(Star Wars d6) #63 - Inside the Spyder

Our Heroes, currently wandering the back streets of Naboo:

Ne'vets Aharo - an exotic animal broker, both legal and otherwise, majority owner in the Pretio.
Tarrie Prolek - Human pilot "under contract" to fly the Pretio, and drive the Piscopo. Brother of potential terrorist, rebel Latorna Savvn. His climbing skills are suspect, but his dance moves are above par. Edging a dangerous lifestyle of drugs, booze, and loose women.  May have a a Beaked Monkey on his person.

Duk'k - Sipsk'ud Bounty Hunter, recently rescued by the crew. Offering his services in order to get off this barely existing hunk of mud. His warning shots are dead center mass kill shots.
"Sid" - A peculiar woman with some knowledge of their missing ally, Evus, Sid has been allowed to tag along for now...

Evus - Twi'lek male, former slave, then associate of Ne'vets, currently working for Crom-Crom the Gungan on Naboo.

Further Into a Tangled Web

Already searching for Nikto bounty hunter

Kaa'tos Leeachos, the crew of the Pretio 

Has already frequented an dance club 

With exotic tastes, and discovered that not

Only is Kaa'to Leeachos 

In considerable debt, but that his 

Associates are both loyal to, and fearful of

the Nikto bounty hunter .

That has led the group to the doors of The Spyder, 

A gambling den in one of the better parts of town. 

But even the better parts of town can be under

The influence of angry crime lords....

As the crew left the Umbra Club, Duk'k turned back to see two Klatoonians, weapons in hand, following them out.  Within a block of wandering the heavy trafficked streets, it appeared the tails disappeared or were lost.  

There was less tension when the reached The Spyder, with Evus broaching important subjects:

"If we have Krom-Krom tailoring more outfits for us, he should design a uniform for us!"

Duk'k looked incredulous, "Do you think we need a uniform"

"Yeah, we have a tailor, we might as well use him."

"I think the Gungan only specializes in tiny monkey creature."

"Oh, they're quite adaptable.  Some monkeys can be quite large."

Tarrie concurred, "I agree with Evus, put me down for a uniform."

Ne'vets rolled his eyes, "How about matching Space Polos first?"

"I don't know how I'll get it over my head and arms," Duk'k pondered.

"So extra-extra large for you!" Ne'vets agreed, before opening up the door the Spyder.

The Spyder appeared more reputable for a Sabaac Gambling Den than it probably should.  There was a central pit with multiple sabaac machines and tables, various side game lining the walls and noticeable side rooms.  The atmosphere was filled with the tense roar of gamblers, cut with the the celebration of winning hands.  

A Troig bartender manned the U-shaped bar away from the central pit of table.   Two-headed alien was distributing drinks with all four of his arms, and chatting up gamblers, day drinkers, and with each other.  

There was no sign of any Niktos in the building. 

Ne'vets took most of the group down to the central pit for "scouting."

"Now, this is MY type of establishment," he said. 

Duk'k waltzed up to the bar with Tarrie.  He ordered a drink with the Troig and immediately got to brass tacks.

"Hey, has Kaa'to Leeachos been around recently?"

The Troig's two heads looked at each other with curtive glances and just handed Duk'k his drink without making eye contact. 

Tarrie immediately moved three seats over from the Sipsk'ud, ordered a drink, and motioned over to Duk'k with his thumb, "What's up with THAT guy?"

"Some people don't know their place... or the right place to ask questions."

"What's he for?"

"To raise trouble...  We take care of our patrons discretely. Enjoy your drink."

Ne'vets sat down at a Sabaac table , Evus and Sid behind him, and put his skill set to use.  He worked his pile of credits up and down, ultimately moving over to higher stakes tables with a more focused clientele.  

Ne'vets and his "bodyguards" had moved over to the big table.  The stakes were excessive, and even the thickest of Ne'vets' charm seemed to be deflected by the other player's intensity.  

A large human with sizable winnings attempted to cash out, but was caught by a snide remark by Ne'vets, "You ready to leave already?  Come on, another hand?"

The man stopped in his track and turned around.  With a wave of his hand, the other players left their seats, leaving just Ne'vets and him..  Evus tried to move towards taking a seat at the table.

"Always good to have loyal friend, but your folks can leave you.  You're safe.  Just you and me for 5,000 credits minimum."  Evus took a step back but stayed behind his former owner.   A number of armed fellows stood behind him.   Some had indiscreet Black Sun insignia on their body armor. 

Neither Duk'k and Tarrie noticed the clamor happening in the pit and kept drinking, eyeing for activity in the opposite direction.  It wasn't until a someone carrying clean glassware walked up to the the bar and told the bartender, "Some nitwit is challenging Verronus to sabaac and is winning"

Duk'k caught wind of this and asked, "Who's Verronus?"

"Bigwig here, big gambler, very good, this fool playing him is like you, doesn't know what trouble he's getting in."

"Okay, that sounds bad, speaking of bad, have you seen Kaa'to Leeachos?"

"No, I haven't, have you seen him?  We need to have a conversation here?"

Ne'vets just kept winning hand after hand, even ones he statistically shouldn't.  Verronous could barely tolerate losing, but it was the waitstaff not keeping his drinks full that pushed him over the edge.  He pulled out two blasters, shot some servers, and then begin shooting wildly into the crowd.  

Duk'k and Tarrie left the bar towards the direction of the blaster fire. 

Most patrons dodged into cover, but Ne'vets took a full shot into the chest, knocking him down.  Sid popped back up and returned fired, an even more pinpoint shot square in the center of Verronus' chest, knocking him over, quite dead.  

Many blasters emerged from most of the clientele, firing wildly, hitting numerous patrons, but missing the Black Sun associates of Verronus and Sid and Evus.  

Duk'k worked along the wall, blaster in hand to see a vicious, if ineffective blaster battle, with a number of bodies on the ground.   He quickly popped two of the Black Sun associates with flanking fire.  

Tarrie had worked the opposite side of wall, with a better view of the chaos, dodging a few random blasts.

Evus managed to lay down a rapid set of shots to scatter the Black Sun associates, but soon other patrons, probably loyal to the crime organization or at least the gambling den, joined the fray.   Once the crew could locate Ne'vets, their firing improved taking out Black Sun and patron indiscriminately.  Evus and Duk'k dragged the unconscious (and slowly dying) Ne'vets out of the pit and worked their way towards the bar.  

The initial combatants had been dispatched or subdued, but someone, somewhere else in the building, was rallying agents and patrons to pour out of the other rooms.  A fresh volley of blaster fire pegged Sid repeatedly.  Evus was right there to scoop up her body, and continued towards the front door. 

Ne'vets being carried by Duk'k, took an additional shot of blaster fire.  Duk'k sensing an immense amount of danger and the waning lifeforce of Ne'vets, aimed his blaster for a skylight in the ceiling, and ignited his jetpack to fly up and out of the building...  Leaving the other three to fend for themselves.

GM Notes:  Quote of the game, from Ne'vet's player, "Just a reminder, there's a giant pile of credits that are on the table that belong to me.  If you kill them all, don't forget the credits."

NEXT: #64 - Under a Black Sun