Sorry, no refunds.

[Tayeav]

Distant sandstorms ripped across the dunes, pulling yellow sand into the sky with violent gusts that blotted out the sun. The desert was limitless, a place where heat waves danced upon the lifeless sand, distorting the angry, yellow sun perched mid-way on the horizon. Tatooine. A savage dustbowl of a planet skirting the edge of the galaxy; where crooks were kings and power was measured in credits.

This world was bleak and hopeless...

Tayeav leant comfortably against the outer wall of a no-name shop, her hands folded about her waist to, conveniently, steady her hands mere inches from her blasters. The wind blew hair into her face, the ebony strands obscuring a crimson vision that cared little of the intrusion; after all, what did she really have to look at?

From every side, nothing but sand and sun could be seen; the endless sea of dunes mimicking the dome-shaped buildings that, collectively, made up the spaceport known as Mos Espa... Traders, junk merchants and criminals mingled together in the streets whilst slaves ran back and fourth on errands and nonsense bidding; the energy of the place overshadowed by the lash of ownership and poverty...

The 6'3", leather clad Chiss failed to stand out against the mix of aliens meandering two and fro; quite a comfort for someone too used to curious eyes - for the less she was noticed, the better. At least in her opinion... She wore a comfortable, thick-strapped shirt that (despite her best efforts) managed to amplify the natural tone of her torso, whilst a pair of baggy, black cloth trousers hung dangerously from her hips, held up by a trusty weapon belt. Her cobalt skin shone brilliantly in the ruthless glare as Tay rolled her restless shoulders; the gun-slinger having never been a fan of this planet, and was quite keen to get the buisness over and done with...

“Tarn?” her voice was as dry as the landscape, the pirate turning to her companion - Tarn Ardsul - a man known amongst the crew as a skilled (if not a little surly) pilot who was just one of the many volatile marauders who called the Voodoo Heart their home. Tay had agreed to accompany the man to the planet, both to stretch her legs and lend some combat support for the pending transaction; for the keen eyed Chiss, whilst not exactly looking it, was a most dangerous creature indeed...

On her hips, two modified blaster pistols sat in oiled holsters; one a DL-18 with a custom wood-finish, and the other a SE-14C with refined scope; their hilts within range of her long, black-nailed fingers.
“You sure you don’t need help carrying that part? It looks a little heavy...”

[Tarn Ardsul]

Tarn was an enigma amongst the crew. He was well liked, personable, and an arrogant son of bitch. But that was only if you were on his good side. Get on his wrong one, and his nice casual manner turned vicious in a heartbeat, like a Jyykle vulture on a good day! Being screwed by the Galactic Empire had a tendency to do that to a man.

Before the shipped him off to the Rim of known space, Tarn Enric was somebody. Clean cut, prim and proper, and loyal to a fault: He was the best damn fighter pilot on this side of the Corellian run. He could fly circles around Raiders and Rebels, which was saying a lot when flying a Squint, or a TIE fighter as it was commonly known as. But somewhere along the way, Tarn inadvertently made an enemy and found himself beached at some listening post and doing nothing for three years. The funny thing was, his record was spotless. Spotless! There was nothing to suggest why the transfer when his record indicated he was ready for a promotion and deserving! Why this even happened, he still didn't know. A mystery for the ages since he didn't want the Empire growing suspicious ...

Officially, Tarn Enric was killed in the pirate attack that destroyed the listening post. What they didn't know is that Tarn actually helped lead the attack. Even if by some odd chance they thought him alive, they wouldn't recognize him anyway. Tarn kept his first name, but now he went by Ardsul, and Ardsul was a far cry from a tidy Imperial grunt.

He had grown out his hair and had a neatly trimmed, yet stylish beard, and jewelry on ears and neck. His leather vest kept the sun off his back, and he wore a white shirt with sleeves rolled up, and a pair of loose black pants; his DL-44's holstered on either side.

"Nah ..." Tarn shrugged and hefted the Dallorian heating coil over his tattooed shoulder with little effort. But there was some perspiration flecked across his face. He did have to lug it from the spaceport. "I carted it out here fer ya. Another few meters won't make a difference. S'only about 7 kilos anyway. We need four o'these tho for your shuttle so it doesn't overheat again. So we'll need a lift back. Don't want'cha to get stranded in space again."

He tipped his chocolate Henschel at Tay with a cheeky grin, "Right?"

[Jhena Belitski]

:: Jhena was on her hands and knees, drudging away with repair on a podracer. Unknown to her, she was being oogled by her friend, a Xexto who she'd been dating for under a month. He snuck up on her, and feeling frisky, decided to try his luck in advancing the relationship. Her eyes widened as she felt multiple hands pawing at her, and she reached around to swat them away ::

"Do you mind??? If the boss walks in I'm in big trouble!!!"

:: She scritched her nose, inadvertantly smudging it ::

"You said you wanted to help, so pass me the hydrospanner ... and keep those other hands where I can see them."

[Tayeav]

"Right..." her painted lips shed a sarcastic smirk, aided by the rise of a sharp black brow as she watched the pilot lug the heavy coil across the sand.

Her ship, not a month after purchase, had broken down on her in the middle of empty space; leaving the Chiss stranded and helpless to do much else than send an emergency call back to the Voodoo Heart. It was a most embarrassing event, especially considering that - before the launch - Tarn had been in her face with then-ridiculous statements such as "You'll crash" or "It won't make it past the first moon". Of course she ignored him, and of course he ended up being right. Frelling luck, that's why she never gambled...

"Think the Baragwin'll give us a refund?" the taller femme pushed from the wall as he passed her; walking in stride and scanning the scape around them. The pair, when set side-by-side, looked almost comical; Tay with her vibrant skin, skinny frame and advantageous height, and Tarn with his muscle bulk, tattoo's and menacing expressions.

"I'm not in the mood for a fight..." She ran a gloved hand through her hair, shaking her head and rounding yet another street in their advance on the Baragwin's shopfront; the large store framed with parts of ships and podracers, it's open door dark and cluttered.
"I haven't had my drink yet."

[Tarn Ardsul]

Tarn lifted a hand to shield his eyes at the blazing suns above. They squinted on reflex but relaxed as his gaze shifted towards his companion. "I don't get that drinking before noon stuff that ya do."

He never was a big drinker. A rarity amongst military personnel. Even rarer amongst pirates. Tarn felt safer with a clear head, and all though most of his comrades on the Voodoo Heart could take care of themselves, the pilot felt a sense of obligation in keeping them out of trouble. They took him in and gave him a home and purpose; keeping an extra eye on them was his way of showing gratitude. He'd never admit it though ...

"But, I dunno." The finally made it to front door and Tarn gladly propped the coil against the side of the building. He stretched and his back popped happily that the extra weight was gone. "Depends on his mood. Either way, we ain't leaving till your all settled proper like."

[Jhena Belitski]

:: Five microns didn't go by before the Xexto starting feeling her up again. She really wasn't in the mood for playing squish with the frellnik, so after freeing herself of his many little hands, she stepped outside for a breather. That's when she spotted the two pirates. Pulling her shirt down to cover her bellybutton, she tried her best to look professional and greet them ::

"Hello. Can I help you?"

[Tayeav]

The appearance of a girl stalled Tay's reply, who dropped her chin in a curt, somewhat irritated nod. The Chiss knew that this girl wasn't at fault for the part, yet when dealing with any traders on Tatooine - image was everything.

"I hope so." the cobalt-skinned gunner waved a hand behind her, indicating the coil that Tarn had just set down. "I brought this about a month ago, it blew out on me mid-flight and left me in a bind." Her hands slid nonchalantly behind her back; the movement intending to expose her weapons, yet at the same time indicate that she had no intention to use them. Not yet, anyway...

Her smile was disarming as she inspecting the femme, probably a slave like most of the humans on this dustbowl.

"I want a refund."

[Tarn Ardsul]

"Fer four o'them." Tarn kicked up his hat with a flick of his thumb and rested comfortably next to the damage coil. "Three more o'these are gonna blow any microsecond. An' I really dun want my friend here stranded again."

The girl had to feel small standing within the shadows of her far taller costumers. She looked barely over 5 ft and Tarn was still deciding if he should put on the charm or the intimidating factor. Right now he was relaxed, but his well defined physique wasn't for show. He could bench press the power converters on Tay's ship if he tried hard enough.

[Jhena Belitski]

:: Jhena swallowed hard. Twice. The Chiss was Scary. The Human was Scary and Drad. :yum The look in his eyes gave her a down low tingle. Puffing her cheeks, she pointed to the sign ::

"Sorry, no refunds."

:: They were not pleased ::

"I can get you some replacements." she offered with a hopeful grin and big brown puppy eyes.

[Tayeav]

Dark lips smacked together thoughtfully, the Chiss turning first to the sign, then behind her to throw a questionable glance at Tarn.

"No refunds, she says..." Tayeav chuckled and shook her head, sending spits of ebony hair slapping against her cheeks whilst one hand slid up to her chin.
"The thing is, this part is from a whole ship I brought from your boss" her stride was slow and deliberate, bringing the quick-handed woman past the girl and further into the store; placing the poor thing between the two much larger, much more menacing pirates.

"It'd be awfully unfair of you to charge me extra, when I was given a personal guarantee the shuttle was sound. I'd hate to think of what might happen to the poor mechanic who was in charge of securing it for sale..." It was a dangerous guess, yet by the multitude of grease on the girls hands Tay could only assume that she was the shops tinker; the one who was responsible for fixing and maintaining the various technical articles. Perhaps if she could persuade the girl to give-in and pay the refund, the pair could avoid an unsavory tangle with the Boss.

The Chiss looked over her shoulder at Tarn, shooting a brilliant, deceptive smile. "How much was it again? 2000 credits?"

[Tarn Ardsul]

Tay was going for intimidating. So he might as well try charm. Get the girl's heart beating from both ends because if he wasn't mistaken, the grease monkey showed a bit of interest towards him when their eyes met.

"And anyway, we ain't refunding the entire ship. Jus' need to make good on a deal that was promise ta my friend here." He cocked his head and flashed his pearly whites non-threateningly. Everything about his demeanor was trying to put the girl at ease. Arms were relaxed and no where near his guns, but if she tried to make a break for it, he'd be able to scoop her up like a little lost puppy. "Now, is tha' really too much ta ask?"

[Jhena Belitski]

:: Her head darted left and right as she found herself unwittingly sandwiched between them. She tried real hard not to be intimidated ::

"I ... I can't give you the money." she squeaked. "Even if I wanted to. My Master keeps the only key."

:: She felt the tingle again. ^_^; He was so Drad. :yum ::

"Woo ... would you like a fizzglug? It's hot out here." ^_^;

[Tayeav]

Tarn fell into the 'charming' role flawlessly, for his physical appearance alone had the knack for making women a little flustered, and when doubled with the intent to dazzle, well... Just look at the shop girl! Tay, hiding a smile behind a gruff cough, played her end of the game and dropped those long, study fingers down to the hilts of her blasters.

"Your Master?" her cherry eyes rolled thoughtfully about the store, realising that, either way, they would have to deal with a much more angry, much less persuadable character.
"Well..." she allowed her answer to linger, taking the time to shoot a glance at her companion, as if asking for his silent opinion. Tay wasn't leaving without free coils, and it was doubtful that the owner would part with any of his money; the entire scene seemed to promise some kind of violence.

Did they really want that?

"Go get him then."

Of course they did! They were pirates, after all.

[Tarn Ardsul]

"And I'll go with ya." He pushed off the side of the building with his shoulder.

Now standing at his full height, Tarn looked even more intimidating as the shadow grew over the girl. But he was still pleasant. "Dun want you running off and not making good on our deal, girlie."

He shot a look over to Tay with eyes wide in thought and pursed lips. When the grease monkey wasn't looking, he gave his friend a wink. She could tell that Tarn was hoping that she try and run. It would be more fun that way. And if the girl went along with it, that left Tay all alone in the shop. She could do a bit of window shopping and find out where those coils were stashed in case things went south fast.

[Jhena Belitski]

"Oh, I would never do that!" she protested, scampering in spite of herself. As she turned the corner, she blundered into the Baragwin, who knocked her down for being clumsy. She winced as the huge alien grumbled at her ::

"We have customers. They want their money back."

:: She winced again as the Baragwin grumbled louder :: :(

[Tayeav]

The Chiss had to force a hand over her mouth to prevent a leaking smile; her eyes barely managing to retain their icy, determined glare in the wake of their self-serving play. Tarn executed his part brilliantly! And it was perhaps his charm that forced the girl into action - after all, people did much more for a handsome face than they would an alien with guns...

As the girl skittered off, Tayeav had the chance to turn on her heel and cast a quick glance about the store; her well-toned muscle flexing as if preparing for a fight. On the south wall, she spied what she was searching for - a stack of five coils that looked similar to the parts that they needed.

"What do you think?" she asked whilst returning to his side, the Chiss rubbing her cheek with leather-gloved knuckles. "You could carry three of them if you had to, right?" she was formulating a possible exit-strategy if indeed the deal went sour. "That'd give me a free hand for a blaster, with the last coil on my shoulder." It seemed clumsy and dangerous, and even though Tarn was quite physically fit, three coils at once might make him slow on the escape...

The sound of grumbles and shuffling feet came from somewhere unseen, forcing the femme to relax her stance and drop a good few inches of her height, settling comfortably into her 'interested buyer' pose.

"Doesn't sound good..." her lips quirked in a curious, blood-thirsty smile. "I can hardly wait."

[Tarn Ardsul]

"Heh." Despite not having her drink, Tay was itching for a fight. He could really care less in all honesty. What he wanted was the right parts so his blue buddy wouldn't get lost in space again.

The surly pilot cast a curious glance behind them. The little girl's boss was definitely not happy by how loud his voice was. He even heard a bit of a scuffle. A box being knocked over and a yelp. "If we have ta, I can do it. We'll just have ta be really quick on the fly an' make sure people aren't gonna be following us."

His hands fell to a blaster with a wink and a click of his tongue. He and Tay were on the same page. They usually were. It made for a nice and easy working relationship.

Tarn stiffened up when the girl and his boss came around the corner. His features soften just a bit when he saw the girl. Looked like she got a mean licking in the back by the size of that red mark on her cheek and the tears clinging to her eyes.

[Jhena Belitski]

:: Jhena looked at Tarn with sad puppy eyes, and she gave a a tiny whine before disappearing into the shop. She was crying ::