"So what's our next move?"
Once tensions cooled down, introductions were quickly made.
The eight mercenaries now sat in a more spacious dining area within Castas's own dwelling.
The Zabrak woman, Sugi, served as the leader of this bounty hunter group.
Accompanying her was Embo, a Kyuzo from Phatrong...
"Guardians of the Galaxy?" Sugi said, appearing unimpressed as she regarded Star-Lord and Gamora.
"Well, we didn't exactly choose that name ourselves," Star-Lord admitted.
"Oh right, I forgot it was that lunatic Ronan who stuck us with that title," Rocket said while apparently inspecting his weapon's components.
"So what exactly is your organization?" Rumi asked.
"Statement: We are a highly efficient combat unit guided by the superior principles of morality," HK-47 responded in exactly the way Rocket had hoped.
"Damn, that's actually a pretty good way to describe it."
Rocket and HK received irritated looks from Gamora, while Quill tried to suppress his laughter.
"Can we focus on business?" Gamora said, her tone brooking no argument.
"Castas," Gamora began, "tell us about these pirates that Muris mentioned."
Castas looked down, his expression indicating deep contemplation.
"We've only had to deal with these pirates for a short time," Castas said grimly. "But in that period, they've taken half our crops—maybe more—leaving us with almost nothing for trade and survival. We need our harvests for currency, equipment, and food. With these pirates around, we'll starve and suffer as long as they remain."
Castas then regarded the large group assembled before him.
"But now, with eight of you here, we might actually have a chance to drive these raiders away."
He muttered something under his breath, causing Gamora to study him more closely.
"Speaking of payment, how can you be certain you can afford all of us?" Sugi asked the Felucian.
"You're offering us a much better arrangement than those pirates," Castas replied bluntly.
"At least we can negotiate with you," Muris added. "The pirates basically threatened us outright. That's their idea of 'negotiation.'"
Rocket hummed thoughtfully. "What are they paying you?"
"A reasonable fee," Sugi replied. "What about your group?"
"Nysillin seeds."
"What?" Rumi asked in confusion.
"Agricultural seeds," Gamora clarified.
"Seeds?" the bounty hunter said in complete bewilderment.
That wasn't entirely accurate. After some discussion with their client, they'd agreed on a single container of nysillin seeds. With some tender care—namely Groot's botanical abilities—they'd be able to cultivate plenty of nysillin themselves. Granted, it would be a lengthy process before becoming profitable, but it was a solid investment.
Embo then spoke in his native language, causing Sugi to glance at him.
"We're not farmers, Embo," Sugi said dryly. "We have a contract. I'd prefer not to break it."
"Still..." Rumi studied the four Guardians. "Why settle for just seeds? Growing crops like that takes considerable time."
"Confident statement: We possess our own specialized methods."
"We're a patient group," Rocket added.
Quill snorted at Rocket's comment. "Right..." Star-Lord turned to the village leader. "How many pirates do you typically encounter?"
"Dozens at a time," Castas replied.
"Total numbers?"
"Dozens. Possibly more." Castas's expression grew troubled. "But recently, they haven't been coming like before."
"Do they have any new recruits?" Rocket inquired.
"Droids," Muris answered. "Droids unlike anything we've seen before. They can fly, and their limbs can transform into weapons!"
"Transform?" Quill perked up with interest. "Like... like Transformers?"
Gamora rubbed her temples and sighed in exasperation.
"That's actually pretty fascinating," Rocket admitted, recognizing Star-Lord's reference.
"Droids," Sugi said, her tone becoming serious. "Describe them. What do they look like?"
"They appear... different," Castas said, frowning as he recalled the new machines. "We've seen some Separatist droids when the war reached Felucia. But the ones these pirates brought... they're unusual."
"Unusual how?"
"They're unlike any droid I've ever encountered," Castas explained. "The way they move and function is very strange. I can't properly describe it."
"Probably a newer model," Rocket muttered.
"I've seen Separatist droids before, and they're usually constructed from inferior materials," Muris added. "They're cheap and mass-produced. These are top-quality in terms of design and construction. Even bounty hunting droids aren't that sophisticated."
This was certainly an intriguing detail, causing the bounty hunters and Guardians to exchange meaningful glances...
"Pirates!"
The eight mercenaries heard a child's voice shouting that pirates were approaching and immediately sprang into action.
Weapons drawn and ready, everyone rushed outside just in time to see a young Felucian child racing toward them.
"The pirates have returned," the youngster said, pointing in the direction from which he'd fled.
Star-Lord narrowed his eyes and activated the device behind his right ear. Within moments, his helmet materialized around his head, which naturally captured the bounty hunters' attention. They'd never witnessed technology like that before.
However, they had to postpone their questions when they heard the sound of approaching speeders.
The group rushed down the hillside and observed the pirates entering the village outskirts. They parked their speeders just meters away from the settlement. It didn't take long for the bounty hunters to identify the pirates as Weequay.
However, as they drew closer, HK detected something airborne and looked up, which didn't escape Gamora's notice.
She followed his gaze and spotted two metallic figures flying above the Weequay pirates. Landing between the two opposing groups was a pair of droids—undoubtedly the ones Castas had described earlier.
They possessed humanoid forms with dull silver plating. Sharp protrusions extended from either side of their heads like metallic ears. Light emanating from various joints and their optical sensors glowed an ominous red.
Star-Lord felt a chill run down his spine as he stared at them. He couldn't shake the feeling that they resembled the T-800s from those Terminator movies he'd watched as a kid.