SWRPF Archive - -Jedi Apprentice RPG: Shattered Silence- -

Marna was aware of the crowd that was gathering around her as she played the game. They were excited and very loudly cheering her on. Before she knew it, the game was over. She had beaten the game.

Amidst the cheers of the crowd, a young man that appeared to work there approached.
"Wow! You beat the machine. Way to go!" he exclaimed. He held out a hand. "My name is Jack. I run the place." Marna shook his outstreatched (sp?) hand. "You've won the right to play my newest game if you want."

Jack walked Marna over to the game and removed the cover. It was like a starfighter cockpit with all controls and screens. Marna looked at it in awe. Quite some game, if outward appearances were anything to judge from.

"It's the newest VR game." he announced. "You can be the first to try it out."

Marna ran a hand along the game, where her back would be, knowing that if Jack is in on the dissappearing children, a needle could be hidden in the seat. With the way the game was set up, so many things could happen to her while she concentrated on playing. But, she did not want to come across as rude or anything like that. And, she truely did want to try it out.

"Would you mind if I got a bite to eat, then came back to play?" she asked Jack.

She would not tell Jack that she wanted to conferr with Zhi-Don and Tahsh first about it.

 

jack frowned, but didnt seem too put out. he got into the cockpit. "let me show you how it works" he dropped a tooken into the slot and the the game started right up. he showed her the weapons controls and shields. the he put the game through its paces. the holographic imager was the clearest marna had ever seen. it was like being in a real starfighter. the seat shook like it was in a real ship and when he fired the weapons you could see the recoil. suddenly an alien fighter attacked. when it fired, you could see where the blast hit the shield and the booth rocked as if it had been hit. jack dodged the alien ship and did a 360 and came around behind it and blew it away. the game shut down and jack got out. "so what do you think?" he asked, then he looked over at a man with a holocam taking pics of the kids.

jack went over and apparently told the man to leave. he did this reluctantly. after jack made sure he was gone he came back over. "i was worried about that man" he confided to marna "he seemed a little to anxious to meet kids, so i told him to take a hike. i hope he wont be back, he's been hanging around here for about a month now" jack smiled at marna "now how about that game?" he asked, gesturing toward the starfighter game.

tag: you two

 

Jack showed Marna how the game works. She was amazed with the quality of the game. He put it through it's paces, then got out.

"So what do you think?" he asked, then he looked over at a man with a holocam taking pics of the kids. Marna watched him as he spoke with the man, who reluctantly left.

"I was worried about that man" Jack confided to Marna. "He seemed a little to anxious to meet kids, so I told him to take a hike. I hope he won't be back, he's been hanging around here for about a month now."

Jack smiled at Marna "Now how about that game?"

Marna looked at Jack as she went over to the game and sat in the seat.

"Do you think he has something to do with the missing kids?" she asked Jack directly. "I'm just a visitor here, but I have heard of that. One of my friends disapeared." Marna lowered her head as she said that, a bit upset about Wil-Ohm's disapearance.

 

Tal'ya sat in the speeder with Shaggy, as they watched the warehouse. Soon, she looked around.

"Gotta use the 'freshner...be right back."

She hopped from the speeder, and moved away from the warehouse, towards an place which looked open, her blasters close at hand.

She needed information. Once she found somplace private, she went through the motions of using the 'freshner.

She opened up her pouch, and did a quick search. She soon found QB hidding underneath her other equipment.

She smiled, as she typed in..

'silent mode.'
a light flashed.

'am i ever glad to see you!'
happy green light.

she typed in what she had in mind for the little droid to do. It had a cloak...and it was silent. She let him know, that he might not make it back.

QB flashed her. He was willing to try.

Tal'ya hoooked up something to QB for a minute..and then disconnected it.

He would sneak in through whatever small openeing he could find, staying hidden.

He would find one of the 'crates' she had mentioned.

then...hopefully, from the bottom, or inside a stack of them..whereevery he could hide..he would "CAREFULLY" do a probe inside on of the boxes...to check it's contents.

If he could not do that..he was to map the area as best he could, and then go find the others..and let them know her current situation as well.

Either way, he was to find them. Coming back to her would be dangerious.

She left him hidden in the freshner, placing him near a vent..as she left the freshner.

She then returned back to the speeder, as quickly as she could grumbling.

"Yuck....humans sure can be messy." she complained, as she sat down.

TAG: YOU GUYS

 

Jack smiled at Marna "Now how about that game?"

Marna looked at Jack as she went over to the game and sat in the seat.

"Do you think he has something to do with the missing kids?" she asked Jack directly. "I'm just a visitor here, but I have heard of that. One of my friends disapeared." Marna lowered her head as she said that, a bit upset about Wil-Ohm's disapearance.

jack considered this for a moment and smiled at her, but his eyes went cold. "yes, i do"
he told her and at the same time he pushed the button on the remote he had in his pocket. marna had no time to react as the needles in the seat injected the anesthesia drug into her. everything went black. jack pressed a second button on the remote which detonated a smoke bomb in the new game. dark grey and black smoke billowed everywhere. kids were screaming and running toward the exits. jack covered his face with a breathing mask and stepped into the cockpit with marna and pressed the third button on the remote. the seat, marna and jack all dropped through the floor into the basement. jack jumped out and waiting figures removed marna from the seat. jack pressed the third button again and then the seat went back up to the game. jack and the others placed marna into special container and activated the cryosleep system. they closed the container. they then floated the crate down a concealed hatch in the floor and then through the tunnel there into a nearby building. jack pulled a comlink and spoke into it briefly, then turned to the others "package pickup will be here soon" he told them.

soon after tal'ya got back into shaggys cargo speeder his comlink went off. he removed it and spoke into it for a moment, then put it away and started the speeder. [we have another pickup...this should be the last one] he grinned [then we get paid] shagggy then drove the speeder carefully away.

tag: you two

 

Soon after Tal'ya got back into Shaggys cargo speeder his comlink went off. He removed it and spoke into it for a moment, then put it away and started the speeder.

[We have another pickup...this should be the last one.] he grinned [then we get paid.]

Shagggy then drove the speeder carefully away.

Tal'ya worried now. That meant another child. She would have to examine this crate to find out. She also worried about Shaggy. He might me telling the truth..and he didnt know..but she had heard Jerills name mentioned, as she had been hiding. He might not react well.

But she was running out of time. She would have to trust the Force.

She had a plan in mind, as the speeder zipped down the road.

TAG: Anyone

 

OOC: That's what I thought would happen, all except the smoke.
IC:
Jack smiled at Marna, his eyes cold. "Yes, I do" He pushed the button on the remote he had in his pocket.

Marna felt the prick, and knew she had let down her guard. She knew she had only a little time to try anything, and there was only one thing she dared to do. As blackness began to engulf her, she reached out, calling on the Force.

Help me, Mast... she sent out before slumping unconscious in the seat.


Tahsh had entered the arcade and was keeping an eye on Marna, expecting something to happen, though hoping it wouldn't. She watched from a distance as Marna went to the other game, and as Jack got in to demonstrate. She saw Jack apparently chase away the man, then saw Marna sit down.

Help me, Mast... she heard in her head from Marna. She felt the girl's alarm, and then, nothing as she slipped into unconsciousness.

Before she could react, dark smoke billowed out from the new game, causing a panick. It was all Tahsh could do to keep herself from being overrun by panicky kids. She covered her mouth in an attempt to not breath in the smoke, and when it cleared, Marna and Jack were gone.

Not again. Tahsh thought to herself as she pulled out her comlink. She returned to the speeder as she spoke into it.

"John, she's gone." she said simply.

Tahsh was glad that Marna had the tranciever, and that after the last time she'd disapeared on Tahsh durring a mission, that Tahsh had had one placed under the girl's skin. They may seperate her from Zhi-Don's, but there would be one they would not be able to find.

 

zhi-don moved in quickly when he heard marnas call for help through the force. smoke coming out of the entertainment center and kids running out made it difficult to get in. his comlink beeped and he heard tahsh's statement. "im coming in" he told her. <enough is enough> zhi-don thought to himself and used the force to make his way through the crowd. he found tahsh looking at a holovid game mockup of a starfighter cockpit. "what happened?" he asked her. "did you see where they went?" tahsh still had her comlink out. "i cant get a signal from either your tracer or the one i had surgically implanted a long time ago. i can tell she is alive, but unconcious"


shaggy and tal'ya drove in the speeder to a droid manufacturing plant. shaggy repeated the process of picking up a crate, the same as the last one. then they headed to the warehouse near the spaceport. this time he drove into the warehouse. about 12 beings, some alien were waiting. they floated the container out of the speeder and took it over to a large cargo storage unit. this was the type for interspace shipping. [wait here] shaggy told her and got out of the speeder and headed toward an office in the back of the warehouse. tal'ya wasnt surprised when QB tapped on the window. she lowered it and let him in. she wasnt too surprised to find out that the containers were made of durasteel and were shielded. QB tried to probe but wasnt able get a reading. tal'ya knew that things were just about to get ugly.

tag: you two

 

"What happened?" Zhi-Don asked Tahsh. "Did you see where they went?"

"I can't get a signal from either your tracer or the one I had surgically implanted a long time ago. I can tell she is alive, but unconcious." Tahsh told him. She put up her comlink, then turned her attention to the game. "Somehow the seat must have descended. That's the only way I can think that they could have gotten her. She had been approached my someone wearing a shirt with the name of this place on it and brought over here. I couldn't see what happened, but she sat and then I heard her message. I think it's time we let it known that we're Jedi." she told him.

 

zhi-don agreed. "no more mr nice guy" he told tahsh. "lets get the grey robes i left in the speeder. then we find the basement entrance." from the way zhi-don spoke, it would go very hard on anyone who had anything to do with any of this. a few minutes later 2 grey jedi searched for a way down from the outside. not finding one, they entered the deserted entertainment center and looked around. "its hidden" zhi-don commented, "and we have no time to go looking" he moved over to the hologame machine that was the last place that tahsh had seen marna. he removed his lightsaber and within minutes cut the seat out revealing a down shaft. without any thougt of safety, zhi-don jumped down.

tag: tahsh

 

Tahsh knew that Zhi-Don in a dangerous mood. Dangerous for anyone who had anything to do with Marna's disapearance. She felt the same way.

Tahsh stood back while Zhi-Don destroyed the seat of the game Marna had been on when everything happened, and when he jumped down the shaft, she gave him enough time to be able to move when he landed, then jumped down after him.

She knew that whoever had Marna would likely discover that she is a Jedi, even if they had no idea who she is. The girl had been carrying her lightsaber under her clothes since they had arrived here.

 

once in the basement, zhi-don and tahsh tossed the place. not finding anything didnt deter them. using the force they were able to find the hidden trap door in the floor. lightsabers took care of getting it open. they dropped down into the tunnel and followed to where they must have exited. "we have to expect a trap" zhi-don told her. "how do you think we should proceed?" this question told tahsh that although zhi-don was upset, he wouldnt do anything rash that might hurt himself, her or marna.

tag: tahsh

 

Shaggy and Tal'ya drove in the speeder to a droid manufacturing plant. Shaggy repeated the process of picking up a crate, the same as the last one. Then they headed to the warehouse near the spaceport. This time he drove into the warehouse.

Tal'ya was now very suspecious. Something ugly was about to hit.

About 12 beings, some alien were waiting. They floated the container out of the speeder and took it over to a large cargo storage unit. This was the type for interspace shipping. [Wait here] Shaggy told her and got out of the speeder and headed toward an office in the back of the warehouse.

<Frell....> Tal'ya tapped down her thoughts..now was NOT the time to blow her cover. She kept thinking about her 'pay'...that she was looking forward to receiving.

She thought it odd when Shaggy headed off towards the office....and told her to stay near the speeder.

Tal'ya was keeping an eye on the others, while trying to not be to noticed, when she heard a tapping. QB tapped on the window. She turned away from the window, and palmed her keyboard.

QB sent her the info. The containers were made of durasteel and were shielded. QB tried to probe but wasnt able get a reading.

She typed a word <recover> and QB sped off. He would try to locate the others.

She managed to slip a tracer in the large cargo storage unit...but it was not turned on just yet.

Tal'ya then tried to see if she could make her way unnoticed towards the office that Shaggy dissapeared into. She had a feeling she knew who she might find there. The other aliens seemed busy in their work, so she looked around, looking to see if she could see any type of hidden monitors or such....while trying to look bored..and restless.

She needed the others here, soon. If they took off, they would be difficult to trace.

She looked up and around...trying to find someplace she could discretely watch what was going on..without someone sticking a blaster in her back.

TAG: Anyone...

Yikes!

 

shaggy left the office and headed back to the speeder. he saw tal'ya off to one side looking around and walked over to her. [you should have stayed in the speeder] he told her [the boss dont like it much when people wander around] he handed her a credcard [10000 credits...not bad for a couple of days work] shaggy turned and led the way back to the speeder [we still have a job to finish....guard duty again...in case anybody shows up before the ship leaves] he drove the speeder back out and down the block again and stopped. [now we wait until the boss calls] he leaned back in his seat.

tag: you two

 

Zhi-Don and Tahsh found a hidden trap door and followed it to where they suspected the abductors exited the tunnel.

"We have to expect a trap." Zhi-don told her. "How do you think we should proceed?"

Hearing the question, Tahsh knew that although they both were upset, Zhi-Don did not want to do anything to bring harm to any of them. Tahsh wanted to rush in and stop the abductors, but she knew Zhi-Don was right. There could be a trap waiting for them. There was one thing she could think to do. It would be risky for her to do this.

Tahsh stood, eyes closed. She reached out to fully embrace the Force she had been hiding herself in. She felt the Force gather around her, and she enjoyed feeling it's comforting power.

Tahsh sent the Force out in a wave, directed to one being in particular. Tal'ya.

Tal'ya, Marna's been captured. she said. I know you're near, and I hope you can help.

Having done that, Tahsh turned to Zhi-Don.

"The only thing I could think of was to try to contact Tal'ya. Let's go in, but carefully. If we rush in and there is a trap, we're sunk. But if it is, and we go in slower and with caution, we have a better chance."

 

Shaggy left the office and headed back to the speeder. He saw tal'ya off to one side looking around and walked over to her.

[You should have stayed in the speeder] he told her. [The boss dont like it much when people wander around.]
he handed her a credcard [10000 credits...not bad for a couple of days work] Tal'ya gave a grin an nodded.

[Not bad at all.]

Shaggy turned and led the way back to the speeder
[We still have a job to finish....guard duty again...in case anybody shows up before the ship leaves] he drove the speeder back out and down the block again and stopped.

[Now we wait until the boss calls] he leaned back in his seat.

Tal'ya is thinking what to do next, when she suddenly feels a call...tru the Force.

//Tal'ya, Marna's been captured. Tahsh said. I know you're near, and I hope you can help.//

Tal'ya laid back, reacting as she had heard nothing, as she muled over a thought.

Tal'ya muttered to Shaggy...making small talk.

[How you end up working for the boss? You just happen to run into him, like you did with me?] she asked him.

Once he finished with that answer, she shot forth another remark.

[You hear about all the kids that have come up missing around here? I heard it being whispered around..]

Tal'ya watched his reactions. If he even LOOKED like he was going to get nasty with her, she would use a hidden needler, and give him a wookie sized doze of nockout meds.

TAG: Anyone

 

zhi-don heard tahsh send a message to tal'ya. he agreed that slowly would be better. the trapdoor entrance to the warehouse was an all too obvious place to set a trap. the last one had almost killed them. zhi-don moved further down the passage, took out his lightsaber, set it for knife length and cut a hole in the top of the tunnel. using the force he carefully and quietly lowered it down. then he boosted tahsh slowly up to look into the deserted droid manufacturing plant. looking around she could see that the trapdoor was armed with a duodeclamite charge on top of it. had they opened it, they would now be with the force.

waiting in the speeder after she heard tahsh's message Tal'ya muttered to Shaggy...making small talk.
[How you end up working for the boss? You just happen to run into him, like you did with me?] she asked him.

[thats pretty much what happened, i was on dantooine and working for one of the hutts, when jerill and his gang attacked. i did so well defending usala the hutt that even though she was killed, i was given a choice to either join up or die. the decision was obvious.]

Once he finished with that answer, she shot forth another remark.
[You hear about all the kids that have come up missing around here? I heard it being whispered around..]

[yeah, i heard something about that. i sure hope they catch the scum who is doing that. sumuggling is one thing. kidnapping kids is quite another.] he told her, then he qrowled softly and made twisting motions with his paws as though a neck were between them.

although ready to shoot him with a hidden needler, tal'ya could tell he was telling the truth. he really didnt know that what was being smuggled were children who were force sensitive. he also didnt like the idea of taking kids. now what should she do?

tag:

 

[You hear about all the kids that have come up missing around here? I heard it being whispered around..] Tal'ya asked.

Shaggy replied, [Yeah, I heard something about that. I sure hope they catch the scum who is doing that. Sumuggling is one thing. kidnapping kids is quite another.] he told her, then he qrowled softly and made twisting motions with his paws as though a neck were between them.

Although ready to shoot him with a hidden needler, Tal'ya could tell he was telling the truth. He really didnt know that what was being smuggled were children who were force sensitive. He also didnt like the idea of taking kids. now what?

Tal'ya thought about it for a second. Shaggy also had mentioned Jerill's name. She decided to trust in the Force.

Tal'ya was silent for a moment, before she replied to Shaggy.

[So....why do you help him steal kids then?] she replied quietly.

[I saw them take a kid....right before they had you chase after me.]

Her hand stayed close to her weapon. She would trust the Force had lead her correctly...if not, she would be in quite a mess....but she was running out of time.

She needed help.

TAG: Anyone

 

"Now, I'm glad I decided on careful." Tahsh told Zhi-Don. "Let's find where they took Marna."


When Tahsh sent out the Force to Tal'ya, Marna felt it as well. Marna reached out with her consciousness to grasp on to that little spark of light in the darkness. She was too weak to move, too weak to even fight her way back to consciousness, or even comprehend that she had felt the Force, but she was with it enough to grasp onto the little spark.
She used that little bit of the Force, that small amount of consciousness, to keep herself out of the oblivious darkness of unconsciousness.
Marna didn't know what was ahead for her, nor was she with it enough to care. All she did care was to keep a hold of the light of the Force.

 

Tal'ya was silent for a moment, before she replied to Shaggy.
[So....why do you help him steal kids then?] she replied quietly.
[I saw them take a kid....right before they had you chase after me.]
Her hand stayed close to her weapon. She would trust the Force had lead her correctly...if not, she would be in quite a mess....but she was running out of time.
She needed help.

shaggy was quiet for a moment, the he turned and looked her in the eye [are you certain,]
he asked her, [that the smuggled goods are kids?]
a low growl started deep in his throat [how can you prove it to me? youre a hired gun the same as me, how can i trust you?]

She used that little bit of the Force, that small amount of consciousness, to keep herself out of the oblivious darkness of unconsciousness.
Marna didn't know what was ahead for her, nor was she with it enough to care. All she did care was to keep a hold of the light of the Force.

it was cold where she was, very cold, pitch black and she couldnt move and she was so very sleepy. the tiny spark sputtered and went out. with her last thought she knew what had happened...she was in cryosleep, somewhere.

tahsh and zhi-don climbed out of the hole that he had made. they made quick work of disarming the explosive charge that had been left for them. just as they finished 5 droids flew out of the darkness. they were maitenance droids fitted with blasters and they opened fire at once.

tag: you two

 

Tahsh immediately brought up her lightsaber and began deflecting the blaster shots back at the droids. With all five of them aiming for her and Zhi-Don, it was no easy task to deflect each bolt, and she found herself having to dodge as many as she deflected.

"We need to take these droids out." she told Zhi-Don. "I'll take the ones on the right."

Before waiting for any responce, Tahsh charged, moving around to get her target droids in the way of the shots fired by the others. When she was close enough, she swung her lightsaber around and slashed the first droid in half, ending that one's onslaught.

 

Tal'ya was silent for a moment, before she replied to Shaggy. [So....why do you help him steal kids then?] she replied quietly.
[I saw them take a kid....right before they had you chase after me.]

Sshaggy was quiet for a moment, the he turned and looked her in the eye

[Are you certain,that the smuggled goods are kids?] he asked her, a low growl started deep in his throat

Tal'ya nodded.

[How can you prove it to me? You're A hired gun the same as me, how can I trust you?]

Tal'ya looked at him. [I was watching a kid, when they grabbed him...I was chasing them...went they sent YOU after me...I had avoided all the others.]

Tal'ya didnt trust him enought to tell him much more...in case she had judged him wrong.

[I'm not a hired gun. The Kid belonged to my ex-boss. He wasnt happy, to say the least. I've been trying to get him back. He fired me. I think that last crate was the last kid...then their gonna head out of here. When you caught me...I had the same choice as you had...Join...or get shot. So, I figured to join you...in order to find him.]

She now looked at him. [The boxes are heavy...and heavily shielded. I think they are cyro-boxes.]

<Now comes the fun part.> She thought to herself. She would have liked to have told him what she was..but it might be safer, if he didnt know.

[The proof I need...is in there. If I can show you the proof...would that help?..You think I like risking getting shot by you, just telling you this...But...I need to find out before they leave..or those kids are toast.]

Tal'ya watied to see what would happen now. It was Shaggys move.

TAG: Anyone

 

We need to take these droids out." she told Zhi-Don. "I'll take the ones on the right."
Before waiting for any responce, Tahsh charged, moving around to get her target droids in the way of the shots fired by the others. When she was close enough, she swung her lightsaber around and slashed the first droid in half, ending that one's onslaught.

tahsh was busy taking out the first droid, so she didnt see what zhi-don did. not wanting to wait until the droids came within saber range, zhi-don used the force to slam two of the droids together with enourmous impact. droid parts went everywhere. two down. tahsh was within close range to one of the two remaining droids and easily dodged the blasts aimed at her and split the other droid in half as well. zhi-don saw that the other droid had aimed point blank at tahsh's back. there was no time to use the force to move it and no way to reach it with his lightsaber. zhi-don did something then that normally he would never do. he raised his hand and blue lightning crackled out and hit the droid destroying it completely.

[The proof I need...is in there. If I can show you the proof...would that help?..You think I like risking getting shot by you, just telling you this...But...I need to find out before they leave..or those kids are toast.]
Tal'ya watied to see what would happen now. It was Shaggys move.

shaggy listened to tal'ya, but shook his head. [i cant go in there, it would be suicide...there's 12 gunmen in there, not to mention jerill...you dont know him. he's some kinda dark jedi. i saw him lift a man off the floor and strangle him without moving. i need more proof if im going to risk my life. i need positive proof. the word of a hired gun is not enough...you have to understand]

tag: you two

 

[The proof I need...is in there. If I can show you the proof...would that help?..You think I like risking getting shot by you, just telling you this...But...I need to find out before they leave..or those kids are toast.]
Tal'ya watied to see what would happen now.

Shaggy listened to Tal'ya, but shook his head. [I cant go in there, it would be suicide...there's 12 gunmen in there, not to mention Jerill...you dont know him. He's some kinda Dark Jedi. I saw him lift a man off the floor and strangle him without moving. I need more proof if I'm going to risk my life. I need positive proof. the word of a hired gun is not enough...you have to understand]

Tal'ya thought a second. She studied him, quietly for a few moments.

[Im not asking you to go in there Shaggy. Im willing to go in....alone...to get the proof.]

[I just ask that you dont shoot me in the back. If Im caught..then I alone will be caught...]

[Im not asking you to risk you life...but I am willing to risk mine. He cant escape with those kids.]

Tal'ya spoke quietly.

 

shaggy considered this....then spoke again [if you go in, the guards will kill you and if they dont jerill will. i wont let you go in alone, but even if i go with you were not enough to take them. i wont shoot you in the back in any case. it would take an army to take them now. it wont make much difference anyway, soon they will have the cargo container loaded and then it will be towed to the ship.] shaggy pulled out his bowcaster and loaded it. [what's your plan?]

tag: tal'ya