Two Q's on a Tatooine Side Street

We finally see who the snitch is.. Everyone please check out Jaxxon's 11 at theforce.net humor section!

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Quinlan was just getting up in search of some lunch, when his contact finally showed. A very tall, deeply hooded and cloaked figure, who would have been mysterious-looking if not for the loud brocade his cloak was made of, sidled up to his table on the tavern patio.

"Hey, man, I heard you needed a nerf?"

How about that--it was the password. Quin sat down again, his dark brows twitching as he sized up the lanky stranger. He gave the proper response.

"Only a mating pair, er, man." His contact had on a garish red flight suit and full gauntlets under the cloak, even in this heat. Probably not a human.

The stranger sat, and pulled back the hood. Foot-long ears sprang up, erect as antennae, only definitely not insectile-- they were furry. He was a Lepi, of that smuggling race also known as Lepus carnivorous, and he was obviously quite young, and very green--literally.

"Whew! Sorry about the getup, but this bright sun is murder on my symbionts. If I don't cover up I get pretty day-glow, and the honeys don't go for that so much."

Quin found himself amused by the forthright young being's attitude.

"What, not even Twi'leks?" He'd been bothered by a lot of predatory Twi'lek females on this world, most probably former slaves.

"Well, you know Twi'leks; they're used to green, and they're pretty exciteable anyway. Almost as good as a doe. But enough small talk, huh? Sorry it took me a couple extra days of Hutt duty before I could get here-- my supposed boss, Jabba, is setting up a new operation on this dustball, and kept me kissing tail a bit longer than I expected."

"Oh, I kept myself amused." Quin smiled to himself in private reminiscence. "But I thought you were with the Commerce Guild?"

"So I am, indeed; the Coachelle Commerce Guild."

"Indeed." This was a new wrinkle on things.

"Yes, I'm pretty intimate with the people in charge." Quin stared at him. The young Lepi's brash act didn't fool him. He kept staring until the guy began to twitch a bit.

"Er, actually I am the entire Coachelle Commerce Guild. For the moment. Gotta start somewhere, don't I?" he added defensively. "But I recently acquired my own vessel, and I have the contacts for all your smuggling needs, throughout the entire Rabbit Sector. Funny, outsiders don't visit our system all that much; why is that? My people are hospitable."

Quin snorted. "Probably because your people have the reputation of kicking the poodoo out of anyone who messes with family."

"Yeah, and we do have big ones. I see where you're going with that. But that's also our strength-- the sheer volume of the market. I figure we're a largely untapped resource ripe for development, and I'm your buck. And, as an added bonus," he leaned forward on this, "I am very willing to kick the poodoo out of anyone who messes with the C-C-G." As he enunciated the letters, his fangs gleamed.

He leaned back again. "So, Mr. Kiffar, what sort of merchandise do you need moved?"

"Call me Kim. I deal in information, Mr.--"

"Jaxxon. Just Jaxxon. I can get you that. It would be nice to have some kind of actual cargo, though. Something to tickle the taste-buds of the folks back home."

"How about Twi'leks?"

Jaxxon's nose twitched as he cogitated. "You mean like an exotic escort service type of thing?"

"Great minds think alike, son."

"I'm not your son and never will be."

"Sorry, Jaxxon."

"Also, I need to know if it's a slave thing or not. I can't afford to buy 'em. Can you?"

"I believe you will find many independent contractors willing to work on a commission basis." In fact, he saw a couple of them through the open tavern door, over Jaxxon's shoulder.

"You know, Mr. Kim, --can I call you Kim?-- I think I know a few myself, now that you put it in that light."

"Local gals?"

"Yeah, Jabba goes through Twi'leks pretty fast. Tragic if you think about it too hard. But a lot of them wise up and buy themselves free before they hit the rancor pit."

"Gruesome."

"You said it. Yet one more reason why I'm anxious to start up something independently like this."

Quin actually liked this character. He was totally unexpected in some ways, in others reassuringly predictable. He decided Master Tholme would approve of a course of extended research in this area.

"I think we can do business, Jaxxon."

"Okay. I look forward to showing you around 'The Rabbit's Foot'. By the way," he continued, removing his right gauntlet to reveal a large, green, hairless palm, "it's customary among my people to press palms at this point."

Quin complied, steeling himself for the inevitable barrage of impressions that would be imparted by his special Force talent through the contact. It was his first experience of the Force signature of one of Jaxxon's race. The information was surprisingly concise.

Lepi were constituted to value the sense of touch above all others. He was conveying almost as much information as he was receiving. Quin instantly redoubled his shields, and broke the contact as soon as possible. Still, he caught a suspicious narrowing of Jaxxon's eyes. He quickly changed the subject.

"What do you say we go scout out some of those independent contractors? But first, a little lunch..."

"There's a place a few doors down that does a great nerf steak with mushrooms."

"Okay. But before we look up Twi'leks, I have a favor to ask."

"What?"

"Lose the cloak with the flowers."

"I can turn it inside out, I guess. Hey, man, this could be the start of a beautiful friendship. Ever had a doe?"

Quin chuckled, and decided to press a few buttons for the fun of it.

"You mean your sister?"

"Don't go there, man." But then Jaxxon wiped the scowl off his muzzle and grinned.

"Let's eat."