Chapter Six
The atmosphere in the Outlander Club was intense. Members of various alien species moved around the few crammed, smoky spaces that they could find as they ordered drinks at the bar or just ogled the scantily clad dancers who writhed about on the stage. The smell here was overwhelming and Cintel Ranwai was sure there was nothing worse than this. Even the cantinas of Tatooine weren't so tightly packed that you couldn't avoid the sweaty aroma of every creature that the galaxy had to offer.
Cintel raised himself up on his toes in order to look over a Gamorrean that staggered drunkenly in front of him. As expected, the man he was looking for was at the bar getting more and more inebriated by the minute. He had to rescue him before all hell broke loose.
"Captain Caldo!" he called out as he struggled to push passed the Gamorrean. "Captain Caldo!"
The older man turned around. His eyes were bloodshot and he was obviously trying to focus in order to make out who was calling to him. "Ah, Cintel!" he called out, his speech slightly slurred. "I was just telling this young lady how I got through a Confederate blockade with my weapons system out and minimal deflectors."
"I'm sure you were captain, it's just that…"
He ignored his navigator and turned back to the yellow and orange skinned Twilek dancing girl for whom he had been buying drinks. "You see, I had to get Senator Howler to Coruscant safely and damn me if I wasn't going to do it no matter what!"
"You're so brave Servos," the girl cooed. The old man smiled happily at this. "I'm not sure how you managed it."
"He managed it," Cintel pointed out quickly, "by it not actually being a Confederate blockade but rather just the remains of a battle that occurred the week before. And the only reason the deflectors were down was thanks to him spilling something in them."
"How dare you…" Captain Caldo turned around to give Cintel a few pointed words but fell from his chair onto the floor. He picked himself up quickly and brushed his clothes off. "Tripped over my, uh…" he glared at Cintel. "Over your feet. You should watch where you put them… I…"
"Need to sit down?"
"Yes. Yes that's right. I need to sit down." Cintel helped his captain back into his chair. "You're a good kid," Caldo slurred. "No better navigator in the Republic fleet. An honour to be working with you. A real honour." He turned back to the bar. "More drinks! And one of Lietenant Ranwai here for being such a… good navigator."
"Look, sir… I've just got a message from…"
"Do we have time for another drink?"
"No, sir."
"Well, we'll just have to make time." He turned back to the Twilek girl with a lopsided smile covering his lips. "Y'know, I don't think I caught your name…"
"None of your business," a slightly effeminate male voice answered from behind him. Caldo turned around and grimaced. Lieutenant Faytonni. He was the resident ladies man of the club but always seemed to have some chip on his shoulder. The one thing he seemed to dislike more than anything else was another man getting friendly with his women. Caldo had told Cintel that Faytonni was "in denial" about something but never really elaborated on what exactly he was in denial of.
Caldo stared at his rival for the affections of the young girl and frowned. "I was here first. She's talking to me." He got up carefully and puffed out his chest in an attempt to look more muscular and threatening. Faytonni just laughed.
"Maybe if you just leave I'll not have to blast you away."
"You haven't got the nerve," Caldo growled.
"Try me." Faytonni stretched himself out but only made himself look more of a weed. It was hard to believe he was doing the threatening in this situation. He faced Caldo down and reached to his side to pull out a blaster.
Suddenly everything turned to chaos. Caldo dived, or rather fell, at Faytonni, knocking him to the ground and sending his blaster spinning across the floor. The Republic captain got ready to pull and punch but a Weequay patron pulled him back. Caldo thrust his elbow backwards, knocking the wind out of the alien before focusing on his rival who was scrambling across the floor to get his weapon back.
A Rodian at the bar dived forward to stop him reaching it but ended up sliding on a split drink and collided violently with several other people who were getting ready to enjoy the fight. The poor creature ended up being pounded on by all of them until three of its companions appeared to defend him, jumping onto the thugs, green fists flying in all directions.
Cintel watched in horror as everything fell apart around him. He ducked just in time to avoid getting a chair in his face before trying to reach Caldo before he did anything he would later regret. Although knowing his commanding officer he'd be proud of starting a barroom brawl of this scale. Cintel tried to push passed a Wookie that blocked his way to the bar and ended up getting a fist in the face. He flew several feet through the air until he landed with a crack on a table, which split into two uneven pieces.
The navigator tried to focus as he looked up to the two figures that were looming above him. There was a sense of relief as he forced a smile. "Glad to see you could make it." A hand was held out to him, which he gratefully took and got back to his feet. "I'm Cintel Ranwai. You're here looking for my officer Captain Caldo?"
"How exactly did this start?" Evajo Blabe asked cautiously as he surveyed the chaos. "Or shouldn't I ask?"
"I think not asking may be the option to go for," Se'line pointed out as her hand moved towards the lightsaber that dangled at her side. Evajo put his hand on hers to stop her.
"There is an easier way." He jumped up onto a table and called out to the whole of the club. Somehow, despite the din, his voice was projected throughout the large room. "Excuse me! Excuse me! I believe there has been a misunderstanding of sorts…"
"Too damn right…" a familiar voice growled as he clambered out of the scene of the fight. "Captain Servos Caldo at your, uh, service." A pair of hands came out of the crowd to pull him back in.
Evajo turned to Se'line. "Keep an eye on the lieutenant would you?" He jumped down from the table and ran in the direction of the fight. He waved his hand and the crowd dispersed, falling into each other and toppling backwards as the Force pushed them away. Caldo was leaning against the bar while Lieutenant Faytonni punched him feebly in the stomach. Evajo couldn't help but smile when he saw the old captain raising his eyebrow on the verge of laughing. The Jedi tapped Faytonni on the shoulder. "Is anything the matter?" he asked.
"He's… trying… to… steal… my… women…" the thin, grey haired man panted between punches. "He… can't… do…" Evajo grabbed his hand before he could connect it with Caldo again. Faytonni turned to him and grimaced. "It's not fair."
"I'm sure it's not. Anyway, the captain is coming with me now to be dealt with. If you would just leave us be…"
"But…"
"Leave us be…" he said with a wave of his hand before turning to the crowds. "You may go about your business." Shaking his head, Evajo took Caldo by the scruff of his neck to where Se'line was tending to Cintel's bloody nose. "I think it's time we left."
* * * *
Caldo sat on a stool at the counter of Dexter's Diner, chomping away at a dewback kebab while a steaming mug of half finished mug of steaming hot ardees, his third already, lay in front of him. Being force fed food wasn't one of the things he'd intended on that night but at least the Jedi wanted him sober enough that they were willing to pay.
"So what exactly do you want?" he asked, his speech becoming slightly less slurred with each bite he took. "Couldn't you have got someone else to do it?"
"We could have," Se'line said. "But Master Forchess recommended you. He said you were the best… although," she added in a hushed tone, "I'm starting to doubt that,"
"We have to make a very important visit to the planet Anax," Evajo began. "It seems that civil war may break out there any day now. It was felt that we should go to prevent this."
"Anax?" Cintel asked. "I know that place. We were there when the Republic liberated it. The captain here piloted an Attack Gunship to the planet."
"Perhaps then, that's why you were requested," Evajo noted. He took a look at the captain who had just finished his beverage. "The Chancellor wishes to speak to us before we leave so now might be a good time to pay him a visit."
"The Chancellor?" Caldo panicked. "Do I look okay?"
"Fine," Se'line said as she took his arm and helped him towards the exit of the building. He flashed a few smiles at her but soon decided that it might not be a good idea to mess with a Jedi no matter how gorgeous she was.
"Hey, Dex," Evajo called over to the owner of the diner. "I'll pop around some other time. Maybe I won't have a drunken captain to deal with then."
"Sure," the huge alien replied with a smile. "See you around."
The atmosphere in the Outlander Club was intense. Members of various alien species moved around the few crammed, smoky spaces that they could find as they ordered drinks at the bar or just ogled the scantily clad dancers who writhed about on the stage. The smell here was overwhelming and Cintel Ranwai was sure there was nothing worse than this. Even the cantinas of Tatooine weren't so tightly packed that you couldn't avoid the sweaty aroma of every creature that the galaxy had to offer.
Cintel raised himself up on his toes in order to look over a Gamorrean that staggered drunkenly in front of him. As expected, the man he was looking for was at the bar getting more and more inebriated by the minute. He had to rescue him before all hell broke loose.
"Captain Caldo!" he called out as he struggled to push passed the Gamorrean. "Captain Caldo!"
The older man turned around. His eyes were bloodshot and he was obviously trying to focus in order to make out who was calling to him. "Ah, Cintel!" he called out, his speech slightly slurred. "I was just telling this young lady how I got through a Confederate blockade with my weapons system out and minimal deflectors."
"I'm sure you were captain, it's just that…"
He ignored his navigator and turned back to the yellow and orange skinned Twilek dancing girl for whom he had been buying drinks. "You see, I had to get Senator Howler to Coruscant safely and damn me if I wasn't going to do it no matter what!"
"You're so brave Servos," the girl cooed. The old man smiled happily at this. "I'm not sure how you managed it."
"He managed it," Cintel pointed out quickly, "by it not actually being a Confederate blockade but rather just the remains of a battle that occurred the week before. And the only reason the deflectors were down was thanks to him spilling something in them."
"How dare you…" Captain Caldo turned around to give Cintel a few pointed words but fell from his chair onto the floor. He picked himself up quickly and brushed his clothes off. "Tripped over my, uh…" he glared at Cintel. "Over your feet. You should watch where you put them… I…"
"Need to sit down?"
"Yes. Yes that's right. I need to sit down." Cintel helped his captain back into his chair. "You're a good kid," Caldo slurred. "No better navigator in the Republic fleet. An honour to be working with you. A real honour." He turned back to the bar. "More drinks! And one of Lietenant Ranwai here for being such a… good navigator."
"Look, sir… I've just got a message from…"
"Do we have time for another drink?"
"No, sir."
"Well, we'll just have to make time." He turned back to the Twilek girl with a lopsided smile covering his lips. "Y'know, I don't think I caught your name…"
"None of your business," a slightly effeminate male voice answered from behind him. Caldo turned around and grimaced. Lieutenant Faytonni. He was the resident ladies man of the club but always seemed to have some chip on his shoulder. The one thing he seemed to dislike more than anything else was another man getting friendly with his women. Caldo had told Cintel that Faytonni was "in denial" about something but never really elaborated on what exactly he was in denial of.
Caldo stared at his rival for the affections of the young girl and frowned. "I was here first. She's talking to me." He got up carefully and puffed out his chest in an attempt to look more muscular and threatening. Faytonni just laughed.
"Maybe if you just leave I'll not have to blast you away."
"You haven't got the nerve," Caldo growled.
"Try me." Faytonni stretched himself out but only made himself look more of a weed. It was hard to believe he was doing the threatening in this situation. He faced Caldo down and reached to his side to pull out a blaster.
Suddenly everything turned to chaos. Caldo dived, or rather fell, at Faytonni, knocking him to the ground and sending his blaster spinning across the floor. The Republic captain got ready to pull and punch but a Weequay patron pulled him back. Caldo thrust his elbow backwards, knocking the wind out of the alien before focusing on his rival who was scrambling across the floor to get his weapon back.
A Rodian at the bar dived forward to stop him reaching it but ended up sliding on a split drink and collided violently with several other people who were getting ready to enjoy the fight. The poor creature ended up being pounded on by all of them until three of its companions appeared to defend him, jumping onto the thugs, green fists flying in all directions.
Cintel watched in horror as everything fell apart around him. He ducked just in time to avoid getting a chair in his face before trying to reach Caldo before he did anything he would later regret. Although knowing his commanding officer he'd be proud of starting a barroom brawl of this scale. Cintel tried to push passed a Wookie that blocked his way to the bar and ended up getting a fist in the face. He flew several feet through the air until he landed with a crack on a table, which split into two uneven pieces.
The navigator tried to focus as he looked up to the two figures that were looming above him. There was a sense of relief as he forced a smile. "Glad to see you could make it." A hand was held out to him, which he gratefully took and got back to his feet. "I'm Cintel Ranwai. You're here looking for my officer Captain Caldo?"
"How exactly did this start?" Evajo Blabe asked cautiously as he surveyed the chaos. "Or shouldn't I ask?"
"I think not asking may be the option to go for," Se'line pointed out as her hand moved towards the lightsaber that dangled at her side. Evajo put his hand on hers to stop her.
"There is an easier way." He jumped up onto a table and called out to the whole of the club. Somehow, despite the din, his voice was projected throughout the large room. "Excuse me! Excuse me! I believe there has been a misunderstanding of sorts…"
"Too damn right…" a familiar voice growled as he clambered out of the scene of the fight. "Captain Servos Caldo at your, uh, service." A pair of hands came out of the crowd to pull him back in.
Evajo turned to Se'line. "Keep an eye on the lieutenant would you?" He jumped down from the table and ran in the direction of the fight. He waved his hand and the crowd dispersed, falling into each other and toppling backwards as the Force pushed them away. Caldo was leaning against the bar while Lieutenant Faytonni punched him feebly in the stomach. Evajo couldn't help but smile when he saw the old captain raising his eyebrow on the verge of laughing. The Jedi tapped Faytonni on the shoulder. "Is anything the matter?" he asked.
"He's… trying… to… steal… my… women…" the thin, grey haired man panted between punches. "He… can't… do…" Evajo grabbed his hand before he could connect it with Caldo again. Faytonni turned to him and grimaced. "It's not fair."
"I'm sure it's not. Anyway, the captain is coming with me now to be dealt with. If you would just leave us be…"
"But…"
"Leave us be…" he said with a wave of his hand before turning to the crowds. "You may go about your business." Shaking his head, Evajo took Caldo by the scruff of his neck to where Se'line was tending to Cintel's bloody nose. "I think it's time we left."
* * * *
Caldo sat on a stool at the counter of Dexter's Diner, chomping away at a dewback kebab while a steaming mug of half finished mug of steaming hot ardees, his third already, lay in front of him. Being force fed food wasn't one of the things he'd intended on that night but at least the Jedi wanted him sober enough that they were willing to pay.
"So what exactly do you want?" he asked, his speech becoming slightly less slurred with each bite he took. "Couldn't you have got someone else to do it?"
"We could have," Se'line said. "But Master Forchess recommended you. He said you were the best… although," she added in a hushed tone, "I'm starting to doubt that,"
"We have to make a very important visit to the planet Anax," Evajo began. "It seems that civil war may break out there any day now. It was felt that we should go to prevent this."
"Anax?" Cintel asked. "I know that place. We were there when the Republic liberated it. The captain here piloted an Attack Gunship to the planet."
"Perhaps then, that's why you were requested," Evajo noted. He took a look at the captain who had just finished his beverage. "The Chancellor wishes to speak to us before we leave so now might be a good time to pay him a visit."
"The Chancellor?" Caldo panicked. "Do I look okay?"
"Fine," Se'line said as she took his arm and helped him towards the exit of the building. He flashed a few smiles at her but soon decided that it might not be a good idea to mess with a Jedi no matter how gorgeous she was.
"Hey, Dex," Evajo called over to the owner of the diner. "I'll pop around some other time. Maybe I won't have a drunken captain to deal with then."
"Sure," the huge alien replied with a smile. "See you around."