Lone Wolf

The Ambush

It was mid afternoon when Mando arrived at the little farming community west of Dacara. Puffy white clouds trooped across the sky and made the sun blink in and out like a light switch being flipped. Any day now the rainy season would begin. Cardan was known for its wet weather conditions. Almost ninety percent of the planet was water, and yearly storms made the small island continents in the south uninhabitable half of the year. Dacara was centred in the heart of the large northern continent where most of the people lived.

Mando parked the speeder bike just outside town. It was too big to ride through the dusty little streets, and besides, the piece of junk kept backfiring. Attracting attention was rarely a good thing. He found the local pub easily and decided to ask around inside. He wasn't sure how well hidden the woman would be, but he figured she needed at least some contact with other people in order to get supplies. Asking the bartender if he knew any Nautillans seemed as good a place as any to start. The bounty hunter packed his little green sidekick in a bag, concealed it beneath his cape, and went in. He was surprised to find the small tavern packed to the rafters with boisterous locals in the middle of the day. The pleasant rumble of laughter and talking mingled with drunken song. His eyes followed the sound of the singing, and he was even more surprised to catch a glimpse of a green tentacled Nautillan head in the midst of the largest group. She was younger than he'd expected, maybe twenty. She kicked back a gulp of ale, slammed her glass down, and raised her voice in song with the others. The lyrics were far from being child friendly, but the kid probably couldn't understand it anyway. Mando made his way through the revelling bodies toward the girl. Her demeanour didn't fit what he'd expected for a Jedi, but even if she wasn't the Nautillan he was looking for, perhaps she could lead him to the right one. Near her group, he found a spot to lean against the bar counter and ordered himself a drink. Not that he intended to remove his helmet to actually drink it, but he didn't want to draw attention by taking up space without ordering. While he waited, he took some nuts from the dish on the bar and slipped them under his cape. The kid munched happily and kept quiet. He tossed a couple credits to the bartender when his drink arrived and then tried to keep an inconspicuous eye on his target. She seemed popular within her group and much of the conversation passed through her.

Soon, her drink was nearly empty. After a few minutes, she stepped to the bar beside him to order another. Mando tried to speak casually. "Pretty crowded here for this early in the day. It looks like you're celebrating something over there," he commented and watched her closely.

She smiled at him and leaned her elbows on the bar. "It's always crowded after the harvest just before the storms come. Everyone likes to let loose a little at this time of year. Some of us never see each other except when us southerners come back north with our catch to wait out the monsoons." She accepted her drink from the busy bartender. "I don't think I've seen you around here before," she said. "You new in town?"

Mando shook his head. "Just passing through." He paused. "Actually I'm looking for someone. Maybe you can help me. I was told there was a Jedi in the area. Maybe you know her. She's supposed to be Nautillan too. Could be a family member or friend of yours..." he trailed off when he saw her face harden and her eyes glass over.

She swallowed and said, "Give me a minute." She handed her untouched drink to a furry Bothan man from her group. "Here, finish this for me, will you. I have to go. I'll see you guys later." The Bothan narrowed his eyes in Mando's direction and murmured something to her. She put a hand on his shoulder. "No, no, it's fine really. I just need to take care of something. Don't worry," she reassured him. He and a couple others in the group shot looks at Mando but didn't argue. The Nautillan turned back to face him and jerked her head at the door for him to follow her out. He left his untouched drink on the counter and they exited together onto the quiet street. "This way," she motioned to him. "I know a quiet place we can talk."