"You don't think I work with these guys do you?" Fennec pauses to glance down at the Trandoshan corpse, almost sounding offended.

The Twi'lek follows her gaze to the Trandoshan, before glancing pointedly at Fennec's remarkably similar outfit, raising a skeptical eyebrow.

"Well I don't," Fennec continues flatly, "I'm only here for Stro'to."

The Twi'lek hesitates, eying Fennec appraisingly. At length she shrugs.

"Unfortunately I cannot allow you to kill him."

OOC: Layla Secura rolled 19 using 1d20+8. Sense Motive.

"'Unfortunately?'" Fennec prompts quizzically.

"He's a complete sleemo," the Twi'lek admits frankly, "But he's my only shot at tracking down the Compeer of the Exchange."

"He knows the identity of the Compeer?" Fennec repeats, eyes widening in genuine surprise.

"Well, he knows-" the Twi'lek breaks off as the sound of hastily running booted feet echoes from the staircase behind them, raising her lightsaber defensively as Fennec raises her own blaster rifle.

Xizran skids into the room and promptly dives under the lightsaber and behind Fennec for cover.

"I don't know what screening process you used to vet your hirelings, Fennec, but frankly speaking, it sucks. Lendon's trying to kill me. Kill him first, then work out whatever you are working out here, and you--," the Xizran seems able to size up in two seconds the muscular build of the twi'lek and capable warrior's stance, "if you're not a Jedi, then I assume you got that lightsaber by killing one, which means you are competent. I will give you 200 credits if you will help dispose of that sleemo karking son of a space slug who is trying to kill me."

(Anyone familiar with mercenary rates would be aware that this is well below normal market rates, but the Falleen seems to be counting on the twi'lek not being aware of this.)

The Twi'lek, clearly expecting more attackers, seems quite taken aback by Xizran fleeing past and skulking behind her. She glances quizzically at Fennec, who ignores her, already moving to the door.

"I'm not a mercenary-" she begins, but is interrupted as yet another set of sprinting booted feet echo down the staircase.

Lendon appears at the doorway a moment later, eyes widening as he takes in Fennec and the lightsaber wielding Twi'lek. He curses as in a fluid motion he turns on his heel and bolts back up the staircase.

"You treacherous karking sleemo!" Fennec snarls as she fires a pair of blasts before sprinting off after him.

Xizran, much more confident now with backup, also pulls out a hold-out blaster and fires a shot after Lendon with the tiny weapon that just barely has the range to get there, and bolts after Fennec (clearly not liking the idea of staying with a twi'lek who may in fact actually be a jedi, bounty or no bounty, since she's saying she's not a mercenary.)

OOC: Xizran dealt 11 points of vitality damage to Lendon.
This message was last edited by a game editor at 05:08, Mon 07 Mar 2022.

The Twi'lek hesitates as the others disappear up the stairs. She glances over to the shadows of a corridor behind her where a group of gaunt and timid looking Twi'lek faces have appeared to peer out fearfully.

"Wait here," she says gently in Ryl before hurrying off after the Xizran.

OOC: Layla Secura has joined the party.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:27, Fri 18 Mar 2022.

Reaching the hall with the banqueting table, Lendon sprints over and slides smoothly over the table before ducking behind it on the far side, using it for cover as he opens fire on Fennec who reaches the entrance to the hall a few seconds later.

OOC: Fennec Kang rolled 12 using 1d20+8. Initiative.
Lendon Vuln rolled 3 using 1d20+2. Initiative.

Fennec remains cool and collected as she fires a couple of well placed blasts. The first strikes Lendon in the shoulder, causing him to give a curse of pain as he staggers backward. The second strikes him in the side as he collapses heavily to the ground. He does not rise.

OOC: Fennec Kang dealt 17 points of wound damage to Lendon Vuln.

"Good work," Xizran enthuses, sounding pleased at the sight of the smoking corpse. "I am reminded yet again of why it is I like you, Fennec. Check if he is dead, and check if he has anything useful in his pockets about who hired him, because whoever did is going to be joining Stro'to on my hitlist."

Fennec is already moving across the room Lendon's body. She kicks his blaster away from his limp hand before crouching to place a hand on his neck.

"He's alive," she asserts briskly after a moment, before performing a quick search of his pockets and belt pouches. She withdraws an assortment of items including a grappling hook, frag grenade, credit chip, medpac, glow rod and a few energy packs. At length she makes a triumphant noise as she withdraws a code cylinder from within a concealed chest pocket.

OOC: Fennec Kang rolled 16 using 1d20+2. Search.

Xizran looks tempted to do something about the fact that Lendon is alive, but at the sight of the code cylinder, he seems to temporarily forget about thoughts of cold-blooded murder.

The Twi'lek reaches the hall a few moments later, brushing past Xizran as she quickly moves over to the staircase on the far side. She spares the code cylinder a glance as she passes but continues on her way toward the staircase.

"I suggest you two leave," she informs them as she passes.
This message was last edited by the player at 01:39, Tue 08 Mar 2022.

Fennec quickly rises as the Twi'lek passes, pocketing the code cylinder as she strides after her.

"You mentioned Stro'to knew the identity of the Compeer?" she prompts.

Xizran pockets the frag grenade, the credit chip, the grappling hook, and the energy packs. (He leaves Lendon the glow rod.)

"Compeer?" Xizran echoes, hastening after his minion to catch up with the twi'lek.

The Twi'lek does not seem impressed at the pair persisting in following her, frowning for a moment before shrugging as she continues on.

"I don't know if he knows the identity of the Compeer," she clarifies, "But he's convinced the Compeer has a secret treasure vault and believes he has located it on Kashyyyk. I'm sure he knows more about the exact location but I haven't been able to ascertain anything further yet. Locating that vault is my best shot at tracing it back to the Compeer."

Xizran's eyes narrow calculatingly under his helmet at the mention of 'treasure'.

"Fennec, see whether you can work out where the worm is hiding. Fifty credits says it's in an air vent with his reserve stashes of spice. And maybe raid somebody's body for another comlink. Your old one broke, and that's inconvenient when I have assassins chasing after me."

Fennec concedes the logic of this, and doubles back to remove Lendon's wrist comlink and attach it to her own.