Fortune Favors the ones that know. (Johari)

[Sera Inkari]

Nal Hutta
Bilbousa City
Commercial Area
Afternoon

Smog clouds rising, pollution was a natural staple of Nal hutta’s climate, as grim a place as the galaxy could produce, it was the place you came when you wanted somewhere to hide, were desperate for work, or wanted something made, fast. Thankfully free of greasy rain today, the air was humid and capable of opening up those brown clouds overhead at any moment.

Sera’s auburn hair darkened her lighter colored amaranth robes, standing out against the orange smoggy glow of the sun hitting the clouds above. Body fully covered in her temple’s attire, she held her robe’s hem above ground, so not to dirty her clothes as she walked. Shoes matching her ensemble, all you could see of her was red, and those ocean blue eyes drinking in what they fell upon.

Drawing toward a large open plaza, littered with industrial leftovers, mining equipment, and garbage. People stood haggling, conversing, or arguing, among them the priestess appeared unarmed, her soft unassuming steps creating little noise or notice at her passing. She did stand out among the dirty workers, mercenaries and other criminals here, but not enough to warrant much notice.

Her message drew her through her dream, this place expanding before her vision, toward....


[member="Johari the Hutt"]

 

[Johari the Hutt]

Johari had been contacted recently, a man saying he was wiling to sell the deed to a rich emerald mine in a nearby system. Not one to turn down such offers, Johari promptly agreed to a meeting. He found no mention of the man's supposed name anywhere on the holonet, but it was safe to assume it was an alias. Likely not the most legal of buisnessman. Not that he particularly cared- he was a Hutt, after all.

That was the reason the fur-covered Hutt was out of his penthouse today, slithering slowly into a thinly crowded plaza not far from where he lived. His feline eyes flicked over the crowds, searching for the man he was here to meet. He said he would be wearing a blue hat.... all very shady, but what was one to expect on Nal Hutta?

The Hutt saw lower-class humanoids, perhaps factory workers, your average sprinkling of mercenaries looking for work and smugglers looking to sell their gear, a few people that looked slightly out of place such as a Rodian in expensive clothes and a humanoid in all red. Probably those looking to meet with bounty hunters they hired, or looking to get their fix of spice. Eventually, the Hutt's eyes fell upon a Duros man near the edge of the plaza, wearing a large pastel blue top hat. That'd be him. Johari slithered closer.

[member="Sera Inkari"]

 

[Sera Inkari]

Deliberate and gentle her walk, vision drawing toward Johari. The priestess of Kintan remained humble but devout to her task, hands curled inside her robes. Moments like these, force nexus’s were clear to her, as they were to the one who sort to take her power [member="Raien Keth"]. A defining moment was about to happen, her force would shift, and shape itself to what happened here.

Across from Johari, catching up to his presence, that presence called to her through the force, not saying a word, he didn’t need to. All of this was her force, and right now he was the center of everything that was going on, or about to happen.

Sera crossed him, tripping, falling flat, hands pressed to the ground to catch herself, just as she had seen. She lay right in front of the much larger furr covered hutt. You could see little, except red robes, a mess of red hair, and deep blue eyes looking up. She rose and smiled, that look, perhaps entrancing, perhaps holding promise of something… of futures and possibilities.

“My Lord, I am so sorry,” she cooed softly for the show of the crowds, lowering her eyes. Waiting for her moment…. waiting till he passed her, or allowed her to be closer, unseen by others. “Rodian, danger,” her voice whispered, and something about that whisper held inevitably to it.

[member="Johari the Hutt"]

 

[Johari the Hutt]

Johari paused suddenly as the girl stumbled across his path. A few nearby sentients laughed at the clumsy girl, before returning to their buisness. Johari just stared with a mixture of annoyance and curiosity, ecspecially when she looked up... When she spoke, however, Johari simply grunted and began slithering on closer to the Duros man in the hat. That's when she spoke again.

"Rodian, danger."

What? Johari paused again, glancing back at the girl for a split second before his eyes fell on the nearby Rodian in expensive clothes. The Duros man in the hat looked anxious, staring at the girl froma ccross the plaza, but Johari did not notice. The way she spoke... She knew something. Was this a trap? If it was, why would she tell him that? Johari paused another moment, before quickly allowing his demeanor to relax. If it was, there was no sense in letting whoever else was involved knowing he knew. Rather then continue to the Duros, or go near the Rodian, Johari slithered off to the west side of the plaza, looking as if he was extremely interested in the gadgets a merchant was peddling..

Likely, [member="Sera Inkari"] might have been able to sense the annoyance and impatience of the Duros, as his orange eyes glared at the girl from accross the plaza.

 

[Sera Inkari]

Avoiding the Duros’s attentive eyes. Sera knew she had only extended her dream, not forestalled her visions, an unarmed priestess could only do so much? Yes, but her force did everything, and was everything. She found her way over to the nearest group of sentients, dream-walking within her purpose, a focal point of her force’s absolute will.

Whispering honey-tongued promises of wealth should the unsuspecting men speak to the Rodian, about “under market work,” work for the market of the under, the rodian’s employer, should send all kinds of alarm bells raising and cause an unfortunate event. They did after all look to be well dressed, and have money to offer the working men.

The way she spoke, the way she held their arm, gently touching them just enough to seem genuine. She was genuine in her force’s work, all of her being was attuned to it. Offering a smile, the three men made their way to ask the wrong question… to the wrong man... at exactly the wrong time.

Sera’s gentle slow steps took her away past the hutt, eyes radiating inner knowing, presence, depth. Perhaps the Duros would follow or flee, perhaps not, she could not see, she only knew what would befall the three men, and the Rodian when they began their little chat, something that wouldn’t be pleasant for any of them. Her force did as it willed, only an instrument, she accepted and thanked them for their fate.

[member="Johari the Hutt"]

 

[Johari the Hutt]

Johari only partially focused on talking with an eager salesman about a hutt-sized comlink, devoting most of his focus to listening behind him. After a moment he looked over a shoulder, just in time to see several men walk over to the 'dangerous' Rodian. He looked extremely annoyed. He could see the Duros now, staring at Johari, the expression of impatience and annoyance nearing anger visible even from across the courtyard. Whether the Duros was sincere or not, he did not care at this point. An emerald mine was not worth risking one's life over.

With the saleman sitlll jabbering, the Hutt quickly turned, slithering off the way he came out of the plaza. The Rodian tried to get past the three men pestering him, but they were incessant, giving Johari more then enough time to escape despite his girth. By the time the Rodian pulled aside his expensive jacket, revealing a heavy blaster pistol to scare off the men [member="Sera Inkari"] sent his way, Johari was long gone.

Now where was that girl?

(Sorry for the short post, and delayed reply. Easter and all)

 

[Sera Inkari]

That girl wouldn’t be found for some time, giving the hutt time to wonder, wander and importantly some time to get very far away from all the commotion behind him, which had people shouting and worse. On his way home or to his transport, only by chance or by design would he find Sera at the only seemingly clean spot in this entire district. She was sitting comfortably on a ledge, legs crossed, not that you’d notice underneath her long covering robe.

Sera dipped her head as the hutt passed her, looking up only briefly to catch his eyes with her gaze. “I am grateful to see you unharmed,” adding, “you are wise.” She was aware just how susceptible many hutts were to thinking themselves the center of the universe, and was fully willing to play to his ego.

His life path had been extended, she could see his enemies were not deterred, only delayed but he had time to change his fate, she would not have been brought here otherwise. Her wrist rose to slide back her hood, bouncing her hair free again with the smallest of shakes.

“How may I serve you?” Her offer at least was genuine, and her voice as honey-coated as those they had just left behind, radiant smile drawing closer, arching herself up from her perch to stand beside him.

[member="Johari the Hutt"]

Spoiler

No worries, post whatever you like, whenever you like, however long it is, is just fine with me.

 

[Johari the Hutt]

(Had to go on a few days' LOA, sorry about that.)

Johari wandered for awhile through the alleys and plaza of Nal Hutta, looking for the girl. Why was he following her? Likely, she was part of whatever trap he almost walked in to. How else woudl sh enkow of it? Well then why did she warn him? He considered leaving the area, going back to his apartment. What had he avoided, in the first place? An asassination? He figured something like that would happen eventually... All of his relatives weren't killed in the explosion, obviously. And they would assume he had something to do with the bombing. So that was likely why someone was trying to do him harm... But why had the girl warned him?

Eventually, Johari looked up from his thoughts to see the girl sitting there on a ledge. "Ah!" He had been beginnign to doubt he'd find her... Now, seeing her, he wondered why he had bene looking for her in the first place. If she was part of the plot, he was fleeing one danger to run for another. But he had the suspicion she didn't wish him harm...

The Hutt watched the girl for a moment as she spoke, as if expecting her to leap off the ledge with a knife, but eventually responded. "Who are you?"

[member="Sera Inkari"]

 

[Sera Inkari]

Dipping one foot down from her ledge, eyes following to lay lower than his, a mere fraction to show practiced and potential subservience. She raised her deepening gaze only when he spoke his question. Her hand curled within her fabric to raise it above ground, while another held a small goblet from the half-wall she had been perched on.

“Sera Inkari third priestess of the cult of serenity”, known as the burning globe to its natives, “offering our safe water through dry times ahead.” Sera symbolically held out a small golden cup, tasting her offering first of course to show its purity. “Please accept our humblest of gifts, oh great hutt.”

Extending her chalice for him to accept or reject, precious metal was worth a credit or two at least. “My sympathies for your business lost, but…” she chanced brushing Johari’s probably quite slimy arm, with but the briefest edges of her finger, “I feel… they may come to you with an offer.” Whether that would mean more danger or not, she did not know. Her dreams had only taken her to this point, what Johari would decide from here she had yet to see.

[member="Johari the Hutt"]

Spoiler

Never a worry, take all the time you need.