Vanity

[Charity Luckless]

Spoiler

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPEwvdtYLjA

Nar Shaddaa - Promenade​

Charity exited, brushing irritably at the back of her neck as she was finally able to give it a decent scratch. Three hours in the salon was a bit too much for her preference, but that was what she got for going in without an appointment. They weren't exactly nice, but they were nice enough. Her fingers crept up from the skin to the strands of hair, feeling almost silky after the treatment. It was nice to reinforce and embolden that violet coverage. Dye jobs might have been an extraneous luxury, but it wasn't too much, and a Jedi ought to be allowed a little fun. No one had complained about her hair color in all her years, anyway.

The tall Knight glided across this deck of the Promenade district, weaving herself in and about the fashionable as well as the eccentric, her dusty robe setting her apart from those who came to shop, dance, or gamble the eternal night away. Her fresh colors fluttered in the neon-illuminated wake of her nearly unnoticeable gait, ponytail softly baffing against the furl of her hood. Signs advertised every sort of pleasure, sin, and combination of both on her left, and a roaring chasm to her right separated her from the stacked tiers of more flashing lights and indecent signs. A fleeting thought passed through her head, and Charity wondered if the wealthy worked on the day side and partied on the night side of this moon.

Nearing the entrance to the supermarket that was awkwardly wedged in between a strip club and a Rodian cantina, Charity brought herself to the railing and looked out across the tiers of the Promenade. It was a mall the size of a city. Hopefully Eri'anya hadn't gotten lost on her way to Broski's Market. There were countless places to lose oneself in this area...

 

[Tanaski Yumi]

Tanaski briskly strode down the side walk, with a little bit of flare in each step, a wide and sly grin planted on his face. After finishing up a wayward assignment on the lower levels he though it only far to have a bit of fun in the downtime before heading off again. Do some shopping, maybe go to a salon a get a touch up on the hair, or perhaps do a bit of gambling, extra credits were always fun to have around, made bribing people easier. On this occasion he also had company, slightly unwilling company but never he less someone to share the night with.

Tailing just a bit of behind with a slight frown and arms cross was hit older sister, her mood being a complete contrast to his current one, "Common lighten up a bit, we don't get together very often, at least pretend to have fun, other wise I may have to resort to 'other methods' to get a smile out of you". Since they were both free for the time being he had scheduled this meet up to spend a night or two together, having different... professions.... meant seeing each other was difficult. More so since one adventure usually led into a new one straight away.

"I know what will cheer you up, a nice day getting your hair and skin all freshened up, I know your to busy sticking tour noise in Holo books to keep tabs on your appearance, then we will go shopping for some new attire". "Don't get me wrong, I love the suit and all, but you need some more casual clothes, for off work stuff like me".

Not waiting for a reply he continued to walk down the road, passing a purple hair woman that looked fairly neat as they leaned against a rail, appreaing to be over looking a part of the city, "Oh that's a nice style you have their, could you tell me where yo got it"?

[member="Charity Luckless"]

 

[Sky'ito Yumi]

The bustling and crowded street of Na Shadda were not her ideal place to hang out for said fun, but her brother kept persisting about it so she buckled and decided to join him on this little night of fun. Finishing some private training on Voss a few day's ago she was slightly lost about what to do next not really having any new leads on any new palaces to conduct an exploration for any valuable artifacts, and those that she knew of were at the moment being targeted for an invasion of some sort.

"You know I don't fake emotion, doing so feel strange and unnatural, I can't just change personas like you can at a whim". She crossed her arms as they continued to walk, her brother had an uncanny trait that which they had perfected allowing him to change personalities when he want's. One minute he's all full of joy the next hes a all serious, it was kind of strange sometimes.

"I guess your right I could use that as well as a new outfit, maybe something more traditional, though I doubt the stores around her have anything to my liking, but I guess well find ou.....". Her sentence was cut short when Tanaski started talking to some random woman on the side. Judging form her looks she had just come from a hair salon of some sort, though on closer inspection the clothing and a slight tingle in the force hinted towards them being a Jedi.

'Odd a Jedi on Na Shadda', she looked at the woman quizzically with a hand on her chin, as her bother asked about said hair styling, not surprise there.

[member="Charity Luckless"]

 

[Eri'anya Forr]

"Hey! Watch it, Kid" A dark-hared woman with goggles moved to shove Eri'anya out of her path, forcing the Jedi to duck out of the way. For just a moment she felt the need to call out to the angry lady, her training doing little to hide the annoyed pout the crossed her face. It was not the first time she had been mistaken for a child, her height not doing her any favors when it came time to be taken seriously. The young knight was forced to stop and collect herself, breathing in and out until she found her misplaced calm.

There is no emotion... there is peace... She had an objective here, after all.

She had just been looking around, killing time while Charity got her hair recolored at some salon, when a certain smell caught her attention. It was some kind of frying food, its aroma managing to overpower the ubiquitous smell of depravity one could only find on the Smuggler's Moon. It was making her mouth water just thinking about it what it might be, but she couldn't seem to locate it! It was as if whatever cart or stall was cooking in the area was constantly on the move, and the Jedi could do little more than stalk after that savory trail like a bloodhound.

She was beginning to lose heart, frustration gripping her chest as she broke out into a sprint. She could have been getting a massage, or picking up some of that shampoo she liked, yet here she was, ducking and weaving through a throng of shoppers as she desperately sought out that wonderful smell. The whole ordeal was ridiculous, and the kind of story she might have rolled her eyes at just days ago. It was a good thing Charity couldn't see...

She was just about to throw in the towel when she turned a final corner, a look of shock plastering itself across her features as she skidded to a stop. In the clearing just ahead of her, not twenty meters away, was this incredibly ugly beast of burden. Eri'anya wasn't sure what it was supposed to be, some kind of illegal hybrid that got loose if she had to guess. What caused the woman so much distress, however, was the smell. This, snorting, fat creature was emanating this amazing smell, like cinnamon and fried meats. She had spent the last hour chasing a smelly wandering animal!

There is no emotion... there is... there's a piece of my foot in your ass! She couldn't believe this! She should have gotten her hair done with Charity! With a huff, the Jedi wandered off, an annoyed flush lighting her cheeks as she pulled her cloak around herself. It was about time she looked for her fellow Jedi, Charity would be able to just look over the crowd and find something interesting. Her mind made up, Eri'anya set off in a new direction, beating a brisk pace to track down her friend.

[member="Charity Luckless"] [member="Sky'ito Yumi"] [member="Tanaski Yumi"]

 

[Dravis Rosilla]

The Promenade​

​

Barney had never been to Nar Shaddaa. Most of it, he surmised, was ridden with disease and crime, and the subtle whims of criminal organizations and selfish travelers, all after whatever would give them pleasure.

Sounds like fun.

Through the crowd, a rosy-skinned Zeltron boy sauntered with all the confidence in the world, greedy green eyes taking in the immediate surroundings. Plenty of forgettable faces, and blank expressions. He held a lit death stick between the fingers of one hand, waving it around with reckless abandon, letting the smoke waft into the stale air. In his other, he held a bottle of apple cider, which he happily chugged.

Barney's face lit up, and he jogged over to a food vendor, a Besalisk with a bristly mustache.

"Mmm..." He hummed thoughtfully to himself as he dragged a vibrantly-colored fingernail over the options. "I would love your meiloorun smoothie." Barney put his death stick in his mouth as he brought out the credits to pay, receiving in return a beautifully purple drink. Concentrating a moment, the Zeltron released his pheromones, giving off an air of calm. "You're a real gem, you know that?"

Without a second thought, Barnabas tossed his cider over his shoulder, and interchangeably sipped his smoothie and smoked his death stick, leaning back on the counter.

| [member="Eri'anya Forr"] | [member="Sky'ito Yumi"] | [member="Tanaski Yumi"] | [member="Charity Luckless"] |​

 

[Kirill Bratan]

Kirill was in one of the seedier parts of Nar Shadda. He was there an arms deal with one of the swoop gangs that called themselves Zolt Electric (a made up name and gang). Normally this kind of task was beneath him as he was the Hutt Cartels chief arms dealer and only delt with high credit accounts. But he knew these bastards were the ones that managed to highjack a freighter worth of weapons from him and they got lucky. But they also got stupid and greedy. See they failed to recognize and find out who they stole from. Well Kirill found out and had a meeting set up with them at their warehouse to confront them. It was a small heist and was only worth about 2.3 million credits but it was the principal of the thing. He had to show people that stealing from the Hutt Cartel and especially him, will not be tolerated.

At the meeting Kirill showed up with 10 of his best men armed with the finest weapons and armor that money could buy. He also had another squad of ten men just down the block waiting to be called. It was time for the meeting and Kirill light up a death stick. He knocked on the warehouse door and it opened up revealing a 100 by 200 square foot room with about 50 creates of merchandise in it. Some of it was his and others he didn't know about nor cared to. The leader of the gang stepped forward with a bat in his hands and looked at the armed men and at Kirill.

"What is with all of the guards? This is a simple arms deal." Kirill threw his death stick on the ground and crushed it out with his polished shoe and looked up at the leader.

"They are here because I paid them to be here. See"...he said walking into the warehouse..." My name is Kirill Bratan. I work for the Hutt Cartel. And I can plainly see that my creates are in your warehouse and I am here to get them back before we do any business. So what do you have to say for yourself?"

The swoop leader kind of sputtering said, "Look man. I didn't know that stuff was yours. You...you..you can take it back....plus extra stuff that we got here. Honestly Mr. Bratan we meant no disrespect."

Kirill looked at the man for a moment before replying. "Well. You seem like reasonable folk. But what makes you think you can just offer me my stuff back and other items when I can just take it?" He said lighting up another death stick. "You see. It is people and beings like you that give people like me a hard decision to make. On one hand I can let you all live and we can forget about this and I can take everything in here and bygone is bygone." Then he took a few more steps inside. "But on the other hand. If I let you live then what kind of message does that send to the Cartel and other little bastards like you that might want to grow a pair and start stealing from me? You know I can't have that. Don't you?"

The gang leader looked at Kirill and his men and then back to his men. Kirill knew what was about to happen and just put his right hand up and then pointed to the swoop gang. Before the gang could get a single blaster shot off Kirill's men opened fire and took out the gang. Then a few of the men went and cleared the rest of the building and came back giving the all clear.

Kirill called over his lieutenant. "I want all of our stuff and anything of value out. Then I want you to gather all of the bodies here and hang them in the courtyard for all to see them burn this building and everything else in it. I will be on the Promenade getting food and drink. Meet me there when done and I will treat you all to dinner. Good work Lieutenant." He said clasping a hand on his shoulder.

"Thank you sir." The Lieutenant said. Then Kirill smiled and turned away and took three men with him as protection.

After what seemed like an eternity they made it to the Promenade and walked by what appeared to be Jedi and he nodded and smiled at her as he went into the Promenade. While in there a Apple cider drink spilled all over his suit and gave and put out his death stick. He and his men all stopped dead in their tracks and he looked up at the red Zeltron and tapped him on the shoulder.

"I believe you have something to say to me!"
[member="Barnabas Harou"] [member="Charity Luckless"]

 

[Charity Luckless]

She was interrupted from scanning the lower Promenade within a few moments, a small but strangely bold voice seemingly projected from behind her. It was almost impossible to comprehend the inquiry with the pulsating beats emanating from the strip club nearby, and Charity wasn't entirely certain that it was actually directed at her. Still, she had no intention of being rude, so she slowly lifted her weight from the railing and turned about. A balding man nodded to her with a friendly gesture, and she acknowledged him in kind as he passed by, although her nod was delayed as she processed the unexpected behavior. That wasn't normal here...

Lowering her gaze to face two rather short humans (Almost as short as Eri'anya. Almost.), Charity noted that the pair appeared to be siblings, judging by their facial composition, skin tone, and hair color. The Jedi furrowed her brow, puzzled that they would be out here alone. Nar Shaddaa's Promenade was not exactly the kind of place where a responsible adult would allow their children to wander about. Looking down at the two youngsters, Charity relaxed her hands against her waist and quizzed, "Where are your parents?" There was a slight hint of annoyance in her tone, but her voice conveyed itself with timidity.

Where are you, Eri'anya? She needed someone who was better at this communication thing to be with her. How does one talk to kids, anyway?

[member="Eri'anya Forr"], [member="Sky'ito Yumi"], [member="Tanaski Yumi"], [member="Barnabas Harou"], [member="Kirill Bratan"]

 

[Tanaski Yumi]

Before the woman could turn around to respond a bald man with a appearance of authority came by, giving the purple haired woman a nod, once fully turned around it was quite obvious that they were surprised to see people of such younger age. Sky'ito being older and more mature didn't tend get it as much but people often asked the same thing about Tanaski, it was another trait he used while on certain assignments, as such he didn't really care about what the woman said.

"If I remember correctly they are currently on Dantooine, dad don't tend to get around much after the whole leg incident, though the least you could do was answer the question I posed, where did you get the hair styling done"? Looking a bit closer it appeared as though the woman it was clear they were a bit annoyed by the two's presence, inspecting the woman closer it Tanaski realized she was a Jedi of some sort's, perhaps she was on an assignment or mission, that might have been why they were, annoyed.

[member="Charity Luckless"]/[member="Kirill Bratan"]/[member="Barnabas Harou"]/[member="Eri'anya Forr"]

 

[Sky'ito Yumi]

The bald man that passed gave an uneasy vibe, something about him screamed 'crime' in one way of another, though he wasn't of any concern of hers, at the moment. Turning back to the woman her brother was addressing she could only do a face palm at his reply and subsequent continuation of his question, and it seemed to be annoying the Jedi in question which was not something she wanted to do.

Placing a hand on Tanaski sholder, she spoke out overpowering any any words coming out of her brother's mouth. "I apologies for my..... brother's actions", saying brother was always a bit awkward due to his looks and choice of voice on occasions. "Seeing as you are Jedi and must be on some sort of mission we will leave you alone, though I too would like to know where you got your hair styled at". Once they got an answer, and hopefully NOTHING BAD happened, they would be on their way.

[member="Charity Luckless"]
[member="Kirill Bratan"]
[member="Barnabas Harou"]
[member="Eri'anya Forr"]

 

[Eri'anya Forr]

Eri'anya kept an eye out as she made her way around another group of chattering locals, the scenic route directing her straight into the path of of shifty-looking street peddler. The man spoke in the most broken huttese the Jedi had ever heard, practically shoving an upturned case of knockoff chronos in her face. It was a simple matter to avoid the pushy seller, but her ever-changing path kept forcing encounters with the more colorful local element. It was a place where one really had to look closely to to tell the visitors from the locals, since any respectable person would avoid Nar Shaddaa unless they had something to prove or nothing to lose. She couldn't believe she had been born into this mess!

Broski's Market was up ahead, the sight prompting Eri'anya to slow her pace down to a power walk. It was the closest thing to a rally point the unlikely pair had established before parting to go about their individual business, and Eri knew better than to be worried about her friend's safety. Charity had never been the type to wander off without reason, especially in a place like this, and she didn't want to arrive looking like she was out of breath.

She scanned the areas ahead of her, looking for that familiar head of hair above the crowd that had become rather familiar as of late. She was looking forward to appraising the touch up job as well, more than a little interested in checking that place out if they had done good work. Not today... Her eyes lit up as she saw that familiar purple in the distance, making a beeline toward her fellow knight. She definitely had some commiserating to do.

As she approached, however, it became clear that her friend had company. A pair of young humanoids were standing before her, in their late teens if she could trust her judgment. Siblings too, for what that information was worth. Either way, she knew how Charity buckled at the prospect of forced interactions, wasting no time in closing the gap as she walked up to join the tall Jedi.

"There you are!" She spoke with practiced authority, slipping easily into formation between Charity and the duo before her. Her stance was in no way meant to be threatening, nor was she acting as a physical shield for the woman behind her. She was merely asserting herself as a target of conversation in an effort to divert attention from her friend. It was a familiar dance, one that the pair had done before. "I hope I'm not interrupting."

Spoiler

[member="Charity Luckless"] [member="Tanaski Yumi"] [member="Sky'ito Yumi"] [member="Barnabas Harou"] [member="Kirill Bratan"]

 

[Dravis Rosilla]

Barney enjoyed his smoothie for a moment, fidgeting with the straw as he sipped. He chased the delightful sensation down with the equally delightful sensation of his death stick. The mixture of flavors was intriguing, to say the least.

Then he felt a tapping on his shoulder, and heard an incredulous voice behind him.

[member="Kirill Bratan"]'s front side was doused in apple cider, the man's own death stick put out by the liquid. The Zeltron eyed him and his men, and grinned ear-to-ear.

"Ooh, look at that." Barnabas chuckled to himself, a mischievous glint in his eye. "I like your suit. Very professional." He walked up, without a care in the world, brushing off the shoulder of the Cartel member's suitcoat. He began to exude his Zeltron pheromones, trying to calm down the situation. "Very handsome, I think. Even with this silly little stain."

Barney positioned his death stick in his mouth, and pulled out a lighter. He jingled it in front of the man, good-naturedly.

"Wanna light?"

| [member="Eri'anya Forr"] | [member="Sky'ito Yumi"] | [member="Tanaski Yumi"] | [member="Charity Luckless"] |​

 

[Kirill Bratan]

Kirill looked at the Zeltron and put up a hand when he came close to let the guards know that it was ok. Hearing his questions he answered.

"Thank you. It is a very nice and expensive suit. And yes. I would like a light."

After the death stick was lit Kirill just walked away and went to a private booth in the restaurant and sat down with his men. He looked down at his watch and smiled. "The others should be here soon but we can start. Order something you want."

"Yes boss." Said the trooper. He then took a couple menus and passed them out to the others and once they knew what they wanted, they ordered. Kirill ordered his usual. A medium rare steak with mashed potatoes and all the fixings.

About 10 minutes went by and the two Jedi and other people would see 16 armed and armored men like the ones before wall past them and in the not too far distance smoke from a fire. A little time after that there were people running and screaming saying that "It is horrible. People are hung up in the courtyard! And the warehouse is on fire!"

In the meantime Kirill and his troops were enjoying their dinner.

[member="Barnabas Harou"][member="Eri'anya Forr"][member="Sky'ito Yumi"][member="Tanaski Yumi"][member="Charity Luckless"]

 

[Charity Luckless]

The first child's terse reply took her aback, and the fact that they weren't even on the same globe as their parents worried her. Charity conceded that perhaps these children were more responsible than she may assume, but that hardly comforted her. Plus the directness of their speech was almost shocking to her reserved nature. She expected a more respectful attitude from younger individuals. Was she acting spoiled about her status as a Jedi? Maybe. Perhaps she simply took for granted the courtesy many folks exhibited for Knights of the Jedi Order.

Her eyes noticeably relaxed upon the arrival of her companion. Eri'anya always had a better grasp of social conduct, and even if she could be a little too energetic for Charity's taste, the tall woman genuinely appreciated her personality. They had only known each other for a few weeks, but she supposed that being more-or-less forced to work together had aided in their camaraderie. It was nice to have someone she could rely on. And Eri'anya appeared to have read the situation well. Charity responded with a shake of her head to indicate that her colleague's appearance was by no means disruptive.

The violet-haired Jedi lifted her arm and pointed down the walkway in the direction from which she had come. If they wanted to know where the salon was so badly, well, there was no point in withholding that information. She hesitated a moment, eyeing the curious squad of gunmen marching past before answering the persistent youth. "It's... down the walk... to the right..."

Her oscillating directions were cut off at the onslaught of screams, scores of civilians stampeding past and practically pinning the two Jedi and the children against the railing. Charity swung her head about to understand the source of the commotion, and her eyes were greeted with gray plumes of orange-tinted smoke ballooning just north of the Promenade district. Within the nearby courtyard itself, the hazy silhouettes of several individuals lazily swung in the breeze like birds on a wire.

"Eri..." was all she said before departing. She immediately entered the panicked crowd and began to tread upstream towards the courtyard, her imposing presence enough to part the sea of rushing beings around her.

[member="Kirill Bratan"], [member="Barnabas Harou"], [member="Eri'anya Forr"], [member="Sky'ito Yumi"], [member="Tanaski Yumi"]

 

[Noviac Caligo]

Noviac was having a good time. A good of a time as Noviac could have, that is; by normal standards, this wouldn't necessarily qualify as a good time - perhaps, it might even be a bad time. But, for Noviac, yes, he was having a very good time. He had recently been shoved aside in a mad panic; crowds, rushing from swirling pillars of fire, burning hellishly against the neon backdrop of these nightclubs and bars. Yes, he was eating asphalt, his body contorting in a cramped ditch, littered with trash and discarded (rotten) food; in moments like these, however, one often has an epiphany - and Noviac, yes, was having one of those. He realized, sincerely, what a good time he was having; he said it aloud, unheard in the streetside synth-wave and stampeding feet: "Yes," he muttered, "I am having a good time." Yes, in some twisted way, he was having a good time - he was not a corpse, charring in the great flame, blooding boiling and skin sizzling, popping - he was still on death's doorstep, that was for sure, but no one was swinging the axe at his neck this very moment. That constitutes as a good time for the wicked, he supposed.

Again, he supposed.

He pulled himself to his feet, wading through the refuse; the courtyard was a rather terrifying spectacle, terrifically horrifying - hot air bloomed up from the swelling fire, casting great shrouds of cinder-laden smoke and whirling ash. Corpses dangled, harsh silhouettes in the blaze, casting vast shadows on the low-hanging ceiling of smoke like black marionettes, lumbering over the city with gaunt, loose limbs and strained necks, bent in crooked angles. Yeah, it was a good time; he wasn't one of those poor bastards. He could've been for all he knew - he was on the run, as per usual; certainly someone would very much appreciate the opportunity to wring him up like a doll and then some, but hiding often did away with the imminent threat of death. Again, no one was swinging that axe; though in the light of the flame-wrought hellscape, he might as well have seen it - just a shimmer, along the edge. He looked like any other mercenary, enjoying a night wandering from strip club, to brothel, to strip club, to bar - then when his welcome had worn out, waltzing out at his earliest convenience. "Put it on my patron's tab," he'd say sluggishly, "Rabozz the Hutt."

He was having a good time, so why was he going towards that courtyard? Helmet underhand, slowly relaxed, flipped up - the skullcap was stretched over; next thing he knew, he was looking through the visor, weaving through the crowd. Death didn't fascinate him, he dug graves like he breathed. Was it fear? Did he have to make sure he wasn't next? He couldn't be sure, at least until he could figure out what was going on. He caught a faint glimpse of purple hair, splitting the ocean of bodies faster than any fire could make them run. Was she a Jedi? He couldn't sense anything - he had the temperament and discipline of a brick; in the midst of this panic, it was truly pointless. Then again, he didn't have his rifle - it was confiscated, as per the asylum agreement with the crimelord keeping his head on his shoulders, and out of sight; it was too recognizable he had explained, as if the armor wasn't enough. Still, here he was, trotting into the center of attention without a thought to the consequence. He didn't really care, he felt drawn to the fire inexplicably, like a moth to the light. Then again, it rarely ends up good for the moth, doesn't it? At least when the moth tries to fly into an inferno.

His hand found his holster - luckily, he was afforded a sidearm for the duration of the stay; not like you could shoot a fire, but that girl with the violet hair seemed to be scarier than the fire. Yeah, hopefully she wasn't a Jedi; maybe she was just ugly - he could only see the back of her head, after all. He snickered, finally affording some sense of relaxation, at least until the heat hit him like a molten tidal wave. "What the hell am I getting myself into?"

[member="Kirill Bratan"] | [member="Barnabas Harou"] | [member="Eri'anya Forr"] | [member="Sky'ito Yumi"] | [member="Tanaski Yumi"] | [member="Charity Luckless"]

 

[Tanaski Yumi]

He gave a sly smirk at hi sister continuation of the question, tough knowing she had done it to get away from the purple haired Jedi lady, that fact that those words came from her was worth a smile. Not a moment as later a new face entered the fray with an instructional comment, it was stern and full of authority, looking to were the voice came from Tanaski was greeted by what looked like another Jedi, it seemed as though they were trying to draw attention to themselves, in an attempt to get them to stop talking with the other Jedi. "Whoopsee looks like we ticked off the wrong crowed", said comment was interrupted by a slap to the back of the head from his sister, pissing off Jedi was not always a good idea now that he though about it. The purple haired one seemed to be relived by her compatriot arrival, thinking it a bit over maybe she was anti-social, perhaps had some sort of anxiety problems. Despite the slightly tense situation it seemed to be resolved when said Jedi pointed crowd the street in the direction of the salon, giving a brief turned around she was able to notice it as well in the distance, though said view was partially block by a group of armed men, guards of some sort?

Before he could reply with a thanks the whole night seemed to be turned on it's head when pedestrians and traveler ran down the road pushing the group to the side, looking from the direction they were running from he was greeted to a distant eary sight, and sounds. A building complex of some sort was engulfed in flames, and the screaming people were babbling about people being hanged. looking back to the group he noted the purple haired Jedi sprinting off in the direction of the incident. Quickly his mood change to that of a serious one, "This isn't good", with a quick spring in he bolted down the street sticking to the side to avoid the crowd, if he knew anything about the moon of Na Shadda he was willing to be money one of the crime lords was behind this. While making headway towards the scene he spied a tall mad with a helmet of on some sort, they had an air about them of a mercenary, though why was he headed towards the destruction, seemed strange.

[member="Noviac Caligo"]/[member="Charity Luckless"]/[member="Kirill Bratan"]/[member="Eri'anya Forr"]/[member="Barnabas Harou"]

 

[Sky'ito Yumi]

It appeared as though a night might be going smoothly fro once, even with the new Jedi that entered the mix of things slighly raising the tension in the air. The newcomer appeared to hold an air of confidence and authority, obviously being an assertive person in practice or nature. It wasn't clear what relationship the two had, they could be master and Padawan, friends who trained together, etc, but said topic was not something to pry into being a private matter and all. She gave her brother a slap to the back of the head before giving a slight bow once the woman head pointed out the salon in question, "Again I apologies for my brother's action, we'll leave you be Jedi, I'm sure you have many things to take care of".

Her attention was drawn to the other Jedi at the moment as as such did not see the armed men walk past, though that hardly mattered once pushed roughly to the side by panicking people and civilians. eyeing the direction of the commotion she too saw the complex on fire the billowing smoke and flame becoming bigger and bigger. Turning her attention back to the group the purple haired Jedi as well as her brother seemed to be taking off in the direction of the flame. "What in the hell does he think his doing, one of these days.." she shook her head not bothering to to continued that train of though, Tanaski was always a reckless one, she proceeded to look at the Jedi's compatriot who was still standing their. "I'm guessing we go after them so they don't die". There was not really much time to wait for a response before leaping down the road too, heading down the street towards the building and courtyard. A sick scene entered her stomach on what could have happened what possible thing would be left, her gut instinct as well as the force told her it would not be pretty.

[member="Noviac Caligo"]
[member="Charity Luckless"]
[member="Barnabas Harou"]
[member="Kirill Bratan"]
[member="Eri'anya Forr"]

 

[Eri'anya Forr]

Despite her best efforts, Eri'anya found herself looking over in the direction her partner had indicated. Maybe she would get something done the next time she found herself in the area. They had done a fine job with Charity's hair, after all, even if the woman allowed little flourish beyond the simple refreshment of the color she liked. Force knows, she spent far too much time keeping her hair in check as it was, and it was nice to employ some practiced hands from time to time.

I'll ask her about it later...

The Jedi was cut off from her musings, however, as a busy throng pushed their way past the group. The bustling crowd sounded off in various languages both familiar and alien, each of them mirroring the others in an expression of panic and confusion. Furthermore, while Eri'anya's height disallowed a visual scan of what the annoyingly tall crowd was running from, she could hear more screaming coming from off in the distance. That, and their was a strange smell.

Smoke? Not just any smoke, but...

"Listen, you kids better-" As the crowd cleared away, it became obvious that one of the siblings was running off to play hero. The small Jedi had to suppress a groan, hands balling into tight fists as she watched one of them work their way past another fleeing crowd. Why does nobody leave things to the professionals? Shaking off her frustration, she nodded up at Charity's terse call to action, letting her friend take the lead in cutting a path through the crowd.

Charity made navigating the sea of panicked faces and flying elbows look as simple as taking a stroll, and while the pair did not run, they managed to make it to the area in question in record time. What Eri saw caused her to bring a hand over her mouth, allowing herself a momentary gasp of surprise as she took in the site. A building was burning, and numerous bodies hung on display in various states of desecration. There was also a sickening smell in the air. It took her a second to retake control of her features, a practiced look crossing her face as she began to slip into work mode. "What do you think happened?" She gave her companion's sleeve the gentlest of tugs, offering her nonverbal support as best as she could while leaning on her trademark stoicism to get the proverbial ground back under her feet.

[member="Charity Luckless"] [member="Sky'ito Yumi"] [member="Tanaski Yumi"] [member="Noviac Caligo"] [member="Kirill Bratan"] [member="Barnabas Harou"]

 

[Dravis Rosilla]

Barney grinned as he relit [member="Kirill Bratan"]'s death stick, puffing his own into the air. His eyes trailed along the men as they left, smiling disarmingly.

What a strange set of Suits, the Zeltron thought to himself, happily slurping his smoothie, enjoying the moment.

A while later, Barney felt a shift in the air. Something tickled the back of his neck as his inherent empathy felt the sudden panic, and for the first time since he arrived on Nar Shaddaa, he frowned.

Up the street, a burning warehouse, cascades of fire tickling upward. Screaming. Lots of screaming. Tightly-packed bodies pushed and jockeyed to escape. The fear in the air was almost painful to him.

"You're a hero," Barney whispered to himself, flicking the death stick between his lips, "Burning building? Child's play. I think."

Steeling himself, Barney dashed forward, pushing out his calming pheromones. The crowd around him seemed to slow and part for him as he moved, and he danced around their sluggish bodies. Finally, he made it to the forefront of the building, and he gasped. The heat burst against his face, and he had to squint his eyes. He saw bodies. Horribly disfigured bodies.

He realized he wasn't alone, as others had been attracted to the flames. A pair of children, an older man, and a few other women.

Barney swept his hair back with a stray hand, and breathed in. Out. In. Out. He released his calming pheromones, trying to comfort all in the area, but that didn't help him whatsoever. The death stick dropped from his mouth.

"That's... not pretty."

| [member="Eri'anya Forr"] | [member="Sky'ito Yumi"] | [member="Tanaski Yumi"] | [member="Noviac Caligo"] | [member="Charity Luckless"] |​

 

[Charity Luckless]

The grotesque display grew clearer with each approaching step, the corpses highlighted well by the golden shimmer of the Promenade's gaudy lights. It was disturbing just how happy the courtyard could look even with such a gruesome arrangement overhanging its fountain and garden. The person responsible for the act was certainly well aware of this. They knew how to invoke terror with such an ironically eerie frame.

Charity felt the gentle tug against the sleeve of her cloak, announcing the comforting presence of her compatriot. Eri'anya was still a rather enigmatic individual to her, what with their wildly contrasting personalities. But there was something about her that lent confidence to the taller of the pair, and the subtle signal did not go unnoticed or unappreciated. Her hand twitched, fingers clutching for something in the air but finding nothing as she recanted her action. Was she supposed to hold Eri'anya's hand? It seemed like a gracious offering, but her unfamiliarity with social expectations left her dry. She didn't want her colleague to think that she considered her any less capable of holding her own. Her partner was short, but she was no child after all.

"I don't know," she murmured in response, staring up at the lifeless figures hung out like laundry. "There's no pain here..." Not anymore. There was nothing to feel; nothing to suffer; nothing to save. They were all dead. Whoever had done this to these souls had been efficient about it, and she suspected they may have been dead before they had even been strung up. Memories like butterflies.

The tall Jedi held her position for a reflective moment in statuesque stillness before lowering her head and closing her eyes. She tapped the three central fingers of her right hand against her forehead gently, then drew her open palm down to her left breast to cover her heart in solemn gesture.

[member="Barnabas Harou"], [member="Eri'anya Forr"], [member="Sky'ito Yumi"], [member="Tanaski Yumi"], [member="Noviac Caligo"], [member="Kirill Bratan"]

 

[Noviac Caligo]

"Ho-lee chit," said Noviac.

He wasn't exactly green-blooded, fresh off the bus into a Galaxy filled with blood, and then some more blood, to the brim; still he was shocked (or maybe impressed) by the sheer thundering audacity of it all. Whoever had done this was casually flaunting the violence moments beforehand like a deathstick, poking from a pair of purse lips, waiting for a light; yes, daring for a light. Someone put their foot down, hard; so deep, it poked through the crust of this little party and peeled it back when they walked away, allowing some of the reality of Nar Shaddaa to bleed through. He kept his hand on his blaster, still gently resting on his hip; again, he could exactly shoot a fireball, or death, away. His eyes were trained on the purple-haired girl, and furthermore, her accomplice - though their statements of confusion, just barely echoing over the roar of the fire, calmed him a bit. Only a bit.

He stepped further in the courtyard, heavy boots buckling down with force to make way through the terrain - announcing his presence to all and crushing whatever discarded trash, left behind by the fleeing crowd, remained beneath his feet. He didn't recognize anyone here - at least, he didn't think so; they weren't exactly unrecognizable, but he wasn't very good with faces. Or names. Or caring. But, for what it was worth, he didn't recognize Rabozz's men among them, and he afforded the chance to relax, allowing his hand to slip away to his belt, and shoulder to roll back, popping loudly beneath the weight of his armor-laden jacket. No use checking that fire out, either, he figured. It's not like I'll figure anything else out there, either; yeah - arson, whoopee. Crime solved, guys. Guys. Come to think of it, why were these people here, again? They weren't exactly guilty, but last time he checked, Nar Shaddaa was Hutt Space - a.k.a. independent. Are they really Jedi?

Also, did he really care?

Not really, but then again, the bars might be closed; after all, they might not be so eager to join these guys - at least until some sort of message was delivered. "Hey, don't do what these guys did," it'd say; but no, not even that. For all everyone knew, one guy may have sneezed on someone and got strung up; all that, at least until the inner circles started buzzing about justice, justice, something-something. Yeah, until then, his night was down the toilet.

Well, time to break the ice.

"Hm, as I suspected: they are dead."

Perfect.

[member="Charity Luckless"] | [member="Barnabas Harou"] | [member="Sky'ito Yumi"] | [member="Tanaski Yumi"] | [member="Kirill Bratan"]