The Black Sheep Of The Family (SJO - Antarian Rangers)

[WolfMortum]

Benjamin Cassidy stood among the squad of Antarian Rangers he had run into upon his home-world of Drogheda whilst they had been out on a scouting mission. Offering to be their guide, Benjamin had seen an opportunity to steer clear of the law on his home-world.

The authorities had recently been searching for him ever since a particularly bad night in one of his favorite cantina's had gone south. It wasn't the best picture to have displayed on the wall, though he had certainly been in worse positions before. Having served ten years behind bars, Benjamin had no intention of going back there; finding a likeness and sense of familiarity in the attitudes of the fairly well prepared soldiers, it hadn't been difficult to get along with them. While his relationship with authoritarian types still held room for improvement, Benjamin wasn't one to look a gift horse in the mouth.

Having left the Teraab Sector and now landing upon the home-world of the Order of the Silver Jedi, his idea wasn't seeming quite so straight forward. The blokes around him were all decked out in their armors, their gear all looking ever so uniform-like, where as Ben's attire and general getup was much more rugged, messy and well-worn. He certainly wasn't the uniform sort and so with that in mind, he couldn't help but wonder how much else he would find himself opposed with.

When it came to a fight, Benjamin had no trouble throwing down. His two six-shooters remained holstered upon his hips, his faithful rifle slung over one shoulder, both of which he was well accustomed to using. Spending more time out in the wilderness of Drogheda, the rifle saw more use when it came to hunting and providing a living for himself. There were always those that liked to push their luck however and sought to take what wasn't theirs. To say that he had never shot a man dead would have been a lie. To say that he had never shot an innocent man who hadn't had it coming however, was nothing of the sort. He wasn't a bad man, he just didn't like the idea of being told how to live by someone else who'd never walked in his shoes.

Stepping out of the transport shuttle, Benjamin moved in sync with the others as they all made their way to clear the landing zone. Now out in the open and on his own to find his way about the place, he looked to one of the passerby's in the hope of gaining his bearings.

"Hey there mista'" He gave a slight lift of his head in a half nod of acknowledgement, "Who's the bloke in charge around 'ere?".

 

[Thirdas Heavenshield]

His training had ramped up considerably since his becoming a rookie in Task Force Raider, an elite group of men and women within the Rangers organisation. Truth be told, Thirdas didn't care which unit he ended up in as long as he got away from the monotony basic training had to offer; he wanted to test himself, to get out to where the action was! This was not him being overly arrogant or cocky, it was just plain facts that he was outperforming his fellow recruits in most areas. He could run, fight and shoot better than anyone in his class by the end that keeping him around just for the sake of it would have been a complete waste of resources.

That being said, the training regime Task Force Raider demanded of their members were grueling even for a young, perfectly fit Valkyri, and would challenge him to go beyond his physical boundaries. And he'd yet to see any real action at this time, for he had not been chosen to join his fellow Raiders in the attack on the Mandalorians due to his inexperience and not being a full member just yet. It was disappointing, but he understood their reasoning and accepted the decision, hoping he would be ready next opportunity.

Today Thirdas was on leave from his duties, as his personal schedule was no longer booked to the brim like in boot camp and thus was given more freedom and responsibility to keep himself fit for fight. He liked to wander the space ports, watching ships and shuttles from distant worlds come and go and he would sometimes make up a story surrounding a particular vessel, who it carried and where it was going. On this occasion he could not help but notice [member="Benjamin Cassidy"] amongst the arrivals, for he certainly did not look like neither Jedi nor Ranger with that big hat of his.

"I ain't no 'mista'," he replied as the two locked eyes, hands on his hips. "I'm a Ranger, same as these guys." He nodded towards the squad of troopers passing by, seemingly having arrived in the same shuttle as the stranger before him. They did not return his greeting and merely strode past, deflating his proud posture. "...Albeit just a rookie." Soon. Soon he would get there. "As for who's in charge here, well that depends on just what you're referring to. You military or, uh..." he looked him up and down, taking note of his rather well-worn armaments. "...Jedi?"

 

[Allura Kahli]

Captain Kahli strode out toward the shuttle with a lit cigara nestled between her lips. There was no enemy here she needed to concern herself with the rich scent giving her position away. A round, black optical unit rested over her right, pale eye with the faint glow of an electronic readout displayed on it. Dressed in a black overcoat secured across her midsection by three straps and a pair of slacks, Allura's attention appeared to be on the shuttle where the two men stood chatting.

"SAREN, DECLOAK OR I'LL HAVE YOU SCRUBBING THAT SHIP'S EXHAUST FROM DUSK TO DAWN FOR THE NEXT FORTNIGHT." The none too subtle command failed to dislodge the cigara from between Kahli's teeth as she planted her hands upon her hips.

Three seconds later a buzz and ripple followed the appearance of a black garbed six foot tall man. He reached up to remove the helmet before offering the Captain a crisp salute. "Sir, yes, sir. I was only--"

The cigara was torn from her lips in Kahli's right hand as she stormed straight into the man's personal space. "Did I ask for your life's story, Agent? You will stow that equipment, and if I hear anyone even suggest you turned that thing on again on this planet short of it being invaded by Sith Assassins, I will make it impossible for you to sit comfortably for the foreseeable future. Am I understood?"

"Yes, sir. Right away, sir," the response mustered quickly, without a stammer to be heard.

Allura turned her head to watch the man march smartly off as he'd been instructed. By every galactic deity of Death and Destruction. "Recruits," she snorted. Her eyes were then turned forward once more to find the two still standing there not terribly far away, and certainly in ear shot. A toothy grin was her only addendum to the thought before the cigara was secured between her teeth once more.

Benjamin in particular caught the Captain's eye from where she stood. Certainly wasn't dressed in any uniform she was acquainted with among the Silvers. Man certainly looked comfortable in the getup though. Two six-shooters and a rifle ready for a fight. Well, he'd come to the right place. Not that you'd get the Jedi to admit it, but they weren't sitting on their collective arses waiting for the Sith to crush the galaxy. Something Thirdas might related to, no matter how green he might be to some of the soldiers around here. If they could hold their own in a fight, Kahli didn't care how recent they were to 'the cause.' Probably because Kahli wasn't a strong believer in causes, just opportunities to improve her abilities in the field; something a good soldier, in her mind, would understand.

Tag: [member="Benjamin Cassidy"] | [member="Thirdas Heavenshield"]​

 

[WolfMortum]

"S'pose I ain't much of neither" Benjamin replied to [member="Thirdas Heavenshield"] rather casually, seeming to miss the entire point of the Ranger's body language and attempt to show his pride in his station and those he apparently belonged with; "Them friends of yours came from Drogheda" he nodded to the Squad that were presently walking with their backs turned to the two of them, "Gave them a hand getting around, in exchange for a ride off that rock".

"I'm lookin' for work and a bunk, a place to hold up until I get back on my feet" Benjamin explained, and while it sounded all so temporary, he wasn't exactly going places nor parting ways with Kashyyyk any time soon unless it meant a fair wage. He didn't spend much of an effort thinking for the morality behind whatever task would be given to him, providing he could get by comfortably, come and go as he pleased. Not exactly the mind suited to a structured military life, which was no doubt going to be a struggle of his should he see reason to stick around for the long haul.

Compared to Benjamin, this Thirdas was a big feller. Stocky, and built like a brick chit house. No doubt he could hold his own in a fight; from what little he had been told on the way here, there'd been a few of those about lately for the soldiers of Kashyyyk. "You lot work with Jedi then?" he asked, gathering as much from the man's prior question though evidently looking for more whilst pulling out his cigarro pouch and offering Thirdas one in a show of good faith. Hell, if he was gonna be hangin' around, there was no use in getting off to a bad start. "What's the deal with this getup then?" he asked further, finding himself only more intrigued by the notion of soldiers working with the Jedi. As far as he knew, Jedi weren't the type to need or encourage the skills of a hired gun.

Just beyond Thirdas some ways, [member="Allura Kahli"] caught Benjamin's attention. Or rather, the sudden appearance of a bloke roughly his height dropped out of thin air. Some sort of stealth cloak he supposed. Handy things, expensive toys to play with but certainly worth the creds if you had them to burn. Lifting his head in a backwards nod to the woman, Benjamin didn't shy from the greeting of strangers.

 

[Thirdas Heavenshield]

Thirdas met the man's offer of a cigarro with a hesitant shake of his head. "N-no, thanks." While his desire to experience what the galaxy had to offer had driven him this far, his conscious would not allow him to delve into well-known vices. Not yet, anyway. Besides, the smell alone was enough to deter him for now. As for the man's question which soon followed, Thirdas looked to something his mother had once told him.

"Jedi are not an army. They are keepers of the peace, not soldiers. That's where us Rangers come in. All of us are volunteers from worlds under their protection." As well as from without their sphere of influence, such as himself. "I'm Thirdas," he offered his hand in greeting. "Private, Task Force Raider."

Just as introductions were being made however, the loud command of one [member="Allura Kahli"] filled the massive hangar and caused heads to turn her way, including his own. "Captain Kahli, sir!" His stance stiffened into a salute; he'd seen her around before, and had heard of her no-nonsense attitude. She was, at least according to his fellow recruits at the time, a hard-ass. He tried not to maintain eye contact out of respect, although he found her bright white gaze too intriguing to help himself at times. "Was just welcoming a recent arrival, sir."

Slowly he turned to [member="Benjamin Cassidy"] while his stance relaxed a bit. "You wouldn't be looking to join the cause, friend? We could always use good people with good aim."

 

[Allura Kahli]

It was nice to see people hadn't missed the show. Not because the Captain needed the attention, but so everyone knew there was no authorized use of stealth fields on Kashyyyk by Black Ops. Not outside carefully planned exercise sites at least. Didn't need anyone in command getting fidgety about whether they were truly alone in a room planning something secret or not. They should be, because Kahli would happily demonstrate the effectiveness of someone skilled in her trade, but not because people like her were allowed on the planet. Last thing she wanted was some ban against allowing stealth gear to even set foot on the planet, active or not.

Damn politics.

Even the Newcomer managed to say hello in his own way. Quickly followed by the salute of one self-proclaimed rookie of [member="Thirdas Heavenshield"]. After casually acknowledging the salute, the Captain made her way closer to the pair as she was not inclined to shout. Neither one of these men came dangerously close to making her life difficult in ways she did not enjoy, after all.

"Private Heavenshield," Kahli said as she drew near, "I see you have a good eye for talent." A beat later she added, "At ease, Private." Aside from welcoming a new recruit she hadn't intended to be in uniform; the overcoat with its large collar helped keep her gear out of sight. Though her eyes were probably as good a give away of 'Captain' as any rank insignia on dress uniforms.

The Umbaran woman turned her gaze to [member="Benjamin Cassidy"] then. She calmly plucked the cigarra from her lips with her left hand before offering the man her right. "Captain Kahli, Antarian Rangers Special Operations." Nothing like measuring the strength of a good handshake. Benjamin didn't seem the sort to disappoint.

 

[WolfMortum]

All of us are volunteers from worlds under their protection.

Would he have had the time, Benjamin would've questioned the matter of their pay following the notion of these soldiers being 'Volunteers'. Instead, he turned back to look to [member="Allura Kahli"] as Thirdas addressed her by the rank of Captain. You didn't have to be a military man to see that she outranked him, the man had righted his posture so fast, had Benjamin not been there to know they were for the most part on their own, he'd have guessed someone had shoved a stick up the man's hind quarters.

"Benjamin Cassidy" he introduced himself, taking Allura's hand in a firm handshake, his other offering her a tilt of his hat. A little extra charm never hurt with the ladies; Not out of pursuit or anything so indecent, but more the show of manners and that there were some good men about the Galaxy whom still knew how to treat the fairer sex, "Pleasure, Ma'am".

Between [member="Thirdas Heavenshield"] and this Captain Kahli however, they'd both named seemingly different outfits that'd brought due question to mind. "Truth be told, I don't know much about you people" Benjamin began, "Neither do I think I've volunteered for anything in my life free of charge" he turned side on from the Captain, offering the private Heavenshield a glance before turning his eyes upon the others still getting off the transports; "But say I did decide to join yer'...-Yer' not gon' tell me to wear something like that, are you?" Benjamin gestured to the soldiers in uniform with a telling look of skepticism and amusement in his eyes.

 

[Thirdas Heavenshield]

Benjamin. He made a mental note of the name.

"Oh, of course we get paid for our troubles," he explained, able to relax now that the Captain had joined the conversation. "Volunteering just means we all came here willingly, no-one was drafted. We're all just looking to do our part in keeping the galaxy safe, or at least these parts of it." It was a big place after all, and no one faction had ever held control over every single world. Not even centuries ago during the days of the Galactic Empire, or the Republic before that.

"As for the uniforms, well... if you go through basic training then they're definitely gonna make you wear one. But, you look like you can handle yourself as is. I wouldn't be surprised if they just give you a quick run-down of how things work then put you in a unit." It was said in half-jest; truthfully Thirdas knew very little of the higher-ups in the chain of command and their decision making. The Captain would know better than himself.

"Did you have any other plans while here, Ben? If you didn't come here to sign up then, would you not rather go back home?" I hadn't dawned on Thirdas that not everyone were so fond of their place of origins, or that it was not very fond of you.

[member="Benjamin Cassidy"] | [member="Allura Kahli"]​

 

[Allura Kahli]

Benjamin's manners drew a faint smile from the Umbaran as they shook hands. Pleasure, was it? Obviously he was new, or perhaps someone that'd fit better in a unit like hers than the Rangers. Of course he was just being a gentleman, and in the presence of a woman no less. Pleasantries Allura took advantage of on the field. Fortunately, they weren't standing on the field of battle and there was no need to 'drop him down a peg' as some expected her to do. Let him be gracious in her presence, it didn't bother her in the slightest.

Soon as introductions were out of the way, the man's attention was drawn to others still disembarking the transport. Sounded like the man was worried about the state of dress he'd end up, along with pay consummate with joining. A mercantile man. Wise of him to ask before getting led into any tight spaces he might not emerge from again if those he'd come to join turned sour. Not that that would happen. Despite not always measuring up the vaulted ideals of their Jedi overlords, they were not the Sith Empire. Benjamin would be free to leave. Provided he had anywhere better to be.

Allura's smile grew at Thirdas' brimming enthusiasm for The Cause. An idealist. The Captain did not hold such lofty motives for her presence among the Jedi or the Rangers, but she never confessed as much within earshot of the rank and file. Or many others for that matter. It would only serve to separate her from those that believed in the greater good, which might complicate matters during a mission.

"Afraid of 'standard issue,' Benjamin? How does your gear measure up?" Thirdas wasn't wrong. If Benjamin was just another solider he'd get the solider treatment and be expected to adhere to every rule and regulation. Of course, that wasn't the only path available to him. But the Captain was curious just how well the man's gear held up in combat. A mere coat would have him cut down the second he set foot in hostile territory -- and then everyone had a bad day.

Pale eyes danced in the direction of the Private before they quickly bounced back to Benjamin for his answer. By all means, she thought, tell them why he was there. From what she'd heard so far he hadn't come running to them because of The Cause. Sounded like there was an element of 'well it beat joining a pirate crew.' Far from disqualifying in her eyes, though others might not agree.

Tag: [member="Benjamin Cassidy"] | [member="Thirdas Heavenshield"]​

 

[WolfMortum]

"Did you have any other plans while here, Ben? ​

If you didn't come here to sign up then, would you not rather go back home?".​

​

[member="Thirdas Heavenshield"] raised a fair question, though Benjamin had never held much in the way of attachment to his homeworld of Drogheda, and it seemed as though things were already getting interesting on Kashyyyk, if the fairer sex was anything to go by. Looking to Thirdas, he offered the burly man a lift of his head in a half nod, accompanied by something of a friendly half smirk before voicing his supposed altruism for the greater Galaxy around him. "I guess you could say I tend to get around, Par'ner" Ben replied with something of an apprehensive moment to begin; "I've never been one to turn down a easy-on-the-eyes sight like this place either" he laughed silently, something more akin to the expulsion of air during a smile than an actual good hearty laugh.

"Afraid of 'standard issue,' Benjamin? How does your gear measure up?".​

​

Never one to shy away from showing off his guns, Benjamin drew upon his right side-arm, the Revolver being thrust into a spin around his index finger as he pulled it from it's holster and turned to look to [member="Allura Kahli"]. Lifting his hand in order to heighten the momentum of the flourish, he withdrew his finger from the trigger ring and let the pistol soar for but a moment before snapping back, his hand taking the revolver by the barrel and then extending the fire-arm out to Allura handle first in offer. Were she the sort of woman to shoot first, she could well have put a slug in him then and there with the way he was offering up his own gun like that.

"See for yer'self darlin'".

 

[Thirdas Heavenshield]

"Slug-throwers, eh," Thirdas snagged the six-shooter before the Captain ever had the chance, forgetting rank for the time being as he examined the firearm. "Kinda limited in range and firepower, don't you think? I mean, you only got twelve shots before a lengthy reload." No doubt Ben was more than adept at their usage, but to Thirdas they could not match a good old blaster rifle.

By now he was reminded of the Captain's presence and sheepishly offered her the firearm for the chance to check it out for herself, as had been the intention to begin with. "Sorry, sir..."

"Well hey," he then turned to Ben with a bright grin, "if you do decide to join the cause, you and I need to take a day out by the shooting range, see who's the better marksman. I'll match that slug-thrower rifle of yours with my sniper rifle any day of the week!" Hands on his hips to back up his words, there had always been the urge to prove himself even amongst friends. One might say especially amongst friends.

"Tell you what, Ben, I got the day off. I'd be happy to show you around the place. Although, can't really show you the good stuff unless you become a Ranger yourself."

[member="Benjamin Cassidy"] | [member="Allura Kahli"]​

 

[Allura Kahli]

Easy on the eyes was it? Allura smiled as Benjamin spoke. Well, she could relate to his lack of settling down. As much leeway as she was given -- or taken -- there were things if the Jedi found out she was involved in would cause problems. A free-agent lifestyle did not have such restraints. Though it was an easy enough situation to live with; she just had to pretend the Jedi were law enforcement she would normally be skirting out in the wider galaxy.

After observing the man's deft removal of his weapon with flair, Kahli remained still. The Private's eyes had been drawn a little too quickly to the weapon Ben extended in her direction. Her brows rose just a bit as the faint smile grew by a lone degree. Snatching it from her was not so much the problem as the Captain's curiosity at how its owner would react. Perhaps he wouldn't.

The Umbaran casually reach out to retrieve the weapon as it was offered a second time. She held it in her right hand for a moment before it was gently tossed and caught by her left. As Thirdas went on to invite Ben to the range, the Captain twirled the six-shooter by the trigger guard. Its center of mass, rate of spun, fluid arc about her finger, and weight were all measured in a moment. That's when she tossed the gun back into her right hand mid-spin, only to continue its path on her other side.

Her right foot slid back and to the side as she lifted her arm and straightened it with a snap. The barrel of the gun leveled with the ground as a pale eye lined up with the sights.

After a second her arm relaxed and Kahli's feet slid closer together as she faced the two men again with a faint smile. The gun turned in her grip to offer the grip back in Benjamin's direction. "You should take him up on the offer, Benjamin. I don't think they train enough Rangers on slug-throwers around here." Assuming he accepted his weapon back, Allura would lean in a little closer and lower her voice a bit. "Too 'uncivilized.' I think they just don't like how it doesn't bounce of their glow sticks."

"I think you'd be surprised, Heavenshield, just what Benjamin here can do with his twelve shots," the Umbaran announced by way of warning the man. If he went for a speed challenge it wouldn't end in such as clear victory in his favor as he might think. She hadn't just spun the gun in her grasp. Chamber looked like it could be fast loaded. It would be a sight to see them trade off if that's what they chose how to spend the day. Might not be bad to see what Benjamin was capable of either.

Tag: [member="Thirdas Heavenshield"] | [member="Benjamin Cassidy"]​

 

[WolfMortum]

[member="Thirdas Heavenshield"]'s decision to take the Revolver from Benjamin as it was intended for the ace-high Allura Kahli, was an addle-headed move, and were they not already acquainted with one another, there'd be little keeping the large male above snakes, outside of the Gunslingers mood and room for measured mercies. The moment the weight had been removed of his right hand, Benjamin's left hand had taken to the second of his Peace-Makers, mid-draw on instinct where his eyes looked to Thirdas and that formerly relaxed and almost cocky presence about him vanished for what would be a cold and collected stare-down, his shoulders run tense and his gaze seemingly locked with the Soldier whom admired the fire-arm seemingly unawares of his mistake.

"Kinda limited in range and firepower, don't you think? ​

I mean, you only got twelve shots before a lengthy reload".​

​

The strength of his left arm reluctantly relaxed and the second of the revolvers slowly dropped back down into it's leather holster, Thirdas showing nothing in the way of offense beyond the negligent manner in which he had disarmed the newcomer, something all-abroad not worth losing some sense over. "Only takes one" Benjamin replied somewhat reluctantly, the man choosing to swallow his pride for the sake of the other's atwixt innocence. His first impressions was the man's akin likeness to a blatherskite, though first impressions rarely held a worth and Thirdas appeared to be playing it on friendly enough. "Most would bed a man down for takin' 'is gun, Partner" Cassidy offered the man a piece of advice, where most might've offered a six-eyed Susan, whom had a firm kick. "But I s'pose there's no harm. Ain't many canisters alike mine" he surmised, looking to establish a middle-ground in order to forgo any need for misunderstandings.

[member="Allura Kahli"] on the other hand, weren't afeared to handle the Slugthrower with a bit of class once finally surrendered to her. No doubt Thirdas would join Benjamin in turning to watch the man-killer sizing up the six-shooter, speaking a language only all to familiar to Cassidy. "Well, I'll be damned" he remarked as his gaze studied the woman's form, she the lead between the two of them, showing some reasons as to why.

"You should take him up on the offer, Benjamin. ​

I don't think they train enough Rangers on slug-throwers around here".​

​

Perhaps not all, though hers were moves that Cassidy would keep in mind. Being returned his side-arm, Benjamin took the revolver by the handle and returned her to the leather pocket, turning to look back to Thirdas for a moment, sizing up the offer as though he had other places he could be. "S'pose it couldn't hurt to get my bearings on this place, though I need a dynamite ale or two first. Where's the waterin' hole around here?".