Star Wars Star Wars: Episode VI - As Father and Son - Part 3

IC: Alecs Brellar

Alecs gratefully accepted a cup of caf from one of the petty officers that wandered the bridge. Still no change, though from what the comm channels were saying, the Emperor was making quite a show out of his arrival. A loud cranking noise brought his attention back to the jammed turbolift as the maintanence techs finally got the door open. Inside was Junior Lieutenant Seena Rendar, one of the few female members of his crew, and Major Del Sannis, the commander of the Onslaught's Stormtrooper complement.

Alecs quirked an eyebrow as he took in Seena's appearance. Her uniform was even more rumpled than usual, her lips slightly swollen, and her face flushed bright red. To Major Sannis' credit, his appearance revealed nothing.

"I'm going to pretend I don't know what you two were doing in there, Major, so long as you're somewhat more... discreet in the future," He told the tall, bulky, blank-faced stormtrooper a little irritably. He was very protective of his crew, and suddenly he felt like he was a father again, giving his daughter's boyfriend "the talk". Beside the trooper, Seena shifted in embarassment and sidled off to her post.

"Understood, sir," Sannis replied, still refusing to show any emotion at getting caught. Behind him, Alecs heard Smee talking, no doubt ruthlessly mocking poor Seena.

"Now, is there any reason for this little visit, Major?" Alecs asked wearily.

"Actually, sir, it has to do with our two... passengers." Alecs waved his hand impatiently, bidding the man to continue. "They... Well, sir, for lack of a better term, they didn't feel right." Alecs closed his eyes and prayed for patience as he heard Smee choke on his caf at that.

"What do you mean, they didn't 'feel right'?" The Captain inquired, closing his eyes and waiting for the inevitable. It happened.

"Oh, yes, Major, do tell," Smee urged near laughter. "Just how did they feel? Was their skin as soft as it looked? And how about the rack on that one with--"

"Mr. Smee," Alecs interrupted. "Do you recall the policy I have about not throttling members of my crew?" Smee nodded, still fighting a grin. "Don't make me reconsider it." Smee just shrugged and went back to his console, muttering about how Alecs was "just a big softie deep down".

The captain turned his attention back to Major Sannis, waiting for him to continue. "Sir, I'm trained to read body language, and theirs was all wrong for simple concubines. I think... I think they may have been spies, or maybe even assassins." Alecs paused to consider that.

"Thank you for bringing your suspicions to my attention, Major. Talk to the deck crew and see if they were able to find anything out about our passengers' luggage. If they were assassins, they might have been carrying equipment with their things."

"But sir, if they were assassins, shouldn't we warn the Emperor? What if they're here to kill him?"

"They aren't here to kill the Emperor, Major. It was the Emperor that ordered us to bring them here. No, we'll stay silent for now, Major. Dismissed." The younger man saluted and left, leaving the captain to ponder this turn of events...

Tag: BobaMatt

 

OOC: All these great canon characters making appearances, and the entirely OC crew of the Onslaught threaten to become my favorites.

Winged_Jedi got the Nabooalla kudos, too. ARSLAN5, have you gotten my PMs? I'd appreciate a response to them before your next post.

Here's an update for those who've already been able to respond.

IC: Hal Horn, Horn residence, Coronet, Corellia

??and you came here?? Hal Horn croaked as he forced hot caf down his throat so as not to spit-take it in surprise. He composed himself a bit, cleared his throat. Corran had been given orders to report to a crime scene?and hadn?t. This was unlike him. The young man was sitting on the couch seeming confused. Something was troubling him, and it wasn?t just the triple homicide. No, that sort of thing happened in the Blue District all the time.

?Son, are you alright? This isn?t like you. You?re a CorSec officer. It better be important.?

TAG: ARSLAN5

IC: Reti, cockpit of the Millenium Falcon, over Dagobah

The roars and growls that came from the Wookiee before he stood up and stormed out of the room had been impressive, but ultimately carried no meaning for the Toydarian. Reti alighted on Chewbacca?s chair, picking long strands of fur from the arm rest. He looked at Lando and snorted, jabbing a thumb at the door. ?Heh?what?s with him, eh??

TAG: BLemelisk

IC: Obi-Wan Kenobi

Obi-Wan took a moment to coalesce his energy into the image of his corporal form. Qui-Gon could not do the same, but the Obi-Wan could imagine the look of weary necessity on his old master?s face. Everything Yoda said was true, and yet his last question left a hint of hope.

The vacillation was thick in the Force and collected into a ball in the air between them. All knew what had to be said, and it was on the tip of everyone?s tongue. Obi-Wan felt Yoda?s relief as well as his own when it was Qui-Gon?s voice that spoke. ?We all well know, Master Yoda, that while you may be the last who can still truly call himself a Jedi, that you are not the only one of our old colleagues to have survived this long. Perhaps one of them can do what we cannot? And who knows? Perhaps training Leia will help them find their way back to service of the Force.?

TAG: Saintheart

IC: Tubs, lounge, the Onslaught, above Naboo

He wasn?t often asked about his job, so when one of the petty officers said Captain Brellar was looking for any strange information, Tubs nearly choked on his sandwich.

?Uh?n-no, nothing too weird in the luggage, far as I could tell, I dunno?well there was this one thing?? he swallowed the food in his mouth, ?I couldn?t tell if we needed to get the weapons scanner fixed ?cause, like, we did a sweep over the lady, one of them, and she came up as if she had weapons on her, ?cept she didn?t seem to have none.? Tubs grinned and began to giggle a bit, ?And I mean?we checked her pretty good, if you know what I mean? I mean she was naked, get it? We checked her. She didn?t seem to happy about it neither, but I?ll tell you, me and Jo was plenty happy. I mean, sometimes the thing goes haywire with prostheses, you know, droid parts? But don?t nobody have that many droid parts, do they? They can?t, ?cause I?m tellin? you, this one, from what I saw, she was all woman?then again they make those droid parts pretty good these days, huh??

The petty officer left without responding, leaving Tubs to his sandwich.

TAG: Inquisitor_Skywalker

 

IC: Kyle Katarn, Dune Sea, Tatooine

As the proud and mysterious warrior marched across the burning sand towards Jabba the Hutt?s personal box, the crowd in the stands cheered, wowed by the spectacular display of skill and raw nerve of today?s champion in the desolate wastes of Tatooine. Inwardly, however, ?Tamtel? was amazed that he pulled it off. He would have tossed a thermal detonator into the AT-ST?s cockpit, however he had used up the remainder of those taking out the Iridonian with the lightsaber. Luckily, an old acquaintance of his had pointed out that the old chicken walkers had one exploitable weakness in such a situation: the drive box beneath the cockpit was particularly vulnerable to blaster fire?if you get under it without being squashed.

That wasn?t nearly as easy as he made it look. He thanked his lucky stars the day his partner in crime had given him that personal shield generator.

Swaggering up the steps to Jabba?s box, the warrior came to a stop in front of the massive Hutt and his golden protocol droid. Piercing brown eyes stared out from beneath his primitive-looking mask as the winds of Tatooine blew sand off of his armored shoulders, smoke rising from the few burnt spots of his clothing. In a cocky, casual tone, Tamtel said, ?Well, your grand bloatedness, I?ll take that prize off your hands now.?

TAG: scrufflvoer23, BobaMatt

 

IC: Alecs Brellar; Captain's Study

Alecs leaned back in his seat and set his booted feet up onto the simple, cheap desk that dominated the small room adjacent to his sleeping quarters, listening to Major Sannis' report on what he and the small group of crewmen with nothing better to do had uncovered.

"So, prosthesis, eh? No way she's a concubine, then. I doubt the Emperor would have anyone short of perfect in his bed," His brow creased in thought. "Though... there were rumors about him and Vader a few years back," Alecs added with a wry smile. Sannis stifled a grin and hid a laugh behind a small cough.

"Cap'n, you're as bad as Smee sometimes," The trooper replied.

"Yes," the Captain agreed. "I daresay he's been something of a bad influence. Well, I'm sure you're as bored as I am, so what do you say to taking a little trip, while we're here?"

"A trip, sir? You mean to the surface?"

"Well, we aren't going to learn much more about our mysterious passengers by sitting on our hands in orbit are we? Grab a couple troopers, and we'll head down in our civvies for a little investigation..."

-----

Half an hour later, the Captain, Major Sannis, and two stormtroopers that Alecs had dubbed Thing One and Thing Two, as they were both big, bulky, and shared a blank expression that hinted at just how little was between their ears, found themselves aboard a Lambda-class shuttle descending toward Theed. All four wore simple, but rather gaudy and colorful clothing, and Alecs couldn't help but feel that he looked ridiculous, though Sannis had assured him that, for the Naboo, gaudy and flamboyantly colorful was the norm. There was a soft clunk as the shuttle set down and lowered the boarding ramp.

"We might be here for a while, lieutenant," Alecs informed the shuttle's pilot. "So why don't you see about picking up some spices for the galley? The food is getting a little bland." Alecs handed a few credit chips to the pilot, who grinned and moved to begin locking down the shuttle while he looked for a food merchant.

Alecs, Sannis, Thing One, and Thing Two made their way out onto the streets of Theed. The roadway was mostly empty, as all but a few had gone to see the Emperor's arrival. From the few Naboo that were out, Alecs could see that Sannis had been correct about the locals' mode of dress. In fact the natives' clothing was even more ridiculously colorful than what Sannis had picked out.

"Kriffing crazy people," He muttered as they passed a man dressed in a bright pink robe over a baby blue tunic. As the group approached the crowd surrounding Palpatine's entrouge, Alecs found himself hoping that this investigation wouldn't take too long. He wasn't entirely convinced the locals didn't have some sort of contagious disease that made people dress like blind fools...

Tag: BobaMatt, JEDI-TEEGIRLOO, and starwarsbeauty

 

BobaMatt approved!

-----

Name: Kir Tanos
Species: Human
Gender: Male
Age: N/A
Height: 1.83 meters
Skin Color: Caucasian
Eye Color: Brown
Hair Color: Brown
Homeworld: N/A
Weapons: Blaster, Force Pike
Possessions: Royal Guard Uniform
Profession: Emperor's Royal Guard
Languages: Galactic Basic
Alignments: The Galactic Empire
Appearance: [image=http://www.starwars.jp/databank/character/image/kir_kanos.jpg]
Biography: Nothing is known of Kir Kanos's life before he joined the Galactic Empire, but whatever his experience had been, it served him well during his trials to become a Royal Guard. As with all of the Emperor's Royal Guard, Kanos was a stormtrooper whose exemplary performance caused him to be a standout among his squad.

In pairs, the potential guardsmen were to be brought before Palpatine to complete their training. Jax and Frost went first, while Kanos and Tauk waited outside. Although Tauk was visibly nervous for the test, Kanos steeled his nerves, trying to calm his good friend. When the doors opened, the two men strode forward into the Emperor's chamber, coming face to face with the leader of the Galaxy. A spatter of blood decorated the floor, and he could see Carnor Jax peering out at him from behind Palpatine's throne. After being congratulated for their accomplishments, the Emperor ordered that the two men fight for him.

Kanos and Tauk hesitated, but at the demand of Vader, the two men crossed blades. As their training took over, Kanos quickly took the upper hand. Battering aside Tauk's weaker defense, Kanos kicked the man back and drove his blade through Tauk's stomach. As Tauk's slowly dying body fell backwards, Kanos locked eyes with the man one last time, realizing that he had just killed his best friend. With Tauk's corpse lying at the feet of the Emperor, Palpatine congratulated his newest guardsmen and departed the facility.

Kanos quickly ran to the body of Tauk, trying to apologize for his ultimate betrayal. However, Vader was watching and informed Kanos that he should never regret a command from the Emperor. Vader ignited his lightsaber, preparing to teach Kanos a lesson. Although Kanos was able to get his hands on his blade, he was no match for Vader, who cut a large swath through Kanos helmet, giving him a distinguishing scar that he would carry for the rest of his life.

 

OOC: I wont be able to get a post in tonight due to work, i will try and get one up tomorrow.

 

Alias: Sol Curran
Location: Docking Bay 325 in Coronet City Spaceport in the capital city Coronet on Corellia

Sol recalled the past circumstances mildly. He hadn?t a regret for involving himself, or for killing agents of the Empire. Despite his assuredness that his intents had been well-placed, he doubted that he couldn?t have handled the situation better. Truly, in retrospect, his subtlety wasn?t. In a moment of spontaneity, he failed to think through his actions. He was trained not to make a mistake this obvious. His only concern, regardless, was that his abilities were failing.

Perhaps it was a lack of concentration, for he hadn?t meditated in days, or just a flaw in his technique, implemented to keep him from surpassing Vader. It worried Sol that, even with his studies with Rahm and Shaak, he hadn?t corrected anything. His excuses were admirable attempts to avoid the truth, but, even as he buried the very seeds of idea, he hadn?t a chance to distance himself from his blatant lack of control. And, while ultimately calm, he chastised himself vigorously.

It proved that Sol hadn?t completed his training. He would have to correct that fault eventually, but it would apparently have to wait, for, his sub-conscious sensed a storm targeting him. A livid Juno, doing her best to look indignant, and nearly forcing an outright laugh from Sol, entered the cockpit. In the face of her fuming discontent, the former agent of the Dark side sobered up entirely. It happened within the span of a second, and he could only vainly hope she hadn?t detected his treason.

Such a display would far from alleviate her terrible anger, and he had no wish to entice his flame into a duel of wits. She would indubitably win, but it wouldn?t cure their amounting hardships, nor would it help ease the tension building between the pair.

Knowing that his constant tranquility was a point of irritation with Juno, Sol made a fair point in exhibiting concern at his partner?s unsettled features. He cautiously probed Juno?s indignation, by trying to brush a hair from her cheek. Attempting to piece together an appropriate response, Sol fished for the exact scope of her blazing fury.

?How far have I set us back??

Tag: Allegra

 

IC - Yoda

Small hut, Dagobah

"Matters are worse, then," said Yoda with a sigh. "Know, we do, that many of them fell to darkness. Those that did not, harder still will it be for Skywalker's daughter to convince to train her!" He turned in the direction of the fountain in the Force that was Qui-Gon's presence. "Not for nothing do I count myself last of the Jedi--"

His words were interrupted by a fit of coughing that welled up from his chest. Perhaps it was that which determined the issue.

Yoda sighed, closing his eyes, letting the grief, sorrow, and disappointment of Luke Skywalker's conversion go -- just as he had with the loss of all of the Order, thirty years ago. He opened his eyes once more. "But right again you are, my old students. No other hope there is, and no more time there is." The Jedi Master's eyes narrowed. "Train her I will -- for as long as I have time. But different also, my course of training must be."

He looked with a hard gaze at Obi-Wan Kenobi. "No time, or luxury, there is, for the truth to be told in roundabout fashion. If strong enough to bear the burden of her heritage she is not, then strong enough to defeat Vader she will never be." He fancied he could sense both Obi-Wan's and Qui-Gon's discomfiture at this assertion, and could not help but let a bitter smile cross his face. "One with the Force may both of you be, but your master, and trainer of living beings, still am I! And last -- if to another trainer will she eventually come, prepared, too, that teacher must be. By you, or I, or all of us, but see to it we must."

TAG: BobaMatt

 

IC: Shira Brie

Standing in the presence of both Palpatine and Vader would always get to Shira. Both had so much power and hatred you could feel it all around you. Here she was, in the presence of both, surrounded by more extravagance than was needed. There were followers of the emperor everywhere. She wasn't really sure why she, or anyone else for that matter, was here. She knew it was because someone would be assigned an assignment. Something about a rogue jedi or that is what the rumors were saying. It was the assignment that Shira was somewhat worried about. She needed a way to really catch Vader's and Palpatine's attention, more so than she already had. Maybe this would be the chance she was waiting for. Looking around her, Shira saw Jade. She knew Vader didn't like Jade and she herself hated her. She was competition in every way.

Bringing her attention back to the matter at hand, Shira watched as Palpatine past her. The woman knew what she was supposed to do and she would do it. Some day Vader would be the one for her to follow. Shira followed Palpatine into whatever awaited them.

Tag: Darth Nemesis, BobaMatt, JEDI-TEEGIRLOO, Inquisitior_Skywalker

 

IC: Juno Eclipse - Docking Bay 325, Coronet City Spaceport, Coronet, Corellia

?Don?t! Laugh at me.? The fiery blonde said jabbing a finger in Sol?s direction. ?Do you?? Her words were stopped short as his face became calm. She knew he was trying to ease the tension that had built between the two in the last few weeks of their escapade. Juno had to admit, she hated feeling this distant from him. It made her feel alone. She had felt alone most of her life and covered the empty hole within her with training missions, compliments of a job well done. Yet it wasn?t the same. Her hand fell to her side and she balled it into a tiny fist.

Inching a bit closer to his partner Sol?s eyes scanned every inch of her angry eyes. This peace was unnerving, Juno really did hate it when he could act so calm when she was so irate. It made no sense to her how he could even remotely be so tranquil. As it was she was beginning to calm down, the flames that burned inside her squelching every second she was around him - no matter how hard she tried to keep them alive and burning with passionate anger. Sol?s fingers gently brushed against her cheek moving a stray strand of hair off of her delicate features.

Despite his show of affection, Juno managed to keep her eyes blazing, yet the drop in her shoulders was a very obvious sign that the tension she held within her was in exodus. Before she could even finish her question Sol asked, ?How far have I set us back??

Oh now you?re concerned. Inwardly she rolled her eyes.

?Not by much. Let?s see we have practically no hyperdrive. Uhm. Oh yeah, no hyperdrive, pretty much. Let?s just say I hope we can make nice with the Corellians here and not get our behinds kicked by the Imperials that are, oh yeah snipping at our butts.? A small spark ignited within her again, yet was unable to burst into deliberate licking flames. Juno kept a stoic pose, as stoic as she could muster, as her blue eyes stayed matching his calm, and peaceful gaze.

Tag: Nick

 

Alias: Sol Curran
Location: Docking Bay 325 in Coronet City Spaceport in the capital city Coronet on Corellia

The way she laced her answer with cynicism gave Sol a clear view of how frustrated Juno was. He knew that he would have to take extra care to provoke her. While he adored the pilot dearly, he had always been weary of her emotions. She could love you one second, and tear your throat out the next. Sol loosely wondered if it was the same with all women.

Still, despite the sarcasm, she visibly was showing signs of calming. He was glad to have the effect on her, because it would make their lives much simpler. Not wishing to overdo it, he refrained from any further movements. He kept his eyes hard on hers, the passion apparent in hers and concealed in his.

?I have faith in you. We well survive this, yet. For now, we need to stash the Shadow.?

Sol carefully positioned his hands behind his back. He kept his feet spread just apart, but his eyes never wavered. He hoped that Juno could see the diligence in them.

Tag: Allegra

 

IC: Emperor Palpatine
~Emperors retreat - Naboo~

The Emperor sat calmly in his throne. The lake before him was glistening in the sun. Quite an astonishing view, one that offered clarity for his thoughts, allowing him to think about the future and his efforts to gain complete control. He allowed a brief smile to appear on his face; the two contrasted. The beauty of the lake should not be used to give one a clearer glimpse on how to control the galaxy with an iron fist. Rather, it should be there for the purpose of calming individuals, allowing those in peril to come to terms with their situation. The irony was not lost to Palpatine.

As he felt Shira arrive behind him, he swiveled around in his chair, facing the lady that echoed Vader in so many ways. She, too, was a cyborg of sorts, relying on mechanical appendages after having been injured severely in a fightercraft. He did not care too much about the specifics, but he had been a bit surprised when Vader had presented Shira to him. It lessened some of the suspicions that Palpatine held against Vader; why had the apprentice not taken her on as his own apprentice in an attempt to overthrow the Emperor? It was a situation that had taken up many hours of thought, and will require more. But, as it were, there were more important matters at hand.

"Shira Brie," the Emperor said, his voice was slightly high pitched, raspy, and very intimidating. "Welcome to my favorite retreat. I do hope you have enjoyed your brief stay." He smiled in an attempt to give her a sense of confidence...a false sense of confidence. "I have a new task in which I expect you to complete. You are to travel to Yinchorr and oversee the training of my Royal Guards. These guards are the best of the best, and I expect their training to be exactly that. If they are not sufficiently trained, you are to report that to me." He swiveled back around in his chair, not caring for the reaction that Shira was sure to have. She was probably expecting something more dangerous, or having to do with the supposed Jedi on Correllia. That, however, was for another person.

"Mara Jade," the tone in his voice did not change in the slightest. "I am sure you have undoubtedly heard of the reports of a lightsaber wielding individual on Correllia. You are to go there and investigate this matter. I want this issue taken care of, immediately." The Emperor quited himself now, not expecting any responses other than the normal, "Yes my lord," or something of the sorts. But, they were certainly able to do so. Hopefully, they did not make him mad with their responses.

TAG: starwarsbeauty, JEDI_TEEGRILOO, BobaMatt

 

IC: Lando Calrissian
Cockpit of the Millenium Falcon, Dagobah Orbit

Lando sat quietly in the pilot's couch, staring out the viewport at the brilliant silence of space. Such was especially evident here. In some places, even in-system it was crowded and busy. But here over this remote planet it was very calm, and Lando even reached out to cut even the navigation thruster power to the engines so the Falcon could just drift inside the planet's gravity well.

Chewie had left to do work in the back of the ship when the Toydarian, Reti, had come in running his mouth about the ship they were getting on Tatooine from some used-up junk dealer. At least the Wookiee didn't have to contend with Reti's comments directly, as they were directed at Lando himself; the only other being able to speak Basic on board.

"Yeah that sounds like a good idea...once we get to that dustball that can be your first order of business; getting those things slaved up. That Hutt will have plenty of guards in position, those turrets will eat right through 'em."

Lando took a moment to open up a computer monitor-displayed catalog of local systems and browsed through them to pass the time.

?Heh?what?s with him, eh??

Lando rolled his eyes. Reti was so tense. It should have been obvious why Chewie had left, even if you couldn't understand the language.

"Nothin' he just tends to worry about his best friend considering he's being held by one of the worst gangsters in the galaxy," he snapped. "Worries me too..." Calrissian trailed off. He was confident that they were going to get their old buddy back, but until the time came to start cracking Gamorrean heads, it was best to not think about their missing teammate.

"So Ret," he said as his face glowed every time he pulled up a new system catalog entry as he flipped slowly by them, "have you ever flown an LAAT before?"

TAG: BobaMatt, MCPO, Any

 

IC: Shira Brie

Shira inhaled a deep breath as she watched the emperor turn in his chair. She would try and stay calm through the ordeal no matter what he told her. She would never quite understand why she was under the emperor and not Vader. Maybe Vader had doubts about her that he had not yet voiced.

A haunting voice broke into the young woman's thoughts. She looked into the man's distorted and wrinkled face.

"Shira Brie. Welcome to my favorite retreat. I do hope you have enjoyed your brief stay. I have a new task in which I expect you to complete. You are to travel to Yinchorr and oversee the training of my Royal Guards. These guards are the best of the best, and I expect their training to be exactly that. If they are not sufficiently trained, you are to report that to me."

Waves of shock and hate ran through every part of Shira's body. When the emperor turned, it took all the self control she possessed to not charge him and attempt to kill him. How could he treat her like a lowly servant girl? Training guards? Anyone could do that! She was an assasin! A feared assasin! This assignment meant that Jade was to get the other. The other that Shira had deserved.

Letting go of her shock and letting the hatred fill her entire being, Shira nodded.

"Yes, my lord."

Backing away she waited to see what he would tell Mara Jade and wait for this gathering to be finished so she could voice her discontent to Vader. Hopefully he would have an alternative to this disgraceful assignment.

Tag: BobaMatt, JEDI_TEEGRILOO, darth_nemisis

 

IC: Reti, cockpit of the Millenium Falcon, above Dagobah

Reti coughed nervously, scratching the back of his head. ?Uh?well?I mean?I?ve seen them flown. In the Wars. I fought in the Wars, did you know that? Briefly. I was friends with a Jedi, dunno if you?ve ever heard of her, Adi Gallia? Probably not. She was a hell of a pilot. I mean, she was a Jedi by training, but she was born on Corellia, so of course she was a great pilot. That guy, Skywalker? He was a Jedi, right? He fought with you guys in the Rebellion. This guy the Princess is looking for?he?s a Jedi, too??

TAG: BLemelisk, MCPO_John_117

IC: Admiral Piett, bridge of the Star Dreadnought Executor, over Naboo

Piett sighed as he watched the Onslaught drift aimlessly, and imagined rotating and firing all batteries upon her. She was useless, a punishment assignment for dolts and ne?er-do-wells. If they had to put somewhere, why not in prison? It?s where they?d no doubt have ended up if Empire hadn?t graciously taking them in in the first place.

As such, Piett had not refused when the captain requested a shore leave for he and a compliment of his crew. In geosynchronous orbit above Theed, they?d be able to get back in time if anything happened, but really, with the Executor here what good could the Onslaught really do in a security situation? So fine, he had thought, the crew should go make fools of themselves among the Naboo, as long as they agreed to go in civvies so as not to disgrace the Empire practically under His Majesty?s very nose.

A porter brought Piett tea. With a curt nod, he accepted it, and took a sip, pinky up.

TAG: All

IC: His Corpulence Jabba the Hutt, Royal Box, Demolition Arena, Dune Sea, Tatooine

Jabba watched as Skreej walked across the sand. Usually, winning competitors merely drove their vehicles up, but as Skreej had no vehicle at the moment, this was taking longer than Jabba liked. He fidgeted. He could easily have just said what he wanted to Skreej now, but that would take away from the ceremony, and from the subtle show of power involved in making the winner come to him. Jabba closed his eyes against the bright sun and enjoyed the cooling breeze of the feather fans being waved at him by his slave girls, a Theelin and a Twi?lek. A murmur began as the human finally reached the stairs below, and a Rodian exclaimed. Finally, the human swaggered up into box, gun on his hip, and with a raised eyebrow and crossed arms said, ?Well, your grand bloatedness, I?ll take that prize off your hands now.?

<<Cheeky, Skreej,>> Jabba said, feeling his deep, powerful voice rumble up from the depths of his gelatinous torso, <<I?ve killed men for less cheek, but those men haven?t entertained me as much as you have for the last month. You did well today. I?m awarding you another 5,000 credits and the chance to ride back to the Palace with me and my retinue aboard the Khetanna. You should feel honored.>>

As the golden droid jabbered on in his infuriatingly crisp and high pitched voice ? Jabba would see if EV-9D9 couldn?t do something about his vocabulator ? translating the Hutt?s words for those that had managed to live on Tatooine without picking up Huttese, Jabba reached into the bowl by his divan, pulled out a frog, and swallowed it whole. When the pleasantries were done with, he slithered off his divan and made his way down the ramp from whence he had come, followed by everyone in the box with him. Behind him, he heard a few slip on his slime trail and chuckled.

<<So tell me, Skreej, where did you learn to fight like that, eh? I haven?t seen a man deal out that much destruction since the Clone Wars, and those men carried glowing sticks.>> Jabba?s joke rumbled through the tunnel as they came out into the sunlight. Men immediately formed up around Jabba and Skreej and covered them in parasols, to protect Jabba?s soft, mucus covered flesh from the drying effects of the sun. Together, the whole group sn

 

IC: Emperor Palpatine
~Emperor Palpatine's Retreat - Naboo~

Palpatine relished in the mixture of emotions that flooded the Force when the Emperor told the young Shira of her next assignment. At the foremost of those emotions were shock and hatred. The smile that crossed his face was unseen because he had turned his back, but his feelings through the Force would be felt by all around him. He could tell she wanted to act out against him, strike him down with a swift stroke. That is why he made his feelings so vivid through the Force, to encourage such a thing. For obvious reasons, she would not succeed.

"Yes, my lord," she finally said, doing the smart thing and conceding to the Emperor's wishes. The smile on Palpatine's face faded, but he still had a sort of satisfying look on his face.

Shira was not the only one who was disappointed by the assignment given to the cyborg woman. Lord Vader had let his emotions slip, emitting his anger through the Force. By Vader displaying his disapproval of Palpatines orders, it only strengthened the Emperor's suspicion of his apprentice. Vader and Shira had a bond, one that Vader did not often share, especially since the loss of his beloved wife. Palpatine made a not to have Shira watched more closely.

Vader knelt down beside his master, doing the same as Shira did, conceding his emotions and obeying the Emperor. Palpatine turned to face the Dark Lord as he spoke. "What is thy bidding, my master?" he asked, as always. For anyone who had never seen this, it was quite the site. Darth Vader was so menacing - two meters tall, adorned in frightening black armor - yet he was bowing to a seemingly frail, old man who was just over a meter and a half tall. Again, the irony was not lost on Palpatine.

"I have an important issue that needs taken care of, Lord Vader. The Death Star is far behind schedule. I want you to board the Death Star and persuade Jerjerrod to improve his work schedule." He let the assignment sink in. It would be quite boring for the Dark Lord, but he would do the task no matter what. "Ensure him that this task must be completed, for I will arrive shortly after to oversee the project myself." As if the fact that Palpatine would oversee the project, which was something he did not normally do, was not enough to stress how important getting the Dearth Star complete was, he reiterated the point, "This is of the utmost importance, Lord Vader, do not let fail me."

TAG: BobaMatt, starwarsbeauty, JEDI-TEEGRILOO

 

IC: Alecs Brellar, Theed, Naboo

"Well, this is going nowhere fast," Alecs announced with a sigh. They had been there for quite a while, and there had been no sign of the two young women they had traveled so far to bring here. The crowd was mostly dispersed, as Palpatine had passed long ago, en route to his retreat. The only resonse to his disappointed statement was a grunt of agreement from Thing Two (he still hadn't gotten around to asking his name). Alecs eyed the rather thuggish trooper while his back was turned, wondering briefly if perhaps he was more intelligent than he let on. He'd been the more alert-seeming of the Thing Twins during the search; it was possible... But no, as he turned and Alecs looked into those vacant blue eyes, he determined that his original estimation of the man's brainpower had been correct.

He sighed again, this time in exasperation, before an idea struck. "Follow me," He ordered the bored troopers as he marched purposefully up to one of the Naboo Royal Guards that still hovered in the Galactic Emperor's wake.

"I am Inspector Brellar, Imperial Security Bureau," He said with as much pompousness and arrogance as he could muster, shoving his naval ident card into the bewildered younger man's face, then retracting it before the guard's eyes could focus on the object and determine that the "inspector" was lying.

"Have you seen either of these women recently, perhaps with the Emperor's entrouge?" This time, he gave the man some time to look at the hologram the captain had pulled from the Onslaught's security mainframe, showing both passengers. "We," He gestured to the large, intimidating men behind him, "have reason to believe they may be assassins intending to do harm to His Majesty." To be fair, it was only a half lie...

Tag: BobaMatt

 

IC - Yoda

Small hut, Dagobah

There was a pause between Yoda's words and those of his one-time students, and the ageing Jedi Master didn't miss it. Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon clearly weren't pleased by the prospect of having Skywalker's daughter told of her heritage up front rather than at the conclusion of her training. Still, what else was there to do? He knew his time was approaching, but the Force had not shared with him the precise moment when. There was too little time. He might not raise Leia's sensitivity to the Force sufficiently for Qui-Gon or Obi-Wan to manifest to her in person, and then where would they be? It was not as though they could exactly leave a message with the nearest holonet office.

Yoda stretched blood back into his fingers, thinking. Although a dim, distant part of him still registered amusement at the tentative way Qui-Gon had asked how the training would be altered. Obviously oneness with the Force had not cut out the shock of Qui-Gon Jinn's teacher announcing he was about to break with a good eight or nine hundred years of Jedi tradition. Still, the whole experiment with Skywalker's children was a break in tradition. Otherwise Yoda would probably have had a good twenty years' worth of training to reflect on instead of the few short weeks behind in the son's case and the weeks, or days, ahead in the case of the daughter.

Foolish, I was, he said silently to himself. The children, here they should have been. Or with Obi-Wan. A sudden image welled up -- a memory that would never be -- of Yoda screeching at a twelve-year-old Leia Organa over a rebellious change to her haircut. Another, of Obi-Wan waiting with arms folded outside his hut for Luke to come back from joyriding a borrowed landspeeder.

Had those speculative images come from Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, the Force, or from Yoda's own mind? Perhaps it didn't matter. The Jedi Master felt his mood lighten, and he sighed. "Focus, we will, her training upon overall Force sensitivity. The martial applications we will dispense with. No lightsaber have I to teach her, and other instructors will she need anyway. Control of thew elements we will teach to her, and concealment. The direction of energy, and its reflection with the Living Force, not with saber." The Jedi Master chewed briefly on his gimer stick before continuing. "If control she learns of these, mastery of the saber will come in their train. Understand she must the connection of heart and mind and the Force, to defeat her kin. And time these arts will grant to her, before strong enough she is to confront her father and brother."

TAG: BobaMatt

 

IC: Juno Eclipse - Docking Bay 325, Coronet City Spaceport, Coronet, Corellia


Her anger level was simmering down faster than she would have liked as she became rather sunken into herself as he seemed to close himself off with caution. Juno was used to this, she would get mad, he would be as tranquil as a doe, she would get irritated, he would close off. It was a cycle she wished had never started between the two. Yet, all companions had their patterns, did they not?

Sol?s eyes glossed over with seriousness as he looked down upon her, his gaze never shifting. His pose, stoic, rigid. Hands gracefully poised at the small of his back, his feet parted to the width of his broad (not to mention handsome) shoulders. "I have faith in you. We well survive this, yet. For now, we need to stash the Shadow."

The blonde nodded with an unwanted curtly drift, her hands resting upon her hips as she inhaled deeply. Juno knew he was right. Yet the question remained, Where to hide the Shadow.. Opening her mind she let her thought be open to him. ?Where do you have in mind?? Juno finding comfort in the floor beneath her boots as she began to exit the cockpit. She knew he would follow.?I mean, we?re in Corellia. Where can fee find a place where she can rest for the time being where she won?t be found? I honestly can?t think of any place.?

By now the flame had died to a slow, dying simmer, it was no more than a soft spark. Shaking her head unnoticeably she chuckled inwardly at the amazement and awe she possessed at how quickly he could calm her fiery spirit down. Though it annoyed her she had to admit that it was one of those inner qualities she admired the most. Juno too let her hands rest behind her back casually as she dipped her head low, regaining her composer, not wanting to let Sol see her blushing ever so slightly. Now if only the tiny butterflies in her stomach would settle down long enough for her to think.

Her feet stopped carrying her as they reached the base of the landing ramp. Turning her head she glanced back over her shoulder at Sol, she turned to face him, testing the waters, testing the barrier of tension.

Tag: Nick

 

IC: PROXY, the Rogue Shadow, docking bay 325, Coronet, Corellia

"If I may," the droid interjected, peeking into the room, "despite it's vast technological development, Corellia has managed to remain a largely pastoral world, with miles and miles of open plain in any direction. Unfortunately there aren't any sufficiently large mountains or other sufficiently large bits of terrain to completely occlude the ship, but perhaps the vast expanses would be sufficient enough? Hiding the ship in mere isolation? Another option may be the vast network of tunnels running underneath the city, serving as home to the subway and the city's Selonian population. Perhaps it would serve to stash the ship underground and out of the way? Or perhaps you would like to contact one of the many underground elements on the planet. As smugglers and - ahem - 'private business' owners here on Corellia are unilaterally anti-Imperial - for obvious reasons - it may be easy to find help among them. What's more, they may be able to provide alternative transportation, for a time, as well as a good deal of other sorts of unofficial, off the record help. Yes, one man in particular comes to mind, by the name of Booster Terrik? It's been a year now since his release from Imperial imprisonment on Kessel, prior to which he was a notorious smuggler. He now works as an intermediary for his friends' 'businesses.' Your call, of course, Masters."

TAG: NickLitYouAFlame, Jedi_Allegra

 

IC: Kyle Katarn, Dune Sea, Tatooine

Walking besides the enormous Hutt, Skreej just shrugged. ?Oh, you know how it is?, he told Jabba, ?You get the right people angry, and soon enough you have a bunch of bounty hunters on your tail. If you want to survive, you tend to pick up some tricks real quickly.? It was, at least, partially true. He had been pursued by his share of bounty hunters in the past, hired by both the Empire and some of Jabba?s men, too. The other part that he had omitted was his training as an Imperial Stormtrooper. However, anyone who even remotely knew of Tamtel Skreej knew that he had never been trained by the Empire. That was because the man behind the mask that called himself by that name was not actually Skreej. The real Skreej was mugged and tied up somewhere back in Mos Eisley with his partner for this mission, Jan Ors, keeping watch over him as she waited by their starship for a nearly inevitable hot pick up.

He was Kyle Katarn, freelance mercenary, outlaw, and agent of the Rebel Alliance. He certainly wasn?t out here in the burning sands of Tatooine for the prize money of Jabba?s vehicular gladiator tournament. That was just his cover in order to gain the trust of the slug and get closer to his true objective. Also, he needed a good disguise after the havoc he had unleashed on the Hutt?s personal ship a few years back. He doubted that Jabba had forgiven him for the loss of his pet kell dragon, although he had heard that since then, Jabba had got himself a nice rancor as a replacement.

In truth, Princess Leia, under the advice of Mon Mothma, had hired Katarn to rescue Han Solo from Jabba?s clutches while she investigated a possible lead to the disappearance of Commander Skywalker. Hopefully now, after the entertaining show he had put on for the Hutt, he could get close enough to Solo to thaw him and drag him out of there. Then he could get off this rock and get paid. The thought made Kyle smile beneath the mask obscuring his face.

TAG: BobaMatt, scrufflvoer23

 

OOC: Great stuff so far, folks! So as not to get too bogged down in plot, and also to wait for some other elements of the story to catch up, I thought now might be a good chance to sandbox things a bit for a few days. Feel free to explore your characters and interact with each other. I'm happy to play any NPC's. (Kinda like I've been doing with Inquisitor_Skywalker.)

IC: Obi-Wan Kenobi, Yoda?s Hut, Dagobah

?Very well, old friend,? the spirit said, beginning to dissolve, ?for now I believe we should contend to the matters at hand. The rest, in time, as it would appear the only thing certain these days is that we can?t be certain what will come.?

Qui-Gon?s presence momentarily filled with mirth. ?Yes. Rest, old friend. Save your strength. These Skywalkers are hard to deal with.?

And with that, the two were gone, leaving the aging Jedi, the last in the galaxy, to the night.

TAG: Saintheart

IC: Jethro, Theed

It was weird that these men were dressed as Naboo but claimed to be ISB. Jethro, however, was too excited by the prospect of being part of such an official investigation that he didn't dwell on it.

"Yeah, man," he said, "they were pretty hot. I mean I saw them. I mean, they weren't with the entourage, you know, they, like, got here a whole lot earlier, and went off that way, in the direction everyone else is going, you know?"

TAG: Inquisitor_Skywalker

IC: His High Exaltedness Jabba the Hutt, sail barge Khetanna, Dune Sea, Tatooine

Jabba?s laugh once more rippled from his cavernous abdomen. <<You, Skreej?I like you. You?re my kind of scum.>> The air was thick with oily smoke. Droids floated about salvaging junk.

Elevators and boarding ramps descended and raised again from the Khetanna as the entourage boarded. On board, Max Rebo and his band were swinging away at some of their classic jizz. Droids scurried about carrying drinks and hors d?oeuvres. Two security skiffs full of Weequay and Nikto circled.

Skreej and Jabba ascended to the Khetanna?s middle deck, and there the crime lord lounged with his pet monkey-lizard amid those that would laud him and revel in his debauchery. He spoke, and the golden droid beside him translated.

<<Our guest of honor, today, is Tamtel Skreej, the undefeated, three-time winner of my demolition matches. Let?s honor him by drinking! May he have many more victories to come!>>

The toast was short and sweet, but with that the sail barge set off. As the featureless sand swept past, Jabba turned to Skreej. <<So?I hope you enjoy alcohol, because there is a lot of it. Help yourself to a dancing girl, as well.>>

TAG: Froggy22651, scrufflover23

IC: Lord Darth Vader, The Emperor?s Retreat, Naboo

?Yes, my Master. If that is all, I wish to return to the Executor.?

Vader rose, stiffly, and with a whoosh of his cape was gone from the Emperor?s sight. Creating an invisible barrier around himself with the Force saved him the trouble of having to push past the crowd. Normally, such a task would not rankle, but coming on the heels of such blatant favoritism at the expense of Shira, it was unbearable. He swept back around the retreat at a clip to the waiting Gian speeders and allowed the driver to return him to the spaceport at Theed. During the ride, as the Naboo countryside whipped by, he could not help but wonder why the Emperor despised him so. As he disembarked from the speeder and disappeared into the belly of his shuttle, he thought about the future. As the shuttle took off, folded its wings, and fled the atmosphere flanked by two TIE fighters, Vader reflected on the way he?d spent his life thus far.

------------------------------------

He remembered how, shortly after his mother died in the wastelands of Tatooine, he had told Padmé that life seemed simpler when one was fixing things. He still felt that to be true. He stood, now, in his quarters aboard the Executor, outside his medit

 

OOC: Sorry for the late post, I started a new job which has upped everyone's hours for the next two weeks. Im still here, just bare with me.



IC: Mara Jade


The Emperor?s Retreat outside Theed, Naboo

The sun had just started to set as the glimmer of it?s orange rays were upon the skies above the beautiful water that surrounded the capital city of Naboo. Theed was a place that the high elite would go to vacation. It was also a sentimental place that the Emperor frequented, going back to his days as a Senator. The Headhunter broke atmosphere as it flew above the buildings. In the pilot?s seat sat a beautiful young woman with red gold hair and bright green eyes. Mara Jade was no ordinary woman. Yes her beauty was captivating, but she was also deadly for she was the Emperor?s personal assassin, other wise known as an Emperor?s Hand.

She fidgeted a bit as she flew the ship, her mind racing at the thought of seeing Darth Vader irked her tremendously. It would not be too much to say that they were bitter enemies. They have sparred with words on several occasions about a many a things. Still, they had to create the façade of civility toward one another in front of Emperor Palpatine. Of course he knew there was tension, how can he not know for the force would ripple with friction when they were in the same vicinity of each other.

If it were not for the fact that the Emperor was the mediator and deciding factor for both parties to abstain from any further confrontations, Mara would bet the Headhunter that Vader would try to get rid of her by any means necessary.

She was now outside of Theed as the sun had set and the twinkling of the stars were on the verge of appearance. She was nearing her destination as she saw a private hangar in the near distance. She landed the Headhunter as a crew of grounds keepers had proceeded with their job and checked her ship in.

She was a bit early as usual for punctuality to her meant that her time for her master was a priority. Loyalty to her was on top of her list of importance, especially loyalty to Emperor Palpatine, who was the closest thing to a father to her. To many it may have seem strange, but for Mara, the tutelage of the Emperor was all she ever knew. With no knowledge of her biological parents, the Emperor took the parental place in her life, guiding her and giving her meaning for existence. She was his tool for his bidding and for Mara, it was enough to fulfilled her.

In the corner of her eye she saw another person whom she disliked, Shira Brie. The other Emperor?s Hand. Mara had just found out there were other hands that the Emperor had. Though it hurt her to know that the Emperor kept this from her, she understood that it was necessary to have it undisclosed for protection of her master. She accepted the excuse, as there would be no other reason for it. In her mind she felt that Shira Brie was no match to her. Yet her she stands as an equal. It was pitiful to Mara, that someone like Brie could actually be in the position that she was.

She pushed away any thoughts of Brie to the back of her mind. As a skiff arrived with the Emperor and Vader. Irritation rose up again in Mara at the sight of Vader. She pushed it down to the depths of her stomach. She wasn?t going to give him the satisfaction of showing contempt. Yet she could feel his hatred as if it were clinging to her skin. She focused her thoughts on the Emperor as she approached. She kneeled before him with respect. Listening in on the assignment that Brie have recieved, Mara smiled inside, carefully not showing the satisfaction of the dismal task. She knew that Shira was not going to be happy about it nor was Vader. After the Emperor addressed Brie he turned to Mara.

"Mara Jade"

"I am sure you have undoubtedly heard of the reports of a lightsaber wielding individual on Correllia. You are to go there and investigate this matter. I want this issue taken care of, immediately."

"Yes My Lord, i heed your request and i shall

 

IC: HK-47
The Master?s Quarters- The Executor- In Orbit of Naboo

Internal Musing: Typically, a droid is not long for this galaxy, within the grand scheme of things. Fifteen, maybe twenty, years pass and a new model is released, superior to its predecessor and leaving it, therefore, to be scrapped. Yet still there are a few models, or perhaps we could be considered?individuals?... that far surpass the expectations of their masters and creators and remain in their ownership for perhaps a hundred years or more. Even then, how many of THOSE droids can say that they survived entire populations of frail, fleshy masters for over four thousand years? Simply put, the superiority of my make is without match amongst automatons and meatbags alike.

Explanation: It has been over Three-thousand nine-hundred and sixty-three years, five months, two days, forty-five minutes and eighteen seconds since my very first master, a Dark Lord of the Sith by the name of Revan, activated me shortly after the conflict the meatbags came to call the ?Mandalorian Wars? to assassinate anyone who he thought might destabilize the galaxy according to his vision. Yes, he was a fine master?for an organic meatbag?and allowed me to excel at what I do best: the assassination and disposal of targets, both organic and otherwise. My time with Master Revan, however, would not last forever, and I passed in and out of the hands of various filthy meatbags for several millennia to come until after one fateful event which resulted in the incapacitation of my original chassis, I uploaded my ?consciousness? as you meatbags would refer to it, though really it was but a complex string of mathematical algorithms and binary coding, into the computer database of a Republic cruiser which had crash landed on the volcanically-active world of Mustafar.

Commentary: One would thing being disembodied for a thousand years would be quite the maddening experience, though I imagine if I had to explain it for your feeble organic mind to comprehend, it was much like one of your ?comas?. I was very much active within the ship, yet not conscious, broadcasting an automated message to any who would discover the ship to help rebuild my body and return me to an active status. Finally, three years ago from this day, a group of hapless meatbag spacers received my messages on Mustafar and went about on the journey to reunite me with my new body, which they did admirably?for liquidous fleshbags. For their efforts, I terminated them quickly and soon assembled a small army of automatons not unlike myself and began to reacquaint myself with my oldest and most beloved past-times. To my dismay, though, the carnage I was able to inflict was short-lived as yet another group of armed meatbags soon disassembled my army and, as shameful as it was, forced me to flee the planet or face the same fate myself. Thus, I stole their ship and returned to the stars after far too long a rest, only to be discovered by a rowdy group of fleshy pirates. Their Captain, a large but incompetent fellow with the base intelligence of a lava flea, attempted to make me his servant but my new master soon found himself with a charged bolt of energy searing through the base of his skull and myself with a new crew of fleshbags, all at my command. Finally, I was the master?

Amendment: Even then, however, it would seem the lot of my prolonged existence is to be in servitude to others as our ship was soon boarded some months later by the forces of a ?Galactic Empire.? I had not yet had the chance to encounter the forces of this Empire before then, but I must say that their armored shocktroopers are delightfully brutal. They soon slaughtered my crew and fired upon me with a well-placed ion blast, sending my systems into disarray. The last thing I remember was the sight of more of the armored meatbags stepping aboard the ship, flooding the compartment.

Statement: I can feel the energy coursing through my transistors. My systems are rebooting after the sudden shut down. My motiv

 

OOC: By the ever loving Force we've got HK!!!! Whooooooot!

IC: Lord Darth Vader, Vader's Quarters, the Star Dreadnought Executor, over Naboo

Vader jabbed a finger in the droid's direction and spoke with a slightly raised voice. It had been a long time since anyone had been this candid with him and he did not appreciate it, especially considering the content of the droid's statments. For two decades Vader had watched his humanity stripped away and replaced by machinery, and did not need to be reminded of it by some snarky appliance.

"I am no War Droid, assassin. I am called Darth Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith, and I am your master now. I was presented with your broken form as a gift, and reactivated you because I felt it would amuse me, nothing more. I can deactivate you with the same ease. Do not try me. Now...state your designation and your purpose."

TAG: R_Zion