Of Love and War: Us Against the World

Scoundrels and Ruffians

For all the stories he had heard about his place, he was actually surprised by how tame it seemed. He'd heard all about how this was a cantina more lawless than most parts of Tatooine, which was saying something. There had been stories of frequent bar brawls that tended to involve blasters, a disturbingly high body count, any kind of scum you could think of—even the kind other scum didn't want to deal with. He'd figured if he was going to find someone connected to Jabba the Hutt, this was the place to be.

Yet now that he was here, he didn't find the thriving cesspool he'd heard tales of. Apparently, ownership of this cantina had passed hands to someone else, and after closing the cantina for a short period of time, it opened up with some remodeling and a new set of rules that were enforced with enough assertion the place straightened out impressively, without scaring away all of the business. He was still hearing the kinds of rumors and job deals that he'd expected to hear, but there wasn't blaster fire raining down on patrons at random or brawls to the death leaving bodies on the floor for people to step around. There was a corner for the bounty hunters and mercenaries to find job postings, and plenty of quiet corners for shadier, illegal jobs to be discussed without threat of being overheard. He'd already worked out that the Trianii woman who'd positioned herself so she could see the whole cantina worked for the cantina, and it would have put him on edge a bit more if he wasn't accompanied by a giant Wookiee. Especially since the rumor was that while the cantina had been straightened out considerably by the new owner, the place had fallen into her hands by means that sounded like there had been some shady things happening behind closed doors.

He was a little disappointed it hadn't turned out to be like all the rumors off-world said, which was part of the reason he'd come since it had spiked his curiosity, but considering it was probably better for business if the customers weren't constantly at risk of getting killed by crossfire, he wasn't about to complain. Besides, it still seemed to be thriving with opportunity without the high risk of death.

"So you're the fools who're looking to meet Jabba."

Han Solo looked up at the feminine voice that addressed him and Chewbacca, surprised to see that the blond woman he'd noticed serving drinks throughout the cantina earlier was actually addressing him. Not only that, but she was setting a glass of whiskey in front of him, and filling it with what looked to be Corellian Whiskey.

"Well, it doesn't take long for word to travel around here, does it?" Han asked, eying the drink she was pouring him. He hadn't bought a drink—not yet, anyway—and was trying to figure out what her angle was.

"No, it really doesn't—first thing you need to learn about Tatooine," she said, setting down the bottle and remaining standing by their table. Chewbacca seemed to be studying her rather intently, but since the Wookiee wasn't saying anything about why, Han was leaving it alone for the time being.

"And the second thing?" Han asked.

"Be very careful getting tangled up with Jabba. Most people would avoid dealing with him directly. It can be profitable, yes, but Jabba isn't exactly known for being an honorable and trustworthy business man. In fact, he's pretty well known for screwing over his business partners."

If he didn't know any better, he'd say it sounded like she was speaking from personal experience. However, there was something else he wanted to comment on before he drudged up a minor point like that.

"And why exactly would you be giving me this generous advice about Jabba? I don't even know you."

"Mm...perhaps because I have a job proposal for you. Some work that's a bit more honest and easy that might help pay for any debt Jabba might try to tie you up in."