Star Wars Roleplay: Chaos

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Circle

With eyes turned to the sky, the gathered villagers watched in unison as multiple spacecraft fell upon their home from above. Three ships, what appeared to be disk-like shuttles, had just entered the planet's atmosphere, making a quick descent towards the islands below. There were no expected arrivals or scheduled deliveries in this region, and so a sense of dread filled the many humans and non-humans alike. If not Imperial forces, the incoming ships likely belonged to raiders, or even worse... Slavers.

In no time at all, the ships were already skimming over the green ocean of Sanctuary, on a fast approach towards the island where the onlookers currently resided. A few of them had a blaster pistol, maybe a rifle or two, but what good would it do them against such numbers? Many among the island villages were strictly pacifist too, meaning it was unlikely raiders and their like would encounter much resistance. Two of the ships suddenly broke out of formation, disappearing into the distance as the lead craft eventually came to a halt.

It touched down on the makeshift landing pad, powering off once the loading ramp was deployed. A lone, familiar figure in a dark suit then emerged, much to the surprise of the small crowd that had decided to greet the new arrival. Flicking a small deathstick from his snout, the Rodian stepped foot onto the rocky island's surface. "Didn't think I forgot about my people, did you?" Cheedo remarked to no one in particular, laughing briefly before joining the others. It had been quite some time since he had been on Sanctuary, and he had a lot of catching up to do with his old friends.

More importantly however, Cheedo had sent an encrypted transmission some time ago, to his old boss @Arekk. If anyone could crack it, it would be him. The message was minimal and to the and point, a meeting scheduled here, two hours from now. He only hoped the man would show.
 

Arekk

The Flesh Of Fallen Angels
Sanctuary, The Outer Rim Territories
"You can't run from your past. You'll end up running in circles. Until you fall back down to the same hole you were trying to escape from, only the hole's grown deep."
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[member="Tugoro Taidarious"]

For months the datapad that contained Cheedo's message for Arekk remained on a shelf collecting dust, unable to find himself able to read through it and see what was requested of him. Having cut himself off from the Force made things a little more difficult and putting aside his lightsaber to change it for a blaster pistol already took a lot of willingness to do, going back to his past would be even harder.

But if things couldn't go any worse, the fallen Jedi turned slicer remembered that Cheedo was put in place of The Hawk's Circle affairs after Arekk's desertion from the criminal organization to seek refuge with Jyn in the Jed'aii Order's homeworld, the very same crime syndicate that would claim the life of his beloved girlfriend just a mere year later on the cold streets of Lithios where he currently resides.

"Cheedo is a good guy. He probably left The Hawk's Circle a week after I left, that's for sure." He tried to bargain outloud while moving around in his apartment back and forth nervously, trying to figure out the message's content. "Do I really wanna read this?"

And, of course, he did. The date for the meeting was that day and if he wanted to meet up with Cheedo and not miss his opportunity he had to leave in that instant which he obviously also did. The Ebon Hawk would've landed a few hours later on a very common place, Sanctuary, where he met up with master Tugoro after the fall of the Galactic Republic two years ago.

That was the place to reunite with your past and this time wouldn't be the exception.
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Roughly a hour after the scheduled meeting time, the Ebon Hawk was spotted overhead, flying across the island village and touching down on it's opposite end, where another landing pad had been set up long ago. The freighter was unmistakable, urging Cheedo out from under the canopied food hut he had been eating at.

Sat with old friends, the Rodian had indeed spent his time catching up with them, still hesitant to explain as to where he obtained the small squadron of attack shuttles. Luckily, [member='Arekk']'s arrival coincided with their inquiries, and so Cheedo was off the hook. Making his way past the many other huts the villagers resided within, the Rodian anxiously smoothed out his suit. Eventually, he came to a stop in front of the large freighter, hands held behind his back as he waited for the loading ramp to descend.

Cheedo remembered the last time he had seen Arekk, but could only assume both of their situations had changed since then. Cheedo had long since cut ties with The Hawks Circle, all things considered, but clearly still retained a semblance of the power he once held. it undoubtedly looked shady, but the Rodian knew that if anyone could understand, it would be the Jedi.
 

Arekk

The Flesh Of Fallen Angels
Sanctuary, The Outer Rim Territories
"You can't run from your past. You'll end up running in circles. Until you fall back down to the same hole you were trying to escape from, only the hole's grown deep."
——————————————————————
[member="Tugoro Taidarious"]

To meet up with Cheedo again meant that Arekk would go through the whole affair once again, from Jyn's rescue to her ultimate death at the hands of bitter and angry lieutenants looking to get back at their old boss by taking away the most beloved thing in his life.

Undoubtedly, the Rodian himself was always a good man and could not have stayed in The Hawk's Circle too long given his natural good willed personality, the fallen Jedi didn't blame him for what happened.

The man's appearance would have changed drastically over the course of two years, last time Cheedo would have laid eyes on Arekk he was still using that gold-plated half mask on his face to cover the scars beneath but fast forward some time that very same mask was destroyed to smitherens and the scars were covered up with synthflesh, not to mention the presence of hair instead of nothing on top of his head.

Toking on his cigarette and releasing smoke out of his nostrils, Arekk emerged from the depths of the legendary vessel and walked down the ramp to meet up with his old friend, memories of Sanctuary flooding him like Malachor V flashbacks. If only Tugoro was here...
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Cheedo hardly recognized the man who descended the loading ramp. The Rodian had never met [member="Arekk"] before his injuries, but it was quite clear that this was still his old boss. Stepping under the looming hull that was supported by the Ebon Hawk's landing gears, Cheedo slowed his breathing, trying to ease his mind before the inevitable encounter.

Making his way to the right side of the ship, he lifted an arm, waving the human down with the brief gesture. "Glad you could make it, Arekk. When I got no reply, I thought maybe you weren't coming," the Rodian managed what looked to be a smirk, folding his arms behind his back as he stood by the ramp. "Clearly I was mistaken, ha-ha-ha," Cheedo knew Arekk wanted to lay low, and so had gambled on the fact that he would show up either way.

The idea of now explaining himself was more daunting than ever. The cool ocean breeze picked up, rustling what little grass there was upon the rocky island. By now it was mid-day, and night would soon be upon the region of the planet. "We have much to talk about, so I won't bother prying in to your personal matters. Unless you want me to." He was fine with speaking here for now, but would move their conversation if prompted to.
 

Arekk

The Flesh Of Fallen Angels
Sanctuary, The Outer Rim Territories
"You can't run from your past. You'll end up running in circles. Until you fall back down to the same hole you were trying to escape from, only the hole's grown deep."
——————————————————————
[member="Tugoro Taidarious"]

Many things had changed for the better and the worse since their stint on the Smuggler's Moon, Arekk continued to battle his inner demons and if Cheedo kept asking himself if the fallen Jedi was a good or a bad man he'd be a little disappointed since that was still up in the air. Some days the man wished to put an end to all the issues afflicting him, to live a good life without having to worry about getting his throat slit every single place he visited.

Descending through the metallic ramp and hazel-blue pools laying on the Rodian, Arekk felt happy to see a familiar face from the old days. Sure, things didn't go as they expected them to go but they continued to live and that's wall what mattered, there would be time to catch up soon enough.

"Hey, Cheedo." His robotic hand reached out to greet his Rodian buddy, feth knows what he had to go through after three years. "I was debating if this would be a good idea or not. Hopefully I'm not wrong about coming."

The slicer could feel the marine breeze hitting his face with full strength, a very familiar scent went through his nose and a sudden feeling made him become totally relaxed, as if visiting Sanctuary brought him nothing but good memories.

"Let's talk."

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Both stood at the end of the Ebon Hawk's loading ramp, the Rodian lifting his arm to grasp [member='Arekk']'s cybernetic hand in greetings. Though the damage to the rest of his body had managed to be healed, Arekk had decided to keep his metallic limb. Cheedo didn't doubt there was technology that could give the man a true arm again, but he didn't question it.

He knew of the human's time in the military, secretly wondering if he would ever go back to that life. Hopes were not high. "Well, it is pretty obvious, things are looking bleak for old Sanctuary here," Cheedo spoke, a hint of sadness in his voice. The beady stare of the Rodian was directed to the skies, looking away from the ship they spoke beneath.

"The Sith Empire's just around the corner... They already have patrols from Mon Cala, I'm sure the invasion forces will show sooner or later. Thought of starting an evacuation... But I'd need more ships. It is a lot to ask, I don't expect you to get involved personally. Perhaps you could contact your other Jedi friend?" Cheedo finally asked, a weight lifted from his chest. He didn't want Arekk to jeopardize whatever life he lived now, but still knew he had contacts.
 

Arekk

The Flesh Of Fallen Angels
Sanctuary, The Outer Rim Territories
"You can't run from your past. You'll end up running in circles. Until you fall back down to the same hole you were trying to escape from, only the hole's grown deep."
——————————————————————
[member="Tugoro Taidarious"]

To assume that Arekk could've replaced the cybernetic arm for one that looked as good as an original was right in its own way but the man decided to keep it as it is as a reminder of what he had to endure in life and what making those sacrifices meant to shape him into the man he's today. All in all, Cheedo was allowed to ask a couple of things if he wanted and even more after taking charge of The Hawk's Circle, that wasn't no small feat.

"I never thought I'd set foot on this place again." Hazel-blue pools looked around aimlessly, catching glimpse of the occasional local wandering about while they talked. "After all these years and so many battles the Sith continue to breath down on everyone's neck. Some things never change."

And that couldn't be nothing but the simple truth, people were able to change but there's always something hidden deeply on their core that makes it possible to bring out the very thing that makes them unique out when required, Arekk wasn't any different to another organic life-form. Once you're in the life, you're in it for good.

"What? You mean Master Tugoro?" The fallen Jedi snorted, brandishing one of his signature cheeky smiles while caressing his 5 o'clock shadow. "I haven't seen him or talked to him in two years. Why do you need him?"


Whatever it was, it sounded serious. Who else could be a better fit for the job than the grumpy Jedi Master accompanied by his former apprentice?
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Though Cheedo knew [member="Arekk"] was an open book, the two of them still hadn't seen each other for some time, and the Rodian wasn't going to push his luck. Especially while trying to get a favor from the Jedi, even after everything that had happened since then. Chortling at the reaction, Cheedo waved a hand, as if to dismiss the human's conclusion. "It's not that we need him, one Jedi can't face down an entire army of Sith," he said, exaggerating the odds that they faced at the moment, but it would soon come to that.

"Like I said, the Sith have a patrol fleet in the system. From what I've heard from the others, they've made a few visits to the other islands," he paused, a grim look sweeping briefly across his face. "I never knew your... Master, that well, but he has ships, or knows people that do. Came to pick up that old starfighter a few months back, I hear. If we take out that... Star Destroyer... We can evacuate those that want to leave before the Sith truly arrive."

A surprisingly bold plan of action from the Rodian, perhaps even naive considering the Empire's reputation. He genuinely wanted to help the people who had looked after him, all those years ago. Once the Sith invasion forces barred down on the pacifist planet, their fate was likely to be worse than death. There was always the chance they would attempt to win over the populace, one way or another, but Cheedo did not even think about such an insidious possibility.
 

Arekk

The Flesh Of Fallen Angels
Sanctuary, The Outer Rim Territories
"You can't run from your past. You'll end up running in circles. Until you fall back down to the same hole you were trying to escape from, only the hole's grown deep."
——————————————————————
[member="Tugoro Taidarious"]

"A star destroyer, an entire Sith army. Tell me something, Cheedo..." A chuckle escaped him midway as he spoke to his old Rodian friend, thinking of how reckless his plan was no matter how noble. "Do you have a death wish?"

It'd be a difficult task to pull even if they decided to greenlight the operation, all of Arekk's contacts had simply faded from the galaxy or died in some dirty back alley in who-knows-where and Master Tugoro most certainly would not know anyone with a vast amount of firepower and vessels to combat a Star Destroyer itself. Yet it was worth asking around anyways, you never know how things were after all these years.

"What do I get out of this if I help you?" There it was again, the ambitious personality of the fallen Jedi flourishing, having changed from a righteous peacekeeper to nothing but a mercenary with a heart. "What do you get?"


Either way, Arekk would not let Cheedo to do this by himself. He was family and seeing him go on this suicide mission alone was a big no-no.
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"Who doesn't nowadays?" The Rodian replied, doing his best to brush aside [member="Arekk"]'s doubt, along with his own. He wasn't intent on facing the entire Sith Armada, and while Sith technology was impressive, taking down the patrol was their best bet if Cheedo's plan was to succeed.

"If we can just take down the lead ship, we'll have a chance to get these people to safety," he continued, pausing as the Jedi voiced his apparent greed. Cheedo knew better. The question that followed all but proved it. "You know what we get. I don't expect you to get involved personally, but you could at least point me in the right direction. Last known whereabouts, places of interest."

It was a desperate reach, but the Rodian was not ready to give up hope just yet. What little he had been told from the villagers had ignited something. There still remained a surprising amount of confidence, something Cheedo was attempting to hide at the moment. Most that were about the settlement tended to stay out of sight, only a few individuals who maintained the landing pads out and about.
 

Arekk

The Flesh Of Fallen Angels
Sanctuary, The Outer Rim Territories
"You can't run from your past. You'll end up running in circles. Until you fall back down to the same hole you were trying to escape from, only the hole's grown deep."
——————————————————————
[member="Tugoro Taidarious"]

"You're crazy, man." This was nothing but a mission that would get everybody involved killed if they didn't take the proper measures, as crazy as it can get. "But I won't let you get yourself killed. I'll come with because one; you will need me. Two; you will need my master's aid too. Three; You'll get yourself killed without us."

Arekk respected the Rodian's desire to save those who had his back in times of hardship, if he could only know how much they were able to relate for such sentiment. Wanting to go into the depths of hell and face death straight on its face was something worthy of recognizing and praising, there would be no stepping stones for saving somebody you care about. If this was the chance to do some good after a long time then the fallen Jedi turned slicer would give a hand.


One last ride, maybe? Probably not.

"Let me reach out to my contacts and see what we can do. First thing is to try and contact master Tugoro, last time I saw him he was in some Jedi Enclave by Dantooine."


His old master will be thrilled with the news...
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Cheedo knew [member="Arekk"] still possessed the heart of Jedi, even if he had likely lost most of the skills that had come with it. The Rodian wasn't going to pretend to know much about the Force, but he had seen it in action enough to know what Jedi were capable of. Arekk still had other useful talents, though Cheedo was just glad that they weren't truly stepping onto the front lines of a war zone. "Good to have you on board."

Redemption was the name of the game. While their sins were minor in the bigger picture of the universe, the two had still caused pain and suffering during their reign on Nar Shaddaa. That place was a lost cause, but Sanctuary was different.

"Dantooine... Yeah, sounds about right. Talked to a few of your master's friends long time ago, said they worked out of Demonsgate. Different system, same region. If that's all you have, might be best to seek them out." Cheedo knew exactly what he was after. Lifting a hand, he passed a datapad to the human, displaying what appeared to be information related to several different Corellian vessels. IFF transponders, that sort of thing. "Best way you can help now is to find them."
 

Arekk

The Flesh Of Fallen Angels
Sanctuary, The Outer Rim Territories
"You can't run from your past. You'll end up running in circles. Until you fall back down to the same hole you were trying to escape from, only the hole's grown deep."
——————————————————————
[member="Tugoro Taidarious"]

"We'll need a bunch of supplies and some good planning, something we can easily tackle."

Sacrifices were made along the way and Arekk made sure that his most precious gift was stripped of any type of sensation or feeling, "cutting" himself from the Force and casting aside anything that had to do with the religion itself and the Jedi. His lightsaber alongside the robes that he once wore in the old days were destined to be locked inside a case within the Ebon Hawk's cargo hold to be reopened only when it was necessary.


The question that lingered on his mind most of the time was if the Jedi would ever allow him to return to the order, if there was any, despite commiting so many wrongdoings?

Reaching for the datapad, Arekk lifted his head up to speak with Cheedo.
"Good. Master Tugoro's ship will be the easiest to spot but the harder to find. I'm sure we'll locate him, though." He eventually said after being done flicking through the intelligence provided, nodding approvingly before giving it back to his friend.

"The sooner we do this, the better."
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"Supplies come with a good plan, in our case at least. So, let's see how good this plan is," Cheedo spoke, crossing his arms over his torso after handing the datapad to @Arekk. None of the IDs on the list were ships that Tugoro was known to own, for the Rodian had overlooked the possibility of needing to contact him in the future.

Even so, as long as Arekk was able to at least find one of the ships on the list, Cheedo suspected his chances of success would be far greater than without. "Right, whatever you say. Just bring them back here if you can," when the datapad was offered back, he shook his head in refusal.

Pressing a button on his wrist comm, Cheedo averted his gaze from the village, upwards to the sky. "Already got it copied on the ship. Might want to do the same. Gonna be here, rounding up whoever's willing to listen. You leave soon, could probably avoid that patrol."
 

Arekk

The Flesh Of Fallen Angels
Sanctuary, The Outer Rim Territories
"You can't run from your past. You'll end up running in circles. Until you fall back down to the same hole you were trying to escape from, only the hole's grown deep."
——————————————————————
[member="Tugoro Taidarious"]

"I will let you know if I make any significant discoveries. Keep your comms clear."

With that out of the way and the datapad's information copied to a small shard that Arekk always carried, the hunt for Tugoro had only just begun. A handful of ships spread throughout specific locations awaited for the legendary vessel known as the Ebon Hawk to find them with the hopes to also reunite former master and apprentice. The latter tried not to think of their eventual reunion but more on the task at hand, whatever came next was nothing but whatever the will of the Force was.


The metallic ramp raised after its pilot and captain entered the depths of the milennia old ship once more, taking reigns of the controls by the cockpit and inserting the shard into the main computer for display on the holoscreen. A good plan would be to check the nearest transponder and verify if anything noteworthy came off it which was exactly that Arekk was planning to do by setting a course to it, departing almost immediately to avoid getting caught by the Sith patrol incoming.

"I'm on my way to the nearest location marked on the map, Cheedo." The slicer communicated through the commlink with the Rodian just before leaving Sanctuary. "We'll find him."
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