Whill Shaman Dažbog
Master Moderator 
Water is the most important element of life. For without Water, you cannot make Coffee.
Posts: 1,451
Affiliation: Ancient Order of the Whills
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Post by Whill Shaman Dažbog on May 21, 2013 8:44:09 GMT -8
The primary asteroid that was part of Smuggler's Run. It was home to a spaceport and massive smuggling facility, as well as the typical locales associated with smugglers, including cantinas and casinos. Navigating the asteroid field was very treacherous, thus making Smuggler's Run a very secure hideout. Skip 1 was the largest of several asteroids named "Skip."
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Liya Tawaza
The Unfair Advantage
Posts: 772
Affiliation: The Unfair Advantage
Traffic Light: Green
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Post by Liya Tawaza on Jun 1, 2013 20:42:32 GMT -8
Previously...
While the rest of the smuggling crew had landed on The Independence, Liya, Sam, Sky, and Liya's erratic R5 unit, Scrapheap, had been dispatched by Captain Fel to the cavernous spacer slum town located within the hollowed-out interior of Skip One. Leaving Sam with the Millennium Eagle, Liya, Sky, and the astromech set out on foot to locate a supply depot and fill Fel's wishlist. Liya's initial approach was to locate familiar landmarks from their previous visit, but this proved unnecessary, as they found a promising depot almost right away. Liya got in line outside the door of the cramped establishment, while Sky struck up a conversation with a woman loitering outside (Kaali).~ The line was moving slowly, but at least it was moving. I took a few steps forward as a short, stout Duros exited the shop, looking rather annoyed, and hurried off, crossing dangerously in front of a moving cargo carrier loaded with crates as he did so. From his frustration and blind haste, he evidently hadn't found what he was seeking.
Glancing back at the reflection in the makeshift sign, I saw that Sky and his mysterious stranger hadn't moved. With each boring moment, I wondered what in space they were discussing. I just hoped it wasn't drugs. In another few steps, my 'mirror' would be out of sight, so if something was going to happen, I hoped it would happen soon. =R5-E1 Scrapheap=
Now that he was no longer intently working a problem for his mistress, which allowed him to focus his circuits and his sensors on a very narrow set of observations and ignore his filthy surroundings, Scrapheap was slowly losing control. This dirt, and oil, and filth, and grime all around him was almost paralyzing to his sensors. There was so much of it, and he could practically see ever last germ and air pollutant. It demanded to be cleaned, and yet there was so much chaos, and only one tiny droid. The R5 unit let out a mournful hoot, and shook slightly, from side to side. Scrappy's wail cut through my curiosity like a knife. My eyes snapped back to the germaphobic droid, and I laid one hand gently on his dome, brushing a thin film of dust off as I did so. "It's ok, Scrappy. No one expects you to clean this place." I whispered. "Maybe you should shut your sensors down for now. I'll tell you when I need you." My faithful droid let out a short hoot in binary, and the light from his photoreceptors dimmed.~ *Sky's eyebrows rose and he leaned back instinctively (well, as far as he could in the chair anyway) when her tone grew low and angry. That was NOT the reaction he was used to getting. At all. She was definitely a thief, no one else would have that "appraising" look about them, but maybe she just preferred to work alone. He followed her gaze to the group of three mercenaries, then turned back to face her.* "You sure? I mean, far be it from me to tell you how to do your thing, but they don't exactly look to be the friendly type. A small scale partnership might not go amiss in this situation." *Her mouth firmed. She hadn't realized her behavior had given so much away that this humanoid could so accurately guess her intentions. She shook her head dismissively. She was in a hurry to find a means of payment and leave. Seros' ship could have landed anywhere, by now. It would be difficult enough as it was to track his signature again.
She clapped his shoulder firmly, then moved gracefully past him.* "They're all yours, champ." *She paused, sensing eyes on her. Where? A sense of movement. Kaali's focus shifted towards that direction, and found the eyes reflected in a scrap-metal sign. But they shifted away towards the droid next to her. The tall woman that had accompanied the charming male. Could be nothing. She was keeping an eye on her companion. Could be more than that. There was some vague sense that was telling Kaali that she needed to linger nearby, but she was eager to return to her own ship. Besides, she didn't let the Force make the calls for her anymore.
She moved towards the front of the line to see what she could do in regards to payment. It was time to get off of this rock.* ~ Finally, the line cleared in front of me, and it was my turn at the counter. Inside the dingy shop, a small, flustered Toydarian was flitting back and forth from one end of the counter to the other, accepting orders at my end, and accepting payments for fulfilled orders at the far right. He acknowledged me with a quick glance, before turning away to accept a handful of cred chips from a waiting Devaronian. Then, the blue-skinned alien flew over, talking almost as fast as his stubby wings were beating. "Hello, ma'am? How may I help you?" He caught sight of my datapad almost before he completed the question. "Is that your list?" I nodded, and handed it over. "Good, good. Let me see..." He looked up as the strange woman to whom Sky had been talking entered, the other door, apparently looking to pay for her order. "Be right with you, lass." The frenetic supply dealer called out in her direction, as he hovered in front of his computer terminal, keying in Fel's requests with lightening quickness.
Sliding my datapad back to me, he fluttered sideways to his left, along the counter, to address Sky's acquaintance. "Ah, your crates are ready, yes?" He took up another datapad, tapped the screen twice, and slid it across the counter to the woman. "Here's the invoice. I just need your signature and payment, and you'll be all set." Without waiting for a response, he was back in front of me. I was starting to get a headache from watching the avian's perpetual motion, and I was grateful when he perched on the counter. "Anything else I can help you with, while we fill your order?"
The alien's question couldn't have been more on target. Captain Fel had indeed had one additional request. "Yes, actually." I responded with a smile. "Do you have any small cargo speeders or a few speeder bikes?"
The alien's eyes swept away from me as he acknowledged a fidgety Duros who had come in behind the cloaked woman (Kaali). Even as his attention seemingly shifted, his mind apparently stayed with my question, and he shot back a question of his own, even as he moved away again. "Do you prefer any models in particular?"
I pressed my lips together slightly. "No, anything fast, high quality, and capable of fitting up the cargo ramp of a Loronar Medium Transport will do just fine, thanks." I couldn't have known it at the time, but my casual comment would end up being just the clue the other woman was awaiting.*It was dangerous to be distracted in an environment like this. Perhaps dangerous anywhere in the known galaxy, anymore, but Kaali's narrowed gaze was not so focused on her surroundings as it should have been. She awaited the multi-tasking Toydarian without signs of either acknowledgment or interest. Part of her fractured focus was due to the endless concentration she needed to exert in disguising her force signature, so that none would know how far the Jedi Sentinel had fallen from the light. Though it was unlikely that she would run across any members of the Order on this asteroid, she had grown so accustomed to hiding the darkness that it was almost an involuntary reaction any time she wore the robes of her former position.
The other distraction, of course, was Seros. It was torturous that he was so close, and utterly inaccessible. How would she find a way to board the Loronar? Or had the Loronar docked, so that she could cease this maddening chase across the stars?
A datapad was pressed into the Echani's pale hand, and the corner of her mouth twisted into a scowl at the final number. She would not have enough to refuel if another chase was imminent. Silver eyes flickered once more towards the three armored Nikto, reconsidering-*"No, anything fast, high quality, and capable of fitting up the cargo ramp of a Loronar Medium Transport will do just fine, thanks."
She paid the merchant the last of her ignots and left her signature on the datapad behind, than moved out of line, with the casual intent of someone who knew exactly what they were doing. She returned to where she had left the thief [Sky], and leaned in close so that her soft murmur could be heard.*"I've had a change of heart. Partner. Let's clean house." *Already, she felt the energy within her swelling, a subtle application of mind trick to help influence and encourage the thief's natural tendencies. All she needed was a fall guy.* A smile spread across Sky's face as the woman voiced her change of heart. "Looks like this just might be my kind of party after all." He spun to face her as he stood, his movements unconsciously graceful, and swept his eyes over the crowd as he did. "So who do you want to hit first? I vote tall dark and ugly." He jerked his head in the direction of a lone weequay that was even taller than he was and twice as broad. "Though there's always the power trio you had your eye on before." His eyes shifted across the space again and picked out six more likely targets, then went back to the woman. "Honestly though, I'm up for just about anything." His smile returned and he finished the phrase with a wink that made it pretty clear he wasn't just referring to thieving. *Kaali brushed her thumb across her lower lip as though considering their options, but really, it was to hide the pull of irritation against her mouth. She had been hoping her partner in crime would be both more astute and more aggressive in their illegal acquisitions than he was proving so far to be. If her ploy was going to work, it would need to appear as though it was his idea and his actions that resulted in the trouble she had planned. Otherwise, it would be painfully obvious to his all-too-watchful female companion from the Loronar vessel that Kaali had set her friend up. Silver eyes seemed locked onto his to the outside observer, but when she spoke, it was with the barest nod and a flicker of her gaze towards the Weequay, the target the man had indicated was his first preference.*"You seem an experienced sort. I trust your judgment." *Her tone remained carefully neutral, Kaali wary of giving any of her true thoughts behind those words away. It did not honestly make any difference which victim he chose, just so long as. He. Took. Action. She lowered her hands and folded them carefully within the sleeves of her robes, concealing them.*"Go ahead, then. Show me how it's done, and I'll make certain nothing goes wrong." *She waited with bated breath. If things did not go as she liked, it would be a great deal more challenging than even now to get aboard their ship.* "Sure thing, gorgeous. Watch and learn." He turned with a wink and stuck his hands in his pockets, hunching his shoulders as he shuffled through the crowd. Pulling his right hand free of his pocket, he placed an earpiece in each ear and began bobbing his head to a tune only he could hear as he made his way closer to the weequay. To anyone not watching closely, he seemed oblivious to the crowd around him. Those paying attention, however, would notice a subtle grace in his movements, in the way he bumped and jostled the beings around him just enough to seem clumsy and preoccupied but never enough to cause true annoyance and start a fight. When he neared the weequay, he pulled a small datapad from his pocket that was connected to his earpieces and began sifting through a playlist. With his attention on the datapad, he "failed" to notice the tall Sakiyan standing just behind the weequay and ran square into him, bouncing off the being's broad chest and stumbling into the back of the weequay. This caused the very large alien to turn rather suddenly, and given that Sky had ducked behind the weequay as he turned, shoot a withering glare at the unsuspecting Sakiyan. "You jus' push me, little man? Huh?" He reached out as the sakiyan began to protest and shoved him, hard. The blue skinned alien took three steps back, regained his footing, then reached for the blaster on his hip before thinking better of it. Pulling one of those in a place like this dropped everyone's odds of survival to a level only a corellian would bet on. "I did no such thing." The Sakiyan said, then darted forward with a speed Sky almost wouldn't have believed and grabbed the back of the young thief's neck. "I believe this is your culprit." He picked Sky fully off the ground and spun him to face both himself and the weequay. "And unless I am greatly mistaken, you will find your credit chip in his left pocket." He turned his gaze on the soon-to-be-unfortunate Sky. "I'm afraid you picked the wrong hunter to play little game with, boy." Sky shot the man a half-hearted smile and then turned, as much as he was able, to face the weequay, pulling the credit chip out of his pocket and holding it out to the gigantic alien. "How'sabout we just let bygones be bygones and call it even? I've had my fun and you get your money back. Everybody wins! Whaddya say?" *Whispers. It always began this way. A soft hiss of words in her mind, a cold touch, a darkening of her eyes. She closed them briefly, and when she opened them again, gold and fire swirled in their depths until both retreated back behind the curtain of colorless gray. She could taste the hostility growing in the room, and fek her, there was a part of her that enjoyed it, savoring the feel of possessiveness and fear and hatred. The thief getting his own self caught was a rather unexpected turn of events, but it worked well enough to her favor.
Now, to exacerbate things.
She wove through the tightening crush of bodies surrounding the cloud of threats and accusations, somehow managing to do so without so much as bumping into a single shoulder. She applied careful calculations and subtle manipulations of the right minds. She wanted only to attract the attention of a certain Nikto using her influence with the Force. Her palm, which had been empty a moment ago, now clutched the weight of a small bag. She reached her companion that was being held aloft, and she soothingly placed her free hand against the wrist of the Sakiyan, applying a gentle pressure to a particular tendon so that his fingers involuntarily opened, releasing and dropping her thief 'friend' from their grip.*"Ah, much obliged for your assistance, gentlemen, but I'm afraid this one belongs to me. The Republic has been after this slippery worm for a while." *Kaali's other hand brushed against [Sky]'s hip, as though taking something from his belt. She lifted the money pouch with its distinctive markings, heavy with ignots but only half so heavy as it was when she had neatly plucked it out of the Nikto's pocket. She placed it in the Weequay's hand, who reacted exactly as she hoped he would. He took his eyes off of them to stare down at the pouch of credits in confusion.*"There now. All debts repaid, and with interest. We'll just be on our way..." *A rough, gravelly shout from somewhere behind them rose above the din, and the Echani's mouth curved, just slightly. She glanced back behind her, as did every eye in the room to find the trio of Nikto shouting and shoving. One of them extended his leathery hand to point at the Weequay, who was now in possession of the pouch containing what was left of their credits. The reptiles drew their blasters as the Weequay hurriedly dropped the pouch, making a grab for his own weapon and trying to work his tongue around unfamiliar verbal communication to articulate his lack of guilt. Ah, that's a shame, the Nikto were not in any sort of mood to listen. Kaali grabbed her thief partner and drew him close, hissing quietly under her breath.*"I hope you or Legs [Liya] over there have a fast exit plan." *There was a metallic click as the tonfa-style hilts of her lightsabers were taken from her belt to line up against her forearms. Even with the dark side coursing through her veins, the former Sentinel was still loathe to ignite her lightsabers and resort to drawing that sort of attention to herself, but there was little other choice. The distinct high-pitched zip of blaster fire sliced through the air, burning past Kaali's head. She shouldered [Sky] hard towards [Liya]'s direction, the saffron-hued blades snapping to life with a loud hum to deflect any bolts that strayed too close to them.*"Get to your ship, I'll cover your retreat!" *And with a little luck, secure her own ticket onto that ship with them.* "You're a jedi!" She's a jedi! What in the thousand levels of coruscant is a freaking jedi doing here? And why was she goading me into stealing? Isn't that against their code or something? Unless she's a sith... but what in the thousand levels of coruscant would a sith be doing here? That's just as absurd as her being a jedi. Maybe she just killed one and took the sabers... Needless to say, Sky was more than a little confused as she whipped out her tonfa hilts and the blades sprang to life. It didn't make him any slower, however, and he snatched up the bulk of a somewhat portly, greasy looking human by the back of the blast vest the man wore and held him up to block the blasterfire coming from the group of nikto. Given his lineage, it didn't take much effort for the lethagoe to hold the man one-handed as he blatantly ignored the force user's orders and continued boring into her with his eyes. "Don't you have a government to mess with or another forcie to go duel or something?" He'd heard it was dangerous to get on the bad side of people with lightsabers, but then again he'd also heard that most of the activities he considered routine were dangerous. Him and the runners thrived on the deadly and dangerous. It was their bread and bu... *ZZZWIP* A stray blaster bolt streaked past the now-dead human's neck and nearly burnt Sky's nose off, and he decided now might not be the best time to press the issue. "Uh, right. Maybe later. I suppose a little cardio might be fun." Force, I wish I had my board right now. Then he turned and dropped the man as he began sprinting for what little cover would be provided by the "shop" that Liya was in. Once inside, he pulled to a stop beside her and casually dropped an elbow onto the counter, leaning against it like there was nothing more exciting happening than waiting for a cup of caf. "Turns out this bunch don't really like it when stuff goes missing. Who knew?"
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Liya Tawaza
The Unfair Advantage
Posts: 772
Affiliation: The Unfair Advantage
Traffic Light: Green
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Post by Liya Tawaza on Jun 23, 2013 0:45:49 GMT -8
=R5-E1 "Scrapheap"=
*The faithful yet oversensitive droid has complied with his mistress's earlier order, and had shut down all of his supposedly non-essential sensors, leaving only a single aural sensor online, attuned to the interior of the shop, and a photoreceptor, watching their backs and everything that happened outside.*
*As Sky's acquaintance exited the supply dealer's shop, however, Scrappy paid extra attention as the strange woman approached him once more, and as Sky made his move. Sensing that something important was happening, the R5 unit switched on his holorecorder, and his motion and thermal sensors. He captured the entire exchange, including Kaali's apparently benevolent intervention, and let out a warning note to his mistress as the situation suddenly worsened and began heading in her direction.*
I stared in surprise as Sky hesitated for a split second, then dashed through the rear door like a shot, just as the shopkeeper opened it. I knew he'd heard me, but he'd totally disregarded my proposed subterfuge for a risky gamble of his own. I had to remind myself that he was a seasoned veteran of the Coruscant underworld. He could undoubtedly take care of himself, and had apparently chosen to stick to his tried and tested methods of survival over mine. I didn't have much time to consider it, however --- the mob was upon us.
The strange woman with the lightsabers who seemed to be defending Sky was the same one who had just come inside moments earlier to pay her bill. I was a little surprised that she had gotten involved, but they said that most Jedi wizards considered themselves peacemakers, and maybe that's what she thought she was doing now. Whatever her motives, I was grateful as I saw her burst into the shop and spin around, waiting, her yellow energy blades lit and ready.
Left in the lurch, and with the mob of aliens about to pour through the doorway into the shop, I reacted instinctively in self defense, flinging the empty packing crate right into the path of the onrushing horde. With a sickening crunch, it hit the ground right in front of the lead attackers, knocking their legs out from under them as they crashed into this unexpected barricade. Those in the rear began pushing and shoving, as more and more of them fell down, and were hurled forward or trampled. As I looked frantically around for something else to use as a weapon that wouldn't prompt everyone to pull out a gun and start shooting, I saw the Jedi spring forward, but Scrappy was even quicker, spraying clouds of oil, liquid disinfectant, and powdered soap into the faces of the enraged mob. There was a collective scream. They'd had enough. With more whimpers than their earlier cries of rage, the mob hastily retreated to find a way around the shop, leaving two or three of their number unconscious in the doorway. Exhaling deeply, I tapped my comlink again. ::: Stand down. ::: I informed Sam.
I spun around to find the Toydarian perched on the counter by the door, his eyes practically bulging out of his head. For possibly the first time in years, he'd stopped fluttering about, and his attention was firmly riveted on one thing. I nodded to him. "Sorry about the mess. Add it to my bill." He opened and closed his beak several times before finding his voice. "Oh, no, no, you saved my store. Thank you!"
I smirked, and approached the stranger, who was gazing out the back door of the shop. Sky was nowhere in sight among the forest of junk beyond. "I don't know who you are or why you helped us, but thank you." I motioned away from the door. "Come. He knows what he's doing, or he wouldn't have rushed off. If you go looking for him now, you'll only be helping the mob find him, because they'll follow you and let you do all the work. I need to get these supplies loaded so we're ready to leave in a hurry if we need to." I wasn't sure I believed all of that, but I had a job to do, and ultimately it was more important that keeping Sky from getting himself killed. The Jedi really had no reason to help me, but my implication that this was the best way she could help Sky apparently worked. I couldn't have guessed that she had other motives for wanting to travel with us, I just wanted to get her away from Sky now that he had apparently momentarily escaped. But my other notions --- that Sky might have to be left behind entirely --- wouldn't have been hard to guess. The calculation should have been easy enough. If she wanted to get to Seros, she needed to get to my ship however she could.
I made quick arrangements with the stunned Toydaria to deliver the speeder bikes I had chosen to our ship, and then we set out, reaching the Millennium Eagle with the hoversled of supply crates without incident. Twenty minutes later, when they were all loaded aboard, I thanked the Jedi again. "Do you have anywhere to go? If not, you're welcome to come with us." I motioned to the droid. "Scrappy here tells me you went out of your way to help. I'll put a good word in for you to the Captain, and he'll probably give you a job." The woman shrugged, protesting unconvincingly. "Oh no, you won't be in the way. Consider it settled."
Scrapheap let out a short, urgent chirp, and I looked down the loading ramp to see a small Rodian boy guiding our speeders to a halt at the boarding ramp. I glanced around the crowded cargo hold, then back down at the speeders. It was going to be a tight fit. It was a good thing I was getting off before Sam tried to navigate the asteroid field. Maybe we could shift some cargo over to the Bronze Star, too. The boy gave a questioning shout, and I nodded, motioning for him to bring the speeders aboard. He did so with impressive precision, and I fished in my pocket for a tip. He almost recoiled when he saw me extend the credit chips. "Oh no, ma'am, I can't take those. You saved our shop from the angry mob, you very special customer now. Boss says you get big discount next time you come." I shook my head in disbelief, grinning. "Well, it was only self-defense, but thank you."
When he had gone, I stared out the hatchway into the polluted gloom of Skip One. I had hoped Sky would have doubled back by now. Maybe he really was in trouble. "Now, I wonder where our missing passenger---." There was a faint noise behind me, where the bikes had been parked. I drew my blaster as I spun around, just in time to catch Sky climbing from where he had been hanging beneath the stabilizers of the Flare-S. Lowered the blaster, I just stared, jaw sagging. "How ... why ... Did ... did the delivery boy know you were there?" He shook his head in denial with a cheeky grin, and I just turned my back, words escaping me. Keying the controls, I closed and sealed the ramp.
::: All aboard, Sam. Let's get out of here. :::
With a roar, the repulsors and sublight engines of the YT-1300 burst to life, and the craft rose smoothly from the jumbled landscape of junk piles and derelicts, accelerating as we left the subterranean hangar behind and punched our way back into space, bound for Skip Five, to retrieve the Bronze Star, and then for the Independence, to rendezvous with the rest of the Crew. As I slid into the copilot's chair next to Sam Ghomesz, I began to wonder for the first time how well my beloved starship had held up over the last 5 months (or was it longer? It seemed far longer...) since I had so carefully hidden it away, here on the Run. A great wave of "homesickness" washed over me.
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Post by Kaali Xsato on Aug 6, 2013 15:50:22 GMT -8
*It was an unexpected turn of events. Kaali had sorely underestimated how quickly and simply the woman that was her ultimate target could gain control of the situation. One moment, it was brawling chaos. The next, the mob she had so calculatingly riled up was a tangled mess on the floor, pleading for mercy from an R5 droid of all things. That's discouraging. The Echani disengaged the yellow blades of her weapons, and shouldered the tonfa hilts. She was carefully considering how she was supposed to ingratiate herself upon these crew members of the Loronar, now, when the droid provided the solution for her. Ah! One, artificial eye had been paying attention, then.
Kaali offered a shrug to the lovely and lanky woman as she approached, but the invitation was absolutely perfect, and no further nudging or leading was needed.*
"All too easy..."
*Her mouth curled as she idly tossed the credit chips in her palm through the air, then caught them again.*
"Allow me to just settle my accounts real quick."
*Fooled the thief. Fooled his tall companion. Fooled everyone. It would have seemed ridiculously transparent, if Kaali had not been subtly applying the Force to plant little suggestions in their minds. Trustworthy. Amicable. Useful. You owe me that ride.
Kaali moved at a relaxed gait, easily adopting the somewhat-vapid smile that she often employed when she wanted to look as though she had no idea what was going on around her. The sort of smile that used to rest so naturally and easily on her lips, when she was innocent, still. And so it would be, after a long chase and even longer absence, she might finally see why the Force had been drawing her back to Seros Darklighter. Would he lead her to the path that finally returned her to the Light?
-CRACK-
Darkness.*
---
*Her thoughts returned with groggy disorientation. Somewhere nearby, she heard some poor wretch groan. Then, she realized, the sound had come from her own dry lips. She groaned again. Her eyes were open. She could feel that they were. But there was nothing to see. She hated the dark. Oh, how she hated the dark. The dark brought back the nightmares. The false memories. The dark brought back...him.
Sharp pain throbbed at the back of her skull. She'd been struck from behind. But by whom? One of the goons she had played for as a patsy? More importantly, where was she now? ...A ship. Moving. She could feel the vibration of the engines beneath her knees. She tested her mobility. Shackles at her wrists, twisted behind her, around her ankles beneath her, shackled to the wall behind her or else she'd have been on the ground rather than suspended upright.
She recalled where she had been going.*
"No..."
*She screamed.*
"NOOO! SEROS! I was so close, I was SO CLOSE! You BASTAAARDS!"
*She lunged against the restraints, wrenching her shoulder in the process as unfocused fury flooded every cell of her being. The Dark Side pulsed, icy skeletal hands danced down her spine, and the agony of the year she spent in absolute darkness, having her mind stripped from her so that she could relearn again what the Sith wanted her to know of the Force, returned as though she had never left that pit of torment.
Her eyes burned a sickly gold rimmed in fire, and the whispers began to speak again to her mind. Her tongue and lips moved with them.*
"Toyed with me. Toyed with me again, then left without a word, without a thought, just as b'fore. Now imprisoned. Just as b'fore. No one will come for me. Just as...b'fore."
*She sank, as though in defeat, her chest pressed against her knees and her brow nearly touching the unseen floor of her cage. But a strange sound rose from her. Almost inaudible, at first, but gradually growing louder.
It was laughter.*
"They don't know. They don't know, these chains won't hold me. I'll get out. And none shall live.
None."
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Post by Erin Darkwell on Sept 9, 2013 17:09:34 GMT -8
"What the kriff!?"
Galdaart Fel's dead weight hit the ground with a thud.
Cursing under her breath, Erin knelt beside him, frantically ripping off the bacta patches she'd administered not even ten minutes ago. Running her fingers over the black ring of flesh encircling the bullet wound on the smuggler's chest, the assassin's eyes widened. It was completely necrotic. The veins bulged, a shade of purple nearly as dark as the blackened skin. It had to be some sort of bacta allergy. There was simply no other explanation for what had happened. Such allergies were rare but not unheard of.
And of course her oh so precious cargo just happened to suffer from such an affliction.
She placed two fingers against Fel's throat, feeling for a pulse, and muttered a silent thank you to the Scorekeeper. It was faint, but it was there, and it got a little stronger every moment now that the patches had been removed. 'Too close,' she thought bitterly. 'Much too close.' Grabbing his arm with one hand and his belt with the other she stood and hauled him up over her shoulder once more. The strength enhancement package she'd gotten had come in handy after all. Would've been a harrowing trip back to the 'Tryst' otherwise. She was nearly there, though- Fel had started to spasm just inside the spaceport, and she was docked not far from the entrance.
Erin keyed the 'Tryst's' ramp from the gauntlet on her arm and hauled her unconscious companion inside and into the cargo bay, which had been remodeled into a holding facility. For now he would go in the kolto tank- bacta was alright for field missions, but since she could afford it she had sprung for the organic option for her ship, and Chaos was she glad for that. If she'd filled the tank with bacta...well, let's just say her score would likely remain zeroed for a long time to come.
When she'd loaded him into the tank and activated it, she simply stood, watching him float. He seemed almost...ethereal, and again Erin found herself studying the harsh lines of his face- what little of it that wasn't covered by the rebreather mask- the shape of his brow, his gaunt, pale form. Eventually she would go to the cockpit and set the course for Arguaa, but for now she simply stood, pale eyes glinting almost balefully in the glow from the tank, and watched.
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Post by Logann Renji Montrose on Mar 8, 2015 0:32:32 GMT -8
*Home at last. Kriffing finally. The Skips were, Logann quickly found, where he belonged. Working alongside his bro, leading the smuggler crew together, building a name for themselves... but that was all gone now. Logann hadn't been here in months, reluctantly agreeing to stay away for his own safety. If he hadn't been given a specific task, he wasn't entirely sure he would have honored that request. But the task was completed, and at last, Logann had been given the clear to return.* *The whole thing made him grit his teeth, but now he could manage a vengeful smirk as he piloted the Gurren expertly through the asteroid field and into the hangar of the Skips.* Home sweet home, girl.
*There was no affection in his words, only derision. For while this was indeed home, he knew that it had been taken over. Even if he couldn't quite tell from Skip One itself; the place looked much the same from the cockpit. Maybe it would look different up close... or even feel different.* Hang on, we're flippin', *he informed his crew over intercom, as the Firespray indeed reoriented itself, face-up, and glided into the hangar.* *Yes, a crew... the beginnings of a new Veritas crew. Many of them were gone now... Only himself, Aedon, and Na'me were confirmed alive. The others who weren't confirmed dead... Seanna... they had no leads. None. Logann had to move on, he knew it. They had a more important goal at that time, and that was destroying this Syndicate and taking back what was rightfully theirs.
Well, taking back what was left to take back.* *As the ship powered down, Logann flipped sideways out of the seat, landing on his feet. He exited the cockpit, climbing down into the entry bay and pounding open the passenger bay with his fist. The doors slid inside, revealing four passengers. Logann managed to crack a smirk at them, asking,* Smooth ride?
*The first response came from a somewhat scrawny man, who was scrunched against the wall on one side of the small passenger bay by the incredibly muscular blonde man sitting beside him.* About as it gets, *came the strained, sarcastic reply.
Logann chuckled.* Heh, man up, Cal, this is heaven compared to what we may be in for. Let's go! *He turned and pointed toward the ship's ramp as he made the command, then marched dutifully toward the exit with his new posse in tow.* *Cal, a good friend of Logann's growing up on Kiffex. He'd always had a fascination with stars and space and hyperspace travel, though he'd never left the world once in his life until now. He'd taken to studying astronomy and astrogation, though with the curious habit of painting out the hyperlanes and star charts with nothing but a brush and black ink... A habit Logann could likely never understand, but Cal swore by their accuracy and their helping him familiarize himself with the various routes and systems of the galaxy; claimed he could even reproduce the Perlemian Trade Route on canvas from memory. Logann believed him. His knowledge of the stars would be beneficial to the crew for sure.
The large, blond man was Benson Rick, or "Brick" as Logann called him. Rather, many called them that, and he hated it, but for Logann he gave exception. Brick had always been a heavy, a bouncer, and a cohort of Logann's; oftentimes one of Logann's small-time scams was carried out in part with cooperation from the intimidating bouncer, who would silence any questions of Logann's methods. Brick seemed to have a permanent scowl and his very presence was enough to make any normal, sane man cower.
The others were newbies; a tall, scrawny, handsome man named Truman, and a black-haired woman named Treya. Truman they'd run into completely by chance attempting to hack into a security override in a back alleyway. Successfully, even. He hadn't exactly been subtle, since Logann had managed to run into him without much issue, but his skills were impressive, and, with work, he would fit in quite well as the crew's new slicer.
And the girl, Treya... whew, Logann had nearly fallen for her. She carried a katana similar to Logann, and admittedly was the only reason he had approached her at all. He'd asked her what her skills with the blade were like, quite flirtatiously of course, and that had almost caught him his own head, resulting in a serious challenge in the way of the sword. She acknowledged his skill, begrudgingly indulging him in conversation, which was where they learned of her impressive prowess: She was a bit of a weapons expert and had even been a ship gunner at one point for the military. She was to be tried and discharged for excessive force, so she slipped free before he could be taken in and made her own way underground. As much as she hadn't been impressed by Logann's attempts to appeal to her, she had been too intrigued by the offer to "put that excessive force to good use" by joining a smuggler crew and ousting a criminal force that had taken over their den.*
You can stop staring anytime, Pretty Boy.
*Logann's eyes widened and he turned his head forward with a grunt. He couldn't help it... that smooth, black hair, the skill with a blade, her refusal to cave to his approaches... it was almost too much for him. But there was no time to gawk, she was right, and so he strode down the ramp, and at last, after too long, set foot within the Skips.* *No, it certainly wasn't much different... to the eye. But it felt different. The stink was a little more sinister, and there were a lot more armed guards around. Cronies, no doubt. Logann could have disguised himself, made his entrance more subtle; they had profiles on him, no doubt, a blue-haired man with tattoos like his wasn't easily missed. But even if he had, Gurren would easily be recognized, with its signature paint job, and like hell he was going to paint over that. It suited his red-hot fiery fighting spirit... Besides, he wanted this "Syndicate" to know he wasn't afraid, and would kick plenty of teeth in before they could do anything about it...*
Place looks like a dump.
*Logann looked over his shoulder to glare at her.* This is my home, chick!
*Her eyes looked over him, pretending to appraise him, before they rolled.* Explains a lot.
*Logann scowled, then looked away to mutter under his breath incoherently. Then he shook his head.* The Skips aren't even the best part. The Crow's Nest is. ... was. I haven't seen it since... before. *He glanced over his shoulder at them, managing to catch the faintest glint of regret in Treya's eye before she hid it, looking disinterested once more.* *Cal seemed to be taking it in with the most awe; he'd known of the Smuggler's Run, but hadn't enough information to chart out the space around it. Truman too seemed a bit eager to see what his new home was like with his new "family," but also perhaps a bit apprehensive; after all, he'd basically been conscripted into a war. Brick, meanwhile, strode purposefully, intimidating and dutiful as ever. His eyes were looking hither and thither, taking in the scenery, the guards, any potential threat, looking ready to respond on instinct.
Logann hadn't warned them that they could potentially be jumped before reaching their destination.
If it came to it, he was sure he, Brick, and Treya could defend themselves and the scrawny men; Cal was definitely no fighter, but he had no idea if Truman had any skills.* Just act natural, *he hissed over his shoulder at them.* I know it's not like me but I don't intend to start a fight. ... yet.
Not on my watch, boss.
*Logann managed a smirk.* *Brick was capable of humor, though rarely did he smile. It felt good to be in the presence of two of his closest pals again, after some time apart. Just like the separation between him and Aedon... but he was back at last, and, as they passed through the entrance to the Crow's Nest, was that much closer to their reunion...*
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Aedon Gavin Montrose
The Organization
Enjoying a well-aged bottle of scotch...
Posts: 356 
Affiliation: "Veritas" Crew
Traffic Light: Yellow
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Post by Aedon Gavin Montrose on Mar 9, 2015 20:42:53 GMT -8
The Skips had, indeed, taken a turn for the worse. With the addition of the criminal element came a lack of concern for things like monthly maintenance and custodial services. The air was a little thicker with carbon dioxide, the streets were a little trashier, and (in general) sanitation was becoming a bit of a concern. But where all of that was present, there also came the people who were forced to live in it. Addicts, homeless people, and vagrants were often the norm that one would find in the streets. And hidden among them were the ones that organizations like the Syndicate used as lookouts. People who were indebted to them, people looking to prove themselves - it didn't matter. An extra pair of eyes made all the difference in terms of intelligence-gathering; and if you never knew where to look, you simply couldn't keep your eyes out for anything suspicious. Addicts always looked paranoid, drifters always seemed shifty, and the homeless were simply wary of anyone who would approach.One such individual - a shorter, gangly Rodian with yellow skin and large, black orbs for eyes - was taking a keen interest in the new group of people to have arrived on the Skips. He was donned in a cloak that hid most of his features, as many of the vagrants on the street were prone to wearing. From beneath his rags, he drew out a small holocapture device. Snapping a single capture of the group as discreetly as he could manage, he quickly turned away from the group and faded back into the crowd.
That was how such things were discovered on the Skips. One moment in time captured and sent to "people of note" could mean the possibility of further engagements down the line. For now, the group was safe enough - provided they did not gain any further scrutiny from the would-be thugs of the Syndicate.*
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*The arrival of the Gurren prompted a "ping" from the transponder signal back at the Crow's Nest. It was a system that the crew had put together some time ago, with most of the equipment for such notification being stored in the Bunker for their smuggling operations. Aedon had since managed to put together a scramble code on short burst commlink that would be encrypted for Logann's comm device only. Upon opening the message, it would read out in plain text.
BE CAREFUL ON APPROACH. SYNDICATE THUGS EVERYWHERE. LIKELY ALREADY KNOW YOU'RE THERE. WE ARE IN THE BUNKER. WATCH FOR SYNDICATE TAILS. THEY WILL BE NEARBY.
It was all that Aedon could do to warn his brother. If he had provided too much more detail, the comm may have been intercepted. As lax as the Syndicate had become, Aedon wasn't about to start underestimating his opponent. That was going to be Aedon's weakness to exploit. Not the other way around.
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Post by Logann Renji Montrose on Mar 11, 2015 21:44:05 GMT -8
*As he heard the ping, Logann looked down and retrieved his datapad from his pocket, making sure not to mumble the words aloud as he read them. Then he looked up and smirked.* Keep an eye out for company, boys, *he announced in a voice that was only slightly quieter than his normal volume, then added,* and chick. We may have us a welcoming party.
W-welcoming party?! *the lanky man stammered, fidgeting as he bit his lip and his eyes darted back and forth.* I ain't got no skills in a fight!
Then stay behind me, little man, and I will be your shield.
*Abandoning his fright for a moment, Truman scowled.* "Little man"?! I'm quite tal— Wah! *He nearly jumped out of his skin when he noticed Brick had started walking close to him to emphasize his intent to shield him, but it also accentuated the fact that, while Truman was indeed a moderately tall man, he was immensely dwarfed by the height and... size of the blond bruiser.* *Truman chuckled nervously, then gulped, nodding.* R-right ya are, Brick.
*An eyebrow fidgeted, but Brick kept his eyes forward as he responded with a hiss.* That nickname is reserved for Logann alone!
*Treya took that time to daintily wave a hand in their direction.* Now now, boys, save your frustrations for any of those so-called Syndicate punks we may be up against.
*Logann smirked again, looking over his shoulder at them.* Hey, I like your thinking, babe, you'll fit in here just fine.
*Her eyes narrowed a little.* I hope you're certain. I don't want to regret this.
You won't. *Logann grinned.* Trust me. *And so he led them onward toward the Crow's Nest, or what was left of it, he wasn't sure yet. He actually craved a fight, he was eager to bash some heads together and stir things up, let these "Syndicate punks"—and Logann adored the term—know their reign was coming to an end, and it was coming down hard...*
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Aedon Gavin Montrose
The Organization
Enjoying a well-aged bottle of scotch...
Posts: 356
Affiliation: "Veritas" Crew
Traffic Light: Yellow
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Post by Aedon Gavin Montrose on Apr 10, 2016 20:52:08 GMT -8
The group of Syndicate soldiers and their sword-wielding leader approached the "Aurodium Palace" on the service entrance side with their "guest" in-tow. She walked among them - unarmed, but unrestrained - right up to the doorway where two large, meaty Basilisk brutes stood guard. They looked to be unarmed, but their security pieces weren't too far out of reach -- especially for Basilisk hands. The two xenos parted their guard to allow the approaching entourage into the entrance, and the lot of them made their way through to where a service elevator awaited them. As the lead men secured the elevator door, the blonde male that led them stepped up and depressed the button to take them upstairs.Looking to the young woman, he shifted the wooden stirrer clenched in his teeth back to the other side.
"How shall I announce you to our leader? By what name do you go?"
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Nux
Member
fixin' to cause some hurt.
Posts: 49
Traffic Light: Green
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Post by Nux on Apr 11, 2016 8:02:13 GMT -8
Her accent was heavy, tinted with a hundred worlds' dialects and the mark of someone who had traveled a great deal, yet called no place home. Basic was also most assuredly not her native tongue. The confines of the service elevator and her nearly 6' height meant she stood closer to the blonde male than either of them might have liked, her piercing blue eyes meeting his through the kohl smeared across her face, war-paint-style, two sapphires peering out under a smudge of black.
I am known by many names, but you may call me Nux.
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Aedon Gavin Montrose
The Organization
Enjoying a well-aged bottle of scotch...
Posts: 356
Affiliation: "Veritas" Crew
Traffic Light: Yellow
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Post by Aedon Gavin Montrose on Apr 23, 2016 23:58:06 GMT -8
The Aurodium Palace - Service Entry, Near the Elevator
The swordsman's long, blonde locks shifted back and forth as he nodded. His accent was difficult to pin, as well. Vaguely-Corellian, but cold and icy like the Echani.
"Very well, Nux. I am known to these men as The Swordsman, but you may call me Mifune."
The elevator door opened before them. The first four men stepped inside, securing the corners. Next was Mifune, gesturing to the woman to follow suit. Before all was said and done, the remaining two men holding Nux's belongings secured the front of the elevator, as one depressed the button to call the lift to the top floor.The turbolift rose with some measure of quickness, soon coming to a halt on the mezzanine level of the facility. When the door opened, the first men stepped out into a lavish foyer area, with deep red-and-gold carpeting complete with a strong, modern pattern. The walls were pure, golden chromium, with multiple prismal sconces lighting the hallway. To the left of the elevator's exit, a large transparisteel bay window looked out into the asteroid field, the stars forming a speckled backdrop for nuance. To the right, the hallway seemed to go on for quite some ways. Several doorways dotted the expanse, each of them a fine, rich mahogany in color. They were, of course, mag-seal doors; the extravagant wooden outlays were present for aesthetic value.The group soon began moving down the hall, their "guest" in-tow, being escorted among them. Mifune made certain to walk beside Nux, his weapon still gripped in his far-hand. It wasn't very long at all before the lot of them stepped up to a large set of double-doors, ensconced on either side by a pair of much larger prismal sconces. The Swordsman stopped just shy of the door, looking to each of his men before his gaze fell to Nux.
"I will be but a moment, Warrior Nux. I must speak to our boss," He looked to the pair of men standing at the door "in private, to announce you." He walked up to one of the other thugs, adjusting the xeno's lapel on his suit jacket. Whispering pointedly, he made certain that Nux would be able to hear him, although the rest of the men should be none the wiser. "Make certain that she remains here. Treat her as you would treat an honored guest, so long as our Vigo gives her this standing. Any deviation will cost you your life, miserable as it is."
He patted the being's chest, to which the large Cathar seemed to huff. One icy glare from The Swordsman was enough to unsettle the brute as he made certain to nod silently. An uneasy quiet fell over the hallway as the blonde male continued to stare him down. That one moment seemed to drag on as the tension built, and then, the Echani turned away from the feline. Stepping up to the door, he knocked on the exterior in a certain pattern. The door then slid open, revealing the lavish interior within. Stepping inside, the door slid shut behind him, leaving the collection of thugs out in the hallway alone with the warrior woman.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Apr 26, 2017 11:32:56 GMT -8
It had all happened so fast. The Smuggler's Run was no paradise by any civilized measure of the word. But its serene sense of organised chaos had been shattered in an instant. Samarra leant against a pillar, dropping to one knee as blaster bolt fire filled the air. Pieces of the pillar were chipped away as the firing of a slugthrower was added to the mix. As she turned her head to peek around the pillar, her hair fell away from her face to reveal the circular tattoo design that covered the left side of her face. She was out numbered and out gunned. A situation she found rather displeasing.
She had a quick check of her ammo, noting the display on the cartridge showing she was half out. That was barely enough for her to get some covering fire laid down so she could escape these thugs. Meaning she would be out by the time she returned to her ship. And she had no doubt that an ambush would be waiting there for her. She needed a new plan, and she needed it fast if she intended to get out alive and with the artefact.
The small metallic ball felt heavy as its bag hung from her belt. Although she had come into this mission well aware of the stakes. It had not fully prepared her for the kind of forces she was up against. It quickly became apparent that her Master was not the only individual after this item as intensely as he was. It had taken some time and work for her to position herself as she had. But it had been all worth it. He had trusted her with this mission. With his mission. She had no intention of failing either.
Samarra then pulled out her datapad, with a map of the area already on display. A small flashing dot indicated the location of her, whilst another showed the location of DD-STUD. She stared at the map a moment, wondering just how she would play this. It was then, that an idea came to her. An idea so crazy that even she was unsure it would work. But given the situation, there were no other real alternatives.
Going back to the ship meant capture. Trying to both escape on the same craft would end with capture. But if they split up, they could both escape. Her pursuers had yet to see the droid, meaning that they very likely suspected she was alone. All she had to do, was escape them now and make her way to him.
With her route roughly figured out a moment later, she returned the datapad to her pocket. Pieces of reinforcement within the pillar were starting to show as Samarra rose up within its cover. She took a deep breath, as she eyed the alleyway she needed to get to. There was a lull in the blaster fire as several thugs reloaded, and a handful of others started to approach her hiding place. It was now or never.
She gripped the gun with her cybernetic arm, its servomotors taking the weight of the hefty weapon. As she broke from cover, she fired off several rounds. The thugs dove for cover, whilst others tried to return fire at her. But before they could get a proper shot at her. She was gone. She vanished within the alleyway...
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Apr 28, 2017 14:03:53 GMT -8
Although she was pretty certain her initial escape had been clean, Samarra still took a somewhat convoluted route to DD-STUD. She went down several streets, crossing through the same thick crowd several times. Each time she went in, she activated a function on her cloak, causing it to appear differently each time she came out the other side. It was no cloaking device. Just some sort of mechanical feature that allowed her to change the colour and pattern of the fabric. She had gone through several variations, by the time she finally found the droid "Stud..."
The droid greeted her in return with a bass tone binary reply, which sounded to the common ear like a series of deep whistles and beeps. But he had not stopped there, causing Samarra to sigh as he expressed his concern for her. He might have been a droid, but DD-STUD definitely knew something had gone awry with the mission. She reached out and placed her hand atop his head "I know... I know, just calm down, ok? otherwise you'll draw too much attention..."
STUD let out what approximated to a sigh of guilt. She knew he meant well, but now was not the time for such things. Her potential captors were out there somewhere. Though it was entirely possible they were putting their effort towards securing her ship and watching every port of exit. She leant down slightly then, and kissed the droids dome head "Let's get out of this crowd. I have a mission for you that we need to discuss in private..."
Samarra smiled at him then, as he tried to nod by doing a short bow forward of his upper torso. She then turned and lead STUD down a side alleyway, before she unhooked the bag from her belt. Without any verbal orders, a small compartment opened on STUD's lower torso "I need you to look after this..." She placed the bag inside the compartment, before it closed and sealed itself "That was what we came here for. Remember?" STUD gave an affirmative reply. Meanwhile Samarra produced her datapad and started entering some information into a program on it "Good. As it turns out, we weren't the only ones after it. You have to take care of it for me now. Understand?"
STUD seemed a little perplexed as his programming was processing what she was saying. But after a moment, the droid gave another affirmative sound "No matter what, you are not to give that to anyone but me and my master, ok?" Samarra was just about done with her programming, when STUD gave another affirmative acknowledgement "This wasn't the way I had planned this... But I know I can trust you with this. We're going to have to split up for a bit. I'm not sure how long for... But I will come back for you one day." She could tell the droid was conflicted as to how he felt, but he reluctantly agreed a few moments later. Samarra pulled a small datacard from her datapad then "One final thing. This is a little present from me to you. To guide you..."
It was all dark for what seemed like only a moment. His systems then started to boot back up. It started with his internal systems booting first. Before they ran a system check, registering that an improper reboot had occurred. Noting that no files had been damaged, the boot sequence continued. With the internal clock updating next, noting a disparity of several hours between the shutdown and his current boot time. What had made him shut down for so long, was a mystery. His GPS system booted next, which indicated that he was a long way from his last recorded location. STUD started to worry then. Although such information was not technically an error. It did indicate to the droid that there was a problem.
Once his internal systems finished their boot sequence, his Radar Eye came online. It took a moment for his processors to work out what he was seeing. Once his servomotors came online, he turned his head around, logging more of what was around him. Somehow, he had ended up in some sort of stall selling droids. He almost started to panic, wondering just what exactly had happened to his owner. But something deep within his programming told him that she was ok. That this was all part of his mission. As his boot process finished and all his systems finished coming online, he moved to get up. He barely finished taking a step forward when he felt his whole body immobilise.
His scanners then sensed a foreign object attached to his body. Based off its design and the information in his internal database, STUD recognised it as a restraining bolt. That was not good. It was then, that a cloaked man stepped in front of him. The expression on the man's face indicated he was not particularly happy that STUD had tried to escape. All he could do was stand rooted to the spot, as his captor waved a controller in front of his Radar Eye "So da droid does live. Me thought you were dead, tin mon. But it looks like I be wrong, eh? Now don't you be trying escape, ja? I'll stop ya in yer tracks before ya make it a foot again... But don't worry. Nom Reynolds looks after his merchandise well..."
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Johnathan Castle [Retired]
The Organization
Machines got ta talkin'. I got ta listenin'. Ever since then, I've been fixin'.
Posts: 157
Affiliation: Draykon Crew Mechanic/Bartender Extraordinaire/Organization Mechanic
Traffic Light: Green
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Post by Johnathan Castle [Retired] on May 1, 2017 9:02:12 GMT -8
Skip One. Med Clinic. Smuggler's Run.Having been half carried, half dragged from the Red Shift, Castle awoke to find himself on a cot in a med clinic. As he reluctantly opened his eyes, he was greeted with the harsh overhead lights. A wave of nausea washed over him and the next thing he knew, he was leaning over the cot, retching his stomach contents all over the floor. Shakily wiping the corner of his mouth, Castle slowly rolled back onto the cot and closed his eyes.His head was spinning, his stomach now ached painfully, and he had no real idea what had happened to him in the last few hours. He remembered going in to the Red Shift and having a few drinks. After his last drink, which was an odd blue looking color, he didn't recall much of anything. He had a scraped up knuckle and he could tell there were a few bruises that he didn't have before he went to the Shift.Knowing he needed to open his eyes and get a feel for his situation, he slowly opened them again, shielding them from the glare of the lights overhead. As he slowly propped himself into a semi upright position, everything came into focus. He had an IV in his arm. And there was a heavily armored Rodian speaking with a large blue Twi'lek. As he tried to recall the events of a few hours ago, a small cleaning droid trundled into the room and began cleaning up the mess and sanitizing where Castle had hurled. Feeling uncomfortably aware of the fact that he had probably made a huge scene, he laid back down, willing the awful feelings in his head and stomach to go away. The door swished open, causing Castle to groan and open his eyes partially. It was the Twi'lek. After a few moments of staring blankly at him, it finally dawned on him that he was staring at his old acquaintance, Jerrak Vao. He smiled weakly, but still couldn't find his voice.
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Jerrak Vao
The Organization
Posts: 81
Affiliation: Bounty Hunter's Guild
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Post by Jerrak Vao on May 1, 2017 16:34:37 GMT -8
Skip One. Med Clinic. Smuggler's Run.
Vao had been conversing with Belruk, waiting for Castle to regain consciousness. As a cleaning droid rolled into the room, Vao peered over Belruk's shoulder. It appeared as though Castle was awake finally.
"We'll finished this conversation later. Head back to the Red Shift and help with the clean up." He said in Rodese.
Belruk nodded and walked away, as Vao entered the room. It seemed to take a few moments for the young man to recognize Vao, but once he did, he smiled. Vao cleared his throat.
"How are ya feelin', kid? Ya took a few nasty hits at the Red Shift and ended up passin' out 'fore Belruk could get you admitted."
Vao noted the look of confusion on Castle's face. Clearly the young lad didn't have the foggiest idea as to what had transpired. Vao smiled at him.
"Take yer time, kid. No need to rush nothin'."
It was unfortunate that this had to happen to a good kid like Castle, but this universe was filled with people willing to harm another just for the hell of it. Hopefully Castle would pull through this without any lasting issues from the yarrock. Vao didn't think he'd ingested enough of the stuff to kill him, and the med droid at the clinic had pumped his stomach before putting him on an IV drip. Hopefully that was enough. But he figured time would tell.
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Aedon Gavin Montrose
The Organization
Enjoying a well-aged bottle of scotch...
Posts: 356
Affiliation: "Veritas" Crew
Traffic Light: Yellow
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Post by Aedon Gavin Montrose on May 1, 2017 18:24:01 GMT -8
In the Immediate Future (Following Syndicate SL)
The Aurodium Palace - Penthouse Office
In the months that followed the Syndicate's dissolution, Aedon and his former chief gunner, Na'me He're, had their hands full with reclaiming and maintaining their former holdings. The largest problem to tackle came in the form of removing the shadier aspects of business that the former Vigo had put into place. There were plenty of dissatisfied customers that no longer had access to their vices, former dealers who were now unemployed and didn't want to accept the lower wage of an honest job. The lucrative nature of their former profession still held a draw for them. Aedon wouldn't get in the way of them doing their business, but, they wouldn't be doing it in the establishments that he owned. Period.*
*It didn't make him any friends.*
*Beyond that, Aedon was having to delegate so much of the work to Na'me - who had about as much experience with running a business as Aedon did. So, with much reluctance, the Zeltron "entrepreneur" was forced to relinquish a lot of his holdings over to the original owners - who would either pay him in full for the businesses, or offer him rent and royalties as compensation. This was what made Aedon miss his old friend and associate Tom Helix even more. The Echani had a knack for business, despite his former choice of profession as a bounty hunter and soldier. Aedon was sorely needing that business savvy now. It was also a solemn reminder that Tom - along with many of Aedon's former crew - would no longer be able to help them with much of anything; on account of being dead and all.Removing a bit of clutter from his desk, Aedon picked up a synth-slate with a report on it showing the current figures on the Aurodium Palace. Upon seeing so many reports, one after the other looking much the same, the numbers all started to blur together. Setting the slate down, he brought his left hand to his brow, massaging his temples with his fingertips. With an exasperated tone, he called across the room to where Na'me was sitting.
"Ok...so...can we just go get a drink? I need a drink. Don't you need one?" The immediacy in his speech was palpable. "Yeah, I need a drink. Or two. Or...however many my two livers can take before ninety-percent blood toxicity, let's call it then."
The Bothan chuckled, still scanning over a datapad in his hand. "That, sounds like a great idea." Suddenly, his eyebrow curved upward, ears lowering a bit as he came across something in the report.
"Although...we may have to consider heading somewhere other than our usual haunt."
Aedon's hand lowered just enough for his eyes to peer over it toward Na'me.Within seconds, the Bothan had sent him a copy of the same data file right to the slate he was formerly looking at. Aedon looked it over, his own eyebrows rising in surprise at what was being indicated.
"Drelldel's...dead?"
Nods. "Shot down by none other than our old friend, Jerrak Vao."
"Vao?" He looked again at the slate, hoping not to see the Twi'lek's name on the screen. It was there, though; written in plain Basic. "This...there's gotta be some mistake, right?"
Shakes his head. "'Fraid not, Gav. It's confirmed by two separate sources. Also, the only working holocam in the joint shows the incident from a pretty convincing angle."
"Which angle is that?"
"The kind where Drelldel's brain matter is splashed all over the capture screen. Not quite 'Ultra Def' resolution, but, it's fairly-evident what went down."
"I see that...looks like there was an altercation just before that. Drelldel doesn't appear to be involved until...wait, is that Castle?"
"Apparently, Drelldel was selling a knock-off of 'Azure'...the kind that comes spiked with yarroc. Castle was the victim of the bad brew, and Vao wasn't in the mood to hear any excuses. According to the other patrons, he made some kind of cliche statement about 'good help being so hard to find' before putting two in his cranial ridge. Poor Trando never had a chance."
"Yarroc, huh? Nasty stuff, that. Still...not sure it warrants anyone's death over such a thing. Are we...are we mad about that? Do we need to be mad about that?"
Shrugs. "I mean...tensions were high at that point, sure. The brawl that broke out just moments before the shooting started likely had everyone's adrenaline pumping. I just...I've never known Vao to lose his head like that. Must've been something he ate."
"...Or didn't eat. He could've been 'hangry'..." Aedon winced at himself for making the joke, which was in poor taste given the gravitas of the situation. "Regardless, I don't think we can let this go without some kind of response. He may have been vindicated for putting the Wookiee down, but taking out the owner of a business for selling a man a drink that he asked to be served shouldn't warrant a blaster bolt to the brain-pan."
The Bothan looked up from the datapad, shaking his head for a moment, as if coming back into the conversation fully-aware."Y-Yeah...I'm with ya there, Gav. I'll, uh...I'll shoot Jerrak a message. See if I can get him to meet us at the 'Shift'. All right?"
Aedon backed his chair away from the desk, standing-to and walking over to the edge of the desk. Grabbing his rapier, he hooked it onto his belt before finally replying to Na'me.
"Yeah...let's do that. And I guess we'll have a bit of free liquor on our hands, seeing as Drelldel won't be needing it anytime soon."
Na'me chuckled, but his voice was deadpan. "That's why I love ya, Gav. You see the bright side of every situation." He paused, lowering his datapad for a second as he posed a question to Aedon. "Should I...also get ahold of Ghet and Tal?"
Aedon hesitated for a moment, even as he was slowly sliding the second of his Death Hammer blasters into their shoulder holsters.The two Noghri were considered by many to be the silent, intimidating factor in many of Aedon's dealings following the Syndicate's demise. That the Bothan would even be suggesting it was a sign that he didn't believe Jerrak would take to this proposed "meeting" very well.His brow furrowed for a moment as he considered it, and then he simply shook his head.
"N-No...best we keep things civil. After all, I'm certain that we can keep the peace, considering what the lot of us have been through together. Right?" He only allowed for a moment's pause, and answered his own question. "...Right."
Then, the both of them finished up their affairs. The Bothan gunslinger sent a comm to his old Twi'lek friend, using the same frequency that they'd been known to use when they were communicating during the Syndicate take-down operations. Following that, the two men took a moment to ready themselves for what was to come; hoping that things would flow as smooth as possible.Exiting the offices afterward, they headed toward the "Red Shift".
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Johnathan Castle [Retired]
The Organization
Machines got ta talkin'. I got ta listenin'. Ever since then, I've been fixin'.
Posts: 157
Affiliation: Draykon Crew Mechanic/Bartender Extraordinaire/Organization Mechanic
Traffic Light: Green
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Post by Johnathan Castle [Retired] on May 2, 2017 18:06:59 GMT -8
Skip One. Med Clinic. Smuggler's Run.Vao had been conversing with Belruk, waiting for Castle to regain consciousness. As a cleaning droid rolled into the room, Vao peered over Belruk's shoulder. It appeared as though Castle was awake finally."We'll finished this conversation later. Head back to the Red Shift and help with the clean up." He said in Rodese.Belruk nodded and walked away, as Vao entered the room. It seemed to take a few moments for the young man to recognize Vao, but once he did, he smiled. Vao cleared his throat."How are ya feelin', kid? Ya took a few nasty hits at the Red Shift and ended up passin' out 'fore Belruk could get you admitted."Vao noted the look of confusion on Castle's face. Clearly the young lad didn't have the foggiest idea as to what had transpired. Vao smiled at him."Take yer time, kid. No need to rush nothin'."It was unfortunate that this had to happen to a good kid like Castle, but this universe was filled with people willing to harm another just for the hell of it. Hopefully Castle would pull through this without any lasting issues from the yarrock. Vao didn't think he'd ingested enough of the stuff to kill him, and the med droid at the clinic had pumped his stomach before putting him on an IV drip. Hopefully that was enough. But he figured time would tell. |
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Jerrak Vao
The Organization
Posts: 81
Affiliation: Bounty Hunter's Guild
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Post by Jerrak Vao on May 2, 2017 18:50:45 GMT -8
Accepting the kid's outstretched hand, Vao shook his hand. Knowing Castle could be as stubborn as the come, he didn't even bother trying to talk him down from getting out of bed.
"I'll buy ya some food an explain everythin'. But after that, ya gotta promise me yer gonna go back to my suite and get some rest?"
Without waiting to see if he would reply, he released Castle's hand and spun on his heel, headed out of the room. He motioned for Castle to follow. On their way out, Vao handed the receptionist a handful of credit chits and continued on his way out into the street, Castle following closely behind.
"Kid, last night was probably as rough as they come. Yer a fortunate little Sithspit, ya know that right? Had I not stepped in, ya'd be suckin' food through a straw right 'bout now. Don't ever decide ta go drinkin' at the Shift alone again. Next time I might not be around ta save yer scrawny arse. Got it?"
He was frustrated. And now he was taking it out on Castle for no reason. He was happy to help the kid out and was grateful he'd been in the Shift when he was. Castle wasn't an idiot, and he certainly wasn't useless. No, Vao was frustrated with the entire situation. The part he played in it, the fact Castle had been poisoned, and the fact that he blew Drelldel's brains out without any justification. Not that it did him any good now, but there it was. He rounded a corner and pushed a door open. He motioned for Castle to get inside. It was a small, sketchy looking diner, but Vao knew the owner and knew it wasn't as sketchy as it had appeared. Once in a booth, Vao sighed and allowed for Castle to process everything before he began his explanation.
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Johnathan Castle [Retired]
The Organization
Machines got ta talkin'. I got ta listenin'. Ever since then, I've been fixin'.
Posts: 157
Affiliation: Draykon Crew Mechanic/Bartender Extraordinaire/Organization Mechanic
Traffic Light: Green
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Post by Johnathan Castle [Retired] on May 3, 2017 11:32:46 GMT -8
Castle followed Jerrak out of the med clinic and into the bustling concourse of the main thoroughfare. He still wasn't feeling 100% yet, but he was feeling at least twice as good as he had been when he first woke up. As they rounded a corner, Vao reached for a door and held it open for Castle. Obligingly, Castle stepped inside of the cramped diner. Ushering him to a booth, Castle sat down. Without getting a chance to order, two plates of food were brought out, consisting of scrambled Hawk-Bat Eggs and a neatly prepared Firaxan shark fillet. As soon as the wafting scent of the food greeted his nose, he picked up his utensils and began digging in. After savoring the first few bites, Castle swallowed his mouthful and spoke to Vao.
"Clearly something happened at the Shift and it's got you all up in a twist."
Castle then took another several bites of his food before continuing.
"Whatever happened, happened. You know me, Jerrak. I don't go looking for trouble. I keep my head down and my nose clean. I ain't the type to go picking fights or to do something stupid enough to piss someone else off. Especially around here. The Run can be a rough place if you don't pay attention. Believe me, I learned that the hard way. More than once."
Castle dug into the rest of his food, chewing in silence until he was finished. It gave Jerrak the time he needed to sort his thoughts and actually explain what happened at the Shift. Pushing his plate aside, Castle leaned back in the booth and looked over at the Twi'lek.
"So? What happened?"
He knew by this point that it was going to be unpleasant, but there was nothing to be done about that now. Now he needed to know and see if there was anything that could be done to help alleviate the remaining stress Vao was carrying around with him.
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Jerrak Vao
The Organization
Posts: 81
Affiliation: Bounty Hunter's Guild
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Post by Jerrak Vao on May 3, 2017 17:20:53 GMT -8
Vao watched Castle eat as though he hadn't eaten in months. And the kid was right. He never was the one looking for trouble. Unlike a few others he knew. Trouble was their business. Vao ate his scrambled Hawk-Bat eggs and a portion of his fillet before he was pushing his plate aside. Once Castle was finished, he asked what had happened the previous night at the Red Shift. The large blue Twi'lek sighed.
"Yer drink was laced with yarrock. A potent hallucinogenic exported from Iridonia. Apparently Drelldel didn't realize it was spiked. Ya drank it and when ya were flyin' high, an old spacer picked a fight with you, cuz he could. Ya laid him out and took a few shots from his Wookiee pet. Hell, he even tossed me about a bit. Ended up putting the stupid mongrel down, along with the entire crew. Doesn't help I had a contract out on them, but that's besides the point. Afterward, when I found out yer drink was laced, in me haste, I plugged Drelldel. But good. Not me finest moment, but it's done."
Vao leaned back and watched Castle absorb it all in. Vao sighed wearily. And then his hulking Mandalorian companion entered the diner and approached them.
"Sorry for interrupting, Boss. But you got a message from someone named Montrose. Using your old frequency. He wanted to meet you at the Shift."
Vao rolled his eyes.
"Course he does. Haven't heard so much as a damn whisper from the bugger after the Syndicate walloped him something fierce and now he wants ta chat. I was the one who restored commerce ta this damn rock, ya know?"
He nodded to Reynar, then looked over to Castle.
"You up fer a reunion with yer former Captain?"
As Castle nodded, Vao slid himself out of the booth with a grunt.
"Alright, let's go pay Captain Violet a visit, shall we?"
He chuckled and motioned for the other two to walk out ahead of him. On his way out, he dropped some creds for the food and left a generous tip. Outside the diner, he caught up with the other two, who were waiting for him. Once together again, the three of them began walking down the concourse, heading back to the Red Shift...
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