Public An Oath Never Forsaken

[Daroli Spesto]

It was once said that one will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy than what slithers through the decrepit pit called Mos Eisley on Tatooine. The same is true for those whose vocation is that of a freighter captain. There are places where the only reason why they are allowed to exist is because they have products that, for reasons only known to the Force, other people are willing to pay top dollar for them.

The place? Bovo Yagen in the High Republic.
The cargo? 497 tons of foodstuffs.
The place? Asylum in the Unknown Regions.
The pay? Good enough.
The price? Well…

Asylum has a reputation, both good and bad. It has a history of being, well, an asylum. It was a refuge for refugees one moment, and a refuge or people who wanted to hang low, be unseen, disappear for a while, blend in with like minded people. A lot of freight goes in, but next to nothing goes out. Every freighter knows this, and that is but one reason why transporter life sucks. However, it is not the location that makes people frown. It is the cargo. Yes, it is food stuffs.

Live, food stuffs.

Live, noisy, dirty, smelly, spitting, wet, muck spreading food stuffs.

Or as the customer said, "We want our products fresh; not frozen, vacuum sealed, or frozen in carbonite. Fresh."

No Sith Lord who ever showed their disgraceful face in the galaxy could be more convincing to fall to the dark side than to be the captain of the most odorous bag of odorous excrement ever assembled in the history of……yes.

Regardless, Daroli was a professional, and he managed to land at the docking ring of Asylum without killing any of them. With a breathable atmosphere, he did a gentle airing out of the ship by opening the vents. He did this so most of the smell would be sucked out. As he landed, he was never happier, and more furious, to see the customer waiting for him. While not spoken in such words, the meaning was crystal clear.

"Shut up! Door’s open! Get your stuff off my ship and pay me my money!”

Again, his presence was not needed, and he walked a short distance away from the ship doing his best to calm down and remember that his part is done. The thought of being stuck was actually a silver lining. Cleaning a cargo bay was a great exercise not known to many Jedi. If one can handle the smell and not fall to the dark side, they're worthy of being Jedi.

Braze

 

[Braze]

Tags: Daroli Spesto ​

Braze was seeking certain products that weren't easily found, especially with so much war tearing through the Core. He padded along the docks, eyes scanning the rows of ships and crews. The usual mix of shouting, clattering cargo, and engines filled the air, until a particular argument rose above the hustle and bustle catching his attention.

The half-Echani slowed, studying the man at the center of the noise. He looked him over carefully, sizing him up from head to toe before adjusting the strap of his messenger bag.

"Tough trip?" he asked, noticing the tension radiating from the man like heat off metal.

His gaze drifted toward the ship behind him... a YZ-900 freighter, weathered but sturdy, its hull bearing the marks of long years and harder work. Braze took in the vessel's shape and the cargo being unloaded, mentally noting its condition and capacity.

"Was the pay worth the hassle?" he added with a crooked smile. Truth be told, he could use a seasoned pilot, someone experienced enough to help him source materials for his current project. And by the looks of it, this one had just finished a job and might be open to another.

He didn't care much about the shouting, he cared about the pilot. A ship like that meant experience, and experience meant opportunity

He nodded toward the freighter's engines. "Looks like she's seen a few battles. You take contracts often?"

 

[Daroli Spesto]

The voice that appeared near Daroli was spoken by someone who was absolutely different from everyone around him. White hair, seriously green eyes (greener than his own), and a build that appeared small. Those were only observations, not conclusions. There was something about him though, something that he automatically sensed through the force. There was something about the young man, but he couldn't put a finger on it. Daroli was a freighter pilot, and he was never skilled in "digging deep" like other Jedi, or Sith, that he knows. However, this person sounded confident, though perhaps somewhat ignorant of the ways of the freighter through no fault of his own.

"She was my father's ship, and now she is my ship when they moved on to bigger things. I am more proud of the battles she hasn't seen rather than the battles she has seen. As you can tell though,"

Daroli pointed to the heavy cannons and the regular cannons, as well as the concussion missile launchers.

"She can hold her own, and has held her own, when need be."

There was a sense of pride that flowed out of his mouth, and he was proud of the ship. He was not proud, however, of the sounds of whatever animal sounded as they came out of the cargo ramp.

"As for contract work, every shipment is a contract. I usually ask where am I going, what am I getting, and where is it going."

He did look at the younger person over,

"And unless you have around 500 tons of cargo, you're going to have to convince me."

Tag: B Blaze

 

[Braze]

Tags: Daroli Spesto
​

Braze perked up at that. It was true; he wasn't the best pilot when it came to bigger ships nor did he have a thorough grasp of logistics and was overall rather ignorant of what it meant to be a cargo captain. Braze had a better grasp of fleeting tactics and boarding tactics than long hauls. Braze did look rather young and what he was going to propose might sound fishy by that fact alone.

"I'm looking for a pilot with a steady hand. The work isn't dangerous... not in the usual sense, but it will take us far from familiar star charts. Fuel and port costs are covered, and there'll be fair compensation for your time. The destination… let's just say it's a place most maps forgot. I'm gathering materials, and I'll need a few stops along the way to do it right. You wouldn't have to worry about loading or un loading labor either. "
He explained simply.

" Have you flown anything... bigger? I was considering closer to..." He paused considering how much he would need for his projects. He was certainly sourcing the material needed but he would need a trust worthy pilot. " 25-50... thousand tons to be moved... per trip. "

 

[Daroli Spesto]

"Excuse me?"

The number was on repeat in his head, and questions were flowing through his head. An immense amount of suspicion flooded his mind faster than he could keep up with. However, all that reflected on his face was absolute confusion and stunned curiosity. However, Danoli was trying his best to give the younger individual the benefit of the doubt.

"Young man..."

Daroli was desperately trying to keep a neutral expression, but it was very evident that more questions needed to be answered. Actually, by the look on his expression said that he had all the questions. Taking a deep breath, he slowly exhaled, only inhaling to speak in a casual tone.

"I have to be honest with you. The only ship that I know off the top of my head that fulfills your requirements right off the bat is a YZ-2500, that has a 60 thousand ton capacity. They're the capital ships of the freight industry. Key word being capital. If that is the kind of ship you want me to have, I would have to sell my ship and empty my credits for a used one."

Another breath was taken.

"That being said, I am free for consultation to determine if you need a ship that huge for whatever you actually need."

Daroli was hoping that he was very, very, very much off of his estimates of needing such a huge ship.

Tag: Braze

 

[Braze]

Tags: Daroli Spesto ​

Braze seemed to perk up at being spoken to in such a respectful, polite manner. It was refreshing really. No laughter, no dismissive comments about him being some 'dumb kid,' just genuine consideration. His expression softened a little at that.

"Alright, consultation it is. My name's Braze It's nice to meet you, sir," he greeted properly, offering the man a polite nod that felt out of place in a den of debt and barter like this.

Though small and scrappy in build, there was a peculiar refinement to his manners that didn't quite fit with the usual crowd of spacers and traders.

"You look like you could use a decent meal," he added after a moment, glancing around the less-than-inviting surroundings. "Though I'm not sure there's anywhere nearby worth trusting your stomach to. Still, I'm happy to pay for your time or, if you're not too frightened of the idea, I can offer you lunch aboard my ship."

It might have been better to show the man the Mud Duck.

Spoiler

(Updating in WIP for broken Images / Upgrades to come)

 

[Daroli Spesto]

"Daroli."

The nod was returned, and and there was an air that the older individual was still thinking about what needed tens of thousands of freight to be moved per day. His curiosity was peaked. However, he made it a rule to never enter a stranger's ship.

"No need to worry about paying me, and after transporting all that, I am not hungry. Thank you for the concern. I do have to wait until they're done unloading my ship."

Just as he turned his head, an animal had started to relieve itself all over the cargo ramp, and that caused others to start that process on parts on the hull. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath as he reminded himself that he was getting paid handsomely for the run. Already, he pictured where he was going to spend some of that money: a cleaning crew. Opening his eyes again, he motioned for the young man to back up a bit so they don't get caught in the crossfire.

"Without going into to too much detail, what are you thinking about doing?"

Tag: Braze

 

[Braze]

Tags: Daroli Spesto ​

The man was wise to not join him, in truth... especially in a place like this. Braze couldn't blame him. Someone as young-looking as himself talking big plans in a workshop probably came off as suspicious. Still, sharing his idea couldn't hurt.

"I'm developing a pretty big structure," he said, reaching under his poncho. From beneath the folds, he pulled out a small droid and gave it a light shake. Its optics flickered to life as it snapped out of standby mode.

"Gidgit," Braze said, setting it down on the workbench, "What's the size of our current project for the Tidewatch Aerie?"

Gidgit
═ ✦ ═══ ✦ ═

"Tidewatch Aerieproject? Yeah, yeah, hold on...booting full schematic cache..."
The little droid's eye pulsed in blue as a holo-display shimmered to life, casting a rotating projection of the cliffside structure across the workbench.

"We're sitting on about thirty-one thousand tons of material mass so far. That's twelve thousand in duracrete foundations, eight and a half in durasteel framework, six thousand in stone composites, and a bit over two in transparisteel for the domes. Another seventeen hundred in wood, marble, and decorative finishes, plus eight hundred for power systems and conduits."
Gidgit's optic dimmed for a second as if narrowing in suspicion.

"And let's not forget the three hundred tons of ward crystals and emitters...because someone likes sparkle fields and mystical shielding, hm?"
It aimed a playful blink up at Braze, the holo flickering between structure layers like a heartbeat.

"So yeah. Big. Gorgeous. Heavy. But once it's done, it's going to be the prettiest cliffside sanctuary this side of the Core Worlds."
The droid chirped softly, storing the projection back into its chassis with a satisfied hum.

Braze smiled looking to Daroli Spesto as the small droid displayed the sizeable project.

 

[Daroli Spesto]

Daroli's attention was placed on the plans for this giant sanctuary. However, as the plans were drawn out, he did not betray his serious expression. Indeed, this kid did his homework. The Night Vale was not the proper ship for the job if it was to be quickly. Instead, it would take either a bunch of ships or a few big ones to move everything to do this project within a reasonable amount of time. Narrowing his eyes after the plans disappeared, Daroli put his left arm around his waist and one under his chin. While many would say forget it, that was not Daroli's style.

"A few things."

His tone was very serious, putting some thought into his words.

"Assuming you're telling me you have the materials already, you are telling me that you have a full crew waiting at the material site and the building site to load and unload everything. If we're talking in the proportions you're talking, that will take time."

Daroli paused again, this time crossing his arms.

"Assuming that you have crews available to manage the transitions, you are telling me that you have an all the clearances to build what you're building, where you're building. If we're talking in the sheer size of this structure, you invested a lot of credits that I am not sure I want to know where you got it from."

Taking a moment to consider the question, he opened his arms to put them on his hips.
As he did, a lightsaber swung gently when his ropes opened up a little. When his tone settled, said lightsaber returned to its hidden home.

"This one is personal. Assuming this is what I think it is, and I can only assume this because I've seen a few, you're building a Jedi sanctuary. Nothing personal, I don't do anything associated with them anymore."

Looking back, his ship was still being unloaded, but he sensed they were almost done. He felt for the young man, he's on the right path, but Jedi and Daroli don't mix. It wasn't anything personal. Well, it was very personal, but it wasn't against Braze.

Tag: Braze

 

[Braze]

Tags: Daroli Spesto ​

Braze caught the glinting flash of the saber and noted it briefly.

"Not exactly. " Braze answered earnestly. "I have a singular crew, but they are more accustomed to..." He trailed off, thinking how best to word it. Something diplomatic. He couldn’t just outright say the Phoenix Crew were more used to piracy and ship-to-ship combat, fast and fierce, rather than long-haul travel.

"Shorter tasks and jobs that take less time," he continued. "I have a few contracts with some locations for the material. This is to be a private residence. I am the builder. I will take care of loading and unloading personally."

It might have been hard to picture someone of Braze’s stature handling such heavy labor on his own. In truth, it was almost absurd to imagine this young man managing the monumental work implied by his words.

"Well, sir," Braze added with an almost casual composure, "I happen to have the fortune of owning several companies that provide me with a healthy income to fund such projects. One such company is a ship manufacturer that often deals with military and government contracts."

He paused, his gaze drifting for a moment as he considered the Temple not far from the Aerie. There were reasons he was setting up this project far beyond the reach of the Jedi, reasons he preferred not to voice.

A flicker of emotion crossed his face, subtle and difficult to read, before he spoke again in a quieter tone. "I don't reside with them... not anymore." The admission hung in the air, delicate but firm. He was, in truth, an exile of sorts, though speaking of such matters in a place like this, and in the current state of the galaxy, was hardly wise.

Though spotting the saber did make him think about the run in with Tsiflam recently and the potential spice running ring he had stumbled upon. It was moredifficult to make a difference when you rworked by yourself. But Braze had just met Daroli Spesto and teh two of them hardly knew anything about one anouther. Braze had no proof this stranger hadn't killed a jedi for that blade or some otehr such story.

 

[Daroli Spesto]

"Either you quit like me or they quit on you."

That subtle admission was from a thought that he had not pondered in ages. Daroli remembered his days in the order. His time as a Youngling, his tenure as a Padawan, and finally his short stint as a Jedi Knight. At first, he had been living his dream. He went to war torn parts of the Galaxy, bringing aid and comfort to those caught in the crossfire just like his parents did. He led evacuation efforts, made sure supplies got to refugees, and domed everyone who got in his way. Many times he went into hot zones and ran with a child on his shoulders, literally, to get everyone to safety. He was not the best Jedi, but he was the best at getting things from one point to a next.

This drive was one of the links in the chain that led him to leaving the order.

"I can see why you're suggesting a large ship that can handle a lot of stuff at once if your crew is like that."

A breath escaped,

"So how do you figure me being in this equation if you're the builder, you have your own crew, and your own ship?"

 

[Braze]

Tags: Daroli Spesto
​

Braze shook his head, as if the simple act might dislodge thoughts he'd rather forget and bury.

"I'd rather not think about it… it's a sore subject for me right now," he admitted softly. "It's… actually part of the reason I want to pursue such a vain and arrogant project."

He exhaled, lowering his gaze for a moment before continuing.

"I want someone trustworthy... someone good at their job. This sort of task could invite temptation for the crew I usually work with. I'd rather not risk giving them a chance to make a very bad decision and damage what we've built in working relationship. You strike me as reliable. Dependable even. And I'm in no rush to finish."

A far cry from what one would expect of a Jedi. They were meant to live humbly and to serve without vanity or attachment. To let go of personal desires and ambitions. Yet here he was, chasing the idea of building something grand, something beautiful. Practically a palace with a breath taking vistas and ornate designs.

It wasn't about prestige or recognition... In reality only Braze and close friends or allies would ever visit it he imagined. It was about reclaiming a sense of control that had been stolen from him. Braze trailed off, debating silently whether to say more. His voice grew quieter when he finally did.

"I find artistry helps me find calm... a center. Building something monumental through focus and patience… I hope it'll help me heal from something." His eyes drifted, his body shifting with unease. "Something very bad that was done to me." Perhaps it sounded rediculous.

The truth was there were many reasons he wanted to bury himself in such arduous work. It would let him reconnect with the Force, rebuild what was broken within him. And in the end, he'd be left with what most would call a monument and a glaring symbol of selfishness and arrogance.

A palace built from his own work, shaped and raised through the Force itself. An awe-inspiring display of power meant for... restoration?

"Presently my typicaly Crew is off on Mygeeto furthering their own interests... I'm here to source specific parts. With teh Core and Coruscant fallen it's not so easy to find reliable trade. "