Chapter 1: Tovu Port

  Tovu a polluted mess of a planet, the Hutts have spoilt it with their mining and disregard for the indigenous life. Like with all Hutt Clan-controlled planets Tovu was a perfect place for the ruthless to seize power and for dodgy dealings with welcomed strangers to take place. It was also a home for a smuggler friend, one Jo thought could help lead him to a lucrative bounty—more than the one already on the Smuggler’s head of course.

  You could see the polluted air in front of your face it gave the streets of Tovu Port a browned hue that emphasised any bright neon lights. Children played in the rubbish with reminders of old occupations. One even seemed to have an old Alderaanian security helmet, which Jo was fairly certain he could get a good price for if it wasn’t currently being used as a shovel by one of the children. Aliens of all kinds rubbed shoulders in these ports Twi’lek, Devaronians, Weequay, and even some Pykes seemed to be begging for scraps.

  Finally, Jo found himself outside a cantina, a small bar that, from what he could, tell was built out of an old bank. A large metal sign stood overhead ‘The Acid Tap’ A bouncer stood outside, he was an angry-looking Bothan with a heavily altered cybernetic arm. “Drezz ain’t taking any customers. Bar’s closed. Run off Mando.” The bouncer snarled as he looked down at Jo.

  “I’m not here to collect on Drezz, I’m here to speak to Braithe.” Jo responded, he brought out a puck for the bouncer to look over, who promptly knocked it out of his hand. “I told you Bucket. Bar’s closed.” Jo placed a hand on his sidearm as suddenly a gatekeeper droid popped its eye out of the wall. The bouncer started to speak into an earpiece. “making an exception for this one are we? Fair enough. I’ll let him in.” The bouncer stood aside “Looks like you’re free to enter then, no hard feelings mate.” The mandalorian released his sidearm and looked back up at the smirking Bothan. “No hard feelings.”

  Jo walked into the bar it was pretty much empty and covered with a thin layer of filth, a fan above him creaked as it spun and the walls were covered in scantily clad images of Twi’leks, Humans and one unfortunate-looking Quarren. A human woman sat at the bar wearing a flight jacket and some old trooper armour, and a pair of goggles sat atop some nicely braided hair. She smiled as she saw Jo.

  “Jo’son Bek, assassin for the Black Sun mercs, what brings your sky-blue dome to my door? Information? A drink? Something a bit more fun?”

  Jo removed his helmet and placed it on the bar’s counter a mess of copper hair and a short beard greeted the lady. He gave a wide smile “Braithe, good to see you. I’m looking for information and I’m in a hurry.”

  Braithe frowns, “You don’t come to see me for me anymore. It’s always about a job. Go on then. Who are you looking for.”

  “A Jedi, Zen Cho.”

  The playful demeanour fades from Braithe’s face. “A Jedi? You asking for trouble from the Galactic Alliance or something? The Star lance is good but I don’t see it getting past one of their Corvettes.”

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  “The pay is worth it, plus I don’t want to harm him. He has information my employers need. I’m supposed to extract him.”

  “That makes more sense, but you aren’t going to like what I have to say. You are going to need the best smuggler in the galaxy to get to him.”

  “Good thing I know her then,” Jo smirks and raises an eyebrow.

  “Aha, you seem to think I have forgotten the spice run on Oba Diah. You’re fun Jo but I don’t have a death wish. And your droid isn’t exactly subtle.” chuckles Braithe.

  “B4 is great, and if needs be he’ll stay in the ship.” Said Jo defensively. “Look if credits aren’t going to convince you then so be it. But I need to know where this Jedi is.” he places a bag on the counter. “200 Credits.”

  Braithe ponders and eyes Jo’son, “He’s on Nyros.”

  Jo laughs “Surely not they’d have killed him!”

  Braithe shrugs and takes a swig of her drink.

  “You aren’t joking, no wonder they want him back, if he’s alive on Nyros then he’ll be invaluable. I need to ask for more money.”

  “Especially if you want to cover my cut.” Says Braithe.

  “So you’re with me then?” Jo says as he grabs his helmet.

  “If you die to the Cult and I get stuck with your damned droid I am going to end up eating a blaster anyway.”

  Jo places his helmet back over his head. “To Nyros then.”

  Jo and Braithe exit the Cantina, and Braithe has a short goodbye with the bouncer who refuses to take his eyes off the Mandalorian. They continue back to the spaceport and walk into one of the hangars where a patchwork droid with a cylindrical head and short kama is being attacked by two Weequay militia men, outside a customised freighter ship. The Droid throws the two aliens down into the dirt.

  “I’m supposed to guard my master’s ship your animal was attacking the vessel.” States the droid.

  Jo takes the opportunity to get in the middle and break up the fight “B4 what’s the issue here?”

  One of the Weequay pipes up first “This droid kicked our hound” shouted the Weequay in huttese, he had clearly been crying.

  “It was trespassing,” interjects B4-RD

  “B4 it was a dog.” Says Jo disappointed,

  “It was a trespassing Dog.” Corrects B4,

  Jo turns to the Weequay “What can I do to settle my malfunctioning droid’s debt?”

  The two Weequay turn to each other and Look back at Jo “Credits” they say together. He sighs and looks at B4 who shrugs “Anything else you’ll take? A verbal apology perhaps.”

  “Credits.” The Weequay say again.

  Jo shakes his head and reaches to his pocket. Two shots reverberate through the hangar. The locals look at the Mandalorian whose blaster still smokes from the rounds placed in both Alien’s chests. He tuns his head to meet their gaze and the locals bow down their heads and return to their work.

  “Get on the Ship B4.”