Log:Tatooine: Trouble in Beggar's Canyon

Trouble in Beggar's Canyon

OOC Date: February 14, 2022
Location: Freetown, Tatooine
Participants: Cobb Vanth, Xavier Harcourt

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This is a three story residence on the edge of main street that also functions as Cobb Vanth's main office. Since Freetown is a pretty quiet place, there was no reason for Vanth to have a Marshall's office that wasn't also connected to his home, so he setup the office to be apart of the first floor, adjacent to his living space.

The second floor of the home is where there is a few bedrooms and quiet places.

The basement is for storage and cooling of goods away from the heat of Tatooine.

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-- Cobb --

FREE TOWN.

The tiny little mining town out in the middle of nowhere is experiencing another lazy day. This suits Marshal Cobb just fine, and he finds himself relaxing in his home office with his feet kicked up on his desk while he scrolls through a datapad. A stylus is picked up and he scratches his name onto the pad before offering it up to a man standing next to him. "Take this in to Mos Espa, dep. Oh, and make /sure/ to drag a shipment of water with you. Pullin' double duty's part of the job."

"Yes, sir, Marshal," the man responds, tucking the datapad into a vest pocket and stepping out of the door.

-- Xavier --

The door opens prematurely, drenching the interior with a blast of light from the double suns just as the deputy reaches for the handle. Standing in the doorway is a tall, broad-shouldered figure with the cowl of his dark taupe robes pulled up over his head; casting the upper portion of his face in shadow. The lower half is a strong jawline shielded by a short, maintained black beard.

A collision is adverted. The deputy stops just in time before hitting his face on the door and the figure beyond tilts his head up slightly but otherwise unphased. "Ah. Excuse me." A single step to the side allows the deputy to exit at his leisure then the figure fills in the void by stepping within. The cowl turns towards the man behind the desk. "Marshal Cobb Vanth?"

-- Cobb --

The small start by the deputy draws Cobb's attention to the door. "Need to watch where you're goin', dep. Go on," the Marshal says, waving his subordinate away. The low-rank lawman happily obliges.

Dropping his feet to the wood floor, Cobb moves to stand, eyeballing his visitor. "That's me," Cobb offers with a nod. "You got a name, yourself?" he asks, brows ticking upwards as he watches the man.

-- Xavier --

Unhurried, large hands lift from the cuffs of the robe, grasping the cowl at either side and pulling it back to reveal an older -- yet younger-looking compared to Cobb -- man. Short black hair to match the beard and dark, mirthful brown eyes are there to greet the lawman. "That I do." Approaching the desk within a few long strides, he extends his hand out. "Xavier Harcourt. A pleasure to finally find you. I made the mistake of landing at Mos Espa first and walking all over Maker's creation trying to find your office. Only to be told you hold fort out here."

He glances to the side, out of a window to the dusty wide street he had just come from with a contemplative furrow of his brow. Then he addresses Cobb again more directly. "I certainly hope I have the right man."

-- Cobb --

Xavier's extended hand will meet with Cobb's own rough and work-weary one and receive a strong shake. "Yeah, the law office is currently being built in Mos Espa, so I've been operating out of here for the time being."

With his hand free, he'll gesture to an open chair on the other side of his desk before he retakes his own. "You in some sort of trouble, pard? Or are you looking for just me in particular?" he asks, watching the man.

-- Xavier --

It's a firm grip and a single shake. A man's handshake. What accounts for the pleasantries and introductions now passed, Xavier takes the offered seat with a heavy, sun-bleached sigh. "A bit of both, I'm afraid." His accent is definitely not of Tatooine, consisting of odd inflections and accented sylabells that don't quite seem to go together. Easily understood but a mixture of lilts. Though to someone who doesn't travel much, it's likely Xavier just sounds like every other off-worlder.

Producing a cig stick from the depths of his robes, Xavier puts it between his lips with a raised brow. "You mind?" The question posed as he dips his head down and lights up the end with a flick of his thumb.

Blowing smoke to the side, the dark-haired man continues, "I will be succinct. I have been tracking a group of scavengers and thieves calling themselves the Dead Hand. I've managed to locate a few of their hives scattered about a few planets and I've traced one of them--" Xavier points vaguely towards the east with two fingers holding his cigarette. "Just beyond Beggar's Canyon. I've not investigated the matter much deeper as I'm not from around these parts, but if they're operating anything like they do elsewhere, it won't be long before you start feeling the pinch of their machinations, mmm? I was lead to understand you were the man to speak to about such matters."

-- Cobb --

At Xavier's first question, Cobb offers him the go-ahead. His arms cross over his chest and he leans back in his chair, listening to Xavier's story. "Dead Hand? Can't say I've ever heard of them. We've got Raiders that keep an eye on the sands for us, but our tribe don't go anywhere near the canyon. Some old territorial beef with another group." His eyes trail toward his window for a moment before he looks back to Xavier. The look he gives the man is trained. Decades of experience are watching him, looking for any tells, anything that might lend Cobb an ounce of insight.

"How come it's you chasing after 'em? You a bounty hunter? Or...got some hurt feelings towards 'em?"

-- Xavier --

"A bounty hunter." The words laughed gently coupled with a slight shake of his head. "I don't have it in me to do much of that. Too much pressure on the knees and what have you. No, that band in particular has been a thorn in the sides of many. My own included. Normally I don't bother with such things. I'm a theater man myself." And if it's tells Cobb is looking for, all he will find is stonecold truth. "Tutoring these days, anyway. Age takes a lot from us."

The cigarette is waved lazily in the air to brush the topic aide leaving ribbons of hazy smoke lagging in it's wake. "It's personal," he answers more directly. "And I am a flawed man, Marshal. I do not suffer slights, but I am in no position to do much about it. This planet is not kind to outsiders at the best of times. But if their presence is allowed to remain here, I hazard they'll be a thorn in many sides here soon, as well." He shrugs gently and leans back in his chair, taking a drag of his stick. "So I figured a bit of tit for tat. I could at least make the local law enforcement aware of it."

-- Cobb --

"Didn't figure you for a hunter, but thought it'd make enough sense to ask," Marshal Vanth notes. He tilts his head and squints at the man, "Now being slighted is all well and good and I understand why it might make you a mite grouchy to 'em, but all you've told me so far is that they're thieves and scavengers. Scavengin' is legal round these parts and the only lead I got on them thievin' is out of your mouth. Now, no offence, but I don't know you from a sand ape, so I'm gonna need to see some evidence before I go levyin' the full weight of the Marshal Service towards 'em," Cobb explains.

"You show me them doin' wrong and we can come to an agreement. Anything shy of that, though, my hands are tied."

-- Xavier --

"Understandable. And I think you misunderstand my intentions, Marshal." The cherry end flares brighter red with an inhale then dims. "I'm not looking to employ you or let loose the dogs. Certainly not without evidence. No. My intention is to make you aware of their presence so that you can be more aware of potential activity coming out from the east. As I've said, there isn't much I can do and they've a few nests scattered about the galaxy. Stopping them isn't my forte, but I do take personal satisfaction in making sure they cannot operate as easily as they have been."

Xavier holds the older man's eyes quite easily, only glancing once in a while as someone passes the window outside. Always aware. "People have been known to disappear when the Dead Hand are around. I've not seen their activity on Tatooine, but I have seen what they leave in their wake elsewhere. What few times I've managed to catch up to them. I understand Beggar's Canyon doesn't exactly fall under your jurisdiction, but the lives there deserve someone looking out for them all the same. If they gain a foothold there, Mos Espa isn't that far beyond."

-- Cobb --

"Well, I certainly did have you pegged wrong," Cobb admits, nodding to the man.

"Well, Mr. Harcourt, I do appreciate you taking the time out of your day to inform us of the newest batch of ne'er-do-wells," he begins, sitting up a little straighter in his chair. "We'll make sure to keep an eye out on them, especially since our jurisdiction /has/ stretched out to the Canyon as of late. Trying to bring law to this whole dustbowl as best we can. Hard job, as you might imagine."

-- Xavier --

"I'm rather used to it so no offense taken, Marshal. You're just doing your job." Xavier takes one more, long pull of his cigarette, shrinking it down almost to the filter then snuffing the nub out against the side of his boot. "Ah, does it now?" He asks curiously to how far the long arm of the law stretches. "Fortuitous. What I can do is scout ahead. See if I can find where exactly it is they have dug their den. Beyond that, I'm afraid only time will tell if they are using the canyon as a hideaway or if they are going to start up new operations."

The chair under him groans with relief as Xavier's weight lifts up from it and once more a hand is extended. "I appreciate your time. I understand there's not much you can do at the moment and perhaps it will turn out to be nothing. But at least you won't be caught unawares should they get bold." When the hand is inevitably taken, Xavier grins. "A pleasure."