Harbingers of the Republic : Echoes

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What can you be?

⦁ A tough blaster-for-hire.
⦁ A Padawan learner seeking to gain power in the force.
⦁ A brash starfighter pilot.
⦁ A gambler looking to make the next big score.
⦁ A grizzled spacer making a living on the space lanes.
⦁ A smuggler with a heart of gold.
⦁ A young senator from a prosperous world.
⦁ A Force-user flirting with the power offered by the dark side.
⦁ A galactic scout exploring the hyperspace lanes.
⦁ A soldier trained for war in the Outer Rim.
⦁ A technician who's more comfortable with machines than with other people.
⦁ A clone soldier separated from his unit.
⦁ Or anything else you could imagine within game allowances...
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Rules :

⦁ The TOS... obey it. We are bound to it.
⦁ No Generals, no Jedi Masters, no one of "prominent significance". If you wish to play, keep your background fairly modest and we'll get along fine.
⦁ Keep it small. I'm taking 4 players. PM your sheets and I'll approve the ones I think would fit best.
⦁ Active players are sought, but not required. A post a day may be too much for some; every other day is feasible. If you think you can post at least once every couple of days, this may be for you.
⦁ Don't move the story too far ahead of the other players. We all wish to enjoy a game, and getting lost in the fog is undesirable. If you wish to have several back-and-forths between your characters, might I suggest a multi-post?
⦁ Post lengths are variable for players. Some write lots; some write less. Favor your style and enjoy yourself.
⦁ Questions, comments, and concerns should be brought to the GM's attention : IE, Me.
⦁ Failure to abide by any such rules will result in a strike. I operate on a two-strike system. Mind yourselves, younglings.
⦁ Last but not least : have fun. If you are not having fun, you are not obligated to continue but do share what is causing you to not enjoy yourself. Constructive criticism and feedback are the backbones of a socially-driven game.​

Character Sheet :

⦁ Name:
⦁ Gender:
⦁ Age:
⦁ Race:
⦁ Personality:
⦁ Weapons:
⦁ Bio:​

 

GM Approved

Name: Joseph de la Greaze
Gender: Male
Age: 33

Race: Human
Personality: Sarcastic, reserved, and incredibly indecisive. Joseph appears cold and uncaring on the outside, but within he can be kind and caring, a side which he tries to show to very few people. Joseph finds it incredibly difficult to talking personally with people, avoiding exposing his true self. This had led him to crave someone he can tell all his secrets, but he avoids finding this person.
Weapons: Blaster pistol and a vibroblade
Bio: Joseph de la Greaze was born as Joseph Dupont IV to two glitterstim addicts on Tatooine. Born in a broken home, Joseph learnt to be self-sufficient. With no role models or friends, he learned how to be his own role model and best friend.

At the age of 16, Joseph began to move glitterstim and death sticks through Tatooine, taking up work with a Hutt cartel and quickly pulling himself out of extreme poverty. He grew in rank, becoming a well-known dealer in the Mos Eisley area of Tatooine.

However, Joseph despised this life after witnessing what it did to his parents. He quickly tried to find a way out of the game, and did so semi-succesfully, managing to escape Tatooine with a beaten Firespray-31 he later names Marz (the name of a Kowakian monkey-lizard he once kept as a pet)

However, the Hutts left a large bounty on his head, as the Firespray-31 was given to him by the Hutts with the expectation that he would continue to work for the cartel.

He now found himself on Dantooine with a decent supply of glitterstim he wanted to rid of for a nice stack of credits, and hopefully find a way to rid himself of his bounty...

 

GM approved, thank you @Zedd-Vega !


Lissa Verlaine



Gender: female
⦁ Age: 21
⦁ Race: human
* Homeworld: Alderaan
⦁ Personality: confident, articulate, tenacious and willing to argue, but a little naïve - believes wholeheartedly in the Republic and does not see its failings. Lissa has little time for people of “moral ambiguity” and sees things in terms of simple right or wrong, failing to appreciate the grey areas, sometimes.
⦁ Weapons: a hold-out blaster pistol (though she relies more on basic training in hand-to-hand self defence)
⦁ Bio:

Lissa comes from a good family and wealthy background on Alderaan. She is the niece of Bail Organa, and is inspired by her noble and well-loved uncle. She joined the diplomatic service after finishing university. Her intelligence, charm and confidence make her a strong negotiator and forceful advocate for what she thinks is right. Seeing the Republic ripped apart by war is breaking her heart.

She is not averse to taking action for the causes she believes in, too. She has been deployed by her office to deliver messages and supplies to dangerous war zones. As she is still relatively unknown, she is able to mix with all strata of society, to contact local factions sympathetic to the Republic or discover plots of the Confederacy. This inevitably brings her to the attention of enemy agents...

Though young, she was an active student and has picked up some skills aside from her main studies and diplomatic training. She is proficient in horse riding, swimming, rock-climbing, starship piloting, and even trained in dancing.

 

GM Approved - Thank you.

Character Sheet :

⦁ Name: Corbin Hesper
⦁ Gender: Male
⦁ Age: 27
⦁ Race: Human

⦁ Personality: Depending on the situation, he can be rather playful and a bit of a joker, and suddenly swing to deadly and very serious.
⦁ Weapons: Holdout blaster pistol, 2 vibroblades, a project rifle,
⦁ Bio: Corbin is a pilot. He can fly anything, anywhere. He seems blessed with the ability to know a ship and just how far he can push it to the limit. Corbin has flown in places that would make seasoned pilots think twice. He feels that he was literally, born to fly. He also owns a Swoop (Speeder bike), and he is very good on that. He rides it whenever he gets a chance. He also owns a jetpack, that he will use for emergencies. Corbin rather run than fight, but if forced, he will fight, being ruthless.

He is also force sensative, something that he does not know. He only knows that he was born to fly, and loves to pilot anything and anywhere. His parents died when he was a young, so he looked at becoming a pilot to earn his keep. He learned from any and everyone who would teach him. Corbin was born on Bakura. Far enough to be ignored by anyone cep folks looking to hide, and shipping. The planet does export many items that folks find desirable, so becoming a pilot was not a far stretch. Corbin helped to export a certain addictive fruit until he simply got tired of people trying to steal his cargo. Also, he was getting enough notice that certain folks were trying to recruit him...without pay. He has worked hard to avoid the current fluctuations in government, just wanting to fly legal cargo. So he takes the odd jobs, versus working for a company.

He saved hard from his earlier days, and has a ship, called the Phantom. Its a modified CX-100 light freighter, with a few tricks built in it.

He also has a very old c-series astromech he saved from Bakura called Crackpot.

Crackpot is an excentric droid and has its own interesting personality.

 

GM POST​

Dantooine ; Rinjee Colony ; The Limping Mynock ; Roughly 1700 Hours

The music of the Addus Bokta Quartet continued to float through the air of the cantina, their bopping, jazzy beats joining the sounds of the patrons within as they went about their evenings; savoring drinks, company, and anything else that may have struck their fancy. As the first set was finished, the Troig vocalist/bandfill player addressed the crowd in both Basic and Huttese.

"Ladies and Gentlemen! We are the--- <Addus Bokta Quartet.>--- We'll be taking a short break here but please feel free to stick around for our next set. We'll be back in fifteen. <Be sure to tip your waitresses and as always, stay classy!>"

The group set their instruments down and slowly departed the stage, heading to either the 'freshers or the bar to grab a drink while the crowd applauded or paid no mind. To them, a gig was a gig.

* - * - *
​

At a table near the back of the Mynock, a gruff, heavily scarred Klatoonian narrowed his glowing red cybernetic eyes on some of the glitterstim supply that Joseph had left him to examine. He twisted a vial between his fingers and held it up, the eyes performing a cursory scan.

"Hnngh, hardly worth the trip here... this stuff 'ere is rough cut. You'd be hard-pressed to find any 'biters here in the Rim that'd take it off yer hands. Hnnh..." Burrdag spat onto the floor, returning the vial to the table for the Spice Trader to take back. He pulled a cigarra from his vest and lit it up, his eyes glowing through the produced smoke. "Hrrnnh, and ya ain't gonna find no one to push it for ya neither... 'less yer sellin' it cheap, Joe."

Another deep puff was taken, blowing the smoke outward and across the table towards the smuggler...

* - * - *
​

"I am glad our paths have finally crossed, Miss Verlaine. The Republic is grateful for your assistance in these matters. Have you had an opportunity to go over the notes I had sent to you?" Clovis Fytch, an agent of the Republic and native of Corellia, had been in contact with Lissa for the last month or so, passing on information of Separatist hideouts, battle plans, and information that would continue to aid the efforts of the Republic in such trying times. Never before had they met in person, but Clovis was a handsome man, salt and pepper hair in a slightly outgrown military buzz, pushing his mid to late forties. Nevertheless, he was in prime shape for one who claimed to solely deal in "information and information gathering".

The aforementioned datapads had detailed a small outpost of CIS Operatives on one of Dantooine's dual moons; with one such Operative having been rumored to be funneling information on the Republic's movements to the Separatists. A one Oolar Shmyd known to frequent the colony as well as the Mynock.

"Might we sit down? I'll get us some drinks..." The older human gave a wink and patted Lissa upon the shoulder, ushering himself past a few other patrons to settle in rather naturally at the bar to place their order.

* - * - *​

-"I have already deposited a third of the credits into your account. You'll receive the other two-thirds when the chips make it to Canto Bight. Rest assured, the automatic deposit will occur once the crates are safely within the casino; the trackers I have on the storage containers will alert me once the job is done."- The glitchy voice of the holorecording began. -"I will make arrangements to have my men bring the crates to the docking area and load them onto the Phantom. Just be sure to let me know when you wish to depart... my benefactor is a patient man, but he does like to see results, Mister Hesper."-

The job was simple: a couple of hundred credits to take some casino chips to a casino. Like all jobs, it had it's shady qualities to it, but each shipping job ran the risk of encountering pirates or even others willing to do the job for more... or less. This mysterious employer, however, did not like to make themselves known physically to Corbin; only having been introduced as Datamine in their previous dealings... perhaps the one and only reliable patron who could fill a pocket with credits.

All that remained was for Corbin to choose the time in which the chips could be loaded aboard his vessel, and in the time that would pass before that decision, a few drinks could be had at one of the local cantinas. The Limping Mynock was a standard spot for spacefarers and had a better assortment of drinks and entertainment; especially for such an out-of-the-way rock like Dantooine.

Perhaps a dancing girl or three...

* - * - *
​

"Lori, we shouldn't be in here... this is a spacer bar!" Tifyll protested. The scruffy Bothan scratched at his mangy cheeks, flecks of fur and dander landing on the table where they sat. He tried his best to look inconspicuous, but it was hard when Jedi robes were the common garb among Padawans. They didn't need to hide their presence, especially with an Enclave within speeder distance of the settlement. The poor young Padawan had such a nervous tic that his patchy fur looked as if he had given himself a shave with the wrong end of a vibroshiv.

One of several Padawans in the "Pack", Tifyll had become smart friends with Lorelei and very few others. Most of the other Padawan's found the Bothan a little grating to be around, but he possessed an aptitude with the Force that the Jedi Masters within the Enclave assumed to be useful in the efforts to aid the Republic. Needless to say, he could mask himself and others from view just by casting a cloak of invisibility with the Force.

"What're we doing here anyway, Lori? This place is dangerous! What if we're seen? Or worse! What if we're seen and someone talks to us! Oh Force Above, we're gonna have to socialize! Oh Force... oh Force oh Force..." He started scratching more frantically at his neck fur, eyes wide in self-imposed terror as the human waitress set down their drinks.

"Can I getcha anythin'? You're lookin' a bit jumpy, kid."

"GAAAH! N-no... I'm fine... I'm all fine here... now... um... fine..." The Bothan shivered and buried his face in his palms, peeking through his fingers across the table at Lorelei for some silent assistance.

* - * - *

TAG: @Master Vo'Un'Var @Kurisan @Ktala @Sinrebirth ​

 

Joseph De La Greaze
The Limping Mynock, Dantooine



Joseph De La Greaze watched, narrow-eyed, as the Addus Bokta Quartet stepped of the stage. It wasn't his kind of music, so he refrained from clapping, and instead returned his focus to the being ahead of him. Joseph had his shades over his eyes, masking his face, and had picked one of his various outfits for the occassion. A pack of cigarras sat on the table, rolled himself using rashallo leaves. As the Klatoonian ahead of him lit one himself, it reminded Joseph to calm his craving for one and ignited the end of his.

As he blew out smoke, making a cloudy wall between the two with their combined exhales, his eyes narrowed more under his sunglasses. He reached forward and retrieved the vial of spice that he had previously offered to Burrdag. He frowned, which was no surprise, as Joseph rarely ever smiled. He shifted the blaster tucked in his trousers, not as a threat, but it was uncomfortably rubbing against his groin.

"What you sayin', how cheap are we talkin'?" Joseph replied, adjusting the brim of his hat to cast more shadow of his face. He never liked his head being bare. Sunglasses or a hat, preferably both. He hated it when people could look into his eyes with ease. It made him uncomfortable.

Tucking the vial into a pocket, before leaning back and taking a long drag from his cigarra. His eyes flickered around the room. They wandered to all sorts. Clean civilians, criminals, and the rest. He admired an attractive twi'lek across the room, before his eyes snapped back to the Klatoonian.

"I'd like this off my hands fairly soon, Burrdag."

@Zedd-Vega

 

Lissa Verlaine
The Limping Mynock, Rinjee Colony, Dantooine



Lissa surveyed The Limping Mynock and its colourful collection of inhabitants. Spacers mingled with dubious local traders of a kaleidoscope of different species, a proportion of which she could not identify. There were shadowy conferences going on in the booths, deals for goods being struck – many of them illegal – she would guess. And bargains were being broken, she could tell from some of the raised voices. Blasters hung from the hips of many. Cigarra smoke, jazzy music and the Troig’s dual-voices filled the air.

Daddy would not approve, nor Uncle Bail, Lissa decided with a wry smile.

But she wanted to verify the intel, so this is what it took. In all honesty, she felt a slight thrill to be serving the Republic in so direct and tangible a fashion. “Comint” or communications intelligence from intercepted transmissions could only go so far before “Sentint” or first-hand intel from sentients, was needed.

She realised from her current surroundings that she was taking a very real step from being a simple senatorial aide, to a kind of spy. Like Clovis Fytch, the handsome man before her, who was the real thing. She was not sure why he had asked to meet this time. It had to be important. She had noticed he was very physically fit, and reckoned he was able to handle himself in a fight.

She nodded in response to Fytch’s question. Yes, she had studied the datapads. If she could get close to this Oolar Shmyd, then she could know for sure, and maybe the Republic could use this to start passing false intel to the other side. She glanced around again. He could be here right now…

Fytch offered her a drink, with a rather familiar touch to her shoulder. Lissa remembered she was supposed to be just a normal girl in a music bar. She nodded again. She was ready to dance if needed.

“Sure,” she grinned. “Make mine a double.”

@Zedd-Vega

 

Corbin Hesper
Dantooine, The Limping Mynock

Corin started at his monitor as Crackpot grumbled in his usually bleeps, while listening to what most likely was his next job.

"I have already deposited a third of the credits into your account. You'll receive the other two-thirds when the chips make it to Canto Bight. Rest assured, the automatic deposit will occur once the crates are safely within the casino; the trackers I have on the storage containers will alert me once the job is done."- The glitchy voice of the holorecording began. -"I will make arrangements to have my men bring the crates to the docking area and load them onto the Phantom. Just be sure to let me know when you wish to depart... my benefactor is a patient man, but he does like to see results, Mister Hesper."

"Yeah, yeah. You and everyone else, Mr. Datamine." Corbin snorted softly, as he listened to the offer. A bit of dicy cargo, but nothing illegal per se. After all, A casino needed casino chips. Nothing wrong in that. But, why weren't they going thru normal transports? Usually, they had quite a protocol for those things. Then again, if the banking guild was trying to cut in, he could see why some might want to try alternatives. And if they happened to get him a few creds, it was worth listening. Besides, he had delt with the man before. So far, it had been a profitable arangement.

Corbin nodded his head. "I'll get back with you. I've got some things to take care of before loading up." Yeah, if he was going out on another run, he was at least stock up on supplies, and a drink or two before he left. Canto Bight. That place was notorious for being a play destination with casinos and racing. High stakes danger there. Dangerous people. So it would be a quick trip there and out. If he took the job.

Corbin looked over at Crackpot. "Prep the ship, just in case. I'm gonna go grabs a drink or two from The Limping Mynock, and grab a few extra supplies. I'll decide if I take this job then." Crackpot gave a few bleeps, and Corbin chuckled. "Ok. I'll check in the place, and see if they got any. If they do, I'll bring some back."

Crackpot turned around, and made his way thru the middle of the ship, bleeping the entire time. Corbin stared at him, shaking his head. It was an odd request, and something Crackpot asked every time they pulled into port.

Strange indeed.

Corbin tucked his pistol in its holder, hiding it under his jacket as he left his craft, locking it up, as he made his way to the Mynock. Once he got there, he looked around. An interesting group of beings. He made his way to the bar to order a drink. There was a pleasant vibe going thru the place. Once he got a drink, he would move over to watch the dancing girls if any were around.

TAG: @Zedd-Vega

 

GM Approved
⦁ Name: Jenessa Longstar
⦁ Gender: Female
⦁ Age: 17
⦁ Race: Human
⦁ Personality: Jenessa is candid and vivacious. She enjoys meditating in scenic surroundings, such as meadows and beside rivers. Jenessa can work as part of a team or alone. She has an affinity for the Force and is a Padawan; she senses the Force as strains of music.
⦁ Weapons: Silver lightsaber
⦁ Bio: Jenessa was born on Ossus; her parents sensed her strong Force attunement while she was still an infant; she was the youngest of 4 siblings. They contacted the Jedi Temple, although it broke their hearts to part with her. Jenessa has found her fellow Padawans and the Knights at the Temple are her family of the heart.

 

Dantooine ; Rinjee Colony ; The Limping Mynock ; Roughly 1700 Hours

The Klatoonian remained unimpressed, almost calculating the numbers in his head while rolling his cigarra from one corner of his mouth to the other. He drummed his fingers on the tabletop, finally reclining lazily in the seat before piping up again.

"Hrrruuunnh... Cheap. Not even half a grand a case." Burrdag kept an even scowl on his face. "No 'biters planetside to pawn 'em to; but maybe... hrrhhhh..." A slow growl escaped him as he slid a datapad into his palm from beneath the bulky sleeve of his coat. Another thick puff of smoke erupted from his lips while the cigarra was held between his teeth.

"Hnngh hnng... if you're wantin' ta dump it quick... I got a contact on Onderon. Works customs... he'd give ya three grand on the spot for a quick drop. Granted, ya'd have ta run past them Separatists." The dealer chuckled darkly while an ominous glow flashed in his red eyes.

"But dudn't seem like runnin's been an issue for you, Joe... hnnh hnngh..."

* - * - *
​

The server eyed the creds and took only what she needed to pay for the drinks, giving the rest a gentle push back to Lorelei. The young Padawan could sense that the waitress wasn't trying to cheat anyone out of any money; she likely understood what it was like to go without.

"Might not wanna flash all those chips around, kiddos. Any spacer with a blaster would be happy to pry those outta your hands." The woman gave a sigh and shook her head, walking to the bar to fetch the two Jedi their drinks. Lorelei could sense that something like that same scenario had probably happened to the woman; perhaps recently.

"Nnnh, thanks for that, Lori. How long are we gonna wait here, anyway? Did they say when a shuttle was coming?" Tifyll wondered aloud. He was referencing the fact the Republic had been sending undercover transports to bring Jedi back to Coruscant for re-assignment so many at a time. It was dangerous to move openly in Separatist Space, so only two Jedi at any given time would be given the opportunity to leave.

The conversation would've continued, had there not been a disturbance rippling through the Force. Something was making the hairs on the back of Tifyll's neck stand on end, and a dense pit form in the stomach of the young Lorelei.

"Oh no... wh-what is it? Where's it coming from?"

* - * - *
​

As Fytch lingered at the bar, catching the eye of two Twi'lek women who giggled among themselves when he flashed an award-winning smile, the chair next to Lissa was slid outward and a roguish-looking man planted himself in the seat.

"Pretty bird like you must've flown into the wrong nest. Don't see bright feathers like yours 'round here..." The humanoid made his attempt to flirt; his skin a shade of bright lavender with mottled green spots, a thin row of horns growing down his temples, and vivid turquoise hair in a faux-hawk style. He smelled nice at least... though the cologne was likely masking the stench of doing some unsavory work.

"What say I getcha a drink? Vipps is always good for a drink or a party. You ain't built like these Dantooine girls..." The man chuckled, scooting in uncomfortably close.

"Ah, Lissa... made a friend have we?" Clovis set down the drinks and watched as the alien, so-called Vipps, stand up in frustration. "You tend to attract colorful characters, my dear." The smile never faded from his face, though even Lissa could tell that Clovis had his hand resting near his blaster...

* - * - *
​

Corbin could sense the strangeness of the request, but further personal investigation thanks to Crackpot would reveal that the Separatists were keeping imports from coming on-world; casino chips included. Something had to be special about these chips... but they would need to be looked at more closely...

... outside the containers they were locked in.

The entrance to the Mynock was not unlike any other cantina: an arched doorway, a few stairs leading downward into a main eating area, and dancers in the corners atop platforms with poles.

"Hey Spacer," A female voice called out from the side, an olive-skinned alien dancing to the beat of the auto-music the cantina played since the band was on a break. She was definitely a vision; two dark circles were above her forehead, her head entirely shaved, sharp teeth flashed in a flirtatious smile.

"Looks like you just broke atmo'." The woman must have been around pilots a lot. Upon further inspection, she was definitely a Devaronian. "You wanna drop the landing gear and stay awhile?"

* - * - *
​

"It is good that you've been getting settled in, Jenessa. I trust the other Padawan's have not been giving you a hard time?" Keera Nah'ln, a Jedi Master at the Dantooine Enclave, walked alongside the young human with hands folded into the sleeves of her robe. Her eyes were slightly narrowed, mostly cast towards the ground.

The sun had begun to set on the horizon, leaving Master Nah'ln to pause mid-stride just outside of the Limping Mynock. The woman took a deep inhale through her nose and found reason to smile.

"Ah, it's begun to darken. I should really return to the Enclave before the sun goes down." She placed a gentle hand upon Longstar's shoulder. "I understand that coming from the Library to a quaint homestead-planet like Dantooine is a definite change, but I assure you: there's a music to be found here, Jenessa."

The older human woman, a distinguished beauty of sorts, had a genuine wisdom behind her words. Over the last couple of months, she had taken Jenessa under her wing to ingratiate her into the way the Enclave handled things on the fringes of the Republic. They all had a part to play, and some had larger destinies before them.

Master Nah'ln could sense such a destiny in the Padawan before her.

"Just come to me if you've made a decision to leave or not. I quite enjoy our walks and talks." She was referencing the shuttles that were bringing young Jedi off-world to transport them to where the Republic needed them most; and had already come across Jenessa's application to depart.

With that, the silver-haired Master bowed and allowed herself to follow a practiced route back towards the Jedi Enclave, leaving the teen in front of the Cantina to do whatever she wished .

* - * - *

TAG: @Master Vo'Un'Var @Sinrebirth @Kurisan @Ktala @WarmNyota_SweetAyesha ​

 

[Jenessa Longstar outside the Limping Mynock]

Jenessa favored Master Nah'ln with a genuinely grateful smile. The Jedi Master was warm and nurturing, and her feel in the Force was like soft flutes playing.

Jenessa had also enjoyed their talks together but felt a strange tug urging her onward and elsewhere. It wasn't a longing for adventure, per se. She just felt she might be needed for something important ... although she wasn't sure what it might be.

She entered the Limping Mynock and spied a Padawan she had a passing acquaintance with, Lorelei.

She headed over and gave Lori a greeting smile. "Hi. What's up and safe to imbibe in here?"

@Sinrebirth \ @Zedd-Vega

 

Joseph De La Greaze
The Limping Mynock, Dantooine

Joseph hawked some phlegm, before swallowing the mucus and sniffing his nose once. He took another drag from his cigarra, exhaling the smoke in two streams from his nostrils and giving a slow nod.

Of course they're uncut. Just your damn luck, Joe. He thought to himself. His eyes flicked over to a few 'force-types' around the room, types he heavily disliked. He had heard a few stories here and there of how they can't manage to mind their own business.

"Onderon, huh? Yeah, I can do that. Runnin' isn't a problem, bruv." He pushed his shades further up his nose before standing and stretching.

"Send me a name and a rendezvous point. In the mean time, I'd like a drink." he finished, before waltzing over to the bar and sliding down to a stool, whistling for a beverage.

@Zedd-Vega

 

Lissa Verlaine
The Limping Mynock, Rinjee Colony, Dantooine

Lissa was surprised as the purple humanoid suddenly sat down and shoved in close to her. He called himself Vipps, and made a crude attempt to flirt. Lissa prepared to put him off, gently but firmly. The perfume was a little over-powering, as well as the direct approach he was taking.

But Fytch returned with good timing and exchanged words. Lissa watched Vipps consider the odds, then beat a retreat.

Fytch sat down and said, "You tend to attract colorful characters, my dear."

It was then she noticed he had been tense, with his hand near his blaster. She took a breath. This was turning into quite the visceral experience. Though thankful that Fytch had saved her the trouble of beating off the unexpected advances from Vipp, she was not exactly sure she liked being addressed as My Dear. A playfully defiant impulse arose within her, like a snake uncoiling.

She smiled sweetly and said, "I'll beware of strange men buying me drinks, then."

She took the glass and raised it in a mock toast, before taking a tiny sip. She took in their surroundings again, then leaned in closer to Fytch.

"Is Shmyd here then, now?" she whispered, serious again.

She was impatient to get on with business, and knew it. She wondered for which of the colourful characters around them she should be watching. She noticed a pair of Jedi at another table, obvious in their robes and exuding the aura of calm power that always seemed to surround the Force-warriors. Well, one was, anyway. The Bothan looked very agitated. Lissa was wondering what business they may have here, when yet another joined them...

@Zedd-Vega

 

Corbin Hesper
Dantooine, The Limping Mynock

Corbin's frown deepend as he had listned to the request. Keeping imports out was one thing. But Casino chips? That seemed a tad unusual. Scratch that. That was klarking highly unusal. But then, they were paying customers. He just needed to figure if it was worth the risks. Corbin listened to Crackpots report and simply nodded. Yeah, a closer look.

So Corbin shoved it on the backburners and headed for the Mynock. Typical cantina. Better booze. And dancers atop the platforms. Ahh, something to bring a smile to his face. As he walked in, a definate female voice called to him.

"Hey Spacer," An olive-skinned alien dancing to the beat of the auto-music. She was definitely a vision; of what Corbin was not sure of yet. Two dark circles were above her forehead, her head entirely shaved, sharp teeth flashed in a flirtatious smile. He smiled.

"Looks like you just broke atmo'." the Devaronian called out to him. Corbin chuckled. "You wanna drop the landing gear and stay awhile?" Corbin gave the woman a nod, as he walked into the place. "Well, that depends. I got a hot pair of skids...but I can hover for a bit if I have a good reason to." He flashed her a smile, and moved on towards the bar, looking forward to a drink. As he walked in, his eyes scanned the general area around him. The robed figures caught his eye, which he simply added in his mental vault. Jedi didnt bother him. Especially if he wasnt doing anything illegal. It was a curious place for them to be, out in the open. They tended to dress low key, when visiting such colorful places, to not draw so much attention to themselves. Obviously, these didnt care.

Corbin continued on his way towards the bar. He didnt see anything out of the ordinary....

So why were the hairs on the back of his neck bristling?

He sighed hard, as he found a spot to squeeze into, in order to order a drink. "Lemme gets a Carbon Freeze, and a ...uh.. do you have any Ahrisa?" Crackpots' newest thing he was asking for. Have no idea why.


TAG: @Master Vo'Un'Var @Sinrebirth @Kurisan @WarmNyota_SweetAyesha @Zedd-Vega

 

Jenessa paused and considered. "Now that you mention it, I've been feeling something a bit off. I didn't know why, just thought it was unexplained restlessness or picking up the moods of others who are up to who knows what." She smirked. "It is tenuous for all that."

 

Dantooine ; Rinjee Colony ; The Limping Mynock ; Almost 1800 Hours

It was almost like the beginning of a badly written bar joke:

"Three Jedi Padawans walk into a bar..." Except there was no punchline and the entire situation was coincidental. But within the Force, there were no coincidences... everything had a purpose, reason, and explanation.

Lorelei, Jenessa, and Tifyll had been directed to this cantina through the whim of the Force. T'was no happy accident...

A pulse could be felt through the air, beyond the thrumming of the Addus Bokta Quartet's music, beyond the combined voices of the cantina visitors. A presence lingered nearby. A powerful one...

... but not one they had ever been familiar with. This one stood out from every presence they had become accustomed to at the Enclave.

"It's not trying to hide." Tifyll said plainly, his eyes widening. "It wants to be found..."

TAG: @WarmNyota_SweetAyesha @Sinrebirth

* - * - *
​

"S'name is Hugo Weltz. Ya can meet 'im at customs... hnnnh... Iziz Spaceport." The Klatoonian snorted, watching as Joseph stood up for a drink. Once the human was out of earshot, the alien shook his head.

"Kid's in o'er his head... they catch 'im, he's good as fodder."

It didn't take long for the bar to get crowded as farmers finished off days of work, spacers docked at port, and newcomers made themselves known at the Mynock. Joseph sidled in next to another new spacer, barely shoulder to shoulder as an Aqualish bartender moved towards the two.

<"Carbon freeze, got'cha. You want Ahrisa? Tombo get you Ahrisa."> The barkeep moved past a serving droid who was quickly refilling glasses of Jawa Juice and grunted something to it in its native language. The droid grunted back and got to work mixing Corbin's drink before using one of it's spider-like arms to place it in front of the spacer.

<"What you want? Get you drink? Get you food? What Tombo get you?"> The Aqualish snorted at Joseph, his dark beady eyes focused on the stranger while using a pair of tongs to snatch up some of the food that Corbin had asked for. The bartender plated them rather haphazardly, the food smelling better than it looked; but all the same it appeared to be quality stuff. <"Ahrisa. You pay droid."> He pointed several times at the spider-limbed assistant who only beeped and whirred in response.

TAG: @Master Vo'Un'Var @Ktala

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Vipps did not seem so thrilled to see that Fytch was stepping in on his game. He was about to protest until his eyes went down to the man's blaster. The Theelin huffed and spat onto the floor, glaring daggers at the human man as he shouldered roughly past him, nearly spilling Clovis' drink as he beat a retreat.

He paid the ruffian no mind.

Fytch raised his glass and took a sip, a smirk never leaving his face as Lissa seemed eager to get into it.

"Patience, Miss Verlaine. A spice-spider does not rush to greet it's prey; it waits for it to stumble into its web." The older, obviously experienced spy chuckled. "Shmyd is a regular here. So until the little bogey makes himself known..."

He raised his glass once more.

"... we may as well enjoy each other's company."

TAG: @Kurisan

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​

The evening seemed to be going well-enough, with the Quartet finishing up their gig and collecting their pay from their shady Twi'lek manager. It was more than what they had initially hoped to get, but most of the income went to lining the manager's pockets.

Show business, right?

Burdagg had gathered up himself and checked his datapad, sending a message to his Onderon contact to inform him of a potential sale of spice via holocomm. The Klatoonian didn't linger for long in the cantina after that...

Crackpot had been inspecting the various intel-leaks regarding the trade going on-and-off-world, Cantonica showing a relatively-high level of Separatist activity. Even rumors of a few local cartels working to make sure that their on-world business thrived while off-world businesses tanked...

And as if summoned by three mentions of his name, a Quarren with grayish-blue skin made his way inside wearing some form of military garb.

At his left, two armored figures with shaved heads; humans from the look of them. The first, a bald man with a thick red beard armed with a rifle and a vibro-ax who bore more scars than a sarlaac had teeth. The second, a female with tattoos spanning down the center of her head, seemingly running from the back of her neck all the way towards her chin; en elaborate line of ink. Two blades situated at her sides.

At his right, a pair of CDE-T droids armed with blaster rifles. They bore no indicative markings, though their red paintjobs with white accents made them stand out.

All four wore a capelet that covered their shoulders, the keenest eyes in the cantina catching sight of one very important detail: the logo of the CIS beneath the garment.

Oolar Shmyd confidently strode towards a table in the back, his human associates sitting at either side of him while the droids flanked the table to ensure maximum security and safety for their Master. The cantina never bothered to check weapons at the door, as it was never an issue outside of a rare blaster misfire, so they wouldn't have said anything to a group of mercenaries coming in to buy a drink or a dance.

The squid-like alien gargled something to the armored man who snapped his fingers and tugged a dancing girl into his lap. The girl, used to handsy customers, played it off and let it slide as long as the credits kept coming.

The waitstaff had already approached the table with drinks, placing them in front of the mercs and Shmyd before returning to their duties. It didn't appear that the Quarren was any kind of troublemaker, but the group definitely altered the atmosphere upon their entry.

TAG: @Master Vo'Un'Var @Sinrebirth @WarmNyota_SweetAyesha @Kurisan @Ktala ​

 

Lissa Verlaine
The Limping Mynock, Rinjee Colony, Dantooine

"Patience, Miss Verlaine," said Fytch. "A spice-spider does not rush to greet its prey; it waits for it to stumble into its web. Shmyd is a regular here. So until the little bogey makes himself known..." He raised his glass once more. "... we may as well enjoy each other's company."

Lissa leaned back into her chair, disappointed. But the experienced spy was worth heeding; patience was indeed something she needed to practice. She sipped her drink and noticed the cantina filling up steadily as the hours advanced.

* * *​

When the Quarren turned up, Lissa noticed him immediately; the mercenary bodyguards, and the tactical droids with blaster rifles made for quite an entourage. Familiar with the motifs of the various antagonists, Lissa spied the Confederate symbols carried by the droids. It all added up. That had to be Shmyd. She glanced to Fytch for confirmation.

If so, it was verified with her own eyes. Shmyd was not even hiding it. He was working with the Separatists. The question remained, what exactly was he doing? She wondered how one could get close enough to find out, and this in turn answered a previous query.

She looked back again to Fytch, now perhaps starting to understand why he had called her here tonight. A tough man with a blaster would have trouble getting close to the Quarren. But she had seen them pull in dancing girl. Did Lissa have to... play a part... in order to find out more?

She leaned in close to Fytch. "That's him, right? Should I go and... umm... make friends?"

@Zedd-Vega

 

Jenessa had her silver-bladed lightsaber at her hip. She had head of the Bothan padawan's unique abilities around the enclave but had never seen it in action. She nodded at Lorelei. "I'll try ... unless the signal is jammed." She flipped open her commlink and initiated text-only messaging. "Master Nah'ln. Something's afoot here at the Limping Mynock. We need strong Jedi backing sooner than later!"

 

[OOC: Oh what the heck, let's do a mini-GM post!]

GM POST
​

Dantooine ; Sohorfa Plateau ; Abandoned Crystal Mine ; Time Unknown

Keera slowly came to, her body feeling as if it had come out of a powerfully strong anesthesia. Her eyes couldn't adjust in the dark, a side-effect of her Hapan bloodline. The Jedi Master reached out through the Force, able to sense one strong beacon of energy directly in front of her.

"Who is there? Speak..." The wizened master managed to say, her voice straining a bit. What could she remember of the events leading to this one? Everything felt as if it were strained or suppressed.

There was a brief flash of a memory. A small trek back to the Enclave interrupted by... by...

"... the attack? You're stronger than I would have given you credit for, Master Nah'ln. In fact, I'm surprised you're still alive."

The Hapan shot her head upward at the voice, although it had been a terribly long time since she had heard it.

"Mazema? No... it couldn't be."

"I do not go by that name anymore, old woman." A surge of energy was thrust towards the older Jedi, slamming her into a growth of sparkling crystals; the shards piercing her skin. The Jedi winced very little, struggling to get up.

"M-mazema why---"

THWUDD!! THWAAAM!!

Two more violent slams into the walls, crystals falling from the cave ceiling like a glass rain.

"I DO NOT ANSWER TO THAT NAME!"

The female form strode into the ambient light of the crystals, still not enough for Keera to make out the figure entirely, but she could sense the aura of her former Padawan before her.

The former Jedi loomed over the woman and rolled her over with her dark boot, applying some pressure onto the Jedi's neck.

"My new Master has christened me Kaige. I am not bound by your silly teachings anymore..."

More pressure was applied to the Jedi's neck, the woman unable to struggle. She reached out with her arms to try to shoo the foot from her windpipe.

The dark-robed woman was fairly tall, lithe, a silvered half-mask bearing horns that spiraled vertically just above the ears. Her exposed chin was tattooed as if showing dual rows of sharp animal-like teeth. Her eyes were not visible, the half-mask possessing dark lenses to conceal them further. The visage of said mask was like something from a nightmare; sharp angular cheeks and jagged ridges along the brow.

At her waist, a strange U-shaped lightsaber, the emitters on said weapon at the very ends, as would be expected of its design.

BLEEP BLEEEEP

Nah'ln 's commlink beeped to indicate an incoming message. Kaige gave a curious tilt of her head, yanking the device from the Jedi's belt with the force. She read the message carefully and a devilish smirk crossed her lips.

[-"Master Nah'ln. Something's afoot here at the Limping Mynock. We need strong Jedi backing sooner than later!"-]

"Replaced me so quickly, Master?" The woman released her boot from the neck of the old woman, stepping aside to speak into it.

"Master Nah'ln is indisposed. I'm not sure when I will be done with her..." Kaige snickered darkly. "You're welcome to come join us." The woman flicked on the tracking device on the commlink before tossing to to the side.

Keera coughed and clutched her neck with her hand, trying to regain her breath.

"P-please... I beg of you..."

"Beg? Oh my dear Master..." Kaige knelt beside the incapacitated Jedi. "... you have yet to begin begging..."

The former Padawan strode to the side of the cave. "Stand up... stand up you Old Hag!" Kaige lifted the woman with the force, bracing her against the nearby wall.

"Give your new student a reason to come look for you."

The older Jedi did not wish to give into temptation, staggering forward slowly... unarmed.

Kaige drew her lightsaber, clutching the weapon within the curve as both blades ignited outward; crimson light erupting from each end with one energy emission shorter than the other.

"Fight me." She hissed, the words dripping venom.

Keera drew closer and had planned to get the upper hand.

Her green blade ignited as it flew from her hip and towards her palm... only to hit the ground out from her. She could have sworn she gripped her fingers around the hilt...

... but in the dim light, she could see she had been literally disarmed at the elbow.

Kaige laughed at the plight of her former Master and gave a twirling flourish, kicking her leg upward as she spun around.

"I'll send you back to the Enclave in pieces, Keera..."

TAG: @WarmNyota_SweetAyesha @Sinrebirth

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Dantooine ; Rinjee Colony ; The Limping Mynock ; Almost 1800 Hours

Tifyll could feel his friends growing concerned, his mind focusing quickly to shield the trio with his Force ability. Though not physically invisible, others were paying even less attention to the Jedi Padawan's gathered in the bar. The Bothan let out a trembling gasp, opening his eyes as they planned. They were masked from prying eyes as well as the Force.

"I don't think we oughta split up! Somethings not right. Those guys are giving off some bad vibes..." He peeked through his fingers at the table with the mercenaries and two droids. "... but there's something not right. Something should've happened by now... or already happened..."

The Bothan Padawan scratched at his cheek nervously. "B-but we definitely can't stay here..."

TAG: @WarmNyota_SweetAyesha @Sinrebirth

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​

Fytch raised his brow at Lissa's suggestion and seemingly weighed the options in his head. He wasn't her bodyguard, so he wasn't necessarily in charge of her safety but by the same token, she was an asset to this effort. The middle-aged human ran his hand across his chin and hummed.

"One can never have too many friends. Though it looks like he's got a few of his own." The bearded mercenary could be heard laughing as his hands started to shamefully explore the dancing girl on his lap. The bald woman was a few drinks in, and as could be expected, the droids were unable to be distracted.

The older spy reached in close, brushing his palm along Lissa's cheek, almost affectionately... but she could feel a small device being placed within her ear just under her hair.

"I can hear your conversations through this earpiece. Should you need me to intervene, the codeword is Sunrise." He sat back into his chair rather properly, flagging down the waitress for a refill on his drink in an attempt to look nonchalant.

"Force be with you." He winked.

TAG: @Kurisan ​

 

Jenessa's eyes widened, as she sensed Master Nah'ln's Force signature spike with what she perceived as intense percussion. "Master Nah'ln ... she should have replied. She's in distress." she whispered to her tablemates. "I don't think we should split up and I really do think we should slip out the back way!"