[R16 - Tatooine- FZ] The Pyke Spice Den

This is a freebuild that was originally intended to lead into my Tatooine Mission LTC build. I'm abroad for work for a month so that'll be a bit delayed, but I wanted to share the first part of the story!

Mos Algo - Pyke Territory

As Carm stepped through the autodoor of the spice den, the crashing clatter of heavy machinery and the pounding of subsurface drills gave way to the surreal strains of ethereal music. It felt like entering another world tucked inside Mos Algo's mining orbit. The air burned with the fumes of super-heated spice, and Carm sensed a dozen Pyke gangsters’ eyes track him. Pirate lord Drego Karsk had tasked him with meeting a contact named Lax L’lagul. All Carm knew was there was a job on Tatooine - the Pykes needed muscle. 

Carm had never indulged in spice; he’d seen what it did to his father and how it wrecked comrades in the Rebellion Marines. Even the acrid, smoky fumes made him retch, but he swallowed the feeling and headed for a table near the back. As he approached, one of Lax’s thugs leveled a blaster at his chest.

"Easy now, Tykk- I think the human's here about our water trouble..." Lax’s speech was sluggish, half-lidded behind the armored mask.

"Drego Karsk sent me. He said you needed fighters," Carm said, keeping a hand near his blaster.

Lax scooped a pinch of spice from the table and inhaled. “I’m honored the pirate lord sent me the crew that took down the Remnant armory on Stend. A couple sand-headed moisture farmers should be nothing to someone who scraps with Stormtroopers. I need you and your crew to send a message - knock some heads, cause some damage, whatever it takes to make these dune dwellers lower their prices and remember their place.” The glow lamps offered almost no light through the hazy dope-fog.

“Shouldn’t be a problem.” Carm glanced at the corner of the table where an unconscious Pyke slumped. The sooner he was out of here, the better.

“Before you go, I’m curious about something. Maybe it’s a rumor - maybe more.” Carm tensed; he felt the sneer in the faceless mask. “Reports from the fall of the Empire are scattered, but I hear you were expelled from the Rebel Navy in disgrace. Something about ‘losing your head,’ even ‘hiding’ while your squad was cut down by an Imperial ambush? Of course, I don’t put stock in rumors - assuming you can come through for us.”

"You'll hear from me once the job is done," Carm snapped, and turned to leave.