Tera snorted "Tallon? The famous navy guy? I'd like some of what you're having. He died many years ago." Tera suspected this group, in common with all bounty hunters was a little short on brains.

Stading up fully, Xander stares at the others.

"Tallon is dead. Long dead, and should not be brought back up understood?" With a pause and a bit of a gasp, he looks out over the dunes.

Lyla shrugged, both to Tera's incredulity and Xander's odd reaction. "Some people seem to think he's still around. Dunno, maybe he's a relative or some poor sap with the same name? There's zillions of people in this galaxy, after all..." Well, the imperials apparently had more concrete information, and Lyla and the others had a bit of that. She wasn't sure how much more to spread around. "Hey, maybe he's like that Elviz Perslee, with all the sightings and theories..."

"Rumor has it that the Imperials want this guy." Mallox said afterwards. He had some seriously reservations about brining other people along. But he felt that the rebels needed some help. Otherwise, they might fail.

Mallox had to find out if they could trust these newcomers, "The Empire would pay a hefty sum if the man were still alive and in their possession."

The kel dor shakes his head. "Tallon is dead or it is so believed. If he is hiding, we will not find him or will the Imperials. If this so called man is alive, he is far from this place and out of danger. The man should be forget about and left as he believed: Dead." The gas breather inhales and exhales.

"Well, sorry if we don't take your word for it, mister. We've got to look around some more to prove he's dead." Lyla returned, finding the Kel Dor oddly firm about this. She rather hoped he was right, however; it would save them some time and trouble and save Tallon from having a bunch of bounty hunters on his tail.

"You will gain no aid from me. I do not chase ghosts but for someone such as yourself, it apparently seems you do." The Kel Dor looks out amongst the sands.

Tera shrugged "It's not like they were asking for aid from you....or me. I suspect they'll just drop us off after they're done talking to whoever they're done talking to." Tera found the newcomer to be have extremely strong opinions for just being picked up half dead from the desert.

The kel dor continues looking out over the sand dunes. He takes a seat, trying to clear his mind.

"We're not exactly in the ghost-busting business." Lyla returned, a little defensively. Nor were they really bounty-hunters either. It bothered her to be seen as something she did not want to be: bounty hunter, no; rebel, maybe: scout, yes... Even her previous career was looking better and better.

"So, where you headed out there in the desert? In that direction, you'd have just walked until you dropped if I hadn't found you." she asked Xander, fishing for gratitude.

A simple glance towards Lyla is all she got. No emotion on his face. Of course no emotion on a Kel Dors face isn't very unusual. He looks over at the dune still, and closes his eyes as if pondering stuff.

Mallox looked to his companions. "Too much sun. We'll drop the Kel Dor off when we can." He turned to the Rodian, "Let's get back on the route we were headed earlier."

The pilot shrugged to Mallox “we need to get back to Mos Eisley before twilight. This detour has cost us too much time to continue our hunt today we will have to start again tomorrow” he then turned the skiff around and headed back to the spaceport.

Shadows were indeed lengthening as First Twilight approached as the skiff hovered into Mos Eisley “you need dropping off anywhere special?” the rodian asked his passengers. The other bounty hunters debarked at the cantina.

"Damn it, I forgot: do you need water?" Lyla offered the Kel Dor her flask, but couldn't remember if his kind drank water or not. She doubted that impassive and aloof man would even acknowledge the offer, but it was better to try.

***

And finally they were back in Mos Eisley, a day wasted beneath the burning suns, bar the lucky dip prize of a rescued wanderer. "Sure, can you drop us off by the Spaceport? Ta." she told the Rodian, but she was getting increasingly suspicious about this whole bus-ride. The Spaceport was, of course, right by the Spaceport Hotel and Docking Bay #94 where they'd left the Alabak's Gold.

"You mind if I stay over with you? Saves having to meet up at Frist Twilight to go see Slag Flats. Besides...the guys that jumped us? I think they know where I live." Tera inquired.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:21, Mon 23 July 2012.

Mallox glanced at Tera when she inquired about staying with them. It seemed like a reasonable request. But he hadn't been in the gun fight. He turned to spoke to the Rodian driver, "Yeah drop us off near the spaceport. We can walk from there. It's no problem."

Mallox did not answer Tera's question. He let that hang in the desert air. Someone else would have to answer her question.

The rodian pulls up at the spaceport and waits for everyone to get off.

Mallox jumped off the skiff. He looked around to see who if anybody was paying close attention to them. "Alright. Let's get going. We've a party that requires out attention."

For a moment, Xander stays on the skiff but he turned towards Tera, eyes narrowed. He moves to get off, watching her for a moment then hides his eyes beneath his cloak. Strange.

"Sure, but you won't have to wait long. First Twilight's soon." Lyla answered Tera.

She waited until the skiff emptied of bounty hunters and slowed to a halt. But she didn't get out. Instead, she asked the Rodian pilot, nice and casual, "So... How much are you getting paid to take all of these bounty hunters on desert tours so Puggles has the city to himself?". She thought she had the scheme figured out, but realised she was still jumping to a bit of a conclusion. She had her blaster rifle ready to point at him if things turned sour.


OOC: Perception (senses lies) 20
This message was last edited by the player at 15:24, Mon 23 July 2012.

Willmar was just about to disembark the skiff when he overheard Lyla question the pilot.  He paused, and lingered a while longer so that he could lend support if the pilot took offense.

Tera frowned at Xanders attention. "You coming with us, o crotchety one or going to be grumpy on the skiff all night?"

“Hey I don't know the big plan” he answered defensively“I was just told to take you all into the wastes. I didn't do no harm” he explained as he eyed Lyla's rifle his own hand reaching toward his own blaster“no need for anyone to get tetchy”.

OOC He doesn't appear to be lying or hiding anything.

"No, you didn't." Lyla sighed in agreement. So there was the truth. Wasting an entire day in the desert wasn't her idea of fun—though, oddly, it was her regular job—but she wasn't entirely upset about this. "You can keep doing what you're doing—I recommend the Great Mesra Plateau, it's nice this time of year, and you should check out the Big Bantha down south... But remember, no-one frangs around in the desert if they don't have to, and those bounty hunters won't be as forgiving as I am. Stay safe. I don't want to have come out there and bring you lot back." And she would, she knew, because someone had to and that someone was her.

Lowering her rifle, Lyla hopped out of the skiff and turned to face the Rodian for her parting words. "Tell Puggles that if he wants hunters that aren't a bunch of stoopas then he should look us up. And that if he gets in our way, we'll tell the others about these little tour bus trips." She'd been thinking about what she'd say the whole ride back, but she realised she didn't sound nearly as threatening as she'd liked. It really wasn't her thing. So she ended with a cheery wave and a "Have a nice day!"


OOC: Persuasion 3, ugh

When Lyla lowered her rifle and disembarked the rodian relaxed. So relieved that he wasn’t going to get blasted he happily returned Lyla’s wave his long snout twitching excitedly as he retook the skiff’s controls and set to go home before he had to do it all again tomorrow with another bunch of stoopas.

OOC I’ll close this thread now. Post in the First Twilight any preparations or planning before I update with the meeting.