10

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

Finding the Flarestar Command Class Gunship was easy and with Aal Gosha's datapad, accessing its security system was even easier. The saucer shaped craft was set on a landing pad on the opposite side of the village away from the beach. Jaster climbed into the roomy gunship's cockpit. Four seats were placed at individual stations, two side by side behind the windshield and piloting controls and the other two set off to each side. A communications terminal was set in front of one of the seats off to the side. Jaster stood in front of it and pulled up the display. Jaster scanned over a list of transmission codes, each one belonging to a different recipient. Looking over the list, Jaster found the record for a transmission with the timestamp for two days before. Jaster knew very little about this job, only what Bossk had already told him. With a very broad idea of when the bounty was posted, Jaster selected the most appropriate transmission code. It was time he contacted his employer. With his helmet over his face, he stood before the holoprojector. A hazy blue image of a woman stood on the holoprojector pad. Her slim face was paled by her dark hair.

"Hello, Aal," she greeted with a voice slightly garbled by static. "Wait, you're not Aal."

"No, I'm not the tail-head."

"Who are you, where is Aal?" she demanded.

"Are you Crimson Dawn?" Jaster said.

The woman glared back at him. "I am, so I would answer my question if I were you. Now who are you and where is Aal?"

"My name's Jaster Mereel. Aal Gosha is dead. He tried to blast me and I put him down."

The woman's eyebrows rose in alarm. "You killed him?"

"I have Tobias Beckett," Jaster cut in.

Again the woman was taken aback. Her hands set on her hips. "Is that so?"

"He's dead here on Savareen."

She paused with a look of sudden concern that puzzled Jaster. "And, the rest of his crew?"

"I have a lead." She fixed him with a suspicious look. "But Beckett's found, I expect to be paid."

"Do you have proof?"

"I'll send it."

"Very well. Once you do, then you will be paid the promised five thousand. Then there is an extra four three thousand each for the rest of his crew."

"How many more are there?"

"We don't know. But if you find them and prove that they were a part of Beckett's last heist, then the four thousand credits are yours. That is, if you can actually deliver."

"I always get my man."

"I hear that from every cocky blaster toting scoundrel," she scoffed. "What makes you any different?"

"You haven't heard it from me." Still staring him down, the woman grinned. There was something about his brand of confidence that she admired. "I make it a point to know my employer," Jaster continued. "You have my name, what do I call you?"

"Qi'ra," she greeted. "I'll expect to hear from you, Jaster Mereel." The hologram fizzled and faded away, taking blue glow from inside the cockpit with it. Jaster stood up straight and took a deep breath with wide grin on his face.

"That went well." He turned away to the ship's boarding ramp and clambered the steep decline down the stern of the ship to the landing pad. Standing below the pair of thrusters of the ship, Jaster looked out towards the span of white sand desert and the night sky. The sun was fully gone with only the distant moon and stars left in the inky blue sky to shine on the coastline village. It was too late at night for Jaster to pry for more information about his query. A yawn within his helmet reminded him of just how long he'd gone without sleep.

As he made his way towards the bow of the saucer shaped ship, the silhouette of a figure melded in the shadows under the hull of the ship. He leaned against the foremost landing strut, his head bowed low and topped with a large wide brimmed hat.

"I feel I should thank you," a guttural almost labored sounding voice sent chills down Jaster's spine.

Jaster's hand touched the grips of his blaster. "Why's that."

The slender figure lifted his head and adjusted a toothpick in his mouth. Large squinted red eyes fixed on Jaster from the shadows of a rugged, gaunt, blue skinned face of a Duros. "You're the kid who iced Gosha. Save's the trouble of me having to do it myself."

From behind his helmet, Jaster's eyes widened with shock. He couldn't believe that he faced the most notorious bounty hunter in the known galaxy. The Duros' exploits were legendary in the criminal underworld- as one that specialized in the most respectable game of all—Jedi.

"Cad Bane," Jaster said with a hint of admiration.

"Good, you've heard of me. That'll make this next part easy." He stood rigidly before Jaster more than an inch taller than him. "Drop this hunt. Go back to your smaller game."

Jaster glared back at him. "Forget it."

Bane took a step closer. "You think because you killed Gosha that you're on your way to being the best. Well, boy, I am the best and I'm telling you to drop out."

"And I'm telling you, forget it. Someone with your reputation, I thought you'd be more impressive than just trying scare tactics," Jaster scoffed.

Bane sneered at him "That was your only warning, boy." The Duros turned around and started away from the landing pad. Jaster watched as he suddenly stopped and lifted his head to the stars above. "Nice night, don't you think?" he asked.

Jaster fixed a glare on the bounty hunter with both hands now on his Westars behind his cape, waiting for a twitch of movement from the Duros. "A bit chilly," he replied.

A smirk cracked on Cad Bane's rugged, scarred blue face. "Don't worry, it'll heat up real soon."

Jaster stood in wait for the first move, considering even to draw on the bounty hunter at that very moment. Bane turned his head with his smirk still on his face and with his slender hand tipped his hat before continuing down into the village. Watching him go, another chill ran down Jaster's spine but his blood surged hotly throughout his body.