Sand in places you'd never expect...

[tomcat]

The evening passed and the Aegis became quiet. The team went off to their own activities and some made their way to the Acer hub to enjoy the comfortable accomodations. As much as he thought about a real bed, Caden stayed on his ship as always. He sat on the flight deck, his feet propped up on the console as he stared out at the stars above. Of everything that had happened to them to date, he felt that none of it compared to the challenge that lay before them. Caden lowered the lights in the cockpit and enjoyed the dark.

Sam had shutdown to recharge. He had a busy day coming and he wanted to be sure his systems would be at peak performance.

Farok and Brim were in the lower hold of the Aegis. The two force-sensitives were comparing their talents, although the Rodian was more intent on learning. Farok drew his lightsaber and ignited it. He began to show maneuvers with the weapon and Brim could see how deadly a thing it could be in a trained hand. He drew his own saber and it snapp-hissed to life. The two sparred and spoke of the Force.

Kaida and Logar figured that the rooms weren't worth wasting, and so they gathered the few personals that they wanted to have with them and set off to the resort. Logar had prepared himself for the nighttime streets of Mos Entha, but both were surprised how little they had to concern themselves with. The shops were closed, but the casinos, cantinas, and other nightly spots were active and people still milled about.

Once at the resort, which glowed brightly above the rest of the low-lying city, they each went to a room and enjoyed the comforts therein. Logar took a long, hot shower and thought about the credits that were now available for material purchase. Maybe he would have to pay Gorman Taxian another visit - that armor was no longer an impossibility.

Kaida enjoyed her own refresher, bathing, and then settling into the large bed. She thought of all that they now knew, what they had done, and where they were off to next. Somewhere out there was her sister, and the noblewoman assured herself that that would be on their agenda.

Kara snored.

The days passed.

*******

Two days after sitting with Caden Whitesun, Jareen Antturus sat in his office working. Behind him was a large window that looked out over the city of Mos Entha. He was on the fortieth floor of the Tarris Hub, which like the Acer, was quite elegant and comfortable. The air pressure changed when his office door opened and he looked up. Jareen's assistant stood there, "He is here Mr. Antturus."

"Show him in," he answered. The assistant backed out and was replaced moments later by a man dressed in banged up Mandalorian armor. Boba Fett was armed, although the weapon was slung over his shoulder. That didn't mean the bounty hunter didn't have a plethora of other weapons at easy disposal. The gauntlets he wore carried a wide-array of armament.

"Boba Fett," Jareen said when he looked up into the black-visored helmet. He was all business and did not bother trying to put on a face for the Mandalorian - it would not have garnered anything. "Your reputation precedes you, just as your father's did before you. Although, I am not so sure that Jango's exploits started so young."

"My father was a soldier before he took on the mantle of bounty hunter - his exploits were far greater than mine." Though humbling himself to his father, there was no loss of utter deadly confidence in the young man's electronically enhanced voice. Jareen smiled, "Of course. Would you care to make yourself comfortable? You are welcome to sit and can unburden yourself of your helmet."

"I will stand," was Fett's short reply. This did not offend Jareen who quickly got to business, "Very well. Thank you for coming to see me. I understand you are on a hunt. A noblewoman, I believe, of Commenor? Don't bother asking how I know, I just know. She is worth quite a bit, I am sure. I believe she is one of the last monarchs of that planet - which defied our illustrious new Emperor."

"I do not know what she did," said Fett. "I just know that there is a price for her, alive. She is on this planet."

"Yes, we both know that, too. What I have asked you here for is, what would it cost for you to stop the hunt?"

"Why?"

"I will give you my reasons once you tell me your price."

"I do not get off the hunt. Once I have a mark, I bring them in - dead or alive." Fett's voice was cold and emotionless.

"Very good, Boba, but you are also a businessman - and most likely a savvy one if you are anything like your father. You know who I represent, right?" The helmet nodded. "Well, we have an interest in this woman, too, and our interest is in her remaining free."

"Why?"

"Price."

"Two-hundred thousand."

Jareen made a face, "Not bad. Whomever you are hunting her for really wants her. I will make it two-hundred and ten, and you will leave her alone. In fact, I would also appreciate it if you might help her and her friends... with some information."

"What information?"

"I am sure your father told you of his exploits. He would have had to. To teach you everything you know, he would have had to share his life with you, and perhaps you have logs of data on your ship from him."

"Maybe."

"Well it was your father's interaction with the Bando Gora that we need help with. The people you are hunting have just willingly taken up the task of beheading the cult once more, but I am sure they will need some of the insight you can offer from what your father told you."

"The Gora is a bad group. They will be murdered."

"Perhaps, but they have something on the line and so they will certainly fight hard for it, and it isn't money. The Shade has been taken into the Bando Gora and we want him dead."

"Didn't he work for you."

"Yes, but he seems to be willing to change allegiance at the drop of a hat."

Fett suddenly wished he had waited to see if he had killed the dark-sider. "What about my contractor? I have a flawless reputation and I have no desire to lose it."

"Boba, you know as well as I that a contractor has no idea of your actions or how long it may take to hunt a mark. You can pretend to maintain your hunt and allow this crew of fools to run my errand. Once done, you can then capture her, kill her, do whatever the hell it is you want to do... it makes no matter to us. We just want the Bando Gora shutdown - permanently."

"What of the Hutt's? I know that the Black Sun was implicated in the death of that Senator on Bakura. I am sure you also have issues with the Kajidics."

"I know of your allegiance - or whatever you call it - to Jabba. We have no interest in turf wars with the clans. In fact, I like doing business with Jabba and even Varta, although Varta has made a few mistakes. He needs to be careful from within his own family now, but he was a fool to think that a simple branding would put the scent in a different direction. If it had been us, Seelig's death would have been much grander." The coldness in his words made even Boba Fett's hair stand up on his neck. "I promise you that your relationship with the Hutts will not be compromised, but you may wish to make better company." A smile grew across the gangster's face.

"I am happy with whom I conduct business," Fett answered. He began to tap on his wrist gauntlet computer, "I just transmitted to you a numbered account. Have the funds deposited there. I will lay off this hunt until these fools either find success, or death. In the case of the latter, I can still bring her body to Vader. I will even try to make contact with them and offer up some advice."

The Mandalorian stood and walked out. Behind him, Jareen sat back in his chair and brought his hands up to rest on his head. He turned slowly to look out over Mos Entha. "Frak this is an ugly planet. I can now be on my way."

*******

Boba Fett made his way out of the glass skyscraper via the stairwell. He really had no desire to let people see him come or go. While still between the twenty-first and twentieth floors, he thought about his new wealth. It was a good sum of money, and the best part is he could double it by taking Kaida, once they were done.

"So, the kerfing Force-user is alive and well!" he thought to himself. "I may offer more than just advice to these fools. That way I can finish blowing away that shadow, and I can keep a close eye on my quarry."



Feel free to give me the details of what you guys want to be doing while on Tatooine.

Do you want to upgrade the Aegis? New weapon systems? Defenses? Let me know...

Do you want to get gear for you all? You have a weapons salesman now. Let me know...

I need a minimum of four Mechanics tests DC 20, from Sam. That is the number of days it will take to repair and re-seat the evaporator. A missed roll will add another day and take the DC to 25, 30, etc. Once you have a total of four successes, you may add 1700 credits to your PC.

[donimator]

Sam 'awoke' in the predawn hours from his maintenance cycle and logged the diagnostic check. All things considered, he was in pretty good shape. He did the mundane shipboard tasks required to keep the old girl humming and took stock of their supplies and provisions. He looked around at the bodies that now overflowed the available quarters. Interesting.

Sam took his armour plates and exited to the cool morning air of Tatooine and found a maintenance bench to the side of the docking bay. He pulled out his toolkit and went to work removing the old and attaching the new.

Mechanics +17, DC15 (Accessory), Mod. specialist (no -5 penalty):  1d20+17 : 5 + 17, total 22

Regardless of the results, he headed off to Ed's shop. The morning was quiet but he kept on his toes. He was waiting for Ed when he opened and gladly set to work. He hooked into the rudimentary datanet that was available and found everything he could on the evaporators - schematics, manuals, anything - and cross-referenced it with all of the stored knowledge he had acquired. In the end, he set to work, a charge running through his manipulators at the thought of just being able to sit and fix something instead of blowing it apart.

Mechanics +17, DC20:  1d20+17 : 11 + 17, total 28

Mechanics +17, DC20:  1d20+17 : 13 + 17, total 30

Mechanics +17, DC20:  1d20+17 : 12 + 17, total 29

Mechanics +17, DC20:  1d20+17 : 6 + 17, total 23

[sdrotar]

Caden logged into the city's directory that morning. He looked for legal parts distributors, thinking that while they'd upgraded the Aegis a bit, she still wasn't anything near a combat vessel - and they very well might need it to be.
Once he had scouted those out, he figured he'd ask around in the local bar and see if some less-than-upfront sellers might emerge, or if any of the patrons knew of any such dealers.

Gather Information +11

Rolled 1d20+11 : 4 + 11, total 15

[tomcat]

remember Shawn, Logar just visited a weapons guy, so don't hesitate to RP. These times in our games can get slow, but character interactions keep people posting.

Logar is currently enjoying the resort facility, so you'll need to call him.

I will give you your roll results in narrative.

[sdrotar]

remember Shawn, Logar just visited a weapons guy, so don't hesitate to RP. These times in our games can get slow, but character interactions keep people posting.

Logar is currently enjoying the resort facility, so you'll need to call him.

I will give you your roll results in narrative.

Good point. Let's assume he started with tips by Logar'Dan to start.

[Callowmoryne]

  i will try to post tonight when I get home. I want to contact the merchant about armor anyway

[Jingo]

I'll try to post later today also. Was at our annual family reunion camping in the mountains for the last three nights so haven't had internet access.

[tomcat]

Logar finally returned Caden's call, after sleeping in late in his comfortable hotel room. The warrior had not hesitated to take advantage of the Acer's night life and had even enticed company to join him. Now awake, he relayed to Caden the name of Gorman Taxian, and where the dealer could be found.  In his search, the Bestinian had also found some local shipyards that were capable of making mods to ships and were not opposed to changes that might be deemed illegal. Caden wished Sam were around, but knew the droid was off working for the repair tech. When he returned he would ask him about his ideas on upgrading the Aegis.

Brim was enjoying the daily visits from Farok, although he was quietly concerned with the man's bitterness. His views of the Jedi Order were nothing that the Rodian felt. Brim had worked alongside the Jedi during the Clone Wars and he did not see them as obtuse, nor as Masters in a game moving pawns. They were heroes to him and maybe he could change the man's mind. Between the two of them, Farok had been part of the Order - he had been trained as a Jedi, though he had not seen his trials. Still, Farok knew things that Brim did not and had been trained in ways of the Jedi. The Rodian wanted that knowledge.

He looked at the one-armed warrior as he spun his baton in circles at the side of his body. They were outside, under the Aegis and were practicing with normal club-like weapons. Both deemed it unwise to light their sabers out here in view of the world to see. It would be a sure way to draw the attention of Imperial officials, even though they seemed scarce in this town. Brim spoke, "It is good to know that Obi-wan still lives. Perhaps someday he will reunite the Order by bringing other surviving Jedi and Force-sensitives together, when this new Empire has fallen." The Rodian knew this would bring a litany of curses from Farok about the old ways, but he didn't care. He thought it he could keep the man thinking about his training, then maybe he would be once more enlightened. "I must add, I do not believe what you said from a few days past - I do not think that Master Kenobi implied that we were pawns in his game. I believe he was relaying to us the need to prepare so that one day we would be able to stand against this common foe. It seemed to me that he was asking you to remember your path; to teach that which you were taught so that it would not be lost with time." He sighed. Brim brought up the metal bar that he had been sparring with since he began to feel the Force growing in him. He parried the first, second and third blow from Farok, feeling the intensity with which the warrior attacked. I guess I have pressed a few buttons, he thought to himself. Farok's fourth attack was beyond Brim's ability to parry and the Rodian's breath exploded from his body as he took a gut check.

Farok smiled as Brim stood bent over, huffing and puffing trying to catch his breath.



Okay... I leave it in all of your hands to RP and do your thing in Mos Entha. I will fill in the holes as you need me to with what you see, who you meet, etc. - along with giving you challenge requests or results as needed.

[Telcontar]

"Pay attention Brim. I have one arm you have two, so you should be twice as good. This is a weapon of finesse and skill. In your hands it should become part of your body, not a tool, but a limb of itself. In battle you can do things no one with a blaster could dream of doing."
Farok dropped his baton, knocked it against the ground to retract it and held it at his side. "I have not forgotten my path.  I have been where I have chosen to be.  The Force I do not question, I can feel it around me, it IS.  The manner in which men use it however is something else entirely.  Tell me Brim do you know why it is that Jedi are not supposed to marry?  The Padawan are taught to believe that marriage will produce offspring that are also sensitive to the Force, that two Jedi who marry would create or through selective breeding create Jedi Kings whose powers would be to strong.  Unbalance their own ideas of the force. They feared what they could not control them. Instead of embracing or coming to understand it, they out law, such is the faith they placed in their own code. Their decisions instead was to scoure the galaxy and find younglings who were force sensitive and take them into the order so they could be shaped and taught before having children or building up ideologies of their own.  Where are justice and right in the practice? This is its own tyranny, imposed by men, not by the force. It is true that passions rule the force, it will change its shape to suit your mood, and that is where danger lies, there is no denying that.  Be aware of what you do and why if you are to retain your free will and self identity.  A thing I am sure that the man you met and the others refused to accept is that the Light can dominate your actions to its own will just as soon as the dark can. An extreme in any direction is a danger to your free will and true believe. You must master the Force, not be a slave to either its light or dark side."
Farok with a flick of his wrist deployed his baton, "Now you must learn defense before you learn offense. Don't watch my eyes but the stand of my body. The eyes are for observation, use them for their job. Now who is this Shadow and what do you know of him?"

[tomcat]

Standing erect and letting out a long breath, Brim listened to Farok and adjusted his stance. He held the bar in a two-handed manner and began to once more make the attack. Farok dodged, feinted, and parried. He sidestepped and brought the baton around smacking Brim's fingers where he held the bar. The Rodian let out a yipe and dropped the improvised weapon. "Damn you!" he said, shaking his aching hand and wondering if a finger had been broken. Ignoring the curse, the one-armed man put his foot under Brim's weapon and then kicked it up into the air at the Rodian. Brim caught it with his non-aching hand and again sighed. Farok would extend him no measure of rest.

Hoisting the bar again, Brim answered his trainer, "The Shadow is a dark-sider, I am sure. We met him on the planet Bakura. I watched as he killed the only other Force-user I knew at the time. Then he attacked us on Jovan Station, and may have killed another Jedi named Ulric. That is the last we saw of him. He is a good fighter and is strong in the ways of the Force. I... we will need to make sure we are ready to face him. As for the Bando Gora... I do not know anything about them. All I have heard is that they are creatures of mottled-skin and glowing eyes."

[Telcontar]

Farok wacked him on his other hand and a cry came from the Rodian again, "Look with your eyes, speak with your mouth. They have different functions for a reason."

Farok moved his baton in ways that two handed men could not even have managed. "The baton is part of the arm.  Don't treat it as an object, your eyes, your muscles and the Force will guide it. I have no time for drug dealers, and like even less Jedi Hunters."

Farok put up his baton again, Brim thought that he was going to commence with another oration on the Jedi and attempted to at least tap him with the baton while he was unaware. Faster than Brim thought possible both his hands stung and the baton was on the ground. He laughed, a true laugh with no malice, "You must learn to block the blow before you can give one in return.  Let us leave this exercise for awhile.

Farok seated himself and motioned for Brim to do the same. "The Force as you know can effect material things, as well as sense others.  Once mastered the techniques are very similar in their use, but greatly different in effect. Close your eyes and relax, don't concentrate on any specific thing. Some conjure up a mental image and attempt to hold it in their minds, a lit candle perhaps, or drop of rain that does not move. Master the image and let the senses in the background of your mind come into play and run their own course. In time you will be able to pick the specific background sense you want and increase its effect. To sense others, or heal your body. Any number of things.  Relax and try healing your hands without thinking about your hands."

Farok closed his eyes and reached out with the force, on a whim he attempted to detect other force users in the area, he spoke though to the Rodian reflecting on his own memories. "If you try to hit me with my eyes closed, I am telling you now more than your fingers will be sore."

Use the Force Roll

Rolled 1d20+10 : 14 + 10, total 24

[watanabe]

Kara stayed in her room, with the lights dimmed.  Her head and body were still recovering from her latest bender.  It probably didn't help that she kept drinking to try and make the pain and fatigue go away.

[tomcat]

Brim did as he was told and felt the Force move within him. He tried to channel the feelings and manipulate the energy so as to make things happen, but still his fingers ached. He breathed deep and tried again, letting go of his feelings and suddenly the pain in his knuckles subsided. He had done it! Yes, it was only a minor thing, but he had done it. The Rodian opened his eyes and he smiled - or at least what passed for a smile on a Rodian snout. It would not be long now.

He stood up and grabbed his training bar once more, "Come Farok, let us do this again." Brim took the stance that the former jedi had shown him.

Brim's words brought Farok out of his own Force trance. The warrior was reaching out trying to ascertain the presence of others that might be Force-sensitive. Unfortunately, it was only Brim and himself that he could sense. He daubbed his brow and stood - it seemed the Rodian had not yet learned the simplest rule of fighting: When outmatched, make a secure retreat.



This training activity with Farok is cool. It will work in making his next advancement make sense when Brim takes Force Training. 

All right, time for real test rolls between you guys as you mock combat. Damage will not be real, but it will signify the knocks and pains that will come from sparring. PC's will lower their hit points, but only for purposes of seeing how long they will last in this spar.

I am going to roll an Initiative roll, an attack and a block roll. Farok can then make an initiative roll and whomever is higher goes first. Tom, you may then roll to attack, which will be countered by my defense roll, or try to defend against my attack. Make sense?

Brim rolls:
Initiative +7

Rolled 1d20+7 : 6 + 7, total 13

DC 16 melee attack +7

Rolled 1d20+7 : 18 + 7, total 25

damage if successful 1d6+5 : 5 + 5, total 10

DC Farok's attack roll Use the Force +8

Rolled 1d20+8 : 13 + 8, total 21

[Telcontar]

Initiative

Rolled 1d20+1 : 10 + 1, total 11

Block Roll

Rolled 1d20+10 : 16 + 10, total 26

Attack Roll

Rolled 1d20+8 : 12 + 8, total 20

[watanabe]

  I realize I still need to level up Kara.  Will get that done by Monday, Kara is drunk or sleeping anyway.