Bota Zi: Diplomat

Level 828 - Current Base of Clan Broshnar

*On Coruscant, our heroes attempt to find a secret mercenary group. Tek learns a Greco-Roman thigh shake. Katira is annoyed by more tag-along NPCs in the form of bathroom-using children. Droo and Tek continue to sense their way blindly through the force. Blaine is hungover on a couch and Bota is able to talk shop with the local bounty hunter guild leader.*

## **Previously**

*Having secured their territory on the planet Lok, the team headed to the ecumenopolis of Coruscant to collect their winnings from the Race on Denon. Arranging a meeting on the Praji compound, the team met with a family representative to discover that the man they had thought to be their competitor was in fact an imposter.*

*Agreeing to assist the family in their time of need under a mutual understanding, but not sure as to how to proceed, everyone takes a moment to formally establish their office space as ambassadors for the New Republic.’’*

## **Recap**

### **Contact**

While setting up his ambassadorial offices on Coruscant, Bota receives a transmission from the Bounty Hunter Dran of clan Undulo that he made contact with on Lok. The contact mentions that he was tipped off the Bota may be on Coruscant, and asks if he may be interested in helping to take out the remnant of the bounty hunter clan Broshnar. The clan is headed by the ruthless Marquis Alsache on level 828 of Bota’s current sector. This request covers removal of the clan but does not specify the means. As such Bota can eliminate by force, recruit the group, or simply convince them to end their operations.

Calling in Droo Vos, Katira Eve, and Tek Krodak from setting up their own offices in the area, Bota pulls up the map of the area on his office holo projector. Maps show that their current base of operations encompass 4 levels of the tower, but no detailed schematics are available. Jumping at the opportunity to use his *Streetwise* cartridge, Tek heads outside. He runs back in to inform the group that he was able to learn a secret handshake associated with the clan, and was informed that they are known as a small clan of elite mercenaries, but not much else is gained. As everyone gears up, Tek makes contact with *Slicers Synonymous* to look into the group, but nobody sets their hopes very high for the Cloud City duo.

Bota asks Blaine if he can help with transporting the team to the location. While interested in the challenge of piloting the *Jinxed Starhawk* through the city, Blaine opts out of leaving his ship anywhere alone. Unfortunately, he doesn’t have enough speeders for everyone, so Bota stop off at a nearby shop - **SpaceSwoops4Us** - and rents a swoop for the day at the cost of 300cr.

> "*I’m gonna sit this one out on the couch, guys. It’s been a long day of drinking and I need a nap.*"
> ― Blaine
>
>

Departing, Katira grabs her stash of spice and a Sabacc deck while Tek puts on his Mandalorian battle armor. Everyone comments that of all the places, wearing the armor on Coruscant while infiltrating a bounty hunter cell might not be the best place to avoid Boba Fett’s knowing, but Tek just shrugs off their concerns.

### **Takin' it to the Streets**

As Blaine holds the *Starhawk* steady, a swoop and 2 speeders rocket down the loading ramp, followed by the tumbling figure of Droo, who lost hold of Bota Zi’s swoop as he took off. Hurt more emotionally than physically, Droo notices that Blaine still has his spare speeder in the cargo hold and takes off after her friends.

While the others arrive, Bota glances around and finds nowhere to leave his rented swoop. Paying a nearby shopkeep 50cr, Bota hides the vehicle inside the shop. As he walks outside, Katira arrives, then Tek and Droo show up trailing a long way back.

> "***What the hell, dude!!!***"
> ― Droo as she glares angrily at Bota
>
>

Finding a nearby ice cream salesman, Tek buys some for 2cr and attempts his new “secret handshake” after asking if there’s any information that comes with that ice cream. As everyone in the thoroughfare stares in horror, Tek awkwardly goes through the motions - which apparently include a fair amount of groping - and smiles proudly. The ice cream man screams in horror and runs away, holding on to his credits but leaving his cart free for Tek to steal (which he does with no regrets).

In the meantime, Katira glances around and finds a 3 armed, 3 eyed man standing in a nearby alley. Approaching, she asks his name and if has any contacts for underground sales or purchases. He introduces himself as Drexia Lunn, and states that he might know a place where she can make a purchase. Though he doesn’t have the particular ship that Katira is looking after at the moment, he does have some space transports and capitol ships available - nothing quite as small as those stolen imperial speeders that you came in on.

Carrying his stolen ice cream, Tek approaches a young boy standing outside the target location. Seeing Tek, the boy jumps up and offers an armor shine to the Zabrak in Mandalorian armor.

> "*Can I shine your armor for you, sir? It’ll be so shiny you can see your reflection in it when I’m done with ‘ya!*"
> ― Toliver Spins
>
>

> "*I wanna know how well you shake hands before you shine my armor*"
> ― Tek
>
>

> "*Oh no… don’t grab him in his boy place!*"
> ― Droo
>
>

> "*In that case, your shine is free sir!*"
> ― Toliver Spins
>
>

The street urchin tells Tek to head in - first floor, first door to your right! - and gives him a wink. In response Tek invites the boy to come along with them as his “apprentice”, an offer which the young boy accepts enthusiastically. Now seeing her friends heading toward the entrance, Katira accepts a datapad with a location for ship sales from Draxia. As he asks what kind of drugs she might have for sale, Katira simply comments that if the ships work out she’ll consider selling.

### **Bounty Hunter Tower**

Walking inside, a jizz whistler and a Cerean female reading a datapad while she drinks caf can be seen in position to watch the entrance. Spotting an opportunity to annoy Katira, Tek tells young Toliver to follow the Zeltron because “she loves kids”. Annoyed, Katira tells the kid to lead the way as she doesn’t want to waste any time. Toliver darts off through the first door on the right, leaving the group behind.

As the group follows after the child, they walk past several guards that show no surprise at Toliver but aren’t so certain about the armed group tailing the boy. Opening the door behind him, Katira comes to an awkward stop in Toliver’s “favorite place” - the bathroom. Katira storms off just as Tek approaches the mercenaries in the antechamber and attempts the secret handshake that got him in Toliver’s good graces.

> "*He’s trying to use that stupid fake handshake we made up!*"
> ― mercenaries drawing their weapons
>
>

Seeing blasters drawn, Tek tries to persuade the guards that they are supposed to be here but fails miserably. Drawing his own blaster he opens fire at the nearest guard, stunning them. Bota then shouts to everyone that they need to calm down. The guards ask what the group is there for, and Bota claims that he is there as a leader of the New Republic Bounty Hunters' Guild and wants to talk to the boss. Taking a glance at a datapad, the guards buy into Bota’s persuasive argument and offer to lead everyone up to the boss on the top floor.

Everyone (including the young Toliver, brought along by Tek) steps into the turbo lift together peaceably, and rides up to the top of the compound. As the doors glide open, they are met by the smooth tunes of Shrecky Rebo and several recognizable hunters:

* Taung Yera: moderately infamous bounty hunter, known for his brutality
* Mal Cah: gentleman bounty hunter, known for his cool demeanor
* Unknown Bounty Hunter
* Marquis Alsache: bounty hunter boss of house Broshnar

Alsache opens communications, asking what brings the famous Bota Zi to their establishment, to which Bota responds by offering a potential partnership on behalf of the New Republic Bounty Hunters Guild. With the New Republic coming to power, it is a call to join their guild and share resources and knowledge or become extinct. Though not initially convinced of the sincerity of Ambassador Zi, Marquis Alsache requests his presence in her office to discuss things further.

While the adults hold their discussion, Droo tries to sense the emotional state of Alsache, noting that she is tense, stressed, and worried. Katira looks for a place with cover in case things get heated, but is left with no real alternatives aside from using Toliver as a human shield - a plan she holds with disdain, knowing firsthand how it feels to be the shield.

> "*Do you recognize anyone here?*"
> ― Tek to Toliver
>
>

> "*Him! He taught me how to tie my shoes!*"
> ― Toliver pointing at Shrecky Rebo
>
>

> "*Shut up, boy!*"
> ― Shrecky Rebo
>
>

Looking to scare the bounty hunters, Tek attempts to convince them that he’s a famous bounty hunter. Unconvinced, and recognizing Tek from his semi-successful music career, the bounty hunters laugh at him until he backs off.

In her office, Alsache expresses exhaustion to Bota. Stating that they have operated under the radar, hiring only specialized and high skill hunters to take large bounties, she states that they understand that they’ll need to fade from Coruscant now that the war with Thrawn is over. Bota sees no need to have a conflict with the clan, and offers to aid in their disappearance and provide information on who wanted them finished in exchange for information on the Praji Family and any leads in the Clawdite Conspiracy.

Alsache agrees to the trade, and as she and Bota Zi walk out from her office she looks over to Toliver and beckons him to her.

> "*Oh, there’s my son! Come here!*"
> ― Marquis Alsache
>
>

As the group begins to load into the lift to depart, Toliver approaches Tek one last time and hands him an armor shine kit as a memento of their time together.

## **Featured Characters**

### **Our Heroes**

* Blaine Hansom
* Bota Zi
* Droo Vos
* Katira Eve
* Tek Krodak

### **NPCs**

* Marquis Alsache
* Taung Yera
* Mal Cah
* Shrecky Rebo
* Toliver Spins
* Drexia Lunn

## **Inventory**

* -300cr for swoop rental (Bota)
* -2cr for ice cream (Tek)
* +ice cream cart - later abandoned (Tek)
* +armor shine kit (Tek)

## **Notes**

* The rented speeders were *Ubrickean Motors PLX-9000s*
* Tek decided to wear his Mandalorian Armor through the streets of Coruscant

## **Quotations**

> "*Do you just have an NPC in the background that we can bully for 4 hours?*"
> ― Laurel
>
>

> "*Is anyone else gonna do anything?*"
> ― Blaine
>
>

> "*Katira looks like she’s about to jump from her ivory tower.*"
> ― Tek
>
>

> "*Ubrickean Motors?*"
> ― Bota
>
>

> "*They make the best copycat stuff. All their stuff is ripped off of other builders, but they’re damn fine fakes*"
> ― SpaceSwoops4Us Salesman
>
>

> "*Swoops aren’t built for passengers*"
> ― Bota
>
>

> "*I can teach you that handshake, but it’ll cost you like 50 popsicles*"
> ― Tek
>
>

> "*Pay the boy in ice cream!*"
> ― Droo
>
>

> "*But he said it was free!*"
> ― Tek
>
>

> "*Damn it kid, why would you lead me into the bathroom and not tell me where we’re going?!*"
> ― Katira as she storms out of the bathroom
>
>

> "*It’s… an all gender bathroom…*"
> ― Toliver Spins
>
>

> "*His name is Toliver?*"
> ― Tek
>
>

> "*His name is **useless***"
> ― Katira
>
>

> "*You guys ever hear of Tek Krodak? Of Socorro Squadron? The Zabrak that wears Mandalorian armor?*"
> ― Tek
>
>

> "*The guy that ripped off all those Old Republic songs? The guy who danced on that cruise and rolled around terribly? I thought he retired!*"
> ― Shrecky Rebo
>
>

> "*Was that a threat?!*"
> ― Taung Yera
>
>

> "*No, that was a con.*"
> ― Tek
>
>

> "*What?!*"
> ― Mal Cah
>
>

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