Pre-TL: Saint Andraste's Coffee

[GABA]

Thalia had a lead on some cool new treasures and though it took a littler effort to track down the person who was selling, she felt fairly accomplished she managed to get a meeting with the seller. From the stories, it sounded like this item would be pretty promising and she could make an even bigger profit if she could find the right buyer after getting it from this guy. All Thalia could see were credit signs float around her head, a heavy daydreaming sigh escaped her lips as she took the holo-train to her stop. It was from some cult of those who were sensitive of the power, the Force. A common belief with those she grew up with, she never found it something that interested her except for the lore that came with the legends and myths. She had discovered there were many religions and cults around the galaxy that converged in the idea of a greater power. It something people valued even without being sensitive to the engeries and it meant credits for her, especially if she could get a rockin' story from it.

The holo-train chimed over the intercom, signalling the next stop and one that Thalia would exit. The afternoon sky opened up with rain, and there was never a moment where the fair-headed teen would miss such opportunities. The Collective with its artificial environment never had weather, only the mines on the asteroids had some resemblance of lightning storms, but that was it. Thalia welcomed it, and was excited as she moved through the midday lunch rush. The location was a diner not too far away, and she doubled checked the information on her datapad once more before entering, a ring of a bell was drowned by the those inside eating and talking before heading back to their jobs. Her eyes scanned quickly around, but could not find the character that matched the description from her notes.

Thalia pursed her lips together and then found an empty, albeit dirty, table to sit down at, waiting, wondering, and hoping she would not be stood up on this deal.

@Nefieslab

 

[Nefieslab]

Max was beginning to think that no one would actually take the bait when he got the message. Honestly he had been thinking that people had grown wise but it was nice to know that wasn't the case. He made sure to get their first and loitered in a way that fit the area; he bought an incredibly over priced caf and was watching a stupid video on his holopad without the headphones. Just as expected from someone his age after all.

Seeing the girl sitting down at the table, he didn't look at her with his eyes but instead sought her out with the Force. She was vaguely force sensitive he could tell but nothing too strong. Nothing trained he could hazard a guess. Waiting a few moments longer, he put the pad away and threw the caf cup into the recycling bin. Approaching her, he sat down at the table, looking across the table at her.

He smiled.

"You look a little young to be interested in the item I'm selling - are you buying it for someone else?"

He hoped that was the case.

If someone so young, so full of potential life, had begun down the path to the Dark Side then it could, potentially, be a long and hard road to pull her back to the Light. One that, hopefully, would not fall on him. Max was... not enamored with the idea of becoming a teacher after all.

@GABAdactyl

 

[GABA]

Thalia drummed her fingers on the table, her chin rested on her other palm propped up by her elbow as she watched the beads of rain run down the window's surface. Her mind wandering to other things she needed to do before shipping off world again after this meeting. Her ship was making an odd squeaking noise, it was more annoying than something of concern. However, in the back of her mind she was worried about hearing it make that same noise when she jumped to hyperdrive. She also needed to stop by the shop to pick up some snacks, maybe a new hyrdospanner since her current one isn't as ascetically appealing anymore.

The girl inhaled and let out a long sigh, pulling out her datapad to check the chrono and make sure she had the right location. It was in this moment that a older male sat down across from her and Thalia glanced to her left and right as though she were waiting for someone to tell her this was going to be a joke. She quirked an eyebrow, "Do I want what you're selling? Look, you got the wrong person if you think I need a sugar daddy." she said pursing her lips as she reopened her contact pad, reading the description and double checking the guy in front of her and frowned when she guessed he matched the description mostly, minus the part about being a grandpa.

"Ok, so do you have the item?" she asked seemingly short on her tone to clearly make him think she was the no nonsense type of girls in this galaxy.

@Nefieslab

 

[Nefieslab]

Oh boy she was one of those huh?

Well Max had dealt with teenagers before even if it always seemed like every time it was an exercise it utter futility. Sometimes they actually listened and learned but most of the time they'd tell you to screw off, do what they wanted and then scream at you about how their decisions had caused things to go sideways for them in the most spectacular ways.

Making himself comfortable in the seat across from her, Max raised an eyebrow slowly as he looked at her. She was observing him so he didn't say anything while she decided that he was the seller. Which was good because it at least meant that he wasn't going to have to fight off security because the teenager was eager to go into detail about stranger danger.

"I've got the item." he replied with a smooth but curt tone as he used the Force to subtly move the sugar dispenser to his hand so he could play with it with his idle hands, "But that's not the question here."

Max smiled a little bit more. It was the kind of smile that seemed brittle.

"Maybe I should worry about you though? You're, what, twelve?" he gestured to her, "I'm clearly a man who's seen the Galaxy; you're a girl who's seen barely anything outside her bedroom. So are you going to give me some assurance you're not a rookie cop the others put out as the bait?"

@GABAdactyl

 

[GABA]

He made the sugar shaker move and Thalia's brow furrowed in bewilderment as she debated to question out loud what she had just seen. However, there was the other part of her that whispered not to say anything, she might draw unnecessary trouble and that was something she was more motivated to avoid...even if trouble seemed to follow her. So instead, Thalia pretend she did not just see that and looked back at the old man who had confirmed what she was there to purchase. There was an impulsive desire to roll her eyes hard as he seemed more interested in her own well being. She wondered when strangers gave two Kriffs about anyone and his mannerism made her uneasy. Perhaps he really was looking to be someone's sugar daddy.

Thalia glared at him as he passed judgement on who she was and what she had gone through, professing his age was much more superior to her own knowledge and possible wisdom she held. She was entirely certain that there were many just like her in the galaxy and they had gotten around just fine.

"Look, I'm just here to buy the item, not to sit here and listen to you preach some moral high ground about your age and how my own youth is inferior." she spoke, her tone short clearly communicating she was not amused by this presentation or looking forward to having to be belittled in order to get the artifact from him. "So, I'm here to conduct business, I want to see the item and then we can exchange for my credits if I think it is as rumors say it is." she explained. A passing customer glanced at them awkwardly and Thalia sighed with embarrassment that this was happening here of all places. She shook her head, refocusing on the issue before her and then sat back against the chair.

"So...let's see it." she said waving her hand, gesturing for him to get on with it.

@Nefieslab

 

[Nefieslab]

Ah she was here for the item.

Disappointing that someone her age seemed to be set on the Darker Path. He sighed a little bit and shook his head a little bit before tapping the table idly with a finger.

"No."

He looked at her with a rather pitying gaze for a moment, even though it was somewhat more understanding than one would usually expect a Jedi to give a 'Sith'. Or whatever she was since she didn't seem to have had any kind of formal training. A Dark Sider in the making if she continued down this path however.

"The item is bait." he revealed to her simply, "My name is Max and I am a Jedi - the item was bait to lure out those looking to bolster their affinity for the Dark Side. You, however, appear to be untrained and untainted. So how about you tell me why you're looking for an item so viscerally wrong that it offends the unified life forces of every living thing in existence?"

Because, in the end, that was what the Dark Side was. It was a perversion of the natural order of the Galaxy and not, as some believed, something to balance against the Light. The Light was the Galaxy's nature state and that was not up for debate as far as Max was concerned.

@GABAdactyl

 

[GABA]

No?

Was he really serious or was he just stupid? Any lesser of a being would have shot him for this set up. He didn't even have the item and Thalia felt a tinge of irritation that she took the time to come here only to find out that she was getting nothing. Her fingers gripped tightly along the edge of the table before she slid her hands under the table and rested her palms on her thighs.

Then he told her it was bait.

She could have been dead from this deal and now she could not figure out if she was angry at him for such a trick or at herself for falling on such vague rumors that she could have have been killed or kidnapped. He claimed he was a Jedi and she felt her fingers curl as she made fists; she did not care who he was, nor did she care much for him trying to analyze her and determine who she was. He spewed his religious evaluation and Thalia shook her head.

"I don't care who you are, or what you think of me, but I can see I made a mistake coming here." she took in a deep breath to calm her nerves. "I didn't come here to listen to your zealotry, I don't believe in that stuff. But what I do believe in is credits, and your arch nemesis bogey-men artifacts sell for such a good credit. So of course I came looking, but I don't expect you to understand that."

She pursed her lips together and her eyes narrowed under her brow, now irritated in herself for sticking around this long. The girl started to slide out of the booth, her mind trying to distract itself with recalling train schedules so she could get back to her ship. Standing at the end of the table she leaned down just slightly and gave a forceful smile, "Good day to you, Jedi Max."

However, before she could turn to leave, she felt something press into her side as group of gangsters had entered the bar without them noticing; the one with the blaster pressed into Thalia's side was a massive Herglic, his voice grumbled in sarcasm, "Oh, good day indeed. Sit down..." there was pressure placed into her side and she slid back into the booth, the Herglic also sat down, barely fitting in the booth as the table shifted into Max's torso. A smaller human also sat down by Max, his blaster pulled and aimed at the Jedi. "So, the artifact?"

@Nefieslab

 

[Nefieslab]

He shook his head slightly but didn't interrupt her. She was of the age where she was likely used to people older than her talking down to her when they disagreed with her but Max had never really gotten into that message when he grew up. Instead he let her speak and he let her expand on why she was upset.

Somewhat rightfully so considering he had, indeed, lied to her.

They were only some unfortunate romantic suggestions away from a catfishing or whatever they called that these days.

"I do find it strange that my bogey-men include the Emperor Palpatine, Darth Vader and Kylo Ren and yet people still find ways to tell me that they don't exist." he admitted before smiling a little bit, "But I suppose it's not my place to preach. Good day, young lady, and good hunting for more bargains."

Of course that's when things went slightly wrong.

Slightly being an understatement.

Without visibly reacting with the alarm he felt, Max grunted slightly at the way the table pressed against his chest with the way the Herglic sat down. The sugar dispenser was knocked over. The human sitting beside him with the blaster was... irritating he would admit. He gave the human a weak little smile before turning to look back at the Herglic.

"My my I did not expect such heated interest in my artifact!" he admitted good-naturedly with a small laugh, as sugar began to pour out onto the table in a steady, rather innocuous, manner, "Would you believe that it's in my pocket and I would need to be able to move a little bit more freely to take it out?"

The human thug frowned a little bit, looking at the table before shrugging at the Herglic.

"I'm not patting down an old geezer's junk for the boss' trinket."

That was a bit mean - he wasn't old.

@GABAdactyl