EXT. UPPER KINTOS DISTRICT, NAR SHADDAA
Thatcher's speeder taxi touches down on the landing pad and he gets out, walking hurriedly towards his apartment complex, which is nearby. He climbs the stairs and enters into the dark hallway leading towards his apartment.
INT. APARTMENT COMPLEX, UPPER KINTOS DISTRICT
Thatcher draws his blaster as he moves cautiously down the hallway. When he reaches his door, he slowly punches in his passcode on the control panel, which emits a quiet beep. The door slides open and Thatcher steps through, but no one is present.
INT. RUN-DOWN APARTMENT, NAR SHADDAA
Thatcher holsters his blaster and quickly begins throwing his possessions into a large brown duffel bag, including some clothes, a datapad, and the bacta cream. He opens the drawer of his nightstand and pulls out a tiny blaster pistol concealed within a small holster. He is about to toss it in the bag, then decides against it. He straps the small holster around his wrist and then pulls the sleeve of his jacket over it. Finally, he slings the bag over his shoulder and heads back to the door, which slides open, revealing a man waiting for him on the other side. Thatcher immediately reaches for his blaster, but pauses when he realizes who it is. It is Jet Joylock.
THATCHER
Joylock! What are you doing here?
JOYLOCK
I've come looking for you! Not long after you were done shooting up my office, some more Cartel boys came by and asked me all about you. Apparently, Nomi's here, and she blew up one of their skiffs or something-
THATCHER
What did they ask you about me?
JOYLOCK
They wanted to know if I knew where you lived, and if you had a ship. Naturally, I answered both questions with complete honesty-
THATCHER
Why the hell would you do that?!
JOYLOCK
Because I didn't realize just how pissed off they were until they relayed the information to some bounty hunter named Kobo Dane or some such. That's when I ran and came here looking for you.
THATCHER
Well, I'm flattered you suddenly care so much about my well-being.
Thatcher hurries to the window, scanning the street below.
JOYLOCK
Don't look too far into it. I'm watching out for my own skin, here. Now they think I'm involved in this whole fiasco, too. And once the Cartel says you're guilty, you're guilty.
THATCHER
Well, I'm not sticking around here for much longer.
JOYLOCK
You mean you've got a way off-world?
THATCHER
Something like that.
JOYLOCK
Oh, please, you must take me with you. Ommgar's goons are already swarming my office. I won't be safe anywhere here.
THATCHER
Fine. But first we've gotta get to the ship. A task you have now made significantly more difficult.
JOYLOCK
Hey, don't put the blame on me, here. You're the one who roped me into this. I wasn't even supposed to be working today.
Outside the window, Thatcher spots a group of four armored Cartel soldiers turn down the street towards his apartment.
THATCHER
Great. They're here.
Thatcher quickly turns and walks back over to Joylock.
THATCHER
You got a gun?
JOYLOCK
What? No, I-
THATCHER
What happened to the one I gave you?
JOYLOCK
The Cartel took it! It belonged to them to begin with!
Thatcher groans and pulls out the blaster on his hip, stuffing it into Joylock's hands.
THATCHER
Here. Take this. You'll need it.
JOYLOCK
But I'm no fighter. Can't you-
THATCHER
I'm not going to be with you.
JOYLOCK
You mean we're splitting up?!
THATCHER
I do. They're right on our tail now, thanks to you. And one of us has to make it back to my client. Better odds this way.
Thatcher reaches into his duffel bag and pulls out the datapad. He hurriedly types some information onto it and then hands it to Joylock.
THATCHER
Here. My client should be waiting with her ship at docking bay four-eleven, Mezenti spaceport. If I'm not there yet, give this to her and tell her it's from me.
JOYLOCK
What is it?
THATCHER
Instructions. She'll know what they're for. Now go.
JOYLOCK
What about you?
THATCHER
I'll go out through the window, try to draw their attention away from you.
JOYLOCK
What the devil-
THATCHER
Go!
Thatcher gives Joylock a push, and the man turns and hurries down the hallway. Thatcher then runs back to the window. He presses a button on the windowsill, and the pane tilts outward slightly. Thatcher climbs over the windowsill and drops down to the ledge below. He runs along it until he reaches an adjacent building and then jumps onto its roof. He peeks over the edge of the building and down at the group of Cartel soldiers below.
THATCHER
Hey, sleemoes! E chu ta!
The soldiers look up at the sound of his voice, and one of them points at him. They raise their rifles and fire. Thatcher backs away from the edge as blaster bolts collide with the building, burning holes through the plasteel wall. Thatcher turns and runs across the roof, dropping down onto the top of a shorter building as the Cartel soldiers run after him from below. When he reaches the building's edge, he vaults over the short wall and drops onto the street below, landing hard on his feet. Hearing the Cartel men approaching, he hurries down an alleyway, only to realize it is a dead end. He turns around, but at that moment the soldiers appear and aim their rifles at him. Thatcher groans and locks his hands behind his head in surrender. Two of the men run up to him and begin patting him down while the other two keep their rifles trained on him. One of the men patting him down reaches into his pocket and pulls out an I.D. pad. He reads over it, then clicks his tongue, amused.
CARTEL SOLDIER
Well, well. Got ourselves a private investigator here, boys. A professional. You're in big trouble, pal. Mighty Ommgar himself wants to speak with you. In person.
THATCHER
Aw, that's sweet. Tell him I'd love to, but I'm not available. You can give him my holo, thou-
The soldier punches Thatcher in the face.
CARTEL SOLDIER
Afraid joking time's over, detective. It's smart talk like that that got you into this situation in the first place. You and your schutta friend need to learn some manners.
The soldier punches Thatcher again, this time in the stomach. Thatcher doubles over. The soldier grins, then turns and begins to walk away. Thatcher spits on the ground and then looks up.
THATCHER
Hey, asshole.
The soldier stops and turns around. Thatcher raises his arm and points it at the man. The tiny blaster pistol slides into his hand, and he fires it. The bolt hits the soldier's chest, and he topples backwards. Before the two men with rifles can act, Thatcher whips around the other soldier standing next to him and throws his arm around his neck, using him as a human shield. The other soldiers fire, and their shots impact with the man's body. Thatcher returns fire over the man's shoulder with his tiny pistol, gunning down the soldiers. He then releases the dead man, who falls to the ground. Thatcher slides the pistol back into its holster, picks up one of the dead soldiers' rifles, and then turns back into the street, heading towards a taxi pad.