First Reply Shadows in the Dark

[Kyyrk]

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S E A R C H​

No one knew why the Lord Commander had left Confederate space. His destination was nowhere significant. Just a trip to Nar Shaddaa. The planet where people go to disappear. It'd been some time since Voph last visited. His hood was drawn low over his face as he moved through the dingy streets, seeming to melt into the shadows whenever he drew far enough away from the gaudy neon lights that covered the metal exterior of the planet. For all intents and purposes, the man seemed to be trying to disappear himself. At the very least, he was certainly doing his best to avoid being followed. Or was he simply making sure only a select individual was following?​

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His arrival to Nar Shaddaa had been discreet, heralded only by the arrival of a commercial freighter that had departed from Rishi. Voph couldn't explain why, but the Force was calling him to this planet. For a moment, Voph wondered if his old residence still wound through the skylanes of Nar Shadda. But he doubted it. Decay and entropy had likely claimed it, even if it hadn't been sold. But it didn't matter. For that was not where the Force intended to send him. Whatever awaited him here, it was down below. Down where the gangs ran rampant. But Voph wasn't quite ready to make the final leap.​

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Nearby the space port, he paused at an open street bar. Not quite the Red Light Sector, but beings were certainly gathered to celebrate. The crowd was substantial, and a good number were turning to look at the newcomer in their midst. Voph made no secret of who he was. The obsidian colored robes and armor clearly marking him as someone with the means to afford impressive tools, and the lightsabers hanging from his waist indicating he was a Jedi. Or something similar, in any case. Voph paused near a table, and ordered a drink. As he waited, he began reviewing his own history with the planet. Surely the Force drew him here to recover something. But what? And why did he feel the need to wait at the bar? Only time would tell...​

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Tags: Open to the first person to jump in!​

 

[Rabbit]

It did not take Rabbit long to decide that she did not like Narr Shaddaa whatsoever. It didn’t help that she had been kicked off of her last hitchhike here, with no real idea of where she was going. What she was doing. How she was going to leave. Of course, that seemed like the usual story, these days. She could never keep a traveling partner for more than a stop or two, and her funds were very quickly drying up. She never had much to begin with anyway, and all of these constant stops were getting her nowhere. Uncle Salvin had been right. She was hopeless out here.

Her arm was acting up again. Feeling drained and defeated, she had no choice but to lean against a wall, turn off the prosthetic, and slide it off of her body. What was the problem now? Looked like one of her joints was bending. Easy enough fix, but still tedious. Careful with her one hand, she used a pair of pliers to try and get the joint back into the right shape. Temporary fix. At least, that’s what she told herself. The truth was that if she kept spending all of her credits on traveling, then she wasn’t going to be able to afford enough scrap parts to keep herself functioning. A scary thought, but a real danger she had to consider with every movement, and every breath.

Once her arm was as good as it was going to get, she slipped it back onto herself. Turned it on. Felt the sting of electricity as the arm came back to life, kicking and screaming. What was she going to do, now? Wander the moon until she rusted away? She had to do something. There was an open bar, nearby. Maybe. . .

She nervously approached the crowd of people, pushing her way through it to the front of the bar. She didn’t have many credits, but she could get something, right? While she ordered a non-alcoholic drink, her eyes swept the crowd. And found one man in particular. In a cloak and robe, separate from everyone else. She found her gaze drawn to him, studying him. What was it about it him? He seemed so different from everyone else. But why. . .

And then she saw it. The lightsabers hanging from his belt. A Jedi. He was a Jedi. A man of authority. She took her drink in hand, sipped from it, and approached.

“Excuse me, sir. I don’t mean to bother you, but are you a Jedi? I couldn’t help but notice the uh. You know. Lightsabers.”

Kyyrk

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[Kyyrk]

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S E A R C H​

Voph looked at the girl before him for a moment. Jedi. Voph's eyes were imperceptible under the hood, so the girl couldn't see that he didn't have any. Nor could she see the blindfold that covered where they were supposed to be. "No, child." Voph's voice was soft, but a highly distinct, crisp Imperial accent issued forth. Child seemed a bit...off putting, as he couldn't be more than a decade older than Rabbit. But...there was something about him. Something that made one's instinct wary of him. Something more than meets the eye.​

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Voph looked down at his drink for a moment, before lifting it to his lips for a swig. "The Jedi and I haven't seen eye to eye on much since the war. Not that we saw eye to eye on much before the war either." Voph shrugged, looking back at the young cyborg before him. He wasn't sure if this was who he was meant to meet, or why, but...there was something about her. "I am but a warrior from days long past, still fighting the good fight. A teacher of sorts. To those that seek my knowledge. Few and far between they may be. But tell me, little one..." This seemed to be a comment to the girl's stature compared to Voph's two meters of titanic physicality, in spite of her own impressive stature. "What can I do for you?"​

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Rabbit

 

[Rabbit]

Turns out, this guy was a lot more intimidating than she had first realized. For one thing, he was taller than her. A lot taller, and she couldn’t see under his hood, which was really off putting. It made her a bit nervous. But not nervous enough to back down, or go away, or anything like that.

She had absolutely no idea what war he could be talking about. She knew that wars happened off of Raxus in the wider galaxy, but as to what they were over, who fought them, and especially who won. From what he was saying, it almost sounded like he fought the Jedi. Or at least separated with them after whatever war he was talking about.

That stuff about being a teacher, though, that was what really excited her. It sounded a lot like how Uncle Salvin had described the Jedi to her growing up. Someone to turn to for help. And in this place, she needed some damned help, even if it was from the single most intimidating man she had ever met in her entire life.

“Well, sorry for calling you a Jedi, I guess. I just need some help, and my uncle used to tell me that Jedi would help people. I’m really far from home, and I don’t have any way to travel anymore, or anywhere to go, and I’m about to run out of parts.”

She gestured to her arm and side.

“It’s patchwork. Pretty much nothing but patches at this point. Do you. . . know where I can find work? I’m a mechanic, and a salvager. I can pay you, a finders fee. Not. . . now, of course. But after I have something?”



Kyyrk
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[Kyyrk]

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Q U E S T I O N​

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Voph sat emotionless as ever when the girl spoke of her uncle. Far from home. The Jedi would help. He smiled grimly at the notion, and put his mug back on the table. He leaned forward, and gestured her closer, clearly looking at the arm she indicated. His arm remained out stretched to help with his inspection of the prosthetic. "Patchwork might be generous, looking at it. But...your claim of being a mechanic has some merit. Seems to be in good condition for using salvaged parts. Not even something I'd be able to best you on. Unless, of course, you just needed more hands than your one good one."​

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Voph leaned back in his chair again, and took another gulp from his drink. "Your uncle is half right. Most Jedi do help people. And there are some like me that also make a point of helping people. Even if I'm not a Jedi. As for on this planet? I only know of one place you could find work. And that would take some thought and consideration." She was a mechanic. Exactly what he needed to back him up. Voph hunched forward over the table and gestured to the seat across from him. A silent invitation for her to sit.​

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"I have a job of my own to do here. My own purposes, no one else's. As it stands, I could use some help. And a second set of mechanically inclined hands would go a long way." Voph withdrew something from his belt, and set it on the table. It was small enough that Rabbit wouldn't be able to see the item under his armored gauntlet. "There are a few conditions. I have the feeling you'll agree to them, but I offer them to you for consideration all the same. What I am about to ask of you is both dangerous and...not exactly legal. Not that such a thing is uncommon around Nar Shaddaa, but some people have strong moral compasses. Additionally, I ask your complete silence about what is about to transpire, should you agree to help. If you are willing to take that risk, and can keep what you see to yourself, then we can come to a deal. In return, I can offer you this." Voph pushed his armored gauntlet towards Rabbit, and withdrew his hand to reveal a Credit Chit worth one million units. "What say you?"​

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Rabbit

 

[Rabbit]

Oh. He was good with words, too. He was the first person to compliment her cybernetics since she had left Raxus Prime, and she hadn't realized how badly she needed that confidence boost. As far as she was concerned, her arm and organ patches were miracles of engineering, assembled from whatever salvage she could get her hands on. It was a miracle from the Force that she had lived for as long as she did. The maintenance required on her parts just to keep herself alive was daily, and sometimes multiple times a day. It felt good to have her efforts acknowledged, when most glanced at her and decided that they were trash and not worth their weight in credits.

She had a wide grin on her face as she took the offered seat, listening to him raptly. She needed to hear more about the galaxy, and understand it. To know about this wild and dangerous environment, and this man seemed like the most apt teacher she had come across since leaving her home. Part of her hoped she could learn more from him, because hell, he sure seemed like he knew what he was doing, and at the very least more than she did.

"I don't mind danger, mister. I didn't lose my arm sitting around being safe." She chuckled at her own joke. "And I don't mind breaking the law. The law on Raxus never helped me, so why should I help it? As far as I'm concerned, laws are meant to be broken if they need to be. So no, I don't mind breaking the law. And I can keep a secret. Whatever it is you're about to tell me to do, it shall stay between-"

Her jaw practically hit the table as he showed off that Credit Chit, her eyes bugging out of her head. She had never had more than a thousand credits to her name, and this guy was just waving around a million?!

"Are you serious?!" Her voice was a strangled whisper, trying to act on her promise to be discreet. "I can't accept that! I-I've never even imagined that much money before!"




Kyyrk

 

[Kyyrk]

Voph arched a brow at the girl. Couldn't take it? "Call it hazard pay. Don't ask why hazard pay is this much for a job like this. Just know that I warned you: it will be dangerous."

Voph pushed the credit chit the rest of the way towards Rabbit, and leaned back in his chair. Another gulp of his drink disappeared. "I'm here to steal something. And the nature of this particular item, and where it resides, requires a certain amount of mechanical understanding. I've tracked the lead as far as Shadow Town, where a Sky Mansion has been reportedly sighted. It's proven difficult to track from anywhere except that region, leading me to believe it doesn't want to be found."

Voph canted his head to the side slightly. "I intend to find it, board it, and steal something that someone might argue rightfully belongs to me. Your assistance would prove invaluable, but I must know that you are able to keep silent. If the current owner discovers that his prize possession is missing, and that I am in any way connected, it could end...Poorly."

Rabbit

 

[Rabbit]

Hazard pay, huh? Well, for a reward that high, she had little doubt that it was going to be dangerous. In the holos, that was the type of money they paid the heroes for jobs so dangerous no one else would even think about taking it. She didn't answer immediately, thinking about it. She wasn't a merc, she wasn't a scoundrel, or a soldier, or a hero. She was a scavenger from a literal trash heap, hitchhiking planet to planet, searching for adventure. But could she handle the adventure? Could she handle the danger? She pursed her lips, and glanced down at her arm, thinking about the patchwork parts inside of her body. The real question was, could she afford not to take this man up on his offer.

Her mind made up, she leaned forward, nervously tapping her prosthetic fingers on the table.

"I'm a salvaged dying cyborg from a world covered in hundreds of meters of garbage. You're one of the only people that have given me more than a fleeting glance or a pity ride to the next dump. You're offering me work. Advice. I'll keep this secret to my grave, mister. You got nothing to fear from me."




Kyyrk

 

[Kyyrk]

A C T​

Voph chuckled softly as he drained the rest of his drink, and set a chit on the table to pay for it. "It's not me I'm worried about. I'm already in this mess. The secret keeping is for your benefit. Come, we'd best get to work." Voph didn't wait for the younger girl, instead striking off into the dimly lit streets. His speeder was nearby. The plan was to take it into Shadow Town, and find the trail of the Sky Mansion. Easy, right? As the pair of them walked, Voph told the girl more of their plan and purpose.​

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"You can call me Voph, by the way. Just Voph, no titles or surnames. The people we're about to steal from are...old friends, shall we say. Or at least their leader is. No idea who she has working for her now. But, she's clever. Crafty. Always a step ahead of whoever she's opposed to. Worked out good in the old days, but now that we're not on the same side anymore..."​

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Rabbit ​