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A Day At The Sluissi Market
Planet: Sluis Van | Sluis Sector | Outer Rim
Weather: Temperate | Moderately warm day | Breathable atmosphere
Location: A Sluissi market place (See inspiration image above)
Setup: The following is a short story to setup Adeline's day at the Sluissi Market. Any and all are welcome to join in at the market, cross pathes with Adeline or otherwise affect further conversations and outcomes. The post concludes with Adeline starting a hushed conversation in a starship parts shop within the city center market. Thanks for stopping by!
It wasn't often that Lord Telt made it to the Sluis sector, but she was always thrilled when the opportunity presented itself. She'd make a day of it: fabricating excuses for her staff in the development lab that were rarely bought, picking out new restaurants to try and new outfits to wear. But the first stop - and often her second, third and last stops - of the trip, was always to her absolute favorite street vendor - Mektiss Vhorn. An aging yet quick witted Sluissi, the former engineer at the famous Sluis Van shipyards had opened a small consulting shop within the city center market. He offered repair services on ships of any size, promised to meet no deadlines whatsoever, and was never short on opinions or advice about which manufacturers parts and systems were up to his high standards. But Adeline Telt wasn't looking to have her ship repaired - nor did she need new parts. She was shopping for information...
It was a beautiful sunny morning in the Sluissi City Center. Berthed in a secure parking facility, Lord Telt had left her modified Lethisk-class freighter to wander the adjacent market. She was here today as a civilian - like anyone else - and kept her lightsaber safely tucked away under a non-descript black cloak. Perhaps a bit warm for the weather, but she wasn't complaining. The marketplace was already bustling with people despite the early hour, but it would likely be like this until well after sundown, only to sleep for a few hours before picking up the action the next day. The fullness and livelihood of the locale made for excellent people watching, and afforded even the average person plenty of opportunities to blend into the backdrop.
Adeline - or, 'Adi' as those close to her might call her - meandered slowly through the market, stopping here and there to casually inspect the wares at some of the stalls. Most vendors were native Sluissi, but plenty of other humans and aliens alike had things to sell. Some were pushy, calling out to try and get the attention of anyone and everyone walking by, but the majority of the Sluissi vendors were proud and content in knowing they sold a quality product for a fair price - that was enough to bring business in.
If one could imagine it, the market likely sold it. Household goods, clothing and every bit of produce imaginable. Food and beverages - both to take home and share with one's family, and to eat and drink while perusing the other goods. Computer systems, starship parts - whole starships! If one needed it, the market sold it.
Adi stopped to inspect a scarf being sold by a twi'lek woman and what appeared to be her granddaughter. They conversed casually for a few moments before she continued on, stopping at the next stall over - her true destination. Where some vendors only had stands setup on the street, Mektiss Vhorn's shop was much larger, and took up a couple hundred square feet of space off the sidewalk. It had no doors - the whole front of his shop was open to the street, with a durasteel grate that slid across in the evening to secure it from trespassers and thieves. Inside, the sun poked through cracks in the stone structure, and the air temperature was noticeably cooler than out in the sun. And seated behind a stone desk, squinting at a computer station, was Mektiss Vhorn himself.
He extended his arms in a broad, warm gesture when he looked up to see who had triggered his proximity chime. A wrinkled smile grew on his reptilian face that wasn't quite matched by the deep, dark eyes of his species.
"Adeline. Adeline my dear. Come, come. Come say good morning to Mektiss."
Adi adopted an amused smile of her own and met the man halfway, extending her arms to embrace him. It wasn't the hug of two old friends, but rather two people who had come to an understanding - two people who both needed - and used - each other.
"Hi Mektiss. I figured you had probably gotten lonely without me stopping by. It's been, what? Five months?" She settled back on the opposite side of his desk, idly looking about the shop. There were starship parts everywhere. Schematics for parts, systems and whole vessels were plastered on every free surface of the walls and ceiling, with most overlapping to the point of illegibility. But one would have to squint through the stacks of parts, racks of shelving and general clutter to even see to the walls. Adeline hadn't even known the shop to be anything but a mess, but ask Mektiss and he'd tell you he knew exactly what he had, and where it was - and he did.
"Seven, my dear. Seven." He corrected her as he settled back down into his chair with a tired exhale, looking up at her from his seat. He watched her as she started to move about the shop, idly touching things. She'd pick up a part, inspect it, and return it to its place, repeating that as she wandered and explore the new inventory. He knew she never bought from him - not from his showroom at least - but he always entertained her curiosities.
"Really? That long. Huh." She responded with a grin. She knew exactly how long it had been, but they seemed to repeat the same little conversation each and every time she came to visit. It was part of the process. And it's how he knew exactly what she'd say next. "I don't suppose you have anything... new... do you Mektiss?" She turned away from the shelving unit she'd been poking around at to smile at the Sluissi man.
For his part, she knew he'd laugh at her inquiry and deny knowing what she was talking about, before directing her to something useless and unrelated on a shelf. And like clockwork, that's exactly what he did. "Actually, I do! See, just there - no, over there. Right behind you, yes. Imbed droid motivators for on-board AI components. I know you still refuse to add a system, but perhaps one day I'll talk you into it.
Adi just smile and rolled her eyes at the reptilian man. "Nice try, Mektiss. But you know exactly what I'm here for." She moved to take up a seat on an overturned crate opposite him at his desk. She adopted a sly smirk and leaned forward on the desk, supporting herself on crossed arms. "What's the latest out of the shipyards?"
The Sluissi man adopted a smirk of his own as he looked past her to the street beyond, before making a beckoning motion as he leaned in, willing to let the gossip start. "I think you're going to like this, my friend...."
Planet: Sluis Van | Sluis Sector | Outer Rim
Weather: Temperate | Moderately warm day | Breathable atmosphere
Location: A Sluissi market place (See inspiration image above)
Setup: The following is a short story to setup Adeline's day at the Sluissi Market. Any and all are welcome to join in at the market, cross pathes with Adeline or otherwise affect further conversations and outcomes. The post concludes with Adeline starting a hushed conversation in a starship parts shop within the city center market. Thanks for stopping by!
It wasn't often that Lord Telt made it to the Sluis sector, but she was always thrilled when the opportunity presented itself. She'd make a day of it: fabricating excuses for her staff in the development lab that were rarely bought, picking out new restaurants to try and new outfits to wear. But the first stop - and often her second, third and last stops - of the trip, was always to her absolute favorite street vendor - Mektiss Vhorn. An aging yet quick witted Sluissi, the former engineer at the famous Sluis Van shipyards had opened a small consulting shop within the city center market. He offered repair services on ships of any size, promised to meet no deadlines whatsoever, and was never short on opinions or advice about which manufacturers parts and systems were up to his high standards. But Adeline Telt wasn't looking to have her ship repaired - nor did she need new parts. She was shopping for information...
It was a beautiful sunny morning in the Sluissi City Center. Berthed in a secure parking facility, Lord Telt had left her modified Lethisk-class freighter to wander the adjacent market. She was here today as a civilian - like anyone else - and kept her lightsaber safely tucked away under a non-descript black cloak. Perhaps a bit warm for the weather, but she wasn't complaining. The marketplace was already bustling with people despite the early hour, but it would likely be like this until well after sundown, only to sleep for a few hours before picking up the action the next day. The fullness and livelihood of the locale made for excellent people watching, and afforded even the average person plenty of opportunities to blend into the backdrop.
Adeline - or, 'Adi' as those close to her might call her - meandered slowly through the market, stopping here and there to casually inspect the wares at some of the stalls. Most vendors were native Sluissi, but plenty of other humans and aliens alike had things to sell. Some were pushy, calling out to try and get the attention of anyone and everyone walking by, but the majority of the Sluissi vendors were proud and content in knowing they sold a quality product for a fair price - that was enough to bring business in.
If one could imagine it, the market likely sold it. Household goods, clothing and every bit of produce imaginable. Food and beverages - both to take home and share with one's family, and to eat and drink while perusing the other goods. Computer systems, starship parts - whole starships! If one needed it, the market sold it.
Adi stopped to inspect a scarf being sold by a twi'lek woman and what appeared to be her granddaughter. They conversed casually for a few moments before she continued on, stopping at the next stall over - her true destination. Where some vendors only had stands setup on the street, Mektiss Vhorn's shop was much larger, and took up a couple hundred square feet of space off the sidewalk. It had no doors - the whole front of his shop was open to the street, with a durasteel grate that slid across in the evening to secure it from trespassers and thieves. Inside, the sun poked through cracks in the stone structure, and the air temperature was noticeably cooler than out in the sun. And seated behind a stone desk, squinting at a computer station, was Mektiss Vhorn himself.
He extended his arms in a broad, warm gesture when he looked up to see who had triggered his proximity chime. A wrinkled smile grew on his reptilian face that wasn't quite matched by the deep, dark eyes of his species.
"Adeline. Adeline my dear. Come, come. Come say good morning to Mektiss."
Adi adopted an amused smile of her own and met the man halfway, extending her arms to embrace him. It wasn't the hug of two old friends, but rather two people who had come to an understanding - two people who both needed - and used - each other.
"Hi Mektiss. I figured you had probably gotten lonely without me stopping by. It's been, what? Five months?" She settled back on the opposite side of his desk, idly looking about the shop. There were starship parts everywhere. Schematics for parts, systems and whole vessels were plastered on every free surface of the walls and ceiling, with most overlapping to the point of illegibility. But one would have to squint through the stacks of parts, racks of shelving and general clutter to even see to the walls. Adeline hadn't even known the shop to be anything but a mess, but ask Mektiss and he'd tell you he knew exactly what he had, and where it was - and he did.
"Seven, my dear. Seven." He corrected her as he settled back down into his chair with a tired exhale, looking up at her from his seat. He watched her as she started to move about the shop, idly touching things. She'd pick up a part, inspect it, and return it to its place, repeating that as she wandered and explore the new inventory. He knew she never bought from him - not from his showroom at least - but he always entertained her curiosities.
"Really? That long. Huh." She responded with a grin. She knew exactly how long it had been, but they seemed to repeat the same little conversation each and every time she came to visit. It was part of the process. And it's how he knew exactly what she'd say next. "I don't suppose you have anything... new... do you Mektiss?" She turned away from the shelving unit she'd been poking around at to smile at the Sluissi man.
For his part, she knew he'd laugh at her inquiry and deny knowing what she was talking about, before directing her to something useless and unrelated on a shelf. And like clockwork, that's exactly what he did. "Actually, I do! See, just there - no, over there. Right behind you, yes. Imbed droid motivators for on-board AI components. I know you still refuse to add a system, but perhaps one day I'll talk you into it.
Adi just smile and rolled her eyes at the reptilian man. "Nice try, Mektiss. But you know exactly what I'm here for." She moved to take up a seat on an overturned crate opposite him at his desk. She adopted a sly smirk and leaned forward on the desk, supporting herself on crossed arms. "What's the latest out of the shipyards?"
The Sluissi man adopted a smirk of his own as he looked past her to the street beyond, before making a beckoning motion as he leaned in, willing to let the gossip start. "I think you're going to like this, my friend...."