First Reply The Shadows of Peace

[Mak Manto]

As the hum of the shuttle's engines vibrated softly through the cabin, Mak's hand moved with deliberate purpose, pulling out the datapad, his fingers gliding over the surface. In the dim light of the cabin, he meticulously jotted down notes, theories, and observations — his mind weaving together the fragments of Gem's reports, the history of Balmorra, and his own insights. Each idea added a new piece to the puzzle: factions shifting allegiances, the archaeological significance of the factories, the potential influence of the underground smuggling networks.

His brow furrowed in focus, contemplating the delicate balance of power on the planet. He scribbled possible contacts—factory workers, smugglers, local leaders — and potential leverage points, like the archaeological sites that might serve as symbols or bargaining chips. The Force whispered quietly in his mind, guiding him to consider angles he might otherwise overlook.

Eventually, exhaustion caught up with him. His eyelids grew heavy, and his hand slackened on the datapad. The steady rhythm of his breathing deepened as he leaned back into his seat, head tilting slightly. With a loud, resonant snore, Mak succumbed to sleep, the datapad slipping from his grasp onto his lap as his head fell off the side, snores coming strongly from him.

 

[Gem-in-Trash]

Mak Manto was awoken not by the announcements or the change of gravity as the ship began to land, but by Gem-in-Trash pushing on his face with her hand to wake him up. Sometime during the trip, Gem had used a pillow to knead on, and had completely destroyed it, leaving stuffing and ripped pieces of cloth all over the room.

"Master? Master, wake up. We're here. Master!"

She quickly dodged out of the way to avoid any retaliatory or involuntary swatting. She quickly scooped up her bags and positioned herself such that, once he was awake, it would be hard to tell that she was just all up in his face.

"I just realized what I forgot to pack," Gem sighed, and looked over at him, "I forgot to bring a change of clothes."

With this new problem declared, Gem led the way into the hall, staying just in sight a few paces ahead, gawking at everything she saw that was even slightly new as the passengers disembarked. She remembered, as they neared the exit ramp, that Master Manto had the scrambler, so she waited for him to catch up just in case they were scanned again.

"So where should we start first? Maybe lodging. Then maybe find a park? Actually, what time is it here?"

 

[Mak Manto]

Mak slowly blinked awake, rubbing his eyes as he sat up with a stretch. His expression was a mix of amusement and mild exasperation as he looked at Gem-in-Trash, who was already bustling with energy. He reached into his robes, retrieving the small, discreet device he used to mask their weapons, and activated it with a subtle flick of the Force.

He ran a hand through his beard, then gave her a half-smile. Reaching for his datapad, he glanced at the time — local time on Balmorra — and then looked out the viewport as the ship's ramp lowered.

"First things first," he said, rising to his full height. "Lodging sounds like a good start. We'll need a safe place to regroup, plan our next moves, and maybe even catch some sleep without worrying about being woke up by a thousand questions or some random starship noise."

He paused, considering her question about the time. "It's about mid-morning here. Plenty of daylight to get a lay of the land, gather some intel, and maybe even do a little reconnaissance before nightfall." His tone was deliberate, practical.

He gestured toward the exit. "As for where to begin — I agree. Find a decent place to stay, then figure out where the action is. Balmorra's a busy planet, and the sooner we get eyes on the ground, the better. And don't worry about the clothes — we'll find you something to wear at a shop. We'll get you sorted once we're on solid ground."

He turned toward the ramp, then looked back at her with a rare hint of relaxed confidence. "Let's move before the locals start to wonder who the new arrivals are. Stick close. We've got a lot to learn, and not much time to do it."