CHAPTER ONE
Ever since Zargga the Hutt had ascended to the Hutt Council, the cantina he had owned on Nar Shaddaa began to rise in popularity and had become very busy, even on weekdays. Ownership of the cantina had since passed on from Zargga to his Lannik business partner, who was seldom ever seen, leaving it to two bartenders- a Yarkora and an Advozse- to oversee business.
Like any place on Nar Shaddaa, Zargga's Cantina was a flourishing hive for smugglers, criminals, and other scum. Only now, its recent popularity made its customers feel as if they were 'special'.
Stuck-up snobbish braggarts, was the only term Kadar found befitting of them.
The white-armored bounty hunter was sitting in an isolated corner within the cantina, away from the crowded groups of gambling smugglers. Sitting nearby, watching him intently, were two other mercenaries. One of them, a Barabel, was staring menacingly at him with blood-red eyes, while the other, a Rodian, simply took quick and casual glances at him.
Kadar feigned ignorance, instead pretending to be interested in the band performing in the cantina, 'Lapti Nek' blasting from their speakers. He knew why the Barabel and Rodian were here; to recruit him into the Snatchers.
For many years ever since he had made a name for himself as a bounty hunter, the mercenary group known as the Snatchers had tried to approach him. But he had always declined their offers. That didn't stop them from persisting though. Of course, hardly anything could....
As he sat there watching the band, which was now desperate for a positive reaction from the bored-looking crowd, as the lead vocalist had just randomly tore his shirt off and the two Zabrak musicians were smashing their quetarras, Kadar began to wonder what approach the Snatchers would use this time.
His answer soon came when the Rodian spoke, trying to act as casual as possible. "So, Kadar, how's life been treating you?"
Kadar said nothing, instead watching the band's lead singer get into an argument with the Weequay at the drums.
The Rodian cleared his throat. "Many people are impressed with your capture of that Nimbanel on Carratos. Important people."
"Important in what regard?" Kadar asked, though he wasn't waiting for an answer. The argument had escalated into a brawl on stage.
"Well, Raaxus the Hutt, for one, as well as a majority of the Hutt Council." The Rodian took a drink from his glass of wine. "I hear that Black Sun is also taking an interest in your accomplishments."
Kadar scoffed. "Those losers are back together? They're worse than the plague."
The music had almost completely ceased, save for the instrumental sounds emitting from the speakers, for the entire band had begun arguing. The audience was clearly enjoying it far more than the musical performance.
"As I was saying," the Rodian murmured, "it's only a matter of time before they start approaching you with offers."
"Just like you?"
The Snatcher dodged the question. "Offers that will get you stuck, that you won't get much out of."
"That's why I work only for the highest bidder."
"So do the Snatchers. Trust me, you'll fit right in. You'll be among your own kind, among people who think like you."
Without warning, Kadar stood from his seat and whipped out his blaster rifle. The Rodian and Barabel were about to do the same until they saw Kadar fire his weapon, watched the plasma bolt fly right past them...
...and through the head of the Weequay drummer.
All eyes in the cantina turned to the white-armored bounty hunter as he casually walked up to the stage where the Weequay laid. Wordlessly, he lifted up the alien's corpse and then turned back to the Rodian.
"That's just it," he said. "No one thinks like me."
With that, the bounty hunter strode out of the cantina with the Weequay's dead body, leaving behind him a room of silence.
* * *
Dax Goldam hated waiting. Especially when the event he was waiting for never occurred, which had happened several times to him in the past. Listening to the boring ticking of the chrono on the wall and the thrashing of the gagged security guard stuffed in the closet didn't help matters either.
With nearly two hours having gone by, he was tempted to just call it quits. Just as he was about to, however, his assassin droid partner said, "Master, I have a visual."
Dax jumped out of the reclining chair he was in. "Is it him?"
"Affirmative, master," the droid said, pointing at the viewscreen which showed the bounty hunter Kadar heading for his ship, a dead Weequay in tow. "I doubt we'll be able to reach him in time."
Dax grinned. "That's what the tracking beacon is for."
He patted the droid on the shoulder. "Gather up the rest of the posse, 791. We're on the hunt."
STAR WARS: INVASION
EPISODE VII
TERRORS OF THE UNDERWORLD
Timeline: 36 years after the events of A New Hope
*
Author's note: I had originally written an prologue for this, but it ended up being irrelevant to the final story.
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