Public Battle of the Bands

[Toby Russen]

Battle of the Bands
Coruscant, Underbelly
Tags: Nir Si , Starlin Rand , Dreidi Xeraic , Anja Rydder , Kitter Bitters , Alexander Thule , Open

The underbelly was alive with activity, far from the prying eyes of the top-siders. Down below the feet of the wealthy a movement of self-expression had grown, fueling thoughts and emotions into word and rhythm. Amongst these musicians rivalries blossomed, leading to a competition of fantastic proportions. Now, even nestled within the heart of the shadiest side of Coruscant, people flock from across the galaxy to witness the Battle of the Bands. The venue is an old warehouse, one that had at some point or another been the final resting place of an entire squadron of star fighters. One of these, a Y-Wing, still hung suspended from the ceiling over the live stage. Fog machines had been rolled out in preparation, filling the room with a haze that shrouded how dirty the space really was, though the organizers would argue that it was for atmosphere. Regardless, the thrill present in the gathered crowd was palpable. Before long a rather flashy man had taken the stage, an Umbaran male in a large afro.

​

"Ladies and gentlemen, ghouls and ghasts of all ages, it is a pleasure to be back here again," the man exclaimed with a grin, speaking into a microphone clutched in his gloved hand. "The name's Nine Ball, though you lovely folks out there already knew that, but I like to touch all my bases. I'd like to formally welcome you all to the wildest, most bad-chit-insane music event to ever rock this planet! THE BATTLE OF THE BANDS!"

Thunderous applause and cheering swept through the venue, which the DJ waited for with a grin still plastered on his face.

"Now, just so that we don't have our venue being swatted like two years ago," he continued, "I'm going to ask that any beef between artists and fans alike is kept purely theatrical. We all love a little drama, but let's not ruin the night for everyone." The man lifted two fingers. "Two rounds, one song each. Score is based on audience enjoyment. The more they're cheerin, the more points you're pullin. Simple enough. The winner walks away with 10,000 credits and something... a little special."

The shadow of a starship appeared on the large screen behind Nine Ball, prompting oohing and ahing from the audience. The man took a moment to push up his sunglasses and adjust his ascot, twirling the mic in his hand.

"Really quick I'd like to shout out a very special woman in my life," the DJ added. "Me Mum. Couldn't do it without her. She isn't watchin right now (not that she knows how to use the holo), but I just wanted to spread the good word of the beautiful woman that brought me into this world. Send Mum some love for me in spirit. As a side note, one lucky attendee will be walking away with a signed copy of my album R3B3L SCUM, so remain ever vigilant. Anyways, without further adieu, LET'S BEGIN!"

---

OBJECTIVE 1: BATTLE OF THE BANDS

This is where musicians from across the galaxy gather to compete for the illustrious title of Band or Musician of the Year, with a 10,000 UC prize and something special that the organizer's are cooking up. Artists get two songs, one per post, each with a roll that determines their score. One of these scores may receive a five point bonus, free to use only once on your lowest score. The artist with the highest score takes home the number one spot.

Good luck.

OBJECTIVE 2: VENUE

Space for interaction for none participants and artists that are no longer performing. Complete with bar, private booths, backstage access for VIP members, and of course the main floor where concert viewing is currently happening.


OOC Note: This is a chill thread for having fun, not for fighting or fleeting. If you have the urge to bring a star destroyer into orbit or show up and start murdering people, please do not. I will be upsetti spaghetti and probably ignore you. So lets not jump in here with the intent of ruining things for everyone. Thank you in advance.

As and extra little thing, I will be competing in the battle of the bands but if I win the prize goes to second place lol. I don't wanna give free stuff to myself.

 

[Nir Si]

Nir stood backstage, peering out the curtain that hid the bands before they took the stage. He always had pre-show jitters.

"Come on man, we're gonan do great. At the very least, it's free publicity. Now let's get out there." Sarah put a hand on Nir's shoulder, smiling. "You're the Hurricane. Bring the rain."

Nir smiled. Right. The Hurricane. Shake off those jitters, and let's rock!

He ran out, his outfit shining against the spotlights that lit up the stage. His brown and blue leather jacket, a set of skintight neon blue pants, and a set of high heel boots that matched his jacket. His Flying V across his chest he quickly hooked up, and let out a power chord.

"Hello CORUSCANT! MY NAME IS THE HURRICANE AND THIS IS H.A.W.K.!"

Behind him, a human girl, wearing nothing more than a wife beater and a set of old jeans ran out after him, followed by a wookie, clad head to toe in leather. The blonde girl had a purple bass, while the wookie seemed to have a Gibson, though it seemed to be supersized for the wookie's stature.

Finally, a gungan, clad in a frilly white shirt, covered by a blazer that seemed straight out of the old republic era, and a pair of bellbottom jeans, approached the drums, his frill off the back of his head dyed a myraid of colors as he raised his sticks above his head, slamming them together.

"ONE TWO THREE FOUR'A!"

Nir leaned into the mic, and let the force allow his words to echo back and forth throughout the crowd.

"Love is like a bomb-bomb-bomb-b-bomb~"

 

[Starlin Rand]

Objective II: Venue
Tags: Open

Starlin's life was starting to suck (for the umpteenth time) but one thing he could always count on was music. It filled the venue like a storm in the desert, quenching his thirst for escapism. As he danced he shed all his cares and worries, losing himself in the rhythm.

Was he performing that night? Nah. With their lead singer dead, Friendzoned At the Funeral was on the rocks. Starlin wasn't sure what the future of his beloved band would be. Hell, he wasn't even sure what his own future would be anymore. All that he knew was that he needed to get down, get down, get down tonight, yeah.

 

[Xeno]

Coruscant: Live Stage
Tags: Nir Si , Starlin Rand , Open

Luxar | Klocto | Sword​

"H.A.W.K. huh?"

Xeno leaned back against a beam in the preparation area backstage, looking on as the first act went out. They were... young. Innocent. The Hurricane fellow was at least. A frown came to his face as he took in their vibes...

A little old school, but good. They seemed to be really getting the crowd pumped. A lot of good energy. Ultimately Xeno couldn't be in the back casting shade. The Battle of the Bands loved to hype up the drama of it all, but he couldn't care less. It all seemed a bit too childish for his taste.

"Groovy," Luxar noted, the shard bobbing his mechanical head. "Makes me think there's hope for alternative Tatooine Blues pickin' up some steam."

"Please," Klocto laughed, putting out his cigarette, "Nobody has that refined of a pallet around these parts, big guy."

"I know," the drummer sighed. "A rock can dream, you know."

Xeno stuffed his hands into his pockets, getting up from the beam and shuffling towards their equipment. His face displayed a bit of apathy, but he did care about his friends. He was just bad at showing it sometimes. The Sith had taken a lot out of the half-Nagai.

"We'll see about working a saxophone into something," he assured. "Let's get this gig started."

Following H.A.W.K steam would billow out onto the stage. No introduction, just a pick up to maintain the momentum. Sithspit needed no introduction. They had an iconic silhouette, enough to send the crowd into a wave of cheering. The screaming of every teenage girl present elevated the noise of their entrance, even as Xeno remained oblivious to their adoration.

He was just here to play music.

"Stuck in the same routine
Living an empty dream
When am I gonna wake up
Thought we had it right
Now it's an endless night
Where is it gonna take us..."

 

[Anja Rydder]

Location: Coruscant Underbelly
Objectives: Battle of the Bands
Tags: Nir Si Starlin Rand Xeno

The C-BoP Inspector General was so grateful that this wasn't Denon, or CAD space, just walking in to this venue she could feel the criminal violations all around her and it caused her pain. But it was twenty thousand light years from her jurisdiction and she was here to have fun... technically... The ride over with the other girls from had been slightly tense. Zrilla wasn't doing well, her solo career had tanked and her dad had been paying off bailiffs for her left right and center. Natalie was doing better, she had a job as an assistant on some holo-show, the money was great, but she had confided in the zeltron that she wasn't enjoying it and she didn't get on with the host.

"Are you sure we are in the right place? This place is a dive, I am certain these people never came to our concerts." Anja laughed at her blonde bandmate. Admittedly it had been a while since their days as sixteen year old D-Pop stars, but she was fairly certain the crowd here were looking for a different kind of entertainment.

"Well I suppose you better get working the crowd like the good old days then hadn't you?" Zrilla abruptly said to her purple haired collegue.

"You know she never liked doing that right?" The darker haired Natalie responded.

"If she can use her pheromones and her body to get herself a seven figure job with corpsec, she can use them to help me pay off my dad."

"Fuck off Rilla..." Anja scowled at the human before walking off to get a drink.

"You know you owe us! It's your fault we broke up!" Zrilla called after her as she walked away. Anja didn't look back but stuck her middle finger up at the bandmate.

"Urgh... she was never a team player" she said to Natalie more quietly once Anja was out of earshot.

"Still a massive batch then I see" The other woman responded.

"Oh yeah, totally, did you see the way she...... oh, go back to getting groped on that dating show... and your new hair makes you look like a dude"

The other two women wouldn't speak or see each other again until it was time for a costume change, changing into the neon suits did bring back a few pleasant memories to Anja at least, even if being around the other girls made her want to kill herself, or them.

The three best friends walked out on to stage arm in arm, giggling about some private joke that Anja had shared off stage, Zrilla and Natalie both kissed the zeltron on the cheeks before they unlinked arms and took their places.

"I'm Zee"

"I'm Ann"

"And I'm Nat"

"And we are The DENONPUFF GIRLS!!"

As soon as the music started, Anja felt the muscle memory learned as a 16 year old kick in and the Eastern Denonese lyrics came flowing back to her.​

 

[Syd Celsius]

Wearing: This

Armed With: Nothing.


Syd Celsius, or rather, whatever was left of Syd Celsius, mixed with whatever the feth had merged with her walked into the establishment and quietly paid for a seat.

Her head was a little clear. She wore, large, thick sunglasses to obscure her face. They were large and kept sliding down her face, which belonged to that of a psychopathic killing machine that had eventually...somehow...taken almost all she loved away from her.

Her memory was a little more quiet. She hadn't slept, hadn't had solid food in a week. Any happy memories she had were still there only by accident, such was The Battalion's cruelty.

Nathan couldn't stand her. He couldn't be next to her for more than 30 seconds. She couldn't blame him.

But tonight, she had come to try and get back a piet of her past.

Her student, Starlin Rand , was a musician. Syd wanted to watch him be in his band.

She took a lonely seat in an alcove in the back, trying to avoid being noticed. Her expression was withdrawn, downcast. She avoided any light shined in her direction, because her face shamed her so. A face she could never escape, despite hating it. It wasn't like before. She no longer had the knowledge to resculpt her face beyond outright taking on one of many personas in her body.

But instead of finding him on stage she found him in the floor, dancing. She was confused, but also too nervous to call out to him, embarrassed that she had been wrong about him being on stage.

Syd pulled back deeper into the alcove, refusing menus offered by passing waiters...

 

[Starlin Rand]

Objective II: Battle of the Bands
Tags: Syd Celsius Xeno Nir Si Anja Rydder + Open

Maybe it was the music. Maybe it was the familiar presence of his master he felt in the Force. Maybe it was a longing for a sense of normalcy, a return to happier days. But as Starlin danced, he suddenly found himself regretting not signing up to perform that night.

Well, it was too late now. Nobody else from Friendzoned was there that night, and he knew he couldn't convince them to come down anyway.

How about a solo act?

Awww, c'mon. He had bad enough stage fright when he was performing with his band. All by himself, with every eye focused on him? He'd crack under the pressure.

You could sing that song you wrote when you were fifteen. All you'd need is a guitar.

His so-called "theme song"? Heh, right. Fat chance. He wasn't in the mood to be laughed at or booed by an audience who loved Hurricane and Sithspit and...

... the Denon Puff Girls?

Well chit. Maybe he did have a chance with this crowd. Looking around, Starlin quietly left the dancefloor, heading for backstage. A little negotiating with the crew (and perhaps a touch of the ol' Mind Trick) and he had reserved himself a spot. Just one song. He picked up a guitar and got to tuning it while he waited for his name to be called. To his surprise, quite a few members of the audience cheered as he walked out onto the stage. Apparently they knew him from Friendzoned. It felt good to be appreciated, even if he did turn as red as a tomato at the attention.

The spotlight was on him now. He adjusted the mic, strummed his guitar, and said, "This song is called 'Jokerman'."

​

 

[Dreidi Xeraic]

Location: Coruscant
Attire: Casual
Companion: Grisial
Tags: Xeno | Nir Si | Anja Rydder | Starlin Rand | Syd Celsius

Dreidi was nervous, she hadn't been able to do much stage work the past couple of years, mostly just performing in her own room and keeping it to herself. A way to release some of the tension she felt for the day and slowly decompress. It was also a way for her to make sense of things, to air her emotions and understand how she was feeling.

Now she was here, at a battle of the bands and putting herself out there for a chance to win. It wasn't likely, she had heard the acts before her and they were all playing their hearts out as she held onto her electric guitar. Looking down at Grisial, Dreidi sighed and closed her eyes, regretting all this and wishing she was just back at the temple. "You know this is your fault, right?" She informed the Vulptex.

He tilted his head at her and looked curious, unsure how she could blame him for all this.

"You just had to make me feel more confident to express myself more. Now I am doing something stupid." Dreidi let out a resigned sigh as she heard her name called out. "Come on then, I'll need you on stage to settle the nerves." She told Grisial.

Stepping out on stage, she looked to the crowd and wondered if any of her friends would find out that she attempted this. Gweneth Zarari and Corazona von Ascania were the two most likely to figure out she was doing something like this.

"Greetings, Coruscant!" Her throat tightened as she realised she wasn't giving the energy that others had before her, "This... I'm. I'm Dreidi."

Grabbing a stool, she sat and did a final check her guitar was in tune and began playing. It was simple at first and the quiet voice of Dreidi called out, her heart connecting with the music as she sang. Then the chorus kicked in, hitting into the harder rock beats of the song.

Spoiler

"I'm falling all over myself,
Trying to be someone else,
I wish you were there to walk me home,
So I wouldn't have to feel alone."

This was when Dreidi lost herself in the song, not seeing the crowd, the nerves. Just enthralled with the music and giving it her all with every passing moment.

 

[Alexander Thule]

On the far right of the stage a lonely figure watched on, curious and silently judging the acts that were performing one by one. They didn't sound bad, nor were the tunes bad quality, it just wasn't something he'd let go into his ears on a daily basis. He would have stayed there all day if he could, but next up was him and his band to perform. So, with the last puff of his cig, he dropped it to the floor and squashed it with one small stomp. Alex reached over to his half mask and carefully placed it over his face and patiently waited to be called onto the stage.

Right on time, three other figures appeared from behind.

All of them wore the same masks and didn't speak to each other, almost as if they knew what they were set out to do long before the event. They had not been performing live for as long as the other contestants, but they were sure to try and turn a few heads. After all, winning a contest was never the final goal.

After giving a brief nod to each one of his bandmates they all calmly walked onto the stage towards their instruments. The crowd was silent and unsure of what to make of the teens as they looked back coldly into the crowd. It was clear Thule wasn't here for fun, nor to mess around like most people their age would do. They had their reasons, but that was still yet to remain clear by everyone around them or the band themselves. They did however know that was for me the future to decide.

Leaning into the mic Alex finally broke the silence between them and the crowd "Chokehold"

 

[Starlin Rand]

Whoops

 

[Gweneth Zarari]

Location: Battle of the bands
Objective: Enjoy the music
Tag: Dreidi Xeraic

Xeno Nir Si Starlin Rand Alexander Thule

The bar was grimy and it was grungy, but it was cool, as far as venues went, I couldn't say I hated it. I'd just happened to be in the area and thought I might drop in and see what was... OK, that was a lie, I knew exactly why I was here, I knew exactly who I was here for. I slipped my was between the crowds, trying to get a glimpse of the stage as the acts began. This was no easy task for a woman of my stature but I managed to.

"Ouch!" I said and scowled at a large guy who had barrelled into me from the nearby moshpit. "Step aside when HAWK... comes on you get the BEAST MODE woooo!"

"Yeah? Well stick to your pit or you'll get my beast mode" I smirked back at him and he grinned before dancing his way back to his friends.

The bands were mostly pretty good, the band from Denon wasn't to my tastes, bit everything I heard from my friends told me that Denon was a very strange planet, perhaps that was a good version of whatever that was?

The music made the time fly by until I finally got to see Dreidi Xeraic enter the stage with her guitar and take to the seat with the handsome Grisial close behind. I smiled and put my fingers between my lips to whistle as everyone cheered her entrance. She looked nervous. "Don't be nervous, you are amazing." I said to myself alone, not wanting to appear in her head telepathicallty and distract her with the suprise. I tried sending her confident vibes, like she did to me at the training session, but I wasn't as powerful as her, so who knew if she felt me or not. Her singing voice was exactly as I had expected and I found myself swaying along with the crowd. She had closed her eyes as she sang, but I was sure I saw Grisial spot me so I just put my fingers to my lips to suggest he keep quiet until Dreidi was done.

​

 

[Sahan Dragr]

---

---

Sahan was enjoying the music so far. Some of it was not quite what he was used to, but he enjoyed it, nonetheless. There was some great talent here. He had recently met his uncle for the first time (the man having apparently been lost in the Netherworld), and the man being a bard had certainly inspired Sahan to reach in search of the various types of music in the world, not just the Mandalorian hymns of his people. But he knew he would draw unwanted attention if people here knew he was a Mandalorian. He probably wouldn't even have made it to the system in the first place. But some well-placed credits and leaving behind his armor had secured him the chance to attend this little Battle of the Bands.

Sporting a nice but casual outfit and a pair of shades, the young man enjoyed some drink, winked at some of the pretty women, and danced along to the music. Battle training, especially aerial combat using armor flight systems, translated quite well into a knack for dancing. Sure, he might get flak if his father knew he was here, but he was an adult, and he had no quarrel with any of these people.

After hearing a few of the artists and groups perform, Sahan really was feeling the urge to sing himself. He had used monetary persuasion to get here in the first place, so he figured it would work again to get him a spot on stage. Sure enough, within a short while, he was up looking out at an expectant crowd. "Good evening! I'm sure you're wondering who I am. Well, that don't matter, 'cause it's all the same. I just felt like having a little fun and giving a little message I think will resonate with most of us, in some form or other." With that, Sahan began to sing.

---

 

[Toby Russen]

Coruscant: Objective ?
Tags: @Everyone lol

Toby had gotten himself set up in a surveillance booth a little ways away, a place where he could comfortably oversee the event. His wig was removed now, the Nine Ball Afro hanging from a coat hanger in the corner of the room. A sigh escaped from the investigator as he began to flip through surveillance camera footage.

"Alright," he began, taking a sip of his caf, "Let's see who bit this year..."

The Battle of the Bands was, in truth, a profiling event. He didn't ever make arrests at the concert. That would raise suspicion. He did, however, look for individuals of interest to put on his radar. Intel was his MO after all. Mr. Nine liked to know what game he was chasing. This year's line up was... significantly less criminal than last year.

"Okay, Nir Si seems to be Jedi," Toby began, "So is Dreidi Xeraic and Starlin Rand . We can cross those individuals off. Xeno , Klocto, and Luxar are pacifist, doubt I'll have any trouble with them. Alexander Thule ... is worth some digging. Don't know what he and his lackeys are about. A front for a new crime syndicate maybe?"

A frown came to his face as he honed in on Sahan Dragr , taking another sip of his caf. Who was this guy? His face wasn't appearing on any Galactic Alliance records. Strange. This could be a far more sinister case. He would have to follow up with Strategic Intelligence on this one, which was going to be a pain in his ass. It always sucked when public investigation became a federal matter. All that remained was...

" Anja Rydder ... Corporate Authority?" the private eye scoffed.

Some CorpSec agent. A disgrace to the craft of investigation, but at least she wouldn't be causing any problems. Still, he wondered what would prompt such an individual to leave their cushy jurisdiction to enter another hell hole. Not to encroach on his business, he hoped. The last thing he needed was a corporatized off-world competitor.

Mr. Nine sighed, leaning back in his chair. He'd need to go out to announce half time in a minute. A little longer would do. He'd call up a guest, hand off an album, then get the artists rolling into their final songs.

And hopefully he'd leave with some intel.

 

[Dreidi Xeraic]

Location: Coruscant
Attire: Casual
Companion: Grisial
Tags: Xeno | Nir Si | Starlin Rand | Alexander Thule | Sahan Dragr | Anja Rydder

A few other artists had gone after her and Dreidi was still amazed at how good everyone was performing and she was feeling a massive amount of weight of having to do a second performance. Especially since she needed to do one that was just as good as the first one. Which she felt relieved had turned out well, especially when the anxiety left her body.

Grisial attempted to reassure her that things had gone well and that she just had to keep the high of the first performance in mind when she attempted the second song for things to go well. Nodding her head, "yeah. Just gotta keep the hype going and it seemed to be going well so far. Not sure I'm winning this but at least we gave it our all." Dreidi wasn't expecting to come out as the champion, it was just nice to finally flex her years of musical practice and express her love for the art publicly.

Giving Grisial a gentle caress, she thought about what to perform next. She had in mind one song, it was not necessarily a song that was exciting, upbeat or something to mosh pit to. But it was one that she felt spoke deeply and something that came from the heart.

Switching to an acoustic version of her guitar, she went back on stage and looked at the crowd. It was filled with faces she did not recognise, but she breathed in deeply and checked her instrument one last time. "This next one is something a little more personal. Hopefully you enjoy." Dreidi informed the crowd, letting the nerves out slowly.

Spoiler

"You don't want me, no,
You don't need me.

Like I want you, oh,
Like I need you."

Grisial was on stage with her again, he noticed Gweneth Zarari again but kept quiet about it to Dreidi as her friend had requested he do. Instead he focused on providing Dreidi with positive vibes as she performed the song.

She just hoped that this song will go down well.

 

[Anja Rydder]

Location: Coruscant Underbelly
Objectives: Battle of the Bands
Tags: Nir Si Xeno Dreidi Xeraic Starlin Rand Alexander Thule

"OK, I gotta admit, that was pretty fun" Anja said as they walked off after their first song.

"Fun? We bombed! You messed up your line Rill, it's Meoli eokkae muleup da hip hae not fricking whatever you said?"

The blonde rolled her eyes, "If you could still hit that high C we would have been fiiine"

"Knock it off you too, whats next?" Anja said, any buzz from the first song being immediately replaced by memories of the bickering.

"We gotta do plastic, it was always our big money song and it's in basic too" Zrilla said with a shrug, dipping into their back catalogue of songs that had been written for them.

"I'm not singing that! It was gross when we were sixteen, it's gross now"

"We did agree to sing whatever Rill picked?" Natalie added, trying to just get this over with.

"You did" Zrilla replied smuggly "I don't see why you always had a problem with song, you are... y'know?"

Zeltron? Anja knew what she meant and looked like she might lose her cool. "If I wouldn't lose my job I would bust that fake nose across your face Zrilla... fine... let's just get this over with."

Once again the three friends walked out on stage and this time their treated the gathered crowd to melody in Galactic Basic.

"It's my first night out with you"
"Treat me right and buy me shoes"
"Let me be your fantasy..."​

​

 

[Gweneth Zarari]

Location: Battle of the bands
Objective: Enjoy the music
Tag: Dreidi Xeraic

Xeno Nir Si Starlin Rand Alexander Thule

The mixed bag of artists continued, some were certainly better than others, I thought to myself as I danced with the other members of the crowd, I was beginning to get a bit in to the atmosphere of the club and my dress gently swayed with my hips and my tail flicked. The man never showed me his beast mode, thank the ancestors, and eventually he and his friends finished their dancing? Fighting? Who knows...

Either way though, I doubted I would be buying many of the albums that were now being pushed by the associates of some of the musicians. When Dreidi began her second song though, my attention was fixed squarely on her and I was sure I felt my heart skil a beat or two with the soul she put into the song. I found myself nodding and smiling to myself, glad that I had made the trip down here. Despite feeling quite uncomfortable surrounded by nothing but the durasteel jungle.

As she finished I made my way to the stage to greet her, and Grisial too, I hoped he had kept my secret but who knew how the mind of the vulptex worked, or even if he was able to keep secrets from his bonded companion. "Dreidi!" I called out as she reached the bottom of the steps back off of the stage. "You were wonderful!" I put my arms around her as a friendly greeting but found my lips on her cheek almost as if they had an impulse of their own. I suddenly felt quite vulnerable, I was in my own body and even I couldn't decide entirely if I had just made a mistake, but life was what it was.

I pulled away from the hug and stood more casually with just my hand on Dreidi's forearm. "I er.. I've not done that before have I?" A slightly coy smile and a raise of my eyebrow undeniably asked but its OK right?

"Suprise, by the way, I heard about your entry here and thought I would come and watch and then perhaps we could get food? Unless you have other plans of course?" From what I had learned in my short time with the wilders was that Zorren were often hungry, so inviting one to dine was never a bad move.

​

 

[Syd Celsius]

Syd's mood perked up as soon as she saw Starlin Rand start to sing. She listened, mesmerized. She tried to recall if she had ever gone to one of his singing gigs before. She winced. Where she searched in her mind for such memories, she encountered only a giant void where the Battalion had ripped out most of the memories that provided any happiness.

And what memories she did have to build off on whatever she was now...they were foreign. The thing that merged with her thought in an alien sort of way.

Syd forced back the Reflection's memories to listen to her student...but was she really his master anymore? Could she truly make that claim with what she now was?

Syd could only listen to his voice, his singing bringing much needed stability to her mind. She hated herself for having become such a burden to him.

If she could go back...if only she could go back...

She wanted that more than anything, the days when she still had a future and Starlin was her bright, optimistic Padawan, who had not yet been ground down by the fallout from her own horrible mistakes.

Syd watched as everyone else sang. She had never developed an ear for music so she had no idea if their singing was terrible. She just wanted to feel normal. Do what normal people do. She had no context for normal anymore. She had been at this much too long.

Xeno

Nir Si

Alexander Thule

Gweneth Zarari

Anja Rydder

Toby Russen

 

[Nir Si]

Nir watched from behind the curtain as the other bands went on. Sithspit was here?! Damnit.

"Come on dude. You're all wound up. Sithspit was our only real competition!" Sarah reassured, putting her hand on his shoulder.

"I dunno....that witch was pretty good..." Nir spoke, a worry in his voice.

"Hey..." She grabbed him by the chin, bringing his eyes to hers. "We're gonna do fine." She smiled, causing him to let out a slow breath.

"Alright. What's our second song?"

The three paused, looking between each other.

"Uh..." Sarah looked confused. She figured the singer had a set planned...

"...right." Nir rubbed his temples, watching as it was closing in on their second song. "We're up next. Anyone got any ideas?"

The wookie let out a roar, causing the three to look to him.

"...it's not a bad idea." The gungan pointed out. "The crowd needs'a wake up call."

"...then that's the plan."

The four ran out, once again setting up their instruments. But not Nir. He hung back, waiting for a cue. Once everyone was set up, Nir burst onto the stage, jumping into the air and summoning his mic with a flash of light, then yelling out.

"SHOT THROUGH THE HEART! AND YOU'RE TO BLAME! DAH'LIN YOU GIVE LOVE~ A BAD NAME!~"

 

[Sahan Dragr]

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Sahan was having a blast listening and dancing along to the music. He'd even enjoyed singing his own song. He'd actually done well enough, considering it was the first time he had ever done such a thing. Sure, he didn't get the applause everyone did, but they were all actual musicians and artists, so it was understandable. And he was here to have fun, not to win anything.

Still, when seconds rounds came through, he got back up stage and took the mic again. As he gripped the mic, he could feel a flood of memories come in from the object - memories of people who had sung through the mic. Focusing on one of the memories, a song came to him. It was a song he had not known until now, but he wanted to give it a shot. Something about it seemed oddly... appropriate. He grinned and belted out a considerably decent performance. But how would they all like it? Either way, he was having a blast.

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