[IC] L'estasi dell'Oro (Star Wars Spaghetti Western)

[Red Wizard]

Yul's Cantina, Mos Vespas, Tatooine
Some music to set the mood

The bar was thick with smoke, smells, noise and people. At first glance the people in the place all looked very different; all sorts of species from all sorts of places. But when you leaned a little closer, you saw them for what they really were. They were all the same, these people. On the inside. Tatooine, and even more precisely Yul's in Vespas, attracted just that kind of people. That certain kind of people who could, and probably would, shoot you if you looked at them funny. The kind of people who'd kill you for nothing but good sport if they could get away with it. It was a wolf den if there ever was one.

The door slid open with a hiss, revealing a lone traveller in the doorway. A sandstorm was blowing outside, making the travellers cloak thrash in the gust. A few people turned their heads towards the entrance, looking at the person there, some out of curiosity, other out of boredom. Having swept the saloon with its gaze, the traveller stepped inside and the door slid shut behind it, leaving the storm and the noise it'd made outside. Most people went back to what they'd been doing before, but a few cautious ones remained frosty. The traveller, masked with rags which covered its face, made its way towards the center bar. One individual stepped in front of it, blocking the way. A blaster was brandished on the hip of the traveller, and the thug went on his way. After having slowly unwrapped her face, Jaden ordered a drink from the barman. "I'm looking for a man", she said, suddenly. "Well, darling, I'm for hire if you've got the cash", the barman said, a slightly mocking tone in his voice. Jadens expression didn't change as she continued. "His name is Bossna. From what I've heard, he's a regular here". The barman raised an eyebrow. "Oh really?" he said, without looking up, "and where did you hear that?" Jaden caught the barmans gaze and held it. "That", she said with a firm voice, "is none of your business". Blinking thrice before answering, the barman said "Ah. Yes. None of my business. I see". Jaden, still holding his gaze, pressed on. "Exactly. And I would appreciate it if you could tell me where to find this man". Again, it took the barman a few moments to answer. "That's easy", he said, pointing a finger at a metallic double door at the back of the cantina, "He's on the second floor. Only for hotshots. They won't let you in". Shooting him a smile, Jaden told the barman that was her problem and emptied her glass. "Thanks for the drink", she said, winking at the barman. Looking at her go, he suddenly felt as if he'd just woken up from some sort of dream. He couldn't remember what had happened the last few seconds... only that some girl had been asking him about something. But what the heck, it probably wasn't important anyway.

Jaden made her way towards the elevator doors, trying her very best not to step on anybodys toes. The last thing she wanted was trouble. It didn't look like she'd get into any anytime soon if she kept it up like this, but she had a bad feeling about the whole mission just the same.

[reem]

Tatooine's immense and seemingly endless desert stretched out in all directions. Nothing but white-hot sand could be seen, intense heat radiated from the sands as the twin suns blazed upon the barren world. Dune after dune, the silvery-green, skinned dewback was determined to track down its prey. Mounted on its saddle rode two travelers, a Tusken and Mandalorian. Partners in crime, more specifically hunting down criminals. The mercenaries had been tracking down this particular prize for some time now. Baladdok "Butch" Nevac'dish held the title as the "fastest blaster on Tatooine," but more importantly this gunslinger was an outlaw, wanted alive by the crimelord Teemo the Hutt. This mission was nothing more than to win the favor of a Hutt, and Johanna Reem was determined to do just that.

If Johanna catches him, she can be guaranteed an audience with Teemo. The young mercenary is new to the business, and just trying to make a name for herself in the universe. She might be young, but she had training, and she would use her skills to her advantage. Her partner, Skaterkst, remained silent under a dark cloaks. He didn't seek protection from the heat, the cloak acted as protection of his identity. Sand People weren't welcomed by most inhabitants on Tatooine. There had been peace at one time, but because of betrayals over land and blood spilled, there seemed to be war between the Sand People and everyone else. Sand People were known to attack and kill farmers and. Skaterkst was the perfect guide on Tatooine, he had lived here all his life, on this forsaken back-world of a planet. He knew everything about the desert. He was more than just a valuable asset, he was life. If it wasn't for Skaterkst, Reem would have died out in the Dune Sea. She couldn't speak or understand Tusken, but he seemed to understand basic perfectly, though Reem never heard him speak it. Always pointing and using gestures to communicate with her.

The riders continued towards their destination Mos Vespas. Paklalat, their dewback mount, picked up the pace as Johanna tapped her heels at it's side. The silver dewback galloped to a fifty kilometer pace until they reached the town's gate. The entrance was wide enough for a dewback to proceed, so the trio entered the town and into the marketplace busy with rows of merchants going about their daily tasks of buying, selling, and trading with customers. It was the perfect place for an outlaw to hide, but where?

Paklalat lost the scent trail in the marketplace and Johanna knew it. All the food, spice, and smells had distracted her reptile mount. It was time to find a stable. As if destiny were on cue, Johanna spotted sign which read Dewback Stables and an arrow pointing to an exit in the marketplace. After following the sings, Reem dismounted with Skaterkst and held the Paklalat's reigns as she approached the short man who seemed to preside over the stables. The stench of lizard poop was overpowering even for Johanna's helmet filter. The human dewback-handler was so dark his skin seemed to be burned black by the suns of Tatooine. "Ah, welcome and good evening to you worthy friends. Please, please, come this way. I have a stable ready for your lizard. At the mere cost of one hundred credits per night." Johanna wasn't in the mood for small talk. She quickly paid the man and handed over her Dewback's reigns. "I'll be back, take good care of him," she said less as a request and more of a threat. "Of course, my friend. No worries, your lizard will be very comfortable with me," he smiled.

Johanna walked out with Skaterkst over to a secluded area. "Stay close. I'm going to see what I can about Nevac'dish." He nodded and disappeared into the streets. Reem noticed a sandstorm was picking up and made her way towards the local tavern, named Yul's Cantina. As she stepped inside, she caught the attention of some of the patrons. A wretched hive of scum and villainy, perfect place for Butch to blend into. Johanna scanned the room silently, finding an empty table in the corner she took a seat and observed the room. She didn't see anything out of the ordinary, but Johanna was looking for someone who looked like they knew their way around this town. A server droid approached her, asking for an order. She ordered a glass of ice-water. The little droid hurried off to the kitchen to fetch the drink. Reem waited. She wasn't a patient person, but she was going to need some help looking for someone hiding in a place like this. That's when she noticed the elevator doors.

There must be a more private part to this establishment to conduct whatever kind of business this place was associated with. The huntress was definitely going to need to make a visit, and find out who is hiding up there...

[Red Wizard]

When she was almost at the doors, a guard which had been sitting in the shadows stood up and faced her. Jadens heart sank; it was a robot, a modified protocol droid with extra plating and armed with blasters. She cursed herself for not seeing it sooner. Be mindful of your surroundings, Jaden, her master always said. What a star apprentice she'd turned out to be. Her mind tricks wouldn't help her here. "HALT", the droid said with a cold metallic tone, "IDENTIFY AND STATE BUSINESS". Jaden wasn't sure what to do, but quickly decided to try and talk her way in anyway. She altered her facial expression to an impatient snarl, crossed her arms in front of her and generally tried her best to look like one of the regulars. "Name's Sul, canner" she growled with her best thug voice, "I'm here to speak with Bossna. Let me in". The droid stared at her, its face devoid of emotion and movement. "SUL. UNREGISTERED VISITOR. PLEASE WAIT WHILE I CONTACT THE SECOND FLOOR" the droid said and, without turning, bend its arm backwards in a way impossible to humans and attached one of its fingers into a socket on the wall.

Jaden couldn't tell if this was going well or south. Bossna didn't know she existed, so the name Sul could mean anything to him. There were of course alternatives to this approach, but Jaden didn't feel like abandoning the peaceful way just yet. Being bored with observing the expressionless droid doing nothing, Jaden turned around briefly to inspect what the rest of the clientele was doing. At first she didn't see anything remotely interesting, but then her eyes got stuck on one of the thugs. The stranger was armored, colored maroon and black, and was looking right at her. Jaden forced herself to break eye contact, but couldn't resist another small peek. The stranger was still looking. Jaden didn't have any time to think about it, however, as the droid spoke up again. "MASTER BOSSNA INFORMS ME HE IS NOT EXPECTING VISITORS" it began and put a steady hand on its blaster, "PLEASE STEP BACK AND GO ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS". Jaden held up her hands, showing the droid her palms, and backed away slowly. She had to think fast. "Of course he's not expecting me!" she said, "He doesn't know me! But tell him I've got a proposition, and that it involves a lot of credits!". The droid stared at her once more, never lowering the blaster. "PLEASE WAIT" it said, finally. Jaden exhaled and calmed herself. She was in a tight spot, but the promise of credits would hopefully be enough bait for Bossna to let her inside. Hopefully. "THE MASTER INFORMS ME THAT HE IS NOT INTERESTED" the droid suddenly said, "AND THAT I AM TO EXPEL YOU FROM THIS DOOR. LEAVE". She would have argued further, but she got the feeling that the droid wouldn't warn her again before shooting. Grudgingly, she stepped back and walked away from the doors. A new plan was in order. But first a drink.

The droid at the door, meanwhile, kept its gaze fixed on her. "STEP FORTH" it said with a hushed voice. Another droid, armed to the teeth and scorched with marks from blaster hits and other damage, stepped out of the shadows next to the first one. "OBSERVE AND FOLLOW TARGET SUL" The first droid continued, "STUN AND CAPTURE WHEN ALONE. BRING TARGET IN FOR INTERROGATION AND DETENTION". The second droid moved ahead without a sound and was soon lost in the crowd of visitors.

[reem]

Observing the situation, the huntress thought about her options. These droids obviously weren't going to let unauthorized guests to the second level. If she went around waving her blasters around, she would make more enemies than she could handle on her own; the other droids were distracted with this female who seemed interested in going up stairs. She was running out of options, and Johanna wasn't a very patient individual. Maybe I can persuade the bartender to let me up. Reem got up from her table leaving enough to cover her drink and headed to the bar.

She made eye contact with the bartender who had both arms rested on the counter-top. "Hey sweetheart, what can I get for you?" the barman asked. "I'm looking for someone..." Johanna coldly stated. "Well, you came to the right place, darling." He laughed. This bartender knew more about her kind of business, it was obvious she was a bounty huntress. No one else would walk into this establishment in full armor, Mandalorians seemed to be a dying breed these days, though not uncommon this far out in the galaxy. It was a shoot first, ask questions later kind of world. One wrong move and Reem would be surrounded by security. "A lowlife, outlaw goes by the name 'Butch', might have come in through here."

"A lot of people come through here, sweetheart." This bartender was going to play games with her. Now Johanna was starting to get agitated, she bit down on her lip before responding. It was game over. "Listen here, 'pal'," she said drawing up one of her WESTAR-34 blaster pistols and pointed the weapon at him. She meant business. "I'm giving you a chance to live..."

"Hey! Please, I'm just a bartender! I don't want any trouble." He was making excuses. "Where is he?" She demanded without hesitating.

"He took a lift up to the private strip-club," he admitted.

"Call it down." The huntress was making a scene in the cantina now, and she kept a sharp watch on her helmet's feed of the view behind her. That was beauty of her helmet's heads-up display. She had a 360 degree view of her surroundings. The droids were still distracted by the girl.

"Okay, okay! I'll call it down, hold on," the barman said pressing the button which called the lift down but also hit the silent security alarm system that alerted the droids to the trouble. Now one of the droids was making its way to her, just as the elevator doors opened up revealing two more droids. Perfect. Johanna drew her second blaster and quickly spun around, fired several shots into the droid's body. The droid went down hard, but that left three more to worry about, and Reem wasn't sure if anyone else posed a threat. Any one of these patrons could be a potential enemy or on Yul's payroll. It was time to deal with the consequences of her actions, and the young bounty huntress was ready for it...

[Red Wizard]

Everything happened so fast. Jaden had been standing by the bar, waiting for service when the armor clad thug from before suddenly pulled a gun and started waving it around, making demands. When she opened fire all hell broke loose. Jaden saw the remaining two droids reach for their weapons and acted on instinct. She used her powers to pull the blasters away from their metallic masters and produced her own gun. She waved at the thug, trying to get her attention, and hollared across the bar "Let's go! To the elevator!". The thug then leveled her blaster at Jaden, out of the blue, and the young Jedi thought that her time had come. The ray went past her head and struck something behind her. Jaden turned to see the smoking, fizzing wreckage of a droid slowly falling over backwards, a blaster which in all probability had been pointed at her in its grip. Jaden cursed herself once more for not having seen it before it was too late. At least she was still lucky. The rest of the cantina didn't seem to be doing much about the situation they were currently in. Most had produced weapons of some kind, and some had escaped outside, but noone took any action against Jaden or the armored thug. This probably wasn't all that out of the ordinary here in Vespas. In an attempt to keep the initiative, Jaden quickly made her way towards the elevator and chased the droids inside it away at gunpoint. She then turned towards the thug once more. "Get in!" she shouted "We're going upstairs!"

This was either the smartest or the dumbest thing she'd done today.

[reem]

The unexpected happened. The woman who had found herself on the wrong side of the droid's blasters had now presented herself as a potential ally. She was beckoning her to get into the lift with her, she even took care of the other droids by some kind of magic. Reem didn't believe in magic or hocus pocus, but she had heard of ancient religions and powerful beings who could summon energy of the universe to their will. But that was all she heard, mainly that the Empire had done away with most of these religions long ago. But now Reem wasn't so sure. Could she be a wizard? It didn't matter, what matter is that she survived and reached her target.

Fighting the urge to deny her aid, Johanna worked against herself and stepped into the elevator. It was a weird feeling for the Mandalorian. She had a hard time trusting people, especially after her mentor was killed. The odds were against her in this situation and Johanna knew it. The plan was to get Butch and get out. Now things were different. She was going to make this one up as she went along.

With a gloved finger, Reem hit the button to close the doors and the lift went up to the private level. For a moment there was awkward silence between the woman and the bounty huntress. Johanna didn't know if the woman was here to collect the reward on Butch or for something else, and she was prepared to fight if necessary. Though she didn't think that was the case, due to the rags the woman was dressed unlike the typical mercenary. One can never be too cautious, but Johanna had a feeling this woman was something more than she appeared to be. Looking like a street-rat, the woman had a sense of purpose and knowledge beyond her years. She seemed a little too friendly for a traveler. Reem couldn't figure it out, not that she cared. There was only one thing on her mind: collecting that bounty.

She finally broke the ice, "They will be waiting for us." It was a warning turned to irony, when the elevator doors opened four security guards were waiting for them. Reem already had both her blaster pistols drawn. Johanna shot first. Sending two of the guards to the floor.