| abstract
| - [12:43] <@ShadowDragon8685> After the last battle, you find yourselves in possession of Captain Orix's missing vessel, a Citadel class cruiser, and much heavy equipment courtesy of the pirates you defeated. A little less than you might have had, since the mind-fuckery on the KMC miners caused them to interpret the unconscious wookies and blaster-wielding force-sensitive pirates as the kind of abominable hellbeast against which there can be no quarter. [12:43] <@ShadowDragon8685> Resulting in them administering the coup de grace en masse and then airlocking the lot of them. [12:44] <@ShadowDragon8685> The ship is mostly intact, but she's going to need some patching at the bare minimum before you can disconnect the Light of Tython without exposing the ship to hard vacuum, thanks to Arc's urgent entry by lightsaber, compounded by Saliees' cutting through a bulkhead with his own lightsaber. [12:45] <@ShadowDragon8685> Fortunately, since this actually took place in an actual event of piracy in-space, her insurance should cover the repairs. [12:45] * Aein doesn't have the first clue how to repair a spehship [12:45] Goodnews. I'm from the space ship making planet. :P [12:46] So should I roll on making the patches? [12:46] <@ShadowDragon8685> You have several astromech droids, between Captain Orix' pilot droid (who is very happy to be rescued,) the R2 units that your pet procurator procured for you, the droids you brought back, and of course, Arc. [12:46] <@ShadowDragon8685> Don't bother, it's just a matter of time with the number of hands and manipulator arms you have to throw at the proble,. [12:46] Aight [12:47] <@ShadowDragon8685> The bigger problem is prisoners. You have rather a lot of them, and no brig. [12:47] "Can we repurpose the bunks?" [12:48] <@ShadowDragon8685> Arc bites her lip, thinking about it. "On the Citadel? Or on the Light?" [12:48] Well we can basically shove the five in a room and lock the door. Two if we want to keep the miners away from the sith who can kill them weapons or no probably. [12:48] <@ShadowDragon8685> Yeah, you have some challenges there. [12:49] <@ShadowDragon8685> You have the two shipjackers who started this mess. Ganges declined to summarily execute them in favor of initiating extradition proceedures to see if the New Republic would like to prosecute them for their crimes against one of its citizens. [12:50] <@ShadowDragon8685> You have four Kalum Federation miners, two humans men, a Zeltron male, and a Twi'lek male. All of them are very strong, very tough, and technically-inclined. [12:50] <@ShadowDragon8685> They surrendered to you, not Ganges, and in addition to being pirates, they appear to be very mentally unwell. [12:51] <@ShadowDragon8685> But after that last mental attack, they're more subdued and introspective than anything. [12:51] <@ShadowDragon8685> And you have a former Shadow Academy Senior Student. Ganges scared him into surrendering, but he surrendered to the Jedi as well. He's a Force-Sensitive and quite a powerful one; even unarmed, he could kill. [12:51] ((urgh, sorry, I'll be right back)) [12:52] "We should see what kind of a Dark Jedi this one is. Some of them can be brought round..." [12:52] <@ShadowDragon8685> It is worth noting that he chose to flee the Shadow Academy rather than take part in the battle with the Jedi. His overwhelming motivation is not dying, which is why he fled and sought safer work. [12:52] <@ShadowDragon8685> (Piracy is in fact safer than being a Dark Jedi. Go figure.) [12:53] "Miners should be cooperative for now. Concerned about him, yes," Aein agrees with Mar. [12:53] <@ShadowDragon8685> Right now, he's sullen more than anything, but as long as you don't seem about to execute him, he'll go along. [12:53] <@ShadowDragon8685> If he sees an opportunity to bolt, that may or may not change. Some Masters might be able to talk sense into him, or strip him of the Force and set him on his way. [12:56] "Most likely we need to billet him separately. The Dark Side could make him unpredictably violent." [12:57] So......Heres my idea. We can either lock them in our rooms seperate groups or not. We could use Orix's ship as a temporary prisoner detainment center in space and leave someone up here to watch them. [12:57] <@ShadowDragon8685> "I think he's just afraid, more than anything. He would've had a front-row seat to when they made Zekk kill that other boy," Arc notes. "I mean... Obviously, joining a pirate crew was not a good thing, but what other career paths are there for a guy who is, as far as he knows, runing from both the Second Imperium and the Jedi" [12:59] We have exactly 7 rooms undamaged if I recall on Orix's ship [12:59] "Yes, we shouldn't do anything hasty - just prepare in *case* that fear makes him do something he'll regret." [12:59] * Aein shrugs. "Treat him nicely, offer him a job. Taint, problem, though." [13:01] <@ShadowDragon8685> Ganges nods, drumming his fingers on his datapad. "Well, I certainly have bindercuffs to spare. They won't stand up against a man trained in your arts, though." [13:05] <@ShadowDragon8685> "One thought that does concern me is the disposition of this ship, however," he notes. "Technically, this ship is the scene of several crimes; the shipjacking, the assaults upon Captain Orix's person, and these pirates' ill-fated attempt to engage in piracy against us." [13:05] "Good point. What do you need?" [13:06] <@ShadowDragon8685> "The New Republic has interest in all of those crimes, as the ship is registered as flying out of Corellia, and Captain Orix holds Corellian citizenship; and of course, you Jedi and this ship are citizens of Yavin IV, respectively." [13:06] "And..." [13:06] <@ShadowDragon8685> "However, the Empire has interest in those crimes as well; the shipjacking took place on one our colony worlds, the assaults took place within Imperial-claimed space, and I am a citizen and law enforcement officer of the Empire, against whom they also attempted piracy." [13:07] "Damn. We are no longer official representatives of New Republic justice." [13:07] <@ShadowDragon8685> "No, but you remain New Republic citizens... And then there is the practical matter of how we are going to deal with the ship. If we fly it with us as a flying prison, we will have appropriated Captain Orix's property without permission. As the ship is not presently in Imperial space, I do not have lawful authority to do so." [13:07] <@ShadowDragon8685> "Additionally, it's slower than the Light." [13:08] "Hmmm. How are we for space on the Light?" [13:09] "Should we send ship back?" [13:09] <@ShadowDragon8685> Arc shrugs. "Tight. She wasn't made for very much in the way of privacy. We could hang some hammocks or erect some bunks in the conference room if we disassembled the conference table, but I'm not sure we want the prisoners that close to the bridge. The forensic techs are currently bunking in the cargo hold." [13:10] <@ShadowDragon8685> Arc looks up. "Is there any reason we can't just call her and ask her permission to use her ship for a while?" Ganges purses his lips, and shrugs. "I have budget to spare, I could certainly arrange a short-term charter at a profit to the good captain, though whether she'd be willing to accept at any price is questionable." [13:11] <@ShadowDragon8685> "Or she might not want it back at all," Arclite notes. "I wouldn't, if I'd... Well, if what had happened to her had happened to me." [13:12] <@ShadowDragon8685> Ganges nods. "That too could be arranged; I'm certainly capable of buying the ship from her outright, or trading it directly for a similar vessel." [13:12] "It would make sense to ask, then." [13:12] "Could we send prisoners back, with ship, with escort? Except Dark Jedi." [13:13] <@ShadowDragon8685> Ganges nods. "I'll check to see what I can offer her as fair trade, but one of you should make the offer. I don't believe she'll be charitably inclined to deal with me directly." [13:13] * Mar_Syllon nods [13:13] "Can sleep in conference room, prisoner, my room." [13:13] <@ShadowDragon8685> Arc shrugs. "Who'd be the escort, though? I guess I could... But where do we even take them? Those miners... I'm not even sure where they're from." "I am," Ganges adds. "I recognize their armor and equipment." [13:13] ((The jedi that is, if we send back the miners and the other two)) [13:16] * Wabba is now known as Athria [13:21] ((back)) [13:22] "Then where do they come from?" [13:23] "And what would their culture do with mentally-scarred people like that?" [13:24] <@ShadowDragon8685> "Well," Ganges says, reading his datapad, "they're from a minor power which joined the New Republic a few years ago, and aren't very far from here. It's called the Kalum Federation," he says. "Highly militant and quite compact. I'd expect that if we turned them over as having been caught in an act of piracy, they would place them in a mental hospital, given the state they're in." [13:26] <@ShadowDragon8685> "And... Ah, that's quite good," he says, looking pleased with something he's found on his notes. "The Empire recently took possession of a Kuat Systems Engineering Wayfarer-class transport. It's a similar size and weight class to this Citadel-class cruiser, similar mass and drive specifications, and it has quite a massive reconfigurable hangar bay pod." [13:27] "As for transporting them safely, we could place them in a Force Trance, if they consent, which they cannot leave without the help of a Force User." [13:28] <@ShadowDragon8685> "Come to think of it, with the right modifications, a ship of that class would be an excellent vessel for a Procurator..." He scratches his chin thoughtfully. "Regardless, you may offer Captain Orix a charter lease on the use of her own vessel until such time as we no longer require it and may return it to her, payment in credits, or the title to that vessel and its delivery to her." [13:28] <@ShadowDragon8685> He taps his datapad, sending the specifications for a Wayfarer-class medium transport to everybody's headsets. (( )) [13:29] "Right. Who wants to head the call? I'm not sure who had the best rapport with her." [13:30] <@ShadowDragon8685> "The credits can be paid in Imperial or New Republic, at her pleasure, as the Intergalactic Banking Clan will be handling such a transfer," Ganges notes parenthetically. [13:33] * Aein shrugs and looks at Athria or Arc. "One of them, likely." [13:34] <@ShadowDragon8685> Arc blinks, and bites her lip. "Um... I'll try," she says. "Unless you'd rather, Athria?" [13:34] "I do not think I would be the best to do that." [13:34] "I'll head up the call." [13:35] And I'll go to do so. [13:36] <@ShadowDragon8685> The teenager looks a little disappointed, and a little relieved. "All right. I'm pretty sure our library has a legal library you can consult for the stuff you'd need to hammer out a legal charter contract or what-have-you." Ganges nods. "I'll send you the appropriate forms for a trade-in-kind between the Empire and Captain Orix for the other ship, or for a sale outright. If she wants to gouge on the value of her vessel, I won't complain. It's hard to truely put a value on a spacer's home." [13:37] <@ShadowDragon8685> I won't complain. It's hard to truely put a value on a spacer's home." [13:37] "I appreciate that." [13:38] <@ShadowDragon8685> "It's only fair," Ganges says. "There is credence to the fact that in addition to the purchase price of a ship and its modifications, one should take into account the opportunity costs in selling a vessel and needing to buy a new one, as well as the time and effort expended in the maintenance of it." [13:39] <@ShadowDragon8685> "A Citadel, new - several decades ago - would have cost just over two hundred thousand Republic Dataries. They tend to go for a hundred and twenty these days. Offer her up to two-hundred and twenty-five thousand. I'm sure she's invested in some sort of modifications to the ship." [13:41] <@ShadowDragon8685> Salieess, the fact that you're using a hypercomm affiliated (presently) with Ganges lets you discover the fate of Captain Orix. The local magistrate on Bardon's Rest chose to proceed with charges. She's presently under detention, awaiting prosecution for filing a false report to the lawful authorities under duress, a crime which carries a maximum fine of 50 credits for an Imperial citizen, or a crime of one hundred and deportation for someone who isn't. [13:42] <@ShadowDragon8685> or a crime of one hundred and deportation for someone who isn't. The proceedings should be complete in about a day. You do manage to get in touch with her, however, as they do allow prisoners to take calls, official or otherwise. [13:43] <@ShadowDragon8685> She blinks at you, looking as if she's not getting as much sleep as she'd like, but coherant, and still in possession of her own clothes, it seems. "You're one of those Jedi," she mutters, a little darkly. "Did you find those bastards," she asks. [13:43] <@ShadowDragon8685> "Let me guess: they chopped my ship up or flew her into an asteroid?" [13:46] --> [Saliees] PING [13:46] ->> Saliees :No such nick/channel [13:46] --> [Salieess] PING [13:46] [Salieess PING Reply] : 0.281 seconds [13:46] "Actually no they tried to use it as their own vessel and apart from a few damages caused in the fight for control of it is in good working order. Even better on that front is that since it was damage caused from piracy this time your insurance would cover it. We find ourselves in the possession of some criminals now however- [13:46] ? [13:46] <@ShadowDragon8685> Meanwhile, Arc and the droids get back to patching the freighter. [13:47] Alright I'll just continue with my message. I was confused by the asking for ping thing. :P [13:47] <@ShadowDragon8685> ((I was pinging to see if I was still connected to IRC)) [13:48] <@ShadowDragon8685> "You did?" She looks a little gobsmacked at this news, sitting back in the chair she's in in the security station's comms room, bindercuffs visible on her hands but bound in front. "That's... I'm impressed," she says, blinking. [13:50] now however and we wanted to ask if we could charter its use temporarily so that we can detain the prisoners and send them to their various punishments." [13:50] <@ShadowDragon8685> "...." She blinks. "You want to charter my ship? After you've just got it back?" She frowns at that thought, looking down. "I..." [13:54] <@ShadowDragon8685> "I'm not sure I want it back, honestly," she says, shivering visibly. [13:56] "Among those prisoners are the two who stole the ship in the first place in fact. Though if you didn't want to charter it a few other options were put on the table. With the offer to either buy the ship from you or make a trade in kind using a Kuat Systems Engineering Wayfarer-class transport." [13:57] <@ShadowDragon8685> The haggered space-captain frowns, looking down. "Sell her? Hm..." She considers that. "I'd tell you to pound sand two weeks ago... How much are you offering," she asks, looking up into Salieess' eyes. [14:04] "How do you feel about 160,000 credits?" [14:06] <@ShadowDragon8685> Captain Orix frowns, while two security officers in the background look rather nonplussed at their prisoner negotiating whilst in their custody. She closes her eyes. "Sixteen hundred? I've put everything into that ship. I..." She shakes her head. "No. That's not worth parting with it, even... Even after..." She chokes off for a moment, biting her lip, hard. [14:06] <@ShadowDragon8685> "A quarter of a million," she counters. [14:10] "200,000" [14:11] <@ShadowDragon8685> The space captain looks down at her hands for a time, and bites her lip. "Mmmmmh..... V... Very well," she concedes. "I'll take it." [14:13] <@ShadowDragon8685> And congratulations! You've just saved 25,000 credits of someone else's money. Bravo. [14:13] "Alright. And we'll get your pilot droid back as soon as we are able. We're a bit far from anywhere I'd be willing to send him back to you from." [14:13] <@ShadowDragon8685> The captain nods, and closes her eyes. "All right. I... Just want this mess to be over with." [14:14] "Anything on this ship you'd like us to send you with the droid? We'll see if its still around to send you." [14:15] <@ShadowDragon8685> She shakes her head, thinking about it. "Just... Just tell her to collect my things from my cabin, if they're still there; if she still has her memory. If not... Oh, do as you please." The transaction will be completed and she can collect her money, when she's been deported and try to rebuild her life. The appropriate paperwork will take some time to be signed. [14:15] <@ShadowDragon8685> But you have the ship now, so for practical purposes, it's yours. It, and the two Cutlass-9 starfighters attached to it. [14:16] <@ShadowDragon8685> As those were presumably the pirates' property, you can lay claim. [14:17] * Mar_Syllon goes to check out the fighters. [14:18] <@ShadowDragon8685> They're in good condition. Old, but Hyperdrive-equipped. [14:18] <@ShadowDragon8685> Only x2s, though, no faster than the Citadel. [14:22] <@ShadowDragon8685> It takes an hour or so for a patch to be applied to the hatch of the Citadel-class cruiser that will hold atmo. Heading down to the planet? [14:22] Presumably. [14:22] <@ShadowDragon8685> The pirates you captured will point out to you the pirate settlement on the planet, called EqusHead, established on the roofs and upper floors of various city skyscrapers. [14:23] <@ShadowDragon8685> Also, the miners and, surprisingly, the Dark Jedi, will agree to be placed in a Force Trance. [14:23] <@ShadowDragon8685> The two idiots refuse. [14:24] <@ShadowDragon8685> The pirates weren't altogether lying about their navicomputer, though. [14:24] <@ShadowDragon8685> Some idiot (the Twi'lek) got drunk and spilled ale on it. The droids can fix that; they simply didn't think to ask a pilot droid to do so. [14:25] <@ShadowDragon8685> And so, you land? [14:25] Unless someone objects. :-) [14:26] I suppose so. [14:26] Troublesome. [14:26] <@ShadowDragon8685> It was once said, by no less a person than the Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi, that one would never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy than Mos Eisley spaceport. One might reasonably conclude that Master Kenobi was not aware of EqusHead at the time he said so. [14:28] <@ShadowDragon8685> In fairness, the settlement of EqusHead was likely at least a decade, and quite possibly two, after Master Kenobi rendered his judgement. You bring the Light of Tython down to the surface of a blasted, dead world, a planet which was cooked thoroughly by the solar flare that was intense enough to literally sear a gouge of the planet's crust away, exposing the mantle. [14:30] <@ShadowDragon8685> You get a good view out of the forward windows as you land on an old pad atop an old skyscraper; ramshackle bridges connect rooftops and wasteland-built buttresses support structures in midair. There's life here, and it's not terribly pleasant; dead ahead, in fact, on the opposite building, you see what appears to be a rooftop cantina. [14:32] <@ShadowDragon8685> This is a scene of horror and apathy in equal measure; you saw a number of ships, some of them quite large, berthed in and around the buildings, including some very large freighters nestled up between the towers, hovering over old boulevards far below. In the streets and in the oft-broken windows of the towers, you can see the remains. [14:33] <@ShadowDragon8685> The remains of an entire sapient species, dessicated, mummified. The planet was sterilized so thoroughly that the microbial life that would normally break them down has been all but eradicated. Ganges is visibly furious by all of this, especially given that the cantina across the street appears to prominantly feature a veranda table with several corpses posed as if playing cards. [14:33] <@ShadowDragon8685> "They just... They just left them there - they... They..." Words seem to fail him, for a moment. [14:34] * Aein frowns as well. [14:34] "Despicable. Truly despicable." [14:35] * Mar_Syllon is visibly upset, but after a few moments he reathes deeply and resumes his normal calm expression. [14:35] "You said it." [14:35] <@ShadowDragon8685> The procurator clenches his fists, then takes a deep breath. "We shouldn't start trouble," he says. "No matter how badly the peace of this grave-world has been violated, we shouldn't start trouble. We're simply here for information..." [14:35] <@ShadowDragon8685> "And if we do start trouble, those responsible might evacuate before we can return. And I promise you, the Empire will return to deal with this." [14:35] "Good." [14:36] "I'll be glad to hear it." [14:36] <@ShadowDragon8685> Arc frowns, squeezing the control sticks of the Light. "This is... Despicable," she says, shaking her head. "But if we don't want to start trouble... Well, we can't exactly go out there looking like Jedi. Or Imperial law enforcement," she says, pointedly, and Ganges nods. "Quite right." [14:37] <@ShadowDragon8685> To the lockers, to procure disguises? [14:38] I use my normal inconspicuous kit! [14:38] <@ShadowDragon8685> Excellent! HOWEVER. [14:38] I think you said that our armorthingies look like mercenary wear, jah? [14:38] <@ShadowDragon8685> Before you can start to put on your disguises, your ship's comm-system beeps. [14:38] <@ShadowDragon8685> Aein: Yep. [14:38] <@ShadowDragon8685> Especially if you put on different colors. [14:39] Athria will just use something to cover the Order Symbol on her armour and try to get some simple weapon, preferably some kind of staff or polearm [14:39] <@ShadowDragon8685> It's an automated signal, a Jedi transponder. As in Mace's time, though significantly shorter-ranged. However, it indicates to you the presence of another of your kind on this planet. [14:39] "Can we get comms?" [14:39] <@ShadowDragon8685> It's easy enough to grab a pipe and wrap some mesh tape around it for handles, Athria. [14:40] <@ShadowDragon8685> One of the droids can weld some spikes on the ends. [14:40] A spike-y maul, sound perfect as mercenary disguise. [14:40] <@ShadowDragon8685> Yay! [14:40] * Aein will just take one of those rifles, since he doesn't really plan on using it. [14:41] I forgot the name of them. The rifles that is, not the ridiculous guns the miners had. [14:41] Unless those are Aein-portable, then yes he'll take one :D [14:41] Will keep the two sabers in the concealed holsters though [14:42] <@ShadowDragon8685> You mean blaster rifles? [14:42] <@ShadowDragon8685> E-11s? [14:42] One concealed saber, heavy blaster on one thigh and light on the other. [14:44] SD: Yeah, I think so. [14:44] <@ShadowDragon8685> Fair enough. [14:44] And I'll just tuck my saber in an inside pocket or something. [14:44] Bring an extra, even. [14:44] I'll keep my heavy blaster apparent. Conceal my lightsaber. And disguise myself since I'm a good deal fancier looking. :P [14:44] If we still have some extras. [14:45] I'll just wear the armor with the jedi insignia covered and all that, and keep the helmet on to hide my blindfold. [14:45] Though I suppose there are force-using mercenaries out there. Maybe I should show it off for intimidation? :P [14:45] <@ShadowDragon8685> Aein: Kyle didn't put any insignia on the armor. But fair enough. [14:51] You know what just because we haven't done it yet and I want to see if Diceone hates me just as much. :P [14:52] Deception check [14:52] 1d20+10 [14:52] Salieess, 1d20+10: 18 [1d20=8] [14:55] Making myself look like a criminal of atleast decent wealth since I think it'd be hard to hide my being well groomed since its hard to deshevel scales and horns. :P [14:57] <@ShadowDragon8685> Salieess: So noted. [14:58] <@ShadowDragon8685> As you descend from the ship, with Arclite and the two forensic techs detailed to watch Dumb and Dumber, the dryness and weight of this planet hits you; it's a tomb-world, the graveyard of an entire species. Nobody even bothered to come and bury the dead, they just buried the event, and probably would have buried the planet if they could. [14:59] <@ShadowDragon8685> It's not a nice place to live, unless you're so desperate you've no other choices, or depraved enough that you don't care. [15:01] <@ShadowDragon8685> You see a person standing on the far side of the bridge to the tower you landed on when you arrive; a human or near-human male, wearing worn spacer gear; a blue jacket, brown pants, with high boots and a white shirt, with some kind of ragged cloth wrapped around his lower face. He wears a gun-belt and leather-wrapped cudgel openly on his belt [15:01] <@ShadowDragon8685> For all that he looks like a denizen of this hive of scum and villainy, though, your headsets immediately highlight the beacon you picked up, it's in his jacket pocket. [15:02] * Mar_Syllon heads out. [15:02] And addresses the figure! [15:02] "Long way from home, aren't you?" [15:03] "yes, too far for too long." [15:04] "Not that it would be any of your business." [15:06] * Aein sighs and helmet-palms. [15:07] "It's soo good to feel friendly presences in the force." [15:07] * Mar_Syllon smiles. "Don't be too noisy about that - we have a job to do here and it's best done quietly." [15:09] "I understand. " [15:10] * Aein looks at the man. "Aein. Your name? Why here?" [15:10] "So, you are not here to rescue me?" [15:12] "Nooo but theres no reason we can't do both. :P [15:12] "* [15:12] "Trendal Corsair." [15:13] * Mar_Syllon blinks. [15:13] "Well that fits right in here." [15:14] * Aein looks back at Ganges. "Sir, where to?" [15:14] "I've was investigating some pirates, I managed to stow away on there ship, and got stranded here [15:15] "Couldn't get offworld again? That's gotta hurt." [15:15] <@ShadowDragon8685> Ganges raises his eyebrow. He's taken off his insignia and his badge is in his pocket. He's wearing an all-weather cloak and a hat with a sun-shade. "I'm not sure. Beginning an investigation in a location like this is always tricky... But if you trust this fellow," he says, "he might be a better person to speak to about where to start looking for information." [15:17] "If you are looking for info, I suggest that cantina over there." [15:18] <@ShadowDragon8685> "A cliche... But not one without its reasons for existing," Ganges agrees, and shrugs. "Perhaps I'd better not do the talking. I'm terribly bad at making my voice sound like anything but what it is; in Basic, anyway." [15:18] "Most of the ships leaving this system were heading for Imperial space." [15:18] "I have a fair bit of practice. The imperial accent didn't completely stick." [15:22] * Aein shrugs. "I can. Some. Obvious issue." [15:22] * Aein starts shuffling off towards the cantina. [15:22] "Time, wasting." [15:22] * Mar_Syllon follows. [15:23] I'll follow after but I won't enter until a bit after everyone else has. I'm not planning to do talking but maybe. [15:25] <@ShadowDragon8685> Crossing the bridge, you're interrupted by a hovering droid that zooms into your path. "Hey! Are you looking for some firepower? Jib-Bun's got what you need, from pocket popper blaster pistols - holdouts with PUNCH - to E-Webs, for when you need to lay down some HEAVY FIRE!" As it's giving its pitch, two more remotes flitter in, delivering competing pitches. [15:26] * Aein waggles his Force Gun. "I'm good." [15:26] Just keeps walking. [15:26] <@ShadowDragon8685> It seems there's three arms dealers on this planet, competing but mostly having settled into niches. One deals in small arms, one deals in explosives and heavy weapons, and one deals in ships and ship parts. [15:27] <@ShadowDragon8685> They all seem to be offering deeply discounted wares. The starship salesman's droid lists out what he has. Nothing really good unless you want to place an order, but he has a nice selection of older starfighters. [15:27] <@ShadowDragon8685> Among them are an Aethersprite Interceptor and an Eta-2 Actis, as well as a squadron of Mankvim-814s going real cheap (because they're deathtraps, even when they were manufactured,) some Cutlass-9s (no bet as regards where those pirates got theirs,) some Cloakshapes, and a hyperdrive-equipped Z-95. [15:28] <@ShadowDragon8685> There's also some space transports; a Ghtroc 720, a Gozanti Cruiser, a Firespray-31, and a Baudo Star Yacht being sold for a mere hundred grand. [15:28] <@ShadowDragon8685> So, meager pickings, really, but possibly of interest. [15:29] If I have the credits I'd grab the Yacht. Because I could. :P [15:30] <@ShadowDragon8685> Aein: The small arms and heavy weapons droids look at the force gun and go "Wow." They each start competing with each other on making offers, which the heavy weapons droid tops out with at 2,800 credits. [15:30] <@ShadowDragon8685> Salieess: An over-expensive, cripplingly bad star yacht? [15:30] <@ShadowDragon8685> What would you want with it? [15:30] :P [15:31] Its a yacht. :P That'd be the reason. :P [15:31] We could sell like three of those force guns though. :P [15:31] I doubt we'll need more then one but I don't know. [15:31] "I'd rather not sell any weapons here," Mar mutters to the others. [15:32] * Aein shakes his head at the droids. "Sorry, friends, not for sale. Maybe one day." [15:32] <@ShadowDragon8685> Ganges nods at Mar. "It seems to me it's not a great idea to sell a gun that you may find yourself on the wrong end of the muzzle of." [15:33] <@ShadowDragon8685> The droids look upset, and start to shout invective at you as they zoom away. Great customer service, eh? [15:33] "I don't want to arm pirates even if they won't shoot me." [15:33] <@ShadowDragon8685> Ganges nods again. [15:34] <@ShadowDragon8685> The local boozer is a place with a sign made of welded scrap metal, named "Kon-Hub's Hairless Glink." Lovely, innit?... Well, no. Actually, there's about five atrocities manifest in this place. [15:34] <@ShadowDragon8685> It's open-air, save for the bartending kiosk, which appears as if it can seal up shut. There's some patrons drinking at this time of day, but not many. (They're not the atrocities.) [15:35] Only five? [15:35] That's still ten less than Palpatine's fucking house. [15:35] <@ShadowDragon8685> Yeah, but that was Palpatine! [15:35] Are there robot butlers? If so it may need nuked. :p [15:36] <@ShadowDragon8685> Well, let's see... [15:37] <@ShadowDragon8685> #1: the mummies playing sabbac. #2: A hovering droid playing the mummies' hands, and presumably capable of dealing for others. #3: The nude mummy of a local, who was evidently female and young when the holocaust hit, strapped to a rotating dancing pole. #4: A holoprojection of a local engaged in the same activity on the next dancing stand. [15:38] <@ShadowDragon8685> And #5: when you walk in, the bartender cheerfully exclaims, "Welcome to Jun-Hob's Hairless Glink. I'm the proprietor. We've got the best booze and the worst food in-system. You can get a hot meal here, but the chef droid just reconstitutes and cooks the locals, so you probably don't want to." [15:38] <@ShadowDragon8685> ((Err, Kun.)) [15:39] <@ShadowDragon8685> He's some kind of vaugely humanoid, but nowhere near human-looking alien, red-skinned with a squat, teardrop-shaped body, a mouth at the base of his long, long neck/eye-stalk, and a single, gigantic eyeball on top. [15:39] <@ShadowDragon8685> While Palpatine's apartment had more atrocities, this may or may not have more atrocities per square meter. [15:49] 19:44 * Mar_Syllon similarly declines the food and *pretends* to take this as a joke. [15:49] 19:45 * Athria will remain silent, trying to look tough [15:49] 19:45 < Salieess> Like I said I enter a little after everyone else and if I caught the tail end of that my character will make a disgusted face and order something mild. I'm hanging back with Salieess 19:47 < Salieess> ((And by mild I mean not likely to make me drunk.)) [15:51] <@ShadowDragon8685> Kun-Hob sniffs at being asked for something mild, but he puts a mug on the table, gets a bottle with a faded, pink label and polygonal design out from under the bar, and pours out a stunningly pink liquid that swirls yellow. "Try that," he says, pushing it towards Salieess. [15:52] Any chance I know what it is? :P [15:52] <@ShadowDragon8685> Make a Knowledge (Galactic Lore) check. [15:52] 1d20+11 [15:52] Salieess, 1d20+11: 20 [1d20=9] [15:53] <@ShadowDragon8685> It's Bottled Starshine, an old Zeltron vintage. It was a mass-manufactured liqour, easy on the tongue and light on the alcohol, popular as a nightclub drink in the waning days of the Old Republic. The Empire put the company out of business the only way they knew how when it came to light the owner's daughter was a Rebel and they were funneling money to the Rebellion. [15:54] <@ShadowDragon8685> They burned the plant down and destroyed the data on how to make it rather than see it Imperialized, and nowadays the stuff goes for upwards for 2,000 credits for a full bottle. [15:54] <@ShadowDragon8685> Well, a full, unopened bottle which is intact, anyway. [15:56] Well....any luck he doesn't realize what it is. "That'll do me fine." [15:56] <@ShadowDragon8685> The bartender puts the bottle away, and crosses his arms. "A bunch of spacers walk into a tavern and only one of them orders anything, and even then they have the thirst of a girl?" He snorts. "What do you bootkickers want to know?" [16:00] "Looking for someone." [16:00] "Looking for someones," Aein adds. "Group. Big cruiser, hitting imp space." [16:00] <@ShadowDragon8685> "Lotta someones," he retorts, pouring himself a drink of the same stuff he poured Salieess. "That's more specific," he says, taking a swig. "Hmph. No kick at all." [16:01] <@ShadowDragon8685> He nods. "I know of the ship. I don't know it, though. Lot of pirates and rough types shuttling in on Lambdas. Must have had a huge crew." He chortles, softly. "I know someone who can probably answer every question you have, though." [16:01] * Mar_Syllon smiles quietly. [16:01] "Care to introduce us?" [16:01] <@ShadowDragon8685> "One of those pirates that shuttled down? Swapped clothes with someone who didn't make their recruiting cut. He's still on-world. Somewhere." [16:02] <@ShadowDragon8685> "Sure, if you pay off the deadbeat's bar tab. I let him drink two hundred creds worth before I cut him off." [16:02] * Aein hands over the money. [16:03] "You know what? I'll have something on top of that. Get me something decent." [16:03] <@ShadowDragon8685> His eyebrow raises, as he looks at the transaction. "Republic credits, eh?" He shrugs. "Money's money." He grins. "The walking nether region squats in this building, bunch of floors down. He fixed up some old power exchangers, got the climate control working again." [16:04] <@ShadowDragon8685> He nods at Mar, and pours him a shot of a violet classic - Corellian Whiskey. "Five creds," he says. [16:05] * Mar_Syllon hands it over. [16:06] <@ShadowDragon8685> He gladly takes his monies, slotting them below the bar. [16:07] <@ShadowDragon8685> When the bartender does so, he shrugs, and notes. "Since you're such good customers," he sarcastically says, "I just remembered one other thing about them that struck me as funny. They paid in Imp credit chips - not too odd, there - but they were all like new, and the serial chips were sequential." [16:07] <@ShadowDragon8685> "They must've hit a currency transport." [16:08] "Interesting." [16:08] <@ShadowDragon8685> Ganges frowns, but says nothing. [16:08] <@ShadowDragon8685> Off to investigate the pirate deserter? [16:08] * Aein nods, dropping another hundred credits. "Thanks." Afterwards, he waits until Mar finishes his drink, then the gets up to go. [16:10] <@ShadowDragon8685> It's not hard at all for the technically inclined among you to detect the running power, which is probably still being supplied by automated civil power plants and exchangers, or else being powered by the plants on some of those starships. There isn't much running into the body of the buildings. [16:10] As a question would I be capable of figuring out how to make a bottle of the zeltron drink if I have some? :P [16:10] <@ShadowDragon8685> Salieess: Depends. Do you have Knowledge (Life Sciences) and a lot of time and a lot to reverse engineer from? [16:11] ((Use the Force, let it guide the brewing process :p)) [16:11] I have the knowledge. The rest I'll maybe be able to do later. :P [16:12] "I like this drink. Any chance I can buy a few bottles off you?" [16:13] <@ShadowDragon8685> He snorts. "I can't move the stuff anyway," he says. He puts five bottles on the bar, most of them opened, but one which is mostly intact. "Two hundred for the lot." [16:14] "Happily." He hands over the 200 with a tip of 25 more credits. :p [16:14] <@ShadowDragon8685> Old Booze Get. [16:14] <@ShadowDragon8685> Moving on? [16:14] Yup. :P [16:14] <@ShadowDragon8685> Yay! [16:14] <@ShadowDragon8685> You find an apartment several floors down, that seems to still have power going. You can tell this because the door's maglock is running, whereas all the others are not. [16:15] * Trendal sees them moving into the building and follows [16:16] "Knocking, or /knocking/?" [16:16] Aein asks Ganges. [16:16] "Knocking for now, I think, but can we cover the other exits?" [16:16] <@ShadowDragon8685> It's an apartment. One in a row. [16:16] <@ShadowDragon8685> There aren't any other exits, except maybe the window. [16:17] He could have a jet pack. so clearly Arc will cover that with her new pseudo-warship [16:19] "Maybe we should do this the local way. We open the door and then we ask questions. No need for knocking first." [16:20] * Aein shrugs. "Not my expertise." [16:21] * Aein looks between Athria and the others. [16:22] "Aein, could you open the door for us?" [16:22] "Though come to think of it, let's check if someone directly on the other side first." [16:22] * Athria closes her eyes and tries to sense anyone inside with the force [16:23] <@ShadowDragon8685> There is someone inside, quite a ways back from the door, but directly in line with it. [16:23] "Anyone there?" [16:24] "I think there's someone in the firing line." [16:24] * Aein just knocks on the door already. [16:25] <@ShadowDragon8685> After a few moments, you hear a human voice from inside. "Tell Kun-Hob he can't collect what I don't have! Give it a rest, already!" [16:25] <@ShadowDragon8685> The voice appears to be moving when it says it, and you can tell such from the Force as well, moving to the side and further back. [16:26] "Aein, you can open the door now." [16:27] * Aein considers for a moment, and raises the gun, but speaks first. "Paid the tab, already. Have questions." [16:28] <@ShadowDragon8685> Ganges sighs, rolling his eyes. He was drawing his weapon, perhaps to blast the door, but pauses when Aein takes a tack that might work. "You paid my tab? How do I know it's not a trick?" It sounds human, male. [16:29] "Had to pay for directions to you. Think he'd give without money first?" [16:30] <@ShadowDragon8685> Ganges facepalms, as from the inside, you hear banging on something. [16:30] <@ShadowDragon8685> "I believe he may be attempting to kick out the window," Ganges says. [16:30] <@ShadowDragon8685> "Were there window-accessible fire escapes in this building? I don't recall." [16:30] "Just open the door already Aein." [16:31] Pull out my gun since that seems to be how this is going to go down now. :p [16:31] * Aein justs blows the door open. [16:31] <@ShadowDragon8685> Kwa-BAAAAAAANGGggg! [16:32] "Knock knock," Aein says with a sigh. "Can we come in? Thanks." [16:32] He then walks in/ [16:32] <@ShadowDragon8685> The Force Gun was made to propel (and smash) small-ish space rocks. It certainly does a bang-up job propelling the door from the frame, it smashing into the room and landing atop an old bed, once very nice but now shabby. Within you see a human male in generic spacer clothes, desperately attempting to get a chip started in the window with a vibroblade. [16:32] <@ShadowDragon8685> Well, a vibroknife, anyway [16:33] <@ShadowDragon8685> There don't appear to be any scaffolds, and he yelps, looking around nervously as the heavily-armed Aein walks in. "I-I..." [16:33] <@ShadowDragon8685> He seems to think perhaps you're here to kill him, judging by how desperate he is. [16:34] "Let's sit down and have a talk." [16:34] "Hi. Have questions. Please answer." [16:34] "We just want some questions answered. And just like getting the door open, there are two ways we can do this." [16:34] 1d20+15 [16:34] Mar_Syllon, 1d20+15: 32 [1d20=17] [16:34] <@ShadowDragon8685> Perhaps he was planning to attempt to free-climb a sheer building, or to leap to his death. [16:34] Guess what Force Power that is. :-P [16:34] <@ShadowDragon8685> Move Object? [16:34] <@ShadowDragon8685> Or Mind Trick? [16:35] Mind Trick. :-) [16:35] I don't even have Move. [16:35] <@ShadowDragon8685> "Uh...." He blinks, and nods, sitting down where he is. "Okay. What would you like to know?" [16:36] "You got yourself out of a crew recently. Why was that?" [16:37] <@ShadowDragon8685> "I didn't want to be there," he says, shrugging. "I was tricked into joining them. I thought it was a work release thing, but I wound up on a pirate ship." [16:37] <@ShadowDragon8685> "I felt sick thinking I was helping them kill people, but they were good about taking head-count. I figured I could jump ship by getting someone else to take my place." [16:38] "Sounds rough. What kinds of places were they hitting?" [16:38] <@ShadowDragon8685> He shrugs. "I have no idea. I was doing mechanical work in the bowels of the ship. I didn't get out of my section much." [16:39] <@ShadowDragon8685> "Hold on," Ganges interrupts. "A work-release program? From what - who are you, and where were you incarcerated?" [16:39] <@ShadowDragon8685> The man looks up at Mar, and stands up. He looks at the knife in his hand, shuts it off and puts it back in its cover, then puts it in his pocket. "You guys aren't here to kill me?" [16:40] * Aein shakes his head. "'Course not." [16:41] <@ShadowDragon8685> Ganges frowns, as the man walks to his bed. "Man... I'm gonna have to find a new squat now," he says. "I hate this place. Anyway, I'm Jonz. I'm from Gelda," he says. "I was in prison for, uh... Murder," he admits. "But it wasn't murder!" [16:42] * Aein raises an eyebrow. Then remembers he's wearing a helmet /and/ a wide blindfold. [16:42] <@ShadowDragon8685> "See, I was a mechanic - fast, old landspeeders were my thing, and... Well, girls like that kind of thing. There isn't much else to do on Gelda. I was in tight with this girl who liked my ride and riding me. Her dad was pretty rich, which didn't hurt, but I didn't care." [16:43] <@ShadowDragon8685> He starts to talk, quickly, as if he needs to get this out to someone. [16:44] <@ShadowDragon8685> "Her father didn't like he. He had some of his workers pay me a visit to rough me up, but..." He shrugs. "I'm pretty handy with my hands... And a hydrospanner. That just got her even more worked up, and... Well, she fired up faster than my ride. Anyway, the old man himself paid me a visit." [16:45] <@ShadowDragon8685> "Tried giving me some drek about how girls like her were destined for, deserved more, than a man like me could give her. I told him to cut to the chase, and the chase was he'd pay me to get out of her life. I told him to go suck vapor. He pulled a blaster on me." [16:46] <@ShadowDragon8685> "He tried to shoot me, but the safety was on. I guess he hadn't shot many people before, and, well, my blade was in my pocket." He shakes his head, looking down. "I stuck him right in the heart before he could bring the muzzle back in line with me." [16:47] <@ShadowDragon8685> "But when you're a greasy mechanic and you stick a rich old guy, I guess it doesn't matter that he was trying to shoot you dead at the time. They sentanced me to thirteen years hard labor. My lawyer raised a stink about how it was self-defense, by way of appeal. So they downgraded it to fourteen years of incarceration." [16:47] <@ShadowDragon8685> Ganges shakes his head, and sighs. "A true miscarriage of justice, I'm sure, and worth looking into. But we're looking for the ship - get on with it, boy." Jonz sighs. [16:48] <@ShadowDragon8685> "Alright, fine. They sent me to Norik. Ice-blasted hell hole. After a few months of good behavior - 'cause they integrate the male and female prisoners who behave themselves, and let you get a job in the prison machine shop to pick up some creds - mostly the integration thing, though - some guy came to me in the middle of the night." [16:49] <@ShadowDragon8685> "Blandest human being I've ever saw. Medium everything. He spun me this tale about how I could get on a work release program if I continued to be good, learn a trade aboard a ship. It sounded like a good deal. I told him I'd think it over, and he told me I had a week, but if I blabbed about it, I was going in a hole for the rest of my life... So... I did." [16:49] "Could be a disguise, then." [16:50] <@ShadowDragon8685> Jonz shrugs. "Maybe... I wouldn't know. I've never seen any good disguises... That I know of..." He frowns, as if considering. [16:50] <@ShadowDragon8685> "Anyway, I took the offer 'cause it turns out women in prisons, even the ones on good behavior, are pretty hard and, um... Demanding. So I wound up in the front of a Lambda-class shuttle, 'cause we were overbooked. It was a pretty long ride, but we wound up at like... Some kind of a spacedock built into an asteroid. It was well lit up. There were three of those... What do you call things ships fit in?" [16:52] <@ShadowDragon8685> "Berths," Ganges supplies, and Jonz nods. "Right. Three berths. Two of them were full. I didn't get a good look at the one on the far side, but the one in the middle was a big, spearhead-like ship. I remember, 'cause I have a holographic memory. I asked if it was a star destroyer. That set the Blandest Man Alive off, he got huffy with me." [16:53] <@ShadowDragon8685> "It was painted gray, but they were putting a lot of red on its hull. He called me a stupid bumpkin 'cause of the Star Destroyer thing, and told me it was way, way too small to be a Star Destroyer. Said that it used to be an Immobilizer 418, which itself started life as a Vindicator-class Heavy Cruiser, before they ripped out most of the guns, needlessly - his own words." [16:55] * Aein hums. [16:55] <@ShadowDragon8685> Jonz shrugs. "Anyway, we were put aboard the ship. I asked if we were going to be issued uniforms, and was told to shut up. We weren't, they were just handing out all kinds of ordinary clothes. They had everyone more or less confined to where they were supposed to be. There were a lot of droids, a lot of automation - my job was maintaining parts of the slave circuitry." [16:56] "Go on." [16:58] <@ShadowDragon8685> "Anyway, I figured something was fishy and kept my head down. I eventually figured out there had to be about fifteen hundred people aboard, nearly entirely ex-convicts. Some had been there for years, and nearly all of us had been in for violent crimes of some sort or another. We got into some fights, the last I remember was hearing that we'd taken an Action IV transport and her escorts. Pulled them right out of hyperspace with the gravity wells." [16:58] <@ShadowDragon8685> Pulled them right out of hyperspace with the gravity wells." [16:58] * Aein looks at Ganges. [16:59] <@ShadowDragon8685> Ganges shakes his head, frowning, and Jonz looks similarly grave. "After we did that, the ship came here, and... Well, I won a shore leave chit in a game of dice, and jumped ship here." [17:00] "Any idea where they've been berthing?" [17:01] <@ShadowDragon8685> "They didn't exactly let me on the bridge," he says, but Ganges looks up. "You said you had a holographic memory, though. Were you looking at the navicomputer on the shuttle?" [17:01] <@ShadowDragon8685> After blinking, Jonz nods. "Yeah - yeah, I was!" [17:02] <@ShadowDragon8685> "So, uh... Who are you guys, anyway? I figured you were part of the crew come to kill me." [17:02] "We want to find these pirates and stop them." [17:02] "Is it really important who we are, as long as we don't want to kill you?" [17:02] <@ShadowDragon8685> "Yeah? You and what Navy?" Jonz snorts. [17:03] * Mar_Syllon just smiles. [17:03] * Athria grins at that question [17:03] "We have our ways." [17:04] * Aein huffs. "Don't need one." [17:04] <@ShadowDragon8685> "Right..." Jonz sighs. "Well, fine then. I'll tell you the numbers on their navicomputer if you get me off this rock. Fair?" [17:04] * Aein nods. Ganges might have plans, but if all he wants is off the rock... [17:05] "We can do that." [17:05] <@ShadowDragon8685> "Off this rock and somewhere away from all of this," he says. "I don't want anything else to do with pirates, and I don't want to go anywhere I'd be sent back to prison for sticking a guy who was trying to shoot me dead." [17:08] "Well we can't promise you won't get sent to prison if you do it again but we already have a batch of people we are taking to republic space." [17:11] "Deal?" [17:11] <@ShadowDragon8685> Ganges frowns at Salieess, and takes out his badge. Jonz goes pale white. "I could arrest you; jailbreak, flying with a pirate crew... But I won't. In fact, I'll let you take their option - if you sit down and tell me everything you can remember... Assuming you'd rather leave the Empire, that is. If you come back with me and turn Empire's Evidence, I'll launch a proper investigation into the charges you faced, and see that you face no charges for what happened after you left the prison." [17:11] <@ShadowDragon8685> and see that you face no charges for what happened after you left the prison." [17:12] <@ShadowDragon8685> Jonz bites his lip, looking between Aein and Ganges. "Uh... If it's all the same, I think I'd rather take their deal." Ganges crosses his arms, and nods. "Very well. Let's be done with this wretched planet, then." [17:14] "I'll be glad to be off it." [17:15] <@ShadowDragon8685> "Me too," Jonz says.
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