The League of Extraordinary...People? (Invite)

[Valiens Nantaris]

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"] [member="Noah Corek"] [member="Surana Kesh"] [member="Jala Rekab"] [member="HK-36"] [member="Korros"] [member="Evad"] [member="Thurion Heavenshield"]

The setting was a civilian station in the region between Republic and Protectorate space. This remote border space station was named ZW-1154. The space station was thronged with people of all types, most from a civilian convoy which was there to refuel, but others were there stopping over for other errands.

Valeria meanwhile was there whilst her Master met up with someone, and whilst their ship was resupplied. She decided to look around and see what she could find….

 

[Noah Corek]

[member="Valeria Aetani"]
Noah sighed as he sat in a diner a bowl of fresh bantha beef noodles in front of him. The last few weeks had consisted of being on the space station, marshaling troops, bolstering its defense with turrets and the like. Now, he finally had some free time and after sorting through tons of reports and a few missed holo-calls from Mirta, he had come to this diner frequented by both Protectorate and Republic soldiers. He had been quickly seated and severed at the bar.

 

[Darth Athora]

Jala stopped at ZW-1154 to get her ship refueled before returning to Exocron at the heart of the Moross Crusade. She took a moment to grab something to eat from a cafe before returning to her ship. She was wearing a suit of leather armor, coolth suit beneath, with a larger black backpack strapped to her. The backpack carried her companion [member="Korros"] so he wouldn't get himself into trouble as he always manages to do.

"Can I get a sweesonberry roll, a honey melon, and two Jeru teas, please." Jala ordered. "Comin' right up, ma'am." the man behind the counter replied. Jala stood at the counter, elbow on the counter with her head resting on her palm. Her backpack was open should her companion wish to come out.

[member="Valeria Aetani"] | [member="Siobhan Kerrigan"] | [member="Noah Corek"] | [member="Surana Kesh"] | [member="HK-36"] | [member="Thurion Heavenshield"] | [member="Evad"]

 

[Surana Kesh]

While [member="Noah Corek"] was being treated by the soldiers someone else had already been there having a quiet solitary meal herself. She sat at a corner table, away from most of the others and even seemed to be avoided by some, while sipping a bowl of soup and drinking what seemed like an expensive wine given how she drank it. The seasoned looking officer was looking through filed reports that were laid out on the table in front of her, all dressed in her officer uniform which looked clean and pressed as ever. The woman herself, Admiral Kesh, kept her attention more on the reports than the meal yet seemed to do well with performing both.

Her eyes perked when Noah had enetered and some of the other soldiers reacted to him but she paid no better mind. She was here awaiting word of when her ship would be ready to leave, a means of getting back to Republic command and awaitng word for the next assignment against the Sith and any other eneimes of the Republic. The reports that she read were intenl on outposts and possible hiding places that needed examining at some point. Though the idea of killing a few more Sith did satisify her as much as her meal.

[member="Valeria Aetani"]

 

[Valiens Nantaris]

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"] [member="Noah Corek"] [member="Surana Kesh"] [member="Jala Rekab"] [member="HK-36"] [member="Korros"] [member="Evad"] [member="Thurion Heavenshield"]

Entering the café of hopes and dreams, Valeria picked her way amidst the crowded tables. She didn’t know anyone here, but there seemed to be all types present. There were soldiers, mercenaries and even some officers and others. She didn’t see any Jedi though, so she crossed to the bar cautiously, hand casually near her lightsabre.

“Alderaan tea, please. Oh, and that sweesonberry roll looks nice, one of those too,” she said, noticing another customer had purchased much the same as her. She dutifully paid and waited for her order to be filled.

 

[Korros]

It had been something of a surprise when his companion surprised him with the bag. She was being far more attentive to him than he thought she would, going so far as to buy a gift for his comfort as well as convenient for her. The bag of course could hold more than just his person, it seemed to have outer pockets for everything so that he could travel in the big inner pouch. He’d been dozing in the bag since they’d been on the ship, but the noise of the station woke him up and he poked his head out to look around.


He climbed along the strap carefully and perched on her shoulder, his long luxuriantly fluffy tail swishing behind him, his long tufted ears and pink nose twitching. His eyes were a swirling crystal blue color as he watched all the people with interest. His attention then turned to the display of food and he licked his lips glancing at Jala unspoken interest in his eyes. He didn’t look it, but he could pack away quite a bit and loved to eat. Under his soft fluffy fur he was still thin, healthy, but in need of regular meals. He didn’t ask if she had gotten him anything, he was still new to her company and too polite besides.


But it was unspoken. He sat there looking for all the world like a fluffy cat-like rabbit creature, except for the vest, crossbelt, tiny bracers on his forearms and protections on his hindpaws. He could have been mistaken for a pet, but it would become clear really quickly that he was sapient and not merely sentient like an intelligent animal would be. His appearance did get him a squeal from a small child, the youngling making noise at spotting him. He suppressed a shudder, the idea of small grabby hands was enough to fill quite a few nightmares. Thankfully the small beast was well away and he was safely out of its reach even if he hadn’t.


He groomed a paw ignoring the noisy critter and went back to sniffing the various smells of food.


[member="Jala Rekab"] [member="Valeria Aetani"]

 

[Darth Athora]

Jala peered over to the girl who also ordered a sweesonberry roll. "Sweesonberry rolls are the best." she claimed. "Put some khaddi-nut ubtter on it and it's to die for. Believe me." The waiter brought Jala her order and she paid for it in full. "Here ya go, buddy." Jala said to Koross, handing him the honey melon. "Enjoy." Jala said to her furry friend. Jala turned her attention back to the other girl. "I'm Jala. Pleasure to meet you." she greeted with a friendly nod and warm smile.

@Koross | [member="Valeria Aetani"]

 

[HK-36]

[member="Jala Rekab"], [member="Korros"], [member="Valeria Aetani"], [member="Surana Kesh"], [member="Noah Corek"],

HK was there on a secret surveillance mission. Just keeping hidden eyes to make sure everything was running smoothly and nothing went wrong on the boarder-station. And for this, he used his old trusty disguise.
Ha-ha-ha, they will never realize who I am,
The droid calculated to himself

Outside of the diner,
A robed figure was passing by, his whole form wrapped in slightly dirty bandages, black goggles covering his eyes, not an inch of his metal plating underneath was visible, his training lightsaber hidden somewhere in the folds of the robe.

And of course, music came from him, he was HK after all,
In his hands was an electro-accordion, securely held by a strap around his neck, each end in his hands, one pressing the aero-tube in and out, collapsing it and expanding, as the other played on its keys.
"They cannot read- they cannot read my dro- bandaged face. I ain't got to pay nobody."
He sung out non-chalantly, passing by the door to the dinner

 

[Valiens Nantaris]

[member="Noah Corek"] [member="Surana Kesh"] [member="Jala Rekab"] [member="HK-36"] [member="Korros"] [member="Evad"] [member="Thurion Heavenshield"]

Valeria looked over at the other customer and smiled. "Thanks! I'll do that. I'm Valeria, nice to meet you too."
She looked at the little furry creature who was with the girl and barely contained a small squee of joy at how cute it was. At first he assumed it was her pet, but pets rarely wore clothing of any sort, so she kept her hands away from it. There were lots of alien species out there she didn't know, and besides, even if it was hers it was bad manners to pet a stranger's...well...pet without their permission.

And then someone started singing. There was music. To Valeria it sounded like someone was determinedly trying to make the most discordant noise possible. She frowned.
"Busker?" she asked her new acquaintance. Perhaps this was a regular thing on this station?

 

[Korros]

He flashed her a ‘thank you’ grin, taking the slice of melon and started eating. He eyed the strange woman, but was too preoccupied with his food to really care. It was sweet and ice cold, just the way he liked it. His long fluffy tail swishing contentedly as his fur changed to a nearly translucent clearish white. In the artificial light this happy glow color seemed to truly glow, reflecting the light. His eyes were a swirly gold, it wasn’t hard to see that he was quite happy with what she’d given him.


His teeth flashed as he nibbled away, he managed to eat quickly and savor each bite, eating in a rodent-like manner that was at the same time as delicately mannered as any polite fashion. Best of all, not a drop of juice dripped on her shoulder or wet any more of his fur than around his mouth. He was a mannered being, for all that he looked like a pet. Once the soft flesh was done he ate the rind too for while it wasn’t as soft, it too was sweet, even if not nearly as so. He washed his face then arranged himself comfortably again “Thank you Jala.”


He didn’t have a high squeaky voice, nor did he have a deep raspy voice, it was somewhere in the middle and toned pleasantly. There was a masculine edge to it, showing he was male since he didn’t have any of the usual gender distinguishing markers people were used to identifying. He looked at the strange woman “I’m Korros by the way...”



[member="Valeria Aetani"] [member="Jala Rekab"]

 

[Thurion Heavenshield]

Resupplies had been taken cared of, and so had refueling the ship. Even so, there was no rush to get off this station, and he had to find his padawan in either case, so he decided to take a look at what the place had to offer. He sauntered about, casually wandering from store to store, from cantina to cantina, stopped by every market stall he could find. There was a carefree aura lurking about the air around him, and one he felt safe about inhaling for once. This station was wedged between Protectorate and Republic space; two of the most powerful factions there were at the moment. Sure, the Republic recently suffered a stunning defeat on Coruscant at the hands of the Sith, but they had struck from the shadows and there was little security around Coruscant at the time, with the Jedi at the temple cut off from outside help.

Further into the station Thurion laid eyes on his padawan, who was stood talking to another young face. "There you are, Padawan! Making friends, I see?" he smiled and placed a hand at her shoulder. "Greetings, my dear. I don't believe I've had the pleasure...?" He offered a bow to the girl. "You can call me Thurion--" Without finishing his sentence he laid eyes on the fluffiness that was [member="Korros"], and he could swear he even heard it speak. "Erm... pardon me, little one. I didn't see you there." He couldn't help but reach out and let his finger scratch underneath the furry creature's chin.

[member="Valeria Aetani"] [member="HK-36"] [member="Jala Rekab"] [member="Noah Corek"] [member="Surana Kesh"]

 

[Surana Kesh]

During her reading Surana heard the word "padawan" and looked towards [member="Thurion Heavenshield"], as he was the one who said it. She began to think to herself how there were Jedi present, making her meal a little sour in her mouth. She swallowed it while wipping her mouth with her napkin, watching the small group that began to assemble among the Jedi. She huffed at the fact that they always seemed to garner attention in one way or another. People called them warriors and heroes but Kesh didn't see it. What she was were glorified monks who didn't have the real skills needed to win a battle, and that didn't include fancy swords or some voodoo magic that not everyone could be born with. It didn't matter though. This wasn't the place for any sort of confrontation, unless provoked.

[member="Korros"] [member="Valeria Aetani"] [member="Jala Rekab"] [member="Noah Corek"] [member="HK-36"]

 

[Darth Athora]

Jala scratched the head of her furry companion. "You're welcome, my friend." she replied. Jala picked up her roll and took a decent sized bite from it, moaning cause of the delicious taste. "Just like mom used to make.." she uttered, smiling softly. Jala looked over to Korros. "How's the melon?" she asked. She made note of how he was clearly enjoying the melon. "Thought you'd like it." she laughed.

Jala's ears perked at the sounds of a musician outside of the cafe. She looked over her shoulder to try and see where it was coming from but only got the faint view of a robed figure. It was loud, to say the least. Jala turned her icy blue eyes to her new associate. "Must be." she replied. Either a busker or someone trying to lay low. Either way, Jala didn't pay him much mind. Jala lifted the tea up to her lips and sipped the sweet liquid slowly. Jeru tea was becoming a favorite of Jala's. It's sweet stickiness was absolutely delicious. Jala slid the other tea to Korros. "Drink up, buddy." she said.

Jala heard the words of an older gentleman referring to someone as padawan. Her eyes shifted back to Valeria and laid eyes on the source of these words, an older gentleman like she thought. She responded to his greeting with a friendly nod and warm smile. "I'm Jala and this," she jerked her head slightly at Korros, "is Korros, my furry little partner." Jala watched as Thurion reached for Korros and held her hand up to stop him. "I wouldn't do that if I were. He isn't keen to being touched by strangers." Jala warned Thurion. "What brings you Jedi here, anyway?" Jala asked curiously.

[member="Thurion Heavenshield"] | [member="Korros"] | [member="Valeria Aetani"] | [member="HK-36"]

 

[Korros]

He took the tea, taking a casual sniff at it, a tentative sip however revealed it to be better than its smell. He savored the sweetness and flashed her another grin. Around strangers he liked to keep quiet, let her take the lead and take in everything. It was easier and he appreciated it, when she introduced him as her partner he gave a nod then eyed the man as he tried to reach out at him. He gingerly shifted away, mindful of his tea, his fur getting a slight tint of dark red, a sign that his casual approach had annoyed him, but not upset him.


Sometimes he wished that he could control his fur so as not to so blatantly telegraph his moods. “I’m not a pet.”


He couldn’t help sounding a bit miffed at the man, Jala had already had to explain who he was, he didn’t want her to have to do it over. It offended his pride that a Jedi could be so unobservant. He went back to sipping his tea, his tail flicking a bit showing he hadn’t quite forgiven him. He smelled berries and took an interest in what his partner was eating, his nose twitching “Jala, what did you call that thing you are eating?”


He hadn’t been paying attention at the time because he had the melon to eat.





[member="Jala Rekab"] [member="Thurion Heavenshield"] [member="Valeria Aetani"]

 

[Valiens Nantaris]

[member="Noah Corek"] [member="Surana Kesh"] [member="Jala Rekab"] [member="HK-36"] [member="Korros"] [member="Evad"] [member="Thurion Heavenshield"]

Thurion had entered the room, and Valeria had not sensed him until he spoke. Almost jumping, she turned and smiled.
"Master, good to see you. This is Jala and...Korros I think." She made to suggest to him not to pet the little furry, but it was too late. Thankfully Korros seemed the forgiving type, and she was pleased that she'd resisted the urge to do the same.

Turning to Jala she moved the conversation on a bit. "Oh, we were on a diplomatic mission. We're just stopping here until our ship's ready," she explained.

She took a bite of her food and found it delicious, if slightly sweeter than she had expected. "So...everything going well, Master?" she asked Thurion.

She'd noticed the female officer giving her a look, but she wasn't sure why. So she flashed her a good natured smile.

 

[HK-36]

[member="Valeria Aetani"], [member="Thurion Heavenshield"], [member="Surana Kesh"], [member="Jala Rekab"], [member="Korros"], [member="Evad"],

"Oh, we were on a diplomatic mission. We're just stopping here until our ship's ready,"
Hearing that perked up the droid's attention, he passed by the diner's door but stopped by the wall right next to its large windows, staying in the range of his augmented audioceptors.

So as far as he could gather it was two Jedi in there, returning from a diplomatic mission. Now as far as the droid knew they would be from the Republic, since it's the closest faction to the Protectorate territory that the Jedi are a part of, it would make sense. Another thing that would make sense for them to be crossing the boarder from the Republic side into Protectorate, in which case they would be lying, as Protectorate does not have any personnel in position of being sent on diplomatic missions who keep apprentices while claiming to be a Jedi.
Now to lie like that there would be enough reasons, like being refugees or fugitives from the Republic, in the light of recent Sith attack there were plenty of both lately that wanted to get away from the Space Democracy.

However, if they were telling the truth, well HK wouldn't have anything against that, Protectorate has sent aid to the Republic lately, strengthening their bond into a set alliance would make sense, and the droid did not kept that close of a watch on Protectorate politics to know who Republic was sending for talks with the Protectorate.

There was also the third option, the correct one, that neither of them were from Republic, they just happened to be passing by a station between OP and Pub territory, and they were in fact part of a third faction. But HK had no way of knowing that.

Well investigation towards the manner would have to start with one simple thing, getting a look at the so-called Jedi learner and her Master to cross-reference with what was available for the droid.

But until then, he simply stayed by his section of the wall next to the Diner, playing a melody on the electro-accordion that was not so terrible to listen to, thank you very much.

 

[Valiens Nantaris]

[member="Noah Corek"], [member="Surana Kesh"], [member="Jala Rekab"], [member="HK-36"], [member="Korros"], [member="Evad"], [member="Thurion Heavenshield"]

Perhaps the Padawan was simply not an accordion lover. Such people did exist….

Regardless, she finished her tea and cast a look around again. Lots of things going on, new people and faces. Should be an interesting night.

 

[Nikolas Faselli]

It was kind of strange to do the most basic jobs, hide herself from the forces outside the Republic... She had left her cousin's tyrannical House Zambrano, but such a change would never come without any conflict. The space station of ZW-1154 was a perfect place for hiding. Heck, she had even made it sure that she couldn't be found, having cut her hair into a different style and wearing different clothes. Her Epicanthix traits were still present, though. She was most likely one of the tallest humans in the café.

Yes, Maria now worked in a café in a space station which calmly rested between the powerful spheres of the Republic and Protectorate. They were both safe places to be, so there was no way that she could be caught over there. One, especially her cousin, wouldn't dare to stand against these two forces.

The woman came from the personnel room which was behind the bar, and told the man who happened to be the cashier-barman-whatever that moment, "I'm taking over. You may take a rest in the personnel room." The man, Nicholas was how the workers of this café called him, nodded, and handed the work over to the Jedi Padawan. This Padawan happily took over the job of taking orders from customers and everything.

Now she had a better chance to listen to what the customers were talking. One of the group who had gathered there looked kind of familiar, and her voice sounded just like she had heard it somewhere, but she couldn't understand who she was. Most likely a co-member of a faction. But when? What faction was the woman probably a part of? The Republic? The Confederacy, which Maria had been in? Not much else would have been logical.

Anyways, she was interrupted by a person waiting to take an order. Another boring human. She would have liked to serve somebody else, too. During these countless days of work, she had only worked with humans. Was it really so that not many other species had decided to visit this station? It was a popular one, right?

[member="Noah Corek"] | [member="Surana Kesh"] | [member="Jala Rekab"] | [member="HK-36"] | [member="Korros"] | [member="Evad"] | [member="Thurion Heavenshield"] | [member="Valeria Aetani"]