Private Shady Business Under the Twin Suns

[Jessa Haran]

Location: Cantina, Mos Eisley​

Outfit: xxx​

Tag: Judah Lesan​

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Jessa's small ship set down in the desert of Mos Eisley.​

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As she stepped down the ramp, the heat was oppressive... but it felt good to be under the twin suns. For the past several weeks, she'd been working to restore an enclave on Abra -- most of it was underground. It was tranquil there, but she'd forgotten just how much most beings needed light. She'd need to do something about that. Dressed in breezy linen, she fit the Mos Eisley aesthetic easily enough. With her rucksack, she'd look like any other traveler. However, she wasn't here to see the sights...​

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"I hope I'm not forgetting anything," Jessa muttered to herself, questioning that blank space inside her head.​

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She'd easily have forgotten her lightsaber if it wasn't... Jessa reached down to pat where her saber would normally be clipped to her belt. "Ah." After ducking back into the ship, she attached her saber to the small of her back, where it would be concealed beneath the folds of her tawny robe. Today, she'd arranged to meet a fellow master to conduct some... Jedi business.​

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And where better to start than at a cantina?​

A short walk brought her to the hustle and bustle of Mos Eisley. Jessa strolled with a pleasant smile on her face and entered the cantina with a content sigh. Weaving her way through the crowd, she found an empty table in the shadows. Ah, yes, the perfect place for a hushed conversation. Jessa had a seat and waved down a passing server. "A glass of blue milk, if you please," she said. Now, she only needed to wait for her drink -- and her companion.​

 

[Judah Lesan]

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Wearing: xxx
Weapons: xxx x2
Tag: Jessa Haran

"Blue milk," Judah asked as he slid onto the seat across from the woman he waa supposed to meet.

It was interesting to see what other Jedi decided to drink. For some it was tea, others it was something hard and stiff. For this one it seemed to be a blue milk.

"Merlot, LeStar Winery if you have it."

For Judah he was always curious to how many places had been carrying the wine which came from the vineyard he and his wife had purchased when Judah attempted to retire after the destruction of Corellia. Retirement had not lasted long, and it ultimately led to tension between him and Katara. There had been so many regrets which Judah still carried, and some still felt as strong as they did at her funeral.

His eyes looked ahead, trying to get a read on the blonde in front of him. She was a new acquaintance. They had never met before, and yet somehow they found themselves working together on some "Jedi Business." Her message and where to meet had been interesting, curious, and laced with a little bit of a vibe that she seemed to enjoy life. As Judah took her in, her appearance seemed to fit his initial impression.

He waited for the wine glass to be set in front of him. Picking it up he swirled it in the glass for a bit, smelled it, and took a small taste. A satisfied sigh escaped his lips as he sat the tumbler back on the table.

"That's mine…"

Judah smiled and looked at the milk.

"Yours taste good?"

He smirked.

 

[Jessa Haran]

Location: Cantina, Mos Eisley​

Outfit: xxx​

Tag: Judah Lesan​

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As soon as Jessa ordred, she found the seat opposite her occupied. Her smile grew, and she offered the man – Judah – a polite cant of her head. She didn't need to guess that this was indeed the Jedi Master she'd arranged to meet; she could feel it. The man carried quite an aura; it was strong. But Jessa did not pry because that would have been rude.​

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"Merlot," she echoed, just as he had done.​

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Perhaps, more than their senses in the force, their tastes in beverages said quite a lot. To Jessa, wine spoke of one that enjoyed a bit of luxury. And like her, blue milk was rather unassuming and benign.​

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The comment about the wine being 'his' went over her head, but the satisfied sigh did not. Jessa, too, had brought her cup up for a sip. She dabbed her mouth with a napkin before replying. "Very good," she affirmed. "Quite refreshing, actually. And you won't find a fresher blue milk than here on Tatooine." Right from the bantha's... well, Jessa was sure he'd understand.​

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"Thanks for coming," Jessa said, before she could stop herself – as though there might have been doubt he'd take her up on the mission. She was a nobody when it came to the various Jedi councils and orders. A lone Jedi like Jessa had few opportunities to team up. But lately, she'd recognized the importance of making connections.​

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"Well, why don't we get down to it?" Jessa offered an amiable smile. "Certain rumors have been circulating..." She trailed off as a waiter passed by and continued once they'd been left alone again, "about a merchant in this area selling most curious wares. Jedi artifacts." Jessa took another sip of her blue milk. "I've heard that he's even got a holocron. Of course, we'll need to verify that these are indeed real... if they exist... if we can find him." There were a lot of 'ifs,' but Jessa stopped herself before she could continue rambling.​

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[Judah Lesan]

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Wearing: xxx
Weapons: xxx x2
Tag: Jessa Haran

Judah could appreciate a woman who got right down to business. There was no guessing with that. Direct communication was better than what most gave, so when he could find someone that did not want to waste time and get right to the point of the meeting, Judah was happy. That did not mean he was going to be any less himself, especially with a Jedi as pretty as the one across the table from him. The blue milk thing was odd, but Judah had his own odd bits about him as well.

He nodded at her thanks.

“You did a pretty good job of making it sound interesting, and something that you needed a shadow for, so here I am.”

What Judah did not say was he would welcome any distraction from his current assignment. The New Way bombing was something which had led him to what seemed to be a much larger investigation. That one would take time, and he knew he was chasing a case which would unfold as it did and not at any pace the Jedi could manipulate. When he was younger, Judah would have been frustrated and impatient, but age had given him the wisdom to understand that patience and time would often reveal the crucial piece of evidence he needed to solve everything.

He just needed to find the right strand to pull that would unravel the tangled mess he had been staring at for far too long.

“Any thoughts on how you wanted to approach this? We could break in and steal it. Go undercover and pose as buyers. Knock and ask him nicely if he would give it up…”

So the last comment was sarcastic, but Judah liked to have fun when he was working. His sense of humor was not diminished in any capacity. He knew when to be serious at least, even if there were moments he missed, Judah generally knew when to curb the jokes.

“The finding him part is my job. It’s why you needed a shadow on the job. There are some things we can do to track this guy down provided you have a place to start looking. Maybe we start with where these rumors of yours began. They have a source, and I think I need to talk to that source.”

Judah finally sipped his wine again as he sat back in his seat. He studied the woman for a bit, to see how she would react to him.

 

[Jessa Haran]

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Location: Cantina, Mos Eisley
Outfit: xxx
Tag: Judah Lesan

Thoughts? Jessa's eyebrows went up.

Yes, this was exactly why she'd asked for help. She was terrible about things like plans, it required anticipation and expectation, both of which she liked to ignore completely and live solely in the moment.

"I knew you'd make a good addition to the mission," she said, smiling. She steepled her hands and leaned forward slightly. "You're right, we'll hunt down the source."

Then, she leaned back in her chair for a moment and gave Judah a once-over. Now that they had an idea of where to start, Jessa wondered if they'd need some sort of story. He'd mentioned going undercover as buyers, which would put them in a good position to get information.

"So, you're older than I am... might we make for a good father and daughter team?" she asked before she really thought about it. Then, she blinked a couple of times. "Ah, so maybe you're not that much older than I am, really..." A brief pause. "Brother and sister? We might actually pass for siblings. Or..."

Jessa canted her head to the side.

"Husband and wife?" She cleared her throat. "Don't worry, I'm quite old-fashioned when it comes to the code, if you know what I mean." A sheepish smile formed on her face.​

 

[Judah Lesan]

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Wearing: xxx
Weapons: xxx x2
Tag: Jessa Haran

Older? Sure, Judah was older than many of the Jedi he worked with these days more than he was younger than them. When she suggested he could be her father something did not set right with that. Was Judah really that old, or did he look that old anyway? He shook his head, but the blonde seemed to quickly recover. They could pose as siblings…

“Married… you must like older men,” he said with a wink and chuckle.

Was Judah flirting? The usual answer to the question was yes. She was pretty, but also plain. A small sigh could be heard, but not because he was against the proposal. The idea came with the reminder that he had not followed the traditional ways of the Jedi code. Judah had been married, and his wife was no longer living.

“I have been married.”

Judah glanced away from his glass.

“Katara Starkos. A Corellian redhead who was constantly going Mach-10 with her hair on fire. I have two sons. She passed away.”

He looked back up and sipped his wine. Was he avoiding an answer? Not really. Judah simply wanted the woman to know that they were about as opposite as each other in that regard.

“If you want to pose as such, I promise not to take advantage of that, or have too much fun.”

Back to his old self in no time.

“Not sure anyone would think we are buyers though, not dressed the way we are. We’re going to need new clothes, and I still want to talk to this source of yours. How did you hear about this?”

 

[Jessa Haran]

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Tag: Judah Lesan​

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Jessa almost choked on her blue milk when Judah jested that she must like older men. She held a hand up to keep from coughing on him. By the force, she'd never ever anticipated hearing those words.

Though, the playful light in the man's eyes seemed to dim as he continued.

Ah, so he'd been married before. Past tense. Jessa wasn't always the quickest to pick up on these things, but even she caught that. Judah's eyes were now someplace distant – perhaps the past. She listened, already getting a feel for this Katara Starkos from his brief description. Her own gaze fell to the blue liquid in her mug for a moment when he mentioned that she'd died.

Yes, that was one of the reasons she avoided such attachments. Jessa didn't think she was strong enough for it. The man in front of her, however, did seem to possess that sort of strength. It was easy to see that the loss had left a very evident chip, but he still stood.

"We can put a pin in that," she said, not wanting to make things uncomfortable between them. Jessa, like many times before, ought to have bit her tongue. "For now, yes... we ought to find something to fit in."

Jessa downed the rest of her blue milk, which left her feeling a bit too full.

"We should hit up the bazaar." Jessa smiled and settled the bill. "We're looking for a man called Shazbetimalu... Shaz for short. He's a squat and balding and bearded." She continued out of the cantina and into the heat of the twin suns. "Everyone says he's the loudest. I daresay, we can't miss him."

 

[Judah Lesan]

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Wearing: xxx
Weapons: xxx x2
Tag: Jessa Haran

Putting a pin in how they would pose, or the conversation? Judah was no longer uncomfortable talking about Katara’s death. The depression it had sent him in had worn off for the most part. Sure, he still fought the sadness which came from thinking about her, and the pain of her loss still stung. Judah supposed it always would, but the Jedi no longer seemed to have a death wish. He smiled as the topic changed, however. It seemed she would go with his initial plan of finding the source first at any rate.

“Loud mouths… they don’t always have reliable information,” Judah said as he stood and started to make his way to the door.

If they needed to head to the bazaar there was no time to waste. Without any thought, Judah set enough credits on the table to cover both of their drinks, and leave a nice tip for the service. Whether he was actually flirting or not, or even if it was not a date, Judah never let a lady pay for her own if he could help it. She may take offense, but Judah refused to be anyone other than who he was.

“Are you sure we can trust the information?”

The implication in Judah’s tone was they could not. He still wanted to meet him, but the source would be just as likely to stab them in the back as he would be to help them. This was the part of the job that was certainly his expertise. This was why she needed a shadow. If the man was lying at least Judah would be able to sus it out, though he would prefer things to be easy and smooth on the outset of the mission.

Fortunately they were not far from the bustle of business, and considering it was prime foot traffic, they were guaranteed to find who they were looking for. Judah listened for the loud one. He would likely be the one drawing a crowd or turning them all away because of his brash nature. Judah suspected that based on his description that he would likely be driving the customers away. Offensive speech then.

He closed his eyes for a minute, taking Jessa’s hand to keep her from getting too far ahead of him.

Judah was listening.

“This way,” he finally said as he moved toward the center of the bazaar. "He is not far from here.”