Private Running Gun

[Talin Treicolt]

1527 GST
SHORTLY AFTER JEDHA
JAKKU
Taurin Tane
「Challenged by a bounty hunter
so I turned around to draw」

Embarrassment became Talin’s unwelcome guest, constantly gnawing at her stomach and self worth. When she pulled a pistol on Dax , she thought herself ready to do what it took. Those she idolized had been younger when they took their first life. It was the cost of a better galaxy - some were beyond saving, simply because they didn’t want to change. Of course, the ginger had shown none of the patterns of the psychopath he resembled, and she was glad she didn’t put one in his chest. Yet that silver lining was not enough to heal her wounded pride. She had choked. She’d need to find some guts before glory. Fuel fed the fires, and in the smoke, visions of a new plan danced in fluid streaks. She needed a teacher. Her parents and siblings had given her most of what she needed - but she was lacking a mentor who would put her under pressure enough to mold her.

“This bucket of bolts!” Tansu yelled from the cot over. “Twice in one week! Well, I better go see if Dax needs help.”

It was a golden opportunity. Their mechanics would need to fetch more parks to repair the ship - and sourcing them would be a whole other issue. A whole night to start laying foundations. Jakku was teeming with the nastiest characters who would do anything for a quick buck - it wouldn’t be hard to pick up a thing or two at the canteena. With leather jacket and cowboy hat donned, Talin slid the blaster into her waistband, and set off.

Tumbleweed blew across her path as she approached the fallen SSD. Luggabeasts and speeders were parked at the first makeshift step. The locals had been a town within the downed ship, the bar easily marked by its noise. The place crawled with undesirables. A wandering gaze drank in the sight. The place was dim, the only lighting beneath the bar, wnd a few neon signs. A bounty board lined the wall next to the entry. Tables had been pushed together to make a spot for cards and dice; Talin’s interested peaked, but as she caught the eye of a smuggler who threw her a wink, she changed trajectory to the bar.

“Whaddya want, kid?” The bartender asked while pouring another patron.

“Corellian whiskey?”

“Got ID?” His voice was colored with doubt.

“Does anyone in this place?”

Shrugging, he did fetch an oil can, laying it in front of her. Folks didn’t come here to be asked questions - he accepted that easy enough.

“No whiskey.” He explained. “Knockback nectar.”

Lifting the makeshift cup to her lips, Talin sputtered on the sip.

“Tastes like sour spit!” She accused.

“Take it or leave it, but I’ll need payment.”

Angrily, she tossed a credit chit on the counter, and waved him away. At least, with the drink, she was blending. Now to observe.

 

[Taurin Tane]

Eyeing the neon sign for the Oasis, Taurin came to a slow stop outside of the bar. The faintest breeze threatened to blow a few strands of hair in front of his eyes. It had been a while since the bounty hunter was last here, and the thought alone threatened to make his head ache. Not enough to keep him from being a good patron, though. After a quick roll of his shoulders and stretch of his back, the man strolled inside.

Reddish brown eyes gave the room a quick once over before fixating on a spot at the bar left of center. Taurin almost smiled in disbelief at the sight of a particular female at the counter. He didn't sit too close to her, just enough to keep her in his peripheral. As the bartender approached, Taurin gave him a nod of acknowledgment.

"I'll take one of whatever you're tryin' to get rid of."

Taurin rested an elbow on the counter and began lazily flipping a credit between his fingers. His other hand rested in his lap.

What's the plan here..?

The question wasn't for himself, but in regards to the not-so-cleverly-disguised girl. It didn't really matter unless it meant his job was about to be a lot harder. Fetching runaways was one thing, said runaways hanging around shady places and getting involved with even shadier people was another. It would turn out to be annoying at the least if the girl walked out with them. Ideally, he could avoid making a scene. And if she wasn't meeting up with anyone, well. Runaways weren't exactly known for going quietly.

Not about to frustrate himself with made-up scenarios, Taurin decided time would tell him how rough the next few hours of his life might be. Swiftly swapping credit for drink, the hunter wasted no time getting his first sip in.

A sigh escaped his lips in tandem with the drink's light clack against the counter. Taurin stared into the drink briefly, watching the liquid shake slightly before evening out. Under the guise of absentmindedly looking around the bar, the hunter shot the 17-year-old a glance. What were the odds it would be easy to strike up a conversation? Taurin never thought himself a lucky man.

Talin Treicolt

 

[Talin Treicolt]

Though the day was still young, the venue did not lack patronage. Talin studied those around her casually. If she wanted to walk the walk, she had to talk the talk. Leaning back, she forced herself to relax, lacing an arm around the stool next to her. The nectar was revisited. She was still choking the thing down, but it was at least good practice for a poker face.

Predator and prey sharply contrasted. There were the down trodden, destitute, only here to seek an escape from reality. Desperation and fear had permeated their entire beings. It only took someone speaking too loudly next to them to prompt a flinch. Those they feared carried swagger and confidence. They made demands of the bartender, carrying force in every word. Some were, of course, rowdy and loud - but their silent brethren were marked as wall, dominance in their stare, forcing her own eyes downward. Talin quickly realized why Dax had read her like an open book.

Shivers rolled down the girls spine, prompting her head to turn. Eyes met with a cowboy for a split second. The man looked like he could have walked off Concord Dawn himself. Quick assessment led her to mark him as hunter, and practiced at that - but not unkind as so many others in this place. He looked like the very mentor she’d come in pursuit of.

Abandoning her drink, she wove through the crowd to join his side. Greeting was offered with the tip of her hat. Within her boots, her toes danced like a broom tail.

“Howdy. Got’sa proposition for ya.” That didn’t come out right. “Er, a job. If you’re interested.”

She was worse than a cat on a hot tin roof. By the force, she hoped this guy could help.

 

[Taurin Tane]

With the rest of the patrons being the usual lot you'd expect, Taurin's quick investigation of the bar was complete. The girl in the hat remained the only thing of interest. The hunter's eyes fell back to whatever was in his cup before he took another swig. As he lowered the glass, he saw something move out of the corner of his eye. It was a bit hard to keep track of one pair of footsteps amongst the cacophony of drunken and desperate fools, so Taurin turned his head to confirm his suspicions.

With a delayed nod, Taurin lifted his head, sitting up straight. He turned his body so it faced halfway between the girl and the poor excuse for a drink in his glass. The red-head's brow perked at the equally poor attempt at a job offer. A very unexpected one at that.

... Well if I'm the shady guy she leaves with that'll make everything a lot easier.

The corner of Taurin's mouth tugged into a half smile, his brows raised slightly in disbelief. "You think I'm lookin' for work?"

Taurin's hand left the cup. It slid to and along the edge of the counter as he shifted slightly to face the 17-year-old better. He rested his elbow on the counter. As Taurin looked the ginger in the eyes it was clear that she wasn't made for this type of place, age aside. Taurin decided to count himself lucky in this instance, or maybe it was Talin who was lucky. Taurin could vouch that at least he himself was a decent man. Well, decent enough.

"You can call me interested. What kind of job has you comin' to a place like this?"

Talin Treicolt

 

[Talin Treicolt]

“You wouldn’ be in a chithole like this if it were otherwise.” Talin retorted, a mischievous grin blossoming. “A lot nicer hodunks than this to drink.”

Grabbing the nearest stool, she pulled it up, legs squealing beneath the chatter of the crowd. She sat backwards, leaning against the counter, to look out into the crowd; couldn’t read her face if he couldn’t see it.

“I need…”

She hadn’t thought about how to convey the idea without looking stupid. Lips pursing, she pulled on the experience of two twins scheming to drive their parents insane.

“A thrill.”

She let the proposal hang, half turning to the bartender once more. A couple rapid knocks on the counter filled the silence - that meant another drink, right?

“Ya see, things have gotten a little… stale. Sometimes, you just need a new perspective. I’d like you to take on a job - something dangerous, but it doesn’t have to be big. And I’d like you to let me tag along and show me the ropes.”

Working to keep the poker face, she glanced back to the tables, watching a mandolorian throw a pair of die.

 

[Taurin Tane]

Taurin sat quietly through the girl's proposition, eyes only leaving her face to watch her hand attempt to summon the bartender. The redhead could only blink at the use of the word 'stale', and his right eyebrow raised a fraction of an inch as the kid in front of him continued.

Slowly, a smile spread across Taurin's face, lips parting just enough to show a hint of teeth. A silent, breathy snicker bubbled forth. After four long seconds, the hunter finally stopped laughing but didn't do much else to hide that he found the situation bizarre and comical.

"That's a bold ask you've got there." Taurin leaned back in his seat and took a glance at the approaching bartender.

Surely this girl can't be serious, was all the hunter could think to himself. "Metaphorically... Hypothetically speaking," Taurin waved his hand, "If I was lookin' for work, and I were willing to put both of us in mortal danger for the sake of a 'thrill', what do you propose as adequate compensation? Can you even defend yourself?"

The hunter weighed his options. The bounty was clear about two things. He was encouraged to 'scare her straight' and bring Talin Treicolt back very much alive. Obliging this odd request might get the girl missing whatever she's decided to consider 'stale' at such an age. 'Stale' probably meant 'safe', and the hunter was guessing that 'safe' meant 'boring'. However, if something were to go wrong, it would be both their heads.

Taurin lazily began to scratch at the side of his chin. I could just get 'er on the ship and take her home. That would be easy enough at this rate.

 

[Talin Treicolt]

Trademark attitude drove a scoff from Talin’s chest. The cowboy had struck the nerve which brought her to the bar, and anger laid beneath it.

“Of course I can.” She declared haughtily, and a hand floated to holster, peeling back the side of her leather jacket to offer a peek. Pistol handle and saber lived in holy matrimony. “Got myself here whole, didn’t I?”

Her voice had rose, taking on a streak of defiance, and attracted attention. A chiss head appeared over her shoulder. Sapphire skin oozed slime, and the smell of liquor hit Talin like a charging bantha. The smile he gave was as hollow as his head.

“This guy botherin’ you, sweetheart? Hows about company who knows how to treat a lady.” Inebriation seemed to slow his senses, but not dull them entirely. He caught a flash of Talin’s weaponry and let out a chuckle. “Put the toys away and come play with something else.”

Had to jinx it. Panic danced beneath a hard stare. If she couldn’t prove herself capable of fending off nerfherders, the job was hopeless. Pulling on every bit of meanness she inherited from her pa, the girl pivoted. Cold calculation cleared anxiety. The picture of a true Concordian belle, she offered a shy smile. Her gaze dropped to a hair on his collar, and a flirty hand extended to brush it away. She allowed her hand to linger on his shoulder, and met his eyes once more.

“That’s a real nice offer, sir, but I’ll do you one better. How ‘bout I take one of my little toys,” Talin’s voice trailed, then her posture stiffened. “And shove it where the sun don’t shine.”

The hand in his shoulder gave him a hard shove. Becoming putty beneath her, he was totally unprepared, and stumbled backwards and over the sabbac table. A roar went up with dice and cards flying. Clearly, folks were doing well; chaos immediately ensued. A trandoshan immediately produced big iron. A gloved fist found the chiss and produced a satisfying grunt. Around them, weaponry and violence bloomed. Talin shot a look to her newfound ally and moved.

 

[Taurin Tane]

Taurin briefly eyed the pistol and lightsaber at the girl's hip before their conversation was interrupted. The hunter's eyes narrowed slightly at the drunken newcomer, and his mouth formed a slight frown at everything that came out of the other man's mouth.

Yeah, we're going to need a change of scenery, Taurin thought. Before he could request that Talin's new friend go anywhere else, he watched as the girl's reply created the perfect reason for the two of them to leave. But first...

Taurin made eye contact with Talin as he stood, moving his right hand to his blaster holster. "Alright, you've got a deal." The hunter's eyes quickly found the path of least resistance to the Holoboard. He directed the girl with a quick nod then swayed to his left to dodge a man shoved against the counter. "Head to the Holoboard. We're pickin' you out a bounty and we're leaving this chithole."

Allowing the girl to walk in front of him made it easier to swerve danger and keep an eye on her at the same time. Taurin watched as the brawl slowly grew, adding a new member each time another drunken fool was caught in the crossfire. When one of those fools was almost shoved into Talin, Taurin grabbed them by their collar, and used the momentum of the man's fall to shove him over a nearby table. A quick glance to ensure said man wasn't coming after Taurin was met with confirmation of two things. It was the chiss guy, and he was now, or well, remained a bit preoccupied at the moment.

Taurin faced forward, a stern and focused look on his face as he sighed. "Yup. Right to the board."

Talin Treicolt