2008-10-04 - More Tatooine Heat

This gigantic hanger area comprises a series of loading stages and repair bays, scattered rather haphazardly inside the enormous dome. Many of them are sealed away by pillars and walls of plastoid, securing the privacy (and secrecy) of the goings-on there, and a bank of blast doors prevent easy passage into and out of them. Droids and engineers form an ever present stream of activity from one bay to the next; while crewmen and captains perhaps linger in the alcoves and offices attached to each.
One entire side of the hanger is open to the desert; the massive window providing room enough for several ships at once to queue for departure, though is it noticeable that rarely are there too many such ships in plain view. A command station looks down upon the hanger floor from a booth carved into the wall, and now and again the sound of a muffled speaker echoes instructions to the staging platforms. As such, it is not hard to imagine a quick take-off taking place in such a badly organised place; with or without permission from the command booth.
Yoruba hides from the twin suns of Tatooine under the wing of his personal T-16.
Gand's freighter lands neatly - probably piloted by a droid. When the craft opens, a troupe of more or less identical insectoids tromp out, all reeking of ammonia and buzzing raspily at one another.
Yoruba watches the Gand troop out of their ship. He says in Huttese, "I really hate those <Huttese expletive> bugs. Ho ho ho."
Gand ambles over towards the hutt, the sun sort of scattering from it's multifacted eyes. The insectoid's thorax rasps, and the buzzing is translated (poorly) into basic by it's breathing mask, "Greetings! How do you do? This Gand is known as Gand." The insect peers at the large, slug-like critter.
Yoruba pinches the space on his face where there should be a nose. He replies in Huttese. "Ho ho ho. Greetings, Gand known as Gand. I am Yoruba known as Yoruba."
 
*Clink, Clank, Clonk.* 
 
Echo the noises of metal tapping upon metal beneath the hull of the shuttle Elingail; within short order though the crafts pilot Melantha gives up on whatever activity she is persuing beneath the ship and chooses instead to step out from its shadow and lean against the landing strut. 
 
Idly the woman's dark gaze surveys the area as she twirls a hydrospanner about her fingers, a smile playing at her lips. 
The Vagabond's boarding ramp barely has time to make contact with the dusty ground before heavy footfalls can be heard and the stocky figure of a Nikto makes its way down. With a lit cigarra clenched tightly between his teeth, Vizuun glares around the spaceport for a moment. With a grunt of surprise, he spots the one he's looking for and makes his way over toward the Hutt under the wing of the T-16.
Gand rasps, "Naturally! This Gand would hardly expect you to be anyone else. What has brought you to this particular desert, if this Gand might be so inquisitive as to ask?"
From the shadows of under the wing of his airspeeder, Yoruba can see Melantha. He licks his lips and chuckles. In Huttese he says, "ahhhh. Another has come to audition!"
Sliding foward towards and past Gand, he replies in Huttese, "Gand, I have lived here a long time. When I first came, opportunity brought me. Ho ho ho."
As a whiff of the cigarra smoke reaches Melantha her nose wrinkles slinghtly and an absent hand rises to fan the air about her face. 
A moment is spent in thought before she tucks the hydrospanner into her back pocket and wanders over the would be gathering. "Gand," she greets with a respectful nod of her head, remembering the Gand who is gand from a previous crossing of paths. 
In a few moments, the Nikto reaches the small gathering near the T-16. Reaching up, he raises one claw-tipped metal hand to remove the cigarra and exhales a cloud of smoke. He cuts his eyes first to Gand and then Melantha, giving a quick nod to the former and a lingering inspection to the latter. For the moment, he seems content to let the others handle their business before speaking to the Hutt himself.
In Huttese, Yoruba shouts, "DROID! Get out here now or I'll have you stomped to death by a herd of banthas!"
A rather primitive looking low-end droid clambers out from the T-16 and shuffles foward to send next to its master. "Forgive me, my master. Pleeease don't have me stomped!"
Yoruba replies in Huttese. "Then shut up and translate. This female has come to take off her clothes to earn an unending place in my harem. Tell her what to do, like the others from yesterday. Also, tell that Nikto to announce himself in my presence or I will order his death and the deaths of his family and friends."
The droid nods and turns to comply. "My master bids greetings to all here in his illustrious presence this day. Nikto, my master wishes to know your identity and what business you have with him. Human female, my master thanks you for coming to audition and requests that you undress so that he may decide if you attractive enough to enter his employ."
The Nikto snorts at the droid's translation and then offers the Hutt a nod. "Name's Vizuun, yer Huttness." he says, looking past the droid to Yoruba. "Just here to see if you need any help in..ah...acquiring them females. Way I hear it, some of the best girls don't always come on their own." He then turns to watch the woman's reaction to the Hutt's command. Perhaps it was a good day to come to Tatooine afterall.
Melantha listens to the droids words with a tilt of her head which she then nods respectfully towards the Hutt. 
"Please convey my deepest thanks to your master, that he would think me in the first instance palatable enough to audition for his hareem," lilts the dark-haired woman with a wide smile; her eyes on the Hutt even if her words are directed towards the droid. "I feel however that I am not fair enough for his illustrious company and was brought here on some simple matters of trade having not even heard of his auditions... Though I would think he has had many beautiful and worthy applicants already!"
"I was merely going to enquire which cantina was the best to frequent in these parts so that I could do some... Professional research I guess you might call it." 
Yoruba glances at Vizuun and nods. Speaking in Huttese, he says, "yes, good. I have need of an agent of that kind. We must speak after I finish with this one here." Turning back to Melantha, the Hutt replies again in his own language. "I don't care what you think, dumb female. It's for me to decide if you are good enough or not. Take off your clothes and dance naked for me and I'll give you ten thousand credits and a place in my harem for the rest of the life I allow you to live."
The droid's logic circuits are advanced enough to figure that Vizuun needs no translation. To Melantha, the droid translates into Basic. "My master offers ten thousand credits and lifetime employment if you will undress and dance for the audition."
Gand rasps cheerfully, "This Gand has always wondered what Hutts actually do with the females they employ. For the duration of their employment, that is, not when it ends."
Vizuun nods as the Hutt says they'll speak later. Leaning against the hull of a nearby ship, he enjoys the rest of his smoke and grins as he watches the interaction between the woman and the Hutt(via the droid). "I'll throw in another five thousand on top of what the Hutt offers. Lets see some skin, honey!"
Another cheerful smile brokers the woman's lips. 
"I fear I am already in employ, though your masters offer is most generous," speaks Melantha unphased, "I am truly an awful dancer and would simply embarass myself by trying... Is there a cantina around here of any ilk?" she tries again, "I have a bar to run and am looking to spend some money here today rather than earn it." 
"Ho ho ho." The Hutt chuckles at Gand. "Visit my harem and I'll show you the delights I inflict upon my slave concubines." Vizuun's comment brings more laughter from Yoruba. "Ho ho ho. My kind of scum!" When the female answers, Yoruba snorts. "Another dumb female who doesn't see the chance of a lifetime. I offer her a life of comfort and pleasure and she refuses. <Huttese expletive>. Dumb female, forget about employment. Take off your clothes and turn around a few times and I'll give a thousand creds and tell you where the Cantina is."
The droid nods as it computes its translation. "My master respects your loyalty to your current employment. He believes you are an attractive female and asks that you indulge him by undressing and turning around a few times. He will reward you with one thousand creds and the location of the Cantina."
Gand peers curiously at the human female, noting, "This Gand certainly doesn't understand how humans could be attractive. They look like food."</nowiki>
"I would not wish to be of such trouble to your master, please relay that should he happen by the Norad system I will happily serve upon him myself in the Wayfarer's guzzler..." 
Answers Melantha with a meek dip of her head and a small step backwards. 
"Gand who is called Gand," she adds taking another step away, "Do not forget my offer of information should you ever need any aquiring."
Vizuun barks a laugh at the Hutt's final offer. "That sounds like a fair payment. Information ain't cheap around here." he says through another cloud of smoke. Gand's comment gets another rough chuckle from the Nikto.
Melantha's final refusal is enough for Yoruba. As always, he turns away and dismisses her with a wave. "You are a dumb female with no brain. I was only humoring you with my offer of a thousand creds. Watching your ugly naked body turn around a few times isn't even worth one credit! The Cantina is the only Cantina in this bleached <Huttese expletive>-hole of a town. Go there and don't come out until after I've gone. Spare me the sight of your ugliness!" Sliding away, he points at the Nikto. "You, lets talk business. Come join me under the wing of my airspeeder."
The droid shakes his tin can head and says to Melantha: "my master says the Cantina in town should be sufficient for your needs and he bids you good day."
Shaking his head in disappointment at the human woman, Vizuun walks over to the shade beneath the T-16's wing. "Business it is, Yoruba. I already said what I came to see you about, so I don't think it should be too hard to come to an agreement on something, eh?" He takes a final drag on the cigarra and tosses it away as he waits on the Hutt.
Melantha smiles and backs away slowly towards her own craft, quietly murmuring beneath her breath as she draw a battered datapad from her pocket. 
"Hutts, always the bloody same."
Category:October 2008 RP Logs