Taking Chance on a Shadow

Posted on Tue Sep 1st, 2020 @ 12:50am by Spacer Ariadne Azanni & Sage Hud Ubar & Jedi Knight Satara' Jalran & Kurukdurzuu Va Nelem

Mission: Episode 1 - All Roads Lead to Nowhere
Location: Port Nowhere

Satara still couldn't believe she was doing this trusting a transmission from the void. Clones were hunting the Jedi, the Republic had fallen... what reason did she have to trust anyone at this point? But what else could she do? She couldn't just run, the Empire would hunt her down eventually, they would find the fallen troopers on Orto Plutonia and track her ship. She needed a new transponder, a new paint job, maybe even a new ship... although she was loath to even consider giving up the Nawar'aven. It was all she had of that old life left. As the ship completed final docking procedures and she locked down the young Twi'lek sighed.

Trust in the Force... for my ally is the Force, and a powerful ally it is.

Words of master Kenobi and Master Yoda echoed in her mind, her path was clear. She must trust in the Force...

Standing at the hatch she flipped on her hood, turning to Naga, her trusty R6-N4G4.

"Keep an eye on the ship no one comes aboard and no one inspects us."

Beep-deep-Bwa-woop

"I know, and don't worry we'll be back soon." Satara said laying a comforting hand on Naga dome. Heading down the ramp she quickly crossed the dusky hangar bay. It was obvious that this part of the station was well used and old. They would have to be cautious, she and Kuruk would definitely stand out amongst the usual denizens of the station. Well, Kuruk might be able to pass as a bounty hunter but if it weren't for her cloak it would be obvious to all she belonged to the Order. Once she met with their contact Satara would need to get herself some new clothes.

"Oh, pardon me," said a pale Echani with silvery features. As quickly as she had bumped into Satara, she darted down a narrow hall. And she had the communicator that had been hidden in the folds of Satara's cloak.

"Oh no, you... you're alright." Satara started to say, her voice trailing off as she watched the girl run off down a service corridor. She was about to turn and continue on when something pulled her back. The skin on the back of her neck pimpled, her Lekku quivering, something wasn't right... Quickly patting herself down. Credit chit, lightsaber, data spike, communi...communicatior... "Sithspit!" She cursed, throwing her head back in annoyance as she ran down the small corridor after the girl, Kuruk slowly moving through trying not to get hung up on any protruding pieces of bulkhead.

"Hey come back here!"

The Echani broke into a sprint when Satara called after her. She zigzagged through intersecting hallways until she came to a straightaway. Casting a single daring look at Satara, she ran up the wall and flipped into the maintenance hatch. Its opening flapped open almost like an invitation.

Satara kept pace with the Echani, despite her quick and graceful movements through a familiar station and crowd Satara was able to keep pace. Albeit she was a bit more overt and had to be a bit more forceful to get through those who were now standing watching the Echani duck and weave. Thankfully her force enhanced duelist grace allowed her to easily catch up when needed. Stopping when she saw the girl dart up a wall and into a hatch. Giving the open hatch a little scowl and bounding off a crate and a noodle stand, Satara stuck with the Echani flipping onto the walkway and jumping into the hatch.

Kuruk let out an annoyed buzzing cry as he rounded the corner and saw all this go down, knowing that he didn't have the athleticism to do that.

The hatch dropped down through a long chute into a dingy old basement area. Shady individuals loitered about, seated on upturned buckets, scrap metal, and other assorted junk that could be sorted into seating. Several booths in dark corners veiled any number of patrons. A central island in the center of the gloomy room had an Arcona who stared at Satara with his elongated eyes and T-shaped head.

Hooting and clicking at Satara, he asked a question that translated to Galactic Basic as, "What do you want? No credits."

"Did you see an Echani girl come through here?" Satara asked, looking around the room, focusing on the dark corners of the room. The girl hadn't been that far ahead of her, she couldn't have made it far.

The Arcona hooted at Satara without giving a clear answer, then poured a drink for a red-eyed Chiss who approached him. Bartender. This was a seedy, private bar, and the Echani could be anywhere. Perched in the shadows. Watching.

"What business do you have here?" asked a voice whose Basic was so stilted that it could only be Neimoidian. "Do you have an invitation?"

"Ummm yes?" Satara answered still carefully watching the exits... and the other vents. "My busines, is my own but its with that Echani girl, have you seen her?"

"Eh, Echani, no," the bug-eyed Neimodian said, nervously pressing his fingers together, "but you are alone, yes? Perhaps my, heh, associates can assist you."

Three burly, smelly Gamorreans surrounded Satara and the Neimoidian as if on cue.

"I have no doubt we could connect you with a more desirable individual. A... much wealthier individual," the Neimodian added with a sinister chortle.

Sensing the Gamorians moving in around her... smelling them as well she was sure this Neimodian had more than a little ill intent. If only Kuruk had been able to keep up with her, these thugs wouldn't have dreamed of messing with him. Normally she wouldn't even worry, a quick show with her Saber and they'd back off, but she couldn't risk exposing herself like that. "Look, Mister...."

"Sar," the Neimoidian said. His tenor still seemed nervous, but his eyes were like a viper. "Saroth Sar."

"Mister Sar, we seem to have gotten off on the wrong foot here." Satara leaned on the bar. "Now while I would love to accept you hospitable invitation I really have to find my Echani friend. If I don't I'll have to leave probably never to return since I wasn't able to complete my business... and I'd never have a chance to meet your wealthy individual."

The nearest Gamorrean placed a firm hand on her shoulder, his cloven-like claw more than threatening.

"Oh, I am certain your Echani friend won't mind," Sar said with another chortle. "Not when there is considerable profit to be made..." He trailed off as he blatantly assessed Satara's lekku like a slab of meat. "Yes, you will fetch a fine price indeed!"

Satara tensed, feeling the Gamorrean's hand on her shoulder, his grip light but obviously threatening. A flash in her mind from childhood, her time on Darrellion, a hand on her bare shoulder, pushing her toward a hatchway... No! She wouldn't get lost in those memories again. Taking a deep breath she looked at Sar, it was a risk but she certainly wasn't going to go anywhere with these men. Forcing a smile on her face, she looked at Sar meeting his eyes. "You will tell your thugs to go away, they're thirsty and need a drink. Then you will tell me where the Echani is."

At first things got really tense. The Gamorreans shifted in preparation of an altercation. And then one of them grunted at Sar.

"What? No, you can get a drink afterward," Sar said to his henchman. "What do you think I pay you for?"

The other Gamorreans chimed in as well, adding their two cents of grunting before turning back to the bar. Sar was left standing alone.

"Ha! I, uh, hope you reconsider my terms... as a partner! Yes, indeed! Not as merchandise. Heh. No? Very well. Good day to you, Mistress..." He backed away with a firm bow before slithering back to whatever hole he'd crawled from.

As Saroth Sar made his egress, a sharp but muted whistle came from a nearby booth. It was the Echani, seated with one leg propped up on the table while the other dangled lazily over the bench. Her sharp silver eyes shone with amusement. She made no attempt to flee after revealing herself. In fact, she waved the stolen communicator back and forth like a prize, then tilted her chin up in a silent invitation.

At first Satara was going to chase after Sar, even yelling after him as he scurried away. Till she heard the sharp whistle that was. Turning to look toward the dark corners of the room and spying her arrogant Echani. Rolling her eyes at the smirk Satara sauntered over, her senses still on high alert that this was a trap of some kind.

"So what did you want so much that you'd snatch my communicator and lead me on such a lovely chase?"

"I only had a general description," said the Echani. "Blue Twi'lek with prominent lekku. You could've been anybody." She shrugged for a moment, then tossed the communicator back to Satara. "After seeing you handle the brute squad over there, though... now I'm certain." Giving her temple a tap, she said, "You might find me even more resistant than old Sar, so don't try it." Nodding toward the empty side of the booth, she said, "So are you going to sit down or what?"

Prominent Lekku? Satara raised an eyebrow, the tails in question curling around her shoulders. She'd always been proud of em sure, but she wouldn't have called them that prominent... right? Getting over her self-consciousness as she caught her communicator, Satara slid into the booth opposite the Echani. "So you said you only got a general description, who from?"

"A friend," the Echani said. "I do him favors from time to time. He'd like to be your friend, too, Satara'Jalran, Jedi Knight and Watchman of the Sujimis Sector. That's why he sent you the coded transmission to bring you here to Port Nowhere after your friends turned on you. That's why he tasked me with rolling out the tattered carpet and leading you away from plain sight. I won't tell you his name, but mine's Ariadne. Want to know more, or do you want to take your chances again with the Grand Army of the Republic?"

Ariadne got up from the booth and sauntered toward a backroom whose door was barely a silhouette in the dim light. Pausing for a moment, she looked over her shoulder to waggle her silvery eyebrows at Satara before walking through the door into darkness beyond.

Satara stood as well, not quite sure she wanted to follow this woman, but this Ariadne knew quite a bit about her. Well following the woman was a far better option than staying in this dusky bar... and she did know about the transmission. "Alright lead..." She was cut off hearing a familiar buzzing battlecry from the entry and a pained squeal from one of the Gamorians. Looking over at the main entrance she saw Sar held by the collar dangling above the collapsed form of one of his guards.

"Kuruk!" Satara called, rushing over to settle her Talz bodyguard. "Kuruk put him down! I'm fine and he won't be any more trouble will you Sar?"

"None at all... Mistress!" the Neimodian called out in a trembling voice.

The Acoran bartender hooted and hollered at Kuruk. His angry gestures made it clear that brawling was not welcome in this private, seedy dump.

The Talz gave the bartender a loud roar before dropping Sar to the deck, the large belly of his thug breaking his fall. Giving both men another glower, Kuruk moved past them, shouldering his large Autocannon as he walked. "Sorry, Ariadne. Kuruk is a bit... frustrated at being left behind and he didn't appreciate trying to squeeze through the side halls."

Kuruk added a buzzing huff as they heading toward the backroom.

"Makes no difference to me," Ariadne said with a shrug. "Saroth Sar is a petty crime boss with no power base. Nobody would avenge or even miss him if he were gone." She skipped up a piles of junk to seat herself atop a large industrial crate that let her feet dangle at eye level with Kuruk. The vaulted ceiling and larger expanse indicated that the secret cantina they had just left was more of a closet to an abandoned hangar converted into an even more abandoned storage bay. "Welcome to the literal ass end of Nowhere. Now, go on and ask your questions."

Quirking a painted eyebrow Kuruk's way, the large Talz simply shrugged, moving to watch the hatch. Looking up at the young woman Satara couldn't even help but chuckle at her improvised throne. Again following the woman through her obstacle course Stara seated herself on an opposite crate. "Alright, I guess let's start with who you all are, why bring me here?"

"My name is Ariadne, as I've said, and I'm a handmaiden to someone who saw what would happen to the Jedi." Her earlier smugness was gone. Ariadne was all business now, her face solemn and taciturn. "He has made preparations, such as were able to be made, to contact whom he could and bring them together. For reasons obvious and not-so-obvious, he cannot reveal himself to just anybody. You seem like you could use just such a friend." Pausing for effect, Ariadne looked intently at Satara with her penetrating silver stare. "If you are to meet him, there can be no going back. This is your last chance to walk away and try your luck with your own merry band of stragglers." Her brow popped again, but this time without amusement. The daring challenge was as serious as the grave.

It was tempting, tempting to run, return to the Nawar'aven and flee for parts unknown. But she didn't have many friends to turn to, even before everything she didn't and now... now it was Kuruk and Naga. Not to mention Buzz, she still had no idea what to do there. Studying the Echani before her Satara tried to examine her, look for deceit some way this might be a trick. She honestly wasn't sure if she was hoping to find something or not.

Satara sighed, closing her eyes for a moment. "The Force guided me here, told me I was right to trust that message... I don't see any reason to stop now."

Rather than reply, Ariadne simply nodded before slipping down from her crate. Slowly she made her way toward the door where Kuruk stood guard. "Search your feelings," she said without turning around. "Whatever that means..."

"Well, my feelings tell me...GAH!" Satara jumped back, her Lekku tingling, hand resting on her lightsaber but not drawing the weapon.

The air before Satara began to shimmer as if something had moved, then the shimmer collapsed. Apparating before her was a masked Kel Dor. He slowly pulled back his hood as if he had not seemed to appear out of thin air.

"Greetings, Satara'Jalran," he said through the raspiness of his rebreather. "It is good to meet you at last."

"Ummm, sure..." Satara said cautiously observing the Kel Dor, hand still on her saber. He was obviously a force user, but no member of the Jedi Order that she was aware of. How hadn't she sensed him? Had he been in the room this whole time? "And who might you be?"

"I am salvation," Hud said. "I saw you survive the culling. I saw you come here. And I saw you lead other survivors in a new era of rebellion against the new Sith empire."

"You saw all that... you had visions from the Force?" Satara relaxed, hands dropping from her weapons. "And umm, where do you fit into all this... Salvation?"

Hud chuckled through his rebreather. "I am doing it now. The sand pours through the hourglass, but I am the filter which collects whomever may reach back. Though your Order is fallen, Jedi, you need not walk these dark days alone. Join me and I will unite you with kindred souls if not fellow Jedi." He extended a clawed hand.

Satara stared at the man's outstretched hand, hesitant to actually take it. It was one thing to hear the man out but to go with him, this... But what choice did she really have? She certainly couldn't survive on her own, how she'd even managed it so far could only be down to the will of the force. So how could she really ignore it now?

Taking a deep breath Satara closed her eyes, searching her feelings, following the threads of thought, emotion, and instinct. Opening her eyes she looked down to see her blue fingers resting in the Kel Dor's four-fingered hand. "I guess our fate is in your hands."

"That is why our hands are now joined," Hud said, "for now we shall influence the fates of many."

The Kel Dor nodded toward the door where Ariadne and Kuruk stood. At his signal, the Echani sauntered back toward them.

"I have other appointments to keep, but Ariadne will assist you. We shall speak again anon." And with that, the Force cloaked him from sight as it had before.

"I hate it when he does that," Ariadne groused. Traces of her former smirk still lingered, but her eyes were all business. "This is for you," she said, handing a transponder unit to Satara. "It will change your ship's IFF from GAR to unaligned, so watch your back, but it should help throw off anyone who might be tracking you. There's also nav coordinates. Share them with nobody. Finish up any business you might have here and then prepare to lie low for awhile."

Despite herself, Ariadne stopped before leaving and cracked a half smile. "I have to say... it was fun besting a Jedi." The Echani's silver eyes glimmered at the taunt. "Watch your lekku. It would be a shame for them to be harmed."

Satara's cheeks flushed a deep purple appearing, said Lekku tingling as her hand unconsciously twirled the tip. She'd never have someone comment on her Lekku before, well not like that anyway. Usually, it was something gross from a pirate she'd dealt with or a pilot trying to get into her pants. "I'll definitely keep an eye out... presuming I can manage to lay low. So far that hasn't gone so well."

"If you need help laying low, just whistle," Ariadne said. "Otherwise we'll meet again at the rendezvous point." Her silver eyes flashed in desire for another round against the Jedi. "You can count on that."

"Oh I'm sure we'll meet again very..." Satara trailed off midsentence, her Lekku twitching uncomfortably as she turned looking at the bulkhead behind her, her gaze rising upwards. Something... something was calling to her... Satara's eyes opened wide, another uncomfortable shudder running up her spine. "Can you show me the quickest way back to my ship?" She asked urgently turning quickly to the Echani.

Ariadne's lips quivered ever so slightly into the makings of a smirk. "Come with me." It wasn't too far back to the ship taking a direct path. And this time Ariadne didn't make Satara chase her.