GM

Torani is an Arcona, a desert-dwelling species with a Y-shaped head and compound eyes that fluoresce as part of their language.

He wears robes like the rest of the scavengers, though dyed with fancier colours. The junk jewellery he wears consists of finer metals too. Typical of salesman across the Galaxy, Torani aims to present himself as wealthy and successful, or what qualifies as such on Jakku.

He's supervising the loading of his Treadable by pit droids when Amos and Preach wander in.

"Ay ay ay, load the hyperfuel against the bulkhead and then everything else in after---"

He sees the two Resistance fighters and turns on his heels, shaking his head and waddling off in the opposite direction.

"NO!! Whatever it is you're about to suggest, I don't want to hear it!"

They're off to a good start.

Preach

He trundled along after the Arcona. He began speaking in a soothing voice, as if he had a different one for normal conversation. "I understand your position. You don't trust us, and we are making work for you. But remember we also bring profit. You know that we are interested in protecting life as much as we did just kill the swoop bike gang. Give us a bit of shade and we can buy you a drink. Maybe then you will be willing to hear what we have in mind?"

GM

One of the pit droids is trying to push a carton off of a table. Stamped with the Imperial emblem it probably contains food packets, scavenged from the capital ships in the Graveyard.

Below, the other pit droid directs with hand signals until the upper droid starts to tip the carton and they realise the open end is actually on the side. The food packets pour out a bury the pit droid, before the empty carton falls on its head, blinding it.

Torani looks like he might actually go for Preach's suggestion of a drink, just to get away from his droid minions.

The Arcona stares at Amos, eyes flaring.

"And does he talk too, or is he just meant to scare me?" He asks.

Amos

The lanky ex-lawman raises an eyebrow at the Arconan as he hitches a hip up onto a crate, having taken off his coat due to the heat now that combat was over.

"Never saw any sense in scaring people unless they were up to no good. Most people, given the chance, want to do what is right." he said, taking out a small wooden toothpick and sticking it in his mouth.

GM

"They especially want to do right when there's a scatter blaster pointed at their face." Notes the junk dealer, after scalding the pit droids in his native language.

Preach mentioned 'profit' though, a magic word in this Arconan's lexicon and he follows that up as hails to the ALT droid.

"Walt! Come here.... Huh, that's a rather fine repair job!"

The ALT droid pulls up on its tracks and bleeps. Jelly Bean's work is indeed very tidy. Three beakers are filled with chilled water from the droid and Torani hands them to Preach and Amos.

"So, talk to me about profit. Does my tribe have something extra to gain by hanging around, waiting for vengeful Strus, while you take our Varactyls for a ride?"

Preach

Though he understood motivations, and he understood merchants, he was no expert in making good deals. In fact, the opposite could be said of the old guardian. About the only thing, he owned that was worth anything was his well-cared for ancient lightsaber.

However, this wasn't so much about profit, as to how to make the negotiation work. "I am not man of means as can plainly be seen. Unlike my companion here, who does understand what it takes to make a good deal." Even though it was said as a sentence, there was enough in Preach's face, that his companion might actually see the question behind the statement.

He took a sip of the cool water, certainly, that was wealth in and of itself in the dry desert air. Though it bought him time that wasn't the primary reason for trying the water. It was to acknowledge the gift it was from a desert dweller who knew just how rich water could be here.

"Thank you for the water, and sharing it with us. Also thank you for taking a moment of your time to consider what options we might come up with. We know that we have caused difficulty, but we are prepared to make it worth your while too. We are not the callous foes of old just doing what we please and not caring about who we do it too. We are people just like yourself trying to live our lives in this shared galaxy. Yes, we might be a little farther out than some of the glittering spires of a city like Coruscant. I like to think that we care." For all his thoughts and words he didn't know what to offer, that was certainly going to be the team's decision. However, the door had been opened.

Amos

He chewed on the end of the toothpick, listening to the mellodic tones of Preach's voice with a faint smile inside.

"You being a good business person, I'm sure you understand the usefullness of compromise. However, I don't think several of us dickering over the same things is helpful. Probably should get together with our bosses and all hash this out."

GM

"Don't go walking off with Torani." Says Mhar-li, waltzing into the garage area with an NN-14 blaster now strapped to her thigh.

The Arcona groans and the Sunstrider's pilot nods.

"That's right, where's the fuel atomizer you promised me last month? Mine looks like the inside of a steelpecker's gizzard."

Torani raises his hands in surrender.

"What you want from me?" He complains, going on, "I have a Treadable to load. I have Tall and Hairy leaning on me here. And the Strus Clan are probably on their way as we speak!"

Mhar-li looks quizzically at Amos and Preach, before adopting an Is that all you got? stance with Torani.

"This is the problem with you scavengers, Torani. You don't keep your promises.

"These guys travelled across half the Galaxy to be here. And you promised them Varactyls. Now you're backing out? Well I'm sorry but it's too late for that.

"The Sunstrider put this deal together and you're making us look bad, Torani.

"We could've made a deal with someone else. Could've given Unkar Plutt the job. Yeah, he'd have sent the Strus to grab your Varactyls and paid you nada if you were lucky!"

Mhar-li gets in Torani's face, which neither of them savours. She pokes his chest.

"But we came to you, cut you in on the deal. And this is how you repay us? You leave us standing in the middle of the desert. And you don't even have my damn fuel atomizer.

"Shame on you, Torani! Shame!"

Mhar-li turns and is about to storm out but sees Walt.

"Oh hey Walt. Yeah, why not." She downs a cup of water from the A-LT droid.

And then she storms out.

Torani lets out a long breath.

"I think I'm having a bad day." He says to himself, before turning to the Resistance fighters, "Mhar-li is a live wire. I'm sure your employers are taking this all much more calmly and rationally."

Preach

"I believe in calm and peace most of the time. You know how it is, it can't always be just that. The Strus are a perfect example of that."

He offered the soothing words because he could.

GM

The Arcona junk dealer is unsure what to make of Amos and Preach. He finds the ex-marshal's presence, with his cut-down scatter blaster and toothpick, rather intimidating. Whilst Preach seems peaceful, at ease with whatever Torani might infer.

"Tidy that mess!" Torani scolds the pit droids, "And don't touch anything else until I get back."

He straightens his robes and says to the two Resistance fighters:

"Come. We'll see what Vontoba says."

Preach

He drinks the last of the now warming water. "Thank you for your gift of water." Having spent time among desert peoples, he knows enough to say thank you to their host. He follows the man to see what it is they learn.

GM

Amos and Preach follow Torani back out into the searing desert sun.

Back under the awning, one pit droid squats and flings food packets back between its legs rapid-fire. The other pit droid tries to catch them in the carton.

One packet bounces off the carton, hits the controls on a repulsorsled that jolts forwards and hits the stacked boxes, toppling the lot.

The pit droids retrieve the errant food packet, pop it into the carton and reseal it before marching off, job done.

One last box falls over with a crash of destructibles.

[Go to CFH4: The Secure Vault]