"Curses... I expected as much." Eve sighs, realizing the ban on bounty hunters had only emboldened criminals everywhere. Perhaps I should investigate who wrote up such a law, maybe they're associated with more... nefarious people. She thought to herself, just as Garindan mentions the premium info, "Hmm? What do you want in return? I didn't take you for someone who'd ask for favors." The android replied, curious as to what her informant wants.
Isabia cross her arms on chest. "That is to me to decided. Who is after him? Let me guess, some other mandalorian? From your face I could tell you mean some bigger hunter than simple guy with guns?" She said with stirk voice.
"There's a contact of mine who'd like to meet you." Garindan answers cryptically. "He'll go to the Soong System if you agree, so you don't have to go out of your way."
"Oh? Now this is even more surprising. I thought you'd be a more private man, keeping your contacts to yourself." Eve hummed, "Did he say what he wants?" She asked in a curious tone, If meeting is all his contact wants, I can do as much. She thought to herself, "Very well, I'll accept. What's this information you have?"
"I didn't betray your confidence, if that's what you're implying. I was contacted by this gentlebeing to locate you - him being unaware that we were already connected. He just wants to meet you." Garindan says. "Good, I'll send you the location when you arrive on site. As for the information, it's more bad news. This pirate doesn't work alone - he's bring used as a pawn in Imperial infighting. He's been hired by a rival Imperial faction to raid those shipments. As such, several of his men are death troopers in disguise - the Empire's elite. Plus, depending on his contact's disposition, Xanado may be able to call in reinforcements or use Imperial resources."
"Oh? Someone looking for me? Now I'm even more curious." Eve replied, Could he be one of the people that attacked my creator? It'e best to deal with this now, rather than looking over my shoulder during jobs. She thinks to herself, while Garindan shares the premium information. "This... sounds dire." The android groaned, though she's confident in her hand-to-hand capabilities, engaging in a dog fight within an asteroid field is dangerous. Specially if they're going against the empire's elite. Then... what if we don't engage in an aerial battle? "Xanado and his men, they'll require a place to refuel, store their goods, and rest. Do you know where that is?" Eve asked, wondering if they could get a preemptive attack on him.
"I'm not sure I'm at liberty to say." The besalisk says, seeming a little afraid - not of her, but of whose secrets she's asking him to betray.
Isabia make more chalange pose, with hand on her gun. This planet isn't part of republic, so there is no protection for anyone exept themself. "Just tell me where go the target, so I will deal with other hunters on my own. But remember, making yourself unfriednly to mandalorian isn't wise move."
"I know it's on a hollowed out asteroid somewhere within the system - sadly I don't know which." He answers.
"I see... that should be good enough. I'll meet your contact first, before I search for my target." Eve replies, ending the transmission, unless Garindan had other things to say. She then waits for Valentija, sharing what she's learned. And asking her partner if they should proceed with this bounty.
Spoiler: Intimidation Roll D100: 77 "Alright, alright..." The bartender sighs. "Fine, he went to Zeta 4, one of the less explored ruined cities on the other side of the planet. It's filled with raiders - no idea why he'd go there. But they're not your real problem. The hunters ain't bounty hunters - they're Imperial. And they ain't no stormtroopers neither - they're the shadowy dangerous type."
"Wow, that's a lot." Valentija says as she arrives. "I think so - we've taken worse odds before and won. We should definitely get a bigger bounty, though."
"Alright. Let's go inform the guild, then head out." Eve said, going to report their new findings about the bounty. Though she'll surely need proof. Once that was over, their fly off to the Soong system to meet with Garindan's contact first. While in hyperspace, Eve ponders, "There shouldn't be that many gigantic asteroids that can hide three ships, and possible even an entire base. So we should fly around in stealth, while scanning every giant rock we see. What do you think?" She shared her plan, "Though we'll need to bet on them resting... or currently out on a raid."
Isabia smiled behind her helmet and put on the barten five credits. "See? It wasn't that hard. Drink something to relief your stress." She said and leave with Vetrik canteen. "So, we gona to deal with Imperials. Nice, it being long time since I shoot some servants of the Imperator. Let's take basilisk, it is smaller and let us get to Zeta 4 more quiet." She said as they go back to their ship.
Spoiler: Persuasion Roll D100: 77+10 (Pheromones)=87 (Pass) Heading back to the Guild, Eve's able to negotiate a higher reward for the bounty, given the fact that the danger's increased. Returning to the Veetoo, the partners lift off from the landing pad and speed off into the vacuum above, blue light illuminating the ship as they make a hyperspace jump. As the ladies wait in transit, Valentija listens to Eve's ponderings. "We could do it, yeah - a base that size should be emitting a fair amount of energy that we could track. The only problem is that the asteroids are the pirate's hunting ground. If we head there looking for him, we could get caught by surprise."
"Alright, I'll go get my blaster." Heading back to the cargo hold of the ship, Isabia feels a hum of energy as she plugs her suit into the basilisk's systems, its weapons and engines powering up, as its controls adjust to her movements. Vetrik hops on the mighty droid behind her, his hands gripping her waist for support. "Try not to do too many barrel rolls, okay?" He chuckles nervously. The basilisk soars into the air, its thrum of its engines sounding like the growl of some feral beast, as the Barlok's security systems engage behind them, and then they're soaring once again. Even as a native, Isabia finds it difficult to navigate the blasted landscape of Mandalore, valleys and craters from numerous heavy impacts scarring the landscape she remembers, meaning she has to rely on a map. Zeta IV, as it turns out, is the ruin of a city called Vallana, once considered a holy city by a warrior cult thousands of years ago. As she spots it on the horizon, though, she sees that the ornate walls and buildings that survived eons of war and devastation have finally met their match, reduced to rubble by Imperial bombing - though maybe the catacombs beneath survived? Even with the zoom feature, she's still too far away to make things out clearly yet, but Isabia can spot some dots around the city that look different to the old buildings - probably another settlement built into the ruins. Spoiler: Stealth Roll D100: 22+10 (Basilisk)=32 (Fail) Isabia's roused from her pondering as she hears the whine of another engine above her, and then below her. Looking around, she sees two skiffs taking their places nearby, one armed with a large blaster cannon, while the other has some sort of harpoon launcher on the back. Both skiffs are crewed by half a dozen or so rough looking and well armed men.
"That's also true." Eve replied, "But, as long as they don't catch us in a pincer, I'm confident we can handle them." She adds, pondering what the best approach would be. "On the off chance we do get caught in a pincer... it will cost us an escape pod. But what if, once they start boarding us, I'll hold them off, while you make it seem as if you've entered one of the pods. But then, as they think you've floated away, that pod happens to run into an asteroid, destroying it, and killing you. At least, that's what they'd think. In truth, as they attempt to capture me, you're free to sneak around, find ways to disable their base. A bit risky, but what do you think?"
"And I trust you... to save me before anything too dangerous happens." Eve replied, smiling. "Now, let's meet up with Garindan's contact, before we deal with these pirates."
"I suppose I have saved you before - like that time I stopped Valdoon from deflowering you." The blonde smirks. "Not that it mattered much in the end." The pilot leans back in her seat. "Hrrrng..." Valentija yawns as the two of them wait in the near deserted spaceport of Soong IV, the only inhabited planet in the system and the site of a small Imperial trading post. Looking around, Eve sees that the pilots and military personnel who make up the only other people here barely register the women's presence - more concerned are they with preparing for the next pirate attack. "Did Garindan say when this guy was supposed to get here? Feels like we've been waiting for-" the pilot's words are cut off by the whine of TIE fighters as they whiz by the base in a defensive pattern, around the nearby landing platform where Eve was told to wait. The terminal doors open, and a detachment from the garrison marches out in parade order, two lines of stormtroopers who've clearly tried their best to clean the planetary grime from their armor, led by weary eyed officers in uniforms long past in need of ironing. The soldiers take positions on either side of the ramp leading to the landing pad, creating two walls of white armor, as the officers wait in the middle. From the sky descends a shuttle, the fighters swarming around it defensively, before its landing gear descends and it takes its place on the ramp. The shuttle's ramp lowers, and a group of black armored death troopers march out onto the ramp, looking for threats with their weapons raised threateningly, before an officer emerges from the spacecraft, his flabby body held back by a uniform of the finest silk - though dark spots under his arms spoil the classy look. "General!" The waiting officers and stormtroopers snap to attention, raising their arms to their forehead in crisp salutes. "We're honored to have you here, sir. We've prep-" The commander of the garrison welcomes the general politely, but trails off as the fat man strides right by him down the ramp - his eyes fixed on Eve. With the Imperials looking around in confusion, the general walks towards her, his portly body moving along at a surprisingly fast pace.
