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 OOC Thread & Story Background Current Team -Lieutenant Benjamin Novar (Human Commodore, played by Valhawk) -Marr Udo-Mundi (Cerean Jedi Shadow, played by Mustache Ride) -Seris Nyar (Sluissi Outlaw Tech, played by fool_of_sound) -Phal Shem (Kel Dor Scholar, played by jivjov) -RX-3318 (Mirialan Sharpshooter, played by Ramba Ral) -Jlass'atok'elishu (Chiss Soresu Defender, played by Fuzz) Foreward Your team has been gathered from all corners of the galaxy by an unknown patron. You know little about the nature of your summons -- all you have received is a one-way transport ticket, booking at a dingy casino-hotel in the city of Worlport on Ord Mantell, and an enigmatic message scribbled in Basic on a business card: “Concierge. Mention slashrat hunting.” Any normal being in the galaxy would think twice about accepting such an unsolicited offer, but you are made of more adventurous stuff. For some, the prospect of adventure and reward is its own motivation; for others, the opportunity to solve a mystery cannot be passed up; meanwhile, some of you have been ordered to accept by those above you in the chain of command.  And so you’ve all arrived individually in Worlport and made your way to the Red Harvest Hotel & Casino. The city is like any other trade port on a busy industrial world - the streets are clogged with speeders, aliens of every type milling about their business, and the bustle of ships landing and taking off. Ord Mantell is well-known for having its glitzy areas; unfortunately, your destination seems to be less glamorous. Stuffed under hovertrain rails in the industrial quarter, the building looks like it’s seen better days - at some point you’re sure the building was quite nice, back when the old republican art deco styles were en vogue. Now the paint on the facade is peeling, the ferrocrete walls are chipped and crumbling, and the place looks like a last resort for those who’ve come to Ord Mantell and gambled away their savings. Your patron has obviously spared every expense. As you walk through the entryway, you reappraise the place. The interior, though far from modern or striking, is at least relatively clean (as much as you can expect from Ord Mantell’s lower-class areas, anyway). The lobby isn’t completely devoid of life, but it’s not packed to the brim either. At the check-in desk, a lone repurposed 2-1B droid mans the counter, idly tapping at a control console. Regarding Canon Alright Star Wars nerds, I’m going to be loving with EU canon a bit (not that it matters, since it doesn’t exist anymore anyway). The following is information that you as the player should be aware of: -The incidents of the first book in the NJO series, Vector Prime, have all occurred, minus intervention from the movie characters. Sernpidal has been destroyed, and the ExGal Outpost on Belkadan has gone silent. Beyond that, anything goes -- we’re rewriting this poo poo from near the beginning! -The heroic team that we’re used to seeing in Star Wars (Luke/Han/Leia/Solo Kids) are going to play a peripheral part on this conflict. They’re old and have other poo poo keeping their attention -- Luke is busy trying to re-establish the Jedi and prevent the divide in his own ranks from turning into full-blown internecine conflict; Leia is probably off doing some politicking or being the loyal opposition to Borsk Fey’lya’s government; Han and Chewie are off having a mid-life crisis and smuggling poo poo; the Solo kids I couldn’t really care much less about. The following is information that your character is aware of, as it relates to the whole conflict. Phal Shem may be slightly better “informed” about this since it’s his life’s work, but even then much of his info is based on conjecture at the very beginning. I will be updating this list as the campaign progresses and as we deviate from canon: -There are rumors spread by crazies on HoloNet Talk Radio of an imminent threat from outside the galaxy -- there’ve always been people like this, but lately it’s been getting more airtime. Imagine a Star Wars version of Art Bell. -Nobody has heard from the planet Sernpidal in several weeks. Communications blackouts are not unheard of, but it’s starting to cause concern. -The Jedi in the party have only received a general sense of urgency from Master Skywalker -- he hasn't mentioned what the meeting is about, though he seems to have more information than he's letting on. Game Info -At the top of each post, please write your character’s name in bold. For your first post, and at every “level-up”, please also link your most current character sheet. -OOC text goes in italics. -Use Orokos for dice rolls. Drone fucked around with this message at 17:57 on Feb 17, 2015 |
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Feb 17, 2015 17:48
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Marr Udo-Mundi Marr keeps her head low as she enters the hotel entrance. Not surprised by the chosen place, a number of hotels much like she's spent most of her working life. What was surprising was the fact that their contact was going through such clandestine measures for what was supposed to be an official mission, according to Master Skywalker. "I wonder who the apprentice will be?" She mumbles to herself as she hauls her bag up to the desk. "Hello, Marr Fin-Belder checking in." she speaks to the droid, saying the name on one of her old identities she gave Master Skywalker when he requested her to perform this mission. "I hear there's a good bar nearby, the 'Slashrat' or something? Can you point me in that direction? I don't really want to go hunting for it, I just need a drink." Marr asks the droid.
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Feb 17, 2015 18:16
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quote:Seris Nyar, Sluissi Outlaw Tech Seris peered around slowly, his forked tongue flicking the air surreptitiously. This wasn't going as expected. When he was told that he was being transferred to Ord Mantell to receive the assignment that would purchase his freedom, Seris had expected to be ushered to a top-of-the-line hotel or high-stakes casino, somewhere a Hutt would like to have his name associated with, in the underworld at least. Who but a Hutt, he had thought, had the sort of pull needed to extract a known arms dealer from a maximum security prison? Behind him, his Wookie parole officer groaned something to the reception droid as Seris considered the sparse crowd milling about the lobby. Clues were sparse. The Chiss woman would be involved, certainly; her kind were rare at best, particularly in run-down areas like this. Besides, she seemed far too alert to be tourist. Nothing else stood out to him, and it sounded like his parole officer's negotiations, such as they were, were wrapping up. 'Slashrat' must have been the password. It was time to see what this was really about. fool of sound fucked around with this message at 02:48 on Mar 5, 2015 |
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Feb 17, 2015 18:44
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Gulran "RX-3318" Amaya Upon landing on Ord Mantell, RX left the spaceport and entered into the city of Worlport. The smog filled sunlight drenched his green skin as he was in his civilian clothes. Leaving most of his issued equipment and taking only personal things he would need such as his well used blaster rifle. One thing that surprised him was how busy the streets of Worlport were compared to the frontier. He's in the hustle and bustle of civilization but decided to focus on his job and head down to the Red Harvest Hotel and Casino as he was instructed to. First thing he noticed was how much of a dive the place was. Wouldn't be such a bad place if he needed to have a drink with his comrades, but he was sent on this assignment alone. Plus, he was on duty and he had a personal honor to uphold. Luckily, the room wasn't completely barren. There were people already in the room ahead of him, and the lone droid tapping on the console. RX decided to introduce himself to the droid with the codeword he was told to utter, "So, I take it you're the concierge, well, I was told to mention slashrat hunting to you." Ramba Ral fucked around with this message at 20:27 on Feb 17, 2015 |
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Feb 17, 2015 19:44
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 Satoke Wound: 12 Strain: 12 Soak: 4 Defense: 1 The Chiss had gotten there a little earlier than everyone else, but had sat in the foyer waiting patiently for the other Jedi Knight who Master Skywalker had told her would be accompanying her on the mission. She wore the customary battle robes under her cloak, but it didn't take more than a moment's attention to see the plasteel plates attached to her robes. Her training lightsaber was tucked out of sight, but with her hood up as it was, it wouldn't take much creativity for someone to imagine she was from the Order, or at the least really into dressing up. She expected the Knight to be similarly appointed, or perhaps in a more dignified and less war-like robe, but after the steady trickle of entrants had come and gone, being sent on their way by the droid, she was a bit confused. Should she have worn common dress instead? Wasn't this an official mission? What kind of people, exactly, would she actually be working with? This last question particularly stuck in her head as she watched the armed wookiee escort in the Sluissi, very obviously some sort of criminal or prisoner at the least. Deciding to allay her suspicions until the details of their mission were laid out, she approached the droid and matter-of-factly stated, "I was instructed to inquire about slashrat hunting. Where do I go for that?"
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Feb 17, 2015 20:22
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Lt. Benjamin Novar- Lt. Novar got off the transport and headed to the address display, his uniform clean and sharp. He wanted to make a good first impression, and this might be his only chance to pull his career out of the death spiral it was caught in. Hefting his rucksack over his shoulder he made his way to the address mentioned in his orders. When he arrived in the neighborhood, Ben definitely started to feel more than a bit conspicuous. This was not the sort of place one normally walked around in a military officer's uniform. As he uncomfortably made his way into the hotel proper, he steps up to the droid concierge and says, "I'm here to check in. I heard something about slashrat hunting. Do you know anything about it? " He felt ridiculous passing codewords around like he was in some bad spy story, but orders are orders. Edit: Added my sheet now that I'm actually at a computer. Valhawk fucked around with this message at 01:08 on Feb 18, 2015 |
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Feb 17, 2015 21:43
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Phal Shem Phal was the first to arrive but the last to approach the droid at the counter. His recent brush with a "Vong" scout had profoundly rattled the intellectual, and the curt dismissal from his prized teaching position was still nagging at him. He wasn't ready to move on...as much as he traveled from planet to planet, some things always stayed the same, most basically a sense of security. But now that sense was gone. It had been replaced with a growing pressure behind his eyes and in his gut. That 98% scared/2% excited adrenaline mix had been coursing through his system for nigh on a week, making it near impossible to sleep or even make coherent plans much of the time. After seeing several other beings come and go from the 2-1B's station, Phal levered himself up from the slightly-moldy couch behind the synthetic potted plant and made his way toward the aging droid. Clearing his throat, he rumbled in the buzzy voice his mask lent him "Yes, I am here to...well...study. I need to know about slashrats, specifically how to hunt them." Idly, Phal wondered if he would actually get to learn anything about slashrat hunting. It might be a useful skill, after all.... Apologies for the delay; work this morning, podcasting this evening
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Feb 18, 2015 06:00
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 The 2-1B concierge droid's optical sensors flare as his quiet day is suddenly interrupted by a group of guests. He reels back in his chair momentarily before bringing himself upright and resting his hands on the console before him. "Greetings and welcome to the Red Harvest Hotel & Casino, Ord Mantell's oldest and finest gaming establishment," he says with the tone of rote memorization. He sweeps his gaze over you and types a short note into his console, before pressing a nondescript grey button on the desk top. "Ah, I see you are all here for the fifth annual Outer Rim Game Hunter's Exposition. You've arrived just in time for the first speaker, who will be taking the stage momentarily." He drops his head and eyes your bags, at least for those of you who've brought them. "You may leave your equipment and baggage here," he tones, gesturing to a flat recess in the counter in front of a baggage trolley, "and one of our stewards will bring it safely to your room." One of the two doors on the right side of the room slides open with a pneumatic hiss. A fairly well-dressed, middle-aged clerk steps into the room, hands down and palms forward in an exaggerated welcoming gesture.  "My name is Tress Rul, director of .. guest relations here at Red Harvest," he says hollowly, with none of the passion you would expect from someone working in the hospitality sector. He too takes an appraising look at you, one that you don't find particularly inviting. He drops a slight bow of his head before gesturing to one of the lifts adjoining the room. "If you would be so kind as to follow me, I will escort you to our conference facilities." Any resemblance an NPC portrait may bear to existing SW characters in the comics or whatever is purely coincidental - I haven't read most of them and am just picking them on looks alone. Drone fucked around with this message at 09:13 on Feb 18, 2015 |
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Feb 18, 2015 09:10
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Gulran "RX-3318" Amaya "Well, then, I'd guess I better follow you." He put his stuff onto the recess in the counter. Still he kept his rifle slinged on his shoulder. Unconsciously as he always saw it as an extension of himself. After leaving the items, he walked followed the man into one of the lifts. The idea that this hotel was just a cover for something was exciting for RX. The very idea of wanting to see how far this rabbit hole would go broke the monotony of military life. "So, I take it that we will be meeting the first speaker at this conference room, correct?" RX asked just to initiate some chat with the man and get a further feel with him.
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Feb 18, 2015 16:25
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 Seris Nyar A long, rattling sigh died in Seris' throat. Were his partners-to-be really all so foolish as to all approach the concierge at once? And for some of them to say aloud that they were instructed to ask about it, it was all Seris could do not to wince! Had someone really sprung him out of prison to babysit a green-as-goblin-moss team? And what a team it was: a military officer? It didn't look as though the Human was merely disguised. The Chiss woman was still bothering him as well: armored, and not particularly trying to hide it, but no visible, or even insinuated weapons. And that robe... a jedi? No, that couldn't be. Seris reluctantly slithered along behind the group, glancing at the Wookie officer still uncomfortably close behind him. He wasn't happy about going into what could easily be a lion's den with little more than an itchy grey prison tunic. Still, with patience, an opportunity would present itself. It always had thus far.
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Feb 18, 2015 17:23
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Lt. Benjamin Novar Lt. Novar handed over his rucksack to the droid, straightened his uniform tunic, and then crisply walked over in the direction indicated by the attendant. The combination of the flimsy prextextual deception and the state of the others who had also used the code phrase left him with the sinking sensation that he had moved from one punishment assignment to the other. What else could explain the dime novel theatrics of their entrance and the fact that a there was a prisoner being escorted in as well? My career really is over, he thought. Valhawk fucked around with this message at 01:12 on Feb 19, 2015 |
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Feb 18, 2015 18:09
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Satoke Wound: 12 Strain: 12 Soak: 4 Defense: 1 The Chiss simply nods, however she makes no move to leave any equipment with the others'... either she traveled light, or everything she needed was already on her person. (it was) She says nothing and hangs toward the back of the group, glancing over her shoulder at the entrance as they are escorted into the room. Had the other Jedi not arrived yet? Or was one of these people, in fact, Master Skywalker's other agent? She had been given no information and told that the other Jedi would introduce themself... she didn't even know if the person was male or female. Of the people gathered, she could tell the human had some sort of military background, though from the make of his blaster rifle, she wondered if perhaps he was the agent the Remnant had sent. The Mirialan looked to have some sort of military training, based on his manner... perhaps he was representing the Republic military? Other than those two, the rest looked like shady characters save the Kel Dor... perhaps he was the Jedi she was looking for? He seemed rather unassuming, definitely the least threatening of the group... exactly how she'd picture a skilled Jedi Knight. Yes, clearly he was the one. She falls into step beside him, but says nothing, bowing her head slightly to him, should he glance her way.
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Feb 18, 2015 18:32
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Marr Udo-Mundi Nodding at the man and dropping her bag at her feet, Marr grabs the young Chiss apprentice by the arm, its pretty easy to figure out which one she is, and leads her into the conference room ahead of the others and quickly whispers in her ear. "Hello, apprentice. I am Jedi Knight Marr Udo-Mundi. Master Skywalker said he was sending someone who would interface well with this new mission, and I can see he made a good choice. However I would have preferred it if you had not stood out like a sore thumb. We Jedi must be vigilant, yes, but we must also be discreet. Especially out here in Imperial Space." Marr picks up the hem of Satoke's cloak and glances as the plasteel armor underneath. "However I'm sure you can handle yourself if the situation arises. For now, please keep your eyes open, and lets see what this mission is all about, shall we?" Smiling at the Chiss, Marr enters and purposefully seats herself between the obviously uncomfortable Liutenant and the Sluissi with the strange escort, smiling at both as she sits.
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Feb 18, 2015 19:30
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Satoke Wound: 12 Strain: 12 Soak: 4 Defense: 1 The Chiss mentally curses as the Cerian pulls her aside and explains the situation. Of course she was foolish for jumping to conclusions based on appearances, clearly a rookie mistake. She knew she was on this mission to learn to be more patient and reckless, but she hadn't expected to get such a harsh lesson so quickly. She takes a seat behind Marr and looks her robes and armor over, pulling the cloak around her a little closer to better conceal the armor, for all the good it did now that everyone had already seen it. She closed her eyes briefly and did a breathing exercise to calm her wandering mind... whatever presentation they were about to see would undoubtedly be important.
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Feb 18, 2015 23:40
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Tress Rul turns on his heels toward the door as you all drop your bags (or don't) and follow him. He tosses one wayward glance back at Gulran, but makes no remark about the man's reluctance to be parted from his weapon. They're used to these sorts of things on a world like Ord Mantell, and though he permits it, he makes no attempt to conceal his irritation. He likewise pays no mind to the whispers being traded between the Chiss and the Cerean -- haughty as he may seem, he also bears the hallmark of someone who is used to working in the service sector. Clasping his hands behind his back, he leads the group out of the lobby and down a wide hotel corridor. Like much of the rest of the hotel, the hallway hasn't seen a renovation since likely before the Clone Wars: chintzy, overly-ornate Coruscanti Revival wallpaper is peeling, and the deep crimson-patterned carpet is worn and faded with age and traction. To your left and right, you walk past numbered doors -- presumably hotel rooms -- all secured with handprint scanners. Nothing in particular steps out, except for the eerie silence as you walk along. At the end of the long hallway, Tress stops before an pair of ornate frosted-glass double doors. A name had been previously etched into the glass, but through years of wear and tear, you're unable to make out the first bit: "....emorial Conference Room." He swings one of the doors open widely and gestures for everyone to enter, nodding and smiling queerly as each of you step through. As Seris Nyar passes through, he holds his hand up and places it square on the chest of the criminal's Wookiee parole officer. "That will be far enough, thank you. You may wait here," he says quietly to the Wookiee, any fear of the massive being totally absent from his tone or facial expression.  As you enter, the first thing you notice is the stark contrast this room bears to the rest of the hotel. The walls are clean, with modern display panels and holoprojectors beset into the walls and on the dais. The carpet is fresh and new, and bright light cascades from above. The room wouldn't look out of place in a more expensive hotel on Coruscant or Corellia, but here in this dingy dump on Ord Mantell, it seems downright peculiar. Aside from your party, the room is totally empty. The wide array of seats are at your disposal, but only the desks in the first row seem to have had their consoles activated and seats pulled out awaiting you. Any flimsy pretext of a hunter's convention has pretty much evaporated -- unless you just happen to be the first arrivals. Behind you, Tress Rul pads into the room quietly, leaving Seris's Wookiee guard in the hallway. He takes a few steps into the room before raising his wrist to chest level and keying in a short code sequence. Immediately and with great force, massive blast doors crash down from the ceiling and bar the only apparent exit -- the doors you just came through. There is no way out.
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Feb 19, 2015 09:40
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Marr Udo-Mundi Marr glanced at the others in the room as the blast doors slammed shut, putting on appearance of being completely nonchalant about the whole ordeal, while now secretly worried about what, or rather whom, brought such an eclectic group together. If this is a NRI op they seemed to find a boatload of cash since I left. The old NRI would never have spent so much hiding a post in a shithole like this... Mara leans back and puts her hands behind her head, waiting to hear this... interesting news.
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Feb 19, 2015 13:50
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Phal Shem Phal managed to keep from jumping, but only barely. The foreboding feeling in his stomach hadn't gotten any worse...nor had it gone away. He suddenly regretted being a good little citizen who properly secured his weapons in his bag with all his field gear...and then one who also left said bag with a hotel concierge. Briefly running through all prudent courses of action in his head, Phal settles on the only thing that made sense. He promptly took a few long steps to the side, clearing lines of sight (and lines of fire) between his new colleagues and Rul and the exit door.
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Feb 19, 2015 15:07
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Lt. Benjamin Novar Lt. Novar's eyes narrow as the blast doors fall. That's the only sign of emotion on his face as the razor edge clarity drilled in through training and forged in the crucible of combat suppresses any hint of fear or panic. He immediatly begins to analyze the situation. The whole thing had seemed fishy from the start, but this didn't make any sense as an assassination. The Human League had already sidelined him to a deadend assignment off patrolling the backwaters. Not only did they not need to kill him to extract their vengeance, but this whole thing was far too circuitous for them. Why send official orders and send him to Ord Mantell, it would be far easier and cleaner to just have him killed while on patrol or while off duty. He briefly considered the possibility that one of the others was the target, but then why was he here. Having an univolved witness seemed needlessly dangerous, and if they wanted a patsy it seemed like a lot of work to get him here when a local would work just as well. If this wasn't an assassination then what was it. If this was a set up then Ben didn't really like the possibilities. So his hand calmly and smoothly went to the blaster at his hip as he started to scan the room. He didn't draw it yet, but he would be ready if he had to.
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Feb 19, 2015 15:44
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Gulran "RX-3318" Amaya RX was startled by the door being seal shut. Of course, he had no choice if they wanted him dead. Then again, why bother trying to send him all the way here to kill him. It would have been better for both parties to kill him at home. Such an inconvenience. It gave him a chance to look at the other people in the room, the only other human in the room looked nervous but kept his boots shined and cleaned a sign of a military background. So he decided to sit by him. Due to the fact the man was expecting a fight, he tried to dissipate some of the tension by doing some gallows humor to Ben. "So, what are the odds they are starting to pump enough poisonous gas to kill a rancor?| He hoped it was received and the fact of their eventual impending doom could be mitigated. What can one really do when the doors are sealed shut and possibly magnetically sealed? The others were interesting, a Chiss who was far away from the Chiss Ascendancy hanging out with a Cerean, probably her escort, which means she was very important. They hardly ever go out of their little Empire so them being involved must be very serious. It also helped that she was acting out of character he typically ascribed to them such as being cool and collected. Her demeanor kept throwing him off balance. She has got to be some sort of spymaster he wondered. There was the Kel Dor, he looked to be a tourist who got lost, but DK couldn't tell. All he can remember was his friend RX telling him about how you shouldn't play Sabacc with one. Since they have to wear those masks, it's very difficult to read them. Oh it's possible he claims, but very hard. Still, he isn't one to try fate against someone, especially since this one looks like he can play a very mean hand. Indeed, the more he thought about it, perhaps he was also another clandestine operative. Lastly, he couldn't tell who the Sluissi is. All he can guess was that he was dangerous and that wookiee was the only thing keeping him in check. He seemed to know what was going on what with him acting all disgusted with everyone so far. Might be a fun person if given the chance. Such a motley group of people involved so far. Ramba Ral fucked around with this message at 16:45 on Feb 19, 2015 |
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Feb 19, 2015 16:22
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Seris Nyar Things had gone from bad to worse. Seris took stock of his situation; the things that could go wrong were too many and varied to consider, so it was time to work with what he had. First, were to get a weapon if anything went wrong. He quickly considered his co-conspirators entering the room before him, his eyes eventually falling on the Kel Dor. He looked like a scientist of some kind, Seris was pretty sure he could overpower him and take his weapon, should the need arise. Ejecting his respirator might work... Still, better to let things play out for now; any enemies that could get Seris out of prison could more easily have him killed inside. His species would be to his advantage here; their hosts could hardly find it suspicious that he would refuse a chair, and that meant mobility. The Sluissi slithered after the scholar, giving him a bored nod. Seris settled against a wall near him, coiling his tail like a spring, ready to leap. fool of sound fucked around with this message at 16:44 on Feb 19, 2015 |
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Feb 19, 2015 16:39
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Lt. Benjamin Novar Still in his CDF uniform, Lt. Novar definitely stood out in this crowd. Still, when the miralian sat down next to him Ben got a definite military air. "Seems like a lot of trouble to get us here just to kill us. I imagine whoever got us here has something more in mind. I just hope it's not something we aren't going to particularly like." While he talks, Ben keeps tabs on the prisoner. If anyone was going to do something needing a response it would be him.
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Feb 19, 2015 17:16
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"I see you're not easily disoriented or surprised. That's good." The disembodied voice seem to echo throughout the mostly-empty assembly chamber, though its source didn't seem artificial. "Just what we've been looking for -- a sense of self-control, restraint, and... professionalism." From the shadows steps an aged yet stately woman wearing the uniform of a New Republic colonel - her hair is done up in a tight bun, and her face immaculately groomed. Her mouth is small, but her voice quite husky, producing quite an authoritative effect. She trots silently up the short steps mounting the dais before standing before you, arms clasped behind her back. "It takes a certain type of person to accept an unsolicited invitation from an unknown party. Reckless, perhaps -- investigative, curious, desperate -- perhaps only duty-bound," she tones, unclasping her hands and balling them in fists to her side. She's obviously military, through and through. "Just the type of people needed for a mission like ours." She raises her head to look back toward Tress Rul, standing along the blast doors, and nods curtly. A moment later, a blue holo-image flickers into view above the meeting table atop the dais: a half-scale human wearing the uniform of an officer of the Imperial Remnant.  The hologram takes a moment to look toward you, his image flickering and lagging momentarily over the great distance. "Ah, so they have come -- I see you've won our little wager, Deniz," he tones, his voice static-filled but still understandable. The female Republic officer turns away from the hologram to face your party once more. "You all are well-known to us -- your pasts combed through, activities appraised, deeds both good and bad assessed and judged. But you know nothing of us." She lays on the theatrics pretty thick, drawing herself up into a tighter pose. "I am Colonel Deniz Peel, special attaché to Admiral Traest Kre'fey of the New Republic Third Fleet." The holographic Imperial officer lags behind a moment, no doubt a trace of the latency in the connection. "For the purposes of our conversation, you may call me Fleet Captain Needa -- for political reasons, a pseudonym must suffice." The hologram shifts his gaze briefly to regard Colonel Peel. "I'm not sure how long I can keep this line secure. Best you do the talking this time, Colonel." The Republic officer nods once to the Imperial before taking a few steps forward toward your group. "What I am about to tell you is information that only a handful of people in the galaxy are privy to. It is out of necessity and political expediency that we have chosen to involve people who, like yourselves, are far removed from high political or military office -- people who have proven in the past that they understand the need for discretion when the need arises." Her eyes level on Seris momentarily. "Or those with debts to society that can only be repaid by service." "Through various contacts within the military, political, judicial, and academic arenas, you've all been identified for a unique mission, the first of its kind in cooperation between the Republic and the Empire -- unofficial though it may be." She pauses for a moment before nodding again to Tress Rul, who keys another button on his wrist-mounted control panel. The holographic depiction of Fleet Captain 'Needa' flickers out, replaced with a stylized map of the galaxy. The current borders of the New Republic are highlighted in a muted orange, while the (significantly smaller) known borders of the Imperial Remnant are grey. At the far top of the galactic north, a handful of stars glow a violent shade of red. "Over the past few months, disturbing intelligence has been collected by both of our states regarding a mutual threat, one that could potentially threaten life throughout the galaxy." Colonel Peel's eyes dart over to Phal Shem before turning back to the holographic map. "The nature of this threat is not completely clear to us, and our information is sparse. We know that the enemy is not of this galaxy -- at least, not from any part we are familiar with. We also know that the staging ground for the vector of attack -- we have designated this "Vector Prime"--", the handful of red stars in the north blink brightly for effect, "appears to originate from these systems: Helska, Belkadan.. Sernpidal." Her voice drops in tone somewhat, more somber than before, as the image of Fleet Captain 'Needa' reappears. "Several Imperial border outposts along the outermost border of the Braxant Sector have gone silent, and contact has been lost with the Star Destroyer Virulence," the Imperial officer remarks, brushing his mustache idly. "More troubling news is that the only significantly populated planet along this 'vector' -- Sernpidal -- has been unreachable via HoloNet for nearly a week. My... superiors in the Moff Council," he tones, his voice dripping with irritation, "feel that this is not a matter of import to the Empire, as no Imperial worlds have been seriously affected. Thankfully, there are some in the Imperial government and high command structure who see the wisdom of further investigation." Colonel Peel returns to the fore. "For the past year, certain parties in the Republic and Imperial commands have been communicating via backchannels in hopes of thawing relations between our two nations. With a threat like this looming, the necessity for collaboration -- quiet, controlled collaboration -- became immediately apparent to those in positions of power in the military or intelligence." Her voice assumes a gravelly seriousness. "The political powers that be in both of our states are ill-prepared for what is coming and would seek only to ruin us from within, should word of our collaboration meet public ears. The politicians would dig our own graves if we allowed them to." Tress Rul appears quietly from behind the group and begins distributing a stack of datapads, one for each member of the group. They are each outfitted with a device that appears to be counting down from fifteen minutes. "This is all the information we deem appropriate to provide you at this time regarding this new threat -- as you can see, the datapads will permanently wipe themselves in fifteen minutes. To put it succinctly: we know next to nothing. These 'invaders' do not appear to originate from within our galaxy, and rely on some kind of biological technology for space travel, defense, and weaponry. Their ships do not sport deflector shields, and their cannons seem to be some kind of plasma or molten projectiles. Their technology -- though strange -- is advanced enough to destroy a populated planet within a matter of hours, and their numbers appear to be growing." She breaks her formal stance and leans back on the conference table, crossing her arms before her chest. "We know nothing about this species -- what they look like, how they think, what motivates them. We only know that their stance is belligerant, and that they are ruthless in accomplishing whatever goal they have set out on." "As far as your mission..." the Imperial officer continues, his voice becoming filled more with compression artifacts as time progresses. "You are asked to proceed with haste to the Plooma System, located along the predicted route of advance of this invasion -- it's only a few dozen light-years from Sernpidal. There, you are to meet with a New Republic Intelligence field officer who has been debriefing two of the survivors of an ExGal Society outpost that was previously located on Belkadan, before that planet fell." Colonel Peel steps in again. "The Plooma System is remote and sparsely populated. It's not located on any hyperspace trade routes, and is not connected to the HoloNet network. In some ways, this makes it an ideal listening post -- inconspicuous, not likely to draw attention, and not saturating subspace with radio traffic. You are to use whatever intelligence you can glean from the Belkadan survivors on the planet Plooma, as well as any other source of credible information in that part of space, to put together a threat assessment of this strange species." She pauses, letting out a small sigh. "Admiral Kre'fey's staff have arranged for a capable ship via a third-party vendor here on Ord Mantell. We feel that she will meet your needs for travel as well as defense, should you encounter these aliens first-hand." "Refusing this assignment would be ill-advised," added the Imperial officer, whose image has now developed so many artifacts as to be nearly unrecognizable. The hologram then winks out, the signal lost. Colonel Peel regards the deactivated holoprojector before turning back to you and flashing a highly uncharacteristic, youthful, and highly out-of-place smile. "Any questions?" Novel-length posts like this one are certainly not gonna be the norm. Drone fucked around with this message at 21:39 on Feb 19, 2015 |
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Feb 19, 2015 20:36
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Seris Nyar His tail uncoiled and his body relaxed, but Seris' face remained sullenly impassive. The officers couldn't possibly be telling the truth. Both the Republic and the Imperials had their own back channels they could work through if they wanted to avoid the public eye; why a team of potentially (certainly, Seris scoffed internally) unreliable individuals, rather than specialized commandos? Besides, if were a truly extragalactic threat, surely there could be no better propaganda in the hands of ambitious politicians. No, the these officers knew something that they couldn't risk having revealed. A superweapon test gone bad, perhaps? On the other hand, no better place to vanish then a disaster zone. An armed ship too... yes, this could be the opportunity Seris was looking for. Might as well push a little. "I'll require equipment. Esssentialss, toolss, electronicss, weaponss and armor," he breathes, inflection like a whisper, but loud as normal speech. His voice lacks the angry gruff rasp that one might expect from his grizzled appearance, sounding instead tired and calm.
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Feb 19, 2015 21:56
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Lt. Benjamin Novar Lt. Novar waits for a moment and then respectfully asks, "Ma'am, I serve with the CDF, so I'm technically outside the chain of command for the Republic's military and have no authority outside the Correlian system. Will I be extended a temporary Republic commission and rank for the duration assignment to facilitate dealing with Republic personnel, or should I expect to work primarily outside of official channels?"
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Feb 19, 2015 22:10
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Phal Shem Phal mulled everything over in his head for a moment... "Ma'am, I had the distinct...pleasure of quite literally bumping into one of these invaders. I wasn't able to get a good look, or take any detailed readings, but here's what I can elaborate on." he angled his body to fit the rest of the group in front of him. "Humanoid...very tall, 1.9 meters at least, heavily muscled but not bulky, copious tattoos and scars, and carrying some manner of staff worked into the shape of a serpent." The recitation ended, Phal's pose left that of a professor and slouched slightly. "I am greatly intrigued by their biological technology, as I am a xenobiologist by trade..." Phal looked around slightly awkwardly. Much like his first ever class at the University, nobody here seemed impressed by his credentials.
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Feb 19, 2015 22:29
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Seris Nyar Seris stared at Phal Shem. It was true then, at least, in as much as he could trust this Kel Dor. There wasn't any real reason to doubt him at them moment; he didn't have the look of a government agent about him. This still didn't make much sense; Seris would have to play this by tongue. "Interessting," he sighed aloud, eyes focused on the scholar for several seconds longer that was comfortable
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Feb 20, 2015 02:57
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Satoke Wound: 12 Strain: 12 Soak: 4 Defense: 1 The Chiss' eyes narrow slightly as the nature of the situation is revealed. A new threat from outside the galaxy... no wonder Master Skywalker had been so worried. She silently takes the datapad and begins going through the information provided without looking up, listening to the others' conversation as she reads and then rereads all of the files, trying to commit as much as possible to memory. Memorizing the Mission Data: 4eA+2eD 5 successes, 1 threat     As a child, her tutors in the Ascendancy had taught her a curious memory technique in which she would construct a 'Mind Fortress' which she would visualize herself physically navigating to find each piece of data. It served her well once again, as she filed all of the data contained in the briefing down that one hall on the third floor with all that Astrophyics information, past that one filing cabinet full of Ithorian salad recipes, and in a new room she hadn't used before, one with a holotable with the galactic map from the mission briefing. She closed the open window with the view of the garden outside her childhood home, and slowly filed each document, one by one, on the shelf, each clearly labeled and numbered to make them easier to find later, so they wouldn't get jumbled up. Unfortunately, the mental focus needed in diving into her Mind Fortress made her miss a lot of the banter, as she was too focused on the documents in front of her. Hopefully they weren't discussing anything important.
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Feb 20, 2015 05:05
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Marr Udo-Mundi Staying quiet at first, Marr reaches out with her Jedi senses and tries to feel the emotional state of the Colonel. Sense Emotion: 1eF 1 Dark Side  It seems that no emotions were currently broiling around that Marr could detect, in fact, it was hard to get a reading from the Colonel at all. Shrugging, she asks a simple question: "Why us. Why not an armada? If this invasion species is a dire as you make it sound, what good will the six of us do?"
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Feb 20, 2015 06:34
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Mustache Ride posted:"Why us. Why not an armada? If this invasion species is a dire as you make it sound, what good will the six of us do?" "Don't hesitate for a moment to think that the New Republic Navy doesn't take this threat seriously," she utters as she furrows her brow. "Admiral Kre'fey has requested to send the Third Fleet out to the Rim in force to determine the nature of this threat, but has been rebuffed by Coruscant. The civilian leaders feel that this can all be explained away as the actions of pirates, Imperial raiders, and subspace interference in the Sernpidal system. They've chosen to ignore the intelligence we've gathered so far -- admittedly, sparse as it may be -- due to the effect such news would have on public opinion." She draws a deep sigh before continuing quietly to herself, "sometimes things were easier back when we were but a rebellion. Admiral Kre'fey is under constant surveillance by the political establishment of the Republic, who are only more than eager to see him discredited and his command stripped. Thus the low-key scout mission and the necessity of discretion." She raises an eyebrow. "However, should your findings prove dramatic -- and we believe they will -- this could be the force needed to convince Coruscant and Bastion that this is a serious threat." jivjov posted:"Ma'am, I had the distinct...pleasure of quite literally bumping into one of these invaders. I wasn't able to get a good look, or take any detailed readings, but here's what I can elaborate on." Colonel Peel pauses for a moment after her previous whisper before collecting herself and addressing Phal Shem. "It is for this reason and your expertise that you have been included in this group. Without mincing words, professor: your previous issues with your colleagues in academia were attractive to naval intelligence because, if you decided to go public with the information you acquired on this mission... nobody would believe you. I am sorry for being so blunt, but I say this in the interest of honesty." Valhawk posted:"Ma'am, I serve with the CDF, so I'm technically outside the chain of command for the Republic's military and have no authority outside the Correlian system. Will I be extended a temporary Republic commission and rank for the duration assignment to facilitate dealing with Republic personnel, or should I expect to work primarily outside of official channels?" The Republic colonel moves to address the next question in whatever order she sees fit. "Lieutenant, your commission with the Corellian Defense Force has been temporarily placed on suspension, per agreement with your superiors. For the duration of this mission, you will be acting as an adviser to New Republic Naval Intelligence independent of your military background." Her voice takes on a note of sympathy. "As a daughter of the military myself, I know this may sting -- but take my word that it is in your best interests that your sudden attachment to the New Republic Navy not make waves. Nobody needs to know where you are or what you're doing. You will be working outside of official channels, and officers of the New Republic and Imperial Remnant will treat your group as civilians -- only specific contacts will know of your true mission, and will be able to provide you with logistical support." fool_of_sound posted:"I'll require equipment. Esssentialss, toolss, electronicss, weaponss and armor," he breathes, inflection like a whisper, but loud as normal speech. His voice lacks the angry gruff rasp that one might expect from his grizzled appearance, sounding instead tired and calm. Colonel Peel takes several steps toward the Sluissi, her countenance steely. "While your team will have limited access to whatever quartermaster we can attach you to -- you, specifically, Seris Nyar, should count yourself grateful for the simple opportunity to earn your freedom." She draws herself up. "That being said, your ship has been as well-equipped as we have been able to do on short notice, a shoestring budget, and under threat of scrutiny by those who would see this unauthorized mission fail." Taking time for further questions or reactions, if any, then later this evening will have another post up with the next progression.
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Feb 20, 2015 09:20
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Gulran "RX-3318" Amaya Reading the datapad, RX looked at the fact the enemy already assaulted the Empire. The very fact as this Captain Needa said that the Moffs are unwilling to take it seriously offended him. This is the very reason why the Empire collapsed. It became what the New Order sought to stop. It became, to RX, the Republic with each person in a position of power being too short sighted to protect the galaxy at all. If they could, those Moffs would allow the Empire to continue their spiral toward collapse being unable to respond to any crisis that emerged for fear of losing whatever little power they had left. Not all the people in the Empire are like them though. RX hailed from the Empire of the Hand where everyone would be willing to die for the Empire, just like himself. It is the only place, to him, where the New Order is fully realized. He raised his hand to ask a question, "If the enemy comes to the Plooma System, even if it is sparsely populated, do we have any means of getting the people out once they arrive?" RX did not want to leave innocents behind to their fate. If he could, he would attempt to try and get them all out alive. Still, this is an intelligence gathering mission and the political situation, he believes that it may be too much of a risk to even attempt to get them off world.
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Feb 20, 2015 16:23
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Lt. Benjamin Novar Ben winced at the colonel's response. It seemed like the Human League really had figured out a way to tank his career. Even in the backwater they'd been keeping him he'd still accrue seniority, and had a few friends in the service. Combined with the desk-sitters who would cut their own throats before they let potentially jeopardize the seniority track that was their ticket to an admirals flag, it would have been enough to keep him on the promotion track. Now, with his commission suspended that would vanish, and this seemed like the type of assignment that doesn't appear in one's service record. That big blank spot would be all the excuse needed to keep him a lieutenant forever, if they even allowd his commission to be reactivated. He sighs, he supposed this had to be done, and maybe if he was lucky he'd have a future when this was all over. Turning his mind to the mission at hand a thought occurs, and so he asks, "Will we have access to a source of funds to cover normal expenses. If we're acting outside of channels we'll have won't have access to navy paid slips at spaceports, or repair docks, or supply depots. How are we going to be able to cover those sorts of costs?"
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Feb 20, 2015 16:51
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Ramba Ral posted:He raised his hand to ask a question, "If the enemy comes to the Plooma System, even if it is sparsely populated, do we have any means of getting the people out once they arrive?" "Plooma has a population of around 8,000 permanent residents. On top of that are another maybe another thousand at any given time, visiting or working for us." Colonel Peel's look wanders toward the uncomfortable, as discussing force depletion is never an easy thing. "Your ship can carry a dozen, maybe two in very cramped quarters over short distances. Any other possible evacuation will have to be done with starships already located on the planet. The Republic Navy picket is standard for worlds that far out on the Rim and in the galactic backwater... an older CR90 corvette, a few gunboats for support, and a squadron of X-Wings." Valhawk posted:"Will we have access to a source of funds to cover normal expenses. If we're acting outside of channels we'll have won't have access to navy paid slips at spaceports, or repair docks, or supply depots. How are we going to be able to cover those sorts of costs?" Colonel Peel sniffs once and casts a brief look down at her feet. She then raises her head and gestures around the room. "Don't let the relative modernity of this room fool you -- Naval Intelligence's budget has left much to be desired in the last several years. I understand many of you have brought your own equipment -- until you reach our listening post on Plooma, that will have to suffice. Afterward, you will have support from the quartermaster on-site." Responding to a final gesture from Colonel Peel, Tress Rul appears once more from the back of the room and collects the previously-handed out datapads, who have now all reached their fifteen minute countdown and glow with a dull, blank screen. He stacks the datapads quietly and holds them clasped to his chest with one arm. A brief flick of his wrist and the blast-doors sealing the only exit retract as quickly as they appeared only a short while ago. "If you all would be so kind as to follow me," Tress oozes, "I will escort you back to the lobby, where you may collect your belongings and check out. A shuttlevan is on standby and will bring you to Docking Bay 25 at the Municipal Spaceport, where you will find your ship and launch orders waiting." The tone of Tress's voice has never wavered from its mild irritation, as if he is satisfied to see you go. Okay go get your poo poo and let's get off this rock, almost time for some real fun.
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Feb 21, 2015 16:10
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Marr Udo-Mundi Nodding to the Colonel, but not making eye contact with Tress, Marr exits the room and steps to one side to wait for the young Chiss. When she appears, she asks her, "Well, what do you think of our new assignment? And of our motley crew?"
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Feb 21, 2015 16:14
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Phal Shem Phal filed out to the lobby with the rest of the crew and reclaimed his belongings. He still wasn't 100% sold on if he belonged in this group or not...and he wasn't' particularly fond of the 'nobody will ever take you seriously if you squeal' attitude...but he could understand the intent. Taking a deep breath through his mask, Phal squared his shoulders. He had spent the last several weeks trying to get someone, anyone, to take his warnings seriously. Who was he to spit in the face of the first people who actually were taking it seriously.
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Feb 21, 2015 19:13
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Seris Nyar Seris slithered up behind the Kel Dor, placing a scaled hand on his shoulder. "Tell me doctor, what should we eksspect from our targetss?" he breathed.
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Feb 21, 2015 19:21
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Phal Shem Phal started, but managed to avoid actually jumping into the air. He turned to face his Sluissi comrade and spoke in the calmest voice he could muster. "Disappointingly I don't have much more information on the invaders other than what I shared in the briefing. My exposure to one of their scouts lasted barely a minute, I spent most of the rest of that day hiding in a cave." Phal paused for a moment, remembering the near-supernatural luck that had let him detour into the hidden natural alcove. "They are relentless, though..."
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Feb 21, 2015 19:34
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Seris Nyar "Pity." he said with a gentle huff. Seris pulled away his hand, slithering past the nervous scholar.
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Feb 21, 2015 19:42
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Satoke Wound: 12 Strain: 12 Soak: 4 Defense: 1 The Chiss follows Marr out the door and stops abruptly when the Cerean turns on her heels and asks the Chiss what she thought. "Well... it's not what I was expecting when Master Skywalker told me to report here... though I'm finding a lot of things aren't what I was expecting, so maybe that's the lesson." She steps aside as the Sluissi and Kel'Dor walk past and strike up their conversation, turning back to Marr, "whoever this new threat is, I can see why they wanted the Order involved... perhaps we can find a way to communicate with them and negotiate to settle whatever dispute they have with us." She glanced at the rest of the team, mostly military types and... well, whatever the Sluissi did for a living, criminal as it was. This was not a negotiation party, and she knew she must have sounded completely naive to the Cerean, but she didn't want to voice her real concerns that this didn't seem like it would just be a scouting mission. She kept her doubts to herself and watched the Cerean for any reaction, wondering if the Jedi was trying to sense her emotions and would feel the doubt in what she was saying.
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Feb 21, 2015 20:19
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Marr Udo-Mundi "Hah, from the team thats been put together, it doesn't look like negotiation will be the first step. I'm interested in seeing how we deal with this new threat. If its as overwhelming as I imagine it is, then it will probably lead to a full scale war. I'm glad you're with me, Satoke, I feel that we'll need to get all the help we can get on this one. Come on, lets go see what awful ship they've stuck us with." Patting the Chiss on the shoulder, Marr returns to the front of the hotel and retrieves her bag, heading immediately to the Shuttlevan.
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Feb 21, 2015 21:43
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Lt. Benjamin Novar Lt. Novar nodded at the Colonel's dismissal and left to pick up his things and make his way to the shuttle-van. He reflected on the high hopes he had coming into this assignment and how quickly they'd been dashed. Still, he supposed he better make the best of it. Catching up with the professor and the prisoners, he interjects, "If you do recall anything not in the briefing later please let me know. We never know what detail will become important." Looking to the rest he adds, "Unless any of you have experience running large star ships, I assume I'll be taking charge of our new ship?"
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Feb 22, 2015 00:13
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