[OPEN] So... A Ranger walked into a bar...

[Topher Ridge]

Ralo chuckles as he enjoys the playful banter. He hadn't really had much of place to go since the rise of the Empire, but he felt he'd fit right in with these people. He glanced back as another Ranger sauntered and sat right behind him at the bar. She seemed only interested in getting something strong in her system as she threw back several full glasses of liqur. Ralo admired that. He tipped his glass as she introduced herself. Ralo just nodded and wondered about joining a division himself. He wondered if any scouts where here since it seemed that division would be best suited to his skills.

 

[Zay]

Zaylos shifted his weight leaning on the bar sipping his drink. He could see the smile hiding behind Lexi's indignation and he made it his goal to see that smile. "I don't get jealous, I get even!" Lexi retorted to the comment he made on his way over. Zaylos chuckled "But the compulsion to get even stems from the desire to possess, my dear." he winked at her and finished his drink. "Vince my dear friend! I'll have another!" Zaylos called to the bartender. Vince feeling pity for the clearly outnumbered Casanova sent two his way "Good luck, Kid!" Zaylos laughed as he picked up the first drink and pressed it to his lips allowing the bitter but smooth liquor make it's way down his throat. "You'll have to forgive Zay, it's not to often he gets to talk to women. Poor guy, I think he's confused at which team he play's for, 'cus he certainly doesn't have any game with the ladies."

Zaylos looked at her with mock horror as she belittled him. "Ooooo Good one, ya little minx! I've got no game huh... Let's see how you handle this!" he thought. He changed his face to that of sudden infatuation. "Lexi, I had no idea you cared so much.... No one has ever called me by my nickname...," He stepped forward faster then she could avoid him and wrapped her in a hug, lifting her and spinning her in a circle. "I'll cherish this moment in our friendship forever! I'll always be your Zay!" his goal was to make her as uncomfortable as possible. He released her from his hug and shot her a 'is that all you got girly?' look. As he released Lexi from his overly loving hug the door to the bar opened.

Zaylos watched another beauty grace the bar with her presence. He heard her small introduction and then watched as she got into a spiritual fist fight with her drink. Zaylos knew the battle all to well. You drink to feel good, but to feel good you drink yourself sick. "Nice to meet ya Ryan! I'm Zaylos Kartan, I'm part of MOSES as well!" He waved as he introduced himself hoping that his positive attitude would become infectious. The Waste Rangers had saved his life and then gave it purpose. Some of these new faces had no idea what they were in for but he hoped it would be as positive for them as it was for him. still talking to Ryan he said "You don't have to sit down there if ya don't want to." He pulled a stool from the bar and the gestured to it "There's an open seat for ya right here!"

Zaylos looked around the bar surprised by how many had shown up tonight. He glanced over at a Kiffu sitting at the bar and nodded him a greeting. Zaylos had probably missed the man's into with all the lovely ladies around him, but he was sure the gentleman would understand. Zaylos finished his first drink and slid the glass back to Vince. He lifted the second to his lips and awaited the comeback from Lexi and for Ryan to join their growing group of heavy drinkers. "So far so good tonight." he thought as he leaned on the bar.

 

[The Derp of Hooves]

Mire couldn't help but chuckle to herself as it seemed the room was full of gun-slinging hooligans who wouldn't know a nut from a bolt. Looking over towards Mila she said, "If it weren't for those of us in GRIT, them gun-heads wouldn't have their gadgets to keep them alive. Anyways, Mila you ever thought about joining us?"

Back in the kitchens, Aola had finally finished cooking the Gobo steak for her young friend, truth be told however, she was kind of worried about her since her Wookiee friend wasn't with her. Heading back out while carrying the plate, she noticed that the bar had gotten much more busy in her absence. That was the odd thing about bartending she had come to realize, one moment it seemed like it was going to be a slow day then the next fifty people walk in.

"Here's your steak hun, enjoy," then she made the rounds with Vince to check if the patrons needed anything else.

 

[Minuteman75]

Sei had originally had tried to keep herself composed but it failed in the face of the hilarious onslaught between Zaylos and Lexi. She chuckle at their comments to one another but she couldn't resist bursting out in gut-wrenching laughter when Zaylos hugged Lexi and spin her around, saying some funny nonsense about being her Zay always. Sei pounded the bar's counter with a fist as she kept laughing in the aftermath for a few more seconds before finally stopping. When she did, Zaylos had already had left to flirt with latest female in the saloon. Trying to keep a straight face and failing miserably, Sei asked Lexi in amusement.

"Are you going let some stranger steal your little Zay from you?"

The Corellian then snicker some more, but held up her hands as a form of truce.

"Oh I'm sorry its just I been missing a good laugh for quite sometime. Does Zay always does that every woman here or is it just you, Lexi?"

 

[Ryan Burton]

Ryan lifted her glass to her lips as Zatch nervously waved and introduced himself. Not too far beneath the surface, the hardened heart of the woman was thankful to have met someone else from her division. She lifted the drink in his direction as to acknowledge his greeting before placing the edge of the glass back to her lips in preparation of tipping the cool liquid into her mouth so that it might slide down her throat as medication to some internal ailment.

That did not happen.

Seconds after Zatch introduced himself, another member of her division went out of his way to speak a greeting into the musty bar air and extend to her a seat near him. Ryan leered at the man over the lip of her glass as she was just about to tip it back. "You don't have to sit down there if ya don't want to." The words amused the woman as she lowered the glass and set it back upon the bar before her. "Oh, I want to."

Ryan's eyes moved to the glass once again as it moved to her hand and then her lips. Before she could take a breath of air, she inhaled the remainder of the drink and set the empty glass back upon the bar, looking to Vince expectantly. The woman had a long way to go before she was anywhere nearly intoxicated enough for her liking. As the bartender filled her glass a third time, her ears picked up bits and piecess of the conversation around the bar.

The woman lifted the new drink in her hand and moments later, the cool liquid passed by her lips and filled her mouth with a strong flavor and a tingling sensation. Her cheeks warmed as she drank down the soothing elixer. Ryan was a woman of few words and many drinks. She found watching her new comrades to be far more interesting than having to construct meaningless small talk with any of them.

 

[Gamov]

"Lexi, I had no idea you cared so much.... No one has ever called me by my nickname...,"​

If she had any clue about what those words were a precursor to, she might have cold cocked Zaylos out of thin air. But she didn't. Instead she took another idle sip from her beer and stamped out the smoldering remains of her cigarette in the ashtray, a vaguely mischievous grin curling the edges of her mouth as the Ranger's feigned indignation turned to spontaneous flare of infatuation. His arms open wide, a wide smile painted across his face, Zaylos stepped around the bar and it was only after he had wrapped his arms around her body and hoisted her out of her seat that Lexi had even the faintest clue what was going on.

The room spun in circles around them as Zaylos squeezed tight and twirled her around, proclaiming:

"I'll cherish this moment in our friendship forever! I'll always be your Zay!"

The thump of her boots against the wooden floor mixed with the sounds of snickering laughter from the bar as Lexi peered blankly at Zaylos for a few long seconds, the expression on his face saying it all: ”is that all you got girly?”

She might have had the presence of mind to slap him and wipe that dumb ass smirk off his face, but the most she could muster was a slack-jawed “uhm...” as he sauntered away towards Ryan at the other end of the bar. Her eyes kept tabs on him as she gradually slipped back into her seat, mind still spinning, figuratively and literally, from that unexpected embrace. Her cheeks flushed a warm reddish hue with embarrassment as she gently bit the inside of her lower lip and checked the other Rangers from the corner of her eye to see if they were paying attention. Not that any of them could have missed that display in the first place.

Siting there in her stunned, uncomfortable silence though, Lexi realized that it actually hadn't been all that bad. Unexpected, yes. But surprisingly.... not bad. If it had been any other lowlife with the balls to lay their hands on her, she would have put a bullet between their eyes on principle alone.

"Are you going let some stranger steal your little Zay from you?"

Sei's voice seemed to remind her where she was and Lexi appeared to shake the meandering thoughts from her head as her attention drifted onto the Corellian as she slapped the bar with an open hand and heaved out a few more deep breaths, wiping the tears from the corners of her eyes with her trailing laugh.

"Oh I'm sorry its just I been missing a good laugh for quite sometime. Does Zay always does that every woman here or is it just you, Lexi?"

She took another measured swig from the bottle. ”Well, it's a first on me, that's for sure.” Lexi nervously cleared her throat and attempted to deflect the subject away from herself. ”So, Ava, you mentioned being friends with Johnny. How'd you manage that?”

----​

The whole spectacle that played out in the saloon brought a concealed grin to Mila's features. Though she had her reservations about them at first, the Rangers seemed like an okay bunch all around; if not a little rough and tumble in their own right. But they were a tough bunch, she could tell. Had to be to call a place like Zonju V your home.

"If it weren't for those of us in GRIT, them gun-heads wouldn't have their gadgets to keep them alive. Anyways, Mila you ever thought about joining us?"

Her attention turned to Mire and she cocked an eyebrow at the question. ”Join the Rangers? No way I'd fit in here. Then again....”

Her eyes floated back to the Rangers and their lively banter, the wide smiles and hearty laughter they shared. They seemed like a family of sorts. A dysfunctional family of heavily armed space cowboys, sure.... but a family none the less. What she wouldn't give to feel that kind of camaraderie. Even as a Jedi she felt like an outcast, in fact that was pretty much the story of her life. Living on the fringes of everything, barely noticed. Shuffling the thought aside with a curt shake of her head, she put the idea out of her mind.... sort of.

”Nah. I mean, there's not a lot here for me. Besides, I'm sure the Jedi will want me back once we get our home rebuilt.” Wherever that was going to be, much less whenever it was going to be. Clearing her mind with a light sigh, her attention traveled to the small red pendant dangling around Mire's neck. Noticing the girl seemed to have a thing for fidgeting with it, it sparked her curiosity. ”So, who gave you the necklace?” She secretly admired it, wondering if it was a family keepsake or an heirloom or something.

 

[Bee]

At some point, Ava gave up drinking at a marathoner's pace and laid into the bottle before her like it was a naughty child in need of a scolding. And that scolding was somehow a metaphor for drinking it all up, leaving nothing but a a memory of booze where the bottle's contents had once been. She vaguely registered Zaylos' attempt at flirting with Lexi, and even had enough presence of mind to roll her eyes at the whole ordeal, but for the most part she was off in her own little world. One that was primarily focused on the nasty grain alcohol in her bottle, how she managed to get rid of it so quickly, and whether or not the glass of water in front of her had suddenly multiplied - did Vince drop another one off in front of her, or was she totally trashed? - or not. Either way, she was thirsty enough to drink what was there, finishing off the singular glass before Lexi caught her attention again.

"What's that?" She asked, letting the question sink in for a moment. "Oh, Johnny - we broke out of prison together. Some shitty little rock breaking joint in the middle of nowhere. Not sure what he was there for, though. Seems like a fairly stand-up kind of guy." Everyone had their vices. Hers involved playing space pirates, and Johnny's seemed to be getting into fights over nothing at all.

 

[The Derp of Hooves]

As Mila explained herself, Mire watched the antics of the other rangers. The certainly were a lively bunch, but it was fine with her. While Mire wasn't the type to go out and mingle, she did like it to be how it was now. However, she was brought back when Mila asked about her pendant that she had been absentmindedly fiddling with. The truth about it was rather depressing, but Mire felt an attraction to it that she couldn't place so she kept it around.

"Well, my Wookiee friend Jiwarr put the pearl on the necklace for me, but where it came from I'm not really sure," it didn't really bother her much that she had no idea who she was, but it still felt awkward talking about it. It really wasn't something that she talked about with anyone other than Jiwarr, Hiro or the twins Aola and Nima, "The truth is, I don't really know much about who I am. You ever get that feeling where you know you should know something but you just can't remember it? That's sort of how everything past a few weeks is with my whole life."

 

[Minuteman75]

Being a former detective and having been through a relationship herself, Sei saw that her question about Zaylos had made Lexi a bit nervous and she avoided giving a direct reply about it. That told Creel that Lexi was attracted to Zaylos but she wasn't exactly sure how serious it was. But Sei decided not to probe anymore about it out of respect for her fellow ranger and to keep herself from thinking about her late husband, Jorus. Instead she stay quiet, listening to conversation between Lexi and Ava. Judging by what Ava said, she was a former felon, having served jail-time, but the question what for?

Then again the Waste Rangers didn't struck her as the sort to recruit someone with a shady background unless they meant make up for it. Sei knew she can't really judge Ava, she herself would be technically speaking could be label as a terrorist and fugitive by the rotting Imperials who rule her home now if they knew or even cared that she still lived. The more she thought about, Creel remember that several smugglers or others with less than respectful professions for one reason or another fought bravely in the Corellian resistance, before it was utterly crushed.

Getting another round of whiskey in her glass from Vince, Sei raise it up and toasted with sincerity;

"To friends."

Gulping down the liquid substance, she put the empty cup back on the counter and had another coughing spell. This time it didn't lasted just as long like it happen with her first drink, but sure it didn't do her any favors.

"I should probably get a different kind of drink." Sei commented to no one in particular. Then looking at Lexi and Ava she asked;

"Any ideas?"

 

[Zay]

Zaylos stopped in his tracks. Ryan had made it blatantly obvious that she was not interested in his company. Strike three. Zaylos shrugged and smiled at the young woman. "Well, I won't impose, darlin'." he turned on his heel and walked toward the back of the bar. "Am I that much of a sleaze bag? I only hit on one girl tonight... huh." Zaylos knocked back the rest of his brandy as he contemplated his plight. The ice clinked in the glass as he lowered it to his side. He inhaled and exhaled and then walked back to the bar. He set his empty glass on the counter. "Well, Vince. You win some. Ya lose some, right?" The bartender chuckled at the disheveled ranger and said "Well, at least you still got a pretty face kid." Zaylos cocked an eyebrow at the bartender. "Sorry, Vince. I don't swing that way... but, I agree. Could you imagine if I had a freaking scar on my face!? That would be horrible. I would give me a complex." Zaylos chuckled and then tapped the bar with his hand. "Thanks for the pick up Vince. You're a good friend." the ranger said. Vince got the idea something was off about Zaylos. He tunred around and grabbed the remainder of the Corellian Devil's cut brandy and handed it over. "You look like you need this." Zaylos smiled and grabbed the bottle "I don't normally get bottle service her, but it's greatly appreciated." With that Zaylos decided to turn in for the night.

He looked over at the group of woman, and shook his head smiling slightly. With a grin he nodded and winked at Lexi, To Sei "It was a pleasure to meet you ma'am, I recommend the Corellian Twister. It's fruity, chocked full of alcohol. Take it or leave it." He looked at Ava and then decided to ignore the clearly intoxicated woman. In his mind it was better let her forget they met all together then get swung on by the pretty little hapan. He glanced at Ryan and nodded assuming she didn't hate him at the moment, but also knew that it would probably change before he made it out the door... Zaylos was suddenly feeling rather beaten down. He had come in with such a positive outlook on the rangers. "I guess I need to work on how I speak to women." he thought. Zaylos smiled and nodded to the two younger girls in the bar he hadn't officially met the two, but he had seen them buzzing around the fort quite a bit. With that the heavy hearted ranger slapped the tiny blue creature spinning in the stool a high five then nodded at the man named Topher before finally exiting the building.

Zaylos walked around the perimeter of The Saloon for a few hours. The old fort that housed the rangers was rather large and he enjoyed strolls around the base. The walks helped him clear his mind. For Zaylos, clearing his mind was something he had been trying to accomplish all day. He attempted to convince himself he was in a good mood, but there was nothing for him to be happy about today... Today was the anniversary of his grandfather's passing. Every year he tried his best to drown the sorrow with cheap drinks and fast women. It never worked. He made it to the location he was wandering toward and scaled the side of the building. Once he got to the top he took a seat. His legs dangled over the edge of the old fort and opened the bottle. He took a long drag off of the bottle and set it down next to him. With a sight he laid back and put a hand behind his head. Zaylos admired the stars and waited for the sun rise. "Man, I thought this would get easier as time went on... guess not." he took another swig from the bottle.

 

[Schwarz]

Le-Kenn was not the sociable type, while the other rangers were in the saloon, celebrating what he thinks that is a "celebration of nothing" and getting drunk, he was walking around the saloon, meditating on how many souls were being torn from their possessors, by the hands of terrible creatures who call themselves someone.

There was nothing to celebrate, to Le-Kenn the only time that is well spent is the time when he ran his sword through the throat of a killer. Although his heart did not enjoy being with people, he feels a lot of compassion for them, and often seeks to overcome the great cliff that is to being closer of someone.

When he saw one of the rangers sitting and drinking, looking broken and saddened by something very serious, his attention has been caught, since he always saw rangers such this just making a revelry. Looking at this, he decided to change his closed and impenetrable attitude, and become closer to that man, he seemed different, something was hurting him: "maybe I can help him..." were Le-Kenn thoughts.

"What do you do here ranger?" Le-Kenn asked with his known gruff tone to Zaylos, "Why are not you getting drunk and partying while so many are being killed?"

Le-Kenn did not understand that his dogged pursuit for justice was moving away what was the most precious to him, lives saved and healed.

 

[Zay]

Top of the East Wall of The Saloon.​

---

Zaylos continued watching the stars as his company approached. "Hope you're not looking for a good time there, pal. I don't swing that way." The ranger said it in a jovial way and he hoped his new comrade would take it as such. Zaylos lazily looked over at the Jedish man sitting next to him on the top of the fort. "What do you do here ranger?" the man asked.

Zaylos thought for a moment and shrugged. "I'm in MOSES. It's the division devoted to abolishing slavery throughout the galaxy. What do you do?" He waited for the man to answer before addressing his second question. "If you think all their doing is drinking then I'm afraid your connection to
the force isn't as close as you thought. Some drink to celebrate a victory, some drink to meet new people and forge new bonds, and some drink to forget." As if on queue, Zaylos lifted the bottle to his lips then lowered it. "Don't judge someone till you've ridden across galaxy in a star ship with em. Everyone in the Ranger's is working to make this karking galaxy a better place and if you think that they are just drinking while people are dying then you're looking with blinded eyes, my friend." Zaylos sat up and looked the man in the face. "I'm not sure how long you've been with the rangers... but I know it's not long. This city is full of evil... it's full of hate and the rangers are doing their best to staunch that constant flow. We're all mortals, bub. Some of us handle the stress with a bottle," Zaylos lifted the brandy then pointed it at the man, "and some of us meditate. Don't mistake our appetite's for apathy." Zaylos took another swig and laid back down.

He was sure his grandfather would have been proud of his display just then. Zaylos wasn't normally good with new people. He didn't really like anyone... well except Lexi, but he wasn't sure if that was his heart or the brandy talking. "Name's Zaylos Kartan. MOSES division. What's your name?" The ranger left it up to the jedi to continue the conversation. Zaylos had taken what he had said and set him right about it. It was up to the jedi to take it for what it was or get mad about it. At this point Zaylos was just drunk enough to not care.

 

[Schwarz]

Looking at his companion almost drunk and asking what he was doing in the rangers, Le-Kenn just said.

"I do nothing but my duty ..."

When he finished saying these words, Zaylos went on to explain why they were drinking and partying. However, nothing made sense to him, it was impossible to understand, even more that his words were completely filled with odor of alcohol, something that Le-Kenn was completely against. So he just waited patiently the drunk ranger to finish his ethics class about doing good while you drink and celebrate, Le-Kenn had a lot to explain to his mate, but he just heard him, because that man had something he needed to discover.

"There is something in you that makes you so... I'm so for all I've seen ..." Le-Kenn sat beside the man and continued "not all my words could make you understand what is going through what I saw... good people dying by the indifference of those who governs... see fair and courageous men fall because someone was sitting in a chair doing nothing, or simply left to hide... "

Le-Kenn was referring to Jedi, to him they were the main cause of that current galactic calamity, since they were so powerful and just hid and retreated. Then he continued.

"Le-Kenn is the name, I met Hiro a little while and decided to join because... well, you want the same than me" and turning his eyes back to the ranger said "But say me, what you really doing here? Why you aren't there?" asked pointing to the saloon.

 

[Taz]

Axe stumbled into the Saloon, No idea of the time of day or even what day for that matter. His fuel cells had run nearly dry, his bounty mission thus far a bust. In fact the only good thing to come of this side trip out to the back water wastes of Zonju V was meeting this merry band of misfit dogooders. Axe enjoyed the company. It gave him the same sense of honor and brotherhood he once had as a trooper fresh out of boot.

Those years has long sense past though, now his time was spent mostly hunting scum or those who cheated the Cartel. At this very moment the only thing the man was looking for was a little hair of the dog. He belled up to the bar and laid his head to the old finished wood. He eyed a person behind the bar, "Bourbon...water....meat and eggs please", he was hardly sure if it was even a bartender of if they served anything other then liquid happiness in this place sense it was but his second time in the place.

 

[Zay]

Zaylos took a swig of the bottle in his hand and let the inebriation consume his mind. The Ranger looked back at the Jedi and nodded as he returned Zaylos's greeting. "I'm here to remember." His eyes drifted to the Bar and he said, "That place is to forget." Zaylos may have been drunk but his words were still quite comprehensive and easy to understand. The ranger had spent most of his adult life drinking and being drunk, he knew how to hold his liquor. "I'll be square with you. I don't wanna talk about it. No offence, but I don't talk about my personal life with people I don't know. Ask me this question after we've worked together. Sound fair?" Zaylos wasn't rude about his statement he was truthful. If the Jedi was offended by the truth well then Zaylos would ignor him. Zaylos had a feeling that the jedi would understand though.

Zaylos finished the bottle and before he could embarrass himself in front of anyone else he stood. "It was real nice meeting ya Le-Kenn. I'm afraid I've remembered enough for one night." Zaylos offered his hand to shake. whether or not the jedi shook his hand was up to him it wouldn't effect Zaylos regardless. In his travels he'd noticed that many beings weren't familiar with the hand gestures that were common to him, and that was fine.

Zaylos groggily climbed down the piller of the fort he'd placed himself on and walked back to his ship. His path was etched out in the sand as a squiggly line as the slightly depressed and overly intoxicated Ranger entered the hanger.

 

[Taz]

Axe's drunk rant, So much as I like this merry band of law men, I'll feeling a little left out in the cold. I can drink myself into a coma, seeing as the booze is free and all, but I can't seam to get a green light (thread started) for the two out of the half dozen mission I've volunteered for. Don't get me wrong I love the free drinks, and open docks for my ship and all, but I'm feeling a little left out in the cold here. Pretty soon I'm gonna need a pretty little lady or a bar fight. Funny part is I think Lexi may be good for both.

(OOC: A drunk characters words are a sober players thoughts, I need some action)

 

[HelloKitty]

As the door to the bar hissed open and Rosalynn stepped inside, she raised her head. Bright eyes slowly took in the scenery, slipping from the bartender to the variety of very different people. A little smile curled up her lips to reveal pearly white teeth as she brushed large amounts of sand off of the neon-pink dress she wore, which contrasted terribly with the bright red locks of hair running all the way down her back. Only the more attentive onlookers would notice her lips uttering several curses directed at the arid climate.

After a short pause, she paraded quickly to the counter and ordered two shots of a rather strong beverage called the 'Remote Terminator'. One she drank down in a quick gulp, raising the empty glass above herself with a straight arm. Slamming it back down on the counter was accompanied by a cheerful yell “Woooh! That hit the spot”.

Being just about the newest addition to the rangers, she didn't know anyone in the bar. However shyness was obviously not one of her most developed traits. She downed the second shot, slammed it down on the counter and started her way dancing and twirling to the center of the room, randomly shooting looks at the various people around, either drinking alone or caught up in conversation, she beckoned with her index finger “Let's get this party started!”. The way she enjoyed herself felt lightly contagious. Like seeing someone yawn, or laughing along with others.

//OOC: Just got PM'd that the thread has moved, copied contents into the new one.