Star Wars: Through the Never

2 years prior to The Force Awakens...
A persistent and interactive galaxy set shortly before the events of Episode VII

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Pryngles
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Re: Star Wars: Through the Never

Post by Pryde »

"Come in," Tsivoin heard Nova call and a moment later the Zabrak opened the door to find her busy trying off a rope. She had stretched a rope across one corner of the cabin and was now throwing a blanket over it to create a kind of curtain.

"What are you doing," Tsivoin asked.

"It's a folding screen," Nova explained as she pulled out the corners to flatten the blanket. "Well, sort of. I mean it doesn't fold at all, but at least I have someplace to change."

Is that what was bothering her when the Captain assigned them to room together? Senna never had a problem changing in front of him before. Nova finished with the blanket then turned to look at him, noting the look in his eyes. "No offense kid, but I've never had roommates before--and I've never shared a room with a boy before... Well, except for the first two days on this ship," she corrected herself sheepishly. Of course, she didn't really have anything to change into back then so privacy wasn't really an issue.

"Anyway, how are you? Are you doing okay?"

"What do you mean," Tsivoin seemed confused. She never stopped to ask him about his wellbeing before and with everything going on he never stopped to think about it.

"Well, we're flying again," she pointed out, "How are you handling it?"

He looked away from her and somehow managed to appear a tad embarrassed. "Better than last time, I think. At least I'm not blacking out right now."

Nova gave him a guilty look. "Um, yeah... Sorry about that. That was me, I did that."

"You," he asked in surprise.

"Yeah, you looked like you were about to have a panic attack, so I kind of put you under... You know, with the Force. I was worried you might hurt yourself, or give away our position. Though, fat lot of good that did. They still found us faster than I thought they would, which Vague still hasn't explained to me yet...," she stopped when she realized she was rambling. Then she gave him an apologetic look. "I hope you're not mad."
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Re: Star Wars: Through the Never

Post by VagueDurin »

Tsiv stepped further into the cabin and considered what she said briefly as she finished smoothing out the make-shift curtain. Funny, that. The Zabrak couldn't remember ever having not shared a cramped and communal living space. His violet eyes took a second to look over the newly revamped cabin, and he shifted weight to his other foot. He could easily say that this was the best living situation he'd ever encountered, in just about any category you looked at.

Still, the teen tried to put himself in her place and look at it from that perspective. She'd told him earlier that week that she'd had it rough on the streets, so if that were true, then obviously she must have done alright for herself out there to have managed on her own and not needed to team up or share resources with a group. Or maybe she just never had the opportunity to try. He thought to himself. He re-centered his focus and decided that it wasn't too much of her to ask, he'd do his best to be conscientious of the fact that sharing a living space was new and foreign to her.

When she asked him about his phobia and how he was holding up, he felt warmth prickling at his cheeks. It was true, while he wasn't hyperventilating, the humanoid was still acutely aware of the vibration of the drives running through the deck under his feet. The lack of transperisteel in their quarters probably helped. Then she dropped the truth bomb on him, that it had, in fact, been Nova who had caused him to blackout in the maintenance tunnel, not his own anxiety.

"I hope you're not mad."

His eyes narrowed instinctively, even though he himself wasn't all to sure how he felt, or even how he should feel, about it. He sat on the edge of the lower bunk and his thoughts drifted back to the force waves that the black robed figure and Nova had exchanged in the Casino and at the tangle, and his body shuddered involuntarily.

He couldn't argue with her reasoning, as far as he could remember between the shock of losing Senna, all that had happened that night prior, and being in the middle of a full blown space combat scenario, he probably was high on his way to having a full melt down... Sure she'd probably done it moreso to help herself than him but would he have behaved any different at that point, if it were him or the human as he'd thought of her then?

"I uh.. Guess not. It was... safe?" He asked apprehensively, his hand resting atop his horned head as he looked back over at Nova.
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Re: Star Wars: Through the Never

Post by Pryde »

"Well, maybe more so for you than me," she said, then she turned her back to him and lifted up one side of her shirt to reveal a massive bruise on her side. "I lost my grip right before we jumped to lightspeed, but I managed to put myself between you and the bulkhead. Problem is I couldn't brace for the impact at all because I was holding you."

She lowered her shirt then turned and sat down on the lower bunk. She opened her mouth to say something then looked away. Tsivoin could tell that there was something still gnawing at her. "It's been three days since we left Cantonica and already it's starting to feel like it was a long time ago," she said quietly, "I'm sorry about Senna, Tsiv, I did not mean to bring that down upon anyone. Senna was my fault, I should never have gotten you involved. Do you... Do you remember what happened after?"
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Re: Star Wars: Through the Never

Post by Pryde »

Tsiv took his hand away from his horns as she showed him the bruise on her side and he bit the inside of his cheek a bit, feeling a bit ashamed that because of his own phobia and shortcoming she'd had to put herself in harm's way. He scooted a bit to the side when she sat down next to him to give her some room, then quickly found a bulkhead to study when she brought up Senna. There was a hard set to his jaw but he nodded his head slowly when she apologized. The truth was, he wasn't really all that sure it wasn't his own fault that his friend was gone. Either way, he'd been so caught up in everything it hadn't even occurred to him that Nova may share some of the blame.

Do you... Do you remember what happened after?

He turned his head to the side so that he could look over at her, his a small spark behind his violet eyes. What did she mean by that? He offered a shrug of his bony shoulders and glanced down, his gaze centering on her side where she'd shown him the bruise a few minutes ago. "Not really... You were fighting that... whatever he was. We were getting shot at by the Keys and First Order. I- Se- She got hit," he couldn't quite bring himself to say her name out loud, "I remember she told me to go, to getaway. The rest of it is hit or miss. I was really woozy, but I helped you get us to the ship. Did something happen at the spaceport?" He asked suddenly.

Nova stood suddenly. She was right, that was confusion she saw in his eyes three days ago. He had drawn so much energy from the Force that he nearly passed out. It was likely he had no idea what he was doing, he was just reacting to the pain of losing his friend. So many people were caught in that explosion. People she was sure he had no intention of hurting.

"No, it's not that," she said finally. She had her back to him and refused to meet his eye. "There was an explosion in The Tangle," she told him, her voice quaking a bit. "It was...," her words faltered. Should she tell him the truth? How would he react? Would he even believe her? Or would he use the knowledge of his power to seek revenge? In her mind's eye there was a brief flash of a memory of Ben Solo cutting through the other Jedi pupils at the temple. She didn't want that for Tsivoin and it was her fear that drove her to make a decision. "One of the stormtroopers, I think," she lied, "I don't remember."

Then she moved over to the door and opened it. "Anyway," she continued, "dinner will be ready soon. I'm going to go see if there's anything I can do to help."

She was out the door and down the hall before Tsivoin could even voice a question...
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Re: Star Wars: Through the Never

Post by VagueDurin »

Tsivoin forced a sigh through his lips as he watched Nova all but flee his presence for the second time that day. He was starting to take it personally. But still... what she’d said. An explosion... lightning flashed bright and hot behind his eyes and suddenly the cabin was morphed into the dark night of the tangle. Bright laser blasts dashing back and forth. He heard a sound, like the angriest clap of thunder he’d ever experienced, and in a terrifying image he saw the First Order troopers crumble to the ground, their plastids armor shattered and disfigured. A deep, frigid chill ran through the Zabrak as he shook himself free of the memory.

His sense of time and space was distorted, his bearings off kilter. What? What was that? He took a frenzied look around the room, desperate for a distraction, which he found in the half emptied duffel bag leaning against the far wall. He might as well get unpacked. Tsiv stood and walked over to the bag, pulling it open he carefully emptied its contents on the deck, confirming that Nova had already gotten her own belongings out and stowed.

He could see that Nova had set a few things in the cubby that rested behind the pillow of the bottom bunk, ostensibly claiming it as her own. Which was fine by Tsiv. It felt weird to the teen to even consider claiming ownership of the bed or to be putting his things away in the drawers and cabinets provided. He didn’t have much, a few changes of clothes and undergarments, and some toiletries, really. He had been very conscientious of the fact that he was shopping with Nova’s coins back on Ord Mantell.

Once he’d put everything in what he assumed was the appropriate place, the Zabrak awkwardly made his way behind the ‘non-foldable folding screen’ to change out of his ill fitting attire. He wanted to respect Nova and her boundaries, even if he couldn’t really relate to them. Soon he was wearing a long sleeve tunic and pants that actually fit him, at least as well as could be given his gaunt stature, and a shiny new pair of boots that he didn’t have to shove a bunch of plasti-naps into to make sure he didn’t step right out of them.

Rossi was bouncing back and forth - browning meat on one side of the room, sautéing some vegetables on the burner next to it, and preparing some noodles on the opposite side of the galley - when Nova emerged from the crew cabin, and hastily walked towards her. She looked up from a pan long enough to acknowledge the girl, paused at the perturbed expression on her face, then focused back on dinner so as not to be rude.
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Re: Star Wars: Through the Never

Post by Pryde »

Nova was surprised to see Rossi in the galley. She could have sworn it was Orev's duty tonight but admittedly she might have read the schedule wrong. There were a lot of things on her mind. "Need some help," she offered and Rossi shook her head.

"It's almost ready," the Kessurian replied, "Everything okay with your room?"

"My room," Nova asked, albeit a bit distracted. "Um, yeah. Everything is fine."

She sat down on a stool on the other side of the counter that separated them. Then checked behind herself to make sure no one else was in the room. "I'm sorry about earlier," the girl suddenly apologized, turning back to Rossi. The Kessurian gave her a confused look. "I didn't mean to disrespect you," Nova explained. "I have truthfully never played that game before. It was the, you know...," she made a kind of mystical gesture with her hands. "I can't really turn it off. It tries to be helpful even when I'm not asking it to."
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Re: Star Wars: Through the Never

Post by VagueDurin »

Rossi hadn’t quite known where Nova was going with her apology, and when she did the magic-hand-thing the Kessurian's honey colored eyes bulged a bit. Rossi quickly looked around the area and saw no one. Normally she’d be able to sense them with her Montrals, but Vague still managed to sneak up on her anyway.

Blast it! she thought to herself. She hated keeping secrets, especially from her crew... her family. She felt ill just thinking about it and wanted to change the subject.

“It’s ok.” She hurried a response, “it was just a friendly game anyway, not like you were taking me for creds.” She but her lip as she stirred some of the food and tried to come up with anything else to discuss. Any of the other three crewmembers could be coming in at any moment. “How’s the kid? He was looking a bit pallid when I saw him runaway from the cockpit?”
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Re: Star Wars: Through the Never

Post by Pryde »

"I think that has more to do with--," she paused and made a gesture with her finger that encompassed the whole ship. "Anyway, the kid's fine," she added. She was getting a little tired of people asking her about him. Yes, she felt responsible for him. Yes, he was here because of her, but she wasn't his god damned babysitter. If anyone wants to know how he's doing they could just go ask him.

She put her elbows upon the countertop and laid her head in them. She was keenly aware that Rossi had changed the subject because the discussion of her powers had made her uncomfortable. Nova was fine with that, of course, but she wondered if maybe she was being too paranoid. After all, Rossi hadn't turned her in for a bounty and she doubted the others would, either. So was keeping her powers a secret from them for their benefit? Or hers? She let out a low grumble and pushed those thoughts aside. The girl didn't particularly like thinking about it that hard. It was just simpler that way. If she could erase Rossi's memory of it to ease her burden she would.

"So," Nova spoke up again after a moment, "you guys never told us what the job was. I mean SlackJaw tried before, um--you know... What exactly have we been hired to do?"
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Re: Star Wars: Through the Never

Post by VagueDurin »

Rossi was rinsing the meat of excess fat when Nova answered her question about Tsiv in a somewhat dismissive manner. She smiled slightly while still facing away from the girl. That was fair enough. It was hard to tell how much of what Nova or Tsiv told them was true or not given their initial distrust of the crew and ulterior motives for boarding the craft, but the Kessurian felt it was safe to say that they hadn't known each other for very long at all and might have even met only for the first time that rotten night.

She incorporated the meat into the large wok that held the vegetables, and started to stir it as Nova asked her about the job. There was an excited glint in her gaze when she looked up at Nova and answered. "You know Durin likes his thunder, I don't want to spoil it.." She stirred a bit more and at Nova's exasperated look continued. "I don't know all the deets yet, but it's a pilfer gig. Vague keeps things pretty close to vest..compartmentalized is his fancy spy term for it. But somebody's going to be aboard the Wanderlust, one of those new Chandrilla Starline luxury cruisers, and they'll have something we need to acquire for an interested party."

She paused to turn the heat off underneath the noodles, then looked back at Nova over her shoulder as if she'd just realized something. "You... guys," she very quickly and awkwardly did the hand-thing, "Ok with thieving?"
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Re: Star Wars: Through the Never

Post by Pryde »

Nova was only half paying attention when Rossi turned to her and asked that question. She very nearly missed the gesture she made but caught it just in time. Without lifting her head she shrugged. "I don't think I'm supposed to be," she admitted, "but it's not like there's anyone left to tell me I can't."

Even without seeing her full expression the Kessurian could feel the sadness in her tone. There was definitely a story there. "There was more of you," she asked, not sure how much Nova was willing to share.

"Once," Nova answered dismissively, "but it doesn't matter, they're all dead now."

She sat up then and looked at Rossi and the Kessurian could tell that her emotional mask was back in place. "Anyway," Nova continued, making an offhand gesture. Her face placid and matter of fact. "If all we're doing is relieving some rich guy of his precious commodity then I could easily do this one in my sleep."
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Re: Star Wars: Through the Never

Post by VagueDurin »

There was a sudden and heavy thump from behind the galley as Orev slid down the ladder and hit the deck. Rossi's eyes went wide for the briefest of seconds and she sincerely hoped he'd not enough to put anything together about Nova's secret. She looked over at Nova pointedly, then went back to cooking. The Duros walked in galley and popped the Conservator open and reached in, plucking an ice cube out to drop into a glass from a nearby cupboard.

"'Fraid it's never quite as simple as all that." He said finally, nodded at both of them in greeting, before cracking upon another cabinet to reveal a small selection of liquor bottles of various shape and size.

Rossi's heart stopped still. He had head enough to know they were talking about the job... how long had he been listening? She watched as he plucked a three-quarters empty bottle of Vaschean Rye from the shelf and poured himself a couple fingers, then re-corked the bottle and put it back where it'd come from. "We've got 6, assuming you and the kid are in. Starliner jobs mean a proper team, and proper prep."

Well, if he had heard anything he wasn't letting on to it. She let go the breath she'd been holding and started collecting some serving dishes. "I figured it was time enough that Nova learned about the family business." She spoke softly, to which Orev merely nodded with a grunt.
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Re: Star Wars: Through the Never

Post by Pryde »

As soon as Orev appeared Nova noticed Rossi giving her an alarmed look. The girl didn't share the Kessurian's apprehension, however. Rossi was simply overreacting. Either the Duros heard something or he didn't, it was that simple. If he had heard something then it didn't matter. The Force was never explicitly mentioned and in her experience a person's first conclusion was usually never to jump to the supernatural. If Orev had been listening to them speak then for all he knew they could have been talking about anything. Worst case scenario was that the Duros might have realized Rossi was keeping something from them. It didn't matter if Nova had secrets, none of the crew seemed to care about those, but it might matter if it was Rossi keeping a secret. She'd been with them a lot longer.

"I would prefer to keep the kid out of it," Nova said with a shrug, "but I'm not his mother, so if he wants to do it..." She left the rest hanging in the air. "Anyway, is that done yet? It smells really good and I'm starving," she asked Rossi.
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Re: Star Wars: Through the Never

Post by VagueDurin »

Orev shrugged a bit and took a sip of his whiskey. She was right enough. No one other than her on the Bedlam was going to get in the Zabrak's way if he wanted to help out. The Duros knew for certain that the kid had several advantages for their ling of work - being young, non-human, and almost completely off the grid - and Vague would most definitely find a way to take advantage of that.

Rossi was happy to have a distraction. She nodded at Nova and motioned her over. "Sure. Help me out and strain the noodles into that bowl and we can get the table set out in the commons." She replied as she started to put the meat and veggies in one bowl.

"Sure thing." Nova replied and the two set to work.

While they were setting the food up in the center of the dinning table Tsivoin finally entered the galley and the Duros directed him to help set the table for dinner. He and Nova had avoided spending much time with the crew on the trip from Cantonica to Ord Mantell, and that had included this 'family dinner'. If the Zabrak had had a family dinner before, he couldn't remember it. For that matter, he couldn't recall ever having a dinner with a full set of tableware. The Duros had given him a sidelong glance when he'd needed specific direction on what to put out and where.

By the time they'd finished Vague and SlackJaw had also dropped down the ladder and the Captain was the last one to sit at the table, sitting a fresh bottle of Polaris Ale next to his his plate. The man regarded his crew for a moment with dark brown eyes, then glanced at the steaming bowls in the middle of the table. "Mmm, Rossi's famous Yakisoba. Don't let me hold you up," he nudged the bowl over in front of the Zabrak. "Dig in."

Tsiv wasted no time dishing out a helping of noodles and following Durin's lead, he passed the bowl to Orev on his left. In moments the crew had passed the bowls around and everyone had been a serving, or in Tsiv's case, a few servings, of the Yakisoba.

"I didn't get a chance to pick up any fresh ginger in the market thanks to that sleb-head Wolf and his goons, but hopefully it's still alright." Rossi offered as she waited expectantly for the rest of the crew to try a bite.
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Re: Star Wars: Through the Never

Post by Pryde »

Nova waited until everyone else had taken a bite. The others seemed to be enjoying it and Tsivoin was already on his third mouthful. She allowed herself a slight smirk at that. The boy was liable to choke on his food if he kept swallowing like that. Her smile quickly faded away, however, as she looked at the others at the table. This was the first time she'd sat down with others at a dinner table since the destruction of Luke's temple. She could remember herself thinking back then how lucky she was that Luke had found her. Her life at the temple had been such an improvement compared to living on the streets on Vorzyd V. She could remember herself wishing it would never end, but of course it did end. Violently. For a moment a part of her wondered just how long it would be before this too was taken from her.

"Everything alright," Vague asked suddenly, noticing that Nova had yet to touch her food.

"Um, yeah," she said quickly, picking up her fork and wrapping some noodles with it. "Everything is fine."

She hastily shoved a mouthful into her mouth and started chewing it, surprised at the flavor. When she was done she swallowed and turned to Rossi. "This is really good," she said, "My compliments to the chef."
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Re: Star Wars: Through the Never

Post by VagueDurin »

Tsivoin slowed down after Vague spoke, casting a quick glance across the table towards Nova, who had yet to try the food. After she recovered from whatever it was that had been distracting her, the Zabrak took the time to look around the room. It wasn’t long after Rossi had thanked everyone for the kind words before the dinner proper got underway. In the peripheral, Tsiv was aware of Orev and SlackJaw bantering about something to do with the ship or its components, Vague and Rossi were in an animated conversation about something that had happened before they’d landed on Cantonica, and Nova seemed to be content to eat in silence...

It was a lot to take in, but as overwhelming as it was, he found that at least for the moment he wasn’t the least bit concerned about the fact that they were hurtling through the void of space at faster than light speeds. He glanced back over the table at Nova, who seemed to be struggling with an inner-conflict but was trying not to let it show. Tsiv frowned a bit at this, wondering what could be troubling her. Maybe it had to do with the Jedi thing. He was so zoned out trying to take everything in that he hadn't noticed when the conversation had been pointed in his direction.

Tsiv blinked is violet eyes and focused on Orev and Rossi who seemed to be waiting expectantly for him to answer a question he hadn't heard them ask. "I'm sorry, what?" He asked finally, his voice soft and a bit uncertain.

"I said, how long had you been working at Klangs?" Rossi replied before taking another bite of food, and Tsivoin's confused and a bit apprehensive expression, she continued. "I remember seeing you there, that night. You were working behind the bar." She explained.

Tsiv furrowed his brow in thought... "A few cycles, I guess." He replied though his tone was non-committal. He still wasn't sure just how much to trust these people and from what he'd seen watching Nova, she felt the same. He could tell that his answer hadn't gone over the greatest, and decided it couldn't hurt to elaborate a bit. He kept his eyes pointed in Nova's direction in case she gave him some sort of signal to stop, just in case. "When you're undocumented, you uh, just sort of work for whoever is going to hand out the most creds with the fewest questions. I worked at a lot of places in Canto Bight, at one time or another."

Though Tsivoin couldn't see it because he was facing Nova, and even if he'd been looking right at teh ships captain he may not have been able to perceive it, Durin's gaze shifted up and over to the Zabrak as he finished that last sentence. If one knew what to look for, they might be able to see the wheels start turning in the back of the humans mind.

"Yeah, I guess that would track." Rossi replied to Tsiv, a hint of sympathy in her tone and features that made the Zabrak mildly uncomfortable.
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Re: Star Wars: Through the Never

Post by Pryde »

Nova paid barely any attention to the conversation as she ate. She didn't even notice Tsivoin looking in her direction as he spoke. If she had she would have directed him to look away. The crew already knew they were keeping secrets, he didn't need to look to her for permission to speak. Especially when the crew was asking about himself. Not even Nova knew all of his secrets, only what was told to her by the Red Key thug that tried to capture him. She suspected there was more to the story, however. Tsivoin looked young, about as young as she was when Ben Solo rampaged through the Jedi temple. At the time of his escape from the Red Keys he would have been even younger, a child almost. Surely a child wouldn't be able to kill a bunch of gangers and steal their money on his own. He had to have had help. Or perhaps his brief explosion on Cantonica was not his first exposure to the dark side of the Force. It was this last that scared her the most. That would mean he regularly let his emotions take over and could channel the dark side with relative ease. The Knights of Ren would be more than happy to add him to their ranks.

"What about you," she heard someone say. It sounded like Rossi but she couldn't be sure. "What were you doing on Cantonica?"

Nova took a moment to swallow the food she was chewing then shrugged. "Deliveries," she said simply and by the look on Rossi's face she could tell that wasn't enough. "People paid me a lot of money to smuggle contraband through customs."

"Wait, you really do have connections," the Kessurian asked. Nova made a face, not even Rossi, SlackJaw or Orev bought her story from before. Which raised the question if the whole crew knew she was lying then why did they let her stay?

She shook her head. "Not exactly," she said, "I'm just very charming." Then she gave the Kessurian woman a look that told her not to pursue this subject any further...
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Re: Star Wars: Through the Never

Post by VagueDurin »

Rossi took the hint and tried to steer the conversation in another direction as subtly as she could manage. The Kessurian had to admit that despite the uncomfortable sensation of holding onto Nova's secret, she was truly happy to have the two aboard the Bedlam. Unless they were putting together a temporary crew or pulling some kind of long con, it had just been the four of them for years now. It was nice to have someone closer to her age and especially female on the ship. The crew almost always dined together in the evening, but tonight's dinner had felt different and she liked it.

Eventually, the crew had had their fill and were showing obvious signs of slowing down. Before anyone could excuse themselves or call an end to the gathering, Vague wiped his face with a napkin and cleared his throat, drawing the crews attention to himself. "I just wanted to take a quick moment and thank both Nova and Tsivoin for joining us for dinner tonight, it may not seem like a big deal but out here in the void, this crew is all we've got - So thank's you two." He took a quick swig from his ale and then continued. "We've got about a day and a half still on this course, so I'd ask you all get some rest tonight. In the morning I think we should set some time aside to give Nova and Tsiv the full tour of the ship, if you're staying, I want you to be familiar with the layout and systems." He paused and started to collect his dinnerware to take back into the galley. "Any questions?"

Tsiv watched as the original crew members all provided a response to Vague in the negative. The human then looked to Nova, who just gave him and indifferent shrug. He finally glanced at the Zabrak and Tsivoin shook his head quickly. Tsivoin watched Durin stand, and that was that. In an instant it seemed, dinner was over. By the time he'd watched Durin disappear into the Galley, SlackJaw had disappeared entirely, and Orev and Rossi were well on their way to the Galley with their own dinnerware. Tsiv hopped up and quickly gathered his own, he didn't want to lag behind so far that he wouldn't see what they did with the used utensils and dishes.

Less than fifteen minutes later, the table had been cleared, all the dishes, utensils, and cooking vessels had been put into some sort of cleaning appliance, and without anything else to do, Tsiv had shuffled straight through the other side of the galley and into his assigned cabin. He was leaning against the far wall near the bunk ladder unlacing his boots when Nova entered the cabin. He looked up and his gaze lingered on her for a moment or two, he wanted to ask about dinner and what had been on her mind but wasn't sure why he felt so compelled to do so.... so he stood there probably looking silly for another moment, then turned back to his boots.
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Re: Star Wars: Through the Never

Post by Pryde »

Nova entered the cabin and the first thing she noticed was Tsivoin looking up at her. It looked like he had something he wanted to say, but whatever it was he kept it to himself. She watched him stare dully at his boots, whatever question he had in mind lost to the void. Nova had a suspicion of what it was. She was rather distracted during dinner and it didn't surprise her that Tsivoin might have picked up on it. Those with a strong connection to the Force were often quite perceptive of such things. Since the Force was an energy field that connected all living things it made sense that people who were closely connected to it would more often than not have greater displays of empathy.

She sat down on her bed and pulled off her boots, carefully tucking them away somewhere. Then she looked up at Tsivoin as he seemed to busy himself with some random distraction or another. Nova considered just leaving him be, but eventually she got annoyed. "What is it," she asked finally, breaking the awkward silence between them.

"What," Tsivoin asked, a momentary look of confusion in his eyes.

"You look like you've been wanting to say something since I walked in. So what is it?" She said with a shrug.
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Re: Star Wars: Through the Never

Post by VagueDurin »

Tsiv stopped short of denying it, somehow knowing better. For all the Zabrak knew she might even be able to read his mind. He shivered just slightly at that thought then turned to focus his full attention on Nova. "I uh, you seemed really different at dinner tonight," he started, "I mean, I'm aware we only just met a little while ago- but it just - Is something wrong?" He blubbered through the back half of the question and was painfully reminded that the only true friendship he'd had in life had been the one he shared with Senna.

"I'm fine," Nova answered before lying back on her bed.

She was fully intending on leaving it at that but there was a part of her that felt guilty. She was the one that got him involved in her life and this whole time she insisted on keeping him at arm's length. They were in it together now and if they were going to trust each other and survive then she was going to have to open up to him.

"It's just...," she began, her words faltering slightly. "The last time I had a dinner like that was four years ago before...," she stopped, unable to finish the rest of that thought. "It's nothing, just a memory I'm not very fond of."

Tsivoin found his way over to a footlocker that rested against Nova's makeshift curtain and sat atop it. The teen leaned forward, elbows on his knees as she elaborated slightly on her initially curt response. He cast his violet eyes downwards for a few moments before looking back up in her direction. He instinctively wanted to ask her 'before what?', but he didn't feel it was his right to pry. Instead, he nodded his head a bit and spoke, his tone raw.

"It was overwhelming. Bittersweet," He paused and swallowed hard, "I've never had it, and it hurts to know that, but I didn't want it to end."
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Re: Star Wars: Through the Never

Post by Pryde »

But of course it always ends, Nova thought to herself but she refrained from saying it aloud. The two of them were almost polar opposites in a way. She could understand his desire for connection since for awhile she had something like that herself. At least until it was taken from her. He understood a bit of her pain from the loss of Senna, but she suspected he had never been abandoned before as she had. In a way her experiences necessitated that she learn to become independent and refrain from relying on others. Which is why at the opportunity to form lasting bonds with the crew of the Bedlam Tsivoin jumped at the chance while Nova balked.

"Well, kid," she said, rolling onto her side so her back was toward him, "I don't think it'll be your last. We'll probably all be sitting around that table again in the morning for breakfast. Speaking of, can you turn out the lights?"
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Re: Star Wars: Through the Never

Post by VagueDurin »

Tsivoin's jaw set as he pressed his lips together. That was to be the end of it, then. The teen refrained from sighing. He wasn't sure what he'd been expecting and supposed he should be grateful that she'd opened up enough to answer his question at all. Surely they weren't just going to become great friends overnight. Still, he was trying.

The Zabrak stood from the footlocker and stepped over to the wall and keyed the lights off obediently. As he slipped behind the curtain, fully aware that the lights were off and her back was turned towards him anyway, he did his best to change into sleeping shorts as quietly as possible. Once finished, he climbed the ladder rungs and crawled into the top bunk. The mattress seemed absurdly soft beneath him as he settled in under the blanket. It was hard for him to comprehend that this was the way most of the galaxy slept their whole lives...

A fleeting thought shot through his conscious like a comet, I wish I could share this with Senna. Tears immediately welled up in the teens eyes and he narrowly avoided coughing out a sob as he reacted to the sudden onset of emotion. He missed his friend, his partner- so much. Tsivoin took a deep, shuddering breath and closed his violet eyes, silently wishing for sleep to come quickly.
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Re: Star Wars: Through the Never

Post by Pryde »

The next few days were kind of a blur. Vague and the others had made good on their promise to make sure the newest members of their crew were familiar with the ship's systems. Nova and Tsiv were given a far more extensive tour of the ship and all its ins and outs. After that the crew had discussed in a bit more detail what the job entailed and began going over the first part of the plan. Which apparently involved meeting up with a forger on the Republic world of Chandrila. The Bedlam docked at a starport in Hanna City, the capital of Chandrila. Shortly after Vague and Orev left the ship to go meet their contact while Nova and the others stayed behind on the ship. That suited Nova just fine, they weren't really here for sightseeing after all and she had another idea for how to pass the time.

The starport was large and the primary point of entry for anyone visiting Hanna City. As such there were a lot of ships coming and going and a lot of people checking in and out of customs. Getting into the restricted areas of the port wasn't really all that difficult. With so much activity everywhere there was a lot of oversight. Nova had managed to slip into one of the maintenance areas and made her way to the top of the structure. There she found a hatchway leading out onto the roof where she climbed even higher until she found a ledge big enough to perch on. She sat cross-legged on the ledge overlooking the city and took a moment to marvel at the sight. Chandrila really was a beautiful planet with rolling hills, calm seas, and incredible urban landscapes.

With a sigh she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. It had been quite awhile since last she meditated, but if her experiences on Cantonica had taught her anything it's that she needed more training. Unfortunately, on a planet as populated as Chandrila she wouldn't be able to do much lightsaber training here without drawing attention to herself. Fortunately, Master Luke had taught her a form of meditation that she could use as training instead. In her mind's eye she pictured herself kneeling on the floor in the middle of a large, nondescript room. Her lightsaber lay in front of her and a dark figure stood before her, challenging her. The other being ignited a red lightsaber and the crimson illumination filled the room. It took a swing at Nova as she sat kneeling on the floor and in response she ignited her own golden blade and parried it. Then she rolled backward onto her feet as her assailant moved to follow her.

The two locked in combat again, the hooded and cloaked figure swiping rapidly at her with its crimson sword. Nova easily deflected or parried each blow, lashing out with her own attacks in turn. At first it seemed like they were evenly matched then something strange happened. The cloak figure began to overpower her, knocking aside her defenses as easily as the Knight of Ren had back on Cantonica. Nova suddenly found herself on the defensive, desperately trying to parry each blow and unable to strike back herself. As the fight went on the cloaked figure gradually began to shift and morph, its appearance changing into that of the armored knight. Nova backpedaled furiously, trying to put some distance between them. Finally at last the knight overextended himself and Nova took advantage of it. She deflected his axe with her lightsaber while sidestepping. She allowed her opponent's weapon to slide off of her blade then stepped in and swiped her sword at his face.

Her blade cut across the visor of his helmet, knocking it from his head. He instinctively turned with the blow, narrowly avoiding the tip of her weapon cutting into his face. When he turned to look back at her it wasn't the Knight of Ren from Cantonica who stared at her, it was Tsivoin. Nova's eyes opened with a start and she reflexively shouted no in alarm. When she realized there was no one around she allowed herself to relax. She leaned back against the wall, breathing rapidly. Normally, she was in full control of the meditation, but this time she didn't know what happened. She didn't have much time to ponder it, though, before she felt a familiar presence. She glanced down at the streets far below her and saw a speeder heading towards the starport. Vague and Orev were back, probably with their contact in tow, which meant it was time to leave. She hopped down from her perch and carefully made her way back to their landing berth.

She got to the hangar about the same time as Vague and Orev. As she boarded the ship Tsivoin was the first to greet her. "Where've you been," he asked.

Nova found it surprisingly difficult to meet his gaze. All she could think about was his face covered in a dark mask wielding a crimson lightsaber. "I was on the roof," she said, "Meditating."

Rossi came out into the ship's storage bay as Vague piloted the speeder on board. She looked just as confused as the rest of them when the only people to depart the speeder were Vague and Orev.

"Where's our contact," she asked.

"Pinched," Orev answered, "Currently staying in a Republic prison facility."

"Well, that's just wonderful," Nova muttered, "Can we do the job without him? Or do we need to find another forger?"
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Re: Star Wars: Through the Never

Post by VagueDurin »

Tsivoin felt a chill shift its way down his spine when Nova finally met his gaze and it was all the teen could do to not visibly recoil from the way she looked at him. Was that fear? Disgust? Bewildered, and unable to to imagine what he might have done to earn the scorn, he stepped backwards and did his best to fade into the background as Vague and Orev arrived in the speeder and Rossi came down to greet them.

Vague shook his head just slightly at Nova's question. "Negative on both accounts. There's no one else out there than can pull off something like the Vidunatru, at least not on our side of the law," he paused, obviously calculating something in silence, then his jaw set and he continued in a more official tone.

"Alright, change of plans. I'm reaching out to the Pink Lady today. If she's available, we need her in play as soon as possible. Rev, Take the kid and see if you can get a charter lined up for the Bruiser. Rossi, I need you and Nova to get me every last bit of intel you can on the prison on Ogedeen Island. Layout, defenses, population, the works... EssJay, we're gonna be here a bit longer than anticipated, get to work on a more robust cover backstop for us."

Durin looked around the group, satisfied that he'd covered the immediate set of bases and that everyone had an assignment that fit their skillsets, he nodded. "Ok let's get to it." He said and took off towards the cockpit running a hand back through his hair as he went, preparing for the call he was about to make.

The Duros only waited until Vague had started up into the ship proper before nodding towards Rossi and then motioning with his hand at Tsivoin who was still standing off to the side,his arms wrapped protectively around his midsection as he was still trying to sort out what had been going on with Nova when she got back onto the ship. He'd heard the conversation, though and with a short sigh and the briefest of glances towards Nova, he moved to follow Orev.

Rossi turned to look at Nova and she couldn't help but notice as the Zabrak walked by that something was amiss between the kids, but for the moment decided to keep it to herself. She smiled broadly and spoke, "Finally some gal-time! Come on, let's see how much we can get a hold of remotely before we start slinking around Hanna City." She didn't wait for a response, but instead started off back up into the ship proper and eventually towards her quarters.

A few minutes later Vague sat at one of the comms terminals just outside the cockpit, waiting for a particularly conniving Zeltron to pick up on the other end...
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Re: Star Wars: Through the Never

Post by Pryde »

Over the next couple of days, the crew set out accomplishing their goal. Nova spent most of that time with Rossi and rarely saw Tsivoin except when they returned to their cabin to sleep. The Zabrak was still left wondering what exactly he had done to change Nova's behavior around him, but he had little time to ponder it as Orev had kept him busy most of the time. Rossi and Nova spent the first day scouring the holonet for any information they could find about Ogedeen Island. When they felt they had exhausted all their resources online they decided it was time to hit the streets. Most of their time out on the town was spent gathering information, but being the only women on the crew some of their time was also spent shopping.

"This is nice," Rossi said, holding up a gown for Nova to see.

The other girl had been distracted and was staring off into the distance. She didn't notice when Rossi tried to address her.

"Hey, space cadet," she said, a bit louder and a bit more firmly.

"Hmm, what," Nova asked, finally turning to look at her.

Rossi held up the dress again. "I said what do you think of this."

Nova stared at it then shrugged. "It looks nice."

Her tone had been rather dismissive which both annoyed and frustrated Rossi. She promised herself she wouldn't pry into their business but there was definitely something wrong with Nova and Tsiv. "Alright, seriously. What's going on?"

Nova gave her a confused look. "I'm sorry?"

"You've been on cloud nine for the past two days. You're barely talking to Tsivoin and trying to get your attention's like herding rancors. What's with you two?"

Nova briefly turned away from her to avoid eye contact. The girl's first instinct was to deny it and say it was nothing, but even as she opened her mouth to do exactly that the words caught in her throat. She had been behaving differently the past couple of days. On some level she knew that even if she hadn't fully realized it. For a moment she wondered what Tsivoin must of thought. What am I doing? I'm such an idiot. He probably thinks I hate him.

Rossi stared at the girl waiting for a response but Nova said nothing. Finally, the Kessurian shook her head. "Alright, you don't have to tell me, but you can't be acting like this on the job. You have to be one hundred percent..."

"I lied," Nova said suddenly, interrupting her as she spoke.

Rossi gave her a confused look. "Well, yeah. I think we established that we all knew that."

"No, I mean about Tsivoin," Nova explained, "Look, follow me."

She pulled Rossi over to a less crowded area of the store and looked around to make sure no one else was in earshot. Then she turned to a nearby rack and pretended to shop, hoping Rossi would follow her queue. "You asked me once if Tsivoin had the same power as I do," she whispered quietly under her breath. "I lied to both of you when I said he didn't."

Rossi scrunched up her face in confusion. "That doesn't make sense. Why would you do that?"

Nova held up a blouse, looked at it but didn't actually see what she was holding. It was merely an excuse to avert her eyes. "I was afraid," she said. "In the fight at The Tangle Tsivoin tapped into his power, but he did it through raw emotion. His best friend had just been killed and he lashed out at the First Order with hatred and pain..."

"Okay," Rossi began, barely comprehending what the girl was trying to say, "So what does that mean?"

Nova finally set the blouse down and turned to look at her. "He used the dark side of the Force."

The Kessurian had a blank stare on her face. She clearly didn't understand what Nova was talking about so the girl continued. "Look, it's difficult to explain but just think of it like this. Everything has two sides, right? Day or night, heads or tails, good and evil, and light and dark. The Force is the same way."

Rossi held up a hand and shook her head. "Nova, you're talking about something I've never even heard of. The Force?"

The girl made a face. "This is going to be harder if I have to explain everything from the beginning," she said. Then she stopped and thought about it for a second. "The Force is what I use when I make things happen. Like stopping the blaster bolt back on Ord Mantell. It's an energy field that exists in all living things, binding us together."

Rossi had no idea what any of that meant, of course. Her mind was still reeling from all the information Nova had been feeding her, but one thing was fairly clear. "So you're saying Tsivoin can use the Force as well?"

"Technically so could you. So could anyone, really. Not as well as either Tsivoin or me, but with practice...," she let her words trail off.

There was a twinkle in Rossi's eye the moment Nova suggested she could tap into that power herself, but it quickly disappeared when Nova suggested she would never be as good as her. The Kessurian looked miffed and Nova caught the look. She quickly held up her hands. "It's not like that," she said, "Tsivoin and I just have a stronger connection than you. We're like prodigies, you know? Star athletes who don't even have to try but are just inherently good at everything."

That didn't really make it better, but Rossi decided to let it go. "So what does this all have to do with why you were afraid to tell the truth about Tsivoin?"

"Well, like I said the Force has two sides," she began, "A good side and a bad side. The light and the dark. The light side is about tranquility and compassion. Unconditional love for all living things and all that. The dark side of the Force feeds off of strong emotions such as hatred and fear. It's seductive and deceptive. It pulls you in with the promise of power and corrupts you from within."

"You sound like you've seen it before," Rossi interjected.

Nova slowly nodded her head. "I have... Four years ago. One of Master Skywalker's pupils turned to the dark side and slaughtered all the rest. I was lucky to survive."

"Skywalker," Rossi asked in alarm, "You don't mean the Skywalker? The hero of the Rebellion? The one everyone thinks is a myth?"

This time it was Nova's turn to be confused. She was only vaguely aware that Skywalker had been some kind of hero, but she didn't fully understand to what extent. A myth, though? No, the man was very real. "He's not a myth," she said simply, "He was the one who found me on Vorzyd V. He saved me from a life of poverty."

Rossi could tell she touched a nerve. "Sorry," she quickly apologized.

"It's fine," Nova replied, "He's probably dead with all the rest anyway."

The two fell silent for a moment. Rossi could hardly imagine the kind of pain Nova had been through. She was lucky that it was Vague who had found her and saved her when his team had wanted to kill her. Nova had nothing like that. There was nothing to shield her from the darkness that threatened to end her life. She survived out of pure luck and she'd been running from it ever since.

"I'm sorry," Rossi whispered again.

"It's nothing, forget it," Nova told her. "It's all in the past, anyway. I'm more concerned about our future."

Rossi had a look of confusion in her eyes. "What do you mean?"

"I told you that Tsivoin used the dark side of the Force, right? He created some kind of blast that nearly leveled an entire city block."

Rossi's face went completely white. "The blast zone at The Tangle? That was Tsivoin?!"

"You saw it," Nova asked. The damage must have been a lot worse than she suspected if the crew of the Bedlam could see it as they were taking off. "He didn't do it on purpose. His friend had just died and he was lashing out in pain. I'm sure he never meant for those people to be hurt."

"You don't know," Rossi asked, a note of concern in her voice.

Nova shook her head. "He doesn't remember. He used so much energy to create that blast that he nearly passed out but after it happened...," her words trailed off.

Rossi stared at her a moment. "What?"

Nova averted her gaze. "There was a Knight of Ren there."

"Who?" Rossi didn't understand what that meant.

"They're servants of the dark side who follow the First Order. After Tsivoin created that explosion the Knight laughed. He seemed pleased. I know that if I ever see them again they'll try to kill me, it's their mission to end the Jedi. But I'm more afraid that they'll want to recruit him. If he ever learns to control his power...," she left the rest of that thought hanging in the air.

Rossi was beginning to understand her a bit more, albeit slowly. There was still a lot she didn't understand. Light side of the Force, dark side of the Force, none of it was making any sense. But if Tsivoin really had created that crater at The Tangle... Still, something wasn't adding up. "Okay," she began slowly, "I think I understand, but that doesn't explain your behavior over the last couple of days. You acted pretty normal around Tsivoin before, except for that guilty look in your eyes every time you saw him. What changed?"

Nova sighed. That required a lot of explanation and she hoped this next part would be easier to understand. "Two days ago I had a vision."

"A vision? Like a premonition?"

"Maybe," Nova replied, "I left the ship to find a quiet place to meditate and as I was meditating I saw Tsivoin wearing the same armor as the Knight from Cantonica. His face was twisted with rage and he tried to kill me."

Rossi made a face. "That sounds like it was just a bad dream."

Nova shook her head. "It was more than that. The Force can sometimes show me visions of the future. None of it is set in stone, though. They're just--possibilities."

"So it's not real, then."

"But it could be and that's what I'm trying to tell you," Nova explained. "Tsivoin scares me. He scares me like--," she was going to say Ben Solo but the words caught in her throat. She hated thinking about that man. She hated even saying his name. "Like before," she finished sheepishly. "I don't ever want to experience that again..."

**********

Meanwhile back at the ship Tsivoin had been helping Orev offload some heavy equipment. He was the only one in the hangar at the time when a sultry woman with pinkish-red skin and blue hair approached him. "Ooh, you're cute," the woman said, startling him somewhat. "And young! I didn't know Durin had started running a babysitting service. Is your dad around, kid?"
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Re: Star Wars: Through the Never

Post by VagueDurin »

A voice suddenly pierced the silence in the hangar and Tsivoin jumped and spun towards the entrance. He hadn't heard anyone approach. The still fairly undernourished Zabrak struggled to keep hold of the heavy crate in his arms, shifting its weight as his wide eyes settled on the Zeltron. He had never seen someone of her species before, and while he was used to her shade of skin having known Rossi and Senna, he found himself wondering if her blue hair was natural or not. Just as he took a breath to respond to her he felt a disorienting sensation and sudden flush burning it’s way over his skin.

“Wha..” he tried to talk but his mind was suddenly disinterested in anything but the newcomers alluring form.

Lyshani stared at him a moment when he didn't immediately respond and her eyes widened slightly. "Oh my, is this your first time?"

She leaned in closer towards him, ensuring him a stronger whiff of the pheromones her species were known for.

"You're a little too young for me right now, but when you're older I could show you a thing or two," she whispered seductively into his ear.

Tsiv's knee's threatened to buckle and he nearly lost the grip on the crate as she leaned in and whispered into his ear. The teen could barely hear the words she spoke over the thunderous sound of his two hearts pounding. He tried to speak again but all that came out of his mouth was gibberish. Just then SlackJaw shuffled into the hangar and Tsivoin had never been happier to see the strange droid.

"Lyshani, my dear. Magnetic as always." The droid spoke, winking one of his yellow-green photoreceptors off and then back on again. "I see you've met the new kid, Tsivoin..." The droid paused as Tsiv took the opportunity to take a few quick steps back and away from the Zeltron and studied the Zabrak briefly. "Tsivoin, are you well? Your heartbeats are highly elevated and irregular."
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Re: Star Wars: Through the Never

Post by VagueDurin »

Rossi's head was spinning and she suddenly found herself replaying ever single interaction she'd had with what she thought was the harmless teenage Zabrak they'd invited onto their ship, searching her memory for any indication that there was some sort of rage monster lying in wait beneath the surface of those violet eyes. She had dozens of questions she wanted to ask Nova, about this... Force, about Luke Skywalker, about all of it.... but the one she wanted to ask the most, was if Tsiv was a ticking time bomb about to blast a hole in the side of their ship if the mood struck.

The Kessurian was registering Nova's words, and part of her wanted to immediately reassure the girl that she wouldn't ever experience her worst fears again, that she and the rest of the Bedlam's crew wouldn't let that happen, but given all this new information how could she even say that with a straight face? She finally couldn't hold it back any longer, and blurted out the question even as she uttered the syllables, feeling guilty for thinking them in the first place.

"Nova, could Tsiv- What if it happens again, on the ship?"

Nova was afraid she would ask this question and truth be told she wasn't sure if she could give her a satisfactory answer. "I can't promise that it won't, but it's not very likely," she said finally.

Rossi didn't seem very convinced. "How can you be sure?"

"Normally one can't tap into the Force without training, but it can happen sometimes if the individual is under extreme duress. In Tsiv's case Senna had just died in his arms and in his grief he turned his pain into a weapon. That's not something he'd be able to do again on command without training."

"Hypothetically, if it did happen. How much damage could he do?"

Nova thought about that for a moment. "I'm not sure, I mean the Bedlam's not a warship, but it's built heavier than a fighter. There might be some internal structural damage but the ship would be okay. I wouldn't want to be in the same room with him, though, if it happens."

The Kessurian let out a slow exhale, her eyebrows shooting upward exaggeratedly. It wasn’t as if there was anything she could do about it. Short of abandoning the kid on Chandrilla, anyway, and that wasn’t an option on her play card. That being said... Rossi once again found herself in a jam, stuck between maintaining the confidence that Nova had bestowed upon her and her duty and loyalty to Vague and the crew.

Now wasn’t the time to dwell on that, though. She blinked twice, and then hit Nova with her patented den mother stare. “Well we will cross that star lane when we get to it. For now, you have got to get it together. If he hasn’t already, Vague is going to notice how glacial you’ve been to the kid lately, and he will take an interest. Not to mention the spikey compa’s twisting in the void without a clue what you’ve been on about.”

"Right," Nova said, squirming under her gaze, "I don't really have an excuse for that."

Rossi held her under the stare for another moment, then nodded curtly. “Settled, then. Now, come help me pick out a clutch to go with this gown so we can get a move on!”
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Re: Star Wars: Through the Never

Post by VagueDurin »

Lyshani giggled rhythmically, “Two heart’s huh, does that mean twice the stamina?” She asked, noticing that the teen was still struggling with the crate.

SlackJaw’s photoreceptors blinked rapidly, his expression of laughter. “Kid, why don’t you set that crate down and keep an eye on our guest while I go let Vague know she’s he-“

Tsiv set the crate down so fast the noise echoed through the hangar. “No it’s ok SJ I can go get him, he’ll be right down miss, k bye.” He hurriedly cut off the droid and made a hasty escape before anyone could object.

“Odd, that.” SlackJaw muttered, turning to look back at the Zeltron and idly asking how her journey to Chandrilla went.

Once safely away from the hangar, Tsiv braced himself against a bulkhead and tried to take a few slow deep breaths. Whatever had happened to him when she’d arrived, it had caused sensations he’d never felt before and now that he was away the Zabrak was feeling a bit nauseous and chilled.

He caught the eye of Orev as the Duros was walking out of the engineering station. The grey green humanoid stopped, took a hard look at Tsivoin, then barked out a boisterous chortle. “She’s a firecracker ain’t she kid?” He sneered, then reached over to tap a nearby panel connecting him to the cockpit. “She’s still out there?”

Tsiv nodded a bit and spoke “With SJ, yeah.”

“Hey boss, just thought you should know, the Pink Lady is outside waiting for ya.” He told Durin, then flipped the comm off. “You uh, got a bit of..” He made a pantomime of wiping drool off his chin and chortled again when Tsivoin reached up to check, then headed off deeper into the ship.

Vague listened to Orev’s announcement and nodded his head absently. Of course she was here already. He tapped at a few screens, saving what work he’d completed and closing down the systems, before a brief coughing fit came over him. Durin quickly stood from the console and walked over to the pilots chair, snagging his metal tumbler and taking a long drink from it. Once the coughing spasm subsided, he took a moment to dress himself up in the proper persona, then headed aft to greet Lyshani.
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Re: Star Wars: Through the Never

Post by Pryde »

Lyshani looked indignant. "Aw, come on, Sparky. I travel all this way and you're not even going to invite me on board? Don't tell me Durin is still mad. That was a long time ago."

"The Captain has a long memory and you are... Well, you."

He had her there. She wasn't going to admit it, of course, but she hadn't changed at all from those days. "Fine," she muttered, thrusting her hip to one side while crossing her arms over her chest, "but he still owes me a drink."

Durin and Lyshani rarely worked on jobs together except when the situation called for her--'unique' talents. Even then he was always careful to watch his back around her. She wasn't likely to stick a knife in it, but that didn't mean she wouldn't make off with the clothes from his back if given the chance. She'd made several attempts at doing that already which is what earned her the cold shoulder every time she showed up. Still, his jobs usually paid extremely well so they were difficult to pass up.

It was some time later when Nova and Rossi appeared at the hangar. The two were carrying shopping bags and were engaged in conversation until they noticed the Zeltron standing next to Slackjaw in front of the ship. The woman had an impatient look on her face. Durin loved to make her wait and he knew he could get away with it too because the Zeltron needed the money. She always needed the money. The two girls walked over to Slackjaw, both with inquisitive looks on their faces.

"EssJay, who's this," Rossi asked when they were just a few feet away.

"This is--," he started to say but the woman cut him off.

"Lyshani," she said, leaning forward and extending her hand to Rossi.

The other girl started to reach for it but stopped halfway when she felt an odd sensation burning beneath her skin. Her heart rate began to increase and she suddenly found herself captivated by this woman. Her hand froze in mid-air and both Lyshani and Nova just stared at her.

"Rossi, are you alright," Nova asked, snapping her fingers in front of the Kessurian's eyes.

"It's my fault," Lyshani apologized, "People get like this when they meet me for the first time. Please, don't let it worry you, miss...," she paused for a moment, giving the girl time to answer.

"Nova," she said simply.

"Miss Nova? Such an interesting name. Well, it's nice to meet you, Nova."

The Zeltron woman held her hand out towards the girl but Nova just stared at it and did nothing. "Right, whatever," Nova said. "Anyway, is this going to last long," she asked, pointing to Rossi who was just staring dumbfounded at Lyshani. "She's gotta help me put this stuff away."

For the first time since arriving Lyshani seemed genuinely surprised. So much so that she didn't know what to say and she always knew what to say. In response she simply shook her head, so shocked beyond belief that she couldn't even form the words in her mind.

Nova turned to look at Slackjaw. "EssJay, I'm going to take her inside. Let me know when the Captain's ready to hear our report."

"Certainly," the droid replied and Nova gently prodded Rossi towards the ship.

Lyshani followed them with her eyes as the two girls walked up the boarding ramp and disappeared into the ship. Then without turning around she said, "Sparky--who's the girl?"
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Re: Star Wars: Through the Never

Post by VagueDurin »

Nova helped Rossi up the ramp and into the ship, passing Vague in the corridor just inside the ramp. The Captain gave them a brief nod, and if Nova wasn’t paying too much attention to Rossi, she’d have noticed his expression and mannerisms were unlike any variation she’d seen to date. They were passing by the commons where Tsiv sat slumped forward at the table, one had rubbing at his forehead.

Rossi mumbled something incoherent then cleared her throat, shook her head and plopped down into a seat next to the Zabrak, “You too, huh Campo?” She asked him, raising her own hands to rest against the sides of her Montrals.

Tsivoin blinked open his violet eyes and looked at Rossi briefly. “I might throw up on you.” He managed, then as he slowly became aware of his surroundings, he saw that Nova had come into the commons with Rossi. Upon making brief eye contact, the teen quickly looked down at the table. She’d been avoiding him for days it seemed, and whatever he’d done, he didn’t want to do anything else to make it worse.

Back in the hangar, SlackJaw was just starting to answer Lyshani’s inquiry when Vague strode down the ramp and interrupted the droid. “She giving you any grief, EssJay?” Vague asked the droid as he stopped a handful of paces short of the Zeltron.
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Re: Star Wars: Through the Never

Post by Pryde »

"What exactly was that," Nova asked. She had seen Tsivoin turn away from her after meeting her eyes for a brief moment but made a note to address that later. More importantly, something that woman did seemed to affect Rossi and apparently Tsivoin as well. "You stood there slackjawed and just stared at her."

"I don't know, I just felt--hot," Rossi answered. "When she leaned in closer to me I couldn't clear my head."

"It's her pheromones," a voice interrupted and everyone turned to see Orev enter the commons. "All Zeltrons have them and they can emit them at will. As you can see they work on everyone regardless of species or sex."

"You don't seem all that affected by them," Rossi pointed out, looking over at Nova. "Did you feel anything weird?"

Nova shook her head. "Not really. I mean, I did notice a smell but I thought it was her perfume."

Orev looked at her thoughtfully. It was rare for anyone to resist a Zeltron's charms. Some species were immune to their pheromones, such as Gamorreans, but a young human female? She would either have to be particularly strong-willed or perhaps there was more to this girl than she was letting on...

Outside in the hangar Lyshani couldn't help but make a face when Vague Durin stopped a few steps shy of her. Ever the cautious mastermind. She toyed with the idea of moving closer to him but she knew that Durin would simply maintain this distance. "Durin, honey, you really have to do something about that dour look. You've got kids on board now. You'll scare 'em off if you keep looking like that."
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Re: Star Wars: Through the Never

Post by VagueDurin »

Vague offered her a terrible forced smile, then let his face shift back to business. "Lyshani. Welcome to Chandrilla, we appreciate you arriving on such a short notice but we ran into a bit of a snag while trying to meet up with an old friend Ansel Brimm. We needed to speed up our time table." Durin paused, his dark brown eyes narrowing slightly as watched Lyshani. He knew even at this distance he had to be on his guard, even without her pheromones she was a very capable con, in his own league more than likely. "The kids, are off limits, and I'd appreciate it if you would exercise the usual agreed upon restraint regarding the rest of the team?" he asked, wanted to establish the Zeltron's rules of engagement before allowing her to board.

"Oh relax, Durin, I was just getting to know them. Of course, I know the rules. Now what do you need from me?"

Vague took a look around, then nodded once to SlackJaw, who started inside. "Not out here. Come on, pretty sure I still owe you a drink." He spoke while turning to head inside. He led Lyshani up the ramp and into the commons, finding the rest of his crew still loitering about the area. Lyshani may or may not have been able to see the non-verbal signal he made to Orev, but by the time he and the Zeltron were fully out of the access corridor, the Duros had made sure everyone had a quasi legitimate assignment that vacated the area, leaving the Captain and Lyshani alone to conduct business.

Vague ignored her mock amused/hurt expression at the crew being sent away, and set about pouring himself a short glass of Imooda 47 gin and topping it off with a splash of fizzy tonic. He tilted his head towards the hideaway bar that he'd exposed behind a panel in the bulkhead then turned his attention back to the blue haired Zeltron. "It's modest, but what's your poison?" He offered.

"I'll have the same," she offered. She half turned, her eyes resting on the corridor where the other crew members had just departed. "So, why the new faces?"

Durin gave her a stern look and she reflexively held up her hands. "I know, I know, 'off limits', but can you at least tell me about them? Thieving is a dangerous game for children."

He mixed another cocktail up quickly and set it down in front of her, slouching into a seat at one of the smaller lounge tables. "You haven't gone and grown a conscious on me, have you Lyshani?" he asked mockingly. Durin didn't particularly want to tell Lyshani anything about the two. His inherit distrust of her and her motives notwithstanding, there was the ongoing issue of the bounty both of the kids carried on their heads. He took a sip of his drink and considered his response carefully. "We came upon them in a tight spot. They needed an exit, I obliged, and they opted to stick around." the corners of his eyes narrowed slightly as he finished. It was a flimsy response and he knew it. Move it along, maybe she really is just idly curious. "Anyway, you didn't travel all this way to offer me personnel advice. Let's talk about your role in this shindig."
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Re: Star Wars: Through the Never

Post by Pryde »

Lyshani made a face. She should have expected that from him. In Vague's opinion if you weren't in his inner circle then no information was the best information. It was interesting, though, that a man who trusts so little would be so overprotective of two children. Obviously, there was something more going on there, but she wasn't likely to get more information from him. A shame too since she was very interested to find out more about the girl.

"You know, Durin, all work and no play...," she said, leaving the rest to his imagination. When she saw the look on his face she sighed and shook her head. "Fine, fine, party pooper. Yes, the Wanderlust, you mentioned it before. Do you have information about the man you want me to approach? Or am I just supposed to pull a name out of a hat?"
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Re: Star Wars: Through the Never

Post by VagueDurin »

Vague smirked at the notion. Were it so easy. He thought to himself... though, maybe for someone like Lyshani it truly was. He reached into a pocket of his vest and produced a piece of flimsy, unfolding it and glancing over the information written on it before setting it down on the table between them. “As I said outside, I’ve had to accelerate my timetable. I’d prefer to have had the time to properly look into these folks and provide a specific target.. Alas,” he paused and let her take a moment to study the sheet.

There was a very short list of individuals who had access to the vital codes and information that Vague and his team would require for this job. Normally he would have done the legwork to identify the one with the most obvious and severe weak point to leverage but this business with Ansel being locked up had thrown a spanned in his best laid plans. Below the list were specifics of what they needed from whomever was unlucky enough to catch her eye, as well as the more mundane intel and prep work he’d need her to accomplish prior to Tsiv, Nova, and Ansel arriving onboard the craft.

“Obviously your percentage will reflect the additional legwork.” He offered as a consolation.

"That sounds fair," she said, folding up the flimsy and shoving it into her jacket pocket.

Truthfully, she had already narrowed the list down to two possible targets. Durin may like to keep things compartmentalized, but knowing where the job was taking place helped to significantly narrow down who and what the mark was. From there she did her own legwork to determine who she needed to approach. Of course, she wasn't going to tell Durin that. An added bonus was an added bonus.

"If you really wanted to thank me, though, you could come with me back to my ship and let me put a smile on that dour face of yours. Seriously, Durin, how long has it been?"

For a moment, there seemed to be a break in the carefully crafted persona Vague was presenting. It wasn’t much, a shift in the light of his eyes, a tensing of his back and shoulders. With a practiced hand, he covered the lapse by bringing his cocktail to his lips and taking a slow sip. By the time he spoke he’d reconstructed the visage. “As enticing as that sounds, surely you’ve not forgotten that rule about business and pleasure.”

Lyshani's expression remained neutral, but on the inside she was grinning like a demon. To be honest Vague was masterful in hiding his discomfort, but to a Zeltron who could read his emotions and body language like an open book? He may as well have been giving a speech.

"Rules are boring, Sweety. I try not to have any. It's easier that way, and more fun. You keep insisting on following rules like that and you'll have to start dying your hair soon."

Then she leaned in closer and gave him a keen look. "Unless you are already," she added.

To his credit, Vague held his ground. He wasn’t so sure he’d have been able to had the Zeltron wanted to prove a point, but he was grateful that she respected their business relationship enough not to push the envelope. He narrowed his dark brown eyes and met her gaze for a long moment, before ultimately gracing Lyshani with an incredibly rare genuine smile. “A few more jobs with you, my fair pink lady, and I’m sure I won’t have a choice in the matter.” He quipped.

The pair finished their drinks and covered the remaining specifics cordially enough, yet even so, Vague was relieved to be sealing the ramp shut behind the Zeltron’s retreating backside. He blew out a forceful exhale, then turned to head back into the ship. It’d be dinner time soon enough and he wanted to get a head start on finalizing their plans to free Ansel the forger.
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Re: Star Wars: Through the Never

Post by Pryde »

"Did none of that seem weird to you at all," Nova asked Rossi while she had been working on some kind of electronic device. She'd been sitting on a box, her back propped up against a larger crate with one foot on the floor and the other on top of the box. Rossi's toolbox was nestled between her foot and knee and on occasion the Kessurian would ask for a tool then Nova would hand it to her. "First Vague invites that strange woman here, then he's all hush hush and finally he sends us away when he invites her inside."

Rossi stopped what she was doing and looked at her. Nova simply shook her head. "Before you ask, no I didn't see what the signal was," she said, "I just assume that when Orev starts barking orders it's because Vague told him to."

Rossi merely shrugged and went back to what she was doing. That was a pretty fair assessment given Nova's limited exposure to the crew and in this case it was fairly on point. "I think he was just trying to protect us."

"That's just it, though," Nova replied, "Why work with a woman you can't trust? Did you see the way he walked? With his back all stiff like he was some kind of droid? It was like he was a different person."

Rossi said nothing but continued to work. For the short time that she had known her Nova had been surprisingly perceptive... Well, in most cases. It seemed like whenever her own emotions weren't distracting her there was very little that she missed. The Kessurian couldn't help but wonder if that was just the way she was or if there was some other explanation. Maybe a supernatural one?

A moment later the young Zabrak entered the storage hold carrying some things for Orev. Nova wasn't sure what any of that stuff was for, just that somehow it was going to help them break into a Republic prison. As soon as she saw the Zabrak, though, she called out to him. "Tsivoin," she said, getting up from her perch and rushing over to him.

Tsivoin set what he was holding down where Orev had ordered him to and turned to look at her, though Nova couldn't help but notice that he was deliberately averting his eyes. "Tsivoin, I'm sorry," she said, the guilt she felt showing plainly on her face. "I'm an idiot. I know I've been avoiding you lately, but it's not your fault. I, um...," she faltered slightly, not sure what exactly to tell him. "Two days ago when I was meditating I thought saw something and it scared me. But," she added quickly, holding up her hands, "it wasn't real. I know that, and I shouldn't have let it get to me but I did. So I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you."
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Re: Star Wars: Through the Never

Post by VagueDurin »

Rossi wasn't sure how or if she should explain to Nova that Vague was regularly changing into any assortment of other people. That in all actuality, she herself didn't even know if she'd ever truly met the man. The real Durin. It wasn't something that was easy to explain, and probably would require revealing a bit too much of his background so she opted to keep the comment to herself. When Tsiv walked in and she heard Nova go to him, the Kessurian smiled to herself. Good. The last thing the crew or those two younglings needed was a rift to sprout up between them now.

Tsivoin saw Rossi and Nova the moment he stepped into the hold and had reserved himself to dropping off the crate as quickly as he was able and high-tailing it back out of there in order to avoid getting the brush-off from Nova once again. So when she called out his name and actually walked over to him he was at a loss of what to think or how to act.

After she had said her piece, Tsivoin was as confused, if not more so than before. He immediately had to wonder what in the galaxy she could have seen that scared her and made her avoid him like the Andoran Plague...

A much larger portion of the teen, however, was simply elated to see in her face how genuine the words were and to hear that all this time he'd been obsessing over what he might have said or did that had caused her change in behavior was a waste of time. A bright smile worked its way over his lips and before she could lower her hands as she finished talking, the Zabrak stepped in and pulled her against his thin frame in a tight hug.

"Um," Nova said in surprise. She didn't know how to react, no one ever hugged her before. She glanced over at Rossi unsure of what to do. The Kessurian made a gesture of wrapping her arms around something, so Nova put her arms around Tsiv. This feels weird, she thought to herself.

He’d been overcome by the relief that his only ‘friend’ in the galaxy didn’t hate him after all. Once that subsided somewhat, Tsivoin noticed that Nova’s posture was stiff and while she’d encircled him in return, she seemed to be leaning away rather than into the hug. His grip around her faltered and as he considered that maybe he’d overreacted he let go completely and backed up a step.

“Sorry,” he uttered. “Thought you couldn’t stand me.”

Nova felt so disappointed in herself. She'd never had anything close to a friend before and while she didn't know what to call her relationship to Tsivoin she didn't want to screw it up.

"No I'm sorry," she said, "I've been acting so stupid. Anyway, we should probably get back to work otherwise Rev might think we're taking a break."
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Re: Star Wars: Through the Never

Post by Pryde »

By the time Nova headed back to where Rossi was working the other woman was giving her a look that seemed to say she was holding back a smile. Nova rolled her eyes at that and shook her head. "Not a word," she grumbled. She was still a bit flustered after being caught off guard by Tsivoin hugging her and it showed plainly on her face. Rossi giggled to herself then returned to what she was doing.

Later that night after they had all eaten Vague sat them down in front of the holoprojector to go over the plan for the jailbreak. Nova didn't quite feel right breaking into a Republic facility to free a criminal. The Republic were supposed to be the good guys, right? That's why the Empire destroyed it. Why the Rebellion fought so hard to bring it back. Still, Vague insisted that they needed Ansel for the job and by all accounts who was she to argue? She'd been living outside the law herself for the last four years, but she at least knew where the line was. She just hoped Vague and the others knew where that line was too.

She was leaned up against the table where Tsivoin was sitting. Rossi and Orev were on opposite sides of the room perpendicular to them and Vague and Slackjaw stood right across from Nova and Tsiv. Between them was a large holographic projection of the Republic prison facility on Ogedeen Island. Just looking at it Nova wasn't sure if even she could break into it and she had a pretty big advantage over the rest of the crew. As soon as the holo projection appeared between them she drew in a sharp breath.

"That place is huge," she muttered under her breath, but just loud enough for Tsivoin to hear. "How are we even going to get inside it?"
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Re: Star Wars: Through the Never

Post by VagueDurin »

Vague took a slow sip from his tumbler and then set it down on the edge of the table, swapping it for a hand-held pointer. He activated the pointer and took a moment to look around the room to make sure he had everyone's attention before he began. "What you see here is the latest available layout for Ogedeen Island and it's prison facilities," he used the pointer to indicate various installations on the island as he noted them.

"In the center atop the hill we have the prison itself. This includes administrative offices, the cell block, communications hub, kitchen, mess hall, infirmary, and the recreational yard. To the south of that, you have the islands main powerplant and an industrial area where the inmates do day-labor. The entire eastern edge of the island is an engineered drop-off, while the west edge consists of a dock and harbor for all in-coming and out-going vessels, including a landing-pad for air traffic. To the north there are quarters for guards and support staff, as well as the parade grounds." He stopped there, allowing the team to digest that information before he continued.

"First thing I want to get out of the way here, this is a New Republic prison. It's staffed by New Republic Security Forces and New Republic citizens. Our guy Ansel Brimm, he's no political prisoner, Brimm is in here because he's a bad guy and they caught him. Rules of engagement are simple here. There will be no use of force unless your life or the life of our target is in danger. Should that be the case, we will use all non-lethal forms of defense at our disposal. Stun rounds and immobilization only, Understood?"

"Check." Orev, SlackJaw, and Rossi all replied in near unison. Vague turned to look at the two new members of their team.

That made Nova feel a little better but she still couldn't completely shake the sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. "Sure," she said simply.

Tsivoin looked at Nova briefly before nodding his head. "Sure." he mimicked.

Satisfied, Vague pressed on. "Good. In an effort to limit engagement, we're going to target the infirmary as the weak point in their defenses. Rossi will be control for this operation, working from the 'Bedlam'. Orev, you'll be in charge of the pickup team...." Vague paused momentarily and looked back at Tsiv and Nova. "Can you swim?" He asked them.

Tsivoin looked up at Nova who was still leaning against the table next to him. The young Zabrak had never had the opportunity to learn to swim growing up as a slave. He could tell by the way Vague had asked the question that the captain was counting on one of them to say yes and Tsiv was hoping that Nova was about to say just that... But as his violet eyes took in her posture and the expression on her face, his stomach tightened. There was an edge to her jaw that told him she wasn't about to admit it, but the apprehension he saw in her eyes was obvious.

Without thinking, the Zabrak raised his hand and nodded. "Yup. I can swim." He lied through his teeth.

Vague's gaze was focused on Nova and the very obvious tension in her body language told him that the young woman could indeed not swim, though she was reluctant to admit it for some reason. He was about to press the issue when the Zabrak spoke up.

"Good." he replied, eyes not leaving Nova. "You're with Orev on the pickup team. We've acquired a Republic Hover-Boat, Tsivoin you'll help Orev mock it up to stand in for an Emergency Medical Transport. EssJay, make sure Nova is backstopped as a legal aide. She and I will be disguised and will arrive via the public ferry and enter the prison under aliases as legal counsel for Ansel Brimm. The meeting area is under both visual and audio surveillance. We will utilize a jammer to mask what I say to Ansel. It will instead be broadcasting a message that Nova will pre-record. Nova, get with Rossi after we're through here she will walk you through what you'll need to say and how to sync up with it when we're there. I don't think it should be an issue for you." He nodded once in Nova's direction, then turned back to face the rest of the group.

"Once Ansel's agreed to help us out, I will plant a tracker and infect him with our poison. Nova and I will then return to the mainland via the public ferry. Once Ansel is taken to the infirmary, they will call for a medical shuttle from the mainland. Rossi will intercept that call and route it to the mocked up transport Orev and Tsivoin will be on. They will respond to the call, grab Ansel, and administer the antidote. While on the way back to shore, Orev will detonate charges and jettison some mocked up parts of a transport to make it seem as though the med-transport malfunctioned and was lost at sea. You'll activate Rossi's jamming field to mask your signal, and meet up with EssJay who will be waiting on the shore with the landspeeder. He'll bring the three of you back to the 'Bedlam and we're home free."
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Re: Star Wars: Through the Never

Post by Pryde »

There wasn't much left to the briefing after that. Everyone broke into their assigned groups to work on whatever project they were ordered to. Nova was quite surprised by how elaborate the plan was. She'd considered herself a pretty decent con artist thanks to her success over the past four years but compared to the artistry that Vague had displayed today she may as well have been a toddler playing with crayons. She spent the next while working with Rossi to produce the recording, though something about the briefing didn't quite sit right with her. Tsivoin had said he could swim but he was like four years younger than her and spent his early years as a slave. If she never found the time then how could he? Cantonica did have water, though, and plenty of baths and pools. She wasn't quite sure how long he spent on the planet, but it wasn't quite out of the realm of possibility that he learned how to swim.

They spent the next couple of days preparing for the operation. Nova had plenty of practice time and instruction with Rossi who seemed oddly comfortable with this kind of deception. Nova had never tried anything this big before and it was all she could do to keep from freaking out. The day after their preparations were finished she finally found herself on a public transport sitting next to Vague Durin. Her first real operation with the man and much to her surprise she was actually quite nervous. She wore a three-piece skirt suit, a pair of glasses that did nothing to repair her vision and heels, which is something she'd never worn before. It took quite a lot of practice with Rossi not to fall over. Her hair had been dyed blonde then pulled back into a ponytail and she even wore makeup, another first for her. A pair of contact lenses changed her natural green eye color to a pale blue. The whole ensemble made her feel quite uncomfortable. Though, the look on Tsivoin's face when he first saw her was quite comical and made the experience worth it.

"Relax," Vague muttered under his breath, "We're almost there."

"This is just a bit more than anything I've ever tried before," she whispered back, "Are you sure I should be the one here instead of Rossi?"
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Re: Star Wars: Through the Never

Post by VagueDurin »

Vague offered her a reassuring smile and shook his head slightly, busying himself with a datapad he held in his right hand. "Don't let the grandiose distract you," he spoke soft enough that his voice wouldn't carry past their bench or over the whine of the transports repulsorlifts. "A con is a con. You'll find that in most cases people only ever see what they want or expect to. That is our true weapon."

For his part, Vague dressed in a sharp suit in a dark micro-houndstooth pattern. Beneath the jacket was a dark grey shirt and a highly contrasting canary blue tie. He'd shaved his beard down to a neatly trimmed mustache and wore a dark black wig styled as a slicked back pompadour do. Durin tapped a few keys on his datapad and hazarded a glance over at Nova. "Rossi is competent in the field, but she's invaluable behind a comp-link. Besides, you sell yourself short kid. You've got potential. Just maintain your character and follow my lead, we'll be chasing stars in no time."

"You make it sound so easy," she answered back. Truth was in her experience people only saw what she made them see. She wouldn't be able to rely on her powers here, though, and that's probably what frightened her the most.

The rest of their voyage through the Chandrillan sky was uneventful. Soon their were descending towards the landing pad on the western coast of the island. "Welcome to Ogedeen." Vague muttered. The place was impressive, he had to say. Looking it over it was clear that Ogedeen Island was a testimony of the times that they lived in. One could easily see the Chandrillan and Republic foundation, but with a keen eye you could also see the marks of Imperial architecture left behind after its rule and somewhat obfuscated since the New Republic had reclaimed the place.

Once the transport settled down on the pad, Vague stood and Nova followed. They were directed along a walkway and eventually into an administrative building for screening visitors. If he was nervous or apprehensive in any way, Nova saw no indication of it as Durin took the lead and explained to an obviously bored and unsatisfied clerk that they were newly appointed representatives for an inmate named Ansel Brimm, and were here for a scheduled visitation. What he didn't mention was that the meeting was completely bogus and hadn't existed in their systems until very early that morning when Rossi had hacked in and placed it there.

Their falsified credentials were checked and verified, and then individually the pair were sent through a security screening booth to scan for any weapons or contraband. When they were cleared and reunited on the other side of the security wing, a guard arrived to escort them into the cellhouse itself. Durin did his best to control the anxiety that threatened to spike up as each heavy durasteel door or gate clanged shut behind him. It'd been nearly a decade since he and Orev had escaped the custody of the First Order, and Vague did his very best to forget about the time they'd spent in that place. A barely perceptible shake of his head was all it took for him to banish those thoughts and feelings deep down inside and reset himself to the task at hand. Before long, he and Nova sat on one side of the table within the visitation room, waiting for Ansel to be brought into the room to meet with them.
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Re: Star Wars: Through the Never

Post by Pryde »

For a moment Nova could have sworn that Vague's expression seemed pensive, but it had flashed by so quick that she couldn't really be sure. It bothered her that she had such a hard time reading what he was thinking. Most other people weren't as well guarded around her, unaware that just by looking she could read what they were feeling as though they were an open book. It wasn't as though it was some natural intuition, though. She had learned to see people not with her eyes but rather with the Force. People looked differently in the Force, their outermost thoughts on display for everyone to see, but not Vague. His mind was closed to her. She toyed with the idea of digging deeper into his thoughts but doing so would most certainly give her away so she banished the thought.

As they sat there waiting for Ansel she thought about asking him about it. His slight lapse from earlier, what did it mean? Was he worried they might get caught? The thought of that made her heart skip a beat. She had to leave her lightsaber back on the ship in order to make this operation work. If they were caught now, unarmed as they were... She covered up her rising fear with a slight cough.

"Are you alright," Vague asked.

Nova nodded. "Just feeling a bit parched," she lied.

Vague turned his gaze to the lone prison guard in the room and said, "Can my associate get some water?"

The guard returned his gaze and said nothing. Then he grabbed the radio on his shoulder and quietly spoke into it. A moment later the door to the visitation room opened then an aide walked in and set a glass of water down on the table in front of Nova. She graciously accepted it and took a sip as the aide left, pausing slightly to glance at Vague out of the corner of her eye. He seemed so calm and collected right now. The anxiety she thought she had seen before was now gone entirely to the point she began to question if she had even seen it. Ultimately she decided it was just her imagination. Her own anxieties projecting onto him.

A short while later the door opened again and Ansel entered, followed by a pair of prison guards. They seated him opposite the table from where Nova and Vague were sitting then left the room. When it seemed clear the third guard, the one who had been with them the whole time, was not about to leave Vague stood and walked over to him. They spoke quietly for a moment, but Nova wasn't able to pick up much of what was said. She overheard Vague mention something about attorney-client privileges and the guard seemed to reluctantly accept that and leave. When he returned to his seat Nova pulled a folder out of her bag and set it on the table, flipping it open to reveal a stack of flimsy.

"Mr. Brimm, as you are aware your case file is currently under review. You're being charged with illegal access of the vault belonging to the First Chandrilan Bank as well as impersonating a public official and a stack of petty thefts as long as the length of my arm," Nova began, reciting from the script Rossi had made her memorize. She was merely buying time to allow the Kessurian to hack into the prison's security system and plant the jamming device she had created. At which point Vague would take over to pass along the plan to Ansel...
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