A Deal's a Deal... (GLC)

[Saran Drast]

Saran stood in the very hanger she had fought through years earlier i the recapture of Dac. Carbon scoring from the blaster fire and the Force energy still residing here from the Sith she had fought told her exactly where she was. Her palm began to itch almost as if the wound had happened yesterday. Which, in a way, it had. She had reopened it to save the life of a certain [member="Geneviève Lasedri"], who was now somewhere nearby, along with [member="Regor Laxvan"], their commanding officer. Well, maybe. Saran wasn't sure how Gen saw all of it.

The armor she now wore to better blend in with her fellow soldiers felt... heavy here. With the memory of the fight, the plates seemed redundant, useless, worthless. But she couldn't take it of at the moment. She needed to stay as merely one of the officers on this mission. Not a Jedi. Not here, where they may well know her. Sighing, she looked to the others, removing her helmet for a moment to wipe the sweat from her brow.

"Are you ready?"

 

[Geneviève Lasedri]

Geneviève felt more-or-less naked as she stood amidst the ranks of her GLC comrades. After the last bit of combat she had seen, there was nothing that she felt could comfort her feeling of vulnerability. She had always felt some sort of invincible, or at least indomitable. But she had been humbled--no, humiliated--and felt a fear resurfacing that she had buried long ago. She was afraid to die.

No, I'm not ready.

Perhaps surprisingly to most people, Gen was a sentimental type. She was wearing the same Bactarma suit she had been smacked around in on that fateful mission, its various scratches and dents telling of a story that she herself was not quite entirely sure of. There were memories that had been diced and shuffled in order of occurrence, though [member="Regor Laxvan"] had helped sort things out for her. She decided that the suit had served well in the face of a monster, so it had to be worthy of further action.

No.

Her eyesight was jittery, the optic receptors of that single eye of hers still recovering from whatever sort of battering her head had received. She was also beginning to see more than just objects through the Force sight these days--visions unlike anything she had dreamed until the incident, foretelling of a future that would bring harm to her. She was not certain she believed in precogniscience, but they disturbed her all the same. She would be going into extensive hiding after this. Maybe she could consult [member="Saran Drast"] on these matters after the task at hand was all said and done.

I'm not ready.

For now, it was time to focus once more on surviving whatever lay ahead of them. She waited for someone to signal another surge in through a doorway. This seemed all too familiar.

I'm not ready for this.

"I'm ready," she responded.

 

[Regor Laxvan]

Regore stood in the same armor he always wore, it fitted him as a second skin, stil carying his ancastors knive on his beld and theyse dogtack around his neck both as goodluck charms and beceas he found comferd in it. he lookd at [member="Saran Drast"] , [member="Geneviève Lasedri"] and the few troops whit them "wel i am as ready as i am gona be, so if you guy's are oke, then lets get this over whit"

 

[Saran Drast]

Saran nodded to the others as she replaced the helmet. So here I am... Memories flooded back. She knew she should come back to the Jedi. They needed any help they could get. But she couldn't bring herself to. Not until she could answer the question they would ask herself.

As she began to walk across the platform, she spoke quietly into the helmet's comm as an official approached. "Please try not to call me by name if possible." She didn't explain why. Not yet. She didn't want to divide her attention between answering questions and the task at hand. Speaking of which...

The Mon Calamari Representative approached the group with an almost marked caution. The armor they wore set the man off. That much was obvious. "What do you want?" he asked, hesitantly. Not used to dealing with their type. Whatever that was.

Glancing at [member="Regor Laxvan"] before speaking, Saran replied. "We're looking to buy some ships from you."
[member="Geneviève Lasedri"]

 

[Regor Laxvan]

Regore stood next to [member="Saran Drast"] holstering his blaster to showe they had no il will toward the calamarians, "truew we are here just to buy ships"
[member="Geneviève Lasedri"]

 

[Geneviève Lasedri]

Well, if the initial greeting was any indication of how things would go today, then Gen could relax a little. Not that this was going to be an easy job, but she did not see an armed guard follow the representative out, which would most likely mean that there was not much of a concentrated weaponized force at hand. She doubted the Mon Calamari would send out only one of theirs to the wolves if they really expected they could do anything about the situation. It was not every day that a company of troops walks up to your front door...

Geneviève had little desire to make her presence known at this point in the introductions. She stood back and nodded her head in confirmation. Yes, they were only here to buy ships.

[member="Regor Laxvan"], [member="Saran Drast"]

 

[Saran Drast]

The Mon Cal nodded, hesitant. "I'm going to have to ask you to leave your weapons on the ship." He was afraid, hesitant. She could tell that he didn't like his situation. Nodding to him, she returned up the ramp of the ship. She wasn't showing them her sabers. For this, they needed to think she was an officer. Not a Jedi. No need to remind them of the battle that had come here years ago.

[member="Geneviève Lasedri"] [member="Regor Laxvan"]

 

[Regor Laxvan]

Regore liad his weapons down in the ship and walked out, only keeing his ancestors knive. "we lets get going than"
[member="Saran Drast"]
[member="Geneviève Lasedri"]

 

[Geneviève Lasedri]

Gen was not comfortable with leaving her weapons behind. Vulnerable, vulnerable... She hated feeling vulnerable. While they had investigated the situation and studied the Mon Calamari's prior dealings before setting out on this mission of sorts, Lasedri just could never feel safe. How could they be so trusting when they could possibly be led right into a trap here?

Though the GLC counselor was aware of the Mon Calamari culture and their enslaved past--which would likely make them more receptive of the anti-slavery organization--she just could not suppress her trust issues. She would follow suit, but not out of any goodwill on her part. Lead the way, Saran.

[member="Regor Laxvan"], [member="Saran Drast"]

 

[Saran Drast]

As the Miraluka walked down the boarding ramp, she could feel [member="Geneviève Lasedri"] anxiety in the force, and wondered how the woman would react were the knight to try and calm her in the force. While it took some work on her part, she managed not to, for fear that it would only make it worse for them. She didn't quite understand how her allies viewed the Force. Ah, well. a question for another day.

"Right this way." The official said, motioning them through the very hall she had dashed down to save her friends. Saran fought to keep the images from flashing by. Eventually, they found themselves at a small office, where another Mon Cal sat behind the large desk. "So, who's buying?"

"The Galactic Liberation Collective."

"Oh. You lot." the man said, rising from his seat. "Freeing slaves. Where were you when we slaved under the Sith? While we were worked down? Where were you then?" He was angry at them. Saran could tell. Slowly, carefully, she removed her helmet. As he saw her face, his expression changed to one of confusion.

"I fought in the Liberation of Dac, sir. We came when we could."

"Oh." he managed, still seeming angry, but calmed now. "So what do you want to buy?"
[member="Regor Laxvan"]

 

[Regor Laxvan]

Regore lookd at the mon cal "i am sorry sir, but we have not been around fore al thad long, and defantly didin't have to strengt to help out, if we had, we would have fougth"
[member="Saran Drast"]
[member="Geneviève Lasedri"]

 

[Geneviève Lasedri]

"It was past our bedtime," Gen murmured drily, only half-hoping the slightly aged Mon Calamari could not hear well enough to tell what she had just said. Quickly transitioning to a less tactless demeanor and speech at a higher decibel range, she followed up her sarcastic comment. "Sometimes great ideas come a little too late."

What did they want to buy? Well--as far as Gen was concerned--everything. The only limit was their treasury, and, unfortunately, that just so happened to be very limiting at this point in the GLC's existence. True grit and moral integrity can only carry one so far without the support of others. By comparison to the more prominent factions out there, they were dirt-poor.

The question may have been more appropriate if it was rephrased as, "What can you buy?" Geneviève held her tongue this instance, but gathered her focus in preparation to step in should Saran not provide enough of the strong arm in time. But patience first.

[member="Saran Drast"], [member="Regor Laxvan"]