One track minds are in need of some entertaining, Maneck thought as he cruised the bar known as Greestal's. Greestal himself was a Twi'lekki bartender who had known Tabus since childhood as he was a close friend of Tabus' father Alec. Tabus had also briefly courted Greestal's daughter, the beautiful Nema. But despite their acrimonious breakup, Greestal was always warm to Tabus and when his cantina was opened on Rasapan, he was quick to inform Tabus of the new business.
Looking through tired red eyes, Tabus surveyed the outside through the cantina window. A gas giant, Rasapan was mostly a ball of green mist. Poisonous to most species that inhaled it. As a result, Rasapan's populace were on off-world stations. Not like the cities above the likes of Bespin, but on smaller floating structures more relative to single buildings, like a large group of stationary starships, the ones that chose to stay permanently, rather than tour the universe, were interlinked with long walkways.
"Your drink." came a hostile voice from across, holding a glass filled blood-red liquid. Tabus smiled as he took the glass. "Thank you. Would you be interested in joining me?" asked Tabus putting on all the charm his weary body could muster. The waitress, a very tall humanoid with a shock of pink hair sneered. "Not for all the credits on Coruscant." was her response as she walked off. Tabus simply gave a smug smile as the woman returned to the bar, only for Greestal to sit in Tabus' stall, giving his old friend some company.
"Still have a weakness for women, I see?" chuckled Greestal. Most Twi'lek couldn't speak basic, but Greestal was an exception, even if his words stung with his strong accent and frequent mispronunciations. "Don't worry about Jaylee. I've seen Gundarks with more compassion."
A thud suddenly hits the table as Tabus looks up. Despite the forceful attitude this newcomer displayed, they certainly didn't seem so tough. Less than five and a half feet, a human female with long black hair and large brown eyes. She was a strange mixture of innocence and menace. Something that quickly attracted Tabus' attention.
"Greestal!" the woman shouted. Most of the patrons took notice, either because of her beauty or her rage it wasn't certain. but she certainly drew attention. "I believe your friend here has underpaid me." Tabus looked slack-jawed as he stared up at the irate woman, who simply returned this with a glare. "Are you deaf buddy?" she said back to him. "The repairs are three thousand credits! Not two! And you probably broke my banking droid so as to get away with your little scheme."
Ever the calm mediator, Greestal put his hand on the woman's shoulder as she turned to him with a pure picture of frustration on her delicate features. "Resa." he said in a soft, assuring tone. " Meet Tabus Maneck. An old friend of mine. Allow me to make up the difference on his little indiscretion. He's probably short on funds since he left the Empire." Resa's eyes widened and her once calm and apologetic expression reverted back to anger. "Empire?" This was all Resa could say, as she felt any further expression of her dislike of The Empire could get her into deep trouble. After all, informants were everywhere. Greestal simply whispered something in her ear, and once again, docility began to settle within Resa. Resa then walked across the stall and looked Tabus in the eye. Civil, but still with a large amount of anger inside her. "Your ship is ready Mr. Maneck, and I suggest you get within a star system's distance from me, sooner rather than later."
Tabus nodded as Resa left. Greestal simply laughed at the confrontation. "That was Resa Farlander. Quite the little detonator isn't she? Still, inside that burning fireball of intensity is a woman of soft and gentle compassion. You've just got to get there first. She's like a daughter to me. I couldn't live in a universe without her. But it wouldn't be wise to bring up the Empire, eh?" Greestal laughed as Tabus paid for his drink, which he had barely drank, and walked out of the cantina. Eager to catch up with the striking, if somewhat unpredictable, Resa.