At another table a thin man with short spiky brown hair, lazy like demeanor, wearing a shirt with the local rock band's logo on it "The Furballs," brown pants, and old shoes almost about to start talking to people. This man is Greg Xiarou, a half Nepleslian man who gave Atverm a tip about a man who could lead him to a big payout. However when Atverm arrived to the hotel room like the tip suggested, but it seemed the Investigator named John managed to get there first. Atverm had spotted a wounded thug about to kill John and managed to disable him, thus John hired his services to saving the Mayor's daughter.
"This stuff is pretty good, better than Greased Wind's crap," Greg said lazily and lifted his glass for another swig.
Atverm Doe stepped in through the door to the bar and looked around. He was dressed in his usual clothing with the duster, body armor, concealed pistols and the shades that were only taken off at night. He had recently spent the money from his mission on an Origin made Gauss rifle and got a free suit of Impulse power armor with it but the bar didn't allow that sort of equipment inside. So he had to wear his usual clothes while here, which was a shame too because he had hoped to show off his mad art skills with the paint job he had done on it.
After stepping off to the side to allow other customers to enter and a few more seconds of scanning the tables, he spotted who he was looking for. He quickly made his way over to the table, carefully maneuvering around the waitresses in his path and sat down on the opposite end of Greg Xiarou's table.
"Hello again Greg." He began he said in a polite manner. "I'm not interrupting you am I?"
Greg meanwhile lifted his drink, "Hey man, you should buy yourself a drink. The booze here is awesome." He took a drink and waited to see if Atverm would take a seat, a glance would notice that the chair on the other side was taken by Greg's old shoes. "Tell ya the truth I almost expected you to be dead, I know your an ID-Sol whatever but man you must be a tough bastard."
"Well I didn't exactly go alone." Atverm replied as he ordered a drink from a nearby waitress and gave her a very generous tip when his drink arrived, along with a few compliments about her looks. He would later receive his drink, along with a piece of paper with her number on it. But that was a story for another time.
He took a sip from his beer mug before speaking. "Hey that is good, but that's not the real reason I'm here."
"I'm looking for somebody. I'll pay double the amount I did last time if you have any information on this target or know somebody who does."
Greg raised an eyebrow at first and then traced a finger on his glass before giving his usual lazy response, "Well it depends on the target. If it's bounties I know of about three on the top of my head that are worth going after, unless you have something specific in mind."
"Let's hear it. All three of them." Atverm replied, reaching into his pocket for the amount of DA it would cost for information on all three."
Greg pulled his feet off the chair and leaned forward with a datapad to run Atverm's money card over while explaining, "Ok, the price will be 10,000 DA, or 5,000 KS if you want my bank to scratch their heads for a few minutes. I'm being a little low this time since jobs aren't that great this time around like the Mayor's daughter and all."
After Atverm accepted the payment, Greg placed the datapad back in his coat. "There are three good jobs though the pay is mostly decent. The first I hear is a guy called 'The Fang', I hear he is a smuggler who dumped his cargo. His actual name is Tom Guys, his well known name is really what is written on his power armor so people go with that. Hear he has some good sword skills though and employs some very aggressive tactics. 9,000 KS is on his head dead or alive.
"Next up is Sakura Yushara. Bounty hunter who has been taken a number of jobs from the Yakuza to mess with the Mafia. Her bounty is 9,000 KS. Here is a free tip, maybe try finding where she is getting her jobs, they must be kickass. Just don't forget your pal Greg though."
"Finally there is an escort mission that recently was posted by Sarah Keller. She needs help apparently on escorting someone from the west side to east side of town, and has a bunch of off worlders after them. Don't know Keller that well, but she is well known for her skills with a side arm. Quite the looker too."
At the mention of a smoking hot freelancer who was good with a gun Atverm's eyebrow went up to his hairline and then back down a few seconds later. It didn't take much thought to figure out which job he was going to do first. His power armor projected a 3.5 meter shield bubble around it and he had decoy drones to help throw off the enemy.
That and the super hot freelancer he was going to be working with. He just hoped she wasn't a giant bitch.
"Thanks for the info dude." Atverm said. "I think I'll be working with Miss Keller first. Is there anything else I should know about her? Like favorite pastimes, taste in food, taste in men.. Bra size."
Greg sat back in his chair while rubbing his chin, "Well, I'd say she has brown hair, likes to wear a black coat, might be C size, and is serious about the jobs she takes. From the last time I ran into her she seemed like a former IPG type a gal. Oh, and I think she doesn't like booze that much." He then shrugged after he gave his detail on the woman and explained, "I don't really know her that well, but she is more experienced than you are so I'd suggest playing it cool. She's professional no doubt about it."
"Oh right, I'll also call her up later and tell her your interested, I'll tell ya later about the details."
"Actually, could you call her right now. I'd prefer to work out a viable strategy with her than go through the warehouse mission again." Atverm replied, remembering the brilliant plan that involved them charging in the front door with guns blazing and gangsters coming at them from all directions. Well, they did have the element of surprise and came up with decent ways of evening the odds.
They had improvised and gotten lucky a few times, simple as that.
Greg leaned back and moved his arms to the side giving a shrug, "Not in my hands pal," he claimed as he took another sip of his drink, "She's real professional, only call her at a specific time and all that. I'll call you in the morning just have a good rest and be ready. As you might imagine I'm hardly the person to make plans with," he then got up and gave a wave as he went to pay for the drinks and left the bar.
-----
"I didn't know ya wer' into porn Dimitri," said the voice of a man that handed the bounty hunter a cheap wine bottle and moved to find a table to sit down, "I coulda' introduced ya to somebody if that was what ur' lookin' fer."
The man sat down but wasted no time in undoing the bottle's top to tip it back before setting it down hard. Henry Wallenstein was a veteran in the Star Army back when it was still Yamatain's Star Army. Dimitri only knew him from the Black Syndicate days as an information broker. Henry's appearance has changed from 10 years ago now that it seems his right eye is scarred shut, a growing beard, and his growing baldness is pushing his brown hair back up by about 3 inches above the scalp. He was also wearing a red shirt with a brown sleeveless jacket that could only be some kind of flak jacket, and blue jeans. Dimitri also spotted a sidearm sleeping in it's holster.
Dimitri's heart raced a bit. That was a voice from before the day he was killed. His eyes shifted to Henry, and only then he calmed down. Henry Wallenstein and himself had met after his death. Of course, Dimitri had to instantly update him on who he was now and to keep his mouth shut, and although Dimitri somewhat trusted him, he knew that Henry could well destroy his cover and reveal his current status to the Black Syndicate at any moment. Dimitri stared at the black cat resting on the counter, lost in thought.
Guinnan looked over to Henry, then back at Dimitri. "Oh, so you two know each other?" Dimitri's eyes moved back to Henry, making sure Henry looked back, then they closed and his fingers tapped the cigarette on the nearby ash tray, removing some of the burnt-off pieces. With his eyes still closed, leaning against the bar counter, Dimitri proceeded to answer Guinnan's question. "Me and Henry go way back. Before I was even in this business; not that those times are any of your concern."
That was Dimitri's way of telling Henry Guinnan didn't know anything about Dimitri's life as a criminal and was supposed to keep his mouth shut. He wasn't above beating the crap out of someone who knew about his former life over telling others who aren't supposed to know.
George caught Dimitri's 180 degree turn in disposition, however, and that only naturally got him curious. "Oh, really? Now I'm achin' to know!" Guinnan turned around on his stool and leaned his back against the bar counter. "So, Wallenstein, how'd you two meet? Today's a day for reminiscing."
Dimitri chuckled menacingly and took another drag of his cigarette, waiting for Henry's reply.
Henry took a swig of his whiskey before giving an off beat answer, "Well, I coulda' tell ya, or I could put a bullet in yer goddamn forehead," he then began to laugh loudly at his harmless threat before taking another drink and slamming it on the table. "So Dimitri, whatta been doin' all these years? If ya neded the company of a bagger, I could have told ya your in da' wrong tavern!" He then had another chuckle fit almost growing into a roar of laughter that was interrupted by picking up the whiskey bottle for another drink.
"Heh, same ol' Henry. Could use a bit of hair growth formula on that head of yours, though." Dimitri remarked, letting the smoke come out his mouth as she spoke. George expressed his satisfaction as he rested his arms against the bar counter behind him. "Well, it's good to know we're all friends here, at least. Small galactic sector, huh?" The old man with an eyepatch stroked the cat on the counter, looking at Henry with a pleased smile.
"Wat be wrong with my hair? Anyway, to business," Henry said in a more serious tone, and seemed to become more sober over time, "what ya ned me fer Guinnan. I hardly doubt it was for a bit of hateful nostalgia."
"Ah, right, right. Well, Wallenstein, ya see, I know you are one of the most respected bounty hunter veterans of my time, and I was jus' wondering how much you knew of New Aio. Recently lots of crime has sparked up around here, and though I'm an old, savvy bounty hunter like yourself, I know I'm not as savvy as you when it comes to these parts, if I remember correctly. Would'ya mind filling an old man in?" To Dimitri, the conversation had just taken a turn for the interesting. He put the cigarette on the ashtray and let it rest there, index and thumb fingers grasping onto it lightly.
"Well then, I shoulda' start from the begginin!" Wallenstein pushed his bottle to the side and placed his right arm on the table as he leaned forward, "Ya see the city was founded by a Spacer we named Dallas and a Yamatain named Katz. Ya see this town used to be a small base for illegal shipments of Kohanian fur and slaves which was shut down by the Yamataian government. These two put money into making a town here, and placed made sure a certain Mayor was put in place to not interfere with their buisnesses."
Henry then touched the holo screen and displayed the map, "To the east here is the space port as well as the Mayor's place and police station. Cutting the town toward the east is Holi-Day Road which is the only road patroled by the police. You see this area is where all the big casinos and a couple of high class brothels are located so it's more or less a neutral zone.
"However beyond this road to the south and north are fair game," he then pointed to the north side, "most of this area is controlled by the 'Nepleslian Mafia'..."
"'Nepleslian Mafia'? What a joke. That was the street name of the Black Syndicate back in the day. As if they could live up to the Syndicate's..." Dimitri was cut short by Guinnan, who shushed the younger bounty hunter. "Let the man talk, Rogues."
"Indeed, it might be where they got thar unimaginative name. They be workin' for Dallas and his 'Coin Love' Corporation. South of the road," Henry then pointed to an area of the map in the southwest to southeast area, "Is pretty much held by a Yakuza, Igashi No Machi who work for Katz. As for the northwest, well, I hear a small gang is keepin' a small hold."
"Lately these two large groups have been waging a small scale battle with each other, nothing to serious to call it a battle but needless to say they each want the others pie, what's worse is that a few scumbags have made it their way on this planet to cause some trouble, which is where us scumbags come in."
Henry then tapped a holoscreen button to change the display to a list of bounties. "From what I see like this one here about a homicide case. A woman apparently was murdered and someone is paying to find the murderer. All you need to do is contact the authorities and they will tell you all you need to know, don't expect them to be nice of course. This one appears to be 8,000 KS.
"There seems to be a serial killer wanted in several systems residing here someplace called James Izad, weird name for a weird fellow. He has a 8,000 KS bounty and apparently is residing in the NW side of town."
"Here's a good one, Sakura Yushara. A 9,000 KS bounty from the Nepleslian Mafia, apparently she's Yamatain targeting the Mafia's businesses. From what I gather she is a sharp swordswoman former Star Army, perhaps even a bounty hunter. She must be getting some good jobs though if she is hanging around long enough to get a decent bounty on her own head. She might be your type even Dimitri," Henry said with a chuckle.
"Another 9K bounty is 'The Fang' who is apparently a small time drug smuggler wanted for dumping his cargo at the first sign of trouble. Though in my professional opinion it sounds like there was more than drugs to be worthy of a bounty like this."
"Oh look at this, a 10,000 KS job to escort someone on the west side of town to the starport. Apparently they ran into some trouble with a off world mafia and are attempting to get out of town." Henry rubbed his chin a little bit, "sounds a bit strange to me, oh it's posted by a bounty hunter I know, Sarah Keller. If she is the one who posted this, then she must be in a real bind."
Henry then looked away from the screen and at his company, "Well those are the interesting ones anyway, I'm sure you can find some jobs just by walkin' around dark alleys and so on. Lotta' people could use guns for hire in this day and age. Just hope none of dem Mishu ever appear here."
"You aren't the only one." Dimitri commented. His experience last time he had to fight Misshu wasn't a good one, to say the least. He crushed the burnt-out cigarette he was smoking against the bottom of the ash tray.
Henry nodded in memory of those days and then leaned forward and said, "Anyways, any of these jobs interest ya? If ya want to now more all ye needs is to pay for the drinks!" He pointed to the bottle of good wine still sitting in front of Dimitri.
"Bartender! Give me that old bottle of wine there! I'm buying it whole!" Dimitri grinned and Guinnan turned to look at him with a raised eyebrow. Dimitri leaned back on his stool a little to look more closely at Henry. "I'm interested in the one that pays the most, of course. And I'd be helping one of my own in the process, what else is there to consider?" Guinnan looked over to Henry. "Well, I'm an old, wise man, and I used to be a private eye back in the day, so I'll go for the first case. What'll you want other than wine, Wallenstein? Pick it and it's yours."
Dimitri lent the bartender his credit card and took the bottle as he awaited Henry's detailed explanation over the bounty.
Henry opened up the wine and drank up the bottle. After a few seconds the bottle hit the table and he then explained, "Ya see mate the freelancer is a brunete former IPG Yamatain escorting a little girl. She is good, worked with her once before, not really someone who enjoys flattery. She wears a black coat, wears military like boots, and favors a good shotgun to get things done.
"As for you Guinen, you cansh go fuct yourserlf," said the drunken Henry as he tipped another bottle back letting the wine wash his mouth.
