"Searching For Malak"
by Hartigan - Ex Former CorSec Officer
and Liki - Pilot
Background Story Part 2
Location: Arcadia and Drogen Shipyards


***

Hart visited the cantina in Arcadia. Luckily enough some people remembered seeing a Dug in the cantina. When he asked the bartender he was told that the Dug wasn't seen for a while. Although the bartender didn't know the Dug's name he knew the trade of the creature, a bounty hunter. This meant that the Dug was none other than Malak.

Hart decided that he was going to need some helping tracking Malak. Rumors were that skilled private investigator was hanging out in the Drogen Shipyards. He remembered some people at CorSec talking about her, they said her name was Liki.

He figured that he better go there and look for this Liki. The Ex former CorSec officer returned to the star port and got on a ship that was going to the Drogen Shipyards. When he finally arrived he walked around all over the place asking anyone if they had seen someone called Liki.

Liki was working hard to load the last concussion missile in her -repaired- ship. It was hard work, but she preferred to do it herself after a tech on some backwater planet had managed to load one backwards. When she climbed of her fighter, she saw a man waiting. When she came closer she saw it was Kerzy, one of the people she paid from time to time to get the latest news and gossip from the station.

From him she learned that a certain Hartigan was looking for her. Knowing no person with that name, she told Kerzy to lead Hartigan to Dirg's Descent. She quickly went to her apartment to run a search on Hart, and while the computer was running that, to take a quick shower. While toweling her hair, she looked over the results of the search. She had found a couple of things, but nothing to warn her of.

Maybe a potential client then, she thought, donning a flight-suit like outfit. It was form fitting enough to let her move unhindered, yet loose enough to hide a holdout blaster and a vibroblade. The ideal middle ground she searched for in most of her clothes. With that done, she went to the Dirg's Descent.

A man who introduced himself as Kerzy told Hart that Liki would meet him at a place called Dirg's Descent and it would take ten minutes for her to meet him there.

Liki arrived in the pub, and spotted the man who was looking for her. One of the search results indicating Hart had once been part of Corsec had also included a picture. She walked up to him. "You were looking for me," she asked, standing a bit behind him, and at enough distance to be able to get away, should this be necessary. She had seen he would be able to best her physically. Of course, she knew she could handle men of his size, having done so before. But still, caution was good.

Hart turned and faced Liki, he notice she was fairly easy on the eyes. "Yes I have," he told her. "I remember hearing about you while I was at CorSec. They said you were skilled as a private investigator and other things as well. Are you interested in helping me catch a certain Dug bounty hunter called Malak?"

"Depends if you pay me," she said. He was a potential customer, "and I need to know everything you have on this Malak guy. But first let's go sit somewhere a bit more private."

Hart looked around. "Do you have any place in mind? A pub isn't exactly the most private place to talk."

He remembered some things about Malak. While he was looking for Liki he hacked into a computer system and got some info on the Dug. The tiny bounty hunter had quite the kill list. He was wanted for murder of the Dug's own Brother, Hartigan, and for illegal slave trading.

"Why don't we go to that booth over there," Liki said, pointing at a free booth in the corner of the pub, "private enough." She didn't want to go somewhere really private for a first meeting. It was just a question of sitting comfortable and not being overheard.

Hart nodded and headed in the direction of the booth Li pointed out for them to use. He reached into a pocket hidden inside his jacket and pulled out a piece of flimsi. Written on it were some of the crimes Malak committed which he handed to Li.

"As you can see the little bounty hunter has quite a record," Hart started, "ranging from various accounts of murder to some stupid stuff such as being drunk in public. For example he killed his own brother and my family. And also several accounts of illegal slave trading with some Hutts on various planets." He ran a hand over his face. "Only thing is ever since I was removed from CorSec I haven't had a job so I don't have a lot of credits. Maybe about one thousand."

"It depends on the job description," Li said, "do you want him found, taken alive or killed. And if money is such an issue, why don't you hunt him down yourself? I mean, Corsec trains its officers well, I've heard."

"I want him taken alive because I want to be the one to kill the bastard," Hart said darkly, his tone surprised even himself. He hardly ever spoke that way, then again he never spoke to anyone about Malak.

"And my skills are more in the field of gathering information, I'm not that good at tracking. Plus he's a bounty hunter, tracking people are his specialty so I think he'd be aware that someone like me was tracking him. Plus you're pretty good and your tracking abilities may rival his own."

He hoped the last part of what he just said would convince her to help.

Li thought about it. While the pay wasn't all that good, specially for taking someone alive, which is the hardest thing to do, she had a thing for these kinds of requests. And she didn't like Dug's anyway. "Make it 1500 and we have a deal," she said, "but I'll need information. As much of his schedule as you have. Where was he seen, when was he seen there. His habits, if you know of them. You probably know the drill."

Hart nodded, he still had some credits in his account back on Corellia. "Deal. Here's what I know so far. He hangs out in a cantina on Arcadia and always is in a corner booth, the closest to the Twi'lek dancers. I spoke to a lot of people and they all have seen him there practically every day. Some said they saw him going in the direction of the Arcadian Palace which means he's doing work for the Empresses."

That made it easy, if he had a routine. One could learn that routine and search for a convenient point. The fact that he was doing work for the rulers of this planet meant complications. She had to make sure that it seemed she was not involved in all this. From what she had heard about these 'empresses' they weren't nice people, and not women to cross lightly. "Do you know if he travels a lot off planet," she asked.

"It might be easier to take him out in space," Li answered, "a couple of ion bolts in his ship, and he won't be going anywhere. Then you can just pick him up, or take him out, as you want."

"Being he's a bounty hunter it depends on where his employer wants him to go," Hart answered."And I'm not sure if he goes off world. I guess we could always get a starport worker to tell us if the Dug plans on leaving. I have the feeling if he manages to form an alliance with the Empresses, he's not gonna want to leave this place."

"True," Li said, "well, what kind of reporting do you want? I'd like contact between us to be as minimal as possible, but I need a way of contacting you should a good opportunity present itself."

"We'll contact eachother via com link." He wrote down his contact information on another sheet of flimsi and handed it to her. "I'm hoping that little bastard gets finished with his job soon, the sooner we catch him the happier I'll be and he won't be able to hurt anymore people."

Li pocketed the flimsi and stood up. "I'll get some background reading done," she said,"and we'll be in contact."

Hart held out his hand for her to shake. "Nice meeting you," he said, giving her a smile. He did have to admit she was attractive but catching Malak had to be his main focus.

"I'll be in touch," Li said, before she disappeared towards the exit. First of all, she would read the information, and then she would do some surveillance...