Wanted: A Few Good Evasive Maneuvers (Part 4)

[Kay-Larr]

[member="Usa'ar Obath"]

Mos Eisely. One of the most popular ports in the Galaxy. Here one could find almost everything they needed for hire, either with criminal intent or not. Yes, even heros can be found here.

Kay entered one of the Cantinas that she had heard was frequented by pilots and smugglers alike. She adjusted her eyes from the brightness of the twin suns to the darkness of the Cantina, getting pushed aside a bit by another patron as she had lingered in the doorway just a bit too long. She was dressed like a merchant this time, having learned her lesson when she was on the hunt to hire some mercs for her special operation. This was an extension of that mission which was growing more elaborate by the day. Only this part of it was a bit more personal. She wasn't there representing the Senate and hopefully, even as a newly elected member, she wouldn't be recognized. Right now she needed an ace pilot with a ship.

With a relaxed yet firm grip on her satchel, Kay approached the bar and ordered...a cold tea this time, for the desert planet of Tattooine was too hot for her liking. When her drink arrived, she spoke with the barkeep, "I'm looking to hire a pilot that could handle themselves well in a dogfight if need be. With all of the battles raging through the Galaxy these days, one needs to be prepared for anything. Could you point me in the direction of anyone that you know of through reputation that could be up to the task?" She produced some credits, some to pay for her cold tea and some to pay for the information. The barkeep took the credits and just grunted, pointing with his chin to the left, where there was not just one person there, but a dozen. Great. Hopefully at least one of them overheard her request.

 

[Usa'ar Obath]

Usa'ar Obath was at a new low. He usually excelled at surviving job-to-job, flying person A to place B, and so forth, but now he had run out of luck. He had recently taken a job here on Tattooine that involved him flying some alien crew to Naboo, but as it turned out, they were a group of thieves and snatched his credits. Luckily, he was able to chase them off before they could steal his ship or his weapons, but the loss of money was a big blow. Now, Usa'ar had to resort to once again touring the filthy cantinas of the desert planet to find a job.

Currently he was relaxing in a booth, drinking a disgusting mixture of God-knows-what. His helmet lay on the table, helping potential customers realize his occupation. The last denizen that slid into the booth to try to hire Usa'ar didn't work out so well. The scaly Nemoidian that sought Usa'ar's employment turned out to be a serial killer, and needed transport to a mining colony to do his repulsive work there. A wave of Usa'ar's pistol sent the creature packing. Who am I kidding? How can I find a decent, non-insane person to hire me? I suppose I am looking in the wrong place. Usa'ar sighed and downed another gulp of the thick beverage.

[member="Lady Kay"]

 

[Kay-Larr]

[member="Usa'ar Obath"]

Kay took her tea and had a sip. Blah, it was a bit weak, but at least it was cold. She began making her way through the patrons in the direction that she was given. Hmm. Many of them looked gruff and tough, but it was hard to tell what they did for a living.

And then she saw it. A pilot's helmet! Hope restored itself a little as she made her way to his booth. Hopefully he didn't just steal it. But there was only one way to find out.

"Excuse me, sir. But are you a pilot?" She had to remind herself to keep quiet on the details, at least for the moment. For all she knew, the helmet's owner could be in the washroom or something and this guy could just be his buddy.

 

[Usa'ar Obath]

Usa'ar had drifted off in deep thought when a woman approached him. "Excuse me, sir. But are you a pilot?" Those sudden words that shook Usa'ar out of his thinking brought him back nearly a year ago, when similar words spoken by his friend Cen Tessek sparked their subsequent adventure. "A pilot? Yeah, that's me. You need one?" Oh, how his luck had finally turned around. This woman found him in the midst of the crowded cantina, and at first glance (which Usa'ar had learned isn't always reliable), she seemed to be, well, non-psychopathic. That was good.

"The name's Usa'ar Obath. Nice to meet you. A couple of rules, though, before you tell me what you need a pilot for. I don't kill children, and I'd rather not transport a Sith. Not suggesting that you are one... it's just a precaution." Usa'ar hoped he didn't surprise or shock the potential customer, but he didn't want to be escorting some crazy, Force-choking megalomaniac. He had to be careful, even if he did need credits.

[member="Lady Kay"]

 

[Kay-Larr]

[member="Usa'ar Obath"]

Kay smiled and invited herself into his booth. She couldn't be too formal in this place. That would draw in the wrong crowd. She sat across from him and placed her glass on the table.

"Nice to meet you too." Though for the moment she refrained from sharing her name. There was a rather substantial bounty on her head and she'd rather not have anyone try to collect. "Your rules are fine. I can't say that I've crossed paths with many Sith, so you're safe there. And I'm not a fan of killing, most especially children." She picked up her glass and took a sip before setting it down again. Being a pilot was one thing, but being a good pilot was another. "What kind of experience do you have? And do you have your own ship?"

 

[Usa'ar Obath]

Usa'ar smiled. "Experience? Who needs that!" Upon seeing the woman's worried look, he quickly revealed his jest. "I kid, I kid. I've been flying since I was a boy, back on Mygeeto. I've flown escort ships, starfighters, a cruise ship; I've fought pirates, Sith troops... Don't worry about my experience." He waved off the question with a flick of his hand. It might be dangerous to go around spilling all that out, but Usa'ar needed to convince this woman he was right for the job. After all, he thought he could handle anything she had to offer.

"And yes, I have my own ship. I used to have an old ARC-170, but that got busted up, and now I've got a TLX-3000 Light Freighter. Room for us and a few more." There. Light Freighters usually served most people's needs. They're quick enough to compete with starfighters, but have the weaponry and cargo space to be out in space for the long haul. Usa'ar leaned back in the booth. Now what would this job be? She still hasn't told me what she needs.

"So now you've got my curiosity. What's the job?"

[member="Lady Kay"]

 

[Kay-Larr]

[member="Usa'ar Obath"]

Perfect. His answers were good enough to be almost perfect. She placed her elbows on the table and folded her hands, interlocking her fingers as she leaned forward. Kay kept her voice low as one would when telling a secret. Although this wasn't much of a secret, mind you, she just never knew who was listening.

"Preventing a village from pirates that want to enslave them. I have a plan already in the works. I just need someone that could keep me safe while everything is going down. It's more than likely that we'll be discovered, so I need an experienced pilot that could out maneuver them and keep them from following us. And there is payment involved, of course."

 

[Usa'ar Obath]

Hm. Preventing a slave raid. Now that was something Usa'ar had never done. "That's risky, alright. What concerns me most isn't decking it out with pirates as a concept; I just hope you have a small army or something up your sleeve. I've heard about these kinds of raids before - the pirates usually have several dropships and a sizable force. Now, I'm all for sticking it to the slave drivers, but if it's just you and me vs. them, well, that sounds like a suicide mission." Usa'ar really did hope this woman would bring more to the table than just the two of them

He couldn't afford to let this job slide, but it did seem to be a big stretch. Usa'ar decided to lean back in the booth again and hear the lady out before jumping to any conclusions. Credits were credits, and maybe he could use the fact that he was broke to ease his mind for this crazy mission.

[member="Lady Kay"]

 

[Kay-Larr]

[member="Usa'ar Obath"]

She nodded, taking note of his concerns. But she had been planning this for weeks now and was pretty sure that she had all of the details figured out. At least she hoped so anyways.

Kay kept her voice low. "No, it's not just the two of us. That'd be silly. I've hired a bunch of mercs that should get there before us and get everything prepared. If they're half as good as they say they are, then the pirates will be in for a bit of a shock." She smiled a little as she thought about it. A few of the Jackals that she had come across could use a bit of a scare after everything they'd done.

 

[Usa'ar Obath]

Alright. So a pilot, a woman of unkown skill and talent, and an undetermined amount of mercenaries against the most notorious crime organization in the galaxy. Sounded like fun. "Alright, I'm in," he suddenly decided. Usa'ar would rather end his life taking down slavers then transporting psychos to and from their destinations until his hands got too weak to control a ship. But, Usa'ar hoped that his life wouldn't end just yet.

"I assume you have payment, then? Not trying to be greedy, just gotta be cautious these days." As sincere as this woman seemed, Usa'ar knew he couldn't settle for anything less than half of the payment up front. The heavens know how many times people have tried to cheat me. Usa'ar glanced around the dingy cantina. I need this job. I don't want to spend any more time than I have to here.

[member="Lady Kay"]

 

[Kay-Larr]

[member="Usa'ar Obath"]

She smiled a little more as he agreed. "Wonderful. And don't worry. You'll get half your payment up front. I wouldn't want to short change anyone. It should be enough for fuel as well."

Kay had a sip of her drink and leaned back a bit. "We should begin in a matter of days. Where could I find you to pick me up?" Of course she wouldn't give the first payment right away. She didn't want to be stiffed.