleasure ship Redeemer requesting clearance for landing," Tolian spoke up.

There seemed to be a slight pause before the operator continued on in a monotone voice. It was clear that he didn’t believe them and he obviously didn’t care. "Sure. Pleasure ship. Whatever. You have clearance to land. Docking bay eighty six."

"Roger that," Tolian replied, exchanging an almost uncomfortable look with Maharet and had Andromeda take her in for a landing.

"So where are we?" Maharet asked.

"Mos Eisley Spaceport. The original settlement if I’m not mistaken," Zaron said as he looked outside the view port.

"The only real settlement," Andromeda muttered.

Slowly, the ramp was lowered and the six passengers disembarked. Docking bay eighty-six was very run-down in appearance. A fat customs officer approached with hand outstretched.

"HelloandwelcometotheMosEisleySpaceport.Dockingfeeplease.That’llbeone-hundredcredits," he said all run together in monotone.

"A hundred?!" Andromeda exclaimed. "You expect—"

"Prices always go up whenever there’s a convention!" he defended.

"Convention?" she asked.

"All you Bounty Hunters can call it whatever you want. Pleasure ship. Sure. I’ll let you call it whatever the heck you want," the officer said with a smile.

"Where are they gathering?" Edmund handed him the money.

"Joda Cast is hiring a whole bunch of you bozos for an expedition to the desert that takes off tomorrow morning. He’s in the cantina if you want to get in on his game," the officer smiled big at the extra twenty credits that Edmund slipped him.

Joda Cast? The name ranked right up there with the infamous Boba Fett and just the mere mention of the name put Andromeda at uneasiness. Just the fact that she now knew that the place was crawling with Bounty Hunters was enough for her to want to go and hide, but she wasn’t about to let anyone see what she felt about the whole thing. She clenched her teeth, put on her best "game face" and began to silently pray that none of these Hunters would notice her face.

"I don’t know what your plans are, but I am headed for the Cantina. We’ll most likely get valuable information there," Edmund began to walk off in the direction of the Cantina, acting oblivious to everything around him.

"I’m going with Ed. I’m parched," Zaron said and hurried after him. "Hey, Edmund! Wait up!"

Maharet didn’t say a word as she went into her favorite sneak-mode and followed. Tolian and Andromeda picked up the rear, her eyes keen and her senses alert.

Mos Eisley was much more crowded and more busy than she remembered last, but then, she didn’t remember much since she was on the run at the time. Jawas were everywhere and street vendors were constantly getting into their faces. It seemed to take forever to reach the cantina and the heat beneath the twin suns was becoming nearly unbearable.

It took a moment or two for their eyes to adjust to the darkness and smoky atmosphere of the unusually crowded Mos Eisley Cantina. The band was playing off to one side and there was a mass of people on the other, seeming to form a line of some sort. It was the Bounty Hunter convention, no doubt about it.

Zaron followed Edmund to the opposite side of the bar to get a drink. Maharet went with them, but she was barely visible. You couldn’t tell that she was there unless she was pointed out to you. Otherwise, she blended into the shadows almost perfectly. Andromeda followed Tolian right up to the bar and ordered herself a drink. She looked about nervously for the Twi’lek bounty hunter she ran into the last time she was there. Satisfied that he was nowhere in sight, she was able to relax a little as she picked up her drink and casually began to mingle with the crowd on the crowded side of the Cantina.

There were bounty hunters of all races and species here in the Cantina, it seemed. They conversed amongst themselves as they milled about, seeming to be on friendly terms with each other for the moment rather than the usual competitiveness that they usually exhibited. Andromeda was surprised that there were even a few Storm Troopers there as well, looking to get a piece of the action.

She casually strode up to the bandstand to try and get a better vantage point of the goings on. Her concentration was broken as she heard a deep voice address her from behind. The fact that it came from that direction nearly made her jump out of her skin and drop her drink.

"Well, hel-lo! What brings such a beautiful woman like you into a place like this?" An older man playing cards with a Wookiee was checking her out. Andromeda gave an inward groan at the old pick-up line and turned to face him, intending to give him "the look" and brush him off. If he was going to pick up on her, couldn’t he be just a little more creative? or maybe even subtle? She sighed heavily and rolled her eyes skyward before turning to face him.

"Even more beautiful from this side! You look like the card playing type instead of the Bounty Hunting type. Care to join us for a friendly game?" The gambler motioned to the empty seat beside him. The Wookiee appeared to be smiling behind his thick-furred face.

"Now what might you call yourself, my dear?" he asked as he took her hand and helped her to sit.

"Andressa," she replied, not planning to be at all particular with him.

"Andressa. That’s very pretty. They call me Morondo and this is my partner, Binacca," he began to deal the cards. "A little poker, say, five credits to start?"

Andromeda nodded her consent and put five credits down onto the table. The attitudes seemed to have a guarded relaxedness as she proceeded to play. She had the suspicion that they were going to try and hustle her money or something else. It being a simple game of poker, Andromeda won the hand easily—maybe a little too easily.

"Ah, that was a lucky one," Morondo said when they finished. "You appear to have some decent skill at the game. Care to raise the wager to say, about ten, Andressa?"

Andromeda shrugged with a smile. "Why not?" Just who was hustling whom? Truth was, she was an excellent card player and had done some serious hustling herself in days past.

Morondo dealt the cards again and sat back for a few more rounds, which she won easily. Morondo began to have a slightly worried look to his face as he sat back to deal another round. Binacca growled and was passed three cards. Andromeda only took one. Morondo also took three. Andromeda fell to studying their faces. Binacca growled again and threw his cards down. Morondo set his in plain view.

"A beautiful Straight Flush," he grinned from ear to ear and began to reach his eager hands for the pot.

"And I have a beautiful Full House, read em’ and weep!" Andromeda arrested his action and pocketed the money. "Gentlemen, it’s been fun. Maybe we can do it again sometime." She rose and turned to go, gettin’ out while the gettin’ was good. She thought herself pretty brazen to be relaxing in the "lion’s den" of bounty hunters. Binacca began barking in a tone that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. She guessed that the Wookiee had caught on to her.

"Andressa, if I might but ask for one more hand. I’ll make it worth your while. You see, Binacca here is about a hundred credits in debt with me. He’s looking to win it all back. He wants one more hand at one hundred," Morondo translated a little hesitantly. Binacca growled again and Morondo held his hands up as if to pacify him. "Alright, I’ll ask her."

"Would you be willing to play with a one hundred credit ante?" he translated.

"No way!" Andromeda snapped at the Wookiee. He growled at her menacingly. She narrowed her eyes and gave him an angered look of "How dare you growl at me!" She might not know Wookiee-speak, but she caught the full gist of what he was growling about.

"Seventy five?" Morondo tried.

"No chance!" she snapped back and turned to walk away. She was nearly startled as she heard the table suddenly crash behind her, sending Morondo flying out of his seat. Binacca was standing at this point, growling just to be intimidating. He towered over her by nearly two feet. She defiantly returned his intimidating stare and folded her arms across her chest. She did not look the least impressed. If anything, she was looking rather annoyed that the Wookiee was even bothering with her.

"A word of advice that it’s not wise to upset a Wookiee. Wookiees have been known to disarm people—literally!" Morondo picked himself up.

"Like I’m worried! Just what part of "No" don’t you understand?" Andromeda stalked off and got lost in the crowd just as the bartender came over to throw Morondo and Binacca out. She found Zaron and Edmund who was just finishing up his drink.

"This is too much excitement for me. I’m going into town to stock up on supplies," Edmund turned and strode out the door leaving Zaron with the bill.

"You aren’t going with?" she slid into the seat across from Zaron.

"Nah," was all he said, his attention was obviously elsewhere.

"Hello, Tatooine to Zaron!" she tried.

"Tolian knows how to find the strangest people! He’s been trying to converse with that drunken Devaronian for the last ten minutes!" Zaron muttered. "Was that a Wookiee you were upsetting earlier?" Andromeda ignored him as she fell silent and joined Zaron in watching Tolian from a distance.

"Did you beat a Wookiee at a game or something? You’ve got some serious guts to be picking a fight with a Wookiee! So who’s that with Tolian?" a voice sounded from across the table. Andromeda almost gave a start, since she never noticed that Maharet had sat down.

"Maharet, seriously. Don’t sneak up on me like that. It’s bad enough that the place is crawling with all these bounty hunters. Last thing I want is one to sneak up on me again!" Andromeda scolded. Maharet threw her a quizzical look but said nothing about it.

"I’m not sure, but I think his name’s Labria. He’s a local who seems to be in the business of selling information and what not if I can remember correctly," Zaron replied, not taking his eyes from them. "I can’t believe that he’s still here after all these years." They seemed to perk up a little when Tolian motioned for them to come over.

"This is Labria," Tolian introduced the tall devil-looking alien. "He tells me that he’s got an upper hand on those Bounty Hunters and can get us an audience with Slagg Flats, the oldest living original settler here."

"Sure thing! I can get you in to see her, no problem!" the Devaronian seemed to teeter a little and was rubbing one of his black horns. "I shall go and visit Slagg tonight, so that you can get an audience with her at the most soonest time possible! And now if you’ll excuse me, I still have other business to conduct." He stumbled and teetered away.

"I hope he can remember to do that. Is he even coherent?" Andromeda asked.

"Is he really in cahoots with this Slagg Flats character? I think this guy is way too good to be true," Maharet said. Andromeda nodded in agreement.

"I should have paid him enough. The drunkenness is all an act, by the way. That way, most people leave him the heck alone," Tolian finished his drink. "Let’s get out of here." Zaron, Maharet and Andromeda almost seemed all too happy to leave the bar.

They went back to the ship to wait the day out. Andromeda had no intention of being discovered once again by some Bounty Hunter. Maharet had nothing better to do and Zaron felt he needed to tinker with a few things he left on board—although that was a difficult thing, considering that Andromeda still had that deck of Sabacc cards with her. Tolian was trying to find out what the near riot Andromeda nearly caused with the Wookiee was all about, but wasn’t getting anything out of her except Sabacc related phrases such as "Three of Idiots dealt right side up, Two of Idiots dealt upside down," as she was shuffling through her deck. Edmund came shortly after to the ship, carrying a vibro-ax.

"Nice trinket. Where’d you pick that up?" Maharet asked, her eyes sparkling. She licked her chops and stared admiringly at the ax.

"Some guys were making trouble in a store I was in," he began. "A little Jawa and a huge, hulking Gammorean, most likely Jabba’s henchmen. They were giving the poor storekeeper a real hard time. It was a Sullistan. Sullistans are actually a mild tempered-type people I would tend to think. Anyway, I picked a fight with these two ruffians who were picking on this guy and wound up killing both of them, trashing some of the place in the process. I would have thought that the shopkeeper would have been grateful for my efforts, but instead he got into a rage and threw me out of his store, demanding that I never set foot in there again. I left, of course, but not before I picked up the Gammorean’s vibro-ax."

Zaron gave a whistle and was admiring the ax. Maharet was still hungrily admiring the weapon, her eyes wide and her tongue about to fall out of her mouth. Tolian stayed quiet and looked on from a distance. Andromeda was clenching her fist, seeming to make a real effort not to say anything. She inwardly gave a moan and so badly wanted to give Edmund a real tirade, but she knew that it was useless to do so. Besides, Uncle Tolian’s hand would be on her shoulder the instant she would open her mouth.

"If those were Jabba’s scum, then you’ll bring them around our ears faster than a bee to honey. We’ll be lucky if Jabba simply kills us when he gets a hold of us," Andromeda said quietly.

"Not to worry about it. No one knows who the heck we are. If anything, Jabba would suspect that it was the work of his rival Lady Valerian," Edmund shrugged it off. Andromeda didn’t say anything more but gave a long sigh before crossing her arms again and returning her attention to the game of solitaire she had sitting before her.

It was some time later when they returned to the cantina to keep their appointment with Labria. He appeared to be even more drunk off his keester than before. His face was flushed a deeper red than his bright red skin-tone.

"Ah! My friends! So happy I am to see you once again and in excellent health as well!" he greeted loudly.

"I’ve been better," Andromeda wanted to snap at him but kept quiet and threw him a look of "Are you for real?" instead.

"Good to see you again," Tolian replied quietly. Edmund nodded once in acknowledgment.

"I have excellent news for you. I have been to see my dear old friend Slagg and she was in a most benevolent mood! She’s granted you an audience. Isn’t it wonderful?" Labria was leaning against the bar heavily. "She holds audience in the old water silo just east of town, about half a day’s ride into the desert."

"Our thanks," Edmund slipped a few credits into Labria’s hand. Quickly, Labria left again to some other part of the bar, while they left the Cantina.

"The sooner we can acquire some transportation to the place, the better," Tolian said. "Time is short. Edmund, I’m leaving you in charge of that and you can take Zaron with you, since he seems to be somewhat savvy of this place. The rest of us will wait back at the ship. We will be leaving at first light."

"This whole thing has seemed way too easy. I’ve got a bad feeling about this," Andromeda said to herself under her breath as she followed Tolian and Maharet back to the ship. The strange, tense feeling she had ever since they first stepped into the cantina was not going away.

*Chapters 4 & 5 based off of the Tatooine Manhunt module for the Star Wars RPG.  No Copyright infringement intended, honest!!  No profits being made, either!! 

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