On The Plains Of Chandrila

[Adelle Bastiel]

"Eyes up. We can't leave here without a contract for a grain separator, and folks here like to take Outer Rim bumpkins for a ride."

Adelle snorted as she strapped her DL-44 to her hip. "You forget I'm from a Core world."


Well, it had been a while since she'd been back to the Core but still. She threw a white jacket over her worn tank, attempting to hide some of the scars. If possible, she'd like to avoid drawing attention. Her palm mashed the button to the loaned freighter's ramp as Na'an joined her, the slight woman bouncing on her feet.

"Hm. Leigh, remind me, what are the safety protocols for this ship in the event of theft?"

Na'an's question caught her off-guard. Adelle checked their surroundings in the Force and discovered the presences of other beings. She walked down the ramp and looked around, the breeze ruffling her hair. Not terribly far off sat another landed ship, with a small group of people clustered around its landing gear.

"Think someone should stay behind?" she called back up.

 

[LE-03 (Leigh)]

Leigh was checking her cannon again, in response to [member="Adelle Bastiel"]'s question. While her simulated voice remained casual, she had already dedicated a portion of her processing power to observation and analysis. Four unknown beings, with enough presence in the Force to attract her partners' attention. While none of the party seemed to be paying the light freighter half a click from them any mind, both Adelle and [member="Vidalu Na'an"] had made a point to check their arms. She scanned through a few other pieces of data--No direct experience with Chandrila, approximate weight of GTZ-model grain separators, flightspeed of HWK-1000 freighters from cold start--before responding.

"I believe that will be unnecessary. Our vessel is a common model, with no valuable freight to attract anyone. In addition, one of us will be required to lift the freight once acquired, leaving the second unsupported should someone stay in the ship."

She set her cannon to its concussive setting, noting light hum that came with the switchover. If no one was acting in a hostile manner, there would be no reason to arm herself excessively.

 

[Adelle Bastiel]

Leigh was right, as usual. Leaving one person behind would short-change them later, even if two of them could use the Force. Adelle ground her teeth and looked at the four beings. Something didn't sit well about it. Two had drawn off a ways, while the other two still loitered at the base.

"Be right back," she said and, without thinking about it any longer, crossed the space between the freighters. It took some time: a week without exercise and a rough night left her more exhausted than she should have been. Maybe she ought to use Na'an's machine more. She stopped about six meters away from the ship, enough so that she could address anyone present without getting up close and personal.

"Excuse me!" she called. "Whose ship is this?"

 

[Mike V'Trechen]

Mike saw that a healer ([member="Adelle Bastiel"]) asked about his ship, the Scimitar. He turned around and was scared about if she is planning to steal it. He slowly walked over.

"Hi," said Mike. "That is my ship. I would appreciate it if you do not touch it. What do you need?"

 

[Kelsie Sylvan]

Kelsie frowned as she listened to Kahlil as she walked up into their ship. A Sith complicated things. But from what she could tell the Sith didn't know who they were, at least, he didn't know that Kahlil was. "I... don't think so. But I can't be sure. He hasn't made any moves to get closer to us, really. I feel like he's starting to get suspicious, though. We should be careful..."

She paused for a moment, stopping in the hall of her freighter near the cockpit. Her gaze fell upon Kahlil and she watched him closely. "Be honest, do you want to leave? I know this place is nice, but we should try to be safe. And if that means we need to leave, that's fine, but it's your call because if he is a Sith assassin he's probably not here for me."

[member="Kahlil Zambrano"]

 

[Vidalu Na'an]

"What do you mean be righ--"

Before Na'an could even finish. [member="Adelle Bastiel"] was already out the hatch and running across the hills between them and the strangers. The suddenness of the healer's action was a surprise--usually she was the reckless one between the three of them. Adelle had even chastised her for it, more than once. Apparently the cabin fever of a trip from the Outer Rim to the Inner Core had set in more thoroughly than she'd thought.

"Aw, shab," She said, as much to herself as to the droid that was her partner. She shot Leigh an exasperated smirk as she fished her eyepatch--a smooth strip of black fabric that widened just enough to cover her left eye--out of her pants pocket. She slid the patch on and adjusted, slipping the back edge of the strap behind her ear. "I'm going to back her up. Those people out there don't feel friendly, and...well, you know."

Na'an only waited long enough for Leigh to nod in approval, then she was out of the ship herself, bounding easily across the uneven terrain.

"Hey, hey hey!" she called as she approached, braking suddenly only a couple of yards behind her Healer. Adelle had stopped with the apparent owner of the ship that had landed on the crest of opposite hill, a short ginger kid. He didn't look like much, but there was a look in his eye that made Na'an a touch uneasy. "We're not really here for the ship," she continued, flashing a wide grin at the kid to make it clear they were Completely Harmless. "Just dropped in to do some farming negotiations, don't mean any trouble."

As she closed the gap between herself and Bastiel, she prayed that Adelle had picked up the same thing she had.

 

[Adelle Bastiel]

"That is my ship. I would appreciate it if you do not touch it. What do you need?"

Her eyebrows jumped up at that. The kid was a bit touchy, to say the least. At his slow approach, she rested one hand on the grip of her blaster and hooked the thumb of her other hand in the belt. She felt Na'an approach and try to defuse the tension the red-headed boy in front of them was throwing off. Adelle shifted her weight to one side, keeping track of both sentients still outside the ship.

"Forgive me sayin' so, but you don't look like a spacer, kid," she said, gesturing to the YT-1300 behind him. To be honest, he looked like some Sith minion. Maybe his people's culture valued black robes? "But if you are that Corellian freighter's owner, I got a few mechanical questions for your crew."

Adelle nudged Na'an's presence: a confirmation and a reassurance. Trouble usually seemed to find them somehow, someway, but she wasn't one to not calculate the risks before hand.

[member="Vidalu Na'an"] | [member="Kelsie Sylvan"] | [member="Mike V'Trechen"]

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"I'd rather not leave because of the Sith, but at the same time I'd rather keep you safe." Kahlil shook his hands trying to get the nerves out. He was horrified of the idea that the Assassins could have found them both so easily. And with as little skill as he had with.. Well everything he wouldn't be able to keep [member="Kelsie Sylvan"] safe. He nodded slow. It was in their best interest to get out now.

"Let's go."