Memories and Musings

[Keanu Shan]

Location: Nar Shadaa, cantina

The rough, grizzled, time weathered, form of Keanu Shan slumped at the dimly lit bar cradling a drink. Lost in thought, he remembered better times. They seemed like phantasms, rude teasing of a time when there was a future..... when he had a future, when Corellia (his home) had a future, when the galaxy had a future. He had every right to wallow in depression, or so he thought, his entire life had been destroyed. As a member of the Galactic Republic he had waged a hard fought campaign against the oppression of the One Sith. He was former Corellian Defense Force lieutenant and a Squadron Commander of the most elite fighter squadron in the Republic. "The Blazing Angels" they were called, now? .,,,... gone, gone along with everything he had ever lived for. Scattered like sparks across the galaxy to die and fade away in obscurity.
Keanu had escaped the destruction with an intact advanced X-Wing but had long since sold it to keep his freighter, the "Stellar Vulture", running. Even the astromech droid crew were mostly gone, sold broke Dow etc., meaning his ship ran with less than optimum efficiency....., oh well being busy kept his mind off of things. But, when he wasn't busy, that's when things started to come back, so he covered up the past. Wild living, drinking, and thrill seeking only went so far to cover up the past. Now he was empty a haggard shell of his former self. He was going to have to terms with the galaxy he lived, just, maybe not today.
Keanu un-pinned the commander's wings from his once proudly emblazoned flight jacket, now the jacket was worn, almost tattered; bearing the sun faded, grease stained, insignia of the "Blazing Angels" fighter squadron. Lost in his musings he rubbed the metal wings and hugged his drink closer.....

 

[Eladia Alken]

Nar Shadaa was an interesting planet, very different than Coruscant, but to Eladia that was a good thing. She didin't actually know why she was here, granted she didn't have any where else to be: no home, no ship, no family. This just seemed like somewhere she might find something interesting. She had always heard stories as a child about the "smugglers moon", now she finally got to see it for herself, and it was all that and more.

Eladia meandered through the streets and she eventually came across a cantina. "I could most certainly use a drink right now." She thought. She made her way across the threshold and was immediately greeted by a musty smell and dingy lighting.

Eladia sat at the bar and waved down the bartender, "I'll take a shot the strongest thing you have." Tonight she just wanted to forget everything, that was always easiest.

She threw back her drink and motioned for another as she pulled out her blaster. It was old and hardly worked anymore, but that didn't bother her. She took it apart and started to rebuild it in different ways, it was something to keep her hands busy.

Eladia's eyes perused the bar, two seats down from her was a man nursing a drink, he looked tired and worn down. She turned to him and said, "You sure do look like you've seen better days.

[member="Keanu Shan"]

 

[Keanu Shan]

A voice broke into Keanu's meandering thoughts, "You sure do look like you've seen better days". Keanu looked up, noticing the girl sitting two seats up the bar. "That's odd" he thought, as he sized her up, he almost said out loud "no body talks to strangers on Nar Shadaa". Instead he managed a "Haven't we all...." that's when he noticed the gun on the counter, things we're getting more and more unusual. His mind, not inebriated yet, but just fogged up enough that it took some concentration to process this unknown. His mind ran over possibilities, as his eyes ran over the room looking for threats. Part of him wanted to curl up and ignore her ,just in case she was trouble but, she really didn't look the type. Maybe she was just another lonely spacer with a story. No, she was, he couldn't put his finger on it, she was a wild card. "Well" he thought "lets turn over that card". He looked back at the blaster she seemed to be re-assembling. "Is it broke?" he asked [member="Eladia Alken"], "I'm pretty handy with those I might be able to fix it for ya" . Keanu, turned casually towards her, putting on the attempt at a pleasant face, as he did so he started reattaching the commanders wings to his jacket collar.

 

[Eladia Alken]

Eladia chuckled to herself and continued to reassemble her blaster as she spoke to the man, "I suppose it could be considered broken. The trigger is jammed and even if it weren't, it doesn't shoot anymore."

She paused and bent down to retrieve a taser cartridge from her bag. She removed the front of her blaster, attached the taser cartridge onto the front, and started on re-wiring the entire thing. "But I don't think anything is ever really broken, usually it just needs a new part and it is good as new." She demonstrated by using the blaster-turned-taser on the fold of her jacket, scorching it slightly.

She smiled and held out her hand, "I'm Eladia."

[member="Keanu Shan"]

 

[Keanu Shan]

"Unconventional, that's what sums this girl up" thought Keanu as he watched her reassemble the blaster parts. He winced involuntarily (a mental scar of a particularly unpleasant "information session" he had once had the displeasure of participating in at the hands of a Sith) when she demonstrated the make-shift device. He was impressed though despite his reaction, and he allowed his face to show it. "Pleasure to meet you ma'am" he said as he got up, moved over, and sat down next to her (shaking her hand as he did so). "Keanu is the name..... where did you learn to do that?" he queried "and , if I may be so bold what brings a pretty little thing like you out this far". Keanu ducked his head for a second, face flushing, as he realized he might have pushed too close, too fast. "Ahemm.... I meant uh, you looking for work? Somebody with those skills would be mighty handy on a starship". Keanu mentally kicked himself for being too forward but, maybe she wouldn't mind after all she was a wildcard and she was the one who started the conversation. Keanu took another swig listening to her intently.

[member="Eladia Alken"]

 

[Eladia Alken]

The man, Keanu, moved to the seat next to Eladia who explained, "As a child I was given, opportunities, you could say for more advanced education. I particularly enjoyed engineering, basically I like to fix things.. and break things.. and hack things." She looked up and smiled. "And as to why I am here, Nar Shadaa just seems like the kinda place for someone with my certain set of, skills."

Eladia took a sip from her drink as she listened to Keanu, her ears perked up when he mentioned work. Her heart quickened its pace, a job on a starship sounded exactly like the adventure she was searching for. She sized up the man that sat next to her, he didn't seem like he was out to harm her, he seemed kind.

Eladia swiveled her chair to face him, "You have a starship? I most certainly am interested." She toyed with a small circuit board she pulled from her pocket as she awaited his response.

[member="Keanu Shan"]

 

[Keanu Shan]

It had been a long time since he had met someone this open, seemingly innocent, granted her spare choice of words about her past was something to take note of ,considering her congeniality . Still, everyone had their problems, he had a lifetime and a half worth. He shrugged off his fears "I've been away from decent people for too long, I've grown cynical" he thought "maybe it is worth a shot". Addressing [member="Eladia Alken"] "I do own a starship, and I could use someone with your knack for fixing things, as a matter of fact I've got a Binary Load Lifter right now with a bad motivator, don't have the money to have it repaired though what with having to rent the shipyard units at inflated rates everywhere I go". Keanu paused "Thing is though..... I'm not sure you would want to work for me, spacing ain't exactly booming right now, piracy is rampant out in independent space, and there isn't enough authority anywhere for smuggling to be profitable.........then again having another set of hands we could take on more ambitious projects. Tell'ya what, if you can put up with me, and I can put up with you, with you fixing what breaks for 30% of profit after the bills and ship maintenance I'll have you". For years everything was crumbling away to nothing, maybe this was something he could hold onto, maybe, just maybe..... things were looking up.

 

[Dr. Cage Freeland III]

Nar Shadaa, Cage thought to himself as he entered the cantina, a grimy, vulgar little retch of a planet. He always hated coming here, it had no class, no culture, even the wealthy citizens behaved like rats. This disgusting planet had only two redeeming features, the only reasons he ever set foot here. Turns out the citizens that make the planet as filthy a place as anywhere in the galaxy, were also the kinds of people who frequently needed medical assistance, sometimes with injuries and diseases he only saw here, the really interesting ones. Even better, they were the kinds of people who very often needed, or wanted, people dead, and sometimes, if he was lucky, the person they wanted dead would be real dangerous. And that’s what he was here to do this time.

As he entered the cantina, a few of its patrons looked up from their glasses to stare. This always happens, he thought, that’s what being classy gets you, a well tailored Coruscant suit is the last thing these people expect to see walking through the door. He didn’t mind, though, they should be looking up to him, just as he rightly looked down on all of them.

He didn’t need the money, of course, never did. He could retire now and live comfortably for the rest of his life, even with his high standards. No, it was never about the money, it was always about the thrill. The ability to play god. To decide whether someone lives or dies. Sometimes fighting off death, sometimes bringing it.

Standing next to the bar, unwilling to subject himself to the dirty seats, Cage reaches into his suite jacket with his right hand and grips the hilt of his blaster. His eyes, so empty of any remorse, scan the room with an icy gaze for his target, Tafo Blaise, a slaver who was unfortunate enough to outstretch his own territory – right into the territory of the man who hired Cage. He knew Tafo was here because one of Tafo’s friends told him. Granted, he had to torture it out of him first, it’s amazing the things you can do to people when you’ve studied anatomy and medicine. He could take people apart just as well as he could put them back together.

There he is, he thinks, as his gaze lands on a scruffy old human man in the far corner. Then, before he could even blink, he drew his blaster, aimed it, and fired three shots into the man’s left eye, his head promptly exploding and his lifeless body thumping onto the table. “Yeah!” Cage yelled, a little of that thrill coming through. “A beautiful shot, a work of art” he said as he holstered his blaster, straitened his suite, and turned to the bar tender.

“Well, now that I have your attention, give me a bottle of your finest whisky, and hopefully it’ll be drinkable. I deserve it after that. Don’t you think?” he asked the bar tender, “never mind, don’t answer that, I don’t know why I’m asking you anyway.”

 

[Eladia Alken]

Eladia practically jumped out of her chair, binary load lifter was music to her ears. Her luck seemed to be turning around. "Honestly, money isn't what I am after so I'm not too concerned about how profitable smuggling is at the moment. I really just enjoy the stealing part." She paused briefly as a man walked into the cantina, she recognized his type. Everyone Eladia knew back home looked like him, rich with no sense of empathy.

She returned back to her conversation, "Keanu, I think this is the start of a very good-" She was interrupted by the sound of three gunshots. Eladia cursed herself for her lack of preparation, why did she turn her blaster into a taser? The man who had emitted the shots appeared next to them at the bar and ordered a bottle of whisky.

Eladia looked behind the man to a booth where another lay dead with three shots in the eye. "Impressive aim." she thought. Eladia shook her head, now was not the time to admire his accuracy. She turned her attention back to the killer. "You really couldn't have waited till he had left the bar? You are really messing with the atmosphere in here buddy." She said sarcastically.

[member="Dr. Cage Freeland III"] [member="Keanu Shan"]

 

[Keanu Shan]

Keanu glanced past Eladia'sshoulder, noticing the strangely out of place man stride into the cantina. "Some Politico with underhanded dealing in the criminal world no doubt" he thought "won't last long on Nar Shadaa dressed like that, practically screams rob me" as he was thinking this his attention turned back to his new acquaintance [member="Eladia Alken"]. As he did so something about the stranger caught his attention, the mans demeanor seemed to change as [member="Dr. Cage Freeland III"] reached into his jacket, now the strangers eyes had locked onto something, or someone, just behind Eladia, at same instant the strangers hands grasped something beneath his jacket. [member="Dr. Cage Freeland III"] hands profiled under jacket. "Gun" Keanu mouthed. The man drew in a flash, Keanu leapt forward attempting to grab [member="Eladia Alken"] in a full body hug, almost tackle, twisting around to pull her off the stool to the floor sheilding her from blaster fire. Luckily it wasn't intended for them. Keanu considered drawing and blowing a hole in the man , and at one time he would have, but his years had taught him better than to pick a fight with an unknown (especially on Nar Shadaa). Instead he decided discretion was the better path, "Keep your head down and let's get out of here he murmured to Eladia".

 

[Dr. Cage Freeland III]

About to take a sip of the whisky he was brought, hoping it was even remotely descent, he heard a woman’s voice next to him, “You really couldn’t have waited till he had left the bar? You are really messing with the atmosphere in her buddy.” Having paid no attention to anyone else in the cantina before now, Cage looked next to him, then down, and saw a young woman on the floor, partially covered up by a man who had… tackled her? Then the man whispered, “Keep your head down and let’s get out of here”.

Normally the sarcasm in the woman’s voice wouldn’t have registered with him, but this wasn’t normally. He’d just had another successful assassination, and the thrill was in him, for now. He never felt more alive than after saving someone’s life, or taking it. And feeling alive did wonders for his mood, he was feeling uncharacteristically amicable.

With a slight smirk he responded to the woman, “I’d say a little excitement has done the place some good. So, do you always lay on the floor while at the cantina?”

Not waiting for an answer, he motioned for the bar tender to pour two more glasses of his whisky. Then he looked down at the two and gestured toward the glasses, “Drink up, it’s on me. I only came here for the body in the far corner.”

[member="Eladia Alken"] [member="Keanu Shan"]

 

[Keanu Shan]

Keanu stood, helping Eladia up. "Sorry bout that, thought maybe he was fixing to shoot you". He took her hand if she allowed it and led the way towards the door. "And you there, hot shot!" He remarked over his shoulder at [member="Dr. Cage Freeland III"] "You're gonna get yourself killed with all that bravado; one of these days your going to whip out your piece in the wrong cantina and they'll be scraping you off the floor with a shovel". "Lets go Eladia". Keanu continued towards the door staying alert just in case the killer turned sour. His right hand rested lightly on the grip of his massive holstered hand cannon. "Must be psychotic to be so cheery and nonchalant about murder" he thought "then again maybe the man in the corner was some mass murderer who had kill a family member of the stranger" doubtful. At any rate it was none of his business and, on Nar Shadaa, if you were wanted to survive you kept to yourself.

[member="Eladia Alken"]

 

[Eladia Alken]

Everything happened so quickly that it took a few seconds for Eladia to realize she was on the floor with Keanu on top of her. He stood and helped her up, she sat down on her chair and rubbed a bump on the back of her head that started to form. Eladia smiled a thank you at Keanu and turned back to the killer, "You know, I try not to make a habit of it, but when people shoot up the place I make an exception."

At this point Keanu was leading her towards the door, she stopped and slid her hand out of his. "Wait, this man may be crazy but he is offering us a free glass of very expensive whisky, why turn that down?" She said as she walked back to the bar. Eladia had spent so much of her life playing it safe, she didn't want to do that anymore.

She addressed the psychotic man again, "So, do you always shoot up old men when at a cantina?"

[member="Keanu Shan"] [member="Dr. Cage Freeland III"]

 

[Dr. Cage Freeland III]

In answer to his own rhetorical question, the woman said, “You know, I try not to make a habit of it, but when people shoot up the place I make an exception.” Cage smirked.

As the man began to lead the younger woman from the cantina, he yelled over his shoulder to Cage, “And you there, hot shot! You’re gonna get yourself killed with all that bravado; one of these days you’re going to whip out your piece in the wrong cantina and they’ll be scraping you off the floor with a shovel.”

Cage watched as the woman slid her hand from the man and made a good point about expensive whisky, Cage chuckled to himself with the thought that someone considered this whisky truly expensive. “So, do you always shoot up old men when at a cantina?” she asked.

Intrigued by the situation he quickly studied the two cantina companions. The man… grizzled, weathered, looked like he’d seen better days. Cautious, protective about the younger woman. A commander’s wings on the collar. Clearly a worn-out military pilot, he thought.

The younger woman was much less cautious. Perhaps, naïve, or, just looking for excitement and adventure like himself. His eyes moved to her strange, modified blaster. A freelance mechanic of some kind, he wondered. Maybe she was working for this man, or about to start. Or maybe she just found the blaster.

“It’s been known to happen. It’s not an uncommon fate for slavers and criminals” he responded to the woman as he glanced over his shoulder toward the carcass.

Turning toward the man, he said, “thanks for the advice, but I’m well aware of the danger. I like to live… excitingly, it’s the only way to feel like you’re living.”

Just maybe, these two could be useful. If they were who he thought they might be.

Addressing both, he said businesslike, “I’m Dr. Cage Freeland III, interesting to meet your acquaintances. You both look like you could use a drink” he said as he tapped the bar next to him, “but, if I’m not mistaken, you also look like you could use a large influx of credits. A… job?”

His mind went to the partially encrypted data chip he’d found on the slaver’s friend. He’d been able to see the video it held, but not much more, importantly, he couldn’t locate the encrypted coordinates. Plus, from what the video showed, even he had to admit he needed a more skilled combat pilot than the autopilot on his customized yacht. He also didn’t want to use the yacht – not for this kind of job.

[member="Eladia Alken"] [member="Keanu Shan"]

 

[Keanu Shan]

[member="Dr. Cage Freeland III"] and [member="Eladia Alken"] had a point. He did need a drink, and besides "who am I to hold the moral high ground " he thought as he remembered the time he had been a hired gun for a Sith Lord, not exactly righteous . As a mental battle waged he heard the words "credits" and "a job", now Cage had his full attention. Despite personal differences a client is still a client, which means credits. If his clothes and behavior were much indication, [member="Dr. Cage Freeland III"] was probably loaded with credits. At this point in his life Keanu couldn't afford turning down a decent job. "Go ahead I'm listening" he said as he turned and sidled up to the bar again. He accepted the drink from the bar tender and sipped at it. This was the good stuff, it had been a while since he had tasted anything this expensive. Keanu had a sudden flashback to a military ball getting drunk on the Champagne because he didn't drink. Simpler times, now the bottle was too close a friend "I didn't even like the taste back then". Keanu pushed these thoughts out of his mind, there was a job up for grabs and he was all ears.

 

[Kendall Ginn]

The Cantina entrance opened and those that looked would see a Weequay rush in, clearly in desperation to get off the street. He ducked around the side of the entrance as there was a audible ruckus outside. The Weequay was bruised and battered, not enough for serious injury but enough to show he was outmatched in whatever aggression he had just involved him self with. He stood holding his breath by the door until the noise outside seem to drift away for the most part, and he let out a relieved sigh. Finally calmed Kendall looked around the cantina he rushed into. "No one can take a joke 'round here eh?" After that comment he noticed the corpse sitting in the corner, aswell as plastered on the wall behind it, he turned back toward the bar stepping away from the wall. "What's going on here then?"

 

[Eladia Alken]

Eladia smiled and took the drink from Dr. Freeland, "Nice to meet you, I'm Eladia. I must say that you are one twisted doctor my friend." she gestured to the corpse as she spoke. Now that everything had settled down she could get a good look at her second new acquaintance of the day. He was most certainly wealthy, she could tell just by the type of stitching on his suit jacket (an unfortunately useless skill she acquired in her youth). The doctor also seemed a little off his rocker, which she found entertaining, she was the same way.

"So tell us more about this job." She said to the doctor.

As she took a sip from her glass a Weequay busted through the door. Eladia smirked to herself, the Weequay were one of the few species she couldn't communicate with, in their native language that is. That always annoyed her in her studies, but that was a thought for another time.

The Weequay asked, "What's going on here then?" as he walked up to the bar.

Eladia responded, "Oh just your average Nar Shadaa cantina excitement."

[member="Kendall Ginn"] [member="Keanu Shan"] [member="Dr. Cage Freeland III"]

 

[Dr. Cage Freeland III]

[SIZE=12pt]The man, and younger woman, who both remained unidentified, took his whisky and his job offering. Though, the woman did say he was twisted, for a doctor -- then again, he couldn't disagree.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]A weequay, who looked like he’d just gotten out of the wrong end of a fight entered the cantina and asked what was going on. Before Cage could respond, the woman said, “Oh just your average Nar Shadaa cantina excitement.”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]Cage quickly examined the weequay and although he appeared to have just gotten out of the wrong end of a scuffle, he also knew that weequay made for particularly good bodyguards and bounty hunters – which could be very useful. Plus, he had gotten out of the fight alive, after all. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]“Yes” Cage remarked, “nothing particularly unusual for this lowly planet.” He then placed two thousand credits on the bar, “Barkeep, I don’t imagine you’d have any trouble pouring another glass of whisky, and then closing up for the day?”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]The barkeep, looking longing at the credits, swiftly nodded and ushered the mostly drunken patrons out. Once they were gone, Cage walked over to the door and locked it. “This is your average day in a Nar Shadaa cantina” he said toward the weequay, “but I assure you, I’m not offering an average job, if you choose to accept it”, then he gestured toward the newly poured whisky. [/SIZE]

[member="Kendall Ginn"] [member="Eladia Alken"] [member="Keanu Shan"]

 

[Kendall Ginn]

Kendall noted the three people sitting at the bar, a woman and two men, one of which is far more dressed up than to be expected in these parts. There was a tenseness in the group, possibly emanating from the corpse in the corner. The woman turns in response to his question and answers with "Just you're average Nar Shadaa cantina excitement." Kendall snickers at the comment, he was never one to shrug off a dead body, but that said to him he wasn't getting a straight answer. walking further into the bar, Kendall watched the well dressed fella pay off the barkeep to close up, the man then continued to the door meaning to lock it.

" I think the keep is meant to lock it up aye?" He absentmindedly remarks as the entrance is shut and locked. "guess that's alright." Kendall walks toward the bar as the man continues, speaking of a job, making it sound extraordinary, and Kendall was able to calm himself from the thought he was about to be murdered, and sat. " We-hell, what have I stumbled across here? Lets see what you've got fancy man. Kendall Ginn by the way."
The weequay sits with a seat between him and the woman, picking up the glass of whiskey and inquisitively turned toward his apparent new employer.

 

[Keanu Shan]

[member="Eladia Alken"] certainly was a cool customer, where Keanu was getting more and more on edge with every word that came out of the mouth of [member="Dr. Cage Freeland III"] , she seemed to become more friendly and sociable. No, that wasn't it it was it he was just...... A weequay barged into the cantina interrupting his train of thought mid-stream. Keanu chuckled at Eladia's quip about the normality of the situation. "Ok, I think he mean's business" he noted to Eladia when Cage layed out 2000 credits for the bartender.

The last of the patrons filed out the door, Cage locking it behind them. Kendall Ginn, he noted, was the name the Weequay had given, interesting; Keanu had heard once that Weequay usually give themselves only one name around foreigners, probably not from a traditional family then. No matter, didn't make a difference right now. [member="Kendall Ginn"] sat down between him and Eladia Alken at which Keanu immediately rose from his seat, giving Kendall a good natured slap on the back "Welcome to the circus, friend" he said somewhat sarcastically to the seated weequay as he began slowly pacing the room. Keanu almost made a snide remark to Cage but remembered the 2000 credits he had handed out to the barkeep, with seemingly no regard for the quantity. "He must be loaded" thought Keanu. "Listen" he silently told himself as he paced nervously, "you're on edge like an alley-cat loaded on spice". Once again Keanu turned his full attention to Cage; stopping ,hands on hips listening to his offer, hoping they wouldn't be interrupted this time.