Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
"I DONT speak your language." A metallic voice boomed from beneath a strange helmet, one painted in thick white paint and illuminated in impractical places by a glow of orange. Despite the thick coat of paint, the metal shined as if it was bare and polished.
The statement that was made was directed towards a lady, who, undeniably, looked like a frog. She had large eyes, and a pink tint to her skin. Sitting in the seat beside her was a tube of glowing water, which held many of her eggs. She wore simple clothes, which contrasted that of the masked stranger, who wore a dark cloak, accompanied by precious silver armor.
She made a groaning noise in response, followed by a series of clicks. The stranger grew silent, turning their head towards the band playing in the opposite corner of the cantina. They let out a sigh, and tapped their gloved fingers on the very edge of their booth table. The lady who sat across from them hummed quietly, before they turned back to her.
"Where is it you need to go?" They asked, reaching a hand down to the satchel strung across their chest. They pulled out a pad of paper and a pen, sliding the material across the table. "Write it down for me."
The lady nodded in response, and began scribbling on the paper. The person leaned forward as if to watch what she was doing, but settled back into their seat after a moment of relative silence. The lady finally finished, sliding the paper back to them. They leaned forward, reaching a hand down to turn the paper so that their gaze could take the message in.
They looked back up at her. "The moon of Trask?"
The lady nodded in response, accompanied by a chorus of throaty groans. The person took in a deep breath. "Alright, you're lucky it's only one system away. I'll find somebody who can take us there."
The person glanced around momentarily, and then stood from the booth, leaving the frog lady to her own devices. Once they were standing, it was apparent how tall they were, as they towered over most of the humans in the cantina. Their posture was reminiscent of a warrior, as if you could see a past life in the way that they walked.
They strode across the room to the bar, where they sat uncomfortably in an empty seat. They placed their arms on the counter of the bar, for a moment. A figure sat next to them, which dragged their attention from the commotion behind the bar.
They turned their head to the familiar insectoid, who waved to one of the bartenders for a drink.
"Dr. Mandible. It's nice to see you again." They said, removing one of their arms from the table. The masked stranger slid a stack of two credits across the bar to the insectoid. They nodded to him expectantly. "Do you know anyone here who can take my client and I to the moon of Trask?"
The insectoid chattered in response, reaching a long, spindly limb out to point towards the entryway of the cantina, where a woman with a mop of brown curly hair stood.
"She knows someone who can take us to the moon of Trask? What's the price?" They turned their head to look at the woman. The insectoid, replied with a series of chatters and clicks. They did not respond for a moment, processing his request.
"Information? What kind?" The insectoid did not respond, and instead stood, gesturing for them to follow, as he stumbled his way towards her. "Mandible," They awkwardly shifted in their seat. "I don't have time for this! I'm on a tight schedule!"
Reluctantly, they stood from their seat at the bar, and followed cautiously after their friend. He stopped in front of the woman, and they followed suit, placing their hands behind their back.
"Ah, so you must be the contact." She said. She reached a hand out to them. "There sure are a lot of masked wonders on this planet. Well I'm Peli Motto."
Slowly, they brought their hand to hers and shook it firmly. They retracted their hand in silence.
"I have somebody who needs information. Dr. Mandible here said you could help."
The masked person tilted their head. "What kind of information do they require?"
"He needs to find other Mandalorians." Peli stated, "You can help, right?"
They tensed at the words. "Mandalorians?" They turned their head to Dr. Mandible who said nothing. "I don't know about that."
"Look, he can pay you. How much do you want for the information?"
They were silent, before taking in a deep breath. "No money. I need safe passage, for my client and I, to the moon of Trask. There are Mandalorians there."
Peli grinned, and clapped her hands together. "Great!"
"Oh, but there is one other thing." They interrupted. "No lightspeed."
Her smile faltered and her arms dropped to herself. "Ooh, alright, well...I'll see what I can do. Why don't you follow me back to the Hangar, and we can talk there."
They stood silently for a moment, before nodding. They turned to make their way to the booth they had been sitting in. Approaching the frog lady, who had been cradling the tube of eggs in her arms, the Lady proceeded to croak in question as they approached. They leaned down.
"I think I found somebody who can help you get to the moon of Trask." They said, nodding to Peli, who was now standing alone by the entrance. "Follow me."
They turned back, and strode towards Peli, who was waiting by the door. The frog lady followed close behind them, hiding behind their large frame. They stopped at the entryway, and Peli nodded to them, before leading them both out of the cantina.
